Popular Woodworking 2001-06 № 122, страница 9

Popular Woodworking 2001-06 № 122, страница 9

Stop Tear-out When Coping Your Rails

For the home woodworker, I think the router table is the perfect machine to make cope-and-stick doors. But not everyone has a high-end router table with a miter slot to make perfect cope cuts on the ends of both rails (rails are like rungs on the ladder -they are horizontal). A simple homemade jig is the solution. Make what looks like the mother of all push blocks. It should be 1" thick, 10" x 10" square and have a handle in the middle. Set the router so the depth of cut is a perfect match for the stick cuts that were made first and lock everything in place. Place the jig so one edge is secure and tight against the router fence and keep all parts well away from the router bit at this time. Next, place the rail workpiece secure to the front edge of jig. This will keep the cope cut square as you make the cut and eliminate tear-out because the jig supports the wood at the end of the profiling process. Remember to follow all safety steps in the tool's manuals.

If You Could Have Only One Finish,What Would it Be?

One viewer of "The American Woodshop" really pinned me down recently. He asked what finish would I use if I could use only one. It's simple: I would dilute a satin polyurethane by 25 percent with mineral spirits and wipe it on with clean cotton rags. It takes three applications to end up with a perfect and durable finish. This technique virtually eliminates drips and runs, plus there are no brushes to clean up. Remember to always wear good finishing gloves and work in a well-ventilated area. Better yet, work outside when the temperature is between 70 and 85 degrees and the humidity is between 40 and 60 percent. Also remember to dispose of the used rags appropriately.

continued on page 14

www.popwood.com

13

Nows 199-

Nows49-

Nows9"

Now $29"

Circle #103 on Resource Directory Coupon