Those included a table saw, a router, and a few hand tools, and Jacob built his first project, an entertainment center he described as a “200-pound monstrosity” out of plywood and scrap. “It was a disaster, but it was fun and I learned a lot,” he said.

Things grew from there. Self-taught, Jacob admits that there was much he didn’t know when he first began building pieces. “The first time I built a chair was a big challenge – working with compound angles and trying to get it comfortable, and then trying to reproduce it for a dining set.”

He also didn’t have a good appreciation for wood movement at the beginning, and struggled with finishing. “Now I’ve learned that if I invest a little bit more time and effort into it, it can pay dividends,” he said. Jacob prefers oil-based finishes, because they pop the grain – he’s fond of figured woods, such as walnut, maple or even leopardwood.

In applying the things he’s learned over the years, Jacob will sometimes return to a previous project. For instance, a few years ago, he built a “huge” walnut credenza for the house his family was renting. When they purchased a home, it was too big for the space and, Jacob said, was an awkward piece. “I thought, ‘I could’ve done better,’ but I didn’t want to waste the book-matched panels.” So, he tore down the piece, “downsized” it by about six to eight inches, and “now we use it all the time.”

Jacob does build for others, as well. “I have to always be building something,” he said. “If I don’t have a commission, I get restless and just start building something, filling up our house, driving my wife a little crazy.”

He thinks about building project a lot, too. Jacob’s full-time employment is as a physician’s assistant, and he keeps a notebook with him while commuting on the train so that he can sketch ideas.

He also had a notebook with him a couple of years ago when he and his wife were hiking Mount Kilimanjaro. Right before they left, Jacob got an email from his regular lumberyard about a piece of curly maple that had become available – and that, Jacob knew, would be the perfect sizing for a dining table.

He thought about the piece while hiking, made sketches in the tent at night, and used it as something to keep his mind off the difficulties of the hike. “I thought through every part of the construction, and the joinery, and the finishing,” he said, and when they arrived home, he rushed to buy the lumber and complete the dining table. “It went quickly; it had already been built about 100 times in my head,” he said.

Although Jacob enjoys the process of using hand tools — “When you get it set up and sharp, there’s something beautiful about working with a hand plane, without having to sand very much,”  — most of the time, he finds that he doesn’t have time to do so. He does, however, use a SawStop table saw. At one point, he had been working in the shop over the weekend and, when he went to work Monday morning, his first pre-op appointment was a patient who had lost the tips of three of his fingers in a table accident. “I took that as a sign to go get one,” Jacob said.

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– Serge Duclos
Delson, Quebec

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– Charles Mak
Calgary, Alberta

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The three single-phase machine options include a 1-1/2hp version wired for 115 volts (model 717515) that develops 1,259 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air movement. There’s also model 717520, which has a 2hp motor wired for 230 volts and draws 1,538 CFM. Model 717530K with a 3hp motor, draws 1,963 CFM and is also wired for 230 volts. The 1-1/2- and 2hp machines each have two 4-in. dust port hookups, while the largest machine has three 4-in. ports.

JET reports that, as part of the new design, the direct mounting of the filter to the cyclone chamber on these collectors eliminates inefficiencies that result from connecting the filter with bent, corrugated flex hosing. The filters are made of pleated material that captures even the smallest particles down to one micron and below. When needed, the filter can be manually cleaned by using the integrated double paddle system.

The large, steel collection drums on these Cyclones feature quick-release levers that raise or lower the drum lid, plus independent swivel casters that enable the drum to be rolled clear for easier emptying. A viewing window on the side helps you monitor the drum’s fill level. Drum volumes are 20 gallons for model 717515, 30 gallons for model 717520 and 66 gallons for model 717530K.

All three JET Cyclone Dust Collectors include a radio frequency remote control that turns on the dust collection system from a distance of up to 50 feet. Remote timer settings (2 HP and 3 HP models only) allow the system to run for two, four, six or eight hours before automatically shutting down.

Each unit is mounted on swivel casters for full mobility.

Prices for JET’s new Cyclone Dust Collectors are $1,049.99 (1-1/2hp), $1,399.99 (2hp) and $1,759.99 (3hp). They are available now through JET dealers and are backed by the company’s Red Assurance 5-year warranty. Learn more, and watch a video of the Cyclones in action, by clicking here.

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Chris Marshall: Dale, I’ll venture a guess that most all of us who make box joints have run into this same “mismatch” problem. There are various reasons for why it happens, but one of them is that the workpieces are slightly wider or narrower than the pattern of pin and socket cuts the jig makes. So, once cut, that last pin or socket on the edge isn’t exactly the same width as the rest, and the offset occurs. I try to fix this problem from the start by cutting test pieces to check for final fit before committing to the “good” parts. But, sometimes I miss it, so I catch it before glue-up by either ripping the box parts narrower as needed so the joint edges become flush, or by jointing them.

But, maybe this isn’t your problem. If the edges of your joints line up evenly when you dry-fit them, then consider your clamping strategy more closely. Do you have to force the joints together for them to close properly? Sometimes over tightening the clamps can twist a box out of flat, too. I aim for an easy friction fit of the joint parts, then I use just moderate clamping pressure to close them up when the glue is applied. If the joints fit well, it shouldn’t take tremendous force to pull them together. I also make sure to double-check how flat they’re sitting while the glue is still wet. If the box has assumed a twist, I back off on the clamping pressure and shift the clamps to try to correct it.

After the glue dries, a twisted box is the toughest to fix. Yet still, it can happen. At that point I grab a block plane set to a fine pass and work the edges of the box by hand until it sits flat. Hand-sanding just mucks up the flatness of the edges, but a block plane keeps them straight and neat. Or, try Tim’s trick, below.

Tim Inman: Gluing up by clamping your box down onto a flat surface like a saw top or marble tile is the first best way to avoid your current troubles.

Once the glue has set and you discover a “tippy” box, then I’d suggest some colored chalk and a flat surface – along with a piece of good sandpaper. Chalk the bottom edges so you can see what’s happening when you sand. Make one corner your reference point. Now, push and pull the box over the sandpaper a few times and inspect the chalk. Don’t let the box tip as you’re sanding. At first, you’ll see only a small area or two that are sanded clean, probably on opposite corners. Rechalk. Do it again. Inspect. The cleaned area should be getting bigger. Rechalk, and repeat. Do this over and over until the chalk is completely cleaned, then stop!

You may need to turn the box over and do the top the same way. Measure the sides to be sure they stay parallel.

Next time, use a flat reference surface to do your glue-ups so you don’t have to go through this “fix.”

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– Steve Bartholomew
Steve Bartholomew Studio
Cedar City, UT

See the Slideshow Below:

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