Buscher Blocks - Make a Set

U. S. Patent 5,928,052

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Finishing and Assembling.
Holders for Cutting Slots.
Face Plate for Cutting Notches.
Jig for Recutting Slots.
Reminder.

You don't need to pay me a thing. Make all the sets you want, and sell them for whatever you can get.

In order to make it easier to assemble the seventy-eight pieces. into the "Fancy Cube," I have altered some of the dimensions shown on the "Dimensions" page.

• I have increased the depth of the slots by 1/64", from 1/2" to 33/64".
• I have decreased the length of the tee blocks by 1/32", from 2" to 1&31/32".
• I have decreased the length and width of the cross blocks by 1/32", from 2" to 1&31/32".
• The thickness of the flat blocks may be a little more or less than 1/2". I plane the sticks that are to be cut into flat blocks to a thickness at which they slide snugly but comfortably in the slots of the slot blocks. This thickness may be a little more or less than 1/2".
• I plane an extra 1/64" from the thickness of the sticks that are to be used for cross blocks.

I use the following machine tools:

• A 10" Jet table saw. This is the workhorse of the shop, which is three-quarters of my garage. I use an an 80-tooth blade for cross cuts. To cut the slots in the slot blocks, I use a set of 8" Freud dado blades: two 1/8" outside blades and two 1/8" chippers. Router guys (you know who you are) might prefer to use a router to cut the slots.
• A 12" Dewalt planer. At first I had hoped to do everything on the table saw, but I could not control well enough the thickness of the flat blocks. Two-thirds of them came out too thick or too thin for the slots in the slot blocks. The planer not only gives me dimensional control; it also eliminates blade marks from the rip-cut sides of the blocks. By using a fine-tooth blade for cross cuts, and by using the planer on the rip-cut surfaces, I eliminate the need to sand the blocks.
• A 6" Delta jointer. The stock that is used for the slots blocks has to have a square cross-section or the slots will not meet. I have been using the jointer to get two sides to meet at a right angle, and the planer to to make the other two sides parallel to the jointed sides. I have no trouble getting the jointed sides to meet at a right angle; but I have had trouble getting the jointed sides flat. I have turned a lot of good wood into shavings. I will try a few more experiments; but if they do not work out, I will try getting the right angles on the table saw alone.

I use the following gauges:

• A vernier caliper with depth gauge. I use the caliper to check the external dimensions of the slot blocks (2&1/2") and the lengths (1&1/2", 2", 2&1/2", 3&1/2") and widths (1") of the flat blocks. I do not use the caliper to check the thickness of the flat blocks; instead I slide them in the slot of a slot block. I was using the depth gauge to check the depth of the slots (33/64"), but I discovered that it was starting to give me false readings; so now I double check slot depths with the caliper, measuring the distance between opposite slot bottoms (1&17/32") or the distance between a slot bottom and its opposite uncut side (1&33/64").
• A try square. I use this to check the squareness of the stock that is to be used for the slot blocks. If this stock drifts out of square by as much as 1/32 inch, I discard it, because the slots will not meet. I also check the blocks about a week after the slots have been cut. If a block has drifted out of square by as much as 1/32", I discard it, because it will make an unattractive gap in the "Fancy Cube" assembly.

When selecting lumber, I examine the ends.

• I do not buy lumber that is cut from the core of the tree. Such lumber will develop radial cracks.
• If possible, I avoid lumber in which the grain runs diagonally. Such lumber tends to distort out of square.

Here are some other things I consider when selecting lumber.

• Usually I buy 4x4s. It is possible to plane 2x4s and glue them together; but this procedure has not always worked for me. If I can get the surfaces flat enough to join with Carpenter's Glue, the procedure works. If I try to use a gap-filling glue, like Carpenter's Goop, between not-quite-flat surfaces, the procedure does not work. The glue softens when the slots are being cut, and the blocks twist or separate.
• I do not use treated lumber. Most fir and spruce 4x4s have been treated with a compound of chromium and arsenic that gives them a greenish color. This compound is poisonous. Treated lumber is good for outdoor construction. It is not good for chidren's toys. And I do not want to breathe the sawdust.
• I avoid wet lumber - pieces that feel sticky or unusually heavy. Slot blocks cut from wet wood distort as they dry, and become unusable.
• I avoid coarse-grained lumber. Blocks cut from fine-grained lumber look better.
• I do not worry much about knots. Since I am using short lengths, I can easily skip over and discard the knots. I do not need to pay extra for clear lumber.

The wood I most often use for Buscher Blocks is Western Red Cedar. The books say that Western Red Cedar is not really a cedar, but a separate species altogether. Its color is a uniform brown throughout, unlike Eastern Red Cedar, which has purple heartwood and white sapwood. Western Red Cedar works easily, keeps its dimensions, and finishes up to a nice rich brown. Blocks made from this relatively soft wood do not slide apart as easily as blocks made from harder woods.

It is not hard to find 4x4s of Western Red Cedar, since it is sometimes used for outdoor decks. Williams Lumber, in Hopewell Junction, NY, has been a reliable supplier. I have been paying something under $20 for an 8' 4x4, from which I can get two sets of blocks.

Here are some notes about the other woods I have tried.

Beech.

This wood had a sticky feel on the table saw; but it was workable. The color and grain, however, seemed unremarkable, even after finishing.

Butternut.

I love this wood for its ashy color and subtle grain. Butternut cuts easily and cleanly, with little splintering. I have made two sets in butternut, and am reluctant to part with them.

Cherry.

I had good luck jointing this wood and gluing it into sticks that were thick enough for slot blocks. The wood I used had small black pits that I, for one, found attractive. The main disadvantage of using this wood for Buscher Blocks is that the wood is too hard: once I got the flat blocks planed thin enough to slide in the slots at all, they tended to slide too easily. Structures built with cherry blocks tend to fall apart.

Fir.

Some times I can find at Home Depot a nice lot of fir 4"x4"s, that do not come from the core of the tree, and that have a close end grain. The blocks that I cut from this lumber have a strong tendency to distort, unfortunately, and I may have to discard half of them. The blocks that hold their shape, however, are attractive - blond, with a strong, straight grain.

Maple.

As with cherry, I had good luck jointing this wood and gluing it into sticks that were thick enough for slot blocks. The wood had a tendency to scorch on the table saw, but I was able to sand off the scorch marks. I am afraid that maple, like cherry, may be too hard for Buscher Blocks; the blocks are too slippery, and structures made from them tend to fall apart.

Mahogany.

I took the advice of my mentor, Bill Bluhm of "Heartwood Arts," and bought a piece of "genuine" mahogany instead of "Philippine" mahogany. Genuine mahogany is more expensive, but less splintery. I had no trouble producing two attractive sets from this wood.

Poplar.

This is nice wood to work with. You might not like the greenish color, though.

Spruce.

I bought a batch of ordinary spruce 2x4s at Home Depot. I cut them into 2' lengths, planed them, and glued them into 4x4 sticks with Carpenter's Glue. These sticks held together just fine on the table saw. This wood, however, seems to be the most susceptible to breakout - splinters where the saw blade comes out of the wood. The resulting blocks were not very attractive.

Walnut.

I love this wood for its chocolate color and the smell of its sawdust. The first time I worked with walnut, I started with 6/4" stock. I failed to get flat surfaces on the jointer, so I used Carpenter's Goop to glue up the stock. The glue softened while I was cutting slots, and I lost a lot of blocks. I wound up with one set, after starting with enough wood for four sets. I had much better luck with some 12/4" stock that I bought recently. The slots tightened up a little after the blocks sat for a week, but I was able salvage the blocks with the recutting jig, described below.

When I am using ordinary wood - fir or Western Red Cedar - I start with 4x4s. I get them cut into 4' lengths at the lumber yard, so I can load them into my car. When I get them home, I cut them into 2' lengths that I can rip cut easily on my table saw.

The actual cross section of a 4x4 is 3&1/2" x 3&1/2". I rip cut each 3&1/2" x 3&1/2" stick into two sticks, losing 1/8" to the width of the saw blade:

  3&1/2" x 2&3/4".
  3&1/2" x 5/8".

Then I rip cut each 3&1/2" x 2&3/4" stick into two sticks, losing 1/8" to the width of the saw blade:

  
  2&3/4" x 2&3/4".
  2&3/4" x 5/8".

The 2&3/4" x 2&3/4" sticks will be used for slot blocks, and the 5/8" sticks for flat blocks. I rip cut the 5/8" sticks into the following widths:

       
  1&1/8".
  1&5/8".
  2&1/8".

To figure out how many 5/8" sticks I will need in each of the above widths, I start with the following table. Each set of Buscher Blocks requires:

 
                            Sticks, after planing.............
                            2&1/2"x      1"x  1&1/2"x      2"x
  Block      Length  Count  2&1/2"     1/2"     1/2"     1/2"         
  
  Slot       2&1/2"     8      20"
  Cee        1&1/2"    24               36"
  Straight   2"        12               24"
  Straight   2&1/2"     8               20"
  Straight   3&1/2"     8               28"
  Corner     1&1/2"     8                        12"
  Tee        2"         8                        16"
  Cross      2"         2                                  4"
                               ---     ----      ---       --
                               20"     108"      28"       4"

I have to allow for waste:

• All sticks: Add 20% for skipping over knots and discarding short ends.
• 2&1/2" x 2&1/2" sticks: Add another 40% for mistakes.

           
                           Sticks............................
                           2&1/2"x      1"x  1&1/2"x      2"x             
                           2&1/2"     1/2"     1/2"     1/2"             

  Required lengths.           20"     108"      28"       4"
  Knots, short ends: 20%.      4"      22"       6"       1"
                              ---     ---       ---       --
                              24"     130"      34"       5"
  Mistakes: 40%.              10"
                              ---     ---       ---       --
  Total lengths.              34"     130"      34"       5"

Using the above figures, I can now build a table that shows how many 2' sticks of each dimension I will need for various numbers of sets.

             
                    Inches and Sticks..............................
  Stick dimensions   One set    Two sets    Four sets    Eight sets

  2&1/2" x 2&1/2"    34"   2     68"   3     136"   6     272"   12
  1"     x 1/2"     130"   6    260"  11     520"  22    1040"   44
  1&1/2" x 1/2"      34"   2     68"   3     136"   6     272"   12
  2"     x 1/2"       5"   1     10"   1      20"   1      40"    2

I always add one or two 1" x 1/2" sticks to any run, for test passes on the cee blocks. The final table looks like this:

        
                     Sticks for 1 to 8 Sets..
  Stick dimensions   One    Two   Four  Eight

  2&1/2" x 2&1/2"      2      3      6     12
  1"     x 1/2"        7     12     23     45
  1&1/2" x 1/2"        2      3      6     12
  2"     x 1/2"        1      1      1      2

From an 8' 4x4, I get four 2' sticks. As mentioned above, I rip cut each 2' stick into three sticks:

  
  2&3/4" x 2&3/4" 
  3&1/2" x 5/8" 
  2&3/4" x 5/8" 

I further rip cut the 5/8" sticks, as follows:

             
                    Final Sticks....................
                    2&3/4"x  1&1/8"x  1&5/8"x  2&1/8"x        
  12 Sticks         2&3/4"     5/8"     5/8"     5/8"           

  3&1/2" x 5/8"         .        1        .        1
  3&1/2" x 5/8"         .        .        2        .
  3&1/2" x 5/8"         .        1        1        .
  3&1/2" x 5/8"         .        2        .        .
                                                
  2&3/4" x 5/8"         .        2        .        .
  2&3/4" x 5/8"         .        2        .        .
  2&3/4" x 5/8"         .        2        .        .
  2&3/4" x 5/8"         .        2        .        .
                     
  2&3/4" x 2&3/4"       1        .        .        .
  2&3/4" x 2&3/4"       1        .        .        .
  2&3/4" x 2&3/4"       1        .        .        .
  2&3/4" x 2&3/4"       1        .        .        .
                       --       --       --       --
                        4       12        3        1

This final table may be a bit bewildering. Perhaps some pictures will help. Below are the cross sections of each of the four 2' sticks obtained from an 8' 4x4.

An 8' 4x4 gives me enough sticks for two sets, with one 2&3/4" x 2&3/4" stick left over.

Since my 10" table saw cuts to a maximum of 3&1/8", I have to make the first cut in two passes: cut to the maximum height on the first pass, then flip the stick and complete the cut. On the second pass I use two 1/8" dado blades, making a slot that is 1/4" wide. That way, neither of the resulting sticks winds up with a ridge along one edge; both have a groove along one edge. A ridge tilts the stick when it goes through the planer; a groove does not.

I try to get the cut surfaces of each 2&3/4" stick to be flat and to meet at a right angle. On the first cut, I try to orient the stick so that it does not wobble on the table or against the rip fence. On the second cut, I place the cut side on the table and place against the rip fence the adjacent side that is the less wobbly.

It does not hurt to let the 2&3/4" sticks rest for a week or so at this point, to let them distort if they want to. I recut them, if necessary, to get at least one corner that is a right angle.

Once I have two sides meeting at a right angle, I take the sticks to the planer, to get the opposite sides parallel. Then I continue planing all four sides, as needed, to get rid of saw marks and to get the dimensions down to 2&1/2" x 2&1/2".

Well, not exactly 2&1/2" x 2&1/2". I have found that, for Western Red Cedar, it is a good idea increase the transverse width by 1/32" and the radial width by 1/64", to allow for shrinkage. The transverse width is more or less parallel to the end grain; the radial width is perpendicular to the end grain.

Now I cross-cut the 2&1/2" sticks into 2&1/2" cubes. I use an eighty-tooth blade to make the cut surfaces as smooth as possible, so I do not have to sand them.

In order to minimize breakout, I use:

• A blank insert into which a slot has been cut by the cross-cutting blade.
• A backup stick, about 2" x 2&1/2" x 12".

I place the backup stick against the miter; then I place the slot-block stick against the backup stick. I slide both sticks to the right until they hit the rip fence. With my left hand I grip the backup stick against the miter. With my right hand, placed between the blade and the rip fence. I grip the slot-block stick against the backup stick. Then I guide the two sticks into the saw blade. I stop and back out when the slot-block stick has been cut through; I do not cut through the backup stick.

Before cutting slots into the blocks, I like to let them rest for a week or so. Then I check each block with a try square. If a block has drifted out of square by 1/32" or more, I discard it: the slots will never meet up.

To cut the slots, I use the following stack of dado blades:

• Right-hand outside blade, 1/8" thick.
• Chipper, 1/8" thick.
• Chipper, 1/8" thick.
• Left-hand outside blade, 1/8" thick.

This stack produces a slot that is 1/2" wide.

I adjust the height of the blades until I get a slot that is 17/32" deep: 1/2" plus 1/32". I adjust the rip fence until I get a slot that is centered.

In order to minimize breakout, I use:

• A blank insert into which a slot has been cut by the dado blades.
• A backup block, the same size as the slot block.
• A fixed sequence of cuts.

I do not use the miter while cutting slots; I just slide the slot block and the backup block along the rip fence. Since I will be pressing down hard on the two blocks, I lubricate the table and the insert with Butcher's Wax. This lubrication greatly reduces the number of slots that go awry.

To minimize breakout, I cut the slots in a fixed sequence, based on the grain. Two opposite sides show end grain, and four adjacent sides show side grain.

I make the cuts in three series of four cuts each, each series circling the block, each cut starting at the breakout point of the preceding cut. The three series are as follows:

• Side grain, side grain, side grain, side grain. All the cuts run across the grain.
• Radial end grain, side grain, radial end grain, side grain. The end-grain cuts are perpendicular to the end grain.
• Transverse end grain, side grain, transverse end grain, side grain. The end-grain cuts are more or less parallel to the end grain.

The toughest cuts are across the end grain. These are the cuts that are most likely to go awry. I have found it worthwhile, especially with the more valuable woods, to cut preliminary 1/4" slots into the end-grain sides, using just the two outside dado blades.

I rip cut the 5/8" sticks according to the cutting plan shown above. Then I plane them to get rid of the saw marks and to get them down to their final width and thickness.

I plane the 5/8" sticks to a thickness at which they slide snugly but comfortably in the slots of the slot blocks. This thickness may be a little more or less than 1/2". For thickness testing, I use slots that are cut across the side grain. These slots have the most stable widths. If the blocks are going to shrink, they will shrink across the grain, not along the grain.

After I have planed the sticks to a comfortable thickness, I stand them on their narrow sides and plane them to their final widths: 1 ", 1&1/2", and 2".

The 2" stick gets a little extra planing. I take an extra 1/64" off its thickness, and an extra 1/32" off its width. The 2" stick is used for cross blocks, which go into the middle of the "fancy cube" assembly. Each cross block has to fit into the slots of four slot blocks, which is easier if the fit is a little looser.

If I am planing only one 2" stick, I may cut it into two sticks of equal length, so I can have at least two sticks to support each other as they stand on their narrow sides and travel through the planer.

Now I cross-cut the 1/2" sticks into flat blocks. I cut the longer blocks first, so I can use the short ends for the shorter blocks.

When cutting the cross blocks, I take an extra 1/32" off their lengths, just as I took an extra 1/32" off their widths, so they will fit more easily in the "fancy cube" assembly.

I also take an extra 1/32" off the lengths of the tee blocks.

In order to minimize breakout, I use:

• A blank insert into which a slot has been cut by the cross-cutting blade.
• A backup stick, about 2" x 2&1/2" x 12".

I place the backup stick against the miter; then I place a stack of 1/2" sticks against the backup stick. The stack of 1/2" sticks may contain one, two, or three sticks. I slide the backup stick and the 1/2" sticks to the right until they hit the rip fence. With one hand I grip the backup stick against the miter. With the other, placed between the blade and the rip fence, I grip the 1/2" sticks against the backup stick. Then I guide the sticks into the saw blade. I stop and back out when the 1/2" sticks have been cut through; I do not cut through the backup stick.

Now I have to cut a notch into one corner of each corner block, two corners of each tee block, and all four corners of each cross block.

I use the left-hand outside dado blade. It makes a cut that is flat at the bottom, with a slight groove in the inside corner. I raise the blade to 1/2" above the top of the table, and I lock the rip fence 3/8" from the blade.

I hold the flat block against a backup stick, and the backup stick against the miter. The backup stick for this operation is thinner than the other backup sticks: about 1/2" x 2&1/2" x 12". It stands on its 1/2" side.

I cut the notch in two passes, the second at a right angle to the first. I let the blade pass through the backup stick. I make test cuts, adjusting the blade and the rip fence, until I get clean notches that measure exactly 1/2" x 1/2".

When I have finished all the corner notches, it is time to start cutting the notches in the cee blocks.

I use the same dado stack that I used for cutting the corner notches. As I did for cutting corner notches, I use the miter and a backup stick; and I let the dado blades pass through the backup stick.

I start with the rip fence about 1/2" from the dado blades. I make test cuts on cee blanks, adjusting the rip fence until the notch is centered, and adjusting the height of the dado blades until two cee blocks pressed together on their notches form a smooth assembly.

Once everything is all set, I start notching the cee blocks two or three at a time.

The slot blocks should rest or a week or so before they get assembled into "fancy cubes." Some of the slot blocks may shrink, ending up with slots that are too narrow for the flat blocks. Such slot blocks have to be discarded.

Skipping this rest period may result in a "fancy cube" that cannot be taken apart.

I hand rub each block with a paste made from linseed oil and beeswax. I heat up a half gallon of linseed oil and melt into it a half pound of beeswax. On cooling, the mixture becomes a paste.

The paste gets into the slots of the slot blocks by contact with the flat blocks, which completely fill all the slots of the "fancy cube" assembly.

I have tried other finishing materials:

• Plain linseed oil.
• Danish oil.

Finishing with either of the above materials is simpler; I simply dip the blocks into a pan of liquid and set them out to dry.

However, I prefer the linseed oil and beeswax paste, because I think it gives the blocks a better stick-slip feeling. They hold together until they are pressed apart.

Since I make a lot of "Buscher Blocks," it has been worthwhile for me make two holders that make the task simpler and safer. I make the holders from ordinary 2x4 lumber, which I plane down to a thickness of 1 1/4".

The first holder covers the top, back, and left side of a slot block and a backing block. The holder is made from the following sticks:

           
  Thickness Width     Length             

  1&1/4"    3&5/8"    3&5/8"          
  1&1/4"    2&3/8"    3&5/8"          
  1&1/4"    2&3/8"    2&3/8"            
  1/2"      1"        3&5/8"          
  1/2"      1"        3&5/8"           
  1/2"      1"        2&3/8"             

The 1/2" sticks are used as splines that fit into slots in the 1&1/4" sticks. The slots are cut with the same dado stack that is used to cut the slots in the slot blocks. The slot depth is 17/32", 1/2" plus 1/32", the same as the depth of the slots in the slot blocks. The 1/2" pieces come from a stick that has been planed to slide snugly but comfortably in the slots.

The diagrams below show where the slots are cut, and how the pieces are glued together.

I put the holder over a cube and a backing block, which is 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1/2". Then I slide the holder, carrying the cube and backing block, along the rip fence and over the dado blades. The holder picks up a notch in the back, the first time through.

The second holder covers the top, back, and left side of eight cee blocks. This holder uses the following sticks:

           
  Thickness Width     Length              

  1&1/4"    2&1/8"    5&1/4"           
  1&1/4"    1&3/8"    4"               
  1&1/4"    1&3/8"    2&1/8"          
  1/2"      1"        5&1/4"           
  1/2"      1"        2&1/8"          
  1/2"      1"        1&3/8"             

I assemble the cee-block holder like the slot-block holder, using the 1/2" sticks as splines that fit into slots in the 1&1/4" sticks.

The diagrams below show where the slots are cut, and how the pieces are glued together.

I put the holder over eight un-notched cee blocks. The eighth block serves as a backing block. Then I slide the holder, carrying the cee blocks, along the rip fence and over the dado blades.

Using these holders, I can get good pressure on the blocks, so they do not dance on the dado blades. I file down the outside corners of the holders, to make them easier on my hands.

Originally I was cutting corner notches by making two passes over a single blade; but nowadays I cut corner notches with one pass over a stack of dado blades. I use the same stack that cuts the slots in the slot blocks. I need to bring the rip fence right up to the dado blades, but I do not want to cut into the rip fence, so I clamp a face plate on the side of the rip fence facing the dado blades.

To make the face plate, I start with a 27" piece of 1x3 maple. I prepare it as follows:

• Clamp the board to the rip fence, on the side facing the dado blades.
• With the saw turned off, move the rip fence until the board touches the blades.
• Lower the blades below the level of the table.
• Move the rip fence an additional 1/8" toward the blades.
• With the saw turned on, raise the blades 1/2" above the level of the table.

Now I am ready to cut start cutting corner notches. I make test cuts, adjusting the rip fence and the dado blades until I get notches that measure 1/2" x 1/2". Once everything is all set, I start notching blocks eight at a time, using the holder I made for the cee blocks.

I find that the cuts are cleaner if I orient the blocks so that the grain is horizontal, parallel to the table.

I have often been dismayed to find that many of my newly cut slot blocks, after sitting for a week or so, shrank a bit, making the slots too tight.

I tried recutting the slots on the original stack of dado blades, but then the slots got too wide, because I could not get the rip fence adjusted just right. The blocks would be a tiny bit too far to the left or the right as they passed over the dado blades.

I needed a jig that would guide the blocks by their slots instead of by their sides. Here is what I came up with.

The jig is made from three pieces of maple:

• A 3' board, 1x6.
• An 18" stick, 15/32" x 15/32". This will be the slider stick. The slot blocks will slide on this stick.
• An 8" stick, 15/32" x 15/32". This will be the gauge stick. It will be used to help find which side of a slot should be recut.

I start by cutting a slot in the board. Here are the steps.

• Mount the left-hand and right-hand dado blades, to make a cut that is 1/4" wide.
• Lower the blades below the top of the table.
• Adjust the rip fence to 1 3/8". Place the board lengthwise over the blades, against the rip fence. Clamp the board.
• With the saw turned on, raise the blades 1/2" above the top of the board.
• Turn off the saw and remove the board.

Then I glue the slider stick and the gauge stick onto the board. Here are the steps.

• Glue the 18" slider stick lengthwise over the slot, covering the left half of the slot and leaving the right half exposed. The stick should have about 10" free at the near end of the slot and about 3" free at the far end.
• Glue the 8" gauge stick to the left of the slider stick. The near end of the gauge stick should be about even with the near end of the slider stick. At the near end, the gauge stick should be a little less than 1" from the slider stick; at the far end, the gauge stick should be a little more than 1" from the slider stick.

When the glue is dry, I finish the jig. Here are the steps.

• Mount the right-hand dado blade. Lower it to 1/2" above the top of the table.
• Place the board over the blade, with the blade sticking into the slot. Align the right-hand side of the slider stick with the right-hand side of the blade. Butt the rip fence against the board. Clamp the board.
• With the saw turned on, raise the blade until it just breaks the top surface of the slider stick.
• Turn off the saw.
• Move the jig and the rip fence to the left or right, to expose more or less of the blade, making a wider or narrower cut. Make test cuts until the width is right.

Usually the slots that I am recutting are not perfectly centered. By orienting the block so that the blade trims the thicker side, I tend to re-center the slot. To find the thicker side of the block, I do the following.

• Slide the block down between the slider stick and the gauge stick. Marks its farthest progress with my thumb.
• Rotate the block 180 degrees on its vertical access, and then slide it down once again between the slider stick and the gauge stick.
• If the block passes my thumb, then the wider side of the block is on the blade side of the slider stick, just where I want it.
• If the block does not reach reach my thumb, then I rotate it back to its original orientation.

I have now told you everything I know about making "Buscher Blocks." I hope that someone besides me will start making them. I cannot make enough by myself.

Remember the deal. For each set you give away, send me nothing. For each set you sell before the patent expires, May 14, 2018, send me a dollar. My address is at the top of the page.