TopSlide Table Saw Slides?

When it comes to Drawer Hardware, we've always felt confident that we have just about any application your can name covered - including a few that never even occurred to us. In an effort to get the most out of a less-than sprawling home shop, hobbyist woodworkers are often driven to great lengths in making their working space layout more efficient. This week’s solve-a-space-issue prize has to go to Randall Richards of Chatsworth, GA. Using a pair of our new TopSlide Heavy Duty Drawer Slides to support his trusty Craftsman table saw, he’s now able to handle large-scale ripping jobs without having to drag the heavy beast all over the shop. In his words:

“I have an old Craftsman table saw that I have used for about 30 years. I always had to drag it around the shop. If I wanted to rip a full piece of plywood, I always had to have help. I designed this table to allow me to rip plywood by myself. I used the heavy duty drawer slides to allow me to slide the saw left of right. This way, the stock coming out of the saw can all slide out on the table. It works even better than I expected that it would. Now I have to devise a clamping system to hold the saw in place. I am presently using spring clamps, but I plan to add a clamp to the saw that will clamp down on the slide.”

A very clever solution, we think, and the slides fit the bill perfectly. With a 220 lb. load rating, the pair of Series 758's chosen are sure to offer decades of smooth, stable support. Randall’s is one of the first reviews we’ve received for our new TopSlide line of ball bearing and undermount drawer slides (they’ve only been out for a couple of weeks, after all). But we expect lots more. Engineered in-house by Rockler (after 50-plus years of experience with drawer hardware of all sorts) TopSlide drawer slides are designed to satisfy even stringent requirements of drawer hardware connoisseurs.

And it appears to have worked: in blind “taste tests” conducted by Rockler, customers picked TopSlide time and time-again as the smoothest operating slides among top brands. Even better, through careful design and as-careful sourcing, we’re able to offer them at a price that’s actually less than most of the premium slides you’re used to seeing. What else could you ask for? How about an unconditional lifetime guarantee? If you’re skeptical, or just think a-slide’s-a-slide’s-a-slide, we invite you to try a pair and judge for yourself - risk free. If you don’t agree that TopSlide represents a standout value, just send your purchase back for a fast and full refund.

The TopSlide line covers the full range of common and not-so-common applications. Along with the central player in the TopSlide line - the 100 lb. full extension Series 757 - you’ll find a variety of special application slides. The 757 A, for example, has handy horizontal tabs on the drawer member of the slide designed to support shelves and pullouts in perfect alignment and simplify the installation process. You’ll also find heavy-duty slides in various load ranges, over travel slides, economical 3/4 extension sides, and a premium, fully concealed undermount option in the Series CC44. We also have a second line of slides. For budget-sensitive projects, Rockler CenterLine drawer slides offer reliable service at an exceptionally wallet-friendly price.

Okay, but with all of these options, how will you ever pin down the perfect slide for your projects? The answer is: with a quick look at our handy TopSlide Guide. There you’ll find an easy-to-use reference containing slide dimensions, applications and capabilities, all to help you choose exactly the slides you need and get them ordered and on their way as quickly as possible. And if you need more advice, as always our renowned technical support staff are on hand to help you out – even if the advice you seek relates to a more “creative” application, like the latitudinally positionable table saw mentioned above.

http://www.rockler.com

Customer Reviews

Make Free E-Z Plans Easier

What's better than a free woodworking plan? How about a free woodworking plan that's doable in a weekend, doesn't require Norm's shop, and doesn't leave you hunting around for obscure materials or strange, exotic hardware items. That, we think, is what makes Rockler E-Z Plans such a perennial favorite. Perfect for woodworkers with beginning to intermediate skill, the free E-Z Plans lean toward compact projects that require only affordable, readily available materials, nearly all of which can be purchased right here on the Rockler website.

But on top of that, there's an added bonus tacked on to many of plans, and we can't even take the credit: quite a few have gathered a legacy of customer reviews that not only offer an unbiased opinion on the overall quality of the project, but also include tips and insights that can help make the project go smoothly, or even help you decide if it's the right one for you.

Say, for example, you're wondering whether your modest shop is up to the task of our Mail Truck E-Z Plan, you might take heart from the results customer Wayne A. Tippin Sr. got with just a few basic tools:

"I saw the mailbox banks on your website and I wanted to make them for my four grandchildren, hoping the trucks would remind them of me many years from now. Unfortunately, I don't have a table saw, a router or any sophisticated machines. What I do have is a circular saw, an orbital sander, and a hand-held jigsaw. Well, we must make do with what we have, right? I had to hold the edges against the sander to round them. I think they're not so bad, for an amateur.

"Thanks for the bank idea - they aren't professional, but 'Grandpa made it for them.' It means more than you know."

Or, if you scroll down the page a little ways, you might decide not to follow the instructions at all. After all, the plans are just suggestions. We're always happy to see creative departures, like this custom mini-mailbox posted by Marvin R Lybbert, from Moses Lake, WA. along with its inspiration and a few kind words:

"After being a Letter Carrier for 42 years I wanted to make a mailbox bank that I used every day. So I built the collection box bank pictured [to the right]. Your products and your service is 'First Class'."

None of the Rockler E-Z plans will land you an elaborate and gorgeous period highboy, but they will give you a fun, manageable project to keep for your own enjoyment or give as a gift. If you're not sure which one to try, the customer reviews can help you choose. Or they may help you think out side of the box and put your own custom spin on a project, like A. O. from San Diego, CA did with our Hour Glass Timer project and a little ingenuity:

"I ordered this hourglass and made one for my boyfriend's 40th birthday. It was a challenging project as I do not own a router or lathe, but I purchased 7' diameter x 3/4' thick pre-cut wooden pieces from a craft store for the top and bottom, and drilled a 1/2' hole partway into the center of each wood piece to allow the hourglass to 'seat'. (The blown glass piece has a metal covered protrusion on each end that is 1/2' in diameter.)

"I used 12' threaded rods (covered by steel rods) for the spindles. This allowed me to adjust the height of each rod by screwing cap nuts ('acorn' nuts) onto the threaded rods to level the piece. (I countersunk holes halfway into the top and bottom wood pieces to allow the nuts to sit deeper into the holes.) The nuts became the 'feet' of the piece, and looked great with the steel rods. I agree that a template for the holes would have been quite useful -- that was the most difficult part of the project for me.

"I sprayed clear coat on the steel rods (after cleaning and polishing them) to protect against rust, and sprayed the wood pieces with a dark grey gloss paint prior to assembly. I also used small black O-rings from the faucet repair section of my hardware store between the rods and wood, and on the ends of the glass piece to help it seat into the wood.

"The finished product turned out just as I had envisioned it, and was more modern and "metallic" looking than one made with turned wooden spindles and stained wood. My boyfriend said it is the best gift he's ever received! I really liked that the glass piece from Rockler is so large, and the color of the sand (light tan) was much better than other similar products I found with white sand. I would definitely order this product again."

Options for Building Drawers

As you may have discovered, there are many ways to build a drawer box. What’s your favorite? Whatever it is, your method of choice almost certainly reflects the importance you place on durability, aesthetics and last but not least, getting done fast.

In building drawer boxes, you have three joinery decisions to make: how to join the sides to the front, how to join the sides to the back, and how to join the bottom to all four. As far as we know, the last is a forgone conclusion: Nearly everyone slips the drawer bottom into a groove at the bottom of the front and sides, and either uses the “open back” method (cuts the back so that its bottom edge will end up level with the top of the groove) or grooves the back as well.

Attaching the sides the back, and especially attaching the sides to the front, is another matter. Here, opinions vary and many methods are championed. If you’re new to drawer making, a good way to sample the available techniques and pick up a few techniques is to start with a joinery book. Bill Hylton’s Chests of Drawers, for example, covers drawer building basics as well as taking the reader step-by-step through a number of projects, all of which involve many drawer making opportunities.

Not surprisingly, Hylton and numerous other experts favor a couple of drawer construction methods: For joining the sides to the front, most prefer either half-blind dovetails (for aesthetics and durability) or some type of lock joint, such as that produced by the Drawer Lock Router Bit (for speed and durability) - for more on getting started with either of these methods, see “Drawer Box Joinery Tips”. When it comes to joining the sides to the back, the winners seem to be through dovetails for fancy stuff, and a simpler joint, such as a dado or rabbet and dado for production work.

Still, there are other methods to consider. For some woodworkers, a reinforced butt joint is sufficient. People use everything from biscuits to dowels and even pocket screws (later concealed by the drawer front) to shore up the strength of the inherently weak butt joint. A while back on the Women in Woodworking Forum, woodworker and author Carol Reed posted this interesting and very simple doweling technique in answer to a question on easy drawer box construction possibilities:

“The simplest joint is a butt joint. That said, it needs to be reinforced and that depends on your tooling.

The slickest reinforcement I have ever done was to drill holes through the joint (after the drawer box dried) and glue in dowels. Better than metal fasteners because glue is also used. But that takes a means to drill precision holes for the dowels. A simple guide with your cordless works. In my case I had a floor drill press where the table dropped far enough to do even large drawers.”

If you wanted to give that a try but don’t have a drill press, you could easily handle the alignment problem by constructing a simple jig to go along with an inexpensive drill guide.

Another method, although one that’s hard to duplicate in a most home shops, is “chuck and bore” joinery. In this widely used, established method, round pins cut from the ends of the drawer fronts and backs are glued into corresponding holes in the drawer sides. And while you probably won’t cut this joint in your garage, it’s still one of the easiest ways to end up with solid birch drawer box parts. With Rockler’s Custom Drawer Program, you can simply phone in the sizes of the parts you need and have them delivered to your door, guaranteed square and ready to assemble.

There are many other possibilities, and you might prefer something that we’ve left out. Some woodworkers like a sliding dovetail for joining the sides to the front, and plenty of other’s are happy with a dado joint and staples for both front and back. Our position is this: There’s a lot to be said for time-tested and widely favored methods, but we’re always willing to keep an open mind to new possibilities, like this innovative technique extracted from the ever fruitful Woodweb Knowledge Base:

From contributor O:
For an attractive, durable and inexpensive drawer box, you can use maple print melamine board - 5/8" thickness is good - and screw, nail or staple the box together. Use a dab of melamine glue if nailing or stapling. Then get a roll of Dovetape by 2M corporation which has end-grain dovetail patterns on a transparent self-stick mylar backer (available in mock unfinished end grain for the look of kit drawers or pre-finished end grain to look like you did it yourself). Apply the Dovetape to the front and back edges of the drawer box and there it is. Be sure to locate the nail/staple/screwheads so the mock dovetails cover them.

//www.rockler.com/

Garden designs

Create a haven from the midday sun while enjoy the closeness of nature by placing a parasol in the corner of your garden. Team this with vibrant garden furniture in zesty colours and take pleasure in relaxing in your contemporary outdoor space.

Decorative garden

Add decorative details to your garden to give it a

touch of style . Place a striking piece of ironwork against a light-painted wall - this will show off the detailing in all its glory - and then dot small sculptures around the space to play with scale

Mediterranean-style courtyard

Featured at the Tatton Park Flower Show, the Mediterranean-style theme of this courtyard is created by red paving stones teamed with painted walls. Fiery coloured flowers are partnered with cordyline, olive and palm trees to add to the Mediterranean feel. A corner seating area features a pergola, wooden benches painted red and matching cushions. The nearby wat

er sounds from the bubbling pot complete the sense o

f calm.

Summer retreat

Reclaim your shed, paint it mint green and sky blue, then add

some classic wicker furniture for the ultimate retreat at the end of your garden. Give it a homely feel with cushions in retro flor

al prints and a pretty painting. Add a rug for extra comfort, and hang a voile curtain across the door so you can shelter from the sun but still enjoy the breeze.

Urban-chic garden

Create a comfy, alfresco seating area with a modern rattan sofa and armchair and pick a dining set in black and chrome for a contemporary look. Brighten the look with silky red and lime cushions and include plenty of striking foliage in co-ordinating planters and finish them off with a few pebbles around the base

http://www.housetohome.co.uk/galleries/gardens