Professional Documents
Culture Documents
4 TFORABLE S AW S LEDS
SAFE, ACCURATE & EASY CUTS
Inside:
Router Table Secrets
for Precision Results
Tricks to Build Projects
Better & Faster
Shop Tips for Mastering
Angled Cuts
New Techniques for Your
Table Saw & Router
A Publication of Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc.
20
24
Projects
weekend project
Wall Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Simple to build and easy to rearrange, this wall calendar is a
quick weekend project. But youll be using it to keep track of
the days and months for years to come.
shop project
One-Wall Workshop: Versatile Carts . . . . . . . .24
A flip-top tool stand, a handy router table, and an assembly
cart add capabililty to the one-wall workshop. Best of all, they
tuck out of the way when they arent in use.
34
designer project
Box-Jointed Craft Center . . . . . . . . . 34
The compact, stacked trays of this craft center
provide loads of storage. Then when youre ready to
work, they cantilever out for quick and easy access.
heirloom project
Domed-Top Steamer Trunk . . . . . . . . 42
Frame and panel construction and brass hardware
give this trunk its heirloom look. But its the domed
top that provides the woodworking challenge.
42
Woodsmith.com 3
woodworking technique
Hand-Cut Dovetails . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Tips &
Techniques
Non-Stick Finishing Stands
When adding finish to a completed proj-
ect, I always run into the same problem.
How do I finish opposite sides without
scratching or marring a finished surface.
Applying stain and varnish to a project
takes long enough as it is, so the last
thing I want to do is chase my tail by
fixing sawhorse marks or dings on a sur-
face thats already done.
NOTE: Riser and base
To curtail this problem, I made two are made from #/4" pipe
stands that look like an upside-down T. NOTE: Riser #/4" plywood insulation
is glued to base
They sit temporarily on my sawhorses 32
while finishing and once done, can be
stowed away when not needed. Just !/2"-rad.
clamp the stands to the sawhorses.
A SOFT LANDING. I used four pieces of
RISER 34
plywood that are slightly shorter than #/4
my sawhorses. To join them, I cut a
centered groove in the base piece that !/2"-rad.
holds a vertical riser. I put a bullnose
on the top of the riser with my router 2!/4 34
and a roundover bit. Around this riser
I wrapped a piece of 34" pipe insula- a. END VIEW
tion. This is the pre-sliced type that you !/2"bullnose
can get at your local hardware store or BASE
Woodsmith.com 5
I found myself facing a project that the bit. This is not only annoying, it can through the plywood, the hold-down
required drilling a lot of holes in square also be somewhat dangerous. clamp, a washer, and then into a star
metal tubes. Drilling metal of any kind at GETTING A GRIP. To bring some calm to the knob to bring the clamp together. This
the drill press can be a grabby and unset- situation, I made a couple of hold-downs unit slides anywhere along the bed of
tling affair. Once the bit breaks through that can be used in any of the four slots the drill press. With the long arm and
the metal, the flutes of the drill bit often in the table. Each one starts with a ply- pivot ability of the hold-down clamp,
dig into it instead of shearing away the wood, T- shaped base that fits into the youre completely covered.
material. Then the metal bar wants to opening of the slots in the drill press Dan Martin
abruptly lift off the table and climb up from underneath. A carriage bolt passes Galena, Ohio
QUICK TIPS
True Grit. Rich Flynn of Huntington Beach, California, Easy Zero-Clearance Table. While cutting small pieces at
finds it easy to forget what grit of paper is on his random- the band saw, Peter Sherrill of Forestville, Wisconsin, found
orbit sander when its stored between uses. Writing the grit that cutoffs often got stuck in the throat of the insert. So
number on the center of the face leaves all the information he cut a kerf in a piece of plastic laminate to form a zero-
needed when starting his next sanding project. clearance table. Double-sided tape holds the table in place.
DIGITAL WOODSMITH
SUBMIT TIPS ONLINE
LINE
If you have an original shop
hop
tip, we would like to hearr
from you and consider
publishing your tip in one
e
or more of our publications.
ns.
Jump online and go to:
Woodsmith.com
m
and click on the link,
k,
SUBMIT A TIP
Youll be able to tell us all about
Ruler Holder your tip and upload your photos
hotos and
Whenever Im in the middle of a proj- blade cradles them. A cutout in the drawings. You can also maill your tips
ect, it seems Im always fishing around center lets me select whichever ruler to Woodsmith Tips at the editorial
for one of my rulers. So I made a home I need. And a rare-earth magnet grabs address shown on page 2. We will pay
up to $200 if we publish your tip.
for them right on the side of my bench. and holds the two rulers in place when
This is a simple block of wood that I Im not using them.
fashioned to fit my two most-used rul- Paul Fiebich
RECEIVE FREE ETIPS
ers. A deep groove cut with a thin-kerf !/2"-dia. Derby, Kansas BY EMAIL
rare-earth Now you can have the best time-saving
magnet
secrets, solutions, and techniques sent
a. CROSS #/4
SECTION #/32 directly to your email inbox. Just go to:
2!/2 1#/8
%/8
!/8
3#/4
Woodsmith.com
!/2 and click on,
!/2"-dia. Woodsmith Tips
1 !/4"-rad.
10
Youll receive one of our favorite tips
#8 x 1!/2"
Fh woodscrew by email each and every week.
!/4"-rad.
Woodsmith.com 7
!/2
NOTE: Start with
#/4 a 3!/4" square
#/8
1!/8"-dia. hole
!/32"kerf
Aluminum angle
Woodsmith.com 9
beyond 90
Tackling Angles
Most of the time, the goal in woodwork-
ing is achieving cuts that are straight
and square. To that end, theres an arse-
nal of well-crafted hand tools capable of
getting you there.
On occasion, though, you have to
deal with angles. Whether its making
tapered or mitered parts for a project,
or repairing a vintage piece of furniture
to which the term square no longer
applies, you need options that your
trusty combination square is unable
to tackle. No worries though, there are { The Bevel Setter by Veritas is loaded with useful features. One side can be used to set your
plenty of alternatives to consider. Lets bevel gauge to a precise angle. On the flip side, there are guides for dovetail layouts and
start with the classic sliding bevel gauge. polygon angles, as well. The adjustable metal fence lets you use the tool for precise layouts.
SLIDING BEVEL. Tracking down any angle
you need between 0 and 180 is easy mates with the handle and travels Now that you have your angle, what
with a sliding bevel gauge. This is a freely as needed. Just position the slid- are you going to do with it? For start-
simple tool, really. It starts with a wood ing bevel gauge against the object that ers, you could use it directly in tandem
handle. At the top is a metal head that youre working on, tighten the wing with whatever machine youll be using
has a bolt with a wing nut. This holds nut, and youve got the angle (refer to to make the cut you need. The bevel
a long metal blade. A slot in the blade the main photo above). gauge will work with any number of
Woodsmith.com 11
making precision
Stopped Cuts
One of the appeals of working at the A stopped cut is where a cut ends be located accurately. The drawings at
router table is just how straightforward before running out one or both ends of the top of the next page show you the
it is to use. Set the bit height and the the workpiece. In order to make this kind process. To get there, you need to start
fence, and youre ready to make one of cut, you have to lower the workpiece with a little layout.
cut or a dozen. For most tasks, youyoull
ll over a spinning bit, make the cut, and After installing the bit and setting the
start at one end of a workpiece and pro
pro- then stop at the right place. Although it height, position the fence in relation to
ceed until the bit emerges from the end. may sound intimidating, I think youll the bit. Its a good idea to make a test cut
However, you can also make stopped find that the differences from an ordi- to ensure its right on the money.
cuts at the router table, as well. nary cut are pretty minor. At this point, youre ready to set up
Stopped cuts can be used for pro- the stop blocks on the fence. The start-
} Routing a stopped groove files as well as joinery cuts like rabbets, ing block on the right side of the fence is
in this box side provides a dadoes, and grooves. In this article, Ill located so that the distance from the left
cleaner look since the demonstrate the process of making a edge of the bit to the stop matches the
groove isnt visible stopped groove to accept the bottom for distance from the end of the workpiece
after assembly. a small box, but the approach applies to to beginning of the cut (Figure 1).
most other stopped cuts, too. The end block on the left side is set in
The groove extends nearly to the ends a similar way. The only difference is that
of the box sides, but I dont want it to youll use the right side of the router bit
come out, so the starting and stopping as the reference point when measuring,
points for the groove need to be right on. as you can see in Figure 2.
For precise work like this, I often set up MAKING CUTS. At this point, youre all set
a pair of stop blocks to control the cut. to make a stopped cut. Heres where
SETTING UP. While stop blocks guarantee a little technique comes into play. As I
consistent limits of a cut from work- said earlier, you lower the workpiece
piece to workpiece, the blocks need to onto the spinning bit to make the cut.
Woodsmith.com 13
revolutionary routing:
PowerLift Pro
If youre familiar with using a router lift other lifts but has two key additions: A aluminum carriage attached to an
in a router table, you know how handy motor that mechanically raises and low- insert plate that holds a router motor.
it can be. Tasks like changing bits or ers the router, and a digital readout that The insert plate fits in a MLCS router
adjusting bit height can be done above allows you to monitor and adjust the bit table, though other tables can be built
the table, rather than stooping below it. height. And these additions will change or modified to accommodate the plate.
With their new PowerLift Pro, MLCS the way you look at router lifts. The lift will accept a 314-hp router, or
has taken the concept of a router lift to HOW IT WORKS. Like other router lifts, reducer rings are available to allow it to
a new level. The PowerLift is similar to the PowerLift Pro features an adjustable hold smaller routers. You can also pur-
chase a router motor from MLCS using
the source information on page 67.
The carriage slides up and down on
a pair of smooth, steel rods, while a
threaded rod allows for height adjust-
ments (inset photo above). And like
other lifts, you can change the bit above
the table (upper left photo, next page).
With most router lifts, however, the car-
riage moves because the user rotates the
threaded rod with a hand crank. On the
PowerLift Pro, a motor with a belt turns
{ The PowerLift Pro app on an Android tablet { A foot pedal lets you raise or lower the the rod, raising or lowering the router
lets you zero out the bit, set the bit at a router bit while you hold the workpiece carriage (lower photo, next page). A foot
precise height, and control motor speed. securely with both hands. pedal and control box (left photos) are
connected to this motor with electrical But what really makes this router lift decrease the bit height from there in
wires. The control box can be mounted unique is the PowerLift Pro app. Avail- specific increments.
above the surface of your table on a steel able for Android phones and tablets, For custom settings, you can also set
arm (main photo, previous page). this app adds a ton of functionality memory positions with the app. Just
Near the bottom and top of one of to your router lift. MLCS sells a tablet raise the bit to the height needed for a cut
the rods, the PowerLift features micro loaded with the app along with the lift and save it as a memory position. The
switches. These stop the up and down for an additional $35. Or you can load next time you need to make a cut at that
travel of the lift and prevent straining the app on your own device. The tablet depth, just hit a button. I found this handy
the lift motor (upper right photo). connects to the lifts electronic control for cutting mating parts for joinery.
AN APP FOR THAT. With just the foot box with a USB cord. NEW ROUTING OPTIONS. Youre probably
pedal and control box, you can raise The app allows you to adjust the lift by already getting a good sense of how
and lower the router mechanically. pressing buttons on the screen. You also the PowerLift Pro can add some effi-
can control the speed of the lift motor. ciency and accuracy to your router
But the most important thing it does is table work. Dialing in precise settings
provide an accurate measurement of the is just a button push away.
bit height. To do this, you set the bit flush But, perhaps most uniquely, the hands-
with the surface of your router table, and free nature of the lift also allows you to
then hit the Set Zero button in the app perform operations that were difficult or
(upper middle photo). After that, the app impossible before. For example, you can
will provide an accurate measurement of cut mortises or stopped dadoes by raising
its height as you raise or lower the bit. the spinning bit into the workpiece with
The app has several preset height set- the foot pedal and holding the workpiece
tings, such as 116", 18", and 14", among securely with both hands. Refer to the
several others (refer to the lower left drawings below for more on this.
photo on the previous page). So if you At $500 ($535 with a tablet), the
{ The PowerLift Pros motor connects to a cut a lot of 14"-deep dadoes or grooves, PowerLift Pro is no small investment.
threaded rod with a belt, letting you raise just hit the 14" button, and the bit raises But for the ways it changes work at the
and lower the router mechanically. precisely 14". Then you can increase or router table, it might be worth it. W
FIRST:
First:Set
Setworkpiece
workpieceinin Third: Rout to
starting
startingposition. Grasp
position. Grasp stopping position,
workpiece
workpiece firmly with
firmly then lower bit
both
withhands
both hands with foot pedal
Second: Turn router on.
Raise bit slowly into
workpiece with foot pedal
Woodsmith.com 15
hand-cut Dovetails
Dovetail joinery made with a router creating an incredibly strong connec-
and jig is the go-to method for many tion. And while it does take a little
woodworkers. And Ill admit, its my practice to get the proper method down
preference as well, especially if Im when hand-cutting dovetails, the results
working with more than a handful of (and satisfaction) are well worth it.
project parts. Its just hard to beat the ANGLE CONSIDERATIONS. Before jumping
level of uniformity that can be achieved right in and getting to work, a few
using this method. decisions must be made up front. And
But if there is one drawback to that starts with what angle to make the
machine-cut dovetails, its that it dovetails. If youre working from an
6 requires a fair amount of time to get a existing plan (like Im showing in this
router dovetail jig set up properly before article), then the decision is already
you can make the first cut. So for situ- made for you (8 for the trunks till).
ations where I only need to join a few When creating original work, its best
parts (like the till for the steamer trunk to keep the angle ratio between 1:8 (7)
on page 42), it often makes sense to go and 1:6 (9.5), as shown in the photo
with hand-cut dovetails. at left. If the tail angles are too shal-
1 If youve never cut a dovetail joint low, youll lose the classic dovetail look
Ideal angle ratio is before, the premise is simple: On one (not to mention holding power). And
between 1:8 (7o) board, there are a series of wedge- if theyre cut too steep, theyll appear
and 1:6 (9.5o)
shaped openings that fan out at the exaggerated and be prone to chipping.
end to form the tails. On the other board, PINS OR TAILS FIRST? Along with the angle
< The finished joint is not theres a matching set of corresponding choice, its best to decide which side of
only attractive, but it pins that interlock with the tails. the joint youd like to make first, the
also has unmatched Due to this wedge design, the joint pins or the tails. Traditionally, many
strength and durability. will only slide together in one direction, craftsmen would lay out and cut the
Tail board
Bench vise
Labels. After arranging the pieces as Baseline. A shoulder line marked on all Tail Layout. With one tail board
theyll be positioned, mark the outside four sides of each workpiece serves as clamped in a vise, use a metal rule to
face, the upper edge, and a letter to a reference to indicate how deep youll mark the wide part of the tails on the
designate the corresponding corners. need to cut the tails and pins. end of the workpiece.
NOTE:
4 5 Pin board 6
Position NOTE: Use
end and bevel gauge
edges flush to mark tails
Pin on both sides
board
Mark
waste
Tail
board
FIRST:
Mark pins
Mark waste on end
with an X
Tail
board
SECOND: Use try
square to extend
lines on opposite side
Double Layout. With the tail board still Mark Tails. Using a bevel gauge set Mark Ends of Pins. Leaving the bevel
in the vise, butt the pin board against to the correct angle, mark the sides of gauge at the same setting, mark the
it and mark the layout lines on both the tails. Flip the workpiece around and end of the pin board. Use a try square
pieces. Mark the waste with an X. mark the other face, as well. to continue the lines on the other face.
Woodsmith.com 17
1 2 3
Use a coping saw to remove
NOTE: Cut the majority of waste Tilt blade to
to waste match angle
side of line of tail
Tail board
Pin board
Clamp
block
across
shoulder
line
Face Cuts. Using a dovetail saw, Coping the Waste. After making the Tilt for Tails. To make the face cuts on
establish the face of the pins by cutting face cuts, remove the rest of the waste the tail board, tilt the saw to match the
just to the waste side of the layout lines. with a coping saw. Again, you want to angle of the layout line. A few practice
Cut down to the stop block. stay just proud of the layout lines. cuts on a scrap piece are in order here.
4 Use block
to keep from 5 6
chiseling past
shoulder line
Opening for
end pin
Tail board
Shoulder
line
Tail board
SECOND:
Undercut FIRST: Cut NOTE: Pare halfway
shoulder shoulder from both sides of
straight down workpiece
Chisel Work. With a scrap clamped Pare Pin Openings. For a tight fit, the Trim Tails. Trim the sides of the tails
across the shoulder line, make a openings for the end pins on the tail (and pins) up to the layout lines. Work
shallow, 90 cut. Then make a V-shaped board arent undercut. They should be from both sides of the workpiece to
undercut in the bottom of the opening. pared flat with the shoulder line. avoid chipout on the opposite face.
Mark narrow
Mark part of tails
narrow Tail board
Tail board
Tail board part of pins
Narrow Pins. Check that the narrow Wide Pins. Now position the wide part Check Inside Face. Next, check that
part of the pins will fit the openings on of the pins above the wide part of the the wide part of the pins fits the
the outside of the tail piece. Mark the opening in the tail piece. Once again, openings on the inside face of the tail
pins and pare off any excess material. mark the pins and trim off any excess. board. Mark the tails and trim as before.
4 Pin board 5 6
Parts should
fit snug by
hand
Mark tails
Hollow
NOTE: Cut Relieve sides of pins by
halfway only cutting very slight hollow
Check Outside Face. If the narrow part Hollow Faces. To ensure a snug fit Test Fit. If the joint wont go together
of the pins wont fit the openings on without affecting the appearance, form with hand pressure, you can use a
the inside face of the tail board, mark a hollow on the sides of the pins. Be wood block and mallet to give it a few
and trim the excess material once more. careful not to cut the edges of the pins. taps. Just dont overdo it.
Now you can switch to a coping saw on the tail piece (Figure 5). This would part of the pins will fit the openings on
to free the rest of the waste, as shown create a gap when the joint is assem- the outside of the tail piece. Mark any
in Figure 2 on the previous page. Again, bled. Figure 6 shows the last step for excess on the pins and pare off the waste.
you want to stay to the waste side of the cleaning up the tail walls. Now do the same process for the wide
layout lines. Do this same procedure on part of the pins (Figure 2).
the pin and the tail boards. FINE-TUNING THE JOINT Next, youll flip the pieces so the
CHISEL WORK. Figures 4 through 6 show With enough practice, the test fitting inside faces are held at a 90, as shown
the remaining steps for finishing one part of the process will become increas- in Figure 3 and 4. Check the fit, and
dovetail joint. Again, a piece of scrap ingly unnecessary. But if youre just pare away any excess. Forming a slight
wood is clamped across the baseline starting out, its best to go through the hollow on the sides of the pins allows
to guide the chisel (Figure 4). Work process shown in Figures 1 through 6 the pieces to go together a little easier
toward the center from both sides above. Youll end up with a tight-fitting without affecting the fit (Figure 5).
of the workpiece, being sure to just joint without having to force the pieces The final test fit, as shown in Figure 6,
split the layout lines. A slight under- together and possibly causing damage. should go together with minimal resis-
cut helps create a tight fit (Figure 4a). First, orient the boards as shown in tance. A little glue on the leading edges
However, dont undercut the end pins Figure 1. Then, check that the narrow of the pins is enough for assembly. W
Woodsmith.com 19
perpetual
Wall
Calendar
Easy to build and simple to
rearrange, this will be the last
calendar youll ever need. The
classic styling works well in
many settings.
Over the years, Ive had a couple of per- This calendar has a lot more going for The wall calendar is built from two
petual calendars the small ones that it. Its got a classic look that blends in kinds of wood. I chose poplar for the
require you to change the date every with a lot of dcors without demanding main parts of the calendar because it
day. Theyre clever enough, but those too much attention. And youre not a sands easily and takes paint well. The
things turn into work. Before I know it, slave to a daily routine of calendar care. tiles (both the months and the days) are
Im three weeks behind. Who needs guilt All you have to do is shuffle a couple of made out of maple. When finished with
from a calendar? tiles once a month, and youre good to go. a clear coat, they provide a nice contrast.
Att
PANEL poplar
29!#/16 5!!/16
FRONT
VIEW
2#/8
3
The back of the calendar is a panel glued b. A
up from 34"-thick poplar boards. Before TOP
A 1!/4"-
you start shaping the back, lay out and VIEW 2"-rad.
rad.
drill the holes for the storage tray and &/8
D A
tile rails. The drawings on the right BACK
!/2 1
show you where to locate the screw
!/8 2!/2
holes. Since the back is made out of solid B 1%/8
wood, its best to allow for the potential !/4
NOTE: Tray front 1!/8
of wood movement. So I oversized the C
is !/4"-thick poplar.
pilot and counterbore holes. Tray bottom
is !/8"-thick poplar
To give the back a little character, c. !/4"-dia. A
theres a simple mirrored profile that NOTE: Tray sides
pilot hole
runs up both sides. This profile starts are !/2"-thick 2#/4
poplar #6 x 1!/4" Rh
with an arc at the base, travels upward
woodscrew C
B
for a distance, and ends in another arc, w/washer
!/4
creating a wider top that a cap molding 1#/4 B 6!/16 !/8
!/8
will sit on (refer to detail a).
For the long, straight part of this
profile, a quick rip at the table saw is 2
12!/4 !/8
D
the sure path to a straight side. All you
SIDE VIEW
have to do is make a stopped cut. The 2 2
key to a good stopped cut is carefully
C !/2"-dia.
laying out your stopping points. Figure 13 1#/4 TRAY counterbore
TRAY SIDES
1 in the box below shows how to do this. FRONT
D B
To remove the waste, I completed the TRAY
BOTTOM
cuts at the band saw, which is detailed So youll have some milling to do at the
in Figure 2 below. Once that was done, planer in preparation for making the
I sanded both edges smooth. THE STORAGE TRAY. The storage tray pro- tray. Once thats done, cut the grooves
TONGUE & GROOVE. An arched tongue vides a handy place to store the extra in the front and sides to hold the bot-
runs across the top to provide a secure month tiles when not in use. As you tom. Next, make the rabbets in the front
attachment point for the cap. Cutting can see in the drawing above, it is just for joining to the sides, as in detail b.
the arc and the tongue is straightfor- a simple little box. But looking closely, After youve glued up the tray, you
ward enough. The steps are shown in youll notice that theres no plywood can set it aside for now. Later, youll
Shop Notes on page 66. bottom. Instead, all the parts are poplar. screw it to the back, as detail c shows.
TOP
Stop cut VIEW
when marks
A
meet
4 Leave
Back face A
layout
End of line
cut mark
Go and Stop. When the front edge of the saw blade meets the lines that Cutting the Arcs. At the band saw,
represents the base of the curve, stop the saw. Then back out the workpiece, rough-cut the four arcs. Stay outside
and repeat the process on other side. of the layout lines, then sand smooth.
Woodsmith.com 21
b.
18&/8
17!/4"-rad.
FIRST: Use trammel to E
NOTE: Blank for cap draw arcs on blank
is sized to final length
12!/2
Miter
1#/16 Groove gauge aux. TOP
stopping fence VIEW
!/4" slot cutter points
1#/16
Groove First. Use the layout lines you extended down from An Accurate End. Rotate your miter gauge to match the
the face of the piece to accurately locate the groove stop- angles that youve drawn on the ends of the cap. Then trim
ping points. Then route the groove. the ends to establish the final length of the cap.
7 8
The first pass will have the bit set at its woodscrew
F w/washer %/16
highest point (Figure 3a). For the follow-
10 11 9
ing pass, youll lower the bit and back 12 13
14 1 #/4
out the fence slightly, repeating this pro-
17 18 5 16
cess until youve removed most of the
19 2
waste (Figure 3b). Then you can clean 0 21 F
up and soften the cove with a curved 24 2 22 2
3
14#/4
scraper and sandpaper. 5 26
27 2 b.
COVE RETURNS. Creating the return
2 8 29 L-hook
profile is more art than science. Its 30 !/4
Wallboard
OC
hole
the edge of the back, as detail a on
previous page shows, draw an arc that TO
matches the face cove. Cut these curves F BER G
SIDE
Wall
stud
at the band saw, along with the arc that VIEW
makes the top of the cap. Then you can NOTE: Guides are
#/4"-thick poplar.
sand the whole cap smooth. Next, glue Tiles are !/4"-thick maple
the cap in place. Its best to only spot
glue it 4" to 5" at the center of the cap to one side only, and the field guides which MONTH & DAY TILES. The tiles for the cal-
allow for wood movement. are rabbeted on both sides. These guides endar are made from maple thats been
hold the days of the week. Both of these planed to 14" thick. Six pieces make
TILE GUIDES parts are simple but small. The details up the month tiles. Each month tile
To complete the body of the calendar, for making them are on page 66. has a month name stenciled on either
youll do the tile guides next. The tile Once the guides are made, screw them side, which saves on storage needs for
guides come in two variations: The top in place through the counterbored holes the unused tiles. Also, the month tiles
and bottom guides that are rabbeted on you drilled earlier (detail a). require drilling holes to hang L-hooks
in the calendar back (detail b). Thirty
one pieces are needed for the day tiles.
a. END VIEW
STENCILING. Once the finish was dry on
1" core !/4
box bit E
the tiles, I moved on to the stenciling.
3 !/2
I used a stencil set that I purchased
online for the letters and numbers (page
67). Centering the numbers on the day
tiles is pretty straightforward. But as
b. END VIEW
E for the month tiles, I did some test runs
!/4 on pieces of paper cut to the size of the
Back side 16"-rad. E tiles. This let me determine the posi-
of blank
NOTE: Lower bit and move tioning before committing paint to tile.
fence backward for each pass
With all of the building said and done,
I mounted the calendar by screwing it to
Careful Cove Creation. Using a fence provides confidence when it comes to wall studs. Hiding these screws under
making the cove on the cap. It supports the whole surface of the cap as you the month tile and one of the rows of
nibble away at the profile. Sand it smooth when youve finished routing. mid-month date tiles gives you plenty
of flexibility for screw locations. W
Woodsmith.com 23
Woodsmith.com 25
#8 x 1!/2" Fh
woodscrew
c. TOP SECTION VIEW
48 C
A
F
G
3#/4 9#/16 A
TOP
b. FRONT 29
45 1%/8 B
SECTION
A VIEW NOTE: Brace
and cleats %/8"-rad.
D are made
C from "one-by" 5!/2 F
B lumber. All #8 x 1!/4" Fh
BRACE woodscrew
E
other parts
are #/4" MDF
46!/2 A
How-To: HANDHOLD
D Template and
B
BACK 12 pattern bit
#14 x 1" shape handhold
Ph screws B 5!/2
12
28!/4
E
C 11!/4
28!/4
29 BOTTOM
29
5!/2
46!/2
A
SIDE
46!/2
12 #8 x 1!/2" Fh
13!/2 woodscrew E Template. Turn to page 65 for details
CLEAT on using a template to form the
#8 x 1!/2" Fh B
handholds in the brace.
#8 x 1!/4" Fh 3" locking
woodscrew INNER PANEL woodscrew swivel caster
Drawer slide
TWO LARGE DRAWERS
A dedicated assembly surface is a big H I
c. K SIDE SECTION VIEW
plus, but the drawers below double the !/4 I J
H
benefits of the cart by increasing the
storage space in your shop. The large !/2 !/4"
dado blade a. END VIEW
drawers operate on full-extension slides !/8
!/8 !/4 !/4
that maximize access and are perfect for !/2
storing heavy, bulky items. H I
RABBETS. The drawer boxes are assem- HANDHOLD. Painted false fronts com-
bled with rabbet joints, as in the drawing plete the drawers. Cut out handholds
above and detail a. The bottom is held to serve as pulls, as you can see in the Drawer Bottom Grooves. Use a
in a groove I cut at the table saw (box at drawing above. These openings are dado blade to cut the grooves for
right). At assembly time, the glued rab- formed similarly to (and line up with) the drawer bottom at the table saw.
bet joints are reinforced with screws. the handholds in the brace.
Woodsmith.com 27
E B
D
10
27!/2 3!/2
#/8"-dia. BACK 10
#/4 #8 x 1!/4" Fh D C
1#/4 woodscrew
!/2"-dia. BACK A
SUPPORT b. SIDE SECTION VIEW
E A
3!/4 E
D B
26
A C
B
SIDE 29 22#/4
3 C
F
BOTTOM F
22
27!/2 4 c. FRONT SECTION VIEW
23!/2
CLEAT 29
F 3" A B
locking D
3 swivel E C
caster
F
B #8 x 1!/4" Fh #14 x 1"
#8 x 1!/2" Fh SIDE SUPPORT woodscrew Ph screws
woodscrew
2 1
3!/4
22#/4 27!/2
11#/4 C
SHELF
c. TOP
H NOTE: Drawer bottom
SECTION
VIEW is !/4" hardboard.
All other parts are #/4" MDF
J
!/4 I
DRAWER BACK
I
H
DRAWER 24
#8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew K FRONT
I J
#/4"-rad.
8
d. FRONT SECTION VIEW DRAWER BOTTOM
#8 x 1!/2" Fh 11!/8 6 20
C 19
woodscrew
1#/8
5
24
!/4 I 1
20" full-extension
J 2!/2
H 27!/2 2!/2 slide w/screws
!/4
!/2"-rad. H
!/4 !/4 K 2#/4
DRAWER SIDE
FALSE FRONT
as well. Casters attached to them round Clearance holes in the cart sides are the lag screws and between the case side
out the main part of the carts case. located so the top is flush with the sides. and flip top, as in details a and b.
SLIDE BOLTS. In order to secure the top in DRAWER & SHELF. With a planer in the
HEAVY-DUTY TOP either orientation, a pair of slide bolts stowed position, there isnt much stor-
The top of the cart is glued up from two engages holes drilled through the sides age space in the cart. Even so, I did
layers of MDF for increased stiffness. I of the cart. I attached the slide bolts on manage to squeeze in a shallow drawer.
sized it to fit between the sides of the each face of the top, as you can see in Its constructed similarly to the draw-
cart with a 18" gap on either side. It has details a and b. Then I used the slide ers in the assembly cart (details c and
a handhold cut at the front and back to bolts to locate the holes in the sides. d). A cutout in the drawer front creates
aid in rotating the top. Before installing the top, I mixed up clearance for the handhold in the false
The top rotates on a pair of lag screws. some epoxy and placed it in the pilot holes front. After installing the drawer slides,
So you need to drill a pilot hole on each of the top. Then I drove in the lags. Note you can cap off the drawer compartment
edge of the top (details a and b above). that there are washers under the head of by adding the shelf, as in detail d.
Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram (for the ip-top tool cart)
A Sides (2) 3 MDF - 2312 x 29 H Drawer Sides (2) 3 MDF - 21 x 20 (16) #14 x 1" Ph Sheet Metal Screws
4 4 2
3 3
B Side Supports (2) 4 MDF - 3 x 22 I Dwr. Front/Back (2) 4 MDF - 212 x 24 (1 pr.) 20 Full-Extension Slides w/Screws
3 MDF x 223 x 271 1 Hdbd. x 19 - 24
C Bottom/Shelf (2) 4 4 2 J Dwr. Bottom (1) 4 (2) 12" x 3" Lag Screws
3
D Back (1) 4 MDF - 2712 x 2712 K False Front (1) 3
4 MDF x 23 4 - 2714 (4) 12" Washers
3
E Back Support (1) 4 MDF - 3 x 26 (28) #8 x 112" Fh Woodscrews (4) 4" Slide Bolts w/Screws
3 - 4 x 29
F Cleats (2) 4 (38) #8 x 114" Fh Woodscrews
G Top (1) 1 2 MDF - 22 x 2714
1
(4) 3" Locking Swivel Casters
1x6 - 60" Fir
ALSO NEEDED:
F F One 24" x 24" sheet of !/4" hardboard
One 49" x 48!/2" sheet of #/4" MDF
One 49" x 97" sheet of #/4" MDF
Woodsmith.com 29
23!/2 29
Power
G switch
SUBTOP
27!/2 Step-by-step
22#/4 b. TOP VIEW instructions are
on page 64
%/16"-18
BRACE threaded
insert 3#/4
I
27!/2 7!/8
3!/2
4!/2 3
Insert Plate Opening. A router and
NOTE: Top and subtop a jig saw combine to create a perfect-
are #/4" MDF. 7&/8 fitting opening for an insert plate.
Brace is "one-by" lumber
At the table saw, I trimmed the panel to the wear and tear of workpieces slid- The fence is secured to the top with a
to size in a series of cuts until the subtop ing across it. To give the top durability series of threaded inserts. The locations
just fits into the cart without forcing the and a smooth surface, I added plastic for these are found in detail b above.
sides apart or leaving a gap. Then it can laminate. Cut a piece of laminate thats POWER SWITCH. One other addition has
be glued and screwed in place. at least 1" larger in each dimension than to do with increasing the safety and
The top is cut to match the overall the top of the cart. convenience of using a router in a table.
width and depth of the cart and installed I like to use spray contact adhesive You may want to consider attaching a
with glue and screws. On the bottom to attach plastic laminate to a surface. power switch to the inside of the case
face of the subtop, I added a wide, Spray a coat on both the top and the near the front, as shown in the drawing
solid-wood brace along the front edge to laminate. Once the adhesive is dry to above. This switch makes turning off
provide additional stiffness (detail a). the touch, you can place the laminate. the router much easier. You can find the
PLASTIC LAMINATE WORKSURFACE. A router A flush-trim bit in your router eas- source for the one I used on page 67.
table sees a lot of use in most shops. ily removes the excess laminate. Then THE FENCE. I find that an uncomplicated
So the worksurface needs to stand up switch to a chamfer bit to ease the out- router table fence is simpler to make
side edges and prevent chipping. and works just as well as a full-featured
a. FRONT SECTION VIEW SOME ADDITIONS. The top is now ready for fence. You can see how this plays out in
Dust port the insert plate. The box above shows the drawings at left.
#8 x 1!/2" Fh
L woodscrew one part of the process. For the complete The overall structure is an L-shaped
J story, turn to page 64. hardwood assembly backed up by a
pair of braces. The base of the fence has
1"-rad.
a centered bit notch and a slot at each
FENCE BRACE end used for attaching the fence to the
b. SIDE SECTION VIEW L top, as in detail c. I also rounded the
K
J Dust 1 back corners with a radius.
3!/2 port
L #8 x 1!/2" Fh FENCE 2#/4 45 The fence face also has a bit notch cut
woodscrew BASE 1
L
into it. The face and base are glued and
J 2
%/16"-18 x 1!/2" screwed together, as illustrated in detail
studded knob b. As I mentioned, adding two braces
26
2!/2
ensures the fence stays square during
c. TOP SECTION VIEW 26 use, as you can see in details a and b.
J
3 1!/4
6 6#/8 The back corners of the braces are bev-
L Dust #8 x 1!/2" Fh
port woodscrew eled to soften the edge.
2#/4
1!/4 The final part of the fence to attach is
NOTE:
2!/4
K
All parts a commercial dust port. All thats left on
!/4"-rad. 3!/2
are #/4"-thick K the router table is to build a drawer. You
hardwood
FENCE FACE can find the details on the next page.
Woodsmith.com 31
24
O M
DRAWER C
N
SIDE DRAWER BOTTOM 8
M 6 O
20 1"-rad. !/4
19 11!/8 !/4
5
!/4 !/4
1#/8 !/2"-rad.
N 24
20" full-extension 5!/2 DRAWER
FRONT 5!/2
slide with screws
1
Wrap it up with a
27!/4
P NOTE:
FALSE Drawer bottom is !/4" hardboard.
5#/4 All other parts are #/4" MDF
FRONT
Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram (for the router table cart)
A Sides (2) 3 MDF - 2312 x 2814 K Fence Face (1) 3 x 31 - 26
4 4 2 (1) 26" x 32" Plastic Laminate
B Side Supports (2) 3 MDF - 6 x 22 3 x 23 - 31
4 L Fence Braces (2) 4 4 2 (1) Router Table Insert Plate
3
C Bottom/Shelf (2) 4 MDF x 223 4 x 2712 M Drawer Sides (2) 3
4 MDF - 512 x 20 (4) 516"-18 Threaded Inserts
3 MDF - 271 x 281 3 MDF - 51 x 24
D Back (1) 4 2 4 N Dwr. Front/Back (2) 4 2 (2) 516"-18 x 112" Studded Knobs
3 MDF - 6 x 26 1 Hdbd. x 19 - 24
E Back Support (1) 4 O Dwr. Bottom (1) 4 (2) 516" Washers
3 3
F Cleats (2) 4 - 4 x 29 P False Front (1) 4 MDF x 53 4 - 2714 (1) Dust Port
3 MDF - 22 x 271 1
G Subtop (1) 4 4 (44) #8 x 1 2" Fh Woodscrews (1) Power Switch
3 MDF - 231 x 29
H Top (1) 4 2 (46) #8 x 114" Fh Woodscrews (1 pr.) 20" Full-Extension Slides w/Screws
3
I Brace (1) 4 - 312 x 2712 (4) 3" Locking Swivel Casters
J Fence Base (1) 3 - 6 x 26
4 (16) #14 x 1" Ph Sheet Metal Screws
#/4"x 6!/2" - 60" Hard Maple (2.7 Bd. Ft.)
ALSO NEEDED:
K L L One 24" x 24" sheet of !/4" hardboard
J One 49" x 48!/2" sheet of #/4" MDF
One 49" x 97" sheet of #/4" MDF
1x6 - 96" Fir
F F I
6!/2 D
%/8
1!/2 E
D C
Materials, Supplies
19 E
17!/4
LARGE BASE & Cutting Diagram
B
A
E (for the tool sliders)
MEDIUM BASE
SMALL BASE E 3
21!/2 A Small Base (1) 4 MDF - 1312 x 19
E 3 MDF - 171 x 19
B Medium Base (1) 4 4
3 MDF - 211 x 19
19 C Large Base (1) 4 2
NOTE: Bases are #/4" MDF. 13!/2
D Guides (4) 112 x 112 - 19
All other parts are
"two-by" lumber E Handles (1) 112 x 112 - 40 rgh.
1
(12) #8 x 1 2" Fh Woodscrews
Drill #/8"-dia. holes, #/4"deep in (12) #8 x 2" Fh Woodscrews
edging to receive threaded knob
(3) 516"-18 x 112" Studded Knobs
(3) 516"-18 Threaded Inserts
a. FRONT SECTION VIEW
D C D 2 x 4 - 48" Fir (Two Boards)
!/4
E E E
D D E E E
!#/16
#8 x 1!/2" Fh %/16"-18 x 1!/2" %/16"-18 #8 x 2" Fh ALSO NEEDED:
woodscrew B studded knob threaded insert woodscrew One 49" x 48!/2" sheet of #/4" MDF
Woodsmith.com 33
More storage is always handy, par- to a comfortable working height when a little work at the band saw to com-
ticularly for crafts that involve a lot youre sitting in a chair. (Refer to page plete the final shaping.
of small parts and pieces. Thats why 41 for more on this design option.) CANTILEVER ACTION. But the most inter-
I built this handy craft center. In stor- SIMPLE, STURDY CONSTRUCTION. I opted to esting feature of this craft center is
age and transport mode, its a compact use box joints to hold the five trays how the upper trays pivot out above
package thats easy to carry around together, as well as the handle. This the lower tray. As it turns out, this
by its comfortable handle. And when joinery gives the cherry trays a great wasnt really difficult to do. The secret
youre ready to work, the four ample look while also providing a rock-solid is a series of solid-wood pivot bars
upper trays swing out above the large connection between the parts. The joined to the trays with brass binding
lower tray to put all the contents within same technique is used to join the posts. Ill show you the tips and tricks
easy reach. An optional stand raises it parts of the handle before performing for installing them on page 38.
Lids feature
plywood panels
in a mitered,
grooved frame
Brass chain
holds lid in
upright position
Continuous hinges
join lids to trays
Solid-wood
trays assembled
with box joints
{ Like the trays, the parts of the solid-wood
handle are connected with box joints. Some
shaping at the band saw creates the curves.
Plywood bottoms
held in groove
in tray parts
Handle assembled
with box joints and
shaped at the
band saw
Binding posts
connect pivot
bars to trays
Pivot bars
allow upper trays
to cantilever out
above lower trays
for easy access
Woodsmith.com 35
MIDDLE TRAY
UPPER TRAY BOTTOM
BOTTOM 10
F
F D A !/4 B
D MIDDLE
E TRAY END
E
2!/2 Groove in Groove in
tray side is tray end is
D cut through stopped
E
MIDDLE
Ease edges E TRAY SIDE
at top and 3
bottom of B
trays with !/4
sanding D D
No
roundover
A on mating
corners
C
!/8"-rad. LOWER TRAY 19&/16
on outside 20 NOTE: Tray sides
3!/2 BOTTOM
corners and ends are #/8"-thick
hardwood. Tray bottoms
9&/16 are !/8" plywood
A
b. FRONT
10
B LOWER TRAY SECTION
SIDE #/8 VIEW
LOWER TRAY
END
!/8
!/8
Construction of the craft center starts test-cutting your box joints. I always following page, it has a fence and base
with the five trays. As you can see above, like to cut box joints in some sample that attach to the miter gauge for sup-
the trays are made from solid cherry. pieces until I get the settings just right. porting the workpiece and a hardwood
They feature plywood bottoms and are Once all your stock is the proper key spaced 14" from the dado blade.
assembled with box joints. thickness, you can trim the parts to final The sequence shown in the drawings
The rectangular lower tray is twice the length. As for the width, its a good idea on the following page should give you
length of the two pairs of trays above it. to leave the pieces a hair wider than what the basics of cutting all the box joints.
Its also the deepest tray at 312". The pair is shown above. The reason for this is that As mentioned earlier, I like to start with
of middle trays are 12" shallower than its difficult to get a pin or slot of exact some test pieces until I get the fit right.
the lower tray, and the upper trays are width on the edge of your workpieces Then Ill label my pieces, so I can keep
1 " shallower yet (3" in the middle, 21 " as you cut the joints. Having a little extra track of them as I cut. To do this, Ill mark
2 2
at the top). Since I used 14" box joints to width allows you to trim the parts for a what tray they are part of, and also write
join the tray ends and sides, this equaled full pin or slot after cutting the box joints, a corresponding number in the mating
out to one more pin and slot in each set as shown in Figure 5 on the next page. corners of the workpieces. Label the mat-
of tray parts as you work your way from BOX JOINT BASICS. Once your tray parts ing corner ends with a 1, 1, and then the
the top of the craft center to the bottom. (and test pieces) are cut to length and next corner ends with 2, 2, etc. This way,
PREPARE TRAY PARTS. The stock for the a hair wide, youre just about ready to you can cut the parts in sequence. And
tray ends and sides is 38" thick, so youll start making box joints. But first, youll when you switch from cutting box joints
want to start with 12"-thick hardwood need a simple table saw jig. Youll find on one workpiece to the next, all you
and joint and plane it to final thick- the details for the one I built on page 65. have to do is match up the numbers to
ness. Also, prepare some extra stock for As you can see in the drawings on the make sure you get it right.
!/4" dado
blade
Cut the First Slot. For the first cut, maintain a firm Cut Adjacent Slots. After cutting each slot, slip the slot over the
grip to keep the workpiece in position against the key to cut the next one. As you move the workpiece after cutting
fence and tight against the key. each slot, make sure the bottom edge stays flat against the base.
3 4
Tray Tray THIRD: Cut
side end a. FRONT all slots
VIEW as before
SECOND: Butt
mating part Key
against it to
begin cutting
FIRST: Flip slots
piece face for
face and put slot
over key
Switch to Mating Workpiece. Flip the first workpiece around (face for Repeat the Process. Now cut along the mating
face), and use it as a spacer for cutting the first notch in the mating workpiece as before, slipping the slot over the
workpiece. Butt the mating piece firmly against the first one while cutting. key in order to cut the adjacent slot.
Final Width. After cutting all the box Stopped Grooves. The tray parts have a groove to accept the plywood bottom.
joints, rip the waste edge off each piece This groove can be cut all the way through the tray sides, but it needs to be a
so theres a full pin or slot remaining. stopped cut on the tray ends. You can make the stopped groove as shown above.
Woodsmith.com 37
3!/2 Continuous
G hinge
%/8
Upper 3!/2
Now that all five trays are complete, you Then rip the lid frame sides to final PANEL. Now turn your attention to the
can get started on the lids that enclose the width, but leave them long for now. plywood panel that forms the center
upper trays. Each is a mitered hardwood MITERS. The overall dimensions of the portion of each lid. As you can see
frame sized to fit flush with the tray, with lid frame need to match those of the above, its rabbeted to fit the groove in
a plywood panel in the middle. A hole upper tray, which can be easier said than the frame sides. The rabbet is formed
in each panel allows you to open the lid. done. I found it was best to sneak up as shown in Figure 2 below. Check the
Theyre joined to the upper trays with on the miters, and check the fit of each fit of the panel until it slips nicely into
continuous hinges and brass chains. frame on the tray until I got it right. place in the grooves. Finally, drill the
START WITH THE LID FRAMES. Like the tray GROOVE. Now you can cut the grooves hole in the lid panel with a Forstner
parts, the lid frame sides are made from in the frame sides, as shown in Figure 1 bit. Then its time to assemble the lids
3 using glue and clamps.
8"-thick hardwood. So youll want to below. Set the rip fence so that the panel
get started by jointing and planing the will align flush with the top edge of the HINGE MORTISES. Both the top tray and
stock to size from 12"-thick material. of the frame once it gets added next. the lid have shallow mortises in them
b.
a. a. !/8
END
VIEW #/8
!/4" !/8
ply. SECOND: Stop
cut when lid edge
!/8 aligns with stop line
NOTE: Rout THIRD: Square END #/64
END VIEW upper trays mortise with VIEW
with same setup chisel
Grooves. After mitering the frame Rabbet. Cut a small rabbet around Hinge Mortise. The hinge mortises on the lid
sides, cut grooves with a standard rip the edges of the lid panel so it fits and upper tray both require simple stopped cuts
blade to accept the plywood panel. the grooves in the mitered frame. on the router table as shown.
J 4!%/32 4!%/32
9!%/16
for the continuous hinges. These are After sizing the bars, the first order of the binding posts to secure the bars in
easy to cut with the same router table business is drilling the holes in the bars. the middle tray, then stack and clamp all
setup, as shown in Figure 3 on the pre- Its important that the holes align per- five trays together. Finally, use spacers
vious page. Leave the lids off for now, fectly from each bar to the next, so use a to align the bars at the correct position
however, as theyll get in the way dur- stop block on the drill press for each hole on the lower and upper trays (Figure 2).
ing the next step, which is making and setting. With the holes drilled, soften the After marking all the hole locations,
installing the pivot bars. edges of the bars with sandpaper. you can drill them out and connect the
PIVOT BARS. The craft centers cantilever For the swing-out trays to work trays with more binding posts. (I added a
action is accomplished with a series of smoothly, the bars must be parallel with few drops of threadlocker to each post as
pivot bars. There are eight short pivot each other, and their holes must align I installed it.) The trays should now open
bars and four long pivot bars. Theyre horizontally and vertically. I used the and close smoothly.
joined to the sides of the trays with bind- process shown below to accomplish LIDS. All thats left is attaching the lids
ing posts. These are two-part fasteners this. The key is laying out and drilling to the upper trays with the hinges and
that consist of a small bolt that threads the holes in the middle tray first, as brass chains. Refer to the drawings on
into a barrel (detail b above). shown in Figure 1 below. After that, use the previous page for details.
b.
a. 3%/16 1&/8 Backer
&/32" brad Clamping
point bit caul
Left middle tray
1!/2 FRONT VIEW
Middle Tray Holes. The middle trays hold the key to ensuring Install Pivot Bars. After attaching the bars to the middle
that the pivot bars work properly. Carefully lay out and drill the tray, stack and clamp the trays, and use spacers to position
holes in these trays, using a backer to prevent blowout. the bars as shown. Then mark and drill the holes.
Woodsmith.com 39
K
K c. #/8
1!/4
!#/64"-dia. x #/4" !/8"-
binding post rad.
NOTE: Handle is
centered on width
of sewing box END &/16
SECTION
VIEW 3!/2
K 2#/4
&/32"
!#/64"-dia. x #/4" hole
binding post
#/4
Box Joints. The box joints for the Shaping. Drill holes near the bottom and Band Saw. The remainder of the
handle are cut the same way, with the top of the handle to form clean radii, then shaping work on the handle is done at
same jig, as the tray parts, only deeper. make stopped table saw cuts at the bottom. the band saw and with sanding.
!/2"x 6!/2" - 96" Cherry (Two Boards @ 4.3 Sq. Ft. each)
A B D tt
D D D E E
E E G G I J J
Woodsmith.com 41
Domed-Top
Steamer Trunk
Practical storage space combines with a stylish, custom design in this
adaptation of a well-known classic traveling companion.
In the era of steamship and train travel, finding a second life serving as decora- gradual curve from front to back to create
no self-respecting traveler would dare tive storage solutions. That was the inspi- the domed shape that gives our trunk its
venture abroad without a fashionable, ration for the version you see above. name. The lid construction may appear
rugged trunk to safely store their pos- This trunk is not only attractive, but it intimidating. But its very similar to mak-
sessions and wardrobe. However, as also provides lots of storage in its main ing the other frame and panels, with a
transportation evolved to modern auto- compartment. In addition, a removable few angles thrown in.
mobiles and air travel making way for till with dovetail joinery offers up the I used quartersawn white oak and
the more transportable suitcase most perfect place to store smaller items that plywood throughout on this trunk. That,
trunks found a new home tucked away in are easily accessible. along with the traditional hardware, cre-
the attic storing family treasures. The bulk of the trunk consists of frame ates a piece of fine furniture that youll
But because of their beauty and con- and panel construction. Even the lid uses be proud to put on full display, instead
siderable size, many of these trunks are this technique with one twist. It has a of letting it gather dust in the attic.
Traditional steamer
trunk hardware provides
an authentic look. For source Till is constructed with
information turn to page 67 hand-cut dovetails.
Turn to page 16
Lift-out till is for more about
perfect for dovetail joinery
storing smaller
items
Aromatic cedar
planks are added
to the sides and
bottom
Decorative tacks
provide a nice
detail on the
reinforcement bands
Each component of
the trunk is a frame
and panel assembly The rugged leather
using stub tenon and handles provide a
groove joinery comfortable grip for
moving the trunk
NOTE: Quartersawn white
oak used predominantly
throughout trunk
{ Traditional steamer trunk hardware not only looks { The sturdy dovetail joinery on the lift-out till ensures
fantastic, but it also protects the vulnerable corners that itll stand up to frequent removal, even when its
and edges of the trunk from damage. loaded down with heavy items.
Woodsmith.com 43
b. C
C D
D
D
A
#/8
A
FRONT D D
A 15#/4 PANELS B !/4"
C 2!/4 ply. C
BACK
RAIL D
5!/4
B 2!/4
FRONT
5#/16
A
c.
!/4"
STILE FRONT RAIL #/8 ply.
6&/8 32!/4
A
NOTE: Rails and stiles are
2!/8 made from #/4"-thick hardwood. B
Panels are !/4" plywood
The trunk is made up of a group of frame MATERIAL PREPARATION. Before cutting the next provides the information you
and panel assemblies: The front, back, any parts to size, I spent a little time need to build the front, back, and sides.
and two sides form the walls of the preparing my stock. Since a vast As you can see, the front and back are
project, while the bottom and lid enclose majority of the trunk parts are made identical assemblies, as are the two
it. Each assembly consists of a hardwood from 34"-thick quartersawn white oak, side frames. With that in mind, start
frame with plywood panels. This frame I surfaced enough lumber up front to by cutting all of the stiles and rails to
and panel design relies on stub tenon and ensure a smooth build process. size for all four assemblies. Because of
groove joinery, which is both strong and IDENTICAL ASSEMBLIES. A quick look at the the large number of parts youll now
easy to cut at the table saw. drawings at the top of this page and have on hand, its a good idea to label
Centered Grooves. Make all of Stub Tenons. Make the cheek Assemble Front & Back Frames. Some risers
the grooves in two passes, flipping cuts for the tenons on the rails and clamping cauls make assembling the front
the pieces end-for-end in between. and middle stiles. and back frames much easier.
With the tenons complete, cut the the stiles on the front and back panels. E #/4
plywood panels to size for all four The reason I chose this joint is twofold.
TOP SECTION F
c.
VIEW
assemblies. But before adding any glue, First, it creates a lot of glue surface, mak-
its a good idea to do a test fit on each ing for a very secure connection. And assemblies to form the basic box, as
section. Nows the time to make any second, after the trunk is assembled, the shown in Figure 2. Because of the thin
needed adjustments. When youre satis- corners get eased, and the thin edge of the tongues on the side stiles, I used some
fied with the fit, you can assemble each tongue essentially blends into the mating thicker strips of hardwood as clamp-
panel assembly using glue and clamps. piece. After the side assemblies come out ing cauls. This helps to distribute the
The front and back frames are shown in of the clamps, these rabbets can be cut at clamp pressure evenly. Here, its a
Figure 3 on the previous page. the table saw (Figure 1, below). good idea to call in a helper to hold
RABBET SIDE PANELS. The stiles on the side ASSEMBLE CASE. Finally, glue and the frames together as the clamps and
assemblies receive a rabbet along their clamp the sides to the front and back cauls are put in place.
B
%/8
Cauls protect Position clamp away
thin tongue of from thin edge
end stile rabbet of stile rabbet
Rabbets. Cut the rabbets on the Assemble Case. To avoid putting uneven pressure on the thin tongues on the side
front and back edges of the side stiles, I used some hardwood clamping cauls during assembly. Using a few assembly
frames after theyre assembled. squares, along with a helper, will make this part of the process go much smoother.
Woodsmith.com 45
Cedar b.
planks 16!/4 FRONT
BOTTOM I SECTION
RAIL VIEW Cedar plank
H J
16!/4
fits tight
Side against rail
rail
J
!/4 15#/8
!/4 I
I
BOTTOM H
J STILE NOTE: Refer to
I
BOTTOM 36 page 67 for cedar
BOTTOM PANEL plank sources
STILE
2!/4 c. FRONT SECTION VIEW
Cedar planks
BOTTOM H
RAIL NOTE: Bottom rails and #/8
NOTE: Overall dimensions stiles are made from !/4" ply.
of bottom need to match 2%/8 #/4"-thick hardwood. Bottom
the outside case dimensions panels are !/4" plywood
With the assembly of the four walls of the trunk opening to guide a removable side frames. After cutting the rails to
the trunk in the rearview mirror, you till that youll make later on. size, use the same technique shown in
can now turn your attention to the next FAMILIAR CONSTRUCTION. At this point, the the How-To box on page 44 to complete
frame and panel assembly the bot- bottom construction should be second the grooves in the edges of the work-
tom. After that youll add some mitered nature. It follows the same procedure pieces. Likewise, the stub tenons on the
supports around the inside perimeter of you used to build the front, back, and ends of the side and middle rails follow
Aux. Clamping
rip cauls
fence
Support
Clamp across Rabbet all blocks
stiles #/4" dado four edges
blade
a. END VIEW
#/4
a.
NOTE: Case turned
upside down
Edge of end stiles are for installation
flush with ends of
front and back rails %/8 Cauls apply equal
pressure around
perimeter
Glue Up Bottom. After cutting all of Rabbet Edges. Use a dado blade Attach Bottom. Use clamping cauls to
the joinery, assemble the bottom panel to form the rabbet around the evenly distribute the clamping pressure
with glue and clamps. perimeter of the bottom. along the edge of the bottom.
How-To: CUT PLANKING & TILL GUIDE TILL GUIDES & SUPPORTS
Next up are some thin till guides with
1 2 Aux. miter
a narrow lip attached at the bottom.
These wrap the interior opening of
Rip fence
fence K
the trunk. The guides and lip provide
Trim tongue
edge of a resting spot for the removable till. I
cedar plank used 38"-thick boards planed down
Tilt from 12"-thick stock for these pieces.
blade 45
Start by ripping the till guides to width,
a. END VIEW
a. END VIEW
but leave them a little long. Youll then
miter their ends (Figure 2) and glue and
Waste
clamp them in place as shown in detail
b, above. Now ease the upper edges of
these parts with sandpaper. This elimi-
nates a snagging point when reaching
into the trunk and allows for a smoother
Cut to Fit. Depending on the cedar Miter Till Guides. Miter the ends opening and closing operation. The two
planking you use, it may be necessary of the till guides for a snug fit till support lips are simply cut to fit and
to rip the end pieces to fit. around the interior of the case. glued and clamped to the front and back
till guides (details b and c).
Woodsmith.com 47
Q Q
SIDE SECTION VIEW
Having the main portion of the chest used splines instead of stub tenon join- that the two middle rails are made
completed is a big accomplishment. ery (like was used on the lower part of from slightly thinner stock (1116"). This
And while everything up to this point the trunk). This means that all of the makes it much easier to smooth the
has been done by making a lot of 90 grooves on the stiles are cut at 90. Just outer surface of the lid with a block
cuts, thats about to change. take things one step at a time (and keep plane after the lid is glued up. The two
The lid for the chest has a slight curve the parts organized) and youll end up outer rails are also left a little wide for
from front to back. Making this curve with a perfect-fitting lid. now (238"). The outside edges of the lid
requires some angled grooves and bevel SQUARE THE RAILS. Begin building the lid will be cut to size after assembly.
cuts on the four long rails. But to sim- by cutting the four long rails to size. ANGLED GROOVES. When building the
plify the rest of the lid construction, I Youll notice in details b and d above frames on the lower section of the
Outer Rails. Use a dado blade to Middle Rails. Maintaining the same Bevel Edges. Tilt the saw blade and bevel
make the groove in the rails. Be sure setup, cut the grooves in both edges the edges of the rails. Be sure to only bevel
the inside face is against the fence. of the middle rails. the inside edge of the two outer rails.
Woodsmith.com 49
T !!/16
NOTE: Lid front, 2!/8
back, and sides are END SECTION 1(/16
made from#/4"-thick INTERIOR VIEW
S
hardwood
Till guide
Front rail
b. 20
c. d. Waste sanded flush
after assembly
4&/16 %/8
(Top of 4!/2 T
Strike arc and cut 24!/4"-rad. cut line arc)
2!/4 at the band saw 2
T
With the top portion of the lid completed, edges to wrap the ends of the lid. How- detail a. The excess will be trimmed
there are just a few more pieces that need ever, because of the different facets of off after theyre installed. Figure 1 below
to be added to finish up the assembly. the underside of the lid, a template and shows how to cut the rabbets.
The lid front and back have angled rab- a router are used to cut these rabbets. Gluing the front and the back to the
bets on their upper edges that wrap the LID FRONT & BACK. Start by cutting two lid isnt complicated by any stretch, but
edges of the lid rails. These are simple to blanks to length for the lid front and back. it does require quite a few clamps to
make at the table saw. The sides of the Youll want to cut these a little wider hold everything together. As you can
lid also have rabbets along their upper than their finished width, as shown in see in Figure 2 below, I made a spacer to
Angled Rabbets. Use a dado Glue to Lid. Using risers, spacer Shape the Lid. A block plane makes quick work
blade to form the rabbets along blocks and clamp blocks, glue the of rounding the ends of the stiles. Sand out the
the edge of the front and back. lid front and back in place. plane marks when done.
Woodsmith.com 51
16&/8
17!/8 b. !/2 c.
V Through Stopped
TILL FRONT dado in dado in
W TILL SIDE till front till sides
3 !/4 !/8
3 1!/8 !/2 and back !/8
W W
V
V
Trunk Trunk TILL BOTTOM X !/4
handle handle 1!/8 !/8
loop 5!/4 X
!/4
7#/8 Trunk lock is !/4 Dovetails NOTE: Rabbet perimeter
Drawbolts centered cut at 8 of till bottom
are centered on middle
on stiles stile
2!/4 of the relatively small number of pins
#8 x %/8" Ph
woodscrews and tails needed, I opted to cut the
dovetails by hand. The article on page
BEGIN WITH THE SIDES. Cut the four pieces 16 provides all of the details youll
Final DETAILS
to size that make up the front, back, and need for laying out, cutting, and fitting
sides. You can set the front and back a hand-cut dovetail joint.
aside for now to focus on the sides. BOTTOM GROOVE & PANEL. A rabbeted ply-
In order to keep small items from After laying out the curve along the wood panel used for the bottom of the
getting lost in the large main compart- top edge and the handhold positions till fits in an 18"-wide groove cut along
ment, I added removable till to the (detail a), I moved to the drill press the inside edge of the till parts. So after
trunk. The box-shaped till consists of a and drilled a couple of holes to define the dovetails are complete (but before
front, back, two sides with handholds, the ends of each opening (Figure 1). A assembling the till), I cut and sanded
and a plywood bottom. jig saw makes quick work of removing the arcs on the side pieces and then
It would have been easy to slap some- the waste between the holes. For now, headed to the router table to make the
thing together using simple joinery, but I refrained from cutting the arcs on the groove on all four pieces, as shown in
since this is an heirloom project, I opted top edge until after the dovetailed cor- Figure 2 below. Stopping the groove
for dovetail joinery at the corners. This ners were complete. short on the side pieces means theres
small attention to detail really makes the DOVETAILS. Using a dovetail jig and no gap to plug after assembly. The arti-
till stand out when the lid of the trunk router is one way to complete the dove- cle on page 12 provides more insight
is open for display. tail joints for the till. However, because into making stopped grooves.
Remove Waste. Use a Forstner bit to Stopped Groove in Ends. Making a Rabbet Bottom Panel. The bottom of
form the ends of the handle. A jig saw stopped groove in the ends eliminates the till is rabbeted on all four edges. A
removes the rest of the waste. the need to plug the gap. dado blade makes quick work here.
!/2"x 5!/2" - 96" White Oak (Two Boards @ 3.7 Sq. Ft. Each)
tt
U U
W K K V
L
#/4"x 5" - 96" White Oak (Two Boards @ 3.3 Bd. Ft. Each)
A A C C C C C
A E E F C NOTE: Parts U are resawn
and planed to !/4" thick.
#/4"x 5" - 96" White Oak (Two Boards @ 3.3 Bd. Ft. Each) Parts K and L are planed
T
H F F to #/8" thick. Parts N are
M N planed to !!/16" thick
Woodsmith.com 53
{ Holding a crepe stick against the { A miter gauge with a plywood { When trimming miters, you sometimes need to fine-
spinning disc removes built-up dust, auxiliary fence provides solid tune the angle. Slipping playing card shims between the
prolonging the life of the disc. support for square cuts. workpiece and fence lets you sneak up on a tight fit.
Woodsmith.com 55
cool ways to
Personalize
Your Work
After you complete a woodworking even provide a historic record of the You can find everything from branding
project, its understandable that youll completed piece in some cases by irons customized with a logo to smaller
have some pride in a job well done. Its personalizing it with a brand, a name, plates or medallions. Heres a roundup
this feeling that leads many woodwork- and/or a date of completion. of some of our favorites.
ers to commemorate their work and When it comes to the options for BRANDING IRONS. A branding iron is a
adding your personal mark to your traditional way to add your name and
projects, there are quite a few available. a bit of personalization to your project.
Several retailers offer custom options
that are available within a few weeks
Electric iron
after you order them.
Removable Branding irons come either as a torch-
custom stamp
heated type that you heat yourself, or an
Included
stand electric iron that you plug in and switch
on (left photos). Though more expensive,
I found that the electric iron provided
< Electric and torch-heated more consistent results. It also featured
irons are available. Electric a removable head, so replacement heads
Torch-heated
iron ones are pricier but provide can be purchased for less money once
more consistent results. you buy the initial iron.
The most cost-effective way to obtain Burning a brand only takes a few sec- and a pencil will also help you keep your
a personalized branding iron is to choose onds, so I like to practice several times on stamp aligned as you apply it to your
one of the boiler plate designs available a scrap of wood thats the same species project (upper left photo).
from Rockler and a few other suppli- as my project before I brand the actual Custom stamps with a personalized
ers (refer to page 67). These companies project (main photo, previous page). message or logo are also available for a
have several designs that you can choose STAMPS. Another option is to stamp, or higher price. The smaller personalized
from. Then, you provide the custom text emboss, the surface of the wood with a stamps can be applied with a hammer
that will accompany the design. The iron personal mark. Highland Woodworking blow, while the more elaborate plates
shown in the main photo on the previous offers a kit with 36 stamps, including all will require a mechanical press in order
page is an example of this. the (capital) letters, numbers, and an & to stamp the wood effectively.
These suppliers and a few others symbol (right photo above). Each stamp is CHOICES ABOUND. For even simpler per-
will also produce a completely custom approximately 14" tall. The spring-loaded sonalization options, refer to the box
branding iron with your logo on it. But stamp works with simple hand pressure. below. These medallions and plates are
you can expect a higher price and a lon- Of course, this kit requires stamping inexpensive and simple to add to your
ger wait time for this type of iron. just one letter at a time, so getting good completed projects. Whichever method
Once you have your branding iron, it results requires some careful setup. Here you choose, adding a custom name,
takes a bit of a trial and error to get the again, I like to practice a bit on a separate date, or other message ensures that your
heat and pressure for a good brand just scrap piece before stamping my actual work will stand the test of time, no mat-
right. It also varies from wood to wood. project. A little layout work with a ruler ter who inherits it down the road. W
Woodsmith.com 57
Flip pieces
end for end
between
passes to cut
centered grooves
Woodsmith.com 59
essential upgrades
Table Saw Sleds
A critical part of every project is mak- crosscut sled can further simplify the sled instead of sliding across the saw
ing clean, square crosscuts. This leads to process and aid in giving you predict- table. This means the piece wont shift
snug-fitting joinery and a better-looking able, high-quality cuts. While you may or catch during a cut, so your odds of
project. So it comes as no surprise that think of a sled as only helpful for cutting getting a cleaner cut increase. Also, the
most woodworkers rely on their table panels, there are some good reasons for base of the sled and the fence provide
saws to tackle this task. using one for nearly any size workpiece. zero-clearance support to the bottom
A well-tuned saw with a sharp blade The main benefit of using a sled is that face and back edge of the workpiece,
is a good starting point. But adding a the workpiece rests on the surface of the reducing the possibility of tearout.
Pre-drill runner
for #6 x %/8" screws
Clearly, a sled makes a lot of sense. bridge and the fence allows you to made from hardwood and sized for a
But what kind of sled should you build? crosscut 12"-wide panels, much like the smooth-sliding fit in the miter track.
Id like to share two designs that meet one-sided sled. But the base of this sled I only used one runner in the two-
most of my project-building needs, as straddles the blade. Extending the base sided sled. Using two runners can be
shown in the drawings on the previous to the opposite side of the blade sup- problematic. Unless theyre perfectly
page. Think of these sleds as everyday ports the waste piece as its cut away. parallel, the sled will bind in use.
sleds designed for general crosscutting The result is it cant fall and possibly Youll notice that the sleds operate
duties when building any project. cause a split or kick back at you. from the left side of the table saw (as
ONE-SIDED SLED. The first sled shown in The two parts of the base are held you face it). You could also set up the
the main photo on the previous page is together with hardwood bridges. The sled to work from the right side. But if
made to work from one side of the saw rear bridge piece incorporates a safety the table saw is positioned with the right
blade. Its like an extended miter gauge feature a blade cover. This hard- side against a wall, the wall limits the
with a base. Whats nice about this sled is wood strip acts as a barrier to keep your length of a workpiece that can be cut.
that it doesnt weigh much. This means thumbs out of the path of the blade as With the sled on the left, the size of the
Im more likely to actually use it. The you complete a cut, as shown in the inset workpiece isnt as restricted.
sled works great for accurately cutting photo below. I made the fence out of a The fence on each sled has a small
parts that are 24" or shorter. The base will separate piece of hardwood from the dust relief rabbet cut on the lower edge
fully support panels up to 12" wide. bridge so that its easy to fine-tune its (detail b on the previous page). And I
TWO-SIDED SLED. The other sled design position for a square cut. added a strip of adhesive-backed sand-
is larger, which allows for cutting lon- SLED DETAILS. Both of the sleds are made paper (180-grit) to the fence to prevent a
ger workpieces, as shown in the photo from 12" Baltic birch plywood and workpiece creeping during a cut.
below. The space between the front 3
4"-thick hardwood. The runners are SETTING UP. A sled doesnt do you any
good if you cant make square cuts. So
accurate setup is an impor-
tant element of building
each sled. The drawings
above show how I attach
the runner so that its par-
allel with the base.
After attaching the run-
ner, I raise the saw blade and
make a cut to establish the
edge of the base. With this
edge (or kerf) as a reference,
use a square to attach the fence with
screws set in oversized, counterbored
holes in the base, as shown in detail a
on the previous page. Now take some
time to make some test cuts and check
{ A two-sided sled supports long boards and panels for making accurate cuts. The sled is the angle with a square. The oversize
guided by a single hardwood runner. On the back of the rear bridge, a blade cover provides screw holes allow you to dial in the fence
a physical barrier to keep your hands clear of the blade (inset photo). position for perfect cuts.
Woodsmith.com 61
SLED UPGRADES of the fence. It functions to keep the stop MAINTAINING A SLED. Over time, blade
A basic crosscut sled makes getting pre- block square to the base. deflection and vibration may lead to the
cise, square cuts a sure thing. However, A clamp-on block has a couple draw- base of the sled getting a little chewed
you can get even more out of the sled backs. First, you need to get out a tape up to the point that it doesnt provide
with a few accessories. measure every time you set it up. And the same level of support and backup
SIMPLE STOP BLOCK. The upper left photo with the block clamped in place, you cant that it used to. But dont worry, you can
shows a basic hardwood stop block that make other cuts without removing it. quickly and easily refresh the sled and
I routinely use. But this block has a few TRACK & STOP. The answer to these draw- get tearout-free cuts without having to
tricks up its sleeve. The lower corners backs is to turn to a commercial T-track make a new one. The box below has all
of the block are chamfered. This creates system. One of my favorites is shown the details for each sled design.
a relief space for dust so it cant build in the upper right photo. A track is A nice crosscut sled provides a higher
up between the workpiece and the stop mounted to the top of the fence. Its level of accuracy and safety. More than
and spoil the accuracy of the cut. designed to accept an adhesive-backed that, it allows you to focus on the finer
Less noticeable is a wide, shallow rab- tape measure and a swing stop. You points of building projects and increasing
bet on the back. The lip formed by the can flip the stop out of the way to make your enjoyment of the process. Thats a
rabbet registers the block on the top edge other cuts without losing your setting. win-win in my book. W
{ With a single-sided sled, the solution is to smooth the edge and glue { Bring a two-sided sled back into shape by cutting a piece of 18"
on a narrow strip of hardwood. After sanding the hardwood flush or 316" hardboard to fit between the front bridge and the fence.
with the surface, make a cut, and the sled will work just like new. Secure it with a few strips of double-sided tape.
After working with a crosscut sled for DADO SLED the two-sided sled and dedicated it for
a while, I started thinking of other table A lot of my projects are made from use with a 34" dado blade. Of course, you
saw tasks that could be improved with plywood pieces joined with dadoes. can use the sled with other dado width
a sled to guide the workpiece. The two Long, narrow panels can be a challenge setups, but you wont have complete
ideas shown here are based on relatively to guide when using either the miter support right around the blade unless
common tasks. The idea behind each gauge or the rip fence. To improve you add an auxiliary, hardboard base, as
one is to simplify the setup. workpiece control, I made a version of shown in the box on the previous page.
MITER SLED
Cutting miters for a frame or to wrap
molding around a project are a cou-
ple of other tasks where a sled can
come in handy. Instead of resetting
the miter gauge each time you need
to make a cut, the sled you see here is
automatically set for perfect 45 cuts.
While the look of this sled seems
FRONT SECTION VIEW unique, it shares some of the same
!/4"-dia. components as the one-sided sled
shank hole Fence
shown on page 60. The base is the
%/8"-dia. x same size. The difference is that I
%/16"-deep
NOTE: Sled base is !/2" counterbore positioned the runner to center the
plywood. Bridge is made 22
sled on the blade.
from two layers of !/2" plywood. BRIDGE
All other parts are #/4"-thick 6 45 Two layers of The miter sled incorporates two
hardwood !/2" plywood
fences (with T-track) mounted at 45
16 2 to the blade kerf for left and right hand
FENCE miter cuts. To hold the sled together
BASE
1"chamfer 25!/2 #8 x 1!/4"
and act as a blade cover, I made a
Rh woodscrew trapezoid-shaped bridge from two
w/washer
layers of plywood. Its glued along the
back edge of the sled. A small gap (14")
NOTE: Size runner for 24
a smooth-sliding fit RUNNER NOTE: Commercial between the plate and fences allows
in the miter gauge slot (!!/32" x 17") T-track can be added you to fine-tune the fence positions
to the top of both fences
to dial in a perfect miter.
Woodsmith.com 63
Shop Notes
Router Plate Installation
One of the challenges of making a router table (like the one on
page 30) is cutting an opening in the top for the insert plate. To
meet the challenge, I employ an approach that uses the plate as
a template for locating a set of strips. These strips guide a hole
saw and a pattern bit to form the opening. Most pattern bits
will require 1"-thick strips. So I made strips from 34" plywood
with a layer of 14" hardboard glued on the top. Cut the strips
a few inches longer than the length and width of the plate. DRILL STARTER HOLES. To provide a starting point for the router
LOCATE GUIDE STRIPS. Position one of the guide strips so its bit and to form the corners of the opening, drill a hole in each
parallel with one edge of where youd like the plate located. corner that matches the radius of your router plates corners,
Double-sided tape holds the strip in place. After setting the as in Figure 2. I used a hole saw. Wrap the body with mask-
plate along this strip, you can wrap the plate with the ing tape to compensate for the set of the teeth, as you can see
remaining guide strips, as in Figure 1. in Figure 2a. Once the teeth cut through the laminate, you
can remove the tape (so it doesnt get gummed up in the
1 FIRST: Place first strip
parallel with edge
SECOND: Set insert plate
against first strip
hole) and complete the hole, as in Figure 2b.
of router table top
CREATE THE LIP. The next step is to use a router and a 12" pattern
bit to create a lip for the insert plate to rest on. To determine
THIRD: Wrap remaining
strips around the plate the cutting depth of the bit, set the plate on a guide strip,
place the router on the plate, and lower the bit until it barely
touches the table top, as shown in Figure 3a. Now, set the
router plate aside and rout a channel all around the inside of
the template (Figure 3b). In order to maintain the radius in
Attach strips the corners, rout only to the edge of each starter hole.
with double-
sided tape REMOVE THE WASTE. Cut away waste in the middle with a jig
saw, following the inner edge of the groove (photo above).
Then use a sanding block to smooth the cut edge. With the
opening complete, all thats left to do is mount the router to
the insert plate and install it in your new router table top.
1 Drill holes to
define each 2 a. 3 a.
end of
handhold
Layout Waste
line Pattern
Waste
bit
1!/2"
Forstner bit
Cut just inside the NOTE:
Template
layout lines to remove fastened with
the bulk of the waste double-sided tape
Woodsmith.com 65
Tile Guides 1 2
The tile guides mentioned on page 22
in the wall calendar article are simple Oversized Push
enough in design, but theyre a bit small blank block
to machine safely. To protect my fingers,
I started with an extra-wide poplar Fence
Tile
blank, as shown at right. guide
ROUTER FIRST. The rabbet width and
depth are the same on both guides, !/2" straight bit F