Table Of Content200 WOODWORKING
PROJECTS
1
Woodworking Shop Safety
10 Safety Tips to Post in Your Shop
1) Think Before You Cut – The most powerful tool in your shop is your brain, use it. Thinking your
cuts and movements through before acting can help save both fingers and scrapwood.
2) Keep a Clean Shop – A cluttered shop is an accident waiting to happen. Keeping your shop clean
will help protect you, and your tools, from tripping hazards.
3) Avoid Distractions – Pay attention to your actions. Looking up to watch the shop TV or visitor
can result in your hand contacting the blade. Always wait until you have completed your cut before
you take your eyes off the blade.
4) Don’t Rush – Keep in mind that this is just a hobby and take a break when you feel rushed or
frustrated with a project. Mistakes happen when we rush to complete a job.
5) Don’t Force It – If your saw is resisting the cut, stop and see what’s wrong. A misaligned rip
fence or improperly seated throat plate can sometimes cause a board to get stuck in mid cut.
Forcing the board in these situations may cause kickback or contact with the blade. Take a moment
to evaluate the situation and determine the problem.
6) Protect Yourself – Wearing the proper shop protection is an important part of safe tool operation.
Goggles, Ear Protection, and Lung Protection should be used when operating tools. Use push sticks
when working close to the blade and make sure the tool's safety features are in place.
7) Let the Tool Stop – Giving the power tool time to wind down after a cut is an often-overlooked
safety mistake. Even without power, the spinning blade can still do a lot of damage.
8) Fumes and Dust – Solvent fumes and airborne dust can present health and explosion hazards.
Care should be taken to ensure a supply of fresh air and use only explosion proof vent fans.
9) Wear Appropriate Clothing – Loose clothing or hair can get caught in power tools and cause
severe injury.
10) No Alcohol – Too many woodworkers have been injured because Alcohol clouded their judgment.
Avoid their mistakes and wait until after you’re done in the shop.
2
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3
1
CANDLEBOX
4
MAKING THE CANDLEBOX
This simple but attractive candlebox is distinguished by its
sliding top. The lid has beveled edges tapering so they can
slide in grooves cut into the inside faces of the box's sides
and one end. A carved, inset pull adds a decorative touch
as well as providing a means for easy sliding of the lid.
After the lumber is milled to the required thicknesses,
widths and lengths, cut grooves to receive the top and
bottom panels. Next, cut the through dovetails at each
corner (this procedure is discussed in chapter twenty-five).
Bevel the top and bottom panels and assemble the case
around the bottom panel, which is left unglued so that it
can expand and contract across its width in response to
seasonal changes in humidity. Complete construction by The open top of the candlebox lid reveals the grooves the lid
fitting plugs into the openings left at each corner at the rides in.
ends of the grooves.
HAND-PLANING THE BEVELS
FOR THE CANDLEBOX LID 2
Plane the bevel
First, make layout
1 across the end
lines to mark the grain first so that
limits of the bevel. any tearout occur-
Make one line around ring at the end of the
the edges of the lid %" plane's stroke will be
from the lid's bottom removed when the
surface. Make a second adjacent bevel is
line on the lid's top 1 formed. Although a
'A" from the outside jack plane can be
edges. The bevel will used to make this
connect these two bevel, it may be nec-
lines. essary to finish with
a block plane which,
with its lower cut-
ting angle, produces
a cleaner surface
across end grain.
SHAPING THE PULL
2 Placing the tip of
1 a flat chisel in the
With a marking scored line, cut
gauge or a sharp along that line, an-
knife, make a line gling toward the arc.
parallel to and 1" Using a wide-sweep
from the unbeveled gouge, make cuts
end of the lid. Posi- from the arc back
tion the stationary toward the scored
leg of a compass on line. Carefully lever
that line halfway up chips.
across the width of
the lid. Draw an arc
with the compass's
pencil point.
5
SIDE VIEW
1/2
6
SHAPING THE PULL (CONTINUED) MATERIALS LIST
A Side 2 pcs. 1/2X7X14
B End lpc . 1/2X7X8 1/2
C End lpc . 1/2X6X8 1/2
D Bottom lpc . 1/2X8X131/2
E Top lpc . 1/2X8X13 3/4
F Plug 6 pcs. 1/4 X3/8 X1/4, shaved to
fit
*These are net measurements, Surplus should be added to dove-
tailed parts to allow them to be sanded flush.
Once the depression has been formed, you can give the pull a
3 smooth surface, or, as I've done here, you can give it a bit of
texture.
SAM MALOOF'S
TWO-STAGE FINISH
could be anywhere from ten to sixty minutes.
Fifteen years ago, Fine Woodworking (issue no. 25) ran Wipe the surface with clean rags to remove any excess
a profile of Sam Maloof, the California woodworker that has failed to penetrate into the wood.
best known for his magnificent rocking chairs. Included As the finish dries, it lifts wood fibers and hardens
in the article was a sidebar in which Maloof discussed them producing a rough texture. (This first coat acts as
several technical issues, closing with the recipe for his a sanding sealer.) Again, depending on temperature and
finishing mix. relative humidity, this could take anywhere from one
My dad—who designed and built several of the pieces to three days. In humid Ohio, I've found it best to wait
displayed in this book, including the crotch-grained three days before sanding that first coat. Otherwise, areas
chess table—began experimenting with MalooFs finish of raised, roughened grain may not make their appear-
and found it wonderfully adapted to the small shop. ance until after the last coat has dried.
After years of spraying lacquer, a toxic experience inevita- I use 320-grit wet/dry paper soaked in mineral spirits
bly preceded by the emotionally toxic experience of to cut away the raised grain. The thinner clots the re-
attempting to vacuum every particle of dust from every moved material into a slurry which may help to smooth
shop surface, he found in Maloof's formula a finish that the surface; however, my reason for dunking the paper
not only produced a very appealing surface but also, just in mineral spirits is to unload the grit in order to get
as importantly, was impervious to dust contamination. more mileage out of each piece of sandpaper.
Preparation is no different for this finish than it would Once you have sanded and thoroughly cleaned the
be for any other. Scrape the wood, then sand it with a surface with a tack rag, apply a second coat of the three-
variety of grits, finishing with a thorough sanding using part mixture. It is particularly important that this coat
paper no coarser than 220-grit. Then wipe the wood (and any subsequent coats) be wiped clean. Any residue
clean with a tack rag. remaining on the surface will dry there and leave a
Maloof's recipe calls for equal parts mineral spirits, roughened area.
boiled linseed oil, and polyurethane varnish (an extra Sam Maloof tops this finish with a layer or two of
dollop of varnish seems to add body to the dried film). boiled linseed oil into which he's mixed enough shaved
Brush on this mixture liberally with only minimal beeswax to achieve the consistency of cream. He applies
concern for drips and runs—coverage is the focus at this the wax, allows it to dry, then buffs it out. You can
stage. Allow the finish to set until it gets a bit tacky. achieve similar effects with a number of commercially
Depending on temperature and relative humidity, this prepared waxes.
7
2
BENTWOOD BOXES
WITH TURNED AND
CARVED LIDS
Walnut, Curly Maple, Cherry
8
MAKING THE BENTWOOD BOXES
First, make a bending form for the main body of the box. widely available in a variety of species. I would recommend
This can be fabricated from any scrap that can be glued using one of the new waterproof glues between the lamina-
together to make up a sufficient thickness. This is then tions, although I have built boxes using regular aliphatic
band sawn and sanded to the inside profile of the finished resin glue to bond the thicknesses of veneer.
box. Undercut the face of the bending form at one point Then, soak the sidewall stock in a tub of cool water for
to allow for the thickness of the lapped material underneath twenty-four hours; dunk it briefly in warm water and take
the box's glue joint. Screw a thin strip of metal (I used a it directly to the bending form. Tuck one end of this
scrap of aluminum siding) to the form underneath which softened, plasticized material under the metal strip on the
an end of the sidewall material should be inserted prior to bending form. Wrap the remaining length around the form
being wrapped around the form. and secure in place with clamps and the caul.
At this time, saw a clamping caul (see photos, below) Four or five days later, remove the sidewall material
with a slightly greater radius than the bending form from from the form and cut the profile of the lap joint. A bench
scrap material. This caul will protect the sidewall material extension to which is nailed a piece of scrap sawn to the
from the clamps. inside radius of the box simplifies the cutting of the joint.
The next consideration is the sidewall material itself. Then, glue the lap, wrap the sidewall material around
There are three possibilities. First, the stock can be resawn, the form once again and clamp with the aid of the caul.
planed and sanded to a thickness of 1/16". Second, This time, however, do not insert the end of the sidewall
Constant-e's Hardware sells 1/16" veneer in cherry, material under the form's metal strip. After being turned,
walnut and mahogany, even though those thicknesses attached the box's bottom to the sidewalls with four 1/8"
aren't listed in their most recent catalogs. Third, the wooden pegs driven into predrilled holes.
sidewall material can be glued-up from two thicknesses of
1/32" veneer, which is
CUTTING THE LAP JOINTS
2
A lap joint is be-
ing cut on the
bench extension.
1 This is the bench extension used to maintain the curved
form of the sidewall material during the cutting of the lap.
The clamping caul is visible on the right.
Here, the glued lap joint is being clamped with the aid of the
3caul. Notice that the end of the sidewall material is not
positioned under the metal strip as it was during its initial clamping
for shape.
9
TURNING THE LID
AND THE BOTTOM
Screw a faceplate to a band-sawn turning blank with large Ty his is the same blank after being turned. Above the bead,
1s heet metal screws. Then, install it on the lathe. notice the flange that will fit inside the box's sidewalls.
DECORATING THE SURFACES
Before removing the parts from the lathe, sketch pencil Remove material below the line (as shown above), and create
1l ines on the lid approximating the shapes to be created. 2the stippled texture by repeatedly tapping a nail set into the
Then with gouges of various sweeps, define those lines (shown surface of the wood.
above).
MATERIALS LIST
A Form 1 pc . 3X3/2
B Caul 1 pc . 1/2X3 1/2X3 1/2
C Sidewall 1 pc . 1/16X 3 1/2X15
D Lid 1 p c . variable
E Bottom 1 pc . variable
F Pegs 4 pc. 1/8 X 1/8 X 1/2
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