Seven Drawer, Chest-on-CheWoodsmith No. 125 ‘October, 1999 Publisher Donald B. Peschke Editor Terry J. Strohman Associate Editors Jon Garbison Vincent Ancona Art Director Todd Lambirth Senior Illustrators David Kreyling Dirk Ver Steg. Mike Mittermeier EditorialIntern Wyatt Myers Graphic Intern Kara Blessing Dave arin « Asien! Mager: Pa ‘Sepa Lowy Wendell Sone fin Brac, ary Moen hy Sth ary hos iC = ‘Vicki Edwards | fake See Beek oe ae ee era cine Se iecrereatteeatorsigze ISU COLUuY SAWDUST I he feature project in this issue is a erry cheston-chest dresser. (The article begins on page 6.) Asthe name implies, it looks like two chests, one stacked on op ofthe other. ‘While it’s similar to several other pieces of cherry bedroom furniture ‘we've builtin the past (there's a photo ofall the pieces on page 35), this chest ‘on-chest hes quickly become one of ‘my favorite projects, But tobe honest, |Lwas having a hard time putting my finger on exactly why Ilikedit so much. So I did alittle scientific research. walked around and asked severalother people what they thought ofthis pro- ject) I kept hearing the same words ‘over and over again: timeless, elegant, heirloom, and classic, ‘A CASS. That got me to thinking about just what is it that makes a pro- Ject “a class” Ive decided its notany ‘one thing. Rather, i's combination of several features that work together to create a special project. In this case, we started with trad tional frameand panel construction and solid wood drawers held together with dovetail joints. Then we refined things abit. We chamfered the edges of the frames that surround the panels. We beveled the edges ofthe drawer fronts, to give the drawers the look of raised panels. Andtoadd interes, we applied strips of cove molding. ‘Altogether these small details add ‘Woorsmith up to an impressive looking pro: ject (Take a look atthe photos on the front cover) Ata glance, it might look Tike an intimidating project to build. But dont let its appearance fool you It actually much easier than itlooks.. For one thing, you don't have to ‘make one big piece of furniture. This cheston-chest dresser is designed o be builtin two separate units. And thejoin- ery used to build the top and boitom chests is the same — the only dffer- ence isthe size ofthe pieces. Speaking of size this isa rather tall project. Itstandsjust over five feet when complete. If that’s too large (or you ‘don’t need that much storage space), you don’ have to build the entire pro- ject. It’s designed so you can build ther the top or the bottom chest and use them separately. DOVETAIL 6. Another way to simplify the construction ofthis cheston-hest dresser is to use a dovetail jig when making the drawers. ‘The dovetail we used is the same fone we've been us forthe last eleven years, (t's the dovetail jig we built back. inissue No. 58) And during that time we've come up with several tips and techniques to get perfectfitting dove- {aljoints, So weveincluded a separate article (beginningon pase 24) that wil help you get the most out ofeither the Woodsmith dovetail jg or other mod- ls of half-blind dovetail jigs. No.125rw bee 4 INSIDE CONTENTS Features Chest-on-Chest.............00c:ccscceceeee 6 Traitional molding, raised panel drawers, and frame and panel construction come together inthis chest-on-chest to create an heirloom that will be passed down for generations. Under-Bed Storage ... +20 Make use of the space under your bed with this pull-out storage project. It can be a great chance to try your hand at routing half- blind dovetail, Or you can choose to build « quicker version with simple vabbets instead of the dovetails. Machine-Cut Dovetails .. 24 Whether you're building one drawer or seven, a common kal: blind dovetail jig makes it easy to rout strong, traditional-looking dovetails. Her’s what you need to know when seting up your jig and rousing the workpieces. Wall-Mounted Utility Shelf .28 One way to keep your worksurface cluterfree is to make sure ou have plenty of storage space — within reach. This easy-to- build shelf is a good solution. It has a convenient “open” design ‘and a handy shop light underneath Table Saw Extension Wing ... 34 One of our readers sent us this clever, space-saving idea. It’s a table saw extension wing with a hinged lid tha lifes up to reveal a handy storage area for your table saw accessories. Machine-Cut Dovetails page 24 Ty Departments Tips & Techniques ... Shop Notes Sources ... Wall-Mounted Utility Shelf page 28 Weodsmith 3TIPS FROM OUR SHOP TIPS & TECHNIQUES Centering a Lathe Faceplate Ido alot of faceplate turn- the workpiece. The spot ingonmy lathe. Butbefore where these lines cross is Istartturning, [often have _ the center, see Fig. trouble trying tocenter the But trying to center the faceplate onthe blank. faceplate on this spot can Findingthe center ofthe bea challenge. Thatis, until blank is easy — you just Irealized thatallittakes to mark diagonallinesacross accurately center a face- plate is a spade bit To center the faceplate, find a spade bit that is the ‘sume diameter as the open- ingon your faceplate. Then, place the point of this bit directly on the centerpoint of your blank. While holding the bit in place, simply slide the face- plate down over the end of the drill bit, see Fig. 2. Now just screw the faceplate to the blank, see Fig. 3 ord J. Menicheschi 3, Pennsyeania SECOND: Sige fee End of bit foblank Whenever I'm sanding ssnall pieces with apalm or belt sander, [like to use a nonskid sanding mat. The problems that Ican never seem to find my sanding mat when I need it. Rather than constantly hunting around my work- shop every time I want to use the mat, I found a way tokeep it within easy reach, atall times, Tattached the mat to the back edge of my bench with a small cleatand afew woodscrews, see drawing, Now, I just flip the mat up on the bench when I need it And whent'm done, itfips back down out ofthe way, see photos at right. David Youngren (Clots, Caforia Woodsmith BUT Cee y ‘you would like to share an original shoptested tip, send it to: Woodsmath, Tips and Technicues, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, lowa 50312. Or if it’s easier, FAX it to us at: 515-282-6741, Or use our E-Mail address: woodsmith@woodsmith.com. Include a brief explanation and sketch or photo. A your tip is published, you'll receive $30 to $150, depending on the published length. And don’t worry, we'll rewrite the tip and redraw the art, if necessary. Also, please include a daytime phone number so we can contact you if we have any ‘questions regarding your tip. No. 125Radial Arm Saw Cut Indicator ‘Sometimes, lll havea pro- ject that requires a lot of precise crosscuts on my radial arm saw. But with radial arm saw, itcanbe dif. ficult to line up the saw lade with the layout line ‘on the workpiece. To solve this problem, 1 placed several strips of ‘masking tape on thetable- top in the path ofthe blade. ‘When I make the first cut, the blade leavesaneatline in the masking tape. Now Icanline up thelay- cout fine on my board with the edge of the tape and easly cut it tothe desired Tength, see drawing. Note: ‘Make sure your tape cov- ‘rage s wider than theact- alcuts9itwon'tbe covered ‘up by your workpiece. James C. Smith Washingon, Hvis Cutting a Lid from a Box Over the years, I've seen several different waysto cut alid roma shop-made box. But the method Ive used for years seems faster and easier than any other. First set the saw blade about ¥fo" below thetthick- ness of the box sides, see Fig. 1a. (C usually just eye- ball this measurement by placing a scrap from my box up against the blade.) “Thea, adjust the rip ence so the distance between the fence and blade equals the desired height of the lid, see Fig. la. ‘Now, simply rip allfour sides ofthe box, see Fig 1. ‘Butbecause the blades set just below the thickness of the box sides, the lid will remain attached tothe box No. 125 Transferring a Pattern Creating a fullsize pattern froma scaled drawing can abe a hit of a challenge, even ifthe scaled drawing isonagnid. Ive tried enlag- ing patterns on a copy ‘machine before, butit’s dit ficult to get precise dimen- sions on a photocopy. ‘To make things easier, I ‘use patern cutting board. ‘These can usualy be found fat any store that sells ‘sewing supplies. ‘The pattern cutting board bas a nice, bold 1" square grid printed on it by a thin membrane of wood. This membrane is, just enough to keep the kerf of the wood from pinching the saw blade. ‘Once you've ripped all four sides of the box, the lid is ready to be removed. ‘Todo this, use a sharp uti ity knifeto cut through the membrane, see Fig. 2. Note: Aiways cut through ‘Woodsmith Plus, the col umns are ‘numbered for easy layout To transfer a 1"-square ‘grid pattern from a mage- ine or book, Istart by tap ingapiece of racing paper down to the board and transfer the coordinates from the drawing to the ‘tracing paper. Then I simply connect the dots and cut out the pattern to use on my workpiece. Ronnie Sor Eden, North Carolina the membrane on all four sides. IFyou crack the men brane, you might acciden- tally damage the lid. After you've separated the lid from the box, sand all the edges to completely remove the remaining slivers of the ‘membrane, see Fig. 3 Bueron B. Taylor Sacramento, Cabfoma1 UEEVUOIAS PROJECT CHEST-ON-CHEST With its cherry frame and panel construction and raised panel drawers, this chest-on-chest will be an elegant focal point in any bedroom. Chest Options > With afew minor modifications, ether section of the chest-on-chest can be ble as a separate project. The lower chest requires a slid wood top, se lft photo and poge 13. And the upper chest only needs a kickboard base, see right phowo and ag 17. Woodsmith, his project has a long history —in ore ways tan one. Woodworkers hhave been building cheston-chestfur- niture for over two hundred years. And while this project isnt a histor- cal reproduction itgotits startiwelve years ago with a bedroom set that began with a lingerie chest in Wood- ‘mith No. $3. (To get an idea ofwhat allthe pieces lok like, check out the photo on page35) ‘Though this chest-on-chestis tall, don't tits imposing size and classic details fool you. Like the other dressers in the bedroom set, the join- ery isn't complicated. The cases are made up of frame and panel assem blies built with tongue and groove joinery. And the machinecut, half blind dovetails make quick work of ‘assembling all seven ofthe drawers. Even the bevels on the drawerfronts are easier than they look. (They're simply eut on the table saw) To further simplify the building process the upper and lower chests are built separately. This also gives you the option of building Gvitha few minor modifications) one or both chests as separate pieces of furniture, see pair of photos below. No. 125Ai, [| Najen BACK ASSEMBLY Sethck Panels are i plywood. O~ NOTE: To make comer yoine, seo below ee SIDE ASSEMBLY inake to) eS oo ee een, NOTE Fame ae me Seen © ‘eitting commer joints are ee Lower Chest Case ‘The upper and lover chestsarenearly mixed up, labeled them carefilly. panel assemblies have been glued itentical and youcan start with ether. Next, cut centered groovesonall together, the two front stiles (D)can Itend to work from the ground up, 0 the pieces to hold the plywood panels. be cut to size, see Case Exploded Tegan by building the case of the Then to complete the frames, Leuta View. Then you're ready to cut the Ibwer chest, see Case Exploded View. stub tenon on the ends ofall the rails corner joints for the case. FRAME & PANELS. The case is made (A, B, E&P), sizing them to fitinto CORNER JOINTS. The corners of the up of three frame and panel assem- the grooves, see detail's'above. case are held together with tongue blies glued into a Ushape with two Already you're at the point where and groove joints, see box. Butafter stile pieces added to the front, see youcan dry assembletheframesand cutting the groove in both the front Case Exploded View. For now, I cut the side panels (D) and back _stlesand the stiles on the back assein- began work on the frame pieces. _ panel () to ft in the grooves, Just _bly,youllneed to cut an extra rabbet, Both the sides and back have an note the direction of the grain when see Steps 1 and in box below. upper (A, E) ard lower rail (B, F) cutting the back panel — it should At this point, i's hard to see the and two stiles (C, G). Andto make run vertcallylkeit doeson thesides. purpose for these rabbets. But when sure al these frame pieces didnt get FRONTSTIS. After the frame and some dadoes are cut in the back Pe UIT SCs © Each corner of = front stile ri ig. Frontstilo thecaseisheld 4) ]] ("/— assembiy Mawel, tnd beck fogetieewithan |—4L- fencelarm, s5embiy ordinary tongue and groove Zig We joint, What's out of the ordi- nary is the rabbet cut on the grooved pieces (the front and dack stiles). This rabbet 9] Fist using a 14'-wide dado My Now on the same edges @ Finally tongues can be cut “hides” some dacoes cut later Ml blade, cuta groove Is" deep lm as the grooves, cut a 4". “eon the side assemblies to so you won't be able to see along the back assembly stiles deep rabbet with a dado blade fit into the /"-wide groovesin them on the outsie ofthe case. and two frontsiles. ‘buried in an auxiliary fence. the back and front stiles. 8 Woodsmith No. 125NOTE Cut front sie seoig. 2 ee assembly and front stiles later, these rabbets will preventthe dadoes from being visible on the outside of the case, see details'c and ‘” Note: When cutting the corner joints, make sure that the good face ‘ofthe plywood will end up on the out side ofthe case when it’s assembled. RAIL DADOES. After the mating tongues are cut on the side assem blies (Step 3in box), the dadoes Lust ‘mentioned can be eat. These dadoes vill hold rails that eveate the drawer ‘openings. And their positions on the front stile and back assembly are the ‘same, soyou can cutthem atthe same time, see Figs. 1and2. But there are a couple things I should mention. Fst, ince the rails create the draw Nore cer openings, the center dado on each ata oF piece should be positioned carefully 0 the openings end up the same height. Second, the dadoes are cut A While asembling the cas, position Y" deep, but they should be a the clamp heads ‘smidgen less than the rabbet cut er- Nore: careful so the lier, refer to details'‘c’ and ‘a’ at lef. a front stiles will ‘Thedadloes shouldnt cut across the Font squore| end up tight shoulder ofthe rabbet, or youl see Sanaa them after the caseis assembled. AsseMBLY. At this point, the case can be glued together, see Fig. 3, Thousi there are front stiles, you're basically dealing with athreesided assembly, and keeping the corners square can be atrick, My solution was to add a “fourth” side to the assembly by clamping a temporary spacer between the sides, Sail, even with the spacer, ‘youll want to position your clamps ‘areflly, see margin photo at right b pore INSIDE RLS, Aer te gue has dried, : I] fiesseer on, sixrilscan be added tthe case, se ‘Sock osenbly RailExploded View: These strength enthefrontofthe case and create the raver openings, and they side into the dadoes already cut in the case. So after cutting the inside rails () Brckcenterral tofitbetween the sides (measuring t use pring camo the back of the case), a tongue can be cut on each, see details‘a’ and ‘b’ Gluing the inside rails is pretty straightforward — just clamp them in place, However, you won't be able ‘get clamps on the middle railin back. Buta couple of thin scraps will work just fine as “spring’ clamps. These are simply wedged between the front and back rails, see Exploded View. No.125 ‘Woodsmith 9Theend of a ‘rowed chamfer im'esymmerrical, bru with a dowel ‘and some sand- paper, you can smal both sides look the same. Case CONTINUED ‘With the rails giued inside the case, there are a few odds and endsleft to complete the case. First, the front rails require some trim pieces. Then drawer runners and guides need to be added to the case. And finally, [routed some decorative chamfers. Rall TRIM. At this point, the inside rails aren't flush with the frontof the case. But there’s an easy solution. I ‘added tvim pieces cu o Ht beween the front stiles, see Fig. 4. The wide trim (K) covers the rails and the ‘openings above the top and bottom: ralls, see Fig. 4. The marrow trim (1) simply covers the mide all just. like edging ona piece of plywood. ‘To attach the trim pieces, you'll need to cut grooves to ft over the tongues on therails, see Fig. 4a Then they can be glued in place. DRAWER RUNNERS & GUIDES, Next, I added runners and guides for the drawers that “bridge” the railsinside the case, see Figs. 5 and 5b. These ‘seopicce assemblies wil support the ‘sides of the drawers and guide them in and out of the case. First, I cut six runners (M) to fit between the rails, see Figs. 5 and 5b. “Then the guides (N) can be planed or resawn 54" thick. (This wey, the ‘ones on top will be flush with the top of the case.) The guides are ripped to stick out from behind the front stiles Yo", see Fig Se. Tis way, the drawers won'trub against the stiles as they're opened and closed. With the pieces cut to size, they can be glued together and thenglued to the rails inside the case ‘CHAMFERS. The last thing to do is rout some chamifers. The oneson the outside corners are no big deal. I marked the starting and stopping points and routed to the lines with a chamfer bit, see Fig. 6. Then I cleaned up theends, see margin photo at left. ‘There are also stopped chamfers oon the nsides ofthe frames, and these require different approach, see Fig. ail incase 7.Since te plywood panels getin the ‘way ofthe bearing on a chamer bit, Tused a quick,shopmade jig and aV- ‘groove bit. (ll explain more about this procedure on page 18) Nore: ut grooves tot tongues on inside aie Rout stopped ‘chomferion =/| BASE ‘EXPLODED. VIEW @ NoTE:Add Cove molding sorrom, Sitersrewing FRAME BACK frameand ice "™AM boardtocase plywood. Kickgoaro Lower Base With the case compte, Ibegan work ‘on the twopart base it sits on, see Base Exploded View. This is just a frame and panel with a ullnose pro- file that sits on a mitered kickboard. soTTOM Fran. To make the bottom frame and panel, Icut the front (O), sides (P), and back (Q) to finished width but rough length. Then to hold the 14" plywood panel, a centered -growve iscut on each piece. The front ‘corners are mitered so the complet ‘ed frame will overhang the case 114" at the front and sies. (Is flush with the back.) The back piece is cut to ft between the sides, but remember to allow for the stub tenons that are cut to fitin the grooves. All the bottom and top frame assemblies havea bullnose pro- fle, These are routed with a/" roundover (aised Yo", see Step 1) anda" roundover, see Step 2, When the frames are attached to the case, the Ys" roundover should face towards the case, while the 1/! edge ‘aces avoay from the case. No.125 withthe bit raised 3" above the table. nore: Bottom frame and kickboard sttached to «ase flush wih bock ard ‘centered sde-toside After thepanel (R) wascutto size and the frame was glued together, I routed a bullnose profile around the sides and front, see detail? This is done in two steps with two different- sized roundover bits. For more on this, take alook at the boxbelow. lcxboard. Next, I worked on akick- board assembly that consists of a front (S), back (S), and sides (1), sce Base Pxploded View. These pieces are miteredon both ends, (The frame will overhang the kickboard %4" on the front and sides, see detail‘) With any frame that has beveled miters, ile to add splinesto the cor. ners, see detail’ This both strength ens the frame and makes it easier to assemble, (go into this process of ‘adding splines a bitmore on page 18) ‘When the kickboard is assembled, ‘you can glue it to the bottom of the bullnose frame (the face with the i" radius), see detail'c’ above. ASSEMBLY & COVE MOLDING. Now the frame and kickboard assembly can bescrewed to the case flush with the back and centered side-to-side, see dezails‘a' and ‘c’above. Then I creat- edsome cove molding (U) with a4" core router bit, see detail ‘c’ Start with a 96’-thick blank that’s extra wide, Rout the profile and then rip the molding %" wide) This molding ‘ismitered and glued and nailed tothe front and sides of the case. ‘Frame and pare! ‘asemby The first step to routing the bull- nose is to rout a Ja" roundover ‘Woodsmith the fence to guide the assembly Now on the oppcsite edge of the fame, routa 1" roundover usingDrawers With the base of the lower chest complete, I began workon the twolarge drawers, see Drawer Exploded View. These fea- ture raised pane fronts and hal bind dovetails that [routed with a ‘common router jig, see page 24. (UT TO Sze. The first thing to dois ‘cut the drawer fronts (V) to size from °f!thick stock and the backs (W) tothe same size from 14? maple, see Exploded View. These pieces are sized so that when the assembled drawers are placed into the cas, there will be a 4s" gap at the top and bot- tom and on each side. Then the sides ©) can be cut rom 14" maple, After routing the half blind dove- tails on each piece, [cut a groove i each to hold « bottom (¥). Don't worry too much about the exact dimensions here. The importantthing with this groove is that i's sized to hold 1" plywood and is centered on the bottom tailon the sie pieces. RAISED PANELS. Before assembling the drawers, there's sila couple of things to do. First, [cut the raised panels on all he fronts, see detail’. This can be done on the table saw, ‘withthe blade tited 12° and atall aus- iliary fence added to support the fronts. Gee page 19 for more.) prevents drawer Being pulled outof case Smyestes ae feat et a a BACK NOTE: Towut (#" maple) razed panels on @ table sau see page 19 Center groove ferbottam on bottom ta he For more on routing Talend dovetaty, see article on page 24 ‘Second, two notchesare cut in each, back piece so they will ft over the Arawerstops that willbe added later. PUUS. Afler assembling the draw- ‘ers, laded the bail-iyle pulls, see detail ‘a’ My first inclination was to center the mounting holes top to bot 2 ‘Woodsmith tom. But looks are deceiving here. ‘The holes actually need tobe drilled above center. Fis, since the pulls are ‘mounted with a threaded postand a nut, [drilled a counterbore insite the drawer to hide the nut and post. also trimmed the post slightly) GUIDE STRIPS. Now all that’s left are some litle details to add to the case that will make the drawer easier to ‘open and close. First, I added nylon slide tape to each runner, see Fig. 8 ‘This makes the drawer slide more smoothly, but it also “lifts” the draw- eroffthe railand trim, reducing wear. Nea, [added two ¥f"thick stops @ to the rails below the drawers, see Fig. 8. They siop the drawers fish with the front of the case. And since there will be twelve stops Ginckiding the upper chest), I made a rabbeted ‘pacer to positon them. The shoulder of this spacer rests on top of the rail ‘nd matches the thicknessat theedge ofthe drawer front, see Fig. Finally I screwed a turn button to the rails that are above the drawers so you can't accidentally pull the draw- fersall the way out, se Fig. 9. No. 125TOP EXPLODED SS vIEW Top Frame Allthat's left isto add the top tothe case, see Top Exploded View. This frame and panel assembly is nearly _»~®’ ieatical tothe botom one you built cater. Bu this ine, the pieces are wider so you can attach the upper and lower chests with threaded inserts and machine screws later. And sec- FRAME, ond, the profile on the edge is ori- ented different — the 4" roundover willend up on the bottom of the frame. After the top frame front (AA), sides (BB), back (CC), and panel (DD) have been glued together, it canbe screwed tothe top ofthe ease, and the cove molding can be added Butfirst, to fill in the gaps atthe froat 1 2 Zs This lower case and back, [added a couple °"thick 1.) BOTTOM SECTION VIEW can “stand on its spacers (EE), see detal’b. oun’ as.aprojct OPTIONAL TOP. If you're just building. All ic requires is. a4 the lower chest, yall want to make 4 solid wood top solid wood top instead ofthe frame panel witha bull- and panel assembly. Just glue up a nose profile. panel and cutitto size 2034" 38°/!), Gee seit ieee pec Cty ot : thebullose profi onthe front and | BEES sides and screw itt the case. (Youll ie ‘want to add the spacers here too.) Berea LOWER CHEST MATERIALS & CUTTING DIAGRAM A Upr Side Ralls (2) %4 x 3 - 1334 G Back Stiles (2) %4x3-21% — M Drawer Runners (6) ¥4 x 1%s- 15¥ B Lr Side Rails(2) %4x3%-13% Hi BackPanel(1) —Yaply.-31x15% N Drawer Guides (6) 9x 12-17% € Side Stiles (4) 34x 2%4-21% Front Stiles (2) ¥%4x13%4-21% © Bim. Frame Fr (1) ¥%4x 234 - 38% 1 D Side Panels (2) ply. -134x15% J inside Rails(6) 34x 19@-35 -P._Bm. Frame Sds. (2) %4x2%4 - 20% E Upr. Back Rail(1) %x 3-31 K Wide Tam (2) %4x 194-33 Btm. Frame Bk. (1) 44x2-34% F Lwr Back Rail(1) %4x 39-31 L Narrow Trim (1) 34x34-33 R Btm. Frame Pol. (1) Ye ply. - 16%2x34%5 $i" x 54¢- 96" Chery (Two Boards © 3.5 Bd. Ft. Each) S Kickboard Fr/Bk. (2) ¥%& x 3% - 38 i s T Kichboard Sides 2) 3% x 3% - 20 U Cove Molding (1) %x%- 160. in. V Drawer Fronts (2) 34x 8% - 32% W Drawer Backs (2) 19x 8¥%4- 32% X Drawer Sides (a) x 8%- 17% Y Drawer Btms. (2) Yeply.- 1796x32% Z Drawer Stops(4) Yax 1-3 ‘AATop Framer. (I) Y4x 42-38% BB Top Frame Sd. (2) 34x 4Y2 - 20% CC Top Frame Bk. (1) ¥% x 3¥%- 30% x x5"- 96" chery (3.3 Bl Ft) as ia Jit x 5" 96" Chery (3.3 Bd. Ft) x ipsam Ra Riaeeie cian presen sa al PUR) DD Top Frame Pai. (1) Yaply = 1336 20% 77 1 Z SS EE Spacers (2) Sex 1% - 32% * (4) 3" Brass Bail Pulls w/Porceiain Rosettes Se a ie ea + () Pastic Turn Buttons w/Screws x vias x Also NEEDED: + (1) 6-long Nylon Glide Strip sheet of le" cherry + (8) #8 x 134" Fh Woodscrews Pinwoodand one,» (8) #8 x 1¥4" Fh Woodscrews i meple pinmod + (20) %4'Iong Wire Brads No. 125 Woodsmith, B; : It doesn't take long to see thatthe ‘upper unit is nearly identical to the lower one, see photo. The case con- struction isthe same, and the draw- ersare too. Tere area few notable differences, though. There are two narrow drawersat the top thers'sn0 ickboard (unless you're building just this unit, see box on page 17), and the top is a sold wood panel SIDE & BACK PINES, Like the lower unit Tegan by building the side and backcpanels see Case Exploded View below. After cuting the side andback rails (A, B, E, F) and stiles (C, G) to size, I cut the grooves and stub tenons that woald hold their panels (D, H) and then glued the three frame and pane assemblies together. Next, the front stiles (1) can be cutto size, and the tongue and groove joins (with the extra rabbet on the front stile and back assembly) can be cut for the comers ofthe case, see detai'b’ and the box on page & Now before you can gue up the case, there area few dacioes to cut. ‘These will hold the inner rails, so you ned to eut five dadoes in the ae front siles and back assembly, see Exploded View and detail ‘a’ Again, position the dadoes carefully The bot- tom three drawer openings should ‘end up the same— youdon't want to have to custom fit each drawer. Wheryou've got all the dadoes cut, the case can be assembled, This chest is slightly taller than the lower unit, buttheassembly is exactly the same. ‘The number of pieces is the same, | qureer rail =, ode for ‘ioe tera F Back 22% | assembly & mee Gs NOTE: Dadoes FRONT STE eae ote sore fg sts foe ete sa Baer a u Wosdsnith NOTE: All dade ee and [used a temporary spacer atthe front to hold the case square justlike did before, refer to Fig. 30n page 9. INNER RAILS 2TH. After the gluehas — ~ ried, cut ten inside rails (J) to fit between the sides of the case, see Fig. 1. Tonguesare cut on theserails to ft into the dadoes in the front and back of the case, and then the rails can be glued in place. Here again, you'll need to use “spring” clamps Dade for Insie ral opm) & No, 125(thin strips of wood) to hold the mid- dle back rails in place, refer to the Rail Exploded View on page 9, Next, the wide (K) and narrow ‘rim (L) can be ext to size, and the ‘grooves that ft over the tongues on therails can be cut, see Figs. and la After the trim has been glued in plac, the chamferson the inside and outside of the case are ready to be routed, These are identical to the ones on the lower case, and Tused the samme jig for routing around the insides of the frames, see page 18. With the chamfersrouted, i's time towork on the pieces inside the ease that support and guide the drawers. ‘Ason the lower chest, the ten draw- er runners (M) arc guides (N) will end up glued together as a single assembly, with the runners fitting between the rails ard the guides rest- ing on top of the nls, see Figs. 1b and Le, Butthe important things that ‘when these assemblies are added io thecase, the guides need to stick out past the front stiles 42" so the draw- ers dont rub against the stiles, see Figs. 1eand 1d, DRAWER DIVIDER. A this point, there area couple of new" pieves to add to thecase. To divide the top opening in half for the two narrow drawers, a vertical divider and an additional suide and runner assembly need to beadded, see Figs.2 and 3. ‘The center divider (O)is simply a3/!thickcpiece ofstock that’s cutio fit between the upper two rails, see Fig. 2. As I was measuring for the divider, [noticed aslight bow in one ofthe rails This isn uncommon since case, where there was no.chance of owing. Then after cutting the divider to this length, it can be screwed in place, centered side-toside and flush with the front edge, see Fig. 2a. ‘CONTER RUNNER 2 CUIDE. With the divideriin place, the last pieces to add assemblies. But here, the pieces extend past the ceiter divider on bath sides, so one runner and guide will work for both drawers, see Fig. 3a. (When glued in place, the guide should stand proud ofthe divider" oneach side.) Also, to fit behind the thecase is fairly wile, And the soli. arethe center runner (P)and guide drawer divider, the runner sets back tionis imple. I measured the height (Q), see Fig. 3. These dothe same from the end ofthe guide only 34"in between the rails atthe side of the thing as the other runnerand guide the front, see Figs 2a and 3. come, aaa ‘cuDE. ae : ® ‘ 4 FRONT SDE oy a seanion or : sw ©) wen Bue Naber 14 Uy ele ij Men my —el sone Woodsmith 15NOTE: Cove moling olued ‘nd naied to ease front Sra stow, not To top pene! cove motoing Oeste) Mounting hole for! — BASE & TOP EXPLODED VIEW You're on the home stretch now. To complete the upper chest, all that’s left is to add a base frame, top panel, and some drawers. BASE RAKE. Like the lower chest, I worked on the base first. But where the lower base hasa frame and panel anda kickboard, the base here isjust EE a) NOTE: To cut ‘aed panels on {able saw see page 19 16 a bottom frame with a front (R), ssides (S), back (1), and panel (U), see Base & Top Exploded View and details above. The front corners are mitered (the back has stub tenons that fit in the grooves for the panel), ‘and the bullnose profileis routed on both the front and sides. (The #4" roundover ison top.) And ater screw- ing the frame to the case, some 54". ‘Wooddsmith thickeove molding (V) can beelued and nailed to the case, see detail ‘c.’ Note: If you're building the upper chest by itself, you'll need to build a kickboard for it, see box on nextpage. ‘oP. The top of this chest is solid ‘wood. So rather than make a frame and panel assembly, I glued upa‘4"- thick top panel (W) and cut itto fin- ished size, see Exploded View above. Like the top on the lower chest, this. panel still gets the bullnose roundover (with the 4" roundover on the bottom this time). And when attaching it to the case, it requires the same spac- ‘ers Q%, But thistime, the shank holes should be oversized so the panel can ‘expand and contract, see detail. ‘This expansion and contraction also means you dorit want to glue or nail the cove molding to the solid wood top only tothe sides of the case DRAWERS. Finally, there are a few drawers to build, see Fig. 4. You'll need three large and two narrow drawers. The large and small draw- er fronts (Y, CC) are 9A" thick. The backs (Z, DD) and sides (AA, EE) are ¥fthick maple, and the bottoms (BB, FF) are 1" plywood. Asbetor,Iined the drawers with haléblind dovetails routed with adove- tail jig (see page 24) and cut the raised. panels on the table saw (see page 19). No. 125‘And inside the ease, Tadded nylon stlide tape, ¥/thick drawer stops (GG), and plastic turn button catch es, see Figs, 4a and 4b, But note that onthe small drawers there's only one stopeentered in the opening (and one notch cut on the drawer back), ATTACH UPPER & LOWER CHESTS. Finally, you can attach the upper and lower chests. To secure the two, I mounted fourthreaded inserts into the bottom ofthe upper chest, see details ‘a and ‘c inthe Exploded View at lef. Togeta threadedinsertin straight canbe areal trick, and typically use anutand a section ofa bolt chucked into a dill press, turning the chuck by hhand. But here, Ihed to use a shop- ‘made hand tool to get the insert in straight, se page 19. Then I drilled the mounting holesin the lower chest and attached the two with machine bolts, see detail ‘c’in the Exploded View on previous page. 18 aie iy te Th) 3 ‘The upper chest can also be built asa standalone piece of furniture. (It end up 3754" tal.) All you need to dois build a kickboard that’s sized so the bottom frame overhangs it $4! on the front and sides, see drawing and detail ‘a below. Adding splines to the corners will make the assembly easier (and stronger), see page 18.To attach thekickboard, first glue ito the bottom frame and then screw the assembly tothe case, Hardboard ‘spline ‘A Upr Side Rails (2) ¥%x3- 12% B Lut Side Rails(2) 34x 35% - 1256 € Side Stiles (4) ¥ax2%4-3256 D Side Panels (2) E Upr. Back Rail 1) ¥4x3 - 28% UPPER CHEST MATERIALS & CUTTING DIAGRAM Yap. 12%x26% 1 42x 7" 96" Cherry Two Boards @ 4.7 Bd. Ft. Fach) F Lr Back Rail (1]9%x3%- 28% K Wide Trim(2) 34x 196 - 30% G Back Stiles (2) 3%4x3-3256 L NarowTim@) 34 x34-30% H Back Panel (1) Ya ply.-28%x26% Mi Drawver Runners (10)¥4 x 1946 - 14% Front Stiles (2) 34x 1%4-32% N Drawer Guides (10) 54 x 12 - 16% 4. Inside Rails (10) %4 x 13-32% © Vertical Divider(1) %x 1% - 6% P Dut Ctr Runner (1) 44x 1% - 14% Q Dit Ctr. Guide (1) %4x %e - 15% R Bim Frame Fr (1) 34x 33%6- 36% Bim Frame Sds. 2} 34x 34-19% T Btm. Frame Bk. (1) 34x 3% - 30% U_ Bim. Frame Pri. (1) ¥% ply. - 13 x 30% V Cova Molding (1) 56x34 - 150. in WopPanel(1) 94x 19%- 36% w w Giff, Spacers (2) Ax 14-30% ex Tie" -96" Chery (4.8 Bd. Ft) Y Lg, Drawer Fronts (3)34 x 7 - 30%% Z Lg, Drawer Backs (3) Ye x7 - 30% r ALG, Drawer Sides (6) 6 x7 - 16% 2 BB (g. Dwr. Btms. (3) Yaply. - 16%6x30% 7h" - 96" Chery (4.8 Bd Fe) CC Sm. Dw Fronts (2) 44 x 644 - 14% é ] DDSm. Dwr Backs (2) ex 6¥e- 147% if x EE Sm. Dwr Sides (4) Ye x 6% - 16% 5.72" Chey 584. Po FF Sm Dwr, Btms.(2). Yaply.- 1654x1936 —— ‘Ausoneeped, —-GGDrawer Stops (8) Yax 1-3 Opgaixs'sheet 5 (6) 3-Brass Ball Pulls Porcelain Rosettes 7-72" Maple (Three Board! © 36 Sa. Ft. Each) ondendore,, + (5) Pastic Turn Buttons w/Screws eel x maplepiwroed’ —_* (1) 15’ Nylon Glide Strip, | potmunts * (0) #8 126° Fh Woodscrews ‘yt x Tut ~ 72" Maple (Tivo Boards @ 36.5. F. Each) Genbebuttwty — * (8) #8x 1%) Fh Woodscrews grefullshestaf , = (20) 4-long Wire Brads 20 ee ca andoneshector + (4) Yt-20 x 1¥4 Rh Machine Screws maple plywood « (a) ¥'-20 Brass Threaded inserts No.125 Woodsmith 7TIPS FROM OUR SHOP SHOP NOTES Routing Inside Chamfers To create a chamfer, I typi- cally use a router and a chamfer bit. But with the stopped chamfers on the inside edges ofthe frames ‘onthe cheston-chest (page 6), the panels interfered with the bearingon the bit, Instead Lused a V-groove bit with a shopmade edge suide, see drawing at right. AY-groove bithas no bear- ing to get in the way, and the guide keeps the bit a ‘uniform distance from the piece. Plusit automatically starts and stopsthe cham- fer at each corner, ‘Tomake the edge guide, first replace the original router base with one made from 14" hardboard, see rawing atright. The guide is another piece of hard- board cut 114" wide, When gluing this rectangular piece to the new hase, just be sure that it’s centered ‘onthe point ofthe V-groove bit Go there's %" on either side of the bit), see detail ‘a'below right. Before routing the frame, ‘un on the routerand raise the bit into the guide until itsat theright height Then rout the chamfer, using the edge guide to startand stop the chamfer along each edge, see Figs. 1 and 2. What of ef nee Stop an soriof ciamfers Miter & Spline Joint The kickboard kase of the chestonchestisjpined with miters, and [decided to add splines to the corners for a couple reasons, see photo, First, aspline stengthensa niter joint by providing ‘more glue surface. Second (and more importantly), miters tend to side out of ligament as you glue and clamp the pieces together, and the splines help keep everything aligned. CUT NERFS, The frst thing todoiscutthe keris for the splines. To do this, simply lower the saw blade after cating the miter, butkeep the blade tilted 45°. Then slide the rip fence over to actas a stop, see Fig. 1 This is simple enough, butthere area few things to keep in mind. like to cut the kerf closer to theinside corner (the heel) rather than the tip, see Fig.2, This, ‘way, the tipisn'tas likely to bredkif the jointis sessed, Pius, this lets me insert a wider spline to provide ‘more glue surface. SPLINE, Next, splines can be cut to fit in the kerfs. hidden, I used 14" hard: boardrather than cutsolid wood splines. (But if you do use solid wood splines, the gran should run azross thejoint) And justto be on the safe side, I cut my splines chtly narrower than the depth of both kerfs, so the spline won't prevent the miter fromlos- ing completely. OY Deeper kerf hols wider spline — ft eatin — ses Bae ctepth ot erg 1 Hardboard “spline 18 Woeddsmith No. 125Threaded Inserts When it was the time to attach the upper and lower units ofthe chestonchest, Thad afew threaded inserts toinstall,see margin photo. Thisis usually done with a nut, a bolt, and arratchet. The trick with this proce- dure is keeping the insert straight as you're driving it easy as you might think. So to help install the insert in the upper units, [got out a hand-held threaded insert {ool that Pd made earlier, see photo below. The tool isjusta block of hardwood with a3/"-deep notch eutin one corner, see rawing. A counterbored holes drilled through the A This simple toolmakes ic easy to stall a threaded insert straight. A nylon bushing and a spring help hold the threaded insert upright a it's driven into che workpiece, Raised Panels on the Table Saw ‘Many raised panels have a slightly curved profile that requires a special router bit. Butthe raised pands onthe drawers of the cheston- chest are simple bevels, and you can cut them eas- ity on your table saw, see Fig. 1 below. But there are a couple of tips Tean pass along to make the job go easier and so you end up with smooth, clean bevels and square shoulders. TABLE SAW SETUP. The first thing you'll need to do is, adda all auxiliary fence to your rip fence, see Fig. 1 Cuting the bevels on the Tong edges is no problem, but when standing the pieces on end, youtl want extra support. With the ausiliary fence in pace, tilt the say blade (12°) and raiseitto the cor- rect height (/', see Fig. 1. Then using a test piece, notchto hold a 34-20 hex head bolt and anyon bush ing. The through hole is, sized to hold the bol, and the #" tae ok END VIEW NOTE: Width of ‘groove should Thatch plyorood ie ore HE lwo ‘Auxiliary ‘feoce en view Thekness 0d holes for my hinge screws. ‘ADD WHEHS. All that's left now is to add the wheels. Hex bolts serve as “axles,” and washers and lock nuts hold everything together, se detal‘a! No, 125 ‘NOTE: Align lid —__withendsof box in the Exploded View on page 21. Shop Note: To make the axles forthe wheels, I cut 2"Jong bolts down to. 194".Lused 2" bolts (instead of short- erones) so each wheel has a smooth, unthreaded portion to ride on. 69 Ahandl allows ou to grip the box swhen pulling it cout from tender V the bedWOODWORKING TECHNIQUE MACHINE-CUT DOVETAILS With a router and a dovetail jig you can cut a perfect-fitting joint in seconds. The trick is getting the jig set up properly. Jogncete trims ficult, All it takes is a little A Clamp pieces in jig. After positioning both used a dovetail jig. I don't _ patience and perseverance. workpieces undemeath he jg template, tight knowifitwasthehigh-powered HALEBUINDKS."There are sev- en doum the cams on the clamping bars 10 scream ofthe router,theshower eralkinds ofdovetailjigson the hold the workpieces securely in place. ‘ofchips, or therhythmic motion market designed to cut a vat ‘of moving the roiter in and out ety of dovetais. But one of the around the template, but I was more common types is that hooked. For the next few which cuts half-blind dovetails, ‘months, [used dovetails onjust see box below. (Half blind dove- about every project made. tails are often used on drawers ‘Although that intial excite- where you don’t want the dove- ‘menthas subsided alittle, Istill tails tobe sible from the front) think a dovetail jig is a great All halt-blind dovetail jigs accessory for any shop. I can't work in the same fashion, see ‘imagine building the cheston- series of photos at right. The chest featured inthisissue with- two workpieces are clamped in ‘out one. For speed and accura- the jig at a right angle. Then a cyadovetal ig is hard to beat. _comb-like template is placed But there’s more to cutting _overthe workpieces. A bushing ‘dovetails than simply flipping on the router base (or some- A Rout dovetails. The template guides the the switch on your router. The times a bearing on the router router in and out asthe dovetails and pins Jig and router requires a care- bi) guidesadovetailshaped bit are rowed simultaneously. This ensures fulsetup.Plus,youIneedacou- aroundthe“ingers” ofthe tem- _perfecthy-ligned joint every time. He testpieces to“finetune” the plate, cutting both the pins and fit Fortunately, thisisn'ttoodif- the tails at the same time. HALF-BLIND DOVETAIL JIGS While there are anumber ofhalfblind differences lie in the type of clamping: dovetail jigs on the market, tHey all system (ome use cams, others use work in the same manner. The main wing nuts) the material used for the template (plastic or metal), and the ease of adjusting the stops. A bare-bones jig can be purchased for as litle as $60 while heavier duty -versions sell for $300 to $350. Eeditor’s Note: Athough we used the Woodsmith dovetail jigfor this article, the procedure isnearlydentical for all halé-blind dovetail jigs ofthis type. Test fit. With the pieces removed from the < jig, west the fc ofthe joint. The ras should slide hafuay into the seckets. A soft mallet ‘an then be used to drive the joint home, 2 Woedsmith, No. 125‘The template controls the spacing ofthe dovetails. Most templates ace designed to cut ¥p"-vide dovetails spaced 7" apart, So it’s best to plan your projects so the width (height) ofthe drawers is alvaysa multiple of 7h. This way, you'll end up with a joint that is symmetrical —a perfect hralfpn on both the top and the bot tom, see drawing in margin, STS. The template may control the spacing ofthe dovetals, but there are sill a couple of adjustments that ‘you'll have to make to control the fit ofthe joint And since you don't want to risk ruining your finished work: pieces, you'l need to practice on a couple oftest pieces that are the same with and thickness as your drawer pieces. Then once you get the set- tings just right, youcan rout the dove: tails on your actual workpieces. SETTING UP THE 6. Essentially, there are three different adjustments that you'll need to be concerned with ‘when setting up the jig. First, a “stepped” stop on each end of the jg is used to create an offset between the two workpieces anil to position them from sideso- side underneath the template. (On some jigs, this offset is created by ‘using two separate stops) This stop ‘ensures that the dovetails are cen- tered on the width of the work pieces deaving equalsized halépins at the top and bottom), When you're making a drawer or box, half the jointsare cut on the let side ofthe jig and half are cut on the right side, (This way, the bottom ofthe workpiece is always against a stop) Soyou'l have to set the stop at each The stops on the ends of the jig are used to create a 7s” offset between the two workpieces and t0 position them from side-to-side end independently, see Step 1 ‘The second adjustmentto make is tothe template. Two stop auts on the threaded rods control the front-to- ‘back positioning of the template, which affects the depth of the sock- ‘ets, The sockets are the spaces into which the dovetails fit) x Tempe euthing Template ‘beneath the temolate, You'll need to adjust each end of the jig inde- pendently, since half the joints are ‘ut on the left and half on the right ‘And finally, raising or lowering the height ofthe dovetail bitin the router controls the fit ofthe dovetails Later, you'll finetune each of these adjustments. But for now, you just ‘want to get them ‘inthe ballpark” so you can make your first test cut, see Steps 2 through 4. With the test pieces in the ja, adjust the stop so the edge of the front test piece is centered in the fist notch or opening of the template No. 125 ‘Stop nuts should be adjusted in ‘or out so fingers of template are centered over the “joint ine” between, the two test pieces. Woodgmith, ‘Mount 7" quide bushing onto router. Then to start with, rise ‘bt 2" from router base. It may have to be adjusted slightly later on, Bearing ‘SIDE 25‘A To get.a perfect- fitting joint, you'll need t9 our afew test Pieces first. Rout Test Pieces Once you have the initial settings in place, you're ready to start making your test cuts and “tweak- ing” the adjustments To do this, place a test drawer side under the clamping bar on the front of the jig and a test drawer front under the clamping bar on top of the ji. Make sure that both pieces are tight against the stops and the end ofthe drawer side piece is lush with the top face ofthe drawer frontpiece. his is also important when it comes to routing the dovetails in your actual workpieces) ‘ADD TEMPLATE, Next mount the tem ate on the jig Hold it down fat on the workpieces while you tighten the wing nuts. Check to make sure the template is resting flat and isn’t flexed by the workpieces (especially ifyour templates plastic). ROUT THE TEST PIES, Now the pioces ‘an be routed. To prevent chipout, start by making alight scoring pass from right to lef, see Step 5. Safety Note: Its normally not a good idea to rout in this direction (backrout- ing). But it’s okay in this case since you are taking just alight pass. Ate the initial scoring cut, start ‘gently moving the router in and out ofthe fingers, beginning on the left: hand side of the jg, see Step 6, You should be able tofeel the guide bash ing stop at the back of each notch. Let the bushing and the template auide the router. You want to keep the bushing in contact with the edge of the template, but you don't need _prctetetpeat To prevent chipouton the drawer side, start by making alight pass. from right ole. This skim cutestab- lishes a clean shoulder ln. to force it. Shop Tip: To help the router gide smoothly over the tem- plate, try applying alittle paste wax to the router base and the template. One other thing. When you're rou ing the dovetails, be careful to keep the router base flat on the template at all times. Ifyou accidentally tip the router o litt up, the bit will ake a chunk oat ofyour dovetails, your tem- plate, orboth. (This is not good.) eNOWE TEMPLATE, When you've fin- ished routing the dovetails in the test pieces, turn off the router and remove the template to examine the dovetails Its a good idea to leave the pieces in the jg until after you've checked to make sure that you've routed every pin and socket clean- ly, see Step 7. This way, if you miss 1 spot you can simply pace the tem plate back on the workpieces and clean up the area you missed, TST AT. Now you can remove the test pieces from the fg and see how they fit. Before fitting the pieces together, though, take a second to blow out any chips in the sockets [Move router torightin and out ofthe notches. Push the routerinto each notch until the bushing hits the back of the notch. and lightly sand off any wood fers remaining on the pieces, see Step 8. Side the pieces together to see how they it see Step9, Ideally ou should be able to slide the dovetails about halfway into the sockets by hand. Then a light tap or two with a mallet should fully seat the tails. Dontt worry ifthe fit isn't perfect on the first try, Chances are you'll have to make some adjustments to the fig or the router bit (or both), see box on opposite page. ‘The important things to avo try- ing to adjust everything in one fell swoop. Instead. focus on one thing at atime and keep making test cutsuntil you gett right, Shop Note: You can reuse your test pieces by simply trim- ring the dovetails off the ends ‘Once you're sisted withthe ft. try cutting test joint on the right side of the jg as well to make sure the stop ‘on this end is positioned correcty. (ou shoulda’thaveto change the bit setting or the sop nuts for the tem- plate.) Now you're ready to rout the dovetails on your actual pieces. ‘not the workpieces) and check to make sure that all of the dovetails ‘and sockets are uniform. Before testing the ft ofthe oint blow out any remaining wood chipsand sand off any “whiskers” that ‘are stil attached tothe pieces. Woodsmith The dovetals should easiy fit the sockets about half way. A couple of taps with a mallet sould dive them in the rest ofthe way No. 125Rout Drawer Pieces ‘The procedure for routing the dove tails on the final workpieces is the same one that you used for routing your test pieces. But this is where all your patience in adjusting the jig pays off, Now its just a matter ‘of clamping each piece in the jx and routing the dovetails. The only trick is keeping all the drawer pieces organized as you go along. uy OUTJOWNTS. To help keep things streight, like to start by lying outsll four drawer pieces on top of my berch, with the inside faces up, see detail ‘a! Then I number the mateh- ingcorners (starting atthe lef front cornet) and label each piece (front, back or side). Finally, label or mark the bottom edge of each piece. When you've got all the pieces labeled, you're ready to start routing the frst corner. There are two main things to remember when lacing the pieces in the jg. First, the pieces are alvays inserted so the inside faces out. And second, the bottom edges should always be against the stops ‘This means that you have to cut half the joints on the left side of the jig a ea | Ser NOTE: Label dower rode sees ise ce correspond ith comers of orawer and half on the right side. Shop Tip: To help myself keep straight which ‘corner goes where, I also label the enids ofthe jig, see drawing above. ROUT FIRST CORNER. To rout the first corner, place the drawer side in the front of the jig and the drawer front oon the top of the jig, just lke you did with the test pieces. Make sure the pieces are against the stops and the ‘clamps are tightened securely. Then rout the davetails Atthis point, you've routed the joint atthe left front corner of the drawer (No. 1). Next, rout the right rear cor- ner joint (No. 3) using the same pro- cceiure. (Place the drawer back piece onthe top of the jig) The other two joints (Nos. 2 and 4) are routed with the pieces tight against the stop block on the right side of the jig When routing on the right side of the jig, follow the same procedure. Make a scoring pass from right toleft and then move the router in and out ofthe notches from left to right. Now it's ust a matter of repeating. this process to cut the dovetails on the remainder ofthe drawers Setting up to Tout machine-cut doveiails is always @ trial and error effort There's usually lots of fiddling around with test pieces and adjusting of the jig to get a perfect fit 100 LOO. Ifthe joint isso loose thatthe pieces wigale around when they're put ‘ogether, the depth ofcutisto stallow se fitstphoto. Increase the depth ofeut about ‘fo! and try again T0O IGT If. tral cutis so tight that the pieces can't e tapped together, the router biti extended out too far from the router base. Decrease the depth of cut about Ye and try again, TOO DEP. Ifthe pins on the drawer sides 0 too far into the sockets on the draw- er front, the sockets are too deep, see No.125 BES middle photo below. To correct this, ‘move the template forward (toward you) by turning the sibp nuts on the studs ‘counterclockwise, (Be sure to adjust the nuts on both ends of the jig.) 100 SHALIOW. If the pins don't go far ‘enough into the sockets, more the template back (eway from you) by ‘fuming the stop nuts clockwise. ‘FSET. Ifthe top edges ofthe twopieces Too Loose. If joint is too loose, increase bit depth, Too Tight. ifthe joint is tootight, decrease depth, Woodsmith Too Deep. Ifpins go deep, move template forward. Too Shallow. Ifnot deep ‘enough, move back. aren't lush when you assemble the joint, the problemis either with the offsetotthe stop blocks (it should be ‘Ae or the fact. that the pieces weren't tight against the -stops,see third photo, OTHER PROBLENS. Most other problems. are usually cased by the pieces not being clamped down in thejig so they are ish, ‘across the top, or because they move out ‘of position as they're being routed. align at top oF bottom, they may not have been tight against stops. Offset If the pieces don't 2SHOP sao) sei WALL-MOUNTED UTILITY SHELF This simple storage shelf is great for a workshop, a garage, or any other place where you want to keep things == close by — yet out of the way. A« a particularly long day afew weeks ago, | decided to spend a couple ofhours relaxing in my shop. ‘When I got to ny workbench, how- cover, discovered that twas litered vith tools and supplies — a not-so- pleasant reminder of my last project. So instead of woodworking, I spent the next hour clearing off my bench. ‘As Iwas cleaping up,Trealizedthat what I needed was a place to put things while 'm working on a project. ‘Some place where things will be out cf the way — but till within easy reach, That's where the idea for this lity wall shelf came from. Iesnot designed to hold everytool you own. Butit'sjust the right size to ‘Keep all the toolsand hardware items you use most often off your bench and up out of the way. And since it can be mounted on the wall over a workbench, everythings sill close at hand. Infact, the open shelving design makes il easy lo grab whatever you need, whenever you need it IG DIERENCE. What's really nice about this shelfis that itdoesn't take much time or material to build, yetit makes a big di shop. But a shop isn't the only place it can be used. After [built this shel, 1 sgotto thinking that itwould be handy in the garage ora laundry room. Any place where you need to add some accessible storage, Dut don't want to spend a whole let of time or money. Woedsmith, UGHT. There's only one problem with a wall shelthat’s mounted over aworkarea. Ittends to block thelight and create shadows. So to overcome [added a low-profile uorescent light fixture to the bottom of the shelf, see photo below. A A fluorescent light fixture mounted under- neath the shelf wil eliminate shadows and lighe up your work area. No. 125Robber for (ace case EXPLODED VIEW Case Thisstorage shelfisrealy made up ofthree selves sandwiched between two sides, The bottom shelfis vided into four separate ‘compartments forhoking pladic storage bins or optional dravers. The middle shelf spit intotwo main sections, with aspacein between for storing sandpaper. futeRAL. A word about the mater: als used to build this shelf. [used 1x12 pine boars formy shelf. These arecommonly available at most howe centers or lumberyards) IUyou go this route, just make sure to select boards that areal the same thidness, or else lane them ighty Seles an before you start building. This wey Sethe same. allthe dadoes that willoin the pieces Bliee ‘can be cut the same width. ‘Another alternative is to build the shelf out ofplywood. Batic Birch ply- ‘wood would be a good choice since it’s stable and doesn't have a lot of voids along the edges. (HT PIECES To SiZE. To build the shelf, start by cutting the main pieces to size — the two sides (A) and the three shelves (B). The dimensions ‘areshown inthe Case Exploded View. Shop Note: Since the shelves are fairly long, you might want to attach a long auxiliary fence to your miter ‘gauge to help support the shelvesas back edge ofeach side to holdaback corners of each side are rounded You're trimming them tolength, that’s added later, see Fig. 1. To do off, see detail ‘a’ in the Exploded RABBETS. After the pieces are cut to this, simply bury a dado blade in an View. You can cut away the waste size, you can set the shelves aside. auxiliary fence that’s attached toyour with a sabre saw or band saw. Then ‘There's sillalitleworkto don te rip fence, se Fig, la just sand the edges smooth by hand sides. First arabbet is cut along the ROUNDED CORNERS. Next, the front or with a disk or bet sander. MAI IALS & SUPPLIES CUTTING DIAGRAM AA Sides 2) Yx11- 20% 1112. 8°82 Comman Fine (ned te) B Shelves (2) Ux 10% - 52% C Large Dviders(2) ax 10%- 10% e A D SmallDivders@) "4x 10%4-4% E Upper & Lower Ralis(2) 9x 2% - 53% ea F Back (1) Yehdbd.- 157% x53% Sandpaper Shelves(5)_ Yahdbd. - 9% x 10% 2 i eo] < Jc H Drawer FrontsBacks* (@) 4x Ae - 12%6 1 Drawer Sides? (8) %ax dle 10% 1x6-5'42 Common Pre J Drawer Bottoms* (4) Yahdbd. -9%4 x 11% | | Snr She Facet a Pid hr tonal 116-842 Common Pine (ed wo fr optional drawers) + (12) #8 x2" Fh Woodscrews + (58) 3d Finish Naiis| | oR (28) 46x1¥4"FhWoodscrews - (4) 1"-a, Knobs* No. 125 Woodsmith 29NOTE:All screw holes re centered ‘on wiath oF edocs This shelf aes less than ~ a full day t9 bul, and its open “cubbies” and extra lighting will make ‘working at your bench ‘more convenient and enjoydble. Tien to page 28 for easy-to- follow directions.