GUILD  EDITION

Woodsmith.com Vol.
Vo
Voll.. 39 / No. 232
ol

OUR BEST
TOOL
CABINET
EVER!
Inside:
Getting More from
Your Small Shop
Router Table
Setup Secrets
Table Saw Tough Cuts
Made Easy
New Gear & Gadgets
for the Shop
A Publication of Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc.

WS232_001.indd 1 6/5/2017 12:04:39 PM

 ®

CREATIVE HOME GROUP

GENERAL MANAGER Donald B. Peschke
EDITORIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Bryan Nelson
MANAGING EDITOR Vincent Ancona
SENIOR EDITORS Wyatt Myers, Phil Huber
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Robert Kemp from the editor
Sawdust
ASSISTANT EDITOR Erich Lage

EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth

SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Harlan V. Clark,
Dirk Ver Steeg, Peter J. Larson
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bob Zimmerman
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Becky Kralicek
Storage projects come in all shapes and sizes. And to paraphrase
George Carlin, they’re a great way to keep track of your stuff. In this issue, we’re
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chris Fitch
PROJECT DESIGNERS Dennis Volz, Dillon Baker
featuring a few solutions to this never-ending challenge.
PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doyle If you take a look at page 34, you’ll find a cool project for organizing and
CAD SPECIALIST Steve Johnson storing the typical items you use in an office or work area — a desk. While
SHOP CRAFTSMAN Dana Myers
most desks are designed to be used while you’re seated at it, this one is adjust-
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England able. It works just like any other desk when you’re sitting down. But if you’d
ASSOCIATE STYLE DIRECTOR Rebecca Cunningham
rather stand while you work, a quick adjustment swings the worksurface up
SENIOR ELECTRONIC IMAGE SPECIALIST Allan Ruhnke
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Minniette Johnson to a comfortable height. Plus, making adjustments is easy — there are a pair
of gas springs to help out.
Woodsmith® (ISSN 0164-4114) is published bimonthly by
Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301. Another great storage project is shown above (and on page 30) — a wood
Woodsmith® is a registered trademark of Cruz Bay Publishing.
Copyright© 2017 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. canister. But instead of a lid that simply rests on top, the lid is threaded to match
Subscriptions: Single copy: $6.95.
Canadian Subscriptions: Canada Post Agreement No. 40038201. Send change of threads on the inside of the canister. Cutting wood threads is often viewed as a
address information to PO Box 881, Station Main, Markham, ON L3P 8M6.
Canada BN 82564 2911
difficult process requiring a lathe. Instead of turning the threads, our Creative
Periodicals Postage Paid at Des Moines, IA, and at additional offices.
Postmaster: Send change of address to Woodsmith, Box 37274,
Director, Chris Fitch, came up with a shop-built threading jig (page 22). All you’ll
Boone, IA 50037-0274.
need is a hand-held router and a special bit to quickly and easily cut both the
inside and outside threads in a wide range of sizes.
Printed in U.S.A.
Finally, every shop needs storage. The tool cabinet shown on page 42 is a
WoodsmithCustomerService.com top-notch solution for storing everything from hand and power tools to the
ONLINE SUBSCRIBER SERVICES hardware and supplies you use in your shop every day. Storage options include
• VIEW your account information drawers, shelves, and custom tool holders on the insides of the doors. The
• RENEW your subscription
• CHECK on a subscription payment Craftsman-style design and the simple hand-carved molding around the top
• PAY your bill give it a classic look suitable for any shop.
• CHANGE your mailing or e-mail address
• VIEW/RENEW your gift subscriptions Like George, we all have a lot of stuff. But the projects in this issue are sure to
• TELL US if you’ve missed an issue help you get a handle on keeping track of it.
CUSTOMER SERVICE Phone: 800-333-5075 weekdays
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE. Do you have a passion for woodworking? Do you
SUBSCRIPTIONS EDITORIAL
Customer Service Woodsmith Magazine enjoy telling others about it? If that’s the case, you may be interested to
P.O. Box 842 2200 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50304-9961 Des Moines, IA 50312 learn that we’re looking for someone to join our editorial team here in
[email protected] [email protected]
Des Moines, Iowa. You can let us know by emailing a cover letter and a
résumé highlighting your experiences to [email protected].
Or if you’d prefer, you can simply mail it to Human Resources, 2200 Grand
Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312.
PRESIDENT & CEO Andrew W. Clurman
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, TREASURER & CFO Michael Henry
CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER Jonathan Dorn
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Patricia B. Fox

2 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 contentsNo. 232 August/September 2017

18

22
Projects
weekend project
Smartphone Amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
The music coming out of a smartphone’s speaker isn’t the
greatest. This quick and easy project gives the speaker a boost
and ensures that your tunes are heard loud and clear.

shop project
Threading Jig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
With this simple jig, you’ll be creating both inside and outside
threads that match perfectly. A threaded metal rod is the key 34
to creating both sets of threads.

weekend project
Threaded Lid Canisters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Wood canisters have been used for generations for all types of
storage. The threaded lid is a great way to secure the contents
inside without using any hardware.

designer project
Adjustable Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Whether you’re sitting or standing, adjusting the top of this
desk is a snap. Plus, shop-built hardware keeps the surface of
the desk rock solid during use.

heirloom project
Craftsman-Style Tool Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
This classic tool cabinet features great looks and top-notch
storage. But it’s the woodworking techniques you’ll learn
while building it that will stand the test of time. 42
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 16

Departments

from our readers

Tips & Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
all about
Polyurethane Finish . . . . . . . . . . . 10
56
router workshop
Router Table Setup Secrets. . . . . 12
great gear
New Gear & Gadgets . . . . . . . . . 14

woodworking technique
Custom Molding Made Easy . . . . 16

working with tools

Track Saw Ripping Techniques . . . 56

in the shop
Great Glue Options . . . . . . . . . . . 58
woodworking essentials
Small Shop Workflow . . . . . . . . . 60
mastering the table saw
Tough Cuts Made Easy . . . . . . . . 62
tips from our shop
62 Shop Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
4 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 ro m o ur
f
readers

Tips &
Techniques
Edge Banding Helper
The task of edge banding doesn’t have
to be done every day. But when it comes
up, usually there’s a lot to do. I often
just clamp the panels in the vise. But
longer parts are often difficult to bal-
ance in the jaws of the vise. So I made
Felt padding
a pair of simple holders that lets me SUPPORT #/4
quickly put all my focus on working
the edge, not wrestling the panel. NOTE: All parts
are made from 1
As the drawing shows, each holder #/4" plywood 5#/4
is made of two identical brackets that 2 6
BRACE
are held together with a hinge. The 4
1!/4
brackets don’t have to grip the panel 4
too tightly, just enough to hold it steady 4
1 4
#/8 #8 x 1!/2"
while you work. To keep the workpiece #/4 Fh woodscrew
from being marred, I glued scraps of 6
felt to the jaws of each holder. #/4 BASE 4"continuous
!/4 hinge
As you can see in the inset photo, 4 #6 x !/2"
%/8 Fh woodscrew
simply slide the panel between the 4 NOTE: Base has
jaws. The weight of the panel rest- FOOT !/16"-deep rabbet for
#/4 3 hinge to sit flush
ing on the edge of the base closes the
jaws to secure the panel. 4 #8 x 2!/2" Fh woodscrew
Erich Lage
Des Moines, Iowa

Win This Forrest Blade

Simply send us your favorite
shop tips. If your tip or technique The Winner!
is selected as the featured Congratulations to
reader’s tip, you’ll win a Forrest Ken Johnson, the winner of
Woodworker II blade. To submit this Forrest Woodworker II.
your tip or technique, go to To find out how you can win
SubmitWoodsmithT ips.com. this blade, check out the
There you can upload your tips information at left.
and photos for consideration.

Woodsmith.com • 5

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 Standoffs for Finishing
Finishing shelves can be a time-and-
space consuming process. To take a big
bite out of both those problems, I made
some T-shaped standoffs.
The trunk of the T is narrower than
the shelf for the sake of applying finish
all the way to the edge without buildup
(inset photo). After finishing one side of
the shelf, just flip it to finish the other
side. And you can stack them safely on
top of one another while the finish dries.
Dan Martin
Galena, Ohio

Extend a Clamp
A modest budget for my shop tools
always challenges me to come up with
creative ways to stretch my tool pur-
chases. In this case, stretching worked
out very well — literally.
The large quick clamps (with detach-
able heads) that I recently added to the
shop can easily be extended to almost
twice their length. By removing the slid-
ing heads, you can join the two clamps
with a standard 3" butt hinge.
The pins at the ends of the clamps fit
into the outer screw holes of the hinge.
A nut and bolt through the center hole
of the hinge ties the two clamps together.
Michael Schwanke
Cottage Grove, Minnesota

QUICK TIPS

Get a Grip on Clamps. Ramiro Salinas of Albuquerque, Storage Bin Labels. Bryan Nelson of Altoona, IA, keeps
NM, wraps the handles of his clamps with rug traction tape his hardware in order using plastic bins. By sliding plastic
purchased from a home center. The thick tape stays put, laminate in the slot on the front, he can clearly label the
lasts a long time, and provides plenty of grip to make it contents with a marking pen. If the contents change, all it
much easier to tighten or release the clamps. takes to erase the label is a little denatured alcohol.

6 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 1 2

{ Drill a shallow hole with a Forstner bit { To start the groove, place the hole in the board over the bit (inset photo) and hold it firmly
at the start and stop locations. Use a bit in place while turning on the router. Then rout the groove until you come to the hole at the
that’s slightly larger than the groove. opposite end of the piece. Turn off the router and wait for the bit to stop.

3 Revisiting Stopped Grooves the fence if the pieces aren’t too long. But
Doing stopped cuts on the router after doing multiple boxes, I found it easy
table is a great way to cut the con- to listen to the sound of the bit. It changes
cealed grooves that hold box bot- in pitch when it enters the pre-drilled hole
toms. But lowering a board on a spin- and is no longer cutting wood.
ning router bit has always made me Stan Calow
nervous. So I came up with a process Kansas City, Missouri
that I’m more comfortable with.
It starts at the drill press, where I
drill a hole in either end of the groove DIGITAL WOODSMITH
location in the workpiece, as shown
in Figure 1. This gives me a pre-cut SUBMIT TIPS ONLINE
LINE
starting and stopping position, as If you have an original shop
op
you can see in Figure 2. tip, we would like to hearr
{ Stopping the groove means less work You can mark the leading and from you and consider
when putting the boxes together. You’ll trailing edge of the bit on the fence publishing your tip in onee
have no holes in the sides to fill. if you like. Or clamp stop blocks to or more of our publications.
ns.
Jump online and go to:

SubmitWoodsmithTips.com
om
You’ll be able to tell us all
Old Saw Helper. about your tip and upload your
David Bragg of Ormond photos and drawings. You can also
mail your tips to “Woodsmith th Tips”
Beach, FL, uses his flush-
at the editorial address shown on
cutting saw a lot in his
page 2. We will pay up to $200 if
shop. Several of the teeth
we publish your tip.
were bent from dropping
the saw. Instead of buying RECEIVE FREE ETIPS
a new saw, he tapped the
teeth flush with a hammer.
BY EMAIL
Now you can have the best time-saving
He then placed a layer
secrets, solutions, and techniques sent
of tape on the underside directly to your email inbox. Just go to:
of the saw. This lifted
the blade just enough to Woodsmith.com
prevent scratching the and click on,
surface without adding “Woodsmith eTips”
much work to sanding You’ll receive one of our favorite tips
the plugs flush. by email each and every week.

Woodsmith.com • 7

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 Pipe Cut-Off Guide
Recently, I installed some 4"-dia. PVC (You could also use a jigsaw to rough the guide block and clamped the pipe
drain pipe in my shop for a dust collec- out the hole, then file and sand it to in place on the top of my workbench,
tion system. To get tight-fitting joints, I its final shape.) the inset photo shows this.
needed to cut the pipe ends squarely. I BLOCK BASICS. As you see above, I made I use a hack saw to cut the pipe, keep-
came up with a simple idea to do this the blocks from two pieces of plywood ing the saw blade flush with the guide
that works with pipe of all sizes. glued together. I made two of these block. You can also use a Japanese Ryoba
A SIMPLE SETUP. Using my drill press blocks — one to support the far end saw. It will also ride against the guide
and a wing cutter, I cut a hole in a of the pipe, and the other to guide my block and leave a smooth cut in the PVC.
block same size as the diameter saw blade while making the cut. To get Francis Herzing, Jr.
of the pipe that I was going to use. a good grip on the pipe, I cut a slot in Lincolnton, North Carolina

QUICK TIPS

Fence Ties. Dave Rodman of Minot, ND, uses aluminum SAE & Metric Conversion Table. Min-Hao Kuo of East
fence ties that he bends into custom shapes for hanging Lansing, MI, created a conversion table in a spreadsheet pro-
molding and picture frames while they dry. They can also gram to quickly find the equivalent fractions, decimals, or
be reshaped with pliers for many uses around the shop. The millimeters. He then made custom-sized charts as needed.
ties store easily until they’re needed again. He stores a copy with his calipers to aid in drill bit sizing.

8 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 #/8" -16 x 2" a.
carriage bolt #/4
4!/2

!/2"-rad.

#/8" flat SIDE

washers 1!/4 SECTION
18#/4 VIEW
NOTE: Base
made from Cast-iron knob
four layers of (McMaster-Carr
ARM #6042K79)
#/4" plywood.
Arm made
from one layer 3"locking
of #/4" plywood swivel
caster
&/16" (Rockler
nut #38865)
&/16"
washer

BASE
!/2"-rad.
&/16" washer
4!/2 18 &/16" x 4!/2"
hex head bolt

3 b.
3"
swivel
caster
(Rockler NOTE:
#33868) Arm fits !/2
BACK
in notch VIEW
Leveling Casters between
base pieces
Many of the tools in my shop are and an adjustment knob at the top. This 18#/4 23
mounted on casters for mobility. But I lets me move and level the cabinet at one
often have an issue with a tool rocking time. The bolt lets the ‘T’ pivot in either
back and forth because the casters don’t direction on each side, while the cabinet
6#/4
rest evenly on the floor. So I came up floats independently.
with a way to quickly level the casters. To stabilize the cabinet, loosen the
As you can see in the photo above, knobs and pivot the ‘T’s to get a solid 2!/4
I made a set of upside down ‘T’s with footing, then tighten the knobs.
&/16"-dia.
casters. I mounted them to the side of the Ken Johnson
cabinet using a single bolt at the bottom Bellefonte, Pennsylvania

Workbench Trash Collection. For a quick cleanup, Len Extend the Life of Sandpaper. When flattening the
Urban of Rancho Mirage, CA, attaches a trash bag to the backs of chisels, Michael Goodwin of Springville, IN,
end of his workbench. Two binder clips screwed to the extends the life of his sandpaper by placing a rare-earth
bench hold a wood slat and the bag in place. When fin- magnet in a baggie and running it over the surface. He
ished, he empties the bag in preparation for the next task. then turns the bag inside out to discard the filings.

Woodsmith.com • 9

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 all
about

choosing & using

Polyurethane
Here in the Woodsmith shop, we finish comparable to commercial lacquer fin- But polyurethane has several prop-
the majority of our projects using a cata- ishes, but in a formula that’s easy to erties that put it a cut above other
lyzed lacquer delivered via a commercial apply in a home shop. And of the var- forms of varnish and has essentially
sprayer. Of course, many people lack nishes available, far and away the most made it the varnish of choice for
the space, ventilation, and equipment common you’ll find is polyurethane. most woodworkers.
to create this type of finish. As you peruse the aisles at the home One easy way to understand poly-
For home woodworkers, often the center, you’ve no doubt noticed that urethane is that it’s essentially a can
best finish for their projects is a varnish. there are many different types of poly- of liquid plastic, made up of a mixture
Varnish offers protection and durability urethane. You’ll find the standard cans of oil and resin. As the polyurethane
of “brushing” polyurethane, wipe-on dries, it becomes an actual plastic coat-
polyurethane, spray polyurethane, as ing. The chains of resin molecules bond
well as various formulas and sheens. tightly with one another as they dry to
It can all be a little overwhelming at form a durable, impact-resistant finish.
times. What follows is the process I This makes polyurethane quite adept
Oil-Based Water-Based employ for choosing and using the at resisting damage from heat, water,
right type of polyurethane finish for scratches, and other obstacles that your
my own woodworking projects. wood might run into.

WHAT IS POLYURETHANE? OIL OR WATER?

Before we get started, however, Polyurethanes are available in both oil-
it’s important to understand what and water-based formulas (left photos).
exactly polyurethane is. Polyure- They both work well, are close in vis-
thane is a form of varnish, which cosity, and get applied similarly to one
is a type of finish that forms a pro- another whether you choose a brush-on,
tective layer on the top of wood. wipe-on, or spray finish (more on these

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 Wipe-On

Brush-On

Spray

{ Getting good results with traditional polyurethane

requires sound brushing techniques. Tilting the
brush at an angle allows you to release a smooth, even line of polyurethane onto the surface.
Scuffing the dried finish slightly preps the surface for another coat (inset photo).

options later). But there are certainly excellent coverage with just two to three
some differences in the oil- and water- coats. But applying it takes some good
based products that are worth noting. brush form and finesse to prevent runs
Oil-based polyurethane tends to and drips in the finish (photo above). It
be more durable than water-based. also requires a light sanding between
It imparts a warm, amber tone that’s coats to remove dust nibs and to prepare
desirable to many woodworkers (lower the surface for another coat of finish, as
left photo, previous page). However, it shown in the inset photo above.
gives off more odor as it cures and takes Wipe-on polyurethane is essentially
longer to dry. To apply the brushed vari- just traditional polyurethane thinned { Wipe-on polyurethane is thinner than
ety, you’ll need a natural bristle brush, with mineral spirits so you can apply regular polyurethane. It’s less likely to
which is more expensive. It also requires it with a rag. It’s easier to apply with- produce runs and drips on vertical surfaces.
cleanup with mineral spirits after use. out runs and drips, as shown in the
Water-based polyurethane has less photo at right. But it takes five or six As you can see, virtually every form
odor and dries more quickly. It also offers coats (or more) to “build” a good fin- of polyurethane has value for your
easier application with synthetic brushes ish with the same level of protection woodworking projects. The right
and cleans up with water. As you can see as a traditional polyurethane. choice really comes down to
in the lower left photo on the previous Spray polyurethane is a great choice the nature of the project
page, the finish doesn’t give the wood for small projects or irregularly shaped and the look that
much color, which can be off-putting on items (refer to the main photo on the you’re after. W
certain species. The water in the finish previous page). You apply it much like
also may raise the grain of wood and spray paint, starting slightly off the
Gloss
requires sanding between coats to pre- surface of the wood and then making
vent a rough surface from forming. smooth, overlapping passes. Subsequent
coats can also be applied within two
BRUSH, WIPE OR SPRAY? hours to speed up the finishing process.
Another consideration with polyure-
Semi-Gloss
thane is whether you want to choose a WHAT’S YOUR SHEEN?
traditional polyurethane that’s applied A final consideration related to choos-
with a brush, a wipe-on polyurethane ing a polyurethane finish is the sheen,
that’s applied with a rag, or a spray or glossiness, that you want for your
polyurethane that’s applied right out project. Typical choices are gloss, semi- Satin
of the can (upper right photo). As I gloss, and satin (right photo). This is
mentioned earlier, each variety comes largely a personal preference, but you’ll
in an oil-based or water-based formula. want to be aware that glossier finishes
Traditional, brush-on polyurethane is are more likely to show imperfections
the thickest option and usually provides than satin finishes.

Woodsmith.com • 11

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 router
p
worksho

5 time-saving
Router Table Tips
The router table is one of my favor- Of course, all that versatility does To save time in this process, I made
ite tools in the shop, mainly due to come with one drawback: I often find some setup blocks. These are just scraps
its sheer versatility. Whether I need that I spend more time fussing with of wood that have common profiles
to shape decorative profiles on proj- setups — making bit changes, setting routed on each edge and labeled. With
ect parts or form complex joinery on the bit height, adjusting the speed con- these blocks in hand, you can set both
pieces, it’s always up to the task. trols and fence settings, etc. — than I do the bit height and the fence in one easy
actually routing my workpieces. step, as shown in the photo above.
While some of this work, such as
switching bits for different profiles, is [2] Stepped Depth Gauge
inevitable, there are a number of things One of the biggest headaches that I have
that you can do to speed up the setup with my router table is getting the bit
process. Here are a handful of the time- height set just right. Due to the opening
saving tips and tricks I’ve come up with in the router table around the bit, there’s
through the years. They’ve helped my no good way to get a ruler right up to
process and techniques become more the bit to measure the height accurately.
efficient, as well as accurate, when To solve that problem, I made a
working at the router table. stepped setup gauge. As you can see in
the photo at left, it has a series of rabbets
[1] Profile Setup Blocks routed to the depths of my common cuts.
A lot of my work at the router table This makes a quick and easy method of
involves routing decorative profiles on setting the bit height. You just place the
{ This gauge makes quick work of accurately parts — roundovers, chamfers, ogees, desired “step” above the bit, and raise
setting the bit height for different depths and the like. And I often go back to the the bit until the end just grazes the bot-
of dadoes, grooves, or rabbets. same profiles over and over again. tom face of the step.

12 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 { By keeping a scrap piece with an accurate profile already cut on it { I make cuts on the ends of parts by backing them up with a miter
(the “sticked” cut of a cope and stick joint, in this example), you can gauge auxiliary fence. If you keep this fence after making a cut
make quick work of setting the bit the next time you use it. (such as this “coped” cut), it also makes a handy setup block.

[3] Joinery Helpers [4] Auxiliary Fences dado blades. But if the dadoes or
I create a lot of joinery like cope and For profile or joinery cuts on the ends of grooves are not a standard dimension,
stick door joints or locking miter joints workpieces, I like to use a miter gauge such as for plywood, this can be chal-
at my router table, as well. Many of these auxiliary fence with adhesive-backed lenging. The answer is a spacer planed
joints require routing the mating parts sandpaper to back up the cut and hold to the extra width of the dado or notch
with two separate router bits. As you can the piece perpendicular to the router and then clamped to the router table
imagine, it can take a lot of trial and error bit. Another simple trick for these cuts fence. Make the first cut with the spacer
(as well as lots of test cuts) to get a good is to cut all the way through the auxil- in place, then remove it before making
fit between parts with these bits. iary fence once you get set up properly, the second pass, as shown below. W
Luckily, the same concept of using and then label and save it for future cuts.
setup blocks discussed earlier is also Now you have a handy setup gauge for
handy here. Once you get the setting of subsequent cuts that already has pre-
the router bit dialed in just right, rout drilled holes for easy installation on
the profile of the joint on a scrap block. your miter gauge (upper right photo).
Then label the cut and the thickness of the
workpiece on the block, and stash it away [5] Spacer Blocks
with the mating cut in a drawer. (Hold I sometimes like to cut dadoes and
them together with rubber bands.) You’ll grooves on small parts at the router
have an easy setup for the next time you table rather than the table saw because
need to make the cut, as shown above left. router bits leave a flatter bottom than

Easy Upgrade: AUXILIARY SWITCH

Sometimes, the simplest additions to
your router table can be the most help-
ful. And that’s the case with an auxiliary
switch. If you ever get tired of stooping
down to flip on the router motor under-
neath the table, then this is the accessory
for you. The switch mounts to the side of
the table to make turning the router off
and on super-simple. Plus, it enhances
safety at the router table by putting the
switch in easy reach if needed.

Simply plug the router cord into this > { By

B using
i a scrap spacer clamped
l against
auxiliary switch to turn the router off and the router table fence, it’s easy to form
on without straining your back. wide dadoes or grooves in two passes.

Woodsmith.com • 13

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 great
gear

new Gear & Gadgets

Counter-rotating
Workshop solutions come in a variety
y of
disc and ring forms, from power tools, to accessories
ies Sizes from 1⁄16”
to 1”
and handy jigs. The new gear shown on
these pages provides a good example.
ple.
Moreover, these problem solvers comeme
from established tool manufacterers ers
as well as up-and-coming makers. For
sources, turn to page 67. 1-2-3
block

ROCKWELL SANDER
A random-orbit sander serves as an
unsung workhorse in most shops.
However, the force of a spinning disc
sanding wood often creates a good deal
of vibration.
vib More than likely you’ve
experienced
experi the side effects — a tingling
or numb
num hand. To counter these forces,
Rockwell’s
Rockw VibraFree dispenses with the
single sanding disc in favor of an inner
disc and
a outer ring, as in the upper left { Setup blocks are ideal for positioning a
photo.
photo The discs rotate in opposite direc- router table fence. Infinity’s blocks include
tions tto dramatically reduce vibration. a scale for measuring, as well.
Cyclonic dust DUST COLLECTION. The other interesting
collector feature of the sander is its method for
featur any loss in airflow as the canister fills.
collecting sanding dust. Rather than use
collec It’s similar to the systems on several
a cartr
cartridge or fabric bag, a rigid canister household vacuums.
attach to the back end. The canister is
attaches DUAL DISCS. By now, you’ve probably
Two-piece shaped to create a cyclonic rotation in
shape figured out the hitch in this arrange-
sanding discs the air
airstream so the dust settles without ment — the discs. The sander requires

14 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 1 First cut, register
2
workpiece on Second cut, register
First cut,
firstregister
offset workpiece on second
workpiece here Second cut, register
offset
workpiece here

Remove
waste
Dovetail Remove
clamp waste
sold
seperately

{ The Dado Stop simplifies the process of

cutting custom-sized and snug-fitting
dadoes at the table saw.

proprietary two-piece discs. However, Long story short, the stop clamps to
with online ordering, keeping a good the rip fence on the table saw and fea-
selection on hand is straightforward. tures two adjustable legs.
Calibrate one leg to the width of the
INFINITY SETUP BLOCKS blade installed in the saw. You can use a
Hand in hand with good layout, accu- single blade or dado stack. The other leg
rate machine setup helps get your is set using the workpiece (or an offcut)
projects off on the right foot. One solu- you plan to fit into the dado.
tion to setting up bits and blades is to These two stop positions allow you
take a page from the machinist’s play- to cut the outside edges of the dado
book and use setup blocks to physically (drawings above) with two cuts. After
gauge height and fence settings. that, depending on the size of the dado,
Infinity Cutting Tools has taken the all you need to do is make additional { When an assembly is longer than your bar
concept and given it their own spin. passes to remove the remaining waste. clamps, the T-Clamp can still get a solid
The set (shown on the previous page) grip to draw parts together.
includes six aluminum blocks (1⁄16", 3⁄32", T-CLAMP
1
⁄8", 3⁄16", 1⁄2", and 3⁄4") along with a 1-2-3 Some projects call for a different clamp- components where it would be tough to
block. You can mix and match these for ing approach than what standard bar get a solid grip with typical bar clamps.
setting bits, saw blades, and fences. A clamps provide. That’s where the The clamp consists of two stout alu-
scale printed on one side of the blocks T-Clamp comes in. Rather than apply minum jaws joined by a screw and two
turns them into measuring tools, as in clamping pressure from both ends of an guide rods. The adjustable jaw incor-
the right photo on the previous page. assembly, the T-Clamp pinches the side porates a pair of side-clamping screws
of one of the mating parts in order to get with wide pads to get a secure grip. The
MICROJIG DADO STOP a tight grip on the piece. fixed jaw has a large wing knob to apply
Cutting perfect-fitting dadoes can be This comes in handy if the assembly clamping pressure to hold parts together.
an exercise in frustration — and a lot of is longer than your clamps, like the table
test cuts. MicroJig’s Dado Stop (upper left shown in the upper right photo. It’s KREG DRAWER SLIDE JIG
photo) aims to streamline the process. also ideal for joining curved or angled Metal drawer slides offer a great
upgrade for a drawer but can be tricky
to install accurately. A jig can simplify
the process. Kreg Tool’s latest version of
a drawer slide jig packs a lot of features
into a pair of mirror-image brackets. The
photos at left show how it works for
installing the cabinet portion of the slide.
You can flip the jig around to install the
drawer portion, as well.
The jig works on frameless and face
frame cabinets and accommodates most
{ Clamp the drawer slide bracket to the { Flip the drawer bracket around to support types of drawer slides, from epoxy-coated
case side. Rest the drawer slide on top the drawer box to install the other portion slides and side-mounted ball-bearing
while you drive the screws in place. of the slide with perfect alignment. slides to under-mount slides. W

Woodsmith.com • 15

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 orking
woodwnique
tech

diamond
Relief Molding
Whenever I see a piece of furniture with however, I’ve often been intimidated some of the fear of making a mistake
beautiful carving that was obviously by the idea of adding carved details to and spoiling the entire project.
done by hand, I always marvel at the any of my projects. But while building CAREFUL LAYOUT. The key to success for
artistic ability of the person that created the tool cabinet featured on page 42, the this diamond-shaped design is close
the work. In my own woodworking, idea for a simple molding treatment attention to detail when laying out the
with a diamond-shaped relief seemed pattern. For the three pieces of mold-
like the perfect place to test the carving ing that wrap the top of my cabinet,
waters, so to speak. the front piece is the focal point.
!/2 Guide
TOP VIEW line SIMPLE IS BETTER. The best thing about The goal is to end up with either a
this diamond-shaped design is that for whole diamond at both ends of this
!!/16 a beginner, it only requires a couple of piece or, as was the case with my proj-
different techniques to create. And nei- ect, a half diamond, as you can see in
1#/8
ther one demands that you be a master the bottom right photo on the next
1
artisan to get quality results. page. It’s then easy to lay out the side
One other feature that I like about moldings to match the front piece.
Guide
this method is that the carved mold- It just so happened that the piece of
%/8 line ing is applied to the cabinet after the molding that spans the front of my tool
carving work is done. This allows you cabinet needed to be 35" long. So I used
NOTE: The molding blank for to do the work at the bench with the the dimensions shown at left to estab-
the tool cabinet is 2!/2" wide workpiece clamped in a comfortable lish the points of the diamond design
working position. Plus, it alleviates down the length of my molding blank.

16 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 END
VIEW 1" chisel,
bevel out

80°

!/8

{ After using a ruler to mark the diamond points, switch to a { To define the edges of each diamond, tilt the chisel as shown and
combination square to draw the diagonal lines from one guide line give the handle two or three light taps. As the inset shows, you
to the other. This defines the area to be carved. only need to drive the corner of the chisel down 1⁄8".

You may need to adjust the size of the while the other corner of the chisel is here is to not try to remove all of the
diamonds if your workpiece varies. just touching the layout line (inset). waste in one paring motion, but rather
With the layout marks completed, To keep moving in a smooth pattern, take short, graduated cuts. The left
switch to a combination square to I found it best to work my way down drawing below shows what I mean.
complete the layout by drawing the one side of the blank first. This makes Again, the chisel is held at a slight angle
diamond pattern (upper left photo). it easy to reposition the workpiece and to the workpiece to make the angled
Once the diamond pattern is layed make the cuts down the other side of paring cut (left inset below). After each
out on the workpiece, you’ll want to the board. You’ll quickly pick up a slice is removed, move the chisel back
select a chisel that most closely matches rhythm after the first few strokes. (about 1⁄4") for the next cut, as shown in
the length of the side of the diamond. WHERE TO CARVE. You’ll notice in the the right inset. Once you’ve worked up
In my case, this was 1". main photo on the opposite page to the guide line at the top of the slope,
ANGLED CHOPPING CUTS. The technique I that the material to be removed is turn your chisel 90° and pare from the
used to define the edges of the dia- actually the triangular-shaped area other direction to finish cleaning up each
monds is shown in the upper right formed between the diamonds and triangle. Continue along the workpiece to
photo. With the bevel of the chisel fac- the guide lines. This is where you’ll complete each section. It’s then just a mat-
ing away from the diamond, position taper down the material to the inter- ter of mitering the corners and attaching
the corner of the chisel at the intersec- section point of the diamonds. the molding to your project.
tion point. Slightly tilt the chisel and PARE THE WASTE. With the initial cuts Don’t let tackling a new skill like carv-
give it two or three light taps with made to define the edges of each dia- ing intimidate you. Just keep in mind to
a mallet. You’re only looking to go mond, you’ll now move to the next start small and keep the objective simple.
down 1⁄8" at the intersection point, step — removing the waste. The trick You’re sure to get great results. W

END VIEW Work the

Pare away chisel back,
waste in small
increments Angle chisel taking
about 10° shallower
cuts with
each pass

TOP
VIEW
Waste
TOP
VIEW

{ The completed molding installed under a

cap creates a striking detail at the top of
the tool cabinet.

Woodsmith.com • 17

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 d
Weeken
Project

Smartphone Amplifier
This clever project boosts the sound coming from your smartphone.
And all it takes is a little creative work at the band saw.

Whether I’m out in the workshop or in time working with your band saw. Even finding thick material — especially when
the house, more than likely there’s music though the amp is small, making it you only need a small amount. Figure 1
playing from my smartphone. And involves resawing thick boards into thin shows the three-layer assembly I used to
while the speakers on smartphones have parts, making accurate rip cuts, and cut- create the blank. A 3⁄8"-thick top and bot-
improved over time, the sound coming ting smooth, flowing curves. tom sandwich a thick center piece.
from them doesn’t project very well. In order to give the amp a unique look, Gluing up the three pieces isn’t diffi-
However, with a little shop time, you I incorporated “inlay” strips in a con- cult. It does pay to spend a little time in
can create an amplifier like this one. The trasting material. But instead of recessing selecting pieces that have similar color
unique design dramatically increases the the strips in a shallow groove, the blank and grain patterns. The glue seams
volume coming from the speaker located is cut apart and the strips are sandwiched practically disappear with some extra
on the bottom of the phone. A tapered in between (drawing on the next page). attention spent aligning the grain when
opening in the top of the amp accepts you glue the parts together.
most phone models, even with a case. A THICK BLANK MAKE INLAY STRIPS. You can make the
BAND SAW SKILLS. Of course, if you’re going The starting point for the project is mak- inlay strips while waiting for the glue
to build a project, it’s nice to hone some ing a thick blank. If you have access to to dry on the blank. Begin by ripping
woodworking skills along the way. For lumber this size, a single-piece blank is material to match the thickness of the
this project, you’ll spend some quality a great option. But it isn’t always easy blank. Over at the band saw, resaw the

18 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 boards into thinner pieces that are long
enough to yield five inlay strips, as you
C
can see in Figure 2. Complete the strips
by planing them to final thickness (Fig- TOP To print full-size
B patterns, go to
ure 3) and cutting them to rough length. Woodsmith.com
CENTER CUT FIRST. With the inlay strips in
C
hand, you’re ready to start cutting the CENTER
blank apart. To simplify the layout, I A

used a paper pattern. I began by mak- NOTE: Top and bottom are
#/8"-thick hardwood. Center
ing the straight center cut and install- C is 1#/4-thick hardwood.
INLAY Inlay strips are resawn
ing one inlay strip, as in Figure 4. The STRIPS from a contrasting hardwood
square, flat surfaces left by this cut and planed to !/8" thick
B
allow you to get the hang of the glueup BOTTOM
process without having to deal with
curves at this point.
Speaking of the surfaces, the key here SLICE & REPEAT. After removing the inlay strip at a time. However doing so
is making the saw cut in a continuous clamps from the first glueup, you’ll just increases the number of small parts that
pass. Combined with a sharp blade, the repeat this process for the other strips. are difficult to keep aligned.
surface is smooth enough that I found The only difference for the remaining Work your way out from the center
sanding unnecessary. Once the glue and cuts is that you follow along the pattern strip. Once the last inlay strip has been
inlay strip are added, the results are tight making a curved cut, as in Figure 6. It’s glued in place, it’s time to transform the
joint lines, as shown in Figure 5. tempting to cut and glue more than one blank into the amplifier.

How-To: CREATE AN INLAID BLANK

a.
1 Align grain for
seamless glueup
2 NOTE: Use
fence to 3 2!/2
guide blank
6!/2 6!/2 END
C
VIEW !/8
B Inlay strip blank Auxiliary
table
1#/4
a.
#/8 C
A #/16 C
END
B VIEW
Fence
Cleat

Three-Part Blank. A thin top and Thick to Thin. Resaw a board to create Final Thickness. An auxiliary table
bottom sandwich a thicker center piece two inlay strips. Cut the strips slightly allows you to plane the strips to final
to create the body for the amplifier. wider than the final thickness. thickness safely and accurately.

4 Attach 5 Glue one inlay

strip at a time
6
pattern Work from
to blank C
the center out

Rip Glue inlay

fence Keep ends and strip in place
faces aligned after each cut

Center Kerf. Use a paper pattern to set Glue & Clamp. Apply glue to the strip Curved Strip. Cut the first curved line
a rip fence and cut the blank in half to and blank. Be sure to keep the parts in a fluid, even pass for the smoothest
accept the first inlay strip. aligned as you tighten the clamps. result. Sanding isn’t necessary.

Woodsmith.com • 19

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 NOTE: Create inner parts
Boosting the using a paper pattern

SOUND Tapered opening

accepts most smartphones
with bottom-mounted
speakers and cases
(see detail 'a')
Adding the inlay strips involved quite a
bit of cutting, gluing, and clamping. That
work continues here, just with a differ-
ent purpose. Your focus turns now to the
functional part of the amplifier — shap-
ing the sound chamber. The drawings
Sand and finish the
at right show you where you’re headed inside surfaces
while the box below highlights the steps of the sound chamber
prior to assembly
required to get there.
THE CENTER SECTION. The opening for the Trim an equal amount
off each edge to create
phone and the sound chamber that a center section 3#/4" wide
amplifies the music from the speaker
occupies the center of the blank. A few
cuts at the band saw allow you to do
this. The first step is separating the cen-
ter section from the sides, as in Figure 1. chamber, it’s a good idea to sand a. &/8 1#/8
A smooth surface transmits sound bet- and finish the inner surfaces.
ter. So unlike the earlier cuts, I sanded Like I said, it helps to get the best Upper
the inner surfaces of the sides that form sound possible from the ampli- portion
Waste Lower
part of the sound chamber. fier. I sprayed several coats of portion
As you can see in detail ‘a,’ an irregu- gloss lacquer on these surfaces.
lar shape forms the sound chamber. Apply masking tape to the edges
SIDE SECTION VIEW
Once again, I used a paper pattern of the these two pieces to avoid
(available at Woodsmith.com) as a guide. gluing problems later.
Attach the pattern to one side of the cen- Don’t forget to apply finish to the and erase your lines before spraying on
ter section and cut just on the waste side inside of the side pieces. To do this, a couple coats of lacquer.
of the lines, as shown in Figure 2. position the center pieces on each of THE FINAL GLUEUP. It’s time to get out the
PREFINISH. Once you’ve shaped the the sides and trace their profile onto the glue bottle and clamps one last time.
upper and lower portions of the sound sides. Then mask off the glue surfaces There are four parts to manage here.

How-To: SHAPE THE SOUND CHAMBER

1 Sand edges
after cutting 2 3
Paper NOTE:
pattern Center
section
turned
on edge

Rip
fence
NOTE: Edges and
faces should
be flush

Straight Rip Cuts. Trim away each side Curved Cuts. Follow a pattern to Glue It Up. After prefinishing the inner
of the blank, leaving a center section create the tapered opening and sound surfaces, glue and clamp the amp blank
that’s 33⁄4" wide. chamber on the center section. back together one last time.

20 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 NOTE: Amplifier is cut to
shape at the band
saw and sanded smooth
Materials, Supplies & Cutting
Diagram
A Center (1) 13⁄4 x 61⁄2 - 61⁄2
B Top/Bottom (2) 3⁄ x 61⁄ - 61⁄
8 2 2
C Inlay Strips (5) 1⁄ x 21⁄ - 61⁄
8 2 2

NOTE: Round #/4"x 3" - 24" Mahogany (0.5 Bd. Ft.)

over top and
bottom edges C C C

1#/4"x 7"- 7" Hard !/2"x 7"- 14" Hard

Maple (0.7 Bd. Ft.) Maple (0.7 Sq. Ft.)

A B B

NOTE: Final size

of amplifier is 6"-dia. !/4"-rad.
NOTE: Resaw parts 'C' to !/8" thick.
Parts 'B' planed to #/8" thick

While it may seem that the center pieces and draw a circle using a compass. I I’ve found that I can track down uneven
would be tricky to keep in the correct ori- made the marks on the bottom face so the places by feeling the surface with my fin-
entation, the answer is straightforward. dimple left by the point of the compass gers. Finish up with some hand sanding
All you need to do is keep the ends and wouldn’t be visible (Figure 1 below). to leave a smooth surface.
upper surfaces of the parts flush as you CUTTING A CIRLE. After all the band saw ROUT A ROUNDOVER. For the final con-
apply the clamps, as illustrated in Figure work done to this point, you should be struction step, head over to the router
3 on the previous page. pretty comfortable cutting around the table and shape a roundover on the
circle, as shown in Figure 2. The key upper and lower edges (Figure 3).
FINAL SHAPING is making the cut in a smooth, steady A small project like this offers the ideal
The home stretch on the amp involves pass. Try to avoid stopping and starting, opportunity to use a spray can finish. In
creating its final shape. This shape can be which leaves lumps and bumps that are contrast to the sound chamber, I applied
whatever you choose to make it. I opted more difficult to sand away. a couple coats of satin lacquer to the out-
for a simple circle for a compact, pleasing With a steady hand, a disc or belt side. (Be sure to mask off the inside.) The
look, as in the drawing above. sander makes quick work of cleaning up fast drying time means it won’t take long
After smoothing the upper and lower the blade marks left by the band saw. before you’ll have this accessory sending
faces, locate the center of the amplifier Use the layout line as a general guide. out your favorite tunes. W

How-To: MAKE IT ROUND

1 2 3
Cut just to waste
Bottom face side of the line
of blank

a.
!/4" END
roundover VIEW
bit !/4
Compass set
for 3" radius NOTE: Rotate
amplifier
counter clockwise

Layout Work. Draw diagonal lines to Rough Cut & Sand. Cut close to the Roundover. A gentle roundover eases
find the center of the blank and mark circle in order to minimize the amount the edges. After a final sanding, the
the final size with a compass. of sanding you need to do. amplifier is ready for finish.

Woodsmith.com • 21

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 Shop
Project

Shop-made
Wood Threading Jig
In the pursuit of making a set of perfectly matched internal and exter-
nal wood threads, this efficient and flexible jig delivers the goods.
When it comes to cutting threads in of the threaded rod is an assembly called in the main drawing on the next page,
wood, there are a variety of pre-made the platen. You’ll do all the thread cut- the base is made of a couple of layers of
threading kits available to purchase. ting — internal and external — with your MDF to add stability. A series of holes in
Most of them are pretty pricey and they parts attached to this platen. the base provides mounting points for
don’t offer much in the way of making As shown in the photo above, once all of the jig parts. You can lay out and
large threads. But we’ve come up with the platen assembly is locked into the drill these holes before moving on.
a shop-made system that hits a stand-up carriage, it’s slowly rotated by hand FIXED CARRIAGE. Returning the focus to
double of cost savings and the ability to into the spinning router bit. The feed the fixed half of the platen carriage, it’s
create large threads. It’s also a perfect rate is controlled by a key that tracks made up of a base, a brace, and two
solution for creating the threads used along the threads of the threaded rod. cradles. (Later, you’ll make and add the
in the canister on page 30. If it sounds complicated, don’t worry. other half of the platen carriage.) And
The jig is a little like a lathe that’s been It will become clearer as you move although I’m calling this half of the car-
pulled inside out. Attached to one end of through the process. riage “fixed,” it can be mounted to the
the base is a router that’s held in place by base in one of two positions, depending
a carriage. Opposite the router is a platen BASE INFORMATION on the length of the workpiece you’re
carriage that’s made up of two halves. To get the ball rolling, I started by mak- threading. Figure 1 shows information
These halves close around a length of ing the base and building the fixed half on making the cradles. Assemble the
Acme threaded rod. Epoxied to the end of the platen carriage. As you can see fixed carriage with screws. Once done,

22 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 1"-6 x 18" Acme 6
CONNECTOR threaded rod FIXED a. SIDE VIEW b. SIDE 2!/8
BLOCK CARRIAGE SECTION
BRACE 1#/4 4!/4 VIEW
F CRADLE
D
B B 8 D B
1#/4
!/2
90° !#/16" -dia. x
B #/16" deep
4 C counterbore

#8 x 1!/2" Fh A
woodscrew 6!/4 2#/4
5!/2
1!/4 %/8
#8 x 2" Fh %/16"-18 #/8
woodscrew threaded
knob
8"-dia. 12 4!/2 %/16" washer
4!/4 c. FRONT
E SECTION VIEW
PLATEN B
NOTE: Base and connector block are B D
made from two layers of #/4" MDF.
2!/4 All other parts are #/4"MDF C 2
#8 x 1!/2" Fh
woodscrew
1
C
FIXED 4 1 A
CARRIAGE BASE 4
32 6 6
4 2&/8 2&/8
4
4
d. TOP VIEW
BASE
2!/2 A 1
1 6 %/16"-dia. C
7 through hole

B B

16!/2 D 2!/2
%/16"-18 x 3"
carriage bolt
A

it’s attached to the base with carriage drawing above, takes some work that’s the platen at the band saw, as Figure
bolts and threaded knobs. not particularly difficult. But it needs to 2 shows. The connector block is made
PLATEN PARTICULARS. Coming back to the be exact since it’s the key to making a set up of two layers of MDF. It’s centered
platen I mentioned briefly in the begin- of good-fitting threads. and fastened to the back of the platen
ning, it’s the heart of this whole opera- To make the platen, I started with (Figure 3). When that’s finished, it’s
tion. Combining the platen with the a square piece of MDF. After drawing just a matter of gluing the threaded rod
threaded rod, as shown in the main center lines on both sides, I cut out squarely into the platen with epoxy.

How-To: MAKE THE CRADLE & PLATEN

1 2 NOTE: Sand
platen smooth 3 Attach 1"
after cutting connector Forstner
block to bit
Circle platen
jig
B
1!/2
Stop
E

Waste 3 3

Cradle Notches. The notches that Cut Platen at Band Saw. To shape Drill Connector Block. Attach the
hold the threaded rod, and the other the platen using this circle cutting jig, connector block to the platen. Drill the
large bevels, are cut at the band saw. refer to Shop Notes on page 65. hole through both connector blocks.

Woodsmith.com • 23

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 INDEX ADJUSTABLE
BLOCK CARRIAGE BRACE a. FRONT SECTION VIEW b. END SECTION VIEW
!/4"-20 x 2!/2" H
I carriage bolt
Thread B Thread
key B
CRADLE !/2"- !/16 3!/2 key
1!/2 B dia.
2#/4
!/2 I
!/4"-dia. 1
hole 4 I 2!/4 1!/4
%/16 Threaded
&/8 rod
3
7 !/2
!/4" H
1
washer %/16"-18 #8 x 1!/2" Fh
threaded woodscrew
!/4"-20 knob 5!/2 B
2 2!/8
threaded
knob NOTE: The index block is made from
%/16" washer 1"-thick hardwood. The thread key is
made from a !/2"-dia. hardwood dowel. 1
All other parts are made from #/4" MDF
10!/2 G
G 2!/4 1
ADJUSTABLE
CARRIAGE BASE

#8 x 1!/2" Fh
c. TOP VIEW Adjustable
woodscrew carriage

3!/4 4 1!/16
Thread
key G 1%/8
B B
I
%/16"-18 x 3"
carriage bolt #/8 1
H E

Finish up the
PLATEN CARRIAGE
With the base and fixed half of the remove or adjust the threaded rod ROUTER CARRIAGE
platen carriage and the platen assem- that’s attached to the platen. It’s differ- Now that the platen carriage is com-
bly finished, you can now add the ent from the fixed half in several ways plete, you can turn your attention to the
adjustable half of the platen carriage. that are clear in the details. First, the router carriage. This assembly holds the
This is the part that you loosen to cradles on the adjustable e carriage are router motor and is adjustable in several
set wider apart to straddle the cradles directions. Since the platen only moves

How-To: INDEX BLOCK on the fixed carriage. It also has an

index block attached to the end.
forward and back at a fixed height, it’s
the router carriage that does all the work
INDEX BLOCK. The index block is a hard- to create the threads.
3 wood block that holds a thread key. A As shown in the main drawing on
quick look at detail ‘c’ above shows what the next page, the slots in the base allow
the thread key does. When you align the for adjustments in and out (detail ‘b’).
!/2"-dia. key with the threads on the threaded This gives you the ability to control the
!/2
rod and lock it in place, you can then depth of cut when routing the threads.
2!/4 advance the platen into the router in a Attached to the base are a pair of brack-
I
manner that’s consistent and repeatable. ets. These are slotted to allow for vertical
Details for making the index block adjustments of the router mount.
are shown in the box at left. As for the ROUTER MOUNTS. It’s easy get a lot of
!/4"-dia. thread key, it’s simply a short length work done with a router in short
of dowel stock with one end shaped order, but managing the high speed
Cut Kerf in Index Block. The kerf to ride in the threads of the rod. The vibrations that a router puts out
in the index block allows you to lock tip needs to be narrow enough that required some solid mounts. The
the thread key in place. it doesn’t bind on the sides of the two halves of the mounts are glued
threads. Details ‘b’ and ‘c’ shows this. up from three layers of MDF.

24 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 a. L 1#/4"-
rad.
NOTE: All parts are
%/16"- dia. L made from #/4"MDF
K K %/16"-18 x 2"
L
threaded
knob
!(/32 4#/4 1!/2
%/16"-18 x 9!/2"
END threaded rod
SECTION VIEW L
2!/2
6
!/4
L
!/4 ROUTER
45° 1!/4 L
Router MOUNT
motor L
K
3#/8 %/16"-18 x 6!/2"
carriage bolt %/16"-18 x 3"
4!/2 carriage bolt

%/16" #/8
washer 5#/4
%/16"-18
L threaded c. L
3!!/16 knob
K
Router
J ROUTER
SUPPORT %/16" x 1!/2"
b. #/8 TOP VIEW ROUTER
1 4!/4 fender L
BASE
!#/16 4 washer %/32
6
10 1%/8 %/16"-18 x 2"
8 threaded %/16
2%/8 knob
!(/32
K

#8 x 1!/2" Fh
woodscrew SIDE SECTION VIEW

As well as maintaining a firm grip mount halves together. Detail ‘c’ above So you might have to increase or decrease
on the router, this component needs to shows what I’m talking about. With all the radius in your situation.
allow the router motor to pivot to match the milling done, and the mounts glued Figure 3 shows the best way to cut
the pitch of the threaded rod. The pivot- up, you can move on to the last step in this opening. When you’ve completed
ing action is achieved by using another creating the router carriage — the open- the opening in the mounts, bolt them
length of threaded rod that runs through ing for the router. together using the hardware shown
the lower half of the mount (detail ‘a’). The drawing above details the open- above. All that’s left is to attach the
To accommodate this rod, I cut a ing for the router I used. Ultimately, the mounts to the router supports. With the
groove in the two rear pieces (Figure size of the opening in the mount depends components built and installed, turn the
1). A couple of carriage bolts hold the upon the diameter of your router motor. page to learn how to make wood threads.

How-To: CREATE PARTS FOR ROUTER MOUNT

1 2 a. 3
#/8" brad
point bit
L L
L

&/16 Waste
%/16
a. #/8 END
END VIEW
#/8" VIEW
dado blade NOTE: Cut
#/16 L L radius to fit
Stop your router
block

Groove for Rod. Cut a groove in the Router Mount Holes. The holes in the Half-Circles to Fit Router Body.
rear and middle sections of the lower center router mount pieces are offset At the band saw, cut a radius that
router mounts for the threaded rod. to avoid the threaded rod. matches the size of your router motor.

Woodsmith.com • 25

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 Cutting
INTERNAL
THREADS
With the jig built and assembled, you’re
almost ready to make some wood
threads. The way the jig works is that
you’ll start by routing the internal
threads. After those are cut, you’ll use
them to size the external threads.
All that’s needed is to fine-tune a
couple of things before you start. This
involves setting the pitch on the router
carriage and scribing the platen. But
first, you’ll want to install the router &/8
bit. This is a double-angled bit that
you see in the photos to the right. { Cutting threads in hardwood
Sources on page 67 show you where requires several passes,
to find it. The whole process of cre- otherwise you’ll burn the threads.
ating internal threads is covered step The inset photo shows how far to
by step in the box below and on the run threads into the canister. This
next page. I’m going to point out a few more than covers the plug depth.
details of the process along the way.
PLATEN CARRIAGE. The first step is to posi- needed for the platen carriage. For the rod forward in the carriage to set the
tion both halves of the platen carriage on next step, you’re going to momentarily position of the router bit. This is a dual
the base. This will be determined by the install the platen assembly backwards to adjustment of matching the pitch and
size of your workpiece. For the canister fine-tune several settings. center of the bit to that of the threaded
on page 30, I set these parts in the rear THREAD PITCH & HEIGHT. I mentioned ear- rod. Just loosen the two pairs of knobs
holes. Later, when you cut the external lier that the platen assembly was the holding the router to tilt and slide the
threads, you’ll want to move both car- heart of the operation. Here’s where that router in place. Tuning the bit height
riage halves to the front holes. Other will come to light. As Figure 1 below and pitch is only done once. The setting
than that, there are no more adjustments shows, you need to slide the threaded remains the same for cutting both sets

How-To: ADJUST ROUTER & ATTACH CANISTER TO PLATEN ASSEMBLY

1 SIDE VIEW 2 3 NOTE:
To prevent
stripping,
Threaded rod Circumference hand-tighten
Angle of bit of canister screws #8 x 1!/2" Fh
matches woodscrew
pitch of rod
Attach
platen to
sides of
canister

85° Support
pencil with
scrap block

Set Height & Pitch of Bit. With the platen Scribe Platen. With a pencil, Attach the Canister. Center the
assembly installed backward, set the router draw the circumference of the canister on the platen assembly. Then
height and angle to match the threaded rod. canister on the platen. attach it from the back side.

26 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 of threads, so take your time doing this.
Tighten the router mounts once you’ve How-To: ROUT THE INTERNAL THREADS
arrived at the proper setting.
SCRIBE THE PLATEN. The next step hap-
1 Tighten platen assembly in
pens at the other end of the platen notches of platen carriage
assembly while it’s still backwards in
the carriage. As Figure 2 on the previ-
ous page reveals, I used a pencil and
a scrap of wood to scribe a couple of
circles on the platen. One is the diam-
eter of the canister, the other is a little
smaller to help orient the plug later.
Router Adjustable
With that done, take the platen assem- carriage platen
carriage
bly out of the carriage and attach the
canister as shown in Figure 3.

INTERNAL THREADS
Just one more adjustment and you’re Install Platen Assembly. Loosen the adjustable cradle enough to drop the
ready to start cutting threads. This time platen assembly in place. Hold the assembly in the center of the notch and
when you put the platen assembly in the tighten the carriage so the platen assembly turns without any wobble.
carriage, slide it forward so that it’s close
to the router bit. Then you can engage 2 3
the thread key with the threaded rod. Threaded
rod
Figures 1 and 2 at right show the details.
DEPTH OF CUT. With the router carriage
set to the pitch and height of cut, that Adjust router
Thread carriage for
leaves you with one final setting — key first pass
depth of cut. Looking at Figure 3 gives of bit
you some insight on how this is done.
Without changing the relative posi-
tion of the router bit, simply slide the
router carriage forward or back to Router
carriage
adjust the depth of cut. If you’re cut-
ting hardwood, 1⁄16" is a safe depth to
start with. For softwoods, you can go
a little deeper than that. Until you get Align the Thread Key. Advance and Router Carriage Adjustment.
the feel for the process, plan on taking turn the key so the tapered point fits Adjust the router carriage to set the
at least two passes to get the threads to into the groove of the threaded rod. depth of cut for the first pass.
the proper depth.
SAWDUST FLYING. Now it’s time to turn on
4 Platen
assembly
the router and start feeding the work-
piece into the bit. Taking a look back
at the main photo on page 22, you’ll
see that to feed the wood into the bit
you just slowly turn the platen. When
you’ve reached the mark for the bottom
of your threads (inset photo, previous
page), just back the platen and canis- a. TOP
SECTION
ter out away from the router. I did this To clean debris VIEW
with the router running to clean up any from the threads, leave
the router running as you
debris in the thread that I just made. back out the platen !/8 Final pass
assembly
A properly cut thread will have a com-
plete bottom and a pointed top, (Figure Routing Threads. To avoid burning the threads, make shallow passes and
4a). I lightly sanded the entry point and take your time when feeding into the bit. After each pass, back the platen
the crest of the threads before turning assembly out and adjust the router carriage to increase the depth of cut.
my attention to the external threads.

Woodsmith.com • 27

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 Matching
EXTERNAL
THREADS
Finishing the internal threads are the
halfway point in the journey. Now you’ll
use the jig to create the external threads
that will mate perfectly with the internal
ones. If you look at the drawing below
you’ll see a good example of what you’re
aiming for. The external threads are cut
on a blank that’s sized to match the inter-
nally threaded part.
PROPER FIT. As you can see in detail ‘a’ in
the drawing below, the goal is to create { Aligning the bit to the plug is the
a smooth fit between the sets of threads same process as the canister, except
(taking into account a bit of wood you’re cutting on the opposite side
movement). This isn’t hard to do, it just of the workpiece (inset photo) Run
means applying some patience while the threads all the way along the
cutting the threads. edge of the plug into the backer.
You’re going to make shallow passes
here like you did when making the inter- Coming up with the size of the blank for piece that you just threaded. As you
nal threads. This is not only to avoid the plug is the first order of business. measure across the opening, you
burning the wood, but to gradually sneak PLUG & BACKER. The starting size of the need to account for the depth of the
up on the fit of the threads. You can see all blank is derived from taking an open- threads you’ve already cut. I added a
of this in action in the main photo above. ing measurement from the mating total of 1⁄4" for my plug, which made
the blank 51⁄2" in diameter.
1 a. SECTION VIEW
With that information in hand, head
over to the band saw and cut out
External threads
(plug) two identical blanks. One will be the
actual workpiece and the other will
serve as a backer (inset photo above).
This step is addressed in Figure 2 on
the next page Adding a backer behind
the workpiece allows you to cut the
threads past the end of the plug with-
Allow for wood out any blowout on the back.
Internal threads movement when
(canister) fitting threads SETTING UP THE PLATEN. You need to
screw both pieces to the platen as
shown in Figure 3. As before, you

Materials & Supplies

A Base (1) 11⁄2 MDF - 161⁄2 x 32 J Router Base (1) 3⁄ MDF - 8 x 10
4 • (4) 5⁄16"-18 x 2"Threaded Knobs
B Cradles (4) 3⁄ MDF - 6 x 8
4 K Router Supports (2) 3⁄ MDF - 53⁄ x 6
4 4 • (6) 5 ⁄16"-18 x 3" Carriage Bolt
C Fixed Cradle Base (1) 3⁄4 MDF - 41⁄2 x 12 L Router Mounts (6) 3⁄ MDF - 21⁄ x 6
4 2 • (2) 5 ⁄16"-18 x 61⁄2" Carriage Bolt
D Fixed Cradle Brace (1) 3⁄4 MDF - 4 x 51⁄2 • (4) #8 x 2" Fh Woodscrews • (1) 5 ⁄16"-18 x 12" Threaded Rod
E Platen (1) 3⁄ MDF - 8 x 8
4 • (20) #8 x 11⁄2" Fh Woodscrews • (1) 1⁄4"-20 x 21⁄2" Carriage Bolt
F Connector Blocks (1) 11⁄2 MDF - 3 x 3 • (8) #8 x 11⁄4" Fh Woodscrews • (1) 1⁄4" Washer
G Adj. Cradle Base (1) 3⁄4 MDF - 51⁄2 x 101⁄2 • (8) 5⁄16" Washers • (1) 1⁄4"-20 Threaded Knob
H Adj. Cradle Brace (1) 3⁄ MDF - 4 x 7 • (2) 5⁄16" x 11⁄2" Fender Washers • (1) 1"-6 x 36" Acme Threaded Rod
4
I Index Block (1) 1x 11⁄2 x 3 • (10) 5⁄16"-18 Threaded Knobs • (1) 1⁄2"-dia. Dowel

28 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 want to center these pieces on the When you’ve done that, you can set CUTTING & FITTING. When you’re feeding
platen using the smaller circle that the platen assembly into the carriage the bit into the plug, keep a firm grip
you scribed earlier as a guide. I and lock it in place. on the platen. Since you’re cutting on
used four short screws to fasten the Here’s where you’ll notice how the opposite side of the workpiece, it
backer to the plug. Make sure to clever this jig is. Since the calibra- has the effect of wanting to tear at the
stay at least 1⁄2" away from the outer tion of the thread pitch and height wood. This is an additional reason to
edge of the plug to avoid cutting was done before, all you have to do proceed slowly (Figure 5). With this in
into them with the router bit. is slide the platen assembly forward mind, it’s best to make several shallow
PLATEN CARRIAGE. One thing that needs to the bit like you did before. Take a passes. Then remove the assembly and
to be done at this point is to move moment to align the thread key to the test the threads by screwing the two
the platen carriage halves to the threaded rod. This leaves you with the pieces together (Figure 6). When the fit
forward holes in the base. This is to lone detail of setting the depth of cut between the threads is to your liking,
account for the difference in length that’s shown in Figure 4. After that, it’s just unscrew the workpiece from the
between the canister and the plug. time to fire up the router again. platen and the backers. W

How-To: SIZE & MAKE EXTERNAL THREADS

1 Make plug slightly
larger than inside 2 3 NOTE: Keep
mounting screws
diameter of canister Plug and back from edge
backer blank of plug
Plug

a. SIDE
SECTION
VIEW

Backer
Page 65
shows how #8 x 1!/4" Fh
to make jig woodscrew

Sizing the Plug. Measure across the Cutting the Plug & Backer. The jig Attach the Plug. Center the plug on
diameter of the canister. Account for you made for the platen will work the platen and attach with screws. Use
the thread depth when doing this. when cuting the plug and backer. four screws in plug and backer.

4 5 6

Backer

Set router
bit for
Plug shallow
passes

Router
carriage NOTE: Leave
router running
as you back out A slightly loose
platen assembly fit is ideal

Setting Depth of Cut. Adjust the Multiple Passes. Cut threads past the Sneak Up on Fit. Remove the platen
router carriage in the same manner as plug into the backer. To avoid burning assembly and do a test run on the fit
when threading the canister. and chipout, make several passes. between the plug and the canister.

Woodsmith.com • 29

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 ee ken d
W
Project

Threaded-Lid
Canister
For a small project,
these eye-catching
canisters pack in a lot
of woodworking skills.
While I enjoy building all kinds of opportunity to put the router threading are joined with beveled edges, like the
projects, one that includes some kind jig shown on page 22 to use. staves of a barrel. Before getting to the
of surprise always grabs my attention. As for that round shape? You don’t bevels though, you need to cut the sides
That’s the case with the canisters shown need a lathe. Instead, it’s formed on the to final length and a little extra wide.
here. From the outside, they appear to be router table (more on that later). Then form a small rabbet along the bot-
turned boxes with a drop-in lid. tom end of each side. This houses the
There are actually two surprises THE SIDES bottom, as in detail ‘b’ on the next page.
here. First, the lid twists onto the can- The main part of the canister is made BEVELED EDGES. From here, the drawings
ister with wood threads. This is a great up of ten sides and a bottom. The sides along the bottom of these pages pick up

How-To: MAKE THE CANISTER BODY

1 2 a. END 3 #/4"-dia.
VIEW plug
!/4 cutter
Waste
Push block Aux. drill
A press fence
A
Aux. drill
press fence !/2"-dia.
A
a. END !/4"-dia.
Push VIEW
block Stop
Tilt
blade block
A 12° !/2"-dia. Inlay
Forstner bit blank

Cut Bevels. After cutting the rabbet Drill Recesses. Center the workpiece Create Plugs. Drill nearly full depth
for the bottom, rip a bevel along each under the bit and attach a stop block with plug cutters to form plugs that
edge of all the sides. to drill symmetrical recesses. will fit snug in the recesses.

30 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 NOTE: Sides
are cut from a. FRONT VIEW b. SIDE
#/4"-thick hardwood. SECTION
Inlay is made VIEW
A
from contrasting !/4"-dia.
#/4
#/4"-thick hardwood. D
B
Bottom is
!/4"-thick hardwood
C
!/2"-dia. #/4
SIDE A
A C
D

#/4"-dia. 1
D
!/4
B
C
!/4 E

!/4

LARGE
INLAY 5 c. BOTTOM VIEW
B
Trace rabbet
MEDIUM E
onto bottom
INLAY BOTTOM
E A
C

SMALL A
INLAY 1&/8
D NOTE: Glue bottom in place
after rounding canister Waste

the story. At the table saw, the sides are ASSEMBLY. Gluing up a multi-sided jig and the router table, as illustrated
beveled and trimmed to final width, as assembly presents some challenges. in Figure 5. The details for making and
you can see in Figure 1. The simplest solution is to use painter’s using the jig are on page 64.
INLAY. I opted to add a little visual flair tape as the clamps, as in Figure 4. Lay THE BOTTOM. A solid-wood panel forms
by inlaying a series of graduated wood down a couple strips of tape (sticky side the bottom of the canister. After planing
dots in each side. Figures 2 and 3 show up) and arrange the sides so they’re a blank to thickness, place the canister
the two-part process of drilling the coun- snug edge to edge. Apply some glue to on top and trace around the inside of
terbores and then creating the inlays the mating edges, then roll the canister the rabbet. I cut the bottom to shape at
using three plug cutters in the drill press. up and secure the tape. the band saw (Figure 6). A little final
After gluing the inlays in place, I The canister is taking shape now. The sanding allows the bottom to fit into its
trimmed them down with a handsaw. next step is to take it from a ten-sided opening. You can then glue the bottom
They don’t need to be perfectly flush at assembly to a round one. The way to do in place. Take care to avoid squeezeout,
this point. They’ll get cleaned up later on. this (without a lathe) is to use a simple which is difficult to remove inside.

4 5 Assembled
canister
6 Cut to outside
of marked lines
Painter's
tape

Straightedge
A

A
A
E
A Turning
A
jig
A

Guide
fence Waste

Glue Up. A straightedge clamped to Router Turning. A simple jig (page Cut the Bottom. Trace the shape of
the workbench keeps the sides aligned 64) is used to turn the outside of the the bottom onto a blank and cut it to
while “clamping” them with tape. canister round with a router bit. shape at the band saw.

Woodsmith.com • 31

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 Creating a a. FRONT SECTION VIEW HANDLE
H

THREADED !/8" roundover

H
Ease
edges

CANISTER LID G
1#/4
CAP
G
6"-dia.

With the construction of the main part of F

the canister under your belt, it’s time to #8 x 1" Fh
woodscrew
turn your focus to creating the threads
and the unique lid.
INSIDE THREADS. There are two parts to Canister body
making the threads: inside threads cut PLUG
in the canister body and outside threads F 5"-dia.
formed on the lid. I started with the each part separately and bring them
Rout !/8"
inside threads and used that as a guide together at the end. roundover
for fitting the outside threads later on. THE PLUG. First up is the plug. on top and
bottom after
For the threadmaking, you’ll turn to the This threaded piece twists into the cutting threads
threading jig shown on page 22. The threads in the canister body. Creat-
drawing below shows how the canister ing the plug begins with cutting a
is set up on the jig. The key here is to disc. It’s sized 3⁄8" larger than the
take your time. Rout the threads in sev- opening in the top of the canister.
eral, light passes to create crisp threads I used a simple band saw jig to
that will work smoothly. create a consistent shape, as illus-
ROUNDOVERS. Once the canister comes trated in Figure 1 on the next page.
off the threading jig, make a stop at the From here you cut the threads NOTE: Plug is made from
router table. Here, you rout a round- on the plug. Once again, you make #/4"-thick hardwood. Cap is
planed to %/8" thick. Handle is
over on the upper and lower edges, as the threads using the jig. The setup made from #/4"-thick hardwood
shown in the drawing at right. is nearly the same, as you can see
in Figure 2 on the next page. What’s best results. To minimize binding, aim
THREE-PIECE LID different is that the plug is attached for what seems like a slightly loose fit.
The other part of the canister is the lid to a sacrificial backer in order to form The lid will still cinch down tight.
shown in the drawing at right. It’s made threads on the full length of the plug. The last bit of work to do on the plug
up of three parts: the plug, the cap, and Page 28 covers the process of creating involves forming a chamfer on the lower
the contrasting handle. You’ll work on outside threads, with tips on getting the end. This helps get the plug started in the
threads of the canister and prevents the

How-To: ROUT THE CANISTER THREADS plug threads from chipping. A chamfer
bit in the router table is my tool of choice.
However, the round shape of the plug
1 means you can’t use a standard fence.
And the threads are an inconsistent sur-
face for riding on the bearing of the bit.
Instead, I used a V-notch fence to cradle
the plug while routing, as illustrated in
Figure 3 on the next page.
THE CAP. The second part of the lid
assembly is the cap. And it’s the sim-
plest of the parts to make. Using the
Canister Thread
same band saw jig as before, shape a
body cutting jig disc that matches the outside diam-
eter of the canister. Once it’s sanded
Cut Inside Threads. In order to create the inside threads, the bottom of the smooth, rout a roundover on the upper
canister is secured to the platen on the threading jig with screws. For step-by- and lower edges, as in detail ‘a’ above.
step instructions on using the jig, refer to page 26. THE HANDLE. The handle forms the final
piece of the puzzle. I made it from the

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 HANDLE PATTERN
How-To: CREATE THE LID & SHAPE THE HANDLE (Full size - 100%)

1 2
F
Circle-
cutting
jig F

Backer
Thread 1!/8
Stop block cutting jig

Cut the Plug. Turn to page 65 to find Cut External Threads. The threads on the plug
instructions to make and use this circle- are shaped using the same jig. You’ll find the
cutting jig for your band saw. setup and directions on page 28. 5!/2

3 4
Routing
direction H
F

a. !/8 END Waste

VIEW

V-fence Make
cut in a
Chamfer smooth,
bit even pass

Rout a Chamfer. A V-notch fence Cut the Handle. The band saw does the
provides two bearing points for the plug heavy work to shape the handle. Then
while routing a chamfer (refer to page 65). finish up with some hand work at the bench.

same contrasting material that the in the upper right drawing as a guide for LID ASSEMBLY. At last, it’s time to bring
inlays are made from. making the cuts. the three lid parts together. There is a
Making the handle requires a few A sanding drum in the drill press definite order of operations here. Begin
steps, but none of them are difficult. The smooths the concave curves. I like to use by attaching the handle to the cap with
starting point is rough cutting the handle files to remove the blade marks on con- screws. The key is aligning the handle
to shape at the band saw, as shown in vex curves. Finish up with some sanding with the grain direction on the cap.
Figure 4 above. Use the handle pattern to give the handle a smooth surface. Joining the handle and cap to the plug
is next. Keep two important points in
Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram mind as you do this. The plug should be
3⁄
centered on the cap. To do this, partially
A Sides (10) x 17⁄8 - 5
4 F Plug (1) 3⁄ x 51⁄ -dia.
4 2
1⁄
thread the plug into the canister. Then
B Large Inlays (10) x 3⁄4-dia.
4 G Cap (1) 5⁄ x 6-dia.
8
1⁄
align the grain and glue the cap in place.
C Medium Inlays (20) x 1⁄2-dia.
4 H Handle (1) 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 51⁄
4 8 2
1⁄
The canister serves as a guide for center-
D Small Inlays (20) x 1⁄4-dia.
4 • (2) #8 x 1" Fh Woodscrews
1⁄ x 51⁄ -dia.
ing these two round shapes on each other.
E Bottom (1) 4 4 • (1) 12" x 12" Adhesive-Backed Cork
The other point is to go easy on the
#/4"x 8" - 36" Hard Maple (2.0 Bd. Ft.) #/4"x 2" - 12" Padauk (.17 Bd. Ft.) glue to avoid gluing the lid into the can-
A A A ister. The final touches are spraying on a
G E F A A A
A A A B C D H finish (I used lacquer) and covering the
A bottom with a piece of cork. Then you
just need to decide what goes inside. W

Woodsmith.com • 33

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 r
Designe
Project

Adjustable
Desk
Whether you prefer to stand or sit
while working, this unique desk
can adjust to suit your needs.
Standing desks are becoming increasingly popular these days,
mainly due to overall concerns about fitness, as well as the back
problems related to sitting all day. But there’s something nice and
familiar about a desk you can sit at from time to time, as well.
AN ADJUSTABLE DESK. This innovative, adjustable desk offers the
best of both worlds. The top is formed from two glued-up,
solid-wood panels that are connected to one another with
aluminum arms mounted to a center pivot point. The panels
can be adjusted in relation to one another much like a seesaw:
When one goes up, the other goes down.
UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES. This unique design allows you to raise
the front panel to create a standing desk, or lower it to a stan-
dard desk height for sitting. And since people are all different
heights, the desk position is infinitely adjustable in between the { To change from a standing to sitting position,
high and low settings. Gas springs beneath the desk control the simply loosen the knobs and lower the wider,
pivoting action for smooth operation. front panel to the desired height.

34 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 Construction Overview / OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 46 ⁄ "W x 42 ⁄ "H (max.) x 28 ⁄ "D 1
8
1
2
1
2

Narrow and wide

panels glued up
from thick maple

Brackets fit
in shallow
mortises in
underside of
top panels
A studded knob
threads into
Brackets are connected a tapped hole
to aluminum arms in the aluminum
with bolts and disc to lock
threaded inserts Aluminum arms
pivot on center discs the top panels
to control up and in position
down motion of
top panels

Gas springs
control up and down
motion of top panels
Upper rails
connect the legs
Stretchers join the Shop-made and have threaded
end assemblies to spring brackets inserts to fix
one another formed from the aluminum
aluminum angle arms in position

Legs join to
NOTE: Turn to the feet with
Sources on page 67 for angled tenons
hardware information to form a
"V" shape

Raise front Thick feet

panel to stand form a sturdy
at desk base for the
adjustable desk

NOTE: Desk can be

locked at any
comfortable position,
sitting or standing

41!/2
Lower front
panel to sit
at desk
Gas springs >
regulate the
30
up and down
motion of the
desk, while two
star knobs lock
it down once
in position.

Woodsmith.com • 35

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 #/8"-16 threaded
insert
a.
Build the end C
12&/16
18#/16

%/8

ASSEMBLIES #/4"-wide
mortise, 3 !/2"-dia.
C hole
1!/8" deep
Like many large projects, the assem- C 5#/4
bly process for this unique desk UPPER 33!/4 #/8"-dia.
RAIL hole
starts at the bottom, with the base.
1
But unlike other projects, you won’t B B B
SIDE
find a lot of perpendicular lines in SECTION
B
the two end assemblies that make up VIEW
LEG
the base. As you can see at right, each 1!/2
A
one consists of a thick, curved foot,
two angled legs that extend upward
#/4"- FRONT SECTION
in a V-shape, and an upper rail that rad. VIEW
joins the angled legs.
!/4" roundovers
CURVED FEET. You can start work &/8
C
on the feet, which are thick maple
NOTE: Legs and upper
blanks glued together from two thinner rails are 1!/2"-thick hardwood. 5#/4
Feet are glued up 4
boards. After glueup, you can cut the
from two 1!/4"-thick pieces 2
blanks for the feet to the overall dimen-
sions shown in detail ‘c’ at right. NOTE: Mortises in A
legs and feet for FOOT 2!/8
MORTISES. Detail ‘c’ also shows the three stretchers are #/4" wide. 3!/2 81°
mortises on each foot: Two on the top Mortises in top of 2!/2 b. B
feet are 1" wide
edge for the legs, and one on the inside
face for a stretcher. It’s easier to form c. 2!/2 7!/2
these mortises while the foot blank is
SIDE
still square (Figure 1 below). SECTION VIEW
ARCS. With the mortises complete, shap- 3!/8 2!/2
#/4
ing the arcs at the top and bottom is the #/4 5(/16
A
2
next order of business. Figure 2 shows 3#/16
the simple process for laying out and 1!/2
marking these. Then it’s just a matter 26
of cutting the arcs and sanding them

How-To: FORM THE FEET

1 2 3
!/8"-thick
1" Foot hardboard
Forstner blank
bit
Waste

Foot Foot
a. blank

Chisel

Mortises. While the blanks for the feet Lay Out Arcs. Bend a flexible strip of Cut the Arcs. The band saw makes quick
are still square, drill out the waste for hardboard to form the shape of the arc work of the arcs. Stay outside the layout
the mortises. Then chisel out the waste. before marking it. lines, then sand them smooth.

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 smooth, as shown in Figure 3 on the
previous page. I completed the feet by How-To: CREATE ANGLED JOINERY
routing roundovers along all edges,
Aux. a.
except for the bottom foot pads. 1 miter fence 2 FRONT
VIEW
ANGLED LEGS. As mentioned earlier,
the legs extend upward from the feet
in a “V” to give the desk some visual B #/16
interest. As you can imagine, however, 2!/2
creating these legs, not to mention the
angled tenons that mate with the feet, B

involves a few challenges. a.

CUT & MITER. For starters, you can cut 2#/4

all four legs to the overall size shown Dado

blade
in the main drawing on the previous B TOP
87° VIEW
page. Then miter the legs at the top
Combination
and bottom ends to establish the angle square
of the legs. This cut simply requires
rotating the miter gauge 9°, trimming Tenon Cheeks. Use a dado blade to Tenon Layout. Set a combination
one end, and then flipping the leg end establish the angled tenon shoulders square to lay out and mark the
for end to trim the opposite end. Now and then remove the cheek waste. angled tenon shoulders.
you’re ready to cut the radius shown
on the outside top corner of each leg at 3 4 a. FRONT
the band saw, as shown in detail ‘b’ on VIEW
Chisel
the previous page.
ANGLED TENONS. The trickiest part of
making the legs is forming the angled Waste
tenons on the bottom. Figures 1 through
B
3 at right will walk you through the pro-
cess. As you can see, cutting the cheeks A

is easily accomplished at the table saw

(Figure 1), but it takes some band saw B
work to complete the tenons. Check Cut outside line,
then sand smooth
the fit in the mortises in the feet as you
go. Once you have a good fit, you can
match the tenon shoulders to the curved Complete Tenons. Some careful Match Feet. Mark the shoulders to
profile of the feet, as shown in Figure 4. band saw work is the key to match the curved feet, then chisel and
MORTISES. Each leg has a mortise to completing the angled tenon cuts. sand the shoulders for a seamless fit.
accept an upper rail on its inside edge.
And the back legs have a mortise on 5 Spacer same
6 a.
their inside faces to accept a stretcher. thickness as
These mortises are all square with the upper rail SIDE VIEW
edges of the legs, so you can cut them !/4"
in your usual fashion. roundover
B bit
UPPER RAILS. You want to make sure
that the upper rails fit seamlessly B
between the legs. So cut them long and
C
mark the tenon shoulders as shown in
Figure 5. Then it’s just a matter of drill-
ing the three holes shown in detail ‘a’
on the previous page, and forming the
angled tenons as before.
ROUNDOVER & ASSEMBLE. Now you can
glue and assemble the upper rail and Upper Rail Layout. Insert the legs in Roundovers. After joining the upper
legs. After routing a roundover on this the feet, position the upper rail, and rails and legs, rout a roundover along
assembly as shown in Figure 6, glue mark the tenon shoulder locations. the inside and outside edges.
the legs into the feet.

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 a.
Add stretchers & D
1!/8

TOP ASSEMBLY NOTE: Upper stretcher

is 1!/8"-thick hardwood.
Lower stretcher is 4
1
#/16

#/16
1!/2"-thick hardwood
With the two end assemblies complete,
FRONT SIDE
the next steps are fairly straightforward. 42#/4 VIEW VIEW
!/2
They involve making a couple of long
stretchers to connect those end assem-
blies to one another and building the top.
TENONS. The stretchers connect to the D
end assemblies with tenons on the ends UPPER
STRETCHER
that fit into mortises. The tenons on the
lower stretcher fit mortises in the feet,
LOWER
while the tenons on the upper stretcher STRETCHER
E
fit mortises in the back legs. I cut the
tenons using a table saw with a dado
blade, as explained in Figure 1 below.
SHAPE THE LOWER STRETCHER. Before the final
assembly of the desk base, there’s one 41#/4
more detail to add to the lower stretcher, b. #/8
and that’s a gentle radius along the top
face. This creates a comfortable resting !/2 E 1!/2
#/16
place for your feet when using the desk SIDE
VIEW #/8
5
in its sitting position.
To start this radius, I tilted the table
saw blade slightly and passed the piece
through on each edge (Figure 2). The rest the stretchers, and use long clamps to brackets installed beneath. Later on,
of the work involves shaping the stretcher draw the assembly together. these brackets will connect to the
with a block plane and sandpaper until adjustment mechanism of the desk that
you obtain a pleasing rounded shape. ADDING THE TOP enables the panels to pivot in relation to
BASE ASSEMBLY. That about wraps up The top is the portion of the desk that one another (more on this on page 40).
the work on the base of the desk. You adjusts and allows you to use it while MAKING TOP PANELS. You’ll want to glue
can spread glue in the mortises in the standing or sitting. It consists of two up several boards to form the wide and
end assemblies and on the tenons on glued-up panels with hardwood narrow top panels, so take some time
to find a good grain match from board

How-To: SHAPE THE STRETCHERS to board. Once the glue dries, you can
sand the panels flat and smooth.
MORTISES. Each panel has a couple of

1 Aux. 2 mortises on the bottom face to accept

miter fence a tongue on the brackets. The panels
E
are too large to set up on the drill press
E for cutting these mortises, so I used a
Dado blade
plunge router guided by a straightedge,
a. b. a. as shown in Figure 1 on the following
1%/16
1 page. You’ll want to lay out the mor-
SIDE Tilt tise locations carefully, as it’s important
SIDE VIEW blade 4° 4°
VIEW
!/2 END
that the outside faces of the brackets
VIEW are flush with the ends of the top pan-
#/8 els. After that, you can just clamp the
straightedge in position. Then rout from
Tenons. Use a dado blade in the table Bevels. To begin shaping the one end point to the other before chisel-
saw to form the tenons on the ends of the lower stretcher, bevel the top face ing the ends of the mortises square.
upper and lower stretchers. with a pair of edge cuts. BRACKETS. With the top panels com-
plete, the brackets are the next order

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 of business. After cutting a rectangu-
lar blank to size, the first thing I did NOTE: Panels are 10
1!/8"-thick hardwood. 38
was rabbet the top ends to fit the mor- Brackets are
1!/4"-thick hardwood
tises in the panels, as shown in Figure
2 below. Check the fit as you go. H
18 !/4"
Before shaping the brackets, I also 38 roundovers
drilled holes in the outside faces, while
the edge was still square. The position
H G H
of these holes is particularly critical to NARROW
the function of the desk, so use a drill TOP PANEL
press fence and a stop block for each
F
series of holes (details ‘a’ and ‘b’).
WIDE #/8"-16
Now you’re ready to shape the threaded Ease
TOP PANEL edges
insert
brackets. But here again, consistency w/sanding
from bracket to bracket is important.
H
So I started by making a hardboard BRACKET
template to match the shape shown
in detail ‘a’ at right. After cutting the c.
brackets slightly oversize, as in Figure
3 below, I trimmed each one flush to
match the template. a. SIDE SECTION VIEW b.
#/8 4!/2
COMPLETING THE TOP. With the brackets
G
shaped, it’s time to install the threaded
3
inserts in the holes. Now glue and %/8
1#/8
clamp the brackets into the mortises
in the top panels, with the threaded 1!/2 BOTTOM
inserts facing out. #/4 VIEW

The last bit of work involves round- 1"-rad.

SIDE
ing the edges of the top panels and 6%/8 H SECTION 4!/2 F
VIEW H
brackets. This is accomplished with a
1!/2
hand-held router. You’ll have to posi- 4!/2
tion the panels on end to form the 1"-rad.
roundover around the ends and brack- !/4"-rad. 3
ets (more on this on page 66). I also
!%/16 1%/16 2!/4
sanded the inside faces of the brackets 4!/2
to remove the sharp edges.

How-To: FORM TOP MORTISES & BRACKETS

1 2 3 Cut
outside
Edge Aux. layout
guide H miter lines
fence
Plunge
router
H
Dado a.
blade %/8

%/8 SIDE
Aux. rip &/8 VIEW
fence
&/8 #/8
a. SIDE SECTION VIEW

Mortises. Use a plunge router guided Rabbets. With a dado blade in the Cut to Shape. Rough cut the brackets
by a straightedge to cut the mortises in table saw, rabbet the top ends of the at the band saw before trimming them
the bottom faces of the top panels. brackets to fit the mortises in the tops. flush using a template as a guide.

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 #/8"-16 x 2#/4" a.
studded star knob

!/2"-thick x #/4" &/8"-dia. !/4

O.D. alum. Clamp
spacer #/8" washer FRONT plate
!/2"-thick x 1!/2" VIEW
Arm
(#/8" x 1!/2" O.D. alum.
alum. bar) spacer Clamp Plate
!/32"-thick (!/4" x 5"-dia.
rubber alum. disc)

#/8"-dia. NOTE: Assemble

desk upside down

b. c. FRONT
#/4"-rad. SECTION
VIEW

WOOD 2!/4 #/8 NOTE: Attach

#/8"-16 x 1#/4" arms and
SPACER hex head bolt
I spacers to
NOTE: Spacer is and washer #/8"-dia. I
bracket
!/2"-thick hardwood first

Adding the 1!/2

Bracket

HARDWARE FRONT VIEW

d. BOTTOM SECTION VIEW

We have now officially advanced to
the “mechanical” portion of the desk.
Despite all the parts shown above, it’s
not that complicated to put together. The
key is careful layout of your holes and 19!/4
cuts and just taking it a step at a time.
WOOD SPACERS. The only wood parts 20#/4

left to complete are the circular spacers.

These create a gap between the alumi-
num arms and the upper rails for smooth match (Figure 1). Then drill the holes in To determine the notch and center hole
operation of the desk. They’re the same the wood spacers shown in detail ‘b.’ locations, you can use the wood spacer
diameter as the disc-shaped aluminum ALUMINUM CLAMP PLATES. The aluminum you just made. Then complete the clamp
clamp plates, so after purchasing those, clamp plates are already the proper diam- plate following the drawings and instruc-
you can trim the wood spacers flush to eter, so there’s not much machining to do. tions in Figures 2 and 3 below.

How-To: SHAPE THE WORKING PARTS

1 a. 2 3

SIDE
VIEW
Flush-
trim bit Hack
&/8"-dia. saw #/8"-16
tap
Clamp
plate
Clamp NOTE: Turn Clamp
plate chuck by plate
I
hand
only

Flush-Trim. The wood spacers are the Notches. After drilling holes, complete Tapping Holes. To ensure straight
same diameter as the purchased aluminum the notches on the aluminum spacers threads, start tapping them at the drill
discs so use the discs as a routing template. with a hack saw and some sanding. press before completing them by hand.

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 Base
assembly
a. c.
D 5
1
15 lb. Spring
gas spring bracket
SIDE
SECTION 2
VIEW Base
assembly

!/4 FRONT
Spring bracket VIEW
(!/8" x 1" x 1"
alum. angle)
b.
#10 x #/4" Rh sheet
metal screw Assembly
spacer

1
ARMS. The key consideration with the brackets. Once they’re BOTTOM VIEW 1!/4 2#/8
aluminum arms is consistent hole spac- snug, back off each one
ing. After cutting them to length, set a quarter turn to allow
stops on the drill press for drilling each for movement. Next,
series of holes (detail ‘d,’ previous page). insert bolts through the center holes GAS SPRINGS. All that’s left is adding the
Then round the ends witha file. in the arms, and slip the wood spacers gas springs and shop-made mounting
ASSEMBLY. It’s easiest to assemble the over the bolts from the other side. brackets to control the motion of the
desk upside down. Set the two panels Now bring in the base assembly, upside desktop. The details and dimensions
side by side, with the brackets oriented down and elevated with spacers (detail are provided in the drawings above.
as shown (main drawing, opposite ‘c‘). Apply a piece of non-skid rubber to SITTING OR STANDING. After a few coats of
page). After applying threadlocking the clamp plate, and then position the finish, your adjustable desk is complete.
compound to the inserts, slip the bolts plate on the arms. Finally, thread the knob Whether you like to sit or stand, it’s
through the aluminum arms and spac- through the outside face of the upper rail easy to adjust this desk to match your
ers, and into the threaded inserts in the and into the clamp plate on either side. preferred method of work. W

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Feet (2) 21⁄2 x 59⁄16 - 26 H Brackets (4) 11⁄4 x 41⁄2 - 65⁄8 • (2) 3⁄8"-16 x 23⁄4" Studded Star Knobs
B Legs (4) 11⁄2 x 31⁄2 - 331⁄4 I Wood Spacers (2) 1⁄ x 5-dia.
2 • (14) 3⁄8" Washers
C Upper Rails (2) 11⁄2 x 53⁄4 - 183⁄16 • (4) 3⁄8" x 11⁄2" - 24" Aluminum Bars • (8) 1⁄2"-thick x 3⁄4" O.D. Alum. Spacers
D Upper Stretcher (1) 11⁄8 x 4 - 423⁄4 • (2) 1⁄4" x 5"-dia. Aluminum Discs • (8) 1⁄2"-thick x 11⁄2" O.D. Alum. Spacers
E Lower Stretcher (1) 11⁄2 x 5 - 413⁄4 • (1) 1⁄32" x 12" x 12" Rubber Sheet • (2) 15 lbs. Gas Springs
F Wide Top Panel (1) 11⁄8 x 18 - 38 • (12) 3⁄8"-16 Threaded Inserts • (1) 1⁄8" x 1" x 1" - 12" Aluminum Angle
G Narrow Top Panel (1) 11⁄8 x 10 - 38 • (12) 3⁄8"-16 x 13⁄4" Hex Head Bolts • (8) #10 x 3⁄4" Rh Sheet Metal Screws

1!/2"x 5" - 84" Hard Maple (5.8 Bd. Ft.)

D H H H H I
NOTE: All parts
planed or resawn
1!/2"x 7" - 84" Hard Maple (8.2 Bd. Ft.) to final thicknesses
shown above
F E

1!/2"x 7" - 96" Hard Maple (Two boards @ 9.3 Bd. Ft. each)

A A F

1!/2"x 7!/2" - 96" Hard Maple (Two boards @ 10.0 Bd. Ft. each)
B G
C
B

Woodsmith.com • 41

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 Heirloom
Project

top-notch
Tool
Cabinet
You’ll find a home for
almost every tool in
your shop with this
classic cabinet.

Taking pride in our tools is a common

hallmark shared by many woodwork-
ers. So it only makes sense that we also
want to house our tools in a storage
cabinet that makes us equally proud.
This eye-catching oak cabinet fits the
bill nicely. In addition to keeping your
most-used tools organized and within
easy reach, it’ll make your time spent in
the shop more enjoyable, as well.
STORAGE APLENTY. Starting with the
upper cabinet, the interior has three
adjustable shelves that provide plenty
of room for larger power tools and
supplies. The extra-deep doors create a
space for tools on some custom-made
holders (inset photo, next page).
Down below, you’ll find six spa-
cious drawers and a pull-out tray that
makes for a perfect place to set tools
while working on a project. The sturdy
base raises everything to a comfortable
height for easy access. Best of all, this
cabinet utilizes some pretty basic case
construction, which means it’ll come
together quicker than you’d think.

42 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 Construction Overview / OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 36"W x 80"H x 23"D
Custom hand-carved
molding wraps the
top of the cabinet.
(Turn to page 16
to learn more)
NOTE: For hardware
sources, turn to page 67
Wide hardwood
edging on the front
and back helps
stiffen the shelves

Deep doors allow

for additional storage
space on the interior

Raised panels give

a furniture-like
look to the
tool cabinet

Doors are built

using stub tenon
and groove joinery

Hardwood edging
applied to
plywood panels NOTE: Cabinet is
made from riftsawn
Plywood cases white oak plywood
Pull-out tray make for quick and hardwood
provides a spot construction
to hold tools
while working

To see plans for making

Full extension the tool holders, go to
drawer slides allow Woodsmith.com
for easy access
Legs and aprons
assembled with
sturdy mortise and
tenon joinery

Oil-rubbed
bronze pulls
give the cabinet
a classic look

Hardwood braces and

squarehead lag screws
add stability and
a stylish touch

{ The deep doors provide plenty of space

for additional storage. These tool holders
can be customized to fit your tools.

Woodsmith.com • 43

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 KNEE BRACE PATTERN
(Enlarge 400%)
One square = !/2" a. 1!/2 b. #/4
B

Grain direction #/4 A

2#/16 2!/2
For a full-size
template for the 2!/2 NOTE:
C D Mortises B
knee brace, go to 7&/8 are 1%/8"
Woodsmith.com #/8 deep #/4
FRAME BACK G 3 FRAME SIDE F #/4
FRAME #/4
#8 x 1!/4" Fh 28 FRONT
woodscrews 22!/2
E
c. 1
7!/2
d. Frame back
3!/2 H
3!/2 D flush with
C %/8 leg backs
B 4 G
A 5!/2 F
F 31 35 2!/2 !/8"
B !/2 G round-
1!/8 !/2 overs
B
SHORT H
D RAIL TOP VIEW !/4
1!/2 C
13 B H
2!/2 TOP VIEW
C
e.
1 !/2
19 H
LONG SIDE
RAIL F SECT.
VIEW
H !/8" roundover on 1&/8 E 1!/8
B B corners and bottom
4!/2
H 13 Knee braces of leg assembly 11
are centered on
KNEE bottom of rails
BRACE f.
B
%/16" x 2"
squarehead lag LEG SKIN NOTE: Leg cores and
D !/16" D F
F !/2 roundovers
screw w/washer rails are 1!/2"-thick hardwood. 1!/2 G
Knee braces are 1!/8"-thick FRONT
LEG CORE A 3 hardwood. Leg skins and frames SECTION B C
are #/4"-thick hardwood VIEW !/2
1!/8
H B

A sturdy CABINET BASE

H SIDE g.
VIEW

When designing this cabinet, I had in more strength, I added six knee braces distract from the overall appearance
mind that I’d be storing most of my between the rails and legs. But first, I of the cabinet. To that end, I decided
portable power tools in it, along with began by making the legs. to start with a center “core” for each
all of my hand tools. All of this weight SEAMLESS LEGS. You could face glue leg, and then wrapped that core with
calls for the heavy-duty base you see some thinner boards to make the legs. mitered stock (detail ‘b’). The process
above. It consists of four beefy legs that But to match the straight-grained look is pretty straightforward. After cut-
are connected to thick rails using mor- of the cabinet, I wanted to avoid hav- ting the center sections to size, miter
tise and tenon joinery. And for even ing noticeable joint lines that would the outer “skins” as shown in Figure

How-To: MAKE THE LEGS

3
1 Rip 2
fence
B
Push
block Leg
assembly

a. END B a. %/8
VIEW
B
Tilt blade
45° 3 A B 1%/8
#/4"
END Forstner
SECT. bit
VIEW

Bevel Leg Skins. With the table saw Glue Up Legs. After ensuring tight Mortises. Remove the bulk of the
blade tilted, use the rip fence as a guide joints at the corners, use plenty of waste for the mortises at the drill press.
to bevel both edges of the leg skins. clamps to secure the skins to the core. Use a chisel to square up each mortise.

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 1 at the bottom of the previous page. How-To: MAKE THE RAILS & KNEE BRACES
Just take your time when cutting
these miters so that the joints close up 1 2 a. END VIEW
tightly when clamped around the cen-
ter sections (Figure 2). Rip
fence Aux. miter 1!/2
WIDE MORTISES. Each leg has two mor- fence
C

tises to accept the tenons on the ends D

Aux. !/4
Rip miter
of the rails. I used a two-step process C D fence fence
to complete these. First, remove most Dado
blade a. END VIEW b.
of the waste at the drill press, as shown 1!/2
END VIEW
in Figure 3 (previous page). The mor- 1!/2
Dado blade
tise walls can then be squared up with
#/4
a little chisel work. #/8
Before moving on to the rails, ease
the edges on all four legs (including
the bottom edges). Rounding over the Cut Tenon Cheeks. Use a wide Cut Shoulders. When making the shoulder
mitered corners will make the joint lines dado blade to form the cheeks cuts, be sure to note that the tenons are
disappear almost entirely. of the tenons on the rail ends. offset across the width of the workpiece.
THICK RAILS. As I said earlier, the rails
are quite a bit more substantial than 3 H Rotate miter 4
what’s found on the typical piece of gauge 45°
furniture. I cut all four to size from
11⁄2"-thick stock. Now, creating the ten-
ons on the ends of the rails just requires First 45° cut
a trip to the table saw. Cut to waste
a. side of
As Figure 1 at right shows, the cheek 45° layout line
cuts can be made on all four rails with H
the same dado blade height. However,
the tenons are offset in width. This TOP VIEW Waste
requires two different blade positions to
make these cuts (Figure 2). After easing Miter Braces. At the table saw, turn Clean Up Waste. The band saw is the
the bottom edges of the rails (details ‘d’ the miter gauge 45° and clip the perfect place to remove the bulk of the
and ‘g’ on the previous page), the legs ends of the knee brace blanks. waste from the knee braces.
and rails can be assembled.
Knee brace
OVERHANGING FRAME. The four pieces that
5 template 6 #/8" brad
make up the base frame can be cut to
point bit
size next. The front corners are mitered
while the back piece is a simple butt
joint against the sides. These pieces are
H
glued and screwed to the rails from the H
Stop
block
top. But before attaching them, be sure Double-sided
to ease the outside edges, as well as tape
Fence
drill the countersunk mounting holes Through hole
!/2"-dia.
from the underside for connecting to flush-trim
the lower cabinet later on. bit
KNEE BRACES. The knee braces are the Flush Trim. Use double-sided tape Drill Holes in Braces. Use a stop block
last pieces to complete the base. Fig- to hold the template in place while and fence to support the braces while
ures 3 through 6 show the process I trimming each knee brace flush. drilling the mounting holes.
used to make these parts.
Because of their unique shape, I found
it best to start with a square blank. The corners of each blank (Figure 3) before trim the inside profile flush at the router
pattern at the top of the previous page roughing out the inside shape of the table, as shown in Figure 5.
can be enlarged and used to create a brace (Figure 4). Be sure to stay to the Use the setup in Figure 6 to drill the
hardboard template. Then lay out the waste side of the cut line. mounting holes in the braces. After that,
shape of the brace on each blank using One at a time, attach the template to mark the hole locations in the legs and
the template. With that done, clip the each brace using double-sided tape and rails and install the braces with lag screws.

Woodsmith.com • 45

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 TOP J 21#/4
a. b. 5!/4 1
!/2 5!/4 14!/2 #/8
!/4 #/8 J
2!/4 33 P
K FRONT
TOP DIVIDER TRAY 1!/2 I #/4 SECTION
21!/4 GUIDE VIEW
!/4 20#/4
6#/4 O O #/4 K

#/4 " CENTER

4 33 DIVIDER
ply.
21#/4 O N 21!/4 L
21!/4 Slides
BACK
M c. rest on
12#/4 21 I shelves N L
M 16#/8
10 DRAWER
DIVIDER
18#/4 M
#/4 " 22 M
I
ply. M M

I 20" drawer FRONT

slide SECT.
SIDE w/screws EDGING
I J P VIEW
BOTTOM
!/4 !/4
d. !/4" ply. #/4
J
!/4
L !/4 O

N K
SIDE I P
!/4 SECT. VIEW
#8 x 1!/4" Fh Guide
!/2 NOTE: Edging is woodscrews e. outer #/4
!/4"-thick hardwood, front
FRONT VIEW cut to fit NOTE: Top, bottom, sides, and dividers
are made from #/4" plywood. !/4"
Back is !/4" plywood. !/4 ply.
J

!/4

Building the LOWER CABINET Base SIDE SECT.

frame VIEW

With the base unit complete, it’s time PLYWOOD CONSTRUCTION. The entire lower off cutting the drawer dividers and the
to build the first storage section — the cabinet consists of plywood panels that back to size for now. It’s best to deter-
lower cabinet. This cabinet has six fit together with a series of grooves, mine their sizes after dry-fitting the
drawers that ride on metal slides. Plus, dadoes, and rabbets. With that in mind, case parts later on.
a narrow opening at the top of the cabi- I began by cutting most of the parts The How-To box below (along with
net provides a space for a pull-out tray. that make up the case to size. I held detail ‘a,’ above) provides all the details

How-To: CUT THE CABINET DADOES

Rip fence
1 2 3
Rip fence L
J K
I

#/4" dado #/4" dado blade

#/4"dado a. END VIEW
blade blade
a. END VIEW a. END VIEW

!/4
!/4 !/4

Dado Bottom & Top Divider. Set the Side Dadoes. Using the same dado Center Divider. The procedure is the
rip fence to guide the workpiece when blade setup, reposition the rip fence to same for the center divider, but here
cutting the centered dadoes. cut the dadoes in the sides. you’ll cut dadoes on both sides.

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 for making the 3⁄4"-wide dadoes in the How-To: CUT THE GROOVES, RABBETS & SLOTS
top divider, bottom, sides, and the cen-
ter divider. Keep in mind that plywood 1 2
thicknesses can vary. If yours isn’t a
true 3⁄4" thick, you’ll need to adjust the I J
Rip
dado blade and spacing accordingly. fence
J
NARROW DADOES. Before moving on, the
Aux. rip a. END VIEW a. END VIEW
sides need a couple narrow dadoes. !/4" dado
fence
One near each end of the side panels !/4 blade !/4
houses a tongue on the top and bot- #/8" dado
tom panels. Those tongues on the top blade !/2 !/4
and bottom are next up, as shown in
Figure 1 at right. Simply bury a dado
blade in an auxiliary rip fence to dial Rabbets. Create a rabbet on the ends Groove for Back. A narrow dado
in the correct width for the rabbets. of the top and bottom to form a tongue blade makes quick work of cutting
The back fits into a groove cut in that fits in the sides. the groove for the back panel.
the top, bottom, and sides. Figure 2
shows how I went about making these 3 4
grooves at the table saw.
O
SLOTS. The pull-out tray has a couple Rip Push
FIRST: Drill 1"-dia. fence
of stops attached to its top face to pre- through holes at each block
end of slot !/2" dado
vent it from being pulled all the way SECOND: Cut along layout blade
out of the cabinet. To accommodate lines with a jig saw END
a. VIEW
these stops, a couple of slots are needed
#/4" ply.
in the top panel. I defined the ends of Waste
the slots by drilling a couple holes at T #/8
the drill press. The waste between the
holes is easy to remove with a jig saw
(Figure 3). Clean up the saw marks Slots in Top. After drilling holes at Tray Guides. A groove is needed
with sandpaper so the stops will travel the ends of the slots, use a jig saw to on the guides. Flip the workpiece
smoothly along their length. remove the rest of the waste. between cuts to center the groove.
TRIAL ASSEMBLY. Because there’s a lot of
Turn lower case upside
parts to go together, I took the time 5 down to mount base
at this point to do a test assembly. It’s
better to find any adjustments that are
needed now rather than when you
apply the glue. I also measured for the
back panel and drawer dividers while #8 x 1!/4" Fh
my assembly was dry-clamped. They woodscrews
can then be cut to size.
SLIDES & GUIDES. Once the cabinet is
assembled, the interior spaces will be a
little tight to get into. So before jump- Back of
base frame
ing right into the assembly, I attached Base is centered on width
the case-side portion of the two-piece and flush at back with
lower case bottom
drawer slides to the inside of the side
panels. Details ‘c’ and ‘e’ on the previ- Attaching Base to Lower Cabinet. Turn the lower cabinet upside down and
ous page show where to locate them. position the base as shown above. Drive the screws through the mounting holes
A couple of hardwood tray guides go in the base frame and into the bottom of the lower cabinet.
in the upper opening. These are made
at the table saw (Figure 4) and glued in
place. Details ‘b’ and ‘d’ on the previous the center and top divider. After the Finally, add the edging strips to cover
page show their location. glue dries, add the other two drawer the exposed plywood edges. To connect
STAGED ASSEMBLY. To better manage the dividers and the top. Slide the back into the base and lower cabinet, flip both
assembly, start by gluing up one side, the grooves before adding the other assemblies upside down and drive
the bottom, two drawer dividers, and side and clamping it securely. screws into the lower cabinet (Figure 5).

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 33 21!/2
TOP PANEL a. #/4
V
11!/4 EDGING
U #/4
TOP PANEL V
#8 x 1!/4" U !/4
Fh woodscrews Top divider slot
1!/4
22!/2 V !/4
Q R T
35 NOTE: Attach !/4
T
tray stops to Tray
tray through the guide FRONT SECTION VIEW
slots in top
T TRAY
b. #/4
TRAY STOPS SIDE
EDGING End of top
U divider slot
20#/4 Q
Top
divider
T
R
TRAY
Q 29#/4 R
32#/8
1#/8 1&/8
c. TOP VIEW
(top removed)
20#/4 SIDE SECTION VIEW

d. 3!/4
#/8
4!/8" handle U V
w/screws
1!/4 Top !/8
1!/4 2 S
divider !/8"
T TRAY FRONT roundover
EDGING
#/8"- R
rad.
TOP VIEW
NOTE: Tray and SIDE SECTION VIEW S
top panel are made

Completing the from #/4" plywood.

All other parts are
#/4"-thick hardwood tray guides. You can trim a little off both

LOWER CABINET sides for a sliding fit, if necessary.

The piece of edging for the front of
the tray is next. A centered groove along
Just a few more pieces are needed to fin- to size. But first, I began with the tray one face of this piece (Figure 3) slips
ish up the lower cabinet. The pull-out side edging. These workpieces have over the front edge of the tray.
tray and top panel are pretty straight- a groove along the edge to fit over a TRAY STOPS. The two tray stops are
forward. Then, you’ll follow that up by tongue formed on the edge of the tray. the next parts to make (details ‘a’
making the six drawers. Figures 1 and 2 cover how to complete and ‘c’). I rounded the ends of a long
PULL-OUT TRAY. The tray itself is noth- all three of these pieces. After gluing the blank before cutting the stops to size.
ing more than a piece of plywood cut side edging in place, check the fit in the To attach them, slip the tray in place

How-To: MAKE THE PULL-OUT TRAY

1 Push
block
2 3
R
Aux.
rip Push
Rip Q fence Rip S block
fence fence
a.
a. a. END VIEW
END END
VIEW Dado blade !/4 VIEW

!/4 !/4
Dado blade !/8
#/4" ply.
!/4

Grooves. Cut a centered groove in Tray Rabbets. Use a dado blade Edging Groove. A dado blade makes it easy
the tray side edging. Turn the piece buried in an auxiliary rip fence to to form the groove in the tray front edging.
end for end between passes. form the tongues on the tray sides. Make two passes to center the groove.

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 UPPER SIDE UPPER BACK W
UPPER FRONT W X
Y MIDDLE BACK
CC
in the guides, position the stops on a. X X
Z
the tray, and drive the screws home
BB 3%/8
3%/8 3
through the slots in the top. !/4
TOP PANEL. Finally, cut the top panel
4!/2
and edging pieces to size. You’ll use !/4 5!/8
the same tongue and groove proce- &/16
DD MIDDLE
dure to attach the edging that was W Y AA UPPER 14#/8 ZSIDE 4%/8" pulls
TOP SECT. VIEW FACE w/screws
used on the tray side edging. Refer Y AA
back to Figures 1 and 2 on the previ- MIDDLE LOWER
E E
FRONT BACK
ous page for the details. MIDDLE
FACE 20
After mitering the front corners of the LOWER BB
edging, glue it in place to the top panel FRONT
19!/2 CC
AA BB
and ease the outside edges. Screws are BOTTOM LOWER SIDE
14#/8 14#/8 7
all that’s needed to secure the top panel
20" full-extension
to the case. I didn’t use glue in case the drawer slide
7%/8
tray ever needs to be removed.
!/16
b. c.
CC X Z
DRAWERS 7 #/4 BB
&/16 #8 x 1" Fh
Making the lower cabinet fully func- Y
F F
15#/4 woodscrew
tional requires adding the six drawers. LOWER CC Drawer divider CC
E E
While there are three different drawer FACE !/4 1 Z
heights, the building process is sim- NOTE: Drawer fronts,
SIDE FRONT
backs, and sides are made SECTION Center
plified by the fact that they all use the from !/2"-thick hardwood. SECT. !/16 !/4 VIEW divider
Bottoms are !/4" plywood. VIEW
same joinery. False drawer fronts made
Faces are #/4"-thick hardwood
from hardwood provide a uniform
appearance and are easy to install. accomplished at the table saw using a and screw them in place. The position-
STAY ORGANIZED. The best way to narrow dado blade. ing is shown in details ‘a’ and ‘c,’ above.
approach the drawer construction is With the bones of the drawers com- The false drawer fronts are the final
to cut all of the drawer fronts, backs, plete, cut the drawer bottoms to size pieces to add. I cut matching pieces
and sides to size up front. To keep them from 1⁄4" plywood. (All six bottoms are from the same board to give the appear-
organized, be sure to label everything the same size.) Now assemble the draw- ance of continuous grain across the
before moving on to cutting joinery. ers with glue and clamps. front. Position the false fronts so they’re
The How-To box below walks DRAWER SLIDES. Since the cabinet side of centered in the drawer openings. To
you through the steps for cutting the the two-piece drawer slides are already install them, I used double-sided tape
dadoes, grooves, and tongues needed installed in the cabinet, it’s a snap to to hold them in place and drove in
for the drawer boxes. All of this can be position the drawer side of the slides screws from inside the drawer.

How-To: CUT THE DRAWER JOINERY

1 2 Aux. miter
fence
3
Aux. miter
fence BB
Rip
Y
X Z BB Aux. fence
rip
Rip fence fence
acts as
stop a. END VIEW a. END VIEW a. END VIEW
!/4" dado
blade
!/4 !/4" dado !/4
!/4 blade
!/4 !/4
!/4" dado
blade !/4 !/4 !/4

Dado Drawer Sides. Use a stop block Rabbet Fronts & Backs. Rabbet the Bottom Grooves. With the dado blade
clamped to an auxiliary fence to locate ends of the drawer fronts and backs to still in the saw, cut the grooves for the
the dadoes in all of the drawer sides. create mating tongues. bottom in the front, back, and sides.

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 1 18!/4 a. SIDE SECTION VIEW
33
!/4" ply.
17#/4 !/4
HH TOP !/4 HH
33 1!/2
P
GG
P I I
I I J J
EDGING
8!/4
2!/2
b. SIDE SECTION
VIEW
J J
3!/2 SIDE J J
GG I I
BACK EDGING 1!/2
I I P

HH
39
!/4"-dia. x Flush at Lower
NOTE: Top, bottom, !/2"-deep back cabinet top
40 and sides are made from shelf support
GG
#/4" plywood. Back is holes
SIDE !/4" plywood. Edging is
#/4"-thick hardwood c. GG I I
SIDE SECTION VIEW
P
GG 2!/4

#/8"-16 x 1"
machine HH 4!/32
screws
P Lower
cabinet top
#/8"
threaded BOTTOM
HH FRONT
insert d. e. SECTION
GG GG VIEW
1#/4 J J
!/4 !/4 !/4
HH

P !/2 !/2 H H
I I

Building the UPPER CABINET TOP SECTION VIEW

With the pull-out tray and the draw- At this point, the construction top and bottom, are mirror images of
ers installed in the lower cabinet, you should look pretty familiar. Like the one another, setting up and cutting this
can turn your attention to the upper lower cabinet, the upper cabinet incor- joinery is pretty straightforward.
cabinet. It’s nothing more than a large porates a series of dadoes, grooves, UPPER PARTS. After cutting your parts to
plywood box with three adjustable and tongues to hold things together. size for the sides, top, and bottom, fol-
shelves edged with hardwood. And since both sides, as well as the low the How-To box below for creating

How-To: CUT THE UPPER CABINET JOINERY

1 2 3
GG GG HH HH
Rip
fence Rip Aux. rip
fence fence

Dado
!/4"dado !/4"dado
blade a. END VIEW a. END VIEW blade a. END VIEW
blade !/4
!/2 !/4

!/2
!/4 !/4

Side Dadoes. The narrow dadoes in Groove for Back. Stick with the same Rabbets. A dado blade buried in an
the sides to accept the top and bottom dado blade to make the grooves in the auxiliary rip fence helps to create the
are cut at the table saw. top, bottom, and sides for the back. tongues on the top and bottom.

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 the dadoes, grooves, and rabbets in all
!/4"-dia. shelf
four workpieces. Before moving on, I support
NOTE: Shelves are made
also took the time to lay out and drill the from #/4" plywood. Edging
is #/4"-thick hardwood
holes in the sides for the shelf supports.
THICK EDGING. One deviation from the
lower cabinet construction is the need SHELF
32!/4 KK
for the thick edging that you see on the 17
front edge of the sides (details ‘c’ and ‘d’
on the previous page). The reason for the SHELF L L L L
EDGING
thick edging is to create a solid mount-
NOTE: Attach shelf
ing point for the continuous hinges that supports to shelves with screws
KK
attach the doors you’ll add later on. to keep shelves from shifting
I used a simple tongue and groove L L
approach for attaching the edging. Fig- a. SIDE SECTION
VIEW
ures 1 and 2 below show the setups.
With the joinery finished, attach these KK
#/4
pieces with glue and clamps. 1!/2
!/2 KK
ASSEMBLY TIME. After cutting the back Shelf
L L
to size, the case is ready for assembly. support
I found it easiest to lay one of the sides
on my workbench and set the top and
b. Shelf support Side
bottom in place. The back slips into the
grooves before adding the other side. KK
When the clamps come off, the edging
L L
for the top and bottom can be cut to fit #6 x !/2"
and glued in place. Rh woodscrew
ATTACH CABINETS. Because I knew the FRONT SECTION
VIEW
potential existed that I’d need to move
my cabinet some day, I wanted to make
it easy to take apart. To that end, I used Then position the upper cabinet and hand-held power tools inside the upper
large machine screws and threaded mark for the inserts through the screw cabinet. To support all of that weight,
inserts to hold the cabinets together. holes. For a tip on installing the inserts, I opted to edge my shelves with the
Using the information in the main turn to Shop Notes on page 66. L-shaped hardwood edging you see
drawing on the previous page, lay out THREE STURDY SHELVES. As I mentioned above. Figure 3 provides the details for
and drill the holes for the screws, first. earlier, I plan on storing most of my cutting this at the table saw.

How-To: MAKE THE CABINET EDGING & SHELVES

1 Push 2 3 Push
block
block
GG
Aux.
rip
L L
Rip fence Aux. Featherboard
fence rip fence

a. END Dado blade a. END VIEW a. END

VIEW VIEW
I I
!/4
!/4 Dado blade
!/4 #/4" ply.
!/4 !/4 !/2

Centered Groove. Cut the groove in Rabbet Sides. Switch to a dado blade Wide Rabbets. The edging for the
the side edging in two passes at the to cut the rabbets on the front edges of shelves requires a wide rabbet to cover
table saw to center it on the workpiece. the sides. The tongues fit in the edging. the exposed plywood shelf edges.

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 NOTE: All door parts are made BOX TOP OO
2(/16 2(/16
3%/16 from #/4"-thick hardwood 16
UPPER 3 a. b. 1!/8
RAILS 10&/8 NOTE: Middle rail !/4
Magnet has groove on
T T Washer
and cup 3 TT both edges OO
w/screw
!/2" !/4
T T
RR washer
QQ #/8 w/screw
MM
T T
1!/2"
continuous 10#/4
!/4 UU NN
hinge 15#/16
(39&/8" long) UU BACK
P P VIEW
4%/8" pull
w/screws MIDDLE
UU RAIL 39&/8
S S 39&/8 c. SIDE SECT.
Continuous VIEW RR
hinge and
MM P P
S S 3!/2 screws
!/16
OO

Lower case
UU top panel
QQ
INNER
STILE d.
P P UU PANEL
MM OUTER Continuous hinge
STILE Upper
OUTER LOWER cabinet MM
BOX SIDES RAIL side
RR edge
!/2
!/4
!/4
3#/8 P P UU
RR !/2
4!/4
!/8 !/4
NN
#/8 !/4
INNER
BOX TOP SECTION VIEW
SIDE
OO BOX BOTTOM

Assembling the DOORS

and groove joinery. The raised panels
add the final touch of craftsmanship.
DOOR BOXES. I started the door con-
As you can tell, there’s been no short- The doors are made by construct- struction by making the parts for the
cuts taken in the construction of this ing two separate components and two boxes. Be sure to note that the
heirloom shop project. That attention then joining them together. The first outer box sides are wider than the rest
to detail holds true when it comes to is a simple four-sided box. On top of of the box parts. This allows space for
the design of the pair of deep doors that the box is a frame and panel assembly a groove in the outer sides where the
enclose the upper cabinet. that’s held together using stub tenon frame assemblies attach to the boxes.

How-To: CUT DOOR BOX GROOVES & DADOES

1 2 Aux. miter
3 !/2 Front of
bit
fence MM
!/4" straight
MM Rip NN bit
fence
Rip
fence 2(/16
Stop rout line
a. END VIEW a. END VIEW
a. Stop line SIDE VIEW
!/4 !/4
!/4" dado
blade
!/2 !/2 2(/16
!/4 !/4 !/4

Groove Outer Box Sides. Use a Through Dadoes. To cut the through Stopped Dadoes. To cut the stopped
narrow dado blade to cut the grooves in dadoes in the inner box sides use the dadoes in the outer box sides, make a
the outer box sides to hold the frames. miter gauge to guide the workpiece. stop mark on the router table fence.

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 How-To: MAKE THE DOOR FRAMES & PANELS
This will make more sense when the
frames are added shortly. 1 2 Aux.
miter
The majority of the joinery for the fence
Aux.
door box parts can be cut at the table rip RR S S
saw, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 on fence
T T
the previous page. The outer box
Rip
sides, however, have stopped dadoes fence
on either end. A trip to the router table
a. END Dado blade
VIEW a. END VIEW
is needed to make these cuts (Figure 3). #/8
After cutting the rabbets on the ends !/4
of the box top and bottom, I assembled !/4
#/8
the two door boxes. These can be set
aside while you turn your attention to
the frame and panel assemblies. Rail & Stile Grooves. Creating the Stub Tenons. Bury a dado blade in an
FRAME & PANEL. As I mentioned ear- centered grooves in the rails and stiles auxiliary rip fence to create the stub
lier, these assemblies use stub tenon is also done at the table saw. tenons at the table saw.
and groove joinery on the stiles and
rails. Figures 1 and 2 at right provide 3 4
all of the details for cutting the edge P P
P P
grooves on the frame parts and mak-
ing the tenons on the rails. Aux. rip Aux. rip
fence fence
STILE DETAILS. The outer stiles require a
couple more cuts to finish them up.
a. END VIEW END VIEW
These cuts form a stepped rabbet, as Dado blade Dado blade
a.
shown in detail ‘d’ on the previous page. !/4 #/8
This design detail creates a shadow line !/8
when the frames are assembled. !/2
Figure 3 shows the setup for mak-
ing the rabbet along the outside edge
to create a tongue that’ll fit into the Rabbet Outer Stiles. Put the auxiliary Shadow Rabbet. Simply reposition
outer box side. Reset the rip fence and fence back on the table saw to aid in the fence to cut the second rabbet that
lower the table saw blade to make the cutting the rabbets in the outer stiles. creates the shadow affect in the door.
smaller rabbet (Figure 4).
RAISED PANELS. You can now turn your
5 6
focus to the raised panels for the UU UU

doors. If you have access to a wide Fence Aux.

rip
board to create these panels, that’s fence
great. If not, you can glue up narrower
boards, just be sure to pay close atten- Raised
panel bit a. END VIEW
tion to the grain configuration to get a. END VIEW Dado blade
the best match possible. !/2
Once you have the four panels sized, !/4
head over to the router table to form !/4
the bevel on the face of the panels (Fig-
ure 5). Check out Sources on page 67
for information on the raised panel bit Panel Profile. With the raised panel Rabbet Door Panel. Head back to the
that I used for my panels. bit in the router table, make a few table saw to cut the rabbets around
You’ll then head back to the table passes to bevel the face of the panel. the back of the door panel.
saw to make the rabbets on the back
face of the raised panels (Figure 6).
Sneak up on the final depth of these come out of the clamps, they can The last piece of the door construc-
rabbets to arrive at a snug fit in the stile then be glued to the door boxes by tion is to attach them to the upper case
and rail grooves. slipping the tongue in the outer stiles with continuous hinges. Shop Notes on
ASSEMBLE DOORS. After applying a fin- into the grooves in the outer box page 66 shows the method I used to do
ish to the panels, I glued up the door sides. The rest of the frame is face this. You can then add the door pulls
frame assemblies first. When they glued to the door boxes. and magnetic catches before moving on.

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 NOTE: Top and bottom CAP TRIM NOTE: Cap trim is 1"-thick hardwood.
are made from #/4" plywood. XX Diamond molding is !/2"-thick hardwood a. #8 x 1!/2" Fh XX
Cap facing is #/4"-thick 34 woodscrew
hardwood CAP FACING
2!/4 XX !/2
WW
WW YY
VV
!/4 !/2
36
SIDE SECTION !/4 WW
23 VIEW
2!/2 VV
!/2 YY
!/4
2!/2 34 Door
top !/4"
22 35 roundover
2!/2 YY
2!/2
22!/2 VV NOTE: Finished with one chisel and a couple of easy-to-
YY 2!/2
TOP/BOTTOM PANELS cap is glued to master techniques. (For more on this,
DIAMOND MOLDING (21" x 33") top of cabinet
WW turn to page 16). The whole process is
quite simple (photo on next page).
b. &/8 c. 4 CAP FOUNDATION. Before starting on the
XX XX
carved molding, though, the under-
lying base pieces require a little bit
!/2 VV VV
of work, first. The How-To box at
FRONT SECTION FRONT SECTION
VIEW SIDE SECTION VIEW the top of the next page shows the
YY WW
VIEW
VV
details for cutting the joinery on the
VV
caps and facing pieces. A simple trim
WW Upper cabinet top Cap flush at back
piece is mitered on the ends and tops
off the cap (detail ‘b’).

Finish with the CARVED TOP FINAL DETAILS. After the carving work is
done, you can attach these pieces to the
facing with glue. Then all you need to do
With the doors installed, it’s tempting If you’ve never done any carving is finish the rest of the cabinet and start
to call this project done. But I wanted before, you might feel a little intimi- filling it with tools. To find out more
a truly artisan piece for my shop. And dated with the thought. But not to about the finish I used, as well informa-
that meant creating a cap with a custom- worry. This design requires a simple tion about the hardware for this project,
carved molding treatment. layout, and all of the work can be done check out Sources on page 67. W

Materials & Supplies

A Leg Cores (4) 11⁄2 x 11⁄2 - 13 W Upper Dwr. Front/Back (4) 1⁄2 x 3 - 143⁄8 SS Middle Rails (2) 3⁄ x 31⁄ - 107⁄
4 2 8
B Leg Skins (16) 3⁄ x 3 - 13 X Upper Dwr. Sides (4) 1⁄ x 3 - 20 TT Upper Rails (2) 3⁄ x 3 - 107⁄
4 2 4 8
C Long Rails (2) 11⁄2 x 31⁄2 - 31 Y Mid. Dwr. Front/Back (4) 1⁄2 x 41⁄2 - 143⁄8 UU Door Panels (4) 3⁄ x 103⁄ - 153⁄
4 4 16
D Short Rails (2) 11⁄2 x 31⁄2 - 19 Z Mid. Dwr. Sides (4) 1⁄ x 41⁄ - 20
2 2 VV Cap Top/Bottom (2) 3⁄ ply. - 21 x 33
4
E Base Frame Front (1) 3⁄ x 31⁄ - 35 AA Lower Dwr. Front/Back (4) 1⁄2 x 7 - 143⁄8 WWCap Facing 3⁄ x 21⁄ - 120 rgh.
4 2 4 2
F Base Frame Sides (2) 3⁄ x 31⁄ - 221⁄ BB Lower Dwr. Sides (4) 1⁄ x 7 - 20 XX Cap Trim 1 x 21⁄4 - 96 rgh.
4 2 2 2
G Base Frame Back (1) 3⁄ x 3 - 28 CC Dwr. Bottoms (6) 1⁄4 ply. - 143⁄8 x 191⁄2 YY Diamond Molding 1⁄ x 21⁄ - 96 rgh.
4 2 2
H Knee Braces (6) 11⁄8 x 23⁄16 - 77⁄8 DD Upper False Fronts (2) 3⁄ x 35⁄ - 153⁄
4 8 4 • (12) 5⁄16"x 2" Squarehead Lag Screws
I Sides (2) 3 ⁄4 ply. - 213⁄4 x 22 EE Mid. False Fronts (2) 3⁄ x 51⁄ - 153⁄ • (12) 5⁄16" Washers
4 8 4
J Top/Bottom (2) 3⁄ ply. - 213⁄ x 33 FF Lower False Fronts (2) 3⁄ x 75⁄ - 153⁄ • (8) 45⁄8" Handles w/screws
4 4 4 8 4
K Top Divider (1) 3⁄ ply. - 211⁄ x 33 GG Upper Sides (2) 3⁄ ply. - 173⁄ x 40 • (2) 41⁄8" Handles w/screws
4 4 4 4
L Center Divider (1) 3⁄4 ply. - 211⁄4 x 183⁄4 HH Upper Top/Bottom (2) 3⁄4 ply. - 181⁄4 x 33 • (2) 11⁄2" x 40" Cont. Hinges w/screws
M Drawer Dividers (4) 3⁄4 ply. - 211⁄4 x 163⁄8 II Side Edging (2) 3⁄ x 1 - 40
4 • (12) 1⁄4" Shelf Supports
N Back (1) 1⁄ ply. - 33 x 21 JJ Upper Back (1) 1⁄ ply. - 33 x 39 • (6 prs.) 20" Drawer Slides w/screws
4 4
O Tray Guides (2) 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 203⁄ KK Shelves (3) 3⁄ ply. - 17 x 321⁄ • (6) 3⁄8" Threaded Inserts
4 2 4 4 4
P Edging 1⁄ x 3⁄ - 280 rgh. LL Shelf Edging (6) 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 321⁄ • (6) 3⁄8"-16 x 1" Machine Screws
4 4 4 2 4
Q Tray Side Edging (2) 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 203⁄ MMOuter Box Sides (2) 3⁄ x 35⁄ - 397⁄ • (46) #8 x 11⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
4 4 4 4 16 8
R Tray (1) 3⁄4 ply. - 203⁄4 x 293⁄4 NN Inner Box Sides (2) 3⁄ x 29⁄ - 397⁄ • (24) #8 x 1" Fh Woodscrews
4 16 8
S Tray Front Edging (1) 3⁄ x 13⁄ - 323⁄ OO Door Box Top/Bottom (4) 3⁄4 x 29⁄16 - 16 • (10) #8 x 11⁄2" Fh Woodscrews
4 8 8
T Tray Stops (2) 3⁄ x 3⁄ - 2 PP Outer Stiles (2) 3⁄ x 33⁄ - 397⁄ • (12) #6 x 1⁄2" Rh Woodscrews
4 4 4 8 8
U Top Panel (1) 3⁄ ply. - 211⁄ x 33 QQ Inner Stiles (2) 3⁄ x 3 - 397⁄ • (4) 1⁄2"-dia. Rare-Earth Magnets
4 2 4 8
V Top Panel Edging 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 85 rgh. RR Lower Rails (2) 3⁄ x 41⁄ - 107⁄ • (4 prs.) 1⁄2" Cups & Washers for Magnets
4 4 4 4 8

54 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 How-To: CUT RABBETS & DOUBLE GROOVES
Cut the cap top and bottom to size. 62) The front corners are mitered
1
58) The bottom has a rabbet 2
and the back piece has a butt joint to the
around the entire perimeter. Make this sides. GlueWW these pieces in place to the
a. Rip
the table saw with an aux.END VIEW
VV
atAux. rip fence. bottom cap.
fence
rip !/4 a. END VIEW
59)
fence The top has a groove along 63) Position this assembly on top
three edges. Slot-cutting bit at router of the upper cabinet and #/4 screw in place.
table, as before. !/2 64) Cut the three rim molding
Dado blade !/4
60) Drill all of the screw holes in pieces!/4" dado
to size. Each piece has and off-
blade
the top and bottom. set tongue on one edge. Cut the rabbets
Rabbet Edges. It’s back to the table
61) Cut the cap edges to size. Cre- Double
to formGrooves.
this tongueA pair of agrooves
using dado blade
saw to cut
ate the the rabbets
grooves alongaround the face on
the inside andtheaux.
caprip
facing fit over the tongues
fence. { Check out the article on page 16 for all of the
perimeter
with a dado of the
bladetopand
andripbottom.
fence. on
65)the topDrill
and bottom.
the screw holes in all details about creating the diamond-shaped
carving pattern that wraps the top.

Cutting Diagram
#/4"x 3" - 96" Rift-Sawn White Oak (2.0 Bd. Ft.)
YY

#/4"x 6" - 96" Rift-Sawn White Oak (Two boards @ 4.0 Bd. Ft. each)
B B B B B B OO
LL tt

LL tt

P Q T
#/4"x 8" - 84" Rift-Sawn White Oak (Two boards @ 4.7 Bd. Ft. each)
WW
F B B OO
LL tt
II
#/4"x 6" - 96" Rift-Sawn White Oak ( 4.0 Bd. Ft.)
DD DD E G

#/4"x 6" - 96" Rift-Sawn White Oak (Two boards @ 4.0 Bd. Ft. each) V P
RR SS TT
UU UU UU UU

#/4"x 7" - 96" Rift-Sawn White Oak (Two boards @ 4.7 Bd. Ft. each)
PP MM
QQ NN

#/4"x 6" - 72" Rift-Sawn White Oak (3.0 Bd. Ft.)

EE EE FF FF

1!/2"x 6" - 72" Rift-Sawn White Oak (Two boards @ 4.5 Bd. Ft. each) S
C D NOTE: Parts H, XX,
and YY are planed
A A to final thickness
1!/2"x 2!/2" - 96" Rift-Sawn White Oak (2.5 Bd. Ft.) H

XX
!/2"x 3!/2" - 72" Hard Maple (Two boards @ 1.8 Sq. Ft. each)
X X W W

!/2"x 5" - 72" Hard Maple (Two boards @ 2.5 Sq. Ft. each) ALSO NEEDED: Three 48"x 96"
sheets of #/4" rift-sawn white
Z Z Y Y oak plywood. Two 48"x 96"
sheets of !/4" rift-sawn
!/2"x 7!/2" - 72" Hard Maple (Two boards @ 3.8 Sq. Ft. each) white oak plywood

BB BB AA AA

#/4"x 2" - 48" Hard Maple (.7 Bd. Ft.)

O O

Woodsmith.com • 55

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 g
workin ls
with too

rip hardwood with a

Track Saw
At first glance, a track saw looks pretty The blade of the saw stays aligned with
Plunge-cutting saws can be set to cut the track no matter the angle
similar to a circular saw. However, to precise depths and keep
circular saws are built for the rough- the blade concealed
and-tumble needs of a construction
site. Track saws on the other hand, are
designed for highly accurate work and
making clean cuts right from the start.
WORKING WITH HARDWOOD. The chief use of
track saws has been to ease the strain of
cutting sheet goods. You no longer need
to hoist large panels up onto a table saw
to make accurate cuts. Those same traits
can be applied to working with hard-
wood lumber, too. So if you’ve been track and saw work together. The saw lower the blade to a preset depth, as
using a track saw strictly for plywood, interlocks with the track to guarantee shown in the upper left drawing. Limit-
here are a couple ways to get even more straight, smooth cuts. The edge of the ing blade exposure increases safety and
from this versatile power tool. track indicates the location of the cut. reduces the chance for kickback.
TRACK SAW ADVANTAGES. Track saws have Simply line up the track with the layout Finally, track saws are designed so
several features that make them stand line and you’re good to go. that as the blade is tilted, it stays inline
apart from their circular saw cous- Another important feature is plunge- with the track (right drawing). So mak-
ins. The main advantage is how the cutting. The operator flips a lever to ing bevel cuts requires less fussing.

56 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 NARROW BOARD
RIPPING JIG
RIPPING
The guide track and smooth-cutting blade FENCE STOP
Studded knob, (!/2 " x 3")
shine when put to use in ripping wide washer, and t-nut
boards. Since the board remains station- lock guide in place
ary, it’s less of a hassle to make a cut.
2
STRAIGHT LINE CUTS. One of the challenges
of working with rough lumber is cre- GUIDE
ating a straight reference edge. The 2!/2 !/4"-wide x 7!/2"-long
slot
photo on the previous page shows how
9!/2 BASE
a track saw simplifies the process. Just 55!/4
clamp the track in place on a layout line
NOTE: Fence is #/4"-thick hardwood.
and make the cut. A sacrificial piece All other parts are #/4" MDF
of plywood under the workpiece pre- 14
vents you from cutting into the top of T-nut
your workbench. The key here is that
the board needs to be wide enough to END VIEW
provide adequate support for the track. Track
Fence
One benefit to this technique is that you
!/4"-20 x 2!/4"
can use it to create a workpiece where the Guide
studded knob & washer
Workpiece
grain flows straight down the length of Base
!/4"-20 t-nut Stop
the board. This results in a board that will
look better in the completed project.
NARROW CUTS. Making a single rip cut
is one thing. Things get tricky when it The fence registers the saw track for After locking down the guide, slide
comes to cutting multiple, narrow work- making the cut consistently. the workpiece into place against both
pieces. There isn’t much support for the I made the jig to work with the stan- the guide and stop. Place the track on
track and measuring and setting up for dard length of track, but you can make top and snug against the fence. Rubber
each cut becomes time-consuming. it suit any length of track. Also, I work grip strips on the bottom of the track
The solution is to make a ripping with 3⁄4"-thick material most often, so the along with the guide and stop keep the
jig like the one shown in the drawing guide is made from 3⁄4" MDF. To use the workpiece from shifting during a cut, as
above. The jig supports both the track jig for another thickness, you’ll need to shown in the lower right photo. When
and offers a means of registering a make a guide to match in order to pro- the cut is complete, you can remove the
workpiece to make multiple, identical vide support for the track. workpiece, slide the board over and
cuts. It consists of four parts: a base, a USING THE JIG. The jig is simple to use. repeat as necessary.
guide, a stop, and a fence. Place the track on the guide and against A track saw excels at making smooth,
The guide and stop are adjustable to the fence. Use a combination square to straight cuts. With a little creativity, you
set the width of cut and offer support set the guide for the width of cut, as can get more out of this handy tool
for the track when making narrow cuts. shown in the left photo below. when working with solid wood. W

{ Use a combination square to set the position of { This benchtop ripping jig makes it easy to cut narrow parts using a track saw. The
the guide at each end. Reference the square off adjustable guide, stop, and saw track keep the workpiece secure as you make a
the edge of the saw track. cut. The guide also supports the track to keep the saw balanced.

Woodsmith.com • 57

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 in the
shop

great Glue Options

Most of the time, a bottle of yellow wood decision-making, I took a look
glue sits close by on my bench ready for through the shop to find the
action. I use it on just about every project “other” glues I keep on hand.
I make, and with good reason. Yellow SLOW-SET GLUE. One of the fac-
glue is strong, easy to use, versatile, tors that makes assembly time
and inexpensive. stressful is the “shot clock”
That doesn’t mean it’s ideal counting down the time before
for every situation, though. the glue starts to set up. Exceed
Over time, I’ve found that the time limit, and the glue joint
it’ss a good idea to keep a
it may not be as strong or the glue
special-purpose glue (or won’t hold at all. In these situ-
two) on hand to tackle ations, a glue that offers more
specific situations. The open time can save the day.
problem is there are so One common slow-setting glue
many woodworking- is liquid hide glue (left photo).
related glues to choose This glue provides up to 30 min- { Spray contact adhesive workss great
from. If you’re starting utes before you need to have the for laminating large, flat materials
erials
out, the options can joints closed and clamped. together in a short time.
easily overwhelm you. SPRAY CONTACT ADHESIVE. On the
To help guide your other hand, there are times you want You may be familiar iar with this type
glue to set up faster. One challenge of of glue for applying plastic laminate
< LLiquid
iqquuiid hi
hhide
de glue using wood glue is having the patience to a surface. However, I’ve found
increases
in
increase tthee time you
sees th to wait while the glue dries. Depending that it comes in handy for other
have
have
ha to
ve to get an assembly on the task, one way to speed things applications, as well. One of those is
together and clamped. along is to use spray contact adhesive. laminating panels into thicker stock.

58 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 Gluing large surfaces with wood gluee
requires a lot of glue, and it can be dif--
ficult to apply even clamping pressure. e.
With spray adhesive however, all you u
need to do is apply an even coat to thee
mating surfaces. After a few seconds, thee
glue is “dry,” and the parts can be assem--
bled. The glue bonds on contact, and you u
can move on to the next steps.
COLD PRESS VENEER GLUE. Veneer takes s
almost any project from ordinary to o
extraordinary. But applying veneerr
comes with its own set of obstacles. Onee
of those relates to how thin veneer is. s.
Typical wood glue often bleeds through h
and leaves shiny highlights of gluee
behind. These imperfections resist stain n { To
T prevent glue from seeping through thin veneer, cold press
and finish and distract from the look. glue contains special
specia additives that increase the viscosity of the
In order to solve the problem of bleed-- adhesive while still creating a strong, solid bond.
through, I like to use cold press veneerr
glue. It’s a version of wood glue that two components together, you can bond Ordinary wood glue doesn’t set up fast
has resin fiber additives that increase just about any material. I use it for build- enough to hold the piece in place.
viscosity. This minimizes glue bleeding. ing shop jigs and tools and securing Enter molding and trim glue. The
In addition, the fibers act as a filler that hardware to furniture projects. One rule glue shown here is a formulation of
helps any glue that does bleed through of thumb to keep in mind is that the lon- regular wood glue that’s much thicker
appear more like the wood around it. ger the epoxy takes to cure, the stronger and “grabs” after holding a piece in
The name comes from its application. the resulting bond will be. place for only a few seconds. The thick
You apply the glue to the substrate, lay Epoxy also offers a nice side benefit consistency means the glue doesn’t run
the veneer, and then clamp it between flat — it’s waterproof. So I turn to it for and dribble off the workpiece during
panels. There’s no need to heat either the building outdoor projects from wood. application or when pressing the work-
glue or the assembly while it cures. It also MOLDING & TRIM GLUE. Earlier, I talked piece into position. To avoid squeezeout,
works well in a vacuum bag. about how a slow-setting glue takes apply the glue sparingly.
EPOXY. Most of my projects involve the stress out of a complicated glueup. Woodworking glues are problem-
gluing wood parts to other wood parts. There are occasions where the oppo- solvers for building long-lasting projects.
But in some instances, you need to join site characteristic is required. When The good thing is you don’t need every
other materials to wood, as shown in the applying molding to a project, the pro- type available. With just two or three
lower left photo. The adhesive of choice filed surface means it’s tough to add a glues, you can confidently tackle the
here is two-part epoxy. After mixing the clamp without marring the workpiece. assembly tasks you face. W

{ Whether it’s installing hardware or { Thick glue designed for molding allows you
joining other metal parts, epoxy forms a to skip clamps altogether. Just hold the part
rigid bond with most shop materials. in place for a few seconds.

Woodsmith.com • 59

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 orking garage, so that’s the size I’m going to use

woodwntials as an example. With the space available

esse
in mind, you’ll need to survey the site,
taking into account the tools you own.
The first step is to take note of struc-
tural elements, such as floor slope, door
and window location, access to electricity,
and any obstructions. Also, determine if
workflow in a this is to be a permanent setup, or if you’ll
need to tuck tools away to make room for
a car. With these notes in hand, you can

Small Shop start to tackle the setup of the shop.

LUMBER STORAGE & BREAKDOWN. The heavy
and messy work of dealing with ply-
wood and long boards is usually the
first stage of any project. So it’s a good
Everyone starting a journey in wood- are required to perform each task. And idea to have the lumber breakdown and
working faces the same challenge: shop along with each of the tools comes an storage area close to the entrance of the
space. Or, more accurately, the lack of it. operating zone (as you can see in the shop. Often, I’m able to slide a sheet of
Space management is often overlooked drawing below and the top of the next plywood directly from the bed of my
when setting your first woodworking page). This zone is the area around the truck onto the table saw.
goals. But if you take some time to plan tool that’s required to safely operate the As the drawing below shows, the
your space to suit the projects you want machine. In a small shop, these zones are zone for cutting full sheets of plywood is
to make, you’ll be happier in the long run. naturally going to overlap. The goal is to going to be the biggest space gobbler by
WORKFLOW BASICS. Building any project anticipate and plan for the amount of far. Ripping long lumber is a challenge,
in your shop typically unfolds in four setup that has to happen along the way. as well. Tool-wise, this involves the table
stages: Lumber storage and break- SITE SURVEY. To start, what is the shop saw, miter saw, and, on occasion, a circu-
down, milling and joinery, sanding and footprint you’re dealing with? A com- lar saw. Dealing with this calls into play
assembly, and last but not least, finish- mon size is about 12' x 22', which is your best ally in small shop management,
ing. In each of these stages, certain tools roughly the same footprint as a single-car mobility. Having your tools on mobile

Worksurface Window
Dust
with storage collector
underneath

Use workbench or Garage

other surfaces as outfeed door
support for table saw Table saw WORK ZONE

Workbench LUMBER STORAGE

&
BREAKDOWN

Tool
Cabinet

Keep pathway clear while cutting long or wide material

Set up miter saw

close to lumber storage Miter saw
and breakdown area

Doorway
Lumber storage

60 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 bases or casters is going let you enlist these surfaces
for extra tasks or just keep them out of the way. Dust
MILLING & JOINERY. After the material has been collector
knocked down to manageable pieces, it’s time to Tuck workbench Jointer
out of the way
start shaping them into the parts that make up the
project you’re building. The zone space needed to
do this is not as monolithic as the previous task, but
Router
it is more spread out since it involves a number of table
other tools in the shop. Table saw Portable
When working with hardwoods, this begins with MILLING thickness
Drill & JOINERY planer
jointing and surfacing the stock. This is followed up press
with joinery, whether you’re working with hard- Band saw Miter saw
wood stock or sheet goods. This process will often
involve switching back and forth between tools. So
take the time to set up a logical workflow like the one
shown in the top drawing to the right. Milling & Joinery. Shaping the parts of your project may require several
SANDING & ASSEMBLY. Once you’ve finished mill- tools. After jointing and planing your boards, you’ll move to the table saw
ing and shaping, the next area of focus is usually and router table. The drill press and band saw may be used, as well.
assembly. First, pre-sanding as much of the project
before assembly is the way to go. While doing this,
it’s best to group parts into their sub-assemblies to
help keep track of progress. The center of this stage
is the workbench, but removing the fences of the
table saw and router table and tidying up cabinet Cover
table saw with
countertops can give you extra surfaces to stack kraft paper or
these assemblies on. This same philosophy works Workbench hardboard
well for gluing up all the parts (drawing at right).
FINISHING. You don’t want all your woodworking SANDING
& ASSEMBLY NOTE: Protect tool
efforts to be diminished with a bad finish. So proper surfaces while you
ventilation and lighting are the most important sand and
glue up projects
tools here. You’ll also need a source of fresh air. A
trick I’ve found that meets both of these require- Covered
ments is to cover my table saw with a sheet of old router table
plywood and a tarp, then roll the setup into the per-
fect light that reflects the finish that I’m applying. Sanding & Assembly. Claiming unused surfaces while preparing material
On occasion, this has meant rolling the equipment for finishing saves time and helps keep all the project parts in order. Keep
out to the driveway. your shop vacuum handy to remove dust from the freshly sanded parts.
SHOP SOLUTIONS. When you have a small shop, you
have to improvise. But that’s all part of the fun of
Apply oil finishes
tackling woodworking. W in ventilated area Leave space
between
drawers
while drying

Covered
table saw

FINISHING NOTE: As with sanding

and glue up, protect
any surface that's used
to store project parts
while they dry

Covered
router table

{ Mobility in the shop gives you many options. The Finishing. Whether applying oil or water-based finishes, you’ll want to
system shown here is a simple shop-made base that apply the finish in a well-ventilated area, such as by an open window.
you can custom-build for any shop tool. Similar to sanding and assembly, spread the pieces around the shop to dry.

Woodsmith.com • 61

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 a s te ring
m saw
the ta ble

making precise
Vertical Cuts
Most table saw cuts are performed front or back of the saw. However, the
with the workpiece flat on the table. potential of the piece to tip between the
But every once in a while, you have to rip fence and the blade can be a concern,
stand your workpiece on edge or end so this is where you’ll want to focus your
to make the desired cut. As you can attention to make a safe edge cut.
see in the photos on these pages, these BACK SUPPORT. As you can see in the
types of cuts can come up for every- photos above and at left, the main con-
thing from tenons to raised panels to sideration for an edge cut is to attach a
rabbet joints. And this is where things tall auxiliary rip fence to your existing
can get a little tricky. rip fence. This essentially provides a
Fortunately, setting up for safe, accurate solid surface behind the workpiece, so
results when making these cuts is not all it’s unlikely to tip toward the fence.
that difficult. It just takes the right means FRONT SUPPORT. To prevent the piece from
of support and the proper technique. tipping toward the blade, you can take a
couple of approaches. If the piece is fairly
CUTS ON EDGE wide, such as the raised panel being bev-
If you have to perform a cut with the eled in the main photo above, then you
workpiece on edge, this usually isn’t too may want to consider investing in a
challenging to pull off. That’s because double featherboard like the one shown.
{ To cut rabbets with the two-pass method, you still have the length of the piece This provides extra height to prevent tall
you make one cut with the piece facedown, running along the saw table, so the workpieces from tipping into the blade,
and then a second vertical cut as shown. workpiece is unlikely to rock toward the which would spoil your cut.

62 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 If the piece is fairly narrow, then a sin-
gle featherboard should do the trick. For
simple cuts on narrow pieces, such as
the two-pass rabbet shown in the lower
left photo on the previous page, I just
rely on hand pressure to keep the work-
piece tracking smoothly along the fence.

CUTS ON END
From time to time, you’ll also run across
cuts that you’ll have to make with the
workpiece standing on end. One of the
cuts on a locking rabbet joint, for exam-
ple, requires cutting a groove along the
end of a piece (right photo). If you cut
tenons with the workpiece standing on
end (lower left photos) you can achieve { The first cut of a locking rabbet joint requires cutting a groove on the end of a workpiece.
cleaner cuts than you would with a dado To provide adequate support for the workpiece standing on end, I use a U-shaped sled that
blade. And twin tenons (lower right slides along the rip fence. A backer clamped behind the piece keeps it vertically aligned.
photos) have to be cut standing on end.
The challenge is that the work- TABLE SAW SLED. In my opinion, a better can push it safely and accurately through
piece needs to be supported not only solution is the U-shaped sled shown the blade without any fear of the piece
between the rip fence and the blade, in the photo above. As you can see, it’s rocking on its end. (As you can see, I also
but also between the front and back designed to straddle the rip fence, and added a T-track to provide support in
of the saw table, to prevent the piece it has a wide front fence to support the holding the workpiece in case you have
from rocking. If this occurs, you have workpiece. Finally, I simply clamp a to cut a short piece that would put your
at best a spoiled cut and at worst a backer to the front fence in order to sup- hand close to the blade.)
safety hazard and a kickback risk. port the back edge of the workpiece and SAFETY & ACCURACY. Making table saw
Some people make these cuts with keep it from rocking backward. cuts with the workpiece on edge or end
a tall auxiliary rip fence and a wide With this setup, the entire sled slides may seem a little unnerving at first. But
backer piece supporting the cut. While forward past the saw blade to provide there’s really nothing to it as long as
this works, I still find it a bit awkward the ultimate in control. By simply keep- you’re properly set up to do so safely,
to make a cut this way. ing a firm grip on the workpiece, you and in a controlled fashion. W

Flip and
Cutting make second
second pass
cheek

{ Cutting the cheeks of a tenon is another common table saw cut. { You can form twin tenons on the end of a workpiece by cutting a
After cutting one of the cheeks using the sled, you simple flip the centered groove in its end. Just flip the workpiece face for face if the
piece face for face to cut the second cheek (inset photo). groove is wider than the dado blade you’re using (inset photo).

Woodsmith.com • 63

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 m
tips frop
our sho

Shop
Notes
Router Table Mandrel Jig
When building the canisters on page and shave away the facets to create a canister, as in detail ‘b.’ The smaller disc
30, one of the challenges was making smooth, round form. is sized to just fit inside the canister.
a round shape from a ten-sided assem- SIMPLE CONSTRUCTION. The jig consists Washers and nuts complete the assem-
bly. Of course, it’s possible to do this on of two L-shaped brackets that house bly and apply clamping pressure.
a lathe. But I wanted to come up with a length of threaded rod (drawing USING THE JIG. I added an auxiliary fence
another way to get the job done. below). A pair of rails join the brackets to the router table to guide the jig and
The result is the router table jig you from below. The space between the rails keep it centered over the bit (detail ‘a’). A
see here. Essentially, it’s a mandrel that provides a path for the router bit. bowl and tray bit works well for remov-
suspends the canister above a router bit. To corral the canister, a pair of ply- ing the material. The rounded corners
This allows you to rotate the canister wood discs sandwich each end of the leave a smooth, tearout-free surface.
Raise the bit high enough to clean up
1 NOTE: Discs are !/2" plywood.
All other parts are #/4" plywood #8 x 1!/4" Fh
the surface. Then it’s a matter of sliding
SMALL LARGE
woodscrew the jig forward slightly and rotating the
DISC DISC
SMALL DISC canister across the bit.
LARGE DISC (4!/2"-dia.)
(5!/4"-dia.)
a. Canister END
VIEW
END

#/8"-16 5 8 End
hex nuts
Small
#/8"-16 x 12" Disc
2 Threaded rod
END Bowl and
#8 x 1!/4" Fh tray bit
woodscrew 3!/4 CLEAT Fence Cleat

#/8"-16 15
washers RAIL Aux.
8 Rail Rail fence

RAIL
CLEAT
b. Large SIDE
disc SECTION
Canister VIEW
Aux. fence

1&/8 Small
disc End

Small
Cleat disc Cleat
Clamp auxiliary fence End Large
to router table disc
to guide jig
Rail

64 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 a. TOP VIEW
V-Notch Fence for Routing 1 Rotate workpiece
Chamfer
counterclockwise
Round Workpieces Fence bit
Even though profile bits (like chamfer
bits) have a bearing to guide the work- 45° 45°
piece, I like to set the fence on my router
F
table for greater control. The problem is
a straight fence doesn’t provide much
b. V-Notch
support for a round workpiece.
So instead of a straight fence, I made
V-shaped notch Fence F
a notched fence to provide two points supports workpiece
of contact with a round workpiece. The on each side of bit
END
Chamfer
result is greater control of the piece and bit VIEW
a smoother profile. This came in handy
for routing a chamfer on the plug of the hardwood and made a pair of 45° cuts to But I solved that by simply making a
threaded-lid canisters on page 30. create a V-shaped notch on one edge, as few test cuts. To use the fence, slide the
The fence itself is pretty straightfor- shown in Figure 1. It can be a little tricky workpiece into the notch and turn it
ward to make. I used a straight piece of to set the fence in relation to the bit. counterclockwise to shape the profile.

Band Saw Disc-Cutting Jig

There are multiple projects this issue onto the saw in order to locate the pivot pin is aligned with the front edge of the
that call for round discs. I could have pin. The pin’s distance from the blade blade, as you can see in Figure 1. Then
used a jig saw along with a bit of sand- determines the radius of the circle. In tape a simple stop in place.
ing to make each one. Instead I made a detail ‘a’ of the main drawing, you’ll see Now you can fit the center hole of
jig for the band saw that works perfectly. the pivot set up for the platen. To make the workpiece over the pivot pin. With
The jig starts with a rectangular base. the other sizes of discs, you’ll have to the workpiece and jig away from the
Then you can cut a groove to attach a drill additional holes for the pivot pin. blade, turn the saw on and slide the jig
hardwood runner that fits the miter slot To use the jig, first slide it forward in forward until it stops (Figure 2). Then
on your band saw. Finally, slide the jig the miter slot until the centerline of the rotate the workpiece into the blade.

!/4"-dia. NOTE: Locate NOTE: Drill additional holes

pivot pin dado to for different sizes of discs
a.
7 position jig as
shown in
detail a 5 5 4 3 2 1
Leave a
!/16" gap
4" for a between
Base 8" disk the jig
and the
blade
Base Pivot
14 Runner pin

Runner

1 Align centerline a. 2 FIRST: Position

blank on jig
of pin with Blade
teeth of blade

Centerline
of pin THIRD: Rotate
workpiece
into blade to
complete the cut

SECOND: Turn
on saw and slide
Fasten stop jig forward to the
block with stop block
double-sided tape

Woodsmith.com • 65

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 a. Upper Brad
1 cabinet SIDE
SECT. 2 point 3
bottom bit
#/8" brad VIEW
point bit Insert
hole
waste
Lower Size hole
cabinet for a
Holes in the #/8"-16
cabinet bottom top
threaded
allow you to mark Lower insert
insert location Lower Drive threaded
cabinet top cabinet top insert in flush
with a drill bit
with top surface

Installing Inserts
The upper and lower units of the tool and install them so they’re straight and and drill the holes to the correct size for
cabinet on page 42 are held together square to the top is shown above. the threaded inserts (Figure 2).
with six large machine screws and I began by placing the upper cabi- To keep the inserts straight, thread
threaded inserts. The threaded inserts net in position and using the holes in two nuts onto a bolt, add a washer, and
are installed in the top panel of the the bottom as a guide to mark the hole tighten this in the threaded insert. Use a
lower cabinet. The method I used to locations in the lower cabinet (Figure 1). ratchet and a square to guide the inserts
lay out the positions for the inserts You can then remove the upper cabinet as you drive them into the top (Figure 3).

a. Lower
door
frame Closed
Continuous Hinges
right The wide doors on the tool cabinet
!/8"-thick side door
require continuous hinges for full sup-
spacer is !/16"-thick spacer
clamped port. Installing the hinges was quite
between door Lower cabinet top easy using the method shown here.
and cabinet
side SIDE SECTION VIEW First, I positioned a spacer under-
!/8"-thick
neath the door for the clearance
Open door
b. Cabinet
spacer
side
between the door and lower cabinet
and hinge
rest on (detail ‘a’). I then clamped another
bottom TOP Door thin spacer between the door and the
Bottom spacer spacer SECT. box
notched around VIEW side upper cabinet to account for the thick-
cabinet corner ness of the hinge knuckle (detail ‘b’).
Marking the screw holes and installing
Bottom spacer the screws is simple with the door held
securely to the cabinet.

Routing on Edge
The top panels of the adjustable desk
(page 34) have roundovers routed 2x4
support
along all the ends, edges, and corners
to soften their look and make them
easier on the hands. And while rout-
ing along the flat faces of the panels is Desk
easy work, there are a few areas where bracket
you have to turn the panels on end to
rout the roundovers, such as around Desk a.
panel
the brackets and in the corners.
CLAMP-ON SUPPORT. When routing along
narrow surfaces like this, the router
tends to tip and spoil the cut. But it’s
easy to solve the problem by clamping SIDE
VIEW !/4" roundover
on a scrap of “two-by” stock to give the bit
router base a wider support platform,
as you can see at right. W

66 • Woodsmith / No. 232

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 hardware & supplies
Sources
Most of the materials and sup- 1"-6 x 36" Acme Rod 98935A862 TOOL CABINET (p.42) MAIL
plies you’ll need to build the • MSC Direct • Amazon ORDER
projects are available at hard- Double Angle Bit . . . . 03197100 Raised Panel Bit . . . B000P4SO72 SOURCES
ware stores or home centers. For • Rockler • Old West Iron Project supplies may
specific products or hard-to-find 5
⁄16"-18 Thrd. Knobs . . . . 54589 Sq. Head Lags . . . . HCL-07-5-16 be ordered from the
items, take a look at the sources Washers . . . . . . . . . . . . . USS-5-16 following
listed here. You’ll find each part THREADED LID CANISTER (p.30) • Lee Valley companies:
number listed by the company The three canisters shown on 45 ⁄8" Pulls . . . . . . . . . . . 02W2792 amazon.com
name. See the right margin for page 30 were made with con- 41 ⁄8" Pulls . . . . . . . . . . . 02W2782
General Finishes
contact information. trasting materials: (front to back) 20" Drawer Slides . . . . 02K3620 800-783-6050
maple/padauk, walnut/padauk, The tool cabinet was finished generalfinishes.com

GREAT GEAR (p.14) and maple/bocote. The cork with two coats of General Finishes Infinity Cutting Tools
• Rockwell Tools applied to the bottom was pur- Oil & Urethane Topcoat in semi- 877-872-2487
infinitytools.com
Vibrafree Sander . . . . . RK4248K chased at a hobby store. gloss, applied with a brush.
• Infinity Cutting Tools Kreg Tool
800-447-8638
Setup Blocks . . . . . . . . . . 100-075 ADJUSTABLE DESK (p.34) WOODWORKING GLUES (p.58) kregtool.com
• MicroJig • McMaster-Carr • Lee Valley
Lee Valley
Dado Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . DS-333 5"-dia. Alum. Discs . . . 9035K51 Old Brown Glue . . . . . . 56K60.10 800-871-8158
3
• T-Clamps ⁄8" x 11⁄2" Alum. Bars . . 8975K41 • Amazon leevalley.com

T-Clamp . . . . . . . . . . . . T-Clamp 3
⁄4" O.D. Spacers. . . . . 92510A798 Molding Glue . . . . B00868ND7K McMaster-Carr
• Kreg Tool 11⁄2" O.D. Spacers. . . . 92510A838 Epoxy . . . . . . . . . . . B0044F59N0 630-833-0300
mcmaster.com
Drawer Slide Jig . . . . KHI-SLIDE 15 lb. Gas Springs . . . . . . 4138T58 • Veneer Supplies
Studded Star Knobs . . 60965K361 Cold Press Glue . . . . . . . . varies MicroJig
855-747-7233
THREADING JIG (p.22) Rubber Sheet. . . . . . . . . . 1374N22 • Sta’-Put microjig.com
• McMaster-Carr The adjustable desk was finished Contact Adhesive . . . . . . . varies
MSC Direct
2" Threaded Knobs . . . . 5993K66 with three coats of lacquer. 800-645-7270
mscdirect.com

Old West Iron

The Complete Woodsmith oldwestiron.com

Rockler

Magazine Collection 800-279-4441

rockler.com

1979 to 2016
Rockwell Tools
866-955-4175
rockwelltools.com

T-Clamps
 Access Every Issue, Article, Tclamps.com

Photo, and Illustration Ever Published! Veneer Supplies

 Every Plan, Tip, and Technique, veneersupplies.com

Everything You’ll Ever Need! Sta’-Put

800-878-7876
 Plus, Get Instant Online Access on Item #WL06U
itwstaput.com

Your Computer, Laptop, Tablet, Woodsmith, The Complete

or Smartphone Magazine Collection
99
on USB Flash Drive...$

Woodsmith.com • 67

WS232_066.indd 67 6/5/2017 1:36:22 PM

 looking inside
Final Details
< SThreading Jig. This
shop-built threading
jig allows you to create
both internal and
external threads using
an ordinary router. And
after you build it, put
it to good use making
one of these attractive
canisters. Plans begin
on page 22. { Smartphone Amplifier. Although small in size,
this acoustic amp puts out a big sound. And
we’ve managed to include a few woodworking
challenges, as well. Turn to page 18 for plans.

In

{ Adjustable Desk. Whether you prefer to sit or stand while

working, this desk adjusts to the perfect working height. The
mechanism that allows it to work is made from off-the-shelf
hardware. We’ll show you how it’s done, starting on page 34.

< CCraftsman-Style Tool Cabinet. With raised panel doors, carved

molding, and stylish knee braces, this tool storage cabinet has
the classic look of fine furniture. But it’s designed to be a hard-
working part of any shop. Turn to page 42 to read more.

WS232_001.indd 68 6/5/2017 8:24:47 AM