Archive-name: woodworking/faq/faq Last-modified: 3/17/94 Copyright (c) 1994 by James J. Roche. All rights reserved. I have been reading and archiving rec.woodworking since its inception as net.rec.wood back in 1984. Below are some of the topics that seem to come up frequently. If you have any constructive comments please let me know. If there is something you would like to see added please pass it on to me. TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1). Should I buy a table saw or a radial arm saw? 2). Which type of dado blade should I buy, the dial (wobble type) or the stacking (chipper type)? 3). How do I cut the perfect dado if both types of dado blades have shortcomings? 4). Should I buy a Sears blurfl? 5). Should I buy a Taiwanese clone blurfl? 6). How do I remove paint? 7). Should I use a hot melt glue gun for my next project? 8). Where can I get plans for the New Yankee Workshop projects? 9). What is the best woodworking magazine? 10). What is a board foot? 11). What is the correct way to handle the glue squeeze out problem? 12). What books should I purchase to learn about various aspects of woodworking? 13). How do I finish toys so that they are non-toxic? 14). What size drill bit do I use for a wood screw? 15). How do I finish the edge of plywood? 16). Which saw blade should I buy? 17). Where are the archives for rec.woodworking? 18). Where can I find cradle plans? 19). Where can I find futon plans? 20). Where can I get information about particle board? 21). What are some of the common woodworking terms/abbreviations? 22). How do I finish a cutting board? 1). Should I buy a table saw or a radial arm saw? Table saws work best for ripping. Radial arm saws work best for crosscutting, but are limited by their arm's length. Both saws will perform both tasks. The radial arm is more adaptable for non-sawing tasks. For instance, overhead routing, surface planing, and drum sanding attachments are available for some radial arm saws. You can buy a disk sanding attachment for use on most table saws. Ripping on the radial arm saw is difficult because it is necessary to push the lumber under the motor housing. This problem can be minimized by use of pushsticks and holddown wheels. Maximum rip width is normally limited by the length of the arm. Building a secondary rip fence on the other side of the table from the column will enable you to rip wider pieces, but the off-cut piece width is then limited. Radial arm saws are more prone to overheating during rips in thick wood since the teeth stay in the cut longer, unless you cut substantially into the table top and even then there is no place for the sawdust to exit. Crosscutting on the table saw is difficult because it is tough to keep a board much longer than 4 ft square to the blade. This problem can be minimized by building a good sliding panel cutter. Some table saws have built-in sliding tables, and aftermarket sliding table attachments are available for most saws. A couple of saws have sliding arbors, enabling them to work as inverted radial arm saws. The arbors typically don't slide as far as the length of many radial arms (for a review of 2 of these saws, see the April 1992 issue of FWW). Both saws are capable of accurate work. The radial arm saw, with its cantilevered arm attached to a cantilevered column, is typically less rigid than the table saw, which usually have their arbor trunions bolted to the table in a wide pattern. Worn arm bearing in radial arm saws can also contribute to wander in the cut. In table saws, play of the miter gauge bar will adversely affect accuracy. Both table saws and radial arm saws need to be aligned to work optimally. There are more aligning tasks to be performed on a radial arm saw than on a table saw. Radial arm saws typically require realignment more frequently than table saw, perhaps because of the stresses put on the cantilevered assemblies. Radial arm saws don't need as much space around them as table saws for performing equivalent tasks. On the radial arm saw, boards are always oriented the same way whether you are ripping or crosscutting, so you need space to the left and right of the blade, and only as wide as the widest board you're cutting. On the table saws, boards are oriented at right angles depending on whether you're ripping or crosscutting. Thus, you need space in front and in back for ripping, and to the left and right as well for crosscutting. It seems to be easier to engineer and manufacture a table saw than a radial arm saw, which has more moving parts that must withstand large forces without deflection or play. It can therefore be argued that if you're on a budget, a cheap table saw may work better for you than a cheap radial arm saw. Some people say the radial arm saw is more dangerous because the blade is exposed above the work surface, and because the blade's location varies as the cut progresses. Angled crosscutting is particularly dangerous since the blade is now cutting where one normally holds the work. The spin direction of the blade tends to lift the work off of the table when ripping, and can pull the carriage into the work (resulting in binding of the saw or serious injury to a careless operator) in the crosscut position. So-called "safety-blades" have a shoulder in front of each tooth, thus limiting the amount of pull generated and reducing these tendencies. Some people say the table saw is more dangerous because you can't see where the blade is like you can with the radial arm saw. On the other hand, the blade is always in the same spot on the table. The spin action of the table saw's blade tends to keep the work down on the table, but it can also throw the work, and off-cuts, back at the operator. Both machines are very dangerous and should be treated with much respect. As with all tool buying decisions, you should consider your intended applications, both now and in the future. The general consensus is that if you're building things like jungle gyms, house additions, or trim work (moldings), a radial arm saw may be best. If you're building things like fine furniture or cabinets, a table saw may be more a more appropriate choice. A number of people have reported that the addition of a motorized miter box to a table saw is a satisfying combination. Taunton Press publishes a softcover book titled "Fine Woodworking on The Small Workshop." It contains a number of articles on designing and buying equipment for small shops, but is geared to furnituremaking. The majority of the recommendations are for getting a table saw first, with one writer claiming a bandsaw is the first tool to buy. 2). Which type of dado blade should I buy, the dial (wobble type) or the stacking (chipper type)? The wobble type is very simple to use with infinite settings between approximately 1/4 inch and 13/16 inch. It does not produce true right angle cuts because of the design. The chipper type doesn't have the same infinite setting for width. You can achieve nearly infinite settings by adding shims with thicknesses of 1/32, 1/64, 1/128, etc. It will cut a square bottom on the dado, but it will also leave 2 grooves on the edges of the dado. The reason for this is that the blades are slightly larger than the chippers. The larger blades are to reduce the splintering. The blades can be reground to be equal to the size of the chippers at the possible cost of increased splintering. Some say the grooves are a benefit because they provide relief for gluing joints. Many people claim that the wobble type is easier to set up. The August 1991 Fine Woodworking further studies the features of the various types of dado blades. 3). How do I cut the perfect dado if both types of dado blades have shortcomings? Your best bet would be to cut it with a router. 4). Should I buy a Sears blurfl? Most people agree that the Sears stationary power tools sold today aren't the same quality as the Sears tools sold 20 years ago. It can be argued that if you can't afford to buy a Delta, then you should be looking at one of the Taiwanese clones rather than looking at Sears. 5). Should I buy a Taiwanese clone blurfl? It depends on how much money you have. If you can afford the Delta blurfl you should probably get it. Buyers should be wary that not all Taiwanese clones are quality machines. The general consensus is that Grizzly has good quality control. It should be noted that some of Delta tools are now being made in Taiwan. One would hope that Delta quality control is better than some of the cheaper imports. 6). How do I remove paint? There are many ways to strip paint from wood. Paint can be removed by scraping and/or sanding. Paint can be removed by using chemical paint removers. Paint can be removed by using heat. Paint can be removed by sandblasting. Paint can be removed by a new product known as Peel-Away. Rumor has it that oven cleaner also works. If you know of another way to remove paint please feel free to pass the information along. 7). Should I use a hot melt glue gun for my next project? The general consensus is that hot melt glue is not adequate for woodworking projects. However, hot melt glue guns can have a place in the shop. Many people like to use them for tacking items together such as when building forms or jigs. 8) Where can I get plans for the New Yankee Workshop projects? Plans for any of Norm's projects can be ordered for $7.50 from (project name) New Yankee Workshop P.O. Box 645 Bedford, MA 01730 Videos, which include a copy of the plans, cost $24.95 plus shipping and handling, from 800-272-0280. Both the address and phone number are given at the end of each show. Most of the projects from the first two seasons are in the two New Yankee Workshop books. For the workbench, one important dimension is *not* given in the book, though it can, I think, be calculated. 9) What is the best woodworking magazine? There are many good woodworking magazines. Two that are frequently recommended in this group are Fine Woodworking and Woodsmith. Fine Woodworking is a bit on the artsy side and more for the experienced woodworker. It does not get into the small details of a project. Woodsmith provides much more details for projects. Woodsmith is well suited for both the amateur and experienced woodworker. 10) What is a board foot? A board foot is a common unit used in the measurement of wood. It is equal to 1 foot length x 1 foot width x 1 inch thick. It should be noted that the thickness is nominal thickness. After drying and surfacing the usual thickness of a 1 inch board is 13/16. A board 10 feet long x 1 foot wide x 2 inches thick would be equal to 20 board feet. 11) What is the correct way to handle the glue squeeze out problem? Use the right amount of glue. The (obvious) danger is a glue starved joint. Wipe off the excess glue immediately with a damp sponge or paper towel. This method gets mixed reviews. Some claim the water-glue mixture will soak into the wood and show up when the piece is finished. Others say that this is not a problem. The effectiveness of this method probably depends on the type of wood and finish that are used. Allow the glue to harden somewhat (1/2 - 2 hrs) and then chisel/scrape it off. Some recommend removing the glue after it begins to film over. Either finish the pieces ahead of time or apply paste wax. This should prevent the glue from sticking. The problem with this is removing the paste wax prior to finishing. Use a plastic drinking straw cut at 45 degrees to scoop the glue out of the inside corner. As the straw fills up, it can be trimmed to provide a fresh surface. 12) What books should I purchase to learn about various aspects of woodworking? Thanks to Ken Smith (kensmith@cs.Buffalo.EDU) for providing the ISBN numbers along with a couple of additions to the list. GENERAL WOODWORKING Cabinetmaking and Millwork - John L. Feirer ISBN 0-02-675950-0 New Yankee Workshop - Norm Abram ISBN 0-316-00454-5 Classics From The New Yankee Workshop - Norm Abram ISBN 0-316-00455-3 Mostly Shaker - Norm Abram ISBN 0-316-00473-1 Encyclopedia of Furniture Making - Ernest Joyce ISBN 0-8069-6441-3 FINISHING The Woodfinishing Book - Michael Dresdner ISBN 1-56158-037-6 INTRODUCTORY WOODWORKING Basic Woodworking - Sunset Books ISBN 0-376-0-1628-0 JOINERY Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking: Joinery Tools and Techniques - Tage Frid ISBN 0-918804-03-5 Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking: Shaping, Veneering, Finishing - Tage Frid ISBN 0-918804-11-6 (out of print though) Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking: Furniture Projects - Tage Frid ISBN 0-918804-40-X TOOLS Router Jigs and Techniques - Patrick Spielman ISBN 0-8069-6694-7 200 Original Shop Aids & Jigs for Woodworkers -Rosario Capotosto WOOD Understanding Wood - R. Bruce Hoadley ISBN 0-918804-05-1 13) How do I finish toys so that they are non-toxic? a. Behlens Salad Bowl Finish. This product has been approved by the FDA for use on objects that will come in contact with food. It produces a nice, semi-gloss finish. b. Any vegetable oil. Could become rancid after a period of time. c. Walnut oil. It reacts with the air and hardens into a true finish. It works particularly well when the oil is heated and the item is dipped into the warm oil. Available at health food or large grocery stores. Don't buy the gourmet stuff! d. Mineral oil or vaseline. e. Water-based polyurethanes. These are new products which are very different from the more familiar oil-based polyurethanes. They are totally non-toxic, dry quickly, and have no strong odors when applying. f. Pure Tung Oil. It has no driers or solvents. It is essentially just a vegetable oil but produces a nice finish that won't go rancid. Use only Tung Oil that is "pure". g. Rumor has it that shellac is also safe once it dries. I have been unable to verify this. h. Watco claims its oils are suitable for food or baby use if they've been allowed to dry for 30 days or more. They claim that it takes this time for full polymerization. i. Paint. Some paints claim to be non-toxic when dry. h. Leave items unfinished. If you are unsure about any finish you plan to use, contact the manufacturer and request the information. You can also request an MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet). 14) What size drill bit do I use for a wood screw? Screw Gage Shank Shank Pilot Pilot Number Hole Size Soft Wd Hard Wd 0 1/16 .060 1/64 1/32 1 5/64 .073 1/32 1/32 2 3/32 .086 1/32 3/64 3 7/64 .099 3/64 1/16 4 7/64 .112 3/64 1/16 5 1/8 .125 1/16 5/64 6 9/64 .138 1/16 5/64 7 5/32 .151 1/16 3/32 8 11/64 .164 5/64 3/32 9 3/16 .177 5/64 7/64 10 3/16 .190 3/32 7/64 11 13/64 3/32 1/8 12 7/32 .216 7/64 1/8 14 1/4 .242 7/64 9/64 16 17/64 .268 9/64 5/32 18 19/64 .294 9/64 3/16 20 21/64 .320 11/64 13/64 15) How do I finish the edge of plywood? a) Wood tape. It comes in 2 forms, one that can be ironed on, and one that can be contact cemented on. The tape is approximately 1 inch wide, and can be trimmed with a plane, router, or knife. b) Glue strips of wood, either purchased or cut from lumber. 16). Which saw blade should I buy? There is an excellent article on evaluating carbide tipped sawblades in issue #72 of Fine Homebuilding (March 1992). To summarize the article: An expensive blade will typically last longer than a cheap blade and the cost difference is made up by the number of extra sharpenings available from the investment. A blade that has been tensioned will run truer and cost more than a blade that hasn't been tensioned. Carbide blades will last up to 60 times longer than steel blades. 17). Where are the archives for rec.woodworking? There are 2 archives that I know about. The first is ftp.cs.purdue.edu in /pub/sjc/woodworking. Currently it contains a list of Woodsmith plans. The second is ftp.cs.rochester.edu in /pub/rec.woodworking. Currently it contains summaries of past discussions of tools, some safety related notes, and some of the FAQ postings. Below is the current list of files available for ftp from cs.rochester.edu: 15496 Sep 28 14:48 address 128083 Oct 7 11:36 bandsaw 51637 Sep 28 15:21 biscuit_joiners 6125 Oct 28 09:13 crib_safety 42264 Oct 1 09:05 dust_collect 106944 Sep 29 09:29 jointer 15746 Sep 28 16:03 miter_saw 16610 Oct 5 13:39 motors 52704 Sep 29 10:51 planer 44905 Oct 1 14:15 radial_saw 140134 Oct 6 13:01 routers 54977 Feb 19 11:19 ryobi.bt3000 48837 Oct 27 10:35 sander_belt 42432 Oct 27 10:39 sander_misc 47661 Oct 27 10:40 sander_random-orbit 7975 Feb 5 12:44 sawzall 34745 Oct 1 09:23 scrollsaw 27066 Nov 12 11:27 shop_heat 26377 Oct 28 09:17 toy_safety 18). Where can I find cradle plans? 1. Garrett Wade $9.95 for plans for a "rocking cradle item number 14A03.SA in their 1993 tools catalog 2. The Woodworkers' Store $4.95 for plans for a "four post cradle" item number 40360 in their 1991-2 catalog 3. The August 1990 issue of Fine Woodworking has an article about making a cradle. 4. Bartley offers a cradle kit for $199. If it's up to the quality of their other kits, this should be good. 5. Woodsmith issue #48 - cradle with frame and panel ends with arched-top panels. 19). Where can I find futon plans? 1. TODAYS WOODWORKER JULY/AUG 1989, VOL 1 NO. 4 Queen size futon folded in half length wise. Very attractive Futon sofa bed frame for queen size futon (possibly Swedish modern). Unfolds to make bed, breaks down for moving. Elegant design with lots of mortise and tenon joinery. 2. WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL NOV/DEC 1992 VOL 16 NO. 6 "Standard" futon frame for standard 2 fold futon. Classic bi fold futon frame for queen size futon. The plans claim to be (and appear to be) appropriate for "even beginning woodworkers". 3. Fine Woodworking July/August '89 NO. 77 4. Specialty Furniture Designs (800-892-4026) Design "WSN-15" $14.95 Catalog $2.00 Attractive (modern) Sofa like futon frame fro singe fold futon (futon folds once (the long way)). Plans for both twin (39 x 75) and full (54 x 75). Plans are a large single sheet of blue print like drawings with associated text, construction looks reasonable and pictures of the finished project look good, but the plans are a bit intimidating 5. Popular Woodworking SEP 1992, issue #68 "Knock-Down Couch" Attractive Mission / Craftsman like design for a sturdy, knock-down couch. The plans are not specifically for futons but could be easily adapted to a single fold futon (might not need to be adapted). 20). Where can I get information about particle board? The following was provided by Stavros Macrakis (macrakis@osf.org) and was added to the FAQ with his permission. ********************************************************************* For technical information on particleboard (PB), the National Particleboard Association puts out some very nice free pamphlets, which I summarize below. Although they are basically addressed to industrial users, they cover particleboard joint techniques quite well for the rest of us. Some of the facts about joints are very surprising. I've tried to summarize the essential information below, but you can also order copies from: NPA, 18928 Premiere Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20879. Specifier's Guide to PB and MDF Abstract There are 15 ANSI grades of particleboard, with diverse properties. For instance, face screwing strength varies from 90-450 lb, stiffness from 80,000-500,000 psi. Recommendations are given for matching grade to use. Dowel Holding Strength of PB and MDF Abstract Dowels joints are one of the cost common adhesive-based furniture assembly joints. Dowelling is a simple, inexpensive, and reliable means of making butt and miter joints. Joint strength is largely determined by the holding power of the dowels. Use good quality dowels, diameter <= 0.5x the stock thickness. The longer the dowel, the greater the strength. Holes should be 0.005" oversized for edges, same as dowel on faces. Use 60%+ solids content PVA adhesive, applying glue to both dowel and hole wall, with slight squeeze-out. Adhesive-based Corner Joints for PB and MDF Abstract The thicker the panel, the stronger the joint. Simple butt joints' strength is limited by delamination; glue blocks or edge banding help. Dowel joints are standard, and work well; they should be glued only at the dowels, NOT between edge and face (!). Four dowels for 18" are standard. Biscuits have equivalent strength, but are easier to align at assembly. The strength of a well-made simple miter joint without reinforcement (dowels, etc.) is generally comparable to that of dowelled butt joints (!); dowels add little strength, but splines and biscuits do. Rabbets 1/3-1/2 the depth of the panel make strong joints, but tend to split. Dados are better, but less attractive. Rabbet and dado butt corner joints (= dado and tenon = dado box corner) combine a dado on one panel and a rabbet on the other. Dowelled butt joints are stronger (!). Dovetails are excellent, but require precise and time-consuming machining. Molded polyurethane joints (plastic splines) are as strong as or stronger than dowel joints. Metal Fasteners for PB and MDF Abstract Screws, nails, and staples are widely used. Screws are strongest. The type of screw affects strength by only +-10% (!), but PB screws are less likely to break. Screw diameter affects strength little, but screw length directly affects it. Screw diameter should not exceed 20% of stock thickness. High internal bond strength PB holds screws better. Edge screws have half the strength of face screws. Use full-length pilot holes; shorter holes do not increase strength. Ideal tightening is 3/4 turn past flush on the face; 3/8 past flush on the edge. Applying glue in the hole can increase strength as much as 45%. Staples are used for attaching fabric, etc., and to hold glued joints. Nails split panels, so should be >3" from a corner, and >6" apart. Ring shank nails hold better, plastic coated best. Drive them at an angle. Mechanically-based Corner joints for PB and MDF Abstract Most bolt and cam joints are 20-50% weaker than dowelled joints. Screw joints are comparable. Plastic corner block units can be much stronger in outward bending, but only comparably strong in inward. Even when they are equally strong, mechanically-based joints are often less rigid. These systems are most useful for ready-to-assemble manufactured kit furniture. Particle Shelf Systems (Builder's Bulletin #1) (not seen) All the above are free. They also sell: Particleboard from Start to Finish $12.50 Abstract (theirs, I haven't seen this) Ten chapters (120pp) of useful information for users of PB. Includes information on material handling and storage, sanding, machining and tooling, laminating, wet finishing, edge treatments, assembly and fastening, construction products, shelving and formaldehyde. MDF from Start to Finish $7.50 Similar abstract, 42 pp. ********************************************************************* 21). What are some of the common woodworking terms/abbreviations? HVLP - high volume/low pressure RAS - radial arm saw ROS - random orbital sander S2S - smooth 2 sides - surfaced 2 sides 22). How do I finish a cutting board? See the answer to question 13. -- Jim Roche roche@cs.rochester.edu University of Rochester Computer Science Department Rochester, NY 14627 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: 08-26-94 Msg # 24572 To: ALL Conf: (2120) news.answers From: roche@cs.rochester.edu Stat: Public Subj: rec.woodworking Frequentl Read: No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ÿ@SUBJECT:rec.woodworking Frequently Requested Addresses ÿ@PACKOUT:08-26-94 Message-ID: Newsgroups: rec.woodworking,news.answers,rec.answers Organization: University of Rochester Computer Science Dept Archive-name: woodworking/addresses/list Last-modified: 7/20/94 Copyright (c) 1994 by James J. Roche. All rights reserved. Some of the more popular addresses/phone numbers used by woodworkers are included below. If you want to see some addresses added to this list please let me know. This is compiled from messages that have been posted to the group over the past few years, and from vendors that I have used. This is not an endorsement of any of the vendors listed. ******************************************************************* Acurate Screw Machine Co (201) 661-2600 19 Baltimore Street (201) 661-3408 (FAX) Nutley, NJ 07110 Every oddball fastener you could think of. Advanced Machinery Sales (AMS) (302) 322-2226 POB 312 New Castle, DE 19720 Selling Hegner, Felder, AMI AMT (American Machine and Tool Company) (215) 948-0400 Fourth Avenue and Spring Street Royersford, PA 19468 Name is somewht of a misnomer since much if not all the tools are imports. Similar to Grizzly catalog with more hand tools. Arrowsmith & Lang-Borne (304) 584-4246 Washington & Main St. Box 126 (800) 544-4283 Lumberport WV 26386 Dust collector parts. Variety of sizes and gauges. Also has a booklet on dust collection for woodworkers. Ballew Saw & Tool (800) 288-7483 325 S. Kimbrough (417) 865-7511 Springfield, MO 65806 Shaper cutters, amana router bits, freud blades. The Bartley Collection (800) 787-2800 29060 Airpark Drive Easton MD 21601 Antique Reproduction Furniture Kits, typically 17th. 18th. century stuff, the woods of choice are Mahogany and Cherry. The pieces range from small tables, stools, mirrors, etc to large highboys, four poster beds etc. Prices for kits ranges from about $100 to $3,000. No plans are available. Berea Hardwoods (216) 234-7949 6367 Eastland Rd. Berea OH 44017 "Specializing in unusual woods, but also a good source for more mundane species. The proprietor is fun to talk to." Bob Morgan's Woodworking Supplies (502) 456-2545 1123 Bardstown Road Louisville, KY 40204 Hardwoods, veneers, veneering tools and hand tools. Bratton Machinery & Supply Inc. 1015 Commercial ST. PO Box 20408 Tallahassee FL 32316 [no other information] Bridge City Tool Works (800) 253-3332 Squares and straightedges. Very high prices and quality. Brookstone Orders: (603) 924-9541 (24 hours) 127 Vose Farm Road Customer service: (603)924-9511 9-5 EST Peterborough, NH 03458 Unusual tools with a number of gadgets. Nice catalog. Brookstone has a numnber of stores around the country. You can sometimes find specific items for less elsewhere. Burdens Surplus (800) 488-3407 1015 West "O" St. (402) 474-4055 Lincoln, NE 68501-2209 Burden's has a large selection of new and used motors, pumps, blowers and the like at reasonable prices. Cascade Tool Co. (800) 235-0272 Box 848 In WA 236-027M-F 7-7 PT Mercer Island, WA Router and shaper bits. All kinds. Certainly Wood (716) 655-0206 11753 Big Tree Road, Rt. 20A (716) 655-3446 (FAX) East Aurora, NY 14052 Large selection of veneers and exotic hardwoods. Cherry Tree Toys (614) 484-4363 (24 hours) POB 369, Belmont, OH 43718 Wood toys. Kits, parts, plans, books. Chown Hardware & Machinery (800) 547-1930 333 N.W. 16th Ave Oregon (800) 452-7634 Portland, OR 97209 Local (503) 243-6500 This company has been around a long time, since 1879. Nice catalog, fair prices, and a flyer that they send out every month with the current specials. Constantines (800) 223-8087 2050 Eastchester Road In NY (800)822-1202 -disconnected 10/92 Bronx, NY 10461 Probably the oldest woodworking company in the country (176 years) Wide selection of tools, woods, veneers, and hardware. Craft Supplies USA (801) 373-0917 1287 East 1120 South Provo, Utah 84601 They specialize in wood turning supplies, Lathes, Bandsaws Turning Chisels, Chucks, some wood, and parts for turnings; like pepper mills, etc. Craftman's Corner, Inc. 515-265-3239 4012 N.E. 14th Street P.O. Box AP Des Moines, Iowa 50302 [no other information] Craftsman Wood Service Company (708) 629-3100 1735 W. Cortland CT (312) 629-3100 Addison, IL 60101 Small format hand tools and related supplies. Veneer,hard wood,turning blocks,excellent selection of hardware, books and plans and toys. Craftwoods (800) 468-7070 2101 Greenspring Dr. Tionium MD 21093 Common and wxotic woods, carving tools, bird carving items, books, videos, and classes. Cryder Creek Wood Shoppe (800) 642-9663 Box 19 In NY (607) 356-3303 9-4 EST Whitesville, NY 14897 Woodturner's supplies Delta International (800) 438-2486 4290 E. Raines Road (800) 223-7278 Parts and Service Memphis TN 38118 Stationary power tools. Duane Dahlvang Sales & Dist. (800) 637-6606 21344 Avenue 332 (209) 564-8073 (FAX) Woodlake, CA 93286 Airstream Dust and Spray Helmets Eagle America (216) 286-9334 PO Box 1099 (216) 286-7643 (FAX) Chardon, Ohio 44024 (800) 872-2511 (orders) Router Bits Econ-Abrasives (800) 367-4101 PO Box 865021 In TX (214) 377-9779 Plano, TX, 75086-5021 M-F 7:30-5:00 CST They carry a wide range of sandpaper (belts, sheet, discs, rolls, drums). Good prices, eg: 3x21 belts @ .77, 4x24 belts @ .94 Minimum order around $20, $4.25 shipping, take MC/VISA. The people on the phone KNOW sandpaper - they can help with most any abrasives question. Factory Lumber Outlet 200 Shrewsbury St Boylston MA "Large number of hand tools, books and plans. Separate wood catalog. The Fine Tool Journal Iron Horse Antiques PO Box 4001 Pittsford, VT 05763 Publication for vintage hand tools. Foley-Belsaw Orders: 800 468-4449 6301 Equitable Road In MO 800 892-8789 Box 419593 Kansas City, MO 64141 Large shop equipment: Planers, table saws, combination machines, even a sawmill! They send out several free catalogs a year and have a number of special offers throughout the year. Frog Tool Co (312) 648-1270 700 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, Il 60661 Hundreds of woodworking books. All kinds, all woodworking subjects. Garrett Wade Orders: (800) 221-2942 161 Avenue of the Americas Customer service: (212)807-1155 M-F 9-5 New York, NY 10013 One of the finest catalogs. A woodworker's bible of tools. GW also has a separate hardware catalog. "The prices are good considering the lavish catalog." Grizzly Imports 2406 Reach Road POB 2069 Williamsport, PA 17701 Bellingham, WA 98227 (717) 326-3806 (206) 647-0801 (800) 523-4777 (800) 541-5537 M-F 8:30-5:30 M-F 8:30-5:30 Sat 8:30-1 Shop Machinery - Imports. Does not ship outside US. Hartville Tool & Supply (800) 345-2396 M-S 8:30-5 940 W. Maple Street Hartville, OH 44632 Brand name tools. Big discount place. Hida Tool & Hardware Company (415) 524-3700 1333 San Pablo Avenue Store hours: T-S 9-5, Sun 11-4 Closed Mon Berkeley, CA 94702 Japanese Hand Tools. Excellent quality saws, planes, chisels, knives etc. Prices are commensurate with the quality but reasonable. Hida is across from REI in Berkeley. Highland Hardware (800) 241-6748 1045 N Highland Ave. NE (404) 872-4466 Dept F Atlanta GA 30306 Good source for glues, finishes, etc. Has Delta tools, good router and bisquit joiner selections. Carries MiniMax and Robland stationary tools also. Hiller Hardware (803) 779-3131 M-F 9-5, Sat 9-1 1411 Assembly Street POB 1762 Columbia, SC 29202 Power Tools mostly. Delta, Porter-Cable, Ryobi, Bosch, Inca, Skil, Makita, Milwaukee, Freud, and others. Industrial Abrasives (800) 428-2222 642 N 8th Street In PA (800) 222-2292 Box 14955 Reading PA 19612 Sandpaper, sanding drums, assorted abrasives. International Tool Coorporation (800) 338-3384 1939 Tyler St. Florida (800) 221-6767 Hollywood, Florida 33020 Mon-Fri 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m EST 305-927-0291 - Fax Bosch, Bostich, Delta, Fein, Freud, Hitachi, HTC, Milwaukee, Panasonic, Porter Cable, Rolair, Ryobi, Skil, Stanley. All Bosch Router bits are 40% off of list price. Ivan Whillock Studio (800) 882-9379 9-5 ET M-Sa 122 1st Ave N.E. Faribault, Mn. 55021 Tools, supplies, books, patterns, etc for woodcarving and other woodworking. The Japan Woodworker (800) 537-7820 1731 Clement Avenue Alemda, CA 94501 Top quality Western and Japanese tools - mostly hand tools like planes, chisels, knives, waterstones, saws, scissors. Some power tool accessories like bits and blades. JET Woodworking Machinery and Supplies (800) 274-6848 POB 1477 (206) 572-5000 Tacoma, WA 98401 Similar to Grizzly. Warehouses throughout the country. J. Philip Humfrey (800) 387-9789 3241 Kennedy Road, Unit 7, In Canada (416)293-8624 Scarborough, Ontario M1V 2J9 (800) 387-9789 In Canada (416)293-8624 Woodworking Machinery - Shop equipment, General, Excalibur, Concord, Kraemer. John Stortz and Son (215) 627-3855 210 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 This catalog may not quite fit into this catagory but Storz is one of the only manufacturers of these kinds of tools. They specialize in the production of tools for masonry, roofing, shipbuilding, and cooperage. They normally sell to the trades and don't take chargecards. Jordan International Co (408) 429-8329 1303 Elmer St. Belmont, CA 94002 exotic hardwoods. Klockit (800) KLOCKIT 556-2548 M-F 8-8 Sat 8-4 POB 629 Lake Geneva, WI 53147 Clock Kits. Mason & Sullivan catalog looked better. Lab Safety Supply (800) 356-0783 - Voice orders PO Box 1368 (800) 543-9910 - Fax orders Janesville, WI 53547-1368 (800) 356-2501 - Techline (800) 356-0722 - Customer Service Gloves, goggles, respirators. Excellent service. 500 page catalog. Leichtung Workshops (800) 321-6840 (24 hours) 4944 Commerce Parkway In OH (216) 831-2555 Cleveland, OH 44128 Kind of like Brookstone but gadget/tool ratio is much higher. Lee Valley Tools Ltd. (613) 596-0350 P.O. Box 6295, Station J (800) 267-8767 Ottawa, Ont. (613) 596-6030 - FAX K2A 1T4 Mon-Thurs 9-6, Fri 9-9, Sat 9-5 "Fine woodworking tools. Several stores. They have a main catalogue, a couple of supplements a year, and a hardware catalogue, Even if you don't understand tools at all, the main catalogue is worthwhile getting as a coffee table book: glossy paper and beautiful presentation. It makes a wonderful read. They have everything from instrument-maker's to log builder's hand tools, Their bottom-of-the-line quality is quite servicable, and their top-of-the-line tools are Art, with accompanying prices. The bottom line is: good selection, high quality, reasonable prices, *excellent* service. They design and manufacture many quality tools under the VERITAS label. Lie-Nielsen Toolworks (800) 327-2520 Reproductions of discontinued Stanley planes in bronze. Good quality. Linden Publishing Co. (800) 345-4447 352 W. Bedford #105 (209) 227-3520 Fax credit card orders Fresno, CA 93711-6079 (209) 431-4736 Customer service Woodworking books. Lots. Luthiers Mercantile (800) 477-4437 PO Box 774 (707) 433-1823 Healdsburg, CA 95448 (707) 433-8802 - FAX Wood (esp. thin stock), hand tools, books, finishing and general supplies primarily for instrument builders, but also of general interest. 230 page catalog $10 Mason & Sullivan (508) 778-0475 M-F 8-5 586 Higgins Crowell Road (508) 778-0477 (after hours) West Yarmouth, Customer service:(508) 778-1056 Cape Cod, MA 02673 Clockbuilding related items. Kits, tools, the works. Acquired by Woodcraft - See Woodcraft entry. McFeeley's Square Drive Screws (800) 443-7937 712 12th Street (804) 847-7136 - FAX P.O. Box 3 Lynchburg VA 24505-0003 Square drive screws in a huge number of styles and materials; screw-related tools; general woodworking stuff like finishes and clamps. The square-drive screws are great and well-priced, the other stuff is about 10% higher than the cheapest I've seen. Shipped via UPS the same day for my one order (so far). Micro-Mark (800) 225-1066 340 Synder Ave. Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 Minature hand and power tools. 3" diameter table saws, mini drill presses, lathes, overhead mills, scroll saws, beltsander (1"X6"belt), bench grinder, router, radial arm saw, band saw, 4"disc sander, and lots of hand tools and accessories. Power miter with a maximum stock size of 3/8" thick by 3/4" deep at 90 degrees, 1/2" wide at 45 degrees. MLCS Ltd. (800) 533-9298 P.O. Box 4053 Rydal, PA 19046 Router Bits Moon's Saw Shop Supplies (800) 447-7371 2531-39 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 60614 General woodworking supplies and router bits. MSC INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY CO. (800) 645-7270 151 SUNNYSIDE BLVD. (800) 255-5067 (FAX) PLAINVIEW, NY 11803-1592 Mostly tools and supplies for industrial machine shops $25.00 minimum order but a 2,085 page catalog that they'll send you and monthly sale flyers. An incredible array of tools, excellent service and fast shipping. National Particleboard Association 18928 Premiere Court Gaithersburg ND 20879 Technical information on particle board. Northern Hydraulics (800)553-5545 24 hrs, 7 days P.O. Box 1499 Minn: (612)894-8310 Burnsville, MN 55337-0499 FAX (612)894-8310 All kinds of stuff - some woodworking. Engines, compressors, lawn equipment, chain saws, wood spliters, hydraulic fittings, air tools, mechanics tools, tool boxes, work benches, playground sets, sun glasses, leather jackets, tool kits, winches, trailers, jacks, wheels, tires, tractors and even watches. Woodworking power tools include Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, Ryobi, Porter Cable, Jepson, B&D, Skil, Wen and Delta. Mostly portable. Sorted by tool type. Average prices. 136 pages. Paxton Beautiful Woods (513) 984-8200 Frank Paxton Lumber Co 7455 Dawson Road Box 43335 Cincinnati OH 45243 Wholesale and retail lumber, newsletter and classes. Philipps Brothers Supply (800) 238-4466 (NY) 2525 Kensington Ave. (800) 544-4466 (USA) Amherst, NY 14226-4999 A large list of power tools for woodworkers and construction professionals. Prices seem pretty good, shipping is usually included. Pro-Shop (312) 832-3803 Box 721 Elmhurst, IL 60126 Woodworking machinery. Imports. Quaker State Woodworking (800) 776-5467 Portable power tools, sanding supplies, clamps, back issues of Woodsmith magazine. RBI (800) 487-2623 P.O. Box 369 1801 Vine St. Harrisonville, MO 64701 RBI Hawk saws Renaissance Inc. (216) 867-0630 644 Greenwood Ave. Akron, Ohio 44320 Sellers of Old Village finishing products, Old Strubridge Paint Colours and Buttermilk Paints as well as QRB Stripper and other restoration supplies. R. Sorsky (800) 345-4447 3845 N. Blackstone, In CA (209) 227-2901 Fresno, CA 93726 Woodworking books. Lots. (Acquired by Linden Publishing - see Linden Publishing entry) Sandvik Tools (sales office) (800) 481-7404. They don't do retail, but will give you a phone number for local distributers Schlosser Tool & Machinery (800)627-7297 301 Bryant CO (303)636-1311 Denver, CO 80219 FAX (303)937-9267 Mostly power tools - industrial, stationary and portable. Includes Skil, Porter Cable, Delta, Makita, Hitachi, Blum, Bosch, Ryobi, DeWalt, Beisemeyer, Powermatic and others. Some hand tools like Sorby. Sorted by tool type. Average to high prices. 75 pages. Sears Sears Tower Chicago. IL 60606 ...and just about every other city in the country. Power and Hand Tools Specialog. Seven Corners Ace Hardware Ordering: 800-328-0457 (Tools on Sale) 216 West 7th St. In MN: (612) 224-4859 St Paul, MN 55102 Hours: M-F 8-5:30 CST Big catalog. Emphasis on portable power tools but they carry a wide range of tools and accessories. Prepaid freight. "..good experiences. Seyco (214) 278-3353 P.O. Box 472749 Garland, TX 75047 Excalibur saws Shaker Workshops P.O. Box 1028 Concord, Massachusetts 01742-1028 Shaker furniture kits. Shopsmith (800) 543-7586 Stores all over the US. Sporty's Tool Shop Orders: (800)543-8633 M-F 9:30-8, Sat 11-3 Batavoia, OH 45103 Customer service: (513) 732-2411 Some tools. Mostly random stuff for house and yard. Stone Mountain Power Tool Corporation (800) 262-9599 POB 2825 In GA (404) 446-8390 Norcross, GA Woodworking and Construction Tools. Name brands. Reasonable prices. Suffolk Machinery (800) 234-SAWS 12 Waverly Avenue (516) 289-7153 Patchogue, NY 11722-1902 (516) 289-7156 - FAX Quality band saw blades Swing-N-Slide Corp. 1212 Barberry Drive Janesville, WI 53545 Playground Equipment Tarheel Filing Co (800) 322-6641 3400 Lake Woodard Drive Raleigh, NC 27604 Stationary power tools, hand held power tools, router bits, saw blades. The Fine Tool Shops (800) 533-5305 170 West Road In NH 443-0409 POB 7091 Portsmouth, NH 03801 Good catalog, selection and prices. "...fast, reliable service" Possibly out of business, nobody answers the phone. The Sanding Catalog (800) 228-0000 P.O. Box 5069 Hickory, NC 28603-5069 Sandpaper and assorted abrasives. The Taunton Press (800) 888-8286 63 South Main St. P.O. Box 355 Newtown, Conn. 06470-9971 Publisher of Fine Woodworking, Fine Homebuilding and numerous quality books on woodworking and homebuilding The Wood Store (717) 297-4188 POB 125 Troy, PA 16947 (717) 297-4188 Hardwoods, carving blocks, basket strips, dollhouse lumber. The Woodworker's Store Orders: (612) 428-2199 M-F 8-8 CST 21801 Industrial Blvd. Customer service: (612) 428-2899 Rogers, MN 55374 WWS has 8 stores around the country also. Hardwood, veneers. Very good selection of hardware. Hinges, slides, locks, catches, pulls and other accessories. Tool Crib of the North (800) 358-3096 Formerly Acme Electric. Good power too selection. All magor brands including Delta, Elu, B&D, Skil, Makita, Milwaukee, Powermatic, Bosch, Freud, General, Hitachi. Free freight. Tools Etc. Dept 458411 510 East Main St Louisville KY 40202 [No other information] Trendlines Orders: (800) 767-9999 375 Beacham Street (800) 343-3248 Answering machine Chelsea, MA 02150 Customer service: (617) 884-8882 Woodworking tools and supplies. Good prices. U.S General Ordering: 1-800-645-7077 100 Commerical Street Customer service: (516) 349-7275 Plainview, NY 11803 **** APPARENTLY NO LONGER IN THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. **** Typical mail-order discount tool catalog. Name brand tools. Big catalog. Seem to be resonable prices. 24 hour phone. Vandyke's Restorers Orders: (800) 843-3320 4th Ave. & 6th St. (605) 796-4425 PO Box 278 Woonsocket, South Dakota 57385 Supplies for Upholstery, Antique Restoration, Taxidermy(!), wrought nails, several head patterns AND brass plated. Lots of antique reproduction hardware. Warren Tool Co. (914) 876-7817 Rt. 1 Box 14-A Rhinbeck, NY 12572 Carving tools (gouges, parting tools, tec) with interchangable bits/handles. Whole Earth Access (800)829-6300 822 Anthony Street 9AM to 6PM PST, 7 days a week Berkeley, CA 94710 FAX (510)845-8846 Hand Tools and Power Tools. Sorted by type of equipment - not brand. Bosch, Porter Cable, Makita, Elu, AEG, Ryobi, Milwaukee, Hitachi, Skil, Panasonic, B&D, DeWalt and Delta. Low to average prices. 48 pages Wilke Machinery Company (717) 846-2800 120 Derry Ct. York, PA 17402 Woodworking machinery. Imports. Large selection. Williams Tool & Hardware Supply (bankrupt) (800)788-0007 8AM-6PM CST M-F 2017 White Settlement Road TX (817)335-4749 9AM-5PM CST Sa Fort Worth, TX 76107 FAX (817)877-3150 Stationary and portable power tools, hand tools and supplies. Includes Delta, Ryobi, Porter Cable, Hitachi, Bosch and Elu power tools. Sorted by manufacturer. Low prices. 32 pages. Wood - Better Homes & Gardens (800) 374-9663 subscription Meredith Corporation (800) 572-9350 back issues 1716 Locust St. DesMoines IA 50336 Publisher of Wood magazine Woodcarver's Supply (800) 284-6229 - Orders P.O. Box 7500 (813) 698-0123 - Questions Englewood, Florida 34295 (813) 698-0329 - Fax Woodcraft (800) 535-4482 41 Atlantic Avenue From MA, HA, and AL call (617) 935-5860 PO Box 4000 M-F 8:30-6 EST Answering machine at other times Woburn, MA 01888 Store at 313 Montvale Ave Woburn MA Wide range of tools for craftsman. Nice catalog, good prices, excellent delivery. Wood Finishing Enterprises 414-871-0440 2438 North 48th Street Milwaukee, Wis. 53210 All types of finishing supplies. Wood Finishing Supply Co. Inc 315-986-4517 1267 Mary Drive Macedon, NY 14502 **** APPARENTLY TAKEN OVER BY WOODWORKERS SUPPLY OF NM **** All types of finishing supplies. The catalog also provides some good informationon how to use the finishes. Woodhaven (800) 344-6657 They make router accessories (tables, jigs, fences, adjustment handles, inlay bushings, etc). Prices ok (not great), quality is high (table inserts are of 3/8" Lexan, for instance). Woodsmith (800) 444-7002 P.O. Box 10740 Des Moines, Iowa 50347-0740 Publisher of Woodsmith magazine Woodworkers Hardware (800) 383-0130 PO Box 784 St. Cloud, MN 56302 Drawer slides and other cabinet hardware. Woodworkers Supply of New Mexico (800) 645-9292 8:30-5 MT M-F 5604 Alameda Place NE (800) 321-9841 Albuquerque, NM 87113 (505) 821-0500 Wide range of tools. Delta etc. Power tool emphasis. "...fast, reliable service" "Small but well rounded selection of hand tools, books etc." "Woodwork: A Magazine For All Woodworkers" Circulation Dept. P.O. Box 1529 Ross, CA 94957 Another general-interest woodworking magazine, with color and slick paper. Appears to be aimed at people who aspire to being good enough to design and construct Fine Woodworking-quality projects, but aren't there yet. Workbench (816) 531-5730 KC Publishing Inc 4251 Pennsylvania Ave Kansas City, Missouri 64111 Publisher of Workbench magazine ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Archive-name: woodworking/tool-reviews Last-modified: 7/20/94 Copyright (c) 1994 by James J. Roche. All rights reserved. Readers of this group often request reviews of particular tools. This article is meant to be a pointer to tool reviews/comparisons. It is not a complete list of sources for tool reviews. If anyone has any additions please send me a note and I will try to add it in. Air Compressors Portable Air Compressors - Fine Homebuilding October 1988 Compressed Air Systems - Fine Woodworking June 1990 Air Tools The WORKBENCH Guide to Air Tools - Workbench October 1988 Selecting a Spray Gun - Fine Woodworking June 1990 High Volume Low Pressure Sprayers - Wood April 1993 Woodworkings Sure Shots (nailers) - Wood December 1993 Tool Talk: Finish Nailers - Popular Woodworking May 1994 Bandsaws Shopping for Bandsaw Blades - Wood December 1989 Bandsaws - Wood October 1990 Bandsaw Roundup - Wood April 1992 Band Saws - Popular Woodworking September 1992 Buyers Guide to Bandsaws - American Woodworker June 1994 Belt Sanders Portable Belt Sanders - Wood October 1990 The WORKBENCH Guide to Benchtop Belt/Disc Sanders - Workbench September 1991 Biscuit Joiners The WORKBENCH Guide to Plate Joiners - Workbench April 1988 Plate Joiners - Fine Woodworking June 1989 Buying a Biscuit Joiner - Wood December 1992 Carvers Power Carvers - Fine Woodworking April 1991 Circular Saws Portable Circular Saws - Wood October 1990 Portable Circular Saws (AKA sidewinders) - Fine Homebuilding November 1990 Circular Saws - Consumer Reports November 1992 Clamps The Smart Shoppers Guide to Clamps - Wood February 1991 Cordless Screwdrivers The WORKBENCH Guide to Cordless Screwdrivers - Workbench April 1990 Cordless drill/drivers - Wood October 1990 Cordless Drills Cordless drill/drivers - Wood October 1990 Cordless Wonders - Wood April 1991 Cut-Off Saws Portable Electric Cut-Off Saws - Fine Homebuilding September 1990 Drill Bits Buying Forstner Bits - Wood February 1991 Drills The Great Electric Drill Shootout - Wood August 1990 Survey of 3/8" VSR Drills - Fine Homebuilding June 1993 Powerful Cordless Drill/Drivers - Fine Woodworking December 1993 Buyers Guide to Cordless Drills - American Woodworker December 1993 Tests of 47 Corded and Cordless Drills - Consumer Reports January 1994 Drill Presses Drill Presses - Wood October 1990 Dust Collectors The WORKBENCH Guide to Dust Collection Systems - Workbench February 1989 Meet the Dust Guzzlers - Wood September 1992 Heat Guns The WORKBENCH Guide to Heat Guns - Workbench February 1991 Jointers Machines the Give You the Edge Quickly and Accurately - Wood October 1989 Two New Jointers - Fine Woodworking February 1990 Jointers - Wood October 1990 Lathes Lathes - Wood October 1990 The WORKBENCH Guide to Lathes - Workbench May 1991 Quality Lathes for Under $600 - Wood October 1993 Miter Saws The WORKBENCH Guide to Power Miter Saws - Workbench June 1988 Getting an Angle on Compound Miters - Fine Homebuilding January 1990 Power Mitersaws - Wood February 1992 Tool Review Sliding Compound Miter Saws - Woodworkers Journal January 1993 Buyers Guide to Sliding Compound Miter Saws - American Woodworker April 1993 Sliding Compound Miter Saws - Fine Woodworking May 1993 Moisture Meters Taking the Measure of Moisture Meters - Fine Woodworking April 1994 Radial Arm Saws Radial-arm Saws - Wood October 1990 Random Orbital Sanders Tool Talk: Random Orbital Sanders - Popular Woodworking September 1991 Random-Orbit Sanders - Fine Woodworking February 1992 Random-Orbit Sanders - Wood February 1993 Finishing Sanders - Wood April 1993 Random Orbit Sanders - Fine Woodworking August 1993 Random Orbit Palm Sanders - Woodworkers Journal Nov/Dec 1993 Routers The WORKBENCH Guide to Routers - Workbench April 1989 Routers, Routers Everywhere - Wood February 1990 Plunge Routers - Wood October 1990 Tool Review Plunge Routers - Woodworkers Journal January 1992 Plunge Routers - Fine Homebuilding January 1992 Big Plunge Routers - Fine Woodworking December 1992 Plunge Routers - Fine Homebuilding January 1992 Buyers Guide to Plunge Routers - American Woodworker July/August 1993 Sabersaws What's New with Sabersaws - Fine Woodworking December 1990 Sawblades 10 inch Carbide Tipped Sawblades - Wood September 1993 Sawmills The WORKBENCH Guide to Portable Sawmills - Workbench August 1989 Screw Guns A Survey of Self-Feed Screw Guns - Fine Homebuilding December 1993 Scrollsaws Scrollsaw Blades - Wood April 1990 Scrollsaws - Wood October 1990 Scrollsaws over $500 - Wood September 1991 Shapers Shapers - Wood December 1990 Shopsmith Shopsmith vs. Total Shop - Wood June 1990 Tablesaws How to Buy the Most Important Woodworking Machine in your Shop - Wood December 1989 Tablesaw Safety Devices - Fine Woodworking April 1990 Tablesaws - Wood October 1990 Tool Talk - Popular Woodworking July 1991 Double Duty Tablesasw With Special Cross Cutting Features - Fine Woodworking April 1992 Tablesaws under $700 - Wood Feb 1994 Thickness Planers Portable Power Planes - Fine Homebuilding June 1989 The WORKBENCH Guide to Planers - Workbench February 1990 Thickness Planers under $500 - Wood April 1990 Portable Planer Survey - Fine Woodworking October 1990 Thickness Planers - Wood October 1990 Portable Planers - Wood April 1992 Vises Woodworking Vises - Wood September 1990 Mail Order Mail Order Tools - Fine Homebuilding September 1990 Where to get back issues of magazines mentioned: American Woodworker PO Box 7591 Red Oak, IA 51591 (800) 666-3111 Fine Woodworking - Fine Homebuilding The Taunton Press 63 South Main Street PO Box 5506 Newtown CT 06470-5506 Wood - Better Homes & Gardens Meredith Corporation 1716 Locust St. DesMoines IA 50336 (800) 374-9663 subscription (800) 572-9350 back issues Workbench KC Publishing Inc 4251 Pennsylvania Ave Kansas City, Missouri 64111 (816) 531-5730 Popular Woodworking Box 58279 Boulder, CO 80322 Woodworker's Journal PO Box 1629 New Milford CT 06776 (203) 355-2694 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Archive-name: woodworking/motors Last-modified: 3/17/94 Copyright (c) 1994 by James J. Roche. All rights reserved. This article answers many of the frequently asked questions about electric motors. Motors: There are many kinds of motors, but this article considers only two kinds used frequently in woodworking tool applications: universal AC/DC motors and single-phase induction motors. Universal motors have brushes and commutators and are used for portable tools like routers, skilsaws, and electric drills. Single-phase induction motors have no brushes, run only on AC electrical power, and are usually found on stationary tools such as table saws, drill presses, planers, and jointers. There are exceptions to this: some stationary tools use universal motors. Horsepower: Motor horsepower is the most misunderstood (and misused) electric motor rating. Neither motor, universal or induction, produces usable horsepower unless it is slowed down (by applied mechanical load) from no-load speed. For induction motors, this slowdown is called "slip", and the horsepower "developed" by a motor increases with slip (to a simple approximation). This is why induction motors are typically rated at 3450 rpm (two pole motor) or 1750 rpm (four pole motor). The rating speed allows for slip from the "synchronous" speeds of 3600 and 1800 rpm, respectively. Universal motors do not have a synchronous speed, but have a maximum no-load speed that depends upon the voltage applied to the motor. Most motors can put out a lot more maximum horsepower than they can sustain continuously. By forcing more mechanical load on the motor, slowdown is increased and so therefore is the output horsepower. Mechanically, horsepower is torque times rpm, and increasing the mechanical load means that the rpm is slowed slightly and the drag torque is increased to obtain more torque times rpm. Electrically, horsepower is volts times amps, and by conservation of energy, the mechanical output horsepower must be balanced by electrical input horsepower. Since the voltage is relatively constant, this means that as a motor is loaded, the input current increases. But the electrical winding impedance has a resistive component, so that higher current means more power dissipated in the windings. In fact, the motor windings heat up proportional to the square of the motor current. Except for specially designed motors, the current that a motor can sustain continuously without burning out its windings is a fraction of the current at maximum load. Unscrupulous vendors sometimes publish maximum "developed" horsepower to make their products seem more capable than they really are. Developed horsepower may be two to five times the continuous duty rating of a motor. Such products should be examined to discover the continuous duty rating to compare with other, more conservatively rated products. When the talk is of developed horsepower, the meaning is "peak" which for an induction motor is typically the local peak of the torque curve near synchronous speed. A typical induction motor torque curve is: | | . |. | . Dev. _ . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . Rated _ . . | | . | | . | Torque | . | | | . |__________________________________________________________._ | 0 RPM 1800 or 3600 As you can see, the curve is very steep in the operating region and in fact, the observed operation is typically that once you load the motor past the local maximum torque, the speed jumps to the corresponding point on the initial portion of the curve or simply stops. The actual operation depends upon the shape of the curve near 0 RPM. The Rated HP is typically the torque level at which the motor can be run continuously without exceeding the temperature at which the winding insulation beaks down. Since there is thermal mass involved, you can operate the motor at higher than rated torque for less than 100% of the time and not exceed this temperature if the motor is cool preceding the run etc. etc. etc. Typically, two motors with different rated HP develop different HP in a ration close to the same as the difference in rating. The story is somewhat different for a universal motor such as is used on most hand held tools. In these motors, for a given input voltage, the torque goes up as the speed goes down. The more you load them, the slower they run until they stall, at which point their torque is a maximum. In this case, the developed horsepower is a the point along the torque curve where the speed X torque is a maximum. As with the induction motor, the rated horsepower means you can run the motor there at 100% duty cycle. Again, you can load the motor more and it will produce more torque but you may only do this on a limited basis. The final word is heat. If you exceed the winding insulation temperature rating, you will fail the insulation and ruin the motor ( or pop the thermal cutout if so equipped). Application areas: Universal motors are compact, have high starting torque, can run at high rpm, and deal well with rapidly varying loads. They are often used with triac or thyristor speed controls. This makes them ideal for portable power tools. Single-phase induction motors are efficient, have a limited rpm selection, are relatively heavy and bulky, and are almost maintenance-free. They work well in stationary tools that run at one rpm or that have a variable-speed transmission. Voltage: Both kinds of motors are supplied in popular mains voltages (115 or 230) but only induction motors are supplied with winding taps that allow either voltage to be selected. As far as the motor is concerned, there is no difference in efficiency when selecting either 115 or 230 volts. This is because such motors have two identical sets of windings that are connected in parallel for the lower voltage and in series for the higher. Neither connection results in the individual windings seeing a different voltage. However, inadequate wiring can make a difference to motor operation, because higher current at 115 volts may give unacceptable wiring voltage drops in some shops or garages. Some wiring voltage drop is expected and built into the motor rating. Nominal pole transformer output (to your house) is about 120/240 volts. Motors are rated for 115/230 volt operation, which allows for 5/10 volts wiring voltage drop. More voltage drop than this can cause low starting torque and overheating at rated load. 115 or 230 volt operation makes no difference to your power company either. The watt-hour meter at your electrical entry measures watts regardless of the voltage used. Your power company does not give you a single watt for free, and your PUC (Public Utility Commission) won't let the power company charge more than the legal rates. Watt-hour meter accuracy is a matter of law in most States. Current: Motors have a nominal current rating which is supposed to be the current at rated horsepower and rated voltage. A motor will not draw exactly rated current except in the unlikely circumstance that the voltage applied is exactly the rated voltage and the load applied is exactly the rated horsepower. As a matter of fact, most woodworking tools spend much of their life spinning without applied load and drawing only a small fraction of nameplate rated current. When the tool begins to cut, motor current varies widely depending upon cutting load. In some tools which have relatively small motors, motor current may approach several times rated current as the tool is momentarily loaded close to stall or breakdown torque. An exception to this wide variation would be something like the motor driving the fan on a dust collection system; such motors operate at about rated horsepower all the time because the fan presents a constant load. For both universal and single-phase induction motors, the full-load current is given by I = (746 * hp) / (eff * pf * voltage) where eff is efficiency, pf is power factor, and the others are obvious. In AC systems, the voltage and current waveforms are (nominally) sine waves and may differ in phase from each other by an angle called the phase angle. There are 360 phase angle degrees in one sinusoidal cycle. Power factor is the cosine of the phase angle, and for motors this angle is normally between zero and 90 degrees, current lagging voltage. In DC systems, there is no phase angle, and power factor is defined as 1.0. Typical values for single-phase induction motors running at 115 volts AC are pf = 0.8 and eff = 0.9. This gives a rule-of-thumb value for amps/horsepower at 115 volts of 9 amps / horsepower This figure is probably OK for rule-of-thumb comparison of induction and universal motors or reasonability checks as long as you remember that it is based on typical values. If you are contemplating operating a 115 volt universal motor on DC, performance should be slightly better at 115 volts DC than it was on AC. The proper voltage to use is 115 volts DC. This is because AC voltages are given as RMS values, which are their power-equivalent DC values. The tool will actually endure less voltage stress under DC operation because the peak voltage experienced under DC is 0.707 times the AC peak voltage. Switches and contacts, however, may not last as long. Starting current can be as much as ten times rated motor current. This is usually not a problem for the circuit breaker feeding the motor, because modern circuit breakers are typically rated to trip instantaneously at about ten times breaker nameplate rating. For currents less than the instantaneous value, the breaker trips due to internal heater elements which mimic the heatup characteristics of the wiring the breaker is supposed to protect. Since starting currents last only a second or two (unless the motor is jammed), motors usually will not trip circuit breakers on starting current if the breaker is rated at higher current than the motor nameplate current. This may not be true if you start the motor on a circuit which is already loaded close to rating. A motor may trip your circuit breaker on time-overcurrent (the heaters) even if the motor nameplate current rating appears to be within the breaker rating. This can happen if you continuously overload the motor; motor current will then be several times the nameplate rating. There may be other signs of this. The motor may become extremely hot (spit sizzles on the casing). This is General Electric's way of telling you to slow down. Breakdown torque: Single-phase induction motors, unless they are designed for torquemotor operation, have a "breakdown" torque rating. This refers to the motor torque-versus-rpm curve, which has a peak torque somewhere between zero rpm and rated rpm. If the motor is running and load is applied, the motor slows and torque increases until breakdown torque is reached. At this point, further rpm reduction causes a reduction of motor-supplied torque, and the motor rpm reduces rapidly to zero (it "breaks down"). This is why a saw, for instance, appears to suddenly stall as it is overloaded. Ventilation: Most motors have one of two kinds of ventilation: fan- cooled open housing, or totally enclosed, fan-cooled (TEFC) housing. In the former type, a fan attached to the motor shaft draws air through the internal parts of the motor and blows it out of ventilation slots cut into the motor housing. Most universal motors are of this type because of the need to cool the brushes and to exhaust brush carbon dust and commutator copper fragments. In the TEFC type, the motor housing is completely enclosed and no air gets to the internal parts of the motor. Instead, internal heat is conducted through the metal housing to fins, where air blown by an external fan removes the heat. Some induction motors have this kind of (more expensive) ventilation and they are often used in applications where excessive dust or flammable conditions exist. Drive gear: Surprisingly enough, even though many people will look at motor horsepower rating, they often completely ignore the drive gear attaching the motor to its load. The drive gear is often a clue to the real power rating of the motor-drive combination. It's difficult to determine the rating of enclosed gears, but v-belts can give an immediate visual clue. While larger pulleys increase a v-belt rating, a nominal rule of thumb is about one horsepower per 1/2 inch v-belt. Two 5/8 v-belts on large pulleys may be good for 4 or 5 horsepower. One small belt on a motor which "develops" 3 horsepower is cause for some suspicion. Actual belt drive ratings can be found in manufacturers handbooks (see Gates, for example) or in Machinery's Handbook. Motor Starters: Motor starters are big relays mounted in expensive metal boxes with heater overloads matched to the motor they start. They serve two purposes: 1) The relay contacts are heavy duty and are rated for the motor starting current. Delicate contacts, such as those on a pressure switch, will fail if used directly to start a large motor. Delicate contacts are therefore wired to operate the motor starter relay rather than the motor. 2) Wall- mounted circuit breakers are designed to protect building wiring, not motors plugged into wall receptacles. If your electrical box circuit breaker trips before your motor burns up, it is incidental, not on purpose. However, motor starters are designed to trip on heater overload before the motor they start burns up. How much horsepower: This question is often asked and has no easy answer. This is because the amount of horsepower you need depends upon your patience, your preferences, and the way you use the machine in question. Here are some pros and cons. A larger horsepower motor (and associated drive gear) has a thicker shaft and is typically more robust than a smaller horsepower motor. It responds to overloads and hard cuts more strongly, and may not stall in your application. It does not use very much more power, since electric motors use only power demanded plus some motor losses (which are somewhat larger for higher rated motors). On the down side, the initial expense of the motor and drive gear is greater. Higher horsepower often requires 230 volt wiring. The motor and associated drive gear and mountings are heavier. A smaller horsepower motor is cheaper, lighter, and may run on 115 volts. For a careful worker, the torque supplied may be sufficient. On the down side, the tool may stall more often and wet wood may be impossible to cut. The drive gear may be less robust and may require more maintenance. If the tool is operated in overload, the 115 volt circuit breaker may trip. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Archive-name: woodworking/wood-bend Last-modified: 7/19/94 Copyright (c) 1994 by James J. Roche. All rights reserved. This FAQ on bending wood is provided courtesy of Gregg Germain. Any comments would be welcome. Comments should be directed to gregg@hrc2.harvard.edu. I've been in the business of steambending wood for about 7 years now. I've built a variety of steamboxes and tried a number of boiler systems. What you see written here is a combintation of reading and actual experience. Mostly experience. All of my steam bending has been with either Oak or Mahogany. I've never tried any other wood as I do this work in my boatbuilding/restoration. So I cannot comment authoritatively on bending other woods like cedar, pine, poplar etc. And if I haven't actually DONE it, I will not comment on it. I will not state anything here that i have ONLY read out of a book and not tried. With that in mind, let's fire up the boiler.... To start with there are several rules of thumb which work quite well. What you are doing when you are steaming wood for bending, is loosening up the "glue" that holds the fibers of the wood together. you need BOTH heat and steam for this. I realize that some people in Asia "fire" bend their wood but invariably, that wood is quite wet - typically quite green. The Norse boatbuilders used to get their planks out for shipbuilding and sink them into a salt water bog to keep them limber until the time came to use them. However, we are not always so lucky as to get green wood for our bending and you can have great success with kiln dried wood. You need heat and you need moisture. The primary rule is the one for steam time: One hour of steaming per inch thickness of wood. I have found that you can OVERSTEAM as well as understeam. If you steam an inch of wood for an hour, try to bend it, and it cracks, DO NOT assume that you haven't steamed it enough. There are several factors involved which could explain the result - but we'll get to those later. It is smart, however, to have a piece of stock in the steam box that is the same thickness as the piece you wish to bend, and that is expendable. PREFERABLY a piece taken from the stock itself. Steam that with the target piece, and after the requisite steaming time, take the test piece out and try to bend that to the mold. If it snaps, then give your piece MAYBE 10 minutes more. But no more. The wood: Generally it is best if you can get green wood. I know that this makes the cabinetmakers among us shudder. But the plain fact is that green wood bends easier than dried wood. For those of us that have to worry about rot, the act of steaming green wood removes the tendency of green wood to rot. So no worries there - boat ribs are typically made from steam bent oak and will not rot in a well cared for boat. But i've done a lot of steaming of kiln dried oak and it works fine too. Steamboxes: It is not necessary - and is in fact detrimental to the bending process - to have a steambox that is absolutely airtight. You WANT steam to be emanating from the box. If you don't get a flow through of steam you will not be able to bend the wood - it will crack as if you steamed it for only 5 minutes. I know - i've created a lot of kindling in this manner. Steamboxes can come in many shapes and sizes. You want one big enough so that you can suspend the wood off the surface, and get a good flow of steam around most of the wood surface. A box made of 2 x 8 pine boards will work. One suspension method is to drill a hole through the sides and run a hardwood dowel through. The dowel holds your wood up and minimizes the amount of wood touching a surface. You don't want the box to be SO big, however, such that the amount of steam your rig generates is too small to fill up the box. You want a wet, steamy box BILLOWING steam. So the box has to be sized to the boiler (or the boiler sized to the box ;^) ). I have 2 boxes: For small stuff like 1 1/2 x 5/8 by 6 foot long oak for ribs, I use a 2 inch diameter piece of PVC. I have it resting on a 2x4 so that it won't deform under the heat. I've also nailed sides to the 2x4 so that the tube doesn't flatten. For a boiler i use a whistling tea kettle with the whistle and top taken off. A length of radiator hose connects the kettle to a suitable reduction on the end of the PVC. For a heat source i use one of those counter top electic burners. Works great. When I had to steam bend 17 foot long, 7 inch wide, 3/4 inch thick mahogany for the new cabin trunk of my boat, I used a steambox built with 2 x 12 inch pine. For a boiler i had a 20 gallon steel boiler. Heat source was a propane burner I bought at Ace Hardware Store. This burner is GREAT because it's convenient and mobile. It's an aluminum bowl on 3 legs with one burner about 8" in diameter. Generates sufficient heat. Now when I say "one hour of steaming per one inch of wood" I mean one hour of SERIOUS steam with NO interruptions. Therefore you have to pick a boiler whose capacity will be sufficient for the steam time you are looking for. NEVER put the wood in the steambox unless you have full steam and the box is completely filled. Be ABSOLUTELY certain that you don't run out of water BEFORE the necessary steam time. If you do, and are forced to add more water give it up...you'll generate kindling. Best to stop the steaming process and let the wood cool for 24 hours and try again. One way of maximizing the water use is to have the box tilted at an angle so that any condensation within the box runs BACK towards the boiler. Many steam boxes have a door at one end to allow you to slide in pieces when you want to - and take them out when needed. For example, in ribbing out a boat - something you'd like to do in a day if you can, you crank up the boiler and (when steam is up) you put in your first piece of wood. 15 minutees later you put in the second. Fifteen minutes later the third and so on. Then, when the first piece is ready, you yank that out and bend it. This is all supposing that the process to bend and install the rib takes less than 15 minutes. When the first rib is in, the second piece of wood is ready..and so on. This allows you to do a great deal of work while avoiding oversteaming. The door serves another important function. And the door doesn't have to be solid either - on my small steam box i LOOSELY stuff in a rag. I say loosely because you want steam to be able to come out of the end (remember you need steam flowthrough). The secondary purpose is to preclude cool air from entering the steambox underneath the suspended wood. Bending: Assume you have the wood cooking (it makes a nice smell) and the jig is ready. Take pains to place everything so that the operation of removing a piece from the box and bending it is a FAST SMOOTH operation. Time is CRITICAL. You have only seconds. When the wood is ready take it QUICKLY out of the box and bend it. GET CURVATURE ON THE WOOD!!!!!!!!!!! As fast as humanly possible. If inserting the wood on the jig is complicated, bend it with your bare hands (if possible). On ribs for my boat - where there is a curve in 2 directions, I take it out of the box, slip one end into a brace and bend that end then bend the other end with my hands. Try to bend it MORE than the amount you need in the jig. Sometimes you can feel the wood "give" as you bend it - this is good as it will retain the shape better. Then slap the wood on the jig. But I repeat you MUST get curvature on the wood immediately - like within the first 5 seconds. Every second the wood cools it becomes less flexible. Length of wood and curvature at the ends: There is practically NO WAY you can cut a piece to exact length and expect to get curvature near the ends. You simply don't have the strength and you will be thwarted by springback. By the same token, if all you need is a 3 foot length, and the wood is greater than, say, 1/4 inch thick, you had better cut the piece 6 feet long and bend THAT. You can trim the wood to fit later. I am assuming the lack of some sort of hydraulic press in your shop - i know i don't have one. Cut the stick overlong remembering that the shorter the stick the harder it is to bend. And if you cut it overlong, you'll have more curvature near the final finished end - the last 6 inches of a 1 inch thick piece of oak will be dead straight. Depending upon the curvature you need, you may have to resort to carving the curvature out of the end of the wood and should size it with that in mind. Jigs: When you steam bend apiece of wood, and clamp it to a shape, you wait 24 hours for it to cool thoroughly. When you take it off the jig, that wood will spring back somewhat. How much depends upon the grain and the type of wood - it's hard to say. If your stock has a natural curvature in the required direction to start with (I try to take advantage of this whenever possible), you will get less springback. So if you have to get a certain curvature to the final product, make your jig with greater curvature. How much? Tis is the realm of black magick and I can't personally give you a figure. One thing I DO know is this: It's infinitely easier to unbend some wood that was overbent, than it is to put MORE bend in a cool piece of wood (assuming you don't have incredible leverage). Once caveat: if you are bending pieces that will be glued together to form a laminate, be sure that the jig is the exact shape you need at glue time - I rarely get much springback from well bent, glued wood. There are an infinite variety of jigs you can build. No matter what type you choose, you can't go wrong if you own a clamp making factory - - you can never have too many clamps. If you are bending wood greater than 1/2 inch thick you must see to it that the jig is built extremely strongly: the amount of stress on it is quite high. Quite often people will use a metal strap along the outside of the wood as they bend. This helps to distribute the stesses along the length of the wood and helps to prevent cracking. This is especially true if you get grain runout at the outside edges. Well that's all i can think of now. If i think of more I'll add it to the FAQ. -- Jim Roche roche@cs.rochester.edu University of Rochester Computer Science Department Rochester, NY 14627