Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 165 i Australian Woodsmith

Spending a morning with Kevin Potter in his workshop was truly inspirational. At age 92 he is still racing around Hobart in his allelectric Hyundai, walking his daughter’s Labrador in the park and designing and making beautiful boxes with his bandsaw. On page 16 you can read all about this maverick autodidact who taught himself how to make harps. Spending the long weekend in June building a Nejigumi box with Hiroshi Yamaguchi was also an amazing experience. While Kevin is self-taught, Hiroshi comes from a culture steeped in craftsmanship that has the apprentice/master tradition at its heart. Hiroshi always challenges me to lift my game and use only truly sharp chisels. Left to my own devices I would sharpen a chisel when it was not able to shave the hairs…

Let’s face it — whether the project you’re working on is a big piece of furniture or a small box, there’s going to be some repetition involved in building it. It’s all just part of the process of woodworking. Though repetition is a necessary part of the craft, it doesn’t have to be something you dread. In fact, I find quite the contrary is true. Over the years, I’ve developed several ways to take advantage of this repetition in order to speed up the project-building process. The best part about these strategies is that many of them not only help you work faster, but they also improve accuracy. This leads to more consistent parts, tighter-fitting joints and other hallmarks of solid construction. Here are some tricks to speed up your…

In issue 164 I wrote about forging a chef’s knife with the guys at Nordic Edge. At the end of that very productive day Bjorn suggested I review one of his knife kits. The knife kit we decided on was the ScandiChef chef’s knife. The kit comprised of a razor-sharp 205 stainless steel blade, a protective sleeve, two Corby bolts and matched "curly birch extreme grade" scales. Curly birch is a genetic variant of Finnish silver birch and is only found in the slow growing Karelia Forest that straddles Finland and Russia. The amazing fiery grain is caused by the annual growth rings laying themselves down in a wave pattern. The burl-like grain is present all the way through the trunk of the tree and not in just one spot.…

Like its full-sized idol, this miniature chest of drawers features two drawers tucked inside a case. In my mind, this is the most “traditional” type of bandsaw box. Because of the depth of the case, you’ll need to either start with 120mm stock, or glue together stock into a blank, like I’ve done here. SHAPE FIRST. After printing off a pattern from australianwoodsmith.com.au, attach it to the front of the blank. Then, cut the outside to shape. Here’s where you can go wild and make whatever shape you want. Even though we’ve given you a guide, the main idea here is to get the technique down. REMOVE THE BACK. At this point, you can position the fence and make a cut to remove the back of the case. Set it…

The thought of doing inlay work can be intimidating at first. But the reality is that with some upfront planning, along with the proper tools and a well-made jig, success is all but guaranteed. The tools you’ll need to make the groove are a plunge router, a straight bit paired with a bushing and a template. The template you see here is available at australianwoodsmith.com.au. The inlay pattern for the stretcher and drawer front are identical. The pattern on the stretcher is a little narrower, but the stop lines account for that. After the template is made, it’s time to put it to work routing the grooves for the inlay, the drawing to the right walks you through the steps. First, align the template and attach it with double-sided tape.…

One of the things I like about this mobile workcentre is that it’s made mainly out of plywood. This means in a short amount of time you can have all of the panels cut and ready to tackle the joinery. When breaking down plywood sheets, I use a workshop-made guide with my circular saw. But a Festool, Makita or Scheppach track saw combo could easily do this job. I started the workstation by first tackling the main case of the cabinet. This is simply a bottom and a series of dividers and partitions. THREE ZONES. The mobile workstation can be divided into three areas — the table saw base, the router table and the planer section. The router table is the centre of the whole operation, so it’s a good…

The tops for the workcentre can be broken into three sections. The first is the table saw top. Next, is the main top that has the router plate installed. Finally, there’s the portion of the top that holds the planer and rotates to reveal an additional worksurface. Up first is making the table saw top. MDF LAYERS. I used three layers of MDF glued together to form a sturdy platform. After glueing the layers together, I cut it to size using a circular saw, due to the weight. Then, I installed some hardwood edging around the three exposed edges (see main drawing). Before installing the top, I used spray adhesive to attach a piece of plastic laminate and chamfered the edge with a router. The top can be installed with…

KEVIN POTTER’S LEAF BOXES Kevin’s beautiful leaf boxes are available from the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens shop. I was surprised to be told by the shop that one interesting use of these boxes has been as urns for the ashes of a loved one. FLEXIBLE ABRASIVES Scotch-Brite radial bristle discs are available from Carroll’s Woodcraft Supplies. The larger Klingspor mop, the Scotch-Brite belt for the Sorby EdgePro and flexible hand sanding pads are available from The Sandpaper Man. 3M SandBlaster abrasive pads are in the aisle at Bunnings, while Abranet can be purchased from Japanese Tools Australia. Scotch-Brite pads attached to a random orbital sander do a great job cleaning cast iron saw beds and drill press tables. Instead of elbow grease and steel wool, Scotch-Brite and a hook and…

OUTFEED SUPPORT Outfeed support is nice to have on a table saw. I often use one that clamps to the rear rail of the table saw. However, on a recent playhouse build, I needed an outfeed support that was further away from the saw. So, I came up with this support that clamps on a sawhorse. SIMPLE FORM. The support has a clamping block that’s glued and screwed together. To allow for easy adjustment, there’s a groove in the support allowing you to lock it in place with a piece of threaded rod and a knob. The head has a large roundover so workpieces slide onto it easily. A notch in it fits over the upright, and it’s screwed in place. After clamping the support on a sawhorse, I can…

In our next issue we visit Morrison’s Huon Pine Sawmill and step back into an extraordinary part of Tasmanian history. We review apron planes and marking gauges and share some insights into how to use these handy tools and what lifts one tool above another. The weekend project is a carving board complete with runnels for juice. We complement this project with information about food safe finishes. The Designer project is a delightful Japanese-inspired jewellery box that features secret dovetails (we show you step-by-step how to cut these iconic joints), while our heirloom project is a rustic dining table, complete with two bench seats. The turning project is a striking carved rim platter.…

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) is a company founded on innovation. Wet and dry abrasive papers and masking tape were developed for the auto industry in the 1920s. Scotch cellophane tape, magnetic tape for recording and Scotch-Brite are everyday products that have come to us via 3M. The culture at 3M has innovation celebrated at its heart, with staff who invent and develop getting a cut of the profits if the product is successful. One such product came to us out of "left field" when one clever 3M scientist found a use for a glue that didn't work as expected. His application of this failed glue has given us Post-It Notes! SCOTCH-BRITE The Scotch-Brite kitchen scourers have been around since the 1950s. New applications of these flexible pads are being…

Bandsaw boxes have always captivated me. The first time I saw someone do a bandsaw box, I was amazed how you could create a variety of containers with just one tool. And to me, that was just plain magic. When it comes to bandsaw boxes, your imagination is about the only limiting factor. A SET OF THREE. The boxes you see above were designed by our creative director, Chris Fitch. They are a great introduction to three box styles — a lidded box, a small hinged box and a chest of drawers. They’re all built almost entirely with a bandsaw, so throw on a sharp new blade and let’s get started. LIDDED BOX The lidded box is the first of the three boxes. Its leaf shape is cut from one…

Most bookcases in our day and age stay mainly in the safe, practical lane of utility. All we’re looking for is a sturdy set of shelves to stow away treasured old books, games and maybe display a few favoured curios. As you see in the photos here, this bookcase does all that in a style that makes plain boxes blush. HISTORICAL HERITAGE. The bloodline of this bookcase goes back to the third era of the Georgian period of design (which started with King George I). That time is often referred to as the “Golden Age” of furniture making. The hallmarks of that era are captured in this fine interpretation in several ways. As you see here, the “waterfall” speaks to the treatment of the sides of the case. There are…

The drawer that resides in the bottom of the bookcase has an elegance all its own. As you see in the drawing above, the front of the drawer has the same inlay pattern as the upper stretcher (I did the inlay on the drawer front and stretcher at the same time). It’s joined to the sides with some generously sized half-blind dovetails. At the other end of the sides there’s a rebate to join firmly with the back. The back and sides have a groove on the inside face for the drawer bottom. The drawer front has a stopped groove to discreetly hold the bottom in place. One other thing about the sides and the back, I chose to make them out of walnut. It complements the inlay. SIZE THE…

With the core of the workcentre complete, you can turn your focus to each end. On one end, a short case and drawer will support a top for your saw. On the opposite end, a large cubby makes room for the flip-top with attached planer. Below that, a smaller drawer offers some storage. The first thing is to finish the ends in preparation for the tops. PLANER WALLS. Focusing on the planer end first, I cut the sides and shelf to size. Then, I cut the trenches in the side panels for the shelf. Here, I used my router and the same jig from before. The last thing to do with the panels is to drill pocket holes along the top edge. These will be used to attach the top…

At this point, you can install the main top onto the workcentre. There are just a few more details to take care of before you start putting it to use though. ROUTER INSERT. With the top installed, I positioned the router plate and marked the location (detail ‘d’). Then, it was a simple matter of using a jig saw to cut the main opening for the router. But first, you’ll have to size the top cleats (detail ‘b’). Finally, you can use a couple of fences and a trench cleanout bit to form the rebate for the router plate. ROUTER FENCE. The fence for the router table is next. It consists of a base, face and a pair of brackets. After cutting the face and base to size, I cut…

ORDERING IS EASY subscribe or renew online: www.australianwoodsmith.com.au email: subs@paragonmedia.com.au phone: (02) 9439 1955 PO Box 81, St Leonards, NSW 1590 Subscription offer expires 6th October 2021. Celebrating 150 issues of Australian Woodsmith Issues 1 - 150 on USB Only $80 subscribers, $100 non-subscribers or $25 upgrade your old disc/USB* *To upgrade your old disc/USB we’ll need proof of purchase. If you bought your previous disc/USB through our office, just call us and we’ll help you sort it out. A Block Plane from Henry Eckert Toolworks Valued at $295* * Simply subscribe or renew your subscription to go into the draw to win a No 65 Large Block Plane. The HE #65 Large Block Plane is hand sand cast in unbreakable ductile iron. It is 180mm long, 50mm wide with…

SCHEPPACH TRACK SAW Track saws are the bee's knees when it comes to breaking down sheet materials. You place the sheet material on the workshop floor (supported by a sacrificial sheet of similarly-sized stock) and cut away. The track allows you to make perfectly straight cuts at any angle from 90-45° without deviation or the saw binding (especially in long cuts). The rubber non-slip strips on the tracks, the weight of the saw and hand pressure is all you need to keep the saw cutting true. Festool introduced the track system way back in 1962. The patent has long since expired. Today you have a choice of three track saws on the market, all at different price points. The Festool comes in at $1,169, the Makita at $759 and the…

Thirty-five years ago I fell in love with my first router. It was a Bosch 1604 and I still have it in my workshop. One of my children will have to decide what to do with it, because I’m never parting with the old boy. The magic of watching a router work has never faded for me. Firing the tool up and watching it devour a square edge while leaving behind a smooth, succulently shaped profile is a delight that never diminishes (photo above). The shaping satisfaction sawdust really flies when using bits like the two beading bits you see to the left. But that’s just icing on the cake in this instance. Complex profiles like these also save a lot of work when you’re crafting a project that harkens…

Allowing small parts to collect around your spinning table saw blade can become dangerous. The vibration from your saw can cause the parts to work their way into the blade and become a mini projectile across the workshop. You can avoid this problem by crosscutting your parts with a cutoff sled with a small parts bin add-on. It consists of two parts — a platform on one side of the blade to raise your workpiece up and a small trough on the other side to catch the pieces. When a workpiece is cut, it falls down the bevelled edge to be collected in the trough. That way, you can continue to make your cuts and avoid any workpieces coming into contact with the blade.…

This hinged lid box is made from a stack of blanks glued together. We made ours from two layers of hoop pine plywood sandwiched between three layers of cherry. Once the blank has been glued up, this bandsaw box starts at the drill press. PIVOT PINS. As you can deduce from the name, this box has a hinged lid. To create the hinge pin location, you need to drill a hole for a brass pin to be installed later. As you can see in Figure 1, that is done by standing the blank on end and drilling the designated spots on the pattern. You’ll want to go deep enough so that the pin can create a solid connection when the box is assembled. OUTSIDE SHAPE. After the pin holes are…

Thinking back to my first workshop, it was set up in the garage of my house. When hail was predicted, the changing weather often forced me to move my tools out of the way to make room for vehicles. I must say — when I was in the middle of a project, it was a big hassle. I would have to move everything from my bench to my table saw. Not to mention cleaning up all the dust and power cords that I had strung all over. When I first saw the design for this workstation, and all the features packed into the compact footprint, I realised how much easier my life could have been. THREE TOOLS, ONE FOOTPRINT. Looking at the photos to the left, you’ll notice this mobile…

There are a few more drawers to take care of before you switch gears. A series of drawers sits below the router table, and a large, shallow drawer lives under the planer. A TRIO OF DRAWERS. The three drawers under the router table are up to bat now. These are the perfect size to store router bits, insert rings, spanners and all the other accessories you need close at hand while at the router table. The construction of these mimics the joinery used on the table saw drawer. The front and back of the drawer have a tongue cut on each end. These fit into trenches that are cut in the sides. Again, a groove is cut around the bottom edge to hold the bottom. Here, I found it helpful…

Apart from its size, the crucial difference between a ladle, a spoon and a scoop is the fact that its handle is offset, rather than in line with the bowl rim, allowing the ladle to be used to pick up and pour out liquids. Having examined several ladles in my own kitchen, it appears that the angle between the handle and the bowl varies considerably from ladle to ladle. This probably can be accounted for by the variety of shapes of the containers that liquids might be dispensed from. For example, a ladle used to ‘dip’ milk out of a churn, with a narrow neck, would need its handle set at close to 90° to the rim of its bowl, whereas a ladle used to dispense punch from a wide-rimmed…

A mitre slide for a table saw jig (or any jig, really) needs to slide easily in the mitre slot. But, if it’s too loose, your jig won’t be very accurate. And if it’s too tight, it’s hard to use. You’re looking for just the right “feel” where it’s snug but slides with little effort. There are several options to consider. WOOD. As a woodworker, the obvious choice is to use wood. For a quick cross slide bar, make one from your wood scraps. The advantage of wood is that you can easily finetune the size for a just-right fit. The problem is that the bar can expand with increased humidity. To minimise swelling and shrinking that occur with changes in humidity, stable hardwoods are best. Choose quartersawn stock (its…