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Some of my favourite
things from this issue
Welcome
Well, we’re just into February and back with
another issue filled with a plethora of exciting
and varied content for you to enjoy. It’s a pleasure
to be featuring another great article from Tibby
Singh, who this time gives us the lowdown on his
journey from apprentice, to BBC Young Carpenter
of the Year, to SkillBuild judge. Extremely
passionate about nurturing young carpentry
and woodworking talent, Tibby travels the lengths
and breadths of the UK in order to meet young
people, encourage them, and hopefully go on to
inspire the next generation of young craftsmen
and women in the process. Also inspired by
woodworking in its different guises is William
Bruton, a sailing yacht skipper by trade, who set
out with furniture designer John Kings in search
of woodworking enlightenment in the land of
the rising sun. Reporting exclusively from Osaka,
he looks at a range of hand-crafted Japanese
tools, as well as various examples of Japanese
craftsmanship and modern woodworking.
As well as these great features, we also have
six fantastic projects for you to try your hand at,
suitable for beginners and the more experienced,
which include the wonderful turned wooden
cryptex shown above; an unusual design for a
hanging guitar stand; a functional foot stool that
can be made using offcuts; some nifty storage
boxes for your workshop; a hand plane renovation
and Les Thorne’s wonderful classic cake stand.
In terms of tech articles, these are varied as ever
and aim to improve your skills in a number of
specific areas – expect to find everything from
CNC routing to the hand cutting of dovetails.
Welcome
Skills on show
As I said last month, a big thank you again to
all of you who have sent in photos of your latest
projects, all of which will appear in our readers’
gallery over the coming months. It’s so intriguing
to see what you’ve all been busy making in your
workshops and it’s great to see so many skills on
show – everything from a rocking motor bike to Andy King
Technical Editor
a 1:12 scale Georgian dolls’ house! We hope our
magazine is continuing to inspire you and also
shape your woodworking skills along the way.
As always, if you have something you’d like to
share, do email in and if any of you are in the
process of a grand New Year build, then we’d
love to see it and find out more.
Felder final five Dave Roberts
Consultant Editor
And for those of you who are nearing the final
stages of completing your entry for our Felder
competition, then the closing date is almost here
– 17 February. Do please ensure that you email
your entry over before this date so we can begin
the exciting process of deciding who will be our
chosen final five! We’ve already received some
very impressive projects and we can’t wait to see
what others we receive. Good luck to all of you Phil Davy
who’ve entered and we will bring you details of Consultant Editor
the finalists very soon! In the meantime, get stuck
in to our February issue and all it has to offer!
We endeavour to ensure all techniques shown
Enjoy! in Good Woodworking are safe, but take no
Tegan responsibility for readers’ actions. Take care
when woodworking and always use guards,
goggles, masks, hold-down devices and ear
protection, and above all, plenty of common
Email tegan.foley@mytimemedia.com sense. Do remember to enjoy yourself, though
GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 3
 Inside this issue

80
Just in time for tea (and cake)
With a little help from his niece, Les Thorne
makes a classic cake stand, which is then
adorned with her lovely homemade creations

4 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

 February 315
PEOPLE & PLACES
32 From apprentice
to SkillBuild judge
TOOLS PROJECTS TECHNIQUES ADVICE SkillBuild judge Tibby Singh gives us a glimpse
behind the scenes in terms of what this important
competition involves, and tells us how his
PROJECTS TECHNICAL passion for championing young and upcoming
talent makes his job all the more worthwhile
36 Save those offcuts! 24 Learning about lathes
Glenn Perry is a fan of saving offcuts and shows Peter Bishop moves on to looking at the subject 38 Home truths
how he made a functional foot stool for his of lathes, as well as offering advice on turning, As the race continues, Edward Hopkins
mother using pieces of leftover sapele how to get the best from your tools and hands over the batten
invaluable techniques you can adopt in
48 Musical gifts order to become a better turner 46 Centrefold
Charlie Gapay presents a simple and effective Alun Heslop’s unique sculptural bench
project that would make a perfect gift for 30 The key to cutting is made using bleached oak and aims
the budding musician sharp dovetails to evoke the feeling of shifting sands
Peter Sefton and his students learn about the
hand cutting of dovetails and use these new- 64 Japanese woodworking
found skills to make a small chestnut letter rack enlightenment
William Bruton and furniture designer John Kings
54 CNC-routed corner set out in search of woodworking enlightenment
dressing table in the land of the rising sun
In the final part of his CNC routing series,
Dennis Keeling makes a space-saving corner TESTS
dressing table unit for his wife
Andy King tests…

14 Axminster Rider chisels

16 Makita DHS680 Brushless circular saw
18 Ultimate & Coloured wood
veneer packs
52 Everything in its place 20 Turners Mesh
Stackable by design, Patrik Waters’ handy
workshop storage boxes will ensure your Phil Davy tests…
bits and bobs stay neat and tidy
76 UJK Technology Pocket Hole Jig Kit
58 Cracking the code
Matthew White shows you how to turn your YOUR FAVOURITES
own iconic puzzle: a segmented wooden cryptex. 8 News
A great exercise for testing your turning skills, 12 Courses
ensure to take your time with this project 13 Readers’ ads
44 Letters & Makers
72 Wooden wonder 71 Around the House
Phil Davy gets round to rejuvenating a venerable 89 Next month
old plane that he bought for a tenner 90 From the Archives

BACK ISSUES & BINDERS ADVERTISING

Contact: 01733 688 964 Business Development Manager: David Holden
http://twitter.com/getwoodworking Website: www.mags-uk.com Email: david.holden@mytimemedia.com
www.getwoodworking.com Tel: 07718 648 689
EDITORIAL
Published by MyTimeMedia Ltd.
Group Editor: Tegan Foley SUBSCRIPTIONS
Suite 25, Eden House Enterprise Way,
Technical Editor: Andy King Subscriptions Manager: Kate Hall
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Consultant Editors: Phil Davy, Dave Roberts
UK and Overseas Tel: +44 (0) 1689 869 840 MANAGEMENT
CONTRIBUTORS Group Advertising Manager: Rhona Bolger
SUBSCRIPTIONS
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The Publisher’s written consent must be obtained before any part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, including photocopiers, and information retrieval systems. All reasonable care is taken in the
preparation of the magazine contents, but the publishers cannot be held legally responsible for errors in the contents of this magazine or for any loss however arising from such errors, including loss resulting from negligence of
our staff. Reliance placed upon the contents of this magazine is at reader’s own risk. Good Woodworking, ISSN 0967-0009, is published 13 times a year by MYTIMEMEDIA Ltd, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF, UK.
The US annual subscription price is 62GBP (equivalent to approximately 88USD). Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA.
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GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 5

 FROM ONLY LEG STAND KITS 4" BELT/
£ .98
69EX.VAT FOR CTS10D 6" DISC
AND CTS11 SANDER
TABLE £
83.98
INC.VAT ONLY £27.59 Dust extraction facility
SAWS INC VAT’ 4" x 36" belt tilts & locks 0-90°
225mm x 160mm table, tilts 0-90°
370W, 230V motor
CS4-6D
NOW £
92.99
EX.VAT

INCLUDES SUPERSTORES £
111.59
INC.VAT
LEFT
& RIGHT
NATIONWIDE
TABLE
EXTENSION CTS10D
MODEL MOTOR BLADE
CTS800B 600W 200mm
EXC.VAT INC.VAT
£69.98 £83.98 WHERE QUALITY
CTS11 1500W 254mm
CTS10D*Moulded
1500W base
254mm
£149.98 £179.98
£169.98 £203.98 COSTS LESS
6" BELT/
TABLE SAW WITH FURY5-S NEW WOODWORKING QUALITY CAST 9" DISC
EXTENSION TABLE VICES IRON STOVES SANDER
CTS14 • 1500W motor £
TABLES (250mm) • 0-60° mitre SAW
OVER 23 QUALITY POT
99EXC.VAT
.98
Includes stand
Ideal for cross cutting, £ 1 HP/ 230V/
ripping, angle and
gauge STYLES ON DISPLAY BELLY 119.98
INC.VAT
1ph motor
• Cutting CS6-9C
mitre cutting Easy depth: Steel 3mm, FROM ONLY
release/locking mechanism .99 8kW
for table extensions 0-45°
Wood 85mm at £
13EX.VAT 6.9kW
£
229.00
EXC.VAT
90° or 58mm WV7
£
16.79 £
274.80
tilting blade Cutting depth:
NEW
INC.VAT INC.VAT
at 45°
72mm at 90° / 65mm at 45° MODEL MOUNTING JAW
£ (WIDTH/OPENING
SHOWN WITH 149EX.VAT
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/DEPTH)mm EXC.VAT INC.VAT
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£
129EXC.VAT
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£ CLK5 £19.98 CHT152
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£23.98 INC.VAT Multi Angle DISC SANDER
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Clarke WV7 Bolted 180/205/78 £26.99 £32.39 MODELS IN STOCK that tilt & lock
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reducer adaptors

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& 4 dust bags NEW CONSN18LiB
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NEW
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Powerful TURBO AIR COMPRESSORS Includes
750W motor SPARE NAILS / two tables
56 litre bag capacity STAPLES IN STOCK
Flow rate of 850M3/h CROS3 450W ELECTRIC AND CORDLESS
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35INC.VAT
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.99
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CDE35B 750W 450 M3/h 56Ltrs £139.98 £167.98
Adjustable front handle
MODEL TYPE GAUGE VAT VAT
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154.99
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CDE7B 750W 850 M3/h 114Ltrs £149.98 £179.98 CESNG1 Electric 22/18 £21.99 £26.39 185.99
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improves control CCT48 Cordless ideal for DIY, INC.VAT CS4-8
7000-14000rpm hobby & semi
POWER PLANERS 4.8V Ni-MH 22/18 £28.99 £34.79
-professional use DISC SANDER
CEP1 INC DUST BAG AND CESNG2 Electric 18/18 £39.98 £47.98
SELECTION OF 125MM CONSN18LiB Cordless * ’V’ Twin Pump (305MM) £129.98
EXC.VAT
8/250 Powerful, bench mounted
DIAMETER SANDING DISCS NEW 18v Lithium-Ion 18/18 £114.99 £137.99 £
MODEL MOTOR CFM TANK EXC.VAT INC.VAT disc sander 900W 155.98
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CPF13 BELT 7/250 2 HP 7 24ltr £94.99 £113.99 disc speed:
ELECTRIC SANDERS 11/250 2.5HP 9.5 24ltr £109.98 £131.98 1490rpm
8/510 2HP 7.5 50ltr £119.98 £143.98 305mm
POWER Ideal for surface removal, 11/510 2.5HP 9.5 50ltr £139.98 £167.98 Disc Dia.
• 82mm
cutting FILE sanding and finishing 16/510* 3 HP 14.5 50ltr £209.00 £250.80 (1 x 60 grit
ABRASIVE SANDING 16/1010* 3 HP 14.5 100ltr £259.98 £311.98 sanding disc
width FROM ONLY BELTS IN STOCK included)
£
26EXC.VAT
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£
32INC.VAT
.39 Variable WORKBENCH extraction CDS300B
# was £69.59 inc.VAT belt speed Includes bench dogs and guide holes for port
FROM ONLY
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M OTOR OF CUT *Black
44EXC.VAT
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FROM ONLY
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Clarke CEP1 650W 2mm £26.99 £32.39 & Decker 53INC.VAT
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34EX.VAT
LxWxH 1520x620x855mm
Einhell TE-PL850 850W 3mm £49.98 £59.98 # was £71.98 inc.VAT BS1 SHEET CON300
B&D KW750K - GB 750W# 2mm £54.99 £65.99 £
41.99
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CONVERTERS KA900E*# 350W/230V 13x455 £54.99 £65.99 Clarke BS1 900W 380 £34.99 £41.99 CHB1500 optimum £
16EXC.VAT
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woodworking CORDLESS Makita 9911* 650W 75-270 £89.98 £107.98 20INC.VAT
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8000rpm
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PSR18 £
209EXC.VAT
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MODEL MOTOR CAPACITY EXC. INC.
1PH TO 400V 3PH MODEL VOLTS BATTS EXC. VAT INC.VAT MODEL MOTOR MAX CUT DRY/WET VAT VAT
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.98 CPT250
MODEL MAX. FUSE EXC.VAT INC.VAT CCD180 18V 1 £39.98 £47.98 90/45 CVAC20P 1250W 16/12ltr £49.98 £59.98
MOTOR HP CCD240 24V 1 £47.99 £57.59 (mm) EXC.VAT INC.VAT CVAC20SS* 1400W 16/12ltr £59.98 £71.98 OSCILLATING BELT
PC20 2HP 10Amps £229.00 £274.80 Bosch PSR18 18V 1 £54.99 £65.99 CCS185B 1200W 65/44 £39.98 £47.98 CVAC20PR2 1400W 16/12ltr £62.99 £75.59
PC40 3.5HP 20Amps £269.00 £322.80 CON18Ni 18V 2 x Ni-Cd £69.98 £83.98 CON185* 1600W 60/40 £59.98 £71.98 CVAC25SS* 1400W 19/17ltr £67.99 £81.59
& BOBBIN SANDER
PC60 5.5HP 32Amps £319.00 £382.80 CON18Li 18V 2 x Li-Ion £89.98 £107.98 CCS2 1300W 60/45 £59.98 £71.98 CVAC30SSR*1400W 24/21ltr £97.99 £117.59 450W motor 2000rpm spindle speed
1750rpm belt speed Dust collection port
Simple fast assembly in 10" (254MM) CPT800 Inc. sleeves, drum and belt
BOLTLESS minutes using only a hammer SLIDING
SAVE
SHELVING BENCHES PLANERS &
• For fast, accurate COMPOUND THICKNESSERS
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26054LH
 EASY FINANCE GET
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CBS300 305mm/12" 165mm 115mm £389.00 £466.80
Range of precision bench & MORTISING odour free heat.
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CBS350 340mm/14" 225mm 160mm £479.00 £574.80
floor presses for enthusiast, MACHINE HEADER.98
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£ stroke 76mm SELLER and feet
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CBM1B Robust cast iron base anchor holes 6" & 8"
B = Bench mounted F = Floor standing
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BEST FROM ONLY AVAILABLE
SELLER £
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13" MINI (WOOD/STEEL) VAT VAT
MULTI FUNCTION WOOD LATHE Clarke CJS380* 420W 55/6mm £14.99 £17.99
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TOOL WITH ACCESSORY KIT £
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Bosch PST700E* 500W 70/4mm £44.99 £53.99
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chiselling & much more • 250W motor 179INC.VAT
.98
heavy duty 4" TO 8" FROM # With sanding belt
• Variable speed MITRESAW STAND machines ONLY £27.59 *8" whetstone &
ideal for INC VAT 6" drystone
£ CFMSS1
39EXC.VAT
.98
trade and MODEL DUTY WHEEL
£ ONLY DIY use
47INC.VAT
.98
CMFT250 £
66.99
DIA. EXC.VAT INC.VAT
EX.VAT CBG6RP DIY 150mm £32.99 £39.59
CWL325V CR2
• Suitable for most £
80.39
INC.VAT CBG6RZ
CBG6RSC
PRO 150mm £42.99 £51.59
HD 150mm £54.99 £65.99
• Ideal for enthusiasts/ sizes/makes of saw
hobbyists with small workshops • Inc. outriggers & rollers CBG6SB# PRO 150mm £54.99 £65.99
• 325mm distance between centres • 200mm CR2 INCLUDES 15 PIECE CBG6RWC HD 150mm £59.98 £71.98
FOLDING MITRE SAW STAND KIT WORTH OVER £20 CBG8W* (wet) HD 150/200mm £56.99 £68.39
max. turning capacity (dia) • 0.2HP motor IN STOCK – CONMW1 ONLY
£131.98 INC VAT
DETAIL SCROLL SAWS
SANDERS 12" FROM ONLY

• Perfect for smooth and fine finishing along £

FROM ONLY NEW DOVETAIL JIG £ .99
44EX.VAT
with hard to reach areas or
79EXC.VAT
.98
• Simple, easy to set up & use for producing a £
53.99
INC.VAT
£
curved surfaces 95INC.VAT
.98 variety of joints • Cuts work pieces with a
thickness of 8-32mm • Includes a 1/2" comb
template guide
& holes for CR1C
CDS-1V • 50mm bench mounting
FROM ONLY max cut Professional
£ thickness *DIY
19EXC.VAT
.98
• Air-blower removes
woodworking
£ tools and
23INC.VAT
.98
dust from cutting area machinery from
• Table tilts 0-45° CSS16VB MODEL MOTOR PLUNGE EXC.VAT INC.VAT Record,
ALL MODELS INC. SANDING SHEETS SPEED EXC. INC. (W) (mm) Sheppach,
MODEL WATTS EXC.VAT INC.VAT MODEL MOTOR RPM VAT VAT CR1C* 1200 0-50 £44.99 £53.99 SIP and more!
PS105 105W £19.98 £23.98 CSS400B 85W 1450 £79.98 £95.98 £
54EXC.VAT
.99 CDTJ12 Bosch 1400 0-55 £79.98 £95.98 Visit
RT-0S13 130W £22.99 £27.59 CSS16VB 90W 550-1600 £89.98 £107.98 £ POF1400ACE www.machinemart.co.uk
CDS-1V 280W £28.99 £34.79 CSS400C 90W 550-1600 £109.98 £131.98 65INC.VAT
.99
CR2 2100 0-60 £119.98 £143.98 for more information
V
VISIT YOUR LOCAL SUPERSTORE OPEN MON-FRI 8.30-6.00,
SAT 8.30-5.30, SUN 10.00-4.00
4 EASY WAYS TO BUY...
BARNSLEY Pontefract Rd, Barnsley, S71 1EZ
B’HAM GREAT BARR 4 Birmingham Rd.
01226 732297
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EXETER 16 Trusham Rd. EX2 8QG
GATESHEAD 50 Lobley Hill Rd. NE8 4YJ
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MIDDLESBROUGH Mandale Triangle, Thornaby 01642 677881 IN-STORE
NORWICH 282a Heigham St. NR2 4LZ 01603 766402
B’HAM HAY MILLS 1152 Coventry Rd, Hay Mills 0121 7713433 GLASGOW 280 Gt Western Rd. G4 9EJ 0141 332 9231 NOTTINGHAM 211 Lower Parliament St. 0115 956 1811 65 SUPERSTORES
BOLTON 1 Thynne St. BL3 6BD 01204 365799 GLOUCESTER 221A Barton St. GL1 4HY 01452 417 948 PETERBOROUGH 417 Lincoln Rd. Millfield 01733 311770
BRADFORD 105-107 Manningham Lane. BD1 3BN 01274 390962 GRIMSBY ELLIS WAY, DN32 9BD 01472 354435 PLYMOUTH 58-64 Embankment Rd. PL4 9HY 01752 254050
BRIGHTON 123 Lewes Rd, BN2 3QB 01273 915999 HULL 8-10 Holderness Rd. HU9 1EG 01482 223161 POOLE 137-139 Bournemouth Rd. Parkstone 01202 717913 ONLINE
BRISTOL 1-3 Church Rd, Lawrence Hill. BS5 9JJ
BURTON UPON TRENT 12a Lichfield St. DE14 3QZ
0117 935 1060
01283 564 708
ILFORD 746-748 Eastern Ave. IG2 7HU 0208 518 4286
IPSWICH Unit 1 Ipswich Trade Centre, Commercial Road 01473 221253
PORTSMOUTH 277-283 Copnor Rd. Copnor 023 9265 4777 www.machinemart.co.uk
PRESTON 53 Blackpool Rd. PR2 6BU 01772 703263
CAMBRIDGE 181-183 Histon Road, Cambridge. CB4 3HL 01223 322675 LEEDS 227-229 Kirkstall Rd. LS4 2AS 0113 231 0400 SHEFFIELD 453 London Rd. Heeley. S2 4HJ 0114 258 0831
CARDIFF 44-46 City Rd. CF24 3DN
CARLISLE 85 London Rd. CA1 2LG
029 2046 5424
01228 591666
LEICESTER 69 Melton Rd. LE4 6PN
LINCOLN Unit 5. The Pelham Centre. LN5 8HG
0116 261 0688
01522 543 036
SIDCUP 13 Blackfen Parade, Blackfen Rd 0208 3042069 MAIL ORDER
SOUTHAMPTON 516-518 Portswood Rd. 023 8055 7788 0115 956 5555
CHELTENHAM 84 Fairview Road. GL52 2EH 01242 514 402 LIVERPOOL 80-88 London Rd. L3 5NF 0151 709 4484
CHESTER 43-45 St. James Street. CH1 3EY 01244 311258 LONDON CATFORD 289/291 Southend Lane SE6 3RS 0208 695 5684 SOUTHEND 1139-1141 London Rd. Leigh on Sea 01702 483 742
COLCHESTER 4 North Station Rd. CO1 1RE 01206 762831 LONDON 6 Kendal Parade, Edmonton N18 020 8803 0861 STOKE-ON-TRENT 382-396 Waterloo Rd. Hanley 01782 287321
COVENTRY Bishop St. CV1 1HT 024 7622 4227 LONDON 503-507 Lea Bridge Rd. Leyton, E10 020 8558 8284 SUNDERLAND 13-15 Ryhope Rd. Grangetown
SWANSEA 7 Samlet Rd. Llansamlet. SA7 9AG
0191 510 8773
01792 792969
CLICK &
CROYDON 423-427 Brighton Rd, Sth Croydon LONDON 100 The Highway, Docklands 020 7488 2129
DARLINGTON 214 Northgate. DL1 1RB
020 8763 0640
01325 380 841 LUTON Unit 1, 326 Dunstable Rd, Luton LU4 8JS 01582 728 063 SWINDON 21 Victoria Rd. SN1 3AW 01793 491717 COLLECT
DEAL (KENT) 182-186 High St. CT14 6BQ 01304 373 434 MAIDSTONE 57 Upper Stone St. ME15 6HE 01622 769 572 TWICKENHAM 83-85 Heath Rd.TW1 4AW 020 8892 9117 NEW
DERBY Derwent St. DE1 2ED 01332 290 931 MANCHESTER ALTRINCHAM 71 Manchester Rd. Altrincham 0161 9412 666 WARRINGTON Unit 3, Hawley’s Trade Pk. 01925 630 937 COLLECT FROM 10500
DONCASTER Wheatley Hall Road 01302 245 999 MANCHESTER CENTRAL 209 Bury New Road M8 8DU 0161 241 1851 WIGAN 2 Harrison Street, WN5 9AU 01942 323 785 POST OFFICES AND
DUNDEE 24-26 Trades Lane. DD1 3ET 01382 225 140 MANCHESTER OPENSHAW Unit 5, Tower Mill, Ashton Old Rd 0161 223 8376 WOLVERHAMPTON Parkfield Rd. Bilston 01902 494186 PARCEL FORCE DEPOTS
EDINBURGH 163-171 Piersfield Terrace 0131 659 5919 MANSFIELD 169 Chesterfield Rd. South 01623 622160 WORCESTER 48a Upper Tything. WR1 1JZ 01905 723451
26054RH Calls to the catalogue request number above (0844 880 1265) cost 7p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. For security reasons, calls may be monitored. All prices correct
at time of going to press. We reserve the right to change products and prices at any time. All offers subject to availability, E&OE. *Terms & conditions apply see machinemart.co.uk/finance for more details
 News from the bench

Choices to help Manchester’s young

people find careers inspiration
Choices is a brand new careers, skills and apprenticeships show for young
people from across the Greater Manchester area, which aims to clear the
confusion, and help them move towards the world of work. Organised by Trend FX extreme double-
WorldSkills UK and Prospects, with support from the Careers & Enterprise
Company, Choices will take place at EventCity Manchester on 29 and 30 sided pocket stone
March 2017. The event’s anticipated 10,000 visitors will be able to discover
what they are good at, and the opportunities available to them, through Trend’s FX extreme double-sided 125 × 25mm fine/ex-coarse pocket
hands-on experiences, professional advice and employer insights. size diamond stone is designed for bush-craft and hunting. It is the
Visitors to Choices will be able to try bite-sized experiences of various ideal companion for the outdoor pursuit enthusiast and enables
skills and careers in the ‘Have a Go’ areas, to see what they enjoy, and what quick sharpening every time. One side features a fine 1,000 grit (15
inspires them. There will then be an opportunity to meet a broad range of micron) and the other features an ex-coarse 180 grit (70 micron)
employers, training providers and colleges to discuss real life opportunities surface. The 180 grit is ideal for heavy-duty stock removal, re-shaping
and routes to work, including professional and technical routes such as and regrinding of an edge and the 1,000 grit is perfect for delivering a
apprenticeships and traineeships. There will also be demonstrations razor-sharp edge in seconds. Made using
and inspirational exhibition stands hosted in six dedicated show zones. Monocrystalline diamond for longer
A key part of the event will be the chance to watch skills in action through life, the plate thickness is 1.5mm for
a series of live skills competitions with students at colleges in Greater extra stability. Guaranteed for five
Manchester competing against each other in a range of different career years and supplied in a handy
areas. Skills competitions provide a platform for the best of the nation’s wallet. Priced at £32.34;
young talent to perform at a high level, and help drive up standards in see www.trend-uk.com
organisations in which competitors work or study. to find out more.
Other features include ‘Spotlight’ talks, where visitors can hear from
real people talking about their own jobs, to get the ‘inside track’ on the
skills needed for specific careers, and the ‘Skills Stage’ where young
people will show their skills in music, drama and other live performances.
For teachers, employers and parents, there will also be the opportunity
to learn more about the opportunities available to their young people in
the ‘Staffroom’, a dedicated space for networking with information about
careers advice and development.
Entry to the event is free, and there is a travel bursary available to
schools and colleges across Greater Manchester. To find out more,
see www.choicesshow.org.

8 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

 drapertools.com
Carpenter’s Workbench Draper Redline Carpenter’s Awl 630mm Folding Tote with Tubular 18V Cordless Drill with Li-ion

N
Stock No. 83440 Stock No. 67784 Steel Handle Battery

E
Stock No. 31595 Stock No. 14601

W
£189.95 £1.20 £30.30
*Prices are typical and may vary in-store. Correct at time of going to press. E. & O. E.

*TSP Inc. VAT *TSP Inc. VAT *TSP Inc. VAT

£158.29 *TSP Ex. VAT £1.00 *TSP Ex. VAT £25.25 *TSP Ex. VAT

Carpenter’s Tool Bag Folding Trimming Knife Carving Tool Set With
Stock No. 72969 Stock No. 02896 Sharpening Stone (7 Piece)
Stock No. 31777

£14.95 *TSP Inc. VAT

£12.46 *TSP Ex. VAT
£12.71 *TSP Inc. VAT
£10.59 *TSP Ex. VAT
£6.10 *TSP Inc. VAT
£5.08 *TSP Ex. VAT
£65.99 *TSP Inc. VAT
£54.99 *TSP Ex. VAT

355mm 2000W 230V Chop Saw 450W 230V 16 Speed Floor Standing

N
Stock No. 76211 General Workshop Drill
Stock No. 38260

E
W
No 1: 1/3 Sheet Orbital Sander 135w
Stock No. 83642
Quick change
sheet clamp

£209.94 *TSP Inc. VAT

£174.95 *TSP Ex. VAT
Dust extraction
facility
Supplied with 2
Second Fix Draper Venom® Double 80 grit sanding
Ground 500mm Handsaw
sheets, 3M
Stock No. 82195
(approx.) cable
and approved plug

£26.34 *TSP Inc. VAT

£21.95 *TSP Ex. VAT

£279.15 *TSP Ex. VAT

£5.75 *TSP Inc. VAT

£4.79 *TSP Ex. VAT
£334.98 *TSP Inc. VAT
£279.15 *TSP Ex. VAT
Just one of the new Storm Force range

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 News from the bench

Hitachi Power Tools rides the waves Star-M combination

with surfboard master Matt Kazuma auger bit set
Based in the tropical paradise of Hawaii,
Kazuma Surfboards has been manufacturing
custom surfboards for the best surfers in the
world for over 25 years. Its 10 expert craftsmen
have over 135 years’ of combined board
building experience, and in the last 25 years
the company has manufactured over 34,000
surfboards. When it comes to trusted tools,
owner and shaper Matt Kazuma Kinoshita
relies on his modified Hitachi planer, which has
been his shaping tool of choice for many years. Designed to be used with either a power
When Hitachi spotted Matt’s love for his drill or with a traditional hand brace this set
Hitachi corded planer in his Instagram and of seven longer length Japanese combination
YouTube posts, the team thought he could auger bits from Star-M are first-rate. These
do with seeing the new range of 18V cordless bits have a threaded centre with a rounded
tools and gave Matt the Hitachi 18V P18DSL/JJ single spur to ensure that the edge of
cordless planer to use and test. “I have been the hole is perfectly clean and tidy while
dreaming about a cordless planer because I do removing the excess wood, thus eliminating
quite a few outdoor shaping demonstrations,” clogging. Made for softwood and less dense
Matt explains. “This is the first time I have used hardwoods, the set includes the following:
a cordless planer in a professional environment
and I am impressed with its power. It is easily (Dimensions in mm)
as powerful, if not more, than my corded Width Length Twist Shank
version and is much quieter. Its weight is light 6 160 100 6.35
and I love the brake so I can set it down faster.”  9 180 110 6.35
The P18DSL/JJ has a cutting width of 12 190 120 6.35
82mm and a cutting depth of 2mm for speedy 15 200 130 10
stock removal, and a fine finish can be easily 18 200 130 10
achieved with its high no-load speed of 16,000/ 21 210 140 10
min. Weighing in at a mere 3.3kg, the cordless 25 210 140 10
planer also has a soft grip handle, which makes
it light and comfortable to use – important The set is supplied in a heavy-weight durable
when jobs are large or lengthy. olive green cotton canvas with contrasting
Additionally, the planer has a built-in black nylon webbing edge binding tape. With
battery life indicator so users can instantly nine flat pockets, of equal width, and a slight
see how much charge is remaining, and to graduation in depth, the contents are kept
limit accidental damage, the tool’s integrated secure using an adjustable polypropylene
blade stand prevents harm to the blade webbing strap with side-release plastic
or the work surface. To find out more, buckle slider clip. Priced at £59.50; see
visit www.hitachi-powertools.co.uk. www.workshopheaven.com.

Proxxon goes cordless

German tool manufacturer Proxxon has now introduced a range of cordless
power tools. These are battery powered versions of MICROMOT tools and
run on 10.8V batteries.
With the 10.8V (2.6Ah) lithium-ion battery, the cordless model gives
a performance equal to a Proxxon mains powered tool. The battery will
charge in one hour, with at least 30 minutes run time in continuous use.
The LG battery charger has an integrated temperature control and charge
level function control, and a simple LED display lets you know when
charging is complete.
Tools within the cordless range include the IBS drill grinder, BS belt
sander and LHW long-neck angle grinder. These tools are available with
or without the battery. Tool and battery kits are supplied in a sturdy tool
case; for more info and prices, see www.brimarc.com/proxxon.

10 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

 Makita TM30D CXT multi-tool
Makita has added a slim, lightweight yet powerful multi-tool to Quality Tools to
the increasingly popular 10.8V range of cordless tools. The TM30D
CXT multi-tool uses the OIS adaptor with 12 posts to take the many
alternative blades and abrasives available in the Makita accessory
range. Blades can be fitted at 12 alternative angles at every 30°
match our Service
from 0° to 360°. The oscillation angle is 3.2° per stroke and the new
TM30D will run between 6,000 and 20,000 oscillations per minute.
The new 10.8V multi-tool has the slimmest, ergonomically designed
barrel grip body for comfort and control and advanced electrical
controls include variable-speed control dial, which intelligently sets a
constant speed to suit the task; slide control positioned conveniently
Mouldings
on the top of the machine body; soft start system to maintain operator
control, as well as the safety of the anti-restart function where, if a low
battery stops the machine in operation once the battery is charged,
Top quality
the machine will not run until the operator returns the switch to the Certified
hand tools
Hardwoods
off position before restarting, thus maintaining full control of the tool.
Blades are fixed by a positive Toishi-Ohishi
screw clamp with the hex Japanese
Waterstones
wrench stored on the machine
body. The TM30D has an LED
job light and weighs just 1.2kg
with the dust extraction Drilling Tools made to the
connector fitted. highest standard
The TM30D and the
Makita HP331D 10.8V combi G&S
drill are included in a useful
new two-piece kit that is
Specialist
delivered in a robust MAKPAC Timber TOOLS AND MACHINERY
case complete with two
batteries, a DC10WC charger www.toolsandtimber.co.uk
you can order online now
and a useful five-piece
accessory set. To find out
more, see www.makitauk.com.

Much more than a hardwood scraper

Robert Sorby is renaming its Hardwood Scraper to ensure the
name supports the tool’s wide application more accurately.
As of now, this popular tool will be known as a Negative
Rake Scraper.
Although originally designed for tackling hardwoods,
especially in the making of musical instruments, the tool is pfeil
equally at home on all types of wood and is perfect for
spindle work, platters and open curve bowls.
“We want woodturners to know that this tool has a wide
application and is not solely designed for working
hardwoods. It can be used to great effect on all types
of wood,” says Robert Sorby Product Manager Clive
Brooks. “The term negative rake is widely acknowledged
and understood by woodturners all over the world,
so the choice of name was straightforward.”
For those who don’t know, the design of
the tool delivers a cutting action that helps
reduce the risk of grain tear-out and allows the turner to achieve
an incredibly smooth finish that needs little, if any, sanding.
The negative bevel on the top face of the tool works to prevent
the wood from riding over the cutting edge and so tearing the WE ARE EASY TO FIND:
11/2 miles from the M6, J40.
grain. This, in conjunction with the positive bevel rubbing behind Take the A66 towards Keswick, Open 8am to 5pm daily.
turn left at first roundabout,
the cutting edge, delivers the high finish. follow the Brown Signs to
10am to 5pm Saturday.
Closed Sunday.
Product codes for the 19mm tool will stay the same and it will The Alpaca Centre.
G&S SPECIALIST TIMBER
remain available handled (821H) or as a blade only (821). The name The Alpaca Centre, Snuff Mill Lane, Stainton, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 0ES.
change also applies to the 6mm micro version of the Hardwood Tel: 01768 891445. Fax: 01768 891443. email: info@toolsandtimber.co.uk

Scraper (860H). To find out more, see www.robert-sorby.co.uk.

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 11

 News from the bench
COURSE DIARY
It’s gloomy and cold, so why not
take a course to learn a fun new skill?
FEBRUARY
2–3 Bee hive making
6–7, 15–16 & 28–1 Intro to the small lathe
6–10 Beginners’ woodturning (5 days)
9–10 Beginners’ woodturning (2 days)*
14 Woodturning refresher
15 Beginners’ routing*
17 & 25* Scrollsaw course
20 Turned boxes
21 Intro to Leigh Jigs
22 Spindle moulding
22* & 27 Sharpening with Tormek
* Course held in Sittingbourne, Kent
Axminster Tools & Machinery
Unit 10 Weycroft Avenue
Axminster, Devon EX13 5PH
Tel: 08009 751 905
Web: www.axminster.co.uk
3–5 Decorative furniture painting
10–12 Greenwood spoon carving
West Dean College
West Dean, near Chichester
West Sussex PO18 0QZ
Tel: 01243 811 301
Web: www.westdean.org.uk
18–19 Tool sharpening & maintenance
Chris Tribe, The Cornmill, Railway Road
Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29 8HT
Tel: 01943 602 836
Web: www.christribefurniturecourses.com
6–10 French polishing & modern finishes
John Lloyd Fine Furniture
Bankside Farm, Ditchling Common
Burgess Hill, East Sussex RH15 0SJ
Tel: 01444 480 388
Web: www.johnlloydfinefurniture.co.uk
4 Intro to woodturning
5 Intro to wood veneering
11 & 25 Spoon carving
12–18 Intro to woodcarving
The Goodlife Centre
122 Webber Street, London SE1 0QL
Tel: 0207 760 7613
Web: www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk
18 & 25 Make a Windsor-style stool
28 Feb–21 Mar Intro to green woodwork
Ben Willis Woodcraft
Stoney Lane Studios, Stoney Lane
Crystal Palace, London SE19 3BD
Tel: 07976 287 797
Web: www.benwillis-woodcraft.co.uk
12 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
AAW EXPLORE! makes searching the world’s most
extensive online woodturning library quick & easy
The American
Association of
Woodturners
(AAW) has just made
exploring the most
extensive online
woodturning library
in the world quick and
easy. More than 2,500
items currently make up the expanding collection, including articles from 39 years of the American
Woodturner journal and AAW’s cumulative library of complementary publications. Nearly everything
members want to know about woodturning is at their fingertips.
EXPLORE! is easy to use. AAW members can access it, after logging into the AAW website, under
the ‘Publications’ tab. This innovative resource enables members to locate articles and other media
on a specific topic with as few as three mouse clicks: one to select a category, a second to refine the
category by keyword, and a third to click the search button and produce a list of article hyperlinks that
meet their search criteria. A great deal of work by Dave Mueller and John Kelsey has made this venture
an exciting reality; to find out more, see www.woodturner.org.
New guidance given on joinery for
listed buildings & conservation areas
A series of fact sheets to boost knowledge of the correct
joinery and timber products to be used in listed properties
and conservation areas has been published by the British
Woodworking Federation’s (BWF) Heritage and Conservation
Joinery Group.
The fact sheets are designed to give consistent advice on
key areas that affect heritage and conservation joinery, including
the legislation that impacts on listed buildings and conservation
areas, Building Regulations associated with the replacement
of timber joinery, and the issues surrounding aesthetics versus
technical performance when replacing timber joinery.
The fact sheets also provide advice on obtaining listed
building consent, glazing and recommendations when
placing orders for narrow cavity insulating glass units.
As one of the key aspects affecting the street scene and
character of an area or building, joinery is often noted as an
element worth protecting. According to English Heritage,
Staircase at Crosby Hall by the main threat to conservation areas is “unsympathetic
Deacon & Sandys – BWF replacement windows and doors – usually PVC-U.” To find out
Project of the Year 2016 more about the BWF’s Heritage and Conservation resources, see
www.bwf.org.uk/toolkit/heritage-and-conservation-joinery.
Stay protected with an Elipse
The new Elipse Integra combined eye and respiratory system is a compact, lightweight and
flexible design, which adapts perfectly to the face and offers a unique and innovative combined
protection, reducing risks of non-compatibility, non-conformity and mist building up. There is
a large central non-return valve, which allows for a reduction of the user’s breathing resistance
and keeps moisture build-up inside the mask to a minimum. Lightweight, non-slip straps are easily
adjusted in four positions for improved comfort and also
allow safe use even in high humidity or wet conditions.
The lens is designed in Polycarbonate and withstands
45m per second impacts. The coating applied meets
anti-fog and exceeds the standard anti-scratch coating
seen on the market by 60% for longer durability.
The respirator side is identical and compatible with
existing Elipse dust and low profile range of filters.
The Elipse Integra has a huge field of application
and conforms to EN140: 1998 and EN166 2.F.K.N,
and filters conform to EN143:2000 P3. For more info
on this great new product, or to find a local stockist,
see www.johnsontools.co.uk.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ergonomic sanding gets smarter
Axminster Tools & Machinery were declared ‘Power Tool Supplier
of the Year 2016’ at the recent ‘On the Tools’ awards ceremony
held at the Emirates Stadium. ‘On the Tools’ describes itself as
the largest online construction community in the UK. Construction
workers throughout the country nominated their favourite brands and
companies for last year’s awards. A panel of judges then considered
the nominations and narrowed them down to a shortlist of the best
companies. The shortlisted companies then went forward to the final
stage, with the outcome being decided by votes from the general
public. In Axminster’s category, the company was competing against
Screwfix, Toolstop and ITS; they would now like to say ‘thank you’ to
everyone out there who voted for them

A new machinery catalogue is available from Charnwood, which

features 48 pages packed full of woodworking and woodturning
products. New items for woodturners include four pages dedicated
to pen turning, a new midi bench lathe with built-in indexing and a
selection of foam sanding pads. A new trade-rated 305mm panel
saw and tilting spindle moulder are both introduced for professional
woodworkers and Charnwood’s two cast-iron floorstanding router
tables have both had a face lift, following customer feedback, with
larger fences and improved mounting system. Pick up your free
copy, available from local distributors, call 01530 516 926 to have
one posted to you, or see www.charnwood.net
Don’t forget that this year’s Midlands Woodworking & Power Tool
Show will be taking place at the Newark Showground, Nottingham
from 24–25 March. 2017 marks the show’s four year anniversary and
promises to be bigger and better than previous years. See the official
website for the full list of demonstrators and trade stands – www.
nelton.co.uk – and to pick up advance tickets
Mirka is upgrading its DEROS sander with the latest technology to
safeguard users from HAVS (hand arm vibration syndrome), challenging
the status quo in the market place by developing innovative products and
tools to resolve key issues in production environments.
The new Mirka DEROS has an integrated vibration sensor and is equipped
with Bluetooth low energy technology, which can be connected to a mobile
device with the new ‘myMirka’ app, which is available to download free of
charge through both the Apple Store and Google Play. It indicates vibration
levels on a colour-graded scale, and advises on how to lower the vibration
if required. Additionally, the speed can be visualised in a separate graph.
An in-app purchase will enable users to track the daily vibration in relation
to European standards.
The Mirka DEROS has a low profile design, so the hand is close to
the vertical surface, delivering good control over the sanding process.
Its long body encompasses an ergonomic grip, which assists in reducing
arm fatigue, thus minimising the risk of HAVS. To find out more, see
www.mirka.co.uk.

Blum ECODRILL
When it comes to fitting cabinet doors by hand, getting the hinges to line up accurately is no easy feat. However, the
Blum ECODRILL has been specifically designed to simplify this process and drills precise holes every time. Designed
for use with Blum hinges, the tool clamps securely to the cabinet door and lines up the correct position of the hinge
so a hand-held drill can be used to accurately cut the hole. Priced at £189.60, this product helps to save you both time
and effort, making it an essential product for any toolbox. To find out more, see www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk.

FREE READER ADS Send your adverts to: tegan.foley@mytimemedia.com

MACHINERY & MISCELLANEOUS
Axminster and eccentric chuck;
£120. Airshield Pro; £100
07730 253 545 (Cumbria)
Timber clearance – thoroughly
seasoned teak: four planks 30
× 350mm; 1 @ 60 × 150mm –
all 2.25m; £35
01935 872 222 (Sussex)
Poolewood PW40 Superlathe
– 40in centres; 28in bowl
turning capacity; 1HP motor with
variable-speed change. Comes
with purpose-built base for easy,
increased stability if required.
Full instruction and maintenance
manual, plus lathe steady –
buyer collects; £250 ONO
01242 517 576 (Cheltenham)
Record Power DML24X wood
lathe – tubular bench with box
of assorted bits. Customer to
collect; £325 ONO
01617 901 395 (Manchester)
Clarke Woodworker 900mm
reversible head wood lathe –
in good condition; £135, or
willing to part-exchange
for a bench-top model
07979 903 802 (Surrey)
Leigh D1600 dovetail jig
with metric scales – also includes
user manual and DVD. Ready
mounted on base and has
purpose-made storage box.
Also includes Leigh seven-piece
8mm shank cutter set, chip
extractor and guide bush for Elu.
Very little used; offers over £250
07796 573 528 (Southampton)
2 × Axminster air filtration
units, 2 × remote controls and
2 × additional filters (as new);
£275 – buyer collects
07888 657 527 (Barnet)
Selection of unusual Chinese
hand tools in rosewood. Various
sized planes, two ploughs,
shoulder and moulding planes,
plus scraper. Beautiful finish; £185
01825 239 365 (Gloucestershire)
Proton DSH two-speed
scrollsaw – hardly used;
£120. Record DX1500 dust
extractor on castors; £60
01208 733 334 (Cornwall)
Yew branches – 6ft long,
3in diameter. Would suit
chairmaker or similar
07797 769 207 (Jersey)
Le-Matic AR500 edge-bander
kit, plus table, glue pellets
and rolls of unglued edging;
£495 ONO
01409 261 726 (Devon)
Windsor chair seat and splat
templates. Bruce boiler and
steam box, bending straps
and crinoline. Back, arm and
bow formers – offers. Also,
rounders, ravishers and trapping
plane available separately.
Call for further details and
individual prices
01603 715 231 (Norwich)

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 13

 Kit & Tools: Axminster Rider chisels
Game changing chisels
The Axminster Rider chisel range aims to change the game
for affordable quality tools, and if the sets tested here are
anything to go by then this is a very exciting prospect indeed
T
he market is awash with chisels
so it must be a bit of a gamble
for anyone to launch a new range,
especially into the lower end of
the market – you certainly need to have
a product that stands out from the rest.
If attention to detail sells, then the nicely
finished box these chisels are supplied in gives
a decent indication of what lies beneath, and
on opening the box the first impression of the
overall look of the chisels doesn’t disappoint.
Different options
As part of Axminster’s own brand ‘Rider’ range,
these certainly have the accolade of standing
out and there are three sets of chisels available,
two of which I have on the GW test bench. If
you are more at home hitting your chisels with
a hammer, or spend time out on site where
it isn’t practical to carry a mallet, then there
is also a set of plastic-handled ones available.
But for bench work, it’s always nice to have a
set of wooden-handled chisels, so I’ve opted
for these as test subjects.
The chisels can be bought individually as
well, with prices from just over £8-12 each,
which isn’t a lot of money for a chisel that is
as finely made as these are.
The leather washer and stainless ferrule is
common across both styles of chisel
… which helps to keep it from rolling off the bench
in use
14 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
So starting with the business end, the blades
are made from chrome manganese steel, which is
a low alloy, high carbon tool steel that is specially
tempered to give consistent characteristics, and
is ideally suited to edge tools.
The steel is hardened to Rockwell 59c, which
is a good halfway house for durability of the
edge without being too hard on the stone,
and in that respect, using my old faithful Trend
diamond stone you can feel the ‘bite’ as you
work them but without abrading too readily.
Prepping & flatness
Prepping was minimal on the test chisels;
I made a couple of initial passes on
the flat backs to see just how flat
they were and how much effort
would be needed to get them
ready. While I often read
on forums about how
‘it only took an hour or
so to polish the back of
each one’, if I was in that
situation with a new tool, then I’d be
putting it back in the post as they should
need only a couple of minutes’ work at
most to get them in the right area for honing.
There was no need to call the postman back,
Equally, the 1mm-thick consistent lands are The butt chisels have a small flat on the underside
identical on all chisels of the handle…
Checking the chisels for flatness was done using Little work was needed as they showed a
my faithful Trend diamond stone marginal hollow for fast honing

Testing on end-grain pine is usually a good
indicator of a keen, consistent edge
however, as these showed a very slight
hollow behind the cutting edge, which
is always a bonus as there’s less work
required to get the all-important front edge
in check. If the flatness is important, then
equally so is how good they are for finer
work and cheaper bevel edges are often
‘walked past’ a surface grinder to give a cursory
bevel that is too thick on the lands for any finer
work into tight corners; often little more than
a firmer chisel with the corners knocked off.
However, the Rider chisels are very well
ground in this area with uniform fine lands
coming in at 1mm-thick, so they will be well
suited to finer joinery, dovetailing and the
like, and this is consistent across the whole
set of chisels in both styles.
Handles
Moving to the handles, hornbeam is
the favoured species of European chisel
manufacturers as well as premium chisel
makers Lie-Nielsen, so no bad thing to see
the same material used here. It’s a very
durable timber that takes repeated striking
without problem so is well suited for handles
that will be struck by a mallet, as is the case
with these bench chisels.
The same test on harder beech gives an indication
of how the edge is capable of doing a fine job
The butt chisels are great for controlled driving
with the palm
GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 15
This set has a cigar-like shape akin to traditional
wooden-handled chisels while a more bulbous
stubbier handle is fitted to the butt chisels to aid
palm pushing work. A small flat on the underside
of the butt handles is a nice touch, which stops
them rolling around.
Equally, the use of a slightly smaller diameter
handle on the narrower bench chisels gives
them a more delicate feel in the hand, which
fits in well for the finer work the narrower
chisels tend to be employed in.
Axminster state that these handles have a
light oil finish, which must be incredibly light
as these look and feel unfinished and look like
they will pick up dirt and sweat quite easily,
so a couple of coats of your own preferred
finish might be a good idea to preserve them.
Conclusion
A stainless steel ferrule with a leather washer
to absorb impact blows is common across both
sets, which helps to give them a very sleek and
professional look and it’s this excellent attention
to detail from handle to blade that helps these
chisels to look more expensive than the more
entry level price band they’re selling at. These are
well worth considering if your budget is limited
but you want excellent quality nonetheless. GW
Specification:
Steel: Chrome manganese
Sets available: Hornbeam-handled butt
and bench, plus plastic-handled site versions
Sizes: From 6-50mm depending on the range.
Axminster recommend a 30° secondary bevel
on their chisels
Typical prices: four-piece butt chisels
(6-25mm) – £60.19; six-piece bevel-edged
bench chisels (6-25mm) – £72.24
Web: www.axminster.co.uk
THE GW VERDICT
PROS:
Fine, consistent lands; takes a good edge;
butt and bench options
CONS:
Handles seem to lack finish
RATING: 4.5 out of 5
And are equally controllable for finer paring work
 Kit & Tools: Makita DHS680 Brushless circular saw
A compact and powerful contender
If you’re already on board with 18V Makita Li-ion, then this
compact and powerful cordless circular saw is well worth a look
Makita does have a couple of useful little
features: a trigger-operated worklight
that fires down at the front of the
blade and a battery power indicator
on the body. This particular feature
will prove invaluable when it comes
to checking the battery status if you
own the older Makita Li-ion batteries
that don’t have the newer LED
power reserve indicators.
With workhorse in mind, it’s built
in that vein, with good solid alloy
castings throughout, from the blade
housing and lower blade guard through to
the baseplate. It’s certainly a saw that has been
designed for the rough and tumble of the jobsite
and this is backed up by its performance.
It will cut up to 57mm at 90°, so it sits well for
G
oing brushless is currently the way standard construction stock although it comes
ahead for many power tool users up a tad short if you need to make a 45° cut in
looking to upgrade their kit, although 50mm stock, only hitting 41mm, but this is the
I think I set a trend back in around case in general for saws of this size.
1980 when I first started going brushless, and
combless for that matter! In use
But joking aside, the brushless motor Putting it through its paces, I used it to cut a
technology, coupled with the higher amp-hour set of 225 × 50mm floor joists to size, which
batteries, does give rise to both compact and it achieved admirably. I also needed to cut a
powerful tools that are close to mains power in 2,000mm long 45 × 25mm rebate in a piece
performance and with good endurance per charge. of sapele and making the cuts with the supplied
fence, the saw was again equal to the task
Jobsite rough & tumble with plenty of power to do the work even with
Circular saws will rarely set the world alight in the blade enclosed in the cut. There’s a built-in
terms of bells and whistles features as they are overload protection if the saw encounters too
more workhorse tools than anything else, and much resistance in a cut – binding in wet timber,
that’s the case here. That said, the DHS680 from for example – but the work I put it through
A built-in battery power indicator This solid metal hook flips and Good, solid adjusters are used
is useful if you own older Makita allows you to hang the saw on throughout – this one locks the
Li-ion batteries a joist or beam if needed base at the desired angle
Flipping this lever allows the saw to The rear lever allows the base The saw breezed through a set of 50
tilt up to 50° if needed to pivot to set the depth of cut × 225mm tanalised joists with ease
16 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
was at the higher end of its capacities so this
protection won’t kick in unless it is pushed
really hard, allowing you to put it through a lot
of hard work without it engaging prematurely.
The saw also has a neat flip-out hook that
comes in handy for first-fix type work for joists
and the like, as it allows the saw to be hooked
over a piece of timber to keep it close to hand
while you do other things.
Used against a guide batten or with the fence,
the saw is equally at home for converting sheet
stock, but for increased accuracy the base has
twin slots that allow an optional adaptor to be
fitted so that it can be used on Makita plunge saw
rails – a pretty useful addition for the times when
you are working stock that requires accuracy
but without the finesse of a plunge saw cut.
Conclusion
If you are already on board with 18V Makita Li-ion,
this saw is compatible with all the current range
of batteries and if you already have these, the
saw can also be purchased as a bare unit. GW
THE GW VERDICT
PROS:
Compact and powerful; built-in worklight;
cast alloy base and guarding
CONS:
Limited cut at 45°
RATING: 4 out of 5
Specification:
Speed: 5,000rpm
Blade diameter: 165mm
Max cut @ 90°: 57mm
Max cut @ 45°: 41mm
Weight: 3.3kg
Typical prices: body only
– £170; with 2 × 5Ah batteries,
kitbox & charger – £399.99
Web: www.makitauk.com
Using the fence, a rebate in sapele
was easily cut. Note the illumination
from the built-in worklight
 r
Please ask about ou s!
box making weeke
nd
Woodworking Courses in the beautiful Lake District
Woodwork Course 1
(Tools and Things)
A self-interest woodwork course
where the aim is to give you the
confidence and the knowledge to
use basic hand tools and some of
the more common power tools.
You will be able to pick from a list
of projects before you arrive that I
believe you can complete in 5 days
or less so that you will go home with
one of them and you can proudly say
“I made that”.
I cover the teaching of how to
handle tools by getting you started
on your project and, as you need
to use a new piece of equipment, I
show you how. This means that the
instruction is fresh in your mind and
you do the task there and then.
On all courses there will only be
a maximum of 4 at a time, this will
mean that I will be available when
you need help and advice.
Distributors of the
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Dovefields Industrial Estate, Uttoxeter ST14 8GA
Find us on Facebook “thehotspotuk”
www.thehotspot.co.uk
Woodwork Course 2
(Wood and Things)
This is a continuation of course 1
(tools and things) with the
emphases on timber, what are
acceptable defects in timber and
what isn’t, how do you write out a
cutting list that means something
to your supplier, what to look
for when buying wood and what
to avoid.
You will ideally have done course 1
(tools and things) or have a good work-
ing knowledge of how to use hand tools
and have used hand held power tools.
The projects for you to pick from will
be more complicated and will involve
the use of the more sophisticated
hand tools and hand held power tools
and will include using some of the
static power tools in the workshop. We
will also be looking at buying timber,
making cutting lists and drawing plans.
www.woodworkshop.co.uk
2 017
course dates a
re
on our websitenow
!
Woodwork Course 3
(Project Days)
The advanced course is rather
different from the previous two.
To come on this course you will need
to have done both the other courses
and have used your skill at home on
your own projects and be ready to take
on something more difficult.
WoodRat Courses
This course will teach you all the
principles that you need to know!
Visit our website for more information &
updates on 2017 course information:
www.woodworkshop.co.uk
t: 01768 899895
e: enquiries@woodworkshop.co.uk
The Wood Workshop
7-8 Redhills Business Park, Penrith,
Cumbria CA11 0DT
 Kit & Tools: Ultimate & Coloured wood veneer packs
The standard pack features
a more varied selection
with differing sizes within it
Bring your projects to life
If you’re looking for a way
to transform a mundane
substrate into a stunning
piece of work, then take
a look at these two veneer
packs – both offer a great
introduction to veneering
and are ideal for use on a
variety of small projects
I
t’s amazing how a paper-thin piece
of timber can transform a mundane
substrate into a stunning piece of work
and if you fancy having a dabble at
the fine art of veneering, these packs from
The Veneer Hub are certainly a great way of
buying a variety of materials to get you started.
Veneer pack options
Depending on your choice, there’s the Coloured
Pack with one leaf each of tulipwood in 11 vibrant
colours, while the Ultimate Timber Pack has 18
pieces with a minimum of eight different species
provided. Although both packs are promoted as
This simple box is a good candidate for small
veneer packs such as these
18 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
more suited to marquetry these are also
ideal for smaller projects, such as jewellery
boxes and the like, and with each pack
containing decent sized veneers with a
fair few in each at around A4-sized, there’s
ample opportunity to create a nice sized
piece of your choice.
A small (125ml) bottle of good quality
PVA glue is also provided to get you on the
road; it won’t be enough to complete the
entire pack but it will certainly get you started,
especially if you go for the marquetry option
rather than a veneering project.
Veneering a simple box
Having a small, simple box I made some
years back kicking around, I thought I’d give
it a makeover using both packs. It’s a bit of a
‘work in progress’ so I haven’t finished it yet,
but I’ve used coloured veneers on the inside
with some spectacular grain patterns for the
outside. If you haven’t used veneer before,
a self-healing cutting mat is useful and a
sharp knife as well as a straightedge,
which is essential for cutting the veneer.
The coloured veneers are dyed completely
through, which will work well to help you pick out
a joint line against a more mundane timber and on
The veneers cut easily with the aid of a sharp knife
and straightedge
The coloured pack
contains very bold
and striking veneers
my box I intend to put a coloured sheet on the
lid and box intersection to make it stand out
against the main veneer, once I get round to it!
The veneer cuts easily so it doesn’t take long
to get things ready to go before gluing, but of
course, moisture from the glue can cause any
veneer to wrinkle or buckle so you need to
be ready with weights, clamps and cauls as
required. If you are using light and dark veneers
or contrasting colours from the colour pack, you
need to ensure that the dust from each veneer
doesn’t bleed into the others while sanding,
so masking up or sealing each piece before
a different colour is used is beneficial in order
to keep things crisp.
Conclusion
Although my box isn’t finished, the outer edges
and lid are completed and even as bare timber
the transformation looks great, but after sanding
with 400 grit abrasive and applying some Treatex
Hardwax Oil and buffing, the grain jumps out
beautifully. Both these packs offer a great
solution for enabling your work to look as though
it’s made of a high cost timber, or equally for
imitating the appearance of a contemporary
coloured piece, and both options are especially
suited to smaller projects. GW
Apply the glue and spread thinly over the entire
surface
 A quick buff and the
grain begins to pick up a lustre

Specification:
Coloured pack: 11 leaves
Once in place you’ll need to apply suitable I found that masking tape works brilliantly for Timber pack: 18 leaves
pressure across the veneer to prevent flaws edge veneer clamping Adhesive: 125ml bottle of PVA

Typical price: £14.99

Web: www.thewoodveneerhub.co.uk

THE GW VERDICT
PROS:
Great for small projects; a good
way to try your hand at veneering

CONS:
You’ll need more glue in order
to make use of all the veneers

You can use the bench vice to apply pressure After sanding with fine grit abrasive the wax starts RATING: 5 out of 5
if needed to bring out the grain beautifully

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 19

 Kit & Tools: Turners Mesh
A turner’s
dream
abrasive
This excellent waterproof mesh abrasive from Planet Plus is ideal for woodturners, and especially
those who are looking to impart a highly polished finish on pens and other such small projects
I
remember once being told that a real
woodturner achieves the desired finish
direct from the tool and only sands as a
last resort. Mere mortals such as myself
reach for the abrasives a little more readily
and if it’s for acrylic turning, then it’s a must
to work through a range of grits. Keeping
abrasives close to hand is definitely a good
habit to get into so this neat and compact
little box appeals to me, especially as I end
up with countless bits of abrasive scattered
everywhere when I’m at the lathe.
Double benefit
I’ve always preferred cloth-backed abrasive
when turning as it flexes well for contours and
is hard wearing, but I’ve recently been using
mesh abrasives, which are a step further up the
ladder as the open weave helps prevent friction
and heat build-up. This is especially beneficial
The box has five separate rolls of I fitted mine close to the lathe for
waterproof mesh easy access
Used dry the abrasives cut very quickly and help to
smooth out any blemishes
20 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
when turning pen kits that invariably leave a fine
veneer over the tubes that can easily succumb to
heat build-up when sanding. This box comprises
20ft of mesh abrasive in each grit from 180
through to 600, so there’s a good supply
that should last for some considerable time.
This box offers a double benefit over standard
cloth abrasive as the mesh quickly cuts on either
side without clogging as readily as a normal
abrasive would, and I found it very durable on
both timber and acrylic.
A good selection
Having a good selection in the box means that
any timber turnings can be sanded ready to finish
and any acrylics can not only be prepped with
dry abrasive – the starting grit will also deal with
any dinks or small chips – but you can also use it
wet before moving to ultra-fine polishing pads.
This certainly brings the finish to another level
The metal edge on the box isn’t the
best for tearing pieces off
Use them with water and the finish on acrylics becomes
very polished
on acrylics and you can see any flaws more
easily thanks to the polished surface it imparts.
Although the box is cardboard, it looks heavy-
duty enough to withstand a fair bit of use and
it has a thin metal blade on the edge to assist
with tearing pieces off, but this isn’t the sharpest
of edges and you may find it easier to tear off
small pieces by hand.
Conclusion
Left close at hand next to the lathe it’s a
very worthwhile purchase, but I’ve opted
to improve it by screwing the box to the side
of a shelf unit so it’s always where it should be.
To spread the load to prevent the screws
pulling through the cardboard, I used a couple
of small washers so now I’m geared up to turn
to my heart’s content without scrabbling around
for bits of abrasives that are invariably buried
under a pile of shavings. What’s not to like?! GW
Specification:
Grits: 180, 240, 320, 400 & 600
Abrasive width: 25mm
Abrasive length: 6,100mm
Typical price: £20.40
Web: www.planetplusltd.com
THE GW VERDICT
PROS:
Fast cutting; doesn’t clog
easily; sands on both sides;
can be used wet or dry
CONS:
Metal tear off strip isn’t
very durable
RATING: 5 out of 5
 The obvious choice!

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Learning about lathes
Peter Bishop moves on
to looking at the subject
of lathes, as well as offering
advice on turning, how to
get the best from your tools
and invaluable techniques
you can adopt in order to
become a better turner
24 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
T
he options available to the
woodturner are only limited by
the amount of money you wish to
spend, the space you have and what
you’re hoping to achieve. There are, broadly,
half a dozen different categories of lathe
available, so let’s have a look at them here.
Types of lathes
Midi
If your budget is limited and you are
aiming to do some model making, then
these smaller series of lathes might be
for you. Most will be configured with a
headstock permanently fitted to a base
with a sliding tailstock at the other end.
As a generalisation, the maximum turning
distance between centres would be, say,
400mm or so. Most models on the market
now, in this classification, will be made to
fit 350/360mm between centres. Because
of the size of the machine, the maximum
diameter will also be limited.
This type of lathe is designed for turning
small items. They are assembled in one piece
that is then bolted onto a working surface.
As long as this is reasonably sound and solid,
it will be more than suitable. Some do have
the option of a matching, manufactured
stand onto which the lathe can be fitted.
 Beginners’ guide: Using power tools

Bench slides on a couple of machined runners that

These are the bigger version of the midi give it a smooth, solid base from which to
described earlier. They are larger with the operate. There’s no swinging headstock;
potential to turn, between centres, anything the motor drives onto a spindle that can
up to around 900mm or 1m. Being bigger be fitted to turn both on the inboard side,
they should also be able to cope with larger between centres, and the outboard side
diameter items as well. The mounting for bowls. They’re getting a bit like hen’s
options are similar. You’ll be able to fit teeth these days and good ones are few
the main lathe assembly onto your own and far between. But if you have the option,
bench or buy it with a dedicated stand. then definitely get one.
These larger lathes might also have a
swivelling headstock. This then allows you
to hang a big bowl, for example, over the
end or side of the bench/stand so that it is
not impeded by the tailstock slide assembly.
For this type of turning you’ll also be able
to attach the toolrests in a suitable position.
They’ll be more expensive than a fixed-head
lathe but much more versatile.

The Harrison Jubilee lathe (top) and the Wadkin

(above) are both examples of cast lathes

Various examples of bench lathes
mounted on and off stands
Cabinet
Cabinet lathes are of a similar size to
a bench lathe. However, the main difference
is that they usually come complete with
a dedicated pressed steel cabinet stand
onto which the main lathe assembly is
bolted. The advantage of this type of
lathe is gained by extra weight in the
stand, thus giving more stability, and
in-built storage space for your kit.
Industrial
These boys will be bigger, longer and,
of course, much more expensive. If you’re
taking up turning as a commercial venture
then an industrial type lathe, or a cast one,
are the best options. They’ll provide better
engineering with options for turning longer
lengths between centres. If you’re turning
bowls or very large sections, then you might
consider a dedicated faceplate lathe. This
is another option or a complementary
one to go with your industrial lathe. You’ll
need more space, more extraction and more
light, but, if you follow this route, you’ll be
serious and will have to factor in all the
additional kit required.

Various examples of midi lathes
Cast
I’ve probably hankered after one of these
for years! For those of us old enough to
remember woodworking classes at school,
not D&T as it is now, most will have had a
go on a Union or Wadkin machine, and these
are solid beasts! The whole construction is
made from a cast body with the headstock
an integral part of this. The tailstock usually Various examples of industrial, trade-rated lathes

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 25

 Beginners’ guide: Using power tools
Various examples of copy lathes
Copy
If you’re aiming to produce long runs of
similarly turned items between centres, then
a copy lathe might fit the bill. For example,
spindles for stairs are produced using a copy
lathe. A pattern is generated, and this can be
taken directly from a computer or made as
a solid profile, and the machine is set up to
reproduce this. The sophisticated ones will
have carousels with automatic feeds for long
runs of repeat turning and require little
human intervention. Not for most of us.
Which lathe?
Where to start? With so many different sizes
and types of lathes on the market the choice
can be very confusing. I guess the first thing
you need to do is decide on what you are
going to turn on your lathe when you have
it. By this I mean do you want to turn big
pieces, such as bowls or thinner, but longer
pieces, such as chair legs, or a combination
of both. Will the lathe be used for model
making or as a tool to generate income?
Write out a list of what you want and
check this against the features offered
on the lathes you look at.
Generally speaking, you should look
out for something that is fairly solid and
Copying by eye
26 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
well made. The heavier and chunkier it
looks, the less the likelihood of you getting
a juddering effect on your workpiece. The
base upon which it sits is also important: a
flimsy, pressed metal one will not be nearly
as good as solid cast. However, some lathe
beds are designed to be loaded up with
weights to help overcome this. If you are
building your own bench, or fitting to an
existing one, then make sure it is solid
enough not to move around.
Look at the turning configuration of the
lathe. Most bowls, for example, are turned
using a faceplate. For larger pieces, you
will probably need to have a headstock that
is adjustable and can be rotated to one side
to give you clearance. Check out the largest
size you can turn and see if that will suit
your needs. Also look at how easy it is to
rearrange the configuration; you don’t
want to be messing around for ages
having to change back and forth from
faceplate work to between centres.
There’s some debate about the
disadvantages of having the drive motor
mounted directly on to the headstock.
Personally, I would prefer a remote motor,
which drives the headstock with belts.
This does take up more space but can
increase motor life by reducing wear
on the bearings, etc. I guess with the
better quality lathes, and soft start motors,
direct drive lathes are not such a problem.
However, I would want to be reassured
that the bearings were top quality to ensure
they had a reasonable chance of survival!
The amount of power your drive motor
has will also need to reflect what you are
likely to be doing with your lathe. A small
lathe for model making can be around or
less than 300W, whereas a large, heavy-duty
lathe could require up to or over 1,000W.
TIPS FOR DECIDING WHICH
LATHE TO BUY
• If you can be patient, then go on a
woodturning course before you purchase
your lathe. This way you’ll get a feel for
what will be right for you and understand
more about what you could expect from
the eventual lathe of your choice. It’ll also
help with choosing your first set of tools
• When checking out a lathe before purchase,
run the tailstock right up to the headstock
and check to see if they line up perfectly
in the centre once locked in place. If not,
then move on and buy something else
• If buying second-hand, then check out
the availability of spares. The last thing
you want is a super duper lathe that’s
got something broken on it which costs
a mint to replace
• Make sure that any lathe you are thinking
of buying has standard, universal fittings.
This way you’ll be able to use a wider
range of attachments and not be locked
into buying from one supplier
• Before you buy a lathe thoroughly check
it over. Look at the way in which it is made.
Does it look well engineered? How easy
is it to move things around? Can you get
at the working parts to adjust them, etc.
• Don’t go rushing out and buying a huge
amount of expensive tools. Frankly, to
get going you probably only need a few.
A couple of gouges, a spindle gouge, a
skew chisel, a parting tool and maybe
a couple of scrapers will get you going
Delicate finial work using a parting tool
For most work anything around 500W
will probably be adequate. What you most
definitely will need, however, is a range of
rpm settings. Some lathes will have stepped
pulley arrangements that will provide rpms
from as little as 400 up to 2,000. The
alternative, more expensive versions,
will have a variable-speed adjustment on
the motor itself. As a rule of thumb, you’ll
need slower speeds for larger diameter
items and faster speeds for smaller ones.
When you have made your decision and
your new/second-hand lathe arrives in the
workshop, think about where you will put
it. You’ll need plenty of light to see by. A
north facing window is ideal because you
won’t be dazzled by sunlight. Fit a strip light
or a couple of other lights over the machine.
If you can, an adjustable light, such as an
Angle Poise, will certainly be an advantage.
A few safety pointers. Use all the guards
supplied with your lathe; they are there
for a reason. Make sure that you don’t
have any loose clothing anywhere near a
working lathe; this also includes long hair
and beards! Check there are no odd tools
sticking out from the spindles etc. before
you start the motor up. Keep the workstation
clean and tidy and move any loose pieces
of wood. Remember that most timbers are
carcinogenic so therefore you should always
wear a face mask or respirator, especially
when sanding. If you can then fit some sort
of extraction so that the shavings are taken
COMMON TERMS
Headstock
This is the business end of the lathe where
the drive can be transmitted directly to the
workpiece. Ideally it should be a solid chunk
of metal that does not vibrate when in use
Tailstock
This adjusts along the lathe bed to
accommodate different lengths of workpieces.
It should be a fairly solid piece of metal, well
engineered and, importantly, the centre of the
tailstock and the centre of the headstock should
line up perfectly
Toolrest
The toolrest will be mounted into a holder,
which may also be mounted in a saddle if the
lathe bed is round. They should be straight,
rounded and smooth for ease of use. Some
rests can be shaped to aid deeper penetration
for bowl work. Any adjustments to the position
of the whole assembly should be simple
Lathe centres
Ideally these should have what is called a
‘Morse’ taper on the shank that fits into the
lathe; this enables it to fit tightly yet be easily
removed. The simplest drive centre is a
twin-pronged one and the best tailstock
centre is fitted with internal bearings –
ball races – to stop burning
GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 27
Faceplates
These come in a whole range of sizes and
should simply screw onto the headstock shaft,
workpiece mounted, with a reverse thread to
enable you to turn larger items such as bowls
Chucks
There are many different types of chuck on the
market from a simple screw through to those
that cost an arm and a leg and will just about
turn your project out for you on its own! Be
selective; take your time and decide what is
going to be most useful for you
Spindle steady
This gadget helps to stabilise the longer
workpiece when turning between centres.
The idea is that it can be moved up and down
the workpiece close to where the turning is
taking place. Doing this will stop smaller
cross-section pieces whipping, which
makes it impossible to turn well
Dig in
The dreaded ‘dig in’ is when you inadvertently
allow the cutting tool to take a chunk out of
your workpiece. This can be caused by a weak
grip, whipping, the wrong angle of cut, etc.
It happens to all of us at some point. Let’s
just hope that when it does it’s at the start of a
project rather than when it’s just about finished!
 Beginners’ guide: Using power tools
Between centres shaving streams
directly away from your cutting area.
Don’t be intimidated by your lathe; keep
your tools firmly on the rest and above
the centre cutting line and you should
avoid those dreaded ‘dig ins’.
Turning
The subject of woodturning, lathes and
the associated tools, jigs and accessories
warrant a book of their own. On that basis
we’ll concentrate on some basic information
that should help to get the aspiring
woodturner started.
Stance & producing shavings
With practice you should be able to
continuously cut streams of shavings.
This only happens if the lathe is set up
correctly and is operated at the correct
working height. The ideal position is for
the centreline of the lathe to be in line
with the tip of the cutting tool and the
elbow of the operator. Your forearm
needs to be parallel to the floor.
You must also be comfortable and in the
correct position to create those streams of
shavings. Try standing as close to the lathe
as you can with the tool handle tucked into
the side of your body and held in place with
your forearm. You should not be leaning
Producing a practice bead
28 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
the handle slightly until the tip engages.
Rock the tool into the cut as you travel
one way and rock it back to go the other.
Faceplate work
Bowl work on a faceplate follows two
distinct working sequences. Having mounted
the blank, work on the outside first to bring
the whole thing into balance as quickly as
possible – your stance should be identical
to that when turning between centres.
Rough down the shape carefully – a ‘dig in’
at this point might reduce the eventual
size of the workpiece if it has to be cut out.
forwards or backwards and your feet should Having shaped the outside, now consider
be slightly apart. This stance should enable the cutting area for the middle. The rest
you to swing the cut from left to right. On should be placed so that the tool can follow
longer pieces, you may have to stop the the centreline when cutting. Removing
cutting action and reposition yourself. waste and final shaping, when faceplate
In these instances, carefully work over working, should be from the outside towards
each finishing point to avoid any high the centre. This way you will be working on
spots where you overlap. the downside edge only. Bulk waste should
The cutting tool should be gripped firmly be removed with a gouge and the final
in whichever is your leading hand. The other finishing done with a scraper.
hand will control and guide the tool during
the cutting process. If you can train yourself
to be ambidextrous, then that can be helpful
at times. For rough cutting, employ the
overhand grip; this is very useful with
large gouges enabling swaths of waste
to be removed quickly.
For more delicate finishing and bead
work, use an underhand grip. Placing the
thumb on top enables better control to
be maintained for those fine, fiddly bits.
Centre work
Cutting between centres, cylinder work, is A deep bowl with shaped toolrest
fairly simple. With the workpiece mounted,
choose your tool. Assuming it’s a gouge
in this case, then rest the blade on the
workpiece with the heel running directly on
it. The gouge can’t yet make a cut. To start
the cutting procedure, raise the back end of
Examples of large bowls being turned
 TURNING TIPS
• When starting out don’t get straight into
trying to turn a finished project or a new
shape such as a bead. Set up some odd
bits of softwood or other gash stock and
practice on that first. Once you get the hang
of how you need to control and operate the
tools you are using, go for the real thing
• Prepare your blanks before they are
mounted on the lathe. Thick chunks
for bowls should be marked out and
the corners cut off and rounded on a
bandsaw or by hand if possible. Items
turned between centres can also have
their sharp corners removed. By pre-
shaping slightly, a lot of the really hard
waste removal is done off the lathe
Variable-speed hesitant: lathes are like animals; they
Your lathe should have some sort of variable- know when you’re making a tentative
speed control. For small work this will need cut. As with all things the key to success
to be set to go faster and for larger work is practice, practice, practice. GW
to go slower. This reflects the peripheral
speed of the workpiece as it rotates. If the
revolutions per minute, rpm, is, say, 10,
then the outer cutting point on the smaller
pieces travels a lot less distance than a
large one. Practice will tell you how fast
to go for the size of workpiece being turned.
Adding some burning decoration

• Damping the surface a couple of times will

raise the grain on a finished piece and, once
sanded off, produces a much better finish.
For a super fine surface, if you can, reverse
the item on the lathe so that you are
sanding the grain in the opposite direction

• You can save time when polishing your
work by leaving it on the lathe. Applying
oils, waxes, polishes or seals can be done
quickly and easily. Any subsequent rubbing
down, burnishing or polishing, can follow
with the workpiece in motion. There may
be a need to slightly adjust the rpm to
ensure the best results are obtained
Centre boring a large piece
A satisfying hobby
Using a lathe can be very satisfying. Within
minutes you can take a rough old piece of
wood and turn it into something beautiful.
Whether a hobbyist or a commercial
woodturner, the results can be spectacular.
They can also be dismal failures! Don’t be Using a chuck to turn knobs

A woodturning demonstration

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 29

 Technical: Tales from Peter Sefton’s Furniture School

The key to cutting

sharp dovetails
Peter Sefton and his
students learn about the
hand cutting of dovetails
and use these new-found
skills to make a small
chestnut letter rack

I
still enjoy cutting dovetails as
much now as I did when I started
woodworking all those years ago,
and demonstrating them on my
beginners’ course to new woodworkers
is always enjoyable.
We make a small chestnut letter rack
using a range of hand skills, but first
we work on grinding and sharpening
our tools; if we don’t have sharp tools, Paring down to the shoulder between the tails
then we can’t cut sharp dovetails!
unwelcome design addition!
Hand-cut dovetails The project is left in cramp
We start the project by hand planing a over lunchtime before the
couple of the components with a face side cramps are removed and the
face edge, and down to thickness – only by joints flushed down with a
using the plane can you fully understand sharp plane. A little cleaning
the tool’s set up and how to get it taking up with abrasive paper and
wafer-thin shavings just where required. the project is mopped with
The hand cutting of dovetails brings a couple of coats of shellac Paper shows the shoulder is tight
together a variety of skills. Accurate sanding sealer before being Scribing around the tails with to the timber while the square
marking out using both the square and wax finished. GW a scalpel keeps it accurate
dovetail template is needed, followed by
fine sawing both on the left and right side
of the tail’s pencil line down to the knife
cut shoulder line. Removing the waste
from between the tails by sawing out with
a piercing saw before careful chiselling to
the shoulder line, we cut the tails first and
then scribe around them to form the pins
before cutting back to the marked lines
with the dovetail saw and piercing saw, Dry joint tested by tapping Chiselling down the shoulders Brass-backed dovetail saw cutting
before cleaning up with bevel-edged chisels. into place between the pins on the waste side of the pins
The sawing of this second part has to
be precise to fit the already formed tails,
but the chiselling is easier as the sockets
to accept the tails are larger, and easy to
work between.

Dovetail glue-up
Good dovetails should always be tapped
together with a small hammer and block Measuring the tenon shoulders
but usually benefit from being cramped
during glue-up. The glue soon swells up
the timber’s cut fibres and the cramps
ensure the dovetails are pulled down to the
shoulder line and any excess glue squeezed
out. MDF cramping blocks are used with
the dovetail shape cut out of them before
being wrapped in parcel tape to stop Dovetail shaped cramping blocks A damp cotton cloth removes
them being glued to the job – always an Planing the curved end-grain transfer pressure onto the tails excess glue from the tenons

30 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

 Tony Wilson Mick Hanbury

ie Starbuc Wayne Mack

Jenn k

Mich
ael Painte
r Peter Sefton

in Pidgeon Westermann
Mart Nic

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 Feature: Tibby’s journey

From apprentice
to SkillBuild judge
SkillBuild judge Tibby Singh gives us a glimpse behind
the scenes in terms of what this important competition
involves, and tells us how his passion for championing young
and upcoming talent makes his job all the more worthwhile

Tibby mentoring a participant during the 2015 regional heats

S
killBuild – the largest multi-trade
competition for construction
trainees and apprentices in the
UK – has been running for over
45 years. It is run by CITB (Construction
Industry Training Board) to promote the
industry to young people and encourages
those who are in the trade, and those
who want to enter the trade, to strive for
excellence. It also highlights to employers
why apprentices are such a valuable asset
to their businesses.
Trades & colleges
There are over 1,000 entrants to SkillBuild
each year from different ages, genders and
backgrounds who compete against each
other to be crowned the SkillBuild winner
of their chosen trade, which includes the
following categories:
• Bricklaying
• Cabinet Making
• Carpentry
• Dry Walling Systems
• Joinery
• Painting and Decorating
• Plastering
• Roofing
• Stonemasonry
• Wall and Floor Tiling
The competition comprises of regional heats,
which take place from April to June each
year, and the entrants are chosen from over
a dozen educational establishments across
the country. Last year the competitions
were held at the following colleges:
• South Devon College
• Vision West Nottinghamshire College
• Stockport College
• Darlington College
• South Lanarkshire College
• East Kent College
• Chichester College
• Neath Port Talbot College
• South and City College Birmingham
• Carillion College
• Ealing, Hammersmith
& West London College
• College of West Anglia
• Furness College
• Leeds College of Building
The SkillBuild process
2016 saw me undertaking my second
year of judging the Carpentry competitions,
alongside Pat Phillips, and to get everything
underway Tommy Walsh made at appearance
at the first of the regional heats at South
Devon College. It’s always great to see how
passionate these students are, which is
Checking progress at one of the regional heats held
at Burton & South Derbyshire College
reflected in their amazing work. Tommy
also enjoyed the day and was happy to share
his hints and tips with the students. It was
also good to see that he’d picked up his
copy of GW!
On the morning of the competition,
the participants are given drawings
of the project they will be making; this
therefore means there is no time for prior
preparations, which provides a fair test for
all the students. There’s usually a mixture of
new entrants and senior competitors taking
part, all of whom have different projects to
make; however, the skills and knowledge
involved in doing either is similar. Doing
things this way takes the pressure off the

32 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com


new entrants and eases them into the
competitions so they are eager to enter
again in future years.
The instructions that are given to both sets
of competitors and the way the projects are
judged are the same. The general process
can be broken down into four steps:
• Drawing and setting out to 1:1 scale
• Marking onto the timber
• Internal joints
• Assembly
Marks are awarded for the drawing,
internal joints, dimensions, external joints
and neatness of finish. However, marks are
deducted if the competitors make mistakes
and therefore need a new piece of timber.
They can also ask any questions in relation
to the drawing or project during the process.
It’s always a greatly satisfying feeling when
the first day goes smoothly without any
major problems occurring, knowing that
you’ve not overlooked anything when setting
out the task.
The highest scoring competitor at each
of the regional heats is then taken through
to the national finals, where they must
undertake a much larger task – constructing
a project over a three-day period. The
national finals are held at the NEC, in
Birmingham, and takes place within ‘The
Skills Show’, which is the nation’s largest
skills apprenticeships and careers event,
so there are about 82,000 visitors that
watch the competition over the three days.
The winner of these national finals
then goes on to represent Team GB at the
WorldSkills event. However, getting to this
stage is a great achievement in itself and
can give the students a great mental career
boost as they realise their potential, and
going on to win is certainly a respected
accolade. As you can see, there are so many
reasons for students to take part in these
competitions and I think it’s important for
colleges to support and push the students
to perform to the highest of their abilities.
Competition support
The importance of these competitions is
recognised and supported by many TV
personalities, including entrepreneur Theo
Paphitis (BBC’s Dragon’s Den), Tommy Walsh
(TV personality and builder) and Stephanie
McGovern (British business journalist) to
name just a few. It’s great to see that we
all share the same vision and are there to
achieve the same outcome: to inspire the
younger generation and promote their skills
from a young age – because after all, they
GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 33
SkillBuild Carpentry
Judges Tibby Singh
and Pat Phillips
do represent the future of the industry.
Alongside celebrities supporting these
competitions, they wouldn’t be possible
without the sponsorship of companies,
which include British Gypsum, Crown Paints
and STIHL. There are also other companies
that provide support in terms of donating
materials or tools, which the competitors
may need. For example, Trend Routing
Technology have given away many goody
bags to the competitors who took part,
including plenty of other tools for the
finalists. Personally, I think this is a fantastic
incentive to encourage the youngsters.
Luke Hulley, Trend’s Head of Marketing,
adds: “It’s been a real pleasure to support
Tibby and the contestants with Trend
giveaways during all the SkillBuild heats.
SkillBuild is very important to the UK and
we at Trend fully support the event and wish
all the 2017 contestants the very best in the
competition and with their future careers.”
BBC Young Carpenter of The Year
One of my biggest accolades to date is
winning BBC’s Young Carpenter of The Year,
and this all escalated from taking part in
competitions such as SkillBuild. The BBC
produce a series called Young Talent of the
Year, a show that searches for the best in
 Feature: Tibby’s journey
Seeing how things measure up during the 2016
Stockport heat
Participants’ projects ready for final marking
young hardworking British talent throughout
a variety of different trades. One of the
categories was carpentry, which I competed
in. There were initially thousands of UK
applicants, who went on to be shortlisted to
just 100, all of whom were called to the BBC
studios in Manchester for an interview and
a theory test. From these, 20 were further
whittled down and called back to complete
a practical test. Out of these 20, only four
were selected to compete in the final
programme for the title of ‘Young Carpenter
of the Year’. I made it into the final four and
further went on to be crowned the winner.
After being awarded this accolade,
I was given the opportunity to appear in
many magazines, newspapers and have
also completed various radio interviews
with BBC Radio Leeds as well as being
contacted by other TV channels regarding
potential future programmes I may be
involved with.
I have also been approached by a few
national magazines including Professional
Trend goody bags were given away to all those
who took part in the 2016 SkillBuild competitions
34 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
Pat and Tibby briefing the participants during the Participants working under pressure during the
2016 Carpentry final national finals
The finalists of the Carpentry competition with their Trend Skeleton Hinge Jigs
Builder and Apprentice Builder, all of which went through the same procedures and
have asked if I would like to become a took part in the same competitions as the
product tester and model for them; this students, I can relate to what they’re going
involves me testing out the latest tools, through, and share my story and success
writing reviews and being involved in to hopefully inspire the next generation
photo/video shoots. Alongside the product of young craftsmen and women. GW
testing, I also get involved with the product
development as companies will approach
me to test out their products before they’re FURTHER INFO
taken to market, to see if any improvements A video documenting Tibby’s journey
can be made. As an ambassador for the from apprentice to SkillBuild judge can
construction industry, I also get invited also be viewed on his Facebook page:
to many schools, colleges and other events www.facebook.com/tibbysingh/
to do talks about apprenticeships and work videos/1461281290566438, or see
alongside different organisations, such as his website: www.tibbysingh.com
‘Apprenticeships’ and ‘CITB’.
Being selected as a SkillBuild judge is
an honour and I look forward to judging
both the 2017 SkillBuild regional and
national competitions. I think it’s really
important for students to take part in these
events, as these can certainly open up new
doors, as they have for me, and go on to
change your life for the better. As I also
Tibby Singh with entrepreneur Theo Paphitis Tibby Singh and TV personality Tommy Walsh,
with his copy of GW
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 Project: Foot stool
Save those
offcuts!
Glenn Perry is a fan
of saving offcuts and
shows how he made this
functional foot stool for
his mother using pieces
of leftover sapele
O
ne of the dilemmas of engaging in
woodworking on a regular basis is what
to do with offcuts. That is, those pieces
of leftover timber that appear too short for most
jobs but are too precious to throw away. I usually
dispose of small pieces of softwood in the green
recycling bin. Hardwoods, however, I tend to
hang on to. After my farmhouse chair project in
GW284, I had a piece of sapele left over when
I made the seat. It was 56mm-thick and around
630mm wide but only 175mm long, so I decided
to saw the section into square blanks measuring
56mm square and 175mm in length. These,
along with some 68 × 18mm sapele, would
provide the base for a foot stool, which I was
making for my mother’s 80th birthday.
PIC 1. The main components for the foot stool
PIC 3. Bolection profile in scratchstock made from
a tenon saw blade
36 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
Construction
The foot stool’s construction is straightforward
and uses traditional mortise & tenon joints.
I turned four legs from the 175mm blanks on
my lathe with a ring and vabe profile, leaving
around a 75mm square section. The four 68mm
rails connecting the legs at each corner are set
back 5mm from each edge. I cut 25mm deep
barefaced tenons (Pic.2) on the rails for the
10mm wide mortises that were chopped out.
I added a bead moulding to the rails using a
scratchstock (Pic.3) after making the cutter
from an old tenon saw blade using a round file.
Producing the moulding by hand takes a lot
longer than using a router but is very satisfying.
I glued the whole stool base in one using sash
PIC 2. Shallow tenons connecting the legs
PIC 4. Foot stool with softwood top prior to
attaching the plywood
cramps on a level surface, checking the
diagonals for squareness. I finished the base
with three applications of liquid wax. I made the
top from 50 × 25mm timber with 6mm plywood
glued on (Pic.4). I used a softwood, namely pine,
as this would be easier to fix the upholstery
material on to and would not be seen. As
a precaution, I softened the corners of the
rectangular frame. So far my project had cost
nothing, having been made from offcuts – all I
had to purchase was a rectangular cushion inner
and some material. I selected a pattern for
the material online from Tuppence Collective
(www.tuppencecollective.co.uk), which was
subsequently printed as a 1 × 1.35m section.
This was stapled to the underside of the top
frame, and the frame was then secured to the
base using metal brackets.
All in all, this was a useful project made from
offcuts and my mother was pleased with the
end result. The foot stool now resides in front
of her settee as a perch for her tired legs. GW
PIC 5. The completed foot stool is a success and
is used by my mother after a long day
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 Woodworker’s journal: Home truths

On the
BLOCKS
As the race continues, Edward Hopkins hands over the batten

W
hen I was small, my father, to whom
I largely owe my love of woodwork,
made me some building blocks. By
hand. He said it was nearly impossible.
I wouldn’t even begin. Woodwork is unusual in that
the basic skills are also the most difficult. Sawing to
a line can be easy enough, but keeping it square over
a distance? Knocking in nails that don’t want to go
there? Putting up a shelf Greenwich level? And,
in this case, planing flat, dead square; sawing and
shooting at 90°? Chamfering? Precisely? Repeatedly?
How many blocks would you get done in a day?
All praise for machines! By the time the circle
turned and I was making building blocks for my
son, my father had (vicariously?) bought me a planer.
It is still one of my favourite machines and continues
to sing like a tenor. As with all machines it must be
tweaked: here; sharp knives, tables aligned, nipples
greased and a wipe of silicone.
My daughter also loved those blocks. Now the
wheel has turned again and it’s the grandfather
making building blocks for Imogen’s lovely daughter,
Jaya. He has the same planer, still humming in perfect
tune, a fresh pair of knives and, if you’ve been paying
attention, a stack of 25mm oak upstairs in the garage,
which probably wants to stay there a bit longer, but,
by the looks of things, may well not.

My first trial construction:

more Aztec than Hi-Tec,
but that’s the way I like it

PIC 1. Sawing to exact length is critical. Equally

important is not to trap a cut length between a fence
and the saw blade. Most times you’d get away with it,
but if the workpiece skews, it can jam and shriek and be
ruined – and offend the saw. You therefore must keep
a grip of it. Here, I’ve cramped a secondary fence to the
fence on the sliding table; this is raised up on a spacer
block so that waste does not give a false reading.
The fence extends well beyond the blade to the left
so as to support the long uncut batten. The stepped
stop in the foreground is to prevent that fence
travelling too far and being cut off

38 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

 PIC 2. My old Elu router table has its own fence, which contains a plastic insert in the area of the cutter. This is
sacrificial and, over several decades, has fulfilled its role to the point of uselessness. There needs to be no danger
here of the slightest jerk or stutter, so I’ve fixed up a simple MDF and timber jig to expose the minimum amount
of cutter. To keep the hole as small as possible, I lowered the MDF over the spinning cutter. As you can see, I did
it twice because my first attempt did not go well

at them now, they are rather boring: just big blocks

of beech in various unit lengths. No specials, no
curves, no pillars or pediments. Surely, this time
around, I could do something more interesting?
What would that be? What would elevate simple
blocks, and bestow aesthetic appeal?

The psychology of bricks

The tessellation test
And now (I only pinched a few boards) a week later,
it hasn’t. I’m aware that most children’s blocks
are of beech, but I have no beech. Instead I chose
the best bits of oak that would plane up clean and
smooth leaving no risk of splinters. It finished
at 3⁄4in. Whether you’re working in imperial or
metric, it would help to have a precise measurement
here because the bricks are made in unit dimensions.
The basic brick is one thickness thick, two thicknesses
wide, and four thicknesses long. That way, it bonds
and builds with itself. So my brick became ¾ × 1½
× 3in. From then on, all other bricks would have to
comply, being a permutation of these figures, or they
would fail the tessellation test.
My first set of bricks did go down well, but looking
I was about to give a present to a fresh, young
malleable mind. Inevitably, it would make an
impression. I became absorbed with the psychology
of bricks which, hitherto, I hadn’t realised existed.
Could I make the bricks picturesque? I drew
interlocking clouds. Might they form a back layer?
Then I’d do a skyline of architectural elements –
gables, towers, domes. Could I do trees? In the front
layer I’d have buildings. I saw a cross between a
Renaissance painting and an advent calendar. Could
the box frame the building? Might it be a display
stand? Would I want it upright (emphasising height
and aspiration) or sideways (encouraging a lateral
attitude)? And, talking of neighbourliness rather than
egocentricity, which I thought by now I was, might I,
radically, include people in my box of bricks, so that
Jaya could play make believe as she grew older?
Who would those people be? Man, woman and child,
obviously (Pic.9). And another child (think ahead,
Edward). Another? Maybe more adults to show that
her family was not the sole pivot of humanity. But
when I found myself wondering whether an extra man
and woman surreptitiously suggested the automatic
priority of heterosexual relationships, I sensed that
I’d lost my bearings: I knew I’d gone wrong.
KISS
The best designs are the simplest. ‘Keep it simple,
stupid!’ otherwise known by the acronym ‘KISS’ is
a principle that pervades product development. And
it was staring me in the face. Imogen loved my first
set of blocks. I enjoyed them too, building towers as
high as I could then pulling out a main support and

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 39

 Woodworker’s journal: Home truths

PIC 3. I’m in love again. I’ve treated myself to a Makita LB1200F bandsaw. It is solid,
smooth and convincing: we’re very happy together. Both my previous (second-hand)
bandsaws harboured a vindictive streak and no matter how well I cared for them,
they’d shed their blades with the sound of a shot balloon. I never came anywhere
close to injury, but that’s partly because I kept my fingers progressively further from
the blade – which carried its own drawbacks
PIC 4. I know, I could have fitted a narrow blade and attempted this curve in one
sweep, but there were only four arches to cut, and this seemed easiest. It is best
not to cut too fine a sliver because there is a danger of it becoming caught between
the blade and the (blue) insert

having them tumble to the carpet. That’s what
you do with bricks. It’s what everybody does.
If this carries a subliminal message that will bury
itself in Jaya’s psyche and stay with her for life,
it is ‘what goes up comes down’. That’s alright.
I’m happy with that.
I cut the oak boards down so that I was not trying
to plane flat a large expanse, which might involve
excessive waste. Then I thicknessed it; planed an
edge, ripped it into battens, and thicknessed their
width. Then to cut to length (Pic.1). I have a fine
blade, which is fairly new and, thank goodness,
has stopped whistling, which it did at first, and
which was very annoying. Most of the bricks are
two units long. A good number are three units long,
and a few fewer, four. There is a balance to be struck
between the number of basic bricks and the number
of variations. And I think the longer bricks want to
come in multiples of four so that symmetric building
is made easier. The bricks are chamfered (Pic.2)
very precisely because that’s the way the jig works,
and because such a fine detail speaks of both quality
and care.
And that, if you were so inclined, could be that.
Simple, identical bricks in various stepped lengths
would make a fine toy for ages 1-100. The production
of them at this stage is pure delight. A perfect brick
takes seconds to make (as long as there is enough
prepared batten).
I may have ditched the interlocking clouds but

PIC 5. My Sears
Craftsman radial arm saw
was the backbone of my
workshop for years. Now
it stands largely idle.
It has this useful drum
sander attachment, but I
have only one fine sleeve
left and, surprise,
surprise, it is not a current
size. Do I really want to
buy a bobbin sander? I’d
only use it for an hour or
two each year. I’ll keep
looking for sleeves. I’ve
learnt to use dust
extraction at source
wherever possible

40 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

PIC 6. The disc sander is another tool that is hardly ever needed, but PIC 8. It might look excessive, but eight sash cramps are needed to make sure all the joints glue up
when it is, nothing else will do tight. It is worth cutting pieces of waste specifically for this. And, as here, it should be fully rehearsed
so that with glue beginning to set, there is no panic

I still wanted some specials. Rather than do the

conventional arches, pillars and triangles, I decided
to make planks – three thicknesses to one brick
thickness, at unit lengths but longer rather than
short to act as floors, roofs or ramps. The thicknesser
would not plane such thin strips, but my wide belt
sander finished them down to size.
Bricks and scaffolding boards weren’t enough:
I still wanted specials. I would like to have come
up with something startlingly inventive, but, with
the wheel already invented, I returned, inevitably
I think, to arches. These require wider prepared
batten and I had several pieces in reserve. Production
slowed right down. My shiny bandsaw (Pics.3 & 4)
took me within a fingernail of the line, and the
bobbin sander finished it off (Pic.5). Sanding the
semicircle inset (Pic.6) was a bit more intuitive and
here, error crept in. It was more important that the
four arches and semicircles should fit together in
any permutation, than that the fit be snug, but I
reached a tolerable compromise. What I did give
up on was chamfering the inside of the arch because
without a lot of jigging around I couldn’t see a way
of doing it, and I certainly wasn’t going to touch it

PIC 7. The box needs to accommodate the bricks snugly so as to

look intentional, but loosely so that a fingernail can prise out the
first block. It’s either that or upturn the whole box on the carpet like
making a sand castle, which is not quite as elegant. I don’t need to
say that the brick fit must not be tight, thereby rendering the bricks
at least annoying and at worst inaccessible, so I won’t. This photo
shows a nasty little anomaly. If I’d spent some time on the
drawing board, I would have foreseen this awkward corner and
taken evasive action. Design on the hoof was required

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 41

 Woodworker’s journal: Home truths

with a block and sandpaper. Rather perfect

starkness than sloppy sophistication.

Boxing-up
Initially I thought there was something pleasing
about a square box, but that would have been
wider than my available softwood, so I rearranged
the blocks, cut a few extra to fill the gap and
made it twice as long as wide – like the basic
bricks themselves. In needing to fill the box,
my desire to have bricks in convenient multiples
of four to encourage high-rise building, sailed out
of a high-rise window.
The box was mostly accomplished on the table
saw. I had wondered about producing box corners
on the bandsaw – the perfect tool for it – but I was
swayed away by pressures of time – and, strictly
speaking, requirement. Instead, the corners are
lapped and glued. One regret is that I didn’t bring
the lid into the house to acclimatise. I fitted it
perfectly in the workshop but already it has shrunk.
PIC 9. The finished blocks are a long way from my first fantastical and hopelessly impractical On the other hand, I suppose the upside of this is
ideas, but I like to slip my imagination off the leash and let it run round the woods for a while, that it will never swell and jam. GW
even if I have to whistle it back in later

PIC 10. The cleats will hold the lid flat and ensure that it continues to run smoothly. I didn’t do this on my first set some 30 years ago, and I have a vague memory that the
(somewhat bigger) lid did become troublesome. A long time ago it went missing and that, presumably, is why. The finger pull is essential. I did consider a similar recess
on each end to act as carrying grips but I left it too late. The thought of the box on end shuddering under the pillar drill and cutting a wobbly hole was an imagining too far

42 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

 Good Woodworking Letters & Makers
Letters & Makers
Letter of the month
Legilium project
Dear Tegan,
I loved the article on stool building and Edward
Hopkins’ piece on ‘Split Ends’ (see GW313) –
such projects make for a captivating magazine.
I lost my wife two years ago, after 60 years
together, and my sister Hilary gave me this
project as a way of distracting my mind. When
the church warden discovered woodworm in
the church’s folding lectern, he started looking
into possible replacements. “My brother could
make one of those,” said organist Hilary, and the
idea was born. I’m not the fastest woodworker
in the world: I’m still only a beginner, since I took
up the craft after retiring from school teaching,
but I have made progress, and my workshop
was luckily able to cope with such a project.
It looked straightforward, without curves,
decoration or complicated joints, but it did have
to be sturdy and look good, with straight lines,
perfect joints, and a beautiful finish. Once I had
studied some of the existing legiliums available,
I started designing my own and the overall
dimensions seemed to be pretty standard,
like height and width (1,270 × 533mm) and
size of the book platform (508 × 483mm).
There were three parts to this design: two
frames, one just smaller than the other, and the
book platform, attached to the top of the larger
frame, and latching onto the top of the smaller
Holy commissions
Dear Tegan,
After a short period teaching woodworking
and technical drawing, I retired after over
20 years as head teacher of a large primary
school. Now, aged 86, I spend many happy
hours in my garage/workshop.
Many of my projects have been designed
and made for my local church. Items include
a mobile hymn book trolley, holy water stand,
altar for the side chapel, and various display
stands. My latest project has been a 2.4m long
bench seat, made to match an existing one.
Among my large collection of tools are a much
Bernard’s recently completed 2.4m long
bench seat
44 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
Peter’s completed The legilium in its
folding legilium, the folded state
construction of which
will be featured in
a coming issue
one when the unit is opened. I started with
the construction of the frames, the material
for which was taken from two planks, before
moving on to the book platform.
Anyway, my sister’s strategy worked, the
project was a success, and the legilium is now
displayed in her local church in Christchurch.
Best wishes, Peter Benson
Hello, Peter and thank you for sharing this project with
us. It’s a great idea and one that we would very much
like to feature. We’ll aim to use this as soon as possible,
so do look out for the full build story. In the meantime,
congratulations on your commission and we’re so
pleased to see that it was a resounding success. Tegan
used Hobbies treadle fretwork machine
and a Myford engineer’s lathe – both of
which were manufactured in 1939!
Yours sincerely, Bernard A. Neale
Hi Bernard and many thanks for your letter and photos.
It’s always so lovely to see what our readers have been
up to, and it’s obvious you’ve been quite busy! I’m sure
your local church is hugely grateful for all your help and
it’s so nice to see that your efforts are being put to good
use. It sounds like you have quite a few gems in your
workshop – I’m sure many of our readers will be quite
envious! Enjoy, and happy making! Tegan
Holy water stand Handmade altar
One to watch:
Tom Streeter
Tom first started woodturning as a hobby
when he was just nine-years-old, and in the
11 years since then, he has entered a variety
of competitions. He started by entering the
West Sussex Woodturners’ competitions and
worked his way up from beginner, through to
intermediate, and now to the advanced level.
Most recently, in 2014 and 2015, Tom entered
the South of England Show’s Young
Craftsman of the Year competition, and won
overall first both times. “It is brilliant that
woodturning is recognised at events such
as these and available for everyone to view
and hopefully be inspired by,” he says.
In October 2016, he entered the Worshipful
Company of Turners’ Ray Key Youth Turner
and AWGB Plain Turning (Junior) competitions
and managed to win both first and second
place respectively. Both winning pieces were
displayed at the Wizardry in Wood exhibition
at Carpenters’ Hall in London. He was also
asked to demonstrate on the young turners’
lathe and received a very positive reaction
from the many visitors who came to watch.
Tom is now looking to progress his
woodturning further by incorporating piercing
and pyrography techniques into his work to
a greater extent. This process involves using
a high-powered air tool to cut patterns or
shapes out of the wood as well as using
a pyrography tool to burn and texture the
wood’s surface.
When looking at Tom’s pieces, it’s
important to remember how young this turner
is and just how accomplished the skills on
show are. The many competitions and awards
he has already entered, and won, in his career
to date strongly attest to this and we are
positive that this young craftsman has a
very bright and exciting future ahead of him.
A selection of lidded pots and a vase
The sycamore platter with pierced and
pyrographed rim, which won Tom first prize
in the Ray Key Youth Turner Competition
 Send in photos of your recently made woodworking projects and you could be in with a chance of winning an Alcolin
READERS’ GALLERY wood adhesives bundle, consisting of one each of Alcolin Cold Glue, Alcolin Fast Set Glue, Alcolin Professional Glue
sponsored by Johnson Tools and Alcolin Ultra Glue. Good luck!

Derek Lane
Avid reader and forum member Derek Lane has sent in two projects
this month, both of which are fantastic. Derek admits that at the
beginning of his rocking horse build (shown opposite), he wasn’t sure
if he was capable of making it, but the end result certainly speaks
for itself. He is also very pleased with the end result and admits that
he learnt a great deal of skills during the process. The other photo
shows his rocking motor bike, which was made as a gift for one of his
grandchildren. Again, Derek says that he had a great deal of fun making This rocking motor bike was made Derek’s lovingly made rocking
this project and we can’t wait to see what he comes up with next! as a gift for one of Derek’s grandchildren horse is a real stunner

Brian Barber
Completed just in time to be given as a Christmas present to his granddaughter
was Brian’s wonderful Georgian dolls’ house. Constructed in 1:12 scale, the
carcass was made using 9mm birch plywood and built upon a solid 18mm
base for stability. Sides and floors are all rebated into each other and held
firmly together with glue and screws, so really nothing complicated. The
windows were made using 3mm sections and glazed with 1.5mm acrylic,
and internal doors were made to open using mini hinges. The roof is hinged
at the apex so that the front can be opened as two doors, and when the roof
is closed it also traps the front, so there is no need for catches, etc. The outside
of the dolls’ house was finished using ordinary masonry paint, which Brian Brian’s completed Georgian The roof is hinged at the apex
found to adhere well to bare plywood and gives a really good, realistic finish. dolls’ house in 1:12 scale and the front also fully opens

Ken MacKinnon –
this month’s winner!
When Ken received his issue
of GW313, he saw the photo of
Charlie Gapay’s hanging guitar
stand on the next issue page and
realised it was similar to one he
had made for his son-in-law last
Christmas. According to Ken, the
benefit of this one (his son-in-law
and daughter recently visited
for Christmas and have a convertible
car with limited stowage space)
is its knock-down/flat-pack/
self-assembly, and the fact it is
securely held together by chrome-
plated barrel (bed) bolts. The guitar
back is supported on foam pads. Ken’s guitar stand from the front… … and side

The stand is designed to be

transportable and is held together
using chrome-plated barrel bolts
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GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 45

 Centrefold: Sculpted bench

Razorfish
Created by Alun Heslop, this unique sculptural
bench is made using bleached oak and aims
to evoke the feeling of shifting sands

“It is one thing to have in mind the desired

shape or form that also provides good
ergonomic functionality, but another thing
entirely to be able to translate that concept
into a manifest reality”
Alun Heslop – furniture maker

46 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

A razorfish shell Marks and lines – where to start! The initial overlap cut hollows in the oak seating board.
Roughing work was carried out using various cutter
blades and grinders

Where does one edge start and another follow? The seating board – post bleaching Near completion during oil burnish finishing
It’s all in the light and shadow. M&Ms test

A
meticulously hand-carved functional work
of art, the ‘Razorfish’ bench design takes its
starting inspiration from life at the seashore
and the gentle curve profile of the razorfish seashells.
There are then many interwoven layers of abstracted
inspiration encapsulated within its graceful shape
such as the rippled sands, flow of water, air bubbles
and bleached crab leg claws and skeletal forms.
The sleek minimal look defies its inherent strength
as the pared down form shifts visual line weight mass
to produce a crisp edge outline while maintaining
the structural bulk material out of view. Sublime
apertures cast beautiful dappled light through the
piece. Comfort for the sitter is derived from the
overlapped and interlocking saddle carved seating
that takes its origin from that of the humble wooden
‘Windsor’ kitchen chair. The ripple configuration ABOUT CHAIRCREATIVE
evokes the feel of the shifting sands while at the same Alun Heslop of ‘chaircreative’ studio specialises in the
time creating the playful overlapping concave hollows design and creation of exceptional sculptural chairs
that forms the basis of the ergonomic performance. and seating. He produces distinctive, functional works
Svelte shadow cut detailing in the bleached leg of art for the 21st century, designs for interior and
arrangement and inverted leg pattern adds another exterior locations, as well as creating centre-piece
angle of intrigue, which all contributes to the statement chairs, and site specific and freestanding
animated feel of the piece as a whole, as if it installations. Alun encapsulates a sense of dynamic visual
might jump up or walk away on its own. fluidity in sublime, sinuous flowing forms emanating from
The bench is designed to sit in a central location, the ‘landscape of invention’. As he says: “Creative instinct
whereby it is the focal point piece in a room. Sitting is in the shape of the journey, and design is the evolution
can occur from both sides, and it can comfortably throughbrefinement and reflection.” To find out more
seat 4-5 people. GW about Alun and his designs, see www.chaircreative.com

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 47

48 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

Musical gifts
I Charlie Gapay presents a simple and effective project
created this guitar stand as an ‘under
£10’ secret Santa gift using some leftover
plywood and stain, although most of the
cost of the project went into the hardware. GW
STEP 1. I used 20mm leftover plywood for the
stand. To start, trace out the template for the
upright arm and cut using a jigsaw. The front
to back dimensions were approximately two
times those of the depth of an acoustic guitar.
Height was sufficient to keep the guitar off the
floor from the headstock down
STEP 4. For cutting out the top to hold the guitar,
I decided to do this freehand, ensuring the inside
width was wide enough to hold the headstock of
the guitar
Project: Hanging guitar stand
that would make a perfect gift for the budding musician
STEP 3. I tapered the back so that the front is
slightly wider. The front dimension is slightly
smaller than the width of the acoustic guitar.
Front to back dimensions are approximately
three times the depth of the guitar
STEP 2. Lots of sanding was required for
completing the arm cut
STEP 5. Holes on the bottom of the upright STEP 6. For installing the mounting bolts on the
arm are tapped with hex drive threaded inserts bottom, I drilled one hole for a hex screw thread
and one for a dowel, which would prevent the
top from spinning
GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 49
 Project: Hanging guitar stand

STEP 7. Next, drill three holes on the rear centre

of the base to align with the arm threads made
in step 5, then drill four holes in each corner for STEP 8. Lots of sanding is required to achieve smooth curves and edges. Since I used plywood for this
the screw-on stainless steel feet construction, I elected to use a dark stain to cover the plywood layers on the edge

STEP 9. I stained the sides and top with a honey STEP 10. Next, the metal base feet were screwed STEP 11. Here is the stand fully assembled from
stain to mimic that of an acoustic guitar stain. in and I added my own inscription on the bottom the top. To the top, I cut and stuck on two pieces
Four coats of glossy poly were then added to (remember this was a secret Santa gift!) of felt to protect the finish of the guitar
finish it off

STEP 12. The completed stand should look

something like this Here’s the finished stand from the side... ... and front

50 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

 WAND
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For more information and ‘How-To’ Vidoes, visit

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Hand Made in the UK & Ireland. Available from
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7D\ORUV0LUÀHOGZZZWD\ORUVPLUÀHOGFRXN
M. Saban-Smith: www.msabansmith.com
NEW! John Conrad: www.johnconradblanks.com
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NEW! B. McNamee & Co Ltd: Strabane, Co. Tyrone 0287 1882853
Hand Made in the USA and Canada:
USA: Jeff Hornung, Missouri: www.thewalnutlog.com
Canada: Rob Summerlin, Ontario: www.woodsleesummercraft.ca
(Product availability and packaging may vary in non-UK products)
Four Marks, Hampshire. UK. Call: +44 (0) 1420 560077
Trade Enquiries Welcome
 Project: Workshop storage boxes

Everything in its place

Stackable by design, Patrik Waters’ handy workshop storage Milling & dimensioning
If necessary, use a table saw or circular
boxes will ensure your bits and bobs stay neat and tidy saw and guide to break down your plywood
into 100mm-wide strips and 292mm wide ×

I
recently built an eight-box set of stackable
MakerSpace boxes. This design can be
accomplished using three power tools
(router, mitre saw and jigsaw) and the design
can be adjusted to fit your space and needs.
MATERIALS & TOOLS REQUIRED
MATERIALS
The dimensions given work for boxes made
using 20mm plywood. If you use thicker or
thinner plywood for the sides, your dimensions
will change. It is advisable to double check your
measurements before cutting.
292mm tall squares. If neither of these tools
are available, big box stores will often trim
plywood to size using a panel saw. You can
also look to join your local MakerSpace.
Using a powered mitre saw or hand saw
and mitre box, cut the 100mm-wide strip to
length (Pic.1). Cross-cut two sides at 311mm,
then cross-cut the front and rear at 273mm.
Layout of the handle cutout
Use a pair of compasses and combo square to
lay out an appropriate looking curve to become
the handle (Pic.2), then use a scrollsaw, coping
saw or jigsaw to cut this out (Pic.3).

Joinery
Using a hand-held router and guide or a router
table, plow a 10mm-tall × 10mm-wide rebate
• 100 × 1,219mm strip of 20mm-thick plywood.
This can be substituted with 25 × 100mm or
25 × 150mm common pine from the timber
yard or big box store. The width of the
plywood strip determines the height of
each individual box – 75-150mm works well STEP 1. Using a powered mitre saw or hand
• 292 × 292mm square section of 6mm-thick saw and mitre box, cut the 100mm-wide strip
plywood. Again, use whatever plywood is to length
thin and cheap in your area
• Nails or screws
• Wood glue

TOOLS

STEP 2. Use a pair of compasses and a STEP 3. … then use a scrollsaw, coping saw or
combination square to lay out an appropriate jigsaw to cut it out
looking curve to become the handle…

• Suggested hand-held power tools:

circular saw, jigsaw, mitre saw and router
• Suggested bench-top tools: table saw,
scrollsaw, mitre saw and router
• Combination square
• Pair of compasses
• Measuring tape
• Flush-cut saw
• Hammer or screwdriver with the appropriate STEP 4. Using a hand-held router and guide or STEP 5. Using hammers and nails, nail guns and
bit fitted a router table, plow a 10mm-tall × 10mm-wide brads, or a drill and screws, fasten one side to
rebate into each side of the box the front and rear

52 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

STEP 6. Orientate the boards so that the small STEP 7. Fasten the remaining side to the front and STEP 8. You can then nail the bottom to the
rebate of each side faces outside the box and rear, forming a square, then trim the protruding assembly
lines up ends of the small rebate so the box will stack

into each side of the box, then, adjust the

fence or guide to cut a 10mm tall × 16mm
wide rebate (Pic.4). Next, flip the piece over
and plow the rebate. The side view should
resemble a ‘Z’ or that really annoying Tetris
piece that makes me lose all the time. Check
the photo for clarification.

Assembly
Using hammers and nails, nail guns and
brads, or a drill and screws, fasten one side
to the front and rear (Pic.5). Orientate the
boards so the small rebate of each side faces
outside the box and lines up (Pic.6). The larger
rebate should face the inside of the assembly
and also match. Fasten the remaining side
to the front and rear, forming a square, then
trim the protruding ends of the small rebate
so that the box will stack (Pic.7). You can
then nail the bottom to the assembly (Pic.8).
The final step is to sand and finish your boxes
as desired (Pic.9). GW STEP 9. Sand and finish your boxes as desired

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 53

54 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

CNC-routed
corner dressing table
In the final part of his CNC routing series, Dennis Keeling
makes a space-saving corner dressing table unit for his wife
E
ver since we moved into this house 10 years
ago my wife has been on at me to make her
a corner dressing table unit. We have a small
bedroom with restricted room for a dressing
table, so she has used a small bedside table (Pic.1)
and regularly complains that she can’t get her legs
and feet under it. I therefore decided to try and design
a space-saving corner unit for her. I experimented
with several ideas but they didn’t look right or they
were too cumbersome. The problem is that there is
little room for storage as well as her legs and feet.
So, I experimented with one-sided open drawers.
I bought some thin enclosed metal drawer runners
from Isaac Lord and tried out the concept with 15mm
MDF. I fitted the two runners to the top and bottom
of the drawer side; these worked fine but the drawer
made from 15mm material was still too chunky. With
this in mind, I decided to use white Perspex: 10mm
for the two ends and 5mm for the smaller side and
base, which worked much better.
I decided to use the melamine-coated plywood that
I had bought for the previous table project. I used the
18mm sheet for the dressing table top surface and the
15mm sheet for the sides and drawer side. A corner
unit would be self-supporting without the need for a
front support.
Design in CAD
I developed the design in CAD: I wanted the top to
slot into the sides and the sides to protrude 20mm
above the top, so they acted as a lip (to stop possessions
falling off). To save valuable leg space, I wanted to
recess the metal drawer slides into the sides. So,
the design for the left-side looks like this (Pic.2),
and the right-hand side would not have any drawers
– just a slot for the top and the left-hand side (Pic.3).
The top was a circular quadrant that slotted into the
two sides (Pic.4).
CNC routing: making basic projects
The drawers had several iterations but I finished up PIC 1. (ABOVE LEFT):
with a cutaway drawer end that was bolted onto the The problem – the
larger side made from 15mm melamine-coated plywood. existing dressing table
I didn’t want the barrel bolt holes to be seen so they
were machined from the back. I used 14mm M6 barrel PIC 2. (ABOVE
bolts (Pic.5). The hole had a machined depth of 13.5mm MIDDLE): Design for
as the barrel bolt thread was slightly offcentre. The the left-hand side panel
drawer runners were slotted into the back of the drawer
side. There was only 2mm depth available so the slots PIC 3. (ABOVE RIGHT):
were machined to a depth of 1.0mm. A slot was cut for Design for the right-
the base made from 3mm Perspex and the design for hand side panel
the drawer back is shown in Pic.6.
The drawer ends were to be machined in 10mm
white Perspex and the holes were designed to accurately
locate the M6 screws to the barrel bolts in the drawer
back panel. A slot was specified at the bottom to hold the
drawer base, the design of which can be seen in Pic.7.
Configuring the machining in CAM
As I mentioned, I had gone through several iterations
of the drawer design and likewise I had produced
several mock-ups in MDF. The machining of the back
of the drawer was a challenge; it had to be machined
on two sides as well as holes drilled at the ends. I used
the template technique to hold the drawer side (that
had been partially machined) for machining on the
reverse side.
Tolerances became an issue for machining the barrel
bolt holes and for fitting the drawer runners into a
1.0mm slot on the reverse side. There was a slight flare
at the end of the runner, which had to be allowed for in
the design in order to achieve a snug fit (Pic.8). I set
up the CAM system to machine the back first of all with
the barrel bolt holes and then the drawer runner slots.
Once profiled, the drawer back could be re-machined in
the template to cut the slot for the base in the front side.
For the 10mm barrel bolts, I machined to 10.2mm and
for the 3mm Perspex slot I machined to 3.2mm.
GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 55
 CNC routing: making basic projects
PIC 4. (ABOVE LEFT): Router cutting melamine-coated plywood can be a
Design for the top problem and the melamine can lift, due to its brittleness.
surface I used a 6mm downward spiral solid carbide router
cutter for this job, which pushes veneers and laminates
PIC 5. (ABOVE down. However, this router should not be used with
MIDDLE): The the Perspex. It is not good at removing the swarf and
barrel bolt can overheat and melt the cut, so I elected to use an
upward spiral 3mm solid carbide cutter for the cast
PIC 6. (ABOVE RIGHT): Perspex acrylic sheet, which quickly removes the
Design for the drawer swarf and keeps the cut cool (Pic.9).
back The feed rate for cutting will depend on the
capabilities of your CNC. In my case, I was happy
with a feed rate of 1,500mm/min for cutting the profiles
and slots in the melamine, all with a spindle speed of
15,000rpm, and 600mm/min for cutting the Perspex
and the holes at 1,000rpm.
The two side panels were a problem as they were
750mm tall × 600mm wide and the base of my CNC
was only 600 × 600mm, so, I experimented with cutting
them in two stages. My CNC allowed me to overhang the
longer length in the ‘Y’ direction. I cut the top section
first of all to the full width of the base, omitting the
PIC 7. (BELOW LEFT): two bottom drawer runner slots and the base. Since I
Design for the drawer was unable to cut the whole profile of the side, return
ends machine paths had to be constructed to cut a U-shape
(Pic.10).
PIC 8. (BELOW An allowance was made for the slots to take the
MIDDLE): Encased 18mm melamine top of 18.3mm to a depth of 8mm.
metal drawer runner The slots for the drawer runners were cut to a depth
of 3mm and a width of 16mm.
PIC 9. (BELOW RIGHT): The corresponding bottom section of the side panel was
6mm downward spiral then set up to align to the left-hand side of the base and
and 3mm upward spiral the fourth drawer slot. Again, a U-shaped cutting path had
cutters to be designed to only cut the bottom section (Pic.11).
PIC 10. Machining plan for the side panel PIC 11. Machining plan for the lower side panel
56 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
Machining the unit
I pre-cut the melamine plywood into 615 × 780mm
sheets for the sides, 460 × 420mm for two drawer sides,
and 610 × 610mm for the top. The Perspex drawers
were cut from a 600 × 600mm sheet of 10mm, 5mm
and 3mm white sheet. A piece of scrap 15mm MDF
measuring 430 × 420mm was used for the drawer
template. The large drawer sides were first cut
individually using the 15mm white melamine plywood.
A 6mm downward spiral router cutter was used for the
profiling stage. The drawer runner slots and the barrel
bolt holes were cut before it was profiled (Pic.12).
A piece of 15mm MDF was then glued to the sacrificial
bed of the CNC and an internal profile cut to form the
template. The MDF was aligned with the sides of the
sacrificial base and the router cutter datum start point
was cut to enable the template to be removed and
re-used for the other sides. The cut drawer side was
now fitted in the template, leaving the ‘XYZ’ start
point the same. A 3mm router cutter was installed
and the slot cut on the inside of the drawer (Pic.13).
The two ends were then set up for machining using
the 10mm white Perspex, which was secured to the
sacrificial MDF base with hot-melt glue to stop it
moving while being machined. The vacuum alone
would not be enough to hold it. A 3mm router cutter
was then used and the two ends machined (Pic.14).
The drawer front was then machined with a slot
for the base from 5mm white Perspex, and the base
from 3mm white Perspex.
The main left-hand side was now machined. The
cutting was from the top and the piece of 615 × 780mm
white melamine plywood was mounted on the sacrificial
MDF baseboard upside down. The back (left-hand side)
PIC 12. Machining the drawer side
was aligned with the left-hand side of the baseboard
and the top was aligned with the bottom edge of the
baseboard. The 15mm overhang was on the right-hand
side of the baseboard and the 180mm overhang on the
top. MY CNC will machine an extra 15mm width on the
‘X’ axis but not the ‘Y’ axis. The datum was set to the
top of the lower bottom corner. After cutting the top
half section, the lower section was mounted on the CNC,
with the left-hand side still aligned with the left-hand
side of the base and the bottom aligned with one of
the machined drawer slots. I set the CNC 10mm above
datum to check it was positioned correctly – I had to
adjust it by 3mm to get it spot on. It was then machined.
I had allowed 2mm oversize on the sides to enable me
to plane the sides to true afterwards (Pic.15). The other
side was then machined in the same way. Positioning it
after the first cut and checking the alignment again, the
top was then machined from the 18mm white melamine
plywood sheet (Pic.16).
The edges of the drawer sides were drilled in PIC 13. (ABOVE LEFT):
the same way before being tapped with a M4 tap Using the template
(Pic.18). The edges of the plywood panels were to machine the drawer
then smeared with thick CA adhesive, which seals interior
the plywood for sanding. Be careful when using
CA glue in this manner, as the fumes given off are PIC 14. (ABOVE
toxic, so always ensure to ventilate your workshop. MIDDLE): Machining
I wear vinyl gloves inside a polythene bag, which the drawer end panels
does not stick to or melt with the CA glue. When
the glue has cured, usually after about an hour, PIC 15. (ABOVE RIGHT):
the sides can be sanded and another coat of CA Cutting the side panel
applied. The finish achieved using two coats of
CA adhesive is quite surprising (Pic.19).
The drawers are then assembled to the side panel
using pan-head screws. A stop is then screwed to the
panel at the back of the drawers to ensure they align
when closed (Pic.20). The top and the side are then
assembled and the finished unit should look something
like this (Pic.21). GW

Assembly
The drawers were then assembled, with the large
side panel having to be drilled to take the M6 bolts
to the barrel bolt. I used a steel corner unit clamped
to my drilling machine table with the drawer sides
clamped to it. I found that it was easier to mark
out the holes using the machined drawer sides as
a template. I used a 7mm brad-point drill to allow
for positioning of the M6 bolt (Pic.17).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dennis Keeling progressed from segmented turning
to CNC routing after completing a course at Bucks New
University in Furniture Design. He has self-published his
CNC projects and a copy of this design in .DXF format is
available on his website: www.denniskeeling.com/
downloads

PIC 16. (OPPOSITE

LEFT): Cutting the
top surface

PIC 17. (OPPOSITE

MIDDLE): Drilling
the drawer side

PIC 18. (OPPOSITE

RIGHT): Tapping
the drawer sides

PIC 19. (OPPOSITE

LEFT): Gloss finish
with CA glue

PIC 20. (OPPOSITE

MIDDLE): Assembling
the drawers

PIC 21. (OPPOSITE

RIGHT): The completed
dressing table unit

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 57

 ZLAB
AMBC
Project: Segmented wooden cryptex
BNCD
Cracking the CODE
Matthew White shows you how to turn your own iconic
puzzle: a segmented wooden cryptex. Great for testing
your turning skills, ensure to take your time with this project
S
ince the release of Dan Brown’s The
DaVinci Code, the Cryptex has become
an iconic puzzle. While this one won’t
destroy itself, it will certainly keep its share
of secrets. This project is mainly designed to
be an exercise in segmented woodturning.
Upon initially finding the design for a
wooden cryptex, I wanted to build one on
a lathe instead of a drill press. I knew it’d
be difficult, time consuming, and require
a fair amount of patience. With that said,
this isn’t the project to rush through
STEP 1. Table saw setup (guard removed for
photo clarity)
STEP 2. The 26 completed ring staves
STEP 3. Gluing up the ring assembly
58 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
to make a deadline. Take your time and go
slowly. How slow? Each ring contains 26
staves plus 12 border segments. That’s
upwards of 300 separate pieces on a seven-
ring design. I’d also recommend making spare
rings… There aren’t too many critical tools to
have access to, but you will need a table saw,
mitre saw, sander, pyrography iron, lathe with
a jawed chuck and more than a few clamps.
It’s also helpful to have a digital angle gauge.
Cutting ring staves
The original designs used a circle cutter
on a drill press to make the rings and a
dowel for the centre chamber. I didn’t
like marking off 26 notches around the
outside and thought there’d be a way
to make them with a lathe. I settled
on a cylinder with 26 staves so the joints
would separate the letters. To do this, each
one will need to be ripped at 360/26/2 = 6.92°.
Start by deciding how big you want the
rings to be. The outside width of the staves
will dictate your circumference. For example,
25mm on the outside means a 660mm
circumference and a 209mm diameter.
STEP 4. Cleaning glued assembly
GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 59
 Project: Segmented wooden cryptex
STEP 5. Gluing down the walnut bands
Size this to fit on your lathe chuck or your
desired payload.
Begin by cutting a few wider boards at
305mm, bevel your table saw blade at 6.92°
and rip them down to create 26 staves (Pic.2).
Glue them up in pairs, let them dry, then fours
and eights (Pic.3). When you’re down to 3-4
sections, assemble the cylinder using a band
clamp. If you want something really awesome,
add bits of veneer between each piece. Use
lighter wood so the burned letters have
enough contrast. I used mahogany for mine
but I’d probably go with something stronger.
Once you have your cylinder, clean the glue
from the outside (Pic.4) and cut 25mm-wide
rings on a mitre saw, trimming off the last bit
with a hand saw if needed. Use a disc or drum
STEP 8. Rings mounted on the lathe
STEP 11. Staves to build centre chamber; 12× with
the sides mitred at 15°
60 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
STEP 6. Sanding the rings flush
sander to clean up both sides of each ring. Keep
at least one ring at 50mm or wider for the end.
To add definition between each ring, I
added a 6mm band of walnut. These were
cut individually with 12 pieces and then glued
down to each ring. These walnut blocks were
cut on the table saw at a 15° bevel similar to the
staves. The walnut also served to strengthen
each assembly. Instead of making more rings,
cut them down to 6mm in thickness and glue
them to each ring. Use a spindle sander to
round down the assembly (Pic.6).
Turning the rings
Lightly clamp each ring to your lathe chuck
and use a skew chisel to clean up the inside
of each ring and a tool of choice to clean up
STEP 9. Turned tenons
STEP 12. Incrementally gluing the centre chamber
STEP 7. Getting the rings to round
the outsides (Pic.8). Once they are evened
up, carve an 8mm tenon down on the outside
about halfway through the blank (Pic.9).
On mine, I started with a 125mm diameter
and went down to 47⁄16in on the outside.
Flipping the blank over, use a skew to trim
a matching recess on the inside of the walnut
side. This one will be 10mm deep to make
room for the locking pegs later. Using a pair
of callipers, standardise the outside diameter,
drop the walnut band down by ~3mm and
lightly round over the outside edge for extra
definition. Sand all surfaces, then test fit all
of the rings and adjust as necessary. I found
it helpful to number each ring and then cut
each one to fit its neighbour.
Burn your alphabet into the rings using
STEP 10. Walnut centre chamber assembly
STEP 13. Turning and paring the centre chamber
a standard pyrography iron and a knife to
extenuate the divisions between the letters.
Choose your password and use a detail saw to
cut away the inner tenons behind the letters of
choice. Thinner spaces require more precision
in dialling the password.
For the right end, we need a ring with two
tenons to connect to the rest of the stack and
fit into the side. Take your leftover ring material
and turn it down with two tenons: one to fit the
last ring and the other to fit the right side. Carve
out one inner tenon to allow the chamber to STEP 14. Assembled cryptex with pyrographed STEP 15. Notched ring
pass later and mark the outside with your burner. lettering applied

Building the sides

Draw out a design for each side – I normally
use MS Publisher (Pic.16). Simple: square
with four connecting dowels; intermediate:
complex shape with three mortised posts;
advanced: segmented, multi-layered and
turned to contrast the rest. Make your choice.
Although I’m usually up for a challenge, it’s
cold and getting late.
Cut out each end, carefully mark the centres,
and then sand and rout the edges. On both
sides, use a hole saw in a drill press to cut
recesses to fit the tenons on the rings. I used
a Glaser screw to cut each one instead. Next,
add a smaller through-hole to the right side
for the centre chamber to pass.
You can now test fit all the components
but don’t glue it together just yet (Pic.18).

The locking pins

The chamber is held in place by a series
of protruding finish nails that will ride in
the recesses between the inner rings. Sit
the chamber in the left side and add rings
one at a time, marking the location of each STEP 16. MS Publisher sketch
recess. Pre-drill the holes along a single line,
add the nails, glue in place and use a rotary
tool to smooth the heads (Pic.19).

STEP 17. Planed supports before trimming

down the tenons STEP 18. Completed left side

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 61

 Project: Segmented wooden cryptex

The caps & finishing WHAT CAN GO WRONG?

Almost done! You can now cut a block, which
will be used to close the chamber off. Carve
a tenon into the inner surface that will fit the
remainder of the chamber’s open end, add a
mark to align the chamber with the rings and
use your pyrography iron to add a clue in the
end. Or don’t...
I decided to use Danish oil as a finish since I
didn’t want the assembly seizing up, and it also
gave a great colour to the wood (mahogany,
walnut and sapele). There, now wasn’t that
fun? Now go drop one on a friend’s desk and
let the entertainment begin. GW

Broken rings... Previously completed cryptex (USAF edition)

This project had a number of firsts for me,
plus I rushed along to finish everything in time.
Don’t make the same mistakes I did; here are
some lessons learned…
• Precisely measure your staves for the rings.
Any bias will be multiplied 52× by the end
– i.e. being off by 1/10th of a degree will
make the ring off by an entire letter. Once
you have the blocks of 4-8, use a joiner or
disc sander to clean up any biases
• Give your glue enough time to dry. I’m in a
cold climate and didn’t have the time to let
all of my joints set. I ended up breaking about
STEP 19. Turned chamber with nails glued in place
6mm of the joints in the rings due to
substandard gluing
• Make spares. If nothing else, you have parts
to practise on
• Use a contracting chuck to hold the rings.
If you’re limited on equipment, size the
puzzle to your abilities
• Measure, write down, and standardise all
of the rings. I free-handed way too much of
this one and now want to redeem myself
• Make the centre chamber a little oversize
and allow yourself room to turn it down
to precisely fit the rings and ends

STEP 20. Detail on end caps

STEP 21. In the finishing room STEP 22. Completed cryptex and the five-year-old test article

62 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

 The Rocking Horse Shop
Make a Unique Traditional Rocking Horse, 17 Superb Designs

Plans, books, DVD’s,

timber packs, accessories & fittings.
Carving Courses
Whether you are an experienced carver
or have never carved before, you will
benefit enormously from one of our
courses.

www.rockinghorse.co.uk Tel: 0800 7315418

Fangfoss, YORK YO41 5JH
ABOVE: A typical
thatched shrine
in mountainous
JAPANESE
WOODWORKING
Koyasan, the
sacred home
of Buddhism

ENLIGHTENMENT
William Bruton and furniture designer John Kings set out in
search of woodworking enlightenment in the land of the rising sun

I
am a sailing yacht skipper by trade, naturally
drawn to utilitarian design, particularly the
strength and simplicity of wooden boat-building
techniques. My friend John, who joined me for
a few days in Japan, has a very different professional
background, working for Vitsoe, a furniture company
where longevity and sensible design are pursued
relentlessly. We share a mutual interest in well-
made things. When I am in London, the topic of pub
conversation generally turns to poorly constructed
everyday objects that disappoint. His input, informed
and educated, mine, ill-informed and ranty, we
are old friends, and equally old beyond our years.
Both in Japan at the same time, we went in search
of Japanese woodworking enlightenment.
The Japanese way of thinking
In a suburban warehouse on the outskirts of Osaka,
stacked high with modern tools, we met Lida Tomahito,
our first contact in the world of Japanese woodworking.
Lida has forged an unlikely relationship with Western
woodworkers as an exporter in tools, mostly Japanese.
John was in the market. As if trading in something
highly suspect, Lida gestured to the boxes at his feet.
Beautifully wrapped planes, carving blades, and knives
started to appear from handmade containers of balsa.
Clearly the good stuff.
Presented first with an unusual looking plane, made
from light oak, the first indication of the contrast with
Western woodworking became clear. If one tool distils
the Japanese difference, it is their planes – items of

64 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com


pure minimalist function that bear little resemblance
to the Western planes we were both familiar with.
There is no handle at all; instead a simple casing of
solid wood surrounds a formidable blade that’s kept
incredibly sharp, often of high quality carbon steel.
“The key is in the blade, which we keep extremely
sharp,” explains Lida, gesturing to be careful. In Japan,
many tools are drawn towards the craftsman using little
force. We learn that many still work cross-legged on
the floor: the most relaxed of positions, but one giving
very little leverage. “By drawing the blade towards
the body, a line of sight is possible down the material
to be deducted, so the force used can be more
accurately gauged, and regulated.” Immediately this
alien approach made a resounding case for itself.
The next tool we came across was the hand saw,
similar in appearance to a Western garden pruning
saw. Using thin blades, only designed to cut on the
pull stroke, results in greater accuracy, while avoiding
the need for rigidity that Western blades require to
both push and pull. This has an effect on the creative
process. Greater accuracy produces greater intricacy,
and in turn, the intricate joint-work Japanese wood
craft is so famous for.
Modern Japanese woodworking in evidence
Curious to see woodworking in practice, we took
up the suggestion to visit Oak Village. Not, as I
first joked, an industrial estate showroom selling
discount furniture. Established in 1974 in the woodland
surrounding Takayama, Oak Village has its foundations
Feature: Woodworking in Japan
TOP LEFT: A new
plane blade – freshly
stamped with the
mark of its maker,
Takeo Nakano
TOP RIGHT: A selection
of chisels
and waterstones
FAR LEFT: John gets
to grips with the
Japanese plane
LEFT: Carbon steel
is used for the best
blades – razor
in a 1,300-year-old local woodworking tradition. sharpness means
Something that has fostered a wide ranging variety work is effortless
of both traditional and contemporary craft, the
company produces everything from small bowls
to wooden buildings.
At the heart of the Oak Village is a solid philosophy
of ‘turning a 100-year-old tree into products that last
for 100 years’. A sentiment shared by the company
John works for who declare their items, similarly,
to be built for life. “Small items are a perfect
demonstration of what we can do, something
that people can hold, echoing our bigger projects,”
explained one of their team.
Putting it into practice
Not to be confused with Oak Village, Oak Nature
is a school of Japanese woodworking, also located
near Takayama, which John was lucky to be able to
visit. He was given the opportunity to make his own
attempt at some Japanese techniques, finding that
reversing much of what’s been learned in the West
takes more than a little practice.
Many Japanese tools are heavily customised by the
owner to suit their specific needs and John started off
by preparing a new plane for use – first, carving a hole
for the blade, before honing it with a range of Japanese
waterstones. It was interesting to see hammers with
custom-made handles and custom-made jigs in most
workshops I came across following the visit.
Throughout our time observing Japanese
woodworking, the use of both fire and water surprised us.
GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 65
 Feature: Woodworking in Japan

While water is used to lubricate the sharpening

process, it is also frequently used on seasoned timber
when planing an awkward grain or knot. Where the
grain is going in an awkward direction, water is
sprayed on the surface to avoid separation and
maintenance of a smooth surface as the material
is reduced. Another elegant solution.
Heat is regularly used not only to manipulate wood
into shape, but as a traditional form of waterproofing.
Setting fire to cedar before starving it of oxygen and
brushing away the charred excess to produce a sealed
exterior is a traditional technique still in evidence,
particularly in rural areas.

Temples, castles & the preservation

of Japanese craftsmanship
Throughout travels in Japan, both John and I were
able to see some truly incredible examples of Japanese
construction using wood. In Nara, Hōryū-ji is possibly
one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world.
However, by far the most impressive construction
we came across while in Japan was Himeji Castle.
Originally built around several enormous Cyprus trees
and over 24m in height, the building is an illustration
of the possibility of traditional Japanese techniques;
its less obvious details distilling the Japanese attention

ABOVE: Wooden
plates, or Kifuda,
in Kyoto illustrating
backers of historical
preservation projects

RIGHT & FAR RIGHT:

Gateways modest
and less so have great
significance in Japanese
culture. The Nandaimon
Gate, built entirely of
wood in the 13th
century, stands
over 25m tall

RIGHT: Himeji Castle

is Japan’s largest
wooden castle.
Two 26m trees
are at the core
of its construction

66 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

to detail that has carried through to today’s craftsmen. An Absence of Noise, inspired by time spent TOP LEFT & ABOVE:
Where knots in the structure were found, they were researching techniques in Japan. A modern shrine
carved out and replaced with contrasting star-shaped At widely celebrated Matsuri festivals, changing construction, using
pieces, sadly impossible to photograph due to an of the seasons parades and national holidays, wooden traditional methods,
almost total lack of daylight inside, but an indication floats are carried through the streets, while New Year’s at Minoo near Osaka
of an older Japanese pursuit of perfection. Day sees thousands visiting the wooden structures of
Perhaps the best distillation of Japanese the Jinjas to pray for a good year ahead. Fundamentally, LEFT: A modern
woodworking techniques in construction, however, woodworking is the physical backbone of Japan’s build traditional
can be seen in the more traditional examples of shrines cultural identity. Passing on the skills to a new room – pure function,
found across Japan. While a Japanese love of concrete generation is a challenge for Japanese woodworkers, but completely
has put an end to many, the most interesting are but with enthusiasts both in Japan and abroad giving lacking insulation!
constructed from wood and, most excitingly, some greater recognition to its techniques than ever before,
are reconstructed roughly every 20 years. it has a promising future. GW
In a country where the national stereotype is one
of an obsession with only the latest technology, shrine JAPANESE WOODWORKING RESOURCES
building is something where the status quo has been
Liverpool-based furniture maker Hugh Miller has spent time
maintained, serving as a mechanism to maintain
studying Japanese techniques across the country, feeding
traditional woodworking skills. Each reconstruction
what he learned into his latest contemporary designs.
is usually undertaken by a distinct hierarchy of three
An excellent pamphlet he produced after his time in
tiers of skill: apprentices, skilled craftsmen, and master
the country on Japanese techniques and woodworking
craftsmen who are soon to retire.
philosophy can be downloaded from his website:
The 20-year timetabling of reconstruction works
www.hughmillerfurniture.co.uk
hand in hand with the passing down of the necessary
skills through the generations, ensuring both a high
Lida Tomahito sources and supplies quality Japanese tools
standard of construction and a mechanism to maintain
for customers worldwide and is an excellent source of
interest. One of the most famous shrines maintained
advice for anyone in the market. He can also source
in this way, fascinating both for its traditional carpentry
custom-made tools – something far more common in Japan
and thatching, is the Ise Shrine, located in the Mie
than in the West: www.japantool-iida.com/shop/index
Prefecture, which is believed to have existed in the
same spot for over 2,000 years.
Oak Nature School is a unique place in the forest of
While there are multiple challenges faced by those
Hida Takayama. Woodwork school, craft seminar venue,
seeking to ensure traditional Japanese woodworking
accommodation, and more; it’s an ideal location to breathe
continues, a promising export market has emerged,
in Japanese craftsmanship. The accommodation buildings
both for products and the raw genius of such different
incorporate many traditional Japanese techniques:
techniques. Hugh Miller, a Liverpool-based furniture
www.oaknature.co.jp
designer and maker, recently released a new collection,

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 67

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AROUND THE HOUSE with Phil Davy

I
’m sure many of us have made use of pallets in some way, though actually
building an entire project from one can be a bit of a challenge. Once you’ve
found a decent pallet you’re limited by the length and width of usable timber,
not to mention whether nail holes are acceptable or not. Jointing rough-sawn wood
can be tricky, though get this right and it can be a satisfying process, especially when
material costs nothing. And the timber quality can sometimes be surprisingly good.
To check this, I planed up some recycled softwood recently and one pallet in particular
was certainly equal to joinery grade timber. So, keep an eye out for any skips in your
neighbourhood, but don’t forget to ask permission first before helping yourself to
suitable wood.

BOOK REVIEW:
Complete Woodworking
Even in this digital age
there’s still nothing
quite like referring
to the printed page,
especially when
it’s a hardback
such as this.
Any volume
that attempts to
cover the entire
woodworking
spectrum is likely to fall short somewhere,
though the author of Complete Woodworking has done
a commendable job.
Starting with an introduction to timber and the
workshop, Tribe virtually bypasses softwood (apart
from cedar of Lebanon) and gets straight into working
with temperate hardwoods. Surprising, perhaps, as I’d
always suggest that a beginner practices hand tool
techniques on softwood first before progressing to
hardwood. Of course, there’s an argument that in
furniture making there’s probably little need for
softwoods, but I think a beginner could struggle here.
To be fair, one of the five projects included at the tail end
of the book does feature PAR redwood entirely, though.
Easy to follow
A brief look at both hand and power tools precedes
the next chapter: Using Hand Tools. Explaining various
techniques in great detail, there are plenty of thought-
provoking ‘Try This!’ box-outs scattered around the
pages. Various troubleshooting clinics (such as cutting
biscuit slots incorrectly) are a great idea, designed to
get you back on track when things go wrong. All good
stuff and easy to follow, with first-rate photography.
Slightly odd is the inclusion of the Festool Domino
jointing system in a book aimed at novices. Pretty
wealthy ones, I’d guess! Obviously Tribe sees this
as an important tool in furniture making, but bearing
in mind the hefty price tag, it’s puzzling. Something
to aspire to, perhaps…
Interestingly, there’s no coverage of workshop
machinery such as the bandsaw. I’d reckon this machine
is more relevant than a Domino for a beginner, though
Tribe has done a good job of introducing portable power
tools and using them safely. Equally, there’s no mention
of lathes and woodturning, but that’s no bad thing –
feature one machine and you’ve got to include the whole
lot. He admits it was difficult to know what to leave out…
An ambitious book
A chapter devoted to routing includes various jigs,
which will help any newcomer enormously. About a
quarter of the book features joints and how to make them
in considerable detail, using both hand and power tools.
This is an ambitious book, as the excellent chapter on
veneering illustrates, (which even includes making your
own veneer punch). Everything is nicely laid out and
it’s good to see that cutting lists include both metric and
imperial dimensions. Projects are graded by skill level
and include an oak side table, birch ply workshop cabinet
and a lovely walnut memory box. So, a comprehensive
woodwork guide that should appeal to any aspiring
woodworker, whether beginner or more experienced.
THE GW VERDICT
RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Chris Tribe,
published by Quarto Press
PRICE: £20
WEB: www.christribe.co.uk

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 71

 Around the house with Phil Davy

WINTER PROJECT – PLANE RESTORATION

TAKES: Half a day

TOOLS NEEDED: Straightedge, abrasives, grinder,
sharpening stones

Wooden wonder STEP 1. It may look OK, but on closer investigation

this old jointer plane is in need of some serious
care and attention
Phil Davy gets round to
rejuvenating a venerable old
plane that he bought for a tenner

Recently looking at some low-angle jack planes
got me thinking... sitting on my mantelpiece
was a nice old wooden jointer plane, which I’d
never actually used. Bought for a tenner at a
secondhand tool shop some years ago, there
was no significant damage but it did need some
TLC. The handle was loose and the sole not
completely flat, then there was the state of the
plane iron. Fortunately there was no woodworm.
If you have wooden tools that are riddled, squirt
suitable killer fluid into the flight holes to deter
any remaining critters in the vicinity. And make
sure that you check your entire timber stock if
the flight holes appear to be fresh...
Truing up
These old planes are usually made from
beech, providing weight but not always stability.
Changes in humidity can affect the shape of the
sole slightly, so truing them up now and again
is important for accurate work. I used abrasive
paper on a flat board, but it would be better to
glue the paper to a machine’s cast-iron bed, such
as a planer. Somehow I can’t quite bring myself
to do this yet! A failing veneer shim on one side STEP 2. The rear tote is loose and was glued into
of the mouth opening seemed to be doing more the body originally. This is easy enough to re-glue
harm than good, so that was removed easily. and cramp
The blade was just too wide for the tool holder
on my old Tormek wetstone grinder, so I had to
regrind the edge freehand. Apparently the latest
Tormek tool holder has a full 76mm clamping
capacity, so this should accommodate virtually
any plane iron.
Once I’d treated the sole with boiled linseed
oil and got the blade honed, it was time to take
the plane for a test drive. The verdict? It’s fun to
use, but I don’t reckon I’ll be ditching my steel STEP 3. It’s important to check the sole of any
bench planes just yet! plane for accuracy. Do this using a straightedge

STEP 4. A veneer shim on one side STEP 5. You can true up a wooden STEP 6. Check the sole is flat across STEP 7. Removing wedge, plane
of the mouth meant the iron was sole with 120 grit abrasive, switching its width as well as its length. Apply and cap irons: the blade has plenty
not seated as well as it should be to 180 grit to remove scratches linseed oil when finally true of surface rust and a gnarled screw

STEP 8. You can remove most of the STEP 9. Checked with a square, the STEP 10. Using a wetstone grinder STEP 11. Polish the back of the blade
rust with abrasives, working through edge of the blade needs regrinding to reshape the cutting edge means on medium and fine waterstones
the grits to remove scratches if it is to function correctly the steel won’t overheat before honing the edge

72 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

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WINTER PROJECT – DOOR FRAME REPAIR

TAKES: A day
TOOLS NEEDED: Cordless drill, hand tools

Replacing old with new

As Phil Davy says, traditional
wooden door frames do need to
be painted or varnished regularly.
Here he undertakes a door frame
repair just in time for spring

Traditional wooden door frames will last for

decades if made and fitted correctly, but they
do require a certain amount of upkeep. Unless
painted or varnished regularly they can start to
deteriorate, especially around the joints. This
particular softwood frame had been exposed
to the elements for many years and had rotted
badly at the bottom of one jamb. It was also
suffering from woodworm, though fortunately
this had not spread.

Replacing the jamb

With the rest of the timber fairly sound,
I decided to replace just the lower jamb,
rather than install a complete new frame.
The hardwood sill was fine apart from slight
decay where it met the damaged jamb. Rather
than replace the sill, I decided to use an epoxy
filler after cutting out damaged timber.
Wet rot softens wood fibres, so when
the damaged area was cut away I left this
exposed for several days during fine weather
for inaccessible surfaces to dry out. Wood
hardener (such as EverBuild or Ronseal) will
penetrate and reinforce affected timber and
should be used if you’re going to use a filler.
Although filling exterior woodwork is not an
ideal solution, in this case most of it would
be covered by the new jamb section.
The finishing process
It’s important not to skimp on the finishing
process once you’ve finished any external
repair work. I never use an acrylic primer or
varnish for exterior work, even if the container
states that the product is suitable. Five coats
of paint later, I was pleased with the end result,
the new section blending in nicely. Before the
final coat of gloss I added a weatherboard
along the bottom of the door. This helps
to throw water away from the sill in heavy
rain and stops it driving under the door.
A weatherboard is essential in an exposed STEP 1. Suffering from woodworm and wet rot,
location, especially if there is no existing the lower jamb had rotted badly, though the sill
porch or overhanging canopy. was reasonably solid

STEP 2. Using a combination square or sliding STEP 3. Carefully cut through the jamb with a STEP 4. Make a series of horizontal saw cuts
bevel, mark a diagonal line across the jamb, hardpoint saw. Holding the tip can help guide into the damaged jamb, then chop out the
well above the affected area the blade in a confined space waste with a wide chisel

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 73

 Around the house with Phil Davy
WINTER PROJECT – DOOR FRAME REPAIR (continued)
STEP 5. With a suitable flat bit, drill almost full
depth into the remaining wood. Masking tape
on the bit will help as a depth guide
STEP 7. Clean up the inner face of the remaining
jamb with a shoulder plane. You may also need
to pare back wood with a chisel
STEP 9. Mark and cut the upper bevel to match
the jamb. Check the fit of the new piece and trim
with a block plane if necessary
STEP 11. Drill and counterbore the new section
of timber. Apply polyurethane glue and screw
to the existing jamb
74 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
STEP 6. Chop out remaining waste timber up to
the masonry, taking care not to damage the inner
rebate of the jamb
STEP 8. Plane new softwood to size and saw a
bevel to match the slope of the sill. Mark exactly
for length against the sawn jamb
STEP 10. Treat bare timber with a suitable
preservative. When dry, brush on wood hardener
fluid to any damaged wood
STEP 12. Glue and insert softwood plugs, sawing
them off flush when dry. Fill where necessary,
then sand timber before painting
Pocket hole joinery has been around for decades,
though I suspect many traditional woodworkers
look down their noses at the technique and may
even regard it as cheating… Hardly surprising,
perhaps, as the end result is professional-looking
joints made in a fraction of the time it takes if
cutting mortise & tenon joints or similar. As
long as you have a mitre saw or some means of
cutting butt joints neatly and accurately, you’re
well on the way to achieving quality results.
One of Axminster’s own brands, UJK, produce
some classy-looking jigs. Build quality is first
class, with this pocket hole jig actually heavier
and more substantial than it may appear. My
old jig, while it works OK, never quite locks
the timber dead square…
The beauty of the technique is that you don’t
need glue, butt joints pulling together tightly
and strongly. This means you can dismantle
joints or a framework quickly, making the
 CALL
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USEFUL KIT/PRODUCT

UJK TECHNOLOGY
POCKET HOLE JIG KIT

Besides the jig itself a quick-release clamp

is supplied, a dust outlet and portable plate…

… plus a storage box of 1,000 assorted screws

– coarse for softwoods, fine for hardwoods

system ideal for temporary work or jig building.

On framework the pockets can usually be
concealed from view, though if this is not
feasible you can insert matching wooden
plugs, which are then trimmed flush.
Pocket power
Besides the jig itself a quick-release clamp is
supplied, a dust outlet and portable plate, plus
a storage box of 1,000 assorted screws – coarse
for softwoods, fine for hardwoods. A smart
zipped case is included for storing the kit when
not needed. Most items are available separately,
so you don’t have to buy the complete kit in one
go, though it’s a fair bit cheaper this way.
A smart zipped case is included for storing the kit
when not needed
The jig features an alloy guide block with two
hardened steel bushes to guide the drill bit.
Secured to a heavy steel baseplate with hex
screws, you flip the lever handle over to grip the
timber for drilling. You can adjust the pressure
easily, while the handle itself can be repositioned
You can adjust the pressure easily, while the
handle itself can be repositioned to suit timber
thickness by removing four machine screws
to suit timber thickness by removing four machine
screws. Maximum material thickness with the jig
in this format is about 50mm.
A cobalt steel spiral bit is supplied and before
any drilling can take place you need to set this for
depth. Insert the bit and let the tip sit on a 2p coin

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 75

 Around the house with Phil Davy
Insert the bit and let the tip sit on a 2p coin placed
on the base…
Once holes are drilled, assembling the joint is
straightforward
placed on the base, then drop the steel collar
over the end and tighten with a hex key. Both
drill bit and 150mm torx head screwdriver bit
are hex-shank for speed.
The guide block is designed to
accommodate a range of timber thicknesses
and has five positions, with easy to read
graduations. You adjust this by removing
two thumbscrews, sliding the block up or
down and retightening. Fit the drill bit into
With no stepped adaptor I attached the extractor hose with gaffa tape, though this actually worked
pretty well, with excellent suction from my portable vacuum extractor
76 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
… then drop the steel collar over the end and
tighten with a hex key
Swap the bit and drive home the screws,
remembering to switch to the lower speed
on your drill and adjust the torque
a cordless drill and you’re ready to go.
Once holes are drilled, assembling the joint
is straightforward. Components first need to be
secured and the quick-release clamp will cope
with most thicknesses. You’ll probably need
a longer clamp if timber is thicker than around
50mm, though. The clamp will also grip the
guide block when used out of the baseplate,
with a circular recess machined here.
Swap the bit and drive home the screws,
You adjust the guide block by removing two
thumbscrews, sliding the block up or down
and retightening
A portable plate is then bolted to the end of the
block to register against the end of your timber
remembering to switch to the lower speed
on your drill and adjust the torque.
Portable drilling
If you want to use the guide block away from
the jig (for heavier material or man-made boards)
you must remove four hex screws. A bit of a faff
if you need to switch modes frequently, so
planning the drilling order could save you time.
A portable plate is then bolted to the end of the
block to register against the end of your timber.
Drilling creates plenty of waste, so the
inclusion of the dust outlet makes sense.
It’s screwed to the guide block, though I found
it necessary to slacken off the screws when
adjusting the block up or down. With no
stepped adaptor I attached my extractor
hose with gaffa tape, though this actually
worked pretty well, with excellent suction.
If you’re considering investing in a pocket
hole system, there’s very little not to like
with this sturdy UJK kit. GW
THE GW VERDICT
RATING: 4.5 out of 5
PRICE: £114.96
WEB: www.axminster.co.uk
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 Turning: Cake stand

Just in time for tea

(and cake)

With a little help from his niece,

Les Thorne makes a classic cake
stand, which is then adorned with
her lovely homemade creations

80 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

W
e all like a cake or two (three in my case), so this month’s
project is something classy to display them on. My youngest
niece Abbie Berryman-Thorne is a great baker so I asked her
to make some cakes that I could photograph on the stand
and, of course, eat afterwards. After eating them I am sure she could turn
professional, and if she needs an official taster, I would obviously be available.
I’m not exactly sure when we were first introduced to the idea of
having tea and cake but there are a few wooden stands of Georgian/
Regency era, such as this one, that appear on antique websites.
At that time they would have been made from polished mahogany,
or silver and ceramic.
I wanted the piece to be as light looking as possible and decided to
make it using two different timbers: English ash and sapele. The colours
of the timber give an interesting contrast, although I did have a small
problem with the design of the top. I did initially want a ring of wood
through the top ball, which would allow the user to carry it easily,
but I found that I would’ve had to have made a large diameter ring
and that wouldn’t look right, so I opted for a simple ’T’ bar instead.

STEP 1. I had no original and no plan to work to
other than the one in my head, so I drew the piece
out in order to achieve the correct scale. As I do
so much spindle work, I felt that I could make
up the shape of the stem as I went along
STEP 2. It’s a good idea to prepare all the blanks
you need before you start. I would advise erring on
the side of caution and making all the parts bigger
in diameter and thicker than you think you will
need – you can make them smaller but not bigger
STEP 3. The biggest blank of ash is around 300mm
in diameter and around 35mm-thick. Mount the
blank onto a screw chuck and true it up using a
bowl gouge

STEP 4. As we’re going to hold the base on a recess,
use a pair of dividers to mark the diameter needed
on the bottom – in this case to suit my large
Axminster jaws. This does need to be accurately done
in order to ensure you achieve the best grip possible
STEP 5. I worked out that my blank was definitely
too thick, so I decided to put the toolrest round
the front and remove the excess wood with a
bowl gouge, using a pull cut
STEP 6. Now I had the wood at the correct thickness,
I could judge the shape much better. A simple cove
is the order of the day. This cut requires you to drop
the tool handle as you sweep the tool through the
wood, which will leave a good finish on most woods

STEP 7. Good woodturning in my world revolves
around crisp detail. The large skew is the perfect
tool to add these small punctuation points onto
the shape. Don’t make these fillets too large,
however, as they can dominate the shape
STEP 8. When I make utilitarian pieces such as this,
I like to have no sharp edges on the corners, as they
can damage easily in use. I round over the edge
into a bead using the signature spindle gouge
STEP 9. The recess doesn’t have to be deep to
achieve a secure fixing, it just needs to be
accurately cut. The depth of the recess is only about
4mm. Sometimes I will remove this at the end of
the project but I will probably leave it on in this case

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 81

 Turning: Cake stand
STEP 10. The bulk of the middle is removed with the
bowl gouge using a pull cut. Try to keep the base
as flat as possible, even at this early stage, as it will
make life easier when you get to the finishing cuts
STEP 13. Any small discrepancies left can be
removed with abrasive. Wrap the abrasive around
a block of wood and hold it against the wood with
it revolving slowly
STEP 16. After turning a similar shape to the
previous one, you now screw the wood on.
An MDF spacer will shorten the length of
the screw, thus making the mounting easier
82 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
STEP 11. There are a couple of techniques I use to
achieve a flat surface on a platter or bread board.
I have found a gouge ground with a 60° angle
and presented almost upside down, then
dragged across the surface, is best for this
STEP 14. After drilling a 25mm hole in the base,
mount the second shelf on the screw chuck and
drill a 25mm hole in that one. This is the bottom
of that shelf
STEP 17. After sanding ash the grain always gets
filled up with dust. Before any finish is applied,
use compressed air to clean the grain out
STEP 12. An easier technique is to use a scraper;
this will give a good finish on all but the softest
of woods. I use a wide skew chisel, presenting
the tool dead on the centreline. Accuracy comes
from sliding my fingers along the toolrest
STEP 15. I am using a spindle adaptor as a screw
chuck – this particular one has a 25 × 8tpi thread
on it that matches the 25mm hole perfectly
STEP 18. After doing the same for the top shelf,
drill the holes all the way through on the drill press.
There is only about 10mm to go through so hold
with your hand, although clamping would make
this safer
STEP 19. You’re now ready to do the stem. When
the centres are marked, make a mark with the
bradawl. This allows the drive centre to easily
locate on the end
STEP 22. There is no substitute for good fit so
measure the hole in the shelves carefully. If you
have a sloppy joint, it will eventually work loose,
even with the addition of modern glues
STEP 25. The hole in the top to accept the handle
is drilled with a power drill mounted in a tool,
which is called a Drill Wizard. This is made by
Oneway Manufacturing and allows me to drill
it very accurately
STEP 20. Make the spindle round, then mark
where the shelves are going to be as well as the
spigot for the base and the waste on the top end
STEP 23. The Verniers give an accurate size when
cutting the spigots. I do this by holding the tool
in one hand, then cutting away the wood until
the callipers slip over the diameter
STEP 26. The ball is turned on the top keeping the
previously drilled hole in the centre. Don’t make
the wood at the top too thin at this stage as it will
weaken the piece and you still have to shape the
rest of the stem
GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 83
STEP 21. Using the 10mm skew chisel, take a 10mm
wide cut down at the tailstock end. It’s important
to allow enough waste so that when you clean the
end up there is no centre mark remaining
STEP 24. As I mentioned earlier, my turning is all
about crisp detailing and the small spindle gouge
is perfect for the shaping. The spigot that goes
through the top shelf is to the left of this detail
STEP 27. This is what happens when you turn the
wood thin – these marks are caused by vibration,
but this isn’t the end of the world as they will sand
away quite easily
 Turning: Cake stand
STEP 28. As the stem gets weaker, I found that I
had to support the work with my left hand while
holding the tool in my right. Only do this if you’re
comfortable as you need to make sure your
fingers cannot get trapped
STEP 31. Sand the stem starting with 120 grit
abrasive. I sand over the back of the spindle as I
find it easier to follow the detail. I do recommend
that you remove the toolrest so you’re not able to
get your fingers trapped between it and the wood
STEP 34. The stem is sealed and waxed and I have
treated the shelves with food-safe oil as I like the
matt finish the oil gives, as well as the fact there
is no problem if it comes into contact with food
84 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com
STEP 29. The bulk of the shape can be turned
with the spindle roughing gouge. This elongated
ogee shape is not easy to get right but it is worth
spending time practising, as it can make or break
a good spindle
STEP 32. A small piece of sapele is now mounted
between centres for the ’T’ bar. The critical
measurement is the 10mm central section
that will fit into the 10mm hole in the top
STEP 35. You can now cut the stem up using either
the bandsaw or by hand. It’s just a matter of gluing
it all together. I used a good quality PVA wood glue
for this and clamped it by mounting it back onto
the lathe
STEP 30. The waste can now be cut away at
the top. I am using a skew chisel for this but
a fingernail spindle gouge will also work.
You want to leave just enough timber to
allow you to be able to sand the stem
STEP 33. Shape the piece down either side into the
section on the middle. I work down one side then
the other to keep the shape symmetrical. The ends
are just rounded over and then finished by hand
STEP 36. The completed cake stand should look
something like this. As you can see, the cakes
didn’t last long!
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February 2017 GW315 85

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86 GW315 February 2017

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88 GW315 February 2017

 Next month
GW316 on sale 3 March

BRINGING
WOOD TO LIFE:
We take a look at the
extraordinary work of
furniture maker Erik Wolken,
GUIDE TO MORTISERS
who seeks to create rhythm
Peter Bishop looks at the wide
and poetry in each of the range of mortisers available to
pieces he makes the home woodworker

A HOME FOR JEWELS

Peter Harrison’s handmade
jewellery box with integral hinge
also features removable trays

HOME SWEET HOME

Glenn Perry replaces an old,
worn out door with a much
improved custom-made
framed ledged & braced version

PLUS: ANDY KING’S KIT & TOOLS

PLUS MEDIAEVAL FIDDLE – PART 2 JOHN BULLAR’S GUIDE TO DOVETAILS

GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com 89

 Feature: From the archives

PIC 1. An acanthus plant

Acanthus carving
Michael Huntley looks at the variance
in quality of acanthus carving on 18th-
and 19th-century pieces of furniture

S
hown here are a few examples of carved details based
on leaves and flowers. You often see the expression
‘carved with flowing acanthus leaves’. Well, Pic.1
shows an acanthus plant. I have one in the garden
and I can confirm that it will grow robustly and could easily
be described as ‘flowing’.
Pics.2 & 3 depict the carving on a rare 18th-century Irish
table – apologies for the poor quality old images! The decoration
is acanthus, flower-heads and scrolls. The point about Irish PICS 2 & 3. The carving on a rare 18th-century Irish table showing acanthus,
carving of the 18th century is that it is much freer than other flower-heads and scrolls
contemporary European furniture carving.
The coverage could be said to be ‘flowing’
and intense, but without drifting into
unconscious stylisation. Naturally growing
plant forms are not constrained, so the
good carver should let the designs flow.
Finally, Pics.4 & 5 show, as a
comparison, a pair of 19th-century swags.
Although florid and bold, they are stiff.
It almost looks as though the ribbons were
starched and the flowers were long dead!
That is the difference between wonderful
hand-made 18th-century furniture and
mass-produced 19th-century copies, when
productivity became more important than
results. GW PICS 4 & 5. A pair of 19th-century swags – although florid and bold, they are stiff

90 GW315 February 2017 www.getwoodworking.com

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