January/February 2022 Archives - Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To

Drill Bits Handy for Routing Setups

Reader Submitted — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 19:00:41 +0000

When I need to set a precise bit height at my router table, I take two drill bits with diameters that match the router bit height I need. I lay both bits down on the table so they’re parallel with one another and on either side of the router bit. Then, with the router bit raised higher than necessary, I rest a small scrap on the top cutting edges and on one of the two drill bits. I lower the router bit slowly until the other edge of the scrap touches the second drill bit. At this point, I know my router bit height is dialed in correctly.

– Serge Duclos
Delson, Quebec

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Installing European Hinges

Journal Staff — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 18:33:06 +0000

While these sleek, versatile and user-friendly cabinet hinges are often called “European” style, they’re almost standard issue these days in mass-produced kitchen or bath cabinetry here in North America. There’s good reason for it: Euro hinges come in a wide variety of options to suit both face frame and frameless cabinets. They can accommodate door swing ranges from 95 up to 120 degrees or more, as well as complex door clearance requirements for inside-corner cabinetry. The hinges also offer easy adjustability once installed — turning a couple of screws moves the door incrementally up and down, left and right or in and out to improve its fit, reveal and operation. Some Euro hinges also offer snap- or soft-close features that make additional door catches unnecessary.

Compact Euro Hinges

There are two basic types of Euro hinges: concealed or long-arm. Both have a cup on one end of the hinge that fits into a round mortise on the inside back of the cabinet door; creating this mortise involves simply drilling a stopped hole. On the other end of the hinge, a mounting plate fastens either to a face frame stile or the inside wall of the cabinet carcass with screws. No mortise is required.

Long-arm Euro Hinges

Compact styles are one-piece hinges, while long-arm styles have two main components that snap together at the mounting plate. Longarm hinges are particularly handy, because they make doors easy to remove.

Door Details

The manner in which a door interfaces with the cabinet’s carcass will impact which Euro hinge options are available for your project. Inset doors (left illustration) fit completely inside and flush with the cabinet opening. They’re common on both frameless and face frame cabinet styles. Some doors, particularly on older cabinets, have a 3/8″ x 3/8″ rabbet around their back face, enabling them to recess partially into the face frame opening (center illustration). Other door styles overlay the front edges of the cabinet carcass or a face frame by the full thickness of the door (right illustration). Euro hinges are made to accommodate these full-overlay doors with varying amounts of overlap around the opening; this may range from 3/8″ up to 1-1⁄4″. Hinge descriptions in catalogs or online will specify inset or overlay style, face frame or frameless cabinet type and maximum swing range, among other important product details.

Installation Process

The first step to installing Euro hinges is to mark their positions on the cabinet face frame or inside wall and the back face of the door. Make sure these pairs of layout marks for each hinge align exactly.

Install a 35 mm Forstner bit in a drill press for boring mortises for the cups. Adjust its fence to the specific distance away from the bit required by the hinges.

Rockler’s Hinge Cup Jig makes this setup step easy.

All the conveniences of these production-quality hinges can also be part of your shop-built cabinet projects, and they’re super easy to install! If you can drill holes, you can mount these hinges successfully on the first try.

While hinge cup mortise depths will vary, most are around 12 mm (1/2″) deep. Set the drilling depth according to the hinge specifications, and bore a hinge cup mortise into the door at each layout mark.

When mounting the cup portion of the hinge to the cabinet door, be careful to first square the hinge arm to the door edge before marking centerpoints for the installation screws with an awl.

Drill pilot holes for the hinge cup screws with a 3/32″ self-centering bit. Then drive in the screws to secure the hinge cups in their mortises. Installing these delicate screws by hand will help prevent breaking them.

The photo series explains the process for mounting typical long-arm hinges on a frameless cabinet with a frame-and-panel door. Most Euro hinges require that the cup mortise be drilled with a 35 mm Forstner bit. Using a drill press for this step is best, but a handheld drill will also work, provided you drill carefully and not too deep. A JIG IT Deluxe Concealed Hinge Drilling System from Rockler simplifies the task.

Jigs Make It Easy!

Locate and drill pilot holes for pairs of screws that will attach the hinge mounting plates to the cabinet. Here, Rockler’s JIG IT Mounting Plate Template “A” sets the screw placement and setback without measuring.

With long-arm style Euro hinges like these, the mounting plates are installed independently of the rest of the hinge hardware. Fasten the hinge plates to the cabinet with their attachment screws.

Rockler offers several more inexpensive jigs which will make the installation process even easier. A JIG IT Hinge Cup Jig enables you to set the Forstner bit the exact distance away from a drill press fence to locate the hinge cup mortises accurately on the cabinet door. Then, several options of JIG IT Mounting Plate Templates can help locate the hinge mounting plate screws on the cabinet or face frame without measuring.

Set the door into postion on the cabinet, and snap the long-arm portion of the hinges onto the mounting plates to hang the door. (If this were a compact hinge instead, the hardware would be a single component.)

Use the hinges’ adjustment screws to fine-tune door placement on the cabinet opening. Depending on the hinge, these screws provide very helpful up/down, side-to-side and in/out door adjustability.

For an informative overview to help you choose the right Euro-style hinges, visit here.

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Alex Fang: Door Project Opens Other Creative Doors

Alex Fang — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 19:49:34 +0000

Ever since I was young, I’ve always been a creative and curious person. I liked to draw, I liked photography and videography, and I especially enjoyed working with my hands. As an engineering student in college, my favorite classes were the ones where I got to go down to the lab and make things. College was where I was exposed to CAD design, 3D printing and a little welding. It’s also when I realized I loved coming up with my own designs on the computer and then turning them into physical products to help solve problems that I was facing at the time.

After college, I took a job as an automotive design engineer where 95 percent of my time was spent sitting in front of a computer. It was completely different from what I did in college, and there were very limited opportunities where I got to do any hands-on work. But my job always kept me busy, so I never had much time or energy to explore hobbies.

I didn’t discover my interest in woodworking until after my wife and I bought our first house. One problem with it was that there wasn’t a door between the master bedroom and bathroom, which made showers in the winter months very chilly. We wanted to put up some barn doors, but all the ones we liked were really expensive. I remember thinking, “How hard would it be to make one?” At the time I’d never done any woodworking, so I went to the obvious place to learn: YouTube.

It All Started with a Door

After watching a bunch of videos from several popular influencers, I bought a circular saw, router, pocket-hole jig and a random-orbit sander and got to work. It turned out that making a door was not easy! It took me much longer than I expected, it wasn’t pretty and the size wasn’t even right.

But I could not contain the excitement that came from building something with my own hands. So the next thing I asked myself was, “What else can I make with these tools?” But I didn’t want to just build things for the sake of building. I wanted to build things that better fit our lifestyle and the aesthetics that both my wife and I love. But I knew I had a lot more learning to do.

That’s when I found Chris Salomone’s YouTube channel, “Four Eyes Woodworking & Design.” I was inspired by both his designs and his teaching style that made me feel like woodworking wasn’t beyond my abilities. Even though I only had a couple of projects under my belt then, I ended up designing and building my first Mid-century Modern credenza. That was the piece that really boosted my confidence and love for woodworking. I not only designed something useful that fit our lifestyle needs and space, but also something that was aesthetically pleasing to us.

When we were expecting the birth of our son, I decided to build him a crib. I thought it’d be cool to document the process so I could show it to him when he was older. I began sharing photos and video clips on social media, and a lot of people urged me to post the full-build video to YouTube. So that’s what I did.

I not only enjoyed being able to share my hobby with the world and inspire others, but I also discovered a rare opportunity to combine three of my biggest passions: designing, woodworking and filmmaking.

My builds nowadays still revolve around creating things that can function to improve my family’s daily life as well as fitting our aesthetic style. I feel very lucky to have stumbled on this creative outlet that fulfills me. And I hope to continue producing content that’s entertaining and educational for my audience. I hope it will help spark someone else’s creativity the way others have sparked mine.

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PROJECT: Benchtop Drill Press Mobile Stand

A.J. Hamler — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 20:22:52 +0000

Convert your benchtop drill press into a mobile floor model with this sturdy cabinet — and get plenty of storage for bits and accessories at the same time.

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PROJECT: Breakfront Plant Stand

Chris Marshall — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 22:10:38 +0000

Our senior editor puts Leigh’s FMT Pro Jig through its paces to mill a bunch of mortise-and-tenon joints for this Arts & Crafts-inspired piece.

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PROJECT: Turning a Hawaiian Calabash Bowl

Ernie Conover — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 17:17:48 +0000

Calabash bowls are part of the cultures of Hawaii. They have been made for centuries, and many Hawaiians have examples that have been handed down for generations. Historically, wood calabash bowls were intended for royalty while common people used ones made from calabash gourds. Because of their royal connection, Hawaiian wood bowls have always exhibited superb craftsmanship and were made from tropical woods (deemed sacred) that exhibit stunning figure, grain pattern and color. After 1819, they could be owned by anybody, so wooden calabash bowls have prevailed.

This stunning calabash bowl by Emiliano Achaval is made of koa wood. Butterfly patches were often put into weak spots in the wood, and Hawaiians revered bowls with repairs like these. My bowl example for this article (lead photo) is made of cherry with sapwood areas.

Until the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Hawaiians did not have lathes, so their bowls were made by using stone and coral to shape and then pumice and shark skin to bring them to a very high polish. The calabash shape is not flat on the bottom but rounded with the sides tapering slightly inwards. The height varies from shallow to very deep, and there is usually sap wood at each edge. Many extant Hawaiian bowls are quite curved on the bottom; the lack of a flat bottom may seem off-putting, but it works out fine on tables and counters as well as on the ground. That Hawaiian craftsmen could bring a piece of wood to look like it had been turned but without the use of a lathe is truly amazing, but craftsmanship in woodworking offers much to amaze us.

Thoughts Before Turning

Start with a suitable blank that has been chainsawn or bandsawn from a green log. If possible, choose a log that exhibits contrasting sapwood for a more authentic calabash effect.

With all of this in mind, we should try to incorporate the following thoughts into our rendition of the Hawaiian calabash motif so as to best honor the people and culture of our fiftieth state.

• Use a close-grained wood with some sapwood at each edge. Choose wood that will exhibit beautiful grain and color as it ages. Cherry and hickory are good, widely available North American woods, but tropical woods are fair game as well.

Mount the blank to a faceplate or a worm screw held in a four-jaw scroll chuck. Here the author is using a Stronghold chuck with a large worm screw.

• Be faithful to the shape. A round bottom to the bowl is part of the fun and will be a good topic of conversation with guests.

• Sand and finish a calabash bowl to a very high sheen, both inside and out.

Turn the outside shape of the bowl, leaving a bit extra in the base area for either a short tenon or a shallow recess that the chuck jaws can clamp onto or expand into. Sand the outside, exclusive of the base area, to a very smooth but not a final sheen. Depending on your gouge skill and the wood you are turning, start with between 40- or 80-grit and finish at 120-grit. If starting at 40, continue with 80 and then 120. In sanding, never skip more than one grit.

• The size of a calabash bowl can be anywhere from 6″ in diameter to very large, with depth generally going down as the diameter increases. Small bowls can be spindle-turned, allowing them to be much taller.

Turning Process

Reverse the bowl from the faceplate or screw center and remount it with a compression or expansion hold, employing appropriate size chuck jaws. Then hollow out the bowl’s interior, working from the center outward and down. It is best to leave extra at the bottom area so that the bowl can be reversed to turn the convex shape of the bottom. This is especially so if you use an expansion hold. Bring the walls to a uniform thickness ranging between 1/4″ and 1/2″ thick.

Most modern turners of this art form start with green wood, which makes the shaping and hollowing much faster. Because of the round bottom, if you turn your calabash bowl all the way to completion, expect that the rim will become slightly warped as the wood continues to dry.

Do not be afraid to switch from your bowl gouge to a large roundnose scraper to fair the surface and to help remove any tearout in the end grain areas. Hold the handle high so the scraper’s burr can cut effectively, and use a light touch.

But that’s just part of the fun. The wall should be in the 1/4″- to 1/2″-thick range, becoming thicker as the overall bowl size increases.

Sand the inside to a final finish, starting with 40- to 80-grit and working to 220, skipping no more than two grits as you go; 40, 80, 120, 180 and 220 would be a good grit sequence.

If you’re familiar with basic bowl-turning procedures, the photo series in this article should be familiar territory
to you already. Start the turning process with your green bowl blank mounted to either a faceplate or a worm screw held in a four-jaw chuck.

Apply the first coat of finish to the inside. The author is using Waterlox Original Sealer Finish, but mineral oil, walnut oil or various “salad bowl” finishes would be other good choices, too.

Turn the bowl’s outer profile as well as a short tenon or a shallow recess for re-chucking. Sand the bowl’s outer surface extremely smooth, to 180-grit. Remove all evidence of tearout during the sanding process — remember, one of the signature features of calabash bowls is that they are sanded to a high polish.

Reverse the bowl onto either a jam chuck or a vacuum chuck. Turn the bottom to a very uniform, convex shape, and bring the wall of the bowl to a constant thickness from the rim to the center of the base.

When you’re satisfied with the exterior, remount the bowl in a four-jaw chuck so you can hollow the bowl’s interior with a gouge and scraper. Leave extra material at the bottom in order to complete this area in the next step by reversing it again on the lathe. Sand the interior up to 220-grit.

Sand the bottom and outside to 220-grit as was done on the inside, being careful to remove all traces of tearout. Power-sanding with a random-orbit sander is a fast method, but hand-sanding will also yield good results.

Apply finish to the interior before remounting the bowl on either a jam or vacuum chuck. Turn the bottom to a uniform, convex shape, and bring the wall of the bowl to a uniform thickness from the rim to the center of the base. Then, while the bowl is mounted on the lathe, sand the bottom and outside up to 220-grit and apply finish to the exterior to complete it.

It will take three or more coats of finish to bring the sheen to a level that Hawaiian culture demands. Subsequent coats can be done off the lathe or on the lathe if you have a vacuum chuck.

Once your bowl is finished, go on a picnic and think of the warm sands of a Hawaiian beach as you eat lunch out of your calabash. It will sit nicely on the ground and be a thing of beauty at the center of the tablecloth.

I want to thank Emiliano Achaval, an expert Hawaiian bowl turner, for all his help and sound advice with this article. You can watch an interview between the two of us as a “More on the Web” extra. Be sure to visit his website too.
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Woodworker’s Journal January/February 2022

Matt Hocking — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 18:10:11 +0000

Projects: Walnut Storage Cabinet, Benchtop Drill Press Stand, Breakfront Plant Stand

Techniques: Turning Calabash Bowls, Making Mortise and Tenon Joints

Tools: Table Saw Fundamentals, Festool TS 55 Track Saw, European Hinges

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January/February 2022 What’s in Store Roundup

Matt Hocking — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 22:20:47 +0000

Rockler 5″ Glue Roller with Silicone Rest

Rockler Deluxe Panel Clamps

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 15 Gauge Finish Nailer

Rockler Dust Right Floor Sweep with Blast Gate

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VIDEO: Emiliano Achaval on Hawaiian Calabash Bowls

Ernie Conover — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 22:09:49 +0000

Ernie Conover talks to Hawaiian turner Emiliano Achaval about the centuries-old art of turning calabash bowls. You can check out some of Emiliano’s work at his website.

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VIDEO: What is a Mortise-and-Tenon Joint?

Chris Marshall — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 21:45:44 +0000

A mortise-and-tenon is one of the most well-known and useful means to join wood together. Primarily used in solid wood woodworking to join end grain to edge grain. A mortise-and-tenon joint is, at its most basic, a peg fit into a hole. We show you the parts of a mortise-and-tenon joint and how it should fit together.

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