Innehållsförteckning för Dec/Jan 2018 från Woodsmith

When I hear the term pepper mill, the image that pops up in my mind is that of a waiter holding a baseball bat-sized mill over my salad as he vigorously grinds out pepper and tells me to say “when.” The salt and pepper mills in this project are a bit more discrete. Each one is sized to fit comfortably in your palm. And instead of a two-handed rotation action, the mechanisms in these mills work by simply pressing a plunger with your thumb (see photo below). In fact, the only turning you’ll have to do with these mills is at the lathe, when it comes to shaping the bodies of the mills. It’s a good opportunity to dust off that mini-lathe sitting in the corner of the shop and…

One of the most overwhelming feelings that a new woodworker can have as they’re starting is the need for room to work and shop storage. You’ve spent time researching, looking at, and buying tools. Now, you need worksurfaces and a place to store those tools. This five-piece plywood shop ensemble is the perfect project for the new woodworker, or the seasoned shop pro that needs additional work space or storage. It includes a workbench, tool shelf, router table, shop cart, and sawhorses. The best part is you can build all five projects using just a few sheets of plywood and a few basic tools. When looking at the group of projects, the logical place to start is with the workbench and wall-mounted tool shelf. (The remaining projects will be covered…

Most planers can plane stock down to 1/8" or 1/4" thick. It has to do with how low the cutterhead will go. If you need material that’s thinner than that, here’s an old trick that solves the problem easily. Attaching the wood to a piece of plywood (as shown in the drawing at right) raises the workpiece up into the range of the cutterhead.…

Plug Sanding Jig Adding contrasting hardwood accents to a furniture project is the focus of the article on page 56. There, you learn how to create the mortise, make the accent plugs, and install them in the Greene and Greene-inspired bookcase featured on page 42. However, making the plugs requires an assist from the jig shown in the photo above. Used with a disc sander, the jig acts as a guide for holding an extra-long plug blank at the correct angle while one end is rotated against the sanding disc. The goal is to slightly crown the ends of the blank before polishing the end on a buffing wheel. The plugs are then back-beveled before they’re cut free of the blank and glued into a shallow mortise in the project.…

Most of the materials and supplies you’ll need to build the projects are available at hardware stores or home centers. For specific products or hard-to-find items, take a look at the sources listed here. You’ll find each part number listed by the company name. See the right margin for contact information. HANDLING SHEETGOODS (p.14) • Rockler Gorilla Gripper . . . . . . . . . 32065 Material Mate. . . . . . . . . . 56889 • Amazon PortaMate . . . . . . . B01AWI8ILW Speed Skate . . . . . . B00MEJ8YFS SALT & PEPPER SET (p.18) • Woodcraft Pump-n-Grind Mill . . . . 159013 25mm Forstner Bit . . . . .151282 Forstner Bit Ext.. . . . . .145705W HUT Crystal Coat…

Sander Turntable As any woodworker knows, shop space is almost always at a premium. In order to have access to both the disc and belt functions on my combo sander, I had to come up with a creative solution. As you can see in the photo at right, an oversized turntable was the answer. LOCKING IT IN PLACE. The sander itself is mounted to the turntable with short lag screws. In order to keep the top from spinning while in use, I drilled two different holes for dedicated stops. With the sander positioned where I wanted it, I clamped the top platform in place. I then drilled a hole through the top into the base. Through this hole, I insert a bolt with the threads cut off to lock the…

Handscrew Stop Block. Phil Huber of Urbandale, IA has created a simple micro-adjustment for his handscrew when using it as a stop block. By adding a screw to one jaw (inset) and butting his work against it, Phil can fine-tune the adjustment with a turn of his screwdriver. Sanding Paper Roll. When sanding moldings, John Doyle from Ankeny, IA was tired of trying to make a sanding block to match the inside coves. Instead, he reaches for a sandpaper roll that matches the cove. He can then wrap a small sheet of the correct grit around the roll as seen above.…

In the woodworking world of straight and square, curved parts add elegance to any project they’re applied to. Although they take a little extra time to create, they’re worth the effort in the long run. The process of making curves usually goes along the lines of: lay out the curve, rough cut at the band saw, and sand smooth to the layout line. Then shaping the profile as the project calls for. This can be as simple as using a sanding block or a small round-over bit. Often, the profile being applied to the curved part is larger and more complex than just easing an edge. Many times you can rout gentle convex curves using the fence without having any problems. In other instances, all you have to do is…

When it comes to building drawers for a project, I often turn to tongue and dado joinery. It strikes a good balance between strength and efficient construction. FAST & EFFICIENT. For me, the appeal of tongue and dado joinery is the streamlined process — just two steps are necessary. Dadoes cut in the drawer sides accept a tongue formed on each end of the drawer front (and back). It’s a lot like a mortise and tenon joint; the dado is similar to the mortise and the tongue acts like the tenon. Once you have the setup dialed in for each step, you can quickly work through a stack of drawer parts. In this article, I’m showing the joinery work at the table saw, but you can just as easily use…

Historically, a sofa table has been a quiet servant that waits dutifully in the wings of the room — behind the sofa. As you see in the photo above, this table is fully capable of fulfilling that duty, but you don’t have to stop there. This handsome piece of furniture has more to offer. The legs and arched stretcher are glued up from thick stock to give the base of the table a strong, massive look. Using thinner 5/4 material for the top balances the design. This all means it could serve as a streamlined replacement for a larger buffet in the dining room. Or take up residence in a hallway, entryway, or bathroom just as easily. It would also work well tucked under a wall-mounted TV. All of these…

The table saw is the cornerstone of most woodworking shops, that’s a given. So investing in a quality table saw that fits the profile of the work you do in your shop is important. Once you’ve checked that off your list, choosing the blades to go with the saw is the next order of business. As a starting point, it’s safe to say that most woodworking tasks can be done with three blades; a good combination blade, a rip blade, and a crosscut blade for the finer work. (A good dado set is important, as well.) But as you expand your shop, you’ll most likely have some specialized needs that require an additional blade or two. As you see below, you have plenty of options. Here, I’m going to visit…

Salt & Pepper Dispensers. A high-quality grinder mechanism and a couple hours at the lathe result in this cool little project. Plans begin on page 18. Sofa Table. Although modern in appearance, this table goes together using traditional joinery.You’ll find step-by-step instructions starting on page 28. Bookcase. Tune up your woodworking skills by building this Greene and Greene-inspired bookcase. It features several unique design details. We’ll walk you through building it beginning on page 42. Lighted Drawing Table. If pencil and paper are your go-to items for designing projects, then this clever drawing table might be up your alley. With LED backlighting and easy adjustability, you’ll be turning out drawings like a pro.The two drawers underneath hold all your supplies.Turn to page 22 to build it.…

Dust Cover. Dan Martin of Galena, OH was tired of cleaning his magnifying light every time he wanted to use it. To solve this problem, he started using a gallon-size resealable bag as a dust protector. The bag protects the light from dust and can be easily removed. Guide Bushing Installation. In order to ease installation and ensure his guide bushing is tight, Vince Milewski, of San Jose, CA, reaches for a bicycle pin spanner. The spanner is inserted into two 5/32" holes drilled in the bushing and provides leverage to tighten it down. Marking on Dark Woods. Allen Bell of Marietta, OH uses a correction fluid pen to make layout marks on dark wood. The correction fluid offers a high contrast against dark woods and makes marks…

Jet black and extremely dense, ebony has been prized by woodworkers for centuries. It’s been used for everything from religious icons to piano keys. Keeping with tradition, the Greene and Greene-inspired bookcase on page 42 uses jet black Gaboon ebony for the signature plugs and cloud lift accents. There are many types of ebony available, all from the genus Diospyros. The chart on the opposite page highlights different species of ebony, and some of the identifying features of each. PRECIOUS AND PRICELESS. The first thing that jumps into my mind when I hear ebony is elegant and expensive, and the price of ebony is higher now than ever. But what is it about ebony that demands its price tag? It turns out the answer to that question is multi-faceted. Perhaps…

Working with large sheet goods by yourself can be as frustrating as it is back breaking. Materials like plywood and MDF are not only heavy, their awkward size makes them difficult to gain a solid grasp. Fortunately, there are a number of options specifically designed to help move these cumbersome sheets around. And while you’ll still need to use a little muscle, these items facilitate the use of proper ergonomics. A couple of options not only aid in moving the materials, they’ll also morph into infeed support at the table saw. This means you’ll never have to bear the full weight again. Your back will thank you the next day. GORILLA GRIPPER. With a design that’s been refined over the last decade, the Gorilla Gripper (the general purpose model is…

Call me a little old-fashioned, but when it comes to spending time in the shop, I’m decidedly retro. With a few exceptions, my tools and machines are mostly vintage finds that still work great. And when it comes to creating the plans for my next project, I reach for paper and pencil. My drawings won’t win any awards, but in a short time I can sketch out just what I need. What’s needed is a place to do the drawing that’s a little more comfortable than a workbench. The solution is this drawing table. It’s a portable workcenter that features a tilting drawing surface that adjusts to almost any angle thanks to a pair of support brackets. LED lights beneath the drawing surface create an ideal way to trace patterns…

Cut Slots. Use a tall auxiliary fence on the table saw to support the stretcher sections as you cut the spline slots. Notch for Tenon. Cut the shoulders of the notch, then nibble away the rest. Clean up the notch with a chisel. Clamp Sections. The clamping cauls make it easy to glue the stretcher sections together without gaps. Cut Out Arch. Remove the waste parts of the stretcher at the band saw, then sand smooth to the layout line. Drill Mounting Hole. Clamp support blocks to the drill press table, then drill the counterbore and pilot holes. Trace Curve. Dry assemble the base to trace the profile of the stretcher onto the tenon, then cut it to shape.…

Building a piece of Greene and Greene-inspired furniture ranks pretty high on many woodworker’s bucket list. The distinctive styling details and traditional joinery provides plenty of challenges along the way. But the payoff at the end is well worth the journey. DESIGN FEATURES. Nothing is more striking with Greene and Greene designs than the use of offset surfaces, subtle curves, and contrasting accents. We’ve provided a heaping helping of all those aspects in this bookcase. The bold styling of the signature “cloud-lift” details in the door frames, along with the ebony accents used throughout, lend a feel of authenticity to this project. TIME-HONORED JOINERY. A true feature of Greene brothers furniture is the prevalence of exposed joinery as part of the design. The box jointed drawers and the breadboard ends…

Spline Slot in Top. Use a straight bit at the router table to create the stopped slots for the long splines. Spline Slot in End. Use the same method to cut the stopped slot in the breadboard ends. Cut Out Splines. Start with an oversized blank for making the two splines. After laying them out as shown, drill two holes to define the radius of the inside curve (detail ‘a’). Then cut the splines to size at the band saw. Ease the Edges. Use sandpaper to ease the edges of the splines, inserts, and plugs before gluing in place.…

Along the path of building projects in the shop, you’ll find there’s a core set of tools that are indispensable. These tools are the cornerstones that, when properly used, give you confidence knowing that you’re heading in the right direction towards a high-quality, well-built project. OFF TO A GOOD START. One of these tools is the thickness planer. The planer is normally considered part of the trio that you use to prepare lumber for a project. A broad brush view of that process goes like this: Flatten the first face with the jointer, bring the material to thickness with the planer, then back to the jointer to square one of the edges to the face. Finally, cut the board to size on the table saw. There’s no doubt that the…