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On The Cover: Project Design

By: Vic Tesolin (Aug/Sept 2008)
Building furniture of your own design can be a very rewarding venture. It gives you complete control over all aspects of your project: the style, shape, dimension, and overall feel of the piece. And, it’s not as difficult as you might think. You don’t have to be formally educated in design; with some basic knowledge, and practice, you can be designing your own furniture in no time. In this article, Vic takes you through the design process he used for a coffee table, which he built for a recent commission. This exceptionally well written primer for designing your own projects features beautiful photos of Vic’s sketches leading up to, and including his final design sketch. If you have ever considered taking a crack at designing, this article might be all you need to get you started.

Wood Chuckle: Oh, To Build a Canoe

By: Don Wilkinson
In his last column, Don wrote about inventions, specifically that greatest of Canadian inventions, the canoe. In this follow-up column, Don shares his experience of trying to build a canoe with his son. The results are hilarious!

Shop Jig: Biscuit Joiner Spline Jig

By: The Editors
Create strong, attractive mitre joints with splines. Mitred corner joints, such as those on small boxes or picture frames present a poor surface for gluing; this is because you end up gluing end grain to end grain. Adding splines (feathers) on a mitred corner is a simple way to add some face grain glue surface to strengthen the joint. An added bonus is that the splines provide a decorative corner treatment, particularly if you use a different species of wood. Read this article to learn both how to make and use this wonderful jig.

Product News: Combination Machines

By: Carl Duguay
Exceptional quality, unique engineering features, and a small footprint make combination machines a worthwhile consideration. If you work in a small shop, then you know how difficult it can be to arrange your machinery efficiently. Adding new equipment can be next to impossible. Combination machines enable you to get more machinery per square footage of shop space than conventional stand-alone machines. Even if floor space isn’t at a premium in your shop, this article clearly outlines that there are a lot of advantages to combo machines. Machines covered in this article include: Felder AD531 Jointer/Planer; and Mini Max FS30 Jointer/Planer.

Shop Tools: Biscuit Joiners

By: The Editors
When it comes to assembling sheet goods, nothing is quite as fast and efficient as a biscuit joiner. The biscuit joiner was initially developed in the late 1950s by Herman Steiner. The Swiss cabinetmaker was looking for a better method to assemble the cabinets he was making from the newly introduced particle board. Because of the way particleboard was manufactured, the joinery techniques in use at the time with solid wood panels were not suitable for this new material. Steiner introduced the first portable plate joiner, under the name Lamello, in 1968. The patent protection for the Lamello has long since expired, and now many different manufacturers offer biscuit joiners as part of their woodworking tool line. In this article, the editors look at a number of different biscuit joiners, including: Craftsman; DeWalt; Freud; King; Lamello; Porter Cable; Ryobi; and Triton. They also give great details on ‘How to Use the Biscuit Joiner’ and as well as introduce some excellent jigs to use with your biscuit joiner.

Home Improvement: Entrance Doors

By: Carl Duguay
Doors are one of the most immediate and welcoming features of your home. A custom made entrance door can significantly enhance both the look and the feel of your home. There are a lot of options when it comes to selecting a new entrance door for your home. The most popular materials are steel, fibreglass, and of course, wood. There are single doors, double doors and doors with single or double sidelights and transoms (windows above the doors). Doors can incorporate opaque panels, clear glass panes, and a variety of frosted and/or textured glass panes. And, you can select from a multitude of door designs based on Craftsman, Shaker, Mission and Contemporary styles. Whatever material or style that you choose, this article will help you get the job done.

Woodworkers Gallery: Queen Size Bed

By: The Editors
This Queen size bed was made by Mohammad R. Salavatipour. Mohammad says that this walnut bed with maple inlays is the most challenging project he has undertaken since he starting woodworking in 2005. The initial design for the bed focused on fluted posts as the dominant feature of the project. As the design process continued finials, inlays and a curved cap and moulding on the tops of the footboard and headboard were added. For more photos of this and other projects made by our readers, check out: CanadianWoodworking.com

Outdoor Funiture: English Garden Bench

By: Steve Morris
This classic English style garden bench is a great introduction to basic mortise and tenon construction and a comfortable addition to any deck or garden. Steve gives excellent instruction throughout this project, and covers: Shaping the Back; Cutting the Mortises; Shaping the Crest Rail and Seat Supports; Cutting the Groove for the Back Slats; Fitting Tenons to Mortises; Cutting and Fitting the Arms; Fitting the Back Slats; Fitting the Seat Slats; and Finishing. This article also features 12 beautiful step-by-step photos, an illustration showing all of the parts and measurements, and a detailed materials list. This is one of those projects that is surprisingly easy, but makes you look like a real pro!

Turning Project: Chess Set Part 2

By: Bruce Campb
Last issue, Bruce talked about using traditional ring turning to make the heads of the knights. Now he turns the bases for all the chess pieces. If you started this set with our last issue, you’ll already know how straight-forward Bruce’s instructions are. Follow along and you will be playing with your very own-hand made set in no time. Bruce provides four great illustrations, showing details of the bases. He also shows how to set up story sticks for dead-on accuracy.

Wood Finishing: Make Your Own Polish

By: Ken Wiancko
Woodworkers, particularly novices, are often perplexed trying to find a suitable polish among the many offered for sale. Making your own polish isn´t difficult, and is a lot more satisfying. In this article, Ken shows you how to do it. When you see how versatile and easy these ‘home brews’ are, you will be making projects just to try out your finishes. Recipes provided for five different types of polishes.

Home Improvement: Door Surrounds

By: Rob Brown
If you are a woodworker with an average skill set, you’ll find this is an easy weekend project that will not only add curb appeal to your home, but enhance its market value. And it doesn’t have to break the bank – the materials cost under $100. Rob leads you through the entire process, from Material Selection to Installation. He also offers a great before/after set of photos, so that you can see for yourself how much difference a door surround can make.

Air Tools: Sanders

By: Michael Kampen
Pneumatic sanders have been used in industry and commercial shops for decades. With the growing trend to equip workshops with compressed air, these production tools are finding a new group of enthusiasts. Air-powered sanders have several advantages over their electrically driven cousins. They are smaller, lighter, quieter, have less vibration, and are safer in operation than electrically driven versions. They are also comparably priced, while offering similar performance. When working in an environment where flammable fluids and vapours are present, air-powered tools do not present the same risk as tools with arcing at the electric motor or switch. Michael gives a great overview of pneumatic sanders, and takes a more specific look at the Samona, Campbell Hausfeld and Grex offerings.

Woods to Know: Douglas Fir

By: Carl Duguay
There is only one species of Douglas fir found in Canada, though it occurs in two forms. The Coast form grows along the west coast of mainland BC and on Vancouver Island. These are the classic towering giants of the west coast. A variant grows in central BC and the southwestern part of Alberta. These inland firs are smaller, seldom reaching the 300 plus foot height of the coastal firs. In this article, Carl covers this wood’s: Characteristics; Working Properties; Physical Properties; and Uses.

Router Basics: Rail and Stile Doors

By: Michael Kampen
There are two things that woodworkers build a lot of: boxes and doors. Building a door is a skill almost every woodworker will need at some point or another. Following a basic series of steps will lead to success on the router table every time. Door construction has evolved over time and the frame and panel door has become the way to accommodate seasonal wood movement while providing a rigid frame to keep the free-floating panel flat. Traditional doors, made with tenons may still be the most appropriate when building high end furniture or intricate jewellery boxes, but when faced with a whole kitchen full of doors to make, turning to the router table makes sense. Using a rail and stile bit set will allow you to make the frame elements for the door with repeatable accuracy, while the raised panel bit will allow you to make the field panels from solid stock. These bits must be used in a router table with a solid fence. If you aren’t already making raised panel doors on your router, this is one article you won’t want to miss.

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