WSmith236 PDF

GUILD  EDITION
Woodsmith.com Vol. 40 / No. 236
BYRDCLIFFE-
INSPIRED
LINEN
PRESS
Also:
5fromTipsYour
to Get More
Jig Saw
Work Smarter & Safer
at the Table Saw
Learn The Essentials
for Better Sharpening
Quick & Easy
Cabinet Door Construction
WS236_001.indd 1 2/5/2018 12:44:13 PM
®
EDITOR Vincent Ancona

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Phil Huber
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Robert Kemp
ASSISTANT EDITORS Erich Lage, Logan Wittmer
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Bryan Nelson
from the editor
Sawdust
EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth
SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Harlan V. Clark,
Dirk Ver Steeg, Peter J. Larson
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bob Zimmerman
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Becky Kralicek
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chris Fitch

Every now and then, I come across a project that really grabs my
PROJECT DESIGNERS Dennis Volz, Dillon Baker
PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doyle attention as something that I’d like to build. But often, there’s an element to the
CAD SPECIALIST Steve Johnson design that makes me stop and question whether or not it’s beyond my abilities.
SHOP CRAFTSMAN Dana Myers
The heirloom project in this issue — the linen press on page 42 — is just such
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England
an example. This cabinet is a reproduction of a piece that was originally built in
ASSOCIATE STYLE DIRECTOR Rebecca Cunningham
SENIOR ELECTRONIC IMAGE SPECIALIST Allan Ruhnke the early 20th century at the Byrdcliffe artist colony in Woodstock, New York.
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Minniette Johnson From a woodworking standpoint, there’s nothing terribly demanding about
FOUNDING EDITOR Donald B. Peschke it. It’s built with frame and panel construction, along with a few dadoes and
MANAGING DIRECTOR CLIENT SOLUTIONS Dean Horowitz
grooves — nothing that you probably haven’t tackled before.
PUBLISHER Steven M. Nordmeyer
VICE PRESIDENT GENERAL MANAGER Peter H. Miller, Hon. AIA But the part of the linen press that is the most visually interesting — the door
Woodsmith® (ISSN 0164-4114) is published bimonthly by panels — is also the part that may seem the most challenging at first glance.
Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., 2143 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312.
Woodsmith® is a registered trademark of Cruz Bay Publishing. The panels are carved with a leaf motif and then painted to match the colors of
Copyright© 2018 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Subscriptions: Single copy: $6.95.
autumn. If you’ve never attempted either one, carving and painting are two skills
Canadian Subscriptions: Canada Post Agreement No. 40038201. Send change of
that may seem a bit daunting. And I have to admit that it seemed intimidating
Printed in U.S.A.
to me as well. But as I watched the project come together in our shop, I began
WoodsmithCustomerService.com to see that it wasn’t nearly as frightening as I first thought.
For starters, we created the carved look of the panels on our linen press not
ONLINE SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
by carving, but by cutting the pattern out of a thin blank on a scroll saw. After
• VIEW your account information
• RENEW your subscription the scroll-sawn panels are painted, they get glued down to a backer panel. This
• CHECK on a subscription payment gives the panels a sculpted look without all the work of having to carve them
• PAY your bill
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• VIEW/RENEW your gift subscriptions When it came to the painting, we tried out a couple of different techniques
• TELL US if you’ve missed an issue
CUSTOMER SERVICE Phone: 800-333-5075 weekdays
to find something that looked good, but was still fairly easy to do. We ended
SUBSCRIPTIONS EDITORIAL up using watercolor tubes. These paints are inexpensive and easy to mix and
Customer Service Woodsmith Magazine
P.O. Box 842 2143 Grand Avenue blend. We’ve also provided a “paint-by-number” chart, so you can get good
Des Moines, IA 50304-9961 Des Moines, IA 50312
subscriptions@augusthome.com woodsmith@woodsmith.com results even if you’re not a Rembrandt or Renoir. (You can read more about the
technique for making and painting the panels on page 52.)
The point I want to stress is not to let the idea of trying something unfamiliar
prevent you from undertaking a project. Often the best way to grow is to push
PRESIDENT & CEO Andrew W. Clurman
ourselves beyond the bounds of our comfort zones.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, TREASURER & CFO Michael Henry
CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER Jonathan Dorn
VICE PRESIDENT, AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Tom Masterson
VICE PRESIDENT, CONTROLLER Joseph Cohen
VICE PRESIDENT, RESEARCH Kristy Kaus
BOULDER HR DIRECTOR JoAnn Thomas
AIM BOARD CHAIR Efrem Zimbalist III
2 • Woodsmith / No. 236
WS236_002.indd 2 2/2/2018 1:32:35 PM

contentsNo. 236 April/May 2018
18
30
Projects
weekend project
Desk Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Put your band saw to work making the shade of this modern-
looking lamp. The technique is easy to master and a great way
to create a unique look.
shop project
Hand Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
With just a few scraps of wood and a weekend in the shop, 36
you can fashion your own hand plane that’s sure to become
one of your most-used tools.
designer project
Woven-Seat Stool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
After building the wood framework of this stool, you’ll have
the opportunity to expand your skills further by learning how to
weave the seat for a comfortable perch.
shop project
Router Table Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Using a commercial router table as the starting point, this
project adds plenty of storage for bits and accessories. As an
added bonus, it incorporates under-the-table dust collection.
heirloom project
Byrdcliffe-Inspired Linen Press . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Whether you decide to use it in the bedroom, dining room,
or living room, this handsome cabinet combines functional
storage with an attractive appearance.
42
Woodsmith.com • 3
WS236_002.indd 3 2/5/2018 11:14:11 AM

16
Departments
from our readers

Tips & Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
all about
Basswood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
router workshop
Blind & Through Slots . . . . . . . . . 12 56
great gear
Scrapers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
woodworking technique
Dowel Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
woodworking technique
Relief-Carved Panels . . . . . . . . . . 52
working with tools
Jig Saws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
in the shop
Woodworking Questions . . . . . . . 58
woodworking essentials
Basic Sharpening . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
mastering the table saw 62

Featherboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
WS236_004.indd 4 2/6/2018 3:21:06 PM

ro m o ur
f
readers
Tips &
Techniques
Quick Corner Chamfers
I find myself using corner chamfers on many projects. To
help speed up this sometimes lengthy process and get con-
sistent results, I built the jig that’s shown here.
ADJUSTABLE. The jig is attached to my disc sander and is adjust-
able through a pair of stop blocks. The
stop blocks hold a workpiece at a consis-
tent 45°. One stop block is fixed in place, %/16"-18 x 1!/4" knob a. TOP VIEW
while a narrow slot in the other allows STOP BLOCK 1 1!/4 !/2
45˚
for adjustability. Loosening a knob lets %/16" washer #/4
2 #/4
you to move the stop block to produce 4
different sized chamfers. #/8
#/4 BLOCK RUNNER
CONSTRUCTION. To build the jig, start
5!/2
by cutting the base out of plywood. A !/2"
groove houses a set of hardwood run- roundover b.
#/4
5!/2
ners that are attached to the bottom of 7
the stop blocks. The right stop block and STOP #/8
BLOCK
runner are glued in place. A slot is cut in #/8"-dia. hole #/8 3#/8
the left stop block. A T-nut is installed BASE
#/4 SIDE VIEW
into the bottom side of the base, and a
knob holds the left stop block in place.
12
To complete the jig, a hardwood runner c. NOTE: T-nut
is attached to the underside of the base. is counterbored !/16" 1#/4
%/16"-18 T-Nut to sit flush
This runner rides in the miter gauge 12 #/4 1"-dia. 2
slot that is on the disc sander table. 3!/2 counterbore
NOTE: Runners are
Jim Lewis #/8 " hardwood, all other
RUNNER
Los Angeles, California parts made from #/4" plywood
BOTTOM VIEW
#8 x 1" Fh woodscrew
Win This Forrest Blade

Simply send us your favorite
shop tips. If your tip or technique The Winner!
is selected as the featured Congratulations to
reader’s tip, you’ll win a Forrest Jim Lewis, the winner of
Woodworker II blade. To submit this Forrest Woodworker II.
your tip or technique, go to To find out how you can win
SubmitWoodsmithT ips.com. this blade, check out the
There you can upload your tips information at left.
and photos for consideration.
Woodsmith.com • 5
WS236_004.indd 5 2/2/2018 1:35:56 PM

Efficient Dado Setup
One of the most important things when cutting box joints is to
make sure the width of your dado blade matches the width of
the key on your jig. Dado blades come with a number of differ-
ent chippers and shims and it’s always a cat-and-mouse game
to get the right combination for a perfect fit. To help speed up
my setup process, I came up with this simple solution.
When setting up a dado blade for a box joint jig (or any other
jig that requires a dado blade), I use a marker to write directly
on the jig which combination of chippers and shims I used.
This allows me to quickly set up the jig the next time I use it.
Jim Longstaff
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Drawer Slide Outrigger

When recently building a bed from
Woodsmith, I realized that cutting some
of the large pieces on my table saw
would be cumbersome. Even with an
outrigger, it was hard to keep parts
square. That’s when I had an idea.
As you can see in the photo, I sim-
ply attached a drawer slide to a scrap
of wood. The block and slide can be
clamped in a portable workbench and
adjusted so the height is even with my
table saw. With the end of my workpiece
resting on the drawer slide, I can push
the board through the blade and make
a cut with little effort.
William Kilpatrick
Fonthill, Ontario
QUICK TIPS
Sharp Cheddar. Dana
Myers from Des Moines,
IA like to use an empty
grated cheese container
to discard his razors
and blades. After using
all of the contents
and washing it out,
the container finds a
home in Dana’s shop.
The lid makes it easy
to open and dispose of
Fixed Marking Gauge. Philip Braizer of Bristol, England sharp items. When the
uses a scrap piece of hardwood to make a fixed marking container is full, he can
gauge. Rabbets along each edge at different depths simply toss it in the trash
(#/8", !/2", #/4" and 1") provide quick, easy references for without worrying about
commonly used measurements. somebody getting cut.
WS236_006.indd 6 2/2/2018 10:14:02 AM

They See Me Scrollin’
When working on intricate scrollsaw panels, I was con-
stantly having to reposition my blade to new starting holes.
This requires loosening tension on the scroll saw arm,
unlocking the blade, and holding the arm up while trying
to feed the blade through a new starter hole.
To help ease the burden of holding up the arm, I came
up with this simple “armrest.” As you can see in the
photo, it’s a piece of scrap sized to fit under the scroll
Rare-earth saw arm. A magnet recessed in one side holds it to the
magnet
table while I’m working. Also, I cut a hole on one end to
act as a handle. To use it, I grab the handle and rotate it
into place. This cam action
lifts the scroll saw arm into
the upright position. Now,
both of my hands are free
and the arm is held up so I
can thread the delicate blade
through my starter holes.
Wyatt Myers
Olathe, Kansas
DIGITAL WOODSMITH
SUBMIT TIPS ONLINE
LINE
If you have an original shop
op
tip, we would like to hearr
from you and consider
publishing your tip in onee
or more of our publications.
ns.
Jump online and go to:
SubmitWoodsmithTips.com
om
You’ll be able to tell us all
about your tip and upload your
photos and drawings. You can also
mail your tips to “Woodsmith th Tips”
at the editorial address shown on
page 2. We will pay up to $200 if
we publish your tip.
Clamp Storage
As a woodworker ’s collection of RECEIVE FREE ETIPS
clamps grows, storage for all of them
can become problematic. But I found
BY EMAIL
Now you can have the best time-saving
a solution that’s perfect because it‘s I capped both ends with wood plugs
secrets, solutions, and techniques sent
both inexpensive and quick. so the screw pressure doesn’t distort directly to your email inbox. Just go to:
I grabbed a scrap piece of 2" PVC the PVC. I’ve found these clamp racks
pipe that I had left over from a pre- are useful all around the shop and can Woodsmith.com
vious project and drilled a series even be hung in areas that go typically and click on,
of holes sized to fit the bars on my unused, such as hanging from the ceil- “Woodsmith eTips”
clamps. On the front side, I drilled ing in my basement shop. You’ll receive one of our favorite tips
several holes to fasten the clamp rack Edward Wargo by email each and every week.
to the wall with long, panhead screws. Burlington, New Jersey
Woodsmith.com • 7
WS236_006.indd 7 2/2/2018 10:14:37 AM

Pocket Screw Workstation
Pocket screws are hard to beat when
you want a strong, accurate joint, and
you want it quickly. Whenever I find
myself using pocket screws, I usually
use a lot of them. So to make my pocket
hole jig even more efficient, I decided
to make the workstation shown here.
The workstation brings the pocket-
hole jig to a more comfortable working
height. And the large wings on each
side of the jig offer plenty of support
for long workpieces, even when you’re
drilling near the end of the workpiece.
BUILT-IN STORAGE. Another handy thing
about this station is the set of plastic
storage cases that are housed in a com-
partment below the worksurface. These
cases keep drill bits, pocket screws,
plugs, and all the necessary accessories
within reach while working.
a. TOP VIEW !/8
!/2 CONSTRUCTION. The majority of the
2!/4 workstation is made of plywood and
1#/4
is held together with pocket screws,
Support b. SIDE SECTION VIEW of course. A wide base allows you to
4 wing
4 1 Support Wing clamp it to the workbench when it’s
3!/4
in use. The sides are connected to a
!/8 Side subtop that has spacer strips attached.
#/4"-rad. NOTE: Spacing for Cleats
The spacer strips raise the top so that
Kreg Tool K4 jig
it’s flush with the pocket hole jig. The
Base
support wings get attached to the sub-
NOTE: Cut hand #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew top through these strips. A set of cleats
holes before
mounting wings in the front and back of the base keep
1" the storage cases in place.
roundover
PORTABILITY. Finally, the entire work-
Hand SUPPORT station can easily be carried to the
hole 2
WING bench using the hand holes. Simply
16
10!/2 9&/8 clamp the station to your bench to use
NOTE: Spacers are SUBTOP
!/4"hardwood. Cleats are it. When you’re done, pack everything
!/2" plywood. All back into the storage cases and slide
other parts are 1 4!/4
#/4" plywood SPACERS them back in place. A pair of holes in
21#/4 the base allows you to hang it wher-
NOTE: Sized to house 8!/2 ever you have room in your shop.
4 Plano cases (3650N)
CLEAT SIDE Fletcher Wittmer
Runnells, Iowa
8!/2 !/2 c.
1"-rad. BOTTOM VIEW
21#/4
SIDE
4!/8
Base
BASE
1"-dia. Wings overhang
NOTE: Holes in base
base for hanging 1
jig when storing 30
8!/2
WS236_008.indd 8 2/2/2018 10:15:13 AM

Plans Stand
Here’s a problem that almost every
woodworker can relate to. You’re in
the middle of a project and you need to
check your plans. Of course, your bench
is covered in tools and materials. It then
becomes something of a treasure hunt
trying to find your plans that are now
buried under all the mess.
To fix this frustrating problem, I built
the simple plan holder that you see
here. The unique thing about it is that
I installed a dowel on the bottom side
that is the same size as the dog holes on
my workbench. This allows me to posi-
tion the stand wherever there’s a dog
hole and the plans can be pivoted to any
position and will not fall over.
SLANT BASE. The construction of the plan
stand starts with a base that is glued up a. SIDE
SECTION
from three layers of plywood. The face VIEW Back
NOTE: All parts are
NOTE: Bottom of glued together
of the blank is then beveled at 70° to cre- Spacer 18
back, spacer, and
ate a wedge-shaped base. Stop stop are cut at 70°
Attached to the base are a back, a nar- 2#/4 before assembly
row spacer, and a hardboard lip. The bot- BACK
1&/16 11!/2
tom edges of each of these pieces are bev- &/8 !/2
BASE
eled at 70° to match the angle of the base. 70˚ 2 SPACER 18
The angle allows the magazine to stand
up without falling over, and the lip keeps
the pages spread open. After gluing all
18
of the parts together, the last thing to 18
do is drill a hole in the base for a dowel. 1!/2
NOTE: Stop !/2
Dan Martin is !/4" hardboard
Galena, Ohio all other parts !/2
are !/2" plywood
STOP !/8" roundover
!/4 #/4" dowel
QUICK TIPS
Pencil Holder. Robert
Patterson of Wisconsin
Rapids, WI came up with an
innovative solution to store
pencils at his machines.
He came across some
adhesive cable holders
at a local hardware store
and thought they would
make great pencil holders
for around the
shop. By cutting
Tape Depth Stop. Charles Mak of Calgary, Alberta uses a small section,
a trick to ensure that all of his hand-cut dovetails are cut he can stick them
to the same depth. He simply marks the depth of cut wherever he needs
with a piece of tape on his saw blade. This way he knows to have a pencil
to stop sawing when the tape kisses the workpiece. close at hand.
Woodsmith.com • 9
WS236_008.indd 9 2/2/2018 1:37:47 PM

all
about
Versatile
Basswood
Carving — that’s the first word that woods that are considered good for There’s an interesting history to the
comes to mind when woodworkers carving. This is due to the nature of name basswood. It’s derived from a
talk about basswood. And rightly how the tree grows. It has very straight, use for a part of the tree that’s often
so, basswood leads even, stable grain with hardly any knots. overlooked in this day and age. The
the pack of The structure of the thin-walled grain term bast is a Middle English term that
(the grain that’s so wonderful to carve), loosely translates as woody fibers. The
allows the wood’s high moisture content stringy, inner bark was in demand for
to dry quickly. And once it’s dry, bass- it’s rope-like characteristics. Whether or
wood is very stable wood. not the tree was actually called bastwood
As you can see in both photos on at any time, and when the ‘T’ disap-
this page, basswood is pale white to peared if it was, no one knows for sure.
light brown. This color transformation GROWING REGIONS. Four basswood family
happens as it passes from sapwood to members are native to North America,
heartwood. Quartersawn basswood has and there are over 20 kin in Europe and
a delicate fleck pattern. The sapwood the UK (known there as lime or linden).
that’s been air dried is the most prized The map on the next page shows the
among carvers in the know. areas where basswood is most promi-
A FAMILY AFFAIR. The tree from which nent in North America.
{ Basswood’s compliant nature makes basswood is derived is more commonly Of the four family members that grow
it great for carving. It’s also used as a known as linden, and it’s part of a large here, two are the focus for lumber har-
secondary wood and for case parts. family of trees known as the Tilia genus. vesting. These two versions of basswood
WS236_010.indd 10 2/6/2018 12:04:23 PM

are so close in nature that the industry Beyond these secondary wood
doesn’t bother with the distinction and applications, it’s used in scale
both are marketed as basswood. The model building, as well.
Great Lakes region, northeast United Basswood is often employed as
States, and eastern Canadian Provinces a core material in musical instru-
are where the majority of basswood ments, such as electric guitar
lumber comes from. bodies and sound boards for pia-
USES. Historically, basswood has filled nos. It’s also used for millwork,
many roles. As I mentioned earlier, bast, moldings, and wood shutters
or bast fiber, comes from the inner bark (interior) in general construc-
of basswood trees. And like jute, flax, tion. But there’s one more sweet
and hemp, it was an organic source for surprise when it comes to bass-
rope and string-like uses. Basswood is wood’s contributions. Basswood grows in these
34 states and provinces
used as a core wood for veneers and HONEY. Okay, technically this
fills the need of all sorts of behind-the- isn’t about the wood, it’s about
scenes cabinet-making requirements. the flower of the basswood tree. considered good for carving, basswood
The abundant nectar from bass- sits at the top. It’s well-behaved grain
wood flowers is a favorite of bees. slices off in a fluffy manner that leaves
The honey that’s made in the you feeling like you could make any-
process has a unique aroma and thing out of this compliant wood.
flavor. This honey is marketed as Prior to carving, you often shape the
basswood honey and sought out piece with a coping or scroll saw. Bass-
by many for its distinct flavor. wood’s fine grain is very agreeable to
A couple of cautionary notes both methods of cutting.
about basswood and exterior use. When cutting or shaping basswood
If the wood is painted and main- with other power tools, you’ll want to
tained like you see in the whirligig make sure all bits and blades are sharp.
below, it should be fine. But the Basswood’s dense makeup means that
material is not very rot resistant on it’s prone to burn marks from dull tools.
its own. I would not advise using The upside here is that basswood sands
basswood as a post or pole, or in very well, so the stray burn marks are
any setting where it’s in direct con- easily removed. Drilling and screwing
tact with the ground. isn’t a problem either. When all is said
{ With sharp tools, basswood is a joy to carve. Its CARVING AND CUTTING. Oh, yeah, and done, the versatility of basswood is
tight, straight grain yields to carving tools like a we were talking about carving. a pleasant surprise. W
hot knife through butter. Of the handful of woods that are – Erich Lage
A Closer Look: PUTTING BASSWOOD TO USE
{ This hand-carved whirligig made of { The blade of this pizza peel is the call to { Inlay is the role basswood plays in the
basswood is a great yard ornament. The duty for basswood. Its stable, straight making of this demilune table. It adds a
wood machines and takes paint very well. grain is lightweight and easy to handle. crisp contrast to the top of the table.
Woodsmith.com • 11
WS236_010.indd 11 2/6/2018 12:04:40 PM

router
p
worksho
Tips for better

Slots &
Grooves
Most of the time, when I need to cre- the thickness of the workpiece 1 With workpiece against fence, raise bit !/8"
into slot-start hole and cut to slot-end hole
ate a slot or groove, I turn to my table (slots), and those that are hidden
saw equipped with a dado blade. This (grooves). First, I’ll take a look at Slot-start hole Slot-end hole
works great when the cut runs all making slots.
the way through the workpiece from DEFINING THE SLOT. A simple SIDE SECTION
VIEW
end-to-end. But what do you do when straight-cutting bit is perfect
you need to make stopped or hidden for making a stopped slot (or
grooves and slots? Well, the answer for groove). But before heading
me is to rely on my router table. to the router table, its best to
There are two types of stopped cuts define the ends of the slot at 2
that are tailor-made for making at the the drill press. Choose a drill bit Continue cuts raising the bit slowly
until all the waste is removed
router table — those that extend through that matches the slot width and
drill the holes (left photo). Now,
when you move to the router
table, you’ll have clear starting
and stopping points.
THE SETUP. Begin the setup by
dropping one of the holes you
drilled in the workpiece over the router after each pass. You can see what I mean
bit. You can then lightly butt the router in the two Figures above. Particularly
fence against the workpiece and lock for hardwoods, you shouldn’t try to
it in place. The fence will guide the cut remove more than about 1⁄8" of material
from one hole to the other. in one pass to avoid burning the wood
But before turning on the router and or bogging down the router.
starting the cut, there’s one more thing Also, if the slot needs to be wider
{ Define the ends of the slot by drilling to consider. Depending on the thickness than the widest straight bit you have,
holes at both ends. The fence ensures of the workpiece, you may need to rout you’ll need to flip the workpiece around
proper alignment to the workpiece. the slot in multiple passes, raising the bit between passes and possibly reposition
WS236_012.indd 12 2/1/2018 2:14:23 PM

the fence to widen the slot in multiple 1 FIRST: For slots wider than your 2 SECOND: Flip the workpiece around
passes (Figures 1 and 2 at right), in addi- widest bit, rout from the start hole and rout the other side of the slot.
to the stop hole on one edge.
tion to raising the bit between passes.
Here again, the router fence plays Fence Fence
a critical role in this operation. You’ll
want to set the fence so the workpiece TOP VIEW TOP VIEW
is flush against the edge, with one of
the predrilled end holes over the bit.
Then, with the workpiece flat on the
table, turn on the router and run the
workpiece to the stop hole at the other
end before rotating the piece and mak-
ing the next pass. the workpiece in a place that will be the appropriate amount of material,
HIDDEN GROOVES. But what do you do visible during the cut. This may require you can butt the workpiece against the
when the groove doesn’t extend all transferring layout marks around an start block and slowly lower it onto the
the way through the workpiece? You edge, as shown in Photo 1. Here, I’m spinning bit (Figure 5). Then it’s just a
can’t drill holes through the workpiece setting up for cutting a hidden groove matter of routing to the stop block.
to define the starting and stopping on the edge of the workpiece. LONG PIECES. If your workpiece hap-
points. Here again, the router table Next, I use a drafting triangle to pens to be longer than the router table
will do the trick. But you need to do mark the edges of the straight bit on fence, like on the legs for the linen
some careful setup work for success. the router plate (Photo 2). You could press on page 42, you can omit the
SHORT PIECES. For short workpieces, the also make these marks on the fence if blocks and perform the same opera-
best course of action is to use a couple the workpiece is laying flat. Now, use tion. When you lower the workpiece
of stop blocks clamped to the router the workpiece to help position the stop onto the router bit, be sure to have a
table fence. This creates a positive blocks on the fence and clamp them in firm hold on the workpiece and lower
starting point and stopping point. place as shown in Photos 3 and 4. it about 1⁄8" to 1⁄4" away from the start
To prepare for this setup, start by With the fence set in position as mark. You can then backrout to remove
marking the location of the groove on before and the router bit set to remove this tiny bit of material without fear of
running past the end of the groove.
1 2 The next time you need to make
through or hidden slots in a project,
remember that the router table excels
at this operation. Just be sure to use
a careful setup and you’ll create pre-
cise slots and grooves every time. W
— Robert Kemp
5 WithSIDE SECTION
workpiece VIEW
against fence, pivot
{ Depending on where the groove is { Marking the edges of the bit on the router onto spinning bit, backrout to
the starting stop block, then rout
located, it may be necessary to transfer table (or fence) helps to determine where to the ending stop block
layout lines around a corner. to start and stop the workpiece.
3 4 SIDE VIEW
{ Position the workpiece so the layout line that shows the { With the first stop block in place, slide the workpiece over to line up the
starting point of the groove lines up with the mark that end-of-groove mark with the trailing edge of the router bit. Then, secure
represents the front edge of the bit and tighten the stop. the stop block as before. Figure 5, above, shows the rest of the process.
WS236_012.indd 13 2/1/2018 2:15:13 PM

great
gear
Specialty
Scrapers
The humble and economical card they get dull from use. Sandpaper pro- If you want to buy any of these, there’s
scraper was a “sustainable” tool before vides similar results, but compared to information in Sources on page 67.
sustainability was cool. Scrapers save scrapers, it’s a costly alternative. Here’s CUSTOM SHAPES. There are commercially
money in that you can renew their cut- a brief introduction to some scrapers made scrapers that’ll save you the time
ting edge time and time again when that go beyond the basic card scraper. and bother of coming up with custom
shop-made ones. The micro set that’s
shown at left gives you options for pre-
paring wood for finish. The set of four
are miniature versions of common card
scrapers you might already have.
If you’re cleaning up molding on a
larger scale, and you need to work with
a radius of a specific size, the convex and
concave scrapers from Woodcraft, in the
main photo, are just the ticket. Both these
sets of specialty scrapers are sharpened
in the same manner as card scrapers.
CHAIRMAKER’S SCRAPER. Moving a step
beyond the card scraper category,
you have what’s called a chairmak-
er’s scraper. This tool is designed to
< The micro set of scrapers help with the organic work of making
from Woodcraft come in spokes, round tenons, and other duties
handy when cleaning up called for in chairmaking.
moldings and trim. This scraper starts out with a thick
piece of high carbon steel for the blade.
WS236_014.indd 14 2/6/2018 12:02:55 PM

Multiple blade options
are a highlight of this scraper
{ The chairmaker’s scraper shown here is from Woodcraft. It comes as a set with a straight
aight
blade and the four shaped blades. If you’re looking for a scraper that you can customize,
mize,
but is a little more aggressive than a card scraper, this is the tool for you.
The blade has a notch that keys into the The large knob adds force to
the scrapers ability
handle of the scraper. The set shown
in the photo above comes with extra
blades that are milled to specific convex
and concave shapes. You also have the
option to create a custom profile with
one of the replacement blades.
The handle of the scraper, combined
with the knob that sits above the blade,
lets you put a lot of downward pressure
on the scraper. This tool is perfect for all
manner of shaping and smoothing tasks.
CARBIDE SCRAPERS. There are three tools
from Bahco/Sandvik to consider (pho-
tos at right). They all have handles { Removing dried glue is just the tip of the iceberg
that hold a replaceable blade, like the when it comes to what carbide scrapers can do. These
scraper we just looked at, and the big- scrapers are available from Lee Valley and Woodcraft.
gest one has a pressure knob, also. But
here the blade is totally different, it’s a Although the blades are considered
ered dis-
carbide scraper blade. posable you don’t have to throw them
Being made of carbide, they stay sharp away. With a diamond stone of 600- to
for a long time. But they can’t be shaped 1000-grit and some lapping fluid, you
and dressed like a traditional scraper. can extend their life (photo at right).
The one caution about using carbide
scrapers that I would offer is to go slow
with even pressure when you first use
these tools. These sharp blades will
quickly tear and gash a piece of wood.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST. A unique carbide { A diamond plate and some lubricant is
scraper to consider is the “Skraper” the best way to bring a crisp, sharp edge
from Benchcrafted. It has a carbide block back to a carbide scraper blade.
welded to a metal blade that’s attached
to a wood
woo handle. The wood way of what you’re doing. The edges of
handle is angled to the the carbide block give you eight crisp
metal plate. This lets you options when it comes to scraping
hold the scraper dead flat to wood. Digging in nooks and crannies,
Pitched handle allows the surface that you’re working and burrowing into tight spaces are all
you to hold the
scraper flat. on
on without your
without you hand getting in the in a day’s work for this handy tool.
After looking at the options here, I’m
< The versatile Skraper from Benchcrafted is an sure you’ll agree that the term “just
ingenious tool that quickly becomes a best scraping by” takes on a new light. W
friend in the shop. —Erich Lage
WS236_014.indd 15 2/6/2018 12:03:31 PM

w orking
wood nique
tech
Frame & Panel

Dowel
Joinery
Recently, a friend asked me to help make
some doors to enclose a bookcase in his
family room. Without a lot of wood-
working tools or expertise, he wanted
to know his options. I suggested making
the doors with dowel joinery.
One of the appeals of dowel joinery The one I’m using here is for 1⁄4" dowel for other drilling tasks. And I find that
is the low cost of entry. Most people joints. The drilling guide is designed to these create clean, consistent holes with
already have some kind of drill — even center the holes on 1⁄2"-thick stock. That a doweling jig, especially in end grain.
a small cordless drill works well for this doesn’t mean it’s limited to 1⁄2" material. To complete the joint, you’ll need
task. The photo below shows the other It just means the dowels will be off cen- dowels that match the holes. I prefer
items you need. At the heart of it is a ter, which doesn’t affect the strength. the spiral-fluted dowels like you see in
doweling jig. You can find jigs that range The other piece of equipment is a the photo. The flutes allow excess glue
from simple to fancy. I like the Rockler jig bit. Common twist bits do the job, but to escape but offer more smooth surface
because of its low cost and ease of use. I’ve been upgrading to brad-point bits area compared to straight-fluted dowels
for
fo a stronger glue joint.
!/4"-dia. spiral-fluted LAYOUT. Since you don’t need to account
dowels
for
fo joinery, cutting parts to size is sim-
ply
pl a matter of making clean, square
cuts
cu (upper left photo on the next page).
Now
N you’re ready to start making the
joints.
joi For this step, arrange the pieces
in their final orientation. Then use a
!/4" brad-point bit square
sq to mark the location of the dow-
els across the face of each piece, as in
the
th upper right photo on the next page.
How you mark the parts depends on
the
th jig. For this one, a single mark can
{ The Rockler doweling jig has a clear, acrylic fence with three layout lines for easy serve
se as a centerline for drilling two
alignment. Upgrading to a brad-point bit creates smooth, accurate holes. Spiral-fluted holes.
ho (The fence of the jig also has cen-
dowels provide more wood-to-wood contact. Turn to page 67 for sources. terlines for each guide hole.)
WS236_016.indd 16 2/5/2018 12:46:00 PM

HOW MANY DOWELS? The more dowels
you include in a joint, the stronger the
assembly is overall. At a minimum, the
joint should have no fewer than two
dowels. This prevents the pieces from
rotating. Space the dowels at least a
dowel width apart from each other.
For doors, you also need to consider
how a panel will be installed when you
lay out the holes. I often rout a rabbet
on the back face of the door to accept
a panel. So I locate the dowel holes so
I won’t rout into them after assembly.
SET UP THE BIT & JIG. Setting up the bit and
jig comes next. What’s important here
is the depth of the hole. It needs to be
slightly deeper than half the length of
the dowel. This way the dowel won’t { To end up with a tight-fitting joint, the { Use a square to mark a straight line
bottom out when you assemble the ends of the parts need to be cut to across both pieces to make aligning the
joint. And actually, a little extra depth accurate and consistent lengths. doweling jig easier.
provides a pocket for excess glue.
Don’t forget to take into account the vertical and drill down until you reach glue to the exposed portion of the dowel,
thickness of the dowel jig. You can use a the tape depth gauge. as shown in the lower right photo.
stop collar, but a piece of masking tape Retract the bit while it’s spinning to I also like to apply some glue to the
works just as well as a depth stop. clear the chips. Repeat the process to joint faces. Sure, this is an end-grain
Clamping the workpiece — in a vise drill all the holes at each joint. butt joint, so the glue isn’t adding much
or to a worksurface — keeps it from More than likely, there will still be strength. I use the glue here as a filler to
shifting. Then align the jig with your lay- some chips down in the holes. Those hide any tiny cosmetic gaps in the joint.
out marks and clamp it to the workpiece, need to be removed in order for the joint When you apply the clamps, be sure
as you can see in the main photo on the to come together tightly. the pressure is centered on the thickness
previous page and the lower left photo. ASSEMBLY. Having drilled the holes, of the parts. This keeps the frame flat
DRILLING DOWEL HOLES. In keeping with you’re now ready to grab the glue bot- and the joints tight on both the upper
the layout and setup, drilling the tle and clamps. The main strength of the and lower faces.
dowel holes is pretty clear-cut. All joint is in the dowels, so that’s where To turn the frame into a door, all you
you do is insert the bit into one of the your attention should be focused. Drib- need to do is rout a rabbet in the back
holes in the jig. The guide holes on the ble a little glue down the hole. Then face to form a pocket for the panel. The
dowel jig help keep the bit straight, but paint a little glue on half of the dowel. result is a strong and sturdy door that
that doesn’t relieve you of any role to Once you insert the dowels into the took very little time to make. W
play. Concentrate on keeping the drill holes, you can brush on a thin coat of —Phil Huber
{ Fold a piece of masking tape around the drill bit to create a flag { A little glue in both the hole and on the dowels ensures a good
that acts as a depth stop. When the flag brushes the top of the jig, joint. It’s also a good idea to apply a light coat of glue on the end
you know the hole is at the correct depth. of the rail to seal the visible joint edges.
WS236_016.indd 17 2/5/2018 12:46:25 PM

d
Weeken
Project
Desk
Lamp
Build this modern-
looking desk lamp
that’ll have people
asking, “How’d you
make that shade?”
When I first saw the concept drawings

for this desk lamp, I was pretty skepti-
cal. I didn’t think that we’d be able to
pull off the construction of the round,
“louvered” lampshade using com-
mon woodworking tools, or easy-to-
replicate methods. But I was quickly
proven wrong on both counts.
In fact, the shade was so simple to
build, you may find that you can turn
out a couple of these desk lamps in a
single weekend. The trick is to start
with a couple of squared-up blanks.
You then cut all of the joinery before
“bending” the shade halves together
to form a round shade. It may sound
difficult now, but I’ll walk you through
the entire process.
The remainder of the parts for the
lamp are just as easy to make. And
because of the small size of this project,
it’s the perfect place to showcase some
attractive wood. For the shade, I would Plus, you needn’t worry about the light bulb socket. Making the con-
recommend a lighter-colored wood so electrical side of this project. The only nection between the two is simple.
as not to “mute” the light from the bulb. pieces of electrical hardware required You’ll find more about the hardware
I chose beech for my shade and walnut are a two-wire cord with an inline in Sources on page 67. Now, take a look
for the rest of the lamp. switch and an inexpensive, phenolic at the next page to get started.
WS236_018.indd 18 2/5/2018 12:51:12 PM

NOTE: Shade blanks
b.
Starting the are made from
#/4"-thick hardwood
!/2
SHADE BLANKS a.
TOP VIEW
!/4
As promised, you’ll start construction #/4

on the desk lamp by cutting a couple #/8
of blanks to size for the two halves of
A
the lampshade. The drawings at right 10
SHADE
provide the dimensions you’ll need. BLANKS 5%/16 SIDE
Be sure the grain orientation runs in (need two VIEW
identical
the direction shown. This will ensure blanks) !/4
the parts bend to their final shape later !/4
!/8"-dia. !/8
on without breaking. hole 1
SIMPLE JOINERY. The first thing you’ll
need to do with your blanks is to cut #/8
a pair of dadoes on the inside face of
each one. These dadoes house the two
circular shade retainers that help to
hold the shade in position. For con- How-To: MAKE THE SHADE BLANKS
sistency, I made these cuts at the table
Aux. miter
saw using the miter gauge to hold 1 fence 2 Aux. rip
them square to the blade and the rip fence
fence as an edge guide (Figure 1). NOTE: Cut #/8" dado
!/4" dado A identical blade
blade A
Next, each blank needs a rabbet cut dadoes at
along both long edges, but on oppos- each end
ing faces. These rabbets allow the two

shade halves to interlock when bent,
forming the completed shade. I stayed a. a. !/4 END VIEW
at the table saw for this step as shown !/2 !/4 A END
in Figure 2, at right. Here, you can par- VIEW A
!/4 #/8
tially bury a dado blade in an auxiliary
rip fence to dial in the correct depth.
To soften the look at the top and
bottom of the shade, I chamfered the Dadoes for Retainers. Use a dado Rabbets. Widen the dado blade and
ends of each blank (Figure 3). The main blade in the table saw to cut the cut the rabbets on the long edges of
photo shows what this will look like dadoes for the shade retainer rings. each blank on opposite faces.
when the shade is finished. Be sure the
Aux.
blanks are positioned correctly to only 3 miter gauge 4 !/8"drill
bit
chamfer the outside ends. Then tilt the
saw blade 45° and make the cuts. Fence
The final step before moving on is A A
to drill a couple of holes along one
NOTE: Tilt
edge of each blank. When the lamp- blade 45°
shade halves are assembled later on,
these holes hold a couple of short a. SIDE a.
FRONT VIEW SECTION VIEW
dowels that act as attachment points
for installing the two uprights. #/8
A
For accuracy, I turned to the drill press
as shown in Figure 4 to make these holes. !/8
You’ll want to be sure you drill the holes
in the same edge on each shade blank. Chamfer Ends. Tilt the table saw Holes for Dowels. Use the drill press
With this portion of the blanks complete, blade 45° to chamfer the ends of to make the holes along the shade
turn the page to see the unique method both shade blanks. blank edge for the dowels.
for creating the louvers.
WS236_018.indd 19 2/5/2018 12:51:32 PM

a.
Completing the 5"-dia.
(outside) 3!/2"-dia.
(inside)
SIDE SECTION VIEW
SHADE A
B !/4
B
SHADE
Now that all of the joinery is done on RETAINER
the two lampshade halves, you can
b.
make the kerfs that allow the blanks to %/8 &/16
bend to their final shape. From there,
1
you’ll move on to making the two
shade retainers. These are nothing more
than thin hardwood discs that slip into
the dadoes in the shade openings and
help maintain the round shape of the
shade. These won’t be added until after
the shade is assembled. FRONT
The base and two-piece cord column VIEW
wrap up this portion of the lamp. After
that, you’ll add the electrical hardware SHADE
BLANK
and do a little assembly work. But for A
now, head to the band saw to complete 5"-dia. A
the shade blanks. (outer)
NOTE: Shade
LONG, THIN KERFS. There’s nothing com- #/8"-dia. retainers are
plicated about this next operation. hole B made from
!/4"-thick
Essentially, you’re cutting kerfs from hardwood
#/8 &/16 #/8
opposite ends of the blank, alternating
ends between cuts, to create a zig-zag
effect in the blanks. Detail ‘b’ at right both ends to represent the stopping point opposite end and make the next pass.
provides all the dimensions you’ll when making the cuts. Start in the center You’ll make nine cuts from one direction
need to cut the kerfs in each blank. and make the first cut. When complete, and ten from the other (detail ‘b’).
As you can see in Figure 1 below, shut off the saw and wait for the blade ASSEMBLE SHADE. Depending on how
I used the fence on my band saw as a to stop before backing the workpiece out cleanly your band saw blade cuts,
guide and a reference point for making of the blade. Now, move the fence 3⁄16" you may have to do a little sanding
each cut. I also marked a line 1" in from for the next cut, rotate the blank to the between the newly created “louvers.”
How-To: CREATE LOUVERS & ASSEMBLE THE SHADE

SECOND: Move
1 fence #/16" 2 3 Spacer
towards blade
THIRD: Rotate
blank and
make next cut
Stop a. TOP Top end

line VIEW of blank
FIRST: Set
fence and make
initial cut in 1 #/8 NOTE: Use a
center of blank NOTE: Let this 4"-dia. x 1"-thick
glueup dry completely spacer to maintain
#/16 before moving on shape during glueup
Opposing Kerfs. Using the band saw fence Staged Assembly. Overlap the Final Clamp. After the glue dries on
as a guide, making alternating cuts from each rabbets on the shade blanks and the first edge, wrap the halves and
end of the blank, moving the fence between. glue the edges together. glue the rabbets on the other edge.
WS236_020.indd 20 2/5/2018 12:51:58 PM

I then assembled the two shade halves CORD
a. %/8
as shown in Figures 2 and 3 on the pre- COLUMN
C BLANK
vious page. Make sure the glue sets up C C
completely after the initial glueup in #/8 %/8
NOTE: Parts
are made 5#/4
Figure 2. You can then bend the shade
from #/4"-thick
to its round shape and clamp the hardwood. TOP
Cord column #/16 VIEW
other side. You’ll find there’s plenty of blanks are
“springiness” to easily bend the shade. planed to
thickness b.
RETAINERS. Flip over to Shop Notes on #/8"-dia. x 1"
lamp nipple 1
page 64 to see how I made the two
!/2
shade retainers. These will be installed
#/8"-dia.
in the shade during the first phase of hole
assembly later on. BASE
D C Lamp
SIDE nipple
SECTION
COLUMN & BASE VIEW
Finally, you can tackle the two-piece
column and the sturdy base. The col- !/4
D
9!/2 !/4" roundover #/4
umn acts as a conduit for hiding the 6
electric cord. A couple of lamp nipples
Cord groove
are epoxied into either end of the column
— one for attaching the socket, and the
other to align the column with the base. halves together, and round over the channel on the bottom for the cord,
COLUMN FIRST. Making the column starts outside edges (Figure 2). as shown in Figure 3. I then rounded
by cutting the two blanks to size. You BASE NEXT. After cutting the base to over all of the edges (Figure 4) before
can then simply cut a groove down size and drilling the center hole, using epoxy to glue the nipples into
the center of each (Figure 1), glue the head to the router table to create the the column and the base.
How-To: MAKE THE COLUMN & BASE

1 a. END
2 Push
block
a.
VIEW END
Push VIEW
C
block !/8
C
#/16
!/4" roundover
Dado bit
blade
Dado Blanks. After cutting the column blanks to size, use a Round the Edges. After gluing the two cord column blanks
dado blade to cut the grooves down the center in two passes. together, round over all four edges at the router table. Use a
Turn the blank after the first pass to center the groove. push block again to keep your hands away from the bit.
3 Fence a. END VIEW 4 a. END

VIEW
Push
block Fence
D
D D D
NOTE: Rout
from edge to #/8
hole in center
#/8"-dia.
core box bit
!/4" roundover bit
Groove for Cord. Use a core box bit in the router table to Round Over Base Edges. You’ll stay at the router table to
make the groove on the underside of the base for the light round over all four edges of the base. Be sure to round over
cord. Rout in two passes, raising the bit after the first pass. the bottom, as well as the top edges.
WS236_020.indd 21 2/5/2018 12:52:13 PM

a.
Assembling the
LAMP
You’re well on the way to wrapping Secure wires
to terminals
up this desk lamp project. Some final on socket
assembly is all that’s left before mak-
ing the two hardwood uprights that
support the shade. I opted to make the
uprights last because it’s easier to mark b.
their location on the base after the hard- Lamp
ware and the shade are in place. Socket shade
assembly
I also applied a finish to the indi-
vidual parts at this point (check out
Sources on page 67). This avoids the Cord #/8" nut
wires (optional)
need to disassemble the lamp after add-
ing the hardware. After applying the Inline
finish, you can add the cord and socket. switch Lamp
base
CORD & SOCKET. The cord I used on my assembly
lamp has an inline switch located NOTE: Thread FRONT
socket onto SECTION
about 18" away from the end. Thread nipple, letting VIEW
cord turn freely
the end of the cord through the base,
cord column, lower retainer, and the
housing on the bottom of the socket as
shown at right. The threaded housing NOTE: Turn to
on the bottom of the socket I used was page 67 for
source information
long enough to secure the lower shade
retainer to the column when threaded to let the cord turn freely in the column lower retainer. Because the shade will
onto the nipple. If yours isn’t, you may as the light bulb socket is attached to pull back into shape, no glue is needed
need to thread a nut onto the nipple ensure it doesn’t become kinked. to hold the shade to the retainers. Now
(details ‘a’ and ‘b’). ATTACH SHADE. Because of the springi- it’s time to add the two uprights that
Now, the two wires are attached to the ness of the shade, securing it with the provide the stability for the shade.
socket terminals following the directions retainers is a simple process. I started
provided with the socket. With the wires by spreading the top of the shade open FINAL DETAILS
securely in place, thread the socket onto just enough to slide the upper retainer Beyond stability, the two uprights also
the exposed nipple (detail ‘b’). Be sure in place. Then do the same for the create a clean, streamlined look on the
Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Shade Blanks (2) 3⁄ x 55⁄ - 10
4 16 • (2) 3⁄8"-dia. x 1" Lamp Nipples
B Shade Retainer Blanks (2) 1⁄4 x 6 - 6 • (1) 6' Two-Conductor Cord
C Cord Column Blanks (2) 5⁄16 x 5⁄8 - 53⁄4 • (1) 81⁄2" x 12" Shoji Paper
D Base (1) 3⁄ x 6 - 91⁄ • (1) 40 Watt Light Bulb
4 2
E Uprights (2) 1 ⁄2 x 11⁄2 - 14 • (2) #6 x 21⁄2" Fh Woodscrews
• (1) Servalite Phenolic Socket • (4) 1⁄8"-dia. x 1" Dowels
• (1) 3⁄8" Nut (optional)
#/4"x 6" - 24" Beech (1.0 Bd. Ft.)
A A
{ Several styles of bulbs #/4"x 6 !/2" - 36" Walnut (1.6 Bd. Ft.)
are available to fit this B B
E
D
lamp. These vintage-look,
decorative bulbs work well. C
WS236_022.indd 22 2/5/2018 12:55:20 PM

desk lamp. While the parts themselves a.
%/8
are fairly straightforward to make,
Shoji
there’s a slight trick to installing them paper
(cut to fit) !/2
in the proper position against the shade
and base. Next, I’ll walk through that
process in detail.
CUT TO SHAPE. Detail ‘a’ at right provides
the dimensions you’ll need for cutting
the uprights to shape. For this, I made
a trip to the band saw (Figure 1, below). 8
Stay to the waste side of the layout line !/8"-dia. x 1"
and clean up the edge with sandpaper. dowels
I also softened the outside edges of
each workpiece at the router table as (/16
shown in Figure 2. Here again, I applied
14
a finish to the uprights before adding
them to the lamp.
ATTACHING UPRIGHTS. Positioning the E E 1!/2
UPRIGHT
uprights against the shade is the next
step. To do this, I used a couple of SIDE
SECTION
short nails with the heads clipped off VIEW
and placed in the holes in one side of 1
the lampshade (Figure 3). It’s then just
a matter of lining up one upright with NOTE: Uprights
#6 x 2!/2" are made from
the edge of the shade and pressing the Fh woodscrew !/2"-thick hardwood
upright against the nails. This will mark
the position where the corresponding
dowel holes need to be drilled. reassemble, driving screws into the The paper is stiff enough that it will
With this completed, you can install uprights from underneath. spring back open once inserted. If the
the dowels in the shade and uprights ADD SHOJI PAPER. In order to diffuse the ends overlap slightly, you can simply
(no glue yet). Then, take a pencil and light from the bulb, I added a piece of hide the joint behind one of the uprights.
mark the location of the bottom of the shoji paper that wraps the inside of the I opted for a decorative style light bulb
uprights on the base. From here, you shade. Simply cut the paper to size and with a vintage look, but several types
can drill the holes in the base (be sure gently roll it into a tube by overlapping would work (far left photo, previous
to counterbore them from the bot- the ends so that it will just fit into the page). With that in place, this project is
tom). Now, add glue to the dowels and opening in the upper retainer. ready to brighten your desktop. W
How-To: MAKE & INSTALL THE UPRIGHTS

1 2 E
3
Clipped-
head
nail
SIDE
a. VIEW a. TOP
VIEW
E
Mark
outline
of upright
Cut Profile. Head to the band saw Round Over Edges. Ease the outside Locate Uprights. Use a couple of short
to cut the two uprights to size. Clean edges at the router table. Leave the nails as centers to locate the dowel
up the saw marks with sandpaper. bottom and inside edges crisp. positions in the uprights.
WS236_022.indd 23 2/5/2018 12:55:48 PM

hkoepnd
Se
We
Project
Hand Plane
A simple design and a unique method of
securing the blade makes building this plane
an easy alternative to a traditional wood plane.
I have an incurable weakness when The problem is that making a traditional shown in the photo at left. As with
it comes to hand planes — especially wood plane and fitting the blade cor- other Hock blades I’ve used, it’s made
wood planes. There’s just something rectly can be time-consuming work. of high-quality steel and holds an edge
special about the look and “feel” of a Several years back, ShopNotes Maga- extremely well. And like most bench
wood-bodied plane. zine featured this easy-to-build, wood- plane blades, it comes with a cap iron
Cap iron bodied plane shown here. It utilizes as part of a matched set. See Sources
a straightforward method for on page 67 for more information about
holding the blade that takes where to buy this set.
all of the guesswork out of the But even a quality plane blade won’t
process. It’s so simple in fact, you work well unless it’s sharp. If you’re not
can build the plane in the
morning and be making
shavings in the afternoon. Materials & Supplies
BLADE & IRON SET. I A Front Block (1) 19⁄16 x 21⁄2 - 2
started with B Back Block (1) 1 ⁄16 x 21⁄2 - 41⁄2
9
a 11⁄2"-wide C Sides (2) 1⁄ x 21⁄ - 7

8 2
blade manu- 1
• (1) 1 ⁄2" Plane Blade w/Cap Iron
factured by • (1) 1⁄4"- 28 x 11⁄4" Cap Screw w/Washer
Blade Hock Tools, as
WS236_024.indd 24 1/30/2018 7:37:10 AM

familiar with sharpening techniques,
take a look at the article on page 60.
CORE. The logical place to begin this
project is with the core of the plane. It NOTE: Blank is !/16" thicker
than width of blade
consists of two wedge-shaped blocks,
as shown at right. When the sides are Hole location
2!/2
is determined using
added later, the blade fits in the open- cap iron
ing created by the two blocks. BACK BLOCK
B
Both blocks start out as a single
hardwood blank. I used a piece of FRONT
2!/2 BLOCK
hard maple. The thickness of this blank A
determines the width of the opening 40°
for the blade. To allow for some side- 4!/2
to-side blade adjustment, the blank is 70°
1⁄ " thicker (19⁄ ") than the width of
1(/16
16 16
the blade (11⁄2").
CUT BLOCKS. To provide clearance inside 1(/16 2
the plane for the shavings, the front
block is cut at a 70° angle. The angle of
the back block determines the cutting The secret is a socket head cap screw. in Figure 2. Then mark the location of
angle of the blade. For all-around use, It passes through a counterbored hole the hole with a brad point bit.
I cut it at a 40° angle and then trimmed in the back block and into the threaded Once the exit point is established, the
the block to length (Figure 1, below). hole in the cap iron. Tightening the trick is knowing where to start drill-
screw draws the cap iron tight against ing in the bottom of the block. This
MOUNTING SYSTEM the blade and locks it in place. depends on the distance from the tip
The next step is to provide a way to EXIT HOLE. In addition to securing the of the block to the mark. The idea is
mount the blade. This is where I took blade with a screw, the procedure for to clamp a stop block to the drill press
a slight detour from the traditional locating the hole is also a bit unusual. fence the same distance away from the
approach. Instead of a wood wedge The first step is to find the point where centerpoint of the bit (Figure 3). Then,
that exerts pressure from above, the the drill bit will exit. To do this, posi- with the back block upside down and
blade is “screwed” to the back block tion the cap iron so the tip is located the tip against the stop block, drill a
from the underside of the plane. just behind the cutting edge, as shown counterbored shank hole.
How-To: SHAPE THE BODY

1 Aux. miter
fence
2 3 %/8"Forstner
bit
Aux.
fence
Back
Waste block
A
B
Stop
block
Back block
THIRD: Measure
distance 'a'
Blade is 90° FIRST: Position a.
to saw table cap iron !/8" above !/4"-dia.
Waste cutting edge shank
hole
NOTE: Sandpaper
attached to auxiliary miter NOTE: Center SECOND: Mark %/8
fence prevents workpiece blade on exit hole with
from moving thickness brad point bit 'a'
of block
Cut the Blocks. From an oversized Locate Hole. Use the cap iron and a Drill Hole. Use an auxiliary fence and a
workpiece, cut the front and back blocks brad point drill bit to locate the hole in stop block at the drill press to accurately
to length at the table saw. the top of the back block. drill the hole in the back block.
WS236_024.indd 25 1/30/2018 7:38:11 AM

SIDE
C
NOTE: Resaw or plane

7 sides to !/8" thick
!/8
The SIDES B
After completing the plane’s core, 2!/2

work can begin on the sides of the
A
plane. The two sides are simply thin SIDE C
strips of hardwood that sandwich the
front and back blocks together.
Although any hardwood would
Keep sides flush with
work here, it’s the perfect opportu- edge of front block
nity to experiment with an unusual or
highly figured piece of wood. I chose
a piece of curly maple for the sides on shown in Figure 1, below. Note that I block creates an opening or “throat”
my hand plane. used a piece of waxed paper to protect in the sole of the plane for the blade,
Regardless of the wood you use, each the top from glue squeezeout. as shown in Figure 2a. The idea is to
side starts out as an 1⁄8"-thick blank create a tight fit for now.
that’s cut to a rough length of 7", as ASSEMBLY SET OPENING. An easy way to establish
shown at right. Attaching these blanks To avoid having to align all the parts at this opening is to use the blade and cap
to the front and back blocks does two once, I assembled the plane one block iron as a gauge. To do this, temporarily
things. First, it creates the opening for at a time. This makes it easier to check install the blade and cap iron set so the
the blade. Second, it forms the sole that the sides are straight and square. cutting edge is flush with the bottom
(bottom) of the plane. FRONT BLOCK. I attached the front block edge of the back block and just touches
FLAT SOLE. The sole keeps the blade a first. After applying glue to the sides the tip of the front block (Figure 2a).
consistent distance from the work- of the block, it’s just a matter of clamp- Later, you’ll fine-tune the throat open-
piece. So in order to produce an even ing the sides around it so they’re flush ing for making paper-thin shavings.
cut, it needs to be as flat as possible. at the end (Figure 1). To attach the back block, apply glue
To ensure that it’s flat, I used the THROAT OPENING. When the glue dries, to the sides of the block. Then spread
top of my table saw to align the bot- you’re ready to add the back block the sides apart just a bit as you slide the
tom edges of the sides and blocks, as to the assembly. The position of this block forward (Figure 2).
How-To: ASSEMBLE THE BODY

1 NOTE: Assemble 2 NOTE: Check that
sides are straight
SECOND: Apply glue and
slide back block
on flat surface and square to between sides
table FIRST: Install blade
(detail 'a')
C
a. Cap iron
Cutting edge
C
touches tip of Blade
front block Cap screw
A
Waxed
paper Back
block
Waxed
Glue sides flush paper Position cutting edge
with end of THIRD: Clamp Throat flush with bottom
front block back block opening of back block
in place
Staged Assembly. In order to keep the Adding the Back Block. Gluing the back block into the body determines the
bottom edges flush, glue the sides to throat opening for the blade. Use the blade and cap iron as a gauge (detail ‘a’)
the front block on a flat surface. to help locate the position of the back blocks
WS236_026.indd 26 1/30/2018 7:38:36 AM

For a printable version
of this full-size pattern,
Full-Size Pattern
visit Woodmith.com
Position dashed
line on angled part
of front block
Align bottom of pattern
flush with sole
When the cutting edge of the blade You can certainly customize the are shown in Figure 1, below. Then use
touches the tip of the front block, clamp shape of your own plane. But if you a sanding drum on the drill press to
the block in place. Finally, remove the want to use the pattern shown above sand up to the line.
blade and clean up any glue that may without cutting it out of the magazine, CROWN THE ENDS. There’s just one more
have squeezed out. you can go online to Woodsmith.com to thing to do to complete the basic
download a printable pattern. shape, and that’s to file the sharp cor-
SHAPING THE PLANE PAPER PATTERN. To position the pat- ners off both ends of the plane to form
With the sides in place, the next step is tern on the side of the plane, there’s a a gradual crown (Figure 2). To raise
to shape the body of the plane. I experi- dashed line representing the angled, the plane to a comfortable working
mented with several different shapes to inside edge of the front block. Simply height, I clamped it in a handscrew
find the most comfortable grip. line up this mark and attach the pat- that’s held in a vise.
The one I liked best has a rounded tern to the side of the plane with a SAND SMOOTH. All that’s left to do is to
back that fits in the palm of my hand. spray-on adhesive. sand the plane smooth. An easy way
And the curve on the top of the plane CUT TO SHAPE. With the pattern in place, to sand the ends is to use a strip of
lets me apply pressure without having the plane is ready to cut to rough sandpaper and “buff” the plane as
my finger slip off the block. (See full- shape. Start by cutting to within 1⁄16" if you’re shining a pair of shoes, as
size pattern above.) of the line on a band saw. The details shown in Figure 3.
How-To: SHAPE THE BODY

1 2 3
File crown
on each end
of plane
Pattern
a. BOTTOM
VIEW Vise
NOTE: Remove
plane blade %/16
before cutting
Waste
Cut to waste Handscrew Buff the ends with
side of line strips of sandpaper
Cut it Out. Staying to the waste side of Hand Shaping. Use a file to shape the Hand Sanding. Cut several long strips
the pattern line, cut the body to shape. ends of the plane. Detail ‘a’ shows the of sandpaper in different grits. Then
Then sand up to the line. shape you are aiming for on each end. “buff” the ends of the plane smooth.
WS236_026.indd 27 1/30/2018 7:38:50 AM

a. b. Cap iron
BOTTOM VIEW SIDE SECTION VIEW
Blade
Cutting edge
Cutting edge of blade is flush Cap
with sole iron
Front
block Blade
Washer
!/16" gap
Cap screw
Tuning the PLANE

Like any plane (wood or metal), this board 90° to the saw table as shown Plane
body
hand plane needs to be tuned up in Figure 1, below.
before you can use it. This takes a little Now it’s simply a matter of
patience. But the satisfaction you’ll get “scrubbing” the plane back and
seeing thin shavings curl off a work- forth across the sandpaper. To
piece is worth the effort. avoid sanding too much (and
opening up the throat too
TRUE THE SOLE wide), it’s a good idea to check
The key to this tune-up is to “true” the your progress frequently. Washer
sole (bottom) of the plane so it’s good CHECK THE OPENING. The idea is to
and flat. This does two things. make the opening in the sole just large !/4"-28 x 1!/4"
First, it ensures that the plane rides enough so shavings don’t clog up the cap screw
evenly across a workpiece, so you end plane. To check this, install the blade so
up with a smooth, consistent cut. Sec- the cutting edge is flush with the sole SQUARE OPENING. Once the opening
ond, it enlarges the throat opening for (detail ‘b’, above). What you’re look- is established, there’s just one more
a proper-fitting blade. ing for here is no more than a 1⁄16" gap thing to check. That’s to see if the
SAND BOTTOM. To flatten the sole, I place between the tip of the front block and front edge of the opening is square to
a piece of fine-grit sandpaper on a flat the blade as shown in detail ‘a,’ above. the sides (Figure 2). If it’s not square,
surface (like a table saw). Note: To pre- If the gap isn’t wide enough, remove remove the blade and carefully take a
vent the plane from rocking, clamp a the blade and continue sanding. few light passes with a file (Figure 3).
How-To: PREPARE THE PLANE FOR USE

1 2 3
NOTE: Clamp board
90° to saw table
File edge
of front
block only
Straight-
edge
board
Vise
Try
square NOTE:
Sandpaper NOTE: Remove
"Scrub" plane blade before
back and forth filing Handscrew
Flatten Sole. Using a straightedge Check for Square. Next, use a small Make Adjustment. If needed, use a file
board clamped to the saw table as a square to check that the throat is still to gently remove material from the front
guide, sand the bottom of the plane. square to the sides of the plane body. block, returning the throat to square.
WS236_028.indd 28 1/30/2018 7:39:14 AM

FINISH. Finally, to complete the plane FINE-TUNING. Before fine-tuning the
and protect the surface from getting blade, I make a trial cut. Depend-
dirty, I applied a couple coats of an oil ing on the thickness of the shaving,
finish. I used tung oil, but other oil fin- the blade can be raised (or lowered)
ishes will work, as well. by tapping the plane with a wood or
non-marring mallet.
ADJUSTING THE BLADE To make a shallower cut, tap the
As with any hand plane, the secret to back end of the plane body (Step 2).
getting paper-thin shavings is to use a Tapping the front of the plane moves
sharp blade, and adjust it so the cut- the blade forward for a deeper cut.
ting edge is just a whisker below the SQUARE THE BLADE. If you need to square
sole of the plane. the blade to the plane’s body, the pro-
I start by roughly positioning the cess is slightly different. The “high”
blade, as shown in Step 1, below. To corner of the blade is dropped into
hold it in place, the cap screw is tight- the cutting position by tapping on the { The blade is held in place by
ened with an Allen wrench so the opposite side of the plane as you can tightening the socket head cap
blade is snug (photo at right). see in Step 3. W screw with an Allen wrench.
How-To: ADJUST BLADE FOR USE

1 a.
SIDE SECTION Step 1: Position the Blade. The blade
VIEW
Position blade is positioned so the cutting edge is flush
by hand
with the sole (bottom). Then the cap
screw is tightened with an Allen wrench
Scrap until the blade is snug. This pulls the
Position blade cutting edge down just below the sole
flush with sole and
tighten cap screw of the plane.
2 NOTE: Use mallet a.

that won't mar plane
SIDE SECTION VIEW
Step 2: Adjust Depth of Cut. After
making a trial cut, you may need to
adjust the depth of cut. To make a
Back shallower cut, tap on the back of the
block plane with a mallet. To make a deeper
Tap on back of cut, tap the front of the plane.
Direction
plane to take a of force Blade moves
shallower cut back for
shallower cut
3 NOTE: Tap "solid" END VIEW a.

part of plane Step 3: Square the Blade. To maintain
a consistent depth of cut across the
High corner width of the blade, the cutting edge
of blade drops should be parallel with the sole. Striking
into cutting
position the plane’s body on the opposite side of
Tap plane
on low side the “high” corner drops the blade into
of blade the proper cutting position.
WS236_028.indd 29 1/30/2018 7:39:28 AM

r
Designe
Project
Woven-seat
Tall Stool
Strong, straightforward construction, along with
dynamic chamfers, make this stool something to see.
The Danish cord weave of the seat adds comfort as well.
There are times when it’s fun to shake Starting at the top, the material I used attractive, soft, and comfortable woven
things up. You know, go out on a limb for the seat isn’t wood. And the way I seat. This adds a handmade touch to
and see what a new view looks like. tapered the legs adds a flair that you the project. This style of weaving is
Now and again, I get the itch to color might want to try as well. known as a “Danish cord” weave.
outside the lines a little bit and see what GOOD BONES. The height of the stool is Instead of using traditional paper
happens. I acted on some of those urges perfect for use at a kitchen island, a stranded cord (known as “Danish cord”)
on this project and it worked out fine. raised bar in a family room, or multiple to weave the seat, I chose paracord. It’s
Okay, I admit, at first glance the stool other settings that require a quick and a strong cord that’s designed to be used
you see above doesn’t seem too wild, comfortable place to sit. As you can with parachutes. It comes in a wide vari-
but I did try a couple of new things. see here, the stool is topped off with an ety of colors to choose from also.
WS236_030.indd 30 2/5/2018 1:10:51 PM

Start with the LEGS a.
NOTE: Legs are glued up from
two pieces of 1"-thick
hardwood FRONT/BACK SIDE
LEG VIEW VIEW
A
I started the project by focusing on the %/8
legs. As you can see in the main draw- A 2
ing, the blanks for the legs are glued up 2
from 1"-thick stock. The grain doesn’t

10 A 3!/8
have to match perfectly, but avoid the
18
unwanted contrast of mating sapwood NOTE: Cut
mortises
to heartwood when pairing up the before
lumber. Detail ‘b’ shows the size you tapering
legs
need to trim the legs to before moving 1
on to making the mortises.
1!/2
MORTISE DETAILS. Each leg has four mor- #/8
30
tises — two at the top for the aprons
and two closer to the center of the legs
for the stretchers. Detail ‘a’ shows the
locations of all the mortises. First, I want
b. TOP VIEW
to focus on the mortises for the aprons.
To create a strong bond between the A A #/8
2
legs and aprons, I wanted the mortises
as deep as possible. As you can see in
detail ‘b’, these mortises will intersect at 2
the bottom. The way you cut the apron A

tenons will take this into account.
A A
Figure 1 below shows how I tackled NOTE: Alternate
each mortise on all the legs one at a time. beveled taper direction !/8" chamfer on top
on each edge of legs and bottom of legs
A stop block helps to keep the mortises
perfectly aligned to each other on all the
legs. Use a chisel to clean up the walls in opposing directions. The jig for mak- taper that expands in width as it pro-
and corners of the mortises. ing these tapers is shown in Figure 2b gresses. It’s easy to alternate the taper.
TAPERED CHAMFERS. When it came to below. It’s like most taper jigs with one After each pass, turn the leg to the next
dressing the edges of the legs, I decided exception — it’s used with the blade edge, and flip it end for end. Detail ‘b’
to create gradual tapers. I ran the tapers tilted 45°. Doing this lets me make a above shows how I oriented the legs.
How-To: MAKE THE MORTISES & TAPERS

#/8"-dia.
1 Brad point 2 NOTE: After
each pass, Cleat a.
bit
rotate leg END VIEW
and flip
end for end A 6
Base
Stop
block Base
A Tilt
blade 45°
a. b. b.
8 Cleat 2
Base TOP
A
1#/16 A 1 Cleat VIEW 2 Cleat &/16
4
END VIEW END VIEW 36
One Mortise at a Time. With a stop block in Beveled Tapers. First, tilt the table saw blade and make a rip cut on the sled
place, drill the mortise on each leg. Then move base. Then position the leg on the sled as shown in detail ‘b’ above. After fas-
the stop block for the next mortise. tening the cleats, cut each taper by turning the leg, and flipping end for end.
WS236_030.indd 31 2/5/2018 1:12:07 PM

NOTE: Nail holes are
B drilled after stool is assembled
FRONT/BACK a. END VIEW
C
APRON 18
B
C
C 2#/4
SIDE
APRON B 4!/2
&/8
NOTE: Aprons and E
stretchers are made
from &/8"-thick
hardwood #/8
12#/8
17%/8
D D 2
E 1!/2
D
FRONT/BACK
STRETCHER
E
b. FRONT VIEW
SIDE
STRETCHER
D
c. FRONT VIEW %/16 %/16 d. TOP SECTION VIEW
1#/16
&/8 1!/8
C
1
1!/4 !/16" #/4
dia.-hole B
!/4
1 E
NOTE: Drill holes
B 1#/8 for "L" nails after
stool is assembled !/4
1#/4 C
TENONS. The size of the tenons on the SLOT INFO. It’s a simple thing to make
Adding the aprons are going to give you a lot of
glue surface, making the stool very
the slot in the apron. It starts at the
bench laying out the endpoints, then
APRONS & strong. Detail ‘a’ shows the offset loca-
tion of the tenon on the front and back
drilling them at the drill press with a
Forstner bit (Figure 5).
STRETCHERS aprons (the tenon locations on the side

aprons and stretchers are shown here as
well). Figure 1 on the next page shows
A SMOOTH SLOT. The next order of busi-
ness is to set the fence of the router
table the distance needed to make the
Setting the completed legs aside, you you how to make the tenons on the lower edge of the slot. Detail ‘a’ in Fig-
can turn your attention to the aprons front and back aprons. ure 6 shows how to set that up. For the
and stretchers. I tackled making these Figure 2 shows you how to cut the sake of safety, I made the cut in multiple
remaining parts of the stool from the tenons on the side aprons. Since these passes, raising the router bit between
top down. This means starting with the are centered, you only have two blade passes. To finish the slot, I adjusted the
aprons, then working on the stretchers. height adjustments to make. When it fence (detail ‘b’) and repeated the pro-
DESIGN DETAILS. The drawing above comes to the stretcher tenons, although cess on the other edge of the slot.
shows that the front and back aprons different widths, you need only one ROUNDOVERS. After switching over to a
are wider than the side aprons. Adding setup to cut all of the tenons. roundover bit, I eased the edges on the
that feature into the stool gives a lot of One more detail needs to be addressed aprons and stretchers (Figure 7). All
stability at the top end of the chair. The on the tenons. As Figure 4 shows, you that’s left to do is round over the edge
other duty of the aprons is to act as the need to cut a 45° bevel on the ends of the of the slot. Take your time doing this to
frame for the weave of the chair seat. apron tenons so they don’t run into each avoid chipout (Figure 8).
One more detail to mention, the front other in the mortise. With that out of the After gluing up, staining, and finish-
and back aprons have a long slot in way, you can move over to the drill press ing the stool, the woodworking part of
them that makes for a convenient place and router table to focus on making the the project is complete. For a change of
to pick up the stool for moving. slot in the apron pieces. pace, it’s time to weave a seat.
WS236_032.indd 32 2/6/2018 3:21:57 PM

How-To: MACHINE THE APRONS & STRETCHERS a. END VIEW
a. END
VIEW !/4
1 2 C
Aux. B !/4
fence
Aux.
fence
B
C b. END
b. END c. END VIEW C
VIEW B VIEW
B 1
1#/16
1 #/8
#/8
Dado Dado
blade blade
Front & Back Aprons. The front and back aprons have a large tenon Side Aprons. The tenons on the side aprons are
that is offset on the workpiece. First cut the cheeks, then finish the centered on the workpiece. All it takes is setting the
shoulders. Reset the blade to cut the shoulders of the tenons. blade height to make the complete tenon.
3 Aux.
4 a. 5
FRONT VIEW
fence #/4"
B C Forstner bit
D E
Aux.
a. END VIEW fence B C
B a. 1#/8
!/4
B
D E
Dado Blade SIDE SECTION VIEW

blade tilted 45°
Stretchers. The smaller tenons on the Bevel the Tenons. The four apron Endpoints of the Slot. A Forstner bit
stretchers are centered like the tenons pieces have the ends of the tenons establishes the endpoints of the slot in
on the side aprons. beveled to make room for each other. the front and back aprons.
6 !/2" 7 8 #/8"
straight bit roundover
bit
B B
NOTE: Stretchers a. SIDE

a. SECTION b. SECTION a. and aprons get
SECTION VIEW
VIEW VIEW
1 1!/4" same roundovers
#/8"
roundover
B B bit
Routing the Slot. The slots in the aprons Roundovers. A roundover bit in the Round Over the Slot. To avoid any
are made with a straight bit at the router router table makes short work of chipout, take your time easing the edge
table. Do this in multiple passes. edging the aprons and stretchers. of the slot in the front and back aprons.
Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram (for one stool)

A Legs (4) 2 x 2 - 30 1"x 5" - 84" Cherry (Two boards @ 3.6 Bd. Ft. each)
7
B Front/Back Aprons (2) ⁄8 x 41⁄2 - 18 B A A
7
C Side Aprons (2) ⁄8 x 23⁄4 - 123⁄8
D Front/Back Stretchers (2) 7⁄8 x 2 - 175⁄8 1"x 3" - 96" Cherry (2.5 Bd. Ft.)
7
E Side Stretchers (2) ⁄8 x 11⁄2 - 123⁄8 C C
• (54) Danish cord nails D E
• 350' 550 Paracord
WS236_032.indd 33 2/5/2018 2:23:39 PM

Completing the
STOOL
Now that the tools are put away, the
shop’s cleaned up, and the stain and
finish are dry on the stool, it’s time to
weave the seat. This might seem intimi-
dating at first, but if you follow the steps
outlined here, you’ll have success in the
end. But before the cord starts flying, I
want to shed a little light on the particu-
lars of what I’m doing here.
THE PATTERN. The type of weave you’re
looking at in the photo at right is known
as a “Danish cord” weave. It’s closely
associated with a cord that’s made up PARACORD DETAILS. Paracord was origi- NAILS FIRST. There’s an “L”- shaped nail
of three wound strands of paper cord. nally designed to be used as suspension that’s used on the inside of the stool to
The cord, and this weaving technique, lines for parachutes. It’s a strong, light- secure the cord to the stool and turn
normally go hand in hand. But for this weight cord that’s available in multiple its direction back and forth across the
project, I wanted to go with a non- colors. In Sources on page 67, you’ll stool. Installing these nails is where I
traditional look, so I chose paracord. find details on this product. started (Steps 1 through 3 below).
How-To: START THE SEAT WEAVE

1 2 3
Nail Locations. I laid out the nail Drill Holes. After removing the paper, Set the Nails. Start by tapping the nails
locations on paper, then used an awl to I used a bit slightly smaller than the nail in place. Then use a piece of ¼" material
mark a starter hole for drilling. size to drill shallow starter holes. to set the nails to a uniform depth.
4 5 6
Starting the Warp Row. Tie a knot in Under and Over. Loop the cord under Over the Top. Loop the front apron and
the end of the cord and hook it over the the apron and over the top to the front. hook the cord on the first nail and return
first nail at the back of the stool. Keep the cord snug against the leg. under the apron to the top side.
WS236_034.indd 34 2/5/2018 1:15:02 PM

THE GEOGRAPHY OF WEAVING How-To: FINISH THE WEAVE
I’m going to take a moment to
describe the lay of the land when it 7 8
comes to weaving. This will help you
navigate the steps you see on both
pages. To start, the term row means a
group of paracord strands that vary
in quantity to fit the stool properly.
WARP ROWS. The rows of cord that
travel from front to back across the
big aprons and through the slots are
the warp rows (there are five strands Repeat. Pull the cord tight against the Warp Spacer. Establish the space
of cord in each of these rows). There’s first cord and repeat this process until the between the warp rows by winding four
a spacer row of turned cords (four warp row (five strands) is complete. strands of cord around the apron.
strands of cord) that separate each of
these rows creating openings for the 9 10
cord that will be woven across.
WEFT ROWS. The side to side rows are
the weft rows (three strands of cord).
They weave in and out of the warp
rows and have spacer rows (two
strands of cord) of their own. Both
rows start at one end of the stool,
turn back and forth on the nails, and
finish at the other end. On occasion, Opposite Spacer. Return to the other Splice. To create a splice, make a loop at
you’ll need to splice cord together to side of the stool and fill in the warp the desired endpoint of the cord. Use a
continue the weave. spacer (four strands). Repeat the process. spring clamp to hold the cord taut.
SPLICING. Each stool takes about 350'
of cord to weave. I found it’s best to 11 12
work with about 100' at a time (it’s
easier to feed around the spacer
rows). Step 10 shows you that the
best way to make a splice is to clamp
off the cord and position the splice
loop behind the apron out of sight.
Shop Notes on page 65 shows the
knot to use on the splice you see in
Step 11. When all the weaving is
done, Step 15 shows you how to lock Tie the Knot. Feed the new length of Tie Off the Warp Rows. To finish the
the weave in place. W cord into place and draw it tight. Finish row, tie the end of the cord to the last
the warp rows and spacers. nail while keeping the cord taut.
13 14 15
Weave the Weft. Alternate the weft Return. Complete the weft spacer row Lock in Place. When the weaving is
rows (three strands) over and under the (two strands). For ease of weaving, fold finished, tap the nails over the cords to
warp rows, with spacer rows in between. the cord and feed it to the other side. lock the weave in place.
WS236_034.indd 35 2/5/2018 1:15:33 PM

Shop
Project
Router table
Storage Cabinet { The
The rear
Th a of
ar of the
the router
ro
out
uter
e
table storage cabinet is
Fill the unused space under your commercial equipped with a duct
to attach to a dust
router table with a storage cabinet that’ll hold collection system.
all of your router bits and accessories.

I’m a big fan of my Kreg Precision Router And since the router table top over- on full-extension drawer slides for
Table. It has a spacious top for support- hangs in the rear, I let my cabinet run a smooth and trouble-free operation.
ing large workpieces, and the adjustable little deep to take maximum advantage BONUS DUST COLLECTION FEATURE. As if all
legs mean that I can customize the table of this “dead” space. that storage weren’t enough, I even
to comfortably fit my height. But the MULTIPLE BENEFITS. This all-plywood enclosed the area around the router so
open space under the top always both- storage cabinet yielded enough room I could link it to my shop’s dust col-
ered me. In my small shop, wasting any for a spacious drawer down below. lection system. In the rear, a standard
space just isn’t an option. It easily holds all of my router acces- HVAC duct is used as the out-flow
My solution was to build this storage sories, like wrenches and insert rings. dust port (inset photo).
cabinet you see above. It neatly slips The two slide-out storage units along A door in the front with a magnetic
into the opening between the router the sides have a series of “shelves” latch allows for access to the router. Plus,
stand’s legs and rests on the cross rails. for holding router bits. All three are a trio of fully functioning air-flow vents
WS236_036.indd 36 2/6/2018 8:44:15 AM

D Upper portion #8 x 1!/2" Fh CASE TOP
a. TOP SECTION VIEW b. !/4
of groove is woodscrew D C
covered by rear !/4 !/4
F panel later on
B
!/4
21!/2 E F SIDE
B A B !/4 SECTION !/4
5 VIEW
DRAWER 4 E
DIVIDER 21!/2
B A
C
B !/4
B 21!/2
DIVIDER 14&/8
c. FRONT SECTION VIEW
21!/2 9#/4
14#/8 #/4 3!/2 #/4
14&/8 B
14#/8 9#/4
SIDE
E
!/4 D !/4
DRAWER OPENING 5!/8
5 14&/8
BACK #8 x 1!/2" Fh
woodscrew
F F
A
BIT STORAGE
CASE BOTTOM OPENING BACK
C #/4
23&/8 21!/2
NOTE: Backs are made from !/4" hardboard.
All other parts are made from #/4" plywood !/4
E 4!/2
B B
aids the dust collection system in pulling information you’ll need for cutting !/4
the dust out the back of the unit. While these parts to size. And the How-To box !/4
I designed my storage cabinet around a below shows the joinery details. But let A
Kreg router table, the plan could easily me point out a couple of things. #/4 3!/2 #/4
be modified to fit any open-base table. MATERIAL CHOICE. With the exception of
the three 1⁄4" hardboard panels in the
CASE FIRST back, all of the parts are made from ply- cut in the interior of the dividers run
The logical starting point for this proj- wood. And since I didn’t want to cover from the top of the workpiece to the bot-
ect is with the interior “carcase” of the plywood edges (this is a shop proj- tom. But don’t worry about the exposed
the case. All of these parts fit together ect, after all), I used Baltic birch to avoid groove up top. It’ll be covered by the
with a series of dadoes, rabbets, and unsightly voids in the plys. rear dust panel later on. After cutting the
grooves. A little glue and some screws You’ll also notice that the back panels parts to size, you can assemble them. I
provide the mechanical holding power. fit into grooves cut in the surrounding left the sides off for now to make install-
The drawings above provide all the plywood parts. However, the grooves ing the slides easier later on.
How-To: CUT THE JOINERY IN THE CABINET PARTS

1 2 3
B
Aux. A B
fence
Dado blade Dado blade Dado blade
a. END VIEW a. END VIEW a. !/4

END
#/4 ply. #/4 ply. VIEW
4#/4 !/4
B !/4 !/4 A B
Dadoes in Dividers & Bottom. Load a Rabbets in Bottom & Tops. Stick with Grooves for Back Panels. Switch to
dado blade in the table saw to cut the a dado blade for creating the rabbets. a narrower dado blade for cutting the
dadoes in the bottom and dividers. An auxiliary rip fence is needed here. grooves that house the back panels.
WS236_036.indd 37 2/6/2018 8:44:50 AM

D
DRAWER
a. !/2 1 1!/2 DIVIDER b. TOP H
K
SECTION VIEW
G
I !/4 !/8
18" full-extension DRAWER
H BACK
I
!/2"-rad. drawer slides G %/8
K !/4 !/4 G 3!/2
J
11!%/16
FRONT SECTION VIEW Drawer slide
DRAWER SIDE
H
#8 x 1!/4" Fh
c. SIDE SECTION VIEW woodscrew
G J
H
I !/4 K
DRAWER
K !/4 FRONT
I G
DRAWER SE
E
FALSE
Pull FRONT
5!/4 H
18#/4 BOTTOM 11!%/16 J
11!%/16
SIDE SECTION VIEW d. 19#/4 13#/4
4
G H 4
!/4 I K
!/4
NOTE: Bottom and dividers are 4#/8
9!/2 made from !/4" hardboard. Pull
All other parts are #/4" plywood w/screws
Add the DRAWER & BIT STORAGE

Once the case of the storage cabinet is by cutting the rabbets on the ends of the a groove that runs around the interior
completed (less the two sides), you can front and back to form the tongues (Fig- of the drawer parts. I made this groove
now move on to making the drawer ure 1, below). Drilling the countersunk at the table saw with a narrow dado
and the two router bit storage slide- holes in the inside face of the front for blade (Figure 3). Using the same blade
outs. All three of these units utilize mounting the false front would be tricky setup, I cut the dadoes in the sides to
similar construction methods, includ- after assembly. So I stopped over at the hold the front and back pieces.
ing the use of false fronts. drill press to take care of them at this I also cut evenly-spaced dadoes in
HEAVY-DUTY DRAWER. The drawer is held point, as shown in Figure 2. the sides to hold a hardboard divider
together with tongue and dado joinery DADOES & GROOVES. The drawer bottom is or two. You can divide the drawer up
on the front, back, and sides. I started made from 1⁄4" hardboard. It’s housed in in whatever fashion suits your needs.
How-To: MAKE THE DRAWER PARTS

1 2 3
!/8" drill
bit
Aux. G
fence H
Fence
Dado blade G
a. END VIEW
Fence Dado blade a. END VIEW
!/4 !/4
!/4 H
%/8 G
Rabbet Fronts & Backs. Use a dado Mounting Holes. Before moving on, Grooves for Bottom. Cut a groove
blade buried in an auxiliary fence to cut drill the mounting holes for attaching in the drawer front, back, and sides to
the rabbets on the fronts and backs. the false front to the drawer front. hold the hardboard bottom.
WS236_038.indd 38 2/6/2018 10:18:22 AM

#/8" O.D. x !/4" I.D. - %/8" BIT STORAGE TOP a. SIDE SECTION VIEW
nylon sleeve 3 M
#8 x 1!/4" Fh !/4
18" full-extension woodscrew M O
drawer slides
M
19#/4 Drawer %/8
12&/16 slide
!/8 L
L
N
18!#/16
O N
3 3
3&/16 BIT
N
STORAGE
L 18!#/16 FALSE
FRONT
BIT
N O
STORAGE
BACK BIT 3
M STORAGE
SHELF 19#/4 12&/16
%/8" O.D. x !/2" I.D. - %/8"
nylon sleeve NOTE: All parts
are made from 3
L 14!/4
#/4" plywood
b. SIDE SECTION VIEW Pull NOTE: #/8" O.D. x !/4" I.D. - %/8"
nylon sleeves are inserted 3
in the upper storage shelf.
%/8" O.D. x !/2" I.D. - %/8" M L
N
1!/2 1!/2 2
nylon sleeves are inserted BIT STORAGE BIT STORAGE Pull
#/8"-dia. hole, L in the middle shelf & bottom. BOTTOM FRONT w/screws
N %/8"-deep
BIT SLIDE-OUTS BIT STORAGE HOLES. Before moving on

3 2
O
The two router bit storage slide-outs to assembly, you’ll need to drill the
%/8"-dia. hole, follow a similar tack as the drawer. And stopped holes in the two shelves (and
%/8"-deep M
that starts by cutting the rabbets in the the bottom) for holding router bits, as
3 2!/2
front and back to form the tongues on shown in Figure 2. Here again, you can
the ends, as well as drilling the mount- customize the size and placement of
ing holes for the false fronts. I also the holes to accommodate your bits.
took the time to cut the dadoes in these I opted to put all of my 1⁄2"-dia. shank
Now, assemble the drawer and two workpieces to hold the pair of bit bits in the bottom and lower shelf. The
make your dividers (detail ‘a’, previous shelves (Figure 1). Finish up the joinery top shelf holds 1⁄4"-dia. shank bits. And
page). A pair of full-extension drawer on the slide-outs by cutting the narrow to make sliding the bits in and out of the
slides, the false front, and handle com- kerfs in the top and bottom to capture holes easier, I slipped a nylon sleeve in
plete the drawer construction. the front and back. each hole (main drawing & detail ‘b’).
This means I drilled my holes oversized
How-To: MAKE THE BIT STORAGE SLIDE-OUTS to accept the sleeves. The sleeves were
simply cut to size from a couple of long
pieces of nylon tubing.
1 Auxilliary
miter fence 2 a.
ASSEMBLE AND INSTALL. You can assemble
the slide-outs with glue and clamps.
After the glue cures, you’ll add the
L
M full-extension slides. This task is made
much easier since the sides have yet to
%/8 be attached to the case.
When you’re satisfied with the func-
a. END VIEW tion of the slides, go ahead and attach
#/4 ply.
M
Dado 3#/4 %/8"
the sides to the case with glue and
blade !/4
L Forstner screws. After that, it’s just a matter of
bit
securing the false fronts with screws
and adding the handles.
Dadoes for Shelves. Cut the dadoes Stopped Holes for Bits. Set the stop You could stop here and have a fully-
in the front and back at the table saw. on the drill press for drilling the holes functioning storage cabinet. But if you’re
These support the shelves. in the shelves that hold the bits. interested in adding the dust collection
parts, turn the page to get started.
WS236_038.indd 39 2/6/2018 10:18:44 AM

a. SIDE
SECTION
2!/2 VIEW
#6 washer
P
PORT Magnetic
COVER touch latch
%/32"-dia. x Q #6 lock nut
%/8"-long axle
(port stop) Q
1!/2"
no-mortise
hinges
4!/4
Q Hinge
Q 9&/8 b. FRONT VIEW

#6 washer 2&/16 2&/16
AIR FLOW
#6 x 1!/4" DOOR 1
Machine P
screw
Magnetic
13&/8 touch latch
Q Q Q
NOTE: Door is made P

from #/4" plywood. Hinge
For full-size Port covers are !/4" hardboard 1
patterns, go to
Woodsmith.com
Making the AIR FLOW DOOR & DUST PORTS

By the very nature of a router, it’s dif- IN THE FRONT. The key to the effective- CUT OUT OPENINGS. The unique openings
ficult to catch all of the dust and debris ness of this dust collection system is in the door and the three port covers
created at a router table. But adding the the addition of the three air flow ports can be cut out using a jig saw (Figure
panels shown on these two pages goes a on the door. These rotating air vents 1). The openings in the port covers are
long way to contain a great deal of that can be opened to draw air into the slightly smaller than the openings in
mess. And another benefit of enclos- system when dust collection is in use, the door. This allows the port covers
ing the router with these panels is the or you can contain the mess when to completely block the openings in
reduced noise you’ll experience from dust collection is turned off by closing the door in the closed position. Scaled
an ear-splitting router motor. the port covers. patterns for both sizes are provided in
How-To: CUT OUT THE DUST COLLECTION PARTS

1 Jig saw 2 Air flow port 3
cover blank
NOTE: Turn to (!/4" hardboard) Jig saw
Shop Notes on
page 64 for more
about making the
port openings Cord
opening
P
R
Q
Q
Port Openings. A jig saw and a little Covers. Shop Notes on page 64 Rear Port Opening. After drilling
patience is all it takes to create the dust provides the pattern for the port covers, holes, use a jig saw to cut the opening
port openings in the door. as well as how to cut them out. in the rear panel for the dust port.
WS236_040.indd 40 2/6/2018 8:50:07 AM

a. SIDE b. REAR VIEW c. REAR VIEW
SECTION %/8
VIEW R
1!/4 10 3%/8
#6 x #/8" Ph
woodscrew 2!/2 2!/2
4#/8 1!/2"-dia. 1!/4
R
S
REAR FILLER REAR PANEL
S R
13&/8
13&/8
R
Center boot
duct
2
Center boot
duct
NOTE: Panel
and filler are
made from
#/4" plywood 9&/8
1!/4" pocket 1!/2" cord

hole screw grommet
Shop Notes on page 64. After the inter- drilled earlier to act as positive stops for are generally readily available at most
nal openings are cut out, I simply cut the ports (detail ‘a’ previous page). hardware stores and home centers.
out the port covers at the band saw The door itself is held to the case with A jig saw makes quick work of cut-
(Figure 2 on the previous page) and no-mortise hinges. A magnetic touch ting the opening in the panel (Figure 3,
sanded them smooth. latch keeps the door securely closed. previous page) and a small filler strip
Finally, you can secure the covers to OUT THE BACK. The rear panel acts as a glued along the top edge closes off the
the door with machine screws and lock mounting surface for the center boot gap. After drilling a hole for the router
nuts. You want them snug, but still be duct. This duct has a 4"-dia. open- cord, I held the rear panel in place with
able to turn them open and closed. I also ing that allows it to be hooked up to pocket screws. Now with all this extra
glued toy axles into the half-holes you a dust collection hose. These ducts space, you can start loading it up. W
Materials & Supplies

A Case Bottom (1) 3⁄ ply. - 237⁄ x 211⁄ S Rear Filler (1) 3⁄ ply. - 2 x 137⁄
4 8 2 4 8
B Dividers/Sides (4) 3⁄ ply. - 147⁄ x 211⁄ • (1) Kreg Precision Router Table (PRS1045)
4 8 2
C Drawer Dividers (1) 3⁄ ply. - 143⁄ x 211⁄ • (3) Utility Pulls
4 8 2
D Case Tops (2) 3⁄ ply. - 5 x 211⁄ • (3 pairs) 18" Drawer Slides
4 2
E Drawer Opening Back (1) 3⁄ ply. - 5 x 143⁄ • (30) #8 x 11⁄2" Fh Woodscrews
4 8
F Bit Storage Opening Backs (2) 3⁄ ply. - 4 x 147⁄ • (12) #8 x 11⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
4 8
G Drawer Fronts/Backs (2) 3⁄ ply. - 4 x 1115⁄ • (1 pair) 11⁄2" No-Mortise Hinges
4 16
ALSO NEEDED:
H Drawer Sides (2) 3⁄ ply. - 4 x 193⁄ • (1) Magnetic Touch Latch
4 4 Two 48"x 96" sheets of
I Drawer Bottom (1) 1⁄ hdbd. - 1115⁄ x 183⁄
4 16 4 • (1) Center Boot Duct #/4" Baltic birch plywood.
3⁄ ply. - 43⁄ x 133⁄ One 48"x 48" sheet of
J Drawer False Front (1) 4 8 4 • (3) #6 x 11⁄4" Machine Screws !/4" hardboard
K Drawer Dividers (2) 1⁄ hdbd. - 31⁄ x 1115⁄ • (6) #6 Washers
4 2 16
L Bit Storage Fronts/Backs (4) 3⁄ ply. - 3 x 127⁄ • (3) #6 Lock Nuts
4 16
M Bit Storage Tops/Bottoms (4) 3⁄ ply. - 3 x 193⁄ • (6) 11⁄4" Pocket Hole Screws
4 4
N Bit Storage Shelves (4) 3⁄ ply. - 3 x 1813⁄ • (4) #6 x 3⁄8" Ph Sheet Metal Screws
4 16
O Bit Storage False Fronts (2) 3⁄ ply. - 37⁄ x 141⁄ • (24) 5⁄8" O.D. x 1⁄2" I.D. - 5⁄8" Nylon Sleeves
4 16 4
P Air Flow Door (1) 3⁄ ply. - 97⁄ x 1313⁄ • (22) 3⁄8" O.D. x 1⁄4" I.D. - 5⁄8" Nylon Sleeves
4 8 16
Q Port Covers (3) 1⁄ hdbd. - 4 x 4 • (1) 11⁄2" Cord Grommet
4
R Rear Panel (1) 3⁄ ply. - 97⁄ x 137⁄ • (3) 5⁄32"-dia. x 5⁄8"-long Wooden Axles
4 8 8
WS236_040.indd 41 2/6/2018 8:50:23 AM

Heirloom
Project
Byrdcliffe-
Inspired
Linen Press
With colorful carved panels and a tinted-varnish
finish, this linen press is a joy to build and a
beautiful addition to any room in your house.
The first thing you’ll notice when you will set the linen press apart from any CLASSIC JOINERY. The linen press is built
look at this project are the carved pan- piece of furniture you own. with classic mortise and tenon joinery,
els in the doors. While they may look INSPIRED. The inspiration for this linen but with a twist. Frame and panel sides
complicated to create, don’t fear. You press came from an original that was pair with a plywood case to make con-
don’t need to be an artist or master built in the early 1900s at the Byrdcliffe struction a breeze. Some scroll saw work
carver to recreate the look seen here. A Artist’s Colony. This colony was started and innovative assembly makes the
few simple steps and some watercolors by Ralph Whitehead, whose goal was carved panels a cinch to put together.
are all that’s needed to bring these pan- to blend beautiful craftsmanship with A simple paint guide is easy to follow
els to life. The next thing you’ll notice an artist’s touch. Much like the original and will leave you with great results.
is the green-tinted quartersawn white in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the So grab your paint brush, dust off the
oak. A quick wash with a tinted-varnish linen press seen here embodies that. scroll saw, and let’s get started.
WS236_042.indd 42 2/2/2018 10:06:27 AM

Construction Overview / OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 35 ⁄ "W x 47 ⁄ "H x 17 ⁄ "D 1
4
5
8
3
8
Door panels are cut

on scroll saw and glued
to a backer for a carved look
Hardwood molding
gives the appearance
of a heavy, solid-wood top
Locking rabbet
joinery gives drawers
a clean and classic look Thin stiles and
thick rails set
the face frame apart
A plywood case
makes construction
simple and efficient
NOTE: The article on page 52

walks you through making and Frame and panel
painting the carved panels side assemblies capture NOTE: Sources for hardware
a plywood case can be found on page 67
< The carved panels set the

doors apart. They may
look complex, but we have
a clever technique that’s
surprisingly simple.
The quartersawn white >

oak and elegant details
give this linen press
a classic look that is
straightforward to build.
WS236_042.indd 43 2/2/2018 12:14:39 PM

28
a. b.
15 #/4" #/4"
B C
ply. ply.
2
B TOP
!/4 !/4
D A FRONT
A
BACK SECTION
DIVIDER VIEW
A A
C FRONT
35!/4 !/4
SIDE SECT.
!/4 VIEW
#/4"
ply. C
#/4"
B
36!/4 ply.
16!/8 16%/8
14!/2 28
#/4"
C 8#/4 c. ply. d.
8!/4
B #/4" C
ply.
28 !/4 !/4
15 D SIDE
e. SIDE SECTION
#/4" D SECTION
ply. VIEW D
B VIEW
BOTTOM !/4
!/4 !/4
#8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew NOTE: All C
parts made from A B
#/4"plywood
TOP
SECTION
VIEW
rabbets are needed in the side panels
Making the CASE and the top and bottom. A dado blade
in the table saw works well here. Fig-
I began the construction of the linen press most of the outside of the case will be ures 1 and 2 below show the details to
with the case. To simplify the process, covered up, you could opt to use a less cut these rabbets.
the case is built out of plywood and a expensive plywood. The dadoes in the sides are simple to
face frame is added to mask the plywood A PLYWOOD CASE. The case can be broken cut with a router and the How-To box
edges. Later, frame and panel assemblies down into a few parts that are joined below provides the details for cutting
will get glued to the outside of the case. together with a series of dadoes and them with a jig. The details on build-
To match the rest of the linen press, rabbets. To start, I cut the case sides, ing the router jig can be found in Shop
I chose to use quartersawn white oak top, and bottom to size. To attach the Notes on page 64. Once the side panels
plywood for the case. However, because top, bottom, and back of the case, a few are complete, I cut the dividers to size.
How-To: MAKE THE CASE & FRAME

1 2 3 Stop keeps
B sides aligned A
A
Aux.
rip
fence
A
#/4" dado #/4" dado

Jig #/4"
a. END VIEW a. END VIEW ply.
blade blade Clamp sides
#/4" ply. #/4" ply. together
Plywood
straight bit
!/4 !/4 NOTE: See
Shop Notes on Page 64
for details on building jig
Rabbet the Sides. Use a dado Top & Bottom. The same dado Cutting Side Dadoes. Clamp the sides together using
blade at the table saw to cut the blade setup is used for the rabbet a stop to keep everything aligned. Then clamp the jig in
rabbets in the sides. on the top and bottom. place to cut the dadoes in both side panels at once.
WS236_044.indd 44 2/2/2018 10:08:05 AM

BACK PANEL. With the joinery complete, I a. #/4
put everything together as a dry assem- 1!/8
E
bly to take a measurement for the back 1!/8 Rail is
E
panel. After cutting the back panel to FACE FRAME flush to
RAIL case top
size, rout the two dadoes for the divid-
F SIDE F
ers, as shown in Fig. 4. F VIEW
ASSEMBLY. The next order of business is 17#/4 FACE
to get everything assembled. Take your FRAME
STILE
#/4 b.
time and use the back panel to ensure F
that everything stays square. It’s impor- NOTE: Rails are made
from #/4"-thick hardwood.
tant that the shelf dividers, top, and Stiles are (/16"-thick hardwood E
bottom are all flush with the side pan-

els in the front. If they sit proud, the face Rails are
flush
frame won’t sit well when you attach it. F
Screws installed through the sides will SIDE

F
hold the case together as the glue dries. 6#/4 SECTION
VIEW
FACE FRAME F E
Now that the case is assembled and
dry, you can turn your attention to hid- E #/8
F
ing the plywood edges on the front of 7%/8
the case. To accomplish this, I used a
hardwood face frame. The hardwood c.
frame is easy to install and the differ- E
F
ent thicknesses of rails and stiles adds

some visual interest to the case. (/16
F
RAILS. Start with the four rails that E #/4
edge the case top, bottom, and divid- 29
ers. Use the case as a guide when NOTE: Measure TOP SECTION VIEW
stile length after
cutting the rails to length. What you’re installing rails on case
looking for is the rails to fit the width
of the case exactly. Attaching them is as as the rails. Once the glue on the rails the table saw. When gluing the stiles in
simple as gluing them to the plywood has dried, take careful measurements place, ensure that the outside edges are
edges and clamping them in place. to get a precise fit between the rails. Fig- flush with the sides. Using tape works
STILES. The stiles that cover the edges of ures 5 and 6 show the details for cutting well to hold all of the stiles in place
the sides are slightly different than the them to width and attaching them in while the glue dries. Finally, glue the
rails. They’re narrower and not as thick place. Start with an oversized blank at back panel in place.
4 5 6
NOTE: Apply glue to

Jig Push surface of face
block frame parts,
then secure them
D to case with tape
Rip
Masking
fence a. END (/16 tape
VIEW
W
#/4" ply. F
Waste #/4
Clamp jig against Oversized
one side of back stile blank
Cutting the Dadoes in the Back. Ripping Face Frame. To safely rip the Attaching Stiles. After cutting the
Clamp the jig tightly to the back panel face frame pieces, use a push block and stiles to length, use masking tape to
and rout the dadoes in two passes. keep the waste side against the fence. hold them in place while the glue dries.
WS236_044.indd 45 2/2/2018 10:08:20 AM

UPPER I 7!/4 NOTE: Side panels
SIDE RAIL Side assembly
are made from #/4" plywood. a. b. TOP SECTION
3#/8 All other parts are hardwood 1!/8 VIEW
H 5 1#/4 !/4
SIDE G
STILE I 2!/8 G !/4
NOTE: All mortises
L
and grooves are !#/16
MIDDLE UPPER !/4 #/8
SIDE #/8" deep #/4
SIDE 10#/8 L J H Case
RAIL PANEL !/4
side
J 7%/8 G !/4
!/4
J
H 3&/8 &/16
!/4 3&/8
37!/8 4!/2 #/8 !/2
POST
G L
G
G
M
c. FRONT
SECTION VIEW d. M
M 46
LOWER H
SIDE 15#/4 29#/4 H K G
PANEL #/4
G
I K
2!/8 5!/2
REAR
N #/4 #/4
P
RAIL 29#/4 3&/8 !/4 N
Case
3 !/4 bottom
O #/8 1
FRONT RAIL &/16
FRONT
H !/2 SECT.
5 H 5!/2 e. G Bottom face frame L VIEW
LOWER K
SIDE RAIL 6#/8
13!/4 3!/4
4#/8 3!#/16
CURVED
LOWER RAIL N 6!/2 O cornerstones of the linen press. The
1#/4 posts are ripped and planed to size
NOTE: Sides assembled first
then glued onto plywood case 3!/4-rad. 2!/16-rad. from 8/4 stock and then cut to length.
The two front posts receive a mortise
Add the SIDES 1#/8
4&/16
FRONT
VIEW for the front rail. A smaller mortise is
cut into the rear posts for the rear rail.
Now that the heart of the linen press lower rail adds a nice decorative detail. To hold the frames and lower rails, a
is complete, you can shift your focus The side assemblies are connected with long stopped groove is routed on the
to the side assemblies. The sides are a pair of rails in the front and back that inside face of each post. The router
a frame and panel design using stub support the case. table equipped with a straight bit
tenon and groove joinery. A pair of long SQUARE POSTS. I started the side assem- makes quick work of this. The How-To
posts captures the frames and a curved blies with the square posts that are the box below provides the details.
How-To: CUT THE MORTISES & GROOVES IN LEGS

1 Line on fence aligns
with front of bit 2 3
Front
Start mark of bit
Start mark
3&/8
7%/8 Start line
1&/8 5!/4 Stop mark
G POST (rear)
3&/8
Stop mark
!/4" straight
a. END VIEW a. END VIEW a. END VIEW
bit G !/4
1!/8 !/4 !#/16 !/4 Start at layout #/4
POST (front)
line and rout
#/8 #/8 slot through end #/8
of the post
Rear Post Mortise. Cut the mortise Front Post Mortise. The same process is Post Grooves. Use a straight bit
in the rear post by lowering it onto a used to cut the mortises in the front posts at the router table to create the
straight bit and stopping at the line. for the front rail. stopped groove for the stiles.
WS236_046.indd 46 2/2/2018 10:08:40 AM

FRAME AND PANEL How-To: COMPLETE THE FRAMES
With the posts cut to size and the join-
ery done, you can turn your attention 1 2
to the rest of the side assembly. A pair
H
of stiles on each side holds three rails. Aux. H
Between the rails are two plywood rip

fence
panels that are rabbeted to fit into Rip
grooves in the rails and stiles. When fence
cutting the rails to size, make sure to a. END a. END VIEW
note that the upper, middle and lower VIEW Dado #/8
blade
rails are all different widths. A thicker, !/4
!/4
curved lower rail sits at the base of the #/8
frame and panel assembly.
STILES. The stiles for the side assemblies
have a long tongue on one edge and a Grooves. Cut the grooves in the rails Tongue. Stay at the table saw and
centered groove on the other. Figures 1 and stiles at the table saw. Flip pieces use a dado blade buried in an auxiliary
and 2 show the details for cutting these. end-for-end to keep grooves centered. fence to cut the tongue on the stiles.
RAILS. Like I mentioned before, the
three rails that make up the frame are 3 a. END VIEW
4
different widths. The upper rail is the
#/8
widest, followed by the middle, then I N
Aux. miter
the lower rail. The upper and lower rail fence !/4 J
!/4 K
receive centered grooves on the inside Aux.
I J 1#/8
K 5%/8 -rad.
edges while the middle rail receives rip
fence
centered grooves on both edges. Stub Scrap block
tenons are cut on the ends of each rail b. END VIEW for layout
1#/8
to fit the grooves cut in the side stiles. #/8
!/4
!/4
While cutting the tenons for the rails, Dado
blade !/2
I cut the tenons on the front, rear and N
curved lower rail. Figure 3 shows how

I went about cutting the tenons.
PLYWOOD PANELS. The rails and stiles Stub Tenons. Using the same dado Side Arcs. Use a scrap block to mark
capture two plywood panels that are blade and auxiliary fence setup, cut the your center point for the side arcs and
different sizes. To fit the plywood pan- tenons on the rails with a miter gauge. use a compass to draw the arch.
els into the grooves, a rabbet is cut
around the outside creating a tongue 5 6
(details on previous page). I cut these
panels and the rabbets next.
CURVED LOWER RAIL. Finally, a curved
lower rail sits below the frame assembly. Stay inside O
layout line
You can head over to the band saw and
Make cut to
cut the curve on the bottom side of this N inside radius first
rail. Stay to the outside of the layout line
and sand to the line after you’re done See Shop Notes on
(Figures 4 and 5). page 64 for cleaning
up straight section
BRINGING IT TOGETHER. Working from the
inside out, glue up the panels, stiles, Cut Arcs. Cut the arc to shape at Front Rail. Cut the profile in the front
and rails. Then attach the posts making the band saw, staying just inside the rail at the band saw. Start with the
sure not to forget the curved lower rail. layout line. Sand down to the line. larger arc first, then cut the smaller.
Clamp everything together and let it dry.
DECORATIVE FRONT RAIL. The two side Start off by laying the case on its back After the first side assembly is dry,
assemblies are connected with front on the bench. Next, apply glue to the you can glue the front and rear rails
and rear rails. To cut the profile on the inside of the posts on one of the side into their mortises. With these in place,
front rail, see Figure 6. assemblies. The side assembly is then repeat the process of gluing the other
MARRY THE SIDES. With the side assemblies positioned with the top and back flush side assembly to the case and clamp
dry, you can attach them to the case. to the case and clamped tight. everything together.
WS236_046.indd 47 2/2/2018 10:08:52 AM

S
Q
TOP 33!/4 T
1 16#/8
35!/4
S 17#/8
TOP SIDE
EDGING 3 34!/2
3 &/8 TOP FRONT R
EDGING
V TOP FILLER
U
28!/2 TOP FRONT
NOTE: Edging is made from 17 MOLDING
#/4" -thick hardwood. T
Filler and molding are made
from &/8"-thick hardwood. TOP SIDE #8 x 1#/4" Fh
Top is #/4" plywood MOLDING woodscrews
a. b. c. d.
FRONT SECTION VIEW SIDE SECTION VIEW SIDE SECTION VIEW
S Q Q S Q
Face
T 45 °
T Post
T V V frame V
U
1
Leg Side 1 Case top
1#/8 rail 1#/8
TOP VIEW
Construct the TOP & DRAWERS

The next order of business is to add edging for the top, instead of solid the edges of the plywood. After ripping
a top to the linen press. I knew that I wood. Second, it allows me to add the hardwood edging to size, miter the
wanted to dress up the top and keep it molding pieces below the top and rout corners at the table saw and attach it to
true to the original. To do this, I built a profile along the edge, making the the top with glue.
the top in a few separate pieces, like top appear much thicker. MOLDING. Now, you can move on to the
you see in the drawing above. This HARDWOOD-EDGED TOP. To start with, I molding that wraps around the top. To
does a couple of things. First, it allows cut the top out of a piece of plywood. create this molding, start with a piece of
me to use plywood with hardwood Much like the case, you’ll want to cover stock that is a little over 72" long. Rip
the blank to width at the table saw but
How-To: ROUT THE MOLDING & CUT MITERS don’t cut the miters yet.
At this point, you’ll want to rout your
profile along the length of the blank.
Aux. miter
1 2 fence
This ensures that the profile will match
perfectly around the entire top. With
T U
the profile routed, cut the molding to
Long molding length and miter the ends.
blank
ATTACHING THE TOP. Before installing the
NOTE: Rotate miter top on the case, I attached the molding
gauge 45°
to the top. Some glue and a few pin nails
Ogee bit
a. END VIEW a. are the ticket here. The glue secures the
Waste molding to the top and the pin nails pre-
#/16 vent the molding from slipping when
TOP clamps are applied. To offer support
VIEW
along the back edge of the top, I added
a filler piece. The filler piece is the same
Rout Molding. With an ogee bit in Miter Corners. Use an auxiliary fence thickness as the molding and is glued in
the router table, rout a blank that is on the miter gauge to cut the molding place. With the molding attached, it’s a
approximately 72" long. blank to the correct lengths. simple matter of securing the top to the
case with screws.
WS236_048.indd 48 2/2/2018 10:09:19 AM

UPPER
AA BB DRAWER
NOTE: Upper and lower
BACK
drawer parts are 6!!/16
DRAWERS same lengths, but
AA
different heights
Now that the case has taken shape, you UPPER 6!!/16
can start thinking about drawers. The DRAWER
SIDE
Z
case you built earlier has two openings
UPPER DRAWER X Y
for drawers — a large, lower drawer FRONT LOWER
and a smaller, upper drawer. To match 26!%/16 DRAWER
7(/16 BACK
the rest of the linen press, the fronts of 26!%/16
4!/4
the drawers are made from quarter- Bail pull
CC DRAWER
sawn white oak. But the sides and the BOTTOM
back of the drawer are made from hard 13(/16
maple. Some maple plywood will do
for the bottom. The construction pro- X
W LOWER
cess is the same for both drawers. LOWER DRAWER DRAWER
DRAWER FRONTS. To keep a clean, seam- FRONT
27&/16 7(/16 SIDE
less look on the front of the drawers,
the drawer fronts are connected to the NOTE: Drawer fronts are made
from #/4"-thick hardwood.
boxes using locking rabbet joints. The Drawer sides and backs are made 14!!/16
How-To box below walks you through from !/2"-thick hardwood.
Bottoms are !/4" plywood
all of the steps involved in cutting the
locking rabbet joint. All that’s needed a. X b. c. W
!/4
is a table saw with a dado blade. These AA !/2 Z
!/4
Y
!/4
joints could also be cut at the router !/4 BB
!/4 !/2
table with a straight bit. #/4 W Z
#/8
DRAWER BOXES. With the locking rabbet
X Y BB
cut on the drawer front and the match- !/4 CC
TOP VIEW AA TOP VIEW SIDE SECTION VIEW
ing tongue on the sides, you can finish
out the drawer boxes.
To hold the plywood drawer bottom, ticket here. Make sure to check your parts you can glue everything together.
a groove is cut along the bottom face in as you go and sneak up on a perfect fit. A pair of clamps across the drawer
the sides, front, and back, as shown in ASSEMBLY. After the drawer parts are should be all you need here, but you
detail ‘c’. A dado blade in the table saw cut and the joinery is in place, you’re can use a pair of long clamps to pull
makes quick work of cutting the groove. ready to assemble the drawers. I the drawers into square if they need
The back of the drawer is held in place started by prefinishing the fronts of a minor adjustment. Once the glue is
with a shallow dado cut into the sides of the drawers. See page 51 for the finish- dry, the drawer pulls can be installed
the drawer. Again, a dado blade is the ing details. After the finish has dried, (see Sources on page 67).
How-To: CUT THE LOCKING RABBET & DRAWER DADOES

1 2 Aux. miter
fence 3
Aux.rip
fence X
W Z
Tall aux. Rip AA
W Z
rip fence fence
a. END Remove portion of a. END VIEW a. END VIEW

#/8 VIEW shoulder on inside !/4
of drawer front !/4" dado blade
!/4
!/4
!/2 !/2
#/8" dado
blade !/4
Groove. Use a tall auxiliary fence at the Cut a Tongue. With a miter gauge, Dado the Sides. Remove the auxiliary
table saw and a dado blade to cut a remove the shoulder from the inside of fence and use a dado blade to cut a
groove on the end of the drawer fronts. the drawer front, creating a tongue. dado in the drawer sides.
WS236_048.indd 49 2/2/2018 10:09:32 AM

I I DOOR STOP
a. b.
Magnetic catch Case
E E 3(/16
#/8 side
NOTE: For information 3#/4 !/16
on hinge mortises, see 1
Shop Notes on page 66 !/16 !/16
BACKER
GG
PANEL #/8
Face DD
2(/16 E E CARVED I I frame
PANEL SIDE
!/16 SECT. Hinge
HH F F VIEW TOP SECTION VIEW
2 17%/8
11!/8
17%/8 c.
!/4
F F #/8 #/8
2" ball
tip F F F F
hinge 1!/8"-dia.
knob 1 E E
E E
DD !/4
7!/8 4 I I
BOTTOM SECTION VIEW

3(/16
F F DD
INNER OUTER DOOR
DOOR STILE
E E STILE 7!/4
rabbet along the edge to create a ship
E E lap when the doors are closed. Figure 2
DOOR RAIL shows this process.
NOTE: See page 52
to create the NOTE: Door rails and CARVED PANELS. The carved panels that
door panels stiles are #/4"-thick hardwood. are inset in the doors seem intimidat-
Backer panel is %/16"-thick basswood.
Carved panel is #/16"-thick basswood ing at first. After reading the article
on page 52, however, the process will
For full-size patterns be less mysterious. After the carved
Build the DOORS for the door panels,
go to Woodsmith.com panel is complete, it’s glued onto a pre-
finished backer panel. The panels then
Undoubtedly, the focal point of the linen DOOR FRAME. The door frames utilize receive a rabbet on the table saw using
press is the doors. The eye-catching color stub tenon and groove joinery. A deco- a dado blade. Figure 3 gives the details
on the carved panels stand out in con- rative bead is cut on the router table on on this. To assemble the doors, start by
trast to the remainder of the piece. The the right-hand inner stile. The details pre-finishing the rails and stiles. After
doors are a simple construction, consist- for the bead are shown in Figure 1. The the frame dries, you can insert the pan-
ing of a frame and panel. inner stile of each door also receives a els and glue the doors together.
How-To: PANEL RABBET & DOOR BEAD

1 2 3
HH
F F
F F
Aux. rip Aux. rip
fence fence
GG
Fence
a. !/4
END
!/2" dado a. END VIEW a. END VIEW
VIEW !/4
blade
!/8" rad. !/2" dado #/8
bead bit blade
#/8 !/4
Cutting Bead. At the router table, use a Rabbet Inner Stiles. With a dado blade Rabbet Door Panel. Cut a rabbet
beading bit to cut a bead on the outside and auxiliary fence, cut a rabbet on the on the back of the door panels at the
edge of the right inner door stile. inner rails so they’ll overlap. table saw with a dado blade.
WS236_050.indd 50 2/2/2018 12:04:24 PM

FINISHING To mix the tinted varnish, 16 parts of
With the construction of the linen press high-performance polyurethane water-
complete, you can add hinges and a based topcoat is mixed with two parts
knob to the doors. Page 64 has details on green water-based dye. The tinted dye
mortising the hinges in the doors. The is brushed on and allowed to dry for 24
hinges aren’t mortised in the cabinet, hours. After drying, the entire cabinet
however. A door stop and a pair of mag- was sanded with 400-grit sandpaper.
netic catches are installed on the inside After sanding, three coats of Gen-
of the case to hold the doors closed. eral Finishes Arm-R-Seal was wiped on,
FINISHING DETAILS. The entire linen press sanding with 400-grit between coats.
(with the exception of the carved pan- With the final coat dry, the drawer
els) is finished with a tinted varnish, pulls can be installed. Now, the only { The carved doors on the linen press
followed by multiple coats of General thing left to do is sit back and admire set it apart. To read more on making
Finishes Arm-R-Seal. your work of art. W the door panels, check out page 52.
Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Sides (2) 3⁄ ply. - 15 x 361⁄ O Front Rail (1) 1 x 51⁄2 - 293⁄4 CC Dwr. Bottoms (2) 1⁄4 ply. - 139⁄16 x 2615⁄16
4 4
B Case Bottom/Top (2) 3⁄ ply. - 15 x 28 P Rear Rail (1) 1 x 21⁄8 - 293⁄4 DD Outer Door Stiles (2) 3⁄ x 39⁄ - 175⁄
4 4 16 8
C Dividers (2) 3⁄ ply. - 141⁄ x 28 Q Top (1) 3⁄ ply. - 163⁄ x 331⁄ EE Door Rails (4) 3⁄ x 39⁄ - 71⁄
4 2 4 8 4 4 16 4
D Back (1) 3⁄ ply. - 28 x 351⁄ R Front Top Edging (1) 3⁄ x 1 - 351⁄ FF Inner Door Stiles (2) 3⁄ x 33⁄ - 175⁄
4 4 4 4 4 4 8
E Face Frame Rails (4) 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 29 S Side Top Edgings (2) 3⁄ x 1 - 173⁄ GG Backer Panels (2) 5⁄ x 71⁄ - 111⁄
4 8 4 8 16 8 8
F Face Frame Stiles 9⁄ x 3⁄ - 74 rgh. T Side Top Moldings (2) 7⁄ x 3 - 17 HH Carved Panels (2 3⁄ x 71⁄ - 111⁄
16 4 8 16 8 8
G Posts (4) 13⁄4 x 13⁄4 - 46 U Front Top Molding (1) 7⁄ x 3 - 341⁄
8 2 II Door Stop (1) 3⁄ x 1 - 4
8
H Side Stiles (4) 3⁄ x 33⁄ - 371⁄ V Top Filler (1) 7⁄ x 3 - 281⁄
4 8 8 8 2
I Upper Side Rails (2) 3⁄ x 5 - 71⁄ W Low. Drawer Front (1) 3⁄4 x 79⁄16 - 277⁄16 • (1) Knob
4 4
J Middle Side Rails (2) 3⁄ x 41⁄ - 71⁄ X Low. Drawer Sides (2) 1⁄2 x 79⁄16 - 1411⁄16 • (4) Bail Pulls
4 2 4
K Lower Side Rails (2) 3⁄ x 3 - 71⁄ Y Low. Drawer Back (1) 1⁄2 x 79⁄16 - 2615⁄16 • (2 pairs) 2" Door Hinges w/screws
4 4
L Upper Side Panels (2) 3⁄4 ply. - 103⁄8 x 71⁄4 Z Upp. Drawer Front (1) 3⁄4 x 611⁄16 - 277⁄16 • (2) Magnetic Catches with Plates
M Lower Side Panels (2) 3⁄4 ply. - 153⁄4 x 71⁄4 AA Upp. Drawer Sides (2) 1⁄2 x 611⁄16 - 1411⁄16 • (24) #8 x 11⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
N Curved Lower Rails (2) 1 x 5 - 131⁄4 BB Upp. Drawer Back (1) 1⁄2 x 611⁄16 - 2615⁄16 • (8) #8 x 13⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
!/2"x 7" - 60" Hard Maple (2.9 Sq. Ft.) !/2"x 4"- 48" Basswood (Two Boards @ 1.3 Sq. Ft. each)
GG GG HH HH
AA AA BB
!/2"x 8" - 60" Hard Maple (3.3 Sq. Ft.)

ALSO NEEDED: One 48"x 96" sheet of #/4" white oak plywood
One 24"x 24" sheet of !/4" hard maple plywood
X X Y
#/4"x 7" - 96" White Oak (Two Boards @ 4.7 Bd. Ft. each)
H FF DD J K
I
H EE EE
E
#/4"x 8!/2" -96" White Oak (5.7 Bd. Ft.) F
W Z
1"x 6" - 60" White Oak (3.1 Bd. Ft.) II S R
O N N
1"x 6!/2" - 84" White Oak (4.7 Bd. Ft.)

T U
T V P
1#/4"x 4" - 96" White Oak (5.3 Bd. Ft.)

G G
G G
WS236_050.indd 51 2/2/2018 10:11:44 AM

w orking
wood nique
tech
Relief-carved
Panels
The doors for the Brydcliffe-inspired carving tools to soften the profile and on a scroll saw. Here, I’ve chosen 3⁄16"-
linen press on page 42 look intimidat- create detail. After paint is applied, the thick basswood for the carved panels
ing at first. However, what appear to carved panel is adhered to the second and 5⁄16"-thick basswood for the backer
be relief-carved panels turn out to be part of the puzzle —a backer panel. panels. You could choose another type
something a little different. Let me When paired with the carved panel, of softer hardwood, such as poplar. The
explain. The panels are comprised of this gives the appearance of a relief- four blanks are milled to final dimen-
two parts. The first is a front panel carved door with a fraction of the work. sions and the backer panels are set aside.
that has had a little work done. You’ll BASSWOOD BLANKS. The blanks that are PATTERN. As with most scroll saw
start by using a scroll saw to remove used to create the door are best made work, I started with a pattern. The pat-
the waste, then you’ll use some simple using wood that is soft and easy to cut terns I used can be seen at left. Note
that there are two different patterns—
PATTERN LEFT (Enlarge 400%) PATTERN RIGHT (Enlarge 400%) one for the right door and one for the
left door. These patterns can either be
enlarged from this page, or you can
download and print full-sized ver-
sions at Woodsmith.com.
MOUNTING THE PATTERN. To attach the pat-
terns to the basswood, apply a thin,
even layer of spray adhesive over the
entire back of the pattern. Center it
on the blank and press down firmly
(Photo 1 at the top of the next page).
By using a thin layer of spray adhesive,
the pattern stays in place, but is easy to
remove when the time comes.
Full-size patterns for the

relief-carved panels are
available at Woodsmith.com
WS236_052.indd 52 2/5/2018 1:27:39 PM

DRILL STARTER HOLES. Because none of the 1
waste that needs to be removed at the
scroll saw is on the edge of the blank,
you’ll first have to drill access holes for
the scroll saw blade. At the drill press,
I used a 1⁄8" brad-point bit to drill the
access holes through the panel, as
you see in Photo 2, below. Remember,
the waste that you’re removing is the
dark-colored sections of the patterns. I
like to keep my access holes towards
the middle of each waste section so
that if any splintering occurs on the
back side, it’s unlikely that it will
reach the edge of my cut.
THE SAW. After the access holes are
drilled, you’re ready to move over to
the scroll saw. Before we start sawing, { Apply spray adhesive to the back side of the pattern. Align it so that it’s centered on the
however, there are a few things to pay blank and press it firmly in place. Using light coats of the spray adhesive will ensure the
special attention to. First, take a look pattern stays on the blank but is easy to remove when all of the sawing is complete.
at the scroll saw blades you have. To
saw the delicate, thin basswood that HOW WE SCROLL. With the proper blade smooth and symmetrical. If your cut
these panels are made from, select a selected and the tension set, you’re veers off course, just cut gracefully back
scroll saw blade that has a medium ready to start sawing. Begin by remov- towards the pattern. You’ll be refining the
tooth — a #4 blade should be just ing the waste from the smaller sections edges with some files a little later, so any
about right. If you don’t have a lot of that are around the perimeter of the mistakes can be smoothed out.
scroll saw experience, a spiral blade blank. With a spiral blade, you can keep After all of the waste is removed from
cuts in any direction and can provide the workpiece in a fixed orientation and the smaller perimeter sections, you can
good results, also. the blade will cut in any direction you move to the smaller waste sections in the
The second thing to check on is blade move the workpiece. middle of the panel (Photo 3). By remov-
tension. A good rule of thumb is that Although you’re trying to follow the ing the small sections first, the remaining
the blade, under proper tension, should pattern and remove only the dark por- larger sections help maintain the strength
flex no more than 1⁄8" in any direction. tions, it’s okay if the blade strays a little. of the panel. Once both panels are com-
Minimal blade deflection aids in keep- The pattern that you’re cutting out is plete, it’s time to clean up the saw marks
ing the blade on the cut line. leaves after all, and nature isn’t always on the edges and add a little detail.
2 3
{ Drilling a hole in the center of the waste area accomplishes two { If you notice that the scroll saw blade isn’t cutting well and is
things. First, it keeps any chipout away from the edges. Second, it harder to control, it’s time to change to a new blade. Sharp blades
allows you to feed the scroll saw blade through it. aid in cutting close to the pattern, without going over the lines.
WS236_052.indd 53 2/5/2018 1:27:58 PM

1 2
{ A V-gouge makes quick work detailing the veins on each leaf. { Clean up sawn edges with small rasps and files. Working directly
Make sure it’s sharp so cleanly slices through the pattern and over an open dog hole on your benchtop ensures firm support of
stock. Use a chip carving knife to soften and bevel the leaf edges. the workpiece, with plenty of room for your file.
ADD SOME DETAIL DIMENSION. Once all of the

Even using a fine scroll saw blade leaves veins are cut, the pattern can 3
a little clean up work left to do. So, it’s be removed. Then, I used a
time to pull up a seat at your workbench sharp chip-carving knife to
and do some detail work. The first order lightly bevel the edge of each
of business will be to add some detail leaf and stem. This adds
with a gouge, as well as clean up the dimension to the carving.
scroll saw blade marks. Remember, the blank is thin,
A LITTLE CARVING. Before I remove the so be careful not to remove
pattern from the leaves, I want to first too much material.
use the red lines on the pattern to cut A LITTLE SANDING. To clean
some detail into the leaves. Using a up the insides of each leaf
small V-gouge, carefully cut in veins on and remove any blade { Prepare the panels for paint by applying a thin base
each leaf (Photo 1, above). Outline any marks from the scroll saw, I coat of water-based sealer. When that’s dry, lightly
leaves that are overlapping using the grabbed a small half-round sand the panels to remove any raised grain.
same technique so they can be distin- file, a few fine needle files,
guished from one another. To create a and some smaller rasps (also known dog hole. Working into the dog hole
border around the entire panel, I used a as rifflers). Position the panel over a allows the carved panel to have sup-
straightedge to guide my gouge, but you bench dog hole and work on each edge port on the bench as you work. You
could freehand it if you’re comfortable. with the file protruding down into the can see this in Photo 2 above.
How-To: PAINTING RELIEF-CARVED PANELS

1 2 3
{ After painting the stems a day in { With the paints still wet, begin { Use a sharp watercolor pencil to
advance, start painting, referring blending the colors using a wide color in the V-gouge grooves and
to the paint-by-number guide. artist’s brush and clean water. then blend with water.
WS236_054.indd 54 2/6/2018 10:20:20 AM

After the shaping is complete and PAINT-BY-NUMBER
LEFT PANEL RIGHT PANEL
the edges have been softened, sand the
entire panel, front and back. Before you 3 6 4 4 3 3 3 4 3 4
5 6 3 5
add color, give the entire panel a coat 3 4 4 3 4 3
6 1 4 6
of water-based sealer and, once dry, 6
4 2 2 3 6 1 6
lightly sand down any raised grain 3 1 3 3 6 3 4
4 6
4 5 5
(Photo 3 on previous page). 4 2 5
3
5 4 1 2
1 6 2 4 2
3 3 5
HAPPY LITTLE LEAVES 3 3 6
4 6 6 4 5
6 3 5 3
At this point, your panel looks a little 5 4 6 2 6 6 4
3 4 4
lifeless, but you’ll soon fix that. What’s 3 6 5 3 5
5 3
needed is some watercolor paint, but 4 6 2 3 6 4 4 4
3 5
not the cakes you used in grade school. 4 2 4 3 6 3
3 6 5
2 4
I chose to use tubes of watercolor paint 4 3 2 2 5 3 3
6 1
from an art supply store, along with 6 6
2 6 5 4 5
5 4 2
a water color pencil for the veins. See 3 6 6 6 3
2 5 3 2 4
6 2
Sources on page 67 for where I got mine. 3
6
2
3 3 2 6 3
The trick with these watercolors is to 4 3 6 1 4 1 6
4 3
4 6 3
use a little bit of water with the paint, and 1 5 3
5 4 2 6
after it’s applied to the wood, blend it 4 1 4 3 3
4 5 3 2
6 3
down with water to a color you’re happy 4 4 1
3
2 2 3 3
6 6
with. Apply all the leaf colors at the same 3 6 6 4 5
6 6 4 6 6 1 5 5
time and then blend them. Steps 1 and 2
in the box below show the process. As
you can see to the right, we’ve created 1 = Burnt Sienna 3 = Cadmium Orange 5 = Cadmium Yellow
a “paint-by-number” with the palette
2 = Cadmium Red 4 = Yellow Ochre 6 = Sap Green
we chose, but there’s no right or wrong.
After you’re happy with your painting,
use a sharp watercolor pencil dipped in areas where the carved leaves overlap to both backer and carved panels. This
water to outline the detail grooves cut the panel (Step 4 below). This will help is shown in Step 5 below. After the glaze
with the V-gouge (Step 3). ensure a good glue bond by not allow- is dry, all that’s left to do is to remove
BACKER PANEL. The watercolor takes a ing any finish in these areas. Next, the the masking tape and glue the panels
few days to fully cure, so in the mean- backer panels (with masking) and the together, as Step 6 shows.
time, apply a coat of water-based carved panels receive multiple thin As you can see, creating a painted,
golden oak stain to both sides of the coats of varnish and are allowed to dry. “carved” panel isn’t hard. All it takes is a
backer panels. Once that’s dry, you’ll To tone down the intensity of the little time, patience, and a paint brush. W
want to mask off the edges and a few painted panel, I applied a brown glaze — Logan Wittmer
4 5 6
{ For glue integrity, mask edges and { Apply brown glaze to the face { Remove the tape from the backer
behind leaf areas on the backer of the carved and backer panels. panel. Glue can then be applied
panel before applying finish. Wipe glaze off immediately. and the panels clamped together.
WS236_054.indd 55 2/5/2018 1:24:34 PM

g
workin ls
with too
5 tips to get more from your

Jig Saw
Many woodworkers
woo don’t view the jig cut through it. The photo at left shows
saw as a “fine”
“f woodworking tool, and just a few blades that are helpful to
would
ld iinstead
ins opt to use a band saw have on-hand — a coarse wood blade
whenever possible. But on those occa- for rapid cuts, a fine wood blade for
sions when a workpiece is too large to cleaner cuts, an all-purpose blade that
handle at th
the band saw, a jig saw allows can cut through the occasional nail, a
you to take
tak the tool to the workpiece. metal-cutting blade, and even one spe-
The jig saw can even do a few opera- cifically designed for cutting PVC.
tions that the band saw isn’t able to Because jig saw blades are relatively
perform. H Here, I’ll look at a few of my inexpensive (and are even sold in variety
favorite tips
tip that’ll allow you to get the packs), it’s easy to keep an assortment of
most from your jig saw. blades in the shop. This will mean you’re
more likely to grab the right one for the
[1] Bla
Blade Selection material you need to cut. With the correct
Perh
Perhaps the best thing about the blade installed for the material, now I’ll
jig saw is that it’s not just for focus on the actual operational tricks that
cutting
cu wood. Equipped with make the jig saw such a useful tool.
{ Numerous types the right blade, the jig saw can
of blades are available be put to use cutting a multitude of [2] Relief Cuts
for the jig saw covering a materials. From ceramics to metal and Everyone knows that cutting curves is
host of different materials. a host of material
m in between, there’s right in the jig saw’s wheelhouse. But
probably
b bl a jig saw blade available to what happens when a curve is too tight?
WS236_056.indd 56 2/1/2018 2:16:06 PM

You might run the risk of pinching the
saw blade or burning the material. To
avoid this scenario, you can make
relief cuts to ease the turn. Take a look
at the main photo on the previous
page to see what I mean when cutting
a small diameter circle.
Here, I drilled a hole in the center of
the circle large enough for the blade
to fit through and then made several
straight cuts radiating from the center.
Stop just short of the edge. You can
then come back and cut the curve, just { While the quality of the cut isn’t critical, { With the bulk of the waste removed, add
snipping off each wedge without fear you’ll want to stay on the waste side of a template and clean up the cut with a
of pinching the blade. the curved layout line. handheld router and flush-trim bit.
[3] Prepare for Flush Trim opening is in the middle of a workin contact with (think laminates and
There are also plenty of situations that piece, such as a router insert plate veneers). Some jig saws, like the Bosch
call for cutting a curve where a clean, opening (lower left photo). The jig saw model shown in the photo below, come
splinter-free surface isn’t the priority. is the go-to tool in this case. with an auxiliary plastic foot that easily
The most common job is when you For this common operation, you’ll snaps in place when needed. Another
simply need to remove waste quickly first define the corner openings by drill- option is to use masking tape to cover
in preparation for routing an edge with ing large, through holes. Here, the goal the foot to protect these materials.
a flush-trim bit. In these situations, the is to use a Forstner bit that matches the And speaking of tape, you’ll note
idea is to make a quick cut, staying just radius of the corners on the router plate. that most jig saw blades are designed
outside the layout line (upper left photo). You’ll then come back with the jig for cutting on the up stroke. So when-
With the bulk of the waste removed, saw to remove the interior waste. And ever possible, place the good face down.
you can apply a template or pattern to since the cut edge will be visible, a fine- But if that’s not possible, you can help
the workpiece and create a clean edge cutting blade is important here for a alleviate tearout by taping the surface to
with a router bit, as shown in the upper nice, clean edge. keep the splinters in check (inset below).
right photo. This is the perfect example Even though the jig saw may not be
of using two tools in collaboration to [5] Do No Harm viewed as a “fine” woodworking tool,
achieve a great result quickly. One common knock against jig saws is it certainly has its place in the shop.
that most have a metal foot that, over Just employ a few good strategies
[4] Cutting an Internal Opening time, can get rough or rusty through before making the cut and you’re sure
Another area where the jig saw excels use. This creates the potential for to get excellent results every time. W
is creating cutouts on panels when an damaging finer materials they come — Robert Kemp
{ Use a Forstner drill bit that matches the radius of the router plate { Some jig saws are supplied with a plastic foot that snaps over
to define the corners of the opening. The jig saw makes quick the metal base. This helps protect delicate materials. And for even
work removing the rest of the material. better cuts, use masking tape to cut down on splintering (inset).
WS236_056.indd 57 2/2/2018 9:06:43 AM

in the
shop
Commonly asked
Woodworking
Questions
If you spend much time reading through LEFT-TILT VS. RIGHT-TILT TABLE SAWS in the customary position to the right of
woodworking forums on the internet, For years, the question that faced any the blade when making a bevel rip cut.
you probably already know that certain woodworker shopping for a new table If you own a right-tilt saw, you have to
questions tend to come up again and saw was whether to get a right-tilt or move the rip fence to the opposite side
again, often sparking a lively debate. left-tilt saw. The main argument for left- of the blade in order to make a bevel rip
Here’s a look at five of the most com- tilt saws is that they’re safer and more cut safely. But ask yourself how often
monly asked woodworking questions, convenient to use because the blade tilts you actually tilt the blade to make a cut?
along with a run-down of the pros and away from the rip fence (photo above). If you can’t remember the last time you
cons on each side of the issue. This allows you to leave the rip fence did, then the question becomes a bit of
a non-issue in my book. Either one will
work fine, provided you’re mindful of
the proper setup for the cut you’re mak-
ing. Despite this, the left-tilt proponents
appear to have won the advantage on
this argument, as most of the table saws
on the market today are left-tilt.
HAND TOOLS VS. POWER TOOLS

When it comes to tool selection, some
woodworkers on the internet divide up
into one of two camps — those who use
{ Using hand tools requires some time and patience in order to develop proper skills, but power tools and those who use hand
many woodworkers find them rewarding to use. Power tools tend to give consistent results tools (photos at left). Power tool users
right out of the gate, even if you’re relatively inexperienced at using them. often tend to think hand tools are slow
WS236_058.indd 58 2/6/2018 3:22:16 PM

and difficult to use. They maintain
that you can get the job done faster,
with greater accuracy and less effort,
by using machines. For woodworkers
who are older or have physical limita-
tions such as arthritis, hand tools may
not even be an option.
Hand tool users are quick to point out
that hand tools are quieter, create less
sawdust, don’t take up as much space, { Working together, a jointer and a planer are ideally suited to handle the task of
and are just downright more enjoyable dimensioning stock. The jointer creates a flat, reference face on a board. Then the planer is
to use than power tools. They’ll also used to create a parallel face and bring the board down to the desired thickness.
argue that you don’t get the same feed-
back from the wood when using power The reasoning for this is that most of
tools as you do when using hand tools. the time, I’m working with stock that
I use both hand tools and power has already been surfaced (even if only
tools in my shop. And I’ve never really roughly) and straight-line ripped at the
understood why anyone would want sawmill. So more often than not, I’m
to limit themselves to one or the other. using my planer simply to turn thick
Instead, I prefer to match the tool to the boards into thinner ones. No other tool
job at hand. For delicate tasks such as in the shop can do this as quickly and
fitting joinery or striking a narrow bead effortlessly as a planer.
on the edge of a board, I enjoy the quiet
satisfaction that comes with using hand WATER-BASED FINISHES
tools. But if I have a stack of boards to When water-based finishes first
rip down to width, you can bet that I’ll appeared on the market, they left a lot
be firing up my table saw. to be desired in terms of durability. But
they’ve come a long way over the years,
PLANER OR JOINTER FIRST? and the better ones can stand toe-to-toe
When it comes to dimensioning stock, with oil-based finishes. On top of that,
the jointer and the planer work in tan- they dry quickly, clean up is easy, and
dem to create perfectly flat, square you don’t have to worry about fumes if
boards, as shown in the upper right you’re working inside.
photos. The jointer establishes an initial The downside is that compared to
flat face on a board. Then the planer is their oil-based cousins, water-based
used to bring the stock to final thickness. products require more coats to build up
Because the jointer is typically used a finish. And perhaps even more impor-
before the planer, you might think that tantly, water-based finishes tend to dry
is the tool to purchase first. But if I could completely clear, leaving the wood look- { Waterstones (upper photo) cut quickly,
only have one, I’d choose a planer. ing somewhat cold and lifeless. but require periodic flattening. Oilstones
A compromise is to apply an oil- are slower, but stay flat for years.
based
base finish as an initial coat to impart
a wa
warm tone to the wood. Then you can The fact is that any of these methods
apply
appl one or more coats of a compat- will work. Each one comes with its own
ible water-based
w product to build up the set of pros and cons, though. Some work
protective
prot finish layer. quicker than others, some have a shorter
learning curve, and some have a lower
WHICH SHARPENING METHOD? initial cost. But they all get the job done.
It se
seems like every few years, a “new” No matter which system you select,
sharpening
shar method comes into vogue the important thing is to pick one
and promises to be the end-all of sharp- method and stick with it long enough
ening.
enin Waterstones, oilstones, diamond to become proficient. Sharpening skills
plates,
plate ceramic stones, diamond paste, improve with practice and the more
{ Water-based finishes tend to dry sandpaper
sand on glass, and power sharpen- time you spend mastering those skills,
completely clear, while oil-based finishes ing machines
m all have their proponents the better your results will be. W
impart a warm, amber tone to the wood. (lower photos at right). – Vincent Ancona
WS236_058.indd 59 2/5/2018 2:25:01 PM

w orking
wood ntials
esse
Sandpaper
Sharpening SIDE
A sharp edge is achieved by
honing two intersecting planes:
The back and the bevel
FRONT
VIEW Bevel VIEW
Sharpening is one of those tasks many lot of options available, from water and
woodworkers approach with appre- oilstones to diamond plates and paste.
hension. And that’s understandable; But the simplest solution for me was
Back
the entire process can be confusing. But sandpaper. Sandpaper probably isn’t the
when it comes down to it, sharpening is first thing you think of when it comes to
really about two things – a basic tool kit sharpening, but it works fast and doesn’t adhesive-backed aluminum oxide
and a simple sharpening process. cost much to get started. sandpaper to the glass is simply a mat-
THE GRITS. A sequence of grits is the key. ter of pressing it in place. But you’ll
A BASIC KIT To start the process, I use aluminum want a can of spray adhesive to secure
It doesn’t take much to put together a oxide sandpaper in 150- and 220-grit. (I the silicon carbide paper. While you
basic kit of sharpening tools and sup- like the adhesive-backed roll type.) It’s can use both types of sandpaper dry, I
plies. To start with, you’ll need an the perfect choice for flattening the back find they last longer if you keep things
abrasive that will cut metal. There are a of a chisel (or plane iron) and shaping lubricated with water. A spray bottle
the bevel. Then, using silicon carbide filled with water is the solution here.
Adhesive-backed Eclipse-style sandpaper in 400-, 800-, 1500-, and MUST-HAVES. The last two items are the
sandpaper honing guide 2000-grit for the final honing brings the key to great results — a honing guide
surfaces to a mirror finish. and a bevel-setting gauge (for more on
FLAT SURFACE. The only challenge with this, check out the box on the opposite
sandpaper is keeping it flat as you page). The honing guide (I use a simple
use it. Unlike other sharpening media, Eclipse-style version) keeps the chisel
sandpaper needs to be attached to a (or plane iron) at a consistent angle
Bevel-setting flat, stable surface. I like to use a piece while you work. This way, you end up
gauge
of plate glass (about 10" x 30"). But any with a flat, smooth bevel more quickly.
flat surface, like a piece of tile or a sec- And the bevel-setting gauge ensures
tion of granite countertop, works great. that every time you place the chisel in
There are a couple more things you’ll the honing guide, it always establishes
want to have on hand. Attaching the the correct angle.
WS236_060.indd 60 2/6/2018 8:18:32 AM

Diagonal Crossing Hone on 2nd
scratches scratches grit until
from from cross scratches
1st grit 2nd grit disappear
Before After
honing honing
{ You’ll find it only takes a few minutes to

Hone the back of the chisel at an angle as shown. turn a new or dull chisel (left) into a razor-
Switch the angle with each progressive grit
sharp cutting tool (right).
A SIMPLE PROCESS the next grit. The procedure here is the with the 150-grit sandpaper like before.
With your sharpening kit put together, same, but I like to angle the chisel in the You’ll find this part of the process goes
creating a sharp edge is a simple process opposite direction. This makes it easier pretty quick and shouldn’t take more
of flattening and smoothing both the to see the new scratch pattern (center than a couple of minutes to remove the
back of the chisel, as well as the bevel. drawing). Once the old marks are gone existing scratches. While you can work
You’ll refine those surfaces to remove (right drawing), keep repeating the back and forth along the length of the
the grinding marks and replace them process as you work up to 2000-grit. sandpaper, I like to pull the chisel back
with smaller and smaller scratches, ulti- HONE THE BEVEL. The next step is to follow along the paper to avoid any chance of
mately ending with a mirror-like surface the same sequence on the bevel. Here’s digging into the paper and tearing it up.
(photo at upper right). where the honing guide comes in handy. You’ll know you’re finished at each
FLATTEN THE BACK. To do that, start with By clamping the chisel in the guide, you particular grit when you feel a small burr
the 150-grit sandpaper and flatten the create a consistent angle. I like to keep along the back face of the chisel. This
back face. Lay the chisel down against my chisels and plane irons at the factory indicates you’ve removed metal right
the paper at an angle and move it side angle. And to ensure I always set it in the up to the edge. Here, I like to remove
to side along the length of the strip of honing guide the same way every time, I the burr by laying the chisel flat on the
sandpaper. When you have an even use a simple, shop-made jig (box below). final grit of paper and pulling it toward
scratch pattern on the surface (draw- With the chisel set up in the guide, the edge of the paper. When the burr is
ing above), you’re ready to move to you’ll refine the bevel’s face starting gone, you’re ready to proceed to the next
grit. Follow the same process, removing
the burr each time. Here again, a minute
Draw the or two at each grit should be all it takes.
chisel back That’s it, your chisel is ready for use.
with firm,
even pressure As you work with the chisel, you’ll find
on the it’s easy to maintain the edge with some
sandpaper
simple touchup work that won’t take
more than a few minutes. W
– Bryan Nelson
How-To: HONING GUIDE SET-UP GAUGE

NOTE: Base is #/4"
The key to quick and easy sharpening plywood, stops are
!/4" x !/2" hardboard
is positioning a chisel (or plane iron)
in your honing guide identically every Stop
time for a specific angle. The simplest Base
way to do that is to use a bevel-setting
gauge like the one shown at right. 1!/2
The jig is just a plywood base with 1#/16
2
hardboard strips glued to the top.
The strips act as stops for the edge of
the chisel (or plane iron) for common 3%/16
sharpening angles. With the chisel 4#/16
resting against the stop and flat on NOTE: Gauge
is designed to
the base, slide the honing guide up { The gauge makes quick work of work with Eclipse-
style honing guide
against the base and lock everything accurately positioning your chisel or
in place. Now it’s ready for use. plane iron in the honing guide each time.
WS236_060.indd 61 2/6/2018 8:19:23 AM

ering the
mast saw
table
Consistent cuts with

Featherboards
During the decade or so that I made my vibration of the saw. To my surprise, a
living as a trim carpenter, I never once cheap and quick remedy I found for this SECOND: Position
used a featherboard. I’ve ripped miles of problem is a featherboard. featherboard
slightly in front
hardwood, softwood, and lumber that I FEATHERS. We’ve all come across that of saw blade
probably shouldn’t have cut on my table stray feather in the yard and admired
saw. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to take how beautifully the barbs move — in
the time to set up a featherboard. There one direction. That’s where this jig
was rarely, if ever, one on the jobsite. But gets its name, and it also pretty much FIRST: Place
as a woodworker, it’s a different story. describes how it works. The flex- the workpiece
against the
IN THE SHOP. I became a convert for one ible fingers of a featherboard guide the leading edge
main reason — consistent, controllable workpiece in one direction. THIRD: Tighten of the blade
the featherboard
quality. Yes, I know safety is important, When a featherboard is properly against the workpiece
and it’s part of the equation. But the big- installed on your table saw, you hardly
gest reason I’m a fan of featherboards is know it’s there. In fact, if you’re using
how they help my old table saw shine. I one for the first time, the whole thing
still use the saw that I cut all those miles might seem a little underwhelming.
of boards on — an old Rockwell 9" table That is until you turn the saw off and transition is you shifting your hands to
saw that suits me just fine. examine the board you’ve just cut. The feed the board through the blade, or that
The saw rattles and hums along okay board bears a long, smooth, clean edge. the board has a bow that wants to pull
for its age, but when I wanted to make That’s the worth of a featherboard. It away from the fence. The featherboard
more precise, smoother cuts, I needed holds the workpiece firmly against the takes control of the situation. Here’s how
to find a way to control some of the fence through transitions. Whether that to set it up to get good results.
WS236_062.indd 62 2/5/2018 12:19:09 PM

LOCATION. The drawing on the previ-
ous page shows an example of how to
position a featherboard on your table
saw. The overall goal is to hold the
workpiece firmly (not too firm) against
the fence while it’s being fed through
the blade. Placing the front edge of the
featherboard slightly in front of the
blade is proven to be the sweet spot
for a quality cut. Too close to the blade,
and you’ll pinch the board and blade
together. Much farther back, and the
featherboard won’t be effective at all.
PRESSURE. It might be tempting to put
a lot of pressure on the board. But all { Stacking featherboards spreads the pressure vertically across a greater area than a single
that’s really needed is enough pressure featherboard. The two you see here were designed to stack and lock together tightly, one
so that the board doesn’t move. of the benefits of buying a commercially made featherboard.
Referring once again to the drawing
on the previous page, let’s walk through ABOVE AND BEYOND. So far, both of the up stacked featherboards is the same as
the process. Place the workpiece against examples shown are operations involv- for a single one. First, align the feather-
the fence with the front end touching the ing cuts where the saw blade is set at board, then tighten in place.
blade. Drop the featherboard into the about the same height as the thickness HOLD DOWNS. On occasion, when cut-
miter gauge slot and align the leading of the featherboard itself. But when you ting rabbets or dadoes, you’ll need
finger slightly back from the front of the need to control a more complex cut, like to control the panel you’re cutting in
board. Press the featherboard into the the one you see in the photo above, you the other direction — down against
board until there’s a slight flex in all the can stack the featherboards. the table. The featherboard has a close
fingers, then tighten the jig in place. STACKING FEATHERBOARDS. Making raised cousin that can aid you in this circum-
USES GALORE. This two-step setup pro- panels on the table saw works fine, stance, a hold-down. In the box below
cess applies regardless of how you’re as long as you plan ahead. As you’re there’s a shop made hold-down that
using a featherboard, like the example cutting the panel, you don’t want it to works great in most settings.
in the main photo. Here, the feather- move or waver away from the fence. Adding featherboards and hold-
board is going to help make the groove This will ruin the symmetrical look of downs to your shop jig lineup is a
for a frame and panel door. You don’t the panel. Stacking a pair of feather- move you won’t regret. And it’s a lot
want any wandering in the groove that boards takes care of this problem by cheaper than buying a new table saw.
holds not only panels, but the tongue of holding more of the surface of the panel Which is a good thing — right? W
a mating stile or rail, as well. against the fence. The process of setting —Erich Lage
How-To: SHOP-MADE HOLD-DOWN

Hold-downs performs the same is a piece of plywood and a thin
task as a featherboard. A hold- strip of hardboard that acts as a
down applies even, consistent spring. Install the hold-down fol-
pressure to panels that might lowing the same guidelines as the
want to shift or rise up as they featherboard.
pass over a dado blade. All it takes
10!/4 #/4"-rad.
2!/2 1!/4
1!/2
#/4" ply
9#/8" x !/2" x !/8"
NOTE: Tilt table hardboard
saw blade to 45°
to cut slots
WS236_062.indd 63 2/5/2018 12:19:33 PM

m
tips frop
our sho
Shop
Notes
Cutting Shade Retainer Discs
The desk lamp shown on page 18 has small hole in the center sized for the ahead and make the cut for the lower
two circular shade retainers that hold lamp nipple. But the upper shade retainer (Figure 1). If the centering drill
the lamp shade in its cylindrical shape. retainer has a larger hole in the center. bit in your circle cutter is smaller than
These retainers are nothing more than This hole provides enough room to the 3⁄8"-dia. hole needed in the lower
thin discs made from the same species reach in and install a light bulb. Even retainer, it’s easy to enlarge with the
of wood as the lamp’s base assembly — though the discs have these differences, proper bit now. Now, secure the other
walnut. To make them, I turned to my they both follow the same procedure. blank to the scrap board with tape
drill press outfitted with a heavy-duty SETUP & CUT. I started by setting my cir- and make the same outside cut for the
circle cutter. This ensures a consistent cle cutter to the proper radius to make upper retainer. For the inner diameter
result for both retainer discs. the outside diameter cut first (Figure cut, flip the cutter around in the circle
TWO DISCS, ONE METHOD. As you’ll notice, 1a). The blanks are held to a scrap cutter, reset the radius (Figure 2a) and
the lower shade retainer only has a board with double-sided tape. Then go make the cut (Figure 2).
1 2 NOTE: Bevel
NOTE: Bevel Circle edge of cutter
Circle edge of cutter
cutter cutter facing in
facing out
Centering Waste Waste

bit
a. Upper a.
retainer
Double-sided
tape Retainer
blank FRONT Double-sided FRONT
VIEW tape VIEW
2!/2 1#/4
WS236_064.indd 64 2/5/2018 2:58:23 PM

Splicing Cord
Weaving the seat for the stool that’s on The knot that I used for the splice is feed the new cord under the existing one
page 34 requires a lot of paracord. Loop- called a sheet bend. It’s a knot that’s as shown in Figure 1.
ing a large amount of cord in and out widely used in many settings. Once Next, loop the new cord under the
of the stool was not practical. So I used you’ve determined where you want the short side of the existing cord and back
shorter lengths of cord and spliced them start of the splice to be, fold a loop in the over the long side (Figure 2). Then pull
together on the inside of the stool. existing cord there. To start the splice, the knot tight as shown in Figure 3.
1 2 3
Tighten knot from
the ends of both
cords
On return,
Existing Cord Feed new cord new cord Make sure ends
under folded wraps under stick out a little
New Cord cord as shown itself while tightening
Custom Air Flow System

The router table storage cabinet on flow openings in the door panel. This the openings in the port covers, are
page 36 has a unique air flow port sys- allows for maximum air flow to aid a shown below. The reason there are
tem on the front door panel. This sys- dust collection system. two different patterns is that the port
tem has three hardboard port covers PATTERNS. The scaled patterns for the covers have slightly smaller openings
that, when turned, line up with the air openings in the door panel, as well as so they cover the entire opening in the
door panel when closed.
1 Jig saw 2 Air flow port
You’ll also notice on both patterns a
cover blank couple of small half-holes on the edge of
(!/4" hardboard)
the upper openings. These holes create
little notches when the full opening is
cut out. They’ll house a toy axle that acts
Door as a positive stop for the port covers in
panel the open and closed positions.
PANEL OPENINGS. After attaching the pat-
tern to my door panel, I drilled these
holes first, as well as the center hole. I
then drilled larger access holes in the
Door Openings. A jig saw and a little Port Covers. After cutting out the open- center of each opening that were big
patience is all it takes to create the dust ings in the port cover blank, cut each enough to fit a jig saw blade. At this
port openings in the door panel. one free at the band saw. point, you can cut out all of the openings
in the door panel, as shown in Figure 1.
PATTERN DOOR PANEL PATTERN PORT COVER (Enlarge 200%) PORT COVERS. The port covers follow a
(Enlarge 200%) similar course. But instead of trying
1!/4 to cut the openings on small blanks, I
2!/2 made one oversized workpiece. Once
%/32"- the openings in each port cover are
1%/8
1%/8 %/32"- dia.
dia.
1!!/16
cut out with a jig saw, you can head to
the band saw to cut each one free from
!!/64"-dia.
the blank (Figure 2). A little sanding
!/4"-rad. !!/64"-dia.
!/4"-rad. around the perimeter, and the covers
2 are ready to mount to the door panel.
1#/4
For full-size patterns of

the custom air ports, go
to Woodsmith.com
WS236_064.indd 65 2/6/2018 3:23:11 PM

Cutting Front Rail 1 Lower front
rail 2
The Byrdcliffe-inspired linen press on
page 42 has a decorative lower front
rail. This rail serves a few purposes. Direction
of rout
First, it acts as a resting place for the
NOTE: Cut on
case of the linen press. Second, it offers waste side of
an opportunity to add a little decoration layout line
Waste Use flush trim bit
to the front of the case. and straightedge
Double-sided to rout a clean edge
BANDSAW. Start off by laying out the arcs tape
on your blank. Next, use a band saw to
cut the arc, staying on the waste side of
the line. Start with the innermost arc, to do is clean up the straight center sec- bearing will guide the bit where you stick
beginning your cut in the waste section tion. To do this, head over to the router the straightedge. Rout along the straight
as shown in Figure 1. Use a sanding table, and equip it with a flush-trim bit. edge from left to right. If there are areas
drum to sand the radius of the arcs. Use double-sided tape to attach a where there is more than 1⁄8" or so of
STRAIGHT CUTS. With the arcs cut on both straightedge to your rail. Line it up waste, lighten the cut in that area, and
ends of the rail, the last thing you need carefully with the layout marks, as the make multiple passes to avoid burning.
#8 x 1!/4" Fh
woodscrew 1 Hinge Mortising Jig
The linen press on page 42 has hinges
that are mortised into the outside stile of
each door. To create the mortises, I used
Waste a router equipped with a dado clean-out
2 2
bit and the jig shown at left. The opening
2(/16 Dado in the jig should be sized to match the
clean-out bit
4
length of your hinge leaf.
2(/16
a. ROUTING. To use the jig, position it over
Clamp jig the marked mortise location on the door
flush with
end of stile stile. The depth of the mortise should
2 !/16
Door match the thickness of the hinge leaf.
7!/8 Jig stile
Rout around the entire opening on the
NOTE: Jig is made
from !/2" plywood jig to ensure the entire mortise is cut.
Back cleat
Dado Cutting Jig #8 x 1" Fh Adjust
Fence
To attach the dividers to the sides of the woodscrew width based

linen press, I used my router and the jig on router size
shown here to create the dadoes in each Fence

side. The jig is made out of plywood
and is sized to fit across both side pan-
els at the same time, but can be used for
the back panel, also. 2 34
PLYWOOD JIG. The jig consists of a pair
2 Clamp
of fences attached to two cleats, as 1 side panels
shown in the drawing at right. Start Front cleat
together
by attaching one fence to the cleats
first, making sure that it is square on Cleat tight
to workpiece
both ends. Next, use your router base up the guide to the workpiece. Now,
plate to mark the location of the sec- position the guide on your workpiece #/4"plywood
straight bit
ond fence and attach it in place. and clamp it in place. Using a ply-
USING THE GUIDE. Before using the guide, I wood straight bit, make multiple passes
like to make a pass with my router and across the workpiece until final depth is
cut a shallow dado in each cleat. This reached. The same process works to cut
gives me a reference mark where the the dadoes in the back panel, but clamp
router bit will pass, so I can easily line both ends of the jig in place. W
WS236_066.indd 66 2/5/2018 3:04:30 PM

hardware & supplies
Sources
Most of the materials and sup-sup LIMITED SUPPLY! • Lee Valley
plies you’ll need to build d the 11⁄2" Hinges . . . . . . . . . 00H51.11
MAIL
projects are available at hard- Mag. Touch Latch . . . . 00W02.06
ORDER
ware stores or home centers. s. For • The Winfield Collection
SOURCES
specific products or hard-to-find
o-find Wooden Axle. . . . . . . . . . AXLE3 Project supplies may
items, take a look at the sources
urces • McMaster-Carr be ordered from the
5 following
listed here. You’ll find each
h part ⁄8" O.D. Nylon Tube . . 8628K56 companies:
number listed by the company 3
pany ⁄8" O.D. Nylon Tube . . 8628K51
Benchcrafted
name. See the right margin n for The rest of the parts for the
Th benchcrafted.com
contact information. router
ro table cabinet can be found
Dick Blick
at most hardware stores and 800-828-4548
SCRAPERS (p.14) home
ho centers. dickblick.com
• Woodcraft Woodsmith is of offering
ffe
f ring
i a custom Cane and Basket Supply
Concave Scraper Set . . . .150104
50104 blade and chipbreaker set for the LINEN PRESS (p.42)
LI 323-939-9644
caneandbasket.com
Convex Scraper Set . . . . .150105 hand plane on page 24. This set is • Lee Valley
Mini Scraper Set . . . . . . .158977 made by Hock Tools, and we have Classic Brass Knob . . . 01A05.30 Essentra Components
800-847-0486
Chairmakers Scraper Set .148723 a limited number available at a Drop Handle . . . . . . . . . 01A20.91 essentracomponents.com
Sandvik Pocket Scraper . .142555 special price of $34.95. To order, Ball-Tip Hinges . . . . . .02H12.21
Eshoji
• Lee Valley refer to Woodsmith contact infor- Magnetic Catch . . . . . 03W11.07 262-395-4627
21⁄2" Carbide Scraper . . 97K5203 mation in the margin at right. • Amana Tool eshoji.com
2" Carbide Scraper . . . . 97K5101 • Woodsmith Ogee Stile Cutter . . . . . . . 49664 Hock Tools
• Benchcrafted 11⁄2" x 31⁄2" Blade Set . . 5005302 To finish the linen press, I first 888-282-5233
hocktools.com
Carbide Scraper . . . . . SKRAPER colored the oak with 16:2 mixture
STOOL (p.30) of General Finishes High-Perfor- Kreg Tool
800-447-8638
DOWEL JOINERY (p.16) • Paracord Galaxy mance Polyurethane water-based kregtool.com
• Rockler Dark Green Paracord . . . 163-117 topcoat and green dye. Once the
1 Lee Valley
⁄4" Doweling Jig . . . . . . . 48169 • Cane and Basket Supply colored polyurethane was dried, 800-871-8158
1
⁄4" Dowels . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21113 Danish L-Nails . . . . . . . TL-DN the entire linen press was finished leevalley.com
Each stool requires approxi- with multiple coats of General Fin- McMaster-Carr
DESK LAMP (p.18) mately 350' of cord to complete ishes Arm-R-Seal. 630-833-0300
mcmaster.com
• Lowe's the weave of the seat. L-nails
Light Socket . . . . . . . . . . .884414 come in boxes of 100, each stool RELIEF-CARVED PANELS (p.52) Paracord Galaxy
844-727-2267
40-Watt Light Bulb . . . . .777454 uses 54 nails. • Dick Blick paracordgalaxy.com
• Eshoji The stool is stained with a Cadmium Red . . . . . . 00319-3331
Rockler
Washable Shoji Paper . . . . KD69 mixture of three parts Zar cherry Yellow Ochre . . . . . . . 00319-4041 800-279-4441
• Sundial Wire stain and one part Wood Kote Jel’d Sap Green . . . . . . . . . 00319-7391 rockler.com
2-Conductor, 18 Gauge . . varies stain (cherry). Cadmium Yellow . . . . 00319-4201 Sundial Wire
All of the lamp parts were indi- Cadmium Orange . . . 00319-4531 413-582-6909
sundialwire.com
vidually finished with three coats ROUTER TABLE STORAGE (p.36) Burnt Sienna . . . . . . 00319-8041
of spray lacquer before assembly. • Essentra Components Burnt Sienna Pencil . 20535-8040 The Winfield Collection
800-946-3435
Utility Pulls . . . . . . . . . KHO-10 thewinfieldcollection.com
HAND PLANE (p.24) • Rockler FEATHERBOARDS (p.62)
Woodcraft
• Hock Tools 18" Drawer Slides . . . . . . 32490 • Rockler 800-225-1153
11⁄2" x 31⁄2" Blade Set . . . .PI150 11⁄2" Cord Grommet . . . . 57855 Bench Dog Featherboard . 29799 woodcraft.com
Woodsmith
800-444-7527
Follow us on woodsmith.com/store
WS236_066.indd 67 2/7/2018 12:07:53 PM

looking inside
Final Details
{ Desk Lamp. The unique shade on this desk lamp

is made using a clever, but simple, band saw
technique. You can discover the secret to how it’s
done by turning to page 18.
< Woven-Seat Stool. The graceful

legs of this stool are capped off by a
comfortable woven seat. We’ll walk you
though building it and weaving the seat,
step-by-step, beginning on page 30.
{ HHand Plane. A solid wood body and an extra-

thick blade make this small plane a valuable
addition to any shop. Learn how to build your
own starting on page 24.
Router Table Storage. Upgrade your >

router table by adding this storage
cabinet, complete with dust collection.
You’ll find complete plans on page 36.
WS236_001.indd 68 2/7/2018 12:07:02 PM

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GUILD  EDITION

Woodsmith.com Vol. 40 / No. 236

EDITOR Vincent Ancona

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chris Fitch

2 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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from our readers

mastering the table saw 62

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Win This Forrest Blade

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Drawer Slide Outrigger

6 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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8 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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10 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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A Closer Look: PUTTING BASSWOOD TO USE

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Tips for better

12 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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14 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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Frame & Panel

16 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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When I first saw the concept drawings

18 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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As promised, you’ll start construction #/4

ing faces. These rabbets allow the two

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How-To: CREATE LOUVERS & ASSEMBLE THE SHADE

Stop a. TOP Top end

20 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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How-To: MAKE THE COLUMN & BASE

3 Fence a. END VIEW 4 a. END

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Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

22 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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How-To: MAKE & INSTALL THE UPRIGHTS

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a 11⁄2"-wide C Sides (2) 1⁄ x 21⁄ - 7

24 • Woodsmith / No. 236

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How-To: SHAPE THE BODY

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NOTE: Resaw or plane

After completing the plane’s core, 2!/2