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I bought an instructional book and an assortment of blades, and started teaching myself how to cut. As I worked my way through the exercises, I was impressed by the range and beauty of the projects that could be made with this versatile little tool. From that point on, I never looked back.

What Can a Scroll Saw Do?

Smaller than most shop tools and deceptively simple in appearance, the scroll saw is the hands-down winner for “most underestimated and unappreciated tool in the workshop.” Because of its association with simple, pattern-based projects (think sewing machine!), woodworkers often fail to appreciate its capabilities and therefore don’t utilize it fully in their shops.

You may already be familiar with some of the better-known uses of the scroll saw. They include:

– Puzzles of various types

– Fretwork, in which a blade is inserted into the workpiece through small entry holes to permit the removal of pieces of varying sizes and shapes

– Intarsia and segmentation, which use many small pieces of wood glued together to form mosaics

– Wooden toys of all types, from simple pull toys to realistic, detailed models You’re less likely to know that with the scroll saw you can also:

– Make bowls and vases that appear at first glance to be lathe-turned

– Create unique boxes of many kinds, free from the constraints and demands of conventional joinery

– Make projects usually associated with the band saw, such as “band saw boxes” and collapsible baskets

– Use a technique called compound cutting to create three-dimensional objects

– Decorate projects with inlay and marquetry without using a router or chisel

– Cut a variety of materials: softwood, hardwood, particleboard, Corian®, acrylic, melamine, aluminum, copper, silver, brass, gold, horn, antler, bone, glass, ceramic tile and stone

– In conjunction with other tools, cut dovetails and tenons, and make templates to use with bearing-guided router bits

A pretty impressive list for an unassuming little tool!

Choosing a Scroll Saw

To get the most from a scroll saw, you’ll need to find the features that make a particular saw, or model, most appropriate for you. Some things to look for, overall, include: minimal vibration; vertical or near-vertical up and down movement of the blade; conveniently located speed controls and tension adjustments; and easy-to-use blade clamps.

Some scroll saws have matching stands. Some are adjustable; others areavailable in different heights and configurations, including wheelchair accessibility. A foot pedal, which serves as an On/Off switch, may be included. I strongly recommend one, since it frees up your hands to control the workpiece. I’ve found low-profile foot pedals the most comfortable to use.

The throat size of the saw table — the distance between the blade and the rear of the saw table — determines the size of the wood you can cut. It typically ranges from 16″ to 30″. The saw table itself can vary in size, shape and distance from the blade to the front of the table. As with table saws, those with more saw table surface area provide more stability for larger workpieces.

Some saws require a tool to secure the blade into its clamp; others use knobs that are hand tightened. Sometimes several options are offered, or a combination of methods is used. Regardless of specifics, a well-designed system of any type will be easy to use and provide a secure, reliable attachment.

Blade clamps — upper, lower or both — can be either attached to the saw or removable. This feature is relevant for those who do fretwork, which involves feeding the blade through small holes drilled in the workpiece. Those who prefer to insert the blade from the top down, or “top feeders,” need a saw whose lower clamp can remain in place when the bottom of the blade is detached. To “top feed,” the scroller detaches the bottom of the blade from its holder, leaving the top end attached, and feeds the blade through the drilled hole in the workpiece and the opening in the saw table. The blade is then reattached to the bottom holder. “Bottom feeding,” done in the opposite direction, can be done with all saws, since the upper end of the blade is always detachable with its clamp in place.

All scroll saws can make beveled cuts, typically up to 45°. Making cuts of this type usually requires tilting the saw table. However, some saws are designed so that the arm tilts and the table remains level. While this might seem a major advantage, even the steepest cuts can, with practice, be cut successfully with the table tilted. Some tables tilt fully in only one direction. This poses no problem, since cutting clockwise with the saw table tilted one way gives the same results as cutting counterclockwise with the table tilted the other way.

Ease of maintenance: although all scroll saws are easily maintained, some may have fuses and brushes that need periodic replacement, while others require only the oiling of a few moving parts after a specified number of hours of use.

Selecting Blades

Choosing scroll saw blades can be confusing, even for experienced scrollers, since several companies manufacture quality blades that vary in type, tooth configuration, teeth per inch (tpi) and other characteristics.

The most commonly used blade is the skip tooth, a blade with widely spaced teeth that cut on the down stroke. Reverse tooth blades are skip tooth blades that have a small number of teeth, usually at the bottom of the blade, which cut on the upstroke. This gives a smoother cut on the underside of the wood. However, this type doesn’t clear away sawdust as effectively as the skip tooth and may cause the wood to bounce slightly. Spiral blades have teeth that spiral all around the blade so you can cut in any direction. Controlling this type of blade takes practice, but the ability to cut in any direction without moving the workpiece is especially important for those doing large, intricate fretwork projects, involving many tiny cutout areas.

Even blades of similar types differ in how aggressively or smoothly they cut. As you gain experience, you’ll be able to select the blades that work best for your cutting and project preferences. For starters, however, make your best guess and buy a few dozen blades of types and sizes that seem appropriate. As you try them out, keep notes on their performance, and before long you’ll know just which blades are best for you.

Beyond the Basics: Cutting at an Angle

Once you’re comfortable making beveled cuts, new types of scroll saw projects become possible.

You can easily and economically make bowls and vases of different shapes and sizes from angled concentric rings that are glued together, then sanded. Online design tools such as PolyDraw offer myriad shapes and profiles.

Double-bevel inlay refers to a scroll saw technique in which two equally thick (usually between 1/4″ and 3/8″) pieces of wood are attached temporarily. When the piece to be inlaid, with pattern attached, is placed on top, you drill a blade entry hole on the pattern line and cut out the pattern in a clockwise direction. Downward pressure on the upper piece forces the matching lower piece to drop out. The upper piece takes its place, creating the inlay. Multiple pieces can be inlaid sequentially, enabling the scroll saw user to create attractive designs with relative ease.

Scroll Saw Safety

The scroll saw, with its tiny blades, is a relatively safe power-cutting tool. To prevent cutting yourself, keep your fingers to the side or back of the blade, especially when working with small pieces of wood. Eye protection is a must, since small fragments of wood can occasionally go flying. Sawdust is produced both above and below the table, which means a dust mask or respirator is essential, even if you’re using a vacuum or dust extraction system. Hearing protection is always recommended.

Prepare a Successful Cut

For accurate cutting, the blade must be properly tensioned. Too much tension and the blade will snap; too little and it will wander. I tension mine so that there is a slight deflection, no more than 1/8″, when the blade is pushed sideways, being especially careful not to over-tighten fragile, wire-thin blades. Blades are routinely de-tensioned when not in use, and the better saws have a quick-release mechanism at the front of the saw that lets you de-tension the blade without losing the setting.

Vertical cuts require that the saw blade and table be perpendicular to each other. I check this by tensioning the blade and placing a small square next to it to see if the blade and the vertical edge of the square are parallel. If not, depending on the type of saw I am using, I adjust either the arm or table until the blade and vertical edge of the square are aligned, then tighten the knob fully to keep the adjustment.

It’s a good idea to check your saw’s angle gauge at this time, to be sure that it reads zero, and to adjust it if it doesn’t. This lets you use the gauge when adjusting the table or arm for angled cutting.

However, when precision is critical, a small digital readout with magnetic base may be preferable. It can be used with either a tilting arm or table; it’s easy to read; and it avoids the problem of parallax when viewing the scale.

Making the Cut

There is no “shortcut” to learning how to cut: you learn by cutting until you get the feel of guiding the wood smoothly into the blade. Practice the major types of cuts: straight, curved and pivots, which are used to make sharp corners or to reverse direction. Although your first tries may look ragged, you’ll soon find it easy to follow a line accurately. Use a soft wood like pine or poplar, 3/4″ thick, and a #5 skip tooth blade, which is wide enough for stability but narrow enough to make most types of cuts.

Just don’t make the common mistake of continuing to use a dull blade for “those last few inches.” You’ll recognize dulling most easily by the need to increase pressure on the wood as you cut. If you continue to use the blade, burning may occur and the blade may deflect sideways. Eventually, the blade will break. Change the blade as soon as you notice a change in your cutting.

Look online for more of my troubleshooting tips for situations you might encounter during cutting as you move through the variety of projects you can make with a scroll saw.

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In the mid-20th century, many well-known woodturners, including James Prestini, Bob Stocksdale and Rude Osolnik, created natural edge bowls when they started experimenting with the traditional bowl’s form to create art to sell in craft galleries.

Predominantly, natural edge bowls are small. Part of this is that smaller diameters negate the wood shrinkage problem. Also, smaller items sell better in craft galleries because they are priced more reasonably and fit into the buyer’s décor more easily. This makes them perfect for mini and midi lathes.

Art Over Utility: Natural Edge Bowls of Varying Size

This 1985 poplar burl piece by Rude Osolnik is an exceptionally large natural edge bowl. Rude first turned the outside between centers, then chucked the base in a four-jaw metalworking chuck. He then wrapped the piece with duct tape and hollowed the inside, leaving a uniform 1/4″ wall. Very fragile, it is art and not utilitarian in the least.

The author turned this average-sized natural edge bowl, with bark, from white oak. Well-meant but klutzy dusting resulted in the removal of the bark from a section: proof that natural edges are more art than utility. Turned green, the shape has warped to oval, but the natural edge largely hides this.

The Greener, The Better!

Natural edge bowls are best turned from green wood — the greener, the better! A common motif is to leave the bark on the natural edge. This requires harvesting the tree, or the limb of the tree, in the cold months if the bark is not to fall off during drying. While this varies regionally, here in northeastern Ohio, December to February are safe bets.

You can somewhat combat the “bark falling off” tendency by treating it with thin cyanoacrylate “super” glue as you turn to increase the bark’s bond to the piece. The cyanoacrylate becomes indispensible for beginning and experienced turners alike if you attempt to turn a natural edge piece from wood harvested in the warmer months.

The concept of a natural edge bowl is simplicity itself; however, the execution, not so much. Cutting through the uneven edges requires precise tool control. Lack thereof results in an unnatural edge.

If you can use a bowl gouge handily, the process is straightforward. (If not, read on for a solution.)

Natural edge bowls benefit artistically from a straight wall design with good heightto- width ratios, which shows off the edge and lends a modern look.

Mount Your Workpiece

The best way to turn the outside of a natural edge is between centers, or on a screw chuck with a live center in the tailstock supporting the area that will be the base. Although we are chucked between centers, this is still faceplate turning because the grain of the wood is running across the lathe and not the length of it. (It is the orientation of the grain that separates face from spindle work.)

The best drive center for this type of work has only two prongs. Because the outside of the tree is uneven, a four-prong model will often only drive on one prong. This makes the center drift until three prongs engage. You can buy two-prong centers, but an easy solution is to simply grind two prongs away.

The orientation of the wood for a natural edge bowl is generally the opposite of the orientation for a level rim bowl. Instead of being the base of the bowl, the outside of the tree is now the rim.

Turning Process

Create the form of your bowl by turning a relatively tall, slender form with a bowl gouge and creating a stout tenon for chucking. The tenon should be about 1/8″ smaller than the base of the natural edge bowl and between 1/2″ and 1″ long.

Sand the outside and now mount a 1-1/2″-thick glue block on a faceplate. In the glue block, scrape a straight-walled mortise that is a slide fit with the tenon. Scrape the area around the mortise flat so that the shoulder of the tenon on your bowl registers and brings the piece square.

Turn the sides of your piece to a thin wall, in the range of 1/4″ thick. You can make this easier by shining a strong light on the left side, where you are cutting.

As the wall becomes thinner, it will become translucent. You can make an accurate judgment of the wall thickness by the intensity of the translucence.

If your bowl gouge skills are tentative, scraping past the uneven rim with a scraper, then picking up the cut with a bowl gouge, is the solution. (I learned this technique from Rude Osolnik.)

In addition, a bit of speed — in the 900 to 1,200 rpm range — is very helpful. Speeds above 1,200 rpm, however, do not improve faceplate work.

It’s very difficult to get the shape of the bottom of a natural edge bowl to be perfect with a bowl gouge. A big round-nose scraper can be of help here.

Finishing, Naturally

When it comes to sanding and finishing a natural edge piece, it’s best to keep in mind that the overall idea behind these types of turnings is to mimic Mother Nature. Opting for minimal sanding and little to no finish is A-OK.

If you do choose to sand the interior of your bowl, please keep this safety note in mind: it is unsafe to put your hands inside a natural edge bowl while it is on the lathe and the lathe is running.

You can turn a 1-1/2″-diameter dowel with a rounded tip, glue foam rubber around this, and then tape sandpaper to that to use a safer sanding option.

When you have finished turning your piece, part off at an angle so as to undercut the base. Hand sand the base — you can remove a nubbin with a carving gouge and some hand sanding — apply finish, and admire your newly minted art.

Although not terribly useful, natural edge bowls can be a lot of fun. Once you get past struggling with the techniques, you can concentrate on unleashing the hidden beauty in pieces of wood that would otherwise end up in the woodstove.

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This hall tree style option is a bit of a blast from the past: it originally appeared in the April 2005 edition of Woodworker’s Journal. Ten-plus years on, as we shiver our way through yet another Minnesota winter, we decided to reprise the warm memories of the “Hexagon Hall Tree” (and, that additional coat storage is always a bonus!).

Despite the “impress your guests” vibe of elegance and quality this coatrack gives off, in actuality it’s a pretty simple project to build. You should be able to get it built in the timespan of a long weekend, plus another day or two of drying time to allow your finish to completely cure.

Reverse Inlay

Much of the visual interest on this coatrack comes from its “reverse inlay.” It’s a bit of fancy trickery in which it looks like the lighter-colored wood (we used maple) is inlaid into the darker wood — in this case, walnut. In truth, though, we achieved this effect by gluing thin and comparatively wide strips of walnut into the center of each facet of the hexagon- shaped column — which, in reality, has a maple core.

The legs are glued up with two 1/2″ laminations of walnut. I added this simple lamination approach to help offset the weakness in the “short grain” area of the narrow ankles.

Start with the Column

You’ll want to start your construction of this coatrack with the column (piece 1). Our choice for light-colored lumber was hard maple, and back when I built the original coatrack, I had a sizable piece on hand that I could mill to the 3″ x 3″ x 66″ dimensions found in the Material List. This time out, I needed to laminate some thinner pieces of maple together. That meant that I needed to take an extra minute or two during the next step to keep the glue joints from bisecting one of the hexagon’s corners. (That just wouldn’t look classy at all.)

After you’ve milled your column to size, you’ll need to mark the ends of the column with pencil lines set at 30° from each face to form a hexagon. Take your time with this step. Each facet has to be of equal width for the reverse inlay technique to work properly. I recommend adding a few inches of extra column material so you can trim off the end of your stock, mark the cutoff and use it to get a perfectly setup saw. In fact, you might even make a short test blank if you don’t have some drop-stock to work with.

Once you have the end marked, step to your table saw, tilt the blade to exactly 30°, and set the height. If your table saw is a traditional right-tilt version, you will need to move your fence to the left of the saw blade. Carefully align the saw blade to the layout line on your test blank (or your actual column, if you are either brave or a confident gambler) by adjusting the fence.

Make the first slice along the length of the piece, then flip the piece end-forend and position your stock so you are cutting the adjoining facet of the hexagon (you will create a point or corner). Measure the two facets to see if they are equal. Adjust the fence if they are not, and try the operation again. Once the setup is correct, bevel-rip all six facets. I highly recommend a featherboard (placed exactly in the center of the width of the column) to add an element of control and safety.

Plowing the Facet Grooves

With your hexagon in hand, move to your router table to plow the grooves in each facet. I’d grab that test blank you made as well, to once again assist in setting up a proper cut.

I used a two-step plowing technique to center the grooves in the column’s facets. I set a 5/8″ straight bit to a depth of 1/8″. The Drawings give you the grooves’ exact dimensions. Verify your setup by using the test blank, then go ahead and plow the facet grooves.

Moving back to the table saw, I ripped 1/8″-thick walnut strips (pieces 2) to fill the voids you’ve just created in the facets. Select the best-looking stock: it will add to your coatrack’s appearance.

Fit the walnut strips to the grooves and get ready for glue-up. I glued and clamped two facets per session and had the walnut in place in short order. You can start on the legs in your downtime. Because there are six sides to the coatrack, it is incredibly simple to attach three legs to the column. As you know, three-legged stools, tables or even coatracks have the advantage of never needing to be leveled.

Although there are only three legs, I used six pieces of wood to make them: it makes them much stronger. Cut the leg laminations (pieces 3) from 1/2″ walnut stock. For appearance’s sake, try to make each leg from stock that matches well. (I cut each pair of leg laminations from the same board.) Glue the blanks together, making 1″-thick leg stock. Use the gridded Drawing on the next page to make a pattern of the leg shape.

If you are not familiar with using gridded drawings, you have a few options. The first is to create a grid of 1/2″ squares on sturdy paper. Draw matching lines on your grid to the ones in the gridded drawing. This will provide a very close representation of the leg shape. Don’t be afraid to refine the shape as you see fit. The second option is to use a copier to enlarge the gridded drawing by 400%. Or, in one of those wonders of modern technology, you can go online to our website and print out a full-size copy of the leg pattern grid.

Once you have your pattern, transfer the shape to each leg blank and use a band saw to cut them out. (Keep these cutoffs: you’ll use them to set up your router table later.) I used a spindle sander to complete the shaping of the legs and smooth out any saw marks left behind.

Go back to the column that you’ve completed gluing the walnut strips into. Scrape off any glue squeeze-out and then use a belt- or random orbit sander to clean up the facets and sand them smooth. Be careful not to round over the flat aspect of each facet. Now you’re ready to do some dovetailing.

Sliding Home

The legs are attached to the column with sliding dovetails, which are easier to make than you may think. (You could, of course, use a more basic mortise-and-tenon joint, which would hold up fine, but where’s the fun in that?) Chuck a 1/2″-wide, 14° dovetail bit into your router table and set its depth to 5/16″ deep. You are going to plow the column dovetail grooves 35⁄8″ long, exactly in the center of the facets. Look to the Elevation Drawings for location details. Set up a stop on your fence to register each cut perfectly. Plow all three grooves and then grab the coatrack legs you’ve previously cut out.

This is where the cutoffs that you saved when band sawing the legs come in handy. You need to set the fence of your router table to cut the matching dovetails on the legs, and you can use the drop-stock to test the cut.

The first cut on each face of your legs should be a very light initial pass,with the bit barely protruding from the fence. This will precut the fibers (the same as scoring them with a knife) and help prevent tearout. Then, creep up on the cut by moving your fence back in about 1/16″ increments, as you first run one face of each leg through, then flip it around to do the other side. Do this until you reach the correct width of the dovetail, making sure to run both sides of each leg through a setting before moving the fence again. You’ll know you’ve got the width right when the joint slides into the groove in the leg with just a hint of resistance.

After forming the dovetails on the back of each leg, trim the dovetails (down from the top edge of the leg).to match the grooves you plowed in the column. I used my band saw and some chisels for this task, but you could just use a backsaw or similar handsaw. When they fit correctly, put some glue in the grooves and slide the legs home. Stand the column on its top end while the glue cures.

Capping it Off

When I made the first version of this coatrack more than 10 years ago, I chose a two-piece cap style that created a type of “crown.” This time out, I just capped it off with a flat piece that follows the hexagon form of the column. Simple and stylish. I cut the cap (piece 4) from 1/4″ walnut into a hexagon shape. Mount the cap to the top of the column with a screw and a dab of glue.

You’re now at the point where you can go ahead and mount your hooks (pieces 5) — even though you’ll take them off again immediately for finishing. I mounted the hooks 8″ down from the top of the column. And, even though I’ve now built this coatrack twice, I had another thought to improve it even more. (Woodworkers are always tweaking.) What you could do — and I just may go back and add this element — is to mount a second row of hooks further down from the first. This would make it easier for your shorter friends to hang up their coats and could even help you get more storage out of the piece, since a group of bulky coats wouldn’t be bunched up on the same level. You could even jazz things up a bit by using a different style of hook for your lower layer. Some smaller ones, like 1-3/4″ robe hooks from Rockler (item 31710) could even, literally, provide you with a place to hang your hat. You’ll still want to make sure you mount any additional hooks on the same facets of the hexagon where the legs are installed, to ensure the coatrack’s stability.

As for finishing the piece, I recommend taking a good bit of time to do a thorough sanding job, right up through the grits. (I went all the way to 220 grit.) The smoother the wood to which you apply an oil finish, the better that finish will look. It’s as simple as that.

I do have another secret for making walnut look its very best. To combat areas where your walnut’s color may be shifting from brown to something else, I’ll suggest applying a coat of cherry- colored oil stain. It creates highlights and blends color shifts while enhancing the grain. After that coat dries, apply three coats of Sam Maloof® Poly/Oil Finish. Re-mount the hooks, and the coatrack’s ready for the many coats of a Minnesota winter — which tells you why we needed to build more than one.

Hard to Find Hardware

1/2″ D x 1/2″ H x 14° x 1/4″ Shank Rockler Dovetail Bit #91023
Coat and Hat Hook, Oil Rubbed Bronze #34826
Sam Maloof Poly/Oil Finish #32545

Click Here to Download the Materials List and Drawings.

– Brad Becker works as a woodworker in the Woodworker’s Journal and Rockler shops, as well as making picture frames for his wife’s art

The post PROJECT: Classic Coatrack appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Even we hadn’t known, however, that the NFL and the Minnesota Super Bowl LII Host Committee would team up with corporations Verizon and Anderson Corporation for projects of particular relevance to woodworkers: urban forestry initiatives that added thousands of trees and native plants to local parks and recreation areas.

The National Football League (NFL) has incorporated environmental projects into the management of the Super Bowl for 25 years, in addition to other community events and initiatives meant to leave a positive benefit in each Super Bowl host community.

In the case of the Minnesota Super Bowl, there has been a particular focus on reducing the environmental impact of Super Bowl LII activities and leaving a “green” legacy.

For instance, leftover construction materials from Super Bowl events will be donated to local organizations for reuse and repurposing.

This year’s urban forestry initiatives included planting trees to replace those damaged by the emerald ash borer as well as creating eight large pollinator gardens at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley.

Additionally, the NFL and Verizon are partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant more than 12,000 trees in Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota. The red and white oaks will replace trees damaged by wind, insects and disease and will provide eagle nesting sites.

Tree planting projects beyond those previously mentioned and featured in photos include: 15 trees at Currie Park, Minneapolis, with Tree Trust; 25 trees at East Park, Rochester, with RNeighbors; 65 trees at Norwood Park, Brooklyn Park, with Tree Trust. 90 trees near Randolph and Shepard Drive in St. Paul, with Mississippi Park Connection and the National Park Service; 51 trees at the east end of Lake Winona, with the City of Winona and Tree Trust; and 22 trees at the Frog Pond at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in St. Paul, with Como Park Zoo and Conservatory.

Plus, the urban forestry initiatives also included more than 2,000 native plantings at Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park, with Great River Greening; 2,000 native plantings at Coldwater Spring in Minneapolis, with Mississippi Park Connection; and renovations to the greenhouse that supplies plants to the Minneapolis Youth Farm.

The post NFL Super Bowl Committee and Community Partners Plant Trees appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

I first considered the wood choices and decided to use slightly contrasting woods. Since walnut and cherry complement each other, and over time the contrast between the two lessens, I thought this would be a good choice for the seat. I felt the framework that supports the seat should have more contrast, because of the significant role it plays, so for these components I choose European beech. This beech is light colored, and its nondescript grain lines enhance the seat area while bolstering structural integrity to the side assemblies.

Next, I started thinking about the overall design concept. A few pencil sketches of a rocker with a seat that was supported and separated from the side assemblies by wooden dowels developed. The sketches were captivating enough to lead me to build a model. After studying the model for a while, I made a few refinements and was ready to begin.

Building the Side Assemblies

The rocker is broken down into two basic subsections: the seating components and the side assemblies. I chose to start with the beech and the side assemblies first.

I selected beech with the straightest grain I could find to enhance these slender parts. I jointed and planed 4/4 beech boards to 7/8″ thick.

Each side assembly consists of four parts: an arm, two legs and a curved rocker. For easier processing, I drew a full-size side assembly on a piece of scrap plywood to determine the actual sizes of these parts.

If you choose to make this chair, I suggest you take the time to draw out the side assembly as I did. It is a valuable reference as you are cutting these parts.

The arms and legs all taper along their length at a 4˚ rate. I did this with a shop-made tapering jig on the table saw.

Then it was on to the next cuts on the arms and legs, cutting them to length with their ends set to the proper angles (see the Drawings). Referencing my full-size drawing, I was able to use it to make a template out of MDF for laying out and shaping the curved rocker.

After roughing out the rockers at the band saw, I attached the template to the rocker with double-sided tape and used a pattern bit to refine the rocker’s shape. The rocker connects to the legs with bridle joints.

I used a tenoning jig on my table saw to cut the open mortise of the bridle joints into the rockers. Next, I cut the full-width tenons on the end of the legs.

Note: use a scrap piece of the leg stock to make sure you have the angle correct.

I glued the side assemblies up in three stages, allowing ample drying time for each stage. For the first stage, I glued the arms to the back legs at the angles shown in the Drawing.

Then I carefully sliced a spline kerf into these joints on my table saw. I machined spline stock to properly fit the openings and glued them in place with the grain running perpendicular to the joint line.

To get ready for the next joints, I dry-assembled the legs to the rockers in order to lay out where the tenon and mortise will meet on the front leg and arm respectively.

As you can see, the angle at which the leg abuts the arm requires that you raise the tenon at an angle from the top of the leg.

To do that, I first established the shoulders of the tenon joint by nibbling away material on the table saw.

Then I used a fine-toothed back saw to saw the tenon cheeks. I recommend taking your time through this process. Once you have all the joints fitting well in the side assemblies, you are ready for the final stage of glue-up.

After the glue cured for 24 hours, I sanded the subassemblies smooth. Then there were a couple of holes to bore that would later capture the stretchers. I used Forstner bits at the locations shown in the Drawings.

When drilling for the seat support dowels on the inside of the assemblies, a smaller diameter 5/8″ bit is used as compared to the one used on the outside for the dowel covers.

The final holes to bore are pilot holes for hanger bolts that join these subassemblies to the seat/back subassembly. With that task done, I was ready to move onto the seating components.

Making the Seat and Back

Building the seating subassembly is where some hand tool use and edge refinement is critical in order to achieve a fine-furniture look. The cherry boards that make up the back and seat should be heartwood on both faces because they will be viewed from all sides. In my opinion, any sapwood detracts from the overall design, so choose your boards carefully.

Surface the cherry to a final thickness of 7/8″. Leave the boards longer than final dimension by a few inches just in case you need to redo the box joints, but it is OK to rip them to their final width.

Because the box joints between the seat backs and seats are cut at an angle, I first crosscut the boards with the table saw blade tilted 5°. Before you start cutting the box joints, scribe a line with a marking knife on the outside of the cut to prevent chip-out.

Now lay out the box joint pattern onto the seat pieces. I used my regular crosscut jig to make the box joints, but by inserting a spacer behind the board, I could consistently hold the 5° angle during the cuts without a problem. With that ready to go, I carefully removed the waste in a series of side-by-side cuts.

Next, transfer box joint spacing to the cherry backs using seat boards laid against them in their final positions. Then follow the same cutting procedure as with the seats. Take note that the 5° angles on the terminal ends of the cherry boards are cut first, then position them onto the crosscut jig in the same way.

If you take special care in setting your stops accurately, then you really only have to cut one board with great care. Cut one joint and test its fit before moving on to the next one. This will reduce the chance of all the joints being off just a little. In other words, you may have to adjust your initial pencil marks as you proceed.

Although it is subtle, if you look at the Drawings, you will see that the seat and back pieces are slightly tapered on their inner edges. Once the box joints fit, you can rip your boards using an angle jig — this will remove about half of your outside box joint Take note that your backs and seats are cut at different angles because the backs are longer than the seats.

Now you can cut the seat and backs to length and sand all faces to 400 grit. Joint the inside edge using a jointer or hand plane to promote an optimal glue joint for the seat and back centers later on. Gluing up the seats to the backs, you need to apply pressure evenly so the angled box joints seat themselves properly.

This will take some dry assembly and clamping mock-ups before you are ready for glue-up. Then drill counterbored holes into the edges of the box joints and drive #8 x 1-1/2″ screws into them. Cut a 3/8″-dia. walnut dowel into plugs to cover these screw heads, and sand the plugs flush to the cherry.

Again, look to the Drawings and you will notice that there are walnut seat and back centers that join the two seat subassemblies together. These pieces are tapered to mirror the angles you just cut into the back and seat pieces. In addition to their tapers, I shaped their back faces with a spokeshave to provide more visual accents to the chair. The walnut should be ripped using the same jig you used for cutting the cherry.

Once you’ve tapered the center pieces, test their fit to prepare for glue-up. If you are satisfied with this positioning, cut them to length. Note that three of the crosscuts are made at a 5° angle. The walnut parts, prior to glue-up, need to be sanded on the end grain, and the 16″-long centers need additional shaping. I call this shaping a disappearing chevron because it transitions from one end to flush with the cherry backs. Since the angled parts will slide easily when glued, glue the walnut centers to one side assembly first.

Shaping and Bolting It All Together

The final shaping on the back and seat are recesses that provide comfort and visual interest. With colored pencil (white so it’s easy to see), I drew the areas to be carved out on seat and back. Then I used a 4″ grinder attachment from King Arthur Tools to sculpt and shape the two recessed areas, being careful not to go over my pencil marks. Sand these areas, staying inside the pencil marks to optimize the refined transition from the flat plane to the contoured areas. Then sand these recesses up through the grits to 400, working carefully.

The last stage is attaching the seat to the side assemblies. This is a critical step and requires some adjustment. First, mark the hanger bolt locations on the back of the chair subassembly. Drill a 5/8″-diameter hole 1/8″ deep. Then center a deeper pilot hole inside this support dowel recess for threading a 1/4″ hanger bolt.

Lay the chair/seat subassembly on its side and place the rocker assembly roughly in place on top of it. Insert a 1/4″- diameter dowel through the bolt location in the rocker assembly and into the hole you just bored.

Now rotate the rocker assembly until the bolt hole in the front leg is centered on the seat edge. Mark that location and drill it for the hanger bolt as you did earlier on the back section. You’ll need to repeat this process on the opposite side of the seat/back subassembly.

Thread the hanger bolts into the seat/back subassembly. Take special care here so you do not split the cherry. Now make the seat support dowels by drilling 5/16″-dia. holes through 5/8″ walnut dowels (center the holes on the dowels). Cut the dowels to length to slip over the hanger bolts. Check to see if your hanger bolts stick out the right length by slipping walnut dowels over the bolts and fitting the side assemblies in place. Make sure enough threads are exposed for threading on a washer and jam nut. It’s important to use a jam nut instead of a regular nut because the jam nut is about half as thick. This makes it possible to have enough room to cover the hardware with walnut dowel plugs.

When you are satisfied with the hanger bolts at all four locations, remove the seat from the side assemblies and put a drop or two of super glue next to threads of each hanger bolt to ensure it cannot back itself out over time. This is probably overkill, but it would be difficult to remove the walnut dowel plugs and re-tighten after the chair is complete. Reassemble the chair again and tighten the jam nuts. To accurately take measurements for the two long 1″ walnut dowel stretchers that are located between the front and back legs, it’s a good idea to use some spacers here and light clamping pressure on the side assemblies to check for square.

Take measurements at the top and back of side assemblies to see if they are all the same. Then take measurements for the dowel stretchers, being certain to account for the shallow 1″ counter bore depths. Finally, loosen the jam nuts enough so that you can easily position the stretchers, add a little epoxy glue to the stretchers’ end grain, put them in place carefully, and tighten the jam nuts. Now drive wood screws through the rockers and into the ends of the stretchers to lock them in place. Cut walnut dowel plugs for all eight counterbores. Glue them in place and sand them flush. The rocker is now ready for finish. I used Sam Maloof poly/oil to bring out the rich luster of the hardwood. Cheers!

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

Greg Wood is a professional woodworker from Howard Lake, Minnesota. You can view his work at gregwoodfurniture.com.

The post PROJECT: Modern Rocking Chair appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

MattCremona.com

Matt Cremona is an active member of the online woodworking community. He not only makes videos about making fine furniture and woodworking tips, he also appears on different podcasts and attends many woodworking events. He also posts photo galleries and descriptions of some of his projects (like this Secretary Desk and Bookcase) on his website along with accompanying project videos on his YouTube channel.

His current ongoing project is a Queen Anne highboy. Here’s one of his updates.

Besides his interest in fine furniture making, Matt is known for his love of milling logs and working with large slabs. He even built his own large band saw mill.

WilkerDos.com

April Wilkerson would much rather make the things she wants for her home in Texas than buy them. She also shares what she learns while building each project in videos and blog posts. Her projects range in scale from a large chicken coop she recently built to small decorative objects, such as a salt shaker or hair stick. Most of her projects serve a practical purpose in her home or workshop. Like the handy Coffee Table with Storage , pictured above.

Or this Outfeed Table she made for her table saw that features step-by-step design instructions complete with photos and a video.

FrankMakes.com

Part woodworker, part engineer and part filmmaker, Frank Howarth makes some of the most interesting projects and videos you’ll find. Many of his projects involve woodturning or CNC machining (sometimes both!). He recently turned a segmented sphere that looks like a giant wood eye.

You’re bound to learn something new watching Frank build his projects. Frank’s YouTube channel is the best place to see his latest work, like this sliding door.

The post Maker Spotlight: April Wilkerson, Frank Howarth and Matt Cremona appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

You can download it here.

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The obvious answer is make it myself, which is exactly how I created this awesome tripod lamp that looks perfect in my living room. The best part is that by doing it myself — with a bit of help from Woodworker’s Journal publisher Rob Johnstone — I brought the project in at less than a hundred bucks.

Basic Materials, Basic Tools

The materials used here couldn’t be more basic or easier to find. You’ll need three 6′ pieces of clear 1×3 pine. Dimensional lumber like this is a staple at any big box store or lumberyard. If you can, dig around in the stacks to get the straightest pieces you can find. The other piece of wood you’ll need is a length of 1-1/4″-diameter hardwood dowel (a closet rod works fine).

For hardware, you need what’s called a lamp “harp” — the wire-like frame that holds the lampshade — as well as a light socket and threaded mounting rod about 2″ long. These components are frequently sold together as a kit for around $10, and most home centers and hardware stores carry them. If lamp wire isn’t included in the kit (it probably is), pick up a lamp cord with an attached plug in a length of your choice.

You’ll also want a lampshade, of course, but you may want to wait till the lamp itself is done and placed where you plan to use it. That way, you can exactly match the lampshade size, shape and color to the room.

The three tools we used were a handheld jigsaw, drill/driver and a small belt sander. A sanding block with some 100- to 150-grit paper will also come in handy, as will a straightedge and ruler.

Finally, have some wood glue and a handful of 1-1/4″ screws ready for when it’s time to begin the assembly.

Get Cutting

Begin by cutting the legs to length per the Material List. Outline the shape of the top of the leg onto one of the pieces by marking a line at 1″ in from one edge, and at 4″ down. Now, just connect the dots.

To mark the leg taper, go to the other end of the workpiece and mark 1″ in from the edge. Now, just use one of the other pieces of lumber as a straightedge to draw the long, tapering line. Clamp the marked workpiece to your bench or work table, placing clamps so they won’t block your jigsaw as you cut.

Install a fresh wood-cutting blade into your jigsaw, and cut just outside the marked lines at the top of the leg. (Save this small triangular cutoff for later.) Continue by making the longer tapered cut exactly like the shorter one. Unlike the shorter cut, this one may require you to reposition the leg and clamps to keep the cut line clear. You could repeat this process for the two remaining legs, but it’s easier to use the first leg as a pattern for the next two. It saves time and is a little quicker.

Gang’s All Here

Gang sanding is a fast and easy way to churn out multiple components with a single setup. Arrange the three legs on a workbench with their back edges aligned and flat to the bench, and clamp them together.

If one workpiece rests higher than the others, place it in the middle of the group and sand it down until it meets the edges on either side. This will help keep the sander level as you work.

Sanding and Shaping

At this point, the legs are rough-cut, plus they likely vary a bit, so we’re going to do what’s called “gang sanding” to smooth and refine the shape of all three legs at the same time. Clamp them together as a set, then clamp the set to your workbench. With a coarse belt installed (60- to 80-grit), sand your cut edges until they all match. Take care, however; belt sanders can remove material very quickly.

As you sand, move the sander smoothly back and forth on the cut face of the legs. Stop and check how you’re doing as often as you think it’s necessary. Keep in mind that belt sanders create copious amounts of dust, so hooking your sander up to a shop vacuum or dust collector is a good idea. With the legs uniformly shaped, use a sanding block with finer grit paper to smooth out any belt-sanding marks.

It’s easy to see that a belt sander is the tool of choice here. However, you could do it with a random orbit sander (although it would take longer) or with a hand plane if you’re familiar with one. With the legs completed, move on to the connector that ties everything together. This is just a dowel with flat facets sanded into the sides. Arranged in a triangle, these facets are 60° apart and 3/4″ wide.

The flat ends of the legs are glued and screwed to the connector facets, while a 3/8″ hole drilled through the connector accepts the lamp hardware. Transfer the triangle to the end of the dowel and secure it to your workbench for sanding. The idea is to create a flat area about 3/4″ wide to match the thickness of the legs. Remember that triangular cutoff I told you to save earlier? Use that as a gauge when sanding to check for facet flatness and width.

With the facets done, cut the connector to its 4″ length and drill a 3/8″ hole through it. Your bit probably isn’t long enough to do this all at once, so drill halfway, then flip it and drill the other way till the two holes meet in the center.

Make the Connection

In order to safely and easily sand the triangular facets onto the leg connector, you need to be able to clamp it securely.

That’s a piece of cake if you have a bench with a vise— but here’s a workaround if you don’t.

The connector is only 4″ long, but don’t cut it to length just yet.

Instead, allow at least an extra foot of waste at one end, then attach some scrap to the sides of the dowel on the waste end with short screws to create a simple subassembly.

Now, just clamp the whole thing to the top of the bench.

Once you’ve created the three facets of the connector with your belt sander, cut the connector to its final length and drill it for the lamp hardware.

Putting It All Together

Begin assembly by drilling pilot holes for 1-1/4″ screws that will secure the legs to the triangular leg connector. The trick is not to drill too deep, or the screws will extend into the hole drilled through the leg connector, which would interfere with mounting the lamp hardware.

I used the old trick of putting some tape on the drill bit to indicate the stopping point for the holes. Because of the angle of the leg end, keep in mind that you need to go slightly shallower on the upper holes.

Start the holes with a 3/8″ bit to create a shallow counterbore. Then use a smaller bit to complete the pilot holes. To attach the legs to the connector, put a thin coat of glue on both the facets and leg ends, then rub them together. When they tack, drive the 1-1/4″ screws into the connector through the pilot holes.

Wipe off excess glue from the joint, then glue wooden plugs (from rockler.com; item 23499) into the counterbored holes to hide the screws. When dry, sand the plugs flush. It’s a good idea to add your finish now. The lamp base may be stained, varnished or painted in any way that best goes with your décor.

Now, Let’s Light It Up

Electrical hardware and wiring can be intimidating, but a lamp is a perfect introduction that you’ll certainly use for future projects. Start by putting the threaded rod in the connector using a bit of Super Glue to secure it. Then thread the socket onto the top of the rod. Pull the socket out of its mounting and slip the cord up through the connector. Split the end of the cord if it didn’t come that way and tie a knot in it to keep the wire from pulling back through the hole.

Strip the sheathing to expose the wire and then attach it to the screws on the lamp socket. There is a smooth wire and one with a ridge or rib on the sheathing. The ridged wire (neutral) attaches to the silver-colored screw, and the smooth one to the other screw, usually copper or brass-colored — super easy!

Reassemble the socket and slip the harp into the holders on the sides of the socket. Then remove the top finial, set the lampshade of your choice atop the harp, and replace the finial to secure the shade to the socket.

Add a light bulb, and that’s it. I now have a fabulous “designer” lamp that might have cost more than $400 in a store, but I made it for a fraction of that. And you can, too! Enjoy the project.

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

Kristena Smith is currently a stay-at-home handy-mom in Minnesota.

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