Tabla de contenidos para Issue 136 en ShopNotes Magazine

When I first acquired a lathe, the only way I knew to turn a workpiece was to mount it “between centers.” That is, supporting the workpiece between a drive center mounted in the headstock and another center mounted at the opposite end in the tailstock. This method of turning is great for making spindles and pens, but it can be limiting. Turning between centers doesn’t allow you to finish off the end or face of a workpiece (like a bowl) because the centers are in the way. A Chuck. The solution is a chuck. It securely grips a workpiece without requiring the tail-stock to support it. This allows you to turn the face of the workpiece that would normally be obstructed by the tailstock. You’ll find chucks from manufacturers like…

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of using a fine plane — especially if you made it yourself. And if you’ve never had that experience, then building one of these block planes is a good place to start. The small size reduces the time and cost compared to a larger bench plane. The metalwork involved in making the body of the plane is pretty straight-forward. Brass sides give it a traditional look. Or you may want to consider Damascus steel for something more unique. As a woodworker, you’ll find making the wood infill and wedge a snap. And they’re a great way to hone your shaping skills. The hardest part of building your own plane usually is making the adjustment mechanism for the iron. But here, we used a kit…

Many of the projects I build include mortise and tenon joinery. And usually, the tenons are centered on the thickness of the workpiece. But every so often, I’ll build a project that calls for offset tenons — in other words, the cheeks of the tenon have different shoulder depths. Sometimes an offset tenon is necessary to avoid having two tenons interfere with each other (such as when two rails are joined to a leg). Other times, it’s done to avoid having to position the mortise in the mating workpiece too close to the face of the piece. Regardless of the reason, creating offset tenons calls for a little extra attention to detail, and a slightly different procedure than cutting centered tenons. Tenoning Jig. When cutting a centered tenon, I typically…

LOCK ANATOMY A latch or a catch keeps a lid, drawer, or door closed. But every once in a while, I’ll build a project that demands a little extra security. That’s when I turn to cabinet locks. A lock keeps everyone out except you and whoever else you want to have access. Unlike the locks found on your front entryway, locks made for cabinets are not as sturdy. They can be forced and picked more easily, so they shouldn’t be used to secure high-value items. But they can be just the ticket for keeping papers private, collections safe, or things away from curious young children. Types of Cabinet Locks. When you start to look for the right lock for your project, you may be overwhelmed by the selection available. You’ll find…

If you use edge tools like chisels and plane irons, a bench grinder can be an ideal tool for maintaining and even reshaping an edge. The challenge is choosing a grinder with the key features that suit the needs of your shop. So what should you consider? Wheel Size. For a bench grinder, one primary choice is the size of the grinding wheels. And that means deciding between a pair of 6"- or 8"-dia. wheels (photo at lower left). There are a couple things you’ll want to consider here, the first being cost. Typically, a grinder with 6" wheels will cost less than an 8" model. At first glance, it seems to make sense from a budget standpoint to go with the smaller grinder. But if you dig a little deeper,…

I suppose I can’t call my shop apron a “tool,” but I’d be lost without it. Taking a quick inventory of the tools I carry around got me to thinking about what others like to keep in their apron pockets. So I asked a few of the guys around the office and shop. Some of the favorite tools are the typical ones you might expect, like pencils and 6" steel rules. But I also found some unusual ones that are worth considering (refer to Sources on page 51). Lighted Magnifier. The older we get, the more difficult it is to see fine details. The magnifier you see above is a big help. It shines a bright light on the subject while magnifying with its 15-power lens. I use it to…

Creating profiles is a bread and butter routing task. And for good reason. In a short time, you can create eye-catching profiles that soften the hard edge of a workpiece. The right profile can even enhance the overall look and style of a project. One popular (and traditional) profile is the ogee. This flowing, S-shaped double curve has been used to dress up furniture and buildings for thousands of years. So you’ll find it’s right at home in a wide range of furniture re styles. Looking at ogee bits from any router bit manufacturer, you’ll quickly see that the name “ogee” can refer to a whole family of profile bits. In fact, the range of bits offered can be a little dizzying. To add to the confusion, two router bits…

A workbench is often just a large, flat surface for setting your work on to assemble a project. But as your woodworking skills grow, you might need more functionality from your workbench. That’s where the dual-rail system you see here comes into play. It adds a lot of features to an otherwise ordinary bench. First, the grooves in the pair of rails accommodate sliding accessories. These include dog blocks to clamp a workpiece, and tool anchors used to attach auxiliary platforms for tools like a bench vise or miter saw. And speaking of a miter saw, the rail system also features a pair of support blocks for holding long workpieces when using the saw. Each of the support blocks can be positioned anywhere along the rails. Each one incorporates a…

Etching Metal I love the look of the Damascus steel used in the block plane on page 22. The beautiful organic patterns are a result of folding and hammering steel multiple times to make it tougher. The problem is, after filing and sanding it, the pattern all but disappears. Restoring it requires a little chemical etching with a mild acid (ferric chloride). You can find out where to buy ferric chloride in Sources on page 51. When diluting acid, always add the acid to water. Add one part ferric chloride to two parts water in a plastic container. After donning some latex gloves, use a foam brush to wet the surface of the Damascus steel, keeping the surface wet for at least three minutes. Then you can wipe off the…

When you’ve been in a shop for 25 years, there’s a good chance you know all its quirks and have worked out the bugs. That’s certainly the case with the basement shop of creative director Ted Kralicek. The unfinished side of the basement seemed like a natural shop space when Ted and his family moved into their home. Down in the basement, the temperature is pretty moderate —not too cold during Iowa winters, nor too hot in summer. Easy Upgrades. One advantage of having a basement shop is that it’s easy to upgrade the services. Convenient access to the electrical panel allowed Ted to run more outlets, install 220V circuits, and increase the lighting. All About the Saw. Basements often have unusual space configurations and Ted’s is no exception, as…

I was given an old Vernier caliper. How do I read the scales accurately? Harold Ebbletrap Potter, Wisconsin The Vernier scale is named after a French mathematician, Pierre Vernier. He popularized a method for using two scales to take an increment and divide it into smaller increments. It’s much simpler and more precise than trying to add more lines on a single scale — the lines would just be too close together. Vernier scales are found on tools used by machinists, surveyors, scientists, and in navigation instruments. The scale finds its way into woodworking via machinists’ tools like calipers. But other tools can use a Vernier scale, as well. Two other examples are shown in the photos below. Reading a Vernier scale isn’t difficult. In fact, it used to be…