After 6 months, working almost daily between 7 and 8am before going to work in my small garage shop, I finally put the finishing touches on the Federal Card Table project.

This project was inspired by a Fine Woodworking article titled “Federal Demilune Card Table” (Steve Latta, issue #180.) I met Steve at the Fine Woodworking Live conference last August in New Haven, CT, and he gave me a few great tips he had learned since writing that article about the best ways to build and veneer the apron. I made sure to follow his advice.

The last step was to take a few photographs of the finished project. To achieve this, I turned to an excellent Fine Woodworking article titled “A Woodworker’s Guide to Photography” (Michael Pekovich, issue #213.) Overall I am extremely pleased with the result:

As you can see, this table is not a reproduction, but rather an interpretation of a period form. I am not a huge fan of bell flower inlay, and I replaced the oval inlays found on most period pieces with a slightly more modern curly maple diamond inlay on each leg.

I chose this project not only based on the esthetics of the table, but also because it has taught me the following skills:

• How to prepare and use hot hide glue
• How to make and apply holly stringing
• How to make a knuckle joint
• How to install card table hinges
• How to drawbore a mortise and tenon joint
• Hammer veneering
• French polishing

Nowadays, this table sits in my living room, and is used as a decorative piece of furniture sporting picture frames and flower bouquets.

I hope you like it!

During Fine Woodworking Live, Steve Latta emphasized that he liked using a “sliding dovetail bridle joint” for the two front legs of a Federal card table. The reason? Contrary to what you might think, it is actually much easier to make than a standard bridle joint! Indeed, the lip created by the dovetail on the front side of the leg will hide any mistake you might have made while cutting the joint (cutting a bridle joint with no gap whatsoever is very hard to do…) In addition, if the veneer were to ever de-laminate, that same lip would prevent the veneer from going anywhere. The question is: how do you precisely cut that joint on a curved apron? Instead of a long and boring explanation, click on the pictures below and leave a comment in the comments section of this blog article if you have any additional questions you would like me to address. Cheers!

In my last post, I explained how to build the semi-circular apron of a Federal card table. The next step in this project is to veneer the front of the apron. For that, I am planning to use some great looking crotch mahogany veneer purchased from Veneer Supplies. The primary issue when veneering on a curve is to find a way to apply sufficient pressure uniformly across the entire surface. In this short article, I will show you how I am planning to do that.

First of all, a vacuum press is not really an option in this case as it might destroy the apron! It could work on a smaller piece, especially if the curve is not as pronounced. However, you will have to build a form to prevent the piece from collapsing under atmospheric pressure.

A more viable option is to use what is referred to as “bending plywood”, “wiggle wood”, or “Italian bending poplar”, to build a curved caul. In terms of thickness, 1/2″ is probably a minimum in order to spread the clamping pressure across the entire surface. You may be able to find some bending plywood online. In my case, I found some at a local retailer. The only issue with this option is that I had to buy a 24″x48″ sheet when all I needed was a small strip 3.5″x20″. So I went looking for a better, cheaper option. Here is what I did:

Step 1: Cut a piece of quality plywood — I used some scrap Finnish birch plywood — to the dimensions you need (3.5″x20″ in my case) Note: it is critical for the grain to go lengthwise on the outer plys! Otherwise, the plywood will crack as soon as you try to bend it…

Step 2: At the table saw, using a cross-cutting sled, I cut a series of deep notches (or kerfs) every 1/2″ across the entire surface, leaving only 1/16″ of thickness. When that is done, the piece of plywood becomes bendable.

Step 3: Resaw a piece of thick (1/16″) solid wood veneer at the band saw. You can use pretty much any wood species you want. In my case, I used some scrap poplar.

Step 4: Glue that thick piece of veneer to the face of the plywood that has all the kerf cuts and clamp it against the desired curved form. Use a glue that does not creep. In my opinion, the best option is liquid hide glue. Let the glue harden overnight. When the glue has dried, the piece will retain its shape.

Step 5: Glue small blocks, as necessary, to spread the clamping pressure evenly across the entire curved surface. Below is a photo of the curved caul I came up with:

Pro-Tip: I found that hand screws are a great way to clamp a curved piece on edge against your workbench:

After coming back from attending the Fine Woodworking Live conference in New Haven, CT, and especially after talking with Fine Woodworking author and period furniture maker Steve Latta, I set out to build a Federal Card Table. I was interested in this project because it was the perfect opportunity to learn more about banding, stringing, bell flower inlays, and expand my veneering and marquetry skills. It was also an excellent opportunity to get into curved work. The fact that I also happened to like the piece helped me make the decision to dive in! After doing some research, I found 2 great magazine articles that would serve as references on how to build a federal card table:

• Federal Demilune Card Table by Steve Latta (Fine Woodworking #180)
• The Portsmouth Card Table by Mario Rodriguez (American Woodworker)

In today’s article, I will show you how I built the semi-circular apron. That part of the project is not particularly difficult, but it must be done with care since the entire table is built around the apron.

I felt compelled to write this article because, in my opinion, the aforementioned references do not present satisfactory ways of trimming the apron. I will however not cover every single detail of the construction and suggest that you purchase these magazine articles if you are interested in learning more about the entire process.

A brick wall…

The apron of a federal card table is built very much like a masonry wall, by laying “bricks” of poplar in a semi-circular fashion on top of a staging board. To make the process easier, I used hot hide glue which requires no clamping and allowed me to work quickly. I opted to use a fairly large number of bricks in each layer (10, as suggested in Mario Rodriguez’ article) to use less material and also because I believe that the apron will be more stable that way. Each layer was left to dry over night prior to being planed in preparation for the next layer. The apron was built in 4 days.

Trimming the apron

In his article, Steve Latta recommends to trim each layer using a router and an MDF template. A “climb cut” is necessary because the grain switches direction between two consecutive bricks. I first tried this technique, and I cannot recommend it. I found it to be very dangerous, even if you only have 1/16″ to trim. The router is very hard to control!

Mario Rodriguez, on the other hand, trims the apron free hand at the band saw before cleaning it up with a card scraper and/or sand paper (Needless to say that if you go that route, you will need to build an extension table for your band saw!) I like to think that I am pretty good with the band saw. Nevertheless, I think that I would not have been able to obtain a very clean cut, and I would have spent a lot of time and energy cleaning up the apron.

After contemplating my options, I decided to build a jig to make the task of trimming the apron at the band saw easier. It is similar to a circle cutting jig, although it can be used only once. The photos below should hopefully give you enough details about the whole process (click on the thumbnails for a larger version of each photo) The result? A perfectly cut apron which requires no clean up right out of the band saw! The 30 minutes it took to build this jig were worth the effort!

I recently started using liquid hide glue (I have only used Titebond’s liquid hide glue so far, but you can also use Patrick Edwards’ Old Brown Glue) in all of my projects because squeeze out is so easy to clean up, and whatever is left on the wood will not significantly interfere with penetrating finishes. However, a few weeks ago, at the Fine Woodworking Live event in New Haven, CT, period furniture maker Steve Latta recommended that I give hot hide glue a try because of its remarkable properties, which can be very useful under certain circumstances. As a result of this conversation, I decided to purchase some equipment. At minimum, I would need a glue pot, a decent glue brush, a thermometer, and of course some hide glue in granulated form.

The glue pot that most people seem to be using these days is the Hold Heet electric glue pot, available from a variety of retailers. However, I was not ready to invest $135, so I went looking for a cheaper option. After doing some internet searches, I found that people were getting good results using a homemade double boiler on a hot plate, or a modified crock-pot. All those options seem to work well according to those who had used them. However, I was looking for a cheap option that was convenient (a self-powered electric unit is a must) and required little to no modifications out of the box. I finally settled on a wax warmer for $28. I figured that if this unit did not work out, at least I would have some very smooth legs :)

I also purchased a decent glue brush as well as some 192 and 251 gram strength hide glue from Tools For Working Wood. Finally, I picked up a meat thermometer at the grocery store for $3. Click on the thumbnail on the left for a detailed view of my “el-cheapo hot hide glue kit”.

After watching this very detailed video showing Patrick Edwards explaining how to use hot hide glue, I felt confident enough to give it a try. It took me a little while to get the dosage just right (at first, I had put too much water) but I eventually made a good batch and used it on a project I am working on. To say that I loved it is an understatement! In my opinion, here are the main benefits of hot hide glue:

• It becomes tacky very quickly as it cools down, reducing or even eliminating the need for clamps. This is especially useful with glue blocks, or when making complex assemblies that would be a nightmare to clamp. It is that quality that makes hammer veneering possible. Note: The glue will reach full strength in about 24 hours once all the water it contains has evaporated.
• It cleans up very easily! Just use a rag impregnated with warm water. However, keep in mind that the longer you wait, the harder it is to clean up…
• It does not creep. Indeed, the glue dries hard unlike PVA glue which retains some of its flexibility. It dries harder than liquid hide glue as well, according to what I have read. This quality can be useful in curved work.

A lot of people mention the reversibility aspect of hide glue (hot or in liquid form) as a major advantage over modern glues. In my opinion, this is only really true when doing veneering work where it is possible to get enough moisture and heat through the thin veneer to loosen the glue bond. However, forget about dislodging a mortise and tenon joint once the glue has fully hardened!

Conclusion: give hot hide glue a try and you’ll be amazed! However, remember to always use the right glue for the right job. Hot hide glue will do wonders in some applications (e.g., hammer veneering, glue blocks, complex assemblies where clamping would be difficult), while other glues might be better suited to other applications…

I just came back from a 3-day marquetry class at the David Marks School of Woodworking, and although I am physically exhausted, I also feel creatively rejuvenated! Let me tell you about my experience there.

David and his wife Victoria are very friendly, down-to-earth people. They live in a modest house in the outskirts of Santa Rosa, a sleepy town located an hour drive north of San Francisco. David’s woodworking studio is located in the back of their property and offers 2,000+ sq-ft of space outfitted with a wide variety of power tools, workbenches, and even a complete drum set! (David’s band, appropriately named The Bench Dogs, practices in his woodworking studio. How cool is that?!)

David Marks’ claim to fame is to have hosted a television show named “Woodworks” on the DIY network between and, I was not terribly impressed by that since I started woodworking in, long after the show ended… I had only heard of David’s achievements through Marc Spagnuolo’s Wood Talk Online Radio podcast. Last year, for Christmas, my thoughtful wife gifted me a 3-day marquetry class at the David Marks’ School of Woodworking, prompting me to check out who the dude was. All I can say is that I was very impressed by both his craftsmanship and creativity. As a general rule, if you want to take a class with a master woodworker, look at the pieces of art that he or she has created. If you like their work, you’re likely to enjoy their company and benefit from the class.

David remains very humble about his television show and instead lets his 30+ years of woodworking experience speak for itself. During the 3-day class, David took us through the process of making beautiful marquetry pieces using the double-bevel marquetry technique. He also demonstrated a lot of inlay techniques involving many different types of materials so that we could incorporate those into our work when the time comes. One of the best thing about the class was that we got plenty of hands-on experience and each walked away with a beautiful project. We all had our own scroll saw, and were able to use beautiful wood species that David had resawn into veneers on his own band saws.

David is very generous with his time. During the class, you can talk about anything even remotely related to woodworking, hear many stories and discuss the lessons that he’s learned about living his life as a free artist who cares more about his art and the quality of his craftsmanship than how much money he’s made or what kind of car he drives. This was very refreshing to me since I work in the high tech industry, a field notorious for its materialism.

Would I recommend this class? Absolutely! David is what I call an “approachable hero”. There are very few craftsmen like him left in the country, and being able to spend a few days in his woodworking studio was worth every penny! Also, if you’re not careful, you might even learn a thing or two :)

I am already planning to go back next year in order to learn more about wood turning (David is a world class wood turner, in case you didn’t know…) In the meantime, enjoy some of the photos from last weekend’s class below. Click on the thumbnails to see a larger version of each picture. The last one is a photo of my very own project :) Cheers!

Here is a short video presentation of my latest project, a Pennsylvania Spice Box made from a plan I saw in Fine Woodworking #196. Below the video are some close-up shots of the box (click on the thumbnails to see a larger version of each image) If you have any questions regarding this project, feel free to leave a comment!

I have been using a shop vac as a dust collector for over a year, and found that it works fairly well with small woodworking machines such as the ones I own. However, I was recently made aware of the dangers that fine wood dust (smaller than 1 micron) presents to our health, and therefore decided to upgrade my shop vac filter to a HEPA-certified filter. Those filters are fairly cheap and can be purchased in most home centers. However, they are so fine that they have a tendency to clog very quickly, decreasing the suction very significantly! The solution is to use a separator in order to reduce the amount of dust and chips reaching the filter. Marc Spagnuolo aka The Wood Whisperer did a comparative review of several well known dust separators, and found that Oneida’s Dust Deputy was a great option. I followed his recommendation and bought that unit. I also made a cart, based on Asa Christiana’s blog article on the Fine Woodworking web site, to keep the shop vac and the Dust Deputy together as I move the rig around the shop. The total cost is around $100 US (in addition to the shop vac you probably already own) Not a bad deal when you think about it!

Note: If you use a shop vac as your primary dust collection system, make sure you use the largest size hose possible (2.5″ is a common size, at least in the US) and try to keep the hose as short as possible to avoid loosing too much suction.

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Woodworking Safety Week is upon us (see the announcement) and here is my modest contribution to it. Enjoy!

I recently decided to dive into the world of hand tools-only woodworking, mostly because the only times I can do any sort of woodworking is early in the morning or late at night, and my wife, my dog and my neighbors do not really appreciate the noise of a table saw or a router at those rather odd times… In addition, my garage is also used for storage, and cleaning up the mess left by power tools quickly gets old! Finally, truly fine woodworking requires hand tools — there are operations that cannot easily be done with machinery — and working with hand tools will make you a better woodworker!

The beginning woodworker will wonder what kind of projects he/she should tackle first. My recommendation is to start with a few simple shop appliances. In the photos below, you can see my first two hand tool-only (*) projects: a wooden try square and a saw bench. A couple of winding sticks, a bench hook or a shooting board are good candidates as well. These projects will teach you a lot about sawing, planing and chiseling, all essential techniques in order to move to the next level in our craft.

(*) Note that I currently do the initial rough stock prep with power tools. I joint my boards on a jointer, thickness using a band saw and a thickness planer, and cut to approximate width and length on a table saw. After that, all the work is done with hand tools, except maybe for the engraving which I do using an Epilog laser (hopefully, I will get one of those nice stamps from InfinityStamps one day…) I do this to save time (prepping stock is not the most challenging or interesting phase in furniture making) and because I have access to these machines at the Sawdust shop in Sunnyvale, CA.