Download I Snrrly Frllrrue A Tnrr I lrusrnll LnUtNATE Fr-oonrrue I

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I SnrrlyFrllrrue
ATnrr I lrusrnll
I
LnUtNATE
Fr-oonrrue
THr OnICINALHomr WooDWoRKING
nrup ITTapRoVEMENT
MAGAZINE
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HoMEWRIGHT
2 6 rA" BackyardPlayhouse
Big ideasin a small package.
Thafs what kids are, and our
children's playhouseis a perfect
match.With built-in swings,a
slide, and a lookout plafform,
adventureis neverfar away.
Yourfun?Buildingitwith our
stepby-stepplans.
WOOOwORKING
SSeTable TimesThree
Cottagecharmandroomfor fwr-The BackyardPXayhouse,page26.
Don't let a modestshoplimit
yourimagination.With this table
trio you won't needa lathe.
Instead,ino<pensive,off-theshelf
hrrnedlegsgive you room to
stretchbasicskills andtools into
elegantresults.
WEExeNDPRoJEcT
46luv a IaminateFloor
It looks just like wood, but
laminateflooring calls for some
new techniques.We'll showyou
the hicks for installing this new
flooring alternative.
WonrcsHoP
Prefublegs stetch the limits of your toolsn A TableT'i.maThree,page38.
6OSto*-R*"y Storage
Insing the battle for more shop
space?Use your head (or rather
the spaceaboveit). Both garage
and basementshopsoffer room
betweenthe ceiling joists for
our fold-downstoragesystem.
Iny a La.rni.nate
Floor, page46.
Workbenchr September/OctoberI 998
StowAwayStorage,page60.
ft
&
6 Quesrrorus
Aruswens
L2rles &
TecnTIQUES
Oven Tne FeNce
page12.
Tips & Techn'iques,
OaertheFence,page18.
18N"*s andEvents
KitchenDesignContestwinners!
IN-DEPIn RevIEW
5oeuying a ChainSaw
Gearingup for fall firewood
cutting?We sampleda dozen
popularchainsawsto learn
which featuresreally make a
differencein performance.
TEcnnqIQUEs
56P.ttins ATree
Proventechniques- developed
- will help you
by professionals
Our guideto featuresand performancefor Buyinga ChainSaw,page50.
take a fee down safely.
Snop lupnovEMENTs
62 N"* TbolOfferings
WnRt's New
68noauds ForYourHome
CNNPTSMANSHIP
72r*t^sy Garden
fuchitectural salvageand eclectic
statuary,gatheredby a British
landscapearchitect makefor a
decidedlywacky garden.
Techniquesfor Felling A Tree,page56.
Spenser's
FantasyGarden,page72.
'tJ?'orkbench
r September/October1998
D-I-YRewards
f I were in charge of everything - a
recurring fantasy of mine - I'd
require building centersto post really big warning signs. I'd hang these
blaze orange signs above entrance
doors and at each aisle. I'd even put
matching stickers on every product.
They'd read something like this:
'lVarning.
Remodeling your home can
be hazardousto the health ofyour bank
account,your marriage, and your mental state. These products have been
linked to nervous breakdowns. This
goes double if you're redoing a kitchen."
Readers who've been following
along the past few issuesknow that we
stumbled into some expensivetrouble
with our kitchen remodeling project.
Thanks to termite and water damage,
uneven and out-oflevel floors, and a
host of small setbacks,we jetted past
our budget line faster than Richard
Petty ever pushed a final lap.
Not that this is uniqueto us. Ask
most D-l-Yersand they'll tell you horror storiesof budget-busting
overruns
and heart-stopping return trips to the
building center. And that includes
many of the entrants in our Kitchen
Design Contest. The old adage, "figure how much time it will take and
how much it will cost, then multiply by
three," truly applieshere.
At the very least, you can't afford to
lose your senseof humor. But despite
these pitfalls, or praffalls as the case
may be, we all live through the mess to
enjoy the results. Before and after photos of our kitchen overhaul give you a
taste for the difference (below). And
the winning entries in the Design
Contest (seepage 18) speak even more
eloquentlyof remodeling'svirtues.
So, to remodelers everl'where, I say
"Hang in there. It's worth the effort."
But in caseyou forget what big projects
can do to you, I think my sign idea
could be a helpful reminder. Maybe all
they should say is "Remember, look
beforeyou leap!"
4/
L.'0/?2
WmKBEI\ICII
VOI-UME
54
NuMeen
5
EDITOR Christopher A Inman
ASSOCIATE
EDITORSWilliam laHay
Kerry Gibson
ASSISTANT
EDIToR David E. Stone
ARTDIRECTORRobert L Foss
SR, ILLUSTRAToR
Erich lage
ILLUSIRATORSusanJessen
SR. GMPHIc DESIGNERPaul E Stigers
CREATIVEDlREcroR Ted Kralicek
SENIORPHoToGRApHER
CrayolaEngland
PRoJECT
CooRDINAToRKentWelsh
SHOPMANAGERSteveCurtis
SHOPCRAFTSMAN
SteveJohnson
PROJECT
DEVELOPER
Ken MunKeI
SENTOR
PRoJEcrDESIGNER
Kevin Boyle
ELEC.PUB.COORDINATOR
DouglasM. Lidster
PRE-PRESS
IMAGESPECS. Troy Clark
Minniette Bieghler
PRESTDENT
& PUBLISHERDonald B. Peschke
ADVERTISING
SALESMANAGERS
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TaraMeier (515)282-7000ext2135
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&Ans\Mers
Questions
Create Curved Moldings with Kerf Bending
I haue an arched entryway into
my dining room, and I'd like to
add moldingsimilar to that shownin
thedoorwayofthe cofferedceilingarticlein yourJune 1997 issue.How do I
makemoldingtofollow thecurue?
toe Kennedy
Abington,PA
more fragile it will be. With solid wood,
leave all Oul t/rorr16 t/srrof the stock's
thickness. In plywood, cut through all
but one or two plies. Spacing of l/tr to
1/zrrbetween kerfs should be fine for all
but very tight curves.
The simplest method for making this type of arched casing is
calledkerf bending.As the name
implies,kerf bendinginvolvescuttinga
seriesof sawkerfs acrossthe width of
a board.By cuttingthroughmostof the
board'sthicknessandleavinga thin
layerofwood,you createflexiblesectionsthat allowthe woodto bend.
Youcankerf bendsolidwoodor plywood.If you usesolidwood,select
stockwith straightgrain - quartersawnstockhasthe mostpredictable
grain.With plywood,the grain pattern
doesn'tmatterasmuch.Cut the kerfs
acrossthe facegrain.Kerfscutparallel
to the grain leaveweak spotsthat could
breakwhenyou bendthe wood.
How flexible the woodwill be
dependson the kerf depthandthe dis
tancebetweenthem.The closertogether anddeeperthe kerfs are,the more
flexibility the piecewill have,but the
Whenyou attachthe kerfed stock
to the arch,rememberthat the thin
areasdon't offer much holdingpower
for a nail. so mark the full-thickness
spotson the faceand driveyour nails
at thosepoints.
Beforecutting your prizedcasing
stock,kerf andbend somepractice
piecesof scrapstock.Fit them into the
arch to get familiarwith the process
and to iron out the depthand spacing of the kerfs.
Kerfsopenupwhen
stockis bent,
allowing
it to
followcurves.
kerfs/+"-Vz"aparl, Nailthrough
Space
fulFthickness
portion
ofstock,
-Va"
Leaveha"
ofthickness
in
solidstockor 1 - 2
layers
ofplywood.
EST|0il$!
AucusrHotlm
President md Pubtshen
Donald B.
Peschke Corporate
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Dierctor: Stqe lteder cSenior Grafhic Designer: Chris Glowacki Products Grcup:
O,eratiorc Difector: Bob Baker . Materiels Marager Muk Mattiussi . Cwtomer Semice
Manager: Jennie Enos . Warehoue Sufenisor: Nmcy Johrson . Errer: Unda Jones .
Technical Senice Repruentatioe: Matt TeRonde . Opelatiow As&azl: Tmmy Aldhi .
Cwtoner Senice Re|resentqtioes: Anna Cox, Tmy
Truckenbrod, Nmcy Domey, Adm
Besg Deborah Rich o Warehorce: Sylvia Caey . Quality Control Tech: Frmk Johnson
c
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AsMant Manager: Paul Schneider . Salc
Sta/f, Pat lnwey, Wendell Stone, Jim Banett, Kathy Smith, John Johnson, Jerome Herr o
Offi ce Ma nager : Y icls Edw u ds
1\ilrgffi
If youhavea question
aboutwoodworking
or homeimprovement,
writeit downandmailit to WORKBENCH
Q&,\ 2200GrandAve.,
DesMoines,tA 50312.
Please
includeyour
name,addressand daytimephone number in casewe have any questionsfor
you.YoucanalsoreachusviaFaxat
(515)28$2003
or by E-mailmessage
at
[email protected].
If
wepublishyourquestion,
we'llsend
you oneof our handsomeand
W'orkbenchr September/October
1998
Sorting Out
Table Saw Power
Chimney Cricket Sheds Water
rePorton
ThehomeinsPector's
thehouseI just boughtstated
that thechimneyis in goodshape,but
I'm thi.nkingof uPgradingmY
tablesawfrom an inerPensiae thecricketshould,
brobablyberebuilt.I
want to get thistakencareof, but I'ue
at LL/zhf
benchto|model.I'ue looked,
justgot oneproblem.What'sa cricket?
and S-hPmodels,but I'm not sureI
Aaron Bean
power
saw
Is
the
smaller
the
extra
need
Pierre. SD
use?
workshoP
home
adequate
for
DauidMilburn
A chimneycrickethas an odd
Mi.arni,FL
name,but an importantjob.
When a roof slopesdowninto one
wall of a chimney,a valley is created
Generallyspeaking,a 7L/ rhp
where rainwaterwill sit and potentialsaw
table
contractor-type
ly causea roof leak.To preventthis, a
type
of
for
the
adequate
shouldbe
you'll
smallA-framestructure,or cricket,is
doing.
like
be
work it sounds
get
on the uproof sideof the chimbuilt
money
to
the
Ratherthan spend
(and
It
spansbetweenthe roof and
probably
ney.
unecessary)
the extra
and divertsthe wateraround
chimney
savof
the
I'd
sink
some
horsepower,
involverepointingthe mortar.If
the
chimney.
fence.
the
ings into upgrading
you're
not comfortabledoingthis, I
you
make
your
rebuild
the
cricket,
When
is
consideration
One other
hiring a professionalrooferor
advise
flashing
going
metal
replace
all
the
to
to
sure
is
A
model
shopwiring. 3-hp
mason
to makesurethe new cricket
roof.
and
it
into
the
chimney
ties
that
which
can
outlet
require a22}volt
properly.
gets
sealed
may
you
this
chimney,
your
have
a
brick
If
saw
upgrade.
addto the cost of
I.olkrt
for less.
AssocioteEditor
Workbenchwouldliketo find
on osociote editorto join its
condidotesmust
stoff.Serious
ond
hove excellentwritingskills
for woodworking
enthusiosm
Prior
ond home improvement,
mogozineexperienceiso plus,
to DesMoines,lA,
Relocotion
isrequired,Tobe considered.
sendcoverletter,resumeond
writingsomplesto August
WorkbenchHomePublishing,
Dept,E,2200GrondAve.,
50312.
DesMoines,lA
Or fox to: (515)282-6741
Garryit for nothin$.
..'
)/[|
ffi, ffin
;:?:,::'::
!;!;:
'
- Starrett's
ControLokria
lowprice
modelat anunbelievably
designed
newergonomically
plqg..'1@heavydutycarrier.
Nosnapbacks!
is released.
whenthumb-pressure
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I Blade
(common
in
retraction
position
accidental
eliminates
I Toplever
designs).
bottomlever
rubber
topgrip
features
design
sizeandcontoured
O Compact
forcomfort
andease-of-handling.
1"x25'blade
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casewithheavy-duty
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to eliminate
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A greatdealona greattape.Askforit today.
ControLok.
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VrsltStmettontlrcwil
at www,lsstarrett,com
The L.S.StarrettCompany,121 CrescentStreet,Athol,MA 01331
Tel:(978) 249-5330 . FltX:(978) 2498495
Number189
Information
Product
\Torkbench r September/October1998
Dry Well Helps Solve Rainwater Drainage Problems
E
Ore of nty downspoutsdrains
l[l)I
,rrn 0 tow area rn my yara, ana
El
arterheouyrain I end wp with standing
u,ater \\hat can I do to get rid of this
standingwater?
R. Hammond
Santa Fe. NM
By far the simplestway to get
rid of the water would be to
reclirectthe downspoutso the water
clrainsto another part of the yard. If
this isn't possible,you'll have to
improve the clrainagein the low area.
One option for increasingthe
drainagecapacityof the low spot is a
dry well. Iluriecl underground,a dry
well gives water a place to collect,
then leachout into the soil.
You can make a clry well by digging
a hole 24rrto ,18"in diarneteranclseveral feet deep. Fill the bottom part of
the holc r.vithlarge stonesand put
snrallcrgravel on top of the stoncs.
N0TE:
Placedrywellunder
lowestpartof yard.
Cover
drywellwith
soilandgrass.
Addgravelto fill holewithin
several
inchesof surface.
Fillholey2to 2/stull with largestones.
Then cover the top with soil anclgrass
seed or socl.
Plasticclry wells are also available
in horne centers.Placeone in the hole
anclsurrounclit with gravel to keep
the soil frorn filling the well. Then
cover it with gravel, soil, anclgrass.
You can either bury thc drain line
leading to the well, or let the water
run over the ground to the well.
ProductInformation
Number208 Workbench r Seoternber/October
Backrvired Switches Made for Speed
I'm installing seaeralnew
light switchesand outlets. The
E^
Jrtl
Backwire
holesoneleclri-
H
cal switches accept the
wires and hold them in place using \
spring tension.They speedup the __.wiring processsince all you do is
Insertwirefully,
pullto testfit.-
replacement
components
all haae
bothscrewtermi,nals
the
wiresas
for
wellasholesi,nthebackto insertthe
strip the insulationoff the end.and
wires.WhichshouldI use?
)\{f
/ Backwire
Mark Willis pushthe barewire into the hole.
hotes
Lexington,KY (Pressing a small screwdriver into a
Release
slot
/' t
/\
spring clip to release the wire.)
Most manufacturers mold a gauge
into the back of the switch that shows
how much insulationto remove, usually about l'/arr.
umemdnnd$
heendrawn
to speed
[ffi
!
,i
PAIIITSIIGIf
I
i
W
10
tal
IJI
ffi
'ffi
ordepartment
sto
res
!::[ilJ[ii,il:iTf
fil fJJf.!H:i,'#.Jiffi
ffflJardware
ProductInformation
Number184
\Torkbench r September/October 1998
If you're using the baclsrire holes,
make sure your wiring meets the
switch specificationsfor type and
gauge size (typically#12 or #14). Use
only solid copperwire, never stranded
wire. (Consultan electricianif your
house has aluminum wiring.) Fully
insert the wire and pull to test the fit.
If you don't mind the extra work,
the screw terminals provide a larger
contact area with the wire, and allow a
quick visual check of the connection.
Hook-up is a bit slower,though.
Always loop the wire around the
screw so that when you tighten the
screw down, the head of the screw
forces the loop closed.
ffifl
Erq
A betterwayto paint.
fu
shows
amount
of insulation
fromwire.
to remove
Sincethe
h.eginning.of
PaintStick' is geared for performance.
You can paint in 1/3 the time - while
eliminating messy paint trays, dripping
rollers, and clumsy ladders.
PaintStick carries all the
paint you need, right there
in its handle. Roll paint on
evenly and beautifully achieving fast, dramatic
results. No drips. No mess.
No gimmick. Simply push
in the handle to feed more
paint to roller, as needed.
The PaintStick painting
system also includes two
s for quick and easy
clean-up. A best-sellerfor
over 1O vears. the PaintStick
has been embraced by millions of homeowners. Isn't it time you raced through
your next painting project?
Stripgauge
Plane Reference
I just boughttwoantique
blanes.Is therea bookthat I
can use to identify them and illustrate
their proper use?
Roland Cardenas
APO AE
TheHandplaneBookby
GarrettHack (1997,Taunton
Press) is a relatively new reference
that provides a wealth of information
on collecting, choosing, using, tuning,
and repairing planes.
-
Feed Direction
for Safe Routing
I'm fairly new to using a router,
and I still get mixedup about
which way I shouldmouethe router in
dffirent situatiotts.Can you help
straightenme out?
Karl Jameson
Ft. htuderdale, FI.
Keeping feed direction straight
is easierif you remernbcr two
things. The router bit spins clockwise
(when viewed from above),anclwhen
edge-routingyou want to rnove the
router asainst thc direction of rotation
so the wood offers some resistanceto
the cutting flutes.This resistance
counterbalancesthe pressureyou're
applying to rnove the router along,
making the router easierto control.
Moving the router with the direction
of rotation (a technique called "climb
cutting") is sometimesdone to rccluce
tearout in certain woods. As the name
suggests,the router climbs along the
edge becauseboth the bit rotation ancl
the force you're applying are assisting
its travel, rather than balancing each
otl.rerr.
It's tougherto controlthe cut.
'fhere's
no sirnpleanswer because
the orientationof the workpiece edge
can change depenclingon the task.
But each situation involvesthree basic
elements- you, the router, and the
workpiece edge.
If the edge is toward you and the
router's betweenyou and that edge,
rout from left to right. If the edge is
away from you (sayyou're reaching
over a workpiece to rout the far
edge).rout right to left.
If the bit is cutting into the face of a
workpiece rather than its edge when routing dadoes,for exampleguide the router base againsta fence
and apply the same rule: left to right if
the fence'sguiding edge facesyou;
right to left if it faces away.Because
the bit will still want to climb the cut
edge oppositethe guide, it's best to
use a bit narrower than the dado and
cut it in two passeswith a guide on
either side.
,->
N0TE:
Router
bit
spinsclockwise
whenviewedfromabove.
dl
[IxnxrsHED
To FrxrsHED
Ix H,rLFTilETiun
-'-.-t
t
I
I
I
,l
,1
: 1l
j,
i"l
Now wood finishing is
twice as fast, twice as easy
with Minwax@ Polyshades@.
'Ihat's
because Polyshades
combines stain and polyurethane in one. Stain tcr
add rich color and enhancewood's
natural grain, and polyrrrethanefor
long-lastingprotection and a
warm luster.
Polyshades
comesin a variety
ofcolors, and can be usedover
raw wood or even previously
finished wood, without having
to strip awaythe old finish. Polyshades.
A beautiful finish in a lot lesstime.
SrruN& PorvuRHrlrANE
IN ONp
ffi
MakesAnd KeepsWoodBeautiful'
www.minwax.com
@Minwd and Pollshada ue registererltrademarks.
o1998 Minwd
ProductInformation
Number'l93
All riehts rswed
Tips & Techniques
Using Squares to Measure Round Stock
I sometimeshavea tough time finding
the exactdiameterof dowelsand
roundpieces,sinceI'm not alwayssure
if I've measuredexacflyat the center.
Ratherthan strugglewith it, I let a couple of squaresdo the work for me.
One squarecanbe any type,but the
other has to be a try squareor combinationsquarewith a headthicker than
its blade.I usuallyuse a combination
squareand a try squaretogether.
For example,setthe bladeon your
combinationsquarewith an inch mark
indexedright at the edgeof the head.
Placethe dowelin the cornerof the
combinationsquare,thenhold the
headof the try squareagainstthe
bladeofthe first squareand slideit
againstthe dowel.When the bladeof
the try squaretouchesthe dowel,just
scandownto whereit crossesthe
bladeof the other square.
I've alsousedthis methodto meaobjects.Even
sure other odd-shaped
on flat boards,I'11usethis technique
square
Combination
Read
scalefrom
your"zero"markto
findtheobject's
diameter
1/a".
inthiscase.
Trysquare
square
Setheadofcombination
ataninchmarkontheblade.
your"zero"mark.
Thisbecomes
scaleon my combination framingsquareinsteadof the combiandthe l,/oarr
squareif I needa very accuratemea- nationsquare.
SidneyPhillips
surementof the board'swidth. For
just
Meluille.NY
grab
pieces,
my
I
checkinglarger
Disposable Dust Mask Filters Thinner
The other dayI wascleaningpaintbrusheswith paintthinner I'd poured
into a coffeecan.In no time the thinner
got dirty andfilled with gunk, so the
brushesweren'tcomingout very clean.
I just happenedto havea box of
disposablewhite paperdust masks
sitting nearbyon my workbench.So I
took one and put it on top of another
coffeecan (a l-lb. canis just right),
makinga sort of bowl. I wasevenable
to slip the rubber strapunderthe can
to hold the maskin place.
I pouredthe dirty thinner through
the maskinto the can,andthe thinner
camethroughvery clean.I finished
cleaningthe brushes,then filteredthe
thinner againso I coulduseit later.
tet the maskdry thoroughlybefore
throwing it awayin the trash.
Rick Sandberg
Ottumwa,IA
IDEAS
Al{D
TIPS,
JIGS,
Y()IJR
SI|ARE
If you have a unique way of doing something,we'd like to hear from
you. Just write down your tip and mail it to WorkbenchTipsand'
Techniques,2200GrandAve.,Des Moines,IA50312.Pleaseinclude
your name,addressand daytime phone number in casewe need to
reach you. If you like, Fa:<us at (515)2832003,or email us at
Well pay you $5O$150and
[email protected].
cap if we publish your tip.
sendyou a Worhbench
T2
'W'orkbench
r September/OctoberI 998
Mouse Pad
Sander Base
My palmsanderhasseena lot of use
on woodworkingprojects.Evenfually,
the padthat the sandpapersticksto
wore out causingthe sandpaperto slip
and rip. Finding a replacementpadwas
aggravatingto saythe least.The store
where I bought the sanderdidn't have
new padsin stock,and I thought the
price quotewasa bit high anyway.
My solutionwasto makemy own
sanderpadfooma computermouse
pad.A mousepadhas the right thicknessandconsistency,andthe cloth surfacegrips the stick-onsandpaperwell.
To makea new pad,I removedthe
baseplatefrom the sanderand
scrapedoffthe old rubber pad.I put
the sanderbaseon the mousepad,
tracedaroundthe outside.and
markedthe locationof the mounting
holes.Then I cut the new padto size
andgluedit to the sander'sbaseplate
with contactcement.For about$4 I
got enoughmaterialto makeseveral
sanderpads.
Mike Ricchetti
Northport,NY
Spray Halts Rust
I don'thavean air<onditionedshop,so
the summertimehumidity wreaks
havocwith the castiron surfacesof my
tablesaw,jointer,andbandsaw.Wax
works fine until the friction from using
the tool rubs the wax off. Now after I
makethe last cut of the day,I just give
the tools a quick sprayof protectant
(suchasTopCote)to keeprust away.
Norm Smith
Houston.TX
lgrDeercnl
I|tefiarafitr.
lmyl'
ReYeall
lt.
Nothingcomparesto the
warm,rich look of wood
furniturethat only comes
with age.But often,it's
hiddenby a dark,worn finish
To uncoverthat naturalbeauty,rely on
Formby's'quality refinishingproducts
From foolprooffinish removersto
protectivetung oil, our time-honored
formulashaveall you
need for an exquisite
hand-rubbedlook.
TrustFormby's,
becauserestoringwood
is a beautifultradition.
||nroru
lhod'l
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ftum"
@Formby's is a registered trademark. @Formby's 1998
ProductInformation
Number193
ScrewsProvide a NeededIiftfor SaggingGufters
Every time I've hung gutters that are
heldin placewith spikes,IVe endedup
leavingat leastonehammerdentin
the gutter.Plus,overtime the spikes
tendto work looseandneverhold very
wellwhendrivenbackin.
SoI've switchedto usinglong
screws.Screwshavemuchbetterhold-
ing power,makingthem lesslikely to
pull out overtime.And becauseyou're
not hammeringthem in like you do
with spikes,you're lesslikely to damagethe gutter.If there'sno 2x framing
stock (calleda sub-fascia)backingthe
thinner fasciaboard,drive the screws
into the rafterendsfor betterhold.
I used6rllongscrews(to hang{rrwidegutters).Homecentersmaynot
havethem,but an industrialfastener
supplyor topnotch hardwarestorewill.
BobSettich
DesMoines.IA
Drivescrewthrough
gutterandferrule
intofascia.
Fence Post Jack
I had a chain-linkfencearoundmy
home'sbackyard that wasin bad
shape.Ratherthan salvageit, I decided to tear it out andbuild a wood one.
Removingthe fencefabricwaseasy,
but the postswere anotherstory.
Whoeverput them in sunk concrete
footingsabout2 ft. into the ground.I
dug out the first oneby hand,then
decidedthere had to be an easierway.
On eachpostI left oneof the lowest
fenceclamps,andtightenedit down
goodandsnug.Then I wrappeda
short length of heavylink chain
aroundthe postandclamp.I
scroungedup an old-stylecarjack (the
type that hooks into a slot in the car's
bumperandratchetsup usingthe lug
wrench as a handle.
I set the jack next to eachpost,
hookedthe jack into the links of the
log chain,andjackedthe postout of
the hole.It wasmuchfasterthan digging, and it savedmy back.
Matt Sulliuan
Denuer.CO
T4
1998
\7'orkbenchI September/October
Studnutis
reverse-threaded.
Turnleftto tighten,
rightto loosen.
ReverseThreads Cause
Toilet Troubles
Here's a tip that may save you the aggravation I
suffered. I had to replace the flush lever on my
toilet, and while removing the old one, I had a
hard time loosening the nut that holds the lever
to the tank. I used a little more force, and
cracked the tank. That's when I realized the nut was reversethreaded!
This "simple" repair ended up costing
me $50 for a new tank, and a lot of
wasted time.
William McLean
San Marcos, CA
(Editor's note: Toilet leuer mounting
threadshaue reuerse(lefi-hanil threads
to help keepthe leuerfrom working
looseeachtime you flush.)
Our line of bandsawsis truly remarkable.
Cut It Close.
Not only for the selection,with over a dozen
a;
Put Router/Vac
on Same Switch
To pick up dust and chipsfrom my
routertable,I usea shopvacuum
with a hoseconnectedto the fence.
But I've alwaysfound switchingthe
two toolson separatelyinconvenient.
To get them both up and running
simultaneously,
I installeda singlegangbox and a 20-ampduplexrecep
tacleon onefront leg of the router
table.I wired this outletto a2}-amp
switchmountedin a separatebox.
Then I wired a 3-wire,12-gauge
cord(aboutl2-feetlong)with a
groundedplug to the switch.
With the cord pluggedinto a regular wall outlet,the switchcontrols
electricityto the table-mounted
outlet.
I plug my router andvacuuminto the
outlet,and leavetheir powerswitches
on. When I flip the switch,it sends
powerto the outlet,andboth the vacuum and router turn on - and off at the sametime.
Havingthe router plug within easy
reachis alsohandy,sinceI always
unplugwhile changingbits or setups
for obvioussafetyreasons.
WendellStone
DesMoines.IA
modelsto drool over,but for the
amount of machineyou get for
your money.\7e give you larger
f€-s?wcapacity,greaterpower,
and biggerbladewidths. Exquisite
Europeancraftsmanshipbuilt to
last and perform cut after cut.
Buy the only bandsaw you'll
ever needfrom the
largest and most
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direct
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LagunaTools.
Consistentlythe choice for value,you can't buy a
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800 number today to receiveyour free demo video
and vou'Il drool too.
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LAGUVATCTGILS
2265LaguraCanyonRoad,LagunaBeach,CA9265I
800-234-1976. (949) 494-7006. Fax (949) 49?.1346
r Vsit our\Tebsite:www.lagunatools.com
E mail:[email protected]
ProductInformation
Number190
WorkbenchI September/October
1998
Anchor Bolts
for Hear4y-Duty
Clamp Rack
Anchor bolts, the Lshaped
fastenersused to cinch wood
mudsillplatesto concretefoundations,
havea lot ofother usesin the shop.
I used some (Vzildia. ,8rr long) to
make a wall-mountedrack for hanging
clamps.Take a length of 2x4 framing
lumberandcounterborea row of.lr/2"dia.holesinto oneface,eachabouts/+t'
deep.(Determinethe hole spacingby
laying out the clampsyou'll want to
store on the rack.)Then drill through
the centerof thesecounterboreswith
at/znbit.
Run a hex nut all the way onto the
anchor bolt thread until it jams, and
insert that end into thel/zn hole.Put a
flat washer and another hex nut onto
the bolt from the back (counterbored)
side, and cinch it tight. The first hex
3"-longscrews
nut will
bite into the front
face of the board
Scrap2x4 stock
and keep the bolt
spinning.
from
Anchor
bolt
Screw the board
to wall studs, placing two 3rr-long
screwsat each stud
location. With the
rack firmly attached,you can hang a
load of clamps- and the anchorbolt
deepcounterbore
"hooks"won't complaina bit.
DauidHarrison
Salem.OR
ONE.MANSAWMILL
INTROOUCINO
T\rrnsTimber
IntoCash!
. erui/Eizlrttroducs$
Tetail
a Nary
Concspt
farqsfiru
Recyclino"
o Refod
Ornen
frahchise
Eusines
atd
Cornpletu
fiaining
Erdoy
froil anlnduslry
Asistance
Sawmill goes right to the trees...tumsout
smooth,true-cutlumber- evenbeginnersget
excellentresults.
o Fuy,
Usdand
SdlandTrade
NavTools!
Feihsto t'Cost
trlarkeil
Retailer
ihYottr
Tool
Just one man (no crew needed) can easily cut enough on
weekends to save thousands of dollars over high lumberyard
prices. Factory-Direct selling keeps prices low. Easy tenns...
made in U.S.A.
42-4406extension
SA38
1-800-9
rIIrIrIr-rrlrrrl
YES!
YEslPl."r.^shlroohctsonTimbsfiingMills,
IIBEFKII{G,||iC. 1431NToppingAve.
64120
Dopt.SA3S,KansasCty,MO
I Address
CityPhone
I
I
State-Ap
rrvrrv-
hrrr-rrrrrrrrrrrr
L6
\Torkbench r October/November1998
I
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Number199
Productlnlormation
NewsandEvents
Kitchen Design Contest Winners
When we put out the call last year
for entriesin our KitchenDesign
Contest,we didn't anticipatethe
overwhelmingresponsewe'd get.
Designentriesincludedeverything from simple makeoversto full
remodels,and evenaddingon new
space.We sawdesignssketchedout
on paperand refinedwith the help
ofprofessionals,and thoseconceivedand executedsolelyby
homeowners.Somereaders
installedcommercialcabinetsothersbuilt their own from scratch.
All the entrieshad somethings in
common,suchas carefulplanning,
attentionto detail,and obviouspride
We studiedthe
in craftsmanship.
photosand examinedeachplanin
detail.Needlessto say,picking a
winnerwasn'teasy,and congrafulations are due to everyonewho sub
mitted their designs.
But from all the entries,we needed to pick a winner and two runners-up,so here they are:First prize
goesto Davidand Kitt Deyarminof
Havelock,NJ.Togetherthey
plannedtheir new kitchenusing a
home designsoftwareprogram.
David,a sergeantin the U.S.Marine
Corps,built all of the cabinetsin the
basewoodworkingshop.He also
installedthem, built the countertops,
did his own plumbing andwiring, and
l8
W'orkbench
evenbuilt the new ceiling arch.
Congratulations,David and Kitt! It
looks like you'll put your prizes- a
HitachiC8FB2(872r')slidingcompoundmiter sawanda Boschl4.,fvolt
cordlessdrill - to greatuse.
Our first runnerBradSettEnon's
access up awardwent to
ftiendlycabinet
designs Brad Settersonof
himfint runner-Marinette,WL Brad
eamed
up -andaPorbr- bought rough-sawn
Cable
rcublpaclogB. ash and built a full
set of customcabinets from scratch.
The cabinetrv features pull-out trays
and bins that simplily
accessfor Brad and
his wife. both of
whom suffer
setoutb
David
andKittDeyamin
of
updabfteir kibhenwitr a budgst
as
$2,0fl)- a sumhat doubled
gew
he od$nally
modest
upgnde
job.
inb a larprrcmodeling Their
hardwod<
eamed
he cupleour
gandpdze- a Hhchisliding
miter
sawanda Bosdrodlessddllkil
from arthritis. Nicely done,Brad you can indulge your woodworking
hobby evenmore now with your prize
- a Porter-Cable693Krouter kit for
both plungeand fixed-baserouting.
Our secondrunner-up,Frank
Barilla of Parkville, MD, had a kitchen
with a nearly universalproblem lack of space.He wantedto correct
that shortcoming before attendingto
the details of his cabinetsand storage,
so he designedand built an addition
that almost doubledthe kitchen's size
(fhoto nert \age). Aflterall that work,
he decidedto install manufactured
cabinetsrather than tackle building
his own.
(continueil on nert tage)
THE NNN ACCUSET*LINEOF T00t's FRO'VI
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him a setof i"akagi
tools,included
a dining
areaplusnewrabrnets
andappliances.
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:\llD ));\il i]lii
Wont to do woodworking
like fhe pros? Then check
oul lhe new AccuSel'" line of oir-powered foslening lools
from SENCO the brond chosen #1 by professionolbuilders.*
AccuSet-" brod noilers ond {inish stoplers hove more power,
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Theonlywoyto work."
P r o d u c t I n f o r m a t i o nN u m b e r 2 0 3
Boat Building Program Takes Kids Off Sfreets, Onto Water
ChadBrennerandJeff McKonly grew
up together with an appreciationfor
boats,especiallywoodenboats.As
adults,theyte turned their love of
boatsinto more thanjust a hobby.
In 1996,the men startedthe
PhiladelphiaWoodenBoat Factory,a
nonprofitschooldedicatedto passing
alongboatbuildingand sailingskills to
youngergenerations,and to providing
a positivelearningexperiencefor
kids at risk. "Our fore
Philadelphia's
most concernis youngpeopledisadvantagedby their environmentor
their homelife, and off to a rough
start in life," saysMcKonly.
Studentsin the school'sclasses
work together to build a version of the
"six-hourcanoe,"a plywoodcraftthafs
easyto build and stableon the water.
The kids learn how to readplans,use
hand tools, and work togetherto solve
problemsduring the consfuction
process.They alsolearn marketable
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For more information,you can contact the PhiladelphiaWoodenBoat
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at [email protected],
skills, and seethat there are alternatives to the lives theyte known.
Studentslaunchtheir completed
canoeson locallakes.
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ic.y-----------;tate
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110-0-B:"4!4':-B:ggr4!-P4-lZ0-0-8:---------..i
Number187
Productlnformation
'Workbench
r September/October1998
Number185
ProductInformation
Center Offers Wide Range of Craft Education Workshops
Since1954,the BrookfieldCraft
Centerhasworkedto preserveand
passon the skills andvaluesof fine
Eachyear the Center
craftsmanship.
offersone-,two-,andfive-dayworkshopson over 200topics,ranging
fr om woodworking,metalsmithing
and ceramics,to glass,decorative
arts.fabricsand more.
Within eachof thesecategories,
you'll find a varietyof subjects.
Woodworkingworkshops,for example, covereverythingfrom handtool
use,to boatbuilding,to kitchen
design.Workshopsrun year-round,
with manytaughtby respectedvisiting artistsfrom aroundthe nation.
Brookfield'steachingstudios,an
exhibitiongallery,and a retail shop
are housedin four colonialvintage
buildingson a 2r/ racre campus.
The nonprofitCenteris supported
mainlyby tuition andretail sales,with
fundingfrom
somesupplemental
state,federal,andprivatedonations.
Tuition is $135for one-dayworkshops,$2tSfor two-day,and $480for
five-day.Brookfieldalsooffers scholarshipopportunities,and an hour-forhour volunteerwork/study program.
For more information,or to get a
catalog,contactthe BrookfieldCraft
Center,PO Box 122,Brookfield,CT
0680+0122,
or call (203)77U4526.
At theBrooHield
CraftCenterin
classes
Connecticut,
covera widennge
of subjects,
fiom
traditional
turning
methods,
above,to
and
blaclsmithing
meblforging,
shownat lEft.
==1 Econ-Abrasives
WEMAKE ABRASIW BELTS ATW SNE, ANY GRITI
ABRASIVE
BELTS
a
seltsEffi-Ei?fd6ffiith
bi-directionaloplice, specify grits.
1X3O $ .81ea l3)@4
$ .9il ea
.96 ea
.81ea l3)@7
1X42
1X44
.81 ea l4)@1 3/4 1.06 ea
1'10 ea
2112X16 .85ea| 4)@4
I .35 ea
3x1 I
.86 ea | 4X36
3.50
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ea
3)el
16X48
80A
$ 11.15 $18.90C
6.24 ea
100thru2804 10.00 16.70C 3X233A .93eal6)<89
OTHERSIZES ON REQAEST
NO LOAD PAPER(white)
CABINETPAPER
100/pk
50/pk
60D
$16.70 $30.00c
15.60 27.80C
80D
100thru150C 14.50 25.60C
FINISHINGPAPER
00thru4004 $12.25 $21.25C
'C' = 100SHEETS
VacuumDiscs
Velcro@
come w/PVCtips and grips.
Price
Size
-4$lFea
JUMBO ROUTERPAD(24'x361
h will not allowsmallblocksof wood
to slip out under routeror sanding
applications. ROUTERPAD
ONLY$8.95ea.
;Fuhp Si""v"s-pSA OisiJ'- | IUMBo BELT-CIEANINGSTICK
*Router&.WoodBits*WoodGlud
ONLY $8.80
' Mastercard,Visa,C.O.D.or Check
. SATISFACTION
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. CALLFORFPEECATALOG
-TX addappropriate
salestax
- Continental
add$6.00
U.S.shipping
Econ-Abrasives
P.O.Box 1628
Frisco,rx7s034
=:l
-
;
(972)377-9779
LINE(800)367-41
01
TOLL-FREE
ORDERING
22
1998
W'orkbenchI Seotember/October
Productlnformation
Number173
Earth-Friendly Fluorescent Ughts Have Reduced Mercury
For yearsweVeknown the eco- put in, which meansat the end of
a lamp'slife, most still contain
nomicvirfues of fluorescent
excessmercury.Ifnot disposed
lighting.The lampsproduce
of properly,this mercurycan
bright light yet consumeless
bulbs. leakinto the environment.
energythan incandescent
To reducethe environmental
But one drawbackof fluorescentsis the environmentalhaz- hazrd, engineersat Philips
Lighting Co.createda buffer that
ard presentedby the mercury
inhibits the phosphorlayerfrom
they contain.
absorbingmercury.
Fluorescent
lampsneedmerThe buffer makesthe mercury
cury to excitethe phosphormole
contentmorestable,soit's easier
culesthat coatthe insideof the
to determinethe right amountfor
lamp'sglasstube,causingthe
phosphorto glow andproduce
eachlamp.By not usingexcess
mercuryjust to ensurebulb life,
light. In the process,mercuryis
of
consumedeverytime the lampis Philipswill cut its consumption
used.Tb keepa fluorescentlamp the heavymetalby 2r/ztons each
year.The low-mercurytechnolo
from failing prematurely,there
mustbe enoughmercuryto start gy,calledAlto,is beingincorpo
the lightingprocessfor aslong as ratedinto all of Philips'fluorescentlamps,whichfeaturegreen
the phosphorremainsactive.
haven'tknown
endcaps.For information,call
Manufacturers
(800)55F0050.
the exactamountof mercuryto
P resenting the ALL-T ERRA/N*
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24
I
WBN d
leoores
rE
iciry-state
-
ZtP-E
Dept.
433IFi
lro: cotnvtnYHOMEPRODUCTSo,
L--Y:'g'-l':1'l-o.!g-2i.IqcimII-0J1el.j
1998
\TorkbenchI SeptemberiOctober
Number202
ProductInformation
Base Consfuuction View
Frontpost
(pressure
4x4,905/6"
long)
treated
joist
Rim
treated2x8,
95"long) ts- -
Corner
Detail
Upper
stebher
(pressure
46,92" long)
tseated
F--
/.u
?--
'//
I
tl8x 17s".deck
screws
Y2"xg"
lag
/a
post
Back
(pressure
4x4,
treated
60"long)
scr€ws
/2" x 3" lagscrews
Lowerstebher
(prcssure
treated2x8,
92"long)
Gusset Detail
the screws and drive
themhome.
Using lap joints
betweenthe posts and
the rim joists and bottom rails helps prevent
the end framesfrom racking. Plywoodgussets
Frome rhe Plqtfiorm
To simpliff construction,we designedthe pro on the stretchersbetweenthe end frames add
ject so Doug could build portions of it in his to the plafform's rigidity.
garageashe had time,then assemblethosesecCut the gussetsto shape(Gusset Detail).
tions on site.Using pressuretreatedlumber,he Then align the gusset notchesflush with the
assembledthe plafform end framesfirst (Base ends of the upper stretchers and atiach the
Construction View). He beganby gangcutting gussetswith deck screws.Drill a 34rrcounterdadoesand notchesin the four corner poststo bore (Ylrrdeep)on the backsidesof the upper
acceptthe rim joists andbottomrails (Flgiure I and lower sffetchers, then drill L/zt'clearance
holesfor the lag screws.
andPost Elevations).
The longer front posts also get
dadoedand notchedfor the railings
now even though you don't install
the railingsuntil later 0eavingthem
off makesit easierto hoist the playhousewalls into place).When you
cut the railing notches,be sure to
orient the posts so the rim joist
dadoesare to the outside.
Onceyoute cut the notches,dryfit eachframe together,checkit for
square,then drill the counterbores
and pilot holes for the lag screws Clamp
fte fuurcomerposbbge$erandgang-cut
thenotches,
mak(C,ornerDetail). Slipa washeronto ingmultiple
passes
wiilra circular
saw.Chisel
outhe wasb.
end. A Dutch door
doublesasa makebelieve
store counter. Simple windowgrids preventfalls,yet letin
lots oftght and air.
Post Elevations
\Torkbench r September/October1998
Plafform Construction View
Decking
(prc$sure-treated
74x6",95"long)
I
Joisthangers
(galvanlzed)
1/z"x//2" x1Vz"l
Skinboard
2x8,88"long)
Seat Detail
[op View)
\
Seat
5/x6u,88u
(pressure-feabd
Thanks
to theSouthern
ForestProducts
Association
fortheirhelpwiththisproject.
tc"-1-
t 4"-+f-
14"-T-
14"-+f-
Erect the Bose
Doug had already leveled the
backyardsite for the playhouse,so
the next Saturday morning I
helped him carry the end frames
out andget them positioned.Doug
had drilled the through-holes (for
the lag screws) in the stretchers,
so while I held each frame, he
lined up the lower stretchers,
drilled pilot holes in the posts,and
28
r0?'orkbench
r September/October
1998
14"-+f-
14'---tl
lagged the stretchers to each end
frame. We then tacked in some
temporary 1x2 bracing between
the stretchers and posts to help
hold the sfructure upright.
As I positionedone of the upper
stretcher assemblies,Doug drove
one screw through each of the
gussets into the posts.Then we
attachedthe other upper stretcher.
'With
the frame assembled like
this. plumb .\r'
tne posts and
drive more screws through the
gussets to keep the framework
aligned square. Then drill pilot
holes in the posts and secure the
upper stretcherswith lag screws.
Hong the Joisls
After breaking for lunch, we spent
that Sahrday afternoon installing
the plafform deck (Plaform
Construction View). The deckhas
five joists spacedevenly between
the rim joists, approximate$121/zn
on center (Joist Elevation). After
laying out the joist locations,Doug
grabbedthe joist hangersand was
aboutto nail them to the rim joists,
Deck Trimming Detail
decking
Note:Totrimtheendsoftheprcssurc-treated
a chalkline
flushwiththeskiftboads,begin
bysnapping
aboutV+"prcudoftheskirtboid. Cutalongthislinewith
a porhble
circular
saw.lf thelumhrisstillwet,letit dry
fura ftw days,
thenusea rcubrwitha %'shank
bitb cutthedecking
endsflush
flush-tdm
withtheskirtboad- weara dust
glasses
maskandsafuty
whenmuting,
flushwiththe
Toenail
thejoisb,crcwnupandon14ncenters,
underneath
the
bp edge
oftherimjoisb.Fitthejoisthangen
joisbandnailthehangen
in place.
the skirt boards.To
installthe last board.
you'll need to rip
about an inch off the
width to get it to fit.
Routing a Ylrr roundover on this
board'sripped edge matchesit to
the rest of the decking.
To trim the deck boards to
lengttr,Doug snappeda chalkline
ftrr proud of the skirt boardsand
useda portablecircularsawto cut
the boards (Decking Trimming
Detail). Iater he useda router and
a flush-trimming bit to machine
the endsflushwith the skirt board.
If you alsouse this technique,be
sure to wear eye protection and a
dust mask.Somenontoxicvarieties
of treatedlumber are making their
way onto the market,but the wood
you buy at your local supplierwill
Add rhe Deck
Since the pressure-treateddeck likely be CCA-teated, which conboards were still a bit wet, I sug- tains forms of arsenicand chromigested laying the planks edge to um. Ifs safeto work, but you don't
edge.When they dry - and shrink want the dust in your eyesor lungs.
- gaps will appear but won't
becomelarge enough to entrap a
Seots for the Sondbox
child's smallfingers.
Our quickly draftedplanscalledfor
Starting at both ends of the plat- seatson just two sidesof the sandform, Dougnotchedthe outermost box, but Doug was condeckboardsto fit aroundthe front cerned about leavposts. He aligned the outside ingthe edgesof the
edgesof these boards flush with 2x8 shetchers
the rim joists, and screwedthem exposed.We
down, driving two deck screws at up using leftover
eachjoist location.
deck boards around the
The rest of the planks go down sandbox's perimeter. We
quicklywith the endsoverhanging butted the ends of all four
when I suggestedtaking a more
pragmaticapproach.
Variations in the width of 2x
dimensionallumber are common.If
the hangers are already installed,
this can position joists above or
belowthe top edgeof the rim joists.
To keep things level, I alwaystoe
nail the joists, crown up, to the rim
joistswith the top edgesflush.Then
I go back and nail in the joist hangers (Figure 2).
After you install the joists, add
2x8 skirt boards that fit between
the posts on the front and back.
First, screwblockingto the upper
stretchers,then screw the skirt
boards to the blocking, keeping
their top edgesflush with the top
of the stretchers.
seats against the posts, mitering
the inside corners for a tight fit
(Seat Detail).
Screws attach the seats to the
lower sffetchersand bottom rails.
In addition.he drovea screwat an
angle through the seat and into
each post on the front and back
seatboardsfor extra support.This
firmed up theseseatsso considerably that we scrappedplans to
installblockingunderneath.
With the plaform completed,
Doug was anxiousto get going on
the playhouse construction. He
vowedto his children to haveit up
the following weekend,then asked
if I was going to be aroundjust in
casehe neededsomehelp.
iJ'il
i;r:'11
d
,t' t,f.q
#
Slirj
Wall Framing Construction View
Topplate(Cutto len$hafter
connecting
endwalls)
Wallplate
Topplateoverlaps
corner
offrontandbackwalls
Swingset
beampocket
N0TE:
Leftfrontpost
is cutawayforclarity.
Frqme rhe Wolls
Doug hadn't done much wall framing, so the playhouseproved to be
a good learning o<perience.While
the framing may seemoverbuiltfor
this sizesffucture, the way he built
the walls simplified the consfuction process (Wall Framing
Construction View).
The two end walls are identical
(Wall Frame Elevations). Having
the top plate overlapthe front and
back walls helps tie all four playhousewalls together.
Though he could have managed
with his circular saw, I loaned
Doug my miter saw and showed
him how to set up a stop block to
cut all the studs and nailers to the
same length. He also used this
technique to cut the window and
30
Workbenchr September/October
I 998
door parts - sills,headers,blocking, and cripple studs.
Doug used 3rr deck screws to
attach the studs to the plates and
the window framing to the studs.
This not only madefor a rock-solid
strucfure,but when he neededto
replace a sill board that split, he
simply backed out a couple of
screwsand fixed the problem.
You frame the front and back
walls nearly the same- the window layouts are identical, but the
back wall has two studs in placeof
the rough door opening that you
build into the front wall (Wall
Frame Elevations).
To build the front and back
walls, screw the first stud in place
to the wall and sill plates,then add
a 2x6 nailer, installing it flat and
flush with the outer face of the
wall. (Ihis provides a nailing surfacewhen you install the frim later,
and it helps pull the wall and sill
plates into square with the first
stud.) Then work your way across
the wall, adding shrdsand window
and door framingpieces.
Dougleft the top plate(alsocalled
a "doubler,"becauseifs the second
plate that caps the wall) off these
walls for now, opting to cut and
install them after the four walls
were set in place on the plaform
andplumbedwith eachother.
The front wall has a ledger,
installed to the right of the door
opening,that supportsthe inboard
endof the swingsetbeam(hdger
BackWall(0utside
View)
Wall Frame Elevations
SideWall(Outside
View)
TI
55Y2"
lI
I
II
55T2"
Flat2x6
I
1V/2"-+-16n
11Vt"
57u
Front
Wall(Outside
View)
. I-edger Detail
r\
the cornerstogether. Then add the
front wall. Doug
made a final check
with the level to
make sure all the walls
were plumb, then drove
screws through the end wall top
plates where they overlappedthe
front and back walls (Figure a).
While I drovemore screwsthrough
-.l 16. -.l 7" k-t 8y2,4-25y2"--->|<-22'---fi-16.
the sill platesto further anchorthe
walls, Doug measuredfor the top
Detail). Becausethe ledgerhasto Sinkinga coupleof screwsthrough plateson the front and back walls,
carry a hefty load, drive several3rL the sill plate into the deck joists then cut some 2x4 stock to length
long screws through the ledger lockedit in position(Figure 3).
andfastenedthe boardsin place.
into the 2x4 nailers, then drive a
If you get an end wall in place
With the walls firmly attached,I
couple of screws through the right away,you won't haveto brace cut the sill plate out of the door
studs and into each end of the the back wall. Plumb eachend wall openingwithahandsaw,taking care
ledger to secureit firmly.
with the back wall before screwing not to gougethe decking.
You build the end walls using a
similar sequence,but add the doubler plates now so you can drive
screws through them where they
overlapthe front and back walls.
Rqise the Wolls
Working severalweeknights,Doug
assembled
allfourwallframesin his
Strage,and earlythe next Safirrday
morning I helpedcarrythem down
to the plaform. Starting with the
back wall, we hoisted it into posi. Ddve
scewstrrcughhe backwallsill
tion, with its outer face flush with plabinb fte deckjoisb.Check
he wall
the back edge of the decking. forplumb
wih a lwel.
Thebp plabofhe endwallsorcrlaps
he fiontandback
walls.Check
he twoadjoining
wallsturplumbanddrive
plabs.
scrcws
trroughthebp (doubler)
'\0?'orkbench
r September/October
1998
3l
Roof Consfruction View
Ridge Detail
l--s:;12--r|
(!-l
Driledge
ulPJl[",
V+"-deep
'Flashing
r."'n"!t
Ridqecao
gPove lprcssulre-treated
2x4,112"
long)
grcoue,%"
Saw/e"-wfde
deep
thelength
oftheridge
beamonbothsides
b accept
roofflashing.
Ridge
beam
(pressure-teated
2<8,109"long)
Rakerafters
Blocklng
(pressure-feabd
2x4)
(pressure-t"ated
2x4;
Inshllod
aftersldlng)
Common
rafters
(pressuiE-troated
2x4;16"on
N0IE:Rakerafterssameas
common,
butwlthout
blrd'smouth
Roise the Rofters
We discussedthe next phase the roof - while we broke for
lunch. Even though Doug had
been a quick study on wall framing, it was clear he didn't have a
handle on how to top off the structure @oof Construction View).
His eyes started to glazeover as I
e:qplainedroofpitch, so I offered to
help with the layout and show him
the cuts required on a common
rafter (Rafter Elevation).
Becauseeverything is tied to the
ridge beam, thafs where to start
@oof Elevation). Cut the ridge
beamto length and rip a groove in
eachside to accepta pieceofflashing (Ridge Detail).
Then cut the ridge posts to
length and toenail them to the top
plates on the end walls. Scrap2x4
scabsattachedto one side of each
32
Workbench
r September/October
1998
Rafter Elevation
Approximately
60'
ridge post help hold the ridge
beam in place until you can screw
it to the posts (Figure 5).
Dougmadea 30oplumbcut at Roof Elevation
the top endof onerafter,buttedit
against the ridge beam and
clampedit to the scab@igure 6).
Positioning the rafter against the
faceof the endwall, he alignedit to
the top plate and markedthe bird's
mouth. He unclampedthe raftef,
cut outthe bird's mouthwith a
handsaw, then checked
the rafter'sfiL
Common
rafterr
t--
Rake
backer
31Vt'
Rldgebeam
Toenall
fte rldgeposbb thet6pplaEaandbmprarilyscrcwa 2x4scab Miterthebp endoftherafbrb fit against
theddgebeam.
b eachpost.ThescabshelpholdtheddgebeamInposition
untilyoucan Position
therafbragalnst
theddgpandf,ushwiththeoubrface
benailfte hamb he posb.
ofthesidewall,thenmarkthelocation
forthebid'smouth.
Once he had a good fit, DoW
used this rafter as a pattern to lay
out the rest of the conimonrafters,
and the 2:16rake backers.With the
rafters marked, he clamped them
together,then used a staightedge
guide to gangcut the bird's mouth
plumb cuts as well as the rafter tail
cuts.Then he madethe seatcut on
eachbird's mouth with a jig saw.
Screw through each rafter into
the doubler plate to hold the lower
end of the rafters (Rafter Spacing
Detail). At the upper end, one'
screwthrough the top and another
from eachside into the ridge beam
is sufficient.
Blocking installed between the
rafterspreventsthem from twisting
and also closes openings in the
eaves.Positionthe blocking so the
bottom efues butt againstthe wall
@locking Debil). Doug screwed
through the rafter into one end of
eachblock, then drovescrewsat an
angleinto the other end.
Gop rhe Ridge
Ratherthan leavethe flat top efue
of the rifue beam exposedto the
elements, we designed a simple
ridge cap.It shedswaterand dress
es up the roof (Ridge Detail). Rip
two dripedgegroovesin the bottom
frce, then rip bevelson the top face
of your h<4 stock to create the
slopedtop surfrces.
Mount the cap using screws
near each end of the ridge beam
and about evety 24ttin between.
Tempondly
scrcwa 1x4b fte rafurblls,
thenslidetrb plywood
rmfsheatrlng
Inb
place.
Add rhe Sheothing
Theledger
holdslt turnalling.
I offered to help install the roof
sheathing, but Doug said he'd
To prevent a repeat perforimposed enough already. But mance, I grabbed a piece of lx
before I reachedthe gate, I heard scrap and screwedit to the rafter
him yell and I turned just in time to tails (Figure 7). This temporary
see a sheet of plywood narrowly ledger holds the roof sheathingin
miss his head as it slid off the roof place until it can be nailed down.
on its way back to the ground. "I The sheathing needs to extend
supposeyou sawthat" he mumbled beyondthe rake backersby 2rfso it
sheepishlyas I helped him lift the will overlapthe siding and the rake
sheetback into place.
rafter you still have to add.
Rafter Spacing Detail
Rake
backer
*!_t
l'+- l g"--->$-16'-->t
Common
rafters
Rakerafter
fnstallaftersiding
is attached)
'Workbench
r September/October1998
33
Siding and Tlim Construction View
Window Trim Detail
NOTE:
Cutsidingsoffe joinbfallovera stud
andtte groovepatternremains
consistent.
Siding Detail
1x2rakefilm
Rakerafter
Siding
P/a"x48"x96"
T 1-11 plywood)
Rake Rafter Detail
7
N0TE:
lnstallballusterc
frumcsnterlinooutward
and
riptheoutermost
ballusters
b flt.
Put on rhe Siding
Rail Elevation & Baluster Details
Toprail
I*5V"'l
34
W'orkbenchr September/October1998
With the roof on, Doug promised
me he'd call only if he really needed help. He wasusing plywoodsiding (4rlon-centerT 1-11),but the
pieces were manageable(Siding
and Trim Construction View).
He fit the siding so all the joints
landedon studsandkept the groove
pattern consistenl He also let the
siding extend %rr below the decking on the end and back walls
(Siding Detail).
On the endwalls,the top edgeof
the siding is covered by the rake
rafter, so you don't have to cut it
precisely in line with the roof.
Notch the large piecefor the ridge
beam and window, then nail the
sidingto the studs.
Sidingon the front andbackwalls
butts againstthe blockingunderthe
eaves.Position the siding on the
front so the edgesof the ,l-ft.-wide
main sectionfall on the stud underneath the window and above the
dooropening.Leavethe frontsiding
L/zttabovethe surfaceof the decking - this preventswaterpooledon
the decking from wicking up into
the siding (Siding Detail).
Tb avoid a lot of precisionpainting, consider painting the siding
now beforethe trim goeson. Then
fit the fim boards,but paint them
before you nail them in place.
PaintinCthe backs as well as the
frces of the tim boards also seals
the'tridden" surfaceswherewater
seepagecould damageunprotected
wood. @oug used Flood EB Solid
Color Stainon the siding andtim.)
Window Elevations
3Y2"
30'
Time for the Trim
Oncethe stain dried on the siding,
Doug began fitting the ftim along
the roof line - the rake rafters,
rake trim, and under-eavetrim
(Rake Rafter Detail).
Next came the corner boards.
Dougripped3/+iloff.theedgeof the
tim boards that attach to the end
walls. Then he installed the tim
boards on the front and back wall
so they overlappedthe end trim,
creating equal face exposureson
the adjacentwalls.The trim boards
extend 1,/a"below the bottom edge
of the siding.
With the fim cut to size, he
paintedthe boards on both sides
and nailedthem in place.
Windows qnd Door
The windows consist of a simple
box frame with a half-lappederidwork of 32rrx lr/2ttstock (Window
Elevations). Doug rippedthe grid
muntins from 1x4 stock, then cut
the half-lapdadoeson a table saw,
using his miter gauge equipped
with a stop block. Exterior grade
glue and screwshold the window
assembliestogether.
Half-lap joinery also connects
the rails and stiles of the Dutch
door frames. Doug built the
framesfirst. then attachedthe T 111 plywood to the back (Door
Elevations).With the door halves
assembled,he marked and cut
mortisesto acceptthe fulI depthof
the hinges (bothleaveswhen folded). Shallow scoring cuts with a
circular sawroughedout the mortises; a chisel was used to pare
them clean.Then Doug mounted
the hingesin placeand addedthe
shelfon top of the lower door.
It's best to paint the windows
anddoor prior to installation.Once
they'repainted,set the windowsin
the rough openings,shim them
level, then drive screws to secure
them. Nail the prepainted door
jamb assembly in the doorway,
and surface mount the hinges to
the left side jamb. You'll need to
notchthe sidestopsfor the doorto
accommodatethe door shelf. A
slide-boltconnectsthe two doors.
Once the windows and door
were installed, Doug added the
trim aroundthe window and door
openings.He left a Ysrlwidereveal
on the windows and door jambs
(Window Trim Detail). The top
and bottom trim boards extend
beyondthe sidetrim piecesroughly il on each side. This lets you
avoidthe needfor a perfectfit and
alsoallowsfor woodmovement.
1Y2"
k_
Door Elevations
[:rll^ffifl'ou"
Y
Side
View)
Gonstruct the Roiling
Installthe upperand lower rails in
the front posts and add the cap
(Rail Elevation and Baluster
Details). Doug gang-cutthe decorative balusterswith a circular saw,
notching all but the outside two
boardson both sides.Like the rest
of the trim, the balusters were
painted prior to their installation
on the railings.
Working left and right of the centerline,he installedthe balustersby
butting them together with their
bottom endsflush. The outermost
balusterswererippedto width to fill
the remaining space.He touched
up the exposededges with paint,
installed the final balusters,and
tacked on a thin tim sffip to hide
the slightly uneventop edges.
3/t" dado,s/l'deep
F- 9"-->1
fs/t" 1{121/2"
I
rl-
llj
lr\--
-
Build the Lodder
Kids can't get to the plaform without a ladder,and we designedone
with closelyspacedrungs to accommodate small climbers (Ladder
Elevations). By insettingthe rungs
into the legs, we gave the ladder
greaterstrength,and by now Doug
was an old hand at gangcutting
dadoes.Two screws at each joint
hold the rungs in place.
Despite pleas from his kids to
install the ladder, Doug delayed
putting it up to keep the kids off
the plafform until he could finish
the roofing and get the slide
installed.A coupleof wheelbarrow
loadsof sandin the sandboxkept
them occupiedand out of harm's
wav in the interim.
(Side
View)
--6'^A
I-adder Elevations
1/2" deepforrungs
Cut372"dadoes,
(Side
View)
\V'orkbenchI September/OctoberI 998
35
Roofing Construction Vi
Trimthefinalcourseof shingles
Flashing Detail
t0 6" lengthandnaildownoverflashing,
Rollflashing
fitsintothegroove
intheridgebeam.
Cedar
shingles
(6"reveal)
TIP:Forrraximum
weafier
protsction,
dipshlngles
in
exterior
oilflnlshpdorto
Installaton.
WeusedFlood's
-3444.
cwF-w,t -800-321
Shinglerhe Roof
Roofingfelt provided someprotection, but Doug was eagerto make
the roof watertight. Having laid
asphaltshinglesgavehim the confidence.totacHe cedarroofing on
his own, although I helped install
the drip edge and starter course
(Roofing Construction View).
Before installing each final
course, we caulked the groove in
the ridge beam with silicone and
inserted the flashing (Flashing
Detail). We nailed the the final
courseof shinglesoverthe flashing.
Nails profuding through the
underside of the roof sheathing
pose a haz.ardto small playhouse
occupants,so clinch them over.Ifs
tedious, noisy work, but worth it
from a safety standpoint.(Foam
earplws help.)
36
W'orkbench
r September/October
1998
Unsure just how tall the post
neededto be, he plannedto trim
its top end later.Sohe notchedthe
post for the feet and brackets,
which by now was secondnafure,
and cut stock for the braces,feet
and brackets (hg Elevations).
Doug used \/ztt-dia."3rllong lag
screwswith washersto securethe
leg assemblyjoints.
The beam consistsof three 2x6
spacers - two for hanging the
swings and one at the end of the
beamfor the beampocket- sandwiched by two long 2x6's (Bmm
Elevation). Any swing hardware
you choosewill include installation
insbuctions,and you can alter the
Add the Swing Set
spacersif needed. Drive 3rr-long
Now that the ladder and slide were deck screwsto secureall the 2x6's
in place,the kids could finally give in the beamassembly.
the playhouse a proper testing.
Cut the playhouse siding to
While theyplayed,Dougput togeth- exposethe beam pocket, then get
er the swing set strucfure.
help to heft the beaminto position.
Lqdder qnd Slide
Before mounting the ladder,Doug
eased all the edges vnth a 1/zn
roundover bit. He also routed any
other edges that would make the
playhousemore kid friendly.Edges
inaccessibleto the router were
roundedoverwith a rasp.
By driving 3rrdeck screwsfrom
inside the rim joists and bottom
rails, Doug fastenedthe ladder to
the plafform. Ifs best if the top of
the ladderis flush with the deck.
Doug bolted the plastic slide to
the deckingfollowing the manufacfirer's insfuctions.
12" long
Spacer,
(Endof spacerflushwith end0f beam.)
Beam Elevation fiopView)
;
),t
fis/4t4<__1'y2n
><_20,,______
With one personon the plafformand one
on a ladder,slidethe beaminto the pocket.
Ievel the beam and squareit to the playhouse,then tack 2x4 legs to the beamto
hold it in this position.Now you canscrew
the beamto the framingaroundthe pocket.
At this pointDoug coulddeterminethe
positionfor the leg assembly.By trial and
error he leveledthe sitewith a shoveland
plumbed the post, then he marked the
beamlocationon the post.And from there
it was clear sailing(Beam Detail). For a
nicetouchhe addedtrim aroundthe beam
pocketto covera few smallgaps.
Doug mountedthe swinghardwareand
the kids helpedhim adjustthe chainsto the
right length - extra chain was added to
the lengthsthat camewith the swings.
Judging by the worn grass and everpresent squealsfrom excited children,
the playhouseis a hit throughout the
neighborhood.
And though he vigorouslydeniesit, I know Doug delights
in the fact that his kids now own
bragging rights to the best little
playhouse
around.ff
>t<_1y%,___*__2}n
Swing Set
Consfuction View
Swingsetbeam
(pressure-treated
2xos,144"l0ng)
4x4,120"long)
Bracket
(pressure-treated
2x6,11sla"
long)
WhatYou'll Need
Lumber
(1) lGft" pressureteated4x4
(2) &ft. pressurefreated
4x4's
(2) &,ft.pressurefeated4x4's
(1) l0ft. pressurefeated2x8's
(B)&ft pressurebeated
2x8's
(4) tz-ft.pressurefeated2x6's
(2) 1Gft.pressurefeated2x6's
(9) &ft. pressurefeated2x6's
(16)12-ftpressureteated2x4's
(10)l0ft. pressuretreated
2x4's
(13)&ft pressurefeated2x4's
(4) &ft. pressureffeated1x6's
(9) 12-ft.pressureteated1x4's
(6) 10ft pressureteated1x4's
(1) &ft. pressurebeated1x4
(27)5h x 6 pressureteated
deckboards
g4 1/2trx4ft.x8ftsiding
(3) 1/2" 4 ft.,, 8 ft. pressure
"
treatedpineplywood
Beam Detail
Brace
(pressure-treated
2x4,813A"
long)
Foot
(pressure-treated
2x6,96"
long)
(2) r/zttx 4r2rrcarriagebolts
(58)7/ro"washers
(4) 3rrbutt hinges
(1) 2rrslidebolt
(1) roll lS#builder'sfelt
(2-3)bundlescedarshingles
(2) lengths(10ft.) drip edge
(2) lengths(10ft") flashing
(5) lbs.ll/tttcedarshinglenails
(1) lb.#8, 15/sil
deckscrews
(5) lbs.#8" 21/zttdeck
screws
(10)lbs.#8" 3rrdeckscrews
(FINISHES:L gal.solidcolor
stainfor siding;1 qt solid
colorstainfor kim.)
Ve"x41y'e"
bolb
cardage
NOTE:
Cut1"
deepnotches.
l-eg
Elevations
1998
\Torkbenchr September/October
37
It'slike this.A yearor twoago,checkbook
in
woodworkeron the planet,but this
hand,you tooktheleapinto woodworking.
Yourshopspace projectis proof that modestshop
is now modestlyequippedand strewnwith sawdust,and you
build a little more confidencewith eachnewproject,maybe
evenget a little smugasyou learn
a new techniqueor managesome
nicedetailwork with handtools.
Then reality knocksat the door.
You're sketching ideas for your
next project, and you realize
you've just designed something
you can't build. That enthusiastic
craftsman inside your head lets
38
Workbench
I September/October
1998
out a howl of protest so horrifc
that hadyou actuallygivenit voice,
your neighborswould haveheard
it andassumedyou drilledthrough
your thumb again.
Don't imagine the universe is
toyingwith you alone.The frustration of having your reach exceed
your grasp hits just about every
tools or skills don't alwayshaveto
limit the furniture ideasyou have.
My solution?Usingreadilyavailable wood components- turned
legs in this case - along with
parts I mademyself,to build a set
of three tables - a coffee. end.
and sofa table. I purchasedthe
legs from Adams Wood Products
of Morristown,TN (423-587-2942).
This approachkept the cost and
time reasonable,and still gaveme
the designI wanted.
Coffee Table Construction View
x22"W x 48"1
OVERAII
SIZE:
1614"H
Top(edge-glued
maple)
Vt'x22"x48"
Table
top
fastener
cllps(10)
Hanger
bolb(4)
s1r5,'x21./2"
%o"Hexnub(4)
Sideapron(2)
3/4',y!', x41V2',
Coffee Table Elevations
IUrned
legs(4)
F/t'xliVztl
(Adams
WoodProducb
423-587-25421
Tqke lr fiom the Top
Deciding to use commercially
turned legs not only offers you
more in the way of designoptions
(unlessyou'rea turner yourself),it
lets you concenfrateon the other
main componentsof the tablesthetops.Youhavechoicesheretoo.
Hardwoodplywoodor a shopmade
veneeredpanel (if you edgeband
them) and of coursesolid wood are
all good options.I thought a solid
top was appropriatehere.
Using solidwood doesrequire a
designthat allowsthe top to safely
expandand contact with changes
in humidity.I accomplished
thatby
using table top fastener clips to
hold the top to the aprons(Coffee
Table Construction View).
If you're patient and careful
milling your stock, or very selective when buyrngsurfacedboards,
gluing up a smoothflat top isn't difficult. I madeit easierby routing a
self-aligning glue joint on the
board edges (see Edgeglued
Panelson page 40). One helpful
technique is using clamping cauls
across the panel to hold it flat
(Figure 1). Use scraps of plastic
laminate (facedown) orwax paper
to prevent the cauls from sticking
to anyexcessglue.Another hick is
to alternate the placement of
clamps on the panel - some on
top, some on the underside.This
prevents unequal pressure that
would pull the panel more on one
facethan the other.
These steps help ensure the
panel is flat when you make it. To
help it stay that way,you'll need to
apply finish uniformly to both the
top and bottom. More on this later.
Whethuyousimplybnttandgluetheboadedges
or milla
joint,atbmabtheclamps
self-allgning
aboeandbelow.
\Torkbenchr September/October
1998
39
androuta 3"-long
Designate
an inside
corner
oneachlegbolster
a flatfaceforthe
chamfer,
starting
at thetopend.Thiscreates
bolt,
drillbitto enterwhenyoudrilla pilotholeforthehanger
jig (facing
page)
Mymortise-routing
features
built-instopsthat
indextheendandsideof eachleg.Themortise
on
automatically
facegetscutusingtheotherendof thejig.
theadjacent
Modifying the legs
The table legs I purchasedarrivecl
crisply machined and finely sanded, but I did rnodiiy thern a little
for my table design.
First, I clesignatedan inside corner on each leg antl rouled a :'/*"wide charnfer along the first 3rrof
the bolster (Figure 2). This will
rnake it easier to clrill pilot holes
for the hanger bolts useclto secure
Afterrouting,squaretheendsof the mor- the corner brackets to the legs.
The next step - cutting shallow
tiseswitha chisel.Leadwiththeendcut
(shown),
mortises on the two inside facesof
thenparethesidecorners.
eacl'rbolster (for the apron tenons)
Double-check the top's flatness - also calls for a router. Here you
by laying a straightedgeacross its have to guiclethe bit's path either
width. After the assemblyhas hacl with a route-r table setup or by
an hour or so to set, scrapeoff the using a jig like the one I clesignecl
(Mortise Details and Router Jig
rubbery glue squeeze-out.
Details). The mortises aren't centered in the bolster faces, which
complicatesthe job a little. With a
router table,you set the fence position for the offset frorn the chamfered corner',tl-renfeed the stock
(with its charnfered corner down
ancl against the fence) from one
direction for the first cut. Next,
rotate the acljacer"rt
face down and
feecl fron'r the other sicle of the
table. Clarnp a stop block to the
fence each time so you clon't cut
the mortisestoo long.
If you don't havc a router table,
don't worry. The jie shown aligns
both workpiece anclrouter for you,
anclit has built-in stopsthat control
the router's travel. Like the router
table proceclure,you have to work
Panels:
FourSimple
Edge-glued
Joinery
0ptions
Whenever I glue up solid boards to make a wider panel, I always machine some kind of joint so the
f a c e s o f t h e b o a r d s a l i g n a u t o m a t i c a l l y .T h e r e ' s n o t h i n g w o r s e d u r i n g g l u e - u p t h a n s c r a m b l i n g a r o u n d
with clamps while slippery glue lines shift and move with each turn of the clamp handles.Tongue-andgroove and spline joints
are among the simplest
solutions, and either can
be cut on a table saw or
with a handheld router.
Aside from making the
assembly process a little
less frantic, these joints
provide
good
inherent
mechanical strength and
also give you additional
gluing surface area.
40
Workbenchr September/October
1998
jointcanbe
A simple
tongue-and-grcove
Theguidebearing
ona slot-cutting
routerbit
gooves
youcancutslots
cuteasilyona tablesaw.Or,cut
controls
cutdepth.
Again,
onbothedges
andgluea splinebeftrteen. fora splinejoint,ormilla tongueand-groove,
Router
JigDetailsllffi'#ffi:Uli',T,ffl##11-01
Mortise Details
'/2"
mortises,
-3/e" r
I
(Bottom
V iew)
flop View)
I
21A"square
bolster
I
y2'\
A)
fiopView)
l.< zui, 1
l'Itl
'"'T||
16"
(
3/4,,
x 1,,endstop
registers
topend
of tablelegs.
1"
\5"20
-rT
(-
1"1
v3"
/
l<
from both ends of the jig to get the
offset right for the rnortise. Place
the chamfered corner up and
againstthe index cleat,butt the top
of the bolster againstthe end stop,
/'-
Indexcleat
<
(Side
View)
-e
8"
then clamp them together in a vise
to cut the mortise (Figure 3).
Squareup the mortise ends with
a chisel afterward (Figure 4). And
don't panic if your chisel work isn't
perfect - the joint is designed so
srnallglitches don't show.
5%'l
)f
(EndView)
Y
34"
A
Ur'l
Although a table-sawn or routed spline joint offers a substantial improvement over a butt joint, other
t e c h n i q u e s p r o v i d e e v e n m o r e a d v a n t a g e s .S o m e s p e c i a l t y c u t t e r s , f o r e x a m p l e , m a c h i n e a t a p e r e d j o i n t
that fits tightly only when it's fully closed. This lets you press-fit the boards together with just hand pressure, then cinch them tight with a clamp. My favorite bit - and the one I used for my table tops - is
the reversible glue-joint cuttel but it has to be used in a router table. After adjusting the cutter height
for the board thickness,
you
simply
machine
adjoining boards, one of
them face up and one face
down. to create a mated
joint. Another option is
biscuit or . plate joinery.
This European-born system uses small footballshaped
wood
biscuits
inserted in slotd cut with a
special tool.
gfue.joint
Revenible
bib cuta self-aligning Platejoinenplungecut
shortslobin boad
joint.You'llneeda hble.mounM edges
(andfaces)
hpered
to helpjoinbalign.Then
rcubr,buttheeasyassembly
isworthit.
smallfootball-shaped
blscubgetgluedin.
WorkbenchI September/October
1998
4T
V-Block
DrillGuide
jig fordrillingthelegbolster,
TomaketheV-block
your
tilt
sawblade
45'andcuta grcove
in a lengh
passes
of 2x4stock.Two
willrcmove
thewedge.
Afteryoucutfte V-block
intotwosections,
mark
oneofthem2"fiomtheendandusea V+'bolt
b
punch
a dimple
inthebottrom
ofthegroove.
Drilling pilot holes for the hanger
bolts completesthe work on the
legs.The chamferyou routed earlierwill makethis much easier,but
using a V-block jig (cut on the
tablesaw)rendersthis stepalmost
foolproof(V-Block Drill Guide).
First, tilt the blade45" and set the
cutting height to 3/an.Then adjust
the rip fenceso the tip of the blade
cuts right to the center of.a 2x4
(about 12rrlong), and make two
passesto cut the wedgefrom the
face of the board (Figure 5). Cut
the V-blockinto two 6rrlengths.
If you havea drill press,you can
just nest the leg bolster (chamfer
up) in one of the blocksand drill a
Y+ilpilot hole for the hangerbolt.
If you're using a portable drill,
the processis a bit different.First,
set a V+rldia.bolt or steel rod in
the bottom of the 'T" in one block
(placed2tt fuomone of the ends),
then strike it with a hammer
(Figure 6). The punch mark you
createwill mark the hole location
and alsokeep the drill flutes from
catching and "walking" on the
sides of the groove. Next, drill a
farr guide hole through the jig,
using the faceor end of a boardto
align the drill (Figure 7). Now
you'rereadyto tacklethe leg itself.
First,placethe undrilledV-block
on your bench, with the groove
facingup. Setthe leg bolster (with
its chamferedcorner up) in this
block, then clamp the drilled
(guide)V-blockon top, like you're
building a sandwich(FigUre 8).
The end of the guide block should
be flush with the top of the table
leg, so the hole positionis indexed
correctly.(If it helps,you can fasten a smallcleatto the guideblock
to act as an end stop.)Then drill
through the V-block into the leg
bolster,to a depthof aboutil.
Tying Up the Aprons
Machining the aprons involves
anotherset of simpleprocedures,
and you can do them all on the
table saw.After cutting the pieces
to size,you needto cut a rabbeton
each end to form the one.sided
tenonsthat fit into each leg mortise, plus someshallowsaw kerfs
to acceptthe assemblyhardware
(Apron Details). The orientation
of all the cuts is critical, but for
simplicitythe bladeheight setting
(%r) staysthe samefor eachstep.
I started by milling the long
grooveon the insideof eachpiece
(Figure 9). This groove accepts
the table top fastener clips that
allowthe top to movewith seasonal changesin humidity.Next came
the cross-grainkerfs that hold the
ends of the corner brackets
(Figure 1O). I changedthe rip
fence'spositionso I coulduseit as
an end stopto indexthe cuts,but I
usedthe miter gaugeto guide the
stock through the cut. The same
thing goes for machining the
Clamp
bolsterandV-blocl
assembly
b bench.
Endsflush
Clamp
a quaeedged
blockonbp ofthewofuiece
b guide
theddllbit.tayoutlineson$e blockhelp
evenmorcbyprcviding
a visualrc{erence
furyou.
42
'W'orkbench
r September/Ocrober
1998
Withthe legbolsternesting
in the undrilled
V-block,
settheguideblockon topandalign
ib endflushwiththeendof the leg.Thenddllthrcughtheguideblockholeb makea
pilotholeforthe hangerbolt.Forstability,proptheotherendof the legup.
Y+"-dia.
tenons- which you produceby
cutting rabbetson the outsideface
and bottom edge of each of the
apronpieces.
The tenon length is %", so you
can't cut it in a single passwith a
standardblade.There's no sense
installing a dadobladefor this one
step,however.In the time it would
takeyou to changeblades,you can
already have the joints cut. Just
scoot the rip fence close to the
blade,so that the far edgesof the
cutting teeth are r/+tt away from
the rip fence (Figure 11). Using
the miter gaugeto guide the workpiece'stravel, butt the board end
againstthe fencefor the first pass,
then back the board off the fence
for a secondpass to remove the
leftover "tail."
be tuimmed and sanded.
If there's glue squeeze.
out still on the panels,use
a sharp chisel or scraper
to clean it off, then figure
out how you want to cut
eachone to finishedsize.
As I explainedearlier,whenever
possibleI'll glue up a panelslighfly
wider than I need.so I cantrim the
edges clean of clamp dents or
other incidental damage.And of
coursethe endswill needto be cut.
If youVe got a table saw with a
large support surface, rip the
panel to within about %0il of finished width, then crosscut the
ends using a miter gaugeto guide
the stock. Keep the top
face of the panel up so
any tearout from the saw
blade will occur on the
Bqck to the Tops
underside. (If you don't
With the machiningdone on the have a table saw, or at
legs and aprons,you haveto back- least one large enough to
track a little to the tabletops.Once handle panelsof this size,you can
they're unclamped,they need to use a portablecircularsawto tim
the tops.Ifyou do,reverse
the panel orientation so
ifs upsidedown,sincethe
TrimBit RoutsCleanEdges
teeth enter the workpiece
Undo saw marks easily with a router
from the bottom.)
and a flush-trim bit. Leave %" of extra
Clean the saw marks
material and clamp a guide board
from the long edgeswith a
hand plane or a sanding
along layout marks for finished size.
block. Becauseend grain
Both edge and end grain rout cleanly.
is tougher to tame with
hand tools, I
used a finishing
sander there. A
flush-trim bit in a
hand held router
works great also
(Pro Tip).
Apron Details
A bblesawcandoallfte machlning
offte aprcns,
sbrtingwiththegrcove
furfte bblebp fasbnercllps.Besurc
b keepfte bp edgeofeachboadagainst
fte ftnce,
AdJust
he dpftncesoit act asanendsbp,thenusethe
mlterpugeb guide$e sbckwhilecuttingkerfsfoi he
comerbracke6,
Keephe samefacesdownasbefoie.
SideApron(Side
View)
LI
-l
I
k-2'l4", eachend
,l<vr'
EndApron(Side
View)
I-.s
T
4'
L-t
a s;"
1b'
-"1
\H*#l,?#H,,.,
"'lll'#L--tn
;k/+", eachtenon
Vt)
Cuttingrabbebandshouldesat he endsof he aprcnscnahs fte onesidedbnonshat seatin he legmortises.
Witr
a findad blade,maketwo passes
b complebeachsbp.
\(orkbench r September/October1998
43
Hanger
Bolt
Installation
To drive a hanger bolt into
wood, tighten two hex nuts
on the machine-thread end
until they lock. One wrench
on the top nut drives the bolt
- a pair "unjams" the nuts.
G''
\*
qr
E
the threads, but I think driving
them in that way is awkward.
Hordwore Brings it Home Instead, I use another technique
The hardware I used for rny table (Hanger Bolt Installation). I run
group probably won't be on the a pair of hex nuts on the machine
shelves of your local hardware thread ancl tighten them against
store, but it's certainly not rare. I one anolher until they jam. Then I
got mine from The Woodworkers' put a wrench over just the top nut
Store (800-279-444D.For each and drive the bolt in like I woulcla
table you'll need a set of four metal lag screw. When the wood thread
leg corner braces (#24299), four is buried as far as you want in the
s/rcttx 2112tt
hanger bolts (#24422), leg, use a pair of wrenches to spin
and a pack of ten table top fastener the hex nuts apart anclback them
clips (#34215).
off the end of the bolt.
Installation of the hanger bolts
0nce the hanger bolts are
presentsthe only tricky procedure securely home in the leg bolsters,
with the hardware.That's because each table assemblyinvolves or"rly
instead of having a drive head like two basic steps,anclboth are easia conventional fastener, they fea- er if you work with the materials
ture a wood thread on one end and upside-downon your workber.rch.
a machine thread on the other.
Start with the apron installation.
The center of the shank has a Insert the tenons fror.n one end
blank areayou can grip with a pair apron and or"reside apron into the
of locking pliers and not disturb mortises in a leg, fit a metal corner
brace onto the hanger bolt and
seal ils errrlsinto the cross-grain
kerfs, then run the nut onto the
hanger bolt and cinch it tight
(Figure 12). Repeat the process
for the other three legs, and make
sure the assernblysits flat on the
bench when everything's snug.
To mount the table top you have
to clear your workbench surface
ancl set the top upsicle-clown
on it.
Then set the leg/apron assembly
clown on the top, check for a consistent overhang on each edge,
and fit the table top fastener clips
into the grooves in the aprons two on each end, three along each
side (Figure 13). As you screw
lf theairis dry,
leaveroomfor
thetopto expand
In humidair,
seatclipsdeeply
sothey'llstayin
'1'--la;
' l ' . , 6 1 1, -
,t/\q
youcanstartassembling
Oncethehanger
boltsareinstalled,
the
legsandaprons,
Withthe partsupside-down
on a bench,fit the
corner
brackets
in place,
thencrankthehexnutstight.
44
WorkbenchI September/October
1998
Fitthetabletopfastener
clipsin theirgrooves
andfasten
them.Remember
to
allowforseasonal
movement
of thethreeclipsalongeachside.Anysignificant
kavelwill happen
across
thetop'swidth;theendclipswon'tmovein andout.
-t
these clips to the underside of the
top, be sure to consider the humidity. The hardwood will most likely
have been kiln-dried, but itwill still
move some with the seasons.If the
relative humidity is low (typical
winter conditions), don't seat the
clips all the way into the grooves
or the top won't have room to
expand when the humidity rises.
Conversely,an August installation
shouldhavethe clips fully seated,
to allow for winter shrinkage.
Sealingthe top thoroughly (I used
a gel stainanda satinpolyurethane
on a// surfaces)will help.
As your skills and shop grow,
you can make all your own furniture parts, but for now there's no
harm in buying a little help.tF
\4lhatYou'll Need
Ilmber
Hardware
(4) 23/+r' l5rrturnedmaplelegs
(4) leg cornerbraces
(14)bd.ft. 4/4 softmaple
(4) s/ro"' 2%rrhangerbolts
(Note:Lumberquantityrequired
(4) s/rc"hex nuts
will vary accordingto roughboard (10)tabletopfastenerclips
(10)#6 l/zttpan-head
sizesandwastefactor.)
screws
"
HowtheOthers
Measure
Up
End Table
lL
l-
Except for sizing the tops and the
apron boards differently, building the
end table and sofa table to match
involves exactly the same proce-
r_______--]|l.
4"
Apron
tyr"
Apron
ll
14'
r;;-r
-17
F-zo'
dures used for the coffee table. The
part numbers for the table legs are
as follows*:
Coffee table legs: AO9Ol-15
End table legs: AO9Ol-2 1
Sofa table legs: AO9O1-28
*(Adams Wood Products
423-587-2942)
Sofa Table
I ordered maple legs, but
the same style and sizes are
offered in red oak as well.
Aside from the change in leg
length, the other tables in this
group also require different
quantities of the 4/4 lumber
Apron
l4"
T
[_ll]L
Anron
ll
[l[.-1r
l-
lJ4"
16,'-l
used for the tops and aprons.
You'll need about 8 bd. ft. of
4/4 stock for the end table,
and about 12 bd. ft. for the
sofa table. These figures allow
about 15 percent for waste,
but note the minimum lengths
you'll need for certain parts.
\W'orkbench
r September/October
1998
+>
Lay aLaminateFloor
Newcabinets
and countertopsable clinched it as the perfect prodto wrap up our kitchen project.
transformed
thekitchenu)e'ueuct
(You can find the cabinet and coun-
harder to make it more scratch- and
stain-resistant. This construction
createsa tough, durable floor that is
beenremodeling,but we needed tertop installation in the April and much less susceptible to seasonal
climate changes that can cause
solid wood flooring to swell or
the metamorphosis. We wanted settichchosewilsonartFlooring.shrink dramafically. While not reconthemar- ommended for potentially wet locathe look of wood,flooring but ket,
*".::ilij:loucts
this flooring consists of a thin tions, most laminate flooring can
not the installation and finishing
layer of plastic laminate bonded to even be laid on a concrete floor as
hassles or expense of traditional 3^"-thick medium-density fiber- long as you put down a polyethyl(MDF)
(see ene vapor barrier first.
hardwood flooring. laminate floor- board
backing
Some people confuse laminate
ing offered these advantages as Anatomy of a lnminate Floor).
flooring
vith laminated wood floorwell as low maintenance, and the
The laminate is like that used for
product made of
patterns
ing,
engineered
variety of colors and
an
avail- countertops, but is 10 to 20 times
tl""f:H'J:"
newfloorcoaering
tocomplete
{"{"*f.#o*^
46
\?'orkbenchr September/October
1998
Anatomy of a
I^aminate Floor
Laminate's
Older
Cnusins
t
Flooring
pad
Bacldng
three or five thin layers of hardwood laminated together. Like
solid wood flooring, engineered
wood products such as this are
mechanicallyfastenedto the flool
usually with staples,doublefuced
tape,or adhesive.
Iaminate flooring isn't frstened
butgoesdownon top of athin foam
backing pad. By fitting and tirn
ming the tongueand-grooveplanks
or tiles, then efuegluing the joints,
you create in essencea searnless,
onepiecefloor that ifloats" on top
of the pad.This eliminatesthe need
for a specializedflooring nailer or a
messyadhesive.
The only tools you need are a
table saw or miter saw to cut the
planksto length, a router equipped
with a specialslotcutting bit for re
grooving the ends of cut pieces,a
hammer,a utility knife, and a big
roll of maskingtape.
layer of L/zn CDX plywood with
screwsand consfructionadhesive.
Eventhen,we foundthat the floor
had settledin an areanearthe doorway to the dining room. We filled
this depressionwith a twopart leveling compound(Flgure 1). These
fillers are mixed to a thick liquid
consistencythat flowsout andlevels
itself when pouredonto the floor.
To help minimize shrinking or
swelling,let the flooring acclimate
to the room for 48 hours beforeifs
installed.Eventhough ifs relatively
stable,big changesin temperature
andhumidity cancausethe flooring
to e:rpandor shrink slightly.
After the flooring stabilized,we
laid out a temporarybaseline18rl
out from the toekicks of the new
base cabinets, marking the floor
every few feet with a felt-tip marker. You typically want to lay the
planks parallel to the longest a:<is
- l'lailedorstapled
b subfloor
- Aailableinstip (2/2"-wlde)
andplank(3-10"-wide)
- Unfrnished
orprsfnishsd;
canbesanded
andrcfnlshed
Laminated Wood Flooring
- Fasbned
b subfloor
witl
glue,ord0ublo-faced
staples,
hpe
- Prcfinlshed;
canbesanded
andrcfinished
of the room and use the longest
(and straightest) wall to reference
your baseline.
With a baselineroughed out we
dry-fitted some planks to check
our pattern alignment (FigUre 2).
We also madesure the fnal row of
plankswouldbe at least2rrwidefor
both joint and visual sffength. If
necessary, shift your baseline
toward or awayfrom the reference
wall, then snapa chalkline to mark
your final baselineposition.
Flotten the Subfloor
Like most floor coverings,laminate
flooring needs to go down over a
smoothsurfacesuch as an existing
vinyl floor or plywood underlayment nailed over the subflooring.
But Bob'skitchenpresenteda prob
lem. It alreadyhad two layersof old
vinyl andunderlaymentthat created
a wary surtrace,so the old sfuff had
to come oul If we used standard
underlaymentwe'd wind up with a
gapbetweenthe floor andthe trim. Usea lewlingcompound
b fill inany
Establish
a baseline
alongthelongest,
straighbst
wall.DrySo we stipped the floor down to depressions.
Fedrerhe edges
ofhe com- fit he planlsbgefierb checkhe flooring
allgnment
and
the original planks and installed a pound
b rcduce
sanding
ftr it ddes.
b crcatehe proper
spacing
foranyinsetboden.
'W'orkbench
r September/October
1998
47
Pod First,rhen Plonks
Oncewe had the alignmentfigured
oul we picked up the test planks
androlled out awidth of foambacking pad the length of the room
Gf$re 3). Don't fustenthe pad to
the underlayment,since this will
Rollouta widhothe ba*irUpadandtrlt it b lerUhwih a
wldrq but he edges
utliUlolfr. Rolloutadditioml
bp.
don'torerlap
thern andlolnftan wth masldng
taythegrcoved
edgeoffte flrstrowof planlsaginsta
Remove
he cleatandfill in
cleatbckd alonghe baseline.
be oubideedgeoncehe rcstoffte floorisdown.
Applydueonlyb theedgB
andendgmva of
a plank.Thegluebdte nozlehelpsplacethe
ofSluein theioint,
coneclamount
48
affect the flooringfsability to floal
Subsequentwidths ofbacking pad
are tapedtogetheralongthe edges.
Wetansferred our baselinemark
onto the pad and tackeda sfaightedged ?x4 cleat to the floor along
the line. Then we dry-fittedthe frst
rowof planksend-toendagainstthe
cleat to determinehow long to cut
the last plank (figure 4).
Even thoqh the movement is
minimal, you need to allow some
room for the floor to float and
orpand.Placeatemporary%rltlfck
spacer between the wall and the
starting end of the frst row, and
leavea r/tt' gapat the oppositeend.
Cutting the planks produces
loads of fine dust, so I recommend
you set up your saw outside.Also,
make sure the saw blade's teeth
enter the top of the flooring (the
laminate face) to minimize chip
ping.Use a sharp,finetoothed carbide blade. If an edge does get
chipped,cut anotherplank and set
aside the damaged piece to be
ftimmed andusedelsewhere.
With the first row of planks dryfitted, take them apart and squirt a
liberal bead of glue in the end
grooves of the planks. Wilsonart
supplieswater-basedglue in bottles
thathavea spoutdesignedto fit into
the groove.Lay the planks back in
place and temporarily insert a
wedgeor pry-bar betweenthe wall
andthe endof the lastplankto force
the joints together and prevent
excess glue from forcing a joint
back open.As you fit the planks in
andbp
upttn pirtb usinga hammer
Tigl.rten
pingblod<
trds gooredb ptobctthebtUue
- $e MDForc dam4Bs
mily.
\U7orkbenchrSeptember/October
1998
place,wipe up any glue squeezeout
with adamp rag.
This F/Lwide flooring comes
packaged n 46V2il lengths, and
Wilsonart recommends offsetting
the endjoints on adjacentrows by a
minimum of 10il.Since we used a
fulllength piece to start the first
row, we cut the second course
starterta Mr/zx for al2n ofhet, then
followed with 22r/zx and lOYzrl
starters for the third and fourth
rows respectively.
We dry-fitted the secondrow of
planks, then applied glue to the
edgeandendgroovesofeachplank
as we installed them (FtgUre 5).
Tighten up the joints by tapping a
block held in placealong the edge
and end of the plank being glued
@gure 6). Onceeachjointistight
and the excess glue wiped up,
masking tape spanning the joint
lines will hold everything together
until the glue sets up, typically 45
to 60 minutes (Figure 7).
Becauseof the extensiveremodeling in the kitchen and entryway,
we plannedto install new door cag
ing on all but one doorway.Adding
casing after the flooring simplified
the processgreafly,butwe still had
to do a little fitting in andaroundthe
doorways (see Deali,ng with
Doorwaysand Casi.ng).
Add o Pollrern
An added twist in Bob's kitchen
was a squure field of flooring set
off by a border of darker laminate
(Figure 8). This pattern was rela-
wih a dampr4,
Wpeupanygluequeereout
afilm.Man-lg
anddnseit fui b awidleaving
bpehokbtheloinbwhilehe glueddes.
tively straighforward, but you can
mix and match square laminate
tiles with planks to create more
complexpatterns if you want.
The toughest part of creating a
pattern is cutting planks to precise
lengths. When you're fitting
trimmed pieces,even slight variations in length will result in gapsor
a visible shift in the pattern.Planks
must also be cut off squarely,so
checkeverycut.
planlacreatea squarcborderin themain
When you cut a field plank to Contrasting
Usethebitsupplied
bythemanufacturer
length, you'll be cutting off the kitchenarca.Suchpatterns
piece.
aresimpleto makebutrequire to cuta groove
in thetrimmed
Glue
tongue it needs to mate with the cuttingplank to precise
gaps.
lenghsto avoidcreating
thespline
in place,
theninsblltheplank.
border.Wilsonart offers a special
slotcutting bit and splines to take
care of this situation.We chucked
Wilsonart
(800) 710-8846
the bit in a smallrouter,madesome
test cuts in flooring scrapsto adjust
BHK of America
(800) 663-4176
the cutter to the right setting,then
slotted the end and installed the
Bruce Floors
(€00)722-4647
spline(Figure 9).
After completing the squareFormica
shapedborder of darker laminate,
(aoo)367-6422
we laid the remaining planks. We
M a n n i n g t o nM i l l s
had to rip the final row of planksto
@oo)443-5667
a narrowerwidth for a customfit.
Pergo
Drillpilotholesthroughthe laminate-covered
basemolding
(€00)337-3746
Finishing Up
andquarter-round
beforedrivingthefinishnails.Weuseda
lnoking at the completedflooring, nailsetto sinkthemjustbelowthe laminate
surface.
Bob noticedthat someof the joints
seemedslightlyraised.We assured
him, however, that there was no
causefor alarm. The water-based
glue causes the MDF to swell
Laying laminateflooringaround door- then glue the plank and tap it into
slightly, but the joints shrink back
ways isn't difficult - it just requires place with a tapping block.
to normalafterthe glue driescoma little planning. lf possible,consider
Where flooring runs past a doorway
pletely(in a weekor two).
r u n n i n g t h e p l a n k s l e n g t h w i s e opening, you'll need to trim the casWe usedmatchinglaminatecov- through the doorway and parallel ings so the flooring can slide undereredbaseboards
andquarter-round with the traffic flow. Notch the floor- neath without leaving an unsightly
fim to finish up the project.The
ing to fit around door framing. Testfit g a p . A h a n d s a w i s a l l y o u n e e d t o
laminate-coveredpoplar trim is
the piece by sliding it in from the end, accomplish this task.
impact resistant - although it
requiredus to drill pilot holes for
the finish nails(Figure 1O).
As we packedup our tools, Bob
and Barbara admired their new
floor.They appreciatedhow quickly
itwent downandcommentedonthe
conspicuousabsenceof any finish
fumes and the fact that they didn't
have to wait for a finish to cure.
After weeks of dust and makeshift
plankb fit arcundthe
Nobhan L.shaped
Totim dmr casing,laya pieceof floodnglamijamb.
meals,they were more than ready
glue,
door
Apply
slidetheflooringin
nab sidedom, onbp of a pieceof ba*ing pad.
to havetheir kitchenback.'E
fmmtheend,thentapit fimly intoplace.
Thenusea handsawb cuthe casing;,
Dealing
withDoorways
andGasing
\TorkbenchI September/October
1998
49
:.;i?r.
l'
I\a
BuyingAChainSaw
For mosthomeowners,
chain sawsbelongin that diffi,cult probably cover the purchase cost
(seeFelling a Tree Safely,page 56).
generators, Of course some situations might
tool categorythat alsoincludesair compressors,
Youmightnot require the skills or equipment of
or snowthrowers.
and maybebrushchippers
a professionalcrew.
useoneall thatoften,bwtwhenyoureallyneedit there's For your own work, we'll show
precious little else that will get the
job done. Rentalcenter equipment
providesan answerfor some,but if
their inventory and scheduledon't
cooperatewith the timing of your
emergency,you could be up youknow-which creek cryin'for a paddle. Besides, doesn't the closet
survivalist in you just want one?
Not to worry - the Workbench
staff feels your pain. That's why
we gathered a dozen saws, ranging in price from around $200$+OO,for a hands-on evaluation of
50
r September/October
1998
S7'orkbench
their features and performance.
The chain saws in this group, fitted with their standard 16rror 18rr
bar lengths, can down a sizable
tree or buck firewood to length,
and will also trim limbs and
brancheswithout wearing you out
from heavy lifting.
Even the lowest cost model
among these saws isn't inexpensive,but if the choice comes down
to tackling a tree removal with
your own saw or paying someone
else to do it, your sweat equity will
you the features on today's generation of chain saws, and the different ways various manufacturers
tackle the same problems. We'll
explain chain brakes, catchers,
and other safety features, plus
maintenancetasks such as chain
tensioningand air filter upkeep.
Does Size Motfer?
Stren you start shopping for a
chain saw, your initial temptation
may be to buy the biggest chainsaw you can afford, or to size it
Chain Saw Anatomv
NOTE:
Thelocation
andavailability
of
someof thesefeaturuor controls
will
varybysawmodelandmanufacturer,
hub
.-.- Bartipsprocket
accordlng to
the largest job you might tackle.
Better instead to plan around likely scenariosand regular use. Ifyou
neecla saw only for sectioningthe
occasionalfallen tree limb, choose
your weapon accordingly.There's
no sense paying for power you
clon't need or excess weight you
won't want to lug around.
Chain saws are sized by engine
displacement(statedin cubic inches or cubic centimeters) and also
by the bar lengths they accept,typ
ically ranging from \2t to 48tt.
Most manufacturersdon't publish
power output figures for chain
saws,and that's just as well - the
power rating claims you see on
some tools are equal parts horsepower and another horse product.
Generally speaking, though,
smaller engines produce less
power and are teamed with shorter bar lengths. (lncidentally, all
feature two-stroke engines that
burn a gas/oil mixture rather than
straight gas. They also have a
reservoir for a different kind of oil
to lubricate the chain and bar.)
The pros settle the size dilemma
by using a big chain saw (typically
with a 24tt to 36tt bar) to fell the
tree and buck the trunk to length,
then switch to a small saw (1211
bar) for limbing. For frequent treeclearing or cutting of assorted logs
or timbers, this is the way to go if
you can justi{y the added expense.
When you're buying only one saw,
however, you have to choose.
Midsize models offer a balance,so
that's what we rounded up (see the
specifications chart on page 55).
Airfiltercover
Handguard/chain
brakelever
Throttlelockbutton
(Usedfor startingonly.)
Recoil
starter
pull
Exhaust
mutfler
Throttle
safetylock
Bucking
spike
- Fuelfillercap
lftklback
zone
(lnside_
dotted[rne)
A rcmovable
covershields
thebarmount,
drive
sprocket,
andcluhh.Astheengine
rpm'srise
above
idle,theclutchengages
thechaindrive.
Theupperquadrant
oftheba/stip isthekickbackzone,
where
conbcting
anobjctcan
cause
thesawb lurchbackabruptly.
Thedain brake
larcrgebbumped
fuiwadby
yourwist if a kickback
lurchche barbnad
you.Youalsoenga$$e bnkeforsbting.
Thechaincatcher
isthereto snaga brcken
or
derailed
chain,prarenting
it fiomlashing
back
at$e operabr,
0nthisMakib,ifs a flatbar.
First lmpressions
Much to the relief of all the standing trees in our area,our evaluation sessionslasted only long
enoughto get a few solid impressionsof how eachof the test saws
behaved.Still, the hands-ontime
provedenlighteningand valuable.
Here,beginningwith the medium-
duty sawsaimed at home use, is
what we learned. The Poulan
2750, priced toward the lower
end of the group, surprisedjust
abouteveryonewith its tenacity.It
started easilyand didn't complain
whenwe ran it steadilyat high rpm
levels.lnw-end torque was a little
weak (typicalof enginesthis size),
W'orkbench
I September/October
1998
5r
Finda FitThatWorksForYou
Control:
Fingertip
Ergonomics and the placement of controls rank among
the critical features affecting a chain saw's safety, performance, and ease of starting. Make certain you can easily
reach the switches or levers and operate them comfort-
bulb,aflodble
Some
saurftabrca pdmer
pull
helpe
clearplastlc
caphat whenpressed
foreasiet
coldstatting,
fud Inbhe cylinder
ably without removing your hand from the grip (the primer
bulb is an exception here). Also, watch for switches that
could be accidentally triggered while you're cutting, either
shutting off the saw or locking the throttle open.
Location
ofhe oiloffsulibhisanimpothnt
(andpenonal)
Tryoutallhe
consideration.
glove.
yourwod<ing
contolswhileweadng
but it rewed happilywithout producing a lot of vibration. The
choke lever was easy to set, but
the onloff switchwasn'tas handy,
and it had a touch some of us
thoughtwastoo light. Our test saw
had no chain brake,but the company'sPoulanPro (yellow) series
doeshavesawswith this feature.
The Sears Craftsman sawhasa
similar look and feel, and it too
lacksa chainbrake.Surprise- it's
made by Poulan. These weren't
identical models, though. Our
Searssaw had a slightly smaller
engine,and featuredminor design
switchnearthumb)
Thefiiggerlock(orange
pailiallyopens
thethrottleto aidsbrting.You
fircs.
it immediately
oncetheengine
rclease
differences, including a filler cap
with the oil/gas ratio molded in handyl The consensuson this saw
was close to our take on the
Poulan -we11-mannered, and fine
for medium-duty cutting chores.
Our McCulloch 46OO test saw
had an unwelcome two lbs. on the
Poulan, though the engine displacement of the two saws was the
same. The tuning was different,
however, because the Mac pulled
much stronger at low rpm levels
and didn't seem as comfortable in
the scream zone. It was also a little
bulkier, but was ruggedly built,
reliable, and a very consistent
starter. The extra weight, unfortunately, kept this unit out of the contenders for limb sawing. With
more guts than finesse,it seemed
a sort of hybrid between a homeuse tool and a commercial-duty
saw,with a mid-range price.
The Homelite d385ob earns
points for coming standard with a
bar scabbardand a carrying case.
It's also the only noncommercial
model that had an inertia chain
brake. This type of brake stops the
chain if kickback forces the saw
back abruptly, regardless of the
position of the guard lever. The
brake can also be set manually.
r-l
The bulky housing on this saw
got a thumbs down, especially considering its relatively small engine.
Starting was easy,though, and cutting power respectable (if we kept
the engine speedup). A suggested
list price of $265 seems pricey, but
this saw package typically retails
for well under $200- a good buy
consideringthe extras.
the manualclearedup someof the
mystery.The full-downpositionon
the controllever setsthe choke.A
few pulls on the starter cord will
get the engine to burp, then you
switch to high idle to start. A few
seasonedStihl users confirmed
this sequenceworks.
Our other test saws were much
more forgiving of our starting
technique,though we had no complaints once we had the Stihls running. Both delivered healthy lowend power and kept vibration in
check, and the manuals were
detailed and fairly comprehensive.
The Makita DCSS2Oi showed
similar manners, perhaps because
it too shares German lineage.
(Makita is a Japanese company,
but its Sachs& Dolmar subsidiary
in Europe makes the chain saws.)
Our Makita test saw was fairly
light for its engine size, but didn't
feel like it - its wide bar made the
balance slightly front-heavy. The
overall feel was tight and solid, and
the motor pulled strongly from the
low end up. The word "workhorse"
aired several times when staffers
talked about this saw - not necessarily flashy, but reliable, with
good usable power and a tough
build. A certain Workbencheditor,
who shall remain nameless here,
dropped it six feet onto a blacktop
driveway, but the saw suffered
nothing but a few scuff marks. One
gripe - the kill switch toggle was
short and uncomfortable
Commerciol-Dufy
Sqws
The design and retail distribution
network of the other saws in our
test group clearly reflect the different market they're intended to
serve - professional users such
as tree service companies.
The cost differences aren't that
great in some cases,though, and
there's no harm in upgrading to a
heavy-duty saw ifyou can afford it.
Among the first saws we got in
were the German-madeStihls, fitted with a number of user-friendly
features such as tool-free accessto
the air filter. a sideaccesschain tensioner,an inertia chain brake, and a
drive sprocket mounted on the outboard side of the clutch (to make
chain inslallation and removal easier). A dual-ring piston is also standard, a feature that helps retard
wear and the loss of performance
due to reduced compression.
Unique to this product line is Stihl's
"Master Control Lever," which
groups the on/off switch, choke,
high idle, and run functions into a
single lever. A lot of attention went
into making the saws easy to ser- to use.
vice in the field, a plus for pro use.
Our sole complaint was that we
had fits getting the Stihls to start
consistently, but a phone call to a
company rep and a closer read of
--_3:_
Ghain
Adjustment
All manufacturers supply a combination
screwdriver/socketwrench for routine maintenance. Given the location of most chainadjustment screws, however, a conventional
screwdriver works better. For convenience,
Stihl's side-mounted adjustment is tough to
beat, especially the tool-free version.
Mostsawshave
thetensionadjustment
screwparallel
to
theblade,which
makesusingthe
T-handle
screwdrivera little
awkwad.
Relocating
the
adjustment
screwonthe
othersideof the
bladeimproves
access,
butit
doesntreally
solvetheproblementirely.
Sidemounted
adjustment
makestensioning
thechaineasier,
andavoidsthe
gunkbuildup
on
thebar,Some
Stihlsawsadjust
withouttools.
A pair of Husqvarna sawsrounded out our Europeancontingent.
From the country that brings you
SaabandVolvoautomobiles,these
Swedishsaws ooze the same nononsenseNordic philosophy.
Like the other manufacturers,the
Husqvarnafolks addressvibration
problems by isolating the engine
from the handleassemblywith rubber mounts or steel springs,but
their approach seems to allow a
freerfloatingsawheadthansome
others. Vibration levels
TheElecticAltemative
Electric chainsaws let you forget about mixing and storing fuel,
keeping an engine tuned, and breathing exhaust fumes. The
trade-offs? Reduced power, shorter bar lengths (most range from
1O" to 16"), and being tethered to an electrical outlet. Still,
they're convenient, quieter, lightweight, and typically cost a lot
less (from about $75 to $3OO). lf
you get a big gas chain saw for
heavy work, an electric can
make a nice limbing saw.
were nicely subdued, espe
cially on the model 55,
which had a throaty engine
with good low-end power.
\
The Husky peoplemake much
ado about their air injection sysThe JapaneseEcho CS-440O power-to-weightratio. Another
tem, which uses a fan on the
engine flywheel to divert wood sports a personalityvery different Japanesesaw, it seemedslightly
chipsand dust beforethe air flows from the Europeansawswe tried. beefierin the low rpm rangethan
into the filter.A local repair center It weighedin about the samebut the Echo, and startedas easilysaidthe systemis very effectiveat felt lighter, and most of its serious usuallythree pullsfrom deadcold.
prescreeningflying debris around power came from the upper rpm A twin-ring piston and chrome
the saw,but addedthat most saws range.We buzzedthe enginequite cylindermark the enginefor comhave some way to scrub the a bit, but vibration stayedat bay. mercialuse,and air filter accessis
airstreambeforeit entersthe filter. Like the Stihl engines,the Echo a no-tools-requiredaffair. Very
Starting was the typical "More powerplanthas a dual-ringpiston hiehly regarded by professional
users, the Shindaiwa'sreputation
gas!" ritual Europeantwo-strokes for better performance.
but it too prices
Safety features include Echo's is well-deserved,
demand,but the Huskies seemed
more willing to fire up than the removable Kick-Guard (a small out at the top of our testgroup.
German saws. Opinions on the metalnosepieceon the bar), and
Sizing Up rhe Field
controlswere mixed,andthe saws an inertia chain brake.The Echo
were slightly on the heavy side, was an easy,reliable starter,with Okay,soyou'vestayedwith us this
but the smoothpoweroffsetthose goodbalanceand maneuverability, far and now you want the goods.
complaints.Other considerations: but this sawtied for priciestof the Vlhich saw shouldyou buy?Keep
a thorough operator'smanual, a bunch. Perks include a detailed in mind the inescapablelogic of
'You get whatyou payfor" (mostly
lifetime warranty on the ignition, user manual/partslist and a lifetrue here). and understandthat
anda productlineof overtwodozen time warrantyon the ignition.
The Shindaiwa 488 cameto us these same manufacturersoffer
models- onlyStihloffersmore.
late in the game, but made dozensof othermodels.That said,
friendsquicklywith its healthy I'm happyto shareour findings.
0
I
Among the medium-dutysaws,
the Poulanproveditself the pick of
the litter. Its combinationof light
weight, easystarting,and healthy
power gave it a slight edge over
the smaller Sears saw and the
equally powerful but bulkier
Homelite and McCulloch saws,
andit's pricedvery competitively.
group is a
The commercial-duty
tougher call to make. Here the
preferencestended to sort themselves out by the balance and
powercharacteristics
ofeach saw.
Most everyoneliked the throaty
power of the Europeansaws,but
the occasionallytemperamental
starting of the Stihls and the
Makita did dampen enthusiasm
some for these models. The
Makita proved itself sturdy and
reliable,though,andthe Stihlsoutdistancedthe field with their list of
standard user-friendly features.
Preferencesamong professional
users vary some by region, but
tree servicecompanytrucks in our
area carry Stihls and Husqvarnas
like they're standard issue, certainly strong evidencethat both
these brands offer durabilitv and
reliableperformance.
The Echo and Shindaiwasaws
won convertsdespitetheir higher
cost. Both got votes for top picks
for their impeccablestarting manners,light weight,and balance.
Readyfor the biggestlessonwe
learned?It's this: whereyou buy a
chainsawis probablyasimportant
aswhich oneyou get. Iarge home
centers offer attractivepricing (on
sawsintendedfor home use) but
not much technical support. If
priceis the only issue,the decision
is half-madefor you.Spendinga little more at a specializedpower
equipmentshop,though,opensup
the choicesto include pro model
saws,and the dealerwill often set
up andtune the sawfor you before
it goes out the door.Maintenance
or help frorn a trained pro will
likely be in your saw'sfuture,
and it will pay to havethat
relationship.rE-
Chain
SawSpecifications
Manufaclure/
Modet Engine
Barlength WeighlApprox.
|
I
J
1
lConsumer
I Country
phone
number number
ranoe.
oforioin
{in.} (rbs').*
I
l;:i*ti I
| fi:1! l*'""tvtl
l(ttEE}lo
cs4400
(8OO)432-3246
d3850b 2.3(38)
l{omelite
(800)72s-9500
6 Husqvarna
18"
1 0 . 0 $200 1 year
1 3 6 2.2 (36) 12",16", 1 8 " o o
(800)487-5962
@Husqvarna
55
(800)487-s962
Itd
2.7(44) 1 6 " 1, 8 " , 2 0 . 10.2 $390 2 yearsr Japan
USA
$180 2 yearst Sweden
3.2(53)1 6 " 1, 9 " , 2 0 " 11 . 6 $340 2 yearst Sweden
(800)462-5482
DCS
3.2 (52) 1 s ' , , 1 8 " , 2 11' 0, . 0 $350
520i
1 year Germany
(800)423-6302
4600 2.8 (46) 1 6 . ,1 8 " , 2 0 " 11 . 9 $275
1 year
USA
$200
1 year
USA
11 . 5 $170
1 year
USA
Poulan
2750 2.8(46)16',,18",20'
(800)554-6723
SEAFS
358351161 2.4 (40)
@
16"
(800)235-5878
oo
shindaiwa
488
(800)521-7733
STIHL
025 2.7(44) 1 6 " , 1 g '
(800)467-8445
STTHL
1 0 . 3 $270 1 yearr Germany
029 3.5(s7)16",'l9",20' 13.2 $300 1 yeart Germany
(800) 467-8445
**
'
t
2.8 (48l, 1 6 " ,1 8 " , 2 0 ' 1 0 . 1 $390 1 year+ Japan
Boldnumeralsindicatestandardbar lenoth.
Dryweight= saw headonly;lessbar,chiin, fuelandoil.
Pricesshownmay vary from one retailerto anotherand may nol reflectseasonalpromotionsor otherdiscounts.
Lifetimewarrantyon ignition.
\
r<r
+-1-
Rlling aTiee Safely
Last October,the Midwestgot
reminderthat
an unwelcome
winterhadn'tforgottenabout
return triP.An
itsscheduled
blewacross
earlysnowstorm
the region,randomlydowning
power lines for hundreds of miles. It
wasn't wind that wreaked the
havoc, though. It was trees and
gravity, or maybe that old physics
rule that two objects can't occupy
the same space at the same time.
Until thatweekend, the fall weather
hadn't been cool enough to coax the
trees into their annualleaf-shedding
ritual, and when the heavy wet
snow descendedit clung to all the
foliage like spit on a dry sidewalk.
The weight proved too much for
a lot of stately old hardwoods.They
groaned complaints for a while,
then let go huge branchessuddenly
with loud cracks that penetratedthe
snowfall like rifle shots. Some weakened trees literally split through
their trunks and fell, inflicting
enough damage to cars and homes
in my town to make an insurance
claims adjuster teary-eyed.
There was no mistaking the lesson of that day - trees have power,
and pushed hard enough they will
move. \Mhen they do, that potential
energy becomesvery dangerous.
Storms bring trees down, but so
do people,and there's no less room
for caution and respectwhen you're
felling a fee deliberately.Here's a
look at some basic tools and methods to make it a safe experience.
Suit Up for Sofety
Chain saws are today's weapon of
choice for felling trees, and wearing protective clothing while using
one is essential. Quick, aggressive
cutting is what these tools are
designed for, so you have to think
56
1998
W'orkbenchI September/October
of safety items as necessities, not
luxuries.\44renyou buy a tool, you
often need to buy accessoriesthat
protectyou fr om it.
Starting at the top, you'll need a
hard hat. The $35 moclel I chose
has hearing-protectior.r
earmuffs
that lock out of the way when not
needed, plus a flip-up screen face
shield. Even with the screen,safety glassesare recommended.
A long-sleevcshirt helps guard
against poisonous plants, burns
fronr hot saw parts, and abrasions
fronr lcaves ancl limbs. Leather
gkrvcsltrotectyour handsfrorn the
saure hazards. I'addecl logger's
glovcs cost about $25,but stanclarcl
leatlier work gloves cost less ancl
still offer clecentprotection.(iloves
must fit well so you can work the
saw'scontlolswith a firm grip.
The most specializeditern I wear
are the loggc.r'schaps.If you accidentally cut through the cloth
outer layer, thc long nylon fibers
insiclt'jam a running chain almost
instantly. V-lu can also purchase
pants,a vest, or a shirt with similar
built-in protection. At about $65,
the chaps seem pricey only until
Tree Felling Site Plan
Primary
Escape
Route\.
zone
Clear
extends
50o/o
tree's
beyond
height.
of fall
Drive
iarget
stakeat
distance
equal
totree'sheight;
r
Secondary
Escape
Route
you think about the alternativea serious injury they could have
p r e v e n l e d .T h e r n o s l e x p e n s i v e
apparelitem - leather work boots
with a non-slip tread pattern and
steel toes - may alreaclybe part
of your D-l-Ywarrlrobe.
Think Before Cuffing
Before you even fuel up your chain
saw, stucly the tree and its surrour"rclings
very carefully (see Tree
Felling Site Plan). Examine it from
all siclesto deternine the natural
direction of lean, ancl make sure
you have enough clear space for
the tree to fall. (See Gauging a
Tree'sHeight for a reliable method
to check that clearance.)
Also, check the wind speed and
direction. Individually, a tree's
leavesor needlesappearsmall,but
multiplied by the thousands they
represent the surface of a giant
sail. If there's a wind strong
enough to sway the treetop especially against the desired
direction of the fall - postpone
the felling until the air calms.
lnok up into the canopy of the
tree for dead branches that are
broken or snaggedon lower limbs.
Gauging
ATree'sHeightWalkandGarry
a BigStick
A logging instructor recently
showed me a clever method to
gauge the height of a tree.
Here's a quick rundown of the
until the sighted height of the
tree (from the cut line up) matches the gauge stick. That makes a
proportional triangle, and you're
technique. First, you have to
make a gauge stick, marking its
length the same as your reach
(Figure A). When you hold the
stick in front of you, you create a
triangle with a base and height
that are identical (Figure B).
Then you walk forward or back
youram andnestan endof the
Extend
gauge
stickin yourarmpit.Markonthe
stickwhereyourthumbandpalmmeet.
Sightthetree,holdingyourarmlevel
andthestickvertical.
Alignthegauge
markwiththecut lineof thetree.
Movefonrad or backto mahhthetree
to thestick.You'tenowshndingat a
distance
equalb thetree'sheight.
standing about where the top of
the tree will hit (Figure C).
WorkbenchI September/October
1998
57
lnggers call these snags"widowmakers" with good reason.The
vibration from cutting can travel
up the tree and shakethem loose.
Limbs may alsobreaklooseas a
tree falls. and the frunk's momentum cancatapultthemforward.It's
a goodideato allowa clearzonein
addition to the minimum space
requiredfor the tree itself.The site
plan drawing also shows that you
need to clear two escaperoutes
when the tree beginsto fall. (Use
the secondaryrouteif the tree falls
in a directionyou didn't expect).
Clear a comfortable working
radius aroundthe tree - six feet
shouldbe enough.Chop through
any vinesclingingto the tree, and
remove them from the trunk at
least6rraboveandbelowthe notch
height. Otherwise,the vinescould
interfere with the intendeddirection of the fall. And while you're
cleaning up the trunk, cut away
anylow limbs that are in your way.
A Gluick Overvtew
BeforeI get to the details,I cansum
up the stepsthat bring a fee down.
First, you'll drive a target stake
into the ground to mark the spot
where the tree top will land.Then
you'll make two angledcuts, creating a notch that facesthe stake.
Moving to the oppositeside of
the fee, you'll make a horizontal
back cut, stopping short of the
notch to create a wood "hinge"
that folds over asthe tree falls.
The hinge is at the heart of the
entire techniquebecauseit keeps
the tree tethered.Without it, you
have almost no control over the
direction of fall nor any way to
keep the end of the trunk from
bouncingviolentlysidewaysor up.
The notch created also provides
clearancefor the trunk to closein
on itself as the hinge bends.You
get the tree moving by driving a
wedge into the back cut. Gravity
doesthe rest.
Notching the Tree
When your site's prepared and
you're in your safetygear,you can
start the chain saw and make the
two notch cuts in the trunk.
Remember,the notchweakensthe
trunk and must face the direction
you intendto fell the tree.
Stand next to the tree and rest
the bar on the trunk (Figure 1).
Many saws,like the Stihl I used,
have a felling sight that runs
acrossthe saw'shousingat 90' to
the bar.If your sawdoesn'thavea
sight, you can create one with a
felt-tip marker or sometape.Align
the sight with your target stake,tilt
the bar forward 45', then rev the
engine and pull the saw into the
funk (Figure 2). Stop when you
areabout% of the wayinto the tree.
For the lower cut, tilt the bar up
at 45"(Figure 3). Make sure that
this cut meetsthe upper cut precisely, creating a straight front
edgefor the hinge (Figure 4).
nodto thetrceandfacing
to cutthenotchbystanding
withthetarget Prepare
Alignthesaw'sfellingsight(blacklineonhousing)
angle.
sbke,Holdthesawat a 45"downwad
thetarget
one.
stake.
Usetapeora pento adda sightif yoursawlacks
Thelowercutof thenotchslopesupwadat about45'. Make
surethattheendsof theupperandlowercub meetexactly.
58
1998
\Torkbenchr September/October
Fromthefiont, the notchis about80%of the tree'sdiametel.
Frcmtheside,ib depthis about16of thetree'sdiameter.
A horizontal
linescoredintothebarkjoins
thetwotipsof thenotch.Thislinehelps
youguidethesawduringthefullingcut.
Drive
a wedge
inthebackcutassoonas Whenthetreeis downandyou'rctrimming
a limb
youcan,Finish
cutting
thehinge,
remove thatwillfallfiee,cutpartway
through
fromthebotsaw,thenpundthewedge
to droptree. tomupto prcvent
a split,thenfinishwitha topcut.
Moke the Bqck Cuf
Prepthe backcut by scoringa horizontal guideline around the tree
(Figure 5). This line, an inch or
two abovethe creaseof the notch,
helpsyou keepthe backcut level.
Move to the sideof the tree and
begin the back cut directly opposite the notch.Refercontinuallyto
the scored line to keep this cut
level. Advance the saw straight
toward the notch so the hinge's
width decreasesevenlyacrossthe
tree.Stayalert - the tree canstart
falling at anytime.
As soon as the trailing edge of
the chain saw'sbar is an inch or
two into the trunk, insert a plastic
fellingwedgeinto the backcut and
give it a coupleof healthywhacks
with a mallet or a sledgehammer
(Figure 6). (Don't use a metal
splittingwedge- it will dull your
saw'schaininstantlyif you hit it.)
Advancethe back cut until the
hinge width is approximately7ro
of the tree'sdiameter,thenturn off
the saw and remove it from the
cut. Put the sawout of the way so
it won't block either escaperoute.
Hammer the wedge until the
tree startsto drop.For a largetree,
you may want to alternatehits on
two wedges.When the tree starts
to move, get out of the way.The
trunk can split or bolt backwardif
the canopy hangs up, so don't
linger. Drop your mallet and walk
15 or 20 ft. down your escape
route. You'll be safer and have a
clearerview of the fallingtree.
A tree that doesn'tfall completely createsa potentiallyhazardous
situation, becauseit can move
unpredictablyand without warning. You may need a professional,
who will probablyuse a winch to
pull it down. Until help arrives,
neverleavethe tree unsupervised.
Rerrerse
theprccedure
whena logissupported
at both
ends.
Thistime,cut16intothebp, thenfinishfiom
below.
Thiswillkeepthebarfiombinding
inthekerf.
You can buck (crosscut) logs
with a top cut (Figure 7) or a bottom cut,but mostof the fime you'll
use both. For example,when the
wastepiece can fall awaycleanly,
cut r/z of the way with a bottom
cut, then finish from above.When
Cur lr Up, Move lt Our
a log is supported at the ends
When the tree is safely on the (Figure 8), avoidpinchingthe bar
ground, remove the limbs, work- by cutting 7s of the way from the
ing from the bottomof the tree up. top, then finish with a bottomcut.
Standuphill of the trunk and cut
Remember- first think, then
limbs on the oppositeside.
cut. That's the key to safety.tE-
Knowing
YourTree(andYourLimi$)
lf you ever stacked logs from a
freshly cut tree, you know how
heavy green timber is. So it won't
surprise you to learn that even a
safely and drop it where you want
it, call a professional tree service.
Trees close to buildings or power
lines are obvious pro jobs. The
modestly sized tree can outweigh a
car. And with no steering wheel to
guide its fall and no brakes to stop
it, a tree can be more dangerous.
So if you're not absolutely confident in your ability to fell a tree
same goes for large dead or hollow
trees (a bell-shaped flaring of the
root base is often a telltale sign).
Trees that lean heavily or grow
on slopes may be the most deadly,
because they conceal enormous
uneven stresses that keeo them
standing. Cutting into one can
unleash those forces explosively.
Even fallen trees sometimes harbor these "spring-loaded" stresses.
Finally, if you're a beginner, limit
yourself to trees with a diameter
smaller than your chain saw's bar
length. Felling larger trees is possible but requires more expertise.
'Workbench
r September/October
1998
59
Stow-AvryStorage
Thisstoragesystemtakesaduan- held in the closed position by 2rl
bolts.
spacein barrel
tageof thelast wnused
I started by cutting the plywood
my basement
shop-
betweenthe
exposed
floor joistsoaerhead
giaingmeouerfiuemorecubic
feet of conaenientstoragewhereI
previouslyhad none. The simple
systemconsistsof 32rlthick birch
plywood frames that hold clear
plasticlidded tubs that keep their
contentscleanand visible. 0 used
Sterilite 75-qt.,#1754.purchased
at a local departmentstore.)The
frames swing on spring-loaded
hinges for easy access,and are
60
1998
\Torkbench
r September/October
frames to size (Stow-Away Storage
Construction View). Mine are
141l+rrwide to fit between 16rroncenterjoists. This spacedictatedthe
widest tub I could use.
The tubs I chose (and most
of the others I saw) have small
ledges on each end. Size the frame
openings so the tubs slide in to
this depth and the ledges rest on
the wood frame (Frame Detail).
Drill 32rr-diameterholes inside
the corners of the layout lines, then
cut the openings using a jig saw
(Figure 1). Next, ease the sharp
edgesby routinga Yrrrroundover
on all the frameedges.
Mark hinge-mountinglocations
on eachframe,and drill pilot holes
for #10" %rllong pan-headsheet
metalscrews.But don't mountthe
hinges to the framesyet. Instead,
drive the screwspartwayinto the
holes for now. You'Il secure the
framesto the hingeslater,afterthe
hingesarein placeon thejoists.
Install the barrel bolts near the
other end of eachframe.Note that
they're positioned on the face
oppositethe hinge screws.
With the framescomplete,mark
the positionof onehinge on a joist
(Mounting Detail). Useaframing
#10 x 5/a"pan_head
sheetmetalscrew
Stow-Away Storage
Construction View
,0,',)'-,ouoro'
hinges
'>,t
S T o W - A W AS
YT o R A G E
3%"
A kit hasbeenassembled
for this project
that includesthe springhinges,barrel
bolts,andall mountingscrews
to buildoneoairof frames.
Drill3/+"-dia.
holesat
c0rners.
O r d e r n u m b e r 1 1 3 0 8 1 0 .0. . . . . .S. .1 7 . 9 5
To order,callWorkbench
at (8O0)31l-3994.
square to transfer this location to
the adjacentjoist (Figure 2). Then
drill pilot holes ancl fasten the
hinges by driving #6 x lrl.rrr-long
flat-headsheet metal screws.
Mount the frames on the hinges
by slipping the screws you partially drove earlier into the hinge keyhole slots.Swingeach frameup to
make sure it clears the joists.
Adjust the positionof the framesas
necessary,then fully tighten the
hinge screws.
Mark where each barrel bolt contactsthe joist, and drill a.%rr-diame
ter x 3/srt-6""phole in the joist.
Frame
i\f"
u
When I started building this simple systern,I
knew it would help ease
my slorage problems.
As I loadedeachtub and
stowedit away,though, I
was amazed by the
amount of stuff the system can
hold. Granted, this isn't the place
to store an anvil collection - I'd
keep the load on each frame under
25 lbs., and make sure to support
each frame as you swing it down.
Layoutthetubopenings,
thendrilla holeat
eachcorner.
Cuttheopenings
usinga jig saw,
thenrouta %" roundover
onall edges.
t
[^
lnr"
f<l
14Y4
IY
v
Mounting Detail
Subfloor-)
Drill%"-dia.hole,3/a"-deep
injoist.
But now in a spacethat was olherwise wasted, I've stasheclthe seldom-usedstuff that had filled several shelves to overflowing. The
system works so well I'm building
more for my garage. tEil-
Aftermarking
thehingelocation
drawa lineto
thebottomedgeof thejoist,thenusea framing
joist.
square
to tnnsferthismarkto theadjacent
l:
r_\
r." .1,.'\
NewToolOfferings
Festo Brings Euro Influence to America
AmericanMichael McGibbonhas over 35
yearsexperiencein the construction
trades,with 14 of thoseyearsspentliving
andworking in Paris,France.While
there he took particularliking to portable
powertools from a Germanmanufacfurer
calledFesto.McGibbonfound these
portabletools rivaledthe precisionof the
stationarymachinesin his workshop.
When McGibbonmovedback
to the U.S.he decidedto import
Festotools,forming a company
calledToolguideCorp.The
companysells14 Festotools,
includingjig saws,sanders,
cordlessdrills, circularsaws,
and routers.
The OF 1000router offersall
the expectedfeatures- variablespeed,fine depthadjust-
ments,andturret stops- plus integral
dust collectionand a uniqueguiderail
system.The rail aligns the bit with a layout line andhelpsproducestraight,
accuratecuts.The OF-1000sellsfor
around$330with the guide.
Festo'sAT 65 E (772r)circularsaw
featuresplunge-cuttingcapabilitywith
control,integraldust collecdepth-of-cut
electronic
brake.The saw
tion, and an
works with the sameguide systemas
the router to give accurate,splinter-free
cuts.Ifs not an averagesaw as reflected
in its $55Gpluspricetag (including
guide rail).
Pricesfor someFestotoolsmight
seemhigh, but if you long for stationary
tool performancehigh performance
from portabletoolsthey may be worth a
look. CallToolguideat (888)337-8600.
Maldta Rolls Out Next Generation Ni-MH Cordless Drills
One of the big newsmakersat last
year'sNationalHardwareShowwas
the alliancebetweenEnergizerPower
Systems(the pink bunny people)and
MakitaU.SA The companiesworked
togetherto developa new generation
of batterypacksfor cordlesstools.
Made with nickel metalhydride
cells (Ni-MH),this batterytypecould
eventuallyreplacetoday'snickel cadmium (Ni-Cad)batteriesasthe pre
ferred powersourcefor cordless
drills and saws.
Comparedto Ni-Cadbatteries,NiMH cellsoffer higher powerratings
(2.2amp/hotrs versus2.0
amp/hoursin the SuperHigh
CapacityNi-Cadcells) at a lower
werght.And sincethey don't contain
cadmium,they're alsomore environmentallyfriendly.
Now Makita hasintroducedthe first
Ni-MH-poweredtools- two 3/a[drills.
Both the l4.4.volt6233DWBEandthe
12-volt6213DWBEhavekevless
62
chucks,l&
positiondrive clutches,
and eachcomeswith two batteries,a carrying case,and charger.The
chargerhandlesboth Ni-MH and NiCadbatteries.
Makita also offers Ni-MH packsto
fit their existingdrills in 14.+V,lz-V,
and 9.GV"pod" and "stick" styles,.
Pricesfor the drills and batterieswill
run LG20%
higher than equivalent
Ni-Cadversions.
In tests.the Ni-MH drills
droveabout50 more 2rl
drywall screwson a single
chargethan the samedrill
with a Ni-Cadpack (349vs.
296),a boostof about17%in
total run-time. You can
contactMakita at
(800)462-5482for
moreinformation.
W'orkbenchr September/October1998
Skil Introduces a New Power Plane
Thesedaysit seemsthere'san electric-poweredversionof almostevery
tool, includingthe hand plane.One of
the latestpowerplanesis the 1555
Planefrom Skil PowerTools(a division of S-BPowerTool Co.).It hasa
4amp, 15,00Grpmmotor that
turns solid carbide,
reversible
cutting
biades.Other
featuresinclude
\7/sztt-wide
rabbet-
the shoeto protectthe bladewhile
not in use,and on-toolbladewrench
storage.The 1555Planeretailsfor
around$70.ContactSB PowerTools
or on the web at
at (800)301-8255,
www.skiltools.com.
ing capacity,a support that raises
Delta Draws Dust
Delta'snewestadditionto its line of
dust collectorswasdesignedwith
smallshopsin mind.To that end,
the companyput the model50-840
collectoron swivelcastsingle-stage
ers, makingit easyto wheelfrom
machineto machineas needed.
Unlike someportables,though,the
Deltahas a l-hp motor that runs on
115or 230volts.The motoris partneredwith a steelimpellerto produce650cubicfeet per minute
(CFM) of air velocity.A finnedaluminumhousingkeepsthe motor
cool during extendedperiodsof use.
The collector'slower bag holds
2.1cubicfeet of dust and shavings,
and the upper (filter) bag is ratedat
30-microns.Deltaalsoprovidesa S
flexiblehose.
ft. length of 4rr-dia.
Youcan contactDeltaat (800)4382486,or checktheir web site at
The
www.deltawoodworking.com.
model50-840
shouldcarry
a streetprice
of around
$230.
\rI
Wolfcraffs 5-in-1 Forsftrer Bit Set
The ideabehindthis designis that
by usinglesssteelthan wouldbe
neededto makefive individualbits,
the #7650set canbe producedmore
and in turn sold at a
economically,
lower price.Retailcostfor the set is
around$40.
The set is madein Germanyfrom
high speedsteel,andincludesheads
with diametersof 32rr,7/ar,lr,lr/at,
and 13lsrr.
Steelqualityand machining
are goodfor a lower-pricedbit set.
The shearanglesof the cutting edges
are steeperthan on someForstners
IVe used,but the bits still cut clean,
flat-bottomedholes.
A nice touch in the set'sdesignis
the round shankatopeachdrill head
that slipsinsidethe hollowed-out
lower portion of the shaft.This preventsthe headwobblethat might
If two headsare better than one,are
five headsbetter still?Thafs apparenfly occurif only the mountingthreads
engagedthe shaft.You'llfind the
what the folks atWolfcraftbelieve,as
#7650ForstnerBit Setin hardware
evidencedby the new#7650Forstner
storesandhomecenters.Or call
Bit Set Its singleshaftacceptsfive
Wolfcraft at (630)773-4777.
different Forsbrerbit heads.
64
1998
r September/October
\Torkbench
'ffip
EE
I
Craftsman
Compact Welder
If you'veeverwantedto own a welder,
but thoughtyou'd haveto buy a lot of
expensive,complicatedequipment,
then you'll want to checkout the new
Craftsman8GAmpGaslessWireFeed
Welder.This compactunit could make
weldingpracticalfor us doit-yourselfersandwelderwanna-bes.
Unlike traditionalgasfedwelders
that requirea torch androd,this unit
operateson llGvolts, andweldswith
wire thafs automaticallyfed through
the weldinggun asyou work. It draws
just lFamps,but producesSGamps
of
outputpower.Four settingsallowyou
to regulatethe welder'spowerto match
the needsof your weldingjob.Youcan
weld steelasthick as3/rorr
andasthin
as l&gauge.
Weighingin at only 31pounds,the
welder is easyto carry and store.All of
you'Il needto get startthe accessories
ed areincluded.There'sa full face
shield,weldinggun andtips,a ground
clamp,anda spoolof fluxcorewelding
wire. A two-yearfull warrantyandfive
yearlimited warrantycoverthe welder,
whilethe weldinggun andcablescarry
a one.year
warranty.
You'llfind the 8GAmpGasless
Wire
FeedWelderfor 5199.99
in the
CraftsmanHandandPowerTools
Catalog.Call (800)377-7414.
WoodysdJs...66Why
settlefor
economicalsandpaperwhen
you can get industrial-grade
sandpaper at competitive prices"
SaveUp to 45%
Aluminum oxide sanding belts
Discs. w & w/o vacuum holes
Pliees/belt
Grit slze
hcddtsc
PSA
Yelcro
.10 60
slze
E0 lfi) to 220 Grtt 8{l lfiI-400
80 l{X}-400
I x 30 $ 0.80 0.80 0.80
5" $ 0.19 0.18 0.22 0.20
I x42 $ 0.80 0.80 0.80
3 x 2l $ 1.00 0.95 0.90 0.85
3 x2A $ 1.05 1.00 0.95 0.90
4x24 $ 1.50 1.35 1.25 l.l5
4 x 36 $ 2.35 2.25 r.85
135
..f.119.
$ i.s9..3,7.0..?,Iq.
. . ?.19
Sanding Sheets - prices/S sheets
Aluminum oxide (A/0)
Silicon carbide (SiC)
HeaW iluty paper
WeUdry paper
Grtts
60
80 llX) to 320
100
120
180
4tlzxlt/z $0.75 0.70 0.60
$ 0.60 0.55 0.45
3zlzx9 $ 1.00 0.90 0.80
0.80 0.70 0.60
9 x I I $2.50 2.25 2.00
Z.OO r.75 1.50
Fledble ClothA./0
Finishing SiC
Grits
60 80 llXl to 400
4rlzx5r/z$ 1.05 0.90 0.75
2zhx 9 $1.40 | .20 I .00
? 1.1! $119..1,q9.
. . ?iQ
80to 320
0.40
0.50
!,?!.. ..
220 to 1200
0.40
0.50
1.25
Sandpaper
bargain box (odd
sizesbut good)
$upound!
i Visa, Mastercard, money order, check <) Minimum order $20.00
a Order shippedsameday received
Woody'sWorkshop
www,woodysworkshop. com
Dept. WO . 1012 E. Wabash. O'Fallon, MO 63366 ) Toll-free I-800/869-7338
66
ProductInformationNumber212
- $6,539Pckgs.incl.steelframes,
27'x48'
$lz,760value
Someothersizes
avulableatloWR nices
galv,sheeting,
endwalls,
trim & complete
assembly
instructions.
. 16 ContemporaryColors To ChooseFrom
. I.C.B.O.ApprovedManufacturingTo Government
Specifications
. Clear SpanWidths From 18'-80' - Heights& Lengths
AdiustableTo Meet Your Needs
ffi nnffrETnilffis'
1-s00-6
63-0553
FtX612-544-1835
wBEN
Productlnformation
Number195
Products
For)burHome
Home Director Controls Ligflrts, Appliances Via Computer
When home automationsystemswere
inffoduced, I was intrigued by their
ability to run all typesof household
devicesautomatically.Unfortunately,
many of these early systemswere
overly complex,expensive,and not
alwaysreliable.As
technologyhas
improved,how-
ever,home automationhardware and
softwarehavebecomesimpler,more
dependable,
and more affordable.
HomeDirectorfrom IBM representsthis new generationof home
automation.This systemruns on any
386or higher Windows-based
PC
(sorry Mac users),and sendssignals
to various controllers that operate
lights, switches,and appliancesusing
your home'sexistingwiring.
The basickit, at around$100,
includesthe software,a PC
interface,one light controller,
lul applianceconfoller,
r
A ^ andamulti-function
remoteconfrol.
Additionalcontrollers,
switches.and accessoriesare also
available.
Connectthe
interfaceto your
computerand it
storesthe commandsyou program, running
Nail-by-Number Building Panels
WheneverI've installedwall, roof,
or floor sheathing,my biggestchallengehasbeendriving a fastener
into the studsor joists hidden
beneaththe sheel I've either
markedguidelines on the sheathing or useda hit-and-missapproach.
To eliminatethesehassles,the
folks at LouisianaPacific (LP)
haveinkoduced new Visual
Precisionplywoodand oriented
strandboard (OSB)panels.Each
panelhas a grid paintedon one
surfacethat dividesthe sheetinto
ilr increments,with markings that
indicatecommonconstruction
divisions,such as on-centerstud
or joist spacing.
68
Visual Precisionpanelswere
originallydesignedfor buildersand
confactors to reducelabor costs
and improvebuilding quality.For us
doit-yourselferswho may not be
ableto divineproperfastenerplace
ment as easilyas a professional,LP
alsowill offer the productat home
centersin someareasandmay
expandavailabilityin the future.
The VisualPrecisiongrid is
availableon a range of OSBand
plywoodfloor, roof, and wall
sheathingpanels.Expectpricesfor
VisualPrecisionpanelsto be about
10%higher than comparableLP
panelswithout the grid. Call
LouisianaPacificat (800)82&8436.
W'orkbenchr September/OctoberI 998
the systemevenwhen your computer
is turned off ftattery backupstores
your programif powerfails). Plug a
light or applianceconfoller into any
wall ouflel and plug the deviceto be
controlledinto it. The contoller
receiveshigh-frequenryradio signals
from the interface,meaningno addi'
tional wiring is necessary.
By clicking on-screeniconsyou can,
for example,hrrn on, furn off, or dim a
lamp.You can do the sameusing the
remote,which will alsowork with your
TV, VCR and satellitesystem.
Where the systemshinesis running routines.You program times for
itemsto turn on and off, dim, etc.,
then downloadthe information to the
interface.The systemcan evenmonitor how you useconnecteddevices,
then devisea customprogram for
you. You can also set up dusk-to-dawn
running of exterior lights, and control
HomeDirectorby telephoneusing an
optionalinterface.ContactIBM at
(800)42G7235,or on the web at
www.pc.ibm.com/homedirector.
Spiral Stairs in a Kit
Mud in a Tube
ffyou'd like to add a secondstairwayin your
home,but conventionalstairsjust won't fit,
spiral stairs offer anotheroption. But if youVe
ever shoppedfor spiral stairs,you know that
custom-builtunits can be expensiveand difficult to install. Building your own spiral stakcasefrom scratchis a complicatedprocess,
but for doit-yourselfers,there's a new route;
Albini and FontanotSpiral Stair Kits.
Albini and Fontanot basedin Rimini,Italy,
has sold stair kits abroadfor years,and is now
offering three kits in the UnitedStates.The
one outdoorandtwo indoor modelscome
ready-toassemble,
with a centersupportcolumn, stair treads,railing, landing,andbalus
ters.Varying ceilingheightsare accommodated by using different numbersof risers and
treads,andthe stairwaysinstallwith either a
clockwiseor counterclochriserotation.
Kit pricesrangefrom around$1,000to
$2,200.For more information,or to locatethe
dealernearestyou, call Albini and Fontanotat
(888)782-4758
or visit their web site at
www.iper.netlalbini-fontanot.
Drywall joint compoundis great for
making repairsto drywall or plaster.
Unfortunately,the smallestcontainers availableusuallyhold a gallon,
so you often haveleftovers
that dry out and go to
waste.Now United States
Gypsum(USG)has intro
ducedSheetrock
LightweightTbuch-Up
Compoundin 10.$oz.
cartridges.Slipone
into your caulking
gun, andyou can
applythe compound
exactlywhere ifs
needed.Evenifyou
haveextra,the
small sizeminimizeswaste.
Cartridgessell
for around$2
each.CallUSG
at (800)87M968.
utionary"2-ln-1"
RIMMER/
MOWER
Thks theplace of bothyour hand-hcld
timmer and *eel-bladedmower!
DROTRIMMERA{OWER"
Iightasafeatherontwo
BIGWHEEIS! TRII\4Sfareasier.
r, more precisely than handtrimmers. Plus MOWS
:verythingfrom wholelawns
evenwet!)to tough,waist-high
with ease! Rocks. roots.
erc..do it no harm because
has no steel blade to
ordull. PerfectforALL
and trimming around
properties, vacation
etc.,or for finish-up
and
imming after
mowers
onlargerparcels.Adelight
for anyone
MADE
IN USA
Hehing You Becomea BetterWoodworker
HouteNct
--lt---
detailed
tool
Weprovide
specs.
usef
ul techniques,
descriplions,
of
aswellasa schedule
seminars.
educational
AllAbout Your
Home & Gqrden
CallforFREEcatalog
ui==1-888.500'4466
Do ltYourselfers
^t)!
Gnrrlaninn
us on the Internelat
Number183
ProductInformation
Fnihr,ci^<tc
Itr/AGNER
fit
:F
Hintsond Tips
SAFE.T.PtANER'
,npotrtbla b gnb or
klck D'dt. .. Abtotubry Stlol
For Drlll Prcr or lrdhl Su
LiveChotRooms
Visit us fodoyl
wvwv.housenet.
com
AOLKeyword:
housenet
A r€volu0onry
rolry woodphnr - Roqukr|m .hDorrbr6l-upl
Drlll.Preu f,lt
S42oo
Fib my l2'
CapacityChuct
Radlal Saw f,lt
$45'
Pdde
Mrke. Model & Shaft Size Dia
,5N S&H , Ouhlde USAadd $5.N . 0K R6i&nb N! Stl6 TG
Kit includeE:3 Hispeed Steel Cutters, SharD€ning Tool5 &
Photo Insbuc{ons. Thousands in use! Order direcl or through
catalog and stor€s. Satisfaction Euaranteed or your money back!
G&W TOOL. lNC.
i?5"?,1'!,S?^16i
@3''&EoI':F;,ffic,I"Yb'?f
70
\Torkbench r September/October1998
Number181
Productlnformation
Troy-Bilfs 2-in-1 Tiller
If youVe got a big tilling job there's no substitute for a powerful rear-tinetiller. But for
tasks like cultivating or weedinga garden, a
front-tine machineis more maneuverable
and usuallyeasierto seearound.Most of
us, though,can'tjustify owningboth types.
Combinethem into one
machine,and
you'd havea versatiletiller.
GardenWay,the
manufachrrerof
o
Troy-Bilt equip
ment,hasdonejust
that and dubbedthe
combinationmachine
the VersaTiller.
In rear-tinemode,
the tiller is self-propelled,andthe tines
rotate counterto the
wheelsfor serious
digging power.
Deeplytreadedpneumatictires provide additional traction.
Pull a releaseand spin the handlebars
around,and you're set for front-tine operation. The wheels aren't driven in this mode,
but the rotating tines pull the tiller along.
You can removethe tine coverfor a better
view during front-tine operationand differential steering allowsfor precise sidetoside
control. Handleheight is adjustableto
accommodate
short or tnll gardeners.
ln either mode,you can adjusttilling width
po Tr/zrt-l2rr,
and tilling depthis up to 11'r.
Poweris suppliedby a 4cycle, $hp
Tbcumsehengineand a worm-gearffansmis
sion.A primer bulb helpsensureeasystarting. VersaTillerweighs in at approximately
125pounds.
Optionalaccessories
includea border
edger and an aerator,plus a soon-tobe
releaseddethatcher.The VersaTillerretails
for a suggested$799.Call Troy-Bilt at
(800)82&5500for additionalinformation.
BuckboardBenchKat
BeA Jurniture&
Cobineltloker!
(Real
Springs)
'100pogeRlLL
Train at home in
your spare time
for an exciting
new career.
Design and build
your own beautiful furniture -
Kit includes:
Authenticallydesigned
steel springs that give
a little. steel arms and
backrails,completehardwareand full-sizeplans
with detailed instructions.
42"Lx22"W,18"Hto Seat, 30" to Back
Prlc€:$496(Quantitydiscountsavailable)
Prc-cui & drlll€d oak: $7ODAdditional
work for an established woodworking business or
start one of your
own!
Complete program includes professionalquality tools from Craftsman@and Stanleyo,
plus instructional videos!
The RoudebushCompany
State -
-
PO Box 348A, Star City, lN /t6985
Zo
800-847-4947
MC acceDted. Price includes shiooino UPS
ProductInformation
Number200
ProductInformation
Number191
iloil CoupnDelow
forIRII tcds0r (oll ldFtree:
3.?-4
|'8OO'595-55O5 err.
e425
FUR}IIIURE
* !l
N * RESTORE
Call Anvtime -
l,mffiN
lffiI
YESIi'itr#X"fi
iffi ;";n*
"t'J##l
Fumiture& CabinetMaker.There'sno obligation
'.
Wth wr stercil systms
6 vidco, anyore able to trte lines
in just abut atty ruttri4l uithin
Name
ULTRASPEEDPROD
18500
18s00E.ASCHOFF,
ASCHOFF,
TI"GZAG
OR97
ZSQz
s03-6224387FA$l# -ezz-s
zsz
Citylstate _
Phone (
www.mornet.comffi.ftaspeed
'170 for
for handpiece.
handpiece,
foot
foot contrdl,oair
contrdllai; filter.
$170
filter.video.
vi
2
ProductInformation
Number192
burs, lubrication, itencil sampli and bur catalo!.
Or sendrefundable$14 + $3 shippingfor video
ProductInformation
Number207
Age -
ADt. #
Street
lfiffi,rd,F-*iiH.iffiiN
'.i
;'63-i$$-i?itl
i il'iftlilEff'ffii'
lxryW
24 hours a dav. 7 davs a week
ffi
ffi
I
w.v
Zip _
)-
(onespardane
Internotirnol
Sdrools
nBmce
&companv
E it^T"lr-"::::'u
oaksrfeer,
Scranton,PA 18515
"r3l,fYir*?25
ProductInformationNumber 186
$?'orkbenchr September/October1998
I
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