ShopNotes.com Vol.

23 Issue 138
 Contents
Features
weekend workshop
Compact Folding Sawhorse ~ 14
These horses are sturdy, and compact. Plus,
you can build four from a one sheet of plywood.
best-built jigs & fixtures
Sliding Table Saw Table 16
Tackle wider crosscuts safely and more
accurately with this sliding table.
weekend workshop
Table Saw Outrigger 22
Provide solid support when ripping or
crosscutting with this adjustable stand.
storage solutions
Ultimate Lumber Center ~24
This storage rack has it all - low cost, high
DrillAdd-Ons page 48 capacity, and a built-in miter saw station.
storage solutions
Router Table Cabinet ~34
Short on space? The small footprint of this
router table means it will fit almost anywhere.

Departments
Readers' Tips _ 4
router workshop
Slots - Strong & Sturdy Joinery _ 8
A simple slot cutter can be used for a wide
range of tasks in any shop.
Pocket Hole Machine page 10 jigs & accessories
Faster & Easier Pocket Holes 10
This latest addition to the Kreg pocket hole
line takes joinery to a new level.
materials & hardware
Foam for the Shop 12
Learn how common types of foam have
uncommon uses in the shop.
hands-on technique
High-End Hardware Look 30
Turn ordinary zinc hardware into extraordinary
project highlights quickly and easily

Shop Short Cuts 32

Check out our shop-tested tips and techniques
Bevel Gauges page 40 for solving your woodworking problems.

2 ShopNotes Ko. 138

 Cutoffs
A s a woodworker, I always want to
~ake the best use of material. So
when a project comes along where all that's
left over at the end is a pile of sawdust and
maybe a cutoff or two, it makes me happy.
And that's the case with the sawhorses you'll
find on page 14.
I knew our Assistant Design Director,
Chris, was working on a sawhorse that was
sturdy and compact. When I saw the final
design, I was more amazed that you could
cut four of them out of a single 5' x 5' sheet of
Baltic birch plywood - with the only waste
created by the saw cuts and a couple of small
cutouts. Each sawhorse folds to %" thick. So
a set of four only takes up 3" of space.
If you have your own great shop design
Folding Sawhorse page 14 where you've made the best use of material,
offcuts, or hardware, please drop us a note. If
in the shop it's an idea we think others will find useful,
Must-Have Layout Tool 40 we'll feature it in a future issue of ShopNotes.
Tame any angle when you choose and use a There are more great projects and articles
bevel gauge correctly in this issue, as well. So after you send in that
hands-on technique
great idea, sit back, relax, and take a look.
Shop Secrets: Drilling End Grain 42
The key to drilling into end grain is the proper
setup and the correct bit.
setting up shop
Router Bit Storage 44 STATEMENT OF OWNERSHI~ MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCUlATION
(Required ,y39 U.S.c. 3685)

Keep your router bits organized and sharp by ~i~:~=:~6·~~e~~:~~~~:~11.~re7~~~

2200 Grund Al'enue,Des Moines, (Polk Coonty), Iowa 503J2-5306. 8. Complete rooiling address of hecdaertes or generol
business office of lie pubIis/J€f: 1100 ~ooo Av_. Des I/o"". (Polk [oun~).lowo 50311·5306. 9. Full names end
using any of these handy storage options. complete. addresses of publisher, editor, ond monOW!)J eartoc Publisher. Doooid B. Pesdne, 2200 Grond Avenue,
Des Moines, Iowa 50312; tartor. Bryan Nelson, 2200 Grooo Aveoo€, Des Moines, lowo 50312. 10. Owner: Aogust Home
mastering the table saw ~~I~oMrtr~:=rs~~~,~~O:;fO~~~e~
~i~;e12~{~~r~nd
::r~n~'!~~~~
Featherboards for Accurate & Safe Cuts 46 of bonds, moctgoges, or other serurffie:s: NOfle. 12. (Does ootcpply.) 13. Puhlkotioo Trtle: ShopNotes. 14. Issue Ocrte for
Orcul<rtion IIato BOO.: July/August2014 (No. 136) 15. Extent 000 no""eof6,rukJiion:

COPi~~~r:e Ayer~~i~ie{~~
Takethe hassle out of using featherboards on your during preceding publish~ne!lrest
12 monthS 10filirog dole
table saw with the rights tips and techniques.
great gear
Faster Drilling & Driving 48
Check out these add-ons for turning your hand
drill into a heavy-duty shop workhorse.

Q&A: Corded or Cordless Drill? 50

Sou~es ~

ShopN otes.com 3
 Tips for Your Shop
Router Table Fence Micro-Adjuster
I needed a simple, but effective, the parts to final size. (You may for the stop bolt and a jam nut A
way to finely adjust my router need to adjust the dimensions locks it in place (top view). •
fence and still be able to return it and hole locations to suit your Table Clamp. The body is
to its original position. This fix- fence and table.) clamped to the table with a flange
ture gives me the precise fence Adjustment Mechanism. I cut bolt and a star knob. If your table
adjustment that I need. out the adjustment wheel with a doesn't have a slot or .a T-track
Body. The wood parts for the hole saw and installed a threaded for the fence, a simple C-damp
body and fence block are small. insert into the center after enlarg- will hold the adjuster in place.
So to safely cut these, start with ing the hole. The wheel assem- Fence Block. The fence block
oversize blanks. I laid out and cut bly is screwed onto the threaded may also have to be modified
the notches and rabbets, and then rod which is inserted through to suit your particular fence. It
drilled the holes for the threaded two nylon bushings in the body. should be located so the hole for
inserts and bushings. Then I cut Another threaded insert is used the threaded rod lines up with
the hole in the body. Two lock
5116"-18 X 1Y2" FENCE BLOCK W'-DIA.
NOTE: ADJUST FLANGE BOLT (%" x 1" x 1Yi') SIDE VIEW HOLE nuts are tightened against the
DIMENSIONS AS
NECESSARY TO block so the rod doesn't spin. It
SUIT YOUR FENCE 5116"-18 JAM
NUT can be attached to the fence with
5116" WASHER machine screws and wing nuts or
5/,6"-18 THREADED just screwed in place as shown in
INSERT 5116"-18
LOCK NUT the photo and drawing.
To use the micro-adjuster,
roughly position the fence and
tighten the knob to lock the body.
%5"-18
Turn the adjustment wheel to
THREADED precisely position the fence as
INSERT
needed. The stop bolt allows you
to return the fence to its original,
starting position, if that becomes
5116"-18 x 3Y2" ADJUSTMENT necessary later.
FLANGE BOLT NYLON WHEEL Bill Huber
BUSHING (2) (1%" -DIA. wI CENTERED
"116" I.D. x Y2" O.D. x W' W' -DIA. HOLE) Haslet, Texas

4 ShopNotes No. 138

 Issue 138 November/December 2014

PUBLISHER Donald B. Peschke

EDITOR Bryan Nelson

MANAGING EDITOR Vincent Ancona
SENIOR EDITORS Phil Huber, Randall A. Maxey
ASSISTANT EDITOR Dennis Volz
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Wyatt Myers,
Dennis Perkins, Robert Kemp

EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth

ART DIRECTOR Cary Christensen
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Deborah Gruca
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Becky Kralicek
GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN Ryan C. Meier
Shop-Made Spring Clamp SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Dirk Ver Steeg,
Peter J. Larson, David Kallemyn
I was short a couple of light-duty up with this simple design to CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Harlan V. Clark, Erich Lage
spring clamps one evening after quickly make some of my own.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ted Kralicek
the stores had closed. So I came Starting with the pattern on the
SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNERS Chris Fitch, James R. Downing
left, layout and cut the two clamp PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doyle
parts. Almost any wood you have CAD SPECIALIST Steve Johnson
laying around will work, but I SHOP CRAFTSMEN Steve Curtis, Dana Myers
used plywood for its strength.
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Crayola England,
Ease the edges and sand the pivot Dennis Kennedy
contact surfaces for a comfortable ASSOCIATE STYLE DIRECTOR Rebecca Cunningham
grip and smooth operation. SENIOR ELECTRONIC IMAGE SPECIALIST Allan Ruhnke
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Minniette Johnson
Wrap rubber bands around
VIDEO DIRECTOR/EDITOR Mark Hayes, Jr.
the jaws to provide the clamping
VIDEO PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Patrick McDaniel
pressure. By varying the number
of rubber bands, you can adjust
the pressure to suit the job. ShopNotes® (ISSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthly by August Horne
Publishing, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312.
Serge Duclos ShopNotes® is a registered trademark of August Home Publishing
Delson, Quebec ©Copyright2014 by August Home Publishing. All rights reserved.
I
1C4(--- 6 ---.~I Single copy: $4.95 U.S. / $6.95 CDN
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Send change of address information and blocks of undeliverable copies to:
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Canada BN 84597 5473 RT

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you'll also receive a Kreg K5 Jig. Printed in u.s.A.

ShopN otes.com 5
I make my own zero-clearance
inserts, but my saw blade can't be
lowered enough to cut the blade slot
in the insert blank with the insert in
place. So I came up with this idea.
I made a spacer from hardboard
sized to fit the saw opening. It has
to be just thick enough to clear the
blade's teeth when the insert blank
is set in the opening (Figure 1). Cut
an oversize slot for the blade with a
jig saw and it's ready to use.
To cut the blade slot in a new
zero-clearance insert blank, I lower a. SPACER ELEVATES BLANK
the blade and place the spacer in TO CLEAR THE BLADE
the opening. Put a blank insert on
top and clamp it down (Figure 2).
Turn on the saw and slowly raise the
blade until it cuts through the blank. RETRACTED BLADE IS'RAISED
BLADE TO CUT THE SLOT
Jim Moorehead
Barrigada, Guam

Quick Tips

.ft
.• Peter Sherril of Forestville, Wisconsin, uses a .• Richard Kidd of Tremonton, Utah got
wine cork to cap the fittings and keep dirt out of tired of screwdrivers chewing up the plastic
his air tools. He just drills a hole in the center and lids on his cans of solvent. So he made an
simply presses them on. opener from a scrap of wood and a Z-Clip.

6 ShopNotes No. 138

Easy Edge Trimming
I prefer to put the edging on my ply-
wood cabinets after they're all assembled
and then trim it flush with a router. But I
needed a way to support the router and
be able to cut into the comers. This jig
solves both problems.
The jig is easy to use. Just place the base-
plate on the edging surface and feed it into
the casing until the jig face contacts the
surface of the workpiece. The little bit of
wood left inside the comers can easily be
cleaned up with a chisel.
It's constructed so the router bearing on
a W' flush-trim bit lines up with the two
adjacent faces of the jig. The faces ride
against the surface of the workpiece to
keep the router stable. A dowel provides a
handle for a good grip. And a notch under
the top allows for the edging overhang.
To build it, I cut the pieces for the top,
bottom, and faces from plywood. Next, cut NOTE: FACE5,TOP Oil _ /#8 x 1"Ph 5CREW
a rabbet for the recesses on the faces and & BODY MADE .....- WIWA5HER
FROM %" PLYWOOD TOP VIEW ROUTER BIT
then glue and screw these parts together as BASEPLATE BEARING
(6Y2" x 6Y2" -\4" 2" FLU5H WITH
shown. After cutting the router baseplate, HARDBOARD) RAD FACE5

mark and drill the mounting holes using

5LIGHTLY
your router as a template. Then mount the OVER51ZE
MOUNTING
baseplate drilling the holes a little over- #8 x 1"Fh
HOLE5
WOOD5CREW
sized to allow for adjustment. The router
3/e"-RAD.
is positioned so that the bit bearing is per-
fectly flush with the two jig faces.
The jig works equally well on the out-
side cabinet surfaces and prevents round- SIDE VIEW
ing off the comers, too. Trimming ply-
wood edging is a whole lot easier now.
Ben Volz n
Parker, Colorado

~ A paint roller cut into sections makes a great buffing wheel for
Bill Wells of Olympia, Washington. He presses them onto a 1~"
hole saw chucked into his drill press to buff small items. They're
available in a variety of naps for use on different materials.

ShopN otes.com 7
 Find out how this essential router bit strengthens
tricky joints and makes assembly easier.
• Tight-fitting joints are essential to next one and helps to straighten isn't a structural part of the joint,
building good projects. I keep a out any minor bowing along the it isn't necessary to glue it in place.
few tricks up my sleeve to make length of each piece. In fact, adding glue to the spline
sure the joints in my projects are I'll turn to this technique when joint just adds more time and may
. the best they can be. One of those gluing up a large tabletop or increase the amount of squeeze-
tricks is a slot-cutting router bit. when joining wide aprons to out you have to clean up.
It's natural to think of using the edges of a table or bench- Since I use this approach mostly
a slot cutter for creating the top. Another good application is on large assemblies, I usually cut
grooves for tongue and groove attaching wide edging pieces to a the spline slots with a hand-held
joinery or to house a panel. But I plywood panel. router, as shown in the photo
use a slot cutter for a few other No Glue. Here's the catch: above. Orient the boards so that
joinery tasks, as well. The spline doesn't really add they're all face up. This way the
Aligning Parts. Probably the much strength to the joint. Long- grooves will be consistent with the
most frequent use for my slot grain edge joints have plenty of top, show face of the workpieces.
cutter is creating long edge joints. strength on their own. Instead, the Depending on the look of the
I use the slot cutter to create spline aligns the parts. The inter- project, you can cut the spline
matching slots in a pair of work- locking spline keeps the surface of grooves so they're visible after
pieces. A spline spans the grooves the glueup flat and saves me time assembly. Or you can stop them
to lock the parts together. The planing or sanding the joints flush short of the end of a workpiece
spline registers each board to the after assembly. Since the spline and hide the splines from view.
Better Miters. While edge
SlOTcunER BIT joints see the most action from
my slot cutter, there are a couple
of other joints where a slot cutter
~ Better Bit. A
Interchangeable
high-quality slot
~ cutters mean you
cutter is like a bit kit.
don't need a new bit
You can swap (and for each slot size
even stack) cutters,
bearings, and shims
to create a slot to
suit your needs.
J
8 ShopNotes No. 138
 SPLINES DON'T NEED
TO BE GLUED
IN PLACE

SPLINES
REGISTER
Beef Up Miters. Cutting a slot
BOARDS AND across a miter joint lets you add a'
HELP STRAIGHTEN
ANY BOWING spline fa create a strpngerjoint.

can be an essential part of creat- that you'll use: miter joints like TRIM ENDS
ing better assemblies. One good you would see in a picture frame AFTER
GLUEUP
example is when I'm cutting and joints used to make boxes.
and fitting miters. While miters (The box below shows how to
offer a pleasing appearance, they add a spline to a case miter joint.)
aren't without challenges. Frame Miters. The method
There are two issues here. The to strengthen a frame is similar
first is the glue faces of a miter to long grain joints. However,
joint are largely end grain, so the differences are important. I
they're not very strong. The other install the slot cutter in a router
issue is that the angled faces table (upper right photo). It
make it tough to keep the parts makes routing grooves in the
aligned for assembly. narrow parts easier. An MDF
Using a slot cutter and spline push block guides the workpiece that the grain of the spline runs
solves both of these issues in one past the bit and stops tearout on side to side. This way, the grain
step. Like before, the spline keeps the back edge. The push block runs across the joint to add
the parts aligned. In this case, I glue is cut to match the angle of the strength when it's glued in place.
the spline in place. The additional workpiece. (Here again, stop the Whether it's reducing assembly
glue surface created by the spline slot short of the end if you don't hassles or strengthening joints, a
adds a long-grain connection. want the spline vii.ible.) slot cutter is a valuable addition
Not all miters are the same, The spline also deserves some to your bit collection. The result is
though. There are two basic types mention. Notice in the drawing better projects in less time. ~

stronger a.
Mitered Cases
Wrapping the grain of box sides an angled sled for the router
around comers is a great way to table. This holds the work-
add detail to a fine project. But piece at the correct angle so
like a frame miter, the joint still that you can rout the slot
has a lot of end grain glue sur- consistently. The sled has a
faces and may not be very strong. fence along the back edge to
The trick to adding a spline to register the workpiece and keep
this joint is cutting the slot square it square to the fence.
to the mitered face. The solution is Detail 'a' shows how I locate
the slot closer to the heel of the
miter in order to rout a deeper
slot. This lets me use a longer
spline to create a stronger joint.

~ An Easy-to-Build Sled. This

plywood sled holds a mitered
workpiece for cutting slots.

ShopN otes.com 9
 Pocket Hole Machine
For users of pocket hole joinery, this machine will
greatly speed up the process over standard jigs.
• Pocket hole joinery is the go-to Machine can really increase your price of Kreg'e other pocket hole
method of joining wood for productivity: over other jigs cur- machines (refer to sources on
many woodworkers. If you use rently on the market. page 51). The Foreman is light-
this method on a regular basis, With a standard jig, you have weight and compact, so it can
the new Kreg Foreman Pocket Hole to position and clamp the part, be stowed under a bench or on a
then drill the pocket hole with a shelf to save space.
power hand drill. The Kreg Fore- Assembly. The machine is
man is a self-contained unit that nearly ready to go out of the
clamps the positioned workpiece box. Assembly was simple and
and drills the pocket hole all in straightforward. A dust collection
one smooth motion. port connects to a shop vacuum
Features. The Foreman fea- for which you will likely need
tures a built-in drill motor that an adapter (photo left). Hooking
drives a stepped drill bit. When up the dust collection is recom-
the machine is turned on, and the mended, but if you don't attach
handle is pulled down, the drill a vacuum, Kreg advises leaving
extends from below the table to the hose disconnected from the
drill the pocket hole. The Foreman shroud so it doesn't clog.
has a large, cast alUIJ:linumtable The access panel in the table-
to support wide panels and long top can be leveled if necessary,
• Access Panel. Simply lift the access panel and pieces, and an adjustable fence but mine was already flush. I
lock it in place to change the drill bit and guide, or with stops to position the work- also adjusted the pressure of the
reach the built-in accessory storage tray piece. And, at $399, it's half the quick-release fence locks.

10 ShopNotes No. 138

 Setup. To set up the machine,
Large handle-lever
with power trigger
FOREMAN MACHINE
start by positioning the fence Orill depth
using the registration marks cast adjustment
knob Hinged panel allows access
into the tabletop as shown in the Hold-down adjusts to motor, quick-change chuck,
upper left photo below. These are to thickness and accessories storage tray
provided for %", %", and 1 w- of workpiece
thick stock. I would like to have
had marks at 1" and 1 ~", as well.
The maker recommends adjust-
ing the fence and drilling test
holes for other stock thicknesses. %" stepped
drill bit
So you'll have to mark these
yourself for future reference.
Next, you set the drill depth.
To do this, pull the handle all the
way down. Retract, or extend,
the drill bit as necessary with the
drill depth adjustment knob until
the tip just touches the fence.
A setup block is provided
to make the final drill depth
adjustment. The block is posi-
tioned as shown in the upper adjustment as necessary and The final setup step is to adjust
right photo below. Then the drill tighten the jam nut. The manual the hold-down clamp shown
bit is extended into the proper provides a screw length selection in the lower left photo below.
hole until it contacts the drill bit guide, but it would be helpful to First, you fully raise the control
shoulder. Fine-tune the depth have one right on the machine. arm and place your workpiece
against the fence. Then turn the
setting up the clamp adjustment knob until it
just contacts the workpiece. The
Micro bit and
drill guide

Foreman Machine manual says to back it off a half

turn, but I found I needed a little /'
,," )
~ ~ <,

more pressure than that when .II / ."

drilling harder woods. Another;!
jam nut locks the hold-down
clamp securely in place. J ~ !I/!
,~'¥J
/ J

The two adjustable stops ;

provide precise positioning. ,.
They are locked in place ,." HO bit and
and have spring-loaded drill guide

! Fence. Registration marks ! Drill Depth. A block is

fingers that retract when they're
not needed. In addition, there are
markings on the fence to indicate
lH <,

are provided to set the fence provided for setting drill depth the minimum recommended dis-
for the wood thickness. based on the screw length. tance to drill a hole from the edge
of the piece (lower right photo).
Operation. To use the
machine, you simply set the
work in place, pull the trig- ~ ! Optional
ger, and pull down on the Accessories.
handle. Not having to fiddle The bit supplied
with clamps or a hand drill really will handle most
speeds up the process. The Fore- situations, but
man has plenty of power and other sizes are
dust removal is efficient. available.
.• Hold-down. After the initial ! Stops. Retractable stops If you use pocket screw joinery
adjustment, the hold-down can be set to position holes a lot, this machine is definitely
engages as the hole is drilled. anywhere on a workpiece. worth a closer look. (1

ShopN otes.com 11
 Humble foam has a lot
of valuable uses in the shop.
Here are a few favorites .
• Woodworkers by and large are a
creative bunch. We're constantly
Open-cell foam is the soft foam
typically used. for things like
finding new and unique ways mattress toppers and padding in Extruded Polystyrene. One of
to use different materials in the upholstered furniture. the most popular types of foam
shop. And one of those materi- Closed-cell foam is the more is extruded polystyrene. It's the
als is foam. Over the years, we've dense or rigid foam. The white type used in the rigid. sheets of
seen some pretty handy tips for 5 tyrofoam material often used pink or blue insulation you find
using foam in the shop. But as as packing material and in dis- at home centers. For cutting
you'll soon discover, there are posable cups is considered a sheet goods down to rough size
different types, each with its own closed-cell foam. The problem is, for project parts, it makes a great
strengths and weaknesses. for shop use, it's messy to work backer board, as shown in the
Closed-Cell Foam. In simple with. Instead, I use other variet- main photo above.
terms, foam falls into two catego- ies of closed-cell foam as shown It's easy to form shapes in this
ries: open-cell and closed-cell. in the photos on these two pages. foam with typical woodwork-
ing tools. With a band saw, you
can cut curved shapes to make
a sanding block, for example
(lower left photo). Other options
for cutting foam are shown in the
box on the opposite page.
EVA Foam. Another useful
foam in the shop is ethylene-
vinyl acetate (EVA). You might
know it better as craft foam. You
can find it at hobby suppliers.
EVA foam is available in a
range of thicknesses and sizes.
Some sheets come with an adhe-
i Custom Blocks. Sanding curved i Seal Off Openings. Craft foam is useful sive backing. I use that to seal
profiles is hassle-free with a matching for sealing off openings, as on this table gaps in my table saw for better
extruded polystyrene sanding block. saw, for more efficient dust collection. dust collection (near left photo).

12 ShopNotes No. 138

.A Plugs. Prefinishing parts makes the .A Custom Drawer Liners. The density of polyethylene helps it to retain
finishing process easier. Plug openings its shape, but it's also easy to cut. Here, I used a knife to cut out custom
with backer rod to keep out finish. recesses for my tools to keep them organized and in place.

Polyethylene. One common Balsa-Foam. A unique foam

type of closed-cell foam you may I recently came across is called
already be familiar with is poly- Balsa-Foam. It's used a lot in
ethylene. Some computer and model making and for building
electronics manufacturers use it sets for model railroading You
to protect their products during can find it at major art suppliers.
shipping. It's a spoDgy type of Balsa-Foam is a lightweight but
foam that bounces back to shape rigid, phenolic-based foam avail-
when compressed. able in different densities. It's
I use backer rod (a type of poly- great for prototyping a design for
ethylene) to plug mortises when parts such as drawer pulls or the
prefinishing project parts before saw handle shown in the photo
assembly. You can see what I at right. It shapes easily with
mean in the left photo above. rasps and sandpaper.
Polyethylene is easy to cut Using foams in your shop can
with a hobby knife. This makes it solve some unique problems. It .A Ba/sa-Foam. This lightweight foam cuts and
great for custom drawer liners, as pays to understand and put these shapes easily Use a band saw or coping saw to
in the upper right photo. versatile materials to use. ~ cut it to rough shape, then smooth it with rasps.
I

tools for f"0~'

Working \ ~i~:;;;
Y!~!~fu~:>~~ i
making straight cuts, use a utility 1 ~shapes I
knife with snap-off blades (left). I~
Extend the blade to cut through i
the material in one pass.
A hot wire knife (right) is used to
create custom shapes. Most hobby
stores carry them. (The one shown
here requires a separate trans- .A Easy Shaping. A hot-
former.) You can bend the wire into wire knife melts away the
almost any shape to melt through foam for clean cuts.
Trigger
the foam. To avoid harmful fumes, heats up
use it in a well-ventilated area. wire

ShopN otes.com
 • A set of good sawhorses is an
essential part of any workshop.
see here is tough to beat. The idea
came from a space-saving fold-
You can use them to create a tem- ing chair design.
porary surface for assembly and Each one is cut from a single
finishing, break down sheet stock piece of %" plywood and folds
and long boards, or even serve as out into a solid A-frame shape.
a short-term lumber rack. To set them up, swing out the
Many sawhorse designs take short leg and flip up a shelf that
up a lot of space. So I'm always locks onto horns in the long leg.
A. Low Profile. The sawhorse folds flat on the lookout for one that's Careful Layout. The most chal-
into an easy-to-carry panel size. It also compact but still rugged enough lenging part of these sawhorses
doesn't take up much space in your shop. for heavy use. The version you is the layout. Before you pick up

14 ShopNotes No. 138

 LAYOUT PATTERNS
a saw, you need to transfer all the Another pair of holes is drilled LONG LEG
layout lines from the drawings at in the shelf. These slip over the
right to your plywood blank. horns to set up the sawhorse. ~
Simple Hinges. The three parts Speaking of the blade, I chose
of each sawhorse are linked by one designed to leave a smooth
steel pins in shallow recesses. It cut edge. It's also a good idea to
pays to cut the recesses for these turn off the orbital action on the 15
now in order to guarantee dead- saw and work as close to the lay- INNER PIECE
FORMS SHORT
on alignment down the road. out lines as possible. Take a little LEG AND WASTE
SHELF
Figure 1 shows how to cut time sanding and straightening
the recesses with a hand-held the cut edges. Then ease the edges
router and a straight bit. The with a slight roundover. NOTE:
PARTS ARE
router is guided by a hardwood After cutting the pieces apart, NOTE: CUT ONLY
BLANK IS 34" AFTER ALL
straightedge. For the strongest it's time to bring them together. PLYWOOD LAYOUT
(2~,,"x32") LINES ARE
joint, I located the recesses on the This involves cutting steel rod to 10'5;\6
DRAWN

back face of the blank. With this fit the recesses you routed earlier
arrangement, the stress on the
pins bears against the plywood
(Figure 2). The pins are covered
with hardwood plugs. Find out l/--=+:====:Jj~~
-J3~
5ACK SIDE
legs and not the plugs when the how to make them on page 33. OF 5LANK
sawhorses are loaded up. There's one final detail to men-
While you have the router out, tion. The horns in the long leg SHORT LEG
you can also hollow out a tray in may not fit into the holes in the
the front face of the shelf. This is shelf. So you'll need to do some
shown in the lower drawing at fine-tuning with a file. For the
right. The tray keeps small items sawhorse to be sturdy, you want
from rolling onto the floor. a snug fit. Go easy removing
Jig Saw Work. Cutting out the material and test the fit often.
three parts from a single blank is a These sawhorses take up very
perfect job for a jig saw. I did drill little space when stored. But
a few holes, though. Some line up they're just so handy that they'll
with inside radii and provide a spend more time set up and in WASTE
starting point for the saw blade. use in your shop. ~

ATTACH STRAIGHTEDGE
WITH DOUBLE-SIDED
TAPE TO GUIDE ROUTER a. 5ACK SIDE OF 8'

NOTE: ROUTER L-~======5=L=A=N=K==~~ __ ~~4

NOT SHOWN TO
HIGHLIGHT BIT
k-7%~
SHELF

FRONT SIDE OF 5LANK

.r - -~- - - - - - - - - - __ ~__ ....• /

c =t--") C" ~:) ~

NOTE: ,
ROUT RECESSES IN WORKPIECE
SEVERAL PASSES I
I
I
I

NOTE:
SOFTEN ALL
EDGES PRIOR
ShopNotes.
TO ASSEMBLY /
WITHW' ~ ONLINE
ROUNDOVER
~EXTRAS
To download a free
'14" DIA. cutting diagram
X2V211
STEEL for the sawhorses,
PIN go to:
GLUE PLUGS THEN ShopNotes.com
SAND TO MATCH
ROUNDOVER :,,_
'''''"",,'~
"'" NOTE: TRAY IS W' DEEP

ShopN otes.com 15
 Take the guesswork out of making square cuts on
large panels with this must-have table saw add-on .
• Sliding tables are usually found on large, indus-
trial table saws used for panel-cutting. And there's
The sliding table has the capacity to crosscut a
30"-wide panel with ease. The fence automatically
a good reason for that. A sliding table guarantees registers square to the blade when installed and can
precision cuts, particularly on wide panels. be easily removed. This fence also features a side
With the sliding table shown here, you can support to help when crosscutting long stock. (For
upgrade your ordinary table saw to make square a dedicated outrigger support, turn to page 22.)
crosscuts every time. The table replaces a wing on If you've been looking to improve the accuracy
your saw's table. You may have to shorten or move and capacity of your table saw, this sliding table is
the fence rails, but this modification is worth it. the perfect reason to get out in the shop and do so.

~ Locked. To use
the sliding table
as a stationary
wing for basic
cuts, lock it in
place with a
knob located
underneath.

16 ShopNotes No. 138

Exploded View Details ALUMINUM BAR INDEXES TO
TABLE TO KEEP FENCE
INGLEKNOB
SECURES FENCE
TO TABLE
OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 39V4"W x 15W'H x 3S"D SQUARE TO BLADE WHEN
INSTALLED
~ .. T

ALUMINUM ANGLE LOCKS

INTO SLOTS IN PLATFORM TO
PREVENT TABLE FROM
TIPPING DURING OPERATION

e ll
FENCE SUPPORT MAKES
CROSSCUTTING LONG
STOCK AN EASY TASK

SETSCREWS
ALLOW PLATFORM
TO BE LEVELED

KNOB SECURELY
LOCKS TABLE IN
STATIONARY POSITION

CLEATS FEATURE
OVERSIZED HOLES TO
ALLOW FOR
ADJUSTMENT

HEAVY-DUTY
BRACKETS SUPPORT
WEIGHT OF TABLE
MOUNTING PLATE
ATTACHES TO SAW
CABINET TO SECURE
NOTE: SLIDING
TABLE PROVIDES A
SLIDING TABLE CROSSCUT CAPACITY
ASSEMBLY
UP TO 30" WIDE

Materials & Hardware

SLIDING TABLE • (22) #8 x 2 '12" Fh Woodscrews • (10) #8 x %" Ph Sheet Metal Screws
A Mounting Plate (I) I I !4 X 19Y'2- Y4 Ply. • (10) '14"-20 x I !4" Hex Bolts • (15) #6 x %" Fh Woodscrews
B Brackets (2) 9Y4x 12Y4-llhPly. • (20) '14"Washers • (2) 48" Miter Tracks
C Cleats (2) Y4x21/2-11Y4 • (10) !4"-20 Lock Nuts • (I) 48" MiniT-Track
D Platform (I) 12 x 36 - Ilh Ply. • (4) %"-16 x 3" Carriage Bolts • (2) %" x %" x 36" UHMW Miter Bars
E Table (I) 12 x 3oY2 - 1'12 Ply. • (4) %" FenderWashers • (2) 0/16"-18 x 3" Star Knobs
FENCE ASSEMBLY • (4) %"-16 Lock Nuts • (I) '14"-20 Insert Knob
F Fence Base (I) Y4x2-12 • (4) 5/16"-18 x 1'12"Nylon Set Screws • (2) Va" x I '12" - 36" Aluminum Angles
G Mounting Block (I) Y4x2-12 • (2) 51i 6"-18 Threaded Inserts • (I) Va" x '12" - 12" Aluminum Bar
H Fence (I) I Y4X 2 - 39'1a • (7) #8 x I '12 Fh Woodscrews • (I) 14" x 36" Plastic Laminate
I Stop Block (I) Y4xl%-2 • (4) #7 x I '14Washerhead Woodscrews
J Fence Support (I) Y4 x 6 - 14 • (I) '14"-20 x 1'12"Flange Bolt

ShopN otes.com 17
 NOTE: USE NOTE: FENCE RAILS MAY NEED TO
MOUNTING PLATE ;
TO LOCATE AND BE SHORTENED OR MOVED TO AVOID
DRILL HOLES IN INTERFERENCE WITH SLIDING TABLE
SAW,CABINET

NOTE:
LOOSELY
ATTACH CLEATS
B TO BRACKETS
BRACKET
(9'%" x 12%" - 1¥." Ply.)

c. NOTE: DRILL MIRROR IMAGE

HOLES AT OTHER END OF PLATE

Lr- 3

MOUNTING
PLATE
° '9' '9'
DRILL~
COUNTERSINK (9'-..1' (6'
FOR #8 Fh
BRACKET WOODSCREWS ON 1%
BACK SIDE

Y,,"-20 x lY4"
HEX BOLT
o
#8 X 2Y2" Fh SIDE MOUNTING
WIWASHERS WOODSC? VIEW PLATE
& LOCK NUT
MOUNTING
PLATE

.o+-)
I Y4"-DIA.
build a sturdy mechanism is located on
the right side of the saw.
2Y4 @ (9'-0

Platform You'll also need to

determine if the rails for
the rip fence need to be
\

Before building the sliding table moved or modified. On my saw, on the saw cabinet, as shown in
for your table saw, there are a I cut the rail flush with the edge the photo at left.
few things to consider. The slid- of the main table. This provides Before mounting the plate,
ing table was designed to replace clearance for the table to slide. build a couple of brackets to
the left wing of the table saw. You may be able to drill new support the sliding table. For
This assumes that the blade tilt mounting holes in the rail and strength, they're made from two
reposition it so it's not in the way layers of %" plywood and then
of the sliding table. cut to shape (Figure 1). Two holes
Notched Mounting Plate. With those preliminary tasks at the top are used to attach the
Avoid obstructions by done, it's time to start building cleats that support the platform.
cutting relief notches in the supporting structure. It starts To locate the brackets on the
the mounting plate. with the mounting plate. mounting plate, I temporar-
Plate & Brackets. There are ily attached the plate to the saw
a couple of things to note when with double-sided tape. After
making the mounting plate. measuring down from the top of
First, ensure the mounting holes the saw table to locate the brack-
don't interfere with any wiring or ets (Figure 1a), remove the plate
mechanisms inside the saw cabi- and attach the brackets with
net. I had to form a notch in the screws from the back side. It's
plate to get around some wiring important that the brackets are

18 ShopNotes No. 138

 ----·~~---~~~~--tl

NOTE: DO
NOT ATTACH
PLATFORM TO
5/'6"-18 CLEATS UNTIL
THREADED SLIDING
INSERT I~A:JI~T
.-- 5 ~ (REFER TO
.--'
t ...J PAGE 20)

DRILL AND
COUNTERSINK
FOR #8 Fh
WOODSCREW

5;'6"-18 x 3"
STAR KNOB

!:J"'O"'' '
c.
b. SIDE VIEW

square to the plate and parallel to

one another before installing the
,-, plate assembly.
At this stage, you're ready to
permanently attach the mount-
ing plate to your saw. Use the
holes in the plate to mark and
drill the holes in the saw cabinet
for the bolts that hold it in place.
Adjustable Cleats. The plat-
form on which the sliding table
rides rests on a pair of cleats.
Figure 1 shows that the cleats are Start by gluing up two layers aluminum angle. This allows the
pretty simple to make. Cut them of plywood. After you cut the table to slide smoothly.
to size and drill a pair of over- platform to size; it requires a little Drilling Holes. There are a
sized holes. These holes allow work at the table saw. The first few holes to drill in the platform.
for some adjustment to make task is to cut a pair of grooves for Six countersunk holes are used
the sliding table level and paral- the miter tracks, as in Figure 2c. to attach the cleats later. To mark
lel when you attach the platform Note that the grooves aren't as their location, I placed the plat-
and sliding table later on. deep as the thickness of the miter form on the cleats, flush with the
Loosely attach the cleat to the tracks. The miter tracks sit proud front edge of the saw.
brackets with carriage bolts, to provide clearance so that the There are four holes that are
washers, and lock nuts. Snug sliding table can glide easily. drilled and tapped for long set
them up by hand but don't fully A pair of glides made from screws (Figures 2 and 2b). These
tighten them just yet. aluminum angle keeps the slid- are centered on the brackets and
Platform Construction. Now ing table from tipping during used to level the platform after the
that the mounting plate and use. These guides run in grooves table is installed. Finally, install a
brackets are solidly mounted on cut into the sides of the plat- threaded insert for the knob that
the saw, it's time to concentrate form (Figure 2c). After cutting locks the table in position.
on the platform that sits on top. It the grooves, you'll need to trim With this done, install the two
serves as the base for the sliding the top long edge of the plat- miter tracks with screws through
table (Figure 2). form to provide clearance for the countersunk holes.

ShopN otes.com 19
 BACK NOTE: USE 5"'6" DRILL
BIT TO MARK LOCATION
b.
VIEW OF BLIND HOLE

'~TA6LE-L
-' ~<:::: ~.

adding the
Table & Fence
The platform is complete except there are shallow rabbets cut holes for the screws. Place the
for fastening it to the cleats. You'll along the long edges of the slid- bars in the miter tracks and then
wait to do this after the sliding ing table, as shown in Figure 3b. slide the table into position over
table is ready to install. This provides a recessed surface the platform. The aluminum run-
Sliding Table. Like the plat- to mount the aluminum' angle ners should slide into the slots in
form, the sliding table is made runners flush with the edges of the platform. After making sure
from two layers of plywood cut the sliding table. the outside edges of the platform
to final size (Figure 3). Plastic The next thing to do on the and table are flush,. mark the
laminate on the top adds dura- table is install a threaded insert. location of the miter bars at each
bility and allows the workpiece It's used to attach the fence with end of the sliding table. The illus-
to slide smoothly over it when a studded knob (Figure 3a). tration on the lower left shows
it's locked in place. I used spray Angle Runners. Making the how I did this.
adhesive to attach the laminate aluminum runners requires just a The plastic miter bars are pretty
, Miter Bars. Mark and then trimmed it with a router couple of steps. One of the legs of flexible. To keep them straight
the location of the and flush-trim bit. each angle needs to be cut shorter while fastening them to the slid-
miter bars at each There are a couple of tasks to to fit into the grooves in the sides ing table, the detail drawing at
end. Connect do at the table saw. You can see in of the platform. After cutting the left shows the process I used.
the marks with a Figure 3a a narrow kerf cut in the angle to length, use a carbide Final Adjustments. The box
straightedge while top of the table at one end. This is blade in your table saw for the on the opposite page steps you
installing the bars used to index the fence square to ripping operation. Just make sure through the process of position-
with screws. the blade when it's installed. And to wear safety goggles and take it ing the table and platform, lev-
slow and steady through the cut. eling them, and installing the
File all of the cut edges smooth cleats. In the end, the sliding table
before installing the runners on should be flush with the top of
the sliding table with screws, as the saw table and slide smoothly
shown in Figure 3b. parallel to the saw blade.
Miter Bars. A pair of UHMW
miter bars allow the table to slide FENCE
smoothly in the miter tracks. The last piece to add is the fence.
There are a couple of tricks I Figure 4 shows how it's put
learned when installing them. together. The fence is attached to
After cutting the bars to length, a mounting block, which in turn
drill oversized, counterbored is fastened to the fence base.

20 ShopNotes No. 138

 b. SIDE
VIEW
h-'--7---="1

Simple Construction. The

mounting block and fence base
SIDE
VIEW
are identical in size. I cut a kerf
on the bottom of the base for the
aluminum index key (Figure 4a).
It's secured with epoxy. I posi-
tioned the base on the table to NOTE: SQUARE FENCE WITH
\ BLADE BEFORE TIGHTENING
mark the location for the lock- SCREWS THROUGH MOUNTING BLOCK
............. -

ing knob using a drill bit from

the underside of the table. I also
drilled oversized holes in the Assembly. Now set the mount- All that's left is to add a simple
mounting block that are used to ing block on the base and butt stop block and fence support.
attach it to the base later. the fence against it. Locate and The stop block is sized to provide
T-Track Fence. Figures 4 and drill holes in the T-track groove dust relief under it. The fence
5 show the specifics on building and then fasten the fence to the support is simply fastened with
the fence. It's a single piece with mounting block. Finally, use a screws to the bottom of the fence.
a groove for a T-track. For dust framing square to set the fence After making some test cuts,
relief, I cut a shallow notch on the square to the blade before fas- you'll soon appreciate how a
bottom edge in the area that rides tening the mounting block to the sliding table can improve your
over the table saw (Figure 4). base with washerhead screws. woodworking joinery. ~

Ali the Slidin

! Fasten Cleats. Loosely attach ! Leveling. Use a straightedge to make ! Parallel. Before fastening the cleats to
the cleats until after the table is the sliding table flush with the saw table the platform, use a framing square to create
level and parallel. by adjusting the set screws. space between the sliding table and saw.

ShopN otes.com 21
 tPPin9 or crosscutting' a,
long boaro i~ an'easy task
,'' with this table saw sidekick -

• Supporting the end of a long

board when crosscutting or rip-
ping makes for a safer, more
the inside of the
legs, This allows you
to adjust the height of the rail
as you can see in the
drawings below. I used
a waxed spacer during glueup to
accurate cut The outrigger you to match your table saw A pin form the mortise. Then once the
see above can be placed to the at each end of the rail allows it glue dries, cut the shape at the
side of your saw to lend a hand to pivot slightly to account for band saw and sand it smooth.
when crosscutting, Or place it at uneven floors, Slotted Legs. The legs are
the back of your saw to support a Built-Up Feet. You'll start by made from "two-by" material.
long board when ripping it building the feet They're glued A tenon on one end fits into
Adustable Height. The out- up from three layers of %" stock. the foot, as shown in Figure la.
rigger features a pair of posts that The middle layer is in two seg- While the dado blade is installed
ride in wide, shallow grooves on ments to form an open mortise, on the saw, cut a notch on each

1:- --- ----..1

c-----7--~·1
18

INNERfA'
FOOT \Q/

22 ShopNotes No. 138

 D
X 2"
V2"-DIA.
E
ROLL PIN RAIL
(lv." x 5" - 60")

b. r- 3
/ e

,
3/e"-DIA.
3/811.16
x 3%11 %"-16 STAR
HOLE FOR
CARRIAGE CARRIA~ KNOB WITH
BOLT BOLT ~ WASHER STRETCHER
~
, "-, END
/

-
,
'\ VIEW .'
'-

FOOT
~ -J 3/e

OUTER A
FOOT FOOT
(2'4" x 4" - 18")
,-,

drilled the hole for the carriage be ¥goo of clearance between the
bolt and the hole through the end bottom edge of the rail and the
for the roll pin. Step over to the bottom of the notch in the posts
END band saw to cut the notch in the when the roll pins are in place.
VIEW end of the post that houses the Using the Outrigger. Now
horizontal rail. you can put the outrigger to use.
Assemble the posts to the legs For crosscutting, place it to the
edge to hold the pair of stretch- with the simple hardware shown side of the saw so that the end of
ers, as you can see in Figure lb. in Figure 1. Now it's time to turn the board is supported through-
As I mentioned, the height of your attention to making the out the cut. When ripping, the
the outrigger is adjustable. The final piece - the rail. top of the rail should sit slightly
legs playa key role in this adjust- Rail. The only thing to do to below the saw's table at the out-
ability. It starts with cutting the make the rail besides cut it to feed end. This ensures the board
wide groove on the inside face size is drill a hole at each end for won't catch on the outrigger. For
for the sliding post. I also routed the roll pins. (These pins can be cutting sheet goods, you may
a slot to accommodate the hard- found at the hardware store.) I want to build a second one to
ware that is used for adjustment, located the holes so there would provide maximum support. ~
as illustrated in Figure Ic,
Once all that's done, glue the
legs into the feet and add the Materials & Hardware
stretchers. They're simply cut to
A Feet (2) 2Y4x4-18 • (8) #8 x I ~" FhWoodscrews
size and fastened with screws.
B Legs (2) I V2 x 3V2 - 24 • (2) %"-16 x 3 V2" Carriage Bolts
Posts. The posts are also made
C Stretchers (2) % x 3Y2 - 46 • (2) %" Washers
from "two-by" stock ripped to D Posts (2) I Y2x 2V2 - 24 • (2) %"-16 Star Knobs
width to fit the groove in each E Rail (I) I Y2 x 5 - 60 • (2) 1i2"-dia.x 2" Roll Pins
of the legs. At the drill press, I

ShopN otes.com 23
 storage solutions
multipurpose

Lumber
enter
This lumber rack
has room for much
more than boards.

• As I searched for a board in my lum-

ber rack a while ago, I happened to
notice how much empty space there
was between the stacks. I decided
that space could be put to much bet-
ter use, so I came up with this multi-
functional lumber storage center.
As you can see from the photo,
this lumber center not only pro-
vides plenty of storage for boards
of various lengths and widths, but
it also keeps cutoffs and shorter
stock well organized. There are
deep, removable drawers for tools
and supplies, as well.
Another nice feature is the addi-
tion of a worksurface with a built-
in miter saw. I used to have to tote
unwieldy boards across the shop to
rough cut them but now I can make
those cuts on the spot.
The rack is made of dimensional
lumber and plywood available at
any home center. The supports will
safely hold a good-sized supply of
lumber. Most of the weight rests on
the floor, and it's kept upright by
screwing it to the wall studs.

24
 FIGURE
cutting all the me to draw an "X" where I
wanted them positioned (Figure

a. iOPVlEW
Parts Ib), Now attach the arms with
screws through the plates (Figure
la). Check each one to make sure
STANCHION
The design of the lumber center it's square with the stanchion, as
is simple. It's essentially made up shown in Figure 1.
of a series of posts or stanchions.
Attached to these are several BUILD THE SHELVES
horizontal arms that support the In addition to minimizing the
lumber and provide a place for weight, partially assembling the
mounting some storage drawers. unit on the floor makes it easier
ARM
CORE Stanchions & Arms. Each to attach the skins to the shelves.
upright is made up of a solid You'll be able to get your driver
wood stanchion and arms. The into tight spots and not have to
UPPER ARM PLATE
(3W' x 16" - W' Ply.)
V
/

arms consist of a lumber core fight gravity so much. You may

C sandwiched and glued between also want to consider how you'll
two plywood arm plates. lift the unit into place against
I started by planing all the the wall. I built mine so the top
20V2 stanchion and arm cores to uni- shelf was closest to the wall to
form thickness, and cutting them minimize maneuvering a heavy
to length and width. Then I cut assembly into place.
B the arm plates to size and glued I began by cutting the skins to
UPPER ARM
CORE them to the cores. size as shown in Figure 2, utiliz-
(lW' x 3W' - 12W') Next, I laid all the stanchions ing a similar technique for cut-
on the floor so the ends were ting the notches that fit around
flush and clamped them together. the stanchions, that I used for
Measure for the locations of all laying out the arms. After clamp-
17V2
the arms and mark across the ing them together, you can cut
NOTE: edges using a square. It helped all the notches at the same time
MAKE FIVE
ASSEMBLIES

Materials & Hardware

A Stanchions (5) 11/2 X 3 112- 80
B Upper Arm Cores (15) 11/2X3112-12112
/
17 C Upper Arm Plates (30) 3 112x 16 - 114 Ply.

)
D Lower Arm Cores (10) 11/2 x 5112- 14112
E Lower Arm Plates (20) 51/2 x 18.114 Ply.
F Top Shelf Skin (I) 16 x 96 - 1/2_Ply.
G Upper Shelf Skins (5) 16 x 96 - 1/2 Ply.
H Lower Shelf Skins (4) 18 x 96 - '12 Ply.
I Upper Shelf Short Cleats (3) %x 3112 - 20
E J Upper Shelf Long Cleat (I) %x 31/2 - 26·
LOWER ARM PLATE K Lower Shelf Short Cleats (6) %x 51/2 X 20
(5W' x 18" - W' Ply.) L Lower Shelf Long Cleats (2) %x 51/2 x 26
M Narrow Drawer Fronts/Backs (12) %x57/16-19%
N Wide Drawer Front/Back (2) % x 57/16 - 25%
o Drawer Sides (14) %x57/16-16%
b. P
Q
R
Narrow Drawer Bottoms (6)
Wide Drawer Bottom (I)
Saw Platform Front/Back (4)
16 x 187/8 - 1/4 Ply.
16 x 24% - 1/4 Ply.
I 112x 3112 - 26
j
S Saw Platform Sides I 112 X 31/2- 16'12
T Saw Platform Top (I) 191/2 x 26 - '12Ply.
• (12) 3" Power Pro Lag Screws
• (200) #8 x I" Fh Woodscrews
• (256) #8 x 1112"Fh Woodscrews
CLAMP STANCHIONS • (84) #8 x I '14" Fh Woodscrews
TOGETHER BEFORE
MARKING LAYOUT LINES • (8) # lOx 2 '12" Fh Woodscrews

26 ShopNotes No. 138

 with a circular saw (Figure 2a). In TOP
SHELF SKIN
addition to saving a lot of time, (16" x 96"- Yz" Ply.)
it results in notches that are more F
consistent. (Note that the top
.shelf skin doesn't have notches.) NOTE: PRE-DRILL
SCREW HOLES IN
Next, I pre-drilled the holes in SHELF SKINS

the skins and partially threaded

in the screws to fasten them to
the arms. This helps to locate the
screws and hold them in place to
get them started.
Fasten the lower shelf skins
to the arms first, taking care to
square each arm to the skins'
front edge before driving the
screws (Figure 3). Now you can
cut the cleats to size and attach
them through the bottom shelf
skins. (Note that there are no
cleats in the second and third
highest shelves). The assembly is
now rigid enough to lift in place.
Clearance, Level & Plumb.
But before you do, you'll want
to locate ·the studs in the wall.
(Note: If you're installing the rack
against masonry, you will have
H
"1NOTE: ALL
to install cleats on the wall first, OUTSIDE NOTCHES
LOWER SHELF SKIN ARE 1:%" x 3%"
using special masonry anchors). (18" x 96" - Yz" Ply.)

Next, you'll want to locate the

high and low spots on the floor floor along the wall and placed Finally, check the wall for
and wall. Locating these now a carpenter's level on its edge. plumb by holding a level verti-
will help you level the entire unit Raise one end of the board until cally at the stud locations and
once it's upright. it's level, then mark the highest mark any dips or high spots. As
I started at the floor by laying part of the floor, as well as any I'll explain later, you may need to
a straight, 8'-long board on the dips or high spots. use shims once the rack is up.

26" SECTION OF UPPER SHELF SKIN

CUT OUT FOR MITER SAW STATION NOTE: LUMBER CENTER IS
ASSEMBLED ON FLOOR
#8 X lYz" Fh
WOODSCREW

a. SIDE
VIEW
LOWER
SHELF
SKIN

!
NOTE: SQUARE LOWER
ARMS TO SHELF FRONTS SHELF CLEAT STANCHION
NOTE: NO CLEATS NEEDED FOR
SECOND AND THIRD SHELVES

ShopN otes.com 27
 mount & add J
" . ~ ATTACH TOP SHELF SKINS WITH PLUMB ASSEMBLY

Storage
~ #8 x 1W' Fh WOODSCREWS WITH SHIMS BETWEEN
CLEATS AND WALL
G

Setting the partially completed

unit in place is definitely a two
·~ ONLINE person job. And once in place,
.~·EXTRAS you'll need help to keep it there
To download a free while you level, plumb, and fas-
cutting diagram for ten it to the wall.
the Lumber Center, I found it was easiest to
go to: plumb the rack side-to-side first.
ShopNotes.com Then locate the highest spot on
the floor and drive one screw
through the cleat into the wall
at this point, as shown in Figure
5. (You'll want to have a supply
of shims ready to put in place
as you finish the installation). I
used 3" construction lag
screws because they have
extra large heads and are less
likely to pull through the wood
(refer to Sources on page 51). Pre-
i Lag Screws. drill the holes in the cleats, so the
Heavy-duty screws are sure to hit a stud.
construction lag Next, I leveled the unit with
screws are used shims under the stanchions as
to anchor the required (Figure 4). You may also
lumber center to have to place shims behind the
the wall studs. cleats and drive screws through
them to plumb the rack back-to- LEVEL THE ASSEMBLY WITH SHIMS
BETWEEN STANCHIONS AND FLOOR
front, as shown in Figure 4. You
should use a shim anywhere
there is a gap behind a screw.
Drive screws through all the top across the arms and drive the drive them straight in (Figure 6).
shelf cleats and all the lower shelf screws through the pre-drilled You can learn about some other
cleats into the studs in the wall. holes. I had to drive some of the drill attachment options that will
Fasten the Top Skins. Fin- fasteners at an angle because make it easier to drive fasteners
ish up by installing all the top there was not enough room for in tight places in the Great Gear
shelf skins. You can lay each one my driver, a bit, and a fastener to article found on page 48.

-----""/, /
'/

NOTE: PRE-DRILL
SCREW HOLES AT
STUD LOCATIONS

..
'/
,I
,/

28 ShopNotes No. 138

L
 NARROW DRAWER FRONT/BACK
(%" x 5'l\6" - 19\18")
a.

P
NARROW DRAWER
BOTTOM
(16" x 18\18" - W' Ply.)

• Drawers. Simple to build rabbeted N

construction will give you solid drawers WIDE DRAWER FRONT/BACK o
(%" x 5'l\6" - 25\18") DRAWER SIDE
for storing tools and supplies. (3/4" x 5'l\6" - 16%")

MAKE THE DRAWERS when cutting the drawer bot- surface of the shelf. Once I deter-
Making the drawers is pretty toms to ensure they were square mined this measurement, I con-
b. SIDE
VIEW
straightforward. They're simple and snug in the drawer bottom structed the platform as shown
boxes that· rest on the bottom grooves. This helps to keep the in Figure 8. I ripped down two- t
'4 '/.-:-:
skins of the two lower shelves. drawer boxes square when you by stock for the frame and used Y4 I I
Clearance between the drawers fasten everything together. 1/z" plywood for the top, fasten- f -.JY4~
and the shelves is generous, and Miter Saw Platform. The ing it all together with glue and
there are no runners to fuss with. miter saw platform is the last screws. Once it's complete, you
Start by cutting the fronts, component to put together. Most can set the platform in place and
backs, and sides from solid miter saws will require you to position your saw as shown in
stock. Then cut the rabbets on build a platform to raise it to the the lower right photo. Then drill
the fronts and backs as shown in level of the shelf surface. This the holes for the mounting bolts.
Figure 7a. Next, cut the grooves also provides a place to bolt the Now you can start filling your
for the drawer bottoms. A notch saw down, yet still retain some center with boards, cutoffs, and
is cut in each drawer front for portability when required. woodworking supplies. You're
a hand hold. You can ease the The best way to determine the sure to enjoy the extra stor-
edges of the notches with a l,.4" height of the platform is to mea- age, better organization, and
roundover bit. I took extra care sure from the saw table to the increased convenience. ~

NOTE: SIZE OF
PLATFORM BASE
WILL VARY BASED
ON YOUR SAW

~
s)2::""-$:~---=:::::::
A Install the Miter Saw. A platform for the saw raises it
SAW PLATFORM SIDE
(1%" x 3V2" - 16V2")
so it's level with the shelf but still allows you to pick up the
saw and move it to another location as necessary

ShopN otes.com 29
Low-Cost ardware
Here are three, simple recipes to transform
the look of ordinary, zinc-plated hardware.
• Hardware adds the final touch to other hand, draws your attention me of old, industrial hardware
a project. The proper selection of to the project in a bad way. with its bare, aged steel surfaces.
hardware enhances the look and For furniture projects, I spend a The shape of utility hardware
creates another layer of detail. lot of time finding a good fit. But fits right in. To get to the bare steel,
The wrong hardware, on the for shop and garage projects, it's you just need to remove the zinc
tempting to take the easy route, coating. You have two choices -
, Before & After. Shiny zinc-plated pick up basic utility hardware, elbow grease or chemistry.
hardware can be an eyesore. But and call it good. The photo above shows the first
With a few steps, it can take on This kind of hardware is inex- method. Awire wheel mounted
a whole new appearance in pensive and has a shiny, zinc in a drill press abrades the coat-
just a short time. coating that's designed to resist ing in a short amount of time.
corrosion - all positive qualities. Depending on the makeup of the
My beef is that it's just too shiny wheel, you may have scratches
and stands out like a sore thumb. that can enhance the look. Finer,
The good news is you can softer bristles on the wheel leave
upgrade the look of basic hard- a dull, nearly scratch-free surface.
ware without a lot of time or A little sanding with fine sand-
effort. Here are three looks to paper or steel wool takes care of
consider for your next project. removing unwanted scratches.
Basic Bare Steel. The first look The other option to remove the
is also the easiest to create - zinc coating is to use an acid solu-
plain, unplated steel. It reminds tion to dissolve it, as shown in the

30 ShopNotes No. 138

.•. Remove Zinc Plating. Diluted muriatic acid will remove the zinc
plating from a hinge in just a few minutes. The result is a dull, bare
steel surface with an old-time look.

upper left photo. Muriatic acid is in mind that it's susceptible to

commonly available at hardware rust. To prevent rust and lock in
stores and home centers. Milder the look, I like to spray on a cou-
citric acid is available, as well. It ple coats of satin lacquer.
just works a little more slowly, Gun Metal Finish. You don't
which gives you more control have to stop there. The uncoated
over the final appearance. steel is the starting point for cre-
To mix up the acid, be sure to ating a layered, "gun metal" fin- .•. Enhance It With Oil. After applying a coat of oil-
follow the instructions on the ish on your hardware. And here based finish, use a torch again to burn it. Buff out the
package and wear gloves and you can have a little fun. surface once it cools and dries.
goggles for safety. Keep an eye on The first step is shown in the
the hardware and remove it when upper right photo. Get out a torch "cook" the oil (not ignite it) and
it has the look you want. (Don't and pass a flame back and forth enhance the color even more.
forget to do the screws, too.) across the hardware. Take it easy If either of these two options
In order to remove the acid, I here. Keep in mind that all you're won't work for your project, you
rinse the hardware thoroughly looking to do is just change the have another choice. Take a look
and dry if off. A quick buffing color of the steel. at the box below to learn more.
with steel wool gives it just the For the next step of the process, You don't need to settle for drab
right appearance. I brush on a coat of oil-based fin- hardware. With these techniques,
To Protect or Not. You could ish, as shown in the right photo. you can get a high-end look from
use the hardware as is. Just keep Then it's back to the torch to inexpensive hardware. ~

a custom look with

Spray Paint
I use spray paint on small projects, But what's surprising is the range of
so it's only natural to use it on hard- surface finishes available. You can
ware, too. Of course, you can find find old-school "hammered" fin-
spray paint in a wide range of colors. ishes and even metallic paints that
do a good job of mimicking the look
Start with
primer
of oil-rubbed bronze or nickel.
Getting a good end result involves
a few key steps. I like to degrease and
clean the hardware with lacquer thin-
ner. Then spray on a coat of primer.
To avoid an overdone, dipped
r! appearance, apply thin, even coats.
Two coats At last, you're ready for the color
of color
complete coats. Two coats will give you the
the new look" coverage and protection you need.

ShopN otes.com 31
 ~.• u

Our Shop

Shop <,

Short _ 'PUSH
'. BLOCK
\

Cuts
b.
A Handy Router Bit Rack END
VIEW

• Creating the angled bit racks for

the router cabinet on page 34 only
requires following a few easy
All you need to do is tilt the
blade to 35°. After ripping the
first bevel, rotate the workpiece
steps. And there are a couple of a quarter-turn and adjust the rip
tricks involved with drilling the fence to cut the second bevel. A
router bit and mounting holes. push block keeps your hands
I began by making a few extra- safely away from the blade.
long, 1~"-wide blanks. You'll cut With the bevels cut, you can
the blanks to final length later. cut the racks to length. I used A Drill Press Cradie. To drill
Rip the Bevels. Take a look an auxiliary fence on the miter the series of holes for storing
at details' a' and 'b' on the right. gauge. A stop block clamped to router bits, I made the fixture
You can see how to cut the bev- the fence guarantees the racks are you see in the left drawings. It
els while you're at the table saw. the same length. holds the rack at the proper angle
so that the bit holes are drilled
square to the beveled face.
The fixture starts with a hard-
board base. On top of that, I
NOTE: glued two pieces of plywood to
USE %2" DRILL
BIT FOR W' act as fences. One of the fences
ROUTER BITS FENCE
is wider and beveled along one
edge, as you can see in detail 'a'
at left. With this fence glued to
the hardboard, use one of the
rack blanks to position the sec-
ond, narrow fence.
Adjust the drill press fence
to locate the holes in the blank.
Drill holes slightly larger than
the shanks of l,4" and %" shank
router bits. Finish up by drilling
a pair of countersunk screw holes
/ / for attaching each rack to the cab-
inet door, as shown in detail 'b.'

32 ShopNotes No. 138

 Aligning
Deep Holes
The article on page 42 shows how
to drill an accurate hole through
the center of a long piece of wood. FIRST:
CHUCK
A LENGTH OF
But first, you have to align the METAL ROD IN
FIFTH: CENTER-
PUNCH ONE END OF
THE DRILL PRESS
centers of both ends of the blank THE WORKPIECE
AND PLACE IT ON
with the bit. This is easy to do on THE BRAD

a lathe, but unlike the tailstock on SECOND: MARK

THE END OF THE SIXTH: DRILL
a lathe, the drill press table moves ROD ON A BOARD STARTER HOLE
(SEE PAGE 42)
side-to-side, losing the alignment.
In order to align the centers on ~
a drill press, first adjust the drill
press table to stand the piece on
end. Then chuck the end of a
length of straight metal rod in the
drill press, and mark the location
of the other end of the rod on a
sacrificial board clamped to the
table, as shown in Figure 1.
Since it's difficult to center the
workpiece by eye, I drive a small
brad at the mark and nip off the
head (Figures 1a and 1b). Punch
one end of the workpiece and
place it on the brad. Use a hand-
screw to hold it steady while you
drill (Figure 2).

Making Custom Plugs

r--.----------------------------~~--------------------------~
The sawhorses on page 14 use
steel pins embedded in the legs
to act as the hinges. The pins are
covered by hardwood plugs so
the mechanism is virtually invis-
ible. The challenge is cutting the
small plugs for a snug fit.
You can see the solution in
details 'a' and 'b' - an oversize
blank. Cutting a series of kerfs on ~~,
the edges defines the thickness of THIRD: GLUE IN "
PLUG AND SAND "
the plugs. Then you can turn the , TO MATCH ,
<, ROUNDOVER
blank face down to cut the plugs '~:" (SEE DETAIL
'~ "'-...... BELOW)
to width and free of the blank. ~ <, <,

That still leaves the plugs extra - .,-~"'-.

long. That length comes in handy SANDED
END VIEW ROUNDOVER
while shaping the end to match
the rounded recess left by the PLUG PLUG tY2
.M router bit. At this point, just cut STEEL PIN ,L
the plug to final length. ~--~--~~~----~~
There's jusf one step remain-
ing. You need to file and sand the
plug to match the roundover. ~

ShopN otes.com 33
'.

his compact shop

storage cabinet does
double duty as a
top-notch router table.

ShopNotes No. 138

 DOORS AND ROUTER TABLE SWING

Exploded ON CONTINUOUS HINGES

View
Details ADJUSTABLE
To download a free
cutting diagram for
SHELVES LET YOU
OVERALL DIMENSIONS: CONFIGURE THE the cabinet, go to:
32"W x 72"H X 131f2"D ARRANGEMENT TO
ShopNotes.com
SUIT YOUR NEEDS

DOOR-MOUNTED RACKS
KEEP ROUTER BITS
WITHIN EASY REACH

SIMPLE, ACCURATE
FENCE INCLUDES
A DUST PORT FOR
CLEANER WORK

LARGE FOLDS
TABLE ROUTER
FOR STORAGE
DOWN '~c:~~~~~~~!!~~~~~ ROUTER TABLE
IS SUPPORTED
BY LOWER DOORS
AND SECURED
WITH DOWELS

STORAGE TOWERS
MAKE THE MOST NOTE: FOR HARDWARE
OF THE SPACE BELOW SOURCES, TURN TO PAGE 51
THE ROUTER TABLE

Materials & Hardware

A Sides (2) II\.-4x72-%Ply. 0 Fence Base (I) %x 3Y2 - 30 • (2) 5/16" x I Yi" Dowels
B Top/Bottom (2) II\.-4x31-%Ply. P Fence Face (I) I X 3Y2 - 30 • (12) #8 x I \.-4"Fh Woodscrews
C Divider (I) 9% x 3 I - I Y2 Ply. Q Braces (2) %X2Y2-2Yi • (4) #8 x I Y2" Fh Woodscrews
0 Mounting Cleat (I) %X2Y2-31 R Dust Port Blocks (2) %x 2% - 27/8 • (4) #8 x 2" Fh Woodscrews
E Upper Back (I) 31 X 341/4 - 1/4 Ply. S Upper Doors (2) 1515/16 x 38% - % Ply. • (I) 36"T-Track
F Lower Back ( I) 3 I X 3oY2 - 1/4 Ply. T Lower Doors (2) 1515/16 x 29% - % Ply. • (I) Universal Dust Port
G Toe Kick (I) %x 3Y2 - 32 U Bit Racks (6) 11/4 X J31i6 - 13 • (4) #6 x Y2" Rh Woodscrews
H Shelves (3) 8\.-4x 305/16 - % Ply. • (12) Y4" L-Shaped Shelf Supports • (2) 5/16"-18 x I Yi" Flange Bolts
I Edging (3) % x I - 305/16 • (2) 24" T-Tracks • (2) 5/16"-18 Star Knobs
"1!ri J Tower Sides (4) W2 x 24 - % Ply. • (16) #6 x Y2" Fh Woodscrews • (2) 5/16" Flat Washers
-" K Tower Backs (2) 8 x 24 - % Ply. • (I) I Yi" x 36" Continuous Hinge • (2) I Yi" x 72" Continuous Hinges
L Tower Dividers (8) 8 x 8 - % Ply. • (168) #6 x %" Fh Woodscrews • (4) 4" Door Handles
M Tabletop (I) 20 X 301;4 - I Y2 Ply. • (I) Kreg Router Table Insert Plate • (4) Magnetic Catches w/Screws
N Tabletop Face (I) 20 X 301/4 Laminate • (I set) Insert Plate Levelers • (8) #8 x I" Rh Woodscrews

ShopN otes.com 35
 B
FIGURE TOP
(llW' x 31") a. r/c:

51DEVIEW D
MOUNTING , CLEAT
CLEAT
1 8
(2Yz" x 31")
NOTE: SIDES, TOp, II '\ ).
BOTTOM, AND DIVIDERS \ 1/ I
I ,', ii, •......----..-../
/,/-

ARE MADE FROM %" I \,'

UPPER
PLYWOOD. DIVIDER IS' ; :
TWO LAYERS OF
PLYWOOD
1
'
II BACK

\ II I'
I' 0;
W'-DIA. ; ® '{
HOLES , ; UPPER BACK ,
FOR
SHELF
I (31" x 34W') I i
PINS • I
I ) , \
'
\ • I • , (\\
I;! .. \
5IDE\\ I i:\ I
(11V4"x 72") ,) I'

A: \ I r :

14--t--~
,) "

\ I i\\i: l

\I \ , '\ Ii, ( ,II . BOTTOM

., i l 'i 1\ \ I!' \ \ ';, '
(
,\\', (\\I® I "
\ '\ 'I LOWER BACK
I' (31" x 30Yz") ;

'\ I I
I
I

I
I (t
I
'/

f
!

\ 1"\
.:\
1,1
b. TOP

NOTE: BACK PANELS \ \

33%
I ARE '14" PLYWOOD. CLEAT
i i AND TOE KICK ARE CUT
FROM %"-THICK ! : CLEAT
\
,'
I
Ii' HARDWOOD I',:
'/.
.J '.,. I ,
FRONT
\
I

(
,\
.' 'I

\\ \ I 1
II
,I
I
\
VIEW
% PLY. !\ \ I / \ I
,J ! \ )

\ v •
/i I I
ill \ ! G
TOE KICK
~I \'
. \ \. I (3Yz" x 32")

,
a low-profile c.
Case Solid Joinery. The table saw
works fine for cutting parts to
A project that serves more than size, but for cutting the joinery,
one workshop need is sure to get it isn't always the best option. I
my attention. With plenty of stor- avoided wrestling with the parts
age and a built-in router table, put to use after a long weekend's by cutting the rabbet and dadoes
this cabinet checks two criti- worth of work. for the top, bottom, and divider
cal items off my list. Here's the Big Parts. One of the few chal- with a hand-held router.
kicker: It takes up less than three lenges of building this cabinet is A straightedge guide clamped
square feet of floor space. cutting the large sides to size. A to the parts guides the router
The secret behind the small good approach is to use a circular for accurate cuts. The Side View
footprint is that the router table is saw to cut more manageable (but drawing in the left margin has
like a workshop Murphy bed - still oversize) blanks from a sheet all the details. Take note that
it folds out when you need it and of plywood. Just be sure to leave the wide dado for the divider is
tucks away when you don't. a straight factory edge on each stopped. I used a chisel to square
Still not convinced? Plywood blank. Over at the table saw, you up the end after routing.
construction and straightforward can cut them to their final sizes The other joinery step is cut-
joinery mean this project can be without much trouble. ting a groove along the rear edge

36 ShopNotes No. 138

to accept the back. This works the cabinet won't tip while you're the clamps. As you put on the
well at the table saw. The key is using the router table. squeeze, check that the case is
sizing the groove to match the There's a groove on the lower square. I waited until the case was
thickness of the 1;.,," plywood. edge of the cleat, and a stub tenon dry before adding the toe kick at
Top, Bottom, & Divider. The cut on each end that slips into the the bottom (Figure 1).
sides are joined by the top, bot- grooves in the sides, as illustrated Add Some Storage. Inside
tom, and divider. Figure la shows in Figure lc. The cleat is glued to the cabinet, three adjustable ply-
that the divider is made up of the lower edge of the top. wood shelves fit on supports in
two layers of plywood. This cre- Assembly. You only need to the upper portion. Wide hard-
ates a rigid mounting surface for cut the back panels to size before wood edging provides extra stiff-
the router table. And there are you're ready to assemble the case. ness, as in Figure 2a.
grooves on the upper and lower To do this, lay one of the sides The lower part of the case
faces for the back panels. down on your bench. Add the holds two storage towers: The
The bottom has a groove cut bottom, divider, and top assem- space between them is for the
in it, as well. But the top doesn't. bly. This creates two pockets to router when the table is stored.
The reason is that I added a hard- slip the backs into place. The towers are made from ply-
wood cleat at the top to secure Cap it off with the other wood and joined with dadoes
the cabinet to the wall. This way; side, and you're ready to apply and rabbets (Figures 2c and 2d).

a. Sf DE VIEW

NOTE:
5HELVE5 ARE %" PLYWOOD.
EDGING 15 MADE FROM
%"-THICK HARDWOOD
b. Y4---"
~
Y4" 5HELF
5UPPORT5
....

...
.!C.

'<,
.. _-

.y
DIVIDER
"""",,-~~- •
3V LY.

rop ,~ .
VIEW :( TOWER

I, (
;JE

:' V
NOTE:
TOWER PART5 ARE
ALL MADE FROM
%" PLYWOOD c. FRONrVIEW
DIVIDER TOWER
51DE

NOTE:
TOWER5 ARE
GLUED IN
P051T10N AND
5CREWED INTO
CA5E 51DE5 WITH
#8 x 114"Fh
WOOD5CREW5 :
I
I
d. SIDE VIEW
I
I
I

L
TOWER DIVIDER
(8"x8") DIVIDER - '. % PLY.
-"-,
NOTE: MAKE
TWOTOWER5

ShopN otes.com 37
 a. SIDE VIEW
ROUTER INSERT TABLETOP\.
PLATE FACE ~
#6xW' Fh
fLL==~L-=lE:;:===:1:=~
, rWOODSCREW
DIVIDER
20"
T-TRACK

C:"X30"
CONTINUOUS HINGE
w/#6x%" Fh
WOODS CREWS

a drop-down
Router Table FRONT
VIEW
b•

The work you've done up to now cabinet for storage. The tabletop A pair of T-tracks recessed in the
has dealt with the storage com- is attached to the thick divider top allow you to attach the fence or
ponent of this project. From here with a continuous hinge at the other accessories. What's impor-
on, the bulk of your efforts will back. In front, it's supported by tant here is that the dadoes for the
be directed to the router table the lower cabinet doors. tracks match the thickness of the
function. This involves making The construction of the table- T-track or are slightly deeper (fig-
the table and a fence. Then wrap top is shown in Figure 3. It con- ure 3b). You don't want a work-
it up by adding doors and a few sists of two layers of plywood piece to catch on the track in use.
handy bit racks. All in all, noth- that are glued together. I also Insert Plate. The router is
ing very complicated. applied plastic laminate to the mounted to an phenolic insert
The Tabletop. The router table top face. This gives the top a plate. But I didn't want the plate
is designed to fold down into the smooth, durable worksurface. to tip out of its opening in storage.

NOTE: FENCE PARTS (EXCEPT

FENCE FACE) ARE MADE FROM
3J.,"-THICK HARDWOOD. FENCE FACE
Q
BRACE a. SIDE VIEW
MADE FROM l"-THICK HARDWOOD (2W'x2W')

P
FENCE FACE
(3Ye"x 30")

-~--~-

38 ShopNotes No. 138

So I used an insert plate and lev-
eler system that allows the insert
plate to be screwed in place, as
you can see in.Pigure 3c.
Making the opening isn't dif-
ficult. Start by tracing the insert
plate on the tabletop. Then drill a
starter hole and cut out the waste
with a jig saw. Take your time and
cut as close to the line as you can.
Use the plate as a gauge for sand-
ing and smoothing the edge. Aim
for a nice slip fit without any play.
There's one final detail on the
tabletop that's easy to overlook. A
couple dowels are installed in the
bottom face (Figures 3 and 3b).
These are used to lock the table-
top to the lower doors for use.
( I ~ __ '

No-Nonsense Fence. A good I' SIDE

fence is essential for accurate \ VIEW
cuts. That doesn't mean it needs \
to be complicated, though. The
GJ:
LOWER DOOR
design in Figure 4 gets the job (15'5ite" x 29?,,")

done with a few extras to boot. ~

.\ SIDE
The first is a T-track installed 4"DOOR ,/1
J . VIEW
HANDLE
in the fence face. This is shown in I;'
Figure 4c. It's a versatile anchoring I
point for attaching featherboards, NOTE:
DOORS ARE 3,;,"
PLYWOOD. BITS
stop blocks, or bit covers. RACKS ARE C:UT
FROM lW'-THICK EDGING
The other add-on is a dust HARDWOOD )
port, as in Figures 4b and 4d. This \ i \ \ ;'
keeps dust and chips from blow- -, 'J
ing into the cabinet when you're ! \
J
using the router table. W'ROUNDOVER
The fence is an L-shaped ON OUTSIDE EDGES
OF DOORS
assembly made from hardwood.
A pair of braces near the ends The upper doors can be put to added strength. Magnetic
adds stiffness to the face and use for more storage. And as catches keep them closed.
keep it square, as in Figure 4c. Tri- I mentioned earlier, the lower Bit Racks. You can't do much
angular blocks in the middle do doors support the router table. with a router without bits. To
the same and provide a mount- The doors are about as no-fuss keep your collection close at
ing surface for the dust port. as you can get, as shown in Fig- hand, check out the angled racks
The Doors. The four doors ure 5. They're simple plywood shown in Figures 5 and 5c. Shop
for the cabinet do more than panels with a roundover to soften Short Cuts on page 32 has the
just keep everything looking the outside edges. The doors are details for making them.
tidy when you're not working. hung on continuous hinges for Table Support. The only thing
left to do is to drill a hole in the
top edge of each lower door. It
needs to line up with the dowels
in the underside of the table, as
shown in Figure 6.
Once you set the cabinet in
place, it's important to attach it
securely to the wall. Then you
can load it up. And I'm sure this
workstation will become a focal
point of your shop. ~

ShopN otes.com 39
 When it comes to working with angles, a reliable
bevel gauge is a valuable addition to any shop .
• A bevel gauge, sometimes called
a sliding bevel, is indispensable
did when they were new. There's
not much that can go wrong with
Multiple Options. If you're
shopping for a bevel gauge,
for a number of tasks around the such a basic layout tool. you'll find a range of options.
shop. They're are great for laying How They Work. For all that For just a few dollars, you can
out joinery (main photo). And it can do, a bevel gauge is pretty get an inexpensive model from
they can be used to set up for simple. It has two main parts - the hardware store. Or you could
drilling angled holes and making a body and an adjustable blade. spend upwards of $100 for a
bevel cuts on the table saw. The blade is slotted to allow it high-end model more suited for
Bevel gauges have been to extend on both sides of the a machinist. The gauges shown
around for hundreds of years. I body. When you set the blade at below fit the lower to middle
have a couple of antique gauges an angle, a locking mechanism range of that spectrum.
that work as well now as they holds the blade's position. The What to Look For. My first
blade stores within the body bevel gauge was an inexpensive
when not in use. one I bought at a home center,
similar to the plastic-bodied ver-
Wing nut & bolt BEVEL GAUGES sion shown in the photo at left.
secures blade These gauges are typically made
L--y
with either a wood or plastic
body. The steel blade is locked
into position with a simple bolt,
\ washer, and wing nut.
A gauge like this works okay
as far as setting angles. But there
are a couple of issues. It's difficult
to really cinch the blade tight. A
slight bump can knock it out of
position. And there are times

40 ShopNotes No. 138

 Digital
when the wing nut gets in the readout
way since it sits proud of the face
of the bevel gauge. DIGITAL GAUGES
Improved Designs. I found it
worth the extra dollars to invest
in a bevel gauge that addresses
these two issues. You can see
examples of these improved
designs on the opposite page.
Cam Lock. The Veritas gauges
feature a recessed cam lock to

.:':
'0
secure the blade. Release the
blade by simply lifting up on the the generic hardware store vari-
lever. Press down on the lever to ety. But they all require some
lock the blade in position. method to set the proper angle.
There are a couple of benefits If you're copying an angle from style blade
to this design. First, the entire a project or workpiece, it's pretty
cam assembly is recessed into the intuitive. For setting up tools for The Wixey digital protractor is
body of the bevel gauge. It never angled cuts, you'll want a precise accurate to 0.1°. Instead of a con-
gets in the way. method for fixing the angle of the ventional body and blade, it fea-
Second, you can also adjust the gauge. The box below shows a tures magnets in the edges of the
clamping pressure using the slot- couple of options. arms to make tool setup a breeze.
ted screw. This means the blade Digital Technology. Not sur- One particularly nice feature is
is less likely to lose its position in prisingly, a few companies offer the "Set Miter" button. It divides
spite of the occasional bump. digital solutions to measuring the current angle reading in two.
Blade Clamp. Another type and marking angles. Two exam- This eliminates the math calcula-
of clamping mechanism uses ples from General Tools and Wixey tion required for cutting mating
a threaded rod assembly. The are shown above. joints other than 45° miters.
Shinwa gauge locks from the tail The benefit of a digital gauge is Durability. For such a simple
end of the body. As you tighten that you can set the angle with- tool, you'll want to maintain
the rod, the opposite end engages out using a protractor. The Gen- your bevel gauge's accuracy over
the brass, conical-shaped washer eral bevel gauge is accurate to time. Just make sure to treat it like
you see at the pivot end. Tighten- 0.3° and mimics the look and feel you would any fine tool. I like to
ing the rod causes the washer to of a traditional bevel gauge. Its hang mine near my workbench
squeeze the blade. It only takes plastic body houses the battery to keep it from getting nicked
a slight turn of the rod to really and electronics. The knob does a and banged around.
cinch the blade securely. good job of clamping the blade, To find out where you can buy
These two styles of gauges but unfortunately, it stands a bevel gauge for your shop, turn
are a definite improvement over proud of the body. to Sources on page 51. ~

set up your
Gauge
Setting an accurate angle on
a bevel gauge is best done
with a bevel setter or metal
protractor, as shown at right.
The Veritas Bevel Setter fea-
tures an adjustable fence that
can be aligned with a line
etched on the blade.
The General protractor is
another great option. Its fine
markings and index mark
make it easy to find or set an ! Bevel Setter. Align the blade on the ! Protractor. Setting an accurate angle is
angle accurately. bevel gauge with the fence. easy with this simple protractor.

ShopN otes.com 41
 A long bit with a modified
tip and a V-block will
make this job easier.
• If you've ever tried to drill a deep
hole through the center of a piece
/
,/

Alignm~n(.
/

A ~traight .
of wood, you know how chal-
meta/rod aligns -
lenging it can be. And the deeper
the hole, the more difficult it the lib/ock with /
tnep1/ot hoje:
becomes to drill it straight
The problem often occurs with
a hole drilled into end grain. In
this instance, it's easy for a stan- Because it has no point, it isn't not as well in hardwoods, and
dard twist bit or brad point bit to prone to deflection in the wood it required frequent sharpen-
wander off center. These bits tend like a pointed bit However, ing. I got better results with a
to take the path of least resistance, these bits are only available in ship auger by modifying the
so they follow the softest grain. limited sizes (refer to sources), tip. These bits are available at
To solve this problem, you can and the one I used gave
use a special bit called a shell me mixed results. It cut FIRST: GRIND AND FILE
OFF THREADED POINT
Shell Auger auger shown in the photo below. well in softwoods but

_-r:'_ --=--- ~--..,.-

ShopNotes No. 138

most home centers and come in
various diameters and lengths
up to 18", which allows you to
drill a hole about 16" deep.
Modify the Drill Bit. To
modify a ship auger, you start
by grinding off the screw point.
Then grind the edge as shown
in the drawing on the opposite
page. This modification provides
enough "bite" without being too
aggressive, and helps keep it
drilling straight.
Start With Pilot Hole. The ':'> __ r

other challenge of drilling deep

holes is feeding the bit straight as
it drills. A drill press would seem
to be the logical tool to use, but .~--... -~-"'-~~~"'"'~-"~ •......-
""
..

the depth you can drill is limited.

A drill press is still valuable straight pilot hole to get you it cool. In addition, because the
for this operation, however, as it started, the bit can still wander modified bits are not aggressive
can be used to drill a pilot hole to off center if it's not kept straight cutters, you'll need to put some
get you started. I do this with a while drilling. To help with this, I force behind the drill. Keep the
shorter drill bit the same diame- make a V-block that lines up the bit shaft in the valley of the block
ter as the ship auger I plan to use. bit with the hole and guides the as you're drilling. Once the drill
(Refer to Shop Shortcuts on page bit as you drill. Align the V-block chuck hits the V-block, you can
32 for one method of aligning with the pilot hole using a length remove the V-block and continue
both ends of a long workpiece of metal rod, as shown in the drilling the hole.
to ensure the hole goes straight- photo on the opposite page. Following these simple tech-
through the center.) To drill the rest of the hole, I set niques will vastly improve the
Keep the Bit Straight. Once my drill to the low speed range. results you achieve when per-
the pilot hole is drilled, switch to At low speed there will still be a forming this type of operation.
the long ship auger bit chucked lot of friction, and therefore, a lot Give them a try the next time
in a power hand drill to com- of heat. You'll want to back the bit you're faced with drilling a deep
plete the hole. Even with a nice, out often to clear the chips and let hole in a project. (i

no-drilling
Option FIRST: CUT
WORKPIECE IN HALF

-.
ROUTER CORE BOX
Sometimes I need to drill a TABLE BIT
FENCE
hole that's just too long for
any available drill bit. A wire
chase through a floor lamp SECOND: ROUT A
CENTERED GROOVE IN
post is a good example. In BOTH HALVES
(DETAIL 'a')
these situations, an easy solu-
tion is to cut the piece in two.
You can rout a channel with a line won't be as noticeable in
core box bit centered on each straight-grained wood. Some-
half following the steps on thing else to watch for is glue
the right. Then glue the two squeezeout which can plug the
halves back together to form a hole and interfere with feeding
complete hole. a lamp cord. A little paraffin wax
A drawback to this method rubbed in the channel before glu-
is that it will create a visible ing it back together will make
glue line. However, the glue squeezeout easier to remove.

ShopN otes.com 43
 •.Shop

solutions for
Router
Bit
Storage
Keep your router bits organized and
protected with these handy storage options .
• Whether you own dozens of
router bits or just a handful,
protecting their sharp cutting
edges. Turn to Sources, page 51,
Wood Case with Insert. The
case you see above is sold by
they're an investment worth to find out where to buy them. Rockier. It comes with a dense
protecting. Here are a few foam insert that's formed with
ways to store them safely while PORTABLE CASES rows of holes for storing bits with
Toolboxes are always handy in %" and l;2"-dia.shanks. The lid of
the shop, but leaving bits loose the case has a soft foam liner that
in a toolbox causes them to roll compresses against the bits when
around as you move it. And the lid is closed.
this can lead to chipped cutting If you don't need the portabil-
edges. The bits need to be stored ity of a case, the foam insert is
in such a way to keep them from sold separately. It's a great way
bumping into one another. to store bits in a drawer, toolbox,
A couple of great solutions to or even on top of the workbench.
these challenges are shown in the Plastic Case. The case shown
photos above and at left. They're on the left from Eagle America
small cases that offer some provides similar benefits and
practical features - por- features. The foam insert that
tability and protection. holds the bits is made of a softer
You can transport foam. The foam is cut with rows
the case wherever of X-shaped slits that snugly hold
you need and a router bit regardless of shank
easily access diameter. I had no problem load-
the bits inside. ing it up with router bits.
And with the Like the case above, the lid is
lid closed, you also lined with foam to keep the
know that the bits bits in place. This durable case is
inside will remain ideal for protecting and storing
safe and sound. bits in the shop or on the job site.

ShopNotes No. 138

 STORAGE CABINET
If your routing tasks are normally confined to one
area of your shop, you may want to consider a wall
cabinet for storing your router bits. The one you see
at right is sold by MLCS.
As you can see, the 12" x 27" cabinet has the • Bit Case.
capacity for a lot of bits. The only downside is you Compact bit
have to purchase separate cabinets for 1;4"-shank storage is no
and l,Iz"-shank bits. But if your router bit collection problem with this
has gotten out of hand like mine has, spending less handy cabinet.
than $30 for each cabinet is worth it.
Portability. The cabinet is designed to be wall-
mounted, but it works just as well as a portable con-
tainer, too. The foam-lined lid will keep all your bits
in place. It's the best of both worlds.

RACKS
For a more modular and flexible • Storage Rack.
solution for storing router bits, Sturdy steel
check out the options at right. construction and
Metal Rack. There's a lot to an array of holes
be said for having your router make it easy to
bits out in the open within reach store bits on a
rather than tucked in a drawer benchtop or router
or cabinet. The metal rack from table stand.
Rockier shown on the upper right
makes it easy to find the bit you
need. You can mount the rack to
a wall or stand, if desired, or sim-
ply let it sit on a workbench to • Router Bit
keep your bits within easy reach. Rack. The bit
Flexible Racks. The Lee Val- holders grip
ley bit racks are available to hold securely and can
l;4"-shank or %"-shank bits (lower be positioned for
right photo). The plastic holders optimal storage.
are a friction fit with the router
bit shank. This means that the
bits won't fall out of the rack
even if it's tipped upside down.
You can simply hang the bit
racks on pegboard hooks. They
can also be mounted to the side
of your router table or anywhere
else that's convenient.

BIT HOLDERS
• Bit Holders.
The most versatile options for These plastic
storing bits are the bit holders holders from Lee
shown at right. They're available Valley make it
in three sizes: %", 1;4",and Smm. quick and easy to
You can get half a dozen in a design a custom
package for around $4. storage solution.
The bit holders are mounted
with a screw to create a custom
storage solution. They provide
the ulimate in flexibility. ~

ShopN otes.com 45
 ~... ..II

Table~aw

hold-downs
Featherboards
These low-cost accessories hold the key
to making accurate cuts safely.
• For a lot of woodworkers, the ways to improve the results I get Rip It Right. Many projects start
idea of shop safety seems to when using tools. with ripping parts from wider
butt heads with a get-the-job- The table saw is a good place to boards. There are two ways to use
done practicality. However, the show you what I'm talking about. featherboards while ripping.
truth is that safe woodworking No matter what kind of saw you I attach a featherboard to the
goes hand-in-hand with consis- have, an inexpensive accessory, a saw table when ripping long
tent, accurate work. As a wood- featherboard, can improve both boards. The featherboard acts as
worker, I'm always looking for results and safety. a third hand to hold the work-
piece tight against the fence
while I control the back end.
The same setup works for rip-
ping a number of parts from
similarly sized blanks, as shown
the photo above. Here the feath-
erboard ensures consistency.
The Setup. The key to mak-
~ Grooves. By ing this work is the location of
providing firm the featherboard. You want it
pressure against close to where the blade is cut-
the rip fence, ting, as shown in the inset draw-
a featherboard ing above. But it should be ahead
ensures that of the blade. If it's even with the
grooves will be blade, the pressure can force the
accurately sized. waste piece against the blade

46 ShopNotes No. 138

• Better Rabbets. A shop-made hold-down works '. Stack Them. Double up a pair of featherboards to create a taller
just like a featherboard to ensure a consistent support system when cutting wide workpieces that are held on
cutting depth when creating rabbets. edge. Position the featherboards ahead of the blade.

and could cause kickback. Set the workpiece that could lead to it's not as easy to provide down-
the featherboard so it presses the uneven groove widths. At times ward pressure with your hand.
workpiece against the fence but I'll attach a second featherboard Shaping Wood. In addition to
doesn't create too much resis- behind the blade for an added cutting parts and joinery, a table
tance to .push the workpiece measure of control. saw can be used for shaping wood.
through the blade smoothly. Rabbets & Dadoes. A table- One example is creating a raised
Joinery Done Right. Cutting mounted featherboard isn't usu- panel (upper right photo). With
joinery at the table saw offers ally helpful (or even possible) the workpiece held on edge, you
more opportunities to put a when cutting rabbets or dadoes. don't want it tipping and spoiling
featherboard to work. The lower However, the resistance caused the cut. I used a pair of feather-
left photo on the facing page by a dado blade may cause a boards to help hold the workpiece
shows a common task - cutting workpiece to rise up out of the upright against the fence.
grooves in stiles and rails. cut, leading to inconsistent joints. You can see another way a
My aim here is to have consis- A featherboard attached to the double featherboard can make a
tently sized grooves no matter rip fence above the blade keeps tricky cut easier in the box below.
how many I need to cut. A feath- the workpiece fully engaged with Table saw safety shouldn't get in
erboard presses the workpiece the blade and creates a uniform the way of making cuts quickly
against the rip fence so it can't depth of cut, as shown in the and accurately. The ideas shown
drift away. It also counteracts any upper left photo. This works well here will help you get the results
minor bowing along the length of when cutting long parts where you're looking for. ~

hold-down for
Thin Stock
Cutting thin stock like plastic laminate, paper-
backed veneer, or even thin plywood can be harder
than it looks. The thin relatively flexible materials
are prone to vibrating as they're being cut.
I take a three-pronged approach to make smooth
cuts. The photo shows everything you need. A
zero-clearance insert provides support and reduces
chipout. Next, I made an auxiliary rip fence that
includes a T-track for attaching featherboards. These
hold the thin stock down and minimize chatter.
Finally, the fence has a lip along the lower edge. • Clean Cuts in Thin Stock. A pair of featherboards attached
The purpose of this is to prevent the thin stock from to an auxiliary rip fence keep thin stock like plastic laminate from
slipping under the rip fence and wedging. vibrating and chattering as it's being cut.

ShopNotes.com 47
 ·Gear

must-have
Drill
Add-Ons
Get more use out of your
drill and driver with these
handy accessories .

• Sometimes the simple solutions

are the best ones. The clever
accessories for your drill and
driver you see here fall in the
category, "Why didn't I think of
that?" Some of these will speed
,. Insty-Drive. up your work in the shop, while
Part of the Insty- others will help you out in a jam.
Drive system, You can find out where to get
this chuck lets them in Sources on page 51.
you quickly Drilling & Driving Systems. driver bits. So I looked at three quick-change DrillDrive chuck
switch between One of the biggest hassles of "systems" that provide a com- fits in your drill's chuck.
Ytt" hex bits. using a drill has to be switching plete solution for drilling and The removable bit holder
between drill and driving screws. Investing in one slips into the DrillDrive chuck. It
makes shop time more efficient. houses a countersink drill on one
DeWalt DrillDrive System. end with a Phillips hex shank
Countersinking and driving driver on the other end. Both bits
screws is one of the most com- are secured with set screws. The
mon tasks in the workshop. The DrillDrive comes individually
DrillDrive system you see' above sized for #6, #8, or #10 screws.
allows you to perform both func- To use the DrillDrive, sim-
tions in a snap. The heavy-duty, ply insert the bit holder into the
DrillDrive chuck with the drill bit
exposed. After drilling the hole,
remove the bit holder and flip it
over to drive the screw.
Insty-Drive System. Another
system of products is the Insty-
Drive sold by RockIer (photos at
left). The heart of the system is
a drive sleeve with a hex socket
that fits over a variety of drill
.• A Quick Conversion. Instantly switch from drilling bits in the Insty-Drive collec-
to driving with the Insty-Drive system by slipping the tion. These bits address the most
sleeve containing a driver bit over the drill bit. common shop tasks and include

48 ShopNotes No. 138

 countersink and self-centering takes no time at all to replace it
bits, as well as standard drill bits. with a new one.
Each bit is held in a hex-shaped Like the Insty-Drive system,
J I bit holder with a set screw. The the Snappy tools include self-
holder fits in a conventional drill centering bits. In addition, they
chuck or the ~" hex chuck found also include plug cutters and a
on cordless drivers. variety of chucks. All the bits and
Quick-Change Chuck. To add chucks are available separately
even more convenience to the or in various kits.
Insty-Drive system, their Quick Impact Chuck. Getting more
Change Chuck converts your use out of your tools is always
3-jaw drill chuck into a chuck a plus. That's true for impact
that accepts ~" hex-shank bits. drivers, as well. Impact drivers • Snappy Tools. The Snappy system includes hex
You can see how it works in the are designed to hold driver bits adapters for standard drill bits and a quick chuck you
lower left photo on the opposite with ~" hex shanks. But there are can install in your drill.
page. The chuck makes the Insty- times when it's convenient to use
Drive system even more efficient. the driver for drilling.
If you use your drill for driving Fortunately, there's an easy
screws, this chuck makes chang- solution. You can buy a 3-jaw
ing bits a quick task. accessory chuck that is impact-
Snappy Tools. A system simi- rated. The one shown in the
lar to the Insty-Drive is made by lower photo at right is from
Make It Snappy Tools. The Snappy DeWalt. This makes it handy to
collection .is primarily designed use conventional drill bits.
for drilling operations. Each drill These keyless adapter chucks
bit holder features W hex shanks also make it easy to use one
to fit your driver. If you want to tool for both drilling and driv-
~), use the bits in a 3-jaw chuck, they ing. Simply drill a hole using the
• supply a quick-change ~" chuck chuck then remove the chuck to
adapter similar to the Insty-Drive use a driver bit to install a screw.
chuck. You can see an example in All of these accessories make
the upper right photo. driving fasteners and drilling • Impact Driver Adapter.
Drill bits are held in their hold- easier. That makes shop time Rated for impact use, this
ers using a collet very similar to more efficient. And anything that adapter adds a 3-jaw chuck
what you'd find on a router. So gives me more time for wood- to your impact driver so you
if a bit becomes dull or breaks, it working is a plus in my book. d.. can use standard drill bits.

problem
Solvers
One of the problems with using
a driver is that it's sometimes
difficult to get into tight spaces.
The two products shown at right
solve this problem. With their W
hex chuck, they're designed for
driving screws in small spaces.
The right-angle attachment
(near photo at right) includes a
handle that rotates and locks in a
convenient position. This makes
it easy to keep the bit locked into
the screw. The flex-shaft driver
(far right photo) provides another • Right Angles. This small attachment with a • Flexible Shaft. Get more reach and
option for driving screws in tight, locking handle chucks into your drill or driver flexibility in awkward spots with this
awkward spaces. for driving screws in tight spots. handy driver accessory

ShopN otes.com 49
questions
from our.
aders

which drill?
Cordless
With all the great cordless options now available, is
or
such as variable speeds, keyless
Corded They're also more powerful,
there any reason to consider buying a corded drill? chucks, and reversing switches. and they take up less room in
J. Smith Corded. However, don't your tool bucket because you
Watervale, New York assume corded drills are obso- don't have to lug around a char-
lete just yet. They have features ger and extra batteries. And
• Cordless drills have certainly that give them an advantage in they'll run all day so you never
become the drill of choice for a number of drilling operations. have to stop to recharge a battery.
many woodworkers and crafts- Corded drills are generally Cordless. On the other hand,
men these days. The convenience much cheaper than cordless there's a reason that cordless
of not being tethered to a wall drills, both initially and over their drills are so popular. Along with
outlet gives them a big advan- lifetime, if you consider battery convenience, cordless drills usu-
tage over drills with cords. replacement cost. Their higher ally have higher torque (a plus
Either type will drill a satisfac- speed range makes them a better for driving fasteners). A lower
tory hole in most materials you'll choice for drilling cleaner holes speed range helps when drilling
normally work with. And both and for operations like grinding, large holes and hard materials
types share common features buffing, and wire-brushing. like metals. In addition, they're
much safer to use in wet condi-
ADVANTAGES: DISADVANTAGES: tions where a shock hazard exists.
While early models had heavy
CORDED: • Lower cost (initial & over lifetime) • Less convenient (cord limits
batteries with short lives, manu-
• Higher speed (grinding & buffing) portability & safety) facturers have made great strides
• More power • Less torque at low speed to overcome these shortcomings.
• Extended operating time • Electrical shock hazard As with most tool buying deci-
sions, your choice will depend
CORDLESS: • Convenience & portability • Higher cost (initial & lifetime)
on your needs and requirements. -' "\

• More low-speed torque (drives The chart on the left lists some of
• Limited battery life
fasteners beller) the pros and cons of each type to
• Separate charger (120V power)
• Instant stop help you make a better decision.
• Battery manufacturing and
• Lower speed range disposal (toxic metals) In the end, you may opt to pur-
chase one of each type. ti

50 ShopNotes No. 138

Sources MAIL
ORDER
SOURCES
Woodsmith Store
Most of the materials and sup- OUTRIGGER (p.22) ROUTER BIT STORAGE (p.44)
800-444-7527
plies you'll need to build the
projects are available at hard- • McMaster-Carr • Eagle America
%"-16 Insert Knob .... 61135K35 Bit Storage Box .499-5731 Rockier
ware stores or home centers. For 800-279-4441
specific products or hard-to-find • Lee Valley rockier. com
items, take a look at the sources LUMBER CENTER (p.24) Rack fad]." Bits. . . . . . 03K09.50
listed here. You'll find each part Lowe's amazon. com
Rackfor%" Bits 03K09.25
number listed by the company Power Pro Lag Screws .. 155907
1,.J." Bit Holders 16J03.62
Blick
name. See the right margin for %" Bit Holders 16J03.61
contact information. ROUTER TABLE CABINET (p.34) 800-828-4548
dickblick.com
• MLCS
• Essentra Components
I/;1" Bit Cabinet 9683
SLOT CunER (p.8) Door Pulls DUH-55 Eagle America
1;4" Bit Cabinet 9660 800-872-2511
• Infinity Cutting Tools • KregTool eagleamerica.com
Slot Cutter Set 00-236 • Rockler
Insert Plate PRS3038
Router Bit Tray 42287 Essentra Components
Insert Plate Leoelere PRS3040
FOAM (p.12) 18" Bit Rack 32602 800-847-0486
essentracomponents.com
• Rockler
• Blick Dust Port 92031 DRILL ACCESSORIES (p.48)
Balsa Foam varies 72" Cant. Hinges 39170 You can find Insty-Drive drill and Home Depot
800-466-3337
driver accessories at Rockier. The homedepot.com
• amazon.com
Hot Wire Knife BOOlDXMF9M
BEVEL GAUGES (p.40) Snappy Tools system is available
Transformer B0017NQU9Y
from Make It Snappy Tools. Infinity Cutting Tools
• Home Depot 877-872-2487
Polysteel T-Bevel. .... 100156737 • amazon.com infinitytools.com
SLIDING TABLE (p.16) DeWalt Chuck BOOOKKWLE8
• Lee Valley
• Peachtree Woodworking Flip Drive BOOOODD6LY
KregTools
10" Sliding Bevel 05N44.01
48" Miter Track 1032 800-447-8638
4" Sliding Bevel 05N44.02 • Lee Valley kregtool.com
48" Mini T-Track 1022 Alum. Sliding Bevel 60N20.1O Flex Holder. . . . . . . . . . 25K15.50
UHMW Miter Bar 1120 Bevel Setter 05N66.01 Right-Angle Driver ... 25K15.60
Lee Va\ley
• McMaster-Carr • Rockler 800-871-8158
51]6"-18 x 3" Knob 6085K14 leeva\ley.com
Digital Betel Gauge 47091
%"-20 Insert Knob 61135K31 General Protractor 32848
Make It Snappy Tools
• Nevamar 940-686-6900
Laminate .5-6054
DEEP HOLES (p.42) snappytools.com
For a current list of updates or
• Woodworker's Supply revisions to past issues, please visit
shopnotes.com/ upda tes. McMaster-Carr
%" Shell Auger 153314 630-600-3600
mcmaster.com

MLCS
800-533-9298
S Issues 1-138 mlcswoodworking.com

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ShopNotes.com 51