Plywood Is Not Boring

I found these two cool videos about plywood on Andrew Sullivan's site.  Enjoy!

Mitch's Moxon Vise -- Reinventing the Handwheel

I’m not sure if Christopher Schwarz inspired a craze or a hysteria when he wrote about the Moxon vise, but it is safe to say that Moxon-mania has spread throughout the land. Check out Schwarz’s blog to learn about the history of the vise. My version is made of 1 ¾”-thick ash. The handwheels are cherry with a walnut stripe and walnut wedges. They work like a charm. I’ll post a video soon of the vise in use.

P.S. Don’t judge my messy workbench.

Colbert + SawStop = blog post

You're welcome.

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The MoMA Table

Several years ago on a trip back to New York, I visited the Museum of Modern Art to check out their Architecture and Design Galleries. They have a pretty amazing collection of twentieth century design, complete with all kinds of consumer products and some great furniture such as chairs by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Gio Ponti and Gustav Stickley. There was even a molded plywood leg splint designed by Charles and Ray Eames for battlefield use during World War II when certain kinds of metal and other materials were rationed. But the piece that blew me away was this little side table by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott, a designer/architect I had never heard of from the early Arts and Crafts movement in England. (I haven't received permission to use MoMA's photo yet, so in the meantime my grainy, dark cell phone photo will have to suffice.)

Made in 1901, the table I call the MoMA Table is quite small, only about 27 inches high and 20 inches in diameter. It was made from quarter-sawn white oak that was fumed and has a round top and three legs joined by three angled stretchers. Another interesting feature is that the legs are hexagonal, tapered and splayed.

When I approached the table for the first time, walking around it, the angles of the stretchers made it seem like there was a fire underneath it. (Check out the movie below that I took with my cell phone.) I had never thought about designing something so that it moves as you change your perspective. I’m not sure if that was Baillie Scott’s intention, but he nailed it if it was. The other thing that struck me was that for an Arts and Crafts piece, this table is surprisingly delicate and elegant. Most of the furniture from that era tends to be heavy and strong to suggest that it is connected to the earth. Other Baillie Scott pieces I’ve seen, like these at the Art Institute of Chicago, strike me as dated, bulky and showy while his side table seems timeless.

As soon as I saw the table, I knew that I had to make one someday. I’ve looked around everywhere and can’t find an example of anyone ever reproducing it. Even though it is small, the table presents some serious engineering challenges. First, as I said above, the legs are hexagonal, tapered and splayed. Square legs that have one or two tapers are challenging enough. Square legs that have four tapers are even more challenging. But hexagonal tapers are off the charts. To make them consistently and precisely, I will have to design a jig to use on the table saw. I’ll write more about it later, but I’m envisioning something that would allow me to set the taper then turn the legs on an axis at a precise angle to cut the facets of the hexagon. The facets have to be the same width because the stretchers connect to them. The stretchers are the next challenge because they are joined with a compound angle. I’m not sure how I would make the tenons at the ends of the stretchers yet. I’m open to using floating tenons if that makes it any easier. Or if that doesn’t work, I might have to use magic.

It’s a bit of a risk to talk about something I’m going to make because I’m not sure how quickly I’ll be able to get to it. And I’m not sure I’ll succeed. But if I do, I’ll have a very cool table that I’ll be able to make multiples of and maybe even sell. I’ll have a very cool jig that will theoretically be able to make tapered legs with different numbers of sides. Also, I’ll be able to make cool, faceted legs for other tables and stools. I guess the main reason I’m interested in attempting this table is that I’ll learn a lot along the way – even if I’m not able to pull it off. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Studley Tool Chest - Video Tour

I wrote a while back about the Studley tool chest, but the photos don't do it justice. An alert reader sent me this video of Norm giving a tour of it. It's a stunning piece of work, especially the little pull out doors that reveal more and more compartments full of tools. I would love to see this in person someday. Enjoy.

Woodworking for Children

Here are a fascinating article and video in the NY Times about teaching woodworking to children and all the issues that brings up. I’m not sure if this is behind their paywall or not. My favorite quote, “Tetherball is more dangerous than the shop.” This will spark lots of conversation, which I think is badly needed. Despite shop class in schools becoming a thing of the past, it’s nice to know there is still such great interest in woodworking for children (and adults).

Ridgid R4512 Table Saw -- Full Review

The Ridgid R4512 table saw has features -- including an integral lift/caster mechanism, a tool-less blade guard and riving knife, an accurate fence and good dust collection -- on par with much more expensive saws. While it’s easy to get caught up in comparing tolerances, the most important thing to know about a table saw is whether it will do what you need it to do within your budget and space constraints. I generally make furniture and small items in my basement shop. I need a table saw that handles these tasks accurately and safely without making too much dust and noise. For full disclosure, Ridgid sent this saw to me for this article. That said, I think this saw will meet my needs for years to come.

The first thing I notice is that the Ridgid R4512 is imposing enough to inspire confidence. Weighing in at 266 pounds, this thing isn’t going anywhere. To back up that feeling even more, everything under the table is cast iron. There are no plastic gears like on similarly priced saws. The blade height and angle adjustment wheels turn smoothly and lock where you want them. Likewise, the fence, which clamps itself to the front and back of the table, stays where you put it. On the downside, the stamped steel wings are not as flat or substantial as cast iron wings and the edges are rounded, which produces a small seam. This is a feature that I chalk up to the saw’s relatively low price. I will say that the wings are certainly flat enough for my purposes.

The next thing I notice is the saw’s sound, which is more like a cabinet saw than a contractor saw. Instead of a high-pitched screech, the R4512 has a medium-pitched hum (the critical test: my wife can barely hear it on the first floor of our house from my basement shop). As far as vibration, I was able to successfully perform the nickel test and the penny test with no toppling. (See video below.) That isn’t a terribly scientific test, but it does show that the saw’s construction has enough integrity that it can handle the forces of the motor without wobbling. The last thing you want a table saw to do when you are using it is move.

The safety features are a big part of what makes the R4512 so appealing. The two-piece blade guard clicks onto the riving knife and locks into place with a lever, so you don’t have to use a tool to install it. It tilts with the blade to prevent having to remove it for angled cuts (which makes it more likely that users will keep it installed). Likewise, the riving knife has a lever release that allows it to be raised to a high position for through cuts, a medium position that leaves it lower than the blade or removed altogether. It was easy to adjust to be in the same plane as the saw blade. Kick-back pawls are also attached to the riving knife. I found them to be dull where they need to be sharp and sharp where they need to be dull. It is hard to make them grab a board and it is easy for them to scratch a board as it passes under them. My solution will be to sharpen the teeth a bit with a file and dull the bottom edge. The blade guard is very easy to remove and replace. I wish the riving knife were just a hair (almost literally) thinner so it could accommodate thin kerf blades, which are easier on the motors of this category of saw. Some might consider it to be close enough to use with thin kerf blades. It might well be, but I haven’t tested that so I can’t comment on it.

The built-in lift mechanism is strong and works incredibly well. Pushing the foot pedal down makes the saw seem to float. Pull the pedal back up and the saw hits the floor with a satisfying thunk. This feature is critical to me, as my basement shop is not only small but awkwardly spaced. Being able to move the saw around with not much effort helps a great deal.

The aluminum fence, while not perfectly straight, was aligned pretty dead-on out of the box. I took it out of alignment and put it back just so I could see how it works. You loosen four bolts, square the fence to the blade, then re-tighten the bolts. Very straightforward. It moves smoothly on rails at the front and back of the table and locks onto both. Speaking of the rails, because I have such a small space to work in, I’m going to eventually use only the longer of the two pieces so the rails don’t extend as far out and the saw has a smaller footprint. (You can see an example of someone doing that here.) This modification only involves drilling some holes in the aluminum and is something I think Ridgid should consider offering as a feature. One other thing about the fence. The measurement lines are positioned too far to the right, making it impossible to line up the fence to a precise measurement. I’ll come up with a work-around, but this is something that should have been caught at the factory.

The miter gauge feels heavy and substantial and works well. The only problem is that it is difficult to adjust because the fence turns a bit when you tighten it down. I do like the storage place for the miter gauge, which keeps it handy but out of the way. The blade is a 40-tooth combination blade. Mine produced saw-marked rip cuts and cross cuts with tearout. A new blade (or two) will be my first upgrade. Update: I added a brand new Forrest Woodworker II blade and have had excellent results so far.

Another appealing feature of this saw is the dust collection. The motor is enclosed in a cabinet and there is a plastic funnel where sawdust falls. It has a 4” port that fits a standard dust collector hose. In my limited experience, a negligible amount of dust escapes, which is a great thing in my small work area. Another plus is that the cabinet dampens sound. One improvement I would suggest is moving the port, which is located in the center, to one side but still oriented toward the floor. Its current location is right above the cross bar for the lift mechanism, making it difficult to attach the hose. An offset port could be used on the right or left side depending on the user’s dust collection set-up. My solution is to use an adapter with a 2½” hose which is easier to bend without touching the lift mechanism.

Assembling the R4512 was very straightforward. There were no surprises, the instructions were clear, everything was included and nothing had been damaged in shipping. It took me about four hours total to assemble the saw and another two or three to fine tune the blade alignment, angle stops, fence and miter gauge. (You can watch the Keystone Kops version of me assembling the stand here.) One of the criticisms I keep reading about saws with table mounted trunnions is that you can’t align the blade to the miter slot. I can say definitively that the blade on this saw can be aligned. It could be an easier process but it is certainly doable. (You can read about my experience aligning the blade here.) An earlier model, the Ridgid 3650, apparently had a cam system that made aligning the blade very easy. It would be an improvement if the R4512 had the same thing.

Finally, Ridgid offers a lifetime warranty on the R4512. This is an important distinction from the other manufacturers who offer similar versions of this saw. Sears Craftsman offers one year for defects in materials or workmanship (you can purchase additional coverage) and Steel City offers a five-year warranty.

I may nitpick here and there, but I don’t want that to overshadow my very positive feelings about this saw. The build and power, safety features, dust collection and built-in casters make the R4512 work well for my purposes. I fully expect to get years of good use out of this saw. It isn’t as accurate or powerful (or expensive) as higher-premium saws. However, if you want a solid performer with good safety features that is built to last a long time, the Ridgid R4512 will meet that standard.

You can see all my posts about the Ridgid R4512 here. I'll write more posts and film more videos as I use the saw in upcoming furniture projects.