The Art of Woodworking - Sharpening and Tool Care 1994

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THE ART OF WOODWORKING

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WORKSHOP GUIDE

The start-up wattage of a power tool is gener-ally 30-40% higher than the running wattage.Using the formula (volts x dmps = watts), youcan avoid overloading an electr ical c ircui t bydetermining whether the maximum load atool will draw exceeds the amperage of thecircui t . 0n a 11O-volt c ircui t , for example, a7%-inch circular saw would draw 18 amos(110 x znlps = 2000). The saw could over-load a 1S-amp circui t , but not a 20-amp one.

. Wear appropriate safety equipment:safety glasses, a face or dust mask ifyou are sanding, and hear ing protect ionif you are operating tools for an extend-ed per iod of t ime.

. Clamp all workpieces securely whenev-er possible to keep both hands free tonnpra ip ihp inn l

. Be aware of the posit ion of the powercord at al l t imes.

. Make al l adjustments to a tool with thei n n l r n n l r r o o c d

POWER T()()L SAFETY TIPS

o Main ta in and c lean too ls regu la r ly .Keep a l l b lades and b i ts sharp , c lean,and undamaged. Check regularly forloose parts and frayed cords.

r Never carry a connected tool with yourf inger on the tr igger.

. T ie back long ha i r and avo id wear ingloose c lo th ing . Remove r ings and o therjewe l ry tha t can ca tch acc identa l l y inmoving parts.

. Do not overreach. Keep proper footingand ba lance a t a l l t imes.

. Make sure tha t l igh t ing and vent i la t ionin the work area are adequate.

o Do not use tools if the floor is damp or wet.

. Keep your work a rea c lean and t idy ;c lu t te r can lead to acc idents . Keep pe ts ,ch i ld ren , and on lookers away f rom thework area.

r Concent ra te on the job . Do no t rushor take shortcuts. Never work i f you aret i red , s t ressed or have been dr ink inga lcoho l o r us ing any med ica t ion tha tinduces drows iness .

TYPICAL POWER TO()IWATTAGE RATING

T00r WATTS AISTART-UP

Air compressor (3-hp) 4000

Table saw (%-hp) 4000Saber saw I 500

Circular saw (7%") 2000

Circular saw (6%") 1800

Belt sander I 500

Bench grinder (%-hp) 1 500Orbital sander 900

Router I 500Electric drill (%") 800

Electric drill (%") 600Power plane 600Electric drill (%") 500

Random-orbit sander 500

HVLP spray system 400

PLUGGING IN SAFELY

Checking grounding and load requiremenloEnsure trhal a Vower Iool is rated elecLrically oafe, checkinqito nameVlate. A oamVle nameVlale is shown above. A toolshould be approved by lhe UL (Underwnters Laborator ieo) orCOA (Canadian SLandards Associal ion). Aloo make sure thalthe Vower tool ie grounded or double- ineulaLed.

A grounded tool has a lhree-pronq pluq and may be marked"qround inq requ i red" ' , a doub le- insu la led too l i s marked"doub le ineu laNed" and may bear Nhe symbol ehown. For a

?ower Lool or exten; ion cord with a Nhree-Vronq pluq, useon ly a e imi la r ouNle t : never bend or remove Lhe th i rd , o rqroundinq, Vronq of a pluq. Eneure thaN Lhe outr leL, ueual lyon a 15- or 20- amp circui tr , can Vrovtde euff ic ient current, forNhe Vower Nool. CheckNhe amperaqe ratr ing of Lhe power toolon its nameplale; if iN ie rated af, 1O or more am?ereo, Iurnoff any hiqh currentr-drawing appl ianceo operal inq onlhes ame elecLric al c ircui tr .

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THE ART OF WOODWORKING

SHARPENINGAND TOOI CARE

THE ART OF WOODVVORKING

AI\IDTOOLCARE

TIME-LIFE BOOKSALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

SWENING

ST. REMY PRESSMONTREAL. NEW YORK

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THE ART OF WOODWORKING was produced byST. REMYPRESS

THECONSUITANTS

Mil<e Dunbar builds fine fumiture at his worlshop in Portsmouth,New Hampshire. The author of seven books and a contributingedrtor of American Woodworker and Early American Life maga-zines, Dunbar also offers Windsor chairmaking seminars acrossNorthAmerica.

Giles Miller-Mead taught advanced cabinetrnaking at Montrealtechnical schools for more than ten years. A native of NewZeaLand, he has worked as a restorer of antique furniture.

Td Fuller is product manager at Delta lnternational Machin-erylPorter Cable (Canada). He is currently working in newproduct development and marketing for woodworking toolsand equipment. He is also an amateurwoodworker.

Sharpening & tool care.p. cm.- (The Art of woodworking)Includes index.ISBN 0-8094-9933-91 Woodworking tools- Maintenance and repair.2. Sharpening of tools. I. Time-Life Books.IL Title: Sharpening and tool care.III. Series.TT186.545 1994684'.08'028-dc20 94-26232

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For information about any Time-Life book,please call 1-800-621-7026, or write:Reader InformationTime-Life Customer ServiceP.O. Box C-32068Richmond, Virginia2326r-2068

@ 1994 Time-Life Books Inc.All rights reserved.No part ofthis book may be reproduced in any form or byany electronic or mechanical means, including informationstorage and retrieval devices or systems, without prior writ-ten permission from the publisher, except that briefpassagesmay be quoted for reviews.Printed in U.S.A.Published simultaneously in Canada.

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THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY

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CONTENTS

6 INTRODUCTION 86 MAINTAINING PORTABTEPOWER TOOLS

12 SHARPENING BASICS 88 Maintenance tips and schedules14 The cutting edge 90 Anatomy of a router16 Sharpening tools and accessories 92 Anatomy of a saber saw18 Benchstones 94 Anatomy of a plate joiner20 Bench grinders 95 Anatomy of an electric drill

96 Anatomy of a sander24 SHARPENING AND MAIN- 97 Anatomy of a circular saw

TAINING HAND TOOLS 98 Repairing portable power tools26 Handsaws30 Chisels and gouges 104 MAINTAINING STAIIONARY39 Bench planes POWER TOOLS46 Scrapeis 106 Basic stationary tool maintenance51 Roughing and shaping tools 108 Thble saws55 Braces and bits 113 Radial arm saws

I20 Band saws58 SHARPENING POWER TOOL 126 |ointers and planers

BLADES AND BITS 131 Drill Presses60 A gallery of blades and bits I33 Lathes and shapers6I Tools and accessories 136 Other tools

for sharpening62 Router bits and shaper cutters 140 GLOSSARY64 Molding knives65 Drill bits r42 INDEX70 Circular saw blades73 Band saw blades 144 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS79 Jointer and planer knives

TNTRODUCTION

Richard Starr on the

\ALUE OFSHARP TOOLS

\/\/ hen I was a kid I thought working wood was really difficult. Ir was, too,Y Y because my dad's tool bench was dominated by rough screwdrivers and

assorted wrenches, dull saws, and a few auger bits. I remember it with fondnessbecause it helped set me on mylifet path, but it sure didrt't encourage me to mas-ter the pieces of rough, splitty pine that I occasionally worked on.

Sharp hand tools were a revelation to a guy who grew up thinking that wood-working required some sort of special genius and alot of powerfrrl equipment.WhenI encountered a craftsman who built fine country furniture, miles from the nearestpower line, I was inspired to learn as much as I could about how to make tools workwell. As a result, wood became a much more welcoming material to me. Today, as aseasoned teacher ofwoodworkingto children, myjob is to help mystudents appreciatethepossibilities ofwood. Thelastthing Iwantto do is let themworkwithbumtools.

It is easy to fall in love with hand tools. I have a small collection of time-mellowedimplements that I would not think of putting to work They represent a history of effortand problern-sohing that is a comfort to my modern mind" I also hara other fine old toolsthatare frequentlyput into service. Butthe tools I use werydayin teachinghave muchlas of an aura about thern Kids bang them around and drop than all too frequently. Whatis important about them is that they work right.

The difference between a dull tool and a sharp one is something every wood-worker needs to know.It is the difference between the frustrated kid I was and thekids I teach today. When I show a child how to whittle, he or she is expected to tryevery knife on the rack, usually four or five tools. Only by making this comparisonwill it become clear which are really sharp and which are just okay.

Every woodworker has his or her own preferred way to sharpen an edge tool.Some use oil stones, slow sandstone wheels, Arkansas stones or leather strops. Othersprefer fapanese water stones, the use of which is almost a ritual. ln my school shop,I need to work quickly and I have long since settled on a grinding belt and buffingwheel. At home, I have fallen in love with the new technology of diamond stones.

I firmly believe that, while sharp tools are essential, there is no one right way tosharpen tools, only the best way for you. It takes time to figure it out, but it is timeyou must be willing to spend. It is like building the foundation of your home.Everything else rests on it.

Richard Stan has taught woodworking to middle school students inHanover, New Hampshire, since 1972. His bookWoodworking with Kidsis publishedby Thunton Press. Starr has written numerous articles forEtne

Woodworking, Today's Woodworker and other publications. His televi-sion seriesWoodworking for Everyone was broadcast on public television.

INTRODUCTION

Philip Lowe discusses

MAINTAININGPO\MERTOOLS

tepping up to a poorly maintained machine can create a spectrum of emotionsfrom apprehension to frustration. When the handwheel on your table saw forces

you to one knee, requiring two hands and all of your strength to raise the blade, andwhen the machine screams and smoke billows as stock is fed through, face it: Itttime to do a little maintenance!

Perhaps the most straightforward part of shop maintenance is the obvious reasonbehind it safety and efficiency. It is very important to keep cutting implements sharp.More accidents occur with dull tools because more force is required to operate the tool.

You ll need a few tools to get you started, including a grease gun, an oil can, WD-40*, graphite, silicon spray, and paste wax. It is also convenient to have a set ofwrenches, sockets, hex wrenches, and brushes for cleaning gears. Finally, pick upsome abrasives such as steelwool, fine silicon carbide paper, and a mill file for debur-ring shafts and nicks in tabletops.

Cutters such as saw blades, knives for jointers and planers, shaper cutters, bits forrouters and drill presses and turning tools must be kept sharp and free of pitch andresin in order to cut cleanly. Pitch and resin on cutters and saw blades, which cancause kickback, can be removed with spray oven cleaner. Some in-house sharpeningcan be done to carbide tools with a diamond stone. High-speed steel cutters such asturning tools and shaper knives can be sharpened on a bench grinder or honed witha bench and slip stones.

Alignment of tables and fences is also important. The position of a tabletop isimportant especially if it has slots cut in it for miter gauges. The slots need to be par-allel to the cutters. The same is true for fences.

Lubricate gears and ways that raise and lower arbors and tables. Lubrication ofexposed gears and ways should be done with graphite, spray silicon, or paste wax Thesedrylubricants prevent build up of sawdust that would occur if the parts were greasedor oiled. Bearings with grease fittings or oil caps should be attended to periodicallywith the appropriate lubricant.

The tables and beds of all machines should be inspeaed and, if necessary, filed flat.These surfaces should be kept free ofrust and paint splatterings and should be cleanedwith steel wool or fine silicon-carbide paper. Once clean, an application of paste waxwill help prevent rust and allow stock to slide across the surface with less effort.

Philip C. Lowe makes fine furniture in his studio in Beverly, Massachusetts. Lowehas been building furniture for clients throughout North America for the past 25

years, and has spent 10 years as head instructor of the furniture program at NorthBennet Street School in Boston, Massachusetts. He is ffiliated with theErneWood-working series of videos and his written worles frequently appear in their magazine.

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INTRODUCTION

Ian Waymark talks about

DIFFERENTWAYSTO SHARPEN

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' h. old adage "Tools do not make the craftsmad'contains a degree of truth.I Still, sharp tools-although theywill not make you a craftsperson-will great-

ly improve and enhance your skills. In fact, in my opinion, a great deal of skill dis-played by today's crafupeople is based largely on their ability to create and maintaina keen edge on their cutting tools.

Mywood turning travels throughout North America, Australia, and New Zealandhave brought me in contact with many first-class woodworkers, carvers, wood turners,and just plain "hewers"of wood. Theyhave worked in schools, homeworkshops, andcraftfairs,with avarietyoftools fromtheverybathigh+peedsteelto the crudesthome-made implemens. Still, they all had one thing in common: They used sharp tools.

As varied as the crafts and craftspeople are, so are their methods and tools usedfor sharpening. Each one, used correctly, will create a keen cutting edge. The bestare those that do not overheat cutting edges. This is probably the most commonproblem experienced by novices when sharpening tools. It is especially serious if thetool is made of carbon tool steel rather than high-speed steel. When carbon toolsteel is heated until it turns blue the 'temper" or 'hardness" is removed, and the toolbecomes soft and will not hold an edge for more than a few seconds. High-speedsteel, on the other hand, will sustain a great deal of heat without damage.

The simple solution to"tip burning"is to use shaqpening equipment that does notgenerate high heat or to use equipment that is constantly cooling the cutting edge asit is being ground. Wet grinding will assure the woodworker a cool cutting edge fortwo reasons: First the grinding wheel is flooded with a coolant (usually water) to pre-vent heat buildup and second, the wet grinding wheels usually turn at a very slowrate which reduces the heat generated by the grinding process. Personally, I find thewet grinding system both too slow and too messy. My experience with wet grindinghas been one of constantly cleaning the slurry of sawdust and water from the stone.

Mypreference for sharpeningis awhite aluminum oxide grindingwheel followedby a quick touch-up on an extra-fine neoprene honing wheel. I choose the aluminumoxide wheel simply because its porosity makes it a very cool grinding wheel comparedto old gray stone or the sandard sanding belts or disa. It is also very fastcutting, there-by reducing the time at the grinder and reducing the time allowed for the heat tobuild up on the cutting edge. To hone my tools I use a neoprene wheel because it isfast and it maintains the hollow grind formed by the grinding wheel.

IanWaymarkhas taught industrial education in Canadafor 16 years.He is the owner of Woodturner'sWorld, a store on Gabriola Island,British Columbia, that specializes in wood rurning tools. Waymarkdesigned the Orca 1 lathe and the Sabre Sharpening Center.

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SWENNGBASICS

I t on. time or another, virtual-l. \ lv everv woodworker haslooked upon tool sharpening as arainy-day task, an onerous dutyundertaken only as a last resort thatseems calculated to delay progress onthe moment's favorite project.Although it may be impossible topersuade all woodworkers to embracethe joys of tool sharpening-as somedo-sooner or later, most adopt anattitude of enlightened self interest,an understanding that regular atten-tion to tool condition will speed,rather than retard, progress andimprove bottr the quality ofwork andenjoyment of it.

In Japan, apprentice woodwork-ers spend years at the sharpening bench before attempting to cut A somewhat older technology also provided the foot-pow-wood. The practice is rooted in reality: To cut and finish wood, ered sandstone grinding wheel and its descendant, the benchone must use sharp tools. grinder (page 2?),which saves much labor in removing nicks

The most realistic route to sharp tools for most woodworkers and forming bevels before final honing.Iies in regular attention. When sharpening and maintenance are This chapter is intended to remove the mystery and some ofadopJed ats part of regular worlshop routine, the time required the labor from the sharpening process. With a grinder, a fewis reduced-and the benefits of keen edges are quickly realized. benchstones, an understanding of the process (page 14), and

There are many jigs and accessories that promise quick and practice, you can have shaqper tools-and derive more pleasureeasy results, and no shortage of techniques with the same goal. from your woodworking.

A Japanese finish stone is being used to polish the back of a bux chisel.Waterstones like the one shown at left are a good choice for puxing thefinal polish on a blade. The fine abrasive slurry on the surface of thestone is formed by particles of abrasive and metal mixing with water.

The nicked cutting edge of a plane blade issquared on a bench grinder. Clamping the blade

in a commercial grinding jigkeeps the end ofthe blade perpendicular to the grinder's

abrasive wheel.

But all sharpening work comesdown to this: Tools are sharpenedby wearing away steel to form a fineedge, and polishing that edge so itslices as accurately and effortlesslyas possible. Among manytools, twoare essential: a sharpening stoneand a grinder.

Once, all sharpening stonescame from the ground; sandstone,novaculite. and other materialshave been quarried and cut intobench stones (page 18) from theearliest days of woodworking.More recently, technology has pro-duced synthetic stones that substi-tute for the dwindling supply ofnatural abrasives.

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THE CUTTING EDGE

A cutting edge can be defined asA two flat, polished surfaces meet-ing at an angle. Since most blades aredesigned to be pushed through wood,a keen cutting edge is essential, partic-ularly for dense hardwoods that canquickly blunt tools. Any flaw, like a nickin a planer knife or a chisel blade, willbe transferred to the wood being cut.

Do not assume that just because achisel is new that its edge is as sharp oras straight as it should be. Even the best

H(lW SHARP IS SHARP?

Smoothing a cufting edgeThe quality of the cutting edge and finish on a tool blade dependson the size of abrasive particles used to sharpen it. Just as youwould sand a tabletop with progressively finer grades of paper,sharpening begins with coarse abrasives and moves up throughfiner grits. The only difference is the size of abrasive particlesinvolved. For example, a coarse IndiarM stone has particles mea-suring about 173 microns across, while a hard Arkansas oilstonehas smaller particles-about 10 microns. Commerical honingcompound used for buffing has extremely fine particles, as small

tools need to be sharpened when new, In its simplest form, sharpeningand regularly thereafter. In order to is like sanding: It consists of theachieve a keen cutting edge, steel is tem- wearing away of one material by apered to a certain hardness when the harder material, using successivelytool is forged. Since tempering is done finer abrasives. When the bevel of aathightemperatures,thetoolmaywarp chisel is drawn across a sharpeningslightly as it cools. You can skirt this stone, the abrasive particles scratchproblem by choosing tools made with the surface of the chisel uniformly,high-quality steel. Even the best steel is creating a flat surface. As shownlikely to show manufacturing imper- below, finer and finer stones make thefections. Low-quality tools, however, scratches finer and finer, until a mir-may never achieve and hold an edge. ror-like finish is achieved.

The difference betyveen a dull and sharp cutting edgebecomes obvious when a blade cuts into wood. On the left-hand side of thewood surface shown atleft, awell-sharp-ened chisel severed the wood fibers cleanly, producing thinshavings; a dull chisel tore the wood fibers on the right-handside of the board. Another way to determine whether a bladeis sharp or dull is to examine the cutting edge itself; a dulledge reflects more light than a sharp one.

as 0.5 micron. (By comparison, the diameter of a human hair isapproximately 40 microns,) The photos above, of a chisel blademagnified approximately 200 times, reveal how sharpening improvesa tool's edge. A dull chisel (above, left)has grooves and pits onits back and a nicked edge. These flaws will leave a rougher fin-ish on wood than the smooth back and edge that is achievedafter the chisel is sharpened and polished on a finish waterstone(above, righ).fhe waterstone has abrasive particles measuring1 micron in diameter.

T4

SHARPENING BASICS

THE SHARPENING PR(ICESS STEP-BY-STEP

BEVELS AND MICROBEVELS

Honing a microbevelWhen a tool blade is razor-sharp, moreforce is necessary to drive the blade intothe wood, and its edge is more likely tobe brittle. By honing a secondary bevel,or microbevel, on top of the first (inset),you can increase the cutting effective-ness of the tool and prolong the l i fe ofthe cutting edge. Microbevels are slight-ly steeper than the original bevel of thetool. (For a list of common bevel anglesfor various blades, see the back endpa-per of this book.) lt can vary from as lit-tle as 2" to as much as 10"; the steeperthe microbevel, the tougher the edge. Yetthe microbevel should not be ovenvorked.A few light strokes on a benchstone isusually sufficient to produce a small hair-line strip at the edge of the main bevel(left). lt the microbevel is wider than halfof the width of the bevel, the bevel shouldbe reestablished by sharpening.

STEP 1: GRINDING 0R LAPPINGFor badly scratched or nicked cutting edges, start the processby squaring the cutting edge, grinding the bevel, then lap-ping or flattening the back of the blade. Grinding is done witha bench grinder and coarse stones such as Washita; lap withrough abrasives or lapping compounds on a lapping plate.

STEP 2: SHARPENINGFor tools that do not need grinding, sharpening can starthere. ln i t ia l sharpening removes any roughness on thebevel and establishes a fine wire burr on the back of theblade. Sharpening is done by hand or with bevel-sett ingjigs on medium stones such as soft Arkansas.

STEP 3: H0NINGHoning uses progressively finer stones such as hard Arkansasor Japanese finishing stones to smooth out the scratches onthe bevel caused by sharpening. Then the tool is turnedover and lapped to remove the burr on the cutting edge.The microbevel (below) is also honed at this stage.

STEP 4: P0LISHINGFor a razor-sharp edge and a mirror- l ike f in ish, the toolcan be pol ished with hard black Arkansas, ceramic orJapanese finish stones, as well as strops impregnated withfine buffing compounds.

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SHARPENING TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES

Honing aompoundA ^ ^ l i a ) + a r l n + h' 'rr""-wheel of 4rrnder topolieh eharpenedbevel: containsa mixLure ofchromium diox'rde and otherfine abraaivea

Neoprene poliahing wheelKubber wheel for qrindinq andeharpenin4; available in 4ritebetween 90 and 24O. Wheel muatturn away from t.ool edge Lo pre-vent it from catchinq the ed7e

Aluminum oxide wheel)tandard wheel for 7rtnding andoharpening; available in 6- andB-inch aizeo and a ranqe of qrito

Benchatone (page 18)Any oilatone orwateretone uaedto hone oraharpen

Benah grinder (page 21)Medium-grit wheel (left-hand eide) equareeand 4rinde blade: cloth wheel (riqht-handetde) poliehee cutLinq edqe

DreggerUaed to Lrue or reohape qrinderwheele and expooe a freah cuL-Linq eurface. 7tar-wheel dreeaer(above) hae up to four star-eha ped wh eela; diam ond - poi ntdreaaer (below) featurea a dia-mond eet in a bronze tip

Felt wheelAvailable in aofL, medium,and hard: dreaeed withbuffin4 compound for finalpoliehing of cuttinq edqe

Multi-t'ool jig9 kew' 4 rr ndi ng ji7 /iqhL,Lop) holde akewa at 20'an4le and pivote on cen-Ler pin to grind radiua-ed akew chiaela. )lidingeharpentna iia (riaht.

mid)te) crZklpi iooteunder crosabar. Dothare attached to an adiuat-able tool reeL (riqht,bottom), which mountato bench in frontof qrinder.

Wet/dry grinder(paqe 21)Lar4e, water-bathedwheel honee bevele:waLer prevenLe toolsfrom overheatinq andcarriee away meLaland 4rit.)maller, drywheel uaed for 4rindtng

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Lapping aompounds)et of ailicone carbidepowdere ueed in con-junction with a lappin4plate to flatten and pot-iah tool backa; 4ritaran4e from 90 to 600

Angle checkerBraae quide forchecking beveland microbevelanqlee of oharp-ened toola;anqles ran1efrom 15'to 12O'

Sharpenin7 atone holderSecurea oilatones and wateratoneaup to B inchea lonq for aharpening;rubberfeet hold atone in place

Honing guide and anqle jigFor honinq plane bladee,Device holda blade at appro-priate an1le for honin7 abevel: rotatina the wheel

SHARPENING BASICS

Auger bit fileUaed to eharpen auqer bite and other drill bita: oneend hae no teeth on edqea and other end hae teethonly on ed4ea to preventfilin4 adjacent eurfacea

Cant-aaw fileUaed in place of a three-equarefile in openinge of lesa than 60'

5ingle-aut baatard mill fileUaed to aharpen spade bitaand true the rima ofForetner bitE

Three-aquare fileTrian7ular file uaed for eharp-eninq Foretner and multi-apur biLe

Dia m o n d- coated h o ni ng fileaUaed to aharpen carbide routerbita; atored inaide their pivotin7handlee. thown above from top:cearae, medium, and fine filee

Diamond needle fileSmall half-round file uaed

on top of the jiq eeteanqlee between 15'and 35'

9t'ropA leather atrip 1lued to a handle; dreaaedwith commercial honin7 compound or other

tsitfilesBoron-carbide etonee uaed toaharpen router bita: qivea a finerfiniah than diamond honin7 fileo ofequal qrit. Handle featurea maqni-fying lena for checkinq aharpneae

Wateratone atorage unitTlaatic reaervoir uaed to immerae upto four watergtoneg for atoraaebetween ah a rp e n i n q a; featu reaclampe that can be flipped

for aharpeninq band-aaw bladea 4

fine abraaivea to polieh a

up to hold the wateratonefor aharpening or honingand a glaea lapping plate

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BENCHSTONES

1-h. benchstone is the most com-I monly found sharpening accessoryin the shop. Once referred to as natur-al stones, 6enchstones now encompassmany man-made materials, rangingfrom aluminum oxide to ceramics.Many "stones" include fine diamondbonded to steel.

Sharpening stones are generally divid-ed into two groups according to thelubricant used with them: oil and water.Lubrication serves to disperse groundparticles and prevent them from clog-ging the stone. Choosing between thetwo is mostly a matter of feel; somewoodworkers prefer the edge a glassyhard blackArkansas oilstone gives a tool;others like the fine control a softerfapanese finish waterstone offers.

Naturally occurring oilstones havelong been regarded as the finest sharp-

A COTTECTI()N ()F BENCHST()NES

OILSTONES

ening stones. Quarried from novaculiteand sold as Washita and fukansas stones,these sharpening surfaces are becomingscarce. If your budget permits, naturalstones are a good investment; they willlast a lifetime.

Synthetic substitutes made of alu-minum oxide (IndiatM stones) or siliconcarbide (Crystolonr') are less expensiveand just as effective as natural stones,though they tend to wear more quickly.An economical comoromise is the use ofan India" stone foi rough sharpeningand whetting, and a hard Arkansas stonefor honing and polishing. When usingoilstones, wipe them often with a rag toprevent glazing. Do not use a heavy oil,as it inhibits the abrading process; a lightmachine oil cutwith kerosene worls best.

Waterstones are Japanese in origin,and cut much faster than oilstones.

Because they use water, rather than oil asthe lubricant, there is no oily mess lefton clothes and workpieces. Waterstonescome in finer grades than oilstones,making them popular with woodwork-ers who like to hone and oolish. Becausethey are softer than oilstones, new abra-sive is constantly exposed during use,and the slurry formed by the water willform a fine polishing paste.

Waterstones have their drawbacks,however. Because they are softer thanoilstones, they must be trued moreoften (page 19).

Tools should be dried and wipedwith oil thoroughly after sharpeningto prevent rust. Waterstones alsoshould be stored in water. If your shopis prone to cold temperatures, keepyour waterstones from freezing, as theywill shatter.

Hard Elack ArkaneaeAn extra-fine, lOOO-4rit nat-ural atone uaed for razor-

dental and other

5ofb ArkanaaaA medium, SOO-qritnatural stone ueedfor initial aharpenin4of dull ed7ea

Hard ArkansaaA fine, BOO-4ritnatural atone uaedfor honinq toola toa aharp edqe

WaehitaA coarse, faat-cuttin415O-qrif, natural etoneuaed for flattenin7and lapping badlynicked toolo

Combination stoneAIao known aa an lndiat' atone.A aynthetic atone made fromaluminum oxide with 90 ariton one face and 600 onthe other: uaed for4eneral aharpen-

l 8

inq and honinq.

SHARPENING BASICS

TRUING A BENCHSTONEFlattening the stoneAl l benchstones wi l l develoo a hol low inthe center after prolonged use. To true abenchstone, flatten it on a machined sur-face, such as glass pane or a lappingtable. For oilstones, rub the surface witha circular motion ( lef t) in a slurry madefrom a coarse lapping compound mixedwith honing oil. Start with a coarse gritand work through finer grits until thestone is flat. To true a waterstone, usewater instead of honing oil for the slurry,or weVdry silicon carbide paper tapedto the lapping surface.

WATERSTONES

Japaneae frniahing stoneAn extra-fine, 12OO-6rit eyn-thetic atone made from ceri-um oxide; uaed for final honin4and poliohinq; amall Nagurastone ueed to create alurry

Diamond etone

Available in a ranqe of qrita between

OTHER STONES

5lipatoneA ahaped atone ueedforturninq and carvinq

A hard aynthetic stone made from micro-aaopic diamond cryatala bondad to aolidateel plate; feabures a true, flat aurfacethat will not wear like other 6tonee.

Japaneee coarae sioneA coarse, 1BO-4rit eyntheticatone made from ailicone car-bide; uaod for flattenin7 andlappinq badly nicked toole

toola,featurinq both rounded andanqled ed4ea; a ran7e of qrita iaavailable in both oil and water type6

Gouge slipstoneA conical etone uaedror qouqe5; concave qur-face aharpens outaide ed1e-of tool, while convex aurface deburrathe inside ed6e. A ranqe of 6rito iaavailable in both oil and water typeo

Ceramia et'oneA fine, hard lOOO-4rit ayn-thetic atone made frombonded aluminum oxide;uaed for honin6.Needa nolubricant22O and 12OO for any oharp-

enin7 or honing taak

BENCH GRINDERS

f, rom squaring and sharpening planeI' irons to polishing chisels and turningtools, the bench grinder is a worthwhileaddition to a woodworking shop's sharp-ening station.

Bench grinders are classified accord-ing to their wheel diameter. Standard 5-to 8-inch benchtop models, with %- to%-horsepower motors, are the most pop-ular sizes. Larger wheels are better, assmaller wheels can produce exaggerat-ed hollow-ground bevels. Grinders canbe mounted on a work surface or fas-tened to a separate stand.

Rotating around 3500 rpm, a benchgrinder removes steel faster than a sharp-ening stone. Unfortunately, it also heatsup the tool, and you may lose the tool'stemper. If the steel begins to change col-or during grinding, deepening to a trueblue, the temper has been lost, and thetool must be reground. Motorized whet-stones and wet/dry grinders feature

IDENTIFYING GRINDER WHEETS

water-bathed wheels that turn at slowerspeeds, such as 500 rpm, allowing youto grind tools without constantly dip-ping them in water for cooling.

Most grinders can be equipped withoptional rubber sharpening wheels, clothbuffing wheels, and leather strop wheelsin addition to standard abrasive wheels.which come in a variety of grits (seeb elow ). Grinding wheels will eventually

The cuning edge of a skew chisel getsa sharpening on a wet/dry grinder.

Because the large wheel of this type ofgrinder rotates relatively slowly and iscontinually bathed in water, the blade

being sharpened remains cool, whichreduces the risk of destroying its tem-per. Standard bench grinder wheels

often rotate at speeds that qre too fastfor honing many tools; as a result, the

tool's steel can easily overheat.

become dull and clogged with metal par-ticles, and their edges may go out ofsquare. A wheel dresser (page 22) canbeused to true the face of a glazed wheeland square its edges.

Courteey ofthe American National Standarda lnatitute

wheel to grind carbon-steel tools, and then hone with a bench-stone, buy a wheel marked A 80 H 8V. This means the wheel isaluminum oxide (A), f ine-grained (80), and relat ively soft (H),with a medium structure or concentration of abrasives (8). Theparticles are bonded together by a process of heat and fusionknown as vitrification (V). For high-speed steel tools, a mediumhardness of I or J is better. lf you plan to use your tools rightoff the grinder, choose a wheel with a grain size of 100 or I20.

ABRASIVE TYPE

ABRASIVE(GRA[{) SrZE

GRADESCATE

STRUCTURE

BOiIDTYPE

Choosing a grinder wheelThe wheels supplied on grinders are usually too coarse for usewith finer tools. A wide variety of replacement stones are avail-able, but selecting the right one is no simple matter. You needto decipher the codes marked on the sides of the wheels,describing their composition and abrasive quality. The chartabove will help you interpret these codes. (They are usuallyfound sandwiched between two numerical manufacturer's sym-bols printed on the side of the stone.) lf you plan to use a

STAI{DARD MARKING SYSTEM CHART

C: Silicon carbide Z: Aluminum zirconium

Medium: 30, 36, 46, tine: 70, 80, 90, 100, Very fine: 220,240,280,320,54,60 120, 150, 180 400,500,600

A: Aluminum oxide

Coarse: 8, 10, 12, 14,16 ,20 ,24

Soft MediumA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 t 4 1 5 1 60penetc

B: Resinoid BF: Resinoid reinforced E: Shellac 0: Oxychloride R: RubberRF: Rubber reinforced S: Silicate V: Vitrified

HadY Z

DenseI 2

20

SHARPENING BASICS

STANDARD BENCH GRINDER

Grinding wheel

Spark defleatorDirecta aparko downwardand away from the operator

M edi u m BO- 7rit alu min umoxide wheel aquaree and

Eye ahieldeharpene cuttin4 edqee

Buffinq wheelFelt or clothwheel polieheebevel of cut-tinq edqeo

Wheel coverKemovable forchan4ing qrind'in7 or buffin4wheela

Tool reetadjuatment nut

Adjuetable to deaired anqle forqrindin4 or buffin4; typically poei'tioned within'/o inch of wheel

On/off awitch

WET/IIRY GRINDER

Wet wheel

Upper tool restAdjuatable to desiredanqle for qrindin4 orhoninq; typically poei-tioned within'/e inch ofwheel. Featurea alotfor olidinq anqle jiq

lO-inch,22O-qrit wheel la bathed inwater to keep toole cool durinq qrind-inq and honin4; rune at 70 RPM

Eye shield

Lower tool restAdjuetable todeaired anglefor4rinding; typically

Tool restadjuetmenthandles

poeitioned within'/u inch of wheel -

Five-inch, lOO-qrit wheel uaed for preciaioned4e qrindin7; runa at 3450 RfM

21

SHARPENING BASICS

DRESSING A GRINDING WHEELTruing the wheelA gr inding wheel should be trued whenridges or hollows appear on the stone ori f i t becomes discolored. You can useeither a star-wheel or diamond-point dress-er. To use a star-wheel dresser (right),move the grinder's tool rest away fromthe wheel. With the guard in posit ion,switch on the gr inder and butt the t ipof the dresser against the wheel. Then,with your index finger resting against thetool rest, move the dresser from side toside. To use a diamond-point dresser(below), hold the device between the indexf inger and the thumb of one hand, set i ton the tool rest, and advance it towardthe wheel until your index finger contactsthe tool rest. Move either dresser backand fo r th across the whee l un t i l theedges are square and you have exposedfresh abrasive.

ltl IIt lllt llll lll IllJ llll llll tll llu ilfl IllJ lll1 lllt illl ilt lllt tll]9HO7 Tt?

eLandard qrindinq wheel mounl-ed on the lefY-hand side of abench qrinder, neo?rene or felt,buffin7 wheele mounled on theriqh|-hand require a chanqe ofIool pooition for buffing oof,he Iool does noN calchin Nhe whee| AnolhereoluLion is f,o reveree the riahL-handwheel quardto ex?oeeNhe rearof lhe wheel (r ight) . ln this poeit ion,Ihebuffinq wheel opine away from you inoleadof lowarde you, oo you can butr Lhe Nool aLLhe same an7le ao you do when qr indinq i t .

Diamond-pointdreaeer

22

SHARPENING BASICS

A MOBII.E SHARPEI{ING DOTLYA sharpening stat ion is more thanjust a dedicated space for sharpen-ing. lt is a way of keeping all of yourbenchstones, grinding jigs, and sharp-ening accessories clean and wel l -organized. The sharpening stationshown below is essentially a sturdylow bench with a storage shelf. Theunit is bui l t f rom %-inch plywoodand 1-by-3 stock. By adding lockingcasters, it becomes a mobile sharpen-ing dolly that you can wheel aboutthe shop to wherever you need to

sharpen: at the lathe, the carvingbench, or near the sink.

To bui ld the dol ly, cut the basefrom %-inch plywood. Make it largeenough to incorporate all your sharp-ening gear so that it is not too clut-tered; up to 3-by-6 feet is a goodsize. Screw four corner blocks to theunderside of the base, and fasten alocking caster on each block.

To strengthen the dolly, cut thepieces for the skirts and legs from1-by-3 stock. The legs should belong enough for the top to sit at a

comfortable height; between 32 and36 inches is right for most people.Screw the leg pieces together, thenattach the skirts to the legs' insidefaces. Fasten the shelf and the tooto the skirts. lf desired, glue a water-and oi l -proof plast ic laminate worksurface to the top.

Once you have built the dolly, mounta standard bench grinder or weVdrygrinder to the end of the bench sothat both wheels are accessible.Secure a lapping table (insef) at theopposite end for lapping and flatten-ing stones. This is simply a piece of%-inch tempered plate glass securedwith cleats to a piece of %-inch ply-wood, fastened to the top. Have theglass cut three times larger than yourlargest bench stone.

Now mount your most commonlyused benchstones either by using cleatsor screwing their wooden storage box-es to the tabletop; countersink thefasteners. Other accessories couldinclude a vise or a portable light posi-tioned to shine on the grinder.

23

SWENNGA]\TDGHANDTOOTS

I espite the proliferation of pow-Ll er tools in recent years, handtools are still an imporiant part ofthe modern woodworking shop.Handsaws, chisels, and planes playa vital role in many cabinetmakingtasls, from cutting joints and chop-ping mortises to smoothing stock.For some crafts, like carving andturning, hand-cutting tools such asgouges and skew chisels are virtu-ally indispensable.

One distinct advantage that handtools offer over their electricallypowered counterparts is that theyare relatively straightforward to sharpen and maintain. Withhand tools, there are no hidden circuit boards or sealed com-ponents, no carbide-tipped blades that must be sharpenedprofessionally. With most hand tools, such as saws and chisels,what you see is what you get a handle, often made of wood, anda steel cutting edge. True, not all hand tools are quite this sim-ple. Bench planes feature screws and levers for adjusting theangle and position of the cutting edge. Still, all the parts are

The simple shop-made jig shown above,consisting of a dowel wrapped in a piece of emery

cloth, is ideal for cleaning and removing burrs

from the rounded edge of gouges.

easily accessible, allowing you tosharpen and maintain the tool inthe shop. In fact, with a little elbowgrease and the right materials, youcan even restore a rusty old handplane to better condition than whenit was first bought (page 40).

Setting yourself up for hand toolsharpening and maintenance re-quires no great investment. Allyouneed are solvents for cleaning, a fewcommercial devices for adjustingblades, stones and files for honingand sharpening-and the propertechnique. The following pages will

show you how to care for and sharpen the most commonlyused hand tools, from handsaws (page 26) and chisels andgouges (page 30) to bench planes (page j9),scrapers (page 46),and bits for braces and hand drlls (page 55).

The work is relatively easy, but the rewards are consider-able. Hand tools that are well sharpened and properly main-tained will improve the quality of your projects and prolong thelife of your tools.

The cutting edge of a drawknife is honed by an axe-stone. Holding one handle of the tool as shown atleft and butting the other handle against the crookof the arm exposes the entire edge for sharpening.

25

HANDSAWS

t,t;!n;

i#/ji;; .'tJ

Filing ripsaw teethRipsaws have widely spaced teeth with from f ive to seventeeth per inch (TPl). They also have a more pronounced setthan other saws. Both features enable them to cut quicklyalong the grain. As shown above, the leading edges of r ipteeth are almost vertical. To sharpen the teeth, use a trian-gular mi l l f i le, drawing i t straight across each tooth at a 90"angle to the blade axis.

Q harpening a handsaw is a three-stepr.J operation. As shown on page 28, theprocess begins with jointing, or fil ingthe tips ofthe teeth so that they are all thesame height. This is followed by settingthe teeth to the correct anele. This ensuresthat the blade cuts straigf,t and does notstick in the kerf. Setting involves bendingthe teeth alternately to each side of theblade's centerline. The final step in theprocess is sharpening i tsel t , typical lywith a file.

Not all handsaws are identical. Theshape, spacing, and set ofthe teeth varyaccording to the type of cutting the sawwill perform. The spacing between teethis usually expressed in TPI, or teeth perinch. The following pages describe how tosharpen rip saws, combination saws, andboth Japanese and Western-style crosscutsaws. Because oftheir very fine teeth, dove-tail and tenon saws should be sent out toa professional for sharpening.

Leading edqe

\t/- |I TI l a

: J\ ' 60 '

-!z

Filing combination teethCombinat ion saws are dual-purpose saws that can be usedfor both rip cuts and crosscuts, although they rip more slowlythan a rip saw and cut more roughly than a crosscut saw. Com-bination teeth slope forward and backward at the same angle(about 60') and both edges are beveled. Sharpen both edgesusing a tr iangular mi l l f i le (above), t i l t ing the handte of thef i le down sl ight ly.

A commercial saw set bends the teeth of a combination saw to the proper anglewith the blade clamped in a bench vise. Setting the teeth of a saw blade is a key stepin the sharpening procees, producing a kerf that prevents the blade from binding.

ANATOMY OF SAW BIADES AND FILING ANGLES

26

SHARPENING AND MAINTAINING HAND TOOLS

Sharpening crosscut teethThe teeth of a crosscut saw are closely spaced-eightto 12TPI is typical-and they have very little set. Crosscut teethfeature sloped leading edges with bevels, which enable themto cut cleanly across the grain. As with rip saws, the teeth aresharpened with a triangular mill fi le, Hold the file at the sameangle as the bevel, which is typically 65" (above).

Sharpening Japanese closscut teethJapanese saws, which cut on the pull stroke, have tall, narrowteeth with very little set. Also, the teeth are beveled on lead-ing and trai l ing edges, and on the t ips. Al l edges should besharpened with a feather file held at about a 60'angle to theblade (above),

gHO? TI?A eaw holderStorinq handaaws properly will botheliminate clutt'er and keao the toolsacceeeible and oafe from damaqe. Theeimple device shown here can be ueedLo hanq a oaw on Nhe ehoV wall in plainview. Cut a wood ecrap a liffile thickerthan lhe eaw handle to the oame ?ro-file ae the opening in the handlei uoeNhe oVeninq'ae atemplaie, Fastenthe piecetothewall at a convenientheiqht,then screw a emall blockwithrounded endstothepiece ao at 'urn-buckle. Make the turnbuckle ohoraerNhanthewidth of the handle openinq,but lon7er than lhe heiqht. Leave theecrew eliqhtly loooe eo thatyou canpiv oI th e tu r nb u ckl e v e rti c ally toeecure lhe eaw to the wal|

27


A BENCH VISE SAW HOTDERSecured in a vise, the simple jigshown at left will hold a saw at aconvenient height for sharpening.Make the jaws from two pieces of %-inch plywood about 10 inches long and7 inches wide. Then saw two %-inch-thick str ips and glue them along theinside faces of the jaws, f lush withthe top end; the strips will grip the sawblade. Fasten the two jaws togethernear the bottom end, screwing a stripof %-inch plywood between them.F ina l l y , bore a ho le fo r a car r iagebolt through the middle of the jawsand install the bolt with a washer andwing nut.

To use the jig, secure the bottom endin your vise. Loosen the wing nut, slip asaw blade between the jaws, and tight-en the nut to hold the saw securelv.

SHARPENING A HANDSAW

1 Jointing the teethI Mount the saw teeth-uo in a vise witha wood pad on each side of the blade forprotect ion. Instal l a f lat mi l l bastard f i lein a commercial saw joint ing j ig. Hold thej ig f lat against the side of the blade andpass the file back and forth across thefull length of the teeth (righ\.fhiswillf lat ten al l of the teeth to the sameheight. A few passes should be sufficient.

28


r) Setting the teethL Witn the saw still in the vise, adjusta saw set to the same TPI as the blade.Starting at either end of the blade, posi-tion the first tooth that is bent away fromyou be tween the anv i l and the punchb lock . Squeeze the hand le to se t thetooth (right). Work your way down thelength of the blade, setting all teeth thatare bent away from you. Then turn the sawaround in the vise and repeat the processon the remaining teeth.

Filing the teeth.Refer to the appropriate illustration

on page 26 or 27 for the proper file andfiling angle for the saw you are sharpen-ing. For the crosscut saw shown at left,hold a triangular file at about a 65" angleto the blade with its handle tilted downslightly. As you file the teeth, work fromone end of the blade to the other, f i l ingall the teeth that are set in one direction.Then turn the saw around to sharoen theremaining teeth.

29

CHISELSAND GOUGES

f hisels and gouges must have razor-U sharp edges to work properly.Sharpening a standard woodworkingchisel is simple; all you need is a combi-nation sharpening stone. For most chis-els and gouges, you will have to hone andpolish the cutting edge as well as pro-duce the correct bevel angle for the blade.

Well-sharpened blades are essentialfor turning chisels and gouges. Dullcutting edges not only produce poorresults; they are also more difficult tocontrol and dangerous to use. This sec-tion of the chapter explains how tosharpen and refurbish a wide range ofchisels and gouges.

Even the most rusted and pitted blade canbe renewed with steel wool, mineral spirits,clean rags, and a bit of elbow grease.

INVENTORY ()F CHISELS AND GOUGES


REPLACING A CHISEL ()R GOUGE HANDLE

1 Turning the new handleI T u r n a n e w h a n d l e f o r a c h i s e l o rgouge on the la the . Cut a b lank f rom adense, strong hardwood l ike ash or hicko-ry. The grain should run the length of theblank. A oiece that is 1% to 2 inchessquare and a few inches longer than thef in ished length you need wi l l y ield a sui t-able handle. Mount the piece betweencenters on the lathe and turn i t to asmooth cyl inder using a roughing gouge.Buy a brass ferrule for the handle, Thenuse a part ing tool to turn a tenon on oneend o f the b lank io accommodate thefer ru le . Measure the ins ide d iameter o fthe ferrule with dial cal ipers (r ight)ands ize the tenon to f i t t igh t ly .

r) Mounting the fenule and the bladeI Remove the handle from the lathe,set i t end-down on a work surface, andtap the ferrule in place with a mallel (far/ef f) . Next, remount the handle on thelathe and shape i t with a skew chisel andspindle gouge. Once you are satisfied withthe handle's shape and feel, bore a holein the tenon end to accommodate the tangof the blade. Bore the hole on the lathewith a Jacobs chuck attached to the tai l -stock; make sure the hole is centered inthe blank. The hole's diameter and deothdepend on the type of tang. For a round-sect ion, untapered tang, the hole shouldbe 2 to 3 inches deep and equal to thetang d iameter . For a square-sec t ion ,tapered tang, drill two holes as you wouldcounterbore for a screw and plug: Makethe top half the same diameter as the tang1% inches from the t io and the bottomhalf the same width as the tang % inchfrom i ts t ip. Insert the blade into the han-d le and rao the bu t t end o f the hand lewith a mallet hear lefil.

3 l


)/-

\ \ \ t ' ) ----/--r-

; l

SHARPENING A STANDARD CHISEL

r) Polishing and flatteningZ ne back side of the bladeSatura te the f ine s ide o f the s tone and,holding the chisel blade f lat on the stone,bevel-side up, move i t in a circular pattern(right) until the flat side of the cuttingpdqp is qmnnth

1 Honing the cutting edgeI The two-step procedure shown on thispage can be used to sharpen any standardchisel , such as a f i rmer, par ing, or mort isechisel . Start by honing a secondary bevelon the forward edge of the existing one-called a microbevel (insef)-then polish andflatten the back side of the blade. To formthe microbevel, lay a combinat ion stonecoarse-side u0 on a work surface betweentwo cleats secured with screws. Saturatethe stone with the appropriate lubr icant,i f necessary, unt i l i t pools on the surface.Holding the blade with the exist ing bevelflat on the stone, raise it about 5'and slidethe cutt ing edge along the stone in long,elliptical passes (left). Apply moderateDressure unt i l a microbevel forms. Turnthe stone over and make a few oasses onthe f ine side.

J Z


SHARPENING A ROUGHING.OUT GOUGE

1 Grinding the cutting edgeI Sharpen a roughing-out gouge on a bench grinder equippedwith a medium grinding wheel and a fel t wheel. Posit ion theguard and turn on the machine. Holding the blade between thef ingers and thumb of one hand, set the cutt ing edge on the toolrest and advance i t unt i l the bevel l ight ly contacts the gr indingwheel. lf you want to change the bevel angle of the cutting edge,adjust the tool rest to the desired angle. With your index fingeragainst the tool rest, roll the blade on the wheel (/eff) until theentire edge is ground. Keep the bevel flat against the wheel atal l t imes. Cont inue, checking the blade regular ly, unt i l the cut-ting edge is sharp and the bevel angle is correct. To prevent theblade from overheat ing, occasional ly dip i t in water i f i t is car-bon steel, or remove it from the wheel if it is high-speed steelto let it cool down.

^

GOUGE-SHARPEl{I1{G J IGThe j ig shown at r ight wi l l hold a gouge so thatthe blade contacts the gr inding wheel at thecorrect angle. The dimensions in the illustrationwi l l accommodate most turning gouges. Cutthe base and guide from %-inch plywood. Screwthe guide together and fasten it to the base withcountersunk screws from underneath. Make theguide opening large enough for the arm to sl idethrough freely.

Cut the arm from 1-by-2 stock and the toolsupport from %-inch plywood. Screw the two partsof the tool support together, then fasten the bot-tom to the arm flush with one end. For the V-block,cut a small block to size and saw a 90'wedge outof one side. Glue the piece to the tool support.

To use the jig, secure it to a work surface sothe arm lines up directly under the grinding wheel.Seat the gouge handle in the V-block and sl idethe arm so the beveled edge of the gouge sitsf la t on the gr ind ing whee l . C lamp the arm inplace. Then, with the gouge clear of the wheel,switch on the grinder and reposition the tool onthe jig. Roll the beveled edge across the wheel(right, bottom).

Guide(top) %" x 1'1" x 9"(eidea) %" x 1%" x 9"

Armt / o " x 1 % " x 1 3 % "

Tool auppott( b a c k ) % " x 2 " x 2 % "(bo t tom)%"x1%"x2 '1 "Eabe

% " x 3 " x 1 3 % "

J J


llii lllt lll fiI1 llli lll lill lli llt jifi ttj ]lll lllJ illt lllr lilt llll tlll1HO? TI?Shop- m a de honin g guidesand rugl removergThe inside edgeoof qou4ee can beditr iculN No honeand etrop if you donoN have a eliVoLoneor eLrop wiNh Nhe cor-

r) Polishing the cutting edgeL Sntttto the erinder's felt wheel andmove the tool rest out of the way. Holda st ick of pol ishing compound againstthe felt wheel to impregnate it with abra-sive. Grip the handle of the gouge in yourr ight hand and hold the blade betweenthe f ingers and thumbs of your lef t hand.Then, w i th the gouge a lmost ver t i ca l ,se t the beve l f la t aga ins t the whee l .Light ly rol l the blade from side to sideagainst the wheel to pol ish the bevel. Asl ight burr wi l l form on the inside edgeof the tool. To feel for the burr, run yourf inger gent ly across the inside edge ofthe blade. To remove i t , rol l the insideface of the blade against the wheel unt i lthe burr rubs off. Avoid overbuffing theb l a d e ; t h i s w i l l d u l l t h e c u t t i n g e d g e .Test the tool for sharpness by cutting ascrap across the grain. The blade shouldproduce a clean shaving.

rect, ehaVe.You can make \ :a gouqe-hon inq 4u ideby wrap- \ tpiiq i dowel *iti ooolsrit sand- \VaVer (near riqht). For etroppinq,eimply fold a eLrip of leaLher to fitthe ineide edqe of the 4ou4e (far riqht).You can aleo uee Nheee j iqs lo clean ruslor oi lNina from an old blade.

34


A SPINDLE GOUGE

r) Honing the cutting edgeL Once the bevel has been sharpened on the gr inder,use a f lat benchstone io pol ish the tool to a razor-sharpedge. Saturate the stone with oi l , then rol l the outsidebevel across the abrasive surface hbove) to hone thebevel on the cutt ing edge.

1 Sharpening on a bench grinderI Posit ion the guard properly and turnon the grinder. Holding the blade betweenthe f ingers and thumb of one hand, setthe blade flat on the tool rest and advanceit unt i l the blade l ight ly touches the stone(/eff). Adjust the tool rest to create thedesired bevel angle. Rol l the cutt ing edgeon the wheel and pivot the handle fromleft to r ight whi le keeping the bevel f laton the grinding wheel at all times (inset).Cont inue ro l l ing the b lade and mov ingthe tool handle from side to side unt i l theedge is sharpened, stopping frequent lyto check the gr ind and cool the t ip, Honethe cutting edge and remove the burr byhand, as shown below, or use the grinder'sfelt wheel (page 34).

Q Removing the burrr.J Use a convex slipstone matching the curvature of the gougeto remove the burr that forms on the inside of the cutting edge.Lubricate the sl ipstone i f needed and hone the inside edge unt i lthe bur r i s e l im ina ted .

35


SHARPENING A CARVING GOUGE

1 Whetting the outside bevelI Set an oilstone on a plywood base, screw cleats to the basearound the stone to keep it from moving, and clamp the base toa work surface. (The leather strop is used to polish the outsidebevel in step 4). Saturate the stone, then set the outside bev-el of the gouge flat on it. Starting at one end, move the bladeback and forth along the stone with a rhythmic motion, s imul-taneously rolling the tool so the entire bevel contacts the sharp-

ening surface (above). Avoid rocking the blade too far, as thiswi l l tend to round over i ts corners and blunt the cutt ing edge.Continue unt i l the bevel is smooth and a burr forms on theinside edge of the blade. You can also carry out this step on agrinder, as shown on page 33, but i f you use the machine besure to adjust the angle of the tool rest to match the bevelangle of the gouge.

r) Honing an inside bevelZ On "you have sharpened the gouge'soutside bevel, use a conical s l ipstone tohone a slight inside bevel on the blade andto remove the burr formed in step 1. Put afew drops of oil on the cutting edge of thegouge. Then, holding the stone on a worksurface, move the blade back and forthalong the stone making sure that you keepthe cutting edge well away from your fin-gers. Continue until the burr is removed andan inside bevel of approximately 5'forms.

36


Q Polishing the inside bevelr.J Use a folded piece of leather to stropthe inside bevel of the gouge. Spread somepol ishing compound on the leather andfold it so its edge matches the inside curveof the gouge. Draw the blade along theleather repeatedly to polish the inside bev-el (left). This can also be done using thefel t wheel of a bench gr inder.

Polishing the outside bevelSpread some polishing compound on the strop and use the

same rol l ing technique shown in step 1 to pol ish the outsidebevel (above). Check the inside bevel; if a burr has formed,

repeat step 3. You can also use a bench grinder and a feltwheel impregnated with polishing compound (page 34)for this task.

37


SHARPENING A V.T()OL

1 Whetting the outside edgesI Sharpen each side of a V-tool sepa-rately. Set up and saturate an oilstone asyou would to sharpen a carving gouge@age 36). Hone one outside bevel of theV-tool as you would a chisel (page 32),moving the blade back and forth alongthe length of the stone and keeping thebevel f lat on the stone. Repeat on theother side of the V (right). SIop workingwhen you have removed the rough marksfrom the ground edge and a smal l burrforms on the inside of the edee.

r) Removing the hookI Wnen you sharpen the outside bevels of a V-tool, a hook ofexcess metal will form at the apex of the V (inset). This hookmust be ground away before you hone the inside bevel in step3. Holding the tool on the stone, rol l the corner across the sur-face (above). Move the tool from end to end along the stoneunt i l you wear away the hook and an outside bevel forms atthe apex of the V, forming one cont inuous beveled edge. Thisprocess wi l l create a burr in the center of the inside edge,which is removed in steo 3.

Q Honing the inside bevelr-,1 To remove the burr formed in steps I and 2, ano none aninside bevel, use a tr iangular sl ipstone that matches the angleof the V-tool blade as closely as possible. Clamp the stonesecurely in a bench vise and saturate it with oil. To avoid crush-ing the stone, do not overtighten the vise. Draw the end of theblade's inside edge back and forth along the stone (above),applying l ight downward pressure unt i l the burr is removedand a sl ight inside bevel forms. To f in ish, pol ish the edge witha leather strop (page 37) or the felt wheel of a grinder (page 34).

38

BENCH PLANES

I good-quality bench plane can beA costly, but there is no reason why itshould not last a lifetime-or two. Thissection shows how to care for a plane,and includes information on sharpen-ing and adjusting the tool. You can savevourself some money-without sacri-hcing a whit of quahly-by refurbish-ing an old plane (page 40). Even a toolthat has been abused and discarded bysomeone else can be brousht back to life.

ANATOMY (lF A BENCH PLANE

Tightening the frogsetscrews is a fun-damental step inthe reassemblyof the bench plane(page 45).

Lateral adjuot-ment leverLevela blade inmouth of plane,allowin7 the uaerto aet it parallelto the oole

Cap iron screw)ecurea blade

Cap lockHolda lever cap in placeand appliee tenaion tot.he blade aeoembly

Lever cap aarewSecurea levercap, cap iron,and blade to fro4

Depth-of-cutadjuatment knob)eta the cuttin7depth of the blade;a %z-inch depth iaideal for mdstoperationa

Frog9upportablade: pooitionof fro7 deter-minea width ofmouth opening

Frog adjuatment 6crewTurned to alide fro4 back andforth, widenin7 or narrowtnqmouth openinq; ahould be poai'tioned ao that openin4 iebetween %z and'/,a inch

att

9ole

Frog6etoarewLocke frogin place

Lever capMuet be loos-ened and lifbedoff to removeca? iron andblade

Cap ironExerts preggureon blade, pre-ventinq chatterby makinq theaaaembly moreriqid

BladeA[ao known aaplane iron; inatalled'bevel

down on fro4,For beet reauha, itehould barely pro'trude from mouth

39


REFURBISHING A BENCH PLANE

1 Dissassembling and cleaning the planeI Refer to the anatomy i l lustrat ion on page 39 to help youtake the plane apart. Start by loosening the lever cap screw andreleasing the cap lock, then take off the lever cap, cap iron, andblade and set them aside. Next, loosen and remove the frogsetscrews and separate the frog from the sole of the plane. Youcan also unscrew the front and back handles from the body.Clean each part individual ly using a brass-br ist led brushdipped in mineral spiils (abovd.

r) kpping the sole of the planeL tape a length of emery paper to a smooth and flat surface,such as a glass plate or saw table. Reattach the handles and thefrog to the body of the plane, then slide the sole along the emerypaper, applying even pressure to keep the sole flat (right). Con-t inue lappingthe sole unt i l the metalon i ts bottom surface is uni-formly br ight and clean, indicat ing that the sole is level. Checkthe sole for square (step 3) periodically.

40


Checking the sole for squareThe bottom and sides of the plane's sole should be exactly

at 90' to each other. Holding the plane in one hand, butt acombinat ion square against the bottom and one side of the

sole hbove). Repeat for the other side. The surfaces should besquare both ways. l f not, you wi l l need to cont inue lappingthe sole and the sides.

SHARPENING A PLANE BLADE

1 Checking the cutting edge for squareI Use a combinat ion souare to deter-mine whether the cutting edge of the planeblade is square to the sides (/eff,). lf it isnot, square the cutting edge on a benchgrinder, making sure to adjust the grinder'stool rest at 90" to the wheel.

4 1


r) Creating a hollow-ground bevelZ Sharpen ing a p lane b lade invo lvesthree steps: creat ing a bevel on theblade's cutt ing edge, honing a microbev-el on the f i rst bevel, and removing theburr that results from the honing process.To create the first bevel, clamp the bladebevel-down in a commercial gr inding j igand adjust the tool rest to create a 30'bevel. Holding the j ig on the tool rest,advance i t toward the whee l un t i l thecutt ing edge makes contact (above).Sl ide the blade side-to-side across thewheel, pressing l ight ly. Check the cut-t ing edge periodical ly and stop gr indingwhen the bevel forms.

tlll fill ll11 tlll lllt IIl jill lllt tll] tlll ilil llil llil illJ tlll llt ljlj llll5HO7 Tt?Grinding with a eanderlf you do not own a bench qrinder,you can gr ind a Vlane blade . , ,on abel isander. ' lnstal l a ,r /lOO-7rit belt,, mount Lhe ,.,'Nool upoide down in as|,and, and securethe olandLo a worksurtace.Turn onNhe sanderand hold thebeveled eide ofIhe blade on Nhebell atlhe aVVro-pr iale angle.

A ' )A L


Honing the microbevelOnce you sharpen the plane blade's

cutting edge on a grinder, as in step 2, theresult will be a hollow-ground bevel (insef,lef l . l f you did the job by hand on asharpening stone, you wi l l obtain a f latbevel (insef, right).ln either case, youneed to hone a microbevel on the firstbevel. Place a combinat ion sharpeningstone fine side up on a work surface.Screw cleats to the table against thestone to keep it from moving. For a hol-low-ground bevel, c lamp the blade in acommercial angle-sett ing honing guidewith the bevel touching the stone.Saturate the stone with the appropriatelubr ican t and then, ho ld ing the hon ingguide, sl ide the blade back and forthfrom end to end along the sharpeningsurface (right). Apply moderate pressureuntil a microbevel forms. lf you are start-ing with a f lat bevel, c lamp the blade in acommercial angle-sett ing honing guidewith the bevel touching the stone. Thenraise the angle of the blade a few degreesand complete the operation as for a hol-low-ground bevel.

Lapping the bunThe honing process wi l l create a thin

ridge of metal, or burr, on the flat face ofthe blade. To remove the burr, saturatethe f ine side of the stone again. Holdingthe blade perfect ly f lat on the stone,bevel side up (left), move it in a circularpattern unt i l the f lat s ide of the cutt ingedge is smooth.

43


f, Testing the blade for sharynessr,f Clamp a softwood board to a worksurface and, holding the blade bevel-sideup in your hands, cut across the grain ofthe surface (right). A sharp blade willc leanly sl ice a sl iver of wood from theboard without tearing the wood f ibers,

Honing the end of the cap ironSecure a benchstone to vour work

surface; in the illustration at left. a dia-mond stone, which should be lubricatedwith water, is shown in its own box. Setthe front portion of the cap iron that con-tacts the blade flat on the stone and slideit in a circular pattern on the surface (/eft).Cont inue unt i l the t ip of the cap iron isperfectly flat. This will guarantee that woodchips will not become trapped betweenthe iron and the blade once the two piecesare reassembled.

44


ASSEMBLING AND ADJUSTING A BENCH PLANE

1 Positioning the blade assemblyI Posit ion the cap iron on the top face of the bladeextending about %o inch beyond the end of the cap iron.Tighten the cap iron screw (above, left). Then place theblade assembly- including the blade, cap iron, and levercap-in posit ion on the frog. The gap between the front edgeof the blade and the front of the mouth should be between

%z and %a inch. l f the gap is too wide or narrow, remove theblade assembly and loosen both frog setscrews about % turn.Then adjust the frog adjustment screw to set the proper gap(above, right). Tighlen the setscrews and reposition theblade assembly on the frog, securing i t in place with the caplock.

Centering the blade and adjustingthe depth of cut

Holding the plane upside down, move thelateral adjustment lever until the cuttingedge is parallel to the sole and centeredin the mouth. To set the cutting depth,turn the depth-of-cut adjustment knob sothe blade protrudes from the mouth (left).About %z inch is desirable; less for highlyfigured woods. Conf irm the setting with atest cut on a scrap board. The shaiingsshould be paper-thin.

f )an+h-nF- r t f t

adjuatment knob

Lateral adjuatment

45

SCRAPERS

p roperly honed, a hand or cabinetI scraper is unsurpassed for smooth-ing and flattening a wood surface beforefinishing. For either type of scraper,sharpening is a four-step process, shownbeginning on page 47. First, the edgesof the scraper are filed square, thenhoned, and finallv turned over into aburr and a hook (page 40. You can pro-duce the burr and the hook in two stepswith a standard burnisher, like the oneshown below, or create the hook in oneoperation with a variable burnisher(photo,left).The result is a cutting edgethat should be capable of slicing paper-thin curls of wood from a workoiece.

Honing a hand scraper is simple workwith the help of the variable burnishershown at left. The device features a car-bide rod mounted within the wood body.Aknob on the top adjusts the angle ofthe rod, providing precise control of theburnishing angle, while the jig is runback and forth over the cutting edge.

INVENTORY (lF SCRAPERS AND ACCESSORIES

trol than a hand scraper

BurniaherForma the fine burr and hook on the cutting edge of aecraper after honin4. Kound modele are ueually uaed forcurved ecrapero and trianqular modda for rectan4ulargcrapers; tri-burntaher ehown combinea round,

46


SHARPENING A HAND SCRAPER

1 Filing the edges squareI Secure the scraper in a vise, edge up, with a wood blockon one side to keep i t r ig id. Clamp a mi l l bastard f i le in acommercial saw jointer and press the jointer f i rmly againstone side of the scraper. Exert moderate pressure as you makeseveral passes back and forth along the edge of the tool(above) until the existing hook disappears and the edge isf lat . Turn the scraper over in the vise and repeat the processfor the other edge.

r) Honing the edgesZ- Secure a combinat ion sharpening stone f ine-sroe up on awork surface with cleats and lubricate it. Pressing the scraperflat on the stone, rub each face with a circular motion (above)unt i l any roughness produced by f i l ing disappears. Next, holdthe scraper upright and slide the edges back and forth diago-nal ly across the stone unt i l they are smooth with sharp cor-ners. To f in ish, again sl ide the face l ight ly over the stone toremove any Durrs.

Q Burnishing the edgesr-,1 Wioe a tinv amount of oil onto theeage oi the sciaper to reduce frictionbetween the burnisher and the scraper.Start to form a hook on each cutting edgeof the scraper by laying the scraper flaton a work surface with an edge extendingoff the table, then run the burnisher backand forth along the edge (left), exertingstrong downward pressure. Turn thescraper over and burnish the edge on theother face. Now burnish the other cutt insedge the same way.

47


Turning the hookSecure the scraper edge up in the

v ise and w ipe a l i t t le more o i l on to i t sedge. Ho ld ing the burn isher leve l , makea few passes along the edge in one direc-t ion un t i l the edge swe l ls s l igh t ly .Apply moderate pressure to turn theedge outward on one side (nght). Thenhold the burnisher so that the handle is10" to 15" above the horizontal and con-t inue to burnish unt i l the edge turns overinio a hook. To form a hook on the otherside of the edge (below), repeat theprocess with the scraper turned aroundin the vise. The greater the pressure youapply, the bigger the hook. Turn thescraper over in the vise and turn thehooks on the opposite edge.

SHARPENING A CABINET SCRAPER

1 Filing the edgeI A l though i t s edge is beve led , acab ine t sc raper i s sharpened in muchthe same way as a hand scraper. Startby f i l ing the bevel, then pol ish the bevel(step 2) and turn over a hook (steps 3and 4. Remove the blade from the cabi-net scraper by loosening the thumb-screws holding i t in place. Clamp theblade beveled-edge up in a vise betweentwo wood pads. Then run a bastard mi l lf i l e a long the beve l , us ing a combina-t ion square periodical ly to check that theangle remains a|45" (right).

48


r') Polishing the bevelZ. Secure a sharpening stone to a worksurface; in the illustration at left, a dia-mond stone is shown in a sharpening box.Lubricate the stone, then hold the scraperblade flat-side down and slide the bladein a circular pattern to remove any burrformed by fil ing. Next, turn the blade overso the bevel is flush on the stone andrepeat to polish the bevel. A few passesshould be suff ic ient, Use the combina-tion square to help you maintain the bev-el angle at45' (step 1).

Burnishing the cutting edgeHold the scraoer blade bevel down on

a work surface with the cutting edge over-hanging the table. Wipe some oil on theedge and, holding a burnisher at a slightangle to the blade, pass the rod backand forth across its flat edge (below).Apply strong downward pressure forminga hook on the cutting edge.

49


Forming the hookSecure the b lade beve l up in a

machinist 's v ise and apply a l i t t le moreoi l on i t . Holding the burnisher in bothhands f lush against the 45" bevel, pul lthe tool toward your body; maintain con-stant downward pressure (above).Gradual ly t i l t the handle of the burnish-er unt i l the rod is at angle of about 15'to the beve l . Th is w i l l comple te thehook on the cutt ing edge.

lm lllr ilfi llll lll illl ull lll lltl filt llt llll llll ]xl lll] lllr l]lr I]lJ5HO? Tt?M ainlaini n g lhe a o r rectburniohing anglel lolding a burnieher aN Nhe ?roperanqle ie Nhe key No burniohinq Nhebevel of a cabinel ecraper. Ao avieual quide, uee a proNractorand a equare No mark a l ine at,a 45' anqle on the wal lfacinqyouwhenyou Ado Nhe burniehinq.LocaNebhe mark ateye level direcbly inl ine wibh your viee.Ao,you VaeeN,he ,bur-, €n isher a lonqNhebeve l ,lry to keep Lhe rod Var-al lel with the l ine on Nhe wal l ,

50

ROUGHING AND SHAPING TOOLS

1-h. hand tools featured in this sec-I tion ofthe chaoter are as diverse asthe individual tasks needed to work astanding tree into a piece of furniture.They range from rough to fine-axeto spokeshave, an implement mostoften used to whittle a workoiece toits final form.

For the sharpener, however, all thesetools share one feature: They are single-bladed tools that rely on a correctlyangled bevel to cut wood properly. Thefollowing pages will show you how tohone and polish each ofthe tools shownbelow. The first step in the processinvolves smoothing away defects andrestoring the bevel on the blade, if thecutting edge requires it. This can be doneon a bench grinder as you would a planeblade (page 42) or ona wet/dry grinder(photo, right). To prolong blade life, grindonlywhat is required to restore the edge.Also, be carefi.rl not to overheat the blade;this can destroy the temper of the met-

al. One advantage of the wet/dry grinderis that you do not have to interrupt thegrinding periodically to cool the blade.The water-bathed wheel automaticallytakes care ofthis concern.

A wet-dry grinder touches up an axblade. To create a uniform bevel acrossthe blade, it is important to hold theblade square to the grindingwheel and ata constant angle.

lnahaveA curved drawknife typi-cally ueed to ohape a work-piece afLer adztn1; blade iabeveled on outer eide only

AdzeaCurved ehaping toole forrou7hinq out hollowed work-piecea: hollowin4 adze (left)

SpokeahaveaMetal flat-face model (top) emootheand ahapea flat or convex aurfacee;wooden apokeehave (bottom) ie atraditional tool featuring a low cut-tinq an4le for ehapinq end qrain. Eothare puehed or pulled with the qrain

ie beveled on outeide ed4e

Hewing hatchetFor rou4h ahapinq 4reenwood: beveled on one eideonly for etraiqht cuttinq

DrawknifeUeed to debark qreen woodloq aectione and ehape oLock;blade ie ueually beveled on oneeide only for otraight cuttin4

5 1


SHARPENING SPOKESHAVES

Sharpening a wooden spokeshave bladeRemove the blade from the handle by pinching the tangs thatprotrude through the handle and pushing them downward. Forsharpening, the blade is held upside down from i ts usual cut-t ing posit ion-that is, with the tangs facing down rather thanup. To prevent the tangs from catching on your work surfaceduring sharpening, set your sharpening stone atop a woodblock to provide the necessary clearance. Holding the blade

by the tangs, set its bevel flat on the stone. Because the bladeis longer than the width of the stone, hold the cutt ing edgediagonal ly as you sl ide the bevel back and forth on the stone.Repeat with the blade angled the other way. Repeat again withthe blade held straight bbove).0nce the sharpening is com-plete, turn the blade over and hone the f lat s ide to remove theburr formed by the sharpening process.

Honing a metal spokeshave bladeTo remove the blade from the handle, loosen the screw in themiddle of the handle. Set up a benchstone on a work surface;a water-lubricated diamond stone in a sharpening box is shownabove. lnstall the blade in a commercial honing guide (above,

left) and hone the cutting edge as you would a plane blade(page 43I To flatten the sole of a flat-soled spokeshave, pass thesole back and forth along a medium-grit benchstone (above, right).Cont inue unt i l the metal has uniform sheen.

52


SHARPENING A DRAWKNIFE

SHARPENING AN INSHAVE

Honing an inshaveClamp the inshave to a work surface so the cutt ing edge is fac-ing up, as shown above. Use a slipstone to hone the edge. Startwith a rough-grit stone and progress to a finer one. Work with acircular motion unt i l a uniform shine develops on the blade.Give the flat side of the blade a few strokes to remove any burr.0nce the blade is sharp, pol ish the bevel with a leather stropand polishing compound (page 37), f inishing with a few passeson the f lat s ide of the blade to remove the burr. l f the inshavehas a knife-edse-beveled on both sides-hone the other side.

Honing a drawknifeSecure one handle of the drawknife in amachinist 's v ise with the blade Ievel andthe bevel facing up. Then lubr icate a f inebenchstone-in this case, a combinat ionstone-and rub the stone along the lengthof the bevel, using a circular motion (left),To hone a microbevel on the pr imary bev-el , adjust the angle of the stone sl ight ly.Final ly, make a few passes on the f lat s ideof the blade to remove anv burr formedby sharpening.

SHARPENING AN ADZE

Honing an adzeSecure the adze in a bench v ise, as shown above. Wrap asheet of emery paper around a dowel whose diameter closelymatches the curve of the adze b lade. Hone the cut t ing edgeusing a back-and-for th mot ion a long the length of the bevel .Hone the f la t s ide of the b lade wi th a s l ipstone to remove anyburr . l f the adze has a kni fe-edge hone the other s ide.

53


POLISHING THE BLADE

Using a bench grinderOnce you have sharpened the blade of aroughing or shaping tool, polish the beveland remove any burr formed by the pro-cess on the felt wheel of a bench grinder.For a metal spokeshave blade, impreg-nate the wheel with polishing compoundand olace the bevel of the blade on thetrailing edge of the wheel (above). Movethe blade side to side to exoose the entirebevel to the wheel. Buff the blade onlyenough to remove the burr, using a lighttouch to avoid rounding the edge. Runthe whole length of the bevel back andforth across the wheel to ool ish i t uni-formly. Repeat on the f lat s ide of theblade. Test the cutting edge for sharp-ness on a piece of softwood (page 44).

' lll"'trIl "'flI' 1x1"' fil - lllf'.flI-1lf 'llf lll*fil- llll' "llll "fill' lll ffi ' lII' lll?HO? TI?Choooinq a durableaxhand leDeepite the availability ofa vdriety of oynlheXic com-pounde, wooden-handledaxee remain VoVular, Theyare liqhL and etrronq, andfeature a well-balanced feel,The olren7th of the handledepends on lhe orienNalionof the qrain to lhe axhead.Choose an axwi lh a handlethat has lhe qrain runninqparallel to Ihe cuLNin4 edqe(bottom); handles wiNh thegrain running perp endicular(top) to Lhe facd tend Lobreak more eaeily.

54

BRACESAND BITS

f, lectric drills have largely supersededLhand tools for boring holes in themodern woodshoo. Nevertheless. mostwoodworkers still keep braces and handdrills handy, because these tools haveunique capabilities not readily dupli-cated by power tools, such as workingin tight quarters or boring a hole to aprecise depth.

Maintaining these hand tools is main-ly a question of keeping their movingparts clean and sharpening their bits. Toclean a brace, unscrew the chuck shelland remove the jaws, as shown at right.Use the same cleaning procedure as youwould for the parts of a bench plane@age a0). The remaining pages of thischapter describe how to sharpen augerand spoon bits.

Cleaningthe chuckis an essentialelement of maintaining abrace.

The exploded view of a brace chuckin the photo at right shows theparts that require cleaning the

shell and the two-piece jaw.

ANATOMY OF AUGER AND SPOOI{ BITS

Cuttinq edqe,or lip

Auger bitThe cuttinq edqe-or lip-bitee, pulle, and quideo thebit into the workpiece; the apure acore the outline ofthe hole so t'hat' the lip doee not t'ear the wood fibere

55


SHARPENING AN AUGER BIT

1 Filing the cutting edgeI Secure the bit in a bench vise.then use a needle file to sharpen thecutting edge. (You can also use a spe-cialized auger bit fi le for the job.) Holdthe f i le on the leading edge and makea few strokes along the surface.Repeat with the other cutting edge.

Filing the spurPosition the bit upright in the vise.

Holding the f i le f lush against the insideedge of one spur, make several strokesacross the surface (right) unlil you pro-duce an even shine on the spur. Repeatwith the other spur.

56


Removing burrs from the spursHolding a very f ine d iamond hone on

a work surface, sl ide the outside edge ofone of the bit spurs on the stone to removeany burr formed by sharpening (r ight) .(You can also use a piece of very f ineemery cloth.) Work with a light touch anduse only enough strokes to remove the burr,o r you r i sk reduc ing the b i t d iameter .Reoeat with the other spur.

SHARPENING AN SPOON BIT

Sharpening a spoon bitSpoon bi ts can be sharpened easi ly on a benchstone. In thei l lustrat ion above, at lef t , a diamond stone in i ts own sharpen-ing box is shown. Holding the outside of the bi t 's nose on thestone, rock the bit across the surface with a semicircular motion.Hold the bi t at the same angle throughout to ensure that the

nose is honed un i fo rmly . 0nce the sharpen ing is comple ted ,oo l i sh bo th s ides o f the nose on the fe l t whee l o f a benchgr inder . lmpregnate the whee l w i th po l i sh ing compound and,holding the bi t vert ical ly, l ight ly touch the front of the nose tothe wheel (above, right). Repea| with the back side.

57

r tI

- J

r l

i l

' l

, l

IL . l

i _ l

t l

i l

i li - lL , J

SWENNGPO\AIERTOOLBIADESATD BITS

ike any cutting or shaping tool,a power tool with a dull blade

or bit cannot perform well. A dulldrill bit will tend to skate offa work-piece, rather than biting deanly intothe wood. A sawblade or router bitwith blunted cutting edges mayburn stock. And wood that is sur-faced by a jointer or planer withunsharpened knives may be diffi-cult to glue up or finish.

In addition to cutting and shap-ing properly, well-sharpened bladesand bis offer other benefits, includ-ing reduced wear and tear on motors,less operator fatigue, and longer lifefor the blades and bits themselves.Manufacturers of power tool bladesand bis generally recommend send-ing their products to a professionalsharpening service. However, the jobcan often be done in the worlahop.This chapter will showyou how to sharpen a wide variety ofpower tool blades and bits, from router bits and shaper cutters(page 62) to jointer and planer knives (page 79). In a pinch,even abroken band sawblade can be soldered together (page 76).

A wist bit is sharpened on a bench grinder with the help of a commercial grind-ing jig that holds the bit at the proper angle. Originally destgned for the metal-wo*ing industry, twist bits took their place in woodworking as the use of powertools grew. They need periodic sharpening to bore holes cleanly and accurately.

Designed to replace the metal guide bloclcs sup-plied with most band saw6 heat-resistant gtideblocl<s mnhelp prolongbladelife. Madefrom a

graphite-impregnated resin that is its own lubri-cant, these nonmetallic bloclcs last longer thanmetalblocl<s and canbe set closer to theblade,allowing more accurate and controlled cuts.

cutting edges ofyour blades and bis razor-sharp. But remem-ber that a keen edge always starts with the quality of the steelitself; for long life and ease of sharpening, always choose bitsand blades made from the best steel.

Still, there are times when youshould turn to a professional, par-ticularly if blades and bits havechipped edges or have lost theirtemper as a result of overgrinding.Some router bits also must be pre-cisely balanced, something that isdifficult to achieve in the shop. fu arule of thumb, it is a good idea tosend out your bits and blades to asharpening service periodically, oreverysecond time theyneed a majorsharpening. Once you have sharp-ened an edge properly, it shouldlast for a long time-the occasion-al honing is all that it takes to main-tain it.

The pages that follow cover thebasic techniques for sharpeningpower tool blades and bits in theshop. With a little practice and theright accessories, you can keep the

59

A GALLERY OF BLADES AND BITS

Drill bits(pa7e 65)

Molding headand knivea(paqe 64) ffifi$

Commercial reainaolvent (page 71)Cleana pitch,

and planer while they are atill in cutter-head; diamond-ahaped cuttinq etoneaharpena while aauare gtone removeothe burr from thi face of the knife

qum,qaw-duat, andreain fromcircular aawbladee androuter bits

aaw blades(paae 70)' Jointer knivea

(paqe B5)

Planer knivea

Knife honing guide

a

TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES FOR SHARPENING

Drill bit grinding attachment (page 58)Holdo %- to %-tnch-diameter twiat bita foroharpeninq; mounted to work aurface andueed wrth a bench arinder

Router bit eharpenerA boron-carbide aLone uaed to aharpen carbonateel, htqh-epeed eteeL and carbide-tippedrouter bita; 4ivee a finer finiah thandtamond ftlea of eaual arit. Handlefeaturea maqnifyinq lenofor checkin4 eharpneee

Drill bit-aharpening jig (page 66)Towered by an electric drill, Lhiejiq eharpena hi7h-apeed ateeltwiet bita and carbidemaaonry bite up to'l inch rn drameLer;holder eecurea bit.aL proper depth andangle aqainet eharp-ening otone inoide jiq J f f i

t*Circular saw blade-settinq jig (page 72)Clamped in bench viee to joint and eet the f,eeth of circu'Iar sawe up Lo 12 inchee in diameter. Dlade ra locked tnji7 and rotated aqainet file to jointteeth; Leeth are eetby tapprng them wtth a hammer aqainaL mandrel

Knife-aetting jigs (page 79)Magnetic jiq ueed to hold jointeror planer knivea at Lhe correctheiqht for tnetallaLion in themachine, Jiqe for planer (below)are ueed tn paire for knivee upto 20 tnchea long; ji7 for jotnter(ri7hL) aete knivee up to B incheain lenqLh, and can beextended with a thirdbar for knivee up to14 inchee lonq

Jointerlplaner-knifeaharpenling jig (page 79)Uaed to aharpen jointer and planerknivea: knife ie clamped tn jtq andrear ecrew adjueLe Lo hold knifeat proper anile aaainaL

^l

Circular saw blade-eharpening jig (page 72)MounLed on workbench toeharpen ctrcular saw bladeaafter qrindinq and oettinq:blade ie held in jiq while taperfile ta drawn acroos the Leethat Lhe proper ptLch and anqle

ROUTER BITS AND SHAPER CUTTERS

Secured in abench vise, one ofthe cut-ting edges of a shaper cutter receives itsfinal sharpening with a fine diamondhone. The process is a two-step operation,beginning with a medium hone (far left).Because they operate at high speeds, dullrouter bits and shaper cutters oyerheatquickly. Cutters that are properly sharp-ened make smoother, more accurate cuts.

SHARPENING A NON-PILOTED ROUTER BITSharpening the inside facesClean any pitch, gum, or sawdust off thebit with a commercial resin solvent (page71), then use a ceramic or diamond sharp-ening file to hone the inside faces of thebit's cutting edges. A coarse-grit file is bestif a lot of material needs to be removed;use a f iner-gr i t f i le for a l ight touch-up.Holding the inside face of one cutting edgeflat against the abrasive surface, rub it backand forth (right). Repeat with the other cut-ting edge. Hone both inside faces equallyto maintain the balance of the bit. Take carenot to file the bevel behind the cutting edge.

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POWER TOOL BLADES AND BITS

SHARPENING A PITOTED ROUTER BIT

1 Removing the pilot bearingI Before you can sharpen a piloted router bit, you need toremove the pi lot bearing. Use a hex wrench to loosen thebearing (above).

Ilf "llf "flr1lf"lflf'fir 1lr"1lf'1lf1ll-1ll-llflflftlt-1flftll'1flr1lr5HO7 Tt?A storage raakforehaper autterothaoer cullers areofEen sold in cumbersome \\Xpackag inq tha lcan con- \tribule Io clulter. Orqanize \\ 'your ehaVer bite with a ehop-made otroraqe rack like theone ehown here. The rack willkeeo lhe aullero visible andaccessible. Drill a oeries of holeein a board and qlue dowelo in lheholes Lo holdlhe culf,ere.To Vre-venf, lhe cutling edqeo from nickinqeach olher, uoe your larqeet-diame-ter cut ler ao a quideto opacinqlhe dowelholeo. l fyouplan io hanq lhe rack on a wall, bore the holes atr a oliqhtanqle eo that,the cutters will nol olip off the dowels.

r') Sharpening the bitL Sharoen the bit with a ceramic ordiamond sharpening f i le as you would anon-piloted bit (page 62); Ihen re-installthe bearing with the hex wrench. lf thebearing does not rotate smoothly, spraya l i t t le bear ing lubr ican t on i t . l f i t i sworn out or damaged, replace it.

63

MOLDINGKNIVES

SHARPENING M(ITDING KNIVES

Sharpening molding knivesThe cutting edges of table saw or radialarm saw molding knives are easy to touchup or sharpen while they are mounted inthe molding head. Clamp the head in abench vise with one of the knives clear ofthe bench, then use a slipstone (above)tohone its inside face as you would a routerbit (page 62l. Reposition the head in thevise to hone the remaining knives. Usethe same number of strokes to hone eachknife so that you remove an equal amountof metal from them all. and maintain theiridentical shapes and weights. An alterna-tive method involves removing the kniveswith a hex wrench (right) and sharpeningthem on a flat oilstone,

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DRILL BITS

SHARPENING TWIST BITS

Using a bench grinderHolding the bi t between the index f inger and thumb of one hand, set i t on thegrinder 's tool rest and advance i t toward the wheel unt i l your index f inger con-tacts the tool rest. Tilt the shaft of the bit down and to the left so that one ofthe cutting edges, or lips, is square to the wheel (above). Rotate the bit clock-wise to gr ind the l ip evenly. Periodical ly check the angle of the cutt ing edge, asshown in the photo at r ight, and try to maintain the angle at about 60". Repeatfor the second cutt ing edge. To keep bi ts sharp, use them at the speed recom-mended by the manufacturer. Wipe them occasional ly with oi l to prevent rust.

To bore clean holes, the cutting edges oftwist bits should be angled at about 60".As you sharpen a bit, periodically checkthe angle with a protractor. Butt oneof the cuttirtg edges against the base ofthe protractor and swivel the arnt flushagainst the side of the bit.

65

SHARPENING POWER TOOL BLADES AND BITS

Using a commercial jigSet up the jig following the manufacturer'sinstructions. For the model shown, securean electric drill to the jig; the drill will rotatethe sharpening stone inside the device.Adjust the angle block to the appropriateangle for the bit to be sharpened and insertthe bit in the depth gauge. The gauge willenable you to secure the bit at the correctheight in the holder. Fit the bit holder overIhe biI hbovd and then use it to removethe bit from the gauge. Now secure the bitand holder to the angle block. Turn on thedri l l and, holding i t steady, slowly rotatethe bit holder a full 360' against the stoneinside the jie tieht). Apply light pressure;too much force will overheat the bit.

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SHARPENING FORSTNER BITS

1 Grinding the inside bevelI To touch up a Forstner bit, true the topedge of the bi t 's r im with a f i le, removingany nicks. lf the beveled edges of the cut-t ing spurs inside the r im are uneven, gr indthem using an electr ic dr i l l f i t ted with arotary grinding attachment. Secure the bitin a bench vise as shown and grind the edgesuntil they are all uniform (right).

r) Sharpening the chip liftersI t lse a sinsle-cut mi l l bastard f i le tol ight ly f i le the inside faces of the cutters.Hold the f i le f lat against one of the cut-ters-also known as chip lifters-and makea few strokes along the surface (left). RepeaIw i th the o ther cu t te r . F in ish the job byhoning the beveled edges inside the r imwith a sl ipstone.

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HONING MUTTI.SPUR BITS

1 Filing the cutting spursI Secure the bi t upr ight in a bench vise and use a tr iangular f i le to hone theleading edge, or face, of each spur (above). File with each push stroke, towardsthe bi t 's brad point, t i l t ing the handle of the f i le down sl ight ly. Then f i le the trai l -ing edge, or back, of each spur the same way. Fi le al l the spurs by the sameamount so that they remain at the same height. Make sure you do not over-f i lethe cutting spurs; they are designed to be %z inch longer than the chip lifters.

SHARPENING BRAD.POINT BITS

1 Filing the chip liftersI Clamp the bi t upr ight in a bench viseand f i le the inside faces of the two chiplifters as you would those of a Forstner bit(page 67). For a brad-point bit, however,use a triangular needle file (right), honingunt i l each cutt ing edge is sharp and eachchip l i f ter is f lat .

Filing the brad pointFile the chip lifters as you would those of

a Forstner biI (page 67).Then, file the brad-point until it is sharp (above).

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r) Filing the cutting spursL Use the needle f i le to hone the insidefaces of the bit's two cutting spurs. Holdthe tool with both hands and f ile towardsthe brad-point untrl each spur is sharp (rghf),

H(INING SPADE BITS

Filing a spade bitSecure the bi t in a bench vise and use asmooth single-cut mill bastard file to touchup the two cutting edges. File on the pushslroke (\efl, tilting the handle down slightlyto match the angle of the cuttrng edges;between 5" and 10" is typical. Then touchup the cutting edges on either side of thepoint the same way (inset),Iaking care notto alter its taoer. Do not remove too muchmetal at the base of the point, as this wi l lweaken the bi t .

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CIRCULAR SAW BLADES

CHANGING TABLE SAW BLADES

The commercial blade carrier shownabove is a handy storage device thatwill protect your circular saw blades

from damage and make it easier totransport them. This model accom-modates uD to ten L]-inch blades.

1 Removing a bladeI Working at the front of the table,remove the insert and wedge a pieceof scrap wood under a blade tooth toprevent the blade from turning. Usethe wrench suppl ied with the saw toloosen the arbor nut (/eff). (Most tablesaw arbors have reverse threads; thenut is loosened in a clockwise direc-tion.) Finish loosening the nut by hand,making sure that i t does not fal l intothe machine. Careful ly l i f t the bladeand washer off the arbor. Carbide{ippedblades are best sharpened profession-al ly; but high-speed steel models canbe sharpened in the shop (page 72).A worn or damaged blade should bediscarded and replaced.

r) Installing a bladeZ- St iOe the blade onto the arbor with i ts teeth point ing in the direct ion of bladerotation (toward the front of the table). Insert the flange and nut and start tighteningby hand. To f in ish t ightening, gr ip the saw blade with a rag and use the wrench sup-plied with the saw (above). Do not use a piece of wood as a wedge, as this couldresult in overt ightening the nut.

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CHANGING PORTABLE CIRCUTAR SAW BLADES

Removing a portable circular saw bladeSet the saw on its side on a work surfacewith the blade housing facing up. Retractthe lower blade guard and, gr ipping theblade with a rag, loosen the arbor nut withthe wrench supplied with the saw (right).Remove the nut and the outer washer, thens l ide the b lade f rom the arbor . As w i thtab le saw b lades , carb ide- t ipped b ladesshou ld be sent ou t fo r sharpen ing , bu thigh-speed steel types can be sharpenedin the shop. To instal l a blade, place i t onthe arbor w i th i t s tee th po in t ing in thed i r e c t i o n o f b l a d e r o t a t i o n . I n s t a l l t h ewasher and the nut, and t ighten them byhand. Holding the blade with the rag, usethe wrench to g ive the nu t an add i t iona lquarter turn. Do not overtighten.

CLEANING CIRCUTAR SAW BTADES

Soaking the b ladeClean the b lade using a commercia l res inso l ven t . (Commerc ia l oven c leane r , t u r -pent ine, or a solut ion of hot water wi thammonia can a lso be used.) For s tubbornp i t ch and gum depos i t s , soak the b ladein t he c lean ing agen t i n a sha l l ow panand use a brass-br is t led brush to c leanthe teeth (/eff).

7 I


SHARPENING CIRCULAR SAW BLADES

1 Jointing the teethI To sharpen the tee th o f a c i rcu la r saw b lade, ins ta l l theblade in a commercial saw-sett ing j ig fol lowing the manufac-turer's instructions. For the model shown, the blade teeth shouldbe point ing counterclockwise. Instal l the joint ing head on thej ig, butt ing i ts f i le up against the saw teeth. Then t ighten thethumbscrew unt i l the teeth drag against the f i le. To joint theteeth so they are al l the same length, c lamp the j ig in a benchvise and rotate ihe blade against the file clockwise (above). Aftereach rotat ion, t ighten the thumbscrew sl ight ly and repeat unt i lthe tip of each tooth has been filed flat.

Sharpening the teethOnce the saw teeth have been iointed

and set, f i le them using a commercial saw-sharpening jig. Mount the jig to a workbenchand instal l the blade loosely on the j ig sothe blade turns. Fol lowing the manufactur-er 's instruct ions, rotate the tr iangular f i lein the f i le holder and adjust the guide armto match the required pitch and angle of thesaw teeth. Starting with a tooth that is point-ing to the right, fi le the cutting edge by slid-ing the f i le holder along the top of the j ig(right). RoIaIe the blade counterclockwise,skipping one tooth, and repeat. Sharpen al lthe right-pointing teeth the same way. Adjustthe triangular file and the guide arm to workon the left-pointing teeth and repeat, sharp-ening al l the teeth you skipped.

r) Setting the teethZ. Remove the joint ing head from the j ig and instal l the set-t ing head. Also remove the j ig from the vise and set i t on thebenchtop. Adjust the head for the appropriate amount of set,or bend. Using a pin punch and bal l -peen hammer, l ight ly str ikeevery second tooth against the setting head (above). Removethe blade and reverse the position of the setting head. Reinstallthe b lade w i th the tee th po in t ing in the oppos i te d i rec t ion ,and repeat for the teeth you skipped, again str ik ing everysecond tooth.

72

BAND SAWBLADES

Secured between two wood blocks ina bench vise, the teeth of a band saw

blade are sharpened with a triangular

file. Band saw blades can also be honedwhile they are installed on the machine.The teeth should be sharpened periodi-

cally and set after every three to fivesharpenings. In fact, a propefly honed

and set band saw blade will performbener than a brand new one.

SHARPENING A BAND SAW BLADE

1 Gleaning the bladeI Before sharpening a band saw blade, remove sawdust andwood chrps from i t . Make sure you release the blade tensionf i rst before sl ipping the blade off the wheels. Then, holding the

blade between two clean rags (above), pull it away in the direc-tion opposite its normal rotation to avoid snagging the cuttingedges in the mater ial .

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O Installing the blade for sharpeningL You can sharpen a band saw b ladeeither on a bench vise (photo, page 73) oron the machine. To install the blade on theband saw for sharpening, mount i t wi ththe teeth point ing in the direct ion oppo-site their cutting position-that is, facingup instead of down. Turn the blade insideout and gu ide i t th rough the tab le s lo t(right), holding it with the teeth facing youand point ing up. Sl ip the blade betweenthe guide blocks and in the throat columnslot, then center i t on the wheels. Makesure the blade guide assembly is raised ashigh above the table as i t wi l l go.

Q Sefting the blader-J lf the teeth need to be set, adjust a commercial saw set tothe same number o f tee th per inch as the band saw b lade.Secure the blade in a handscrew and clamp the handscrew tothe saw table. Starting at the handscrew-end of the blade, posi-t ion the f i rst tooth that is bent to the r ight between the anvi land punch block of the saw set and squeeze the handle to setthe tooth (above). Work your way up to the guide assembly, set-ting all the teeth that are bent to the right. Then turn the sawset over and repeat for the leftward-bent teeth. Continue settingallthe blade teeth section by section. To ensure you do not omitany teeth, mark each section you work on with chalk.

Sharpening the bladeSharpen the teeth the same way you set them, working on

one blade sect ion at a t ime. Hold a tr iangular f i le at a 90" angleto the blade and sharpen each tooth that is set to the r ight,gu id ing the f i le in the same d i rec t ion tha t the too th i s se t(above). Then sharpen the leftward-bent teeth the same way.Use the same number of strokes on each tooth. Once al l theteeth have been sharpened, remove the blade, turn i t insideout and reinstal l i t for cutt ing, with the teeth point ing down.Tension and track the blade (page 123.)

frlade quideaeeembly-

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ilti llJ ]ltt lllJ llli ilu llrJ ilIj lll1 llli tjlj llll lllt lll llll lllJ lllJ ilil9HO7 Tt?Rounding a band oaw bladeTo helo zrevenN a new band sawblade from bindinq inLhe kerf of curvedculs, use a si l icon- ]carbide sbone without I l l i l lo i l Lo round i tE back i i i l l l

Installing heat-resistant guide blocksReplacrng your band saw's standard guideblocks with heat-resistant blocks wi l llengthen blade l i fe and promote moreaccurate and controlled cuts. Remove theoriginal blocks by using a hex wrench toloosen the setscrews securing them to theupper guide assembly (above). Sl ip outthe old blocks and insert the replace-ments. Pinch the blocks together withyour thumb and index f inger un t i l theyalmost touch the blade. (You can alsouse a slip of paper to set the space be-tween the guide blocks and the blade).Tighten the setscrews. The front edgesof the guide blocks should be just behindthe blade gullets. To reposition the blocks,loosen their thumbscrew and turn theiradjustment knob to advance or retractthe blocks. Tighten the thumbscrew andrepeat the process for the guide assem-bly located below the table.

oil to round itE back i l l l , ' fedqe, ae ehownhere. I l \ANNach the stone to r1l l l la ehoV-made handle. l l \ l l i : i r r; , ,Teneion and I rackthe l l l t l l ;blade (pa1e 123),f,henturn on Nhe saw, Wearinqeaf ety qoqqleo, hold Nhe etoneaqainot lhe back of the b lade andolowly pivot the eLone. Turn off the eaw afNer a f ew minutee.ln additr ion No rounding the back of Lhe blade, the otone wi l lsmoolh any bumpe where trhe blade ende are welded t'oqeNher.

75


REPAIRING A BROKEN BAND SAW BTADE

! Setting up the blade in the soldering jig4- Secure a commercial soldering j ig ina machinist 's v ise. Next, use a brush tospread f lux on the beveled ends of theblade and % inch in from each end. Positionthe blade in the j ig so the two beveledends are in contact (right). Make sure theblade is tight and straight in the jig.

1 Grinding the broken ends of the bladeI A broken band saw blade can berepaired in the shop. Start by creating a20' bevel on each end of the blade usinga bench grinder (left). As shown in theinset, the bevels will increase the contactarea between the two blade ends whenyou join them, strengthening the joint .Then use a piece of emery cloth to rough-en both blade ends; sand the surfacesunt i l their bluish color disappears. Thiswi l l help the soldering al loy adhere to theblade surface properly.

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Soldedng the blade endsHeat the joint with a propane torch,

then unrol l a length of the solder andtouch the t ip to the joint-not to theflame. Continue heating the joint (above)unt i l the solder covers the joint com-pletely. Turn off the torch and let thejoint cool.

Filing the jointOnce the joint has cooled, remove

the blade from the jig and wash off theflux with warm water. lf there is an excessof solder on the blade, file it off carefullywith a single-cut bastard mill file (left)until the joint is no thicker than the restof the blade, lf the joint separates, reheati t to melt the solder, pul l i t apart , andrepeat steps 2 through 4.

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FOLDING AND STORING A BAND SAW BLADE

1 Holding the bladeI Before storing a band saw blade, remove any rust from itwith steel wool and wipe it with an oily rag. Then, wearing safe-ty goggles and gloves, grasp the blade with the teeth facingaway from you; point your left thumb up and your right thumbdown (above).

Twisting the bladePressing your r ight thumb f i rmly against the blade, twist

i t by pivot ing your r ight hand upward. The blade wi l l begin toform two loops (above).

Coiling the bladeWithout pausing or releasing the blade, keep rotating it in

the same direct ion whi le pivot ing your lef t hand in the oppo-si te direct ion. The blade wi l l coi l again, forming a third loop(above). Secure the blade with string, pipe cleaners, or plastictwist ties.

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IOINTER AND PLANER KNIVES

A pair of magnetic jigs holds a planerknife at the correct height in the cutter-

head, allowing the knife to be fixedin place accurately. Such jigs take the

guesswork out of the trickiest phase ofsharp ening planer kniv es-installing

them properly. Periodic sharpen-ing ofplaner knives is essential. Stockthat is surfaced by dull knives is dffi-

cult to glue and does not accept fin-ishes well. A similar jig is available

for setting jointer knives.

HONING J(lINTER KNIVES

1 Cleaning the knivesI Jointer knives can be honed whi le they are in the cutter-head. Start by cleaning them. Shif t the fence away from thetables and move the guard out of the way. Making sure the joint-er is unplugged, rotate the cutterhead with a stick until one of

the knives is at the highest point in i ts rotat ion. Then, holdingthe cutterhead steady with one hand protected by a rag, use asmall brass-bristled brush soaked in solvent to clean the knife(above). Repeat for the other knives.

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r) Aligning the infeed tabteL withthe knivesCut a prece of Yrinch plywood to the widthof the jo inter 's in feed table and secure i tto the table wi th double- faced tape. Theplywood wil l protect the table from scratch-es when you hone the knives. Next , adjustthe infeed table so that the beveled edgeof the knives is at the same level as thetop of the p lywood. Set a s t ra ight boardon the plywood and across the cutterheadand , ho ld ing the cu t te rhead s teady w i ththe beveled edge of one kni fe para l le l tothe table, lower the in feed table unt i l thebot tom of the board contacts the bevel(left). Use a wood shim to wedse the cut-terhead in o lace.

Honing the knivesSl ide a comb ina t i on s tone even lV

across the beveled edge of the knife (right).Move the stone with a side-to-side motionunt i l the bevel is f lat and sharp, avoidingcontact with the cutterhead. Reoeat theprocess to hone the remaining knives.

80


SHARPENING J()INTER KNIVES

.|i tii dr iill llj ,Ij ,jji JL tJ l|t ii]l ,ll il[ llll lli lill lil 'ii1HO? TI?thifting knivesfor longer lifeTo Vrolonq the l i feof a set ol jointer

1 Removing the knivest -

I To g ive jo inter kn ives a f u l l - f ledgedsharpening, remove them f rom the cut-t e rhead . Unp lug the mach ine , sh i f t t hefence away f rom the tables, and movethe gua rd ou t o f t he way . Use a sma l lwood scrap to rotate the cut terheadun t i l t he l ock sc rews secu r i ng one o fthe knives are accessib le between thetables. Cover the edge of the kni fe wi tha raglo protect your hands. then use awrench to loosen each screw (above).

L i f t t he kn i f e and the re ta in ing wedgeout of the cut terhead.

knives LhaN have beennicked, loosen LhetocK 5crew6 Oecur-ing one knife andsl ide the kni feaboul ' /a inch in e iNher d i rect r ion. I iqhten lhelock screwe and carefully rotaLe trhe cuLler-

B I


r-) Cleaning the retaining wedgeL Clean any pi tch or gum from the retaining wedge using abrass-bristled brush dipped in solvent (above, left). ff the faceof the retaining wedge that butts against the kni fe is pi t ted orrough, you may have trouble sett ing the kni fe height when rein-

s ta l l ing the kn i fe . F la t ten the face o f the wedge as you wou ldthe sole of a plane (page 40) unt i l i t is smooth. Also use thebrush to clean the slot in the cutterhead that houses the retain-ing wedge and knife (above, right).

? Instal l ing the kni fe in a sharpening j igr -J Use a commerc ia l kn i fe -sharpen ingj ig to sharpen the jo in te r kn i fe . Centerthe kn i fe in the j ig beve l up and c lamp i tin place by t ightening the wing nuts; usea rag to protect your hand (right). Makesure that the blade is paral lel with the l ipof the j ig. l f the kni fe does not extend outfar enough from the jig, insert a wood shimbetween the kni fe and the i ip clamns

B2


Sharpening the knifeSet a sharpening stone on a flat, smooth work surface; in

the i l lustrat ions on this page, a diamond-gr i t waterstone isshown. To adjust the j ig so the beveled edge of the jointerkni fe is f lat on the stone, turn the j ig over, rest the bevel onthe stone, and turn the wing nuts at the other end of the j ighbovd. Lubricate the stone-in this case with water-and

sl ide the kni fe back and forth. Holding the knob-end of the j igf lat on the work surface and pressing the kni fe on the stone,move the j ig in a f igure-eight pattern (below). Cont inue unt i lthe bevel is flat and sharp. Carefully remove the knife from thejig and hone the flat side of the knife to remove any burr formedin the sharpening process.

83


R Reinstall ing the knife in the jointer

: , f Inser t the reta in ing wedge in the cut-t e rhead cen te r i nc i t i n t he s l o t w i t h i t sgrooved edge facing up. With the bevelededge of the kni fe fac ing the out feed table,s l ip i t between the reta in ing wedge andthe front edge of the slot, leaving the bev-e l prot ruding f rom the cut terhead.

fi Setting the knife heightL,f Adjust the height of the kni fe using acommercial jig (page 85), or do the job byhand, as shown at right. Cover the edge ofthe kn i fe w i th a rag and par t ia l l y t igh teneach lock screw on the re ta in ing wedge.Use a smal l wooden wedge to rotate thecut te rhead un t i l the edge o f the kn i fe i sa t i t s h ighes t po in t -a lso known as TopDead Center or TDC. Then, holding the cut-terhead stat ionary with a wedge, place astraight hardwood board on the outfeedtable so that it extends over the cutterhead.The knife should just brush against the boarda long the kn i fe 's en t i re length . l f no t , usea hex wrench to adlust the knife jack screws.Once the kn i fe i s a t the cor rec t he igh t ,t igh ten the lock screws on the re ta in ingwedge fu l l y , beg inn ing w i th the one in thecenter and working out toward the edges.Sharpen and instal l the remaining knivesthe same way.

B4


INSTALLING J()INTER KNIVES

Using a knife-setting jig

WITH A JIG

The j ig shown at r ight features magneticarms tha t w i l l ho ld a jo in te r kn i fe a t thecorrect height while you tighten the retain-ing wedge lock screws. Insert the kni fe inthe cutterhead and posit ion i t at i ts high-est point as you would to instal l the kni feby hand (page 84). Then mark a l ine onthe fence direct ly above the cutt ing edge.Posit ion the kni fe-sett ing j ig on the out-feed table, al igning the reference l ine onthe j ig a rm wi th the marked l ine on thefence, as shown. Mark another l ine on thefence directly above the second referencel ine on the j ig a rm. Remove the j ig andextend this l ine across the outfeed table.(The l ine w i l l he lp you qu ick ly pos i t ionthe j ig the nex t t ime you ins ta l l a kn i fe . )Reposit ion the j ig on the table, al igning i tsre fe rence l ines wr th the marked l ines onthe fence. Then use a wrench to tishten thelock screws (rEhf).

SHARPENING PLANER KNIVES

Removing and instal l ing a planer kni feRemove a olaner kni fe from the machineand sharpen i t as you would a jointer kni fe(page Bi) . To reinstal l the kni fe use thekn i fe -se t t ing gu ide supp l ied w i th themachine or a commercial ly avai lable mod-el l ike the one shown on page 79. Placethe kn i fe in the p laner cu t te rhead andpart ial ly t ighten the setscrews. Hold theknife-sett ing guide beside one of the set-screws so that its two feet are resting onthe cutterhead on each side of the open-ing, Then adjust the setscrew with a hexwrench until the edge of the knife contactsthe bottom of the guide (/eff). Repeat forthe remaini ng setscrews.

< r lJointer knife-eettinq jig

85

INGPORIABLE PO\ATERTOOLS

hatever their price range orlist offeatures, all portable

power tools will work better and lastIonger ifthey are cared for proper-ly. At its most basic, preventivemaintenance is easy to do and takesno more than a few minutes. At theend of your work day, for example,get in the habit of cleaning dust anddirt from your tools. Refer to theschedules on page 88 for addition-al maintenance ideas. When youbuy a new tool, register the warrantyand file the owner's manual in aconvenient place and follow all theoperating and maintenance instruc-tions suggested by the manufac-turer. Owner's manuals typicallyinclude troubleshooting guides tohelp users recognize and handlemalfunctions. Keep your tool's orig-inal packaging should you need toreturn an item for servicing.

Because portable tools are elec-trically powered, caring for them is cal repair, you are better offtakingas much a matter of safety as of performance. Today's power the tool to an authorized service center. If you do elect to opentools are designed to insulate thi user from electrical ihock, up a tool to repair or replace an internal component, labelbut any tool that develops an electrical problem canbehaz- the wiring and the parts you disconnect to help you reassem-ardous. This chapter provides illustrations of the portable pow- ble the tool properly. The age and value of a tool is also a con-er tools commonly used in woodworking with cutawayviews sideration. The most worthwhile remedy for a 2O-year-oldof their principal electrical and mechanical components. The drill with a burned-out motor may be a new drill rather thandrawings are designed to help showyou where these parts are a new motor.

A combination square confirms that the blade of a circular saw is per-pendicular to the tool's base plate. All power saws rely on this alignment

for accurate cuts. To correct the adjustment, Ioosen the bevel adjustmentknob shown in the photo at left and tilt the base plate until the square isflush against both the plate and blade, then tighten the knob.

A belt sander in a commercial stand is pairedwith a p\nuood truing jig to correct a router'sout-of-round sub-base, which can produce

imprecise cuts. To correct the problem, installa centering pin in the router, drill a hole in the

jig to hold the pin, and turn on the sander.Then slowly rotate the sub-base against the belt

until it is perfectly round.

typically located and recognizewhere a tool may have a problem.

Fortunately, the parts of a pow-er tool that endure the most abuseand most often suffer damage arethose that are also the easiest toaccess: the plugs, power cords,motor brushes, and on/offswitch-es. As shown beginning on page 98,these components can be replacedeasily and inexpensively. Beforeundertaking a repair, however,check whether the tool is still cov-ered by the manufacturer's warran-ty. Opening up a tool that is stillunder warranty will usually voidthe guarantee.

The decision to repair otherparts of a portable powei tool, suchas the motor and motor bearing,for example, depends on a numberof factors, including your own abil-ities. Unless you feel comfortablemaking an electrical or mechani-

87

MAINTENANCE TIPS AND SCHEDULES

f here are no industry-wide standardsI for servicing portable power tools

designed for the home shop. Manufac-turers of industrial-use oower tools issuemaintenance schedules for their products,but these tools typically undergo heavieruse than the average home workshoptool. For industrial tools, servicing is usu-ally scheduled every 100 hours ofuseand includes a comolete overhaul. Brush-es are replaced, bearings are cleaned andlubricated (or replaced), and the wiring,motor, and other electrical componentsare checked and, ifnecessary, repaired.

For the typical power tool in thehome shop, however, maintenanceschedules and requirements are lessclearcut. Much depends on how a toolis used. A circular saw used by the week-end woodworker to cut the occasionalplank will obviously require less atten-tion than one used by a busy carpenteror cabinetmaker who regularly relies on

Checking portable power toolsThe chart at r ight l ists the checks thatshould be made on portable power toolson a regular basis. Develop a t imetablethat sui ts your work habits. Tools thatare used frequently or that get heavy useshould be checked often.

his tool to crosscut 8/4 stock and sawsheets of plywood to manageable lengths.

The chart below lists the checks thatshould be made on many portable pow-er tools. The tasks listed are straightfor-ward and can be done in a matter ofminutes. How often you perform thesechecks will depend on your own needsand circumstances. As a rule of thumb,any tool that does not perform the wayit is designed to should be investigated.You can do the work yoursell but beaware that troubleshooting electricalproblems in a power tool requires spe-cialized, equipment as well as a soundknowledge of how to use it. If you areuncomfortable working with electrici-ty, take the tool to an authorized servicecenter for reoair.

While tools made a few decades agocan be completely disassembled, manyrecent models feature internal compo-nents that are factory-sealed and virtu-

ally inaccessible. In some tools, forexample, the bearings are mechanical-ly pressed onto the motor spindle.Attempting to separate the bearing fromthe motor in such tools without the rightinstrument will destroy the bearing.Manufacturers claim that such devel-opments in tool technology have pro-duced more durable, longer-lastingproducts. While this is no doubt true,one consequence for the power tool buffof tools with no "user-serviceable parts"is that repairs can only be carried out byproperly equipped service centers.

To get the most from your tools andkeep repairs to a minimum, refer to thetips listed on the opposite page. Readyour owner's manual before using a toolto make certain you can operate it prop-erly. And never tryto use a tool for a taskfor which it is not designed. A tool willfail when subjected to stress it is not builtto handle.

T00t

Router

Saber Saw

Plate Joiner

Electric Drill

Belt Sander

Gircular Saw

MAINTENANCE

Check the collet for play and run out (page 91)Clean the col let and soindleEnsure that the sub-base is smooth and free of damage

Check the guide rollers and blade supports for wearCheck the blade clamoCheck that base is square to blade

Check the plunge mechanism for playCheck the blade and spindle for wearInspect the pins and gl idesInsoect the drive belt

Check the chuck bearing for playInspect the chuck for wear

Check the steel platen and cork pad for wearCheck the drive beltCheck the end roller for damage or excessive playInspect the condition of the rubber on the drive roller

Lubricate the gearsCheck the arbor bearingsCheck the guard return springsCheck blade al ignment

Check the pad for wear or splittingCheck the eccentric bearing (on random-orbit sander)Check the pad support

Orbital Sander

88

MAINTAINING PORTABLE POWER TOOLS

MINIMUM WIRE GAUGE FOR EXTENSION C()RDS

AMPERAGE RATING OF TOOI

0-2.0

2.r-3.43.5-5 .0

5 .1-7 .0

7. t - r2 .012.T-T6

MINIMUM GAUGE FOR DIFFERENT LENGTH CORDS

MAINTENANCE TIPS FORPORTABTE POWER TOOTS

. Read your owner's manual carefullybefore operating any tool.

. Do not use a tool if any of its partsis loose or damaged; inspect blades,bits, and accessories before startingan ooeration.

. Keeo blades and bits clean andsharp; discard any that are chippedor damaged.

o Turn a tool off if it produces an unfa-miliar vibration or noise; have the toolserviced before resuming operations.

. Do not leave a tool running when itis unattended.

. Follow the manufacturer's instruc-tions to change blades, bits, or acces-sories; unplug the tool f irst.

. Before cutting, shaping, or sandinga workpiece, remove loose knots usinga hammer; inspect salvaged wood fornails and screws before cutting.

r Do not attempt to cut through nails;this can cause kickback and also ruina blade or bit.

. Use the appropriate wire gauge whenreplacing a damaged power cord orusing an extension cord.

. Keep the power cord out of the tool'spath; do not use the tool if the cordis frayed.

. Make sure the blade or bit is notin contact with the workoiece whenyou turn on a tool; allow the cutter tocome to full speed before feeding itinto the stock.

. Do not force a tool through a cut;this can snap a blade or cause it toveer off course. Allow the blade or bitto cut at its own speed.

. Make sure that any keys and adjust-ing wrenches are removed from thetool before turning it on.

. Keep a tool's air vents clear of saw-dust to avoid overheating the motor.

r Do not use a tool for extended oeri-ods of t ime without allowing it to cool.

50'

1 8

1 8

18

1 6

T 4

I 2

75'

1 8

18

1 6

I 4

t z

10

100'

1 8

1 6

L 4

I 2

1 0

Ghoosing the proper wire gaugeUsing an extension cord with the wrong gauge may cause a drop in line voltage, result-ing in a loss of power, excessive heat, and tool burnout. To determine the minimumwire gauge needed for the tool and task at hand, see the chart above. lf, for instance,yourtool has a 4-amp motor and you are using a 5O-foot extension cord, the mini-mum gauge should be 18. Choose only round-jacketed extension cords listed bytheUnderwriters Laboratory (UL), or the Canadian Standards Association (CSAI.

lllt illl lllr lll lll] filr lllr illl l]l1 lllt llll llll l]lt llll llil llll llll llll5HO7 Tt?5tor ingbiteThe cutlinq ed4ee of router and drillbite, parLicularily Nhoee maAe of car'bide, can be nicked if Ihey are IhrownNoqeLher in eloraqe. Trot'ecl yourbibe wi lh a oimple ehop-made holder.ln a block of wood. bore a eeriee ofholee Lhe size of lhe bit shankeand store Nhem wibh trhecuLtinq edqe uV.

89

ANATOMY OF A ROUTER

Upper moior bearingLocaLed aL end of moLorahaf| to reduce fricLiona9 motor armaTureapine; may be aealed

Eleatronic variableapeed control

Eruoh aeaemblyA eprinq-loaded carbonrod encaaed in a houo-in4; conducta currenl,to the mot;or arma-ture. Exceeeive eparkeflyin4 from Lhe m,otorindicaLe worn bruahea

?train relieverDeeiqned to prevent,cord wear and fraying

On/off switch

Plunge loak knobDit can be plunqedwhen knob ra looa-ened; Li7htened toIock deotred cut-Lin4 depth in place

Depth etop barSeLe cuI;tin7depth; qapbel,ween end ofbar and aLopocrew equaladepth of cuL

Power aord

Depth stop bar clampLooaened to releaaedepth otop bar; tt7hhenedf,o eet cuttinq depth

PIug

Eaee plateor sub-baseMuat be emooLhand free of qouqea

Turret etopKoLatee to poertion approprt-ate etop ecrew under depLhetop bar; hei7ht of each acrewte adjuotable to vary cuLtin4depth of aucceesive paeeee

90


CHECKING THE COLLET FOR RUNOUT

Using a dial indicator and a magnetic baseInstal l a center ing pin in the router as youwould a bit and set the tool upside downon a metal surface, such as a table saw.Connect a d ia l ind ica tor to a magnet icbase and olace the base next to the router.Turn on the magnet and position the routerso the centering pin contacts the plungero f the d ia l ind ica tor . Ca l ib ra te the d ia lindicator to zero fol lowing the manufac-turer's instructions. Then turn the shaft ofthe router by hand to rotate the centeringpin (righil. The dial indicator will registercollet runout-the amount of wobble thatthe col let is causing the bi t . l f the runoutexceeds 0.005 inch, replace the col let .

Using a feeler gaugelf you do not have a dial indicator, you cantest for col let runout with a feeler gaugeand a straight hardwood block. With thecenter ing pin in the col let and the routerupside down on a work surface, clamp theblock lightly to the tool's sub-base so thepiece of wood touches the pin. Turn therouter shaft by hand; any runout will causethe center ing pin to move the block. Thenuse a feeler gauge to measure any gapbetween the pin and the block (/eft). lf thegap exceeds 0.005 inch, replace the collet.

9 1

ANATOMY OF A SABER SAW

Trigger-loak buttonLocke tri4qer awitch in depreeeedpoeiLion for conLinuoue eawinq

5train relieverDeaigned to preventcord wear and fraytn4

Gear aeaembly

Ecaentricarank bloakDriveareciprocatingahaft

Power cord

Elade clampSecuree bladeto ahafD; blade

Erush aaeemblyA epring-loaded carbon rodencaaed in a houeinq: conducLacurrent to the mo'or armal;ure.Exceeaive aparko flyinq fromthe motor ei4nify worn brueheo

is rnaerted incollar and aet-ecrew ie tiqhtened

Reaiprocatin7 ahaft

Guide rollerSupporto backof blade

Motor bearingLocated at end of motorahaft to reduce frictionaa motor armatureopina; may be eealed

Eaee plate or shoe

ffi Eaee plate oetsarewg -.---

Looeened to ttlt

Wa baee ptate

aPlug

Variable speed dial

92


SOUARING THE BLADE

lllt tlll ljll ljll lill lill lll1 lllt llll tl| llll llil lllr llll lllJ illj llll llll1HO? TI?Extending blade lifelf mosf, of the olockyoucut is 3/+ inch or thinner,lhe top third of your bladewil l be Lhe only port ion showinqwear.To make belNer uoe of lhefull lenqlh of the cutLinq edqe,inslal l an auxi l iary ehoe on the baeep la le o fLhe eaw oncetheNopth i rd o fa blade begino No dul l . To make Ihe ehoe,cul a piece of Yz-inch plywood Nhe eamelen4Ih as the baee Vlate and el iqht ly wider.Hold Lhe wood a4ainoLtrhe plate and markLhe outline ol Nhe nolch cul ouN for Nhe blade.

Ghecking the blade angleSquare a saber saw blade each time youins ta l l a new b lade. Unp lug the saw,then secure i t upside down in a benchvise as shown above. Use a combinat ionsouare to check whether the b lade issquare with the base plate. lf not, loosenthe base olate setscrew with a hex wrenchand t i l t the p la te un t i l the b lade bu t tsf lush aga ins t the square . Then t igh tenthe setscrew.

1aw ouNIhe notch and cut, a eloLfor Nhe blade. )crewLhe auxi l iary ehoe in Vlace, makinq oure NhaI the backof Lhe blade f i te in Nhe eloL ( l f Nhe blade ie noI 6u?-porLed, it may wander and break when you are cutIin7.)

93

ANATOMY OF A PLATE IOINER

Fixed-angled face)eta qap between cutter wheeland Lop face of workpiece; elideeup and down on adjuatable fence Depth adjuatment knob

For aettin7 cuttin4depth of cutter wheel

On/off switch

Locking lever)ete adjuat-able fence atany anqle fromO" to 90' Adjustable fenae

Keepa faceplate aquareto beveled aurface;fence reeta on top ofworkpiece during cut

Cutterwheel Loaking nut

)ecurea baae plateto motor houetng

?lu6 ----, Power cord

94

ANATOMY OF AN ELECTRIC DRILL

Motor bearingLocated at end of motorahaft t.o reduce frictionag motor armaf,ureapina; may be sealed

Erush aesemblyA oprin7-loaded carbon rodencaaed in a houainq; conductscurrent to the motor armature,)parka flyinq from the motor iaa aian of worn brushes

Revereing switahChangea directionof motor rotation

Variable speed trigger switchDial aeta motor apeed

95

ANATOMY OF A SANDER

Druah aaeemblyA sorina-loaded carbon rod encaeed tn ahoiaini: conducLe current Lo Lhe moLor

Motor bearingLocated aL end of moLor ehafLto reduce frtction ag maLorarmature epine: may be eealedarmaLure. Exceeatve eparke flyinq from

the motor te a etqn of worn bruehee

On/off trigger

Powercord

Plug

Eleatria aam

Pad

PaperclampPad oupport

96

ANATOMY OF A CIRCULAR SAW

REPAIRING PORTABLE POWER TOOLS

The cap housirtg of a router is lifted off the body of thetool, revenling the wiring connections for the toggle switch

inside. As shown irr the photo at right, gaining access tothe intentnl conlponents of most portable power tools is

simply a matter of loosening the retaining screws thatsecw'e the tool housing to the body. The cap providing

access to the brush assembly for this router is located onthe side of the tool body to the right of the switch.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY TIPS

. Unplug a tool before undertaking any repair to its internalcomponents; you may inadvertently contact current in adefective tool-even with the on/off switch turned off .

. Allow a power tool to cool before servicing it.

. Use only replacement parts that meet the same specif ica-t ions as the or ig inals .

. When a power tool stops working, determine whether ornot the problem originates outside of it before you take itapart. Caref ully examine the tool's power cord; a frayedcord or a broken plug is a common cause of failure.

. Before disassembling a power tool, make a diagram ofwire connections to make reassembly easier.

. Before undertaking a repair, contact the manufacturer tofind out if a service manual for the tool is available.

REPLACING A BRUSH ASSEMBLY

Removing and installing a brush assemblyBrushes are spr ing- loaded carbon rods or blocks that conductelectr ic i ty to the rotat ing armature of a power tool 's motor. Overt ime, b rushes wear o r become damaged. You can access theassembly by unscrewing the brush cap on the tool body-normallya plast ic cap roughly the size of a dime. l f there is no brush cap,you will have to remove the motor housing to access the brushes.Once you have located the brush assembly, careful ly l i f t i t out ofthe tool . To test the brush, push on i t to check the spr ing. l f thespring is damaged or the brush is pi t ted, uneven, or worn shorterthan its width, you will need to replace the assembly. Some brush-es are marked with a wear l ine. Buy a replacement at an autho-r ized service center for your brand of tool . To reinstal l a brushassembly, f i t i t into posit ion in the tool (r ight) , Then insertand t ighten the brush cap or reattach the motor housing.

98


REPLACING A SWITCH

1 Removing the old switchI Set the tool on a work surface, makingsure that i t is unplugged. For the routershown at lef t , remove the cap housingto expose the switch mechanism. Loosenthe switch retaining nut and screws, thendisconnect the wires securing the mecha-nism to the tool . l f the wires are con-nected by wire caps, simply loosen thecaps ( lef t) and untwist the wires. l f theconnect ions are so ldered . sn io the con-nect ions with pl iers. Use short str ips ofmasking tape to label the wires to helpyou reconnect them properly.

r) Instal l ing the replacement switchL Buv a reolacement switch at an autho-r ized service center, not ing the model andserial numbers of your tool . Connect thenew switch to the wires in the tool housing,reversing the steps you took to take outthe o ld one. Remove the mask ing tapestr ips from the wires, twist the wire endsfrom the tool and switch together, andscrew a wire cap onto each connect ion tosecure and insulate i t . Fi t the switch intopos i t ion in the too l hous ing , sc rew theswi tch bracket in p lace , and t igh ten theswitch retaining nut with awrench (ilghil.Replace the tool 's cap housing.

99


REPLACING A POWER C()RD

1 Accessing the cord's wire terminalsI The w i re te rmina ls connect ing a too l ' s power cord to theswi tch mechan ism are conta ined w i th in the motor hous ing .For the sander shown at r ight, reach the terminals by removingthe aux i l ia ry hand le and loosen ing the screws secur ing themain hand le to the too l body . Remove the hand le to exposethe w i re te rmina ls .

/) Disconnecting the old power cordL On a power cord with a two-prong plug, there are usuarytwo wires from the cord connected to wire terminal screws inthe tool housing. Unscrew the plug retaining bracket secur-ing the cord to the tool housing, loosen the terminal screws(below), and caref ully remove the power cord's wire endsfrom the terminals. Use str ips of masking tape to Iabel eachterminal to help you attach the wire ends of the new cord tothe appropriate terminals.

100


Preparing the replacement power cordBuy a replacement power cord at a hardware store or an

authorized service center, making sure i t has the same specif i -cat ions as the or iginal cord. The wire ends of new power cordsare usual ly covered to the end with jacket ing and insulat ion. Toprepare the cord for instal lat ion, use a kni fe to cut away a fewinches of the jacket covering the two wires. Then str ip off about% inch ol the plast ic insulat ion around the wires, exposing theends. You can also use wire strippers for this task (page 102).Avoid cutting into the metal wire; if you sever any of the strands,sn ip o f f the damaged sec t ion and remove more insu la t ion touncover a fresh sect ion. Use needle-nose pl iers to careful ly twistthe wire strands snugly together ( lef t) , then bend the wire endsinto semicircles that wi l l hug the terminals in the tool housing.Place the wire around the screw clockwise from the lef t s ide, soi t wi l l wrap around as the screw is t ightened.

Instal l ing the replacement cordHook the w i re ends around the te rmina ls in the too l

housing, making sure to attach each wire to the appropriatescrew. Remove the masking tape. Holding the power cord inposit ion, screw the cord retaining bracket in place (below),then reinstal l the handles on the tool bodv.

r01


REPLACING A PLUG

1 Removing the old plug and preparing the power cordI Use a knife to slice through the power cord just above theplug. Prepare the cut end of the power cord for the replace-ment plug as you would when replacing a new power cord(page 100). Start by cutting away about 2 inches of the cordjacket with a knife (above, /eff), then removing about % inchof insulat ion to exDose the bare wire. This can be done with

/) Gonnecting the power cordL rcme replacement plugBuy a plug at a hardware store, makingsure i t has the same number and shaoeof prongs as the original. The plug shownconsists of two parts: the prong section,which includes the terminal, a plug case,and retaining screws that hold the twoparts together. Slip the end of the powercord through the plug case, then attacheach w i re end to the te rmina ls on theplug (right), tightening the screws to holdthe wire ends securely.

the kni fe or wire str ippers. With the str ippers, s imply insertthe wire end into the appropriate-size opening, squeeze thejaws of the strippers together (above, right), and pull the wireout. The device wi l l sever the insulat ion. Then use needle-nose pl iers to twist the wire ends together and form theminto a hook.

t02


'flf" ffi*llf'1[l"ffi -fll' lll"$1lll"'llf-ff'fl11lrffilnfll$r1flf1HO? TI?Dieabling a powertoolTo prevenN unaulhorized use of apower tool, olip Ihe boll of a mini-padlock trhrough one of the tinesin lhe power cord pluq. The lockwill make it impoooible to pluqin lhe Nool. l f you are uoinga keyed loak, slore thekeye out of lhe wayin a cupboard ordrawerlhaf, canbe locked.

Q Assembling the plugr.J 0nce the oower cord wires are con-nected to the plug, assemble the twoparts of the plug. Pul l the casing overthe plug and tighten the retaining screwsuntilthey are snug (above). To completethe repa i r , t igh ten the p lug re ta in ingclamp screw. This wi l l securely hold theplug and the power cord together.

103

%r#;

- . .C .#

ffiffi#

GSTA|IONARYPO\AIERTOOLS

A magnetic-base dial indicator checls thespindle of a drill press for runout-the

amount of wobble that the spindle wouldtransmit to a bit or accessory. For accurate

drilling the runout should not exceed0.005 inch. If it does, the spindle should be

replaced or repaired (see page 131).

these tasks, such as checking belts,cleaning switches, and keepingtabletops clean (page 106), apply tomost of the tools. Other mainte-nance tasks are specific to the designof a particular machine, such ascleaning and adjusting the bladeheight and tilt mechanisms ona table saw (page 112),fixinganunbalanced band saw wheel (page122), orbleeding water from an aircompressor (page 139).

Knowing how to tune up yourstationary tools will not only giveyou a deeper understanding ofhow they work; it will also provideyou with a list of things to checkwhen shopping for used models.Is a jointer's fence square? Howmuch runout does a drill presschuck have? Does the miter gaugeof a table saw slide smoothly?

Many woodworkers tune uptheir stationary tools just before thestart of a major project. This can be

difficult to schedule if you are one of those woodworkers whohas many projects on the go. In such cases, it is a good idea todevote a little time periodically to maintaining your stationarytools. That way, every project will benefit from the best yourtools can give.

he precision and consisten-cy we expect from stationary

woodworking machines are onlypossible if the equipment is keptclean and findtuned. Whetheryouhave a cantankerous old band sawthat needs to be cajoled into makinga straight cut, or a brand-new radi-al arm saw that has slipped out ofalignment on the way from the fac-tory, learning how to adjust yourstationary machines properly willimprove the results and increaseyour pleasure from them.

Many woodworkers are appre-hensive about exploring the nutsand bolts of their tools, and manyowner's manuals do not encouragetinkering. However, most station-ary power tools are quite simplein their design and construction.Taking the top offa table saw, whichsounds like a major operation, isfairly simple to do and it can quick-ly reveal how the machine works,and exactly what you should clean, adjust, or tweak to keepit running smoothly.

The chapter that follows presents the major stationary pow-er tools used by woodworkers and explains the basic mainte-nance and troubleshooting procedures for each one. Some of

Wth the wheel covers open, a long straightedge confirms that the wheelsof a band saw are Parallel to each other and in the same wrtical plane.As shown in the photo at left, the straightedge should rest flush againstthe top and bottom of each wheel. The tilt knob on the top wheel can beadjusted to bring the top wheel into proper alignment.

105

BASIC STIITIONARY TOOL MAINTENANCE

Drive belts transmitpower from the motor to

the movingparts inmany stationary power

tools, including the joint-er, disc sander, planer,

qnd table saw Inhigh-torque tools such as thetable saw shown in the

photo at right, threebeltsare used to driye the

arbor. Any drivebelt thatis cracked or wom exten-sively should be replaced.

CHECKING DRIVE BELTS

Checking belt tensionToo much belt tension can strain a stationary tool's motor bear-ings, while too little tension often leads to slippage and exces-sive wear, To check drive belt tension on the jointer shownabove, unplug the tool and remove the panel covering the belt.Then pinch the belt between the pulleys with one hand (above,bD.fhe amount of def lect ion wi l l varv with the tool : as a rule

of thumb, the belt should flex lrzinch for every inch of spanbetween pulleys. lf there is too little or too much tension, adjustit following the manufacturer's instructions. For smooth opera-tion, the pulleys should be aligned; if they are not, loosen theadjustment setscrew on the motor pulley with a hex wrench(above, right), and slide the pulley in line with the other pulley.

106

MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS

MAINTAINING TABTET()PS

MAINTAINING SWITCHES

Cleaning a power switchThe switches on stationary tools can become clogged, causingthe switch to strck or even preventing it from operating. lf theswitch st icks, unplug the tool , remove the switch cover and

Cleaning a stationary machine tabletopTo keep stock running smoothly, clean thetabletop frequent ly, wiping off any pi tchor gum deposits with a rag and mineralspir i ts. Remove any rust or pi t t ing withfine steel wool and penetrating oil (left),then wipe off any residue and sand thearea with fine sandpaper. A coat of pastewax rubbed on and then buffed wi l l makepushing wood into the cutt ing edge muchless t i r ins.

clean the switch immediately. To prevent such problems, peri-odical ly clean out the switch by blowing compressed air intoiI hbove).

r07

TABLE SAWS

tlt h. table saw is the cornerstone ofI manyworkhops, putto use in near-

ly every phase ofevery project. Becauseof its crucial role, your table saw mustbe consistently accurate and its partssquare and true. The normal forces ofroutine use will eventually throw a tablesawout ofalignment. Even a newmachi-ne straight offthe assembly line usuallyneeds a certain amount of adjustmentbefore it can perform safely and properly.

The table saw comDonents that needto be checked and aligned are those thatcome in contact with the workoiece dur-ing the cut: the blade, table, miter gauge,and rip fence. Ifany ofthese parts is notin proper alignment, you risk burnmarks, tapered cuts, or kickback.

The simple tune-up proceduresshown below and on the pages that fol-low will improve the performance of any

CHECKING TABLE ALIGNMENT

table saw. It is a good idea to take thetime to undertake them before startinga new proiect. For the sake of efficien-cy, follow the steps in the order theyappear. You will onlybe able to align themiter gauge with the saw blade, forexample, if the table has been squaredwith the blade. For safety, remember tounplug your saw before performingthese checks and adjustments.

Most table saws feature worm gearand rack mechanisms connected to

crank wheels to raise and tilt the arborassembly and blqde. These mecha-nisms can become caked with pitch

and sawdust, preventing the saw fromoperating smoothly. In the photo at

right, compressed air is being used tocleqn the blade height mechanism.

1 Checking the table alignmentI The face of the miter gauge and the blade must be perfectlyperpendicular. To check this, posi t ion the miter gauge at thefront of the saw blade. Clamp a square wood block against themiter gauge with the end of the block butted against a saw bladetooth. Mark an X on the blade next to the tooth;this wi l l enableyou to check the same sec t ion o f b lade shou ld you need to

repeat the test after performing step 2. Slide the miter gauge andthe block together toward the back of the table while rotating theblade by hand (above). The block should remain butted againstthe tooth as the blade rotates from front to back. lf a gap opensbetween the block and the tooth, or the block binds against theblade as it is rotated, you will need to align the Iable (step 2).

108


r) Aligning the saw tableZ nalust the saw table fol lowing theowner's manual instruct ions. For the mod-el shown, use a hex wrench to loosen thetable bolts that secure the top to the sawsland ?ight); the bolts are located underthe table. Loosen al l but one of the boltsand adjust the table posit ion sl ight ly; theboli you leave tightened will act as a pivot,s impl i fy ing the al ignment process. Repeatthe blade test (sfep l). Once the table iscorrect ly al igned with the blade, t ightenthe table bolts.

Checking the b lade angleRemove the table insert , then butt a

combinatron square against the saw bladebetween two teeth (lefD. fhe blade of thesquare shou ld f i t f lush aga ins t the sawblade. l f there is a gap between the two,rotate the blade angle adjustment crankunt i l the saw blade rests f lush against thesquare's blade. Reposition the angle adjust-ment stop so that the blade wi l l return toits proper position each time it is adjusted.

109

MAINTAINING STA|IONARY POWER TOOLS

SOUARING THE MITER GAUGE

\ / , / :

Aligning the miter gauge with the saw tableWith the miter gauge out of the table slot,use a combinat ion souare to conf i rmthat the face of the gauge is squarewith the edge of the gauge bar (above,Ieft) . l f i t is not, use the adjustmenthandle on the gauge to square the two.Then place the miter gauge in its tableslot and butt the square against the gauge(above, right). The blade of the squareshou ld f i t f lush aga ins t the gauge. l fthere is a gap between the two, havethe gauge machined square at a metal-working shop.

Illl ljll l]ll llj llll tlll l]ll fitl lllt ljll lllt filt ljlt tllj llll lllt llll tlll1HO? TI?Fixin1 alooeemiter gaugeTo eliminateexc e o6iv e si d e -t o - ei d eVlay of the miter qauqein iIs sloL, remove theqauqe from the t ableand place trhe baredqe up on a board, \Uee a bal l -oeen ham-mer and a pr ick punchLo etrike the edqe of thebar in a otaqqered pa|ternevery inch alona it. This will raievery inch alonq iL This will raiee bumpo on lhe edqeof the bar and resulL in a Niahuer fit, in the eloL, lf NhefiL is Noo Iiqht,, fi le Ihe bumpe down as neceooary.

1 1 0

MAINTAINING STAfIONARY POWER TOOLS

TESTING THE TABLE SAW FOR SOUARE

ALIGNING THE RIP FENCE

Adjusting the rip fenceLock the r ip fence in place alongside the miter s lot . l f the fenceand the slot are not paral lel , adjust the angle of the fence fol-lowing the manufacturer 's instruct ions. Some models featureadjustment bolts at the front of the table that you can loosen or

Checking your adjustmentsTest the accuracy of your table saw adjust-ments by crosscutt ing a couple of scrapboards. To check the blade-to-table align-ment , mark an X on a board and cu t i tface down a t your mark . Then tu rn thecutoff over and hold the cut ends together(board A in the illustration at left). Any gapbetween the two ends reoresents twice theerror in the table al ignment; i f necessary,repeat the test shown in step 3 on page109. To check the miter gauge adjustment,crosscut the second board, face down aswel l , f l ip one piece over, and butt thetwo pieces together on edge (board B).Again, any gap represents twice the errorin the adjustment. lf necessary, squarethe miter gauge again (page 110).

tighten with a hex wrench to change the alignment (above, left);others have fence adjustmeni bolts that you can loosen with awrench (above, right). For this model, adjust the fence parallelto the miter slot, then retighten the adjustment bolts.

1 1 1


LEVELING THE TABTE INSERT

ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT AND TILT MECHANISMS

Cleaning the trunnionslf your table saw's blade st icks or moves sluggishly when youraise or t i l t i t , c lean the height and t i l t adjustment mechanismsinside the saw. Start by removing the tabletop following the man-ufacturer's instructions. Blow out the sawdust with comoressedair, then clean the moving parts within the saw. Start with theblade height and tilt mechanisms (above, /eff), using solvent and

Adjusting the leveling screwsTo set the table insert level with the sawtable, place a square board across theinsert and the table. Adjust the level ingscrews at the corners of the insert with ahex wrench (lefD until the insert is f lushwi th the tab le top . You can a lso ad jus tthe insert s l ight ly below the table at thefront and sl ight ly above the table at theback; this will prevent the workpiece fromcatching or binding on the insert dur ingthe cut. lf your saw's insert does not haveleveling screws, file or shim the insert tomake i t l ie f lush with the table.

a brass-bristle brush to remove stubborn pitch and hardened saw-dust deposits. Then scrub the machined ways on the front andrear trunnions (above, right). Once all the parts are clean, lubri-cate all the moving parts with a graphite or silicon-based lubri-cant; oi l and grease should be avoided as they tend to col lectdust. Replace the tabletop and fine-tune the saw (page 108).

t12

RADIALARMSAWS

I radial arm saw's many pivoting andA sliding parts enable you to pull ablade tluough a workpiece in a variety ofangles and directions. This flexibility,however, can lead to problems. Unlessthe sads moving parts are kept in align-ment, its perfonnance can become slop-py and potentially dangerous.

The procedures that follow will helpyou fine-tune a radial arm saw so that it

will cut accurately and safely. Adjustinga radial arm saw can be time-consumingbecause of its many moving parts. Tomake the adjustments manageable, youcan perform them in two steps: testingand adjusting the table, clamps and rollerbearings (page 114), and aligning andsquaring the blade (page 1 17).

For safety, unplug your sawwhile per-forming these checks and adjustments.

One of the most common problems with the radial arm saw isblade rotation that is not parallel or perpendicular to the table,

known as blade heel. A simple L-shaped sounding jig shown in thephoto at right can help you diagnose and correct heeling. A blade

that is turning true will produce a uniform sound as its teethbrush against the sharpened dowel projectingfrom the jig. The

sound of a heeling blade will change as its teeth touch the dowel.

CLEANING THE SLIDING MECHANISMS

Cleaning the track and bearingsUse a solution of ammonia and water toclean your radial arm saw's track and rollerbearings. Pull the yoke as far back as itwill go, then wipe the track using a cleanrag dampened with the solvent (left). Pushthe yoke toward the column and clean thefront portion of the track. Next, clean theroller bearings, located to the front andrear of the carriage that connects the yoketo the arm. Wrap the rag around your finger,dip it in the solvent, and hold it againstthe roller bearing while pushing the yokeaway from you. Coat the track and bear-ings with light machine oil, then wipe offthe excess.

1 1 3


ADJUSTING THE TABLE

Leveling the table with the armTil t the saw's motor unt i l the arbor pointsdown, i ts end sl ight ly above table Ievel.Then swivel the arm to posit ion the arborover the ra i l nu ts on bo th s ides o f thetab le ; in each pos i t ion measure the gapbetween the arbor and the table. l f themeasurements a re no t equa l , ra ise thelow end o f the tab le by tu rn ing the ra i lnu t in a c lockwise d i rec t ron , us ing thehead of an adjustable wrench to lever upthe table surface (left). f hen make thesame adjustment on the other side of thetable. Reoeat the measurements to makesure the table is level.

ADJUSTING THE CTAMPS

1 Adjusting the miter clampI Swivel the arm to the r ight to a posi-t ion between 0" and 45". Lock the miterclamp, which on the saw shown is locatedat the front end of the arm. Try to pushthe end of the arm toward the 0' position(r ight) , l f there is any play in the arm,ad jus t the c lamp tha t ho lds i t in p lace .For the model shown, use a hex wrenchto t igh ten the mi te r c lamp ad jus tmentscrew, located inside an access hole atthe back end of the arm.

tt4

MAINTAINING STAIIONARY POWE,R TOOLS

r) Adjusting the yoke clampL Rotate the yoke to a position between the ones used forc rosscut t ing and r ipp ing . Lock the yoke c lamp hand le , thenuse both hands to try and push the motor to the crosscutt ingposition (above). The motor should not budge; if it does, adjustthe clamp that locks i t in posi t ion. For the model shown, t ight-en the ad jus tment nu t loca ted under the arm fo l low ing themanufacturer 's instruct ions, Lock the clamp and check againfor play.

Q Adiusting the bevel clamp\, , Ti l t the motor to a oosit ion between 0'and 45", Lock thebevel c lamp, then use both hands to try to move the motor(above). l f there is any looseness, adjust the clamp. For themodel shown, use a socket wrench to tighten the motor supportnut at the back of the motor, then release the clamp and tryt i l t ing the motor to each of the preset angles; i f you cannotmove the motor, loosen the support nut slightly. Otherwise, lockihe clamp again and check once more for play in the motor.

Adjusting the rip clampLock the r i p c l amp , t hen use bo th

hands to t r y t o s l i de t he yoke a long thearm (left). The yoke should not move; ifi t does, adjust the c lamp. For the modelshown , re lease the c lamp . t hen use awrench to t ighten the nut at the end oft he r i p c l amp bo l t . T ry s l i d i ng t he yokealong the arm; i f i t b inds, loosen the locknut slightly. Otherwise, recheck the clampand t ighten the nut fur ther i f needed.

1 1 5


CARING FOR THE STIDING MECHANISMS

r) Adjusting column-to-base tensionL Wtpe the co lumn c lean, then loosen the four se tscrewson the front of the column base using a hex wrench. To checkco lumn- to -base tens ion , use bo th hands to t ry to l i f t the endof the arm (above, lef t) ; there should be l i t t le or no give tothe co lumn. Turn the e leva t ing c rank in bo th d i rec t ions ; thearm shou ld s l ide smooth ly up and down. l f there is excess ivemovement a t the co lumn- to -base jo in t , o r i f the arm jumps or

'l Adjusting the carriage roller bearingsI To check the carr iage rol ler bearings,press your thumb against each one in turnwhi le sl id ing the carr iage away from yourhand. The bearings should turn as the car-r iage sl ides along the arm. l f your thumbkeeps one of them from turning, you wi l lneed to tighten the bearing; if the carriagebinds on the arm, a bearing wi l l need to beloosened. In ei ther case, adjust the bear-ing whi le holding the bolt stat ionary with asecond wrench (lefil.f ighten or loosen thebolt as required, then ret ighten the nut.

vibrates as i t is raised or lowered, adjust the four bolts locat-ed in the access holes on the back cover of the base. Reoeatthe tests and, i f necessary, make addit ional adlustments. Thentry pushing the arm sideways (above, right); if there is any rota-t ion of the column, t ighten the setscrews just enough to pre-vent movement. Run through the tests a f inal t ime, f ine-tuningthe adiustments.

l l 6


SqUARING THE BLADE

1 Squaring the blade with the tableI Set the saw's yoke in the crosscuttingposition and install a blade. Release thebevel c lamp and t i l t the motor counter-clockwise as far as it will go in the 0" posi-tion. Relock the clamp. To check the bladeposition, butt a framing square between twosaw teeth (right).Ihe square should fit flushagainst the side of the blade. l f any gapshows between them, adjust the bevelclamp setscrews and tilt the motor to bringthe blade flush against the square.

r) Squaring the blade with the fenceZ. Release the miter c lamo and swivelthe arm to the r ight as far as i t wi l lgo inthe 0" posi t ion, then relock the clamp.Release the rip clamp and butt one arm ofa framing square against the fence whi lethe other just touches the blade toothnearest to the table. Holding the bladesteady, slide the yoke along the arm (left);pul l s lowly to avoid dul l ing the tooth. Theblade should make a constant rubbing soundas it moves along the edge of the square.lf a gap opens up between the blade andthe square, or i f the blade binds, adjustthe setscrews in the column base follow-ing the manufacturer 's instruct ions.

I17


C()RRECTING BLADE HEEL

Eliminating vertical blade heelTilt the motor counterclockwise as far

as i t wi l l go in the vert ical posi t ion, thenlock the bevel c lamo. To test for vert icalhee l ing , pos i t ion the sound ing j ig so tha tthe t ip of the horizontal dowel al igns witha blade tooth near the back of the table.Lower the blade and send it spinning back-ward so you can sample the sound as inslep I (r ight) . Sl ide the yoke along thearm and repeat the process , ad jus t ingthe height i f necessary; once again l istenfor changes in tone. l f there is a discrep-ancy, release the yoke clamp and adjustthe motor 's posi t ion fol lowing the manu-facturer 's instruct ions. Retest unt i l eachtest produces simi lar tones.

1 Fine{uning horizontal rotationI Instal l a blade and set the motor in i tshorizontal posi t ion; t i l t the motor counter-clockwise as far as i t wi l l go, then lock thebevel c lamp. To test for blade heel, bui ldan L-shaped sounding j ig and bore twoholes in i t . Sharpen the ends of two dow-els and f i t them into the j ig as shown. Thenposit ion the j ig to al ign a blade tooth nearthe back of the table direct ly over the ver-tical dowel. Lower the blade until the toothrests l ight ly on the dowel; c lamp the j igin p lace . Wear ing a work g love , sp in theblade backward, l isten, and caref ul ly notethe sound (/ef f) . Sl ide the yoke along thearm to al ign a tooth near the front of thetable over the dowel and repeat the test.The sound should be the same in both posi-t ions. l f i t is not, adjust the motor supportnut according to the manufacturer's instruc-t ions and repeat the test.

1 1 8


TESTING Y()UR ADJUSTMENTS

Testing the saw for squareYou can check the accuracy of your adjust-ments to a radial arm saw much as youwould for a table saw (page 112). To deter-mine whether the blade is square to thesaw table, mark an X on a wide board andcrosscut i t at your mark. Then turn onepiece over and hold the cut ends together(A in the i l l us t ra t ion a t r igh t ) . Any gapbetween the two ends represents twice theerror in the blade-to-table al ignment; i fnecessary, repeat the adjustment shownon page 1 17. Now butt the two boardsagainst the fence (B). l f the two pieces donot fit together perfectly the blade is notsquare to the fence. Again, any gap repre-sents twice the error; if necessary, squarethe blade to the fence.

INSTALLING A FENCE AND AUXILIARY TABLE

Cutting a kerf in the fence and auxiliary tableInstal l a fence of %-inch-thick, knot-freewood between the table spacer and thefront table; make the fence sl ight ly higherthan the thickness of your workpiece. Foran aux i l ia ry tab le , cu t a p iece o f %- inchhardboard or plywood the same size as thefront table and use contact cement to glueit down, leaving a slight gap between it andthe fence to prevent sawdust from jammingbetween the two. Before crosscutt ing ormaking miter cuts, slice through the fenceand Yrc to % inch deep into the auxi l iarytable in the 90' and 45' oaths of the blade.Then, raise the blade above the table androtate the motor to the r ipping posit ion.Turn on the saw and lower i t to make a%o- inch-deep cu t . Pu l l the yoke a longthe arm to fu r row out a sha l low r ipt rough in the aux i l ia ry tab le .

gO" ker-t Auxiliary table

l l 9

BAND SAWS

Tl or many woodworkers the band-I saw's thin, flexibte blade makes it thetool of choice for cutting curves, resaw-ing, and making fine, straight cuts. Andbecause the blade teeth cut downward,there is no danger ofkickback.

Since the band saw blade is onlysupported on the crown of two large

After many hours of use, the tires onband saw wheels can become worn,caked with sawdust, or stretched out ofshape.If the thickness of aband saw tireis uneven around thewheel. inserting ascrewdriver blade under the tire, asshown in the photo at left, and work-ing it around the tire's circumferencecan restore its proper shape.

wheels, it must be properly tensionedand tracked (page 123) every time youchange blades, otherwise you riskcrooked cuts and broken blades. Setupadjustments for the machine are nottime-consuming, but they are impor-tant. Particular attention should be paidto the alignment of the wheels (page123). Misaligned wheels can Gruse exces-sive blade vibration. Also periodicallyadjust the guide assemblies and checkthe table for square (page 123).

Ifthese procedures do not restore apoorly cuuing saw to peak performance,the wheels or tires may be to blame. Thesteps shown below and on the follow-ing pages detail how to correct out-of-round and unbalanced wheels, and willmake your band saw cut straighter andhelp its blades last longer.

CHECKING THE WHEELS

1 Checking the wheel bearingsI Open one wheel cover, grasp thewheel at the sides, and rock it back andtorlh (right). Repeat while holding thewheel at the top and bottom. lf there isplay in the wheel or you hear a clunkingnoise, remove the wheel and replace thebearing. Then repeat the test for theother wheel.

r20


r) Testing for out-of-round wheelsI Start with the upper wheel. Bracing as t ick aga ins t the upper gu ide assembly ,hold the end of the st ick about \e tnchaway from the wheel 's t i re. Then spin thewheel by hand (right), lf the wheel or tireis out of round, the gap between the stickand the whee l w i l l f Iuc tua te ; the whee lmay even hi t the st ick. l f the discrepancyexceeds %: inch, remedy the problem (sfep3). Reoeat the test for the lower wheel.

Q Fixing an out-of-round wheelr . , f Start by determining whether thet i re or the wheel i tsel f is the problem.Try stretching the t i re into shape witha screwdriver (photo, page 120),lhenrepeat the test in step 2. l f the wheelis st i l l out of round, use a sanding blockto sand the t i re; this may compensatefor uneveness in the t i re. For the lowerwhee l , tu rn on the saw and ho ld thesanding block against the spinning t i re(left). For the upper wheel, leave the sawunplugged and rotate the wheel by hand.Repeat step 2 again. l f the problem per-s is ts , the whee l i t se l f i s ou t o f round.Have i t t rued at a machinist 's shop.

t2r

-


ATIGNING THE WHEELS

1 Checking wheel alignmentI To ensure that vour band saw wheelsare parallel to each otfrer anO in the samevertical plane, hold a straightedge againstthem (page 104).The straightedge shouldrest flush against the top and bottom ofeach wheel. lf the wheels are out of align-ment, try to bring the top wheel to a ver-t ical posi t ion with the t i l t knob. l f thestraightedge still will not rest flush, mea-sure the gap between the recessed wheeland the straightedge (above)to determinehow far you need to move the outermostwheel in (step 2).

llll llll lll tllj lltt lll l1ll ll|J IlJ ll|l llfi llll lll llt lllt llll IjIJ tltl1HO? Tt?Zalanaing a band saw wheelTo checklhewheels of aband i t : ,garyforbalance,eVin each one )by hand.Whenit comeoto regt,make a mark atbhe bottom andopin i t aqain. l f the mark comestoreetr al lhe bollom more than lwolimes oul of lhree, the wheel ie imb al-anced. To correal. lhe problem, drillehallow holee between Ihe rimand opokee atlhe heavy VoinX(ri1ht). Remount, lhe wheel andpefform f,he heet, aqain. Bore a6 .,many holeo as neceoaary.When jthe wheel olope returninq No lheo am e p ooilion, it is b al anced.

r) Shifting the outermost wheell inrcatignmentRemove the outermost wheel followingthe instructions in your owner's manual.(lt is better to shift the outermost wheelin to correct the al ignment rather thanto move the inner wheel out; this keepsthe wheels as close as possible to the sawframe.) Then shift the wheel by removingone or more of the factory-installed wash-ers (above). (lf there are no washers, youcan shim the recessed wheel with wash-ers to bring the wheels into alignment.)Reinstall the wheel and tiehten the axlenut. Repeatstep 1.

t22


TENSIONING AND TRACKING THE BLADE

Tracking the bladeUnplug the saw and turn the tension han-dle at the top of the saw clockwise to raisethe too wheel and increase tension on theblade. Deflect the blade from side to sideto gauge the tension. Increase the tensionuntil the blade deflects aboul Yo inch toei ther side of the vert ical . To track theb lade, lower the upper gu ide assembly ,then sp in the upper whee l by hand tocheck whether the blade is tracking in thecenter of the wheel. lf it is not, loosen thet i l t knob lock screw. Then spin the wheelwhile turning the tilt knob (right) to anglethe wheel unt i l the blade is centered.

ADJUSTING THE GUIDE ASSEMBLIES

1 Setting the thrust bearingsI Check by eye to see if the upper guideassembly is square to the blade. l f not,loosen the guide assembly setscrew, adjustthe assembly so that the bearing is squareto the blade, and t ighten the setscrew.Then, loosen the bearing thumbscrew andturn the adjustment knob unt i l the thrustbearing just touches the blade. Back thebearing off slightly (left) and tighten thethumbscrew. The lower guide assemblythrust bearing, which is located direct lybeneath the table insert , is adjusted thesame way. To check the sett ing, spin theupper wheel by hand. l f the blade makeseither bearing spin, back the bearing offslightly and recheck.

r23


r) Setting guide blocksZ- To set the upper guide blocks, loosenthe i r se tscrews and p inch the b lockstogether using your thumb and index fingeruntil they almost touch the blade. Alterna-tively, use a slip of paper or a feeler gauge(left) Io set the space between the blocksand the b lade. T igh ten the se tscrews.Next, loosen the thumbscrew and turn theadjustment knob until the front edges ofthe gu ide b locks are jus t beh ind the gu l -lets. Tighten the thumbscrew. Set the low-er guide blocks the same way.

SOUARING THE TABLE AND BLADE

1 Aligning the tableI To ensure that the miter gauge slotis properly al igned on both sides of thetable slot , set the miter gauge in i ts s lotand slide the gauge back and forth acrossthe table. The gauge should sl ide freelywith only moderate pressure. lf the gaugebinds, use locking pl iers to remove thea l ignment p in . Then, inser t the p in in toi ts hole and use a bal l -peen hammer totap it deeper (right) until the miter gaugesl ides freelv.

r24

MAINTAINING STA f IONARY POWER TO OLS

Checking the table angleWith the table in the horizontal posi-

tion, remove the table insert, then butt acombination square against the side of thesaw blade as shown. The souare should fitflush against the table and blade (right).lf there is a gap between the two, loosenthe two table lock knobs underneath thetable and make sure the table is seatedproperly on the table stop. Tighten thelock knobs. lf the gap remains, adjust thetable stop Gtep 3).

Aligning the table stopTilt the table out of the wav, then use

two wrenches as shown to adjust the tablestoo. Use the lower wrench to hold thelock nut stationary and the upper wrenchto turn the table stop (left). Turn the stopclockwise to lower it and counterclockwiseto raise it. Recheck the table angle.

125

IOINTERSAND PLANERS

tf h. team ofjointer and thicknessI planer are responsible for squaring

the edges and faces ofa workpiece. Thesuccess of anywoodworking project restson these first crucial steps, so it is essen-tial that both machines are set up prop-

erly. Even the most accurate table sawwill only compound errors made at thejointing and planing stage.

Accurate jointing depends on precisealignment of the two tables and thefence. Begin by ensuring that the out-

feed table is at the same height as thecutting edges of the knives at their high-est point, also known as Top DeadCenter or TDC ftelow).Then check thatthe tables are perfectly square to the fenceand aligned with each other (page 127).

Because it has more moving parts,the thickness planer requires a little moreattention. Most importantly, alwayscheck to see that the feed rollers areproperly adjusted (page 129) and thatthe planer's bed is parallel to the cutter-head along its length (page 130).

Most jointers have 90" positive stopsthat can be fine-tuned if the fencecannotbe accurately squared to thetable through normal adjustment.For the model shown (left), the90" positive stop is a springJoadedplunger that sits in an index collar.To fine-tune the fence position, theindex collar is adjusted by means ofa setscrew

SETTING OUTFEED TABLE HEIGHT

1 Checking table heightI With the jointer unplugged, use asmall wooden wedge to rotate the cutter-head until the edge of one knife is at itshighest point. Then hold a straight hard-wood board on the outfeed table so thatit extends over the cutterhead withoutcontacting the infeed Iable (right).Theknife should just brush against the board.Perform the test along the length of theknife, moving the board from the fenceto the rabbeting ledge. Repeat the testfor the other knives. l f a kni fe fai ls thetest, adjust its height (page 84I lf noneof the knives is level with the board, raiseor lower the outfeed table by loosening thetable lock and moving the outfeed tableadjustment handle.

t26

MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TO OLS

ALIGNING THE TABLES AND FENCE

1 Aligning the tablesJ- Remove the lo in te r ' s fence, then ra ise the in feed tab leto the same height as the outfeed table. Use a straightedgeto conf i rm that the two tables are absolutely level. l f the al ign-ment is not perfect, adjust the horizontal position of the tables.The model shown features eccentric table supports that can beadjusted by f i rst loosening a locking screw and then tapping anadjustment cam with a hammer and screwdriver (above, left),

r) Adjusting the positive stopL f tne outfeed table is st i l l not levelwith the knives, adjust the jointer 's posi-t ive stops, which prevent the table frommov ing ou t o f a l ignment wh i le in use .For the model shown, f i rst t ighten theoutfeed table lock and loosen the twolock nuts on the other side of the tool .Back off the two positive stops and thenadjust the height of the outfeed tablewith the adjustment handle (sfep l) untilthe table is level with the knives at theirhighest point of rotat ion. Tighten thetable lock. Tighten the posit ive stops asfar as they wi l l go, then t ighten the locknuts (lefD.

When the tables are perfect ly level, t ighten the locking screws.l f you have a jointer with gib screws, adjust one or more of thegib screws at the back of the tool unt i l the straightedge restsf lush on both tables (above, right); remove the pulley cover,i f necessary, to access the screws. l f you moved the outfeedtable during this process, recheck i ts height (page 126).

r27


r) Squaring the fence with the tablesL Wttn the fence set in its vertical posi-t ion , ho ld a t ry square on the ou t feedtab le near the cu t te rhead and bu t t thesquare 's b lade aga ins t the fence. Thesquare should f i t f lush against the fence.lf there is any gap between the two, slack-en the locking handle, t i l t the fence unt i li t is f lush with the square, and ret ightenthe handle ( lef | . fhe 90'posit ive stopshould be engaged in the index col lar. l fthe fence is st i l l out-of-square, adjust thepositive stop (page 126).

One of the most common jointingand planing defects is snipe, or a

concave cut at the trailing end of aworkpiece. On a planer, snipe occurs

when there is too much play betweenthe table and the feed rollers, and

can be corrected by proper feed rolleradjustment (page 129). On a jointer(right), snipe occurs when the out-

feed table is set lower than the knivesat their highest point ofrotation, andcan be corrected by aligning the out-

feed table (page 126).

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PLANERS

Cleaning p laner ro l lersPlaner feed ro l lers can get d i r ty quick lywhen planing pitchJil led softwoods such aspine. Per iodical ly use mineral sp i r i ts or asolution of ammonia and water with a brass-br is t led brush to c lean metal feed ro l lerso f p i t ch and res in . C lean rubbe r f eedrollers with a sharp cabinet scraper (right).

Adjusting feed rollersSometimes it is necessary to increase pres-sure on a planer 's feed rol lers, as whenplaning narrow stock or when stock sl ipsas i t i s fed in to the mach ine . In e i thercase, the infeed rol ler should f i rmly gr ipthe board. (Some planers feature a serrat-ed metal infeed rol ler; in this case thepressure should be enough to move theboard but not so much that the rol lersleave a serrated pattern in the board afteri t is planed.) On most planers, the feedrollers are adjusted by turning spring-loadedscrews on top of the machine. For themode l shown, remove the p las t i c capsand adjust the hex nuts with an open-endwrench (left). Make sure after adjustingthe feed ro l le rs tha t the tab le i s para l le lto the rollers (page 130). lf the rollers donot carry the wood smoothly through theplaner after adlustments, c lean the rol lersor wax the table.

129


Checking the table for levelTo check i f your p laner 's tab le i s leve land paral lel to the cutterhead, run twojointed sir ips of wood of the same thick-ness through opposite sides of the machine(lef t) , Ihen compare the result ing thick-nesses. lf there is a measurable difference,ad jus t the tab le accord ing to the manu-facturer 's insiruct ions. l f your model ofplaner has no such adjustment, reset theknives in the cutterhead so that they aresl ight ly lower at the lower end of the tableto comoensate for the error.

Lubricating the height adjustmentTo ensure smooth operat ion, per iodical lyclean the planer's height adlustment mech-an ism, f i r s t us ing a c lean, d ry c lo th toremove sawdust and grease. Then lubricatethe threads with a Tef lonrM-based lubr i-cant or automotive bearing grease; oil shouldbe avoided as i t may stain the wood.

130

DRILL PRESSES

J) ril l presses have a reputation asl-rf workhorse machines that rarely-if ever-require maintenance. And yetthey can slip out of alignment just as eas-ily as any other stationary power tool.

Most drill press problems are foundin the chuck and table. A table that isnot square to the spindle is the mostcommon problem, and is easily reme-died. Runout. or wobble. is a more seri-ous problem, and can be traced to the

spindle or chuck. If the problem lies withthe spindle, it can often be fixed simplyby striking the spindle with a hammeruntil it is true; if the chuck is at fault, itmust be removed and replaced.

Do not neglect the drill press'beltsand pulleys in your maintenance. Checkthe belts for wear, and always keep themtensioned properly. Periodically check thebearings in the pulleys, and replace themif they become worn.

The speed of many drill presses is changed by a sys-tem of belts and pulleys housed in the top of the tool.

To keep the belts at the proper degree of tension, thesedrill presses feature a lever that loosens the belts for

changing and tightens them to set the correct tension(right). A beb should flex about 1 inch out of line.

SQUARING THE TABLE

1 Aligning the tableI Instal l an 8- inch-long steel rod in the dr i l l press chuck asyou would a dr i l l b i t , then raise the table unt i l i t a lmost touchesthe rod. Butt a try square against the rod as shown; the bladeshould rest flush against it (above). lf there is a gap, adjust thetable following the manufacturer's instructions. For the modelshown, remove the alignment pin under the table, loosen thetab le lock ing bo l t , and swive l the tab le un t i l the rod is f lushwith the square. Tighten the locking bolt .

r') Conecting chuck runoutL Use a dial indicator to see if there is any runout, or wob-ble, in the chuck (page 105). lt there is, rap the rod with aball-peen hammer (above)and then measure for runout again;0.005 inch is considered the maximum acceotable amount.Pul l the arm of the dial indicator oui of the way each t ime youtao the rod.

1 3 1


REPLACING THE CHUCK

Removing and remounting a chuckChucks are commonly attached to thequill of a drill press with a tapered spin-dle. (Older models often have chucksthat are simply screwed in place.) Toremove a faulty chuck that features atapered sp ind le , f i r s t lower the qu i l land lock i t in place. Fi t an open-endwrench around the spindle on top ofthe chuck and give the wrench a sharpupward blow (above). The chuck shouldsl ide out. l f not, rotate the spindle andtry again. To remount the chuck, press-fit it into the spindle by hand. Then, withthe chuck's jaws fully retracted, give thechuck a sharo blow with a wooden mallet.

llll lltt lll l]tl lllt tllt llll IIt tlti illl illt lll fitl llll lll1 fitl llll llll5HO? TI?Ch e aki n g tabl e ali gn m entTo check whebher a drill preoot able ie equare No Nhe eVindle,make a 90'bend aL eachend of a 12-inch len7Ihof wire coal hanqer.lneerl one end of thewire in Ihe chuckand adjuotthetable heiqhluntil Ihe obherend of rhe wireluoI Loucheo IheLable. KoIaLeIhe wire; i I shouldbarely ecra?e Nhe Iable aI allpoinle durinq iNe roIaNion. lf not,adiuet, Ihe table.

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LATHES AND SHAPERS

The drive centers of a lathe should bekept as sharp as your turning tools.If the spurs or point ofa drive center

are dull or chipped, they will not gripthe workpiece properly. Drive centersare sharpened on q bench grinder or

with a fiIe (right). A 35" bevel on theunderside of each spur works best.

LATHES

Sanding the lathe bedlf your shop is in a humid cl imate, the bed of your lathe maydevelop a thin layer of rust which can prevent the tai lstockand tool rest f rom sl iding smoothly. To keep the lathe bed

clean, remove any rust as soon as i t appears by sanding thebed with f ine sandpaper (above),200-gr i t or f iner, then applya oaste wax.

I J J


Draw-filing the tool restBecause it is made of softer steel than theturning tools used against it, the bearingsurface of the tool rest wi l l develop lowspots, marks, and nicks with constantuse. lf not remedied, these imperfectionswill be transferred to the workpieces youturn, or cause the tool to skip. You can re-dress a tool rest easily with a single-cutbastard mill file. Draw-file the rest by hold-ing the f i l e a t an ang le and push ing i tacross the work from right to left in over-lapping strokes (/eff). Continue until youhave removed the nicks and hollows, thensmooth the surface with 200-grit sandpa-per or emery cloth.

Checking for center alignmentTurning between centers requires precisealignment of drive centers between head-stock and tailstock, otherwise you willproduce off-center turnings. To see if thedrive centers line up, insert a four-spurdrive center in the headstock and a livecenter in the tailstock. Slide the tailstockalong the bed up to the headstock kight).The points of the drive centers should meetexactly. lf they do not, you may have toshim the tailstock or file down its base.

134

MAINTAINING STAIIONARY POWER TOOLS

SHAPERS

Checking lor spindle runoutSet a magnetic-base dial indicator face upon the shaper table so the plunger of thedevice contacts the spindle. Cal ibrate thegauge to zero following the manufacturer'sinstruct ions. Then turn the spindle slowlyby hand (r ight) . The dial indicator wi l lregister spindle runout-the amount ofwobb le tha t the so ind le w i l l t rans fer tothe cutter. Perform the test at intervalsalong the length of the spindle, adjust ingi ts height %inch aI a t ime. l f the runoutexceeds 0.005 inch for anv of the tests,reolace the soindle.

Squaring the fencesThe two halves of a shaper fence-or arouter table fence-must be perfectly par-a l le l , o therw ise your cu ts w i l l be uneven.To square the fences on a shaper, f i rstloosen the fence locking handles. Hold astraightedge against the fences. The twohalves should butt against the straight-edge (left).lf not, add wood shims behindthe fences unt i I they are paral le l .

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OTHERTOOLS

Because a scroll saw blade is held inclamps that pivot on the end of thesAw's arms during a cut, replacing ablade is a tricky task that risks stretch-ing and snapping the delicate cuttingedge. The model of scroll saw shown atIe[t features a unique blade-changingwrench that holds the blade clampssteady as the blade is tightened.

SCR(ILL SAWSChecking blade tensionThe blades of a scroll saw-like those of aband saw-require proper tension to cuteffect ively. Too l i t t le tension wi l l causeexcessive vibration and allow the blade towander during the cut. Too much tensioncan lead to blade breakage. To adjustblade tension on the model shown, f i rsttilt the blade tension lever forward. Thenadjust the blade tension knob (right) toincrease or decrease blade tension. Ti l tthe blade tension lever back and test theb lade. l t shou ld de f lec t about % inchwhen pushed from side to side. Pluck theb lade and remember the sound. l t w i l la l low you to tension the blade quickly inf uture. Always adjust the tension whenyou change blades.

136

MAINTAINING STA| IONARY POWER TOOLS

1HO? TI?lnotalling an air pumpOlder scroll eaws andoomeforeiqn modele

Squaring the bladeTo souare the scroll saw's blade to thetable, butt a combination square againstthe blade as shown. The square should f itflush against the blade. lf there is a gap,loosen the table lock knob and adjustthe nut on the 90'stop unt i l the tableis level and there is no gap betweenthe square and the blade. Tighten thelock knob Gbove).oflen comewith- I

ouN a eawdusl {€;blowec a device Slhatkeeosthecult inq lin e clear whilethe eaw ie in use.Asimple electricaoparium pumpand tume co??ertubinq Qiqht) candothetr ick at afu'action of the costof a eawdusiblowin7 atlachment. Simply inserL a10'to 1Z'inchlen7th of copper tubing into the ?um?'o plaotic air hose, makinq anairLiqht oeal, Tape the hose to lhe oaw e upper arm, and bend t'hecopfe, end to p'oint at, the blade. ?inch thb'end of rhe t'ube eliqhrlyto direct,the air and increase it's preeeure.

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MAINTAINING STAfIONARY POWER TOOLS

BELT.AND.DISC SANDERS

Testing for truenessTo measure whether the wheel is true, firstremove any abrasive discs. Connect a dialindicator to a magnetic base and set thebase on the tool 's disc table. Place thedevice so that its arm contacts the disc andturn on the magnet. Calibrate the dial indi-cator to zero following the manufacturer'sinstruct ions. Turn the sanding disc byhand, and read the result (left). The dialindicator will register the trueness of thewheel. Perform the test at various oointsaround the disc. l f the amount of wobbleexceeds 0.005 inch for any of the tests,adjust the motor position or have the bear-i n sq ron l r ned

Tracking the sanding beltTo straighten a sanding belt that is nottracking true, turn the belt-and-disc sander'stracking knob clockwise or counterclock-wise while the tool is running (righl. f ocorrect severe tracking problems, unplugthe tool and release tension on the sand-ing belt by pushing down on the trackingknob. Center the belt on the pul leys andrelease the knob. Then turn on the tooland adjust the tracking knob as required.Always track the belt when changing beltsor instal l ing a new one.

138


AIR C(lMPRESSORSDraining the compressorWhen an air comoressor has been used foran extended oeriod of time or in exceed-ingly humid condit ions, moisture wi l l col-lect in the tank. This moisture may causerust; it can also be sprayed out with theair , which can ruin a spray lacquer f in ish.To drain the moisture, shut off the motor,relieve all pressure from the tank, and openthe drainage valve at the bottom (right).Drain the tank periodical ly, depending onhow often you use the compressor.

Changing the oil and air fi ltersAfter every 100 hours of operation, changean air compressor 's oi l . To drain the oi l ,shut off the motor, relieve all pressure fromthe tank, and loosen the drain plug with awrench. Collect the old oil in a containerand dispose of it safely. Close the drainplug and f i l l the pump with the oi l recom-mended by the manufacturer (left). Donot overfil l the pump. Also check the airfilter weekly. To clean the air f ilter, removethe housing and lift off the filter (inset).Clean the filter in a solution of detergentand water; replace it if it cannot be cleaned.

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GLOSSARY

A-B-CAbrasive: A coarse powder or apiece of paper or fabric coated withgrit particles used to smooth wood.

Arbor: A shaft driven by a station-ary power tool motor to turn arevolving blade or other cuttingimplement.

Bearing: A machined part locatedon a motor shaft, permitting theshaft to turn without friction.

Belt tension: The measure of howtight a stationary power tool drivebelt or abrasive belt is stretchedacross its pulleys.

Benchstone: Any natural or syntheticsharpening stone used at the bench.

Bevel cut Sawing at an angle fromface to face through a workpiece.

Blade heeh Blade rotation that is notperfectly parallel to the fence of a tablesaw or the arm of a radial arm saw.

Blade set: The amount that sawteeth are alternately offset to left andright, allowing a blade to cut a kerfslightly wider than its own thicknessto help prevent binding.

Blade tension: The measure of howtight a band saw blade is stretchedacross its wheels.

Brushes: A carbon or copper con-ductor that delivers current from thestationary element of an electricmotor to the rotating coil.

Buffing: Polishing a sharpenededge to a mirror-like finish usinga cloth or rubber wheel impregnat-ed with fine abrasive compounds.

Burnisher: A rod-like steel toolused to turn a lip on a tool edge,especially scraper edges.

Burr: A small ridge formed on theflat face of a tool blade as a resultof the honing process.

Cap iron: A metal plate screwed toa plane blade, preventing chatterand the buildup of wood chips.

Carbide-tipped blade: A saw bladeon which the teeth are made of acompound of carbon and steel;such blade edges are stronger andstay sharper longer than conven-tional high-speed steel blades.

Chip lifter: The machined surfaceson a Fortsner or multi-spur bitdirectly behind the cutters.

Chuck Adjustable jaws on a drillor drill press for holding bits orother accessories.

Collet The sleeve that grips theshank of a router bit.

Combination bladq A circular sawblade designed for making bothcrosscuts and rip cuts.

CrosscutA cut made across thegrain of a workpiece.

D-E-F-G.H-IDado head: A blade, or combina-tion of blades and chippers, used tocut dadoes in wood.

Dado: A rectangular channel cutinto a workpiece.

Dial indicator: A measuring devicewith a magnetic base used to deter-mine runout on stationary andportable power tools, typically cali-brated in thousandths of an inch.

Drill point angle The angle towhich a drill bit must be ground andsharpened for efficient cutting.

Drive belt Any rubber belt that con-nects a stationary power tool motorwith its arbor or spindle, sometimesthrough a system of pulleys.

Drive center: A lathe accessorymounted in either the tailstock orheadstock to support turning work;can either be fixed or turn with thework by means of ball-bearings.

Feeler gauge: A precisely groundmetal blade, furnished in sets, usedto accurately measure the gapbetween tool parts.

Fence: An adjustable guide designedto keep the edge or face of a work-piece a set distance from the cuttingedge of a tool.

Ferrule: A metal ring that tightensaround the end ofa handle to pre-vent splitting.

Frog: The part ofa hand plane thatsupports the blade; usually the frogcan be moved back and forth to ad-just the mouth opening of the plane.

Grinding: The initial step in sharp-ening where nicks are removed, thecutting edge is squared, and the bev-el is established; typically done on abench grinder.

t40

Gullet The gap between teeth on asaw blade.

Honing: The process of convertinga rough-ground edge to a smooth,uniform cutting edge.

Hoolc A uniform burr turned onthe cutting edges of a scraper.

Infeed: The part of a machine'stable that is in front of the bladeduring a cutting operation.

l-K-r-M-N-O-P-Qfointing: Cutting thin shavingsfrom the edge and face of a work-piece until they are flat and square.

Kerf: The space left when wood isremoved by the saw blade.

Kickback The tendency of a work-piece to be thrown back in the direc-tion of the operator of a tool.

Lapping: Rubbing the face of aplane or chisel blade across a sharp-ening stone to remove the burr thatresults from honing the blade.

Microbevel A secondary bevel honedon the cutting edge of a blade.

Miter cut A cut that angles acrossthe face of a workpiece.

Oilstone: Any natural or syntheticsharpening stone that uses oil asa lubricant.

Orbital action: The up-and-forwardmovement of some saber saw bladeson their upstroke; replaces the tradi-tional straight up-and-down actionof a reciprocating-type saber saw.Also. the eccentric motion of the

abrasive disc on an orbital or ran-dom-orbit sander.

Out-of-round wheel A band sawwheel that is not perfectly round.

Outfeed: The part of a machine'stable that is behind the blade duringa cutting operation.

Platen: A support plate for sandpa-per belts on sanders.

Positive stop: An adjustable screwon a stationary power tool used tokeep the tool's table at a set angle,typically 90'and 45o.

Quill: A sleeve surrounding thespindle of a drill press; the amountthat the quill can be raised and low-ered determines the depth of hole adrill press can bore.

R-SRaker: A tooth in a saw blade thatclears sawdust and wood chips outof the kerf.

Reverse thread: A machined threadthat tightens and loosens in theopposite direction to the rotationof the tool bit so that the cutterremains tight during operation.

Rip cut A cut that follows the grainof a workpiece-usually made alongits length.

Runout The amount of wobble intool's arbor or spindle.

Sharp: A cutting edge is said to besharp where two flat, polished sur-faces meet at an angle.

Slipstone: A sharpening stone withcurved edges used to sharpen gougesand other similarly shaped tools.

Snipe: A concave cut created by ajointer or planer at the end of aworkpiece, the result of improperpressure on the workpiece or inac-curately set table height.

Spindle: The threaded arbor on apower tool that turns cutters andaccessorres.

Square Two surfaces of a workpiecethat are at 90" to each other.

Stropping: Polishing a sharpenededge to a mirror-like finish usingstrips of leather impregnated withfine abrasive compounds.

T-U-V-W-X.Y-ZTearout The tendency of a bladeor cutter to tear the fibers of wood,leaving ragged edges on the surfaceof the workpiece.

Teeth per inch (TPI): A unit ofmeasurement used to identifr typesand uses of saw blades by the num-ber of teeth per inch of blade length.

Ternper: The degree ofhardnessin tool steel; also, the color of steelafter the tempering process.

Tracking: Adjusting a band sawblade or abrasive belt so that it iscentered on the tool's wheels.

Waterstone: Any natural or synthet-ic sharpening stone that uses wateras a lubricant.

Wheel dresser: A device used totrue the working surface of a grind-ing wheel and expose fresh abrasive.

r4l

INDEX

Page reference s in italics indicate an illus-tration ofsubject matter. Page referencesin bold indicate a Build It Yourself project.

A-B-C-DAbrasives, b ack endp ap erAdzes, 51,53,54Air compressors, 139Air pumps:

Scroll saws. 137Axes,51,54

Choosing a durable ax handle (ShopTip), sa

Band saws:Blades, .123

repairing broke n blades, 7 6- 7 7rounding a band saw blade (Shop

Tip),75sharpening, T3-74storage, 78

Guide assemblies, 1 23- 1 24Heat-resistant guide blocks, 59, 75Table alignment, 1 24- 1 25Wheels, 120-121

alignment, 104, 122balancing a band saw wheel (Shop

Tip), 122Belt sanders, 88Bench grinders, 16, 20,21

Grindingjigs,13Multi-tool jigs, 16Reversing wheel guards for buffing

(Shop Tip),22Wheels

dressing,22identification. 20

Bench planes, 39Assembly and adjustment, 3fl 45Blades

grinding with a sander (Shop Tip), 42honing guide and anglejigs, 17sharpening, 41-44squaring, 13

Refurbishing, 4G41Benchstones. 13

Oilstones. 18Truing, 19'Waterstones,

12, 17,18, 19Bevels, back endpaper

Microbevels, 15Bits,60

Dri]lsauger bits, 55-57brad-point bits,68-69drill bit grinding attachments, 58, 61drill bit sharpening jigs, 6 1, 66Forstner bits. 67

multispur bits, 68spade bits, 69spoon bits, 55, 57storage, 89twist bits, 58, 65-66

Routersnon-piloted bits, 62piloted bits, 63router bit sharpeners, 61storage, 89

Storing bits (Shop Tip), 89Blades, 60

Band saws. 123Bench planes, 13, 17,41-44Circular saws, 61 72,86Radial arm saws,64, 113, 117, 118, 119Saber saws, 93Scroll saws. 136-137Shapers,62,6jTable saws, 64,70, 109See also Knives

Braces,55-57Brush assemblies, 98Build It Yourself:

Hand toolsbench vise saw holders. 28gouge-sharpening jigs, 33

Mobile sharpening dollies, 23Chisels:

Handles,3ISharpening,32

Circular saws, 88, 97Blades

alignment, 86blade-setting jigs, 61, 72blade-sharpen ing jigs, 6 1, 7 2changing, 7.1cleaning, Tlsharpeting, T2

Compressors, 139Disc-and-belt sanders, 1 38- 1 39Drawknives, 24, 51, 53, 54Dressers, 16,22Drill presses, 131

Chucks, 131-132Runout.105Table alignment, 131

checking table alignment (ShopTip), 132

Drills,88, 95Bits

auger brts, 55-5./bit grinding attachments, 58 6lbrad-point bits,68-69Forstner bits, 67multi-spur bits, 68sharpening jigs, 61, 66

spade bits, 69spoon bits, 5t 57storage, 89twist bits, 58, 65-66

See also Drill presses

E.F.G.HElectrical outlets, front endpaperElectric drills. See DrillsExtension cords.89Files, 17Gouges,25, 30

Handles,3lSharpening

carving gouges, 3G37gouge-sharpening jigs, 33roughing-out gouges, 3 3 - 3 4spindle gouges, 35v-tools, 38

Shop-made honing guides and rustremovers (Shop Tip), 34

Grinders. See Bench grindersGrinding, 15Handsaws:

Bench vise saw holders, 28Fiing,26-27,29loirlting,29Setting,26,29Storage

saw holders (Shop Tip), 27Hand tools, 25

Drills.55-57Roughing and shaping tools, 5.1-54See alsoBench planes; Chisels; Gouges;

Handsaws; ScrapersHatchets. SeeAxesHoning, 15

r-J-K-LInshaves, 51,53,54Iigs:

Grindersgrinding jigs,l3multitool jigs, 16

Hand toolsgouge-sharpening jigs, 28handsaws,28

Plane honing guide and an$e jigs, 17Routers

plywood truingjigs, STSharpening power tools

circular saw blade-settirrg jigs, 61, 72circular saw blade-sharpening

jigs,61,72drill bit grinding attachments, 5& 6ldrill bit sharpening jigs,61,66jointer/planer knife-setting jigs, 61, 79

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f ointer/planer knife-sharpeningji9s,61,82-83

planer/jointer magnetic knife-setting jigs, 29, 85

twist bit sharpening jigs, 66Jointers, 126

Knife-setting jigs, 61, 79Knife-sharpening jigs, 61, 82- 83Knives

betrels, back endpaperinstallation, 85sharyenrng,79-84shifting knives for longer life

(Shop Tip), 8lPositive stops, 126, 127Snipe,128Table alignment, 1 27- 1 28Table height, .126

Knives:Jointers

bevels, back endpaperinstallation, 85knife-setting jigs, 61, 79knife-sharpening jigs, 61, 82-83sharpening, 79-84shifting knives for longer life

(Shop Tip), 8lMolding knives, 64Planers

banels, back endpaperknife-setting jigs, 61, 79knife-sharpening jigs, 61, 82-83

Lapping, 15Lathes,133-134Lowe, Philip, S-9

M-N-O-P-QMicrobevels, 15Oilstones, l8Orbital sanders. 88Planers, 126

Cleaning, 129,130Knives

betrels,back endpaperknife-setting ji gs, 6 1, 79knife-sharpening jigs, 61, 82-83sharpening, 79,85

Rollers,.l29Table alignment, 130

Planes. See Bench planesPlate joiners, 88, 94Plugs,102-103Polishing, 15Power tools:

Brush assemblies, 98Drive belts, 106

Electrical supply, front endpaper, 89cords, 100-101phtgs,102-10jswitches, 99, 107wattage ratings, front endpaper

Lathes, 133-134Maintenance, 8, 87-89, 105Plate joiners, 88Safety precautions, front endpaper, 98

disabling a power tool (Shop Tip), i03Scroll saws, 136-137

installing an airpump (Shop Tip), l3ZShapers, 62,135

storage racks for shaper cutters(Shop Tip), 63

TabIes, 107See alsoBand saws; Bench grinders;

Circular saws; Drill presses; Drills;Jointers; Planers; Radial arm saws;Routers; Saber saws; Sanders;Table saws

R-S-T-U-VRadialarmsaws, 113

Auxiliarytables, l19Blades

blade heel, 113, 118squaring, 117,119

Clamps, 11+115Cleaning, ll3Fences,119Molding knives, 64Sliding mechanisms, l13, lI6Table adjustment, 174

Routers, 88,90,98Bits,62-63

router bit sharpeners, 6lstorage, 89

Collet runout, 9lSub-bases

truing,87Saber saws, 88, 92

Bladesextending blade life (Shop Tip), 93squaring, 93

Safety precautions:Power tools, fo nt endp ap er, 98

disabling a power tool (Shop Tip), 103Sanders, 88, 96

Disc-and-belt sanders, 1 38- 1 39Scrapers, 46

Banels, back endpaperSharpening

cabinet scrapers, 46, 48- 50handscrapers, 46, 47-48maintaining the correct burnishing

angle (Shop Tip), 50

Scroll saws:Blades, 136-137Installing an air pump (Shop Tip), l3Z

Shapers, 62,135Storage racks for shaper cutters

(Shop Tip), 63Sharpening stones. see BenchstonesSharpening techniques, 6, I 1, 13-15Sharpening to ols, 1 6- 1 7

Belt sandersgrinding with a sander (Shop Tip), 42

Burnishers,46maintaining the correct burnishing

angle (Shop Tip), 50variable burnishers, 46

Dtessers, 16,22Mobile sharpening dollies, 23For power tools, 6lSee also Bench grinders; Benchstones

Shop Tips:Hand tools, 27, 34,42, 50, 54Portable power tools, 22, 89,93, 103Stationary power tools, 63, 75, 81, 110,

122, 132, 137Spokeshaves, 51,52,54Starr, Richard,6-2Stones. see BenchstonesStrops, back endpaper, 17Switches, 99, 107Table saws:

Bladesangle adjustment, 109changrng, T0storage, T0

Cleaning, 108, 112Height and tilt mechanisms, -l12Miter gauges

fixing a loose miter gauge (ShopTip), 110

squaring, lI0Molding knives, 64Rip fences, I l1Table alignment, 108-109, 111Table inserts, 112

Tip burning, l1Tools. See Hand tools; Power tools;Sharpening toolsTwist bits:

Bevels,back endpaper

w-x-Y-zWaterstones, 18, -19

fapanese finish stones, 12,18, 19Storage units, 17

Waymark, Ian, l&11Wet/dry grinders, 16, 20, 21

r43

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe editors wish to thank the following

SHARPENING BASICSCooper Tools, Apex, NC; Delta International Machinery/Porter Cable, Guelph, Ont.; Diamond Machinery Technology Inc.,

Marlborough, MA; Garrett Wade Company, New York, NY; Lee Valley Tools Ltd., Ottawa, Ont; Record Tools Inc., Pickeiing, Ont.;The Woodworkers Store, Rogers, MN; Tool Trend Ltd., Concord, Ont.; Unicorn Abrasives of Canada, Brockville, Ont.;

Veritas Tools Inc., Ottawa Ont./Ogdensburg, NY; Woodcraft Supply Corp., Parkersburg, WV

SHARPENING AND MAINTAINING HAND TOOLSAdjustable Clamp Co., Chicago, IL; Anglo-American Enterprises Corp., Somerdale, Nf; Black and Decker/Elu Power Tools,

_Hunt Valley, MD; C-ooper Tools, Apex, NC; Delta International Machinery/Porter Cable, Guelph, Ont.; Diamond MachineryTechnology Inc., Marhorough, MA; Garrett Wade Company, New York, NY; General Tools Manufacturing Co., New York, IriY;

Great Neck Saw Mfrs. Inc. (Buck Bros. Division), Millbury MA; Lee Valley Tools Ltd., Ottawa, Ont.; Norton AbrasivesCanada Inc., Montreal, Que.; Record Tools Inc., Pickering, Ont.; Robert Sorby Ltd., Sheffield, U.K./Busy Bee Machine Tools,

Concord, Ont.; Sandvik Saws and Tools Co., Scranton, PA; The Woodworkers Store, Rogers, MN;Veritas Tools Inc., Ottawa Ont./Ogdensburg, NY; Woodcraft Supply Corp., Parkersburg, \4IV

S}IARPENING POWER TOOL BLADES AND BITSAdjustable Clamp Co., Chicago, IL; Adwood Corp., High Point, NC; Anglo-American Enterprises Corp., Somerdale, NJ;

Black and Decker/Elu Power Tools, Hunt Valley, MD; Cooper Tools, Apex, NC; Delta International Machinery/Porter Cable,Guelp!, Ont.; Diamond Machinery Technology Inc., Marlborough, MA; Garrett Wade Company, New York, NY;

General Tools Manufacturing Co., New York, NY; Great Neck Saw Mfrs. Inc. (Buck Bros. Division), Millbury, MA;Hitachi Power Tools U.S.A. Ltd., Norcross, GA; Laguna Tools, Laguna Beach, CA; Lee Valley Tools Ltd., Ottawa, Ont.;

Norton Abrasives Canada Inc., Montreal, Que.; Record Tools Inc., Pickering, Ont.; Sandvik Saws and Tools Co., Scranton, PA;The Woodworkers Store, Rogers, MN; Tool Trend Ltd., Concord, Ont.; Veritas Tools Inc., Ottawa Ont./Ogdensburg, NY;

Woodcraft Supply Corp., Parkersburg, \MV; Woodstock International, Bellingham, WA; Wood Systems Inc., New Beilin, WI

MAINTAINING PORTABLE POWER TOOLSAdjustable CI?Tp Co., Chicago, Irt Bhck and Decker/Elu Power Tools, Hunt Valley, MD; Delta International Machinery/Porter

Cable, Guelph, Ont.; Dewalt Industrial Tool Co., Hampstead, MD; General Tools Manufacturing Co., Inc., New York, NY;Hitachi Power Tools U.S.A. Ltd., Norcross, GA; Lee Valley Tools Ltd., Ottawa, Ont.; Newman Tools Inc., Montreal, Que;

Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, IL; Stanley Tools, Division of the Stanley Works, New Britain, CT;Steiner-Lamello A.G Switzerland/Colonial Saw Co., Kingston, MA; Tool Trend Ltd., Concord, Ont.

MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLSAdjustable Clamp Co., Chicago, IL; Campbell Hausfeld, Harrison, OH; Cooper Tools, Apex, NC; Delta International

Machinery/Porter Cable, Guelph, Ont.; General Tools Manufacturing Co., Inc., New York, NY; Hitachi Power Tools U.S.A. Ltd.,Norcross, GA; |elEquipment and Tools, Auburn, WA; Newman Tools Inc., Montreal, Que; Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, IL;

Stanley Tools, Division of the Stanley Works, New Britain, CT; Vermont American Corp., Lincolnton, NC and LouisvilleiKY

The following persons also assisted in the preparation of this book:Lorraine Dor6, Graphor Consultation, Solange Laberge, Rob Lutes, Genevidve Monette

PICTURE CREDITSCover Robert Chartier

6,7 Marie Louise Duruaz8,9 Steve Lewis

l0,llPerry Zavitz14 (Iower left, lower right)Hans Blohm

t44

IIItIIIIIItIIIIIIIItIIIIIIIIIIII

ABRASIVE CHART

TYPE OF ABRASIVE

Emery paper

Garnet sandpapel

Aluminum oxide sandpaper

Silicon carbide sandpaper

WeUdry silicon carbide sandpapel

Si l icon carbide lapping compounds

Steel wool

ABRASIVE OUALITYCnarco . fa i r l v cn f i

Med ium

Medium to f ine; hard

F ine ; ha rd

Fine; very hard

Extremely f ine and hard

Coarse to fine; soft

USES

Flat tening p lane soles

Finer grits used for generalsharpen i ng

Finer gr i ts used for honing toolb lades and bevels

Honing tool b lades and bevels

Lapping backs of tool b lades

Pol ish ing tools ; lapping backsof tool blades

Cleaning tables of s tat ionarypower tools

WORKSHOP GUIDE

AVAILABLE GRITS

Coarse/med ium/f ine

50-280

40-400

80-600

60- 1 200

90-600

0/00/000/0000

MAKING A C()MBINATION STROP

Nolhinq pula a mirror f in ish and razor-eharV edqeon Loole l ike an old-f aehioned etrroo. A combinaLionstroV l ike Nhe one ehown below al lowe you to work uVto a hiqh polieh with several qradee of buffing com'

Vounds. To make the stroV, eimVly cut a Viece of2 - i n c h - s q u a r e h a r d w o o d e N o c k a b o u N 1 2 i n c h e s

lonq and lu rn a hand le on one end. G lue e l r ipe o fecrap leaNher Lo each of the four sidee; harnessleatrher worke besL, al thouqh an old beltr wi l l do theLrick.The f i rst lhree eides can be charged wiLhcoaroe to f ine buff inq compoundo: for f inal Vol iohinq,Lhe laet, eide ie ueed wiLhoul any compound.

BEVEL ANGLES FOR CUTTERS vgTurningacraper: 8O'

,''-------------),"\to" ?

Chisels:3O'(parin4 chteel 20",morttetnq chieel 4O')

ffiJointer and planerknives:35'

Plane iron: 3O'(eofLwoode 25")

Oouge:35'-55"

9kew:3O" Twiet. bit:59"

The Art of Woodworking - Sharpening and Tool Care 1994

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Transcript of The Art of Woodworking - Sharpening and Tool Care 1994