5 cool tools
TRANSCRIPT
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5 COOL
TOOLS
© 2013 August Home Publishing Co.
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The blade that comes packagedwith a circular saw is gener-
ally suitable for quickly tearingthrough dimensional lumber and
not much else. So the numberone thing you can do to improvethe quality of your saw’s cut is
to upgrade the blade.
If you’re accustomed to roughcuts from a cheap blade, you’ll be
amazed at the difference a 40-toothgeneral purpose or 60-tooth finish-
cut carbide blade will make. I’vefound that a circular saw cut madewith a high-quality blade can be
every bit as good as a cut from the
table saw. The sample cuts in chip-prone oak plywood show the dif-
ference a good blade can make.GOOD SIDE DOWN. The way you set
up for a circular saw cut will alsoaffect the end result. When a cir-cular saw cuts, the leading edge
of the blade spins upward into thematerial. This means that
it exits the cut on the topside of the workpiece andthe cleanest edge will be on
the bottom side. So if yourmaterial has a good and a
not-so-good side, put the“A” side face down.
With the right setup,
your circular saw can be
a valuable go-to tool.
I would wager that you could find a portable circularsaw in just about every woodworking shop. But it’s
usually tucked away in a corner gathering dust. A cir-cular saw is the lonely Maytag repairman of shop tools— always waiting, but seldom called upon.
Most woodworkers think of a circular saw as a“construction” tool known more for its speed than
its accuracy. And because it’s hand-guided, a circularsaw can be awkward to use and a challenge to control.
Well, it doesn’t have to be this way. In a small shop,a circular saw can be very handy for a variety of tasks,from cutting stock to rough size to breaking down
sheets of plywood to taking on light joinery tasks. Butin order to use your circular saw more productively,you have to overcome three challenges.
The first is achieving a smooth, clean, chip-free cut.This can be important when you’re working with valu-
able hardwood and cabinet-grade plywood. Second,when using a circular saw, you need a reliable way to
support the workpiece — both the finished piece andthe cutoff. The final element is a method of guidingthe saw for a straight, accurate cut. The good news is
that with a little advance preparation, you’ll no longerdread the thought of getting out your circular saw.
putting your
CircularSaw to
Work
working with tools
You’ll get very
good results
with the mod-
erately priced
60-tooth bladebelow. The
high-end,
40-tooth blade
will yield a
superb edge.
Rough, chippycut made by
“stock” blade
Upgrade your blade
for a smooth,clean cut
Clean, Chip-Free Cuts
Top-quality40-tooth gen-eral purpose
blade
60-toothfinish-cut
blade
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Trying to make a circular sawcut without solid support for the
entire workpiece can be a night-mare. And I’ve learned the hardway that sawhorses alone are not
the best answer. As the cut is made,the workpiece can shift and bind
on the blade. And too often one or
both pieces end up on the floor.Rather than the narrow support
provided by a sawhorse, you needa large surface that will steady and
support both of the pieces created by the cut. And the cutting surface
needs to be sacrificial and non-damaging to the saw blade.
My solution is the lightweight, but very stable, knockdown cut-ting table shown in the photos
at right and below. The tableis made up of notched, inter-
locking slats of 3 ⁄ 4" plywood. Itcan be rapidly knocked together
and then hoisted onto a pair of
sawhorses at a comfortable height.The large surface of the table will
hold a full 4' x 8' sheet of plywood.The “open” design provides very
solid support with virtually noresistance when cutting through a
workpiece. Another big plus is thatthe table makes for easy clamping
of both the workpiece and the cut-
ting guides shown below.The table is built from a single
sheet of plywood. You’ll find con-struction plans on page 4.
Solid, Stable Support Support
Cutting GuidesWhen breaking down a sheet of
plywood with a circular saw, fol-lowing a layout line freehand is dif-
ficult at best. A wandering, roughcut is the norm. And this means
allowing for more waste and extrawork sizing the pieces later on.
So I don’t rely on my fine motor
skills. I always use a guide to posi-tion the cuts and steer the saw. It’s
easier, much more accurate, andyou’ll even get cleaner cuts.
I keep two guides handy — a 60"-
long version for full width panelcuts and a similar, shorter guide
for accurate right angle cuts, asshown in the photos at right and
below. The basis of both guides isa 1 ⁄ 4" hardboard baseplate with a1 ⁄ 2" plywood fence attached. Theoutside edge of the saw’s base, orshoe, runs along the fence to give
you a foolproof, right-on-the-line,
and perfectly straight cut.But the real key to the handy
function of the guides lies witha simple trick. When making the
guides, you position and attach thefence allowing a little extra wastealong the guide edge. Then you use
your saw to trim the baseplate. Theresulting “zero-clearance” edge
gives you a dead-on reference foreasy positioning of the guide andalso serves to back up the cut.
The extra-wide baseplate pro-vides ample clamping space on
the “off” side. And the additionof a perpendicular cleat to the
underside of the right angle guideallows quick registration for accu-rate crosscuts (inset photo below).
Shop Tip: Foam Backe
Quick and Easy. In a pinch, a thick piece of rig
foam insulation laid on the floor provides a solid, sa
rificial surface for making cuts on sheet stock.
{ The cutting guide can be quickly positione
and clamped to the workpiece. The cut w
always follow the edge of the baseplate.
{ The right-angle guide allows you to make accurate crosscuts on
panels up to 24" wide. The key is a cleat on the underside (inset
photo) that registers against the edge of the workpiece.
Cleat
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BASEPLATE. The long guide and the shortercrosscut guide share similar construction.
The basis of each is a 1 ⁄ 4" hardboard base-plate and a plywood fence. First, you’llneed to cut the baseplate to length and
approximate width. It should be wideenough to accommodate the shoe of your
saw, the guide fence, and ample clamp-ing space on the far side of the fence.
GUIDE FENCE. A1 ⁄ 2" plywood fence attachedto the baseplate guides the saw. The edgeof the saw’s shoe rides along the fence
during the cut. To ensure straight cuts,you want to make sure the guide edge of
the fence is cut true and smooth.
ASSEMBLE. Once the fence is attached,
you’ll use your saw to trim the baseplate,creating an accurate reference edge. So
before locating the fence on the base-plate, you’ll need to know the distance
between the far edge of the saw’s shoe
and the inside edge of the blade. To posi-tion the fence from the edge of the base-
plate, add about 1 ⁄ 2" to this measurement.I used glue and countersunk screws
installed from the underside of the base-
plate to attach the fence.
TRIM. With the fence in place, you can
keep the saw’s shoe tight against thefence as you make the cut.
CROSSCUT CLEAT. The long guide is readyto go, but the crosscut guide gets one
important addition — a perpendicular
cleat attached to the underside of the baseplate. For guaranteed square cuts,the cleat has to be installed square to
the reference edge of the baseplate. Acarpenter’s square will help with this.
Again, I used countersunk screws andglue to attach the cleat.
12!/2rgh.
2!/2
60
3 2
1!/2
12!/2
NOT E: Baseplate is madefrom !/4"hardboard.Guide fences and cleatare !/2" plywood.
GuideFence
GuideFence
Baseplate
Baseplate
Cleat
Attach cleat squareto reference edge
#6 x %/8" Fhwoodscrews
#6 x %/8" Fhwoodscrews
circular saw
Cutting GuidesThe two circular saw cutting guidesfeatured on the previous page offer a bigreturn for a small investment in time andmaterial. The design is pretty basic andonce the guides are completed, your cutswill be smoother, more accurate, andrequire less effort.
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If you’re accustomed to using saw-horses for support while making
circular saw cuts, I guarantee you’llfind that this knock-down table is avast improvement. The clincher is
that it’s inexpensive, easy to build,and easy to store when not in use.
neponayllaitnessesiel batehTgrid made up of interlocking piecesof 3 ⁄ 4" plywood, as shown in the
main drawing below. The design is
simple. Half-width notches or slotscut into the mating pieces allow youto slide them together into a rigidframework. The table can be assem-
bled or disassembled in minutes.
ONE SHEET. If you follow the cut-ting diagram shown below, you
can get all the pieces needed forthe table out of a single sheet of 3 ⁄ 4"
plywood. You’ll need three long“joists,” eight cross members, andtwo base pieces. (The base pieces
are clamped to sawhorses to holdthe table in place when in use.)
THE NOTCHES. Once all the pieces arecut to size, the interlocking notchescan be cut. You can do this with a
jig saw, a circular saw, a router, or
on the table saw. The key is to sizeand space the notches accurately.
And note that one pair of notchesis cut into the lower edge of each
joist. This makes assembly of thetable easier and the framework will
be more stable when moved.
Cutting Diagram (4' x 8' sheet) #/4" Plywood
THE BASE PIECES. I cut the slots in the base pieces with a dado blade in
el batdel bmessaehT.wasel bateht
simply rests in the slots, so youdon’t need to worry about a snug
knock-down
Cutting Table
a.
fit. Alittle loose is better.
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I’m often asked for my adviceon buying particular tools. For
someone new to woodwork-ing, the task of outfitting a shop
with a good set of essential toolscan be a daunting one. What can
make it even harder is that tool-makers offer a new or redesignedproduct every year or two.
Power sanders are a goodexample of this dilemma. A trip
down the tool aisle of any homecenter offers a range of sanders.
You’ll see everything from smalldetail sanders, to finish and pad
sanders, up to belt sanders thesize of a small car (almost). How
do you choose which one to get?
One Choice. When it comesto buying your first sander, my
suggestion is to get a 5" randomorbit sander. This tool provides a
good balance of features to tackleall kinds of tasks. And once you
get an idea of its capabilities andlimitations, you can use that
information to guide your deci-sion for buying other sanders.
Features, Not Brands. Becausetool models are always chang-ing, I usually hesitate to recom-
mend a specific brand or model.Instead, I like to look for specific
features. So here are the things Ifeel are important in a sander.
The Sanding Pad. Like I men-tioned before, I look for a sanderwith a 5"-dia. pad. It’s small
enough to use one handed butlarge enough to keep surfaces
level (more on that later).
Another thing I look for is ahook and loop pad. Switching(and reusing) sanding disks is
just so much more convenient
than pressure-sensitive adhesive(PSA) disks. Note: You can buyhook and loop replacement pads
for most PSA sanders.
Dust Collection. Also high onmy list of priorities is dust collec-
tion. Some tasks, like flattening apanel, can generate a lot of dust.
When it comes to a jack-of-all-trades power tool,a random orbit sander is tough to beat.
one-stop
Power Sanding
SETTING UP
Shop
{ Hook & Loop. This method
of attaching sanding disks is
fast and easy and allows you to
reuse the disks .
Dust-collectioncanister is good,but a shopvacuum hookup
is better
Compact sizeoffers good balanceand control for longsanding sessions
Cushioned top handle reducesvibration and improves comfort
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The force of a spinning disk
can cause a workpiece toslide around on your
benchtop. Besides being annoying, itcan lead to scratches
and dings. The problemis clamps and bench dogs
can get in the way and leavemarks, too. The solution is touse rubber mats like you see
here. They’re cushioned toprevent damage and make it
easy to reposition a workpiecefor better access.
Keeping it out of the air (and mylungs) is important. Although all
sanders come with some kind offilter, I look for sanders that offereasy hookup to a shop vacuum
for more effective collection.
Comfort. Finally, I look for a
sander that feels comfortable.
Admittedly, this is the most sub- jective “feature.” You’ll need to get
your hands on several models tofind out which one is a good fit.
Some sanders offer two hand posi-tions: a top-mounted handle or a
center-body grip.
SANDING DISKS
What makes a random orbitsander so versatile is the range
of disks you can use. In fact, youcan find one for almost every
step of building a project.Flattening. A glued-up
panel usually has an uneven joint or two. I use my sanderto flatten the panel. The secret
is to be bold and use coarse,fasting-cutting disks. For this,
I keep a stack of 80- and 100-grit disks. I concentrate on thehigh spots first, then sand the
whole panel to create an evenscratch pattern, as you can see
in the upper right photo.Smoothing. The job most peo-
ple associate with a random orbitsander is smoothing a work-piece to prepare it for finish. But
it’s easy to end up with notice-able swirl marks once the finish
goes on. I think the reason is it’s
tempting to think the power ofthe machine allows you to skip
grits and save even more time. Itwon’t. It’s best to be methodical
and step from 120- to 150-, 180-,and 220-grit disks.
Where a random orbit sandershines is smoothing cross-grain
joints. This allows you to sand a
frame and panel without leavingdeep scratches (photo at right).
Finishing. Once the finish goeson a project it doesn’t mean youhave to put your sander away.
I’ve actually found some time-saving uses for mine with spe-
cialty disks. Abrasive pads aregreat for buffing out oil finishes
on large surfaces. Extra-fine, wet-dry disks and thick buffing padslevel and polish film finishes.
As you can see, with the rightdisks, you can use your random
orbit sander to save time and get better-looking projects withoutspending a lot of money.
> In The Finish
Room. With fine
disks (320-grit and
up), abrasive pads,
and buffing pads,
you can achieve a
glass-smooth finish.
{ Smooth & Easy. Use sanding disks ranging
from 120- to 220-grit to smooth out assemblies
and prepare a workpiece for finish.
{ Sanding Pad.
Low-cost pads
keep your work-
piece in place.
60
FLATTENING
SMOOTHING
FINISHING
a sander’s
Best Friend
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CordlessImpact Drivers
QI’m seeing a lot
of impact drivers
at home centers these
days. How is this tool
different from a drill?
Do I really need one
for my shop?
Cody Tolliver
Albany, New York
A If you use a drill
primarily for driv-
ing screws, then an
impact driver is worth
looking into. The tool
is smaller and lighter
than a drill. That means
it won’t wear out your
arm. And you can fit
one into tight spaces
where a drill can’t go.
A quick-change hex
chuck is standard, so
it’s easier to switch bits.
ALL ABOUT TORQUE. An
impact driver also
secures screws with-
out binding or twisting.
That’s because an impact
driver works differently
than a drill does. When
the driver meets resis-
tance, a spring, hammer,
and anvil inside the tool
deliver increased force
in the form of rapid,
high-impact blows at
the tool’s chuck.
This impact action
creates massive torque,
often three times that of
a drill, to secure fasten-
ers with ease. When the
mechanism kicks in, the
tool makes a loud “rat-
tat-tat” sound that can
be alarming at first. But
this same mechanism
also ensures that the
tool will never twist your
arm during use.
NO CLUTCH. The one
drawback to an impact
driver is that it doesn’thave a clutch to stop the
tool from driving a screw
too deeply. That means
you have to be careful
not to overdrive a screw,
as the impact driver will
just keep going. Luck-
ily, most impact drivers
have variable-speed trig-
gers that make it easy to
set screws properly.
MAKING AN IMPACT. In
conclusion, I wouldn’t
call an impact driver
an essential shop tool.
But if you’re interested
in a lightweight, hand-
held device that’s very
good at driving fasten-
ers without wearingout your arm, then this
is the tool for you.
Variable- speed
trigger gives
good controlwhen
driving screws
A series of impact blows produce a high level of
torque at the chuck
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Until you start shopping for clampsfor your workshop, it’s difficult toappreciate how expensive a wall
full of clamps can be. So before youtake out a mortgage on the shop,
you really need to think about whattype of clamps you really need and
what you should get first whenyou’re just starting out.
What you see on these pages are
my choices for buying a starting
set of clamps. And the nice thingis you can do it in stages. Is itgoing to answer all your clampingneeds? Probably not every one.
But I’m sure it will get you off onthe right foot.
The complete set is divided intothree groups that build on each
other. The first group includes basic clamps. The second one addsmore capability and power. And
finally, the third group rounds
things out by addressing assembly
challenges the first two groupscan’t handle.
A BASIC SET OF CLAMPS
The workhorse clamps in my shopare the bar clamps you see in the
photo above. These clamps areoften called F-clamps due to theirshape. And I’ve used them on just
about every project I’ve ever built.
The cast iron jaws on the Bessey clamps I prefer are stout andsturdy. And the screw features
large, square Acme threads, whichare stronger than the conventionalV-threads on a lot of clamps. The
beefy, wood handle allows you toget a good, solid grip.
All these features ensure theclamp will handle the mostdemanding tasks you’re likely
to run across. Yet they work just
fine for assembling small projects.
And as a nice touch, the plasticprotector pads attached to the
jaws help prevent any marring ofyour workpiece.
To handle the assembly of a
wide range of projects, it’s best tohave a few different lengths on
hand. In the set shown, there arefour clamps in three different sizes— 6", 12", and 24". You can expect
to pay about $150 for this set.
ADDING SOME LENGTH
As I mentioned, the set of barclamps shown will go a long waytoward meeting your needs. But
if you plan to glue up narrow boards into wider panels, or
assemble a carcase for a cab-inet, you’ll want to add some
longer clamps to yourcollection. And that’swhere pipe clamps and
aluminum bar clampscome into play.
Pipe Clamps. Thepipe clamps I like to useare the ones you see on the
following page. These pipeclamps are the kind where
you buy the jaw assembly andthen attach a length of 1/2" or 3/4"
black iron pipe. (The heavy-duty3/4" Pony assembly with a 36" pipewill cost about $18.)
Since the pipe is separate, youcan make the clamps any length
you’d like. As a matter of fact, tomake a “new” clamp, all you have
to do is buy a new piece of pipeand swap out the old one. Or you
can buy an inexpensive couplerand join shorter lengths of pipetogether to create one long one.
Pipe clamps do have one draw-
back — they weigh quite a bit.That’s not a problem if you’regluing up a panel on the top ofyour workbench. But they can
be a bit cumbersome to handle ifyou’re assembling a project on the
floor of your shop.
Lightweight Length. So if I have
a large assembly task to take careof, I rely on a set of long aluminum bar clamps. You can see these at
the top of the following page.
getting a grip on a set of
Basic Clamp Set
(4) 12" Clamps
(4) 6" Clamps
(4) 24" Clamps
Buying clamps can be a big investment.Here’s what to buy first and why.
SETTING UP
Shop
Shop Clamps
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These sturdy aluminum bars are
hollow and lighten the weight ofthe clamp considerably. So you
aren’t likely to struggle with themwhile assembling a project —
even if the clamps are fairly long.(I like the 48" length for the workI do.)
Like pipe clamps, aluminum bar clamps do have a drawback.
They’re a little more expensivethan pipe clamps — around $90
for a set of four 48"-long clamps.But I think they’re worth themoney.
LET’S SPECIALIZE
There are times when you’ll runacross a tough clamping job that
requires something a little morespecialized than bar or pipe clamps.
That’s when a third set of clampscomes in handy — band clamps,C-clamps, and spring clamps.
Flexibility. Band clamps area must-have for those assembly
tasks where you just can’t figureout how to make a “straight”clamp work, like a mitered pic-
ture frame.The band clamp I use (see lower
right photo) is nothing morethan a long cloth strap that feeds
through a metal ratchet assembly.After wrapping the strap aroundthe project, you simply tighten it
down with the built-in ratchet.
Putting on the Squeeze. When
I really need a lot of clamping
pressure, especially in
one spot, C-clamps aremy choice. I have a set
of four 2" and two 3"clamps like the ones yousee in the photo below.
I use C-clamps any timeI have to hold metal parts in
place for drilling or assembly.You can also use them with wood. Just be sure to protect the surface
of any pieces you clamp. Theserious pressure you can apply
makes it all too easy to put a dentin the surface of your workpiece.
Spring Power. The last clampsto add to the collection are thespring clamps shown below. I
reach for a spring clamp when-ever I need an extra “hand.”
A spring clamp works like a
giant clothespin. So, depending onthe size of the clamp, the capacity
is fairly limited. But don’t let thatfool you about the amount of
pressure a spring clamp can exerton an assembly. (I’ve pinched my
fingers enough times to know.)A spring clamp works great for
holding a stop block in place on
a fence. Or to keep a small work-piece right where it needs to be
until the glue dries. These clamps
are inexpensive (about $3 apiece),so “spring” for a set of six 2"clamps when you get the chance.
Summing It Up. Buying clamps
can be expensive. But the setsshown here allow you to build your
collection over time. As I mentioned,
the first two groups each cost $150 -
$160. Adding in the specialty clampswill tack on another $100. Overall,
it’s a great set of clamps that willhandle almost all your
needs — and on a tab thatwon’t break the bank.
Specialty Clamp Set
Long Assembly Set
(4) 48" AluminumBar Clamps
(4) 36" Pipe Clam( 3 / 4 ")
(6) 2" Spring Clamps
(2) 3" C-Clamps
(4) 2" C-Clamps
(3) Band Cla
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5 tips & tricks for using aCombination Square
Accuracy in woodworkingoften starts with the simple task oflaying out a cut. And here’s a simple
tip for more accurate layouts.Instead of sliding the blade of the
square to a layout mark and thendrawing a line, place the pencil tip
on the mark first. Then slide the blade up against the pencil.This way, you don’t have to try to
offset the blade by the thickness ofthe pencil lead. This offset is a guess
at best, since it varies depending onthe type and sharpness of the pencil.
With this tip, you’ll end up with aline exactly where you want it.
One layout task I find myself doing on a lot of
projects is drawing a line parallel to an edge. To do thisquickly, you can use a combination square (photo above)
Start by setting the blade of the square to the desireddistance (keep that first tip in mind as you do this)
Then position the head of the square against the board. Now holding the pencil tight to the end of the blade, slide the square (and pencil) along the edge to
draw a perfectly parallel line.
A combination square is one tool you’ll find in
just about every workshop. I know my squareis never more than an arm’s length away. Andthere’s a simple reason — it’s one of the most
versatile hand tools in my shop.For starters, I’m always using it to check
the ends of my workpieces for square. Or toverify the accuracy of a miter cut. But there’s
so much more you can do with a combination
square, from layout work to tool setup. The
tips and tricks that follow will help you get themost out of your combination square.
One last thing. There are all kinds of com
bination squares on the market. And as withmost tools, you get what you pay for. The
combination square shown here is manufactured by Starrett, and it’s the type that Irecommend for woodworking.
2Parallel Lines
Simple in design, versatile in use. Here are a few handy
ways to get the most out of your combination square.
1Marking
working with tools
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A combination squaremakes a handy gauge for accu-
rately measuring the depth of anyrecess — a dado, rabbet, or mortise.
To do this, loosen the blade of thesquare and slide it back so it’s evenwith the 90° face of the square. Next,
set the face of the square against theoutside edge of the workpiece, like
you see in the photo at right. Now,
extend the blade of the square intothe recess until it just touches the bot-
tom. Finally, lock the blade securelyin place.
Now, you can pull the combina-tion square out of the opening andread the depth. You’ll find it right
where the blade intersects the headof the square — a quick and easy
measurement.
One last thing to keep in mind
about a combination square is that it’snot just for use on a workpiece — it’s a
great set-up gauge for shop tools.Like the depth gauge measurement
shown at the top of the page, a combi-
nation square works well for setting thedepth of cut for a tool. I use my
combination square all the time for
setting the height of my saw bladeas well as the depth of router bits,
like you see in the drawing at right.To get an accurate measurement,
it’s important that the end of the blade be flush with the 90° face of
the square. So be sure to use a flatsurface as your reference when youset the blade. Then it’s just a matter
of sliding the scale next to the bit (or blade) and checking your setting.
A combination square is handy
even without its blade. You can use thesquare to check whether your table saw
blade is set to 90° or even 45°, as in thephoto at right. To get an accurate reading,
just be sure the square rests against the body of the saw blade and not the teeth.
Another way I use my com- bination square every day is to findthe center of a workpiece. Now you
could just use the square to mea-sure the width and then divide that
in half to find the center. But the
technique I use doesn’t require anymeasuring or calculating.
In the drawing at left, you can seehow to use the 45° face to draw a
diagonal line from each corner of a
workpiece (like a drawer front). Theexact center of the workpiece is righ
where the lines intersect.Doing this on the narrow edge
of a workpiece is a little trickySo instead, I set my combinationsquare to mark close to the center
then make a pair of marks — oneoff each face. This will get you real-
ly close. Then it’s just a matter o“splitting” the difference to find the
center of the edge.
4Centering
3Depth Gauge
5Tool Setup
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FLATTENING THE SOLE
Whether I’m fitting a drawer, trimming a small
part, or shaping the edge of a workpiece, I use my
block plane on almost every project I build.
But even though my block plane is a precision
tool now, it didn’t start out that way.
When I first took it out of the box, the cast iron
body felt rough and gritty in my hand. And the
adjustments on the plane were either too stiff or
too loose. Even after fiddling with them, I still
wasn’t satisfied with the quality of cut.
Fortunately, there wasn’t anything wrong withthe plane. All it really needed was a tune-up.
FLATTEN THE SOLE
The first thing that needed attention was the
sole (bottom) of the plane. Although it had been
machined at the factory, it wasn’t perfectly flat.
Why do you want the sole to be flat? Because
if there’s a slight hump, it will prevent the cutting
edge of the blade from making full contact with
the workpiece. And if there’s a “dished out” area,
it’s just about impossible to plane a surface flat.
REFERENCE SURFACE. Before you can check whether
the sole is flat, you need to have a flat surface as a
reference. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy.
A piece of 1 ⁄ 4"-thick glass works fine. Setting the
glass on a scrap with a cleat at each end will pre-
vent the glass from sliding.
3Remaining dark lines indi-
cate low areas. Keep sand-
ing until the marks disappear.
2Sand the sole on 220-grit
silicon carbide paper that’s
taped to a piece of glass.
1Using a permanent marker,
draw a squiggly line across
the sole of the block plane.
TIPS FROM
OUR SHOP
TUNING UP A
BLOCK PLANE
{ Setting a file in ascrap with a 45°
saw kerf makes iteasy to create a
uniform chamfer
on the bottomedges of the plane.
LEVER CAPKNOB
FRONT KNOB
RETAININGSCREW
HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT
NUT
THREAPOS
LATERALADJUSTMENT
LEVER
HEIGHT ADJ.
LEVER
THROAT OPENING
ADJUSTMENT LEVER
BLADESEAT
REARBLADE
SUPPORT
THE BLOCK PLANE
SHOWN HERE IS ARECORD 09 . UNLIKE
SOME BLOCK PLANES,IT HAS AN ADJUSTABLE
THROAT PLATE.
!/2
NOTE:
ADJUSTABLE THROAT PLATE
BODY
PIN
LEVERCAP
BLADE
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CHECKING THE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT
To check the sole, start by
drawing a line across it (Step 1 onpage 1). Then slide the plane across
a piece of silicon carbide sandpaper
(Step 2). After a few strokes, check
your progress. Any low spots will
show up as dark lines (Step 3).
The idea is to continue sanding
until the lines disappear. Then
you’ll need to polish the sole on
progressively finer grits of silicon
carbide sandpaper (up to 400-grit).
Lubricating the sandpaper with oil
will carry away the metal “dust.”
Note: Sand the sole with the blade
installed (make sure it’s retracted).
This will “stress” the body of the
plane like it is in use.
3Then, lightly squeeze the ears
of the lever until it fits closely
around the adjustment nut.
2To improve the fit, use a nail
and a vise to press out the
pin that holds the lever in place.
1 A loose fit between the height
adjustment lever and nut
results in a sloppy adjustment.
{ To allow the
throat plate slide smoothsand each ed
lightly on a pof sandpape
CHAMFER EDGES. Once the sole is flat,
the bottom edges of the plane maybe sharp. So to avoid accidentally
scratching the surface of a work-
piece, file a small chamfer on these
edges, as shown in the left margin
on the previous page. While I’m at
it, I run a hand-held file across the
top edges of each side to provide a
comfortable grip.
THROAT PLATE. If your plane has
an adjustable throat plate, it’s also
a good idea to see if it operates
smoothly. Occasionally, there’s a
small burr on the edge which will
make it stick. But a few strokes on a
piece of sandpaper is a quick fix, as
you can see in the margin at right.
HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT
Another thing to check is the adjust-ment that allows you to raise and
lower the blade. Basically, it consists
of two parts: a short lever with a
C-shaped opening and an adjust-
ment nut that travels up and down
on a threaded post. As you turn the
nut, it pivots the lever up and down,
which raises or lowers the blade.
But sometimes the blade won’t
move right away when you turn the
nut. Instead, there’s a dead zone
where you turn the nut and nothing
happens. That can be caused by a
gap between the “ears” of the lever
and the nut (Step 1 above).
To fix this, take out the pin that
holds the lever in place (Step
2), and press the ears together
until the lever fits closely
around the nut (Step 3).
THROAT OPENING
At this point, you can turn your
attention to the throat opening
— where the blade extendsthrough the sole of the plane.
To produce a consistent cut
all the way across the width of
the blade, the back edge of this
opening needs to be square to
the sides of the plane.
MARK & FILE. You can square
up the opening by marking a
line in back of it (Step 1 at left)
and making a few light passes
with a file (Step 2).
SQUARING UP THE THROAT OPENING
2Tighten the plane in a vise
and use a file to remove
material up to the line.
1Use a fine-tipped marker to
square a line behind the back
edge of the throat opening.
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BLADE SEAT
One part of a block plane
that’s easy to overlook is the
blade seat. This is the angled
platform inside the body that
supports the blade. To elimi-
nate any “chatter,” it’s impor-
tant for the blade to sit flat
against the blade seat.But in a brand new plane,
you may find that it’s rough
and covered with paint. As
a result, the blade can’t sit
flat. The solution is to file the
blade seat so it’s smooth and
flat (Step 1 at right).
REST. To hold the file at a
consistent angle as you’re
working, use the rear blade
support as a “rest.” Then
make several long strokes
across the blade seat and the rearblade support. Make sure you
remove the same amount of mate-
rial all across the blade seat.
To check for this, hold the plane
and look into the throat opening. Tilt
the plane back and forth until the
light catches the edge of the throat
opening (Step 2). The reflection of
the light should reveal a consistent
thickness all the way across.
LEVER CAP
Once the blade seat is nice and
flat, you still need a way to hold the
blade tightly against it. That’s the
job of the lever cap.
To apply pressure evenly acrossthe entire width of the blade, the
nose has to be smooth and flat on
the bottom. But here again, a rough
casting or uneven paint job will pre-
vent the lever cap from fitting tight
against the blade.
A little sanding is all it takes to
get the nose of the lever cap flat and
smooth (Step 1 below). You’ll know
when you’re done by the consistent
pattern of scratches (Step 2).
THE KEYHOLE
After sanding, the last thing you’ll
need to do to the lever cap is coun-
tersink the keyhole-shaped opening
for the screw that secures the levercap to the body of the plane.
The reason for this is simple.
When I put my plane away, I always
retract the blade. This means I
have to loosen the knob that holds
the lever cap in place. The problem
is that when I tilt the plane to the
side to check the blade, the key-
hole slides over the screw and the
lever cap falls off.
COUNTERSINK. An easy way to pre-
vent this is to drill a countersink in
the small opening in the keyhole
(Step 1 at top of page 4). This will
“seat” the head of the screw and
hold the lever cap in place (Step 2).
SHARPENING THE BLADE
No matter how well you tune up the
various parts of the plane, there’s no
way you’ll be able to get a quality cut
without one thing — a sharp blade.
There are a number of different
ways you can go about this. But the
silicon carbide sandpaper used forthe body of the plane can put a razor
sharp edge on the blade, as well.
THE EDGE. The thing to keep in
mind as you’re sharpening is that
the edge is formed by the intersec-
tion of two surfaces — the back and
the bevel. To get a sharp edge, the
idea is to get each of these surfaces
as smooth and flat as possible.
FLATTEN BACK. The first step is to
flatten the back of the blade.
SANDING THE LEVER CAP
2The nose of the lever cap should
end up flat and smooth after
sanding off any paint.
1 Raise the back end of the levercap slightly, and sand the nose bymaking a few smooth strokes.
SMOOTHING THE BLADE SEAT
2Check that the front edge of
the blade seat is a consistent
thickness all the way across.
1Use a file to make long, smooth
strokes across the blade seat
and rear blade support.
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SHARPENING THE BLADE
COUNTERSINK THE KEYHOLE Although this requires a little elbowgrease, the nice thing is you only need
to do it one time. Once it’s flat, you just
need to concentrate on the bevel when
you sharpen the blade.
Here again, it’s important to work
on a flat surface (I use a piece of
glass). And as before, marking the
back of the blade will help keeptrack of your progress.
To flatten the back, I start with
a piece of 220-grit silicon carbide
sandpaper and sand until the marks
disappear, as shown in Step 1 below.
At this point, the back is flat. But just
being flat isn’t enough.
That’s because the coarse grit
leaves a swirl of large scratches
behind. And each scratch forms a
tiny nick where it meets the cutting
edge of the blade.
POLISH BACK. So in order to get theback as smooth as possible, I polish
it with a progression of finer grits. I
move on to 400-grit sandpaper next,
and then follow it up with 800- and
1000-grit sandpaper.
While this produces a service-
able edge, I continue polishing with
1500- and 2000-grit paper to get a
mirror smooth finish. (You can find
extra-fine grits of paper at an auto
body parts store.)
FLATTEN BEVEL. Once the back is
flat, you’re halfway to a sharp edge.
Now just make the bevel as flat and
smooth as the back.
CONSISTENT ANGLE. The secret to a
smooth, flat bevel is to hold the blade
2The countersink should be
deep enough to seat the
head of the retaining screw.
1With the lever cap against a
fence clamped to the drill press
table, countersink the keyhole.
3To remove a burr, alternately sand
the bevel and the back with the
final grit used to flatten the back.
2By holding the blade at a con-
sistent angle, a honing guide
ensures that the bevel stays flat.
1Using oil as a lubricant, you can
sand the back of the blade with a
piece of silicon carbide paper.
at a consistent angle. To do this, I
use a honing guide. Basically, this is
a rolling clamp that holds the blade
at the desired angle (Step 2 below). When securing the blade in the
honing guide, try to match the
existing angle of the bevel. To do
this, position the blade in the guide
so the entire surface of the bevel
lies flat on the glass.
Now it’s just a matter of
sanding the bevel. Once again,
the idea is to proceed from a
coarse to a fine grit. The trick is
knowing where to start.
GRITS. This requires matching the
grit to the condition of the bevel. If
there’s a nick in the edge, I’ll start
with 180-grit sandpaper. But for
most work, this is too coarse. For
example, a piece of 220-grit paper
is fine for a new blade. But if you’re
just touching up an edge, you may
want to start with 800-grit.
EVEN PRESSURE. Regardless ofthe grit, the key is to apply even
pressure across the blade. The
only exception is if the blade is
out of square. In that case, you’ll
want to apply extra pressure on
the high corner to square the
blade as you sharpen.
BURR. As you work with each grit,
a burr will start to form on the back
side of the blade. Although you
can’t see it, you’ll be able to feel the
burr by running your finger up the
back of the blade.
When you get a nice, even burr
across the entire width of the blade,
remove it by sanding both the back
and the bevel (Step 3).
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Once you add this handy plane to your tool chest, you’re sure to
find one hundred and one ways to put it to work.
Before modern technology tookmuch of the manual labor out of
woodworking, hand planes weremanufactured in an amazing
array of sizes, shapes, and styles.There was a plane for every task —from smoothing boards to shap-
ing moldings to forming joints.Many of the more specialized
planes that were once “stan-dard issue” are now obsolete.
However, there are a few ofthese lesser-known
planesthat still
deserve a place in the shop. Oneof these is the shoulder plane.
WHY A SHOULDER PLANE? Mostplanes derive their name from
their function. A jointer is usedfor edge jointing, a smootherfor smoothing surfaces. So what
does a shoulder plane do? Spe-cifically, the name refers to the
use of this plane to square up ortrim the shoulders of tenons and
other joints. But as you’ll see, theuses for a shoulder plane go way
beyond this single task.HOW IT WORKS. Although the
design of shoulder planes can
vary quite a bit, as you can seein the lower left photo, they all
share one notable feature. Thecutting edge on the iron ofa shoulder plane extends
across the entire width ofthe plane’s sole. This
allows you to cutright up
to a square edge or into a corneas is necessary when trimming
tenon shoulder. But it also openup many other possibilities awell. I think of my shoulde
plane as an all-purpose, joinerytuning tool.
SHOULDER OR RABBET? The distinction between a shoulder and a
rabbet plane is a bit blurry. Lika shoulder plane, a rabbet plane
is set up to cut edge-to-edge. Thedifference is that a rabbet plan
is designed specifically to curabbets — often having a fencedepth stop, and scoring nicker
for making cuts across the grain.Another difference is that a
shoulder plane has a lower cutting angle. This feature allows ito cut end grain or across the grain
smoothly and with less effort.In practical terms, a rabbe
plane and a shoulder plane canhandle a lot of the same tasks
using the versatile
Shoulder Plane
working with tools
} Shoulder
planes are
available in
a variety of
sizes and
styles.
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But all-in-all, a shoulder plane isthe more versatile of the two.
WHICH SIZE? Shoulder planes canvary in width from 1 ⁄ 2" to 11 ⁄ 2".You’ll find that a size in the mid-
range — 3 ⁄ 4" to 1" will be the mostuseful and handle the widest
range of tasks. The larger sizes
of shoulder planes can be pretty bulky for fine work.
PLANE SETUP. Today’s adjustableshoulder planes are much more
user-friendly than past types.However, to get the best results,
you need a basic grasp of theproper setup. The upper right
drawings illustrate these points.Since a shoulder plane cuts over
the full width of the sole, the cut-
ting edge should be honed per-fectly straight across and square
to its sides. Most shoulder planesallow only limited lateral adjust-ment of the iron. If the cutting
edge isn’t square, you won’t beable to set it parallel to the throat.
You’ll find that the iron of ashoulder plane is actually slightly
wider than the sole. When the ironis installed it should extend a hair
beyond both sides of the plane.
This allows the plane to cut moreeffectively into a square corner.
As I mentioned, the cuttingedge also needs to be parallel to
the throat. If it’s not, you won’t geta consistent, full-width cut. Youcan simply eyeball this setting or
make test cuts to check it.Finally, many shoulder planes
have an adjustable throat. Sincethe plane is generally employedfor light-duty trimming, you’ll be
taking fine cuts. Here, a narrowthroat is desirable. You’ll get a
cleaner cut with less tearout.
TECHNIQUE. Using a shoulderplane will come pretty naturally.You’ll develop your own feel and
form with your particular plane.As with any hand plane, one of
the keys is firm control. Since theplane is generally used for light
trim work, this isn’t difficult.The smallest shoulder planes
often work best as “one-handed”
tools — like a block plane. Withthe larger sizes, a two-handed
grip will give you better control.In most instances, I push the plane
through the cut. But a shoulderplane also lends itself to a pull cut
when this is more practical.
MANY TASKS. So where do you put
a shoulder plane to work? Thephotos below and the main photo
on the opposite page illustrate asampling of the tasks a shoulder
plane can handle — from trim-ming shoulders to smoothingrabbets to shaping contours. Once
a shoulder plane finds a homein your shop, it’s guaranteed to
become a trusted and well-usedproblem solver.
Shoulders. Set the iron for a very
light cut when trimming the end
grain of a tenon shoulder.
Cheeks. A shoulder plane leaves a
smooth surface when used “cross-
grain” on the cheeks of a tenon.
Raised Panels. The bevel cuts on
a raised panel can be smoothed
more efficiently than sanding
Dadoes. A narrow shoulder plane
is perfect for adjusting the depth
or flattening the bottom of a dado
Shaping Contours. A shoulder plane can
sometimes reach places even a block plane
can’t go allowing you to refine contours
Tongues. A few quick passes is all it takes
to fit the tongue on this back board to the
groove in the mating piece.
The iron'scutting edge should behoned at 90°to the sidesand installed parallel to thethroat
The iron is
slightly widerthan the soleto ensureclean corners
BOTTOM VIEW
Adjust the throatof a shoulder planeto match the task.
A narrow openingis usually better
Throat
Cap
a.