Woodworker's Journal 1985-9-5, страница 52
52 Finger-Saving PLA^ cwceM r For better or worse, most supermarkets now offer plastic grocery hags. As you probably know, these hags have a pair of cutouts which serve as a carrying handle. However, those handles are not very comfortable in your hand, especially when the grocery clerk fills the bag with canned goods and you feel as though you're carrying a bag of bricks out to the car. This little wooden handle can help. You simply slip the plastic bag handle into the groove and you instantly have a more comfortable grip. And since it's small enough to lit in a pocket or handbag, it's always ready to use. Our thanks to James R. Warrick of Lancaster. Pennsylvania, for providing us with the idea. He makes them for a nearby woodworking crafts store where they have been selling quite well. While the chip carving is not necessar\. it's a nice detail— and we think you'll find it easy and fun to do. It also will "jazz up" the handle a bit. Make the Handle lust about any wood you have available can be used. A piece ol » in. thick stock measuring 11 /-» in. wide by 16 in. long will provide enough material to make four holders. \lu i cutting the 16 in. long stock to size, round the edges usinv .i roulcr table and a 'A in. radius bearing-guided router hn IV sun lo keep your fingers well away from the bit as you make the cuts. To cut the i in w ide by '/2 in. deep groove, use the router table with .i '/» hi diameter straight bit. Set the router table fence to locate the i;roove in the center of the 3/4 in. thickness. Make the lust cui wuh the bit set to a height of '/« in., then raise the bit in 'A in. increments for successive cuts. Making the l/2 in. deep groove in several steps reduces strain on the motor while keeping the bit from overheating and burning the wood. Next, crosscut the stock into 4 in. lengths, then round over the ends to match the '/•» in. radius cut earlier on the edges. A disk sander or a hand file w ill shape the radius in short order. The drill press and a 1 in. diameter drum sander can be used to form the finger grip curves on the edge as shown. Mark I he '/« in. depth and the 7/# in. spacing, then slowly push the stock into the spinning drum to create each curve. Chip Carve the Pattern If you haven't tried chip carving before, we think you'll find this design to be surprisingly easy. However, before working on the handle, it's a good idea to get the feel of the technique by first practicing on some scrap stock. Begin by securing the handle to your bench so that you'll have both hands free. Next, use a piece of carbon paper to 52 The WVxvlworker's Journal |
