rP he bent-runner sleigh featured in і this section blends traditional sled design with modem woodworking techniques. As shown in the photo below, the legs are attached to the stretchers with plate joints—a simple and sturdy
joiner)’ method. The posts supporting the backrest are secured to the deck with screws and metal cross dowels. Using knockdown fasteners in this application allows the backrest to be removed easily, transforming the sleigh into a flat – deck racer. The undersides of the runners are covered with a layer of ultra-high molecular weight plastic, a high-tech material available from most plastics distributors and some woodworking supply houses. It will enhance the runners’ slick
ness and make them glide much better on snow.
As described beginning on page 47, the runners and backrest arc made of thin wood strips laminated together and bent during glue up. Since both parts share the same curvature, they can be bent on the same form. Oak and ash both have superior bending qualities, and arc the best choices if you want strong and tough runners. But other hardwoods, like maple, birch, and beech, can be used. The sleigh shown in the photo on page 44 is made of cherry, another good choice.
Any sled must be built to withstand abuse as well as the elements. Use only stainless steel fasteners and a highly water-resistant adhesive for glue up. Finish the sleigh with marine varnish. Be sure to finish the bottom of the runners before attaching the plastic strips.
1 Ripping the runner stock
Cut the runner strips on your table saw from a board wide enough to yield all the runners you will need. The board should be slightly thicker than the final width of the runners. Position the rip fence for an i^-inch cutting width and feed the workpiece with a push stick (right). Use one hand to press the board flush against the fence, being careful to keep both hands well clear of the blade. Cut an extra strip to use as a clamping caul in step 3.
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Making the bending form
To bend both the runner and backrest strips, you will need a shop-made bending form. For the jig, cut three pieces of M-inch plywood, mark a circle with a 6-inch radius on their top surfaces, and cut out the curves on your band saw. Also saw a long rectangular slot in the center of each piece. Screw the pieces of the jig together, making sure the ends and edges are aligned. To facilitate clamping the curve, drill a series of holes with a spade bit slightly larger than the clamp jaws you will be using; remember to secure a backup panel to the drill press table to minimize tearout (left).
3 Gluing up the runners
Screw the bending form to a base of й-inch plywood and clamp the base to a work surface. To prevent the runners from sticking to the form, apply a thin coat of paraffin wax to the form’s outside edge. Spread glue on one side of each strip of the runner and stack the pieces, lining up their ends. Leave an extra unglued strip on the outside to protect the strips from the clamp jaws. Place the stack along the outside edge of the form and use clamps to secure the strips against it, starting at the curved end and working to the opposite end (left). Let the setup cure for 8 to 10 hours. Bend the backrest the same way, but align the center of the lamination with the center mark on the form.
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Jointing the lamination
Once the lamination is dry, remove it from the form and joint one edge. Slowly feed the workpiece across the cutters, using push blocks to feed the workpiece and apply downward pressure on the outside side of the knives (right). Never position your hands directly over the cutters. Next, cut the lamination to its finished thickness on a planer.
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Preparing the slats
The sleigh’s deck has an inward curve at the front end and a matching outward curve at the back. Start by cutting the slats slightly longer than their final length and mark a centerline on a work surface. Then arrange the slats on the table. Place 54-inch-thick spacer strips between the slats to maintain the proper spacing. Then clamp the slats together edge to edge and secure the assembly to the table, aligning the middle of the
deck with the centerline on the table. Next, use a shop-made compass to mark the curves on the slats. For the compass, drill two holes 9 inches apart through a wood strip; one hole should accommodate an awl and the other a pencil (inset). Mark the front curve on the slats so the arc ends about 54 inch from the edges of the outside slats. Draw the back curve so the center of the arc is 36 inches from the center of the front curve (above).
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Making the legs
Cut your leg blanks from 1-inch-thick stock to a width of 1 % inches. Then miter the ends of each blank on your table saw with the miter gauge adjusted to 60°. Next, use a band saw to cut one of the legs to the profile shown (above, left); the finished leg can then serve as a template for cutting the remaining ones. Sand away any marks left by the band saw blade. The legs are joined to the runners with ’/^-inch-diameter, l’/4-inch-long dowels. To bore the dowel holes in the
legs, mark lines that intersect at the center of their bottom ends. Then miter the end of a board at 60° to create a jig that will brace the workpiece on your drill press table. Install a ’/4-inch bit in the machine and set the drilling depth to slightly more than one-half the dowel length. Align the center of the leg’s bottom end under the bit, clamp the jig alongside the leg and, holding the leg firmly against the table and jig, bore the hole (above, right).
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Joining the legs to the stretchers
Attach the legs to the stretchers with plate joints—thin, football-shaped biscuits of compressed wood that fit into mating slots. Use the clamping jig shown on page 51 to align the parts and mark center lines for the biscuit slots across the joints between the legs and stretcher. Use a plate joiner to cut a slot into the top end of the legs; hold the
workpiece in place with a clamp. Then secure the stretcher to a work surface, align the guideline on the tool’s faceplate with the slot location mark on the workpiece, and cut the slot (above). Repeat the procedure at the other slot locations, then glue each pair of legs to its stretcher, as shown in the photo on page 46.
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Attaching the legs to the runners
Position the legs on the runners, then mark the dowel holes on the runners. Bore a hole at each mark slightly deeper than one half the dowel length. Then apply glue in the holes and on the contacting surfaces between the legs and runners, insert a dowel into each hole in the legs, and fit the pieces together (left). Clamp the assembly, making sure the stretchers are perpendicular to the runners.
2 Installing the deck rails
Cut the deck rails to size, curving the back end using the same techniques described on page 49 for the slats. Position the rails on the strechers and against the runners, and apply glue on the contacting surfaces. Clamp the rails in place and drill two pilot holes through the runners into the front end of the rails. Also bore holes through the rails into the stretchers. Attach the rails to the runners and stretchers with countersunk stainless steel wood screws (right), removing the clamps as you go.
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Attaching the deck slats
Lay out the slats on the stretchers, spacing them with ;/S-inch-thick wood strips. The two center boards should overhang the front stretcher by about % inch. Position the other boards so their ends form a smooth curve. Drill countersunk pilot holes through the slats into the stretchers, temporarily remove the slats, and apply a bead of water-resistant glue along the stretchers. Reposition the slats • on the stretchers and fasten them in place with stainless steel screws (left).
1 Making the support posts
Cut the support posts to size, then mark the notches that will accommodate the backrest, referring to the anatomy illustration on page 46. Cut the notches on your table saw, installing a dado head on the machine. Adjust the cutting height to the thickness of the backrest slats, then screw a board to the miter gauge as an extension. Holding the workpiece flush against the extension, align the end of the notch outline with the blades, butt a wood block against the workpiece, and clamp it to the extension as a stop block. Holding the stock against the extension and the stop block, feed the workpiece into the dado head. Keep both hands clear of the blades. Make a series of passes to finish cutting the notch, shifting the workpiece sideways as necessary. For the back post shown, turn the stock around and repeat to cut the second notch (right). Cut the notch on the front post the same way. Once all the notches are cut, screw the backrest to the posts.
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