Bill Hylton's Power-Tool Joinery

131 Pages·2005·106.924 MB·English

by  Bill Hylton

jo_cover 4/9/05 07:32 Page 1
200502161 REGENT F&W-BILL HYLTON’S POWER-TOOL JOINERY (K-HYF) Cover
WOODWORKING Bill Hylton’s
LEARN FROM AN EXPERT
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HOW TO MAKE THE TEN BEST JOINTS i
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USING YOUR POWER TOOLS! H
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In Bill Hylton’s Power-Tool Learn to cut these strong,
Joineryyou’ll learn shop- tightly fitted joints with just a I
N
tested techniques and few basic power tools:
explanations as to the why’s • Edge joints E
and how’sofjoinery.Also • Dado joints
R
included are plans for jigs and • Rabbet joints
fixtures that will help you cut • Miter joints Y
individual joints accurately • Splined joints
and safely.This in-depth • Sliding dovetail joints
guide will have you cutting • Dovetail joints
joints like a pro in no time! • Lap and half-lap joints
Bill Hylton is a master woodworker with over 25 years of experience
• Mortise-and-tenon joints making noise, dirt and the occasional piece of furniture in his base-
• Biscuit joints ment woodshop. He writes the “Power-Tool Joinery” column for
Popular Woodworkingmagazine, is a frequent contributor to
Woodworker’s Journaland is the author of over ten woodworking books.
Look for these fine titles also from Popular Woodworking Books UK £15.99 US $24.99
70691 (CAN $35.99)
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR MAKING STRONG JOINTS
C N
UP EA PWOPOUOLADR
WORKING WITH POWER TOOLS
BOOKS

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Bill Hylton’s
Power-Tool
JOINERY
POPULAR WOODWORKING BOOKS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
www.popularwoodworking.com
jo_002_R1 4/29/05 1:59 AM Page 2
E To prevent accidents,keep safety in METRIC CONVERSION CHART
C mind while you work.Use the safety
to convert to multiply by
I guards installed on power equipment;
T Inches Centimeters 2.54
they are for your protection.When
O Centimeters Inches 0.4
working on power equipment,keep fin-
N Feet Centimeters 30.5
gers away from saw blades,wear safety
Centimeters Feet 0.03
Y goggles to prevent injuries from flying
Yards Meters 0.9
T wood chips and sawdust,wear head-
E phones to protect your hearing and con- Meters Yards 1.1
F sider installing a dust vacuum to reduce Sq. Inches Sq. Centimeters 6.45
A the amount ofairborne sawdust in your Sq. Centimeters Sq. Inches 0.16
S woodshop.Don’t wear loose clothing, Sq. Feet Sq. Meters 0.09
such as neckties or shirts with loose
Sq. Meters Sq. Feet 10.8
T
sleeves,or jewelry,such as rings,neck-
N Sq. Yards Sq. Meters 0.8
laces or bracelets,when working on
A Sq. Meters Sq. Yards 1.2
power equipment.Tie back long hair to
T Pounds Kilograms 0.45
prevent it from getting caught in your
R Kilograms Pounds 2.2
equipment.People who are sensitive to
O Ounces Grams 28.4
certain chemicals should check the chem-
P ical content ofany product before using Grams Ounces 0.035
M it.The authors and editors who compiled
this book have tried to make the contents
I Bill Hylton’s Power-Tool Joinery.Copyright © 2005 by Bill Hylton.
as accurate and correct as possible.Plans, Printed and bound in China.All rights reserved.No part ofthis book
S
I illustrations,photographs and text have may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical
H means including information storage and retrieval systems without
been carefully checked.All instructions,
permission in writing from the publisher,except by a reviewer,who
T
plans and projects should be carefully may quote briefpassages in a review.Published by Popular Wood-
read,studied and understood before be- working Books,an imprint ofF&W Publications,Inc.,4700 East Gal-
D
braith Road,Cincinnati,Ohio,45236.First edition.
ginning construction.Due to the vari-
A
ability oflocal conditions,construction
Visit our Web site at www.popularwoodworking.com for information
E
materials,skill levels,etc.,neither the on more resources for woodworkers.
R
author nor Popular Woodworking
Other fine Popular Woodworking Books are available from your local
Books assumes any responsibility for
bookstore or direct from the publisher.
any accidents,injuries,damages or other
losses incurred resulting from the mate- 09 08 07 06 05 5 4 3 2 1
rial presented in this book.Prices listed
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
for supplies and equipment were current
Hylton,William H.
at the time ofpublication and are sub-
Bill Hylton’s power-tool joinery / Bill Hylton.
ject to change.Glass shelving should p. cm.
have all edges polished and must be Includes index.
ISBN 1-55870-738-7 (pbk.:alk.paper)
tempered.Untempered glass shelves
ISBN-13: 978-1-55870-932-4 (EPUB)
may shatter and can cause serious bodily
ISBN 1-55870-766-2 (Hardcover:alk.paper)
injury.Tempered shelves are very strong 1.Woodwork. 2.Joinery. 3.Power tools. I.Title:Power-tool
and ifthey break,will only crumble, joinery II.Title.
TT185.H9 2005
minimizing personal injury.
684’.083--dc22 2004027514
ACQUISITIONS EDITOR:Jim Stack
EDITOR:Amy Hattersley
DESIGNER:Brian Roeth
TECHNICAL ILLUSTRATIONS:Jim Stack
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR:Jennifer Wagner
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M O R T I S E - A N D - T E N O N J O I N T S
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I acknowledge up front that I didn’t
write this entire book all by myself
with no help from anybody.I know
you are shocked.Shocked! But that’s
the way it is.
I’m indebted to a long list ofpeople
who inched me toward this project.
Several years ago,Steve Shanesy and
Chris Schwarz ofPopular Woodworking
magazine,spurred by ad director Don
Schroder,a friend and former col-
league,gave me an opportunity to
write a regular column on power-tool
joinery.The column,ofcourse,provid-
ed a huge mound ofgrist for this book.
A friend,neighbor,and former of-
ficemate,Ken Burton,author ofCut-
Photo credit: Ned Hylton
ABOUT THE AUTHOR ting-Edge Tables Saw Tips & Tricks,put
Bill Hylton is a longtime woodworker me in touch with Jim Stack ofPopular
and woodworking writer.He writes a Woodworking Books.Jim accepted my
column on Power Tool Joinery for Pop- proposal for this book,and he and his
ular Woodworkingmagazine and is a colleagues helped worm the book out
frequent contributor to Woodworker’s ofme.
Journal.He has written many wood- I’m indebted to my friend Donna
working books,including Illustrated Chiarelli,a professional photographer,
Cabinetmaking,Router Magic,Country for her photographic guidance,advice
Pine,Woodworking with the Router and tips — all sound and all free.I’m
(with Fred Matlack),Handcrafted also indebted to Mr.Tripod and Mr.
Shelves and Cabinets(with Amy Row- Self-Timer for their invaluable assis-
land) and Chests ofDrawers. tance in doing the photography.(Too
bad they aren’t more helpful around
the woodshop.)
Editor Amy Hattersley pried copy
and visuals from me and wouldn’t let
me get too far offschedule.After all
my words and photos and drawings on
the topic were turned in,Jim Stack
dove into the morass and extricated
the book you hold in your hands.
Good work,Jim!
I won’t go into the whole grim busi-
ness ofhow I toiled with this book.
Suffice it to say,the love and support
and,yes,the occasional tart remark
and ongoing forbearance ofmy wife,
Judi,was essential.Thanks honey.
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S
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T
CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO
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edge joints...8 dado joints...18
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C
CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN
sliding dovetail dovetails...72
joints...60
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INTRODUCTION 6 SUPPLIERS 127 INDEX 128
CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE
rabbet joints...30 miter joints...39 splined joints...50
CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN
half-lap joints...81 mortise-and-tenon biscuitry...114
joints...93
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INTRODUCTION
This book is a basic joint-cutting manual. It tells — and shows —
how to cut the fundamental tried-and-true woodworking joints.
When I first started doing woodworking, You’ll find chapters on dadoes,rabbets,
about a quarter century ago,I had the notion miters,mortises and tenons,half-blind dove-
that hand tools were the way to do it.A more tails and several other fundamental joints.
pure form.It didn’t take very long to grasp These are the joints whose history is testa-
that power tools are a whole lot more effi- ment to their usefulness.Visit a good muse-
cient for most jobs.Not only are they easier um and study the old furniture;you’ll see
and faster to use,but more accurate as well. that these joints are what hold that 250-year-
With hand tools,each cut is dependent on old chest or chair together.
the accuracy of your layout,on your steadi- A couple of chapters look closely at indus-
ness of hand,on your fine-motor skills and trial-age joints.The lock miter,the drawer
your strength and stamina.With power tools, lock,the biscuit joint.While they lack the
on the other hand,the machine setup or a jig centuries-old tradition,these joints have a
or fixture often eliminates the need for mark- long-enough history to warrant respect.And
ing layout on individual parts,allowing you they’re strictly machine cut.
to knock out cut after uniform cut in part Everything in this book is shop tested.Not
after part. all the techniques and approaches discussed
So face it.I did.Power tools are practical. are personal favorites,but I’ve tried them and
Moreover,the power tools I use are the know they work.In explaining “how”to
fundamental ones:a table saw and routers, make a cut,I also try to explain “why.”How
primarily.There are exceptions,of course.A to do a job may be easier to assimilate if you
biscuit joiner,for example,is the only practi- grasp why it’s being done a certain way.And
cal tool for making biscuit joints.The tool knowing why may lead you to another way
was invented to make the joint,and without that’s better for you — maybe better period.
it,the joint wouldn’t exist. Which leads me to the next point.
The emphasis here is on practical joinery. There’s always more than one way to han-
You’ll learn how to select a joint that’s appro- dle a task.I have tried pretty conscientiously
priate for your application,several ways to to present more than one way to cut every
cut it and how to assemble it. joint.For example,cutting rabbets on the
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I N T R O D U C T I O N 7
What is original,I
think,is the logical,thor-
ough,in-depth presenta-
tion.As a basic operating
manual,the book has to
cover those solid,tradi-
tional techniques,as well
as newer approaches.
Likewise,the information
must be easy to find,
complete and clearly pre-
sented.It has to be down
to earth and practical.
table saw is pretty straightforward.You can When you have a question,when you can’t
do it with an everyday blade.But for a lot of remember an operation’s exact sequence of
rabbets,you might benefit from using a dado steps,you’ll be able to quickly flip to the
cutter in the saw.I explain the ins and outs of proper page.
that procedure.You can also do the job with A basic operating manual is exactly what
a router,running the portable tool across the I’ve produced here;a systematic,thorough
stock or running the stock across a router guidebook to cutting joints.Here,you’ll find
table.All of these techniques are in here. an index and cross references.Cutting laps is
I’ve included plans for jigs and fixtures that a lot like cutting tenons,for example,so you’ll
will help you cut individual joints accurately, find cross references from one chapter to an-
safely and with less hassle.Sure,you can open other where such references are pertinent.
your wallet and buy some version of a lot of Finally,let me emphasize that using power
these jigs.But why buy a jig if you can make tools isn’t risk free.While all the techniques
it? You are a woodworker,aren’t you? I’ve described here are things I’ve done repeat-
It won’t shock you to learn that none of edly and consider to be safe,none are fool-
this info is really original.Cutting a dado is proof.Ultimately,you are the one at risk,and
cutting a dado.Usually,the best techniques you have to decide before you try something
are the tried-and-true ones. whether or not you are comfortable doing it.
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C H A P T E R
1
EJOINTS
The edge joint may be the fundamental joint
Gin woodworking.
Anytime you need a solid-wood panel
that’s more than 6" or 8" wide,you create it
by gluing two or more narrow boards edge to
edge.Casework,tabletops,door panels,draw-
D
er fronts,shelves,headboards and footboards
all require boards or panels of a width that
outstrips available stock and the capacity of
shop machinery.
E