Popular Woodworking 2000-06 № 115, страница 13

Tricks of the Trade

WINNER!

A Jig Worthy of Tails

Troy Sexton's $19.95 Dovetail Jig (September 1999) is a great idea, but I carried it a bit further. Rather than using a band saw to cut the tails, I made another router template on the other end of the template used for routing the pins. I used the pin template's teeth to lay out the tail notches a tiny bit wider than the teeth, then set up my saw to make the notches. The ends need to be rounded off, with the amount of radius determined by how far the router bit extends below the template. Cutting the tails requires a fixture to hold the drawer sides (inside face out) in a vertical position while you rout them. A fence made of material no thicker than the template makes it easy to align both the template (lying on top of the fixture) and the drawer side. It's easy to adjust the fit. First make a trial cut, then if they are too tight take a very light cut to widen the notches in the tail end of the template. If the drawer sides aren't flush with the ends, you can measure to see how far to move the template in or out to cut them so they will come out flush.

Gene Rhodes Springfield, Illinois

Roofing Square Finds Your Center

I was looking through a friend's copy of Popular Woodworking from November 1998 and came across the article on finding the center of a circle. This way is simpler: Using aroofing square (or even a piece of paper), place the comer on the circle at any point, (call it point A). From this position, determine points B and C. The line segment BC is the diameter of the circle. Move the square and relocate point A, and the new line segment BC will intersect the old BC at the center point. This is based on the geometric principle that an inscribed angle equals one-half its arc.

John Dupasquier West Linn, Oregon

'New' Math Slashes Fractions

I read "Splitting Odd Fractions" in the September 1999 edition, and I have a much simpler system to cut any fraction in half in your head. This revolutionary system eliminates fractions and has been used for a long time. It's called the "metric system." Everything is in decimals and can be added or subtracted in your head. To convert from millimeters (mm) to centimeters (cm), just move the decimal point one place. I've found the metric system superior to our English system, and I don't know why it is not accepted. All scientific and technical businesses use it, why do woodworkers hate the system?

H.R. Wheeler Fallon, Nevada

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BE AN INNOVATIVE THINKER AND WIN!

Turn your woodworking knowledge into a truly tricked-out tool from the Simpson Machine Tool Co. (www.smtco.com).Your best trick or shop tip can earn you a reproduction of the 19th Century Stanley Odd Job #1 — the original multi-tool — and a check for $50.The Odd Job is an inside miter and try square, mortise scribe, layout tool,depth gauge, beam compass and bubble level, with a 6" and 12" brass-lined maple rule.This re-creation of a classic tool is cast from solid manganese bronze and is machined to within .0015 tolerance. One winner will be chosen each issue; published runners-up receive $25.

To make things easier,you can e-mail your trick and daytime phone number to us at DavidT@FWPubs.com or mail it to:Tricks of the Trade • Popular Woodworking • 1507 Dana Ave. • Cincinnati, OH 45207. All entries become the property of Popular Woodworking.

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Illustrations:John McCormick

10 Popular Woodworking June 2000