Popular Woodworking 2006-11 № 158, страница 7

Letters

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wood - especially soft wood. I tried finer sandpaper and even got one of those erasers to get the pitch and dust out of the grit but still I get swirls. The real bummer is that sometimes I can't tell they are there until I stain. What do I do?

John Lewing via the Internet

Random-orbit sanders do a good job, but they won't create a perfect surface. I suggest following up the machine sanding with hand sanding with the next finer grit. For example, if you machine sand to #150, hand sand with #180. This should take care of the swirl marks, and it won't take very long. A good way to judge the surface before staining is to wipe it down with a rag dampened in mineral spirits or paint thinner. Look at the surface from an angle, and you'll have a better view of any defects.For more expert sanding advice, see Troy Sextons article, "Superior & Speedy Sanding" in this issue on page 62.

— Robert W. Lang, senior editor

'Moving Fillister' Explanation

I read with great interest the article on the libella in your August 2006 issue (#156), by Samuel Peterson.

I would greatly appreciate your clarifying something for me. On page 73, Peterson refers to a "moving fillister" being used to make a slight rabbet. It states that, "The moving fillister will do the job in no time - it controls the depth of cut and even scores the wood before the cutter slices off the desired amount."

If you would clarify this for me I will be most grateful.

Karl King Norwood, New York

A moving fillister plane is a classic plane that is used to cut a rabbet; sometimes it's a wooden-bodied plane and sometimes it's a metal one, such as the Stanley 78. One English term for rabbet is fillister. The reason the plane is called a moving fillister is because the plane has a fence that moves and allows the plane to cut rabbets of various widths. There also are planes called standing fillisters that cut a rabbet of one width only (W, W'etc.).

The reason the moving fillister can score the work before cutting it is that it has a spur or nicker — essentially a small knife that is posi-

A British moving fillister plane made by C. Nurse. The fence is secured by the two screws.

tioned in front of the plane's cutting iron. The nicker slices the shoulder of the rabbet joint and then the plane iron removes the waste next to the joint's shoulder.

— Christopher Schwarz, editor

Table Pins a Continuing Mystery

I just read the letter by Steven D. Buckley about Queen Anne tabletop pins allowing conversion of the tabletop to a slanted writing desk (August 2006, issue #156).

While writing the article (April 2006, issue #154), I consulted with two of the country's top experts on American antique furniture about why so many of these tables had removable tops. The answer I was given from both of them was basically the same ... no one really knows. One thought is that they allow easy replacement. Another is that it's an aid in moving. Yet another is so the top can easily be taken outside to give it a good cleaning.

I have worked on at least 20 antique tables (and I have built at least six variants), ranging from 20" x 36" tops to 40" x 72" tops. None of them had extra holes with longer pins in the rear and none of them would allow the top to tilt just by removing the rear pins. If you look at the geometry of the front pin locations, it is usually physically impossible to tilt the top more than an inch or so. Maybe Clara's table was modified at a later date to perform this function but I would say that it is an anomaly.

Craig W. Bentzley Chalfont, Pennsylvania

Wood Selection for Salad-bowl Set

I am planning on turning a salad-bowl set - a large mixing bowl and eight smaller serving bowls. I have a couple of questions that I am

hoping you or one of your editors can answer for me. What type of wood is best for this project, and what type of finish should one use on salad bowls?

Bill Jordan

Andalusia, Alabama

Almost any sound hardwood is fine for salad bowls, though walnut could conceivably impart an unpleasant flavor to food; and poplar, which is botanically a hardwood, is nonetheless a bit soft to turn well and wouldn't be very durable. But all the common domestic woods are great: oak, ash, maple, cherry, hickory and many others. Maple is probably my favorite, and is readily available most places. A large bowl will need to be roughed out and allowed to dry before final turning, but smaller ones could be made from dry lumberyard stock.

Any finish is safe for food once the solvents have evaporated completely. I would not use a hard surface finish (such as lacquer or varnish), because it will deteriorate in use and will soon look quite ratty. Penetrating finishes will seal and protect the wood, and most can be renewed if desired. I use an oil and wax mixture; the oil serves to carry the wax deeper into the wood fibers, and it imparts a bit of a sheen (but not a hard gloss) to the wood.

Many commercial varieties of this finish are available and will be labeled as suitable or intended for salad bowls; you may want to try several to see which one (s) you prefer.

—Judy Ditmer, PW contributor

"I Can Do That" Column and Online Manual are Both a Hit with Readers

Thank you for the "I Can Do That" section and especially the ICDT manual (available at ICanDoThatExtras.com). I was so impressed with the no-nonsense approach for each topic that I subscribed online to Popular Woodworking before the printer was even finished printing out the manual! The manual is a must-read and is so well written that anyone at any level who is interested in woodworking will find themselves saying, "I Can Do That, Too!"

DeNault Schwartz II Fayetteville, North Carolina

Drill Press Purchase Recommendation

I am looking for a drill press for my shop. In looking at Jet machines (models JDP-17MF

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Popular Woodworking November 2006