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— Christopher Schwarz
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Make a Table or Stool Part 2: Marking Out the Joints
In a table or stool construction either the legs or the rails may be marked out first. This example starts with the rails. Cramp together the long and short pairs, with true faces out and true edges down. Mark each end with a knife and square (Fig 96). Then uncramp the pairs, square round the lines (Fig 97), and carefully saw off the waste. It is important to saw this cleanly in order to be able to gauge nicely on the end later. First gauge the set-in, at about 3mm (1/8in.), and then the haunch (Fig 98). The set-in is purely cosmetic, to conceal any irregularity in the joint.
The haunch provides a bridge at the top of the leg, helping to prevent the mortice splitting and at the same time, by its added width to the tenon, reducing the possibility of the rail twisting in the leg. The haunch should be about a quarter of the tenon width. Some writers will say a third but this seems to reduce the tenon too much.
To mark out the legs, put them together with the faces and edges as shown (Fig 99) then turn them over and mark them on a blank face. Mark the total length, leaving some waste (which should be shaded) at each end. The waste must be about 20mm (3/4in.) at the top or jointed end.
Offer up the rail, and from it mark the haunch, set-in and rail width (Fig 100), square these across and uncramp. Square these lines onto the other blank face. The total length lines are squared right round (Fig 101).
The thickness of a tenon is normally about one third of the rail thickness. It is not taken from measurement but is the size of the nearest available chisel to this size. The traditional hand mortice chisels vary considerably from the nominal size. Machine chisels are quite accurate and are now becoming metric. Hand mortice chisels are much thicker than the common firmer or bench chisel (Fig 102), which is very liable to break when levering. The extra thickness of the mortice chisel is also a help in preventing it from twisting.
Set the mortice gauge carefully to the chisel (Fig 103) then set to its position on the rail, commonly central. Without changing the setting, mark out the mortices on the legs (Fig 104), gauging from the true face and the true edge. Mark the tenons similarly, gauging from the true face.
Beginners will find it helpful later on, when sawing the tenons, if a thick, soft pencil is run in the gauge marks. This produces a double pencil mark (Fig 105). The waste should be very clearly marked with pencil, generally by diagonal shading. (The method adopted in the illustrations is to avoid confusion with the end grain, and is not typical.)
Note: It is a good idea to number the joints to avoid confusion. This should be done on parts not involved in the cleaning-up process.
— Robert Wearing, from Chapter 2 of “The Essential Woodworker”
‘Divide & Conquer’ Shirts – Made in the U.S.A.
We have been selling these shirts at shows, but somehow through a trick of the light, memory or alcohol, we have neglected to add the shirts to our web site.
No wonder we aren’t selling very many.
We developed these shirts in response to customers who asked for a shirt made in the United States – like our other products. After searching high and low, we found these shirts and managed to hold the price at $12 each ($2 more for you who like XXL).
The shirts are gray in color (as opposed to being gray in smell?) and are 90 percent cotton and 10 percent polyester. The shirts are made in Los Angeles and are emblazoned with “Divide & Conquer” on the back plus “Lost art Press” in smaller type on the front.
As always, this slogan will be available until we run out of this batch. Then we use another slogan.
They are available for immediate shipment. Click here to visit our store and read more.
— Christopher Schwarz
SOLD: 2 Leather-bound Editions of ‘The Joiner and Cabinet Maker’
SOLD: Sorry. Both copies were sold.
This blog entry is taking care of unfinished business.
Last Spring we offered 26 lettered and signed editions of “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” that were hand bound in black leather, with custom end papers and silver foil lettering.
Two of our customers changed their minds about their orders, and so these two editions have remained sealed and protected for the last 12 months. I’d like to get these into the hands of people who will appreciate them and off our balance sheet.
So we are selling these two editions for the exact same price as we did last year: $165 plus $8.50 domestic shipping. (Sorry, we cannot accept international orders.) The first two people to e-mail me and say, “I want one” get one. The two editions left are lettered “F” and “S.”
You can send me an e-mail at this address: [email protected].
— Christopher Schwarz
Ernie Conover’s Review of ‘The Essential Woodworker’
Editor’s note: This weekend I had the privilege of working with Ernie Conover at the Northeastern Woodworkers Association’s “Showcase” in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Ernie, shown in the photo at left, helped judge the furniture show and taught hand skills during the show. Ernie has many books and magazine articles to his credit and runs The Conover Workshops. During our weekend together, Ernie noticed I was selling copies of “The Essential Woodworker.” Ernie then opened his laptop and showed me a review he’d written of the book in 1991, which he kindly allowed me to reprint here.
“The Essential Woodworker” by Robert Wearing is available in our store for $23.
— Christopher Schwarz
Soon after embarking on the reading of “The Essential Woodworker” I was a young student again. Only this time I was not shrugging of “as unimportant” the basic skills and techniques that are “essential” to being a top quality woodworker. I would like to kid myself that “The Essential Woodworker” was a review, however, I learned much!
Top educator and craftsman, Robert Wearing, prefaces the book with an astounding premise, which becomes the basis of the book. That is, that there is a multitude of books and articles available to woodworkers, but that the vast majority of these are far too advanced. They all neglect basics. Therefore, “The Essential Woodworker” is totally dedicated to hand woodworking basics. It is a primer designed for struggling neophytes working alone-without the aid of a teacher.
“The Essential Woodworker” succeeds admirably in its purpose. Anyone (machine or hand tool woodworker alike) who works through the clearly written text, with myriad of photos and fine illustrations, will gain much! All of the illustrations are done by the author in a clear, perspective drafting style that is most elucidating.
Mr. Wearing also subscribes to a thought that I have long held. Namely, that high quality woodworking is impossible without the use of bench planes. In the first chapter, he goes into the sharpening, tuning and use of these essential tools, along with a host of other basic skills, in detail. In succeeding chapters he explains the basic skills involved in table, carcase, and drawer/box construction. Chapter 4 on drawer construction was really written some years ago by Mr. Wearing’ mentor, Cecil Gough. The author explains in the Introduction, “that he cannot improve upon his tutor on this subject.” Finally in Appendices A through I Mr. Wearing presents detailed plans for a host of jigs, fixtures and work aids.
American readers will have to do some translation of terminology. For example half blind dovetails are lap dovetails, wood is timber and rabbet is rebate. Even the author loses sight of basics, and occasionally refers to skills and practices not covered in the book. For example the art of using a plane in a shooting board is not covered, however, the reader is several times instructed to “shoot” the ends of timbers.
Robert Wearing has given me some startling ideas reference teaching. Mastery of woodworking is not a progressive line starting with basics and ending with Zen mastery, but rather a ring joined immutably. The task for instructor and student is to break into this ring at a juncture where basics are mastered but interest in not lost. “The Essential Woodworker” does this admirably. As for Robert Wearing, I can only think of the lines from Julius Caesar, “Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves.”
— Ernie Conover