airy LIFE| THE ART OF WOODWORKING SHARPENING AND TOOL CARESe Loving Manoy Yucher SI99-LO0¢ A Tuckerdude Scan 2004WORKSHOP GUIDE + Wear approrriate safety equipment: Safety glasses, aface or dust mask if ou are sanding, ané hearing protection Ifyou are operating to's for an extend- bering af te * Camp all workpieces securely whenev- tr possble to keep both hards ‘ee to aperate the tol * Be aware ofthe postion o the power for at all times # Make alladjustmerts to a tool with the POWER TOOL SAFETY TIPS. «Maintain and clean tools regula. Keep al blades and bits sharp, clean, ‘and undamaged. Check regulaty for Toose parts and tayed cords, ‘Never cary a connected tool with your finger on te tiger ‘Tie back long hair and avoid wearing loose clothing. Remove rings and other Jewelry that tan catch accidentally Iv ‘moving parts. ‘Do not overeach. Keep proper footing * Moke sure tat lghting and ventilation In the work area are adequate * Donotuse tus ithe fears dap or wet * Keep your work area clean and tity ‘lutier can lead to accidents. Keep pets, Children, and enleokers away from the work area ‘Concentrate on the job. Do not rush or take shorteuts, Never work If you are tied, strested or have been drinking alcool or using any medication that TYPICAL POWER TOOL PLUGGING IN SAFELY renee | i iar Fconpreanr 9) #000 BELT SA ER Table saw (hp) 4000 | DOUBLE INSUI ato is 4 42 ee | ven 12659 126 Srotrewien ie | | | OMUON Geass ann Belt sander 1500 ER Ta | | Orbital sander 00 | Double-neulated / Router 1500 | ‘aymbol appreval weaken __# Steing wendnganedreurmene ronan o00) ito nameplate. A sample nameplate io shown above. A tool Electric ill (2) 500 | should be approved by the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) or ‘grounded tool has a thres-prong plug and may be marked ‘The start-up wattage of a power too! Is gener- ally 30-40% higher than the running wattege. Using the formula (volts x amps = watts), you ccan avoid overloading an electrical circuit by determining whether the maximum load a ‘col will draw exceeds the amperage of the circuit. On a 110-valt circuit, for example, a cinch ciular saw would draw 18 amps (210 x amps = 2000). The saw could over- lead a 15-amp circuit, but not @ 20-amp one. | “grounding required’; a double-Inculated tool Is marked | “double insulated” and may boar the symbol shown. For a | power tool or extension cord with a three-prong plug, use only a similar outlet; never bend or remove the third, or on a 15> or 20- amp circuit, can provide sufficient current for | seus poe op tnowe rhe te ot ny tthe power tool heck the amperage rating of the power tool | on its nameplates if itis rated at 10 or more amperes, turn | off anyhi pliances operating on the ame electrical circult..RT OF WOODWORKING SHARPENING AND TOOL CARETHE ART OF WOODWORKING SHARPENING AND TOOL CARE TIME-LIFE BOOKS ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA ST. REMY PRESS. MONTREAL + NEW YORKTHS ART OF WOODWORKING was produced by ‘ST. REMY PRESS PUBLISHER Kenneth Winchester PRESIDENT Pere Levile Series Eilior Pierre Home-Douglas Serie Ar Dwecbr FrandneLemieux Semor dior Mare Cassin Bdior fim Nelue ‘ArtDirctrs Normand Boudreault, Luc Germain Designers Helene Dion, Michel Giguere Picture iditor Christopher Jackson ‘Writers Andre Jone, David Simon Research Asistant Bryan Quinn Comributng lustars Giles Beauchersin, Roland Bergerat, ‘Michal Hkis,Jeen-Cuy Doiron, Ronald Durepos, Robert Paquet, [aryo Proulx, lames Théren Adminisrawr wake Watanabe Production Manager MichalleTurbide ‘System: Coordinator Jean-Luc Roy ‘Photographer Robert Chartier AdminbtrativeAséstant Dominique Gagne Proofreader Garet Mirkvoort Trdever Christine M, Jacobs ‘Time-Life Books ita division f Time Life ne ‘aholycwned subsidiary of THE TIMEINC. BOOK COMPANY ‘TIME-LIFE INC. Presdentand CEO. John M. Fahey Bitarin-chief Ich. Tapaneh ‘TIME-LIFE BOOKS President John D. Hall Vie-Presiden,Direcorof Marketing Nancy K Jones ‘Exteutve Sdior Roberta Conlan BuecutiveAn Drecwr Elen Roblin ComultingEdior Jobo R. Sullivan Producion Manager Marlene Zace ‘THE CONSULTANTS ‘Mice Dunbar bulls fn farnéureat is workshop inPorsmouth ‘New Hampshire, The auior ofveven books ard a contributing tor of dmerican Woodvorler and Early American Lferaga- ‘nes, Dunbar also ofers Windsor chairmaking seminar actos. North America Giles Miller-Mead aught adranced cabinetmaking at Montreal technical schools for more than ten yeus.A native of New Zealand, be has worked as arestore? of amique funiture ‘Td Flleris product manager at Dela Intemational Machin- cenyPorter Cable (Canada), He iscurerly workingin new product development and marketing for woodworking ois {and equipment Heisalo anamateur woodworker, .cm— (The Art of woodworking) Induces index ISBN 0-8094.9935-9 1. Woedworkingtocle— Maintenance and repair 2 Sharpening of toels. 1. Time-Life Books. Ii, Tie: Sharpening and tool care. i Series. ‘TTIasSIS 1994 GH.0028—de2 94-2622 cP 10-621-7026, oF writ: Reade Information ‘Time-Life Customer Service PO. Tow C3206 Richmond, Virginia 23261-2058 (© 1091 Time-Life Books Ine Allright sreserved, ‘No part of ths bookmay be reproduce in any formor by any electonic or mechanical mean, including information Storage and retrieval devices or systems, without prior wt- {en permision from the publisher, excep that bref passages ‘muy be quoted far reviews. Printed in US.A. Published simultaneously in Canada, TIME-LIFE is teadematk of Time Warne Ine, USA. Rw9N7 65452CONTENTS 12 14 16 18 20 24 60 61 62 64 65 70 73 79 INTRODUCTION SHARPENING BASICS The cutting edge Sharpening tools and accessories Benchstones Bench grinders SHARPENING AND MAIN- TAINING HAND TOOLS Handsaws Chisels and gouges Bench planes Scrapers Roughing and shaping tools Braces and bits SHARPENING POWER TOOL BLADES AND BITS A gallery of blades and bits Tools and accessories for sharpening Router bits and shaper cutters Molding knives Drill bits Circular saw blades Band saw blades Jointer and planer knives 86 88 90 92 94 95 96 97 98 104 106 108 113 120 126 131 133 136 140 142 MAINTAINING PORTABLE POWER TOOLS Maintenance tips and schedules Anatomy of a router Anatomy of a saber saw Anatomy of a plate joiner Anatomy of an electric drill Anatomy of a sander Anatomy of a circular saw Repairing portable power tools MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS Basic stationary tool maintenance Table saws Radial arm saws Band saws Jointers and planers Drill presses Lathes and shapers Other tools GLOSSARY INDEX ACKNOWLEDGMENTSINTRODUCTION Richard Starr on the VALUE OF _ SHARP TOOLS W hen I was a kid I thought working wood was really difficult. It was, too, because my dad’s tool bench was dominated by rough screwdrivers and assorted wrenches, dull saws, and a few auger bits. | remember it with fondness becauseit helped set me on my life's path, bat i sure didn’t encourage me to mes- ter the pieces of rough, splitty pine that I occasionally worked on Sharp hand tools were a revelation to a guy who grew up thinking that wood- ‘workingrequired some srt of special genius and alt of powerfl equipment. When encountered crafisman who buit fine country furniture, mils from the nearest ower line, I was inspired to learn as much as could about how to make tools work ‘wall. As a result, wood became a much more welcoming material to me. Today, as a seasoned teacher af woodworking o children, myo isto help my students appreciate the possbilities of wood. The last thing I want to dois lt them work with bum took Its easyto fallin love with hand todls, Ihave asmall collection of time-mellowed implementsthet I would net think of puting to work They representa historyof effort and problem-solving thats comfort to my modem mind. [also have other feo tools that are frequently put into service. But the iol Tuse every day in teaching have much Jessofanaura about them: Kidsbang them around and drop themall oo frequen. What is important about them isthat they work right. ‘The difference between a dull tool and a sharp one is something every wood- ‘worker needs to now. tis the difference between the frustrated kid Iwas and the Kids I teach today. When Ishowa child how to whittle, he or shes expected to try every knife on the rack, usualy four or five tools. Only by making this comparison willitbecome clear which are really sharp and which are just okay Every woodworker has his or her own preferred way to sharpen an edge tool Some use ol stones slow sandstone wheels, Arkansas stones or leather strops, Others prefer Japanese water stones, the use of which isalmost aritual. In my school shop, need to work quichly and I have long since settled on a grinding belt and buffing ‘wheel. At home, Ihave fallen in love with the new technology of diamond stones. 1 firmly believe that, while sharp tools are essential, there is no one right way to sharpen tools, only the best way for you. It takes time to figare it out, but iti time you must be willing to spend. It is like building the foundation of your home. Everything else restsonit. Richard Starr has taught woodworking to middle school students in Hanover, New Hampshire, since 1972. His book Woodworking with Kids ispublished by Taunton Press. Starr has written numerous articles for Fine Woodworking, Today's Woodworker and other publications. His televi- sion series Woodworking for Everyone was broadaast on public televisionINTRODUCTION Philip Lowe discusses MAINTAINING POWER TOOLS S tepping up to a poorly maintained machine can create a spectrum of emotions O) fom apprehension to frustration. When the handwheel on your table saw forces you to one knee, equiring two hands andallof your strength to raise the blade, and when the machine screams and smoke billows as teckis fed through, face it Its time to do a litle maintenance! Pechaps the most straightforward part of shop maintenance i the obvious reason behind i sfety and efficiency. tis veryimportant to keep cutting implernents sharp. Moreaccident oceut wth dull tools because more forces required to operate the too You'll needa few tools to get youstarted, includinga grease gun, an ol can, WD- 40™, graphite silicon spray, and paste wax. Its also convenient to have a set of wrenches, sockets, hex wrenches, and brushes for cleaning gears. Finally, pick up some abrasives such as steel wool fine slicon carbide paper, anda mil file for debur- ring shafts and nicks in tabletop. Cutters such as saw blades, knives for jointers and planers, shaper cutters bits for routers and drill presses and turning tools must be kept sharp and fre of pitch and resin in order to cut cleanly. Pitch and resin on cutters and saw blades, which can ‘cause kickback, can be removed with spray oven cleaner. Some in-house sharpening canbe dane to carbide tools witha diamond stone. High-speed steel cuters suchas turning tools and shaper knives canbe sharpened on abench grinder or honed with a bench and sip stones Alignment of tables and fences also important. The postion ofa tabletop is important especialy if it has ots cut in it for miter gauges. The slots need to be par- alll tothe cutters, Thesame is true for fences Lubricate gears and ways that raise and lower arbors and tables. Lubrication of exposed gears and ways shouldbe done with graphite, spray scon, or paste wax. These dry lubrcants prevent build up of sawdust that would occur ifthe parts were greased roiled. Bearings with grease fitings or oil caps should be attended to periodically with the appropriate ubricant ‘The tables and beds of all machines should beinspected and, ifnecesary, led fh. ‘These surfaces should be kept ire ofrust and paint splatterings and should be cleaned with sted woo or fine slicon-carbide paper. Once clean, an application of paste wax will help preventrust and allow stock to slide across the surface with les effort. Philip C. Lowe makes fine furniture in his studio in Beverly, Massachusetts. Love has been building furniture jor clients throughout North America for the past 25, ‘years, and has spent 10 years as head instructor ofthe furniture programm at North Bennet Street School in Boston, Massachusetts. He is affiliated with the Fine Wood- ‘working series of videos and his written works frequently appear in their magazineINTRODUCTION Tan Waymark talks about DIFFERENT WAYS TO SHARPEN ah he old adage “Tools do not make the crafisman’ contains a degree of truth. Still sharp tools—although thy willnoc make you a rafisperson—wil grat- ly improve an¢ enhance your skis. In fact, in my opinion, a great deal of skill dis- played by today’s crafispeople is based largely on their ability createand maintain a keen edge on their cutting tools. ‘My wood turning travels throughout North America, Australia, and New Zealand have brought me in contact with many first-class Woodworkers, carvers, wood turners, and justplan “hewers” of wood, They have worked in schools home workshops and craft far, with a variety of tools from the very best high-speed steel to the crules.home- ‘made implements Sill, they all had one thing in common: They used sharp too. As varied asthe crafts and craftspeople are, so ace their methods and tools used for sharpening, Each one, used correctly, will create a ken cutting edge. The best are those that do not overheat cutting edges. This is probably the most common problem experienced by novices when sharpening tools Its especially serious i the tool is made of carbon tool steel rather than high-speed steel. Whea carbon tool stecl is heated until it turnsblue the “temper” or “hardness”is removed, and the tool becomes soft and will not hold an edge for more than afew seconds, Tigh-speed steel on the ote hand, will sustain a great deal ofheat without dammige, The simple solution to “tip burning” is to use sharpening equipment that does not generate high heat orto use equipment that is constanly cooling the cuting edge as itis being ground. Wet grinding will assure the woodworker a cool cuting edge for two reasons Fist, the grinding whec!is loaded with a coolant (usualy water) topre- ‘rent heat buildup and seconé, the wet grinding wheels usually win at very slow rate which reduces the heat gncrated by the grinding proces. Petsonally I find the ‘wet grinding system both too slaw and too messy. My experience with wet grinding hhas been one of constantly cleaning the slurry of sawdust and water from the stone. My preference for sharpening ia white aluminum oxide grinding wheel followed bya quick touch-up on an extra-fine neoprene honing whee. | choose the aluminum ‘oxide wheel simply because its porosity makes it avery cool grinding whee! compared to old gray sone othe standard sanding belts or discs, Itis also very fast-cuting,there- by reducing the time atthe grinder and reducing the time allowed for the heat to build up on the cutting edge. To hone my tools I use a neoprene wheel because itis {ast and it maintains the hollow grind formed by the grinding whee, an Waymark has taught industrial education in Canada for 16 years He is the owner of Woodturner’s World, a store on Gabriola Ilan, British Columbia, that specializes in w designed the Orca 1 lathe and the Sabre Sharpening Center. rood turning tools. WaymarkSHARPENING BASICS tone time or another, virtual- y every woodworker has looked upon tool sharpening asa rainy-day task, an onerous duty underiaken only asa latresort that seems calculated to delay progress on the moment's favorite project. Although it may be impossible to persuade all woodworkersto embrace ‘thejoys of tool sharpening—as some do—sponer or later, most adopt an attitude of enlightened self intrest, anunderstanding thatregularaten- tion to tool condition will speed, rather than retard, progress and improve both the quality of work and enjoyment oft, ‘In Japan, apprentice woodwork- cers spend years atthe sharpening bench before attempting to cut ‘wood. The practice is rooted in reality: To cut and finish wood, one must use sharp tools. ‘The mostrealistic route to sharp tools for most woodworkers liesin regular attention, When sharpening and maintenanceare adopted 2s part of regular workshop routine, the time required ss reduced—and the benefits of keen edges are quickly realized. ‘There are many jigs and accesories that promise quick and ¢asy resus, nd no shortage of techniques with the sme goal A Japanese finish stone is The nicked cutting edge ofa plane blade is squared on a bench grinder. Clamping the blade in a commercial grinding jig keeps the end of the blade perpendicular tothe grinders ‘abrasive wheel But all sharpening work comes down to this: Tools are sharpened by wearing away stel to form a fine edge, and polishing that edge soit slisesas accurately and effortiessly as possible, Among many tools, two are essential: a sharpening stone and agrinder. Once, all sharpening stones came from the ground;sandsone, novaculite, and other materials have been quarried and cut into bench stones (page 18) from the earliest days of woodworking, More recently, technology has pro- duced synthetic stones that substi- tute for the dwindling supply of natural abrasives. Asomewhat older technology ako provided the foot-pov: ered sandstone grinding wheel and its descendant, the bench grinder (page 2), which saves much labor in removing nicks and forming bevels before final honing. This chapter is intended to remove the mystery andsomeof the labor from the sharpening process. With a grinder, few benchstones, an understanding ofthe process (page 14), and practic, you cam have sharper tools—and derive more pleasure from your woodworking. sing used 10 polish the back of a butt chisel Waterstones like the one shown at left area good choice fr putting the {inal polish on a blade. The fine abrasive slurry on te surface of the stone is formed by partices of abrasive and metal mising with water.THE CUTTING EDGE cutting edge can be defined as ‘two flat, polished surfaces meet- ing ot an angle. Since most blades are designed to be pushed through wood, keen cutting edgeis essential, partic- ularly for dense hardwoods that can -kly blunt tools. Any flaw, like a nick ina planer knife ora chisel blade, will be transferred to the wood being cut Do not assure that just hecause a chisel isnew that its edgeis as sharp or asstraight ait should be. Even the best tools need to be sharpened when new, and regularly thereafter. In oder to achieve akeen cutting edge, ste! is tem- pered toa certain hardness when the tool is forged. Since tempering is done at high temperatures, the tool may warp slightly a it cools. You can skirt this prablem by choosing tools made with high-quality steel. ven the best sedis likely to show manufacturing imper- fections. Low-quality tools, however, may never achieve and hold an edge. In its simplest form, sharpening is like sanding: It consists of the wearing away of one material by a harder material, using successively finer abrasives. When the bevel of a chisel is drawn across a sharpening stone, the abrasive particles scratch the surface of the chisel uniformly, creating a flat surface. As shown below, finer and finer stones make the scratches finer and finer, untila mir- ror-like finish is achieved. HOW SHARP IS SHARP? The difference between a dull and sharp cutting edge becomes obvious when a blade cuts into wood. On the left- hhand side of the wood surface shown at ef, a well-sharp- ened chisel severed the wood fibers cleanly, producing thin shavings:a dull chisel tore the wood fibers on the right-hand side of the board. Another way to determine whether a blade is sharp or dullis to examine the cutting edge itself a dull edge reflects more light than a sharp one. Smocthing a cutting edge The quaity ofthe cutting edge and finish on a tool blade depends on the size of abrasive particles used to sharpen it. Just as you \would sand a tabletep with progressively finer grades of paper, sharpening begins with coarse abrasives and moves up through finer grits. The only difterence is the size of abrasive particles involved. Fer example, a coarse Irdie™ stone has particles mea- suring about 173 microns across, wile ¢ herd Arkansas oilstone has smaller perticles—about LO micrors. Commerical honing Compound used for buffinghas extremely fine paces, as small 35 0.5 micron. (By comparison, the diameter of a human hair is approximately 49 microns.) The photos above, oa chisel blade ‘magnified approxmetely 200 times, reveal how sharpening improves «tool's edge, A dull chisel (above, left) hes grooves and pits on its back and a nicked edge. These favs will eave a rougher fin- ish on wood than the smooth back and edge that is achieved after the chisel is starpened and polished ona finish waterstone (above, right. The watersione has abrasive particles measuring. 1 micron in diameter. 14SHARPENING BASICS ‘THE SHARPENING PROCESS STEP-BY-STEP STEP 1: GRINDING OR LAPPING Fer badly scratched c nicked cutting odes, start the process by squaring the cutting odge, grinding the bevel, then lap- ping or flattening the back ofthe blado. Grinding is done with 1 bench grinder and coarse stones such as Washita; lap with rough abrasives o: lapping compounds on a lapping plate. ‘STEP 2: SHARPENING Fer tools that do not need grinding, sharpening can start here. Initial sharpening removes ary roughness on the bevel and establishes a fine wire burr on the back of the blade. Sharpening is done by hand or with bevel-setting, jigs on medium stones such as soft Arkansas, ‘STEP 3: HONING Honing uses progressively finer stores such as hard Arkansas ‘or Japanese finishing stones to smooth out the scratches on the bovel caused by sharpening. Then the tool is turned ‘over and lapped to remave the burr an the cutting edge. The microbevel (below) is also honed at this stage. ‘STEP 4: POLISHING For a razor-sharp edge and a mitror-like finish, the tool ccan be polished with hard black Arkansas, ceramic or Japanese finish stones, as well as trops impregnated with fine buffing compounds. BEVELS AND MICROBEVELS Honing a microbevel When a fool blade is razor-sharp, more force is necessary to drive the blade into the wood, and its edge is more likely to be brittle. By honing a secondary bevel, (or microbeval, on top of the fist (inset), you can increase the cutting effective- Ness of the tool and prolong the ite of the cutting edge. Microtevels are slight ly steeper than the original bevel of te 100). (Fora ist of common devel angles ‘ot various blaces, sae the back endpa- per ofthis took.) It can vary from as te as 2° to as much as 10°; the steeper the microbevel, the tougher the edge. Yet the microberel should not be overworked. ‘A few light strokes on a benchstone is usually sufficient to produce a smal hai line srip atthe edge of the main bevel (eft) Ifthe microbevel is wider than hal Of the width of the bevel, the bevel should be reestablished by sharpening.SHARPENING TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES Honing compound Bonchatone (page 16 repo coen teers ae wheel of grinder to waterstone used poleh sharpened Sohone or bese contains sharpen a mbture of ode Shrornium dox- tdeand other fine abrasives Bench grinder (page 21) edlum-grit wheel left-hand cide) equares and grinas Place: cloth wheel (right-hand side) polishes cutting edge a oe. Necprene polishing whee! Tuller bel to gta arc Repel pemitetete etvan &0 ana 240, Whoo) must ture away from too ge to pre. tent iefrem catching he age eS Aluminum oxide whee! Standard whes! for grinding and ‘sharpening: available in G- and Buinch sizes and a range of grits Multi-tool fig Dresser eS Skew-arindna ja (right Used to true or reshape arnder Fett wheel top) holds skeve at 20" wheels ard expose a fresh cut ‘Aralablin soft, medium, angle ar pivots on cen- ‘ing surface Star-wheei dresser [above) has up vo four star- cheped wheel llemand point ‘er pn to grind radiuer ed alew chisel, Sliding harpering jig (right, ‘and hard: dressed with buffing compound for final ishing of cutting ede polishing of cuvting ed a dresser (below) features a dia- mond set ina bronze tip ye (page 21) ) clamps tools under crossbar. Both ‘re attached to an adjust- ‘able roel reat (right, bottom), which mounte to bench in front of arinder. Wet/dry grinder Large, waber-bathed wheel hones bevele, water preverto toola from overheating and caries avay metal and grit. Smaller, dry Wheel used for grinding 16SHARPENING BASICS Singlet bastard mil fle = i edt ‘Auger be fe eee Used to sharpen auger bits and other dell bite; one Ferstner bite eiiee crest ene eae i aera eee eee tencenre, ernie ae Jjoncsion wich a lapping Used in place of a three-square pate to flatten and pol- fie in openings of lese than GO" Three-equare file Chstatelfts Fats sa ceptor O00 TTT nies car ae sharperng tone hte Secures ollstones ard wateretones Up £08 ches lorg for sharpening; rubber fect hold store In place Hein gud anda S —— rer hong pare rae — —- ‘Angle checker ‘Davies hole Had at appro- sree itt, priate angle fer honing @ chosing bond beverezaing the ned ore and misrcbevel cane cote fa ecto Diamond-coated honing filos nes) mle are aes Used to sharpen carbide router Sracoranae poeine tom sian from 15" £9 120" coarse, medium and fine Niles Caney. erp wich commercial horing compound or other Diamond needle fle fine abrasives to polsh a Smal halfround file used ene sharpened edge z > Le Boren-cartide stones used to Shanon rater bes ges a Mer finish than diamond honing fles of ul grit Haale Features rioghl- ‘Blne lens for checking sharpnece for sharpening band- Waterstone storage unit Pastic reservoir used to immerse up to feur waterotones for storage between sharpenings: features Garrps that can be fipped Up tb hold the waterstone for sharpening o honing mda ghee oppnapiste 7BENCHSTONES he benchstone is the most com- ening stones. Quarried from novaeulite Because they use water, rather than oil as monly found sharpening accessory and sold as Washita and Arkansas stones, the lubricant, there is no ily mess left inthe shop. Once referred to as natur- these sharpening surfaces are becoming on clothes and workpieces. Waterstones alstones, benchstones now encompass scarce. fyour budget permits, natural come in finer grades than oilstones, many man-made materials, ranging stonesare a good investment; they will malkingthem popular with woodwork from aluminum oxide to ceramics. _ lasta lifetime. crs who like tohoneand polish, Because Many “stones” include fine diamond Synthetic substitutes made of alu- _theyaresofter than oilstones, new abra- bonded to steel minum oxide (India™ stones) or silicon sive is constantly exposed during use, Sharpening stones are generally vid- carbide (Crystolon™) are less expensive and the srry formed by the water will ed into two groups according to the and just as effective as natural stones, _ forma fine polishing paste, lubricant used with them:oiland water. though they tend to wear more quickly, __ Waterstones have their drawbacks, Lubrication serves to disperse ground — Aneconomizal compromiseis theuse of however. Because they are sofier than particles and prevent them from clog- an India™ stone for rough sharpening _oilstones, they must be trued more ging the stone. Choosing between the and whetting, and ahard Arkansasstone often (page 19). two is mostly a matter of feel; some _ forhoning and polishing. When using Tools should be dried and wiped ‘woodworkers prefer the edge a giassy _oilstones, wipe them often with aragto with oil thoroughly after sharpening hardblack Arkansasoilstone gives tock prevent glazing Do not usea heavy oil, ta prevent rust. Waterstones also others like the fine control 2 softer _asitinhibitstheabrading process;alight should be stored in water. Ifyour shop Japanese finish waterstone offers. machine oil cutwith kerosene worksbest. ig prone to cold temperatures, keep Naturally occursing oilstones have Waterstones are Japanese in origin, your waterstones from freezing, asthey long been regarded as the finest sharp- and cut much faster than oilstones. will shatter. ACOLLECTION OF BENCHSTONES DOILSTONES ‘Anextra-fne, 000-grit nat- Ural stone used for razor~ shary honing of surgical, dental and other precision teote ‘ott Arkansas medium, 500g eens aca) eee facural stone used for initial sharpening for boning tools of dull eages ease Washita A coarse, fast-cutting Combination stone ‘250-qrit nasural stone ‘Aigo known ae.an indla™ store, vse for fatvring A aymthctle ste made om ‘ana lapping badly ‘aluminum oxide with 90 grit wees on one face and GOO on the other: used for general sharpen- Ing and honing.SHARPENING BASICS ‘TRUING A BENCHSTONE Flattening the stone All bencistones will develop a hollow in the center atter prolonged use. To true a benchstone, flatten it on a machined sur face, such as glass pane or a lapping table. For oilstones, rub the surface with a circular motion (eft) in a slury made from 2 coarse lapping compound mixed with honing ol, Start with a coarse grit and work through finer grits until the stone is flat. To true a waterstone, use Water instead of hening cil for the slury, ‘or wetidry silicon carbide peper taped to the lapping surface. WATERSTONES Japanese finishing stone Japanese coarse stone ‘Ani excra-fre, iZ00-grt syn- A coarse, 1OO-grc syrthecic ‘thetic atone made from cari __otane made from silicone car- lim exide: vsed for fai boning ida: used for fattening and ‘and polehing; small Nequra lapping badly ricked toole store used to create slurry Diamond stone ‘Ahard eynthetic stone made trom micra- ‘scopic dlamond crystals bonded to sold tee! plate; aturco a true, flat surface ‘that will rotwear ike other stones. Available ina range of arits between 220 and i200 for any sharp- ‘ning or Foning tack OTHER STONES. Slipstone A cheped stone used for turning and carving tole, featuring both rounded and angled edges: a range of grits io ‘available in both oil and water types Gouge slipstone ‘A corical stone used for gouges; concave our face sharpens ouside oF took wile conven surtace deburre the inside edge. Arange cf grt available in both ol and water types Ceramic stone Affine, hard 1000-grt gyn ‘thetic otone made from bonded aluminum oxides, used for honing. Need no lubricantBENCH GRINDERS rom squaringand sharpening plane irons to polishing chisel and turning tools, the bench grinder isa worthwhile addition to a wood vorking shops sharp ning tation. Bench grinders are classified accord ing to theie whee diameter. Standard 5. to B:inch benchtop models, with to Ychorsepower maters, arethe most pop- ular sizes, Larger wheels are better, as smaller whedls can produce exaggerat- ed hollow-ground bevels. G be mounted on a work surface of fas- tened to aseparate stand Rotating around 3500 rpm, a bench grinder removes steel fisterthana sharp- ening sone. Unfortunately, it also heats up the toc, and you may lose the toa’s temper Ifthesteel heginsto change col- ordaringgrinding, deepeningto a true Hue, the temper has heen lost, and the tool must he reground, Motorized whet- stones and wet/dry grinders featur inders can IDENTIFYING GRINDER WHEELS [ABRASIVE TYPE. ABRASIVE (GRAIN) SIZE GRADE Soft ‘SCALE ‘STRUCTURE Dense 1244667891011 12 13 14 B. Resinoid BF: Resinoid reinforced E: Shellac 0: Orychlovide R: Rubber RF: Rubber reinforced §: Silicate V: Vitrified BOND TE Ghocsing a grinder wheel ‘The wheels supplied on grincers are usually 100 coarse for use. with finer 1o0s. A wide variety of replacement stones are avai able, but selecting the rignt one is no simple matter. You need ta decipher the codes matked on the sides of the wheels, describing their composition and abrasive quality. The chart above will help you interpret these codes. (They are usually found sandwiched between two numerical manufacturer's sym- bols printed on the side ofthe stone.) if you plan to use @ ‘A Aluminum oxide Coarse: 8, 10,12, 14, Medium: 30, 36, 46, 16, 20, 24 ‘water bathed wheels that turn atslower fs, such as 500 rpm, allowing you to grind tools without constantly dip. ping them in water for cooling. Mostgrinders can be equipped with ‘optional rubber sharpening wheels, doth buffing wheels, and leatherstrop wheels inaddition to standard abrasive wheels, which come in a variety of grits (see below). Grinding wheels will eventually The cutting edge of a skew chisel got 4 sharpening on a wel/dry grinder. Because the large wheel of this type of grinder rotates relatively slowly and is ‘cominually bathed in water, the blade being sharpened remains cool, which redtuces the risk of destroying is tem. ‘per. Standard bench grinder wheel: often rotate at speeds that are 1o fast for honing many tools at a result, the tools steel can easily overheat ‘STANDARD MARKING SYSTEM CHART ©: Silicon carbide 54, 60 Medium become dull and clogged with metal par ticles, and their edges may go out of square. A wheel dresser (page 22) can be used to true the face of a glazed wheel and square its edges. 1% Aluminum zirconium Fine: 70, 80, 90, 100, Veryfine: 220, 240, 280, 320, 120, 160, 180 400, 600, 600 Hard ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ee 15 16 etc Whee! to grind carbon-stee! too's, and then hone with a bench. stone, buy a wheel marked A 80 H 8V. This means the wheel is aluminum oxide (A), fine-grained (80), and relatively soft (H), with @ medium structure or concentration of abrasives (8). The particles are bonded together by a process of eat and fusion known as vitrification (V). For high-speed stee! tools, a medium hardness of | or J is beter. if you plan to use your tools right off the grincer, choose a wheel with 2 grain size of 100 or 120. 20SHARPENING BASICS ‘STANDARD BENCH GRINDER Spark deflector Directs sparks downward ‘and away from the operator Gringing whee! Medium 80 grit alurninum oxide wheel squares and ‘sharpens cutting edges, Buffing wheel Felt or cloth whee! policies bovel oFcut- ‘tng edges Arbor nut Whee! cover Tool rest Renovate for adjustment nut chaning gine ing or fing a Tool rest ee Adustabie to desired arale for Onioft ewtech grinding or batting; typically poot- Flonedwithineinch Fhedl WET/DRY GRINDER mf Adjustable £0 desired Wet wheel ‘Orhch, 220 grit wheal io bathed in anal for aridira or ater ¢o fee toola cool during grind honing: typically posi- Tioned within 6 inch of wheel. Features olot for siding angle ig Ing and honiras rune at 70 RPM ~ Eye shield Lower tool reet Adjustable to Tool rest cesired argle for adjustment grinding: typically handles positioned within 44 Inch of wheel Water reservoir Dry wheel Five-inch, 100-grit whee! used for precision ‘edge grinding: runs at 3450 RPM 21SHARPENING BASIC! DRESSING A GRINDING WHEEL Twing the wheel Agrinding wheel should be trueé when ridges or hollows appear on the store or if t becomes discolored. You can use ete a star wee or diamond:-pointcress- et. To use a starwheel dresser (right), ‘move tre grinder’s tool rest away ftom te wheel. With the guard in postion, switch on the grinder end but the tip of the dresser against the wheel. Then, wth your index finger resting agaist the tool rest, move the cresse rem side to side. To use e diamond-point dresser (below), not the device between the index finger and the thumo of one han, sett on the tool rest, and advance it towara the whee! unt your index finger contacts the tool rest. Move either dresser back and forth across the wheel untl the eriges are square and you have exposed fresh abrasive, TAA SHOP TIP. AS a Of Because they opin in the ( )” same direction a the \y standard grinding wheel mourc- ed on the left-hand cide of a bench grinder, neoprene or fett buifing wheels mounted on the "ign hand roquie a change of tool position for buffing 50 the tool does not catch in the wheel. Ancther solution le to reverse the right= hand wheel guard to expose the rear of the wheel (right) In this position, the buffing wheel spine away from you instead of towards you, 90 you can buit the tool at the same angle as you do when grinding Ic. 2[AMOBILE SHARPENING DOLLY ‘Asharpening station is more than just a dedicated space for sharpen- ing. It is may of keeping all of your bencrstones, erinding jigs, and sharp- ening azcessories clean and well ‘oiganized. The sharpening station shown below is essentially a sturdy low bench with a sterage shelf. The Unit is buitt from %inch plywood ‘and L-by-3 steck. By adding locking casters, it becomes a mobile sharpen- ing colly that you can wheel ebout the shop to wherever you need to Lapping table cocking casters SHARPENING BASICS sharpen: at the lathe, the carving bench, or near the sink. To build the dolly, cut the base from %+inch plywood. Make it large encugh to incorporate all your sharp- ening gear so that it isnot too clut- tered; up to 3-by-6 feet is a good size. Screw four corner blocks to the underside of the bese, and fasten 2 locking caster on each block. To strengthen the doll, cut the pieces for the stirts and legs from 1-by-3 stock. The legs should be long enough for the top to sit at a 23 Comfortable height; between 32 and 36 inches isrigit for most people. ‘Screw the leg pieces together, then attach the skirts to the legs’ inside faces. Fasten the shelf end the top to the skits. If desred, glue a water- and oil-proot plastic laminete work surface to the top, ‘Once you have built the doly, mount a standard bench grinder or wet/dry grinder to the end of the bench so that both wheels are accessible. ‘Secure a lapaing table (Inset) at the ‘opposite enc for lapping and tlatten- Ing stones. This is simply a pleve of ‘%-ineh tempered piate glass secured with cleats to a piece of ¥-inch ply- Wood, fastened fo the top. Have the lass cut three times larger than your largest bench stone, ‘Now mount your most commoniy Used tencistones either by using cleats ‘or screwing thelr woocen storage box- es to the tabletop; countersink the fasteners, Other accessories could Include a vise oF a portabe light posi- tioned to shine on the grinder.SHARPENING AND MAINTAINING HAND TOOLS D spite the proliferation of pow- et tools in recent years, hand tools are still an important part of the modern woodworking shop. Handsaws, chisels, and planes play a vital role in many cabinetmaking tasks, from cutting jointsand chop- ping mortises to smoothing stock For some crafis, like carving and turning, hand-cntting tools such as gouges and skew chisels are virtu- ally indispensable ‘One distinct advantage that hand tools offer over their electrically powered counterparts is that they are relatively straightforward to sharpen and maintain. With hand tools, there are no hidden circuit boards or sealed com- ponents, no carbide-tipped blades that must be sharpened professionally. With most hand tools, such as saws and chisel, hat you seeis what you get-a hand, often made of wood, and a stel cutting edge. True, not ll hand toolsare quite th ple, Bench planes feature screws and levers for adjusting the angle and position of the cutting edze. Stl, all the pars The euting edge ofa drawkifeishoned by an axe- stone. Holding one handle ofthe tool as shown at leftand butting the other handle against the crook of the arm exposes the entire edge for sharpening TThe simple shop-made ig shown above consisting ofa dowel wrapped in a piece of emery cloth, isideal for cleaning and removing burrs from the rounded edge of gouges. easily accessible, allowing you to sharpen and maintain the tool in the hop. Infact, wit alittle ebow grease and the right materials, you can even restore a rusty old hand plinetobetter condition than when itwasfint bought (page 40). Setting yourse up for hand tool sharpening and maintenance re quires no great investment. All you need are solvents for cleaning, a few commercial devices for adjusting blades, stones and files for honing and sharpening—and the proper technique. The following pages will show you how to care for and sharpen the most commonly used hand tools, from handsaws (page 26) and chisels and ‘gouges (page 30) to bench planes (page 39), scrapers (page 46), and bits fr braces and hand dril (page 5 ‘The work is relatively easy, but the rewards are consider- able. Hand tools that are well sharpened and properly main- tained willimprove the quality of your projects and prolong the life of your tools,HANDSAWS Accomrercal av set bends the teeth ofa combination saw to the proper ale with the blade clamped in a bench vse. Setting the teeth ofa saw blade isa key step inthe sharpening procees, producinga kerf that prevents the blade frm brsting. ANATOMY OF SAW BLADES AND FILING ANGLES G barring s hands ia thre step ‘operation. As shown on page 28, the process hegins with jointing, or filing the tps of the teeth so that they reall the same height, This is followed by setting theteeth to the correct angle Thisensures that the blade cuts straight and does not stick in the kerf Setting involves bending the teeth alternately to each side of the blade’s centerline. The final step in the process is sharpening itself, typically with afi, Not all handsaws are identical. The shape, spacing, and set ofthe teeth vary to the type of cutting the saw will perform. The spacing between teeth {s usually expressed in TPI, or teeth per inch, The following pages describe how to sharpen rip saws, combination saws, and both Japanese and Western-style crosscut saws, Because oftheir very fine teth, dove- tail and tenon saws should be sent out to 4 professional for sharpening. Trangular 4 omilfie Soe 20" Filing ripsaw teeth Rinsaws have wicely spaced teeth with from five to seven teeth per inch (TPI). They also have a more pronounced set than other saws. Both features enable them to cut quickly aleng the grain, As stown above, the leading edges of rip teeth are almost vertical. To sharpen the teeth, use a trian ‘gular mil fie, drawing it straight across each tooth at a 90° angle tothe blade ax. Filing combination teeth Combination saws are dual-purpose saws that can be used for both rip cuts and crosscuts, although they rip more slowly than atrip sam and cut more roughly than a crosscut saw. Com- bination teeth slope forwerd and backward at the same angle (about 60°) and both edges are beveled. Sharpen both edges Using a triangular mill file (above), tilting the handle of the file down slightly.SHARPENING AND MAINTAINING HAND TOOLS Sharpening crosscut teeth The teath of a crosscut saw are closely spaced—eight to 12 TP! is typical—and they have ver little set. Crosscut teeth feature sloped leading edges with bevels, which enable them to cut cleanly across the grain. As with rip saws, the teeth are sharpened with a triangular mil file. Hold the file atthe same angle as the bevel, which is typicelly 65° (above). SHOP TIP ‘A saw holder Storing handoawo properly will both eliminate clutter and keep the tools accessible and oafe from damage, The imple device shown here can be used ‘to kang 2 saw on the enop wall n plain View. Cut a viood scrap a Ittle thicker ‘than the saw handle to the same pro- file as the opening in the handles use ‘the opening as a template. Fasven ‘the piece tio the wall at a convenient height, then screw a small black with rounded ends to the pioge as a tum- buckle. Make the tumbuclle shorter than the width of the handle opering. bout longer than the height. Leave the ‘ecrew slightly loose 0 that you can pivot the turnbuckle vertically to secure the eaw to the wal. Sharpening Japanese crosscut teeth Japanese saws, which cut on the pul stroke, have tall, narrow teeth with very little set. Also, the teeth are beveled on lead- ing and trailing edges, and on the tips. All edges should be sharpened wit a feather file held at about 60° angle to the blade (above). 7SHARPENING AND MAINTAINING HAND TOOLS ‘A BENCH VISE SAW HOLDER Secured in @ vise, the simple jig shown at left will hold a saw at a Convenient height for sharpening. ‘Make the jaws from two pieces of inch plywood about 10 inches longand 7 inches wide. Then saw two %-inch- ‘thick strips and glue them along the inside faces of the jaws, flush with ‘the top end; the strips wll grip the saw blade. Fasten the two jaws together rear the bottom end, screwing a strip ‘of / % ‘Adjusting the yoke clamp Rotate the yoke to a position between the ones used for crosscutting and ripping. Lock the yoke clamp handle, then use both hands to try and push the rotor to the crosscutting postion (above). The motor should not budge: if it does, adjust the clamp that locks it in position. For the model shown, tight- en the adjustment nut located under the arm following the manufactures instructions. Lock the clamp and check again. ‘or olay. Adjusting the bevel clamp Tilt the motor to position between O° and 45°. Lock the bevel clamp, then use both hands to try to move the motor (above). If there is any looseness, adjust the clamp. For the ‘model shown, use a socket wrench to tighten the mator support rut at the back of the motor, then release the clamp and try tilting the motor to each of the preset angles; if you cannot move the motor, loosen the suppor nut slightly. Otherwise, lack the clamp again and check once mare for play in the motor. ‘Adjusting the rip clamp Lock the rip clamp, then use both hands to try to slide the yoke along the arm (lft). The yoke should not move; if it does, adjust the clamp. For the model shown, release the clamp, then use a wrench to tighten the nut at the end of the rip ciamp bolt. Ty sliding the yoke along the arm; iit binds, loosen the lock ut slightly. Otherwise, recheck the clamp and tighten the nut further if needed.MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS CARING FOR THE SLIDING MECHANISMS ‘Adjusting the carriage roller bearings To check the carrige roller bearings, press your thumb against each one in tum while sliding the carriage away from your hand. The bearings should turn as the car- riage slides along the arm. If your thumb keeps one of them from turning, you will need to tighten the bearing; ifthe carriage binds on the arm, a bearing will need to be loosened. In either case, adjust the bear- ing while holding the bolt stationary with a second wrench (left). Tigiten or loosen the bolt as required, then retighten the nut Adjusting columr-to-base tension Wipe the column clean, then loosen the four setscrews vibrates as itis raised or lowered, adjust the four bolts locat- on the front of the column base usng@ hexwrench, To check ed in the access holes on the back cover of the base. Repeat column-to-base ‘ension, use both hands to trytoliftthe end the tests and, if necessary, make adaitional adjustments. Then of the erm (above, left; there should be little or no give to try pushing the arm sideways (above, right if there is any rota- the column. Tum the elevating crank in both directions; the tion of the column, tighten the setscrews just enough to pre- aim should slide srmocthiy up and down. If there is excessive vent movement, Run through the tests a final time, fine tuning ‘ovement at the cclurin-to-base joint, or ifthe arm jumpsor the adjustments. 116MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS SQUARING THE BLADE ‘Swaring the blade withthe table Set the saw’s yoke in the cresscutting Fosition and install a biade. Release the bevel clamp anc tilt the motor counter- Clockwise as far a it wil goin the O° posi- ton. Relock the clamp. To check the blade position, butt a framing square between two ‘sawteeth (ight. The square stousd ft flush ‘against the side of the blade. If any gap shows between them, adjust the bevel clamp setscrens and tit the motor to bring ‘te blade flush against the square. ‘Squaring the blade with the fence Release the miter clamp and swivel the arm to the right 2s far as it will 0 in the 0” position, then relock the clamp. Release the rip clamp and butt one arm of a framing square against the fence while the other just touches the blade tooth nearest to the table. Holding the blade steady, side the yoke along the arm (left) Dill slowly to avoid dulling the tooth. The blade should make a constant rubbing sound asit moves along the edge of the square. I a gap opens up between the blade and the square, or ifthe blade binds, adjust the setscrews in the column base foliow- ing the manufacturer's instructions, 117MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS CORRECTING BLADE HEEL Fine-tuning horizontal rotation Install a blade and set the rotor in its horizontal postion tit the motor counter- clockwise as far 2 twill go, then lock the bevel clamp, To test for blade heel, build an L-shaped sounding jig and bore two holes in it: Sharpen the ends of two dow- els and fitthem into the jig as shawn. Then osition the jig to align a blade tooth near the back of the table cirectiy over the ver- ‘ical dowel. Lower the blade until the tooth rests lightly on the dowel; clamp the jig in place. Wearing a work glove, spin the blade backward, listen, and carefully note the sound (left) Slide the yoke along the ‘arm to align a tooth near the front of the table over the dowel and repeat the test. ‘The sound should be the seme in both posi- tions, If itis not, adjust the motor supoort nut according to the manufacture’ instuc- tions and repeat the test Eliminating vetical blade heel Tilt the motor counterclockwise 2s far as it will go in the vertical position, then lock the bevel clamp. To test ‘or vertical healing, position the souncing jg so that the tip othe horizontal dowel aligns with a blade tooth rear the tack ofthe table. Loner the blade ard sene it spinning back- Ward so you can sample the sound as in step | (right). Slide the yoke along the arm end repeat the process, adjusting the height if necessary; once again listen for changes in tone. if there is a discrep- ancy, release the yoke clamp and acjust the motar’s position ‘ollowing the manu- facturer’s structions. Retest until each test produces similar tones. 118MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS TESTING YOUR ADJUSTMENTS Testing the saw for square You can check the accuracy of your adjust- ments to a redial arm saw much as you Would ‘ora tablesaw (page 112). To deter- imine whether the biads is square to the saw table, mark an X on a wide board and crosscut it at your mark. Then turn one piece over ard old the cut ends together (A in the illustration at right). Any gap between the two ends represents twice the error in the blade-to-table alignment; if necessary, repeat the adjustment shown ‘on page 117. Now butt the two boards against the fence (B). If the two pieces do not fit together perfectly the blade is not square to the fence. Again, any gap repre- senis twice the errr; if necessary, square the blade to the fence. INSTALLING A FENCE AND AUXILIARY TABLE Cutting a ker inthe fence and auxiliary table Install a fence of %.inch-thick, knottree ‘wood between the table spacer and the ‘ont table; make the fence slightly nigher than the thickness ot your workpiece. For an auxiliary table, cut a plece of inch hardboard or piywood the same size as the front table end use contact cement to give ‘town, leaving a slignt gap between ft and the fence to prevent sawdust from jamming between the two. Before crosscutting or ‘making miter cuts, slice througn the fence and Ys o % Inch deep into the auxiliary table in the 90° ard 45° pats ofthe blade Then, rise the blade above the table and rotate the motor tothe ripping position. Turn on the saw and lower it to meke a Yisrinch-deep cut. Pull the yoke along the arm to furrow out a shallow rip ‘Table epacer ‘rough in the aviliay table 119)BAND SAWS CHECKING THE WHEELS Checking the whee! bearings Open one wheel cover, grasp the Whee! at the sices, and rock it back and forth (right). Repeat while noldirg the Whee! at the top and bottom. If there is, play in the wheel or you heer a clunking hose, remove the wheel and replace the bearing. Then repeat the test for the other whee! or many woodworkers the band saw’ thin, flexible blade makesit the toolof choice for cutting curves, resaw- ing, and making ine, straight cuts. And because the blade teeth cut downward, there is no danger of kickback. Since the band saw blade is only supported on the crown of two large After many hours of use, the tires on hand saw wheels can beconne worn, caked with sawdust, or stretched ont of ‘shape. ifthe thickness of band sow tire is uneven around the wheel, inserting screwdriver blade under the tire, as shown in the photo at left, and work- ing it around the tres circumference can resior its proper shape. wheels, it must be properly tensioned and tracked (page 123) every time you change blades, otherwise you risk crooked cuts and broken blades. Setup adjustments for the machine are not time-consuming, but they are impor tant. Particular attention should be paid to the alignment of the wheels (page 123). Misaligned wheels can cause exces sive blade vibration. Ako periodically adjust the guide assemblies and check the table for square (page 123). If these procedures do not restore a poorly cutting saw to peak performance, the wheels or tres may be to blame. The steps shown below and on the follow- ing pages detail how to correct out-of- round and unbalanced wheels, and will make your band saw cut straighter and help is blades last longer. 120MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS Testing for out-oF-round wheets Start with the upper wheel. Bracing a stick against the upper guide assembly, hold the end of the stick about Ms inch ‘vay from the whee!’ tre, Then spin the wheel by hand (right. If the wheel or tite is out of round, the gap between the stick ‘and the whee! will fluctuate; the whee! may even hit the stick. Ifthe discrepancy exceeds Ms inch, remedy the problem (step 3). Repeat the test forthe lower wheel. Fixing an out-ot-round whee! Start by determining whether the tire or the wheel itse is the problem. Try stretching the tire into shape with a screwdhiver (photo, oage 120), then repeat the test in step 2. If the whee! is Sill out of round, use a sanding block to sand the tire; this may compensate for uneveness in the tire. Fo the lower wheel, turn on the saw and hold the sanding block against the spinning tre (left). For the upper wheel, leave the saw unplugged ard rotate the wheel by hand, Repeat step 2 again. Ifthe problem per- sists, the wheel itself is out of round. Have it trued at a machinists shop. 121MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS ALIGNING THE WHEELS Checking whee! To ensure that your band saw wheels are peal! to each other and in the same vertical plane, hold a streightedye agains! them (page 104). The straightedge should rest flush against the top and bottom of ‘each wheel. if the wheels are out of aign- ment, ty to bring the top wheel to a ver- tical postion with the tt knob. If the straightedge stil will not rest flush, mea- sure the zap between the reessed wheel and the sraizhtedge (bove)to determine how far you need fo move the outermost wheel in (step 2). SHOP TIP Balancing a band caw whoo! To check the wheels of a band ‘caw for balance, epin each one by kand. When * comes to rest, make a trark at the bostem and pin it again. Ifthe mark comes to test at the pottom more than two ‘times out of three, the wheel's imbal- anced. To correct the problem, dil shallow holes between the rim and spokes at the heavy point Giant Remoure he mbes and perform the test again Bore as ary holes as neceesary. When ‘the wheel stops returning to the ‘same position, It 6 balanced Shitting the outermost wheel into alignment Remove the outermost wheel follewing the instructions in your owner's manual (itis better to shift the outermost wheel in to conect the alignment rather than to move the inner wheel out; this keeps the wheels a close as possible to the saw frame.) Then shift the wheel by removing ‘one or more of the factory.installed wash ers (above). If there are no washers, you ‘can stim the recessed wee! wth wash- ers to bring the wheels into alignment.) Reinstall the wheel and tighten the axle nut. Repeat steo 1MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS TENSIONING AND TRACKING THE BLADE ‘Tracking te blade Unplug the saw and turn the tension han- dle at the top ofthe saw clockwise to raise ‘the top whee! and increase tension on the blade, De'lect the blade from side to side to gauge the tension. Increase the tension. until the blade deflects about ¥ inch to either side of the vertical. To track the blade, lower the upper guide assembly, then spin the upper wheel by hand to check whether the blade is tracking in the center ofthe wheel. If it isnot, loosen the tilt knob lock screw. Then spin the whee! while turring the tit knob (night) to angle the wheel until the blade is centered. ADJUSTING THE GUIDE ASSEMBLIES Setting the thrust bearings Check by eye to see if the upper guide assembly is square to the blade. If not, loosen the guide assembly sescrew, adjust the assembly so thatthe bearing is square to the blade, and tighten the setscrew. Then, loosen the bearing thumbscrew and tun the adjustment knob until the thrust bearing just touches the blade. Back the bearing off slightly (left) and tighten the thumbscrew. The loner guide assembly thrust bearing, which is located directly beneath the table insert, is adjusted the ‘same way. To check the setting, spin the Upper whee! by hand. Ifthe biade makes einer bearing spin, back the bearing off slightly and recheck, 123MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS SQUARING THE TABLE AND BLADE Aligning the table To ensure that the miter gauge slot \s property aligned on both sides of the table slot, set the miter gauge in its slat and slide the gauge back ard fortn across the table. The gauge should slide treely with only moderate pressure. It the gauge birds, use locking pliers to remove the alignmert pin. Then, insert the pin into Its hot end use a bail-peen hammer to tap it deeper (right) until the miter gauge slides freely Guide block ‘thumbscrew Setting guide blocks To set the upper guide biocks, loosen their setscrews and pinch the blocks together using your thumb and index finger nti they almost touch the blede. Alierra~ tively, use slip of paper ora feeler gauge (eft) to set the space between the blocks ‘and the blade. Tighten the setscrews. Next, loosen the thumbscrew and turn the adjustment knob until the front edges of the guide blocks are just behind the gul- lets. Tighten the thumbscrew. Set the low. cr guide blocks the sarne way.MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS, Checking the table angle With the table in the horizontal posi tion, remeve the table insert, then butt a combination square against the side of the sam blade as shown. The square should ft flush against the table and blade (right) If there is a gap between the two, loosen the two table lock knobs undemeath the table and make sure the table is seated properly on the table stop. Tighten the lock knobs. if the gap remains, adjust the table stop (step 3) ‘Aligning the table stop Tilt the table out of the way, then use {wo wrenches as shown to adjust the table stop. Use the lower wrench to hold the lock nut stationary and the upper wrench totum the table stop (eft). Tum the stop Clockwise to lower it and counterclockwise toraise it. Recheck the table angle. 125JOINTERS AND PLANERS he team of jointer and thickness planerare responsible for squaring the edges and faces of aworkpiece. The success of any woodworking project rests oon these first crucial steps, soit is essen- tial thatboth machinesare set up prop- ‘SETTING OUTFEED TABLE HEIGHT Gheching table height With the jointer unplugged, use a small wooden wedge to rotate the cutter- hnead unill the edge of one knife fs at its highest point. Then hold a straight hard- wood board on the outfeed table so that it extends over the cutterhead without contacting the infeed table (righ). The rife should just brush against the board, Perform the test along the length of the knife, moving the board from the fence to the rabbeting ledge. Repeat the test for the other Knives. If ¢ knife fails the test, adjust its height (page 4). If rone ofthe knives is level with the board, raise orloner the outfeed table by loosening the table lock and moving the outieed table adjustment handle, erly, Even the most accurate table saw willonly compound errors madeat the jointing and planing stage Accurate jointing depends on precise alignment of the two tables and the fence. Begin by ensuring that the out- feed table is at the same height as the cutting edges ofthe knives at their high- est point, also known as Top Dead Center or TDC (teow). Then check that the tables are perfectly square tothe fence and aligned with each other (page 127) Because it has more moving parts, the thickness planer requires alittle more attention. Most importantly, always check to see that the feed rollers are properly adjusted (page 129) and that the planer’ bed is parallel to thecutter- head along itslength (page 130) Most jointers have 90° positive siops that can be fine-tuned ifthe fence cannot be accurately squared to the table through normal adjustment. For the model shown (left). the 90° positive stop isa spring-loaded plunger that sitsin an index collar. Ta fine-tune the fence position, the index collar is adjusted by means of a setscrew. 126MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS ‘Adjusting the positive stop Ifthe outfoed table is sill not evel with the knives, adjust the jinter’s posi ‘tive stops, which prevent the table from moving out of alignment while in use. For the model shown, fist tighten the .utfeed table lock and loosen the two Jack nuts on the other side of the tool Back off the two positive stops and then adjust the height of the outfeed table with the adjustment handle (step 2) until ‘the table is level withthe knives at their highest point of rotation. Tighten the ‘able lock, Tighten the positive stops as far as they will go, then tighten the lock nul (left. ALIGNING THE TABLES AND FENCE ‘Aligning the tables Remave the jointer’s fence, then raise the infeed table When the tables are perfectly level, tighten the locking screws. to the same height as the cutieed table. Use a straightedge If you have a jointer with gib screws, adjust one or more of the to confirm that the two tables are absolutely level Ifthe align- _gib screws at the back ofthe tool until the straightedge rests iment is nat perfect, adjust the Porizonial postion ofthe tables. flush on both tables (above, right remove the pulley cover, ‘The mode! shown feattzes eccertrc table suppat that can be if necessary, fo access the screws. if you moves the cutfeed adjusted by frst locsening a locking screw and then tepping an table during this process, recheck its height (page 126) adjustment cam with a hammer and screwdhiver (above, let). 127MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS ‘Squaring the fonce with the tables With the fonce set in its vertical pos tion, hold a try square on the outfeed table near the cutterhead and butt the square's blade against the fence, The ‘square should fit flush against the fence. Hf there is any gap between the two, slack- fen the locking handle, tit the fence until iti flush with the square, and retighten the handle (lef). The 90° positive stop ‘shoul be engaged in the index collar. If the fence is stil out-f-squere, adjust the Positive stop (page 126) One of the most common jointing and planing defects is snipe, or @ concave cut ai the trailing end of a workpiece. On a planer, snipe occurs when there is too much play between the table and the fed rollers, and can be corrected by proper feed roller adjusiment (page 123). On a jointer (right), snipe occurs when the out feed table is set lower than the knives at their highest point of rotation, and can be corrected by aligning the out- feed table (page 126). 128MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS PLANERS: Cleaning planer rollers Planer feed rollers can get city quickly nnhen plaring pitch-illed softwoods such a5 pine. Perodically use mineral spirts or 2 solution of ammonia and water with a brass- bristled brush to clean metal feed rollers of pitch and resin, Clean rubber feed rollers with a sharp cabinet scraper (right ‘Adjusting feed rollers ‘Sometimes it is necessary to increase pres- sure on a planers teed rollers, as when planing narrow stock or when stock slips as it's fed into the machine. In elther ‘case, the infeed roller should tirmly grip ‘the board. (Some planers feature a serrat- 0 metal infeed roller; in this case the pressure should be enough to move the board but not so much that the rollers leave a serrated pattern in the board after itis planed.) On most pianers, the fee ralers re adjusted by turing sprirg-toaded screws on top of the mactiine. For the ‘model shown, remove the plastic caps ‘and adjust the hex nuts with an oper-end viench (left). Make sure after adjusting the feed rollers that the table is parallel tothe rollers (page 130). ithe roles co nt carry the wood smoothly through the planer aiter adjustments, clean the rollers ‘or wax the table. 129MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS Lubricating the height adjustment To ensure smooth oferction, periodically clean the planers height adustment mecr- anism, first using a clean, dry cloth to remore sawdust and grease. Then lubricate the threads with a Teflon™-tased lubri- Cent or automotive bearing grease; ail should be avoided as it may stain the wood Checking the table for level To check if your planer’s table is level and parallel to the cutterheed, run two jpinted strips of wood of the same thick- ness through oposite ides of the machine (left), then compare the resulting thick. nesses, If there is a measurable difference, adjust the table according to the manu- facturer’s instructions. If your model of planer has no such adjustment, reset the knives in the cutterhead so that they are slightly lower atthe lower end of the table to compensate for the error 130DRILL PRESSES [Deo er ‘workhorse machines that rarely — iffever—require maintenance. And yet they can slip cut of alignment jus as eas ily as any other stationary power tool Most drill press problems are found in the chuckand table. A table that is not square to the spindle is the most common problem, and is easily reme- died. Runout, or wobble, is amoreseri- cous problem, and can be traced to the ‘The speed of many drill presses is changed by a sys- tem of belts and pulleys housed in the top of the tool To keep the belts at the proper degre of tension, these Ail presses feature a lever that loosens the belts for changing and tightens them to set the correct tension (right). A bel should flex abous 1 inch out of tne ‘SQUARING THE TABLE spindle or chuck, ithe problem lies with the spindle, it can often be fixed simply by striking the spindle with a hammer until it strug; if the chucks at foul, it ‘must be removed and replaced. Do not neglect the drill press’ belts and pulleys in your maintenance. Check thebelts for wear, and always ep them tensioned properly: Periodically check the bearings inthe pulleys, and replace them, if they become worn. Aligning the table Corre Insiall an 8-inch-long steal rod in the drill press chuck as Use a dial indicator to see if there is any runout, or wod- you would a drill bit, then raise the table until it almost touches le, in the chuck (age 105). If there is, rap the rod with a the tod. Butt a try square against the rod as shown; the blade _ball-peen hammer (above) and then measure for runout again should rest flush against it (above). if there isa gap, adjust the 0.005 inch is considered the maximum acceptable amount. table following the manufecturer's instructions. For the model Pull the arm of the dial indicator aut of the way each time you sown, remove the alignment pin under the table, loosen the _tap the rod. table locking bott, and swivel the table until the rod is flush with the square. Tighten the locking belt.MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS REPLACING THE CHUCK Removing and remounting @ chuck Chucks are commonly attached to the auto pes th steed son- UU UA a> dle. (Older models often have chucks that are simply screwed in place.) To remove a fauty chuck tat features 2 SHOP TIP idle, first lower the quill Sehdolind stbldialig her place. Fit an open-end To checkwhether a dril press wrench around the spindle on top of ble 6 square to the spinde, the chuck and give the wrench a sharp upward blow (above). The chuck should end of a 12-inch length slide out. If rot, rotate the spindle and of wire coat ha tuy gain. To ermount the chuck, press ‘ngert one ena of fiitinto the spindle by hand. Then, with pay ee ar the chuck's jaws fully retracted, give the z emai rat Chuck esharp blow witha wooden male. ‘abla lah ‘end of the wire just touches the table. Rotate the wire it should barely scrape the table at all points during its rotation. If not, adjust the table. 132LATHES AND SHAPERS The drive centers ofa lathe should be kept es sharp as your turning tools. If the spursor point ofa drive center are dull or chipped, they will not grip the workpiece properly. Drive centers «ore sharpened on a bench grinder or with «fle (right).A 35° bevel on the underside of each spuar works best. Sanding the lathe bed If your shop is in a humid climate, the bed of your lathe may clean, remove any rust as soon as it appears by sanding the develop a thin layer of rust which can prevent the tailstock bed with fine sandpaper (above), 200-grit or finer, then apply and tool rest from sliding smoothly. To keep the lathe bed a paste wax.MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS Draw-fling the tool rest Because itis made of softer steel than the turning tools used against it, the bearing surface of the tool rest will develop low spots, marks, and nicks with constant use. If not remedied, these imperfections will be transferred to the workpieces you turn, or cause the fool to skip. You can ro- dress a tool rest easily with a singlo-cut bastard mil file, Dravefile tho rest by hold- ing the file at an angle and pushing it across the work from right to left in ever- lapping strokes (left). Continue until you have removed the nicks and hollows, then smooth the surface with 200-grit sandpa- er or emary clth Checking for center alignment ‘Turning between centers requires precise alignment of drive centers between head- stock and tailstock, otherwise you will produce off-center turnings. To see f the drive centers line up, insert a four-spur drive center in the headstock and a live center in the tailstock, Slide the tailstock along the bed up to the headstock (ight ‘The points of the drive centers shoul meet. exactly. If they do not, you may have to shim the tallstock or file down its bese. 134MAINTAINING STATIONARY POWER TOOLS ‘SHAPERS ‘Checking for spindle runout Set a magnetic-base dal indicator face up ‘on the shaper table so the plunger of the device contacts the spindle, Calibrate the ‘2uge to 2r0 folowing the manufacturer's instructions. Then turn the spindle slowly by hand (right). The dial indicator will register spindle runout—the amount of wobble that the spincle wil transfer to the cutter. Perform the test at intervals along the length ofthe spindle, adjusting its height inch ata time, If the runout ‘exceeds 0.005 inch for any ofthe tests, repiace the spindle. Squaring the fences The two halves of a shaper fence—or @ router table fence—must be perfect par- allel, otherwise your cuts will be uneven. To square the fences on a shaper, first loosen the fence locking handles. Hold a straightedge against the fences. The two halves should butt against the straight- ‘edge (eft) If not, add wood shims behind the fences until they are parallel. 135