# Trestle Table



## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Milling 6/4 Rough Sawn Lumber Parts*

After several days of study and analysis, I decided I would make a trestle table for my granddaughter Torrence. It boiled down between this relatively small trestle table or a shaker style writing desk with two drawers under the table top. Each would be approximately the same size of about 60 inches long and 30 inches wide.

Frankly, the decision really came down to my desire to make a beautiful trestle table; one with great curves and shapes.

Actually this trestle table's top will be 54 inches long and 27 inches wide by 29 inches tall. This will be designed similar to a table designed by Gary Rogowski in an article he wrote for Fine Woodworking Magazine, September 2010. I plan to make a few feature change to Mr Rogowshi's article with respect to the shape of the top and the stretcher. Of course, this table will have tower legs on each end with a single stretcher connecting the two a few inches below the table top. I will make the typical through tenons with thin wedges that can be tapped into place in order to hold the stretcher in place. I will make the top so it can have its screws unfastened if the table needs to broken down for transport when moving.

I had a 6/4 rough sawn cherry board in my shop's lumber rack. It had twisted while in my shop. So I began milling the table parts to see if I could use this board and get the dimensioned parts I needed for the stretcher, feet, legs and caps at the top of the legs. In order to maximize the parts thickness, I cut the board to the parts approximate lengths and even to rip some of those parts so I could reduce the effects of the board's twist. It worked for me when making one surface flat on my jointer.

I was able to mill these 6/4 parts today so I do not need to purchase a new 6/4 rough sawn board. I have what I need.

I can next go to my hardwood lumber store to purchase the 4/4 cherry rough sawn lumber. I will make the table top from this 4/4 lumber. That shopping trip will be Monday, at the earliest.

By looking at the milled parts in the photos below, can you tell how I mark the flat jointed surface with the edge squared to it at 90 degrees?










I ran these parts through my thickness planer . Next I will rip these parts on my table saw to get the final dimensions of width and their lengths, including any tenon lengths to fit into mortises.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Finished Milling my Lumber Today*

Today I continued working on my 4/4 lumber parts by running the boards through my 15 inch thickness planer. I selected the boards I will use for the top. By selecting them now I made sure they were milled to the same thickness through my planer. One board needed further planing that the other four so they ended up becoming 13/16th inches thick instead of 7/8 thick. I wanted the top as thick as I could get from my 4/4 rough sawn timber. I am happy with what i got.

A board I had in my lumber rack that was an extra from a previous project was over just over 9 inches wide. When I have timber wider than my 8 inch jointer, it made the process of getting one surface flat a bit more difficult to mill. My shopping trip on Monday, I made sure all rough sawn lumber I purchased would be under 8 inches wide just for this reason. To joint the 9 inch wide board I removed my safety guard. I also determined where on the board where the bow began and cut that board in two. That left me two pieces to joint; one about six feet long and the other four feet. By cutting the board into these lengths and where it began to bow, I figured I could mill them to their maximum thickness. Otherwise if I left the board long it thickness may have shrunk to a 1/2 inch. By dividing this long board I got 3/4 inch thickness from these two pieces. I will use them in this project for the shorter parts that this table will need.

I finished milling all my 4/4 and 6/4 parts by ripping the boards to their maximum widths and squared the ends using my cross-cut sled. I will check these parts later to determine if they need addition milling to four square, if they have moved at all while acclimating to my shop's humidity and after milling them during this first process.


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## AandCstyle (Mar 21, 2012)

HappyHowie said:


> *Finished Milling my Lumber Today*
> 
> Today I continued working on my 4/4 lumber parts by running the boards through my 15 inch thickness planer. I selected the boards I will use for the top. By selecting them now I made sure they were milled to the same thickness through my planer. One board needed further planing that the other four so they ended up becoming 13/16th inches thick instead of 7/8 thick. I wanted the top as thick as I could get from my 4/4 rough sawn timber. I am happy with what i got.
> 
> ...


Howie, it may not be an issue for you, but I like to sticker freshly machined boards to endure that any moisture content changes will be from all sides.


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## Bigrock (Apr 16, 2010)

HappyHowie said:


> *Finished Milling my Lumber Today*
> 
> Today I continued working on my 4/4 lumber parts by running the boards through my 15 inch thickness planer. I selected the boards I will use for the top. By selecting them now I made sure they were milled to the same thickness through my planer. One board needed further planing that the other four so they ended up becoming 13/16th inches thick instead of 7/8 thick. I wanted the top as thick as I could get from my 4/4 rough sawn timber. I am happy with what i got.
> 
> ...


Hi:
I don't know where you are getting you material, but here in Virginia most if not all the sawyers are using some type band saw mill.
On wide mater up to 14 1/2" I will plane both sides thick and then check them for flatness and parallel. About 99% of the time they are flat and straight. Thy it and see what you get.
Have Fun In Your Shop


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Finished Milling my Lumber Today*
> 
> Today I continued working on my 4/4 lumber parts by running the boards through my 15 inch thickness planer. I selected the boards I will use for the top. By selecting them now I made sure they were milled to the same thickness through my planer. One board needed further planing that the other four so they ended up becoming 13/16th inches thick instead of 7/8 thick. I wanted the top as thick as I could get from my 4/4 rough sawn timber. I am happy with what i got.
> 
> ...


Hello Art, the photos above were directly from my milling process. I do sticker my milled lumber. You may notice the pile of stickered maple I have stacked on my planer in the first photo's background. My new cherry lumber as rough sawn directly from my hardwood was stickered in shop in order to acclimate to its humidity. However, this lumber seemed very dry; unlike the 6/4 cherry I bought last winter. That moved a lot. It is what I used for the leg assemblies.

Do you immediately sticker your milled lumber from your jointer and planer? What advantage does that give you?


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## AandCstyle (Mar 21, 2012)

HappyHowie said:


> *Finished Milling my Lumber Today*
> 
> Today I continued working on my 4/4 lumber parts by running the boards through my 15 inch thickness planer. I selected the boards I will use for the top. By selecting them now I made sure they were milled to the same thickness through my planer. One board needed further planing that the other four so they ended up becoming 13/16th inches thick instead of 7/8 thick. I wanted the top as thick as I could get from my 4/4 rough sawn timber. I am happy with what i got.
> 
> ...


Howie, I was concerned that the stack in the first pic was to be left as it was shown. I sticker my freshly milled stock as soon as I complete the initial milling. I don't know if there is any advantage other than my peace of mind that I am doing all I can to avoid any unpleasant surprises.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Finished Milling my Lumber Today*
> 
> Today I continued working on my 4/4 lumber parts by running the boards through my 15 inch thickness planer. I selected the boards I will use for the top. By selecting them now I made sure they were milled to the same thickness through my planer. One board needed further planing that the other four so they ended up becoming 13/16th inches thick instead of 7/8 thick. I wanted the top as thick as I could get from my 4/4 rough sawn timber. I am happy with what i got.
> 
> ...


Art, I am all in for peace of mind. I will adopt your method. Thanks for the suggestion.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Milled and Cut Leg Assembly Parts to Final Dimensions*

Today I took the 6/4 lumber parts that I had initially milled to rough dimensions so I could finish the milling process by cutting them to final lengths and widths. I left approximately a 1/16" in their widths from the table saw cuts so I could use my bench planes to remove the blade burns and saw marks. I also smoothly removed the surface's planer marks from all flat surfaces.

For the two batten parts that call for 5/8" thick timber I chose to resaw the 1 inch thick board on my table saw instead of passing it through my planer. Resawing the board left me with a 1/8 thick veneer piece that I can use later on something else. I hand planed the resawn batten parts flat and smooth to its final thickness of 5/8 inches; first with my #6 and then my #4 bench planes.

Hey Art, I haved given below an image of these parts stickered on my assembly table. They will be ready to mark for mortise and tenon joinery.



















My plan for tomorrow will be first to make long enough clamping cauls to make sure the glue up of my table top will be flat across its surface. The Bowclamp cauls I purchased early on in my woodworking days are too short for use on this table top. I will make the new ones myself from scrap maple I have in my shop. These clamping cauls will look similar to the sketch below that I found on the Internet. Maybe I should search here on Lumberjocks to see what other woodworkers have made for clamping cauls.

I might as well make three or four cauls since I believe making several tables will be in my future.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Mechanic Duties*

If a woodworker is going to have electrical and mechanical equipment in his shop he should also acquire the skills to setup and repair those machines, or keep a mechanic handy. They won't be cheap unless they are sons or brothers. I have both who are very skilled. I have tried to have them teach me what I need to know. If they have done tasks like wire in a panel or box then I attempt to copy their work.

I heard my planer yesterday begin to make a loud racket. This morning I found this metal key on my shop floor as I was cleaning.

The Key I found on My Shop Floor. With item found I knew exactly what machine it came from because I heard the knocking noise yesterday. I am not always that lucky…










Measuring the length of this key let me know which of the two keys shown in the planer's manual this key went to. The other, of course, was to the pulley at the other end. The one that turns the cutters. That one should measure 30 mm long.










Turns out two keys are used in my planer. This one based on it length fits the pulley on the motor.










*Note: Does anyone know how to give instructions in this editor to rotate these photos to the right 90 degrees?*

Metric sockets and wrenches.

Here we go… Let's get back to woodworking…


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## 49er (Jan 3, 2014)

HappyHowie said:


> *Mechanic Duties*
> 
> If a woodworker is going to have electrical and mechanical equipment in his shop he should also acquire the skills to setup and repair those machines, or keep a mechanic handy. They won't be cheap unless they are sons or brothers. I have both who are very skilled. I have tried to have them teach me what I need to know. If they have done tasks like wire in a panel or box then I attempt to copy their work.
> 
> ...


Note: Does anyone know how to give instructions in this editor to rotate these photos to the right 90 degrees?
Da, short answer No.

Is your key a snug fit? Does it need to be tapped in place? It should be. 
Just a tip, locttite makes some good products to keep seals, bearings, and the like in place. They have many specialized products beyond thread lockers.

http://www.loctiteproducts.com/product_advisor/index.shtml


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Mechanic Duties*
> 
> If a woodworker is going to have electrical and mechanical equipment in his shop he should also acquire the skills to setup and repair those machines, or keep a mechanic handy. They won't be cheap unless they are sons or brothers. I have both who are very skilled. I have tried to have them teach me what I need to know. If they have done tasks like wire in a panel or box then I attempt to copy their work.
> 
> ...


49er, I did take a hammer to tap it in tightly. I believe it came loose from an allen pin not being tightened down on the key well enough. I have had this planer in service for three years. It took that amount of time to work itself loose.

So I have fastened the key and the allen pins down tightly. I also used WD-40 on the cutters and with paper towels and then a bristle brush and a cloth, I cleaned the spiral cutterhead. I also used a small level to make sure the motor was fastened level so the belt would be traveling on the pulleys correctly.

I have noticed while operating the planer today that the knocking noise is gone plus it is running smoother. It is a big improvement.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Cambered Cauls*

In order to make sure the table top I will be gluing will be flat and so I can keep the thickness I have milled to separate board, I am making cambered cauls for clamping. I want the boards to retain their milled thickness of 13/16 inches so I can cut curved edges to the table top.

I read somewhere during my research that softwood lumber is okay for clamping cauls. I bought three 2 by 12 by 8 feet redwood planks today at Lowes. I selected the planks that where very straight. Also most of these boards do not have any knots in them.










I am generally following a Fine Woodworking article to make these cambered cauls by using my planer.

Prior to jointing a surface flat I decided cut the eight foot lengths of the three planks in half and then rip the four foot planks into thirds. The ripped widths thus is oversized to 3 1/2 inches. This leaves me three 3 1/2 inch wide boards, four feet long. 









Then I jointed one surface flat and and an edge square to it. From there I ran the 18 boards through my planer so they all have the same thickness.










Next I ripped each of these boards to 3 inches width with the squared edge up against my table saw's fence.

I then crosscut these boards so I have three sets of six boards to the following lengths: 28 inches, 38 inches and lastly 44 inches. Then with a rule I marked the center point on the edge I am going to camber a slope to their edges.

I clamped a stop on the planer. Laid the center line past the cutters and then planed off 1/16ths inch on the short boards, about an 1/8th inch off the 38 inch long boards and bit more from the 44 inch long boards.










They are good to go as they are, but I also bought six 6 inch long bolts and six 8 inch long bolts. Tomorrow I will drill holes in the ends of these cambered cauls so I can bolt them to sandwiched table top between them.










I drew squiggle lines on the cambered edges so I can easily determine what edge to apply to the table top when I glue it together.

Tomorrow I will also rub on paste wax on all surfaces of these cauls. I will then determine if I should apply any packing tape to the cambered edge in order to avoid having the surface adhere to the table top when I glue and clamp it.


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## Bigrock (Apr 16, 2010)

HappyHowie said:


> *Cambered Cauls*
> 
> In order to make sure the table top I will be gluing will be flat and so I can keep the thickness I have milled to separate board, I am making cambered cauls for clamping. I want the boards to retain their milled thickness of 13/16 inches so I can cut curved edges to the table top.
> 
> ...


Hi:
Yes I would apply packing tape to the cauls.
I notice in the background that you have a Grizzly Jointer. Which model is it and what do you think of it. You can send me a message


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Cambered Cauls*
> 
> In order to make sure the table top I will be gluing will be flat and so I can keep the thickness I have milled to separate board, I am making cambered cauls for clamping. I want the boards to retain their milled thickness of 13/16 inches so I can cut curved edges to the table top.
> 
> ...


Hi Bigrock,

When I started woodworking in 2013 I priced several brands at my local Woodcraft store. They generally were selling Powermatic and Jet; maybe some others. I knew quickly that I want a jointer larger than 6 inches. When I inquired about the price of an 8" jointer I got shocked by the salesman's reply. He said: "Well, you probably couldn't afford it". I don't how he determined what I could afford, or not. I simply retorted that he was brand biased.

I made the decision to purchase most major items from Grizzly: floor drill press, planer, and their jointer. The specific model of jointer I listed below. I enjoy it very much. I have noticed many other well known woodworker that have videos on YouTube and Fine Woodworking also are using Grizzly equipment.

G0490X 8" Jointer w/ Spiral Cutter and Parallelogram Beds

My jointer has worked great from the first. I checked the setup settings before using it for the first time. All of the manual's specifications were correct right out of the box. Only this latest issue with one of the motor's key worked itself loose. I have now repaired that and I think my jointer is working the best it ever has. Without prior experience I probably did not know that the allen pins needed tightening. It sounds better and is working better even with thin or thick passes over the spiral cutterhead. The parallelogram beds are so easy to set. I have not needed to adjust the outfeed table since day one. The infeed was adjusted when I placed it into service over three years ago. Now all I need to do is set the depth I want the jointer cut from whatever board I am going to joint flat. I oil it every so often and check the flatness of the two surfaces now and then.

I am still getting great smooth cuts on the initial edges of the cutters. I bought a hardened tool so when they need to be turned 90 degrees I can do that without running to store. However, I do not need to turn them yet.

I do not have experience on any other jointer brand, but it is hard to imagine any other 8 inch jointer being better. If I had a wish it would be that I had a wider jointer: maybe 12 inches would take care of all the hardwood I have been buying. Who knows. I saw some nice wide cherry timber the other day. Maybe if I struck it rich, I would get a 16 or 24 inch jointer. If only I was rich…

My Grizzly jointer has been great.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Complete Cambered Cauls*

After using my planer yesterday to cut the cambered ends, I drilled holes two inches in from the ends of each caul. I selected a 3/8" drill bit in order to easily fit the 5/16 diameter bolts I purchased yesterday. Besides laying the bolt on my bench and testing the thickness of a 5/16" and a 3/8" drill bit along side the bolt, I also drilled a test hole in a scrap board. I selected my 3/8 inch drill bit for my cambered cauls.










After marking a line two inches in from each end, I also used my combination square to determine and mark the halfway mark on the cambered edge. I pushed a starter hole with my scratch awl used that to drill a long 1/8" diameter hole through each caul. I used a drill guide to make sure the long drill bit stayed straight through the 3 inch thick caul. This way if my 3/8 drill bit did not punch through the caul I would have a good mark on the opposite side in order to complete the drill hole. As it turned out by mounting the drill bit long enough in my drill press I was able to physically lift the caul to complete the drill hole, punching it through the opposite side.










With all holes drilled, I used a rag to rub paste wax on all surfaces and ends of the cauls.










I have to admit that drilling 32 holes in each end of these cauls became tiresome work, but I stayed on the task. Now I have three set of six cauls measuring 28 inches, 38 inches and 44 inches so I can glue dead flat table tops of 24, 30, and 36 inches wide.

The 8 inch long 5/16 inch bolts will be used to keep the approximately 30 inch wide glue up of the table top flat. I have used Bowclamp's cambered cauls for a dresser top. That was not as wide a project as this one. I suspect I will have at least 30 inch wide table top to glue. I will trim it to final dimension of 27 inches later in this trestle table project.

My next step will be to glue up my table top. Stay tuned for a review on how well tese caul work for that glue up.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

HappyHowie said:


> *Complete Cambered Cauls*
> 
> After using my planer yesterday to cut the cambered ends, I drilled holes two inches in from the ends of each caul. I selected a 3/8" drill bit in order to easily fit the 5/16 diameter bolts I purchased yesterday. Besides laying the bolt on my bench and testing the thickness of a 5/16" and a 3/8" drill bit along side the bolt, I also drilled a test hole in a scrap board. I selected my 3/8 inch drill bit for my cambered cauls.
> 
> ...


Well done, I am sure they will be very useful in glue ups


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Complete Cambered Cauls*
> 
> After using my planer yesterday to cut the cambered ends, I drilled holes two inches in from the ends of each caul. I selected a 3/8" drill bit in order to easily fit the 5/16 diameter bolts I purchased yesterday. Besides laying the bolt on my bench and testing the thickness of a 5/16" and a 3/8" drill bit along side the bolt, I also drilled a test hole in a scrap board. I selected my 3/8 inch drill bit for my cambered cauls.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I write here in this on how well it went. That should be in a day or two.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Mortise Plunge Router JIGs*

Since I am following a Gary Rogowski trestle table plan for its dimensions, I will follow or use his method for routing mortises in the trestle legs. He uses a simple jig for plunging mortises with his router. I will make these jigs today. So I could either make the trestle leg assemblies or prepare and glue my table top. I don't know yet what I will build beyond the jigs. I will see how it goes. I may need to purchase a special sized router bit. If so, then I will be making a trip to my Woodcraft store. I don't want to wait for an online purchase to be delivered.

Note: Although I have inserted below links to the Fine Woodworking workshop and articles, you will need an online membership in order to view these links. Gary's article is in Fine Woodworking Magazine #214 September 2010 publication.

Well I reviewed Gary's workshop video on FineWoodworking.com. I purchased the full size plans long ago so I could also make the templates for the curves on the feet, columns, etc. However, my stretcher will not have the curves he made in his video. I and my Ann do not like that look. I have it with straight lines, but maybe chamfer the edges with my spokeshave. We will see.

For my table top I am hoping my glue up will retain most of the thickness of my milled parts. Currently that is 13/16 inches thick. If so I will test in a scrap piece the chance to cut curves in the table top like Daniel Chaffin did in his FWW magazine article in issue #235 September 2013.

I have included the photo below to illustrate the edge curves I hope to place in my table top. You can see how well Daniel Chaffin shaped his table top's edge curve by the light shining from it in this well done photo. This photo was taken by Matt Kenney for Fine Woodworking Magazine. 









I guess I have plans that are iffy. I will proceed with a goal and act on them as the materials and my skills (or lack of them) will let me.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Glue-up Trestle Table Top*

I performed a full dry glue-up test for this table top. This test included the clamping cauls I made. It became obvious that a 7 or 7 1/2 length bolt would have been ideal, or use of more washer. Instead I broke out my tap and die set to add more 5/16"-18 threads to each bolt.










Once the bolts were ready I did a full dry fit.









I trimmed the length of the two long boards on my table saw.









I jointed the edges of each board so I would get dead-on flat panles; I alternate the surfaces either up against the jointer fence or away from it. I follow an instruction by Fine Woodworking Magazine shown on YouTube.










I wish I would have gotten a much flatter panel, but this will do.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Mortise JIGs*

This will be my first time to use guide bushings to plunge route mortises. My mortises will be 3/8" wide. The guide bushing I will be using is a 3/4 inch diameter. There will be two mortises made in the trestle feet and one motise into the underside of the cap.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Tested Plunge Router JIG*

I finally tested the plunge router mortising JIGs I made yesterday. I will need much more experience in using the router to make mortises. I used my digital caliper to measure the depths I was getting. For some reason the depth settings was not reliable, as yet. Went I route my mortises in the trestle table's leg assemblies I will check the depths I have cut with the calipers.

I am still not decided whether I will square the routed mortises or round the tenons.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Tested Plunge Router JIG*
> 
> I finally tested the plunge router mortising JIGs I made yesterday. I will need much more experience in using the router to make mortises. I used my digital caliper to measure the depths I was getting. For some reason the depth settings was not reliable, as yet. Went I route my mortises in the trestle table's leg assemblies I will check the depths I have cut with the calipers.
> 
> I am still not decided whether I will square the routed mortises or round the tenons.


Those are clean looking mortices Howie. I don't understand the depth problem though.

Which router and jig were you using?

I'm guessing the previous part 9 is the jig, so which router was giving the depth problem?


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Tested Plunge Router JIG*
> 
> I finally tested the plunge router mortising JIGs I made yesterday. I will need much more experience in using the router to make mortises. I used my digital caliper to measure the depths I was getting. For some reason the depth settings was not reliable, as yet. Went I route my mortises in the trestle table's leg assemblies I will check the depths I have cut with the calipers.
> 
> I am still not decided whether I will square the routed mortises or round the tenons.


I have a Bosch MRC23EVSK router. I am using its plunge base. The plan is to plunge the mortises to nearly 1 1/4" deep. I had actually set the router bit within the router so a full plunge would to the desired 1 1/4 inches depth; well about 1/16 short of it.

The depth stop turret only sweeps 3/4 inches from its top to its bottom. I set the depth rod on top of the turret to start my plunges. I was going to reset its gauge after completing the first plunges to 3/4 inches, but I got confused. I need to revisit my method for getting to the full 1 /14 depth using the turret.

After each pass I was using my shop vac to clean out the mortises of the saw dust. I am using a 3/8" upcut router bit. Even with that I was having a lot of sawdust left in the mortise. So cleaning after each pass was helpful.

I was trying to control the depth about an 1/8 inch with each cut after plunging at each end to half the full distance. The test block I was using was douglas fir. My trestle table is cherry hardwood. I may not be able to plunge at each end to half its plunge depth. i will probably do another test piece with a cherry scrap board.

For some reason on the second mortise I was short about 1/4 inches when I thought I had completed the last cut. It was no problem since I double checked the depth with the caliper.

I have read articles by Chicago woodworker Jeff Miller. I cannot believe he recommends shaving only 1/32 inches for each router slice until he reaches his full mortise depth. How does he even know he is cutting just 1/32 of an inch? All that to avoid bit flex? I don't believe it. It sounds like he is a bit OCD in that methodology.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Tested Plunge Router JIG*
> 
> I finally tested the plunge router mortising JIGs I made yesterday. I will need much more experience in using the router to make mortises. I used my digital caliper to measure the depths I was getting. For some reason the depth settings was not reliable, as yet. Went I route my mortises in the trestle table's leg assemblies I will check the depths I have cut with the calipers.
> 
> I am still not decided whether I will square the routed mortises or round the tenons.


Sounds like you're doing everything right, practicing on scraps is wise.

I think the more you practice the better results you'll have.

Good luck now.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Tested Plunge Router JIG*
> 
> I finally tested the plunge router mortising JIGs I made yesterday. I will need much more experience in using the router to make mortises. I used my digital caliper to measure the depths I was getting. For some reason the depth settings was not reliable, as yet. Went I route my mortises in the trestle table's leg assemblies I will check the depths I have cut with the calipers.
> 
> I am still not decided whether I will square the routed mortises or round the tenons.


I had a very busy day today so I was not able to work in my shop. However, I did take a few more photos so I can display my JIG, the router setup and the mortises I test cut.
Front view of the router setup.









Backside view of my Bosch router with edge fence and guide.









The other mortise JIG creates two mortises each about 1 1/2" long so there will be a double tenon fittings into thee trestle feet.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Next Steps: Cut Tenons Using Twin Blade Joinery Method*

I began work in my shop this morning by squaring up the corners or ends of these router bit made mortises. As you can see I have an Irwin Marples 3/8" or 10 mm hand chisel as well as a Robert Sorby mortising chisel in the same size 3/8" or 10 mm.



















For this blog entry I am writing what I plan to do next instead of writing briefly what I did in my shop. Maybe this way I will be more thorough and clear of what my steps will be.

I subscribe to Woodcraft Magazine. I love their articles.

Paul Anthony wrote a Woodcraft article on Twin Blade Joinery in the Feb/Mar 2016 magazine. In the article he instructs how he cuts his tenons on his table saw. He uses two rip table saw blades that leaves him flat tenon shoulders. He knows exactly what shims to place on his arbor to get the tenons widths that he needs for his mortise and tenon joinery. I decided to use this same method after analyzing many methods used by experienced woodworkers.

Since I recently purchased a Saw Stop table saw, I also needed to make a new tenon cutting jig. I wanted a tenon JIG that would ride and track on top of my Saw Stop's T-Glide fence. I liked Bob Van ********************'s multiple use table saw fence JIG. His instructions were the magazine cover article for Fine Woodworking Magazine , issue #231. I am already enjoy using this rip fence JIG system.

To cut tenons using twin rip blades on my table saw I went as far as following Paul's instructions to order a 1/4 inch aluminum plate. I even cut the shims out at my bandsaw like his article instructed. That was two much work. Messy. I was sweeping pieces up for days, or maybe even weeks afterwards. Plus my disks did not turn out as pretty as Paul's, but they are functional. They will do the job.

It was after these disks were formed that I discovered in my local Woodcraft store that I could have bought a set of extra DADO shims that would have worked for cutting tenons. If I had done that I could have given my Diablo DADO set to my son when I gave him my Porter Cable contractor table saw. Maybe he will still end up with a free DADO set, but he better get using that saw. Right?

As can be seen in the photo below I use two Freud RIP table saw blades with shims I cut from the aluminum plate plus the shims I own in a Freud Diablo DADO set. I have labeled every shim with a unique letter from our alphabet. I also wrote the thickness I measured with my digital calipers. Those measure are close, or in the ballpark since every attempt measuring their thickness can vary a bit when getting precise to the 1,000ths or 10,000ths.










With a scrap block of construction Douglas Fir, I punched test mortises for the different size of hollow mortising chisels I own for use with my Powermatic bench top mortiser. I recorded in my shop journal on page 40 the combination of shims I used inside the twin Freud rip blades that gave me a good tenon fit in this test mortise block.










Today, with the 3/8" mortises I cut in this test board, I will check if my combination of shims will be a good fit to these plunge router bit made mortises. Either way I will record the combination of shims that give me the best friction fit. I suspect each mortise I cut will be unique, but the best shim combinations I record will give me a good starting point. I would rather have the tenon a bit thick instead of too shinny. I can always use a shoulder planer or a rasp file to thin a tenon in order to get my preferred fitting.

That is my plan for today or tomorrow. I will not only perform a test in this scrap Douglas Fir, but I will also test mortises in a cherry scrap piece of hardwood.

After all of these test I will begin cutting the mortises and tenons for my trestle table leg assemblies. I am hoping after all these test that I will have a reliable procedure to follow on my trestle table build.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Next Steps: Cut Tenons Using Twin Blade Joinery Method*

I began work in my shop this morning by squaring up the corners or ends of these router bit made mortises. As you can see I have an Irwin Marples 3/8" or 10 mm hand chisel as well as a Robert Sorby mortising chisel in the same size 3/8" or 10 mm.



















For this blog entry I am writing what I plan to do next instead of writing briefly what I did in my shop. Maybe this way I will be more thorough and clear of what my steps will be.

I subscribe to Woodcraft Magazine. I love their articles.

Paul Anthony wrote a Woodcraft article on Twin Blade Joinery in the Feb/Mar 2016 magazine. In the article he instructs how he cuts his tenons on his table saw. He uses two rip table saw blades that leaves him flat tenon shoulders. He knows exactly what shims to place on his arbor to get the tenons widths that he needs for his mortise and tenon joinery. I decided to use this same method after analyzing many methods used by experienced woodworkers.

Since I recently purchased a Saw Stop table saw, I also needed to make a new tenon cutting jig. I wanted a tenon JIG that would ride and track on top of my Saw Stop's T-Glide fence. I liked Bob Van ********************'s multi-use tablesaw Rip Fence JIG. His instructions were the magazine cover article for Fine Woodworking Magazine , issue #231. I am already enjoy using this rip fence JIG system.

To cut tenons using twin rip blades on my table saw I went as far as following Paul's instructions to order a 1/4 inch aluminum plate. I even cut the shims out at my bandsaw like his article instructed. That was two much work. Messy. I was sweeping pieces up for days, or maybe even weeks afterwards. Plus my disks did not turn out as pretty as Paul's, but they are functional. They will do the job.

It was after these disks were formed that I discovered in my local Woodcraft store that I could have bought a set of extra DADO shims that would have worked for cutting tenons. If I had done that I could have given my Diablo DADO set to my son when I gave him my Porter Cable contractor table saw. Maybe he will still end up with a free DADO set, but he better get using that saw. Right?

As can be seen in the photo below I use two Freud RIP table saw blades with shims I cut from the aluminum plate plus the shims I own in a Freud Diablo DADO set. I have labeled every shim with a unique letter from our alphabet. I also wrote the thickness I measured with my digital calipers. Those measure are close, or in the ballpark since every attempt measuring their thickness can vary a bit when getting precise to the 1,000ths or 10,000ths.










With a scrap block of construction Douglas Fir, I punched test mortises for the different size of hollow mortising chisels I own for use with my Powermatic bench top mortiser. I recorded in my shop journal on page 40 the combination of shims I used inside the twin Freud rip blades that gave me a good tenon fit in this test mortise block.










Today, with the 3/8" mortises I cut in this test board, I will check if my combination of shims will be a good fit to these plunge router bit made mortises. Either way I will record the combination of shims that give me the best friction fit. I suspect each mortise I cut will be unique, but the best shim combinations I record will give me a good starting point. I would rather have the tenon a bit thick instead of too shinny. I can always use a shoulder planer or a rasp file to thin a tenon in order to get my preferred fitting.

That is my plan for today or tomorrow. I will not only perform a test in this scrap Douglas Fir, but I will also test mortises in a cherry scrap piece of hardwood.

After all of these test I will begin cutting the mortises and tenons for my trestle table leg assemblies. I am hoping after all these test that I will have a reliable procedure to follow on my trestle table build.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Next Steps: Cut Tenons Using Twin Blade Joinery Method*
> 
> I began work in my shop this morning by squaring up the corners or ends of these router bit made mortises. As you can see I have an Irwin Marples 3/8" or 10 mm hand chisel as well as a Robert Sorby mortising chisel in the same size 3/8" or 10 mm.
> 
> ...


Well, I performed these twin blade configurations with my Porter Cable table saw; not with a Saw Stop. It may be impossible to do with this saw's safety brake functions. The magazine article was using 10 inch blades with spacers. I have found that after mounting the twin blades with spacers while the arbor mechanism is raised to its highest point that the brake signal system gives the "green" light okay signal. However, as I approach the lowest point of lowering the blades so I can mount the cover plate, something shifts forward causing the outer blade to touch the brake system. When the blade touches the blade would not be able to spin freely.

I will have to call Saw Stop's technical support to determine if this twin blade technique is even possible with this table saw system.

Maybe with using 8 inch DADO blades and spacers it may be possible. I will also check on that alternative.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Next Steps: Cut Tenons Using Twin Blade Joinery Method*
> 
> I began work in my shop this morning by squaring up the corners or ends of these router bit made mortises. As you can see I have an Irwin Marples 3/8" or 10 mm hand chisel as well as a Robert Sorby mortising chisel in the same size 3/8" or 10 mm.
> 
> ...


Since today is Sunday I decided to submit my questions about the twin blade joinery method I attempted above in this blog to SawStop in writing. I submitted these questions to SawStop on their support web page on SawStop.com.

--
SawStop Support I have three questions.

(1) Please provide a link to a list of tested and approved or preferred DADO sets so I can understand what manufacturer brands and models works best with the SawStop's safety brake system. I need further help beyond your user manual's description of DADO set types that work best or at all with your safety brake. What I am saying is that the user manual itself is not that helpful to me when I am researching DADO sets on the Internet to determine if they fit your descriptions. I thought I had seen such a list on your website, but maybe it was someone else's list that I cannot find again.

(2) Does an override of the brake safety system only work after first placing a blade or DADO set and getting an all clear or okay check of the blade setup?

With my prior table saw, I could implement a twin blade joinery method as described in a Woodcraft Magazine Feb/Mar 2016 article. Is implementing a similar twin blade method for cutting tenons on my SawStop impossible to do with your brake system? Even if I want to override or bypass the safety brake system?

Or, in other words, is it possible to run my SawStop without a safety brake system installed? Can I simply run my SawStop like the Porter Cable contractor saw I gave away after purchasing my SawStop. With my much less expensive PC table saw, I could run this twin blade tenon cutting process. Now it appears that method is impossible on this safety minded, five times more expensive SawStop. It appears there is no override to run the saw without a safety brake installed. Not only that this SawStop appears that a 10" blade safety brake or a 8" DADO safety brake has to be installed and the computerized safety check has to be passed, even though I intend to override the safety brake system. Is my assumption or statement here correct?

Would there be any issue I might encounter if I attempted to implement this twin blade method using my Diablo 8" DADO blade set other than loosing a 2 inch shoulder height setting for my tenon cuts?

(3) I did try to setup this twin blade joinery implementation on my SawStop table saw using two 10" Freud rip blades with spacers between the two saw blades. The saw's safety system processed its safety checks. It gave me a "green" light while the blades were lifted to the saw's arbor highest position. I unplugged the saw. I could spin the blades while the arbor was high for the installation of these blades.. However, as I was lowering the blades and hand spinning the blades to make sure they spun clear of the brake system, I experienced that when the blades were about to go underneath the tabletop the safety brake and the outer saw blade touched so the blades and shims would no longer spin freely. I know that trying to get that kind of setup to work would not be a good idea. I did not plug my saw to power to run the safety check.

My question is: when lowering the saw blade under the table top, is it a design feature of the brake or the arbor holding the blades to move into a position that is closer together than when the blades are raised to their highest position above the table? Is what I observed a feature of the safety brake system; the brake and the blades pinch in together when the blades are lowered below the tabletop?


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Next Steps: Cut Tenons Using Twin Blade Joinery Method*
> 
> I began work in my shop this morning by squaring up the corners or ends of these router bit made mortises. As you can see I have an Irwin Marples 3/8" or 10 mm hand chisel as well as a Robert Sorby mortising chisel in the same size 3/8" or 10 mm.
> 
> ...


I suspect that Saw Stop's answer to my (2) and (3) questions above will be that the safety brake will have to be installed and its setup will have to pass the computerized self check prior to over-riding the brake system. This means the double blade or twin blade joinery method of cutting tenons on the table saw will be an impossible methodology on a Saw Stop.

I will begin testing an alternative method using spacer blocks for cutting tenons on my Saw Stop table saw. This method is presented in a couple of Fine Woodworking Magazine articles for online members. The earlier article written by Alan Turner was published in issue 226, "How to Speed Up Your Work with Spacer Blocks". The second article was written in issue 229 by Timothy Rousseau in his "Float the Top" article.

The tenon spacer block's thickness is made by using a caliper to determine the thickness of the mortise and then adding the thickness of the saw kerf. The spacer block will be thicker than the mortise by the amount of the saw blade's saw kerf.

Professional woodworker Tom McLaughlin cuts his tenon's by using this spacer block methodology.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Cutting Tenons with Spacer Blocks*

I have not received a reply from my three questions sent to Saw Stop's support. I have concluded that they really do not have a setup where I can use multiple blades as in the twin blade joinery article I was using on my other table saw.

Based on this assumptions that Saw Stop can and only will have running solutions that pass their computer checks with their two braking systems, I have moved forward with a spacer block solution for cutting tenons on my Saw Stop table saw.

I replaced my rip fence with my tall melamine fence along with the tenon holding jig. The following photo shows this fence and jig setup without the spacer block.










I have set my rip blade's height to cut to the shoulder height for my tenon. I have also set the fence so the blade with cut the first shoulder of the tenon to the proper indent for the first shoulder cheek. After that first cut, I insert my 3/8 inch spacer block between my fence and the leg board in which I am cutting a tenon.










I have milled the 3/8" spacer block to be the thickness of the 3/8 inch mortise I cut with my plunge router plus the thickness of my rip blade's saw kerf. In this case it is almost 1/2 inches thick. I used my bench plane to sneak up on its thickness by cutting tenons in scrap pieces of wood and testing its fit in the test mortises I cut with my router.










I then with the spacer block in place I cut the second shoulder of my tenon.

I then use my bandsaw to cut the waste off from my board near the shoulder height. However, I use the table saw with a block clamped to my rip fence to set the shoulder height. Using my miter gauge I trim the shoulders on the table saw. I use a shoulder plane or rasp to adjust the thickness of the tenons so they fit firmly into the mortise.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Scrap Test of Mortise and Tenon Joint *

My 3/8 inch spacer block test with scrap pieces has worked perfectly .


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Flatten Table Top*

It has been about a week since I glued my cherry hardwood table top together. As you might remember if you have followed my blog, I also make clamping cauls that I used during the top glue up. Even though I used these cambered cauls I still had some ridges at the jointed edges. I intended to use only my #6 bench plane and my #4 smoother to flatten both sides of my table top. I began that process and quickly wished that I owned a low angle jack plane. I was tempted. What I did do was to sharpen the plane's blade. I have a granite slab that I bought early in my woodworking experience. I use many grits of sandpaper and a Veritas Mark II Honing Guide. I have experimented with DMT Duo sharpening stone and DMT diamond Whetstones. In addition, I bought a Grizzly wet grinder and have used Tormek sharpening jigs or tools. For this task I used only my sandpaper methodology that graduated to 2,000 grit.

I have not perfected any of these methods. I know. Practice with one or all method will lead to better results. However, I have watched many videos of what others are using. I am tempted to make an investment into Rob Cosman's Sharpening Kit that is sold at Woodcraft. I have closely watched and analyzed Shapton glass stones. The flatting stone is what is most costly. I notice now that Rob Cosman uses a Trend workshop stone to flatten his Shapton's. I have not only watched his videos, but recently I have also seen him demonstrate his sharpening technique live at my local Woodcraft's new store opening event. This kit contains the following:

1) Trend Classic Professional 8" Double-Sided Diamond Workshop Stone (#852975), 
2) a Shapton Glass Stone 16,000 Grit 5mm (#834946), 
3) a Shapton Stone Holder (#839778), 
3) a bottle of HoneRite Gold, 250ml (#152586), and 
4) Rob's Angle Trainer (#150879).

- See more at: http://www.woodcraft.com/product/161197/rob-cosman-sharpening-kit.aspx#sthash.YP2OvZ5U.dpuf

I had already taken Rob's advice by using HoneRite on my DMT stones. His kit costs nearly $500 so that will delay my purchase. Maybe I will take more time to practice my existing methods to see if I can perfect those methods first.










While planing my table's surfaces I had some troubles of causing some scratches. I suspect they may be coming from my plane's base edges or somewhere on its surface instead of my blade. I have a good magnifying lens, but I didn't use it to inspect the plane. I simply used my old, aging eyes and did not discover any problem.

What I determined what I would do was this: I would sand those scratches out by using my 21 inch Porter Cable belt sander. I know how to move it over a table's surface so I do not "dig" the sandpaper in the surface and make tracks. I loaded a new 120 grit belt in the sander, put my respirator mask and hearing protection on and began the work. When I completed this task, I ended my work for the day by blowing out all the fine dust from my shop. My leaf blower does a good job with that.

They next day, I sharpened two card scrappers. I have had a hard time learning a method to sharpen this tool so I can get good wispy shavings. A while back I bought a Veritas variable burnishing tool and holder. Today I got good results with my card scrapper, finally.










These photograph demonstrate the results I achieved on this small cherry table top. I am pleased well enough with the results.










Next I will turn my attention to cutting my mortises and tenons for the trestle table's leg assemblies.

As you may know by following my blog entries, I have made the plunge router jigs and have practiced the routing methods using the guide bushings. Plus I have made spacers to cut my tenons on my table saw.

The double saw blade method that I was using on my old table saw by following a method I had adopted from a Woodworker Journal article, I had to abandon. My new Saw Stop table saw will not allow a double 10 inch blade to be used with their safety brake system. I never got a reply from the email message I sent to their customer or technical support. I wasn't surprised by that. My questions were blunt but fair and straight forward, I think. The expected answers I wanted is most likely further than their marketing guys would want to tread. So be it. I bought the saw for its safety measures, I might as well adhere to their methods although a new brake could be designed and sold, I'm sure, that could accommodate a twin blade joinery method.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Flatten Table Top*
> 
> It has been about a week since I glued my cherry hardwood table top together. As you might remember if you have followed my blog, I also make clamping cauls that I used during the top glue up. Even though I used these cambered cauls I still had some ridges at the jointed edges. I intended to use only my #6 bench plane and my #4 smoother to flatten both sides of my table top. I began that process and quickly wished that I owned a low angle jack plane. I was tempted. What I did do was to sharpen the plane's blade. I have a granite slab that I bought early in my woodworking experience. I use many grits of sandpaper and a Veritas Mark II Honing Guide. I have experimented with DMT Duo sharpening stone and DMT diamond Whetstones. In addition, I bought a Grizzly wet grinder and have used Tormek sharpening jigs or tools. For this task I used only my sandpaper methodology that graduated to 2,000 grit.
> 
> ...


This morning I did revisit my #6 Wood River bench plane. I inspected it under my magnifying glass. I did notice some nicks or dents in the front and side edges of my plane. I took my mill file and worked those nicks out. I also inspected my blake and chip breaker under magnification. I noticed that the front tips were slightly out of line; their edges were out of line very slightly. I adjusted it.

Now I am ready to test m plane with a piece of hardwood scrap.










I am now thinking I need a plane till to mount on my tool wall. I need a better way to storage and take care of these planes so I do not dent or nick their edges.


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

HappyHowie said:


> *Flatten Table Top*
> 
> It has been about a week since I glued my cherry hardwood table top together. As you might remember if you have followed my blog, I also make clamping cauls that I used during the top glue up. Even though I used these cambered cauls I still had some ridges at the jointed edges. I intended to use only my #6 bench plane and my #4 smoother to flatten both sides of my table top. I began that process and quickly wished that I owned a low angle jack plane. I was tempted. What I did do was to sharpen the plane's blade. I have a granite slab that I bought early in my woodworking experience. I use many grits of sandpaper and a Veritas Mark II Honing Guide. I have experimented with DMT Duo sharpening stone and DMT diamond Whetstones. In addition, I bought a Grizzly wet grinder and have used Tormek sharpening jigs or tools. For this task I used only my sandpaper methodology that graduated to 2,000 grit.
> 
> ...


I also sharpen with Rob's method. The price of that kit is ridiculous. I bought my shapton pro stones from chef knives to go:

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/shaptonpro.html

You only really need a coarse-ish diamond plate (I use the Trend, but it rusts easy even with honerite so I would prefer DMT or Atoma), and the 15k shapton stone. More stones are only useful if you want to lap large areas, but the ruler trick makes this unnecessary. Use the diamond plate to flatten the stone. When sharpening, use the diamond stone to do the initial ("secondary") bevel until you feel the burr, then switch to the 15k and raise the angle to get the final ("tertiary") bevel, then a few strokes on the back to remove any remaining burr (possibly using the ruler trick).

I keep them down on the bench with a rubber anti-slip mat, and I freehand the bevels (which is pretty easy after a bit of practice).

Looks like your current method is working well, though. I love the WR No. 6.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Flatten Table Top*
> 
> It has been about a week since I glued my cherry hardwood table top together. As you might remember if you have followed my blog, I also make clamping cauls that I used during the top glue up. Even though I used these cambered cauls I still had some ridges at the jointed edges. I intended to use only my #6 bench plane and my #4 smoother to flatten both sides of my table top. I began that process and quickly wished that I owned a low angle jack plane. I was tempted. What I did do was to sharpen the plane's blade. I have a granite slab that I bought early in my woodworking experience. I use many grits of sandpaper and a Veritas Mark II Honing Guide. I have experimented with DMT Duo sharpening stone and DMT diamond Whetstones. In addition, I bought a Grizzly wet grinder and have used Tormek sharpening jigs or tools. For this task I used only my sandpaper methodology that graduated to 2,000 grit.
> 
> ...


Bob, I appreciate your comment and suggestions very much. I will try adopting your adaptation of Cosman's method. I need something to work better…

I will look into a coarse DMT stone for flattening the Shapton's. I already own a bottle of HoneRite. I need a small spray bottle to empty the can into. I noticed that William Ng uses a 1,000 grit whetstone to initialize most of his sharpening needs. I will buy a 1,000 Shapton glass stone along with a 16,000 stone. I will see how that goes. If I think an in between grit is needed, maybe I will add an 8,000 stone. Thanks, Bob. You made great suggestions to help me.

My Wood River #6 is my goto plane.

Yesterday, while inspecting and tuning up my bench planes I discovered that my #4 tote was cracked. I wrote to Woodcraft support asking if they had a template that I could use in order to make a new handle. Their reply was: no. Kyle who answered me also did not know if the Lee Valley template would be universal so it may not fit my Wood River plane. That was disappointing news. I would assume it would be close but the angle and depth of the counterbore may be different for the long bolt holding the long part of the handle to the plane's base. I will call my local Woodcraft to see if I could purchase an already made tote for this #4 that I enjoy. This been a wake up call to me. Veritas and Lie-Nielsen planes have suddenly looked like a better value from here on out.

Recently, I have been thinking about buying a Veritas or Lie-Nielsen low-angle jack plane with one or two additional beveled blades so I can have a high angled plane in my shop. I have read that if woodworkers want to follow tradition then Lie-Nielsen planes fulfill that vein. Innovation tips to Veritas. They are probably both world-class plane manufacturers with great customer and technical support.

With a highly figured walnut table top last year, I had a very difficult time planing its top. I was getting a lot of tearout. At a recent local Woodcraft store opening event Rob Cosman was here. I asked him about my issue. His answer always seems to be to sharpen the blade to a higher grit. If I recall he was suggesting a 16,000 Shapton glass stone. Gee… It would seem that a higher angled blade maybe another good alternative, but I did not think to ask him about that. A good bevel up jack plane may be a great alternative for me since I do not desire to own a huge display of bench planes…

I visited your home page where I learned you are an engineer with NOAA. That must be interesting and enjoyable work for you. I R One too, EE; or was. I have enjoyed watching William Ng's woodworking tips. He gives his mathematical and engineering slat in his videos. I enjoy that approach and can relate to it as well as his dry sense of humor.

Thank you very much for your comments… Best wishes. Always, Happy Howie.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*More JIGs Made for Building Trestle Table *

This weekend I made a couple more jigs so I can build this Trestle Table. I followed instructions from Gary Rogowski, the author of this Trestle Table plan I am following.

One of these jigs is another mortising jig that I will use my plunge router with a guide bushing. This mortising jig will be used to cut the through mortise in the leg assembling in which the stretcher will fit. The jig is a simple L fence of 1 1/2 inch thick block that is milled square with a 1/4 inch thick piece of MDF glued to it. The image below shows the JIG. Tomorrow I will cut the 1 1/8" wide and 2 3/8" long hole on my router table. The 3/4" guide bushing will be placed within it in order to cut the through mortise in my two trestle table leg assemblies.

I drilled 3/8" diameter starter holes in which I will route a whole within the penciled boundary.









I have written information on this jig so I will know what project and the use of this jig later on.









The other jig is an 8 angled platform I will clamp to my floor drill press so I can drill an angled mortise into the end of my stretchers. In these mortises I will knock my wedges to hold the stretcher tightly to the leg assemblies.









My platform drill jig is glued and screwed together.









There is one more jig that I will make tomorrow. It will be used to cut the wedges that will hold the stretcher to the leg assemblies. This jig will make it easy to cut the 8 degree angle on the bandsaw.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Mortises and Tenons*

I returned to this Trestle Table project today.

Actually, I have been doing some items with this project like making a jig or two. The wedge to hold the leg assemblies required a small jig. I also needed to make some templates from the printed plans I got from Fine Woodworking Magazine or Taunton Press. The feet for this table has a curve as well as the cap part at the top of the leg assembly. I made templates for these curves from some 1/4 inch thick MDF.










I had cut the mortises with my plunge router and the L fence jigs I had made earlier.

This morning I squared the ends of my routed mortises. I used both my Sorby 332 3/8 inch mortise chisel and my Irwin Blue Chip 3/8 inch or 10 mm bench chisels to square off these ends.









I made changes from my previous twin blade tenon joinery method used on my previous table saw. Now that I own a Saw Stop the twin blade method will not work with the braking system in the Saw Stop. I have adopted the spacer method for cutting tenons. I have also made Bob Van ********************'s Multi-use RIP fence JIG where I have a tall fence that attaches to my RIP fence jig. There is also a tenoning jig fixture that holds and pushes the part past the RIP blade to cut the tenon cheeks.

My 3/8 inch spacer block in shown in the two photo given below. The spacer is 3/8 inches thick plus the thickness of my Freud RIP blade's kerf.









I make my first cheek cut without the spacer block. I have marked the lumber part over the mortises into which the tenon will fit. I then align the blade to that first mark. Start my saw and push the lumber part to cut the first cheek. I turn off my saw ; I will not draw back the lumber part back over the turning blade. I insert the 3/8 inch spacer block between my tall fence and the lumber part in which I am cutting the tenon. I hold the part firmly against the tall fence and cut the second cheek part.

If everything has been measurement precisely and the part positioned to the blade the tenon's thickness should be ready to fit or maybe some rasp work or shoulder plane work to fit it snuggly in its mortise.










I have some trimming to do to fit these tenons into the mortises. I have another L fence jig to plunge route the through mortises in the leg parts in which the stretcher will fit.

After that I will have some shaping to do on these parts. Then I will glue and clamp the leg assemblies together.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Through Mortises in Leg*

Today I trimmed the tenon shoulders on my table saw. I am glad I own an Incra 3000 HD miter gauge. I thought I had completed all of the shoulder trims, but while plunge routing the through mortises I discovered I had missed one of these shoulders. 









I had taken the Incra miter gauge off my Saw Stop. No problem, though. Since I have extended the fence to cover the length of the legs, all of my settings to trim these shoulders were still there. All I had to do is remount the Incra miter gauge back on the table saw and reset the height of the blade to trim the last remaining shoulder.










And a view from the other side of the miter gauge.









This image shows all three L-fence jigs used to plunge route the mortises.









Now I know why Gary Rogowski had such a complex arrangement to clamp his L fence jig to plunge route his through mortises in his trestle legs. I decided to place two screws through my L fence jig and fasten it to my workbench table top. From this setup I clamped the legs and the MDF top of the L fence jig to my workbench. Now the jig was secure; it would not move while routing these through mortises.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Multi-use RIP Fence JIG*

Although I referenced Boy Van ********************'s Fine Woodworking Magazine article about his multi-use RIP fence jig in a prior blog post, I thought I should include more photos showing the melamine fence that I bolt to the RIP fence jig in order to cut my tenons on my Saw Stop table saw. I made two versions of this melamine fence; one is the height specified in the magazine's article. The other fence is two inches taller than the magazine's article. 









I also implemented Bob's tenoning jig that slides along the melamine fence. I smeared the fence and the jig with paste wax so it moves smoothly over the fence.









A close up view of the tenoning jig that slides along the top of the melamine fence.









I used glue and screws to fasten this lip to the tenoning jig. I believe Bob Van ******************** used simply a tongue joint with glue.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*More Work on Leg Assemblies*

I spent this evening working to have the tenons fit into their respective mortises; in the foot and the cap parts.

I am so glad I took that Woodcraft sharpening class. Having wicked sharp blades and hand chisels mae all the difference now.










I trimmed the ends of the tenons at my bandsaw. The double tenons fit into the foot; whereas the CAP mortise is a single wide. To refine the tenons i fixed the leg part in my workbench's vise and used my very sharp hand chisels.










I have a bit more gaps that needs to be closed. I will work on those gaps more tomorrow.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Mortise Work for fitting Tenons*

I was not able to work long today in my shop. However, I did do some chisel work with the double mortises in the feet of this trestle table. I was able to close the gap except for about a 1/16 inch. I suspect that I did not get the depth I though I had set for the router plunge mortising work I did. Tomorrow I will trim the length of my tenons. I will trim a 1/16 of an inch and see how that fits before taking anymore from the tenons.


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## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Mortise Work for fitting Tenons*
> 
> I was not able to work long today in my shop. However, I did do some chisel work with the double mortises in the feet of this trestle table. I was able to close the gap except for about a 1/16 inch. I suspect that I did not get the depth I though I had set for the router plunge mortising work I did. Tomorrow I will trim the length of my tenons. I will trim a 1/16 of an inch and see how that fits before taking anymore from the tenons.


Before you cut off the 1/16 just ease the leading edges of your tenons. Chisel, file sandpaper what ever. not only will this probably seat your joint better it gives excess glue a place to go. 
I had one particularly tight Tenon push glue through the face of the mortise piece.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Mortise Work for fitting Tenons*
> 
> I was not able to work long today in my shop. However, I did do some chisel work with the double mortises in the feet of this trestle table. I was able to close the gap except for about a 1/16 inch. I suspect that I did not get the depth I though I had set for the router plunge mortising work I did. Tomorrow I will trim the length of my tenons. I will trim a 1/16 of an inch and see how that fits before taking anymore from the tenons.


Thanks Jack. I will give that a try.

Maybe you had or had not noticed the bevels I had cut on the ends of these tenons before I attempted the dry fit. This photo shows the bevels I already had applied to my tenon's tips. I will pull the dry fitted pieces apart so I can apply a a steeper bevel. I can reduce the tenons lengths in this manner also.









I could get the bevels down to a knife's edge if I want to with my now wicked sharp hand chisels. (It is nice to finally be sharpening wicked sharp knife edges on all my tools. This is thanks to the sharpening class I took two weeks ago from my local Woodcraft store owner Ryan Balls.) I made back the course's $45 fee with the 10 percent discount offered to the students. I bought my 300/1,000 grit Trend diamond stone and the sexy 16,000 grit Shapton glass stone with a glass stone holder that evening before the cash register closed. So with that evening's purchases I graduated to virtually Rob Cosman's recommended sharpening kit. I have everything in Rob's kit except for the Cosman angle trainer. I use my Veritas Honing Guide for my plane blades and hand chisels. I also use a water grinding wheel and Tormek jigs to sharpen my turning tools. The image below shows my sharpening center with the Shapton glass stone in its holder and the Trend diamond stone on the right. The other stones I owned prior to taking the sharpening course.

I have also added several leather honing boards as well as making a strop for myself. This was another item that I learned the value of using during the Woodcraft class.










I am heading into my shop now to work on fitting these leg assemblies. This evening I should have my comments and photos to share my experience. Wish me luck.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Fixed My Fit by Deepening My Mortises*

I really like that my work is reviewed by other woodworkers through the blog entries I make on my projects. Today was a good example of how someone helped me.

My leg tenons were not fitting deep enough into the foot and cap mortises. I commented that I was going to trim the length of my tenons in order to have them sit better. Before I entered my shop I read a comment that was posted today in my blog. Jack cautioned me about cutting my tenons shorter. I appreciate that comment. It let me reassess my situation before making a change that would be irreversible.

I had a conversation with my wife about the blog comment I received. With that conversation it became clear that I should really measure the lengths of my tenons with my digital calipers, write those measurements in my workshop log, then measure the depths of the corresponding mortises. Gee, I should have done that when I started my attempts to dry fit these mortise and tenons. What I discovered was that my assumption was correct. I did not reach the mortise depths I intended. I was about a 1/10 of inch too shallow. While I was discussing this possible outcome with my Annie, I stated what should have occurred to me before. Instead of trimming the length of the tenons, I should cut the mortises deeper in order to reach the depth they should have been all along.

I have a nice Robert Sorby 3/8" mortising chisel. It was time to use it.










Per Jack's suggestion, I placed the leg in my bench vise, took a sharp hand chisel and reworked this part's beveled edges on the tenons.










I remeasured the depths of the mortises and recorded that in my wood shop's journal. The depths changed universally from about 1.20 inches to about 1.40 inches in depth. I then inspected the result with another dry fit of the leg assemblies.



















Thanks for your help, Jack. I appreciate it. I learned a good lesson today. I will remember the lesson and apply it straight way with my next mortise and tenon project. I will get better at it and hopefully become a better woodworker.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

HappyHowie said:


> *Fixed My Fit by Deepening My Mortises*
> 
> I really like that my work is reviewed by other woodworkers through the blog entries I make on my projects. Today was a good example of how someone helped me.
> 
> ...


Well there you go eh!
Amazing what goes on out of view and presents a precise result.

A man has got to be "Happy" with that simple artisan fix.

Keep up the good work guys


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Next Step: Shape my Leg Parts, Then Glue-up*

With the fit of my leg's mortises and tenons, it is time to shape the leg parts. Today I will use my shape templates for the Cap and Feet to draw a pencil line. Then I will cut those shapes on my bandsaw. For the legs itself, I will cut its taper on my table saw. I just am not comfortable in getting straight cuts on my bandsaw without blade drift. First, I will check if my leg taper jig will work for cutting the taper on these trestle table legs. If not, I will make a taper jig specifically for these legs with some 1/2" MDF sheets I have in my shop.



















My curve templates for the Cap and Feet are made from 1/4" MDF. The holes are drilled in them so I can hang them on my template north wall.









My template north wall is shown in the far background in the image below. It is fast filling up. Once it reaches near over population, then I will have to re-think its organization, layout. I will have to think in 3D mode. There is empty space for that.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Cut Curves and Planed the Mill Marks*

Today I cut the curved leg parts at my bandsaw.



















With my Wood River low angle block plane I removed the saw marks. The burn marks were done with my 1/4" bandsaw blade. I replaced it after cutting my first leg part; a foot. I replaced that blade with a 1/2" Wood Slicer bandsaw blade for my 17" Grizzly G0513ANV bandsaw.




























I was pleased to learn that I could use my leg taper jig for tapering the legs for this trestle table. I placed blue painter's tape down on the surface of my table saw along the edge of the taper jig. This was so I could determine the position of the jig to cut my leg's taper. It worked well for me.










I used the off cut to position the second cut on the leg without me being required to re-position my table saw's RIP fence. 









Tomorrow I will plane each of these parts plus use my spokeshave to shape bevels on the leg assembly parts.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Leg Assemblies*

Today was an enjoyable day in my shop using my bench planes and spokeshaves. For the flat surfaces I used my Wood River #4 smoothing plane to flatten and prepare them for assembly and glue up. 









I used my newly made adjustable bench dogs built from a Woodsmith plan to pinch down the parts so I could plane their surfaces.









With my leg parts pinched between my Veritas panel clamp and the newly made Woodsmith adjustable bench dogs I smooth planed all the flat surfaces. The adjustable bench dogs worked okay. They had a tendency to be lifted up a bit. What they do is enable me to quickly adjust the length of the Veritas adjustable vise without having to crank it a great distance.









With my Wood Slicer 1/2" blade in my bandsaw I am confident that I can make this last cut on this trestle table's feet successfully.﻿









I also used my spokeshave to round-over the sharp edges of the curved surfaces. 


















I believe doing this will give me a great look on this project as compared to a router bit round-over machine look. To start the spokeshaved round-overs I etched approximately a 1/8" inch pencil line boundary to shave to.









After completing the round-overs this project was ready for gluing and clamping the leg assemblies. 









I kept the cutoffs from the footer to use to shim the clamping of the cap and the foot to the leg.









My next step will be to cut the through tenons on the stretcher that will hold the leg assemblies together so the table top can be fastened to the legs. Thin wedges will hold the legs to the stretcher.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Cut Through Tenons on Stretcher*

I have been very pleased with the leg assemblies I glued together yesterday plus this test cut of the through tenons I will be cutting soon on the trestle table's stretcher.

The through tenons are 3/4 inches thick and just over 3 inches long. To cut these tenons I use a 3/4 inch tenon spacer on my table saw's multi-use RIP fence jig. The spacer is 3/4 thick plus the kerf's width of my Freud RIP blade. 









The test cut tenon fitted right off from the cuts made on my table saw.









In order to use my 3/4" tenon spacer I had to glue an additional 3/4" plywood pad piece to my tenon push jig. I made two tenon push jigs when I made the RIP fence jig. At the time I thought it would just be a good thing to have two tenon push jigs made. Now I know why I needed a second. An infrequent use of a 3/4 inch thick tenon would require a thicker pad to hold the space plus the timber I was cutting to make a tenon at my table saw.









I make my first cut at my pencil mark and then I placed the spacer between the test piece and my tall RIP fence. Straight from my saw this test tenon fit well into the through mortise. I do not expect that to happen every time but it will be close enough to easily fit with my shoulder plane or a wood rasp.

I learned this spacer technique from master woodworker Tom McLaughlin. He has been a frequent guest and designer on PBS' Rough Cut with Tommy Mac. I took an online course from Tom to build a craftsman style rocking chair. I have yet to finish that project; maybe this winter after my Christmas gifts are completed.﻿

I first cut a test 3/4 inch through tenon to make sure my 3/4" tenon spacer was going to be correct or close to fit the through mortises on my trestle legs. They were an exact fit right from the table saw cut.










This image just shows the opposite side of the tenon push jig with the stretcher in position ready to have its tenons cut.









I cut my tenons in my trestle table stretcher. 









They fitted just fine into the through mortises. This was straight from cuts on my table saw. 









I used my hand chisels to clean the shoulders after cutting the majority of the outer pads off at the bandsaw and then trimming to the cheek line at my table saw with my Incra miter gauge.

Then I pencil marked the top and bottom line or point of the tenon that will define how it will fit into the through tenon. I trimmed those off at my bandsaw. So now I can test the overall fit of this tenon in my through mortise. I will do that tomorrow and finalize the through tenons by also making 8 degree mortises that the wedges will fit through.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Fitted Through Tenons into Leg Mortises*

This morning I am fitting the stretcher's long tenons into the leg's through mortise. 









A bit more hand chisel work and I will have it. 









After both through tenons fit well, then I will cut a through mortise angled at 8 degrees. That mortise will be through the tenon's top and drilled or cut all the way to the bottom of the tenon. However, a part of the mortises' top will be hidden into the leg and more of it hidden at the tenon's bottom. The wedge's small bottom end will just fit through the exposed mortise . 









It is the friction of the wedge against the outer wall of the leg that will hold this whole table together.









The angled sled you see on my table saw was built so I can get that angle correct on my drill press. The small but long wedge as seen laying on the leg and my workbench will hold the whole table together when fastened up.
﻿









Well, after dry fitting the through tenons in their leg mortises I had to look at my unfinshed table top on its leg assemblies.


















Next I need to cut the angled through mortises so wedges can be inserted or hammered in so the legs and the table can be locked into a stable position.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Angled Mortise Cut in Thru Tenon*

Today I setup my 8 degree sled up on my drill press so I could drill small 1/4 inch holes in order to make the mortises in which the wedges will hold the legs tightly together.









I clamped the stretcher to the sled and then aligned the mortise hole under the drill bit. Then I clamped everything down tightly.









The mortise will be made where the XXXs mark the spot. You can notice the 8 degree angle marked on the sides of the tenon for the mortise. Since my drill bit was not very long I had to roll up my floor drill press' table in order to punch through the tenon. 









I placed one of the cutoffs of he tenons and shimmed it so I would not blow out the underside of the tenon.









After drilling both tenons, I clamped the stretcher to my workbench.









This night I just made sure I had a clear hole through this tenon. I will use my hand chisels tomorrow to clean up the surfaces and square off the ends of the mortise. 









Tomorrow I will clean the mortises so I can fit the wedges through them.


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## Mikesawdust (Jan 29, 2010)

HappyHowie said:


> *Angled Mortise Cut in Thru Tenon*
> 
> Today I setup my 8 degree sled up on my drill press so I could drill small 1/4 inch holes in order to make the mortises in which the wedges will hold the legs tightly together.
> 
> ...


When I did my trestle table I just did the mortise straight and then angled the outside end, the inner edge was inside the leg that was held and I didn't want to remove more material than necessary.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Angled Mortise Cut in Thru Tenon*
> 
> Today I setup my 8 degree sled up on my drill press so I could drill small 1/4 inch holes in order to make the mortises in which the wedges will hold the legs tightly together.
> 
> ...


Hi Mike, this is my first trestle table build and first time using a wedge. I would have no glue of how to design such a wedged application if it was not for the plan of Gary Rogowski's trestle table. The process is a bit complicated, but I am assuming his process will give a good result.

I have followed Gary's method exactly; even to his use of an 8 degree angle and a sled with the same angle on the drill press' table. As you can see in the photo I took above that angle points back towards the inside of the leg; thus a good portion of the 1 1/8 inch long mortise will be hidden inside the leg on the underside of the long tenon. The strength of the table is the result of the wedge being long enough to span the distance through the tenon and being hammered into a tight fit between the outer surface of the legs and the outer wall of the mortise. It is a good lesson in physics: equal and opposite forces applied where the wood materials are the strongest. No wonder this joint has been used for centuries.

I am interesting in learning other methods. Yours sounds interesting and sounds like a more simple process. I wonder if you could point me to a drawing showing your design. Maybe there is a article on the web that demonstrates it?

Thank your for providing me with your comments…


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## Mikesawdust (Jan 29, 2010)

HappyHowie said:


> *Angled Mortise Cut in Thru Tenon*
> 
> Today I setup my 8 degree sled up on my drill press so I could drill small 1/4 inch holes in order to make the mortises in which the wedges will hold the legs tightly together.
> 
> ...





> Hi Mike, this is my first trestle table build and first time using a wedge. I would have no glue of how to design such a wedged application if it was not for the plan of Gary Rogowski s trestle table. The process is a bit complicated, but I am assuming his process will give a good result.
> 
> I have followed Gary s method exactly; even to his use of an 8 degree angle and a sled with the same angle on the drill press table. As you can see in the photo I took above that angle points back towards the inside of the leg; thus a good portion of the 1 1/8 inch long mortise will be hidden inside the leg on the underside of the long tenon. The strength of the table is the result of the wedge being long enough to span the distance through the tenon and being hammered into a tight fit between the outer surface of the legs and the outer wall of the mortise. It is a good lesson in physics: equal and opposite forces applied where the wood materials are the strongest. No wonder this joint has been used for centuries.
> 
> ...


I did one not long ago using the method he described above, basically you mark the length of the tenon where it protrudes. Drill straight through as that as the center then cant it to 8 degrees, as you did, and work from the outside edge inward stopping when you go through or meet the first hole. Clean it out with a chisel and finished. your method probably works just as well for the intended use, one less step ,and as you stated you can't see the extended cut when it's together.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Through Tenon Mortises Cleared for Wedges*

I spent a lot of time today working with my hand chisels to clean the drilled holes I made yesterday. These are the through mortises for the wedges that will hold the legs together. They give the trestle table its strength. I did take my time to clean these mortises so they would let the wedges through but would not have a sloppy fit.









I even used my magnifying glass to see the mortises and the use of my hand chisels clearly. 









I was glad I had these Rockler purchased lighted magnifying glasses.









Once I got the mortises right so the wedges would ft nicely through these mortises I did a dry fit into the leg assemblies.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Through Tenons & Table Top Layout*

I used a 2 inch diameter circle to round the corners of these through tenons that will contain the wedges for this trestle table


















My plans for this top will be to pattern it after trestle table designed and built by Daniel Chaffin. He wrote a Fine Woodworking article published in the September/ October 2013 issue.









From the image in the magazine article and attached here, you can see the light reflected from the wonderful beveled side…

http://www.finewoodworking.com/2013/08/01/a-trestle-table-with-modern-appeal

The underside of the table top has two bevels:
(1) for the ends that are crosscut straight the bevel is cut at 60 degrees. 
(2) the sides that has a smooth curve cut from end to end on each side after bevels on those sides are first cut with a saw at 45 degrees and then beveled further with a hand plane to 64 degrees.

For the thickness of my table top and with a 64 degree bevel that requires I make the curves start on the table's top 1 7/16 inches in from the ends on each side.

To sketch the curve I rip cut a long thin strip of hardwood on my table saw. It will be at least 64 inches long. At about 3/16 inches thick will make it easy to bend and thick enough to hold its curve as I draw the curve on the table's top with a thin pencil.









The attached photo shows my layout of these two bevels at one of the top's corners.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Whoa, Let's Be Safe With These Bevel Cuts*

I was preparing to cut the 30 degree bevel on the table top's ends and the 45 degree bevels on the side on my table saw by using my tall rip fence jig. 


















Then I realized that holding the 60 inch length table top on its end was silly and dangerous. It would be very tipsy; hard to hold steady. Instead I will build a circular cutting jig for my Rigid circular saw. This meant a trip to my local large box store. After looking at the material options I decided to purchase a 4 ft by 8 ft sheet of 1/2" thick MDF. Since I was there to buy this sheet I also took the opportunity to buy three full sheets of 3/4 inch Birch plywood, 4 ft by 8 ft. 









I have decided to build a roll around tool cabinet for my shop. This is a Woodsmith Shop Notes plan with a Shop Notes online library ownership I had purchased. I have a bunch of tools and power equipment that I want into a cabinet. Right now they are in the original boxes or tool cases they arrived in. Having them in a tool cabinet will make they more readily available for use. The tool cabinet will also be mobile in my garage woodshop.









Since I had to make a trip to the store, I did not complete the jig today. However, I did get the parts cut. I used a leftover 1 by 4 select pine 8 foot length piece for the fence. I jointed one edge flat and square to a wide surface. I then ripped the other edge square to the first. This will be the jig's fence when completed.









I cut one of the jigs to 60 inches in length and that left the other jig to be 36 inches. From these two circular saw jigs I will be able to cut the bevels for this trestle table top and be safe doing it.

Tomorrow I will glue and screw these two jigs together. I will get the bevels cut tomorrow.


















Instead of cutting the bevels on the circular saw jig on the short-side of the saw's flat surface as shown in the photo above, I will flip the table over so the bottom surface will be up. Then I will be able to cut the bevel with the wide surface of the circular saw. It is probably the preferable method for cutting a sheet good with a circular saw; the show surface will be on the opposite side from the saw.


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

HappyHowie said:


> *Whoa, Let's Be Safe With These Bevel Cuts*
> 
> I was preparing to cut the 30 degree bevel on the table top's ends and the 45 degree bevels on the side on my table saw by using my tall rip fence jig.
> 
> ...


Better safe than sliced!


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

HappyHowie said:


> *Whoa, Let's Be Safe With These Bevel Cuts*
> 
> I was preparing to cut the 30 degree bevel on the table top's ends and the 45 degree bevels on the side on my table saw by using my tall rip fence jig.
> 
> ...


Way to go Happy!!
Where is your saw guide? or are you going freehand all the way?


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Whoa, Let's Be Safe With These Bevel Cuts*
> 
> I was preparing to cut the 30 degree bevel on the table top's ends and the 45 degree bevels on the side on my table saw by using my tall rip fence jig.
> 
> ...


Robert, to proceed further cutting these bevels I had to build my circular saw cutting jigs. I am in the last stages of building those jigs now as can be seen in the photograph shown below.










Since the first use of these guides or jigs is for beveled cuts, I decided yo use only screws and not glue yet to fasten its fence to the MDF. This way after using the guides for this table top beveled cuts, I can remove the screws, move the fence a bit and then use glue and screws to fasten the fence permanantly for the more normal condition of making circular saw cuts with the blade set to 90 degrees or perpendicular to board being cut.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

HappyHowie said:


> *Whoa, Let's Be Safe With These Bevel Cuts*
> 
> I was preparing to cut the 30 degree bevel on the table top's ends and the 45 degree bevels on the side on my table saw by using my tall rip fence jig.
> 
> ...


Thanks all is revealed!


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Table Top's Bevels Cut with Circular Saw Cutting Jig*

Today I completed making the circular saw cutting jigs. I have one jig that is 60 inches long for cutting the 45 degree bevel of the sides of the table top. The other jig is 36 inches long for cutting the 30 degree bevel on the ends of the table top. 









After fixing the fence to the top of the jigs with screws, I then cut the bevels with my Rigid circular saw. Once I had the jig trimmed to the saw blade with that angle, I was able to lay the jig on the top side of the table top and align it just so. 









The ends were not square so I marked the ends with a large square and a pencil line. I lined up the jig on that pencil and then cut the 30 degree bevel on the ends. 









Then it was simply using the longer jig for the sides of the table top. Clamped the jig to the top and the top to my assembly table in order to cut these bevels.









I ran out of time today, but I will be back tomorrow to hand plane the side bevels that are now 45 degrees to approximately 64 degrees. That works out to be 1 9 1/16 of an inch from the edge of the table's sides.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

HappyHowie said:


> *Table Top's Bevels Cut with Circular Saw Cutting Jig*
> 
> Today I completed making the circular saw cutting jigs. I have one jig that is 60 inches long for cutting the 45 degree bevel of the sides of the table top. The other jig is 36 inches long for cutting the 30 degree bevel on the ends of the table top.
> 
> ...


Hey Happy what is going on here buddy?...... the edges are supposed to be rounded
Your gunna be dead meat if the grandkids run into that edge!


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Table Top's Bevels Cut with Circular Saw Cutting Jig*
> 
> Today I completed making the circular saw cutting jigs. I have one jig that is 60 inches long for cutting the 45 degree bevel of the sides of the table top. The other jig is 36 inches long for cutting the 30 degree bevel on the ends of the table top.
> 
> ...


Hi Robert, I can see what you mean from the photo above, but I am not done with it yet. It does have a sharp point in the above photo, but stay with me…

Maybe you did not see or read my earlier blog post that I was following a Fine Woodworking Magazine article by Daniel Chaffin. I am following his trestle table top design. I posted an image of his table earlier. I will repeat it again here for your review. As you will notice there will be a corner but the pointy end that you saw above will not longer be there.









After seeing Daniel's table top in the image above, do you still have an issue?

I made a curved cut on my table top's sides late this afternoon. Tomorrow I will be working that curve more with my block plane and maybe my spokeshave. I will also repeat the web link to Daniel Chaffin's Fine Woodworking Magazine article where his design of the top is explained and shown. You may need an online membership in order to view the entire article, though.

However, you can view my latest images of my table top that I posted this evening after cutting my table top's side's curves.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

HappyHowie said:


> *Table Top's Bevels Cut with Circular Saw Cutting Jig*
> 
> Today I completed making the circular saw cutting jigs. I have one jig that is 60 inches long for cutting the 45 degree bevel of the sides of the table top. The other jig is 36 inches long for cutting the 30 degree bevel on the ends of the table top.
> 
> ...


Happy,

I did read it but I cannot get the full info as I am not a member

I am not sure which part that you posted but it had a reference to what I thought was rounded edges, 
otherwise fine work being conducted …carry on!!


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Table Top's Bevels Cut with Circular Saw Cutting Jig*
> 
> Today I completed making the circular saw cutting jigs. I have one jig that is 60 inches long for cutting the 45 degree bevel of the sides of the table top. The other jig is 36 inches long for cutting the 30 degree bevel on the ends of the table top.
> 
> ...


Robert, I read your latest post this morning before I began work in my shop. I thought I would provide this photo. It shows the offending sharp corners. As you can see I have cut those sharp corners off from my table top. I retrieved them this morning from my 5 gallon bucket waste can so I could provide photo evidence…









I hope that helps alleviate your fears of my grandchildren being impaled. I would not want that to happen to them either.

As you can see in this photo I am trying to figure out a good way to clamp this table top so I can plane the curved edges. I will be using my short length, low angle block plane; maybe a spokeshave. If I can keep the block plane's toe down on the convex curve I should be able to get nice shavings and a smooth edge. That method worked on my rocking chair project with its curved parts.









I appreciate your comments. It is what I like about this forum… You all keep me on my toes and with my right foot forward…

Best wishes… Have a beautiful Sunday…


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Hand Planed Table Top's Side Bevels*

Yesterday I cut bevels on my trestle table top panel with circular saw jigs. The ends I cut at 30 degrees of bevel. the sides I had cut at 45 degrees. Today I have been using my #6 bench plane to take these 45 degree bevels on the sides to about 62 degrees. The closer I get to the finish beveled angle the thinner I adjust the blade for a shaving cut. I am getting a nice sheen smooth surface. 


















This plane work is being done all edges, but the ends remain at 30 degrees and the sides will finish its bevel at about 62 degrees.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Hand Planed Table Top's Side Bevels*
> 
> Yesterday I cut bevels on my trestle table top panel with circular saw jigs. The ends I cut at 30 degrees of bevel. the sides I had cut at 45 degrees. Today I have been using my #6 bench plane to take these 45 degree bevels on the sides to about 62 degrees. The closer I get to the finish beveled angle the thinner I adjust the blade for a shaving cut. I am getting a nice sheen smooth surface.
> 
> ...


Hi Jim, as far as following a plan I did purchase two Taunton Store paper plans that were based on two Fine Woodworking Magazine articles. The first was Gary Rogowski's trestle table plan in October 2010, issue #214. The second was Daniel Chaffin's trestle table. I followed his plan the bevels and curves I cut on my table top. Fine Woodworking Magazine ran a cover article on Daniel Chaffin's trestle table in issue #235, October 2013.

I followed both plans as closed as I could. I do not own a Festool track saw so I built two circular saw guides to make my beveled cuts on the ends and the sides. Since the sides needed further beveling I used my #6 jack plane to bevel it further to approximately 62 degrees. To cut the curves on the sides I made a bendy stick, anchored it with squeezy clamps, pencil marked the line and then cut close to the line with my Bosch jig saw. From there I used my low angle block plane to smooth the curve and also my pinnacle spokeshave to get the curves right up to the lines. This was enjoyable, a fun part of this project.

You can read my blog for this table. I went over-board in documenting my processes each day. If you have questions, go ahead and send them to me. I will do my best to get you answers.

My Annie wants me to replace our round kitchen table with the Daniel Chaffin Contemporary Trestle Table. It will be larger than this one I built for my granddaughter. I will also build the benches that Daniel Chaffin shows in the magazine.

Good luck.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Cut Table Top's Curve with Jigsaw*

I had a very busy day today outside of my workshop. After coming back home from important family business, I decided to purchase some new jigsaw blades. I had run test cuts on some scrap pieces of wood. I determined that I needed at least two types of blades and these were dedicated for cutting hardwoods. I bought two different sets of blades from my local big box store. When I got them home I performed another test in order to verify its results









I selected the Bosch T101BF blade labeled as clean for hardwood to use on my table top. I darkened my curved pencil line by using my thin bending board strip by placing the thin strip between two squeezy clamps and using my carpenter's pencil to redraw the curve.









From this I clamped down the table top to my assembly table and then carefully cut the curve with my Bosch jigsaw.









I got a decent curved cut. 









Tomorrow I will use my low angle block plane to smooth out the curved cut. I can do this by pressing down its toe on the convex curve. Using this method I can get a good curved plane cut.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Curved Beveled Table Sides*

Today I used my low angle block plane to smooth the curves I had cut with my jigsaw yesterday. These curves were marked in pencil by following a thin strip of hardwood bent between the ends indented 1 7/16 inches inside the corners and pulled out to the middle of the sides. My Bosch jigsaw fitted with a hardwood blade made a nice tear free cut. 









I was not sure how I was going to clamp the table top. The way it ended up was by accident. It was clear that I needed to soften the top's corner on a hardwood block instead of my garage floor.









I planed the sides by starting at the top's midpoint and planing down grain to the ends. I kept planing beyond being smooth in order to meet my pencil line. 









After examining the table top laying on my assembly table, I can see that the 62 degree bevel needs to be worked on more towards one of my table corners. 









I will do that later on with my #6 bench plane. For now I will sharpen all of my plane blades so I can work on the ends of this table top in order to have the end grain planed very well, shaved very finely.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*I'm Not Sure How to Fix This Top*










I have used my #6 and then my #4 smoother to get this point. I am not certain if I continue it will get better. Can you see the valleys?

Tomorrow I will resharpen my blades and continue with planing this top's surface, but I am wondering if I should use my card scraper or go to sanding.

Any suggestions?


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Completed Planing Table Top*

I resharpened my bench planes and then resumed planing the cherry table top. having sharp blades helped me achieve a great surface for this top. I competed the work today by taking a damp towel and wiping both surfaces; especially where I had two dents or rough spots in the wood. Tomorrow I will replane the raised grain or use a card scraper or even a sanding black to knock down the raised grain.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Prepared Battens and Dowels*

I went back into my shop after dinner this evening so I could drill pre-drill holes in the three battens that will fasten down on the underside of my table top. They will be there to hold the board panels that I glued and clamped together so the table remains flat. I also ripped a cherry 3/4" by 3/4" piece that I bought at Home Depot last night. I plan to make my own 1/4" cherry dowels with it. I have some red oak 1/4" dowels as backup in case my handmade dowels do not turn out well. The factory made dowels are slightly less than the hole my 1/4" drill bit makes. I experimented with other drill bits I own. The 15/64 inch drill bit works if I pound in the factory made 1/4" dowels with a wooden mallet. I will go with that If I mess up the cherry homemade ones.









I put the blue tape on this table top so I could remind this old man that I measured and performed this layout of the leg assembly and the three battens on the wrong side of the table top. I guess I did all this for rehearsal. Tomorrow I will turn the top over and redo the measurement and layout.









These square pieces I ripped tonight so tomorrow I can make then into 1/4 inch cherry dowels. How do I make these into dowels, you ask? From here I will use my low angle block plane to chamfer its corners. Then pound them into a round hole that I will drill into the leg assembly where the tenons are fitted into hidden mortises…









This image shows the beveled curves that I liked from the Daniel Chaffin trestle table build.









Tomorrow I should complete the build of this table. Then I can start applying the oil finish.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Dowels and Buttons*

I did not get this table completed today.

I took my Annie to see Arrival this morning. Aliens came to Earth to ask humans for help. I'm not sure what they needed from us. I will need to watch it again with closed captions, or download the written script… You cannot understand what aliens are saying… These aliens look like octopuses. They also write like octopuses would by spraying ink in a pool of water.. Somehow ink spots are suppose to more intelligent than letters in our alphabet. They have magic typewriters. Their ink spots look like psychological tests. Looks like a basketball hoop, or a wedding ring with a diamond. Also I believe the actors need to speak up. I swear they were whispering to themselves instead of using the microphone so they could be heard. Oh, well. I think we survived their visit; at least for the next 3,000 years. Oh my, that is enough time for humans to forget that aliens ever came to see us. Montana. They came to see Glacier National Park. They must have needed some ice for their frig or drinks. Oh, well.

Back to my Trestle Table Build…

I had hope to make my own cherry 1/4 inch diameter dowels today. I discovered that simply using my low angle block plane on a square piece of cherry just over 1/4 inches was not an easy thing to do. I worked on one of my square pieces for while. Hand holding the 3 foot long square piece in one hand and the block plane in the other was not an easy, nor a fast task. I then decided to setup my router table. I do not own a 1/4 inch or even a 3/8 inch roundover bit, but I do have a 1/8 inch radius beading bit. After running two of my square pieces through it, I learned that was not going to work at all. Silly me. I should have known ahead of time that a beading bit was not going to give me a dowel.

I decided to use the red oak dowels I had bought at Home Depot the night before. I discovered that the red oak dowels were not undersized like the poplar dowels I already had tested. For the poplar dowels a 15/64" diameter drill bit worked great. However, for this red oak dowel I had to go with a 1/4 inch diameter drill bit. I drilled six 1/4 inch holes; two into each foot and one in each cap in each leg assembly. Then I placed glue on the dowels and hammered them into place. I will let the glue dry and I will cut the ends off tomorrow.

The buttons I made from the 3/4" by 3/4" cherry board I bought at Home Depot when I also got the red oak dowels. I bought this board for making my own dowels. I did not think about using it for this table's buttons, but they were made just right for it.

first laid out each button in pencil on the three foot long cherry piece. After laying them out, I first pre-drilled for screws that included countersinks for the flathead screws.

Next I cut each of the rabbets on my table saw using simply my combination blade and making multiple passes to cuts the waste out for the rabbet. After this I simply cut off each button from the board.









Even though I set the height of my blade to cut a 3/8 inch depth rabbet, I discovered that I really had not gotten the depth I needed. I should have used my wheel marking gauge to set the 3/8 inch depth for the rabbets and set the depth of my blade more carefully.

So I needed to cut more waste in each of these buttons. I grabbed my wheel marking gauge, set it to 3/8 inches, then marked the depth on the three surfaces on each button.

I clamped each button individually in my workbench vise and used a 1 inch hand chisel to chop away the remaining waste. Generally, I got the depth needed with two to three cuts in order to reach the marked cut line. It worked well and I got a good result.









I then clamped my sandpaper block in my vise so it was being held horizontally. Taking each button in my fingers, I sanded all of their sides so any pencil marks were erased, sanded away and all of the surfaces are smooth for use. 









I made sixteen buttons. I only need six. I have extras. My buttons like great.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Layout Prior to Sanding and Finish*

Today I routed the mortises that will the slots that the buttons will fit in order to hold or fasten the table top to the leg assemblies.









I used my brass bars to set the depth of my upcut router bit for the button slots I was about to route.









My buttons will fit into these routed slots. They hold my table top to the leg assemblies. The buttons with the slots will allow for expansion and contraction with changes in humidity of the seasons.+









I laid out the battens and the legs on the table top's underside. Then I took my marking knife to cut lines where these parts will be fastened to the top.









I wondered about using my smoothing plane to clean and smooth the surfaces prior to applying the finish.

I have decided to use my orbit sander and go through the several grits 80, 120, 150, 180 and 220 with 320 on the end grain edges only. Then I will apply finish coats.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Sanded then Cleaned with Mineral Spirits*

I started working in my shop thinking that I would apply my first coat of finish on this trestle table today, but I did not get that far. I decided to sand this table top instead of hand planing it further. I went through the several grits starting at 80, then the following in this order 120, 150, 180 and then 220.









To remove the dust from each part I used mineral spirits with a paper towel. These pictures were taken following cleaning with that wet paper towel.


















I am still undecided whether I will apply dewaxed Shellac sealing coats and then Shellac coats or I will apply Danish Oil coats and then furniture wax on this project. I will do some further study tonight on this subject.









A close up of my red oak dowels.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Selected a Finish and Applied First Coat*

I decided to test a few finishes in order to determine which I will apply to this trestle table. I gathered some small cherry sample. I made a trip to my local big box store for a can of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) as well as a gallon can of denatured alcohol and an additional can of natural Watco Danish Oil. These new additions go along with my Zinsser Shellac Seal Coat sanding sealer.









My Annie picked the BLO for use on this table. She liked the darker finish as well as how it highlighted the grain in this cherry.

I setup my assembly table for ragging on the first coat. The images below show its affect . Cherry naturally darkens as it ages and is exposed to UV sunlight. The other furniture items I have in my home have all done so although they were finished with Danish Oil.

I had a knot on the underside of this table top. I decided to apply some amber Shellac. After I did that I decided to continue to apply the amber Shellac to entire underside. I won't do that again with a brush. I will use my HVLP sprayer any time I want to apply Shellac. It was another learning moment. Although Shellac dries quickly I decided to remove the Shellac I just applied by using clean cloths with denatured alcohol. The small amounts of Shellac that remained was the correct amount I wanted on the surface. Later I covered this same surface with a coat of BLO.









The image below shows the top surface of the table top before applying any finish.









With the amber Shellac removed or thinned and a coat of BLO applied and wiped is what you see in the next image.









This last image shows the top surface of the table top with one coat of BLO with the parts also covered, then wiped with a clean cloth.









I will now wait 48 hours for this coat of BLO to dry before lightly sanding and applying a second coat of BLO.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*BLO 3rd Coat*

I am getting close to completing this project. This morning I applied my third coat of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I made sure I soaked the end grain parts. In 48 hours I will give this project a thorough inspection in order to determine if any further coats needs to be applied. If three is enough, then I will fasten the battens to the table top's underside with #6 - 1 inch long square drive flat head screws. I will hand screw these in. 









The table top for sure is gain a nice dark hue from the BLO applications. The cherry will only get better with time as it darkens naturally to the UV rays from the Sun.


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## JimYoung (Jan 20, 2014)

HappyHowie said:


> *BLO 3rd Coat*
> 
> I am getting close to completing this project. This morning I applied my third coat of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I made sure I soaked the end grain parts. In 48 hours I will give this project a thorough inspection in order to determine if any further coats needs to be applied. If three is enough, then I will fasten the battens to the table top's underside with #6 - 1 inch long square drive flat head screws. I will hand screw these in.
> 
> ...


Classic looking table. Can't wait to see it all together.


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## bhuvi (Dec 1, 2016)

HappyHowie said:


> *BLO 3rd Coat*
> 
> I am getting close to completing this project. This morning I applied my third coat of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I made sure I soaked the end grain parts. In 48 hours I will give this project a thorough inspection in order to determine if any further coats needs to be applied. If three is enough, then I will fasten the battens to the table top's underside with #6 - 1 inch long square drive flat head screws. I will hand screw these in.
> 
> ...


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Battens Fastened*

I wiped each part. I then fastened the battens by aligning them to the knife marks I had made before applying the BLO finish. Three #6 - 1 inch flathead screws for each batten.









I also decided to add another thin coat of BLO. I may wait another 48 hours before assembling the table.


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## hnau (Nov 30, 2016)

HappyHowie said:


> *Battens Fastened*
> 
> I wiped each part. I then fastened the battens by aligning them to the knife marks I had made before applying the BLO finish. Three #6 - 1 inch flathead screws for each batten.
> 
> ...


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## bhuvi (Dec 1, 2016)

HappyHowie said:


> *Battens Fastened*
> 
> I wiped each part. I then fastened the battens by aligning them to the knife marks I had made before applying the BLO finish. Three #6 - 1 inch flathead screws for each batten.
> 
> ...


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Brought the Table Inside to Aid Drying of Oil Finish*

Simply the weather is turning colder and its rainy. In order to enhance the dry time, I brought the trestle table in doors to an empty bedroom. I will store it here so the oil finish will dry quicker than it would in the woodshop.









I will give this table a few weeks to dry before I start to apply paste wax and buff it.


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## hnau (Nov 30, 2016)

HappyHowie said:


> *Brought the Table Inside to Aid Drying of Oil Finish*
> 
> Simply the weather is turning colder and its rainy. In order to enhance the dry time, I brought the trestle table in doors to an empty bedroom. I will store it here so the oil finish will dry quicker than it would in the woodshop.
> 
> ...


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## bhuvi (Dec 1, 2016)

HappyHowie said:


> *Brought the Table Inside to Aid Drying of Oil Finish*
> 
> Simply the weather is turning colder and its rainy. In order to enhance the dry time, I brought the trestle table in doors to an empty bedroom. I will store it here so the oil finish will dry quicker than it would in the woodshop.
> 
> ...


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*How Should I Finish This Table Top?*

If I was to start over with selecting the finish coats for this table, I would not use Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I do believe that it has gone on okay. I am satisfied that the BLO has done what it can. However, the blotchiness on the table top does bother me. I believe as the cherry ages that the blotchiness will dissipate, if not disappear in time. However, I know there is not a guarantee about that result.

My options from here are (1) continue to apply more BLO, (2) spray some Shellac and build it up, (3) switch to Danish Oil that I believe is a varnish based in linseed oil, or (4) spray some other top coat.

I am not sure what would be best. I know that Charles Neil would probably say "Well, I told you so: Don't use BLO for your finish, ever". This does it. I am ordering Charles Neil's finishing book and DVD today.

Several years ago I read a Fine Woodworking Magazines article by Charles Shackleton. It was a cover story. He made a beautiful bed from cherry. It was that article and visiting his website that sparked my interest in becoming a woodworker. Woodworking seemed easy. I was or am naive. It was Charles Shackleton that made me use BLO on this table. He has several articles on finishing in that magazine. He says he always uses BLO and then fine furniture wax on his projects. He says his customers come into his gallery so they can "feel" his furniture. He seems to be able to make BLO and wax work well for him. Well I do not have his skill level, for sure.

Maybe I should have applied a Shellac dewaxed sealing coat first and then gone with a varnish.

From this point in time, I am leaning towards option #3 above: switching to the can of natural Watco Danish Oil that I have in my shop.

I won't do anything today. I will think and ponder on it for the remainder of the day before deciding a definite course.

Maybe some member on Lumberjocks will give me a good suggestion.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

HappyHowie said:


> *How Should I Finish This Table Top?*
> 
> If I was to start over with selecting the finish coats for this table, I would not use Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I do believe that it has gone on okay. I am satisfied that the BLO has done what it can. However, the blotchiness on the table top does bother me. I believe as the cherry ages that the blotchiness will dissipate, if not disappear in time. However, I know there is not a guarantee about that result.
> 
> ...


I had that same issue when I used pure tung oil on a cherry piece a while back. I left it in the Arizona sun for a while to accelerate the darkening and drying, but the tung oil remained dull and blotchy. I ultimately sprayed it with some satin lacquer, cut to 50% with lacquer thinner and acetone (50% lacquer, 25% lacquer thinner and 25% acetone). The result was gorgeous. You have to let the oil dry for three or four weeks before doing this. BLO may take a little less time.

I would suggest that whatever you decide on as a finish coat, that you spray it. Brushing or wiping will tend to lift the finish that's on there now, and may make the situation worse.

Fantastic workmanship on the table BTW. I've been following your progress and really like the lines you chose.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *How Should I Finish This Table Top?*
> 
> If I was to start over with selecting the finish coats for this table, I would not use Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I do believe that it has gone on okay. I am satisfied that the BLO has done what it can. However, the blotchiness on the table top does bother me. I believe as the cherry ages that the blotchiness will dissipate, if not disappear in time. However, I know there is not a guarantee about that result.
> 
> ...


Rich, thanks. I appreciate that you gave your recipe. I recently bought a Fuji HVLP spray system. Before i use it I will need to purchase the items to build a spray booth with a non-combustible fan. I am not in a rush to finish this table. I am willing to give it a suntan for a few hours if the weather is right.


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## CaptainSkully (Aug 28, 2008)

HappyHowie said:


> *How Should I Finish This Table Top?*
> 
> If I was to start over with selecting the finish coats for this table, I would not use Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I do believe that it has gone on okay. I am satisfied that the BLO has done what it can. However, the blotchiness on the table top does bother me. I believe as the cherry ages that the blotchiness will dissipate, if not disappear in time. However, I know there is not a guarantee about that result.
> 
> ...


I have very little experience with cherry. However, when varnishing teak on boats, you can add as many flat coats of varnish as you want, then only the top coat is glossy because that's what is exposed. I put at least five coats of polyurethane on my oak dining table top. Underneath is amber shellac, aniline dye and gel stain.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *How Should I Finish This Table Top?*
> 
> If I was to start over with selecting the finish coats for this table, I would not use Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I do believe that it has gone on okay. I am satisfied that the BLO has done what it can. However, the blotchiness on the table top does bother me. I believe as the cherry ages that the blotchiness will dissipate, if not disappear in time. However, I know there is not a guarantee about that result.
> 
> ...


I would bet that your varnished teak wood on your boats looks very beautiful. I love photos so share them. I would enjoy it.

I believe what I cam going to do today is disassemble the table so I can lay each part flat. If the skies remain clear this morning I give at least the table top a little sunbathing experience. I have some can Shellac already in my shop. If I have the sanding sealer Shellac I will spray that on the table top. If I need to make another trip to my big box for more cans, I will. I know I also have cans of lacquer. I will spray several coats of that for a hardened finish top coat. I suspect this table will get hard use from my beautiful granddaughter. Hopefully, her lifetime of use.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *How Should I Finish This Table Top?*
> 
> If I was to start over with selecting the finish coats for this table, I would not use Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I do believe that it has gone on okay. I am satisfied that the BLO has done what it can. However, the blotchiness on the table top does bother me. I believe as the cherry ages that the blotchiness will dissipate, if not disappear in time. However, I know there is not a guarantee about that result.
> 
> ...


Yesterday I decided to wipe on a coat of natural Danish Oil to all parts of this table. I disassembled the top and removed the wedge so the stretcher connecting the two leg assemblies could be removed. With clean brown paper on my assembly table I setup an are for applying this first coat of Danish Oil. I believe the Danish Oil with two or three coats will liven up the table's finish as well as give it some protective coat.









After applying a liberal coat and waiting a few minutes, I wiped the excess oil and vaish off iwth a clean cloth rag. All of this activity was done last night. Today I will apply another coat of Danish Oil. I will check later so I can determine is a third coat of Danish Oil is needed or not. Remember that I started with a base of three coats of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) before adding last night my first coast of Danish Oil. I have this large area on the table top that soaks up the oil fairly quickly. I believe it was a area where a tree branch grew from the tree trunk. My guess is that on the board it exposes some end grain; that is why the oil soaks up more quickly there. I will base my need for additional coats of oil depending if this area seems to need more oil coats. I suspect two or more coats of Danish Oil will be needed. We'll see.

I have buffed furniture wax on top of my other projects where I finished them with Danish Oil. I intend to do the same with this table.


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## hnau (Nov 30, 2016)

HappyHowie said:


> *How Should I Finish This Table Top?*
> 
> If I was to start over with selecting the finish coats for this table, I would not use Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I do believe that it has gone on okay. I am satisfied that the BLO has done what it can. However, the blotchiness on the table top does bother me. I believe as the cherry ages that the blotchiness will dissipate, if not disappear in time. However, I know there is not a guarantee about that result.
> 
> ...


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Added Second Coat of Danish Oil *

I like how the cherry hardwood is reacting to the coats of Danish Oil I have applied on top of the three coats of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I will check tomorrow if this table needs a fourth coat of Danish Oil. So far what I have applied looks great. If anything else is required it will be a good buffing of Briwax furniture wax.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

HappyHowie said:


> *Added Second Coat of Danish Oil *
> 
> I like how the cherry hardwood is reacting to the coats of Danish Oil I have applied on top of the three coats of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I will check tomorrow if this table needs a fourth coat of Danish Oil. So far what I have applied looks great. If anything else is required it will be a good buffing of Briwax furniture wax.


That looks great.


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## hnau (Nov 30, 2016)

HappyHowie said:


> *Added Second Coat of Danish Oil *
> 
> I like how the cherry hardwood is reacting to the coats of Danish Oil I have applied on top of the three coats of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I will check tomorrow if this table needs a fourth coat of Danish Oil. So far what I have applied looks great. If anything else is required it will be a good buffing of Briwax furniture wax.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Added Second Coat of Danish Oil *
> 
> I like how the cherry hardwood is reacting to the coats of Danish Oil I have applied on top of the three coats of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I will check tomorrow if this table needs a fourth coat of Danish Oil. So far what I have applied looks great. If anything else is required it will be a good buffing of Briwax furniture wax.


Finally this table top is looking better. I was worried that the Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) would never look good. That is why I finally moved to Danish Oil. I do not regret starting with BLO. I think it "colored" the cherry well. If I continued applying BLO I may have finally filled the pores on this hardwood so it did not look dry and uneven. It just took so long to dry. I was waiting 48 hours between coats. I was afraid that this finish would go on forever. One more… And, then one more coat. I did not see an end to it. I knew the Danish Oil would change that scenario.. It did. Now this table looks great. It is something I can be proud of.

I am happy now with this table's finish. The top looks alive now after I decided to add Danish Oi. I believe this varnish has BLO as its main ingredient. That was my main reason for using it instead of moving towards a Shellac or a polyurethane top coat, or a lacquer.

I believe I read somewhere that Shaker furniture maker C.H. Becksvoort uses Danish Oil on his cherry furniture. Knowing or realizing that eased my mind about using this varnish on my trestle table. Hopefully, I am not overlooking a major issue. If I am I welcome comments from other Lumberjocks.com members.

After going through these finish issues on this table top, I decided to become a Charles Neil disciple. By that I mean I bought his finish book and his color recipes. I will follow him. I don't want it to take 40 years until I understand how to finish wood. I will try to condense his years of experiences into my projects..


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## bhuvi (Dec 1, 2016)

HappyHowie said:


> *Added Second Coat of Danish Oil *
> 
> I like how the cherry hardwood is reacting to the coats of Danish Oil I have applied on top of the three coats of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I will check tomorrow if this table needs a fourth coat of Danish Oil. So far what I have applied looks great. If anything else is required it will be a good buffing of Briwax furniture wax.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Waxed Surfaces of Table Parts*

I applied and buff some of my dark brown past wax on the trestle table.


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## Mikesawdust (Jan 29, 2010)

HappyHowie said:


> *Waxed Surfaces of Table Parts*
> 
> I applied and buff some of my dark brown past wax on the trestle table.


Amazing work, I hope one day I have the patience and skill for hand flattening a table. I had one question on the battens, are the outer screw holes slots? I was just wondering about expansion and contraction. thanks for going through the whole process, great job of documenting it.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Waxed Surfaces of Table Parts*
> 
> I applied and buff some of my dark brown past wax on the trestle table.


I am so glad you asked. I could not recall what I did so I inspected the battens. I also reviewed Gary Rogowski's article and the scaled plans. Certainly the battens are simply screwed to the underside of the table top; no glue is used. I predrilled three screw holes, the outer two are elongated holes. As you correctly assumed they are there to accommodate and allow for seasonal wood movement. Only the scaled drawings addressed this issue for the battens. Three battens are attached to the table top.

For a while I was concerned that my finish coats of boiled linseed oil was not going to give me my desired finish. I probably could hve gotten my desired result if I continued additional coats of BLO. I became impatient. Switching to Danish Oil got me where I wanted to be quicker. It also was not that drastic of a change of finish oil. I am real happy with the state of this table's finish. I believe in time the cherry will become deeper in color and richer in appearance.

Thank you for your interest and comments. I was afraid my detailed blog was becoming too detailed and way over the top with its verbosity. Still I plan to cut back with posts for future projects although writing for me has been therapeutic in a way.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Waxed Surfaces of Table Parts*
> 
> I applied and buff some of my dark brown past wax on the trestle table.


Howie, late comment but this sure is a helpful blog series! I'm going to build a table like yours very soon, and this is a god send. Thanks, and your work looks great!

Smitty


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Waxed Surfaces of Table Parts*
> 
> I applied and buff some of my dark brown past wax on the trestle table.


Smitty, I was pleased to see your post on my trestle table blog. I reviewed my entries and was surprised that I had made so many entries. I guess I documented every step I took. This table was a fun build. I hope my granddaughter is taking care of it.

I flatten this tabletop with the longest hand plane I owned at the time. It was a Wood River v3 #6. I recall it was quite a workout. It turned out great. Since then I have added nearly the full set of Wood River v3 bench planes including their longest #7. My plane blade sharpening skills have improved since this table build also. You can do it with a #6, but these days if I had it to do again I would use my #7 to flatten and my #4 or #4-1/2 to smooth the surface for the finish.

I also enjoyed the curvature I placed on the tabletop edges by following Daniel Chaffin's design for his beautiful trestle table. Just writing now about that experience has brought back a flood of great memories, enjoyment.

I know you will enjoy your table build like I did mine.

This table build was for a granddaughter. What I use in my kitchen now is a new contemporary dining table whose design has a lot of angles and curves. Its designer was John Olson who works for Wood Magazine. That was a different build but was an enjoyable build for different reasons. It required a lot of preplanning so I could get each angle and measurement correctly laid out.

You have given me a chance to reflect on those pleasant memories again. Thanks.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Waxed Surfaces of Table Parts*
> 
> I applied and buff some of my dark brown past wax on the trestle table.


Hey, appreciate the shout-back Howie! Yes, I saw your other table build and again thought 'wow!'… you're good. Really good. Hope mine comes close to this one. Hope hope.

I'll blog too.

Thanks again for posting!


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