Sophisticated. The tripod riving brake shown here is the sophisticated version of a contraption to help hold logs and billets as they’re split with a froe. Get some splitting leverage with this simple contraption. by Peter Follansbee R each for a froe, and you should immediately think, “Give me a brake.” The brake can be a constructed workholding device, or just a couple of logs. Its function is to trap your workpiece in such a way that you can exert leverage on a section of a log as it’s splitting. The froe – used to split a piece when it’s in a brake – is a tool that requires some nuance to really get the most from it; the brake helps make that happen. There are many kinds and configurations of brakes. The first one I learned is just a forked section of a tree, propped up with crossed timbers underneath. Forked. Here, a student is using a forked-tree brake as he rives oak with a froe. Jam your billet into the fork with its other e...
I can finally put a tick next to something that’s long been on my “to do” list: Learn how to build a Welsh stick chair. With all that’s going on with my house right now (I just started tear-out on one of the bathrooms and still haven’t finished the stairs), I knew it would be years before I would get around to a chair build on my own time. So, I invited Kentucky bodger Don Weber to come teach me and a few friends on camera, which meant I could do it on company time. But as with all plans, the gods laughed. After Don said yes, and my friends – Christopher Schwarz, John Hoffman, Narayan Nayar and Justin Lieb – picked the week that would work for their schedules, I got called into two days of unavoidable meetings during said week. Ah well. So while I did in fact get hands-on, step-by-step instruction in building a Welsh stick chair, I have not (yet) actually finished building one. My seat is saddled, the legs are fit and I’ve dril...
There are many ways to cut this popular edge-to-edge joint. by Bill Hylton from the April 2005 issue When setting up the table saw to cut the joint, just eyeball the rip-fence position for the groove. Sight down across the end of the stock and align a centerline drawn on it with the center of the cutter. A two-pass work routine centers the groove and eliminates the need for test cuts. When making the joint (right), a snug press fit is your goal. This is a first try – honest! A tongue-and-groove joint is an edge joint with a mechanical interlock. The edge of one board has a groove. A matching tongue is formed on the edge of the mating board. The tongue goes into the groove, and the boards are joined. You probably are most familiar with the joint’s many applications in building construction, such as strip flooring and paneling. In furnituremaking, the tongue and groove is excellent for edge-to-edge glue-ups. If cut precisely, the joint ensures that the faces of adj...
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