Wood Working !

FIVE HEADS
MAN
vs. LATHE
Spokeshave TUNE-uP
are better
than one
oodworking
W&
Canadian
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
issue #68
Home Improvement
DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS
TOOL YOUR SHOP
BUILD YOUR DREAMS
BENCH-TOP
PLANERS TESTED
Who Wins and Why
From new to antique

in no time at all
Strategies for
Smooth Glue-Ups
Turn a
FRUIT
PLATTER
$4.95
publications mail reg No.
40035186
canadianwoodworking.com
Create
wooden
icicles
W&oodworking CONTENTS
Canadian
Home Improvement
DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS
TOOL YOUR SHOP
BUILD YOUR DREAMS
O C TO B ER / NOVEM B ER 2 0 1 0
F E AT U R E S
23
Spokeshaves
Once you learn how to tune a spokeshave and use it

properly, it will be a tough tool to put down.
30 Gluing Strategies
Knowledge, coupled with lots of planning,
will go a long way to ensuring smooth glue-ups.
34 Bench-Top
Planer Comparison
We sort through the ups and downs
of this little shop workhorse.
38 Sink Organizer
Bring order to one of the most chaotic
areas in your home...the space under your sink.
34
D E PA RT M E N T S
2 Editors Letter
4 Readers' Letters and Woodworkers Gallery
5 Product News
6 Community: Durham Woodworking Club
8 Instrument Project: Build an Electric Guitar: Part 2
14 Wood Finish: Adding Years of Patina ... Overnight
18 Turning Project: Turning a Fruit Platter
37 Shop Tested: Ridgid JobMax
37 Coming Events
48 Wood Chuckle
C OV E R S TO RY
Cover photo by: Andrew Gene
28
Finer Details
Take an inside look at how John Glendinning makes a
furniture component that was inspired by icicles.
28
CanadianWoodworking.com
W&oodworking
editor's letter
Canadian
Home Improvement
DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS
TOOL YOUR SHOP
BUILD YOUR DREAMS
Issue #68
Publishers
Paul Fulcher, Linda Fulcher
Editor
Rob Brown
Art Director
Jonathan Cresswell-Jones
CONTRIBUTORS
rbrown@canadianwoodworking.com
ts hard to find time to work wood in the summer. If its not the
heat and humidity slowing me down, its the vacation. Dont
get me wrong Im not complaining about warm weather and
time off, but I wish it didnt have to come at the expense of
quality time in my studio. Summers great but we have to move on
and start building. Autumn is the time of the year to get excited about
woodworking and to reacquaint yourself with projects you started
many months earlier. More time in the shop is consolation for the sad
fact that another summer has come to a close. Well, out with the good,
and in with the great!
Speaking of great, we have a host of articles to tighten your focus
and inspire you this fall. In addition to the new Community section
we introduced last issue, Im really excited to launch another regular
feature article: Finer Details. In Finer Details youll learn how some
of the finest craftsmen in the country expand whats possible when
making furniture. This segment will explain how a complex portion of
a piece of furniture is made. It really is an inside look at how the best
woodworkers do their best work. To start things off with a bang I take a
look at how John Glendinning, a Quebec-based studio furniture maker,
builds the leg featured on our cover.
In this issue you will also find some great ideas for how to better
tackle your glue-ups, how to tune and use a spokeshave and how to
organize the area under your kitchen sink. I hope our stories will help
coax you back into the shop again. Enjoy yourself.
Rob Brown
Paul Fulcher
Publisher & Advertising Director
pfulcher
@canadianwoodworking.com
Maureen Fulcher
Circulation
mfulcher
CANADIAN WOODWORKING & HOME IMPROVEMENT
Allan Cusworth, Paul Hillacre,

Bill Perry, Jim Sinclair,
Marty Schlosser, Ryan Shervill,
Don Wilkinson, Chris Wong
Prepress
Bonnie Wittek
Proofreader
James Morrison
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Copyright 2010 by Canadian Woodworking
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Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except
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Please exercise caution when working with any tools or
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that (1) the authors and editors are not responsible for
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and editors, expressly disclaim all and any liability to any
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part of the contents of this publication. If advice or other
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professional person should be sought.
Bill MacDonald
Forum Administrator
bmacdonald
October/November 2010
readers'letters
woodworkers'gallery
Thanks for the great

garden bench project
I recently completed the elegant garden
bench that was featured in your April/May'09
issue. I chose to use Spanish Cedar and finished it with three coats of Behr exterior satin
finish. The project was easy to follow, and a
pleasure to make. Keep up the good work!
Mark B
Kanata, ON
Where in the world is Paul Ross?

Just a quick note to let you know that we've
settled into our new location in Bloomfield,
ON, a wonderful little community in Prince
Edward County.
Paul, a past contributor to Canadian
Woodworking Magazine, continues to teach
woodturning, and along with selling his turned
work, he's also offering lathes, tools and turning
supplies.
Please let your readers know that if they
are in our neighborhood, they are welcome to
drop by!
The shop address is: 212 Main Street,
Bloomfield, ON K0K 1G0
Lynne Ross
ChaletWoodcraft.com
Subscription Draw Winners

RENEWING SUBSCRIBER
Ivan O.
Bracebridge, ON
has won a Palm-Grip
Router Kit from Bosch
LOYAL SUBSCRIBER
Randy R.
Brantford, ON
has won a $250 gift
certificate from Lee Valley.
Subscribe or renew now for your chance to win!
Shop Storage Fit For A King

by Gary Zimmel
With cherry plywood carcasses, aspen

and birch drawer sides and solid cherry
face frames, doors and drawer fronts, this
project would be just as beautiful in a
kitchen as it is in this woodworking shop.
Most people dont go to this amount of
trouble to make their shop storage look
this good, but Gary Zimmel, of Stony
Plain, Alberta thought it was worth the
extra effort. And besides, he says, It was
a labour of love. Every time I go into my
shop and look at this corner it gives me a
ton of self-satisfaction.
In fact, the project started off a bit more
modestly, but as construction took place over eight months worth of evenings and weekends, Zimmel added more and more drawers so he could
have easy access to his set of tools. The addition of more drawers added
some challenges. Doing the 12" drawers with half blind dovetails was
the most difficult part of the build. There was not a lot of margin for
error to have these go together nice and tight, he recalls.
With the build now behind him, Zimmel has had a chance to look
back at his work. Sometimes a project can get a little out of hand,
he states matter-of-factly. With that many drawers, all dovetailed by
hand, I would say he might be right!
Rob Brown
Show your work to the world!
Visit canadianwoodworking.com and join our forum!
product news
Max
Gets
Fat
The Stanley FatMax Tool Vest has

been constructed with comfort, function and durability in mind. It provides
fast, convenient access to all your most
frequently used tools, yet is comfortable
enough to wear all day on the job.
Air mesh material enables the vest to breath for comfort during hot weather. It is one-size-fits-all but is
adjustable with wide, adjustable shoulder and side straps
that expand for more room when worn over heavier winter clothing. Light reflective strips trim the vest to provide
better visibility after dark.
The FatMax Tool Vest has been designed with a wide
array of compartments tailored to fit tools of various
sizes, as well as with a removable modular tool pouch
and hammer holder. It also has semi-detachable tool
pockets to fit different working positions. Double layer
pockets and reinforcements provide additional strength
and support for sharp tools and nails. The Vests highquality Velcro webbing belt and fasteners allow for
additional hanging tool holders and pouches so youll
always have the right tool at your fingertips every time.
Personal storage compartments provide easy access
to personal items such as portable media players and
mobile phones, while inner concealed pockets hold and
secure important documents. I think Stanley has thought
about everything when they designed this vest.
The FatMax Tool Vest is available at RONA Stores
across Canada & Reno-Depot strores in Quebec for a
suggested retail price of $59.99. For more information
visit: www.stanleyhandtools.ca.
General Extends Its Reach

Now available from General
International is a 17" extended
stroke drill press. This new
model (75-260 M1) is designed
for precision drilling applications in either wood or metal and
includes all the basic functions and
features found on most standard
drill presses. The main difference
between this model and others is its
lengthened 6" vertical spindle travel.
The cast-iron head of the 75-260
M1 is mounted to a sturdy 3 1/8" steel
column and sits on a stable 11 x 19
5
/8" cast-iron base. The large 14 x 14"
cast-iron table tilts 45 degrees left or
right and can be quickly swivelled
away for off-table drilling. It also
has four strategically located
slots for securing a variety of
clamps or jigs to the table. A smooth
rack and pinion is used for table height
adjustments and all swivel or pivot points are
secured with metal locking levers.
The 75-260 M1 features a 1 HP, totally
enclosed fan-cooled motor, a heavy duty positive
depth stop, a " chuck, a large front-mounted
paddle-style stop switch and, for added safety,
an adjustable flip-up, see-through chuck guard.
The unit is equipped with cast-iron pulleys for
smooth, vibration-free operation and by simply
changing the belt positions on the pulleys it
offers 12 possible speed selections,
from 255 to 2750 RPM.
The General International
75-260M1 can be ordered
from most General/General
International retail distributors. For more
information on this and other General products,
visit www.general.ca.
Prize Winner!
Denis Vincent is pictured
with some of his most
recent projects, and his
new 20-piece Oscillating
Multi-Tool from King.
Congratulations Denis;
this will no doubt come in
handy for future projects.
community: Durham
Christmas
Ornament A
Christmas turning by
Denis Lalonde
Turned Bowl
Another project by a
D.W.C. member
Durham
Woodworking Club
Sharing Knowledge is Just the Beginning.
by Rob Brown
Photos by: Tom Loftus
he Durham
Woodworking Club
has been serving
woodworking members in the Durham region for
over 20 years. Initially, Durham
Woodworking Club members
struggled with the fact that they
didnt have a facility but they soon
developed a relationship with the
Eastview Boys and Girls Club to
mentor their kids woodworking program. This allowed the Woodworking
Club to outfit the shop with tools and
machinery and develop a learning program to educate and challenge their
members. The club has around 100 hardworking members who regularly share
skills on numerous woodworking topics
during meetings.
The club has a well-developed education program where woodworking
experts are invited to educate members on all aspects of woodworking.
Many tool, equipment and material
manufacturers have made presentations, teaching members how to use their

products safely and properly. Similarly,
many professional woodworkers have
introduced members to the skills and
techniques they have learned over the
years. Some of the topics have included
carving, canoe- and boat-building, and
studio furniture making. These programs
are offered at regular weekly meetings.
The club organizes a number of programs, which the members volunteer
their time to assist with: kids scroll-sawing, teen woodturning, toy building and
working with local charities.
Offered to preteens, the kids scrollsawing program provides them with
an introduction to woodworking.
Experienced woodworkers mentor
the youngsters and allow the students
to safely progress at their own speed.
Woodturning Teens progress from spindle turning through pen, bowl and box
turning projects. Often this is the only
opportunity for kids and teens to learn
about the joys of woodworking.
Something the club is particularly
proud of, the ongoing toy-building

program, has provided up to 500 toys
annually to local charities for Christmas
toy drives. Also working with local charities, members have provided additional
services such as building, modifying and
repairing cabinetry and storage units.
Furthermore, members projects are coveted as prizes for charity auctions and
fund raising programs. As I said, these
are hard-working woodworkers!
The club has an extensive library
that includes plans, books and videos.
The well-equipped shop is about 700
square feet and has a wide selection of
machines for everyone to use. To learn
more about the club visit www.durhamwoodworkingclub.com. You can
also go to www.canadianwoodworking.
com for a list of other
woodworking clubs in
Canada.
ROB BROWN
rbrown@
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F a s t e r. E a s i e r. S m a r t e r.
build an
electric
guitar part 2
In this second of a two-part series, we take a
look at how the neck is made, the fret work is
completed and, finally, how to apply a finish
to this beautiful instrument.
By Paul Hillacre
The Neck
The neck blank needs to be 21mm

thick and approximately 4" x 30". The
length and width may vary depending
on your headstock design. Draw a centerline the length of the neck blank. Lay
out your neck template, center it and
clamp it in place. Drill the index holes
7mm deep with a " brad point drill bit.
With the neck template still in place, trace

the neck profile onto the work piece.
Truss rod slot
To rout the truss rod slot, I suggest

building a simple jig to hold the neck in
position and guide the router.
Draw a centerline on a 34" x 8" piece
of MDF.
On your neck blank, measure out and
drill a set of through holes on center,
outside of the neck profile. Pins will be

used in these holes to center the neck
on the jig and hold it in place for routing. Drill a corresponding set of holes
on the centerline of the MDF jig.
Measure the width of your router
base. Mount two straight rails to the jig,
spaced accordingly, so your router will
be captured in the space between the
two rails. These will guide the router
down the center of the neck while you
rout the slot. Rails must be at least "
thicker than the neck blank.
Measure the length of your truss rod
and mark start/stop points for routing
on the neck blank. Rout the slot about
" longer than the rod, past the nut
into the headstock. This will provide a
recess for the wrench to adjust the rod.
Pin the neck onto the jig so it is secure
enough to rout the slot. Set the depth of
cut on your router, then rout the slot in
two or three passes. Different truss rods
will have different dimensions, so size
of bit and depth of cut will vary. I recommend using the two-way Hot Rods
from Stewart MacDonald for this project. They are easy to install and allow
you complete control over the neck.
Follow the installation instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Tuner holes
Mark your tuner layout on the face

of the headstock. My tuner layout for
a three-per-side headstock is as follows.
The E string tuners are spaced 1 "
apart on center, the next two are 1 "
on center, and the top two are 1" apart
on center. The distance from the nut to
the E string tuners is 1 " to the center
of the hole. From there, they are evenly
spaced 1 " on center, toward the tip of
the headstock. Drill tuner holes with a
brad point bit 1/64" larger than the post
of the tuning key, to allow for wood
movement, and for ease of installation
and alignment. Using a backer board,
drill through until only the tip of the bit
pokes through. Flip and drill through
from the back side of the hole to prevent chipping.
Profile
Bandsaw the profile about 1/16" oversize. Press the index pins through the
template and into the neck. With the
Photos by: Paul Hillacre
instrumentproject
template secured to the neck, flush trim

the last 1/16" of the material off the neck.
I use a " flush trim bit mounted in the
router table because I can maintain more
control over the neck while machining.
Carving the neck
Begin by marking your heel and headstock transitions. You can either shape
the neck on a belt sander or use a rasp or
chisel to shape the heel and headstock
transitions and a spoke shave for the
shaft. The shaft should be no less than
1415mm thick at the first fret and about
1718mm at the 12th fret.
Indexing the Fingerboard
Draw a centerline on a 24" x 6" piece

of MDF. Clamp your neck template to
the MDF face down with the nut about
" from the end. Drill the index holes
through with a " brad point. Next, pin
the neck template to the MDF and mark
the nut position. The fingerboard will be
aligned with the nut edge for indexing.
Mount two toggle clamps to hold the fingerboard in place for drilling.
For this project, I recommend using
a pre-slotted and radiused fingerboard
from Stewart MacDonald. Be sure to
order a 24 " scale Gibson-style fingerboard, as all of the measurements
given in this article are based on a 24 "
scale Les Paul design.
Begin by confirming that at least one
edge of your fingerboard is square with
the nut edge. If its not square, trim the
Accuracy Is Important Drill index holes with a drill press to be sure they are perpendicular
to the surface.
long edge so it is square. Dont modify

the nut edge in any way this is a finished end. Once it is square, measure
the width of the fingerboard. Draw a
line parallel to the centerline of the jig,
spaced half the width of the fingerboard
from the center. This will be the reference line for centering the fingerboard
on the jig.
Because the fingerboard is radiused,
it needs to be shimmed until it sits flat,
with its face down. Do this by placing
an equal number of pieces of masking
tape down each edge, on the face of the
fingerboard.
To index the fingerboard, start by
clamping a piece of MDF to the drill
press table. This piece of MDF will
allow you to add a referencing pin in
the drill presses table surface. Install
a " straight cut router bit in the drill
press and set the table about 2" from
the bottom of the bit. Because a router

bit is made for use at high RPM, you
should increase the speed of your drill
press, and for good measure, plunge the
bit slowly while youre making the cut.
With the table locked in place, drill a
hole in the MDF table. Put a " pin in
the hole. It should be about 2mm proud
of the table. Now you have a referencing
pin accurately centered with the bit.
Clamp the fingerboard into the jig, carefully lining up with the nut edge and center
reference lines. Place the jig on the drill
press table with the pin in one of the index
holes. Set the depth stop for 2mm, then
drill both index holes in the fingerboard.
Glue the fingerboard

to the neck
Pin the fingerboard to the neck to test

fit. Remove the fingerboard and scuff
the glue surface with 100g sandpaper.
Build a Simple Jig This jig will guide the

router over the centerline of the neck blank to
machine the groove that houses the truss rod.
Template Trimming A flush trim bit in the router table will trim the neck to its final shape and size.
Smooth Transition For looks and comfort, a Indexing the Fingerboard Toggle clamps hold
smooth transition between the heel and headstock the fingerboard in place for drilling.
is important. You have a choice of hand tools,
power tools or a combination.
Heel angle
Install the truss rod according to the

manufacturers instructions. Apply glue
to the neck (I recommend G2 Epoxy,
mixed three parts resin to two parts
hardener). Keep the glue " away from
the nut edge to prevent squeeze out. Pin
the fingerboard in place and clamp for
24 hours. When the epoxy is completely
dry, bandsaw the excess finger board and
sand flush with the neck. Be very careful
not to re-size the neck.
Fret position markers
For the side dots, mark the center of

the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th and
21st frets on the glue line. Space the double dots at the 12th fret equally from the
center mark. With a brad point, bit the
size of your side dot material drill about
2mm deep. Use five-minute epoxy to
install the dots. After an hour or so, sand
them flush. Top dots are optional.
Scalloping the Headstock
Begin by re-sawing the headstock to

15.5-16mm. Its important to stop cutting when you get to the E-string tuner
hole and very carefully back out. Make
a short perpendicular cut to remove
the waste from the front of the headstock. Use a stationary belt sander to
remove the bandsaw marks. The round
end of the belt sander will create the
scallop. The scallop should come right
up to the nut edge. Be careful not to
sand too far. There should still be a 3
1
/6" flat spot where the nut will sit. Use
the nut to check periodically while sanding. The final thickness of the headstock
is 15mm.
10
Re-sawing the Headstock With

a bandsaw remove the waste from the
headstock
Be sure that the set screw on the center neck support is loose. Place the neck
in the jig and tighten the cam clamp.
Begin by checking the fingerboard with
a straight edge. If necessary, adjust the
truss rod to correct any curve in the fingerboard. Tighten the set screw on the
center neck support.
Mark up the fingerboard with pencil
lines. With a 12" radius sanding block
and 220g stick-it (Stewart MacDonald),
sand until all of the pencil lines have been
removed and the fingerboard is true.
Maple fingerboards need to be finished
with a lacquer or urethane clear coat
before fretting. If left unfinished, maple
will quickly become dirty and stained
with frequent playing. Darker woods can
be left unfinished.
likely not have one. A bench vise with

wooden cauls could be used as a press or
you may hammer them in place.
First the fret wire must be bent to
the radius of the fingerboard and then
cleaned with Acetone, as its coated with
a thin layer of oil. It will be much easier
to radius and clean the entire length of
fret wire before cutting it up.
Hold the fret in the slot and gently
tap it in at each end. Press the fret until
it is entirely seated but not denting the
fingerboard. If you dont have a press,
hammer along the length of the fret until
it is completely seated. Be sure the neck
is firmly supported while hammering or
pressing and be careful not to dent the
fret or fingerboard while hammering.
Trim the fret flush with the fingerboard.
Once all the frets have been installed, put
three drops of thin cyano down each fret
slot end. Do one side, allow the glue to
cure for about 10 minutes, then flip the
neck over and repeat on the other side.
When the glue is set flush up the fret
ends on the belt sander at a 30 angle.
Sand the neck from 180g up to 600g.
When sanding at 220g, fill the fret slot
ends by lightly sanding the edge of the
fingerboard until the fret slot ends fill
with dust. Apply a small drop of thin
cyano to each slot end. Repeat this two
or three times until the fret slot ends are
completely filled.
Avoid over sanding the heel of the
neck. Its critical that it fits tightly into
the pocket to make a good glue joint.
Fretting
Control Cavity Cover
The neck must be angled back from

the body about four degrees. Use a stationary belt sander to sand this angle
into the bottom of the heel.
Neck work jig
To level the fingerboard and to level

and dress the frets, youll need to build
a fixture to hold and support the neck
while you work on it. The aluminum
pieces pictured can be substituted with
hardwood. Use -20 bolts for heel and
headstock supports. The center support
is a pin with a spring under it and a set
screw to lock it in position. The neck is
locked in with the cam clamp.
Level the fingerboard
The best way to install frets is with an

arbour press. However, many of you will
You will need to make a cover plate

to cover the control cavity. Trace your
Neck Support To level the fingerboard, and to level and dress the frets,
this fixture which supports the neck will be indispensable.
Smooth and Scallop With a stationary belt sander smooth the bandsaw
marks and scallop the headstock. Be sure not to sand past the nut edge.
cover plate recess template onto a piece

of matching or contrasting hardwood
that has been machined to 0.5mm less
than the finished depth of the recess
in the body. Bandsaw the cover plate,
then sand it to fit on a disc sander. Lay
out and drill four or five 1/8" holes for
mounting. They should be 3/16" from the
edge on center. Countersink them so
that the screw heads will be flush when
mounted. Finish up by sanding the plate
to 400g and finish in the same manner as
described for the body and neck.
Finishing
For this article I will be doing a natural

oiled/hand-rubbed polyurethane finish.
You may choose to stain or dye the body
and do a clear coat if you wish. Before
applying any finish, mask off the portion
of the heel that will be glued into the
neck. Mask off the neck pocket in the
body as well.
I recommend a first coat of Tung Oil
as a sealer. Apply a generous coat of oil
with a foam brush, let it soak for about
five minutes then wipe the surface dry
with paper towel. If the oil is left too
long it becomes too sticky to wipe off, so
you may want to wet your cloth with a
bit of fresh oil and wipe it clean. Be sure
to clean the fingerboard very well (clean
maple fingerboards with mineral spirits)
making sure there is no finish build-up
along the frets.
After the Tung oil has cured for at
least 24 hours, follow with six coats of
Install the Frets

Being careful not to
damage the frets or
the fingerboard, use a
hammer to tap the frets
into place.
Lee Valley Gel Finish. This is a two-day

process. First, the body and neck need to
be scuffed with #0000 steel wool. Apply
the Gel Finish with a quartered section
of a disposable dishcloth found at most
grocery stores. Rub out along the grain
until you have removed any streaks. Let
cure for at least four hours before recoating. Apply three coats the first day,
then scuff again with #0000 steel wool
before applying the last three coats on
day two.
re-crowned. This is done by sanding over

them (in line with the neck) with a piece
of 400g wrapped around your index and
middle finger. Use the same technique
to soften the ends of the frets. Next,
with a piece of 600g and a cork-faced
or dense foam block, lightly sand in line
with the frets to remove the perpendicular 400g scratches. This will make for
smooth string bending. Finish by polishing the frets with #0000 steel wool.
Level and re-crown the frets
If youre using maple, the fingerboard

needs to be masked off between the frets
before levelling can take place. Follow
the same set up procedure as for levelling
the fingerboard. Once the neck is straight
and the neck support is tight, mark the
tops of the frets with a black marker.
This will help you to see when the frets
are perfectly level. With 320g stick-it
on the same block you used to level the
fingerboard, lightly sand the frets, taking long strokes the length of the neck,
until the marker has been removed from
the top of the frets. Take as little material as possible. The frets now have to be
Fine tune the Frets After the cyano

adhesive has hardened trim the frets and sand
them to a 30 angle.
Re-crown the Frets Use a sanding block

with 400 grit sandpaper to re-crown the frets.
Installing the nut
Nut files are a costly investment but

they work well if youre planning on
mass-producing guitars. Without a nut
file youll need to get the nut as close to
the right height as possible before gluing it in. Measure the height of your
first fret with callipers or feeler gauges.
Sand down the bottom of the nut until
the string slots are about 0.005" higher
than the first fret. Glue the nut in with
medium cyano.
Setting the neck
Mask off the body around the neck

pocket. Place the neck in the pocket
and tape off the neck where it meets
the body. Scuff the neck tenon and the
pocket with 100g. Be careful not to make
the joint too sloppy. You should have, at
most, a paper thin gap on each side of
the neck. Apply G2 epoxy mixed 3:2 to
the pocket and neck. Set the neck into
position and clamp with a quick grip or
C-clamp (not too tight, about 30 psi). Be
sure to protect the neck and body from
the clamp to avoid any clamping marks.
Clean up the squeeze out with paper
towel and methyl hydrate. Wait 20 minutes, wipe again and remove the masking
tape. After an hour, check for further
squeeze out and clean up if necessary.
Clamp for 24 hours and wait 48 hours
before further work.
Assembly
Begin by installing the bushings for

the bridge and tailpiece. This is best
done with an arbour press or using a
steel dowel in the drill press. They can
also be seated carefully with a wooden,
rubber or plastic faced hammer. Next,
install the strap buttons. Now its time
12
A String Tree May be Necessary A string

tree will create more downward angle on the strings
behind the nut. It will prevent the strings from
popping out of the nut while playing.
Set the Bridge Some final adjustments will

for tuners. Begin by placing the two
fine-tune the position of the strings.
E-string tuners into their holes and finger tighten the nuts. Use a straight edge
Set up and Final
to perfectly align the tuners so their
Adjustments
top edges are parallel. Tighten the nuts
With an accurate ruler, roughly set
enough to hold the tuners in place, dou- the bridge so that the strings are about
1
ble-check they are still aligned, then
/8" above the frets on the bass side and
drill a 1 1/6" pilot hole for the set screws. 1/16" on the treble side. Plug in! Tune the
Mount the rest of the tuners the same
guitar to pitch. Now the truss rod can
way, then install the set screws, check
be set. To do this, fret the D string at
alignment once more and firmly
the first fret with your left hand and at
tighten the nuts. Before installing any
the 17th fret with your right pinkie finof the electronics, I recommend shield- ger. Now use your right thumb to tap
ing the control cavity and back side of
the string at the 7th fret (if you dont
the cavity cover with adhesive shieldhave the reach for this, use a capo on
ing foil from Stewart MacDonald. This the 1st fret). There should be a 0.01"
will eliminate most of the unwanted
gap between the string and the top of
noise or hum that is associated with
the fret. This is called relief. Adjust the
electric guitars. Now mount the pots
truss rod to achieve approx. 0.01" relief.
and switches. Mount the jack to the
Now the string height can be fine tuned.
jack plate and hold it in place to mark
Measured at the 15th fret, the low E
the screw holes. Drill pilot holes for
string should be at 1/8" and the high E
the jack plate screws. Youll want to
string should be right on the 1/16" mark.
wait until you have the wires soldered
This is fairly low action. You may need
to the jack before screwing it on, othto raise it later if there are string buzzes,
erwise you wont be able to access it to
or you prefer higher action. Next is intosolder.
nation. Compare the 12th fret harmonic
Now you can install the pick-ups, wire
with the fretted note at the 12th fret. If
the guitar and mount the jack. Excellent
the harmonic is higher than the fretted
wiring diagrams for any configuration
note, the string needs to be shortened. If
can be found online. Next, mount the
the fretted note is higher than the
bridge and tailpiece. Use a piece of tape
harmonic, the string needs to be
to hold the tailpiece in place while you
lengthened. Adjust the
get the first couple strings on, as it is held bridge saddle accordin place only by string tension. Finish by ingly. Do this for every
installing control knobs and the cavity
string. You are now
cover. You may also need to add a string
ready to rock your new
tree to create more downward angle on
guitar!
the strings behind the nut so they wont
pop out of the nut when you bend a
PAUL HILLACRE
string.
pure_guitars@live.com
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AddingYears of
Patina...Overnight
Theres something about a gracefully aged
antique that catches your eye. Then again,
maybe it only looks like an antique. Learn how
to add decades of character in just a few hours.
BY Marty Schlosser
f youre like me and are willing

to apply a bit of elbow grease and
common sense, its possible to turn
a new piece of furniture youve
recently made, or perhaps one you
recently purchased, into a faux antique.
As long as youre honest and fess up
to the fact, theres nothing wrong or
unscrupulous about it. Come along with
me as I add years of patina to a rocking
chair I recently came across. Using the
14
techniques Ill share with you, youll be

able to give any piece that aged graceful look. Its easier than youd think.
Step 1: Assessment.
I started by setting the rocking chair

on a plastic tarp, in a well let area of
my workshop. After giving the chair a
thorough cleaning with a turpentinedampened rag, I assessed its current
condition and made a few notes as I
went along about how far back I could
realistically have the piece appear and
what work that would entail. The nearperfect spindles told me it had been
machine-made but I knew I could fix
that with a bit of judicious chisel work
and sanding. The split-wedged tenon
joinery it sported was as common a
century ago as it is today, so I felt comfortable leaving that well enough alone.
However, there was very little of the
natural wear and tear one would expect
to see in a 100-plus-year-old chair. No
wear marks where the heel of a boot or
shoe would have rubbed the front legs
and rockers. No evidence of wear in the
arms where rings or rough hands had
been. No signs of finish being rubbed off
where a persons back or head had rested
against the chair. And, last, there was no
significant wear marks on the bottom of
the runners, nor the back of the crest rail
where such a chair could have encountered the floor or wall over the years. In
undertaking my assessment, I was also
looking for areas where repairs would be
needed; broken spindles, legs or rockers,
etc. that needed attention. Fortunately
for me it was in good condition. My
assessment told me that without too
much work, I could turn my rocking
chair into a century-old piece. That,
therefore, was my target.
If your furniture piece is a cupboard,
youll want to round the front edges and
corners and make some wear marks on
the bottom of the drawer framing. The
same goes for tables and desks; corners
will be rounded, feet may show water
marks and there will be damage where
chairs had been banged against their
front edges. In other words, youre looking for natural, day-to-day wear and tear.
If its not there, then your efforts will
need to add it or your faux antique will
look like anything but.
Step 2: Upgrading ...

Backwards
At this stage, I looked at the chair

to see if there were any upgrades
needed to have the chair appear 100
years old. For instance, if the crest rail
(the top of the chair back) or the seat
had been made of laminated materials, because that particular technology
wasnt used for such sections of chairs
in the era I was targeting, Id have had
to make solid wood replacement parts.
Photos by: Marty Schlosser
woodfinishing
Machine Marks May Date a Piece If

milling marks are visible, you may want to get rid
of them. A belt sander makes fast work of marks
on the bottom of these curved rails.
Fortunately for me, solid wood had

been used throughout the chair. The
joinery, as mentioned above, was more
or less that which would have been used
long ago. Keep your eye out for knife
marks too. As a general rule, the older
an antique is the less likely it was made
with machinery. If knife marks are
obvious, you can remove them by
sanding or scraping, then use stain to
fine-tune the area. Just be careful with
this technique. You may
not want to sand large areas and have

them stick out like a sore thumb.
In the case of other furniture pieces
you have and wish to faux antique
(a shelving unit with particleboard
core veneered shelves), you should
swap them out for solid wood shelves.
Particleboard wasnt around a century
ago and anyone will be able to tell at a
glance that its a fake. The same goes for
drawer bottoms and backs of cabinets
and such pieces; replace those sections
using solid wood parts. If your target era
is further back than 100 years, you may
wish to go to greater efforts. I recall a
dresser mirror whose back was made of
what appeared to be " thick boards that
had been shaped with a hand axe instead
of being run through a thickness planer.
Do you need to go to such efforts? I
guess it depends on how authentic you
wish your faux antiquing to be, doesnt
it? Dont just ignore any hardware on the
piece, including screws. Robertson head
screws, round-headed finishing nails and
euro-style hinges werent around 100
years ago, so if theyre found in your
piece, replace them with the matching
era hardware. Pegs were sometimes used
in lieu of nails years ago, so again, you
may wish to drill holes and tap some
into place.
Adding Age with

Specialized Finishes
There are a number of finishing products on the
market today that will help you age a piece of furniture. You can add cracked, dry looking surfaces,
colour with obvious high-wear areas or stains that
help replicate older colours. Waxine, a Canadian
company, carries a wide selection of products that
will help turn a new piece of furniture into a faux
antique in a few hours.
Their cracked varnish develops a series of cracks when it dries. Crazing paint is another product that might be of interest when antiquing furniture. The crazing paint is applied after
applying the primer coats and it can be tinted to obtain pastel colours. The crazing effect will
start 30 minutes after the application of the paint and will continue for several hours. With
these two products you cant control the way in which the effect develops. A product that
you have some control over is Waxines fish glue. Apply it to certain areas of your project
before paint and you can control where and how much the cracked effect will occur. In addition to these products they have some paints that can be layered and, when lightly sanded,
will produce a worn, aged look. To learn about the different products and how they are
applied, go to www.waxine.com. - Rob Brown
Circa 1850
protects
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like it was
a precious
work of art
Circa 1850 Antique Paste Varnish

creates a rich patina and provides a
true hand-rubbed finish that protects against heat, water and alcohol.
The gel formula dries quickly - free
from dust specks and brush marks.
Circa 1850 Paste Varnish is easy to
apply and gives your wood the look
and feel of a durable coated finish.
Ideal for mouldings or bannisters, or
for furniture that needs a bit more
protection like side, kitchen and dining room tables, entryway benches,
kitchen counters and cupboards, etc.
WWW.CIRCA1850.COM
Content is copyright protected and provided for personal use only - not for reproduction orweretransmission.
make finishing easy
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A Few Years Old Before you add patina, a high-wear area may only have
a few scratches and scuff marks.
A Century Old After hitting the area with sandpaper and applying stain,
youve started to reverse the hands of time. Using some tools to add some
wear marks will only add to the look.
Step 3: Repair
My initial assessment showed that no

repairs were needed. However, if the furniture piece youre wishing to faux antique
needs any, now is the time to tackle them.
If pieces need to be glued and you elect to
use yellow instead of the hide glue, which
most likely would have been employed
long ago, ensure you remove all evidence
as you go along. Nothing will give your
efforts away faster than hardened goops of
modern glue about the joints.
Step 4: Focus on the Finish
My initial assessment showed me that

my rocking chair had been stained and
then varnished. That finish was close
enough to that which would have been
used 100 years ago, so I simply left well
enough alone. However, if youre trying to truly emulate a particular era, you
may need to use paint, shellac or an oil
finish. If the piece would originally have
been stained, stay away from using only
one tone of stain. Judiciously using a
somewhat darker-toned stain in areas
where it would not be rubbed off will
look much more realistic than if it is all
the same tone. A bit of artistry will go a
long way when doing such effects.
Step 5: Distressing
This is the area where the pros stand

out from the amateurs. Not only does a
little go a long way but before you start
whacking your piece of furniture with a
chain in one hand and a hammer in the
other, ask yourself what sort of wear and
tear your piece would most likely have
been subjected to over its lifetime, then
go ahead and emulate it. In the case of
16
Remove a Layer Sometimes when you

remove a layer of finish, you uncover a colour
thats different but complimentary. This helps add
to the aging process.
my rocking chair, I used mostly sandpaper and steel wool on select parts of
the arms, crest rail and spindles of the
arms and chair back. I also took a chisel
and misshaped some of those spindles
so theyd appear less factory-made and
modern. I then took a rasp to the lower
inside area of the front legs where they
met the rockers and added years of wear
and tear before resorting to sandpaper
to smooth things out a bit. An awl to
add scratches and small holes and a rolling pin covered with epoxy then rolled
in stones or broken glass are also common ways to add age to a newer piece.
Again, dont go overboard or it will look
fake. You can even apply stain to the raw
wood so it will not look fresh and new.
Years of wear will usually result in dirt
and stains being left behind and standard wood stain may do the trick. Once
I was happy with my distressing efforts, I
applied a coat of wax to the entire piece,
then polished it with a rag once the wax
had hardened. I looked back upon my
work and was satisfied that Id gone far
Seeing Is Believing Adding certain highwear spots is crucial. Whether its feet, hands or
objects that would have come into contact with
the piece over the years, seeing a certain amount
of wear is necessary for the overall look to be
believable.
enough to make it a convincing faux

antique, but not overboard.
Step 6: Telling the Tale
I burned my mark and affixed a signed

and dated label to the underside of the
rocking chair, thus clearly identifying the
piece as a faux antique. Anyone from
that point onward would be able to tell
that it was I, and not Father Time, who
had placed a hundred years of wear and
tear on the rocking chair. It is highly recommended that you do the same thing
yourself to any furniture pieces you elect
to faux antique.
I hope that youll
try your hand at faux
antiquing. Its easy
and relatively fast to
do. And, hey, its a lot
of fun.
MARTY SCHLOSSER
MartysWoodworking.ca
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turning project
Turning a Fruit Platter

With proper planning and wood selection, youre set to turn the
perfect platter to present a beautiful, healthy afternoon snack fruit.
any turned platters are

designed to hold crackers,
cookies and other lightweight items. These types
of platters are often made thin and light.
The platter in this project is designed to
hold fruit. The turning procedure yields
a more robust and heavier finished piece
since it will need to stand up to a bit more
abuse as it sits out on your counter or
table. There are almost as many ways to
turn a platter as there are woodturners. I
cannot say that the procedure described
here is the only way but it is the way I
turn them. This is a compilation of ideas
gleaned from books, Internet research and
demonstrations by world-class turners, as
well as my own trial and error.
Plan
In my opinion, every project starts with

an idea. This platter is no exception. I
18
suggest that a sketch or drawing be made

of the desired edge and rim profile before
putting any tools to wood. This way you
have an idea of what youre trying to
achieve. This is an essential step if you are
planning to make more than one platter
of the same design.
Wood Selection
This project will start with a round

blank of dry seasoned wood just a little
larger diameter and thickness than the
finished platter desired. I have selected
a piece of AAA-figured Big Leaf maple,
12 " in diameter by 2" thick. Some
turners prefer to cut a blank directly
from a log so they can optimize the
grain configuration. That is a great idea;
however, the process contains a lot of
details that are beyond the scope of this
article so well start with a prepared disk
blank. These disks are available at most
woodturning supplies outlets or can be
purchased online.
Tools and Supplies
Please note that the chucking dimensions described are for a Teknatool/Nova
Supernova four-jaw chuck. If you are
using one from a different manufacturer
you will need to check the dimensions
required for your chuck.
It is important to work safely when
using any woodworking tools and equipment. When attempting any of the
turning procedures described in this article, a face shield should always be worn,
as well as a dust mask when appropriate.
I prefer to use a face shield that supplies
fresh air at all times. There are a number
of these systems on the market; they are
expensive but I feel my lungs are worth it.
Also, remember that a sharp tool is a
safe tool, so keep your tools sharp!
A friction-type sander, a sanding pad in
an electric drill or an orbital sander can
be used to prepare the inside and outside surfaces for finishing. I prefer to use
the hook-and-loop type of sanding disks
Lead photo by Rob Brown, others by Allan Cusworth
By Allan Cusworth
that are made for automotive applications since they come in a greater variety
of finer grits than woodworking sanding
disks. For areas that require hand sanding,
I use a cloth-type sanding media that is
more flexible than sandpaper.
Finishing materials are a matter of
choice. Food safe finishing is a very controversial topic. Many woodturners feel
that any finish is food-safe after it has
completely cured and all the driers have
evaporated and the finish is cured. This
can take a long time for some materials. The basic rule of thumb that I have
heard is that when you cannot detect any
smell from the finish, it is ready for use.
There are many finishes available; for
example, Raw or Polymerized Tung Oil,
Danish Oil, Beeswax, etc. The choice is
yours. The finish I used for this project is
Wipe-on Polyurethane.
Basic Design
This fruit platter will have an outside

diameter of 12" and a thickness of 1 ".
The top face of the rim will be 1 " wide
and will be enhanced with a single bead at
its inside edge. I like to make a sketch of
the intended rim and edge profile.
The outside/bottom profile will have
a modified ogee shape extending from
the outside edge of the rim tapered at the
base. The outside diameter of the base
will be 6". A design rule of thumb is that
the base should be approximately one-half
the outside diameter of the platter. The
inside profile of the bowl section will be
curved to complement the outside shape.
Steps to Make the Platter
Layout: The first step is to decide which

side of the blank will be the top of the
platter. Its a good idea to have the grain
direction going the same way that you will
Edge & Rim Profile Sketch Sketching out

the profile of the platter before you start leaves
less room for errors down the road.
Blank Mounted Between Centers With the blank mounted on the lathe, bring the tailstock with the
live center up to the platter to add support.
be cutting as much as possible. This can

be difficult with highly figured woods but
it can somewhat reduce tear-out.
Mounting the Blank: Locate the center of the top side of the blank; make a
dimple and drill a 5/16" diameter x " deep
hole on a drill press. If you are using a
hand drill, make sure the hole is perpendicular to the surface of the blank. Place
the four-jaw chuck, with the 2" (50mm)

jaws installed, on the lathe spindle and
clamp in the Woodworm screw. Mount
the blank on the Woodworm screw and
make sure it is tightened securely against
the face of the chuck jaws. If you do not
have a chuck and want to use a faceplate,
center it on the face side of the blank and
fasten it securely with metal screws. When
Four-Jaw
Scroll Chucks
A four-jaw chuck has been a mainstay tool for turners for a long time.
Its a fast and generally secure
method of fastening a piece of wood
to the lathe. However, it has to be
used correctly. A chuck can be used
either in spigot mode, where the
chuck clamps externally around the
tenon, or in expansion mode, where
the jaws are expanded into a recess
that is cut in the blank. Some chuck
spigots and recesses require a taper
to be cut on the contact surface,
while some require a straight-sided
surface. Each chuck manufacturer
specifies the minimum and maximum dimensions and the profile for
the spigot tenon or expansion recess
for their brand of chucks. The blank
must be prepared according to these
specifications to hold it safely. If
these instructions are not followed,
the blank can fly off the lathe causing personal injury, equipment or
blank damage or both.
Chucks are usually supplied with one or two different sized sets of jaws, with other sizes available. This
fruit platter project requires a 2" jaw set. There are
quite a few chucks of different sizes available from the
manufacturers listed here.
The Supernova four jaw chuck is made by Teknatool
of Australia. http://www.teknatool.com/products/
Chucks/SuperNova2/SuperNova2_Chuck.htm
OneWay Manufacturing in Stratford, ON make their
chucks in Canada. www.oneway.ca/chucks/index.htm
Vicmarc Machinery PTY Ltd in Australia also makes a
line of excellent chucks.
www.vicmarc.com/default.asp?contentID=541
Marking the Chuck Recess Depending on what

size recess your chuck requires, mark the dimension on
the bottom of the platter.
using a faceplate, I use metal screws rather

than wood screws since they have a steep/
sharp thread configuration that holds better. I do not use drywall screws as they are
brittle and can snap off.
Bring the tailstock with the live center
up for support. It is a good safety practice to keep the tailstock in place as long
as possible. You will have to move it back
20
Refining the Chuck Recess Inside Edge Use a

skew to fine tune the size of the recess to fit your chuck.
and forth as you make the cuts.

True up the edge and bottom face of the
blank with a sharp " bowl gouge. This
reduces vibration. Mark the outside diameter of the 6" base on the blank using a
centering ruler and marking at 3" on each
side of center.
Use a set of dividers to mark the 2 "
outside diameter of the chuck recess at
Half Way There With the bottom side

done, the platter is half complete.
the center of the bottom surface of the

blank. This fits a Supernova four-jaw
chuck with 2" (50 mm) jaws in expansion
mode. Your dimensions may be different.
Make sure that the lathe is running at a
slow speed and only the left point of the
dividers contacts the wood or you could
have a snappy surprise.
Shaping the Bottom: Turn the outside
diameter of the platter just proud of its
finished size using a " bowl gouge. Form
the 2 " diameter by 3/16" deep chucking recess. This recess does not have to be
deep. It is surprising how well a shallow
recess will hold the piece provided you
take light cuts. I used a Bedan scraper to
cut the recess and refine its inside edge
with a " skew laying flat on the tool
rest. You can use a 3/16" parting tool or
any appropriate scraper to make your
recess. Make sure there is a small flat area
at the outside edge of the bottom of the
recess for the tips of the chuck jaws to seat
against.
Roughly shape the bottom side of the
platter with a " bowl gouge. Heres
where your profile drawing becomes
useful. Make cuts with the grain of the
wood from the center of the blank to
the outside edge. Form the 6" diameter base. The bottom of the base needs
to have a slight concave shape to allow
the platter to sit on a surface without
rocking. Leave enough wood at the rim
area to be able to form the 1 " wide
rim. You can create a slight undercut for
a finger grip in the back side of the rim,
which will make the platter easier to pick
up. Measure and mark the 1 " overall
Reverse To Complete Flip the turning over and re-mount with the
Start with the Rim Start with shaping the rim and move towards
tailstock in place.
the center.
height of the platter on the outside edge

of the rim. I use two steel rulers to do
this; one laying flat across the base and
the other measuring across the edge.
Finish turning the bottom side of the
platter. You may find it useful to use
a cutting and sanding compound, or
some beeswax, to soften the grain of the
wood. Use a 1" side-ground scraper to
remove the tool marks if needed. Refine
the inside of the recess and decorate as
desired; that is, concentric rings, a slight
convex dome, etc.
Sand these surfaces starting with a grit
size that will remove all the tool marks
and progress through the grit sizes to at
least 800 so you can end up with a very
smooth finish. Note that each grit size in
the progression should not be more than
50 percent finer that the previous one or
you will leave scratch marks.

The chuck recess will become the inside
of the base and needs to be completed
now since it will not be accessible for further work on the lathe unless you use a
vacuum chuck. If you intend to identify
or sign the piece, you should do it now so
the finish will be applied over it.
Apply the finish of your choice: I used
Nitro-Cellulose sealer thinned 50/50
with lacquer thinner to seal the surface.
I let that dry, then I applied the first of
five coats of Wipe-on Polyurethane with
the lathe turning at a very low speed (100
rpm). I let each coat dry for about 46
hours before applying the next. I used
#0000 steel wool to smooth the surface
between coats.
After applying the last coat and letting it dry, remove the platter from the
NEW Edmonton retail location

opening in Fall 2010
Woodworm screw and set it aside for a

day or so to let the finish cure.
Shaping the Rim and the Inside:
Reverse and remount the platter in the
chuck using the 2" (50 mm) jaws in
expansion mode. Expand the jaws carefully into the recess. Dont over-tighten
the chuck because you will risk splitting
the base ring. Bring the tailstock with the
live center up for support for as long as is
practical.
True up the face of the platter and finalize the outside diameter with a " bowl
gouge. Mark the rim thickness on the
edge of the rim and shape it to its finished thickness. This project has a 3/8"
thick, plain flat rim with one bead on
the inside edge. However, if your design
has decorative elements, make sure you
leave sufficient material to be able to form
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Coquitlam Abbotsford Campbell River Kamloops Kelowna Langley Red Deer Victoria
them. With the lathe stopped, lay out the edge and rim profile
according to your sketch. Mark the 1 " top width of the rim on
the face surface of the platter.
Shape the rim surfaces taking light cuts with sharp tools. Make
the top surface of the flat rim with a slight taper towards the center of the platter. Doing this makes the rim look more horizontal
when it is being used. I tried it and it works!
Using a " bowl gouge with the flute at 90 to the lathe bed,
cut a sharp incision to begin the shaping of the inside edge of the
rim. This edge will be decorated with a bead later. Taking very
light cuts, start shaping the first two inches of the inside bowl
surface of the platter. Make the cuts from the inside edge of the
rim towards the center. As youre shaping, create an undercut
at the rim to make a soft shadow which will give the illusion of
depth to the finished platter. I refined the undercut with a "
side-radius scraper. The center area of the inside will be removed
later. This wood mass will provide support when the rim decorations are shaped.
If you want to leave the inside edge of the rim plain, its a
good idea to soften the sharp edge with a little sanding cloth, but
leave it crisp. However, I like to create a bead on the inside edge
of the rim as a transition element from the surface of the rim to
the bowl part of the platter. To do this, I created a special little
scraper from a " HSS jobber drill bit. I placed two of the flute
points of the drill bit at a 45 angle against the surface of a grinding wheel and ground it down until the drill flute formed the
shape of a small U-shaped scraper. I glued the drill bit scraper
4 JAW SELF CENTERING

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STRONGHOLD CHUCK
Heavy weight and large body diameter for larger lathes (16 swing or more)
Key operation for one handed operation and solid holding power
Two position key support for long life and accuracy
Gear teeth precision machined so they wont skip in use
5 to 1 ratio assures powerful clamping
Long key for easier use with Jumbo Jaws
Will mount on spindles as large as 1 in diameter
Body Diameter: 4
Approximate weight: 8lbs.
STRONGHOLD Chuck
STRONGHOLD Body Only*
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22
1-800-565-7288
Form the Bead With a modified drill A Small Detail The

bit, carefully shape the two sides of the
bead
inclusion of the bead adds a

little style to the platter
in a small handle and taped over all but the last " of the flutes
with a few layers of masking tape. This prevented the sharp flute
edges from scoring my tool rest. Some turners fill the flutes with
automotive body filler instead of using the tape.
To make the bead I reduced the lathe speed to around 500
RPM and held the scraper at a sharp reverse rake angle sloping
down from the inside edge of the tool rest and slowly applied it
to the inside edge of the platter rim. I gently rotated the scraper
around the lip until a " bead was formed. I refined the little grooves with a " skew and, voila, a quick bead. Be careful
not to advance the scraper too quickly tear-out or catches can
occur. This bead design creates a bead that is flush with the surface of the rim and the undercut lip area. This is a good idea,
since it will be harder to damage the bead during the platters
use. I like the look of it too. This procedure works best on hard,
close-grained woods. You can create the bead with a purchased
beading tool, a detail gouge or a skew but this drill bit scraper
works well for me, and for a few dollars you can make a whole
set of different sized tools.
Complete the shaping of the inside of the platter with a "
bowl gouge. Check the thickness of the walls with your thumb
and finger and use a set of outside callipers to verify the actual
thickness frequently. Make the inside profile a smooth, fair curve
that compliments the outside shape. Be careful not to make the
area above the recess in the bottom too thin. You can use a 1"
side-radius scraper to smooth the surface if you need to.
Sand and finish the inside surface the same way you did the
outside earlier. Be careful not to square off the bead, especially if you are using a power sanding system. Remember to
sand inside the grooves beside the bead. After applying the
finish of your choice, remove the platter from the chuck and
let the finish cure.
And there you have it a fruit platter you can
be proud of. Since you signed the bottom before
you applied the finish in the recess, its ready to
use and impress your guests at your next party.
ALLAN CUSWORTH
acusworth@telus.net
handtoolskills
Photos by: Bill Perry Sidebar photo by Rob Brown
Tuning and Using a

By BILL PERRY
Spokeshave
Once you learn how to tune a spokeshave and use it properly, it will be a
tough tool to put down. Its a flexible tool that works well in many situations
and its a lot of fun to use but only when its working properly!
eproduction or retransmission.
23
Bad Sole Partly concave, partly convex and rough all over.
It looks like the sole of this shave was ground freehand. If you
dont buy it then you wont have to fix it.
Painted Bed The small dark spots to either side of the

cap screw and around the mouth are the only points where
the blade makes contact with the body. The paint needs
to be removed and the bed scraped flat.
have a confession to make. I own

more spokeshaves than some people consider normal. And I go both
ways. I use them both bevel-up and
bevel-down for shaping chair spindles,
cabriole legs and any manner of curved
furniture parts.
This started about 18 years ago when
making some Windsor chair spindles.
Thats when I discovered that spokeshaves come in three quality ranges: very
good, very bad, and junk.
Now maybe Im picky but I believe that
tools should work well. Of course any
new edge tool will need a cleaning, basic
set-up and sharpening, but after that it
should make some shavings and earn its
keep. With the exception of the Veritas
spokeshaves and one from Lie-Nielsen
in the U.S., all others I looked at failed
to perform miserably. No wonder the
spokeshave is an endangered species.
This is too bad because if you start
with a decent shave, a bit of work can
make it a precision tool. Its finding a
decent shave thats the problem. One
that I bought for this article from my
local tools/automotive/camping supplies store was labeled a spokeshaver.
That was my first warning.
Back at my studio, I inspected the tool.
The sole had been ground freehand at
a few different angles. The flimsy blade
was sharpened to a saw-tooth edge
and, judging by the colour of the steel,
had been impulse-hardened instead of
tempered. Paint filled in voids in the
tools casting. Dont buy it, or even
attempt to fix one, if you own one.
After more legwork I found a shave
at Busy Bee Tools, which sold for about
$20 and was machined well enough
24
to justify a tune-up.
You might also be
able to find a used or
antique spokeshave in
fair shape. If you do, consider yourself
lucky, treat it with care and it will be
good to you in return.
Spokeshave tune-up
give this neglected tool
a new lease on life
Now lets have a look at this tool and
what it takes to make it sing. A spokeshave is really a small plane. Like other
planes, it may have its blade set bevel-up
or bevel-down. Unlike them, it has handles sticking out the sides and a very short
sole. This makes it an agile plane that can
shape and smooth curved surfaces.
Since bevel-up and bevel-down spokeshaves behave differently, Ill deal with
them separately, starting with the beveldown type.
Bevel-down or
standard-angle shaves
Like most metal spokeshaves sold
today, the one I bought is based on the
ubiquitous Stanley No. 151 design. Its
blade is installed bevel-down at a 45
angle. Versions from Record Tools and
several other makers are all but identical. Since its so common, its the
perfect example of how to improve the
tools performance. These are the steps
to follow:
1. Replace the blade
This step is simple. Lee Valley/
Veritas (www.leevalley.com) and Hock
Tools (www.hocktools.com) both make
replacement blades to fit the Stanley

No. 51 and the Stanley/Record 151
series shaves. (The No. 51 is the same
as the 151 but a bit smaller and without the adjustment knobs.) All you have
to do is hone the blade and install it.
Youre already half way to having a new
spokeshave.
2. Flatten the spokeshaves bed and
clean up the mouth
You wont reap the benefits of a premium blade if the casting on which
it rests is uneven. Thats just asking for blade vibration and chatter.
Unfortunately, instead of machining
castings flat, many manufacturers just
take the rough casting and cover up the
bumps with a thick coat of paint. Scrape
the paint off. Use an old file ground to a
sharp edge or another small, sharp object
to get into tight spaces. Either way, dont
ever consider reaching for one of your
newly honed chisels. With the paint
gone, continue scraping the metal in different directions until you achieve a flat
and evenly cross-hatched surface. This
should all but eliminate blade chatter.
To improve the bed one step further, you can resurface it using either
epoxy or auto-body compound (Bondo).
Apply a thin, even coating to the spokeshaves bed. Wax the back of the blade
so it doesnt stick, then lay it onto the
new bed of epoxy or compound and
assemble the shave. Extend the blade
far enough that the bevel doesnt leave
a ridge in the epoxy. Then apply gentle
pressure using the center cap screw just
Sharpening A Concave Spokeshave

Spokeshaves with concave blades for
use on chair spindles or paddles are
tuned the same way as bevel-down
shaves except for sharpening the concave edge of the blade. You will need
some slip stones or a round object of
the correct diameter to wrap a piece
of very fine abrasive paper around so
you can hone the bevel edge of a
concave blade.
Rob Brown
Scraping the Bed An old file ground square
enough to flatten the epoxy and hold

everything together while it cures.
3. Smooth the sole and clean up the
mouth.
A spokeshaves sole needs to be flat
and level, just like a handplanes. Highquality shaves come with a properly
machined sole. A sole that has been
ground flat and smooth by the manufacturer just requires a bit of final
smoothing. Smooth the sole using
emery paper on glass, working from
120 through 400 grit. It wont take long
its a small sole. Round-sole spokeshaves can also be smoothed this way,
using a strip of emery paper without the
glass. Clean up irregularities around the
shaves mouth with a fine file and then
use emery paper to remove sharp edges.
4. Smooth and refine the cap iron
A spokeshaves cap iron should be perfectly flat, just like the bed. What you can
expect to find, however, is a rough sand
casting. This needs to be ground flat.
Hone the bottom of the cap iron using
either a diamond stone or emery paper
on glass until it mates perfectly with
the blade. Refine its curve down to a
sharp edge contacting the blade across
its entire width. This prevents shavings
from jamming underneath. Now polish
the cap irons surface and it will perform
just like a bench planes chipbreaker.
5. Hone the blade
Many people still believe that a new
blade is sharp and ready to go. It isnt.
Plane blades, chisels, carving tools
and the like come to you with edges
that range from almost sharp to really
dull. Even premium blades come sharp,
but still not as sharp as they need to be.

Hone the back and micro-bevel of a premium blade on an 8,000-grit waterstone.
Finish on a leather strop charged with
honing compound.
Thats for a premium blade. The blade
from a cheap spokeshave will need the
Full Monty. Just replace it.
Low-angle Spokeshaves
Low-angle spokeshaves have their

blades set bevel up like low-angle
planes, with an effective cutting angle of
between 2035. Like low-angle planes,
theyre the tool to use on end grain, yet
are equally proficient making delicate
shavings in seasoned wood or heavy
cuts in green wood. This makes them
makes a pseudo-engineers scraper to clean up the

spokeshaves bed. Remove the paint then work
across all contact areas with a cross-hatch pattern
until the entire work surface is level and smooth.
a favorite of chairmakers for shaping

spindles and with the blade set to take a
heavier cut on one side than the other its
almost like having two tools in one.
Antique low-angle shaves were difficult
to sharpen since their blades were forged
with two upturned tangs that held the
blade in place with a friction fit. Modern
shaves have removable threaded posts held
in position with thumbscrews or wheels.
This makes for more precise blade adjustment while simplifying sharpening.
Epoxy to the Rescue To level the spokeshaves bed, apply a thin layer of epoxy or auto-body
compound to it. Level this by placing the (waxed) blade onto the compound and then gently tightening
the cap screw onto the blade to apply even pressure. Any squeeze-out can be removed with a file and
sharp knife.
Decent Sole This spokeshaves sole has been ground flat and
smooth by the manufacturer. A quick polishing with fine emery paper
is all thats needed.
A Clean Mouth is Important Use a fine file to clean up any nicks or rough
edges once the spokeshaves sole is flattened and smoothed.
One design exception is the Veritas

Low-Angle Spokeshave made of cast
aluminum. This shave has a flat blade
without tangs, making sharpening a
breeze.
Lee Valley also offers a kit to make
wooden low-angle shaves for about half
the price of buying one. It includes an
A2 blade, brass wear strip to fit in front
of the blade, a tap to cut threads, and
all hardware and instructions needed to
build a fine quality shave with precision
depth adjustment.
Using a spokeshave
properly
Spokeshaves whether standardangle or low-angle can be pushed or
pulled. The Stanley 151s design lends
itself much more to pulling than pushing, however, and this has unfortunately
shaped how generations of amateur
woodworkers have used the tool.
Their technique is to set the blade for
Flattening the Cap Iron To ensure good

contact between the cap iron and blade, lap the
cap iron flat using emery paper on glass. A coarse
diamond stone also works well.
26
an impossibly heavy cut, grasp both handles as if they were handlebars on a bike,
and then use a pull stroke to muscle off a
shaving so thick that it jams solid in the
tools throat. After clearing the jam, the
technique shifts to a series of short, hacking pull strokes to force the blade through
the wood. Its pretty ugly; an axe has
more finesse.
Contrast that with a woodworker
using a well-tuned shave properly: the
blade is scalpel-sharp and is set to take
a thin shaving. The spokeshave is held
between the thumbs and fingers in a
light grip. It is pushed or pulled, dictated
by the grain direction and the most comfortable working position.
Paying attention to the grain direction
means that on a concave surface youll
want to shave downhill with the grain
in other words, youll start at either
end of the concave shape and will shave
downwards toward the middle. On a
convex surface, youll start at the middle
and work toward the ends again so

that youre cutting downhill.
The round handles on the Veritas and
Lie-Nielsen shaves make them comfortable to work with using either a push or
pull stroke. As mentioned, the Stanley
151 design used by most standard-angle
shaves favors the pull stroke. You can
use a push stroke but the ergonomics
feel a bit odd.
When pushing the shave, place your
thumbs on its back behind the blades
tangs with a low-angle shave or behind
and below the blade with a standardangle shave. Place your middle fingers
on the front of the shave in front of your
thumbs. This provides your grip. Youre
effectively pinching the tool between middle fingers and thumbs. The power comes
from your thumbs with control provided
by your fingers. Your index fingers should
rest on the shaves body just inside your
middle fingers. Push down on the shave
with them to control chatter.
Don't Waste Your Time This is what

passes for a blade in some shaves: a flimsy wafer
of cheap steel with a serrated edge that was
impulse hardened instead of being tempered.
Straight to the trash.
Wood Shave and Blade Threaded posts

have made blade adjustment much more precise.
The brass strip inset in front of the blade prevents
wear to the body, something to which wooden
shaves are prone.
Push Stroke A proper grip for a push stroke is a little awkward with a
No. 151-style shave. Its easy enough to use a thumbs-and-middle-fingers
grip with the index fingers pressing down to prevent chatter, but the ring and
little fingers are left out in the breeze due to the sweep of the handles. Its
something you get used to.
A pull cut is similar. Your middle fingers on the back of the

shave now provide the force while the thumbs help control
direction. Pressure from the index fingers helps control chatter.
Note that whether youre using a push or pull cut, you use fingers and thumbs to hold the shave. You dont wrap both hands
around the handles and put your back into it.
Spokeshaves are prone to chatter because of their short
sole. Skewing the tool helps minimize chatter by reducing the
blades effective cutting angle, which in turn reduces resistance. In fact, a sharp low-angle shave will take shavings of
end grain from a Windsor chair seat. Not chips long, continuous shavings.
Perhaps more important, skewing the spokeshave
increases the length of the sole in contact with the wood
which helps to fair curves from very gentle (spokeshave
skewed to lengthen sole contact) to very tight (spokeshave at
right angles to work). Stay aware of the grain direction. If
the grain reverses, the shave especially a low-angle one
will lift and tear out the wood fibres. Theres another good
reason to use a light touch.
Youll get a feel for a spokeshave a lot faster by using one
than by reading about it. Your fingers and thumbs will provide
all the feedback you need.
Just remember a few things:
A well-tuned spokeshave is a precision tool.
Its okay to buy a spokeshave that will take a bit of work to
tune up, but dont buy a piece of junk. It will never work well.
You will always hate it.
No matter how good the tool, you still have to sharpen
the blade.
Practice. Whether its golf or woodworking, practice is
everything.
If youre not using spokeshaves in your shop, its worth giving them a try. And if youve relegated one to the bottom of
the toolbox because it never worked, maybe some of the tuneup tips here will help bring it back to life.
Pull Stroke When the shave is pulled, grip its body with your thumbs
behind and middle fingers in front, and index fingers pressing down. Your
middle fingers provide the pulling power while your index fingers prevent
blade chatter.
The spokeshave is my go-to tool for any

number of jobs, whether its shaping chair spindles or putting a shimmering finish on curved
components. The proof is in my tool rack: 14
spokeshaves, and the number keeps on growing.
BILL PERRY
wmperry.ca
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2-Piece & 4-Piece Finger Joint
Sets with reversible, interlocking 8
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2010 Forrest Manufacturing
Code CW
finerdetails
Inspired
by Icicles
Learn the secrets to making
this unique part.
By rob brown
Grain Orientation is Critical In order to

hide the glue lines, make sure to use flat-cut stock.
During glue-up the groove will accept two 1" long
waxed dowel plugs in either end to keep the blank
aligned. They can be removed once the glue has
cured.
28
should be at least four or five inches longer than the finished

part so that there is enough material to hold the leg with as
you are working it. Each part, when face-glued together, needs
to be at least as wide and as thick as the largest diameter of
the finished leg. During material selection and machining, the
grain orientation is of primary consideration. To best conceal
the glue lines use material thats as close to flat cut as possible.
This ensures the glue lines are camouflaged within the straight
edge grain.
Machine a groove centered on the inside surface of each half.
This groove will accept two 1" long dowel plugs on either end
Random Lengths and Angles Draw

a taper line (red, in photo) on the stock to
assist you with turning the overall shape
of the leg on the lathe. With a mitre saw,
cut the segments with compound angles.
Random lengths work best.
3-D Clamping To reassemble the segments, use

long cauls and lots of clamps. Apply pressure in every
direction. Layers of contrasting veneer are glued
between each segment for visual effect. The multi-layer
sandwich of glued segments gets stacked onto a long,
permanent dowel.
Photos by: John Glendinning
f youre like me, the first thing that came to mind when
you saw this leg was How was that made? Was it
turned? Was it carved entirely with hand tools? Maybe
it was made with a CNC machine? John Glendinning,
a studio furniture maker from Montreal, designed this leg
for use on a small hall table but started incorporating it into
other pieces as well. He was inspired by the asymmetrical
form of large, hanging icicles, yet the task of developing it
into a strong, beautiful furniture component was a tricky one.
The process uses the lathe and hand tools not to mention
a healthy dose of careful planning to produce this intricate
component. Like everything else in woodworking, theres
a process to be followed, and after learning a few secrets it
doesnt seem impossible. Lets take a detailed look at how
Glendinning made this leg. The process might surprise you.
Start by breaking out two halves of the leg. Whether resawing from one thick piece or from two thinner pieces, they
Rough Turn then Lay Out Roughly turn the blank to a

taper, following the taper line. Next, mark dark pencil lines at
the extremes of each section of veneer, and remove the material
between these lines on the lathe. You can start to see the
contrast with the solid segments (cherry, in this photo) and the
veneer (maple).
for alignment of the two halves during assembly. When

the leg is reassembled later a permanent full-length dowel
is inserted into this groove to assist with locating the segments and to add strength to the structure. During the
first assembly, wax the 1" long dowel plugs and leave
enough of a stub outside the blank to grip with pliers.
Remove the dowels once the glue has cured.
With the blank squared up, draw a line on one surface representing the overall taper you want to have on
the leg. This line will guide you as you turn the blank
to a round form. It will also help you keep track of the
segments once they are cut to length. Cut random compound angled sections with a miter saw, rotating the
blank between cuts. While making these cuts, consider how the angled segments will look when they are
reassembled. Alternating different length and angles
of segments helps to achieve an interesting overall
composition.
With the blank divided into a group of segments, its
now time to glue it back together in the order they were
cut. During glue-up, a piece of veneer of contrasting
Final Sanding With some sandpaper and a hard but flexible

pad, sand the surfaces of the segments. Be sure to keep the
veneer as the apex of the shape.
Work to the Veneer With an assortment of hand and

power tools work to the edge of the veneer, removing wood from
the segments, leaving a smooth, contoured surface. Ignore the
pencil lines at this stage.
colour is glued between each segment for visual interest. Cut the veneer slightly undersize and drill a hole in
the center with a brad point bit so the long dowel will fit
through the center of the blank. These pieces of veneer
will also help keep the shaping process a bit more organized, as youll be removing material between the edges
of these pieces of veneer. Apply glue to the segments
and veneers slices; then, in order, slide everything onto
the long length of dowel. Use a number of straight cauls
to keep the faces of the segments aligned, and a clamp
to apply pressure to either end of the blank. Be sure to
use paper between the cauls and the blank so the cauls
can be removed when everything is dry.
Turn the blank to its final tapered shape, using your
taper line as a guideline. Add pencil lines to the spinning
turning to represent the far left and right boundary of
each veneer section. Use a gouge to remove some of the
material between these pencil lines just make sure not
to remove any of the veneer. While the leg blank is on
the lathe, turn a tenon on its end so it can be attached to
the underside of a table.
Fine-tune the areas between the veneer pieces with a
series of hand and power tools spokeshaves, chisels,
die grinders, rasps, whatever you feel most comfortable
with to produce the contours required.
A final hand-sanding with a hard but flexible rubber
sanding pad to ensure consistent contours is necessary.
Be sure to have the apex of the point
directly over the veneer edge. It will
provide a more precise, powerful-looking detail.
To see more of John's work, go to
www.johnglendinning.ca.
ROB BROWN
29
skillbuilder
Gluing Strategies
BY Chris Wong
lue-ups used to be the most

stressful part of woodworking for me. With large,
unwieldy parts falling and
knocking others over, long and heavy
clamps, glue everywhere and the rush to
get it all together before the glue sets, the
pressure of a glue-up is no surprise. But
that has all changed. My glue-ups are
now quiet, organized, efficient and even
relaxed. What changed? You could say
experience but what it really boils down
to is preparation. That means knowing how everything goes together, what
adhesive to use, how best to hold it in
30
place while the glue hardens and how to

do it all in an organized, timely fashion.
Preparation is Paramount
The first step in a successful glue-up

takes place well before the glue bottle
is opened. You need to know that the
parts fit together properly (not necessarily snugly). If you use one of the many
water-based glues, remember that moisture
causes wood to swell, so that sweet fit you
had when you did your dry run (which is
always, always a good idea) may well be
too tight once the glue is applied.
In addition to knowing the components fit together, you also need to know
how they go together both the correct
orientation and in which sequence.

To help with the orientation of parts
you can label them either by writing
directly on a surface that will not be visible or applying a piece of masking tape
to the part and writing on it.
You should be able to get a pretty
good idea of how well the glue-up will
go during the dry run. Put the assembly
together without glue using a stopwatch
to time how long it takes while working
at a comfortable pace. When the assembly is complete, compare the time on
your stopwatch to the open time of the
glue youre using. Hopefully you have at
least 30 percent of the time left over to
allow for the glue to be applied and any
Photos by: Chris Wong
Glue-ups dont have to be nerve-wracking experiences. Some basic

material and adhesive knowledge, coupled with lots of planning,
will go a long way to ensuring smooth gluing.
Preparation Complete Take the time to gather all the clamps, glue, cauls,
etc. that are required before you apply the first bead of glue.
complications to be worked out without getting flustered. If you dont think

youll have enough time, you have a few
options: break the assembly into two or
more sub-assemblies, choose a glue with
a longer open time or enlist a helper.
Another benefit of the dry run is that
it highlights what clamps, cauls and
other miscellaneous items you need
close by in order for the glue-up to be
successful. Any time spent searching for
stuff once youve started applying glue
is wasted time. And this is not the situation to be wasting time.
Time is one challenge presented with
the introduction of glue; alignment is
another. Most glues are quite slippery
and parts can slip out of alignment easily. The best way to prevent this is to
incorporate interlocking joinery into the
design, such as dowels, dadoes, dovetails and so on. An added bonus of using
joinery is that the assembly will better hold itself together while you add
clamps. A simpler way to ensure alignment is to nail or screw parts in place,
either with or without glue and clamps.
Your choice to use glue is dependent on
how much strength is required. As a general rule, if you use glue, you should use
clamps of some sort. Rubbed joints are
the exception.
Proper Glue Application
Most woodworkers spread glue with

their fingers. Others use brushes, rollers,
plastic glue spreaders, or scraps of wood.
What I use depends on the type of glue
Im using and the size of area being covered. For hot hide glue, I use an acid
Even, But Not Thick You need just enough glue an even layer
on both surfaces that allows you to still see the grain underneath
swab with shortened bristles (just push

them back into the handle until about
" of bristles remain exposed) for both
mixing and applying. For epoxy, I use a
plastic glue spreader. I scrape off most
of the epoxy after the job is done, then
after it hardens on the spreader, I flex
the spreader to crack off the film of glue.
For applying PVA glue to wide areas,
I use a cheap paint roller or an even
cheaper scrap of wood. I use the scrap
of wood like a squeegee and by varying
the pressure exerted, I can control the
amount of glue left on the surface. But
for most normal situations I use my
index finger.
They say an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure and thats certainly true with gluing. You know how
hard it is to clean PVA glue that has
found its way into an inside corner and
dried. The worst part is any little bit you
miss will be glaringly obvious once a finish is applied. To control squeeze-out,
you need to know how much glue to use
and where to apply it. I apply a thin coat
of glue to both mating surfaces. How
much exactly? Enough to cover the surface completely but not so much that you
cant see the wood grain through the layer
of glue. When edge-gluing boards you
want the squeeze out to be visible along
the entire joint but long runs of glue indicated you applied too much. Aside from
waste, extra glue running down a surface
may find its way into corners and permanently stain the wood. To avoid having to
clean up squeeze-out, mask off the areas
around the joint during dry-fitting so that
excess glue ends up on the masking tape
Perfect Beads The perfect amount of glue

leaves small beads of glue. Any less and youll
have a weak joint. Any more and youll have a
mess and potential finishing problems.
An Ounce of Prevention Sometimes its

possible to tape off areas next to the joint, so the
glue squeeze-out will end up on the tape, not the
wood surface.
rather than stuck to your project. If some

glue does get onto your project, I prefer to
allow it to firm up before scraping or chiseling it off. A great alternative (especially
when building boxes which can have limited access) is to mask off the areas that
will be glued and apply the finish before
assembly.
Long-grain gluing surfaces are the
Size Matters Apply a light coat of

glue, called size, to the end grain surface
of a joint.
best, and thats why finger joints

are one of the strongest glued
joints. End grain, on the other
hand, is not a good gluing surface, making miter and butt joints
among the weakest glued joints.
If you need to glue end grain, be
aware that it has a tendency to
wick up glue, resulting in a gluestarved, weak joint. The solution
here is to apply a coat of glue,
called size, let it soak in for a few minutes, then apply more
to areas that look dry right before it goes together just like
applying an oil finish where you first flood the surface, then
apply more to areas that have absorbed all the finish. Just keep
in mind, glue sizing ensures as strong of an end grain glue
joint as possible but its still considerably weaker than a longgrain joint.
Clamps Hold the Joint Tight
The purpose of clamping is to hold parts properly aligned

and in good contact with each other while the glue cures. Bar
clamps in their many various forms are the most used clamps
in my shop and they get the call when Im clamping something
with parallel or near-parallel surfaces. I also employ a number of other clamps for special situations: handscrews for odd
angles, corner clamps for precisely aligning square corners,
usually for pre-assembly work, band clamps, rubber bands and
shrink wrap for contoured work, packing or masking tape for
light-duty and hard to clamp applications, pinch dogs for coopered work and custom forms with wedges for odd-shapes.
Clamps and Cauls, Working in Unison Many bar clamps are used
to apply even pressure to the panel while the glue dries.
Shelf of Cauls
I keep a collection of smallish cauls on hand for use during the many
glue-ups that take place in my shop. They range in size from small,
thin strips of wood to larger scraps cut from big offcuts. Theyre
often straight but its handy to have some curved or angled mini
cauls around for weird situations. For a glue-up I will either cut a
custom caul or reach for a selection of these mini cauls. They protect
the work piece from the jaws of the clamps, support larger clamps
or apply even pressure across a glue line. Sometimes I just use a
stack of mini cauls to keep the work piece raised off the bench so
I can position a few bar clamps underneath the panel. Next time
youre going to throw away a larger off-cut, chop it up into a number of smaller pieces that you can use as mini cauls.
Rob Brown
Custom Cauls Often a special caul is needed and its nice to have
Work With Gravity Rest clamps on a surface so manipulating and
a selection on hand to choose from. An assortment of sizes, shapes and

thicknesses are helpful to have beside your glue-up area. (Photo by Rob Brown)
adjusting them is a little easier, especially with heavier bar and pipe clamps.
32
More Cauls = Fewer Clamps Get in the habit of

using cauls to spread the clamping pressure of fewer clamps
so you don't end up with too many clamps on a glue-up.
Different types of clamps have different

strengths and weaknesses and its important to recognize that. Parallel bar clamps
have broad faces that remain parallel
and distribute pressure more evenly than
most clamps, making them really useful
for assembling cabinets. They are, however, heavy and awkward, which presents
a challenge in positioning and handling
them. Whenever possible, I try to rest
either a clamping face or the bar on a
horizontal surface to support the weight,
slipping scraps of wood between the bar
and the work piece to avoid marks. If
the large assembly does not need a really
strong clamp to pull it together, I use
lightweight aluminum bar clamps. They
are easy to position and still have a decent
amount of clamping power.
When gluing up panels, clamps should
be alternated top and bottom so as not
to induce any cupping to the panel. Ive
found that even parallel bar clamps have
this tendency as long as the panel is right
next to the bar. I used to struggle to get
clamps underneath, so I built myself a set
of I-beams to raise the work piece off the
workbench. Their broad surfaces make it
easy to support two mating parts. It also
makes them very stable. Invariably, they
end up being used as cauls as well.
Cauls Have Many Jobs
I use cauls in nearly every glue-up,

for a number of different reasons. Cauls
are sometimes used for one specific reason, and sometimes theyre called on to
do a number of jobs at the same time.
They can be thick or thin, long or short,
straight or curved and can be made of
almost any material.
Crushing Strength A caul will help

protect the edge of a work piece from the
strength clamps provide.
One of the primary functions of a

caul is to distribute clamping pressure
over a given area without the use of lots
of clamps. I have a well-sized collection of clamps, but even if I had all the
clamps in the world, its often difficult
logistically to use a lot of clamps during
a single glue-up. Plus the weight of the
clamps themselves can become an issue.
For example, if youre laminating thinner stock, the sheer weight of the clamps
can put a curve in the lamination if its
not properly supported. The solution, to
a certain degree of course, is to use more
cauls and fewer clamps. Remember that
you still need enough clamps to apply
ample pressure to hold the work piece
together.
Cauls also help to keep a panel flat
during a glue-up. By placing cauls across
the glue line and clamping them flat, the
likelihood of a panel staying flat during a glue-up increases drastically. Cauls
for this use need to be strong enough to
resist flexing under loads.
Another important benefit of using a
caul is to protect the edge of the work
piece youre gluing up. Clamps apply
a lot of pressure and many woods
(especially softer woods) will be easily
damaged by a normal clamping situation. Cauls that will only protect the
work piece dont often have to be overly
thick or strong.
A final, often overlooked function of
a caul is to allow clamping on irregular
shaped work pieces. Sometimes cauls
need to be shaped or cut to mate with
the part. Curved or angled surfaces are
the most common situations where this
is the case.
Not Everything Is Standard When you

arent dealing with parallel, even sides you may
have to make a custom caul. (Photo by Rob Brown)
When keeping a panel flat during

glue-up, Ive found that " thick cauls
are good because they stand up on their
own and distribute pressure well without being too bulky. For cauls less than
12" long, I use 2" wide stock. For larger
glue-ups like tabletops, I would use cauls
an inch longer than the width of the
assembly and 3" or wider to increase the
rigidity. For longer cauls, a slight convex shape helps distribute pressure to the
hard-to-reach middle area. Its a good
idea to apply some sort of finish, wax,
or packing tape to the cauls to prevent
the caul from sticking to the work piece.
This is especially true when gluing up
softwoods. Ive found when you remove
the cauls, they can sometimes take a
chunk of the work piece off.
In Closing
Glue-ups dont have to be daunting.

You shouldnt dread them because youre
afraid of what might go wrong. Instead,
anticipate and prepare for tricky and
complicated situations beforehand. Work
your way through the process first without glue and identify where you might
have troubles. Then look for ways to correct those issues. In a way, a glue-up is
like orchestrating a symphony every
part has to work together to ensure perfect harmony. So with good preparation
and sound techniques,
assembly can be as fun
as the rest of woodworking. And thats the
way it should be.
CHRIS WONG
chris@flairwoodworks.com
33
toolcomparison
PLANERS
create tapers, joint wide boards and

machine chamfers.
It used to be that owning a planer
meant clearing a large area of your valuable shop floor space to make room for
a hulking beast of metal. These were
fantastic machines (Ive seen them so
enormous that car tires were used for
infeed and outfeed rollers) but they were
far too large and expensive for a hobby
woodworker with typical space and
monetary restraints. Enter the bench
top thickness planer. These little guys
have been around for some time but
today there are so many choices that
By Rob Brown
ets face facts; unless youre

a woodworker who specializes in hand tools or you have
more time than you know
what to do with, youll need a planer
to take the hard work out of a common shop task dressing lumber. Even
if you purchase pre-dressed lumber,
its rarely going to be straight and flat
by the time you get your hands on it.
In addition to dressing lumber to finished thickness, with a planer you can
do a number of other fancy things like
Manufaturer Model #
Price
Delta
Dewalt
DeWalt
General
King
Makita
Porter Cable
Ridgid
Steel City
599
699
499
669
249
599
299
499
689
34
22-590
DW735
DW734
30-005HC M1
C-426C
2012NB
PC305TP
R4330
40200H
Finished
Surface
Good
Good
Good

Fair
Good
Good
Good
Fair
you need to do some research to find

out which one is best for the work you
do. Most have enough power and capacity to plane almost anything you want
to shove through them. Their smaller
motors dont like to be overloaded, so a
few extra passes at a lighter depth setting may be required in some situations.
They also have the extra advantage of
being easy to move around or even store
out of the way until needed.
Although some machines are built
more solidly than others, planer basics
are all the same. A planer provides a flat
surface that will support the underside
Overall Impression
Chip removal works best with dust collector
Knives dulled quickly, but otherwise a very solid machine
Knives dulled quickly, but otherwise a solid machine
Good value in a basic planer

A smooth running machine
Very good value in a basic planer
Overall a very impressive machine
Only downfall is the surface it leaves
Lead photo by Rob Brown All others courtesy of manufacturer
BENCH-TOP
Bells and whistles often

make it hard to see
what tool will perform
the basic tasks being
asked of it. Sort through
what is and what isnt
important when buying
a bench-top planer.
of the work piece while the board is being machined.

Infeed and outfeed rollers grip the work piece,
holding it down while pulling it across this
bottom surface. While this is taking place the
cutterhead is spinning above the work piece
removing material from the top surface of the
board, ensuring both faces are parallel and
smooth.
Delta 22-590
$599
DeWalt 734
$499
Start with the Basics
All of the machines tested have a 6" max.

depth of cut. Its a rare situation to need to
plane a piece of lumber that thick, but its nice
to have the option if the situation presents
itself. The width of cut is also fairly standardized, ranging from 12" to 13". Wider is always nicer, but that
alone shouldnt heavily influence your decision regarding what
machine to buy. The amount of material to be removed is set
by the user by adjusting the height of the cutterhead. While
planing a piece of wood narrower than 6" the general rule is you can remove 1/16" per pass. If youre
planing widths of over 6", removing only 1/32" is
recommended. You should make some adjustments for planing hard or soft woods. In general,
its a good idea to remove less material than more;
youll end up with a better surface and it will be
easier on the machine. These machines all had
very similar size motors, so power differentiation
will rarely be an issue.
DeWalt
735
$699
Makita 2012NB
$599
The Difference is in the Details
Where these machines start to differentiate

themselves is in the details. Most of the machines
have features that make them easier and more enjoyable to use than
their predecessors. The features that you go for are going to depend
on the work you do and sometimes the amount of money in
your bank account. Lets look at the considerations.
Dust extraction is an important aspect of woodworking.
Although the chips that a planer makes are less likely to work their
way into your respiratory system, there is still a health danger if
you dont protect yourself. Extracting as much dust as possible
directly off the machine is a good place to start. Some machines
make it a bit easier to remove the chips and keep your shop floor
and air clean. All of the machines, except for the King, Porter
Cable and the Makita, have dust collector ports. Even without the
dust hose hooked up, all of the machines eject the shavings satisfactorily. The only machine that lags a bit in ejecting the shavings is
the Delta, but with a dust collector it works just fine. Surprisingly,
because of the fan-assisted chip ejection, the DeWalt 735 threw
shavings well over 10' during the comparison. Although this is a little bit of overkill, its better than not clearing the chips properly.
Its very rare to take a plank directly from the planer and apply
a finish without sanding its surface. Nevertheless, an important
aspect of planing is to have as smooth of a surface as possible once
the task is complete. With a smooth surface you will spend less
time sanding. Every one of these planers was brand new out of the
box and most performed admirably, leaving an impeccable finish.
General
30-005HC
M1
$669
King C-426C
$249
Steel City 40200H

$689
Ridgid R4330
$499
The exceptions were the King and, surprisingly, the Steel City,
the only planer with a helical cutterhead. Both machines left
a couple of very small ridges and a less than perfect surface.
Nothing that couldnt be smoothed with some extra sanding
but thats one of the things were trying to avoid.
While using all the different machines, it quickly occurred to
me that weight may be a factor in selecting a bench top planer.
If you plan on hauling one of these machines with you on a
daily basis, consider how much you will be lifting.
The only unit with adjustable feed speed was the DeWalt
735. This is a nice feature if you want to be extra sure the finished surface will end up as smooth and chip-free as possible.
You can do most of your thicknessing at the faster speed, then,
for the last pass, slow the feed rate down to get as smooth a
surface as possible.
Also consider the knives that each planer uses. They will be
what are cutting the surface. All of these machines have reversible knives, so once the first edge is dull you can flip them over
and use them a second time without having to sharpen them.
The Steel City helical head has indexable knives, which can be
turned four times, and generally speaking a helical head helps
machine a smooth surface with less chipping, especially with
figured wood.
Red Herrings
Snipe often occurs on the leading and trailing couple inches

of the top surface. Its not the end of the world but it can be
slightly problematic from time to time. While the workpiece is
only being held down by one infeed or outfeed roller, there is a
tendency to remove a little extra material about 1/32" to 1/16".
To combat snipe, the DeWalt 734, Delta 22-590 and the Steel
City 40200H have a user-activated mechanism to lock the cutterhead in place. These all work fairly well but I dont believe
this should be a strong factor in choosing a machine. The little
bit of snipe that occurs very rarely adversely effects a workpiece, as it can be sanded out or is lost when a workpiece is cut
to length.
Another feature you will find on many machines, and one
I dont think is overly important, is a depth-of-cut stop. The
theory behind this feature is that by setting the indicator to a
36
Porter Cable PC305TP

$299
specific thickness you can return to that dimension repeatedly to plane other boards to the exact same thickness. Using
this feature often results in tilting the cutterhead on a slight
angle, and planing that angle into the workpiece, or obtaining
a slightly different thickness. Even if the feature did work perfectly, I think it should be overlooked for more important ones.
Which One Should You Buy?
The DeWalt 735 was ahead of all the other units until I factored in the knife quality and how few passes it took to start
seeing ridge marks on a freshly planed surface. I think this is
unacceptable. I also thought the noise level of the DeWalt was
quite high. Also, plan on using a dust collector with this unit
to harness the hurricane of chips that spray out the back end.
If DeWalt can get the knife issue straightened out a representative from DeWalt said by early 2011 all their new machines
will come equipped with new knives their planer will easily be the top of the class, but until then I would lean towards
to Ridgid R4330. Its overall solid performance was impressive. After hundreds of linear feet of Cedar, a tough species on
blades, the Ridgid R4330 still performed like new. Chip ejection without a dust collector worked well and it also worked
well with a dust collection hose hooked up. It has most of the
important bells and whistles, if you plan on using them. On
top of all this, the ability to sign up for lifetime service agreement with Ridgid makes the purchase even easier to stomach.
If youre an occasional planer user and cant justify spending much money, I would go with the Porter Cable PC305TP. It
seemed like it was built well and just quietly (relatively speaking)
got the job done. The King C-426C came in right behind the
Porter Cable, offering a decent planer at a very reasonable price.
General is going to be offering a new 13"
bench-top planer, similar in size and style to
the other machines included here. Though it
wasnt available for me to test with the rest of
the group, it will be available to the public in
November 2010.
ROB BROWN
shoptested
Ridgid JobMax
by Ryan Shervill
With five
interchangeable
tool heads, this
tool takes the
term multi-tool
to a whole new
level.
Photos courtesy of Ridgid
hen the new JobMax from

Rigid arrived at my shop I
opened the boxes, checked the
contents and had one of those why
didnt I think of that? moments. The
JobMax is a 12V cordless motor that
accepts different heads, depending on
the task at hand. The available tool
heads include a multi-tool, right-angle
drill, right-angle impact driver, a 3/8"
drive ratchet and a power hammer.
The multi-tool head allows you to
do all of the jobs that these tools are
known for, from undercutting doorsills
to removing paint and sanding and
plenty in between. The JobMax comes
with a sanding head and two blades,
as well as an adapter collar that allows
the tool to accept attachments from
other manufacturers such as Bosch and
Dremel.
Coming Events
The right-angle drill
The Woodstock
The Ottawa
Woodshow
Woodworking Show
and right-angle impact
October 1, 2, 3
October 29, 30, 31
driver are just the ticket
Woodstock Fairgrounds
Aberdeen Pavilion
when it comes to jobs
Woodstock, ON
Lansdowne Park
in tight spaces, such
www.woodstockwoodOttawa, ON
as installing drawer
show.ca
www.woodshows.com
slides inside a cabiTools of the Trades
Busy Bee Tent Sale
net or drilling for
EDMONTON
October 3
wires between studs.
October 28, 29, 30
Pickering Recreation
The tool has ample
Busy Bee Tools
Complex
18520-111 Avenue N.W.
1867 Valley Farm Rd.
power to turn even
Edmonton, AB
Pickering, ON
large boring bits
www.busybeetools.com
and the impact
The Woodworking
driver will sink 4"
Busy Bee Tent Sale
Tools and
SASKATOON
Renovation Show
screws without a problem.
October 15, 16, 17
November 4, 5, 6
The ratchet attachment makes
Cloverdale Exhibition
Busy Bee Tools
quick work of nut-and-bolt-oriented
Cloverdale, BC
3533 Idlwyld Dr. N.
tasks. I used mine to assemble some
www.ToolShows.ca
Saskatoon, SK
bolt-together shelving for the shop
KMS Tools
before using it to repair my lawn
Woodworking Sale
The Woodworking
mower. While it doesnt have the
and Show
Tools and
torque of its air-powered cousin,
October 14, 15, 16, 17
Renovation Show
KMS Tools & Equipment
November 5, 6, 7
its extremely handy to have close
110 Woolridge St.
Prairieland Park
by, especially in situations where
Coquitlam, BC
Saskatoon, SK
there just isnt room to swing a tradikmstools.com/
www.toolshows.ca
tional ratchets handle.
Busy Bee Tent Sale
The Moncton
The power hammer is a very neat
CALGARY
Woodworking Show
tool. It uses a hardened steel head to
October 21, 22, 23
November 12, 13, 14
drive nails with just a pull of the trigger.
Busy Bee Tools
Moncton Coliseum
Ive used the hammer to attach electri- 2611 Hopewell Place N.E.
Agrena Complex
Calgary, AB
Moncton, NB
cal boxes between studs and to drive
www.woodshows.com
the joist hanger nails for a new deck;
both are situations where swinging a
The Woodworking
The Woodworking
hammer is difficult at best. All in all a
Tools and
Tools and
great attachment, but it could use a
Renovation Show
Renovation Show
October 22, 23, 24
stronger magnet to hold nails in place.
November 12, 13, 14
Calgary Stampede
Red River Exhibition Park
Overall, I am very impressed with this
Big Four Building
Winnipeg, MB
little tool, and it has definitely earned
Calgary, AB
www.toolshows.ca
a place in my DIY
October 29, 30, 31
arsenal. Now I just
Northlands Park, Hall C
have to tell the folks
Edmonton, AB
at Ridgid that they
www.toolshows.ca
wont be getting it
back!
For more woodworking events:
RYAN SHERVILL
rshervill@yahoo.com
www.CanadianWoodworking.com
List your club and event FREE.
homeproject
Under Sink
Bringing order to the under-sink chaos in

your kitchen is a project that will exercise
your creativity and provide you with a lasting
functional improvement in your kitchen.
By Jim Sinclair
Designing the Piece
For this project you will have to

adapt the design to fit your own needs
and the space you have available. The
choice of wood will depend upon your
kitchen circumstances. Even the finish may vary, for example if you want
to match a particular paint colour. As
well, the installation details will vary
38
complete, its probably a good idea to put

everything back under the sink. This isnt
a one-afternoon project.
For my design I went with two pull-out
structures. The pull-out structures provide easy access to all the items stored on
them, much like drawers provide easier
access to items in lower cabinets than
shelves. The first is a 13 " by 21 "
structure located on the left-hand side of
depending upon what type of drawer
the cabinet. It accommodates three 13
slides you select.
" by 7 " trays. The trays fit into a set
The first step in creating your design
is to remove everything from under your of rabbets and dados that are cut in the
top of the base. The trays are all the same
sink as you create an inventory of what
gets kept there. With everything out from size so that they can be arranged on the
pull-out structure in any order and they
under the sink it is time to prepare an
accurate drawing of the space available, were designed to be large enough to hold
the largest boxes found under our sink.
including any obstacles in the way and
A pair of small open-ended boxes that fit
anything (like shutoff valves) that must
remain accessible. Once your drawing is crossways within the trays completes the
Lead Photo by Vic Tesolin, Others by Jim Sinclair Illustrations by James Provost
ORGANIZER
first structure. The small boxes can be

placed in any location in any tray, again
providing flexibility in organizing content. The first small box has 4 " high
sides. These relatively high sides accommodate a number of cleaning brushes
stored vertically. The second small box
has 2 " high sides and is for keeping together some small items we use
for maintaining a fish tank. By keeping these small supplies in a removable
box they can all be conveniently taken
out, used and then returned to storage
under the sink. You can add additional
small boxes to your design to add places
for additional groups of small items at
the cost of reducing the space for larger
objects.
The second pull-out structure is 8 5/8"
by 11" located in the middle of the cabinet in front of the main plumbing. It
accommodates a single set of six sloped
shelves that attach to rabbets in the base
similar to the trays. The shelf structure is removable from the base in order
to allow easy access to the under-sink
plumbing. The shelves are sloped at 50
to secure the contents on the shelves and
to make seeing the contents of all the
shelves easy from above.
I considered putting a small set of
fixed shelves on the right-hand side of
the cabinet for infrequently used items,
but it turned out that everything we had
under the sink fit nicely in the first two
pull-out structures with lots of room to
spare.
Material Selection
I chose to make the visible portions

of the organizer out of white oak to
match our existing kitchen cabinetry.
Materials List
Part
Tray Structure
base
side skirts
front and back skirts
base supports
base support face
Trays
tray sides
tray fronts & backs
tray bottoms
Short Box
sides
front and back
bottom
Tall Box
sides
front and back
bottom
Shelf Structure
base
side skirts
front and back skirts
base supports
base support face
ends
sides
center
shelves
Qty
1
2
2
2
2
13
1
1
2
7
/8
21
21
13
20
2 7/8
6
6
3
/8
2
2
6
7
13
13
White Oak
White Oak
White Oak
2
2
1
2
2
3
3
6
6
White Oak
White Oak
White Oak
2
1
/8
4
4
4
4
6
6
White Oak
White Oak
White Oak
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
6
5
/8
5
/8
5
/8
8 1/8
1
1
2
7
/8
8
2
9
5 5/16
10
11
8 5/8
10
2 7/8
12
9
11 5/8
10
/8
/8
/8
/8
Material
Baltic Birch Plywood

White Oak
White Oak
White Oak

White Oak
White Oak
White Oak
White Oak
White Oak
White Oak
White Oak
Angled Grooves Made Easy Clamp the work piece and the fence in
place when routing the angled shelf grooves.
Transferring will Result in Fewer Mistakes Use the first
The structural parts of the pull-outs I made out of 18mm

Baltic birch plywood, for its strength and stability. Although
not entirely accurate, for consistency with the rest of the
measurements in this article I will refer to this as " plywood from now on. A skirt of white oak around the outside
edges of the pullout bases hides the plywood edges and provides a convenient handle for pulling out the structures. An
alternative to solid wood would be to use plywood for the
entire unit.
Basic Preparation
Legendary Tools Since 1812
completed end piece to layout the second end piece.
Cut the two base pieces to size on the table saw. Next, cut
the dados and rabbets. The dados and rabbets in the base
pieces can be cut on the table saw with only minor adjustments
between cutting the dados and the rabbets. Start by installing
the dado blade set to the appropriate width for the dados, in
this case ". I used a shop-made zero clearance insert since
neither of the inserts that come with my table saw are wide
enough to accommodate a " dado setup. Next, set the blades
to the proper height, in this case ". Set the rip fence and
make the two dado cuts on the tray base. Now attach a sacrificial fence to the rip fence and position the fence to expose
1
/8" of dado blade. Now cut the rabbets around both the base
pieces. Use a shoulder plane to clean up any inconsistencies
at the corners of the rabbets and dados before moving on to
attaching the skirts to the base pieces.
Cut the sides and bottoms of all the trays and boxes to finished size. For the two end pieces and the center piece of the
shelf structure you will most likely need to glue up a pair of
boards to get sufficient width. Once these three panels have
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1 WOODWORKING & HOME IMPROVEMENT
CANADIAN
Easy Dovetails A dovetail jig makes

quick work of repetitive dovetailing.
10-08-11 1:34 PM
A Pencil Mark Use a

pencil to mark start and stop
lines for routing the grooves
for the tray bottoms.
Great
table Saw
acceSSorieS
SMall Piece olDer
Only Do What You Have To The drawer
Fancy Hardware Some drawer slides work
slides I used run through the notch and hook to

the base through the 5/16" drilled hole. The drawer
slides you use will likely be different, so plan
accordingly.
different than others. For my installation the

drawer slide clip needed to be mounted on the
underside of the pull-out base.
been glued up, cut all the parts for the

shelf structure to finished size. For
the shelf structure, cut the rabbets at
the bottom of the two end pieces and
the two side pieces. On one of the end
pieces layout the angled shelf grooves.
Clamp the work piece and a fence in
place to rout each groove.
Once the first end piece has been fully
routed, clamp it together with the other
end piece, inside faces together and
transfer the exact start locations of the
six shelf grooves to the second end piece,
lay out the rest of the grooves, and then
rout the grooves in it.
Joinery
The base supports are held to the cabinet bottom with a set of round-headed
wood screws. To prepare the supports,
set the fence on your drill press so that
the holes will be drilled in the center of
the plywood boards. Drill several evenly
spaced clearance holes completely
through the width of the base supports.
I used five for each of the longer base
supports and three for each of the
shorter base supports. Leave the fence
in place and switch to a forstner bit.
Counter-bore each clearance hole deep
enough that the screw will protrude
beyond the bottom of the base support approximately the thickness of the
cabinet bottom into which you will be
attaching the base support.
The trays and boxes are all constructed
using similar techniques. The sides are

joined together with through dovetails.
The bottoms float in stopped " grooves
cut " up from the bottom edge of the
sides. I used a dovetail jig to cut the
dovetails with a router.
The stopped grooves were cut on a
router table. Mount a " spiral bit and
raise it 3/16" above the surface of the
router table. Position a solid fence "
away from the bit. Mark start and stop
lines on the solid fence to show where
to position the pieces. Lower each piece
on to the bit keeping the leading edge of
the piece even with the start line. Push
the piece through until the trailing edge
reaches the stop line, then back the piece
off a bit and lift it up clear of the bit.
And with a cut like this, move the work
piece from right to left so the rotation of
the router bit will keep the work piece
tight to the fence, as opposed to pushing
it away from the fence.
The shelf structure is held together
with " dowels. A pair of evenly spaced
dowels at the end of each side piece
should do the trick and six evenly spaced
dowels along each end of the center
piece to hold it to the ends. Drill one
dowel hole then insert a dowel center in
the hole to mark the location of the mating hole. The shelves themselves simply
slide into the grooves in the end pieces
without any need for glue.
Some custom modifications will most
likely need to be done to the base structures in order to make them work with
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the particular drawer slides you choose

to use. Because I used Blum Tandem
Plus drawer slides, I needed to cut a pair
of slots in the back skirt in order to allow
the drawer slides to pass through the
skirt at the back. As well I needed to drill
a pair of holes in the back skirt in order
to provide a place for the drawer slides to
hook into the base structure at the back.
At the front of the base structures I
needed to glue a pair of plywood blocks
to the under side of the base to attach
the drawer slide clips.
Once all the joinery has been done, but
before assembly, it is time to do the surface preparation for all of the pieces. For
all the " pieces that are going to fit into
" slots or grooves, surface preparation
time is the time to smooth them down so
that once they are finished they will still
be slightly less than " and will fit easily
into the " slots or grooves.
Pre-finishing Assembly
For this projects glue-up, I suggest

using waterproof glue. Even without
major accidents, water will get under the
sink from such things as rubber gloves,
wet towels and minor splashes. There is
no point in tempting fate with your glue
choice. Glue the skirts on to the base
pieces one at a time. Position them so
they protrude slightly above the surface
of the adjacent rabbet. Once the glue has
dried and the clamps have been removed,
use a shoulder plane to smooth the skirt
piece even with the rabbet before gluing
on the next skirt. This gives a nice level
extended rabbet and avoids any difficulty
with tear-out at the skirt miters.
Glue the base support face pieces on to
the front of each base support so that they
Start Small - A spacer board keeps the support parallel to the cabinet side and clear of obstructions.
extend beyond the base support in all

four directions. Once the glue has dried
and the clamps have been removed, use
a block plane to trim the face piece even
with the rest of the base support.
When gluing the shelf structure
together, a small amount of glue on
the dowels and in the dowel holes is all
thats needed. The glued dowels will provide all the strength you need for these
joints. Clamp the joints together and
check that everything is square. Once
the glue is dry and the clamps removed,
use a block plane to even out any minor
inconsistencies at the top and bottom
of the structure. You may also need a
shoulder plane and a chisel to even up
the rabbets at the bottom.
before assembly. This avoids any problems with finish build-up in corners
and the floating panel moving later and
exposing an unfinished surface. A little
Finishing
For floating construction like the trays

and boxes, I prefer to finish the parts
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Final Assembly
Use a small brush (an old artists brush

or toothbrush will do) to put a light
coating of glue on all the mating portions of the dovetails. Be careful to keep
the glue out of the grooves. Put the two
pin boards together with one of the tail
boards and then slide the bottom into
place in the grooves. Finally, put the
remaining tail board in place and push
everything together. Check to make sure
everything is square; if not, adjust with
a bit of diagonal clamping pressure and
then clamp the joints and wait for the
glue to set.
The six shelf pieces should just slide
into place between the end pieces. If you
find they are slightly too long in either
dimension, a quick pass or two with a

plane should fix that. Just remember not
to plane the finished front edge.
Installation
Use a horizontal spacer board to position the first base support parallel to
the cabinet side and sufficiently clear of
the door and any hinge mechanism that
may be present. A spring clamp works
well to establish a consistent depth from
the front of the cabinet. Mark each of
the screw locations. I used a long screw
as a center punch, putting it into each
of the predrilled holes and tapping it
with a hammer. Move things out of the
way and drill pilot holes in the base of
the cabinet. Put the spacer board, spring
clamp and base support back in place
and attach the base support using the
appropriately sized screws.
After installing the first base support,
use a second spacer board to position the
second base support parallel to the first.
Again, use a spring clamp to establish
the depth from the front of the cabinet.
When drilling pilot holes, a simple shop-made stop block with a hole
drilled through the middle can be

slipped over the drill bit to give you
holes of consistent depth. You can fine
tune the depth by modifying the distance the drill bit protrudes from the
chuck when youre tightening the drill
bit in the chuck.
Use a vertical spacer board to position the slide at the appropriate height
next to the base support. Check the
slide to see if it is level; if not, shim
between the slide and the spacer board
until the slide is level. Drill pilot holes
in the base support and attach the slide
with screws.
With the base supports attached to the
cabinet and the drawer slides attached to
the base supports, its time to attach the
pull-out bases. Once the pull-out bases
are attached, drop the trays, small boxes
and the shelf structure
in place. Now all you
have left to do is put
everything back under
the sink using your
new organizers.
JIM SINCLAIR
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Home ImPRovement
Informative, Entertaining, and Practical

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woodworking and home improvement projects.
August/september 2009
issue #61
bit of masking tape on the inside edges

of the dovetail joints will protect the glue
surface and discourage you from splashing the finish into the rest of the joint
surfaces. As well, the shelves should be
finished before they are put into the shelf
structure. All the remaining parts for this
project can easily be finished after they
are assembled.
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Learning
to Woodwork
The Lathe Part 2
BY DON WILKINSON
48
deep within that storehouse of esoteric

woodworking knowledge I discovered
a video tape by some Australian fellow who, as I recalled from my days
as a part-time father, also sang popular childrens songs. Raffee or Rafter
or something like that. Maybe Raffan!
Doesnt matter. It seemed like a strange
mix of professions to me but who was
I to talk. The tape was labelled SuperDuper Extremely Advanced Woodturning
Techniques, Or something like that. It
also had a disclaimer written in blood
across the bottom: Dont even think about
looking at this tape until you have been successfully turning since at least childhood and
are now a minimum of 55 years old.
I gleefully tore the cellophane off and
popped it into the machine, sat back
and waited for the woodturning police
to come crashing through my skylight.
Nothing happened, so I turned the TV
on and watched enraptured as the man
on the tape happily turned ugly knobby
pieces of tree into salad bowls of incredible beauty. After watching the first 15
minutes I was filled with such enthusiasm; I just knew I could easily do the
same thing.
Maybe not quite as well as the guy
on the tape at least not the first bowl
but certainly by the second. I flicked

off the TV and rushed outside to the
shop, slowing to grab a handy chunk of
firewood from the woodpile as I rushed
past. I jammed the piece of wood onto
the shiny, spinny thing and confidently
threw the switch. I watched in horror as
the wood chunk wobbled around faster
and faster until it finally tore loose at
an extremely high speed in the general
direction of my head and departed the
shop via the wall. I never did find that
piece of wood.
It was obvious that I might have
missed a crucial step somewhere so I
trudged back to the house.
Maybe I should start smaller and work
my way up, I thought.
Maybe I should read the books I had
purchased for just that purpose.
Maybe, just maybe, I should consider
taking lessons!
When I stopped laughing I settled
down, grabbed the first of many woodturning books and began
the long process of learning how to properly and
safely use a lathe.
Don Wilkinson
yukoners@rogers.com
Illustration by: Mike Del Rizzo
hen I left you last issue

I was hiding out in my
shop, more afraid of
facing my wife than I
was of facing my lathe. As the temperatures dropped into the deep-freeze of a
Yukon November night, so did my fear
of Kelly, and I bravely ventured back to
the house. Besides, I figured that after
three hours spent in the frigid shop she
would assume I had been playing with
my new toy. In reality, all we had been
doing was getting better acquainted. We
seemed to have reached a partial understanding regarding how it was or wasnt
going to maim or kill me and I was getting quite familiar, almost comfortable,
with all its parts. I could now slide the
tail stock back and forth with aplomb
and lock it down with a casual flick of
my wrist. I could push the start and stop
buttons with equal disregard and during
one cold induced mad-minute, when several of my neurons had closed down, I
even contemplated plugging the thing in.
Luckily, I had quickly come to my senses
before something terrible happened.
At one point I even spun the wheel
thingy on the back end of the headstock
and was absolutely thrilled to see it turn
like a well-oiled machine. Which, come
to think of it, was really all it was.
Yessirree! That was some lathe. Too
bad I didnt have a clue how to operate it. Or the nerve, really. As I sat in
my comfy chair, all snuggled up beside
the roaring woodstove, I delved into the
large box of books I purchased along
with my new tool collection. Buried
...and a whole lot more.

Time spent on a project is more than the pride you have in your accomplishments, its about building relationships.
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TOOL YOUR SHOP

BUILD YOUR DREAMS

Once you learn how to tune a spokeshave and use it

TOOL YOUR SHOP

BUILD YOUR DREAMS

CANADIAN WOODWORKING & HOME IMPROVEMENT

Allan Cusworth, Paul Hillacre,

Thanks for the great

Where in the world is Paul Ross?

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CANADIAN WOODWORKING & HOME IMPROVEMENT

Shop Storage Fit For A King

With cherry plywood carcasses, aspen

The Stanley FatMax Tool Vest has

General Extends Its Reach

Photos by: Tom Loftus

CANADIAN WOODWORKING & HOME IMPROVEMENT

manufacturers have made presentations, teaching members how to use their

proud of, the ongoing toy-building

Its the secret, time-saving,

Rideout Tool & Machine Inc.

Cej Centre D Outillage

Rideout Tool & Machine Inc.

Hafele Canada Inc.

Rideout Tool & Machine Inc.

Island Saw & Tool

Tegs Tools & Machinery

Chas. Gentmantel &

The Tool Place

Change the way you work with Festools

Learn more at festoolusa.com/ct

The neck blank needs to be 21mm

CANADIAN WOODWORKING & HOME IMPROVEMENT

With the neck template still in place, trace

Truss rod slot

To rout the truss rod slot, I suggest

outside of the neck profile. Pins will be

Mark your tuner layout on the face

Photos by: Paul Hillacre

template secured to the neck, flush trim

Carving the neck

Indexing the Fingerboard

Draw a centerline on a 24" x 6" piece

long edge so it is square. Dont modify

the bottom of the bit. Because a router

Glue the fingerboard

Pin the fingerboard to the neck to test

Build a Simple Jig This jig will guide the

Install the truss rod according to the

Fret position markers

For the side dots, mark the center of

Scalloping the Headstock

Begin by re-sawing the headstock to

CANADIAN WOODWORKING & HOME IMPROVEMENT

Re-sawing the Headstock With

likely not have one. A bench vise with

Control Cavity Cover

The neck must be angled back from

Neck work jig