Brass Dowel Rods – Viewer Question
Our question this time comes from Joel. He writes:
Garret Hack’s article on breadboard ends from issue #110 of Fine Woodworking is guiding my construction of a cedar vanity top with oak ends. The drawboring is next in my process and I’m thinking of using brass rod. Should I be mindful of any special considerations using it? Please share advice RE sanding and finishing when brass is in the mix. Since I haven’t yet bored the holes I would also appreciate rules of thumb regarding which diameter rod to use; my tongues are approximately 1.5 inches square.
Hey Joel. Great idea going with brass. I often use metal dowel rods instead of wood just for the fun of using a different material. Kudos!
As far as the size of the rod, I would let the aesthetics be your guide on this one. Brass dowels are going to make a strong statement, so depending on the number of them and the overall size of the table, you might want the rods to be small or large. I would say 1/8″ to 1/4″ would be a safe range.
As for special treatment, you do need to take care with this process. Make sure you cut the dowels as close to the final length as possible. You don’t want much sticking out once they are installed. But you will have some leveling to do. To do this, I recommend using a single mill file. But you need to protect the table top surface as you do this, so wrap the end of the file in a little masking tape. This way if you angle it a little too much toward the table, it wont scratch. Just keep filing the rod down until its as flush as you can get it. Then using a wood block, sand the rods with a relatively fine sandpaper. At this point you are doing the final blending with the wood surface. And you need the backing material to be hard, otherwise you’ll sand the area around the rod more than the rod itself. So a block of wood works great. At this point, the rod should be flush and undetectable with your fingers. Now sand the table with your ROS and do your final finish prep. Finish the table like you would any other time. No special care is needed for the rod. Just keep in mind that given the way wood likes to swell with seasonal changes, you will likely be able to feel the dowel rods at some point. But its really no more than you would have with your average wood joint.
The only other thing I would recommend is using the right glue. Epoxy should work rather well. And use a bit of sandpaper to rough up the rod in the areas where you expect glue contact and that should help make a stronger bond.
Demo Night 7/23/08 – Greene & Greene Style Joint
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This is an excerpt from the live Demo Night that took place 7/23/08. The topic was creating Greene & Greene style joint for the Gadget Station project. Its a long video, but lots of details were covered and numerous questions were thrown out by the chat room. This was our best turnout yet with 180+ viewers! This isn’t exactly as fun as the live experience but its a close second for those who couldn’t make it. Enjoy!
Pocket Screws – Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from Chris. He writes:
Hey Marc, I love you show. I watch it religiously and have learned so many good techniques. I wanted to know, what is your position on pocket hole joinery in relation to coffee table assembly. I built my first coffee table using a Kreg pocket hole jig to join the apron and legs together. Kreg states in their owner’s manual that a pocket hole is mechanically stronger than a mortise and tenon joint. Do you think pocket hole joinery is cheap sign of craftsmanship? I would like your feedback on what you think of my coffee table design? I have attached a picture of my coffee table.
And here was my reply:
“Hi Chris. First off, let me compliment you on your design and craftsmanship. What a beautiful piece. No matter what the underlying joinery is, that is a fantastic design with great execution. Now, concerning pocket hole screws. Remember, joinery can be just as much about taste and opinion as it is about strength and utility. If you are happy with the final product and you enjoy using pocket screws, all the power to you! Screw away my friend!”
“Now for my opinion. I have used pocket screws in the past when I could get away with it. The only time I really use them is if they will never be seen. And even then, they are usually the last option I think of. Perhaps its a bit elitist, but I do feel that pocket screws “cheapen” a piece. I would certainly expect Kreg to defend its product and their strength claim may be valid (Im not convinced). But is strength really the only concern to us as woodworkers? If that’s the case, we might want to start using metal to build furniture instead of wood. :) Cant get much stronger than that!”
“Seriously though, I take pride in the fact that my best work contains little to no metal. But that’s just me. We all have to decide for ourselves where to draw the line. Some folks cant imagine using power tools on their projects. They take pride in the fact that their work is crafted the old-fashioned way. Some folks just want to get ‘er done!”
“Just remember that we all woodwork for different reasons. Heck, some of us do it just so we can collect tools. And still others do it simply because its such a sharp contrast to what we do at the office all day behind our computer screens in the confines of our cubicles. Whatever your reason is, keep it fun. If pocket screws make it fun for you, then keep using them. Your work certainly is not suffering for it. Good luck.”
10- Tenons Anyone? (Pt. 2)
Click Here For The Quicktime Movie
In this episode, I review some basic methods for creating tenons, including using a dado blade and a tenoning jig. I also demonstrate the use of the new Festool Domino as a fast and easy way to create loose/floating tenons. For more information on the domino, visit Festool or download this handy brochure.
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