Leveraging the Power of Components

The other day I was working on a little table that has legs that splay outward from the corners. I had the table nearly completed when I discovered I needed to add pegs to the legs to retain the aprons. Now, I could have drawn a peg, made it a component and then worked my way around the table to get a peg in each of the sixteen holes but I didn't want to spend the time doing that. I thought of several other options I could have used to do this. Here's the one I chose.

Normally I would just do this work on one of the existing legs but to help clarify what I'm doing, I dragged in a copy of the leg component from the Components browser found under the Window menu.

First we need some holes into which the dowels can be inserted. I set out a couple of guidelines and guide points with the yellow Tape Measure tool and then, with the component opened for editing, used the Circle tool. to outline the holes.

To continue the holes on the other side of the mortises, I copied the circles inward. It's important to make sure you keep the copies lined up with the originals or the hole won't go straight across the mortise. In the image above I was able to copy along the green axis for this.

Push/Pull makes quick work of the holes. To get the depth right, I set out a guideline on the outside face to use as a reference. Here we're looking at the model in X-ray mode although for things like this I generally don't bother making that change. With practice you get familiar enough with the program to know what it is doing without having to see it.

Now all the holes are created. It's time to create the dowels.

I clicked in space with the Select tool to close the leg component. Then I orbited and zoomed so I could look down one of the holes. I got the Circle tool and then used Inferencing to find the center at the bottom of the hole. To do this hover for 2 seconds (don't click) over one of the vertices at the edge bottom of the hole. Then move the cursor toward the center. When it gets close it'll snap to the center. the dot will become circular and a note will pop up indicating you're at the center. Click and then drag out to one of the vertices on the edge of the hole.

Use Push/Pull to pull the circle out flush to the surface of the leg. Then get the Select tool (use the Spacebar) and triple click on the peg geometry to select all of it. Hit the G key to Create Component. Give it a name and hit enter.

Next I used Move/Copy to copy the peg to the other hole on the same face.

We could use Rotate/Copy to make the other two dowels but I didn't feel like locating the center of rotation so instead I made a different peg component for the other two holes using the same method as I used for the first two. In the image above I've colored the pegs brown so they would be easier to see. At this point I have the four pegs in the fifth leg in the model but none in the legs that are actually part of the table where I need them. Here's where I'm going to apply a little mechanical advantage, so to speak.

The leg is already a component so when I put the holes in the copy I've been working on, I know the holes got put into the other four. I'm going to use that same power to insert the pegs.

I selected the four pegs and hit Ctrl+X for Cut. Edit>Cut, the Scissor icon on the Edit toolbar also work. On Mac the keyboard shortcut is Command-X. Then I selected the leg component and in Entity Info (Window menu) I changed the definition name. It doesn't really matter what the change is because we'll discard this component shortly. Then I opened the leg component for editing and, using Select, I triple clicked on the geometry to select all of it.

I hit G to Create Component. I called this component "Leg" and hit Enter. For those who are familiar with my sandwich and cling wrap analogy for components, we now have our leg geometry double wrapped. Normally this isn't recommended for a single part.

So here we have all five legs "double wrapped." With the fifth leg component's outer wrapper still open for editing...

...hit Edit>Paste in Place. Presto! There are pegs in all the holes in all the legs.

At this point the legs with the pegs are what we call nested components. In this particular case I don't want nested components in this model so the next step would be to select all of the leg assemblies, right click on one with Select and choose Explode. This will remove the outer wrapper leaving me with the pegs and the legs as components but not nested together.

The extra leg can be deleted and then Unused components can be purged from the In Model componenet library.

This looks really involved but it is actually quite easy and fast to do. There's little measuring required because the existing parts of the model are used as much as possible.

You might find many other ways to use this same idea to save yourself some work and time when you are drawing.

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Power Saws

I wonder how many of us are friends with our band saw and consider it one of the most useful and versatile machines in the workshop? My 43-year-old Robinson Cadet is not only my favorite machine, but it is also capable of incredible precision. This may come as a surprise to those who consider that a band saw is a machine for coarse work only.

While considering the content of this article, I came to the conclusion that a good band saw is capable of coarse, medium and fine work, and this ties in nicely with our esteemed editor’s views on handplanes.

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Coarse: Break Down Rough Stock
A good-size band saw can rip huge waney-edge planks, quickly disposing of the sapwood and bark. Wide boards often contain the pith at the center of the tree and many exhibit heart shakes. Cutting these planks up the center, into two manageable widths, is not a job for a table saw. The band saw is much friendlier and safer, as the flexibility of its blade will usually cope with the absence of a machined surface to ride on the machine’s table.

My machine has 20"-diameter wheels, so it should not be confused with small hobby benchtop models. I note that the band saw that is featured extensively in James Krenov’s book “The Fine Art Of Cabinetmaking” had 18" wheels. He states that it was capable of ripping 8"-thick hardwood, provided that a sharp, suitable blade was used.

Medium: Cut Then Refine
I do a lot of freehand cutting on my band saw, sawing perhaps 1/64" to a 1/16" away from a pencil line, depending on the circumstances. The small amount of remaining timber can be handplaned or machined quite quickly to achieve the desired result. For example: When using the band saw to make the long shallow triangular jigs that I use for dovetail cutting, the remaining stuff can be edge planed on the jointer with a few light passes.

Fine: Joinery, Veneer, Resawing
I have to confess that my handsawing skills are rather poor because I have not practiced as much as I have with planes and chisels. This is one reason I cut my dovetails on the band saw. The other reason is that my band saw cuts perfectly square every time.

Remarkably, the finish left by the .022"-thick, 3tpi, 5/8" “meat & fish” blade that I use for fine work and veneer cutting is just as good as that left by my best dovetail saw, even in 3/8"-thick hardwood. So from my point of view it is win-win – all the way to a good fit.

If you do small Krenov-style work, band sawing is almost the only way to do the female half of the signature bridle joints. These are so useful at the corners of delicate frames, for paneled backs and small doors.

Similarly, the face cheek of a tenon can be cut in exactly the right place after a few test cuts are made. Tenons are usually cut in multiples, and each and e...

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Power Tools

Your table saw is a router table and jointer just waiting to happen. Replace one of the saw's wings (or adapt your existing table board) to hold a router table insert, and you're in business. Add this router fence to your table saw's fence and you get a router fence with the capacity to handle boards few commercial router tables could even touch. Make a couple quick adjustments to the fence and you can edge-joint boards for gluing up panels -- no jointer necessary. 

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This fence was designed for the Little Shop Mark II, a rolling workshop that was featured in the September 1999 issue (#110). However, this fence will work with just about any contractor- or cabinet-style table saw.

This fence is essentially two long plywood boxes with hardwood face fronts on them. The space between the boxes is where the router bit spins. One of the boxes stores router bits, the other acts as a dust collection chute. Though construction isn't complex, study the diagrams carefully before you begin.

It's in the Hole
First cut the hole for the insert in the top of your saw's table. If you've built the Little Shop Mark II, use the end of the long top for your table. For contractor's saws, you can use the table board on the right side of the saw. Or you can replace one of your saw's wings with a piece of laminate-covered plywood. Lay out the spot for the router table insert. I put the insert in the middle of the width of the table and between the back and front rail from the end. Cut the opening for the insert as shown in the photos. Mount the insert to the router. Drop it in the opening and adjust it so it's flush with the table.

Making the Fence
First you build the body of the fence, and then you attach the fence faces afterward. Begin by cutting the opening for the bit on the front piece. Use a rasp to round over the inside right edge of the opening to help deflect chips into the box that will later be connected to a shop vacuum. Next cut the bottom piece for the right box and cut a 45-degree chamfer on the end next to the opening for the bit, again to deflect chips.

Assemble the boxes like this: First attach the two end pieces of the left box to the left bottom piece. Then attach the larger end piece for the right-side box (with the dust collection hole) to the bottom piece for the right box. Now nail the front and back pieces to the left and right assemblies. Be sure to hold the bottom edges flush. For the top part of the fence, keep in mind there are three fixed pieces -- one on each end and one in the middle. And there are two removable pieces that give you access to the bit storage, the dust collection tube and the wing nuts that will hold the fence faces in place. Attach the three fixed top pieces and the support.

Now drill the holes in the back piece to accept the 1/4" x 20 t-nuts that attach the router fence to the saw fence.

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Power Saws

I wonder how many of us are friends with our band saw and consider it one of the most useful and versatile machines in the workshop? My 43-year-old Robinson Cadet is not only my favorite machine, but it is also capable of incredible precision. This may come as a surprise to those who consider that a band saw is a machine for coarse work only.

While considering the content of this article, I came to the conclusion that a good band saw is capable of coarse, medium and fine work, and this ties in nicely with our esteemed editor’s views on handplanes.

Coarse: Break Down Rough Stock
A good-size band saw can rip huge waney-edge planks, quickly disposing of the sapwood and bark. Wide boards often contain the pith at the center of the tree and many exhibit heart shakes. Cutting these planks up the center, into two manageable widths, is not a job for a table saw. The band saw is much friendlier and safer, as the flexibility of its blade will usually cope with the absence of a machined surface to ride on the machine’s table.

My machine has 20"-diameter wheels, so it should not be confused with small hobby benchtop models. I note that the band saw that is featured extensively in James Krenov’s book “The Fine Art Of Cabinetmaking” had 18" wheels. He states that it was capable of ripping 8"-thick hardwood, provided that a sharp, suitable blade was used.

Medium: Cut Then Refine
I do a lot of freehand cutting on my band saw, sawing perhaps 1/64" to a 1/16" away from a pencil line, depending on the circumstances. The small amount of remaining timber can be handplaned or machined quite quickly to achieve the desired result. For example: When using the band saw to make the long shallow triangular jigs that I use for dovetail cutting, the remaining stuff can be edge planed on the jointer with a few light passes.

Fine: Joinery, Veneer, Resawing
I have to confess that my handsawing skills are rather poor because I have not practiced as much as I have with planes and chisels. This is one reason I cut my dovetails on the band saw. The other reason is that my band saw cuts perfectly square every time.

Remarkably, the finish left by the .022"-thick, 3tpi, 5/8" “meat & fish” blade that I use for fine work and veneer cutting is just as good as that left by my best dovetail saw, even in 3/8"-thick hardwood. So from my point of view it is win-win – all the way to a good fit.

If you do small Krenov-style work, band sawing is almost the only way to do the female half of the signature bridle joints. These are so useful at the corners of delicate frames, for paneled backs and small doors.

Similarly, the face cheek of a tenon can be cut in exactly the right place after a few test cuts are made. Tenons are usually cut in multiples, and each and e...

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7 Power Woodworking Tools

Some might expect to see a cordless drill on this list, but when we're talking about basic power woodworking tools, a corded drill is more versatile and powerful. Sure, the cordless is, well, cordless, which makes it more portable, but corded drills are less expensive and can do more than a cordless drill. There are some options to consider when choosing a corded power drill, such as whether you want a 3/8-inch or 1/2-inch chuck, keyed or keyless chuck, straight drill or hammer drill, and so on. Learn all about these options (along with some suggestions on what to look for when shopping) in this article on corded power drills.

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Power Tools

Your table saw is a router table and jointer just waiting to happen. Replace one of the saw's wings (or adapt your existing table board) to hold a router table insert, and you're in business. Add this router fence to your table saw's fence and you get a router fence with the capacity to handle boards few commercial router tables could even touch. Make a couple quick adjustments to the fence and you can edge-joint boards for gluing up panels -- no jointer necessary. 

This fence was designed for the Little Shop Mark II, a rolling workshop that was featured in the September 1999 issue (#110). However, this fence will work with just about any contractor- or cabinet-style table saw.

This fence is essentially two long plywood boxes with hardwood face fronts on them. The space between the boxes is where the router bit spins. One of the boxes stores router bits, the other acts as a dust collection chute. Though construction isn't complex, study the diagrams carefully before you begin.

It's in the Hole
First cut the hole for the insert in the top of your saw's table. If you've built the Little Shop Mark II, use the end of the long top for your table. For contractor's saws, you can use the table board on the right side of the saw. Or you can replace one of your saw's wings with a piece of laminate-covered plywood. Lay out the spot for the router table insert. I put the insert in the middle of the width of the table and between the back and front rail from the end. Cut the opening for the insert as shown in the photos. Mount the insert to the router. Drop it in the opening and adjust it so it's flush with the table.

Making the Fence
First you build the body of the fence, and then you attach the fence faces afterward. Begin by cutting the opening for the bit on the front piece. Use a rasp to round over the inside right edge of the opening to help deflect chips into the box that will later be connected to a shop vacuum. Next cut the bottom piece for the right box and cut a 45-degree chamfer on the end next to the opening for the bit, again to deflect chips.

Assemble the boxes like this: First attach the two end pieces of the left box to the left bottom piece. Then attach the larger end piece for the right-side box (with the dust collection hole) to the bottom piece for the right box. Now nail the front and back pieces to the left and right assemblies. Be sure to hold the bottom edges flush. For the top part of the fence, keep in mind there are three fixed pieces -- one on each end and one in the middle. And there are two removable pieces that give you access to the bit storage, the dust collection tube and the wing nuts that will hold the fence faces in place. Attach the three fixed top pieces and the support.

Now drill the holes in the back piece to accept the 1/4" x 20 t-nuts that attach the router fence to the saw fence.

...

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