WOOD Magazine May 2020

Everything I am today, I am because of my father. When my brother Steve and I were 12 and 10, respectively, Dad would roust us out of bed at 4 a.m. every day to deliver the morning newspaper, driving and dropping us at different spots along the route in “the ’60”—his 1960 Chevy Bel Air. The only radio station on the air that early was WHO-AM, so between stop-and-drops we listened to “Mike Hoyer, your country DJ” blasting Red Sovine and Tammy Wynette from the lone dash speaker. Dad loved building things, and he gently passed that passion on to us every day. During my high school years he’d be up early, getting a couple of hours in the shop building John Deere shadow boxes (he figured he’d made about 800…

DO YOU EVEN WORKBENCH? Consider the workbench: the rock-solid headquarters of most productive woodworking shops. If yours needs upgrading or even replacement, you’ve come to the right bench jockeys for advice. AMP UP YOUR BENCH A few low-cost accessories can amp up your bench’s abilities. woodmagazine.com/ampedupbench GOOD VISE ADVICE Which vises would be best for your bench? We give you the rundown. woodmagazine.com/viseroundup PROPER DOGHOLE SPACING How far apart should dogholes be spaced for maximum flexibility? woodmagazine.com/dogdistance DRILLING STRAIGHT DOGHOLES Your bench top won’t fit on the drill press, so how do you bore straight dogholes? woodmagazine.com/dogdrilling NEED A NEW BENCH? BUILD IT, OR BUY IT Find dozens of workbench plans to suit your shop and style at woodstore.net/workbenchplans Need a bench now, but no time to build it? Learn which features to look for in a store-bought bench. woodmagazine.com/benchbuying BEST WORKBENCH HEIGHT What’s the proper workbench height for…

YOUR VOICE Resurrecting Furniture for Family and Friends I wanted to share with you pictures of a vanity I reconstructed for a friend. The “before” picture (below left) shows the vanity when I received it. It was originally a mahogany-veneered case that someone had painted white. But in an effort to restore the piece to its original glory, the owner had dipped the case in paint remover, destroying the veneer. I rebuilt the case in walnut, accented with curly maple and rosewood. I also inlaid in the top a rose, made of redheart and yellowheart, using the double-bevel marquetry technique. I’m pretty pleased with the results. —Bob Devine Pahrump, Nev. My father built a table for our family more than 35 years ago, and between many years of use and several in storage, it had seen…

Click here to watch video tutorials about turning. Q Tools for Getting Started in Woodturning I’d like to try my hand at turning wood—spindles and bowls—and recently found a good deal on a lathe. Now I need the right tools. Which ones should be purchased first? —Ike Curran, Charlotte, N.C. A Today’s market offers a dizzying array of turning tools, so we understand how picking a few essentials can seem daunting, Ike. But you really only need six tools to complete nearly any turning project. Even though you’re just starting out, avoid the temptation to buy bargain-priced tools in sets. Instead, purchase only the tools you need, and look for high-speed-steel blades that hold an edge better than carbon-steel versions. Our contributing turning pro, Brian Simmons, recommends the following tools to get started: A 1¼" Spindle roughing…

Enjoy big-time safety cutting small parts at the bandsaw Tablesaws and mitersaws yield clean and straight cuts, but holding small pieces on either machine can be a hassle at best, and a safety nightmare at worst. So when making a lot of small, identical, eight-sided pieces for stacking puzzles, I turned to the bandsaw. The sled shown holds the workpiece steady for a smooth cut with no chance of binding or kickback. Vary the size and shape of the notch in the workpiece locator to suit your needs. —Dan Martin, Galena, Ohio Clean up on Finish-drying Tasks With Old Dishwasher Racks Before you have that old dishwasher hauled away, save the racks. They make great supports for freshly finished small projects. Clip the wires as necessary to suit your items. —Leo Smith, Red Oak, Iowa Get…

Note: Biscuit slots in the ends of the drawer-box top panel (B) position the box in the case during assembly. Don’t let its frame-and-panel looks, including the appearance of stringing (narrow bands of contrasting inlay) fool you: This classic cabinet requires only the simplest edge-to-edge and biscuit joinery. Build the Drawer Assembly 1 Cut the drawer-box panels (A, B) and trim (C, D) [Materials List, Drawing 1, Exploded View]. Glue the trim to the panels and sand them flush. Note: The case top, shelf, and drawer-box top and bottom are identical assemblies (B/D). Finish-sand the inside surfaces of the sides (A/C) and case top (B/D) and both surfaces of the drawer-box top and bottom and shelf (B/D). Set the shelf and the case top aside. 2 Cut only the biscuit slots necessary for drawer-box…