The Woodworker's Shop

A Great American Woodworker - Fred Cogelow

American Woodworker Editors — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:07:00 GMT

A Great American Woodworker -
Fred Cogelow

One-of-a-kind carver, one-of-a-kind carvings.

By Spike Carlsen

An impromptu encounter with Fred Cogelow’s “Norwegian Wheelchair” gave me a true sense of Fred as both an artist and a person. The chair itself is a thing of rare beauty, adorned with mythical Scandinavian figures, interwoven acanthus forms and intricate faces. It incorporates a swivel mechanism, reclaimed cast iron wheels and a chunky seat that caresses you. Obviously, Fred is an imaginative artist with enormous talent.

He’s also infatuated with trees and wood. The wood for the wheelchair came from an ancient butternut tree near Fred’s hometown of Willmar Minnesota. He prefers not cutting down live trees for his sculptures, so he’d kept his eye on this tree for years. When it died, Fred got permission to harvest the wood. But when he went after the old tree with a chainsaw, he discovered that most of it was hollow. Not wanting to waste a beautiful resource, Fred utilized the curved hollow shell as the backrest of the chair and other parts for the chassis.

I hesitated when Fred asked if he could give me a ride in his fantastic chariot. But I realized something as I was gliding across his living room floor: Fred loves to have a good time in whatever he does.

Carving out a living

When asked what he’d do for a living if he weren’t a wood sculptor, Fred stares blankly. The thought hasn’t occurred to him—at least not in the last 30 years. Though deemed “hopeless” by a third grade teacher that had watched him break a leg off the Ivory soap scotty dog he was carving with a butter knife, Fred persisted. He first tried carving wood when he was 17, working six hours with dull carpenters’ chisels and a propane torch on a fir house-moving beam that his father (who died when Fred was six) had left behind.

Fred’s artistic endeavors were waylaid for several years while he earned a degree in political science from the University of Chicago. He resumed woodcarving while working at an adolescent treatment facility, where he was periodically assigned to night-watch shifts. “The only requirements were to make rounds every hour and stay awake the rest of the time,” Fred explains. “Carving kept me awake.” His first creation was a dollar bill-size carving of Albert, the Pogo comic strip character. He tried his hand at furniture restoration and construction for a while, but tired of it. Though his formal art training consisted of only 7th and 8th grade art classes, he turned to woodcarving full time at the age of 29.

Fred likes to concentrate on one sculpture at a time and completes four or five large pieces and 15 to 20 smaller pieces in a year. His sculptures generally sell for $400 to $20,000; large and complex projects bring more. He prefers working on his own designs versus commissions. “I try to make everything a little experimental,” he explains. “And commissions usually make you go backwards instead of forwards. Plus you never know if the sculpture in your head matches the sculpture in the client’s head.”

Versatile and driven

Fred, now 60 years young, is versatile in many respects. The subjects he carves range from cowboy caricatures to superbly realistic religious figures. He’s carved local farmers and hung-over gargoyles. Some works, like the sculpture honoring hometown astronaut Pinky Nelson (Photo, above), are nearly life-size. Others are as small as a fist—“Applebee’s sliders,” Fred calls them.

Fred works in numerous carving styles, but he’s particularly interested in what he calls “mezzo-relief” carving. “In between low-relief and high-relief carving is a realm where there are few absolute rights and a good many wrongs,” he says. “When working in this style, a carver weighs numerous options of how best to create the illusion of greater depth. These options include warped planes, distorted forms, enhanced or compressed elements, judicious undercutting and the use and re-use of the actual (available) depth. Of course, these options are employed in conjunction with conventional perspective techniques of converging lines, foreshortening and overlapping. Fred’s sculpture titled “Betty’s Spies”—the 2010 International Woodcarver’s Congress “Best in Show” award winner—offers a prime example of this carving style. Although this sculpture is only 3-3/4" deep, the trees visible through the window appear to be far away—across the street from the gentleman in the foreground.

Fred’s figures in the round are equally exemplary. In his book, Sculptor in Wood, Fred explains. “The greatest problem in carving these figures—especially from a limb or from a log—is to create a product which comes across as something more than a decorated fencepost.” There’s no mistaking Fred’s work for a fencepost. Whether it’s a bemused mechanic grasping a spark plug or an astronaut riding a horse, his sculptures brim with personality. In Fred’s sculpture of a wizened gentleman seated on a pair of boxes, the figure appears to be paused in the midst of a heart-rending story. His sculpture, “Peter Accused” has such realism and emotion that one hesitates to turn away from it. “Rest Easy Tonight” is playfully political.

Fred’s fellow woodcarvers agree that he is one of the best. Among other honors, Fred has won “Best of Show” nearly a dozen times at the annual International Woodcarver Congress competition.

Yet the world of carving is not without its slivers. A few years back Fred broke his arm while hollowing out the back of a statue. The bit stuck, but the drill—and Fred’s wrist—kept turning. And in his office sit two gorgeous carvings in need of repair. One, a fabulous mezzo relief, fell victim to a tainted finish. The other, a figure in the round, is missing two fingers and a hat brim, due to rough handling by a shipper.

For the love of wood and tools

Fred uses butternut for 80% of his carvings, with basswood coming in a distant second and walnut an even more distant third. He loves butternut because of its straight grain, moderate hardness and coloration. “It’s easier to read the grain in butternut than in basswood, because it has more color,” he explains.

“My customers like it too. If I carve something out of another wood, it invariably sells for less.”

“I think I have enough wood for several lifetimes,” laughs Fred, who knows the exact provenience of the wood used in most of his sculptures. “But that doesn’t stop me from hoarding more.” Most of Fred’s wood is stored in his late mother-in-law’s barn. This stash is primarily the result of a friendship with a DNR forester, who occasionally informed Fred of fallen trees in need of removal. The stack of apricot wood in Fred’s storeroom, though, came from a tree in his own back yard.

Fred is equally enamored with tools. His workspace consists of a padded stool perched in front of a massive carving easel created from the cast iron base of an old mortician’s table. “A tool-collector friend sold it to me for $25,” Fred recalls. “He called me up out of the blue one day and announced that he had something I needed. You can crank it up or down, it tilts and it’s darn solid—the best carving table I’ve ever seen. It has saved my back and hence, my career.” Fred’s work station is surrounded by tool cabinets containing hundreds of gouges, skews and chisels, all within easy reach. Sandpaper is nowhere to be found. “I can’t remember using it on more than three or four pieces in the past 30 years.”

Fred’s shop, perched on the second floor of a reconstituted chicken shed next to his home, is filled with objects that Fred uses as both inspiration and models. He has antlers, skulls and his “Norwegian track-lighting system,” an old hay mow trolley that hangs from a wooden track and carries a single candle. “My contribution to cutting-edge technology of which I am most proud,” Fred claims. He has weathervane roosters, stained glass windows, Mickey Mouse Club badges, bent bugles, sections of curved choir loft railing, horse stirrups, old tools and things that defy description. Amidst all of this hangs a sign with a quote from Thomas Edison that reads “To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”

Click any image to view a larger version.

Joyride
(Honoring astronaut George “Pinky” Nelson
Basswood
1999
96" H x 96" W x 26" D

Norsk Rullestol
(Norwegian Wheelchair)
2004
Butternut, black walnut, bur oak
34" H x 28" W x 40" D

Aint Indolence
(... If You’re Minding Other’s Business)
1995
Butternut
30" H x 14-1/4" W x 17-3/4" D

Rest Easy Tonight
(A Salute to the Department of Homeland Security)
2004
Butternut; walnut base
19" H x 9" W x 14" D

Peter Accused
(a.k.a. Peter Meets His Principle ...Fred Ditto ...)
2003
Basswood
44" H x 26" W x 28" D

The Simple Pleasures of Edifying the College-Educated
(It’s Your Spark Plug, Dummy!)
2008
Butternut
18-1/2" H x 14" W x 6" D

Betty’s Spies
(Small Town Busybodies Keeping Busy)
2010
Basswood
21" H x 24-1/4" W x 3-3/4" D

Deck of 51
2010
Butternut
15-1/2" H x 17-1/4" W x 5-5/8" D

Advice for rookies

Fred suggests whittling as a way to learn about tools, and splitting firewood as a way to learn about wood’s grain. As for subject matter, he says, “Do something you’re familiar with. If you like messing around with cars, do cars. If you like bird watching, do birds.”

He’s hesitant to recommend any particular set of tools. His advice for those interested in testing the waters is to find a carving or casting in a style they’d like to attempt and bring it to a place that sells carving tools, so that they can ask what tools they’ll need and experiment with different types.

“Be mindful that any motion that cuts without use of a prying effort is legitimate, be it straight on, rotational or gliding,” Fred explains. “Keep your tools sharp and remember that a cool tool is a happy tool. And think of your tools as an extension of your hands, in the same way figure skaters think of skates as an extension of their feet.” If that’s true, Fred Cogelow has won Olympic gold.

Eye of a master

Fred describes carving as both an artistic and logical endeavor, but he’s been carving for so long and works so intuitively that he finds it difficult to put the creative process into words. “Part of it is learning how to see,” he explains. But since there are tools, materials, specific end results and a coherent way of getting there, “Part of it is engineering the piece, too.”

He often works from photographs and is not beyond asking friends to dress in bed sheets to serve as models when he’s carving robed religious figures. Interviews sometimes help Fred understand the personalities of his subjects that photos can’t convey. With some commissions, he’ll create life-size sketches as a guide, but he rarely uses calipers to transfer measurements, since some elements grow and others shrink when they’re carved, especially in mezzo-relief. For the commissioned project shown here, Fred started with two photos—an inspirational shot showing the father and his daughter playing solitaire and a second shot portraying a good likeness of the father. As Fred generated a full-size drawing from which to work, he had a friend model, so he could get the correct folds in the shirt.

Because carving is a subtractive process, where material is taken away rather than added, Fred is constantly wary of making commitments that can’t be modified. “The temptation to round things off or undercut them prematurely is always present. Doing so makes them look correct in the short run, but it dooms them to be mediocre or outright wrong in the end.”

And though parts of the process can be learned, Fred clearly has the eye of a master. Referring to a recent sculpture, Fred explains, “When I’m out there with a chainsaw, I can already see the cowboy in the tree.”

This story originally appeared in American Woodworker October/November 2010, issue #150.

Craig Thibodeau's Fine Furniture

American Woodworker Editors — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:13:00 GMT

Craig Thibodeau's Fine Furniture

Cherry and Carpathian Elm Dining Table

Size: 74″ long by 39″ wide by 30″ high

Materials: Cherry, Carpathian Elm Burl, Ebony, and Macassar Ebony

Description: This Cherry wood dining table uses a special batch of Carpathian Elm Burl veneer in a four way bookmatch to create a light colored area of burl in the center of the table. The top also has Macassar Ebony crossbanding with two Ebony inlays surrounding the Elm Burl center. The solid Cherry table base design has a slightly Asian Arts and Crafts look and also features panels of Carpathian Elm veneer as accents in the end trestles and along the lower cross piece. The table top and Carpathian Elm Burl accent panels are finished with Polyester and Conversion Varnish for protection and the base and chairs are finished with satin Lacquer. The chair design was refined through a number of mockups to finalize the curves and the backsplat shape.

Click any image to view a larger version.

Cherry and Elm Dining Chairs

Size: 36″ high by 17″ deep by 17″ wide

Materials: Cherry, Carpathian Elm Burl and Leather

Description: Built to go with the Cherry and Elm Dining Table there are four side chairs and two arm chairs. The design was refined through a number of prototypes and mockups to create a set of chairs that were very comfortable but also mate well with the dining table design. The three curved backsplats, two in Cherry and one in Carpathian Elm Burl, are bent laminations that float in their mortises and flex slightly, making for more comfortable pressure against the back while sitting. Finished with satin Lacquer and Conversion Varnish.

Art Deco Table with Trompe L’oeil Interior

Size: 38″ wide by 19″ wide by 30″ high

Materials: Pau Ferro, Quilted Maple, Macassar Ebony, and various marquetry woods.

Description: This Art Deco table is my first exploration into Trompe L’oeil marquetry imagery. The table commission itself began as a nice Deco style table without any of the extra details. To that base we added the two pop out drink trays in Maple and Ebony with polished Stainless Steel inserts. We then began discussing what to do with the interior space of the central column. A variety of ideas were tossed about until the client settled on a Trompe L’oeil image hidden behind a secret door with a couple more secret areas hidden in the image.

We worked out a system of imbedded magnets that would hold pieces in place but also allow them to be opened with a special magnetic key. The door is held closed by four magnets and there are additional magnets buried inside the hidden drawer and the outside face of the secret door. We decided the special magnetic key should be hidden somewhere on the outside of the table so it could be accessed easily but not seen. The key itself has been veneered to match the surrounding wood and is spring loaded so a gentle push makes it pop out. It then can be used to open the main secret door and also to pull out the hidden drawer. The small door in the image leads to a small space with a polished floor and arched ceiling. The veneer for the walls and ceiling gradually change to darker colors as they go deeper into the cavity to increase the sense of depth.

Craftsman and Artist Transforms Stock Piano into Ferrari-Inspired Work of Art

American Woodworker Editors — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 19:30:00 GMT

The Grand Rossa

A craftsman and artist transforms a stock piano into a Ferrari-inspired work of art.

28-year-old Justin Elliott, a craftsman from Florida, embarked on a journey eight years ago to enhance the appearance of the piano. To do so, he began designing and handcrafting custom piano legs using rare, superior species of wood to create spirals, arcs and other design elements to transform the piano into a work of art.

After completing his first design, Elliott realized the magnificent wooden structure also enhanced the piano’s sound, providing greater clarity by changing the instrument’s resonant structure and integrating acoustics into the leg.

Today, Elliott (who has since founded ResInno Piano Innovation and Design), who seldom using blueprints or sketches to ensure undeniably unique designs, has four designs available for purchase. Each is hand shaped to perfection and affects the piano’s “voice” differently depending on its shape. And this month, ResInno has unveiled its raciest design yet.

The Grand Rossa, named after Ferrari’s 1957 Testa Rossa race car and painted in the iconic Ferrari red called Rossa Corsa, boasts sleek curves forming semi helixes on the front legs, and a prolonged arch stemming from the tail leg which appears to flow through the piano.

The design has caught the attention of Ferrari of Tampa Bay where it is currently on display on the 28,000 square-foot showroom floor alongside the race cars that inspired its name and design.

Click any image to view a larger version.

6 Storage Solutions You Can Build Into Any Cabinet

American Woodworker Editors — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:13:00 GMT

6 Storage Solutions You Can Build Into Any Cabinet

By Bruce Kieffer

Sandpaper Roll Storage

I use pressure-sensitive-adhesive (PSA) sanding discs. For easy access, I like to get them out of their packages and lined up by grit. I hang my rolls of sanding discs on horizontally supported dowels so I can quickly grab the right grit without looking at the back side of a disc.

Click any image to view a larger version.

Eye-Level Bit Storage

Lots of folks store router bits in wood blocks. I turned mine into pull-out blocks mounted at the bottom of my upper cabinets. The shelves pull out and hang at eye level while you find the bit you need. Each pull-out block slides on a pan head screw captured in a routed keyhole slot on the bottom of the block (see inset). If you want to remove the block and take your bits to where you’re working, just lift the block off the screw and go.

Rout the stopped keyhole slot in the center of each block. Drill a 1-in.-dia. x 1/2-in.-deep finger hole in the front of each pull-out block. On this cabinet, I use filler blocks to maintain clearance for the door hinges.

Easy-Adjust Drawer Dividers

I’ve tried lots of different drawer dividers over the years, but none comes close to this system. Its beauty lies in its flexibility. As my storage needs change, so can my dividers—in an instant! These dividers are friction-fit against strips of 1/4-in.-thick closed-cell foam.

To make the foam inserts, cut pieces of 1/4-in.-thick fiberboard to fit across your drawer. Use spray adhesive to adhere 1/4-in.-thick closed-cell foam to the fiberboard. Then set the dividers into your drawer, measuring the distance you need between them. The best way to fit the dividers is to start long and slowly trim their lengths until they fit snugly.

Swing-Out Drill Bit Rack

This swing-out drill bit rack means no more peering into a dark cabinet or trying to reach over a forest of sharp bits to get the one way in back. Just swing out the block and all your drill accessories are right where you can easily and safely reach them.

The rack is 1-1/4 in. thick by 3 in. wide with a 17/64-in. pivot hole. The rack pivots on a 1/4-in. bolt mounted through the bottom shelf with a lock nut and washer. A rubber bumper acts as a stop. A couple of 1/8-in.-deep x 1/2-in.-wide dovetail slots are routed on the front and back edges of the rack to hold labels.

Sandpaper Storage

Stored loose in a drawer, my sheet sandpaper curls like a potato chip, making it difficult to handle. This simple sandpaper storage tray solves the problem. The tray keeps an assortment of grits flat and ready for use. The lid is made from MDF, which is heavy enough to keep the sandpaper flat. Attach a grab knob to the center of the lid.

The Right Screw Right at Your Fingertips

Nothing is more annoying than fumbling through odd-sized, tattered cardboard screw boxes, paper bags or, worse yet, old coffee cans. These translucent plastic boxes, which cost less than a buck apiece, make organizing screws a snap. I use two sizes of lidded boxes and one size of unlidded boxes. I place fasteners I use often into the unlidded bins. Those I use less often go into the lidded boxes; a label stuck to each lid makes it easy to identify what’s in the box.

Sources

(Note: Product availability and costs are subject to change since original publication date.)

United States Plastic Corp., usplastic.com, 800-809-4217, 42-dram translucent Flex-A-Top Box, 2-1/8 in. x 2-1/8 in. x 2-5/8 in., #201203; 104-dram translucent Flex-A-Top Box, 4-7/32 in. x 1-23/32 in. x 4-5/8 in., #201204; Bin cups for shelf bins, 3-1/4 in. x 2 in. x 3 in., #52299.

A-1 Foam, 952-253-1972, Dynaflex closed-cell foam, 1/4 in. thick, charcoal color, #XL2000; K-grip foam and fabric spray adhesive, 13.25 oz., #701.

Sears, sears.com, 800-349-4358, Craftsman drawer liners, mesh roll, 21-3/4 in. x 256-1/2 in., #65190.

This story originally appeared in American Woodworker January 2005, issue #112.

January 2005, issue #112

Purchase this back issue.

Dream Workbench

American Woodworker Editors — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:44:00 GMT

Dream Workbench

A modern bench that features storage, stability and mobility

By Dave Munkittrick

Tired of working on a sheet of plywood thrown over a pair of sawhorses? Had it with rolling benches that wiggle and wobble? Hate running around your shop whenever you need a tool? Boy, do we have the bench for you.

Our dream bench starts with traditional workbench features like a thick top, a sturdy base, bench dogs and a pair of vises. Then we added tons of storage, an extra-wide top, and modern, cast-iron vises. Last but not least, we devised a simple method to make the bench mobile and still provide a rock-solid work platform.

Wedged-Base Workbench

American Woodworker Editors — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:40:00 GMT

Wedged-Base Workbench

Tablesaw joinery locks it together.

By Tim Johnson

This workbench has a top ready for hard use. But it’s the base that catches your eye. The interlocking joinery, with its dovetails and wedges, is rock solid, yet it knocks down quickly for moving.

Although it looks complicated, the base is surprisingly easy to build. It’s made from multiples of only five parts that fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. The fancy joinery that locks the pieces in place is nothing more than strategically located rabbets and dadoes, and they’re all made on the tablesaw.

Sources

Woodcraft Supply, woodcraft.com, 800-225-1153, workbench tops.

Your local home center or lumberyard, kitchen countertops.

The story originally appeared in American Woodworker October 1999, Issue #75.

Purchase the complete version of this woodworking project story from AWBookstore.com.

Adjustable Workbench

American Woodworker Editors — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:34:00 GMT

Adjustable Workbench

The coolest bench ever: It changes size before your eyes!

By Tom Caspar

My workbench has always been the heart of my small shop. When I made it years ago, I outfitted it with a good face vise, an innovative sliding tail-vise and a plain trestle base. But the bench’s height always bugged me. It was too low for some jobs and too high for others.

I found a solution! I retrofitted my top with commercially-made adjustable legs (about $480, see Adjust-A-Bench Legs, below). I also built a new cabinet-style base for added storage space.

Sliding Tail Vise

Cabinetmaker Geoffrey Noden first designed these legs for his own shop. Their operation is very simple. Each end is composed of two heavy-gauge metal panels. The adjustable panel has a series of notches that engage a rod in the fixed panel. Depressing a pedal rotates the rod out of a notch, allowing you to lower the bench. To raise the bench, you just lift its top.

The whole system is so robust that it can take an enormous amount of weight. Its simplicity ensures that it will work for many years, even in a dusty shop. You’ll find much more information,alternative bench plans and castor sets at www.adjustabench.com or by calling (609) 882-3300.

This story originally appeared in American Woodworker September 2007, Issue #130.

September 2007, Issue #130

Purchase this back issue.

Adjust-A-Bench Legs

Purchase the complete version of this woodworking project story from AWBookstore.com.

Torsion-Box Workbench and Expandable Assembly Table

American Woodworker Editors — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:14:00 GMT

Torsion-Box Workbench and Expandable Assembly Table

Double your work space without doubling your shop space.

By Randy Johnson and Luke Hartle

In our shop, we used to pile tools, parts and hardware on top of a wobbly workbench made from 2x4s. When we had to glue a project together, we shoved everything aside. Finally, we got tired of searching for tools and space and set out to make a new style of workbench.

Our new workstation is two benches in one. The best part is a rolling storage unit that opens into a huge assembly table. Closed, it tucks right under the bench. We built the bench’s top as a torsion box, so it can span the distance over the assembly table without sagging. Both parts are made from home-center materials using simple joinery. Two work surfaces, lots of drawers and shelves—what a great excuse to buy more tools.

The Workbench

A torsion box is composed of two sheets of plywood, or skins, separated by a frame. The first step is to glue the outer frames to the bottom skin. Clamping the parts to a flat surface, such as these wooden I-beams, guarantees that the top will turn out flat.

Cut the bridle joints on the inner torsion-frame parts with a dado blade. You can cut them as a group by clamping them against an auxiliary fence on your miter gauge.

Test-fit the inner torsion-frame assembly. It should slip into place using hand pressure only. Then remove it, add glue and reinstall it. Hold it in place by adding screws through the outer frame parts.

Flip the assembly and screw the bottom skin to the inner torsion frame. Then flip it back and add the top skin. Keep the torsion box clamped to the I-beams during each step to ensure that it stays flat.

Glue the trim boards to the torsion box. Install them flush with the torsion box’s bottom. This will create a recess on the top side for the removable work top to fit into. Make long clamps by joining short clamps with couplers.

Install the work top. Screw it to the torsion box and use wooden plugs to hide the screws. The top should fit loosely into the recess, so it’s easy to remove if you wish to replace it.

Use spacers to position the drawer slides for mounting to the sides of the base cabinets. It’s best to mount the slides before the cabinets are assembled, because it’s hard to fit a cordless drill inside cabinets after they are put together.

Add levelers to the base cabinets if your shop floor is uneven. These heavy-duty levelers are easily adjusted from inside the cabinet through an access hole in the bottom.

The Expandable Assembly Table

The assembly table is composed of two identical cabinets. Joinery is simple; it’s all held together with dadoes and biscuits.

Glue and clamp the door guides to the doubled-up top and bottom. Doubling the top makes the work surface extra solid. Doubling the bottom provides a strong place to attach the wheels.

Install the hinged panels to the back of one cabinet, using spacers to center the panel between the top and bottom. The hinged panels must be installed perpendicular to the bottom so they open and close square to the cabinets.

Attach the hinged panels to the back of the second cabinet. Make sure the spacing between the hinged panels on the second cabinet is identical to the spacing on the first cabinet or binding will occur when you fold the cabinets together. When the panels are folded together, the panels fold into the recess at the back of the cabinets.

Install the wheels. The center wheels provide support for the back of the cabinets and are offset from the middle of the cabinet so they don’t hit each other as they swivel. Sash locks hold the cabinets together when the table is folded up.

Measure for the removable top. You want the top to fit snugly, yet be just loose enough to be pressed into place using hand pressure.

Slip the sliding doors into the slotted guides. The doors go into the deeper upper slot first and then drop down into the shallow bottom slot. If the doors don’t slide freely, reduce their thickness by sanding the back of the top and bottom edges.

This story appears in American Woodworker January 2006, Issue #119.

January 2006, Issue #119.

Purchase this back issue.

Purchase the complete version of this woodworking project story from AWBookstore.com.

Wooden Bar Clamps

American Woodworker Editors — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:11:00 GMT

Wooden Bar Clamps

Shop-made clamps that deliver versatility and performance.

By Dave Olson

End your clamp shortage once and for all. These wooden clamps are easy to make, a joy to use and they exert plenty of clamping pressure. If you build them with scrap lumber, they cost less than half the cost of a comparable aluminum bar or steel I-beam clamp. So why not turn what would be an ordinary purchase into a fun shop project?

You can make these clamps in any length; the ones shown here have a 49-in. capacity. I made my clamps out of hickory, a dense, stiff hardwood that’s often used for tool handles. Hard maple, white oak or ash would also be a good choice. I recommend making these clamps in multiples—then building them is efficient, and you’ll have plenty to use.

Durable Acme Threads

Designed for use in vises and machine tools, Acme threads are wide-bodied for strength and steeply inclined to efficiently transfer clamping pressure. They’re faster to adjust than standard V-threads, because they have fewer threads per inch. They’re also less likely to clog with debris.

Click any image to view a larger version.

Versatile Handle

It’s easy to grip by hand and long enough for two-handed tightening. Locked nuts on the end accommodate a drill for speed or a wrench for extra torque.

Three-Position Jaw

The offset post creates different clamping points for fast setup and maximum adjustability. For storage, simply plant this jaw in the hole nearest the headstock and secure it with the headstock jaw.

No Black Stains

These wooden clamps won’t mar your workpiece or leave unsightly stains, the way steel or iron bar clamps can. An easy-to-apply shellac and wax finish keeps glue from sticking.

Stable On Any Surface

Thanks to their flat-bottom design, these clamps won’t tip over, even when they extend well beyond the edge of your bench. They also work great on sawhorses.

Add Some Comfort

For Comfort and increased gripping power, wrap the handle like a tennis racket, using rubber cut from an inner tube. Simply stretch the rubber around the handle and tuck or tape the ends.

This story originally appeared in American Woodworker September 2005, issue #116.

September 2005, issue #116

Purchase this back issue.

Purchase the complete version of this woodworking project story from AWBookstore.com.

Modular Shop Cabinets

American Woodworker Editors — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:07:00 GMT

Modular Shop Cabinets

Euro-style construction makes them easy to build, easy to customize.

By Bruce Kieffer

In days gone by, apprentice cabinetmakers used to build their own tool chests. The chests were often works of art that both displayed the owner’s level of craftsmanship and provided practical storage for tools. These modular shop cabinets function in much the same way. Designed for ample storage, they also form a stunning piece of cabinetry.

Make no mistake, though; these cabinets are firmly rooted in modern cabinetmaking techniques. They’re built using the same modular construction system today’s professionals prefer. After you’ve warmed up on these shop cabinets, you’ll be ready to tackle making a whole kitchen full using the same technique.

Cabinetmaker's Router Table

American Woodworker Editors — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:02:00 GMT

Cabinetmaker's Router Table

You won't find this router table in any store or catalog.

By Dave Munkittric

You won't find this router table in any store or catalog. But, it incorporates all the best features found in those store-bought systems at half the cost!

At AW we’ve had the opportunity to study and use most of the router-table systems on the market. From that experience we’ve designed our own fully featured, easy-to-build router table. Build this version rather than buying a commercial cabinet-based router table and you’ll save enough money to buy yourself a new router!

Double-Duty Shop Stool

American Woodworker Editors — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:58:00 GMT

Double-Duty Shop Stool

It's all plywood, and only uses a half sheet.

By Eric Smith

A combination stool and work support? OK, it’s an odd pair, but in my crowded shop, it makes a lot of sense. Anything that takes up less room is a good idea! The stool’s seat is divided into three pieces. When you raise the center section, you get an absolutely rigid work support that extends to 48 in. high. That’s tall enough to hold long pieces on a drill press or serve as an outfeed support for a bandsaw or tablesaw. Most commercial roller stands don’t extend this high. Just turn a simple handle—a hardware-store eye bolt—and the telescoping top locks in place.

Shop-Made Router Lift

American Woodworker Editors — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:55:00 GMT

Shop-Made Router Lift

Features you can't buy at a price you won't believe.

By Bruce Kieffer and Richard Tendick

Router lifts are hot items these days and for good reason. Veteran router table users love their ability to make super-fine micro adjustments or rapidly raise the bit right from the tabletop. No more fumbling under the table like a contortionist.

The only drawback is the price: $200 to $500. Ouch! That’s why we were so thrilled when Richard Tendick walked into our offices with his idea for a shop-made router lift. Not only does Richard’s lift offer above-the-table height adjustment (see “Benefits of the AW Router Lift,” page 40) but it costs less than $100. Plus, unlike the expensive commercial lifts, this lift allows you to change bits without cranking the router all the way up. It also features effective below-the-table dust collection. When combined with dust collection in the fence it results in near-perfect dust collection. This design also isolates the exhaust end of the router in the cavity. That leaves the router air intake sucking only clean, dust-free air. And, unlike all the other mechanical lifts on the market, Richard’s lift hangs off the back of the router table, not on the top where the excess weight can lead to sagging.

Mobile Miter Saw Stand

American Woodworker Editors — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:46:00 GMT

Mobile Miter Saw Stand

Get more from your miter saw with a stand that handles everything.

By Richard Tendick

This stand has everything you could want. With the wings up, it can handle 8-ft.-long boards on either side. With wings down, the stand is only 5-1/2 ft. long. It’s on casters, so you can move it anywhere. When the casters are locked, the stand won’t budge.

You can make exact, repeatable cuts with a cursor mounted on a flip stop. For jobs outside the shop, just pick up the saw and go. It’s mounted to a notched plywood platform that automatically aligns with the fence.

Most sawdust goes through a hose connected to an on-board vacuum. Dust missed by the vacuum bounces against a back stop and drops into a collection box. The vacuum is plugged into a tool-actuated switch. When you turn the saw on, the vacuum comes on, too. When you’re done sawing, the vacuum automatically stops.

Folding Wings

Click any image to view a larger version.

Cursor and Flip Stop

Removable Saw Platform

Dust-Collection Hood

On-Board Vacuum

Sturdy Casters

Multi-Position Fences

You can move the fences on this stand to three different positions, depending on the job. The fences are clamped to the stand’s tables by threaded knobs. A pair of steel locating pins pass through a support behind each fence and into a series of holes drilled into the stand’s top. This automatically indexes the fence to two of the three positions.

For most cuts, you can line up each of the extension fences with the saw’s fence.

For making cuts with no tear-out on the back side or for cutting very short pieces, you can move the extension fence forward to align with a zero-clearance fence.

When you make a compound miter cut,
push the extension fences back so you can slide the saw’s fence to the left. It’s also a good idea to push the fences back for cutting slightly bent or crooked stock.

This story originally appeared in American Woodworker July 2006, issue #122.

July 2006, issue #122

Purchase this back issue.

Simple Router Table

American Woodworker Editors — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:28:00 GMT

Simple Router Table

By Doug Stowe

While many woodworkers spend weekends making stationary router tables, mine have always been very simple, driven by expediency, and the desire to get other things done. My first was just a router base screwed to the underside of a piece of plywood. I simply clamped the plywood to a workbench, installed the router and bit, clamped on a board as a fence, and let her rip.

Things haven’t changed much in my shop. I still like the convenience of a router table that I can quickly disassemble and store, so I don’t lose the floor space that a stationary router table would require. One thing that has changed, however, is that the router table I use today is more sophisticated. It has an aluminum router plate and a pivoting fence with dust collection. This table takes only an hour or two to build, and it can last for years. To make your own, you’ll need a router plate and a plunge router equipped with a template guide.

The Woodworker's Shop

A Great American Woodworker - Fred Cogelow

A Great American Woodworker - Fred Cogelow

One-of-a-kind carver, one-of-a-kind carvings.

Carving out a living

Versatile and driven

For the love of wood and tools

Advice for rookies

Eye of a master

Craig Thibodeau's Fine Furniture

Craig Thibodeau's Fine Furniture

Cherry and Carpathian Elm Dining Table

Cherry and Elm Dining Chairs

Art Deco Table with Trompe L’oeil Interior

Craftsman and Artist Transforms Stock Piano into Ferrari-Inspired Work of Art

The Grand Rossa

A craftsman and artist transforms a stock piano into a Ferrari-inspired work of art.

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