Any oil-varnish mix, such as the widely available Watco “Danish Oil” or Minwax “Antique Oil Finish,” would work well. I used whatever of this type of finish that I had on hand when I made the table. Good luck with your router table.

Rob

I’ve had no problem at all with the F clamps loosening. Were that the case, their name would apply to more than their shape.

The fence design, like just about everything we woodworkers do, is a conglomeration of ideas, a few mine, more from sources I’ve long forgotten. I hope the fence works well for your students. Feel free to refer them to the posts to view the pictures and description.

Rob

I’m curious about the F-clamps. I use C-clamps for my fence; F-clamps seem much more likely to loosen under vibration. Have you experienced this?

I really like the fence design; I hope you don’t mind if I use it for a router table class I’m teaching in the fall.

Thanks,
Carl Stammerjohn

Haha, yea, I never thought of that but the spiral notebook theme does look similar to the Knapp (cove and pin) joint. I did a little hunting and found that Woodworker’s Supply lists a discontinued patented router jig dedicated to this joint. They also make a template for the joint to be used in their Matchmaker router machine. Fine Woodworking, July/August 1986, #59, pp. 74-75, has an article, “Cove and Pin Joint”, by David Gray, that describes making the joint with a drill press, plug cutter, and a modified gouge. Interesting, but I think I’ll stick with dovetails.

Thanks for the encouraging words.

Rob

Did you know that the design of your blog page looks a whole lot like a Knapp joint? I think that was one of the first attempts at making a better machine-made drawer joint; dates from somewhere between 1890 and 1910 or so. It was made with a router cutting “pins” on the drawer face and making the holes on the drawer sides.

I have a night stand and a chest of drawers that have drawers made with this joinery. I like them because you can easily date the furniture to within 20 years (and they generally are found on simple, almost Eastlake-style pieces, which I like).

Oh, great job on the entries about how your shop uses “simpler” setups to achieve great results.

That’s the kind of stuff people (including yours truly) need to read more about.

Thanks,

Ethan