October 2023 No.

305

TAU N T O N ’ S
•Block plane rehab

•Carve a spoon

•Closer look at sanding

•Faces of the craft

Te a c h • I n s p i r e • C o n n e c t •Shaker cabinet

Dress up a table
with veneered aprons, p. 60
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 Te a c h • I n s p i r e • C o n n e c t

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 ■ ISSUE 305

REFURBISH A
BLOCK PLANE 46
CLOSE LOOK
AT SANDING 52

38 SHAKER
CABINET

features
38 Shaker Hanging Cabinet 52 Sanding, Under the Microscope
COVER
STORY Diminutive in size but large on techniques Scanning electron microscope reveals
BY CHRISTIAN BECKSVOORT secrets of success
B Y PA U L H . A X E L S E N

46 Refurbish a Vintage Block Plane

A toolmaker’s tips on rejuvenating this workhorse 60 Elegant Table Comes Together
BY ELEANOR ROSE at the Corner
Where veneered aprons meet a
gunstock-mitered leg
BY MIKE KORSAK

66 Carve Spoons from Pre-Bent Blanks

Tablet editions free to subscribers
Magazine content, plus searchability and interactive
Steam, a vise, and a handful of edge tools make
extras. Download the app at FineWoodworking.com/ the process fast and fun
apps. Access is free with your print subscription or BY CURTIS BUCHANAN
FineWoodworking.com online membership.

Cover photo: Mike Korsak

in every issue
6 On the Web

8 Contributors

10 Letters

14 Workshop Tips
■ Hide adjustable shelf pins
in post-and-panel furniture
■ Build a hanging dust scoop
for the lathe

20 Tools & Materials

■ Segmented head jointer-planer
for less
■ Innovative combination squares

26 Handwork
Sharpen odd shapes
GALLERY:
DESIGN IN WOOD 75
34 Faces of the Craft
Jeremy Tritchler: The adventure
continues

72 Gallery

78 Designer’s Notebook
Shaker design: Unadorned,
not unsophisticated

82 From the Bench

The silent partner
16
MITER-
GAUGE TIP
Back Cover
Small Wonders 34 FACES OF
THE CRAFT

20
COMPACT TEXT
JOINTER-PLANER

26 SHARPENING
ODD SHAPES
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 Our Unlimited membership provides exclusive access to a dynamic menu of

UNLIMITED woodworking talent, techniques, and projects—combining our print subscription

with our online membership—all for $99 a year. For details on all the benefits,
go to finewoodworking.com/members.

Online extras
Visit finewoodworking.com/305

Woodworking
news updates
Check in with us as we look at
new woodworking tools coming
to market and exciting industry
news.

Our favorite
mortising jigs
The Fine Woodworking staff
shares some of their favorite
mortising jigs covered in the
magazine and website.

The artistry
of toolmaking Scan
Eleanor Rose (p. 46) has
for links
refurbished her fair share of tools,
but her artistry speaks when she’s
making her own specialized tools.
In this gallery, she shares some of
her favorites.

VIDEO
Steel wool vs.
abrasive pads
No lathe, no problem On pp. 52−59, we put
You can make authentic-looking sandpaper under the
Shaker knobs without a lathe. All microscope. In a related
it takes is a drill press, a tenon article, Jeff Jewitt uses
cutter, and a few rasps and files. photos from an optical
microscope to reveal the
scratch patterns left by
steel wool and abrasive
pads.

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project you’re looking for.
● Extract information from a museum piece and create
exacting full-size plans
ONLINE ARCHIVES
● Create strong mortise-and-tenon joinery on a complex
Get on-demand access
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● Shape cabriole legs accurately and repeatably. Woodworking magazine
archive. That’s more than
1,900 in-depth articles!

6 FINE WOODWORKING
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contributors
Paul Axelsen (“Sanding, Under the
Microscope”) has been a member of the
Department of Pharmacology at the University Editor and Michael Pekovich
Creative Director
of Pennsylvania for 30 years, where he
runs a research laboratory that focuses on Deputy Editor Jonathan Binzen
understanding how drugs work, and how
Deputy Art Director John Tetreault
to design new ones. The work requires him
to create, modify, and repair machines in Senior Editor Anissa Kapsales
the lab, and he carries those skills into his Editor-at-Large Asa Christiana
woodworking hobby. He especially enjoys
Associate Editor Amanda Russell
building furniture with uncommon angles,
hidden hardware, moving parts, and mixed Managing Editor/ Elizabeth Knapp
materials. His work with a scanning electron microscope led him to wonder Production

what it would reveal about the process of sanding. It turned out to be an Administrative Assistant Betsy Engel
ideal tool for viewing the texture of a sanded surface and evaluating popular
Editor, Ben Strano
techniques. FineWoodworking.com [email protected]
Assistant Digital Editor KT Kaminski
Social Media Coordinator Kara Demos
Take one look at the hands of Eleanor Rose (“Refurbish a Manager, Video Studio Jeff Roos
Vintage Block Plane”) and you’ll see evidence of the hours
she’s spent in wood and metal shops. As she says, “I’m Contributing Editors:
more callus than girl at this point.” After going to college for Christian Becksvoort, Garrett Hack,
woodworking and graduate school for metalworking, she’s Roland Johnson, Steve Latta, Michael Fortune,
made a living machining, casting bronze, making furniture, Chris Gochnour, Bob Van Dyke

and creating wooden patterns. As this was written, she was FWW Ambassadors:
working to re-create the Studley chest one tool at a time. Erik Curtis, Larissa Huff, Darryl Jones,
Owen Madden, Char Miller-King, Bill Pavlak,
Kate Swann, Vic Tesolin, Sarah Watlington

Curtis Buchanan (“Carve Spoons from Pre-bent Blanks”)

has been a mentor to many remarkable woodworkers. As Fine Woodworking: (ISSN: 0361-3453) is published
these young makers sought a path into the craft, they would bimonthly, with a special seventh issue in the winter, by
invariably hear about Curtis’s own mentor. “Forty years ago The Taunton Press, Inc., Newtown, CT 06470-5506.
Telephone 203-426-8171. Periodicals postage paid at
this summer,” Curtis said recently, “a serendipitous encounter Newtown, CT 06470 and at additional mailing offices.
with Dave Sawyer started me down a lifelong pursuit of GST paid registration #123210981.
chairmaking that continues to this day.” Dave, who died last Subscription Rates: U.S., $39.95 for one year, $68.95
year at 86, set a high bar, both with his chairmaking skill and for two years, $94.95 for three years. Canada, $42.95
for one year, $74.95 for two years, $99.95 for three
his generosity in sharing hard-won knowledge. years (GST included, payable in U.S. funds). Outside the
U.S./Canada: $55 for one year, $99 for two years, $135
for three years (payable in U.S. funds). Single copy U.S.,
Several years ago, Mike Korsak (“Elegant Table Comes $12.99. Single copy Canada, $14.99.
Together at the Corner”) wrote an article about his renovated Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5);
workplace in Pittsburgh (“Fine Shop in a Former Garage,” NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address
FWW #265). Now, having moved to Orford, N.H., he’s turning corrections to Fine Woodworking, PO Box 1477,
Lincolnshire, IL 60069-9829
another garage into an energy-efficient shop. In addition
Canada Post: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses
to making custom furniture in the new shop, Mike will be to Fine Woodworking, c/o Worldwide Mailers, Inc.,
teaching woodworking part-time at Dartmouth College 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON N8T 3B7.
and exhibiting his work as an Invited Artist with the New Printed in the USA
Hampshire Furniture Masters.

We are a reader-written magazine. To learn how to propose

an article, go to FineWoodworking.com/submissions.

8 FINE WOODWORKING
OUR BOND IS OUR WORD
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letters Useful article on toxic woods
The article on “Dangerous Chemistry”
in FWW #304, by Seri Robinson, was

Spotlight
extremely helpful and interesting—a
good complement to the usual run of
articles on projects and techniques.
—STUAR T A. RO S S, D a vi s , Ca l i f.
ISSUE NO. 303
March/April 2023 Stop it with the screw pictures
p. 39 Is there a total lack of knowledge by
beginning woodworkers now on drilling
What if you don’t have a Domino? holes and driving screws? Issue #302 had
The floating-top side table was one of the most beautiful and functional pieces a total of 25 pictures of either drilling
you have shown recently and one that I would have tried to duplicate almost holes or driving screws! You’ve got to be
kidding me! Even a master like Christian
immediately. The author readily admitted that the average woodworker probably will
Becksvoort had four pictures of drilling
never own a Domino joiner, but then proceeded to build the easy way by using it. and driving screws. We really needed a
Some ideas and tips regarding alternative joining techniques (“the variety of ways to picture of him screwing the shelves to
make matching mortises for slip tenons”) would have been nice because changing the wall?
the design to make mortise-and-tenon joints easy would just not have the same I have all 303 issues lined up in my
visual appeal. It’s a beautiful table and I hope to build one someday. Maybe that den, but this has to be a new low for the
publication. Do new readers refuse to
could be addressed in a future article.
read and need complete hand holding to
—SU SAN GILLI LAND, Co r sic an a , Te xa s screw two pieces of wood together? Do
you not see the disconnect of showing
Editor replies: Your note touches on an important challenge we face on just about masters’ work in the gallery, then
every project article we publish. What happens when an author uses a tool or showing the same people how to use a
machine that a typical reader may not have? One option is to ask the author if screwdriver all through the magazine?
they have another way to go about the task. A second option is to show the author’s Please watch the fluff photos in the
method, but then reference some other options. On this article we got stuck in the near future.
middle. In the project mentioned, the author often used a horizontal mortiser to — R IC HAR D C O ER S , Pe o r i a , Il l .
cut the joinery, but when asked for an alternative, chose to use a Festool Domino
instead. While that was a more widely available option, to your point, it is still not a Editor replies: As a furniture-making
tool commonly found in most shops. student in college, I often worked in
The challenge when building this particular project lies in cutting mortise-and- the back of the shop where a beginning
tenon joinery on curved parts. Using slip tenons is a great solution to the problem, woodworking class was being taught.
one the Domino or horizontal mortiser handles well. The good news, and what For the most part, I was consumed with
we failed to mention, is that neither are my own work, but every now and then
absolutely necessary for making slip tenons. the instructor would say something that
An effective, affordable option is to use a caught my attention. In spite of my
handheld plunge router in combination confidence at the time that I knew just
with a shopmade stand that secures the about everything there was to know about
parts and guides the router. A recent woodworking, there was still a lot to be
article by Philip Morley (FWW #301) offers learned, even at the most basic level. In
one such alternative. A second article fact some of those lessons turned out to
by Michael Fortune (#197), no stranger have had the biggest impact on my work
to working with curved parts, offers his to date. I tend to think of the magazine as
solution as well. Both can be found in our a workshop where woodworkers of various
online archives or at finewoodworking experience, skill levels, and perspectives
.com/305. share the space. And, while I don’t expect
every article to be of interest to every
A smart solution for slip-tenon joinery.
reader, I do hope that in addition to the
Philip Morley’s routing jig offers an content you’re looking for, there just might
affordable alternative for cutting fast and be something else there to catch your
accurate mortises in parts of any shape. attention and offer fresh insights as well.

10 FINE WOODWORKING
 47 Years
of projects, tips, & techniques
to make you a better woodworker
Enjoy 300 fully searchable issues of Fine Woodworking
magazine on USB or digital download.

Associate Publisher, Alex Robertson

Advertising & Marketing 203-304-3590
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© 2022 The Taunton Press
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Group Marketing Director Robina Lewis

Director, Matthew Ulland

Consumer Marketing
Half lap and mitered half
Senior Marketing Manager, Sara Decanali
Customer Acquisition
Marketing Manager Danielle Pendergast
lap joints with one jig!
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Chief Revenue Officer Erica Moynihan
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www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 11

workshop tips Make V-grooved clamping
blocks from narrow 2x4 offcut.

Drilling jig, 11⁄2 in. by 2 in. by length

needed, ripped from 2x4 material

Use a 3⁄8-in.
Forstner bit
Rout with a
and a chisel to
chamfer bit
Clamp drill guide to create 3⁄8-in.-wide
to create a
Drill 1⁄4-in.-dia. holes, legs/posts and drill pockets for shelf
flat area that
centered on edge, 1
⁄4-in. shelf-pin holes pins on bottom
extends just
1 in. apart, and then to required depth. side of shelves.
past edges of
cut V-groove on table holes.
saw, centered on holes.

Hide adjustable shelf pins Pin holes are hard to see

from front of piece, once

in post-and-panel furniture all shelves are inserted.

Notch shelves to fit

Shelf pins are used most often in flat-sided furniture and cabinets. Here’s a around posts.
way to incorporate them in post-and-panel pieces, whether those have full
panels on the ends, or semi-open sides as shown here. With this approach,
the pin holes are much harder to detect than usual, helping these pieces
maintain their elevated look.
With the help of a notched drilling jig, I bore the shelf-pin holes
diagonally into the inside corners of the posts. Then, to help hide the front
rows of holes from view, and create a cleaner look all around, I chamfer
the posts where the holes are drilled. Last, I cut pockets for the pins in the
bottoms of the shelves, hiding the pins there as well.
To make the drilling jig, I rip a 2-in.-wide piece from a standard 2x4, and
then drill 1⁄4-in.-dia. through-holes along its centerline, 1 in. apart. Then I
angle my table-saw blade to 45° and cut a V-shaped notch in one of the
drilled edges, so the holes are centered in it. I cut the same V-notch in
the narrower offcut from the 2x4, and chop up that piece to create a few
clamping blocks.
The drilling jig is clamped to the inside corner of each leg, with the
clamping blocks on the opposite corner to keep the clamps stable. Drilling
is done with a 1⁄4-in. brad-point bit for clean results.
—J I M D INSMORE , Spo ka n e, Wa sh.

Best Tip A Reward for the Best Tip

Send your original tips to [email protected].
Jim Dinsmore was introduced to woodworking at 7 years We pay $100 for a published tip with illustration;
old, when his grandfather enlisted him to help build $50 for one without. The prize for this issue’s
best tip was a Lie-Nielsen Small Bronze
birdhouses from apple wood. He took up the craft seriously Spokeshave.
at 30, with a radial-arm saw and the scrapwood pile behind
a nearby cabinet shop. During and after his 50-year career
as an electrical engineer, he has built scores of wood
projects for family and friends, including boxes, cabinetry,
and fine furniture.

14 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Dan Thornton

 Move chain to position Lightweight chain,
Build a hanging dust scoop scoop for optimal dust with S-hook
collection.
for the lathe Galvanized, 90°
register box, 10 in.
I fell in love with woodturning in by 6 in. by 6 in.
junior high school, and I’ve been
pursuing the craft ever since. Until
recently, it’s been difficult to capture
shavings and sanding dust as I turn.
So I built a simple framework from
1⁄2-in. PVC pipe and associated corner
Galvanized reducer,
6 in. by 4 in.
fittings, which allowed me to hang a
standard galvanized register box from
a section of lightweight chain. The
PVC pipe and fittings are tight enough
to stay together without solvent
cement (a rubber mallet helps with
assembly). An S-hook on the chain
lets me reposition my improvised dust
scoop as needed, though I don’t often 4-in. dust hose leads
need to change its position. I’ve also to dust collector.
used this posable dust port on other
machines that make dust collection
difficult. Support structure
—DAN RICH , Kenn et t Sq uar e, Pa. PVC pipe, 1⁄2 in. made from two- Sheet-metal screws
and three-way connect chain (and
fittings, 1⁄2 in. reducer) to register box.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 15
workshop tips continued
Notched spacer,
5
⁄8 in. thick, keeps
Vise insert protects workpieces workpieces from
resting on vise
screw and bars.
To protect the bottom edges of boards from the screw
and bars at the bottom of my bench vise, I made this
simple notched spacer. I made it slightly narrower than
3⁄4 in. so it won’t prevent the jaws from clamping most

workpieces. If you have a board jack along the front of

your bench, make it level with the top of the spacer.
—RI CK LO M BA R D I , D u bl i n , Oh io

Zero out the bit with the

base of the router, and
tighten the plunge lock.

Use drill bits to set routing depth

To set routing depth precisely, you can
zero out the bit with the base of the
router, and then place a dimensioned
spacer under the router’s depth stop,
as Bob Van Dyke did in FWW #299
(p. 38). Rather than buy a set of gauge
Insert a drill bit blocks to use as spacers, however, most
between the depth
bar and its stop,
woodworkers can find a better option in
and lock the bar. their shops already: a big box of drills,
sized in 1⁄64-in. (or 0.5mm) increments.
Just be aware that the shanks on larger or
cheaper bits can be a little smaller than
Drill bits come in
the bore size, so double-check them with
Router will plunge
fine increments. to the precise your dial calipers.
diameter of bit. —B OB H UL LE Y, S on ning o n Th am e s , En g l an d

Face the miter gauge

backward to cut an
Reverse the miter gauge to reverse the angle opposite angle without
flipping the workpiece.
After mistakenly shaping the halves of four bracket
feet before cutting their miters, I ran into a common
problem: The table-saw blade only tilts one way. When
that doesn’t match the angle you need, you have to flip
the workpiece, which doesn’t always work for the task
at hand. This was the case with the shaped bracket-
feet parts, which only had one straight edge left to rest
against the miter fence. It comes up in other mitering
situations too. It dawned on me that reversing the miter
gauge in its slot—with the fence facing toward me
instead of away—would solve the problem. The gauge
works just as well this way, but you might need to Add a clamp for
change the position of its fence. awkward workpieces.
—J IM M UR TH A , La n ca ster, Oh io

16 FINE WOODWORKING
Little pins stabilize floating panels Glue in dowels, made
Drill into back edge of from same wood as
Woodworkers use a variety of methods to keep floating, solid- frame, at centerpoint frame if possible.
wood panels from shifting or rattling in their frames, whether of top and bottom
rails, continuing
in a door, bed frame, cabinet side, or wherever. This method is through panel.
the easiest and most secure I’ve found. Working from the back
of the assembly, I drill small holes through the top and bottom
edges of the frame, continuing through the edges of the panel Dowels keep panels
stable and centered
without poking through the front of the frame. Then I glue small as they expand and
dowels into the holes. The dowels only show on the backs of the contract sideways.
frames, but I make them out of the same wood as the frame when
possible, so they blend in. The small pins keep the panels from
rattling, sagging downward, or shifting sideways, while allowing
them to expand and contract sideways (across the grain).
—C HA R LIE J A M ES , Wi l li sto n Pa r k, N.Y.

Quick Tip
Sawdust makes it easier to put on gloves
To help put on latex, vinyl, or nitrile gloves, especially
when re-using them, try running your hand through a
pile of sawdust first. A light film of wood dust is a great
lubricant for sweaty hands and sticky gloves.
—T O M C O LEM A N , Spa r tan bu rg , S.C .

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expectations! Every aspect of this
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cleaning. An exceptional value.” To Learn More:
- Adam D.

Celebrating 30 Years of Made in the USA 800-732-4065 oneida-air.com

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 17

 Turn pencil sketches
into CNC files,
using your smartphone

W
hile most woodworkers can easily grasp the
speed, precision, and repeatability that CNC
delivers, digital design remains a mystery for
many, preventing them from adopting new tools
like Shaper’s handheld CNC router, Origin.
To eliminate that point of hesitation for
potential customers, Shaper Tools began rolling out simplified
CAD applications that work on computers, tablets, and phones,
beginning in 2022 with Studio, an intuitive, 2-D design tool
that makes it easy to produce basic cutting paths, and then
automatically sync to Origin.
Shaper’s latest design debut, Trace, completes the company’s
user-friendly on-ramp to digital design, letting woodworkers
design with pencil and paper, and then convert those drawings in
seconds into CNC-ready files.
But Trace isn’t only for the Origin router. The SVG files it
produces are optimized for all types of digital tools—laser cutters,
vinyl cutters, full-scale CNC, and more—inviting woodworkers
into the full world of digital fabrication, and a wide array of new
materials and projects.
How you create sketches is up to you: Draw them freehand,
trace around an object, or use drafting tools. Trace does the
rest. Place the frame over your signature, for example, open
the app on your phone, point the phone camera at the frame,
How it works. Draw anything on paper, place the Trace frame and Trace converts your drawing into a usable vector graphic.
over it, point your phone at the frame, and the Trace app turns
Save the file for the future, send it to Origin with a single click,
your analog drawing into a digital cutting file. The app includes
tools for smoothing lines and deleting parts you don’t need, and you can rout that same perfect signature into your work for
and sends files to any digital tool with a single click, including decades to come.
Shaper’s Origin router. What’s unique about the app is how it orients itself to the edges
of the frame, and then flattens your sketch into a 2-D file of the

18 SPONSORED CONTENT SHAPERTOOLS.COM

 Endless possibilities. Trace
can power a wide variety of
digital tools, turning sketches
into toys, abstract patterns
into graphic designs on wood
or leather, and much, much
more.

exact same shape and size, no matter how you hold your phone.
It also includes tools for smoothing jagged parts of your lines and
deleting the parts you don’t need. Then it lets you choose either
the centerline or the edges of your lines as the path (important for
different types of cutting procedures). When you like what you
see, Trace sends the SVG file wherever you need it.
While the Trace frame is roughly the size of letter paper,
sketches can be scaled to any size. Pull the SVG file into Studio,
and you can combine shapes and add to them in myriad ways.
The woodworking possibilities are boundless: Make French-
fit pockets for your hand tools, rout perfect mortises for custom
hardware, create flawless inlays of any shape, make unique signs
and art pieces, and much more.
Better yet, Trace is priced at just $99, with no ongoing
subscription fees, and it works with any Android or Apple
devices. Learn more about this exciting new design tool at
ShaperTools.com/Trace.
Then explore ShaperTools.com to explore Shaper’s accessories
for easy setup and work-holding, as well Shaper’s massive library
of verified hardware shapes, design files, and user projects.

@SHAPERTOOLS SHARE YOUR SHAPER PROJECTS #SHAPERMADE 19

tools & materials
■MACHINES

Segmented-head jointer-planer for less

GRIZZLY RECENTLY DEBUTED two rollers are closely spaced, which let me
surprisingly affordable benchtop jointer- plane shorter pieces than usual.
planer combo machines boasting high- Don’t get me wrong: There are
end segmented cutterheads. The larger compromises to be made at this price
G0959, with a 12-in. width capacity, point. But none get in the way of good
comes in under $1,200, while its smaller work. The motor has adequate power
8-in. sibling (G0958) is just $690. Both for the planer’s single feed rate, but to
have helical, carbide-toothed cutterheads avoid bogging it down the depth of
similar to those found on machines cut will be limited to 1⁄32 in. with most
costing thousands more. hardwoods. The transition between Top-notch cutterhead. The helical cutterhead
After using the 12-in. G0959 for a jointer and planer modes takes longer has two spiraling rows of four-edged carbide
teeth, which produce amazing surfaces on the
month, I’m very impressed, considering than it does on higher-end jointer-
toughest woods.
the price. The helical, segmented head planers—about 3 minutes for the G0959.
is the star of the show. Cutting with Making the switch requires rotating the
a shearing action similar to its pricier jointer fence back to 45° and removing
rivals, it produced amazing surfaces in it from its bracket, moving the planer
my testing. Whether jointing or planing, bed some distance, and re-installing
the G0959 left zero tearout on all sorts the dust shroud in a different position.
of woods, from vertical-grain fir and When reattached, the jointer fence must
knotty pine to tough hardwoods with be re-squared to the outfeed table. In
alternating grain. The segmented head jointer mode, the tables are a bit short
also keeps noise to a minimum. for longer, heavier workpieces, requiring
Each tough carbide cutter has four the use of support stands at the front and
sharp edges, and the teeth can be rotated back end of the jointer.
to expose fresh edges, which is a simple I recommend this machine for those
process. So it will be many years before who want to mill full-width stock but are Planer mode. The jointer tables stay in place
most woodworkers will need to replace short on space, cash, or both. in planing mode, so you’ll have to reach under
the cutters completely. Another thing —Mike Farrington is a professional them to feed and retrieve short workpieces.
I like is how the cutterhead and feed woodworker in Aurora, Colo. The planer’s effective depth of cut is limited to
roughly 1⁄32 in. on hardwoods.

Grizzly G0959
$1,175 (12-in.-
wide model)

Compact combo
machine. The
Grizzly G0959 is a Jointer mode. Switching to jointer mode
benchtop jointer- requires remounting and resquaring the fence,
planer with a lowering the planer bed, and relocating the
11⁄2-hp motor. dust shroud. Dust collection is very good with a
shop vacuum (shown), and even better with a
full-size collector.

20 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Mike Farrington (right column)

■M
 ARKING AND
MEASURING

Innovative
combination
squares
IN MANY OF ITS SQUARES AND RULES
Woodpeckers has included scribing
notches that let you drop your pencil
into a fixed position to scribe an accurate
mark or a full line parallel to an edge.
When attempting to integrate this feature
into a sliding combo square, the product
developers realized they would need
to index the rule at regular intervals to
make the scribing system work.
That’s just what they did, adding a
spring-activated pin that locates the head Unique features. A retractable tab keeps the
at every inch mark. Then they created square level, a spring-loaded pin indexes the
a versatile set of squares based on that While these squares are a bit pricier head at every inch mark, and there are scribing
notches at every 1⁄16-in. mark.
system, including a standard head, a than Starrett squares, for example, their
double-square head, and a protractor unique features add considerable value.
head with a pin system that positions the Aside from the scribing system, I love
fence precisely at common angles, with a the small tab that slides out at the base
fine scale for every angle in between. of the heads, keeping each square level Full system. Four
Various rules fit into each of the heads, with the edge for easier use. types of heads, and
rules of various lengths,
and you can buy the components in —Asa Christiana is editor-at-large.
are available in this
almost any combination. high-quality system.
Components can be
purchased separately or
in combination.

Woodpeckers In-Dexable Square System

$150 for 12-in. rule with standard head

Photos: Asa Christiana SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 21

tools & materials continued

Accu-Burr Burnisher
■HAND TOOLS $40 (rod only)

Burnish scrapers more easily

HeartwoodTools.com

THE ACCU-BURR BURNISHER makes it because burnishing actually involves two

easier to turn consistent cutting burrs steps: After forming the initial burrs on
(or “hooks”) on scrapers. What makes the edge and using them for a bit,
it unique are its V-grooves, which form you refresh them by drawing
two burrs at once, one on each corner of them upward and then With or without
an edge. There are three grooves, which bending them downward handles. If you
produce three different burr angles, again as you did at the don’t yet own a
for varying levels of aggressiveness. beginning. The drawing burnisher, buy just
the Accu-Burr bar
The V-grooves let you simply keep the step requires that the
Choose your angle. The V-shaped and attach only
burnisher level as you push it along the burnisher lie flat against grooves turn two burrs at once, one handle (also
edge, instead of guessing at the correct the face of the scraper, along both corners of an edge, available from
angle and maintaining it as you push, as which you can’t do with at 5°, 10°, or 15°. Heartwood Tools),
you must with a standard burnisher. two handles attached. so you can roll
After smoothing and squaring a —Chris Gochnour is a burrs flat before
scraper’s edge with a file and stones, I contributing editor. refreshing them.
used the 5° groove to produce sharp,
Two steps. Hold
even burrs on each side of the edge.
the Accu-Burr level
The process was quick and easy, and to form perfect
the scraper produced beautiful, feathery burrs along both
shavings on quartersawn white oak. corners of an edge
The Accu-Burr is available as a bare (far left). Leaving
rod, as well as with two brass handles one handle off lets
pre-attached. I recommend buying the you lay it flat to pull
burrs upward (left),
rod only and attaching a single handle
a key part of the
of your own, or one of the pre-made burnishing process.
handles available from Heartwood. That’s

■DUST COLLECTION

Cordless vac is a cleanup champ THE POWER CORD ON A STANDARD shop vacuum is a
troublesome tether, forcing you to switch outlets in
order to reach all four corners of your shop. Bosch’s
new battery-powered vacuum solves this problem
without sacrificing suction.
The clear 2.6-gal. canister lets you see at a glance
when it needs emptying, and the whole unit weighs
just 12 lb., making it easy to carry with one hand.
The 18-volt battery provides excellent power,
with suction rated at 51 cfm and run time at up to
30 minutes on a single charge. Inside the canister,
rotational airflow creates a mini-cyclone, allowing
dust and debris to fall to the bottom, keeping it
away from the washable, HEPA-rated filter. The vac
also comes with various nozzles and connectable
wands to let you reach the floor without stooping.
Bosch GAS18V-3 I found this compact, cordless vacuum to be
$180 (without battery) incredibly convenient for cleaning up my shop, and
Reach everywhere. This light, powerful, cordless shop vacuum is easy to handle and
my vehicles as well.
comes with a range of handy attachments. —Roland Johnson is a contributing editor.

22 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Asa Christiana (top two): Rose Serago (center two)
FW-FH-FC 1/8 ad 22p1.5 x 13p6

Expert advice, videos,

tips, and more
Sign up for
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free eLetter.

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FW-FH-FC 1/8 ad 22p1.5 x 13p6

Fine Woodworking editors

and guests discuss
woodworking topics.

Join the conversation at Meet the Semi-PRO 2™

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 23

tools & materials continued

■NEW TO MARKET

Tools to look out for

DIY LID
Separator lid promises better airflow
Oneida’s new Low-Pro Lid Separator attaches to any 5-gal. bucket
to capture 99% of the chips and dust that would otherwise fill
the bag or clog the filter in your shop vacuum, according to the
manufacturer. Better yet, it promises up to 50% more airflow than
other lid-style separators, which means it will steal less suction
from your vacuum. The DIY kit (lid and hardware only) is just $60
at Oneida-Air.com. The deluxe kit ($140) includes a wheeled
bucket with a tether and an extra length of hose for connecting to
your vacuum.
Vac not included. DELUXE KIT

Smart table saw adds speed and accuracy The new General 10-in. Automated Table Saw
($6,000–$6,500) is a heavy-duty machine
available in a variety of configurations,
including 3- and 5-hp motors and 36-in. and
52-in. fence systems. What sets it apart
are automated, touch-control adjustments
for blade height, blade angle, and rip-fence
position (cutting width). While these features
might not be critical for a hobbyist, they could
pay off quickly for small-shop cabinetmakers.
Go to GeneralToolsUSA.com for more info.

Versatile router sled works on table saw, too

Infinity’s VRS-200 Professional adjustable fences, and a large, built-in
Vertical Router Sled ($280 at toggle clamp. The adjustable miter
InfinityTools.com) is a heavy-duty jig bar, which allows compound-angled
with a variety of uses on the table saw cuts, is not automatically squared to
and router table. With a sliding miter the sled, but it can be squared easily
bar below and a large, pivoting face on the table saw by pushing the rip
above, it can cut tenons and other fence against the back of the sled.
joinery at any angle. The pivoting face Two large handles keep hands out of
has positive stops at common angles, harm’s way.

24 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: courtesy of the manufacturer

 BESSEY EHK Trigger Clamps
BESSEY Tool’s reputation for quality, value and user-focused German engineering continues to
build a brand that professionals can turn to with confidence. Since 1889, our focus on clamping
tool development and continuous improvement has created clamps that get the job done with
a focus that none can match. At BESSEY, we don’t also make clamps, we only make clamps.
BESSEY EHK Series of trigger clamps; clamping force from 40 lbs to 600 lbs; capacity from 41⁄2" to 50".

BESSEY. Simply better.

besseytools.com

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 25

handwork
Sharpen
odd shapes
SANDPAPER, DOWELS,
AND WOOD SCRAPS SOLVE
UNIQUE SHARPENING
CHALLENGES
B Y C H R I S T O P H E R
S C H W A R Z

L-shaped router-plane blade

Router planes are handy tools to have in
your arsenal, but the shape of the blade
can make sharpening a head-scratcher.
Schwarz upends the sharpening process
to make the procedure easy and stable.

How do you sharpen an L-shaped blade? A router plane is very useful for trimming tenon
cheeks and refining hinge mortises or dadoes. Its L-shaped blade makes these tasks possible,
but sharpening the blade is counterintuitive. Instead of starting with the bevel, Schwarz focuses
first on the flat bottom face of the blade. He takes it through the grits holding the shaft of the iron
vertical, as shown above, which makes it easy to keep the bottom flat on the stone. This process
creates the burr. He moves on to removing the burr with one pass on a fine stone (right).

26 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Anissa Kapsales

C
Sharpening kit for oddball blades
reating a wicked edge on a straight chisel or
plane blade is something a woodworker can Along with your sharpening stones, a few items such as dowels
learn in less than an hour. But many despair wrapped in sandpaper, cylindrical sharpening stones, and honing
compound used in creative ways will help you sharpen blades that
when it comes to sharpening curved or odd-
aren’t straight and flat.
shaped tools. It seems like you need lots of
practice or expensive gear.
The truth is you just need sharpening stones, some
dowels, scrap wood, sandpaper, and a slightly different
mindset for your sharpening process.
When working with odd-shaped tools, it is always best to
touch up their edges frequently, a practice common among
carvers. When I finish carving a seat with my travisher, I
always touch up its edge before putting it away. After a
decade of this practice I have never had to grind the bevel.

Make sense of abrasives

Comparing different abrasives can be difficult. The
United States and Europe have different ways of grading
sandpaper. And one manufacturer’s 1,000-grit stone might
A new way to use abrasives. To reach into tight curves and rounds,
not be the same as another’s. One simple and reliable way use dowels in different sizes. You can wrap wooden dowels with
to compare abrasives is to look up their particle size in diamond lapping film or sandpaper, or buy a pack of dowel-shaped
microns. One micron is one-millionth of a meter. When sharpening stones in different diameters.
you compare microns to microns, you get an idea how fine
or coarse an abrasive is. For example, 80-grit sandpaper (in
the U.S.) uses particles that are 192 microns across; 220-grit
paper is 66 microns across. A typical 1,000-grit sharpening
stone has particles that are 14–16 microns. And honing
compound is 1 micron. The micron size of any sharpening
medium is available online from manufacturers.

The trick is to know which grit to buy

For initial edge shaping, most people use a soft Arkansas
stone or a 1,000-grit waterstone. In the U.S., that equates to
sandpaper that’s about 400- to 700-grit.
For polishing, a translucent Arkansas or 5,000-grit Sanding dowels. Adhere diamond lapping film to a sanded dowel
waterstone has a particle size of 3 to 6 microns. In the and mark the grit on the end.
U.S., that’s 4,000- to 8,000-grit micromesh sandpaper. For
additional polish, you can use sandpaper with a 2-micron
size particle—or 12,000-grit micromesh sandpaper.
For some tools, I’ll rub honing compound directly on a
dowel. Most honing compounds claim to have a 1-micron
particle size, so they are ideal for the final polish.

Move the burr on router planes

Many beginners struggle with sharpening the L-shaped
blade of the router plane, particularly working the bevel
without rounding it over or creating a skewed edge. The
solution is to reverse your sharpening process.
With most tools you first sharpen the bevel with coarse
and then fine grits. Then you remove the burr on the flat
face with your finest polishing medium. On router plane
blades, I reverse the procedure. I first work the flat face
with coarse and then fine grits. It’s simple work to rub Honing compound. Charge a dowel with honing compound by simply
the flat face on your stone. Then I remove the burr by rubbing the compound onto the dowel.
swiping the bevel across my finest stone once.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 27
handwork continued
I use this same procedure on other tools such as
block planes with skewed irons (the skew has to be
perfect, or the tool won’t function) and swan-neck
chisels. It’s also a handy trick to know when you get
into tools that have a simple curve.

The simple curve of the travisher

Simple curves bend only in one dimension.
Compound curves curve in two dimensions, the way
a turner’s fingernail spindle gouge does. Sharpening
simple curves is easy. Begin by stoning the flat face,
just like with the router plane. Rock the flat side of
the blade along the stone and move up the grits.
To remove the burr on the bevel side of the tool,
you need to learn a new trick. For years I made
slipstones from old, broken sharpening stones,
which are easy to shape with a stationary belt
or disc sander. Then I started using sticky-back
sandpaper adhered to dowels. I mostly use 11⁄4-in.-
diameter dowels, but small dowels come in handy

Scorp Online Extra

To watch a video of
Schwarz sharpening
A scorp is a great tool for roughing
at the table saw, go to
out bowls, spoons, chair seats, and FineWoodworking
other concave shapes. It’s similar .com/305.
to a travisher in that way, but it is
for rougher work and its curve is
compound, not simple.

Inside and outside

the curves. For inside
curves, Schwarz uses
abrasives adhered to a
dowel. On the outside
of the curve, a flat
stick with an abrasive
adhered to it does the
trick. Always hold the A table saw alternative. A metal plate designed
handle of the tool like to convert a table saw to a disc sander can be used
the neck of a violin and to sharpen odd-shaped tools. One face has 200-grit
move the abrasive like sandpaper for grinding. The other face has MDF paper
the bow. Don’t let your for polishing. Tilt the plate to match the tool’s bevel.
hand get in front of or Charge the MDF with polishing compound. Turn on the
near the cutting edge. saw and gently touch the blade to the spinning wheel.

28 FINE WOODWORKING
for tools with tight curves. You can use fancy
diamond film (Lee Valley Tools sells a set
designed for sharpening woodworking tools) or
you can use sandpaper from the hardware store.
A swipe or two with the sanding dowel removes
the burr and continues to polish the bevel.

Hand screws lend a helping hand

Sometimes you can’t hold a tool well enough to
sharpen it. A traditional spokeshave or travisher
with forged tangs or a small hatchet are typical
examples. A solution is to find some way to
hold the tool and then bring the abrasive to

Travisher
the tool. Often, I grab the tool with hand-screw
clamps, then I clamp the hand screws in a vise
and move things around until I can sharpen the
edge. Travishers are essential for
carving chair seats and other
Sharpening molding planes concave shapes. The simple
Molding planes cut complex shapes, but maintaining curved blade of the
the edge of their irons is straightforward. To keep travisher bends only in
a beading plane or square ovolo molder working, one direction, making it
polish the flat back between each major project and a bit easier to sharpen
then strop the bevel using dowels either wrapped than its cousin, the
scorp.
in fine abrasive or charged with honing compound.
This maintains the edge for a good while. After
repeated work on the iron’s back, the profile of the
tool might change slightly. Sight the iron against the
plane’s sole to look for differences between them.
Make adjustments to the iron by working the bevel
with a more aggressive abrasive. Then polish the
bevel with finer abrasives.
Regrinding a badly mismatched edge to
correspond to its sole requires a more involved
approach. Larry Williams’s video “Sharpening
Profiled Hand Tools” (available from Lie-Nielsen
Toolworks) is an excellent place to learn that skill. A little relief. You can speed things along a bit if you relieve some material
behind the cutting edge on the flat side of the the blade using a die grinder.
This produces an effect like the hollows on the flat back of a Japanese chisel.

TIP

Hand screws are an extra set of hands. Sometimes

a blade, like this travisher blade from Crown Tools, is
Rock and roll. Rock the flat side of the blade along the stone, and move your
difficult to hold for sharpening. With the blade held in a
way up the grits. Remove the burr on the bevel using a dowel wrapped with
hand screw in your bench vise, you can abrade the bevel
fine sandpaper or diamond lapping film.
easily.

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 29

handwork continued

The compound curves of the scorp

Many tools with curved edges also have curved
bevels or curved backs. It’s typical of scorps and
handmade adzes. As with molding planes, I try to
maintain the edge with regular polishing. I don’t
want the edge to degrade to the point of using a
coarse stone or a grinder to bring it back to sharp.
For inside curves, I use abrasives adhered to a
dowel. To maintain the edge I use my two finest
abrasives (3 micron and 1⁄2 micron) to keep the
bevel sharp and polished. On the outside curve, I
adhere some of the diamond film to a flat stick.
I also have a table-saw method for sharpening the
scorp. I use a metal disc-sanding plate for the table
saw. I charge the face of the disc that has paper
for polishing with polishing compound. I set the
plate to the same bevel as the tool, turn on the saw,
and lightly pivot and touch the blade to the wheel.
Safety note: Empty all sawdust from the saw cabinet
beforehand to eliminate the small chance of a fire.

Curved card scrapers Burnish the faces.

After stoning the
edge, burnish the flat
faces of the scraper
to polish the face
and draw up the
small hook of steel
Sometimes you need a that will become the
cutting edge. About
curved card scraper to
10 strokes on each
fair curves and shape
face is sufficient.
rounds. Sharpening a
curved scraper isn’t
more difficult than a
straight scraper, and
a scrap of wood gives Turn the burr. First
you all the help you stroke the scraper’s
need to do the job. edge with the
burnisher parallel
A simple block. A to the floor. Then tilt
squared block of wood, the burnisher about
about the same height 7° to 10° and slide
as the scraper and a the burnisher across
bit longer, keeps the the scraper’s edge,
scraper 90° to the repeating until you
stone. Plane a small can feel a hook with
chamfer on the block your fingernail. You
where the scraper don’t have to create
meets the stone to keep a hook along the
debris from affecting entire edge, just in
the angle. Rock the the area you need to
scraper while holding it do the job.
against the block.

30 FINE WOODWORKING
 MORTISE & TENON
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A CELEBRATION of HAND TOOLS &
TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING
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handwork continued
Curved scrapers
Card scrapers with a curved or gooseneck profile
seem difficult to sharpen. Again, you just need some
scraps of wood to get it done. To stone the curved
edge of the scraper, place a block of wood on your
sharpening stone. The block acts as a fence, holding
your scraper at 90°. Move the block around as you
work to avoid making a groove in the stone. Cut a
small chamfer on the block to prevent wood fibers
from getting between the scraper and the stone.
Turning a curved scraper’s hook is no different
than with a straight scraper. Secure the scraper in
a vise and stroke it with a burnisher, slightly tilted.
You don’t have to create a hook along the entire
edge, especially with gooseneck scrapers. Just turn a
hook in the area you’ll use to do the job. ☐

Christopher Schwarz is a furniture maker and writer in

Covington, Ky.

Complex shapes of molding planes

Since molding planes are
used to make complex
shapes, it stands to
reason that their blades
have unique and complex
shapes as well. Dowels are
a unique but not complex
way of maintaining these
blades.

Tap it out. A quick tap on the end of your bench will release the blade from the plane.

Polish the back. Polishing Strop the bevel with dowels. Schwarz either uses Site the iron against the sole. If the iron
the flat back of a molding sharpening stone dowels or wooden dowels wrapped and sole don’t match exactly you can use
plane regularly keeps it sharp with sandpaper to strop the bevel. Match the diameter of an aggressive abrasive on the bevel to
for a long time. dowel to the curve you’re working. correct the shape.

32 FINE WOODWORKING
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faces of the craft
Jeremy Tritchler: The adventure continues
B Y A S A C H R I S T I A N A

A
fter majoring in geology at the
University of Wyoming, Jeremy
Tritchler landed a contract job in
a Utah copper mine, examining
drilled cores, which are used
to explore potential tunneling
directions. After looking at 15 miles of cores
over four years, he felt like “there was no
end in sight,” he said. “I had a strong desire
to be creative. I wanted to see the beginning,
middle, and end of a project.”
Reflecting back on his youth, he
remembered using his father’s hammer,
nails, and wood scraps to bang together
simple boxes and toy cars in the garage, and
working with his grandfather, who helped
him build his first toolbox from an old
ammo crate.
He also happened to meet an experienced
woodworker at the mine, a fellow geologist
and longtime FWW subscriber, who was
retiring soon to pursue the craft in earnest.
Tritchler learned a few basics from his
friend and caught the woodworking bug,
finding the sense of accomplishment he was
missing. When his friend confided, “I wish I
had started doing this 30 years ago,” Jeremy
took it to heart.
When his contract was terminated in 2012,
a delayed casualty of the 2008 economic
crash, Tritchler was unable to find another
job as a geologist, so he took one building
laminated countertops and desktops. It
wasn’t fine woodworking, but it was a step
in the door. “I worked with my hands every
day, and felt the satisfaction of seeing a
finished product,” he said. “You know when
it’s good, and you know when you’ve made
a mistake. It’s a rewarding feeling that’s hard
to describe.”
When another friend invited Tritchler to
join him as a handyman and remodeler, he
accepted the offer, taking on the fine finish
work. On nights and weekends, he took
woodworking classes at nearby Salt Lake

34 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: John Peeler (this page), Lance Patterson (facing page)
Community College (SLCC), where he
met the most influential figure in his
journey, FWW contributing editor Chris
Gochnour.

One great teacher can

change everything
In Gochnour’s classes on the
fundamentals of fine woodworking,
Tritchler made his first real furniture
joints and his first solid-wood project, a
beautiful tool box. “It was my first time
picking out nice lumber. When the oil
and the hardware were on, I thought,
‘Wow, this is really something to be
proud of.’”
Next Tritchler made a pair of sofa
tables with his new teacher, and then a
slant-top desk of his own design.
Aside from the hows and whys of the
craft, Gochnour taught Tritchler that
woodworking was a viable career. “Chris
talked to us about why he became a
woodworker,” Tritchler said. “He was
around 30 when he made furniture
making his career. He took the plunge
and made it work. I was in my 30s then,
deciding what I wanted to do with my
life, and I was inspired to take the same
chance.”
When Tritchler told his teacher he
I worked with my hands every day, and felt the satisfaction of seeing a
wanted a career as a furniture maker, finished product.You know when it’s good, and you know when you’ve
Gochnour recommended North Bennet
Street School (NBSS) in Boston.
made a mistake. It’s a rewarding feeling that’s hard to describe.

Formal training at North Bennet Tritchler worked on kitchen cabinets, approval to work remotely, and they
Tritchler was accepted into NBSS’s restaurant bars, and common areas in moved with their young daughter to
Cabinet & Furniture Making program in apartment complexes, dressing up one Williamsburg.
the fall of 2016, and made the most of with big wall-hung shadow boxes for He started in January 2020, working
his two years there, completing 16 or plant life. at a massive workbench, in a wash of
17 projects in the time some students natural light from a nearby window
complete five or six. Many were Opportunity of a lifetime (electric lights are not allowed in the
smaller projects, designed to teach him Scanning Instagram one day, Tritchler shop). His job, like those of the shop
something new. ran across a post that changed his veterans around him, was reproducing
“I absolutely loved NBSS,” he said. life again. The post came from Bill antique furniture from tidewater
“They don’t hand you all the knowledge. Pavlak, supervisor of the historical Virginia—drawing from the deep
They give you enough instruction to Hay Cabinet Shop at Colonial institutional knowledge at the living-
point you in a direction, then they let Williamsburg (CW). Tritchler was no history museum, as well as tapping its
you work it out yourself with trial and stranger to the Hay shop, having visited world-class archives and collections.
error—hands on. When you get hung up, it two years earlier and spoken with “There aren’t a lot of written records
they get you back on track.” apprentice cabinetmaker Brian Weldy, of woodworking techniques in the 18th
After graduating in 2018 he landed a also an NBSS grad. century,” he said. “We worked closely
job at a small cabinetry and millwork Weldy suggested what Tritchler might with Colonial Williamsburg’s [museum]
shop in Boston that focused on highlight in his cover letter, and told curators and tradespeople to help each
commercial construction and remodeling. his boss to look out for his application. other better understand how things may
As “the custom guy for oddball jobs,” Tritchler was hired, his wife got have been done.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 35
faces of the craft continued

Tritchler left CW in June of this year, and is working on

bringing his garage workshop up to speed. Commissions have
begun to roll in, which he should be able to juggle with his
duties as a dad. As the kids grow, however, and begin spending
more time at school, Tritchler is mulling bigger plans.
At NBSS and CW, Tritchler learned that he “thrives on
camaraderie and collaboration with other makers.” While he
would be perfectly happy building commissions in the garage,
he says, he is thinking about buying a large warehouse or
factory space where he can set up a larger shop for working
and teaching, and rent space to others as well.
“There are a lot of makers in the [Williamsburg] area, and
I picture the co-op as a community-oriented place,” he said.
“Some of my friends at NBSS were veterans with PTSD.
Focusing on a trade helped them adjust to civilian life, gave
them purpose.”
He pictures a lot of young people also being drawn to the
co-op. “Not everyone has to go to college to be successful,” he
said.

Credit where credit is due

“I was in a euphoric state,” he said. It felt like “an extended At each of his life transitions, Tritchler received unflinching
vacation,” like he would soon have to pack up his bags and support from his wife, who began her career in the arts, as a
leave. Then, after just three years at his job-of-a-lifetime, his ballerina. She encouraged him to leave his career as a geologist
premonition came true. to pursue his true passion, including the daunting move from
Salt Lake City to pricier Boston. For the move to Williamsburg,
A new chapter unfolds she convinced her bosses at an environmental consulting firm
Early in 2023, with a second child on the way and a big to let her work remotely in Virginia. “I’m the one who gets cold
upsurge in child-care costs looming, Tritchler and his wife, feet,” he said. “She always says, ‘We’ll make it work—we’ll get
Shaun, were facing some tough math. Her job as a financial there.”
analyst paid considerably more than his, so he made the Follow Tritchler’s journey on Instagram, @jtritchler.
decision to leave the job he thought he would retire from
someday, to be at home with the kids and build up an —Asa Christiana is FWW’s editor-at-large.
independent furniture-making and teaching career. Once again,
he received encouragement from Gochnour, who had balanced
his own woodworking career with child care, for similar
reasons.

I came to the Hay Cabinet Shop with a good

understanding of how to use hand tools, but I left with
them feeling more like an extension of myself.

“My resignation letter to Bill [Pavlak] was very hard to write,”

Tritchler said. “I gained a lot of confidence in my work and my
abilities at CW. I came to the shop with a good understanding
of how to use hand tools, but I left with them feeling more like
an extension of myself.”
The first reproduction he built at CW (shown above) was of
a small tea table with cabriole legs, believed to have been built
in Williamsburg in the 1720s. The table was relatively simple in
design, but had a tricky piece of curbed molding that wrapped
around the aprons and legs. “It was a good chance to stretch
my brain and build my skills,” he said.

36 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Jeremy Tritchler (top), Lance Patterson (bottom)

Here to Inspire, Guide, and Support
Your Woodworking Journey
• 500+ video workshop episodes •
• Online digital libraries •
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• And so much more! •
FineWoodworking.com/Unlimited

© The Taunton Press

 Shaker Hanging Cabinet

Diminutive in
size but large on
techniques
B Y C H R I S T I A N
B E C K S V O O R T

I first saw this little Shaker wall

cabinet on the cover of the
book Shaker Design: Out of
This World by Jean Burks back in
2009. It was reportedly made in
Canterbury, N.H., somewhere be-
tween 1860 and 1880. There is no
indication of what its intended use
was. Years later, I tracked down
the owner, who graciously gave
me the overall dimensions. He also
mentioned that the small drawers
were nailed. That and the photo
were all I had to go on when I
started building. When working
from a photo to decide how to
build a piece, it’s always a toss-
up between best practices and a
guesstimate of how the original
was actually made. For this proj-
ect, I used a combination of both.
Its manageable size and variety
of techniques make this cabinet
a great project for learning new
skills and honing old ones. In one
small piece you will cut dovetails,
tackle case construction, add draw-
er dividers and face frames, build
drawers, and construct a frame-
and-panel door with bridle joints.

38 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Anissa Kapsales

 SHAKER WALL CABINET Top, 3⁄8 in. thick
11⁄8 in. dia.
Sub-top, 5⁄8 in.
This small piece holds lots of lessons. Dovetail the by 51⁄8 in. wide by thick by 4 in. wide Back, 3⁄8 in. thick
117⁄8 in. long by 111⁄4 in. long by 103⁄4 in. wide
case, add a top and bottom, create drawer pockets
with dadoes and dividers, add a bridle-joint frame- 271⁄2 in. long
and-panel door, and much more.

Peg, 1⁄4 in. dia. Adjustable shelf,

Rails, 5⁄8 in. thick 1
⁄2 in. thick by
by 19⁄16 in. wide by 33⁄4 in. wide by
71⁄2 in. long 101⁄8 in. long

Face frame,
5
⁄8 in. thick by
2 in. wide by
Panel, 1⁄4 in. thick 111⁄8 in. long
by 5 in. wide by
85⁄8 in. long
Fixed shelf,
1
⁄4 in. thick by
4 in. wide by
103⁄16 in. long,
acts as door
stop

Horizontal
divider, 5⁄8 in.
Knob, 7⁄8 in. thick by 45⁄8 in.
dia. wide by 101⁄2 in.
long

Notch, 1⁄8 in.

Notch, 3⁄8 in. deep by 1⁄8 in.
Door stiles, 5⁄8 in. deep by 5⁄8 in. wide
thick by 19⁄16 in. wide wide
by 111⁄8 in. long

Tenon, 1⁄4 in. thick

by 11⁄4 in. wide by Side, 5⁄8 in. thick
19⁄16 in. long by 47⁄8 in. wide
by 235⁄8 in. long
Dado on bottom of horizontal
divider, 3⁄16 in. deep by 5⁄8 in.
13⁄16 in. wide, accepts vertical divider
Sub-bottom,
5
⁄8 in. thick by
45⁄8 in. wide by
111⁄4 in. long

Front strip, 3⁄8 in.

thick by 5⁄8 in. wide
by 117⁄8 in. long,
nailed to horizontal Strip, 1⁄8 in. thick
dividers Vertical dividers, by 5⁄8 in. wide by
5
⁄8 in. thick by 121⁄2 in. long
41⁄4 in. wide by
115⁄16 in. long
277⁄8 in.

Bottom, 3⁄8 in. thick

SOURCES
by 51⁄8 in. wide by O F S U P P LY
117⁄8 in. long
CUPBOARD CATCH
Van Dyke’s Restorers,
Digital plans for 02243930
this wall cabinet vandykes.com
are free for
Unlimited members, HINGES
or can be purchased
at FineWoodworking Horton Brasses, LD-H-12
.com/PlanStore. horton-brasses.com
117⁄8 in. 51⁄8 in.

Drawings: Christopher Mills SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 39

Case work
The infrastructure of this carcase is a
sub-top and sub-bottom dovetailed to
the sides, with a notch and dadoes cut
into the sides.

43⁄8 in.

215⁄16 in. Notch it off. The notches at the top of the sides Rabbet for the back. Two more ripcuts on the
house the vertical face frames that flank the door. table saw yield the rabbets in the sides that the
Create the notch with two cuts on the table saw, back will be set into.
one ripcut and one crosscut.
3
⁄4 in. 111⁄8 in. Half-blind dovetails.
Connect the sides to
the top and bottom with
1
⁄4 in. dia. half-blind dovetails.
Becksvoort cuts tails
first on the top and
bottom, and then
transfers that pattern
to the sides and cuts
the pins.
Rabbet,
1
⁄4 in. deep
by 3⁄8 in.
wide
Dadoes galore. With
the dado stack in
the table saw use a
miter gauge to cut five
13⁄4 in. dadoes in each side for
the horizontal dividers.
5
⁄8 in. Cut straight through the
front of the sides; you’ll
cover the front of the
dadoes later.

23⁄8 in.
47⁄8 in.

Dadoes, 1⁄8 in. deep,

house horizontal dividers

Connecting two sides

to a sub-top and sub-bottom
After I milled the two sides and the
sub-top and sub-bottom to size, I
cut the notch in the sides to hold
the upper face frame. Then I cut
a rabbet in the sides to hold the
back. I moved on to the half-blind
dovetails that secure the sides
to the sub-top and bottom. The
last thing I did before I glued up
the case was cut the dadoes for
the drawer dividers. I did this on
the table saw with a dado blade.

40 FINE WOODWORKING
­ inally, I glued the carcase together
F
and glued thin face-frame strips on
the lower half of the sides to cover
the dadoes.

Five horizontal and five

vertical dividers
After sanding and assembling the
case, I milled the five horizontal di-
viders (taking final dimensions di-
rectly from the case), dadoed them
for the vertical dividers, and notched
them for the front strip. On all five,
both front corners were notched
for the face-frame strip. I slid the
horizontal dividers into position and
installed the front strip over them.
Next, I measured for the five
short vertical dividers. Then I cut
and installed them from the back.
For both the horizontal and vertical
dividers I used a friction fit. Feel
free to use glue if the parts are a
bit loose. I drilled and pinned the
horizontal divider to the verticals.
Then I glued on the two wider, up-
per face frames, and planed and
sanded the entire front. Glue up the box. Glue
the sub-top and sub-
Add the top and bottom bottom to the sides.
The actual top and bottom both Be sure to check for
square by measuring
get a roundover profile on the
corner to corner. Both
front and sides. I shaped the pro- measurements should
file by hand with a block plane match. If they don’t,
and sandpaper. You also could adjust, reclamp, and
cut the profile at the router table recheck.
with a roundover bit. Glue the top
and bottom onto the sub-top and
sub-bottom. The way the cabinet
is built, the sub-top acts as a door

Cover the dadoes. Glue a thin strip of wood to the front of the sides Glue in the face frame. The door attaches to a face frame, two vertical
where the dadoes ran through the front edge. Use stretchy green tape to pieces that fit into the long notch at the top of the sides. Glue and clamp
apply pressure to the edging while the glue dries. those in place.

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 41

Divider and conquer stop. For the bottom door stop, I
glue a fixed “shelf” to the top of the
top horizontal divider.
Five vertical dividers slide into dadoes in the five horizontal dividers to create 10 drawer pockets. A
front strip locks the horizontal dividers together; the vertical dividers butt up against the strip. Bridle joint your way
to a frame-and-panel door
Horizontal dividers
The small door at the top of the
first. Take the side-to-
side measurements cabinet is frame-and-panel. I de-
from the case. From cided on full bridle joints in all four
the back, slide the corners and cut them on the table
horizontal dividers into saw. Once the door was glued, fit-
dadoes in the sides. ted, sanded, and hinged (Horton
Each horizontal divider Brasses, LD-H-12), I added the
has a centered dado
small cupboard catch (Van Dyke’s
to accept the vertical
divider below it, a notch Restorers, 02243930). I had to re-
in front to receive the move the clear coat finish on the
continuous front strip, catch, and, as I did with the hinges,
and notched front darken it with Antiquing Solution
corners to fit around the (Constantine’s Wood Center).
thin face-frame strip.

Front strip. From

the front of the case,
measure, cut, and pin
or nail and plug the
front strip that locks all
the horizontal dividers
together.

Top to bottom.
After shaping the
roundover on their
front and side
edges, glue and
clamp the top and
bottom pieces to
the carcase.

Add vertical dividers. From the back of the

case, slide the vertical dividers into place in
the dadoes in the horizontal dividers. Be sure
the vertical dividers butt tightly up to the front
strip.

42 FINE WOODWORKING Photos:

A petite door
Becksvoort used bridle joints and a flat panel to create the door at the top of the cabinet.

Easy bridle joints.

At the table saw,
Becksvoort cuts
the shoulders of
the rail tenons with
a miter gauge, then
cuts their cheeks
with the workpiece
held upright in
an over-the-fence
jig. He uses the
same jig to cut the
slots in the stiles
that receive those
tenons. He rips the
panel grooves on
the table saw also.
Once all the joinery
is cut, he’ll glue up
the frame with the
panel in place.

Hinge the door. Locate the hinges where you

want them on the door, score the location with
a knife, and cut the mortise.

Transfer the hinge

location. Set the
hinged door in place
on the case. Transfer
the hinge location to
the face frame. Cut the
mortise and screw the
hinged door in place.

The original cabinet had a small

metal hanger. I decided on a more
traditional approach, making a
curved wood hanger that is in-
corporated into the back with a
hole for hanging on a peg. I used
quartersawn pine for the back. I
installed the back into the rabbets
in the sides, and attached it with
screws.

Lock in the drawers

As I mentioned previously, the
original drawers were merely
nailed together. I prefer lock c­ orner

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 43

Back panel does double duty sawkerf joints, using 5⁄16-in. stock
for all four pieces. The sides have
a sawkerf, while the front and back
The back panel sits in the rabbet in the sides, top, and bottom. A curved top with a hole protrudes are rabbeted to create a tongue
above the case and is used to hang the cabinet on a peg board. that fits the kerf. It takes a bit of
figuring and adjusting at the table
saw but it works well and looks
good.
For the drawer bottoms, I ran a
1⁄8-in. groove along the inside low-

er edges of the sides and fronts.

Instead of grooving the back and
trapping the bottom in the glue-
up, I reduced the height of the
back so it stops where the groove
in the sides and front start. This
allows me to slide the bottom in
Cut the curve. Becksvoort uses a template to trace the curved top shape onto the quartersawn pine back from behind and tack it in place
panel. After he cuts the shape on the bandsaw, he drills the hanging hole on the drill press. with a bit of glue. Once the draw-
ers were glued and fitted, I added
Install the back.
Fit the back into the false fronts with quarter-round
case, hand planing to edges and an overhang on the top
sneak up on the fit if and both sides.
necessary. Then predrill After turning eleven 7⁄8-in.-dia.
and screw the back to cherry knobs, drilling and install-
the case. ing them, I finished the entire exte-
rior with Tried & True Varnish Oil.
A few months in the sun, and the
pine will begin to darken.  ☐

Christian Becksvoort is a longtime

contributing editor and expert
in Shaker furniture.

44 FINE WOODWORKING
 Back, 5⁄16 in. thick

Ten tiny drawers Groove for bottom, 1⁄8 in.

wide by 1⁄8 in. deep
by 11⁄2 in. wide by
47⁄16 in. long

While the drawers in the original Shaker 1

⁄8 in.
piece were nailed together, these drawers 5
Front, ⁄16 in. thick
employ lock corner sawkerf joints, using by 13⁄4 in. wide by 3
⁄16 in.
5
⁄16-in. stock for all four pieces. 47⁄16 in. long 1
⁄8 in.

False front, 5⁄16 in. 1

thick by 2 in. wide ⁄8 in.
by 51⁄16 in. long

Knob, 11⁄4 in. 1

⁄2 in. dia.
long overall

7 Tenon, 3⁄8 in. dia. Bottom, 1⁄8 in. thick Side, 5⁄16 in. thick by 13⁄4 in.
⁄8 in. dia. wide by 45⁄8 in. long
by 3⁄8 in. long

Online Extra
To watch how Becksvoort turns
traditional Shaker knobs, go to
FineWoodworking.com/305.

Sawcuts galore. The drawer sides have a sawkerf, while

the front and back are rabbeted to create a tongue that fits
the kerf. This system, once you have it down, makes easy
work of building 10 drawers.

Add false fronts. After the glue has dried on the drawer Attach the knobs. Use a Forstner bit at the
box assemblies, glue the drawer fronts to the boxes. Your drill press to drill the mortise for the drawer
clamps can do double duty if you gang up two boxes at a knobs (right). Glue and clamp a knob onto
time and clamp them face to face. each drawer (above).

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 45

 Refurbish a Vintage
Block Plane

A toolmaker’s tips
for rejuvenating
this workhorse
B Y E L E A N O R R O S E

I ’m a toolmaker, but I fully believe in

refurbishing. It is the most accessible
way into an often expensive craft. Al-
most without fail I opt for old when build-
ing my own tool collection—and that’s
separate tasks, like one for shooting small
parts square and the other for rough shap-
ing. All it takes is $25 to $40, some time,
and the tips I’ll share here.
and cast-iron tools. These are always su-
perior to aluminum and plastic.

Clean, disassemble, and derust

Now you have your plane in hand. It’s
despite being able to make my own ver- What to buy probably rusty, dirty, or even hiding spi-
sions. I prefer to give something a second Luckily, because so many vintage models ders, like a recent purchase of mine was.
or maybe even a third life. Take it from are available, you can be picky. I recom- I start off with a good degreaser. My fa-
someone who spends more time on eBay mend a Stanley 91⁄2, which has lateral and vorite is CMT 2050, which is nontoxic and
than she should: There are enough antique depth adjusters and an adjustable throat. If pretty environmentally friendly. It’s tech-
tools to go around. It’s just up to us to get you can’t find one, look for another Stan- nically a blade and bit cleaner, but if it
them back into working order. ley or a block plane from Ohio Tools, dis- can cut through pitch it must be good. It
Block planes are a good choice for refur- tinguishable by their maroon japanning. I also acts as a rust preventative if you do
bishment. They’re plentiful, meaning you recommend avoiding vintage planes with not rinse it off, helpful if you have to step
can find a solid user at an affordable price. a wheel and a threaded post to tighten the away for a day or two between refurbish-
Plus, they’re a workshop staple, so even cap iron. These are too prone to failure ing steps. However, in place of a dedicated
if you already have one, buying another after decades of use, and existing damage degreaser, dish soap and water with some
is easy to justify. You can set them up for can be hard to see. Finally, opt for steel extra elbow grease also works just fine,

46 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Barry NM Dima

Buying vintage? Here’s what to look for...

A lateral adjust and depth adjust add convenience. This Stanley 91⁄2, a An adjustable throat helps with cut quality. With
common plane, uses a lever to adjust the blade from side to side and a knob to the 91⁄2, you can open the throat wide for heavy, coarse
advance or retract it—two nice improvements to tapping with a hammer. Finding cuts or close it down to control tearout and take finer
one with the wooden handle on the end is uncommon, so don’t agonize over it. shavings.

... and what to avoid

A threaded rod for
tightening the lever
as does Simple Green. Typically I scrub, cap and a cross-pin
are weak points on
rinse, then repeat at least twice.
vintage planes. These
Once you scrub the exterior of oils, experience too much
grime, and eight-legged beasts, you can tension to make them
start disassembly. This step is mostly about long-lasting. The wheel-
patience and discovery. I wish every tool tightening mechanisms
was similar enough to have a perfect are often stripped after
how-to list, but sometimes screws are years of use and abuse.
And over time pressure
reverse-threaded, sometimes a tool has
against the pin can lead
been altered by a previous owner, and to hard-to-see cracks in
sometimes you find one that’s damaged. the casting above it.
Every time I take an antique apart there is
a hidden screw, a pin hidden under dirt,
or something unexpectedly ground flush.
I have two major points of advice when
disassembling: WD-40 won’t solve any-
thing no matter how much you want it to,
and if a screw won’t turn, don’t force it.
I made both mistakes when I started out,
and each caused tears.
If your plane is particularly rusted and
you cannot get a screw, threaded rod, or
knob to budge, then try heat. Use either a
quick, light touch with a propane or bu-
tane torch, or pop the plane in an oven
at 350° for 20 minutes. The heat expands
the metal ever so slightly. It will shrink as
it cools, breaking the rust bonds to allow
for removal. This process can warp the

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 47
Clean and disassemble plane, but you’ll address that later. Be sure
to take out the blade for either step, as
the heat can ruin a blade’s temper. When
heat doesn’t work, I use a lubricant. If that
doesn’t do the job, I look for a hidden pin
Give the plane an
initial cleaning or weld/braze. If those fail, I have another
with a good trick up my sleeve: Evaporust.
degreaser. Evaporust is truly a magic potion. I’m
Scrubbing down convinced wizards make it. It does ex-
the plane now actly what it says it does: It removes rust
removes dirt, completely. Plus, it’s reusable. I submerge
grease, and grime,
all the plane parts after disassembly and
letting you better
see parts when another degreasing and let them sit for 3
you disassemble it. to 24 hours, enough time for the liquid to
break up any lingering rust bonds. Nearly
instantaneous flash rust is possible when
you remove the parts, so wear gloves and
protect the fresh metal with oil or more
CMT 2050. If you do get any flash rust,
it’s a breeze to remove with a Scotch-Brite

Disassembly is
about patience.
Don’t force
components apart.
They may be
reverse-threaded,
like this lever cap
screw on the 91⁄2
(others on the
91⁄2 are standard
threaded). Some
parts may be
secured with a pin,
which should be
gently tapped out.

Protect threaded
rods. Pliers can
damage threading,
rendering the part
useless. To prevent
this, Rose uses
silicone thread
covers made for
powder coating.
A few wraps
of masking or
electrical tape will
also work.

48 FINE WOODWORKING
Remove rust and protect with oil

Soak rusty parts in Evapo-Rust.

With all the parts separated, you
can thoroughly clean them. Then
submerge rusty components
completely to avoid unsightly
discolored etching lines where the
product doesn’t reach. Evapo-Rust
usually takes 3–24 hours to work. It
will also often loosen parts that are
still stuck.

pad, or give it another soak in Evapo-Rust.

Next, remove any old paint or lacquer
with a stripper for marine paint and lac-
quer, or with acetone. I’ve also heard good
things about Citristrip. Be sure to check for
lead in any paint, and wear a respirator. Scotch-Brite
Protect the parts from rust after this step, knocks off loose
too, and then reassemble the plane. rust. Any rust left
Stripper will not remove japanning. That after soaking is
easily rubbed off
needs to be sandblasted away, which I
with an abrasive pad.
fully discourage unless you know exactly However, this freshly
what you are doing. Fortunately, I rarely exposed metal
find it necessary to remove japanning. is prone to flash
Touch-ups, which I perform at the end of rust. Quickly coat
a refurb (if at all), do just fine. the parts in a rust-
resistor, like camellia
oil, to stop this. If
Joint the sole rust does happen, it’s
Until now, much of the work has been easily managed with
on cosmetics and basic functions, like get- Scotch-Brite before
ting rusted knobs to turn. But to turn the oiling.
plane into a reliable user, you’ll want to
joint the sole with sandpaper affixed to a
flat surface.
The preferred surfaces to achieve flat are
granite or machined steel. There are a few
other options, too, like thick glass panels
(1⁄4 in. or more) and melamine. Plywood
cannot typically be trusted but might serve
in a pinch. Be sure to check any of these
surfaces for flat and true by placing a rule
longitudinally at each end and in the mid-
dle, latitudinally at each edge and in the

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 49

Flatten, square, and polish

Start flattening the sole. Rose secures sandpaper to

a flat, milled metal surface using strong magnets so it
doesn’t bunch or crimp. Flatten with the blade installed
(but fully retracted) to keep the plane body in tension. The
shiny areas show the high spots (above). This plane still
needs work ahead of its mouth, the most critical area.

Square up a side middle, and diagonally both ways. If you see

if you want to no light between the surface and the rule, you
shoot with the can safely use it.
plane. True only
I flatten on a machined surface, so I can use
the side you’ll use
on your shooting
strong magnets to attach my sandpaper. They
board. Rose guides allow me to quickly and easily change out
the plane against worn paper, or reuse sheets that still have life. I
a squared block recommend sticky-back sandpaper if magnets
that has strong aren’t an option. Its thickness is controlled, so
magnets in its it’s preferable to a spray adhesive, which you
base. This block
can easily overspray, creating lumps. You can
is your reference,
so concentrate on
also use double-stick tape if you are careful to
holding your newly apply it edge to edge with no overlap, or you
flattened sole can clamp cauls over your abrasive.
against it. Step up the grits as you fix the sole. Start
with 80 or 100 if your sole is scratched or
particularly wonky. Stop at 220 grit. Going all
the way to a polish is unnecessary and will be
Polish round
undone the minute the plane touches wood. If
parts in a drill. you want to use the plane for shooting, square
Protect threads a side too.
with thread covers During flattening, the plane should be as-
or electrical tape. sembled, including the blade and cap iron with
While holding the the same tension on the iron as it will have in
drill’s trigger, polish
use. However, retract the iron into the plane
the parts with
fine sandpaper
so it doesn’t project; otherwise you’ll grind the
or a Scotch-Brite cutting edge. You want to save that edge for
pad. Dirtier parts when you flatten the back, hone the bevel, and
may require initial get to work. ☐
cleaning with a
brass wire brush. Eleanor Rose is a metalsmith and an artist-in-
residence at Tennessee’s Appalachian Center for
Craft. She’s @off_artisan on Instagram.

50 FINE WOODWORKING
 Japanning is
easy to touch up
That black glossy finish on some of
your hand planes and other tools is
japanning. It started out as a furniture
finish imitating Japanese lacquerware,
but its uses expanded to protecting
metal tools as well. Depending on
how far you want to refurbish a tool,
you may consider refreshing the Strip and clean to prep for japanning. To
japanning. My recipe is easy to make ready the surface, Rose brushes on acetone
to strip any paint from previous owners and
and apply, and it cures to a shiny
remove any remaining grease. For stubborn
brownish black, a correct antique spots, she breaks out a wire brush, which also
look, so you won’t ruin your plane’s scratches off old japanning that’s loose.
old charm with its new paint job. Just
be sure to apply it somewhere with
good ventilation, or even outside.
The steps are simple. First, strip
off old paint, residual grease, grime,
and oil, and old, flaky japanning. Next,
apply the japanning. I make mine by
combining one part linseed oil and
one part thinner, then I mix in lamp
black until the finish is opaque. Feel
free to experiment with your own
ratios.
My technique only touches up the Brush on the japanning mixture. Protect
old japanning. It’s more about filling any holes with rolled-up earplugs, and
in cracks and gaps instead of doing a avoid the sole and sides of the block plane.
whole overhaul. To completely reapply If japanning inadvertently gets on these
surfaces, scrape it off with a razor blade
japanning, you have to first sandblast and follow with sandpaper.
the casting—and sandblasting is
something I don’t recommend to
anyone except those who know
exactly what they are doing and can
Bake three
take the proper precautions against
times to cure
lead paint and damaging the tool. the finish.
Rose’s sequence
is 300°F for an
hour or two, then
let it cool. Repeat
at 350°F, cool,
and then heat
one final time at
400°F. A toaster
oven works fine.

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 51

Sanding,
Under the Microscope
Scanning electron
microscope W hether you view sanding as a
tedious chore or a labor of love,
a closer look at the process will
help you give your next project a beauti-
swer a long-standing question I’ve had:
If cross-grain sanding makes a mess of a
wood surface, why is it that a random-
orbit (RO) sander—with scratches going

reveals secrets ful look and feel. In this case, I mean a

much closer look, with a scanning electron
in every direction—doesn’t do the same?
When I sent my initial results and con-
micro­scope (SEM). clusions to Fine Woodworking, the editors
of success As a scientist, I use an SEM quite often, to suggested a number of related questions
examine everything from microorganisms to explore with SEM photography. Among
to medical devices. As a woodworker, I the questions were how hand-sanding
B Y PA U L H . A X E L S E N decided to use this powerful tool to an- differs from random-orbit sanding, how

52 FINE WOODWORKING Micro-photos: Paul H. Axelsen; others, except where noted: Asa Christiana
 Scores of samples
We prepared many samples for micro-photography, in a wide range of woods
using a random-orbit sander, sanding by hand, and surfacing with a hand plane.

A sliver of each. Axelsen used a round punch

and a chisel to create samples small enough to
fit into the scanning electron microscope (SEM).

hand-planed surfac-
es differ from sanded
ones, and how fine a grit
one should sand to for best
finishing results.

Prepping samples
My editor, Asa Christiana, and I sanded a
number of hardwoods with an RO sander,
keeping a shop vacuum attached, and ap-
plying gentle, even pressure to the sander.
The surfaces were brush-vacuumed and
rubbed lightly with a tack cloth after each
grit, to make sure that the SEM images
would reveal the surface of the wood, not
loose sanding dust.
To create samples that would fit in the Into the scope.
microscope, I punched out small chips After applying an
ultrathin metallic
(see photos, above right), and then coated
coating to each
them with an ultrathin layer of gold and sample—required by
palladium, which plays an important role the SEM—Axelsen
in how the SEM works. loaded each into
The SEM scans the surface with an elec- the microscope
tron beam much like those in old cathode- and examined its
ray television tubes, and the super-thin entire surface. He
then chose the most
metal layer reflects the beam back to a
representative area
detector to create a crisp, black-and-white and best degree of
image. Although an SEM can easily mag- magnification for
nify to 1,000,000x, the effects of sanding each photograph.
were best seen at magnifications between

Photos, this page (right): Barry NM Dima SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 53

The mechanics of
random-orbit sanding
A close examination of random-orbit sanding disks and
the surfaces they produce offers a number of revelations.

20x and 500x.

While we weren’t
SA N D ING D I SKS able to reach definitive
80 GRIT 400 GRIT answers to each question we
explored, our efforts yielded very instruc-
tive results. Aside from examining the SEM
images, we also learned a lot simply by
sanding, touching, and viewing so many
samples.

How RO sanders work

The SEM revealed that the abrasive grains
in RO sanding disks are compact in shape
and relatively uniform in size, with sharp
edges, and are partially embedded in a lay-
Consistently sized abrasives. Photos of sanding disks at 50x magnification show that the er of adhesive. It also enabled me to mea-
grains of zirconia-alumina are compact in shape and roughly uniform in size, with sharp edges. sure the size of various abrasive grains.
Then I began looking at samples of ran-
S AN D E D SU R FACE S dom-orbit-sanded wood, viewing them at
a wide variety of magnifications.
80 GRIT 400 GRIT
Thousands of tiny arcs—One of the
most important things I noticed is that the
gouges created by random-orbit sanding
tend to be tiny arcs, not complete loops,
likely because the chiseling action of each
grain tends to be more effective in some
directions than in others.
As expected, the radius of each arc corre-
sponds to the radius of the eccentric bear-
ing in the sander, which causes the disk
to oscillate 12,000 times per minute. The
disk also rotates at the same time—much
Thousands of tiny arcs. In these photos of sanded surfaces, taken at the same 50x
magnification, we can see that individual grains cut more effectively in some directions than more slowly than it oscillates—which is
others, producing small arcs rather than full loops. The disk rotates as it moves eccentrically, why each grain creates a new gouge, in a
which makes the scratch pattern even more complex. Note also that the scratches are much new location, with every oscillation.
smaller than the abrasive grains that created them. Another thing I learned is that the goug-
es made by a random-orbit sander are
80 GRIT 400 GRIT much smaller than the grains that create
them. This is obvious when you compare
the size of the grains on a sanding disk
with the size of the scratches they make
in wood, at the same magnification. The
relatively small size of the gouges is also
confirmed by SEM images of sanding disks
after use, in which each speck of dust left
on the disk is much smaller than the near-
by abrasive grains.
Number of grains determines depth
of the scratches, not grit size—Interest-
Finer is smoother. Viewed at 500x magnification, these samples of sanded surfaces show ingly, and somewhat counter-intuitively,
how progressively finer grits leave a progressively smoother surface, as expected. the cutting depth of different abrasive

54 FINE WOODWORKING
 grains is determined primarily by
the number of grains in contact
with the wood, and the pressure
Collect the dust with active suction
applied to the sander (or hand- Fine sanding dust is dangerous.
sanding block), as opposed to the
size of the grains.
I know this because the width of 80 GRIT
the scratches didn’t change in SEM im-
ages of wood sanded with different grits.
Variations in pressure could have changed
the width of the scratches, but I kept con-
sistently light pressure on the sander when
prepping sample boards, eliminating that
as a factor.
In short, the reason finer sandpaper
leaves shallower scratches is that finer
grains are closer together on the disk (or
sandpaper), which translates to lower
pressure on each individual grain.
Pores are packed with dust—As I
looked through hundreds of SEM images, I
noticed that the gouges left by RO and hand
sanding were packed with fine dust even
after vacuuming. You can see this clearly Dust is much finer than expected. The 50x image above, of an
in the side-by-side images of sanded and 80-grit disk after sanding, shows the difference in size between
abrasive grains and the dust they generate. Particles produced
hand-planed samples on p. 59. Both
by even the coarsest random-orbit sanding can be as
were taken after the surfaces had small as 1 micron or less (see image at left). These fine
been vacuumed thoroughly. dust particles are the most dangerous to lungs and
The SEM shows that hand- airways, so HEPA-level filtration is a must for your
planing produces a cleanly shop vacuum and dust collector.
cut surface that is largely
dust-free, with wide-
open pores. Sanding, on
the other hand, whether
by hand or machine,
packs those pores with
dust that cannot be re-
moved by vacuuming
or wiping with a tack
cloth. Also, the finer the
grit used and dust created,
the more packed the pores
remained.

Initial revelations
Many of these discoveries confirm pop-
ular wisdom, but confirmation can be a
benefit in itself.
Move the sander slowly, in straight SEM images highlight the mechanics of the surface in straight, slightly overlapping
paths—The goal when sanding, regardless random-orbit sanding. First, the disk oscil- paths, which will remove a uniform layer
of method, is twofold. First, you want to lates extremely rapidly, so users who rub of wood. If your first series of passes hasn’t
completely remove machine marks, or the the sander back and forth like a sanding removed the marks from milling, or a spe-
larger scratches left by the previous grit. block are wasting their efforts. Worse, cific defect, or the scratches from the last
Second, you want to remove a uniform they are making it very hard to track their sanding grit, avoid bearing down in any
layer of wood, leaving the surface as level progress and remove wood in a uniform one area; instead, make a new series of
as possible, avoiding depressions that will layer. passes over the entire surface.
be obvious after applying a finish, when Instead, you should move a random- Light pressure—A random-orbit sand-
light reflects off the surface. orbit sander slowly and gradually across er’s cutting action changes when you bear

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 55

Expert advice confirmed down hard on the sander, or worse, tip it
sideways to push down harder on the edge
SEM photos, plus our experience prepping and finishing so many samples, of the disk.
confirmed a number of expert tips for successful sanding, by power and hand. Those methods can create deep gouges,
which are much harder to remove with
the next finer grit. Pausing along your path
and bearing down on the sander will also
E F F EC T IV E SAN DI N G create those hollows we are trying to pre-
Light grip and a vent.
steady path. Because
Best practice is to keep the sander level
a sander moves
thousands of times and apply light pressure, relying on the
a minute, you don’t weight of the unit to produce the down-
need to rub it back and ward force.
forth like a sanding Vacuum the surface—The SEM shows
block. Instead, move us that random-orbit sanding dust is not
it in straight, slightly only smaller than the grains that create it,
overlapping passes to
but also smaller than the next finest sand-
ensure that you are
removing wood evenly. ing grit in any series. So there is little dan-
A light grip is best, as ger of leftover dust creating overly deep
pushing down hard scratches if you leave it behind. Instead,
or tipping the sander it’s rogue abrasive grains you should
will impede its proper worry about. These are grains that have
operation. broken free from the disk, and can roll
around under the next one, creating deep,
Vacuum between
corkscrew scratches that will be very hard
grits. Although
connecting your to remove. So it is important to vacuum
sander to a shop vac the surface between grits using a brush
will capture most of attachment.
the dust created by As a physician, I must also point out
random-orbit sanding, that the very fine wood dust created by
it’s also important to sanding, and especially random-orbit
vacuum the surface
sanding, is the most dangerous to your
between grits, using a
brush attachment. The health, hanging the longest in the air and
goal here is to collect penetrating deepest into your lungs and
loose abrasive grains airways, where it can both irritate and
from the previous damage your lungs; exacerbate asthma,
disk, which will cause emphysema, or chronic bronchitis; and
problems during the even cause cancer. So it’s important to
next sanding pass.
trap sanding dust in a HEPA-rated vacu-
um or dust collector.
PE N C IL L I N E G UI D E S T HE WAY
80 GRIT

Trust the pencil test. After being sanded with an 80-grit disk, these (from left) oak,
cherry, and walnut samples were marked with a soft lead pencil, a common method
for tracking progress with the next sanding grit. The dark area on the right side of each
200x image is a small portion of a pencil mark, showing how the graphite dust fills the
sanding scratches, leaving a smoother surface on top. When the marks are no longer
visible, you’ve reached the bottom of those scratches with your next grit.

56 FINE WOODWORKING
 HA N D- SA N D W I TH TH E G RA IN

Same grit, different results. Sanding by hand across the grain not only leaves more visible
scratches, it also tears fibers and pulls them upward (above left), leaving the surface rougher
to the touch. Sanding with the grain, on the other hand, leaves fibers lying down (above right),
creating scratches that blend in with the grain lines.

R A IS E TH E GR A I N B EFO RE WATER BORNE F INISHES

Pencil marks track progress—It’s dif-
Taken at 200x and 2,000x magnification, these SEM photos show how wetting (with water)
ficult to know when you’ve sanded enough and drying causes fibers to rise from the surface, and how re-sanding smooths them again.
to remove the gouges left by the previous
grit. To make that clearer, some woodwork-
ers make light marks on the surface with 200X 2,000X
a soft pencil and sand until the marks are RO-SANDED TO 320
gone before moving on to the next grit.
So I made some pencil marks on sanded
wood, sanded those away to various de-
grees, and viewed the marks with the SEM.
It’s clear in SEM images (see facing page)
that the pencil graphite fills the gouges to
the brim, making marked areas look much
smoother than nearby ones. These images,
along with practical experience, suggest
that the pencil marks will remain visible
until the next sanding grit has reached the DAMPENED AND DRIED
bottom of those scratches.
Therefore, pencil marks are likely a
very effective way to track your progress
when sanding. They can also be a guide
to which grit is needed for a particular
workpiece: If the marks are lasting longer
than your patience, that’s a sign that you
need a coarser grit.
Raise the grain before water-based
finishes—Water-based stains, dyes, and
finishes can “raise the grain” of bare, RE-SANDED WITH 320
sanded wood, forcing woodworkers
to re-sand, which can remove color
from the raised fibers, creating an
uneven look.
So woodworkers often
raise the grain before apply-
ing water-based finishes, by
dampening the surface with
a wet sponge, allowing it to
dry, and then re-sanding with
the same final grit. The SEM

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 57

New info emerges ­confirms the ef-
fectiveness of
Our investigation uncovered some relatively surprising this practice,
information, and a number of helpful tips. showing how wet-
ting the surface and
letting it dry causes sur-
SKIP A face fibers, damaged and
stressed by sanding, to loosen
STE P W H EN and curl upward. It also shows that re-
SWIT C HI NG sanding makes the surface smooth again.
T O H A ND- Hand-sanding and more
SAN D ING Experts widely recommend hand-sanding
Conventional wisdom after random-orbit sanding. While we
dictates that you follow weren’t able to confirm that this step is
RO sanding with hand- absolutely necessary, we were able to
sanding, beginning with compare a variety of random-orbit-sanded,
the last grit you used in hand-sanded, and hand-planed samples
the random-orbit sander. Two paths tested. We random-orbit sanded two cherry sample and reach a number of conclusions.
SEM photos suggest a boards to 220 (top). Then we hand-sanded one (left) with 220 Hand-sanding vs. RO sanding—When
shorter path. paper and the other (right) with 320 paper. Both grits were I compared random-orbit and hand-sanded
equally effective at removing all traces of random-orbit sanding,
surfaces (both sanded to 220) in the SEM,
suggesting that woodworkers can skip the repeated grit when
switching over to hand-sanding, and go right to the next one.
it was easy to see how different the scratch
patterns were. To the naked eye, however,
those same surfaces, whether finished with
a coat of oil or not, showed no easily dis-
PL ANING VS SAN DI N G cernible differences.
A sharp hand plane shears the fibers cleanly while sandpaper leaves ragged, feathered edges It would require much more extensive
(and packed pores). This offers a clue as to why many woodworkers find that there is reduced testing to tell whether hand-sanding deliv-
grain-raising when a finish is applied to a planed surface rather than a sanded surface. ers better finishing results than random-
orbit. Practically speaking, of course,
20X MAGNIFICATION 500X MAGNIFICATION smaller and narrower surfaces should
only be sanded by hand with a block, as
SANDED
a sander will round them over.
More efficient hand-sanding—Another
question we explored is which grit to jump
to when switching from random-orbit sand-
ing to hand-sanding. While experts usually
recommend repeating the last RO-sanding
grit with the first round of hand-sanding,
before switching to finer grits, SEM images
showed that hand-sanding with 320-grit
paper was just as effective at removing
the 220 random-orbit scratches as hand-
HAND PLANED
sanding with 220.
That’s good news for woodworkers,
who, after random-orbit sanding up to 220
grit, for example, can likely jump straight
to hand-sanding at 320.
Higher grits for penetrating finish-
es—The editors also wanted to know if the
SEM could tell us which grit to stop at when
hand-sanding. So we prepped three more
sets of samples, in three woods, cherry,
maple, and oak, with one of each species
Sanded vs. planed. The SEM photos at top show a hand-sanded surface, with fine dust still hand-sanded to 220, another set hand-sand-
packed into the pores after vacuuming. The surfaces in the bottom row were shaved cleanly by ed to 320, and a third set sanded through
a hand plane, leaving their pores wide open. Both are cherry. 400, 600, and 800 grit.

58 FINE WOODWORKING
 Differences between the boards sanded
to 220, 320, and 800 were easily appre-
Sand to a finer grit
ciated by touch: The most finely sanded
boards had an almost glasslike feel to
before a penetrating finish
them. Visually, the pores on the 800-grit Film-forming finishes fill sanding scratches in the wood surface, so you can save the finest grits
boards were much less prominent, and for leveling the finish between coats. Penetrating oil finishes, on the other hand, do not fully
finer sanding created boards that reflect- level the wood surface, so it’s important to make the bare wood smoother before finishing.
ed light beautifully—after just one coat
of linseed oil—while the finished boards
sanded to 220 had a matte look. The oil 220 800
finish on the most finely sanded cherry
MAPLE (BARE WOOD)
boards also seemed less blotchy.
Overall, these results confirm popular
wisdom that higher grits are better when
prepping wood for penetrating oil finishes.
Why cross-grain sanding is so prob-
lematic—You don’t need the SEM to see
and feel the difference between hand-
sanding with the grain and hand-sanding
across it. But the SEM makes subtle features
look as tall as bushes and trees.
SEM images show that hand-sanding
across the grain not only leaves more vis- CHERRY (BARE WOOD)
ible scratches, but also a field of torn fi-
bers. The scratches created when sanding
parallel to the grain, on the other hand,
blend in with the grain lines and leave
surface fibers flat and smooth.

The answer to my initial question

After all my testing, I had the most like-
ly answer to my initial question: Why
are the cross-grain scratches made by a
random-orbit sander virtually invisible
to the naked eye, while cross-grain
scratches from hand-sanding are so
obvious? The mechanics of wood
sanding are complex, but I be-
lieve the answer depends on a
combination of the following
factors.
First, during random-orbit
sanding, the curved shape
and random direction of Reflected light tells the tale. Both of these cherry sample boards were given a single coat
each sanding scratch means that there of boiled linseed oil. The board at left was sanded to 220 grit, and looks matte in reflected
light. The sample at right was sanded to 800, and reflects the same light with a buttery sheen.
are just as many scratches made in line
with the grain as directly across it, and
many, many more that are oblique to
some degree. Second, the small size of
each scratch means that no single one has by sanding actions in a variety of other These factors give random-orbit sand-
a chance to do much damage, compared directions. ing a number of practical advantages over
to the long, linear scratches made when Last, when you follow one random-orbit hand-sanding, including neutrality when
hand-sanding. Third, the relatively high sanding pass with another, the abrasive wood grain changes directions, at joint
number of scratches made by random-or- grains are not contacting linear wood fi- junctions, for example. ☐
bit sanding—roughly 100-to-1 compared bers or linear sanding scratches, but rather
to hand-sanding during any given time a surface that is filled with curved gouges Woodworker Paul Axelsen is a professor of
frame—means that any minor cross-grain from the previous grit. This also minimizes medicine, pharmacology, biochemistry, and
damage is smoothed milliseconds later cross-grain damage, I believe. biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania.

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 59

 Elegant Table Comes
Together at the Corner
Where veneered aprons meet
a gunstock-miter leg
B Y M I K E K O R S A K

B oring furniture
makes for a bored
furniture maker.
One of my pleasures in making fur-
niture is figuring out how to detail a piece in
such a way that a common form is translated
into something that dazzles me, that takes on
a life of its own. I delight in developing the
details that serve this purpose, and in the tech-
nical challenges that often accompany those
details.
When I was approached to build a dining
table for two, I jumped at the opportunity to
design a simple table that would stand out,
with just the right amount of dazzle. I chose
solid walnut with a rippled figure for the top
and straight-grained walnut for the legs. I put
the real pizzazz in the aprons, gluing shop-
sawn crotch-walnut veneers over Baltic-birch
plywood. To help frame the crotch veneer, I
gave the apron a bottom edging that is proud
of the veneer but flush with the face of the
leg. And I used a gunstock miter joint so the
inner line of the leg would flow right into that
bottom edging of the apron. Twin slip tenons
provide the muscle connecting the aprons and
legs. I’ll focus in this article on the cluster of
technical and aesthetic details involved where
the aprons meet the legs.

Taking stock and cutting leg joints

My first step was to select and rough out stock
for the legs and for the edging that would be

60 FINE WOODWORKING Photo, this page: Mike Korsak

GUNSTOCK MITERED LEG AND APRONS

11⁄16 in. 11⁄4 in.

1
⁄2 in.

7
⁄8 in.

3
⁄8 in.

7
⁄8 in.
3
⁄8 in.

45° 1 in.

SIDE VIEW

Solid lipping
Slip tenons
mitered to
Veneer on inside face
meet inside Solid walnut leg, 13⁄8 in.
balances outside veneer.
the leg. square at top

Shopsawn crotch
walnut veneer, Baltic-birch
1
⁄16 in. thick plywood
substrate

Routed mortise,
3
⁄8 in. wide by
7
⁄8 in. high by 11⁄4 in.
deep, for slip tenon
Solid walnut bottom
edging, 3⁄32 in. proud
of face veneer
Solid spline aligns
solid bottom
edging with apron.
Leg meets apron
in gunstock miter.

applied to the bottoms of the aprons. When could open up slightly, causing a poor fit be-
selecting leg stock, my intention was to keep tween slip tenon and mortise walls. I milled
the grain parallel to the outside faces of the the mortises in the legs and aprons using a
legs (as much as possible) because I didn’t plunge router with a 3⁄8-in.-diameter end-mill
want any grain runout on these highly vis- bit. I did the routing on my mortising jig,
ible surfaces. The inside faces of the legs are which has a good bearing surface on top
straight where the aprons join them and ta- for the router and a slot in the back that
pered below the aprons. captures the router’s fence and keeps the bit
The main apron-to-leg joinery was straight- from drifting. Because the faces of the aprons
forward. I used two slip tenons per joint, were inset relative to the outside faces of the
stacked vertically with 3⁄8 in. between tenons. legs, I placed a 3⁄32-in.-thick spacer between
I prefer using two stacked tenons as opposed the apron and the fence on my mortising
to one wide tenon because there is a chance setup. When mortising the legs, I omitted
that a long mortise milled in the leg or apron the spacer.

Drawings: John Hartman SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 61

 Legwork

Gunstock miters on legs and aprons

Next, it was time for the gunstock miters. The
first step in forming the gunstock joint on the
legs was to remove the material between the
miter cut and the top end of the leg. You can
use a router and end mill for this, or multiple
passes on the table saw. I used the saw. I left
some stock at the top end to remove later; it
would help support the legs during mitering.
To make the miter cuts on the legs, I used
a dedicated zero-clearance mitering sled
clamped to the miter gauge on my table saw.
With the sawblade tilted to 45°, I made the two
miter cuts on each leg, rotating the leg 90° af-
ter making the first cut. A stop block clamped
to the sled allowed for registration of the top
Double dip. Using a plunge router and a shopmade mortising fixture with a slot at the back to end of the leg, ensuring consistent placement
capture the router fence, Korsak cuts twin mortises in the leg for slip tenons. The two pairs of
of the miters.
mortises intersect inside the leg, so Korsak will miter one end of each slip tenon.

Beginning the
gunstock. Before
cutting the 45°
portion of the leg’s
gunstock, Korsak
nibbles away waste
above it, making
a series of passes
with the leg against
the miter gauge. He
leaves some waste
at the top end
uncut; it will provide
support before Clever crosscut. Having left the leg overlong at the
being removed later top end to make the mortising easier, Korsak now
at the bandsaw. cuts it to final length.

TABLE SAW MITER SLED

Majority of waste is removed
before miter is cut.
Miter sled
Leg

Clean cut miter sled. Korsak’s zero-clearance miter sled with fences
front and rear works like a one-fence sled, as in the drawing at right. But, Last section of waste, which helps support leg
properly on sled, is sawn away after miter is cut.
when needed, the workpiece can be referenced off the front fence.

62 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Jonathan Binzen

 Creating the
curve below the
miter. After laying
out the curves,
Korsak kerfs nearly
to the line with the
bandsaw.

Chiseling the fins.

The thin wafers of
wood left between
Nip the last waste. With the leg’s gunstock miters the kerfs are
cut, Korsak now bandsaws off the bit of waste at quickly removed
the top end. with a narrow
chisel.

Clean the curves.

After chiseling the
curves to shape,
Korsak smooths
and fairs them in a
minute or two at a
spindle sander.

Safe tapers. A wedge-shaped piece of MDF with a

stop attached at the trailing end serves as a simple
taper jig. Afterward, a couple of passes with a hand
plane will smooth the sawn surface.

With the miters cut, I used the bandsaw to

remove the last bit of waste at the top of the
leg. Final cleanup was done with chisels, rab-
bet plane, and files.
I shaped the inside faces of the legs next.
These needed to be tapered, and that taper
then also curved up and flowed into the edg-
ing on the aprons. At the bandsaw, I used a
simple taper jig made from a wedge-shaped
piece of MDF with a stop at the back end. With
the taper cuts made, I bandsawed, chiseled,
and spindle-sanded the curved portion of the
gunstock. I followed up with hand tools to
smooth all the sawn surfaces.
Before moving on to mitering the aprons, I

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 63
 Assembling the apron glued the slip tenons into the leg mortises; this
would let me do some partial dry-fitting of the
apron as I dialed in its miters. I like to miter
the slip tenons to each other where they meet
inside the leg. I glue them in one leg at a time,
applying glue to the mortise and half of the
tenon and ensuring that the mitered ends of
the slip tenons make solid contact inside the
leg. Once the glue cures, I clean up any foam
that works its way out of the joint.
Next, to miter the bottom edging on the
aprons, I used the miter gauge on the table
saw, with the blade tilted to 45°. I left a slight
amount of extra material at this step, which
allowed for some fine-tuning of the fit of each
apron’s miter with a block plane.
With the miters complete, I could fully as-
semble each joint, mark the aprons where they
would be ripped flush with the tops of the
legs, and finish shaping the bottom edging on
Lamination. With cauls top and bottom to spread the clamping pressure, Korsak glues sheets the aprons. In order to bandsaw away the long
of shopsawn veneer to both faces of the apron’s Baltic-birch substrate. Blue tape keeps the center section of the edging, I first made relief
veneer from shifting before the glue tacks.

Spline story. Korsak cuts a groove in the wide walnut edging and a On with the edging. Korsak glues the spline and edging to the apron.
mating groove in the bottom edge of the apron. The edging is flush to the inside of the apron and proud of the outside.

Relieving the
edging. Once the
miters at both ends
of the apron edging
are cut, Korsak
bandsaws away
the waste between
them.

Apron gets angled. After trimming the edging

and spline to length, Korsak cuts the gunstock
miter in the edging.

64 FINE WOODWORKING
 The corners come together

Securing the slip tenons. After spreading glue in the mortises and on Leg meets apron. Korsak prefers to glue one joint at a time for
the mitered end of the slip tenons, Korsak glues them in place, making maximum control of the process.
sure he gets contact between the miters.
Clamping at the
corners. With
cuts a couple of inches from the ends of the one apron already
edging. I made them with crosscuts on the ta- glued to the leg,
blesaw, using a flat-bottom rip blade. The relief Korsak glues up the
cuts defined the finished depth of the apron second apron.
and provided starting and stopping spaces
for the bandsaw. After making the bandsaw
cuts, including the curves behind the miters,
I cleaned up with block plane, spokeshave, A clean sweep.
scraper, and files. The curve below
the gunstock
miter needs to
On to assembly and the end look continuous
I attacked the assembly one joint at time, glu- from the leg to the
ing one leg to one short apron, then gluing apron. Korsak fairs
the second leg to the same short apron, etc., it with a curved file
until the very last step, when I needed to glue and later finesses
two joints at once. For all the glue-ups I used it with sandpaper.
scraps of leather beneath the clamps to protect
the legs. After final assembly, I used a block
plane to flush the top edges of the aprons to
the tops of the legs.
With the table base fully assembled, I tackled
the final shaping of the leg-to-apron joints, us-
ing files, spokeshave, scraper, and sandpaper
to create smooth, fair transitions from the leg
to the apron edging. At this time I also did all
other cleanup, hand planing the apron edging
and legs, and finally sanding all surfaces with
320- and then 400-grit sandpaper.
I then applied finish to all table parts. For this
piece, I used Osmo Poly-x oil, applied with a
white abrasive pad. After two coats on the base
and three coats on the tabletop, I installed the
top. ☐

Mike Korsak, after a decade in Pittsburgh, is setting

up a new shop in New Hampshire.

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 65

 Carve
Spoons
from
Pre-bent
Blanks
Steam, a vise, and a
handful of edge tools make
the process fast and fun
B Y C U R T I S B U C H A N A N

L ate one night in 1990 I got a call from Drew

Langsner. He was in a panic. The Swedish
spoon carver Wille Sundqvist was arriving
on a flight from overseas to teach at Country
Workshops, the school on Drew’s farm in North
Carolina, and Drew had driven to the wrong airport to meet
him. The airport where Wille was waiting was only 30 minutes from me, and I
left right away to pick him up. It was wonderful meeting Wille and having him
spend the night at our house before Drew came to get him the next day. And
not long after that chance encounter, Wille sent me a copy of his book Swedish
Carving Techniques; it was from that book that I learned how to carve a spoon.
For many years afterward I carved spoons the traditional way. I liked the
minimalism of using just the hatchet, hook knife, and sloyd knife, and I liked
not being tied to my workbench. I also enjoyed spending time walking around
the forest looking for spoon stock: branches with the perfect natural crook to

66 Photos, except where noted: Jonathan Binzen; this page: Michael Pekovich
A B ENT B L A NK

Drawing it down. Working the radial planes with a drawknife, Buchanan

flattens both wide faces of the blank, bringing it down to a thickness of
9
⁄16 in.

Steam bends the blank. After an hour in Buchanan’s rough-and-ready

steambox, the spoon blank is ready to bend.

The bent blank starts out flat. Instead of searching in the woods for Bending form in the vise. A steel strap screwed to the bending form
naturally bent spoon stock, as he used to do, Buchanan splits and shaves a and bolted to a long wooden handle helps ensure successful bends. The
chunk of green sugar maple and steam-bends it to create a curved blank. blank remains on the form for two days.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 67
BE GIN W I TH TH E B OWL

Trace a paper pattern.

Buchanan has a folder
full of spoon patterns make good spoons. But fast-forward 25 years and I found that
scissored from paper; I wasn’t getting out into the woods, and working with the hook
he traces one on the knife inflamed my elbow tendonitis. So, I decided to apply some
bent blank to start the of my chairmaking techniques and tools to making spoons.
spoon.
I started riving wood from green log stock, then steam-bending
the blanks to just the crook I wanted. Instead of holding the spoon
Start scooping. With
freehand to carve it, I used a vise, and I began using a bandsaw,
the blank in a vise,
Buchanan uses a deep
drawknife, spokeshave, and gouges to shape the spoons before
gooseneck gouge and making a few finessing cuts with a sloyd knife at the end. The
works mostly across process became so enjoyable and so fast that I soon found myself
the grain to hollow out carving a spoon to start each day. And I’m still doing that.
the spoon’s bowl.
A spoon a day
Smoothing the scoop. The morning begins with splitting out a piece of sugar maple or
A gouge with a flatter cherry, my favorite woods for spoon carving. Then I sit on the
radius helps blend in shaving horse and, using a drawknife and making sure to follow
the initial tool marks as the long wood fibers perfectly, I shape a blank to 9⁄16 in. thick and
you smooth the spoon’s
bowl.

To the bandsaw. Once the bowl is shaped, saw along the spoon’s
outlines. Leaving a few inches of extra material beyond the end of the
handle will make it easier to grip in the vise while you carve.

68 FINE WOODWORKING
SHA PE T H E B ACK AN D HAN DL E

Beneath the bowl. Buchanan uses a drawknife to shape the back of the
bowl, echoing its curve and bringing the rim to a narrow bevel.

A ruff at the
neck. To shape the
neck Buchanan
makes a series
of drawknife cuts
from one direction,
then finishes with
a series from the
opposite direction. Spokeshave for fine smoothing. Having completed the majority of
shaping with the drawknife, Buchanan follows up with a spokeshave set
for a fine cut to smooth the convex surfaces.

On to the handle. After rough shaping the handle with a drawknife, use
a spokeshave to attain the finished form.

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 69

F IN E-T U NI N G THE SPO O N
Off with the
end. Once the 3 in. or so wide. After cutting the blank to 10 in. or 12 in.
bowl and handle long, I put it in the steambox for an hour, then bend it
are otherwise on a simple form. I’ll leave this blank on the form for a
completely shaped, couple of days. To get started carving today’s spoon, I find
zip off the waste
the blank I bent two days before and take it off its form.
at the end of the
handle. I’ve made spoons in a wide variety of shapes, and I keep
paper patterns of the various shapes. So now I select a
pattern and trace its outline onto the blank. Before doing
anything else, I clamp the blank in a vise that sits up
above my bench at a comfortable height and carve the
spoon’s bowl with a gooseneck gouge. After the bowl
has been roughed out, I come back with a flatter gouge
for the finish cuts.
Now I rough saw the spoon’s perimeter shape at the
bandsaw. I leave a few inches of waste at the end of the
handle for the time being to provide extra purchase for the
vise during carving. Clamping the spoon with the inside
of the bowl facing down, I carve the outside of the bowl
with a drawknife and finish it up with a spokeshave. The
handle is then shaped with the drawknife and spokeshave.
Often, I’ll set the spoon aside at this point and pick it up
again that evening—in front of a fire in the winter, or on
the porch in the summer—to put the finishing touches
on it with a sloyd knife. Back in the shop the next day, I
apply milk paint on the handle, and after that dries, I rub
the whole spoon with tung oil. Placing the spoon in my
140° light-bulb kiln dries the oil and sets the bend.
I’ve always tried to keep the fun factor high in my shop,
but starting each day with spoon carving before turning
to chairmaking has set a new standard. ☐

Next, it’s knife work. Following up on the spokeshave, Buchanan refines the Curtis Buchanan makes chairs and spoons in Jonesborough, Tenn.
neck and other areas with a sloyd knife.

Definition at the end of the handle. Using a sloyd knife, Buchanan creates a
finial at the butt of the handle with a pair of V-notches, smoothing slices across
the end grain, and chamfers at the edges.

70 FINE WOODWORKING
F IN IS H IN G U P
Milk paint on the Fine abrasion. Using
handle. Buchanan 400-grit sandpaper,
applies two colors Buchanan rubs the
of milk paint, one surface until the
on top of the other. undercoat of milk
Painter’s tape paint shows through
wrapped around the top coat. Then he
the neck creates burnishes the surface
a clean line where with 0000 steel wool.
the painted portion
ends.

Last step. Once

the tape is removed,
Buchanan treats the
whole spoon with
several coats of
100% pure tung oil.
He puts the spoon in
his small light-bulb
kiln to dry the tung
oil and completely
set the bend.

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 71

gallery
Inspiration for our readers, from our readers

■ P H I LI P A H O U CK
■ Boston, Mass.
Philip began building these clock cases in 1999. In 2000, he entered the North Bennet Street
School and left the unfinished clocks on the back burner. Around 2013 his grown son Paul
visited. The two of them worked together in the shop for a few days, moving the clocks along. Paul
told his dad, “That was a great time together. We should do it more often.” A few months later
they did it again, and Philip asked his son what had brought about this wonderful lagniappe. The
answer: “Well, I know that someday you are not going to be here, and I never want to say I wish I
had spent more time with my dad.” Here are the two clocks they worked on together.
WALNUT, MAPLE VENEER, OAK, AND BASSWOOD, 10D X 20W X 93H

■ J A MES M. MA DI SEN
■ Racine, Wis.
James, a firefighter for 34-plus years, is now retired and spending lots of time in his
basement woodworking shop, especially in the winter months. When FWW #248
came out, he was inspired by Michael Pekovich’s article “Stylish Details Enliven a
Low Dresser.” Turns out his wife Kelly noticed the article, too, and promptly put it on
James’s to-do list. So he did it.
QUARTERSAWN WHITE OAK, 19 3⁄ 4D X 49 1⁄ 2W X 34 1⁄ 8H

■ M A RCU S DiMAGGI O
■ San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Made almost entirely of madrone, this cabinet is meant to pay
homage to the tree by evoking, with its wavy-edged doors, the
madrone’s signature peeling bark. It’s Marcus’s hope that those
who interact with this cabinet encounter some of the childlike
satisfaction experienced by anyone who has ever peeled a piece of
bark from a shedding madrone tree.
MADRONE, MANZANITA, MAPLE, 7D X 13 1⁄ 2 W X 22H
Photo: Todd Sorenson

Show your best work

For submission instructions and an entry
form, go to FineWoodworking.com/rg.

72 FINE WOODWORKING
■ A ND R EW G R EEN E
■ San Diego, Calif.
Andrew recently built this table, “Ellipse,” as a commission.
The oval top has an 18° chamfered edge and a slim, tapered
base. Engineering the design for the coopered base was
the most challenging aspect of this project. It’s constructed
from 32 individual staves of solid walnut, all cut at their
own unique compound angle. He used shellac followed
by conversion varnish by General Finishes to bring out the
natural luster of the walnut.
WALNUT, 40D X 78W X 30H  Photo: Paige Nelson Photography

■ WA LT ER DAVI S
■ Philadelphia, Pa.
Each year Walter makes holiday gifts for family and
friends that he can build in batches. When he found
an empty whiskey barrel in the alley behind his studio,
he hand-trucked it inside thinking it could make great
stock for these gifts. When he finally broke it down into
a sweet-smelling pile of staves and a startling amount
of loose charcoal, he noticed a familiar shape. On the
credenza in his entryway was a Danielle Rose Byrd
cherry tray with a blackened interior. That piece inspired
this design.
WHITE OAK, 4D X 20W X 1 1⁄ 2H

■ JAK E M A U GH A N
■ Vancouver, B.C., Canada
To complement the custom speaker cabinets
Jake had been making, he designed a
console. He had a beautiful walnut board
sitting around and knew he could make it
into something special. The console has a
folding lid to cover the compartment for the
turntable, a compartment for the receiver
below, space for albums on either side, and
two drawers to store LP cleaners, etc. The lid
and drawer fronts are from a piece that was
riddled with tiny bug holes, reminding him of
stars in the night sky.
WALNUT, SAPELE, AND MAPLE,
20 1⁄ 4D X 59 1⁄ 2W X 32H
Photo: Christopher Cameron

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 73

gallery continued

■ B EN KO T IS
■ Boston, Mass.
Ben’s piece was inspired in part by televisions from the 1950s
that looked like pillowed cubes raised several inches off the
ground on tapered, turned legs that splayed out. Rather than a
rectilinear case he opted for an oval one, and the scale and shape
of the project proved to be very challenging. Especially difficult
were making the MDF form for the outer shell of the case and
also hammer veneering that outer shell. The tambour door slides
behind a false back that conceals the door’s canvas backer.
CHERRY, ENGLISH OAK, WHITE OAK, WALNUT, BIRD’S-EYE MAPLE,
POPLAR, EBONY, PLYWOOD, 18 5⁄ 16D X 24W X 17H
Photo: Lance Patterson

■ S TEPH EN PO RTE R
■ Baltimore, Md.
This piece was an exercise in iteration. After starting
with numerous sketches, Stephen built a half-dozen
scale models out of MDF to refine the form. Once that ■ T ESSA P E T RI CH
was settled, four custom jigs helped him turn rough- ■ Fort Bragg, Calif.
sawn maple into the eight bent-laminated pieces of
the base. A CNC machine carved the top, which is This piece is titled Even Keel. The design and process of building the cabinet are
curved on the underside in two dimensions to lighten aligned with the term’s dictionary definition: “noun (nautical) the situation in which
it. The top floats off the base on steel pins. Stephen a watercraft is floating in a smooth and level manner; the state or characteristic of
says, “in profile this table reminds me of Atlas being in control and balanced.” The construction is derived from a boat’s analogous
holding up the sky.” parts—the carcase as the hull and the spine that mounts to the wall as the keel. Even
Keel is a wall-docked vessel made to celebrate the life of a boat builder, with love from
MAPLE AND CHERRY, 20D X 48W X 15H
his granddaughter, Tess.
CLARO WALNUT, 7D X 11W X 24H  Photo: Todd Sorensen

74 FINE WOODWORKING
 DESIGN IN WOOD
Founded in 1982, the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association
presents the Design in Wood Exhibition each year in association with
the San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Here are a few
of the pieces from the 2022 juried exhibition.

■ RO BE RT G . STE VEN SO N, JR .
■ Chula Vista, Calif.
Twenty years ago, the Peabody Essex Museum exhibited the work of John and
Thomas Seymour, father-and-son English émigré cabinetmakers who “played a
significant role in shaping New England’s artistic heritage during one of the most
pivotal chapters in American history.” Robert found the Seymour sewing table he
reproduced in the show’s catalog, The Furniture Masterworks of John & Thomas
Seymour by Robert D. Mussey Jr. (2003, Peabody Essex). The piece is made with
solid wood and veneer, silk, gold-embossed leather, and Horton Brasses hardware.
CUBAN MAHOGANY, AVODIRE, WALNUT BURL, SATINWOOD, HOLLY, EBONY,
15 7⁄ 8D X 19 7⁄ 8W X 29 7⁄ 8H

■ B EST ON BA RN ET T
■ San Diego, Calif.
This cabinet, called Altajwal (Arabic for “The Wanderings”), is part of a series of
pieces illustrating the legends of the biblical King Solomon. This one tells the
story of Solomon being tricked out of his homeland by the Prince of Demons, and
forced to wander lost in the desert for years. “I’ve taken a traditional Mamluk
pattern often found in stonework and carved much of it away to suggest ruins
submerged in sand dunes,” Beston says.
ANIGRE, HOLLY, MAPLE, 17D X 44W X 19H
Photos, this page: Andy Patterson and Lynn Rybarczyk

■ PAU L D UF FIEL D
■ San Diego, Calif.
The Gallery in Fine Woodworking #263 featured a piece by David
Gasson that Paul says just reached out and grabbed him. Paul built
this response to it during the COVID lockdown. He spent three months
expanding his woodworking horizons by using mitered boxes and open
construction methods that were unfamiliar to him at the time. He
named this piece Floating Away because not only were the drawers
and top floating, but at the time, he felt as if he were drifting away from
meaningful human interactions due to the almost complete shutdown
of normal life.
SAPELE, SYCAMORE, ROSEWOOD, CHERRY, BALTIC BIRCH,
17D X 27W X 29H

www.finewoodworking.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 75

gallery continued

■ B R EN T B U D S BER G
■ Milwaukee, Wis.
Inspired by both the Arts and Crafts movement and Japanese furniture,
this fumed white oak and leather firewood rack was conceived as a
showpiece that would be at home in a well-curated room. Brent chose a
traditional ammonia fuming process that darkens and deepens the color
of the wood well below the surface and finished it with a penetrating
Danish oil. This allows the piece to retain its color and sheen even if
it gets dinged or scratched. For the same reasons, he used full-grain,
vegetable-tanned leather for the hand-sewn sling, which will darken and
develop character with use. The removeable sling can serve as a carrier
for retrieving wood from the woodpile.
WHITE OAK AND LEATHER, 15 1⁄ 2 D X 36W X 21 1⁄ 2H
Photo: Kevin Miyazaki

■ K EL LY PA RK ER
■ Parkville, M.
■BILL S CH N EC K This funeral urn was created for a fellow woodworker. To select the material for it,
■ Annapolis, Md. Kelly met the man’s wife in his studio and looked through his wood stash. Kelly
chose some figured cherry, an offcut from a project he was working on at the
This project started as a series of veneer exercises from Craig time of his death. She could see his layout marks and the notes he had made
Thibodeau’s book, The Craft of Veneering. Bill started with the to himself on both the offcut and the other boards for his project. Kelly loves
parquetry chessboard top, then challenged himself with veneering that his urn is made from the wood he last handled. She wanted to create a safe
coves and creating the waterfall effect on the apron. He saw Craig’s and sacred interior space to house the ashes, and the urn she created feels like
example of the chess table in the book and was inspired to complete the “comforting shape we make with our hands as we cup them to gently hold
the entire table, not just the board. something fragile.” The sides of the urn are bent laminations. The interior of the
box is gilded with copper leaf.
POPLAR, EBONY, WALNUT, HOLLY, 23D X 23W X 34H
FIGURED CHERRY, EBONIZED CHERRY, COPPER LEAF, COPPER DOWEL,
5D X 17W X 4H

76 FINE WOODWORKING
 New
NEWfrom
FROMfine woodworking
MICHAEL PEKOVICH
FOUNDATIONS OF Foundations of Woodworking
WOODWORKING gets to the very core of the craft of
woodworking: laying out, cutting, and
Essential joinery techniques and building strategies
assembling joinery for furniture and other
treasured wood objects. Michael Pekovich dives into a step-
by-step, project-by-project description of the essential wood
joints, from rabbets and dadoes through mortise-and-tenons
to dovetails and miters. Master these joints and the door is
open to create just about any design you can think of.

The book concludes with a selection of inspiring projects,

including a wall cabinet, a chimney cupboard, an arched
entry table, a desk divider, a dining chair, and many more.

RABBETS AND DADOES JOIN THE CASE

Fixed shelves
and bottom are
rabbeted to create
1
⁄4-in.-square
tenons.

Case side has

1
⁄4-in.-wide by 3 4
5
⁄16-in.-deep
dadoes.
5 The ends of the
vertical divider are
rabbeted on each

MICHAEL PEKOVICH
The deeper dado
ensures a tight joint face to create a
at the shoulder. 1 centered tenon,
which is notched at
the leading edge.

CHERR Y CHIMN
EY CUPBO ARD
16 3⁄4 in.

Subtop rails, 3⁄4 Top, ⁄8 in. thick

7
in. by
thick by 3 1⁄2 in. wide 12 1⁄2 in. wide by
by 15 1⁄2 in. long 16 3⁄4 in. long Back rails, ⁄4 in.
3
thick;
top rail, 3 in. wide;
all
others, 3 1⁄2 in. wide
Rabbet, 1⁄2 in.
wide by 3⁄4 in. Stopped dado for
Back panels, 3⁄8 vertical divider
deep Face-frame stile, 7 in.
⁄8 thick, rabbeted to Tenons, 1⁄4 in.
thick by 1 3⁄4 in. widein. fit 1⁄4-in. groove thick by 1 1⁄4 in.
70 in. long by
long

27 in. near the center for the shelf and drawer dividers, I 6
21 7⁄8 in. clamped a long hook stop to the crosscut-sled fence (1 &
Sides and back, 2). The dado for the case bottom is trickier because the
1
⁄2 in. thick Bottom, 5⁄16 in.
long side can pivot during the cut. For that dado, I made
CHIMNEY CUP thick, rabbeted to
a stop block with hold-down clamps and attached it to the
BOARD:
fit 1⁄4-in. groove
Fixed shelf, 5⁄8 in. sled (3). Clamping the piece in place kept it tight against
A SMART USE OF thick by 11 3⁄8 in.
both the fence and the sled base (4). The vertical drawer
SIMPLE JOINERY 2
wide by 15 in. long
divider required a stopped dado in the top and center
70 in. shelves. Clamping them together and routing both dadoes

C ombining a rabbet with a dado on the case joints has because the joint registers off the shoulder, you can cut at once ensured that they would line up once assembled

W
big benefits. First, rabbeting a part to fit a dado is much the dado a little deep, which allows room for excess glue to and result in a truly vertical divider (5). The ends of
hile rabbets and Dadoes, 1⁄4 in. 5 1⁄4 in. Front,
dadoes may be wide by 5⁄16 in. 3 in. easier than milling a part to a precise thickness to fit a gather 3 and prevents squeeze-out. The face frame and back
⁄4 in. thick the shelves and case bottom were rabbeted to create
to execute than simpler
dovetails or mortise-an deep a tab sized to fit the dadoes in the case sides (6). A
tenon joinery, I want d- full-width dado. Second, the rabbet creates a shoulder on panel hide any gap at the bottom of the joint.
constitute a versatile to stress that they the shelf that registers against the inside face of the case To Tenons,
cut the 1dadoes
⁄4 in. in thePanel,
case3sides for the shelves, Vertical divider, featherboard clamped to the rip fence provided downward
and powerful combinati still thick by 1 in. ⁄8 in. thick, 5
3 5⁄8 in. ⁄ in. thick
8
pressure to keep the part from lifting during the cut,
it comes to building on when side. This makes for much more accurate glue-ups because dividers,
long and case bottom, I used aoncrosscut
rabbeted back sled and a
furniture. This is
down” way of building not a “dumbed- it doesn’t rely on the bottom of the dado being perfectly 1
⁄4-in.-wide dado blade on to thefittablesaw.
groove The long sides create resulting in tabs of consistent thickness. Aim for a snug
or a compromise fit and fine-tune it as necessary with a shoulder plane.
ease of constructio for the sake of even (which is difficult to pull off on a wide case side). And a bit of a challenge when dadoing. To cut the three dadoes
n. The classic Shaker
board is a great chimney cup-
example of how 70 7⁄8 in.
elegant furniture you can make sturdy,
using simple joinery.
joints on this project Most of the case
are rabbets and
subtop rails are dadoes. The
connected with
but I’ve substituted half-blind dovetails,
a rabbeted dado 72 F O U N DAT I O N S O F WO O DWO R K I N G R A B B E T S , DA D O E S , A N D G RO OV E S 73
occasion. (You can joint for those on
also replace the
drawers with pinned dovetails on the
rabbets.)
We face the same
challenge here as
wall cabinet, in that on the previous 30 3⁄4 in.
a dado joint offers Rabbet, 1⁄4 in.
means to hold parts no mechanical 25 in. Drawer guide,
together like a dovetail wide by 1⁄4 in. 1 in. wide
also provides no does. It deep
long-grain glue
sults in a weak surfaces, which
glue joint. It sounds re-
but with a smart like a nonstarter,
building strategy
strength to the case we can provide
joinery that the dado the
As on the wall cabinet, alone lacks.
we’re adding vertical
create a partial face stiles to
frame to tie the Adjustable shelf,
sides. Because this shelves into the 3
is a larger floor-stand ⁄4 in. thick
will encounter more ing piece and Bottom rail
racking stresses, on lower door,
ing the glue joint we’re fortify-
with some mechanica 3 in. wide Stiles and rails, 7
piece, the sides connect l help. On this ⁄8 in.
to the face-frame thick by 2 in. wide
tongue-and-groove stiles with a
joint. In addition, 3 3⁄4 in.
cured to the shelves the stiles are se-
with pins. A frame-and Groove, 1⁄4 in. wide
ties the shelves to -panel back 11 1⁄2 in. by 1⁄4 in. deep, inset
the sides at the rear 5
⁄16 in. from front
Glue block, 3⁄4 in.
The dadoes that of the case. 1 1⁄8 in. face Thumbnail profile, square by 4 in. long
connect the shelves 1
⁄4-in. radius,
get an upgrade. to the sides also CASE SIDE
Whereas the wall 5 1⁄2 in. mitered at corners
dadoes the full width cabinet employed 16 in.
of the shelves, on
shelves are rabbeted this project the Bottom, 3⁄4 in. thick
to fit narrower dadoes.
more work, but adding It’s a little by 10 1⁄2 in. wide Side, 3⁄4 in. thick
a rabbet to the process 70 F O U N DAT I O N S DOOR DETAIL 15 in. long
by
by 11 1⁄2 in. wide
solves some challenges actually O F WO O DWO R
KIN G
and makes for more by 70 in. long
work. The idea accurate dado, the shoulder
is to cut a dado of the joint becomes
stock and then rabbet narrower than the ing factor in how the determin-
the end of the stock it comes together. become easier and
tongue that fits into to create a the dado a little deeper So the aim is to cut more enjoyable,
the dado. A big than you need in skills will improve not just because
advantage of this that the rabbeted order to ensure but because your your
approach is that part doesn’t bottom will improve as approach and strategy
it saves you from well. The more
stock to an exact having to mill your shoulder seats. This out before the effectively you can R A B B E T S , DA D
thickness to match is a lot easier than gate through a project, navi- O E S , A N D G RO
benefit has to do a dado. The other exact dimension. trying to nail an the more you can OV E S 71
with ending up with into your work without build accuracy
a full-width dado, square work. On Understanding how adding effort.
the stock bottoms something as simple It’s also a good
any inconsistency out in the joint, so a rabbet to a joint as adding illustratio n that
in the depth of can lead to more doesn’t rely solely sound construct
the dado (which important to your accurate work is on the strength ion
not all that uncommo is woodworking journey. choose but in the of the joinery you
n) will affect the This one step application of those
the case. When dimensions of does away with often think of design joints. While we
you rabbet the stock worrying about exact
that fits into the exact depths and thicknesses and in terms of how
makes your life termining how something a piece looks, de-
time. As you become easier at the same will go together
68 more experienced, will stand the test and whether it
F O U N DAT I O N S
O F WO O DWO R the craft will of time is an equally
KIN G the design process. important part of

R A B B E T S , DA D
O E S , A N D G RO
OV E S 69

Michael Pekovich’s first book, The Why & How of Woodworking, was the
woodworking event of the year when it was published in 2018. Foundations
of Woodworking is sure to pick up where Why & How left off, inspiring and
instructing thousands of woodworkers worldwide.

Available at TauntonStore.com or wherever books are sold

designer’s notebook
Shaker design:
Unadorned, not unsophisticated
B Y C H R I S T I A N B E C K S V O O R T

M
any people view Shaker furniture as simple. I condition. As a friend of mine used to say, “Antiques are old
built my career making Shaker pieces. It may be because they were built right.” Combining natural materials,
unadorned, but it’s not simple. The fact that it has superb craftsmanship, and no-frills designs is what made Shaker
few, if any, decorative elements doesn’t mean it is furniture aesthetically timeless and durable. Hundreds of years
rudimentary or lacking in elegance. The joinery, after the first Shaker piece was made, the style is still sought
often hidden, is by no means elementary; instead after today.
it is frequently quite involved and of complex craftsmanship.
The Shakers were pragmatic and believed that utility was Clean, unadorned lines
priority number one. That does not mean they ignored design When I first started woodworking, I built my share of
or quality. Their work was incredibly well made. Many original decorative pieces. I’ve made a fair number of cabriole legs,
Shaker pieces are over 200 years old and are still in fine carved elements, reeds, and flutes. Although in many cases I

Building in the Shaker way

Becksvoort has a three-pronged approach when copying or adapting Shaker designs. His methods range from building exact
replicas, to making subtle changes to originals, to bold borrowing of elements to use in his own designs.

THE ORIGINAL SHAKER DESK NO-WIGGLE-ROOM REPRODUCTIONS

This early When making an

Shaker sewing exact reproduction,
desk was built Becksvoort is as
out of pine and faithful as possible,
maple with a replicating the
clear finish. The dimensions, wood,
ogee curves techniques, and
on the base hardware (even if
point to either it must be custom
Enfield, Conn., made), and using
or Canterbury, period-appropriate
N.H., as the screws, nails,
origin. hide glue, and
finish. (Linda Coit
applied a period
finish to one of his
reproductions in
FWW #203). The
two pieces are
nearly identical,
but the new wood
and finish have a
different aroma.

78 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Dennis Griggs

admire the craftsmanship involved, superfluous decorations clean, uncluttered, and functional. Adding complex moldings,
are not my cup of tea. If you think about it, our personal taste carvings, intarsia, scrolls, proud joinery, and excess hardware
determines pretty much all our design decisions from the can detract rather than add to the overall design and function.
clothes we wear to the cars we drive, the furniture we have in Shaker details come in the form of subtle tapers, very simple
our homes, and beyond. My individual taste just happens to moldings (if any at all), asymmetry, and an occasional curve.
run closer to the Shaker aesthetic than, say, very ornate period It’s important to consider grain when you’re trying to build a
furniture. piece with clean lines and subtle details. Nothing catches your
To my design sense, a smooth, clean surface is more eye (and not in a good way) more than flat cathedral grain
appealing than one that is interrupted, embellished, or running out and glued next to straight parallel grain. Your eye
decorated. That’s one reason I admire and emulate not instantly notices the interrupted grain and tells you it’s a lousy
only Shaker design, but also Scandinavian and Mid-Century match. I spend an inordinate amount of time grain matching
Modern work. They seem to share a design ethic: Keep it boards when gluing up wider panels, and I’m sure that the

INTERPRETATION LEAVING
WITH MODERN FINGERPRINTS
METHODS
Becksvoort often
When copying blends his DNA
Shaker designs, into an existing
Becksvoort is Shaker design,
open to using making small
more modern changes that can
building practices. have a big impact.
His version, at After making his
right, of an early pine interpretation
tinware cupboard (far left) of the Mt.
(sometimes Lebanon tinware
called a chimney cupboard, he built
cupboard) from the this version (left)
Church Family, Mt. in cherry. Not only
Lebanon, N.Y., is did he change
mostly identical to the wood species,
the original, but has but he used his
modern hardware preferred flat, flush
and a different panel doors. He
finish. He also gave kept the original
it a frame-and- dimensions but
panel back, while updated the look
the original had with these tweaks.
individual boards.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 79
designer’s notebook continued

more experienced Shaker craftsmen did likewise. The idea is

to minimize the look of individual boards. Gluing long parallel
grain to long parallel grain is the best way to accomplish that.

The practical side of less adornment

As a craftsman, I much prefer to finish a smooth, flat surface
than one that is interrupted by moldings, carvings, scrolls, and
raised or inset surface decor. I really dislike brushing or wiping
into corners, which you’ll encounter when finishing almost any
piece of furniture, including Shaker. Why make life even more
complicated? The only thing worse than finishing is dusting.
Trying to get dust, dirt, and grime out of angles, crevices, and
complex moldings is a real chore. Unlike finishing, it must be
done over and over, year after year. As you may have gathered,
I like to make it functional, keep it clean, make it smooth. It’s
easy on the eye, and ultimately easy on the hand. ☐

Christian Becksvoort is a longtime contributing editor and expert

in Shaker design.

Building in the Shaker way continued

SO LONG SYMMETRY
The original tall cabinet is from Enfield, Conn., and most likely was made by
Brother Abner Allen, who favored tapered drawer sides and raised-panel doors.
This cupboard was originally a built-in; the top and bottom were added later. The
correct orientation is with the big door at the top. But the piece is usually shown
upside down, as it is seen here. If you look closely, you can see that the keyhole
in the bigger door is upside down.

AN HOMAGE TO
SHAKER ASYMMETRY
Becksvoort will often
borrow certain design
elements (an act he
calls clever thievery) and
incorporate them in his
original pieces. One of
his favorite examples
is the asymmetrical
drawer configuration he
used on this sideboard.
The original design is
from the well-known tall
cabinet with four drawers
(above). He adopted its
off-kilter layout, adding
two more drawers to the
original pattern.

80 FINE WOODWORKING Photo, top right: Paul Rocheleau

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INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
ADVERTISER WEB ADDRESS PAGE ADVERTISER WEB ADDRESS PAGE
Bessey Tool besseytools.com p. 25 Micro Fence microfence.com p. 81
Blue Spruce Toolworks bluesprucetoolworks.com p. 23 Mortise and Tenon Magazine mortiseandtenonmag.com p. 31
Cabinetparts cabinetparts.com p.81 NJ School of Woodwork www.njsow.org p. 81
Connecticut Valley Oneida Air Systems oneida-air.com p. 15
School of Woodworking schoolofwoodworking.com p. 33
Oneida Air Systems oneida-air.com p. 17
Felder Group, USA feldergroupusa.com p. 33
PantoRouter pantorouter.com p. 31
Festool festoolusa.com/
Rockler Companies, Inc. rockler.com p. 11
knowledge/ideas p. 7
Shaper Tools shapertools.com p. 18-19
Fuji Spray Systems fujisprayststems.com/
diy-pro-series p. 23 The Society of American
Grizzly Industrial grizzly.com p. 2 Period Furniture Makers sapfm.org p. 33
Groff & Groff Lumber groffslumber.com p. 33 Titebond titebond.com p. 9
Hearne Hardwoods, Inc. hearnehardwoods.com p. 23 Woodcraft Supply Corp. woodcraft.com p. 25
Laguna Tools lagunatools.com p. 5 Woodpeckers, LLC woodpeck.com p. 83
Lake Erie Toolworks lakeerietoolworks.com p. 81 Woodpeckers, LLC woodpeck.com p. 12-13
Lignomat lignomat.com p. 33

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 81

from the bench
The silent partner
B Y D I C K E V A N S

I
t sat gleaming darkly in the big corner office of the law Dad made a classic mistake in building the desk: He glued
firm, precisely where it sat for a half century. It dominated the drawer runners onto the cabinet sides instead of using
the room, regardless of who was also there. It was formal screws in slots. The grain of the (unusually wide) sides
and traditional, of figured cherry, rich with moldings and was oriented vertically; the drawer runners were of course
leather panels on top. It was the senior partner’s desk, and horizontal. In the high summer humidity, when the sides
it was made by “my old man,” as I casually referred to him swelled, attempting to expand crosswise to the drawer runners,
when I was young (but not after I started at the firm). something had to give, and it was the sides. Dramatic cracks
Sometime in the ’50’s Dad had became a partner in the firm appeared in them, accompanied by noises like gunshots.
and eventually he ascended to a corner office with a breath- This caused surreptitious hilarity in the office once people
taking view. Rather than buy a desk befitting his advancement, figured out the cause. But the cracks only enhanced the desk’s
he decided to build one. The kind of desk he had in mind appearance, making it seem older and antique.
would have been improvidently expensive. Besides, he was a The desk outlasted Dad. He died prematurely at 61, “with his
marvelously skilled cabinetmaker, an amateur only in the sense boots on” as they say of a lawyer who dies in the middle of a
that he didn’t sell any of the furniture he made in his spare law case. After Dad died, I inherited the desk. For a while I had
time, although he could well have done so. He could make a sort of guilty feeling, sitting behind it. By rights he should
just about anything of wood, and his output was prodigious. have been there, not me. But I suppose using the desk, like
Over the years he’d made most of the furniture for our home, driving a Rolls Royce, was too good a feeling not to enjoy, and
some of it of near museum quality. He’d built a summer cottage I loved it. A project just became more important to you when
and the furniture for it, as well as pieces for me, my sister, you worked on it at that desk. After some years I developed a
and friends. He built a 19-ft. sailboat with me as assistant. smug pleasure in putting my big feet up on it at the end of a
(Characteristically, he was interested solely in the building of it. long day, to wind down. I used it for 25 years, far longer than
He sailed in it only once.) Dad had.
How he arrived at the design for the desk I don’t know; I was Now it has outlasted me, too. It seems to age more slowly
away those years. But whatever the origin of the design, it is than its users. When I retired it was unthinkable to bring
magnificent. It is a partners desk of the old style, with drawers the desk home. It was only right that it remain at the office.
on opposite sides. The original idea was that two partners Eventually it went to our daughter, now a partner at the firm.
would work facing one another so that each could keep close I like to think of all that desk has been a silent partner to. It’s
watch on the other’s doings. been privy to endless meetings, interviews, phone calls, and
He made the desk in his basement shop, working in the has sat in on occasional big deals. Acres of blueprints have
evenings and those weekend hours when other men played been spread out on it, mountains of documents
golf. When it was complete, Dad discovered stacked around its edges. Champagne
that the desk was so big has been spilt on it during
it wouldn’t fit inside the celebrations of some
elevator to get it up to wins, and bourbon during
the office. The top, with postmortems after some
its shallow drawers, was losses. All of this has given it
separable from the end an “I’ve been around” patina.
cabinets, but even then It’s nice to imagine that
the top wouldn’t fit in the someday, perhaps a hundred
elevator; it had to be carried years from now, the desk
on the top of the elevator, might still be in daily use
next to the cable. Someone somewhere. Maybe in a quiet
had to ride up there holding moment the person sitting behind it will
onto the desktop with one hand wonder who made it and who used it years ago.
and the cable with the other as the
elevator was inched up, floor by floor. Dick Evans is a retired lawyer living in Chatham, Mass.

82 FINE WOODWORKING Photo: Kevin Brenner

Small Wonders

I
t might have been
partway through
furnishing an entire
castle in Scotland—a job
that included crafting
circular built-ins for the
rooms in the turrets—
that Englishman Richard
Williams began to dream
about doing some smaller-
scale work. Throughout
his 35 years in the craft, Williams has always loved designing
individual pieces, but for the last two decades he and his
team of craftsmen—as many as 12 at some points—had been
tackling increasingly large and challenging commissions all
across Europe. So it was a bit of a homecoming when he
began designing this collection of modestly sized pieces to be
made in small batches in his shop just west of London. His
stacking coasters, with their peaked cap, are turned from bog
oak and lined with leather. The change trays, utilizing burr
oak offcuts from a large job, are, like the rest of these pieces,
shaped on machines and finished by hand. The quartersawn
oak entry cabinet, with its cargo of keys and its fluted panels,
was conceived to make the most of small pieces of stock. The
design of the sushi tray was serendipitous: Someone plucked
a thin, warped piece of bog oak from the scrap pile and
wondered if it could be put on a base. It could. Replicating
that lucky shape in batches has involved taking a cue from
luthiers and bending the thin stock over a hot pipe.
—Jonathan Binzen

Photos: Trevor Beynon