90 - Get the Most out of a Plunge Router, страница 34

Build this handy tool in an afternoon and you'll use it for a wide range of tasks around the shop.

special wood without worrying about breaking the bank.

An Easy Build. The construction of this layout tool is pretty simple. There's a slotted wood base with a guide strip that runs along its length. This allows a pair of index blocks and brass "keys" to slide back and forth. The guide strip keeps the blocks (and keys) square to the base as you adjust them to suit the job at hand. And the long edge of the base makes a solid reference face against the workpiece.

If you look closely, you'll see that the brass keys fit in a groove in the index blocks. The keys are slotted so they can be adjusted in and out.

As for the hardware, you can see I kept that pretty simple, too. A couple of brass flange bolts and rubber washers from the hardware store tie everything together.

34 ShopNotes No. 90

When you first look at the photos, you might think this is a basic dovetail layout tool. But looks can be deceiving. There's a lot more to it than that. You'll found other uses around the shop for this handy tool, like laying out mortises.

The nice thingabout building this tool is that you can put it together in an afternoon or weekend. If you look at the drawings on the next page, you'll see what I mean. The wood pieces are small, so it'sa good opportunity to use some exotic or

A Scribing Lines. A small notch in the end of each key holds your pencil tip for marking lines parallel to the edge of a workpiece

A Dovetail Layout. The angled dovetail keys make quick work of spacing and marking the pins of hand-cut dovetail joints,