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Y
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WOODWORKER"
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
Teak orch Glider
By Bert Taylor
What better way to spend a
summer evening than in this
porch glider for two.
14 A Chippendale Mirror Frame
By Chris Inman
Reproduce this classic piece
from the high period of
American cabinetmaking.
18 Make A Continuous Grain Box
By Randy Johnson
Fire up the bandsaw and learn the
trick to continuous grain boxes.
2 Today's Wood
Mahogany: an unexpected
treasure.
3 On the Level
Will your work be featured in
Reader's Gallery?
4 Tricks of the Trade
Homemade Solutions.
5 Hardware Hints
Hardware for the home office.
17 What's in Store
Hugh Foster reviews Sakura
scroll saws.
21 Finishing Thoughts
Minor repairs with
shellac sticks.
22 Yesterday's Woodworker
Drew Langsner discusses
Scandinavian style spoon
carving.
24 Reader's Gallery
The fine woodworking
of the Roberto-Venn School
of Luthiery.
(Photography by Scott Jacobson)

r TODAY'S WOOD
Honduras Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
When New World explorers landed on the shores of
Central America in search of bounty for their home-
lands, they discovered an unexpected treasure. By the
early 1700s, shiploads of mahogany were being sent to
the old country, where it had caught the fancy of
Europe's royalty and upper classes.
Central American grown mahogany, which consists of
several species commonly referred to as Honduras
mahogany, is still an excellent wood for today's wood-
worker to discover. The grain, which can
grow in a straight, interlocked or irreg-
ular pattern, offers some attractive
surprises.
Mahogany is a "friendly" wood to
use in the shop. It cuts, planes and
turns with ease, and resists shrinking and warping.
Turners also claim that mahogany holds its shape better
than many species. Similar to cherry in weight and
hardness, its strength exceeds hard maple and oak.
Because of its premium value, mahogany is generally
reserved for fine furniture applications today, but in past
centuries this wood was used for ship building because
of it excellent resistance to decay. Woodworkers often
clear finish mahogany to preserve
its characteristic reddish
hue. While it polishes beau-
tifully, resins in the wood
have been known to react
with glues and cause an
undesirable staining effect.
MAY/JUNE 1990
Vol. 2, No.3 (Issue 9)

lARRY N. SfOIAKEN
Editor
JOHN KELLIHER
Art Director
CHRIS INMAN
Associate Editor
Sf EVE HINDERAKER
Associate Art Director
NANCY EGGERT
Production Manager
JEFF JACOBSON
Tee/mical Illustrator .
GORDON HANSON
Copy Editor
ANN JACKSON
Publisher
JIM EBNER
. Director of Marketing
VAL E. GERSfING
Circulation Director
NORTON ROCKLER
RICK WHITE
Sf EVE !(ROHMER
Editorial Advisors
ROGER W. CLIFFE
SPENCER H. CONE II
BRUCE KIEFFER
JERRYT. TERHARK
Contributing Editors

Today's Woodworker, (ISSN: 1041-8113)
is published bimonthly (January, March,
May, July, September, November) for
$13.95 per year by Rockier Press, 21801
Industrial Blvd., Rogers, MN 55374-0044.
Application to mail at second class
postage rates is pending at Rogers, MN
55374.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Today's Woodworker, PO Box 6782, Syra-
cuse NY 13217-9916.
One year subscription price, $13.95 (U.S.
and possessions); $20.95 (U.S. currency
-other countries). Single copy price,
$3.50; (other countries, $5.00, U.S. curren-
cy). Send new subscriptions to Circulation
Dept., Today's Woodworker, PO Box 6782,
Syracuse NY 13217-99) 6. Subscribers are
welcome to submit project proposals, tips
and techniques to the editor, Today's
Woodworker, Box 44, Rogers, MN 55374.
For purposes of clarity, illustrations and
photos are sometimes shown without prop-
er guards in place. Today's Woodworker
recommends following ALL safety precau-
tions while in the shop.
Today's Woodworker is a trademark of
Rockier Press.
Copyright 1990, by Rockier Press.
All rights reserved.
TODAY'S WOODWORKER MAY/JUNE 1990
ON THE LEVEL
A Little Fine Tuning
Readers are getting involved! We're only
able to run a few of the Letters that we
get, and we've had a good response to our
call for Tricks of the Trade. In fact we've
decided to fine-tune this department. In
the future, payment will be based on a
sliding scale, from $20.00 for a quick and
easy tip to $100.00 for a more elaborate
technique complete with drawings (the
art department will redraw them).
Is there a place for more reader involve-
ment? Try Reader's Gallery and "Repros".
Perhaps it's time to re-explain your role in
these two departments. Reader's Gallery
is a place to show-off work that you're
First, let me commend you on the publi-
cation of a truly excellent magazine.
There is nothing more therapeutic than a
woodworking project, and nothing
makes it more enjoyable than having
easy to follow directions to go with it.
Brian M. Davis
Mount Prospect, Illinois
After making the "Easel for Two" in the
Sept/Oct 1989 issue of Today's Wood-
worker magazine, I wanted to share a
tip with you. When constructing mine I
decided to make the tray (piece 7) more
durable and also have it hold more
items. My son likes to use the water
Crayola markers a lot, and puts his
other "junk" on the tray
What I did was substitute the Cherry
tray with a wallpaper soaking tray, avail-
able at many wallpaper outlets. They
measure 4" high by 4" wide by 18" long
and work perfectly for holding all the
necessary items for this easel.
Tim M. Cartwright
Columbus, Ohio
Enclosed is a check to renew my sub-
scription. I am sending a photo of one of
two "Easels for Two" which I made for
my granddaughters. I was having some
problems with some of the measure-
ments, but after talking to your con-
tributing editor, (Bruce Kieffer), every-
thing worked out. Bruce gave me
additional hints which were very helpful.
Aubrey Scott
Jonesboro, Arizona
Today's Woodworker responds: Beautiful
work Aubrey! A correction sheet is now
available, free of charge to subscribers,
thanks to your help.
The illustration of a bench hook in use
on page 7 of the Jan/Feb 1990 issue of
your fine magazine reminds me a little of
the old cartoon of a person sitting on the
especially proud of. Our art director sug-
gests that you photograph your piece out-
side (on a sunny day) with Ectachrome
film and a white sheet in the background.
Of course, we're particularly interested in
projects that you built from Today's Wood-
worker magazine. We're also fine-tuning
our Repros Department which will now be
dedicated to historical reproductions Oike
Chris Inman's project on page 14). Send
in your photos and a brief description of
the piece. If we publish it, you'll get a
check for $50.00 and a Today's Wood-
worker T-shirt. ,/J d. .
1 ~ l J p ~ _
wrong side of a limb while sawing it off!
The person in question is about to do
serious damage to his bench top. I only
hope it's not one he just built from the
plans on page 8.
The front cleat on the bench hook
should be short of the base by an inch
or so on the right end, and the user
should saw on the bench hook and not
on the bench. Obviously your artist is
not an old time woodworker who had to
make his own bench hook and use it.
I do enjoy your magazine, as do many
of your friends in the San Diego Fine
Woodworkers Association -keep up
the good work.
Ray McNamara
San Diego, California
As a recent subscriber to Today's
Woodworker I would like to compliment
you for not having 30 to 40% of your
magazine full of advertisements.
Bob Henzel
Seminole, Florida
.. ______ TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Homemade Solutions
Improved Scroll Saw Chuck
Chucks on some scroll saws consist
of a square recess (about 1/4"
square) in a metal block. Two set
screws coming from opposite sides
clamp the blade in the chuck. With
wide blades there is no problem posi-
tioning and clamping the blade
between the two screws but with
small blades the process can be very
frustrating. I have devised a clip made
from a springy band of metal the
same width as the recess in the metal
block. This provides a clamping sur-
face all the way across the width of
the recess rather than just the small
end of the set screws.
The illustration above shows a
cross-section of the clip in the chuck
and also a view of the clip. With this
clip it is as simple to clamp a small
blade into the chuck as it is to clamp a
much wider one.
A Recipe for Rust
Shave part of a block of paraffin
wax, (the kind used in home can-
ning of jams and jellies), into a
screw cap type bottle not quite
filled with mineral spirits. Each
day check the bottle. If the solu-
tion is clear, add more shavings.
When the mixture holds a cloudy
precipitate for three days, it is
ready for use. Wipe it thinly on all
rust prone surfaces with a soft
cloth and allow to dry.
This solution penetrates deep
into the pores of steel and iron
items. A fresh application every
two or three months will usually
eliminate the rust problem com-
pletely. While the wax also acts as
a lubricant on saw tables and other
areas, it does not transfer and the
wood accepts stain and other finishes
without blotching.
Mineral spirits are not highly
flammable but keep the area ventilat-
ed and allow no open flames while
applying the mixture. Dispose of the
application cloths in a can of water to
avoid any chances of spontaneous
combustion.
William A. Rolke
Columbus, Indiana
C. E. Rannefeld
Decatur, Alabama -I-__ = : : s ~ ~ ~ ~ ____ __+_
Uniform Staining
When staining your project, the best
results offer uniform color. To pre-
vent the end grain from turning dark,
I apply boiled linseed oil to that area
before staining. This stops the wood
from soaking up the stain as fast and
allows you to get a uniform color,
matching the rest of your project.
Larry Bedaw
North Swanzey, New Hampshire
Udderly Attached
Attach a cow magnet to your drill
press in a handy location. When the
chuck key isn't needed it is conve-
niently attached to the cow magnet.
Drill press chuck keys are usually
misplaced or they hang dangerously
at the end of a tangled chain. The cow
magnet will remain on the drill press
as the chuck key is removed.
Richard H. Dorn
Oelwein, Iowa
Filtering for a Tilt funnel
Fine Finish so neck
After mlxlllg
dry powdered
aniline dyes it's
a good idea to
filter them to
remove any
excess powder
that didn't dis-
solve, otherwise
spots can form
on your project
from the undis-
solved dye. You
can decrease
the amount of
undissolved water-soluble dye by first
predissolving it in a small amount of
denatured alcohol, but I'd still recom-
mend filtering it.
It's also a good idea to filter shellac
before using it to french polish. Shel-
lac flakes contain a wax which gives a
milky appearance when first dis-
solved. This will dry pretty clear, but
for finer work, or if you're top coating
the shellac and worried about possi-
ble adhesion problems, I recommend
filtering it first.
A good way to do this is with a cof-
fee filter. Simply cut the filter into a
circle twice the diameter of your fun-
nel, fold the circle in half, then into
quarters, and open it up to form a
cone. Place the neck of the funnel
against the side of the jar collecting
your filtered dye so the dye can run
down the side of the jar instead of
dripping off the end of the funnel.
This will greatly speed the process
because the surface tension of the liq-
uid will help pull it through the filter.
You can put a cloth or dish over the
top of the funnel to slow evaporation
of the solvent, but don't seal it off
completely or atmospheric pressure
won't let it pass through the filter.
If you are doing a lot of this sort of
work, you can purchase filter paper
circles and funnels matched in size
for about $40.00 from Carolina Bio-
logical Supply Co. (2700 York Rd.,
Burlington, N. C. 27215).
Allen Grantham
Minneapolis, Minnesota
MAY/ JUNE 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
Deep Throated Clamp
I needed a clamp to hold together the
sides of a cupboard chest while
installing drawer frames and shelves
into dadoes between the sides. I cut a
2 x 4 a little longer than the finished
width of the cupboard and two short-
er pieces to the length needed. Then
I drilled a hole in each of the small
pieces so a pipe clamp pipe could fit
through them and nailed them to the
ends of the longer piece for a very
effective clamp. The width and depth
of the clamp can be varied to suit any
size of work.
Bernard Resh
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Soften the Blow
We use a rubber leg or crutch tip on
our claw hammer to create a small
rubber mallet. There seems to be
more force available to carry through
and move the material with this
homemade set-up.
We measured the diameter of the
hammer face and bought the tips to
fit. A set of four cost us under $2.00.
We then sanded off the small ring to
leave over 1" diameter rounded sur-
face.
Alice & Robert Tupper
Canton, South Dakota

Today's Woodworker pays from
$20.00 (for a short tip) to $100.00 (for
an elaborate technique) for aI/ Tricks
of the Trade published. Send yours to
Today's Woodworker, Dept. TI T,
Rogers, MN 55374-0044.
TODAY'S WOODWORKER MAYI JUNE 1990
r HARDWARE HINTS
Desk Hardware for the Computer Age
By Spencer Cone
According to a recent survey, there are
now 16 million households used as work
places, 10 million of which are now set
up with computers.
As computers become more a part of
our life at home, furniture makers are
scrambling to meet the needs of this
growing market. Unfortunately, there still
isn't a wide selection to choose from
and the furniture available is not always
styled to fit in most homes. After a day
of shopping for computer furniture you
may decide it's time to build your own.
When designing your computer center
you will need to be aware of key hard-
ware components in advance. Here is a
brief sampling of some items you might
need for your work station.
Drawer Slides: For the maximum stor-
age space with easy access to the back
of your drawers, choose a full extension
drawer slide. You will need to pick one
with the correct weight capacity for your
application. As a general rule, pick a
slide with a rating of at least 75 Ibs for
pencil and box drawers. For heavier
items like file drawers or pullout printer
shelves, you will need a slide that is
rated to carry at least 110 Ibs. My pick in
both cases is a slide manufactured by
Accuride, the Cadillac of slides. If their
price scares you off, take a look at the
"Velvet Touch" drawer slide from Grant
Hardware Co. Another slide that could
come in handy is the pencil drawer
slide. This slide, although only a 3/4
extension, has some great applications
since it doesn't require cabinet sides for
mounting. It has a bracket on half of the
slide that can be attached directly to the
bottom side of a work surface. Again,
my first choice here is Accuride.
Keyboard: For the best results, the
keyboard of the computer should be
adjustable in height and if possible
swivel from side to side. Webber Knapp
makes a great keyboard mechanism
which does exactly that. This unit,
which is pretty expensive, support
mounts directly to the underside of a
work surface . For those of you who
don't have a large pocket book, check
out the CRT keyboard slide by
Accuride. This slide allows you to install
a pull out shelf which hangs on the bot-
tom side of the work surface. It will
lower the keyboard about 1
1
/ 2" below
the work surface without any modifica-
tion. Unlike most drawer slides, this one
locks in place once it is pulled out.
~
Grommets: Round grommets, avail -
able in plastic, wood and metal, cover
the large holes needed for cord access.
They can also be used to finish off the
inside of a slot in the work surface for
paper. When choosing grommets make
sure they are large enough for your
equipment's plugs. Also, choose round
ones when possible, since they can be
easily installed with a hole saw.
Catches:
When choos-
ing the catch
for any door in
your work sta-
tion keep in
mind that mag- L-__ -l-_..L._----I
nets can erase data on a storage disk
or on your computer. It's better to use a
mechanical catch such as a bullet catch
or a non-magnetic touch latch.
A PORCH
GLIDER FOR 1WO
e all share a romantic
vision of gliding effort-
lessly back and forth in a
porch swing as dusk
overtakes the surrounding neighbor-
hood. There is no better way to spend
a languid summer evening -all the
world seems right.
To realize this vision, I set about
making myself a porch glider that
would be comfortable, beautiful and
absolutely stand the test of time, last-
ing for many generations.
Since my porch lacks a roof for
attaching a swing, I needed to make a
glider that stood on the decking, yet
still swung freely. I decided to design
a sling that would support the bench
seat, with connections between the
two structures serving as pivot points
for easy rocking of the seat.
The design of this' porch glider also
gave me a chance to tryout a new
tool. By using a biscuit joiner to cre-
ate my most critical stress joints, I
saved considerable time avoiding
angled mortises and tenons and
picked up some strength over conven-
tional dowel joints.
Get busy now and you'll have the perfect front row
seat for watching summer unfold.
By Bert Taylor
I used teak for its superior resis-
tance to rain, sun and other weather
conditions. Teak is also very strong
and heavy, which helps keep the unit
in place as it's being rocked. White
oak or mahogany will make adequate
substitutes, but you will lose a consid-
erable amount of weatherability. If
using exotic stock makes you uneasy,
remember that teak is the only vari-
ety grown specifically for lumber on
plantations throughout Asia. These
trees are cultivated and harvested for
the woodworking industry.
I have provided a cutting chart to
help you select the lumber (See page
11) you'll need for this project and to
minimize any waste of such expen-
sive material. Try and have the lum-
beryard mill your wood since teak is
heavy and very abrasive, making it
tough on tools. In fact, you'll undoubt-
edly need to sharpen all your blades
once this project is completed. Have
all your stock surfaced on two sides
and get one edge straightened. Mill
the 5/4 stock to 1", the 6/4 stock to
13/8" and the 8/4 stock to 13/4".
After carefully studying the cutting
chart, begin by sawing out the stock
for the headboard (piece 21) and the
back legs (pieces 10). Set these aside
and continue sizing all of the remain-
ing pieces except for the headboard
slats and the slat spacer sticks. Label
all of your I?ieces.
Build the Sling First
The sling, which supports the bench,
should be built first. Start by cutting a
10 miter off both ends of the sling
legs (pieces 1), sling stabilizers
(pieces 2) and sling tops (pieces 3).
Remember, you've cut these pieces to
size, both width and length, from the
cutting chart, so you don't want the
miter or bevel cuts to reduce the
largest dimension on one edge or
face. In other words, make your cut
slice through the corner that remains
on the stock.
To keep the swing arms (pieces 7)
MAY/ JUNE 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
from binding between the bench and
sling, a 2
1
/2 bevel is cut on the bot-
tom edge of the sling legs (pieces 1)
and sling tops (pieces 3), as shown in
Elevation A. The resulting space
assures clearance for the swing arms.
At this point, rip the bevel on the bot-
tom of the sling tops. The widest face
should still be 3
1
/2" after the cut. After
ripping the bevel on the sling tops,
follow the hole drilling pattern in Ele-
vation A to establish the pivot points
that will later connect the sling to the
swing arms. Use a 3/4" Forstner or
spade bit to create a 3/16" deep coun-
tersink, and then follow with a 1/4"
pilot hole. Finally, round the top cor-
ners to a 1114" radius.
Take your swing arms (pieces 7)
and on each board mark one face with
an "A" and the other with a "B". With
the "A" sides facing up, drill 3/4"
diameter by 3/16" deep countersinks
near one end of each arm (See Ele-
vation A). Follow with 3/8" pilot
holes. Now flip your four arms over to
expose the "B" sides and repeat this
drilling sequence at the ends opposite
of the first holes. Form a lIN' radius
at all four corners of each swing arm.
Move on to your sling leg stabilizers
(pieces 2) and the foot pads (pieces 6)
and mark out the drilling positions
that are shown in Elevation A. For
Elevation A
each hole, drill a 3/8" II
Left of blade
diameter by 3/8" deep
countersink followed
by a 1/4" pilot going
all the way through
the material. Round-
over the top edges of
the two foot pads with
a 1/2" radius round-
over bit.
"
,
Right of blade
Return your atten-
tion to the sling legs
(pieces 1) so that the
compound angles on
the bottom of each leg
can be completed. Set
your tablesaw's miter
gauge at 100 and tilt
the blade's cutting
angle to 2
1
/2. As with
the sling top bevel you
just made, you want
The sling legs (pieces 1) tilt in 2
1
/2 to keep the swing arms (pieces
7) from binding. Place the miter gauge on the left side of the blade
to cut the bevels on the right front and left back legs. Then move the
miter gauge to the miter slot on the right side of the blade (without
changing the angle) to cut the bevels on the other two legs.
the tablesaw blade to sever the piece
at the toe (or corner). You'll be cut-
ting the front left and back right legs
with the miter gauge on one side of
the blade and the front right and back
left legs with the miter gauge on the
other side of the blade, as shown in
Figure 1.
The sling stretcher braces (pieces
5) and the sling stretcher (piece 4)
connect the two end frames of the
sling and add tremendous stability to
the structure. Mark a 30 angle onto
the sling stretcher braces as shown in
Elevation B, and cut these miters on
a bandsaw or with a portable circular
saw. Once cut, refine this edge with a
belt sander to remove any saw kerf
marks, but keep a steady hand to
avoid altering the edge's angle. Final-
ly, cut each end of the sling stretcher
(piece 4) at a 2
1
/2 angle to match the
angle of the sling leg stabilizers
(pieces 2).
5
191/a"
-O-0-----r
o 0
, ,
!
J,
3"
\.
t
11/2"
11/4"(
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER MAY/JUNE 1990
Make the clamping blocks
shown in Figure 2 and pro-
ceed to glue up the end frames.
Use two part epoxy in these
joints as it will adhere well to
oily teak, although yellow glue
can be used for non-structural
pieces like plugs and spacers.
Mix the epoxy and apply it in
the slots, push the biscuit into
one joint member, and then
draw the assembly together.
Wipe off any heavy excess, and
when the joint dries sand the
remaining glue off the surface.
Turn the assemblies over
To compensate for the angles in the end frames, make some and lay the foot pads (pieces 6)
custom clamping blocks, as shown above. Two part epoxy is
used in these joints since it adheres to the oily teak. onto the bottoms of the legs.
_________________ The holes in the pads will
Use Your Plate Joiner
Now it's time to put your plate joiner
to work. One of the secrets to using a
plate joiner is to always use a com-
mon reference mark from which to
measure the placement of all the slots
in a given joint. I prefer to measure
from the reference mark to where the
center of the blade's thickness should
be, which is the slot's center.
make it clear where to drill pilot holes
into the legs for the #12 x 21/2" wood
screws. Go ahead and secure the
pads onto the frames.
Turn the frames upright and align
the sling stretcher (piece 4) to the
center of the stabilizers. Drill 1/4"
pilot holes into the stretcher through
the holes you've previously drilled in
the stabilizers for #14 x 3" wood
screws, and assemble the pieces. The first joint to cut is where the
sling leg stabilizers (pieces 2) meet
the sling legs (pieces 1). The top
edge of the sling leg stabilizers
should be exactly 5" from the top of
the sling legs. Mark this point on the
legs, and then align the top edge of
the stabilizers. Make a mark across
the face on both pieces at the stabiliz-
er's mid-point, which becomes your 1-
reference mark for the biscuit cuts.
Measuring from the center of the
blade's thickness, make your first slot
5/16" from the reference mark, the
second cut 11/16" from the mark, and
the third cut 11/16" from the mark.
Layout all four joints, two in each
sling and frame, so you can cut each
common slot position without read-
justing the biscuit joiner.
Now dry clamp the three pieces in
each end frame and layout the refer-
ence mark and slots for the sling top
and sling leg joints. Repeat the slot
cutting process for these four posi-
tions, using three biscuits per joint.
You'll want to sand these pieces
now, except for the joint areas, with
100 and 150 grit paper. This will save
some trouble later.
- Elevation C
Each square = 1"
The final step in assembling the
sling is to add the sling stretcher
braces. Turn the sling assembly
upside down again, and set the braces
in place with the 30 angles bearing
against the foot pads and the bottom
edge of the stretcher. Using the holes
you drilled in the foot pads as a guide,
drill into the brace to create 3/16"
pilot holes for #12 x 21/2" screws, and
then drive these screws into the joint.
N ow drill one shallow and one deep
countersink hole in the stretcher end
of each brace with a 1/2" bit. Follow
through with a 3/16" pilot, going right
into the stretcher to accommodate
#12 x 21/2" screws. Once these screws
are installed, the sling assembly is
complete. Cut four 3/8" diameter
plugs to cover the screw holes in the
sling leg stabilizers and install them
with yellow glue. Sand or cut the
plugs flush once the glue has dried.
The Bench Sides
Begin making the bench sides by
tracing the seat stretcher (pieces 11)
pattern onto the stock and cutting it
out on a bandsaw (See Elevation C).
While you're at it, trace the pattern
-L ----rr--+
, I'
----+-r
+
t
t
.,
and cut out the seat slat supports
(pieces 12) and middle seat slat sup-
port (piece 13).
Take the front bench legs (pieces
9), the seat stretchers (pieces 11) and
the back bench legs (pieces 10) and
lay them out as they will be joined, as
shown in Elevation C. The bottom
edge of the stretchers are placed
10
1
/2" up from the bottoms of the
legs. Make your reference marks on
the inside faces of these pieces, and
remember that the front leg joints
need two marks for two rows of bis-
cuit slots. Use the grid in Elevation
C to establish the marks. Cut your
biscuit slots, noting that the slots
must overlap due to lack of space.
When you go to join these pieces be
sure to nip off the tips of the bisc.uits
in order to fit them both into their
respective slots.
The front bench legs and the back
bench legs need to have their tapered
areas cut, as shown in Elevation D.
First cut the edge taper from the back
legs, and then tape the waste back
onto the legs to add stability during
the next cut (See Figure 3). Now lay
out the face side taper on the back
Elevation 0
Front view
I I
legs and remove this waste. This II'
completes the back leg cuts, so
remove the taped on waste
pieces. Cut the face tapers on
the front legs, and then sand all
the legs smooth with a belt
sander. Drill a 5/8" diameter
hole into the top of each front
leg, centering the hole in the
end and boring 11/2" deep. I also
drilled holes intersecting these
5/8" holes, using a 1/4" bit posi-
tioned 3/4" down from the top
of the legs. Drill these holes to a
depth of 11/4".
Mark the rest of the hole posi-
The back bench legs are tapered on two sides. After cut-
tions on all the legs. Note that ting the first taper, the waste piece is taped back on to
the bottom holes in each leg are provide a flat cutting surface for the second cut.
drilled on the inside face of the ----------------
legs, while all the other holes are
countersunk from the outside faces.
For the bottom holes, which will be
the lower pivot point connections to
the sling, drill 3/4" diameter by 1/2"
deep countersinks followed by 1/4"
through pilot holes. Drill the remain-
ing holes in the front and back legs as
shown in Elevation D, first boring
3/8" countersinks and then 3/16"
through pilot holes.
Side view
Front view
Attach the seat slat supports to the
inside faces of the seat stretchers,
positioning the top edge of the sup-
ports 11/4" from the top edge of the
stretchers. Use 21/4" sheetrock
screws to secure these pieces.
You need to cut mortises into each
bench leg to hold the rails and the
headboard. Layout the mortise posi-
tions from Elevation D on the inside
faces of each leg. I installed a 3/4"
Side view
r
1W
'
--..,..
I
I
@
L._.
1
2" : 1
r
:=:=i
I I
I
111/2"
L
Each square = l '
T
1-
J
L 13/4"
1W2 '1s" @[101/2' ,21 "
11/4"
~ ) - .
t
II
II
The inside of the bench legs are mortised to hold
the two rails and headboard. Use a plunge router
and straight edge guide for these cuts.
straight bit in my plunge router and
cut each mortise out after setting up a
straight edge guide that allowed me
to follow the edge of each leg (See
Figure 4). Rout these mortises to a
depth of 7/16".
Temporarily join the seat stretchers
(pieces 11) to the front and back legs
(pieces 9 and 10) by inserting biscuits
in the slots. With this assembly lying
flat on the workbench, rest the front
end of each arm blank tightly against
the top of each front leg, and lay the
back end of the arm blanks onto the
back legs so the top corners of the
arms just meet the edge of the back
legs (See Elevation C). With a sharp
pencil, mark the underside of the
arms where they overlap the back
legs. Cut off the waste using your
MATERIAL LIST
HARDWOOD
Elevation E
Top view
Side view
1" le 1 ~ 1
~ t
. 5/8J LJ
+
11
table saw and miter gauge, following
the lines you've just drawn.
Put the arms back into place and
you should have a perfect pair of
joints with the back legs. Make refer-
ence marks on the inside faces of the
arms and back legs for the plate join-
er and cut two slots, the first one
7/16" in, and the second at 1
5
/6 ".
Extend a reference line from the
front leg to the arm, indicating the
center of the 5/8" vertical hole you
drilled in the top of the front legs.
Now drill matching holes into the bot-
tom edge of each arm that are 5/8" in
diameter and 13/4" deep. Make the
1/4" intersecting holes 3/4" up from
TxWx L
Sling Legs (4) 13/8" x 3
1
/2" X 17
3
/4" 21 Headboard (1)
2 Sling Leg Stabilizers (2) 13/8" x 4" X 18
1
/4" 22 Birch Dowels (2)
- ----,

I
I
I
Each square = 1"
the bottom edge of the arm and drill
them 11/4" deep. Put 3" long by 5/8"
diameter dowels into the leg holes
and place the arms into position to
test the fit. When everything fits
properly, drill the 1/4" pilot holes
through the dowels. Also, while
everything's together, layout the
curves on the front end of each arm,
as shown in Elevation C.
Remove the arms and cut the
curved profiles, and then cut off the
tapers from each face on a bandsaw,
following the pattern shown in Eleva-
tion E.
Sand all your bench side pieces and
glue the assembly together using
TxWx L
13/8" X 9
1
/2" X 48
1
/4"
5/8" x 3"
3 Sling Tops (2) 13/8" x 3
1
/2" x 22" 23 Walnut or White Oak Dowel(4) 1/4" x 11/4"
4 Sling Stretcher (1) 13/8" x 3
3
/4" x 54" 24 #20 Plate Joinery Biscuits (42)
5 Sling Stretcher Braces (2) 1
3
/8" x 2
3
/4" X 19
1
/8" 25 Teak 3/8"D Plugs (36)
6 Foot Pads (2) 1" x 5" x 30" HARDWARE
7 Swing Arms (4) 1" x 2
1
/2" X 18
1
/2" 26 Flat Head Screws (15) #12 x 2"
8 Arm Rests (2) 13/4" x 3" X 23
1
/4" 27 Flat Head Screws (22) #14 x 3"
9 Front Bench Legs (2) 13/4" x 2
1
/2" x 21" 28 2" Joint Connector Bolts (8)
10 Back Bench Legs (2 cut from 1 board) 13/4" x 7
1
/2" X 311/4" 29 Cap Nuts (8)
11 Seat Stretchers (2) 1" x 5" x 15" 30 2"D Fender Washers (8)
12 Seat Slat Supports (2) 1
3
/8" x 3
5
/8" x 16" 31 1
5
/8" Sheet Rock Screws (25)
13 Middle Seat Slat Brace (1) 1
3
/8" X 3
5
/8" x 16" 32 1
1
/2" Sheet Rock Screws (15)
14 Front Seat Rail (1) 13/8" x 4" X 48
1
/4" 33 21/4" Sheet Rock Screws (10)
15 Back Seat Rail (1) 13/8" x 4" X 48
1
/4" 34 Epoxy Resin (3 OZ.)
16 Seat Slats (5) 1" x 2
1
/2" X 47
1
/2" 35 Locktite 242
17 Corner Braces (4) 1" x 4" x 13" 36 Green 3M Scouring Pads
18 Corner Brace Cleats (4) 1" x 3" x 5" 37 Foam Brushes
19 Headboard Slats (12) 9/16" x 2
1
/2" x 10
1
/2" 38 Watco Teak Oil Finish (One Quart)
20 Headboard Slat Spacers (2 Sticks) 9/16" x 1" x 48" 39 Minwax Paste Finishing Wax
MAY/ JUNE 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
Cutting List
5/4 Stock ,6f._'4_S_to_c_k-,-___ -,
11 11
6 6
8/4 Stock
7
~
15
~ 19 (resawl l1 9 (resaw) I
I
41/," x 72"
16
7
~ o ~ ~ 8
~ l
8 ~ 1
9 9
7
1
"" x 78"
~ ? .
~ 2 0 Save these waste pieces.
~
14
~ 19 (resaw) I 19 (resaw) I [].L.:
I 12 12
13:)
=r I
51/," x 96" 6" x 96" 71/," x 96" 10" x 96" 6" x 96"
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER MAY/ JUNE 1990
III

In the photo at left, key joinery and the extent of the
swinging action is shown. Attention should be paid to
subtle details, such as the slight reveal on the arms
and the bevel on the slat spacers, as shown above.
epoxy resin. Be careful to properly
orient the 3" dowels so you can insert
the 1/4" cross pin dowels.
Final Machining
To make the arch on the headboard I
simply drew a shallow <IS" curve onto
half the length of the stock and cut
the form out on the bandsaw. Then I
flipped the waste piece over onto the
other half of the stock, traced it and
carefully cut the matching curve as
shown in Elevation F).
The tenons on the front and back
Elevation F
rails, as well as the headboard, can be
made with a router and straight edge
guide. The tenon should be 3/8" wide
by 3/4" thiclc on each of these pieces,
and the tenon lengths are shown in
Elevation F. Adjust a 3/8" diameter
router bit to cut 5/16" deep, and set
the straight edge guide to limit the
cut to 3/8" in width. Rout both sides
and both ends of each rail and the
headboard. Shorten the tenon
lengths with a tenon saw according to
the details in Elevation F.
Now dry assemble the bench sides
with the rails and headboard. You'll
notice that the tenons on the head-
board are shorter than their mortis-
es. This extra space will allow you to
shift the headboard up and down
during the headboard slat installa-
tion, as shown in Elevation H. For now,
position the tenons against the mor-
tise bottoms, and drill all the pilot
holes into the ends of these pieces
using a 3/16" bit. Also drill the coun-
tersinks and pilot holes at each end
and in the middle of the seat slats,
following the layout in Elevation F.
As long as you've got your drill set
up, bore the countersinks and pilots
in the middle of the front and back
rails (pieces 14 and 15) to connect
with the middle seat slat brace (piece
13). For all the holes use a 3/8"
countersink. Now is a good time to
rout a 1/2" roundover on the top
edges of the headboard, the top out-
side edge of the front rail, and on all
the long edges of the seat slats.
With a dado blade in your table
saw, cut a slot 1/2" wide by 1/2" deep
in the bottom edge of the headboard
to provide a channel for the head-
board slats (pieces 19). Next, tilt the
blade 7
1
/20 and cut a dado (same
Each square = 1"
Front view End view

7/8'
Front view
Front view
-lb 3/8"
3/8"
11/4"

-i8/4"
Top view
Front view
@
[
o
@
3/8"
-.l
Frontviewf End view
MAY/JUNE 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
1/2"
1/2"
. 1
width and depth) in the top edge of
the back rail (piece 15).
Plane and sand the headboard slats
and spacer sticks so that they slip
nicely into the dadoes you just cut.
Rip the spacer stick for the headboard
to 5/8" wide. The back rail spacer
stick should also be ripped to 5/8",
but with one edge cut at the 7
1
/20
angle, which will serve as the top
edge of the spacers.
Sand all the slats except for the 1/2"
at each end that fits into the dadoes,
then cut eleven headboard spacers
and eleven back rail spacers to a
length of 13/8". Layout the slats on a
table top, placing a spacer between
each one. Measure the length of the
layout, subtract that amount from
47
1
/2" and then divide this sum by 2.
Cut two more spacers for the head-
board and back rail to this length to
finish out the pieces for the back
assembly. The last four pieces will be
about 7/8" to 1" long.
Cut the corner braces (pieces 17)
and corner brace cleats (pieces 18)
using Elevation G for dimensions.
Drill the hole pattern for the cleats
using 3/8" countersinks and 3/16"
pilots, then sand the bottom edges of
Elevation G
-'12
1
10._ 1
I
,---... :::---l
:... ~ : ; (18):; I
I '- I
I " " I
I " " I
L. _ _ _____ -'
Elevation H
Front view
the braces. Turn
the front seat rail so
its backside faces
up and install the
braces at each end,
continuing the
3/16" pilot holes
into the backs of
the rails and braces
(See Elevation G).
Finally, rout the
bottom outside
edge of the braces
and the rail with a
1/2" roundover bit.
Final Assembly
Screw the right and
left bench side
assemblies onto the
front and back rails.
The tenons at the ends of
the headboard (piece 21) are
cut a little shorter than their
mortises in the back bench
legs (pieces 10). This allows
you to shift the headboard
up and down while installing
the slats. Once the slats are
positioned and the bottom
spacers are glued in, the
legs are screwed tightly to
the headboard, the piece is
flipped upside down and the
top spacers are glued in.
Leave the screws loose on the back
rail so that you can slip the head-
board into place, which you may now
do. Now tighten the back rail screws.
Let the headboard float in its mortise
for now. Attach the middle seat slat
brace (piece 13) to the front and back
rails, remembering that the top edge
of the brace sits 1" below the top
edge of the rail. Now, space the seat
slats (pieces 16) onto the seat slat
supports (pieces 12 and 13) and
screw them down, using 11/z"
sheetrock screws.
Run a small bead of Titebond glue
along the back rail dado and install
the first 1" back rail slat spacer, fol-
lowed by the first headboard slat,
(pieces 19), followed by a 13/8" spac-
er, followed by the next slat, etc. This
is where the ability to lift the head-
board in its mortise comes in handy.
When you have placed the last slat,
trim the second pair of 1" spacers to
fit into the last gap snugly. Tap the
spacers down with a stick and mallet.
Now, screw the headboard in tight,
turn the bench over and place a small
dab of glue into the dado between
each slat.
Tap in the remaining spacers, mak-
ing sure that each slat fits snugly
against its neighboring spacer. Cut
more teak plugs with a 3/8" plug cut-
ter, and glue and plug the 32 remain-
ing countersunk holes. Let the glue
dry, chisel off the nubs, and touch up
with a sander. The bench assembly is
now completed.
Finishing the glider is easy. I used
Watco's Teak Oil Finish. Using dis-
posable foam brushes, apply a heavy
coat of oil. Wait 15 minutes and
search for any dry spots. Put a sec-
ond coat on these spots, wait 10 min-
utes, and wipe the entire piece. Wait a
couple of hours and wipe any weep-
ings. After 24 hours rub everything
with a green, 3M scouring pad. Wipe
with a tack cloth, and finally, apply a
coat of Minwax Paste Finishing Wax
to give a fine soft glow.
Attaching the Bench to the Sling
Using the 2" joint connector bolts,
fender washers and cap nuts, attach
the swing arms (pieces 7) to the sling
assembly's sling tops (pieces 3).
Next, place the bench assembly onto
the sling and attach the swing arms
to the bottoms of the bench legs. To
keep the joint connector bolts from
coming undone from the constant
rocking motion of the glider, I use
Locktite removable threadlocker 242
on the threads of the connector bolts.
Squeeze a bit of wax into the pilot and
countersunk holes to create a slip-
pery surface for the bolts to turn
against. If you are worried about the
bolts coming undone you may con-
sider using non-removable Locktite.
Now, find a spot for your glider on
your porch, get yourself a cool glass
of lemonade, and reflect on a job well
done!

Bert Taylor is a professional custom
furniture designer. His shop, Amber
Waves of Grain, is located in Min-
neapolis, Minnesota.
II
A CHIPPENDALE
MIRROR FRAME
Rediscover a master's work. The cutting edge of 18th century
furniture design finds a place in today's home.
By Chris Inman
A
I ~ O U g h my taste in furniture
Crisscrosses over many
different styles,
I always find
a special pleasure in
recreating a classic
piece from the mid-
1700s, considered by
many to be the high
period of American cabi-
netmaking. The designs
developed by Philadelphia
furnituremakers, who
emulated the style of the
English craftsman Thomas
Chippendale, represent some
of the most formal and grace-
ful pieces of this period.
This mirror is far from the
most ornate of Chippendale's
creations, but it does demon-
strate the fluidity and flowery
composition of his work. A
more ornate design would be
difficult to place in a room lack-
ing other period furniture,
whereas this piece is a success-
ful accent in an eclectic collec-
tion of furniture and artwork
Mahogany was the wood of
choice for Philadelphia cabi-
netmakers, and the wood
imported from Cuba was the
most prized. Unfortunately,
these trees are nearly
extinct from over-harvest-
ing. Honduras mahogany is
quite common, although
it doesn't have the beau-
tiful blood red color or
the dynamic grain pat-
terns found in the
Cuban variety. I
looked for Honduras
mahogany with as much
grain flair as I could find, and decid-
ed to use aniline dye stains to create
the deep red colors I wanted.
Machine the Frame Pieces
Once you've selected your material,
begin rough cutting the
pieces for the mirror
frame. Rip all of your
pieces for the frame
(pieces 1-3), and fol-
low by ripping the 1
3/8" pieces for the
frame molding strips
(pieces 4). Choose the
faces that will show and
arrange the four pieces of
the frame as you will want
them joined, then joint the
edge that you plan to orient
toward the mirror.
Structurally, this project
depends on mortise and
tenon joints at each corner,
with additional reinforcement
achieved by gluing on the
frame molding strips. I recom-
mend making the mortise and
tenons entirely with a router.
Adjust a router equipped with a
1/4" straight bit to cut a 1"
deep mortise in the edges of
the top (piece 1) and bottom
(piece 2), as shown in Figure 1.
Center this cut across the
thickness of the material and
cut the mortise 1" long.
The frame sides (pieces 3)
mate with the top and bot-
tom along a 4" stretch, but
the actual joint is only I"
long. Measure and mark
a line 4" from the end of
each side piece (See
Figure 2). For this cut
install a 5/8" straight
cutter and a straight
edge guide in your
router, and cut away 15/16" wide
by 1/4" deep swathes to create
tenons 4" long at each end of the side
pieces. Instead of cutting right up to
MAY I JUNE 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
To add stabilitv while routing the mortise, clamp
the frame top in a vise alongside a scrap piece.
Set vour edge guide against the face of the top
frame piece and rout the 1/4" x 1" x 1" mortise.
Mark out the tenons on the frame sides and rout
the waste awav with a 5/8" straight cutter. Remove
the excess tenon and pare the shoulders square.
the 4" line, leave a little bit of wood
and chisel up to the line for a crisp,
accurate shoulder. These tenons
should fit the mortises easily. Now
that you've made these nice, long
tenons, cut away 3" of them and
round over the cut edge on the
remaining tenon with a file to match
the rounded bottom of the mortise.
When everything fits properly, go
ahead and glue the frame together.
TODAY'S WOODWORKER MAY/JUNE 1990
Detailing the Molding
Take the frame molding strips
(pieces 4) and bevel one face at a 15
angle on the table saw. With the 3/4"
edge on the table and the 13/8" side
riding against the fence, set your
fence so that the blade exits exactly
at the top corner of the molding strip.
To get a smooth finish, first take a
heavy cut and follow this with a light
finish pass. It's absolutely necessary
to use a push stick during this opera-
tion. One light pass with a block
plane is all that should be necessary
to remove any saw marks.
For a little more detail on the frame
molding strips I routed two grooves
down the length of each strip with a
small plunge rounding over bit (avail-
able from Bosch). The two cuts were
made on a router table and form a
nicely rounded bead between the
grooves, as shown in Figure 3. The
center of the outside cut is 3/8" from
the outside edge, and the next cut is
carefully positioned to form the bead.
You may want to practice on a piece
of scrap wood to establish your two
fence positions for these cuts.
Cutting the Frame Perimeter
Go back to the frame, but treat it gin-
gerly at this point because the small
tenons at each corner can break easi-
ly. Sand both faces to even out the
joints, and continue to sand to 120
grit. Transfer the decorative perime-
ter design from the grid on the next
page, and then cut all the curves
using a sabre saw with a fine cutting
wood blade.
The next step is tedious, but there's
no way around it. Refining the outside
edges takes a lot of patience, a sharp
file and plenty of 80 grit sandpaper.
Use a delicate touch with the file and
try to stroke it from the front face
toward the back so that any chip out
will be hidden. Use the 80 grit sand-
paper in the really tight places and to
follow the filing, then sand to 120 grit.
Mitering Your Corners
The frame is now built, and the only
major construction step that's left for
the frame as a whole is to miter the
ends of each frame molding strip and
glue them to the frame. To make sure
your molding pieces fit perfectly, lay-
out the strips on the frame to mark
your miters where these pieces inter-
sect the corners of the mirror open-
ing. Be sure to set the strips so 1" is
on the frame and the rest is over-
hanging the opening, creating the
3/8" rabbet which holds the mirror.
Cut a piece of 1/4" thick plywood
(piece 5) to fit behind the mirror. I
had a 3/16" thick mirror (piece 6) cut
by a local glass company to fit this
frame. The last step is to bore 7/8"
diameter holes for the glass retaining
buttons (pieces 7) that hold the mir-
ror and plywood backing against the
rabbet. Drill these holes in the frame
to the depth of the plywood, using a
Forstner bit to get clean, flat bot-
tomed holes. Now drill the pilot holes
for the screws (piece 8) that will fas-
ten the glass retaining buttons.
Finishing Up
Give your frame its final sanding to
150 grit, and then prepare the aniline
dye mixture. While using a palm
sander, I accidentally gouged a spot
on the frame molding. Originally, I
intended to fill this spot with shellac
stick (See Jerry TerHark's article on
page 21), but I decided the defect
actually added to the antique quality I
was after. As described earlier, I want-
ed this piece to look like the dark red
Cuban mahogany that Chippendale

CD
II
II
Plunge rounding
over bit.
Two grooves are routed on each molding strip for
added interest. Later, using a 7/8" Forstner bit,
drill the holes on the back so the retaining
buttons sit flush with the plywood backing.
probably would have used to build
the frame. Using water soluble ani-
line dye allowed the grain to show
through clearly and the red mahogany
powder I selected for this project pro-
vided the shading I wanted.
Each square = 1"
Following the staining, you may
need to lightly sand the wood to cut
away the raised grain. Avoid the
edges of the frame as it is very easy
to sand through the tinted surface. I
used Zar's semi-gloss tung oil for a
built up finish, applying six coats in
all, and then added a coat of paste
wax for a smooth, lustrous appearance.
Insert the mirror, the plywood
backing and the retaining buttons,
and secure two picture hangers
(pieces 9) to the backside of the
frame. After you've strung wire
between the hangers, find the perfect
spot for your reproduction Chippen-
dale mirror frame, stand back, and
admire your work.

Chris Inman is the associate editor of
Today's Woodworker Magazine, and a
professional woodworker.
MATERIAL LIST
HARDWOOD TxWx L
Frame Top (1) 3/4" x 10" x 19" (Mahogany)
2 Frame Bottom (1) 3/4" x 6
3
/4" x 19" (Mahogany)
3 Frame Sides (2) 3/4" x 5" x 36" (Mahogany)
4 Frame Molding Strips (4) 3/4" x 13/8" x 34" (Mahogany)
5 Plywood Back (1) 1/4" x 16" x 27
7
/8" (Plywood)
6 Mirror (1) 3/16" x 16" x 27
7
/8"
7 Retaining Buttons (8) Plastic
8 #6 Screws (8) 1/2" Round Head
9 Hangers (2) Brass
10 Wire 24"
MAY/ JUNE 1990 TODAY'S WOODWOR1<ER
.-______ WHAT'S IN STORE
Buying the Right Scroll Saw
By Hugh Foster
Scroll saws range in price from just
over $100 to around $1,000. The real-
ly cheap ones can't be recommended
because they aren't always ready to
saw as they come from the carton.
Typically they're missing an impor-
tant feature, such as a dust blower or
hold down. In addition, the castings
are poor and require considerable fil-
ing. Even some of the higher price
machines often lack a critical detail.
For instance, Delta's American-made
40-601, while an excellent machine for
most purposes, features a C-arm
stroke that is not perfectly vertical.
People who are cutting out half a
dozen or more layers of veneer, as for
marquetry, will find the top and bot-
tom pieces won't match very well at
all.
The best compromise I've found in
scroll saws are the two models made
by Sakura USA (Dept. TW, 2348 San-
dridge Dr., Dayton, OH, 45439). Their
14" model ST-14-3 lists for $499 but
can often be bought for $399 at wood-
working shows. Their 21" model SKS-
21 lists for $699 but can be picked up
for around $559 at the shows. Both
saws offer a two year warranty, 1"
stroke, 2" maximum depth of cut, and
safety hold downs (conspicuously
absent on many lesser machines).
Sakura saws feature pivotal blade
suspension systems which nearly
eliminate blade breakage, and con-
stant tension/parallel action arms
with return springs that stop the
upper arm and pull it out of the way
should a blade break. An air bellows
fixed to the lower arm of each saw
blows saw dust away from the cutting
area. Both saws are belt driven over
multi-speed pulleys rather than rheo-
statically controlled, a feature I like,
since the rheostats on some other
saws cut the torque as they cut the
speed. Sakura saws maintain full
power across their speed ranges,
while operating quietly enough that
users will find it unnecessary to raise
their voice during operation. Properly
set up, I feel that these two Sakura
saws beat their competition when it
comes to price and freedom from
vibration, an important consideration
when it comes to smooth cutting.
The two saws offer slightly differ-
ent speed ranges. The 14" saw has a
three speed pulley that develops
1050, 1361, or 1750 strokes per
minute, while the 21" saw features
five speeds -170,450,790, 1140, or
1370 strokes per minute. The two
slower speeds on the larger unit are
used mainly for cutting non-ferrous
metal and plastics. Both machines
permit turns in under 1/64". At 14" x
221/2", the 21" saw's table is nearly
two and a half times larger than the
smaller saw's 9" x 141/2" table. The
smaller saw's table tilts through a
wider range, (from 45 left through
35 right) while the larger table tilts
from 45 left through only 15 right.
In a way, it seems that Sakura is try-
ing to make us choose between
throat depth and tilting capacity.
Two examples of the kind of work that can be done on a scroll saw. Shown above is Steve Vorndran's
scroll saw inlay technique, which looks li ke marquetry, but is actually cut in 1/2" stock. Steve, district
sales manager with Sakura, gets plenty of practice making these cuts.
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER MAY/ JUNE 1990
Scroll saws, like these two from Sakura USA, are
one of the least dangerous tools in the workshop.
According to the author, they are the ideal way to
introduce youngsters to the world of woodworking.
While the manufacturer claims that
the saws will cut to the center of 28"
or 42" boards, that doesn't quite tell
the whole story. When you're cutting
something that involves some "draft"
that must always be cut in the same
direction relative to the pattern, the
14" saw's capacity isn't the center of a
28" board, but more realistically the
center of a board that's 28" on the
diagonal, give or take a little. Since
one can twist the blade 90 to rip
stock of just about any length, I find
the smaller saw to be more than suffi-
cient for the types of projects that I
usually build.
Both saws are great for cutting mul-
tiple thicknesses, for piercing cuts,
and for compound cuts. The quick
turn, precision work these saws offer
also means that they are suitable for
"handcut" dovetails. Besides doing
many regular shop tasks that you
now do with other tools, you're sure
to do some fretwork or inlay work
with it. Coloring books provide a
great source for patterns, and pro-
jects are limited only by your imagi-
nation. Being the least dangerous
tool in the shop (a slight contact with
the blade generally won't even draw
blood), a scroll saw like Sakura's may
be the ideal way to introduce young-
sters to the world of woodworking .

Hugh Foster is an English teacher, fur-
niture builder and freelance writer
based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

MAKINGA
CONTINUOUS
GRAIN BOX
Highly figured stock emphasizes the seemingly
impossible tri ck of four matched grain corners.
By Randy Johnson
A
good grain match in any
woodworking project is a
sign of careful planning and
craftsmanship. If you're
designing a box, it's easy to layout
three matching corners, but how do
you get the forth to match? It seems
impossible at first, but it's not.
I first read about this trick in an arti-
cle by W. Curtis Johnson some time
ago. The real key to the four corner
match lies in resawing a board, and
then flipping the resulting boards
inside out. Johnson's article recom-
mended using vertically grained
wood and this does make the project
a lot easier. Such wood, however,
tends to have face grain that is
straight and not very exciting. I decid-
ed to challenge this aspect of the
technique. What I needed was a piece
of wood that was vertically grained,
and yet had some interest to the face
grain. I started my search among my
Dad's lifetime collection of cutoffs
and stacks of seconds. I found a cou-
ple of dust covered pieces that
appeared to have potential. One
turned out to have a rotten spot inside
but the other was just what I needed.
It was vertically grained and had
some unique face grain because it
came from the butt section of the log
near the stump. Challenging the
usual in woodworking is what keeps it
exciting and rewarding. If you have
never tried matched grain corners, or
if you're looking to test your band-
saw's resawing capability, this will be
a great place to start. I recommend
using a "V" block resaw fence on your
bandsaw and a sliding table for the
tablesaw work. These will simplify the
process and add accuracy to your
work. When it comes to matching cor-
ners, accuracy is absolutely critical.
Resawing
for A Match
Start with a piece
of 4/4 walnut about 6" e by 26"
long. Cut off 10" and set aside for the
lid and bottom (pieces 3 and 4) . The
remaining 16" long board will be
resawn on the bandsaw to produce
the front and back sides and the two
ends (pieces 1 and 2) . Prepare the
board for resawing by jointing one
face just enough to flatten it. It should
not be thinner than 7/8" after this
jointing. Next joint one edge square
to this smooth face. Cut off the other
To keep
the focus on the
four corner grain
match, the author chose a
simple, straightforward design.
edge on the tablesaw and joint it
smooth. At this stage the board should
be atleast 41/4" wide. Now set up your
bandsaw with the "V" block resaw
fence that is shown in Figure 1. This
fence works extremely well for resaw-
ing because it allows you to easily
make adjustments for blade lead.
Mark a sawing line down the middle
of one edge of the board and put ref-
erence letters and arrows on one end
of the board to aid in realignment.
Now lightly clamp the "V" block
fence to the right side of the table and
position the board with the jointed
What 's the secret to a four corner grain match?
The key to the four corner grain match lies in resawing a board, and then flipping the resulting boards
inside out. One end and one side are then cut from each resulting piece, at opposite ends. To really add
to the tightness of the match, the author has another trick when it comes to cutting his miters. While
four of the miters are at the ends of the two pieces, the other four are cut in the middle. On these cuts
stop your miter cut a hair short from cutting completely through and gent ly bend the piece over to
break the remaining wood fibers. By doing it this way, you eliminate the saw kerf from these miters.
MAY/ JUNE 1990 TODAY' S WOODWORKER
Top view
The perfect grain match relies on good resawing
technique. Use a "V" block resaw fence, making
sure the blade is vertically parallel with your
fence before starting the cut.
match. Now with the freshly jointed fI
surfaces facing down (these will form
the outside of the box), run these
boards through your planer until they
are 5/16" thiclc
Mitering for A Match
The next step in making the front
and back sides and ends is to mark
and cut the miters for the corner.
First flip the boards inside out, as
shown in Figure 2. Next mark and
number the miters as shown in Fig-
ure 3 . No allowance is made for
kerf waste between pieces at miters
2 and 4 because the technique that
will be used requires none. Using a
scrap of wood surfaced to the exact
thickness of your good stock, set the
blade so it cuts just a whisper below
the surface.
When the miter is cut, the two
pieces should be connected by a thin
layer of wood fiber that is easily bro-
ken when folded. This blade setting
is only necessary for miters 2 and 4
and will produce an exact grain
match at these corners. The grain
match at corners 1 and 3 is affected
Flip bacl<
to back.
The key to the four corner match lies in
flipping your stock around, as shown above.
Make sure your reference letters are clearly
visible at this point.
face against the fence. Adjust the
fence so the blade will cut just to the
right of the center line (See Figure
1) and tighten down the clamps.
Looking straight at the front of the
blade, check to make sure it's verti-
cally parallel with the fence and adjust
the saw table if necessary. With
everything set, carefully resaw the
board. It's important to get a straight
and smooth cut, since this will make
for a better grain match. Now joint
the bandsaw surfaces, but only
enough to remove the saw marks
since this is another important factor
in obtaining a good four corner grain
by the width of the g-------------------.,r-----
original resaw kerf
and the amount that
was jointed off those
surfaces. Cut all the
miters at this time
and use a thin kerf
blade (3/32") to cut
the spline slots as
shown in Figure 4. A
stop block clamped to
your tablesaw is help-
ful in gauging the dis-
tance from the tip of
the miter.
Elevation Drawings
3/8 '
I ..

116"
1
foot ____1 ..... 1 5/32' I T 5
1
'2' I
I' deep ....... 16---- " ---....
..

dado
TODAY'S WOODWORKER MAY/ J UNE 1990
Once the boards are
flipped, layout and number your
miters, as shown here. One end and
one side are cut from each resawn board.
After cutting your miters, use a thin kerf blade
and a standard stop block to cut the spline
slots, as shown above.


and contract freely. Use a couple of
band clamps to bring everything
together.
2 33 2
The Final Match
There are many ways to fit or hinge
the top of a box. I selected a simple
rabbet around the underside of the
top so I wouldn't distract from the
beauty of the grain by adding hard-
ware or extra joinery. A router table
setup works best for this. The rabbets
on the long sides should be cut wide
enough to create about 1/16" play to
allow for any expansion of the top.
The rabbets along the ends of the top
should be percisely cut to make for a
snug fit. The final machining involves
stepped routing along the bottom to
create the feet, as shown below.
A little fine tuning is necessary for miters one and three. Layout the pieces to align the grain and then
trim off any excess from the top or bottom.
Now layout the pieces as shown in
Figure 5 and shift the two outside
pieces up or down until the grain
matches at miters 1 and 3. The
straighter the grain the less these
pieces will have to be shifted. Any off-
set between the pieces should now be
marked and trimmed off. Remove
additional stock as needed to bring
the four sides down to finish width.
Tape the pieces together to form
the box and decide which edge will
serve as the bottom. Now take the
13/8"113/8"1
When cutting your 3/32" x 3/8" splines, be sure
to cut across the grain, as shown above.
pieces back apart and rout the
grooves for the bottom (See Eleva-
tion Drawings). Next make the
splines for the corners. It is impor-
tant for reasons of strength and
expansion that the spline be cut from
a 3/32" thick board, as shown in Fig-
ure 6.
A Top and Bottom Match
The top and bottom of the box offers
another chance at grain matching.
There are actually two possibilities
here. The first is to resaw a piece of
A bookmatched top adds a nice touch to this box.
Resaw 4/4 stock and glue and clamp before milling.
4/4 stock and make one piece the top
and the other the bottom. The other
possibility is to bookmatch stock for
the top and the bottom, as shown in
Figure 7. The top of the box pictured
in this article was bookmatched. Mill
the top and bottom to finish size, but
do not rabbet the top yet.
Putting It All Together
A test fit is useful to see if all pieces
line up and fit correctly. In particular,
check to see that the bottom has about
1/16" side-to-side and end clearance
within the groove, to accommodate
any expansion and to prevent binding
when gluing up. Also, test fit the
splines to make sure they don't pre-
vent the corners from pulling in tight.
When everything fits, take the pieces
apart and sand the inside of the sides
and both sides of the bottom. Sparing-
ly apply glue to the corners and
splines but don't apply glue to the bot-
tom or its groove. The bottom
must be allowed to
expand
HARDWOOD (walnut)
Having already sanded the inside
and bottom of the box, all that's left to
sand is the outside and top. Finish
the box with an oil or lacquer for a
smooth lustrous look that will bring
out the beauty of the grain.

Randy Johnson is a third generation
woodworker who currently directs the
Master Wright Center woodworking
school in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.
- 1/8'
TxWx L
1 Front and Back Sides (2) 5/16" x 37/s" x 9
1
/2"
2 Ends (2) 5/16" X 3
7
/s" x 5
1
/2"
3 Lid (1) 3/8" X 5
5
/s" x 95fs"
4 Bottom (1) 1/4" x 51/8" x 91fs"
5 Splines (4) 3/32" x 3/8" x 37/s"
MAY IJUNE 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
... ---__ FI NI SHI NG THOUGHTS
Repairing A Damaged Finish
By Jerry TerHark
The most frustrating thing about fin-
ishing a project is knowing that some-
time, some way, it will eventually be
damaged. When it comes to repairing
damaged finishes the approach I like
to recommend is using shellac burn-
in sticks. While this technique takes
many hours to master, it's an invalu-
able skill to learn.
The type of finish on the piece will
make a difference as to whether or
not you can repair it. Damage to var-
nish, shellac, and lacquer finishes can
be burned-in; polyurethane and other
plastic finishes tend to blister and are
almost impossible to fix.
The materials you need on hand to
do a burn-in repair include burn-in
knives, knife heater, patch lube, shel-
lac sticks, sandpaper and paper towels.
Step 1: The first step, and the most
important, is to clean up the burn or
scratch. All foreign material must be
removed and the area should be
feathered. This can be done by sand-
ing, but some burns will require a lit-
tle scraping with a knife first.
Step 2: The second step consists of
filling the defect with shellac stick.
The knives must be heated up at this
stage. The easiest WCJY to tell if the
knives are ready to use is to touch the
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER MAY/JUNE 1990
shellac stick to one of them. If the
material turns into a molten material
without smoking, it's ready to use. If
the shellac starts to smoke when
touched to the knives, your knife is
too hot and will turn the stick a red-
dish color.
Step 3: While you're waiting for the
knives to warm up you should be
determining what color shellac stick
to use. This is done by matching the
lightest color in the immediate area
of the scratch. When the knives are
ready and you've chosen the proper
color shellac, put a dab of stick shel-
lac on the tip of the burn-in knife and
apply it to the scratch. Keep working
the repair until the spot is slightly
over-filled. During the application
process, always wet your finger and
press down hard on the stick in the
repair area while it's still warm. This
will eliminate any air pockets and pre-
vent a "cave in" when your repair job
is coated with spray materials or
when French polished.
Step 4: The fourth step is to clean up
your repair. The product I use here is
called patch lube or burn-in balm.
This material has the feel of Vaseline,
and aids in removing any excess shel-
lac stick, while preventing the hot
knife from damaging the surrounding
finished surface. This is important
because at this stage you'll want to
slow down your knife so that any
excess shellac has a chance to solidi-
fy on it for removal. After every pass
with your knife, and especially before
you put it back into the oven, you
must wipe your knife on a paper
towel to remove the excess. The one
drawback to using patch lube or
burn-in balm on a repair is that you
cannot reapply shellac stick over
these products. The shellac won't
adhere properly and will start to flake
after a short time.
Step 5: The fifth step is to scuff sand
the area to remove any rough spots
or shellac residue that remains on the
surface. Ideally, this is all you need to
do, however, it might be necessary to
grain-in or French patch the area so
the repair blends in better.
Burning-in is a technique that
requires many hours of practice but I
hope this article helps you get start-
ed. Just be sure to do all of your prac-
ticing on sample boards before you
decide to take on that old scratch on
the dining room table! In a future
issue of Today's Woodworker maga-
zine, I'll cover the techniques of
graining-in and French patching .

Jerry TerHark, who lectures nation-
wide on wood finishing, studied under
master finisher George Frank. Jerry is
the head of Dakota County Technical
College's wood finishing program in
Rosemount, Minnesota.

... ______ YESTERDAY'S WOODWORKER
Spoon Carving Scandinavian Style
By Drew Langsner
During the long winter nights in
northern Scandinavia, carving wood-
en spoons is a common pastime. A
well made spoon combines utility for
intended use, adequate strength, and
perhaps most important, aesthetic
pleasure when looked at and handled.
Carving these miniature sculptures is
a challenge that provides personal
satisfaction, in addition to practice in
carving wood and learning how to
refine a design. You'll need to train
your hands and eyes to deal with
wood grain, symmetry, and miniature
engineering problems. Hand carved
spoons make fine personal gifts that
are not overly complex and time con-
suming to complete.
A variety of woods can be used so
long as they're strong and have short,
dense grain that can take carving
details nicely. Lack of taste and odor
is also important.
Birch (white or yellow), hard maple
and beech are ideal woods to use.
The harder fruit woods are also good,
these being apple, pear and black
cherry. In southern Appalachia old
timers called rhododendrum "spoon
wood" because of its many natural
crooks and fine, tight grain. Avoid
using coarse woods such as oak or
ash.
It's best to use green wood which
carves easily, but dried stock can be
used. The Scandinavians prefer to
carve spoons from a split section of a
crooked limb -the crook provides a
natural, sweeping curve for the bowl
and handle that is very strong. Pie-
shaped splits from a log and clear,
straight grained lumber can also be
used.
Basic Tools
Only a few tools are required, so the
spoon carver can take projects into
the house or on trips. Traditionally,
Scandinavians roughed out their
spoon blanks with a very sharp, light
weight hatchet. Hewing a spoon
blank requires a great deal of skill, in
addition to being quite dangerous.
Most spoon carvers prefer to begin
by sawing out the blank, first on the
wide surface (plan view), and then
from the profile (side). I use a thin
bladed bow saw, but a coping saw
works quite well. Band sawing blanks
is very fast, but cannot be recom-
mended as a safe practice.
Most of the carving is done with a
knife that has a blade 3-4" in length.
The Swedes commonly use "sloyd
knives" (hand craft knives) such as
those made by Frost of Mora, Swe-
den. These knives have a laminated
blade. The center section is hard
steel while the sides are soft steel.
This sandwich composition results in
a blade that holds a good edge but is
also easy to sharpen. Frost knives are
available in the U.S.
The enclosed blade angle of the
knife bevels should be about 26
degrees. It's important that the
bevels are flat or slightly hollow
ground. A sloppy, convex bevel will
greatly limit control in cutting. Of
course, sharpness is very important.
Spoon bowls can be hollowed with
an ordinary gouge, such as a #8
sweep, 15mm across. So-called
"spoon gouges" have too much bend
in the shank for this work. A thin-
bladed crooked knife also works well,
but the ones sold in he U.S. are far
too wide, and are almost useless.
Getting Started
Beginners should start with a green,
straight grained board or split billet
from a freshly cut log or limb. Boards
should be quarter sawed. Avoid any
wood with knots, irregular (or fig-
ured) grain, or that incorporates the
pith.
I suggest copying an existing spoon
to get started. Your own designs can
be developed later, after basic carving
skills and an understanding of design
requirements are developed.
If necessary, clean up the blank.
Drawing a center line on the plan
This spalted white birch
spoon was made by expert
carver Wille Sundqvist
about ten years ago.
view will help in sketching out an asy-
metrical design. Also sketch the pro-
file view on one side. Spoons with an
S-curved profile look and feel much
finer than ordinary flat ones; the
extra effort is definitely worthwhile.
Saw out the plan view, being careful
to maintain adequate thickness in the
stem section, then re-draw and saw
the profile. Now begin to rough out
the three dimensional shape with
your knife. If you're right handed,
hold the blank in your left hand and
the knife in your right hand with the
blade pointed left. A wide variety of
knife "grasps" and strokes can be
used. With any grasp, the knife and
stock must be held in such a way that
a slip is stopped before there is dan-
ger of being cut.
A knife blade pushed directly into
MAY/ JUNE 1990 TODAY' S WOODWORKER
the wood doesn't cut well -a slicing
action greatly increases effectiveness.
The blade edge can face inwards or
away from your body. The most com-
mon grasp is away from your body, by
straightening one's arm. Support the
stock in your left hand by resting it on
your lap. Be sure to cut away from
your legs. This works well for starting
work on the spoon handle.
To carve the lower stem and around
the bowl, you'll need to use grasps
that cut towards your body. It's often
good to support the blank against
your chest. The bowl can be used as a
safety stop when carving in along the
lower stem. You can also support
your knife-holding hand or forearm
against your chest, so that there is no
possibility of slipping out of control.
For cutting across the grain, it's
often possible to get extra strength
and control by reaching around the
blank and pushing the back of the
blade with the fingers of the left hand.
As you carve, tryout new grasps for
various situations but be sure to have
a safety stop so that you can't get cut.
Hollow the bowl while the bowl
exterior and stem is still large enough
to comfortably hold onto. Grasp the
gouge blade "dagger-style" with the
blade extending from the palm of
your hand. Brace your thumb against
the wooden gouge handle. For con-
trol, hold your upper arms against
your torso, and rest your spoon hold-
ing hand on your lap. Now extend
your left thumb across the top of the
spoon bowl so that the thumb tip con-
tacts the palm of the right hand. This
thumb contact acts as a fulcrum and
makes the process safer. Make
sweeping gouge cuts by rotating the
right wrist against the left thumb.
When gouging, the palm of your
gouge holding hand should bump
into the exterior of the spoon bowl.
Long, shallow slices are more effec-
tive than a deep, abrupt action.
When the bowl is hollowed, return
to carving the exterior and the stem.
Pay attention to details such as sym-
metry -make shapes and planes that
work together logically. The lower
stem is usually deep for strength,
while the holding end is flattened for
comfort. Constantly study the shape
from different views. Be aware of the
danger of over-carving the stem to
the point that it becomes weakened.
Better to make small mistakes that
are easily corrected. Level the bowl
TODAY'S WOODWORKER MAY IJUNE 1990
Wille Sundqvist demonstrates a common
carving grasp, stroking away from the
body by straightening his arm. This stroke
works well for starting work on the spoon.
When carving the lower stem and around
the bowl, it's often necessary to support
your knife-holding hand or forearm against
your chest to avoid any chance of slipping.
When cutting across the grain, get extra
strength and control by reaching around
the blank and pushing the back of the
blade with the fingers of the left hand.
Start hollowing the bowl while the blank is
still comfortably large. The gouge blade is
held "dagger-style" for long shallow slices.
rim and then hollow the bowl a little
more if necessary.
Sanding and Finishing
Spoons are usually finished by sand-
ing and oiling. The green wood can
be dried in 1-2 days by putting it in a
warm place, such as above an oven.
The thin cross section will dry rapid-
ly. To prevent checking, you can rub
some boiled potato into the end grain.
After drying, you can refine the
shape with some last Imife and gouge
work. Hand sand your spoon using
successive grits beginning with 60-80
and ending with about 220. During
sanding pay attention to the spoon
shape and carved planes. Careful
sanding can crisp up the design; slop-
py sanding will cause the shape to
blend into an undefined mass.
Scandinavian spoons are traditional-
ly finished with boiled linseed oil
thinned with turpentine. I don't use
this finish because you must wait sev-
eral months for the solvents to evapo-
rate before the spoon can be used.
Remember that there is also a danger
of spontaneous combustion with lin-
seed oil soaked rags.
My spoons are finished with walnut
oil, which can be purchased at health
food stores. A pint will oil dozens of
spoons, and there are no dangerous
ingredients. Unlike most oils, walnut
oil does not turn' rancid.
The oil finish is usually rubbed in
with a rag. Warming the oil will aid
penetration. Another technique is
soaking in an oil bath overnight.
Later, wipe off the excess and polish
the surface.
Never used, well oiled and polished
spoons look best, but our spoon col-
lection is in daily use. The ideal care
is to wipe spoons clean rather than
washing. While this is practical with
salad servers, our spoons go into the
regular dish wash and are possibly
oiled once a year.
For more detailed information on
carving spoons there is a new
Taunton Press book, Swedish Carving
Techniques, by Wille Sundqvist, and a
companion video, "Carving Swedish
Woodenware with Jogge Sundqvist."
In addition, master woodcarver Wille
Sundqvist will be teaching two class-
es in the U.S. this summer. If you're
interested, contact me at Country
Workshops, 90 Mill Creek Road, Mar-
shall, North Carolina 28753. The
phone number is (704) 656-2280.

.. _____ READER'S GALLERY
Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery
The Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery
(4011 South 16th St. , Phoenix, AZ
85040) was founded by John Roberts
and Robert Venn. The school is one of
the few craftsmanship training cen-
ters in the United States which offers
a program in fine woodworking as
well as a course in the art of building
and repairing stringed instruments.
The school first became licensed in
1974 and has been teaching one basic
course in luthiery (stringed instruc-
ment construction and repair) since
that time . The school recently
announced the addition of a new one
year program in fine
woodworking.
This Dray (or Rent) table is made of
Honduras mahogany and built by Bob
Wintringham, a student. The detail at
left shows the pie-shaped drawers
with handcut dovetails.
The headstock view of this jumbo
cutaway steel string guitar, (left),
shows inlay and binding details.
The neck is made of Honduras
mahogany and Nicaraguan
rosewood. Fretboard is ebony. Back
and sides are figured koa. Top is sitka
spruce. Body binding is flame maple
and rosewood. Inlays are fibalone and mother
of pearl. Designed and built by instructor
John Reuter.
This Pembroke table is made of Honduras
mahogany with cherry and ebony inlays and
banding. The table was built by Sandra Golob,
a student.
This tool chest, made of soft maple, was designed
and built by instructor John W. Lumsden.
The art nouveau cocktail cabinet shown under
construction is being made with Honduras
mahogany by Bob Wintringham.
SUPPLIERS:
The mail order suppliers listed below
carry the wood and hardware needed
to build the projects in this issue of
Today's Woodworker magazine.
Garrell Wade
Dept. TW
161 Ave. of the Americas
New York, NY 10013
The Woodworkers' Store
Dept. TW
21801 Industrial Blvd.
Rogers, MN 55374
NEXT ISSUE:
Constanlines
Dept. TW
2050 Eastchester Rd.
Bronx. NY 10461
Trendlines
Dept. TW,
375 Beacham st.
Chelsea, MA 02150
Get ready for the fishing season with a
unique laminated wood fishing net.
Associate editor Chris Inman is also
putting the finishing touches on a
beautiful cherry corner cupboard.