Table of contents for Issue 135 in ShopNotes Magazine

Box joints, with their interlocking fingers, have been a favorite of box builders for over 100 years. Factories use specialized machinery to mass-produce box joints. In the home shop, the table saw or router table does the job. But there’s a limitation in the size of the box and joinery you can create using these tools. For large casework like blanket chests, toy boxes, and tool chests, making box joints this way can be cumbersome, at best. A better solution is the Portable Box Joint Jig from Woodhaven. It’s unique in that the jig fastens to the workpiece and you use a hand-held router to cut the joinery. With this method, you’re not limited by the size of the workpiece as you might be at the router table or table…

Benchtop table saws pack a lot of function into a compact footprint. But the small size of the saw table can make cutting long boards or large plywood panels tricky, at best. Throw in the fact that many benchtop saws don’t come with a stand (or have a lightweight, “job site” stand), and you can see the need for some upgrades. This stand solves both of those problems. For starters, it’s a solid, yet mobile, platform for the table saw. So you can still tuck it out of the way when necessary. Built-in supports on the left and outfeed sides of the cart effectively increase the size of the saw table. That makes cuts safer and more accurate. Finally, a bank of drawers below the saw gives you some extra…

Materials & Hardware A Mounting Plate (1) 4-dia. x ¾ Ply. B Baseplate (1) 7⅝-dia. x¾ Ply. C Jaw Block (1) 7⅝-dia. rgh. x 3 Ply. • (1) 3"-dia. Lathe Faceplate • (1)⅜"-16 x 5 ½" Carriage Bolt • (1)⅜"-16 Star Knob • (1)⅜" FenderWasher • (4)¼" x 1½" Lag Screws • (8)¼" x 3½" Lag Screws • (12)¼" Washers Most of the time my lathe sits idle in my shop as I’m using other tools to build projects. So I decided to get more use out of it by adding a sanding drum. The one I designed uses 3" x 24" sanding belts you can find at any hardware store or home center. It’s a common size belt used on portable belt sanders. What’s great about this sanding drum…

Most woodworkers know that sanding is an important part of building a great-looking project. However, the temptation to make nothing more than a few quick swipes with a bit of sandpaper can be hard to resist. The problem you run into is the uneven pressure from your fingertips creates an inconsistent surface. Using a sanding block or two can make a big difference. You may think that commercial sanding blocks are just gimmicks. But a good block not only produces an even scratch pattern on the workpiece, it also provides a cushioned surface that helps sandpaper last much longer. A Basic Block. For most projects, a rectangular sanding block will meet your needs. As you can see on these pages, there are several options to choose from. Turn to page…

Woodscrews are my fasteners of choice for most tasks. But every once in a while, a project comes up in my shop where I need something stronger. The tower cart on page 14, which is built to hold heavy tools and equipment, is a good example. In these situations, I’ll turn to heavy-duty fasteners like lag screws, carriage bolts, and lock nuts. All three of these choices offer a step up from standard screws and nuts in terms of strength and holding power. Here’s what you need to know to choose the right one for your project. LAG SCREWS With a pointed end and a tapered, threaded shank that pulls the fastener into wood, lag screws share similarities with woodscrews. One big difference, of course, is that lags are larger…

Thin stock is a must for building small drawers, boxes, and trays. And if you need to create glued-up panels from thin stock, you’ll quickly realize that working with material that’s1 ⁄2" thick or less isn’t the same as gluing up a tabletop. The good news is it’s a skill that doesn’t take long to master. Prepare the Edges. As with any edge-to-edge glueup, the starting point is to prepare the edges of the boards that will make up the panel. The edges that will be glued together need to meet in a tight line. In thin stock, even small gaps are going to be noticeable. The trick is to prepare each pair of mating edges at the same time. After arranging the boards into a pleasing panel, take a…

Adding an auxiliary table to a drill press is a sure-fire way to improve its capabilities. An increased work area, a precision fence, and a replaceable insert are just some of the benefits. All of these features are standard on the drill press table you see above. But what makes this table different is actually underneath. Instead of the hassle and challenge of having to reach behind and below the table to access the locking lever and the height adjustment crank, I’ve made a few changes and repositioned them for better access. A steel rod with a handle extends the locking shaft to the side, where a half turn locks (or unlocks) the table. And a second shaft, along with a pair of miter gears (photo at right), repositions the…

NOTE: Pencils shown actual size I’m willing to bet that your go-to tool for marking and layout work is a standard No. 2 wood pencil. But I recently looked at some other options for shop pencils and found a few that are worthy of consideration. You can find out where to get them in Sources on page 51. Metal FixPencil. The FixPencil shown in the main photo is like most mechanical pencils. But it uses 3mm lead refills. The Fix-Pencil leads are an HB hardness, like your No. 2 pencil. These leads are much thicker than the usual, office-variety mechanical pencils. This means they won’t break as easily. Pressing the cap releases the lead to advance it. I found the FixPencil makes a mark easily and holds a point well. The…

Several years ago, I bought a lock miter router bit, thinking it was an ideal solution to strong, perfect-fitting miter joints. The idea behind the bit is simple and ingenious. With a single setup, the bit allows you to rout both halves of a miter joint that incorporates a tongue and groove. This aligns the joint for assembly and creates an interlocking connection that increases its overall strength. It works great for everything from boxes and cabinets to table legs. (See the box on the facing page.) A Sticking Point. The bit certainly lived up to the hype. But there’s a downside. The setup can be time-consuming. The reason is the bit height and fence setting work together and in turn, depend on the thickness of the parts being routed. You…

Routing Template Making the shaped base for the tower cart on page 14 is easy with the help of a template. I made the template from hardboard. It’s designed to be used at each corner of the base blank to trace the shape before cutting it to rough shape. Then you can use the template again to flush-trim the final shape. I aligned the outside corner of the template with each corner of the base blank to trace the shape. After rough-cutting the shape at the band saw I used double-sided tape to secure the template before using a pattern bit for the final shaping. You may need to make two passes if the bit isn’t long enough. A little sanding finishes the job. NOTE: SIZE PLYWOOD STRIPS TO CREATE…

Creating a chamfer or bevel on the edge of a workpiece such as a large panel usually involves a router or table saw. But if you want to create a profile at an unusual angle, standard chamfering bits can’t be used. And if the panel is too large to be comfortably supported at the table saw, your options are limited. Luckily, there’s a traditional tool that can handle the job. With a sharp hand plane, you’d be surprised at how quickly you can create these profiles on a workpiece. You can see a couple examples on the left. All it takes are a few simple techniques and a little muscle power. Layout Lines. Other than a hand plane, the only tools you’ll need are a pencil and combination square. I…