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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP

I
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WORKSHOPGUIDE

BASICW()ODWORKING
TO()TS
AI{DACCESSORIES
TOOTS
MEASURING
ANDMARKING
. Tapemeasure
. Steelruler
. Trysquare

BORING
TOOLS
. P u s hd r i l l
. H a n dd r i l l
. Brace

.
.
.
.
.

. Gimletor screwstarter
. Electric
drill(cordless
andcorded)

C o m b i n a t i osnq u a r e
Carpenter's
square
Straightedge
Level
C h a l kl i n e

ry
:::'ff:::'a
. Trammel
points
o Marking
gauge
. Cutting
gauge
. Mortise
gauge
. Awl
. Dovetail
square

SAWS
. Handsaws
(rip,crosscut,
backsaw,
coping,
compass, _-

t3r

. Miter box
with integralsaw
. Hacksaw
. C i r c u l asr a w
. Sabersaw

'sF

''r]'ttP

SUPPTIES
r N a i l s( fi n i s h i n g ,
common,
box,
ring-shank)
. Brads
. Screws(flat,
r o u n da
, n do v a lh e a d )
r Sandpaper
. P u m i c es t o n e
. Steelwool
. Glues(woodworker's,
white,contactcement,
epoxy,instant)
. Woodputty
. M a s k i n tga p e
. P e n c i l sa n d m a r k e r s
. W o o df i n i s h e sa n d
appropriate
solvents
. H o u s e h o lodi l
o Penetrating
oil
. Sponges
o Reoq

H O D D YK N I I C

.
.
.
.

Single-edge
razorblade
Scissors
Wirecutters
Tinsnips

.
.
r
.

androundheads)
Rubber
mallet
Clawhammer
Nailsets
Utilitybar

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v\\-Y\1+

FlNlSHlNc
t00LS
.
.
.
.
.
.

Foambrushes
Lint-free
cloths
HVLPsprayer
Paintscraper
Molding
scraper
Puttyknife

FASTEI{ING
TOOLS
. Screwdrivers
(offset,
stubby,
cabinetmaker's
in
flat-,Phillipsandsquaretip varieties)
o Nutdrivers
r Pliers
(standard
slipjointtype)
. Locking
pliers
. Channel-joint
pliers
. Wrenches
(adjustable,
open-end)

SMOOTHING
TOOTS
. Handplanes
(block,
jack,jointer)
. Scrapers
. Files(flat,half-round,
round,
triangular)
. Rasps
(patternmaker's)
. Sanding
(flat
blocks
andcontoured)

:3:ll'::ff:,#
. Orbital
sander

-w

v
. Triggerclamps
. Q u i c k - a c t i obna rc l a m o s

. Handscrews

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:TT,fu
. Barclamps
. Pipeclamps
. Spring
clamps
o Webclamps

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CUTTING
TOOLS
. Chisels
(paring,
firmer,
mortise)
butt,
. Sharpening
stone
o H o n i nggu i d e
. Gouges
(woodcarving
set)
. Router
andbits
.Utirityknife
@
.

TOOLS
STRIKING
. Woodenmallets(square

r T a c kh a m m e r

. Slidins
bevel

flush-cutter)
ref['i'.'

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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP

THEART OFWOODVV'ORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP

BOOKS
TIME-LIFE
VIRGINIA
ALEXANDRIA,
ST.REMYPRESS
NEWYORK
MONTREAL.

THE ART OF WOODWORKING was produced by


ST. REMY PRESS
PUBLISHER KennethWinchester
PRESIDENT PierreLdveill6
SeriesEditor
SeriesArt Director
SeniorEditors

PierreHome-Douglas
FrancineLemieux
Marc Cassini(Text)
HeatherMills (Research)
Art Directors Normand Boudreault,Luc Germain,
SolangeLaberge
Designers Jean-GuyDoiron, Michel Gigudre
Research
Editor Iim McRae
PictureEditor ChristopherJackson
Writers Andrew Jones,Rob Lutes
Cont r ibuti ng IIlustrhtors GillesBeauchemin,RollandBergera,
Jean-PierreBourgeois,Michel Blais,
Nicole Chartier,RonaldDurepos,
Philippe Gauvreau,GrardMariscalchi,
JacquesPerrault,RobertPaquet,
IamesThdrien
Administrator
NatalieWatanabe
Production Manager
MichelleTurbide
System Coordinator
Iean-LucRov
Photographer
RobertChariier
Time-Life Booksis a division of Time-Life Inc.,
a wholly ownedsubsidiaryof
THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY

TIME-LIFEBOOKS
President lohn D. Hall
Vice-President NancyK. Jones
Editor-in-Chief ThomasH. Flaherty
Directorof Editorial Resources EliseD. futter-Clough
MarketingDirector
EditorialDirector
ConsultingEditor
ProductionManager

ReginaHall
LeeHassig
JohnR. Sullivan
MarleneZack

THECONSULTANTS
Jon Arno is a consultant,cabinetmakerand
freelancewriter who livesin Tioy, Michigan.
He alsoconductsseminarson wood identification and earlyAmericanfurniture design.
GilesMiller-Mead taught advancedcabinetrnakingat Montreal technicalschoolsfor more
than ten years.A nativeofNew Zealand,he has
worked asa restorerof antiquefurniture.
fosephTruini is SeniorEditor of Hone
Mechanixmagazine.
A former Shopand Tools
Editor of PopularMechanics,
he hasworked as
a cabinetmaker,home improvementcontractor
and carpenter.

Home Workshop
p. cm.-(The Art of Woodworking)
Includesindex.
ISBN0-8094-9920-7
. (trade\
ISBN0-8094-992
1-s oib)
1.Woodshops.
2. Woodwork--Equipmentand supplies.
I. Time-Life Books. II. Series
TTI52.H6 1993
684'.08-dc20
92-682r
CIP

For information about any Time-Life book,


pleasecall l-800-621-7026,or write:
ReaderInformation
Time-Life CustomerService
P.O.BoxC-32068
Richmond,Virginia
2326t-2068
@ 1993Time-LifeBooksInc.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproducedin
any form or by any electronicor mechanical
means,including information storageand
retrievaldevicesor systems,without prior
written permissionfrom the publisher,except
that briefpassages
may be quotedfor reviews.
First printing. Printed in U.S.A.
Publishedsimultaneouslyin Canada.
TIME-LIFE is a trademarkof Time Warner
Inc. U.S.A.

CONTENTS

6 INTRODUCTION

12
L4
15
16
17
18
23

SAFETY
Accidentprevention
Working with safefinishes
Fire safety
Electricalsafety
Personalsafetygear
First aid

28
30
32
36
4L
43
44
45

SHOPTAYOUT
Workshopplanning
Planningfor stationarytools
Shoporganization
Electricalpower
Lishtins
FlSors,i"a[s, and ceilings
Heatingand ventilation

68
70
72
74
76
78
85

SHOPACCESSORIES
A storeof shopaccessories
Air compressors
Portablegenerators
Benchgrinders
Dust collection
Portabledust collection

88 STORAGE
90 Storingwood
94 Storingtools and supplies
IIO
LL2
118
I25
I29
I34

WORKSURFACES
Work tables
Sawhorses
Work supports
Extensiontables
Tool standsand tables

I4O GLOSSARY
46
48
50
53
56
62

WORKBENCH
Anatomv of a workbench
Buildingthe base
Buildingthe top
Visesand accessories
Benchdogsand hold downs

I42 INDEX
I44 ACKNOWTEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PeterAxtell talksaboutplanninghis

DREAIVI
WORKSHOP
f startedwoodworkingaround1974nEngland,whereI wasplayingrockmusic
I andneededa hobbyto helpmeunwindfromtherigorsof theroad.My shopat
thetimewasjustbigenoughfor aworkbench,
a radialarmsawandnot muchelse.
I rememberconstantlybumping
thingsinto thelow ceiling.
WhenmywifeandI movedbackto AmericaI wasofferedajob in alocalwoodshoprun by a friendof mine.It wastherethat I beganto acquirea feelfor how
a shopshouldbelaid out.Aftera fewyearswith my friendI left andsetup my
ownshopin our three-cargaruge.Isoonlearnedwhatworkedandwhatdidn'g
Whenit cametimeto plana shopfromscratch,Isoughtoutmylocalwoodwqrfting organization,
whichturnedout to bea fountainof information.I studi/dlots
of shopsin my areaandaskedhundredsof questions
aboutwhatpeoplelikedand
whattheywantedto changein their ownshops.
I sawoneplacein particularthatseemed
thebestforjry needsandsettledonthat
asmy model.My budgetallowedme 1,500sqlrgtt.feet,
sothat wasonelimit set.
Light-both naturalandartificial-wasamaiorconsideration.
I placedmybuilding
andplannedthewindowsto takemaximumadvantage
ofthe abundantsunlightin
northernCalifornia.I wasalsodetermined
to haveawoodfloor.I quicklyfoundout
thatahardwoodfloorwouldbetooexpensive
soI usedl%-inchtongue-and-groove
plywoodandeporypaint,whichhaveheldup verywelloverthelastnineyears.
I figuredout thefloor planon graphpaperandcutout scaledrawingsof all my
machinesaswell asareasfor plywoodstorage,officespace,anda spraybooth.It
is importantto allowenoughspacearoundyourmachines,
soI spentconsiderable
time movingsthingsaroundandtestingdifferentscenarios.
Thecrawlspace
undermyshophasextraclearance
because
I choseto run my
dustcollectionpipeunderthefloor,whichhasallowedmeto keepthewholeceiling
spaceclearandairy.Oneof thebestinvestments
I madewasin super-insulating
thewholeshop-floors,walls,andceiling,whichhasmadeit easierto keepthe
placewarmin winterandcoolin summer.
I put a lot of thoughtandresearch
into my shopandthereisrt'tmuchI would
change
exceptfor onething:I wishI hadbuilt it bigger.Butthatis a commoncomplaint.It seems
thatyoucanneverhavetoo muchspace.

PeterAxtellbuilikfinefurnitureat his
shopin SonomaCounty,
Californin.

bUa

lFr

--

- ---'-

o cnotrsrrxT'cAf cttEz'tAllpsE
- - { - F

INTRODUCTION

Martha Collinsdiscusses

SHOPSTORAGE
I makejewelryfrom exoticwoodanddy.d ulne.r. Somepieceshaveasmany
I as800bits of woodin them,combiningthe colorsandtexturesof various
Beingableto find someoffbeatscrew
rarewoodswith brightlyhuedveneers.
where
to retrievethat wonderfulsmall
or fastenerwhenI needit, or knowing
years
for
10
isrlt a luxury;it's a necessity.
that I'vebeensaving
chunkof rosewood
Throughtheyears,I havelearnedthat the strenghof a workshopdependson
proPerorganization
andstorage.
"storageareas"in my shop.Theinfeedandoutfeedtablesof
I havefour distinct
usedtoolsMyjewelrystorage
myradialarmsawholdscrapwoodandlessfrequently
The4-bybenchholdsall themachinedandmilledexoticwoodsanddyedveneers.
progress,
in
exotic
8 outfeedtableon thetablesawhousesavarietyof items:work
jewelry-making
process.
lumber,furniturepads,andleftoversfromthe
Themostimportantstorageareais in themainworkbenchandtool chestarea.
to planes
andscrewdrivers
Thisistheheartof myshop.I keepwerythingfromscrews
power
toolsthatI use
closeto thebench.All of thehandand
andhingesin cabinets
regularlyarekeptin mymainchest,whichis featuredin thephotograph.
I storewerythingfrom
Thechestis6 feethighand4 feetwide.In theuppersection,
andplanes
in theleft-handdoorto files,screwdrivers,
hammers
andonesetof chisels
and
in thecenterarefilledwith wrenches
Thefivedrawers
in theright-handsection.
with dovetail
I assembled
thedrawers
bitsof allkindrspurs, twists,andForstners.
joints,a satisfringeffortthatonlyaddsto thepleasure
of puttingthingsaway.
Theleft-handdoorin thebottomsectionof thechestholdsall my measuring
andmarkingtools;theright-handdoorhousesa setof pliersalongwith my handarehometo my portablepowertools-circular saws,saber
saws.Thecubbyholes
tools,andsoon.
cordless
drills,pneumatic
router,sander,
saws,
overtheyears.FifteenyearsagoI hadonly
Thetoolsin my chesthavechanged
onecordlesd,rill;nowI havethree.Butmychesthasbeenableto adaptandaccommodateall thenewtools-eachwith its ownspecificplace.

and makes
Martha Collinsdesigns
finejewelryand
Washington.
near
Sequim,
her
worhshop
in
furninne
worlcsin
Her husband,luthierRichardSchneider,
an adjoiningshop.

INTRODUCTION

LeonardLeeon

THE\ALUEOF
AWORKBENCH
A retiredcarverfriend
youcanfit a solidsurface.
worlshopcanbeanywhere
Heonlyhadto gpel
worlshopin thelinendosetofhisaparhnent.
builtasuperb
the closetdoo5pull out a stool,andgoto work.Everythingheneededwasfitted
into a spaceoflessthan l0 squarefeet.
I built thesmallcherrybenchin thephotographto fit an awkwardalcovein
only 23 by 37 inches.For yearsI hadbeenusingmy
my officethat measures
deskasa makeshiftworkbenchand I wasfrustratedby both the lack of any
decentclampingsystemandenoughclearwork surface.The deskis oftenas
in thebackground.
clutteredasthebookcase
With theworkbenchin place,I cannow clampwoodfor testingsaws,chisels,
bits,andsoon,withoutknockinga coffeecupto thefloor or spillingpaperseverywhere.Thebenchis alsojust theright h.tght for usinganinspectionmicroscope,
in theworld of sharpedges.
andsuccesses
tool for analyzngfailures
aninvaluable
Thebenchoccupiesan otherwiseunusablespacenextto a doorway.Sincethe
floor spacenextto it canbe usedonly for foot traffic,thebenchonly addst9
theusibility of my office;it doesnot detractanything.Incidentallythebench
waspulledout of thealcovefor thisphoto.
Moreimportantthanits utility, my benchaddsa wonderfullyrelaxingand
detail.
humanizingelement.Likemanypeople,I tire quicklyof administrative
With a workbenchhandy,I cangetup from my desk,wanderoverto thebench
andtinkerwith toolsfor awhile.It islikea mini-vacationin themiddleof theday.
yourselfwith thingsyoulike.
part comesfrom surrounding
Thehumanizing
I like everythingaboutwoodworking.My officeis filled with old toolsaswell as
to thegeneralclutteris
booksaboutthiir historyanduse.To adda workbench
just anotherlayerto thecocoon.Theworldlools muchbetterwhenviewedfrom
anofficewith aworkbenchin it.

LeonardLeeis thepresidentof VeritasToolsand LeeValleyToolsin


and retailersoffine woodworking
Ottawa,Canada,manufacturers
hand tools.He is alsothepublisherand executiveeditor ofWoodcuts,
of woodworking.
a magazinethatfocuseson thehistoryand techniques

SAFETY

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effects
of somewoodspecies.
Safety
the home
Tl or mostwoodworkers,
goggles,
rubbergloves,anda rubber
refuge,
where
f worlshopisapeacefirl
attirefor any
apronaregoodstandard
ideas.It is
craftgivesshapeto creative
finishingjob, especially
if you are
mayoccur,
accidents
alsotheplacewhere
spraying
a finishor mixingandapplyowingto theverynatureof theactivity.
ing causticchemicals.
But the likelihoodof mishapcanbe
Fireis anothershophazard.Smoke
reducedby a fewsimpleprecautions.
prodefence,
detectors
areaninvaluable
isa safe
First,aninformedwoodworker
vidingvaluabletime for youto control
woodworker.Readthe owner'smanutheblaze(page16).Keepa fire extinalssuppliedwith all your tools.Before
guisherratedABC in your shopand
startingajob,makesureyouknowhow
knowhowto useit. Oneof theleading
that are
to usethe safetyaccessories
Whether
causes
offireisimproperwiring.
designedto protectyou from injury
youarebuildinga shopfromscratchor
whileworkingwith a tool.
revampingan existingspace,electrical
Personalsafetygearis oneinsurance
Mostaccidents
aretheresultof carewoodworker
routs
safetyshouldbeapriority (page17).
against
injury.
Here,
a
lessness
inattention-failure
to
use
a
or
groove
No shopshouldbewithoutthepera
in
a
dra"wer
wearing
safeguard
when
cutting
a
board
on
a
safety
front,
jointing
sonal
safetygearillustrated
on page18.
ty
gJasses,
a
dust
maslg
and
ear
muffs.
face
stock
with
bare
tablesaw,
(rather
You
can
easilymake
some
safetydevices,
push
with
a
block),
hands
than
(page20).
Referto thesafetytips suchaspushsticks,pushblocls,andfeatherboards
or usinga routerwithoutsafetygoggles.
theywill
But
not
complacent
about
the
security
page
the
more
common
do
become
14for waysof avoidingsomeof
on
provide.
makea
All
equipment
in
the
world
cannot
the
safety
in theshop.
accidents
is
foremost
a
matter
of
attitude-a
receive
most
of
shop
accidentfree.
Safety
Althoughthebig stationarymachines
in usingthemachines
combinedwith a healthy
woodworkers,
thereare confidence
theattentionfromsafety-conscious
power
wield.
less
respect
for
the
these
tools
otherpotentialsources
ofdangerthat,though apparent,
still
Evenwith the besteffortsat prevention,accidents
cannotbe ignored.Manyfinishingproducts,particularly
fly
Bits
maybreak,
boards
split,
shavings
and
all
too
canbetoxic,althoughtheireffects occur.
thosecontainingsolvents,
prompt
prepared
prolonged
find
victim.
Being
and
taking
action
expo- often
a
mayonlybecomeapparentafteryearsof
Takea first-aidcourse,
of woodcancauseallergicor toxic canhelpminimizefurtherdamage.
sure.Certainspecies
23)
first-aid
kit
on
hand
in theshop(page
informationon keepawell-stocked
in somepeople.Page15presents
reactions
possible
medical
aid
when
necessary.
health andbereadyto administer
choosingsafefinishingproductsandonthe

Thereare manysafetydevicesthat canminimize therisk of usingpower


took. Thetablesan in thisphotofeaturesa plnsticshieldthat coversthe
panl protectagainstbindingand
blade;thesplitterand theanti-kickback
theworkpiece
kickback.A hold-downdevicepresses
flat on the tableand
firmly againstthefence.A pushstickallowsthewoodnorkertofeedthe
stockinto the blndewhile keepingfingerswell anayfrom thecutting edge.

t3

ACCIDENTPREVENTION
SAFETY
TIPS
GENERAL

POWER
TOOTS

FINISHING

r Makesureworkshop
lighting
andventilationareadequate.

o Wearappropriate
safetygear:safety
glasses
protecor faceshieldandhearing
tion.lf thereis nodustcollection
system,
weara dustmask.Forallergenic
woods,
suchasebony,usea respirator.

. Donoteai,drink,or smoke
whenusing
products.
finishing

. Readyourowner's
manual
carefully
beforeoperating
anytool.

. Installat leastonesmokedetector
on
theceilingof yourshopabovepotential
firehazards;
keepa fullycharged
ABC
fireextinguisher
nearby.

r Keepchildren,
onlookers,
andpetsaway
fromtheworkarea.
. Concentrate
on thejob;do notrushor
takeshortcuts.
Neverworkwhenyouare
tired,stressed,
or havebeendrinking
alcohol
or usingmedications
thatinduce
qrowstness.
. Finda comfortable
stance:avoidoverreaching.
r Keepyourworkareacleanandtidy;
cluttercanleadto accidents.
HAND
TOOTS
o Usetheappropriate
toolforthejob;
do nottry to makea tooldo something
for whichit wasnotdesigned.
r Whenpossible,
cut awayfromyourselfratherthantowardyourbody.
. Keeptoolscleanandsharp.

. Tiebacklonghairandavoidloose-fittingclothing.Remove
ringsandother
jewelry
thatcancatchin movingparts.
. Unpluga toolbeforeperforming
setup
or installationoperations.
r Whenever
possible,
clampdownthe
workpiece,
leaving
bothhandsfreeto
perform
an operation.
. Keepyourhandswellawayfroma turningbladeor bit.
. Turnoff a toolif it oroduces
an unfamiliarvibration
or noise:
havethetool
serviced
beforeresuming
operations.
o Donotusea toolif anypartof it is
wornor damaged.

r Avoidexposure
to organic
solvents
if
youarepregnant
or breast-feeding.

r Neverstoresolvents
or chemicals
in
unmarked
containers.
Chemical
solutions
shouldalways
bestoredin darkglassjars
to shieldthemfromlight,whichmay
change
theircomposition.
o Storefinishing
products
in a locked
cabinet.
oToprevent
eyeinjury,wearsafetygoggles,anddonrubber
gloves
whenworking
products.
withcaustic
ortoxicfinishing
. Donotflushusedsolvents
downthe
drain.Consult
theYellow
Pages
to find
outwhohandles
chemical
in
disoosal
yourarea,orcheckwithyourlocalfire
deoartment.

"fl|"ff'lll""1{l"lll"'llll'1lll'lII
illllll'llll'll|l
lllllltilllllllltrlll
IlIl
1HO?TI?
Disablinga powertool
To preventunaulhorizeduse of a ?ower lool, oliplhe boll of a mini-Vadlock
throuqhoneof the tinee in lhe power
cord pluq.Thelockwillmakeit im?o6sibleto plu6in trhetrool.lfyou are
ueinqakeyedlock,slorelhe
t
keyeout of vhe way in
a cupboardor drawer thal can be
locked.

t4

WORKINGWITH SAFEFINISHES
I lthougha numberof high-quality
A water-based
finisheshavebecome
finishavailablerecently,solvent-based
ing productsare still widely used,and
superiorfor someapplicaconsidered
tions.Thuswoodworkersmustlearnto
protectthemselves
againstthe health
hazardsassociated
with organicsolvents.
Organicsolventscanhavea numberof
healtheffects.Short-termusecanresult
and
in ailmentsrangingfrom headaches
nauseato skin and eyeirritation. With

extendeduse,manysolventsareknown
to damagethe centralnervoussystem
or respiratorytract. Someglycolethers
aresuspected
ofcausingbirth defects,
whileothersolvents,likemethylenechloride,havebeenlinkedwith cardiacarrest.
Solventscan be absorbedinto the
bloodstreamin a numberof ways:after
beinginhaled,or ingestedalongwith
food left in the shop,absorbedthrough
whenvaporssetthe skin,or swallowed
finishtle in saliva.Mostsolvent-based

esareunlikelyto causeharmwhenused
occasionally,
and areonly poisonousif
swallowed.But you still needto be aware
of the combinationand concentration
of organicsolventsin a particularfinish
if you plan to usethe product in large
periodof
quantitiesor overan extended
time.Thechart belowliststhe solvents
containedin a varietyof finishingproductsand assesses
the relativetoxicityof
eachone.Be sureto choosethe safest
productfor thejob at hand.

Toxrc
soLvENTs
PRODUCT
FINISHING

SOLVENT

Wood
filler(paste
andliquid)

Petroleum
naphtha,*
mineral
spirits,*
acetone,**
methyl
ethylketone,**
methyl
** isobutyl
isopropanol,
ketone***
glycol
xylene,***
methanol,***
ethers***
Ethanol,*
mineral
spirits,*
toluene,***

(aniline,
gelandglazwiping,
NGR,
Stains
ingstains;
colorpigments)
(whiteandorange)
Shellacs
(spray
Lacquers
andbrush,sanding
sealers)
Lacquer
thinner
oil)
Rubbing
oils(Danish
oil,antique

Ethanol,*
methanol***
glycolethers***
Acetone,**
methyl
ethylketone,**
isopropanol,**
methanol,***
xylene,***
glycol
Acetone,**
methyl
ethylketone,**
isopropanol,**
ethers,***
toluene***
naphtha,*
VM&P
turpentine,**
toluene***

tungoil)
Mineral
spirits,*
turpentine**
Drying
oils(boiled
linseed
oil,polymerized
(tung
VM&P
naphtha*
Varnishes oilvarnish,
sparvarnish,
varnish
stain) Mineral
spirits,*
(polyvarnish,
Mineral
spirits,*
toluene***
Polyurethanes
urethane
stains)
ishremovers
Lacouer/varn
(paste
Waxes
wax,furniture
wax)

methyl
isobutyl
ketone,***
Acetone,**
xylene,***
methanol,***
toluene***
Petroleum
naphtha,*
turpentine**
* Safestproduct** Mildlyhazardous
product*** Product
to beavoided
if possible

w00Ds
Toxtc
Asanyone
whohassuffered
through
reaction
to
an allergic
or irritating
with
wooddustwilltestify,working
certainwoodscan ooseserious
healthrisks,Thedustfrommany
species,
likeblackcherry,
Douglasfir,andpine,is known
to causerespiratoryailments
suchasrhinitis(or
nasalinflammation)
andasthma.
woods,
including
Other
oak,ash,and
birch,canirritatetheskinandeyes.

likeebony,
Somespecies,
South
American
mahogany,
andWestern
redcedar,
contain
toxicchemicals
thatcanbe inhaled,
ingested,
or
absorbed
throughcutsandscratches.Although
thechemicals
arepresentin minutequantities,
theymay
causeproblems
ranging
fromheadachesto inegularheartbeat.
yourself
Protect
fromdirectexposure
yourshop
to wooddustby keeping

15

Weara
cleanandwellventilated.
dustmaskfor cuttingoperations.
Whenhandling
a species
whichyou
knowor suspect
maytrigger
an allergicreaction,
spread
a barrier
cream
gear,
onyourskinor wearprotective
gloves,
glasses,
including
safety
and
longsleeves
andpants.Referto the
backendpaper
for a chartlistinga
varietyof toxicwoodsandtheirpossiblehealtheffects.

FIRESAFETY
/a onsiderins
thenumberof flammaignition
\-, Ut.rut.ri"ul,andpotential
in a woodworkingshop,firepresources
ventionshouldbeoneofyour foremost
wood,paint,
safetyconcerns.
Sawdust,
often
andthinnerstendto accumulatel
theyareneartoolsthat producesparks
andheat.Thecombination
canorove
volatile:When vaporizedin a imall
enoughconcentraiionof air, a small
quantityof lacquerthinner,for example,canbeignitedby a sparkfrom a tool
andcausea life-threatening
explosion.

The first stepin fire safetyis prevention.All finishingproductsandsolvents,


for example,
shouldbestoredawayfrom
heatsourcesin airtight glassor metal
preferably
containers,
in a fireproofcabinet (pageB9).Hangragssoakedwith
flammablechemicals
to dry outdoors,
or soakthemin waterandstorethemin
Whenworkine
sealedmetalcontainers.
with finishingproducts,
keepwindowi
openandthe shopwellventilated.
Bepreparedto dealwitha fireeffectively.Installa smokedetectoron the

shopceilingor a wall,andkeepanABC
fire extinguishernearby.Designa fire
planthat mapsout two posevacuation
routesfrom eachroom of
sibleescape
thebuildingin whichtheshopis located.Ifthe fireinvolvesan electrictool,a
powercord,or an electrical
outlet,shut
offthe power.Callthe fire department
immediately,
inform themof thenature
of thefire,andtry to extinguish
theblaze
yourself.But if theflamescannotbecontained,or thefireis comingfrom inside
a wall or ceiling,evacuate
thebuilding.

PREPARING
AGAINST
FIRE
Installing
a smoke
detector
Openthecoverof thedetector,
holdthebaseonthe
ceiling
orwall,andmarkthescrew
holes.
Borea hole
fora screwanchor
at eachmark.Taotheanchors
into
and,holding
thedetector
in position,
drive
theholes
a screwintoeachanchorto secure
the base(right).
Testthe
Installa battery
andclosethedetector
cover.
device
onceeverymonth.First,press
thetestbutton.
Then,blowouta lit matchor candlebelowa vent,
letting
thebattery
if thealarm
smoke
enterit. Replace
doesnotsoundforbothtests-orif it emitsa chirping
indicating
isweak.
sound,
thebattery

Controlling
a fire
Toextinguish
a small,contained
f ire,useanABC-rateddry-chemical
f ireextinguisher,
whichis effective
against
allthreemajorclasses
of fires:burning
woodor
(Class
othercombustibles
A),oil-orgrease-fed
flames
(Class
(Class
yourB),andelectrical
blazes
C).Position
fromthefirewithyourbackto the
selfa safedistance
pullthe
nearest
exit.Holding
theextinguisher
upright,
(insef)and
lockpinoutof thehandle
aimthenozzle
at
thebaseof theflames.
Squeeze
thehandle
andspray
rna quick,side{o-side
motion(/eff)untilthef ireisout.
Watch
for"flashback,"
orrekindling,
andbeprepared
to spray
again.lf thefirespreads,
leave
thebuilding.
Dispose
of burned
wastefollowing
theadvice
of thef ire
profesdepartment.
Afteruse,havetheextinguisher
sionally
recharged;
replace
it if it is non-rechargeable.

T6

ELECTRICALSAFETY
lectricityplaysa majorrolein the
modernwoodworking
shop,poweringmachines
andtools,lightingfixturesandlamps,andheatingsystems.
Electricityis
thatit isall
socommonplace
tooeasyto forgetis potentialfor danger.
An electrical
shock,evenonethatcan
Forthisreahardlybefelt,canbedeadly.
is strictlyregson,theelectrical
system
designed
ulatedbycodes
andstandards
to protectyoufromfireandshock.
Livingsafelywith electricityalso
requiresfollowingbasicprecautions
Inspect
designed
to preventmishaps.
plugsfor cracksandpowercordsfor
frayrng,andreplace
anywornor damagedpart beforeusinga tool.Never
replace
ablownfusewithoneof ahigheramperage.
Donotplugathree-prong
pluginto a two-slotoutletby removingthegroundingprongfroma threeprongplug.Instead,
replace
theoutlet
withaGFCI|WA.
Beforeundertaking
a repair,shutoff
theoowerattheservice
oanel.Towork
wearrubbergloves
and,
on thesystem,
wherepossible,
useonlyonehand,keepingyourfreehandbehindyourback.

INSAFELY
PLUGGING

UsingGFGI
outlets
TheU.S.National
Electrical
Coderequires
thatanynewoutletin a garage
or unfinished
basement
mustbe protected
bya ground-fault
circuitinterrupter(GFCI).
A GFCIprotects
a circuit-andyou-by monitoring
theflowof
passing
it andtrippinginstantly
whenit detects
a leakto
electricity
through
ground.
anoutletin yourshop,installa GFCI,
suchas
lf youneedto replace
manufacturer's
theoneshown
above,
followingthe
directions,
or havea qualimonthbypushing
fiedelectrician
dothework.Testtheoutletonceevery
the
TESTbutton;
theRESET
buttonshouldpopout.lf it doesnot,havetheoutlet
Toreactivate
theoutlet,press
theRESET
button.
serviced.

F(|REXTENSION
MINIMUM
WIREGAUGE
CORDS

o-2.0
2,1-3.4
3.5-5.0
5.1-7.0
7.I-12,0
12.1-16.0

gauge
Choosing
a wirewiththeproper
Usinganextension
cordwiththewronggauge
can
in lossof powcause
a dropin linevoltage,
resulting
heat.andtoolburnout.
Referto the
er.excessive
chartat leftto determine
theminimum
wiregauge
your
forthetoolandtaskat hand.lf, for instance,
toolhasa 7 -ampmotorandyoulre usinga 75{oot
gauge
extension
cord,theminimum
should
be 14.
Choose
onlyround-jacketed
extension
cordslisted
(UL).
byUnderwriters
Laboratory

F(lR
MINIMUM
GAUGE
TENGTH
DIFFERE}IT
CORDS

AMPERAGI
RATII{G
OFTOOL
25'

50'

75'

18

18

18

18
18

18

18

18

18
18

16
T4

16
t4

16

I2

T2
10

t7

PERSONALSAFETYGEAR
-f h. personal
safety
equipment
shown
I belowcango a longwaytoward
shieldingyou
frommostdangers
in the
workshop.
Butcarryingan inventory
of safetygearis not enough;theitems
mustbeproperlyusedto protectyou
frominjury.
Theneedfor someitemsmaynotbe
readilyapparent,
althoughthedangers

areveryreal.Fewwoodworkers
needto
beremindedof thecuttingpowerof a
spinningsawbladeorjointercutterhead.
Less
wellknownarethelong-termeffects
ofbeingexposed
to thesoundgenerated
by powertools.Thecharton thenext
pagelistsa varietyof powertoolsalong
with theirapproximate
noiselevelsin
Thechartalsoindicates
decibels.
the

Iongestrecommendedtime that an
unprotectedpersoncanbe exposedto
variouslevelsbeforeriskingpermanent
hearingloss.
Remember,
too,that evenshort-term
exposureto somenoise,while it may
not leadto hearingloss,can dull the
senses
and causea woodworker'salertnessto flag-a setupfor an accident.

A PAI{OPIY
OFSAFETY
EOUIPMENT
5afety gogglee
Flexible,moldedplaati"
f,:
lli
6o6qleoprotect eyee.
Typewith perforated vani \
holeaehieldaaqainat impact
injury and sawduat; type with
baffled vents protecto a7ainot
ahemical apla ehea: nonvented
qoq7leaalbo available.
Faae shield
Clear plaatic ahieldprotecta a4ainat. flyinq debria
and eplaahea;featurea
adjuetable head 4ear
Rubber glovea
Houaeholdrubber
gloveoor dieposable
vinylqloveoprotect
aqainot mild chemicals
or finishea;neoprenerubber aloveashield akin
from cauetic finiahinq
Producto

for one-time-uoe protection aqainet inhaiationof


duat or miaX featurea a
cotton or fiber shield with
an adjuotable head atrap
and a metal noee olip

Dua l-aaftri dg e res pi rato r


Frotecta aqainet fumeawhenworkin4
with chemicalaor aprayinqa finiah.
lnterchanqeablefiltera and chemical
cartridqee ehield aqainat opecific hazards; filter prevents inhalationof dust.
Cartridqea purify air and expeltoxina
th rough exhalation valve

Reuaableduat mask
Features a neoprenerubber
or aoft plaatii frame with
an adjubtable head etrap
and a replaceablecotton
fiber or 7auzefiltec protecte
againet duet and misL

Ear plugs with neakband


Detachablefoam-rubberpluqa compreooed
and inaerted into ear canals providehearinq
protection from high-inteneity power tool
noiae;plaatic neckbandfits around neck
Ear muffs
Cuahionedmuffa with
adiuetable plaatic head
eirap protbct hearinq
againot hi1h-intenaity
noiae from power toola

Work gloves
For handlinqrouqh
lumbentypically featuree leather or thick
fabrio palmo and finqertipe with elaaticized or
knitted wrists

2afetyglaeeee

\
?;f:lT,if'tr:;i::fT:f
leneeeproteot eyeb from flyinq
woodchipo and other debris:
t.ypicallyfeature aide ahielda

t8

SAFETY

T(|(ILS
PR(IDUCED
BYPOWER
NOISE
LEVELS
*
IEVELS
MACHII{E
SOUND

115

1%-Hfrouter

I09

112

2-HF circular eaw


l-HP router
%.-HPradial arm
%-HPioi
%-HFrouter
%-HPband

2-HFahaper
2-HP table aaw
%-HFdrill preao
* Higheet decibel rating
while cutting hardwood
Occupational )afety a nd
Healih Adminiat.rat'ion
(OAHA) atandarda for
permiaoible noiae expoeure
without heari n4 protec'tion

Sound level
in decibela
Maximum
oafe expooure
per day (hr)

yourhearing-unless
yourunthemachine
all day
drillpressis unlikely
to damage
Whilea %-horsepower
produced
only
a
1
%-horsepower
router
can
be
dangerous
after
to the noise
by
long-unprotected
exposure
produced
power
Keep
in
noise
levels
by
a
variety
of
tools.
chartshows
approximate
30 minutes.
Theabove
generate
with
well-sharpened
cutting
edges.
morenoise
thanthose
mindthattoolswithdullcutters
or blades

A RESPIRATOR
TESTING
forairleaks
Checking
yourface.No
is onlyasgoodasitssealagainst
A respirator
placeit overyour
Totestyourrespirator,
seal,no protection.
face,settingthetopstrapoverthecrownof yourhead.Adjust
coverthe
thesidestrapsfora snugfit. Totesttherespirator,
outgently(right).There
outletvalvewithyourhandandbreathe
lf air leaksout
around
thefacepiece.
shouldbe noair leakage
readjust
thestrapsfora tighterfit. Replace
of therespirator,
following
themanufacturer's
thefacepiece
whennecessary
Usetheappropriate
filinstructions,
or replace
therespirator.
tersforthejobat hand.(lf youhavea beard,usea full-face
ventilation.)
maskwithforced-air

,.+s\N\\

,$;

{ / fl \ /

I9

SAFETY

()FPUSHSTICKDESIGNS
A VARIETY

12"

12"

PUSH
STICKS
Pushsticksforfeeding
stockacross
stationary
tooltablescanbe purchasedready-made,
buttheyare
easyto makein the shopusing%inchplywood
scraps
anda bandsaw
or sabersaw.Thevariations
shown
above
canserveasroughguides,but
nooneshapeis idealfor everysituation.Design
a pushstickthatis comfortable
to holdandsuitedto the
machine
andooeration
at hand.The
pushstick
longbaseof a rectangular
(above,left)or shoe-shaped
model
(above,right)allowsyouto apply
pressure
firm downward
on a workpiece.Eitherdesign
will effectively
keepyourhandsawayfroma blade
or cutterwhilepushing
narrow
stock
across
a sawtable.
Formostcutson a tablesaw,design
a pushstickwitha 45' anglebetween
the handleandthe base(above,
cenA pushstickfeaturing
fer.).
a smaller
angle,
withthe handle
closer
to the
table,worksbetterfor rippingwood

'

on a radialarmsaw.Whatever
design
To usea pushstickon a radialarm
youchoose,
the notchonthe bottom
saw(below),
set it against
thetrailedgemustbedeepenough
to support
ingendof theworkpiece
andfeed
theworkpiece,
butshallow
enough
it intothe blade;at thesametime,
notto contact
themachine
table.You
applysomesidepressure
to keep
canalsochamfer
theedges
of the
thestockflushagainst
thefence.
grip.
handle
for a morecomfortable
Whenthecut is completed,
retract
Keepyourpushstickscloseat hand, the pushstickcarefully
to prevent
readyto feedstockwhennecessary. it fromcatching
in the blade.

20

SAFETY

PUSHBTOCK

FACE
JOINTING
FOR
A PUSHBLOCK
Thelong,widebaseof thepushblock
the
shownaboveis idealforsurfacing
faceof a boardona jointer.Although
pushblocks
forsuchjobsareavailable
youcaneasily
fashion
commercially,

yourown.Referto the illustration


for
buttailorthe
dimensions,
suggested
to suityourownneeds.
design
to size,thengluethe
Cutthepieces
of thebase,flush
lip to theunderside
to the
thehandle
withoneend.Screw

2I

it sothebackis even
top,positioning
withthe endof the base.Drivethe
of the base;
screws
fromtheunderside
to
thefasteners
besureto countersink
whenyou
theworkpiece
avoidmarring
feedit across
thejointerknives.Borea
holenearthefrontendof the baseso
youcanhangthe pushblockon the
wallwhenit is notin use.
Tousethepushblock,settheworkpieceon thejointer's
infeedtablea
fromtheknives,
butting
fewinches
thefence.Thenlay
its edgeagainst
ontopof the
thepushblocksquarely
itssides,with
between
stock,centered
endof the
thelip overthetrailing
hand
workpiece.
Withyourleading
on thefrontendof thestockandyour
thepushblock,
against
thumbbraced
across
the
slowlyfeedtheworkpiece
knives(/efil.(Forstockthinnerthan
3/a
Apply
inch,useonlythepushblock.)
pressure
to keepthestock
downward
flatonthetablesandlateral
Dressure
thefence.
to keepit buttedagainst

SAFETY

FEATHERBOARDS
Featherboards,
alsoknown
asfingerboards,
areusedto keepstock
pressed
snuglyagainst
thefenceor
tableof a stationary
tool.Theyalso
serve
asanti-kickback
devices,
since
thefingers
allowa workpiece
to
movein onlyonedirection-toward
thebladeor bit.Twobasicdesigns
areshown
at right.Themiter-slot
featherboard
is attached
to a bar
thatisclamped
in themiterslotof
a woodworking
machine
table.The
standard
featherboard
isclamped
directly
to thetableorfence.
Tomakeeithertype,cuta %-inchthickboard
3 to 4 inches
wideand
longenough
to suitthejobat hand.
Cuta 30"-to 45o-miterat theend
of theboard,
thenmarka parallel
line
about5 inches
fromthemitered
end.
Cuta series
of X-inch-wide
slotsto
themarked
lineabout1linchaoart,
creating
a rowof pliable
fingers.
For

FEATHERB()ARDS

9tandard
featherboard

themiter-slot
type,routa slotdown
the underside
of thebar.(Acarriage
themiddleof the boardwideenough boltorflat-head
machine
screwwill
for a machine
screw;
alsocuta wood workwell.)Tosetupthefeatherboard,
barthelength
andwidthof thetable's slipthescrewthrough
thebar,fit the
miterslot,Borea holeforthescrew
barin thetablemiterslot,andusea
through
thebar,countersinking
it so
washer
andwingnutto fastenthe
thescrewheadcanbe recessed
in
featherboard
tightlyto thebarso its
f ingersholdtheworkpiece
against
thefence.Clamp
themiterbarin
placeat thefrontor backof thetable.
Forthestandard
featherboard,
cut
a notchoutof oneedgeto accommodate
a supportboard.Tousethe
deviceonthetablesaw(/eftl,clamp
onefeatherboard
to thefenceabove
the blade,
andplacea second
one
halfway
between
thebladeandthe
frontof thetable.Clampa support
boardperpendicular
to thefeatherboardfor extrapressure
to prevent
it fromcreeping
outof place.For
thecutshown,
feedtheworkpiece
intothebladeuntilyourtrailing
fingersreachthefeatherboards.
Then,
withthesawstillrunning,
moveto
thebackof thetableandpullthe
pasttheblade.0r, use
workpiece
a pushstickto complete
thecut.

22

FIRSTAID
carefrrl-orstopworkingost woodworkingaccidentsarise Beespecially
ifyouarefatigued.
from the improperuseof tools
canbefalleventhemost
Accidents
and safetyguards,unsafework habits,
Boards
split,blades
woodworker.
materials.
carefirl
hazardous
mishandling
and
finishing
Many
liquids
splash.
properly
for
a
nick,
and
to
set
up
Thkethe time
productscontainchemicals
thatemit
job, gatheringtogetherthe tools,equipor naucausing
dizziness
ment, and materialsyou need.Always ioxicfumes,
potential
hazards
in
mind
the
sea.
Keep
gear.
Work
safety
usethe appropriate
job.
use.
Storea
or
material
of
anv
tool
vou
a
never
hurry
through
methodically;

FIRST.AID
SUPPTIES
Adheaive bandagea
)terile 4auze dreeeinqo
with adheaiveatripa for
protecting acratchea or
minor cuta. Availablein a
widevariety of sizes and
ahapes:gquare,rectan'
qutAr,rouid, butterfty,
and finaerbip

Tweezera
Extract eplintera or other emall
objecto lod7ed in akin. Made of
etainlese steel in a variety of
ohapeeand aizea;flat-tipped
type 41/z inchealon7 ie common

withthebasicsupfirst-aidkit, stocked
pliesshownbelow,in aneasilyaccessible
spotin yourshop.In theeventofanaccito beableto
dent,youwill wantanyone
firstaid.
find it quicklyto administer
numbers
telephone
Keepemergency
for handlingsome
handy.Techniques
areshownon
commonshopmishaps
thefollowingpages.

Oauze roller bandage


Otedle roll oecureaqauzedreoainga; faotened with medical tape
or aafety pin, or by knottinq. Available in lenqtha of 5 to 10 yardo
and widtha of 1 to 4 inchea

Medical tape
)ecurea qauzedreeein7a,1auze
roller bandaqesor eyepada: hypoaller4enicfor aenaitiveakin.Avail'
able in lenqthaof 2 %to 10yarda
and in widths of %to 5 inches

Ipeaaa eyrup
For inducin7vomitinq
in a poiaoningvictim.
Caution:Administer
only if advieed by a
phyeicianor poiaon
control center

Triangular bandage
Multipurpoee cotton banda7ecan be
folded to make alin4,pad, or bandaqe;
meaeurea55 incheaacroeo baoeand
36 to 40 incheaalona each aide
Eye irrigator
Filled with water and
ueed to fluah foreiqn
particleo from eye

Rubbingalaohol
Alao knownaa
iaopropylalcohol:
aterilizea tweezero
and other firat'
aid equipment

Hydrogen peroxide
For cleaninqwounds
beforeapplyinqadheoive
banda7ee,1auzedreaa'
inga,or qauze roiler
bandaqea;aommonly
availablein 3% aolution

r\r\
Gauze dreeaing
)terile pad for coverin7 a
wound;becuredwith medical
tape or qauzeroller bandaqe.
Availablein aizes of 2-by-2,
3-W-3 and 4-by-4 inchea

23

\\\)

\-'l
Eye pada
)terile pado taped over eyee
to protect them and prevent movement:aelf-aaneoivepatchea alao available

SAFETY

PROVIDING
MINOR
FIRST
AID

//

Clearing
a pailiclefromtheeye
Holdyouraffected
eyeopenwiththeforefinger
andthumbof
onehand.Slowlyrotateyoureye,if necessary,
to helpexpose
the particle.
Gentlywipeawaythe particle
usingthetwisted
endof a tissuemoistened
withwater(above,
left).Or,till an
eyeirrigator
withcoolwateranduseit to flushoutthe particle.
Leanforwardwith botheyesclosedandpressthe rim of the

irrigator
against
theaffected
eye,andtilt backyourhead.Open
youreyes(above,
right)andblinkseveral
timesto flushoutthe
particle.
lf youcannotremove
theparticle,
seekmedical
help
immediately.
Caution:
Donotremove
a particle
that is onthe
cornea,
is embedded,
or hasadhered
to theeye.

Flushing
a chemical
fiomtheeye
Holding
the eyelids
of theaffected
eye
apart,flushtheeyethoroughly
forat least
15 minutesundera gentleflowof cool
waterfroma faucet(right)or pitcher;tilt
yourheadto onesideto prevent
thechemicalfrombeingwashed
intotheuninjured
eye.lf youareoutdoors,
flushthe eye
usinga gardenhose.Gentlycoverboth
eyeswitheyepadsor sterilegauzedressingsandseekmedical
helpimmediately.

24

SAFETY

outa splinter
Pulling
with
thesolinter
Washtheskinaround
even
soapandwater.(A metalsplinter,
it, mayrequire
if youareableto remove
help,)
seekmedical
fortetanus;
treatment
a needle
sterilize
thesplinter,
To remove
Ease
alcohol.
withrubbing
andtweezers
outfromunderthe
theendof thesplinter
thenpullit outwith
skinusingtheneedle,
(right).Cleanthe skinagain
the tweezers
cannot
withsoapandwater.lf thesplinter
attention.
seekmedical
beremoved.

Treating
a cut
Wrapthewoundin a cleanclothand
withyourhandto
applydirectpressure
keepthewoundelevatstopanybleeding;
blood-soaked,
ed. lf theclothbecomes
perwrapanother
clothoverit. lf bleeding
seek
sistsorthewoundis deeporgaping,
washthewound
medical
help.Otherwise,
it; for
withsoapandwater,thenbandage
draw
its
edges
shallow
wound,
a narrow,
(left).
closedwith a butterflybandage

25

SAFETY

CONTROTLING
BLEEDING

4@= \,

Applying
directpressure
to stopbleeding
To helpstopprofuse
or rapidbleeding,
applydirectpressure
to dressing
to inspect
thewound.
lt willbeeasier
to maintain
thewoundwitha gauzedressing
or a cleanclothand,if possi- steady
pressure
if youwrapthewoundwitha rollerbandage
ble,elevate
the injury(above,
left).DiecIpressure
shouldstop (above,
right)toraddeddirectpressure.
lf youcannotstop
theflowof bloodandallowit to clot.lf thedressing
becomes thebleeding,
callformedical
help.
blood-soaked,
addanother
overthefirstone;avoidliftingthe

HANDTING
A SH(ICK
VICTIM
Treating
a shockvictim
Somedegree
of shock-either
immediate
or
delayed-accompanies
anyinjury.
Shockcanbe
provoked
by lossof blood,pain,or an allergic
reaction.
Signsof shockinclude
anxiety
orconfusion;coldorclammy
skin;weak,iregular
breath.
ingor pulse;andlossof consciousness.
lf you
suspect
an injuryvictimis suffering
fromshock,
immediately
callforemergency
help.lf thevictim
placehimon hisbackwithhisfeet
is conscious,
propped
up8 to 12 inches
above
thelevelof his
head(right).
Loosen
thevictim'sclothing
around
theneck,chest,andwaist.Keepthevictimwarm
witha blanket,
butavoidoverheating.
Donotgive
thevictimanything
to eatordrink.

26

SAFETY

SHOCK
A VICTIMOFELECTRICAL
TREATING
a victimfroma livecurrent
Freeing
whocontacts
a livecurrentmay
A person
sensation.
onlya mildtingling
experience
however,
thevictim'smusSometimes,
the
around
involuntarily
clescontract
Donottouchthevictimorthe
source.
lnstead,
immediately
source.
electrical
in thecircuit
stopthef lowof electricity
panel.lf
at a wallswitchor theservice
cannot
beshutoffimmeditheelectricity
suchas
ately,usea drywoodimplement,
thevictimfree
handle,
to knock
a broom
source(right).CallIor
of the electrical
m e d i c ahle l pi m m e d i a t et lhye, nc h e c k
lf there
andpulse.
thevictim's
breathing
givemouth-to-mouth
resusis nobreathing,
givecardiopulif thereis nopulse,
citation;
(CPR)
onlyif youare
resuscitatton
monary
q u a li e
f d .l f t h ev i c t i mi s b r e a t h i n
ag
nd
placehimin
hasnoneckor backinjury,
(below).
position
Ttltthe
the recovery
victim's
headbackfaceto drawhistongue
awayfromhisthroatandkeepthe airw a yo p e n K
. e e pt h ev i c t i mc a l mu n t i l
heloarrives.

27

t"tr,,,

''a*6*"'n'

\
,9

*-

."

{r.

\\

SHOPIAOI-]T
Each
thebasement
or a garage.
s they gain experience
pros
A
has
its
and
cons.
baseand accumulatetools.
ment ii apt to be damp and
most woodworkerspine for
mayneedto haveits wiring and
their own specialplace to
heatingupgraded;access
can
practicetheir skills.In their
hampered
narrow
doors,
be
by
fantasies,
the workshopis an
tight stairways,and low ceilairy spaceequippedwith a subings;and ventilationmay be
stantial workbench and an
inadequatefor finishingtasks.
arravof stationarvmachines
garage,on the otherhand,is
A
andportabletools.Thereality
apt
to be cold;it may require
for manywoodworkers,howwiring
andheating.Thewoodever,is much more modest.
workermayendup jostlingfor
The typical shopneverseems
spacewith a car or two.
Even in spaciousshops,tools occasionallyneed to be
to haveenoughlight,power,or
Still,with a bit of planning
movedaround; in small shopl reassigning
elbowroom.
floor spacemay
and the proper layout, even
havespacespecifbe a part of everyproject.A wheeledbasecan make a 10Fewhomes
pictured
theselocationscanbe turned
here,easyto reposition.
inch tablesaw,like the one
ically designedasa workshop
to your advantage:
A basement
area.As a result,settingup a
moreeasilythana garage.
Onthe
canbeheated
andpowered
home shopdemandscreativityand flexibility;the taskoften
hasalargerdoorthroughwhichto move
otherhand,a garage
involvesconvertingan arcaoriginallyintendedfor someothmaterials
likeplpvood,itsairislesshumid,
er purpose.With carefulplanningand forethought,however, lumberandsheet
canbeisoandthedinof powertoolsandfumesof finishing
a locationthat might appearunsuitablecanbeturnedinto an
latedfromlivingspaces.
efficient,comfortableplaceto work.
to followwhen
Thischapter
outlines
somebasicprinciples
severalother
Althoughsizeis oftenthe first consideration,
one.Topics
designing
a newshopor upgrading
anexisting
concernsmaybe more important.For example,situatinga
plannng(pages
for
30and3l);allowing
adequate
space
shopin a spareroomon themainfloor of a homemayprovide include
likeheat,
andprovidingfor necessities
tools(pages
32-40);
a largeworking area,but noiseand dust from toolswould
power(pages
light,andelectrical
41-45).
Bylistingyourobjecprobablyinconvenience
othermembersof the family.To suit
yourwork,youcanapplythese
examining
their own needswithout intrudingtoo muchon the people tivesandclosely
principles
homeshopsin
to create
a layoutthatsuitsyourownneeds.
commonlylocate
theylivewith,woodworkers

Everyhour spentplanningshoplayoutpaysdividendslater
on. Tbdeterminethebestwayto arrangethetoolsplannedfor
placesoverhead-view
silhouettes
theshop,e woodworker
of the toolson a scaledrawingof thespace.

29

WORKSHOPPLANNING
to shufflepapercutouts
I t is fareasier
I of vourtoolson a template
thanit isto
draga tablesawhalfwayicrosstheshop.
Time spentplanningthe layoutof your
shopwill be morethan amplyrewarded
in reducedfrustrationandincreased
efficiencywhenyou go to work.
Designinga shopinvolvesjuggling
many interdependent
variables,from
localhumidityandtheqpe of work you
do to the heightof the ceilingand the
costof wiring. To help sort them out,
likethose
askyourselfasetofquestions,
in the checkliston page31, to help
determinethe kind of shoomostsuitablefor yourneedsandremindyou of
factors that may affect its design.
Remember,
too, a basicprinciplefor

anyshop,illustrated
below,thatthelumbershouldtakea relativelystraightpath
asit is processed-almostasthoughthe
shoowerean assemblv
line.

Referto the illustratedinventoryof


stationarymachines
andtablesstarting
on page32asa guideto spaceandlighting requirements.
Thebestwayto design

A multipurpose stationary
power tool can helpyou make
the most of a crampedworkspace.The machineat right is
an all-in-one tablesew,drill
press,disk sander,and lathe.
Accessory attachmentsalso
allow it to serveas a band
saw,jigsaw, and jointer.

T()OIPLACEMENT
ANDWORKFLOW

Lumbergtoraqe

Dand saw

lxH
'_-J

Designing
a shoparound
process
thewoodworking
F o rm a x i m u e
mf fi c i e n c yl a, yO u t h e
t o o l si n y o u rs h o ps ot h a tt h el u m b e r
followsa f aily directroutefromrough
pieces.
stockto f inished
Thediagram
at
leftillustrates
a logical
workf lowfora
medium-size
workshop.
At theupper
left-hand
corner
istheentrance
where
lumber
isstored
onracks.
Totherightis
thestockpreparation
area,devoted
to the
jointer,
tablesaw(orradral
armsaw),
and
p l a n ear ;t t h i ss t a t i o nl u, m b ei rs c u tt o
roughlengthandsurfaced.
Theheartof
thenextworkarea,nearthebottom
righthandcorner
of thedrawing,
is theworkbench.
Radiating
outward
fromthebench
aretheshop'sotherstationary
tools-in
thiscase,
a drillpress,
lathe,
routertable
(orshaper),
andbandsaw.A toolcabinet
is nearby.
Moving
clockwise,
thef inalwork
areaissetasideforassembly
andf inishing.Thisstation
features
a tableforgluing
up pieces
andshelves
fordrying
andstoring.Thesprayboothis closeby,butisolatedfromtheshopbywallsonthreesides.

Wi,ft
Izil,",t

30

SHOP LAYOUT

the layoutis to experimentwith arranging photocopies


of scaledrawingsof
the tools (page35)on a sheetofgraph
paper.Remember
that a tool shouldbe
doorisvisoositionedsothatan access
ible from it. In addition,a workpiece
kickedbackfrom the tool shouldnot
be ableto strikesomeoneworking at
anotherstation.
for speConsiderdedicatingspaces
cificwoodworkingtasls.A finishingarea
or spraybooth requirespriority in planningbecause
of light,temperature,
and
ventilationneeds.
Dependingon the extentof your shop
you
andlocalzoningandbuildingcodes,
may needto obtainpermits;consult
your localbuilding inspectionoffice.

illltlltl|ltllllljrlllllllllrlllllljllllllrlllllllllilllllljllllllllrll1
1HO?Tt?
Atable eaw on wheels
and
DecauseiI is Lhelarqeot,
q Nool
heaviesl woodworkin
in manyohopo,a Iable
oaw uouallyetaye pul,
whichcan bea drawbackin
a emallohopwhereepaceie
By mounting
at,a premium.
you can
il on wheels,however,
eaeilyehifl your 6awout of the
waywhenit is not in uee.lfyour
baee,measure
sawdid nol comewith a wheeled
ohop
lhe baseof the moNorhoueinqand havea melalworkin4
Formaximuftltrlafitaubuilda rollinqbaoelo your epecificaf,ions,
includinq
the baseehouldhavelhree wheels,
onelhaL
verability,
KeepIhe sawfrom movingor tiVpingwheniNie in ueeby
pivoNe.
wedqinq
two Irianqularwoodehimeunderthe wheelsal lhe
front of the baee.

A SHOPTAYOUT
CHECKLIST
TOGATION

TYPE
OFWORK

WORK
HABITS

o Whichavailable
areas
in andaround
yourhomeareappropriate
fora shop?

. Whattypeof woodworking
projects
will
youbedoing?

r Whatroomtemperature
will youneed
to workcomfortably?

o Howeasyis theaccess
to theseareas?

o Whatsizearethe materials
youwill
needto movein andoutof theshop?

. Whattypeof lightdo youprefer


forworking?

' Howmuchspacewill bedevoted


to
lumber
andwork-in-progress?
storing

r W i l ly o ub ew o r k i ndgu r i n gd a y l i g h t
h o u r so, r w i l ly o ub e u s i n gt h es h o p
at night?

. ls theelectric
wiringadequate
for poweringyourtoolsandlighting?
. Howwellaretheareas
heated,
insulated,andventilated?
r Willshopnoisedisturb
otherareas?
. lf thelocation
is a basement,
willthe
shopbesharing
space
witha furnace
room?
roomor laundry
. l f t h e l o c a t i oins a n o u t b u i l d i nogr
garage,
howmuchspaceistakenup by
lawnmowers,
andsoon?
cars,bicycles,
. Does
orgarage
haveany
thebuilding
heating,
electricity,
or plumbing?
o Howsecureis the buildingor garage
fromtheft?

r Whatstationary
podable
powmachines,
ertools,andhandtoolswillyouneed?
. Arethereenough
electrical
circuits
to
supplyyourpowerneeds?
o Howmanylighting
fixtures
doesyour
workreouire?
. Howmanyworkbenches,
assembly
liketoolcabinets,
tables,andaccessories
scrapbins,andsawhorses
willyouneed?
. Willlocalseasonal
temperatures
and
humidity
affectyourwork?
. Willyoubedoinga lotof f inishing
work?

31

o Whichtoolsdo youexpectto use


mostoften?
. Willyoubeworking
alonein theshop,or
will it be usedbyanother
worker?
Would
thatperson
haveeasyaccess
to theshop?
o Willyouneedto locktheshopor keep
it off-limits
to children
or pets?
o Howmanyhoursperdaydo youexpect
to spendin theshop?
r ls theflooring
madeof a material
that
is comfortable
to standon for longperiodsof time?

PLANNINGFORSTIIfIONARYTOOLS
TABTE

sAw

LIOHTING
Naeda liqht from
above, to the laft of
and behindblade

LIGHNNA
Needeliqht.from
aboveand to
the riqht of
blade;porLable
clamp-onli7ht
can be uaed

CLEARANCE
Needa enouqh clearance around table for
lon6 boarde;keeplineof
work clear. Best location ia center of ahop

CLEARANCE
No clearanceneededon throatcolumn aide; requirea4 feet of
clearanceon other aideefor lonq
boarda. Keepline of work alear.
Can be poeitionedaqainat a
wallor in a corner

RADIAT
ARMSAW

LIOHTINO
Needali7ht
from aides,
front and
above

ROUTER
TABTE
LIOHTING
Needaliqht
from front
and both
aides

CLEARANCE
CLEARANCE
Na clearanae needed behindtool; qood
location ia againat
wall.Allowabout 12
feet of clearance
on either eidefor
long boarde

Relativelyportable.Allow
at leaat 6 fert of clearance
in front and to the aides
whenin operation;needo
no clearancebehindtable.
Good location ie aqainet
wall: keepline of work
clear so that a kiaked
back workpiecewould
not.atrike another worker

32

SHOP LAYOUT

SHAPER

DRITL
PRESS

LIOHTING
Liqht muat focua
directly on bit
from overhead;
portable clamp-on
Iiqht can be uaed

CLEARANCE
No clearanceneeded
behindtoob qood loca'
tion ia aqainet wall,
AIIow3 feet of clearance on either aide,
and enou4hclearance
in front for widework

LIGHTING
Needalight from
fronL and aidea

CLEARANCE
Allowat leaat 6 feet of alearance in front and to the sides:
no clearanceneededbehindtool.
Good location is aqainat wall;
keeplineof workclear ao that a
workpiecethat ie kickedback will
not atrike another worker

JOINTEUPTANER

LIOHTINO
Needalightfrom
aboveand front
of tablea

JOINTER
CLEARANCE
Allow3 to 4 feet of clearance
on aidea,more for lonqboarde;
keeplineof workclear. Good
location ta near lumberatoraqe
rack for eaey aurfacin4of atock

LIGHTINO
Needaliqht
from lefL
and rear
of tool

TATHE
LIOHTING
)verhead li4ht
muat focua
directly on work
CLEARANCE
Allow3 feet of clearancein front of
tablea and enouqhclearanceon
both aideafor long boarde;keep
lineof workclear. Dest location ie
behindor to [ef, of table eaw

CLEARANCE
Leave3 feet of clearancein front:
can be poaitioneda7ainet a wall
ainceworkis containedbv tool

33

SHOP LAYOUT

ASSEMBLY
AND
FINISHING
TABTE

BENCH
GRINDER
Deet.location ia near
lathe aincethe cutting
toola ueed with it require
frequenL4 rindinq. Needa
clearanceand
li4ht on front
only;porEable
clamp-onlight
can be aimed
directly
at whee[

LIGHTING
Needeliqht from
aboveand aidea:natural li4ht preferable

CLEARANCE
Minimalclearance
needed;qood loaation ie near window

STATIONARY
BEtTSANDER
LIOHTINO
Needeliqht from
front and left of tool

scR0ltsAw

CLEARANCE
Allow 5 to 6 feet of clearance to
bhe aidea for lon4 work;leave3 to 4
feet in front of and to either side of
diak aander. Keepline of work clear
LIOHTINO
Li4ht needed
to the riqht. of
blade;portable
clamp-onlight
can be uoed to
ehinedirectly
on work

CLEARANCE
Needa 5 feet of
clearanceat front
and eidea;no alearance neededbehind
tool. Oood location
ie a4ainot wall

WORKBENCH

LIGHTING
Needali4ht
from above,
parLicularly
over viaeo

CLEARANCE
Allow 3 feet of clearance
around viaea;can be placed
a4ainet wall if neceoear,

34

SHOPLAYOUT

TOOTS
DRAWINGS
OFSTATIOI{ARY
SCATE

Layingouta wodtshop
onpapel
toolsdrawnat a scaleof V+inch
viewsof a dozentypicalstationary
aboveareoverhead
Theillustrations
yourtoolson theshopfloor,sketchyourworkshop
spaceon
to 1 foot.Tofacilitatethetaskof arranging
thispage,cut outthetoolsyouneed,andarrange
Thenphotocopy
scaledgraphpaper.
a sheetof similarly
thespaceandlightrequirethe bestlayoutfor yourshop.Consider
the cutoutsonthegridto determine
spaceto eachone.Alsofactorin yourshop'selectrical
32-34)whenassigning
mentsof thetools(pages
shop
andlightingneeds(pages41-43).Usethe samplelayoutsof a small-,medium-,andlarge-size
to getyoustarted.
on page36 asguidelines
beginning

35

SHOPORGANIZATION
LAYOUT
OFA SMALL
SH()P
Laying
outtheshop
Theillustration
below
shows
onewayof making
efficient
useof
thespacein a smallshop-inthiscase,one-half
of a two-car
garage.
Thethreestationary
machines
chosen
areessential
for
mostprojects:
thetablesaw,thejointer,
andthebandsaw.The
sawandjointeraremounted
oncasters
sotheycanbemoved
if
necessary.
Withthebenchandtablethereis amplespace
for
power
handtoolandportable
toolwork.Thestorage
spaceperforated
hardboard
andshelving-islocated
alongthewalls;
a lumberrackis positioned
nearthegarage
door.Anyexposed

f r a m i nign t h ec e i l i n cgo u l da l s ob eu s e dt o h o l ds t o c kR. e f e r


to thekeyin the bottomright-hand
corner
of the illustration
forthetypeandlocation
of electrical
outlets
andlightfixtures.
(near
Notethatthereisanoverhead
master
swrtch
thebench's
t a i lv i s et)h a tc o n t r o a
l sl lt h r e em a c h i n eAs t. t e n t i oi ns a l s o
(represented
paidto feeddirection
of eachmachine
bythe
arrowhead
in the key);theaccess
doorto theshopis always
in theuser's
fieldof vision.
Caution:
lf yourshopshares
space
youwillnotbeableto spray
withmotorized
equipment
finishes.

11'

r-)t
. -?r:
\ _ / 1.. .y':,"-n":
^

scrap
bin

strort
atock atoraqe
thelvinq

e
Worktable

Ferforated hardboard wall etoraqe

Dand aaw
db db

(a)

l l l l v
ll ll )awhoreee
q_Fq_F

T
t t

KEY

V outlet
o 24O
12OV outlet

Jointer

0
o
o
o
o

| | t,mu",
racr
| |

tJ

36

Incandescent liqht fixtu re


FIuoreecent liqht firtu re
Overheadewitch for power toole
Direction of feed

SHOP LAYOUT

tlltllllfillllllffilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillltllllllllllllllll
1HO?TI?
A s af e att'enti o n-get t er
lf the door to t'heehopis outside
are aI
yourfieldofvieionwhenyou
a machine,lhereie the riekIhat'
oomeonemiqhl enLerthe ehoV,t'ap
youon the ehoulder,
and etarLleYou,
ourprioee,
Io avoidaccident'caueinq
mounf,a liqht bulbaI eyelevelnear
the t ool and wireNheswiLchNothe
doorframeeo thaLthe bulbliqhto
whenlhedooris oVened,Wirinq
ano|herbulbto the bellcircuiLof Nhe
can solvethe problemof
relephone
misbina ohone calle:Eaih t'ime th e
bellrinio,rhe bulbwillliqht.

DOLTY
A SHOP
or largeprojects
Towheelworkpieces
theshop,usetheshop-built
around
dollvshownbelow.Startwiththe

I
\._.2

cutting
baseandcornerblocks,
plywood
to a size
themfrom3/q-inch
thatsuitsyourneeds,Screwthe
cornerblocksin place,thenfasten

a casterontoeachblock(abovd.
cut
section,
To buildtheshelved
for
theskirtsandthe eightpieces
the legsfrom1-by-3stock;the shelf
andthe toP
from%-inchplywood;
Thelegsshould
from%-inchplywood.
for the topto sit at
be longenough
height.Screwthe leg
a comfortable
pieces
thenattachthe
together,
skirtsto the legs'insidefaces.Fasten
theshelfandthetopto theskirts.
the legsto the basewith
Secure
brackets.
angle

37

SHOPLAYOUT

SAVING
SPACE
Setting
upa shopin theattic
Atticshopshaveseveral
strikesagainst
them:Theyareoftenuninsulated
and
theirf loorsarenotdesigned
to support
heavy
weight.
In addition,
headroom
is
limitedandaccess
problems,
canpresent
e s p e c i a li lf yy o ua r ew o r k i nwg i t hl o n g
planks
orfull sheets
of plywood.
Butfor
a luthier,
carver,
orwoodworker
whospecializes
in smallprojects,
an atticcan
bean idealspotfora shop.Asshownin
theillustration
at left,nailing
sheets
of
plywood
sheathing-grade
to thejoistswill
produce
a floorthatis sufficiently
sturdy
to holdup a workbench
andoneof the
lighter
stationary
machines,
liketheband
saw,Thespaces
between
thestudsand
rafters
anddownneartheeaves-where
theroofandatticf loormeet-areideal
forstoring
lumber,
tools,
andsupplies.

Positioning
stationary
machines
in a confined
space
lf yourworkshop
youmay
is cramped
haveto forego
an idealplacement
of
stationary
machines
to allowyouto
makethemostofyourlimited
space.
Consider
thedesign
of yourmachines
youneedto
andthefeeddirection
use;youmaybeableto placetwo
machines
closetogether
if theyare
properly.
matched
Thehightableof a
bandsawandthefeeddirection
norm a l l yu s e dw i t ht h em a c h i n e
f o, r
example,
makesit an idealmatch
rna tightspace
witha jointer(right).
Thetwocanbe placedclosetogethe r w h i l es t i l lp r o v i d i nagd e q u a t e
spaceto operate
eachmachine
at
separate
times.

38

SHOPLAYOUT

SH()P
LAYOUT
OFA MEDIUM-SIZE
shop
Settingup a basement
T h e m e d i u m - s i zseh o pr e p r e s e n t ebde l o w
s h a r e sm a n yo f t h e f e a t u r e so f t h e s m a l l
shop(page36): the tablesawand jointera masterswitch(thls
olanerareon casters:
t i m en e a rt h ed o o rc) o n t r o lasl l t h e m a c h i n e s ;
t h e m a c h i n ea
s r ep o s i t i o n esdo u s e r sw i l l
s e et h e d o o rn e a rt h e b e n c h ;p e r f o r a t e d
h a r d b o a radn d s h e l v e sf o r s t o r a g el i n et h e
p e r i m e t eorf t h es h o p( s u p p l i ecsa na l s ob e
s t o r e du n d e rt h e s t a i r s )a; n d t h e l u m b e r

rackis locatednearthe mainaccessdoorat


. i t ht h e e x t r as p a c e ,
t h e f o o to f t h e s t a i r sW
, d r i l lp r e s s ,
t h i s s h o ph a sr o o mf o r a l a t h e a
r . w o r kt a b l ef o r g l u e a n da d u s tc o l l e c t o A
u p a n df i n i s h i n gi s p o s i t i o n eadt a w i n d o w
w i t h a n e x h a u sfta n .T h ef o c a lp o i n to f t h i s
s h o pi s t h e t a b l es a w ;i t i s e q u i d i s t a nf rto m
t h e s t o c kp r e p a r a t i oanr e ai n f r o n to f i t ,
t h e w o r k b e n ctho o n es i d e ,a n dt h e w o r k
t a b l eb e h r n di t .

KEY
:l 24O V ouLlet
rl' 12OV outlet
lt4hLftxl;ure
A lncandeacenL
ltqhLfixt.ure
O FluoreecenL
@ OverheadewtLchfor
powertoolo
@ Dtrecttonof feed

20'

thelvee

- :o:*".n*- - -?

ofr.Er
Drill prena

ilt

?erforated
hardboard

Sawhoreea

Duai;collector

o
Jointer/

grrrl[)

Lathe

thelvea

Eand saw

o
Windowfan

Lumberrack

39

SHOP LAYOUT

LAYOUT
OFA LARGE
SH()P
garage
Converting
a two-car
callsfora
shown
below
Setting
upa shopwithallthefeatures
garage.
Thisshophasmanyof the
largespace,likea two-car
examined
earlier,
withaddicharacteristics
of thesmaller
shops
thatallowit to handle
a wider
tionaltoolsandconveniences
finishing
room,
rangeof projects.
At onecorneris a spacious
partitioned
withan
fromthe restof theshopandequipped
a bathfanto exhaust
fumes.
Theshopincludes
explosion-proof
feato themachines
roomwitha sinkanda toilet.In addition
andplaner.
The
turedearlier,
thishasa radialarmsaw,shaper,

worksurfaces:
onein thefinishing
shopboasts
threeseparate
room,oneforglue-up
nearthedrillpress,
anda workbench
would
needan indethe
table
saw.
A
shop
of
this
size
beside
panelto power
pendent
electrical
service
allthetools.Tokeep
witha raised
thewiringoutof theway,halftheflooris covered
3/rinchplywood
floor;asshownon page44,an understructure
is laidontheconcrete
flooron 12-inch
centers
and
of 1-by-2s
plywood
Wires
run
in
the
is nailed
to theboards. are
conduits
between
the 1-by-2s.
undertheplywood

l-l
ctampI rl

Explooion'
proof fan

Work
Taorc

rACK

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6'x|O'

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o
o
o
e,

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ul
u^"n
li I ll
l''lll
Work'l"

I ll

lllll,*,"*- lIHHltr|l l

CONCRETE
FLOOR

KEY
24O V outlet
12OV outlet
Incand eacent Iiqht fixtu re
Fluoreacent liqht fixbure
Eleatriaal aervice oub-panel
Direction of feed

Ferforated'
hardboard
Drill
Pree6

?lywood
stora4e

ilil

-l
Fr I

flt--------t

RAI9EDFLOOR

T- F-t
Mobite

Sawhorees
Radial
Disk/belt
aander

6v ) -zcraP

/-\
O \_/

40

ptn

o Aeeembly
table
.----.....--..-.
fr
snetves
|

lpfl

(]

POWER
ELE,CTRICAL
paneldedicatedto the shop.Another
point to remember:Any woodworking
machinethat drawsmorethansixamps
(dedicated)cirshouldbe on a separate
cuit,unlessthetool'smotor is shielded.
Referto theillustrationon page42 as
a guideto planningthe electricallayout
of your shop.As you plan,remember
that evensimple electricaljobs, like
extendinga circuit or replacingan outThey can also
let, canbe dangerous.
causea fairamountof damage-ranging
from burned-outtool motorsto a house
fire-if theyarecarriedout improperly.
Unlessvou arecualifiedand comfortablewiih the ideaof wiring your shop
to theelectricalsystem,havea qualified
do thejob.
electrician

shouldbe
f, lectricpowerrequirement
I ; considered
of
earlyin the process
planning a shop'slayout. Allow for
growth.Then,asyou addnewtoolsand
light fixtures,youwill avoidtheheadaches
system:repeatedtripof an inadequate
ping of circuitbreakersor blowingof fusfunnelingseveral
es,andoctopusadapters
oowercordsinto oneoutlet.
If you planto wire your shopto your
panel,be surethat
home'smainservice
your electrical
supplyhasenoughadditional power.You can geta rough idea
of how manyamperesyour shopwill
draw from the systemby totalingthe
of all thetoolsyou planto use
amperage
the resultin half.If your
dividing
and
able to handle the
is
barely
svstem
on it by your
being'placed
demands
probably
will needto
you
household,
othentrance-in
your
service
upgrade
of
amps
the
number
increase
er words,
theservicepanelcandrawfrom theutility company.If the shopwill be some
distancefrom the main servicepanel,it
is a goodideato installa 50-ampsub-

Theworkbenchis a naturalwork
surface
for usingportablepower
tools.Mountinga powerstripon
oneofthe legsandpluggingit into
theneedfor a
an outleteliminates
cordfor everytool.
separate
extension

TIPS
TAYOUT
ETECTRICAT
r Whenplanning
layout
for
theelectrical
yourshop,makesurethatoutletsfor
powertoolsandlightingfixturesareon
circuits.
seDarate

thatthewiringof yourshopis inadequate.Upgrade


thesystemby installing
andwiringthemto a sepanewoutlets
panel.
ratecircuitontheservice

o Unless
yourshophasbrightwindows
withbattery
or yourlightsareequipped
includeat leasttwoseparate
backups,
layout.
circuitsin yourelectrical
lighting
the
In theeventonecircuitis disabled,
intotheothercircuitwill
lightsplugged
stillwork.

o Protect
or
anynewoutletin a garage
a ground-fault
by installing
basement
(GFCI).
circuitintenupter

r Placeoutletscloseto theeventual
locadistribtionof thetoolstheywillpower;
all around
theshooto allow
uteoutlets
forfuturetoolacquisitions.
. Avoidlocating
onthefloor;they
outlets
filledwithsawbecome
willeventually
dustandbea firehazard.
. Avoidplugging
toolsintooneoutlet
thiscanoveradapter;
usinganoctopus
andis a sign
system,
loadyourelectrical

. Neverworkon thewiringof theservice


live
panel;
wiresmayremain
entrance
evenwhenpoweris shutoff at the main
orfuseblock.
circuitbreaker
. Makecertain
or
thatanynewcircuits
installed
in yourhome
service
sub-panels
to themain
aregrounded
or outbuilding
panel.Individual
must
outlets
service
alsobegrounded.
. Donottakeoff thecoverof theservice
o a nle.
o Never
workonyourwiringin dampor
wetconditions.

4I

. Donottoucha metalfaucet,pipe,
or otherobjectwhenworking
appliance,
onyourwiring.
. Neversplicea powercordor an extenprong
thegrounding
sioncord,or remove
plug.
froma three-prong
. Usean extension
cordto supplyelectricityto an areaonlytemporarily-not
wrnng.
aspermanenl
. Neverruna oowercordor an extensioncordundera rug,mat,orcarpet;
do notfastenthecordusingtacks,pins,
orstaples.
. Never
replace
a blownfusewithoneof
a
do notusea penny,
higheramperage;
fora fuse.
washer,
or foilasa substitute
o lf a circuitbreaker
tripsor a fuseblows
checkfora shortcircuit,and
repeatedly,
whether
thecircuitis overdetermine
loaded.

SHOPLAYOUT

ETECTRICAT
TAYOUT
FOR
A MEDIUM.SIZE
SH(IP
Wiringtheshop
Theillustration
at leftshowsoneelectrical layoutfor a medium-size
shop.The
shophassixseparate
electrical
circuits:
fourfortoolsandtwofor lighting.
The
basicprinciple
to keepin mindis thatno
circuitusing!2-gauge
wireshouldcarry
morethan80 percentof its capacity;
for
20-ampcircuits,
thismeans
thecombinedamperage
of the toolsonthesame
circuitplus25 percent
of theratingof the
largest
motormustnotexceed16 amps.In
thisshop,thetablesawandjointerare
orfseparate
240 V circuits;
theirpower
cordsaresuspended
fromtheceilingwith
twist-type
outlets,
whichkeepthe plugs
in place,Witha combined
loadof 15 amps,
the bandsawandthedrillpressareon
thesame120V circuit;the latheis on
another.
Additional
outletson the 120V
circuitscanbeusedforportable
tools.The
incandescent
andfluorescent
lighting
circuitsareseparate
sothatif onefails
theotherwillstillwork.

KEY
rh
\v 24O V outlet
12OVoutlet
Incandeecentliqhtinq firtu re
t
FIuoreacentIiqhtinq fixture
Directionof feed

0
o
o

42

LIGHTING
cuttingoff lineor
] f youfindyourself
I cannotproperlyexaminea finish
unlessyou takeyour work outside,the
lightingin yourworkshopmayneedan
upgrade.At best,a poorlylit shopwill
at worst,it can
merelybringon fatigue;
work and
contributeto sloppy,imprecise
to accidents.
lightsarethemostpopFluorescent
ular type of workshoplighting fixture.
light,
Theycasta relativelyshadowless
andtheyuse
thetubesarelong-lasting,
20 percentto 30 percentlesselectricity
lightsof the same
than incandescent
find that
Manywoodworkers
brightness.
light canresultin
too muchfluorescent
however,
andprefatigueandheadaches,
and
fer the warmth of incandescent
tungstenlights,
At a minimum, a shopbiggerthan
120scuarefeetneeds2 wattsof incanwalt of fluorescent
descentlight or 3/q,
light per squarefoot,As in the electricallayoutillustratedon page42, shop
from
lightsshouldbe circuitsseparate

yourtools.Ideally,thelight fixtureswill
circuits.
tvvoseDarate
bedividedbetween
1600
Asa ruleof thumb,do notexceed
wattson one20-ampcircuit.Also,distributelightingfixturesaroundtheshop;
mountinga singlefixturein the middle
of the ceilingwill makeit difficult to illuminatethe shadowyareasat the edges
ofthe shoo.
If possible,makethe mostof natural
espeIight;thereis no bettersubstitute,
finishing.
work
and
ciallyfor hand-tool
planing,sanding,and
Tryingto evaluate
jobs
underartificiallight can
finishing
be frustrating.Both fluorescentand
light tendto distortor disincandescent
guisethe surfacetextureof naturaland
Naturallight,
finishedwood surfaces.
particularlyfrom the north,hasa soft,
quality.If yourshophasa winnon-glare
dow that facesnorth, placeyour workbenchunderit.
Keepin mind that upgradingthe
lighting in your shopneednot entail
purchasing expensivefixtures and

llllllllllllllllllllllll
IllIilltllllfillIIIfillfillilllllllllllllllI]I1
1HO?Tt?
1,,,,,\,
A benah'dog
l'lllt'+qil'\'-.
lamo oupport
"
l ----t\
- A " . a-'\ r:--:\
Fora movablesourceof
."r:r'i
,/
liqhl aI your workbench, /
\
aitach A desklampNo {-'- *--"'"'
oneof the benchdoqe.Dore
a holeNheeamediameNer
as the ehafLof Lhe lamp
into the headof
a wooden.do,q +:==::::=--::R-::::-..--=.:
-- -------=:*:
(pa4e62).The
-:]
li,ahr,
canLhen
b:epoeitioned *.
- *-<<*.*t3al any of the
ja-. _;
alonq -__-doqholeo
the bench.

43

rewiringthe system.Simplypaintinga
concretefloor a light coloror covering
the ceilingwith whitetileswill allow
to reflectlight,ratherthan
thesesurfaces
absorbit.

A clamp-onlampcanshedall thelight
you needto worksafelyat a tool.
Mountedon a drill press,thislamp's
flexibleneckaimsa 4)-watt bulb
worktable.
directlyat themachine's

FLOORS,
WALLS,AND CEILINGS

Standingin oneplacefor hourson


a concretefloor can strain your feet
and legs.An old pieceof carpetor a
commercialanti-fatigue mat providesa cushionthat can be easily
movedabout the shop.

most workshopsare set up


Q i":.
or garages,
\,, In basements
concrete
floors are a common feature.Yet for
anyonewho hasto spendmuch time
standingon concreteor sweepingit
clean,the materialcan prove both
uncomfortable
and inconvenient.
The
hard surfaceis particularlytough on
toolsthat aredroppedaccidentally.
Simplypaintinga concretefloor with
a paintmadespecifically
for thepulpose
will keepdown the dust and makethe
surfaceeasierto clean.Adhesivevinyl
floor tile canbe laid down aswell.Yet
manywoodworkerspreferthe comfort
of a raisedwoodenfloor.A simolefloor
canbe constructed
from sheeisof %inch plyruoodlaid atopa grid of 1-by2son 12-inchcenters.
Not only is this
qpe of flooreasier
on thefeet,but wiring
for stationarypowertoolscanbe routed underneath
the raisedsurfacein %incholasticor steelconduit.
Unlikethewallsof mosthomes,those
ofseparate
workshops
seldomareinsu-

Iated.If you livein a northernclimate,


you canincreasethe thermalefficiency
of your shopby coveringits wallswith
wood panelingor sheetmaterial,and
filling the gap in betweenstudswith
insulation.
Woodpanelingin particular
creates
a warm,comfortable
atmosphere.
Interior wall coveringwill makeyour
shop quietertoo, sincethe wallswill
absorbsomeof the din of vour Dower
tools.fu a bonus,youcanconceal
wiring
behindthe walls.Makesurethe basementwallsdo not leakbeforecovering
themwith insulationandpaneling.
To hide the exposedjoists,ducts,
and wiring aboveyour head,consider
installinga ceiling.A suspended
tile ceiling,in whichthetilessit in a framework
of supportshangingfrom thejoists,is
onepopularoption.In a largeshop,a
droppedceilingsuchasthiswill alsohelp
retainheat.Acousticalceilingtilesare
an inexpensive
alternative;the tiles are
attachedto furring stripsthat arenailed
to thejoists.

lll1
ljlliltfilllll1
lllillllfirlilutllllllltlllilIIlllllllllll1
fiulllt
9HO7Tt?
Making the transition to a raieedfloor
lf parl of yourehophaoa raisedfloor,youcan makea smoolh
lransilion from Nhelowerconcretefloor with eeveralbeveled
2-by-6o laidend-No-end.
Cut a rabbeNin oneedqeof each
2-W-6lo accommodate
the plywoodfloor and the 1-by-2
qrid undernealh,
Thenbevellhe oppoeiteedqe,forminqa ram?
lo f acilitatemovinqit emsfrom onefloort o the oLher.Nailor
screwIhe plywoodtothe 2-by-Oe.
\

*ri.

44

HEATINGAND VENTILATION
for mostshops
eatingisa necessiry
ff
I I in North America.Somewoodworkingtasksdemandit; gluingandfinishing in particular require steady
Heatingyour shopalso
temperatures.
makesit more comfortableand safe;
numb fingersinvite accidents.
If your shopis somedistancefrom
your home'sfurnace,a separate
heating
systemwill be needed.Many woodworkersswearby wood heaqit hasthe
addedbenefitof consumingscrappieces.
Yetthis meansfrequentlyfeedingthe
stoveand cleaningthe chimney;insuring your shopagainstfire canalsobe a
units are
oroblem.Electricbaseboard
to
but
can
contribute
moreconvenient,
frequently
are
bills
and
high utility
cloggedwith sawdust.
andpropaneburnPortablekerosene
ersshouldbe avoidedin the shop,since
thev usean oDenflameand emit toxic

exhaust.Coil-typeelectricheatersare
alsoa fire hazard.
Whichever heating system you
keepthe areaaroundit freeof
choose,
sawdustandplaceit awayfrom the finishingand wood storageareas.And
remember,
anysystemwill be improved
by goodventilation.
Consideryour needto controlhumidity. In shopsin humid climates,too
much moisturemeansan investment
in a dehumidifierto keepwood dry
andtoolsfrom rusting.Shopsin more
arid climatesfacethe oppositedilemma and mayrequirea humidifier.
Finally,everyshoprequiresadequate
ventilation.Airbornesawdustandtoxic
finishingvaporsmaynot be asvisiblea
dangeraskickbackon a tablesawbut
thethreattheyposeisjust asreal.While
fire or explosions
dueto high concentrationsof sawdustor finishingvapors

A good
arerare,theycanbedevastating.
the air often
ventilationsystemchanges
enoughto maintainsafelevelsof airbornedustandfumes.It shouldinclude
dustcollectionequipmentat eachstationarypowertool that producessawdust (page7B), and a generalexhaust
setup(below)to removethe dust and
fumesthat remain.
Whilewindowfansor bathroom-tlpe
ventmodelsarefine for generalexhaust
purposes,
a finishingbooth or spray
room requiressomethingdifferent:
tube-axialfan is
An explosion-proof
Fansare ratedby the
recommended.
amountof air thattheymove,measured
in cubicfeetper minute(cfm).Divide
thecubicvolumeofyour shop(itslength
timesits width timesits height)by 6 to
find the ratingneededto changethe air
10timesperhour-the minimumlevel for safeventilation.

A SHOP
VENTILATING
exhaust
setup
Installing
a general
or
lf yourshopdoesnothavewindows
proper
cross-ventilation,
doors
to provide
to cleantheair.
install
anexhaust
setup
Thesystem
shown
at leftis a simpleone,
of anairintake
at oneendof
consisting
to theoutdoors
or
theshopconnected
yourhome's
andanexplosionairducts,
prooffanmounted
in thewallat the
with
end.Theintakeis covered
oooosite
e rt o
a f u r n a coer a i r - c o n d i t i o nf i lnt g
fan
air.Theexhaust
cleantheincoming
causing
is placed
higher
thantheintake,
theairthatrisesto bedrawnoutof the
orienttheexhaust
shop.Forbestresults,
axisof yourshop.
setupalongthelongest

45

WORKBENCH

i - j

r L _.
f

t _

Theirbenchwasa largeaffairthat
heworkbenchis thecornertop,a system
sporteda laminated
with
stoneof thewoodshop,
anL-shapedtail
ofbenchdogholes,
a historyalmostasold aswoodvise,and a legvise.The Shaker
of primiworkingitself.Examples
benchwasnot too differentfrom
havebeenfound
tiveworkbenches
themoderncabinetmaker's
bench
datingbackmorethan2,000years.
picturedon page46.
Woodworkersin ancientRome
has
Thedesignoftheworkbench
advanced
thebasicdesign,devising
little sincetheearly19th
changed
with simplestopsthat
benches
Century;onlyits accessories
and
pieces
of
allowedthemto secure
havebeen
mannerof assembly
Themakersof thisworkbench
capitalized
wood.Until that time,craftsmen
altered.In fact,someclaimthatthe
on the classiclinesof a centuries-olddesign,
wereforcedto holdtheirwork,cutonly true innovationhas been
creatinga scaled-down
benchthat doubles
ting or shapingit with onehand
ubiquitous
inventorRonHickman's
asa living roomtable.
whilechoppingor planingwith the
in the
Workmaterv.Developed
came
other.Furtherimprovements
revolutionized
thewaymanypeople
later.
1960s,
theWorkmaterv
slowly,however,
andviseswereonlyaddedcenturies
it providedsomeof theclampbecause
an Iookatworksurfaces,
With eachrefinementthe workbenchhasassumed
portable
withacollapsible,
It islittle sur- ingabilities
of asandardworkbench
rolein theworkshop.
increasingly
indispensable
prisethatmanycalltheworkbench
themostimportanttoola design.
AlthoughtheWorkmaterru
hasfoundanichein worlshops
woodworker
canown.
A goodworkbench
doesnottakeanactiverolein thewood- aroundtheworld,manywoodworkers-bothamateurand
opt for nothinglessthana solidmapleor
workingprocess-itdoesnot cutwoodor shapeit-but the professional-still
to buildtheirown,believing
performanotheressential
task: beechbench.Oftentheychoose
benchandits accoutrements
Theyfreeyourhandsandpositiontheworksoyoucancut, thatthecareandattentionpaidin craftingsucha benchwill
in theirlaterwork.Thechapterthat follows
In thepast,eventhemost- be reflected
andfinishefficiently.
drill, shape,
workbench,
a moderncabinetmaker's
sin- showshowto assemble
havefallenshortof theideal.Withitsmassive,
usedbenches
needed
to turn an
gle-planktop,theRouboBenchof the 18thCenturywas andhowto installthevisesandaccessories
yetit hadno tail viseor bench ordinarybench
intoa moreflexibleworkstation.
popularthroughoutEurope,
Thedesignof theworkbench
shownonthefollowingpages,
instead,
thetaskwasdonebya sysdogsto holdaworkpiece;
andtechniques,
arebased
onaplan
andanoptionallegvise.Onehundred andmanyof thedrawings
temof iron holdfasts
in Woodsmithmagazine.
improvedon theRoubo. thatappeared
yearslater,theAmericanShakers

With its originsrootedin an era without


powertools,thestandardcabinetmaker's
benchnow incorporatesvisesdesigned
for usewith bothpowerand handtools.

47

ANTATOMY
OFAWORKBENCH
T h. workbenchshownat right is
I patternedafteratraditionalcabinetmaker's
bench,andis craftedfrom
two
solidmaple.Thebendrincorporates
visesconsidered
to be standardequipment a faceviseon thefront,left-hand
endof thebench,anda tail visewith
a slidingdog block mountedon the
oppositeend.
Youcanbuildsuc,h
aworkbench
from
materials
andinstrucaht suppliedwith
tions.Youcanbuytheplansfor abench
yourself.
andorderthematerials
Or,you
in
canfollowtheinstructionspresented
this chapterandconstructa benchto
suit your needs.Whicheverrouteyou
is assembled
in three
take,aworkbench
distinctphases:
thebase(page50);the
top (page53);andthedampingacces
sories-vises(page56),benchdogs,
and
hold-downs(page62).
Thetop surfaceof mostbenchesis
generallybetriveen
33and36inchahigh.
Theheightthat is bestfor you canbe
the distance
determinedby measuring
between
thefloorandtheinsideofyour
wristwhileyoustanduprightwith your
armsat yoursides.
Finishpur workbench
withtwocoats
of apenetrating
oil-basedproduct,
such
astungoil. Not onlydo theseproducts
penetratethe surfaceand protectthe
woo4 but thefinishcanberefurbished
simplyby scrubbingit with steelwool
andrecoating.

Faae viee
Alao knownaa front
vioe;jaw aecures work
a4ainot bench

Bench dog hole


Holda a bench doq
for oecurinq work
on benchtop

r-r

l
f

Arm
Supporta top; top edqe of
arm atface-viae end relieved' I
in aame manner as feet.
Uauallyattached to le6a W - ,
mortiae-and-tenon iointa - l

"relieved"
Eottom ed6e ia
with a recesa for better
aontact with floory ordinarily attached to the le4 with
mortiae-and -tenon iointa
5tretcher

Frovidealaf,eralatability to
bench;attached to the leg6
in oneof aeveralwayo(paqea
50 and 51)

_l
Attachingtheendcapsof a worl&enchto the
apronscallsfor a strongand attradivejoinery
methodThefingu joint (alsoknownasthebox
joint) and thedovetailjoint shownatw are
traditionalfavorita.

l
- t

48

-_l

WORKBENCH

ToP
OfLenlaminal;edfrom a hard
and densewoodauchae mapleor
beech:boardathat makeup top
ehouldbe aelected,prepared,and
7luedup carefullyto provtdea
per-fectly fl at Eurf a ce

Theworkbench
at left
improvedthestandard
designby incorporating a tilting toolchest
underthetop.
Tooltray
)

Aenahdog
Uaedwith tarl or face viseto
clamp eLock;made of metal or
wood.Teneionoprinq keepadoq
aL deeiredheiqht;afLer uae,
dog io pueheddownbelowaurface of benchtop
Sliding dog bloak
Lo Lhetail vieeecrew,
ConnecLed
Lhtsmovableblockcontatnaa
benchdog that. eecureework
on the benchtop

End cap
Llenarate

niere

rntt-

era end grain of top


pieceand eupporte
tatl vtseacrew

tes -\

Moveeelidin7do1 blockLo
adjueLclamptn4capaciLx
to len7th of work

49

BUILDINGTHE BASE
"f

h. baseof a workbenchtypically
J- consists
frames
of two rectangular
connectedby a pair ofstretchers.The
framesareessentially
identical,eachwith
a foot,an arm,andtwo legs.Thearm of
the left-handframeis sometimesabout
3 incheslongerthantheotherarmto provideadditionalsupportfor thefacevise.
For a benchlike the one shownon
pages
48 and,49,use
% maple(l% inchesthick aftersurfacing).The feet,arms
and legs are made from two boards
apieceface-gluedtogether,and then
reducedto the properthicknesson the
jointer and planer.If you wish to build
the basewith mortise-and-tenons,
cut
four-shouldered
tenonsat theendofthe
legsand rout matchingmortisesin the
feet and arms.Tenonsare alsocut at
the endsof the stretchers
with mortises
requiredin the legs.The illustration

belowshowsa knockdown
alternative
to assembling
thebasewith mortiseand-tenons.
Thejointsbetrveen
thestretchers
and
thelegsneedto besolid,yetsufficiently flexibleto betakenapartshouldyou

wantto movethebench.Consequently,
knockdownhardwaredesignedfor the
purposeis oftenusedto join thestretchersto the legs.The pagesthat follow
detailsomeothermethodsof reinforcine knockdownconnections.
Bunjoints connecting
thelegs
of a workbenchto thestretcherscan be reinforcedwith
hardwoodknockdow
n finings.
Thefittings are insertedinto
mortises
cut into theends
of thestretchers;
matching
machineboltsand nutsare
thenusedto securetheioint.

REINF(|RCING
KN(ICKD(IWN
J(|INERY
Using
trussrods
Instead
of usingmortise-and-tenon
jointsto buildthebase,usebuttjoints
reinforced
bytrussrods,asshownat
right.Available
in kits,therodscanbe
loosened
or tightened
afterassembly
for woodmovement
to compensate
as
a r e s u lot f c h a n g ei sn h u m i d i t yR. o u t
grooves
for the rodsintotheedgesof
thestretchers
andthe insideedgesof
the legs;the depthandwidthof the
c h a n n esl sh o u l ed o u atlh er o d ' sd i a m e ter.Test-assemble
the baseandmark
locations
thegroove
on the legsand
arms.Thenborea holeat eachmark,
m a k i n tgh ed i a m e t eerq u atlo t h a to f
the rods;countersink
the holessoyou
candrivethe nutsf lushwiththewood
surface.
Assemble
the base,
f ittingthe
rodsintothegrooves
andholes,and
tightening
theconnections
withwashers
andnuts.Cover
thegrooves
withsolid
woodinlayif youwishto conceal
therods.

@8

50

WORKBENCH

boltsandwoodblocks
Usingmachine
between
the
theconnection
To reinforce
gluea woodblock
legsandstretchers,
asthe stockto
of the samethickness
Theblocks
eachedgeof the stretchers.
will increase
the contactareabetween
andthe legs.Oncethe
the stretchers
glueis dry,cut a tenonat theendof each
mortise
in the
anda matching
stretcher
leg.Fit the piecestogetherandboretwo
the leg
boltsthrough
holesfor machine
countersink
andthetenonin the blocks;
fast by
the holes.Makethe connection
fittingthe boltsintothe holes,slipping
onwashers
andtighteningthe nuts(right).

Usinglagscrewsanddowels
wayto stren$hena mortise-andAnother
and
tenonjoint between
thestretchers
legsis shownat left.Cuta 1-inch-diamedowelto a lengthequal
ter hardwood
Then
to the thicknessof the stretcher.
holethroughthe
borea 1-inch-diameter
aboullVzinchesfromits end.
stretcher
Alsoborea holefor a lagscrewthrough
the drillwhenthe bit
the leg,stopping
counreaches
the holein thestretcher:
tersinkthe holesothe screwheadwill
Fitthestretcher
sit flushwiththesurface.
tapthe dowel
tenonintothe legmortise,
intoplacein thestretcher,
anddrivethe
a screwthatis longenough
screw.Choose
to bitethroughthe dowe,.

51

WORKBENCH

PREPARING
THEFEET
Relieving
thefeet
Onceyouaresatisf
iedwiththef it of the
partsof the base,disassemble
thestretchersandlegsandrelieve
thefeetonthejointer.Installa clamponthejointer's
infeed
tableto holdtheguardoutof thewayduringtheoperation.
Setboththeinfeedand
outfeed
tablesfora %o-inch
depthof cut,
andclampstopblocks
to bothtablesto
guidethebeginning
andendof thecut.To
makethefirstpass,lowerthefootontothe
knives,
keeping
it flushagainst
thefence
andthestopblockontheinfeedtable.Feed
thefootacross
the knives(/efiluntilit contactsthestopblockon theoutfeed
table.
Keepbothhandswellabovethecutterhead.
Makeasmanypasses
asnecessary
to completetherecess,
lowering
thetables%oinch
at a time,andreadjusting
thestopblocks
asnecessary.

Installing
adjustable
levelers
To levela workbench
onan uneven
shop
f loor,installadjustable
levelers
in the
feet.Eachleveler
consists
of a T-nut
portion
anda threaded
witha plastic
tip
0nsel.Boretwoholesintothe bottomof
thefootneareachend.Makethehole's
diameter
eoualto thatof theT-nutand
its len$hslightlylonger
thanthethreaded
section.
TaotheT-nutsintotheholes
and
screwin the levelers(right).Oncethe
benchis assembled,
adjustthelevelers
untilthebenchtoo
is level.

52

BUILDINGTHETOP
neof themostimportantfeatures
is a perfectlyflat
of a workbench
top.At onetime,a benchtopcouldbe
built of solidmapleor beechboards
12incheswideand2 inchesthick.But
todaysuchplanksaredifficultto come
slabsarebuilt up from
by,andbenchtop
of ply,voodsandlayers
narrowboards,
wichedbetweenstripsof hardwood,
or laminatedplywoodstripssheathed
edgegluing
However,
in hardboard.
solidwoodboardstogetherbutcheristhetimeasshownbelow
blockstyle,
honoredmethod.
Cut from % stock,theboardsare
gluedtogetherfirst,thenthe slabis
cut to length.To minimizewarping,
sothattheendgrain
arrange
thepieces
Alsomakesurethefacegran
isreversed.

of all theboardsrunsin the samedirection. Thiswill makeit easierto planethe


top surfaceof theslabsmooth.

are bolted to the slab and joined to


the aprons by means of dovetail or
fingerjoints.

the
Aftergluingup theslab,prepare
glued
up
from
are
They
blocks.
dog
a lengthof% stockandoneof% stock
outof the
with thebenchholesdadoed
block
sliding
dog
The
board.
thicker
for thetail viseis sawnoff beforethe
front rail and fixedblockareglued
5a).Next,theslab,fixed
together(page
dogblock,andrearrail aregluedup
(page55);hardwoodkeysand plywoodsplinesareusedto strengthen
theconnections.
Aftertheslidingdogblock,tooltray,
thefinalstep
andapronsareinstalled,
capsto the
the
end
involvesattaching
Thecaps
used:
are
top.Twoconnections

Oncethetop of a benchis installed


heldon
on thebase,a straightedge
edgeacrossthesurfacecanbeused
to checkit for Jlatness.

(lFA BENCHT(|P
ANATOMY

9lidin4
do7 block

Front rail
End cap

53

WORKBENCH

PREPARING
THEFIXED
D(|GBTOCK

tsenchdoq hole

@tsenchdo4

A JIGFORDRIttIl{GBENCH
DOG
HOTES
lf youplanto useroundbench
dogs,youcanusethe shop-made
jig shownbelowto boretheirholes
afteryouglueup the benchtop.
Thejig shouldbeabout10 inches
long;the lip is cut troma l-by-2
Kound
benchdog

andthe basefroma 1-by-4,After


screwing
themtogether,
boreguide
h o l e sa b o u 8t i n c h e a
s p a r at n d
3 inchesfromthe lip, Theholes
shouldaccommodate
thedogsyou
w i l lu s e .
Tousethejig,clampit to theright
endof thedogblocksothe lip is
against
thefrontedgeandtherighthandguideholeis overtheposition
of thefirstdoghole.Usingtheguide
holes,borethef irsttwoholesin
thebench.Foreachsubsequent
hole,
remove
theclampandslidethejig
guide
to theleftuntiltheright-hand
holeis aligned
withthe lasthole
bored.Slipa benchdogthrough
the holes,
clampthejig andbore
the left-handhole(right).Repeat
the
process
untilyouarefinished
boring
alltheholes,

54

Gutting
thebench
dogholes
Benchdogsarefabricated
fromtwoboards,
soit issimple
to cutthedogholesin the
glue-up.Twosteps
thickerpiecebefore
areinvolved.
First,cut a rowof evenly
spaced
dadoes
wideenough
to accept
thedogs;anglethefixed-block
dadoes
slightly
toward
thetailvise,andthesliding-block
dadoes
awayfromthetailvise
sothatthedogswillgriptheworkfirmly
pressure
whenclamping
isapplied.
Next,
clamptheboardto a worksurface
and
usea chiselto notchthetopof each
dadoto acceptthedogheads(lefl.fhat
way,thedogscanbepushed
downflush
withthebenchsurface
whentheyarenot
in use.Nowthetwopartscanbeglued
upto formthefinished
blocks.

WORKBENCH

THEBENCHTOP
ASSEMBLING
'l

upthetop
Gluing
gluglueupthetopslab.Before
I First,
on both
routgrooves
ingupthebenchtop,
andfrontrail,on
of thedogblocks
sides
andbackrail,
front
apron
of
the
face
one
ends
ofthetop
and
the
edges
along
and
Refer
splines.
keys
and
matching
Cut
slab.
page
size
for
the
53
on
drawing
to the
keys,
and
of thegrooves,
andplacement
you
a
tool
incorporate
want
to
lf
splrnes.
rabbets
trayin yourbench,cut r/z-inch
railand
the
back
edges
of
intothebottom
you
process
assembly
later
in
the
apron;
r/z-inch
plywood
piece
form
to
it
of
willf a
block
dog
the
sliding
Set
aside
thetray.
(withthehardwood
keysgluedin place)
glue
spread
back
aprons,
andfrontand
(right),
and
clamp
surfaces,
on all mating
onthe
thebaror pipeclamps
alternating
work.
of
the
tooandbottom
r) Attaching
theendcaps
L m " e n dc a p sc a nb ea p p l r ewdh i l e
(page
57).
thetailviseis beinginstalled
thebenchtop
Whenthatisdone,invert
recess
at eachend,
androuta T-shaped
Cuttworectheedges.
centered
between
so
f ittingsfromscraphardwood
tangular
thattheyfit in thebaseof eachrecess.
Notchonesideof eachfittingto accept
nut,andplacea fittingandnut
a 7e-inch
Settheendcapsin oosiin eachrecess.
the
theycontact
tionandmarkwhere
At eachmarkborea holefora
recesses.
otgh eb o l t
%-inch
b o l t c, o u n t e r b o rsi n
in each
heads
areflush.Routa groove
e n dc a pt o a c c e ptth e p l y w o osdp l i n e ,
rabbetonthe bottom
androuta r/z-inch
inside
edgeof thebackrailto acceptthe
thetailviseontherighttooltray.Install
glueon
handendcap(page5/). Spread
fit theendcaps
surfaces,
thecontacting
(\efl, andboltthemin place(inseil.Finally,
andtooltray
fit thefrontandrearaprons
a n 0c r a m p .

55

VISESAND ACCESSORIES
\ / isesarethe toolsthat transform
V the workbenchfrom a simple,flat
surfaceinto a versatile
work station.The
modernwoodworkingbenchincorporateshvo tlpes of vise:the facevisethat
secures
work to the front edgeofthe
bench,andthetail visethatuseswoodor
metalbenchdogsto securework on the
top of the bench.The pagesthat follow
examinewaysof installingboth the tail
vise (page57) and facevise (page58).
Facevisesmadeentirelyof wood are
rare.However,a woodenviseis preferableto a metaltypebecause
wooden
jawscangrip work withoutmarringits
surface.A good compromisecan be
reachedby buyingthe hardwarefor a
metalviseand mountingwoodenface
blocks.Youcanextendthe capacitvof

a faceviseby boringholesin thebenchtop andsecuringwork betweena bench


dog in the vise'sjawsand one inserted
in oneof theholes.

Thil visesareavailablein two types:


an enclosed
modelthat incorporates
a
slidingdog block (belowandpage57)
and one that featuresan L-shaped
block,asin the photo at left. Sometail
visesextendacrossthe entireend ofa
workbenchand havetwo screws;these
areknown asendvises,andtheyextend
the utility ofan alreadyversatiletool.

Sometail vises,like theoneshown


at left,incorporate
an L-shaped
shoulderblock.Theblockallowswork to be
clampedbetweentherearjaw of the
viseand theendof thebench.

ANATOMY
OFA TAIIVISE
Fixed doq
block

Apron

Vieeflanqe

Viaecollar

56

WORKBENCH

A TAILVISE
INSTALLING
thevisehardware
1 Installing
h ith
I T o i n s t a al l t a i lv i s eo na b e n c w
thevisecoldogblock,position
a sliding
sideendcap
theright-hand
laragainst
theholeforthevtsescrew.
andoutline
board
onthedrillpress
Thenseta support
tableandclamptheendcapontopof it.
bitslightly
witha spade
Fitthedrillpress
thanthevisescrewandborea hole
larger
throughthe end cap(nearright),Screw
thevisecollarto theendcapsothetwo
dog
thesliding
secure
holes
lineup.Next,
the
andclamp
in handscrews
end-up
block
Position
to a worksurface.
handscrews
thevisef langeontheblockandmark
i t ss c r e wh o l e sB. o r ea p i l o th o l ea t
to the
theflange
eachmark,thenscrew
block(farright).

r) Assembling
thevise
dogblockin thebench
L f ttthesliding
keysin the blockrun
sothe hardwood
i n t h eg r o o v ei sn t h es i d e so f t h e r a i l .
thevise
Thread
thevisescrewthrough
test-fit
theendcaponthebenchcollar,
topandlocktheballjointontheendof
thescrewintotheviseflange.Setthe
against
thedog
frontapronin position
of
blocks(/eff)andtestthe movement
lf theslidthescrew.
thevisebyturning
i n gb l o c kb i n d sr,e m o vteh ee n dc a p ,
d o gb l o c ka, n de a s e
a p r o na, n ds l i d i n g
thekeyswitha chisel.
thef it byparing
O n c ey o ua r es a t i si ef dw i t ht h e v i s e ' s
endcaps,
movement,
attachtheaprons,
procedures
outfollowing
the
trays
and
linod nn neop 55

57

WORKBENCH

ANATOMY
OFA FACE
VISE
fixea ,,',------l
doq block
Apron

Face block

Faceplate

INSTALTING
A FACE
VISE
thefaceblock
1 Preparing
3/a-by-31/z
I Cutan 18-inch-long
inch
hardwood
support
blockandscrewit in
placeunderthe frontleftcornerof the
bench,afterboringa rowof clearance
h o l e sf o rt h e b e n c hd o g sN
. e x t b, u i l d
up thefaceblockbygluing
twopieces
of
7ahardwood
together;
cut it to a finalsize
of 5-by-18inches.
To markandborethe
holesforthevisescrewandguiderods,
marka lineacross
thefaceof theface
block;offsetthelinefromthetopedgeby
thethickness
ofthebenchtop
slab(notthe
frontaprondepth).Nowusethecarriage
as a template:
Centeritstop edgeon
thelineandusea brad-point
bitto accuratelymarkthe position
of thethree
holes(right)andborethem.

58

WORKBENCH

r) Preparing
thebench
L Oncethe holeshavebeendrilled
thetr
through
thefaceblock,transfer
apron.
Setthe
location
to theworkbench
on sawhorses
faceblockandbenchtop
to holdtheblockin
andusebarclamps
position
the
against
theapron;protect
stockwithwoodpads.Makesurethetop
edgeof theblockisf lushwiththebenchtopanditsendisf lushwiththeendcap.
ontheapronusing
Marktheholelocations
the
biI (right).Remove
the brad-poinI
f a c eb l o c ka n db o r et h eh o l e st h r o u g h
theapronandbenchdogblock,

Mounting
thevise
thefaceAttach
theviseassemblyplate,screw,
andguiderods-totheface
b l o c kT. u r nt h eb e n c h t oupp s i d de o w n ,
p l a c et h ev i s ec a r r i a goent h eb e n c h ' s
andfeedthevisescrewand
underside,
guiderodsthrough
theholesin theapron
Makepilotholes
andintothecarriage.
andfasten
of thebench
ontheunderside
in place.Next,fastenthe
thecarriage
guiderodbushings
Remove
to theapron:
t h ev i s ea s s e m b lfyi t, t h eb u s h i n gosn
t ea s s e m b layn, d
t h er o d sr, e m o u nt h
ontheapron.
location
outline
thebushings'
againand
theviseassembly
Thenremove
sotheapronis facsecure
thebenchtop
andstraight
bit,cut
ingup.Witha router
withintheoutforthebushings
recesses
to the
lines(left).Screwthe bushings
in theaoronandattachthevise
recesses
topis
Nowtheworkbench
to thebench.
to the base.Laythe
readyto beattached
topupside
downonthef loor,placethe
anddrivelagscrews
basein position,
thearmsintothetop.
through

59

WORKBENCH

JIGSFORIRON.JAWED
BENCH
VISES

Eaeia auxiliaryjaw

Tapered vieejaw

V-grooveviaejaw

Fitting
wooden
inserts
to metaljaws
lf yourbenchis equipped
witha metaljawedviseliketheoneshown
at thetop
of page61, fittinginterchangeable
auxiliaryjawscanextend
thevise's
versatility.Thewooden
inserts
shownabove
will
notonlybe lessdamaging
to workpieces
thanmetaljaws,buttheycanalsobe
jobs.Eachinsert
custom-made
forspecial
r/z-inch-thick
is madefrom
solidstock
witha rabbeted
1-by-1blockgluedat
e a c he n dt o h u gt h ee n d so f t h ev i s e
j a w .A l t h o u gah p a i ri s r e q u i r e do ,n l y
o n eo f e a c hs a m p l ies i l l u s t r a t eTdh. e
basicjaw (above,
left)willdo moststand a r dc l a m p i njgo b s . T htea p e r e jda w
(above,
center)features
a wedge-shaped
stripforholding
tapered
stockefficiently.
jaw(above,
TheV-groove
rghf) includes
a stripwrtha groove
cut downits middle
for securing
cylindrical
work.

fillfilllll}tlllfillfilllllltlllill}Illtllllllitlllltlllfilltlllilllltll
5HO?TI?
A quiak-owitahvise
lf you are reluclanlto boll
your benchvioeonlo your
workbench,
atlach it
ineheadtoaT-shaoed
basemadeof 5/+-inch
\
plywood.Join Ihe
twopieceeofthebase\
to7etherwith a dado
iointand 5crew6.5 ecure
Lheverlical parl of Nhe
b a s ei n e i N h eLr h et a i l o r
face vieeof the bench.

60

WORKBENCH

BENCH
STOP
A SLIDING
is a standard
lf your"workbench"
to
tablewitha benchvisefastened
at
oneedge,thejig andfenceshown
Cut
rightcanlendit someversatility.
t h ea u x i l i a rvyi s ej a w sf r o mf - i n c h
of theT-shaped
stockandthepieces
visejig from%-inchwood.Youwill
forthejig:a topand
needtwopieces
oneauxiliary
a lip.Routa dadoacross
jawto accommodate
thelipof thevise
jig andanother
of
ontheunderside
jaws
theauxiliary
thejig top.Screw
a cutforthe
to thevisejaws,making
thenglueand
visescrewif necessary,
screwthe lip to thetopof thejig.
Cutthe slidingfencefromr/z-inchAuxiliary
thickstockandcut twostopped
viaejaw
grooves
carriage
throughit for Yq-inch
bolts.Tomountthefence,boretwo
holdtheworkpiece
snugly
andclamp
andwingnuts.To usethejig
thetableforthebolts, washers
holesthrough
thevisejaw
andfence,
slidethelip intotheauxil- it in placebytightening
theholesand
feedtheboltsthrough
a n dw i n gn u t s .
iaryjaw,adjusttheslidingfenceto
thegrooves
andfastenthemwith

VISERACKING
PREVENTING
a stepped
block
Using
a workpiece
at oneend
Whensecuring
of a facevise,theotherendof thevise
the
i s l i k e l yt o r a c k - o rt i l t t o w a r d
bench-and
cause
theworkto slip.To
prevent
racking,
usea stepped
hardwood
b l o c kt o k e e pt h ej a w ss q u a r eC. u ta
series
of stepsin onefaceof theblock,
suchas
spacing
themat equalintervals,
r/zinch.Placethe blockin theopen
endof theviseat thesametimeyouare
theworkpiece
sothatthevise
securing
is parallel
to theedgeof thebench(/eft).

6l

BENCHDOGSANDHOLD DOVNS
p enchdogsareasimportantasvises
Ll in maximizingthe flexibilityand
workbench.A
utility of a well-designed
setof benchdogsworkslike a second
pair of handsto secureworkpieces
for
planing,chiseling,mortising,carving,
or otherwoodworkingtasks.
Althoughthe benchdog lookslike a
deceptivelysimplepeg,it incorporates
designfeaturesthat enableit to hold a
workpiecefirmly without slippingin
its hole. One featureusuallyis a thin
metalspringattachedto one sidethat
presses
againsttheinsidewallof thedog
Tohelpstrengthholein theworkbench.
en the grip of benchdogs,the holes
arealsoangledtowardthe viseat 4o.
Benchdogs can be either round
or square.Round dogsare easierto
incorooratein a benchthat doesnot
yethJvedogholes;it is simplerto bore
holesthan to makesquaredog holes.
Sinceround dogs can swivel,their
notched,flat headsenablethem to
clamp stockin practicallyany direcSome
tion. Thiscanbe a disadvantage:
woodworkersclaim that round dogs
tend to slio in their holesmorethan
squaredogi, which cannotrotate.
Benchdogscanbe madeof either
metalor wood.Metaldogshaveaweight,
thatwoodenones
strength,andstiffiress
cannotmatch.Yetwoodendogshave
their advantages-asanywoodworker
who hasnickeda planebladeon a metal dogwill attest.
Benchdogsarenot the only method
ofsecuringstock;benchhooks,carving
andhold downsarealso
hooks,wedges,
usefulfor keepingstockin place.The
followingpagesillustratea numberof
andshop-made
optionsto
commercial
keepworkpiecesput while you work.

This benchdogfeaturesa threadedscrewthat converts


it into a miniature tail vise. Usedin conjunction with
other benchdogs,it excekat clamping small or irregular work, like thepanel shown above.

BENCH
DOGS
Making
bench
dog
a wooden
fromhardwood
Benchdogscanbecrafted
stock;
theoneshown
at leftusesanangled
wooden
tongue
asa spring.
Cutthedogto
fit theholesin yourworkbench,
thenchisel outa dadofromthemiddleof thedog.
Sawa shortkerfintothe lowercornerof
thedado,angling
thecutsothetongue
willextend
beyond
theedgeof thedado,
making
it
Cutthetongue
fromhardwood,
aboutaslongasthedado,aswideasthe
. l u et h e
doga
, n da st h i c ka st h ek e r f G
tonguein thekerf.

62

WORKBENCH

bench
dog
Making
a spring-loaded
be
made
to fit snugly
A wooden
benchdogcan
it
with
a
metal
spring
cutfrom
byequipping
your
hacksaw
blade.
Cut
an oldbandsawor
recess
for
dogto size,thenchiselouta small
recess
Thewidthanddepthof the
thespring.
of the
shouldeoualthewidthandthickness
shorter
spring,
butits lengthshouldbeslightly
Press
thespringinto
thanthatof thespring.
holdthe metalwill bowoutward,
therecess;
ingthedogfirmlyin itshole.

bottomof the dog,exceptfor the


a lipthatwillbutt
head.
Thisprovides
againstthe edgeof the bench(/eff).
To usetheedgedogs,placethe
left-hand
dogin a holein thef ixed
onein
dogblockandtheright-hand
dogblockof thetailvise.
thesliding
Tightentheviseuntiltheworkpiece
(below).
is heldin the notches

EDGE
DOGS
SHOP-MADE
Edgedogslikethoseshownat right
a workpiece
areidealfor securing
alongtheedgeof yourbench.They
featurea rounddowelat oneend
thatdropsintoa benchdoghole
andangledheads
thatbuttupagainst
the edgeof the benchandhold
the work.
Startby cuttingthe dogsfrom
and
hardwood
stock.Bothleft-hand
with
dogsareneeded,
right-hand
in opposing
directheheads
angled
hole
tions.Borea t/z-inch-diameter
theends,anddrivea 3-inch
through
lengthof dowelin eachhole.Then
insertthe dowelin a benchdog
holeandanglethedogsoit extends
beyondthe edgeof the table.Mark
a 90' notchfor the headperpendicularto theedgeof thebenchand
cut it out.To holdtheedgedogin
p l a c ew h e nc l a m p i npgr e s s u ri se
sawa %-inch-slice
off the
applied,

3/+"x21/+"x8"

63

WORKBENCH

Makingandsettingupcarvingdogs
Usinga standard
benchdogasa model,
youcanfashiona pairof customized
dogs
thatwill gripa carvedor turnedworkpiece,orsecureirregular-sized
work,such
To makethese
as miteredmolding.
accessories,
cut bevelson eithersideof
the headof a standardbenchdogand
drivea smallscrewor nailintothecenter of the head;snipoff the fastener's
headto forma sharppoint.To usethe
placeonedogin a dogholeof
devices,
thebench's
fixeddogblockandtheother
in thetailviseor a slidingdogblockhole
(above).
Tightenthe visescrewuntil
the pointscontactthe endsof theworkpieceandholdit securely.

64

WORKBENCH

ANDBENCH
STOPS
HOLD-DOWNS

a hold-down
clamp
Using
a
hold-down
clamps
canbeusedaloneorwithbenchdogsto secure
Commercial
features
anadjustable
Thetypeshown
in placeanywhere
ona workbench.
workpiece
(insef).
Touse
holethrough
the benchtop
holdingboltwhichsitsin a counterbored
thenotchat thebaseof theclamp.
theclamp,raisetheboltheadandslideit through
o v e( l)n. t h e i l l u s t r a S e t t h e w o r k p i e c e u n d e r t h ej ac w
l aamnpd t i g h t e n t h e s c( ar ebw
pressure
to bothsiilesof a doorframe.)
tion,a woodpadis beingusedto applyequal
To remove
theclampfromthebench,slideit off theboltheadandlettheboltdrop
of thetop.
belowthesurface
bench
stop
Making
andusinga temporary
A clamped-on
benchstopcut from7ainchplywood
willsecure
a workpiece
to
without
thehelpof bench
thebenchtop
dogs.Cutthebenchstopto size,then
wedge,
typically
3
markouta triangular
inches
shorter
thanthestoo.Cutoutthe
Tousethebench
wedge
andsetit aside.
stop,clampit to thebenchtop
andslide
workpiece
into
the
notch,
butting
one
the
straight
edge
of
the
noich.
sideagainst
the
tapping
Secure
thepiecewiththewedge,
(/eff).
place
in
with
a
mallet
it tightly

65

WORKBENCH

Installing
a wedgestop
A wedgestopcanalsobe usedto secure
(left).Thestopconstockon a benchtop
sistsof a fixedrailanda movable
rail
thataresecured
bydowelsrestingin a
doublerowof holesboredintotheworkbench.Together
witha triangular
wedge,
therailskeepa workpiece
frommoving.
Cuttherailsandthewedgefrom%-inch
(Youcanchoose
plywood.
thickerstock
fortherails,depending
onthethickness
of yourworkpiece.)
Boretwo L/z-inchholesin eachrail,thengluea
diameter
2-inch-long
dowelin eachhole.Bore
tworowsof %-inch-diameter
holesin the
workbench
for the dowels.To usethe
stop,placethefixedrailat oneendof
the rowof holesandthe movable
railthe
appropriate
distance
awaysothewedge,
whenpositioned
between
the rails,will
keeptheworkpiece
steady.

Making
a benchhook
jig shownat rightwillensure
Theshop-built
youmakeon theworkthatthe crosscuts
plywood
benchwill besquare.Use3/a-inch
for the baseandstripsof 2-by-2stockfor
the lips.Makethe baseat leastas long
asthewidthof yourworkpiece
andwide
enough
to supportit. Screwthe lipsto
theguide,attaching
oneto eachface.
To usethe jig, buttonelip against
the
edgeof the benchand pressthe workpiecefirmlyagainst
the other.Alignthe
cuttinglinewiththeedgeof the baseand
makethe cut (inset).

66

WORKBENCH

stop
Making
a flip-up
at rightproTheflip-upbenchstopshown
wayto makequickguided
videsanother
Cutthetwo
crosscuts
on a workbench.
pieces
Screw
of thestopfromhardwood.
on
to theendof thebenchtop;
thepieces
theinneredgeof the
thebenchshown,
pivoting
pieceis linedupwiththeedge
a convenient
of thetooltrayto provide
upa crosscut.
reference
lineforsquaring
piecein placewith
thestationary
Screw
andtheflip-uppiecewithone
twoscrews,
sothatit canpivot.Whennotin use,the
pieceshouldlie on edgeatop
pivoting
piece.
To usethestop,flip
thestationary
piece,butttheworkpiece
upthepivoting
it, andmakeyourcrosscut.
against

hook
andusinga miterbench
Making
benchhookto
Customize
a standard
make45" anglemitercutsbyaddrng
kerfsto oneof thelios.Builda bench
hook(page66), thenusea backsaw
to cut twokerfsin thelip at opposing
45'anglesandoneat 90" (/eff).Use
themiterbenchhookasyouwould
a standard
benchhook,liningupthe
c u t t i n gl i n eo n t h ew o r k p i e cwei t h
thedesired
kerf.

67

*\.

{: r

SHOPACCE,SSOruES
ii-r-

r:ne3'jr

,-n3 :,jrl?tt

I'l

'ill

L!!uur-'r''Lrrlq

rrLdur

rr@ rLu Lv urL

andyouwill find severi


makethework saferan

importantfor safetyand

,.:,j:,-!1':]:.-,-:.-.:::r.::=::::-Gf---=--_o*=.*.'.-,'j--.-:,.:,-

;:i lWw'jffi
,,,#f,i1,ffiil:,H1,,yffi
ishingwork-to

applylacquer and

r"-rqrffi

-72:i*.ii;*''{

;ilH:.t.:i:,::ii::?,#,:,
of ailments, inclt'ding dermatitis,

of breath,anddizziness.
generated shortness
Mostof thewoodchipsandsawdust
varniih *ore smoothlythin with
haveshownthat
Recent
studies
bythisl0-inchtablesawarecapturedbya
abrush.Butwiththeadventofsuch
inhalation
ofwooddust
long-term
neglected
system.
Ofien
portable
collection
dust
pneumatic
nailers,
comtoolsas
a central is at leasta contributingfactorin
hasbecome
pr.rrotrir. foundmorefrequent- in thepast,dustcollection
of thetongue,tonsils'lung,
woodworkers cancers
iy, .u.n in smallhomeworkshops. tort"i, of manysafety-conscious
*9
planningthelayout
of
their
shops.
in
are
discussid
Air-poweredtools
b.fnt'
Whenyouad{ 1otheequation
startingonpage72.
floor,there
amongthose thefireriskandthehazardof a dust-covered.lhop
arefindingaplace,especially
Geniratorsltoo,
dustcolkind
of
for
installing
some
reasons
poware
compelling
from
home
and
away
their
irait
whotake
woodworkers
with
provide
you
Pages
78
to
87.
yo_ur
shop.
in
lection
system
onpageTl'.
erlines.Theyareexplored
central
both
and-maintain
you
need
to
set
up_
will
information
imporMore
tool
sharpening.
canspeed
of course,
Grinders,
a centralsysdesigning
Remember.that
tantly,asyouwill seeonpage76,theycanpermityouto mod- andportablesystems.
an{Precise
calculation
carefrrlattentionlo
temrequires
edges.
cutting
ifi'tools
andreclaimdariraged
{etail
'
plansand
To
be
safe,
checkyour
requirements.
ofyour
specific
consean
unavoidable
Airbornedustoncewasionsidered
system.
installing
the
before
an
engineer
figures
with
on
emphasis
increased
quenceofworkingwith wood.Butthe

this air-poweredsander
Hookedup to a compressor,
is compactenoughn holdin onehand.yet it smooths
woodasfficiently asan electricsander.

69

A STOREOF SHOPACCESSORIES

Planerscancreatea substantial
moundof sawdustin shortorder.
A portabledustcollectorwill keep
mostof thedustfrom thisand
otherpowertoolsoffthe shop
Jloorand out of theair.

High-volume,Iow-preaeure (HVLP) epray syltem


For applyingataina and finishee. FeaLureeelectric turbinethat ouppliea
auppliealar4e
laraeamount
amount of air at low preaeure
nreaartre
throuqh air
ir hoae
hogeto epray
aprav 7un;
aun:compared
comoaredto
lio ionvenconventional, compressed-airtype eyateme, HVLFallowa
hiqherpercenta1e of fi niah to contact workpiece

Multitester
Aleo knownaa volt-ohmmeter,
or VOM.tsatte ry- powered to ol
uaed in troubleahootinaand
repairing electric deviceZ:meaeures reeiatanceand AC or DC
voltaqe in a circuit

Air compreaoor
Supplieaatream of highpreeeureair
throuqh hoaeto powera variety of
air-operated toola, auch aa aandere,
epray qune,and drilla; coneumer4rade modeleranqe froml/a to 5
nor9ePowerand can qenerate uP to
2OO pounda pr oquare inch (pei) of
air preeaureand O.3 to 15 cubic feet
of air per minute (cfm).

SHOPACCESSORIES

Generator
Typically ga aoline' powered,featu ri nq
uo to four 12O-and 24O-volt outleta. Motors on congumer'qrade
qeneratoro ranqe batween 3 and B
horaapowerand produce 5OO to 4OOO
watto of output; moet modela weiqh
leaathanlSOpoundoand can befitted with wheelafor eaay portabili$

thop vacuum
Cleanaup duat and liquid apills; hoae can be
attached to individual
tools to collect duat as
it ia produced. Typically
featurea 1%-to 2%-inch'
diameter collection hoae
and 5- to 1O'qallontank;
some modelecan double
aa portable blower

Bench grlnder
Coarse wheel(left) 6quarea, aharpena,and
amootha bladeaand bits; cloth wheel(ri4ht)
poliahea
and cleana.Features a 1/+-tol/z'
'horoepower
electric moton eye ahielda,
adjueiable tool resta, and wheel1uarda
atandard on most modela,Benchtop
grindero ueually bolted to work aurface

Wheeldreeeer
Used to true or reehapabench4rinderwheel.
gtar-wheel dresaer (above) ueea uP to four
ota r- ohapedwheela;diamond-pointdreaser
(below)fiatureal/+'carat diamondaet in
bronze tip and metal shaft

7T

AIR COMPRESSORS
canbefittedwith
A n air compressor
A a larsenumberof toolsandattachments,riaking it a convenientshop
accessory.
In someshops,a compressor
can representan alternativeto some
electrictools.Forothers,it canbea valuablesupplement.

Pneumaticdrills,grinders,sanders,
performat leastaseffecandwrenches
tivelyastheirilectric-poweredcounterparts.Sometools, like sprayers,
nailers,andabrasivecleaners,areclearly superiorto the alternatives.
Compressors
and the tools they
driveareinherentlysimple:The air is
drawn in, pressurizedby a diaphragm
or one or more pistons,and usually
storedin a tank.Whenthetriggeron an
air-driventool is pressed,
the air travels
througha hoseto powerthe tool.
Because
they containno heavyelectric motor, most air tools arelighter,
cheaper,and easierto repairthan their
cousins.Theycannotoverheat,andthere
is no dangerofelectricalshock.

Compressed-air
power does have
somedrawbacks,
chieflythe costof the
compressor
itselfandmaintenance.
Air
drills and the like must be oileddaily.
And you will investseveralhundreddollarsin a compressor
that is capableof
driving typicalshoptools.
Someair-powered
toolsrequirea sizablevolumeof air,usuallymeasuredin
cubicfeetperminute(cfm);othersneed
a minimum level of air pressurein
poundsper squareinch (psi).When
choosinga compressor,
considerthecfrn
or psi requirementsof the air-powered
toolsyou plan to useand buy a compressorwith slightlymorepower.You
never know when you will want to
expandyour tool inventory.

AIR-POWERED
TOOTS
ANDACCESSORIES

Jitterbug sander
)rbital eander capableof producina 25OO atrokes oer
minute: weigholeas than 5
pounda.Keauirea6.5 cfm at
'9O
pai; muat be uaed with
tank-mountedcompreeaor
with at leaat 3 horaepower

Drill
3/a-inch
drill that turna bita
at 25OO rpm; wei4heonly
2 %pounde.Kequirea5
cfm at 90 pei; muet be
ueedwith tank-mounted
compresoor with at leaat
'l horeepower

Air-poweredtoolswork bestat a
pressure
specific
indicatedin the
owner'smanualfor theparticular
tool.Beforestartinga job, thecompressor's
air regulatorshouldbe
adjustedto thepropersettingfor
thetaskat hand.

9pray gun
Heavy-duty aprayer with
adjuatablefluid and air
controle. Kequiree5.5 cfm
at 40 pai; can be uaed with
any compreoaorwith more
than t horeepower

72

SHOPACCESSORIES

TIPS
SAFETY
C(|MPRESSOR
o Readyourowner's
carefully
manual
or any
a compressor
beforeoperating
tool.
air-powered

. Alwayspluga compressor
intoa
grounded
outletof the appropriate
amperage.

r Donotresetanyswitches
on
or valves
theyhavebeenpreset
the compressor;
at safelevelsat thefactory.

r Relieve
pressure
slowlywhendepressurizing
thetank.

. Check
plugs,
wires,pipes,
thehoses,
andthe
andtubesof thecompressor,
toolair inletsbeforeeachuse.Donot
or toolif anypart
usethecompressor
is wornor damaged.
o Wearsafetyglasses
proandhearing
tools.
tectionwhenusingair-powered
. Donotexceed
rating
the pressure
of an airtoolor accessory.

o Donotpressthetriggerof an airtool
it to anairhose.
whenconnecting
r Donotremove
the beltguardof a beltwhenthe machine
drivencomoressor
is operating.
. Turnthecompressor
off if it produces
pronoiseorvibration,
an unfamiliar
or conair pressure,
ducesinsufficient
excessive
oil;havethemachine
sumes
operations.
serviced
beforeresuming

. Allowthecompressor
to coolbefore
performing
wear
anymaintenance;
gloves
to disconnect
anypartsthatare
stillhot.
r Turnthecompressor
off beforemovingit.
o Donottouchthecompressor
while
after;themachine
usingit or immediately
veryhot.
canbecome
r Drainanymoisture
lromthetankafter
rust;tankpressure
eachuseto prevent
than10 psiwhen
shouldbe nohigher
it.
draining
. Replace
thetankif it hasanypin
holes,rustspots,or weakspots
at welds.

Brad ffniahing nailer


Nailqun for drivinq 3/u-to
1%-inchNo.1Bfinishin7naila:
wei1haleas than 3 pounda.
Narrow nose eets naile with'
out. marrinq workpiece:ma4azine holds up to 11Onaila.
Requireo.2b cfm at 90 paito
drive 10 naile per minute; muet
be used with compreaaorwith
at leaetl/z horaepower

j:i,2";:#:fi;"",.
ww
Presgor Or Connect?
two len4thaof com'
preeeor hooe toqether

Quiak coupler
Uaed with hoae connectora to
attach air tools to compreeeor
hoseor to join lenqthaof compreooorhoeetoqether; auto'
matically ahuta off air when
uncoupledfrom compreeeor

Router
%-inchdirect-drive router that turns
bits at 2O,OOOrpm; wei1hajuat over
1pound. Featuree neoprenerubber qrip
to reduce vibration, Requiree90 poi;
will function with most compreoaore

73

PORTABLE
GENERATORS
,| heaverage
homeandshopissowell
Thereareseveral
factorsto consider
I equippedwith
electric
fixtures,
out- whenselecting
agenerator,
andthechart
lets,andextension
cordsthatit is easy onpage75canhelpgurdeyou.Thegento takefor grantedtheessential
rolethat eratormustproduceenoughpowerto
playsin our lives.Yeta pow- startandrun thetoolsandanyother
electricity
er outagecanquicklyremindyou of
electrical
youpluginto it. The
devices
thatrole.At sucha time,a portableAC wattageratingslistedon thechartare
generator
becomes
an indispensable typical.Youshouldreferto theactual
accessory
for yourhome,yourshop,or
ratingof your tool,whichis usually
in a remotecabinwherepowerlinesdo printedon thetool body.Ifnot, you
not reach.
cancalculate
theratingby multiplying
AC,or alternating
current)genera- thetool'samperage
ratingby thevolttorstypicallyfeaturea gasoline
motor age.(Forexample,
a 3-amptool operthat drivesan alternator.Modelsare atingon 120voltswouldhaveawattage
availablewith
motorsrangingfrom3 to
ratingof 360.)
producing500to 4000
8 horsepower,
Thewattageratingof a generator
wattsof power.
refersto itscontinuous
runningwattage.

Portablegeneratorsare
a handysourceof electricity duringpower outagesor in locationswhere
a conventional
electrical
supplyis unavailable.
Ratedat 3500watts,this
modelis ableto drivevirtually any electricworkshoptoolor appliance.

74

Althoughall modelsfeaturea surgeor


maximumratingasmuchas25percent
higherthan the running value,you
shouldrelyon therunningwattage
ratingwhenchoosing
a generator.
A generatorwith morepowerthanyouneed
will run more smoothlyfor longer
stretches
andrequirelessmaintenance.
Mostgenerators
areequipped
with
oneto four 120-volt
outlets.Manymodelsalsohavea 240-voltoutletanda12voltDC outputfor charging
batteries.
Makesurethatanygeneratoryoubuy
is equippedwith an effectivemuffler.
Alsocheckthesizeof thefueltank.The
generator
shouldbeableto run for at
least90minuteson a frrll tank.

SHOPACCESSORIES

WATTAGE
RATINGS
POWER
TOOL
TYPICAT
Watts(Start-up)
Tool
(%-hp)
Aircompressor
Tablesaw(10")
Sabersaw
saw(7%")
Circular
saw(6%")
Circular
Beltsander
('t-hp)
Benchgrinder
Orbitalsander
Router
Electric
drill(%")
Electric
drill(%")
plane
Power
drill(%")
Electric
Random-orbit
sander
HVLPspraysystem

4000
4000
2500
2500
2200
1500
1500
900
900
800
600
600
500
500
400

Watts(Running)
2000
1500
1200
1200
1000
600
r200
360
700
600
350
450
250
360
240

with
Choosing
a generator
rating
a suitable
waftage
morepower
to
All electric
toolsrequire
running.
The
startupthanforcontinuous
chartat leftgivestypicalpowerrequireof tools.When
selectmentsfora number
ratmakesureits wattage
inga generator,
wattage
ingis higherthanthestart-up
tool.Adda safety
of yourmostpowerful
percent
about
20
to the commargin
of
wattage
of
all
toolsyou
binedrunning
plug
operate
at
will
intothedevice
and
thesametime.

TIPS
SAFETY
GENERATOR
. Readyourowner's
manualcarefully
a generatot.
beforeoperating
o Neverruna generator
likeany
indoors;
engine,it produces
internal
combustion
fumesthataredeadly
carbonmonoxide
space.
in a confined
. Donotfill thegenerator's
fueltank
or hot.
whilethemotoris running

e Keepgasandoilonlyin containers
specifically
forfuelstorage
designed
FUEL.Keepthe
marked
andclearly
awayfromsources
of heat
containers
andflames.
r Checktheengineoil leveleachtime
yourefuelthegenerator.
. Checkthegenerator's
fuelIinesand
if younoticeany
connections
regularly;
off andhave
leakage,
turnthemachine
beforeresuming
operations.
it serviced

r Addfuelto thefueltankat least10 feet


of
fromyourworkareaandanysources
heator flames.Donotfill thetankrightto
witha faulty
ahdoverflow. o Neverusea generator
thebrim;thefuelcanexpand
exhaust
system
or damaged
. Donotsmoke
whilefillingthefueltank.
. Ground
following
the
thegenerator
o Cleanupanygasoroilspillsimmediinstructions;
thiswill
manufacturer's
divertanystraycurrentfroma shottcirately,wipinguptheareawitha clean
reducing
theriskof elecit up withan absorbent cuitto ground,
cloth,or soaking
material
suchascatlitterorvermiculite; tricalshock.
whichiscomavoidusingsawdust,
a 240-volt
toolor appliragsin sealed . Donotconnect
bustible.
Placefuel-soaked
of themfolanceto a 120-voltreceptacle.
anddispose
metalcontainers
regulations.
lowinglocalenvironmental
. Donotoverload
by plugthegenerator
r Donotremoveanysafetyguards,covgingin power
with
toolsor appliances
higherwattage
ratings
thanthatof the
while
fromthegenerator
ers,or screens
generar0r.
isoperating.
themachine

7\

. Never
wirethegenerator
to theelectriof yourhomeor shopin an
calsystem
powerduringan outattemptto provide
knownas"backfeedage.Thispractice,
asit
ing,"is unlav'rful
in someareas,
poses
working
onthe
a riskto anyone
electrical
system.
. Keepyourhandsandfaceawayfrom
has
whenever
theaircleaner
carburetor
a suddenbackfire--or
beenremoved;
cylinderexplosion
of fuelin anengine
serious
burns.
cancause
. Donottouchthegenerator
engineor
pipingwhilethemachine
is runexhaust
ningor immediately
afterturningit off;
veryhot.Allow
thesepartscanbecome
to coolbeforeperforming
thegenerator
anymatnlenance.
r Turnthegenerator
off beforeperforming
anymaintenance
on it; alsodisconnect
to prethesparkplugwireandthebattery
ventaccidental
startupof themotor.
r Generator
byfederal
useis regulated
in someareas;
conandstatelegislation
in your
authorities
tacttheappropriate
laws.
community
foranyapplicable

BENCHGRINDERS
and shapingmetalto
f, rom dressing
I squaringandsharpening
bits,plane
irons, and chisel blades,the bench
grinderis an invaluableworlshop maintenancetool. Grindersare classified
accordingto their wheeldiameter.The5to 7-inchbenchtopmodels,with %- to
%-horsepowermotors, are the most
popularhomeworkshopsizes.
Theycan
be mountedon a work surfaceor fastenedto a seoarate
stand.
Grindingwheelscomein manygrits
and compositions.
Medium 36- and
60-grit aluminum oxide wheelswill
handlemost tasksadequately,
but you
may need a finer wheel,with either
100 or 120 grit, for delicatesharpeningjobs.Buffingwheelsfor polishing metal,and wire wheelsfor removing rust and cleaningmetal,are also
worth owning.
Most grindersoperateat one speed,
or allow a choiceof two speeds-typi-

cally2950and3600rpm.Somenewer
modelsoffervariable
speeds,
a particularlyvaluable
optionfor polishing
and

A grinderis thebesttoolfor restoring


thecorrectbevelangleon a nickedor
out-of-square
chiselblade.Thetip of
theblademustcontactthegrinder
wheelat an angleof 25" to 30".

DRESSING
A GRINDER
WHEEL
Truing
thewheel
Totruea grinder
wheelandsquareits
edges,usea star-wheel
dresser
or a diamond-point
dresser.
Forthestar-wheel
dresser,
movethegrinder's
toolrestaway
fromthewheel.Withtheguardin position,switchonthegrinder
andbuttthe
tip of thedresser
against
thewheel.
Then,
withyourindexfingerresting
against
the
toolrest,movethe dresser
side-to-side
across
the wheel(right).Forthediamondpointdresser,
holdthe devicebetween
theindex
finger
andthumbof onehand,
set it on thetoolrest,andadvance
it
toward
thewheeluntilyourindexfinger
contacts
thetoolrest(inset).
Slidethetip
of thedresser
across
thewheel,pressing
yourf ingeronthe
lightlywhilekeeping
toolrest.Foreitherdresser,
continue
until
theedgesof thewheelaresquare
andyou
haveexoosed
freshabrasive.

76

cleaning,and for grindingwith speeds


low enoughto maintainthe temperof
a steeltool.
No grindershouldbe usedwithout
loweringtheguardmountedaboveeach
wheel; the tool should also come
equippedwith adjustable
tool restsand
wheelcoverssheathing75percentto 80
percentof the wheels.More expensive
grindersmayhaveotherfeatures,suchas
sparkarresters,
a watertray for cooling
tool tips,and exhaustoutlets.
Checkyour grinder wheelsregularly for fracturesand, as the wheel
wears,adjustthe distancebetweenthe
tool restandthegrindingwheelto about
r/tinch.A grindingwheelwill eventually becomedull and cloggedwith metal
particles,and its edgesmaygo out-ofsquare.As shownbelow,a wheeldresser is a specialtool that is usedto true
the working faceof a grinding wheel
and squareits edges.

SHOPACCESSORIES

U^

JIG
GOUGE.SHARPENING
Thejig shownat rightguarantees
willcontact
thatthetip of a gouge
at thecorthewheelof yourgrinder
the bevelonthe
rectangleto restore
c u t t i n ge d g eT. h ed i m e n s i o ni ns
will accommodate
the illustration
mosrgouges.
Cutthe baseandthe guidefrom
plywood.
Screwtheguide
%-inch
andfastenit to the base
together
fromunderwithscrews
countersunk
creneath.Makesuretheopening
to
atedbytheguideis largeenough
freely.
allowthearmto slidethrough
Cutthe armfrom1-by-2stock
from%-inch
andthetoolsupport
plywood.
Screwthetwopartsof the
thenfasten
toolsupporttogether,

Tool9upport
(back)'1"x2"x2'1"
(bottom)%"x1%"x2'/o"
Ouide
(rop)%"x1%"x9"
(atdee)'h"x1u/a"x9"

the bottomto thearm,flushwith


oneend.FortheV block,cut a small
woodblockto sizeandsawa 90"
wedge
outof oneside.Gluetheblock
to thetoolsupport.
To usethejig, secureit to a work
surface
sothearmlinesup directly
wheel.Seatthe
underthegrinding
gougehandle
in theV blockandslide
edgeof the
thearmsothe beveled
gouge
wheel.
sitsflatonthegrinding
Then,with
Clampthearmin place.
switch
thegouge
clearof thewheel,
andreposition
thetool
onthegrinder
e ith
i n t h ej i g .H o l d i ntgh eg o u g w
bothhands,rotateit fromside-toedgerunsacross
sidesothe beveled
thewheel(left).Checkthe cutting
andstopgrinding
edgeperiodically
whenthebevelforms.

77

DUSTCOLLECTION
system
hasoneaim:
A dustcollection
A to capturemosiof thewooddust
createdat eachofyour woodworking
machinesandpreventit from endingup
on the shopfloor, or, worseyet, in the
air.Therearea seriesofvariables
in every
systemthat must be coordinatedto
ensurea strongenoughflow ofair: the
powerof thecollector;the
locationand
requirementsof the machinesin the
shop;and the type,size,and layoutof
the duct work.
Thedesignofa centralsystembegins
with a simplebird's-eyeview sketchof
your shop,like the one shownbelow,
arrangingthemachinesandcollectorin
theirpreferred
locations.
Then,drawin
a main line runningfrom the collector
throughtheshop.Sketchin branchlines
as needed to accommodateeach
machineandanyobstructions-joists,
beams,or fixtures-that may require
specialrouting.For the bestair flow,
keepthe main line andbranchlinesas

shortandstraightaspossible,
andposition themachines
thatproducethemost
dust closestto the coilector.Youmay
chooseto run ductingalongthe ceiling of the shop,or, to increasethe
efficiencyof the system,at machinetableheightalongthe walls.
Sincein mosthomeshopsonly one
woodworkingmachinewill beproducing dustat a time,4- or 5-inch-diameter duct is sufficientfor both the main
andbranchlines.Thereareseveralsuitabletypesofduct availablefor dustcollectionsystems.
Thebestchoiceis metal
duct designed
specifically
for dustcollection.However,manywoodworkers
opt for plasticpipe,typicallyPVC or
(and
ABS.It is easier
to sealandassemble
disassemble
for cleaning),Iessexpensive,and morereadilyavailable.
plasticis an insulator,howBecause
ever,staticbuild-up insidethe pipe can
reachdangerous
levels
duringuse-possiblyhighenoughto ignitethedustpass-

DESIGNING
A SHOPF()REFFICIENT
DUSTC()LTECTION
Layingouta shop
Thediagram
at rightillustraies
a typicalhomeshop
layout.
Thepower
toolsanddustcollection
system
havebeenarranged
formaximum
dustcollection
efficiency.
Withtheexception
of thetablesaw,allthe
machines
aresituated
ontheperimeter
oftheworkarea.
Theducting
forthecentral
dustcollection
system
runs
close
to thewalls.Despite
requiring
a relatively
long
m a i nl i n et,h i sd e s i ganl l o wfso rs h o rbt r a n c lhi n e s
andminimal
directional
changes-both
efficient
arrangements.
Thespace
takenup bythedustcollectionsystem
is minimized
byplacing
thecollector
out
probaofthewayin a corner
of theshop.Theplaner,
blythe heaviest
dustproducer,
is positioned
closest
to thecollector
to reduce
strainonthesvstem.

78

ing throughit. To preventthis, ground


all plasticductsby runninga barecopper
groundwire from eachtool, insidethe
duct,to an electricalground.As a safety
precaution,havethe systemchecked
by an electrician.
Smooth-wallrubber
hoseandflexibleplastichose,frequently usedas branchducts to connect
machines
to themainline,areotherduct
optionsfor thehomeshop.Mostof these
producsalsorequireelectricalgrounding.
A centraldust collectionsystem
requiresa selectionoffittings to route
andjoin lenghsof ductanddusthoods.
Theinventoryon page79 illustratesthe
elements
of a qpical dustcollectionsystem.If you run the mainline alongthe
ceiling,you cansecureit in placewith
wire strapsnailed to furring strips
mountedbetweenthejoists.
Fittingsdirectlyaffectthe efficiency
of thesystem,
sochoosethemcarefully.
As a rule,gentlecurvesarebetterthan
sharpturns,souseY fittingsinsteadof

SHOPACCESSORIES

wherever
Tsfor branchconnections,
possible.
A blastgateshouldbelocated
ateachbranchoutletto sealductswhen
theyarenotbeingused,therebyincreasing air flow to the machinein use.
madeor
Hoods,whethercommercially
asclose
shop-built,
shouldbepositioned
aspossible
to thesourceof thedust.
Youhavea choiceof methodsfor
ductwork.Manyductsand
connecting
fittingscanbefrictionfit andsecured
hoseclamps.
Ducttape
with adjustable

join plasticpipe,but
canalsoeffectively
it is unsightlyandwill decayovertime.
isprobaA high-quality
silicone
sealant
permanent
for
a
sysblyabetterchoice
flow
metal
tem.Toensuresmoothair
ductsshouldbejoinedwithrivets,rather
thanscrews
or bolts.
thelayout
Onceyouhavecompleted
andselected
thetypeof
ofyoursystem
ductyouwill use,it is timeto calculate
yourdustcollection
needsandselecta
Thisinvolves
determining
the
collector.

requirementsof the heaviestdust collection taskvour svstemmust handle.


This usually'willbi the sum of system
lossesandthe air volumedemandedby
the machine most distant from the
collector.Purchasea collector with
slightlymore capacity.Systemlosses
are causedby such inefficienciesas
bendsin the line, corrugatedducting,
leaks, and hoods without flanges.
Usethechartsandinformationon page
80 to sizeand selecta collector.

(lFA DUST
COTTECTION
SYSTEM
ETEMENTS

Metal duct
)tanda rd duat aollection
pipe;availablein wideranqe
'of
diametera
Elaet' gate
?ipe fittin7 with
alidin7qate which
ia openedor cloaed
to direat.duat collection air flow to a
partiaular machine

PVCpipe
Plastic pipe for emall ehop
duat, collection system6;
availablein different diametere and wall thiakneasea

Reduaer
Connecta duct of different
diametere; alao used to
increaeeauction in oyatem or
ioin a branah line to hood

Splice
Forjoinin6 two
len4tha of duct

Corrugated fl exible hoae


Kibbedplaatic hose uaed for ahort
runs or to connect machineaf,o
main duct: smooth-aided rubber
or plaatic varietiea aloo available

ffi
\--J

Hoee alamp
9lotted metal band
and acrew ueed to
join two len4the of
duct or hoae

Hood
Duat- capt uri n4 d evicepoai'
tioned cloee to aource and
connected to branch line

Adaptere
Joina non-atandard hose
and duat to atandard dust
colleotion hoae:also uaed
to abtach collection hoae
to facto ry- ineta lled porte
on etationarv maohines

79

Elbow
Att,acheeto duc-t'
to chan1edirection of line

I'
T aonneator
Connectetwo ducte
at 90" anqle

Y conneator
Joina two ducte at
3Ooor 45" an6le

Floor aweep
Attached to branch duct of central
eyetem to vacuumduat off ahop floor

SHOPACCESSORIES

CATCUTATING
DUST
NEEDS
C(|LTECTI(|N
Determining
staticpressure
loss
Dustcollectors
areratedbytheirabilityto
movea certainnumberof cubicfeetof air per
minute(cfm)against
a specif
ic staticpressure.Themostimportant
variable
to keepin
mindwhenchoosing
a dustcollector
foryour
shopis staticpressure
loss,whichis a measureof thefrictionairencounters
asit passes
through
a duct.Thelonger
theducting
andthe
morenumerous
thesystemrosses,
thegreater
the staticDressure
loss.To determine
the
youneed,calculate
sizeof collector
thestatic
pressure
lossforthe heaviest
collection
task
in theshop.In thediagram
on page78, it is
thejointer.Thefollowing
calculations
are
based
on it. Foryourownshop,youmayneed
to dothecalculations
for a fewmachinesfromthecollector
thosefarthest
andat the
endof branchlines-andchoose
a collector
based
onthehighest
resultyouobtain.
Startwithchart1 (right,top)to calculate
theequivalent
lengthof theductingrunning
In ourexample,
to the machine.
thereare
45 straightfeetof smooth4-inch-diameter
ductandtwo90'curvedelbows.
Theequivalentlengththerefore
is:45 feet+ 20 feet=
65 feet.Thenusechart2(middle)
to determrnerneexnausr
reourremenrs
rncTmoTrne
machine;
forthejointer,it is 300 cfm.
Finally,
usechart3 (bottom)to
determine
staticpressure
lossfordustcollection
at the
machine.
choose
fromeither
thethirdorfourth
columnof thechartdepending
on whether
the machine
is joinedto a main-line
duct
(3500feetperminuteof airvelocity,
orfpm)
ora branch
line(4000fpm).Inthisexample,
a 300-cfmmachine
connected
to a 4-inchdiameter
mainlinehasa staticoressure
loss
of .05 inchesperfoot.Thusthestaticpressurelossfor thisjointeris: 65 feetx .05
= 3.25 inches.
inches/foot
Addtwoinches
for unmeasured
losseslikeair leaksandthe
valuerisesto 5.25 inches.
Theshopon page
78 wouldneeda collector
witha 300 cfm
ratingat 5.25 inchesof staticpressure.
A
system20 percentlargerwouldallowfor
futureexpansion.

(1)EOU|VAIEI{T
TENGTH
0FSYSTEM
EIEMENTS
Equivalent
Lengh,in Feet
Actuallength
1.5x actuallen$h

Ductor Fifting
pipe
Smooth-wall
pipeor hose
Corrugated
Unflanged
duct,hose,or hoodconnections

10

90" sharpelbow
90ocurvedelbow

20
10

90" hosebend

10

45' curved
elbow
45" hosebend

5
5
20

Sidelegof 90" T
Sidelegof 45" Y

(2)AIREXHAUST
V0LUME
RE0UIREMENTS
FOR
MACHINES
Machine
CubicFeetperMinute(CFM)
Jointer
@-r2')
(upto 12")
Discsander

300

(upto 6")
Vertical
beltsander
(up
Bandsaw to 2" blade)

350

300
400
300

Tablesaw(upto 16")
Radial
armsaw
(upto 20")
Planer
(%"spindle)
Shaper

350
400
300

(1"spindle)
Shaper
Lathe

500

Floorsweep
Drillpress

350

500
3OO
300

Jigsaw

(3)STATIC
PRESSURE
L(ISS
PERF00T0FDUCT
AT3500Al{D21000
FPM
Ductdiameter
4'
4u

CFM
300
350
400

4'
5u

500

80

3500 fpm
'05 in/ft
'05 in/ft

4000 fpm
'07 in/ft

,05 in/ft
.04 in/ft

.06 in/ft

.07 in/ft
.06 in/ft

SHOPACCESSORIES

DUSTCOLTECTORS

llllllllllilllllllllllillllJ
ill llllllllllllllllll IllJ
llltilllllllilt1
1HO?TI?
Electrioal ewee?6
lor riqht-anglejointo
lf you uee?VCpipetor yourduet collecsubstit'uhe9O" electrical
Lion6yoNem,
ewee?o(far riqht) for convenlional90"
elbowe(near riqht) to reducefricLion
of your oyeand increaselhe efficiency
oupplyhoue'
tem. Available
al elecNrical
ee,Nhesefittin4e feaNurea 24-inch
radiuscurve,whichie muchqent'ler
than Ihe 5- to |O-inchradiuscurveof
etandardelbowe,

81

Choosing
between
singlecollectors
andtwo-stage
are
Twobasictypesof dustcollectors
stngleand
available
forhomeworkshops:
In single-stage
coltwo-stage
machines.
leclors(above,
/eff),debris-anddustl a d e na i ri s d r a w n
t h r o u gahn i m p e l l e r ,
heavy
actiondeposits
wherecyclone
dustanddebrisintothewastecontaindustrisesto
er below
whilethelighter
t h ed u s tb a g .S i n g l e - s t acgoel l e c t o r s
a r er e l a t i v elloyu da n dt h ed u s ta n d
d e b r i tse n dt o w e a ro u tt h e b a ga n d
quickly.
In two-stage
collectors
impeller
(above,
right),Iheimpelleris located
a b o v teh e i n l e td u c ts ot h e h e a v i e r
p a r t i c l edsr o pi n t ot h ew a s t ec o n t a i n the
through
er beforeanyair passes
i m p e l l earn db a gT. h i si s q u i e t ear ,n d
wearontheimpeller
anddust
reduces
aresomewhat
bag.Two-stage
collectors
moredifficultto clean.

SHOPACCESSORIES

DUSTHOODS

Adapter
CollecLion
hoae

Connecting
a dustcollection
system
to toolswithdustports
Usea commercial
adapter
to attacha collection
hoseto a
machine
dustport.Theadapter
shouldbesizedto frictionf i t w i t ht h ec o l l e c t i ohno s ea t o n ee n da n ds l i oo v e trh e

dustportat theother,asshownonthe bandsaw(above,


left).
Fortheradialarmsaw,a hoseclampis usedfor reinforcemenl (above,right).

Hooking
a planer
upto thesystem
A hoodliketheoneshown
at rightcan
becustom-built
to caoture
mostof the
dustgenerated
byyourplaner.
Makethe
hoodfromgalvanized
sheetmetal,cuttingthepieces
withtin snips.Leave
tabs
wherethepieces
overlap
sotheycanbe
popriveted
together.
Makeflanges
on
thesidesto imorove
thesealanda hole
in thebackforthedustcollection
hose;
youwillalsoneedto create
a lipalong
thetopto connect
to the ledgeof the
planer's
chipdischarge
chute.Usean
a d a p t et ro j o i nt h eh o o dt o t h eh o s e ,
inseding
oneendintheholeinthehood
a n dt h eo t h e e
r n di n t h e h o s er;e i n forcetheconnection
witha hoseclamo.
Fasten
thelipof thehoodto theplaner
withsheetmetalscrews.

82

SHOPACCESSORIES

llll
fitlrlllllllllttlllllllllllllllllllllllllllfiIllllllllllllllllll]I1
1HO?TI?
Adapt inq st andard sheet'
metal ducts as dust,hoode
Commercial
eheet-metal duc|'scan bemodified
Lo eerveae efficienthoodetor your ohop'e
oyofem.Someexampleaare
duet,collecLion
shownhere.UeeLin sniosI'o cuNNheducLt'o
a ehapethaNouit6 the tool aI hand.TheducN
shoulAfi1;enuqlyaroundthe chipdiocharqe
Vort
)crew iL in Vlace
or dusNopoutof the machine.
wibheheet melal screwe.

B3

Connecting
a collection
hoodto a router
table
to thefenceof a router
A hoodattached
tablewillcollect
mostof thedustproducedbythetool.Cutthehoodfrom
l/z-inch
plywood,
sizingit sothesides
edges
of thefence's
hugtheoutside
Thebottomedgeof
supportbrackets.
restonthetable;
thebackflange
should
s i t o n t h et o p
t h et o pf l a n g es h o u l d
assembling
the
edgeof thefence.Before
pieces
of thehood,cuta holethrough
hose.Also
the backforthecollection
thesides
boreholes
forscrews
through
andscrewangleironsto the backso
edges
areflushwiththe
thattheirinside
forthehose.Screw
the hood
opening
hose
together,
thenfit thecollection
in theback.Usea hoseclampto secure
thehoseto theangleironsandposition
thehoodonthefencebbove).Screwthe
sidesof thehoodto thefencebrackets.

SHOPACCESSORIES

upa shop-made
sanding
station
Setting
Toreduce
of dustgenerated
theamount
stall
bypower
sanding,
builda portable
Cutthe
thatfitsona tableorworkbench.
back,top,andsidesfrom%-or %-inch
plywood.
Taper
thetopedges
of thesides
openworking
to createa comfortable,
liketheoneshownabove.
Cutan
space,
fora dust
outletin thebackof thestation
collection
hoseor branch
duct.Assemble
Position
thestation
withscrews.
thesandingstationsecurely
onyourworksurface;
attachthecollector
hoseto theoutlet.
youbegin
Turnonthecollector
before
a sanding
operation.

lllrlllllll}l|llllllllrllllllllril
lllltl|tllllIl11
l]illllrllllfiillll1
1HO?TI?
Shop-madeblaotgate
Tofaohionan inexpeneive
blael qabefor a
saw
halfway
Ihrouqhrhe Vipe.
ducl,
Vlaelic
Cut a 4aIe from plywoodor hardboardto fii
in lhe kerf.)aw a eemicircle
in one half of
the qate Ihe sameeizeas lhe ineide
diameter of NhepiVe;lhe olher halt
shouldorolrudefrom the kefr
Lo form a handle.To eealthe
slol when|he machineie in
use,cuL a eleevelrom lhe
eamesizeof pipewilh
a d i a q o n asl l i Lt o a l l o w
iL t o elideoverNhekefr.

84

DUSTCOLLECTION
PORTABLE
may
system
I centraldustcollection
A soundlikeoverkillto thecraftsman
with asmallhomeshop.Althoughsuch
efficientthan
aregenerallymore
systems
canbecostthey
collectors,
independent
If
space.
considerable
ly andconsume
only
and
is
restricted,
area
yourshop
atatime,
will beoperated
onemachine
portable
dust
collector.
a
consider
Manytypesof portabledustcollecMost are strong
tors are available.
yet
system,
power
a
central
enoughto
the
around
toted
light enoughto be
shop.Ifyou areplanningto setup a
shoparound
portablecollectionsystem,
that
collector
for themosttransportable
in
mind
Keep
canhandleyourneeds.
thatyoumaywantto expandto a cenlater.
tral system
will find
Manyhomewoodworkers
not
thatashopvacuum,although ideal,
jobmostof thetime
candoasatisfactory
if you arewillingto work aroundthe

Althoughyou canhookup a bandsmu


system,
to a centraldustcollection
anothersolutionis to attachit to a
portableshopvacuum.Thevacuum's
hosecanoftenbeslippedaroundan
existingporton themachineusing
reducer.
a simplecommercial

aredesigned
Shopvacuums
drawbacls.
to movea smallvolumeof air at high
hose.
velocitythrougha small-diameter
on the otherhand,
Dust collectors,
movea largeamountof air at a lower
dusthood,thereA shopvacuum
speed.
verycloseto
fore,shouldbepositioned
thetool.Largerchipswill tendto clog
requiringfrequentcleanvacuumhoses,
powered
by univering.And,vacuums
salmotorstendto wearout quickly.
electric
Modelswith induction-type
motorswill lastlonger,but costmore
thana portabledustcollectorof the
sameDower.
systemIf thereisnodustcollection
portableor central-in yourshop,try
startingonpage
described
themethods
meth86to controlairbornedust.These
to
supplements
odsarealsoeffective
that suckup a majorityof
collectors
shopdust,but stillleavesomeparticles
floatingin theair.

SYSTEM
C(ILLECTION
DUST
PORTABLE
ANAUXILIARY
a dustcollecto/scapacity
Expanding
Youcanmorethandoublethecapacity
or shop
dustcollector
of yourportable
drumor
a 55-gallon
vacuum
byattaching
cola largeplasticbarrelasa mid-stage
lector.Installplasticintakeandexhaust
oortsonthedrumasshownat leftand
mounta hoseto the intakeporton the
wooddustandchips.The
drumto collect
90" elbowonthe intakeportwillcreatea
forcing
effectinsidethe barrel,
cyclone
against
the
sawdust
chipsandheavier
dustwill be
wallsof the barrel.Lighter
portintothe
theexhaust
drawnthrough
Foreasy
or dustcollector.
shopvacuum
usepipefitanddisassembly,
assembly
tingsthatforma frictionfit withthe hose
or collector.
fromyourvacuum

85

SHOPACCESSORIES

CONTROLLING
AIRBORNE
DUST
settinguppositive-pressure
ventilation
Tomaintain
clearairin a shopwhenyou
aregenerating
a greatdealof airborne
dust
or chemical
fumes,setupa positive-pres(PPV)
sureventilation
system.
Openall the
windows
in theshopandposition
a fanoutsidethedoorasshownat rightsothatthe
airflowit produces
will envelop
thedoorway.Thestream
of airwillfollowthepath
of leastresistance-through
thedoorand
shop,andoutthewindows,
clearing
airbornedustandfumesquickly.
PPVhas
somelimitations,
however.
Thesystem
will
properly
onlyfunction
if thewindow
openingsarelargeenough
to handle
a sufficient
volume
of air.Also,therestof yourhome
mustbewellsealed
off fromtheshoo.A
morepermanent
alternative
to PPVcanbe
fashioned
bymounting
anexplosion-proof
exhaust
fanin a shopwindow.
Setupto
pullairoutof theroom,thefanwillcrepressure,
ate negative
expelling
f umes
anddustin larger
volumes
thanis possiblewithPPV.

filllllltlt'lltllt'lll-llll
tIIiltt'Ixl
IItlltll|l'lllt
lllfil'fiI'l||l
1HO?TI?
Vaauumeareeningramp
Forcleaninqdust off Xheohopfloor,builda wedqeehapedecreenin7
ramVfroml/z-inchplywood.
Oeforeaeeemblinq
Ihe piecee,cut an
inlet porl in Ihe backto fit a dust
collectionhoseand five rowe
of 2-inch-diameLerholes
lhrouqhthe Iop.When
dust and chiVoare 6we\
u? onbothe ramp,emaller
parlicleewillf all throuqh
lhe holeeand conNinue
on
Io the colleclor.Largerrefuse
willremainon bhe ramotor
eaeydiopoeal.
aL^a^-)

zrqa^qia^

86

-^*^

t-^^

1/^

i--r

^1.,,,,^^-J

SHOPACCESSORIES

l|Ilillllllllllllll lllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllltllllll]l}
1HO?Tt?
?anty hoee ahop vacuum ftlt'er
Uoedpanty hoeecan oerveao an
lo replaceinexpeneive
alt'ernaLive
ableshopvacuumdust'filNero.Fit
the waieLbandaroundIhe loam
filf,ersleeveon Lhe undereideof
lhe molor houein4of the vacuum
and knotIhe lege.)lide the ret'aininq rinqaroundIhe panty hoset'o
aecureiNin place.

87

Filtering
shopair
quickandeasymethod
of rtdAnother
dustusesa furdingtheshopof airborne
room
nacefilteronthebackof a podable
Whenthefanisturnedon,
fan(above).
willholdthefilterin placeand
suction
dust
outof theair.Thedustwill
draw
on
the
filter,whichcanthenbe
remain
outside
orvacuumed.
brushed
off

STORAGE,

n'd'ub'laccumula'fesliffi#
rate:Lumber
astonishing
drills
blades,
saw
saws,
filt
chisels,
planes,
clamps,

frfi*[T"i!,{if.#i-.

h * d * d p o * . ' t o o l s t h a t m u s t b e c o m m e r c i a l s t o r a g e d e v i c e s ' o n t h e
market,but you canbuild a tool
shellacs,
productslikelacquers,
Flammable
whenneedavailable
conveniently
to-yourneeds
cabinetcustomized
attention.
sltecial
paint
require
thinners
and
not.
way
when
of
the
ed-and out
(p^qT:
inexpensively
easily
and
explosionin
a-doubfe-lined,
items
these
Storiig
lumber
scraps,
the
Addto these
?!)
onpage98ffills
Thedesignshown
solution.
isonesensible
priof steet
cabinet
nails,spire
locks,hinges,screws,
cabinet
twoneedsin one:a storage
pars,'andlontainershaHill of fin
Hardware
work
surface.
a-sturdy
serves
as
and
folds
down
you
that
very
soon-and
some
day
invaluable
to
be
isher-all sure
compartsubdividedinto separate
canbesortedin drawers,
stoiageproblem.mayhavethemakingsof a monumental
For tools
glass
y,
in
containers.
greater
"i:t!lt
for
ments
or,
two
accomilish
should
goalg:
storage
workh6p
Adequate
awheeled
shop,
consider
over
the
used
all
that
are
like
clamps
reach
ofeach
eaiy
within
kept
bi
fooh andmaterialsiliould
105)..
shouldencroachaslittleasrack(page
devices
andthestorage
operation,
y.ou choose,you
whatdevicesandtechniques
No
matter
particular
needs,
your
matter
what
lio
pbssible
onworkspace.
provides
morespace
not
only
proper
storage
find
that
may
space
thit
conserve
ideas
of
storage
youshouldfinda number
purpose
and.
order
a
sense
of
conveys
but
and
conrrenience,
in thischapter.
producpleasant
and
more
an
even
your
shop
make
that
two
by
taklg
begin
options
yourownstorage
tn evaluating
ryill
place
work.
to
tive
of
the
other
materials
and
your
toolsand
oni'of
inventories:
.

Whateveritssize,a toolchestcanserveasa cabinetmaker'scallingcard.Thisportablecarver'schestkeepstools


organized"safefrom damage,and within easyreach.

89

STORINGWOOD
p roperlystoredlumberandplyr,vood
I. arenotonlykeptoutofthewaybut
straightand dry, too. For most shops,
this involvesstoringlumber in racls that
hold the wood off the floor. Wood
shrinksand expandsaccordingto the
amount of humidity to which it is
exposed.A wet floor canwarp lumber
and delaminatesomeplywoods.The
lumberracksfeaturedin thissectionare
easyand inexpensiveto build; you
shouldbe ableto find a suitabledesign
and adaptit to your needs.
Ifyou havethe space,you cansetup
an end-loadinglumber
rackliketheone
shownon page91.Sucha systemis relativelyeasyto constructbut youwill need
a walltwicethelengh of yourlumberto
allowfor loadingandunloading.If space
in your shopis at a premium,considera
front-loadingracklike the one shown
below.If versatilityis needed,examine

therackon page92,whichallowsyou to
storeboardsboth horizontallyandvertically.AvoidusingZ-shapedbrackets;
theywastetoo muchspace.
Thetypicalshopcanstockhundreds
of poundsof lumbet so it is crucialto
anchoryour rack firmly-to at least
everysecondwall studor floor joist.
Make the most of spacesthat you
would not ordinarilyconsiderasprime
storage
areas.Ifyour ceilingis unfinished,nail furring stripsacrossthejoists
for handyshelvingto storeshort stock
and dowels.
Everyitem in a workshopdemands
its own storagemethod.Thedowel
rackat left,builtfrom 3/t-inchplywood,1-by-4stockand6-inch-diametercardboardtubes,sortsdffirent
sizesof dowelswhiletakingup a minimum offloor space.

A LUMBER
RACK
planks
Storing
andboards
Thestorage
rackat rightfeatures
vertical
supports
screwed
to wallstuds.Cutfrom
2-by-4stock,thesupports
buttress
shopmadewoodbrackets,
whichholdupthe
lumber.
Youwillneedonesupport
at each
e n do f t h er a c kw
, i t ha n a d d i t i o noanl e
every
32 inches
alongthewall.Afterboltingthesupports
to thestuds,prepare
the
brackets
bycuttingthesidesfrom%-inch
plywood
andthemiddleshelfpiecefrom
2-by-4stock1% inches
shorter
thanthe
brackets.
Anglethetopedgeof thesides
byabout5'so the
brackets
willtilt up
slightly(inset)and
prevent
thelumber
fromfalling
offthe
rack.Screw
themiddleshelfpiece
to
thesides,
thenscrew
thebracket
io the
vertical
supports.

o
o
o

o
o
o

90

STORAGE

RACK
A TUMBER-AND.PTYWOOD
both
to accommodate
Designed
panels,
therack
andplywood
boards
shownrestson theshopfloorand
to joistsin the ceiling.
attaches
ontotherails
Lumber
is loaded
canbe
fromtheend,whileplywood
in thetroughat thefront
stacked
bar.
andheldin placebythehinged
Referto thecuttinglistfor suggesteddimensions.

Tobuildtherack,firstcuttherails
andstilesfrom2-by-4stock,then
(rnsef):
Starting
notchthemtogether
endof the
fromthebottom
24 inches
of 3%-inch-wide,
stiles,
cuta series
24 inchevery
dadoes
1%-inch-deep
at bothendsof each
es.Cutrabbets
inthestiles.
railto matchthedadoes
therailsandstilestogether,
Screw
thenboltthetopendsof thestiles
them48
thirdjoist,making
to every

CUTflNO LI5T
Rails (9): 11/2"x 31/2"x 36"
'l
?tilea (6): 1/2"x 31/2"x 96"
Croeebars (2)t 3,/+"x 3t/2" x 1OB"
Trough
- back 1"x B" x 1OB"
- bottomt 1"x 10" x 1OB"
- lip: 1"x 3" x 1OB"
Hinged bar: 3/c"x 3 1/2"x 65"

9l

inches
apart.Oncethegridisfixedto
theceilingjoists,screwthecrossbars
them
to thefrontstiles,centering
therails.
between
troughwith
the plywood
Assemble
it to the botscrewsbeforefastening
attach
tomof thefrontstiles.Finally,
barto thetroughlipwith
thehinged
in
a butthinge,andcuttwonotches
thefreeendof the barfor a looped
cordto holdthebarupright.

STORAGE

ADJUSTABTE
LUMBER
RACKS

piperack
Building
anadjustable
(inset),
Therackshown
above,
madeof 4-by-4stockandsteelpipe,is
thecrosspieces
making
sureall thecrosspieces
in
pipes
attached
to wallstuds.Thesteel
shouldbe roughly
24 thesamehorizontal
rowwillbeat thesamelevel.Boreholes
incheslongand% inchin diameter.
Theycanbe inserted
into i n t ot h eu p r i g h tasn dc r o s s p i e cf eo srt h ep i p e sd; r i l lt h e
anyof the holesdrilledintothe vertical
supports
or cross- holes3 inchesdeepand6 inches
apart,angling
themby
pieces,
allowing
lumber
to bepiledonthepipesorstacked
on
about5' sothepipes
willtilt up slightly.
Boltthe uprights
endbetween
them.Beginbycuttingtheuprights
to lengthand to thestuds,thencut the crosspieces
to lengthandtap
markeachpointon themwhereyouwantto locatea cross- t h e mi n b e t w e etnh e u p r i g h twsi t ha m a l l e tF. i xt h e mi n
piece.Cutdadoes
in thesidesof theuprights
to accommodate placewithglueor bydrivingin screws
at anangle.

92

STORAGE

i l i l i l i l t t i li i t ti l i l t t r ri l i i t i t it i i l l l i t t r l il l i l l l l i l l i l l l l l l i l l i l i ri l l l
ili i$ llt ii.l ul i$ iil d.ui$ {iJ t$ tti {ti l$ i$ iti i$ i.U

1HO?TI?
Anahoringlumber raaka in aonarete
einceordinarywoodor eheet melal ecrewedo noN
faetenere
holdwellin concrele,you willneed,d,ifferenf'
anchore(top) comNhanyouwouldueefor wood.Lead,
binedwith laqbolloare ideallor anchorin7t'o concrel'e.
Nheanchor
lneertedinto a holedrilledin I'heconcreLe,
ae Nheboll io driven
exVands
eideeof
inlo it, qrippinqtrhe
the holetiqhNly.Another
conoVtioniethe eell-LaVpin4
crele ocrew(bottom),lle eerratedlhreadehold
fasL in concreNe.

93

lumber
shelves
Setting
upadjustable
system
A commercial
lumber
storage
of
consists
liketheoneshownabove
andbrackets
thatf it
metalstrapping
Therack
intoholesin thestrapping.
oneon page
is similar
to thewooden
it is metal,thisrack
90, butbecause
heavier
loads.
support
cantypically
directly
to thewall
Boltthestrapping
supports
fastened
studs,orto vertical
to non-exposed
studs.Makesurethe
y allow
s t r a p as r ea l i g n e lda t e r a l tl o
youto position
at
eachrowof brackets
Formostapplications,
thesameheight.
to thestrapping
attachthe brackets
apartvertically.
about24 to 36 inches

STORINGTOOLSAND SUPPLIES
((

[ placefor everythingand everyA thing in its place."That timeworn adageis especially


appropriatefor
the homeworkshop.From shelvesand
racksto tool chestsand partitioned
drawers,many deviceswill eliminate
clutterwhilekeepingtoolsand supplies
easilyaccessible.
A few methodsare
shownin the followingpages.
For certaintools,particularlyitems
that arevaluableor dangerous
enoughto
be out of the reachof children,wallmountedboxeslike thoseshownbelow
areideal.For a moretraditionalsystem
ofenclosedstorage,
you canbuild a tool
cabinetor cupboardin the shop (page
96).Butnot everystoragedeviceneeds
Shelves
arean idealtoolstorageoption.Thisshop-built to be elaborate.
As shownon pagel0l,
unit featuresgrooves
and cleatscustom-cutto hanga
suspendinga tool from a fastenerdripanoplyof took in full viewoyera workbench. veninto a wall canwork just fine.

WALL
STORAGE
portable
Installing
cabinets
Theboxat rightcanbehungsecurely on a shopwallandeasilymovedif
plynecessary.
Buildit from3Z-inch
woodwitha hinged
top.To hangthe
cabinet
onthewall,cuta 45' angle
beveldownthemiddleof a 1-by-6,
thencrosscut
thetwopieces
slightly
lessthanthewidthof thebox.Screw
oneof theoieces
to thewallasa batten,withthebevelpointing
upand
f a c i n gt h ew a l l ;a n c h oar s m a n y
of thefasteners
as oossible
in wall
studs.Screwthe otheroieceto the
backof the boxwith its f lat edge
buttingagainst
the lip andthebevel
pointing
downandfacingthe back.
Thetwopiecesinterlock
whenthe
boxis hungon thewall(inset).

SIDEVIEW

Wall

tsalten

94

STORAGE

Adapting
drawers
to holdsmallitems
much
of somesimpletrayscanmakedrawers
Theaddition
forsmallitemslike
storage
units,especially
moreefficient
whichcanbeeasilylost.Thejarorganizer
screws
andwashers,
jarsin order.Theshelfraisshownabovekeepsdifferent-sized
jarsto makethemmoreaccessible.
Beginby
esthesmaller
onesnearly
thesame
thejars:Findsomelarger
collecting
onesabouthalfthat
heightasthedrawer
andsomesmaller
plya pieceof 7z-inch
Makethedivider
bytrimming
height.
Layoutthejarsontheplywood
woodto f it insidethedrawer.
Usea holesawto cut holesforthe
andmarktheiroositions.

jarsslightly
Holdthedivider
larger
thantheiractual
diameters.
(above).
supports
andtheshelfin placewitha pairof plywood
(inseil.
fhe
organizer
is theslidingtray
Another
usefuldrawer
Thedividers
are
trayis a basicboxthatfits insidethedrawer.
nails.Attach
withfinishing
notched
together
andthensecured
thetray.
sidesto support
a pairof slidesto thedrawer

95

STORAGE

Leathereaw etrap

A TOOL
CABINET
Thetoolcabinet
shownaboveis
handyforstoring
andorganizing
handtools.Although
theentireunit
is portable,
thedrawers
areremovable,making
it possible
to carry
around
onlythetoolsthatareneeded.Buildthecabinet
fromeither7ainchplywood
orsolidlumber.
The
sizeof theboxwilldepend
onyour
needs
but40 inches
highby30
inches
wideby 15 inches
deepis
point.Position
a goodstarting
the
divider
in thecenter
of thecabinet
sothatthesoaces
on bothsidesof
it areequal,making
thedrawers
interchangeable.

Cutthepieces
to size,thenprepare
thesidesof thecabinet
andthedivider
forthedrawers:
Routa series
of 7+by-%-inch
dadoes
ononefaceof the
sidesandonbothfacesof thedivider.
Makethespacebetween
thedadoes
plus
equalto theheight
of thedrawers,
Ya-inch
forclearance.
Glueupthecabinet,shelf,divider,
anddoor,using
thejointof yourchoice.
Thecabinet
in theillustration
wasassembled
with
joints.Naila leather
plate,or biscuit,
straoto the insideof thedoorfor
hanging
iools,adda woodstripto
prevent
smallitemsfromfalling
out,
thenattachthedoorto thecabinet
withbutthinges.

96

Next,buildthedrawers.
Sawthe
pieces
plywood
to size,usingVq-inch
forthebottom;
orientthepanels
so
thegrainof thefaceveneer
runsfrom
thefrontof thedrawer
to theback.
Cutthesidesslightly
shorter
thanthe
depthof thecabinet
if youareworkingwithlumber,
to allowforwood
movement.
Makethedrawer
front12inchwiderandcut a rabbetalong
its bottomedgeto conceal
the bottom,andnotchthetopedgefor a
handle.
Cutdadoes
in thesidesfor
dividers.
Glueup thedrawers;
the
bottoms
shouldextendbeyond
both
sidesbyVqinchto formslidersthat
fit in thecabinet
dadoes.

STORAGE

A TOOICUPBOARD
abovefeatures
twin
Thecupboard
forstoring
small,lighttoolslike
doors
andscrewdrivers,
aswellasa
chisels
for bigger
largemaincompartment
from32tools.Cutthecomponents
to theapproinchplywood
or lumber
priaiesize,depending
onthenumber
shown
of toolsyouown;thecupboard
and5
aboveis 48 inchessouare
doors.
inches
deepwith3-inch-deep
using
Next,assemble
thecupboard
A
method
of yourchoice.
thejoinery
jointis oneof the
dovetail
through
pleasing
andmostvisually
strongest

a
Butyoucouldchoose
options.
method
assimpleascounterbored
screws
concealed
underwoodplugs,
asshownabove.
To helpyouinstalltheshelves,
on its backand
laythecupboard
olacethetoolsto bestoredin their
theshelves
designated
spots.Position
andscrewthemin place.
accordingly
To keepsupplies
fromrollingoff a
shelfor the bottomof the doors,
gluea ledgealongthefrontedge.
l f y o uw a n t o s u b d i v i daes h e l,f
screw1-by-1cleatsacrossit or
installvertical
dividers
between

97

t h es h e l v e s .
Equiponeor bothdoorswithslotto holdtoolslikechisels
tedshelves
Borea seriesof
andscrewdrivers.
thanthetool
holesslightly
smaller
handles,
thensawa kerffromthe
edgeof the shelfto the holeto
e n a b l yeo ut o s l i pi n t h e b l a d e .
to thedoor.
Screw
theshelves
Hangthedoorsonthecupboard
w i t hb u t to r p i a n oh i n g e sU. s e
perdoor.Mount
threebutthinges
your
to thewallabove
thecupboard
workbench,
if desired,
byscrewing
it to thewallstuds.

STORAGE

A FOLD-DOWN
WORKBENCH
ANDTOOL
CABINET
ldealforsmallworkshops,
thestorage
feacabinet
shownbelowandopposite
turesa doorthatserves
double-duty
as
a sturdyworksurface
thatfoldsup out

of thewaywhenit is notneeded.
Mounted
on a framethatis anchored
theunitis builtwithan
to wallstuds,
shelfanda perforated
adjustable
hardboard
backfor organizing
and
hanging
toolsaswellasa worktable

o o o o o o o o o o
o

o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o a

Frame

o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o

11

Fiano
hinge

o o o
o o o o

o o o o " " " : :

CUTTINGLI9T
Frame
- Raile(2):3,/+"x
21/2"x 48"
- Stilee (2):3/+"x21/2"x 24"
Cabinet
- Back:1/a"
x 24" x 48"
- Top:3,/+"
x 10"x 48"
- Eottom:3,/+"x 10"x 48"
- 1ides (2):3,/+"
x 10"x 221,/2"
- Divider:3,/q"
x 10"x 221,/2"
- thelf 3/+"x 10"x 3O1/2"
Workbenah
- Top:3,/+"
x 23 1,/+"
x 48"
- Eenchtoprail:3/+"x 4" x 48"
- Bencht'opatileo: (2):3/+"x 4" x 221/2"
- Hingebrace rails (2):3/+"x 31/2"x 461/2"
- Hingebrace stilea (2):3,/+"
x 31/2"x 16"
- Lege(2): 11/2"
x 31/2"x 34"
- Legrail: 11/2"
x 3 1/2"x 461/2"

9B

supported
by foldinglegs.Thecabinetbenchcan be madeentirelyof %-inch
plywood,
exceptfor the legsand legrail,
whichare cut from 2-by-4stock;the
1-by-3frame;the 1-by-4hingebrace
assembly;
andthe hardboard
back.

STORAGE

Buildtheunitin threesteps,startthe
ingwiththeframe,thenmaking
andfinallycutting
cabinet
section,
theworktableandlegs.
andattaching
Referring
to thecuttinglistfor suggested
in the
cut rabbets
dimensions,
thenglueand
framerailsandstiles,
Nexi,screwthe
screwthemtogether.
frameto thestudsin yourshop.Be
theframesothatthe
sureto position
will beat a comfortable
worksurface
off
height,
typically
about36 inches
secthefloor.Nowbuildthecabinet

tion,cuttingthepartsto size.Before
boretwoparalthepieces,
assembling
lelrowsof holesonthe insidefaceof
face
onesidepanelandtheopposing
of thedivider.
Drilltheholesat l-inch
in fromthe
intervals
about2 inches
Byinserting
comof thepanels.
edges
in
available
shelfsupports
mercially
theholes,
theheightof theshelfcan
to suityourparticular
beadjusted
of theshelf,
needs.
Withtheexception
thencutthe
screwthepartstogether,
to sizeandnailit to the
hardboard

99

theframe
Fittheunitagainst
cabinet.
to attachthecabinet
andusescrews
to theframe.
to
Sawthepartsof theworkbench
size,thenscrewthehingebracerails
railand
andstilesandthebenchtop
of
the
benchto
the
underside
stiles
(above,
benchright).
Altach
the
top
section
of
the
cabinet
tooto thebottom
piano
the
hinge,
making
sure
witha
perfectly
aligned.
are
twoedges
foldeddown
Withtheworkbench
parallel
to thefloor,meaandheld
s u r et h ed i s t a n cfer o mt h e h i n g e
b r a c er a i lt o t h ef l o o ra n dc u t t h e
legsto fit. Attachthe legsto the
railwithhinges,
thenscrewlevelers
to the bottomof the legsandadjust
to levelthebenchthemasnecessary
to each
top.Adda foldingmetalbrace
screwing
the
legfor addedsupport,
flat endof the braceto the hinge
bracestileandtheotherendto the
outside
edgeof the leg.Alsocut a
the legsand
legrailto f it between
s c r e wi t i n p l a c eF. i n a l l yi n, s t a lal
onepartto the
hasplock,screwing
topof thecabinetandtheotherpart
rail.
to ihe benchtop

STORAGE

STORING
SAWSANDBLADES

Baak
1/+"x 9" x 29 3/+u

5aw holder
1/+"x10"x291/2"

3/+"x8"x29"

Turnbuakle
/

re
.J-

I00

Building
a handsaw
storage
rack
Thehandsaw
storage
rackshownat left
saves
spacebystoring
sawsupright.
The
handles
fit on oieces
of woodthesame
shape
astheholeinthehandle.
Theblocks
aremounted
to a holderthatslidesin
grooves
cut in thetopandbottomof the
box.Cutthepartsof theboxto size,then
equipyourtablesawwitha %-inchdado
blade.Toaccommodate
theoutside
saw
grooves
holders,
cut %-inch-deep
2%
inches
fromeachendof thetopandbotgroove
tom.Sawanother
oneachpiece
centered
between
thefirsttwoforthethird
sawholder.
Screw
thetopandbottomto
thesides,
thentackthebackin place.
Trace
theoutline
of theholein eachsaw
handle
ona blockof woodandcut outthe
piece.
Glueandscrewit to thesawholdpieceof woodto
er,thenscrewa pivoting
thetooof the blockto serve
asa turnbucklethatwillkeepthesawin placewhenit
is beingstored.
Usea sabersawor a band
sawto cut handles
in theholders
to make
it easier
to slidethesawsin andoutof the
box.Place
themat staggered
heights
so
theydo notinterfere
witheachother.
The
dimensions
shown
will makea boxthat
canholdsawthreesaws.lf youwantto
storemoresaws,simplymakethetopand
bottomwiderandspaceadditional
grooves
1% inches
apart.

STORAGE

HOTDER
A HANDSAW
rackfor handBuilda wall-mounted
dowsawswith a fewwoodscraps,
eling,andsomerubberhose.Cut
the basetromr/z-inchplywood
from4-by-4stock;
andthedividers
be 10 inches
should
thedividers
long.Cuta taperat theendof each
4-by-4,asshownat right.Screwa
edgeof the base,
2-by4alongone
in place,
thenscrewthedividers
leavingaVz-inchgapbetween
arecutfrom4them.Thestoppers
inchlengthsof l/z-inchdoweland
slightlylargerrubberhose;use
hosewithridgesratherthansmooth
gardenhose.Slipa sawintothe
thentugdownon
rackfrombelow,
willpinch
Thestopper
thehandle.
the bladein place.Markthedowandscrewit to the base.
el'sposition

fiIlllljlll lll lll]llllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllltlltllltlttlIlll


)HO? TI?
Hangingportable ?owertoole from the wall
eolutionto t'he
A eim?lebuVeaoilyoverlooked
problemof elorinqNoolswherelhey can be
eeenie Nohangbhemfrom Nheohopwall.
Drivea nail,ecrew,or lhreadedeyehook
into lhe wall,makinqsure iNis anchoredf'o
a elud. Loopa lenqlhof nylonropearound
Nhetool handle,lhenhan6t'he ropefrom
Ihe faslener,Leavet'he ropehanqinqfrom
Lhewallwhenyou are uoinqt'helool ae a
reminderNorelurn it to it'e riqhtfulplace
whenyou are finiehed.

101

STORAGE

0rganizing
circular
sawblades
Keepyourcircular
sawblades
visible
andprotected
in a custom-made
storageboxliketheoneabove.
Buildthe
plywood,
boxfromt/z-inch
cuttingit
a fewincheslarger
thanyourlargest
bladeandwideenough
to holdallyour
blades.
Makethedivrders
outof t/qplywood;
inch
f irstcut rectangles
1
inchlessthanthesizeof thesides,
t h e ns a wt h e mi n h a l fd i a g o n a l l y .
Screw
theframetogether,
thenglue
andnailthedividers
to thebottom
andback.Leavel/q
inchbetween
the
dividers.
Tokeeptheblades
fromrolling
outof thebox,cuta battenfromscrap
stockandnailit to thedividers
near
thebottom
of thebox.

llltlllrllliltlllltlll1
tllllltilllilllillttlllljltrllllllttllllltlllll
9HO7Tt?
A aircularsaw bladeaarrier
Toavoiddamaqin4your circular
eaw blades,or nickin4youreelfwhenLhebladesare
beinqotored or Nranoporled,usea commercial
blade
carrier.Themodelshown
accommodahee
up to 10
bladee,protecNinq
the cuNtinq edqeewiNha plaoLic
rim whileleavinq
Lhebladee
vieible.WheneNorinqoeveral
bladesal once,oeparate
Nhemwilh cardboard6?acere
lo prevenllhe Neethfrom
makinqconlacN.

r02

STORAGE

TOOLS
ORGANIZED
KEEPING

tool-tray
dividers
Adding
sawa 2-by-4to a
drawers,
To protecttooledgesin storage
thedrawer
sides.Thencut
lengthequalto thespacebetween
onesideof theboardto holdthetools-inthis
dadoes
across
file blades(above).
dadoes
to accommodate
case,narrow

handtools
Storing
toolsapartandsimThetooltrayshownabovekeepsdifferent
protect
a needwhile
making
to
them
helping
ilaronestogether,
advantage
of
has
the
additional
Thetray
ed itemeasyto locate.
joists
valuit
up
no
so
that
takes
fromoverhead
suspended
being
to joists,spacing
two2-by-4s
Startbybolting
ableworkspace.
bottom
endsof the
thetray.Cutoffthe
themto accommodate
the
tray,
cutting
height.
Next,build
Z-by-4s
at a convenient
the
and dividers
thesidesfrom%-inchstock,andthebottom
plywood.
according
to
forthedividers
Cutdadoes
from7+-inch
your
you
group
together
tools,thenscrewthesides
how wishto
tnthedadoes
andscrew
Gluethedividers
andto thebottom.
Screwthe backto wallstuds,or,
thesidesto the 2-by-4s.
wall.lf youplanto install
to a concrete
usingleadanchors,
through
wood
drivethescrews
asshown,
thetrayat anangle,
placed
thetrayandthewall.
between
wedges

103

STORAGE

Usinga LazySusan{ype
storage
cupboard
lf yourworkshop
hasan unused
corner
-an areaundera counter,
for example,installa commercial
LazySusantypecupboard
to storeworkshop
tools
andsupplies.
Thedesign
of thedevice
makes
anyitemonthetrayseasily
accessible.Themodelshown
above
features
a carousel
withtwotraysthatrevolve
around
a metalshaft.Using%-inchplywood,builda cabinet
liketheoneshown
above
to house
thecarousel
andsupport
themetalshaftat boththetooandbottom.Assemble
thecarousel
following
the
manufacturer's
instructions.

flIlrll1
llljllllrullllllllilllfiIjfiIlfillllljlllllll ljllljlllllllllr
1HO?Tt?
Amagnetictool mck
KeepmelalNoolo
or4anized
and
accessibleon a
commercialmaqnelic Noolrack.The
modelshownfeaEuresa heavy-duLy
b a rm a q n e N l h a L w i l l
holAany iron-basedlool eecurely-from screwdrivers,
chieels,and hammerolo Lry equareeand ocieeors.To
mountf,herack,screwNhemaqneN
lo a woodetrip and
anchorLheotrip Nowalle|uds aboveyour workbehch,

t04

STORAGE

RACK
CLAMP
A MOBITE
to store.
canbea nuisance
Clamos
in
accumulated
Thesheernumber
mostshoos-andtheirawkward
stretcheventhe
sizeandshape--can
to the
system
storage
mostorganized

clamprackshown
limit.Themobile
of clamps.
a widevariety
below
stores
underthe
mounted
Withcasters
base,the rackcanbe rolledto any
partof theshopwhereclampsare
thewall,
agatnst
thenstored
needed,

CUTTINO LIST
-Raile (top, bottom, and median) (6): t 3/+"x 31/'2"x 231/2"
"
"
"
-gtilee
(2): 1 / x 3 / x 44 /
-Croaspiecea (3):11,/2"x 3t/2" x 23t/z
-Eaeai/+" x 23 1/2"x 23'/2"
-1kirt
piecea (4):1/2" x 3t/2" x 23 i/2"

105

Referto the cuttinglistfor suggested dimensions.


and
therails,stiles,
Startbycutting
to sizefrom2-by-4stock.
crosspieces
together
using
Thenjointhe pieces
Toprepare
the
lapjointsandnotches.
routendrabbets
railsforthejoinery,
t h a tw i l lf i t i n t ot h e n o t c h easn d
Therabbets
dadoes
cutintothestiles.
s i d ea n d3 4
s h o u l db e I 1 / zi n c h e w
inchdeep.Next,notchthetopendof
eachstileon threesidesasshown,
near
dadoes
thenroutback-to-back
e n da n dm i d d l eo f t h e
t h eb o t t o m
3% inches
stiles;makethedadoes
wideand3/qinchdeep.Alsocut a
nolch3t/zincheswideand7q inch
of eachstile.
deeofromthebottom
therailsand
Whenyouassemble
of eachrail
stiles,
alignthetwohalves
withthe
face-to-face
andassemble
together,
dristile.Screwthe pieces
thejoints,
through
vingthefasteners
to therack,
Tojointhecrosspieces
in themiddadoes
cut3%-inch-wide
dleof eachandscrewthemin place.
willreston
Themiddlecrosspieces
will
rail.Thetoppieces
themedian
of the
shoulders
restontheoutside
notched
topof eachstile.
Finish
t h er a c kb yc u t t i n gt h e
fourpieces
fortheskirtfrom2-by4 stockandthe basefroml/rinch
plywood.
in the
Sawtwonotches
the
baseandskirtto accommodate
strles,rabbettheendsof the skiri
pieces,
to
andscrewthemtogether
to attach
forma box.Usescrews
attach
theskirtto thebase.Finally,
of theskirt
casters
to the underside
at eachcornerof therackandfasien
thebaseto thestilesandbottom
fromunderthescrews
rail,driving
neaththe base.

STORAGE

A SHETF
FOR
CTAMPS
Builtfroml/z-inchplywood,
the
shelfshownat rightfeatures
a
seriesof notches
for supporting
barandpipeclamps
alonga shop
wall.Cuttheshelfabout10
inches
wideandas longasyou
needforthenumber
of clamps
youwishto store.Cutthe notchesat 3-inchintervals
witha
sabersawandmakethemwide
enough
for theclampbarsor
pipes;17+inchesis aboutright
for mostclamos,Thenscrew
shelfbrackets
to the underside
of the shelf,centering
them
between
the notches.
Fasten
the
shelfto a backingboardof Vzinchplywood,
thenanchor
the
boardto thewallstuds.

llllIIlllt'filt
IIltll'ffiIIllllllllilltfit'IllilIt
filtlllllltttlll
)HO? TI?
?toring alampein a oan
Atraeh canfilhedwitha ehoomadelid eeryel as a conveniertl
wayto sLoresmallbar or pipe
plvclampe.Cul a oieceof 1/z-inch
wooAinto a ciicle oliqhtlyemaiti,
lhan the diameLer
of lhe can'orim.
Thenscribea seriesof concenlric
circleson trheplywoodto helpyou
localethe holesfor the clampbare,
1Vacetrhe
circlesaboutb inchee
apart and markpoinLeevery3 inchee alonqlhem, Borea f-inch-diameter holethrouqheachpoint, fit, the
pieceof plywoodin the can and drop
the clamoslhrouahlhe holes.

106

STORAGE

FOR
CLAMPS
TWOWALIRACKS

theracks
Making
andinstalling
areasfor
Shopwallsmakeidealstorage
barandpipeclamps.Forbarclamps
(above,left),nailtwocleatsacrossthe
the uppercleatwallstuds.Position
to keep
enough
madeof plywood-high
theclampsoff thefloor;makethe lower
so
onefromtwo2-by-4snailedtogether
willtilt towardthewall.
thattheclamps
right),nail
For pipe clamps(above,
plywoodto the studs
cleatsof 3/q-inch
to thecleats.
andscrewbroomgrippers
Position
thecleabonthewallsotheclamps
willrestabout1 inchoffthefloor.Then
cut the basefrom 1-by-4stock,and
borea rowof holesintoit at thesame
Fastenthe
intervalasthe grippers.
basealongthefloorsothe holesline
upwiththeclamps.

t07

STORAGE

ITEMS
SMALL
STORING

glassjarsundera shelf
Mounting
nails,andboltscanbestored
Screws,
including
in a variety
of containers,
jars,or
mason
tennisballcanisters,
pill bottles.
Mounting
thecontainers
will keepthe
undera shelf(above)
itemsoutin theooenwithoutclutteringa worksurface.Fastenthe containerlidto theshelf.thenscrewthe
to the lid.
container

108

STORAGE

A SCRAPBOX
to keepfromclutUsea scrapbox
teringthe shopfloorwithcut-offs,
The
shavings,
andotherrefuse.
designshownat leftcanbe built
quicklyfrom%-inchplywood;
castrolled
where
to
be
ersallowtheunit
it is needed
andmovedoutof the
waywhenit is not.Sawthesides
to
andbottomto a sizeappropriate
yourneeds,
four
corner
thencut
blocksfrom2-by-2stock.Screw
drivingthe
thefoursidestogether,
Turn
screws
intothecornerblocks.
theboxoverandnailthebottomto
thecornerblocksandsides.Adda
thetopto hidetheplyliparound
Finally,
woodedges.
screwcasters
to eachbottomcornerqnda pull
handleat oneend. f'{'

particularly
Somestoragedevices,
thosedesigned
for smallitems,are
lesstroubleto buy than to build.
Thesystemshownat leftfeatures
openplasticbinsthat canbelined
Thebinsaresusup or stacked.
pendedfrom plasticstripsthat are
screwed
to thewall.

109

::}tu

f" -itffi

"-r

<at

l
l

+.""{hi*.
v'
n{;i4

w
.:.|
.::
'
l

H
b+

'--*}*

i3

lre,.*

.,
"''airi+:r:,'Y,e-:
_' ffiSdg**ffft

.f,

WORKSreS
With its myriaduses,the sawf t isatruismthatnoworlshopis
horseis alsotheworkhorse
of the
I everlargeenough;it is equally
tan serveasa set
shop.A sawhorse
true that no woodworkereverhas
of legsfor a fold-downwork table
sawhorses,
enoughtables,benches,
(page116)or asimplepropfor sawstands,or propsto supportwork
ing stock.With a fewnotchescut
Thetraditionalworkin progress.
into their crosspieces,
horsescan
usefulor necessary
bench,however
(supage46),isonlythebeginning.
form part of theframefor a shopDa).Clamped
madegluerack(page
Formanyuses,it is too high,too
to a2-bv-4attached
to a commersmall,or tooimmobileto behelpfuL
a
cialroller,a sawhorse
becomes
Whenit istimeto marktheelecustom-builtrollerstand.
the
mentsof a joint or assemble
Outfeedtablesandrollerstands
manypieces
of a chair,a solidwork
that hold unwieldypanelsor long
table,like the library-styletable
plankssignificantly
expandthevershownonpage113,canserveasthe
satilityof toolsliketablesaws,
band
Bettercontrolproduca betterresults,
commandcenterof your shop,
Setup at
saws,and drill presses.
Secured
to aband smr'soriginaltable,a
becoming
thefocusof manyopertable,
a large
thesamelevelasa machine's
shop-madeextensiontablelceeps
a spaations.Thisdesignfeatures
it, theseprops
or fractionallybelow
hardboardsheetlevel
duringa curvedcut.
cious work surfaceand sturdy
canbeaswelcome
asa secondset
Theonlvdrawback
construction.
to handlelargeworka tool'scapacity
is size:onewouldneeda fairlylargeshopto accommodate of hands,enhancing
thistable.Fora smallershopwith crampedquarters,consid- piecesefficientlyandsafely.
for a lack
Worksurfaces
canevenberiggedto compensate
on page115.Offeringalmostas
erthefoldingtablefeatured
Thestandshownonpage134
machines.
of firll-sizestationary
muchsurfaceareaasthelibrary-styleversion,it canbefoldto letyoumountabenchtoptoolat acomfortable
The isdesigned
edout of thewayagainstthewallwhenit is not needed.
tool tablefeaturedon page
temporarytableillustratedon pagell7 offersyet another workingheight.Thethree-in-one
spaceandconve- 136cantransforma router,sabersawandelectricdrill into
solutionto theconstantconflictbetween
tools.
workingsur- mini-stationary
nience,satisfying
boththeneedfor a substantial
will
ofwood,werywoodworker
Givenaneedandafewpieces
Restingon sawhorses,
thisplywood
faceandeaseof storage.
improvehisor hertools.Theexamples
that
isrequired, devise
somewayto
aflatsurface
sheettabletopcanbesetupwhenever
forit isimposibletolimittheimagyourprojectmoveson
followaremeresuggestions,
andput awaywhen
thenbedismantled
for improvingtheworlshop.
inationwhentheneedarises
to anotherphase.

Thedoor of this storagecabinetfolds downfrom a shop


wall to becomea sturdywork surface.Supportedby solid
lumberlegs,it is an idealwork tablefor light-duty operasmallcarcases.
tionssuchasgluingup and assembling
For detailson how to built this unit, seepage98.

l1l

WORKTABLES
chores,
{",'or manylightwoodworking
l" frourrnarkinsout iointsto asselnblingpiecesof furniture,a simplework
tablefits thebill aswellasa traditional
woodworker's
bench.This sectionfeaturesseveral
tabledesigns.
All arequick,
easy,
andinexpensive
to build.Thetable
shownoppositeis sufficiently
largeand
sturdyfor nlostjobsiifspaceisat a premium, a goodcompromise
wouldbe
oneof the fold-upversions
shownon
pagesI 15and I 16.Youcanalsoconserve
spaceby incorporating
storageshelves,
drawers,
or cabinets
in yourdesign.For
assembling
carcases
andotherpiecesof
furniture.vou mavfind thelow-to-thegroundtableon page1l4 handierthan
a standard-height
work surface.
Whicheverdesignyou choose,be
carefulof thenailsor screws
you useto
constructa table-particularlywhenfasteningthe tabletopto the frame.Thke
thetime to countersink
or counterbore
screwheadsand setnail headsbelow
thesurfaceto preventthefasteners
from
marringyourwork.

Alnrostas strongas a traditional workbench,this commercial


work table is a versatileworkhorse,especiallywhen paired
with a woodworker'svise.The cabinetand drawersprovide
storagespace,and can be lockedto secLtre
valuobletools.

Despiteits lightweight,conlpoctdesign,the Black


d* Decker Workntate'- can support loads up to 550
pounds. It okofolds virtually Jlat for easystorage.
A specialpivot designallows the visejaws to be
tmgled,for sectn"ingworkpieceslike the tapered
Iegshown in thephoto.Thisparticular Workmate'''
featuresa storagetray and a top that Jlips up for
verticalclamping.TheWorkntatetMhasa long,
colorfulhistory.By 1968,theprototype,featuring
a patentedfolding H-frante, had beenrejectedby
everymajor tool manufacturerin Britain. Four
yearslater,the inventor of the Workmate'*,
Ron Hickmon, persuadedBlack 6 Deckerin
England to massproducehis invention.International distribution rights werenegotiated
thefollowing year.Popularsuccess
for the
Worknnte'n' was olntostinmrcdiate:Worldwide salesof the tableare closeto 20
milli on un it s-an d coun ting.

rt2

WORK SURFACES

WORK
TABLE
A LIBRARY-TYPE
Theall-purpose
tableshownbelowis
of lumber
builtwitha combination
Referto thedimenandplywood.
fora work
sionsin the illusiration
surface
that is 5 feetlong,3 feet
wide,and3 feethigh.
Sawthe legsto lengthfrom4-by4 stock,thenprepare
themforthe
rails:Cuta two-shouldered
tenonat
thetopendof eachlegwithshoulders3/ainchwide(inset).Next,cut

andbraces
to
therails,stretchers,
lengthfrom2-by-4s.
Sawmitersat
bothendsof thebraces
sothatone
the inside
endsitsf lushagainst
edgeof the legsandtheotherend
buttsagainst
thebottomof therails.
Prepare
thefront,back,andside
bybeveling
their
railsforassembly
to accomendsandcuttingrabbets
Screw
modate
thelegtenons(insef).
to the rails,spread
the stretchers
glueonthecontacting
of
surfaces

the legsandrails,fit the pieces


together,
andscrewtherailsto the
to the
legs.Next,attachthebraces
legsandrailswithscrews.
Cutthetabletoo
from3Z-inch
plywood
andscrewit to the rails.
Finally,
cuta pieceof %-inchhardas
boardto thesamedimensions
thetopandnailit to the plywood
protective
cover.
asa replaceable
Besureto setthenailheadsbelow
thesurface.

Tabletop
%"x36"x60"

Brace

'l%"x 5%"x 12"

Front rail
'l
%"x 3%" x 60"

9ide rail
11/2"x3%"x36"

Leo
3%"x5%"x36"

113

WORKSURFACES

Front and backraila


11/2"x51/2"x29"

Side rails
1 1 / 2x" 3 1 / 2 "x ' 1 9 "

. , / % \- -

Erales

1 1/2"x 31/2" x

%
'16"

31/2"x31/2"x25"

Building
a lowassembly
table
Foroperations
thatareawkward
to
perform
table,
ona standard-height
usean assembly
tableliketheone
shown
at left.ldealforjobslikegluingup carcases,
thetablecanbe
in theshopwitha small
builteasily
amount
of wood.Refer
to thedimenfor a work
sionsin the illustration
s u r f a cteh a ti s a b o u t1 2 i n c h e s
l o w etrh a na s t a n d a rt da b l eS
. aw
the legsfrom4-by-4stockandthe
railsandbraces
from2-by-4s;
cut
mitersat theendsof the braces
so
theybuttagainst
the legsandsit
flushwiththetooof therails.Screw
the
therailsto thelegs,thenfasten
braces
to the legsandrails(inset).
from%-inch
Next,sawthetabletop
plywood;
it willoverhang
therailsby
about3 inches
on all sides.Screw
thetopto therails,countersinking
covthefasteners.
Cuta replaceable
er fromr/q-inch
hardboard
andnail
it to thetabletop;
setthenailheads
belowthesurface
of thecover.

II4

WORKSURFACES

WORK
TABLES
STOW.AWAY

worktable
a fold-down
Making
andinstalling
a largeandsturdyworksurThetableshownaboveincorporates
spacebyfoldingup against
a wallwhen
face,butstill conserves
yielda work
in theillustration
it is notin use.Thedimensions
legs,rails,
measuring
20 by48 inches.
Cutthebracing,
surface
from2-by-4stockandscrewthe bracingbetween
andstretchers
thereshouldbeonebracefor everypairof
thewallstuds(insef);
thefrontlegsto theside
studsalongthetable'slength.Fasten
on both
railsusingcarriage
boltsandlocknuts;placewashers
to allowthe
sidesof the legs.Leave
the boltsjustlooseenough
theframe,
legsto pivotwhenthetableis foldedup.Tocomplete

top
attachthefrontrailsto thesiderails.Adda 45-inch-long
between
the rear
rearrailandfastentwo l7-inch-longstretchers
railandthetopfrontrailto provide
addedsupportfor thetop.
the fasteners.
Next,screwthetopto the rails,countersinking
screwshimsto
Toallowthetableto folddownwithoutbinding,
theendsof the bottomsiderails,thenattachthetableto the
foreachoutsidebrace,
bracing
withbutthinges;
usetwohinges
frontrailanda catch
Finally,
driveaneyeboltintothebottom
intothewallto secure
thetablewhenit is foldedup.

115

WORKSURFACES

Suppoiling
a fold-down
worksurfaceonsawhorses
Rather
thanbuildinga framework
for a fold-down
worksurface,youcanusea panelof %-inchplywood
hingedto the
wallandsupported
bysawhorses.
Thesurfacecanbeof any
size.Beginbysettingthe panelontwosawhorses;
oneedge
of thepanelshouldbeflushagainst
thewall.Marka point
onthepanelat every
wallstud,theninstallbutthinges,
screwing
oneleafof eachhingeto a studandtheotherleaf
to thepanelat a pencilmark.Tosecure
thepanelwhenit is
pieceof 2-by-4tothestudclosfoldedup,screwa notched
estto themiddleof thepanelat a heightthatwillallowthe
notched
endto slipovertheedgeof the panel(inset).

116

WORKSURFACES

wolksurface
Settingupa temporary
six2-by-4s
of twosawhorses,
Consisting
panel,the unitshown
anda plywood
andeasyto put
aboveis inexpensive
provtdes
yet it
a largeandstatogether,
thatcanbesetupand
bleworksurface
quickly.Startbyfitting
disassembled
cut from
withcrosspieces
the sawhorses
2-by-6stock,thencut the 2-by-4sto
thesamelengthasthepanel.In three
cut a notchabout8 inchof theboards,
should
esfromeachend;thenotches
beabout2 inchesdeepandaswideas
Cut
of the crosspieces.
thethickness
in thetop edgesof
notches
matching
Centerthe unnotched
the crosspieces.
edgeof the notchedboardsalongthe
faceof the other2-by-4sandscrew
to formthreeT-shaped
themtogether
supThesawhorse
supports.
tabletop
portscanbe usedto holda largesheet
for ripping,or a permanent
of plywood
to the 2-by-4s.
top canbescrewed

rt7

SAWHORSES
havecountless
usesin the
Q awhorses
rJ woodworkingshop,from tablelegs
to tool stands.Occasionally
it seems
thattheiroriginalpurpose-to support
boardsfor sawing-is only an afterthought.It is easyto seewhy sawhorses
areconsidered
for theircomsoversatile,
pactdesignmakesthemespecially
useful in shopswith limited floor space.
Somecommercialmodels,liketheonesin
thephotoat right,canbeadjustedto differentheightsandfoldedup for easystorage.Wth commercialbrackets(.below),
you can slzesawnorses
to sult your
needs.The shon-made
horsesfeatured
on page119canbe disassembled
and
put awayafteruse.
Differentoperationsrequiredifferent-sizedsawhorses.
For supporting
stockfor handsawing
or holdinglarge
workpiecesat a comfortableheight,
smallhorses
about18incheshieh are
ideal.Tallersawhorses
areneededifthey
areto be usedto holdup a worksurface

or asoutfeedsupportsfor a tablesaw
Theyshouldbeabout%inchlowerthan
the sawtable.Whateverthedimensions
of your sawhorses,
nevermakethem
tallerthantheirlength,astheywill tend
to be unstable.

MAKING
SAWHORSES
Using
commercial
sawhorse
brackets
A pairof metalsawhorse
brackets
can
helpyoutransform
a coupleof 2-by-4s
and1-by-3s
intoa sturdysawhorse,
like
theoneshown
at right.Sawthelegsand
crosspiece
from2-by-4s,
thencuta bevel
at the bottomof the legssotheywillsit
flatonthefloor.Fitthelegsintothebottomof thebrackets,
insert
thecrosspiece
andspread
thelegs;thebrackets
willgrip
t h ec r o s s p i eacneds t a b i l i zt e
h eh o r s e .
Screw
thebrackets
to thelegsandcrosspiece.Foraddedstability,
addbraces
anda stretcher.
Thebraces
arecutfrom
1-by-3s
andscrewed
to the legs,making
surethattheendsareflushwiththeoutsidefacesof the legs.Forthestretcher,
cuta 1-by-3
to sizeandscrewit between
thebraces.

118

This sawhorsefeatures leg extensions


that can be adjusted to a variety of
heights.The legsretract into the crosspiece,making the unit compactand
portable.A pair of theseslendermetal
horsescan supportone ton of material.

WORKSURFACES

sawhorse
Building
a knock-down
of lumber
and
Withonlya smallamount
plywood
time,you
anda fewminutes'
sawhorse
canmakea sturdy,knock-down
Cutthe legs
liketheoneshownabove.
thensawa 3-inchfrom7+inchplywood,
deepnotchin the middleof thetopof
Next,cut the crosspiece
bothpieces.
from1-by-6stockandsawa 1%-inchdeepslot8 inchesin fromeitherendto
fit intothe legs.Angletheslotsroughly
5ofromtheverticalsothe legsspread
Foraddedstability,
slightlyoutward.
1-by-2cleatsto the
screw4-inch-long
on eachsideof the slots.
crossoiece

119

WORK SURFACES

Assembling
a frame-and-foot
sawhorse
Lightweight,
compactf rame-and-foot
sawhorses
liketheoneshownat leftcan
bebuiltfrom2-by-4stock.Startbycuttingthelegsto a suitable
height,
then
prepare
themto jointo theotherpartsof
theunit:Cuttenons
at thebottomends,
routthrough
mortises
halfway
up the
faces,
andsawl-inch-deep
notches
in
themiddle
of thetopends.Cutthefeet
to lengthand,for addedstability,
cut
recesses
alongtheirbottomedges,
Ieavinga 2-inchpadat eachend.Routmortisesthrough
themiddleof thefeetfor
thelegtenons.Next,sawthestretcher
to
fit between
the legsandcuttenons
at
bothends.Cutthecrosspiece
andsawa
notch4 inches
fromeitherendthatwill
fit intothe notchat thetopof the legs.
joints,
Toreinforce
themortise-and-tenon
sawa pairof kerfsin theendof each
tenonandmakewedges
to f it intothe
kerts(inset).
Tapthewedges
in to expand
thetenonwhenthejointis assembled.

WEDGED
MORTISEA1{D-TENON
JOINT

uu

llillllilllllltllllilt lltuillil lll I]llilI]illrfitlilltilltllllllltfitl


iltl

9HO?TI?
?addingsawhorses
To prevenla sawhorsefrom
marrinqyour work,coverils
croeeViece
wilh a ebripof old
carpeN.Foldthe caroet over
theNopedqeoflhe crosspieceand ocrewit,to the
eidee.Fora smoolherourface,usean oldNowel
or
blanket,ralherthan
a
i
i
.^r^^^ -c
pieceof car?et.

r20

WORKSURFACES

sawhorse
Makinga heavy-duty
andsimplejoinery,the
braces,
by a stretcher,
Reinforced
shownabovewill endurefor yearsasa sturdywork
sawhorse
to lengthfroma2-by-6andcut
Sawthe crosspiece
surface.
dadoesin the edgesabout4 inchesfromeitherendto accomroughlyLOofromthevertimodatethe legs.Anglethe dadoes
cal.Next,sawthe 2-by-4legsto lengthandcut 1%-inch-deep
anglednotchesintotheiroutsideedgesto housethe braces.
Thetopof eachbraceshouldrestabout1% inchesbelowthe
topsof the legs.Alsocut bevelsat bothendsof the legsso

theywillsit flatonthefloorandlieflushwiththecrosspiece.
is a 2-by-4cut to the samelengthasthe crossThestretcher
piece;cuta notchin eachendto lineupwiththe brace,leavSawthe bracesfrom2-by-6stock,
inga lL/z-inchshoulder.
mrtering
theendsto beflushwiththe outsidefacesof the
a 2-inchdeepnotchin themiddleof thetop
legsandsawing
glueup thesawhorse,
strengthFinally,
edgeforthestretcher.
andbraces
the legs,crosspieces,
eningthe jointsbetween
withscrews.

r2r

WORK SURFACES

Top railo
3/o"x5%"x36"

Corner half-lap joint

(fl

Hingedcro66brace
3/^"x5%"x16"

half-lap joint.

IW
a\)
3A"x5%"x54"

Building
a folding
sawhorse
Madeentirely
from1-by-6stock,with
a hinged
crossbrace
andtop,thislightweightsawhorse
foldsflatto storeeasily
in eventhemostcramped
workshop.
Cut
thelegsandrailsto length.
Then,cut
joints.
notches
in thepieces
for half-lap
(inset,
UseTtypehalf-laps
bottom)to
jointhelegsto thebottom
rails,andcor(inset,top)to jointhetop
nerhalf-laps
railsto thelegs.
Assemble
andgluethe
twosections
of thehorse,
andreinforce
thejointswithscrews.
Whentheglue
jointhetwosections
hascured,
at the
pianohinge.
toprailswitha continuous
Finally,
cutthecrossbrace;
besureit
is longenough
sowhenthehorselegs
spread,
thepianohingeis recessed
between
thetop rails.Sawthecrossbracein halfandconnect
thepieces
witha piano
hinge,
making
surethatthe
hingeis installed
sothebrace
willpivot
upwards.
Then,fasten
thecrossbrace
to
bothsiderails,
again
usingpiano
hinges.

l]lllll1
tll]tllltllltlllllltr
fiulll1
filtfit]lllllll1
llllll11
lltlfilJ
iill
1HO?TI?
Seouringworkpieaeo
edge-upon sawhorses
Clamphandscrewe
ln lhe croeepieceeof Iwo sawhoreee
to eupport workedqe-upwhena bench
viseie not,available.
Toprevenllhehandscrewl from pivoNinq,
aecureeachwithlwo
C clampeas shown.
Uoeao many
sawhorses
and
handscrews
as
neededNo
ade-

6u??ort I
quabe,ly
I

Tne ?ECe,

r22

I^

WORK SURFACES

Notched wood block


1%"x3%"x4"

panelsupport
frame
Sawhorse
proper
is needed
to keep
support
largepanels,
Whensawing
onthebladeasthecut is
andbinding
theworkfrombuckling
made,andto stopthecutofffromfallingawayasthecut is finjobs,construct
this
thesecumbersome
Toaccommodate
ished.
frame,whichis easilyheldin placewith
4-by-8-foot
support
woodblocks.Cuttwo4-footandtwo8-footlengths
notched
six
of 2-by-4fortheendsandsidesof theframe.Cutdadoes
from
and18 inches
fromtheendsof the4joot lensths
inches

jointsthat
forthecrosshalf-lap
theendsof theS{ootlengths
Thencuttwo4-inch-long
asshown.
holdtheframetogether
notch,wide
blocksfrom2-by-4andsawa two-inch-deep
in
themiddle
notches
7%-by-I%-inch
deep
fit
over
enough
to
plan
you
use.
Screw
to
the
sawhorses
of
of thecrosspieces
pieces
and
and
assemble
the
end
the
bottom
of
theblocks
to
bymatglueuptheframe.Secure
theframeto thesawhorses
withthosein thecrosspieces.
in theblocks
ingthenotches

r23

WORKSURFACES

A VARIABLE.HEIGHT
WORK
SURFACE

24"
Building
thebox
Constructing
a boxwithdifferent
width,
lengh,andheight
dimensions
willprovideyouwitha worksurface
thatcanbe
usedatthreelevels.
Thetoosurface
of
theboxshownat right,forexample,
can
beeither
24,30,or36 inches
high.Saw
allthepieces
from1-by-4stock,making
eightboards
36 incheslong,eightboards
23tlaincheslong,fourthatare30 inches
long,andfourmore29tl+incheslong.
joints(lnset)assemble
Usinghalf-lap
theboards
intosixframes:
twomeasuring
30 by36 inches,
twomeasuring
23Ll+
by
29tlqinches,
andtwomore23% by36
inches.
Oncetheframes
areassembled,
cuta s/e-by-3/e-inch
rabbet
alongallfour
edges
of eachofthesixframes.
Usea
lightweight
woodlikepineto makethe
boxeasilyportable.
lf youchoose
to
reinforce
thejoinery
at thecorners
with
screws,
besureto countersink
the
screwheads.

II
t

?HO?TI?
A ehop-madeglue raak
A rack madefrom two mef,al-brackettyp e eawhoreee
way
Vrovideoa coinvenienN
to holdbar clampofor qluinqup panele.To
buildlhe
ji6, replaceihe crooepiece
of your sawhorseswilh
oubstitutea thal are at
leaet ao lonqao lhe boards
t'o be6luedt o6ether.Notch
oneed6eof eachcrooopiece
at, 6-inch inlervalo,mAkinq
bhecuts wideenouqhto
holda bar clampenu6ly
and deepenou7hlohold
the barlevelwith the top
of t'he croeepiece.

r24

WORKSUPPORTS
Q upporlinglongplank andlargepanJ elsasthevarefedacrossa sawtable
ranksasone of the mostcumbersome
taslsin thewoodworkingshop,Outfeed
but
to mostsaws,
tablescanbeattached
theytendto takeup a lot offloor space.
Oncesidesupportsareaddedto your
machine,your shopmay becomean
course.
obstacle
liketheone
rollerstands,
Commercial
shownin the photoat right,makebetter useof shopspace;they canalsobe
movedeasilyto wheretheyareneeded
to whateverheightis suitandadjusted
standsdescribed
The
shop-made
able.
pageshare
following
and
orthe
below
jigs
Thereareotherwork-support
varistore-bought
ofthe
theadvantages
The
vise
in
shop.
life
easier
the
that
make
of
being
benefit
with
the
additional
ety,
standshownonpage127,for
to build. They extension
easyand inexpensive
of keeping
solves
theproblem
when
example,
stored
and
canalsobe dismantled
vise.
in
a
bench
edge-up
long
boards
not needed.

a
rollerstandsupports
A commercial
boardbeingrippedon a radialarm
saw.Thestandshouldtypicallybeset
l,/t-inchbelowthelevelof thesawtable
andpositionedtwofeetfrom itsedge.

ROLLER
STANDS
TW()SHOP.MADE
upa temporary
stand
Setting
and
twoC clamps,
Withonlya sawhorse,
youcanmakea simroller,
a commercial
plerollerstandliketheoneshown
at left.
mastfortherollerthat
Makea T-shaped
i s l o n ge n o u gtho h o l di t a t a s u i t a b l e
theroller
to thehorizontal
height.
Screw
partof themast.Adda brace
to theside
forclamping
themastin
of thehorse
place:Cuta I-by-4to spanthelegs
bracket
andthe
thesawhorse
between
braceandscrewit to thelegs.
original
and
to spanthetwobraces
Cuta 1-by-2
guidefor
screwit in placeasa vertical
therollerstandto
themast.Tosecure
clampthemastto the
thesawhorse,
making
sureit isf lushagainst
braces,
theguide.

r25

WORKSURFACES

Building
anadjustable
rollerstand
To buildtherollerstandshown
at right,
startbyconstructing
theframeforthe
roller,
cutting
thefourpieces
from1-by-4
stock.Gluetheframetogether
withbutt
joints,adding
screws
to reinforce
theconnections.
Thenborea holeinthemiddle
of eachsideof theframefor a t/t-inchdiameter
carriage
bolt.Locate
thehole
3 inches
fromthebottomof theframe.
Insert
theboltsfromtheinside
of the
frameandscrew
therollerto thetoo.As
wellasthecommercial
rollershown,
two
variations
thatpermityouto feedthe
workpiece
fromanydirection
areshown
pieces
below.
Cuttheremaining
of the
standfrom1-by-6stock,referring
to the
provided,
dimensions
thenroutar/q-inchwideslotdownthe middleof thetwo
uprights;
theslotshouldbeabout14
incheslong.Screw
thecrosspiece
to the
uprights,
aligning
thetopof thepiece
withthe bottomof theslot.Fasten
the
uprights
andrailsto thefeet.Toguide
theroller
frame,
nail1-by-1
cleats
to the
uprights
aboull/qinchin fromtheedges.
Tosetupthestand,position
theroller
framebetween
theuprights,
fittingthe
carriage
boltsintotheslots.Slipwashers
ontheboltsandtightenthewingnutsto
settheheishtof theroller.

/^ rnaaniera

3/+"x51/z"x19"

Plate-mounted aaatere

t26

WORKSURFACES

STAND
A VISEEXTENSIOI{

Making
andusingthestand
is dry,
Oncetheadhesive
otherfoot.Gluethetwofeettogether.
standis usedto
Alsoknownasa benchslave,a viseextension
piece
and
swivel
the
upright
to
the
feet.
Cut
the
support
screw
in
the
shoulder
a
long
board
clamped
free
end
of
the
support
in the illustration bars,anglingthetopof thesupportpieceabout10" (inset).To
Referto thedimensions
viseof a workbench,
jointhesupport
pieceto theswivelbars,boreholesfor %-inchmost
workbenches.
well
with
that
works
for a stand
diameter
dowels
throughthe pieceandnearthe endsof the
and,
starting
5
upright
to
length
cut
the
the
stand,
To build
gluethemin place.To
intotheholes;
bars,
and
slip
the
dowels
inlernotches
at2L/z-inch
saw
angled
from
the
bottom,
inches
r/z
at
the
top
endof the swivelbars
the
stand,
insert
the
dowel
1
inch
long
and
use
about
Cut
the
notches
its
length.
valsalong
for
the
heightyouneed
slot
in
the
upright
along
in
the
appropriate
length
and
cut
recesses
feet
to
Then
saw
the
inchwide.
joint:
piece.
prop
your
workpiece
on
the
support
Cut
a
and
a
cross
lap
the
feet
with
edges.
Join
theirbottom
lap in thetop edgeof onefootandin the bottomedgeof the

t27

WORKSURFACES

(lNTHEBAND
LARGE
PANELS
CUTTING
SAW

Making
andusingthejig
Formaking
circular
cutsoutof largepanels
onthebandsaw,use
plywood,
a jig liketheoneshown
above.
Buildthejigfrom3/q-inch
cuttingthepieces
sothetopof thejig is levelwiththesawtable
whenthefeetarescrewed
or clamped
to a worktable.Before
assembling
thejig, drivea IV+-inch-long
screwasa pivotpoint
through
thecenterof thetoppiecesothetip of thescrewprojectsfromthesurfacebyaboutVzinch(inset).Thenscrewthe
topandfeetto thesidesof thejig, andattachthetriangularshaped
supportbrackets
to thetopandsides;besureto counter-

sinkthefasteners.
Before
settingupthejig, markthecenterand
circumference
of thecircleontheworkpiece.
Thencut fromthe
edgeof thepieceto themarked
circumference
andbackto the
pointforthecircular
edge,creating
a starting
cut,Nowsetupthe
jig:Attachit to a tableandplacetheworkpiece
onthejig sothe
marked
centerof thecirclecontacts
thepivotpoint.Position
the
tablesothebladebuttsagainst
themarked
circleandthe pivot
pointisaligned
withthecenter
of thebladeandthemachine's
centerline.Cutthecirclebyrotating
theworkpiece
intotheblade.

t28

EXTENSIONTABLES
liketablesaws,
Q tationarymachines
come
J bandsaws,anddrill presses
with
equipped
fromthemanufacturer
for mostroutablesthatareadequate
But therearesome
tine ooerations.
longplanlsor pantasls-crosscutting
long
elson thetablesaw,performing
cutson thebandsaw,andsmoothing
witha sanding
drumonthe
largepieces
drill press-thatcanbe awkwardor
to attemptwithout
evendangerous
table.
thesizeof themachine's
extending
a newprobOften,thesolutioncreates
the
because
increasing
lem,however,
machine
with apersizeof a stationary
manentadditioncancrowdeventhe
roomiestworkshop.
illustrate
avariThefollowingpages
ety of devicesfor extendingthework
Almachines.
areaof woodworking
thougheasyto build anduse,eachjig
isdesigned
to beremoved
or foldedout
of theway.
An extensiontablegreatlysimplifiesthetaskof crosscuttingwide
panelson thetablesaw.Thiscommercialmodelmorethan doubles
thesawtable'ssurfacearea.It also
featuresa speciallydesignedrip
fencethat canbemovedto any
positionacrossthetable.

1HO?TI?
Double-dutyworkNable
To qet maximumueefrom
lhe worktablein your ohop,
buildit oo the too ie althe
oame heiqht,or eli7hr,lylower
than lhe levelof your table
oaw.lnadditrion
bo beinq
a handyworkeufiace
tor light jobo,the
lable can butt
againotthe
saw lable to

eervea5 an
outfeedoup'
port.lf neaee'
oary,modify
the iableto
male liqhtly with you?eaw
by cutlinq a nolch in the
top to clearthe blade7uard
or' oth er obsl,r ucIi ons.

r29

WORKSURFACES

EXTENSION
TABTES

Building
anextension
tablefora radialarmsaw
Madeentirelyfrom2-by-4and 1-by-3stock,the extension
tableshownabovecanbe attached
to theoutfeed
or infeed
endsof a radialarmsawtable.Using2-by-4s,
cut the legs,
rails,andstretchers
to suitthedimensions
of yoursaw,makingthe lengthof the legsequalto the distancebetween
the
topof thesawtableandtheshopfloor,lessthethickness
of
the stretchers.
Attachthe railstretchers
sothattheirtopsare
flushwiththe rail'stopedges.
Attachthe legstretchers
to
the legs,thenscrewthe legsto the insideedgesof therails.
Makecertaintheoutsiderailstretcher
is buttedagainst
the
topsof the legs.Cutthe bracesfrom 1-by-3sto reachfrom
the bottomof thesecondrailstretcher
to the insideedgesof

the legs,Miterthe endsof the bracesandscrewthemin


place.Tofastentheextension
tableto thesawtableshown,
cut twowoodstripsandscrewoneendof eachpieceto the
underside
of the insiderailstretcher,
Settheextension
table
flushagainst
thesawtableandfastentheotherendof the
stripsto the underside
of thetable,usingshimsor spacers
asneeded.
lf youpreferto spanthetable'srailswithrollers
(inset),ratherthanwoodstretchers,
cut the rail stretchers
longenoughto fastenthemto the bottomedgeof the rails.
Thenscrewcommercial
rollersto the topsof the stretchers,
placingshimsunderthe rollers,if necessary,
to setthemlevel withthetooof thesawtable.

130

WORK SURFACES

table
outfeed
outfitting
a tablesawwitha fold-down
A h a n d ye x t e n s i otno y o u rs a wt a b l ef o r c u t t i n gl o n gs t o c k t, h e
s h o p - m a dj ei g s h o w na b o v es w i n g sd o w no u t o f t h e w a yw h e n
i t i s n o t n e e d e dS
. t a r tb y c u t t i n gt h e t o p , s i d e s ,a n d s u p p o r t
b r a c k e t fsr o m% - i n c hp l y w o o ds, i z i n gt h e p i e c e st o s u i t y o u r
needs.Thensawthe bracesandcleatfrom 1-by-2stock,adding
an anglednotchat the bottomend of both braces.Screwthe
Next,get readyto
the fasteners.
sidesto the top, countersinking
a t t a c ht h e l i g t o t h e s a wh o u s i n gF. i r s ta, t t a c ha n a n g l ei r o nt o
e a c hs i d eo f b o t hs u p p o r bt r a c k e t sT.h e n ,h a v ea h e l p e rh o l d
t h e t o p a g a i n stth e s a wt a b l e ,m a k i n gs u r et h e t w os u r f a c easr e
l e v e l l; e a v ea s l i g h tg a pb e t w e e tnh e t o p a n ds a wt a b l es o t h e
l i g w i l lf o l dd o w nw i t h o ulta m m i n ga g a i n st th et a b l e .N o wd e t e r by buttingeachagainst
minethe position
of the supportbrackets
. a r kt h e h o l e si n t h ea n g l ei r o n s
t h e i n s i d ef a c eo f a s i d ep i e c eM
. r i l la h o l ef o r a m a c h i n es c r e wa t e a c h
o n t h e s a wh o u s i n gD
ne
m a r ka n df a s t e nt h e a n g l ei r o n st o t h e h o u s i n gR. e p o s i t i ot h
jig againstthe sawtableand boreholesfor a carriage
boltthrough
underthe nutsand
Usewashers
the sidesandsuooortbrackets.
t h e s i d e sa n d b r a c k e t sA. t t a c ht h e
b o l t h e a d sa, n d b e t w e e n

bracesto the sideswith boltsspacedabout8 inchesfrom


t h e b r a c k ebt o l t s .L e a v ea l l t h e b o l t sl o o s ee n o u g hf o r t h e
. h e n ,h o l d i n gt h e j i g l e v e a
l gain,
s i d e sa n d b r a c e st o p i v o t T
. a r kt h e p o i n t s
s w i n gt h e b r a c e tso w a r dt h e s a wh o u s i n gM
a n ds c r e wa c l e a tt o
w h e r et h e b r a c e sc o n t a ctth e h o u s i n g
t h e h o u s i n gs o t h e c l e a t ' st o p s u r f a c ea l i g n sw i t h t h e t w o
points.To setthe jig in position,restthe braceson the cleat.
To fold the tabledown(insef),raisethe top slightly,move
t h e b r a c e so f f t h e c l e a ta n ds w i n gt h e j i g d o w n .

131

WORK SURFACES

Building
anextension
tablefora bandsaw
A na u x i l i a b
r ya n ds a wt a b l ew i l l s i g n i f i c a ni n
t lcyr e a st hee
m a c h i n ev' se r s a t i l i tTyh. ee x t e n s i ot anb l es h o w n
a b o v ei s
e s p e c i a lhl ya n d yf o r c u t t i n gl o n go r w i d ep i e c e sU. s i n g7 a , t t h et o po f t h ej i g t o a s u i t a b ldei a m e t e r .
i n c hp l y w o o d
cu
Cutoutthecenter
andtheedgeto fit thetoparound
thesaw
tableandthroatcolumn.
Sawa 1%-inch-wide
channel
between
thecutouts
sothetopcanbe installed
withoutremoving
the
blade.Next,prepare
twocleats
thatwillbeusedto attach
the
sawtableto thejig top.Forthese,two1-by-3s
shouldbecuta
fewinches
longer
thanthesawtable.Thenposition
eachone
in turnagainst
thesideof thesawtablewiththreaded
holes,
sothattheyare3/qinchbelowthetablesurface,
withat least
t/qinchof stockabove
(Makesureyourmachine
the holes.
hastheseholes;
mostbandsawshavethemformounting
an

accessory
ripfence.)
Depending
ontheposition
of thethreaded holesonyoursawtable,youmayhaveto posrtion
thetop
of thecleats
closer
than3/tinchto themachine
tabletop.
ln
thatcaseyouwillhaveto routgrooves
forthecleatsonthe
u n d e r s i doef t h et o pt o a l l o wt h et a b l e t otpo s i t f l u s hw i t h
the machine's
table(inset,left).Markthe holelocations
onthecleats,borea holeat eachspot,andfastenthecleats
provided
to thesawtablewiththescrews
fortherip fence.
Thenplacethetabletop
onthecleatsandscrewit in place
(inset,
right);besureto countersink
thescrews.
Thetopshould
sit level
withthesawtable.
Youmayneedto cutclearance
notchessothatyoucanreach
themachine
screws
oncethejig is
completed.
Toremove
thejig, loosen
onlythemachine
screws,
leaving
thecleatsattached
to thetop permanently.

t32

WORK SURFACES

table
Fitting
a drillpresswithanextension
t r i l lp r e s s ewsi l ln o ta d e T h es m a l l t a b ltey p i c aol f m o s d
extenquately
A customized
manylargeworkpieces.
support
you
keep
a
workpiece
to
tool
will
enable
table
for
the
sion
likea sanding
drum
levelasyoufeedit intoanaccessory
(above).
intoa
Startbycuttinga pieceof 7+-inchplywood
your
Then
mark
a
needs.
that
suit
with
dimensions
square
piece
cendraw
two
circles
the
and
middle
of
linedownthe
fromthe back
oneabout4 inches
teredon theline.Locate
press
column.
the
drill
it
to
fit
snugly
around
edge,sizing
make
its
diameter
chuck;
hole
under
the
thesecond
Locate
r/z
planto
you
greater
largest
accessory
than
the
about inch
you
pinpoint
of hole,
the
center
To
help
insertintothechuck.

fromthe
thedistance
install
a bit in thechuckandmeasure
jig onthedrillpress
to installthe
column
to thebit.Prepare
a
alongits backedge,leaving
tablebycuttingtworecesses
"ear"thatprotrudes
behindthebackhole.Then
rectangular
carriage
theearfora Vq-inch-diameter
borea holethrough
andcut
bolt.Next,sawthejig in twoalongthecenterline
Youmayneedto makeothercutsto clear
outthetwocircles.
protrusions
drillpress.
0n themodelshown,
onyourparticular
rack.
forthetableheightadjustment
a notchwasneeded
screwa butthingeto thefrontedgeof thejig to join
Finally,
(inset).
Thecarriage
boltandwing
together
thetwohalves
t h et a b l ei n p l a c e .
n u tw i l lc l a m p

t33

TOOL STANDSANDTABLES
stand or table can transforma
portablepowertool into a reasonablefacsimileof a full-sizestationary
machine.Whattheyconcede
in power
to theirlargercousins,
bench-mounted
toolscompensate
with portability,ease
of storage,
andlowerprice.
There are commercialstandsfor
benchtoptools,but you caneasilybuild
a standliketheoneshownbelow.Storase
shelves
anddrawerscanbeaddedto cuitomizethe basicdesign.Thereis one
requirement,
however:
Ensurethestand's
surfaceareais largeenoughfor your
needsand that it supportsthe tool at a

comfortable
height.Theextension
router
tableshownoppositenot only converts
a routerinto a mini-shaper,
but canbe
easilyremoved
whenit ii not needed,
A
moreelaborate,
but versatileoption is
illustratedon page136.Thethree-in-one
portable power tool table features
replaceable
insertsfor a router,anelectric
drill, and a sabersaw.
Because
of its centralrole in woodworking,the routermeritsa dedicated
tablein most shops.The shop-built
benchtopversionillustratedon page139
allowsyou to takeadvantage
of this tool's
greatversatility.

HeId upsidedown in q commercialtable, a router becomesa


stationary tool. Here, it is cutting a groovefor a sliding dovetail
joint. Many woodworkersconsiderthe router table to be the
singlemost important accessory
you can add to your tool.

SUPPORTS
F()RPORTABTE
POWER
TOOLS
Building
a benchtop
toolstand
Thestandshownat rightis constructed
from4-by-4and2-by-4lumberandplywood.Sawthe legsfrom4-by-4s
andthe
railsfrom2-by-4s,
sizing
thepieces
to
suityourneeds.
Notchthelegsat thetop
and6 inchesdownfromthetopto fit
therails,thencutmatching
rabbets
at the
endsof all therails(inset).
Glueupthe
legsandrails,adding
countersunk
screws
to reinforce
thejoints.Cutthetopfrom
3/o-inch
plywood.
lf youplanto placea
tablesawon thestand,sawa square
holeoutof thecenter
of
thetopasshown
to allow
sawdust
to fallthrough;
place
a boxunderneath
to
catchthewaste.
Finally,
screw
thetopto thelegs
a n dr a i l sa, g a i nc o u n tersinking
thefasteners.
Whenusinga toolon
thestand,
secure
rttothe
topwithscrews
orclamps.

Toprail

134

WORK SURFACES

router
table
a removable
Making
andmounting
tableshown
or table,theextension
Attached
to a workbench
be
when
router
tablethatcan stored
serves
asa compact
above
your
parts
needs.
Start
according
to
Sizethe
it is notneeded.
b yc u t t i n g
t h et o pf r o m3 / a - i n cphl y w o o ad n, dt h er a i l sa n d
longer
than
stock.
Sawtherails6 inches
from2-by-4
braces
thetopandcanbe
under
thewidthof thetopsotheyextend
of thebenchusingnutsandhanger
fastened
to theunderside
to reach
from
should
belongenough
braces
bolts.Thehinged
Cuta bevel
of therailsto a legrailonthebench.
theunderside
notchat thebottom
andanangled
at thetopendof thebraces
sub-base
is attached
to thetopwitha square
end.Therouter
stepsarenecessary
to fit
Several
madeof l/q-inch
clearacrylic.
First,laythe
andthento therouter.
thebaseto thetabletop
s q u a rseu b - b a si net h ec e n t eor f t h et a b l ec, l a m pi t i n p l a c e ,
of thesubwitha pencil.
Markthecenter
andmarkitsedges
thebaseandthe
baseanddrillapilotholecompletelythrough

to
Remove
thesub-base
andturnyourattention
tabletop.
recess
to plowa 7a-inch-deep
thetabletop.
Useyourrouter
Then,usingthepilot
withinthepencil
outline
of thesub-base.
asa template,
cuta round
andyourrouter
holeasa center
standard
thetabletop
thesizeof yourrouter's
holethrough
drilla hole
Thetabletop
is nowready.
In thesub-base,
base,
router
bit,
larger
thanyourlargest
in thecenter
thatis slightly
machine
usingcountersunk
andscrew
thebaseto therouter,
in thetablerecess
andscrewit
Laythesub-base
screws.
All
surfaces
should
the
wood
screws.
down,countersinking
3/rinch
pieces
plywood
and
flush.
For
a
fence,
cut
two
of
be
notch
out
of
the
in
an
L
shape.
Saw
a
screw
themtogether
yourlargest
btt,then
edgeto accommodate
fence's
bottom
Attach
a
for
added
stability.
screw
onfourfencesupports
plastic
guard
it
be
with
a
hinge
io
allow
io
clearsemicircular
(inset).
place.
in
way
The
fence
is
clamped
raised
outof the

135

WORK SURFACES

PORTABTE
POWER
TOOI
TABLE
Easyandinexpensive
to build,theveryouto
satiletableshownbelowallows
portable
power
convert
threedifferent
toolsintostationarv
tools:theelectric

drill,therouter,
andthesabersaw.
Thetablefeatures
a soacious
tabletop,an adjustable
fence,a storage
shelf,anda conveniently
located
On/offswitch.
Thetabletoo
includes

a rectangular
cutoutto accepta custom-made
insertforeachof thethree
powertools.
plywood
Use3Z-inch
forthetabletop,theshelf,thecleats,the inserts

Eottom rail

Le4

CUTflNG LIST
- Tabletop:'1"x 25" x 40"
- Lega(4): 1%"x 31/z " x 30"
- Suppott bracketa (6):1/+ " x 9" x 9"
- Front and back rails (4):5/o"x 2'/2"x 40"
- 1lde raila (4): 5A"x 2 %"x 25"
- thelfr "/o"x 25" x 33"
- Cleats (2): %" x 3" x I %"
- Cleate (2): %" x 5" x 16"
- Inserte (3): 3A"x 121/2"x 14%"

r36

WORK SURFACES

plywood
for
andthe fence;14-inch
lumsolid
and
brackets;
thesupport
berfor the otherparts(2-by-4sfor
fortherails).
the legsand 1-by-3s
for suggested
list
the
cutting
Referto
dimensions.
thetableby preparStartbuilding
for
ingthetabletop thetoolinserts.
holeoutof itscenter
Cuta rectangular
Then
the samesizeasthe inserts.

of
screwthecleatsto the underside
a ledgeto whichthe
thetop,forming
insertscanbefastened(below).
thetable,routa %Before
assembling
thetableabout
inch-deep
dadoacross
endto
fromthe left-hand
12 inches
Then
a mitergauge.
accommodate
screwthe partsof thetabletogether.
Uselapjointsforthetoprails(placed
flat),thenscrewthisframeontothe

t37

topof the legs.Screwthebottomrails


(placed
on edge)to the legs,then
attachtheshelf.Youcaneithercounor counterbore
tersinkthefasteners
thescrew
andthenconceal
theholes,
withwoodplugs.
heads
sizNext,sawthethreetoolinserts,
in theholein
ingthemto f it precisely
therouterinsert
Prepare
thetabletop,
asyouwouldthetopof theremovable

WORKSURFACES

routertableshownon page135.To
mountthe insertin the table,set
it in placeon the cleatsandbore
a holethroughthe insertandthe
cleatsat eachcorner;the holes
shouldbecountersunk.
Screwthe
insertto the cleats.
Fortheelectric
drillinsert,bore
a holethroughthe centerof the
insertthat isslightlywiderthanthe
youplanto use.
largestaccessory
Thenscrewa commercial
drillguide
to the underside
of the insertsothe
drillchuckwill becentered
in the
hole.(Youmayneedto drillholes
through
thebaseof thedrillguide
to fastenit in place.)Thebit or
accessory
in thedrillchuckshould
protrude
fromthetop of the insert
withoutthe chuckbeingvisible.
Placewooden
washers
underthe
guiderodsof the drillguideto
adjusttheheightof thedrill,if necessary@bovel
Forthesabersawinsert,position
thetool'sbaseplatesothe blade
willbein thecenter.
Makea plunge
pass
cut to
the bladethroughthe
insert,thenscrewthe saw'sbase
plateto the insert(left).lt thereare
fewerthanfourscrewholesin the
baseplate,drilladditional
holes.
Mountthe drillandsabersaw
inserts
to thecleatsasyouwould
the routerinsert.
Makethefencethesamewayyou
wouldfor the routertableon page
135,andattachit in thedesired
position
withclamps,

138

WORK SURFACES

router
table
a benchtop
Building
router
tablewith
isa full-size
above
tableshown
Thebenchtoo
version,
including
of themanufactured
mostof thefeatures
thetop
quickly
fence.Beginbycutting
adjustable
a pivotrng,
thetableillussizedto suityourneeds;
from%-inchplywood,
Thefourtoprailsshould
24 by36 inches.
tratedmeasures
in place(counternextbecutfrom1-by-2stockandscrewed
andtheentiretop
hereandin futuresteps),
allscrews,
srnking
l/q-inch
plastic
piece
laminate,
with
a
of
be
covered
should
you
canscrew
table
over
so
Turn
the
the
edges.
at
chamfered
legs
to the
attach
the
inside
edges
and
the
around
supports
feet
can
be
constructed
legs,
and
supports,
top.
The
railsand
by
willbedetermined
thefinaldimensions
of %-inchplywood;
long
your
at
least
the
legs
are
Make
sure
table.
thesizeof
the
Toprepare
ampleroomforyourrouter.
to furnish
enough
inches
from
the
about
8
a
hole
for
the
router,
drill
tabletop
routerbit.
thanyourlargest
larger
makeit slightly
frontcenter;
the
holeand
router
over
center
the
of
the
top,
Ontheunderside
plow
within
%-inch
recess
to
a
the
router
Use
traceitsoutline.
(or,
plate
your
make
an
router
base
theoutlineto accommodate
page
Mark
the
137).
shown
on
mount
it
as
and
acrylic
sub-base
holes,
drillcounterbore
location
of thebaseplatescrewholes,
place.
Next,
conyou
router
in
fasten
the
to
and willbeready
thanthetop)outof two
structthefence(about6 incheslonger
piecesof 1-by-3stockscrewed
in theformof an L.
together

carrtage
Through
thebaseof theL, drilla holefora t/q-inch
thefence
fromoneend.Nowcenter
boltaboutsixinches
fromtherearof thetop,marktheposition
about6 inches
bolt,Slipa boltthrough
of thehole,anddrillforthecarriage
thehole;usingthatasa pivot,swingtherightendof the
theholeyoucutfor
Whenthefencereaches
fenceforward.
onthefence.Thatis
therouterbit,markthehole'sposition
your
youwillcuta clearance
notchto accommodate
where
soitwillswing
thatis hinged
router
bit.Makea guard
largest
your
on page136.Screw
outof thewayliketheoneshown
thecarthefencebyinserting
router
to thetopandassemble
andwingnutsto
usingwashers
riageboltfromthebottom,
tightenit. Adjustthefenceforanywidthof workbyptvoting
freeendwitha C clamp.
it intoplaceandsecuringthe

r39

GLOSSARY
A.B-C
Bench dog: A round or squarepeg
of metal or wood that fits into a hole
in a workbench to grip and hold a
workpiecein place.
Bevel cut: A cut at an anglefrom
faceto facealong the length or width
of a workpiece.
Box joint: Identical interlocking
fingersthat meshto form
a cornerjoint.

Countersink: To drill a hole so that


the headof a screwor bolt will lie
flush with or slightly below the surfaceof a workpiece.

Facejointing: Using a jointer to


cut shavingsfrom the faceofa
workpieceuntil it is flat and square
with the edge.

Crosscut A sawcut acrossthe wood


grain of a workpiece.

Faceviss A vise that holds work


againstthe front apron of a workbench.

D-E-F
Dado: A rectangularchannelcut
into a workpiece.

Butt joinery: A method of joining


wood in which the end or edgeof
one board is setsquarelyagainst
the faceor edgeofanother.

DecibehThe standardmeasuring
unit of sound intensity; the decibel
(db) scaleextendsfrom 0 to about
130,with 0 representingbarely
perceptiblesoundsand 130delineating the averagepain level.

Carcase:A box-like construction


that constitutesthe body of a piece
of furniture.

Dedicated circuifi An electricalcircuit to which only one tool or fixture


is connected.

Cheek The faceof the projecting


tenon in a mortise-and-tenonjoint.

Dovetail joinery: A method of


joining wood at cornersby means
of interlocking pins and tails; the
name is derived from the distinctive shapecut into the endsof
the joining boards.

Circuit: Continuous path for electrical current; from the main service
panel in a houseor garage,a branch
circuit runs to a seriesof outlets,
wall switches,and light fixtures, and
returns to the panel.
Counterbore: To drill a hole that
permits the head of a screwor bolt
to sit below a wood surfaceso it can
be concealedby a wood plug.

Dowek A wood pin usedto reinforce certaintypes of wood joints.


End cap:A pieceofwood that covers
eachend of the top slab of a workbench; bolted to the slab and glued
to the aprons by meansof dovetail
or finger joints.
Facegluing: Bonding several
boardstogetherface-to-faceto
form a thicker workpiece.

140

Featherboard:A pieceofwood cut


with thin fingersor "feathers"at one
end;usedin conjunctionwith clamps
to hold a workpiecesecureagainst
the fenceor table of a power tool.
Fence:An adjustableguide designed
to keep the edgeor faceof a workpiece a fixed distancefrom the cutting edgeof a tool.
Furring strip: A thin board that is
nailed to a wall or ceiling to provide
a flat or levelsurfacefor securing
drywall or paneling.

G-H-r-J
Ground-fault circuit interrupter
(GFCI): A tFpeof electricaloutlet
that trips instantly when it detects
a short-circuit leak in current.
Hanger bolt A bolt with no head;
one end of the bolt has screw
threadswhile the other end features machinethreads.
Inlay: A decorativestrip of metal,
hardwood, or marquetry that is glued
in a groovecut into a workpiece.
Joist:A horizontal support for
a floor.

GLOSSARY

Kerf: A cut made in wood bythe


thicknessof a sawblade.

Mortise-and-tenon: A joint in
which a projecting tenon on one
board fits into a mortise on another.

Stretcher:A board running between


the legsof a workbench to provide
additional support.

Kerf splitter: A metal device that


holds a kerf slightly open during a
sawcut to preventthe blade from
binding.

Push block or stick A device used


to feed a workpiece into the blade,
cutterhead,or bit ofa tool to protect
the operator'sfingers.

Stud: A vertical member forming


walls and supporting the framework
of a building.

Kickback The tendency of a workpieceto be thrown back in the direction of the operator of a power tool.

Rabbet A step-likecut in the edge


or end of a workpiece;usuallyforms
part of a joint.

Knockdown fitting: A piece of


hardware that acceptsa screw or
bolt, allowing the quick assembly
and disassemblyof a workbench
or other furniture.

RaiL A board running along the


bottom edgeof a tabletopto which
the legsofa table can be attached.

Tirilvise: A screw-typevise on the


right-hand end of a workbench
incorporatinga sliding dog block
to securestock on the top surface
ofthe bench.

K-L

Lap joint A typ" ofjoint in which


matching dadoesor rabbetsoverlap
to connecttwo boards.
Lead anchor: A type of fitting that
is insertedinto a hole in concrete
or masonry; expandsto hold a screw
or bolt securely.
Legvise: A visethat securesstock
to the front left-hand leg of a workbench.
M-N-O-P-Q-R-S
Miter cut A cut that anglesacross
the faceof a workpiece.
Mortise: A rectangular,round,
or oval-shapedhole cut into a piece
ofwood.

T.U-V-W-X-Y-Z

Service entrance: A box containing circuit breakersor fuses,from


which power is distributed to house
branch circuits.
Shoulder: In a mortise-and-tenon
joint, the part of the tenon that is
perpendicularto the cheek.
Shouldervisq A fixed type offace
vise with a jaw that moYesto clamp
a workpiece againstthe front apron
ofa workbench.
Sliding dogbloclc A wood block,
part of the tail vise of a workbench,
that appliesthe clamping faceto hold
a workpiecebetweenthe bench dogs.
Static pressurs A measureof the
friction encounteredby air asit
movesthrough a duct; often
expressedin inchesper foot.

t4r

Tenon:A protrusion from the end


of a board that fits into a mortise.
Truing: Squaringthe end of a blade
or the working surfaceof a grinder
wheel so that it conforms to its original shape.
Trussrod: A type of threadedmetal
rod usedto reinforce the legsand
stretchersof a workbench.
Wheel dresser:A star-wheelor diamond-point deviceusedto true the
working surfaceof a grinding wheel
and exposefresh abrasiveparticles.

INDEX
Pagereferencesin ltalicsindicate
an illustration of subjectmatter.
Pagereferencesin bold indicate
a Build It Yourselfproject.

ABC
Air compressors,69, 70, 72, 73
Air-powered tooIs, 68,72-73
Attics:
Workshop layout, 38
Axtell, Peter,6-7
Band saws:
Curved cuts
circle-cuttingsupportjigs, 128
Dust collectionsystems,82, 85
Extensiontables,111,132
Workshop IayouI-,j2, 38
Bar clamps:
Shop-madeglueracks(ShopTip), 12a
Storage,106, 107
storing clampsin a garbagecan
(ShopTip), 106
Basements:
Workshoplayout,39
Bench dogs,62-63
Carving dogs,64
Edgedogs,63
Holes,54,54
Benchgrinders,71,76
Gouge-sharpe
ning jrgs,77
Workshop layout, 34
Benchslaves.122
Black& DeckerWorkmater",47,112
Build It Yourself:
Benchgrinders
jigs,77
gouge-sharpening
Safetyequipment
featherboards,
22
pushsticks,20-21
Shoplayout
shop dollies,37
Storage
fold-down workbenchand tool
cabinet,98-99,I10
handsawholders,101
lumber-and-plywoodracks,91
mobile clamp racks,105
scrapboxes,109
shelvesfor clamps,106
tool cabinets,95
tool cupboards,96
Workbenches
benchdog holes,54
edgedogs,63
slidingbenchstops,6l
Work surfaces
Iibrary-typework tables,113
portablepowertool tables,136-138
Carving dogs,64

Circular saws:
BIades
circular sawbladecarriers(Shop
Tip), 102
storage,102
Clamps:
Storage,LO5,106,107
Storinghandscrews(ShopTip), 107
Collins,Martha, 8-9
Compressed-airtools. SeeAir-powered
tools

DE
Doors:
Opened-doorsignals
safeattention getters(ShopTip), 37
Dowel racks,90
Drill presses:
Extensiontables,.133
Workshop layout, 33
Drills:
Nr-powered,,72
SeealsoElectricdrills
Dust collectionsystems,69, 70, 78-81
Dust hoods,82-84
adaptingstandardsheetmetal ducts
asdusthoods(ShopTip), 83
Electricalsweepsfor right-anglejoints
(ShopTip), 81
Portable,85,87
shopvacuums,71,85,87
Shop-madeblastgates(ShopTip), 84
Vacuumscreeningramps(ShopTip),86
Electricalsystems:
Electricalshock,27
Portablegenerators,71, 74-75
Powercord covers(ShopTip),42
Powertool ratings,75
Safetyprecautions,
IZ
Shoplayout,41-42,44
Electricdrills:
Tables,136-138
Emergencyprocedures:
Fire,16
SeealsoFirst aid; Safetyprecautions
Extensioncords,l7

FGHII
Fasteners:
Anchoring lumber racksin concrete
(ShopTip), 93
Storage,108,109
Featherboards,
22
Finishes:
Safetyprecautions,14,15
Fire,13,16
Fire extinguishers,16
Fftstaid.23-27
Eyes,24
Shock,26
electrical,27
Wounds,25-26

t42

Garages:
Workshop layo:ut,36,40
Generators,
71,74-75
GIueracks:
Shop-made
glueracks(ShopTip), 124
Ground-fault circuit interrupters
(GFCIs),17
Handsaws:
Storage,100,101
Hand tools,/ront endpaper
Safetyprecautions,14
Hearingprotection, .18,19
Heatingsystems,45
Hickman,Ron,47,112
(HVLP)
High-volume,low-pressure
spraysystems,70
,.
Jlgs:
Band saws
circular cuts, 128
Benchdog holes,54
Benchgrinders
jigs,77
gouge-sharpening
Vises
steppedblocksto preventracking, 6.1
Workbenches
benchstops,61,65-67
carving dogs,64
edgedogs,63
woodeninsertsfor metal-jawed
vises,60
Iointer/planers:
Workshop layout, 33
Iointers:
Pushblocks.2l
Workshop layout, 33, 38

KLMNO
Lathes:
Workshop layout, 33
Lee,Leonard,l0-ll
Lighting:
Bench-doglamp support(Shop
Tip), a3
ShopLayout,43
Lumber:
Sizes,backendpaper
Lumber racks,94 9l
Adjustable,92-9j
Anchoring lumber racksin concrete
(ShopTip), 93
Multitesters,T0
Nail guns:
Air-powered,73
Outfeedtables,125,I 29-I 33

PQR
Pipeclamps:
Storage,106, 107
storing clampsin a garbagecan
(ShopTip), 106
Planers:
Dust hoods.82

Plywood:
Storageracks,91
Powertools:
Hanging portablepower tools from
the wall (ShopTip), l0.l
Multipurpose, 30
Safetyprecautions,14
disablinga power tool (Shop
Tip), 14
featherboards,22
noiselevels,-19
pushsticks,20-21
Wattageratings,75
Workshop placement,30
spaceand light requirements,32-34
SeealsoLir-poweredtools
Protectiveclothing, 13, 18-19
Pushsticks,20-21
Radialarm saws:
Dust hoods,82
Extensiontables,130
Workshop Iayout,j2
18,19
Respirators,
Roller stands,125-126
Routers:
Air-powered,73
Tables,134,136-137,139
dust hoods,83
removablerouter tables,135
workshop layout, 32

STUV
Sabersaws:
Tables,f36-f38
Safetyprecautions,13
Anti-fatigue mats,44
air, 73
Compressed
Door-openedsignals
safeattention-getters(ShopTip), 37
Electricalsystems,12
Finishes,14,l5
Flammableproducts,89
Generators,75
Hand tools.14
Powertools, 14
disablinga power tool (Shop
Tip), 14
Protectiveclothing, 13, 18-19
Tool storage,94
SeealsoToxic substances
Sanders:
Air-powered,68, 72
Sandingstations,84
Storingsandingdisks(ShopTip), 108
Workshop layout, 34
118-120
Sawhorses,
FoIding, 122
Heavy-dfiy, 121
(ShopTip), 120
Paddingsawhorses
Panelsupport frames,123
Securingworkpiecesedge-upon
(ShopTip), 122
sawhorses
Shop-madeglueracks(ShopTip), 124

(ShopTip), lI9
Stackingsawhorses
109
Scrapboxes,
Scrollsaws:
Workshop layott,34
Shapers:
Workshop layout, 33
Shopdollies,37
ShopTips:
Dust collectionsystems,81,83,84,
86,87
Safetyprecautions,14
Storagesystems,93, 101,102,104,106,
107,108
Workbenches,60, 64
Workshop layout, 37, 42, 43,44
117,119,120,722,124,
Work surfaces,
129
Shopvacuums,71,85
Panty-hoseshopvacuumfilters (Shop
Tip),87
Smokedetectors,l6
Solvents,15
Sprayguns:
Ait-powered,72
Storagesystems,8-9, 89
Flammableproducts,89
Tool chests,88
TooIs,94-95,96, 97, 103-104
clampracks,105,106
fold-down workbenchand tool
cabinet,98-99, 110
handsawracks,104 101
hangingportablepower tools from
the wall (ShopTip), JOI
magnetictool racks(ShopTip), 104
SeealsoLtmber racks
Tables,lll,112
Assemblyand finishing tables,34
Extension tables,129-133
double-dutywork tables(Shop
Tip),129
Library-typework tables,113
Low assemblytables,114
Stow-awaytables,115- 116
Temporary,117
stabilizinga temporarywork
surface(ShopTip), 117
SeealsoWorkbenches
Tablesaws:
Extensiontables,129
double-dutywork tables(Shop
Tip), 129
fold-down outfeedtables,I3-l
Safetydevices,12
Wheelbases,29
tablesawon wheels(ShopTip), 3i
Workshop layout,29, 31, 32
Telephones:
Visual ringing signals,37
Toxic substances:
rlnrsnes.15
Woods, backendpaper,13, 15
Ventilation systems,45

r43

Positive-pressure
ventilation, 86
SeealsoDust collectionsystems
Vises:
Extensionslands,127
Workbenches,56
facevises,56, 58-59,60, 61
quick-switchvises(ShopTip), 60
tail vises,56-57,60, 62
woodeninsertsfor metal iaws,60

WXYZ
Wheeldressers,71,76
Wide panels:
Circle-cuttingsupportjigs, 128
Support frames,123
Tablesaws,129
Wood:
Toxic effects,backendpaper,13, 15
SeealsoLumber
Workbenches,10-ll, 46-49
Bases,50-52
Benchhooks,66, 67
Benchstops,65-67
sliding benchstops,61
Black& DeckerWorkmater',4T,112
Carvingscrews(ShopTip),64
Fold-downworkbenchand tool
cabinet,98-99, 110
Hold-downs,65
Tops,43-55
Vises,56
facevises,56, 58-59,60,61
tail vises,56-57,60, 62
woodeninsertsfor metal jaws,60
Workshop layo:ut,j4
SeealsoBenchdogs
Workshop layout,29-31
Dust collectionsystems,78
Electricalsystems,41-42,44
Floorc,44
Largespaces,40
Lighting, 43
Medium-sizedspaces,
39, 42
Scaledrawings,28, 30, 36,39, 40, 42
tools,35
Smallspaces,36-39
Workshops:
Ceilings,44
Floors,44
making the transition to a raised
floor (ShopTip),44
power cord covers(ShopTip),42
Heatingsystems,45
Planning,6
Ventilation systems,45, 86
Walls,44
SeealsoDust collectionsystems;
Workshop layout
Work surfaces:
Tool stands,134,135,136-138,139
Variable-heightwork strfaces,124
SeealsoT ables;Workbenches

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Theeditorswishto thank thefollowing
SAFETY
AdjustableClampCo.,Chicago,IL; Black& Decker/EluPowerTools,Towson,MD; DeltaInternational
Machinery/Porter
Cable,Guelph,Ont.; FisherHill Products,Inc.,Fitzwilliam,NH; FreudWestmoreTools,Ltd.,
Mississauga,
Ont.; LeeValleyToolsLtd.,Ottawa,Ont.; Sears,Roebuckand Co.,Chicago,IL;
VermontAmericanCorp.,Lincolnton,NC and Louisville,KY
SHOPLAYOUT
Black& DeckerPowerTools,Towson,MD; DeltaInternationalMachinery/Porter
Cable,Guelph,Ont.;
Hitachi PowerToolsU.S.A.Ltd.,Norcross,GA; LeeValleyToolsLtd.,Ottawa,Ont.; Sears,Roebuckand Co.,
Chicago,IL; ThoroughbredSawhorses
and Equipment,Divisionof the Ivy Group,Inc.,Valparaiso,
IN
WORKBENCH
AdjustableClampCo.,Chicago,IL; Black& Decker/EluPowerTools,Towson,MD; DeltaInternationalMachinery/Porter
Cable,Guelph,Ont.; FreudWestmoreTools,Ltd.,Mississauga,
Ont.; GreatNeckSawMfrs. Inc. (BuckBros.Division),
Millbury, MA; Hitachi PowerToolsU.S.A.Ltd.,Norcross,GA; The WorkbenchBook (TauntonPress,1987)by ScottLandis;
LeeValleyTools Ltd., Ottawa,Ont.; RecordTools Inc., Pickering,Ont.; RobertLarsonCompannInc.,SanFrancisco,
CA;
SandvikSawsand ToolsCo.,Scranton,PA;Sears,
Roebuckand Co.,Chicago,IL; ThoroughbredSawhorses
and Equipment,Divisionof the Iry Group,Inc.,Valparaiso,
IN; VermontAmericanCorp.,Lincolnton,
NC and Louisville,KY; Woodsmirh,2200GrandAve.,DesMoines,1A50312
SHOPACCESSORIES
CampbellHausfeld,Harrison,OH; DeltaInternationalMachinery/Porter
Cable,Guelph,Ont.; DewaltIndustrial
Tool Co.,Hampstead,
MD; GreatNeckSawMfrs. Inc. (BuckBros.Division),Millbury, MA; Ingersoll-Rand
CanadaInc.,Rexdale,
Ont.; Sears,
Roebuckand Co.,Chicago,IL; WagnerSprayTechCorp.,Minneapolis,MN
STORAGE
AdjustableClampCo.,Chicago,IL; AmericanTool Cos.,Lincoln,NE; FreudWestmoreTools,Ltd.,Mississauga,
Ont.;
Hitachi PowerToolsU.S.A.Ltd.,Norcross,GA; The WorkshopBook (TauntonPress,1991)by ScottLandis;
LeeValleyToolsLtd.,Ottawa,Ont.; RobertSorbyLtd., Sheffield,
U.K./BusyBeeMachineTools,Concord,Ont.;
SandvikSawsand Tools Co., Scranton,PA; StanleyTools, Division of the StanleyWorks, New Britain, CT;
VermontAmericanCorp.,Lincolnton,NC and Louisville,KY
WORKSURFACES
AdjustableClampCo.,Chicago,IL; Black& DeckerPowerTools,Towson,MD; DeltaInternationalMachinery/Porter
Cable,
Guelph,Ont.; FreudWestmoreTools,Ltd.,Mississauga,
Ont.; HitachiPowerToolsU.S.A.Ltd.,Norcross,GA; The WorkshopBook
(TauntonPress,1991)by ScottLandis;LeeValleyToolsLtd.,Ottawa,Ont.; RecordToolsInc.,Pickering,Ont.;
SandvikSawsand ToolsCo.,Scranton,PA; Sears,Roebuckand Co.,Chicago,IL; Shopsmith,Inc.,Montreal,Que.;StanleyTools,
Divisionof the StanleyWorks,New Britain,CT; ThoroughbredSawhorses
and Equipment,Divisionof the Ivy Group,Inc.,
Valparaiso,IN; Tru-Align ManufacturingInc.,Tempe,AZ; VermontAmericanCorp.,Lincolnton,NC and Louisville,KY
Thefollowingpersonsalsoassisted
in thepreparationof this book:
Ren6Bertrand,ElizabethCameron,DonnaCurtis,LorraineDor,RdjeanGarand,GraphorConsultation,
Irene Huang,CarolynJackson,LeonardLee,GeneviEve
Monette

PICTURE CREDITS
Cover RobertChartier
6,7 RobertHolmes
8,9 RaymondGendreau
10,ll Ron Levine
30 CourtesyShopsmith,Inc.
47 CourtesySjcibergs
of Sweden
49 CourtesyWoodcraftSupplyCorp.
70 CourtesyMakitaCanadaLtd.
89 CourtesyIustrite ManufacturingCo.
l12 (upper)CourtesyShureManufacturingCorp.

t44

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I

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t
I

t
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I
I
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I

t
I

.r

GPU I D E
WORKSHO
Toxtc
w00Ds
yourself
fromtoxicspecies
Protecting
canposehealth
Thedustfrommanywoodspecies
ailments
to skinanc
risksranging
fromrespiratory
chemicals
that
contain
eyeirritations.
Somewoods
cancausetoxiceffects(page10. Thechartbelow
health
of species
andtheirpossible
listsa number
to dustfroma
To reduce
directexposure
effects.
reaction,
keepyour
woodthatmaytriggeranallergic
andweara dustmask
shopcleanandwellventilated,
handling
thespecies,
Before
forcutting,operations.
creamonyourskinor wearprotective
spread
a barrier
gloves,
gear,including
and
longpantsandsleeves,
^^J^+.,

^l^^^^^

5drur.y Brd55cs.

Arborvitae
Ash

Blackcherry
Blacksoruce
Boxwood
redwood
California
Cashew
Chestnut
Cocobolo
Douglas-fir
Ebony
European
larch
EUrOpean
spruce
lmbuia
lroko
Lacewood
African
Mahogany,
Mahogany,
SouthAmerican
0ak
Pine
Redcedar
Rosewood.
Brazilian
Rosewood,
EastIndian
Ceylon
Satinwood,
Silkyoak
Teak

Walnut
Wenge
Westernredcedar
Whitecedar
R = Respiratory
ailments
S = Skinandeyeirritations
T = Toxiceffects

RS
RS
RS
RST
RS
RS
RS
RST
RS
RS
RS
RS
RS
RS
RST
RS
RS
RS

Al{DACTUAT
1{0M[{At
TUMBER
SIZES
SOFTWOOD

dry
Surfaced

green
Surfaced

l-by-2

3h-by-It/z

25h2-by-IeA6

1-by-3

3/+-by-21/z

25/zz-by-2eA.o

1-by-4

3/q-by-3r/z

25/zz-by-3e/rc

1-by-6
1-by-8

3h-by-5t/z

25/zz-by-55/a

3h-by-7th

25Az-by-7Vz

1-by-10

3h-by-9|h

I-by-12

3h-by-Ilth

25/zz-by-IIr/z

2-by-2

I1/z-by-Ir/z

Ts/rc-by-leAo

2-by-4

I1/z-by-31/z

Ie/rc-by-3e/rc

2-by-6
2-by-8

Ir/z-by-St/z

Iehe-by-55/a

Ir/z-by-7th

leAa-by-7
Vz

2-by-I0

lVz-by-91h

Ie/rc-by-9Vz

2-by-12
3-by-4

I1/z-by-IIth

Is/rc-by-IIVz

4-by-4
4-by-6

2t/z-by-3t/z

2sAo-by-3s/rc

3r/z-by'3r/z

3e/rc-by-3e/rc
3eAe-by-55/a

3Vz-by-51/z

THICKI{ESSES
STAI{DARD
FOR
HARDWOOD
SURFACED
l{ominal
(rough)

Actual
(surfaced
twosides)

3An

3/:.a"

v'
%'

%ott

,1.

slu"

1u

% "o r ' % e "

7Yo'

IrAe"

T'''
2',
3'

I5lu"

23/o'

4"

3%',

RS
RS
RS
RSI
RST

Actual
(lnches)

ilominal
(lnches)

l % "o r I % "

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