Table of contents for October 2017 in Woodworker's Journal

Dovetail joints! It’s tough to think of anything that has a stronger association with the craft of woodworking. This iconic form of joiner y is the perfect marriage of form and function. There are several machine jigs that can make them fast and easy to make, but having the skills to hand cut perfect dovetails has long been seen as a woodworking rite of passage. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to hand cut dovetails, but never found the right opportunity, you’re in luck! As a subscriber, you can now learn how to cut precise dovetails at home by watching our new 17-episode Premium Video series, “Hand Cutting Dovetails.” Find this series, along with several other exclusive, subscriber-only series, in the Premium Videos section on WoodworkersJournal.com. Once you’re there,…

WITH PRECISION TOOLS AND JIGS Since 1922, General Tools has been providing tradesmen, craftsmen and DIYers with innovative and high quality tools with exceptional customer service. Ingenuity is the core of what makes General special. Our mission is to enable our users to work smarter, measure better and be more productive. We offer a broad range of affordable specialty tools and jigs to get the job done precisely right the first time. In addition to our standard payment (below), Anthony Fisher of Sebastopol, California, will also receive a General Tools ToolSmart Moisture Meter, Digital Angle Finder and Laser Distance Measurer for being selected as the “Pick of the Tricks” winner. We pay from $100 to $200 for all tricks used. To join in the fun, send us your original, unpublished…

Wanted, dead or alive: Less than one percent of a tree is made up of living cells. There’s the leaves, of course, but when it comes to the trunk of the tree, the only part that is alive is the thin cambium layer just below the bark. What Does It All Mean? A quick guide to terms from the world of woodworking. Allen wrench: A six-sided bar, usually L-shaped, used to turn screws with recessed hexagonal heads; sometimes called an Allen key Cupping: A deformed condition in lumber in which the edges bend away from the center, resulting in a convex shape Taper: Any cut that gradually decreases a workpiece’s dimensions toward its end Myristica fragrans, the evergreen tree that produces the spices nutmeg and mace, comes from the Banda,…

FAREWELL TO WJ FOUNDER JAMES MCQUILLAN In the Connecticut of 1977, when a “mackintosh” was still a raincoat and an “apple” simply a fruit, a new magazine hit the market. Woodworker’s Journal Issue 1, Volume 1, of January 1977 was published by James McQuillan under the imprint of Madrigal Publishing Company in 16 pages of newsprint. Earlier this year, James J. McQuillan passed away in his retirement state of Florida at the age of 83. In his first editorial, long before the dawn of desktop publishing, James mentions the value of woodworking as a response to the era’s “technological explosion and its mixed blessings.” It’s unlikely that he had the wider industry on his mind as he started his magazine, but that did not diminish the influence. Both Woodworker’s Journal…

A drum sander can be helpful in creating flat faces on extra-long slab lumber. MORE ON THE WEB For a video showing the building of this live edge table, please visit woodworkersjournal.com and click on “More on the Web” under the Magazine tab. on extra-long slab lumber. Slab Top Dining Table Building with live-edge slabs is gaining popularity these days. Here, we have designed a dining room table for four that makes use of a spectacular slab of cherry lumber. To support the tabletop, we’ve come up with an X-braced stringer and leg design that will accommodate the likelihood of significant seasonal expansion and contraction of this large piece of cherry lumber. When we found this 12-foot long slab, we immediately decided to enhance the look of the piece by…

If you pay attention to the news, you’ve likely heard of Li-ion battery-powered “hoverboards” catching on fire. Scary stuff, but in most cases, battery fires can be attributed to batteries being used in a manner contrary to manufacturer recommendations. The same goes for battery-powered tools: the bottom line is that safe tool use is ultimately up to the one who uses it. “All too often, I have seen users use the butt of a drill, where the battery is, as a hammer to tap something,” noted Festool’s Rick Bush. “Understandably, this is a convenient thing to do, but it does risk fracturing the case and/or rupturing battery cells.” Beyond misuse, there’s no question that Liion batteries are susceptible to heat issues, which is why manufacturers put so many heat monitoring…

Since all of my half-lap joints are positioned the same distance (13⁄4") from the part ends, I could cut all of these parts in the same stages one setup at a time. I prefer to cut these by moving the fence to the left side of the blade, and I used a stop block clamped ositioning the fence to widen the cuts. I set up the dado blade to remove 3/4” of wood at a time, and therefore I had to run the wood over the blade three times to get 13⁄4”. The resulting two pieces of each joint should slide together with a bit of friction. You shouldn’t have to pound them together, and they shouldn’t just fall apart, either, when picking them up.…

A Daily “Plug” About Unplugging Safety We all know better than to change blades and router bits with the tools still plugged in, but a safety reminder about this protocol never hurts. And, it sure beats a trip to the emergency room! So, I label my table saw throat plates and blade-changing wrenches with a bold “Unplug” warning as a way of supporting a good shop habit. Doug Thalacker Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin Office Supply Saw Tooth Protector If you are in need of replacing the broken or lost blade protector sleeves that came with your hand saws, pick up a package of inexpensive report covers at an office supply store. Their slip-on plastic binders are more durable and sometimes even easier to install than the original blade sleeves. Cut them…

What’s This? Rick Gallion of Jefferson, Maine, got this item at a yard sale 10 years ago. He says it's "cast-iron and heavy as a brick." Do you know what it is? Send your answer to stumpers@woodworkersjournal.com or write to “Stumpers,” Woodworker’s Journal, 4365 Willow Drive, Medina, MN 55340 for a chance to win a prize! In our June issue, we published a photo of a mystery tool Bill Nedelka of Wilmington, New York, had found at a garage sale. First, here’s one guess that isn’t right — but is interesting nonetheless: “I believe the tool is used to split firewood into kindling by putting the firewood into the tool and, with an ax, it can safely be cut into smaller sticks,” said Peter Masiello of Congers, New York. Peter…

Here’s a mortising jig you can use with any plunge router that has a 7"-diameter or smaller base. My design allows you to clamp both the jig and a workpiece inside a bench vise, with the workpiece tucked up under the base and against the clamping fence. What’s unique about the jig’s styling is that the system automatically centers mortises on the thickness of 3/4" stock. And, by simply changing between ¼", 5/16" or 3/8" straight or spiral bits, you can cut these three mortise widths without affecting the centered position of the mortise. Shifting and locking the left adjustable stop sets the length of the mortise, up to about 4". Notice that your router base mounts to a base plate: sliding the router and base plate between the left…

Like many do in their small offices or dorm rooms, I added a mini fridge and set a microwave on top of it as my shop “kitchenette.” Predictably, it was not too long before this lack of planning resulted in my lunch spilled across the floor. That is when I came up with this design. Since my shop is a rented space, I didn’t want to install permanent cabinets, so a self-contained unit was the answer. I wanted space for a mini fridge and microwave, a basic countertop for minimal food prep and a drawer for storing cutlery, napkins and such These considerations led me to the practical solution shown here. For cleanliness and durability, I decided to use cabinet liner, available from most plywood distributors. Cabinet liner is plywood…

Public Enemy #1 for cordless tool batteries is heat. This has always been the case, but with today’s more powerful Lithium-ion batteries, paying attention to how hot a battery gets is even more important. Companies have addressed the issue a number of ways, both physically and electronically. One of the easiest ways is to allow some breathing room inside the battery. Instead of just packing the individual cells into a battery pack, today’s batteries incorporate some air spaces between cells that help curb overheating. Electronics internal to batteries and chargers monitor heat. (With Bluetooth-connected batteries, some tool apps can tell you, on a phone or tablet, what that actual temperature is.) Batteries get hot when discharging in-use, sometimes resulting in tool shutdown. The same is true when charging. Even early…

My sweet, sweet dog, Bailey Bacon Snugglesworth, is getting older. She has the middle name Bacon because she grunts and eats like a pig — and she’s also as good as bacon. This dog dish holder lets her devour her food without having to bend over, a benefit she more than deserves at her advanced age. If I made this project for a smaller dog, like my puppy, Cedar, everything would be sized smaller. The box holds a plastic container for a 40-lb. bag of dog food. It also has room for leashes, treats, medicine, shampoo and all sorts of doggy things that need storage. Make the Dog Dish Holder I used 8/4 maple for most of the design, but like I said, if this was for a 30-lb. dog…

I attached the hinges to the lid first, measuring in 61⁄2" from each edge, and then made a light pencil line to locate them. Place the hinges on the lid and draw centerpoints for the screws. Take the hinge off and pre-drill using a 1/16"-dia. bit, then screw the hinges to the lid. Place the lid in position on the box. (A friend can make this task easier.) Mark the centerpoints as you did before. Remove the lid, pre-drill, and screw the top onto the box. Check the fit and adjust it now for an even overhang.…

Contact Information Bosch 877-267-2499 Briggs & Stratton 800-743-4115 DeWALT 800-433-9258 Kreg 800-447-8638 Milwaukee Tool 800-729-3878 Oneida Air Systems 800-732-4065 Re-Grip 800-607-8931 Rockler 800-279-4441 WORX 855-279-0505 The WORX® Ai Drill™ is designed to be easy for firsttime users and DIYers: the “Ai” stands for “advanced intelligence,” and the drill makes some decisions for you. Its three drive modes are called drill, SafeDrive and PulseAssist. They’re activated by touch-sensitive keypads on the top of the drill. The Ai Drill has no clutch settings: it uses the SafeDrive mode to deliver the correct amount of torque and then backs off once the screw is flush with the surface. PulseAssist applies enough bit rotation to drive the screw snug to the surface without overtightening or stripping the screw head; it works in reverse to…