The harvest table in our kitchen had become too small when our daughter and her family come to visit. As a result, a few months ago Sandy asked me to make an add-on top, to make the table top longer and wider. With five girls around, every inch of table top is needed at meal time - or when the crafts come out.
To make the modifications I used four 8-foot pine pieces from the home improvement center for the actual top, and 4-inch stock for the aprons. I installed cleats under the top, to ensure perfect alignment with the harvest table that would now support the new top.
This arrangement worked for several months. But recently, with the arrival of granddaughter #6, getting around the table to the back of the kitchen became hazardous - i.e., it became almost impassable, with two or three girls moving toys in and out of the kitchen while adults moved hot dishes to the table.
It was time to make the wide table top a little narrower. Sandy requested I remove one of the boards and make it a folding one. I moved the top to the shop, and started work. First I moved the cleats that allowed tight fit in the narrow direction; and I had to move only one of the end cleats. Then I used a hand saw for the first time in possibly two or three decades, and made short work of cutting the aprons to the new dimension, allowing a two-inch overhang.
I wanted to salvage the removed apron and the fourth board (the one I removed), as they were already painted to make them look 100+ years old. It turns out that pine, and most lumber, does not take well to hard pounding with a mallet, as it splits along the long grain.
Scrap the idea of a folding piece.
I did manage to salvage the apron that was attached to this board with cut nails, by carefully pounding on the wide board with the mallet while holding the apron in my hand.
Ultimately I re-assembled the now narrower top to fit over the very old harvest table. And we can now navigate around the table much more safely.
Just getting started:
Removing one board - sawing the apron:
The top is now only 3 boards wide:
Lessons learned:
My practice sessions with the dovetail saw helped me tremendously using the saw for this job - I was able to saw to the line!
Don’t pound on pine, or it will split along the grain, on either the first or second strike.
The cat’s out of the bag: I have started practicing hand-cut dovetails.
I started my practice sessions with this gent’s saw; in retrospect, I should have practiced starting the cuts with a much lighter touch than I used, as I could see a curve in some of the kerfs as the cut went deeper:
I am certain ignorance on my part played a big role, but I just could not get comfortable with the grip on the gent’s saw. As a result, I ordered an E.T. Roberts & Lee Dorchester 8-inch, 21 ppi rip dovetail saw. As soon as the saw arrived I started practice sessions, cutting parallel lines marked on the end grain of the board:
Problem: At first I was unable to remove the protective coating from the steel - Grr! It turned out that this company uses lacquer on their steel, to minimize the risk of corrosion between manufacture and delivery; a few drops of lacquer thinner removed the coating completely, and made a huge difference in performance! My bad, of course. Isn’t ignorance bliss? I understand that most (?) American manufacturers use a wax coating, which is easily removed with mineral spirits.
As I started using the new saw, it seemed somewhat difficult to get the cut started. My intent was to make practice cuts, targetting 1) a pre-set depth, and 2) perfectly parallel cuts. I noticed, as my practice session got longer and longer, it became much easier to start the cuts. And toward the end of the session I was able to start a cut and finish it in seconds. I have read somewhere that this is normal behavior for this type of saw.
However, I will have to practice a lot more, for I noticed two serious problems:
I have a tendency to overshoot the depth, and
I can cut better parallel lines when the saw is tilting to the left, as in the last photo.
Next step: Cutting to a line.
I hope I can get better when cutting with the saw tilting to the right. Practice should make perfect - I hope!
The PS-10 drill-driver quickly becomes the reach-for tool in my shop when I need to drive screws. Following Christopher Schwarz’s glowing review in the Woodworking magazine blog entry of June 25, 2008, I started considering buying and using this tool.
Dang.
Funny - he said the same thing.
That pretty much explains how I feel about the Bosch PS-10. I am a total convert. NOW this is my primary drill-driver in the shop, and the (very) old and reliable workhorse B&D cordless drill has become the back-up drill, including its three batteries.
In this episode I share my enthusiasm for this little jewel of a drill-driver. I also reveal how Sierra’s first little (prototype) stool failed. I made it quickly, using pocket screws, with aprons but not stretchers. I am sure that racking due to the lack of stretchers is what caused failure of one of the legs, after one year in service; Sierra uses a little stool to sit on while taking guitar lessons, and while practicing at home.
If you agree or disagree with my diagnosis of the cause or failure, please let me know. I am very interested in following up, and learning what you believe might be the cause of failure after you see the failed leg.
I am making a little stool for Sierra, seven years old. She is our granddaughter #2, the guitar player. Her instructor suggested she use a stool to sit during her guitar lesson sessions. This new stool will replace one I made her about a year ago; the old one I made in a hurry, using pocket screw joinery, too narrow and thus unstable, even if only 12 inches tall.
I admit I screwed up when I made the old stool. I did not use any stretchers on the legs, and one of the legs failed at one of the pocket screws. I already apologized to Sierra for this failure - MY fault! The fact that it lasted almost a year is a tribute to pocket hole joinery, as my job on that one was quite poor.
For the new stool I pulled all the stops: The wood is cherry; I am using mortise and tenon joinery, 1-1/2-inch thick legs, proper stretchers between the legs, and a 1-inch thick top. And, to dress the aprons, a narrow groove or a bead of some sort. The plain aprons just looked too blah! even in cherry; just plain and blah!
I remembered my super-cheap set of router bits bought at a clearance sale via mail order; maybe a Vee bit might give me a small enough feature near the bottom edge of the aprons? It turned out too wide, with a flat bottom in the vee. It actually looks like this: \_/ ; no kidding! So, scrap that one.
What I really wanted for the aprons was a bead with a skinny edge, just like on old furniture. I am sure there is a name for that type of bead, and I just don’t know it. I struggled with how to make something like this, until the proverbial light went on last night: About three weeks ago I went to an antique hand tool auction SW of Kansas City, where I bought several items; among them was a Stanley 66 beading tool:
BINGO! Problem solved. Not only perfect timing, but the perfect tool rescued, and used on this little stool. I had to sharpen the cutter; I also put the sole of the 66 on the belt sander, and in about 10 minutes I made some test passes on a piece of scrap cherry. Then I went to work, and made the beads on the aprons. The results are terrific - I just don’t have a power tool that can replicate the look of this bead on the aprons.
More and more I use my hand tools to get the job done on these little details. I find them pleasingly quiet, and I love them!
If you are more inclined to go with newer tools, with all their cutters, you might be interested in looking at the Lie-Nielsen bronze beading tool version of the Stanley 66 that Woodcraft sells:
Lie-Nielsen’s bronze version
of the Stanley 66 at Woodcraft:
In the last episode I showed how I flattened the workbench top using hand planes.
In this short episode I show how to apply a wipe-on finish to the now flat workbench top. By”finish” I mean something that is easy to apply, and easy to repair or redo in the future. Let’s face it - the workbench is beat up quite a bit in our shops.
I, for one, don’t like film-forming finishes on the bench; I prefer to apply an oil, such boiled linseed oil (BLO), or tung oil. But be very careful! You always want to take the pad used to apply these oils outside, let them dry thoroughly, and then dispose of them properly.
Why? These materials cure by reacting with oxygen in an exothermic (heat-forming) reaction, and can cause self-ignition of the rags, cloths, etc., used to apply them. So, learn how to dispose of the rags and cloths properly, or you could suffer a fire in your shop.
All that remains at this point is to apply some wax to the top, and I will be making sawdust on the workbench again!
I just got back to bandsawing yesterday. I tried your recommendations which were the same as proposed by the (Manufacturer’s name deleted) people. I did change the blade from the carbide 1″ blade to a “regular” 1″ blade with 3 tpi. It worked. I ran the 10″ board through the table saw cutting a 3″ cut on each edge, so i only had to band saw 4″; but it worked. so next time I’ll try to cut the full thickness.
Thanks for your help. I think the major issue was the tensioning, so I’ll go back and try again with the carbide blade. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll know its the blade that was the problem. Again, thanks.
Many of you will remember Ralph was having trouble resawing some 12-inch wide hard curly maple. He had pretty much exhausted his possibilities, and wrote to me requesting help beyond what the band saw manufacturer suggested. The links to his original request, and a follow-up, are:
Your results are VERY interesting! I have to wonder why the carbide blade gave you so much trouble. Could it be the tooth pattern? I never use carbide blades, so I am not familiar with the kinds of problems they could cause. But I am certainly glad that it seems that tension seems to have been the culprit in this case. I look forward to hearing from you on any follow-up work you might do with the band saw, Ralph.
I will post all additional updates, as everyone can benefit from his experience. Thanks for sharing this with everyone, Ralph!
In this episode I introduce Leigh Industries’ FMT, their flagship Frame Mortise & Tenon (M&T) jig. This is the latest tool in our shop.
Why the FMT? Because it excels at cutting mortises and tenons with high accuracy. With this jig we have the following options:
Use the FMT to cut all integral tenons and mortises for a project. The result: Perfect-fitting M&Ts.
As an alternative, cut all the mortises with the FMT, and also shape long tenons with the FMT. These tenons are then cut off on the table saw, to make loose tenons. The result: Perfect-fitting M&Ts.
A secondary alternative: Use the FMT to cut all the mortises, and cut loose tenon stock on the table saw, followed by shaping on the router table. With this option the loose tenons may require some “shaving off” and tweaking to optimize the fit.
I have confirmed that the versatility, simplicity, and the ease of use of this jig was the correct decision for me. The best way I can explain this is as follows. I need to make only one layout for the mortises, and one layout for the tenons; I then select one router bit and its matching guide, and make test cuts to confirm that my layout is OK. From this point on I can make as many tenons and matching mortises as I need for a particular project.
Enjoy the video, and let me have your Comments, either here or via e-mail (please note the e-mail tab in the menu above).
Recognition: I thank my friend and woodworking colleague John Fry (Chisel and Bit Custom Crafted Furniture) for reviewing the draft of this post, and for his feedback.
I worked in the shop for a few hours with two windows partially open, one day after a good, steady rain that lasted several hours. One hour after opening the windows the relative humidity (%RH) was up to 46%. The base and the remote units reacted nicely, to let me know the shop %RH is going in the right direction - the number of heating hours is greatly reduced with the arrival of Spring.
With the end of the heating season, the relative humidity (%RH) in the shop is slowly going up, as reflected in the readings with the inexpensive thermo-hygrometer I purchased a while back. This is a reflection that the furnace has not been running as much in the last two weeks, due to warmer weather; plus we have had some rain, and Spring has (finally) arrived!
As you can see in the images below, %RH is now in the 30s. This is a significant increase from the 22% RH of early March, when I first received the unit and started monitoring, but still too dry.
I placed the remote wireless unit on the lumber rack, located less than 2 feet from the overhead door, and about 35 feet away from the base unit. The remote system has consistently indicated 2-3% higher RH than the base unit; I placed the base unit 10 feet away from the air handling room, and about 15 feet away from the nearest outer walls on the shop.
This discrepancy is interesting, as initial testing in the house, with the units only 6 inches or so apart, showed a discrepancy of only 1%RH. I can speculate that the current discrepancy is real, as some wind enters the shop via the overhead door (close to the remote unit), while the base unit sees mostly the slightly drier air near the furnace.
I am very pleased with the early monitoring results; this compact system has confirmed initial suspicions about the air in the shop being too dry. As you know, other work kept me out of the shop for over a week. But I used the Memory key (on the bottom-right corner of the base unit), and it showed 36% RH as the highest reading since I started monitoring.
One last thing: The absolute readings become less critical in actual monitoring, as environmental conditions around each of the monitoring units may be in a more or less humid area. What is important is to know how close to each other the readings are before starting to monitor a large volume, such as your shop.
Disclaimer: I have NO affiliation with Wixey; I am just a happy customer.
When it comes to Customer Service, little things count. And Barry Wixey Development makes things right!
To make a long story short: My Wixey Digital Angle Gauge went crazy - I was unable to make my Wixey gauge read any angle reproducibly. As a result, I had to start making adjustments to my table saw blade using old techniques, such as bevel gauges, squares, etc. I hated doing this, since I became reliant on the Digital Angle Gauge for critical blade adjustments.
Fast-forward one week: I contacted Barry Wixey via e-mail. I told Barry I was having trouble with the gauge. He told me he would replace it, upon receipt of my old one. I sent my old one (around one year old by now), he received it, and two days later I had my new one.
No fuss at all - just a “Yeah we figured it out… it’s messed up.”
It was that simple!
Please note that Barry must be contacted via e-mail, as phone calls keep him away from making and testing these fine little instruments; his web site does not even have a contact phone number. Send him an e-mail if you have any problems with your gauge. He will make things well, if the unit is still within its warranty period - no fuss at all. THAT is what superb Customer Service is all about!
Thank you for a great product, Barry. But, above all, thanks for your superb Customer Service!
This Winter has been very cold in NW Missouri. We have had more snow in the last 3 months than in the last 40 or 41 years.
As a result, I have been running the forced-air furnace in the shop much of the Winter. The following photos show what happens to a bench top when wood moves due to changes in relative humidity: The wood changes dimensions, with the greatest change taking place cross-grain. The high spot on the bench top runs the entire length of the top (the top photo, below); even the end caps have a high spot, as shown in the second photo.
This is unacceptable in a workbench.
Heating with the forced air unit results in loss of moisture from the wood. Due to the length of the boards used to make the bench, the moisture loss is fastest near the ends of the boards, and slowest near the center.
This results in a bench top that is no longer flat. With the precision straight edge flat at the back of the bench, the total gap at the front edge is 1/8-inch. When the straight edge is held horizontally, the gaps are a little over 1/16-inch at both the front and back edges. The gap is smaller closest to the ends of the bench.
As you look at the following photos, keep in mind that the top is 3-1/2 inch thick birch, with the cross grain running in the vertical direction:
The bench top:
The end cap:
Now the critical question is: What to do about this non-flat bench top? I consulted with Christopher Schwarz (Editor, Popular Woodworking Magazine; he also runs the Lost Art Press blog), and with the Sjöbergs Agent in the U.S.
The answer: Wait until the Winter is over and heating is no longer required, and measure the bench top crowning again in late April to early May. If the high spots remain, flatten with a hand plane.
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My name is Al Navas, and I live in NW Missouri with my bride of many years.
We are both woodworkers who love to be in the shop together, sharing wonderful times. She is a woodturner, and also carves and does pyrography. I do what many call flat work, which includes jewelry boxes to blanket chests; armoires to entertainment centers; church altars to prayer kneelers; custom cabinets to rustic furniture.
In our “spare” time in the shop we make toys, bird houses, etc., for our granddaughters. In late 2007 we finished serving as officers for the St Joseph Woodworkers Guild.
