But, if you want to produce flat faces, edges and square reference surfaces in a fraction of the time, a power jointer will get the job done with minimal skill and effort. For most of us, it’s the more practical approach for processing rough lumber. And I’ll bet that if our predecessors had had the option to use a jointer, many of them would have been happy to trade their hand planes for a powered alternative. Here’s a quick study on this most beneficial machine.

What It Can and Can’t Do

A jointer is designed to flatten and square; those are its primary tasks. Preparing rough stock typically involves jointing a reference face first, then flattening an adjacent edge. A jointer is not an accurate thicknessing machine — that’s a planer’s job — nor will it keep two faces or edges parallel to one another. It’s possible to cut rabbets, tapers and chamfers on a jointer too, but generally, other tools are better choices. So, a jointer’s vitae of skills is actually rather short. But what it does well is crucial to woodworking.

How a Jointer Works

If you flip a hand plane upside down and face its knob to the right, you’re on your way to understanding how a jointer works. Its iron frame is made up of three big components: a center base casting and two movable tables. The infeed table on the right (on a hand plane, the portion of the sole ahead of the blade) supports workpieces as they’re fed into the machine’s rotating cutterhead, and the outfeed table on the left (the rest of the hand plane’s sole behind the blade) keeps stock stabilized and on track as it exits the cutterhead.

There’s a dynamic relationship between the infeed and outfeed tables and the cylinder- shaped cutterhead. When a jointer is properly tuned up, the surface of its outfeed table is precisely flush with the jointer’s knives or cutting inserts at their highest point of rotation (called top dead center — TDC). That way, boards leaving the cutterhead continue to be supported at the same elevation as they were milled, ensuring flatness. The infeed table, on the other hand, must be adjusted lower than the cutterhead’s TDC in order for surfacing to occur. This depth-of-cut can be set from just thousandths of an inch to 1/8″ or more, depending on how much stock you want to remove with each pass.

Regardless of depth of cut, it’s critical that both the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel to one another across their width and along their length. If they aren’t co-planer, the machine can’t render board surfaces flat.

A jointer’s cast-iron fence, located beside the tables, can be adjusted laterally across them for working with narrow stock or to expose only a portion of the cutterhead. It also can be tilted off of square for joining angled edges. However, the fence is typically kept at 90° so the machine can do its main task of squaring faces to edges.

Located beneath its spring-loaded, pivoting guard, a jointer’s cutterhead spins at around 5,000 to 6,000 rpm to help deliver smooth cuts and minimal tearout on any wood grain. One or two drive belts deliver power from the machine’s motor, hiding inside the closed stand. Stationary jointers employ quiet, long-lasting induction motors. Benchtop models have noisier universal motors, similar to corded circular saws and routers.

As surfaces are flattened, accumulating debris falls down a ramp inside the stand and out through a 4″ dust port. Jointers create a mountain of wood chips and dust in no time — second only to a thickness planer or lathe. So, for shop cleanliness and cleaner air, they need to be connected to a dust collector with as short a run of hose or ductwork as possible.

If you’re lucky enough to have a spacious wood shop, your jointer might be able to stay in one place all the time. But when it has to be moved — and sooner or later that time will come — you’ll appreciate having casters underneath to help roll its hundreds of pounds around. Some machines come with casters built into the stand. Or, you can add an aftermarket mobile base to any jointer.

Cutterhead Options

Up until the early 2000s, the cutterheads on all but industrial-size jointers had the same basic design: three or four single-edged, straight-bladed steel knives that sat in pockets in the cutterhead. You can still find these cutterheads today on some jointers. As long as those knives are sharp, the design works fine. But, as soon as the knives nick or dull, the task of servicing them becomes difficult. That’s because reinstalling and setting fresh knives can require the patience of Job and the precision of a Swiss watch maker. Each knife must be set square to the jointer tables from end to end and at precisely the same height as one another. Combinations of springs, recessed set screws and gib bars with multiple screws holding the knives in place only compound the problem of installation. Unless you do it often, setting traditional jointer knives is a big hassle.

Jointer cutterhead maintenance and performance took a quantum leap forward when manufacturers began to offer helical (also often called spiral) cutterheads with replaceable inserts as options. Unlike a straightknife head, spiral heads are equipped with rows of carbide inserts that have four sharp edges. Pockets in the cutterhead automatically set them to correct TDC, and a single star-drive screw holds each insert in place. When an insert nicks or dulls, it has three more sharp edges that can be accessed as easily as loosening the screw and rotating the carbide. Inserts are also cheap to replace.

Each row of cutters presents itself at a bias to the wood, instead of straight across, to create a shearing action that cuts figured and interlocked grain more cleanly. While purchasing a helical-equipped jointer will cost hundreds of dollars or more than a conventional straight-knife model, it’s an investment you’ll appreciate — both for maintenance and when you’re jointing figured or difficult-grain stock. It’s an improvement that surely will make straight-knife cutterheads obsolete on new jointers at some point, probably sooner than later.

Machine Sizes, Styles

If you’re in the market for a jointer, its cutterhead style is one important consideration. Another decision you face is its maximum width of cut. Jointers are manufactured with 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″ and even 16″ cutterhead lengths. The size determines how wide a board face you can join in a single pass. Obviously, longer cutterheads offer more capacity and can prevent you from needing to rip wide stock narrower in order to flatten it. As cutterhead lengths go up, so does the overall table length of the machine, to a point. So, while a 6″ jointer might offer a 50+”-long table, an 8″ model usually provides several more feet of table length. Longer tables are a big advantage when you need to flatten longer stock.

The counterpoint here, not surprisingly, is cost. As machine sizes increase, their price tags spike upward, too. For instance, an 8″ helical-head jointer may cost around $1,500, but a 12″ machine with the same cutterhead style can set you back $4,000. With those numbers in mind, occasional ripping and re-gluing may be a fair trade-off to buying a more-than-you-really-need jointer. A good compromise between capacity and cost is the 8″ size. I’ve used one for 15 years and have rarely needed more.

Jointers are also manufactured in two table styles: wedgebed and parallelogram. Wedgebed jointers have tables that slide up and down on sloped dovetailed ways in the casting. If the machine’s center casting looks somewhat like a triangle, the jointer is a wedgebed. Its infeed and outfeed tables are mounted and held in place along their inner edges only.

By contrast, the tables on a parallelogram jointer raise and lower on pivoting braces in the center casting. Each table is equipped with two braces along its length. Some experts suggest that parallelogram jointers are better able to maintain a co-planar table relationship, thanks to the added support these braces provide. But, wedgebed jointers that are used carefully and set up properly have served woodworkers well for as long as jointers have been made. Generally, they’re also more affordable. Regardless of design, if you buy your jointer from a reputable manufacturer, either style should serve you well.

Setting Up a Jointer

Aside from cranking down the infeed table to establish your desired depth of cut, there are only a couple of adjustments you might need to make to ready the machine for use. For one, it’s imperative that a jointer’s outfeed table is flush with the cutterhead’s TDC. To check, hold a straightedge against the outfeed table so it extends over the cutterhead. With the machine unplugged, rotate the cutterhead; the knives or inserts should just “kiss” the straightedge, touching but not lifting it. Adjust the outfeed table up or down slightly to dial it in as needed. Once TDC is established, you shouldn’t have to check it again unless you move the machine, bump the outfeed table significantly or drop something heavy on it.

For edge-jointing and squaring, you’ll also want to adjust the fence so it’s perpendicular to the tables. Do this by holding an accurate combination or engineer’s square against the fence and table, just past the cutterhead on the outfeed side. Adjust the fence so there’s no gap between the square’s blade and the fence face, and tighten the table setting.

The fence also needs to be moved laterally so it will expose enough of the cutterhead to join the stock width at hand. I leave my jointer’s fence cranked as far back as it will go most of the time; this way, I’m always ready to use the machine on wide material. Be sure to check for fence squareness again every time you move the fence in or out — any “play” in its mechanism can throw the fence out of squareness with the table again.

What about the “correct” depth of cut? To some degree, that’s a matter of personal preference. The deeper you set the infeed table, the more stock the machine will remove. On roughsawn lumber, a 1/16″ depth of cut will quickly skim off the oxidized, rough outer layer of the wood. It will rectify lumber defects such as cupping or bowing with fewer passes, too. But, deep cuts can also lead to more tearout on interlocked or figured grain. So, you may need to experiment with a cutting depth that best suits the particular stock you’re joining.

Generally, I leave my jointer set for about 1/32″-deep passes, regardless of the condition of the material or the species I’m surfacing. It requires me to make more passes to get stock flat, but the tearout is minuscule, provided I’m feeding the wood “with” the grain direction and not against it. Whatever you decide, however, never exceed a 1/8″ cutting depth for ordinary flattening and squaring operations — it increases the risk of kickback and torn-out grain.

Play It Smart: NEVER Do Either of These Things!

Jointers are the wrong tools for machining end grain. Severe tearout on the back corner is almost inevitable, and the cutterhead could grab and propel the wood backwards. Don’t do it.

Likewise, never put your hands at risk by joining stock thinner than 1/2″, narrower than 3″ or shorter than 12″.

Body Language

Using a jointer is a bit like learning a dance step, and it takes some practice. Whether you’re jointing faces or edges, you’ll stand beside the machine on the infeed side and feed stock into the cutterhead with it firmly held against both the infeed table and the fence. Your left hand guides the workpiece from above, while your right hand feeds it forward from behind.

Once the stock begins to pass through the cutterhead, it’s safe and appropriate to move your left hand to the outfeed table to continue guiding it along. That might mean taking a step or two forward, alongside the machine, which is why it’s important to orient yourself so you can move with the wood, if needed. This is particularly important when joining long or heavy lumber.

Above all, maintain your balance and sure-footedness. Feed the material across the machine in a fluid, continuous motion to help ensure that faces and edges will be milled flat and smooth.

Then, there’s the matter of safety — the cutterhead won’t know the difference between wood or your fingers. Be sure the machine’s casters are locked so it can’t accidentally move during use. Roll up long sleeves and use push sticks or push pads for face jointing instead of your hands. NEVER operate a jointer for flattening faces or edges without the guard in place and functioning correctly. A jointer is a fantastic shop asset. Use it wisely.

The post Tool Tutorial: Power Jointers appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

A mistake that most turners make is to turn the outside first. A much better arrangement is to do all the internal work first, then grab the bore in cones and turn the outside. This allows gripping in a four-jaw scroll chuck for drilling and ensures that the inside and outside of the spindle are concentric with each other.

Being the guy who often says, “You can get along fine without a four-jaw scroll chuck,” I have to state that this is a turning project that is greatly aided by a fourjaw chuck. I used a Oneway Stronghold with the supplied jaws that grip externally from 1-3/4″ to 3-1/4″ for drilling and scraping the grooves.

I also used their spigot jaws to internally grab the bored blank for turning the outside. I stabilized and centered the entire bore by also catching it with a Robust Live Center with a large cone threaded onto it. However, I could have put a piece of scrap in the standard jaws and turned it to a taper that fit the bore, then stabilized and centered it with the same live center. If you lack a four-jaw chuck you can do all the boring in a drill press, but scraping grooves to accept the paws of the grinding mechanism will be problematic.

That being said, this project can be done without scraping any grooves at all, as I’ll explain shortly. Taking this option means you drill the internal bores on the drill press then turn the outside between centers with a cone mounted on a faceplate, turned to fit the bore and stabilized with a cone live center in the tailstock. A turned cone that fits over the end of your live center can be rigged if you lack a commercial live center that accepts larger cones.

You will need some large Forstner bits to bore your pepper mill, and they differ between the two mechanisms. Pepper mill mechanisms are made to metric standards, while most of us have Imperial Forstner bits only. The larger a given diameter, the more likely you are to find discrepancies between the two systems.

In this project, the bore will be large for the grinding parts. Additionally, the mill’s plastic housing is slippery. You are likely to find out, as I did, that if rotating the cap grinds no pepper the grinder in the bottom and the insert in the cap (that grips the central shaft) are slipping.

This is to say that you will have to epoxy these parts in place once you have tested that everything fits properly. Being originally trained as a metal machinist, I scraped grooves in both the base and the cap, but with epoxy you do not have to.

I do feel that a groove makes for a better glue joint between the plastic and the wood housing. I ground my scraper for these grooves from an old mortise chisel, but Sorby actually offers a special scraper for the purpose, the 895CGH Crush Grinder Scraper.

The drawing gives all the sizes (using Imperial bits) and the location of the grooves. The photo essay above should give you the necessary information to make a pepper mill. I strongly urge you to make your first pepper mill 6″ or less in height. Chucking will be much easier.

A matching salt shaker can be made using a salt shaker cap. It will appear that it is a press fit with a 1-1/4″ drilled hole. However, the cap measures 1.241″ across its retaining fingers, making it a loose fit with a 1-1/4″ hole.

It was probably designed for a 31.5 mm hole, which would yield a quarter of a millimeter (.010″) press fit. If you do not want way too much salt on your food, the solution is to bore the hole to 1-1/16″ or 1-1/8″ (depending on your bit inventory) and scrape a 1/4″-deep counterbore that is a press fit with the cap.

In the end, the cook in your household will appreciate your efforts with this project. And so will you — freshly ground pepper is so much superior to pre-ground pepper! It’s worth the effort.

Click Here to Download the Drawing.

The post FREE PROJECT: Turning a Pepper Mill & Matching Salt Shaker appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

The stock for this project needs to end up a full 1″ thick. We always recommend that you get it in your shop and let it acclimate to your space. You are going to want to start with 5/4 rough stock and machine it to the one inch dimension.

With that done, set the oak aside for now, and grab some material to make templates — we used 3/8″ MDF, but 1/4″ MDF or hardboard would likely work just as well.

Use the gridded drawing to draw the leg to full size and create a template. Cut it out carefully on the band saw and then refine the shape by sanding, either with a machine or by hand. (We used a spindle sander.) Use your template to transfer the leg shape onto four workpieces, then rough-cut them with a band saw. Make the cut just outside the line on the legs; the less material the router bit needs to remove, the better the cut will look.

Template Routing for Accuracy

Now you can template-rout the legs to their final shape. The template you used earlier to transfer the shape to the leg blanks will now be employed to guide a router bit. I attached the template to each leg cut out with double-sided tape Next, I chucked a flush-trim bit into the router table and set the depth to align the guide bearing with the template. The bearing will guide the router bit to shape the leg so it matches the template exactly. Engage the bit against the hardwood carefully and keep it moving steadily to prevent burn marks.

But here is an important point: don’t use the router to shape the bottom narrow ends of the legs — the danger of tearout is too great.

Forming the Center Column

With the legs done for now, we need to move on to the center columns. These are small interlocking pieces of stock that will eventually join the legs together. That begins by cutting half-lap joints in them. Forming those joints is a multi-step process. First, mark the joints carefully — the goal is that they will just slip together when assembled. Remove most of the waste with a band saw.

Then step to your router table and, with a 1/2″-diameter straight bit that has 2″ cutting edges, remove the remaining stock, testing the fit on scrap wood. To do this accurately and safely, I used a miter gauge with a sacrificial fence attached and a stop block. Clamping the pieces to the sacrificial fence kept my fingers clear of the router bit as the stock was removed. Raise the bit in sequential cuts to make the task more controllable.

The last bit of machining involves drilling out mortises for Beadlock® loose tenons. The Beadlock system forms rock-solid joints. Making these mortises involves simply drilling a series of holes, and the system is very affordable. But, other types of loose tenons or doweling systems will also work.

Now sand the legs smooth to get them ready for adding color in a short while. Glue and join each center column to a pair of legs with tenons inserted to form two flat leg subassemblies.

Making the Curved Supports

I once again used a template to help make the curved supports identical, just as I did with the legs. But in this case I did not use it to template-rout the final shape. In my opinion, the pieces are too narrow and could break during that process, which would not be good. Once I had the template ready, I transferred its shape to the white oak lumber and cut the two curved supports out at the band saw. I then refined them to their final shapes on a spindle sander.

When I was happy with them, I formed the half-lap joints in the curved supports by making a series of side-by-side cuts on the band saw, then chiseling the remaining waste away. I tested the fit of the joint and used the chisel to pare away stock until the half lap was perfect. Final-sand the supports and set them aside with the leg subassemblies.

The next pieces to complete are the four frame moldings that surround the sub-top and tile. I made these, including the rabbet, on the table saw and then formed their bevels on the router table with a chamfering bit. You may need to adjust the rabbet to properly accommodate the tile you are using for the top.

Next, I cut the small triangular-shaped center column accents and sanded them smooth. Finish-sand all the other parts to prepare them for the colored dye.

Dye Before Glue

Why use dye rather than pigment stain? The biggest reason is that you can add all the color you want but without having to mask off the glue joints. (You can glue dyed wood together as if it were raw wood — so handy!) The other reason is that I like the color control that dye affords … the hues are essentially infinite. Here I used TransTint® Dark Mission Brown.

Quick & Thick glue from Titebond® works well on this project for a couple of reasons. First, its quick tack and drying quality really help in these specific glue-ups, especially with the column accents. Second, it works great with multiple materials, like the ceramic tile, wood and MDF that we are using on the top of the stand. As I mentioned, I glued these dyed pieces together without a hitch. The last thing to do was to glue some small pieces of hardboard to the legs of the stand. They will help to keep the short grain on the corners of the legs from chipping off, and they create nice little feet.

Finishing Up

With all that done, I buffed the piece down with a grey synthetic pad to remove any raised grain the water-based dye created when I flooded it on. Then I used an aerosol can of shellac to apply two seal coats of clear finish. Shellac is an easy-to-use product that will build up a film coat quickly. I followed that with a final coat of satin lacquer from a spray can as well — rattle can finishes are so easy to use.

Grabbing the Quick & Thick glue again, I secured the ceramic tile to the sub-top and the project was done! All that was left to do was to find a nice plant.

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

The post PROJECT: Tile-topped Plant Stand appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Our desk caddy is configured to serve the needs of a modern office desk. There’s a spot for a cell phone to sit upright with an access channel for a charging cable. There are recesses for a Google Home Mini (or perhaps, paper clips), some cheater glasses and a pen. And when you find yourself at work late at night with no food or drink to sustain you, there is a lidded money “vault” to save the day. Keep hydrated and don’t let your energy drop!

Building It “Analog” Style

If you are not a CNC user, just photocopy the pattern above at 200 percent. We are waiving copyright on this pattern for Woodworker’s Journal readers.

We recommend making the caddy as a doubled-up lamination. First, prepare a 1/2″ x 8-1/2″ x 12″ top blank and adhere the pattern to it. Cut out the five main compartments on a scroll saw. Angle the scroll saw table a few degrees to create beveled walls around the openings. For the money vault opening, rout a small rabbet around its side and front edges, to support the 1/8″-thick lid.

With that done, make a 1-1/4″ x 8-1/2″ x 12″ bottom blank. Cut and rout a 3/8″-deep, 3″-long groove in its top face to form a clearance channel for a cell phone cord. Bore a 3/8″-dia. hole down through the front end of this groove.

Then, starting at this hole, rout a 1/2″-deep groove into the bottom face to continue the channel out to the rear of the caddy. When the channel is finished, rout a shallow groove across the compartment in the top face to serve as a “dock” for the cell phone, which prevents it from sliding forward.

Glue the two blanks together. While that dries, cut out the money vault cover and phone support from some 1/8″-thick stock. Now cut or rout a chamfer around the caddy’s top outer edge. Finish-sand the project, then glue the phone support to the rear of the phone compartment. Apply your finish of choice and install some rubber feet onto the bottom, if you wish. Your new caddy is now ready to go to work.

The pattern is at 50% of its original size. Enlarge it with a printer or copier set to 200% to make a full-size pattern. Each square = 1/2″. Woodworker’s Journal readers have permission to copy the drawing for personal use.

Click Here to Download the CNC Files.

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This barrel stave candle holder is a simple-to-build and fun-to-use project that also makes a wonderful gift. The staves are available from Rockler. There are just a few things to consider first before getting this project underway, so keep the following suggestions in mind.

Spacing the Candles

While the arc of the barrel stave is locked in, what you can choose is where you locate the candles. Our version spaces multiple candles evenly along the arc of the stave. Another option would be to start with a candle at the center of the stave, then expand the distance between subsequent candles. Or you could position pairs of candles across the stave — those options can be the key to customizing this project however it looks best to you.

Details for Boring

One important thing to keep in mind is that the bore for the candles must be oriented to the horizon, not the curve of the stave. Otherwise, the candles will tilt. As you can see in the photo sequence, securing the stave to a board and then using a drill press to drill the candle holes is a super way to get this done.

If you don’t have a drill press, don’t despair. You can still make the project, but you will need to account for that arc as you drill. Again, put the stave on a board, but then set a combo square behind the stave with the ruler pointing up. You can visually align your handheld drill to that orientation and get a pretty good result. Also, make certain that your drill bit is of the correct diameter to accept the candles. A Forstner bit is the best option here because it cuts clean, flat-bottomed holes. A slightly oversized diameter will make the candles easier to insert and remove.

Speaking of which, we used battery-powered votives in the above photo, and that is our strong recommendation. You can buy a bag of 24 at Amazon or craft stores for under $10. But, if you are going to use actual candles rather than artificial ones, make sure that they have a glass or metal casing around them. Better safe than sorry when it comes to open flame.

Any clear finish will work on these staves, but shellac might be the best choice. It is quick to dry, adheres to just about anything and it does not have an offensive odor.

This lovely gift will be used year after year. Give it a try for the holidays.

WARNING: Use appropriate candle holders or battery-operated candles to keep flame and heat away from flammable wood and decorations. Do not leave lit candles unattended.

The post PROJECT: Whiskey Barrel Stave Candle Holder appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

I routed the three game boards using a Shaper Origin (it’s a unique handheld CNC machine), but they are doable using “old school” methods as well. More on that at the end of this article.

Starting at Floor Level

I built the legs for the table first, choosing ash lumber that I surfaced to 13/16″. That allowed me to glue up three pieces per leg and make blanks that were 2-3/8″ square. I also left them longer than their final 24″ length. I then chopped mortises in the legs for the cross braces while they were sticked up and moved on to the lathe. Here, I turned them to cylinders with a rabbet at the top and a “foot” at the bottom.

I cut the legs to final length on a miter saw. I also cut the cross braces to width but left them overlong and set them aside for the time being. You can find all the dimensions and construction details for the table parts in the Material List and in the Drawings.

Next, I glued up the four pieces for the tabletop game boards, taking the time to “compose” the panels — trying to create pleasing grain patterns. Ash has bold grain patterns and can be very beautiful. Because I was working with the Shaper Origin and was frankly a total rookie with it, I made my top blanks 28″ square to leave some room for error.

Hand-guided CNC Router

I’ve been aware of the Shaper Origin for a long time now, having seen one of the very early prototypes developed by some MIT students.

Think of it as a handheld router with a sort of GPS system that helps guide the bit. You do the driving, but the machine keeps you on the road.

When you learn any new tool or process, there are going to be fits and starts, and that happened to me. At the same time, I was pretty successful using the tool, thanks to the support the company provides on their website (shapertools.com).

We created our plan, sent it to Shaper to assist, and they put usable files into our ShaperHub portal.

After some final sanding and a dry fit to make sure the parts all fit together, it was time for assembly. I used shellac to build up a film coat and then a rattle can of clear lacquer as a top coat. Wax the surfaces to keep them from welding together!

If you are not going to use a Shaper Origin (probably most or all of you), we have downloadable drawings that will give you the tabletop shape and the Nine Men’s Morris layout.

Rockler sells a few jigs for drilling cribbage patterns (#51133 is one of several) that you can select. If you want a checkerboard pattern, painting that pattern on the tabletop is a simple solution.

But don’t stop there! The tabletops are an opportunity to put any sort of board game on the surface. Creativity counts!

All in all, this was a fun learning experience, and the table is a little gem.

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

Click Here to Download the Game Table Templates.

The post FREE PROJECT: Game Table Trio appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Gift Project #1 — Pepper Mill & Salt Shaker: In our Woodturning department, Ernie Conover demonstrates the process for turning a classic pepper mill and salt shaker using Rockler’s CrushGrind mechanism and other accessories.

Gift Project #2 — Candle Holder: An oak barrel stave, a Forster bit and a drill press or handheld drill are all you need to create a luminous centerpiece for holiday entertaining.

Gift Project #3 — Wireless Speaker: Surely there’s an audiophile on your gift list who would love to receive a rechargeable, Bluetooth®-enabled speaker. Rockler offers an inexpensive plug-and-play kit with all the electronics you’ll need. You make the case into which it fits for a customized touch.

Gift Project #4 — Desk Caddy: Desk caddies may have fallen out of favor once, but they’re still a handy way to store 21st century essentials and keep them close at hand while you work. We offer free CNC programming to make this project, or just photocopy our included pattern to build it with conventional tools instead.

Gift Project #5 — Game Table Trio: Here’s a piece of furniture that can provide hours of relaxing game play but serves as a handsome end table just as easily. Three interchangeable game boards make it possible. Our publisher takes a Shaper Origin CNC machine for a test drive to build this versatile project.

Tile-topped Plant Stand: Template routing and Beadlock loose tenon joinery combine to create this contemporary but practical accent piece. Our author also shares a finishing trick that makes the stand both easier to stain and assemble!

Tool Tutorial: The fastest way to flatten, straighten and square lumber is to use a power jointer. Senior editor Chris Marshall gives you the nickel tour of these fundamental machines and their basic uses.

Scroll Sawing: If you think a scroll saw is only suitable for cutting wood, Carole Rothman hopes to expand your horizons in this article. She shows that solid-surface materials, soft metals, acrylic, fabric and more are all options your scroll saw can cut, if you follow a few basic guidelines.

The post Woodworker’s Journal – November/December 2019 appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

What should you consider when you’re shopping for a woodworking jointer? Your budget is an obvious consideration, but there are also six features or options that are important to consider, including the board capacity, the cutterhead style, the fence, the type of infeed and outfeed table lifts, if it has casters or a mobile base, and the drive belt tensioning system. In this video, Chris Marshall goes over the pros and cons of different options available.

The post VIDEO: Six Features to Check Before Buying a Jointer appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Click Here to Download the Game Table Templates.

The post Game Table Templates appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Click Here to Download the Plan.

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