STL267: The router queen

Larissa Huff wows Vic and Ben with her harrowing tales of freehand letter routing and many other woodworking feats.

Jun 03, 2022

This episode is sponsored by Shaper and Pony/Jorgensen

Question 1:

From Sriram: I’ve noticed something recently about my projects. I plan them out quite carefully, but always seem to forget thinking about how I’m going to finish the edges until I actually get to that point. There is the aspect of breaking/softening the edges from the standpoint of making them less likely to splinter. But I’m more interested in how the experts think about the aesthetic aspects of finishing these edges. Of course, one can blindly use a roundover bit and just finish them that way, but a recent experience opened my eyes to other possibilities. I’d put a small chamfer on a piece using a block plane. I stepped back to take a look to see if it was uniform and the chamfer caught the light and lit up in a way that I had not observed before. 

Question 2:

From Scott: I just received a free delta unisaw with a sliding attachment! 

Two question on this table saw:

1: Ben, this does not have a riving/splitter.  I believe you added in to your unisaw which one and do you like it?

2: I want to rebuild my shop around this saw.  Right now my table simply butts to my work bench which is also my out feed table. I would like to attach the bench/outfeed table to the saw but the floor is not level.  (garages shop). Would you build to level?  ie, level the saw and build everything to that plane or build to square with the floor. 

Question 3:

From Bojan:

I’m thinking through a process of cutting an anticlastic curve out of solid wood to be used for a chair back. I can see how to create it as a bent lamination but am struggling to think it through out of solid lumber. Getting the curve in one direction should be simple enough but I cannot wrap my mind around cutting a second curve in it. Any ideas from the great minds of FW?

So far best I can come up with is trying a router jig that conforms to the original curve and guides a router into a path of the other curve.

Quick definition, if needed.

Anticlastic curve – Anticlastic surfaces are those in which the centres of curvature are located on opposing sides of the surface. This is commonly-described as a saddle shape. A hyperbolic paraboloid is an anticlastic surface. Think of a Pringle chip.

For a chair back, the one curve would hug your back and another would curve away toward the back to accept the curvature of the spine.

Every two weeks, a team of Fine woodworking staffers answers questions from readers on Shop Talk Live, Fine Woodworking‘s biweekly podcast. Send your woodworking questions to  [email protected]  for consideration in the regular broadcast! Our continued existence relies upon listener support. So if you enjoy the show, be sure to leave us a five-star rating and maybe even a nice comment on our  iTunes page .