Shop Tips & Tricks

GnarlyErik said:

MORE than you ever wanted to know about HOLES!

Don't get too excited - this isn't an article on porn or sex, but only about making holes in wood! There are times when you need a hole in wood which becomes a challenge, even with the right sort and size bit. Here's how to deal with some of the more common challenges:

1. Drilling long holes accurately:

A. By far the easiest way is by making a shallow saw kerf in the "Faying Surface"①. These are then joined together by glueing or other means, with the kerfs mirroring each other, i.e., face to face. After joining, the hole is made using a spiral auger with a lead screw entering the saw kerfs. The lead screw will follow the kerf unless it encounters a knot or irregular spot. Needless to say, you must go slowly and carefully and clear the chips often. If the bit starts to bind it may mean it is getting off track. This works with brad point bits too up to a point (pardon the pun!), but these are more likely to wander since the bit is not supported on its sides its full length, which seems to be an important requirement for any tool drilling long, deep holes. Regular machinist type twist bits do not work nearly as well as augers unless the saw kerfs are quite wide.

B. Of course there are times you must drill a long, deep hole when you don't have the option of glueing two pieces together with sawn kerfs. Here, you might use a 'Barefoot Auger'; A barefoot auger is a special bit used by shipwrights and is similar to a spiral auger with no lead screw. These can drill quite long holes, but must be very carefully started in exactly the right direction. Even then, it the bit hits a knot or hard place it can change direction on you. Shipwrights often make a special 'guides' to get the bits started in the proper direction usually consisting of two pieces of wood at right angles to each other and squared at the bottom (or beveled, if the hole is to be at an angle). Other sorts of guides 'sandwich' the part to be drilled with drill guides to keep the bit centered along its length. You can make a sort of barefoot auger from an old auger by cutting off the lead screw, but it will not have the same 'foot' as a bit intended and manufactured as barefoot, and therefore will not work nearly as well.

C. Use a 'Spoon Bit' or 'Shell Auger'; A spoon bit is an ancient type still used by chair, lamp, and instrument makers to bore long holes in things like chair backs, lamps and flutes. These are usually carefully hand driven with a bit stock, or twist handle. Spoon bits today are fairly expensive. Lee Valley sells one type.② You can also make your own and here is an article which shows how in detail.③ If you find yourself making a lot of long, deep holes it would be worthwhile to explore this type of bit. Obviously, there is some skill and patience required to use these accurately.

D. There are also a number of speciality (and expensive) bits used with lathes to make long holes in gun barrels, lamps, etc. These are somewhat similar to shell bits and are called 'D' bits. Those are beyond the scope of what I am trying to present here.

And, just for giggles, I'll mention something called a 'boring bar' which boatbuilders use to drill out for propeller shafts, but these are not properly drill bits in themselves as they need a pilot hole which must first be drilled with one of the above mentioned type bits.

2. Drilling 'part of a hole':

Here are some common-sense tips for drilling 'parts' of a hole, i.e. half or other fraction of a hole's diameter at the edge of something. For example, you may need a series of half circles in the edge of a plank to hold bottle necks in a wine rack or something like that. You can use a jig saw, or band saw and try to deal with the irregular hole which results,
Or,

You can cut or drill your holes down the middle of a plank and then cut that through the holes into two equal width pieces with a saw;
Or you can,

Clamp a piece of waste material of the same thickness next to your stock, locate the center of your hole so your drill cuts away as much as you need for the partial hole in your stock. This works with augers, twist drill bits, Forstner bits, hole saws or whatever and is very accurate. See illustration and photos following:

If you need to make 'part holes' of longer lengths, you can use the same method at the edges of your working stock. The nice thing about this is you can produce partial holes limited only by the depth capacity of your bit or hole saw. See illustration and photos following:

Links to pertinent information:
① http://www.answers.com/topic/faying-surface
② http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=57713&cat=1,180,42240,53317&ap=1
③ http://toolmakingart.com/2011/02/27/how-to-make-an-octagonal-handle-shell-auger-and-straight-drilling-guide/

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

MORE than you ever wanted to know about HOLES!

Don't get too excited - this isn't an article on porn or sex, but only about making holes in wood! There are times when you need a hole in wood which becomes a challenge, even with the right sort and size bit. Here's how to deal with some of the more common challenges:

1. Drilling long holes accurately:

A. By far the easiest way is by making a shallow saw kerf in the "Faying Surface"①. These are then joined together by glueing or other means, with the kerfs mirroring each other, i.e., face to face. After joining, the hole is made using a spiral auger with a lead screw entering the saw kerfs. The lead screw will follow the kerf unless it encounters a knot or irregular spot. Needless to say, you must go slowly and carefully and clear the chips often. If the bit starts to bind it may mean it is getting off track. This works with brad point bits too up to a point (pardon the pun!), but these are more likely to wander since the bit is not supported on its sides its full length, which seems to be an important requirement for any tool drilling long, deep holes. Regular machinist type twist bits do not work nearly as well as augers unless the saw kerfs are quite wide.

B. Of course there are times you must drill a long, deep hole when you don't have the option of glueing two pieces together with sawn kerfs. Here, you might use a 'Barefoot Auger'; A barefoot auger is a special bit used by shipwrights and is similar to a spiral auger with no lead screw. These can drill quite long holes, but must be very carefully started in exactly the right direction. Even then, it the bit hits a knot or hard place it can change direction on you. Shipwrights often make a special 'guides' to get the bits started in the proper direction usually consisting of two pieces of wood at right angles to each other and squared at the bottom (or beveled, if the hole is to be at an angle). Other sorts of guides 'sandwich' the part to be drilled with drill guides to keep the bit centered along its length. You can make a sort of barefoot auger from an old auger by cutting off the lead screw, but it will not have the same 'foot' as a bit intended and manufactured as barefoot, and therefore will not work nearly as well.

C. Use a 'Spoon Bit' or 'Shell Auger'; A spoon bit is an ancient type still used by chair, lamp, and instrument makers to bore long holes in things like chair backs, lamps and flutes. These are usually carefully hand driven with a bit stock, or twist handle. Spoon bits today are fairly expensive. Lee Valley sells one type.② You can also make your own and here is an article which shows how in detail.③ If you find yourself making a lot of long, deep holes it would be worthwhile to explore this type of bit. Obviously, there is some skill and patience required to use these accurately.

D. There are also a number of speciality (and expensive) bits used with lathes to make long holes in gun barrels, lamps, etc. These are somewhat similar to shell bits and are called 'D' bits. Those are beyond the scope of what I am trying to present here.

And, just for giggles, I'll mention something called a 'boring bar' which boatbuilders use to drill out for propeller shafts, but these are not properly drill bits in themselves as they need a pilot hole which must first be drilled with one of the above mentioned type bits.

2. Drilling 'part of a hole':

Here are some common-sense tips for drilling 'parts' of a hole, i.e. half or other fraction of a hole's diameter at the edge of something. For example, you may need a series of half circles in the edge of a plank to hold bottle necks in a wine rack or something like that. You can use a jig saw, or band saw and try to deal with the irregular hole which results,
Or,

You can cut or drill your holes down the middle of a plank and then cut that through the holes into two equal width pieces with a saw;
Or you can,

Clamp a piece of waste material of the same thickness next to your stock, locate the center of your hole so your drill cuts away as much as you need for the partial hole in your stock. This works with augers, twist drill bits, Forstner bits, hole saws or whatever and is very accurate. See illustration and photos following:

If you need to make 'part holes' of longer lengths, you can use the same method at the edges of your working stock. The nice thing about this is you can produce partial holes limited only by the depth capacity of your bit or hole saw. See illustration and photos following:

Links to pertinent information:
① http://www.answers.com/topic/faying-surface
② http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=57713&cat=1,180,42240,53317&ap=1
③ http://toolmakingart.com/2011/02/27/how-to-make-an-octagonal-handle-shell-auger-and-straight-drilling-guide/

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

MORE than you ever wanted to know about HOLES!

Don't get too excited - this isn't an article on porn or sex, but only about making holes in wood! There are times when you need a hole in wood which becomes a challenge, even with the right sort and size bit. Here's how to deal with some of the more common challenges:

1. Drilling long holes accurately:

A. By far the easiest way is by making a shallow saw kerf in the "Faying Surface"①. These are then joined together by glueing or other means, with the kerfs mirroring each other, i.e., face to face. After joining, the hole is made using a spiral auger with a lead screw entering the saw kerfs. The lead screw will follow the kerf unless it encounters a knot or irregular spot. Needless to say, you must go slowly and carefully and clear the chips often. If the bit starts to bind it may mean it is getting off track. This works with brad point bits too up to a point (pardon the pun!), but these are more likely to wander since the bit is not supported on its sides its full length, which seems to be an important requirement for any tool drilling long, deep holes. Regular machinist type twist bits do not work nearly as well as augers unless the saw kerfs are quite wide.

B. Of course there are times you must drill a long, deep hole when you don't have the option of glueing two pieces together with sawn kerfs. Here, you might use a 'Barefoot Auger'; A barefoot auger is a special bit used by shipwrights and is similar to a spiral auger with no lead screw. These can drill quite long holes, but must be very carefully started in exactly the right direction. Even then, it the bit hits a knot or hard place it can change direction on you. Shipwrights often make a special 'guides' to get the bits started in the proper direction usually consisting of two pieces of wood at right angles to each other and squared at the bottom (or beveled, if the hole is to be at an angle). Other sorts of guides 'sandwich' the part to be drilled with drill guides to keep the bit centered along its length. You can make a sort of barefoot auger from an old auger by cutting off the lead screw, but it will not have the same 'foot' as a bit intended and manufactured as barefoot, and therefore will not work nearly as well.

C. Use a 'Spoon Bit' or 'Shell Auger'; A spoon bit is an ancient type still used by chair, lamp, and instrument makers to bore long holes in things like chair backs, lamps and flutes. These are usually carefully hand driven with a bit stock, or twist handle. Spoon bits today are fairly expensive. Lee Valley sells one type.② You can also make your own and here is an article which shows how in detail.③ If you find yourself making a lot of long, deep holes it would be worthwhile to explore this type of bit. Obviously, there is some skill and patience required to use these accurately.

D. There are also a number of speciality (and expensive) bits used with lathes to make long holes in gun barrels, lamps, etc. These are somewhat similar to shell bits and are called 'D' bits. Those are beyond the scope of what I am trying to present here.

And, just for giggles, I'll mention something called a 'boring bar' which boatbuilders use to drill out for propeller shafts, but these are not properly drill bits in themselves as they need a pilot hole which must first be drilled with one of the above mentioned type bits.

2. Drilling 'part of a hole':

Here are some common-sense tips for drilling 'parts' of a hole, i.e. half or other fraction of a hole's diameter at the edge of something. For example, you may need a series of half circles in the edge of a plank to hold bottle necks in a wine rack or something like that. You can use a jig saw, or band saw and try to deal with the irregular hole which results,
Or,

You can cut or drill your holes down the middle of a plank and then cut that through the holes into two equal width pieces with a saw;
Or you can,

Clamp a piece of waste material of the same thickness next to your stock, locate the center of your hole so your drill cuts away as much as you need for the partial hole in your stock. This works with augers, twist drill bits, Forstner bits, hole saws or whatever and is very accurate. See illustration and photos following:

If you need to make 'part holes' of longer lengths, you can use the same method at the edges of your working stock. The nice thing about this is you can produce partial holes limited only by the depth capacity of your bit or hole saw. See illustration and photos following:

Links to pertinent information:
① http://www.answers.com/topic/faying-surface
② http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=57713&cat=1,180,42240,53317&ap=1
③ http://toolmakingart.com/2011/02/27/how-to-make-an-octagonal-handle-shell-auger-and-straight-drilling-guide/

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

MORE than you ever wanted to know about HOLES!

Don't get too excited - this isn't an article on porn or sex, but only about making holes in wood! There are times when you need a hole in wood which becomes a challenge, even with the right sort and size bit. Here's how to deal with some of the more common challenges:

1. Drilling long holes accurately:

A. By far the easiest way is by making a shallow saw kerf in the "Faying Surface"①. These are then joined together by glueing or other means, with the kerfs mirroring each other, i.e., face to face. After joining, the hole is made using a spiral auger with a lead screw entering the saw kerfs. The lead screw will follow the kerf unless it encounters a knot or irregular spot. Needless to say, you must go slowly and carefully and clear the chips often. If the bit starts to bind it may mean it is getting off track. This works with brad point bits too up to a point (pardon the pun!), but these are more likely to wander since the bit is not supported on its sides its full length, which seems to be an important requirement for any tool drilling long, deep holes. Regular machinist type twist bits do not work nearly as well as augers unless the saw kerfs are quite wide.

B. Of course there are times you must drill a long, deep hole when you don't have the option of glueing two pieces together with sawn kerfs. Here, you might use a 'Barefoot Auger'; A barefoot auger is a special bit used by shipwrights and is similar to a spiral auger with no lead screw. These can drill quite long holes, but must be very carefully started in exactly the right direction. Even then, it the bit hits a knot or hard place it can change direction on you. Shipwrights often make a special 'guides' to get the bits started in the proper direction usually consisting of two pieces of wood at right angles to each other and squared at the bottom (or beveled, if the hole is to be at an angle). Other sorts of guides 'sandwich' the part to be drilled with drill guides to keep the bit centered along its length. You can make a sort of barefoot auger from an old auger by cutting off the lead screw, but it will not have the same 'foot' as a bit intended and manufactured as barefoot, and therefore will not work nearly as well.

C. Use a 'Spoon Bit' or 'Shell Auger'; A spoon bit is an ancient type still used by chair, lamp, and instrument makers to bore long holes in things like chair backs, lamps and flutes. These are usually carefully hand driven with a bit stock, or twist handle. Spoon bits today are fairly expensive. Lee Valley sells one type.② You can also make your own and here is an article which shows how in detail.③ If you find yourself making a lot of long, deep holes it would be worthwhile to explore this type of bit. Obviously, there is some skill and patience required to use these accurately.

D. There are also a number of speciality (and expensive) bits used with lathes to make long holes in gun barrels, lamps, etc. These are somewhat similar to shell bits and are called 'D' bits. Those are beyond the scope of what I am trying to present here.

And, just for giggles, I'll mention something called a 'boring bar' which boatbuilders use to drill out for propeller shafts, but these are not properly drill bits in themselves as they need a pilot hole which must first be drilled with one of the above mentioned type bits.

2. Drilling 'part of a hole':

Here are some common-sense tips for drilling 'parts' of a hole, i.e. half or other fraction of a hole's diameter at the edge of something. For example, you may need a series of half circles in the edge of a plank to hold bottle necks in a wine rack or something like that. You can use a jig saw, or band saw and try to deal with the irregular hole which results,
Or,

You can cut or drill your holes down the middle of a plank and then cut that through the holes into two equal width pieces with a saw;
Or you can,

Clamp a piece of waste material of the same thickness next to your stock, locate the center of your hole so your drill cuts away as much as you need for the partial hole in your stock. This works with augers, twist drill bits, Forstner bits, hole saws or whatever and is very accurate. See illustration and photos following:

If you need to make 'part holes' of longer lengths, you can use the same method at the edges of your working stock. The nice thing about this is you can produce partial holes limited only by the depth capacity of your bit or hole saw. See illustration and photos following:

Links to pertinent information:
① http://www.answers.com/topic/faying-surface
② http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=57713&cat=1,180,42240,53317&ap=1
③ http://toolmakingart.com/2011/02/27/how-to-make-an-octagonal-handle-shell-auger-and-straight-drilling-guide/

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

Making Long, Round Things in Wood - with the Norwegian Dowel Cutter

Sometimes you need long round parts made from wood. Prior to the 19th century, specially made wooden dowels often served where nails, screws and bolts are used today. For instance, in barn building and shipbuilding, 'trunnels' were used to fasten timbers together and planks to a ships ribs. Outside of lacking the strength of of metal, trunnels are not affected by electrolysis and do not rust, important considerations in ships - although of course they can eventually rot. The word 'trunnel' comes from a corruption of the words 'trenail' or 'tree nail'. Who'd a-thunk?

Today if you need long round things made from wood the first recourse is usually a lathe - but lathes are often not available and all lathes have their limitations. Here I will try to present a way to show how to make long, round wooden things without a lathe, quicker than with a lathe, more accurately than a lathe can do, and longer than most lathes can do. Tall order, right?

Not really, since almost anyone can easily make a 'Norwegian dowel cutter' - also known by other names. Just an aside here: There is a complete genre of ethnic jokes similar to 'Polish' jokes, except they are about Norwegians. I feel entitled to make such jokes since my father immigrated from Norway as a young man and I am half Norwegian. On the other hand, my father often said to me back when I was a teenager, "Son, you are half Norwegian, and the other half a complete sh*ta$$!" I'm still not sure exactly what he meant by that. Anyway, back to the Norwegian dowel cutter.

This is an easily made tool, similar in operation to a big pencil sharpener except the 'pencil' rotates instead of the sharpener. The following pictures explain things pretty well I think. This tool consists of a wooden 'die' of hardwood, bored through the same diameter of the dowel or rod you wish to make - or a bit over:

A. A custom cutter is made from a suitable piece of steel, configured to fit the die. This tool is a bit like the tenon cutters you can buy, except this one is not limited as to depth - you can make dowels or any length you have the stock for. You can make this apparatus in an hour or so, for any diameter rod or dowel you wish to make, up to about 3" or so. It is good to make a tang on the die to aid in clamping to your workbench - see pictures. Note that the cutter has a beveled starter side to accept stock that is not round;

B. The cutter can be made from any piece of suitable hardened steel. I Often use an old saw blade or something similar. Cutting this hardened material is easy with a small hand grinder equipped with a cut-off disc. The working edges are keenly sharpened, and the cutter affixed to the die as shown. Note the scores made with a grinder on the back side of the cutter to help keep it clamped tightly in position in operation.

C. Square your stock about 1/8" over, then eight-side (see http://lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/33328. The eight-siding can be quickly done by hand or power plane, jointer, or even a planer equipped with a suitable jig.

D. Since the stock must rotate thru the die and cutter, you must spin it. You can do this by hand (very laborious!), or far better, use a drill motor equipped with a 'Norwegian Nut driver'. See photos. This driver is self-explanatory and works great. The 'socket' should be made of hardwood, of sufficient thickness to allow about a 1" deep socket, plus enough material to accept a 3/8" or 1/2" carriage bolt. (Need I say here it is always good to work from 'the center out' by drilling the hole for your bolt first, then make the socket, then cut the outside edge?) The bolt must be double-nutted on the driver side since clockwise rotation will tend to loosen a single nut. But of course I guess you could always run things in reverse . . . . hmm. A note here about the size of the nut driver; if you want to make more than one size of rod, it is good to settle on a single size for your driver - like a 1" square. Your working stock can then be squared on the driven end to a common size for your driver.

E. In operation, the stock is turned through the die and cutter apparatus. The cutter is adjusted to just a tiny fraction less than the hole diameter of the die. You should experiment a little to get everything adjusted just so. Once set, you will be amazed at how quickly and accurately this little set up can make rods for you. Hardwood is the best material for making rods and dowels, but with a properly sharpened cutter, you can do softwood rods almost as well - these pictures show making a dowel of soft pine.

This apparatus can also be used with a lathe, by starting it on one end of your stock before it is chucked into the lathe. With the lathe running at a slow speed, the die and cutter is simply held firmly and run down the length of your stock - giving you a consistent diameter the full length without calipers. If you use a lathe, try clamping your cutter to a longer piece of material for better control. It goes without saying you should always work slowly and deliberately, so as not to ruin material, and more importantly, hurt yourself or someone else!

I hope you find this useful . .

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

Making Long, Round Things in Wood - with the Norwegian Dowel Cutter

Sometimes you need long round parts made from wood. Prior to the 19th century, specially made wooden dowels often served where nails, screws and bolts are used today. For instance, in barn building and shipbuilding, 'trunnels' were used to fasten timbers together and planks to a ships ribs. Outside of lacking the strength of of metal, trunnels are not affected by electrolysis and do not rust, important considerations in ships - although of course they can eventually rot. The word 'trunnel' comes from a corruption of the words 'trenail' or 'tree nail'. Who'd a-thunk?

Today if you need long round things made from wood the first recourse is usually a lathe - but lathes are often not available and all lathes have their limitations. Here I will try to present a way to show how to make long, round wooden things without a lathe, quicker than with a lathe, more accurately than a lathe can do, and longer than most lathes can do. Tall order, right?

Not really, since almost anyone can easily make a 'Norwegian dowel cutter' - also known by other names. Just an aside here: There is a complete genre of ethnic jokes similar to 'Polish' jokes, except they are about Norwegians. I feel entitled to make such jokes since my father immigrated from Norway as a young man and I am half Norwegian. On the other hand, my father often said to me back when I was a teenager, "Son, you are half Norwegian, and the other half a complete sh*ta$$!" I'm still not sure exactly what he meant by that. Anyway, back to the Norwegian dowel cutter.

This is an easily made tool, similar in operation to a big pencil sharpener except the 'pencil' rotates instead of the sharpener. The following pictures explain things pretty well I think. This tool consists of a wooden 'die' of hardwood, bored through the same diameter of the dowel or rod you wish to make - or a bit over:

A. A custom cutter is made from a suitable piece of steel, configured to fit the die. This tool is a bit like the tenon cutters you can buy, except this one is not limited as to depth - you can make dowels or any length you have the stock for. You can make this apparatus in an hour or so, for any diameter rod or dowel you wish to make, up to about 3" or so. It is good to make a tang on the die to aid in clamping to your workbench - see pictures. Note that the cutter has a beveled starter side to accept stock that is not round;

B. The cutter can be made from any piece of suitable hardened steel. I Often use an old saw blade or something similar. Cutting this hardened material is easy with a small hand grinder equipped with a cut-off disc. The working edges are keenly sharpened, and the cutter affixed to the die as shown. Note the scores made with a grinder on the back side of the cutter to help keep it clamped tightly in position in operation.

C. Square your stock about 1/8" over, then eight-side (see http://lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/33328. The eight-siding can be quickly done by hand or power plane, jointer, or even a planer equipped with a suitable jig.

D. Since the stock must rotate thru the die and cutter, you must spin it. You can do this by hand (very laborious!), or far better, use a drill motor equipped with a 'Norwegian Nut driver'. See photos. This driver is self-explanatory and works great. The 'socket' should be made of hardwood, of sufficient thickness to allow about a 1" deep socket, plus enough material to accept a 3/8" or 1/2" carriage bolt. (Need I say here it is always good to work from 'the center out' by drilling the hole for your bolt first, then make the socket, then cut the outside edge?) The bolt must be double-nutted on the driver side since clockwise rotation will tend to loosen a single nut. But of course I guess you could always run things in reverse . . . . hmm. A note here about the size of the nut driver; if you want to make more than one size of rod, it is good to settle on a single size for your driver - like a 1" square. Your working stock can then be squared on the driven end to a common size for your driver.

E. In operation, the stock is turned through the die and cutter apparatus. The cutter is adjusted to just a tiny fraction less than the hole diameter of the die. You should experiment a little to get everything adjusted just so. Once set, you will be amazed at how quickly and accurately this little set up can make rods for you. Hardwood is the best material for making rods and dowels, but with a properly sharpened cutter, you can do softwood rods almost as well - these pictures show making a dowel of soft pine.

This apparatus can also be used with a lathe, by starting it on one end of your stock before it is chucked into the lathe. With the lathe running at a slow speed, the die and cutter is simply held firmly and run down the length of your stock - giving you a consistent diameter the full length without calipers. If you use a lathe, try clamping your cutter to a longer piece of material for better control. It goes without saying you should always work slowly and deliberately, so as not to ruin material, and more importantly, hurt yourself or someone else!

I hope you find this useful . .

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

Making Long, Round Things in Wood - with the Norwegian Dowel Cutter

Sometimes you need long round parts made from wood. Prior to the 19th century, specially made wooden dowels often served where nails, screws and bolts are used today. For instance, in barn building and shipbuilding, 'trunnels' were used to fasten timbers together and planks to a ships ribs. Outside of lacking the strength of of metal, trunnels are not affected by electrolysis and do not rust, important considerations in ships - although of course they can eventually rot. The word 'trunnel' comes from a corruption of the words 'trenail' or 'tree nail'. Who'd a-thunk?

Today if you need long round things made from wood the first recourse is usually a lathe - but lathes are often not available and all lathes have their limitations. Here I will try to present a way to show how to make long, round wooden things without a lathe, quicker than with a lathe, more accurately than a lathe can do, and longer than most lathes can do. Tall order, right?

Not really, since almost anyone can easily make a 'Norwegian dowel cutter' - also known by other names. Just an aside here: There is a complete genre of ethnic jokes similar to 'Polish' jokes, except they are about Norwegians. I feel entitled to make such jokes since my father immigrated from Norway as a young man and I am half Norwegian. On the other hand, my father often said to me back when I was a teenager, "Son, you are half Norwegian, and the other half a complete sh*ta$$!" I'm still not sure exactly what he meant by that. Anyway, back to the Norwegian dowel cutter.

This is an easily made tool, similar in operation to a big pencil sharpener except the 'pencil' rotates instead of the sharpener. The following pictures explain things pretty well I think. This tool consists of a wooden 'die' of hardwood, bored through the same diameter of the dowel or rod you wish to make - or a bit over:

A. A custom cutter is made from a suitable piece of steel, configured to fit the die. This tool is a bit like the tenon cutters you can buy, except this one is not limited as to depth - you can make dowels or any length you have the stock for. You can make this apparatus in an hour or so, for any diameter rod or dowel you wish to make, up to about 3" or so. It is good to make a tang on the die to aid in clamping to your workbench - see pictures. Note that the cutter has a beveled starter side to accept stock that is not round;

B. The cutter can be made from any piece of suitable hardened steel. I Often use an old saw blade or something similar. Cutting this hardened material is easy with a small hand grinder equipped with a cut-off disc. The working edges are keenly sharpened, and the cutter affixed to the die as shown. Note the scores made with a grinder on the back side of the cutter to help keep it clamped tightly in position in operation.

C. Square your stock about 1/8" over, then eight-side (see http://lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/33328. The eight-siding can be quickly done by hand or power plane, jointer, or even a planer equipped with a suitable jig.

D. Since the stock must rotate thru the die and cutter, you must spin it. You can do this by hand (very laborious!), or far better, use a drill motor equipped with a 'Norwegian Nut driver'. See photos. This driver is self-explanatory and works great. The 'socket' should be made of hardwood, of sufficient thickness to allow about a 1" deep socket, plus enough material to accept a 3/8" or 1/2" carriage bolt. (Need I say here it is always good to work from 'the center out' by drilling the hole for your bolt first, then make the socket, then cut the outside edge?) The bolt must be double-nutted on the driver side since clockwise rotation will tend to loosen a single nut. But of course I guess you could always run things in reverse . . . . hmm. A note here about the size of the nut driver; if you want to make more than one size of rod, it is good to settle on a single size for your driver - like a 1" square. Your working stock can then be squared on the driven end to a common size for your driver.

E. In operation, the stock is turned through the die and cutter apparatus. The cutter is adjusted to just a tiny fraction less than the hole diameter of the die. You should experiment a little to get everything adjusted just so. Once set, you will be amazed at how quickly and accurately this little set up can make rods for you. Hardwood is the best material for making rods and dowels, but with a properly sharpened cutter, you can do softwood rods almost as well - these pictures show making a dowel of soft pine.

This apparatus can also be used with a lathe, by starting it on one end of your stock before it is chucked into the lathe. With the lathe running at a slow speed, the die and cutter is simply held firmly and run down the length of your stock - giving you a consistent diameter the full length without calipers. If you use a lathe, try clamping your cutter to a longer piece of material for better control. It goes without saying you should always work slowly and deliberately, so as not to ruin material, and more importantly, hurt yourself or someone else!

I hope you find this useful . .

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

Making Long, Round Things in Wood - with the Norwegian Dowel Cutter

Sometimes you need long round parts made from wood. Prior to the 19th century, specially made wooden dowels often served where nails, screws and bolts are used today. For instance, in barn building and shipbuilding, 'trunnels' were used to fasten timbers together and planks to a ships ribs. Outside of lacking the strength of of metal, trunnels are not affected by electrolysis and do not rust, important considerations in ships - although of course they can eventually rot. The word 'trunnel' comes from a corruption of the words 'trenail' or 'tree nail'. Who'd a-thunk?

Today if you need long round things made from wood the first recourse is usually a lathe - but lathes are often not available and all lathes have their limitations. Here I will try to present a way to show how to make long, round wooden things without a lathe, quicker than with a lathe, more accurately than a lathe can do, and longer than most lathes can do. Tall order, right?

Not really, since almost anyone can easily make a 'Norwegian dowel cutter' - also known by other names. Just an aside here: There is a complete genre of ethnic jokes similar to 'Polish' jokes, except they are about Norwegians. I feel entitled to make such jokes since my father immigrated from Norway as a young man and I am half Norwegian. On the other hand, my father often said to me back when I was a teenager, "Son, you are half Norwegian, and the other half a complete sh*ta$$!" I'm still not sure exactly what he meant by that. Anyway, back to the Norwegian dowel cutter.

This is an easily made tool, similar in operation to a big pencil sharpener except the 'pencil' rotates instead of the sharpener. The following pictures explain things pretty well I think. This tool consists of a wooden 'die' of hardwood, bored through the same diameter of the dowel or rod you wish to make - or a bit over:

A. A custom cutter is made from a suitable piece of steel, configured to fit the die. This tool is a bit like the tenon cutters you can buy, except this one is not limited as to depth - you can make dowels or any length you have the stock for. You can make this apparatus in an hour or so, for any diameter rod or dowel you wish to make, up to about 3" or so. It is good to make a tang on the die to aid in clamping to your workbench - see pictures. Note that the cutter has a beveled starter side to accept stock that is not round;

B. The cutter can be made from any piece of suitable hardened steel. I Often use an old saw blade or something similar. Cutting this hardened material is easy with a small hand grinder equipped with a cut-off disc. The working edges are keenly sharpened, and the cutter affixed to the die as shown. Note the scores made with a grinder on the back side of the cutter to help keep it clamped tightly in position in operation.

C. Square your stock about 1/8" over, then eight-side (see http://lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/33328. The eight-siding can be quickly done by hand or power plane, jointer, or even a planer equipped with a suitable jig.

D. Since the stock must rotate thru the die and cutter, you must spin it. You can do this by hand (very laborious!), or far better, use a drill motor equipped with a 'Norwegian Nut driver'. See photos. This driver is self-explanatory and works great. The 'socket' should be made of hardwood, of sufficient thickness to allow about a 1" deep socket, plus enough material to accept a 3/8" or 1/2" carriage bolt. (Need I say here it is always good to work from 'the center out' by drilling the hole for your bolt first, then make the socket, then cut the outside edge?) The bolt must be double-nutted on the driver side since clockwise rotation will tend to loosen a single nut. But of course I guess you could always run things in reverse . . . . hmm. A note here about the size of the nut driver; if you want to make more than one size of rod, it is good to settle on a single size for your driver - like a 1" square. Your working stock can then be squared on the driven end to a common size for your driver.

E. In operation, the stock is turned through the die and cutter apparatus. The cutter is adjusted to just a tiny fraction less than the hole diameter of the die. You should experiment a little to get everything adjusted just so. Once set, you will be amazed at how quickly and accurately this little set up can make rods for you. Hardwood is the best material for making rods and dowels, but with a properly sharpened cutter, you can do softwood rods almost as well - these pictures show making a dowel of soft pine.

This apparatus can also be used with a lathe, by starting it on one end of your stock before it is chucked into the lathe. With the lathe running at a slow speed, the die and cutter is simply held firmly and run down the length of your stock - giving you a consistent diameter the full length without calipers. If you use a lathe, try clamping your cutter to a longer piece of material for better control. It goes without saying you should always work slowly and deliberately, so as not to ruin material, and more importantly, hurt yourself or someone else!

I hope you find this useful . .

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

Duplicating Parts in Wood and Smoothing Curves

Let's say you need to made two, three or even four parts in wood, all precisely the same size and shape. It is straightforward and fairly easy to make your parts if they are all rectangular and can be done on the table saw. But, what if they are curved or irregular in shape, and you only need a few? The following technique may seem elementary, but it is surprising how many people aren't familiar with this idea. Simply put, this is as easy as making two or more parts at once, in one setup, then separating them apart into component pieces.

Here's how it is done:

1. Mill out enough stock for your several pieces to the proper thickness, making sure there is enough stock of proper width and length to make all pieces;

2. Rough cut your stock to width and length. From here there are two approaches;

a. Using a pattern made for your stock, rough cut each piece to shape about 1/8" over all around (easier, takes a little longer);

b. Proceed without rough cutting to size (faster, easier to keep squared, so long as your saw blade is perfectly square to the table);

3. Glue all your parts together in a stack as follows:

a. Use a glue thinned down about 1:1 with glue and thinner. If using white glue, water is a thinner. I use something called 'School Glue' which is made for school art projects and is cheap and easy to get;

b. Apply a coating of thinned glue to one part, then a layer of newspaper, more glue, the next part, and so on. Make sure there is a layer of newspaper or other thin paper between each part, and each part is accurately aligned with its neighbor. Clamp all together tightly and allow the glue to set.

3. When the glue has set, all the parts may be worked and shaped ① as one piece, making sure to use your square to keep all edges squared to the side face of the work. The thinned glue will hold everything together nicely until you are satisfied;

4. When the shaping is done, gently separate each piece from its neighbor with a chisel or screwdriver. I usually leave a little extra material at the ends for this purpose, which is trimmed off later. The pieces will separate within the paper, leaving a paper/glue residue on the matching surfaces. This will easily sand off, leaving you with perfectly matched parts!

Another way sometimes used for making two pieces only is not quite as easy, although it is the same idea. This is to use stock sufficient in thickness to allow for the finished thickness of both parts, plus an allowance for finish planing. After shaping, this is then resawn through the middle and each piece planed back to the desired finish thickness. This is often done in boatbuilding when planking a wooden boat. A plank made for one side should exactly match one in the same place on the opposite side as closely as possible, so they are sometimes made this way, then beveled after they are sawn apart and planed to the finish thickness.

If you are in production work making many identical parts, you likely are already familiar with making a pattern for each part for a router/shaper to follow.

① A note here about making your curves smooth. The eye is a curious and easily fooled organ, and can easily mislead your senses. Color or texture changes in your material can make you think there is a bump, or that a curve is smooth when it is not.

One sure way to check the smoothness of a curve is with a bendy straightedge or piece of wood made for the purpose. Boatbuilders call the tool they use to check curves a 'Fairing Batten'. This is made from a straight-grained wood like pine, and usually square or rectangular in section, and bendy enough to make the curve without breaking. But, any bendy straightedge or other material works just as well for short curves so long as it has no 'hard' spots.

This batten or straightedge is laid on the curve in question and tacked or clamped in position. Any deviation in the smoothness of the curvature will immediately show up as a high or low spot, and then can be worked down to get your nice, smooth curve. The pictures below explain things pretty well I think.

The particular pieces in these photographs with the fairing batten are intended as rockers for a rocking chair, so I am being extra careful to make the curves nice and smooth. Bumpy rockers on a rocking chair can be disconcerting and irritating for anyone except maybe a six-year-old to ten-year-old child!

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

Duplicating Parts in Wood and Smoothing Curves

Let's say you need to made two, three or even four parts in wood, all precisely the same size and shape. It is straightforward and fairly easy to make your parts if they are all rectangular and can be done on the table saw. But, what if they are curved or irregular in shape, and you only need a few? The following technique may seem elementary, but it is surprising how many people aren't familiar with this idea. Simply put, this is as easy as making two or more parts at once, in one setup, then separating them apart into component pieces.

Here's how it is done:

1. Mill out enough stock for your several pieces to the proper thickness, making sure there is enough stock of proper width and length to make all pieces;

2. Rough cut your stock to width and length. From here there are two approaches;

a. Using a pattern made for your stock, rough cut each piece to shape about 1/8" over all around (easier, takes a little longer);

b. Proceed without rough cutting to size (faster, easier to keep squared, so long as your saw blade is perfectly square to the table);

3. Glue all your parts together in a stack as follows:

a. Use a glue thinned down about 1:1 with glue and thinner. If using white glue, water is a thinner. I use something called 'School Glue' which is made for school art projects and is cheap and easy to get;

b. Apply a coating of thinned glue to one part, then a layer of newspaper, more glue, the next part, and so on. Make sure there is a layer of newspaper or other thin paper between each part, and each part is accurately aligned with its neighbor. Clamp all together tightly and allow the glue to set.

3. When the glue has set, all the parts may be worked and shaped ① as one piece, making sure to use your square to keep all edges squared to the side face of the work. The thinned glue will hold everything together nicely until you are satisfied;

4. When the shaping is done, gently separate each piece from its neighbor with a chisel or screwdriver. I usually leave a little extra material at the ends for this purpose, which is trimmed off later. The pieces will separate within the paper, leaving a paper/glue residue on the matching surfaces. This will easily sand off, leaving you with perfectly matched parts!

Another way sometimes used for making two pieces only is not quite as easy, although it is the same idea. This is to use stock sufficient in thickness to allow for the finished thickness of both parts, plus an allowance for finish planing. After shaping, this is then resawn through the middle and each piece planed back to the desired finish thickness. This is often done in boatbuilding when planking a wooden boat. A plank made for one side should exactly match one in the same place on the opposite side as closely as possible, so they are sometimes made this way, then beveled after they are sawn apart and planed to the finish thickness.

If you are in production work making many identical parts, you likely are already familiar with making a pattern for each part for a router/shaper to follow.

① A note here about making your curves smooth. The eye is a curious and easily fooled organ, and can easily mislead your senses. Color or texture changes in your material can make you think there is a bump, or that a curve is smooth when it is not.

One sure way to check the smoothness of a curve is with a bendy straightedge or piece of wood made for the purpose. Boatbuilders call the tool they use to check curves a 'Fairing Batten'. This is made from a straight-grained wood like pine, and usually square or rectangular in section, and bendy enough to make the curve without breaking. But, any bendy straightedge or other material works just as well for short curves so long as it has no 'hard' spots.

This batten or straightedge is laid on the curve in question and tacked or clamped in position. Any deviation in the smoothness of the curvature will immediately show up as a high or low spot, and then can be worked down to get your nice, smooth curve. The pictures below explain things pretty well I think.

The particular pieces in these photographs with the fairing batten are intended as rockers for a rocking chair, so I am being extra careful to make the curves nice and smooth. Bumpy rockers on a rocking chair can be disconcerting and irritating for anyone except maybe a six-year-old to ten-year-old child!

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

"Repeat After Me": Making identical parts in wood

Mold makers often use of this technique when making castings patterns. Layers of wood are temporarily glued together in a way to be easily pulled apart after the carving or milling work is done. After a casting pattern is made, it is often separated into two or more parts for making a sand mold for casting. This is a useful trick when needing multiple identical parts in wood - say two identical halves of an item, etc. Of course you can use it for making more than two pieces too, within practical limitations.

The idea is to glue two or more layers together so the layered assembly may then be cut or milled to profile in one operation, then separated. The glued layers end up all being cut to the same identical profile. You can do this by nailing or screwing layers together of course, but must then worry about the nail or screw holes showing up in the finished product, not to mention the fastenings are a hazard to your saw blades and tools. Glueing everything together is one good alternative.

How are the layers separated after being cut or milled to profile? The mold maker's method makes this very easy and simple. The individual layers are separated by paper, placed between each piece as the pieces are glued up. The individual layers are pried apart after the work is done, with the separation occurring within the paper layer itself. You end up with each layer being coated with a thin film of glue and paper, since the paper splits within itself. This glue/paper film is then scraped or sanded off. (Note: Glue should be applied to BOTH sides of the paper.)

Using a slick paper seems to work best for me - like glossy newspaper advertising inserts. Regular newsprint or notepaper works too, but the slick stuff seems to part more uniformly with a thinner film of paper stuck to the pieces because the glue does not soak all the way through. Then, there is the glue. Normal white or yellow glue like Titebond™ works, but thinning the glue down helps considerably for making for a far easier separation and clean-up afterwards. A one-to-one ratio of glue to water works just fine, can be applied with a brush and is quite strong enough to hold most things together for the milling part.

Another helpful bit is to leave a piece of extra stock on one end of the glued together pieces as it is milled to profile. This is so you can insert a chisel or screwdriver to separate the pieces without damaging the main portion of the part. This extra bit is then trimmed off after things are separated. Also, a small undercut or nick in this extra bit helps as a point to introduce your chisel. See the sketches which should be self-explanatory.

I have successfully used this method for lathe stock too - when needed for making multiple pieces like wheels or rollers. As a safety measure when glueing up parts for the lathe, drill a hole on the centers and run a waxed dowel the same size as the drilled holes through the centers as the parts are glued up. The wax keeps the glue from sticking to the dowel. A thin wax coat can be put on the dowel by slightly heating it with a propane torch or heat gun while rubbing a stick of paraffin wax over it. I have also seen sprayed-on wax used but don't trust the idea much myself. To make it easy to separate the parts after the lathe work is done, use a parting tool while still on the lathe to slightly nick the edges of the pieces at the paper separators. Then a light tap with a chisel at those points will separate the pieces without marring them. The dowel may be tapped out with a slightly smaller round rod or punch.

Here's a corollary, earlier post which expands on the idea a little: http://lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/35605

I hope these little tricks are of help to someone!

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

"Repeat After Me": Making identical parts in wood

Mold makers often use of this technique when making castings patterns. Layers of wood are temporarily glued together in a way to be easily pulled apart after the carving or milling work is done. After a casting pattern is made, it is often separated into two or more parts for making a sand mold for casting. This is a useful trick when needing multiple identical parts in wood - say two identical halves of an item, etc. Of course you can use it for making more than two pieces too, within practical limitations.

The idea is to glue two or more layers together so the layered assembly may then be cut or milled to profile in one operation, then separated. The glued layers end up all being cut to the same identical profile. You can do this by nailing or screwing layers together of course, but must then worry about the nail or screw holes showing up in the finished product, not to mention the fastenings are a hazard to your saw blades and tools. Glueing everything together is one good alternative.

How are the layers separated after being cut or milled to profile? The mold maker's method makes this very easy and simple. The individual layers are separated by paper, placed between each piece as the pieces are glued up. The individual layers are pried apart after the work is done, with the separation occurring within the paper layer itself. You end up with each layer being coated with a thin film of glue and paper, since the paper splits within itself. This glue/paper film is then scraped or sanded off. (Note: Glue should be applied to BOTH sides of the paper.)

Using a slick paper seems to work best for me - like glossy newspaper advertising inserts. Regular newsprint or notepaper works too, but the slick stuff seems to part more uniformly with a thinner film of paper stuck to the pieces because the glue does not soak all the way through. Then, there is the glue. Normal white or yellow glue like Titebond™ works, but thinning the glue down helps considerably for making for a far easier separation and clean-up afterwards. A one-to-one ratio of glue to water works just fine, can be applied with a brush and is quite strong enough to hold most things together for the milling part.

Another helpful bit is to leave a piece of extra stock on one end of the glued together pieces as it is milled to profile. This is so you can insert a chisel or screwdriver to separate the pieces without damaging the main portion of the part. This extra bit is then trimmed off after things are separated. Also, a small undercut or nick in this extra bit helps as a point to introduce your chisel. See the sketches which should be self-explanatory.

I have successfully used this method for lathe stock too - when needed for making multiple pieces like wheels or rollers. As a safety measure when glueing up parts for the lathe, drill a hole on the centers and run a waxed dowel the same size as the drilled holes through the centers as the parts are glued up. The wax keeps the glue from sticking to the dowel. A thin wax coat can be put on the dowel by slightly heating it with a propane torch or heat gun while rubbing a stick of paraffin wax over it. I have also seen sprayed-on wax used but don't trust the idea much myself. To make it easy to separate the parts after the lathe work is done, use a parting tool while still on the lathe to slightly nick the edges of the pieces at the paper separators. Then a light tap with a chisel at those points will separate the pieces without marring them. The dowel may be tapped out with a slightly smaller round rod or punch.

Here's a corollary, earlier post which expands on the idea a little: http://lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/35605

I hope these little tricks are of help to someone!

Click to expand...

GnarlyErik said:

"Repeat After Me": Making identical parts in wood

Mold makers often use of this technique when making castings patterns. Layers of wood are temporarily glued together in a way to be easily pulled apart after the carving or milling work is done. After a casting pattern is made, it is often separated into two or more parts for making a sand mold for casting. This is a useful trick when needing multiple identical parts in wood - say two identical halves of an item, etc. Of course you can use it for making more than two pieces too, within practical limitations.

The idea is to glue two or more layers together so the layered assembly may then be cut or milled to profile in one operation, then separated. The glued layers end up all being cut to the same identical profile. You can do this by nailing or screwing layers together of course, but must then worry about the nail or screw holes showing up in the finished product, not to mention the fastenings are a hazard to your saw blades and tools. Glueing everything together is one good alternative.

How are the layers separated after being cut or milled to profile? The mold maker's method makes this very easy and simple. The individual layers are separated by paper, placed between each piece as the pieces are glued up. The individual layers are pried apart after the work is done, with the separation occurring within the paper layer itself. You end up with each layer being coated with a thin film of glue and paper, since the paper splits within itself. This glue/paper film is then scraped or sanded off. (Note: Glue should be applied to BOTH sides of the paper.)

Using a slick paper seems to work best for me - like glossy newspaper advertising inserts. Regular newsprint or notepaper works too, but the slick stuff seems to part more uniformly with a thinner film of paper stuck to the pieces because the glue does not soak all the way through. Then, there is the glue. Normal white or yellow glue like Titebond™ works, but thinning the glue down helps considerably for making for a far easier separation and clean-up afterwards. A one-to-one ratio of glue to water works just fine, can be applied with a brush and is quite strong enough to hold most things together for the milling part.

Another helpful bit is to leave a piece of extra stock on one end of the glued together pieces as it is milled to profile. This is so you can insert a chisel or screwdriver to separate the pieces without damaging the main portion of the part. This extra bit is then trimmed off after things are separated. Also, a small undercut or nick in this extra bit helps as a point to introduce your chisel. See the sketches which should be self-explanatory.

I have successfully used this method for lathe stock too - when needed for making multiple pieces like wheels or rollers. As a safety measure when glueing up parts for the lathe, drill a hole on the centers and run a waxed dowel the same size as the drilled holes through the centers as the parts are glued up. The wax keeps the glue from sticking to the dowel. A thin wax coat can be put on the dowel by slightly heating it with a propane torch or heat gun while rubbing a stick of paraffin wax over it. I have also seen sprayed-on wax used but don't trust the idea much myself. To make it easy to separate the parts after the lathe work is done, use a parting tool while still on the lathe to slightly nick the edges of the pieces at the paper separators. Then a light tap with a chisel at those points will separate the pieces without marring them. The dowel may be tapped out with a slightly smaller round rod or punch.

Here's a corollary, earlier post which expands on the idea a little: http://lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/35605

I hope these little tricks are of help to someone!

Click to expand...