Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Weekend Workshop:
Easy-to-Build, Drop-Front
STORAGE CENTER
Learn Simple
Techniques to
Make This Project
an Instant Antique,
Turn to p. 16
MORE
INSIDE:
How to Make
Perfect Crosscuts, Every Time
New, Shop-Tested
Router Technique for Dovetails
Better Clamps — New Design, Lower Cost
A Publication of August Home Publishing
looking inside
Table of Contents
from our readers small shop solutions
Tips & Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Sawhorse Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Don’t let your sawhorses slack off. Check out a
few great ways to make them work harder.
tools of the trade
New Parallel-Jaw Clamps . . . . . . . . . 8 finishing room
There’s always a way to make a good thing even
better. Two new clamps have the right idea. Success With Wiping Varnish. . . . . . 46
Try this quick and easy finish and it might become
your “go-to” choice for great-looking projects.
techniques from our shop
Splinter-Free Crosscuts. . . . . . . . . . 10
The table saw and crosscuts go hand in hand. in the mailbox
Here’s how to get the best possible results. Q & A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
tips from our shop hardware and supplies
Shop Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
woodworking technique details of craftsmanship
Half-Blind Dovetails. . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Insetting Brass Corners. . . . . . . . . . 50
Get the fine craftsmanship of handcut dovetails
Perfectly mounted hardware is a sure sign of a
without all the work. We’ll show you how.
true craftsman. Learn the simple secret.
Wide-Screen
TV Cabinet page 18
Drop-Front Storage Center page 12
projects H ome storage is like spare time. No matter how much you have, it
never seems like enough. This is exactly what makes the storage
center featured on the cover of this issue such a great project. First, it
combines three types of storage into one project — it’s a wall shelf,
weekend project
a small storage cupboard, and a coat rack all in one. And second,
Drop-Front Storage Center . . . . . 12 it’s simple enough to build in just a weekend.
Versatile storage and “country” charm all in an
We’ve also included two other storage projects in this issue
easy-to-build package. Here’s a great project
that adds up to a well-spent weekend. — and they’re both quite different. The campaign chest featured
on page 30 is a very traditional-looking piece of furniture. Chests
designer series project
like this were originally designed a couple hundred years ago as
Wide-Screen TV Cabinet . . . . . . . . .18 travelling furniture for military officers. They were carried from
This design is as up-to-date as the gear you’ll fill
post to post, so they had to be built to withstand a lot of handling
it with. Clean lines and straightforward joinery
make it a great project to build. and abuse. Today, this style of chest makes an ideal project for
just about any room in the house. And it’s designed so that you
heirloom project
can build two and stack one on top of the other — doubling the
Campaign Chest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 amount of storage without taking up additional floor space. You’ll
How about a project that combines traditional
find a photo of this option on page 31.
joinery and classic details into practical storage?
It’s guaranteed to take your skills to the next level. For a more contemporary look, try the TV Cabinet on page 18.
Unlike a lot of large, towering entertainment centers, this cabinet
is low and wide — perfect for a flat-panel, wide-screen TV. Plus,
it’s got plenty of storage room below for stereo and video compo-
nents as well as CDs and DVDs. But the feature of this project that
really grabs your attention is the lattice panels in the doors. It’s
a pretty unique detail that helps make this cabinet an interesting
project to build and to use afterward.
These two symbols let you know there’s more information online at
www.Woodsmith.com. There you’ll see step-by-step videos, technique
and project animation, bonus cutting diagrams, and a lot more.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 3
from our readers
Tips &
Techniques
Bar Clamp Extensions
Recently, I was gluing edging What I did was cut a long strip Notches allow
adjustable jaw
around a large table top, and my of hardwood (I used hard maple) to lock in place
aluminum bar clamps just weren’t to match the size and shape of the
long enough to reach across the bar of the clamp. This is important,
table. Rather than buying extra- because the rear clamp jaw has to by switching your standard blade
long clamps that I’ll only occasion- travel along the extension. to a non-ferrous saw blade.
ally use, I decided to make Next, I took the extension to my Next, as the drawings below
extensions for my clamps, table saw and cut a groove down show, a ”tenon” is cut on one end
like you see above. its length. This groove holds an alu- of each extension to fit inside the
minum strip that has been notched bar clamp. To hold the extension in
evenly along its length. These place, holes are drilled in the end
notches allow the adjustable jaw of the clamp through the tenon for
a. to lock in place (see photo above). bolts and locknuts.
The notches in the alumi- Now, whenever I need more
num strip can be made clamping capacity, it takes just a
easily on your few seconds to add these exten-
table saw sions to my bar clamps.
Andrew M. Volk
Granite Bay, California
b.
we have any questions. If you would and click on “FREE Tips 800-333-5075 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT
like, FAX it to us at 515-282-6741 by Email” to sign up. You’ll OR VISIT OUR WEB SITE:
www.Woodsmith.com
or send us an email message at: receive a new tip by email
woodsmith@woodsmith.com. We will each week.
Printed in U.S.A.
pay up to $200 if we publish your tip.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 5
more tips from our readers
a.
b.
Porter-Cable
Congratulations to Andrew
Volk of Granite Bay, California.
His bar clamp extension was
Variable Speed Router selected to win the Porter-
Cable router. The extensions
That’s right, send us your shop tips. If your tip or tech- double the capacity of his
nique is selected as the featured reader’s tip, you’ll clamps without his having to
win a Porter-Cable variable speed router just like the buy more clamps.
one shown here. Send your tips and techniques to: To find out how you could
Woodsmith, Tips and Techniques, 2200 Grand win a Porter-Cable variable
Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312. Or send us an speed router, check out the
email message at: woodsmith@woodsmith.com. information on the left.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith
tools of the trade
Jorgensen
Cabinet Master
Gross Stabil
PC2
Bessey
K-Body Clamp
what’s new in
Parallel Jaw
Clamps
Woodcraft
Parallel Clamp
Jet
Parallel Clamp
A new design from Jet and a lower-priced clamp from Woodcraft may
make you want to take another look at these heavyweights.
When it’s time to glue up a panel, Parallel Jaw Advantage. Parallel jaw guarantee that a glued-up panel
you may reach for your trusty pipe clamps can solve these problems. won’t bow under the pressure.
or bar clamps. But they have a cou- The heavier steel bar is less likely Another great feature of parallel
ple of problems. The thin bar on a to deflect under pressure. jaw clamps is the handle. It’s placed
standard bar clamp can flex when And pressure is what these above the bar (unlike pipe clamps)
you tighten it and the jaws may not clamps really deliver — as much as so that it’s more accessible when the
be parallel. This can cause a panel 1,000 PSI. Even under that kind of clamp is open on the workbench.
to bow as a result (photo below). load, the jaws remain parallel and And the flat head allows you to
stand them on end when you’ve
glued up a panel, as shown in the
“I-beam” steel bar stays straight
photo on the next page. You don’t
even under the heaviest loads have to waste workbench space
waiting for glue to dry.
The Originals. You may be famil-
iar with parallel jaw clamps from
Bessey, Jorgensen, and Gross Stabil.
They all share a similar design. But
there are a couple new entries in the
Regular bar clamps can
parallel jaw clamp arena. One has
flex under pressure some attractive new features and
the other is priced quite a bit lower
than the rest of the competition.
Woodcraft Parallel-Jaw Clamp. With
prices running as high as $38
for a 24-inch clamp, woodwork-
ing supplier Woodcraft decided to
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 9
techniques from our shop
smooth,
splinter-free
Crosscuts
The table saw is the tool of choice for top-notch crosscuts. And with
the right setup and technique, great results are a sure thing.
When I’m faced with the task of takes is a simple combination of A Zero-clearance insert. You’ll notice
making a “finish” crosscut on a the right table saw setup and a little below that the blade is “surround-
workpiece, the table saw is almost shop-tested “know-how.” ed” by a zero-clearance insert. This
always the tool that gets the nod. serves two purposes. First, it helps
And there’s a good reason. At the First, the Setup prevent chipping by supporting
table saw, you can get the job done When crosscutting is the task, the the workpiece right up to the
quickly and accurately, and the first thing you want to do is make edge of the cut. And second, it
quality of the cuts can’t be beat. sure the table saw is set up to give prevents narrow cutoffs from
The Challenge. The catch is that you the best results. As the photo becoming trapped between the
perfect crosscuts from the table below illustrates, there are just a blade and the insert, resulting
saw aren’t guaranteed. There are a handful of elements to this. in dangerous kickback or pos-
number of problems that can arise. The Right Blade. It only stands to sibly ruining the cut.
First and foremost is splintering or reason that the quality of cuts will An Auxiliary fence. An auxil-
“chipout” at the edges of the cut. be pretty dependent on the blade iary fence attached to the
And you can add burning or rough you use to make them. A dedicated miter gauge has quite
saw marks to the list. To top it off, crosscut blade is always your best a number of benefits.
{ This 40-tooth sometimes your crosscuts don’t bet. These blades often have 60 or Mainly, the longer
alternating top end up straight or square. more teeth with alternating bevels. bearing surface gives
bevel blade is a The good news is that you can But a high-quality combination you easier and more
good choice for easily cure these ailments and blade, like the the 40-tooth Forrest positive control
clean crosscuts. achieve smooth, splinter- blade shown at left, will also of the workpiece
free crosscuts. All it give you top-notch results. during the cut.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 11
Weekend Project
Butt joints
keep construction
simple
Tongue fits
in groove
Magnet washer
holds door
tight against
Hinges mortised divider
into shelf and
Cleat provides in door
strong support
for mounting Rare-earth
on wall magnet holds
Notch fits around door closed
hanging cleat
Button plugs
hide screws
Knobs and kerfs
create look of
Door joint four small drawers
works like
drop-leaf table
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 13
7!/4
31!/2 1
c. SIDE
CASE SECTION VIEW
TOP A
A !/2
32
!/4 !/4
7#/4 F
%/8 C
1!/4 CASE
7!/4 1!/2 SIDE %/8
!/4"-
#/8 7#/4 dia.
F #/4 D 5!/2
HANGING DIVIDER #/4
1 CLEAT
D
DIVIDER
7 B 6#/4
6!/4 7!/4 CASE
11!/2 BOTTOM 4!/2"
radius
!/2
31!/2
!/4 B
!/8"- dia.
1 b. countersink
E 32 a. !/4 shank hole C
!/4
4#/4 BACK !/2 F A
NOTE: Case parts are #/4
CASE made from #/4”-thick stock
SIDE #/8"- !/8"- E
D !/2
C dia. dia. DIVIDER
If you take a close look at the to the case top and bottom. But on to cut the grooves. I start with the
drawing above, you’ll see how the the inside, there’s some tongue and grooves because it’s easier for me
case goes together. It’s made up groove joinery to add stability. And to cut the tongues to fit the grooves
of seven parts: a top and bottom, since the sides, top, and bottom of than the other way around. The left
two sides, a center divider, a cleat the case have the grooves in them, drawing in the box below shows
to attach the shelf on a wall, and a that’s where I started. how I cut them. These grooves will
back for some hooks. TONGUE AND GROOVE. The first step is hold the tongues in the hanging
To keep the project simple, the to cut out the top, bottom, and sides. cleat and the back, as you can see
two side pieces are just screwed After that, it’s over to the table saw details ‘a’ and ‘c’ above.
Now, you can set the sides, top,
Make
B shallow
first pass
CASE
BOTTOM
½"
roundover
bit
b. END
VIEW
Complete with
second pass
NOTE: Make two passes
B
on router table to
complete edge profile !/4
Rule Joint Profile. To prevent tearout and burning while routing { Refer to Shop Notebook on page 28
the roundover on the case bottom, make a shallow pass first, then for more information on installing the
raise the bit to complete the profile. drop-leaf hinges for the door.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 15
8
a. 1!!/16 SIDE
34!/2 SECTION
!/2 VIEW
I TOP
I FILLER STRIP !/16
(!/4" x !/4" - #/4")
!/2
H
#8 x 1!/4" Drop-leaf
Fh woodscrew #8 x 1!/4" hinge with
Fh woodscrew screws 1!/4
#/4 Case bottom
H DOOR !/8
With the case parts done, it’s time routed on the front edge of the case MAKE THE “DRAWERS.” Once the mor-
to add the final touches. There’s a bottom to create the rule joint. tises were cut, I started work on the
fair amount of work to be done to HINGE MORTISES. The next thing to do false drawers. The idea here is to
the door, like completing the rule is rout the mortises for the hinges. cut equally spaced kerfs in the door
joint, routing the hinge mortises, To make sure the mortises in the to give the appearance that the
and making the “drawers.” So door and bottom were aligned, I storage center holds four drawers
that’s a good place to start. laid the door in front of the bottom (see detail ‘c’ above and the right
DROP-FRONT DOOR. After cutting the and marked where they should go drawing in the box below).
door to size, the first step is to rout (see main drawing and detail ‘a’ Before assembling the case, there
a cove on the bottom edge of the above). Shop Notebook on page 28 are a couple more things left to
door (see left drawing below). The shows how to mark the locations of do. First, drill holes for the knobs
cove will mate with the roundover the hinges and install them. (drawing on opposite page). And
second, install a magnetic catch
!/2"-cove
bit
a. END
VIEW a. END VIEW
!/2
H !/8
H
!/8
!/2
The Cove. The profile routed on Cutting Drawers. Three evenly spaced kerfs cut { Distressing the finish gives the
the bottom of the door should mate into the front of the door creates the illusion that storage center a comfortable,
with the edge of case bottom. the storage center contains four small drawers. time-worn appearance.
SIDE VIEW
Side has
simple SIDE VIEW
mitered 4!/2 3!/4"
Single metal profile radius
hooks
1!/4"
4!/2 radius
1!/4
2#/8
4!/2 #/8 3%/8
7!/4
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 17
Designer Series Project
contemporary
Wide-Screen TV Cabinet
Simple lines, classic joinery, and lots of storage combine
to make this project both functional and great-looking.
Televisions have changed a lot over the TV screens. And down below, there’s no lack
years. So it’s only natural that the cabi- of space for all your electronic equipment.
nets and stands that house them have also Behind the lattice doors, there are adjustable
changed. The sleek, low-profile design of shelves. The large drawer adds even more
this TV cabinet fits right in with the new flat- storage for your expanding DVD collection.
panel televisions. Your television will look As nice as it looks, what you’ll really appre-
right at home sitting on top or mounted on ciate is how easy it is to build. It’s a simple
the wall behind the cabinet plywood case trimmed out with a solid wood
If you look at the photo, you’ll see it’s wide top, face frame, and base. And the lattice doors
enough to handle most large LCD or plasma finish it off for a great look in any room.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 19
a.
c.
b.
building the d.
Case
The place to start building the cab- DADoes. The top and bottom will
inet is the case. The main panels get dadoes on their inside faces to
are all cut from cabinet-grade ply- house the vertical partitions (see
wood. (I used white ash.) Simple drawing above). To make sure that So you’ll want to rout this dado
joinery keeps everything square the top and bottom dadoes lined while you’ve got things set up.
and easy to assemble. up, I clamped both pieces side-by- TONGUES and DADOes. Now you can
BUILDING THE BOX. I started by cutting side, laid out the dadoes, and then switch to a rabbeting bit and cut
the top, bottom, and side pieces to routed them with a straight bit. the tongues on the ends of the
size. After that’s done, it’s time to You can see in the drawing above case top and bottom, as shown in
get out the router to start on the da- that the top piece had an additional detail ‘a’ above. While you’re at it,
does and rabbets for the joinery. dado to house the center partition. rout a rabbet on the back edge of
the side pieces for the back panel.
Then change over to a straight bit
to rout the matching dadoes in the
two sides. Just be sure to locate the
bottom dado so that you can add
the filler strip (detail ‘b’ above).
Holes. Before gluing up the case,
you can go ahead and drill the holes
in the top and bottom pieces that
will be used for attaching the par-
tition assembly (drawing at left).
You’ll also need to drill holes in the
sides for shelf pins (lower drawing,
opposite page). Once that’s done,
you can glue up the top, bottom,
and two sides then start to work on
the internal partitions.
b.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 21
assembling the vertically and a splined miter joint
connects the two pieces. I found it
simple task to measure between
them for the length of the rails. I
Base
easier to bevel the edge of a couple went ahead and routed the rabbeted
of long blanks then cut the groove reveal on the top edge of the rails
for the spline on the blanks. before moving on.
SPLINED MITERS. The box at the bot- Once that’s all done, you can
tom of the opposite page shows fasten the rails to the corner blocks
With the case complete, you can how I cut the slot for the splines us- with pocket hole screws, keeping the
begin working on the base. As you ing a standard blade with a 1⁄8" kerf. back faces flush with one another
can see below, the base is made Since the joint won’t show, I used a (detail ‘d’). A 1⁄8"-thick spacer helps
up of 7⁄8"-thick mitered corner as- hardboard spline (detail ‘c’ below). with clamping and alignment. Now
semblies connected by 3⁄4"-thick You can cut the corner blocks to fi- you can add the cleats.
rails. This creates a relieved, or off- nal length, then glue up the pairs CLEATS. You can see below that the
set joint. The top edge of the base using the splines. Finally, you can cleats are nothing more than hard-
is rabbeted to form a reveal — or rout the shallow rabbet on the top, wood strips fastened to the inside of
shadow line — between the base outside edge of the blocks. the base. The top of the cleat is flush
and case (see detail ‘b’ below). RAILS. Because pocket hole screws with the top of the base.
Pocket hole screws join the rails to join the rails to the corner blocks, The length of the cleats and loca-
the corner blocks. You’ll use splined you can simply cut the rails to tions of the screws aren’t critical, but
miter joints to make the corners. length. To get the exact length of the the drawings below give you some
And that’s a good place to start. rails, I set the corner blocks on the guidelines. After the cleats are fas-
CORNER BLOCKs. The four corner case so that the outside faces were tened to the base, you can attach the
blocks are identical. The grain runs flush with the case. Then it was a base to the case (detail ‘b’).
a.
b.
d.
c.
adding the
Shelves & Top
b.
The bulk of the work on the case Once you’ve got the entire top
is done. All you need to do now is glued up, you can work on smooth-
add the shelves and the top. ing it. Careful use of a belt sander
SHELVES. The drawing above shows can make quick work of flattening
the four adjustable shelves. They’re it. Then you can follow up with a
simple to make. All you need to do random orbit sander or sanding
is cut some plywood panels to size block, working your way through
and glue hardwood edging onto finer and finer grits.
the front edge of each one. TRIMMING. This top is heavy, so it it, you can slightly ease all the edges
I cut the edging just a little wide would be awkward to trim the ends of the top to soften sharp corners.
to slightly extend past the edges of square on the table saw. Instead, I ATTACH THE TOP. Now you can fasten
the plywood. After the glue was used a straightedge with a circular the top through the oversized holes
dry, I used a hand plane to trim the saw, as shown in the box below. in the case. This will allow the top
edging flush to the plywood. You After you’ve cut the ends square, to move with changes in humidity.
could also use a router with a flush you can sand them smooth with a Next, you’ll start on the doors and
trim bit or a sanding block. Just be sanding block. And while you’re at then add the drawer.
careful that you don’t sand through
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 23
a.
b.
c.
framing the
Doors of 7⁄8"-thick stock for the stiles and
3⁄ "-thick stock for the rails, as shown
some time to get everything set up
4 right so you can get a snug fit.
The thing that grabs your attention in detail ‘a’ above. And since the Now is a good time to put the
right off the bat on this project is joinery is a stub tenon and groove, pieces for the door frames aside
the lattice door panels. The lattice the groove in the stiles need to be and turn your attention to the lattice
is really a series of half-lap joints slightly offset from the center. panels. You need to have them in
in strips of wood that are glued to- OFFSET GROOVE. If you look at detail hand before gluing up the frames.
To learn how to
make doors with gether to form a panel. ‘a’, you’ll see what I mean about LATTICE PANELS. It’s not hard to cut all
glass panels, visit our This panel fits into a groove the offset groove in the stiles. It’s the pieces for the lattice panels. It’s a
website at in the rails and stiles of the door not hard to locate this groove if you lot of repetitive work, but if you pay
Woodsmith.com
frame. But before you can work on cut the tenon on the rails first. The attention, it should go smoothly.
the lattice panel, you need to make box below shows you how I did this The box on the next page shows you
the door frames. They’re made up with a 1⁄4" dado blade. It just takes how I started with wide blanks, cut
the notches for the lap joints, then
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 25
adding the The next thing to do is cut a
groove on the inside face of all four
the face frame. Once the spacers and
slides are in place, you’re ready to
a.
b. d.
c.
1"x 6"- 84" White Ash (4 boards @ 4.4 Bd. Ft. each) !/2" x 7"- 96" White Ash (4.7 Sq. Ft.)
W GG GG HH
#/4" x 7" - 96" White Ash (4.7 Bd. Ft.) !/2" x 7!/2" - 96" White Ash (5 Sq. Ft.)
O P CC CC G
HH DD
#/4" x 7"- 84" White Ash (4.0 Bd. Ft.)
#/4" x 7"- 96" White Ash (4.7 Bd. Ft.) H FF EE
JJ Z AA BB I J
X X X X K
1"x 7!/2" - 84" White Ash (5.5 Bd. Ft.)
L M U V
Y Y N N N N ALSO NEEDED:
Two - 48" x 96" Sheets of #/4" White Ash plywood
One - 48" x 96" Sheet of !/4" White Ash plywood
Q R
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 27
tips from our shop
Adding Hinges
to a Rule Joint
The door of the drop-front storage
center project on page 12 is hinged
with a rule joint (also called a drop-
leaf joint). This allows the hinges
to be completely hidden inside the
case and the door to rest flat without
any extra support when opened.
Two mortises. To make the rule leaves, as in Figure 1. Start by of the waste from the shallow mor-
joint work smoothly without marking the side-to-side position tises. You’ll get a consistent depth
binding, the special drop- of the hinges on the case bottom. and a flat bottom. Finish the mor-
leaf hinges (margin Then measure back 3⁄8" from the tises by using a chisel to clean up
photo) have to be in- edge and mark a line locating the around the edges (Figure 2).
stalled properly. center of the hinge barrel. The barrel mortise. Now, you need
As you can see in the Next, slide the case bottom and to cut a pocket for the hinge barrel
photo above, the hinge barrel door together with a couple of play- (Figure 3). This won’t show, so a
isn’t centered over the joint line. It ing cards between them as spacers. perfect fit isn’t necessary. You can
{ The hinges used sits back from the edge of the case Lay the hinge in position (barrel up) get the job done quickly with a pair
on a rule joint bottom and is mortised in along on the layout marks and use it to of chisels. Again, just make sure the
have a short leaf with the short hinge leaf. The long mark the outline of the mortises in pocket is positioned accurately, as
and a long leaf. hinge leaf extends across the joint the case bottom and door. Just make shown in Figure 3a.
This allows the line. What this means is that you’ll sure the barrel of the hinge is cen- Assemble the joint. Once the pockets
hinge to bridge need to cut shallow mortises for the tered over the layout line. are cut, you can fit the hinges into
the joint. hinge leaves and then a deeper mor- The Leaf Mortises. With the layout the mortises and assemble the joint.
tise (or pocket) for the barrel. complete, I got out my router and A self-centering bit makes drilling
Careful layout. The first step is to installed a straight bit. This allows the pilot holes easy (Figure 4). Then
lay out the mortises for the hinge you to quickly rout away the bulk simply install the screws.
1 2
3 a.
4
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 29
Heirloom Project
dovetailed
Campaign Chest
Packed with traditional details, From a woodworker’s perspective,
this project has a little bit of every-
19th-century military officers with
rugged, versatile storage that could
you can build one or two of thing — dovetails, mortise and be packed up and moved easily.
tenon joinery, veneer work, classic Although you probably aren’t
these small chests to add style molding, and period hardware. All on the move, no doubt your house
and storage to your home. this makes it a nice challenge.
There’s also some interesting his-
could use more storage. And you’ll
find that the solid construction and
tory behind this project. Campaign eye-catching details of this project
furniture was designed to provide make it ideal for homes today.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 31
a dovetailed
a.
Case
Building the campaign
chest breaks down nicely
into three, easily man-
aged sections: the case,
the web frames, and the
drawers. The case starts
out as an open, dove-
tailed box with a few
dadoes and grooves,
as in you can see in the
drawing at right.
Half-blind Dovetails. The
half-blind dovetails I
used to join the case parts
have two big advantages.
The first is that it’s a very
sturdy joint. The dove- b.
tails pull the two parts
together, and you almost
don’t need glue.
The other advantage
lies in how this joint looks.
Exposed half-blind dovetails
stand out and give an otherwise
simple case real visual appeal.
To get started on building the the dovetails. I used an adjustable you’ll find a step-by-step technique
case, I sized the top, bottom, and dovetail jig. For some tips on get- to guide you through the process.
sides to the dimensions shown in ting the best results, take a look at Don’t be in a hurry to assemble
the drawing. The next step is to cut the short article on the facing page. the case after cutting the dovetails.
the half-blind dovetail joints. You can also make the dovetails There are still a few details you’ll
Joinery. You have a couple of without a jig — it’s not as difficult need to take care of.
options when it comes to making as it sounds. If you turn to page 38, Dadoes and Grooves. First, I cut
some dadoes into the case sides
{ Here’s how the jig looks set up for routing the tails. I { To rout the pins, flip the template over and use the green
clamped a backer board behind the workpiece to prevent thickness gauge to set the pin length. The board clamped in
tearout. Wood spacers between the fingers guide the bit. front is used as a gauge to position the pin board.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 33
a.
b. c.
making web
Frames
After completing work on the They will also capture the back pan- involved in making the joints. I cut
“outside” parts of the case, the els. To make the frames, start by cut- mortises in the fronts and backs by
task now is to build the “insides.” ting the parts to size. drilling out the waste and squaring
This includes the web frames and Mortise and Tenon Joinery. You can up the mortises with a chisel.
the paneled back assembly. see in the drawing above that the Matching tenons are then cut on
I began with the web frames. web frames are assembled with the frame sides at the table saw. I
Actually, these frames will do mortise and tenon joints. The also drilled some counterbored
more than support the drawers. box below shows you the steps holes in the frame sides that will be
Making Mortises. Rough out the waste on the mor- Now, the Tenons. Cut the tenons The Grooves. Before assembling
tises at the drill press. Use a stop block to keep each one on the table saw. Start with an over- the frames, cut grooves in the web
consistent. Then clean up the edges with a chisel. size tenon and work up to a snug fit. frame back to hold the back panels.
BaCK PaneLs
The last parts to make before you
can assemble the case are the back each of the panel blanks. To find Before applying any glue, however,
panels. To avoid expansion and veneer sources, turn to page 49. it’s a good idea to do a dry run. This
contraction issues, I made these raBBet to Fit. The next step is to way, you can make sure everything
from plywood. However, finding cut the panels to final size and cut fits well and there aren’t any gaps.
good-looking 1⁄2" mahogany ply- a rabbet on all the edges to create a draWer rUnners and CatCHes. Once
wood can be a challenge. tongue. The thickness of the tongue the case is assembled, you can
CUstoM PLyWood. The solution is sized to match the grooves in the attach some drawer runners to the
to this problem was simple — I case and web frames (detail ‘a’). web frames and case bottom (detail
“made” my own, as in the drawing Case asseMBLy. At this point, you’re ‘b’ above). Finally, you can make
above. I started with oversize 1⁄2" ready for assembly. And here, you and install the drawer catches on
Baltic birch plywood blanks. Then I really need to do things all at once the case top and the underside of
applied a piece of straight-grained (and in the right order). The box both web frames, as in the drawing
mahogany veneer to one side of below shows you how I did it. and detail ‘a’ on the opposite page.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 35
a.
b.
fitting the c . d. e.
Drawers
At this point, the case of the chest is Dovetails at the front. As for the at the back with some glue blocks
pretty much complete. So now you joinery, I used half-blind dovetails (details ‘a’ and ‘b’).
can get started on the three, iden- at the front because this joint will Once the joinery is complete,
tical drawers that fit inside. Later, take the most stress (and is the there’s just one thing left to do
you’ll add the feet and hardware. most visible). For this joinery, you before assembling the drawer. And
The drawing above shows how can use a standard dovetail jig. that’s to cut a groove in the drawer
the drawers are assembled. When Dadoes in back. The drawer back is front and sides to hold the bottom.
sizing the parts, be aware that the joined to the sides with a dado, as Now you can glue up the drawer.
back is narrower than the other in detail ‘a.’ There’s one other thing Plywood bottom. Since the back
parts because it rests on the drawer I’d like to point out about the back isn’t as wide as the other parts, the
bottom, as in detail ‘b.’ of the drawer. I reinforced the joint plywood drawer bottom can be
Trace the Pull. Position the pull Mark the Back Plate. Remove Create the Recess. Cut out Install the Pull. Check the fit
on the false front upside down the back plate from the pull the shape of the back plate. of the pull (fine-tune it with a
and trace its shape. and trace its shape as well. Then clean up the edges. file) and screw it in place.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 37
woodworking technique
half-blind
Dovetails
without a jig
Here’s a surprisingly quick technique for making tight-fitting dovetails.
When you open a drawer on a piece looks, they can’t be beat. But these Before getting into the nuts and
of fine furniture, you expect to see same qualities also make half-blind bolts of cutting the joints, there are
half-blind dovetails. With a strong dovetails a great choice for solid- some things I’d like to mention.
mechanical connection, a huge wood cabinet construction, like the First of all, to end up with a square
amount of glue surface, and classic campaign chest on page 30. final assembly, you want to make
However in case construction, the sure your parts are all cut to the
size of the pieces means you won’t same width. And that correspond-
be able to use most commonly avail- ing parts — top and bottom, and
able dovetail jigs. That leaves you the two sides — are cut to the same
with two options. You can buy a length, as in the drawing at left.
bigger, adjustable dovetail jig, but Work in Order. The other thing I
these can be pretty expensive. Or want to talk about is the method
you can cut them without a jig. of work. I break the process down
No-jig Dovetails. If the idea of cut- into three parts: cutting the tails,
ting dovetails without a jig sounds making the pins, and fitting the
intimidating, don’t worry. I’d joints. Then I take on each task all
like to share an approach with at one time. For example, I’ll cut
you that combines old-fashioned all the tails before starting work
craftsmanship with some time- on the pins. It’s more efficient this
saving steps and will give you way and I can get into a rhythm by
great results. The secret — using a focusing on one part of the process.
router to quickly rough out part of Getting started. Now, you’re ready
the joint (more on this later). to get started on the first half of the
Layout spacing of
Mark a baseline tails on the end
on tail board to of the board
set length of tails
Length of
tails Use a bevel gauge to
draw the shape of
the tails on the face
of the board
Mark the Baseline. The first thing Lay Out the Tail Spacing. On the end of the Finish the Layout. A bevel gauge comes in
to do is lay out the baseline on each workpiece, mark the spacing of the tails. I use handy for drawing the slope of the tails on
face of the “tail” board. a square to transfer the lines across the end. each face of the board.
joint — the tails. I find it’s easier to STEP FOUR STEP FIVE
cut accurate tails and use them as
a template for laying out the more Clean out waste
challenging pins later on. The draw- with a coping saw
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 39
woodworking technique
Waste
Baseline
matches thickness
Face Transfer tail shape Pin of tail board
Pin baseline to end of pin board board
board
Mark Baselines. The end baseline matches Transfer the Tail Shape. Set the tails Complete the Pin. Pick up a square and
the length of the tails. The face baseline over the end of the pin board and trace complete the pin shape to the baseline on
equals the thickness of the tail board. their outline with a pencil. the face of the pin board. Mark the waste.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 41
working with tools
Broken Screw
Removing a screw that has broken
off below the surface of the work-
piece can be a challenge. You need
a way to get the screw out and then
replace it with a new one.
A simple way of doing this is to
file a few teeth at one end of a piece
of metal tubing with a triangular file,
like you see in the margin photo.
Then chuck the tubing in your drill
press and drill out the area around
the screw (drawing at right).
Finally, select a dowel from match-
ing stock and glue it in the hole, as
shown in the drawing far right. Then
you can simply replace the screw.
Workpiece Gap
When you’re screwing two work- Take care to choose
a driver that is sized
pieces together, the fibers from the correctly to fit the
screwhead
lower piece can lift up. This often
creates a gap between the two pieces,
like you see in the photo at right.
Clamping the pieces together can
often help prevent this problem. But
you can also create a small “pocket”
for the raised fibers. All you need to Wax
do is drill a small
countersink on the
inside face of either
the shank hole or Apply wax to the
threads to make it easier
the pilot hole, as to drive the screw
shown in the draw-
ing at right. W
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 43
small shop solutions
5 easy
Sawhorse
Upgrades
A few simple additions can
turn this basic tool into one
of the most versatile fixtures
in your shop.
1 L-Brackets
Breaking down sheets of ply-
wood with a circular saw is always
place so they can easily be cut down
to a manageable size. And because
a challenge. I usually end up laying the plywood is held vertically, you
the plywood on supports on the won’t need to stretch a lot to make !/2 #8 x 2!/4"
Fh wood-
floor and then crawling around to the cut across the sheet. 2 screw
make the cut. But a couple of simple These brackets also become use-
modifications to a set of sawhorses ful when it comes time to spray a
can make this task a lot easier. coat of paint or finish on a project.
An L-shaped bracket screwed to Just place an old piece of plywood
the side of each sawhorse, like you as a backer board behind the project. 1!/2
see in the drawing at right, makes Then you can apply the finish with- !/4
Sawhorse
the task of cutting sheet goods easy. out the worry of covering everything
The brackets hold the plywood in behind with overspray.
2
Notches allow rails Cross rail
and cross rails to (4 x 48)
interlock Cutting Grid
Working with sheet goods requires a large sur-
face to provide support as cuts are made. A grid built
on the top of your sawhorses can make this task easier.
Start by making interlocking strips from 3⁄4" stock.
These strips fit over a pair of sawhorses, as shown in
Rail the drawing at left. You’ll want to be sure to notch the
(4 x 96)
bottom edge of the longer strips and the top edge of
the sawhorse to help hold the grid in place and keep it
from moving around as you work.
NOTE: Small To use the cutting grid, simply assemble it on top of
notches at ends
keep grid from the sawhorses. Then place your workpiece on the grid
sliding and go to work. Once you’re done, you can disassemble
the grid and store it out of the way.
3
with carpet
Storage
tray keeps
4
tools in Spacer
easy reach block keeps
Removable
top pad
tray in place
Storage Trays
protects the
surface of It’s always handy to have a
the workpiece place to store the tools, hardware,
and supplies you’re using near your
sawhorse. The problem is if you
add a shelf or tray, it makes it
impossible to stack the saw-
horses for easy storage.
One way to solve this is
Power strip to make a tray that swings
makes it easy to out of the way, as you
plug in power tools
can see in the draw-
ing at right. The key
is attaching the tray
5
with a lightweight
chain and using a
Power Strip pair of long round-
I use the sawhorses in my Scrap head screws at each
wood Fold-up
shop for cutting stock and sheet base end of the tray tray allows
sawhorses
goods, assembling projects, and all (drawing below). to be stacked
kinds of finishing operations. And These two long
it seems that every time I use them, screws act as pivot
I also need to use of a number of points to allow you to move the
different power tools. This means tray out of the way when you want
continually plugging and unplug- to stack the sawhorses for storage.
ging the tools from an extension cord You’ll need to locate the pivot point
that supplies the power to my drill, halfway up the leg and install the
Cord
sander, or circular saw. storage screw at this point on
To make it easier to use these notch each side of the tray to
power tools, I attached a power strip make it work.
Screw
to a piece of scrap wood. Then I To determine the eye
mounted the entire unit to one of the overall width of the Inner
legs of the sawhorse, as shown in the tray you can use, just gusset
!/4"
drawing at right. As you can see I hardboard measure the distance Spacer
side block Pivot
also added 1⁄4" hardboard sides and between the pivot screw
cut a small notch at each ends. This point and the top rail. Large
washer
makes it easy to wrap up the cord Then you can simply
when I’m finished using it and store subtract 1" to allow Washer
the sawhorse away. W room for clearance.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 45
finishing room
guaranteed
success with
Wiping
Varnish
To learn how to make
your own wiping
varnish, visit our
website at
Woodsmith.com
I doubt there’s such a thing as a perfect finish. But after giving wiping
varnish a try, you might think it comes pretty close.
If I had to limit myself to one type of while avoiding the nit-picky hassles
finish, I would most likely give up every- that go along with applying one.
thing but my supply of wiping varnish. Get The Right Stuff. Not every “wipe-
This versatile product has just about on” finish is a wiping varnish. A similar
everything you need or could ask for in product, often referred to as a Danish
a finish. It’s quick and virtually foolproof or antique oil, is easy to confuse with
to apply, creates a very durable film and wiping varnish. These products are
maybe most importantly, makes just likewise easy to use, but won’t give you
about any project look great. quite the same look and durability of
What’s a Wiping Varnish? Wiping var- a true wiping varnish. A few common
nish is a generic term that you probably brands of wiping varnish are General
won’t find on the label of any finishing Finishes Arm-R-Seal, Zar Wipe-On Fin-
products at the paint or hardware store. ish, and Formby’s Tung Oil Finish. One
And while the name can be a little con- sure way to know what you’re using
fusing, the product itself is very easy to is to make your own wiping varnish.
understand. It’s simply a varnish (usu- (You’ll find the recipe at our website.)
ally polyurethane) that’s been thinned Wipe-on/Wipe-off. The key to a wiping
to a point that it can be wiped on easily varnish is that you use a simple wipe-
{ The difference between the syrupy stan- with a rag. A look at the photo at left on/wipe-off technique to apply thin,
dard varnish (left) and the thin, watery gives you the idea. The upshot is that even coats. It’s easy to master and basi-
wiping varnish (right) is easy to see. you get all the benefits of a varnish cally “goof proof,” but there are a few
{ A soft rag (T-shirts are perfect) fold- { Let the varnish tack up for a few min- { A very light sanding will ensure good
ed into a small pad will hold a lot of utes, then wipe off the excess thor- adhesion and a smooth surface for
wiping varnish without dripping. oughly with a clean, but “wet” rag. the next thin coat of varnish.
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 47
in the mailbox
Do you have
larger surface area. squeezeout, it’s inevi- mating surfaces. This
If you’re using a glue table that some glue is way, you won’t have any
any questions for us? like hide glue, you may going to be left behind. failed glue joints. W
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www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 49
details of craftsmanship
insetting
Brass
Corners
Installing flush-mounted
corners can be tricky. But here
are a few techniques to help
you get top-quality results.
No matter how much time and
effort you put into building a proj-
ect, the hardware — and how well
it’s installed — can make or break
the look of the completed piece. And
when the hardware is inset or flush-
mounted, it requires extra attention
to detail to get it right.
For example, the brass hardware
used on the campaign chest fea-
tured on page 30 really gives the
piece a classic look of strength and
durability. And while the handles
and drawer pulls are pretty easy to
install, the brass corners can prove Why Brass Corners? Campaign I found the right hardware, it was
to be a little bit more challenging. chests were originally designed to just a matter of fitting it properly.
be more than just pieces of furni- the problem with Corners. If you take
Inlet Corners
The trick to getting a good fit on the
corners is to work in stages. I like to
start by marking the outline on the
side and front of the chest, as shown
in Step 1. This way, you’ll be able
to position the corner to mark the
curved outline on the top surface. STEP TWO
Palm router. After marking the a.
edges, I turned to my palm router.
For this kind of precision work, I
find it’s much easier to control than a
full-size router. The tip on the oppo-
site page can help you set the depth
of the bit for these shallow cuts.
Then you can just rout out the waste
between the marks (Step 2). I used
a dado cleanout bit (main photo).
You can clean up the corners for
now with a sharp chisel, as shown STEP THREE
in Step 3. You’ll come back later to a.
work on getting an exact fit.
ROund the EDGES. With the recess in
the front and side cut, it’s time to
round over the sharp edges to fit the
inside radius of the brass corner. I
used a chisel and sanding block to
knock off the edges, checking the fit
as I progressed. The important thing
here is not to remove too much. You
want the brass to be fully supported
by the wood underneath. STEP FOUR
Now you can put the corner in
place and trace the top outline (Step
3, detail ‘a’). Then use the router to
remove the waste close to the layout
line, as shown in Step 4.
Clean up with a chisel. Now it’s time
to fine-tune the fit. When paring to
a curved line, you’ll need to be care-
ful about tearout. The easiest way
to avoid this is to score the outline
with a knife or corner of a chisel.
Now you have most of the recess STEP FIVE
formed, but you’ll still need to go a.
back to each surface and “tweak” the
fit (Step 5). Since the corner now sits
lower in the top recess, you’ll need
to trim a little off the bottom edge of
the side recesses. A little patience is
all it takes to get a perfect fit.
Finally, the last step is to drill a
few pilot holes and fasten the corner
in place with screws. W
www.Woodsmith.com Woodsmith 51
looking inside
Final Details
} Drop-Front Storage Center. Organize your entryway. This stor-
age center features simple construction so you can build it in
no time. Turn to page 12 to get started.