NO. 27 NOTES FROMTHE SHOP ——~«éS «CSO. “Woodsmith PATIO) TOIT | AAR COMPLETE PLANS FOR: @ PICNIC TABLE @ PATIO CHAIRS @ OUTDOOR BENCH PLUS. . . A SHOP TEST ON CARBIDE-TIP SAW BLADES-Woodsmith. Sawdust | Number 27 ‘May/June, 1983, Editor Donald B. Peschke Design Director ‘Ted Kralicek Assistant Editors ‘Steve Krohmer ‘Michael P. Scott Graphic Designers David Kreyling Marcia Simmons ‘Subscription Manager| ‘Sandy J. Baum ‘Subscription Assistants Christel Minor Vieky Robinson ‘Jackie Stroud Shirley Feltman ‘Pam Dickey ‘Computer Operations, ‘Ken Miner ‘Cheulaton Manager Jett Farris ‘Administrative Assistant Chery! Scott ISSN: 0164-4116 |WOODSMITH is publshed bemonty erway, March, May, Jy, September, Noverber) by ‘Woodsmih Publishing Company, 1912 Grand ‘ve. Des Moines, lowa 50208. WOODSMITH isa registred trademark of ho “Woodsmith Pushing Company “Copyright 1863 by Wooesmith Publishing ‘Company. Al Fights Reserved. Subscriptions: One year (6 issues) $10, Two years (12 sues) $18: Single copy price, $250 (Canada and Foreign: acd S2 por year) ‘Change Of Address: Pease be sure to nciude both your old and new address for change of cores. Malt: Wooderth 1912 Grand Ave, es Moines, towa 50808. Second class postage paid st Des Moines, lowa. Postmaster: Send change of adress For 3678, to Woodsrath Publishing Co, Grand Ave., Des Moines, lowa 50308. BACK ISSUES ‘list ofthe contnts ol Back sues appears ‘on tho wrapper ofthis issu. I the wrapper is ‘missing, you can send fora booklet descrong the contents and prices ofl back issues. ‘SAMPLE COPIES ityouhave attend who woud tke o see acopy ‘fWoodamith just sendthe name and adress, ‘nd wel senda sample (at no cos) AHOUT THIS ISSUE. I have @ navy-blue sweater with a hole in one sleeve. It’s thread-bare, and sagging from old age. ‘And I've been told it's time to get rid of “that old thing” and buy a new one. But I like my old sweater. I always fee! ‘warm in it — even though I know a new ‘sweater would really be Warmer. 'So what's the point of all this talk about ‘old sweaters? I thought this was a wood- working magazine. Well, it’s just that I have almost the ‘same feelings about my saw blade. For the past couple of years I've been using a Freud 50-tooth carbide-tipped com- bination blade. That blade has eut a lot of ‘wood and even though its beginning to ‘wear down a bit, I feel comfortable with it and it always gets the job done. T wouldn't think of getting a new one ‘That is, until I made the mistake of using ‘one of Freud's new LUS5M “Anti-grip” blades. Just one eut, that’s all it took to completely alter my way of looking at saw blades and what I should expect of them. Bat before I get too excited about this blade, let me back up a minute and explain how allof this started. Steve Krohmer (our assistant editor) drew the assignment of ‘writing a two-page article about saw blades. We agreed that we should buy several types of blades and test them out to see if there really was any diferece between fone blade and another. Without going ‘overboard on this project, we settled of tho brands. Searsand Freud. Then we sted the "fr. Sawdust” Bade, teeaate 1 teep sccing fal-page ade for it in Fine Woodworking and I wanted to know just how god twas, In the mid of allthis, Ted Kralicek (our Design Director) deeded we should get anew table saw. Things were getting a tue eroded inthe shop — almost to the point that we had to schedule ine onthe {he table saw we had ‘Our new saw and the collection of sm blades arrived about the same time. Tt as then I realized that we were realy buying ‘two separate pieces of equipment. The table saw hy ite is just a way to ude Seards through the blade. But the sa blade tha’ really doing all the work. I left the shop to sign the checks for all this new equipments Meanwhile, Steve started testing the saw blades. A couple of ‘reeks later, heemerged from the shop and inouneed that the tworpage article on Sav bladeswasnow guna tobesix pages. agreed — ifony to get him out of the shop So Leauld get come tine inon the new saw. T thought Fa test out the new table sa by cutting through a piece of serap oak. ‘That's when it happened. 1 didn't realize Steve had left the Freud “Anti-grip” blade onthe saw. As I trimmed off the end of the oak scrap, I noticed something was diferent. ‘The cut seemed smooth, almost effort- less. I ooked at the freshly cut end, and to ‘my surprise it wasn't smooth ‘The end grain felt like glass. No torn fibers. No tooth marks. Just a ‘smooth, almost burnished surface you ‘couldn't help but touch... . and be amazed. took the blade off the saw to see what it looked like. It looks awesome. The teeth shine like something straight out of a toothpaste commercial. The blade itself is coated with black Teflon. (You get the feeling Darth Vader would use i to cut ‘doven his opponents.) ‘Okay, okay. All of tis is beginning to sound lke a big public relations effort for Freud saw blades Twill admit that I'm very impressed with thisblade. But inallfaimese, I'm sure there are other saw blades that will duce the samme quality of ut. Che Br. ‘Sawdust blade is one of them.) But the point is this: using’ a good saw blade does make a difference. Ifyou expect perfection, there are blades that will pro- duce it. ‘money T agree with ‘one ofthe best choice for the money is the Freud 50-tooth combination blade (my old favorite). The new Anti-grip blade is a fantastic blade, but t's designed ehiely for cut-off work. also agree that the Sears blades will ‘et wood, but they simply aren't upto the quality of the Freud products. ‘As forthe Mr. Sawdust blade, I'm still not quite convineed that “the only blade ‘worth $160. re added one more new face to the group at Woodemith. Jeff Far- ‘is has joined us to coordinate the eircula- tion efforts — the business side of this business. Jeff is from Ava (population 2,500), Missouri, where he operated his ‘own hardwood limber company. ‘As he comes on board here, our cireula- ton stands at about 130,000, and Jeff will be responsible fr keeping al of those num- bers under control. But he's off to a good Sart, Hes already assured me that cir- ‘ulation will inerease by one new sub- seriber. Jeff and Marilyn are expecting their first child August 4th. NEXTIAILING. The next issue of Wood: smith (Number 28) should be in the mail luring the week of July 25th. Z WoopsMITHe Tips & Techniques STICKY STAVES ‘When it came time to “glue up” the staves used for the turned canisters (Woodsmith ‘No. 25), I came up with an easy way to ‘under control. Ijust used ‘tape (maski or whatever) to secure all the individual pieces until they're glued together. “The first step is to lay out all the staves, ‘edge to edge with the outside face upward. ‘Then I applied two or three rows of tape to the outside face to hold the individual staves together. Finally the whole assem- blyis tured over and rolled intoa cylinder to check the fit between the staves. Ifeverything fits okay, the next step is to laten the assembly out and brush glue nthe edges ofeach stave. Then the entire ‘ssembly is rolled up, and clamped with web clamps. Tf the fit between the staves needs ad- usting, [don't apply glue to two of the Joints opposite each other. Ths proiuces ‘wo half evlinders after the has ‘been clamped. When everything is dry, 1 ‘rim the two halves until they mate per- {ectly. Then Gal, the two half eylinders fare glued together. Perey F. Hansen Waihalla, North Dakota ‘ORGANIZED DOVETAILS Recently I constructed a few drawers (14 tobe exact) using a dovetail fixture to rout hualflind dovetails on all four corners. This involved a total of 56 individual joints, and about 10 million possible combinations. ‘About the time I was half done, the started. All of a sudden I realized ‘that I have become confused about where ‘to position the proper pieces for each joint. (Repetition doesn’t sharpen my mind, it dlls it.) So to eliminate the chance of mounting ‘the pieces into the dovetail jig in the wrong position, I came up with a simple labeling system for both the drawer sides, and the jig. WoopsMITH ‘The first step is to label the individual drawer sides using a simple method that involves marking each drawer side with aletter. The key to this marking system is ‘tomark the letter near the bottom edge on the inside face. ‘combinations. Each set of letters is posi- tioned with one letter over the other, ‘representing the two sides needed to form ‘each corner joint. . The top letter placed in the front of the jig. Example: The dovetail formed between sides B and A is cut using the left side of the jig (two of the jc Always keep the labeled face ofthe drawer sides facing out, away from the jig, and the labeled edge against the guide pins in the fig. Using this system, I can toll ata glance which two sides are joined together, and where to locate each individual piece. Even after 56 joints. Sue Kortum Custer, South Dakota (MEASURED CUT OFFS I've been using a cut off jg you showed in Woodsmith No. 25 for some time now. ‘There is one change I've made that might eset oe oa ifs eoncpute te someon i le the cut off fig, 1 simpy redesigned the fence into an “I.” shape. This allows the ‘wide tape to be attached on the shoulder of the fence. Then finally, adjustable stop blocks are cut to fit the new fence. Ifthe measuring tape is attached to the fence of the cut off jig accurately, you can save alot of time normally used in measur- ing and marking. L. A. Snyder Wyoming, Michigan Editor's Note: The only mail onder source twe've been able to locate for the self stick- ing counter tapes is Garrett Wade, 161 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York, 10018. Stock # 30N01.01, $3.90 each. These tapes are 6 feet long, wide, and calibrated in Zi? increments (the frat ‘are calibrated in Ya" increments). They ‘eam be easily cut to match the length of the ‘ut-off jig fence (they're made with -008" {hick see). The rules attached by remor- ing the paperback and simply pressing the {ape in position ‘One ather note: When the tape is set xp fora particular blade, itmay ot be acct ‘rate when used with another blade you's tke to share awoodworking tip wth other readers of Woodsmith, send your idea to: Woodsmith, Tips & Techniques, 1812 Grand ‘Ave., Des Moines, lowa 50308. ‘We pay a minimum of $10 for tips, an $15 oF ‘mare for special techniques (hat are accepted {orpubliction). Please give a complete explana- tion of your idea. Ifa sketch is needed, send it ‘along; weil raw anew one.- Picnic Table LIGHEWEIGHT, STURDY & STORES FLAT ‘When I set out to build apienic table, Thad ‘wo things in mind. First, I had visions of barbecued steaks, com on the eob, potato salad, and cold watermelon — all nicely laid out on a pienie table in my back yard ‘But my second thought was, “What am [ ‘going to do with the table when the gloomy ‘weather of winter rolls around and T want to store it away?” ‘To solve this winter-time storage prob- lem, T needed a fairly light-weight table ‘that could be moved without the use of a tow truck. Also to make moving it around ‘and storing it easier, I wanted to make the legs of the table collapsible so it wouldn't take up much space. ‘Before I even sat down at the drawing board, I realized that this ableis one ofthe few projects I've designed for when it wasn't going to be used. The method I came up with toa use a hinged only easy to set up, but it’s also ‘quick and easy to tear down, ‘The next problem was to de- sign the table top so the same | sige could be used on a set of chairs (page 8) and a bench (page 12) — creating a coordi nated outdoor furniture set. To coordinate these three com: ponents, I used a simple construction technique that involves making frames out of 1"-thiek redwood and then inserting thick cedar slats. (These thinner slats alzo help to reduce the overall weight of the table top). aa oe ‘THE TABLE TOP ‘The table top is constructed following the same basie theme of the entire outdoor furniture set: a redwood frame with cedar slats. Only in the ease of the table top, the ‘frame is modified slightly to accommodate ‘two extra divider rails, see Fig. 1 ‘These extra rails serve two purposes. First, they shorten the span of the cedar sats (thus providing additional support for the slats). And second, they provide a place for attaching the legs on the under- Side of the table. CUT To Sizk. All of the pieces for the table top are ripped to a standard width of 24”. [started with the six pieces for the frame, ripping them out of 2x6 redwood, see Cutting Diagram, SHOP NOTE: Since 2x6s usually have rounded edges, I ripped these pieces to get ‘two clean (square) edges. It should be easy, I thought, to get two 2"-wide pieces out of a 2x6 (whieh is actually 5 ‘wide). But it didn't work that way on the material I was using because some of the boards were narrower than they were ‘supposed to be. ‘What I wound up doing was ripping the x68 down the center first. Then I set the fence for 2" and ripped off as much of the ‘outside (rounded) edge as I could. Finally, T cut the two long rails (A) to a length of 64", and the end rails (B) and the divider rails (C) to a length of 354 HALF LAPS AND GROOVES After all six pieces are cut to size, they're Joined with half laps to form the frame. I ‘cut the half laps on both ends ofthe divider rails (C) and the end rails (B) first. (All four ‘Pieces are cut with the same setting on the saw to make sure the shoulder-to-shoulder distance between the half laps is exactly ‘the same on these four pieces.) ‘Next, I cut the joints on the two long ‘half lap at both ends, and rails (A) ‘ross laps 8° from each end, see Fig. 2 OOVES. After the joints were eut, I cut grooves on the edges of the two end rails (B) and the two divider (C) rails to hhouse the slats. Here, I wanted to make sure the face of the slats would be flush with the face of the frame members. "Todo this, hold the face side of one of the slats on the edge of one of the rails, and ‘mark the position of the underside of the slat on the edge ofthe rail. Then set up the saw to cut a 3" x" groove so the bottom ‘edge of the groove is on the line. As shown in Figure 2, the two end rails (B) have grooves on the inside edge only ‘The two divider rails (C) have grooves on both edges LAG SCREWS. To strengthen each of the half laps I added lag serews at each joint. But before drilling for the lag screws, first | Idry-clamped all six members ofthe frame (clamping the long rails against the shoul- ders of the half laps on the end rails and divider rails). Then just to be sure, I ddouble-checked the frame for square, Finally, I marked the center of each drilled 92 counterbores % deep, by 4" pilot holes. (I found the easiest way to drill all these holes to use a drill mounted in a Portalign ‘hment.) 4 WoopsMITHTHE SLATS While the frame is dry-clamped together, ‘measure the distance between the grooves to determine the length to cut the slats. ‘Then all of the slats are eut 24" wide, and to length (to fit between the grooves). After cutting the slats to size, T cut rrabbets on each end to leave a" x %° tongue to fit the grooves, see Fig. 3 ‘And finally, to reduce the chance of splintering, I also chamfered both top edges of each slat ASSEMBLY Now the table top is ready to be as- ‘sembled. Slide the slats into the grooves ‘and apply adhesive to all the half laps. (I ‘used resorcinol glue. It's waterproof and table for outdoor projects.) Then drive 3¢ lag screws home. ‘When the glue is dry, cut a 1%" radius on the four corners ofthis frame with a sabre saw, and round over all edges with a 3" comner-round bit, see Fig. 4. ‘ALIGN SLATS. Position the slats evenly ‘across the width of the table, and drive 3-penny finish nails through the enter of each slat (from the bottom side of the table). BRACKET FOR LEGS Finally, a support bracket is mounted to the underside of the table, see Fig. 5. This bracket supports the slats at the center of the table, and is also used to mount the hinged braces for the legs, ‘Cut the bracket (D) to length soit over- laps the outside rails 1% on both ends, see Fig. 6. Then cut a half lap on each end so the shoulders of the half lap fit tight ‘against the inside edges of the long rails ‘After it’s eut to length, drill pilot holes ‘and apply glue to the half lap (but not on ‘any part that touches the slats), and serew it in place. [SECURE SLATS, Finally, I counterbored pilot holes inthe bracket, so each hole was centered on a slat (see Fig. 5) and secured the slats to the bracket ‘WoopsMiTH‘After the table top is built, the only thing left to do is to add the legs. Initially, T this table with a trestle leg sys- tem. But this style doesnt allow the legs to collapse for easy storage. ‘After a litle more time at the drawing board, Ieame up with a hinged leg system that's sturdy, yet can be disassembled for storage. And one ofthe nicest things about ‘this aystem is that it only requires building ‘two simple frames... using half laps, naturally. LEG ASSEMBLIES. Both leg frames con- sist of two legs (G), and two stretchers (Ht and D. The first step is to rip all of the pieces forthe frame to 24” wide. Then T ‘ut the legs to 2 length of 28°, and the two stretchers 30% long. ‘Afterall the pieces for the leg assem- lies are cut to size, the next step is to cut Ialf laps on both ends of the legs, and on both ends of the stretchers, see Fig. 7. ‘At this point, I cut two additional notches in the top stretchers (H) on both leg assemblies. These notches house the ‘braces (J) so they lie lat against the table top (when the table is broken down for storage), refer to Fig. 11. These notches are 244" wide, %° deep and are cut 74° from each end of the stretcher. ‘The last step before assembly is to drill ‘two " holes for the bolts used to attach the legs to the table top. These holes are 57 from each end of the top stretcher, see Fig. 7. ‘ASSEMBLY. Now the leg frames are ready for assembly. Dry-clamp the four pieces for each frame, and check the fit of the joints and the square of the frame. ‘Then mark the center of each joint and drill ¢ counterbores, %" deep. Follow these counterbores with the 4 pilot holes for the leg serews. Finally, apply glue to each Joint and lag screw the leg frames together. MOUNT THE LEG FRAMES ‘One of the tricks to this leg system is the way it folds down for storage. To be effec- tive, the legs have to be easy to remove. Yet, when the table is assembled, the leg frames have to be mounted so that they're sturdy. ‘To accomplish both objectives, I moun- ted the frames to the bottom of the table ‘with rosan inserts and hex head bolts. ‘suo Nove: Rosan inserts (also called threaded inserts) are brass sleeves that are threaded on both the outside and in- ‘side. The outside threads are similar to those on a screw — so the insert can be ferewed into a hole. Then the inside threads are sized to accept a common hex head bolt. “The rosan inserts I used on this table are WoopsMiTHthreaded on the inside to accept a 4" hex hhead bolt. And the hole needed to screw them in place should be "in diameter. DRILL HOLES. To mount the rosan in- serts, the first step is to mark the position ‘of two holes on the divider rail (C). These ‘twoholes must line up with the two holes in the top stretcher of the leg frame. “To mark their position, I put hex head bolts in the holes of the stretcher and een- tered the streteher on the divider rai. When it's centered, I just gave the bolts a sharp tap to mark where the holes should be drilled, Drill holes at these points, and serew ‘the % rosan inserts in place. And finally, ‘mount the legs with %'x 3" hex head bolts. SUPPORT BRACES ‘The leg frames are supported with two braces (J) going from the bottom stretcher ‘of each frame to the center bracket, see Fig. 9. To get the final length of these braces, first mount the legs to the bottom of the table. Then measure from the inside comer of the stretcher (I) to the inside corner of the bracket (D) and subtract 1" from this measurement to allow room for the hinges. ‘MOUNT BRACES. To mount the braces, I ‘used strap hinges on both ends of the ‘braces, see Fig. 10. First, I attached the ‘strap end of one hinge to the end of the bbrace. Then on the other end ofthe brace, 1 attached another strap hinge to the op- posite face. Next, [ mounted the flap end of one hinge to the center bracket. Here, be sure the knuckle of the hinge is centered on the ecge of the bracket, see Detail in Fig. 11. However, when the other hinge to the stretcher, slide the knuckle off- center slightly —’so the edge of the hinge Jknuckle is on the edge of the stretcher. (Thisis tomake sure the hinge doesn't bind when the legs are folded down.) FOLDING THE LEGS When the braces are mounted, the table ready to use. Then when you want to dis- assemble it for storage, loosen the hex hhead bolts (that hold the leg frames to the rosan insert on the bottom of the table). ‘Then fold the leg frames down, moving the top stretcher toward the center of the table If everything is aligned properly, the ‘support braces (J) should fold neatly in the notches in the bottom stretcher of the leg frames. To hold the leg frames in place ‘during storage, I added small hooks and serew-eyes. FPINISHING. Since food is likely to eome in contact with the surface of the table, a stain that's non-toxic when it’s dry should be used. See page 14 for a review of the possible stains to use. MATERIALS LIST CUTTING DIAGRAM Fr the Tobe Top Frome: aT eno ems 9 vs224-ce | || eae © tnd oie@) 1965242355 || woos 159s sn IE Divider ale 2) 14 04a || EEE . ee | | Shr Sle (2) Meine ing sla 1) nae | || eee] otha keg Femme a G Loge (4) 1 ap Steer (2) 1 bere Sire (2) 4 toc) WoopsMITHSUMMERTIME SITTIN’ Building a chair for outdoor use (especially | one that’s built entirely of wood) has two essential requirements, First, it must ad- here to the mailman’s ereed: resisting the ravages of “mud, rain, sleet, hail, and snow.” And second, it can't have any splinters. ‘To meet the first requirement, the chair shown here is built with redwood and cedar. Both of these woods are weather resistant. However, they're also prone to splintering. So all edges are rounded over and sanded smooth to prevent any hang- ups As for the construction of this chair, it's designed to be built using only one basic ‘woodworking joint —a half lap (oth the help of a few lag serews). Also, to make ‘everything go a little easier, all of the pieces used to build this chair are cut to a standard width of ‘TOSTART. To start things off, ripped all of the redwood to a width of 24°. (All pieces are cut out of 2x6 stock, as shown in the Cutting Diagram.) Then the 16 pieces for the side, seat, and back frames are cut to length as shown in the Materials List (Items A throughG). ‘THE SIDE FRAMES, Once all ofthe pieces were cut to width and length, I started to work on the two side frames. Both of these frames consist of two legs (A), one arm (B), and one middle stretcher (C). JOINERY. The first step is tocut half lap mn both ends of the arms and stretchers, and on the top end of each leg. Then another halflap (which in this case is called ‘across lap), is cut near the bottom of each leg. The only thing that sets this joint ‘apart from all the others is that i's eut 34° | trom the bottom of each leg, rather than flush with the ends, see Fig. 1 ‘SHOPNOTE: Although I started construc- tion with the two side frames, in actual practice it's best to cut all of the half laps {or all four frames at the same time. This ensures consistency for all of the joints. ‘COUNTERBORE FOR LAG SCREWS. After cutting the half laps for the side frames, I dry-clamped the frame members together ‘with pipe clamps (clamping across the legs to hold them against the shoulders of the ‘arm and stretcher). Cheek all the joints to ‘make sure they fit properly ‘Then I used a drill mounted in a Port- align attachment to counterbore 294" hole, 34" deep in the center of three joints: both joints on the stretcher and the front joint ‘on the arm, see Fig. 1. After the eounter- 8 is bores are dried, dill ¥'-diameter pilot holes for the lag serews, see Detail B Note: The fourth joint (where the arm meets the back leg) has a hole for a pivot dowel that's used to attach the chai's hack, see Detail A. This hole is dried later ‘on (after the frame is assembled). 1LUr UP. After the three counterbores and pilot holes are drilled, remove the bar lamps and round-over the bottom end of tach leg with 236" comer-round bit (on a router table), see Fig. 2 ‘Now, glue is applied to all four joints of ‘oth frames. (Lused resorcinol glue for this project. It's waterproof and suitable for ‘outdoor applications.) Then drive 1” lag Screws in three of the joints. The fourth joint (for the pivot dowel is held together With a C-clamp until the glue dries. ROUND OVER. To soften the edges of the chair, cat 2 19¢ radius on the top corners of the frames (where the legs and arms ‘meet). Then round-over all of the edges on the outside ofthe frame, see Fig. 3. (The a and inside edges, between the arm and the stretcher, remain square-edged.) Ivor DoweL. Finally, a %" hole, 1¥ deep is drilled in the center of the fourth Joint (where the arm meets the back leg:) ‘Then glue a 2-long pivot dowel into this hole, see Fig. 2 SEAT AND BACK FRAMES de tcrn see ec aeercy eee eee ce icves ienmas Seamer aniceias =e ie ee eee tae seen Japs on the ends of each piece, see Fig. 4. Ce cn eae sepincesam ap sor es =e ‘WoopssaTH‘groove, place one of the cedar slats flush | ‘with the top face of the frame member, and | ‘mark the underside of the slat on the edge of the frame member, see Detail in Fi ‘Then cut the groove co the bottom of the ‘groove is on this line. ‘THE SLATS. Aer the grooves are cut, the five cedar slats (Land M) for each frame can be cut to width and length. One again, these slats are 24” wide. To deter- mine their length, dry-assemble the frames and measure the distanee between the bottoms of the grooves and eut them to this length, ‘Next, rabbet both ends of the slats, lea ing 9" x %" tongues to fit the grooves. Also chamfer the top edges of each slat to reduce the chance of splintering. ‘COUNTERUORE AND PILOT HOLES. After the slats are cut, dry-clamp the four frame members together and drill" eounter- bores and % pilot holes at the center of each joint for the lag serews. "Then, before final assembly, two more Wf holes are needed on the back frame. ‘These holes will accept the pivot dowels on the side frames and are drilled %" deep and centered on the outside edges of the side pieces (G), see Fig. 4 ASSEMBLY. Now the frames can be as. ssembled. Insert the slats in the grooves of the frame, apply glue to the half laps (no ‘ziue in the grooves or on the slats), and Serew the frames together. POSITION SLATS. After the glue is dry tap the slats into position so they're evenk spaced in the frame. ‘Then nail them place (from the back side) with 3-penny | finish nails CORNER ROUND. Finally, the four cor: ners of each frame are cut toa 1¥¢ radius, and then the outside edges are rounded ‘over with a 3¢” comer-round bit. ‘cur sapsSEAT SUPPORT SYSTEM At this point the four basic frames for the chair are complete. Next, I added a sup- port system to provide a solid base for the ‘eat frame, and also to increase the overall stability of the chair. The seat support consists of two cleats (H) with 2 eross stretcher (I) between them, see Fig. 6. ‘THE CLEATS ‘To make the cleats for this support sys- tem, rip two pieces of redwood 2" wide and to a rough length of 18". Then miter Doth ends at 6°, making sure the euts are parallel to each other, see Step 1 in Fig. 6. ‘The final length of each cleat should be 17° (measured from long point to short point ‘on one edge). ASSEMBLY HOLES. Next, six holes are drilled in each cleat. Each hole consists ofa ¥¢ counterbore with a "pilot hole drilled all the way through. ‘The first two holes are used to join the ‘leat to the eross stretcher. They're drilled so the counterbores are on the outside face of the cleat, see Step 2 in Fig. 5. ‘The next two holes are used to join the cleat to the side frame. They're drilled ‘with the counterbores on the inside face of, the cleat, see Step 3 in Fig. 5. ‘And finally, the remaining two holes are used to mount the seat. They're drilled on the bottom edge of each eleat, as shown in Step 4 in Fig. 5. (CROSS STRETCHER ‘To add stability (that is, to prevent rack- ing) a cross stretcher is mounted between ‘the two cleats. "The length of this cross stretcher (I) rust be equal to the width of the seat frame (which should be 19) minus the thickness of both cleats (a total of 3°). This should be a final length of 16” After cutting the stretcher to final length, dry-clamp it between the two ‘eats and make sure the total width of this ‘assembly is exaetly equal to the width of, ‘the seat frame, And while you're at it, also ‘check to see that the width of the back frame is equal to the seat frame. DOWEL HOLES. The cleats are mounted tothe cross stretcher by driving lag serews into the end grain ofthe stretcher, see Fig. 6, However, end grain does not provide ‘much holding strength for the lag serews. To strengthen the holding power, drill a 1 hole near each end of the stretcher, and gue a 4" dowel in these holes so the lag Serews have something to hold on to. ‘When the dowels are in place, clamp the cleats to the ends of the stretcher (see Fig. ‘7 and drill "pilot holes into the ends of the stretcher, going through the dowels. ‘Then drive the lag serews into the holes (and dowels) to hold the assembly to- gether, see Fig. 8. WoopsMITH(MOUNT SUPPORT SYSTEM, Now the seat support assembly can be ‘mounted tothe side frames. This assembly {is mounted at an angle to make the chair more comfortable. After a few “test sits” I decided on an angie of 6. This angle gives the feeling of siting “in” the chair rather than just “on” it. ‘To mount the support system, first lo- ‘ate the position of the pilot holes for the lag screws. The 4" pilot holes on the front ‘are located 9% down from the botiom ‘of the arm and 34° from the inside ‘edge of the leg, see Fig. 10. ‘The pilot holes on the back legs must be lower to get the 6° angle (mentioned above). To loeate the pilot holes on the back legs, mark a line 114" doven from the bottom erge of the arm. Then temporarily serew the cleat to the front leg and align the center of the counterbore (on the back ofthe cleat) with the marked line. Poke an awl throagh the counterbore to mark the position ofthe pilot hole. Finally, drill $4" pilot holes in the back legs. ASSEMBLY, Now the seat support assem- bly ean be giued and serewed to the side frames. NOTE: When you're ready to drive the lag screws home, be sure to ‘mount the chair’s back frame in position. Apply a coat of wax to the pivot dowels and ‘op them into the holes inthe back frame. (MOUNT THE SEAT FRAME Next, the seat frame is mounted to the ‘support system. Position the seat frame s0 it hangs 21" in front of the front edge of the legs, see Fig. 11. Clamp it in place and tse an alto locate the postion of "pilot holes. Then remove the seat frame, drill the plot oles, and finally glue and lag the frame into position. BOTTOM STRETCHER AND CAPS Although the chair shouldbe pretty sturdy at this point, it's best to add another eross stretcher (J) between the two leg stretch- ters. This stretcher is cut to length soit's longer than the width of the seat frame. ‘Then cut "wide, 9¢-deep rabbets on each end, see Fig. 9. "After the rabbets are cut, make sure the distance between the shoulders of the rab- bets is exactly equal to the width of the seat frame. (This should be 19") Then round over all edges ofthis stretcher, and sue it in place, see Fig. 12. ‘CaPs. Finally, to dress up the side ofthe chair alittle, [added eap strips (K) tocover the side cleats. These caps are 3 thick and cut to fit between the two legs with both ends mitered at 6°. (To get the thielmess for these caps, I resawed them from 134" stock.) FINISHING. suggest using some type ‘of protective stain on this chair. A review ‘ofthe possibilities is given on page 14. WoopsMiTH uEveryone has a favorite way to relax. For | me it’s sitting on a bench and watching life {go by. After building this bench, I pulled it over to a large walnut tree in my back yard. And there, in the cool shade, I sat bbackon my bench, propped up my feet, and | watched the neighbors mow their lawns. (L | guess benches just bring out my romantic nature.) ‘Actually this bench was designed as a companion piece to the picnic table and chairs in this iseue. In fact, the constru tion of this bench is almost identical to the chairs. The first step is to rip all the pieces toa standard width of 24”. Then T started construction with the side frames. THE SIDE FRAMES. First, cut the legs (A), arms (B), stretchers (C) to length, and eut half laps ‘on each piece. (Refer to the drawing on page 9.) Then dry-clamp the frame met ‘ers together and mark the positions of the lag serews on three ofthe joints (where the stretches overlap the legs and where the front leg meets the arm.) Next, drill "-diameter counterbor ¥ deep at each joint, and follow with ¥" pilot holes drilled all the way through each | counterbore. (I used a drill mounted to a Portalign attachment to drill these holes.) Everything up to now has been the same procedure as on the chairs. However, ‘there's a change for the fourth joint (where ‘the arm meets the back leg). Instead of drilling a hole for a single pivoting dowel, I anchored the back frame to the side frames with two dowels. How: ever, I waited to drill these holes until after the back frame was assembled. ASSEMBLY. For now, go ahead and glue and lag serew the side frames together. After they're assembled, cut a 13 radius ‘on the top corners (where the arms meet the legs), and round over the outside edges | of the frame with a %” comer-round bit. ‘THE SEAT AND BACK FRAMES ‘The basic construction of the frames for the seat and back is identical to those on the chair. The only difference is the length of two members on each frame. The seat frame consists of two long | pieces (D), and two side pieces (E), see Fig. 1. The back frame has two long pieces (P) and two side pieces (G). ‘After the four pieces for each frame are ‘cut to length, cut half laps at the ends of each piece. Then cut %° x ¥° grooves in the long pieces. (Once again, use a piece of serap cedar to mark the position of the SIDE BY SIDE SITTIN’ ry bottom of this groove on the inside edge of the long frame members.) ‘THE SLATS. There are 18 slats (L and M) ‘on each frame, and each slat is 24" wide. ‘To determine the final length of the slats, dry-assemble the frames and measure the distance between the bottoms of the ‘grooves and eut the slats to this length ‘Next, cut rabbets on both ends of the slats to leave %'-thick tongues to fit in the grooves. (If all measurements and cuts have gone according to schedule, the dis tance between the shoulders ofthe rabbet ‘on the slats should be equal to the distance between the shoulders of the half laps on the side pieces of the frame.) ASSEMBLY. At this point the frame for the seat can be assembled (but wait on the ‘back frame). Dry-clamp the seat frame ‘together and drill counterbores and pilot holes at each corner. Then insert the slats, apply glue to the half laps, and serew the frames together. Finally, cut a 13’ radius at each corner, and round over the edges with a 9%" corner-round bit. MOUNTING HOLES Before the back frame can be assembled, 1 ‘worked on the mounting system to join the back frame to the side frames. Here, in stead of drilling a single hole for a pivoting dowel (as was done on the chair), T an ‘chored the back frame to the side frames Garden Bench with two dowels. This means the back will be at a set angle (it won't pivot), and thus it’s a litte sturdier. HOLES IN SIDE FRAME. To do this, the first step is to drill two % holes in the side frames. The first hole is centered on the joint where the arm meets the back leg, ‘ee Fig. 2. Then a second hole is marked down from the first one, and 4" from the inside edge of the frame. ‘After the positions of both holes are marked, drill 1" holes, 1" deep on the inside face of both side frames. HOLES IN BACK FRAME. Then, two watching %" holes must be drilled on the side pieces (G) ofthe back frame. The first hole is centered on the length of the side piece, see Fig. 8. To locate the second hole, measure down 2%" (which is the same distance as between the centers of the hholes on the side frame). Mark this dis- tance down from the first hole, and drill the second hole. ASSEMBLY. The last step is to glue dowels into the holes in the side frame, see Fig. 8. Then the back frame can be assem. bled. (Just follow the same procedure men- tioned above for the seat frame.) SEAT SUPPORT SYSTEM ‘The seat support system for this bench is similar to the one for the chair, but due to the extra length of the bench (and the 12 WoopsMITH -——‘potential for greater racking pressure), 1 Dut two stretchers between the cleats (in- stead of just one as on the chai ‘THE CLEATS. Once again cut the two = ae cea eee ° « 3 -) 4 uses guilets,Joinery: Half Laps MAKING ENDS MEET passes over the blade, or 2) make two Individual cuts — one cut at the shoulder and the second eut to form the cheek. (MULTIPLE-PASS METHOD One ofthe easiest waystocut abalflapisto ‘make multiple passes over the blade. With this method, only one setup is needed. However, there isa drawback — the finish ‘on the cheek of the joint is not as good as the two-cut method ‘CHOICE OF BLADES. Although any saw blade can be used to make this cut, a rip ‘blade will produce abetter surface because itmakes a flat-bottomed eut. A dado blade can also be used but some clean-up may be needed to smooth the cheeks. ‘SET BLADE HEIGHT. To set up this cut, first set the height of the blade. Raise the blade to just a smidgen fess than one-half is set, use the fence as a stop forthe final ‘cut at the shoulder line. Rather than mes- suring this distance, I use the second board toposition the fence for the shoulder eut on the first board, see Fig. 2. Hold the right ‘edige of the second board against the fence, and adjust the setting until the eft edge is ‘ush with the outside edge of the blade. (CLEANOFF WASTE. Now it'sjust a matter of making multiple passes to clean off the waste. Start at the end of the piece and ‘work toward the shoulder. ‘Although this method is relatively quick, it does leave the face of the joint a litte rough. If a cut-off or combination blade is used to make the cuts, the surface ‘ean be smoothed by sliding the workpiece backand forth over the highest point ofthe £ ‘or dado blade was used, a ‘a sharp chisel might be see Fig. 5. ‘Once the cut is truly cutting half-way, raise the blade to the top ofthe kerf of the ‘shoulder cut, and trim off the waste on the face of the joint. needed. MULTIPLE PASS METHOD———————————— Talking Shop AN OPEN FORUM FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS GLUING UP NARROW BOARDS T have a question that 1 hope you can ‘ansicer, Whenever I'm edge gluing a large panel from stripe of solad stock, I never Tene that width to ct the stripe “Are the tripe eu oiferend widths for thedifferent peces, ike Oak, walnut, ash, fr maple? And are there ony rulen of thumb you follow when gtuing xp large panels? Bill Powell Denver, Colorado ‘Theoretically, the widths of the strips should vary according to the species of ‘wood. The reason for thsi that under the fame conditions the amount of movement {Gn all three planes — tangential, radial, Tongitudinal) can very widely from one specie of wood to another. By using nar- ower stripe with species that traditionally have a tendeney toward excessive move- iment, the illeffects in seme directions (cupping, for example) can be controlled However, there are two other factors that rally have more to do with determin- ing the amount of movement ofa particular ‘oar: the type of euting pattern that was sed to et the lg into lumber (at sawn, rift sawn, quarter saan), andthe orginal Postion ofthe individual piees in relation- hip tothe pith, or the logs center. (The ‘closer the piece is to the pith of the log, the more chance ther is that it may cup.) ‘Sointheory, thewidthofeach piece prob- ably should vary according to the species, {t's original position inthe log, and the cutting pattern used when cutting the log. But in practice, I've foun thats long as {keep the width of each strip between 5° (or all species), not only are most of the ‘cupping problems associated with wide boards eliminated, but the number of rips and joints are also kept within rea- ton: So much for theories. COLLECTING OLD Toots We just received asample copy of The Fine Tool Journal, A Newsletter on Hand Tools || for Coltectors and Craftsmen. The best ‘tools, whether for their antique ‘actual use in the shop, or just to learn more about the history of antique ‘woodworking tools will find this newslet- ter very helpful. ‘The issue we received featured articles fon modern toolmakers, and “Tid-Bits of Useful Knowledge for Tool Collector classified ad section for antique tools, anda Netng of ob xigin tol etalogs Hin PFthen Jost to toy with thelr readers, there's a column called “Whatsit?” This column deseribes a unique old tool whose {entity and purpose seem to have eluded all the experts. The hope is that a reader ‘may have crossed paths with the unknown tol before. ‘A one year subscription for 10 issues) is $10.00. For more information, contact: Sallie H. Ward, The Fine Tool Journal, RD #2, Poultney, Vermont 05764 SPLIT TURNINGS Whenever I'm turning bowls and other items on a lathe, there's a problem that ‘keeps cropping up. The problem is that the swood keeps cracking shortly after the piece is turned. Any suggestions? Ross Barnes Cleveland, Ohio Splitting or eracking of turned projects usually is caused by lumber that hasn't been properly dried. During the turning process, the wet interior of a semi-dried piece of wood is exposed to the air, and it naturally starts todry out. Unfortunately, drying lumber this way causes extreme stress in the wood as the exterior of the ‘wood dries and shrinks, and the interior stays relatively wet and stable, And when the stress created by this imbalance be- ‘comes stronger than the strength of the ‘wood itself, it shows up as splits or cracks in the surface. ‘There are two ways to eliminate the problem. The first is to use only well dried umber (dried to 7-9% moisture content) to ‘eliminate the variation in the moisture con- tent between the surface and the interior ‘of the wood. Although using either kiln dried wood, or thoroughly air dried lumber is the best fancwer, there are times when a special piece of wood shows up that can't be ‘quickly, or effectively air dried. In this case, using a product called PEG might be the answer. Polyethyiene Glycol (PEG) isa chemical that's used to stabilize emall quantities of ‘green or wet lumber (making it ideal for ‘turning stock). The only drawback is that the PEG must be in a heated vat, and the wood must be totally saturated with heated PEG. This whole process can some- times take several months, depending on ‘the wood and its thickness. ‘For more information about using PEG, including how to make a heated vat, time schedules, and sources, 'd suggest obtain- ing a copy of Working Green Wood With PEG, by Patrick Spielman, $9.25. (One source is Wooderaft Supply, 41 Atlantic ‘Ave., Woburn, MA 01888.) CUTTING DIAGRAMS When you show the dimensions of mate rial in the cutting diagrams for each proj- ‘ect, I wonder if there's any allowance made for the kerf of the saw blade? haven't seen this mentioned in any of your rticles, and there are occasions when I feel there is no allowance for kerf widths. J. F. Marthens Whittier, California We do allow for at least an % kerf for each cut. And sometimes we actually allow for wider kerfs because it's often easier to give each piece a little bit extra width, than having the artists try to draw a very thin ‘waste section on the edge of the drawing. However, we did goof on the cutting, diagram for the Tool Storage Cabinet in Woodemith No. 25. Here we forgot to make allowances for the kerfs. ‘This brings up a couple of other points ‘about the materials list and cutting dia- ‘grams. The materials list gives the quan- tity, and finished size of each piece in a rele The etting igre a gla "Part af the problem with the layout of the cutting diagram is that hardwood tsualy isnt available in “standard” sizes. ‘This makes it almost impossible to lay-out ft eatting diagram that can be used DY ‘everyone. ‘What we do is lay-out the pieces for a project in the most efficient arrangement, ‘hile at the same time keeping the overall dimensions of the lumber needed within reason (12" wide boards make great eut- ting diagrams, but they're nearly impossi- ble to obtain in most areas). ‘What this means is that the cutting lay- ‘out is only a guide. In fact, if you can't ‘purchase lumber in the sizes listed in the ‘cutting diagram, youmay need todrav out, ‘your own version to match the size of lum- ‘ber available. TH 23Sources WOODWORKING CLUBS ‘The threaded (“rosan”) inserts used to attach the legs on the pienie table in this ‘issue may be available at your local hard- ware store but if not, you can bay them from: Woodcraft Supply Corporation 41 Atlantic Avenue Woburn, MA 01888 Telephone: 1-800-225-1153 In Massachusetts: 617-985-5860 By ordering part number 12K51-FT, you'll geta package of 25 inserts which are YE long, require a "pilot hole, and accept 2-20 threaded bolt. Price per 25s $9.96. SAW BLADES, ‘The Sears blades tested in this issue are available in most Sears stores nationwide and in their special tool catalogs. Freud (PO Box 7187, 218 Feld Avenue, High Point, NC 27264) produces 2 96-page catalog which is available for $5.00. The cost of the catalog will be refunded to Woodsmith readers with their first order. If you already own a Freud blade, you can get a free copy of the eatalog simply by submitting proof of purchase, For more information about where to locate a Freud dealer in your area, eall one of these two toll free numbers: 1-800- 384-2505 or 1-800-834-4107. If you live in California, there's a special WATS num- ber: 1-800-824-0141. Forrest Manufacturing Co., Inc. only sellsits products by mail order. Soif you're interested in the Mr. Sawdust blade, other blades they make, or a copy of their eata- log, call 1-800-526-7852 (New Jersey resi- dents eall 1-201-473-5236) or write them at 250 Delawanna Avenue, Clifton, NJOTOM. WOODWORKING CLUBS ‘Just about five days after the last issue was, ‘mailed, we started to receive responses in answer to our request for information ‘about woodworking clubs. It’s not the same as being there, but.we sure enjoy reading the newsletters that are sent in. ‘What surprised us — and may surprise ‘you — is the incredible variety of wood- ‘working clubs. ‘Our offer to help with membership re- ‘eruiting and publicity for anyone who ‘wants to contribute stands. Just send any information about your clubs to Steve Krohmer, %Woodsmith, 1912 Grand Ave- nue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. Inno particular order (except sort of as they arrived) here's who we've heard from: ‘SAN JOAQUIN FINE WOODWORKERS AS. SOCIATION. Woodworkers from Fresno to Bakersfield (CA) started this elub on Feb- rruary Sth. Mark Webster, President, says ‘there'll be three chapters of the elub. Fresno, Bakersfield, and Tulare counties. ‘The club publishes a nice looking news- letter, ‘some woodworking clas- ses, and the dues are $20.00 per year. Contact: Mark R. Webster, 620 North G Street, Porterville, CA 93257 (209- 381-4074). PALM BEACH WOODCRAFTER’S CLUB. Norm C. Friedman, President of the newly formed Pulm Beach Woodcrafter’s Club, would like to hear from other clubs. ‘They need advice, copies of application forms, by-laws and the like. Ifyou ean help Norm get his club started right, write to him %The Palm Beach Woodcrafter's Club, 402 Chevron Cirele, Jupiter, FIL 38458 (305-747-0655). THE ALABAMA WOODWORKERS GUILD, ‘The Alabama Woodworkers Guild started in March. They already have a newsletter, and are planning a show in mid July. ‘We think the President of the Guild has McRee, Sr., PO Box 327, Pelham, AL 35124. ‘COLORADO WOODWORKERS GUILD. Len Erickson, President of the Colorado ‘Woodworkers’ Guild wants you to know that if you live in Colorado and are inter- ‘ested i joining the Guild, you should write tohim at PO Box 5305, Denver, CO 80217. “THE WASHINGTON (DC) WOODWORKERS. ‘GUILD. This group has it all together. They hold meetings with expert ona variety of woodworking subjects, and pro- vide what must be a popular and appreci- ated service for members: group purchas- ing of supplies and equipment. "The latest issue of their newsletter re- ported on a wine and cheese party where ‘member Chip Baker (another appropriate ‘woodworking name) said the wine was ‘somewhat lacking in substance. Later the that “Our meetings are that was the kind of meeting we'd like to attend. But Jeff ‘quickly shattered our illusions by expiain- ing the BYOB for a woodworkers guild has ‘to mean “bring your own boards.” If you're in the Washington, D.C., area, ccontaet. Ed Mark, ; 1656 Dun: terry Place, McLean, VA 22101 for more information, SOUTHWEST ASSOCIATION OF WOOD: ‘WORKERS ‘SAW. There's a new association of woodworkers forming in the Oklahoma City area. 'SAW’s (nice name, huh?) membership is currently made up'of Federal Aviation ‘Administration (FAA) instructors and technicians at the Oklahoma City Aero- ‘nautical Center, but is open to anyone and. ‘everyone outside the FAA who is inter- ‘ested in becoming an active, participating, member. ‘Their meetings center around teaching new or different techniques, many of ‘which are based on Woodsmith articles (8 source we highly recommend) ‘They're also looking forward to com municating and exchanging. ideas with ‘other clubs. Contact: Robert Pettingll, Southwest Association of Woodworkers, 1206 South Highland, Mustang, OK 70046 or eall 405-370-1705. FLORIDA WOODWORKERS ASSOCIATION, W.B. Keeton, 210 Thomas Court NW, Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32548 says the Florida Woodworkers Association is thrve month old and already has $0 members. Thay meet the first Thursday of the month to ideas and help each other. 10 W. B. for more information. 1WCCG. Those initials are the acronym {or the most unusual woodworkers organ: ization we've heard from yet (are there ‘to come?) The International Wooden Contin Craftsman's Guid ‘Why don't let Tyrone D. Gormley, one of the founders, aay it "Quite recently ‘ome frends around the country formed & special elu. We are] interested in making ‘Wooden coffins. Tknow this bit unusual (yes, we'd agree with that) but there has been an upsurge in the at of the wooden coffin andthe making of i “Currently have list of 20 persons who are corresponding with each other, If any of your subscribers want to inguire about the Guild, and receive all informa tion and lists of persons, have them write tome at 3005 Val rive, Austin, TX 78723, Send $2.00 for postage and duplication ents.” ‘THE WOODWORKERS CLUB (CENTRAL tows). Right in our own backyard is a | ‘woodworking club open to anyone in Gene | ‘Treasurer, 4905 Ross Road,” Ames, 50010. Phone: 515-282-1567 24 we