Innehållsförteckning för October/November 2024 från Woodsmith

If I had to pick a favorite tool in the shop, it might be the band saw. Freehand cutting workpieces is a joy, and it seems there’s always a new use to discover. It may not be as clean as the table saw, but it rivals even the router in its versatility. When it comes to shaping workpieces — from curved legs to decorative corbels — the band saw is my go-to. WHY THE BAND SAW? The unique design of a band saw is what makes it so useful for this. Using a narrow blade with a high tooth count is great for cutting tight curves on smaller workpieces, while swapping out for a wider one limits the blade marks when cutting tapers or long arcs. Plus, the band saw’s…

Sam Maloof was an American woodworker who lived through most of the last century, and one whose work continues to be instantly recognizable. Furniture comprised the vast body of his work — chairs in particular. Sweeping, elegant curves and flowing, organic designs were his trademark, and they live on in a number of styles today. Some of Maloof’s most famous pieces were his rocking chairs. With a deep care in selecting stock, an acute attention to grain, and a technique built up over decades, his rockers are works of art that seemed to be shaped rather than cut from the wood. The chair you see here was inspired by Maloof’s designs. Rather than recreate one of his rocking chairs however, our designer, Chris Fitch, created a chair that would be…

GIFT Clutter always seems to come from the small things. It’s easy for an end table by the front door to quickly become home to a smattering of keys, wallets, loose change, and inevitably a screw or two that followed me home from the shop. The keepsake box you see above is a great way to give these vagabond items a home — and hopefully keep that end table a little less cluttered. This box is a simple project, but it takes on an elegance in its simplicity and contrast. Small arches below subtly lift the box, while mitered sides are reinforced and given some visual interest with a series of splines. The brilliant curly maple lid sits neatly in the case of black walnut, held in by hidden pin…

NOTE: Drill holes based on your sander NOTE: Jaws are made from ¾" plywood Custom Sanding Discs At a garage sale, I came across a stack of hook and loop sanding discs. The price couldn’t be beat. There was just one catch: the discs didn’t have holes, as you can see in the photo above. (Turns out you can also purchase disc blanks new online.) In order to make the most of my haul, I needed a way to make holes that matched my sander. The jig shown at left does the job. Two hinged plywood jaws sandwich a short stack of discs (about five), as shown in the inset photo. A pattern of holes in the upper jaw serve as drill guides to create the holes in…

If I were to restart my journey in woodworking, building, and remodeling, it would be a tough choice as to which tandem of circular saws shown here I would choose. The photo below shows the pair of saws that I still have, and they work just fine. But they don’t have the ergonomics and flexibility of the two cordless options from Milwaukee that we’re talking about on this spread. M18 FUEL 6½" SAW The circular saw you see on this page is a new release from Milwaukee that I would be tempted to replace my old Skil 7¼" worm-drive. The saw has plenty of power to make the kind of cuts you see in the main photo on the previous page. Milwaukee suggests using the mid-range High Output XC6.0 battery…

I have too much space — said no one ever. Each tool, storage cabinet, workbench, and machine has to earn its place. One common expectation is that important machines require a permanent position. The second tier of tools can be smaller, bench-top varieties. I fell into the permanent tool trap. A router table serves as a joinery station and shaping tool that I use in nearly every project. The catch: a standalone router table just doesn’t fit in the space I have. I’ve tried several different options. Enter this candidate. Chris Fitch’s design works by keeping the top generously sized. Below the surface, the support and clamping system makes setup speedy. A side benefit: Your router table isn’t tied to a fixed location — or even to your workshop. You…

DESIGNER Working on a drawing or painting larger than a standard letter-sized sheet of paper can be a challenge on several fronts. For starters there’s the surface area that’s required to spread out supplies, as well as big sheets of paper (or canvas). Secondly, where to store the projects during breaks in the action? You’re in luck — whether it’s an architectural aspiration like you see in the main photo, or gentle washes of watercolors that are shown below, the top on this workstation accommodates both desires. Meanwhile, the supporting case sports a cool mid-century vibe and loads of storage. GOOD BONES. To house six large, flat file drawers and be mobile requires a solid case, and that’s what you have with this project. A thick, solid oak case divided…

My favorite part of a project is creating the joinery. Doesn’t matter what kind of joints the plans call for. It’s then that generic boards turn into project parts. And I can even start to glimpse the final form of the project. As important as the joinery is, what’s surprising is the forms it takes most often. Woodworkers tend to lose their minds over dovetails and wedged through tenons. If you skim through any project plan, you’ll find that grooves, dadoes, and rabbets turn up over and over. With that kind of workload, it’s important to devote some time to the process of understanding what makes them different and how to create each one. GLOSSARY. While the three joinery details share many attributes, the names help you orient the direction…