Popular Woodworking 2000-06 № 115, страница 26

MAKE A WATERTIGHT PAN

Cutting, bending and soldering the copper for the pan is nothing to be intimidated by. You can cut the copper sheet metal on your table saw using a carbide crosscut blade, trim the corners with an ordinary pair of snips, bend the stock with a simple plywood jig and solder it to make it waterproof just as you would when joining copper plumbing.

I picked up the copper from a roofing company that uses this material for flashings. I paid a few bucks for the piece I need-ed.To fabricate the pan, just follow these simple steps.

I Carefully measure the inside dimension of the table from the inside corners of the legs, not the inside of the aprons.

2 Cut your copper to this size on the table saw (make sure you are wearing safety glasses and that the thin metal stock cannot slip under the fence).

3 If it matters on the copper you are using, turn the piece so that the good side is face down on your bench.Then measure from each edge and mark the height of the pan side, 1 '/V. Score the material to make a crisp,square edge when bent. Score all four edges similarly.

4 Use your combination square and mark a 45-degree angle from each corner to the intersection of the score lines at each corner. Now cut away one of the triangles made in each corner.

5 Cut a piece of ³/4" plywood that's at least as long as the longest side of the copper so that you end up with two pieces with a 45-degree angle on a long edge. Make one piece the height of the pan side and the other at least 6" wide. Cut one more piece with square edges only that is as wide as the pan side.

6 With the scored side down, place one edge of the copper so that the score line and the edge of the bench are the same. Clamp the wider plywood piece over the copper so that the point of the plywood angle is also at the edge of the bench.With the overhanging copper, make a sandwich of the copper,the square-edged plywood below and angle-edged plywood above. Be sure the points of the plywood angles touch and securely clamp the sandwich together.

7 Bend the edge of the copper up until the plywood angles close. Repeat the process until all four edges are bent. If the sides are not quite square, tap them with a hammer along the length of the bend.

8 Solder the corners together. First coat the surfaces with flux. Position the corner so it's square and lightly clamp with a steel clamp.Thoroughly heat the parts, especially close to the corner until the solder flows and is drawn in between the surfaces.Allow to cool and repeat for the other corners.When done, add water to the pan and check for leaks. Clean any flux residue with soap and water.

After drawing a line from a corner to the intersection of two score lines, cut out one of the triangular shapes from each corner using snips.

A simple method for bending using plywood cut with a 45-degree angle and clamps.This ensures a bend in a straight line and a point to bend to. Clamp the metal to a table with the area to be bent overhanging the edge of the bench.

After clamping the overhanging piece, bend upward until the mitered edges close.Then remove the clamps and repeat for each side

The finished shape of the stretchers and aprons is made using a template that guides the bearing on top of the router bit.

wire brads. Two should be sufficient. Now use a "pattern" router bit (a straight bit with a bearing of equal size as the diameter of the bit) in a router and secure the router in a router table. Elevate the bit to a height where the bearing rides against the template and the cutting edge of the bit will trim the overhanging waste from the part. Use this procedure for all the parts that are shaped from the two templates.

Now position the parts in their correct locations relative to the legs. Follow the diagram for these locations. Mark the aprons and legs for two #10 biscuits each and the stretchers for a ³/8" dowel. The biscuit slots will overlap, so cut one end off one of the biscuits about V2" back. Cut the slots and drill the holes. Dry assemble the parts.

After taking the table apart, change the router to a H" radius bit with a bearing. Run all the edges of all the parts with the following exceptions: Leave the ends of the aprons and stretchers square and the inside top edge of the aprons; the bottom end of the legs remain square and the inside corner of the legs where the aprons start and stop are also square.

1/4"

¹/4" radii on all corners N,

Buildup strips

Pan

Plywood bottom

Heat the copper at the point where you want the solder to flow.

Cleat

Cross Section of Pan and Apron

Apron

1 ¹/4"

³/4"

1 ¹/2"

¹/2"

2 ¹/4"

Popular Woodworking June 2000