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You’ve glued up a large panel for a table top. You’re reasonably sure the two edges are parallel, but you know the ends aren’t square. And your framing square is too small to span the width of the table. So how do you lay out a square line to trim to?

I’ve used the “3-4-5″ method which takes advantage of the Pythagorean Theorem. You remember what that is, right? It’s what we learned in geometry or trigonometry class.

The sum of the squares of the sides of a right triangle equals the square of the hypotenuse.

or

a² + b² = c²

So, with the “3-4-5″ method of laying out square lines, you substitute like this:

3² + 4² = 5²

or

9 + 16 = 25

So you can measure 3-feet along one edge of your panel, and 4-feet at a right angles to that (I use my framing square as a guide). The distance between those two points should be exactly 5-feet if your first two lines are at a right angle (90°).

James D. Thompson has written a handy set of articles on Layout Basics. In this article, he shows you how to use a compass to mark out a square reference line. It doesn’t require any math and works every time.

A number of folks have commented that they can’t download Podcast #16 (“Bending Wood: 2 Methods to Creating Curves”)

We’ve fixed the broken links and all should be well now. If you still have difficulty viewing Chris’s great podcast, please let us know.

Thanks for viewing our podcasts and making them so popular!

Is the jointer fence square to the table? How long has it been since the knives in the thickness planer have been sharpened? How about the table saw, is it due for a tune up?

You’ll need all three of these tools (or their hand tool equivalents) in good working order, if you want to end up with a perfect workpiece. Bryan Nelson shows us how to square up lumber during this Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar podcast.

When you’re done watching, be sure to check out the Woodsmith Podcast Store. You’ll find links to project plans, the seminar guide, and a few of the tools and accessories that Bryan used during the seminar.

 

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Every issue of ShopNotes is packed full of projects, informative articles, and tips to make your shop time more enjoyable. This issue is no exception. Inside, you’ll find:

Best-Built Jigs and Fixtures: Dovetail Jig Workcenter
This workcenter is a handy addition to any shop. It’s loaded with features that make using your dovetail jig more enjoyable. There’s plenty of storage inside for your dovetail jig and accessories. And we’ve built in some features to make routing dovetails more accurate.

Weekend Workshop: Table Saw Outfeed Support
Ripping long pieces on the table saw can be a struggle. This easy-to-build outfeed support gives you an extra hand when you need it — and stores easily when you don’t.

Storage Solutions: 5 Plywood Shop Projects
It won’t take a lot of time, effort, or material to improve your shop with these handy plywood projects. Each one can be built from a single sheet of inexpensive plywood.

Plus, in Router Workshop, we’ll show you our Top 10 Hand-Held Router Accessories that will help you get more out of your hand-held router.

And, as always, you’ll find lots of other informative pages inside this issue of ShopNotes. Look for it on the newsstands or in your mailbox.

I use wet/dry sandpaper to sharpen my plane irons and chisels. But I’ve always had two concerns with this method. First, I don’t get even wear on the sandpaper. And there’s another problem. I’m only able to sharpen one tool at a time. How great would it be to have the ability to sharpen several chisels at once? And doing so would give me even wear on the sheet of sandpaper.

Enter the Veritas® Honing Guide Mk.XXXXII. It’s a new design that every shop needs for sharpening tools. I had Lee Valley send one of these to me for evaluation. I have to tell you that I’ve not been this excited about a new tool for a long time. I was able to have a complete set of chisels sharpened within ten minutes! And I could sharpen the irons in my No. 3, No. 4, No. 4½, No. 5, and No. 6 planes all at the same time!  What a time-saver!

My only complaint with the unit is the weight. It requires two steady hands to move back and forth across your sharpening media of choice.  But at around $140, I think the trade off is worth it!

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Oh…by the way…Happy April Fool’s Day!