Making the Frame

The chest’s legs (pieces 1) are joined to the long and short frame rails (pieces 2 through 5) with sturdy mortise-and tenon joinery. Start by surfacing stock for all of these parts to 1-1/2″ thick, then cut the legs and rails to width and length, according to the Material List dimensions. Since the top mortises of the legs stop just 1/4″ from the part ends, leave the legs overly long for now to prevent splitting their ends during mortising.

Lay out the leg mortise locations, using the Drawings as a reference, and choose your favorite method for hogging out their waste. We opted for a hollow-chisel mortising machine, which squares the 1″-deep mortises as it cuts them. A drill press, 3/4″-diameter Forstner bit and a sharp chisel would work, too. When the mortises are done, trim the legs to length.

The bottoms of the legs have a 1″-radius cutout on their inside corners, so lay these out and cut them to shape with a jigsaw or band saw. Drum-sand the cutouts smooth.

Notice in the Drawings that the chest’s V-grooved slats and metal-skinned top panels must fit into 3/4″-wide grooves in the legs and rails. Cutting these grooves is your next task, and for that we headed to the router table to round up a 1/2″ straight bit. You could use a 3/4″-wide straight bit also, but the challenge here is to line up the grooves perfectly with the leg mortises; a narrower bit can allow you to sneak up on that alignment more easily. To rout the leg grooves, mark your bit’s cutting limits on the router table first so you’ll know where to start and stop these cuts.

When you’ve connected the leg mortises with grooves, head to your table saw to raise tenons on the ends of the rails. Size the tenons so they’re slightly thicker and wider than necessary; this way you can refine their fit by hand.

Gather up the rails and head back to the router table to mill continuous, 3/8″- deep grooves along inside edges of the top and bottom rails and along both edges of the middle rails. Again, move the fence backward to widen these groove cuts as needed. Once the grooves are finished, dry-assemble the legs and rails to create the chest framework. Use a shoulder or rabbeting plane to shave the tenons for an easy friction fit in their mortises.

Adding Slats and Top Panels

The vertical slats that wrap around this chest are going to expand and contract slightly as the humidity changes from season to season, if you make them from solid wood, as we did. But, with a little planning, that’s not problematic. A tongue-and-groove joint between each pair of slats is a good solution here: regardless of shrinkage, the slats will still keep the chest contents dry because their joints can open up slightly without creating gaps. And, you can simply dry-assemble the slats in their grooves without gluing them together so they each can expand and contract independently but still hold position correctly inside the leg/rail areas.

Freud Tools offers a handy V-panel Bit Set (item 99-191) that cuts both an attractive “V” profile as well as a tongue-and-groove joint. But, if you’d rather not invest in these cutters, you can duplicate the same effect with a V-groove bit and use other common options for the tongue-and-groove portion. Either way, cut 54 slats (pieces 6) to width and length, and mill the edge joinery at your router table. Once their edges interlock easily, you’ll need to rip the two outermost slats narrower for the front/back and side assemblies (see the Drawings). Doing this will provide these panel assemblies about 3/4″ of expansion space along the rails to allow for seasonal changes. Give all the slats a final sanding, and pre-finish them now. We brushed on a combination deck stain/sealer with UV additives. It offers coloring and protection in one easy-to-renew step.

Once the finish dries, you’re ready for some assembly. Glue a bottom and middle long rail to two legs to begin forming front and back chest subassemblies. For clamping purposes, it’s fine to dry-fit the opposite legs into place. When the glue dries, pull off the loose legs and fit the end and intermediate slats in place “dry.” Use a centered, 1-1/4″ brad-nail to pin the middle two slats of each assembly to the rails to hold position. Drive these brads through the inside faces of the rails in the groove areas. Then spread out the other slats on either side of the fixed center slats evenly, allowing about 1/32″ gap between them. Tack the rest of the slats in place now, too, with a centered brad, top and bottom.

Set these partial front and back subassemblies aside for now so you can prepare the metal-skinned front, back and side top panels (pieces 7 and 9). We made them from solid wood. When you plane them to thickness, be sure to allow for the thickness of the metal facings (pieces 8 and 10) you plan to use: our stainless steel was 24-gauge, so about .024″ thick.

Since these wood panels are relatively narrow, their potential cross-grain expansion is minimal. So, we simply rolled on a coat of slow-setting marine-grade epoxy to one face of each panel, set the stainless in place and clamped the four panels together to press them flat until the adhesive cured. Give the epoxy overnight to fully set, then pull the panels out of the clamps.

In the meantime, you can rout a shallow mortise in the top back rail for the lid’s piano hinge. It’s a simple “drop cut” at the router table, with a 3/4″ straight bit set for a 5/8″-wide exposure and raised 1/16″ above the table. (Make sure the mortise opens toward the back face of the back rail when arranging the cut.) Square up the ends of the mortise, then go ahead and complete your front and back chest subassemblies by sliding the top panels into their grooves and gluing on the remaining legs and top front and back rails. Make sure the metal is facing out in the direction of the V-grooves before gluing and clamping those final legs and rails in place! After the glue dries, flatten the leg/rail joints as needed, and sand the bare wood smooth.

Completing the chest carcass is a repeat of what you’ve already done: glue the six side rails to one of the two subassemblies first. Let those joints dry before tacking in the side slats, adding the top panels and gluing the other big subassembly to it. When the clamps come off, ease the outside edges of the legs with a 3/4″-radius roundover bit, then sand and topcoat the rest of the bare wood.

While the finish dries, cut the chest’s bottom panel to shape from exterior-grade plywood, and make up four long and short cleats (pieces 11 through 13). Sand and finish these parts before installing them in the chest. Screw the cleats to the inside faces of the bottom rails, flush with their bottom edges, then fasten the bottom panel to the top edges of the cleats with more screws.

Building and Attaching the Lid

You could use a single solid panel for the lid, but we’ve added breadboard ends to help the panel resist warping and to give it some woodworking panache. The lid and two ends (pieces 14 and 15) are connected by haunched mortise-and-tenon joints. As the Drawings show, the three tenons on the ends of the lid are separated by solid wood areas in between, which strengthen the joints.

The front tenons fit into snug mortises, but the center and rear tenons have wider mortises so the panel can expand and contract to the rear. Fashion these joints by first milling a centered groove along the inside edges of the lid ends. Make it 5/16″ wide and 1/2″ deep. Now cut the six, 1-1/4″-deep mortises inside these grooves.

We created continuous 5/16″-thick, 1-3/4″-long tenons on the ends of the lid next, using a wide straight bit in a router and running the edge of the router’s base along a wraparound edge guide made from scrap. The jig ensures that the tenon shoulders are perfectly aligned on both faces of the panel. Rout the tenons in several stages, deepening the cuts until the final tenon thickness is achieved, and then shifting the straightedge back to make subsequent rounds of cuts to lengthen the tenons.

Three rounds of resetting the edge guide should be enough. Use a jigsaw to convert the two long tenons into six shorter ones and to shape the outside corners of the lid ends into 1-1/2″-radius curves. Plane the tenons thinner as needed until the lid and its ends come together in a good friction fit.

While the front tenons can be glued and pinned into their mortises, the center and rear joints will need to be pinned through slotted holes in the tenons so the panel can expand and contract. Use a 3/8″-diameter brad point bit to bore the centered dowel pin holes through the assembled lid, then pull the pieces apart and widen the middle and rear holes into 1″-long slots. Once the joinery is completed, glue only the front mortise-and-tenon joints, and tap six 3/8″-dia. dowel pins (pieces 16) home. Sand the lid to flatten the dowel areas and smooth it, and apply finish.

Closing the Chest Project with Hardware

Your storage chest is nearly finished! Attach some sturdy handles (pieces 17) to the side panels, and cut a length of piano hinge (piece 18) to fit its mortise. Mount the lid to the chest, driving hinge screws into every hole. Make sure the outermost screws stop short of the breadboard ends so as not to impede wood movement. Then add a lid stop: we strung a length of 3/32″ galvanized steel cable between two eyelets mounted to the lid’s bottom face and one of the top side rails. Make the cable long enough so the lid tips back a few degrees past vertical.

Click Here to Download the Materials List and Drawings.

The post PROJECT: Outdoor Storage Chest appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

The design includes wooden hinges and a small tray that make reading a hands-free affair, plus folding legs that tighten with wingnuts and allow the desk to pack away nicely when not in use. I started this project with some sketches, focusing on the functions I wanted the piece to perform. Then I converted the boring, functional version into something more appealing to my aesthetic. For me, this is one of the highlights of making things: working with the design to make it visually more interesting. If you make your own lap desk, I’d encourage you to add your own interpretation to the lines of the desktop, the shaping of the legs, and the form of the spindles.

Start Cutting and Begin Your Shaping

Once I had my design completed, I started construction by milling the wood for the top, propping hinges and legs to 3/4″ thick. I made the apron stock 5/8″ thick just to keep the whole thing a bit lighter. Then I glued up the top (piece 6), taking care to match the grain of the panel in an interesting way.

The apron frame is simply mitered and splined. I ripped the wood for the apron, then mitered the corners of the aprons on the miter saw. Next, I set up a fence and stops at the drill press to countersink the 5/16″ holes for the bolt heads using a Forstner bit. I directly followed that by drilling the 1/4″ bolts hole all the way through. (You can see the location of these holes in the Wedges and Apron Side View Drawing.) After you’ve drilled your holes, glue up the apron frame box and let it sit about 24 hours before you move on to cutting the grooves for your splines.

In the meantime, start on the legs by ripping them to width and crosscutting to length. Then drill the 1/4″ holes for the bolts and the 3/8″ holes for the crossbar spindles, using the Leg Side View Drawing to assist you in placement.

Now the fun begins with the shaping! You want to make sure that the tops of the legs are either rounded or mitered so that they can swing freely. Then you can either leave the remaining portion of the legs straight or give them curves like I did. You can cut a pattern out of paper for your chosen leg shape or, if you are confident of the shape you want, you can draw directly onto one leg. Create your first shaped leg by cutting along your (paper or drawn) pattern on the band saw, then smoothing on the sander. If you’re happy with that one, trace it onto the other three legs and shape them, too. Don’t shape the bottom of the legs until you see how they sit on a flat surface when mounted to the frame.

Creating Pieces for the Propping Hinges

Now it’s time to start on the propping hinges, which are an assembly made up of hinge arms (pieces 7), stops (pieces 10) and stationary pieces (pieces 11). When you rip pieces 11, keep them long so you can machine them in a tenoning jig. Drill your holes in the arms, stationary pieces and stops using the dimensions and locations in the Drawings above as a guide. Use a dado blade and tenoning jig to form the slots on pieces 11. While the dado blade is set up, go ahead and cut the grooves in the stops (pieces 10), referring to the Drawing for details. Then cut stationary pieces 11 down to size. As a nice trick, I used a Forstner bit to reduce the thickness of the hinge arms (pieces 7), as shown in the Drawings. It leaves a radiused shoulder on the tenon. Note that you don’t center the Forstner bit on the dowel hole.

As you test-fit the propping hinge subassembly, leave about a paper’s thickness between the moving joints. You want the wood to touch but not get stuck. A little sanding and wax will help the hinges glide, if necessary. Glue the 1/4″ dowels in place, making sure to not get glue where the dowels must swivel. The 3/8″ dowels can be glued in place, too.

Next, you will want to mark where the piano hinge will go on the long apron (piece 2) that is the back of your apron frame, and use a straight bit on the router to cut a groove so the hinge is flush with the top of the apron frame when closed. I used a self-centering bit to pre-drill for the screws that will attach this hinge: it makes the job easy.

By now, your desktop (piece 6) should have had time to properly dry. If so, cut it to size and round over the edges. I used the dado blade to hog out most of the material for the dovetail groove that will hold the small tray. After that, I placed the ledge (piece 4) on the router table and used the dovetail bit and router fence to make the edges on the ledge the right shape, too. Before you glue it in place, flip the top over and line it up with the apron frame to mark where the piano hinge will go. Once again, use the self-centering bit, with the piano hinge in place, to pre-drill for the screws — this time on the desktop (piece 6).

While working with the desktop, I chopped 1/4″-deep mortises on the bottom of the desktop to hold the propping hinge stationary pieces. Use the predetermined dimensions (see Drawings) to line up where to place the mortises, but make sure you use your actual stationary pieces to scribe around for your layout. Then get busy and chop away!

That done, it is time to glue the ledge in its dovetailed slot. Let the glue set up before moving on to trim the ends: I used a sharp chisel and sandpaper to match the ends to the desktop.

You can also round over the edges of the wooden hinges and the stop blocks on the router table and sand them smooth. Now, glue and clamp the stationary piece of the wooden hinge in its nice, tight mortise. It is also a good time to go ahead and mount the stop blocks for the wooden hinges on the apron frame.

Leg Shaping and Final Assembly

If you didn’t already try it out of curiosity, go ahead and attach the legs using the bolts and wingnuts. The first time you do this, you will really want to wrench them on pretty tight so that the square part around the bolt head will dig in properly. (But don’t go too crazy with the force!)

At this point you can decide if you want to change how the ,bottom of the legs intersects with the surface below it. Set the desktop in place, even though it isn’t screwed on just yet, to get a good look at how the form is coming together. Try to visualize what your spindles should look like, and measure the distance in between the legs for where they will go, in case your dimensions are slightly different than mine. Take the legs off, make changes if you’d like, and rout the edges. I used a small roundover bit.

Turning the spindles (pieces 12) is the next step. I left a 1/8″ shoulder on mine for extra strength. The use of calipers and a tape measure made this step a breeze. Glue these spindle crossbars in place.

Sand this project starting with 100- or 120-grit sandpaper and work your way up to 220-grit. I wet the surface of the desktop to raise the grain and double-checked for any spots that needed more sanding. Once it was dry, I knocked the hairs off with 320-grit paper. For the finish, I used clear shellac. After it cured, I waxed and buffed the surface to make it feel really nice.

Now it is time to put it all together! Even though you have been checking along the way to see if everything is lining up properly, this is usually a very rewarding step!

My lap desk has turned out to be quite helpful. It lets me work comfortably pretty much anywhere. And I don’t have to worry about any harmful rays, because I am on the safe side of my desk!

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List for This Project.

The post Make a Foldable Lap Desk appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Track saws may look similar to a circular saw you can buy for a fraction of the price, but that’s where the common ground ends. Their blades retract into a shrouded guard until you thumb a release lever and pivot the motor assembly down to begin cutting. It enables these saws to either plunge into a surface — a great thing for flooring contractors or remodelers — or be fed into the edge of workpieces conventionally.

But for us woodworkers, there are other advantages. A track saw’s base fits over the channel of an aluminum guide rail and follows it for making laser-straight cuts. The edge or edges of the rail also have a pliable sacrificial strip that supports the workpiece where the blade teeth exit on the top side. It reduces the incidence of lifted fibers or chipping where an ordinary circular saw could leave a ragged mess.

Most of the motors on these saws have soft start, variable speed and electronic feedback circuitry like a good router, and a dust port on the blade guard whisks away debris before it has a chance to escape.

I use my track saw almost exclusively for sizing down expensive and cumbersome sheet goods, because it’s easier to feed over 4x8s instead of wrestling the sheets across my table saw. And in truth, the cutting results are every bit on par with my cabinet saw.

VIDEO: Why You Need a Track Saw

Testing Track Saws

Five years ago, when I tested track saws last, there were only three contenders, but the category has grown to six options now for the U.S. market. While these saws aren’t a cheap investment, I’ll argue they’re your best solution for sheet goods, and they’ll cut lumber and other materials, too, with the correct blade. So, it’s high time we take a closer look at the category again.

For testing, I connected these saws to a premium dust extractor and put them to work, slicing up 100 lineal feat of chip-prone melamine board, then cut across the grain of another 100 ft. of splintery birch veneer plywood. The test materials were resting on a fresh sheet of rigid foam insulation board. I wanted to compare cutting results, overall ease of operation, dust collection efficiency and general fit and finish. All these saws come with 48- or 60-tooth high quality carbide-tooth blades, so I tested them with their standard blade in place. Here’s how this “track meet” turned out.

DeWALT DWS520K

Street Price: $548 with 59″ guide rail
Cutting Capacity: 21 ⁄8 ” @  90°; 15 ⁄8 ” @  45°
Weight: 11.5 lbs. / Bevel Tilt Range: 0° to 47°
Speed Range: 1,750 to 4,000 rpm
Web/Phone: www.dewalt.com  / 800-433-9258

If you’ve spent some time with other DeWALT saws, you’ll feel right at home with the robust build quality of this DWS520K track saw. It features a thick magnesium base, sturdy and easy-to-adjust tilt controls and a pair of comfortable, rubberized grips. Setting depth-of-plunge on these saws is a simple matter of locking a pointer and knob on scale beside the guard, and DeWALT makes that easy to gauge, thanks to Imperial markings.

The only feature that isn’t as user-friendly is the blade-changing system: it involves an eight-step process of locking and unlocking levers that makes the job fussy.

Once set up for cutting, there’s a parallel linkage on this saw that requires you to push the saw carriage forward slightly on the base before plunging it down at an angle. It feels a bit awkward, because the other saws pivot down into their bases with one wrist motion, but it’s easy to adjust to.
This saw’s aluminum guide rail features two rubber edge strips — one on each side — enabling you to cut along the rail with the saw facing either direction. That’s a helpful detail. Other rails limit cutting to one edge of the rail only.

When put to work, the DWS520K’s motor never flagged on either melamine or birch ply, although the blade did leave tiny chips and splinters on the rail side of the cut. But, if I set the machine for a 1/8″-deep scoring cut first, then followed with a through cut, the trail of tiny defects improved. And DeWALT’s dust collection was effective.

This saw is one of only a few with a spring-loaded riving knife and an anti-kickback stop in the base. Those two features make it safer for ripping solid wood, as well as making stationary plunge cuts while on the rail.

You can buy the saw and carry case alone for $469 or with a 59″ rail for $548. It’s a fair buy but not the cheapest.

Festool TS 55 REQ

Street Price: $615 with 55″ guide rail
Cutting Capacity: 115⁄16″ @ 90°; 17⁄16″ @ 45°
Weight: 9.92 lbs. / Bevel Tilt Range: -1° to 47°
Speed Range: 2,000 to 5,200 rpm
Web/Phone: www.festoolusa.com / 888-337-8600

I’m no newbie to Festool’s TS 55 track saw; it’s been a reliable companion in my shop for years, and it has a proven pedigree of success with both pro woodworkers and tradespeople. Still, I found it interesting to test it against five other competitors. In terms of features, the “55” is fully appointed: it has a riving knife, it tips to -1° or up to 47° for beveling, and the plastic green splinterguard provides a zero-clearance slot around the leading edge of the blade to help ensure clean cuts. Blade changes are as easy as flipping a lever, plunging the tool and unscrewing the arbor bolt. Simple, and a task you may need to do in order to replace it with one of many available blade options.

When put to task, Festool’s motor electronics kept blade speed consistent, regardless of the cutting load. Plunging action is smooth. Two textured adjuster knobs on the base control cams so you can snug the saw up on the rail’s channel for zero side-to-side play. (All of these saws have a similar feature.) Once adjusted, the base glides easily along.

This particular test saw left very tiny chips along the rail side when cutting melamine, even with the splinterguard in place. A shallow scoring cut first, though, reduced those chip-outs. When I switched to birch ply, the TS 55 surpassed all other saws here, cutting it with no evidence of splintering on either the rail side or waste side of the cut. On both melamine and plywood, dust extraction was exceptionally effective.

For $615, you get the saw, a Systainer® carry case, a pair of clamps to anchor the rail to a workpiece, a stop block and a 55″ guide rail. The TS 55 doesn’t lead the pack on depth capacities at either 90° or 45°, but it’s a pleasure to use.

Grizzly T25552 Kit

Street Price: $245 with 55″ guide rail
Cutting Capacity: 131 ⁄32 ” @  90°; 17 ⁄16 ” @  45°
Weight: 11 lbs. / Bevel Tilt Range: 0° to 45°
Speed: 5,500 rpm
Web/Phone: www.grizzly.com  / 800-523-4777

Grizzly’s track saw is a relative newcomer to this tool category. Compared to its competition, what’s immediately compelling is the sub-$250 pricing. That buys you the saw, a 55″ track, two track clamps, a connector bar for securing tracks end-for-end and a rail stop for plunge-cutting. You can also buy the saw without the track or extra accoutrements as the T10687 instead, for $179.95.
But, saving hundreds of dollars over other track saws will require some compromise. It has a single-speed motor without soft start.

I like the overmolded primary grip and spacious trigger, but the plunge release above the grip is too far up and back to reach easily. The ergonomics of engaging that plunge release became tiring after 50 repetitive cuts. Plunge action, however, was very smooth.

The saw’s depth-of-cut control sets solidly, and you’ll read it in inches rather than millimeters. Its bevel tilt knob locks the upper carriage securely at angles up to 45°. There’s a riving knife to make ripping safer, and the 9-amp motor was powerful enough, despite its seeming lack of feedback circuitry, to help keep torque output constant.

In terms of cutting quality, though, this rail saw fell behind its competition. A regular pattern of chipping occurred on the top face of melamine, despite the guide rail’s rubber edge strip, and there was sporadic chipout on the bottom face, too.

When I switched to birch plywood and made my through cuts on cross-grain veneer, splintering was evident along the top and bottom edges as well. Then, I tried scoring both melamine and plywood first with a shallow cut, followed by the through cut. This improved the results on the top side, but obviously, not on the bottom.

Dust collection was somewhat effective, but the saw blew debris forward during cutting and left more of a trail behind it than the other saws.

All in all, will this saw make cuts that are straighter and cleaner than a hand-guided circular saw? Definitely. Did it leave sawn edges that were as crisp as its competition? Not for me. But, with reasonable expectations, here’s an affordable way to cut down sheet stock and lumber at a very good value.

Mafell MT 55 cc

Street Price: $945 w/ 631 ⁄2 ” guide rail
Cutting Capacity: 21 ⁄4 ” @  90°; 15 ⁄8 ” @  45°
Weight: 10.4 lbs. / Bevel Tilt Range: -1° to 48°
Speed Range: 3,600-6,250 rpm
Web/Phone: www.timberwolftools.com  / 800-869-4169

Mafell, like Festool, is made in Germany, and it quickly became clear during testing that its engineers have left no stones unturned when designing a premium plunge-cut saw. The MT 55 cc has a powerful and smooth-running 10-amp motor with soft start, torque control and variable speed. It didn’t fade when pushed hard through 200 feet of test cuts.

One bevel-tilt knob, rather than two on other saws, controls tilt settings, and the saw tips from -1° up to 48°, then holds the angle securely. To help you find the blade’s position when tilted, a red tracking pointer moves as you tip the machine. Depth-of-cut reads in metric, and the saw will handle deeper cuts than Festool, up to 21⁄4″ (57mm) at 90°.

Changing blades on the Mafell couldn’t be easier: push one button, flip a lever, and the guard’s outer half flips open like a car hood. The arbor locks automatically, too.

This saw features a 3mm scoring function with a knob to the right of the grip. Nudging it with a knuckle, I was able to score melamine, then cut it with only a scant chip lifted now and then. There was negligible splintering on the rail side of birch plywood, too, provided it was scored first. All in all, an exceptional cutting performance here. Dust collection, through the saw’s 35mm dust port, was tidy.

The only downside to this top-shelf saw is its price: $802 for the saw and a Systainer-style case, or add the aluminum guide rail for another $143. But once purchased, I highly doubt you’ll regret this investment.

Makita SP6000J1

Street Price: $399 with 55″ guide rail
Cutting Capacity: 23 ⁄16 ” @  90°; 19 ⁄16 ” @  45°
Weight: 9.7 lbs. / Bevel Tilt Range: -1° to 48°
Speed Range: 2,000-5,200 rpm
Web/Phone: www.makitausa.com  / 800-462-5482

It doesn’t always happen, but it’s fun when, in a tool review, a dark horse emerges from the herd. This time, it’s Makita’s SP6000J1. For standard goodies, the saw has some of the same features as Mafell and Festool: a 3mm scoring setting, -1 to 48° beveling capacity with presets at 22.5° and 45° and a blue Systainer-type carry case. Squeeze the trigger, and it surges to life slowly, thanks to soft start.

This saw is compact, and rubber overmolds make its twin handles comfortable. The scoring feature is easy to activate — it’s a push/pull knob next to the grip. Blade changes are easy, too, in just a few steps.

But, all this said, the icing on the cake was Makita’s cutting performance. Using the scoring feature first, no other saw could match it on melamine. The cuts were flawless; so sharp, in fact, that I was afraid those fresh edges might actually slice my skin.

It did a good job on splintery birch veneer, too: the rail-side edges had a light fuzz, and the waste side results were better than most.

There was some dust left on the table and workpiece after cutting, but overall efficiency was above average. I have just one gripe about this saw: its 8 ft. power cord is too short.

Triton TTS1400

Street Price: $399.98 with 59″ guide rail
Cutting Capacity: 21 ⁄8 ” @  90°; 157 ⁄64 ” @  45°
Weight: 12 lbs. / Bevel Tilt Range: 0° to 48°
Speed Range: 2,000-5,300 rpm
Web/Phone: www.tritontools.com  / 855-227-3478

This was my first opportunity to give Triton’s TTS1400 a go. Tipping the scales at 12 lbs., it’s the heaviest saw but well balanced. Proportionally, it’s larger than Festool, Mafell or Makita but about comparable to DeWALT. Two overmolded grips provide a sure grip. Soft start and variable speed give it similar technology with others here. The plunge engages smoothly, and the release is an easy reach above the trigger.

Like DeWALT, there’s a spring-loaded pawl in the base to stop the saw on the track in the event of kickback. While that’s a good safety feature, I wish you could lock it out when you want to. You can with DeWALT’s design; here, you have to turn and hold the knob to release the pawl whenever you set the saw on the track or want to back it up. It’s kind of a nuisance.

Under power, Triton’s 12-amp motor seemed to strain more noticeably under heavy load than others. Easing up on the feed speed helped.

Triton provides a handy 3/32″-deep scoring feature that can be activated by turning a barrel knob on top from through-cutting to scoring; a third position sets and locks the plunge for
easy arbor access to make blade changes.

Once score-cut, the TTS 1400 sliced melamine cleanly, with just a few chipouts here and there. And while there was splintering on the waste side of my plywood cuts, the “rail” side edges were almost splinter-free. Dust collection was pretty good. I’d like to see the tool’s vac port swivel like the rest do: fixed as is, it directed the vac hose in and over the rail, where the hose’s ribbing caught the rail’s back edge occasionally.

For just under $400, you get the saw and 59″ rail but no carry case. As with the other saws, Triton offers many accessories and track lengths.

Our “Track Star” Picks

This time out, Makita’s SP6000J1 deserves “Best Value” kudos. It cuts exceptionally well at a price far below some others. And for “Best Bet,” Festool wins by a nose over the more costly but equally proficient Mafell. The TS 55 offers solid cutting performance and superior dust control in a user-friendly tool.

The post Track Saw Reviews appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Projects

Outdoor Storage Chest: This not-so-typical storage box for outdoor items takes it up a notch with handsome weather-resistant wood, stainless steel accents and tongue-and-groove slats

Lap Desk: Perfectly portable, this Lap Desk takes your work where you need it to go. When it’s not providing solid support for your computer or reading material, the desk folds up for space-saving storage

Segmented Wavy Curved Bowl: The secret to creating this stunning segmented bowl? An unusual method of constructing bowl blanks – plus a scroll saw

Techniques

Turning: Chasing threads on a lathe

Today’s Shop: Keep your cool in the shop with Sandor Nagyszalanczy’s roundup of all the options for keeping the temperature down in your workspace

Finishing: A primer on French polishing

Reviews

Tool Review: Chris Marshall takes on track saws in this review of the options out there for tools that slice sheet materials, lumber and more

READ THIS ISSUE:

The post Woodworker’s Journal – September/October 2014 appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

The post Tips for Applying French Polish appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

“Heart Box” by Dave Vogelsang

“Yellow Segmented Bowl” by Jay Thompson

“Carved Decorative Box” by Joe Weidenbener

“Yin/Yang” by Dave Vogelsang

“Charles Neil Bombay Box” by Robert McEwen (1st place winner)

“Wood Art Cross” by Gary Lucas

“Cherry Box with Multi-Species Wood” by Phil Conlon

“Cedar Chest” by Howard Middleton

“Lips” by Matthew Heinman

Matthew Heinman (3rd place winner)

Joe Weidenbener with “Carved Decorative Box”

Mark Bachman with “Captured Sphere” 

Jay Thompson with “Segmented Bowl” and “Yellow Segmented Bowl”

Dave Vogelsang with projects

“Black Crescents on Maple” by Tim Kennedy

“Bandsaw Box 4DR” by Don Mitchell (2nd place winner)

The post “Adventures in Wood” Event appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

The post Creating Chasing Threads on a Lathe appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

The post The Benefits of Track Saws appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

The post Cutting Slat Joinery appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

The post Hobby Desk Assembly appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.