Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
HEIRLOOM
WINE
CABINET
Traditional
Icebox Design
Classic Joinery
& Techniques
Elegant Period
Hardware
INSIDE:
Taming Tricky
Table Saw Cuts
A Better Way
to Build Cabinets
Tips & Tricks for
Routing Smooth Proles
A Publication of August Home Publishing
Printed in U.S.A.
28
18
Projects
gift project
Linkin Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Check out this update to a classic childrens
toy thats perfect for young and old alike. All of
the pieces are larger, making the parts easier to
handle. And simple jigs speed up the process of
42
making a complete set of identical parts.
shop project
Drill Press Depth Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Upgrade your drill press in a weekend. Then you can quickly
drill holes to an accurate depth more precisely. This add-on also
makes setting a sanding drum to a specific position a snap.
designer project
Classic Cherry Step Stool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Every home has an item or two out of reach. Build this elegant
step stool and youll never have to worry about safe and stylish
access to a high shelf, sink, or countertop.
shop project
Sliding Cutoff Grinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Get more from your angle grinder by turning it into a metal-
working station. The sliding feature of this benchtop unit makes
any grinder not only more useful but also more accurate.
heirloom project
Icebox Wine Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Theres not much call for an icebox these days, but the need for
a storage and serving center exists in many homes. This cabinet
provides a much-needed solution in a timeless icebox design.
34
Woodsmith.com 3
Departments
54 great gear
Hands-Free Magnifiers . . . . . . . . 14
woodworking technique
Top-Notch Reinforced Rabbets . . 16
working with tools
Using Paring Chisels. . . . . . . . . . . 54
in the shop
A Better Way to Build: 32mm . . . 56
woodworking essentials
Dadoes, Grooves & Rabbets . . . . 60
mastering the table saw
Taming Angles & Tapers . . . . . . . 62
tips from our shop
Shop Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Tips &
Techniques
I-Beam Drill Press Table
I do a lot of metalworking in my shop.
This often leaves my drill press table
oily and covered in metal shavings. To
use my drill press for woodworking,
I wanted a quick-change option that
would give me a clean worksurface
without going to the trouble of building
a large auxiliary table.
What I came up with is this I-beam
#8 x 1!/2"
accessory that clamps to the drill press !/4" roundover Fh woodscrew
on outside edges FLANGE
table. With this assembly fas-
tened to the table, I can clamp a. NOTE: V-grooves
#/8 90 !/4 are centered in
workpieces to the upper both directions
flange of the I-beam. !/4
Flange FILLER NOTE: Upper and
The I-beam is made
Filler SIDE lower flanges are
entirely of plywood and is Side 4!/2 mirror images
3 &/8 3#/8
glued and screwed together.
11#/4
Its I shape provides sup- 4!/2
port for the workpiece on 11#/4
SIDE
the upper flange. The lower SIDE VIEW
flange allows the assembly
FILLER
to be clamped to the drill
!/4" roundover on
press table. For extra control, I routed outside edges %/8"-rad.
V-grooves in the upper and lower flanges NOTE: V-grooves cut 2 FLANGE
to help hold round stock. in upper and lower
flanges so I-beam 11#/4 11#/4 NOTE: All parts
Jason Adams can be used in either are made from
orientation #/4" plywood
McKinney, Texas
Woodsmith.com 5
3!/8 Vise
&/8 4#/8
NOTE: Jaws are made NOTE: Space T-slots to
from #/4" plywood match spacing on vise
QUICK TIPS
Double-sided
tape
Workbench Power. Willie Elizardo of Zeeland, Michigan, Angled Parts. Bill Wells of Olympia, Washington, came up
was having problems with the power strip on his bench with a clever solution for gluing an angled piece to a flat
always getting knocked around. He found the perfect surface without using fasteners. He simply uses the angled
solution while putting up the Christmas lights: An outdoor cutoff piece as a clamp block and some double-sided tape
power bank with a stake that fits the dog holes of his bench. between the parts. A bar clamp holds everything together.
1&/8
LOWER BASE
13
CLEAT
10
1!/4
Woodsmith.com 7
CLAMP
11!/2 BASE
#/4
%/8"- rad.
NOTE: Handle is made
%/8"- rad. from 1!/2"-dia. dowel.
All other parts are
RISER made from #/4" plywood
CAP 5!/4
45+ UPRIGHT
NOTE: Drill hole for a. 1!/2 { For blade clearance, position the clamp
threaded rod after 3%/8 base with the threaded rod through the
assembling cap, Fence
uprights, and
Handle
45 slot when making angled cuts.
base with glue 2#/8 2!/4
1
UPRIGHT 2
2#/4 !/2 b. Fence 45
Riser cap 2 2
Clamp 3&/8 2#/4
#8 x 1!/4" base
Fh woodscrew #/4
!/4"-20
threaded
insert
%/16"-dia.
hole Non-Stick Clamps. Jack Kreinbring of La Crosse, Wis-
2!/4 consin, got tired of glue getting all over his handscrew
FIXED JAW clamps and leaving a sticky mess. To stop this problem
he used contact adhesive to glue some small pieces of
3
!/4"-20 x 2!/2" laminate to the jaw faces. They make cleanup a breeze.
cap screw
Woodsmith.com 9
premium Sandpaper
} Available in a range of grits, premium When it comes to buying a new tool for As you can see in the drawing at the top
sandpaper lasts longer and cuts faster the shop, many of us will spend hours of the next page, sandpaper is comprised
than conventional sandpaper. comparing specs and reviews before of three main elements a backing, the
making a purchase. Yet for everyday abrasive material (grit), and an adhesive
items, we tend to just grab whatever layer that anchors the abrasive to the
80-grit is least expensive. But often there are backing. Although there are some slight
differences in quality for even the most differences among the manufacturers,
basic of shop supplies. premium sandpapers generally have
Take sandpaper, for example. The high-quality materials in all three areas.
150-grit top abrasive manufacturers all offer at BACKING. Lets start with the back-
least one line of premium sandpaper. ing. Low-priced sandpaper often uses
Nortons line is called ProSand. 3M has ordinary kraft paper as a backing. This
SandBlaster and Fre-Cut Gold. And Mirkas material is inexpensive, but its not very
premium paper is known as GoldFlex. durable. When hand sanding, its easy
These all cost a bit more than ordinary to catch the sandpaper on the edge or
180-grit sandpaper, but there are several ben- corner of a project and have the sheet rip
efits. Premium sandpaper lasts longer, or tear, decreasing its useful life.
doesnt tear as easily, and doesnt load Premium sandpapers use a stronger
up as quickly in use. To understand why, backing material, typically reinforced
it helps to take a closer look at how pre- with fiber and latex. This achieves two
mium sandpapers are manufactured and objectives. It makes the paper more flex-
what makes them different. ible so that you can fold it or bend it to
Woodsmith.com 11
routing
Bullnose Profiles
Full-radius
bullnose On most woodworking projects, a of a piece, rather than a full half-circle
decorative profile or molding even (middle photo, left).
a simple one is preferable to a sharp, Both of these types of bullnoses can be
flat edge on parts like shelves and table- varied in other ways, too. As an example,
tops. And though its about as easy as for a different look you can form a bull-
it gets, one that I find myself turning to nose that doesnt cover the full thickness
Partial-radius time and again is the bullnose. of the workpiece and has a shoulder on
bullnose
At its essence, a bullnose is a pretty one or both edges (lower photo).
basic concept: It refers to a profile in MAKING BULLNOSE PROFILES. I usually make
which both the top and bottom edges bullnoses by using a standard round-
are rounded. But from this simple idea, over bit, either in a router table or with
you can create a lot of different looks for the router hand-held. The approach I
your projects. take typically depends on the size of the
TYPES OF BULLNOSES. Though all bull- workpiece. For example, if I want to add
Stepped
noses have two rounded edges, there a bullnose to a tabletop after its assem-
bullnose are several approaches to making the bled, Ill use the hand-held router. But if
profile. Probably the easiest bullnose to Im routing the edge of a small shelf, the
understand is known as a full-radius router table is a great method that offers
bullnose. As the name implies, its a a bit more control.
workpiece that features a full radius, FULL-RADIUS BULLNOSE. Probably the easiest
or a half-circle, on the edge (refer to the bullnose profile to rout is the full-radius
{ The simple bullnose offers up a lot of upper photo at left). bullnose without a step. For this opera-
different options when it comes to edge A partial-radius bullnose is a flatter, tion, you simply choose a roundover bit
profiles for your projects. more gradual bullnose profile. It usually thats half the thickness of the workpiece
features an oval shape along the edge (for example, a 38" roundover bit for
Woodsmith.com 13
hands-free
} A wide array of bench-mounted and
head-mounted magnifiers are available
Magnifiers
to give a clearer vision of Its no secret that as we age, many of require two hands to perform them
detailed work. us could benefit from a little assis- safely. So a magnifier that you dont
tance in the vision department. need to hold is essential.
And sometimes, even the healthiest Fortunately, there are many styles
eyes have trouble focusing on the of hands-free magnifiers available.
finer points associated with certain They can be broken down into two
The bench-mounted tasks. Having a magnifier on hand main categories: Head-mounted and
magnifier features a is a great option to help you see the bench-mounted magnifiers.
fluorescent light
and sun shade smallest details. HEAD-MOUNTED OPTIONS. The two head-
But not just any old magnifying mounted versions shown below are
glass will do the job. When it comes typical of this style of magnifier.
to woodworking, many operations They generally have an adjustable
headband and a flip-down visor that areas of a project. This is beneficial when the edge of a workbench. The arm
holds the magnifying lenses. And some, performing tasks such as sharpening a allows it to be positioned quickly and
like the Carson Pro MagniVisor, have an long handsaw, or doing carving work, as easily for working on projects where
LED light incorporated into the design. shown in the left photo above. there will be a single point of focus. A
In addition, most of the head-mounted BENCH-MOUNTED OPTIONS. If most of your good example of this is the fine inlay
magnifiers come with several differ- detail work is confined to a small area, work shown in the main photo.
ent lenses, all with differing levels of or you find a head-mounted magnifier Another bench-mounted option is the
magnification. (For more discussion on uncomfortable to wear, then a bench- flexible gooseneck magnifier shown in the
magnification levels, see the box below.) mounted design may be right for you. upper right photo. While this style does
The lenses on the Carson MagniVisor sim- While this type of magnifier typically not have a light, its small design makes it
ply pop in and out of the frame, while the only has a single magnification level, easy to move around the shop for quick
lenses on the Donegan OptiVisor are held there are several different styles to setup and use. The weighted base pre-
in with a couple of small screws. choose from. Two examples are shown vents it from tipping over when adjusted.
The main advantage of a head-mounted at the bottom of the previous page. ACRYLIC OR GLASS. Another consideration
magnifier is the ability to quickly shift The lighted magnifier with the articu- to keep in mind when choosing a mag-
your focus while working on different lating arm is perfect for clamping onto nifier is whether to buy one with acrylic
or glass lenses. The majority of magni-
Woodsmith.com 15
simple
solutions for
Reinforcing
Rabbets
A rabbet joint or two usually find
their way into just about any project
I build. And for good reason: The
joint is straightforward to create; it
increases glue surface; and it helps
register parts to ease assembly.
In most applications, a basic rabbet strengthening the joint stand out as a
joint fits the bill. For example, a rabbet cut decorative element to enhance the overall
along the grain of a workpiece provides look of the project.
a solid, dependable glue joint. CHOOSE A DIRECTION. One of the first things
On the other hand, some rabbet joints to consider is the direction of the fas-
benefit from a little reinforcement. Rab- tener. You can either drive a fastener
bet joints used in drawers and cases are into the piece that has the rabbet or the
good candidates. Thats because one of piece thats captured by the rabbet. The
the glue surfaces is end grain, which two orientations are shown in the lower
doesnt contribute much to a strong joint. left drawing. Both options will create
Fortunately, you have some fastener a strong joint. The driving forces are
options that can help beef up a rabbet appearance and function.
joint. Whats more, you can take the For example, in a plywood case, I may { Drill shank and pilot holes to prevent
opportunity to make the method of not want screws that are visible from the splitting. Clamps keep project parts
sides. So Ill cut a deep rabbet in aligned while you drive screws.
Two-thirds of the screw should extend the case sides and drive screws
into the anchoring piece through the top and bottom of I want to talk about three options here:
the case (photo at right). screws, dowels, and nails.
!/3 If you dont mind seeing the SCREWS. One of the most common and
!/3
fasteners, you can install the simplest methods to reinforce a rabbet
hardware through the rabbeted joint is to use screws. Thats especially
@/3 workpiece. Here, the rabbet can true for building plywood cases.
@/3 be fairly shallow since it only The advantage of using screws to rein-
needs to keep the parts aligned. force a rabbet joint is that they speed up
The next choice you need to the assembly process. The screws act as
make is the type of reinforce- permanent clamps that draw the two parts
ment to provide for the joint. of the joint together while the glue dries.
{ In order to prevent the short grain section Drive nails at a slight angle
when seating a part into
from splitting out, clamp across the joint to the corner of the rabbet
support the end of the workpiece.
Woodsmith.com 17
NOTE: Child-safe
water-based finish
gives parts a classic look
{ Doors and windows are made from { Windows and doors fit into grooves { The starter slat for the roof fits
1 "
4plywood. The door hinges are cut into the logs. The window over short dowels in the gables to
made from small brads. openings are cut on a scroll saw. support the remainder of the roof.
Woodsmith.com 19
SIDE VIEW
Blank for making the small NOTE: Log blanks are made
connector logs from 1!/2"-thick hardwood
1!/4
Notching the b.
SIDE VIEW
#/4
2!#/16
1%/16
#/4 1!/2
Waste
!!/32 !!/32
First Cuts. Use a stop block on the auxiliary miter Cut & Repeat. Remove the auxiliary fence, insert a key, then
gauge fence to locate the edge of the first notch on reposition the fence as shown in detail b. Note that this distance is
both edges of each blank. 318" for the short connector logs (detail b, main drawing).
image of the first one. Set your starting Front fence Base
point from the blade, then complete all
of the cuts along the blank, as in Figure 3.
9
REMOVING THE WASTE. With the edges of a. 30
#/4
the notches defined, all thats left to do is Front #/4" dado
fence blade
remove the waste in between. For that, !!/32 NOTE: Sled is made
I made a simple sled that attaches to from #/4" plywood
the miter gauge (Figures 4 and 5). The Base
sled consists of a front and rear fence
attached to a plywood base.
Youll notice that the workpiece is held Build a Simple Sled. A sled attached to the miter gauge helps position the
against the front fence instead of the rear workpiece over a dado blade to remove the waste from the notches. Layout lines
fence. Because there are so many notches on the sleds fence and base help you position the workpiece for each cut.
to cut, I found it easier to align the notches
over the blade using this method. 5 Align inside edge
I marked the centerline on the sled and
of kerf with guide
centered it over a 34" dado blade before line on sled
to make first pass
attaching it to the miter gauge, as in
Back fence
Figure 4. Cutting partway into the sled
provides a visual cue for positioning the
workpiece in the sled.
Lines on the fence and base of the sled a. b.
help align the notch over the blade, as Slide blank
Align over to align
illustrated in Figure 5. These lines extend #/4" dado other inside
with inside
from the cut lines or kerf created by the edge of kerf blade edge to make
Back Back second pass
dado blade. Now, its just a matter of fence fence
aligning the kerfs on the logs blanks with
the layout lines on the sled and remov- OPERATOR VIEW OPERATOR VIEW
ing the waste. Repeat the process on both
edges of the blank. Two Passes. Align the inside edge of the kerf with one of the layout lines then
Since there are a lot of repetetive cuts to make a pass over the blade. Move the workpiece over so the opposite kerf is
make, its easy to become complacent. To aligned with the second layout line and make a second pass.
be safe, stay focused on the task.
Woodsmith.com 21
9!/8
C SIDE VIEW
SHORT LOGS B Starter log
MEDIUM LOGS A
B A Starter log
15&/16
Starter b. Groove does not extend
log past end notches
%/16
A LONG SIDE SECTION VIEW
LOGS
Once youve cut all of the notches in the ROUNDED LOGS. The drawings above show edge is at the centerline of the blank. Its
long blanks, there are a few other steps how the sides of the logs are rounded, a good idea to use a couple of feather-
to complete the logs. First, youll create much like youd find on a real log cabin. boards to hold the long blank tight to the
their rounded shape. Then you can cut Detail c above and Figure 1 on the next fence and table throughout the cut. Id
the logs to length before routing grooves page illustrate how to create this profile also advise using a push stick to safely
along the top and bottom edges to house on the router table. A 1" roundover bit guide the tail end of the blank past the
windows and doors. is set up so that the top of the cutting featherboards and bit. Make four passes
to complete the profile on both sides.
Shop Tip: CUTOFF JIG CONSISTENT LENGTHS. At last you can cut
the long blanks into manageable lengths
to create the three log sizes and small
20 connectors. To do this with repeatable
2
accuracy, I used a cutoff jig attached to
Key the miter gauge, as shown at left. The jig
registers the blank by positioning each
Fence
notch over a beveled key.
4 As you can see, the jig is a cinch to
make. Just make sure the key is thin
enough so that the blank sits flat on the
Base base when a notch is positioned over the
2 key. The most important dimension for
the key is its width. You want the notch of
the blank to fit snug over the key without
#8 x 1!/2" Fh a. Fence
woodscrew
1%/16
shifting side to side.
#/4 Detail a at left and Figure 2 on the
75 next page give you the details for the
FRONT setup at the table saw. The basic idea is
VIEW %/16
NOTE: Cut-off sled base and to position the sled on the miter gauge
fence are #/4" plywood. Key Key
is made from hardwood Base to cut the blank, leaving 34" beyond the
notch, as shown in Figure 2a.
Woodsmith.com 23
17&/16
G !/4 G 1%/8
G
H
1&/8
E 9&/8 H E E F
LARGE 5#/16 SHORT ROOF
GABLE 1!/16 END VIEW
!/4 PLANKS !/4"-dia. x %/8"
1%/8 wood dowel
glued into hole
17!/8
c. END SECTION VIEW
(through gable)
Dowel Roof
starter
a. SMALL GABLE
E
plank
F
6%/8
3(/16 #/4 G
!!/32 Log
1%/16 15 #/8
Dowel holds
1%/16 Log starter plank
11!/2 in place
NOTE: Notch and hole dimensions identical Log
to large gable. Notch end spacing differs
Gable Ends. A band saw makes Notched Planks. To cut the dadoes in Two-Part Chimney. Cut the end of the
quick work of shaping the gables the roof blanks, use a dado blade. The chimney blanks at an angle before gluing
and cutting the notches. rip fence acts as a stop. them together to form a V-notch.
G G G
Window Panes. A scroll saw allows !/2"x 7" - 60" Poplar (2.9 Sq. Ft.)
you to make the fine cuts necessary H H H ALSO NEEDED: One - 12" x 24"
to create the window cutouts. sheet !/4" Baltic birch plywood
Woodsmith.com 25
drill press
Depth
Stop
With a few pieces of
simple hardware, you
can build this add-on
to make drilling holes
at a consistent depth
faster and easier.
The depth stop on some drill presses A wood collar fits around the quills The big advantage of the push-button
seems like an afterthought. Setting it can metal collar. Attached to the wood collar nuts is that they can quickly be reposi-
be a fussy operation. Thats where the is a threaded rod that passes through the tioned. Simply depress the button on the
upgrade you see here really shines. Plus, bracket for adjusting the quill position. side, slide the nut into place, then release
it adds the ability to lock the quill at any Push-button nuts act as stops on the rod. the button. For fine-tuning the position,
height. (Ill talk more about this later.) EASY-TO-FIND HARDWARE. As you can see you can spin the nut as usual.
HOW IT WORKS. The photos and draw- below, most of the parts you need to Ive included two nuts: The top one
ings provide an overview of how the make the depth stop can be found at sets the length of travel of the quill. Push
depth stop works. First, a steel bracket a hardware store. The only exception the bottom nut up against the bracket
mounts to the side of the drill press. might be the push-button nuts. and it locks the quill in its vertical posi-
tion. This comes in handy when using
> The depth stop is made %/16"-18 x 4" hex
bolts w/washers sanding drums, for example.
from easy-to-find hardware. METALWORKING. I started by creating the
metal bracket. Its made from a piece of
%/16"-18 hex nuts Collar steel angle, as illustrated in the box on
w/washers
the next page. To locate the bracket on
the side of the drill press, find a spot in
Bracket made
from !/4" x 2" line with the quill and close to the bot-
steel angle tom edge of the casting. For my bracket,
!/2"-13 push-button nuts
!/2"-13 I had to create a notch to clear the set
threaded rod screw and nut that holds the spindle in
place (detail c). Drill countersunk holes
for #10 machine screws and the 58"-dia.
!/2"-13 hex nuts hole for the threaded rod.
w/washers
After cutting the bracket to length,
#10-24 x %/8" Fh grind the corners round and file all of the
machine screws edges smooth. Use the bracket to locate
!/4"- Bracket
!/4"- rad.
1#/8
rad.
Drill and tap
!/2"- (/16 !/4"x 2" x 2" for #10-24
dia. steel angle threads
!/4"-
rad. #10-24 x %/8" Fh
5#/4 &/8 machine screw NOTE: Wood collar
fits around
3#/8 metal stop collar
#/8
4!/2
!/2 !/2"-13
2!/4 push-button
1%/16"- Collar
nut
Drill to fit rad.
quill diameter (/16
2!/4 #/8 1
Bracket Waste
Waste
!/4" x 2" x 2"
steel angle
Waste Collar
1 #/4 blank
Drilling. Start with an extra-long piece Creating a Notch. If the bracket Drill to Fit. Drill a hole sized to fit
of steel angle. Drill the mounting holes interferes with any hardware on the drill around the metal stop collar before
and hole for the threaded rod. press, create a notch for clearance. separating the two pieces of the collar.
Woodsmith.com 27
Gentle tapers on
front and back
edges are made
with a simple jig
at the table saw
Woodsmith.com 29
1 Do not 3
round Slot
over opening
1!/2
these
#/8 4!/4 edges
A
A B FRONT SECTION VIEW
(at joint line)
TALL SIDE
c. A B
A
15!/4
1 Radius is
centered on
joint line 5"-rad.
B
1!/2 2
SIDE VIEW
4!/4
B Stop Aux.miter
block fence A
B
Stop
Auxiliary block
Tilt blade 5 miter fence
a. END VIEW a. END VIEW a. END VIEW
Bevel
bottom 7!/4 15!/4
edge of
workpiece
First Bevel Cut. Make a bevel Second Bevel Cut. Use a stop block Cut Tall Sides to Length. Reposition the stop
cut on one end of each short clamped to the auxiliary miter fence to block on the miter fence and make the second
and tall side piece. cut both short sections to final length. bevel cut on the end of each tall side section.
Woodsmith.com 31
95
LOOSE TENON
D
1
C
C
D
UPPER RAIL b. F
#/16"-dia.
C
11#/8 7!/2
16#/8 Leave back
edge of lower Tall
#/4 side
tread square SIDE
SECT.
LOWER TREAD VIEW D
#8 x 1!/4" G #/8"-dia.
C
Fh woodscrew
NOTE: Loose tenons c. SIDE SECTION VIEW
are glued into rails
before assembly E
G
C
Tread
butts E
C against Short
front side
edge of
12#/4 tall side
C NOTE: Rout !/8"
roundovers on lower
edges of rails and
LOWER RAILL
LOWER RAI
R E outside ends of tenons d. F
End of
rail
FRONT
SECTION
VIEW
Go ahead and take a deep breath. With a bullnose profile. But first, I made the (through Tall 1!/2
center of rail) side
the completion of the side panels, the loose tenons so they would be on hand
hardest part of this step stool is behind to test the fit in the rail slots.
you. Theres more work to be done, for LOOSE TENONS. Start by planing a piece of UPPER & LOWER RAILS. The four rails are
sure. But the bulk of these remaining stock down to match the notches already up next. Cut them to their final lengths
steps are a breeze in comparison. cut in the sides. Cut the eight loose ten- shown above, but leave the ends of the
The four rails that bring the side panels ons slightly longer than needed. Figure 1 rails square for now. This makes cutting
together have open slots on the ends for below shows how I used the miter gauge the slots in the ends much easier.
the loose tenons and are mitered to match set at 85 to trim the loose tenons to final As shown in Figure 2 below, I used a
the angle of the sides. The treads are con- length. Then round over the mitered simple push sled and tall auxiliary rip
structed from solid stock and routed with ends of each tenon at the router table. fence to support each rail as I passed it
Miter the Tenons. Use a stop block Slots in Rails. Make one pass, flip the Miter the Ends. After mitering one
and auxiliary fence to miter cut one end workpiece edge for edge and make end, set a stop block for the other end
of all the loose tenons. another pass to center the slots. to ensure consistent rail lengths.
Woodsmith.com 33
Sliding
Cutoff Grinder
This unique shop-made project transforms an ordinary angle grinder into
a benchtop tool for cutting metal parts accurately and easily.
I use metal parts from time to time in my and a little work, I essentially turned it turn is connected to a sturdy support
projects, especially ones for the shop. But into a small, sliding cutoff saw for accu- arm thats bolted to the base.
other than using a hacksaw and a whole rately cutting thin metal parts. And about that base: As you can see in
lot of elbow grease, I didnt really have PROJECT OVERVIEW. What makes this proj- the drawings on the opposite page, its
a good method for cutting these metal ect work are the clever carriage and han- built up from three layers of plywood
parts cleanly and accurately. dle assembles. These hold the grinder to be rock-solid. It also has a wide metal
NEW ANGLE FOR GRINDERS. I do, however, and allow it to slide back and forth, as channel at the center for added safety, and
own an angle grinder. And that served well as rotate up and down. The assem- a two-position fence for greater versatility.
as the inspiration for the unique project blies slide along the hardwood rail that All in all, its sure to add some precision to
that you see here. With a few basic parts you see in the photo above, which in your metal-cutting operations.
Carriage assembly
moves back
Steel pins and forth on rail
act as stops
for carriage
assembly
Metal fence
can be repositioned Concentric disc
for cutting wide or and ring allow the
narrow metal pieces grinder to pivot
up and down
Mounting blocks
NOTE: Refer to cut to match
page 67 for shape of angle grinder
hardware sources
and finishing information
Aluminum strap
Cuts made with secures angle grinder
abrasive grinding to handle assembly
wheel
Steel inserts
and U-channel
protect the base
from sparks
when cutting Threaded inserts
accept bolts for
mounting fence
Sturdy base in two positions
built up from { Resin slides mounted in the rail accept the
three layers
of plywood carriage and handle assembly, allowing the
grinder to slide back and forth.
Woodsmith.com 35
The BASE & This way, you can glue them face to
face without worrying about the edges
holes near the back left corner let you
bolt down the support arm later on
Main
Waste support arm
Support
!/4" band arm
saw blade assembly
Base
1" sanding
drum
Cut Notch. The wide notch at the back Smooth the Shapes. I relied on a Holes. Use a spade bit to bore holes
of the base requires simple band saw sanding drum in the drill press to through the arm for carriage bolts. You
cuts. Then sand the notch smooth. smooth the radii of the support arms. may need to raise the table mid-hole.
21
RAIL 6
E #/4
Rail
#8 x 1#/4" Fh Support
NOTE: Rail is woodscrew arm
1"-thick hardwood.
Slides are !/4" resin Base
2!/2
a. FRONT Rail Resin
SECTION slide
VIEW Resin
slide
%/16
NOTE: Do not !/4"-dia. x 1"
secure pins in steel pin !/4 !%/16 6
slide rail yet
Resin
slide Support !/4 Pin
arm
%/8
!/2
parts, as well as a hardwood rail that the
angle grinder assembly slides along. Resin
slide
MAKING THE SUPPORT ARM. As shown on the
previous page, the support arm is a five-
layer plywood sandwich. Two pieces of cut the small support arm and support mounting it to the base. I used a drill
plywood form the main support arm, blocks to overall size, as well. Next, use press equipped with a spade bit for this
and then a small support arm is added a band saw to cut the main support arm (lower right drawing, previous page).
to the side to give the structure even and small support arm to shape (detail A fence and stop block help align the
more rigidity. The two small support a, opposite page). After a little sanding assembly as you drill the holes. Then its
blocks widen the base of the support (lower middle drawing, opposite page), time to glue on the support blocks and
arm for additional stability. youre ready to glue the small support bolt the support arm to the base.
You can get started by gluing two pieces arm to the main support arm. They align
of plywood together for the main support along the bottom and back edges. MAKING THE RAIL
arm, and then cutting the arm to final size Youll need to drill two long holes The rail comes next. Its a piece of hard-
when the glue is dry. While youre at it, through the support arm assembly for wood with grooves in the edges to accept
resin slides. After cutting the rail to size,
How-To: COMPLETE THE RAIL form the grooves in the edges (far left
drawing). Have the slides on hand to
check their fit in the grooves.
NOTE: Countersunk holes in the face of the rail
Flip rail end for accept screws. And larger holes near the
end between cuts
to center ends hold steel pins that will serve as stops
groove Resin
slide
for the carriage assembly. After drilling the
holes, round the ends and edges of the rail.
a. END
VIEW SLIDES. The resin stock I used for the
E slides was rough, so after ripping the
!/4 E strips and trimming them to length, I
%/16 Block dressed the edges with a block plane
plane
(near left drawing) before epoxying
them in the grooves. Then it was just a
matter of securing the rail on the sup-
Centered Grooves. Use a rip blade Smooth Slides. To create smooth port arm with woodscrews. Cut the
and flip the rail between passes to cut a slides, make a few quick swipes steel pins to size now, but you wont
centered groove sized to fit the slides. along the edges with a block plane. insert them until later, after adding the
carriage assembly onto the rail.
Woodsmith.com 37
4#/4 #8 x 1!/4" Fh
DISC woodscrew
H (3"-dia.)
GUIDE I
Adding the carriage & DISC. The disc is the next order of busi-
ness. Its made from thin plywood, so
HANDLE ASSEMBLIES its a perfect task for a drill press circle
cutter (Figure 3). The key here is to drill
A carriage assembly is the next compo- against the pins on the slide rail. Make at a slow speed, and have the plywood
nent of the sliding cutoff grinder. This the slots as shown in Figure 1 below. blank attached securely to a backer as
assembly moves along the resin slides STOP & GUIDES. At this point, you can cut you cut. When youre done, enlarge the
on two guides. On the outer face of the the plywood stop and hardwood guides center hole to 38". Now you can assem-
assembly is a plywood disc. The disc to size. These parts (and the plate) all ble the entire carriage assembly with
mates with a ring on the handle assem- receive 45 cuts along some of the corners glue and screws, as shown above.
bly to let the grinder pivot up and down. (Figure 2). The plate has a counterbored
A stop limits the travel of the grinder. hole to attach the disc, and a hole on the HANDLE ASSEMBLY
CARRIAGE PLATE. I started on the carriage top edge for a screw eye. The guides have The handle assembly goes on next. On
plate. After cutting it to size, youll grooves along the edges to fit over the the inner face of the assembly, it has
form stopped slots at each end that butt resin slides in the rail (detail c). a ring that mates with the disc on the
Stop
block Disc
Waste F
Circle cutter
NOTE: Rout (set to 3"-dia.)
slots in Backer
multiple passes
Stopped Slots. Set a stop block on the Bevels. Rotate the miter gauge 45 in Cut the Disc. Cut the disc from a larger
router table fence and make a series of order to cut the beveled corners on the plywood blank using a circle cutter
passes to rout the slots in the plate. plate, stop, and guides. running at low speed on the drill press.
carriage assembly to allow the pivoting you can use as a guide to cut the handle
action. On the outer face, two mount- to shape at the band saw. Then its a
ing blocks hold the grinder in place. A matter of cutting the hand-hold (Figure
spring running from the carriage assem- 2) and softening the handle edges. ASSEMBLY. The handle assembly can now
bly to the handle assembly returns the BLOCKS. The mounting blocks require a be glued and screwed together. Next fit
grinder to a neutral position. little work to get just right. The cutouts the ring over the disc and secure the car-
RING. The ring is made similarly to the need to match the shape of the grinder riage assembly to the handle assembly
disc. The difference is youll make two body and hold the grinding wheel paral- with a bolt, washer, and lock nut. Snug up
cuts (Figure 1 below). lel with the handle. For my grinder, this the lock nut so that the handle still pivots
PLATE, SPACER & HANDLE. The pivot plate required a different cutout on each block. freely on the carriage assembly. Then
and spacer block are pretty basic (draw- To get it right, lay out and cut the cut- add the screw eyes and spring between
ing above). These parts are cut to size, outs on your blocks, then put the grinder the carriage and handle assemblies.
drilled, and rounded on the edges. The on the blocks on a worksurface. When Finally, slide the guides over the resin
handle is a little more involved. Theres the grinder wheel is parallel with the slides of the slide rail, and insert the steel
a full-size pattern at Woodsmith.com that worksurface, your job is done (Figure 3). pins to complete the assembly.
Ring
Circle cutter
(set to 4&/16"-dia.) Backer
Cut the Ring. Cut the inner circle Hand-Hold. Drill two holes in the handle Blocks. Test the fit of the mounting blocks
first, then the outer circle to form with a Forstner bit, then connect them to ensure that they hold the grinder wheel
the ring for the handle assembly. with a jig saw to form the hand-hold. parallel with a worksurface.
Woodsmith.com 39
Plate
Handle Strap
b. SIDE VIEW
!/4"
washer
Position strap
to not interfere
with grinder
switch
#10 x 1!/4" Rh
woodscrew
!/8 %/8
11&/8
U-channel
10!/2
17
Grinding
wheel #/4" dado
#/4" dado
blade blade
Score a Line. Run the grinder wheel Deep Dado. Set up a dado blade in the Shallow Dado. Lower the blade, and
along the base to score a line. This is table saw, and pass the base over it to make a series of passes to create two
the centerline for the U-channel. form the groove for the steel U-channel. shallow rabbets for the steel inserts.
Woodsmith.com 41
icebox
Wine Cabinet
This vintage-looking cabinet stands ready to supply cold drinks for your
next get-together. Timeless construction makes it a pleasure to build.
Long after my grandmother had an elec- but it has a new job as a serving station. lid feature stub tenon and groove as well
tric refrigerator, she still called it the Inside are four storage compartments for as mortise and tenon joinery. Getting
icebox. In her day, a large block of ice storing beverages, glasses, and supplies. the period-style profiles and raised door
kept perishable food cold inside a well- A flip-up lid conceals an ice bucket and panels right requires some clever router
insulated wood case. laminate-covered serving area. work. Even the finish is meant to evoke
While the original function of an icebox Youll find plenty of enjoyment in a well-used antique.
may be obsolete, one look at the photo building this icebox, too. Like the styling, Once its complete, youll have earned
above shows that the look is still fresh. the construction is all traditional. I used a cold, refreshing drink. Then you can sit
This cabinet is based on an older design, red oak throughout. The case, doors, and back and enjoy the result of your efforts.
{ Lift the lid of the icebox to reveal { Solid brass icebox latches and { A slip-in case holds up to 12 bottles
a laminate-covered serving area hinges mount to the surface to of wine and contains a drawer for
with a built-in ice bucket. complete the vintage look. storing odds and ends.
Woodsmith.com 43
ASSEMBLIES
D
D
A
D C
C A
Building the wine cabinet starts right C D
where youd expect, with the case. And
D
the method of construction sets the tone E C 2!/4
D
for the classic look of the iceboxes of yes- C #/4
D
teryear. There are actually five individual
assemblies to make: two sides, a center
C #/4
D
#/4 C
section, the back, and the face frame.
D A #/4
With the exception of the face frame, all 45 C D
are frame and panel construction.
ALL AT ONCE. A quick look at the draw- C
D
40 3#/4
ings on this page and the next shows 2!/2
C
that theres a lot of identical joinery to D
C 3#/4
cut. So I took some time at the front to
cut all the stiles and rails for the sides, C D
A 5#/4
center, and back so that once the table SIDE
8#/4 13#/4
saw was set up for cutting the joints, I STILE D
could knock it all out in a short time.
It pays to label your parts carefully to C
B
avoid mix-ups. For example, all the top 7!/2
B
11#/4
and bottom rails have grooves cut along BOTTOM D
RAIL 11#/4 SIDE PANEL
just one edge, while interior rails (and
stiles) have grooves along both edges.
NOTE: Stiles and
STUB TENON & GROOVE JOINERY. Considering rails are made from a. !/4"-dia. shelf TOP SECTION
all the stiles, rails, and panels that need #/4"-thick hardwood. pin hole VIEW
Panels are !/4" plywood
to be joined, stub tenon and groove join- #/8
Panel
ery offers a perfect solution. This joint the rails to fit. For the best glue joint, the
is easy to cut at the table saw. Using grooves need to be sized for a snug match #/8
!/4" ply. Stile
plywood for the panels means you can to the thickness of the plywood panels.
glue them in place to increase the overall The box below shows the table saw setups
strength of each assembly. for the grooves and mating tenons. Use determine the final size of the plywood
Actually, the plywood serves as the test pieces to sneak up on the size of the panels. From here, you can glue up the
gauge for creating the joinery. Heres joints until youre satisfied with the fit. side and center assemblies. When the
what I mean by that. I like to cut the PANELS & ASSEMBLY. With the joinery clamps come off, its a good time to lay
grooves first, then size the stub tenons on wrapped up, dry assemble the frames to out and drill the shelf pin holes.
Grooves Come First. After making one pass, flip the piece Stub Tenons. The other half of the joint is a stub tenon thats
end for end to center the groove. Take care to size the groove cut on the ends of the rails along with the upper and lower
to match the plywood youll use for the panels. back stiles. Use test pieces to zero in on a good fit.
b). This creates a pocket for the lid hinges. FACE FRAME. In contrast to the sides and
The stiles have a rabbet along the edge, as back, making the face frame will go
shown in the drawing below. This rabbet much more quickly. Thats because the the drawing above and detail a. Your
(and a similar one in the face frame) regis- parts are simply cut to size and joined goal here is to make sure that the overall
ter the sides and ease assembly. with pocket screws, as you can see in size of the face frame matches the size of
the back assembly, so you end up with a
How-To: RABBETING THE RAILS square case. (Dont forget to cut a rabbet
on the face frame stiles.)
ASSEMBLY. Its time to see the project take
1 a.
shape. The sides fit nicely into the rab-
END VIEW bets in the face frame and back. Getting
#/4 the center section aligned may cause
Back stile
Aux.
some headaches. To solve this problem, I
rip fence marked the center on the back and face
!/2 frame at the top and bottom edges. A
centerline on the center assembly lets you
#/4" dado align the components (detail c).
blade
Take things one step at a time. Glue the
sides into the back frame. When the glue
Rabbet Simplifies Assembly. Cut a rabbet in the back and front stiles before dries, add the center. The face frame goes
gluing up the back and face frame so theyre easier to handle. The width of the in place last. Wrap things up by softening
rabbet matches the thickness of the side stiles. the corners with a roundover on the front
and back edges, as in detail a.
Woodsmith.com 45
P
Shelf
Install cleat so
P shelf is flush #/4
with top edge
of front rail
Shelf #/4
pin 14!/2
15#/8
c. Plastic
laminate
NOTE: Apply oversize !/4
P piece of laminate to shelf,
then trim flush
Adj. shelf Front
stile
P
Apply laminate to
adjustable shelf before SIDE Shelf
adding edging Edging
VIEW pin
R
ADJUSTABLE
SHELF
d. Install middle stemware holder centered on
opening, then attach holders on either side
14
15!/4 S
EDGING
As it stands, the only thing missing from secure the shelves. To solve this problem, shelf pins. This allows you to position it
the case is some method to divide and I turned to a system of cleats. (More on to suit your needs, as in detail c. If you
organize the inside. That job is handled these in a bit.) Once thats done, you turn dont plan on building the wine bottle
by a series of plywood shelves. Most of your attention to dressing up the wine storage rack shown on page 50, you may
these are fixed in place. Since the case is cabinet to create its distinct look. want to make a second adjustable shelf
already assembled, you need a way to VERSATILE SHELVES. Theres a little more for the other side of the wine cabinet.
going on with the shelves than simply A second issue related to making the
cutting them to size. Since most of them shelves is moisture. A wine and beverage
are fixed, I didnt want to worry about cabinet is bound to see a few spills. To
wood movement. So the shelves are cut keep liquids from damaging the finish
from oak plywood to match the cabinet. or plywood, I covered the four fixed and
Altogether, you need six shelves, as adjustable shelves with plastic laminate.
shown in the drawing above. But they (The stemware shelf doesnt need it.)
arent all the same. The laminate is applied to the plywood
Four are used for the floors of the com- with contact cement. After cutting the ply-
partments in the cabinets. One is attached wood to final size, cut a piece of laminate
as the ceiling for the upper right com- thats a little larger than the shelf. The next
partment and serves as a mounting step is to apply contact cement to both
surface for some stemware holders, as mating surfaces. When its dry to the
{ Slide the bases of glasses into the you can see in the left photo. touch, bring the two together and roll the
stemware holders to keep them The last shelf is slightly smaller laminate for a strong bond. You can use a
organized and at the ready. than the others. It rests on adjustable router to trim the laminate flush.
Woodsmith.com 47
Y
b.
TOP RAIL
1#/8
NOTE: Panel is made
from #/4" plywood. !/2"-rad. Use
Frame pieces are cut technique
from 1"-thick hardwood shown
TOP VIEW on page 65
8#/4 to create
1!/8 opening
after
11 assembly
!/8"-rad. corner
beading bit
First Second
pass pass
D
Double Bead. The beads are cut with a standard beading bit. Your goal is to
{ Quadrant hinges have a built-in center
c the bead on the thickness of the top assembly. To do that, align the quirk
stay that holds the lid open without of
o the bit with the center of the top. For the second pass, flip the top over.
stressing the hinge knuckle.
CC Stile Panel
BB
#/8
CC
LID PANEL 2!/2
AA !/8" SIDE
LID STILE BB roundover SECTION
LID RAIL 13&/8 12!/8 VIEW
THE LID
The formal lid echoes the look of the sides How-To: MORTISE & TENON
and the back with a couple of key differ-
ences. The main one is that it has 12"-thick, !/4"
1 Stiles/
2 Forstner
solid-wood panels instead of plywood, as rails bit
shown in the drawing above.
Lid stile
Since the lid is hinged, the joinery needs Shift rip fence
to be stout to keep it flat and rigid. Adding between passes
to widen groove
deeper mortises and tenons is the way to Align bit with
go. The box at right shows the process. groove in stile
MORTISES. I used the groove in the stile
(Figure 1) to align the drill bit for rough- a. a.
ing out the mortise in Figure 2. The walls END
!/4 !/4 VIEW
of the groove guide your chisel for par- FRONT
SECTION 1
ing the mortise flat and square. #/8 VIEW
TENONS. A dado blade in the table saw 1#/4
makes quick work of creating tenons, #/8
as shown in Figure 3. The tenons on the
end rails have an added detail. You need Groove. Adjust the rip fence to Mortise. Overlapping passes with the
to create a haunch on the outside edge to create a groove that matches the 14" Forstner bit remove most of the waste.
fill the groove for a finished look (detail Forstner bit used for the mortise. Use chisels to clean up sides and ends.
b above and Figure 4).
The solid-wood panels have a rabbet 3 a. SIDE VIEW
4
cut around all four edges. This forms a
tongue that fits the grooves in the frame. #/4" SIDE
dado VIEW
To give the panel room to expand, cut the Rip blade
panels a little narrower overall than the fence 1 %/8
distance between the grooves in the stiles, End Rail
Woodsmith.com 49
9
1!/4
1
L L
1!/4
Guide !/2 15!/4
12!/2
11%/16
#8 x 1!/4" Fh
woodscrew
3&/16 L L
CASE SHELF
KK
UPRIGHT
c.
TOP VIEW Case shelf
How-To: CUT NOTCHES & TENONS Here again, test cuts and sample pieces
let you dial in the size of the dado blade.
GROOVES. The inside edge of the
Woodsmith.com 51
OO UPPER a. 1
NN
DOOR
8%/8 STILE %/8
NN
Rail
2!/2 1!/2 2!/2
FRONT
8%/8 VIEW
Icebox latch 13
and catch
Stile
#/8
b. TOP SECTION
OO VIEW #/8
#/8
#/8
!/4 Panel Stile
OO
DOOR RAIL !/4"
8%/8 roundover
2!/2
8!/4
How-To: MAKE RAISED PANELS blade marks, the fit will be right on. Take
your time when setting up the core box
bit to rout the radius. You want a seam-
1 a. 2 Rout across
ends of
less transition between the rabbet and
END panel first cove profile, as in Figure 2.
VIEW INSTALLING HARDWARE. From a construction
Tall
auxiliary Panel Panel
!/4 standpoint, the hardware has one big
rip fence
clamped benefit its surface-mounted. Basically
to saw
fence
a. END VIEW all you need to do is line it up and screw
1#/8 1%/8
it in place. I noticed one of the latches
!/2" core !/4 had a slight sideways lean when the
!/2" box bit
dado door was closed. Slight inconsistencies
blade
arent unusual in cast hardware. To rem-
Wide Rabbet. Hold the panel on edge Rout the Cove. Align the center edy this, I fine-tuned the catch (the part
to cut the rabbet in a single pass. A tall of the core box bit with the thats attached to the face frame) with a
auxiliary fence keeps it steady. shoulder of the rabbet. file. This gave the latch a little more room
to fit smoothly and hang vertically.
Woodsmith.com 53
working with
Paring
Chisels
No woodworking shop would be com- and smoothing. Theyre designed to be
plete without a set of bench chisels. pushed with your hands instead of being Longer, thinner
Paring Chisel blade with
Theyre the go-to tool for chipping away struck with a mallet. shallow bevel
waste and trimming joinery. But theres WHAT DEFINES A PARING CHISEL? A paring (15-20)
another style of chisel every woodworker chisel is most recognizable by its length.
should have a paring chisel. Most are around 14" long. Your typical
Shorter, thicker blade
Paring chisels were developed to bench chisel, on the other hand, is about Bench Chisel with steeper bevel
remove small shavings for final shaping 10" long. Western-style paring chis- (25-30)
els have a longer blade with a handle
} Western-style and Japanese paring chisels sized more like a bench chisels handle.
are both longer than bench chisels. The Japanese-style paring chisels are just the
longer length means finer control. opposite: A shorter blade is attached to Another characteristic unique to
a long wood handle. For both styles, the paring chisels is the bevel angle. The
Bench
chisel overall combined length is much longer average bevel on standard bench chisels
than a bench chisel. The photo below is between 25 and 30. A paring chisel
shows a comparision of all has a lower bevel in the 15 to 20 range.
three chisel types. This makes it easier to push through the
wood fibers, particularly on end grain.
Finally, the blades on paring chisels are
traditionally thinner than those on bench
Western-style chisels. However, some manufacturers
paring chisel
no longer hold to that tradition and make
Japanese their paring chisels with thicker blades.
paring chisel
Regardless of the blade thickness, its the
overall chisel length that counts.
ADVANTAGES your body as leverage. The length of a SHAPING CURVES. My usual technique
You can perform a lot of the same tasks paring chisel also gives you finer control for the final shaping of a convex curve
with your bench chisels that you would over the angle of the blade to the work- is to head to the disk sander. But there
with a paring chisel. But Ill show you piece. The upper left drawing illustrates are times when the workpiece cant be
why paring chisels are a better choice for that for a given change in the angle, the positioned properly on the sander. And
some of those tasks. handle of the paring chisel has to move frankly, a disk sander can sometimes be
ANGLE OF ATTACK. Paring chisels are longer a greater distance. Think of it as a giant overkill when shaping a curve.
for a couple of reasons. First, they pro- protractor. A small movement changes I prefer the finesse I can get with a par-
vide better control and allow you to use the angle only a fraction of a degree for ing chisel. As shown in the lower right
finer control over the cut. photo, its easy to make light cuts to bring
FLAT REFERENCE. You can also use the curve to the layout line. Then a little
a paring chisel like a plane to hand-sanding is all thats required for
create a flat surface. In the right final smoothing. I use this technique for
drawing above, the back of the final shaping of a workpiece after cutting
chisel rides the surface to pare it to rough shape at the band saw.
off the high spots. The same PRECISE CUTS. When it comes to making
technique is used to clean out fine cuts where appearance counts, a
and smooth the bottom of a paring chisel is ideal. Cutting chamfers
dado (lower left photo). on exposed tenons is a prime example,
USE YOUR BODY. When cutting as shown in the photo at left. Light cuts
with a paring chisel, use your with steady, consistent pressure while
body to help push the chisel using both hands for control yield
through the cut. Youll find results you can be proud of.
that the cutting action is more If youre looking to buy a paring chisel,
controlled and requires less Id start with a 1" or 114"-wide chisel.
effort than letting your hands These widths are great for paring mor-
and arms to do all of the work. tises and general shaping tasks. As you
{ A paring chisel excels at making fine cuts where You use your body to lean into discover how useful a paring chisel is,
appearance counts, such as a through tenon. Its easy the cut as you guide the chisel Im guessing youll end up with an entire
to control the cutting action for consistent results. with both hands (main photo). set before too long. W
{ The longer length of a paring chisel can work to your advantage. The lower { Making controlled cuts to bring a curve to final shape is
bevel angle and flat back work to push through high spots to create a flat best done with a paring chisel. Once you get the hang
dado of consistent depth as you lean into the cut with your body. of it, you can create thin curls for a smooth surface.
Woodsmith.com 55
Holes in drill
guides are spaced
32mm apart
Self-centering
drill bit
Jig can be adjusted to
accommodate panels of
various widths
{ Drilling jigs are available from a number of suppliers for locating and drilling all of the holes { To drill the first row of 5mm holes, a
for 32mm cabinet construction. The Pro Shelf Drilling Jig shown above is from Rockler. It uses drilling jig creates the proper setback from
a self-centering 5mm drill bit to accurately drill the holes at the proper spacing. the edge of the cabinet side.
STRICT GUIDELINES. In order for factories to The setback, or starting location for The standard offset from the bottom edge
mass-produce cabinets, standards were the first row of holes is 37mm from the of the cabinet side to the first 5mm hole
developed for the sizing of the cabinet front edge if youre using overlay doors is 46.5mm when using 19mm (34"-thick)
panels plus the location of the holes. and drawers. For inset doors, you add stock for the bottom.
This method of mass production means the thickness of the doors to this number. A LOT OF DRILLING. Ill admit thats a lot
that the parts are interchangeable. For On true 32mm system cabinets, the off- of holes to drill without expensive
example, a cabinet side can be used on set from the back edge of the cabinet side automated equipment. But, there are a
any cabinet in the set during installation. is also 37mm. But in reality, this depends number of jigs on the market to help, as
European-style cabinets using the on what drawer slides youre planning to shown in the photos above.
32mm system are designed without a use and whether the doors and drawers PANEL SIZING. There are also several
face frame. They usually feature overlay are inset or overlay. online resources for helping you get the
doors and drawers for ease of construc- The distance between the rows of holes most out of the 32mm system. One of
tion. Typical hole placement for this style in the cabinet sides is based on mul- my favorites is from the hardware man-
of kitchen base cabinet is shown in the tiples of 32mm. This makes installing ufacturer Blum. They provide a handy,
illustration on the previous page. drawer slides a snap, as youll soon see. downloadable document named Process
32 that gives you all of the dimensions
you need for sizing the cabinet parts and
laying out the hole spacing. You can find
Drawer dividers out where to download the document in
are centered
between holes Mounting rail Sources on page 67.
Rails join sides and can also used to fasten EASY CONSTRUCTION. As shown at left,
serve as drawer dividers cabinet to wall
making all of the parts and assembling
Rows of 5mm them couldnt be easier. Two rails at
holes spaced 8mm (!/4") the top connect the sides. These make
32mm apart back panel
it easy to fasten the countertop. If there
are drawers, rails are used as the divid-
ers to separate the drawers. After the
back is installed, a mounting rail along
Back fits into groove
the upper back edge serves as an anchor
in sides and bottom strip for fastening the cabinet to the wall.
The nice thing is, all of these rails can be
identical and cut from the same blank.
The back panel fits into grooves in the
cabinet sides and bottom. It fastens to the
back edge of the upper rail.
As youll soon see, the advantages
Simple Box. Butt joints for to this system are numerous, especially
the cabinet parts and a back panel when it comes time for cabinet assembly
that fits into a groove make for easy construction. and hardware installation.
Woodsmith.com 57
Pozidriv
{ Pozidriv screws (lower) are stampedd with { Mounting drawer slides and hinges is easy. Purchase hardware with system screws already
an X. Phillips drivers (above) wont
t installed (left photo) or use nylon inserts with standard woodscrews (right photo). Similar
properly engage a Pozidriv screw. attachment methods can be used for the door portion of European-style hinges.
How-To: DRAWER SLIDE SPACERS above are designed specifically for ease
of mounting. Plus, they can be used on
any cabinet, not just frameless cabinets.
You can take advantage of the 32mm SPACERS. Instead of cutting wood These cabinet add-ons bring a num-
cabinet construction method and still spacers for drawer slides, the spacers ber of important benefits. The plastic
use face frames for a traditional look. shown below utilize the 32mm system legs are super strong. They not only
Hardware manufacturers have prod- holes. Several sizes are available to elevate the cabinet off the floor, but they
ucts specifically made for this hybrid accommodate face frames of different also act as levelers. The legs come in a
construction technique. One such widths (photo at left). kit that includes a couple of options for
product are the spacers shown here. Select the size that brings the drawer mounting them to the cabinet. You can
slide flush to the inside edge of the face also order larger feet as an accessory that
frame. Fasten the spacer into the 5mm snaps onto the bottom of the leg. This
holes in the cabinet sides and then provides a better grip to adjust the level
install the drawer slide as usual. of the cabinet once its in place.
A nice feature of this style of leg is
Three sizes to the plastic clips that allow you to install
accommodate
common face toe kicks. The legs come with mount-
frame widths ing plates to attach the toe kick. Once
the plates are installed, slide the clips in
place, then snap the toe kick onto the legs.
Its also easy to remove the toe kick to
gain access under the cabinet.
EASIER CONSTRUCTION. In spite of its histori-
ccal origins on the factory floor, you can
put the 32mm system to use in your
{ Spacers make it easy to shop. Now that you understand how
install drawer slides in the holes are layed out and utilized,
a face frame cabinet. youll soon find its a great way to make
quick and easy cabinetry. W
Woodsmith.com 59
the importance of
Dadoes,
{ A dado blade allows you to fine-tune the width of a dado or
groove for a perfect fit with a mating board. For a rabbet, you can
accomplish this by burying the blade in an auxiliary fence (inset).
How-To: CLEAN UP THE CUT account for the offset between the edge
of the router base and the edge of the
bit when setting up the straightedge.
This way, you can rout the joint right
where you need it.
To cut rabbets with a router, I typi-
cally use a rabbeting bit. These bits have
a bearing that rides along the edge of
the piece, while the larger diameter cut-
ter creates the rabbet. You can see how
the bit works for cutting rabbets in the
upper right photo.
Dadoes, grooves, and rabbets arent
{ A few quick swipes with a shoulder { If you dont have a shoulder plane, attach difficult joints to cut. But spending a little
plane remove ridges and leave a smooth, self-adhesive sandpaper to the edge of a time mastering these basic techniques
flat-bottomed dado. scrap block to smooth the joint. can go a long way toward making better-
looking, more accurate assemblies. W
Woodsmith.com 61
resists the cutting action of the blade. how the workpiece is guided. Instead of
I like to apply a strip of double-sided tape using a sled riding along the rip fence,
to keep the workpiece from shifting. reach for the miter gauge.
BLADE. You wont go wrong using a Setting up for the cut is a matter of
combination blade to make this cut. adjusting the angle on the miter gauge.
However, since its mostly a rip cut, a A protractor works great if you know the
glue line rip blade makes the cut more angle. Like a taper cut, I simply go by the
efficiently and leaves a smooth surface. layout lines. After marking the cut on the Angle miter
towards the blade
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE. In use, your main task workpiece, set a bevel gauge to match for more control
is keeping the sled firmly against the rip the angle (upper left photo). Now you and smoother
can use the bevel gauge to set the angle cutting with
fence as you push it past the blade. Rip-
downhill grain
ping is heavy work for a saw. So pay of the miter gauge, as you can see in the
attention to the sound of the blade and upper right photo.
its cutting action. Feeding the piece too AUXILIARY FENCE. Another part of set up of the blade. The fence should be tall
fast may cause the blade to vibrate and involves attaching an auxiliary fence to enough that once the miter gauge is set at
leave more marks. Going too slow can the miter gauge to maximize workpiece the correct angle, you can raise the blade
cause burning in some wood species. control. There are a few details on the and cut a reference kerf in the fence. This
fence that make cutting angles much makes aligning cuts a snap.
ANGLE CUTS easier and safer, as in the photo below. DIRECTION. Speaking of the angle, in most
Making a cut across the end of a work- I extend the fence beyond the blade cases, I prefer to set up the miter gauge
piece is another matter. But its not any on the waste side. The extra length here so it angles toward the blade (if possible),
more complicated. The main difference is allows you to direct the waste piece clear as in the drawing above. This orientation
provides better visibility, and I find that
the blade is cutting downhill to the
grain resulting in a cleaner edge.
MAKING THE CUT. In practice, youll find
that making angled cuts with a miter
Sandpaper applied gauge is pretty similar to making a 90
to the fence helps
keep the workpiece Kerf in fence crosscut. A dedicated crosscut blade
from shifting makes aligning
the workpiece
delivers a smooth surface (fewer blade
to the blade easy marks) and less tearing on the top and
bottom faces on the workpiece.
In order to prevent unwanted blade
marks, slide the workpiece away from
the blade after completing the cut. Then
retract the miter gauge.
Cutting angles and tapers shouldnt be
{ A long plywood auxiliary fence on the miter gauge provides a larger support surface to intimidating. With the right setup and a
guide a workpiece for a steady cut. The fence should extend beyond the blade on the waste little know-how, you can make smooth
side of the cut so that you can safely push the waste piece away from the back of the blade. crisp cuts no matter what angle it is. W
Woodsmith.com 63
Shop
Notes
Installing Quadrant Hinges
The hinges used on the lid of the wine ENDS FIRST. The rounded end of each leg Just as important, the bit establishes
cabinet (page 42) incorporate a built-in mortise is created with a Forstner bit in a flat, smooth bottom for the hinge to
stay to keep the lid propped open. This a hand-held drill. The depth of the hole rest in. A little cleanup with some chis-
feature, along with their L-shaped design, should match the thickness of the hinge els brings the mortise to its final size.
makes installing the hinges a little more leaf. Switch to a smaller bit to create a Check the fit with the actual hinge to
challenging than an ordinary butt hinge. deeper recess for the head of the stay in see if any adjustments are necessary to
LAYOUT. Accurate layout is the key. Once the lid, as in Figure 2. Complete the lay- obtain a snug fit without any gaps.
the top and lid are complete, youre able out by marking the edges of the mortise In order to support the weight of the
to lay out the hinge mortises on both using a square, as shown in the Figure 3. lid, the hinge screws need to have a solid
assemblies at the same time. I based ROUT & PARE. A palm router and a grip. So take care to size the pilot holes
the layout dimensions on the size of the small straight bit make quick work of accurately (especially those near the
hinge, centering it over the notch in the removing the bulk of the waste in the notch) and avoid stripping the screws as
top back rail, as shown in Figure 1. mortise, as you can see in Figure 4. theyre driven into place, as in Figure 6.
1 2 Drill recess
3 a.
1&/16 !/4
!/4 in lid Draw in
Lid edges of
mortise
on lid
Top #/4 Lid and top
1&/16 1
a. SIDE !/2"-dia. a.
VIEW Forstner bit Top
!/4"-dia. !/2 SIDE TOP
Thickness of Forstner bit VIEW Align square VIEW
hinge leaf with edge of hole
4 a. 5 Clean up
6 FIRST: Drive
steel screws
sides of recess to cut
SIDE threads in
VIEW wood
Cut to waste
side of
1 2 a.
layout line
Masking tape
a. Top Guide
Position guide strip
strips along
TOP layout lines
Risers create clearance VIEW with !/2"-dia.
for jigsaw blade 1"-dia. double-sided pattern
tape bit
Woodsmith.com 65
choosing a
Finish
for
Toys
Im building some wood toys as gifts THE TRUTH ABOUT SAFETY. The reality when And though they sacrifice some dura-
for my grandchildren. Do you have any it comes to both oil-based and water- bility compared to other finishes, they
recommendations for a finish thats based products, though, is that all are often easier to reapply as needed.
safe and will hold up well over time? finishes sold today are safe once theyre READ THE LABEL. Even with these natu-
Anthony Downs fully cured. The general rule on a stain ral products, though, its important to
Chesterfield, Missouri or finish being cured is 30 days, but read the label carefully, so you know
its probably fully cured when its dry exactly what youre getting. Raw or
Its understandable that youd want to to the touch and theres no odor when pure linseed oil, for example, is differ-
choose the safest stain or finish possible you hold the project to your nose. This is ent from boiled linseed oil, which is
for a project that children will be using. why I felt comfortable choosing a water- often used as a base for other finishes
And there are plenty of excellent options based dye as the finish for the toy logs and contains solvents and metallic
available for creating a wood finish that in this issue (photo above). You can also drying agents. The same is true of tung
will look good, is safe, and will last a check the side of the container for more oil, so you should look for a product
long time. However, its also important information about any finishs VOC lev- that says pure tung oil on the label
to understand the truth about wood els and other safety information. to make sure youre getting the right
stains and finishes, as theres a lot of NATURAL OPTIONS. Once you know the thing. Mineral oil is sold as both min-
misinformation on the subject. truth about wood finishes, it should eral oil or butcher block oil, and either
Many people are concerned about the provide some assurances when it comes product gives you what you need.
safety of stains, as well as finishes like to the finish you choose for toys or other Finally, some of the finishes that are
varnish and lacquer. This is due to the projects. However, if you want to avoid labeled as food-safe or non-toxic
strong odors they emit while drying. undesirable ingredients entirely, there are not that much different from stan-
Also, many of these products contain are plenty of natural options. Natural dard varnish or lacquer. For example,
metallic drying agents that speed curing. oils such as raw linseed oil (often called some finishes sold as salad bowl fin-
WATER-BASED. To avoid these issues flaxseed oil), tung oil, and mineral oil, ish are nothing more than oil mixed
with oil-based products, some consider for example, are all good choices that with urethane and drying agents, just
water-based stains and finishes to be are non-toxic and provide a protective like ordinary wiping varnish.
a safer choice. And with less odor and finish to wood. Beeswax is another As mentioned previously, all wood
lower levels of VOCs (volatile organic option that is water repellant and can finishes are safe on any of your projects
compounds), water-based finishes are be used to protect wood products. once they have fully cured. But for true
safer to apply. However, most of these These natural products typically take peace of mind, youll need to check the
products still have solvents and metallic longer to cure than other wood finishes, label carefully if you want a natural oil
drying agents in them. but they provide a nice, oiled look. or wax finish for your project. W
Woodsmith.com 67
> Icebox Wine Cabinet. With the doors and top closed, this
wine cabinet looks like an old-fashioned icebox. But just
open the lid and you have an instant serving center for your
favorite beverages. Complete plans start on page 42.