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Filled With Good Craftsmanship, the Best Techniques and No Ads

Traditional
Workbench
Rediscovered
19th-Century Design
Outworks Most Wimpy
Modern Benches
Flush-Cut Saws: Meet
The $22 Tool that
Rips the Competition
Better & Simpler
Hand-Tool Rack
Pumpkin Pine Finish:
Chemistry Adds
100 Years in a Day
Bore Better: Become a
Human Drill Press

woodworking-magazine.com ■ AUTUMN 2007

 “The only really good place to buy lumber is at a store where the

Contents
lumber has already been cut and attached together in the form
of furniture, finished and put inside boxes.”
— Dave Barry, columnist and author

1 On the Level 36 Be a Better Borer

Is wood a precious natural resource that we Drilling accurate holes freehand is
should treat like gold, or is it something a skill worth learning. Our simple
even more important for the exercises will show you how to
woodworker? bore accurate and true with an
electric drill or a brace and bit.
2 Letters
Questions, comments and wisdom 42 Pumpkin Pine
from readers, experts and our staff. You don’t have to wait 100 years for your pine
to develop a beautiful amber glow. How about
5 Shortcuts one day and three off-the-shelf products?

Tricks and tips that will make your

woodworking simpler and more accurate. 44 E
 nd Grain:
Caught in the Act
8 Holtzapffel Workbench Following the rules of woodworking can some-
We revive a 19th-century bench that was times box you into a corner. We discuss how
designed just for cabinetmakers. This unique we go about bending or breaking the rules
and simple bench blends the best features from every day in our shop.
German, French and English designs. holtzapffel bench: page 8

24 Wall-hung Tool Racks

Toolboxes, chest and cabinets are ideal for stor-
ing your tools during transport, but they aren’t
convenient for the workshop. The classic solu-
tion is to build a simple rack above the bench.
After experimenting in our shop, we found the
best dimensions to create a simple rack that
holds a wide array of tools.

27 Glossary discover flush-cut saw techniques: page 32

Our illustrated guide to some of the unfamiliar
terminology you’ll encounter in this issue.

28 Flush-cutting Saws
Is there a difference between a flush-cutting
saw that costs $15 and one that costs $94? We
tested seven and found significant (and surpris-
ing) differences among these no-set saws.

32 D
 iscover Flush-cut
Saw Techniques
Whatever you do, don’t use your flush-cutting
saw the way that the woodworking catalogs
show you. You’ll end up with a bent blade.
Here’s the right way to use these saws so they
cut pegs and tenons flush without marring
wall-hung tool racks: page 24 your work surface. pumpkin pine: page 42
 Autumn 2007
On the Level
Why I Waste Wood
woodworking-magazine.com
Editorial Offices 513-531-2690
Publisher & Group Editorial Director
■ Steve Shanesy
ext. 1238, [email protected]
Editor ■ Christopher Schwarz
ext. 1407, [email protected]
Art Director ■ Linda Watts
ext. 1396, [email protected]
Senior Editor ■ Robert W. Lang
N o one told my eldest daughter that it would
be difficult to make clothing by hand and by eye
cherry trees in an hour to last me more than 100
lifetimes of building furniture.
ext. 1327, [email protected] – without a pattern, a machine or even a lesson. It was that trip that changed my view of the
Senior Editor ■ Glen D. Huey And perhaps because no one told Maddy that raw material we work with. Before that moment,
ext. 1293, [email protected]
it would be hard, it wasn’t. During the last three I would squeeze every single part of a project out
Managing Editor ■ Megan Fitzpatrick
ext. 1348, [email protected] years she has made more than a hundred gar- of the fewest number of rough boards, even if that
Illustrator ■ Matt Bantly ments for her stuffed animals, from jogging suits meant compromising the design or aesthetics. I
photographer ■ Al Parrish to sequined disco pants to chain mail. She works would allow myself to use a board with a less-
F+W PUBLICATIONS INC.
entirely by instinct. Never measuring. Just cut- than-ideal grain pattern in a face frame or door
David H. Steward ■ Chairman & CEO ting, stitching and improving. stile or stretcher. This, I argued to myself, was
John Speridakos ■ COO/CFO Now, every parent will tell you that their child being a good steward of the forest.
Barbara Schmitz ■ VP, Manufacturing is remarkable, but I don’t think that’s the case Now I see things differently. I get only one
John Lerner ■ Executive VP, Interactive Media here. I don’t think Maddy is a stitching savant. I chance to make each project. And the fate of
Eric Svenson ■ Group Publisher, Interactive Media
think that she simply is acting on an impulse and that project – kicked to the curb or cherished
F+W PUBLICATIONS INC. without fear of failure. by my grandchildren – depends on the choices
MAGAZINE GROUP
It would be easy (read: lazy) for me to now end I make today with regard to its design, grain,
Colin Ungaro ■ President
Sara DeCarlo ■ VP, Consumer Marketing this column with that same advice about wood- joints and finish.
Tom Wiandt ■ Business Planning Director working: Don’t be afraid; just get to it. But I know I don’t throw away tons of wood, but I’m not
Sara Dumford ■ Conference Director that the fear of failure can be crippling. afraid to plow through lots of it to find the right
Linda Engel ■ Circulation Director For example, last board. I’m not afraid to
Susan Rose ■ Newsstand Director
week I taught Maddy make a lot of test cuts
PRODUCTION how to pump gasoline. “Don’t fear slow, only fear stop.” to get a tight joint. And
Production Manager ■ Vicki Whitford
Production Coordinator ■ Katherine Seal
Learning that common I’m not afraid to make
task was so stressful — Chinese saying a lot of sample boards
Newsstand Distribution: Curtis Circulation Co.,
730 River Road, New Milford, NJ 07646 that by the end of the to get the right finish.
lesson, her hands were My leftover pieces end
Back issues are available. For pricing information or to order, call
800-258-0929, visit our web site at woodworking-magazine.com or trembling a bit as she yanked the receipt from up as interior parts for a future project, as kin-
send check or money order to : Woodworking Magazine Back Issues, the pump. At first I was bemused by her trepida- dling or as compost at the dump. So here’s my
F+W Publications Products, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990. Please
specify Woodworking Magazine and month. tion. But then I realized the difference between confession: I now throw away more wood than
pumping gas and pushing a sewing needle. It was I ever did before.
the raw material. But here’s how I rationalize that choice: The
Maddy has a lifetime supply of cloth in our more wood I go through, the better my end result
basement, thanks to the women in my life who is. And wood is a renewable resource. We can
buy it for her. And when she needs more sequined get it almost anywhere, even rescuing it from the
Highly Recommended fabric to make a disco jacket and floppy hat to city dump if we so desire. Furthermore, wood is
I’m often asked to recommend a book for peo- match the pants, it will cost her a dollar or two inexpensive when compared to the hours of labor
ple who want to learn hand tools. Here’s my for a supply that will last many years. invested in any piece of fine workmanship.
best recommendation: Robert Wearing’s “The Now consider gasoline: It’s precious, poi- All this makes me bristle when I see compa-
Essential Woodworker.” It covers basic hand sonous and explosive. So here’s my real point: nies hawking virgin plastic products under the
skills better than any I think that wood is a lot more like cloth than it guise of “saving a tree.” Where do they think
other book. And it is like gasoline. plastic comes from? It comes from petroleum.
shows you how to This statement might be hard for some of us to So consider this: We can (and should) always
put them to use swallow at first. It was for me. I’m a conservation- plant more trees (or make more sequined cloth).
to b uil d a ba sic ist at heart, and saving the trees always seemed Compressing dinosaur poop for a million years,
cabinet, table and like a good idea when I was growing up. however, is another matter. WM
drawer. You can But home woodworkers aren’t really the source
find it used for $10 of the problem when you talk about deforesta-
to $20. tion, which I know is a critical problem in some
— Christopher places on the globe. Several years ago I toured the
Schwarz hardwood forests of Pennsylvania with a group of Christopher Schwarz
journalists and watched loggers cut down enough Editor

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 
Letters ILLUSTRATIONS BY HAYES SHANESY

A Forecast for Successful Fuming plan on putting the vise screw 9" from the top of Truck Restoration Finish Advice
the bench like you did. So, how much higher do
My nephew and I are constructing some quar- I am restoring a 1957 GMC truck. The step-side
you think I could place the parallel guide and still
tersawn white oak frames to hold some Motawi bed has wood strips in it. There is a choice of
maintain good, solid clamping pressure to hold
tiles that my wife purchased. kits with either pine or oak for new replacement
pieces for carving and chiseling?
We need some advice on fuming. (Yes, I know wood. I am thinking of using the oak. However,
I was planning on placing the parallel guide
it’s dangerous.) I have two questions:
20" from the benchtop instead of placing it at the
My wife’s family is in the seed and fertilizer 1) Is oak the better choice for an outdoor appli-
floor. Would this result in a significant decrease
business, and have about 7,500 gallons of NH3 cation such as this?
in clamping force?
on hand, which my brother-in-law tells me is 30 2) What type of finish would be good?
Jason Wood
percent ammonia in layman’s terms. I think it There are so many products out there, and I have
Ramsey, Minnesota
should work for fuming. seen some that have been exposed to the extreme
Jason,
Our question is: Do we need to wait for warm heat and sun we get here near Las Vegas. They
You are going to be fine with your parallel guide
weather (we live in Iowa) to fume? blister and peel in less than a year. In the truck bed
at 20" from the benchtop. I went out to the shop
We will wear respirators and eye protection there really is no way to reapply the finish once it is
and checked the pressure by using a small block
when we place a small amount in a pie pan in the in place on the truck bed due to the steel supports
of wood as a fulcrum at 20". I couldn’t even tell
small plastic enclosure box that we are making for and runners used to hold the wood in place.
the difference from what I normally get from the
the frames. We will try a sample piece first. Jack Sivertson
vise with the guide at the floor.
We have read quite a bit about the fuming pro- Henderson, Nevada
The real reason the parallel guide is at the floor
cess, and we are fortunate to have the contacts Jack,
is to make it easier to cut the open mortise in the
to get a quart of the ammonia to use when we get I would definitely use oak and preferably white
leg for the parallel guide. Leg vises have power
the frames finished. We just need to know if the oak (which is actually more brownish in color).
to spare.
weather should be warm. White oak is not only harder than red oak, but
Christopher Schwarz, editor
Greg Humphrey it’s a wood that’s actually good for outdoor use.
Fort Madison, Iowa As to finish, buy the most expensive marine
Greg, varnish you can find – the kind used on old Chris-
It sounds like you’re going to be doing this out- Craft boats. It’s expensive because it’s a “long oil”
side (which is a good idea) and if that’s the case, and has ample ultraviolet (UV) light-resistance
you’ll have better results in warmer weather. The additive. The extra oil, making it a “long oil,”
fuming process depends on the liquid ammonia keeps the finish more flexible, which helps with
evaporating, and as with water, the evaporation the expansion/contraction problem you’ll get
will go more quickly with a warmer temperature. with high heat. The UV additives are like “sun-
If you’re building a tent, a very small heater would glasses” for the wood. UV light degrades wood
also be effective. fiber and when this happens, the wood to which
The agricultural ammonia should work just the finish is literally stuck degrades so the finish
fine. I get mine from a blueprint-supply company, has nothing more to adhere to. That’s when the
and it’s about 26 percent, so what you have will be blistering occurs.
slightly stronger, and should take a bit less time. Also, be aware that no varnish will be perma-
Test some pieces and be careful. 20" from nent in the sun. You’re going to have to re-apply
benchtop
Robert W. Lang, senior editor the finish in the future. When the truck’s all done
is effective
but the wood finishing, you could just send it my
way and I’ll take care of that for you. It might take
Can a Leg Vise be Adjusted 20" from benchtop is a couple years though!
Without Losing Pressure? effective Steve Shanesy, publisher
The Roubo workbench you made (Autumn 2005)
has inspired me to build my own. I plan to incor- Can Mortise Chisel Handles
porate a leg vise, and I have a few questions.
I know that the farther away the parallel guide
Take a Good Beating?
is from the vise screw, the more powerful its grip Your piece on mortising chisels (Spring 2007)
can be. However, I would like to place it higher up was, for me at least, dead on-target. I had been
on the leg vise, so that when I do have to change considering the Ray Iles chisels, but was hesitating
the pin or put a block down there I will just have for two reasons. First, I have three sets of mortise
to bend over slightly rather than squat down. I Usual parallel guide location chisels already (both Sorby’s London Pattern and

 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

heavy-duty monsters from Two Cherries). Second, to achieve more thickness. Will this be sufficient “Basically, I no longer work for any-
I was considering the Lie-Nielsen ones. to prevent flexing?
The one issue not addressed in your article is I also like the concept of using the Veritas bench
thing but the sensation I have while
the longevity of the handles. So many authors have dogs and Wonder Dogs so as to eliminate the hassle working.”
noted how common it is to find “pigsticker” pattern of making a tail vise. The jaw of the Wonder Dog — John Gay (1685 - 1732)
chisels with cracked handles. I have seen quite a appears to be about 1 ⁄2" thick, so planing at that English poet and dramatist
few of these with makeshift repairs generally con- thickness or less will be problematic, right?
sisting of wire neatly and tightly wrapped around I am left handed so I assume I should put the
a cracked handle. For this reason, I was consid- face vise on the right end of the bench when fac- using air-dried wood and checking its moisture
ering the Lie-Nielsens with their socket handles. ing it, correct? content to ensure you don’t have any surprises
However, after your glowing review, how could Please also note that the nice Southern yellow ahead when you mill your material.
anyone resist purchasing the Iles’ products? pine you use is not available in my neck of the You also need to be more careful with air-dried
Mind you, I’m still considering the Lie- woods (Minnesota) but I suspect almost anything wood when it comes to mold and fungus. Kiln-
Nielsens, but they’re going to have to wait for from the local big box stores can be used for the drying kills these organisms; air-drying does not.
next year’s capital budget. under frame of the bench. Also, when it comes to softwoods, kiln-drying will
Also, the brace in the photo on page 19 of the Peter Borth crystallize the wood’s resins, making the boards
Spring 2007 issue is quite substantial looking; I Maple Grove, Minnesota less sappy and nasty on your tools.
couldn’t put my finger on the model or manufac- Peter, As I see it, the rest is up for debate. The kiln-
turer. Would you mind sharing who the manu- On workbenches: You should be fine with the drying people say their wood will have fewer
facturer was? commercial top. Maple is quite stiff, and you’re drying defects. The air-dried people say they can
Larry Ewing only talking about a short span. When you mor- get the same yield when drying is done with care.
Chicago, Illinois tise, simply work over the legs to avoid flexing The air-dried people say their wood is superior
the top. And you can use any wood for the base, in that the kiln-dried stuff has a “dead” feeling.
Tang handle even white pine. I’ve never experienced this, however.
The Veritas Wonder Dogs are actually 5⁄8" thick, I work with both. Instead of judging the wood
which is their only real disadvantage. You can by the process that dried it, I judge the wood on its
Ray Iles
work around the problem with thin wooden shims grain, figure, defects and moisture content. If the
mortise chisel
if you need to. boards meets all, or at least most of, my criteria,
And you are exactly right about reversing the I’ll buy it and use it.
face vise/end vise positions for a lefty. On the subject of rough lumber versus S2S or
Christopher Schwarz, editor S4S, this is a question that is more about your
Socket handle
tooling and your time.

Lie-Nielsen
Wood-selection Woes You’ll save money if you buy rough lumber, but
chisel
you’ll need heavy-duty machinery to process it
In one woodworking course that I took, the and allow more time in your schedule for process-
instructor said he no longer uses kiln-dried wood ing. You’ll also face more surprises with rough
for his projects; instead he uses air-dried lumber. lumber (both good and bad) because beautiful
In another course, the instructor said that he only figure and ugly figure can be obscured when the
Larry, buys so-called “rough and ready” lumber for his board is in a rough form.
The Ray Iles chisels take a heck of a beating. I projects. And, recently I read that one should not If you buy surfaced stock, you’ll be better able
have one of the first sets made, have used them use S2S lumber. But, another of my woodworking to judge the figure of what you are buying and it
quite a bit and am impressed. I don’t think a home instructors sees no particular issue with S2S stuff, will take less time when you are processing it,
woodworker would ever have to worry about the as long as you buy it thick enough to “re-mill.” but it will cost more and you do need to be more
longevity of the handles. So, what’s a fellow to do? concerned about warping, twisting and bowing.
And the brace? It’s the best brace ever made. Dave Raeside Surfaced stock that has been poorly processed or
Ever. It’s a North Bros. Yankee brace. You can Norman, Oklahoma stored will be more warped. So buying over-thick
find them on eBay. Also, tool dealer Sanford Dave, stock is a typical fall-back position.
Moss sometimes has some to sell: sydnassloot. The question is a great one, but I’m afraid my So this debate comes down to judging the stock
com/tools.htm. answer won’t be definitive. I think it is, for the most in front of you. If you are looking at rough stock,
I can’t say enough good things about the North part, a white wine versus red wine question. you need to develop an eye for picking out good
Bros. It’s the Cadillac. There is great advantage to using air-dried figure in rough material. If you buy surfaced
Christopher Schwarz, editor lumber in some cases. Some species, such as stock, you need to be acutely aware of twisting
walnut and redwood, are often steamed during and warping. And, you have to consider the time
Benchtops and Bench Dogs processing to migrate some of the color from the factor and extra cost.
heartwood into the sapwood. The result is that Christopher Schwarz, editor
I would like to build my workbench so it is stout the boards have less color overall. I think steamed
enough for handplaning activity and occasional walnut looks rather flat when you compare it to
mortise chopping. I can get a laminated maple top the stuff that hasn’t been steamed.
In Search of the Perfect Tenon
that is about 13⁄4" thick for about $150, which seems However, air-dried wood is less likely to be
the route to go. I have a small shop, so 24" x 60" stable and acclimated to its environment because I have been making a carcase using mortise-and-
will do. I am concerned if 13⁄4" is thick enough, as of the unpredictable nature of the drying process. tenon joinery. I cut the tenons on my table saw
I do not relish the task of laminating my own top As a result, you need to be more careful when using the dado blade and left a little extra to trim

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 
off for a good, snug fit. Then, I made the mortises to use drawbore joints as you described in the
using my drill press and squared up the mortise Autumn 2005 issue. I think I would get more
using chisel and mallet. holding power. Can you make a comparison?
The problem I found with using a shoulder Don Boys
plane on the tenons to size each for its respec- Hope, Michigan
tive mortise, was that I frequently ended with Don,
the tenon tapering toward its end. I even clamped You raise an interesting question. I don’t think
a good straight piece of oak on the piece I was that either method (simple pegging or drawbor-
working to keep me referenced square. I used the ing) strengthens the joint in all cases. In fact, any
plane at waist height and used my body to try to peg has the potential to weaken it if the joint is
get a nice fluid motion back and forth. subjected to sudden stress. That’s because the
Any other hints for me? Also, my mortises were peg can rip up the mortise and make the piece
not perfect but I figure I will get better each time impossible to repair.
I do them. Should I switch to mortising chisels However, the peg can provide other benefits. A
instead of bevel-edge chisels here? simple non-drawbored peg can keep an assembly
Michael Schnurr together if the glue fails in the joint. If the assem-
Ames, Iowa bly isn’t subjected to sudden shocks, the joint will
Michael, only become loose instead of falling apart. This
This is an interesting problem with many valid can be an advantage in some cases.
solutions. Here are a few that spring to mind. A drawbored peg offers you other advantages. If
1. When you hold your shoulder plane, focus the the wood is a bit wet, it will keep the assembly tight
downward pressure directly over the bevel of the as it dries. If your cheek fit is loose, it will tighten
cutter to keep the tool in the cut and consistently up the joint. If you cannot get a clamp across the
cutting. I place my fingers right over the blade assembly, it will pull up everything tight.
when grasping the tool. So – bottom line – I would leave the joint
2. Count the strokes you are making near the unpegged completely if you have a nice tight fit,
shoulder and near the end of the tenon. Be careful are using modern glue and the assembly is unlikely
about overlapping the cuts as you get comfortable to see much stress.
with using the shoulder plane. It is a finesse tool. are the dimensions for those I-beams, and what Christopher Schwarz, editor
Speed will come later. would you consider the ideal length?
I already have some heavy-duty sawhorses and
3. Alternately, disregard all the advice above
I think your I-beams and those sawhorses will do
Does Table Stand Test of Time?
and embrace a tenon that has a slight taper. Some
woodworkers swear that a slightly tapered tenon everything I need – and then some. I was thinking about building the trestle table
can be a good thing. They worry that a piston-fit Richard D. Welsh from the Autumn 2006 issue. I was curious, now
tenon will scrape all your glue away from the mor- Washington, D.C. that some time has passed, have you been happy
tise walls. A taper will help spread the adhesive Richard, with it? Has it been stable? Do you like the size?
evenly and a tenon has plenty of strength, even The I-beams, along with the boxes they sit on, were Are there any improvements you would make if
when tapered. I personally don’t try to achieve featured in the Autumn 2005 edition of Wood- you were building another one?
a slight taper in my tenons, but if the end tapers working Magazine. Rob Parsons
a bit, I don’t fret. The three plywood pieces are 3 ⁄4" thick x 43 ⁄4" Peachtree City, Georgia
4. Try a different tool approach. You can use a wide. The top and bottom piece have a 1 ⁄4" dado Rob,
router plane and a scrap of wood that is the same for the vertical center piece, making the over- We’ve been very pleased with the table. It has
thickness as your tenoned piece to produce dead- all height 53 ⁄4". The set I have now were ripped remained sturdy and the design specs (based on
perfect tenons. If you have a router plane, this is from a full sheet of plywood, so they are 96" long. classic formulas) make it comfortable for sitting.
worth trying. If you don’t have a router plane, I Depending on the work you do, a 4'-, 5'-, or 6'- The only change I would make is that I wouldn’t
would keep practicing with the shoulder plane. length might be more manageable. I can’t take use through-chamfers on the post. I’d stop them.
As to your chisel question, I used bevel-edge the credit for these – they are a common item in That would look more traditional.
chisels for cleaning mortise corners for many cabinet shops in Cleveland, but I don’t think I’ve The table also looks good without chamfers (as
years. That works fine. You don’t have to have seen them elsewhere. in the one I built for my home). WM
mortise chisels to cut mortises. They just make Robert W. Lang, senior editor Christopher Schwarz, editor
the job easier when hogging out material from
scratch without drilling out material first. Drawbore v. Pegs: Which
Christopher Schwarz, editor Offers More Holding Power? HOW TO CONTACT US
Send your comments and questions via
Details on the Shop Boxes I tend to get Woodworking Magazine and read the e-mail to [email protected], or by
articles as I find a need for the skill. This week, I regular mail to Woodworking Magazine,
I am thinking of building the knock-down work- am making frame-and-panel doors with hand-cut Letters, 4700 E. Galbraith Road,
station in ShopNotes Vol. 15 Issue 87. The work- mortises, so I studied “Mortising by Hand” in the Cincinnati, OH 45236. Please include
station includes a sort of I-beam in its design. Spring 2007 issue. I hope I can end up with a 7⁄8"- your complete mailing address and day-
However, I was recently looking at your blog thick frame, and want a 5 ⁄16"-wide mortise. time phone number. All letters become
on popularwoodworking.com and noticed the While reading the same issue, I came upon Glen property of Woodworking Magazine.
“I” beams you constructed for your shop. What Huey’s article on pegged joints. I had planned

 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

Shortcuts ILLUSTRATIONS BY HAYES SHANESY

Set a Miter Gauge or Sliding Table Perfectly Square

Setting a table saw’s miter gauge or sliding table to MDF, UHMW (ultra-high molecular weight) zero between the beginning and end of the cut,
make a perfectly square crosscut can be an endless plastic found in jigs, or even plywood. The key is then your gauge or sliding table needs adjustment.
cycle of cutting, testing and tweaking. I’ve found to have a piece of work that has a square corner, Simply adjust your gauge or table until the needle
a quick and easy way to square my crosscutting smooth edges and is at least 1 ⁄4" thick. stays on zero as you move the square past the dial
devices using an inexpensive dial indicator with Now stick your dial indicator to your table saw’s indicator. (Actually, being a couple thousandths
a magnetic base and a known square surface. top and place the plunger against one corner of off won’t hurt anything, but I like to shoot for
Here’s how. Place your known square surface your square. Zero out the needle of the dial indi- perfection.) Then go to work. No test cuts are
in position against your miter gauge or the fence cator. Now push your miter gauge or sliding table necessary to confirm the setting.
of your sliding table. I use a machinist’s square forward, as if you were making a cut, and watch Kelly Mehler
with a thick blade. You also could use a piece of the needle on the dial indicator. If it moves off Berea, Kentucky

Note needle’s position at the beginning … … and compare it to its position at the end.

Corner is a
perfect 90°

Sticks and Nails Slash the Time You Must Wait for a Finish to Dry Two Quick Table Saw Tricks
Whenever I finish a piece of furniture, I use my ■ The purpose of a zero-clearance insert on the
“finishing sticks” to cut in half the time I spend table saw is usually seen as preventing tear-out
finishing a project. Here’s how they work: on the bottom of the work and keeping thin pieces
Make your finishing sticks from narrow and from falling through the blade slot. But it has
long offcuts. With a brad nailer, drive an another function that can increase accuracy and
array of 11 ⁄4"-long brads through the sticks. speed your setups. The kerf makes it incredibly
Use the same brad size, no matter what the easy to set the fence, a stop on the miter gauge, or
thickness of your offcuts is. a piece of wood to be cut at the exact location of
Now lay these sticks out in your finishing where the blade will be when cutting. Just line up
area. When I spray lacquer I put a stick on top of a pencil line on your work to the kerf in the insert
each of my sawhorses. When I finish in the shop instead of with a tooth on the blade.
with a rag-on or brush-on finish I put an array of
them on my bench. ■ The hollow, square tube that serves as the front
When finishing furniture, almost every com- rail of most rip fence systems is a great place to
ponent has a show side and a non-show side. So be rubbed out so you can’t see them. Or you can keep the arbor wrench, push stick or other small
begin finishing the non-show side with your work just leave them because they are barely noticeable item in easy reach, yet out of the way. Some saws
on the sticks. With the finish still wet, flip the work and they will be on the underside of the shelf or have a plastic cap on the end of the tube. Throw the
over onto the sticks and finish the piece’s edges the inside of a door. cap in the trash and keep the wrench in the now-
and the show side. This trick, simple as it is, cuts out a significant accessible space.
In almost all cases, the nail tips create only amount of time from your finishing process. Robert W. Lang, senior editor
small indentations in the finish. These can easily Christopher Schwarz, editor

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 
Trim Face Frames Flush With the Help of Some Scotch Tape
When building cabinets, I like to attach the face frame to the
cabinet with a little bit of an overhang, then trim the face frame
flush with the outside of the carcase. A bearing-guided flush-
trim router bit works well for this, but if there are indentations
on the carcase they will be transferred to the face frame, or
sometimes I don’t want to take the time to install the router bit
just for one quick operation. Also, while the router is my favorite
portable power tool, I do admit that it is a bit noisy.
I figured out a quick and easy way to use an edge-trimming
plane as a flush-trimming plane, similar to a flush-trim router
bit. The problem is that I run the risk of making some cuts
into the carcase if I take off too much material. The solution I Apply single layer of
Scotch tape to sole
found was to put a piece of Scotch tape on the lowest edge of
the plane in the positions shown in the drawing. The thickness
of the tape is about the amount that the plane iron protrudes
through the sole of the plane. (I didn’t actually measure this.)
The tape ends up being the equivalent of the bearing on the
flush-trim router bit. Tape prevents plane’s
With the tape in place, I trim the face frame flush until the blade from cutting side
plane stops cutting. Then, the work is done. of cabinet
Steven McDaniel
Humboldt, Tennessee

Plane Irons are Good for More Than Just Planing

The plane iron in your block plane or bench their cutting edge so the corners won’t dig into Longer plane irons are also excellent mark-
plane is useful for many workshop tasks once your work when you scrape with them. To do ing and cutting knives. When I need to mark an
you remove it from the plane’s body. this, hold the iron upright like a scraper and use accurate line across a piece of work with a recess,
I use a sharp block-plane iron to slice off runs the unbeveled side of the iron as the cutting edge. I’ll lay a wooden straightedge across the work
and sags left behind when I apply too much finish Because there’s no hook – unlike what you find on and run the unbeveled face of the iron against
to a workpiece. Be sure to let the finish dry before a traditional card scraper – the scraper will take the straightedge and use a corner of the iron to
attempting this. Place the plane iron flat on the only light cuts. This can be a good thing. mark the work. This gets me into places my other
work and move it forward into the sag. The cut- I also use my plane irons like a wide paring marking knife won’t go because its handle gets in
ting edge will slice the sag off the surface of your chisel. Sometimes I need to remove a thin sliver of the way or the blade isn’t long enough.
work. Then you can re-sand the piece and apply waste in a corner and need an accurate and clean I’ll also use a plane iron in a similar fashion to
the next coat. This trick is both faster and more cut; I’ll use a wide plane iron instead of a chisel. slice thin veneer strips. I’ll lay the straightedge
effective than sanding out a run or a sag. This is ideal when surgically removing junk from on my cut line on the veneer. Then I run the iron
I also use my plane irons as scrapers. The iron a rabbet or tenon shoulder. The wide iron can against the straightedge like a knife. The mass
from a smoothing plane or jointer plane works remove the waste in one clean cut – a typical bench of the iron is an asset with this cut – you don’t
quite well as a scraper to remove localized tear- chisel will require several overlapping cuts, and need to press down as hard as you would with a
out. These irons typically have a slight curve to you might not overlap them all perfectly. typical shop knife.
Christopher Schwarz, editor

Plane iron flat on work

Recess
in work

Finish run

Wooden straightedge

 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

Change the Height of Your Benchtop in a Snap How to Make Any Size Dowel
A low workbench is great for handplaning and First decide how low you want your workbench Using Your Table Saw
assembly, but it can be murder on older backs or to be for planing and build it to that height – our When working with dowels, it seems we never
when trying to do close-quarters work, such as 6' 35 ⁄ 8" editor finds that 32" to 34" high is right have the exact diameter we need for the task at
inlay. You could build two workbenches at dif- for him. hand. Or perhaps we need a truly odd-size dowel
ferent heights, or you could make your bench Then build simple risers that are the same width for an odd job.
convertible with this trick we picked up years ago as your workbench and are as high as the height Here’s the fastest and easiest way to remedy
from an English woodworking book. you want to add to your bench. Want to add 5"? that problem – and you don’t need a lathe.
This trick comes from English author Robert Make the risers 5" high. Put the risers in place Get a dowel that is slightly larger than the diam-
Wearing, who describes it as a solution used in under your bench and attach the risers to your legs eter you require and is at least 24" long. Set the
the manual-training schools for dealing with using a cabinet hinge – one hinge on each leg. fence on your table saw to remove half of the
children both young and old. When you want to lower your workbench, sim- waste. Here’s an example: Say you have a 5 ⁄ 8"
ply lift up the top a little and fold each riser out dowel and need a 1 ⁄ 2" dowel – you are going to
from under the legs and set the bench’s feet on the waste away 1 ⁄ 8". Half of that is 1 ⁄ 16", so set your
floor. When you want to raise the workbench, lift fence to 9 ⁄16". Raise your blade up high if you want
up the top and fold the riser in under the legs. a clean cut (don’t forget the guard) or you can keep
from the Woodworking Magazine staff the blade fairly low if the final appearance of the
dowel isn’t important.
Turn on the saw and feed the dowel into the
space between the fence and blade. With your
hands safely away from the blade, rotate the dowel
and feed it forward. I like to rotate it clockwise,
but both directions work. The sides of the teeth
of the sawblade trim the dowel to your finished
diameter.
When you have fed enough dowel into the blade
for the job you need, turn off the saw, let the blade
Stretcher stop then remove the workpiece. WM
joins risers Roger Amrol
Columbia, South Carolina

Table saw
fence
Bench in Low Position 3" to 5" typical

Saw blade
trims dowel
to final size
Butt hinges keep
risers in place

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Bench in High Position

of Woodworking Magazine.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 
The Holtzapffel Workbench
This 19th-century design is a bit German, a bit French and entirely ingenious.
Plus, we came up with a way around the typical sagging tail vise.

T he Industrial Revolution did as much harm

as it did good to the world of woodworking and
minded people thought that children should learn
to do something with their hands (what with the
turies. The old-style craftsman-made benches
were displaced by the modern manufactured
workbenches. The Industrial Revolution created entire world becoming automatic and mechani- form that is dominant still today.
machines that could make metal handplanes and cal). And the Industrial Revolution created both But in 1875, when the world was balanced
handsaws in tremendous numbers, but it also the market for and the ability to manufacture on a precipice with its rural past behind it and
created the woodworking machinery that made workbenches to encourage the spread of the the modern age spread before it, this bench was
those hand tools obsolete. manual-training movement. published in an English book: “Holtzapffel’s
The Industrial Revolution created the man- And this, in my opinion, changed the course Construction, Action and Application of Cut-
ual training movement (shop class) when good- of workbench design in the 19th and 20th cen- ting Tools Volume II,” by Charles Holtzapffel.

PHOTO BY AL PARRISH

This 19th-century workbench can be built with bolts to be knocked down, or it can be built as a permanent addition to your shop, as shown here.

 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

It’s a tremendous book even today and need some way to hold boards so you can work on
is crammed with details on working their ends, long edges and faces with a minimum
wood and metal with both hand and of Rube Goldberging. This bench is designed for
power tools. a woodworker who builds typical furniture
The author was the head of Holtza- using both hand and power tools. It
pffel & Co. of London, a tool-making excels at working on panels with
enterprise that is best known for its line planes or sanders. And it is the
of elaborate lathes but also manufactured best bench I have ever used for
everything from scissors to gardening equip- hand dovetailing.
ment to exquisite miter planes. Here are the details so you
I have doubts that Charles Holtzapffel actu- can decide if this setup is for you. The
ally designed or even advocated this particular face vise is a massive twin-screw vise that offers
bench. He died in 1849, and the edition of my 24" between the screws. This ensures that you
book came out in 1875. I really should scare up an will be able to clamp almost any case side, door
earlier edition of the book and see what or drawer in its jaws for dovetailing, sawing or
sort of bench might be lurking there. planing. The wide spacing of the screws also
But that could be an expensive whim. allows you to clamp a 72"-long board on edge
Original copies of the 1875 books can for handplaning with ease.
cost $1,500 a set. Earlier editions are The holes in the leg under the vise are for
even harder to find. holdfasts. These support your work from below
The Holtzapffel has old-world features, such as its and even allow you to clamp the work to the leg
Why Build the Holztapffel? tree-trunk legs. And it has elaborate workhold- if the need arises. You can use two metal screws
The Holtzapffel workbench is the third archaic ing, such as its sexy-looking tail vise. Unlike some to make this vise, or you can use the commercial
workbench that I’ve built and put to use in a mod- other benches of this era, the Holtzapffel blends Veritas Twin-Screw vise for this bench. (I used
several traditions to create an effective bench.
ern shop. Each of the three benches had a deep wooden screws that I had been saving for some
connection to the culture that developed it. The time.) Each strategy has pluses and minuses.
bench from A.J. Roubo’s 18th-century books is as The wooden screws are more fragile than
French as bernaise, strong coffee and berets (see part – pushed out so they are flush with the front iron, though they are durable enough for normal
the Autumn 2005 issue). The bench from Peter edge of the benchtop. This arrangement allows workshop tasks. I like how they don’t mark your
Nicholson’s 19th-century “Mechanical Exercises” you to use the legs and stretchers as clamping work with grease, which is a common problem
(visit our blog to see photos) is entirely British. surfaces, which is handy when working long with metal screws. The wooden screws operate
The only other place this English bench shows boards and large frame assemblies. independently – this allows you to easily clamp
up with any regularity is in the Colonies. I’ve built five or so benches using a bolt sys- tapered and odd-shaped pieces, but it forces you
The Holtzapffel is a cultural mongrel. The tem and find it great for benches that will have to pay more attention to advancing and retracting
Holtzapffels were Germans who settled in Eng- to travel on occasion. For homebody benches, the screws in tandem and with two hands.
land. And the bench has features of both cultures drawbored mortise-and-tenon joints are just as Using two independent metal screws is also a
that, in my opinion, create a bench that is out- good. If you go with the bolt system, you can fine choice (see the Supplies box for a source for
standing for cabinetmaking. shorten the tenon on the stretchers to 1" long if metal screws). You’ll be able to clamp tapers, plus
From the Germanic tradition, the Holtzapffel you like. Leave it unglued, obviously. the mechanism is easy to install and inexpensive.
has a traditional tail vise on the right side that If you go with the bolt system, you’ll also want But you can mark your work with oil.
most English cabinetmakers and joiners would to modify the way the top of the bench attaches The Veritas Twin-Screw Vise also is a good
sniff at as unnecessary. The skeleton of the bench to the base. I went with the permanent old-school choice. It takes longer to install, but that is offset
– its base and top – are equal drams German and French method: drawbored mortise-and-tenon
French. The massive legs are Gallic. The tool tray joints. If you want to knock down your bench, I
and knockdown bolts are German. suggest you add a second rail to the top of your
The workholding is also a melting pot of end assemblies then use lag bolts (in slotted holes)
Stilton, Camembert and Butterkase. The bench to secure the top to the base.
shows holdfasts (trés French), a variety of plan- My base is built using hard maple, though
ing stops (English and French), a twin-screw any heavy wood that is inexpensive and plenti-
vise (quite British), and a leg pieced with holes ful will do just as well. Yellow pine, Douglas fir
for supporting long stock (fairly standard pan- and white oak are excellent choices.
European fare).
Usually when you start mixing and matching About the Bench’s Workholding
bits and pieces like this, you end up with some- The top is made using some figured ash that was
thing along the lines of catfish pizza. But all the exquisitely dry, a bargain and easy to work with.
parts of the Holtzapffel work together like, well, Those three traits – and ash’s weight and stiff-
I’ll spare you any more food metaphors. ness – made it an ideal choice for this benchtop.
I implore you, however, to use what you have on
About the Bench’s Framework hand. There is little magic in choosing a wood for This wooden twin-screw vise has a tenacious grip.
The original bench has a French undercarriage a workbench; just go for stiff, heavy and cheap. I can secure any board of any size and put my
that is joined using bolts in some places. The legs Far more important than the species of the entire weight on the board without it slipping.
and stretchers of the benches are – for the most wood is the selection of vises. All workbenches That’s good enough for me.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 
 L-shaped tail vise can be more trouble than it’s
worth. They are fussy to install. They tend to
droop. And you cannot work on the vise itself.
But the tail vise remains the dominant vise for the
end because it offers great support for clamping
panels and narrow boards on edge.
I wanted something easy to install, fast to
use and as good as a tail vise. The arrangement
I devised almost meets all three of these tough
requirements. It’s a quick-release metal vise with
a big wooden chop (sometimes called a jaw). It
takes a couple hours to install and will never
droop. The quick-release function is quite handy
in this position because it allows you to quickly Once you choose the boards for the legs, mark
The Veritas Twin-Screw Vise takes about a day switch setups for boards of different lengths the mates with a cabinetmaker’s triangle across
to install and adjust. But it offers many years of – there’s much less spinning of the handle than the joint. These triangles help prevent mistakes
trouble-free service. I can’t really say anything with a traditional tail vise. and guide your assembly operations. Face-glue
bad about it as a face vise. The chop offers a lot of support for your work the leg pieces together, then joint and plane the
assembly.
below, though I admit it’s not as unerring as a
tail vise. But what makes up for that is that I’ve
by the fact that you can operate the jaws with one spaced the dog holes in the benchtop less than
hand (the screws are connected by a chain drive). 4" apart, so there’s always less than 4" of open second coat of finish. Other benches that have the
And it’s more expensive than the other options. space below your work between the chop and same number of advanced functions are far more
If you never plan on dovetailing anything, the benchtop. And your work isn’t going to sag complex and have dovetailed skirts and tail vises
you can replace the twin screw with another face or bow over that short a span. for you to fuss with. This bench gets you straight
vise, such as a quick-release iron vise. If you are There are also a few well-placed holes for on to the good part: building furniture.
an occasional dovetailer, I’d choose a leg vise holdfasts in the top to round out the workholding
for this position. for the Holtzapffel workbench. Begin with the Legs (or the Top)
The end vise on this bench is a clever piece Another virtue of this bench is its utter sim- If this is your first workbench, that can change
of work – it’s my only real contribution to this plicity. I built this bench in 37 hours of shop time, the order of the operations involved. If you don’t
venerable design. You see, I think the traditional from surfacing the rough lumber to applying a have any form of workbench in your shop, then

Strategies for Squeezing the Maximum Thickness From Your Stock

I n woodworking, it is usually the first steps length and an extra 1 ⁄2" in width for each piece. 3. With great care, rip out your parts. If
you take in any operation that set the stage 2. Mark out some rough cuts on these boards your stock is true, you can joint one edge and
for success or failure. And wood preparation is and try to group the cuts so that your boards are rip your parts on the table saw. If the board
no exception to this rule. How you treat your of middling lengths. About 24" long should be a has any corkscrewing to it, the band saw is
stock at the beginning of a project will deter- good minimum for grouping short parts. Parts a much safer machine for this. Ripping your
mine if you have plenty of stock that is thick that are longer than that (36", 48" etc.) can be stock in the rough defeats any cupping along
and wide enough. Or if you will limp along marked out for cutting by themselves. By group- the width of the boards by sharing the cup
through a project with boards that are just a ing parts into these lengths you will defeat any among several boards.
bit on the thin side. bowing over the length of the boards by sharing 4. With your parts roughed out, proceed to
One of the worst mistakes a beginner will the bow among several boards. Crosscut your joint one face and then one edge. Then plane
make is to take an 8'-long board, joint one boards in their rough state on a miter saw or the opposite face down and rip the board to
face and then plane the other. Then rip and with a handsaw. its final width.­ — CS
crosscut the board into smaller pieces. This is a
wasteful path to creating stock that is too thin.
Here are the strategies that we use to
ensure we squeeze the maximum amount of
thickness from our stock. By ripping a cupped
1. First lay out all the available stock for a board into narrower
pieces in the rough,
project and try to mark out all the parts you
you can get thicker
need on the rough stock with a grease pencil stock. Simply face-
or chalk. Give yourself some extra parts for jointing this entire
joinery setups, messing up a few rails and board would result
stiles and even some extra stock for unex- in a board that is
pected problems. Allow yourself an extra 1" in thinner than I need.

10 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

 Check your work. Dial calipers can be a crutch,
and I tend to use them more than necessary.
However, they do point out where the errors are
in my tenons so this tool earns its keep.

Cut the shoulders first. The shoulder is the criti- Keep consistent downward pressure. A sled or a
cal cut so perform it first. The rest of the tenon sliding table on your saw makes this operation
involves just wasting away the excess stuff on the safe and accurate. However, even with those nice
face cheeks. features, the work will tend to rise up a bit as you
are in the cut. Keep firm pressure down to ensure
a consistent tenon.

you should glue up the top first, put that on saw-

horses and build the bench’s base on that. If you
have a workbench (or a Workmate, or a solid-core the blades project 1 ⁄2" above the table and then cut
door on sawhorses), you can begin by building the edge cheeks. Note that these edge cheeks are
the base and then adding the top. optional. You can cut the edge cheeks as shown
For this bench, I began by building the legs in the photographs, or you can omit them, as
from 8/4 rough maple. Each leg consists of two shown in the illustrations at the end of the article.
layers of maple, face-glued together. First I face- It’s your choice.
jointed one face of each board and then glued
the two jointed faces together with the rest of Make Stretchers and Decisions
the wood still in the rough. Because I handplane The tenons on the stretchers are thinner than the
Then the edge cheeks. Having a stop on your
almost every surface, I did my best to keep the ones on the legs, but they are made in the same
sliding table or table-saw sled is key to cutting
grain running the same direction on both halves fashion at the table saw. The tenons on all the tenons. Here I am cutting the 1⁄2" shoulders and
of each leg. edge cheeks on the tenons.
Then, when the glue was dry, I jointed, planed
and ripped the assemblies to their finished size. With your tenons milled,
This strategy reduces the time slaving over the you can clean up any
planer and jointer by processing things twice. stray tool marks on your
If you plan to join your top and base with a legs to prepare them for
mortise-and-tenon joint, then you need to cut a joinery. Here I’m using a
1"-thick x 2" long tenon on the top of each leg. finely set bevel-up jack
If you are going to join the top with lag bolts, plane. Usually I’d finish
simply cut each leg to 31" long and move on to up with a smoothing
plane, but the gnarliness
the stretchers.
of the work demanded
I went with the tenon option, a joint I prefer
a high planing angle
to cut using a dado stack on a table saw. The only (about 62°).
other way I’d cut this joint is by hand. I don’t own
a shaper, most routers don’t have enough juice
and using a tenon jig on the table saw involves a
dangerous balancing act to cut the stretchers and
legs with them sticking up in the air.
First cut the shoulders of the joint. Then waste
the face cheeks. Lower the arbor of your saw so

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 11
stretchers are 5⁄8" thick, 4" wide and 3" long. the fragile ends of the legs, where the tenon could parts as they will be assembled and lay out your
These tenons are wider than traditional tenons. blow out the ends when driven into the mortise. mortises in the legs.
The rule on width is the tenon should be two- Plus, with a 4"-wide tenon, there is less material
thirds the width of the work, which would put to remove when making the tenon and less end Marking and Making Mortises
the tenon at 33 ⁄8" wide. I bumped it up to 4" wide grain to pare to fit the joint. Use your finished tenons on the stretchers to mark
because these tenons aren’t located anywhere near With your tenons cut you should arrange the out the locations of the mortises on the legs. Mark
on the legs where the stretchers will go then place
the shoulder of the stretcher’s tenon directly on
your work. Use your tenon like a ruler and trace its
shape on the leg. The less you measure things out,
the less likely it is that you’ll make a mistake.
If you’re a making a version of this bench that
can be disassembled, don’t forget to mark out the
mortises for the additional stretchers that run at
the top of the side assemblies. And be sure that
you have at least a 3 ⁄4" shoulder on the tenons of
these stretchers, or you will likely blow out the
end grain at the top of the leg at the worst pos-
sible moment.
Cutting the 5 ⁄8"-wide mortises takes some
doing. While there are 5⁄8" hollow-chisel mortis-
ing bits available, they are not common and they
are expensive. They also are not needed for this
operation. If you are careful, you can cut accurate
5⁄ 1
8"-wide mortises using a ⁄2" hollow mortising
chisel by overlapping your strokes.
If you don’t do this with care, you can snap a
mortising bit (I’ve done this a few times when I
had a little too much vim, vigor or venom in the
blood that day). After laying out your mortises,
go ahead and bore out the mortises with a 1 ⁄2"
chisel, which will leave you 1 ⁄8" of extra waste
Group your legs as they will be assembled to mark your joinery. Here I’ve bundled my legs so the front
that has to be removed.
legs are facing up and the back legs are on the benchtop. This helps prevent layout errors.
Reset the fence of the mortising machine and
bore out the remaining sliver of waste. Take this
cut slowly. If you pound through this cut you
can deflect the chisel into the path of least resis-
tance – the open mortise. If you deflect the chisel,
then your mortise will get skinnier in its deepest
depths. Or the chisel will bend. Or break.
Once you bore all your mortises, you can test-
fit your joints and tune them up. Clamp up your
side assemblies and fix any gapping at the joints’
shoulders. Then do the same thing as you fit the
long stretchers to the legs.
I use a couple strategies for fitting tenons. If
there are problems, I’ll undercut the shoulder
near the tenon proper, leaving the outside of the
shoulder. A chisel is the best tool for this job.
Then I’ll fit the outside of the shoulder with a
shoulder plane until the gap closes tight.
This strategy prevents you from making the
fit worse. By undercutting the shoulder first with
a chisel, you leave just a small ribbon of wood
to remove with the shoulder plane. This reduces
the chance that you’ll muck up the shoulder with
the plane – it’s easy to make the joint worse with
a shoulder plane.
Show the tenon to your leg and mark things out by using the tenon like a big ruler. Have you noticed
how many of these photos are taken with the overhead lights off? That’s not just to be moody (I’m Assemble the Base
moody enough as it is). The window light alone makes my marks easier to see. Fewer light sources equals Though the original bench was bolted together,
better visibility. I decided to alter the bench joinery with some

12 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

 I tune up all my tenons, and not because I’m some sort of
anal-retentive craftsman. No matter how careful I am at
cutting my tenons and mortises, the joints will be a tad
Make your 5 ⁄8"-wide mortises with your 1 ⁄2" chisel. Reset the fence on your mortiser to too tight if I’ve done everything to the print. Remove a
Begin by boring a 1 ⁄2"-wide mortise for the stretch- remove the 1⁄8" strip of waste. First mor- few shavings to make the tenon fit well and to correct the
ers on all the legs. This is a deep mortise, so be tise the ends (the most critical parts) then location of the shoulder. You can shift the stretcher in and
sure to let your tooling cool a bit and lubricate it fill in by removing the waste between out of its assembly by removing material from the inside
with canning wax or a fancy high-priced lube. your first cuts. or outside of the tenon’s cheek. That is real power.

Not every joint needs to be massaged, but many big

joints do. The first measure is to undercut the shoulder.
Begin with the chisel about 1⁄8" from the outside of the
shoulder. Push the tool in and remove a wedge-shaped
piece of end grain that’s about 1⁄16" thick at its most girth-
some.

The shoulder plane will true up a lumpy shoulder and

Assemble the ends and clamp them up. Take a close look at each joint and note where the shoul- knock down a shoulder that is too high compared to the
der touches the leg and where it doesn’t. The places where the shoulder touches is where you other shoulders. It’s easy to overdo things and reduce the
want to remove material. Mark those areas while the legs are clamped up, then use the marks as shoulder too far. I take three passes then check my work
a road map to fixing the problems in the shoulders. during a typical tenon fix.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 13
older technology: drawboring. I’ve written a lot Once the glue cures, trim your pegs flush (see You don’t need to bolt your top together with
about this traditional technique (see the Autumn Glen D. Huey’s review of flush-cutting saws on massive all-thread rod. You won’t hurt anything
2005 issue), which involves driving a peg through page 28 for advice on this matter). Then plane all by doing this, but you will eat up precious shop
a hole in the mortise and a hole in the tenon that your joints flush, rout some stopped chamfers if time for little benefit. The glue by itself is plenty
are offset. The offset of the holes “draws” the you please and turn your attention to the top. strong.
“bores” together when you insert the peg. You don’t need to use biscuits to align the
I used 3 ⁄8"-diameter white oak peg stock and Build a Laminated Top boards in the lamination. Workbench tops are
3⁄
a 32" offset. This maple is tough and thick, so a Workbench tops are a matter of some trepidation thick and are flattened regularly. So a few boards
brutish peg and serious offset are appropriate. I for beginning woodworkers. They tend to overdo that are out as much as 1 ⁄32" aren’t going to change
glued and clamped up each joint and drove two things in the gluing one stick to another stick things much when it comes to the final and effec-
pegs through each joint. I removed the clamps department. In general, I’m a fan of overdoing tive thickness of your top.
immediately after driving the pegs. things, but I have limits. Here’s how I’ve glued up many workbench
tops with wild success. Glue up three or four lay-
ers – however many you think you can manage
at once. After the glue is dry, joint and plane the
assembly flat. Make a few more assemblies, and
joint and plane them as well. Then start joining
the assemblies together and try to get these joints
as accurate as possible.
Once your top is glued up to its finished width
(24" in this case), you should trim the ends to
size. Good luck trying this on a table saw with a
stock miter gauge. I prefer a handsaw or circular
saw. And when I feel the need for extra preci-
sion, I’ll make the cut using a circular saw and
an edge guide.

Mortise the Top

Joining the top and base with a mortise-and-tenon
joint seems intimidating, but it’s quite simple.
Here’s the basic drill: Turn the top upside down

I have always liked stopped chamfers. They pro-

tect the fragile sharp edges from splintering and
look darn good as well. You can do them by hand
with a drawknife and chisel, but the technique
that requires far less skill is to use a 45° chamfer
bit in a handheld router. The short ramps where
the chamfers stop are simply where I pulled the
router away from the leg. Purists will balk that I
Drawboring the joints reduces your dependence on expensive long clamps. A clamp or two plus your didn’t flatten the ramp with a chisel. But I’m not
peg are enough to hold the joint as the glue cures. pure.

14 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

and hump the base into position on the top. Trace up the corners and join the base and top together sive with a knife, clamp the base to the top before
around the tenons and remove the base. with drawbored pegs. you mark the locations of the mortises.
Bore out the mortises. Make the mortise at So begin by getting the base in position on the Chopping out the mortises can be tough work.
the rear of the bench 1 ⁄8" wider to allow the top to underside of the top. After positioning it (take These are wide, deep and long. I’ve done these
move (this is optional – old workbenches allowed your time), trace around the 1"-thick tenons with a entirely with a chisel and it’s a lot of effort in
the base to cast into an A-frame shape). Clean marking knife or marking awl. If you are aggres- hardwood. It’s much more efficient to bore out
the waste with a 1" Forstner bit and then clean
up your work with a chisel. The tenons are 2"
long, so make the mortises 21 ⁄8" deep. Don’t go

Jig’s
fence

Jig’s
base

This simple two-piece jig lends table saw accu-

racy to your circular saw. The jig is built so the
base and fence fill the space on the left side of the
saw’s shoe. You just lay the jig on your cut line,
clamp it down and saw right on the line. It’s hard
to miss or mess up.

Three assemblies together: For this top, I glued up three boards for each sub-assembly. Then I jointed
and planed each of those and glued them to their new neighbors. Even experienced woodworkers have
trouble managing nine boards all at once. So don’t think you are wussing out with this approach.

Use a square to guide your efforts to shift the

base in position on its mate. Focus your efforts
Jointing a big edge: Here I’ve got the two assemblies for the top nearly ready and am jointing the edges. on getting the front of the legs flush to the front
Even though these edges were planed flat, they were distorted by all the clamping pressure during edge of the benchtop. Don’t fuss over the back
assembly. legs as much.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 15
 Do You Need a Sliding
Deadman on Your
Holtzapffel Bench?

L ong-time readers (and critics) will note

that there is no sliding deadman on this
bench. No, I haven’t gone soft. After some
calculations, I think I can get away without
a deadman. The huge twin-screw face vise
will handle long boards and the holes in the
right leg will allow me to clamp doors and The only cordless drill I’d recommend for this job
assemblies to the legs and stretchers. At is a brace and bit. (If you go that route choose a
brace with a 12" or 14" sweep.) A cordless battery
least, that’s the theory.
drill will balk at this task. Use a slow rpm and clear
Just in case, I added the architecture for out the chips as best you can as you work.
a sliding deadman on the bench. So if I go
running home with my tail between my
legs, it will be a 20-minute fix, instead of
something that is cobbled together and too deep – you can blow through the top when
bolted on.  — CS mortising with the chisel.
For the mortises for the rear legs, I made this
mortise 11 ⁄8" wide. I bored out the 1"-wide mor-
tise and then knocked 1 ⁄16" off each cheek of the
mortise with a mortising chisel. The other option
is to thin your tenon a bit, which is also a sound When cleaning rounded corners, make the cut
strategy with these sizable joints. in a couple steps. Cut away half the waste. Then
Then clean up the corners of the joint with a remove the rest to your layout lines. This makes
heavy-duty chisel such as a mortiser. Fitting these it easier for you to steer the cut – otherwise the
two assemblies together is no fun, so I recom- wood will be doing most of the steering.
mend you take steps to avoid as much testing and
tweaking as possible. Scrutinize your mortises
before trying to assemble things. Undercut the shoulders. So doing some preliminary flattening
shoulders of the tenons. on the underside of the top can work wonders.
If you do have to take things apart a few times, When you have to fix a problem with end grain
spreader clamps are the best things to assist disas- on a workpiece, consider if the problem could be
sembly. Use the same gap-fighting strategy you fixed by dealing with face grain on its mate.
used to assemble the base. Fit your joints, mark When you’re ready to assemble the bench,
the problem areas on your tenons (these will be consider drawboring the top to the base. I’ve
I cut two 45° bevels on the top of the front the high spots that touch the top) and work those found that drawboring is particularly effective
stretcher for my ghostly deadman. until the gaps close. when dealing with joints such as this one. Bore
Keep in mind that if your efforts don’t seem the holes for the pegs in the mortises (I used 3 ⁄8"
to be producing predictable results, it could be pegs for this joint). Assemble the joint and mark
the top that is out of whack instead of the tenon the location of the hole in the mortise on the tenon

A groove (or grave) for the deadman: After

assembling the benchtop, rout a groove Early woodworking texts on drawboring say you
along the front edge of the underside of the should offset your holes by the thickness of a shil-
bench for the deadman. Make it deep – 1" I use a brace and bit quite a lot when building a ling. Old shillings are about a 1⁄16" thick, maybe
will do nicely – to give yourself flexibility bench. With a little practice you will bore true a little more. After you make five or six of these
when attaching the device to the bench. with little effort. Until then, keeping a square joints, you’ll stop measuring, start eyeballing
handy to check your angle is a sound idea. things and stop worrying about it.

16 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

By making repeated kerf cuts in the notch, you’ll make the resulting notch Popping out the waste is like working on the world’s largest dovetail socket.
cleaner. The chisel will follow your kerfs and be less likely to dig into the Use your chisel to pop out the waste halfway through the top. Then flip the
benchtop. So if you can slit straight, you’ll be in good shape. bench on its feet and finish the job. This makes for cleaner results.

using the tip of the auger bit (or brad-point bit).

Then drill a hole through the tenon that is 3⁄32"
closer to the shoulder of the leg’s tenon. Add glue,
reassemble things and drive your pegs home.
One quick tip on the pegs: I like to taper them
with a pencil sharpener before driving them. The
taper helps move the peg through the joint and
prevents it from getting hung up or destroying
things inside the joint.
I used the hole left by the lead screw of the auger
Add the Vises
as a guide to bore the counterbore for the bolt
The end vise for this bench is a quick-release heads on the top of the benchtop. Be sure that
iron vise. And while I won’t hold much work your counterbore is big enough to hold the wash-
directly in its jaws, the occasion will come up. ers you picked out at the hardware store.
As a result, I decided to let the vise’s rear jaw into
the end of the benchtop. I first kerfed the entire
notch with a dovetail saw (the saw’s rip-tooth
profile sped things up). Then I knocked out the
waste with a mortise chisel and fit things with
a paring chisel.
The Lee Valley quick-release vise needed
a spacer between it and the benchtop to make
the jaws flush with the top. My vise required a
5⁄
8"-thick spacer. This size of spacer actually put Vise spacer
the jaw a little below the top of my benchtop, but
that’s a good thing. This allowed me to flatten the
top with a handplane without running the risk of With the vise in position, I drilled 5 ⁄8"-diameter
colliding with the vise’s jaws. holes though the spacer and top. As soon as the
I nailed the spacer to the benchtop and then lead screw of the auger broke through the top of
began drilling 5 ⁄8"-diameter holes for the 1 ⁄2"- the benchtop, I stopped boring.
diameter, 4"-long stove bolts that would hold the
vise to the benchtop. Some people use lag bolts,
but lags will sag someday. Bolting through the dogs close – I bored 17 holes on 33 ⁄8" centers.
top is the better way to go. This prevents you from having to move your vise
Then bore the holes in the top for the dogs. I much and reduces the amount of stock that will
This jig helps locate the dog holes. The additional
have flirted with square dogs on some benches. be unsupported by any setup. hole in the jig allows you to position it right over
And they are more trouble than they are worth I made a jig for boring the dog holes, but it is your layout lines. The notches in the jig’s face
in my book. The round dogs are easier to make an unnecessary crutch if you have any experi- allow you to get a clamp right where you want it.
and can also be used for a traditional holdfast ence with a brace. After drilling two holes with After two holes, this jig was as good as firewood
– which is reason enough to use them. Keep your the jig, I threw it aside and drilled the remainder to me. Freehand drilling is much faster for me.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 17
Sometimes it’s hard to get a finger under the
bench dog to push it up for action. A notch in the
chop is a big help.

freehand. They came out great and the work went

quickly. After drilling the holes in the top (see
the illustrations for details) go ahead and drill
the holes in the legs for holdfasts.
The other part of the end-vise setup is the big
wooden chop screwed to the moving jaw of the
quick-release vise. This chop ended up 23⁄4" thick,
41 ⁄8" wide and 131 ⁄2" long. I bored a 3 ⁄4"-diameter
hole through the chop for the bench dog (the
metal dog on the vise isn’t ideal). Then I cut a
1"-wide access notch in the bottom of the chop.
This notch lets me push the dog up and down
with great ease.
Then I routed the ends of the chop with a large
beading bit for a traditional look and screwed
the jaw to the iron vise, which has holes just for
this purpose.

The Twin-screw Vise

There’s not much to say about the twin-screw.
It’s an easy vise to install as long as you do the
steps in the correct order. Here they are: Begin
by building the chop. Create the 3"-thick chop
by face-gluing up a few pieces of thick maple.
Rout the ends to match the chop for the end vise Installing the face vise is best done with the bench on its back. Gravity holds everything in place and you
then lay out the location of your holes for your get access to both the benchtop and the underside of the top. It’s also a good way to drill the holes in
vise screws. the legs for the holdfasts.
Bore these holes and install the two screws
in the chop.
You’ll have two blocks that will house the the screws and the underside of the benchtop. true things up. If you were careful when gluing
threaded portion of the vise’s screws. Run these These supports will prevent the screws and chop up your top this should be a 45-minute job on
onto the screws through your chop and tighten from sagging. My wooden screws required 1 ⁄2"- the outside.
them up against the chop. Now place this whole thick support blocks that I simply nailed to the Once the diagonal strokes flattened the bench-
assembly in position on your benchtop. Mark underside of the bench. top, I switched to strokes that ran with the grain.
where the vise’s blocks should go on the under- How do I know when to switch my strokes? Wind-
side of the benchtop then bolt these blocks to the Flushing and Finishing ing sticks tell me that the top is flat and not in
benchtop with through-bolts. Now you can flatten the benchtop and flush up wind, and getting shavings from all points of the
Depending on the screws you select, you the chops with the benchtop so everything lines top tells me that the low spots on the benchtop
might need to fit some support blocks between up. I use a jointer plane and diagonal strokes to are gone. That’s when I switch.

18 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

 The real evidence that the top is flat is that do in one day. Bottom line: I like an oil/varnish However, the quick-release vise in the end
your work behaves predictably on your bench as blend, usually sold as a “Danish oil.” vise position has been the real surprise. Why I
you work it. If you have trouble planing things These common finishes are boiled linseed didn’t do this earlier I’ll never know. I’m both
flat on the bench, one of the problems could be oil with a little varnish resin in them and some enthused and disheartened by this revelation. I’m
that your top is too far out of true. paint thinner to make them easy to apply. Rag thrilled because the vise works well beyond any
When the benchtop is flat and the chops are it on and rag off the excess. Apply another coat expectations I had for it. And I’m disheartened
planed flush to the top, I recommend you apply a later that day and rag off the excess. When that because this surprise means there are probably
layer of sueded leather to the moving jaw of the layer is dry, you are ready to go to work. other surprises ahead for me with this bench that
face vise. The leather is kind to your work and I’ve already built several projects on this work- I’m now blind to. WM
helps grip it fiercely. You can attach the leather bench during the last few months and I have been — Christopher Schwarz
with yellow glue. Put down the glued leather, thrilled by the bench’s workholding. The face vise
roll out a layer of wax paper then close the vise is a monster when it comes to dovetailing. I am
until the glue is cured. glad that I added the holes for holdfasts in the left
As to finishing a bench, less is better. (Some leg. I tend to use these to support my work from Supplies
say that no finish is better.) For a workbench, I like below there because the vise takes two hands to
a little protection from spills and stains. I like a open and close. That’s a small price to pay for a Lee Valley Tools
finish that isn’t slick or shiny. I like a finish that is vise that will hold a board up to 24" wide with 800-871-8158 or leevalley.com
simple to apply and renew. I like a finish that I can little effort. 1■ Q
 uick-release Steel Bench Vise,
large vise
#10G04.13, $129
2■ 4
 3 ⁄8" Bench Dog
#05G04.01, $11.95 ea.
1■ T
 win-Screw Vise, up to 24" centers
#05G12.22, $198
1■ V
 eritas Hold-Down
#05G14.01, $59.50
Woodcraft
800-225-1153 or woodcraft.com
2 ■ E conomy bench screw (a metal
substitute for wooden screws)
#144959, $29.99 ea.
Stephen Fee
[email protected]
2■ W
 ooden screws, 21⁄2" diameter,
24" length, $125 ea.
Tools for Working Wood
800-426-4613 or
toolsforworkingwood.com
1■ G
 ramercy Holdfasts
#MS-HOLDFAST.XX, $29.95 pair
Wooden screws show up for sale from time to time on the Internet and at sales of old tools. When you Prices correct at publication deadline.
see them, snatch them up. Or you can buy them from the supplier listed at right.

Holtzapffel Workbench
No. part sizes (inches) material notes
T W L

❑ 1 Top 3 24 72 Hardwood
❑ 4 Legs 31⁄2 5 33 Hardwood 1"-thick x 2"-long tenon on top
❑ 2 Long stretchers 13 ⁄4 5 44 Hardwood 5⁄
8" x 4" x 3" tenons
❑ 2 Short stretchers 13 ⁄4 5 23 Hardwood 5⁄
8" x 4" x 3" tenons

❑ 1 Face vise chop 3 61⁄2 34 Hardwood Wide, plane to fit

❑ 1 End vise chop 23 ⁄4 41⁄8 131⁄2 Hardwood
5⁄
❑ 1 Spacer for end vise 8 6 101⁄2 Hardwood Sized for Lee Valley vise
1⁄
❑ 2 Supports for face vise screws 2 2 11 Hardwood Prevents screws from sagging

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 19
 Top Top
1œ" ƒ" π" 1œ" ƒ" π"

44" 23"

4" 5" 4" 5"

Front Front
Long Stretcher
3" 3"

(Front and Back) Short Stretcher

(Sides)
1ç" rad.
ı" 6¬"
œ"

2œ"
3"

6œ" Top
ı"
Top 1ç" rad.
6œ"
13ø" 34"

6¬"
4˚"
1ø"
26"
2˚" dia.
1" Front
Front
Face Vise Chop
End Vise Chop

3ø" 4π" 6¬"

Stretcher 3"

1" π" 11" 2"

34"
1œ"
3œ" dowel
5"
ƒ"

µ" typ.
Leg 6"
Stretcher
2¬"
dowel
Typical cross-section
17" 3ø"

leg-to-stretcher joint Left Side

20 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007
 72"

11¬" 16" 16" 16"

72"

6¬"
11¬" 16" 16" 16"

24"
6¬"

6œ"
24"

3µ" typ. 6œ"

6œ"
6"
26"

Top View 3µ" typ. 6œ"

6"
26" 3"
4π" 6¬"

8"

4π" 3"
6¬"
8" 8"

8"

12" 12"
8" 6" 8"

Illustrations by Louis Bois

12" 38" 5" 12"

6"

38" 5"

Front View
woodworking-magazine.com ■ 21
 1" 3ø" 5" 1" 3ø" 5"
1¬" 1¬"

2" 2"

33" 33"

ƒ" ƒ" ƒ" ƒ"

4"

6ø" typ. 6ø" typ.

∫" chamfer typ. π" typ. 3" ∫" chamfer typ. π" typ. 3"
typ. typ.
Left Front Right Back Left Front Right Back
Back Left Leg Back Right Leg
Stopped chamfers:∫" x ∫" and 2¬" from all intersections

3ø" 1" 5" 3ø" 1" 5"

1¬" 1¬"
2"

œ"
2" typ. 8"
œ"
typ.
33" 33"
8" 8"
ƒ" ƒ" ƒ"

4"
12" 12"
6ø" typ. 6ø" typ.

π" π" 3"

∫" chamfer typ. 3" typ. ∫" chamfer typ.
typ. typ. typ.

Left Front Right Back Left Front Right Back

Front Left Leg Front Right Leg

22 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

 12"

2"

Top
Drill and tap
to suit wooden
π" typ. screw

3¬"
1 square - ø"

1ø" Threaded Nut End Profile

π" Front

Threaded Nut Screw supports

(2 req'd)

Back right leg

Back left leg

View Under Bench at Face Vise

Spacer block

Front Right leg

Front Left leg

View Under Bench
Leg Arrangement at End Vise

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 23
Wall-hung Tool Racks
Tool storage out of the box: A flexible system takes root and grows on the walls of our shop.

I used to keep my hand tools in drawers in

machinists’ and mechanics’ tool chests. My tools
opened off a cabinet. I designed the doors around
the tools I used regularly, and in between the
closed, but after a few months, I realized that I
rarely closed the doors. It was like a television
were organized and protected, but it wasn’t very doors were shelves and a bank of dovetailed cabinet in most homes – the doors are functional
convenient. Edge tools rattled against one another drawers. It changed the way I worked. The tools but if the TV is always on (or the tools always
as drawers opened and closed, and my layout had a place to live and were right at hand. If I being used), the doors really aren’t needed.
tools were never at hand. During projects, tools started to see too much empty space in the inside When I came to work at Woodworking Maga-
stayed on the bench where they could be found, of the doors, I knew it was time to take a break zine, I planned to bring in my tool chest and hang
but soon were buried as my work, shavings, scraps and clean up. it on the wall. My plan had to be aborted when I
and more tools piled up. While the wall-hung chest functioned well, recognized that our shop’s biggest blessing, an
When I opened my first shop, I decided to I never quite completed it. I intended to put in abundance of windows, didn’t allow the 6' of wall
make a wall-hung tool chest. Two wide doors a latch and lock mechanism to keep the doors space I needed. I was back to tools in drawers

PHOTO BY AL PARRISH

Waiting in line, ready to be used. A rack of tools directly above the bench keeps them out of harm’s way and makes them easy to locate.

24 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

and odd boxes, and I pondered how to add a wall works better than I would have planned. I also shop mate’s rack. First, a few near one end, then
without losing any windows. I wanted the acces- found that the slots were good for many tools, but an entire row with hammers hanging from them.
sibility, safety and organization of the chest, but not everything fit quite the way I wanted. A day or two later, another row of pegs appeared
I was developing an impractical plan. Above the bench at the other end of the shop, above the first rack, holding more than a dozen
One day as I walked into the shop, I glanced Shaker pegs began to appear on the outside of my saws. Not being a collector, I didn’t need that
to the left as I almost always do. Most of the time
there will be some interesting project or part
of a project or esoteric tool on Editor Christo-
pher Schwarz’s bench. What caught my eye that
morning was his simple and elegant solution to
the same problem I faced. He had installed a
simple rack across the window directly above
his bench and it held more tools than I would
have thought possible.
Recognizable as leftover baseboard, two 3 ⁄4"-
thick boards, about 31 ⁄2" wide, were held 1 ⁄2" apart
by wood spacers in between. The back board was
a few inches longer than the one in front, allow-
ing it to be easily mounted to the wall, or in this
case the wood casing on our window. By that
afternoon, I was loading a similar rack across
the window above the bench in my corner of
the shop.
I was delighted at how well this simple solu-
tion solved a problem. My only reservation
about hanging my tools was securing them so
they wouldn’t fall. When I made my tool chest, I
made French-fit holders for individual tools. With
the new rack, most would fit neatly within the
slot between the two boards. They were handy, in
sight and out of danger. A few didn’t fit between
the slots, so I drove a few screws and nails to hang
them on the outer part of the rack.
Organization came in time. Instead of plan-
ning where each tool should go ahead of time, I The simple start is two pieces of wood, 3 ⁄4" thick x
31⁄2" wide, of a convenient length. The back piece is
started using the slotted rack as I worked, putting
longer than the front by a few inches to allow fasten- The two pieces are separated by 1⁄2"-thick spacers,
tools in a slot as I completed typical tasks. Before
ing to the wall. The rack is wide enough to hold tools and tools drop into the space. This was a “sweet
long, an organizational scheme emerged that securely, and provides a place for Shaker pegs for spot” for our tools and can be varied to accom-
hanging tools. modate your tools.

Screws and nails aren’t as attractive as Shaker pegs, but function well – The flexibility of using the slots gives you freedom to change the overall
especially in tight spaces and for tool-specific hanging. arrangement as your tools, needs, habits or projects change over time.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 25
much space – I only have four saws and five ham-
mers, but my tool rack did need some improve-
Bracket
ments and additions.
My first addition was a simple shelf, about
4" wide that rests on band-sawn brackets. This
provided a place for planes and a few other tools
that I didn’t want to hang, but needed at hand.
The remaining problem to solve was the chisel
chaos. They fit between the boards of the rack,
but because they’re top heavy with wide handles,
Remove waste
they wouldn’t hang straight. It bothered me to
with backsaw
see them leaning against each other like a gang
of out-of-work loafers. I wanted them standing
Distance equals half
straight ­– at attention and ready for action.
the hole diameter
My solution was another shelf, held in notched
brackets with a series of holes that fit the chisel
®" hole,
handles. I experimented with some different-

˚" from edge

sized holes and various chisels and found that
a 7⁄8" diameter worked for almost all of them.
I also wanted a slot at the front of the hole so I
wouldn’t need to lift a chisel its entire length to
get it in or out of the rack. A little more experi-
mentation and a couple test-fittings later, and I

Illustration by Hayes Shanesy

had my final dimensions; the holes were drilled
with the edge of the hole 1 ⁄8" back from the front Chamfer edges
edge of the 2"-wide board. A center-to-center ˚" with rasp
distance of 11 ⁄8" provided room to reach each

Wall-hung Tool Rack

handle individually.

∂"
Detail
After marking off the series of equally spaced
centerlines, I stepped off one-fourth the diameter
from each side of the centerlines and sawed slots
from the front edge of the shelf to each hole, leav-
ing a 7⁄16"-wide slot connecting each hole to the
edge. I used a rasp to chamfer the edges of the
holes and slots, connected the shelf to the brack-
Upright
ets, and mounted them in place. Wider chisels
need a bit of a turn as they go in and out of the
rack. Narrow ones slide right in. They all are
held securely.
More concerned about function than decora-
tion, I made my racks out of scrap hardwoods and
didn’t use a finish. A light sanding and a coat of
shellac, lacquer, oil or wax would make them
look nicer, but I rarely bother with doing that on Shelf
something for the shop.
I considered doing some decorative carving
on the brackets, but that reminded me that my
carving chisels still live in canvas rolls in drawers
in a nearby cabinet. I’m not a collector, but I will Corbel
need a rack for 40 or 50 of them, and while I’m
at it, I may as well start gathering the 30 or 40
more carving chisels that I really need. Maybe I Bracket
can clear some space on the building column to
the left of my bench for a row of them.
The great thing about these racks is that they
are adaptable and made easily and quickly. As
happened to me, once you start, you’ll need
another two or three as the list of necessary tools A 7⁄8"-diameter hole, 1 ⁄8" in from the edge of a
grows, and the way you work and the things you 2"-wide shelf holds a variety of handle sizes. The
work on change. If you cross the line to “collec- This rack has uprights at both ends and in the sawn slot connecting the hole and edge allows
tor,” you might need many more than that. wm middle. These provide a place for brackets and you to hold a chisel with a blade that is wider
— Robert W. Lang corbels that can support shelves. than the handle diameter.

26 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

 “Rule of thumb: Always finish the job with the same

Glossary
number of fingers you started with.”
— anonymous

W oodworking’s lexicon can be overwhelming

at times. The terms below are from this issue.
French fitting (n)
The use of the outline of a tool (or other item) to
Check out woodworking-magazine.com for an Brace and bit make a pattern. The pattern is then used to create
expanded and searchable glossary. a perfect tool-shaped nest for the tool to fit into.
Very fussy, but offers excellent protection.
4/4 stock (n)
Wood sold in the rough is referred to in terms planing stop (n)
of thickness, in quarter-inch increments. Thus A piece of wood or metal (we recommend
4/4 rough stock is 1" thick, 5/4 is 11 ⁄4" thick, 6/4 wood) that can be moved up and down in your
is 11 ⁄2" thick and so on. Surfaced wood is not benchtop, for workpieces to push against as they
referred to in these terms. dado stack (n) are planed.
A nested set of table saw blades and chippers
S2S and S4S lumber (n) sliding deadman (n)
that cut a variable-width dado; the dado width
The first “S” stands for “surfaced,” the second Sometimes called a board jack, this panel slides
depends on the number of chippers stacked
“S” for “sides.” So S2S is surfaced on two sides; horizontally across the front of a workbench and
together on the arbor for the cut.
S4S is surfaced on all four sides. is pierced with holes to offer support of long
dial indicator (n) boards or assemblies.
brace and bit (n)
A precision measuring tool. A dial indicator has
A brace is a boring tool that holds bits. Pressure is spurs (n)
a plunger that moves in and out from the body of
applied to the head on top, and the tool is rotated The sharp beveled vertical edges at the end of an
the indicator, which in turn moves the measuring
with a U-shaped grip, which is part of a type of auger or bit that score the diameter of the bore.
needle on the dial face. Typical dial indicators
crankshaft. Many braces have a three-position
usually have a 1" or 2" range, and are calibrated tail vise (n)
ratchet on the chuck.
in increments of .001". A vise fixed at the end of a bench, usually bored
cabinetmaker’s triangle (n) with multiple dog holes. These holes work with
drawbore (n)
A triangle drawn atop the pieces of a project dog holes in the workbench top so that it can
An early woodworking technique for reinforc-
that designates the front, back and sides of any adjust to grip workpieces of varying sizes.
ing mortise-and-tenon joints with a wooden peg.
assembly.
Before assembly, a hole is bored through the twin-screw vise (n)
chop (n) mortise. Then an offset hole is drilled in the A vise with a long chop (usually 16" at least)
On a vise, the chop is a block of wood that acts tenon. A wooden peg is driven into the holes, that is secured to the bench with two adjust-
as a jaw. pulling the joint tight. able screws, allowing a wide unobstructed area
between the screws for clamping.
crochet (n)
The French word for “hook,” this is essentially Planing stop wash coat (n)
a planing stop for working on edges. A thin sealing of protective film of any finish-
ing product.
cutting lips (n)
The sharp beveled horizontal edges at the end of winding sticks (n)
an auger or bit that levers waste out of the hole. Two perfectly true lengths of wood or metal used
to divine whether a surface is flat. The sticks are
placed at opposing ends of the surface and sighted
across. Surface irregularities prevent the sticks
Spur
from lining up in your field of vision. WM
Cutting lips

Crochet
Dial indicator
ILLUSTRATIONS BY HAYES SHANESY

Spur

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 27
Choosing a Flush-Cut Saw
Wide or narrow? Thick or
thin? Aggressive or fine?
All these qualities influenced
our choice for top saw.

U ntil now, my flush-cut saw has had an air

hose attached to the back of it with a 5" abrasive
disc as the teeth. I’d cut pegs with my dovetail
saw – one that had just passed its usefulness for
cutting dovetails – then grind the surface with my
Dynabrade random-orbit sander. In other words,

PHOTO BY AL PARRISH
I sanded any pegs flush to the surface before fin-
ishing. While I now know that a flush-cut saw is
capable of trimming more than just pegs, there
was once a time when that’s all I thought a flush
cut saw was for.
A long time back, I owned this type of saw, Flush-cut saws are available in many shapes, sizes and designs. The blades of these saws are flexible.
used it once or maybe twice and pitched it in the While the sawing technique shown above isn’t standard, it comes in handy in tight situations.
garbage can. That’s because my cut was anything
but flush. In fact, it was so not flush, that there
was a distinct gash that required I sand even more And in This Corner … surface – as with the one I tossed in the trash years
than normal. Instead of smoothing the peg to the I began with a few ideas as to what to test in ago. Also, flush-cut saw teeth should be able to
surface, I had to level the surface to the peg. After these saws, and after I got some saws in-house, cut with either side of the blade flat on the work
a couple harrowing experiences like this, you can I developed a few more things at which to look. I surface. This is where the Veritas flush-cut saw
see why the saw ended up in the dust bin. studied the teeth per inch (TPI), the length of the dropped the ball. These three aren’t the saws to
Now I’ve been enlightened to the idea of using blade and the thickness of the blade. In addition, I be buying in my opinion.
the saw to trim wedged tenons – my power sander checked the width of the blade. Surprisingly, this
used to have that covered too, when the need characteristic came to be of some importance. Saws That Bite
arose. And, I’ve heard mention that you can trim Finally, I looked at the aesthetics and ergonomics Studying the teeth on a typical handsaw leads
the height of inlaid dovetail keys. of the handle as well as the actual cut. you to look at the TPI as well as the set of the
As you may have guessed, I had a great deal I tested saws from most major suppliers. teeth (the amount the teeth are bent out). But,
to learn about the flush-cut saw. I needed to first Included were two saws from Lee Valley (the flush-cut saws are inherently different from most
learn how they work and how the brands differ, kugihiki and the Japanese flush-cut saws), two handsaws. There’s no reason to check the set of
then I needed to learn how to use them correctly. saws from japanesetools.com (the Kaneharu and the teeth; there should be no set because these
(See the related article on flush-cut saw tech- the Maruyoshi; call Harrelson Stanley at 877- saws are designed to lie flat on the surface and
niques on page 32.) 692-3624 for specific order information) and cut without marring that surface.
So I ordered a number of saws from differ- the Bridge City Tool Works JS-4. In addition, That left only the TPI for my study. The TPI
ent suppliers and delved into them to see what I examined the flush-cut saw from Robert Lar- on these saws ranged from a low of 17 to a high
differentiates an ordinary flush-cut saw from a son (available at Amazon.com) and the Nakaya of 32. Which is better? This is an area of debate.
great one. The saws I received were priced from kugihiki from thebestthings.com. Harrelson Stanley, of japanesetools.com, says
a high of $94 to a low of $15. Admit it; right now I also brought in three other saws that simply the more teeth per inch, the finer the cut, so
you suspect that the expensive saw is the best and aren’t worth discussing. Two, the Lynx and Pax, you’ll notice a smoother cut through hardwood.
contrarily, the least expensive is not. I began with had round wooden handles with very narrow The results should be a finer cut than something
the same convictions. The question is: Did I end blades. Neither made the final testing because designed to whack off a heavier amount, but the
up feeling that same way? my cuts with these two resulted in a divot on the cut takes longer to complete. Stanley is a hand-

28 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

tool enthusiast. He’s looking to get the finest cut
so the next step is just a quick stroke with his plane
(if necessary at all). If you work exclusively with
hand tools, then you might want to test drive one
of the saws with a higher TPI.
However, I like the quicker cut. I’m looking to
remove the peg end and get into the finishing of
the project. I’m a power-tool guy and my projects
are going to involve sanding. That’s what I do.
I also believe that the longer you have the saw
against the surface while making those multiple
strokes, the better chance you have to twist your
wrist and introduce the teeth to the surface. That
potential nick means additional sanding (or plan-
ing). That’s d thing.
A quick glance at the chart on page 31 shows This is a blade “flexing.” Because these saws cut
the TPI for all saws. The kugihiki from Lee Val- The thickness of the flush-cut saw’s blade is a on the pull stroke the flexing occurs during the
ley is my choice. With 17 TPI, I found the cut to factor in its use. The thinner the blade the more forward thrusting. Flexing can cause the teeth to
be quick – decreasing the length of time the saw likely you are to “flex” the blade while cutting. slash into the surface.
was on my project – and nearly as smooth as the
finer TPI saws.
short, deliberate strokes. As a result, blade length .008" (very flimsy) to .021" (somewhat stout,
All About the Blade isn’t much of an issue and the lengths of the tested comparatively).
As I set up the testing for these flush-cut saws, I saws are not much different – ranging from the What does this indicate as to the workability
figured that the length of the blade would come shortest at 53 ⁄4" to the longest at 71 ⁄8". of the flush-cut saws? Let’s start with the tech-
into question. I likened this to the length of the What turned out to be most interesting, and nique of using this type of saw. If you look at most
handle of a hammer. When most of us start work- the consideration I felt really made a difference in catalogs, or even the picture at the beginning of
ing with a hammer, we grab the handle just below the usability of the saws, was the thickness of the this article, you’ll see the saws flex to the point
the head and gingerly tap the nail into the wood. blades. I immediately noticed that some blades of risking permanent bend. I guess it’s accept-
As we gain experience, we move our hands down exhibit an almost whip-like feature whereas oth- able when you’re in extremely tight quarters to
the handle and start to swing the head properly ers seem very stiff. How to get accurate measure- work this way. But how often does that happen?
as we make contact with the nail. ments of thickness was my charge. The method that most use in cutting with these
I’ve seen woodworkers act in this manner with My fractional calipers were of no use. The tools is to lay the blade flat on the work and place
regular saws as well – short, choppy strokes until variations in thickness were much finer than they fingers on the blade to keep it flat (see “Flush-cut
they feel comfortable, then long, strong strokes as could measure. So I grabbed the dial indicator that Techniques” on page 32 for more instruction).
their confidence builds. They cut using the entire we use to set the blades for our machinery. So here’s my take. As I used these saws I
length of the blade. But flush-cut saws are differ- I tested using a table saw top (a known flat noticed that my fingers hold the saw flat and as
ent for me and most others I’ve seen use them. surface) as the platform. I set up the indicator I saw back and forth to make the cut, my drive
Because of the very nature of what we’re cutting, with the magnetic base locked in and set the hand (the one on the handle) tends to wander
the stroke is short. We are generally cutting a needle to zero. Next, I lifted the plunger and either upward or downward. As this happens, I
small area on a small width, and that requires slid the saws in for a reading. The range was from begin to put force on the blade that causes the

The number of
teeth per inch
(TPI) influences the
saw’s cut and varies
from saw to saw.
One way to find
that number with
really fine saws is to
tap the blade into
wood and count
the holes in any
given inch.

Having no set in the teeth allows the blade to lay

flat during use and cut without marring the sur-
face of your project.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 29
“Truth is immortal; error is mortal.” Test Drive for Looks, Comfort and Cut
— Mary Baker Eddy (1821 - 1910) There can be no doubt that the Bridge City saw
author, founder of Christian Science Movement is the most handsome. It will take any award for
looks, hands down. The handle is wrapped in a
burgundy thread-like material that is secured
thinner blades to bend slightly on the push stroke. with showy brass bands. That material is actu-
On the pull stroke, the saws remained flat. This ally line used for shark fishing.
caused me to raise my fingers and lose that flat The next tier for looks includes the Maruyoshi
contact between the blade and the surface. Mar- from japanesetools.com and the Nakaya kugi-
ring is more apt to occur during this sequence hiki from thebestthings.com with the handles
of events. The thicker blades didn’t show signs wrapped with raffia. Following closely is the
of this happening. bubinga handle on the kugihiki saw from Lee The Lee Valley kugihiki is the winner. This saw
Obviously, there’s a direct correlation between Valley. The balance of the saws have fairly non- brings everything from an aggressive cut to a
bending and the thickness of the blade stock. I’ll descript handles. shapely and comfortable handle to the table. Not
take a thicker blade – remember we’re talking a If a tool is uncomfortable to hold, I doubt the most expensive – just the best saw for your
money.
difference of .013" – for my flush-cut saw. I found you’ll reach for it when you need that job done
it easier to keep the thicker blade flat. – unless it’s the only tool that can do that job.
Given all the saws and the many different handles,
Wider is Better I had to find one that was comfortable to use None of the saw cuts slashed into the walnut,
You’ve heard it before I’ll bet. I think it was a car – even though I don’t plan to use a flush-cut saw however a few did leave ever-so-slight lines: the
commercial. Wider is better. While I’m not so as often as I do my dovetail saw. Nakaya kugihiki, the Kaneharu and the Maruyo-
sure about a wider body on a car, I do think this Of all the saws, only two did not have a typical shi. Not a problem really, just a calling card. With
is fact when working with flush-cut saws. The Japanese-handle design. The Lee Valley kugi- the other four saws I saw no lines in the grain.
wider the blade, the better able you are to keep hiki saw and the Robert Larson saw both have The peg cuts of the Kaneharu, Maruyoshi and
the blade flat. Narrow blades allow you to twist an oval handle with a flared end. I found these the Lee Valley kugihiki saws left a smooth top
the blade across the cut. handles very comfortable and they felt secure in on the dowel and the finish was flush with the
Two major things can happen when the blade my hand during use. walnut. The Nakaya kugihiki, the Robert Larson
doesn’t stay flat to the surface. First, the cut wan- and the Bridge City JS-4 saws rolled uphill as the
ders down into the surface. You know that causes The All-important Cut cut progressed, leaving a slight elevation at the
problems from above. Do you want to level the No matter how the saws stack up in the looks back edge of the cut. The Lee Valley Japanese
surface to the peg? No. The second result of department, the telltale of purchase-worthiness saw was humped in the center of the dowel.
blades not staying flat is the cut of the dowel or is the cut. It might be a great-looking saw, but
peg is proud. Is that what we are aiming for with if the cut is not right, you don’t need it in your Where I’ll Place My Money
this entire exercise? No again. toolbox or hanging on your wall. These are not saws that you quickly wear out, but
Interestingly, the two widest blades in the In order to make cuts that I could look at what if you break a tooth on these saws? Are they
test, the Bridge City Tool Works JS-4 and the closely, I planed a walnut board by hand, installed trash? There are four saws for which a replace-
5⁄
Nakaya kugihiki from thebestthings.com, were 16" dowels and made a cut with each saw. I was ment blade is available: the Nakaya kugihiki,
also the thinnest blades in the test. I think that looking for two things. The first was if the teeth the Maruyoshi, the Lee Valley kugihiki and the
one characteristic offsets the other. left any indication that they were there (that gnarly Bridge City JS-4. If they are used appropriately, I
Also, none of the saws are impulse hardened to gash). The second was the resulting cut. Was the wouldn’t expect that you’d go through three saws
keep the teeth sharp. And, there’s a golden sheen dowel flush with the surface? Did the saw tend of this type during your woodworking days.
on two of the saw blades. This is a simply a result to float up or move down as it cut? This would So, how do they stack up? Make a list of the
of factory processing and adds no benefit. tell the story. important features of a flush-cut saw and you’ll
find what I think is the best saw for your hard-
earned money. Choose thicker blade stock with
a more aggressive cut, a wide enough blade to
allow two-finger hold down and to help eliminate
any potential for twisting, and a nice-looking tool
that fits and is comfortable in the hand. Finally, it
must have the right cut. That’s a cut that is flush
with the surface without leaving scratches, stays
flat across the entire peg width and leaves the
finished surface of the cut smooth.
At the beginning of this story, I mentioned
the costs of the saws and wondered if I would
choose the most expensive one. I didn’t. For my
money, I’ll select the Lee Valley kugihiki with
the bubinga handle. It fits all the requirements
for a great flush-cut saw at the reasonable price
of $22. This flush-cut saw fits nicely into any
Wide blades give more support while cutting, reducing the chances of twisting your wrist and driving tool arsenal. wm
the saw teeth into the surface. — Glen D. Huey

30 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

Flush-Cut Saws
Sidebar head
Brand price tpi Blade blade overall available
THICKNESS length length from
Highly Recommended
Lee Valley kugihiki (60T06.20)* $22 17 .021" 61 ⁄4" 131 ⁄ 2" leevalley.com
or 800-871-8158
The comfort of the handle, the thickness
of the blade as well as the aggressive TPI
make this the pick saw. The cut was nearly
as smooth as higher TPI saws.

Recommended
Bridge City JS-4 (#1101-170)*
$59 32 .008" 65 ⁄ 8" 161 ⁄4" bridgecitytools.com
or 800-253-3332
By far the most elegant saw in the group.
This saw has a thin and wide blade. Cut-
ting is very fine given the TPI. Overall a
good choice.

Kaneharu $94 26 .012" 71 ⁄ 8" 171 ⁄ 8" japanesetools.com

or 877-692-3624
A very nice saw. The blade thickness less-
ened the chance of flexing while the cut of
the peg was dead flat. Light scratch lines
appeared on the surface after the cut.

Lee Valley Japanese (60T1901) $27 22 .011" 61 ⁄4" 161 ⁄4" leevalley.com
or 800-871-8158
The thin and narrow blade makes this saw
susceptible to reacting to wrist move-
ments. Those movements have a negative
effect on the cut.

Maruyoshi*
$56 23 .014" 7" 181 ⁄4" japanesetools.com
or 877-692-3624
With the excellent fit and finish, this saw’s
only downfall is the narrow blade. The cut
is smooth but fine scratches showed up on
the surface.

Nakaya kugihiki (K-180G)* $35 32 .008" 7" 161 ⁄ 2" thebestthings.com

or 800-884-1373
The flimsiness of the blade is offset by its
wide profile, which gives it more area to
hold flat to the surface. More strokes are
needed due to the high TPI.

Robert Larson $15 19 .021" 53 ⁄4" 12" amazon.com

The least expensive saw in the group. The
stout blade makes using this saw easy and
the fit of the handle makes it comfortable.
Worthy of being in the test.

* replaceable blades

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 31
Discover Flush-cut Saw Techniques
Trim the fat from flush-cut
saw techniques. With proper
practice your finished cuts
will be extra-smooth.

W hen I began building furniture I bought a

flush-cut saw. Knowing that I was going to build
Shaker-style furniture and that square pegs were
used in nearly every project, I was certain the
saw would be one of the most-used hand tools in
my shop. With saw in hand, and willing to spend
some time testing the cut, I loaded a few pegs
into a chunk of wood and started at it.
Having no formal woodworking education
– I’d last received lessons in junior high shop
class – I made the flush cuts. I wasn’t sure how
to correctly handle the saw or even if I had my
hands in the right position. Was there a proper
method to using these saws? Pictures of the saws

PHOTO BY AL PARRISH
in woodworking catalogs show the blade of the
saw bent just short of a 90º angle. I always won-
dered if this was the correct sawing position.
I positioned the saw flat to the surface while
I sawed back and forth, allowing the saw blade
to slide over the surface of the wood. Some cuts “Is it the saw or operator error?” That question arises in discussions about problems using flush-cut saws.
were acceptable, some weren’t. Eventually I found Learning proper technique puts half that question to bed.
more cuts weren’t acceptable. The blade dug into
the wood and my overall sanding time escalated
as I found myself leveling the surface to remove saw. I’d refine my technique. So, I loaded some and Robert W. Lang to help uncover my problem.
the gash left in the wood. The saw was causing pegs into a block of wood in order to perform a Was it me or were all those photos and advertise-
too much repair work. And so I pitched it into couple dozen cuts and complete the tests. ments wrong?
the garbage. Was I doing something wrong? Was Seeing the momentous number of advertise- “Trust your gut instinct.” “Your first thought
my technique bad? ments and pictures of these saws being used is probably correct.” Do these sayings sound
I then adopted a new technique of cutting close with that huge bend, I again wondered if I was familiar? They do to me. I contemplated these
to the face of my project with a regular backsaw, approaching this cut in the correct manner. Not truisms as I watched Chris and Bob step to the
then sanding the pegs flush with a random-orbit wanting to miss an opportunity to learn, I bent bench one at a time. I didn’t let them know what
sander. Sometimes I’d place a piece of laminate the saw to that extreme angle and began to cut. I was looking to find, only that I needed them to
or a business card over the peg and trim as close It wasn’t a good thing. At that angle, the saw cut cut the peg with a flush-cut saw.
as possible then sand everything flush. I worked worse than if I’d just taken a small hatchet and Much to my relief, they both approached the
this way for years. chopped at the peg. I couldn’t keep the saw flat on peg with the saw flat on the work and didn’t bend
Recently I brought a number of flush-cut saws the surface and the cut was ragged at best. the blade as they worked. I now knew I had the
into the Woodworking Magazine shop to test and Practicing a few times with the same results, basic technique correct. What I needed was to
to select the best saw (See “Choosing a Flush-cut I began to think that I just wasn’t going to be refine the procedure and make the saws work for
Saw,” page 28). At the same time I thought I would capable of using this technique to cut flush. So, I me instead of against me by leaving that huge
get some first-hand experience using this type of enlisted the help of editors Christopher Schwarz gash in the wood.

32 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

The Technique, Step by Step
I needed to start at the beginning, so I mulled
over the process of using the flush-cut saw. First
things first: Position the blade flat on the surface
of the project. There shouldn’t be any set in the
teeth of a flush-cut saw so placing the saw to either
side of the peg is acceptable. I’m right-handed,
thus you might think it’s correct to begin with the
blade on the right-hand side of the peg. However,
if you’re right-handed it’s best if you begin with
the saw on the left side of the peg. This requires
that you rotate your wrist 180º or change your This cut started on the right. Rolling the wrist
grip on the handle. caused the blade to ride upward as the cut pro-
As we determine the correct placement of the Bad technique or a bad saw? Either way this is not gressed, which resulted in a higher left side. Addi-
left hand, you’ll see why this saw positioning is good. The only recourse from here is to level the tional work is needed to flush the peg. Holding
surface to the gash left by the saw. the wrist level results in a smooth cut.
so important. Two fingers of the left hand should
hold the blade flat to the surface. This keeps the
blade flat, minimizing the chance of it lifting
from the surface, which would result in a proud hand. If you’ve cut with your hands positioned Now, in order to keep your stationary hand
peg. And, it prevents the teeth from diving into differently – moving the blade toward your sta- out of the line of fire as you complete the cut, it’s
your nearly finished surface and causing those tionary hand – when you finished the cut I’ll bet necessary to reach across the peg to place your
nasty gash lines, which would be worse. you jabbed the blade into your hand. I’ve seen fingers on the blade. (See the top-left photo on
Your fingers act as a hold-down for the saw this happen on more than one occasion in the page 34.) This position may feel awkward but
as you stroke the saw back and forth, allowing classes I’ve taught. I’ll let you in on a secret: I’ve rest assured, you will not cut your hand as the
the blade to slide between your fingers and the done this a time or two to myself (third time’s the saw slices through the peg.
surface. Make sure that you hold your wrist so charm.) If you haven’t made this mistake, consider
the blade remains flat. If you twist forward you yourself lucky, as well as warned. Making the Flush Cut
place additional stress at the front of the blade With hand positioning covered, how do you cut?
increasing the chances of digging into the surface. Location Dictates the Direction I’ve seen people try to make this cut using sur-
If you twist back you’ll place that stress at the What happens when you need to make a cut with prising techniques. One such technique was to
rear of the blade and your cut won’t be flat and the blade positioned on the right-hand side of the slice through the cut by starting at the back end
smooth across the peg. Using a saw with a wide peg because there isn’t enough room on the left of the blade and zipping completely past the front
blade provides you a better chance to remain side of the peg for you to place the blade flat on end of the blade – all in one swift motion. This
flat to the surface. A wide blade helps obtain a the project? action was repeated numerous times until the cut
better cut. If you’re a left-handed woodworker the pro- was complete – each time introducing the blade
And here is the importance of setting your cedure is as described, only mirrored. If you’re a to the peg and the surface of the project.
hands properly: As you finish the cut through right-handed woodworker, the process requires a Basic handsawing techniques suggest that
the peg the saw blade isn’t traveling toward your repositioning of the stationary (or left) hand. you start the cut with a few short strokes in the

This cut is wrong in so many ways. The blade is not held flat, it’s not sup-
This is ideal hand placement. My fingers keep the blade flat on the surface ported through the cut and the blade has direct access to the stationary
and once the cut is finished the hand is clear of danger. hand. This is an accident waiting to happen.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 33
 The number of teeth
per inch (TPI) influ-
ences the time required
to make the cut. More
teeth keeps the saw at
its job longer and that
increases the chances for
mistakes.

cut – and the slower the cut is made. Lower TPI somewhere in the interior of the peg. If material is
saws are more aggressive. left protruding from the surface, it’s much easier
to pare the center of the peg with a chisel without
About the Cut damaging the project surrounding the peg.
Should you perform the cut from only one direc-
When having to cut toward your stationary hand tion, or do you start the cut on one side of a peg A Final Note
make sure to raise the wrist and other append- and then move to the second or opposing side to In most woodworking if you’re trimming pegs,
ages out of harm’s way. Maintain two fingers on complete the operation? chances are you’ve installed them using some
the blade for support and guidance. The simplest method is to start the cut and saw type of glue. Glue is the enemy of flush-cut saws
through the entire peg. That’s fine if all you’re (and saws in general). The teeth are small and
looking to do is hack away waste material. Much the glue easily becomes lodged in them. Within
direction that is opposite of the tool’s cutting of the time this is exactly what you’re after. But, a short time the saw becomes useless or untrust-
motion. On Western saws this would indicate a problems surface if you catch the second-to- worthy as it cuts. Either scenario is something
cut on the pull stroke. On the Japanese design, last stroke wrong. As you return to make the to avoid. Make sure to clean any glue remnants
which includes most flush-cut saws, the cut would last stroke, it’s possible to break the remaining as soon as they’re discovered.
begin with a push stroke. Once the cut is begun material before it’s cut by the teeth. Because the Develop correct cutting methods and a flush-
and the saw is nestled into the kerf and running break is at the outer edge of the peg, it’s conceiv- cut saw will reap huge rewards in your woodwork-
smooth you should use full and complete strokes able that the fibers of the wood will tear down ing. These saws are delicate with fine teeth, but
of the blade. the peg side versus simply breaking off. That can will last a lifetime if cared for properly. wm
Using the entire blade does two things. First, leave a jagged finish to the peg that will require — Glen D. Huey
it allows for better waste removal. When the gul- additional work or a nasty visible area that has
lets between the teeth fill up with dust, the saw to be addressed. This is same reason why tree
stops cutting. Using full strokes helps empty loggers make a relief cut on the back side of the
the gullets. Second, using full strokes allows all trunk as they fell trees.
the teeth to cut, which keeps the blade sharper Creating a cut on one side prior to complet-
longer. If you only use a small sampling of the ing the cut from the opposing side reduces this
teeth, those teeth wear faster. possibility. If something does happen, say the
One area of particular interest when using peg breaks as the two cut areas intersect, the
handsaws, especially thin-bladed saws such as peg will not rip down the outer edge, but break
the flush-cut saw, is the amount of pressure you
exert as you saw. In working with any saw, the
more force you use, the more apt you are to veer
from the line. This happens (in part) because the
blade bends or warps under the force.
Continuous sawing as the blade bends causes
the kerf to drift. This is not acceptable when using
the flush-cut saw. If your blade moves off the flat
surface you’ll end up with a cut into the project
or a cut that is nowhere near flush. In extreme
instances it’s possible to actually kink the blade
of flush-cut saws.
Allow the blade to cut with minimal pres- The main use for flush-cut saws in my woodwork-
sure. If the length of time it takes to make the cut Starting the cut on one side and finishing on the ing is to trim pegs. Those often have been glued
seems long, it’s probably because the saw isn’t opposing side reduces any chances of ripping the into position. The glue fills the teeth, rendering
sharpened correctly or the teeth per inch (TPI) grain down the side of the peg. A faux pas such as the saw useless. So you must clean the teeth well
count is high. The higher the TPI, the finer the this shows in a finished project. on a regular basis.

34 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

Flush-trimming
Sidebar head Router Base: Pare Your Pegs With Power
T here is always more than one way to per-
form any task in woodworking. For flush-
trimming pegs, here’s a motorized method
A trim router equipped with a mortising bit
would be ideal for flush-trimming pegs, were
it possible to set the bottom of the bit even
Set the bit height with a straightedge span-
ning the two wood runners. Start with the
cutter a hair below the straightedge and make
for tackling this task. with the bottom of the router base, while at a test cut. Lower the cutter and repeat the
the same time push the base over a protrud- test cut until it will trim a peg flush without
ing peg. This simple, 10-minute modification marring the surrounding wood. If dead flush
to the trimmer base does just that. makes you nervous, the peg can be left a wee
Two 3 ⁄8" x 3 ⁄8" pieces of smooth hardwood bit proud, then sanded or scraped flush.
are attached to the base plate with double- This method works best when the router is
stick tape. The exact location will depend on doing the least work possible, so don’t leave
the width of the piece; narrow stiles and rails much of the peg exposed, 1 ⁄8" to 1 ⁄4" works
require the pieces be placed close together. well. The only real risk in this method is allow-
It’s a balancing act; they should be as far apart ing one of the runners to fall off an edge,
as possible while leaving both on the surface. tilting the base. Move the cutter in slowly over
1 The best router bit to use is sold as a mortis-
ing or dadoing bit. The key is that the bit is
the peg, and remove it in small nibbles by
rotating the tool.
Adhere two small strips of wood to the router designed to leave a flat-bottomed cut and has — Robert W. Lang
base plate with double-stick tape. Space them a carbide cutter on its end.
as far apart as possible, but less than the width
of the surface they will be resting on.

2
Set the bottom of the mortising bit even with
the bottom surface of the wood runners.

PHOTO BY AL PARRISH

3 4
After making test cuts to set the depth of the Keeping the wooden runners in contact with the surface is essential. If one runner falls off an edge,
cutter correctly, trim the pegs by slowly moving the base will tilt and the router bit will dig into the wood surrounding the peg. A bit of paraffin on
the spinning cutter across the protruding peg. the bottom of the runners will allow them to glide across the surface.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 35
Become a Better Borer
Drilling clean, accurately
placed holes is essential to
good woodworking. Learn to
become a human drill press
with our simple exercises.

M odern woodworkers tend to look at making

holes as merely one small step toward crafting
a joint. We bore out waste to make a mortise to
hold a tenon, or we drill a pilot hole for a screw.
But for centuries, it was the holes themselves that
were the height of high-technology joinery.
In many pieces of early Egyptian and Ameri-
can Indian furniture, the only joints were holes
that were then lashed together with leather strips.
I’ve seen beds, coffins and household goods such

PHOTO BY AL PARRISH
as buckets built using this system.
This skill didn’t disappear with the Pharaohs.
The skill – sometimes called marlinship – sur-
vived through the Victorian era. Even the Wright
brothers’ early airplanes were lashed together
using some of these principles. The trick to boring accurate holes isn’t years of practice (though that always helps). Instead, you need to
Today we lean on the drill press when we need understand the goal of your hole, and the role each of your hands must play in the boring saga.
an accurate hole, and we use an electric drill when
accuracy is second to speed. And when we need
a hole at an odd angle or in an odd place, we end That’s because somewhere after about 30 or and what they’re used for. Let’s begin with the
up building complex jigs and guides that can so holes, I found I could bore as straight as a drill brace itself.
consume hours of valuable shop time. press with a brace and bit. What was the trick?
I worked this way for years until I took a Well, the practice helped – it always does – but Brace Yourself
chairmaking class. The only boring tools in the more important was understanding the proper Before braces were invented, holes were bored
chairmaker’s shop were the brace and bit. The body position for boring and thinking through with a bow drill, according to old paintings and
entire time I was taking the class, I made mental the goal at hand. drawings. What’s a bow drill? Picture a drill bit
notes about how I could develop a drill-press jig Excited, I took my new-found love of boring held in place at the end of a long wooden handle.
to make the difficult compound bores involved back home, and during the airplane ride I con- Then the string of a bow – much like a bow for
in building Windsor chairs. But by the end of the templated throwing away my cordless drill. The arrows – is wrapped around the wooden handle.
week, I’d abandoned my plans for jigs. batteries weren’t holding a charge, anyway. Each stroke of the bow rotates the bit. It’s a fairly
That turned out to be a cockamamie idea as inefficient and low-torque way to make holes.
well. Cordless drills are a gift from the gods when On the other hand, the brace – even in its most
speed can trump accuracy. Plus, I found that my primitive form – is a marvel of mechanical advan-
“I try not to anthropomorphize my new-found brace skills spilled over to using the tage, courtesy of the 15th century. The bit is held
tools. They hate that … .” cordless drill as well. In other words, I was an in a chuck. One hand grasps the top of the tool.
— Tom Bruce all-around better borer. The other hand cranks a U-shaped handle. With
Akbar 'n' Jeff's Tool Hut You can be one, as well, with just a bit of this simple tool you can develop torque that only
(www.workingtools.biz) practice. The first step is to understand the tools large-horsepower motors can achieve.

36 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

 I stumbled on this revelation while drilling 3⁄4" should check is how well the head fits. A wob- up. On some tools it’s easy to clean and lubricate
holes in 3"-thick yellow pine with an auger bit. bly head is an indicator that the tool is worn or these. On others (particularly the fine brace made
The task drained a cordless drill’s battery after poorly made. The wobble will make it difficult by North Brothers of Philadelphia) re-assembling
one or two holes. So I switched to a corded drill. to bore straight. the ratchet requires an engineering degree and
After two holes, that drill caught fire. But the ■ The Frame: The U-shaped section of the an extra hand.
brace with the same sharp auger breezed through brace is called the frame, though sometimes
the wood, and I barely broke a sweat. it’s called the crank. The part where the frame Basic Brace Use
Here’s an anatomy lesson of a brace, and a joins the head is called the neck. The part where Braces aren’t difficult to use. To load a bit in
discussion of its most important features. the frame joins the chuck is called the foot. The the chuck, here’s the basic drill: With the chuck
■ The Head or Nave: The round knob at the top place you grasp the frame is called the handle. pointing up to the ceiling, grasp the chuck with
of the brace is properly called the head, though What’s important about the frame is how much one hand and hold the tool’s handle with the
you will see other names for it, such as “pad.” It the handle is offset from the head and chuck of
is made of metal, wood or a composite material the tool. Braces commonly have an offset from 3"
and should spin freely around. When you pick to 7" – this offset is called the throw. Tools with
up a vintage brace, one of the first things you more throw can generate more leverage with less
effort, but they require more space to work. If you
take the amount of throw and double it, you’ve
calculated the sweep of the tool. The sweep is
essentially the diameter of the circle created by
turning the handle one revolution. The sweep is
Head
the number that tool merchants use to describe
the tool’s size. The most common sweeps are 8"
Flange of a fully
clad head
and 10". The 6" size is good for small bits in tight
spaces; the 14" sweep is good for holes that are
Quill larger than 1" diameter in tough woods.
■ The Chuck: The part that holds the bit is the
When boring large-diameter holes you can
Neck chuck, and it is the biggest variable in a brace. fatigue one set of muscles on the arm that is
There are probably hundreds of different designs. holding the handle. Instead, engage the ratchet
Frame
Most of them work fine for holding the tapered, and work only in the narrow area where gravity is
rectangular tang designed for braces. But some working with you.
chucks also will hold standard round twist and
brad-point bits, which is handy. The most impor-
tant thing to look for is that the jaws of the chuck
close tightly and don’t flop around inside the
chuck, sometimes called the shell. Floppy
Handle jaws are usually a sign that the spring inside
the chuck is broken or dislocated. I’d pass on
a brace with a broken chuck.
Many chucks have a ratcheting feature,
which is a lot like the three-position switch
on a socket set. You can set the brace to turn
the bit only on the forward stroke, only on
Throw the reverse stroke or during both forward
and reverse. While some woodworkers think
the ratchet is as unnecessary as socks on a
squirrel, I disagree. The ratchet allows you to
bore easily in tight spots where you can only
move the handle through part of its arc, such as
in a corner. Also, the ratchet allows you to eas-
ily rotate the handle in one part of its arc that is
Foot comfortable or requires less effort. One example:
When working with the brace horizontal, it’s
Ratcheting selector:
forward, backward easier to push the handle to the floor (gravity is
and neutral your helper), and the ratchet allows you to work
in that narrow band.
The ratchet does add some weight to the tool,
Chuck which some people dislike. But I don’t mind the
or shell weight. Most boring at the bench is done with the
brace vertical, so the weight isn’t an issue. Cranking the jaws closed by using the handle is
The ratchet should move smoothly and click faster than simply spinning the shell with one
(just like a socket set) when engaged. In vintage hand. Plus, you can get the jaws tighter on the bit
Jaws
braces, the ratchet mechanism can get gummed with less effort by adopting this technique.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 37
 Critical axis
Non-critical axis

Keep your body as close to the axis of the brace With many holes there is a critical axis that Here’s the non-critical axis. If I stray forward or
as possible and focus your downward pressure on requires attention. If I stray left or right here, this back then it’s no big deal. That can be corrected
the head of the tool. Note that the hand on the door stile is as good as firewood. with the next hole.
handle is employing a loose grip.

other hand. Set the ratchet (if there is one) to the do your best to get your body over the tool as much work or your bench. You also can sight your bit
middle position so it is disengaged. This is like as possible. I’ll frequently perch my chin on the against any layout lines scribed on your work,
the neutral position on some ratchets in a socket head of the brace. This increases accuracy. such as when you’ve marked out a mortise on a
set. Now crank the handle clockwise to open the If you are working horizontally, brace the stile. What’s critical is to figure out which axis is
jaws. Insert a bit between the jaws and close the head of the tool against your stomach or chest more important to observe, and to then position
jaws until they just barely hold the bit. Wiggle (whichever is more convenient). your body (and try square) to take advantage of
the bit until its rectangular shank finds its nesting Now you want to begin boring. I like to assign that knowledge.
place in the jaws. Now crank the handle until the separate jobs to each of my hands. My dominant Here’s a classic example: Let’s say you are bor-
jaws close tight. hand typically goes onto the head and grasps ing out the waste in a mortise in a door stile. The
To make a hole, place the tip of the bit in posi- tight. That hand has only one job: Steer straight stile is sitting on your bench and you are standing
tion. If you are boring with the tool vertical, then down. My off-hand goes on the handle – lightly at the end of the board. The critical axis for this
now – and has only one job: Travel in a circle. job is left and right. If you lean left or right as
Mastering this basic stroke and approach to you bore, the mortise will not be straight – or you
the work is the first step to getting an accurate might even bore through the face of your stile.
“The more a guitar is played, the result with a brace. The other tricks have to do The non-critical axis is forward and back. If you
better it will sound; it needs to get used with all forms of boring, whether they are pow- lean too far forward or too far back, it’s no big
ered by electrons or empanadas. deal. The next hole (or your chisel) can correct
to being an instrument and not a that error. In some cases the error doesn’t even
Learn Plumb; Learn Level need to be corrected.
chair, so it’s difficult when some While growing up, we first learned good posture So remember this when you bore: It is easier
musicians expect a guitar to play by balancing textbooks on our heads and then to sense whether you are listing left or right than
walking around the classroom. To learn to bore it is to tell if you are leaning forward or back.
itself. That’s why I think most good accurately, there are a couple good crutches to That should tell you where to stand and where
luthiers would make great shrinks: lean on until you get the feel for the tool. These to place your square as you are training yourself
rules apply no matter what sort of boring tool to work at 90°.
It’s usually not the guitar.” you have in your hands. But what about when you must bore at an odd
— Frankie Montuoro Most boring is done at 90° to the work, so you angle? That is, anything to do with a chair or a
guitar technician for the band Wilco in can teach yourself to bore true by sighting your stool? You might not be able to train yourself to
"The Wilco Book" (DAR) work against a try square positioned on your hit 17.5° off of 90° in your sleep, but you can train

38 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

 Extend your index finger
when drilling, hammer-
ing, sawing or planing.
Your finger will help
bring the rest of your
body in line.

friend or co-worker spot me as I begin the hole. common. And, in fact, people weren’t that much
(Once the cut has commenced, you’re commit- smaller in the 18th century. Not to belabor the
In critical boring operations, you can use a block ted and it’s probably better not to have people point, but if you’re interested in this myth, The
of wood that’s cut to your desired angle and press watching.) If I’m alone in the shop, I’ll begin the Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Mass., has an
the flutes against the block. hole with the lead screw of the auger only and engaging article on this topic on its web site:
try to get the bit lined up against the blade of plimoth.org/discover/myth/.
the T-bevel before I commit to burying the bit’s
yourself to stay consistent once the cut has begun. cutting spurs into the work. Watch the Spurs
Just remember that one hand steers and the other The third option involves the miter saw. Set the Once you have the confidence to leave the try
hand cranks, and you’ll get the hang of it. saw to make a cut that matches the angle you’re square behind as you bore (and your head has
When boring odd angles, you can use a sliding seeking. Cut a piece of 2x4 scrap at that angle. been cleared of images of our forefathers being
T-bevel as a guide, which is a help. But you also Then clamp or screw that scrap so the flutes of the tiny people), then try this other trick to check your
can use a friend to act as a spotter. Whenever I bit ride the angle as you bore. This final approach work as you begin boring. When using an auger
get ready to bore something on the odd side, I’ll isn’t as fussy as building a complex boring jig, bit, the first part of the bit to bite the wood is the
take one of three approaches. but it does increase your accuracy dramatically. lead screw. It’s a simple cone and can’t help you
If it’s an angle that has to be dead-on, I’ll posi- And remember, if you measure the angle from
tion a T-bevel along the critical axis and have a the underside of the stool or chair you can screw
your guide block directly to the work because any
holes from that process will be hidden.
The above guidelines aren’t just for braces.
Supplies They work with cordless and corded drills as
well. When dealing with drills that have a pistol-
Tools for Working Wood grip (corded or cordless), there is an additional
800-426-4613 or trick to learn. When you grip the handle of the
toolsforworkingwood.com drill, point your index finger out so it’s in line
with the chuck of the tool – don’t use your index
n  icholson 7" Auger Bit File
N
finger as the trigger finger. That’s the job of your
# ST-AUG, $9.80
middle finger.
Brass City Records and Tools This little trick works with any tool that
203-574-7805 or requires guidance (especially handsaws and
brasscityrecords.com jigsaws). Sticking your index finger out to point
n  alt Quadrato is an excellent source
W the way is a cue to your body to straighten out
of vintage braces and auger bits at and head the direction of the pointer finger. This
fair prices. might sound like bunk. I swear it is not.
Most early tools were designed for a three-
Sydnas Sloot finger grip and encouraged the user to extend the
[email protected] or index finger. Modern woodworkers who pick up
sydnassloot.com these old tools usually assume that the reason the
n  anford Moss’s excellent web site is a
S handle hurts their hand is that it was designed When you are boring a critical hole, begin the cut
wealth of information on braces. San- for people back in the day when they had smaller cautiously so you can see if the spurs are entering
ford also sells a fair number of braces hands. That’s just not the case. Study the old the wood at the same time, which is a good sign.
and other vintage boring accessories. books that depict hand-tool use and you’ll see With this wayward bore, there’s still time to cor-
immediately that extending the index finger is rect the angle.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 39
with anything except making sure your bit starts pilot hole to guide all of my bits. piece of work, you can blow out the far side of
at the right point. Whether or not you are plumb A pilot hole is a good idea for a couple reasons. the workpiece as the bit exits the work. You can
isn’t the job of the auger’s lead screw. Instead One, a small-diameter hole is easier to drill in a prevent this blow-out by backing up the exit hole
you need to pay attention to the spurs – the foot- precise manner than a large-diameter hole. With with a piece of scrap. But sometimes that’s not
ball-shaped cutters that rim the bit and score the small bits you can focus almost all of your effort practical, such as when boring into the middle
outside diameter of the hole. These spurs travel and attention on boring true without worrying of a board. So here’s another approach.
the entire circumference of your hole, and you about swinging your arm wide and throwing Drive the bit into the work until the lead screw
can use that to your advantage. off your angle. just begins to poke out the far end of the work
As the lead screw begins to bury itself into the Once you get a pilot hole drilled, you can use (mark your bit with tape so you’ll know when you
work, watch the hole and advance slowly. Watch that to guide all of your other larger bits. The lead are close to the final depth). Remember this: Stop
to see if both spurs hit the wood’s surface simulta- screw or brad point of your bit will always want boring as soon as you can feel the bit on the exit
neously. If the bit is angled off 90°, one spur will to follow the pilot hole because it’s the path of side. You want the exit hole to be really small.
contact the work before the other spur – assuming least resistance through the wood. A small hole will make the next hole you make
your spurs are filed to the same height. How big should a pilot hole be? You need to easier to bore accurately.
If one spur plows across the wood before the use some judgment here. Use the smallest-diam- Remove the bit from your first hole then move
other, then stop boring, release the brace and step eter bit possible for the thickness of the work you over to the hole’s exit side. Place the lead screw
back to see where things are going awry. It should are drilling. Thicker woods will require bits that of the bit into the small hole on the exit side and
be fairly obvious to your naked eye. If not, get out are bigger and longer. For 3⁄4"-thick work, I’ll usu- advance the bit. It will cut a clean exit hole that’s
a square to see where you are leaning. With just ally choose a 3 ⁄32" bit and work up from there. lined up with your first hole.
the lead screw engaged, it’s fairly easy to make a Once you get your pilot hole drilled, you
slight adjustment and get on track. But once both should drill the largest-diameter holes first – usu- Clear a Path
spurs and the flutes of the bit are engaged, you’re ally these are the counterbored recesses for the Don’t, however, confuse pilot holes with clear-
fairly committed to cutting that angle. washers, the nut or the head of a bolt or screw. ance holes. Their names give away their jobs
But not always. Chairmakers commonly use For these counterbores, always pick a bit that in the shop. A pilot hole is designed to lead the
spoon bits to allow themselves some wiggle room has some sort of well-defined point, such as a way for something else that will then cut into the
before committing to a particular angle. A spoon Forstner, brad-point, auger or center bit. Garden- walls of the pilot hole – perhaps it’s another bit,
bit looks like someone split a metal pipe along its variety twist bits (designed for metalworking) a wood screw or a cut nail.
length and ground one end to a rounded spoon don’t follow a pilot as well. Their blunt tips can be A clearance hole, on the other hand, is sup-
shape. The rounded end allows the woodworker difficult to start without first using a centerpunch posed to clear a wide path for something to follow
a fair amount of time to change angles as the cut on your work to dimple the wood. behind, such as a bolt or a piece of hardware. The
begins. I’m personally not fond of spoon bits for Place the point of the bit in your pilot hole difference is important. A clearance hole should
a few reasons. One, they’re somewhat rare. They and drill your counterbores on the entry and exit be wide enough so the hardware doesn’t cut sig-
cut slower than an auger. And the inexperienced points of your pilot. nificantly into the walls of the hole. Whereas a
borer is just as likely to wander off of a correct With the counterbores complete, you can then pilot hole should be small enough that the hard-
angle as wander onto the correct one. drill the hole that connects them. Again, choose ware can bite into the walls of the hole but big
a bit with a well-defined point. Place the tip in enough to prevent the hardware from jamming
Engage the Autopilot the pilot hole in the middle of the counterbore and breaking.
There are other tricks to drilling holes with pre- and bore the through-hole. If it’s a particularly The most common (but misunderstood) appli-
cision that don’t involve a drill press. Whenever deep hole, you can work from both entry and exit cation of pilot holes and clearance holes is when
I have a hole to bore that must be located pre- holes to increase the chance that your holes will using a screw to fasten two pieces of wood. Let’s
cisely or involves combining bores of different line up just right in the end. say you are going to screw a top piece to a bottom
diameters, such as when drilling for a bolt and How you stop the cut is almost as important piece. The best form of this joint is where you
its washer, then I almost always rely on a narrow as how you begin it. When you bore through a first drill a pilot hole through the top piece and

When the lead screw poked through the exit

side of this hole I stopped turning the handle,
When you need a hole that’s dead-on or stepped The pilot hole helps guide all subsequent boring removed the auger and began the cut on the exit
in size, consider making a pilot hole first to guide operations. For the counterbore, place the lead side. This eliminates the grain from blowing out
your future drilling efforts. screw in the pilot hole. as the bit clears your work.

40 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

 The Care and Feeding of Auger Bits
Clear-
ance
hole Shank Twist Head

Tang Flute Lead screw

A uger bits are wondrous, efficient bits

of tooling. When sharpened, they eat
through wood with little effort. Sharpening
bit is more likely to clog. You can polish up the
flutes with fine sandpaper if things aren’t too
bad. Or you can spend another quarter. Keep
them is simple. The first rule is to sharpen the flutes as shiny as possible. Wipe down the
In this cutaway, you can see how the pilot, clear- them as little as possible. Mimic all the angles flutes with a little WD-40 or light machine oil
ance hole and countersink all work together to present on the tooling and take as few strokes when you are done with the bit for the day.
ensure that the screw will pull the work up tight with an auger bit file as possible. Here are the ■ The Spurs: These football-shaped cut-
(left). And you can see an example of what bridg- important parts of the auger bit and how to ters score the diameter of your hole. You file
ing looks like with the screw removed. care for them. them on the inside only. Filing the outside
■ The Lead Screw: If this is clogged, the will shrink the diameter of the circle that they
bit will not advance into the work. You don’t score and the auger will jam. Game over. Take
into the bottom piece. The pilot hole should be have to sharpen the lead screw, but you do a few strokes with an auger bit file and mimic
the same diameter as the shank of the screw (the have to keep it clean. If it’s gunky, I’ll soak it the gentle radius of the spur.
metal part minus the threads). This is sometimes in some mineral spirits and then clean the ■ The Cutting Lips: These two wedge-like
called the “minor dimension” of a screw. threads of the screw with some dental floss. If parts of the bit act like levers. They wedge
Then drill a larger-diameter clearance hole the threads get worn or broken I pitch the bit themselves under the waste that’s defined by
in the top piece only. The clearance hole should and reluctantly spend another 25 cents on a the spurs and force it up the flutes. File their
be slightly larger than the entire diameter of the replacement at the flea market. bevels, which face up toward the flutes of the
screw (this is sometimes called the “major dimen- ■ The Flutes or the Twist: These carry the auger. Five or six strokes will do.  — CS
sion” of the screw). Drill a countersink for the shavings out of the hole. If they are rusty, the
head of the screw if necessary then drive your
screw. This arrangement of holes will allow the
screw to do its job: The threads will bite into the
walls of the pilot hole and pull the head of the
screw down – pulling the top piece onto the bot-
Spur
tom piece. If you don’t drill a clearance hole in
the top piece, the screw’s threads could bite into
the top piece and prevent the joint from closing.
This is called bridging.
With these basic skills in hand you will be
prepared to move into one of the great unexplored
realms of woodworking: boring holes. Open any
old tool catalog or book from the 19th century
and you will be stunned by the wide variety of
bits that were available to the woodworker.
And though all the different types of bits
might be bewildering, they all work on the same
principle. Take heart in that when Joseph Moxon
penned the first English text on woodworking in
1678, he barely made mention of the brace, which
he called a “piercer.”
“Its Office is so well known, that I need say
little to it,” Moxon wrote. “Only, you must take
Cutting lip
care to keep the bitt straight to the hole you pierce,
lest you deform the hole, or break the Bitt.”
That’s all you get in the first-ever English book
on the craft. According to Moxon, the whole world To file the cutting lip, brace the bit against a To file the spurs, clamp the auger upright and
of hole knowledge is widespread and shallow. But piece of scrap and rub the file against the lip. A gently file the radius of the spur. Never file the
I actually think it goes a bit deeper. WM few strokes should produce a fresh edge. outside diameter of the bit. Work the inside only.
— Christopher Schwarz

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 41
Carving out a Pumpkin Pine Finish
We experimented to find the
perfect recipe for this most-
requested finish for pine –
and it’s as easy as pie.

P umpkin pine is a developed patina that glows

a warm orangy color similar to – you guessed
it – a pumpkin.
Ask woodworkers what finish they want to
replicate when using white pine as their primary
wood in a project, and you’re likely to hear two
words: pumpkin pine.
A real pumpkin pine finish has many years of
age. Begin with heartwood from Eastern white
pine then allow a century of wax, grime and expo-
sure to daylight, and you’ll start to see a patina
that displays a golden-orange hue.

PHOTO BY AL PARRISH
Old Growth v. New Growth
Back in the day, Eastern white pine or yellow pine
was sought after by woodworkers. It was easy to
work, available in very wide boards, had tight
growth rings and developed a rich warm patina
over time. Who wouldn’t want to use this type of The most sought-after pine finish is a one-day, three-step process. Finding a sample to copy (such as this
antique firkin) is a good strategy. See the Contents page of this issue for a color photograph.
lumber to build furniture – especially with the
abundance of white pine in New England and
yellow pine in the South.
Today, we don’t often have the opportunity step through each grit because it becomes evi- Finding a reliable way to control the blotching
to work with old-growth material. It is salvaged dent if grits are skipped when stain is applied. caused by the stain is the task. For that, we used
occasionally from sunken logs and old buildings Scratches stand out after applying color. a water-base clear stain.
that sacrifice their beams to be resawn into lum-
ber. But for the most part, we use new-growth Three Steps to Pumpkin The Pumpkin Pine Formula
lumber for woodworking. With the enlisted aid of my local Rockler sales- The pumpkin pine finishing process begins with
person – where the products with which to a coat of natural stain (no pigment present), then
Preparing to Finish experiment are close at hand – I began mixing a second layer of pigmented stain that adds color,
Most pine bought today is dimensioned lum- ingredients and ideas to arrive at the pumpkin then two coats of shellac as a topcoat. It’s easy
ber from retail stores. This S4S lumber is sent pine finish. to complete the process in one day.
through sharp knives on jointers and planers at One of the biggest roadblocks in using pine The formula begins with a coat of General Fin-
a high feed rate. As a result, milling marks are is how the finish blotches because of variations ishes wood stain in Natural (generalfinishes.com).
evident. These marks won’t be completely erased in grain density. To combat blotching, you could Don’t be surprised when you open the can. The
unless you start the sanding process with #120- add a wash coat of shellac (shellac thinned with stain starts as a paste-like goo but dries clear. This
grit sandpaper. With pine, it’s best to sand to #220 alcohol). If the wash coat is too heavy, new prob- product has enough resin in it to partially seal
grit, which will help reduce its tendency to blotch. lems are created; the stain won’t penetrate the the pine against color penetration, like a wood
Because pine is a softwood, the progression of surface. If the wash coat is too thin, the end result conditioner. And because it is water-based, it dries
each sanding step is quick. It’s also necessary to after staining would still be blotchy. faster than oil-based conditioners. The sealing

42 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

action of this product allows some coloring near a tabletop or an area that will experience a lot of Lightly sand the surface with #400-grit sand-
the surface of the wood, but it prevents the color wear, a tougher finish is probably called for. Add paper once the shellac is dry; don’t sand through
from penetrating deeply and blotching. a more durable topcoat after the pumpkin finish the earlier finish.
Simply apply a coat onto the surface of the is achieved – but test it first to make sure that it The next coat of shellac delivered the exact
project with a clean cloth then immediately wipe doesn’t affect the pumpkin pine color. look for our pumpkin pine finish and the surface
away the excess stain as you rub the goo into the Before applying the first coat of shellac, use a was thick enough to level to a smooth finish.
wood. Remove as much as possible when wiping maroon non-woven abrasive pad to knock down You might need a third layer to build the shel-
clean, then allow the piece to dry. Drying takes any fibers that raised after applying the first coat lac and ensure a smooth finish. If this is so, use
from two to four hours under ideal conditions. of water-based stain. a clear shellac because it adds to the thickness
And if conditions aren’t ideal, small projects can Zinsser’s amber shellac, ready to use right without affecting the color. Apply a third coat
be forced dry with a hair dryer or heat gun. out of the can, is the topcoat. (I said it was easy.) directly over the previous coats and remember
The next layer of stain is also a pasty goo, but Check the date of manufacture while at the store. to sand lightly in between.
with color added. We liked the look of General Outdated shellac – it’s definitely good for a year Once both the color and the thickness of the
Finishes Shaker Maple water-based stain. Brush after the date printed on the can – shouldn’t be finish are reached, sand the piece again with
on a coat and rub the stain into the wood by used because it won’t dry. #400-grit sandpaper and apply a good coat of
twisting the brush bristles. The twisting action You can brush the shellac onto the piece or paste wax.
pushes the stain into any small scratches to cre- apply it with a cotton rag. With either option Three readily available products with a one-
ate a uniform color layer. watch for runs or sags in the finish. A run or sag day stretch in the shop, and you’ll have a finish
Let the pigmented stain sit on the surface for is actually another layer that increases the color that comes as close to aged pumpkin pine as
about five minutes then wipe away any excess. build. Because shellac adds color with each layer, anything I’ve tried or seen. WM
Don’t be tentative. This isn’t like a glaze where any imperfections such as those will show. ­— Glen D. Huey
you wipe selectively to create faux effects. And
we’re not trying to even out any mis-matched
coloration. Wipe as much stain off as possible and Apply the “Natu-
allow the stain to dry for two to four hours. ral” stain with a
The Shaker Maple stain adds two important cotton cloth. Pad
colors. First, it develops the brown shade neces- it into the pine and
sary to present the aged look. Second, it casts a wipe away any
reddish hue onto the piece. excess. The stain
Why do we need the reddish hue? Remember dries clear.
those school days when you studied the primary
colors? Yellow and red make orange – or pump-
kin, in our case.
The amber shellac delivers the yellow.

Shellac: Is it the Right Stuff?

Shellac isn’t the most durable topcoat, and you
should always consider how your project will be
used before choosing a topcoat. If you’re finishing

The pumpkin pine color becomes apparent after the second coat of shellac
is added. Scuff the surface between shellac coats. If you need an additional
Apply the pigmented stain making sure that it’s worked into the surface. On coat to build the surface, use a clear or super blonde shellac. Notice the even
small pieces, swirling as you apply the stain works best. tone of the stain. This is a result of the first layer of unpigmented stain.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 43
End Grain ILLUSTRATION BY BRUCE BOLINGER

Caught in the Act

Knowing when and how to
break the rules can keep you
from getting locked up.

I am caught breaking the rules on a regular

basis. When you do woodworking and publish the
results for a few hundred thousand woodworkers,
it comes with the territory. When readers respond
to something I’ve written or said, the questions
begin one of two ways: “I thought you were never
supposed to …” or “I thought you were always
supposed to ….” And so I admit that, yes, I broke
the rule, but here are the reasons the rule doesn’t
apply in this particular case.
The rules are the rules, usually based on
decades or even centuries of experience. But even
with a sound basis for most of them, the words
“always” and “never” never always apply.
There is a comfort in rules, especially when
trying something new. The expectation is that the
rule will make up for a lack of experience, and
the logic of the rule will prevail and keep us out
of trouble. The dilemma in woodworking is that It’s not that the thinking behind the rules is When we face a paradox of conflicting rules,
the rules are narrow while the material and situ- flawed; they became the rules because they are and discover a resolution that works for us, we
ations they apply to are wide and ever-changing. correct. The problem is that each piece of wood tap into the part of woodworking that moves it
Traveling a city street is not the same as hiking a we work with is an individual with a distinct set beyond a pastime and into a way of life.
mountain trail; rules for one may not apply to the of inherited character traits, and something very An understanding of the rules is vital, but so
other, even though the principle behind the rule, close to a personality. is the knowledge of when they should be bent,
going from point A to point B, is the same. Building furniture with solid wood is like broken or ignored. This comes from experience
New woodworkers are inundated with rules: being a Cub Scout leader or a second-grade soccer – from following rules to successful work and
“Feed the wood into the jointer cupped side coach. There is a potential in each piece, but to from following the rules to sometimes-flawed
down”; “Feed the wood into the jointer bowed join them in a successful whole requires getting or failed work.
length down”; “Feed the wood into the jointer so to know each piece’s strengths and weaknesses When you find yourself at the jointer, with
the cutter doesn’t lift and tear out the grain.” and fitting them in a place where the strengths a piece of wood with rising and falling grain
Some of my best thinking is done while per- are seen and the weaknesses are (hopefully) hid- that bows one way and cups another, you can
forming mundane woodworking tasks, and all den forever. stand there paralyzed trying to decide which rule
of this came to mind, as you might guess, while Woodworking is an art of relationships. How trumps another. Or, you can make your best guess,
I spent an afternoon milling a lot of lumber at well does the worker know his material, his tools, give it a try and see what happens. If it works it
the jointer. In nearly every piece I was trying to his strengths and weaknesses, and his willing- works. If it doesn’t work, try something else.
straighten, following one rule required breaking ness to take a risk? The rules we hear and repeat If you catch me breaking a rule, or ask me to
another. I didn’t want to spend the day dissect- are the foundation for developing these relation- explain the best or right way to do something, be
ing the structure of each piece to make the right ships, but in the end, the nature of the parts of prepared for an answer that begins with, “Well,
decision, so I was left with something other than the equation affect the rule more than the rule it all depends … .” WM
following the rules. dominates the parts. — Robert W. Lang

44 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2007

 “It is a curious and sad fact that although most machines are developed not to

Extras cheapen quality but to lessen cost, this is precisely what usually happens.”
— Graham Blackburn, “Traditional Woodworking Handtools”

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 Sandpaper Autumn 2007

Garnet Aluminum Oxide Silicon Carbide Lubricated Ceramic

• natural abrasive • highly friable – • wet/dry paper • treated with • hardest of all currently
• not friable abrasive creates • useful for wet lubricant to glide available abrasives
new, sharp edges sanding with over film finishes • in woodworking, generally
• cuts slowly, wears as it wears
quickly lubricants • useful for sanding used only for hogging off
• produces a smoother • lasts longer than • friable on metal, between coats material
finish than aluminum oxide garnet papers but not on wood of finish • most commonly found on
of the same grit • wears quickly sanding belts

How Friable Abrasives Work Different Grit Scales Anatomy of Sandpaper

In the United States, there are Optional anti-loading coating
prevents sanding dust
two common grit-grading scales: from sticking
Coated Abrasives Manufacturers’
Size coat further
Institute (CAMI) and Federation of anchors particles
European Producers (FEPA). CAMI Abrasive mineral
papers often are marked with just
Workpiece the grit number; FEPA papers often Make-Coat
bonds
precede that number with a “P.” particles
to
As mineral particles Fractured tops break off, FEPA papers have a larger number backing
are worked during revealing new, sharp facets of particles that are close to the
sanding, they fracture. that cut more aggressively. stated grit, resulting in a more
consistent scratch pattern. Up to
#220 grit, the difference between
Backing Materials for Sandpaper the two scales is slight; above Backing material
#220, the grading diverges.
• Paper Back treatment
Inexpensive. easy to work with.:Tears easily. So how do you know which scale is
moisture causes curling and decomposition.:Graded being used? European manufacturers
A (extremely flexible), C (moderately flexible), D (Mirka, Klingspor) use the FEPA Approximate Equivalencies of the
(moderately stiff), E (very stiff) and F (extremely stiff). system, but only Mirka adds the P. Two Common Sandpaper Scales
Norton’s 3X papers use FEPA
• Wet/dry paper
CAMI FEPA
grading, but the P is printed only U.S. standard European standard
Coated with latex. stronger than regular paper. : on the packaging. 3M has both FEPA 800 P2,000
Often of silicon carbide. used for wet-sanding and CAMI papers, but distinguishes 600 P1,200
applications.:Graded A and C. between them by adding a P on FEPA 500 P1,000
• Fiber-reinforced paper products. 400 P800
P600
Heavyweight paper with cloth fibers.:Used on heavy- 360 P500
Recommended Grits
320
duty abrasives such as coarse grits for machine sanding. P400
280
• Cloth
P360
• #100 – removes machining marks P320
Offers strength and durability. Often used on sanding 240 P280
• #150 – refines scratches enough P240
belts. Graded J (thin, very flexible), X (moderately
for a clear film finish 220 P220
flexible) and Y (thick, fairly stiff).
• #180 – finest grit to use when 180 P180
• Film finishing with dyes (otherwise they 150 P150
Expensive. Extremely flat and even, so it yields a 120 P120
may not penetrate correctly)
100
consistent scratch pattern. Good for final sanding • #220 and higher – for oil finishes P100
80 P80
and for leveling finishes. only

Adhesives Used in Sandpaper Closed-coat v. Open-coat

• Hide Glue:– Inexpensive, flexible. Allows for grit • Surface Open-coat
• Surface covered
deflection under pressure, so hide glue papers result in a completely covered only 50-70 percent
finer scratch pattern than resin-bond of same grit. with abrasive. with abrasive.
Must be cleaned • Spaces provide
• Resin:– greater resistance to heat and is more often, and run clearance for dust
durable than hide glue, but less flexible and can leave more slowly on so paper won’t clog
harsher scratches than hide-glue papers of same grit. power sanders to as quickly. The best
reduce loading and choice for most
burning. woodworking.

Illustrations by Matt Bantly

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