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On The Cover: Router Bit Cabinet

By: Michael Kampen (Oct/Nov 2009)
Without them your router is an expensive paperweight, so protect your investment in high quality bits by storing them in this elegant wall cabinet. This cabinet uses finger joints to join the case. A finger joint is very similar in construction to a dovetail joint, which makes it perfect for this project. The primary difference is that with dovetails, the sides of the fingers are angled, while with the finger joint the sides of the fingers are parallel to each other. Michael leads you through the construction of this cabinet with ten full colour photos showing important stages of the project. He also provides two detailed illustrations showing all of the parts and measurements of the cabinet, as well as a helpful illustration showing the details of an excellent jig to make finger joints. Learn how to: Build the Case; Cut Finger Joints; Set-up; Make and Use Relevant Jigs; How to Finish the Project; How to Make the Cabinet Back; and How to Make the Cabinet Doors. This shop project, both practical and attractive, will be a great addition to your shop.

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Home Improvement: Installing Crown Moulding (Part 1)

By: Roger Knapp
Of all the trim work in a house, there is probably nothing that makes such an impact as the look of crown moulding around a room. crowns add to the quality and value of the home and bring an element of elegance. The placing of crown moulding ties the ceiling and the wall together, not by blending them but by highlighting their different features. In this three-part series, my intention is to assist all woodworkers out there who may have considered crowns in the past but were unsure about how to cut numerous compound angles correctly. I will walk you through the measuring, cutting and installation process, and give you tips and solutions to overcome problems you may run into. This is definitely a rewarding home improvement project. In this first part, I will list the tools you will need for the job and go through the process of installing crown around a room with horizontal ceilings. Roger takes all of the guess work and trial-and-error out of installing crown moulding. If you have installed crown moulding before, you will immediately recognize how efficient and easy Rogers methods are. If you have never installed crown moulding before, you may never know how difficult it was before now. Roger gives clear, easy-to-follow instructions; seven full colour photos; a detailed illustration; and an incredibly helpful list of Installation Tips. If you have any crown moulding in your future, save yourself a lot of grief and get to know Rogers method of installation.

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Shop Tools: 14” Bandsaws

By: Graham McCulloch
Band saws included in this review: Craftex; Delta; General International; Ridgid; Laguna; Steel City; and King. If you are in the market for a new band saw, be sure to check this article out. Graham covers the many uses of band saws, and then looks at the individual brands to see what they each have to offer. Find out what you need to know before you buy.

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Shop Project: Streamlined Workbench

By: Carl Duguay
A good workbench is one of the most important tools in a workshop. After downsizing to a 350 sq ft shop, Carl realized that he could easily do with a smaller workbench, and save some precious floor space. His old workbench was quite large, better suited for making cabinets than furniture. He didn’t want to spend a lot of money on the bench, nor did he want to invest a lot of time building it. After looking through a number of books (see his Reading List) he finally decided on a simple design, with the legs aligned flush to the top, a tail vise, front vise, and a single row of round bench dog holes. Carl has an incredible ability to synthesize various desirable components into a unified whole, in other words: take the best of many designs and put them all together. In this well written article Carl gives you straight forward directions, including seven full colour photos; a detailed illustration showing all of the table’s parts and measurements; and an extensive Reading List. That way, whether you want a streamlined workbench, or another style all together, you will have everything you need.

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Home Improvement: Refinishing Wood Floors

By: Steve Maxwell
Make your wood floors look like new with these four steps to achieve a furniture-grade urethane finish. If you’re used to finishing furniture projects, the prospect of urethaning an entire wood floor can feel daunting. But success is easier than it looks, and doing the work yourself can save you a bundle. Steve takes this rather challenging task and makes it easy enough that you will actually want to try it. Steve covers: Understanding Sanding; Pre-Finish Cleaning; and Product Choice and Application. He also provides an informative side bar on Dust Free Floor Renewal, for those who would rather not sand down to the bare wood.

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Shop Tested: Bench Dog Router Station and Rockler Taper Jig

By: Vic Tesolin
Find out why our editor thinks these hot new products should be a part of your workshop.

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Turning Project: Keepsake Box

By: Allan Cusworth
People love to hold on to little items with sentimental value. This box is perfect for keeping your most precious objects safe and sound. This project is an exercise in turning with a four-jaw scroll chuck and uses some special tools and techniques. Allan is an accomplished turner with a natural knack for teaching. His instructions are clear and concise, and he supports his directions with ten full colour photos; and an extensive list of Suggested Tools and Materials. Whether you are an advanced or beginner turner, this particular project will be a delight to turn.

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Hand Skills: The Shoulder Plane

By: Ted Brown
No other plane performs as well as a shoulder plane when hand-fitting joints. Ted believes that all woodworkers need a basic set of three planes: a smoothing plane, a low angle block plane and a shoulder plane. This article focuses on the shoulder plane which is used predominantly to clean up joinery to obtain that perfect fit. In this overview, Ted, a natural teacher, introduces you to the shoulder plane. He covers: Blade Preparation; Adjusting the Plane; Trimming a Shoulder; Mortise and Tenon Joints; and Adjusting the Tenon Thickness. He also provides eight full colour photos showing the use of this essential plane. Whether you are a beginner or use the shoulder plane regularly, this article will take you to the next level.

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Wood Finishing : Simple Cherry Finish

By: Marty Schlosser
Don’t fret over this crucial last phase of the build. This simple cherry finish will make your hard work shine through. We know the story: you’re hesitant. You have invested a number of hours in designing and crafting that one-of-a-kind piece of furniture in cherry and there it sits in your workshop, awaiting the finish. You know how important it is to get this final step just right, but so far your finishes have kept your pieces from being everything they deserve to be. Runs, lacking in depth, too glossy, brush marks, fumes permeating the shop; all those and more will be a thing of the past when you use Marty’s simple cherry finish. Marty is a pro who has a way with words. In this article he leads you through the steps to a perfect finish. He covers: Preparation; Dying for Effect; Oil; and Wax. He also gives you four full colour photos showing the process. When you’re done this article you will be building things just to finish them!

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Shop Jig: Reversible Mortise Jig

By: Dan Barrett
There is still hope for those of us who don’t have a commercial jig for cutting a mortise and tenon joint. There are countless different ways to cut a mortise. You can cut them by hand, using only chisels (my preferred method), you can drill out the mortise and then clean it up with chisels, and of course you can cut them out using a router. Once this shop-made jig is set up, this method is very quick and repeatable. Dan leads you through the construction of this jig in a very an easy-to-follow format with six full colour photos and a detailed illustration showing all of the parts and measurements. Dan also covers exactly how to use this jig, so you will be proficient right from the get-go.

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Wood Chuckle: A Bird, a Daughter, and a Garbage Can

By: Don Wilkinson
This guy just keeps getting funnier! I’m sure his stuff would be a good chuckle for the average person, but for the woodworker, his writing is hysterical. After reading this issues installment I now know why many readers have been telling me that they start the magazine with his article.

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