Router Table » Box Joint Storage Chest Old-Fashioned Clock Vol. 22 / No. 131 ad coinp om Widets| as ca Make Your OT Box Joint SOTA CH TTS Ce Project — A eT Ts ee a eT ee raWoodsmith October, 2000 Donald B. Peschke Editor Terry).Strohman tors Jon Garbison Vincent Ancona Contributing Editor Joel A. Hess Art Director Todd Lambirth Senior Illustrators David Kreyling Dirk Ver Steg Harlan V. Clark KaraK. Blessing Graphic Intern CREATIVE RESOURCES rate Dec Te rae» Pt Deer Ken SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS ‘secutioe Editor: Doulas L Hicks» Senior Graphic Designer Chis Glawack +4sisant itr” Craig CORPORATE SERVICES Director of Fiance: Mary R Seves Controller: Roba Hutchinson «Sr Acca aur Thomas Ace le Mary} Soa» Ae Rona Marg Pare Paden Dir: George Chnisare * Elecromie Pbihng Ditor: Dogs N. Lider “+ Nek. Addai Cis Shetek «Peres nage Se Toy A Cla Manic ‘ehnson « Pro Cartnaor: Nose Carollo New eda ‘Manager: Gordon C. Calppe » Web Site Dineto: Gene Petersen» Techno Aaah Carol Schoeppe Web Conte Manager: Tery Walker. David Bags ‘Web, Prod Specs Adam Bes LR Assan: Keston Koc « felts dig Juba Fish Admin. Asta Sherti Rithey »Rerptionst: Jeanne. Johoson® Mil Reon Dele oa Weer WOODSMITH MAIL ORDER SSaea ees ‘Wotan (2 adhe ‘Ccprap 0 Naps tne na Coun: Ais Sey orn Gio, peter aites Ret oteataeaniurn Seca eareaens SENGWEE aan aoa 2 aN (Oo) ReNvNy SAWDUST I t's fall—the time of yearwhen I get chance to start spending more time in the shop. As usual, I'm always itch- ng to get started on new projects. This, year, atthe top of my list was a brand new router table. Now there's nothing wrong with my old router table. I've been using it for a number of years, and it has always seemed to get the job done. But to be honest, I thought it could use a few improvements, At first, [considered buying a man- ufactured router table, However I ‘couldn't find any single table that had all the features I was looking for. So I decided to build my own, ‘Taking alook at the front cover, its easy to see that this new router table has a large, laminated worksurface with a liftout insert plate that pro- vides a quick way to change bits. It also features plenty of builtin storage and an accurate, shop-built fence. But what sets this router table apart is something you can't see. 1 ‘guess you could say it asa “split per- sonality.” Let me exp ‘The router table is designed so it ‘can be taken apart to make two sepa Woodsmith Readers’ Gallery Visit other Woodsmith subscribers’ workshops, and see photos of the projects they've built If all online in the new Readers’ Gallery on the Woodsmith web ste: ‘www.Woodsmith.com ‘We want you to be part ofthe Realers’ Gallery! To ‘submit photos of your favorite Woodsmith projects ‘or views of your shop, follow the instructions youl find atthe gallery, Woodsmith rate cabinets. The upper cabinet can be lifted off the lower section. This way if you're working on a project, vay from the shop, you can take the ‘upper part of the router table with you. As an option, the lower part can. also be used as atool stand, | ‘There are also a few other details about the router table that are worth, mentioning, For one thing the top fea- ‘ures a unique metal track that can be adjusted to fit any miter gauge. What's different about this miter gauge slot is it also has a separate T- track that allows you to quickly attach afeatherboard tothe table. ‘The fence alsohas a couple ofinter- esting features. It has two siding faces so you can adjust the width of the bit opening. And once again, a metal Track makes attaching a bit guard or featherboard a snap. Even if you don't plan on building the router table in this issue, this T- track is worth alook. It’s a great way tw add a quick, adjustable mounting system to any shop jig or accessory. As you can probably tell, 'm very ‘excited about this new router table. ‘And hope you are too, No. 131A LOOK INSIDE CONTENTS Features Router Table . A two-part design makes this router table unique. The upper sec- tion can be cared to a job site while the lover section has plenty of room for storing your router accessories. Router Table Fence .................005. 14 A good fence is a must-have for any router table. This one fea- tures a postive-action clamping system as well as adjustable front faces. And it’s reinforced with aluminum angle and T-track. Box Joint Storage Chest ................ 20 With its rows of evenly-spaced box joints, this storage chests sure to please. The drawers ate sized so you can mix and match them in the case, creating your oun distinctive look. Box Joints . 26 Learn the secrets to making perfect box joints. With nothing more than a table saw, a dado blade, and a simple jig, you'll be turning ‘out professional-looking joins in no time. Box Joint Clock So you want to try making box joints, but you're not stere where to start? This little clock just might be the perfect choice. It doesn't require a huge investment of time or material Departments Tips & Techniques Shop Notes .. Sources No.131 Woodsmith Box Joint Storage Chest pure 20FROM FELLC WOODWORKERS Irecently built wine rack the fence to the base and similar to the one that you __ then clamped the jg to the featured along with the drill press table. kitchen work center in By centering the hole issueNo.129.SinceIdon't saw 14" from the edge of own a band saw, I had to the fence, I can make the come up with a different cutouts in the rack using a way of making thecrescent- portion of the hole saw. shaped cutouts that hold Plus, the fence helps to the wine botles,see photo. keep the dril bit aligned Instead I use 2 3'4" Portability - A two-piece design allows you to simply lft off the upper section and camry the ‘router table to your jobsite, > Dual Track - Miter gauge sot includes a T track for attaching featherboards > Lift-out Insert ~ An easily removable insert plate means quick bit changes. > External Switch ~ No more fumbling under- ‘neath the table trying to find the router switch, » Storage - A drawer and large storage com- partment in the stand offer plenty of space for bits, routers, and accessories. > Fence - Sturdy fence equioped with adjustable faces, bit guard and hood for dust collection. > Leg Levelers - Easy adjustable, heayy-duy levelers make this router table rock sol. The portable upper section of the router table ifs straight off the stand. It can be placed om a bench cor carved toa remote jobsite andl then retuemed to the sand. Woodsmith a @ ‘A You can make your router table ‘even more versatile by adding this shop-buile fence. It features adjustable skding faces to accom- modate different size router bis. No. 131Construction D ovina omensions: x 30°W x 23"D x 37%6"H NOTE: Drower and storage usable fence “ article onpoce 4 etails ee oor ‘pull Drawer rides on ‘metal sides ~ caked rove plenty of room NoTE:Cibinetandstind Pv no o97 ofS maple plywood Alum ie ) es reinforces corners 7 No.131 gouge Tap emade up of, "ieter RrcBosrd ano ‘post lominatewe to router tables, the top is “where the actionis. Since all the work ville taking place on the top, we put alot ofthought into the design ofthis, part of the router table. Hua To. First and foremost, the top of a router table needs to be flat and smooth — and stay that way. If ‘ts not, youl have a hard time rout- ing consistent profiles, grooves, oF dadoes. Since said wood may warp, used plywood and two layers of ‘hardboard to make the top. By lami- nating these materials together, you endl up with a table thats flat and sta dle. Then to provide a smooth, durable surface, plastic laminate is atded to each side of the top. You can see what I'm talking about by taking a look at Fig. 1. To make the top, start by cutting the plywood top panel (A) to fin- ished size, as shown in Fig. 2. Then. cut the two oversized hardboard top skins (B), (made my hardboard skins about 1" wider and longer flush trim bit (Fig. 2). than the plywood top panel) After Before adding the plastic lami- these skins are glued to the ply- nate, I added some hardwood edg- ‘wood with contact cement, they are ing to the top. The edging not only ‘rimmed flush with a router and covers the exposed plywood and hardboard edges, it protects them from damage as well DENG. Looking at Fig.3, youl see that the edging (C, D) is just four pleces of hardwood that are mitered and glued around the edges ofthe top. I made the edging slightly wider than the thickness of the top. ‘Then after it was glued in place, I planed it down flush with the sur- faces ofthe top using a hand plane. ‘(You could aso sand the edging flush.) With the edging applied, 1 rounded the corners with a belt sander, like you see in Fig. 3. ‘WnnurE aplied laminate to oth faces ofthe top fora good reason. It haelps to keep the moisture level the same on both faces ofthe top, there: by preventing the top from warping. ‘As you can see in Fig. 4, there's ‘not much to adding the plastic lami- nate, I just a matter of gluing the Taminate down with contact adhe- sive and trimming the edges with a ‘fush trim bit Afile or sanding block ‘can be used to knock down the sharp edges ofthe laminate that are left behind by the fush trim bit, INSERT PATE. At this point, the top is almost complete. All that remains to No, 131be added is an insert and a slot for a miter gauge. I decided to use an insert plate that’s made out of phe nolic (a hard, dense plastic). The nice thing about this plate is that it lifts right out along with the router so you can change bits easily. Shop Note: If you plan on using a plunge router with this table, you may have to use a larger insert plate. In Fig. 5. you can see that the insert plate fits into a simple open- ing. (Turn to page 19 for more infor ‘mation on making this opening.) Hardwood cleats (E, F) are screwed to the sides of the opening ‘and support the insert plate so it’s flush with the top Fig. 5a). MITER GAUGE SLOT. The miter gauge slot I used for this router table is made up of two separate aluminum extrusions —an L-shaped piece and a Track — take a look at Fig. 63. ‘Together, these parts form a slot for the miter gauge. And the Track makes it easy to attach a feather board using a couple of knobs and toilet flange bolts. Editor's Note: This track system is a product called Dual Track thet hasbeen specially manufactured for Woodsmith, It’s available as part of a hardware kit for the router table, refer to Sources on page 35, Before you can cut the groove for the dual track, you'll need to assemble the two track pieces. Using your miter gauge as a spac- er, lue the Track to the L-shaped No.131 ‘Brush the contactadhesive onto both sur- faces that you wish to join. After the frst «oat dries, apply a second coat and let it dry aso. The adhesive wil look glossy and won't transfer to your finger wien aly. piece with instant glue. (Note: A sheet of paper slipped around the bar of your miter gauge will help to create a perfect sliding fit) Then a dado blade can be used to cut a groove in the top for the assem- arts ‘< e fo match Size groove \ dial tack Since contact adhesive grips on contact, you want to avoid letting the laminate touch the router tabletop before its pos! tioned. To do ths, lay dowel across the top ‘and center the laminate over the top. @. cleats hold insert ple flush with top bled track pieces. As you can see in Fig. 6, this groove matches the width and thickness of the track. Once the groove is cut, the two pieces of track are just screwed in place, like you seein Fig. 6a Woodsmith Starting at one end, begin removing the dowels rolling the laminate down a5 you .go. The trick is to use as much pressure as ppossible to ensure a good bond, This is especially important around the edges.+) Hanay Box + (Single 15 Amp, 20 ‘oh + (i)Snle Receptacte fox Cover + (Cotte Connector + (Emer Receptacle ox + (15 amp, 120vor Stes + @)WateTighe Cable Conners + (Switch Pate £41) 143 Gere! Cord Gh) + (0) 15am, 10 Ve Pug (pounded) + (1) Wi Nut Connector Cabinet & Stand the top ofthe router table com- pleted, you can start working on the base. There are actully two parts to the base. The table top is fastened to small eabine that houses the router. This cabinet in turn sits on a stand. ‘With this arrangement, you can eas- iy lit off the upper section of the router tble and takeit wth ‘you to a jobsite while leaving the stand behind. ‘CABINET. As you can see in Fig. 7, the cabinets really just a small plywood box that’s ‘open in the front for access to the router. To start with, I cut the two sides (G), back (H) and bottom (1) to size from Sy!-thick maple plywood. When laying out and cuting these pieces, pay attention to the grain direction. (The grain should runup and down.) ‘To hide the exposed edges of the plywood, the front edges of the sides and bottom are covered with hardwood. ‘To make this edging, I simply ripped 1/"-wide strips from the edge of a %/".thick piece of maple stock. Then I glued the ‘edging (J) o the front edges ‘of the sides and bottom and trimmed it lush with a router. ‘The cabinet is held together with glue and screws, But as you can see in Fig. 7, [used rabbe's to increase the glue surface and keep the pieces aligned during assembly. Gesthic stock pped wide) ee A bumper used a dado blade to cut the rab- bets with an auxiliary fence clamp- ed to my rip fence. The sides are rabbeted to hold the back and the bottom, And the back is rabbeted along one edge to hold the bottom, Before assembling the cabinet, I drilled alarge hole in the back for a shop vacuum (Fig. 7). Hooking the router table up to a shop vacuum not only keeps the inside ofthe cab- inet clean by removing sawdust and chips, it also pulls air across the router, allowing it to run cooler. Once this hole is drilled, you can slue up the cabinet. While the glue is setting up, drill pilot holes and install the screws and finish wash- ers on the sides and back ofthe cab inet. When these are in place, you can remove the clamps. vooRS. To help contain the dust and tone down the high-pitched scream ofthe router, I added doors to the front of the cabinet. Each door is made up of a plywood door panel (K) with hardwood edging on three sides, as shown in Fig, & The tosize NOTE: Do not spply eeaing to Ringe si ‘34 door “aut hinges ~ Cente to Snstinge 10doors are then attached to the cab net with continuous (piano) hinges. vurowaRé. To complete the cab- inet, all that’s needed is to add the remaining hardware. First, a pull is attached to the front of each door. Then a couple of magnetic catches are mounted inside the cabinet and to the back of the doors. Finally, four rubber bumper fect are fastened to the bottom of the cabinet to prevent the router table from shifing around during use (Fig. 7a). Once this is done, you can attach the top to the cabinet using Figures fasieners (Fig. $). Swmc To avoid having to fumble around under the table for the router switch, I mounted an outlet ‘on the inside of the cabinet that is controlled by a switch on the ou!- side of the cabinet (Fig. 9). Safety Note: Wiring the cutlet and switch is not difficult, but if you aren't familiar with basic wiring pring ples you should seek the advice of a licensed electrician. ‘STAND Looking at Fig. 10,you can see that the stand is also a plywood bax thats assembled with rabbets, glue and screws. The main difference is that the stand contains a drawer ‘ag well as a storage area, Building the stand is pretty much ore: edging, yuo before Eating dadoes inset like making the cabinet. Start by cutting the sides (L) and three dividers (M) according to the dimensions in Fig. 10. After adding edging to the front of these pieces, you can cut the rabbets and dadoes that hold them together. Then the sides and dividers ean be glued and screwed together. BACK & TOE Kick. The back (N) is being added in Fig. 11. Itis also cut from 3" plywood and has dadoes and a rabbet cut in it to fit over the dividers. The toe kick (0) is just a ‘small piece of plywood that is glued and screwed in place. SPACERS. Since the corners of the stand will be covered with alu- minum angle, Ladded some spacer blocks (P, Q, R, S) to the stand. ‘These provide a place for mounting the aluminum angle ao well as the drawer and door hardware. They're just 9A'-thick pieces of hardwood that are glued to the front and back edges of the sides (Fig. 11). Once they're in place, you're ready to ‘make the drawer and doors. NOTE: Give front SPACER ® seacer |} + 2 Bae shee, roShec ou ola No Winds ui 2 Drawer & Doors this point, the arcase of the stand is complete. All you have to do now isadd the drawerand make the doors for the storage compartment. DRAWER. I decided to add the draw- cr first. It's made up of ¥/thick hardwood stock with a plywood false front. The first step is to cut the drawer front and back (T) and sides (U) to size according to the dimensions shown in Fig. 12. ‘The drawer is joined with rabbet joints and held together with glue and screws. Rabbets are cut in the side pieces, one at each end, just like you see in Fig. 12a. Then a sgroove is cut near the bottom edge of all four pieces to hold the drawer bottom. After cutting a piece of 1" hardboard for the drawer bottom (V), you can glue and screw the drawer together, DRAWER SUDES, To malke it easier to get to items at the back of the draw- er, I used fullextension drawer slides. Each kind comes in two pieces — one is screwed to the side of the drawer and the other is screwed to the inside of the drawer compartment, The important hing to note is that the slides should be set back far enough from the front edge of the stand to allow room for the false front that is added next, like you see in Fig. 12a. FASE FRONT. As you can see in Fig. 12, the false front (W) is made out A This stand can also be used with ‘other porable power tools, sich as aathickness planer or a bandsaw. sized to allow a '4c" gap on all four sides of the drawer front. Once the ‘edgingis applied, the false front can ‘be centered on the front ofthe draw- cer and screwed in place. o0RS. Except for their size, the doors on the stand are identical to the ones you made for the cabinet. They are just a couple of plywood door panels (X) with hardwood edging on three sides. Once the ‘edging isin place, the doors can be ‘mounted to the stand with continu ‘ous hinges. (You'll have to cut the ‘Woodsmith hinges down to size with a hacksaw to fit the doors) HARDWARE, To complete the doors and drawer, I added some pulls to the front to match the ones on the cabinet doors. Then I mounted a couple of magnetic catches to the inside of the stand for the doors (Figs. 13a and 13b). AQuMWUM. At this point, all that remains is to add a couple of fin: ishing touches to the stand. The most obvious of these is the al minum angle that is applied to No. 131each corner of the stand. Besides strengthening the stand and pro- tecting the corners, the aluminum angle also creates a lip to positon the upper cabinet on the stand. “The way this warks is quite sin- ple. The aluminum angle is cut $i" longer than the height ofthe stand. ‘This way, when itis attached to the comers of the stand, the ends will stick up and ereate a lip that holds the upper cabinet in place. Since aluminum is sof, it can be easily cut with a hacksaw. You can also cut the aluminum on a table sav, using a carbidetipped blade. Safety Note: Do not try to cut the aluminum on your table saw unless you have acarbicetipped blade. Once the aluminum is cut t Jength, you can dil and counter sink the screwholes. A few seconds cna belt sander will round over the top corners ofthe aluminum angie, like you see in Fig. 4b. Then the ‘aluminum angle ean be serewed to ‘The final pieces of hardware to add are the four leg levelers (Fig. 14a). The ones I chose are really They simply screw to the sli ‘sides of the stand. But thenice thing NOTE: Aluminum angle cen 7 Nas 3 ate adjusted with an Allen wrench, with- ‘out having to reach underneath the stand or turn it upside down. Once these are attached to the stand, you can apply a finish and mount your thecorners of the stand, about them is that they can be roiterto the insert in the top. 18 MATERIALS, SUPPLIES & CUTTING DIAGRAM ‘A Top Ponel(1) ¥%ply.-21%4x28% © Toe Kick (1) Ye phy.-1954x3V4 + (48) #6 x 194" Fh Woodscrews B Top Skins (2) _ Yehdbd.-21%4- 28% P Frt. Dro Spacers (2) ¥%x2¥4-4 + (40) #6 Finish Washers FL/BK. Edging (2) ¥%4x1%-30 Q Bk. Drwr. Spacers (2) %x3-4 + (A) ¥4" Rubber Bumpers w/Screws D Side Edging (2) YxM%4-23 RK Door Spacers (2) %x2Ma- 12% + (5) Pulls w/Screws E Ft/Bk. Cleats (2) Yx1-8 S ToeKick Spacers(2) ¥%x2%-3¥4 + (4) Magnetic Catches w/Screws F Side Cleats 2) Yex1-6 T DrweFt/Back@) — Yex3Ve- 16% + (2) 114" x30" Piano Hinges w/Screws Cabinet Sides (2) % p.-1794%14 U Drawer Sides (2) ex3¥e-16 + (4) Figure-8 Fasteners, H Cabinet Back (1) _% ply.-20x 14 VDrwe. Bottom (I) Ye hdbs-15%45x 16% + (8) #8 x 1” Fh Woodscrews 1 Cabinet Bttm. (1) % ply.- 17x20 Walse Front(1) % ply. -17%x3% | + (1 pr) 16" Drawer Slides w/Screws J. Ply. Edging (1) ¥ax¥Ya-32 lin. ft. X Door Panels (2) Yap. -8%x 12% + (4) Leg Levelers K Door Panels 2) 3% ply. ~ he x 1256 + (24) #8 x56" Ph Shoot Metal Screws LL Stand Sides @) % ply.-17/4%22% * (1) Phenolic insert Plate + (@) ie" 1 8" x 5" x24" Alum. Angle M Dividers (3) 44 ply. -1794x20%% + (1) 32” Dual Track wiScrews + (24) #6 x34" Fh Woodscrews NN Stand Back (1) 4 ply. - 20% x 22% + (16) #6 x 1%" Fh Woodscrews, + (4)#6x 1" Fh Woodscrews “4. 48" x96" Mople Plywood ‘ut 48" 48" Maple Phwood {ALSO NEEDED: ie = ur = 48" x48" Tempered Hardboard? {6 Board Feet of 4" Maple ft 2 PecesofPlestc Laminate ate) No. 131 ‘Woodsmith 134 SHoP Project ROUTER TABLE FENCE Hereemiczocnrs router table? The answer is to ‘add a great fence. Now there are a Jotofrouter table fences out there on the market. But you don’t have to ‘spend big bucksto geta quality fence. ‘The shop-uilt fence shown bere is made out of afew board feet of lumber and some com- monly available _ hardware items. In fact, the only part that you probably won't be able to find at your local lumberyard or hardware store is the aluminum track at the top of the fence and on the back of the sliding faces (see page 35 for sourves). ‘This fence clamps firmly to your router table and provides a rigid, straight surface for guiding your workpieces, The two front faces are adjustable for different size bits, And the Track along the top of the fence allows you to add some handy accessories, like a bit guard or featherboard, ALUMINUM ANGLE The secret to mak- ing the fence strong yet lightweight ‘can be seen in Fig. 1. Alength of alu- ‘minum angle serves as the back- bone ofthe fence. To make the fence, I started by cutting the aluminum to length and drilling the holes forthe screws and. bolts that will be used to attach the ‘various parts ofthe fence to the alu- minum. (The screw hole locations ccan be seen in Figs. land 1b.) ‘After the holes are all drilled, you can lay out the bit opening in the tmidaie of the aluminum, To remove 2x2" the waste, simply drill holes in the corners like you see in Fig. 2 and ‘cut away the waste with a sabre saw and a metalcutting blade (Fig. 3). ‘You'll probably need to clean up the edges of the opening with a ile ‘The last bit of work to do on the aluminum angle is to radius the two back corners as shown in Fig. 1b. This can be done quickly on a disc or belt sander. HINGE. The aluminum angle gets attached to a hardwood fence. This fence (A) is just a piece of 3'-thick hardwood with a shallow rabbet cut along one edge to receive the alu- minum angle (Fig. 4). After cutting the rabbet, the aluminum angle can be screwed to the back of the fence (Fig. 5). Then four holes can be drilled through the fence forthe to let flange bolts that will attach the sliding faces later (Fig. 1a). supine Ieshard to get good results when Ae 7a re lek stock, rece = CAMP (1, TOP VIEW Back bottom steep spacer snd positioning block plore Nhgdia, 996 of angle raz) — ae eli TT OF pO, Tigel | coun Be at hoe Woodsmith No. 131you're routing with a fence that’s twisted or bowed. And while the al minum angle is pretty straight, T ‘wanted to make sure the front face of the fence was as straight and flit as possible. So once it was mounted to the aluminum, I took a couple of light passes on ajonterto flatten the ‘wood face ofthe fence. Now that the fence is fa, you just reed to cut out the area of the bit ‘opening. You can use a sabre saw to remove most of the waste and then ‘come back with a router and flush trim bit to clean up the opening, as shown in Fig. 6. After the openings ‘rimmed flush, a chamfer is routed along the inside edges to provide clearance for extralarge bits. THRAGL One of the neat features of this fence is the Track that runs along the top. This allows you to atch a bit guard or a featherboard at any point along the length of the fence without having to use clamps. ‘As you can see by looking at Fig.7, the Ttrack is mounted to a spacer (B) that is in turn glued to the front ofthe face. The thickness of this spacer is important. You ‘want to make ure that the Track won't extend beyond the sliding faces that will be added later. After gluing the spacer to the front of the fence dush with the top ‘edge, you can add the Ttrack. This is just screwed in place. SUDING FACS. If you take another look at Fig. 1, you'll see that right below the spacer and Titrack are a couple of sliding faces (C). These slide on a second piece of Track. ‘The two faces start out as a single, thick blank, slightly over 35" Tong. A groove is eut down the cen- terof the blank to hold the Track. thatis used to attach the faces to the fence. (Make sure that the groove lines up with the holes inthe fence.) After the groove is cut and the T- track is serewed in place, the blank can be cut into two 18"Jong faces. ‘Then the ends of the faces are chamfered to create clearance for the bit. You can see this in Fig. 7a. Finally, the faces ae attached to the fence with toilet flange bolts and plastic knobs (Fig. 7b). No 131 SECOND: Flatten wood face of fence ‘on joiner A Toile flange Woodsmith screw fence bolts and thread- toaluminum angle ahtrae sed to ateach the sliding faces to the jence. 5A shor piece of > cluminuom angle, block of ‘wood, a knob, and a few pieces of hardware are all takes to male this force 16 hold-down. Designing the last part of the fence proved to be the most challenging. The trick was to figure how to securely clamp the fence tothe ep of the router table, but still allow the fence to be easily adjusted. ‘The solution I came up with is simple, Its just a small hold-down rade out of a piece of aluminum angle and a wood block, as shown in the photo above. These hold- downs are attached to each end of the fence. When the knobs are tightened down, the aluminum angle grips the edge of the router table top with surprising force. A couple of thick wood blocks attached to each end of the fence prevent the hold (2) 36" Tracks wiScrews + (2)9%s" x22" Hex Head Bolts B Spacer (1) mx%a2-36 + (8)'%6" x 194" Toilet Flange Bots + 2)" Lock Nuts € Siding Faces(2) _ %4x2"%e-18 + (6)%%s” Through-Hole Star Knobs + (8) #8.x 1" Fh Woodscrews 1D Positioning Blocks (2) 1¥4x2-2Me + (8) %e" SAE Flat Washers + (8) #8 x" Fh Woodscrews E Hold-down Biocks (2) 94x 1%-2 + (1) W"x2"x2" Alum. Angle (42" long) + (1) 6" of Anti-Skid Tape (2 wide) [NOTE Ust doesnot include hardware for accessories No. 131 Woodsmith, 7A. Before driling ove the stoped dadoes, I scored the shoulders with aut knife This made the clean-i6 easier later on 18 Tips FRoM ues: SHor NOTES T-Square Router Edge Guide ‘Thenice thing about using keep the dadoes square to ahand-held router tocuta — the panels. And best of all, dado is you can see what's it requires just a couple happening. The trick is _ straight scrap pieces. positioning theedge guide To build the T-square sotherouteritwillineup edge guide, Iserewed the exactly with the layout line. long straightedge to the For the stopped dadoes crosspiece, using a fram- in the storage chest case _ ing square to position the (on page 22), lusedaT- pieces and a couple shaped guide that aligned clamps to hold them in the bit easily and helped _ place, as shown in Fig. 1. Then I routed through the crosspiece to make setting up the guideeasier (Fig. 1b). Simply align the dado on the crosspiece with the layout mark on the side panel, as shown in Fig. 2b. But when set- ting up the edge guide, keep in mind that you need to move the router from left-to-right (assum- ing it's between you and the fence), just like any hand-held routing opera- tion, Otherwise the bit ‘may pull the router away from the guide, 1 ry Ph ecrew HH (CROSS SECTION aes straight bit Small Stopped Dadoes typically rout stopped — pieces were fairly small. So dadoes on the router table Idecided to cut the dadoes, or with an edge guide (as just like I would a mortise. shown above). But on the UYOUT. The first step is boxjointclock, the stopped to ay out the dades care- dadoes were cut between fully. When doing this, I the two grooves, and the also scored the edges to make the dadoes easier to clean up later, as shown in the margin photo atleft. OVERLAPPING HOLES. Next, most of the waste of the dado can be removed with a Forstner bit (Fig. D. uN DADO. Now all that’s eftis to clean up the dado. I use a wide chisel on the shoulders (Fig. 2). And 2 narrow one (with the bevel down) for the bottom (Fig. 3). Wocdsmith No. 131Router Table Insert ‘When it comes tocreating as well as positioning the the opening for the insert template for routing the pla for theroutertableon opening smooth. page6,therearetwothings ROUGHING OUT. The next tobe concerned with. You _stepis to cut out the open- want the plate to fit the ing with a sabre saw. In opening like a glove and order to do this, I began youwantittobeflush with by drilling a couple of topof the router tble, starter holes in opposite Making the opening for corners of the waste area the insert plate involves Then I use a sharp, new three steps — laying out blade to rough out the the opening, cutting out sides ofthe opening, stay- the waste, and trimming ing about ‘Ae" away from the opening with a router the hyout lines (Fia.2). sothe plate fits perfectly, TRIM OPENING, After rough. UuyouT. To lay out the cutting the opening, the ‘opening, I like to use the last step is to trim the insert plate as a template. edges to match the size of For the router table the insert plate. To do |_ “=e S00 shown on page 6, the this, made a template by insert plate is centered simply taping down some one thing to keep in mind. of the opening to support on the table. A framing strips of ¥/" hardboard Sincemost pattern bitsare the insert plate. The trick. square makes it easy to along the layout lines on only 1" long, you'll need toi to postion the cleats so potition the plate square the op just like youseein maketwo passes, increas. the plate ends up flish with the edges of the Fig. 3. (You can use the ing the cutting depthafter withthe top. Here's a fook fable, as shown in Fig. 1. insert plate to test the size the first pass. You can see proof way to do this. Just Carpet tape will hold ofthe template opening.) what I'm talking about in _ set the top facedown on a the insert firmly in place Once the strips are in Figs 4aand4b, flat surface. Then dropthe while you carefily trace place. the openingcan be ATTACHING CLEATS. Once insert plate in the opening AA pattem bithas a around the edges. These trimmed witha routerand you've created the open- and glue and screw the guide bearing at lines serve as a guide for a pattern bit (See margin ing, all that’s left is to cleats in place, like you the top ofthe bt. rough-cutting the opening phoioatright).There'sjust attach cleats to the sides seein Figs. Sand 5a. TunnD: Give and Erewdles to Sides of peningBox JoINT STORAGE CHEST Inside — a place for everything. Outside — box joints take center stage. What kind of storage do you need? There's alo of flexibility in the ruomber and sige ofthe H Base Cleats (2) Yx1%e- 25M | | eae age 1 Large Drawer F/Bk (2) Yx6¥s- 24 | | (XS 56 Cer Cour tors. 62752. fas) J Medium Dwr. Fr/Bk. (4) 4x 6%-12 KK Small Dwr. Fr/Bk. (8) Y’x6h-6 We" x4" - 96" Cherry (Four Boards @ 2.7 Sq. Ft. Each) L_ Drawer Sides (14) Wx6e- 11% G L L t L L L Mg. Dwr Btm.(1) Yo pWy.-11Vax23%6 | | ay x5* 96" cherry wo Boars © 33 Bd Ft Each) N Med, Dwr. Btm. (2) Ya ply. -11%4x 11% e Z z © Sm. Dwr. tm. (4) Ya ply. - 11% x 5% + (8) 3*-wide Bin Pulls w/Screws ees oy tie ace Bele Sa + © #82" Rh Woodscrews E F & 2 : One 24° x48 place of ch Dena ‘none 24! 48" pice of maple or bch pho No.131 Woodsmith aCase & Dividers ‘The mechanical precision ofboxjoins can lookintimidating — the pins and slats interlock tighter than the teeth ona par of gears But believe itor not, box joints doa’ take any great skil, The consisteney and precision are achieved with an easyto-build jg. (UT To siz. The ist thing to dois sue up four 9k blanks forthe top (A), bottom (A) and sides B) But instead of cuiting these to final size, Iripped them ¥" extra wie. (ig. 1 shows finished sizes.) This ‘way, after the boxjoints are cut, you can rip the pieces go there's fall slotor pin on both edges. AUT NOX JOINTS. With the work: Pieces cut to size, the box joints can bbe cut on the ends of each piece. If you haven't cut box joints before, there's an article on page 26 that will walk you through this process step- bystep. Buteven fyou have cut box joints before, there are a few things to keep in mind. That's because building a large case with box joints requires a different strategy than a small box or a drawer. First of al, Keep in mind that the front fence should be long. and tall enough to support the wide panels, Gig. 2). Second, even though the slots here will be cut 34" deep, I ‘made the key airless than "tal (ig. 20). This way, this same fi ean be used later wien building the drawers with their shorter pin ‘When fine-tuning the box jointjig (@s described in the box on page 2, Ldidn' size the pins to fit quite astight as [usualy do. A large case requires more glue and clamps, ‘which takes more time. So my goal was to be able to press the pieces together completely by hand. (How- ever, youll still want a mallet handy ‘when you add glue to thejoint) To cut the joints, you'll need to start with the top and bottom pieces ig, 2). The reason has to do with small, square “holes” that will be vis- ible after the case is assembled. (These are created by grooves cut later to hold the case back) By starting with the top and bottom, the holes will end up atthe top ofthe aye = case (Fig. 7), where they'l be cov- ered by a top pane! later One last thing. When its time to cut the first slot on the sides, youl need to have both pieces set ageinst the jg. These panels are too large to do this without a little “help,” so 1 clamped a long scrap cleat across the two pieces to hold them tight to the fence, as youcan see in Fig. 3. ‘GROOVE FOR BACK. With the box {ints cut, the next thing to do iseut the groove to hold the back of the case (Fig. 4). A" plywood back is ‘loser to 8s" thick, so I cut this Woodsmith No.131groove in two passes, nudging the rip fence away from the blade for © the second pass. nal 1 set the fence "from bla, but the impor tant thing is to check thatthe blade Fines up with the bex joints Fig 4a) STOPPED DADOES. Now the top and bottom panels can be set aside so you can cut 'A"-deep dadoes for a Pair of dividers Figs. 5 and 7) ‘These dadoes stop atthe groove for the back. To make it easier to see ‘what was happening, I decided to cut them with a hand-held router and an edge guide. “There area variety of edge guides you ean use here. [quickly made a ‘guide shaped like a “T° The cross- piece screwed tothe straightedge helps when positioning the guide (Gee the mangin photo and page 19, ‘When setting up the edge guide, it Should be located so the groove willbe routed leftioright from the front edge ofthe panel tothe groove in ack (Fig 5). This way, you won't need to make a plunge cut v ‘The groove at the back is too nar- row for the bit to rout the dadoes completely. So after the dadoes have been routed, the back edge of each dado needs to be cleaned up with a chisel, as shown in Fig. 5b. ‘tek. Now you can dry assemble the ease and cut the '4" plywood back (C) to sie. (Loften cut a panel like this a air lessthan fll size soit ‘won't prevent the box joints from soing together completely) ASSEMBLY. To assemble the case, I did a couple dry runs and found it helpful to carpet tape some clamp- ing blocksto the box just behind the pins, as you can see in Fig 6. (These help spread out the clamping pres- sure) And to glue up the case, I chose liquid hide glue so I'd have about twenty minutes to get the glue ‘on and all the pieces pulled tight. DIVIDERS. The last stepisto glue up panels forthe dividers (C) that will ‘support the drawers (Fig. 7). Gluing, camping blocks directly of Bax joins a wide panel into a dado isn't easy If the fits tight, you'll never get the piece in place. Too loose, and you'l fend up with gaps. But here's a sim- ple trick: Lightly sand the ends of the bottom face (except forthe front "or so) to reduce the friction. The piece will slide in much easier. | A Assimple edge ‘euide makes i easy torout a stopped dado. To see how it works, tm to ace 18 Small groove holes ‘il be covered by —“o top paneliater 2This chest can be bral with a tradi tional tp and base (shown here). Or with casiers (see bbox.on page 25). Top & Base wanted the storage chest to have a tratitional look, so worked on a top and base next (see margin photo). But if you're toying with the idea of whether or not to add easters (as shown inthe box onthe next page), now's the time to decide. TOP & BOTTOM. For a traditional chest, the first thing to do is glue up panels for the top (E) and bottom (B), as shown in Fig 8. They're cut to size to overhang the case "all around (Fig. 8a). (UT BEVELS. After the panels were ‘ut to size, beveled the edges with the table saw (Fig. 8b). The trick here is guiding the pieces safely. ‘feral, these are fairly large panels torun through onedge, so Ladded a tall auxiliary fence to the rip fence, which made guiding the panel more secure. Also, when beveling a panel, its always a good idea to start with the short ends. This way, if there is ‘any chipout, il be cleaned up when the bevelsare cuton the long edges. ATTACH TO CASE. To attach the top ‘and bottom, I simply glued them to the case with the bevels facing each other (The overhang should be equal on all four sides.) But go easy onthe ghie here. Use too much, and the panel won't want to stay in place ‘when you apply the clamps. ASE. The case (and bottom pane!) sits on a 314"tll base made up of a Sront (F), back (F), and sides (G), as shown in Fig. &. These pieces are mitered on each end, and they're ‘SECOND: Stew Base t0 bottom BASE FRONT 1M aase NOTE: Bottom < sme Serhangs base ceey Won each side hardboard NOTE: All pieces ‘line ie -thick, except spine sized so the bottom (E) will over- hnang the assembled base frame 14" on each side (Fg. 10). ‘To strengthen the miters, I added a hardboard spline to each corner. ‘This means cutting a kerf in the ends of each base piece, as shown in Fig. 9 Bat instead of centring the kerfs, I cut them closer to the inside corners of the miters (Fig. 9a). This Jets me add a little larger spline with- ‘out weakening the tip of the miter. Before gluing up the base, I cut a gentle curve on the base front and back. To lay it out, used a scrap of 14" hardboard, and the curve can be ‘cut quickly with a band saw or sabre saw. A litle sanding, and the frame is ready for assembly. Finally, to attach the assembled frame to the case, I glued two cleats (HD) to the frame and then screwed through them into the bottom panel and case (Figs. 10 and 10a). a ‘Woodsmith No.131Drawers Allthats left to build are some draw- cers. What size and how many is up toyou. There's alotof flexibility here. Also, if you want to create handle ‘cutouts instead of adding pulls, youll ‘want todo the work before you assem blethe drawers, (See the box belox.) ‘The drawers simply siti the case and can be pulled out completely. To keep the math easy, they're either 6,12", or 24" wide, which means ceach row of drawers has 1" total for the gaps between the drawers. Gur To size. Regardless of their width, all the drawers are built the in 7 ‘same way. The 1/"thick fronts (1, J, i yie pull Ko backs (I,J, Kh and sides (L) al ASA, start out slightly oversized, just ike on & the cate pices dil. Fig. 1 shows Bowerpecesare ae Ven finished dimensions) a oceepecc, Mont 10x Joints. The spacing of the box joins here isthe same asthe case. also ine tuned the fgso the box _ BOTTOMS. Next, the bottoms (Mf, Soyyou can use the box joint jig you made earlier (refer to Fig. 2 on page 22). But these boxjoints are only 1s" Tong (instead of 9"). So to reduce the chipout, I backed up the cuts by gluing a scrap plug into the notch in the fence. Then I recut the notch with the blade raised to 1", While working out the design ofthis stor- age chest, a couple interesting options. came up that you might want to consider. ‘MOBILE CHEST. The first options to make the case mobile by adding casters, as You can see inthe photo atrightand cen- ter drawing below. This means you don't hnave to build the top or the base. But you will need to plug the grooves for the back that are exposed on the top of the joints fit a bit tighter (refer to the ‘box on page 27). That's because the drawers aren't going to be as chal- lenging to assemble as the case. Also, when cutting the box joints, you'll want to start with the front and back pieces so the plugs end up on the drawer sides (Fig. 11b). stata Ty 1N, 0) can be added. For these draw- ers, the grooves should be cut fish with the bottom pin on the fronts. With all the drawers assembled, 1 plugged the grooves (Fig. 11b). ‘Then I applied several coats of fin- fish. When its dry, all that’s left isto add the pulls (Fig. 1). 8 ‘case, as shown in the left drawing. (For more on this, refer to page 29), HANDLE “CUTOUTS.” Another option is to build the drawers with cutouts instead of ‘adding metal drawer pulls as in the right drawing below. These cutouts couldn't be more simple. Before assembling the drawer, drill two I'-dia. holes and remove the waste with a band saw or ‘sbre saw. Then sand the cutout smooth. ell Plasticeaster ‘srewed t0 caze bottom 2-dia, twin. ‘wheel aster ee Case without top or base. This storage chest can be built without adding the top (or base. Just plug the holes in the top. No. 181 ‘Mobile chest. For a mobile chest, you Handle cutouts. Instead of traditional can buy casters end screw them to the pulls, you can cut openings on the front «ase, (Locking casters are also avaiable.) pieces before assembling the drawers. ‘Woodsmith 25JOINTS Box joints have it all — they're strong, quick, and good-looking. And all you need is a dado blade and a “ten-minute” jig. Bevnee “power tool” work. ‘You don't need hand sews See they're quick and easy to anaes apcage piece across the table saw. And the interlocking pins create so eee hard pressed to break the joint. Don't get me wrong. Quick and ‘easy doesn’t mean sloppy. Box joints A Interlocking pins have to fit well for the glue to work, ‘ereate alot of gl. ‘Tha why I rely on a shop madojig. ing surface for a With a careful setup, this jig works ‘really song and _with assembly-line consistency. ee oe joints is their flexibility. They canbe FRONT FENCE. Of the two fences, the (Figs. 1 and 1a), oi eer cusurs sere cane Courvnnenatce you use to cut them. (A stacked set How big should it be? Itdepends on rill oversize shank holes when works best.) Their length (set by _ the size of the workpieces. I make _ screwing the fences together. This the height of the blade) will always sure the fence is at least twice as _creates a little “play” so you can match the thickness of the stock. long as the pieces are wide. (And — micro-adjust the front fence later on. Ne. The box joint ig T use has just with large panels, making the fence KY. Finally, there's a hardwood three parts: two fences that atach to taller also a good idea) ey that’s glued into the front fence the miter gauge and a small hard- ACK FENCE. The fence in back is a (not the back fence). The nice thing ‘wood key, as shown in Fig. 1. ‘mounting board for the front fence about this key is that once the fis ee setup and netuned, cutting the aie wer tox joints is almost automatic. fence 2 eee MAKING THE 16. Now that you've pack ether es got the basic idea, take a few min- = tes to build the jg following Steps 155 on the next page. And if you're Ovenized holes wondering why the notch (and key) “adiliam for sight, are set below the thickness of the stock (Step 1), the explanation is pretty simple. You don't want the key to prevent the ends ofthe pieces from seating fully on the table. smtup. After the jig has been built, it can be set ap to cet the box joints. All there is to this is getting the key in the right place. That's because the position of the key determines the width of the pins. So all you have to do is No. 131Noten Hardwood key Swe ke) oto forstep 3 past Position front fence secon: Sion k ces ue together cele With the fences screwed to the iter gauge, set the dado blade slightly below the thickness of the stock, Then cut a notch in the jig unscrew the front fence and shift it over “one key” to the right (Step 3). When testing the setup (Steps 4 and 5), make sure the test pieces are the same thickness and at least as wide as the workpieces. If not, evea though your test pieces fit per- fectly, the workpieces may not. Just how tight should the fit be? It depends on the workpieces. I usual Iy fine tune the jig so the pieces have to be tapped together lightly with a ‘mallet. Any tighter, and you'll have problems when the glue is added. However, for large, wide panels, 1 liketo be able to dry assemble them with just hand pressure (1 still have ‘lamps on hand for when the glue is added). This way, the assembly .g0es alittle more smoothly. ‘Now cut a hardwood key that For the initial setup, unscrew the fits snug in the notch. Glue this front fence and position the key key nto te ont fence and releve withoneofis cuore: Reotah Me the top edges with sandpaper. the fence and set the blade height res ts Seon = Sie cole ‘A When fine-tuning the front fence, Trak mie adjustments “visible” by draw- Holingatestpice ightaganst Rip the fistxipecearundand ingalne acs ‘the key make a pass. Then fit this set a second test piece againstit. the two fences. slot over the key and make another ‘pass. Continue across the workpiece. ‘When fine tuning, you'l also set the length of the pins by raising or lowering the blade (ee box). I like the pins to stick proud just a hair (@/e2" or less). This way, all Ihave to Cut the slot, remove the first piece and continue with the second piece. doafter assembly is sand the pins — not the entire face of each piece. Once the test pieces fit well, the “tricky” part is over — now you can get started on the good workpieces, Loose fit. if there is a 930 between the pins, nudge the key aay from the saw blade sight). pins fe Tight fit. the prs won't fit into the slots at all, then nudge the key towards the saw blade. Short pins. Ifthe blade is set too low, the pins will be short. So “itnply raise the bade sight No. 131 itpins are } | tops shore ot folede Woodsmith Long Pins. If the pins stand proud more than Ys", the saw blade needs to be lowered.Cutting Box Joints At this point, you've already cut at leastone set ofbox joins (onthe test pieces), so you know just how easy itis, Now it's time to get sfacted on the actual workpieces. OX JOINT PRECISION. But first, there's a little secret I should nore: Bon inte cut ‘on Both end of trontibuck letyou in on. Box joints aren't as precise as they look, For instance, say you'e cutting 4" box joints fora drawer, as shown in the drawing at right. These box joints won't be exactly 0.5" — they may be 0.49", 051" or 0.52" (It depends mostly oa the width of your dato blade.) This may sound like intended width in the end, but no hair splitting, but after cutting the one (besides you) will know. thirteen or so slots and pins, this And what about drawers that 01" starts to add up. have to fit a particular opening? I XTRA WIDE PIECES. Don't worry, the still start with oversize pieces. Then solution isn’t to get out a set of when trimming them down, I simply calipers, What I do is build in a do what looks best. Sometimes it's “fudge factor” by cutting the pieves trimming a little off the top edge. cexira wide. Then after the boxjoints Other times I take a litle off both, are cut, I trim them so there's a full the top and bottom ofthe pieces. slot or pin on each edge. The work- LABEL PECES. Before you begin cut- pieces probably won't end up their ting the box joints, its also a good Begin with the front piece (one yNow it the piece and sradole that tarts with a pin). Setits bot- _dmthe fist slot over the key and take tom edge against the key and hold it another pass. Repeat this process tight as you pass itover the blade, across the entie end of the piece idea to label the pieces. I orient them the way they'll be assembled and number the corners along the bottom (or back) edge. This will be the leading edge — the one set against the key for the first pass. CUT JOINTS. Now you can begin cut- ling the box joints, as shown in the steps below. [focus on keeping the pieces held tight to the jig and pressed down flush to the table. But as Ive said, this is almost automatic. Flip the piece enc-for-end, keep- ing the bottom edge against the key. Then cut the slots on this end. Repeat this on the other “pin” piece. Tout the sides that begin with BR Now remove the “pin” piece and a slot), straddle the mating “pin” wQ)continue cutting the slots across piece over the key Then butt theside this workpiece. Repeat this process against it and cut the fist sot. ‘on all the mating comer pieces. Woodsmith “After cutting the box jointson all Your comes, set the rp fence to trim the top edge of each workpiece to leave a fullpin or slot No. 131Assembling the Box With all the box joints cut, the lest thing to do is glue the workpieces together. But before getting out the sue and clamps, youl want to take care of the groove for the bottom or ‘back ofthe box, aswell as any other joinery that needsto be cut. GROOVES FOR BOTTOM,/BACK. As you might expect, cutting the grooves for a drawer bottom or case backs pretty straightforward. I like to do this on the table saw, as shown in Fig. 1 at right. This way, Ican size the groove so the bottom or back (usually 14" plywood) fits perfectly But keep in mind that these grooves willbe exposed after assembly. Sometimes the exposed grooves will be covered with a panel, as they ‘were on the cases of the storare chest and clock. Batts nota big job if the holes do need to be plugged, asthey will with most drawers. (The box below shows rou how) ASSEMBLING BOX JWT. When all the joinery is completed and the bottom You can anticipate any problems by bled with a malle and a scrap piece (or back) has been cut to fit in the making several “dry runs.” Plus, that’s set just behind the box joints grooves, the workpieces are ready using slow-setting glue ike liquid (Gnce the pins were cut to stand tobe pt together: But with box joint hide glue) will buy you alitle more proud), as shownin Fig. 2 assemblies, there are a couple of working time. Talso keep a small With one corner together, I move challenges you should be aware of, brush handy, which lets me spread tothe next, working my way around First, to get the glue in the slots the glue oa more quickly. the case until all the workpieces are onboth ends of ezch piece and then ‘The second challenge is pulling assembled (including the bottom). ‘get the pieces clamped together, the corners tight. Each corner has won't have picked up a clamp yet, you have to move quickly. And the to be squeezed in two directions. _and sometimes Tdon't have to. The larger or more complicated the This can mean quite a few clamps, joints are tight enough that they're assembly is, the faster you have to but they’te not the first tool I pick held together by fiction. But often move. But don’t kt this scare you. up. Instead, each corner is assem- there are small gaps, which is when the clamps comein handy. ‘Two cautions, however. As when using a mallet, you can’t put the pressure right on the join. So again Tuse scrap blocks, carpet taping them next to the box joints (Fig. 3). ‘Second, you want to careful about applying too much clamping pres- sure, With the clamps set beside the box joints, they can easily force the sides ofthe assembly to bow in SAND PINS. After the glue is dry, all that’s left is to sand the pins. With small boxes, [find it easier to keep from rounding over the comers if set a couple pieces of adhesive- backed sandpaper on a flat surface and sand the box lightly until the pins are flush, asin Fig. 4. 1 Adhesive: backed Sandpaper Pati mi lat ee To plug the hole, start by cit- To trim the plug, use a chisel to ting an extra-long plug, Taper the pare off the excess by working sides sightly togeta snug fitand around the plug towards the cen- then giue the plugin place. tec Then sand it smooth, No. 131 ‘Woodsmith,OLD-FASHIONED Box JOINT CLOCK Looking for a project you can build in no time? This clock is the answer. The secret — a simple jig makes the box joints go like clockwork. Fe. one of the biggest frustra- tions with woodworking time — there never seems o be enough oft. ‘This docks an exception. I's weeke ‘end project from beginning to end. BOK JOINTS. Now, I know it seems cutting tight, consistent box joints would be time-consuming. ‘And they must require a great deal of skill and experience, right? Wrong. The truth is that with the help of a simple jig, cutting box joints is almost automatic. And by “simple,” I mean a couple of scrap pieces that can be screwed together in minutes. Spend a few more min- utes fine-tuning the jig, and you'll be ready to cut the box joints. {LOCK MOVENERT. Besides the box joints, the other striking part of this project — the clock — will take even less time. It’s an inexpensive quartz movement that’s commonly available from woodworking and clock catalogs. (For sources, turn to page 35, To install the movement, a hole is drilled in a mounting board, and then after the case has been assembled, the clock is pressed into ‘his hole. It's that simple. FINISH. Even fnishing this clock is quick and easy To help the maple look “aged,” I used an offtheshelf oil stain (Honey Maple) and wiped ‘on a few coats of an oil finish. But don't get in tov much of a hurry. Letting the finish dry is the one part ofthis project that will take time. So if you've got a “free” weekend coming up, why not plan on build- ing this small clock? I can promise you a couple big payoffs: You'llgeta chance to try your hand at a classic woodworking technique. Plus you will end up with a timeless project. No. 131Construction Details ovens iuenons: rans 3 -la. ‘quartz pressin. Drawersset "Back ie frm rent Ne ela. wood knob acres wy ‘sowel” r Boxjoints on ramet are same — ‘thoes on ace NOTE: ig and tp: Dpatepproceaure for aing box jones are Seseribed on page 28 A Case Sides (2) Vax 3% 11% B Case Top/etm. (2) ax3%-5 © Case Back (1) ¥4x-43%6- 10%e D Case Dividers(2) Vax 3- 4% E Mounting Board (1) %x 4" - 4s F Top/Btm. (2) %x5-6% G Drawer Fr/Bk (4) Ya x 24-A¥e H Drawer Sides (4) Yax2¥a-3% 1 Drawer Btm. (2) Ye habd.-3x 4% + (1) 3%4¢-dia. Quartz Movement * (2)34"-dia. Weod Knobs Ws 51" 48" Maple (1.8 5a. Ft) SEL W x6" -36° Maple (1.5 5a. Ft) Eels gE ALE Maple (950 F) = 2 ees el Sostd for dewer bottoms No.131 ‘Woodsmith 31