Innehållsförteckning för June/July 2019 från Woodsmith

With a title like “Ripping at the Router Table,” you’re forgiven if you raise an eyebrow in skepticism. And it’s true, I’m not saying you can (or should) use your router table to cut wide boards into narrow parts. Instead, the idea here is more trimming to width in small increments, leaving a smooth, glass-like edge. This is an idea that I’ve toyed with for some time, but got serious about after a conversation with another woodworker. We both had set up and used a router table for jointing the edges of pieces. The technique works really well, and the smooth edge is tough to beat. The only issue is that after a few jointing passes, you may end up with a slight taper along the width of a board.…

In the last issue, we began building our shop-made CNC router. In the first part of the project, the main bed of the CNC was built, along with the gantry. In this second installment, you’ll be building the Z-axis mount. THREE DIMENSIONS. When CNC routers first hit the workplace, most of them were limited to two dimensional work. This meant they could cut out parts, but they couldn’t cut relief carvings. By adding the third (Z-axis) to the CNC, you can transform the router from a part cutter to a carving powerhouse. The Z-axis mount consists of a small stepper motor and carriage that rides left and right along the gantry. Attached to the carriage is a clamp where your router will be held. THE MOTOR. While we’re on the…

Clocks are one of my favorite things to build and I couldn’t tell you why. (If you follow Woodsmith on social media, you may have seen me post about clocks I’ve built.) Maybe it’s their small size, and the fact that they (usually) go together quickly. Or, it might be the fact that every one that I build ends up as a gift for someone, and that makes me feel good. Regardless, I always get excited when a clock project comes up. And this cuckoo clock is no exception. I have a little bit of a confession, however. As much as I love to build clocks, I don’t actually have a standalone clock in my house. And that’s because most clocks don’t fit into the modern décor of my house.…

Most of us would love to save steps in the shop without sacrificing quality. With glue line rip blades for the table saw, the promise is that you can do exactly that. The manufacturers of these blades claim they make rip cuts so smooth that you can get out the glue and clamps without any additional surface prep from a hand plane or jointer. It’s a great concept, but I have pretty high standards, especially when it comes to the quality of my glue-ups. Simply put, if the glue lines of my panels are visible, they’re not good enough. To find out if these blades can truly produce glue-up ready edges, I decided to try one out for an upcoming project. ANATOMY OF THE BLADE. Upon first inspection, it’s clear…

Router Lift Crank. Don Filson of Lima, OH uses the ShopNotes No. 121 router lift in his router table. But instead of robbing a socket wrench from his socket set, he found that an old brace with a driver bit was the perfect thing to adjust the height. The best part is that it’s much faster than a ratchet. Keeping Thin Plywood Flat. Kathy McNulty of Parma, ID found that when she stored thin sheet goods, they had a tendency to sag over time. To solve this twisty problem, Kathy uses a handful of spring clamps to clamp the thin plywood to a thicker sheet. It keeps them flat while in storage.…

When it comes to drilling holes, I often reach for a Forstner bit. This type of bit is designed to drill a precise hole with a flat bottom. It’s ideal for creating counterbores, recesses, and mortises. But as simple as drilling a hole sounds, there’s more to using a Forstner bit than meets the eye. It takes an understanding of the different kinds of bits as well as some shop-tested tips and techniques for getting the best results. PICK A BIT. For starters, not all Forstner bits are the same. They come in several styles, as you can see in the left margin. The traditional style has a continuous rim with two cutting edges that shave away the waste. Another common version has a saw-tooth rim, as shown in the…

Cut the Rabbets. Using a crosscut blade, cut the angled shoulder of the rabbets on the right case side first. Then, use a dado blade to remove the remainder of the waste. Left Case Rabbet. Repeat the process on the left side as you did on the right. Start with the angled shoulder first, then clean out the waste, leaving the corner waste that you can’t reach. Chisel Out Waste. Use a wide chisel to remove the corner waste that can’t be reached with the saw blades. Chisel down the shoulder first, then pare in from the cheek side. Switch Opening. At the drill press, drill starter holes on the left side of the case. Then, use a scroll saw to saw out the waste, creating an opening for the…

Tansu is the name assigned by the Japanese to a family of cabinets that, over centuries, were designed to serve specific functions. The cabinets you see here are Kaidan-Dansu, meaning “stepped” cabinets. That was their main function — to serve as stairs to a lofted area of the home. With living space in short supply, the Japanese employed the shells of the stairs for additional purposes. The main case provides a lot of storage options. A set of drawers that are nestled in the lower portion of the case are housed next to a hinged door. And above those is a wide compartment that’s hidden behind a set of sliding doors. The stepped case is the ultimate in flexibility. With no back to quarantine its use, and decorative hardware on…

Stopped Grooves. Ordinarily, I would cut grooves to house box bottoms and case backs at the table saw. But with box joints like these, this approach means a through groove will be visible (and distracting) in the final assembly. So instead, I turn to my router table and a box slotting bit to create stopped grooves, as shown in the right photo. The bit looks like a miniature slot cutter (inset photo). To use it, you clamp the parts together without glue. Then run a groove around the inside of the assembly. When the clamps come off, you have a set of stopped grooves. For the bottom to seat, you’ll need to round of the corners to match the rounded ends of the grooves. This is quick work with a…

Accessory Shelf I recently built the plywood shop projects from Woodsmith No. 234. They work great, but I found that I needed one more thing. And that was a smaller surface to mount my bench grinder. I took inspiration from the projects’ design and came up with the shelf shown here. THICK TOP. As you can see in the photo above, the top of the accessory shelf is two layers of plywood. This makes it sturdy for the heavy bench grinder. The rest of the shelf is also made out of plywood, and a drawer with a plywood false front is installed on a set of metal slides. The thing I like the best about the shelf is that it was simple to build and can be installed anywhere along…

A Right Side (1) 1/2 x 4 1/4 - 15 1/16 B Left Side (1) 1/2 x 4 1/4 - 12 3/8 C Top (1) 1/2 x 4 1/4 - 6 11/16 D Bottom (1) 1/2 x 4 1/4 - 4 5/8 E Front/Back (2) 1/4 x 6 1/2 - 14 5/16 F Mounting Blocks (2) 7/16 x 1/2 - 3 1/4 G Bob (1) 3/8 x 2 - 2 • (1) Cuckoo Clock Kit• (1) 1/8" x 1/2" - 10" Aluminum Bar• (1) 1/4" Aluminum Rod• (8) #4 x 3/4" Rh Woodscrews• (4) #6 x 1 1/2" Rh Woodscrews• (1) #6 x 3/8" Fh Woodscrew• (2) 18-8 x 3/4" Machine Screws w/Nuts• (1) Sawtooth Hanger• 16-gauge Wire To see a video of the cuckoo in action, go to Woodsmith.com…

A Sides (2) 7/8 x 13 - 28 1/2 B Top/Bottom (2) 7/8 x 13 - 28 1/2 C Drawer Divider (1) 7/8 x 12 3/4 - 14 7/8 D Divider (1) 7/8 x 12 3/4 - 11 3/8 E Door Divider (1) 7/8 x 12 3/4 - 27 1/4 F Back (1) 1/4 ply. - 27 3/4 x 27 3/4 G Long Sides (2) 7/8 x 13 - 19 H Dividers (2) 7/8 x 13 - 18 3/8 I Short Sides (2) 7/8 x 13 - 9 1/2 J Tops (2) 7/8 x 13 - 9 1/2 K Steps (2) 7/8 x 13 - 9 3/4 L Bottoms (2) 7/8 x 13 - 19 M Door Stiles (4) 3/4 x 2 - 15 N Door Rails (4) 3/4 x…