Frame and Hall Table Classes
I recently returned from seven awesome (and tiring) days of teaching at the William Ng School of Fine Woodworking. The first five days were dedicated to the Modern Hall Table, and the weekend class was focused on the frame. And believe it or not, the frame was the more challenging project to complete in the given time-frame. But I am glad to say that everyone was able to go home with some semblance of a finished project. I thought it would be fun to share some of the pictures I took during the classes. Obviously, most of the time I was distracted with the actual teaching, but I did manage to remember to pull the camera out once in a while.
The Modern Hall Table began with the construction of the compound curved legs. When I made these on my prototype table five years ago, I had to use two 8/4 boards to get the thickness I was after. But lucky for us, William was able to attain some insanely chubby pieces of 16/4 African mahogany. I had to put a saw blade in the photo for reference, just so you could appreciate the size of these timbers.
And as beautiful as these rough boards were, we were amazed at how much lighter in color the milled material was. Not only was it pale, but it was also much less dense. I talked with William about this and he says for some reason, the thicker cuts are always lighter in both color and weight. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable on this can chime in? But as you can see in one of the initial dry assemblies, the aprons and legs are dramatically different in color. Fortunately, in the case of this table, it works.
The drawer guide system is incredibly simple, consisting of nothing more than a plywood cradle that is sized appropriately for the opening in the apron. For the drawer itself, you can see a few different examples of the joinery reinforcement that was used. One student opted for splines while another used brass dowels. Either way, the reinforced rabbet looks very cool and is more than strong enough for this application.
The top of the table consists of a wenge-wrapped plywood panel in a mitered mahogany frame. The miters were cut on one of the school’s 45 degree miter sleds, which worked remarkably well. The frame miters were reinforced using wenge splines, and the spline slots were cut at the tablesaw using another sled that holds the work vertically.
When it was all said and done, we had four complete table builds. As if it weren’t cool enough just seeing my table being reinvented by four other woodworkers, one of them decided to change the dimensions and take the table in a slightly different direction. Since this is a design that I will probably never revisit, it was incredibly gratifying to watch the table morph into something beyond my original vision.
A complete change of pace from the 5-day table class was the weekend frame class. With 13 people of varying skill levels, it was a little crazy at times. But the sawdust was flying and spirits were high. So the party got started with template tracing, bandsaw cutting, and flush trimming at the router table. With that many people, its inevitable that you’ll have a few bottleneck moments, like the one below at the router table.
Making this frame is a good exercise in “hybrid woodworking”, where the bulk of the material is removed with power tools, but the hand tools do all the fine fitting. In fact, it was hilariously obvious to me when everyone finally hit the hand tool part of the project. The loud noises of excited progress were replaced with the dull thuds of chisels and the grunts of frustration, haha! But that’s all part of the learning process, and I think by the end of the weekend, everyone had an appreciation for the value of a good set of sharp chisels.
Not to single anyone out, but there was one student who really impressed me. Within the first hour, he let me know that he was an absolute beginner with no experience. I appreciated the heads up, but I was a little fearful that this project might not be the ideal for a first-timer. Well, I am happy to say he proved me wrong. He walked out of class on Saturday with a beautiful completed frame. He is planning on taking the 101 level woodworking course at Cerritos College, and I told him he needs to bring his frame to class to show them what a beginner woodworker can do!
It was an inspirational week and I met some very talented woodworkers. I can’t wait to not only teach there again, but to also attend more classes myself. William runs a fine operation and if you are looking to take a hands-on class, you should check out the WIlliam Ng School. Thanks to all the students who took the class and thanks to William for allowing me to teach.
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How Do I Stop Tearout in Plywood? – Viewer Question
This viewer question is from Steve who asks:
I have recently embarked on building bookcases and as I have entered my third book case I have run into an issue I need a little advice for. I decided this time to use a cabinet grade birch plywood that I picked up from the hardwood lumber dealer here in Dallas. Everything was fine until I started the cross-cuts and started getting some tear out on the top layer of the plywood face. I stopped this by doing all my cuts with a skill saw and plywood blade however, when cutting the dados, I still get tear out. I have used both the stacked dado and the wobbler blade with the same issue. I like using the plywood because the price to make the bookcase is pretty low compared to what it would be with hardwood. My question is how do I stop tear out on plywood?
And this was my response:
There are few key things that you can do to prevent tearout in plywood. First, use a zero clearance insert on your tablesaw. A zero clearance insert fully supports the wood fibers right at the cut line, which will dramatically improve your cut quality. You can buy insert blanks specifically made for your saw, or you can just make your own from plywood or MDF.
The second thing you can do is use a high quality, high tooth count blade. I generally use a 40 tooth Forrest Woodworker II for most things, and that works just fine. But if you are still getting tearout, you might try a blade with 60-80 teeth, such as this one from Freud. More teeth equates to a smoother cut and less tearout. You’ll also notice a key element of that particular blade is the Hi ATB (alternating bevel). This means that the teeth on the blade are milled at a high angle for more effective scoring of the plywood, thereby creating less tearout. Now for the dado blade, it just comes down to sharpness and the properties of your particular dado stack. Some of the more budget-friendly dado sets will give you tearout no matter what you do. And generally speaking, wobble dado blades seem to be universally disliked for their poor cut quality. 
But the higher quality dado sets will produce tear out free cuts until they start to become dull, at which point you’ll send them out for sharpening. I use the Forrest Dado King, which I picked up used about 6 years ago. But before that, I used this Freud dado set with great results. In fact, I still think this Freud set is the best balance of price and performance.
Another thing you can do to prevent tearout involves our old friend blue tape. Just run a strip of blue masking tape along the cut line on the side that you anticipate tear out. The tape helps to hold the fibers in place during the cut, and usually the result is a clean crisp line. But with a zero clearance insert and a high quality blade, this step is usually unnecessary.
And the final thing you might try is making a scoring cut (image borrowed from American Woodworker). If you raise the blade about 1/32″ and make a very light initial pass, that will usually cleanly sever the fibers on the face of the plywood. That way, you can make a second pass with the blade extended and you’ll end up with a tearout free cut. A number of larger saws out there are actually outfitted with a second blade that lives in front of the main blade, and its sole purpose is to make this type of scoring cut.
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Unlocking the Secrets of Traditional Design – DVD Review
When it comes to woodworking, I often feel like I am working my way backwards. I was proficient with a tablesaw before I picked up my first handsaw. I knew my way around a drum sander before learning how to use a smoothing plane. And perhaps most disturbingly, I was creating and building my own furniture before I knew anything about design. Heck, who am I kidding? I still know nothing about design! I know what I think looks good and I follow a few basic rules, but more often than not I simply go with my gut. And given the number of new hobbyists entering the craft every day, I know I am not the only one in this position. So its with great pleasure that I can whole-heartedly recommend “Unlocking the Secrets of Traditional Design”, featuring George Walker and presented by Lie-Nielsen.
Now I’ll be honest, I haven’t delved too deeply into the world of traditional design simply because it bores the hell out of me. If you are not a Guild member, you missed a silly little skit of me falling asleep while my Design School teacher (Nicole) recited the Golden Ratio out to 10 decimal places. It was all in good fun, but that satire was rooted in truth. Most design conversations I have observed or been a part of usually don’t go much further than basic proportions and the Golden Ratio. And that, my friends, is why this DVD stands apart as a bright and shining beacon in a sea of sleep-inducing design talk. It simply gives me a basic set of tools that I can immediately put to use in my own work.
I have to admit though, the DVD didn’t have me at hello. Here was the interaction between George’s words and my brain:
George (walking out of old colonial meeting house): “What a great old building!”
My Brain: “Hey look at that nondescript boring white building.”
George: “I’d love to meet the people who built this.”
My Brain: “Here we go….. another guy talking about architecture, pilasters, buttresses and corbels………”
George: “The same principles that helped create this colonial meeting house can be applied to a table or a sideboard or a dresser.”
My Brain: “OK, you’ve captured my interest. Well played Walker…..well played! Now teach me something useful man!
And teach me he did! George did a tremendous job of outlining what he considers to be the fundamentals of good design, and how we can apply those to our furniture using simple whole number ratios. He even designs a piece of furniture right at his drafting table, in two different styles, all while justifying and explaining each and every choice. At some points, it gets a little deep and that just means I’ll be watching it again. But that may be one of the most amazing things about this DVD: I actually DO want to watch it again! I know I missed a few things so I am about to rev up my laptop for another go ’round.
Walker’s explanations and advice are incredibly useful and easy to understand. And as if that weren’t enough, the visuals, graphics and videography are second to none! This is a DVD that sets the bar very high in both quality and content. Kudos to the Lie-Nielsen crew who did all the behind the scenes work.
“Unlocking the Secrets of Traditional Design” doesn’t just throw terminology in my face and make me run away wondering why I wasted my time studying biology for 4 years when I should have been in design school. It breaks a few simple concepts down into usable chunks that I can actually apply to my woodworking. Such a simple concept, yet something I have yet to experience in my limited exposure to the world of design. And THAT, is worth way more than the price of the DVD. This is a must-have for woodworkers looking to design their own furniture. And if you are working your way “backwards” in your woodworking education, like me, I highly suggest checking out this title.
FYI:
George Walker is now writing a regular column for Popular Woodworking and is featured on the cover of the Feb. 2010 issue. You will also want to check out his blog, Design Matters. For a more detailed description of this DVD, check out Chris Schwarz’s Review. And if you are interested in buying this DVD, you can do so here.
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Andy’s Cabinets – Viewer Project
These two projects were submitted by Andy and they are stunning. I love the details and the use of the wood grain. This type of design really appeals to me. Check it out:
Tall Cabinet:
Made from bubinga and walnut, this was my first moderate sized case piece with a dovetailed case. It is about 60″ tall x 24″ wide, x 12″ deep. Dovetailed drawers, hand carved pulls, brass hinges and frame and panel doors added to the complexity of this challenging build. I have used this to inspire another piece of a similar style for a bathroom cabinet. I’ll post some links to the plans soon.
Bathroom Cabinet:
This cabinet was inspired by a taller version I made years ago. The case and frames are made from bubinga, the top, bottom, door panels and shelves are walnut. It measures a little over 24” tall, 8 ” deep and 18”wide. The smaller parts on the door were a definite challenge, and reminded me that smaller doesn’t always mean faster for a project. I figured that the downstairs bathroom is probably one of the most commonly used rooms in the house. It deserved a hand-made piece. I’ll probably do a floor cabinet as well for this room sometime in the future. The plans to this will be posted to Gorilla Glue’s website.
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