WOOD

ISSUE 166 NOVEMBER 2005

Better Homes and Gardens

4
ED Y p.
ST O S
TE -B AW
BIGNDS
BA
6

The Shop-Proven Woodworking Magazine

easy-to-build, rock-solid

workbench
p.36

Make this elegant hall table p.60

plus

HOLIDAY
PROJECTS

Get
Organized!

Display shelf
Scrapbook/album cover
Backlit scrollsawn art
Turned tree
ornament

14

Workshop
Projects

p.84

Display until November 22, 2005

U.S.A. $6.99

REDUCE
WOOD WASTE
& $AVE A BUNDLE

1))

November 2005, Issue 166

p r o j e c t s

14 hole-boring guide for handheld drills

16 scrollsawn copper art
36 rock-solid workbench
52 turned holiday ornament
60 matching hall table and shelf
72 edge-joined scrapbook/album cover
78 nine easy shop organizers
From clamp hangers to tool racks to bins and

88

boxestake your pick.

87 wine-bottle holder
88 shop cart/benchtop tool support
102 bandsaw accessory store-all

10
34
68

60

t e c h n i q u e s

the split-mortise, through-tenon joint

tricks for installing Euro-style hinges
how to hang shelves and cabinets

72

52

46
76

84

Discover the best hardware and most effective

methods for securing heavy projects to walls.

76 17 ways to organize your shop

Create dedicated storage for tools, sheet goods, and

hardware while adapting a host of low-dough fixes.

84 trim workshop waste and save big

See how a pro designs projects and buys and mills

stock to extract the most out of every board foot.

t o o l s & m a t e r i a l s
46 tested: step-up bandsaws
Find out how well six big-boy machines cut the
hardwood when the sawing gets tough.

92 three shop-proven products

d e p a r t m e n t s

6
8
22
1 12

editors angle
sounding board
shop tips
whats ahead

This seal is your assurance that we

build every project, verify every fact,
and test every reviewed tool in our
workshop to guarantee your success
and complete satisfaction.

76
36


Better Homes and Gardens

November 2005

Vol. 22, No. 6

Issue No. 166

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
BILL KRIER
Executive Editor
JIM HARROLD

Managing Editor
MARLEN KEMMET

Editorial Manager Tools and Techniques

DAVE CAMPBELL
Senior Design Editor
KEVIN BOYLE
Projects Editor
OWEN DUVALL
Design Editor
JEFF MERTZ
Art Director
KARL EHLERS

Techniques Editor
BOB WILSON
Projects Editor
JAN SVEC
Master Craftsman
CHUCK HEDLUND

Associate Art Director

GREG SELLERS

Production/Office Manager
MARGARET CLOSNER

Assistant Art Director

CHERYL A. CIBULA

Administrative Assistant
SHERYL MUNYON

Chuck made this oak raisedpanel desk for his daughter.

Photographers MARTY BALDWIN, SCOTT LITTLE, BLAINE MOATS, JAY WILDE

Illustrators TIM CAHILL, LORNA JOHNSON, ROXANNE LeMOINE
Technical Consultants JEFF HALL, DEAN FIENE
Contributing Craftsman JIM HEAVEY
Proofreaders BARBARA KLEIN, IRA LACHER, JIM SANDERS
CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800/374-9663
For more ways to reach us about specific matters, see page 8.
Vice President/Publishing Director DOUG OLSON
Publisher MARK HAGEN
ADVERTISING
CHICAGO OFFICE: 333 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312/853-2890 Fax: 312/580-7906
Account Executive JACK A. CHRISTIANSEN
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Direct Response Sales Representative SANDY ROBINSON
Sales and Marketing Assistant GAYLE CHEJN
Sales and Marketing Assistant LISA GREENWOOD
NEW YORK: Phone: 212/551-7043 Fax: 212/551-7192
Account Executive PATRICK R. TOMLINSON, SR.
DETROIT: RPM Associates
29350 Southfield Rd., Suite 31, Southfield, MI 48076
Phone: 248/557-7490 Fax: 248/557-7499
ATLANTA: Navigate Media
1875 Old Alabama Rd., Suite 1320, Roswell, GA 30076
Phone: 678/507-0110 Fax: 678/507-0118

Sales executive David Dempsey

turned these wood and acrylic
pens to give as gifts.

Dean and granddaugthers,

Miranda and Madelyn, have
fun at the playhouse he built.

Director, Corporate Sales RICH BERENSON

Executive Director, Corporate Research BRITTA C. WARE
Business Manager JOEL ETIENNE
Consumer Marketing Director ROBIN HUTCHINSON
Consumer Marketing Manager LESLIE SHAEFFER
Associate Director of Marketing-Newsstand TOM DEERING
Advertising Operations Manager JULIE HALSNE
Production Manager STEVE KRIDER
MEREDITH PUBLISHING GROUP
President JACK GRIFFIN
General Manager TOM HARTY
Finance & Administration KARLA JEFFRIES
Consumer Marketing DAVID BALL
Manufacturing BRUCE HESTON
Creative Services ELLEN DE LATHOUDER
Interactive Media LAUREN WIENER
Corporate Sales JACK BAMBERGER
Group Marketing NANCY WEBER

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer WILLIAM T. KERR

President and Chief Operating Officer STEPHEN M. LACY
In Memoriam E.T. Meredith III (19332003)
Copyright Meredith Corporation 2005 All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

WOOD magazine November 2005

editors angle
Adapt our plans to
your styleI do!
My favorite furniture style,
a distinctive take-off on
Arts-and-Crafts design
known as Greene and
Greene, is not well-known.
Its a furniture design you
seldom find in these pages.
Still, I can use a past
WOOD magazine project
plan to build a G&G piece.
And you can do the same
to make furniture in your
favorite style. Heres how.

sing a WOOD
magazine project
article as a starting
point in designing a
customized piece,
I save dozens of hours
in creating project
drawings, a materials
list, a cutting diagram,
and formulating the
correct how-to steps.
My simple redesign process goes like this:
First, I photocopy and enlarge the
drawings from a magazine project I want
to emulate. Then, I use white correction fluid
to remove elements of the drawing(s) that
dont match my style. For instance, when
I built the G&G dresser, above right, the
carcase construction of the country-style
dresser in issue 111 (inset) served as a good
modelmost of the illustrations showed
exactly what I needed.
Next, I make a copy of the materials list,
white-out the parts or dimensions that
dont suit my redesign, and input my new
parts or dimensions. Besides saving time,
Im assured that the basic design follows
standard design criteria for such things as
overall height, drawer depth, etc. If changes
are substantial, I may start with a blank
materials list. To make this step easy for
you, Ive created a blank materials list at
woodmagazine.com/designhelp. You can
access it for free.

They may look dissimilar, but my G&G

dresser (above) and the country dresser from
issue 111 share a lot of the same DNA.

3
4

Like the materials list, Ill often duplicate

and alter the cutting diagram supplied
with the WOOD magazine project.
For the step-by-step instructions, I
return to the photocopier to make a copy
of the magazine article. Then, I cut and
paste changes in the construction sequence
wherever I need to add or delete a step.
Typically, I use more than 80 percent of the
existing instructions.
My updated paper copies of the
instructions, drawings, materials list, and
cutting diagram usually arent pretty, but
they do serve as an excellent blueprint that
ensures a snag-free project without the
considerable work of starting from scratch.
And because of this system, I rarely make a
costly cutting or construction error.
Give it a try on your next one-of-a-kind
creation. I think youll appreciate the
timesaving benefits.

Managing Editor
WOOD magazine

November 2005

sounding board
Our bulletin board for letters, comments, and timely updates

Edging bits with the handheld advantage

In your review of plywood edging router
bits (Blades & Bits, issue #163, page 10),
you overlooked one important attribute of
my product, The Burgess Edge. The bit set
features bearings that enable the bits to be
used without a router table.
This difference is crucial when edging
large panels or case sides. With these
awkward workpieces, router-table holddowns need lots of pressure, which can
make it difficult to feed the panel smoothly
and continuously. Furthermore, the router
can respond to the uneven dips on the
plywood surface more precisely because the

router base is a shorter reference surface

than the router table.
I have used the Burgess Edge set on
countless linear feet of material and never
found it necessary to use a router table.
Michael Burgess, The Burgess Edge

Although we prefer to use the Burgess Edge

set in a router table for smaller, easily
manageable workpieces, we agree that
its the only product of those we tested
that can be used effectively in a handheld router.
WOOD magazine

Position opening for a writer at WOOD magazine

Article updates

The staff position of Woodworking

Techniques Editor is currently open at
WOOD magazine in Des Moines, Iowa.
Work includes producing technique
articles for the magazine, traveling as
needed to complete assignments, and
planning and directing photography and
illustrations to complement articles.
Minimum qualifications are as follows:
Bachelors degree in journalism or
English, or equivalent experience.
Minimum of five years as a magazine,
book, or newspaper journalist. Technical
writing experience helpful.
Specific knowledge includes
understanding woodworking processes.
Beyond that, applicant must possess
the ability to work in a team-oriented
environment and use desktop publishing

equipment; must be a self-starter and a

strong writer with a proven track record.
Applicant must have a keen instinct for
uncovering compelling article concepts
and information, and have the ability to
communicate well over the phone and in
person. Some travel may be required.
Please note that this position is in Des
Moines, Iowa.
For more on this exciting opportunity
with WOOD magazine and Meredith
Corporation, visit our Career Site at
meredith.com; once there click Careers.
Qualified applicants, send cover letter
and resume to:
D. Rock, Meredith Corporation,
HR/Publishing Group, Dept #34529,
1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309,
or fax 515/284-2958. EOE.

September 2005, issue 164

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Pattern revisions
for the salt and pepper
mills may be found in
the WOOD Patterns
of this issue on
page 58.
Pages 7779
indicate no dustcollection accessories
for Porter-Cable
routers. Porter-Cable
does offer optional
below-base dust collection (part no. 39700)
for models 7518 and 7539.
On page 76, the Router-Lift Compatability chart incorrectly shows that you cant
change bits above the table on the Jointech Smartlift Digital. In fact, all bits can be
changed from above the table with this lift.

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WOOD magazine

November 2005

just-right joinery

the split-mortise,
through-tenon joint
Call this your divide-and-conquer joint.
Divide the mortise cuts before glue-ups,
and youll conquer the challenge of
joining large project pieces.

eavy-duty projects call for thick, rugged parts with joints to match. Made using
justAa tablesaw
dado blade, split-mortise, through-tenon joints securely connect
N
parts far larger than those on most projects made from " stock.
B O
This joint was
incorporated into the legs of the European-style workbench project on
page 36, but the same
techniques apply to joints of other dimensions and applications. Use
P
C
it to attach crossarms to mailbox posts, make legs for a trestle table, or assemble such
D Q
outdoor projects
as a pergola or arbor.
Though simple, split-mortise, through-tenon joints require precise marking and cutting
E R
for best results. Youll be making 1"-deep mortises, a job best done with a carbide-tipped,
S Get off to a good start by using stock thats straight, square, and
stacked dadoFblade.
dimensioned precisely. Double-check that your tablesaw blade is set 90 to the table and
G T
save scraps for test cuts. Once thats done, youre ready to begin.
H

BASIC JOINT ANATOMY

B
3"
" shoulders
1"

2"-wide dadoes
1" deep

2"

U
V

First, cutI the split mortises

For the workbenchs
J W 3332" laminated
feet and rails (parts
X A on the illustration),
K of 1"-thick stock to
cut eight pieces
Y
332". Youll
L remove the extra " after
the two halves are
Z assembled.
M
For these parts
we planed 1"-thick ash
to 1" thick. You also can laminate two
lengths of "-thick stock for each 1"thick piece. Arrange the 1"-thick parts in

pairs for the best color and pattern matches,

and then mark the inside faces of each pair.
Install a " dado blade in your tablesaw,
and attach an auxiliary face to the saws
miter gauge. Where shown on Drawing 1 of
the workbench article and illustrated in
detail on page 37, cut 2"-wide dadoes 1"
deep into the inside faces of the parts.
For greater precision, use your tablesaw
fence as a stop while cutting the two passes

that define the outside edges of your mortise

halves, as shown in Steps 1 and 2. The
fence also ensures that the half-mortises on
all four legs are the same size and the same
position. Use test scraps (24 cutoffs work

STEP 1: START THE MORTISE CUT

STEP 2: NOW CUT IT TO WIDTH

STEP 3: ALIGN THE TWO HALVES

2"

FILENAME:166JRJ SplitMortise.eps
Date: 6-05
Lorna J.

Scrap
block

continued on page 12
10

WOOD magazine

November 2005

just right joinery

STEP 4: CUT THE TENON

STEP 5: FINISH THE JOINT

STEP 6: START THE DOWEL HOLES

well) to check that the combined dadoes

form a square mortise.
Next, cut a pair of scrap blocks that fit the
width of the dadoes but are less than their
combined height. Use these to keep the
mortises aligned while you glue the two
halves of the feet together. Then assemble
the first part A halves, as shown in Step 3.
Let the glue set for five minutes. Tap the
blocks out of the mortises and remove any
excess glue. Repeat this method to assemble
the remaining part A halves.
Joint one edge of each foot and rail (A).
On your tablesaw, rip the opposite edge of
each part to 3" wide.

Add even more strength

For the workbenchs laminated legs (B) on

which youll form the tenons, cut eight
pieces of 1"-thick stock to 334". Then
glue and clamp the pieces together in pairs
keeping the ends and edges flush. Joint one
edge of each leg, then rip and crosscut all
four legs to 3" wide.

Reinstall the " dado blade in your

tablesaw, and set your saws fence 3" from
the far edge of the blade.
For snug-fitting tenons, cut the first set of
four tenon sides in one leg slightly shallower
than the " depth indicated in the
workbench plans. Check this tenon against
the dimension of your mortises. If this tenon
is oversize, raise the blade in small
increments and make additional series of
cuts. Test-fit your tenons between cuts until
your dado blade height produces a snugfitting tenon. Then cut the remaining tenons
in all four legs, as shown in Step 4 and at
the top of page 10. Make the tenon length a
hair greater than the mortise depth, and
sand off the excess from the finished joint.
With the appearance sides facing out,
glue and clamp the legs, feet, and rails
together. Avoid excess glue buildup on the
shoulders of the tenons. After the glue dries,
use a random-orbit sander to smooth the
assembled pieces. Then finish to your
preference. (See Step 5.)

STEP 7: DRILL INTO THE TENON

STEP 8: SPREAD THE GLUE

STEP 9: FLUSH-SAW THE DOWELS

Make the leg tenons

12

Make this sturdy joint even more rugged by

reinforcing it with pegs after glue-up. Here,
we used contrasting " cherry dowels set 1"
from the bottom edges of the feet. The
dowels extend 2" into the joint, allowing
you to hand-drill into the tenon without
worrying about where the hole exits.
A workbench leg assembly would be
unwieldy to support on a drill press to make
perpendicular dowel holes, so first drill
starter holes down to the mortise before
assembly, as shown in Step 6. With the joint
glued and assembled, use the starter hole as
a guide to deepen it to 2" using a handheld
drill, as shown in Step 7.
To spread glue against the sides of the
hole, instead of allowing it to collect at the
bottom, we used a 3" flathead wood screw
that also removes some of the excess, as
shown in Step 8. After youve driven the
dowels in place and the glue dries, flush-cut
the dowels even with the surface, as shown
in Step 9, and sand smooth.

WOOD magazine

November 2005

quick and easy jig

hole-boring
guide
Bore clean, perpendicular holes
in a benchtopor any other large
surfacewhere your drill press
wont reach.
BORING GUIDE

ound bench dogs, like the ones used in the workbench

on page 36, install easily. Just bore " holes, chamfer
the edges, and youre done. For the bench dogs to work
properly, though, the holes must be perpendicular to the benchtop
surface. You could wrestle the top onto your drill-press table,
support it with outfeed stands, and bore the outside rows of holes.
But what about the inside rows? Theyre
beyond the reach of most drill presses.
No problem. With just a scrap of
15"
hardwood stock and a " brad-point drill
bit, you can avoid the wrestling match
and drill the inside rows of holes with
dead-on precision.
1"
1"
First, cut hardwood stock to the width
and length shown on the drawing at right.
(We used a scrap of 1"-thick solid
" hole
45 bevel
stock, but a blank laminated from

BORING HOLES THROUGH A TOP

Step 4 Clamp
scrap boards to
prevent the guide
from moving
side-to-side.

thinner stock also does the trick.) Next bore a centered " hole
with your drill press, and then cut the corner at 45. The 2"
width of the guide keeps the bit perpendicular to the benchtop and
provides enough bit travel to bore all the way through the benchtop.
At 15" long, the guide extends to the edge of the benchtop for
clamping when boring an inside hole. The 45 cut exposes the tip of
the bit and the marked hole centers for
ease of alignment and chip clearance.
1"
To use the guide, apply masking
tape to the benchtop and lay out the
2"
bench-dog hole centers on the tape.
Then bore holes through the top,
following the five steps shown in the
photo below left. To bore bench-dog
holes into the edge of the top, lay out
the hole centers and follow the four
steps shown in the photo below.

BORING HOLES INTO AN EDGE

Step 1 Clamp the
guide to the edge
of the benchtop,
flush at the top and
bottom.

Step 3 Secure
the guide with a
bar clamp.

Step 3
Clamp the
guide to the
end of the
benchtop.

Step 5 Bore through the top

with a " brad-point bit.
Step 2 Position
the guide by aligning the bit with
the hole
center.
Step 1 Clamp a scrap board to
the bottom of the benchtop to
prevent chip-out.

Step 2 Position
the guide by
aligning the
bit with the
hole center.
Step 4 Mark the
depth on the bit
with masking tape
and bore the hole.
WOOD magazine

November 2005

scrapwood
project

see-through

copper art

EXPLODED VIEW

Create your own themed

display with these framed
scrollsawn copper panels.

I
J
K
L
M

V
W
X
Y
Z

o matter the season, this project

offers a motif to suit your style.
Select one of the designs shown in
the photos. Youll find full-size patterns for
them in the WOOD Patterns
insert. Or, visit our Web site at
woodmagazine.com/patterns for
A
more free full-size patterns (see
page 18 for thumbnail previews
Mitered
of those bonus patterns). The
ends
panels look great when
illuminated from behind with
candles, electric bulbs, or
sunlight through a window. And,
if youre really ambitious,
enlarge the patterns and frame
pieces for more high drama.

Building
the frames

"

"

D
24-gauge copper

B
4"

5"

"

For the frame, plane or

5"
" acrylic backer
resaw a piece of 1"-wide
" rabbets
by 24"-long stock to " thick.
" deep
Cut or rout a " rabbet " deep
"
A
5"
along the back inside edge of the
A
piece. Then, miter-cut the four
frame sections (A) to length. Use
Mount feet
a stop to ensure all four frame
" from ends.
Find these additional patterns on page 55.
pieces are the same length.
Keeping the corners square, glue
1" dado " deep
the frame together.
1"
Cut the stops (B) to size. To
C
shape the feet (C), cut a "" chamfers
thick strip 2" wide by 10" long.
Then, cut a 1" dado " deep
along the center of one face,
"
C
chamfer the edges, and crosscut
the feet to width.
2"
"
Using a sharp, carbidetoothed tablesaw blade, cut
the 5"-square acrylic back (D) to size.
copper panel between the hardboard
pieces. (The hardboard supports the
Creating copper art
copper when making the cuts, and
With tin snips cut the 24-gauge copper
keeps the metal from bending.) Next,
panel to size. Then, cut two pieces of
use the spray adhesive to attach one of
" hardboard the same size as the copper
panel. Using spray adhesive, sandwich the
continued on page 18

2
3
1
16

FILENAME:166CopperPlaq1.eps
Date: 5-05
Lorna J.

WOOD magazine

November 2005

scrapwood project
the paper patterns to the front of the
hardboard/copper lamination.
Scrollsaw the pattern to shape, as
shown below. Separate the hardboard

from the copper using lacquer thinner to

weaken the bond. Then soak the copper
in a pie tin partially filled with thinner to
remove the adhesive residue.
With a random-orbit sander and 180grit sandpaper, carefully sand both
sides of the copper to remove the
scratches and burrs. Do the same with
the acrylic panel to create an opaque
panel.
Lightly heat the copper with
a propane torch to bring out a
patina-like color. Practice on scrap
pieces first.

3
4

Ad Size 1/3 Vertical

Non-Bleed 2w x 10H

Finishing touches

Bleed 3W x 11H

Trim 2W x 10H
Vert. Edit rule falls at x = 33p

With a scrollsaw and a #5 blade, carefully

cut the hardboard/copper/pattern lamination.

Glue the feet (C) to the bottom of the

frame, " in from the ends. Position
the stops (but dont secure) in the frame
and apply the finish. This masks off the
mating surfaces in order to achieve a good
glue bond.
Insert the copper panel and acrylic into
the rabbeted, opening. Now, glue the
stops in place.

More full-size (55") patterns

available at woodmagazine.com/patterns

FILENAME:166CopperPlaq2.eps
Date: 5-05
Lorna J.
Project designs: Susan Jessen; Roxanne LeMoine

18

WOOD magazine

November 2005

shop tips

" fine-thread bolt

3" long

Our Winner

Helping you work faster, smarter, and safer

Having practiced the art of intarsia for

many years, I often try to shape a
significant contour on the parts with a
drum sander. Unfortunately, the parts are
frequently small and my fingers a bit
large. In the past, this meant that my
fingertips would get sanded along with
the part. To save my skin from further
abuse, I developed the following drymount technique for sanding tiny parts.
Begin by drilling a " pilot hole in
roughly the center of the parts back.
Mount the brass compression nut to
Workpiece
" pilot hole

the back of the part with a #4" screw,

as shown in the illustration. The
compression nut, which fits " ID (inside
diameter) tubing, will thread over a "
fine-thread bolt.
The bolt acts as an extension handle
that allows you to safely and accurately
manipulate the part to achieve the best
possible contour. Even better, my sanding
operation no longer involves chasing
flying parts or scrounging for Band-Aids.
Bob Wills, Coal City, Ill.

top shop tip

" compression nut

Photo: Loves Photography

Iron-grip trick for sanding small parts

Bob Wills has us to thank (or blame) for

his obsession with intarsia. Inspired by
an August 1988 WOOD magazine
feature on intarsia artist Judy Gale
Roberts, our Top Shop Tip winner tried
his hand at the craft, and quickly became
hooked. Since that time, Bob and his
wife, Karen, have spent their retirement
years scrollsawing side-by-side, crafting
hundreds of intarsia projects that have
found homes as far away as England and
Italy. To return the favor, Bob sent us the
Top Shop Tip at left. Much obliged, Bob.

0205-05

#4x" screw

Were shipping a Grizzly

3-14-05
G0443 TJC
cyclone
edits 5-24-05
TJC
dust collector
to Bob Wills
for sending in
this issues Top
Shop Tip.
Attaboy, Bob!
" fine-thread bolt
3" long

Workpiece threaded
onto handle

Goofproof gauge blocks for thickness planer

I quickly grew tired of trying to reset my
blocks and store them with your thickness
thickness planer when going back and
planer. The next time you plane, slip the
forth planing different thicknesses of
gauges tongue under the casting, then
material. To improve accuracy and speed
crank the head down until it bumps on the
up the reset-ting process, I made gauge
tongue, as shown.
Kenneth Keen, Boyertown, Pa.
blocks for each thickness from to ".
First, make a gauge-block 3"
wide and at least " thicker than
the thickness setting youll want.
Next, plane some scrapwoodnot
the gauge blockto the exact
Measure
Casting
thickness desired. When its
between
perfect, measure the distance
table
from the planer table to the
and
Gauge block
casting.
casting. Finally, notch the gauge
block so that it has a 2"-long
tongue the exact thickness of that
table-to-casting measurement.
Repeat the process to make as
many gauges as you like. Mark the
continued on page 24
22

Top tips win tools!

Describe how youve solved a workshop
dilemma and youll earn $75 if it
appears here. And, if your tip garners
Top Shop Tip honors, youll also win a
tool prize worth at least $250.
Send your best tips, along with
photos or illustrations and your daytime
phone number, to: Shop Tips, WOOD
Magazine, 1716 Locust St., GA-310,
Des Moines, IA 50309-3023. Or e-mail
tips to: shoptips@woodmagazine.com.
Remember to include your contact info
in the e-mail as well.
Because we try to publish only
original tips, please send your tips only
to WOOD magazine. Sorry, submitted
materials cant be returned.
WOOD magazine

November 2005

shop tips
Notch drill bits for permanent
stop-collar settings

Notch step bit for

" and " positions.

Ive been very happy with my pocket-hole jig

except for one minor inconvenience. When I
need to change the drill depth between "and "-thick material, I find it takes too much
time. To remedy the problem, I made a quick
reference mark on the bit shank to locate the
stop collar. After correctly positioning the
collar on the bit shank, I made a shallow
notch at the top of the collar with a hacksaw.
With this method, the mark wont disappear
from extensive use.
Yaniv Matza, Tamarac, Fla.

Fresh clamping idea: Wrap

a chair with cellophane
Few things offer a bigger clamping
challenge than trying to glue a chairs
rungs and legs. Recently, I hit on an
inspired solution while watching a homecenter employee secure an awkward
load with stretch film. I found a roll of 5"wide stretch film at the home center and
went home to try my idea.
I first glued and wrapped the chairs
rungs and stretchers together. Then I
glued and connected the legs to the
rung-and-stretcher assembly and to the
seat bottom, and generously wrapped
the entire leg assembly with tight rows of
the film.
Not only is the technique extremely
fast and simple, theres zero chance of a
clamp slipping off and no concerns
about leaving bite marks from the
clamping.
Jay Goldenberg, Royal Oak, Mich.

Rungs
Stretcher

5"-wide
stretch film

continued on page 26
24

WOOD magazine

November 2005

3 EXPLODED VIEW

shop tips
Super-simple rip fence that
can throw you a curve

If you need to bandsaw a curve on the

edge of a mostly straight workpiece,
such as the slats in the Traditional Oak
Dining Chair in WOOD magazine
issue #154, heres a way to do it
in one continuous cut. (Those
slats flare out near the top. I
didnt want to risk trying to cut
the straight part of the slats freeChair
hand, but neither did the cuts
slat
lend themselves to using a
standard bandsaw fence.)
Build a shortened auxiliary
fence, as shown, and clamp it to
the bandsaw table so that the end
nearest the blade stops ""
short of the blades teeth. This
fence provides the accuracy of a
fence on the straight portion, yet
still allows for freehand
TOP VIEW
maneuverability to make the Entrance
curved exitWorkpiece
cut.
path
Kevin Boyle, WOOD magazine
Senior Design Editor

TOP VIEW
Throat
Exit
plate
Workpiece
path

Entrance
path

Auxiliary
fence
Throat
plate

Exit
path

Blade

Clamps
Auxiliary
fence

Clamps

Blade

Bandsaw table

Bandsaw table

Chair slat

Chair slat
Auxiliary
fence

continued Auxiliary
on page 28
fence

26

WOOD magazine

November 2005

shop tips
Ground fault protection
for every job site

Whenever I go to help a friend on a

home-improvement project, I never know
whether the electrical outlets Ill be using,
especially outdoor outlets, are protected
by a ground-fault circuit interrupter
(GFCI). To protect myself from accidental
electrical shock, I built a portable GFCIprotected outlet by cutting the end from a
heavy-duty extension cord and wiring it
to a GFCI outlet in a weather-tight PVC
electrical box.
With a tool plugged into this outlet,
the other end of the cord can be plugged
into any outlet and I know Im protected.
My portable GFCI is small enough to
toss in my toolbox and costs considerably
less than an "off-the-shelf" GFCI
extension cord.
Tom Bentsen, Columbia, Md.

Editors note: When a ground-fault circuit

interrupter detects small amounts of stray
current between the outlet and any
appliance or tool plugged into it, the builtin breaker shuts off the current almost
instantly. This protection is most
important for tools that are not doubleinsulated. (Double-insulated tools usually
have a two-prong, ungrounded plug).
A GFCI outlet offers an extra layer of
protection because normal circuit
breakers are designed to detect shorts,
not small amounts of stray current.
However, GFCI protection is not a
substitute for a properly grounded outlet.
And, although acceptable for home use,
this tip may not meet OSHA requirements
for job-site use.

GFCI outlet

Weatherproof
seal
Weather-tight
electrical box

continued on page 30
28

WOOD magazine

November 2005

shop tips
Sanitary station for a
drippy glue brush
Its interesting how one good idea often
leads to another. Not long ago, I
countersunk and epoxied " magnets
into both ends of my shop bench to hold
screws while assembling a project.
Later, when gluing up a project, I
realized the flux brush I use for
spreading glue has a steel handle. So,
to keep glue off my bench, I began
storing the brush on the magnet with
the gooey bristles hanging over the
edge. Still later, after cleaning a few
glue drips off the floor, I added the flipout drip catcher, shown below, to the
underside of the bench.
To mount the magnets, drill a hole in
the bench corners with a Forstner bit
the same diameter as your magnet. The
hole should be only deep enough that
the magnet lies flush with the table
surface. For the drip catcher, cut the
handle off a cheap plastic putty knife
and attach it to the bottom of the bench
with a fender washer and screw.
Position the drip catcher so that you
can fold it completely out of the way
when not in use.
Aaron Butler, Danville, Pa.

See a new
Shop Tip
of the Day at

woodmagazine.com/tips
30

WOOD magazine

November 2005

talking shop

Euro-style
hinge tricks
2 quick tips that make
installation a snap

POSITIONING GUIDE

inset or overlay cabinet doors. The key to installing these hinges lies
in accurately boring the 35mm hinge-cup holes in the door stile.
Here are two tips for doing just that.

ts no wonder European-style concealed hinges have become so

popular. With simple up-down, in-out, and side-to-side
adjustability, theyre just the ticket for fine-tuning the fit of

Trick
A N 1:
Use a positioning guide

Endset: Distance from the top and

bottom of the door to the center
of the hinge-cup hole
(1" for the workbench
cabinet doors on page 43)

O
B started,
To get
cut a 37" piece of plywood, particleboard, or
medium-density
fiberboard. Lay out the center of the hinge-cup
C P
hole, where shown on the drawing, right. Then chuck a 35mm
D Qbit into your drill press and bore a hole through the guide.
Forstner
(Dont
have a 35mm Forstner bit? See the next trick for a solution.)
E R
Now position the fence and stopblock, adjust the drill-press depth
S
stopFto the
required depth, and bore hinge-cup holes, as shown in
the G
threeT photos below.

3"
35mm hole

"

U Blum 95 inset hinges for the workbench cabinet on

H The
Note:
page 42-43
V require "-deep hinge-cup holes with a " backset,
I
as noted on the drawing. The backset and depth of hinge-cup holes
varyJ forWother types and brands of hinges. Check the instructions
includedX with the hinges. Use the 1" endset noted on the drawing
K
for the short
doors of the workbench cabinet. For longer doors,
Y
suchL as kitchen cabinet doors, use a 3" endset.
Z

Backset: Distance from the edge

of the door stile to the
center of the hinge-cup hole
(" for the workbench cabinet
doors on page 43)

7"

POSITIONING GUIDE

Trick 2:
Substitute a 138" bit

Suppose you dont have a 35mm Forstner bit. A 1" Forstner bit is
only .003" smaller than 35mm (about the thickness of a sheet of
paper) and works just fine.

M
DRILL
PRECISION HINGE-CUP HOLES IN 3 EASY STEPS

Stopblock

Fence

35mm bit

Stile

Stopblock
Cabinet door

Positioning guide
Step 1 With the bit in the guide hole, position
the fence so it touches the back edge of the
guide. Place a stopblock at the right end.

34

Step 2 Set the drill-press depth stop to the

required depth and bore hinge-cup holes in
all your doors for the first hinge.

FILENAME:166TS HingeHoles1.eps
Date: 8-05
Lorna J.

Positioning guide
flipped end-for-end
Step 3 Flip the guide end-for-end, insert the
bit, and reposition the stopblock. Now drill
hinge-cup holes for the second hinge.
WOOD magazine

November 2005

COVER PROJECT

centuries old, but never outdated

traditional workbench
To save time without compromising
quality, consider purchasing a manufactured benchtop. The sidebar on
the next page makes the case.

This 15"-wide front

vise uses the same
sturdy hardware as
the end vise.
Inexpensive
hardware
makes it
easy to equip
your bench
with this
17"-wide
end vise.

A slatted shelf provides

ample space for tools
or lumber.

TWO GREAT OPTIONS

Option 1: A hanging tool tray keeps your

benchtop clear. See page 41.

U
Option 2: An under-bench cabinet replaces the
slatted shelf to store supplies within easy reach. See page 42.

36

sed since the dawn of woodworking, workbenches evolved by the 1600s into the form
we recognize today. Although improvements, such as better vise hardware and metal
bench dogs, have been added, the basic design
remains the same. Even if youre not a hand-tool
aficionado, youll find this traditional workbench
with front vise, end vise, and bench dogs as important a tool as your tablesaw.
To save dollars, we built our workbench base
from sturdy but economical ash. To fully
accessorize your workbench, make the tool tray on
page 41 and the under-bench cabinet on page 42.
WOOD magazine

November 2005

1 BASE END ASSEMBLY

(Inside face shown)

1a FOOT AND RAIL PROFILE

Bottom cutout in feet only

"

" hole 1" deep, centered,

drilled after laminating

32"

3"
1"

3"

R=2"

3"

2"
16"

"

"

R="

2"

RAIL

6"
3"
"

" hole

1b LEG FRONT
VIEW
A
N

3"
6"

4"
B
4"

1a FOOT AND
RAIL PROFILE
E R
F

I
J
K

2" dadoes
1" deep

"

2"

33"

1 x 4" mortise
" deep, centered

3"

3"

2" dadoes
1" deep

Start withL the

Z
base ends
M

Note: " roundovers routed

along all edges
after assembly

1" counterbore
" deep, centered,
with a " hole
centered inside

V
W

3"

33"

2"

FOOT

2"

To form split mor2"

tises and laminate
3"
1 x 4" mortise
the feet and rails (A)
6"
" deep, centered
shown on Drawing 1,
"
see page 10. The parts
A
are initially cut over32"
1"
size, so refer to
3"
the Materials List on
4"
page 44 for finished
dimensions.
Referring to Drawing 1a, lay out the
SMART CHOICES SAVE MONEY AND TIME
6"
foot and rail end
4"
WITHOUT SACRIFICING PERFORMANCE
3"
profiles and the foot
A workbench that wobbles or wont stay put is not only annoying, it also can
bottom cutouts, and
adversely affect the quality of your work. Thats why bases are built of stout, heavy
bandsaw and sand
1 BASE END ASSEMBLY
members. But stout members mean lots of board feet of lumber, so a wise choice of
them to shape. Then, for anchoring the
(Inside face shown)
species can save you money. Strong, heavy, and good looking, ash represents a real
benchtop later, use a " brad-point bit to bore
FILENAME:166EuroWorkbench1.eps
bargain (about $2.50 per board foot in our area for 1"-thick stock) compared to
Date: 7-05
1"-deep holes, centered in the top edges of
Lorna J.hard maple ($6 per board foot), or even red oak ($4.50 per board foot).
the rails, where shown on Drawing 1.
Choosing a manufactured laminated hard-maple benchtop saves you a bundle of
To laminate the uprights (B) and form
time. Allowing for waste, itll take about 42 board feet of hard maple to glue up a
the tenons shown on Drawings 1 and 1b,
13672" top. At $6 per board foot, thats $252 just for the lumber. Even though
youll have the advantage of selecting the lumber for uniform color, you still have to
see page 10. Lay out the mortises for the
rip 1"-thick stock on your tablesaw, edge-join the top, and then get it reasonably
stretchers (C), where dimensioned on Drawflat. At $270 delivered to your door, a manufactured top may be a better choice.
ing 1b. Chuck a 1" Forstner bit into your drill
1b
LEG
FRONT
VIEW
Youll take your chances on color, but itll be smooth, flat, prefinished, and ready for
press, and remove most of the waste by bordrilling dogholes and mounting vises.
ing overlapping "-deep holes. Then clean
Of course, any dense domestic hardwood will make a good benchtop and base.
up the mortises with a chisel.
(Avoid lightweight species such as poplar and soft maple.) So if you have a stack of
Chuck a 1" Forstner bit into your drill
well-dried lumber (1215 percent moisture range) inherited from Uncle Jake or
press, and bore "-deep counterbores in
bought on the cheap from the farmer down the road, consider using it for this project.
kbench1b.eps
the uprights (B), centered in the width, where

3
4

woodmagazine.com

37

Extend doghole through part K after assembly.

" holes with " chamfers

2 EXPLODED VIEW

17"

K
72"
G

36"

5"

" hole 1" deep

with " chamfer

1"

Extend doghole through part K after assembly.

" hole 1" deep

1" guide rod holes

" chamfer

A
" round-overs

" hole
1" deep

16"

5"

1" lead screw hole

A
46"
A
33"

RE

" shank hole,

countersunk

4"
F

#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screw

2b SLAT

Bench bolt assembly

21"

A
" round-overs
#8 x 1" F.H. wood screw

2b SLAT

" round-overs

S
T

Bench bolt assembly

" shank hole, countersunk

" shank hole,

countersunk

F
1"
21"

FILENAME:166EuroWorkbench2.eps
Date: 7-05
LET THE UPRIGHT HOLES
Lorna J.

"
1"

4"

" round-overs

dimensioned on DrawingX1b. Then with a

K
" brad-point bit, bore
holes through the
Y
uprights, centered in the
L counterbores.
Z
Finish-sand the feet and
rails (A) and
uprights (B). TakeMcare not to round the

"

"

H U
32"
V
I
J

edges of the tenon shoulders. Then glue and

clamp the base end assemblies (A/B)
together. With the glue dry, chuck a "
round-over bit into your handheld router and
rout all the edges.

GUIDE THE BIT FOR PERFECT ALIGNMENT

Make stretchers and a shelf

Cut the stretchers (C) to size. Then with a

dado blade in your tablesaw, form tenons
on the ends, where dimensioned on Drawing
2a. Because the stretcher-to-upright joint is

SPACERS POSITION THE SLATS

Masking tape
depth marker

" bit

"-thick
spacers

C
Barrel
nut hole

A
F

A
Clamp the stretchers (C) between the end
assemblies. Using the holes in the uprights
(B) as guides, drill into the stretcher ends.

38

B FILENAME:166EuroWorkbench2b.eps
Date:
Mark
the 7-05
3" hole depth on the drill bit with
Lorna J.
masking tape. Aiming for the center of the
barrel nut hole, extend the hole to full depth.

C
Separate the slats (F) with "-thick spacers.
Then using the slat holes as guides, drill pilot
holes into the cleats (D) and drive the screws.
WOOD magazine

November 2005

3 TOP
72"

2a STRETCHER TENON DETAIL

"
"
A
B
C
D
E

Inside face

" round-overs
1" "

" holes with " chamfers

"

5"
36"

2"

4"

" hole
P3" deep,
centered
Q

48"

6"

2"
" holes 1" deep on bottom face to align with holes in parts A

1" hole
" 1" deep
2"

"
round-over

5"

x 1"
barrel nut

" holes with " chamfers

18"

5"

apart when moving the bench, make

3"
the fit of the stretcher tenons in the upright
Flush
Flush
10"
G T
Location of J
(B) mortises slightly loose. Now rout "
10"
10"
19"
" holes 1" deep on front edge
with " chamfers, centered in
H U round-overs along the stretcher edges.
Location of I
the thickness of the top
Chuck a 1" Forstner bit into your drill
V
G
I
press and bore 1"-deep holes for the
rout " chamfers on the edges of all FRONT VISE
I THE REAR JAWS
J Wbarrel nuts in the inside faces of the stretch3a MOUNTING
(Viewed from bottom)
ers
(C),
where
dimensioned
on
the
bench-dog
holes.
Drawing
2a
.
" flat
X
Flush
Flush
washer
K
(See Sources for bench bolt sets that include
Cut the front-vise front jaw (H),
Y barrel nuts, bolts, and washers.) Then drill
front-vise rear jaw (I), and endL
" lag screw 4" long driven into a
"
holes
as
deep
as
the
bit
allows
into
the
vise
jaws (J) to size. (See Sources for
Z
" pilot G
hole 1" deep in part G
M
stretcher Aends,
the vise mechanism.) Chuck a "
N as shown in Photo A. Now
remove the stretchers, mark the ends and brad-point bit into your drill press,
FRONT VISE
I
(Viewed from bottom)
B O for reassembly, and extend
and bore bench-dog holes 1" deep
mating mortises
" flat
washer
the holes to the
full 3" depth, as shown in in the top edge of each front jaw and
P
C
one bench-dog hole in the left-hand
Photo B.
" lag screw 4" long driven into a
Q nuts into the stretchers (C),
end of the end-vise front jaw, where
InsertDbarrel
" pilot hole 1" deep in part G
where shown on Drawing 2, and assemble dimensioned on Drawing 4.
E RA N
3 TOP
the workbench base with the supplied bolts Note: Although we make references
S
and washers.
Then
to the instruction booklet included
B Ocut the side cleats (D) and
F
end cleats (E) to size
and
finish-sand
them.
with the vises, we found the oneFlush
G TC P
Clamp the side
cleats in place " from the size-fits-all approach confusing.
Expansion
G
top edgesH of Uthe
Now drill coun- So we tailored the following instrucD stretchers.
washers
Q
tersunk screwV holes through the side cleats tions for installing the vises on this
E R
I stretchers
and into the
and drive the screws.
workbench. We also worked out a
Flush
Sto build the under-bench
Note: If JyouWplan
simpler installation method.
J
F
cabinet, shown
Adhere the front jaws to the rear
X on page 42, omit the side
Flush
G cleats
T (E), and slats (F).
K end
" flat washer
cleats (D),
jaws with double-faced tape,
" lag screw 3" long
Expansion
Y
G
Cut the
(F) to size. Drill counter- keeping the ends and bottom edges
driven into a " pilot washers
hole
H U
L slats
END VISE
FILENAME:166EuroWorkbench3.eps
2" deep in part G
sunk shank
the ends,
and rout " of the front-vise jaws (H, I) and all
Z holes at Date:
(Viewed from top)
7-05
V
M
I
round-overs
along
theLorna
top J.edges, where edges of the end-vise jaws (J) flush.
Draw a centerline and carriage baseline on Flush
shown on Drawing
Separate the
jaws, and rout " roundJ W 2b. Finish-sand the slats.
J
Position the slats Xon the side cleats (D), and each front jaw, where shown on Drawing 4.
overs on the outside ends and edges of
K place, as shown in Photo C.
fasten them in
jaws.
Then to recess the support
Remove page 10 (the hole drilling template both front"
flat washer
" lag screw 3" long
Y end cleats (E) to the botchuck
a 2"
Forstner
for the large front vise) from one of the collets in the rear jaws,driven
Glue and clamp the
into
a "
pilot hole
L
END VISE
into your
on the
guide
instruction booklets included with the vises. bit
toms of the end slats
2" it
deep
in part
G
Z with their edges flush.
(Viewed
fromdrill
top) press, center
M
Use a utility knife to cut out two triangular rod holes previously marked, and bore "alignment windows along the centerline, deep counterbores. Switch to a 1" Forstner
Add the top and vise jaws
Unpack the laminated top (G). With a " where indicated on the template. Aligning bit, and finish drilling the guide rod holes
brad-point bit, bore 1"-deep holes in the the template centerline and baseline with through the rear jaws.
bottom face to align with the holes in the those marked on the jaws, transfer the guide
Chuck an " Forstner bit into your drill
MOUNTING
THE
REAR
JAWS
on
rails (A), where dimensioned on Drawing 3. rod and lead screw hole centers3aindicated
press,
and bore
three counterbores "
To make a simple guide for boring these the template to the jaws with an awl. Save the deep centered in the bottom edge of the
front-vise rear jaw (I) and one in the front
holes and the bench-dog holes perpendicular template for use later.
to the surface, see page 14. Then turn the top
Chuck a 1" Forstner bit into your drill face of the end-vise rear jaw (J), where
right side up and bore " bench-dog holes
press, and bore lead screw holes through dimensioned on Drawing 4. Then in the endthrough the top. (See Sources for the bench both pairs of jaws. Switch to a 1" Forstner bit, vise rear jaw, bore overlapping " holes "
THEclean
REAR
JAWS
the MOUNTING
front deep, and
up the
edges with a chisel to
dogs we used.) Now bore " bench-dog and bore guide rod holes through 3a
FILENAME:166EuroWorkbench3a.eps
form two 1"-long counterbores for expanholes 1" deep in the front edge. Chuck
Date: a7-05jaws and just far enough into the rear jaws to
Lorna
sion washers. (See Sources.) Switch to a "
chamfer bit into your handheld router
andJ. mark the hole centers.
F

S taken

39

woodmagazine.com

FILENAME:166EuroWorkbench3a.eps

ACCURATE VISE INSTALLATION IN THREE EASY STEPS

Carriage
clamped
in place

Rear jaw temporarily

removed
Guide rods
Faceplate
Jaws flush

Lead screw
K

Support
collet

Spacers

Front
mounting
holes
Supplied 2" lag
screw and flat washer

Front jaw

Using the holes in the support collets as

guides, drill " pilot holes into the jaws and
drive the supplied #141" flathead screws.

brad-point bit, and drill holes through the

jaws, centered in the counterbores. Now drill
overlapping holes centered in the elongated
counterbores, and clean up the edges with a
chisel to form " slots " long.
Referring to Drawings 3 and 3a, clamp
the front-vise rear jaw (I) to the bottom
surface of the top (G), flush with the front
edge and left end. Clamp the end-vise rear
jaw (J) to the right end of the top, flush with
the top surface of the top and the front edge.
Then using the holes and centers of the slots
as guides, drill " pilot holes into the top.
Fasten the jaws to the top with " lag screws
and flat and expansion washers.

Using the two front holes as guides, drill

shank and pilot holes and finish fastening the
carriage with lag screws and washers.

Supplied
#141" F.H.
wood screw

Using the three holes in the faceplate as

guides, drill " pilot holes into the front jaw.
Screw the jaw to the faceplate.

Mount the vises

support collets, countersunk sides facing out,

onto the guide rods and into the 2"
counterbores in the jaws. Orient the collets
with the flat edges toward the top surface of
the top (G). With the spacers and carriages
tight against the rear jaws, move them sideto-side to center the support collets in the
counterbores. Clamp the carriages in place,
and fasten the collets, as shown in Photo D.
Remove the vise front assemblies from
the carriages. Then using the three rear
holes in each carriage as guides, drill shank
holes through the spacers and pilot holes into
the top. Secure the carriages with the supplied 2" lag screws and flat washers.
Now remove the clamps and rear
jaws (I, J) and finish fastening the
FRONT VISE
END VISE
4 VISE JAWS
carriages, as shown in Photo E.
FRONT VISE
END
VISE
(Front
view)
"
hole
" holes 1" deep, centered
Reinsert
the vise front assemblies
1" deep,
centered
3"
3"
" hole
" holes 1" deep, centered
2"
2"
from
the
rear, slide the rear jaws
1" deep, centered
3"
3"
2"
2"
"
*Lead
onto the protruding guide rods, and
2"
2"
"
screw
hole
*Lead
refasten the jaws. Remove the vise
2"
2" 5"
5"
screw hole
front assembly.
Carriage
5"
5"
J
H
baseline
Slide the front jaws (H, J) onto
Carriage
J
H
baseline
*Guide
Centerline
Carriage
7"
the guide rods. Insert the rods
Centerline rod*Guide
holes
baseline
Centerline17"
Carriage
7"
into the support collets from the
"
round-overs
15"
Centerline rod holes
17"
baseline
front and draw the vise jaws together
" round-overs
15"
FRONT JAWS
with the lead screw until they are
FRONT JAWS
snug. Tap the front jaws with a mal*Note: Hole and counterbore sizes and
let to align them with the rear jaws
location
are shown
on page 10sizes
of vise
*Note: Hole
and counterbore
and
(I, J), and tighten the lead screw.
hardware
location instruction
are shown booklet.
on page 10 of vise
Then fasten the jaws to the facehardware instruction booklet.
1"
1"
plates with the supplied #141"
*Support collet counterbores
5"
2"
5"
1"
1" 1"
flathead wood screws, as shown in
*Support collet counterbores
1""
5"
2"
5"
*Guide rod holes
Photo F.
*Guide rod holes
"
Move the top (G), bottom face
5"
J
up, onto sawhorses. Cut the
3"
5"
J
alignment pins (L) to length, sand
I
3"
" chamfers on the ends, and
I
17"
5"
1"
insert them in the holes in the top.
" counterbores
17"
5"*Lead screw hole 1"
"-wide counterbore 1" long,
"
deep
with a
1"
"
counterbores
Then to mark clearance hole loca" deep with
a x "1"
slot,long,
*Lead
15" screw hole 1"
"-wide
counterbore
" hole,
inside
"centered
deep with
a
centered
" deep
with inside
a x " slot,
tions for the guide rods on the rail
15"

Lay the top (G) bottom face up on the

base. Referring to page 3 of the vise
instruction booklet, separate the vise front
assemblies (faceplate, lead screw, and guide
rods) from the vise carriages.
Cut the spacers (K) to size. Center the
carriages on the spacers, and position
them behind the rear jaws (I, J). (The doghole covered by each spacer will be bored
through later.) Then from the rear, slide the
guide rods into the carriages and through the
holes in the rear jaws until the lead screws
contact the jaws. Support the vise front
assemblies with "-thick spacers. Slide the

40

" hole, centered inside

REAR JAWS
REAR JAWS

centered inside

WOOD magazine

November 2005

DEAD-ON GUIDE ROD MARKING

Masking tape
pads

Guide rod
impression

G
Turn the lead screw and
press the ends of the guide
rods into the tape pads on
the rail (A) to leave blackened impressions.

(A), open the tail vise so the ends of the guide

rods do not protrude beyond the carriage.
Position the workbench base upside down on
the top, inserting the alignment pins into the
holes in the rails. Make two six-layer pads of
1"-wide masking tape and adhere them to
the rail at the tail vise end, aligning the pads
with each guide rod. Use a pencil to coat the
ends of the guide rods with graphite. Now
mark guide rod locations on the rail, as
shown in Photo G.
Remove the top (G) from the base and
unbolt the marked end assembly (A/B)
from the stretchers (C). Then retrieve the
drilling template and cut out the guide rod
diameter holes. Align the template holes
with the guide rod marks on the masking
tape adhered to the rail (A). Mark the centers
of the lead screw clearance hole and the
guide rod clearance holes with an awl. Now
chuck a 1" Forstner bit into your drill press

J
K
L
M

Remove the top (G) from the base and set

it aside. Inspect the base parts and finishsand, where needed. Apply a clear finish.
(We applied three coats of Minwax Antique
Oil Finish.)
Reassemble the base where you wish to
locate the bench, insert the alignment
pins (L), and set the top in place. Now make
your bench even better by building the tool
tray or under-bench cabinet options.

#8 x 1" F.H. wood screw

3"
" shank hole, countersunk

23"

" pilot hole " deep

7 64

" rabbet " deep

"
2"

Apply a protective finish

5 TOOL TRAY

This accessory hooks over either stretcher

and slides from end to end to keep the
N
benchtop clear and your tools handy.

Hanging tool tray

A

and bore the guide rod holes. Switch to a 1"

Forstner bit, and bore the lead screw hole.
Reassemble the base, insert the alignment pins, and reposition the top (G) on
the base. Chuck a " brad-point bit into your
handheld drill. Using the dogholes obstructed
by the spacers (K) as guides, bore holes
through the spacers. Install the handles in
the vises. (See Sources for the handles.)

1"
5"

4"

" rabbets
" deep

5"
23"

1"

4"

7"

" grooves
" deep
" from bottom edge

SPACER ENSURES CLEARANCE

Spacer

Cut, assemble, and finish

Cut the sides (M), front (N), back (O),

hanger (P), and cleat (Q) to size. With a
dado blade in your tablesaw, cut " rabbets
" deep along the ends of the front and back,
where shown on Drawing 5. Then cut "
grooves " deep for the bottom (R) in the
sides, front, and back. Finish-sand the parts.
Cut the " plywood bottom (R) to size
and glue and clamp the tray. Clamp the
hanger (P) to the back (O), where shown on
Drawing 5. Drill countersunk screw holes

woodmagazine.com

through the hanger and into the back and

drive the screws. Then attach the cleat (Q),
as shown in Photo H. Remove the spacer.
Inspect the tray parts, and finish-sand,
where needed. Apply a clear finish.
To hang the tool tray5onTOOL
either TRAY
side of the
workbench, insert the hanger (P) and
cleat (Q) between the benchtop (G) and the
upper stretcher (C) and hook the cleat on the
stretcher. Position the tool tray where you
like by sliding it along the stretcher.

3
4

FILENAME:166EuroWorkbench5.eps
Date: 7-05
Lorna J.

Q
O

H
Clamp a 1"-wide spacer between the cleat
(Q) and back (O). Then drill countersunk screw
holes, and drive the screws.

41

Under-bench cabinet
N

6 CASE EXPLODED VIEW

Give your workbench the good looks of a classic cabinet

base with this easy-to-build option.

#8 x 1" F.H. wood screw

45"

" rabbet
" deep

" grooves " deep

" from back edge

R
S

" grooves " deep

" from back edge

V
W
X

DD

" dado " deep,

centered

V
Full-extension
slides on the
3"-deep drawers
give you access
to every square
inch of space.

14"
A 22"-deep
cabinet has
lots of room
for tool cases
and other
large items.

Start with the case

10"
BB

Drawer guide
locations

#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screw

24"

AA CC

14"

" dado
" deep,
centered

6a DIVIDER DETAIL S
22"

" rabbet
" deep

95 inset
concealed hinge

22"

Y
Z

"

22"

T
U

24"

22"

" shank hole,

countersunk

AA

14"

BB

6b DRAWER SLIDES
1"
" rabbet " deep

" shank hole,

countersunk

6c DIVIDER
DETAIL
W

" shank hole,

countersunk on bottom face

For the top and bottom (S) and sides and

X
Z
divider (T), cut three 2248" pieces
of birch plywood. Then cut the edge band
A N
blanks (U) to size. Glue andA clamp
N the bands
B O to both edges of the plywood. With the glue
O plywood.
B the
dry, sand the bands flush with
6b DRAWER SLIDES
6c DIVIDER DETAIL
C P
From the banded panels,
cut the top and 6a DIVIDER DETAIL
C P
bottom (S) and the sides and divider (T)
D Q
S /U
S
U
" grooves " deep
to size. Then cut " rabbetsD "Qdeep and "
E R dadoes " deep in the top and bottom, where
T/U
T
E R
V
"
S shown on Drawing 6. Measure the thickness
1"
F
V
V
U
S (V) and cut
V
of the " plywood for the backs
F
G T "-deep grooves in the top, bottom, sides,
U
G T
T
22" fulland
divider,
where
shown
on
Drawings
6
and
U
H
extension
2"
U
H
6a. Cut the backs to size.
9"
drawer slides
V
6 CASE set
EXPLODED
VIEW
I
back
Finish-sand the case parts Vand glue and
" from
clamp the caseFILENAME:166EuroWorkbench6.eps
togetherIin the configuraJ W
the front
Date:
7-05
W
J
tion shown on Drawing 6. Drill
countersunk
of U
2"
X
5"
Lorna J.
K
screw holes through the top and
X bottom (S)
K
Y and into the sides and divider
(T),
and drive Photo I. Slide the drawY
L
the
screws.
ers into the case.
S / U
L
Z
"
M
Z
Cut the faces (Z) to
1"
M
Hinge-mounting
size and finish-sand
Build three drawers
plate
From " stock, cut the fronts and backs them. Then mount the faces to the drawers,
S
U
(W) and sides (X) to size. Then rabbet as shown in Photo J. Using the countersunk
the ends of the fronts and backs and dado the holes in the fronts (W) as guides, drill pilot
ends of the sides, where dimensioned on holes into the faces and drive the screws.
Drawing 7a. Now cut grooves in the parts for Now drill holes for the drawer pulls, where Then nudge the rip fence toward the blade
the bottoms (Y). Cut the bottoms to size and shown on Drawing 7. Remove the faces, and make two more passes. Test the fit of the
finish-sand the parts. Glue and clamp the marking both drawers and faces top, cen- plywood for the panels in the groove. Repeat
the nudge and two passes sequence until the
drawers. Check for square, and set the draw- ter, and bottom for reassembly.
LENAME:166EuroWorkbench6a.eps
plywood fits the groove. Now, making two
ers
on
a
flat
surface
to
dry.
Drill
"
shank
ate: 7-05
orna J.
passes, cut grooves in the other stiles and
holes, countersunk on the inside face, through Now make the doors
the fronts (W), where shown on Drawing 7.
Cut the stiles (AA) and rails (BB) to size. rails, where shown on Drawing 8.
To cut centered grooves for the panels
Separate the halves of the full-extension
With a dado blade in your tablesaw, form
drawer slides and fasten the drawer mem- (CC), install a " saw blade in your tablesaw
stub tenons on the ends of the rails (BB),
bers to the drawers with the supplied screws, and adjust it to cut a "-deep kerf. Center the where dimensioned on Drawing 8a. Cut the
where dimensioned on Drawing 7. Then fasten blade in the thickness of a stile and cut a panels (CC) to size and finish-sand the parts.
the case members to the side and divider (T), groove. To ensure a centered groove, turn the Glue and clamp the doors, checking them for
FILENAME:166EuroWorkbench6b.eps
and make a second pass. square. Set them on a flat surface to dry.
where shown on Drawing
and as shown in stile end-for-end
FILENAME:166EuroWorkbench6c.eps
Date:6b
7-05

Lorna J.

42

Date: 7-05
Lorna J.

WOOD magazine

November 2005

7 DRAWER
(3 needed)

8-32 x 1" R.H.

machine screw

#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screw

20"

" dadoes " deep

" from ends

Top drawer slide

22"
W

"

3"
20"

7a DRAWER
JOINT DETAIL
W
Y

X
22" fullextension
drawer slide

DEAD-ON DRAWER SPACING

" rabbet
" deep

"

" grooves
" deep
" from bottom edge

3"

" shank hole,

countersunk
on inside face
"
"
hole

4"

8"

4"
21"
4" wire pull

7a DRAWER JOINT DETAIL

" dado
" deep

"

Cut 59" spacers. Use the length to

align the top slides, the width for the middle
slides, and thickness for the bottom slides.

"
"

"
"

SHIMS GUARANTEE ALIGNMENT

8 DOOR
(Viewed from back)

Double-faced tape

7 DRAWER
(3 needed)

35mm hole " deep

764" pilot hole " deep

W
4" wire pull
1"

7"
1"
BB

2"

"
spacers

2"

orkbench7.eps

"

J
Apply double-faced tape to the drawer fronts
(W) and adhere the faces (Z) to them, inserting " shims to align the faces.

CC
AA

10"

" hole
AA

8a DOOR TENON DETAIL

" grooves
" deep,
centered

2"

AME:166EuroWorkbench7a.eps
7-05
J.

"
BB

8a DOOR TENON DETAIL

"
BB

woodmagazine.com

7"
4"

14"

Spacers

2"

"

1"

" groove
" deep, centered

8 DOOR
(Viewed from back)

Chuck a 1" (or 35mm) Forstner bit into

your drill press, and drill "-deep
hinge-cup holes, where dimensioned on
Drawing 8. For more on installing Europeanstyle hinges, see page 34. Press the hinges
into place and using the holes in the hingecup flanges as guides, drill 764" pilot holes
" deep. Drive the supplied screws. Switch
to a " bit, and drill holes for the pulls.
Position the hinge-mounting plates where
dimensioned on Drawing 6c, drill pilot
holes, and screw them in place with the supplied screws. Hang the doors by screwing the
hinges to the mounting plates. Adjust the
doors flush with the bands (U), leaving even
gaps all around. Now cut the stop (DD) to
size, and finish-sand it. Glue and clamp the
stop in place, centered in the case opening,
where shown on Drawing 6.

43

Cutting Diagram

Materials List

Apply finish and install

1
2

Remove the doors, drawers, and all hardware. Inspect the parts and finish-sand,
where needed. Apply a clear finish.
Attach the drawer slides and hinge plates
to the case. Then center the case on the
base stretchers (C). Drill countersunk screw
holes through the bottom (S) and into the
front stretcher, where shown on Drawing 6,
and drive the screws. Attach the drawer
slides to the drawers, and screw the faces (Z)
to the fronts (W).A Install
the drawer pulls,
N
and slide the drawers into the case.
B O
Attach the hinges
and pulls to the doors.
Screw the hinges
to
C P the mounting plates,
and check the door alignment. Now round up
your favorite tools,DandQ stock the cabinet.
R

W
X

shop project
Y
plans Lat
Z

M
woodmagazine.com/shoptools

Cutting Diagram

Cutting Diagram
*A

*A

3"

3"

32"

LA

3"

3"

33"

LA

5"

46"

stretchers

side cleats

"

1"

45"

end cleats

* A "

1"

slats

20" * AA
21"
A

"

4"

AA **
** W
W
U
x 7 x 96" Ash (5.3 bd. ft.)U
x 5 x 96" Ash (4 bd. ft.)
**
**

** X

"

3"

20"

sides

"

3"

22"

bottoms

"

20"

22"

BP

faces

"

4"

21"

"

2"

14"

"

2"CC 7"
CC

BB

AA

BB

BB

DD

U
U
xCC
5 x 96" Ash (4 bd. ft.)
L
V
V
" diam. x 36" Hardwood dowel

CC

Y
H

BB

fronts and backs

Cabinet doors
H
AA stiles

I
R

CC

CC

x 48 x 96" Birch plywood

V
V

** C
** C
*A
*A
1 x 5
x 96" Ash (8 bd. ft.)
(2 needed)
**Plane to the thicknesses listed in the Materials List.
1 x 9 x 96" Ash (13.3 bd. ft.)
S
Y
FILENAME:166EuroWorkbenchCD.eps
E
*MB M
F *B
Date:
7-05
K
K
N
JLorna J.
R
x1
7xx7
96"xAsh
(5.3
bd.
ft.)
96" Ash (10.7 bd.Dft.) (2 needed)

x 48 x 96" Birch plywood

** C
** C
F
F
F
F
S
T
96" (4
Ash
bd.(2ft.)
(2 needed)
x1
5xx5
96"xAsh
bd.(8ft.)
needed)
**Plane to the thicknesses listed in the Materials List.
S
Q
E
O F
Z
P K
K
M M
N
x 5 x 96" Ash (4 bd. ft.)
x 48 x 96" Birch plywood
x 7 x 96" Ash (5.3 bd. ft.) D
**
**W
**W
** W
X
F
F
F
F
S
x
7x x5
96"x Ash
(5.3 (4
bd.bd.
ft.)ft.) (2 needed)
96" Ash
** X
** X
Q
Z
Z Z
O
P
x 7 x 96" Ash (5.3 bd. ft.)
x 5 x 96" Ash (4 bd. ft.)
x 48 x 96" Birch plywood
**WAA

1 x 9 x 96" Ash (13.3 bd. ft.)

BB rails
1"
36"thickness
72"
MT
1 in the instructions.
*Plane
to the
indicated
CC panels
1" 5"
15"
A
1
*A
*A
DD stop

AA

J
1 x 9 x 96" Ash (13.3 bd. ft.)
1 *Plane
x 7 x to
96"the
Ash
(10.7
bd.
ft.)
(2
needed)
thickness indicated in the instructions.

44

Cabinet drawers

Matl. Qty.

*A

1 x 9 x 96" Ash (13.3 bd. ft.)

*
*
*B A
* BA

1"

1 x 9 x 96" Ash (13.3 bd. ft.)

*Plane to the thickness indicated in the instructions.
*A

FINISHED SIZE

top
" 7" 10" BP
2
front-vise
H front jaw
VA
" " V 3"
1
1" 3"
15"
A
1
I front-vise
*Parts initially cut oversize. See the instructions.
rear jaw
1 x 9 x 96" Ash (13.3 bd. ft.)
Y
Materials key: LAlaminated ash, Aash, MTmanufac1" 5" 17"
A
2
J end-vise jaws
*B
*B
tured top, BPbirch
plywood,
HDhardwood
dowel.
J
" 4" 9"
A
2
K spacers
Supplies: #81", #81" flathead wood
R screws; 3",
" x 96"
1
x
7
Ash
(10.7
bd.
ft.)
(2
needed)
4"
lag
screws; " flat washers; 8-321" roundhead
2"
HD
2
L alignment pins diam. x 48 x 96" Birch plywood
** C
** C machine screws.
Tool tray
Blade and bits: Stack dado set; ", ", " brad-point drill
1 x 5
96" Ash
bits; " round-over, chamfer router bits; ", 1", 1", 1",
" x 5"
7"(8 bd.
A ft.) 2(2 needed)
M sides
**Plane to the thicknesses listed in the
List. Forstner bits.
2",Materials
35mm (optional)
S
"
4" 23"
A
1
N front
E
Sources
F " 5" 23"
K
K
M
M
N
A
1
O back
Bench hardware. Bench bolts (set of four bolts, flat washers,
" x3"
23"
A ft.)1 D and barrel nuts) no. 05G07.01, $22.50 (2 sets); vise handles
P hanger
x 7
96" Ash
(5.3 bd.
no. 05G12.03, $3.95 (2); large front vises no. 70G08.02,
"
2" 23"
A
1
Q cleat
$69.50 (2);
50K35.02, $5.10 pk.
F
F
F
F #14 expansion washers no. S
" 7" 22" BP
1
R bottom
of 12 (1 pk.); bench pups no. 05G04.04, $14.95 pr. (2 pr.).
x 5 x 96" Ash (4 bd. ft.) (2 needed)
Lee Valley. Call 800/871-8158, or go to leevalley.com.
Cabinet case
Q
Cabinet hardware. 95 inset concealed hinges no.
Z
BP
2
S* top and bottom O " 22" 45"
P
00B03.01, $6.85 pr. (2 pr.); 22" full-extension drawer slides
" x22"
14"
BPft.) 3
x 5
96" Ash
(4 bd.
T* sides and divider
no. 02K30.22, $11.90 pr. (3 pr.); 4"wire
pullsx no.
x 48
96"01W76.04,
Birch plywood
$1.10 (5). Lee Valley, see above.
edge
band
A ** 6
** X
U blanks
**W " " ** W48"
W
Benchtop. 13672" laminated maple benchtop
no. G9919, $215 plus $55 for shipping. Grizzly Industrial.
" 22" 14" BP
2
V backs
x 7 x 96" Ash (5.3 bd. ft.)
Call 800/523-4777, or go to grizzly.com.
** X
** X
Z
Z
x 7 x 96" Ash (5.3 bd. ft.)

See more
Cutting Diagram

A* feet and rails

Written by Jan Svec with Chuck Hedlund

S
Project design: Kevin FBoyle
Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine

B* uprights

Bench

DD

WOOD magazine

November 2005

S H O P -T E S T E D

step-up bandsaws
If you need more power
or resaw capacity than
your 14" bandsaw can
provide, its time
to take your
woodworking to
the next level.

We measured each
bandsaws resawing power
by first pulling 10"-wide red
oak through each saw with
5 lbs of force, then with a
stout 15 lbs, as shown here.
46

WOOD magazine

November 2005

hen we ask readers to name the

most important quality of a
bandsaw, resawing capacity
ranks at or near the top of their wish list every
time. You can add a riser block to many 14"
bandsaws to stretch that typical 6" spec to
12", but you cant jack up the motor muscle
needed for those hefty cuts in hardwoods. So
we set out to find a group of bandsaws that

offer improved resawing capacity and power

without breaking the bank.
Six bandsaws met our selection criteria:
the Bridgewood BW-17WBS, Grizzly G0513
and G0514, Jet JWBS-16, Rikon 10-340, and
Shop Fox W1707. Each sports at least 10" of
resaw capacity, can rip stock 16" or wider,
and sells for less than $1,100. Stepping up to
this class of bandsaw not only increases per-

formance, it also adds a number of meaningful features, shown below, that make it worth
the leap.

Pure power: The true

measure of resaw capacity

To compare cutting power, we put these

machines to work resawing 10"-wide red oak
using identical 1"-wide, 2-tpi Olson AllPro

7 REASONS FOR STEPPING UP FROM A 14" BANDSAW

4 Blade-tracking windows.

Safely make final adjustments to center the blade on

the wheel with the saw under
power. This window allows
eyeballing it with the wheel
covers closed. (Jet lacks
this window.)

1Tension gauges.

Quick-release
tensioner

No more hard-to-read,
back-of-the-saw indicators:
View the blade tension easily
through a window in the upper
wheel cover. (Note: Jets window
is on the back.)

5 Handwheels. Large

Blade
tension
window

2 Welded steel construction.

This design is said to be

more rigid than cast-iron
saws; we like that little
assembly is required before
putting the saw to work.

Guide post
adjustment wheel
Blade
tension
adjusting
wheel

handwheels make tension

adjustments faster and with
less effort than the small
knobs on 14" bandsaws.
Many of these saws also sport
a geared guide post with a
thickness scale.

6 Resawing capacity. Unless you

Guide post

add an optional riser block, most

14" bandsaws max out at a 6"
resaw; these saws can handle
1012" stock.

Table

3 Cutting power. Larger,

heavier wheels and more

powerful motors help these
saws cut through the
hardest woods with ease.

4" dust ports

0
stop
Table-tilt
gear

7 Geared tables. Tilt the table by turning a knob, lock it, and it stays put
better than tables with trunnions only.
Plus, gears make even tiny tilt adjustments easier.
woodmagazine.com

47

Guides keep the blade on

the straight and narrow

The blade-guide systems on these bandsaws

consist of a ball bearing or disc on either side

hook-tooth resawing blades. Before cutting,

though, we set the blade tension using the
flutter method (see box on the opposite page,
far right) and adjusted the blade guides.
Next, we clamped our testing riga tall
fence with a carrier mounted on precision
drawer slidesto the saw table. After several
test cuts to position the rig to eliminate blade
drift, we started our power test.
First, we used 5 lbs of weighta comfortable feed forceto pull the oak through the
blade, timing an 18"-long cut. All of the saws
completed this task without bogging down,
although the length of time it took ranged
from 164 to 235 seconds, as you can see from
the chart at right. Blade speed appears to be
the biggest factor here with high blade speeds
generally cutting the quickest.
To really challenge these machines, we
increased the feed force to a brutal 15 lbs,
and repeated the test. Four sawsBridgewood, Grizzly G0514, Rikon, and Shop
Foxaveraged 3040 seconds for an 18"
cut. The Grizzly G0513 took about 80 seconds and bogged down a little. The Jet
couldnt complete this test because its blade
speed and motor amperage (5.8 amps at
220V, compared to 1012.5 amps for the rest
of the machines) are the lowest in the test.
Heavy wheels give a bandsaw blade the
momentum to carry it through tough spots,
such as dense grain or knots. Rikon is the
heavyweight champ here, with wheels weighing 58 lbs. Grizzly uses the lightest wheels:
The G0513s wheels weigh just 11 lbs, and the
G0514s tip the scales at about 13 lbs.

of the blade (see comparison, below) that

keeps the blade from twisting and a thrust
bearing that prevents backward deflection
during a cut. We give a slight edge to the disc
guides, as they better support the 11"
maximum-width blades on these machines.
(If you do much scroll-cutting with narrow
blades, say " or less, ball-bearing guides

provide plenty of support, while rolling with

the blade to reduce heat buildup from friction.) Rikon uses dual ball bearingstwo
on each side of the bladeto maximize support for wide blades and minimize friction.
The upper thrust bearings on almost all of
the tested saws are oriented so the blade rubs
against the face of the bearing. But both

THREE BLADE-GUIDE SYSTEMS: GOOD, BETTER, AND BEST

Thrust
bearing

Ball bearings
GOOD: A ball bearing on each side of the
blade limits twisting and rolls with the blade
when it makes contact, minimizing friction
and heat buildup.
FOUND ON: Bridgewood and Shop Fox

48

Thrust
bearing

Discs
BETTER: European-style discs increase support as blades get wider. Note how the blade
runs on the face of the thrust bearing, which
is typical of most upper guides.
FOUND ON: Grizzly and Jet

Thrust
bearing

Center
groove

Dual bearings
BEST: Back-to-back bearings roll with the
blade like single bearings, but provide full
support for the widest blades. The grooved
thrust bearing also rolls with the blade.
FOUND ON: Rikon
WOOD magazine

November 2005

Blade slot

Fence rail

same tension.) The Grizzly and

Shop Fox tension gauges are
marked in increments from 1
to 10 rather than blade widths,
like on the rest of the saws.
Grizzlys Bill Crofutt says
there are too many variables in
the blade manufacturing processeven from blade to
bladeto make blade width
markings reliable, so they
opted for the incremental scale
instead. If you tension your
blade each time using the flutter method, you may find the
tension scale irrelevant.

Three more
considerations

Tables should tilt only when

you want them to. You can
FRONT SLOT MAKES BLADE CHANGES EASIER work some pretty large and
heavy workpieces on a bandsaw
Rikons table slotin line with the bladeeliminates twistthis size, especially if you use
ing the blade into place. The fence rail goes on and off with
a series of thumbscrews.
it to rough-size bowl blanks
before turning. So, consider a
thrust bearings on the Rikon roll front-to- stout table a must. To simulate a large
rear, so the blade runs in a groove around the workpiece, we hung 30 lbs of weight from
circumference (see photo on opposite page), the side of the table (in line with the blade)
which prevents damaging the bearings face. and measured the table deflection under this
Most of the saws use this thrust-bearing ori- load. Saws with geared tables held their own,
dropping .005.006". The lone tested saw
entation only on the lower guide assembly.
All of the guides are easy enough to adjust, without gearsthe Jetuses trunnions
with Jet scoring extra points for making its alone and deflected only .020" (about 164").
disc-style guides microadjustable. OtherAll of the tables tilt both left and right for
wise, you simply hold the guide in position making mirrored cuts, such as dovetails, but
and lock it in place with a wing bolt or hex- only the Rikon employs a pivoting 0 stop
that rotates out of the way to tilt the table left.
head wrench.
On all other saws we tested, you must change
Changing blades and
the 0 stop to tilt left.
Fences should help you work faster. Five
setting blade tension
Except for the Jet, all of the tested bandsaws of the six tested saws (except for Jet) come
have quick-release tensionersa lever on the with a fence system, and all of those are
back of the saw that instantly detensions the adjustable for blade drift. At about 2" tall,
blade and just as quickly retensions it without though, these fences are designed more for
tedious turning of the tensioning wheel. ripping than serious resawing. The tallest
Aside from that, we found few differences in fence in the test (Shop Fox, at 4") is still
pretty short for resawing 11" material.
the ease of changing blades.
On the plus side, Rikons blade slot on the Rikon provides a removable pivot bar on its
table runs the same direction as the blade, fence that gives you a single point of contact
eliminating the need to rotate it into place at the blade teeth allowing you to steer the
when installing. (It does require removing wood slightly during resawing to compenthe fence rail, as shown above, but no tools sate for blade drift.
are needed for that task.) On the down side, Wye is needed for dust collection. Most
the top hinge of Shop Foxs lower door is of these saws have two 4" dust ports: one at
close to the blade channel at the left of the the bottom back of the machine, and the
saw, making it tough to jockey a stiff 1"-wide other beneath the table. (Jet has only the botblade into the channel. Narrower blades tom back port.) That means youll need a
arent a problem, though.
wye to split suction between the two ports.
Once installed, tensioning the blade goes Connected directly to a 1,200-cfm dust colquickly, thanks to coarse, Acme-threaded lector, we were impressed with how well all
tension rods on most saws. (Jets finer six machines managed dust. Jet gets our vote
machine threads took longer to achieve the here: Why use two ports when one will do?
woodmagazine.com

Use the flutter method for

foolproof blade tensioning
Weve seen all kinds of methods for
setting bandsaw blade tension, from
fancy gauges to plucking the blade like
a guitar string. But the flutter method
for setting tension is simple and
recommended by blade and saw
manufacturers. Heres how to do it:
Unplug the saw.
After installing the blade, set the
upper and lower blade guides as far out
as they can go (or remove them), and
remove the throat plate from the table.
Center the blade on the wheels,
adjusting tracking while turning the top
wheel by hand. Close the wheel covers.
Turn the tensioning handwheel until
the tension gauge is at or a little above
the recommended tension for your
blade width.
Plug the saw in and turn it on, making
any final adjustments to blade tracking.
With the saw running, slowly release
the tensionabout turn of the
tensioning wheel at a timeuntil the
blade starts to flutter, as shown below.
Gradually increase tension until the
fluttering just stops, then turn the
tension wheel another turn tighter.
Power down the saw, and reset the
upper and lower blade guides. Youre
back in business.
Use this method each time you
change blades, and remember to
detension the blade with the quickrelease tensioner when not in use. (If
your bandsaw doesnt have a quickrelease lever, make it a habit to relax the
tension by a specific number of turns
10, for exampleat the end of each day
you use the saw. Next time you need
the saw, just tighten the wheel 10 turns
to return to the correct tension.)

49

An in-depth look at the tested bandsaws

Jet JWBS-16, $900

Bridgewood BW-17WBS, $950

800/274-6848, wmhtoolgroup.com

800/235-2100, wilkemachinery.com

High points
Excellent power. When pushed hard, it
completed an 18"-long cut in 10"-wide red
oak in about 30 seconds without bogging
down or stalling.
Great safety features: Both wheel covers
must be closed before the motor can be
fired up, and its the only saw we tested
with a magnetic switch.
The blade-tension scale is intuitively
marked with blade widths.
Quick-release tensioner operates smoothly
and reliably.
Low points
Hex wrench is needed for most
blade-guide adjustments.
More points
Requires 220-volt service, which may not
be readily available in your shop.

High points
Excellent dust collection from only one
4" port.
Upper Euro-style guide discs are
microadjustable for easy setting. And the
guide/guard design provides the best
cutline visibility in the test.
Draws only 11.5 amps at 110 volts
(prewired from the factory at that voltage),
so it will run on most household circuits
out-of-the-box.
Low points
The motor is somewhat underpowered
for this class of saw. It cut faster than the
Grizzly G0513 under 5 lbs of feed force but
couldnt complete our extreme 15-lb test.
Fine-threaded tensioning rod makes
changing and tensioning blades tedious.
This is also the only tested saw without a
quick-release tensioner.
No blade-tracking window, and fence and
miter gauge are not included.

Grizzly G0513, $795

800/523-4777, grizzly.com

High points
This bandsaw has all the bells and whistles
of saws costing up to $150 more, including
a quick-release blade tensioner.
Disc-style blade guides lock in place with
thumbscrews instead of setscrews.
Low points
Slow blade speed and light wheels make
this the slowest-cutting saw in the test.
In our extreme power test (15 pounds of
feed force), the G0513 struggled, but
completed the cut.
More points
The blade-tension scale is marked from
1 to 10, instead of by blade width. For
example, you may have to tension a
1"-wide blade to "8" on the scale instead
of the 1" mark.

CHECKING THE

MOTOR

BLADE

High points
The fastest blade speed in the category
yielded lots of cutting power. The G0514
finished at the top in both our 5-lb and
15-lb pull tests.
Disc-style blade guides lock in place with
thumbscrews instead of setscrews.
Quick-release tensioner operates smoothly
and reliably.
More points
This machine uses the same blade-tension
scale found on the Grizzly G0513 and
Shop Fox W1707 (marked from 1 to 10,
instead of by blade width).

50

) (FE

INCH

ET P

ES)

ER M

MIN
(INCIMUM, M
HES
AXIM
)
UM W
BLAD
IDTH
SYS E TEN
TEM SION
(4)

E) (3
INUT

V (2)
110V
, 220
JET

E AT

1)
GRIZZLY

1,706/3,179 131 , 1

G0513

110/220*

20, 10

1,704/3,170 131 , 1

G0514

110/220*

20, 10

1,796/3,625 143 , 1

JWBS-16 110*/220 11.5, 5.8

RIKON

10-340

SHOP FOX

W1707

LEN

SPE
2,910

GTH
(

11.5*

ED(S

220

ERA
G

BW-17WBS

MOD
EL

ND
BRA
BRIDGEWOOD

AMP

800/523-4777, grizzly.com

VOLT
AGE
(

Grizzly G0514, $1,040

123 , 1 M

110/220* 25.2, 12.5 1,752/3,442 142 , 1

NOTES:

220

12*

1,702/3,391 132

1.

(*) Wired for this voltage from the factory.

(All tests conducted at 220 volts.)

2.

From manufacturers spec.

(*) 220-volt amperage only.

3.
4.

, 1

Measured by phototachometer.
(A) Acme threads; quick-release tensioner.
(M) Machine threads; no quick release.

A
A

Rikon 10-340, $1,000

Shop Fox W1707, $925

877/884-5167, rikontools.com

800/840-8420, shopfox.biz

High points
Very good power. When pushed hard, it
completed an 18"-long cut in 10"-wide red
oak in about 30 seconds without bogging
down or stalling.
The large table extends all the way to the
frame of the saw for wide-workpiece
support, and it deflected less with a heavy
workpiece than the other tested saws. It
also tilts 15 left, besting the rest by 5.
4"-high fence is tallest in the test, and
so provides the best workpiece support
when resawing.
Low points
Like both Grizzlys, the blade-tension scale
is marked from 1 to 10, instead of by blade
width, making it less intuitive to use.
The hinge on the lower wheel cover hinders
blade changes by creating a tight spot for
wide blades, which are less flexible than
narrow blades.
More points
Requires 220-volt service.

High points
Heavy wheels and ample motor power
pushed this saw to finish at the topeven
with the Grizzly G0514 in our 5-lb and 15-lb
pull tests.
Dual ball bearings on each side of the blade
proved the best of both worlds, creating
less friction than disc-style guides while
fully supporting 1"-wide blades.
Large table and the only one that can tilt left
without changing the 0 stop.
Instructions for blade selection, tensioning,
and more are posted inside the lower wheel
cover for easy reference.
Moving the drive belt to change blade
speed is simple, thanks to a handwheel that
controls belt tensiona big plus if your
work requires speed changes.

More points
Hex wrenches needed for blade-guide adjustments store on the machine.
Changing blades requires removal of the front fence rail, but no tools are
needed for the job.
The table has two miter slots, but no miter gauge comes with the saw.
Requires 220-volt service (or a hefty 110-volt circuit and wiring).

STATS ON SIX BIG-LEAGUE BANDSAWS

$900

352

$1,000

F,M

B,L

330

$925

17x17

45/10* 37 G

B-

B+

F,M

F E*

18

12

19x19

45/10* 37 G

A-

B-

B+

F,M

16 10

17x17

45/10 37 T

B-

18

19x21

45/10* 38 G

A-

16 11 17x23 45/15* 37 G

A- C+

(*) 0 stop must be readjusted to tilt

table to the left.

10. (B)
(F)
(L)
(M)

Mobile base
Fence
Magnetic work light
Miter gauge

(11)
310

12

7.

16

Excellent
Good
Fair

MBLY

F E*

(E) Blade runs on edge of ball bearing

(F) Blade runs on face of ball bearing
(*) Microadjustable

NDS

F,M

6.

SELL
PRICING
E (12
)
$1,040

F,M

A
B
C

SSE
383

9.

POU

(G) Geared
(T) Trunnion

HT (

WEIG

B+

8.

S)
B,L

Single ball bearing on each side of blade

Two ball bearings on each side of blade
European-style discs
Microadjustable

EAR

$795

(B)
(2B)
(D)
(*)

OF A

321

5.

Y (Y
T

F E*

NTR
Y

COU

45/10* 37 G

L
B,L

17x17

12

ANT

$950

16 11

2B E E*

WAR
R

390

F E*

IONA

SIDE

D*

ACCESSORIES
(10)

PERFORMANCE
GRADES (9)

TABLE

OPT

CAPACITY

BEA
RING
TOP
DES
THR
IGN
UST
(5)
BOT
BEA
TOM
RING
THR
(
6)
UST
BEA
RIPP
R
ING
ING
(6)
(INC
HES
)
RES
AWIN
G (IN
CHE
S)
SIZE
(LxW
, INC
HES
)
TILT
R
(RIG ANGE
HT/L
EFT,
DEG
REE
HEIG
S) (7
HT F
)
ROM
FLO
TABL
O
R
E TIL
(INC
T ME
HES
NUM
)
THO
BER
D (8)
OF 4
"
DUS
OBS
T PO
ERV
RTS
BLAD ED POW
E
E
R
(SUP GUID
POR ES
T&E
EAS
ASE
E OF
OF
ADJU
ADJU
STIN
STM
EAS
G BL
ENT
E OF
ADE
)
CHA
T
ENS
N
GING
TABL
ION
BLAD
E AD
ES
JUST
MEN
EAS
T&S
E OF
U
PPO
CHA
RT
NGIN
G SP
STAN
E
DAR
E
D
S
D

GUIDES

Two saws stand tall,

one earns Top Tool

11. (C) China

(T) Taiwan
12. All prices current at time of
article production and do not
include shipping where applicable.

The Grizzly G0514 and

the Rikon 10-340 both
demonstrated loads of
power and sell for around
$1,000. But lots of little
detailsdual ball-bearing
blade guides, a flip-out
0 stop on the table, not to
mention those heavyweight
wheelsdrive the
10-340 into our Top Tool
recommendation. For about
$200 less the Grizzly
G0513 requires more
patience, but it completed
every cut we threw at it.
Its our Top Value.
Written by Dave Campbell
with Jeff Hall
Illustrations: Tim Cahill

Share
your
opinion
of these bandsaws
in our Tools and Tool
Buying forum at

woodmagazine.com/
toolforum
51

TURNING PROJECT

peek-through

holiday ornament
Turn a scrap of wood, a piece of dowel, and
a dab of paint into an elegant decoration.

K
L
M

W
X

1" diam.

V
" diam.

52

" diam.

TEMPLATE 2
BODY PROFILE

TEMPLATE 1
TREE PROFILE

" diam.

" diam.

1 Create the templates

Make a photocopy of the three templates on
the WOOD Patterns insert, and adhere
them with spray adhesive to " tempered
hardboard. Scrollsaw and then file the templates to shape, as shown at bottom.

" diam.

" diam.

Top of tree

" diam.

" diam.
Trunk
" diam.

" diam.

his handsome ornament holds more

than one surprise. The first is the tiny
tree captured within the pierced body;
the second, the ease in turning this difficultlooking project. Once you get the hang of it,
youll be able to spin them out by the dozen.
And after all the admiring remarks, youll
need toTHE
answer
the inevitable question,
1 CREATE
TEMPLATES
Howd you do it?

TEMPLATE 3
FINIAL PROFILE

Y
Z

WOOD magazine November 2005

2 Turn a tiny tree

Tools: " detail gouge, " parting tool.
Tool rest: Gouge, slightly below center; parting tool, at center.
Speed: 1,000 rpm.
Four-jaw
chuck

4"

1"

Define the trunk.

2

1 Turn to " diameter.

Tail center
6 Sand and
paint the tree.

"

"

3 Form the tree cone.

4 Complete the trunk.
5
Bevel the trunk foot and bottom of cone.

Mark the center of one end of a straight 4"-long piece of " dowel.
(We used walnut.) Hold the other end loosely in the center opening of
a four-jaw chuck, support the marked end with the tail center, and
tighten the jaws. Using a detail gouge, turn 1" of the tailstock end
3 DRILL
BODY AND
INSERT
THE TREE
of the dowel
toTHE
" diameter.
Using
Template
1 as a guide, mark the
location of the tree trunk and the top of the tree. Use a parting tool to

define the trunk with a "-deep cut. Switch to the detail gouge, and
form the tree cone, as shown above, freeing the dowel from the tail
center in the process. Switch to the parting tool, and complete the
trunk. Finally, bevel the area at the foot of the trunk and bottom of
the cone with the detail gouge. Finish-sand and paint the tree. (We
used green glitter paint purchased at an art-supply store.)

3 Drill the body and insert the tree

Tool: " Forstner bit.
Speed: 500 rpm.
" hole " deep,
centered

" walnut dowel " holes

2" long

"
Bottom
"
" hole 2" deep,
centered
1 x 1 x 3" maple blank

For the body, cut a 113" blank. (We used maple. You also
can laminate the blank from thinner stock.) Chuck a " Forstner bit
4 ROUGH-TURN THE BODY
into your drill press, and bore intersecting holes through adjacent
faces, where shown above. Then mark the centers of the ends, and

drill a hole in each end to the depth shown above left, as shown
above. Cut a 2"-long piece of " walnut dowel, and glue it into the
top hole. Now glue the dowel with the tree into the bottom hole, positioning it where shown above center. Let the glue dry.

4 Rough-turn the body

Tools: " spindle gouge, " parting tool.
Tool rest: Gouge, slightly below center; parting tool, at center.
Speed: 1,000 rpm.
1 Rough-turn the square to a cylinder.

2 Mark the top of the ornament with a shallow cut.

3 Make a gauging cut.

1"

4 Rough-turn the bottom

of the ornament.

Holding the square blank loosely in the four-jaw chuck with the jaws
gripping the sides and the corners between the jaws, apply light pressure to the center of the dowel with the tail center. Tighten the chuck.
Use a spindle gouge to rough-turn the maple square to a cylinder.
woodmagazine.com

Using Template 2 as a guide, mark the top of the body with a pencil,
and make a shallow cut with a parting tool. Now mark the body
maximum diameter, and make a gauging cut. Starting at the gauging
cut, rough-form the bottom of the body, as shown above.
53

5 FORM THE FINIAL

5 Form the finial

Tools: " parting tool, " spindle gouge, " detail gouge.
Tool rest: Parting tool, at center; gouges, slightly below center.
Speed: 1,000 rpm.
Make the gauging cuts.
1
1
2 Turn the dowel to
a two-step cylinder.
2

3 Sweep the
5
Sweep the 4
top taper.
Form the beads. bottom taper.

Using Template 3 as a guide, mark the critical finial diameters on the

with a parting tool. Then with a
spindle gouge, rough-turn the dowel all the way to the end, forming
a two-step cylinder, where shown above. Using the template, mark

6 FINISH dowel,
THE BOTTOM
OF two
THE gauging
ORNAMENT
and make
cuts

the maximum extent of the two finial beads. Working from the bottom and then the top of the finial, use the detail gouge to sweep tapers
toward the marked bead area, as shown above. Mark the bead peaks
and the center of the valley between them, and form the beads.

6 Finish the bottom of the ornament

Tool: " detail gouge.
Tool rest: Slightly below center.
Speed: 1,000 rpm.
Finish-turn the bottom
of the body.
1
2 Form a V-groove.
"

ps
7 FINISH THE TOP OF THE ORNAMENT
Begin forming 3
the bottom bevel.

3
4
Saw off waste and complete
the bevel by sanding.
5 Finish-sand the bottom of the body and the finial.

Using a detail gouge, finish-turn the bottom of the body, as shown

above right, forming a V-groove at the top of the finial. Then begin
beveling the bottom of the finial, reducing the diameter to ". Stop

the lathe, and cut off the waste with a fine-tooth saw. Back the
tailstock away and finish the bevel by sanding. With the lathe turning
at 850 rpm, finish-sand the bottom of the body and the finial.

7 Complete the body and apply finish

Tools: " parting tool, " detail gouge.
Tool rest: Parting tool, at center; gouge, slightly below center.
Speed: 1,000 rpm.
1 Make a parting cut to " diameter.

5 Finish-sand the top of the ornament.

" "

6 Part the ornament from

the waste.

2 Form the top of the body.

4 Begin forming the cap.
3 Remove some waste.

Using a parting tool, deepen the cut marking the top of the ornament
to " diameter, as indicated on the template. Then using a detail
gouge, form the top of the body, blending it smoothly into the finished bottom. For tool maneuvering room when forming the beveled
cap, use the detail gouge to remove material on the waste side of the
parting cut. Now begin forming the cap, as shown above right, cutting to a " diameter. Finish-sand the ornament. Finally, alternately
extending the cap bevel and removing material from the waste side of
54

the cut, separate the ornament from the waste. Drill a pilot hole at the
center of the cap and screw in a brass screw eye. Hang the ornament
on a piece of wire and spray on several coats of gloss lacquer. To
hang the ornament, add a loop of decorative twine.
Written by Jan Svec with Phil Brennion and Jeff Mertz
Project design: Beth Ireland
Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine
WOOD magazine

November 2005

O
N
P
O
Q
P
R
Q
S
R
T
S
U
T
V
U
W
V
X
W
Y
X
Z
Y

B
A
C
B
D
C
E
D
F
E
G
F
H
G
I
H
J
I
K
J
L
K
M
L

" diam.

" diam.

2" diam.

1" diam.
2" diam.

1"
diam.
1"
diam.

See-through Copper Art,

Page 16

5"

2" diam.
Bottom
2" diam.
Bottom

FULL-SIZE
FULL-SIZE
BASE
BASE
TEMPLATE
TEMPLATE

1" diam.

1" diam.

1" diam.

1" diam.

1" diam.
1" diam.
1" diam.
Top
1" diam.
Top

Top

5"
A

FULL-SIZE
FULL-SIZE
CAPCAP
TEMPLATE
TEMPLATE
Top

Bottom

Bottom

58

1" diam.
1" diam.

1" diam.

4"

4"

1"

1"

Pattern revision for salt and pepper mills in issue 164, page 58.

Better Homes and Gardens

Dear Reader: As a service to you, weve included full-size
patterns on this insert for irregular shaped and intricate project parts. You can machine all other project parts using the
Materials List and the drawings accompanying the project
youre building.

PATTERNS

L
M

Y
Z

Holiday
Ornament,
Page 52

TEMPLATE 2
BODY PROFILE

" diam.

" diam.

1" diam.

" diam.

See-through Copper Art, Page 16

Holiday Ornament, Page 52

" diam.

Issue 166

November 2005

TEMPLATE 1
TREE PROFILE

" diam.

Copyright Meredith Corporation, 2005. All rights reserved. Printed in the

U.S.A. Meredith Corp., the publisher of WOOD Patterns allows the purchaser
of this pattern insert to photocopy these patterns solely for his/her own personal
use. Any other reproduction of these patterns is strictly prohibited.

" diam.

" diam.

" diam.

Top of tree

" diam.
Trunk
" diam.

TEMPLATE 3
FINIAL PROFILE

FILENAME:166OrnimentPP.eps
Date: 7-05
Lorna J.

More full-sized (55") patterns available at woodmagazine.com/patterns

55

FILENAME:166CopperPlaqPP2.eps
Date: 7-05
Lorna J.

56

57

curioandshelf
hall table
Put your treasures on display
with this perfect pair.

60

WOOD magazine

November 2005

ooking at the rich color of these beautiful pieces, you might think theyre made from
high-grade mahogany or straight-grained cherry. Actually, we built them from Lyptus
a less-expensive, imported hardwood with a color similar to cherry, a fine grain like
mahogany, and a hardness and cost slightly greater than hard maple. (Per board foot, we
priced cherry locally at $6, African mahogany at $5.25, Lyptus at $4.61, and hard maple at
$4.56.) If youd like to try this ecologically and economically attractive wood, see the sidebar,
right, for tips on locating, selecting, and machining it. No matter the species you choose,
these projects will look terrific.

Lets start with the hall table

Make the tapered legs

1
2

From 1"-thick stock planed to 1" thick (or laminated "-thick stock), cut the four
legs (A) to the size listed in the Materials List.
Noting that the legs are identical, mark centerpoints for four " holes " deep for the pins
(E) and lay out two 3" mortises and two tapers on each leg, where dimensioned on
Drawings 1 and 2. Instead of mortise-and-tenon joints, see the sidebar on page 62 for optional
ways to assemble the side aprons (B) and front and back aprons (C) to the legs.
11"

No round-over
along back edge

42"

" round-over along

bottom front edge and ends
D

"

F
" pilot hole
" deep on
bottom face

7 64

"
#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screw

4"

33"

C
A

D
#8 flat washer

#8 x 1"
panhead screw

1"

1"
5"

3"
D

All about Lyptus

Grown in Brazil on highly productive,
sustainable forest plantations, Lyptus trees
(a eucalyptus hybrid) mature in about 15
years2 to 4 times faster than comparable
hardwood species in colder climates. The
bean-pole-like trees, which reach a height of
about 140 feet, yield long lengths of clear,
typically straight-grained wood having
excellent strength, stability, workability, and
finishing qualities. To successfully locate,
select, and machine Lyptus stock and
plywood, follow these pointers.
Weyerhaeuser distributes Lyptus stock,
plywood, and veneer in North America. To
find your nearest dealer, call 877/235-6873
or 888/439-8822 in Canada, or go to
weyerhaeuser.com/wbm and click on
Locations. Youll find stock available in 4/4
to 8/4 thicknesses up to 12" wide.
The color of Lyptus can vary from a light
pink to dark cherry tone. For the best look,
select pieces that match in color.
Keep an eye out for figured pieces for
special project parts. Although Lytpus is
mostly straight grained, the piece we found
for the hall table top (F) has eye-grabbing,
swirled figure, as shown below left.
Though dense and hard, Lyptus tends to
splinter like ash. To avoid the problem, back
up all cuts and drilling with scrap and use
sharp, carbide-tipped blades and bits. Also,
ease all edges by lightly sanding with 220grit sandpaper. When routing, make multiple
passes, as needed, removing no more than
" of material at a time.
Like cherry, Lyptus burns easily when
machining. To prevent this, feed the stock at
a constant rate and keep your blades and
bits clean. Unlike cherry, youll find it easy to
sand away burn marks.

33"

"

" hole
" deep
A

1 EXPLODED VIEW

AT A G L A N C E
Hall table overall dimensions:
42" wide 11" deep 34" high.
Curio shelf overall dimensions:
32" wide 6" deep 27" high.

"

"
"

"

LYPTUS SWIRLED-FIGURE GRAIN

woodmagazine.com

61

3 joinery alternatives
Mortise-and-tenon joints are premier
furniture joints because of their inherent
strength, but you could use quicker
methods and still get long-lasting joints.
Have a pocket-hole jig, doweling jig, or a
biscuit joiner? You can use any of these
tools to quickly and securely join the hall
table aprons (B, C) to the legs (A) in place
of the mortise-and-tenon joints. Simply
locate and drill the holes for #81"
washer-head pocket screws or " dowels
2" long,
or plunge
slots Location
for #20 biscuits,
Location
of part C
of part B
where dimensioned on the appropriate
Location of part D
drawing below. Just as for the mortises, the
hole and slot locations will position the
outside faces of the aprons 1"
" from
C outside 3"
the
faces of the legs.

3
4
5

B
Location of part B

Location of part C

O
CP
C
D

#8 x 1"
washer-head
E R
pocket screw
#8 x 1"
S washer-head
F
Locationpocket
of partscrew
D
G T

H
1"
I

1"
K

End of plug tapered

to fit into " hole
in leg A

"

3"

" hole "

" deep
Plug trimmed flush with
leg A after installation

" hole
Y
1" deep
Location
of part D
"
hole
L
" dowel
"1"
A
Zdeep
2" long " hole
M
1" deep
"
C1"
B
"
1"

Now form the aprons

1
2

"

2"

#20 biscuit

B
Biscuit-slot
#20 biscuit centerline
slots
A
Biscuit-slot

"
9" for part B
33" for part C

"
Start of taper
"
Note: Tapers are on same leg faces as mortises.
Holes for pins E are on nontapered faces.

From "-thick stock, cut the side aprons

(B) and front and back aprons (C) to the
sizes listed, saving your cutoffs.
To form tenons on the aprons (B, C),
where dimensioned on Drawing 2, fit
C
your
tablesaw with a " dado blade, and
B
" hole
attach
an auxiliary extension to the miter
"
dowel
1" " deep
A
2" long
gauge and an auxiliary fence to the rip fence.
Position the fence adjacent to the blade, and
" hole
" dowel
" deep
A
raise the blade ". On an apron cutoff, cross2" long
cut both faces at one end to form a "-thick
tenon " long. Angling it in, test-fit the tenon
OPTION 3 - BISCUITS
in the mortise in a leg (A). If needed, adjust
Biscuit-slot centerline "
Location of part D
your setup. Then crosscut the faces at both
2"
ends of the aprons. To trim the 4"-wide
tenons to 3" to fit the leg mortises, raise the
2"
dado blade to ". Now crosscut the ends of
B
the aprons on both edges.
C
Mark the ends and centers of the curves
Biscuit-slot centerline "
Location of part D
on the bottom of the aprons, where
FILENAME:166Table&Shelf2.eps
Biscuit-slot
Date: 6-05
#20 biscuit
centerline
dimensioned on Drawing 2. Draw the curves
2"
Biscuit-slot
centerline A " slotsLorna J.
#20 biscuit
Location of part D
using a fairing stick. (For a free plan, go to
Note: Part B 2"
turned to
woodmagazine.com/fairing.) Bandsaw and
2"
B
show biscuit-slot location.
sand the curves smooth.

B/C

5"

OPTION 2"
- DOWELS

62

"

"

"

" hole
1" deep

4"
3"

3"
2"

"

x 3" mortise
" deep
"
"
1"

A
"

Location of part D

pilot hole " deep,

drilled after assembly

"
B

1"

3"

764"

Location of part D

" of part B
Location
1"
A

A
To avoid splitting, clean up the ends of the
leg (A) mortises using a " chisel. Then pare
the sides using a chisel at least " wide.

2 LEG MORTISE AND APRON TENONS

OPTION 1 - POCKET SCREWS

Location of part D
Location of part C
#8 x 1"
Locationwasher-head
of part D
A N pocket screw
3"
C

CLEAN UP THE LEG MORTISES

Chuck a " Forstner or brad-point bit in

your drill press. Using a fence and
stopblock for consistency, drill "-deep
holes in the legs at the marked centerpoints
for the pins (E).
To mortise the legs, refit your drill press
with a " brad-point bit. Drill overlapping holes " deep, centered along the
length of the marked mortises. Then clean
up the ends and sides of the mortises with
chisels, as shown in Photo A.
Using a taper jig on your tablesaw, cut the
tapers along the mortised sides of each
leg (A), where marked. For an easy-to-make
jig and help with the tapering process, see
the Shop Tip, opposite page, top. Sand the
legs to 220 grit, and set them aside.

Assemble the base

Glue and clamp a pair of legs (A) to each

side apron (B), as shown in Photo B. To
protect the legs from damage, place " hardboard pieces between the legs and clamp
heads, as shown. After the glue dries, glue

GLUE THE END ASSEMBLIES

and clamp the end assemblies (A/B) to the
front and back aprons (C), checking for equal
spacer from leg to leg to
diagonal 2"-tall
measurements
verify square.
Referring to Drawing 3, cut four triangular corner blocks (D) to the size shown
" hardboard
from "-thick stock.
Mark a centerpoint for
to protect leg
a " hole and2 lay
outMORTISE
adamage
" notch
on each
LEG
AND
APRON TEN
from
block, where dimensioned. Also mark
centerpoints for two angled countersunk
shank holes, noting the holes are offset "
from the top face. Mark the top faces of the
blocks.
Drill the " holes. Then bandsaw
B

Glue and clamp together a pair of legs (A)

and a side apron (B). Position a 2"-tall spacer
under the legs to keep them aligned.
WOOD magazine

November 2005

SHOP TIP
x 1 x 6" cleats mounted tight against
leg after positioning leg on base

x 8 x 36"
plywood

1"

BASE

x 1 x 3" cleat
mounted tight
1"
against leg
bottom after
positioning
leg on base

3"

14"
HANDLE

6"

#8 x " F.H.
wood screw

" shank hole,

countersunk

"

Position leg with top

of marked taper here.

7"

2"
4"

Location of leg A
#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screw

Start of
cut

Cloth-backed
double-faced tape

A jig makes it easy to taper legs precisely

" pilot hole

" deep

Jig base
aligned with
inside face
of blade

"
Align marked taper line on
bottom of leg with edge of base.

If you dont have a taper jig for your tablesaw, you easily can
make one from scrap to safely and accurately cut tapers on legs.
Using the hall table legs (A) as an example, heres how to make
and put the jig to use.

and bottom of a marked tapered side of the leg with the edge of
the base, where shown. Make sure you position the leg with one
mortise down and the other facing the blade. Then screw-mount
the cleats to the base, where dimensioned, tight against the leg.

Referring to the drawing, above, cut the base and three cleats to
the sizes shown from " plywood. Cut the handle from " scrap.
Drill mounting holes, and screw the handle to the base, where
dimensioned. To mount the cleats to the base, adhere a leg (A) to
the base with cloth-backed, double-faced tape, aligning the top

With the leg still taped to the base, position your tablesaw fence
to align the edge of the base flush with the inside face of the
blade. Cut the taper, as shown above. Then rotate the leg to align
the second marked side with the base, and cut again. To keep the
legs securely attached, replace the tape, as needed.

and clamp the end assemblies (A/B) to the

front and back aprons (C), checking for
equal diagonal measurements from leg to
leg to verify square.
Referring to Drawing 3, cut four triangular corner blocks (D) to the size shown
from "-thick stock. Mark a centerpoint for
a " hole and lay out a " notch on each
block, where dimensioned. Also mark

6Table&ShelfJig.eps

centerpoints for two angled countersunk

shank holes, noting the holes are offset "
from the top face. Mark the top faces of the
blocks. DrillTAPER
the " JIG
holes. Then bandsaw
the notches to shape.
To mount the corner blocks to the side
aprons (B) and front and back aprons (C)
" below the top edges, where dimensioned
on Drawings 1 and 2, draw alignment lines

SHOP TIP

3 CORNER BLOCK

1"

Top view

1" "

1" 45

"

"

D
" hole
4"
Top face

"

on the inside faces of the aprons. Then, with

the top faces up, glue and clamp the corner
blocks to the aprons, aligning the blocks with
the marked lines. For secure clamping and to
prevent damage to the legs, see the Shop Tip,
below. Now drill angled countersunk shank
and pilot holes at the marked centerpoints
through the blocks and into the aprons. Drive
the #81" flathead wood screws.

D
Front view

x " notch
1"
" shank hole,
countersunk,
" from top
face, drilled at
5 after assembly

"

Clamp block

3"
45

"

"
"

Get a grip on corner blocks

with a clamp block
When mounting corner blocks to reinforce a
frame or case, use a clamp block on the outside
to provide a flat surface for secure clamping
and to prevent damage to parts. For example, to
mount the hall table corner blocks (D), make a
clamp block with a notch from "-thick scrap, as
shown above. Then glue and clamp the corner
block in place, as shown at right. Now drill the
mounting holes. (We used a combination drill
and countersink bit to do this.)

"

Alignment
line

Drill angled
down at 5

CLAMP BLOCK
woodmagazine.com

63

How to add eye-catching pins in 3 easy steps

Start with " holes " deep drilled where you want the pins
and a " blank of sufficient length (including 4" for waste)
to yield the number of needed pins. Heres how to taper and
install them.

Whether made from a matching or contrasting wood, square

pins never fail to grab the eye of furniture connoisseurs.
Though it may seem tricky to fit a square pin in a round hole,
its actually simple.

Pin trimmed
flush

"

Step 1: Using a sharp utility knife (or a

large pencil sharpener with an
adjustable guide), taper a "-long area
at both ends of the pin blank to fit inside
the holes for the pins. Draw lines on the
blank " from the ends. Then cut off
the pins. Repeat as needed.

Add the accent pins and top

From "-thick stock resawn or planed to

" thick, cut a 16" blank to form the
16 pins (E). To taper and install the pins in
the " holes in the legs (A), where shown on
Drawings 1 and 2, see the sidebar, above.
Edge-join "-thick stock to form a
1243" blank for the top (F). Then crosscut the ends and rip the edges to the finished
size of 1142".
Chuck a " round-over bit in your tablemounted router. Using a pushblock for
safety and to prevent tear-out, round over the

2
3

Materials List
Hall table

Matl. Qty.

legs

1" 1"

33"

side aprons

"

4"

9"

front and back

aprons

"

4"

33"

corner blocks

" 1"

4"

E* pins

"

"

16

F*

" 11" 42"

EL

top

"

Step 3: Trim the pin flush using a

flush-trim saw. (Lay card stock on the
surface for protection if you dont have a
flush-trim saw.) Keep the saw flat to
avoid dig-ins. Sand the pin flush with
the surface. Repeat the process for the
remaining pins.

ends and then the front edge of the top on the

bottom face, where shown on Drawing 1.
Sand the top smooth.

Finish up

1
2

Finish-sand any areas that need it to 220

grit, and remove the dust.
Apply a stain and clear topcoat of your
choice. (We used Varathane Premium
Wood Stain, no. 254 Red Chestnut, followed
by three coats of Zar Water-Based Satin
Polyurethane, lightly sanding to 220 grit
between coats.)

Finally, place the top (F) on your workbench, bottom face up. Then position the
table base on the top, centered side-to-side,
with the back of the rear legs (A) flush with
the back edge of the top. Drill pilot holes,
centered in the " holes in the corner blocks
(D), into the top, where shown on Drawing 1.
(We applied masking tape to the bit to mark
the drilling depth.) Drive the #81"
panhead screws with #8 flat washers to fasten the top to the base. Now place the table in
a deserving location, and crown it with a
favorite picture or other special item.

Cutting Diagram

FINISHED SIZE

Step 2: Apply a small amount of glue in a

" pinhole. Position the tapered end of a
pin in the hole, checking the alignment
with a square. Using a hammer, tap the
pin until it bottoms in the hole. This will
force part of the square portion of the pin
into the hole.

*Parts initially cut oversize. See the instructions.

Materials key: LLyptus, ELedge-joined Lyptus.
Supplies: Cloth-backed, double-faced tape; #81"
flathead wood screws (8); #81" panhead screws (4);
#8 flat washers (4). To build the taper jig, #8" flathead
wood screws (6) and #81" flathead wood screws (2).
Blades and bits: Dado-blade set, " Forstner or brad-point
bit, " brad-point bit, " round-over router bit.

Cutting Diagram
A

1 x 3 x 72" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.)

*Plane or resaw to the thickness listed in the Materials List.
*E
B

x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.)

F

x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.)

F
x 5 x 48" Lyptus (2 bd. ft.)

64

WOOD magazine

Cutting Diagram

November 2005

Now lets build the curio shelf

hether built to accompany the hall table on page 60 or

stand alone, youll appreciate this projects clean lines,
simple construction, and interlocking cleat system for
convenient wall mounting.

Make the case

From "-thick stock planed to " thick, cut the sides (G),
sub top/bottom (H), and shelves (I) to the sizes listed in the
Materials List. Also, cut two 327" blanks for forming
two short dividers (J) and a long divider (K) from each. Set the
blanks aside.
Fit your tablesaw with a dado blade that matches the thickness of your " plywood for the back (L). Then, on the
inside face of the sides (G), cut a "-deep groove " from
the back edge, where dimensioned on Drawings 4 and 5.
Refit your tablesaw with a " dado blade that matches the
thickness of the sub top/bottom (H). Attach an auxiliary
fence to the rip fence, and position the fence adjacent to the
blade. Then cut a "-deep rabbet on both ends of the sides (G)
on the inside face.
To cut " dadoes " deep in the mirror-image sides, where
dimensioned on Drawing 5, to receive the shelves (I), attach

2
3

4a FACE-FRAME BISCUIT-SLOT DETAIL

As an option to a painted
plywood back, you can
stain it to match the case.

4 EXPLODED VIEW

4a FACE-FRAME BISCUIT-SLOT DETAIL

Note: Part M turned to show
biscuit-slot location

#10 biscuit
N

" round-over
along bottom
front edge
and ends

1"

1"

"
M

O
29"
" shank hole,
countersunk
on back face

" rabbet
" deep

9"

K
3"

7"

45 bevel

J
25"

25"
"
#10
biscuit

"
1"

M
30"

#8 x "
F.H.
wood
screw

" dadoes
" deep
5"

woodmagazine.com

2"

#8 x 2" F.H.
wood screw

"

J
3"

6"

R
28"

" dadoes
" deep

"

16"

"

2"

45 bevel

#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screw
28"

" groove
" deep
" from
back edge
28"

32"

3"

" dadoes
" deep

#10 biscuit-slot
centerlines

No round-over along back edge

6"

"

H
No round-over
along back edge
P

" round-over along

bottom front edge and ends
Location of part M

4"

Location of part L
Location of part H
Location of part G

65

9"

9"

"

29"

SUB TOP/BOTTOM AND SHELVES

5 PARTS VIEW

" dadoes " deep on inside faces of

parts H and both faces of parts I

" rabbet " deep

3"

H, I
9"

9"

"

29"

10"

SUB TOP/BOTTOM AND SHELVES

CUT THE DADOES IN THE SIDES

MEASURE FOR THE DIVIDERS

" rabbet " deep

"

G
25"
Top end

G inside
face down

"

" dadoes
" deep

an auxiliary extension with a stopblock to

your miter gauge. Position the stopblock 10"
from the inside face of the dado blade. Then
cut a dado on the inside face of the sides for
the top shelf, as shown in Photo C. Identify
the top end of the sides. Reposition the
5 PARTS VIEW
stopblock 7" from the blade. With the sides
rotated end-for-end, cut another dado for the
bottom shelf.
Lower the dado blade to ", and reposition the stopblock 9" from the blade.
Then cut a dado on the inside face of the sub
FILENAME:166Table&Shelf5.eps
top/bottom (H)
and on both faces of the
6-05where dimensioned on
shelves (I) atDate:
one end,
Lorna J.
Drawing 5, to fit the short and long dividers
(J, K). Now rotate the parts end-for-end, and
cut the other dadoes in the same faces.
To determine the exact lengths for the
short and long dividers (J, K), assemble
(no glue) a side (G), the sub top/bottom (H),
and shelves (I), using the other side (G) to
align the parts, as shown in Photo D. Measure the distance between the dadoes in the
sub top/bottom and shelves, as shown. Then,
ENAME:166Table&Shelf5.eps
: 6-05
from each of the two blanks previously set
a J.
aside, crosscut two short dividers (J) and a
long divider (K) to the measured lengths.
Use a stopblock to ensure identical lengths.
To assemble the case, glue and clamp
two short dividers (J) between the sub

7
66

" dadoes
" deep

10"

For tight-fitting
dividers, measure
the dado-to-dado
openings to
within ".
C
D
5 PARTS VIEW
Using a stopblock clamped to an auxiliary
Dry-assemble and align the case parts using
extension, cut a " dado " deep 10" from
a side (G), as shown. Then measure 25"
between
the end of each side (G) for the top shelf (I).
the dadoes to find the exact divider lengths.

10"

Note:
Left and
right sides
are mirror
images.

" groove
" deep
7"
"

bottom (H) and lower shelf (I), again using a

4"
side (G) to align the parts, as shown in
" rabbet " deep
Photo E. (We glued the case together in four
SIDE
stages for ease of assembly.) Next, glue and
(Inside face of left side shown)
clamp the remaining two short dividers (J)
and upper shelf (I) to the assembly. Repeat "
to groove
Note:
add the long dividers (K) Left
andand
sub top (H)." deep Draw centerlines for #10 biscuit slots on
7"
right(G)
sides
Now glue and clamp the sides
to the case,
the stiles
(M) and rail (N) at both ends,
are mirror
as shown in Photo F.
where
dimensioned
on Drawing 4a. Adjust
images.
"
fence to center the cutter
From " plywood, cut the back (L) to your biscuit-joiner
2925". If you plan to stain the back on the thickness of the parts. Then plunge
to match the case stain, use Lyptus plywood. the slots at the marked centerlines.
If you intend to paint the back, choose less- 4" Using #10 biscuits, glue, assemble, and
" deep
expensive birch plywood. Set the back aside. " rabbet
clamp
the frame to the case.

Add the face frame

1
2

SIDE
(Inside face of left side shown)

From "-thick stock, cut the face-frame

stiles (M) and rail (N) to the sizes listed.
Mark the ends and center of the curve on
the bottom of the face-frame rail (N),
where dimensioned on Drawings 4 and 4a.
Draw the curve using a fairing stick. (For a
free plan, go to woodmagazine.com/fairing.)
Bandsaw and sand the curve smooth.
Assemble (no glue) and clamp the faceframe stiles (M) and rail (N) to the front
of the case, verifying the frame members are
flush with the outside faces of the sides (G)
and sub top/bottom (H). Remove the frame
and make any needed adjustments.

Complete the case parts

From "-thick stock, cut the top (O) and

bottom (P) to the sizes listed. Chuck a "
round-over bit in your router. Then rout along
the ends and front edges of the top and bottom on the bottom face, where shown on
Drawing 4. Sand the edges smooth. Set the
top aside.
Apply glue to the bottom of the case.
Then clamp the bottom (P) in place,
where shown, aligning the back edges of the
bottom and sides (G) and centering the bottom side-to-side. Remove any squeeze-out.
From "-thick stock planed to " thick,
cut the case cleat (Q) and wall cleat (R) to

2
3

WOOD magazine

November 2005

*Plane or resaw to the thickness listed in the Materials List.

*E
B

x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.)

BEGIN THE CASE ASSEMBLY

Materials List

ADD THE CASE SIDES

FINISHED SIZE
F
F
Curio shelf
T
W
L
Matl. Qty.
x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.)
" 4" 25"
L
2
G sides

Groove for
back L up

" 3"
HF sub top/bottom
"bd.3"
shelves
xI 5
x 48" Lyptus (2
ft.)

J*

G
J

short dividers

Glue and clamp the sides (G) to the case,

making sure you position the sides with the
grooves for the back (L) up, as shown.

Time to finish upH

Finish-sand all parts to 220 grit, and

remove the dust. MaskI theV top of the
case. Then, on the bottom face of
the top (O),
J W
mask a 429" area (slightly smaller than the
X edge, cenmating case area) along theK back
tered end-to-end. This lets you finish
Y
the top
L installing the
and glue it to the case after
Z
back (L).
M
If you wish to paint the back, apply a coat
of primer. Then paint it a color of your
choice. Otherwise, apply a stain to the back
and all other parts and topcoat with a clear
finish. (We used Varathane Premium Wood
Stain, no. 254 Red Chestnut, followed by
three coats of Zar Water-Based Satin Polyurethane, sanding to 220 grit between coats.)
Slide the back (L) into the case, captured
in the grooves in the sides (G). Then
remove the masking tape from the case top
and the top (O). Apply glue to the unstained
area. Now clamp the top to the case, aligning
it as you did the bottom (P).
Position the case cleat (Q) on the back of
the case between the sides (G) and tight
against the top (O), where shown on Drawings 4 and 6. Drill countersunk mounting
holes through the cleat, back (L), and into the
sub top (H), where shown. Fasten the cleat
with #81" flathead wood screws. Then
drill countersunk mounting holes through
the
back into the sub bottom (H), where
FILENAME:166Table&Shelf6.eps
shown
Drawing 4, and secure with #8"
Date: on
6-05
Lorna J.wood screws.
flathead
Finally, to hang the curio shelf, hold the
wall cleat (R) level on your wall with
the beveled edge positioned where shown.
Drill countersunk mounting holes through

2
3
4

woodmagazine.com

6 SECTION VIEW
O

#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screw

Cutting Diagram

2
4

3"

7"

"

3"

9"

back

"

29"

25"

face-frame stiles

"

"

25"

3"

28"

6"

32"

top

"

" 5"
L
1
P* bottom
* G 30"
* I
G
"
2" 28"
L
1
Q case cleat
x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.) *Plane or resaw to the thic
"
2"
28"
L
1
R wall cleat
M
M
*Parts initially cut oversize. See the instructions.
* H key: LLyptus, CChoice of Lyptus
* H or
Materials
birch plywood.
x 5 #10
x 96"
Lyptus
(4 bd.flathead
ft.) wood screws (3),
Supplies:
biscuits
(2), #8"
#81" flathead wood screws (3), #82" flathead wood
screws
N
* J (2).* J
*
*J
*K
*K
Blades
and bits: Dado-blade set, "Jround-over
router bit.
x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.)

R
the sizes listed. Bevel-rip one
of each
E edge
cleat at 45, leaving a " flat, where
shown
S
on Drawing 6. Set the cleatsFaside.

"

O
A N
Using a side (G) to align the parts, glue and
clamp together the sub bottom
O lower
B (H),
shelf (I), and two short dividers (J).
C P

29"

K* long dividers

Cutting
Diagram "
N face-frame rail
E

29"

O
P
" 45 bevel
x 7 x 96" Lyptus (5.3 bd. ft.)
G
#8 x 2" F.H.
A
A wood screw
M
2"
1 x 3 x 72" Lyptus
(4 bd. ft.)
L
*Plane or resaw to the thickness listed inRthe Materials List.
*E
"
Stud
B
B
C
C
Wall
x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.)

"

Cutting Diagram

the
cleat into the wall studs, and fasten with
x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.)
#82" flathead wood screws. Hang the
shelf.F Now place your cherished items in
the cubbies for all to admire.

x 5 x 48" Lyptus (2 bd. ft.)

Written by Owen Duvall

Project design: Jeff Mertz
Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine

Cutting Diagram
*G

x 48 x 48" Lyptus or birch plywood

*G

* I

6 SECTION VIEW

x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.) *Plane or resaw to the thickness listed in the Materials List.
FILENAME:166Table&ShelfCD.eps
M
Date:M6-05
* I
* HLorna J.
*H
x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.)
*J

*J

*K

*J

*J

x 5 x 96" Lyptus (4 bd. ft.)

O

*K

N
*Q

*R

x 7 x 96" Lyptus (5.3 bd. ft.)

67

3 foolproof ways to hang

Get the hang of installing wall-mounted projects
using these easy techniques.

ouve babied your shelves and cabinets from raw lumber to completed projects,
but the jobs not done til you hang your handiwork. To mount shelves and
cabinets straight and securely, first match the right technique to your project.
Hardware as simple as a sawtooth hanger may work for picture frames and featherweight decorative shelves. But for heavier projects, youll need to size your fastener to
your projects weight and purpose. Most metal hangers dont come with weight-load
ratings, and variables such as fastener choice and whether youre mounting on wallboard
or wood paneling affect a hangers performance. Even the best hangers are inexpensive,
however, so choose on the side of caution. The three hanging systems shown here will
handle most heavy projects, but each has its distinct advantages.

1 Wood cleats

Wall cleat

he display shelf, shown below left

and featured on page 65, hangs from
a pair of mating cleatsone built into the
shelf and one mounted on the wall. The
wall cleats 26" length lets you position
mounting screws to connect with studs
behind the drywall for added holding
power. For cabinets with doors youll tug
open frequently, consider upper and lower

hangers to avoid accidentally pulling the

lower portion of the cabinet away from
the wall.
To make this system work, we cut a 45
bevel on the lower edge of the shelfs top
back rail to form a case cleat integrated
into the shelf. A like-beveled cleat mounts
on the wall. Once the shelf is hung, the
shelf sides conceal both cleats.

TWO SIMILAR CLEAT SYSTEMS

Case cleat
Case cleat

Case cleat
Case cleat

Upper Upper
support support

Cabinet Cabinet
back
back

Cabinet Cabinet
back
back
Lower support
Lower support

Wall cleat
Wall cleat

Wall cleat
Wall cleat

A wall-mounted cleat provides a wide, stable surface for mounting this display shelf. The wall cleat
visible to the right will be hidden by the shelf.

Hidden cleats allow the cabinet back to

hang flat against the wall. We used this
method to hang the display shelf.

Exposed-cleat cabinets stand out from the

wall, but are easily moved along a continuous
cleat rail. This works great for shop cabinets.

68

WOOD magazine

November 2005

shelves and cabinets

2 Keyhole hanger plates

eyhole-style metal hangers, like the one

shown below, provide an inexpensive
(25 apiece) way to hang shelves and cabinets. Recessing them also allows the back of
your project to rest flat against the wall.
To install recessed keyhole hardware,
begin by tracing around them at the locations
you prefer. Avoid mounting screws in end
grain where they can pull loose. Then score
along your marks with a chisel on the straight
edges, and a crafts knife on the rounded ends
to define the recessed area.
Install a straight bit in a handheld router,
and set its cutting depth equal to the thick-

ness of the keyhole hanger. Remove the stock

between the scored lines. Test-fit the hanger
in the recess, and mark the location of the
keyhole and mounting screw holes within
the mortise.
Next, adjust your router bit depth to twice
the thickness of your keyhole mounting
bracket. Rout the area directly below the
keyhole and between the screw holes. Drill
pilot holes for the screws, and mount the
keyhole hangers, as shown below left.
To hang a project with keyhole hardware,
center and drive a nail into a 1" strip of
straight scrap until the point emerges about

". Insert the tip of the nail into the narrow

portion of the keyhole on one of the cabinetmounted hangers. Then mark the location of
the narrow portion of the other keyhole on
your straight edge. Drive a second nail
through the strip, as shown below center. If
youre using more than two hanger plates,
add nails marking the location of each plate.
At the location where you want to hang the
shelf, rest the stick atop a level, as shown
below, and lightly tap the nails to mark the
locations of your wall anchors. (For a look at
popular wall anchor options, see The inside
story on drywall anchors on page 70.)

MOUNTING KEYHOLE HANGER PLATES AND SPACING MOUNTING SCREWS

Recess to allow
for screw head

An extra recess beyond the one for the

fastener allows a screw to slide into position
on the narrow part of the keyhole.

Hanger type

1 Wood

cleats

For perfect spacing, make certain the tips of

the nails are centered within the narrow part
of the keyhole.

Pros

With the spacing strip braced atop a level,

its easy to mark screw and anchor locations
with just two taps of a hammer.

Cons

Comments

Built-in cleats can hold

project backs flush against
walls. These provide wide
support for heavy projects.

This mounting system

must be incorporated into
a projects design.

Shop cabinets can stand

proud of cleats that span
workshop walls for easy
relocation, as illustrated
opposite bottom right.

Inexpensive and adaptable

to a wide range of projects,
these have more holding
power than routed keyholes.

Wall fasteners must be

precisely spaced to align
with multiple keyholes.
Mortising may be needed.

Hangers like the left one can

hide behind a project while
those like the right one are
partially exposed above the
project.

Many types and sizes are

available. Larger clips with
four holes in each half hold
large projects.

Most require more than

one wall fastener to install.
Flush-mounting projects to
walls is difficult.

Pairs align easier than do

keyholes and screw heads.
Cleat strips can be cut to
length and custom-fitted
to projects.

Cleat

2 Keyhole
hanger
plates

3 Metal clips and

Z-cleats

woodmagazine.com

69

3 Metal clips and cleats

ot every project can incorporate a builtin cleat system. If you dont mind a "
gap between your cabinet or shelf and the
wall, metal cleats and hanging clips, such as
those shown below, provide an alternative.
Both types of two-piece hangers mount on
walls and on your project using two or four
screws for each half. Thats especially valuable if theres a risk the weight of a cabinet or
shelf will tear out a single wall anchor.
For an even stronger hanger, Z-cleat strips
up to 36" long can be cut and drilled to fit
a project. Clips differ from cleats for their
ability to limit side-to-side movement thats
not possible using the Z-cleats. The trade-off
is that clips on the wall must be spaced the
identical distance apart as clips on your project. Thats easy to do, however.

Two-Piece
Metal Clip

Metal
Z-Cleat
Mount on
project

Mount
on wall
The clip on the left has four mounting holes
on each half for added strength. Both it and
the Z-cleat on the right are only " thick
with both halves assembled.

POSITION MULTIPLE CLIPS FOR ACCURATE SPACING

Thin rubber bands hold clips on the edge of a

scrap strip, allowing you to match the
spacing of the clips on your project.

An awl marks mounting screw locations for

the two clips used here. This method works
just as well for spacing three or more clips.

To hang a medicine cabinet, we used two

pairs of 1"-wide clips. Position cabinetmounted clips where you can screw into a
surface or edge, not into end grain where
screws may pull loose. Then drill pilot holes
to avoid splitting the wood: " holes for #8
flathead wood screws in hardwood and 7 64"
holes for #8 screws in softwood.
To space apart clips for wall mounting, use
rubber bands to hold the clips against a
straightedge while lining them up with the
cabinet-mounted clips, as shown above left.
With the straightedge atop a level, as shown
above right, use an awl to mark the wall

anchor locations for installing the clips. Add

adhesive-back felt pads to the lower corners
or edges of your shelf or cabinet to prevent
them from marring the wall.

Sources

E-Z Toggle. Item #00T13.02, $5.95 for five. Lee Valley

Tools, 800/871-8158 or leevalley.com.
Other drywall anchors. The Home Depot, 800/553-3199
or homedepot.com.
Keyhole hangers. Item #00S10.11 (recessed), $2.30 for 10
or #00S10.13 (exposed), $2.50 for 10. Lee Valley Tools.
Flush-mount clips. Item #00M85.01, 1", $3.55 for
10; #00M85.02, 11", $3.05 for 10. Lee Valley Tools.
Metal Z-Cleats. Item #00S18.15, 1" wide, $1.70 for four;
#00S18.20, 2" wide, $1.90 for four. Lee Valley Tools.

The inside story on popular drywall anchors

help you get a grip on drywall. Weve arranged them in order from
least holding power on the left to most holding power on the right.

Fasteners

The chances of connecting with a stud when you nail or screw a

hanger into a wall are less than 10 percent, but a host of fasteners will

Self-tapping

Split-point

Expanding

Toggle

E-Z Toggle

Available in several
sizes, these
anchors are easily
removed. Youll
need to drill pilot
holes to install. The
top ridge may
stand above the
drywall surface.

Anchors hammer
in place quickly,
then expand as a
screw is inserted.
Easily removed,
the pointed tip and
smooth sides
minimize drywall
damage.

Threads drill into

drywall without a
pilot hole. Tips
break off to accept
longer screws.
Anchors can be
reversed with a
screwdriver for
easy removal.

Anchors must be
sized to fit the
thickness of the
drywall. Installation
requires no pilot
hole, but removing
these anchors is
difficult.

A sizeable pilot
hole is needed ("
in this case). Once
installed, removing
the screw allows
the toggle portion
to fall off behind
the wall.

Inserting a screw
releases and
tightens the toggle.
Screws can be
removed and
reinserted, but this
anchor works best
for permanent
installations.

Comments

Inside view

Ribbed plastic

70

WOOD magazine

November 2005

scrapbook
cover
picture-window

Heres an heirloom-quality book jacket

built to last for a lifetime of memories.
It makes a great photo album, too.

uild this project and youll not only

make somebodys day, youll also
use those short pieces of scrapwood
too nice to throw away. Coupled with the
book-making supplies from our one-stop
source, youll create a unique cover, complete
with leather page binding and a clever nofastener photo window. For a few tips on
scrapbooking, see the sidebar on page 75.

First make the covers

For the front cover (A) and back cover

(B), cut eight pieces of " dark-colored
stock to 114" and two pieces to 14".
72

(We used cherry.) Then cut four pieces of "

light-colored stock to 214" and four pieces
to 14". (Here, we used birds-eye maple.)
Now edge-join the pieces into three segments
for the front cover and two for the back cover,
in the configuration shown on Drawing 1.
Plane the segments to " thick. Edge-join
the two segments for the back cover, sand it
smooth, and cut it to the length listed on the
Materials List on page 75.
Crosscut two 5"-long pieces from the
middle segment for the front cover (A).
Then to create an opening for standard 46"
photos, cut a 35" spacer and edge-join

the cover, as shown in Photo A. Remove the

spacer and sand the cover smooth. Cut it to
finished length, trimming both ends to keep
the opening centered.
To hold photos in the front cover (A)
opening, chuck a " slot cutter into your
table-mounted router and rout "-deep slots
only in the top and bottom edges of the opening, where shown in Step 1 of Drawing 2.
Then switch to a " rabbet bit, and rout a
"-deep rabbet along all the inside edges of
the opening, where shown in Step 2. The
rabbet bit removes " of the inside lip of the
slots at the top and bottom of the opening,

WOOD magazine

November 2005

Inside ...

1 COVER GLUE-UP
FRONTCOVER
COVER
FRONT

5"
5"

14"
14"
MM
CC

MM

CC

CC

MM

MM

CC

CC

5"
5"
The front cover
provides a display opportunity inside as well as outside.
AA window
NN

2" 2"
2"
2"
"
"

1" 1"
1"
1"
"
"

BB OO
CC PP

1" 1"
1"
1"
"
"
M-maple
M-maple
C-cherry
C-cherry

BACKCOVER
COVER
BACK

DD QQ
EE RR
FF

SS

GG TT

14"
14"

HH UU
II

VV

W
JJ W
XX
KK
YY
STEP 1
The cover accommodates
up to 20 of the popular 1213" post-style page protectors.
LL
ZZ
Bottom A
MM
"

A SPACER SIMPLIFIES GLUING

A

"

CC

MM

CC

MM

CC

Front face

2"
2"
1"
1" 1"
1"
"
"
"
"

MM

CC

MM

CC

2"
2"
1" 1"
1"
1"
"
"
Top

2 FORMING
STEP 1 THE PHOTO RECESS

35"
spacer

Front face
" slot cutter

Bottom A
"
STEP 1

Top

Front face
"

Middle
segments
Outside
segments
N

O
P

Q
N

R
O
S
NP

T
Q
O

U
P
R
V
QS

W
RT
X
SU
Y
TV
Z
W
U

VX
Y

A
With a spacer between the middle segments,
edge-join the cover. Center the outside segments
on the middle segments and spacer.

Bottom

STEP 2

" slot cutter

"
"

"

Top

Front face
" slot cutter

Bottom

Top

"

STEP 2
"

" rabbet
" deep

Front face
" rabbet bit

FILENAME:166Scrapbook1.eps
Bottom
A
leaving " slots " deep to hold the photos FILENAME:166Scrapbook1.eps
and
Date:6-05
6-05 STEP 2
Front face
Date:
"
protective clear acetate covers. Now switch Lorna
to
a J.J.
Lorna
"
" round-over bit and rout the edges of the open" rabbet
" deep
Bottom
A
ing, where shown in Step 3. Then rout the outside
"
" rabbet bit
ends and edges of the covers (A, B), where shown
on Drawings 3 and 5.
" rabbet
" deep
Install a dado blade in your tablesaw, and cut
STEP 3
" rabbet bit
" rabbets " deep along the inside edges of
the covers (A, B), where shown on Drawings 3
Bottom
A
and 5. Then finish-sand the covers. Apply masking tape to the cover dadoes to protect the surfaces
Front face
for gluing later. Now apply a clear finish to the
STEP 3
covers. (We applied two coats of Minwax Antique
" round-over bit
Oil Finish.) Remove the masking tape.
Bottom

A
STEP 3

woodmagazine.com

Bottom

Front face
A

" round-over bit

" slot " deep

left after routing

COVER
11COVER
Top

" slot " deep

left after routing Top
" slot " deep
left after routing
Top

Top

73
Top

" hole

1 x 13" leather hinges glued into rabbets

C

" hole

3 EXPLODED VIEW
C
" hole
14"

" hole

B
2"
A

4"
Binding post
"

13"

4"
A

" rabbet
" deep
" rabbet " deep
.003 x 4 x 6" clear acetate

2 x 13" leather binding

" round-over
along outside ends
and edges

"

4 HINGE ASSEMBLY JIG END VIEW

"

x 3 x 14" leather

" slots in top and bottom edges only

D Q
" round-over along outside ends and edges
E R
S

Now add theF hinges

From the edgeG of Ta "-thick piece of

birds-eye maple 13" long, rip two "U
H and
thick cover cleats (C)
two "-thick page
holders (D). FastenI theVcleats together faceto-face with masking tape and drill centered
J W
" holes, where dimensioned
on Drawing 3.
X
Tape the holders together
face-to-face
and
K
drill centered " holes,Y where dimensioned.
Separate the parts. L
Z
Cut a 113"
M piece of scrap for the
hinge assembly jig shown on Drawing 4.
Then install a dado blade in your tablesaw
and cut one " rabbet " deep and one "
FILENAME:166Scrapbook3.eps
rabbet
" deep to form the profile shown. To
Date: 6-05
Lornaglue
J. from sticking to the jig, cover it
keep
with plastic packing tape. Cut two 314"

D
"

pieces of leather and form the hinges, as

shown in Steps 1 through 5 below. (We used
a supple pigskin leather about " thick.)

"

"

"

"
Jig covered with
plastic packing tape

Assemble the scrapbook

"

1"

Cut a 213" piece of leather for the

binding. Align each edge of the binding protectors and optional spacers, the other
in turn with the edge of one of the page hold- edge of the binding, and the page holder
ers (D), and using the holes in the holder as a attached to the cover (A). Thread the screw
of the binding posts into the barrels.
guide, mark the hole centers on the leather, 3halves
EXPLODED
VIEW
where shown on Drawing 3. Using a paper
To mount photos in the front cover winpunch, punch holes in the leather.
dow, cut two 46" pieces of .003"-thick
Lay the back cover (B) outside face down clear acetate film. Select two photos and clip
on your table, and insert the barrel halves the corners of the photos and the acetate,
of the binding posts into the holes in the page where shown on Drawing 6. Working from
holder (D), where shown on Drawing 5. Then the rabbeted side of the window, slide one
add one edge of the leather binding, the page edge of one piece of acetate into the "-deep

5 EASY STEPS TO MAKING THE WOOD AND LEATHER HINGES

Jig

4 HINGE
EN

" hole

FILENAME:166Scrapbook4.eps
Date: 6-05
Jig
Lorna J.

Jig

D
" hole

314"
leather

STEP 1

STEP 2

Place a cover cleat (C) in the "-deep rabbet

of the jig and a page holder (D) in the "-deep
rabbet. Spread glue on the cleat and holder.

Apply the leather to the glued surfaces and

smooth it out. Then flip the assembly over,
and clamp it to the edge of your workbench.

74

Wheel cutter

STEP 3
With the glue dry, use a wheel cutter (available at fabric stores) or a sharp crafts or
utility knife to trim the excess leather.
WOOD magazine

November 2005

5 ASSEMBLY (Top view)

1 x 13" leather hinges glued onto parts C
and D and into rabbets in parts A and B
" round-over

SCRAPBOOK TIPS

" round-over

When WOOD magazine Senior

Design Editor Kevin Boyle conceived
this project, he went to the
authoritative source of scrapbook
information, our sister publication,
scrapbooks etc. Heres what he
learned about fitting a scrapbook
cover to a collection of pages:
1213" post-style page
protectors for 1212" scrapbook
pages (like the ones sourced below)
are the most popular size. Check the
size your scrapbooker uses and
make any necessary adjustments
to part sizes.
Multilayered page compositions
and the thickness of some items
used can result in fat pages.
The "-thick page holders (D) keep
an accumulation of thick pages
from causing the covers to splay
open. For additional room between
pages, insert "-wide cardboard
spacers, punched to match the
page protectors.
Most scrapbooks range from 10 to
20 pages. To add
more pages, or to
accommodate
spacers inserted
between extrathick pages, add
binding post
extensions
(included in the
kit sourced) or
purchase longer
binding posts.
For more
information on
getting started in scrapbooking
and to find tips and advanced
techniques, go to
bhgscrapbooks.com.

" rabbet
" deep
C

C
D

2 x 13"
leather binding

Binding post

Optional x 13"
cardboard spacer

"
round-over

12 x 13"
page protectors

6 PHOTO WINDOW CORNER

FULL-SIZE VIEW
Trim the corners of the acetate
and photos to the dashed line.

" slot " deep

5 ASSEMBLY
(Top view)

ME:166Scrapbook5.eps
5
" rabbet " deep

slot made by the slot cutter at the bottom of

the window. Then slightly flex the acetate to
slide the other edge into the top slot. In the
same manner, insert back-to-back photos
and the other piece of acetate. Now your

custom-covered scrapbook is ready to fill

with memories.
Written by Jan Svec with Erv Roberts
Project design: Kevin Boyle
Scrapbook page designs: Polly Maly

Materials List
Part

Scrap

E:166ScrapbookPP.eps
D

FINISHED SIZE

A* front cover

"

14"

13"

EMC

Matl. Qty.
1

B* back cover

"

14"

13"

EMC

cover cleats

"

"

13"

page holders

"

"

13"

*Parts initially cut oversize. See the instructions.

Materials key: EMCedge-joined birds-eye maple and
cherry, Mbirds-eye maple.
Blades and bits: stack dado set; " round-over, " slot
cutter, " rabbet router bits.

Source

STEP 4

Use a crafts knife to make two cuts through

the leather and into the " holes in the page
holders (D), forming Xs.
woodmagazine.com

STEP 5
Glue and clamp the cover cleat (C) end of the
hinge into the cover (A, B) rabbet. A piece of
scrap evenly distributes clamping pressure.

Scrapbook cover kit. 314" pigskin leather (3),

8-32" aluminum binding posts (3), 8-32" binding post
extensions (3), 1213" post-style protectors for 1212"
pages (10), .003810" acetate film (1). Kit no. 300COV,
$9.95 plus $3.95 shipping. Schlabaugh and Sons,
720 14th St., Kalona, IA 52247. Call 800/346-9663.

75

17

ways to get
organized

hat a difference two days make! Thats what it took to

rehab 44-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Bill Sheas basement shop in Dalton, Massachusetts, after we selected it
as our top candidate for our Workshop Workover.
Bills shop presented some special problems worthy of our attention
because they apply to so many workshops. For starters, Bills shop
appeared like a war zone (see right), something of which he has firsthand knowledge, having spent time in Iraq recently. Tools and hardware went homeless, placed where space allowed. Boards, sheet goods,
and jigs took refuge in disorganized piles, on unused worksurfaces,
and on stationary tool tops. Electrical cords and vacuum hoses snaked
across the floors in high-traffic areas, creating tripping hazards. In
short, there was no good or dedicated place to put anything.
Added to that, because the shop is located in a basement beneath
living areas, a special set of issues come into play. Bill had addressed
some of these already, while others still needed help. See Smart
Solutions for Basement Shops, on page 78, for more.
The attack begins with eight quick fixes performed on Bills shop,
followed by nine super-simple projects that feature a variety of taskspecific storage plans. Use any or all to make your shop more organized and, as the U.S. Army might say, be all that it can be.
76

Fixes and
simple projects
for your shop

After
Before

Lieutenant Colonel Bill Sheas workshop, shown above, failed to pass

our WOOD magazine inspection as a model of organization. But after
a weekends worth of effort and just $975.31 for a few shop essentials,
it passed with flying colors as shown at top.
WOOD magazine November 2005

2
7

4
1

8
6
5

Chisel rack

Perforated
hardboard
Upper
cabinet

8 easy shop fixes

Pencil and
pen holder
Upper
cabinet

Bench

Shelf with pegs

Vise

Cabinet door

Stairs

Bench extension
Shelf and
hardware bins
Belt/disc sander
Clamp racks
Rolling tool
cabinet

14" bandsaw
Tablesaw

Part storage for

Shaker boxes under stairs
Upstairs
8" jointer

Portable
planer

3-drawer
dresser

Lumber
storage;
sheet storage
underneath

FLOOR LAYOUT

Drill
press

Stairs

Dust
collector

Door to
outside
5-drawer
dresser

Toolbox

Wood storage
over oil tank

Unlike previous Workshop Workovers, Bills

floor plan was basically sound and did
not require relocating
stationary power tools,
benches, or cabinets.
The workflow and traffic patterns stayed the
same for the roughly
380-square-foot shop.

ills shop had a few restrictions at the get-go. As a hobby-dedicated basement area with concrete walls, it didnt afford the
option of expanding. Nor would any tools or partition walls be
removed to create space. According to WOOD magazine Senior
Design Editor Kevin Boyle, That meant making the most of what
was there.
A quick look around isolated the major problems. They included
vastly underutilized walls, ineffective lumber and sheet-good storage,
a glaring lack of cabinet storage, open shelving areas beneath the
workbench that became collect-alls for miscellaneous tools and dust,
and the absence of a worktable where Bill could assemble Shaker
boxes. Also, the area beneath the stationary tablesaw extensions went
completely unused. At this point, it was time to roll up our sleeves and
go to work.
FIX 1 : As you can see in the after photo on the previous page,
nothing cures disorganization more than a healthy dose of dedicated
storage. The groundworkor should we say wall workbegan with
48' sheets of perforated hardboard, screwed to anchored 24 furring as shown below right. (We fastened the furring in place with
3" masonry screws.)

FIX 2 : Next, the lumber storage

problem disappeared by attaching
heavy-duty 24" straps and brackets (see Sources) to the anchored
24s behind the hardboard.

Kevin Boyle installs a 48' sheet

of perforated hardboard against
a 24 furring framework that
was fastened in place with 3"
masonry screws.

77

FIX 5 : That look continues by installing melamine doors (available at Home Depot in various sizes) onto the workbench shelving
areas. To do this, Kevin used 14s to face the workbench front.
FIX 6 : A woodworkers 9" visesomething no respectable shop
should be withoutwas added to the bench.
Simple (and cheaper) is always better. Here, bungy cords hooked to
screw eyes pin plywood sheets to the wall.

FIX 7 : Sandwiched between the wall cabinets and located above

the workbench hangs a framed piece of perforated hardboard, providing hand-tool storage.

FIX 3 : A simple system of bungee cords and 2" screw eyes

corralled sheet goods in one confined area, as shown above.

FIX 8 : And finally, Bills benchtop power tools were moved elsewhere to recapture needed countertop space. In addition, the bench
extension was pushed against the wall to eliminate the nonfunctioning dead space behind it. (See the before photo.)

FIX 4 : To create dust-free storage for portable power tools, sandpaper, and sundry other items, $170 worth of basic white melamine
wall cabinets did the trick.

Smart solutions for basement shops

Having a workshop below a homes living quarters presents
several issues. Heres how theyre dealt with in Bills shop:

AccessBill moves finished projects, sheet goods, and

lumber via outside stairs and through a 3' door leading directly
into the basement.
Dust controlBefore we got there, Bill already had
installed a full-service dust-collection system, with the ducting
running along ceiling joists. A good move to help prevent
airborne dust from traveling throughout the house.
OrganizationAs discussed throughout, Bills shop was in
desperate need of dedicated storage. The problem was met
head-on with a variety of strategies and projects aimed at
creating and maintaining order.

LightingThe number of general lighting fixtures and

wattage proved adequate in Bills shop. However, to lighten up
the space even more, white perforated hardboard, cabinets,
and cabinet doors were installed to better reflect existing light.
NoiseHere, perforated hardboard helped dampen
machine noise generated in the shop. Acoustic ceiling tile
would further buffer such annoying sounds with fiberglass batts
fitted between joists.

9 easy shop projects

S

pecialized storage is the

key to getting and staying organized. Here youll
find a raft of projectsmost
from scrapwoodthat you
can cut and assemble in
short order to make your
shop work harder. All but
one of them have 1" holes
for hanging on plain old
perforated hardboard hooks.
Feel free to alter the designs
to better suit your assorted
tool collection.
Completing the collection is a mobile base cabinet
that Bill stores below his
tablesaw, capable of providing extra countertop space.
To add even more utility in
your shop, also consider
building the full-service
workbench on page 36, and
the shop cart on page 88.
78

1
4

4a

WOOD magazine November 2005

Project
A

: Pipe-clamp rack
1" hanger hole with
" chamfer

1"
1" hole
centerpoint

1"
2"

1"

"
2"

V
ipe clamps are often found standing in the corner of the shop or

" chamfers

hole. Cut along the lines with a bandsaw or jigsaw to finish forming
the notches. You can use the same cutouts for rectangular bar clamps,
or simply cut rectangular-shaped openings. Now bore the 1" hanger
holes. Rout chamfers along the edges indicated.
Next, clamp the shelf to the back, countersink mounting holes
through the back into the shelf, and then glue and screw the two parts
together. Glue the spacer to the back where shown.

N
: Bar-clamp
rack
B

E
F

R
S
T

U
V

J
K
L
M
A
3

" shank hole,

countersunk
on back face

4"

2 A

Project

x x 16"
spacer

15"

on the floor in a pile. To organize Bills arsenal, a notched shelf

J Wfrom " stock works to hold six clamps. Extend the lengths of
made
X
the
shelf
and back in 2" increments to hold even more clamps. The
K
spacer
Y adhered to the bottom of the back angles the shelf slightly so
L clamps dont slide to the front of the shelf and fall off.
the
Z
M To make one, mark the centerpoints of the notches where dimensioned on the drawing. Use a flat-bottomed or spade bit to bore a 1"
hole at each marked centerpoint. Rely on a small square to mark the
cutlines from the front edge of the shelf to the outside edge of each

Project

1"

1"

#8 x 2" F.H. wood screw

16"

5"

W
X
Y
Z

ang this bar-clamp

organizer on the wall
or on the rolling tool cabinet.
(See project 9). Cut the back,
shelf, and spacer to the sizes
noted on the drawing from
" stock. Mark the centerpoints of the hanger holes
and the clamp slots where
indicated. Now chamfer the
edges of the shelf. Bore the
FILENAME:166ShopFixture1.eps
Date: 8-05
hanger holes, and cut the
Lorna J.
slots to shape. Drill the
mounting holes, and glue
and screw the pieces together
where shown.

1" hanger hole with

" chamfer

1"

PIPE CLAMP RACK

1"
1"
1"

2"

#8 x 2" F.H.
wood screw

12"

5"

"

1"
"

x x 12"
spacer
" shank hole,
4"
countersunk
on back face
" chamfers
1"

11"

: C-clamp holder

o organize C-clamps, make

P
C holders
one of these
for each
size of clamp. DFirst,
Q measure the
openings of your clamps and size
R
E protruding
the width of the
shelf
" under that measurement.
To
S
F
construct the holder, cut the back,
G toTsize from "
shelf, and spacer
stock. Next, markU the centerH
points and bore the hanger holes
VChamfer the
through the back.
I
hanger holes plus
the
edges and
J W
one end of the shelf on both faces.
X
Then attach theK shelf to the back,
FILENAME:166ShopFixture2.eps
Y
where shown on the drawing, using glue and #8
2"8-05
flathead wood
Date:
L
screws. Next glue and
clamp the spacer in place.
Lorna J.
Z

6"

1"

1" hanger hole with

" chamfer

5"
1"

#8 x 2" F.H.
wood screw

1"

4"
"
2"

" chamfers

" shank hole,

countersunk
on back face

"

x x 6"
spacer

BAR CL

woodmagazine.com

79

Project

: Simple shelf with or without dowels

1" hanger hole with " chamfer

1"
A

F
G

2"

" chamfers

5"
" hole
" deep

" chamfers

4"

" dowel 1" long

U any

"
x x 28" spacer

dowel locations where shown on the drawing. Drill the hanger and
dowel holes. Chamfer the hanger holes, shelf, and shelf supports
where indicated. Drill mounting holes, and glue and screw the shelf
in place. Then, glue the dowels, shelf supports, and spacer in place.

X
Y

ZA

1"

Project
L
M

"

2"

times wrenches and other small items get lost on a cluttered benchtop. This shelf unit with protruding dowels will
V
I
minimize
your clutter. To build it, cut the back, shelf, shelf supports,
and
to size. Mark the centerpoints of the hanger holes and the
W
J spacer
K

27"

2" 1"

M
H

1"

3"
1"

#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screws

28"

: Hardware bin
27"
5"

#8 x 1" F.H. wood screw

"
" rabbet
" deep

" shank
hole,
countersunk on
back face

1"
2"

o keep loose hardware, screws, or other small items organized,

Vthis holder for plastic hardware containers found at home
build
I
centers.
First, cut the front, back, ends, and spacer to size from "
J W
stock. Next, cut the bottom to size from " hardboard. Mark the
X
centerpoints,
drill the holes, and chamfer the edges. Then rout or cut
K
" groovesY " deep " from the bottom edge of the front, back, and
L
end pieces.
Rabbet the front and back where shown. Finally, drill
Z
FILENAME:166ShopFixture4.eps
M holes, and glue and screw
mounting
the pieces together.
Date: 8-05
Lorna J.

Project
A N

1"

" rabbet
" deep

1" hanger hole with " chamfer

26"
27"

xx
27" spacer
1"

"
6"
" grooves
" deep
" from
bottom edge

1"

5"

SHELF UNIT
6"

: Glue box

oOkeep glue and glue

10"
1" hanger hole with " chamfer
brushes close at
1"
C P
hand
make this simple
box.
D The
Q 1" hanger holes
"
1"
x x 10" spacer
in the back of this project
"
E Rin handy, especome
" rabbets
cially S
for moving the box
10"
" deep
F
" shank hole,
to the project assembly
3"
countersunk
G
T
4"
area and returning it to
4"
the wall later.
4"
H U
4"
Cut the front, back,
9"
"
V
ends,
HARDWARE B
I spacer, and divider
#8 x 2" F.H.
to theWsizes listed on the
5" wood screw
J
FILENAME:166ShopFixture5.eps
drawing from " stock.
" grooves " deep
10"
Date: 8-05
X
" from bottom edge
Cut
K the box bottom to
Lorna J.
Y " hardboard.
size from
L the centerpoints on the back, drill the holes, and chamfer the
Mark
the back, front, and end pieces to house the bottom. Rabbet the front
Z
edges.
Cut or rout " grooves " deep " from the bottom edges of where shown. Assemble the pieces and add the spacer.
M
B

80

WOOD magazine November 2005

Project
A

: Chisel rack

1"

o keep chisels sharp and easy to find, place them in this basic
Z
M storage rack. Cut the front, back, sides, shelf, and spacer to the
sizes shown on the drawing. Locate and bore the hanger holes in the
back and the chisel holes in the shelf. (You may have to adjust the
L

Project

J
K
L
M

hole size in the shelf to fit your chisels.) Now, saw out the waste
between the front edge of the shelf and the chisel holes. Chamfer the
shelf edges and rabbet the front where shown. To finish, drill the
mounting holes, and glue and screw the rack together.

1" 5"

x x 13"
spacer
" shank hole,
countersunk on back face

: Pencil box with sharpener support

o build this handy

holder, cut the front,
back, sides, bottom, and
spacer to the sizes shown
A N
on the drawing from "
O Drill the mounting
Bstock.
holes, and rabbet the front
P
Cas shown.
Glue and screw
the Qparts together. ComD
plete the project by attachEing R a pencil sharpener,
similar
S to the one shown, to
F
the bottom.

1" hanger hole with

" chamfer

1"
" shank hole,
countersunk on back face
" rabbets
" deep

#8 x 2" F.H.
wood screws
"

4"

CHISEL RACK

12"

3"

4"

FILENAME:166ShopFixture7.eps
Date: 8-05
Lorna J.

3"
5"

6"

3"

x x 5" spacer

Project
Y

1"

3"

13"
2"
" chamfer

6"

13"

#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screws

3"

"

" rabbets
" deep
1"

1"

14"

1"

1"

" hole
(Hole sized to
fit chisel ferrole)

1" hanger hole with

" chamfer

13"

: Rolling tool cabinet

his roomy cabinet offers much-needed storage and an extra worksurface.

You can stow it out of the way in a corner or tucked beneath a tablesaw
extension wing, as shown at left. The sides feature perforated hardboard for
hanging tools and accessories, while the interior provides several shelves and a
partition (inset photo). We provide specific dimensions in the Materials List,
but change them if youre building the cabinet to fit a specific spot.
To build the cabinet, cut the carcase pieces (AE) to size
from " medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and " maple.
Be sure to make a right and left side (mirror images) of the
cabinet sides (B). Cut the dadoes and rabbets where dimensioned. Lay out the " shelf-pin holes on the sides. Using a
" drill bit with stop collar, drill the "-deep holes.
Next, apply glue to the rabbets
and dadoes
in WITH
the sides,
PENCIL
BOX
subtop, and bottom, and then
glue the cabinet
together,
SHARPENER
SUPPORT
capturing the center partition (C) where shown.
81

woodmagazine.com

FILENAME:166ShopFixture8.eps
Date: 8-05

SIDE
(Inside face of left side shown)

(M) to size and screw them in place, flush Written by Pat Lowry with Jim Harrold and
with the outside edge of the perforated hard- Marlen Kemmet
Project designs: Kevin Boyle
board sides.
Photographs by Jack Holowitz Photography
Finally, attach the casters to the bottom
cleats using #101" panhead ROLLING
screws withTOOL CABINET
" flat washers. Fasten the doors
(Inside of left side shown)
"
to the cabinet with no-mortise
" rabbet " deep
2"
2"
wraparound hinges, as shown.
2" 6"
2"
17"
Screw on roller catches to secure
the doors when closed. Round
7"
over the edges of the replaceable
top (D) and screw it on.

Glue the supports (E) in place. Cut the

shelves (F, G) and shelf edging (H), and band
the shelf edges.
Now, cut the doors (I), and rout a "
round-over along the front edges of each.
Drill holes for the wire pulls, and install the
pulls. Cut the side spacers (J, K) to size, and
glue and screw them onto the cabinet sides
(B), keeping them flush with the sides outA N
side edges. Cut the perforated hardboard
sides (L)
B toOsize, and glue and screw them in
place over the spacers. Cut the bottom cleats
C

F
G
H
I
J
K

2"

35"

S
T
" round-over
along top edges
U
Roller catch
V

35"

" rabbet
" deep
10"

31"

32"
A

10"

30"
" dado " deep
L
"Zrabbet " deep
M
" round-over
along front edges

"

9"

H
15"

22"

" rabbet
" deep

#8 x 1" F.H. wood screw

2"

" shelf
support

23"

B sides

"

32"

23"

MDF

C center partition

"

22"

31"

MDF

D replaceable top

"

35"

35"

MDF

E supports

"

2"

30"

F deep shelves

"

20"

30" MDF

G narrow shelves

"

9"

30" MDF

H shelf edging

"

1"

30"

" 15" 23" MDF 4

I doors
FILENAME:166BasementShopToolC
"
2"
28" MDF 4
J
hor.
side
spacers
ab1.eps
Date: 8-05
"
2"
23" MDF 4
K vert. side spacers

perforated
hardboard sides

M bottom cleats

82

32"

FILENAME:166BasementShopToolCab2.eps
Matl. Qty.
#8 x " R.H. wood screw
Date: 8-05
32" Lorna
MDF J.
2

"

"

32"

23"

PH

"

4"

32"

MDF

23"

A subtop and bottom

31"

23"

Materials List

FINISHED SIZE

#10 x 1" panhead screw

28"

" flat washer

Rolling tool
cabinet

"

32"

4" caster

1"

4" swivel caster with brake

Note: Right side

is a mirror image.

2" no-mortise wraparound hinge

32"

3"
I

"

4" wire pull

30"

20"

23"

1"

" dado
" deep

I
23"

"

"

" dado
" deep

"

W
X

" holes
" deep

Materials key: MDFmedium-density fiberboard, Mmaple,

PHperforated hardboard.
Supplies: 2" no-mortise wraparound hinges (8); 4" wire pulls
(4); 4" casters (2); 4" swivel casters with brake (2); " shelf
supports (16); roller catches (4); #8" roundhead wood
screws (24); #81" flathead wood screws (28); #101"
panhead screws (16); " flat washers (16).
Blades and bits: Dado-blade set; " round-over router bit;
" brad-point drill bit.

Sources

Casters. Set of 4: 2 swivel, 2 rigid, no. 00K20.10, $38.

Add shipping. Lee Valley & Veritas, call 800/871-8158 or
click leevalley.com.
Lumber storage system. 24" wall straps no. 17K20.02
(4), $7.95 ea.; 14" brackets no. 17K20.06 (8), $7.25 ea.
Add shipping. Lee Valley & Veritas, call 800/871-8158 or
click leevalley.com.

how to trim workshop waste

and $ave
a bundle

Pro Carl Stammerjohn uses smart strategies

to feed less money through his saw.

he 20 percent rule is a widely

accepted approach when buying
wood for a project. It requires that
you buy 20 percent more lumber than your
project calls for in order to account for waste.
In other words, you throw away one board
84

for every five you use. In an effort to challenge and reduce this figure, we consulted
with furniture designer/builder Carl Stammerjohn. (See Meet the Expert, on page
87). He says you can trim waste and maximize your savings by focusing on four key

phases of each project: the conceptual/design

phase, the material acquisition phase, the
machining phase, and, finally, wisely putting
your project leftovers to good use. Follow
through on any or all of these strategies and
youll be dollars ahead.
WOOD magazine

November 2005

EFFICIENT DESIGN PRACTICES SAVE MONEY FROM THE GET-GO

ADJUST PART DIMENSIONS TO MINIMIZE WASTE

DRAWING 1
(OVER-VIEW)

N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Carl carefully studies his project plans to figure his material needs
down to the board foot and spot potential waste.

Phase 1: Design to save

Carl always tells his students that no substitute exists for efficiently designing a project.
Knowing exactly what you want to build
will define exactly what you need to buy. To
minimize waste, select wood based on precise requirements of a dimensioned plan. At
the same time, dont be penny-wise and
pound-foolish. An extra board foot in a
materials list is much less expensive then a
second trip to a hardwood outlet. Once
youve defined the scope of the project,
follow these cost-cutting guidelines:
Consider the sizes and quality of the
stock available to you and adjust the dimensions of your project parts accordingly. For
example, a 3" square table leg requires you to
start with a 16/4 blank, yielding 35 percent
waste. But if a 2" cross section is acceptable, then you only need a 12/4 blank (23
percent less material). Your waste will be
reduced to edge cleanup. Whether you lay up
three 4/4 boards or purchase solid 12/4 stock,
reducing the dimension of the leg by "
saves nearly 45 percent of the cost without
reducing functionality. See the drawing
above right to see how he did this.
Choose lower-cost material where
appropriate. For FILENAME:166MinWaste1.eps
example, using plywood or
Date: 6-05
Lorna J.

woodmagazine.com

Optimize your wood use by making cutting diagrams on your

computer. Search online for a variety of software options.

ADJUST PART DIMENSIONS TO MINIMIZE WASTE

Nominal width of 16/4 stock=3"
Waste
Nominal width of 12/4 stock=2"
Waste
3" leg
2" leg

Slightly tweaking and downsizing some project parts, as shown in the leg examples above,
enabled Carl to buy less-expensive 12/4 stock instead of 16/4.

poplar for the sides, bottom, and backs of

drawers when building an oak dresser results
in significant savings.
Lay up panels with the final shape in
mind. For example, when making an oval
tabletop, use shorter boards along the outside
edges of the glue-up panel and use longer
boards for the full-length middle section.
Consider high-tech solutions, such as
one of the new cut-optimization software
programs for personal computers. On his

PC, Carl uses CutListPlus, a product sold by

Bridgewood Design, 977 Seminole Trail
#145, Charlottesville, VA 22901. (Go to
woodmagazine.com/software to sample
CutListPlus and other software.) His onetime expenditure of less than $100 repaid
itself in time and material saved after just a
few projects. As an engineer, says Carl, I
wouldnt have considered forgoing such an
efficient tool in my work. So why treat my
woodworking any differently?
85

TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR STOCK CHOICES CAREFULLY

For Carl, stock selection means sorting through as many boards as
necessary, and taking the best of whats available.

Phase 2: Be a smart shopper

Heres where you can really improve on the

20 percent rule. In addition to your detailed
plan, a parts list with exact dimensions is
crucial to reducing your waste. Take both to
the lumberyard, along with your tape measure and pencil. Make the time and effort
(retailer-permitting) to select your wood and
you can cut waste to less than 10 percent of
the total wood in the project, as shown above.
Heres what else Carl advises:
Pick lumber for specific project parts.
Inspect each board closely for checking,

troublesome knots, cupping, and other

defects that would boost your waste percentage. Mark where each cut will be made and
label each part, as shown above right. If you
overlook this step you may end up cutting the
wrong part from the wrong board.
Select boards for matching grain and
characteristics. For example, if building a
bed headboard with side-by-side raised panels, select boards with similar grain and color
that can lay up to form consistent-appearing
panels. If the bed also has a footboard that

Phase 3: Machine parts efficiently

How you cut, rout, joint, plane, and drill
project parts can have a big effect on your
waste percentage. For example, Carl wanted
the stability of sheet panels for the sides of a
cherry dresser he was building. But he also
wanted the look and finishing qualities of
solid hardwood. The solution: make thick
(") veneer on the bandsaw, and then apply
it to both sides of half-inch cabinet-grade
plywood substrate. This proved less costly
than using either solid hardwood or commercially available veneer. Says Carl: Resawing
on my bandsaw not only saves time and
material, it also adds tremendous flexibility
to my woodworking. See the photo at right.
He offers more ideas:
Make the least waste by picking the
best tool for the job. For example, a tablesaw
easily rips a board to finished width. But ripping a board on the bandsaw, with a kerf less
than ", sometimes leaves just enough
wood to be used for another part.
Minimize tear-out. Use backer boards
for routing, drilling, and sawing whenever
possible, and cut boards and panels to length
before you rip them to width.
86

While picking boards, he marks out the parts with an eye toward color
and grain matching, choosing only what he needs for the job at hand.

Snip away the snipe. Too often we

accept as inevitable the loss of the last couple
of inches on jointed stock due to snipe. But a
properly adjusted jointer should eliminate
snipe. If the infeed and outfeed tables are not
parallel, or if the tools outfeed table is not
level with the top of the blades, you will get
that tell-tale gouge at the end of your stock.
The planer poses a more difficult challenge, but you can eliminate snipe here, also.
As the leading end of a long board runs well
off the outfeed table it lifts the trailing end of
the board. That can result in three or four
inches of snipe. Raising the end of the outfeed table minimizes this problem on shorter
boards. On long boards you can manually
add upward pressure on the front end of the
board as its trailing end enters the planer,
further minimizing the snipe. According to
Carl: This takes some practice to get just
the right upward pressure without hindering
the feed rate of the board. Too much pressure
and you create snipe in the middle of the
board. Hinder the feed rate and you create
visible mill marks. Get it just right and you
get to use the entire board. A shop-made

matches the headboard design, the panels in

the footboard should come from the same
boards used for the headboard. That way you
can get a consistent appearance throughout.
And if youre stingy in board-length selection, you can reduce end-of-panel cut-off
waste by nearly 50 percent. Says Carl: For
me, matching grain and color in the wood
are critical elements of my designs. That may
demand a little extra wood to achieve. But I
still try to minimize the waste by selecting
the right boards at the beginning.

USE A BANDSAW TO SAVE

Carl resaws thin veneers on his bandsaw to

make his own hardwood plywoods.

outfeed table could be used to control snipe,

as long as you could adjust the outfeed angle
to suit different length boards.
WOOD magazine

November 2005

REAPING BUCKS FROM SCRAP

Phase 4: Its not

waste if you use it

Now reap the benefits

There is a difference between leftovers and waste. Knowing where

to draw the line is an art in itself.
Your thinking should be: every
board foot I use is a board foot I
didnt waste. Or as Carl puts it, I
place value in every piece of wood
in the shop. I have a space limitation, so I have to be smart about
what I store and what goes in the
scrap bin. But Ive built a lot of jigs
and small projects from wood that
came out of the scrap bin.
Keep a scrap bin handy and
store in it small pieces you dont
consider leftovers. Use it as a source
for clamping cauls, jig components,
feather boards, plugs, buttons, etc.
Store your more desirable
leftovers by species, as Carl does Whenever he can, Carl sorts through his organized
scrap bins for project stock.
in the photo at right.
Start a Small Projects file. Once or family and friends last Christmas without
twice a year, do a quick inventory of your buying a single piece of wood. Use the
leftovers and use them to make simple drawings below to make some for your
projects. Says Carl: It can be a fantastic friends, laminating contrasting species for a
source for holiday and birthday presents. I more dramatic look. Also, see the scrapwood
made over 50 exotic-wood wine holders for projects in every issue of WOOD.

Build this clever project from scrap

Carls wine bottle holder design lets you use
up small wood pieces while creating an
intriguing gift item. To make it, cut out a blank
of wood to 129". See the drawing
below. (Consider gluing up and planing scrap
to achieve these dimensions.) Next, bore the
hole in the blank, at least 1" deep, where
shown. Now, lay out and bandsaw the holder
to shape, cutting just outside the lines. Sand to
the lines and round over the top end.

" round-overs

Cutting waste from 20 percent to 10 percent

means that for every 10 projects you build,
you get one free. Examine everything you do
with your materials. Eliminating machining
mistakes is an obvious point, so measure and
mark with care! Clean, accurate cuts reduce
waste, so keeping your tools properly aligned
and cutting edges sharp can help reduce tearout and additional machining. Finally, keep
records on each project. As Carl puts it:
Knowing what you bought and what you
used will give you a better understanding of
what youre wasting. You cant effectively
solve the problem without first knowing how
big it is!
Written by Roger McEvoy
Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine
Photography: Michael E. Garland

Meet the expert

Carl has carried on a love affair with
woodworking since childhood. After
spending 13 years working for a
major aerospace firm, in 1998 he
got serious by starting his own
business designing and building
custom furniture. A Los Angeles
native, he holds a B.S. degree in
mechanical engineering from
California Polytechnic State
University at San Luis Obispo, and
also teaches in the Woodworking
Manufacturing Technology
department at Cerritos Community
College in Norwalk, California. His
classes include basic woodworking,
workbench design and construction,
finishing techniques, veneering, and
advanced furnituremaking. Hes
become a wiz at pinching bucks
from boards.

1" hole
2"

WINE BOTTLE HOLDER A simple scrapwood project

1" hole
1" deep

" round-overs
2"
9"

90

43

1" hole
125

Waste

e
p

2"

1"

7" 5"
9"

90

43

125
43

125

Waste
2"

2"

1"

5"
woodmagazine.com

125

43

SIDE VIEW

87

get r-done

shop
cart

Lid conveniently swings open

270 against end of cart
thanks to overlay hinges.

Keep your tools, supplies,

and workpieces within
easy reach, and enjoy an
additional worksurface with
this handy mobile helper.

Compartment
under this lid
provides for
storage of
small items.

88
88

All frame members are

biscuit-joined for quick
and easy assembly.

Swivel casters with

brakes securely park
the cart in place.

When closed, the lids provide a

sturdy worksurface that can support
a benchtop power tool.
WOOD magazine

November 2005

24"

R=1"

19"

1" hole " deep

#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screw
G

" rabbet
" deep

1 EXPLODED VIEW

9"

"-diam. self-adhesive rubber bumper

19"

1"
270 overlay hinge

A " groove
" deep

"

"

C
C

"

3" rigid caster

26"

3" swivel caster

with brake

29"

#10 biscuit

-20 x 1" F.H.

machine screw

2"

" flat washer

14"
D

" lock nut

"
" groove " deep
" from bottom

#10 biscuit

2"

"
" hole,
countersunk

#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screw A

" grooves
" deep
D

18"
13"

29"

7"

" shank hole,

countersunk

H
" grooves
" deep

2"

"

6"

1"-diam. dowel
20" long

R=1"

"

9"

Note: Use holes in casters to locate hole

centerpoints on bottom of part E .

2"

AT A G L A N C E
Overall dimensions: 21" wide 38"
long 33" high.
For the items needed to build this
project, see page 91.

1a CASTER LOCATION DETAIL

(Bottom view)
" 3" rigid caster

B
"

or about $85 and from just one 48'

sheet of " plywood, you can build
this sturdy shop accessory. With
biscuit-joined
side and end frames and simple
FILENAME:166UtilityCart1.eps
Date: 4-05
rabbet-and-groove
joinery, its easy to comLorna J.
plete
it in a weekend. We used birch plywood
that cost less than $40 a sheet at a local home
center. Surprisingly, that plywood came
close to the quality of pricier Baltic birch
plywood, having the same number of plies
(13) and few voids for smooth, finished
edges. As a cost-saving option, you can make
the cart from medium-density fiberboard
(MDF), which runs about $20 a sheet.

Start with the

side and end frames

From " plywood or MDF, cut the side

stiles (A), side rails (B), end stiles (C),

woodmagazine.com

MARK BISCUIT-SLOT CENTERLINES

1 EXPLODED VIEW
E

Mark center of
" mounting hole.

and end rails (D) for the frame assemblies,

shown on Drawing 1, to the sizes listed in
the Materials List. To ensure youll get all of
the cart parts from one 48' sheet, refer to
the Cutting Diagram.
To mark centerlines for #10 biscuit slots
on the stiles and rails, where dimensioned
on Drawing 2, page 90, lay out on a flat surface two side stiles (A) and three side rails
1a CASTER LOCATION DETAIL
(B) in the arrangement
shown. To position the
(Bottom view)
center side rail in the frame, where dimensioned, cut two 110" spacers from "
scrap. Place the spacers between the bottom
and center side rails, as shown in Photo A.

14"

110"
spacer

With the center side rail (B) positioned in the

frame with spacers, mark the centerlines for
biscuit slots on the side stiles (A) and rails.

Mark the biscuit-slot centerlines across the

stile/rail joints, as shown. Also, identify the
bottom rail to ensure correct frame orienta89

BEGIN THE CART ASSEMBLY

2 SIDE AND END FRAME ASSEMBLIES

#10 biscuit-slot centerline

1"

2"

B D

A
A

2" for part A

2" for part C

D
10"

29"

B D

26" for part B

14" for part D

3 PART

10"
14"

B
1"

1" clamp
hole "a deep
on inside
face
Glue
side frame
(A/B),
end frame (C/D), and the bottom shelf
" and
1" frame corner joint by drawing the
(E) together, making
sure you close the
7"
end frame tightly in the rabbet in the side frame.
1"
2"
G

B D

shank
hole, countersunk
in position. R="
Next, glue the top shelf in place.
tion later. Now repeat the marking process casters through the "
bottom "
shelf,
where
14"
for the remaining side stiles (A), side rails shown on Drawing 1, position a caster on the Now glue and clamp the remaining side and
(B), end stiles (C), and end rails (D), keeping bottom face of the shelf, where dimensioned end frames to the assembly.
the parts for each frame together.
on Drawing 1a. (We found the rigid
3 PARTS VIEW
Adjust the fence on your biscuit joiner to and swivel casters with brakes at a
center the blade on the plywood thick- local home center.) Mark the centers
HANDLE SUPPORT
2 SIDE
END
FRAME
ASSEMBLIES
of the mounting holes. Repeat at each
ness. Then,
with AND
the parts
clamped
to your
(Outside face shown)
N plunge slots for #10
corner of the shelf. Then drill "
workbench for Asafety,
" 1" hole " deep on inside face
1"
holes through the shelf at the marked
biscuits in the rails
and
stiles
at
the
marked
7"
O
B
centerlines. Now glue, biscuit, and clamp the centerpoints, and countersink the
1"
P
2"
G
parts together Cto form
the frames, again holes on the top face so the heads of
using the spacers
position the center rail in -201" flathead machine screws
D to Q
" shank hole, countersunk R="
"
will sit flush with the
each frame.
14"
E R with a dado blade that
shelf surface.
Fit your tablesaw
matches your material
thickness. Then
Sand the side
S
F
LONG AND SHORT LID PANELS
cut "-deep grooves along the length of the
frames (A/B), end
31"
G
T
side and end frames on the inside face, where frames (C/D), and
"
24"
7"
dimensioned on Drawing
shelves
(E)
to
150
1
.
Keep
the
bottom
H U
edge of the frames firmly against the fence
A N grit. Then, to assemV
After jigsawing 3" hole,
when cutting theI bottom
and center grooves, ble the cart, glue and
crosscut blank here to
B O clamp a side frame,
and the top edgeJ against
the
fence
when
cutW
separate lid panels.
" blade
ting the top groove.
end frame, and the
start hole
C P
X
Attach an auxiliary
fence to your rip bottom shelf together,
K
3" hole
D Q as shown in Photo B.
fence. Then cutY a " rabbet " deep
L edge of the side stiles (A)
along the outside
(To minimize the
7"
19"
Z
E R
on the inside face,
number of clamps
M where shown.
S needed, we assembled
J
I
F
31"
9"
the
cart
in
four
Add the shelves and
G T
"
stages.) When the
assemble the cart
24"
U
Cut the three shelves (E) to 1831".HTo glue dries, glue and
locate and drill the mounting holes for 3" V clamp the center shelf
After jigsawing 3" hole,

5
1

90

J
K

W
X
Y

crosscut blank here to

panels.
WOOD magazine separate
Novemberlid2005
3" hole

MOUNT THE LID HINGES

G

270 overlay hinge

With a 270 overlay hinge positioned on a top

B
end rail (D), tight against a side rail (B), drill
the mounting holes, and drive the screws. C

Mount the casters and

complete the cart

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M

D
E

To mount two 3" rigid casters and two F3"

swivel casters with brakes to the bottom
G
shelf (E), where shown on Drawing 1, position the cart with an end frame on the floor.
H
Attach the casters using -201" flathead
I
machine screws, " flat washers, and "
lock nuts. Now set the cart on the casters. J
Cut the top-shelf divider (F) to the size
listed. Then glue and clamp the dividerKto
the top shelf (E), where dimensioned.
L
Cut the handle supports (G) to size. On
M
the outside face of the supports, mark
centerpoints for four countersunk shank
N
holes, where dimensioned on Drawing 3.
O
Also mark " radii, where shown. Next, on
the inside face of the supports, mark a
P
centerpoint for a 1" hole, where dimensioned.
Q
Drill the countersunk shank holes. Then,
using a Forstner bit in your drill press, bore
R
the 1" hole " deep. Now bandsaw and sand
S
the radii to shape.
T From a 1"-diameter birch dowel 36" long,
cut a 20"-long piece for the handle (H).
U To mount the handle supports (G), draw
V alignment lines on the top side rails (B)
" from the top edge and extending 7"
W
from the ends, where dimensioned on Drawing 1. Then glue and clamp a handle support
X
Yto a top rail, aligning the support with the

2
3

marked line. Drive the screws. Repeat to

mount the remaining support, making sure
you capture the handle (H) between the supports in the 1" counterbores.
Cut a 1931" plywood blank to form
the long and short lid panels (I, J). Draw
a circle for a 3" hole (for finger access) on the
blank, where dimensioned on Drawing 3.
Drill a " blade start hole just inside the circle. Then jigsaw the 3" hole to shape and
sand smooth. Next, position your tablesaw
fence 7" from the inside face of a "-kerf
blade. Now crosscut the blank through the
center of the hole to separate the lid panels.
To mount four 270 overlay hinges for
the lids, where shown on Drawing 1,
position a hinge on a top end rail (D), tight
against a side rail (B), as shown in Photo C.
Mark the mounting holes on the inside face
and top edge of the end rail. Using a 3" bit
extender or magnetic drive guide for chuck
clearance, drill the holes. Then drive the
screws supplied with the hinges. Repeat to
mount the remaining hinges.
Position the long and short lid panels (I,
J) on the cart with the finger-access hole
N
straddling the top-shelf divider (F). With the
O panels tight against the hinges and the edges
P flush with the outside faces of the side rails
(B), drill a mounting hole centered in the slot
Q of each hinge into the edges of the lids. (Note
that the hinges offset each panel " toward
R
the center, leaving a " gap between the
S panels.) Drive the screws. Then open the lids
and drill mounting holes centered in the
T
hinge holes and slots into the bottom faces of
U the lids. Drive the remaining screws.

V
W
X
Y
Z

Finish
up and
Cutting
Diagram
get ready to roll

Remove the casters, long and short lid

panels (I, J), and hinges. Sand any areas

Written by Owen Duvall

Project design: Jeff Mertz
Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine

Materials List
Part

FINISHED SIZE
Cutting Diagram

side stiles

"

2"

29"

side rails

"

2"

26"

end stiles

"

2"

29"

end rails

"

2"

14"

shelves

" 18"

31"

F
G

top-shelf divider
E
handle supports

"

1"

18"

"
1"

2"

14"

Matl. Qty.
P

handle

20"

I*

long lid panel

" 19" 24"

J*

short lid panel

" 19"

diam.

7"

*Parts initially cut oversize. See the instructions.

G
I
J
Materials key: Pplywood, Bbirch dowel.
Supplies: #10 biscuits (24), 3" rigid casters (2), 3" swivel
casters with brakes (2), -201" flathead machine screws
(16), " flat washers (16), " lock nuts (16), #81"
B
flathead wood screws (8), "-diameter self-adhesive
rubber bumpers (4).
Blade and bits: Dado-blade set, 1" Forstner bit, 3" bit
extender or magnetic drive guide.
B
A
Source
Hinges: 270 overlay hinges no. 15455, $7.99 A
pr. (2 pr.).
Call
click
800/279-4441; rockler.com.
xor48
x Rockler,
96" Plywood

4
5

Zwoodmagazine.com

2
3

H
1"-diam. Birch dowel 36" long

Cutting Diagram
E

of the cart that need it to 150 grit, and remove

the dust.
Apply two coats of a clear finish. (We used
Varathane Diamond Water-Based Polyurethane, sanding to 220 grit between coats.)
Finally, remount the casters and lid panels. Open the lid panels and install a pair
of "-diameter self-adhesive rubber bumpers
on each top side rail (B), where shown on
Drawing 1. Now clear off your workbench,
load the cart with your tools and supplies,
and start motoring around the shop.

B
B
A

A
x 48 x 96" Plywood

FILENAME:166UtilityCartCD.eps
Date: 4-05
Lorna J.
H
1"-diam. Birch dowel 36" long

91

shop-proven products
These woodworking wares earned three or more stars in our shop trials.

Box-joint blade set proves simple and precise

Whether Im making drawers or
decorative boxes, Ive always loved
the beautiful simplicity of the box
joint. But my dado set never left me
with perfectly flat bottoms between
the fingers. (The beveled teeth on the
outside blades leave a small pointed
gap in each corner.) Freuds Box
Joint Cutter Set is the answer to a
box-joint junkies prayers.
This 8"-diameter set consists of
two carbide-tipped blades, each with
20 flat-topped teeth. Like a dado set,
the blades stack side-by-side on your
tablesaws arbor. The teeth, though,
arent centered on the edge of the
blade for a reason, as you can see in
the photos, far right. Stack the blades
one way and the teeth cut a perfect
" slot; stack them the other way,
and the teeth offset to the outside for a
precise " slot.
The Box Joint Cutter Set made a strong
impression on me right out of the (ahem)
box. Clear, detailed instructionsincluding
plans for a simple, yet effective, box-joint

"
stack

"
stack

Dont let the products name limit you,

though. You can use the Box Joint Cutter
Set anywhere you need a " or " slot,
dado, or rabbet: drawer bottoms and case
backs come to mind.
Tested by Kevin Boyle

jighad me cutting perfect joints within

minutes. I made a couple of decorative
boxes, one with " fingers and the other
with " fingers, and was amazed at the
accuracy of the set. The joints on both boxes
fit tightly with no gaps on the first try.

Freud Box Joint Cutter Set (SBOX8)

Performance
Price

$80

Freud, Inc.
800/334-4107, freudtools.com

Make your own iron-on veneer with Heat Lock

Exotic wood veneers can turn a plain
wooden box or small project into an
eye-popping masterpiece. But the process
of gluing thin sheets of beautifully figured
wood to a substrate seems to intimidate
some woodworkers because they think they
need special equipment, such as a vacuum
press, to do the job right. Not so with Heat
Lock iron-on veneer adhesive.
Using a brush or glue roller, spread Heat
Lock onto both the substrate (a box top, for
instance) and the back of your veneerraw
or paper-backed. Then let it dry to the
touch, about 1520 minutes. Once dry, lay
the veneer on the substrate and heat it with
an ordinary clothes iron to form the bond.
I veneered a small box in quilted maple
using Heat Lock and found it easy to use.
Because the adhesive doesnt grab on
contact, I made fine adjustments to the
grain orientation directly on the workpiece,
something I couldnt have done with
contact cement. Putting an old cotton
T-shirt over the veneer to prevent scorching,
92

I ran a medium-hot iron over the

workpiece and could actually hear
the adhesive melting and bonding
under the iron. In just minutes, the
job was done with no clamping and
no special equipment.
A couple of caveats: The heatbonding process can shrink the
veneer because it removes
moisture, so the manufacturer
doesnt recommend it for bookmatching or other seaming. That
shrinking also tends to make
cracks and splits in the veneer even
larger. I found that using a little
steam from the iron minimized the
shrinkage problem.
For most of my veneer work on projects
without seams, though, Ill use Heat Lock
from now on. It cleans up with water and
doesnt choke me with strong solvent fumes
as contact cement does, or creep the way
that traditional woodworking glues tend to.
Tested by Kevin Boyle

Heat Lock iron-on veneer adhesive

Performance
Price

$14, pint; $35, gallon

Better Bond Adhesives, betterbond.com

Available from VeneerSupplies.com,
888/598-3633

continued on page 94

WOOD magazine

November 2005

Saw glide

shop-proven products
Magnetic saw guide proves attractive for dovetailers
The first time I tried to hand-cut dovetails, I
thought it would be easy: Simply lay out the
tails on one workpiece and start cutting.
Before I knew it, the saw started drifting off
my mark and, ultimately, my inaugural joint
wasnt particularly functional or pretty.
You wont have to worry about that with
the AngleMag magnetic saw guide. This
clever accessory uses magnets encased in a
plastic disc (the saw glide) to hold the saw
blade at any angle from -1 to +46. I was
surprised at how well the saw glide held
onto the saw yet didnt make the sawing
action more difficult.
Once set to an angle (I set it at 7), I cut
the left side of my tails, moving the saw
glide on its main shaft. Indexing grooves
every 90 around the shaft ensure that the
saw glide doesnt rotate. Then, to cut the
right side of the tails, I rotated the main
shaft 180 and cut the right tail sides. They
were a perfect mirror of the left cuts.
After using the tail cuts to mark the pin
locations on the mating workpiece, I rotated
the saw glide 90 (to the next groove on the
main shaft) and miter-cut the angle for the
94

pins. Finally, I rotated the saw

glide another 180 to complete the
pin cuts.
AngleMag is not a miracle in a
box, but its a great confidence
builder. You still have to measure
and mark precisely, place the saw
accurately, and chop out the waste
cleanly with a chisel. But knowing
that the saw will follow your layout
lines helps you produce well-fitting
dovetail joints. I used AngleMag
AngleMag
for joints besides dovetails too.

Performance
Hand-cutting box joints, bridle
Price
$133 (ppd.)
joints, even angled tenons is easy
and accurate.
anglemag.com
To cut stock narrower than 5", I
Available at 800/426-4613; toolsforworkingwood.com
clamped a scrap piece of the same
thickness into the vise next to AngleMag, as
About our product tests
shown in the photo. On wider workpieces,
We test hundreds of tools and accessories, but only
you can insert the main shaft in the opposite
those that earn at least three stars for performance
side of the body as you approach the edge of
make the final cut and appear in this section. Our
the board. This flexibility also makes
testers this issue include: cabinetmaker Pat Lowry,
AngleMag equally user friendly for left- or
and WOOD magazine staff member Kevin Boyle
right-handed woodworkers.
(senior design editor).
Tested by Pat Lowry

WOOD magazine

November 2005

great ideas for your shop

bandsaw
accessory
store-all
Keep your attachments
organized and at arms reach.

N
O
P
Q
R
S

hen WOOD magazine reader Perry

Johnson of Minneapolis got tired of
playing hide-and-seek with his bandsaws
miter gauge, fence, and smaller items,
he decided to corral them into one place.
His shelf is easily customized to fit your
accessories, and mounts to your bandsaw
in no time. If your
bandsaw doesnt sit
on an accommodating
cabinet, simply create
the optional wall
bracket and mount the
shelf near your saw.
To build the store-all,
cut two pieces of "
stock to 3" wide and the
length of your bandsaw
cabinet. On the top
piece trace the outline
of your miter gauge
and fence head. Cut
the openings slightly
oversize and glue the
two pieces together to
create the base with the
recesses. Drill a hole to
hold the hex-key wrench used for the guide
blocks and another hole to store the table
pin. Cut the "-thick front strips to hold the
fence and miter gauge in place. Glue the
strips in position. For a wall-mount shelf,
cut and add the wall bracket using glue and
wood screws.
Finally, using sheet-metal screws, secure
the shelf to the side of your bandsaw base.
Or, using wood screws, attach the shelf to
a wall.

See more

shop project
plans at

U
V
W

woodmagazine.com/shoptools

WALL BRACKET
(Optional)
#8 x 2" F.H.
wood screw

"

#8 x 1" F.H.
sheet-metal screw
Cut opening to
fit miter gauge.
"

16"

#8 x 1" F.H.
wood screw

BASE
16" or as long
as your bandsaw cabinet

1"

FRONT STRIP
"

2"

Hole size
to fit
table pin

Notches to fit accessories

Cut opening to
fit fence head.

*3"

Hole size to fit

hex-key wrench

*Expand if necessary for wall-mounted version

to allow clearance for miter-gauge handle.

X
Y
Z

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WOOD magazine

November 2005

Just some of the articles in the December/January issue (on sale November 22)

Projects for the home

FEATURED PROJECT
Multiuse game table
A reversible top provides a felt surface for a
friendly card game or a wood surface for board
games. Either way, your favorite beverage stays
close at hand on a clever built-in leg shelf.

High-stylin cheval mirror

This easel-backed floor mirror matches the
style of a popular maple-and-cherry bedroom
set presented in earlier issues.

Not-your-typical picture frame

Childs showcase

Toy storage/play table

Looking for a simple but attention-getting way

to present your favorite photos? This maple,
aluminum, and acrylic stand delivers!

Bring order to any childs room with this organizer. Theres plenty of space for awards, hats,
souvenirs, photos, and other knickknacks.

If youve picked up a youngsters toys lately, you know the need

for this project. It puts playthings at a comfortable height, and
keeps even the tiniest of pieces from scattering every which way.

Tools and techniques

Hot tools for 2006

Work smarter, not harder

Buying used machines

3 woods, 6 great finishes

Get the scoop on the latest new tools and

accessoriesthe ones deemed most
innovative and useful by our editors.

Master woodworker Jeff Lohr shares

his professional strategies for saving
time, money, and wood.

Pre-owned tools can be a great

deal...or a huge headache. Check
out these tips before you buy.

Learn simple, beautiful, and foolproof

finishing methods for maple (shown
above), cherry, and oak.

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WOOD magazine

November 2005

Better Homes and Gardens WOOD magazine (ISSN-0743-894X) is published seven times a year in February/March, April/May, June/July, September, October, November, and December/January by Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309-3023. For subscription questions call 800/374-9663. Outside the U.S.,
call 515/247-2981. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, Iowa, and additional mailing offices. Better Homes and Gardens trademark registered in Canada and Australia. Marca Registrada en Mxico. One-year subscription prices: U.S. and its possessions, $28; Canada, $41; other countries, $49. Canada Post Publications Mail
Sales Product Agreement No. 40069223. Canadian BN 12348 2887 RT. CANADIAN RETURN ADDRESS: Better Homes and Gardens WOOD magazine, 2744 Edna Street, Windsor, Ontario, N8Y 1V2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Better Homes and Gardens WOOD magazine, P.O. Box 37439, Boone, IA 50037-0439.

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