GUILD  EDITION

Woodsmith.com Vol. 40 / No. 238

GET AN EDGE ON
SCRAPERS
Also:
Sound Advice
for Your Hearing
Clean, Accurate & Safe
Rip Cuts on Your Table Saw
Template Routing:
What You Need to Know

WS238_001.indd 1 6/11/2018 10:41:31 AM

 ®

EDITOR Vincent Ancona

EDITOR
MULTIMEDIA Vincent
EDITOR PhilAncona
Huber
MULTIMEDIA
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
EDITOR Phil Huber
Robert Kemp
ASSOCIATE
ASSISTANT EDITORS Erich EDITOR Robert
Lage, Logan Kemp
Wittmer
ASSISTANT EDITORS Erich Lage, Logan Wittmer
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bryan Nelson, Randall A. Maxey
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Bryan Nelson
EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth from the editor
Sawdust
EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTORHarlan
SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Todd Lambirth
V. Clark,
SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS
Dirk Ver Steeg,Harlan V. Larson
Peter J. Clark,
Dirk
SENIOR GRAPHIC Ver Steeg,
DESIGNER BobPeter J. Larson
Zimmerman
SENIOR GRAPHIC
GRAPHICDESIGNER
DESIGNERBob Zimmerman
Becky Kralicek
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Becky Kralicek
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chris Fitch
CREATIVE DIRECTOR ChrisBaker
Fitch
PROJECT DESIGNERS Dennis Volz, Dillon No doubt you’ve heard the term “bucket list” before. I think a lot
PROJECT DESIGNERS
PROJECT Dennis Volz, Dillon
DESIGNER/BUILDER John Baker
Doyle
PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doyle of woodworkers also tend to have woodworking bucket lists — projects or
CAD SPECIALIST Steve Johnson
CAD
SHOPSPECIALIST
CRAFTSMAN Steve
DanaJohnson
Myers techniques that we’d like to try at least once, so that we can say we’ve done
SHOP CRAFTSMAN Dana Myers
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England them. Well, this issue of Woodsmith contains not just one, but two projects that
ASSOCIATESENIOR
STYLE PHOTOGRAPHER Crayola
DIRECTOR Rebecca England
Cunningham have techniques that happen to be on my woodworking bucket list.
ASSOCIATE
SENIOR STYLE DIRECTOR
ELECTRONIC Rebecca Allan
IMAGE SPECIALIST Cunningham
Ruhnke
SENIOR ELECTRONIC IMAGE SPECIALIST Allan Johnson
Ruhnke The first is a chisel case that features a sliding tambour lid. My fascination
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Minniette
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Minniette Johnson with tambours goes all the way back to my childhood. Growing up, we had
FOUNDING EDITOR Donald B. Peschke
FOUNDING
MANAGING DIRECTOR CLIENTEDITOR Donald
SOLUTIONS B.Horowitz
Dean Peschke a roll-top desk in our house. I used to love playing with that desk, opening
MANAGING DIRECTOR PUBLISHER
CLIENT SOLUTIONS
Steven Dean Horowitz
M. Nordmeyer and closing the top (until my mother would tell me to stop). As a result, I’ve
PUBLISHERPeter
VICE PRESIDENT GENERAL MANAGER Steven M. Nordmeyer
H. Miller, Hon. AIA
VICE PRESIDENT GENERAL MANAGER Peter H. Miller, Hon. AIA always been intrigued with tambour doors and lids and how they work,
Woodsmith® (ISSN 0164-4114) is published bimonthly by
Cruz Bay Publishing, (ISSN
Woodsmith® Inc., 2143
0164-4114)
Grand Ave,
is published
Des Moines,
bimonthly
IA 50312.
by and I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that someday I would build
Cruz Bay Publishing,
Woodsmith® is a registered
Inc., 2143trademark
Grand Ave,ofDes
Cruz
Moines,
Bay Publishing.
IA 50312.
Copyright© 2018 Cruz Bay Publishing,
Woodsmith® is a registered
Inc. An
trademark
Active Interest
of CruzMedia
Bay Publishing.
Company. a project with a tambour.
Copyright© 2018 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All
All rights
rights reserved.
reserved.
Subscriptions: Single
Subscriptions: Single copy:
copy: $6.95.
$6.95.
Another woodworking element that has interested me for a long time is
Canadian Subscriptions: Canada
Canadian Subscriptions: Canada Post
Post Agreement
Agreement No.
No. 40038201.
40038201. Send
Send change
change of
of
address information to PO Box 881, Station Main, Markham, ON L3P 8M6.
wood hinges. So on page 18, we have a small wall cabinet with doors that
Printed in U.S.A.
Canada BN 82564 2911
Periodicals Postage Paid at Des Moines, IA, and at additional offices.
feature full-length wood hinges. The technique we came up with to make
Postmaster: Send change of address to Woodsmith, Box 37274,
WoodsmithCustomerService.com the hinges is different than what you might expect. I think you’ll find it fun
Boone, IA 50037-0274.
Printed in U.S.A. to try, whether you decide to build this project or one of a different design.
ONLINE SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
WoodsmithCustomerService.com
• VIEW your account information
Both of these projects have something in common — they’re relatively
• RENEW your subscription small and uncomplicated. The benefit here is that you get the opportunity
•ONLINE SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
CHECK on a subscription payment
to try your hand at a couple of techniques that may be new to you without
• PAY
VIEW your
your billaccount information
• CHANGE
RENEW your
yoursubscription
mailing or e-mail address having to invest a lot in the way of time or materials. In other words, you
• VIEW/RENEW
CHECK on a subscription
your giftpayment
subscriptions
can tick a couple of items off of your woodworking bucket list in short order.
• TELL
PAY your
US bill
if you’ve missed an issue
• CHANGE your mailing or e-mail address
CUSTOMER SERVICE Phone: 800-333-5075 weekdays
FAREWELL. Speaking of bucket lists, Dana Myers, our Shop Craftsman for the
• VIEW/RENEW your gift subscriptions
SUBSCRIPTIONS past four years, has decided to retire in order to travel and spend more time
• TELL US if you’ve missed EDITORIAL
an issue
Customer Service Woodsmith Magazine
P.O. Box 842 SERVICE Phone: 800-333-5075
CUSTOMER 2143 Grand Avenue
weekdays with his family. Dana built many of the projects you’ve seen in Woodsmith in
Des Moines, IA 50304-9961 Des Moines, IA 50312
SUBSCRIPTIONS
subscriptions@augusthome.com EDITORIAL
woodsmith@woodsmith.com recent years and has been a great source of woodworking information and
Customer Service Woodsmith Magazine
P.O. Box 842 2143 Grand Avenue advice for our design and editorial staff. We’re sorry to see him go, but we
Des Moines, IA 50304-9961 Des Moines, IA 50312
subscriptions@augusthome.com woodsmith@woodsmith.com all wish him the best in his retirement.

PRESIDENT & CEO Andrew W. Clurman

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, TREASURER & CFO Michael Henry
CHIEF INNOVATION
PRESIDENT OFFICER W.
& CEO Andrew Jonathan Dorn
Clurman
VICE PRESIDENT,
SENIOR AUDIENCE
VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT
TREASURER Tom Masterson
& CFO Michael Henry
VICE PRESIDENT,
CHIEF INNOVATION CONTROLLER Joseph Dorn
OFFICER Jonathan Cohen
VICE PRESIDENT,
VICE PRESIDENT, RESEARCH Kristy
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT TomKaus
Masterson
BOULDER HR DIRECTOR JoAnn Thomas
VICE PRESIDENT, PEOPLE & PLACES JoAnn Thomas Follow us:
AIMBOARD
AIM BOARDCHAIR
CHAIREfrem
EfremZimbalist
ZimbalistIIIIII

2 • Woodsmith / No. 238 WoodsmithMagazine @WoodsmithMagazine @WoodsmithMag

WS238_002.indd 2 6/4/2018 2:16:06 PM

 contentsNo. 238 August/September 2018

24
48

Projects
weekend project
Wood Hinge Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Gentle curves and arcs on the doors of this wall cabinet give
the project an understated charm. But the real stars here are
the wood hinges that attach the doors to the case.

shop project
Tambour Chisel Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Store your chisels in style with this handsome bench-top chisel
case. A tambour lid rolls back to access the chisels and then
closes just as easily when you’re done for the day.
30
designer project
Dressing Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Adjustable mirrors, a glass top, and plenty of storage space for
cosmetics, hair products, and small appliances make this dress-
ing table as functional as it is attractive.

shop project
Rotary Tool Router Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Rotary tools are well-known for packing a big punch in a
small package. But this compact router table will take your
rotary tool to a whole new level.

heirloom project
Butcher Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
The massive, end-grain maple top of this butcher block can
42 handle some serious chopping and food preparation. And the
attractive base makes it welcome in any kitchen.

Woodsmith.com • 3

WS238_002.indd 3 6/11/2018 10:42:32 AM

 10

Departments

from our readers

Tips & Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
all about
Waxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
router workshop
Using Guide Bushings . . . . . . . . . 12
great gear
Hearing Protection . . . . . . . . . . . 14
12 woodworking technque
Making Appliqués . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

working with tools

Scrapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
woodworking essentials
Tenon Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
mastering the table saw
Making Safe Rip Cuts . . . . . . . . . 62

56 tips from our shop

Shop Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
4 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_004.indd 4 6/5/2018 7:05:00 AM

 ro m o ur
f
readers

Tips &
Techniques
Spray Turntable
Recently, after building a bunch of gifts
from a Woodsmith plan, I was looking
for a way to quickly and efficiently fin-
ish them. That’s when I came up with
the idea for the simple finishing turn-
table you see here.
ROUND AND ROUND. The turntable is I spin the platform clockwise to re-
made up of a base and a platform, thread the bolt so the platform doesn’t
both made from two layers of ply- back off the threads.
wood. A carriage bolt passes through Dave Brooks
a counterbored hole in the base and Pleasant View, Utah
is held in place with a hex nut and a
washer. The smaller platform rotates a. #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew
on a T-nut installed in the bottom face.
%/16"T-nut
I drove long screws through the plat-
%/16" PLATFORM 1!/2
form to act as painter’s points to raise (6!/4" x 9")
hex nut
the workpiece. The platform can then
be threaded onto the bolt.
COUNTERCLOCKWISE AND BACK. To use the %/16"fender washer
turntable, I place my workpiece on the 1!/2
%/16"-18 x 3" BASE
screws and apply my finish. Rotate the carriage bolt (8" x 13") { The platform threads onto the bolt installed
platform counterclockwise on the bolt in the base. Changing rotation each coat
SIDE SECTION VIEW
to finish all sides. For the second coat, prevents it from backing off.

Win This Forrest Blade

Simply send us your favorite
shop tips. If your tip or technique
is selected as the featured
reader’s tip, you’ll win a Forrest
Woodworker II blade. To submit
your tip or technique, go to
SubmitWoodsmithT ips.com.
There you can upload your tips
and photos for consideration.
The Winner!
Congratulations to
Dave Brooks, the winner of
this Forrest Woodworker II.
To find out how you can win
this blade, check out the
information at left.

Illustrator: Becky Kralicek Woodsmith.com • 5

WS238_004.indd 5 6/4/2018 12:19:01 PM

 Tilt-Out Hardware Holder
When I buy a box of hardware, I tend
to have a lot of leftover pieces. One day,
while taking some prescription medi-
cation, a thought struck me about how
to store all the extra hardware. That’s
when I came up with the simple setup
that you see here.
PILL HOLDER. The small parts holder
consists of a plywood frame and three
pivoting shelves. Each shelf has four
holes to accept standard size pill bot-
tles. The shelves pivot with the use of
dowel pins and toy wheels on the out-
side of the frame. The dowel is glued
into the shelf but not into the frame.
The plywood frame is attached to a
wider base for stability and has a han-
dle on top to easily move the holder
around my shop.
When I’m done with a prescription
medicine, I save the bottle and dump
my hardware in. I can pivot a shelf to
insert the bottle, as seen in the photo.
When not in use, I can store the holder
in an out-of-the-way location.
Mark Cahill
Auburn, New York

#8 x !/2" Fh woodscrew a.
FRONT SECTION VIEW
Handle TOP
12#/4
NOTE: All parts !/4
made from !/2" Pill Top
plywood bottle !/4
3 SHELF !/4

3 !/4" washers Side

1#/16" toy SIDE

wheel #/4
2#/4
1&/8
1!/2"-dia.
SIDE 15 Dowel

(/32"-dia.
Holder
1&/8 !/4"-dia.

12&/8
b.
12
Side
!/4"-dia. 8#/8
dowel !/4
2&/8
!/4
12#/4 BOTTOM Bottom
3&/8 3 !/4

!/4" washer
Base
!/8"roundover
14!/4 BASE
FRONT VIEW
4

6 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_006.indd 6 6/4/2018 12:20:20 PM

 Kreg Jig & Clamp Base { The plywood base is wide enough that it
I recently built the Table Saw Storage blocks to hold my assembly clamps. can be used without clamping it to the
Cart from Woodsmith No. 233. I decided Because I have a K5 system, the Kreg workbench, or can be set on sawhorses.
to replace one of the pegboard frames base stores the drill bit and accesso-
with a plywood base for my Kreg Jig.
By cutting a couple of hand holes
ries. This means that when I need to
transport my jig, I can simply carry DIGITAL WOODSMITH
in a piece of plywood, the worksta- the jig base wherever I need to use it.
tion slides in and out easily. I even Ron Diermeier SUBMIT TIPS ONLINE
LINE
had room on the panel to add some Neenah, Wisconsin If you have an original shop
op
tip, we would like to hearr
a. TOP VIEW b. from you and consider
TOP VIEW publishing your tip in onee
2&/8 !/4" or more of our publications.
ns.
2 3!/4 roundover
Jump online and go to:

SubmitWoodsmithTips.com
om
#8 x 1!/2" 2#/4
Fh woodscrew You’ll be able to tell us all
about your tip and upload your
!/2"-rad. photos and drawings. You can also
1!/4"-dia. mail your tips to “Woodsmith th Tips”
3&/8 1%/8
at the editorial address shown on
CLAMP BLOCK CLAMP page 2. We will pay up to $200 if
3!/8 BLOCK 5!/2
!/2 we publish your tip.

4#/8
CLAMP
BASE
RECEIVE FREE ETIPS
#/4
NOTE: Clamp #/4"-rad. BY EMAIL
blocks are made Now you can have the best time-saving
from !/2" plywood.
Base and clamp bases secrets, solutions, and techniques sent
are made from #/4" 10!/2 directly to your email inbox. Just go to:
plywood

Woodsmith.com
BASE
7#/4 and click on,
“Woodsmith eTips”
27 You’ll receive one of our favorite tips
by email each and every week.
20&/8

Woodsmith.com • 7

WS238_006.indd 7 6/5/2018 7:57:52 AM

 Dowel Tenon & Groover
When making toy parts, I often have the
need to cut a groove or create a tenon on
the end of a dowel. With the small size
of most dowels, I had to come up with
a safe solution. My answer is the simple
device shown here.
A CLEVER “JIG”. The jig is just a block
made from two layers of plywood. It
has a hole that is sized to fit the dowel,
but still allows the dowel to be turned. A
stop block is clamped onto the rip fence
to position the jig over the blade.
Using the jig is simple. After trans-
ferring the hole depth to the face of the
block, I can set my blade to cut the correct a.
FRONT SECTION VIEW
width of tenon. With the block clamped
to my miter gauge, I insert the dowel Tenon Jig
into the hole and push it into the blade
until the jig and dowel contact the stop.
Dowel
Then rotate the dowel to create the tenon.
The size of the tenon can be changed by
adjusting the blade height.
Dan Martin
Galena, Ohio

QUICK TIPS
Spare Change
Spacers. Roger Page
of Columbia, MO, was
resawing stock on his
band saw and noticed
the kerf was starting
to pinch close on the
blade. Since he didn’t
have a thin scrap, he
reached in his pocket
and found that a nickel
was the perfect size for
his band saw blade kerf. Edge Clamps. Dennis Volz of Denver, CO recently needed
By inserting a couple some edge clamps for the edging he was applying on a shelf.
coins into the kerf, it Instead of buying specialized clamps, Dennis cut strips from a
keeps his blade free to bicycle inner tube and slipped them over spring clamps. The
keep cutting. tube holds the edging tight when the clamps are in place.

8 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_008.indd 8 6/4/2018 12:22:46 PM

 { Pumping up the jack raises the foot off
the floor. Lowering the jack drops the
bench back onto the foot.

Bottle Jack Bench Mover

Having a mobile bench is necessary in
my small shop. But after moving my
bench, I want it to rest solidly on its
feet when working. While changing a
car tire, I came up with the idea for the
workbench lift seen here.
HYDRAULIC POWER. The lift uses two
small inexpensive bottle jacks that
are usually reserved for lifting a car.
Using butt hinges, I attached a ply-
wood piece to the bench foot and
installed a pair of cleats. The cleats
serve a couple of purposes. First, they
register and cradle the base of the jack.
Second, the cleats provide an anchor
point that the bottle jack base can lever
against when it’s getting pumped up
to lift the bench.
The jack presses against the lower
shelf support and lowers the wheels
while raising the workbench. Then, it’s
a simple matter of moving the bench
into its new place and using the pres-
sure relief valve to lower the jack and
the bench to the floor.
William Collett
Bettendorf, Iowa

Knobless Sander. Riley Onofrio of Saint Paul, MN, needed to

sand a tall workpiece on his spindle sander but the retaining
knob at the top hit the workpiece as it oscillated. To fix the
problem, Riley used a few layers of painter’s tape on the shaft.
The friction holds the sleeve in place without the knob.
{ The jack rests on a hinged plate with cleats to hold the jack in
place. When pumping up the jack, it presses against the lower
shelf support and lowers the plate and wheels, raising the bench.

Woodsmith.com • 9

WS238_008.indd 9 6/4/2018 12:23:30 PM

 all
about
Choosing & using
Wax isn’t a new concept in the shop, in
fact, it’s one of the oldest wood finishes
known. But that doesn’t mean that it’s out
of date. With the number of waxes avail-
able, it can be daunting choosing the right (upper left photo, next page).
one. Not to worry, however. In this article,
I’ll guide you through the most common
waxes, and the uses of raw (photo, below)
and blended waxes in your shop.
PARAFFIN. One of the most common
types of raw wax is paraffin wax. Par-
affin is derived from petroleum. This
means that it’s oil based and most fin-
ishes can be applied over it. Paraffin wax
Beeswax
Paraffin
Carnauba wax
10 • Woodsmith / No. 238
WS238_010.indd 10
Waxes
is also an ideal choice for lubrication in
your shop. It’s excellent for lubricating
hand saws, planes, drawer runners, vise
screws, and other shop lubrication tasks
One of the best attributes of paraffin
wax is its availability and price. Paraffin
is sold at most grocery stores as “canning
wax” and only costs a few bucks.
I mentioned that paraffin is compatible
with most finishes. That doesn’t mean it’s
a good choice to use in a finish, however.
It just doesn’t dissolve easily enough.
BEESWAX. The oldest of the waxes, bees-
wax is a favorite
favor for home-brewed
fi
finishes. Beeswax,
nishes. Bee as the name
implies, is
iies,, w wax that is produced
by honeybees
ney
ey
y for building
honeycomb. m While it’s water
resistant, much like paraffin,
beeswax easily dissolves into
various solvents making it a
perfect choice for mixing into
finishes. See the How-To box
< Paraffin is a soft and oily wax. Beeswax is
harder and can be tacky. Carnauba is the
hardest of all and is brittle.
on next page for a finish recipe. Beeswax
adds a warm glow when applied to raw
wood. And when mixed with mineral
spirits, is a food-safe finish for cutting
boards (upper right photo, next page).
Beeswax is more expensive than paraf-
fin, however, but can be purchased from
various retailers and local beekeepers.
CARNAUBA WAX. Carnauba wax is well
known to woodturners. This hard wax
polishes to a spectacular shine and is
best applied with a buffing wheel or on
a lathe where heat is generated (lower
left photo, next page). Carnauba wax is
refined from palm tree leaves and is the
base for most popular paste waxes.
WAX BLENDS
More wax blends have become available
in recent years (right photo, next page).
They offer many benefits over raw waxes.
PASTE WAXES. Johnson Paste Wax has been
a favorite in my shop for maintaining
work surfaces, such as the cast iron top
on a table saw (photo above). Paste wax
dries to form a hard, protective surface
thanks to carnauba wax. It not only
lubricates but also protects surfaces
Written by: Logan Wittmer
6/5/2018 7:07:45 AM
 { The low cost of paraffin wax makes it a great choice for lubricating { A favorite food-grade finish, a mixture of mineral spirits and
tools. When rubbed on hand tools, it greatly reduces the effort beeswax, makes a finish that not only looks great but is extremely
needed to push a tool, and it works great for lubricating fasteners. water resistant and can be easily reapplied over time.

that are prone to rust. Application is as
simple as applying the wax and buff-
ing when it’s dry. Paste wax also makes
a great final furniture polish and even
comes in tinted colors that add a subtle
hint of color to a finished project.
RENAISSANCE WAX. Another wax known
to woodworkers is Renaissance wax.
{ Carnauba wax is a favorite of turners. The hard, on its own. The waxes and added
polished surface it leaves after buffing is not
only glossy and protective, but tactile.
In addition to the paste wax duties ties
mentioned previously, it’s pre-
ferred by conservators that are
preserving antiques. The neutral tral
pH will not harm antiques. Also, o, it
can be used in the shop on surfacesaces
to keep glue from sticking.
ALFIE SHINE. One of my favorite wax
blends is a product called lled
Alfie Shine. It was developed
ped { Wax blends offer the advantages of raw
by tool collector Jim Hendricks wax, but with added benefit. Most are easier
and is based on a 17th-century to apply than their raw counterparts.
recipe. The mixture of ingredients
(resins found in frankincense, The waxes and resins make the wood
carried by beeswax and blended really glow and offer a hard finish. And
with essential oils) makes Alfie the frankincense leaves an aroma that
Shine a jack-of-all-trades. It excels smells wonderful.
at cleaning and rejuvenating The next time you have a lubrication
wood, or it can be used as a finish task in the shop or your project needs
that final little polish to make it shine,
resins allow it to be polished to a take a second look at waxes. You’ll be
beautiful sheen. glad that
hat you did. W

How-To: A BEE-UTIFUL WAX FINISH

Beeswax really excels when used as a
finish. Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s
not going to be as hard as a varnish or
a poly, but it gives a look that appears
hand-rubbed. Not to mention, it’s easy
to renew without stripping and you can
make your own beeswax finish at home.
I like to start my blend with shredded
wax (far right photo), and melt it into
an oil. Here, I’m using tung oil, but lin-
seed oil works also. Heat the oil in a jar
in boiling water and add the beeswax,
stirring until melted. I use a 4:1 ratio of { Use a cheese grater or a knife to shred beeswax into { An oil and wax blend makes
oil to wax, but you can add more or less the heated oil in a double boiler. Add the wax slowly, a great final coat over varnish
wax to change the hardness of the finish. allowing it to melt completely before adding more. for a hand-rubbed look.

Woodsmith.com • 11

WS238_010.indd 11 6/5/2018 7:13:47 AM

 router
p
worksho
Template routing with
Guide Bushings
The genius of the router is how adapt-
able it is given the right accessories. I’ve
found that guide bushings like the one
shown below increases the accuracy and
capabilities of my router.
Rather than try to explain why guide
bushings are so handy to have in your
shop, let me show you a project-specific
Bushing and Centering pin
retaining ring
{ The bushing gets installed in the base
of the router. The pin helps center the
bushing on the bit for consistency.
12 • Woodsmith / No. 238
WS238_012.indd 12
example — the chisel case on
page 24. You can use what you
learn here as a launching point
to find other uses for guide
bushings in your projects.
The case features a roll-up
tambour door that runs in a
track cut into the sides of the
case. It’s not something you
can form using an edge guide
or even at the router table.
START WITH A TEMPLATE. The
answer is to form the track { Take the time to create smooth edges and even,
with a template. That’s noth- flowing curves on the template since any lumps and
ing earth-shattering. I often bumps will get transferred to the workpiece.
use a template to shape com-
plex parts. However, the width of the any bit to follow a template. Of course,
track meant that I couldn’t use a bearing- for this to work best, the template needs
guided bit, like a pattern bit. to be shaped and sized correctly. And as
This is where the guide bushing the photo above shows, the edges need
enters the scene. It effectively allows to be smooth and even.
Written by: Phil Huber
6/4/2018 2:23:41 PM
 Case
side

Track created
by the bit
Template and guide
bushing

{ For the chisel case, the template is slightly smaller than the profile of the track you’ll make.
This is especially noticeable on curves. For the outside curves of the track, the radius of the
template is smaller than actual curve by the amount of the offset (right drawing).
OFFSET. Sizing the template is a little outside of the guide bushing and the
different when working with a guide edge of the bit (the offset) when siz-
bushing. In order for the bit to pass ing the template. The photo above and
through the bushing, the bushing needs drawing at right shows what I mean.
to be larger than the bit. So you need to PUT THE SYSTEM TO USE. With the template
account for the difference between the in hand, install the bushing. A centering
pin (shown on previous page) can help
get it accurately positioned.
It’s time to get set up and routing.
Double-sided tape works far better than
clamps for securing the template with-
out anything getting in the way. Take
care to position the template accurately
— especially if you need to have mating
or aligning pieces.
Don’t forget to take the thickness of
the template into account when setting
the bit depth. Speaking of bits, the box
below talks about a few options for this
{ Keep one hand on the work to balance kind of guide bushing operation.
the router and act as a fulcrum to keep The critical part of getting top-notch
the bushing in contact with the template. results is maintaining solid contact
BushingTOP
offset
VIEW TOP
VIEW
TemplateTemplateBushing
Bushing
offset
Bit
Bit
Bushing
Workpiece
between the bushing and the template.
Start with the bit away from the edge.
Turn on the router and ease the bushing
against the template and start the work.
Keeping the router moving avoids
scorch marks especially when navigat-
ing around corners. (A clean, sharp bit
is a big plus, too.)
For me, the grip on the router matters.
I rest the heel of one hand on the tem-
plate while moving the router along (left
photo). It improves balance and acts as a
pivot point while following curves.
In short, you’ll quickly master the pro-
cess. And set the gears turning for finding
other ways to use these helpers. W

Groovy: BEST BITS FOR ROUTING Spiral

Whether routing dadoes,
grooves, or rabbets, standard,
inexpensive straight bits get the
job done. But when the operation
or the material gets tricky, I call in
some specialized help.
SPIRAL DOWNCUT BIT. Most of the
time, the appearance of the
upper surface of the workpiece
is what matters, and the bottom
isn’t seen. So with materials that
are stringy or prone to chip-
ping, I’ll use a spiral downcut
bit. The cutting action forces the
wood fibers down, ensuring a
p Spiral
p
downcut bit upcut bit
clean surface. That also means
the chips get packed into the
groove. So this one is best for
shallow (1⁄4" deep or less) cuts.
SPIRAL UPCUT BIT. The other type Straight
Straig
bit
of specialized bit I keep on hand
is an upcut bit. It acts like a drill
bit to quickly pull chips out. This
reduces heat buildup, but can
lead to a ragged-looking edge.
Reach for these bits when
you’re creating deep cuts (mor-
tises, for example) and when
you need to minimize burning
in mild-mannered materials.

Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman Woodsmith.com • 13

WS238_012.indd 13 6/4/2018 2:24:49 PM

 great
gear

Sound advice for

Hearing Protection
Of the five senses that we have, hearing is the
most passive when it comes to defending itself.
A splinter in your finger, dust in the eye, and
toxic odors all demand attention at the moment
they happen. But with hearing, the warning
signs are often no more than an annoying
ringing in the ears. And when the ringing goes
away, we think the problem is over. But it’s not.
Noise-induced hearing loss not only doesn’t go
away, it accumulates over time. Plus the dam-
age it does is irreversible.
As you know, working in the shop can be a
noisy affair. There are two ways to combat this
problem. First, how you set up your work envi-
ronment and dampen your machinery will help
a lot. That isn’t enough, though. You still need
to protect your hearing from prolonged expo-
sure to loud noise. But how much protection

dB level 60 70 80 90 100 110

Conversation 60 Protection drops
levels 25dB
Dust Collector 85

Shop Vacuum 88 Levels above

85 dB
Orbital Sander 91
harmful
to hearing
Table Saw 93

Electric Drill 95

Router 96

Planer 97

Circular Saw 100

Miter Saw 103

{ The smartphone app from Decibel X Pro lets you take instant { The bar to the right of each tool shows its noise output level.
readings and record the noise levels in your shop. The app comes with Dark blue is the reading without protection. Light blue is the
directions for use (inset photo). noise level with hearing protection.

14 • Woodsmith / No. 238 Written by: Erich Lage

WS238_014.indd 14 6/7/2018 7:39:55 AM


varies from task to task. The chart you
see at the bottom of the previous page
covers the tools frequently used in most
shops and the decibel levels they create.
MEASURING NOISE. The chart is general in
nature. What you need are some specific
measurements. There’s only one way
to measure the noise level that you’re
experiencing, and that’s to use a sound
meter which reads decibel (dB) levels.
You can spend a lot of money on
sound meters that provide you with
way more information than you need.
On a hunch, I picked up my smartphone
to see if there was a sound meter app
available. Sure enough, there was quite
a variety to choose from. I landed on the
one you see at the bottom of the previ-
ous page. The Decibel X PRO meets all
the needs I have for measuring the noise
levels in my shop.
When using the app, I found it best to
take the reading when standing in the
position from where I operate the tool.
Also, to dial in the reading even better, I
hold the phone at the approximate level
of my ear. When reading decibel levels,
you’ll want to round up your readings
— that’s to err on the side of caution.
Many times a noise in an open room will
intensify as it travels into your ear and
down the ear canal.
ENTERTAINING OPTIONS. Once you have an
accurate assessment of your shop noise,
you can pick out the type of hearing
protection that works for you. As you
{ Special eye protection for use with ear muffs is cleverly done by the folks
at FullPro. Soundvision are safety glasses that connect to the exterior of
your ear muffs with hook and loop fasteners.
Illustrations: Becky Kralicek
WS238_014.indd 15
Plugs on headbands
with hollow chambers
direct sound away
from ears (26 dB)
Foam plugs
(30 dB) work well for
many shop tasks
can tell by the chart on the previous
evious
page, to be effective, you need to choose
protection that has a noise reduction
rating of at least 25-30 dB.
There are two categories to choose
from: plugs that fit in your ears or muffs
that cover your ears. The photo above
offers basic versions and their levels
of protection that are inexpensive and
pretty straightforward.
BLUETOOTH TO BOOT. Considering plugs
first, it’s nice when you can combine
hearing protection with entertainment,
like listening to music or sports. The
ISOtunes Pro (main photo and photo
below right), does just that through a
Bluetooth connection. It lets you take
phone calls as well.
When it comes to ear muffs, you also
have plenty of choices. But ear muffs
intersect with another important safety
consideration — eye protection.
Standard ear muffs
are a shop favorite
and come with ratings
between 25-30 dB
MUFFS Here I want to look
AN ALLY FOR EAR MUFFS.
at an ongoing challenge that comes up
when wearing ear muffs. That’s how
they interact with your safety glasses.
In most cases, the arms of your safety
glasses will prevent ear muffs from
fully surrounding your ear. The Sound-
vision glasses (photo below) hook to
the outside of your ear muffs and don’t
break the noise protection seal. The
cloth arms on the glasses bond tightly
with hook and loop pads that are pro-
vided with the product.
For places to buy the ISOtunes Pro ear-
buds and the SoundVision kit, turn to
Sources on page 64. It’s important to
wear hearing protection at all times in
the shop. So if by adding music with
earplugs, or getting a more comfortable
seal and noise reduction with your ear-
muffs does the trick — it’s worth the
effort and investment. W
< ISOtunes Pro are
Bluetooth earbuds
that protect your
hearing while keeping
you connected to the
outside world.
Woodsmith.com • 15
6/7/2018 7:40:24 AM
 w orking
wood nique
tech

Making domed
Appliqués
The router table is typically a one-stop Such is the case with the dressing table
shop for making unique profiles and on page 30. Here, I adorned the three
routing intricate joinery on a project. mirror frames with domed appliqués
But with simple jigs and setups, the to enhance its mid-century look.
router table can also be used to create The nice thing about the appliqués
stand-alone moldings. is that they’re made using the same
table-edge router bit that was used to
Mandrel Table-edge
router bit make the profiles on the drawer fronts
and mirrors on the dressing table. This
Handle
“double-duty” use of the bit provides
for visual continuity on the project.
Because of the small size of the appli-
qué blanks (and the fact that they’re
round), routing the profile on the edge { Use a circle cutter with the pilot bit
with a handheld router wasn’t an removed to cut the appliqué blanks.
option. So I turned to the router table Replace the pilot bit to cut the mandrel.
Jig base
and a simple jig setup to make the
Appliqué
blanks appliqués in a safe and efficient manner. end of a handle with hot-melt glue. It’s
HOW DOES IT WORK? In a nutshell, a hard- then lowered into a “stepped” hole in
{ Just a few simple jig parts and one wood base is clamped to the router the base. Once inserted, the base traps
router bit are all it takes to create the table, over the profile bit. An appliqué the appliqué blank so the handle can be
appliqués for the dressing table. blank is attached to a mandrel on the rotated to form the profile on the blank.

16 • Woodsmith / No. 238 Written by: Robert Kemp

WS238_016.indd 16 6/4/2018 9:54:00 AM

 The main photo on the previous page
shows it in action.
APPLIQUÉ BLANKS. Before making the jig,
you’ll want to make enough appliqué
blanks for all three mirrors (12), plus
a few extras for setting up the jig. I
turned to a circle cutter in the drill
press to get this done (lower right
photo, previous page). You’ll want to
run the drill press at it’s slowest set-
ting for best results.
MAKING THE JIG PARTS. The jig setup that
I used consists of just a few parts,
shown in the lower left photo on the
previous page. The illustration at right
provides all the information you’ll
need to make the jig parts.
JIG BASE. As I said before, the base is
sized so that it can be clamped to the
front edge of the router table. You may
have to modify the length of the base
to fit your table. The large, “stepped”
hole can be made using a couple of
Forstner bits, or two hole saws.
The smaller hole drilled tangent to
the 2"-dia. hole provides clearance for
the tip of the router bit (with the bear-
ing removed). The 2"-dia. hole is the
size of the appliqué disc, while the 21⁄8"-
dia. hole is the same size as the mandrel
on the end of the handle. The cut-away
diagram below shows how all of these
parts work together to make the profile.
HANDLE & MANDREL. The handle is simply
a square blank and is pretty straight-
forward to make. I made the mandrel
the same way as the appliqué discs —
using a circle cutter on the drill press. I
put the pilot bit back in the wing cutter
when making the mandrel. This center
Fence
Handle
Jig
base Mandrel
Bearing
removed
Bit
Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman
WS238_016.indd 17
2!/4 2!/4
Jig base
2
2 NOTE: Jig base is made
from 1"-thick hardwood
4
6
#/8" router tip clearance hole
11&/8
Handle
2!/8 x#/4 Mandrel
2!/8 !/2
!/4" dowel 2
hole can be used to glue in a dowel to
attach it to the handle.
USING THE JIG. With the table-edge bit
installed in the router and positioned
below the surface of the table, place
the jig base so that the small hole is
centered over the tip of the router bit.
I then slid the router fence against the
end of the base and locked it in place
before clamping the base to the front
edge of the table. Refer to the main
photo to help get a better understand-
ing of the setup.
SET BIT HEIGHT. Setting the height of the { I used three small dabs of a quick-setting
router bit will depend on the type of hot-melt glue to attach the appliqué
router and table you have. As the illus- blanks to the mandrel.
tration below shows, the bit actually
cuts into the bottom of the jig base just round mandrel. I found that three
slightly. My router table has above- dabs of hot-melt glue was the perfect
the-table adjustability, so I simply amount to securely hold the blank in
turned on my router and raised it into place (photo above). The fast-setting
the jig base, erring on the side of leav- nature of hot-melt glue means that it’s
ing it a little low for now. ready to go in a very short time.
AFFIX APPLIQUÉ BLANK. Next, I attached Now, turn on the router and lower the
a test appliqué blank centered on the handle assembly and blank into the hole
in the jig base. When the man-
drel is seated, turn the handle
counterclockwise one full
turn. Check the blank to see if
the bit needs to be raised.
When done, a flap sander in
the drill press can be used to
clean up any burn marks on
the appliqué without distort-
ing the dome shape. I left them
on the handle assembly for
Waste
this (left photo). Finally, peel
Appliqué the appliqué from the man-
blank
{ After routing to shape, leave the drel. A little denatured alcohol
appliqué attached to the mandrel loosens the glue without dam-
and use a flap sander to clean it up. aging the wood. W
Woodsmith.com • 17
6/4/2018 9:54:44 AM
 d
Weeken
Project

Wood-Hinge Cabinet
The wooden hinge and curved doors make this
wall cabinet a true attention grabber. Believe it
or not, building it’s a straightforward process.

Storage. It’s one of those things that
you can never have too much of. Often,
storage is required in a place that’s
inconvenient for traditional options.
This wood-hinge cabinet takes that
inconvenience and turns it into a stun-
ning piece of wall furniture.
SMOOTH OPERATOR. When I first saw the
design for this wall-mounted cabinet,
there were two things that really stood
out. The first is the wooden hinge.
Looking at it, you would expect the
hinges to be quite difficult to make.
That isn’t the case, however. A few
simple steps at the router table and
table saw will have this hinge operat-
ing smoothly in short order.
THE RIGHT CURVES. The second thing that
I really took a liking to is the curves on
the doors. Not only do the top and bot-
tom of the doors end in a nice, smooth
curve, but the doors themselves are
also concave and convex to add a
little depth to the closed cabinet. The
curves take a little hand work, but are
easy to accomplish.
It all begins with a simple hardwood
case. So turn the page to get started
building this wood-hinge cabinet.

18 • Woodsmith / No. 238 Written by: Logan Wittmer; Project Design: Chris Fitch

WS238_018.indd 18 6/7/2018 7:53:06 AM

 Construction Overview / OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 19!/4"W x 30#/4"H x 9!/2"D
Wood hinges A pair of ball catches
give a unique look hold the doors closed
to the cabinet

Sculpted hardwood doors

add visual interest

Shelves provide NOTE: Cabinet

ample storage mounted to wall with
commercial Z-Clips

Case assembled with

tongue and Curved handles
dado joinery complement the shape
of the doors

Drawers feature
locking rabbet
joinery

Steel rod allows NOTE: For

wood hinge hardware sources,
to pivot turn to page 67

Materials,
terials Supplies & Cutting Diagram
3⁄ x 8 - 30 G Shelf (1) 3⁄ x 7 - 175⁄ M Drawer Sides (4) 3⁄ x 53⁄ - 7
A Sides (2) 4 4 8 8 16
3⁄ x 77⁄ - 181⁄ H Barrels (30) 3⁄ x 3⁄ - 2 N Drawer Fronts (2) 3 ⁄8 x 53⁄16 - 83⁄8
B Top (1) 4 8 2 4 4
3⁄ x 77⁄ - 181⁄ I Splines (30) 1⁄ hdbd. - 13⁄ x 2 O Drawer Backs (2) 3⁄ x 53⁄ - 77⁄
C Bottom (1) 4 8 2 8 16 8 16 8
J Left Door (1) 15 ⁄16 x 815⁄16 - 303⁄4 P Drawer Bottoms (2) ⁄8 hdbd. - 65⁄8 x 77⁄8
1
D Horz. Divider (1) 3⁄4 x 71⁄8 - 181⁄2
E Vert. Divider (1) 3⁄ x 6 - 71⁄
4 8 K Right Door (1) 15⁄16 x 815⁄16 - 303⁄4 • (2) 1⁄8" x 30" Steel Rods
F Back (1) 1⁄ ply. - 181⁄ x 281⁄
2 4 4 L Handles (2) 11⁄16 x 21⁄8 - 4 • (2) Ball Catches
• (2) Z-Clips
!/2"x 5!/2" - 48" Hard Maple (1.8 Sq. Ft.) • (4) 1⁄4” Shelf Pins
M M M M O O
tt

#/4"x 4!/2" - 84" Hard Maple (Two Boards @ 2.6 Bd. Ft. each)
A A B

#/4"x 6!/2" - 48" Hard Maple (Two Boards @ 2.2 Bd. Ft. each) 1!/2"x 2!/2" - 12" Hard Maple (.4 Bd. Ft.)
L L
C D
E
H

!/2"x 5!/2" - 24" Mahogany (.9 Bd. Ft.) #/4"x 4" - 36" Mahogany (1.0 Bd. Ft.)

N N G G

1!/2"x 5" - 72" Mahogany (Two Boards @ 5.0 Bd. Ft. each)
ALSO NEEDED:
J K One 24"x 24"sheet of !/8" hardboard
One 24"x 48"sheet of !/2" maple plywood

Illustrations: Peter J. Larson Woodsmith.com • 19

WS238_018.indd 19 6/7/2018 7:53:36 AM

 B
7&/8 TOP
a. TOP b. FRONT c. FRONT
SECTION VIEW SECTION SECTION VIEW
SPLINE VIEW
I BARREL 18!/2
H !/2 1!/4
A F B B
8 18!/4 9!/4 !/2
1!/2 #/8 !/4
F 4!/8 !/4 #/8
BACK 1 D A A
A

17%/8

I
G Shelf
7 pins H
SHELF
A
28!/4 !#/16
HORIZONTAL G G
30 SIDE DIVIDER Hole for
D steel rod !/8 F #/8
7!/8
18!/2

d. SIDE
SECTION VIEW
VERTICAL
DIVIDER A
E D
7!/8 #/8
6 F
D D
!/4
7&/8 6!/8 E
18!/2
2 C E
BOTTOM H
!/4 6!/4
C !/2 7
NOTE: Hinge !/4 C C
barrels are glued
in using door NOTE: Back is !/2" plywood. 1!/4
barrels as spacers Hinge spline is !/8" hardboard.
Case parts and barrels are 6&/8
made from #/4"-thick hardwood.

Making the CASE & WOOD HINGES

The heart of the cabinet is a hardwood
case that uses basic, but strong, tongue
and dado joinery. We chose to use maple
for the case of the cabinet. The doors,
shelf, and drawer fronts, which you’ll
make later, are made of mahogany.
GROOVES. Start by cutting the case OFFSET DADOES. With the grooves cut,
parts to size at the table saw. Over at the stopped dadoes can be cut using a
the router table, rout a groove along handheld router. But there’s something
the back edge of the sides, top, and I want to point out here. The sides of the
bottom for the back. Figure 1 shows case are offset from each other. So when
the location of these grooves. laying out the dadoes, note the dado

How-To: CUT THE CASE JOINERY

a. END VIEW
1 a. !/4 END
2 3
!/2 VIEW Aux. miter
!/4 !/4" Straightedge Aux. rip
fence
#/8
straight fence B
bit
Dado
blade
A B C
a. #/8 END VIEW
Stop
!/4" mark B
C !/2 C
straight bit
Straightedge Double-
sided tape

Groove for Case Back. Rout a groove Stopped Dadoes. Rout stopped dadoes Rabbets. Cut rabbets on the ends of
in the sides, top, and bottom with a in the sides, bottom, and horizontal the top, bottom, and dividers at the
straight bit at the router table. divider with a router and straightedge. table saw with a dado blade.

20 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_020.indd 20 6/7/2018 7:54:25 AM

 locations are different in the two sides.
Details ‘b’ and ‘c’ on the previous page How-To: CREATE THE WOOD HINGES
show what I mean. This offset between
the two sides will make more sense 1 2
when the doors are installed later. You’ll
need dadoes in the sides for the top,
bottom and horizontal divider. Also,
A
the horizontal divider and bottom each A Tall
#/4" aux.
receive a dado for a vertical divider. core box rip
bit a. END
Tongues are cut on the ends of the a. A END fence VIEW
VIEW
top, both dividers, and the bottom of
!/8
the case to fit in the stopped dadoes %/8
(Figure 3 on previous page). After the
tongues are cut, the front edge of each
tongue can be trimmed. Cove Edges. At the router table, rout Kerf for Splines. At the table saw, cut
With that done, you can cut the back a shallow cove in the front edge of a kerf in the front edge of the sides,
to size and rabbet the edges (detail ‘a’). the sides using a core box bit. guided by a tall auxiliary rip fence.
Finally, after cutting the shelf to size
and drilling holes in the sides for the 3 4
shelf pins, you can set everything aside Barrel
blank
except the sides. Those require a little
more work before assembling the case. A

WOOD HINGE
The wood hinge on the case is made up a. END VIEW a. END
VIEW
of a few parts fitting and working in a
!/8 Push
way so they appear seamless. The doors 45° NOTE: Blank &/16 block
is #/4" x #/4" - 18"
receive the same steps later on.
COVED SIDES. To start making the wood
hinge, you first need to rout a shallow Chamfers. With the blade tilted, Kerf Barrel Blank. At the table saw,
cove in the front edge of the sides, as chamfer the front edges of the sides. cut a kerf in a square blank for what
shown in Figure 1. This allows the Be careful not to cut into the cove. will become the hinge barrels.
hinge barrels to seat fully in the side.
FIRST:
Next, a kerf is cut down the center of 5 With one end against fence, 6 a. END
the cove (Figure 2). Finally, the edges slowly pivot workpiece into bit VIEW 2
next to the cove are chamfered at the Stop Stop block
table saw, as shown in Figure 3. The Start mark
case can now be assembled before you mark
SECOND: Slide
along fence Stop block
move on to the hinge barrel. Barrel
blank
HINGE BARRELS. To create the round hinge a. END VIEW
#/8"
barrels that allow the door to open and roundover Aux.
bit miter fence
close, I started off with several long, Leave roughly
square blanks. At the table saw, cut a 2"square on both
ends of barrel blank
kerf centered on one edge (Figure 4)
To turn the square blank into a round Create Dowel. Round over all four Hinge Assembly. Use a stop block
cylinder, grab a roundover bit and head edges of the barrel blank to create a and miter gauge to cut the hinge
over to the router table. You’ll want dowel, then glue in a hardboard spline. barrels to length.
to rout each edge, creating a cylinder
(Figure 5). Make sure to leave the ends
of your blank square. This keeps your The small gap needs to be big enough When gluing them into the kerf in the
workpiece fully supported when routing. for a rod to be inserted later, so size it sides of the case, use another hinge
To attach the hinge to the case, a according to your rod. With the hard- barrel as a spacer. The goal here is to
strip of hardboard is glued into the board in place, you can cut the hinge glue every other barrel in place. The
kerf in the barrel blank. Don’t insert pieces to length, as shown in Figure 6. opposite barrels will be glued into the
the hardboard all the way into the kerf, ATTACH HINGE. Attaching the hinge bar- doors later. See the main drawing on
however (detail ‘a’ previous page). rels to the case is a simple process. the previous page.

Woodsmith.com • 21

WS238_020.indd 21 6/7/2018 7:55:08 AM

 !/8"-dia. steel rod

Curved Ball catches

2 2

DOORS & 2
2

DRAWERS NOTE: Glue door hinge LEFT DOOR

J
K
barrels in place, using side RIGHT DOOR
After the construction of the case and hinge barrels as spacers 30#/4
the hinges, you’re well on your way to
30#/4
having a great looking wall cabinet. Up
4
next is tackling the doors.
NOT YOUR STANDARD DOOR. Like I men-
tioned before, the doors are made out of L
solid mahogany. Start them by cutting HANDLES
the stock to rough width. You’ll want to Plug
leave them a little wide so that you can 13
NOTE: Handles are made BARREL
fine-tune the fit later. The outer edge from 1!/16"-thick hardwood H SPLINE
of each door is milled using the same I

process that was used on the sides. But HANDLE

because of the curvature of the doors, PATTERN 2
2 8!%/16
(Full-size)
the edge treatment is not centered (detail
8!%/16 NOTE: Doors are made
‘b’). Once the hinge edge is cut, you can from 1%/16"-thick hardwood
test fit the doors to the cabinet and sneak
up on the final width of the door. a. FRONT VIEW
#/8
SHAPE DOORS. As you can see in detail #/4 #/8
‘a’ the ends of the doors are curved. In 1#/8 #/4
1
addition the left door face is concave, 18!/8"-rad.
18!/8"-rad. K
while the right door is convex (Figure 1
#/4 H
and detail ‘b’). You can read more about H
J
1!/4 18!/8"-rad.
shaping these profiles in Shop Notes on
18!/8"-rad.
page 64. After shaping the doors, the #/4
#/8 #/8 #/4
inner edge can be notched for the han-
dles as shown in Figure 2.
CURVED HANDLES. To make the handles b. TOP SECTION VIEW %/16
45° !/2
for the doors, start with a thick blank
and use the pattern at right. Remove #/4 K !/8
L
the waste at the band saw as shown %/8 J I H
in Figure 3. Then, it’s just a little work

How-To: SHAPE THE DOORS & HANDLES

1 2 3
J K

Dado blade
L
Tall miter
Pattern J fence

a. END VIEW Waste

4
Sand smooth
!/2 after cutting

Door Profiles. For a step-by-step Cut Handle Notches. Use a dado Shape Handle. Use the pattern and a
guide on creating the door shape, see blade and a tall miter fence for support band saw to remove the waste from the
Shop Notes on page 64. to cut the notches in each door. blank. Then sand the handle smooth.

22 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_022.indd 22 6/7/2018 7:55:48 AM

 with some sandpaper to smooth out a. !/4
the shape. After that, the handles can #/8
be set aside until after finish is applied. !/8 !/8

A ROD TO BIND THEM. Now is a good time M O

to glue the hinge pieces into each door. TOP P

Use the hinge barrels that are already VIEW N

glued to the case as spacers for install- #/8

ing the door barrels. Finally, it’s a !/8
simple matter of interlocking the doors NOTE: Drawer parts are
FRONT made from #/8"-thick hardwood.
and case hinge barrels and sliding the b. M SECTION Drawer bottoms are
made from !/8" hardboard
rod partially into place. Before starting VIEW
P
on the drawers, install the door catches !/8 O
and a small plug in the bottom barrel
to prevent the rod from falling through !/4 !/8
#/8 M
(main drawing, previous page). P
O

7&/8
DRAWERS 7 M
At this point, you have a beautiful, 5#/16 O N
serviceable cabinet. But I took it a step DRAWER M
DRAWER
FRONT BACK
further and added a pair of drawers. N
The drawers aren’t difficult to build and
P
use some common joinery techniques.
DRAWER
CLASSIC LOCKING RABBET. The drawer fronts BOTTOM
are made out of mahogany for a con- 5#/16 7&/8
6%/8 c. SIDE
SECTION VIEW
trast against the inside of the case. The 1!/4
rad. M
sides and back, however, are maple. To !/8 N

start, a groove is cut along the bottom M

edge of the fronts, sides, and bottom, as
shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the
process for cutting the locking rabbets in
the fronts. The back is connected to the
sides with a tongue and dado (Figure 3).
Before assembling the drawer, drill a fin-
ger notch in each drawer front using a
scrap block and a Forstner bit. Then, the
drawers can be glued together.
FINISH. After sanding the entire cabi-
net, remove the rod from the hinge so
8#/8
along the edges
the doors can be finished separately.
This keeps the hinge from sticking
together. Before applying finish, mask
off the notch in the doors so the handle
can be glued in after the finish is dry.
Then the entire cabinet, doors, and
drawers are sprayed with multiple
coats of lacquer. To finish the handles,
Sand a slight DRAWER SIDE !/4 !/8 P
roundover #/8
paint them with a couple of coats of
black milk paint, and then finish them
with lacquer, again masking off glue
areas. Then, glue them in place.
With the handles installed, the cabinet
is ready to be mounted with a pair of
Z-clips. Now, the cabinet is ready to offer
stylish storage any place in the house. W

How-To: CUT THE DRAWER JOINERY

1 M N O 2 Rip
fence
3
N
Rip Aux. rip O
fence fence

END VIEW END VIEW a. END b. END a. !/8

END VIEW
a. !/4 b. !/8 !/8
VIEW VIEW
!/8 !/8 !/4 !/8 !/8 !/4
!/8 M #/8 !/4

Grooves and Dadoes. Cut grooves in the sides, Locking Rabbets. Cut a groove Tongues. Rabbet the ends of the
front, and back for the bottom. Cut dadoes in in the drawer front and trim the drawer back to create tongues that
the drawer sides for the front and back. tongue for the locking rabbet. fit into the drawer sides.

Woodsmith.com • 23

WS238_022.indd 23 6/7/2018 7:56:10 AM

 Shop
Project

Roll-top
Chisel Case
The solid-wood construction of this
chisel case not only protects and
organizes your chisels, but is also a
handsome addition to your shop.
When it comes to woodworking, most
woodworkers put themselves in a cat-
egory of either using hand or power
tools. But no matter what type of wood-
worker you consider yourself, a good
set of bench chisels is a necessity in any
shop. Often though, chisels tend to get
buried on a cluttered bench. Or worse
yet, roll off the bench and onto the floor.
Keeping your chisels safe and clean is
where this chisel case shines.
TAMBOUR DOOR. The most distinguish-
ing feature of this case is the tambour
door. When closed, the door keeps
dust and chips out and protects your
chisels. The door slides in a track to
reveal the storage area for the chis-
els. While the tambour door looks
challenging to make, breaking it down
into a few simple steps makes it much
more approachable.
CUSTOM CRADLES. The chisels rest in a pair
of cradles that hold the butt of the han-
dle and the blades. While we designed
these cradles to hold four sizes of chis-
els, this configuration is easily custom-
ized for your brand and size of chisels.

24 • Woodsmith / No. 238 Written by: Logan Wittmer; Project design: Chris Fitch

WS238_024.indd 24 6/6/2018 8:20:30 AM

 Grooved SIDES
NOTE: Sides NOTE: For more on template routing,
are made from A see the article on page 12
#/8"-thick hardwood
Bottom
False- groove
When broken down, the chisel case is bottom
Tambour groove
built with only a few parts. While none 12#/4
groove
Tambour
of them are complicated, the sides of groove
the case require the most work, so that’s
A
where I chose to begin.
SIDE
SIDE BLANKS. The sides start as hardwood
blanks that are planed down to final
thickness and cut to overall size. For
this case, I chose a nice piece of straight- 3#/16
grained walnut. Because of the small
a. END SECTION
VIEW For a full-size
amount of wood needed to build this Tambour template, go to
groove #/16
project, it’s the perfect opportunity to Woodsmith.com
!/4
use that small piece of special wood that
False-
we all seem to hold on to. bottom A b. 1!/2"-rad. SIDE VIEW
groove 1!/2"-rad.
GROOVES GALORE. The sides each receive
three grooves. The first groove acts as Tambour !/8
a track for the tambour door. This is groove !/8 1%/16"-rad. 1%/16"-rad.
!/4 1!/16"-rad. 1!/16"-rad.
an oval-shaped groove that follows
the profile of the sides. The groove !/8 11%/16
!/8 1&/16
straightens out on the lower half of the Bottom !/8
oval and exits through the front edge groove
of the sides.
The other two grooves are straight
and house a pair of bottom panels that
help hide the door when it’s open. We’ll TEMPLATE (One square = #/8")
talk about the bottoms later, but you can
see the layout of their grooves in the
main illustration at right.
TAMBOUR GROOVE. After making the Figures 2 through 4 walk you through on both sides. Use stop marks on the
template at right, I routed the tambour cutting the straight grooves in each fence and stop the workpiece when the
groove using a router equipped with a side. The setup for the through bot- end reaches the mark. Details ‘a’ and
guide bushing and a straight bit (Figure tom groove is the same on both sides, ‘b’ above show the groove locations.
1).To rout the opposite side of the case, so go ahead and start with that one. Finally, round the corners of the sides
simply flip the template over. Then, the stopped groove can be routed at the band saw and sand them smooth.

How-To: ROUT THE GROOVES IN THE SIDES

1 A
2 3 Stop
4 Stop
mark mark
!/8" !/8"
straight straight
!/8" bit A
bit A
A
A Template straight
bit
!/4" straight bit
a. END a. END VIEW a. END VIEW
a. END VIEW !/8 VIEW !/8 !/8
#/4 2%/16
#/16 #/16
Template A A A #/16

Tambour Groove. Use a router Rout Grooves. Rout the Left Groove. Rout the Right Groove. Reset the
equipped with a bushing and through grooves in both stopped groove in the left fence to rout the stopped
straight bit to rout along template. sides using a straight bit. side at the router table. groove in the right side.

Illustrations: Peter J. Larson Woodsmith.com • 25

WS238_024.indd 25 6/6/2018 7:54:05 AM

 NOTE: Front and back are
a. TOP VIEW made from #/8"-thick
hardwood. Bottom is
#/8 8 1!!/16 made from !/8" plywood
B BACK
B
#/16

C
BOTTOM
b.
SIDE 12#/4
B SECTION
VIEW Front 7%/8

#/4

!/8
B
FRONT
NOTE: Front is
#/16 C #/16 left off until
the door is installed Edges
eased with

Complete the CASE

sandpaper

The remaining parts of the chisel case are
straightforward to make, but a certain
assembly order needs to be followed to
ensure the tambour door can be slid into
place after a finish has been applied.
FRONT & BACK. The front and back of the
case are the next items to take care of.
A pair of rabbets wrap the sides, and
grooves capture the bottom panels, as
shown in details ‘a’ and ‘b’ above.
With the pieces cut to size, I cut the
rabbets on each one first. Figure 1 below
shows this process at the table saw.
Both the front and back receive a groove
for the bottom, as shown in Figure 2.
That takes care of the back. The front
needs a little more work before it’s
ready for assembly.
The front requires a second groove to
house the false bottom. Figure 3 below
shows the setup for cutting this groove on
the table saw. The final step for the front
is cutting a finger notch to open the tam-
bour door. This is easily accomplished
with a piece of scrap and a Forstner bit
in the drill press (Figure 4).
A PARTIAL ASSEMBLY. At this point, the bot-
tom can be cut to size. Then you’re ready
to do some assembly. As mentioned, the
trick is being able to slide the tambour
door into the groove after finish has
been applied. In this case, that requires
leaving the front off until the tambour is
completed later.
Glue the back to the sides and slide the
bottom into place. It’s helpful to clamp
the front in place (without glue) to keep
the case square. With that drying, you can
start on the cradles.

How-To: MAKE THE GROOVES & RABBETS

Aux. rip
1 fence 2 3 4
Push Push
Aux. miter block
fence block 1"-dia.
B
Forstner
bit
B
B
Dado
blade
Scrap
a. END VIEW a. END a. END
!/8 VIEW !/8 VIEW
#/8 #/16 #/16 #/4
B B B
#/16

Rabbets. Rabbet the front Bottom Grooves. Groove False Bottom Groove. Cut a Finger Notch. A scrap piece
and back using a dado blade the bottom edge of both second groove in the front for and a Forstner bit makes fast
and auxiliary fence. pieces for the bottom panel. the false bottom. work of the finger notch.

26 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_026.indd 26 6/6/2018 7:54:49 AM

 HANDLE CRADLE NOTE: Cradles are made from a.
!#/16"-thick hardwood. TOP SECTION VIEW
E False bottom is made
BLADE CRADLE from !/8" plywood
E
F

7!/4

2%/8 D

7!/4
2!/2 F

FALSE BOTTOM
b.
D SIDE
SECTION VIEW
D
11%/16
F E
45°
7%/8 NOTE: Cradle
recesses are customized !/8"
for each chisel roundover

CHISEL CRADLES
The chisels are held in place using two
cradles — one to hold the blades and one
for the handles. These are made from
hard maple to closely match the bottoms.
HANDLE CRADLE. The cradles start as over-
sized blanks, and you’ll want to mark
centerlines where each chisel will sit
(detail ‘a’). To create the recess for the
handles, first use a piece of hardboard to
make a template. Draw the outline of a
chisel handle on the hardboard and cut
away the waste, sneaking up on the fit.
Your handle should fit neatly into the
template. Then, use double-sided tape
to hold the template on the cradle blank.
It’s then a matter of following the
template using a router equipped with
a core box bit (Figure 1). The handle
recesses should be about half the depth
of your chisel handle thickness. Repeat
the process for the remaining handle
recesses. Finally, the back edge of the
handle cradle can be cut at 45° to make
room for the tambour door, as shown
in Figure 2 and detail ’b’.
BLADE CRADLE. The blade cradle recesses
are cut using a template much like
the handles. This time however, use a
guide bushing and a straight bit in your
router and nibble away the waste (Fig-
ure 3). You’re shooting for the chisels to
rest level when held in both cradles, so
test fit the chisels and adjust the depth
accordingly. Afterwards, the ends of the
slots can be squared up with a chisel and
the cradles glued to the false bottom,
as shown in the main drawing above.
Details ‘a’ and ‘b’ show the position.

How-To: ROUT THE CHISEL CRADLES

1 a. 2 3 a.
Push
block
D
D
E
Waste

Template !/4" straight

bit with #/8" Template
a. Push END
block VIEW bushing
Tilt blade 45° 2%/8 45°
NOTE: Rout recess D
D with !/2" core box
E
bit with bearing

Chisel Handle Recesses. Use a core box Back Edge Bevel. Bevel the back edge Blade Recesses. Make a blade template
bit to rout the handle recess. Follow the of the handle cradle to 45°, then sand at the table saw. Use a guide bushing
template, moving deeper as necessary. the sharp point to a small flat. and straight bit to rout the recesses.

Woodsmith.com • 27

WS238_026.indd 27 6/6/2018 7:55:06 AM

 a. FRONT SECTION VIEW G

Canvas cloth

NOTE: Canvas
NOTE: Tambour Canvas cloth is cut to match
strips are left long, then rough blank size
cut to size on sled with
canvas cloth attached

b.

G
SIDE
Canvas cloth SECTION 7%/8
VIEW
Canvas cloth
G
NOTE: Tambour strips
are made from G
!/4"-thick hardwood TAMBOUR STRIP
!/4

Building the TAMBOUR DOOR

A well-built tambour door slides
smoothly and effortlessly. Not only that,
but it’s fun to open. These few steps will
have your door working in no time.
TAMBOUR STRIPS. The door starts as a
series of hardwood strips. The strip
stock is planed slightly thinner than 1⁄4"
(to allow room for the canvas backer).
The strips are then ripped to width at
the table saw, but leave them a little long.
Figure 1 below gives all the details.
To hold the strips together as one con-
tinuous door, a piece of canvas is glued
onto the back of the strips. A simple sled
aids in aligning the strips before applying
the cloth. The sled is just a piece plywood
with a cleat glued 90° to one edge (Figure
2). The tambour strips are aligned to the
cleat and held down with double-sided
tape. With the strips in place, the canvas
cloth can be glued on top with wood
glue. One end of the canvas needs to be
left a little long so that a handle can be
glued on later. Once the glue has tacked
up, the sled with attached strips can all
be cut to final width (Figure 3).
Before the glue cures fully, you’ll want
to pull the tambour door off the sled.
Once the door is off, roll the strips to
separate them (Figure 4). Then stand the
curled door on edge to finish drying. This
breaks any glue between the slats and
ensures the door will operate smoothly.

How-To: SHAPE, ASSEMBLE, & INSTALL THE TAMBOUR

1 2 Sled 3
Push
block Push
G
block

Canvas cloth
a. END Canvas cloth
VIEW
!/4
Tambour
Tambour strip strips
blank Sled
Double-sided tape

Tambour Strips. Rip tambour strips to Tambour Sled. Attach tambour strips to Cut to Width. Cut the sled with
width from a large blank. Use a push a plywood sled using double-sided tape. attached tambour strips to final width
block to safely make the cuts. Then apply canvas cloth with glue. at the table saw.

28 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_028.indd 28 6/6/2018 7:55:38 AM

 TAMBOUR HANDLE #/16
H
a. FRONT SECTION VIEW
#/16
&/16 H

7%/8

b.
SIDE H
SECTION
VIEW Trim end of B
canvas flush

NOTE: Front
attached after
finish is applied Front
and door is installed

TAMBOUR HANDLE. The last steps before
the door can be installed are to ease the
tambour edges with sandpaper and add
a handle. The handle is a little taller than
the door and has rabbets on both ends to
ride in the tambour grooves (detail ‘a’).
Figure 5 shows how to make the handle.
Before installing the tambour door,
the case and door get sprayed with
satin lacquer. Remember to mask off
the areas where the front end will be
glued to the sides.
INSTALL DOOR. After the finish is dry, the
door can be inserted into the tambour
groove and slid into place. Finally, glue
the tambour handle onto the remain-
ing tail of canvas (Figure 6). Cap off the
case by gluing the front in place (detail
‘b’). With the handle and front
installed, the case is ready to go on full
display in your shop. W

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Sides (2) 3⁄ x 33⁄16 - 123⁄4 C Bottom (1) 1⁄ ply. - 75⁄ x 123⁄ G Tambour Strips (53) 1⁄ x 1⁄4 - 75⁄8
8 8 8 4 4
B Front/Back (2) 3⁄ x 111⁄16 - 8 D False Bottom (1)1⁄8 ply. - 75⁄8 x 115⁄16 H Tambour Handle (1) 1⁄ x 7⁄16 - 75⁄8
8 4
E Handle Cradle (1) 13⁄16 x 25⁄8 - 71⁄4
1"x 6" - 24 " Hard Maple (1.0 Bd. Ft.) F Blade Cradle (1) 13⁄ x 21⁄ - 71⁄
16 2 4 • (1) 131⁄2“ x 8” Canvas Cloth
E F
ALSO NEEDED: One 24"x 48"
sheet of !/8" birch plywood
!/2"x 4" - 96" Walnut (2.7 Sq. Ft.)
B
tt

A A G G G G G G
B H

4 5 Aux. rip
fence 6
Tambour H
H
Aux. miter
Dado fence
blade
Canvas
a. END VIEW cloth
Canvas cloth #/16
#/16 H

Flex Door. Roll the tambour assembly Tambour Handle. Cut rabbets on the Install Tambour. Slide the tambour into
to break loose any excess glue ends of the tambour handle with a the groove and then glue the handle to
from between the edges of the strips. dado blade at the table saw. the canvas. Trim off any excess canvas.

Woodsmith.com • 29

WS238_028.indd 29 6/6/2018 10:26:36 AM

 r
Designe
Project

Elegant
Dressing Table
Get ready in the morning in style when you add this vanity table and
three-piece mirror set to your master bedroom suite.
Having an organized, dedicated spot in STORAGE GALORE. First up are three large iron, and other hair care products, as
the bedroom to prepare yourself for the drawers in the left pedestal that’ll hold shown in the right photo at the bottom
day ahead is a luxury most of us could a myriad of cosmetics, jewelry, and of the next page.
use. This practical dressing table meets any other accessories a well-turned out MIRROR, MIRROR. The three-piece mirror
that need quite nicely. person requires. Plans for an optional ensemble is what really sets this table
Designed to suit any décor, this van- divider system for the center drawer apart. The center mirror is mounted
ity will fit with a modern bedroom can be found online at Woodsmith.com. on pivoting hardware while the two
design, as well as a retro-look room. Moving to the right pedestal, you’ll outer mirrors are hinged for easy
Best of all, it’s packed with features find a pullout unit disguised to mimic adjustability to ensure you get just the
that’ll make you look forward to get- the drawers on the other side. This unit right view. All in all, it’s a fine addition
ting ready for your day, or a night out. is set up to hold a hair dryer, curling to any home that’s sure to please.

30 • Woodsmith / No. 238 Written by: Robert Kemp; Project design: Dennis Volz

WS238_030.indd 30 6/6/2018 8:11:18 AM

 Construction Overview / OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 49"W x 64"H x 20 ⁄ "D 1
2

Shop-made appliqués
NOTE: Sources on mounted to the
page 67 provides mirror corners match
the hardware and the drawer knobs
finish information

For center drawer All three mirrors

divider plan, go to are adjustable to
Woodsmith.com achieve the
right angle Mirror frames
are assembled
using strong
biscuit joinery

A thick piece of glass

protects the
center tabletop
The three large
drawers ride on
simple wooden runners

NOTE: For an
article on making
the mirror appliqués,
see page 16

Mortise and tenon

joinery creates a
rock-solid
framework

Appliance holders
can be customized
The false front on to suit your needs
the pullot unit
mimics the drawers

Sturdy plywood
cases house the
drawers and
pullout unit
The pullout unit
glides effortlessly
on full-extension
drawer slides

{ The center mirror pivots on simple hardware to get the optimal { The pullout unit on the right has special accessory holders that
angle, whether sitting down or standing up. A thick piece of glass keep things handy and organized. A small power strip mounted in
on the center table protects the surface from dings or spills. the back provides a convenient plug-in location.

Illustrations: Harlan V. Clark Woodsmith.com • 31

WS238_030.indd 31 6/6/2018 8:12:11 AM

 a. c. %/16 d.
9° bevel,
b. REAR VIEW !/4
#/16 (left front
all four leg) A
sides 2
!/4 #/16
MIRROR #/8 2
POST 3!/4 #/8
D D A #/16
D 2
#/8 %/16
2
A
#/8 2
58!/2
Mortise
is 1!/4" 5#/4
deep Mortises #/8
!/4"-20 x 1!/2" are 1!/4" 3!/4
B
cap head bolt deep
18

f. D !/4"-dia.
A
hole
9#/4 through

C B END e. 2!/2
REAR
A
RAILS #/8 1!/4
29!/4 RAIL !/4

A
LEGS 47!/4 B
C 2 #/4

#/4"-dia. counterbore, 18!/2

C !/16"-deep 2!/2 1!/4
!/4"-20 #/16
B T-nut 1!/8
NOTE: Rails are made
from #/4"-thick hardwood.
Posts and legs are
1!/2"-thick hardwood own a dedicated mortiser, now would
Start with the be a good time to use it. If not, you can
use the method I used, shown in Fig-

FRAME & SIDE CABINETS ure 1 below, to make the mortises.

The core of the dressing table consists of
a hardwood framework that surrounds
the cabinets. The framework is made up
of legs, rails, and a couple of long posts
that support the mirrors. The mirror posts
are fastened to the framework so they‘re
easily removable when you need to move
the dresser. I began the frame construc-
tion by making the legs and rails.
LEGS & RAILS. After cutting the four leg
blanks to size, lay out the mortise loca-
tions (details ‘b,’ ‘c,’ and ‘d’). If you
The six rails are up next. The tenons
on the ends require just a couple simple
setups at the table saw, as shown in Fig-
ure 2. I also took the time now to drill
the counterbored holes in the rear rails
and installed the T-nuts for mounting
the mirror posts shortly. The legs and
rails can then be assembled. I broke this

How-To: CUT THE FRAME & CABINET JOINERY

1 #/8" brad 2 a. END VIEW 3 a. !/8
point bit
Aux. 1!/8
miter END
Rip fence fence !/4 VIEW
acts as
as a stop B C
Stop
A a. END b. END VIEW
block
VIEW
1!/8 Aux.
#/4" dado D
1!/4 blade rip
#/16 fence

Tilt blade 9°

Drilling Mortises. Remove the bulk of Cutting Tenons. Use a dado blade in Bevel Posts. Use a stop block attached
the waste for the mortises at the drill the table saw to cut the tenons on the to the rip fence to assist in cutting the
press. Clean up the edges with a chisel. ends of the rails. angle on the top of the posts.

32 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_032.indd 32 6/6/2018 10:27:22 AM

 NOTE: Case sides, tops, and FRONT 2
bottoms are #/4" plywood. a. SECTION VIEW b. !/4" ply.
assembly into two stages. First, I glued Backs are !/4" plywood. F #/4" ply. SIDE
Runners are #/4"-thick F #/8 SECT.
the end rails into the legs. When that hardwood. Edging is VIEW
!/8"-thick hardwood #/8 E 1!/4" Fh
was dry, I connected the end assemblies 1!/4
Rail woodscrew
9!#/16 1!/4 G
with the rear rails. 17!/8 Leg
E
MIRROR POSTS. The mirror posts are 2
F
CASE BACK
pretty straightforward to make. Start off RUNNERS G Drill from below c.
by cutting them to size, but leave them I for #8 Fh woodscrew Rail
9#/4 2 #/8
slightly long. The facets cut on the top #/4 25!/2
17!/8
of each post (detail ‘a’, previous page) Leg
can be made at the table saw by tilting 3
E
the blade (Figure 3). With that done, cut 1 SIDE
#/4 F G
the posts to their final length. CASE SECTION
TOP E VIEW
The wide notches in the posts can be 20%/16 26!/4
I
nibbled out with a dado blade at the
d. FRONT
table saw, as shown in Figure 4 below. SECTION
Use the counterbored holes in the 12 VIEW
rear rails to lay out the corresponding 3!#/16
mounting holes in the posts before bolt- 3#/8
F
ing them in place. F #8 x #/4" Fh
H CASE woodscrew
BOTTOM #/8
MAKE THE SIDE CABINETS EDGING E
CASE SIDES
The completed framework is now ready H
for the two side cabinets. These cabinets
are simple plywood boxes with hard- point, I did a test assembly on the case out of the way, glue the case parts
wood edging to cover the plywood parts. While the parts were together, I together. I also used a few pin nails to
edges along the front. The left case has measured the back opening and cut the hold the plywood backs in place.
a series of hardwood runners installed case backs to size. HARDWOOD EDGING. The strips of edging
to guide the three drawers. HARDWOOD RUNNERS. Before assembling are the last pieces to add before attach-
SOLID JOINERY. Start the side cabinets by the cabinets with glue, I did one more ing the cabinets to the framework.
cutting the rabbets along the top and thing — and that’s to install the drawer These are simply cut to length from
bottom edges of the side pieces at the runners. Because the cabinet opening pieces that match the thickness of the
table saw (Figure 5). Next, the case sides, is somewhat narrow, it can be tricky plywood and glued in place around
top, and bottom receive a rabbet along to fit a drill inside after the cabinet is the front edge. Now, attach the two
their back edge to hold a plywood back. assembled. So I made sure to attach cabinets to the frame, flush with the
You can stay at the table saw to make the runners to the case sides while they top of the rails. Don’t put any screws
these cuts, as shown in Figure 6. At this were flat on my bench. With the runners into the removable mirror posts.

4 Aux. miter
fence
5 6
Rip
fence
D E E F
Aux. rip Aux. rip
#/4" dado blade fence fence

a. END VIEW a. END VIEW a. END VIEW

#/4" dado #/4" ply. !/4
2!/2 blade Dado blade
2!/2

#/4 #/8 #/8

Notch the Mirror Posts. Switch back Rabbet Case Sides. With a dado blade Rabbet Back Edge. A rabbet along the
to a dado blade to cut the wide rabbets partially buried in an auxiliary rip fence, back edge of the sides, top, and bottom
and notches in the posts. cut the rabbets in the side panels. holds the plywood case back.

Woodsmith.com • 33

WS238_032.indd 33 6/6/2018 8:13:37 AM

 CENTER TOP P OUTER TOP
19!%/16 12 O

23!%/16 a.
P
P
Mirror #8 x 1" Fh
19!%/16 SIDE post woodscrew
CENTER CASE TOP SECTION
J VIEW
(back) !/4" ply. 2
M
K O
N
2&/8 23!/2 17!/8
NOTE: Center and outer !/4
tops are made from CENTER K
#/4"-thick hardwood L CASE J #/8"-dia.
Access BACK 23!/2 access
hole L hole
3#/8 N
NOTE: Center case LONG Rear
J EDGING
top and bottom are rail
!/2" plywood CENTER CASE J
17!/8 BOTTOM
NOTE: Center case sides are M SHORT
made from #/4" plywood. EDGING d. FRONT
Center case back is made K SECTION VIEW
from !/4" plywood CENTER c. SIDE SECTION VIEW Top is flush with side
CASE SIDE
P P

b. TOP VIEW
(back) NOTE: Tops are flush 1!/8 #8 x 1!/4"
with back edge of cases Fh
Mirror woodscrews
O
post Top is
O
1!/2 flush
O with Case
P 2 leg side
J N Case J
1!/2 K M side
K

Add the CENTER CASE & TOPS

Bridging the gap between the two outer
cabinets that you just installed in the
framework is a single, thin case that
holds the center drawer. This plywood
case is made in a similar fashion as the
two larger cases, with just a couple of
exceptions that I’ll explain shortly.
After building the center case, the
table is capped off with three hardwood
panels that span the entire table top. The
trick here is to glue up enough stock to
cut all three pieces. This way, you’ll end
up with a pleasing continuous grain
pattern running across the top.
PLYWOOD CENTER CASE. Because I wanted
to maximize the drawer space in the
center cabinet, I used 1⁄2" plywood for
the top and bottom panels, but 3⁄4" for
the sides to maintain its sturdiness.
The extra 1⁄2" may not seem like much,
but it makes a significant difference in

How-To: CUT THE RABBETS & INSTALL THE CENTER CASE

1 2 3 P

O
Aux. rip J
Aux. K
fence
rip J
fence Square

a. END VIEW a. END VIEW

Dado blade !/4" ply. Install cabinet
Dado blade !/2 flush with front
of side cabinets
!/2
!/4

Cutting Rabbets in Sides. Again, I Rabbet for Back. Like the side Installing the Center Cabinet. A pair of
turned to a dado blade to make the cases, the back fits into a rabbet in assembly squares come in handy for installing
rabbets in the center case sides. the sides, top, and bottom. the center case between the side cases.

34 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_034.indd 34 6/6/2018 8:14:25 AM

 NOTE: Front, back, and
false front are made
a shallow drawer. With the case parts from #/4"-thick hardwood. CENTER
Sides are !/2"-thick hardwood. Q DRAWER
cut to size, follow Figures 1 and 2 at Bottom is !/4" plywood 22!/2 BACK
the bottom of the previous page to cut 23!%/16 R
the case joinery. 22 2%/16
CENTER
a.
I also drilled four holes in the bottom S TOP SECTION VIEW
DRAWER
before putting the center case together BOTTOM Center case back
(detail ‘a’, previous page). These holes 15!/2 !/4
provide clearance for a long driver bit 2"-dia.
knob
for attaching the top panel shortly. You T
Q
CENTER DRAWER 3!/4
can then assemble the case and add 2%/16 16
FALSE FRONT !/2
R !/4
the hardwood edging. The case fits Q CENTER !/4
S R
between the two outer cases (Figure 3). CENTER DRAWER
DRAWER FRONT SIDE
TOP IT OFF. Before moving on to the
drawer, I made the tops. As I said b. Center
c. d. Center case side
SIDE
before, I wanted a continuous grain case SECTION !/16
side VIEW T
pattern along the top. So I glued up sev- #8 x 2" Ph Q
!/32 S woodscrew
R
eral boards to cover the entire surface. S
Q
!/4
After squaring the panel, I crosscut the Q !/4 S !/4" ply.
&/16 Knob
pieces to fit on the cases and attached T

them from underneath with screws. Be !/8 !/4" ply. J

TOP SECT.
VIEW FRONT SECTION VIEW
sure to note that you’ll need to notch the
rear inside corners of the outer tops to
fit around the mirror posts (detail ‘b’).
How-To: LOCKING RABBET & MOLD THE FRONT
MAKE THE CENTER DRAWER
To wrap up the center of the table, 1 2 Aux. miter
you’ll add the drawer. To maintain as
fence
much space in the drawer as possible, Aux. rip
I decided against using metal drawer Tall aux. Push fence
Q bock Q
rip fence
slides here. So for the drawer construc-
tion, I relied on tried-and-true locking a. END a. END VIEW
VIEW
rabbets to hold the front and rear of the !/4 Dado blade !/4
!/4
drawer to the sides. This joint will take a
lifetime of use and remain strong. !/4" dado blade !/2
LOCKING RABBET DETAILS. Before cutting
your parts to size, you’ll want to note
one thing — like the drawer case, I First Cut of Locking Rabbet. Stand Second Cut of Locking Rabbet. Lay
made the drawer sides out of 1⁄2"-thick the workpieces on end to make the the workpiece flat to clip the tongue
material to keep as much space in the deep groove for the locking rabbets. on the inside face.
drawer as possible. With this in mind,
Aux. miter
the How-To box at right provides all of
the details for making the locking rab-
3 4 T
fence
Aux. miter Fence
bets at the table saw. A rabbet around R
fence
the bottom perimeter of the front, back, 2!(/32" table-
Rip edge bit
and sides hold the bottom (details ‘c’ fence (bearing
removed)
and ‘d’, above right).
FALSE FRONT PROFILE. The false drawer a. END a.
END VIEW
VIEW
front is the final piece. I used a table- !/4" dado !/4 NOTE: See
edge router bit to make the profile on blade
!/4 &/16
Sources on page
the edges of the drawer fronts (and !/4 67 to find
information about
later, the mirror frames). Figure 4 the router bit
shows how to get the result you need. I
removed the 1⁄2"-dia. bearing that came Dado for Locking Rabbet. Use the Rout Profile. Use a table-edge bit
on the bit and simply used the router rip fence as a guide to cut the dadoes with the bearing removed to create the
fence as a guide to get the fillet on the in the drawer sides. profile on the end of the false front.
edge that I was looking for (Figure 4a).

Woodsmith.com • 35

WS238_034.indd 35 6/6/2018 8:14:43 AM

 a. b. c.
Mirror
X post V Case
UPPER DRAWER Case back side
FALSE FRONT V
!/4 Case
MIDDLE side
DRAWER U U 3!!/16
FALSE
FRONT &/16
!/4 X Y U
Y !/2 !/8
8!/8 TOP
SECTION V
TOP SECTION #/4
VIEW VIEW
DRAWER 8!%/16
SIDES #/8
V DRAWER FRONT
16 FRONT d. SECTION
U
U V
VIEW
8#/16 !/4" !/4
DRAWER ply. W
BACK
SIDE
SECTION
VIEW !/4
U
7!%/16
X
LOWER DRAWER e.
8#/16 FALSE FRONT
15!/2 8&/8
V

NOTE: Drawer Case

bottom is !/4" back 2"-dia.
plywood, all other knob
parts are made from W #8 x 2" Ph
#/4"-thick hardwood DRAWER !/4" woodscrew
BOTTOM !/4 W
ply.
10!/2
Building the !/4
U V SIDE
SECTION

DRAWERS & PULLOUT UNIT VIEW

Now, you can move on to filling the
space in the two outer cabinets. The
left bank has three spacious drawers.
On the right side, a pullout unit pro-
vides a place to hold a few hair care
accessories, as well as taller items on
the shelf down below. The false front
on the pullout unit is even disguised to
look like three individual fronts, but in
reality, it’s one continuous piece.
LARGE DRAWERS. Having made the
center drawer, you’re already famil-
iar with the construction method for
making the larger drawers. The main
difference here is that instead of just
a rabbet to hold the bottom plywood
panel, I opted for a narrow groove to
support heavier items.
Once the drawers are assembled, I
made another trip back to the table saw
to cut the wide grooves along the outside

How-To: CUT DRAWER GROOVES & PULLOUT UNIT JOINERY

1 2 3 Cut to waste
side of layout
line, then
sand smooth
Z
Top of drawer
against fence Aux. rip
fence
Drawer
assembly
3!!/16 a. END VIEW #/4" dado a. END VIEW Z
Rip blade #/4" ply.
fence
#/4
#/4" dado #/8 #/8
blade

Drawer Grooves. The grooves on the More Rabbets. Stay at the table saw to Curves on Pullout. Lay out the curve
sides of the drawers that fit over the cut the rabbets in the pullout unit front along the top edge of the pullout front
runners are made with a dado blade. and back panel. and back and cut it at the band saw.

36 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_036.indd 36 6/6/2018 8:15:51 AM

 H
EDGING 7&/8 AA SIDE
SHELF 14#/4 FRONT
H 10!/2 a. Drawer b. SECT. VIEW
c. FRONT
BB slide sets AA SECTION
on cabinet DD VIEW
Knobs are bottom Z
6 centered on #/4" ply. BB BB AA
6 each false
21#/4
drawer front #/8 #/8
Blow 6" rad. BB
dryer 8&/8 CC
holder
#/8
!/8 BB BB
SIDE SECTION
21#/4 DD H VIEW
5
SHELF
SIDE
Appliance d. e. f. BB
!/2 holder 26&/8 3"dia.
13&/16 Z 8!/8 BB
3 E E 4!/4
FRONT
SIDE %/16 1!/2"
#/8 dia.
2#/8
SECTION E E
VIEW Knob
Z 10&/16
2!/4
#/4" SIDE
16" 14#/16 ply. SECT.
drawer Z 7%/8 VIEW 2(/16
slides E E Z 1!/2"dia.
BACK CC
FALSE
BASE SIDE FRONT #/4
BB BASE

face of the drawer sides, as shown in Fig-
ure 1 on the previous page. These grooves
are sized to slip over the runners.
FALSE DRAWER FRONTS. Each drawer has a
false front to cover the grooves for the
runners. I glued up enough stock so
that the false fronts have a continuous
grain from top to bottom.
As you can see in the drawing on the
previous page, the false front on my
center drawer is slightly shorter than
the other two. This is so I ended up
with even spacing from top to bottom.
Finally, the profile along the edge of
the false fronts is made using the same
router bit that was used on the center
drawer. A few spacers make installing
the false fronts a breeze.
PULLOUT UNIT
The pullout unit goes together using
simple rabbet and dado joinery. Start
with Figure 2 on the previous page and
follow the remaining How-To boxes to
cut the parts to shape. Figure 5 shows
the method I used to cut the large holes
in the shelf to hold a few accessory
drop-ins. These holes can be custom-
ized to better suit your needs.
Now assemble the pullout unit. I
glued the shelf and base to the front and
back before attaching the side piece.
You can then glue the shelf and base
sides in place.
CURVED HARDWOOD EDGING. The last pieces
to add before positioning the pullout
unit in the cabinet is a few strips of
hardwood edging. You’ll notice that
the pieces on the front and back follow
the curve along the top edge. Turn to
Shop Notes on page 64 to see how I
tackled this task. After the edging is in
place, the pullout unit is installed on a
set of drawer slides (detail ‘a’, above).
FALSE FRONT. Like the drawer fronts on
the left cabinet, the false front on the
pullout unit has vertical matching
grain and the same profile along the
outer edges. But instead of cutting it
into three pieces, the pullout false front
has shallow kerfs in the face to give the
appearance of divided drawers (detail
‘e,’ above). Figure 6 below shows how
to get this look. Finally, glue the false
front to the pullout unit.

4 5 Circle cutter 6
Rip Aux. miter
fence fence
DD
Aux. rip BB
fence
E E
Waste
a. END VIEW a. END VIEW
#/4" dado
blade
#/4" ply.

#/8 %/16

Rabbet Sides. The base and shelf sides Wing It. Use a circle cutter (also known Kerfs in Front. Use a standard width
have a rabbet along one edge to fit over as a wing cutter) to make the holes for blade in the table saw to make the kerf
their respective part. the appliance holders in the shelf. cuts in the pullout unit false front.

Woodsmith.com • 37

WS238_036.indd 37 6/6/2018 8:16:06 AM

 Hinge I I
6 18!/2 Hinge
a. SIDEVIEW
SECTION
b. !#/16
I I 2!/4
SHORT L L
Flush %/16
RAIL L L
J J !/2 2!/4
CORNER !#/16
BLOCK #0
biscuit Shaped L L
I I by router
GG bit
!/4 GG
I I J J
F F
!#/16
Mirror LARGE
#0 !/2
pivot STILES 31&/8 !/2
HH biscuit
NOTE: Pivot F F J J
29!/4 F F
blocks are
made from HH HH
%/8"-thick
hardwood.
All other parts c. KK
are !#/16"-thick
hardwood 1 Mirror pivot
KK
Mirror post
HH PIVOT
LARGE RAIL %/8 %/16
BLOCK
SMALL GG J J
J J
STILES 2" no-
mortise
hinge I I L L L L
No-mortise
Hinge hinge
TOP VIEW

2!/4 d. e.
BACK %/8
Flush Mirror
APPLIQUÉ J J post VIEW
J J L L BLANK Hinge
!/2 Mirror
pivot 1#/4
KK

Constructing the !/2

Flush 3

MIRROR FRAMES BACK

VIEW
!/2

With all of the work on the lower por-
tion of the vanity complete, you can
move on to making the mirror frames.
The center mirror is installed on a set of
pivots that allow you to tilt the mirror
for just the right angle. The outer mirrors
are mounted on hinges so they can be
folded inward for an all-around view.
RAILS & STILES. I started by cutting all of
the stock for the stiles and rails to size.
Since these parts butt against corner
blocks, they can be cut to final length,
as well. Then, using the same router
bit that was used to make the profile
along drawer fronts, set up the router
table as shown in Figure 1 below. Use a
long straightedge to make the pass on
the other edge (Figure 2).

How-To: SIZE THE MIRROR FRAME PARTS

1 2 3
J J
Aux. miter
Fence fence
&/16 Straightedge
holds workpiece
level during
routing Stop
block a. END VIEW
2!/4
2!(/32"-dia.
table-edge bit
(bearing removed)

Routing the Frame Profile. Use the Complete Profile. As a guide, clamp a Corner Blocks. From an extra-long
table-edge router bit to make the profile straightedge to the router table for the blank, cut the corner blocks to size
on one edge of the stile and rail blanks. second profile pass. using a stop block for consistent cuts.

38 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_038.indd 38 6/6/2018 8:16:26 AM

 How-To: PREPARE THE COMPLETED FRAMES
CORNER BLOCKS. Now cut the corner
Clamp across
blocks to size (Figure 3, previous page). 1 cornerblocks 2 !/2" wide by
!/4" deep rabbet
These blocks secure the mirror frames
Mirror frame
together. I used biscuits for a quick and can be
strong assembly. If you don’t own a assembled
upside !/2" rabbeting
biscuit joiner, dowels would work here down bit
Mirror
also. Now, cut the slots for #0 biscuits stile
in the ends of the rails, stiles, and two Square
Mirror
adjacent edges of the corner blocks. rail
ASSEMBLE FRAMES. Figure 1 at right shows Corner
the process for assembling the frames. blocks Rout
clockwise
The key is to take your time and use around
a few assembly squares to keep the frame

frames aligned while the glue sets up. Assembling Frames. A handful of Routing the Rabbet. Use a
RABBET FOR MIRROR. Each mirror slips assembly squares are helpful when handheld router to make the rabbet
into a rabbet along the back face of clamping the frame parts together. in the back face of each frame.
the frames. I used a rabbeting bit in
Appliqué blank
a handheld router to take care of this 3 4 is hot-glued to
mandrel
step (Figure 2). Use a sharp chisel to
clean up the corners on each frame, as
Clamp base
shown in Figure 3. to table
DECORATIVE APPLIQUÉS. One nice detail on J J
2!(/32"-dia. table-
the mirror frames is the application of edge bit
small, round appliqués on each cor- a. Bearing Dowel
ner block. These appliqués are simply removed
Waste
round discs with a domed top. To cre- SECTION
VIEW
ate this unique shape, I turned to the Appliqué
Rabbet blank
same table-edge router bit that’s been
used throughout this project.
Because of the small size of the discs, Clean Up Corners. Grab a sharp Appliqué Blanks. The article on page
it’s not safe to rout the profile freehand. chisel to remove the rest of the waste 16 provides all the information you’ll
So I made a simple jig setup to safely from the corner of the rabbets. need for making the appliqués.
make these at the router table (Figure
4). The article on page 16 walks you 5 6
through this entire process, from making
the jig, to cutting out the appliqué blanks
and sanding the finished product. GG

The appliqués are then glued to the I I L L Pivot blocks are

corner blocks. But don’t just slap them on
any old way. Be sure to orient the grain
in the same direction, as shown in Figure
5. This little attention to detail makes a
big difference in the project’s final look.
LARGE MIRROR PIVOT BLOCKS. One last step
is needed before moving on to adding
the mirrors and mounting them to the
table. And that’s the addition of two
pivot blocks to the back of the large
mirror frame (Figure 6). These pivot
blocks provide a mounting surface for
the two-piece pivot hardware. A little
glue and a couple of clamps will hold
them in place until the glue sets up.
MOUNTING FRAMES. Attaching the mirror
frames to the mirror posts is simply a
matter of locating the hinges for the
F F
HH
J J
Appliqué is
centered on
corner block
Consistent Placement. Be sure
to orient the grain pattern of each
appliqué in the same direction.
side frames and the pivoting hardware
for the center frame, as shown in the
main illustration on the previous page.
The mirror frames are positioned so
that the tops are flush with the top
edge of the mirror posts.
flush with outside
edge of frame
Pivot Blocks. Two blocks mounted on
the back of the large frame provides a
spot for the pivot hardware.
I attached the frames before adding
the mirrors and backers to make the
frames easier to handle. I also enlisted
a helper to assist in marking the hard-
ware locations while I held the mirror
frames in place.

Woodsmith.com • 39

WS238_038.indd 39 6/6/2018 8:16:43 AM

 7
20!/16
a.
!/8" hardboard

Turnbutton

!/8" Mirror #/16

!/8" mirror
30!/4 MM
mirror
32&/8 !/4" glass
SMALL
BACKER

TOP SECTION VIEW

&/8"
turn-
button
with
screws

Glass is cut to fit b.

over the center top

#/16

!/4" glass with

NN bullnose edge
LARGE SIDE
BACKER SECTION
NOTE: Dimensions for glass VIEW
and hardboard are given, but check
actual opening before ordering

Completing the TABLE

Now that the bulk of the woodwork- CONVENIENCE DETAIL. Before putting the its position. A couple of grommets pro-
ing for the dressing table is complete, table into service, I added another item tect the cord on the power strip.
you’re ready to add the finishing to make it a little more user friendly. With the mirrors, glass top, and all
touches. But before going any further, And that’s the small power strip the other accessories in place, this high-
now is a good time to apply a finish to mounted in the back of the pullout unit. class vanity is ready to make someone
your table. I opted to finish mine with The lower right photo on page 31 shows very happy in its new home. W
just a few coats of spray lacquer.
BACKER TEMPLATES. Next up, I cut pieces
of hardboard to size for the mirror How-To: TURNBUTTONS
backers. I took these backers with me
when I went to my local glass shop 1
to have the mirrors cut to size. Using
the backers as templates helps to guar-
antee an exact fit in the frames. The
mirrors and frames are held in place
with turnbuttons attached to the backs
of the frames (Figure 1, at right). Turnbutton
CENTER GLASS. While I was at the glass
5#/4
shop, I also had a thick piece of glass NN MM
cut to size to fit on top of the center
case, as shown above. This protects the
top from any spills or dings that may
occur. A few non-slip grip pads keep
the glass from sliding around. And to Installing Turnbuttons. Space the
give it a nice, finished look, I had a turnbuttons around the perimeter of { I had my glass shop make a bullnose on the
bullnose profile ground on the front each mirror frame to hold the backer. front edge of the glass top. Non-slip grip
edge of the glass top (photo at right). pads hold the glass in place.

40 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_040.indd 40 6/6/2018 10:27:51 AM

 Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram
A Legs (4) 11⁄2 x 11⁄2 - 291⁄4 T Cntr. False Front (1) 3⁄ - 31⁄ x 2315⁄
4 4 16 MM Sm. Backers (2) 1⁄ hdbd. - 7 x 301⁄
8 4
B End Rails (4) 3⁄ x 21⁄ - 18 U Drwr. Fronts/Backs (6) 3⁄4 x 83⁄16 - 815⁄16 NN Lrg. Backer (1) ⁄8 hdbd. - 201⁄16 x 327⁄8
1
4 2
C Rear Rails (2) 3 ⁄4 x 21⁄2 - 471⁄4 V Drwr. Sides (6) 3⁄ x 83⁄ - 16 • (22) #8 x 11⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
4 16
D Mirror Posts (2) 11⁄2 x 11⁄2 - 581⁄2 W Drwr. Bottoms (3) ⁄4 ply. - 715⁄16 x 151⁄2
1 • (4) #8 x 1" Fh Woodscrews
E Case Sides (4) 3 ⁄4 ply. - 171⁄8 x 261⁄4 X Top/Bttm. False Fronts (2) 3⁄4 x 87⁄8 - 101⁄2 • (18) #8 x 3⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
F Tops/Bttms. (4) 3 ⁄4 ply. - 913⁄16 x 171⁄8 Y Middle False Front (1) 3⁄ x 81⁄ - 101⁄ • (7) #8 x 2" Ph Woodscrews
4 8 2
G Case Backs (2) 1⁄ ply. - 93⁄ x 251⁄
4 4 2 Z Pullout Front/Back (2) ⁄4 ply. - 77⁄8 x 213⁄4
3 • (4) 1⁄4" x 20 T-Nuts
H Edging 1⁄ x 3⁄ - 228 rgh.
8 4 AA Pullout Side (1) 3⁄ ply. - 143⁄ x 213⁄
4 4 4 • (4) 1⁄4" x 20 -11⁄2" Bolts
I Drawer Runners (6) 3⁄ x 3⁄ - 16 BB Pllt. Base/Shelf (1) 3⁄4 ply. - 75⁄8 x 143⁄16 • (1 pr.) 16" Drawer Slides w/Screws
8 4
J Cntr. Top/Bttm. (2) 1 ⁄2 ply. - 171⁄8 x 231⁄2 CC Pullout Base Side (1) 1⁄ x 3 - 137⁄ • (7) 2"-dia. Birch Drawer Knobs
2 16
K Cntr. Case Sides (2) 3⁄4 ply. - 171⁄8 x 33⁄8 DD Pullout Shelf Side (1) 1⁄ x 5 - 137⁄
2 16 • (1) 3"-dia. Blow Dryer Holder (chrome)
L Cntr. Case Back (1) 1⁄4 ply. - 27⁄8 x 231⁄2 EE Pullout False Front (1) 3⁄4 x 101⁄2 - 267⁄8 • (1) 11⁄2"-dia. Appliance Holder (chrome)
M Short Edging 1⁄ x 3⁄ - 8 rgh. FF Large Mirror Stiles (2) 13⁄16 x 21⁄4 - 317⁄8 • (2) Cord Grommets
8 4
N Long Edging 1⁄8 x 1⁄2 - 46 rgh. GG Large Mirror Rails (2) 13⁄16 x 21⁄4 - 181⁄2 • (1) Electrical Outlet w/Cord
O Center Top (1) 3⁄ x 1915⁄ - 2315⁄ HH Small Mirror Stiles (4) 13⁄16 x 21⁄4 - 291⁄4 • (2 pr.) 2" No-Mortise Hinges w/Screws
4 16 16
P Outer Tops (2) 3⁄ x 1915⁄ - 12 II Small Mirror Rails (4) 13⁄ x 21⁄ - 6 • (2 pr.) Mirror Pivots w/Screws
4 16 16 4
Q Cntr. Dwr. Frt./Bk. (2) 3⁄4 x 25⁄16 - 221⁄2 JJ Corner Blocks (12) 13 ⁄16 x 21⁄4 - 21⁄4 • (1) 1⁄4"-Glass (cut to fit)
R Cntr. Drawer Sides (2) 1⁄ x 25⁄ - 16
2 16 KK Pivot Blocks (2) 5⁄ x 1 - 3
8 • (3) 1⁄8"-Mirrors (cut to fit)
S Cntr. Dwr. Bttm. (1) 1 ⁄4 ply. - 151⁄2 x 22 LL Appliqué Blanks (12) 1 ⁄2 x 21⁄2 - 21⁄2 • (26) 7⁄8" Turnbuttons w/Screws
!/2"x 5!/2" - 84" Hard Maple (3.2 Sq. Ft.) KK
LL LL LL LL R I CC LL LL LL LL
DD I
LL LL LL LL R I T

#/4"x 3!/2" - 96" Hard Maple (2.3 Bd. Ft.)

H

M N

#/4"x 5!/2" - 60" Hard Maple (Two boards @ 2.3 Bd. Ft. each)

P O P

#/4"x 5!/2" - 72" Hard Maple (Two boards @ 2.8 Bd. Ft. each)
Q
P O P

#/4"x 4!/2" - 84" Hard Maple (Four boards @ 2.6 Bd. Ft. each)
V V V U U U

#/4"x 6" - 96" Hard Maple (Two boards @ 4.0 Bd. Ft. each)
C
X X EE
B B

1"x 5" - 72" Hard Maple (Two boards @ 3.1 Bd. Ft. each)
HH FF JJ JJ
HH GG II II JJ JJ JJ JJ

1#/4"x 5!/2" - 96" Hard Maple (7.3 Bd. Ft.)

D A
D A
A A

ALSO NEEDED: One 48" x 48" sheet of !/4" maple plywood

he One 48" x 48" sheet of !/2" maple plywood
One 48" x 96" sheet of #/4" maple plywood
One 48" x 48" sheet of !/8" hardboard

Woodsmith.com • 41

WS238_040.indd 41 6/6/2018 8:17:21 AM

 Shop
Project

Rotary tool
Router
Table
Small projects are easy to make
when you have a tiny router table.
A good rotary tool is all you need.
We have several routers and router tables in the Woodsmith
shop. So it’s a bit of a stretch to say we “need” another router
table. But this is a different deal. Honestly, it’s a mini router
table. It’s mini because it uses a rotary tool instead of a full-size
router. Like clamps, you can never have enough routing tools.
If you don’t already have one, rotary tools and their match-
ing router bits are readily available at your local home center.
And they do a bang-up job when it comes to making things on
a small scale. Despite their size, there’s little drop-off in getting
precise results in most woodworking tasks.
Building on these qualities was the driving force behind
this project. It starts with a generously sized tabletop that has
a no-maintenance plastic laminate top with a miter gauge slot { The case has two pull-out racks on either end that give you plenty
to aid in the routing process. As for the maple fence, it’s got a of room to store bits and accessories. Attaching them to full-
T-track as well for featherboards and stop blocks. extension drawer slides gives you complete access to the contents.

42 • Woodsmith / No. 238 Writen by: Erich Lage; Project design: Dillon Baker

WS238_042.indd 42 6/5/2018 1:22:48 PM

 A
CASE
TOP #8 x 1!/4" a. FRONT SECTION VIEW
Fh woodscrew 2&/8
NOTE: Hole in
top is for rotary A
tool to pass through #/8
C
9!/2
10 #/8
B

B
b. c. Drawer
C TOP VIEW slides flush
to back
11!/4 shoulder
B A
CASE !/2
12 SIDE
B
!/2
B

#/8 #/8 SIDE

NOTE: Attach drawer A VIEW
slides before assembly C
CASE
DIVIDER
9"full-extension
drawer slide
A
d.
CASE
BOTTOM Back
edge 5!/2
NOTE: All parts
10 are made from A
12!/4 #/4" plywood
TOP 4"-dia.
VIEW hole

Start with the CASE

The sturdy design of this small case is
what makes it work as a mobile worksta-
tion. Using 3⁄4" plywood makes it strong
and stable. I began the case by cutting
the top, bottom, sides, and dividers to
size. While at the table saw, you can
make the dadoes and rabbets in the top
and bottom for the dividers and back,
followed by the rabbets in the sides for
the top, bottom, and back. As you see
in the photos on the previous page, I
used a pair of Matchfit clamps to quickly
lock the table in place on the bench. The
clamps fit in two dovetail slots that you’ll
make in the bottom of the case. When the
work is done, it’s easy to release the table
and stow it away.
BOTTOM DETAILS. As you can see in the
box to the left, these dovetail slots are
pretty easy to make. Start by removing
the bulk of the waste with a dado blade
(Figure 1). Then cut the dovetail profile

How-To: MAKE THE DOVETAIL SLOTS over at the router table (Figure 2).
TOP DETAILS. The case top needs a little
work as well. As you can see in detail
1 2 ‘d’ above, it has a good-sized hole in it
for the rotary tool to pass through. After
A A
marking the hole location on the top, I
!/4"
dado blade !/2" cut it out with a jig saw. This hole is hid-
dovetail den by the table top, so it doesn’t have
bit (7°)
to be perfect.
a. END VIEW a. BEFORE ASSEMBLY. The two compartments
1!/4 1!/2 on each side of the case are for a couple
A END of slide-out bit storage racks. These
#/8 VIEW #/8 racks will ride on metal drawer slides.
Because the openings are so narrow, I
decided to install the slides before put-
Dado First. Use a dado blade to make Rout Profile. To complete the profile ting the case together. With that done,
the first pass on the bottom. This will for the clamp head, move over to the it’s just a matter assembling the case
remove the majority of the material. router table and use a dovetail bit. with glue and screws. Then you can
turn your attention to the top and fence.

Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg Woodsmith.com • 43

WS238_042.indd 43 6/5/2018 1:31:02 PM

 NOTE: To make insert recess, turn to page 64 for a.
step by step details
!/2"-dia.
Aluminum
miter
gauge #/4
track
w/screws 4!/4
18
12
%/8"-dia.
Alum. router
insert plate
4!/4
8
D
TOP NOTE: Mounting hole locations
are determined by the base you use
Plastic laminate

NOTE: Top is centered b.

side to side on case
1!/4
NOTE: When gluing top 1
NOTE: Top is to base use brads to
made from Alignment prevent sliding
#/4" plywood brad
TOP
VIEW
3
c.
2!/2 4!/4 3 %/16"-dia.

1#/4
D
Flush at
back edge SIDE SECTION VIEW

Making the TOP & FENCE
With the case done and set to the side, I
turned my attention to the tabletop. As
the main drawing above shows, the top
is a piece of plywood covered with plas-
tic laminate. It has a groove cut in the
front to hold an aluminum miter track.
The top also has a recessed opening to
hold a shop-made insert plate that’s
attached to the rotary tool. There are
also two slots near the back for the bolts
that hold the fence in place. First off is
shaping the top.
CUT TOP TO SIZE. Begin by cutting the top
to size, taking into account the arc that
runs along the front. Details on how
to lay out the arc are shown in Figure
1 in the How-To box to the left. I used
a jig saw and trimmed the table to the
waste side of the layout line. Then it’s
just a matter of smoothing out the blade
marks with a belt sander.
PLASTIC LAMINATE. Plastic laminate is the
perfect material for any worksurface
that you’re going to slide things over.
It can take a beating and cleans up eas-

How-To: MAKE THE ARC & TRIM THE TOP ily and quickly. I cut the piece for the
tabletop a little larger than needed and
then trimmed it flush with a 25° bevel
1 2 D
laminate trimming bit (Figure 2).
MITER GROOVE. When you’re done clean-
D 25° bevel
laminate ing up the edges, take the top over to
Bend rule
against jaws trimming the table saw to cut the groove needed
while tracing arc bit
for the miter track. As you can see in
Figure 1 on the next page, I ran several
strips of painter’s tape on the surface
a. to prevent scratching. You’ll notice in
detail ‘a’ that two passes are needed to
Trim waste D
SIDE make the 1"-wide groove.
before adding VIEW FENCE SLOTS. Next, you’ll need to lay out
laminate
and drill the endpoints of the slots for
Lay Out Arc. Use the jaws of a bar Trim Laminate. While trimming the the fence bolts to pass through (detail
clamp to mark the endpoints of the top, be mindful of contact cement ‘b’ above). Then you can make the slots
arc on the top blank. building up on the router bit bearing. with a straight bit at the router table
(Figure 2, next page).

44 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_044.indd 44 6/5/2018 1:31:26 PM

 ROUGH OPENING. A few simple steps are !/4"-20
all it takes to accurately locate the rough threaded knob
opening in the tabletop for the rotary !/4"
E washer
tool. First, lay the top face down on the FENCE
workbench. Then set the base in posi-
tion (also upside down) on the top and
trace the rough opening location on the
underside. Drill a pilot hole and cut out 17!/2
the rough opening with a jig saw. Aluminum
T-track w/screws
MILL INSERT PLATE. I used an after-market
router base to mount my rotary tool to
NOTE: Fence is
the table. To pair nicely with that base, made from 1!/2"-thick
I made an insert out of 1⁄4"-thick alumi- hardwood
num, as you see in the main drawing
b.
and detail ‘a’ on the previous page. FRONT
After shaping the plate, use it to lay a. SIDE E
VIEW
out the recess in the top. Shop Notes on SECTION
1!/2 VIEW
page 64 shows how to make the recess. !/4"-20 x 4"
GLUE UP. Since there’s a lot of glue sur- !/2"-rad. carriage bolt
face between the top and the case, I #/4
decided to glue the two parts together
2#/4
c. %/16"-dia.
E !/2"-rad.
without any screws. But first, I drove hole
several small brads in the top of the #/8
case and clipped their heads off. This
FRONT
prevents the parts from sliding around VIEW
while clamping them together. 1!/2 E
1!/2

THE FENCE
The fence is made from 11⁄2"-thick hard-
wood. It’s designed to attach to the table
with two carriage bolts (details ‘a’ and
‘c’). This allows it to be easily adjusted
yet lock firmly in place when needed. A
groove in the face of the fence holds a
length of T-track for attaching feather-
boards or stop blocks.
CUT TO SIZE. To begin the process, cut
the hardwood blank to size. Then, use a
dado blade to cut the groove in the face
for the aluminum T-track.
NOTCH. The fence has a half-circle notch
centered in the lower edge that serves
as an opening for the router bit. Use a
Forstner bit at the drill press to machine
this. A backer board clamped between
the fence and workpiece prevents the
bit from wandering (Figure 3). To finish
up, round the corners (detail ‘c’).

How-To: COMPLETE THE TOP & FENCE

Fence
1 a. END VIEW
1
2 3 1"
Forstner
bit

D Drill end Backer

!/2 holes first
D

a. END
NOTE: Painter's tape a. 1#/4 E SECTION
protects laminate VIEW
D surface while %/16" straight
making groove bit D E
!/2
Dado END VIEW
blade

Groove in Top. Two passes are Rout Slots. The slots for the fence bolts Make the Notch. To make a precise
required to make the groove for the can be made by making multiple passes half-circle notch, clamp the workpiece and
aluminum miter gauge track. with a straight bit at the router table. backer to the drill press fence.

Woodsmith.com • 45

WS238_044.indd 45 6/5/2018 1:31:56 PM

 a.
FRONT SECTION VIEW
NOTE: Shelves
8!/4 are made from
G #/4" plywood. All
other parts are
!/2" plywood
G

2!/4 2!/4
NOTE: Pulls F
!/8
2!/4 F
centered on RACK
false fronts BACK 2!/2

9%/8 FALSE b.
FRONT
H G

!/2
Pull
G
SIDE
RACK 10!/2 3 SECTION
F VIEW
FRONT
F
NOTE: Drill
hole sizes in
shelves to !/4
accomodate
your bits and H
accessories 3#/4 G
G
SHELF
Making the c. SIDE
Countersink
hole

RACKS & FINAL DETAILS

SECTION VIEW

%/8
G

With the case, top, and fence complete, of the rack for storage purposes. You’ll 1!/2

all that’s left to do is make the slide-
out racks that hold the router bits and
any other accessories that you wish
to store there. The racks you see in
the main drawing above are attached
to full-extension drawer slides. These
slides give you access to the full depth
also notice that the shelves of the racks
are covered with plastic laminate. This
helps to keep the rack clean.
LAMINATE FIRST. To simplify the process
of making the shelves, glue plastic
laminate to an oversized piece of ply-
wood, then cut the six pieces to size.
Although it’s not necessary, I went
ahead and added laminate to the under-
side of the two top shelves (details ‘a’
and ‘b’). I did this for the convenience
of cutting all the rabbets and dadoes
(detail ‘b’) in the front and back work-
pieces to the same width.

How-To: WIDER DADOES RACK FRONT AND BACK. Speaking of the

rack fronts and backs, they (along with
the false fronts) are all made from 1⁄2"
1 a. END VIEW 2 a. END VIEW
plywood. After cutting the parts to their
final size, you can cut the rabbets and
!#/16
F
dadoes in the front and back pieces.
!/4 The How-To box at left shows how to
do this at the table saw.
Aux. BIT HOLES. Before assembling the racks,
fence Aux.
Aux. fence it’s a good idea to drill the holes (in the
fence F Aux. shelves) for your bits and accessories.
fence F
The size of bit needed to do this might
Dado vary, depending on what you want to
Dado
blade
blade store in the shelves. It’s best to do a tally
of the parts and measure their shank
First Pass. With a dado blade and an Second Pass. Now set the fence to sizes. The bits I put in my shelves called
auxiliary fence, cut a shallow first pass make the shoulder cut. Repeat this for a 9⁄64" bit. While I was doing layout
in both ends of the workpieces. process for the center grooves and drilling, I went ahead and drilled
the holes in the false fronts as well.

46 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_046.indd 46 6/5/2018 1:34:29 PM

 NOTE: For
information
on the rotary
tool base,
NOTE: Insert attaches turn to Sources
to the base with on page 67
machine screws

NOTE: Back is
made from
!/2" plywood

12!/4

{ The insert you’re making for the top

I
attaches perfectly to a precision after-
BACK
market rotary tool base. 11!/4

Those measurements are in the main

drawing on the previous page. Then I
glued the racks together. 1!/2
INSTALL RACKS. When you’ve finished
assembling the racks, it’s time to attach 1!/4"-dia.
them to the slides and roll them into the a. hole
FRONT
cabinet. With that done, you can easily SECTION VIEW

fit the false fronts to the racks. Start by

placing a strip of double-sided tape on b. FRONT VIEW
the face of the racks. Then center the
1!/4"-dia.
false front in the opening. Using the NOTE: hole
I
holes in the false front as a guide, finish Insert sits
flush with
drilling the holes for the pulls. top and 2!/2 3!/4
CASE BACK. To finish up the wood- is supported
by recess
working duties, I made the plywood made earlier
back that you see in the main drawing
above. Detail ‘b’ shows the location of
the holes needed to attach the back to
the case. The large hole that’s centered
Materials, Supplies, & Cutting Diagram
in the lower portion of the back is for A Case Bottom/Top (2) 3⁄4 ply. - 10 x 121⁄4 • (1) 36" Miter Track
3
the electrical cord of the rotary tool. B Case Sides (2) ⁄4 ply. - 10 x 12 • (1) 48" T-Track
3
ATTACH THE INSERT. The after-market C Case Dividers (2) ⁄4 ply. - 91⁄2 x 111⁄4 • (2) 1⁄4" x 20 x 4" Carriage Bolts
3 (2) 3⁄8" I.D. x 7⁄8" O.D. Steel Washers
rotary tool base I chose is one that’s D Top (1) ⁄4 ply. - 12 x 18 •
originally made for guitar and musi- E Fence (1) 11⁄2 x 23⁄4 - 171⁄2 • (2) 1⁄4" x 20 Knobs
1
cal instrument makers. The working F Rack Front/Back (4) ⁄2 ply. - 21⁄4 x 95⁄8 • (2) 3" Pulls w/Screws
3
parts are all milled in steel and brass to G Shelves (6) ⁄4 ply. - 21⁄4 x 81⁄4 • (2) 1⁄4" x 5"x 5" Aluminum Plate
1
precise standards (photo above). You’ll H False Fronts (2) ⁄2 ply. - 21⁄2 x 101⁄2 • (1) Rotary Tool Router Base
1
need to remove the thin base and attach I Case Back (1) ⁄2 ply. - 121⁄4 x 111⁄4 • (1) 24" x 48" Plastic Laminate
the insert plate you made earlier. • 1
(12) #8 x 1 ⁄4" Fh Woodscrews ALSO NEEDED: One 48" x 48" sheet
of 3⁄4"Baltic birch plywood. One
FINISH. This little router table is a shop • (4) #8 x 11⁄2" Fh Woodscrews 48" x 24" sheet of 1⁄2"Baltic birch plywood
tool, so I wasn’t too concerned about • (12) #6 x 3⁄8" Fh Woodscrews
the finish. Nonetheless, to aid in the • (2 pr.) 9" Full-Extension Slides w/Screws
ease of cleaning, I sprayed the case with
two coats of lacquer. With that, the 1 !/2"x 3" - 24" Hard Maple (.8 Bd. Ft.)
rotary tool router table is ready for
operation. Between the quality parts E
and great design, it’ll provide you years
of reliable use. W

Woodsmith.com • 47

WS238_046.indd 47 6/5/2018 1:34:48 PM

 Heirloom
Project
Old-World
Butcher
Block
This table is the real deal. The end-grain top is
designed to take the blows and slices from your
finest knives without damaging them.
On the south side of the city I live in,
there’s an Old-World grocery store that
still sells a full line of products that come
from the Italian cooking tradition. It’s a
wonderful place to visit and purchase
spices, pasta, and homemade sausage.
In the aisle just outside the meat coun-
ter is a butcher block table that I’m pretty
sure is older than me. It’s been retired
from the daily duties that a butcher
requires, but could easily be called back
into service at any time.
48 • Woodsmith / No. 238
WS238_048.indd 48
This butcher block table is built in the
same spirit as that old butcher block that
I saw in the store. This new version truly
qualifies as an heirloom project. It will
easily provide generations of service and
assistance in any kitchen.
As you see in the photo on the next
page, the top is made from 8/4 maple
pieces that are dovetailed and laminated
together to create the classic, thick end-
grain top. It’s made to last for a very long
time. There’s a lot of work that goes into
making the top, but not to worry, there’s
a method to the madness that keeps
everything under control.
To add some interest and contrast to
the project, the aprons and braces are
made from African mahogany. It’s easy
to mill and takes stain well. The legs are
purchased from a reliable online source.
I chose to start from the ground up
on this project, that means focusing on
the base. So turn the page and roll up
your sleeves.
Written by: Erich Lage; Project design: Dillon Baker
6/6/2018 12:02:04 PM
 Construction Overview / OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 25"W x 34"H x 25"D
Thick maple top
Sliding dovetail joinery makes for an will provide several
interesting pattern and a strong lifetimes of service
connection between pieces

Alternating rows
of blocks add
visual interest

Thick aprons and

braces provide plenty
of support for the top
Mortise and tenon joinery
ties legs and aprons
together

Dovetail joinery is
used to create a strong
connection between
braces and aprons

TOP SECTION
VIEW
Shop-made connectors
tie the top to the base

Purchased legs
save shop time
Decorative hardwood and add character
buttons add to the butcher block
contrast to base

NOTE: Sources for

legs on page 67

For full-size leg

pattern, go to
Woodsmith.com

{ The maple top is made up of thick, tall pieces that are dovetailed together. The
pattern looks complex, but it isn’t. The blocks in each row in the top follow the same
assembly sequence, they’re just assembled in alternating rows.

Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg Woodsmith.com • 49

WS238_048.indd 49 6/6/2018 12:02:42 PM

 NOTE: Aprons
are made from a.
1!/4"-thick hardwood
!/2 TOP
!/4 SECTION
VIEW
A A

18!/4
1!/16
A 3 A
APRON
A
A
1&/8
5&/8
1!/8 1
22
4 b.
29
1 &/8
1!/16 3
NOTE: Commercially 4 4!/4
made legs are 6
3"x 3"- 29. See A
!/2"
hardwood Sources on page 67
button
SIDE
NOTE: Decorative VIEW Leg mortise
hardwood buttons
have a clear finish
and are installed
after the base is stained
c. FRONT
VIEW
#/4 !#/16
A
Slot is
#/4" deep

Making the BASE

To support a top of thick hardwood like
the one on this project, a strong, sta-
ble base is required. As you see in the
drawings and details above, I chose to
use thick 8/4 stock for the aprons and
planed it to final thickness.
I was tempted to turn the legs myself,
but considering the amount of time I
was going to put into making the top, I
chose to purchase the legs from an online
supplier. Of the multiple options of well-
made legs available, I chose the style you
see above. The décor of your kitchen
may push you in another direction, but
it’s a good timesaver to consider.
MORTISES. Each of the four legs has a
pair of mortises that attach the legs
to the aprons (details ‘a’ and ‘b’).

How-To: CREATE THE LEG JOINERY

1 2 3 !/2"
brad
point
Remove the bit
#/4" ridges left
Forstner from the drill
bit bit with a
sharp chisel

a.
a.
1&/8
!/4
4!/4 FRONT
SECTION VIEW

Drill Mortises. To make the mortises in Clean Up. You can square up and Holes for Buttons. Two sides of each leg
the legs, drill a series of overlapping holes clean the walls of each mortise have a pair of decorative buttons. Drill a
the length of the mortise. quickly with a chisel. shallow hole for these at the drill press.

50 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_050.indd 50 6/6/2018 12:03:28 PM

 After laying out their locations, drill
them at the drill press and clean up
the walls with a chisel (Figures 1 and
2, previous page). While I was at the
drill press, I machined the holes for the
decorative plugs (Figure 3).
APRONS
The four aprons have mitered tenons on
the ends and a shallow arc on the bot-
tom. On the inside face of each piece are
two stopped dovetail dadoes that house
a set of braces. Also, there’s a small slot
for a shop-made connector. To start, I
sized the aprons to their overall dimen-
sions, then installed my dado set in the
table saw to make the tenons.
TENONS. As you can see in Figure 1
below, the rounded tenons start out
square. As I do most of the time, I cut
the shoulders of the tenons and clean
up the sides (detail ‘a’). Then adjust the
blade height and cut the shoulders in
the sides (detail ‘b’). Back over at the
bench, I used a rasp and file to match
the curved ends of the mortise.
DOVETAIL DADOES. To make the two
dadoes on the inside face of the aprons
that hold the braces in place, I turned
to my router table. As you see in Figure
2 below, I made all the dovetail dadoes
on the left end of the apron pieces first.
Next up was making the dado on the
right end (Figure 3). All you have to do
here is come at the operation from the
other side of the router table. Just be
sure to use a backer board to hold the
apron square to the fence.
SLOTS FOR CONNECTORS. Figure 4 below
gives you all the information you need
to make the slots for the connectors. All
of the slots are centered toward the top
of the aprons. Detail ‘c’ on the previous
page shows how far down from the top
to make this slot.
MITER THE TENONS. Looking at the draw-
ings and detail ‘a’ on the previous page
you’ll note the tenons are mitered on
the ends. These cuts are easy to make
over at the table saw.
MAKE THE ARC. There’s one more detail
to attend to before gluing up the base.
Each of the aprons has an arc that runs
the length of the bottom edge (main
drawing, previous page). Once that’s
cut and sanded smooth, I rounded the
edge with a 1⁄2" roundover bit (Figure 5).

How-To: MAKE THE APRONS

1 a. FRONT 2 a. END VIEW
VIEW
6#/16
1&/8 !/4 Backer
board A

!/2
Aux. A
fence
b. FRONT b.
VIEW 3 FRONT VIEW
A 3
1&/8
Dado 7° #/4"
!/2 dovetail
blade
bit
Stop line

Tenons First. Cut the tenons on the aprons, starting Dovetail Dado. When making the dovetail dado on the left side of
at the shoulder. Then nibble away the cheek. Adjust the aprons, mark a stopping point on the router table. Rout all four
the blade for the edge and repeat the process aprons before moving on to the right side dadoes.

!/2"
3 Stop line
4 a. END 5 roundover
3 VIEW bit

#/4 A

A
!#/16
A
a.
FRONT b. SIDE
#/8" SECTION VIEW
Backer VIEW
board brad
point !/2
bit
#/4

More Dovetail Dadoes. Repeat Slot for Connector A series of overlapping Round Over Arc. A roundover bit is
the operation from the other side holes made with a brad point bit makes the used to soften the arc on the bottom
of the router table. slot needed for the tongue of the connectors. edges of the aprons.

Woodsmith.com • 51

WS238_050.indd 51 6/6/2018 12:04:09 PM

 Completing the BASE 4
B
BRACE

NOTE: Braces B
With the outer shell of the base complete, and fasteners C
there’s some internal work that needs are made from
1!/4 -thick hardwood
to be done. The parts that you’re mak-
ing here will help support the thick top C
and add rigidity to the table. They’re not 1!/4
complicated pieces, but some of them
are a fairly precise fit, so take your time.
B
To start, as the main drawing here B
shows, there are four braces that run at
a 45° angle from one apron to another. C

They’re locked to the aprons by mating

with the dovetail dadoes that you made
earlier. Running through the center of C
each brace is a counterbored hole that’s CONNECTOR
used to screw the top to the base.
a.
In the center of each side, there’s a
TOP VIEW
connector. This is a shop-made connec-
tor that rests in a slot in the apron and is B 10 #/8"-dia. b. FRONT SECTION VIEW
also fastened to the top. With all of these #/4
C
connection points, it’s obvious that this
top is not going anywhere. Let’s make %/8 C
!/4 1
some sawdust, starting with the braces.
CUT TO SIZE. Start by cutting the four
pieces for the braces to their overall 2
size. You’ll notice in detail ’a’ that the waste #/4"-dia.
overall size is long enough to give you
room to make custom fit dovetails on
the ends of the pieces. More on how to FITTING THE BRACES. Here’s a quick run- Afterwards, you’re going to make a
do that in a little bit. For now, drill the down of how you’re going to fit the master brace that’s used as a pattern to
counterbored hole in the center of the braces. First, you need to make a jig mill the remaining three braces.
brace. Drill the counterbore first, then that supports and guides the braces With the jig and brace workpieces in
flip the workpiece and drill the through past a router bit. The details for that hand, I headed over to the router table.
hole (Figure 1 on the next page). jig are in Shop Notes on page 64. The detail in Figure 2 shows how to set

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Aprons (4) 11⁄4 x 6 - 22 E Small Field Blank (30) 11⁄4 x 2 - 11 rgh. • (16) 1⁄2"-dia. Maple Buttons
B Braces (4) 11⁄4 x 4 - 10 F Med. Field Blank (20) 11⁄4 x 3 - 11 rgh. • (8) 7mm x 50mm Connecting Screws
C Connectors (4) 1 x 2 - 11⁄4 G Large Field Blank (20) 11⁄4 x 4 - 11 rgh. • (4) 3"x 3"- 29" Turned Leg
D Wide End Blank (10) 1
1 ⁄4 x 4 - 11 rgh. H Narrow End Blank (10) 11⁄4 x 3 - 11 rgh.

1!/4"x 6!/2" - 36" Mahogany (Two boards @ 2.4 Bd. Ft. each)
B B
A A

C
1!/4"x 5" - 96" Hard Maple (Four boards @ 5 Bd. Ft. each)

D G

1!/4"x 6" - 96" Hard Maple (Seven boards @ 6 Bd. Ft. each)

H E F

52 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_052.indd 52 6/6/2018 12:04:47 PM

 up the dovetail bit, then how to cut the
inside shoulders of the tail.
With the inner shoulders fit, I set the
brace in place across the aprons like you
see in Figure 3. From the underside, I
used a sharp pencil to mark the location
of the inner cheek. Then it’s back to the
router table to cut the outer shoulders,
as shown in Figure 4 below.
MOVING FORWARD. After confirming that
the master brace fits in each corner,
you can settle in at the router table and
make the remaining three braces, using
the master to locate the jig position
properly for each one.
Looking at the completed braces in
the drawing on the previous page, note
that the lower portion of the dovetail
has been trimmed away. I did this at
the table saw (Figure 5). Now it’s time
to glue the braces in place, making sure
they’re flush with the top of the aprons.
FINALLY THE CONNECTORS. Making the
connectors is a snap compared to the
braces. The process starts with a long
blank that lets you make each piece
while keeping your hands away from
the saw blade. Figure 6 shows you how.
After cutting a rabbet in each end of
the blank, head to the drill press and
make the counterbored hole (detail
‘b’). Cut the two connectors free with a
hand saw and repeat the process for the
remaining two. Set aside the connectors
until you’re ready to attach the top.
STAIN AND FINISH. Before moving on to
the top, stain the base and install the
decorative plugs. For a nice contrast,
the plugs will remain unstained.

How-To: MAKE THE BRACES & CONNECTORS

#/4"
1 Forstner a. 2 See Shop Notes on page
64 to make jig a.
bit
SIDE
SECTION
A
VIEW 2%/8
B
SIDE
VIEW
!/2

Drill counterbore
first, then through hole

Drill Counterbore. Lay out the location of the mounting Inside Shoulders First. With the master brace clamped
hole on both edges of the brace blank. After drilling the to the jig, cut one end of the inside shoulder. Then flip the
counterbore, flip the piece and drill the through hole. workpiece end for end and make the opposite cut.

3 a. 4 a.
TOP SIDE
VIEW VIEW
Trim
B to fit

Mark
location B
Position brace on the
over apron underside Trim outer
dovetail of brace shoulder with jig
slots

Mark for Outer Shoulder. To accurately locate the outer Rout the Outer Shoulder. Back at the router table with the
shoulder, position the master brace on the apron. Trace the master brace in the jig, cut the outer shoulders. It’s best to
outer dovetail slot location onto the brace. sneak up on the fit by doing it in several passes.

5 NOTE: Rotate a. 6 a. FRONT VIEW

B
miter gauge
45° Aux.
FRONT fence 2
Aux.
VIEW fence #/4
Aux. C
A fence 1 1
%/8
Dado
Dado blade
blade

Trim the Dovetails. Use a dado blade in the table saw to Make the Connectors. To protect your hands, the
remove the lower portion of the dovetail. Adjust and move connectors are made out of a long blank. Cut the rabbets
the miter gauge to trim the opposite dovetails. first, then drill the needed holes and cut the connectors free.

Woodsmith.com • 53

WS238_052.indd 53 6/7/2018 12:45:24 PM

 NOTE: Block blanks are
made from 1!/4"-thick hardwood

!/8" chamfer

NOTE: Chamfer a.
top and bottom
edges of top

#/8

FRONT
SECTION 7mm x
VIEW 50mm
connecting
Connector screw

b.

NOTE: Each blank yields two blocks

11 rgh.
SIDE
WIDE SECTION 7mm x
END D VIEW 50mm
MED. connecting
BLANK FIELD F LARGE Brace
FIELD G NARROW screw
BLANK END H
BLANK
BLANK
SMALL
FIELD E
BLANK
4 2 3 3

D E F G E G F E H

Making the END-GRAIN TOP

All that’s left to do is make the top, so
we’re in the home stretch. It’s a lengthy
home stretch, but when all is said and
done, it’s going to be worth the effort.
The top is made from maple hard-
wood with the end grain facing up, as
is the tradition with butcher blocks.
The history behind this has to do with
preserving the edges on cutting instru-
ments. When a knife, or cleaver, strikes
the end-grain surface of this table, the
grain will yield to the edge of the blade
and then close back up (long grain
doesn’t yield much when a knife strikes
it and has a dulling effect). This gives
the knife more life between sharpenings.
As you use your table, the end grain
will fray in places from the blows. When
that happens, all you have to do is use
a scraper to shave away the imperfec-
tions in the surface and you’re ready to
go again. That’s why the top is so thick,
to give you years of service.
Lots of butcher block surfaces are just
square blocks glued or bolted together.
This top stands apart in the way the
blocks are assembled. As you see in
the drawing at the top of this page, the
blocks are glued up into rows using slid-
ing dovetails. This creates an attractive
pattern in an otherwise plain surface. It
also aids in assembly by controlling the
problem of blocks slipping around dur-
ing the glueup phase.
CUT TO SIZE. As you see in the drawing
above, the top is made up of 20 identical
rows of blocks. Each row contains nine
blocks of varying widths — that’s a lot
of blocks. So I chose to cut the process in
half by doubling up the assembly.
It’s a simple thing really. Just cut the
blanks for the blocks in 11" lengths. This
allows you to glue up two rows at a time.
(Make some extra pieces so that you can
test fit the dovetails and sockets.) Then
you can trim the rows to final length at
the table saw. First, you need to cut the
joinery that holds the blocks together.

54 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_054.indd 54 6/6/2018 12:05:57 PM

 SOCKETS FIRST. In the spirit of efficient
woodworking, I chose to make the How-To: CREATE A BUTCHER BLOCK
sockets first. It’s a lot easier to adjust the
size of the dovetail than the socket. Fig- 1 a. E F
ure 1 shows how. G H
DOVETAILS SECOND. To make a perfect fit-
#/4
ting dovetail, I started with one of the
Block Socket is created !/4
extra pieces that I made to practice on. blank in two passes
You’ll want to sneak up on the dovetail
size by adjusting the fence after each set END
of passes on the workpiece (Figure 2). !/2" dovetail VIEW
bit (7°)
The blanks should slide together easily
with hand pressure. You have a lot of Centered Sockets. With a dovetail bit in the router table, make the centered
blocks to bring together, so you don’t socket in two passes by flipping the workpiece end for end.
want the fit to be too tight.
GLUE UP THE ROWS. To get the ball rolling,
2 a.
apply glue to the tails and sockets and
D E
clamp up the rows following the pat- F G
tern in the drawing on the previous
page. Keep the ends as closely aligned Block
as possible when doing this (Figure 3). blank Flip workpiece
When dry, trim and cut each row into end for end END
to create centered VIEW
5"-long sections (Figure 4). dovetail
GLUE UP THE SECTIONS. With rows alternat-
ing, glue up the top in five-row sections. Fit the Dovetails. The best way to ensure to a perfect fit between the sockets
This makes the glueup more manage- and dovetails is to start with a practice piece and sneak up on the fit.
able. To keep the sections from shifting
while the glue dries, use clamps and 3 Cleats will 4
cleats at the base of the section. Figure 5 keep blocks
aligned
shows what this will look like.
GLUE UP THE TOP. Next, I glued those Rip rows
sections together two at a time, taking apart from
blanks
my time to make sure they were prop-
erly aligned to each other. Be sure that 5 a.
the row patterns alternate when you END VIEW
Cleat
glue the sections together. When the
top is completely glued up, you can
plane, scrape, and sand the surfaces as Glue Up Rows. Start by gluing up Trim Rows to Size. The table saw
needed. Finally, chamfer the top and the extra-long blanks into rows, quickly brings things in order and trims
bottom edges of the block. keeping the ends even. each row to its proper length.
TOP IT OFF. I found the easiest way to
assemble the table was to lay the top 5 6
face down on the workbench. Then I
dropped the base in place to mark the
location of the pilot holes on the top
Cleats hold
(Figure 6). After the pre-drilling was rows even
done, I attached the base to the top.
OIL THE BLOCK. High-quality mineral oil
is widely available. It’s an odorless oil Cleat
that’s perfect for the butcher block. Screw
After applying, let it soak in and repeat connectors
to top
as needed. You can wax and buff the
block as needed. Your butcher block Glue Up in Sections. It’s critical to keep Base to Top. Assembling the
table may never have the worn patina the rows in each section even. Trapping table upside down ensures the
of one from an Old-World grocery store. the sections between cleats helps. top is centered on the base.
But its classic style is second to none. W

Woodsmith.com • 55

WS238_054.indd 55 6/6/2018 12:06:28 PM

 g
workin ls
with too
Getting the most from a
Scraper
One of the simplest tools in my wood-
working arsenal is an ordinary card
scraper, like you see above. It’s a life-
saver when dealing with figured grain,
grain that changes direction, or for
removing mill marks or tearout.
If you’ve never used a scraper, or
gave up on the one you have, I’ll bet
it’s because you found it a challenge
to sharpen. I know I did. So one day I
sat down at my bench and tried a num-
ber of different sharpening techniques.
I ended up with a simple process that
Oil for
burnisher
1000-grit
stone
Burnisher
56 • Woodsmith / No. 238
WS238_056.indd 56
gave me repeatable results. And best
of all, it doesn’t require a lot of time or
specialized tools.
THE EQUIPMENT. Before you can get
started, you’ll need to assemble a basic
kit of equipment (photo below). A mill
bastard file is used to clean up the edge
of the scraper. Then you’ll use a pair of
sharpening stones to refine the faces
and edges. Finally, a burnishing tool
allows you to work the “soft” spring
steel to form a hook. This hook allows
the scraper to act like a plane blade to
create those thin, wispy shavings.
THE BASICS OF SHARPENING
The first step is to clean up and
straighten the long edges of the scraper.
That’s where the file comes into play.
You can buy jigs for holding a file in the
proper orientation as you do this,
6000-grit
stone
Card
scraper
Mill
bastard
file
A dull scraper produces
more dust than shavings
but I find it easy enough to secure the
scraper in a face vise so it extends above
the surface, as in Photo 1 on the next
page. I like to use a permanent marker
on the edge to gauge my progress.
FILE IT CLEAN. With the file held square to
the edge, make a few passes to remove
any existing hook and hardened steel
(Photo 2). As soon as the marker dis-
appears and the file takes an even cut
along the entire edge, you’ll know this
step is complete.
SMOOTH SURFACES. The next goal is to
create smooth, polished surfaces that
meet to form a sharp cutting edge. For a
scraper, those surfaces are the wide, flat
faces and the edges you just filed.
To polish these surfaces, I use water-
stones (1000- and 6000-grit). I start with
the faces of the scraper. What’s nice is
you don’t need to polish the entire face.
Just focus on a 3⁄4"-wide strip along the
long edges of the scraper (Photo 3). The
goal here isn’t a mirror finish, but just
enough of a polish so you start to see a
reflection in the surface.
< Aside from a burnisher, you probably
already have all the equipment you need
to sharpen a scraper in your shop.
Written by: Bryan Nelson
6/4/2018 12:44:49 PM
 1 2
{ Running a marker along the edge helps
provide a good gauge of progress as you
reshape and straighten the edge.
Next, polish the edge of the scraper,
as shown in Photo 4. Here, I switch to
the edge of the stone (be sure the edge
is flat). I prefer to use the edge of the
stone to avoid gouging the surface. Be
sure to polish both long edges of the
scraper. This will allow you to form
four cutting edges in total.
REFINING THE EDGE. To refine and burnish
the edge, all you need is something
harder than the scraper. It’s possible to
do this with the shank of a screwdriver.
But I feel I get a better hook (and there-
fore better results during use) when I
use a dedicated burnishing tool. And I
make sure the burnisher is smooth by
polishing it with wet/dry sandpaper,
working up to 2000-grit.
With the burnisher ready to go, posi-
tion the scraper on a flat, solid surface
like the edge of a bench (be sure the top
is square to the edge). Lay the burnisher
flat on the scraper and then using firm
pressure, slide the burnisher back and
forth along the edge a half dozen times
or so, as in Photo 5. This “draws” and
consolidates the steel along the edge,
resulting in a better hook.
5 6
{ With the scraper flat on the bench, press
the burnisher firmly down as you push it
along the surface.
Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman
WS238_056.indd 57
{ With the file parallel to the edge and
square to the scraper, file the edge until
it’s flat and the marker is gone.
FORMING THE HOOK. Now you’re ready to
form the hook. Here again, secure the
scraper in your face vise. Using moder-
ate pressure, slide the burnisher along
the edge. Be sure to stay square to the
faces and edge (Photo 6). Half a dozen
passes should do it. At this point, you
should begin to feel the hook when you
run your fingernail over the edge.
The final step is to tilt the burnisher
a few degrees and angle it away from
the direction you burnish (Photo 7). This
will “roll” the hook over, allowing it to
cut better. After a few passes, increase
the angle a couple more degrees and
repeat the process.
Don’t worry about exact angles here,
it isn’t all that critical. The angle (and
the amount of pressure you use) simply
helps in establishing the size and aggres-
siveness of the hook.
That takes care of one edge. You’ll
repeat the process for the other three
edges. You may even want to try differ-
ent angles to see how it affects the hook.
As the scraper dulls, you’ll notice more
dust than shavings (inset in main photo).
This means it’s time to resharpen.
Create
hook
{ Pressing the burnisher against the edge
begins to form the hook, as shown in the
inset drawing.
3
{ Polish each face and edge of the scraper,
working your way up from the 1000-grit
stone to the 6000-grit.
4
{ Polish the edge, as well. Here it’s best
to use the edge of the stone to avoid
grooving the face of the stone.
REFRESHING THE EDGE. The nice thing is you
don’t need to repeat the whole process
from the beginning. You can simply
draw out the existing hook, as in Photo
5, and then re-roll it.
Depending on the size and quality
of the hook, you may be able to do this
three or four times before resharpening.
Eventually, you’ll need to go back to
refiling and honing the edge as before.
Once you’ve mastered this process,
keeping your scraper in top shape won’t
take much time at all. And you’ll find
yourself using it on every project. W
7
Slight
angle
Roll
hook
{ Angle the burnisher down and away for
a few passes. This will roll the freshly
formed hook to its final shape.
Woodsmith.com • 57
6/4/2018 12:45:15 PM
 w orking
wood ntials
esse
The basics for
Perfect Tenons
The first large, stationary tool that I
purchased when I began woodwork-
ing was a table saw. After doing a
little research, it seemed like a sensible
choice at the time. But I also know
plenty of folks who started with a band
saw as their first piece of equipment.
And some even begin with a router
mounted in a simple table.
No matter which of these is your
preferred tool, all three are capable
of making on one of the
{ Starting with properly dimensioned
and square stock is the key to
creating quality tenons.
58 • Woodsmith / No. 238
WS238_058.indd 58
staples of solid craftsmanship — the
tenon. The tenon is half of the equa-
tion for solid mortise and tenon joinery.
Here, I’ll take a look at what you need
to know to get the best results making
tenons, whether you use the table saw,
band saw, or the router table.
Of course, if you’re so inclined (or
only need to cut a couple of tenons) you
might turn to a hand saw to get the job
done. The box at the bottom of page 61
provides a snapshot of techniques for
guaranteed success using a hand saw
to cut tenons efficiently and accurately.
GENERAL STOCK PREPARATION
Which
Whichever method you choose to
create your tenons, the first order of
business
busine is to prepare the stock prop-
erly. Having
H your workpieces planed
to the correct (and consistent) thickness
is just the starting point for achieving
snug-fitting
snug-f tenons. You’ll also want to { When cutting tenons on a machine, just
make sure that your pieces are square score the tenon length with a marking
– that is, the edges are straight and par- gauge (upper photo). If cutting by hand,
allel to
t one another and the ends are lay out all cut lines (lower photo).
Written by: Robert Kemp
6/4/2018 9:57:53 AM
 cut perfectly square to the edges. The
left margin photo on the previous page
shows what I mean.
LAY OUT FOR SUCCESS. When cutting ten-
ons using the table saw, band saw,
or router table, laying out the entire
tenon isn’t necessarily a critical step.
You’ll be using the machine’s fence as
positive stops and guides for locating
the tenons most of the time. But I still
find it helpful to mark the length of
the tenon on a test piece, either with
a sharp pencil or a marking gauge, as
shown in the upper right photo at the
bottom of the previous page.
However, when cutting tenons with
a hand saw (or if you need to make
tenons of multiple sizes), then it’s nec-
essary to lay out the cut lines for the
tenon in their entirety (lower right
photo, previous page). These layout
lines act as a clear “roadmap” when
you’re ready to start cutting and help
to eliminate any mistakes.
TABLE SAW
The first tool I’ll go over, the table
saw, offers the most versatility when
it comes to making tenons. It has the
capability of making the tenons in a
variety of ways. Which method you
choose will depend on several factors,
including the number of tenons you
need to make to how much clean up
work you’re willing to do with a chisel
or hand plane to get a perfect fit.
DADO BLADE. When you have a lot of
tenons to cut, it’s hard to go wrong
with a dado blade loaded in the
table saw. This method allows you
1 2
Aux
fence
Fence First, make the
shoulder cuts of
the tenon
END VIEW
Illustrations by: Bob Zimmerman
WS238_058.indd 59
{ When using a dado blade, use an auxiliary rip fence as a stop and form the tenon shoulders
on both faces of the workpiece. Then, move the workpiece away from the fence and make
continual passes to remove the remaining waste (inset photos).
to remove a lot of material with each
pass. The photos above show the basic
setup and procedure for making the
cheek cuts on your workpiece.
The rip fence is used as a stop to set the
length of the tenon, while the miter gauge
and auxiliary fence guides the piece and
helps prevent tearout on the back side.
To cut the short ends of the tenon, you
simply need to rotate the workpiece on
edge and repeat the process (main photo
on previous page).
As I mentioned before, even using
the best of dado blades, you’ll be left
with a slightly rough surface, requiring
a little cleanup work for a smooth fit in
a mortise. But for most woodworking
tasks, this is a solid go-to method.
SINGLE BLADE METHOD. As its name implies,
the single blade method uses just one
blade in the saw (usually a combina-
tion blade) and is typically the easiest
Aux fence
After cutting
Fence shoulders, move
workpiece away
from fence and
nibble away
remaining waste
END VIEW
and quickest to set up. But with a single
blade, you’ll be removing less material
with each pass. So this method works
best when cutting just a few tenons,
or stub tenons where you’re only
removing a small amount of material
(Figures 1 and 2, below). And like the
dado blade method, you’ll still have a
little clean up work to do.
TENONING JIG. Now, if the work you do
requires you to make a lot of tenons,
it’s hard to go wrong with a tenoning
jig on the table saw (photo below).
While there’s a higher upfront cost for
purchasing one of these jigs, it allows
you to hold a workpiece vertically
and make the cheek cuts in one pass,
resulting in smooth and accurate ten-
ons that require little cleanup work.
{ If your woodworking projects call for a lot
of tenons, investing in a quality tenoning
jig might be right for you.
Woodsmith.com • 59
6/4/2018 9:58:40 AM

Stop block
1 3
{ Using the fence as a guide, make the wide
cheek cuts first when using the band saw.
A stop block determines the tenon length.
BAND SAW TENONS
For those that prefer to use the band
saw, tenons can be cut in just as effi-
cient a manner as the table saw. And
much like using a tenoning jig on the
table saw, you’ll find that the cuts come
out much smoother right off the blade.
The only trade-off is that the band saw
might be just a tad slower than making
tenons on the table saw.
NEEDED ACCESSORIES. While a table saw
usually comes with a rip fence and
miter gauge, that’s not always the case
with a band saw. So before going any
further, make sure you have the appro-
priate accessories you’ll need to make
tenons on the band saw.
First, a reliable fence is a must. It
should lock solidly in place and be per-
pendicular to the band saw’s table. A
shop-made fence works just fine as long
as it meets those criteria.
A simple miter gauge is also neces-
sary. It might also be necessary to add a
tall auxiliary fence to the miter gauge if
your workpieces are wide. You’ll want
to be able to fully support them when
making the long cheek cuts.
The only other items you’ll need are
a couple of shop-made stop blocks and
clamps. Some people prefer a feather-
board, as well, to hold the workpiece
against the fence. But you can get by
without this item.
THE BAND SAW SETUP. Once you have
everything you need for the proper
setup, you’re ready to make a tenon.
The photos at the top of the page show
60 • Woodsmith / No. 238
WS238_060.indd 60
2
{ Lay the piece flat and make the narrow
cheek cuts (top). Then make the shoulder
cut to remove the edge waste (bottom).
the process for the most efficient way
to make the cuts.
Unlike the table saw, you’ll make the
cheek cuts first, as shown in the first
photo above. A stop block clamped
to the band saw fence will ensure the
lengths of the tenons are all uniform. If
the width of the tenon edges is the same
on all four sides, you won’t need to
move the fence for the next cut (Photo 2).
For the shoulder cuts of the tenon,
you’ll need to reposition the fence
and use the miter gauge to hold the
workpiece square to the blade (Photo
3). Make sure the waste piece doesn’t
get trapped between the blade and the
fence when cut free. I use a short aux-
iliary fence clamped to the band saw
fence to keep this from happening.
All that’s left now is to stand the
workpiece on edge and complete
the long shoulder cuts on the face
of the board (Photo 4). Use the same
short fence as the previous cut. At
this point, you’ll have a tenon that
requires very little (if any) clean up
work to get a smooth tenon face.
1 2
SIDE VIEW
Raise bit
just shy of
layout line
Aux fence
Fence
Test piece
4
{ Stand the workpiece on edge again and,
using a miter gauge, make the shoulder
cut on the wide face of the workpiece.
ROUTER TABLE TENONS
While mainly associated with making
profiles on workpiece edges, many
people are surprised to learn they can
also make precision joinery, like ten-
ons, at the router table. And the results
speak for themselves with crisp, clean
shoulders and cheeks that are ready to
assemble right off the machine.
The router table is also perfect for
making similar, exposed joinery like
through tenons, half-laps, and bridle
joints. I even turn to the router table for
making tenons on small projects where
safety is more of an issue.
THE PROCESS. As you can see in the series
of photos at the top of the next page,
making a tenon on the router table fol-
lows a similar tack as on the table saw.
You’ll use the fence to set the length of
the tenons and make the shoulder cuts.
A miter gauge is used to help keep the
workpiece 90° to the fence. After that,
it’s just a matter of moving the work-
piece away from the fence and making
progressive passes to remove the rest
of the waste material.
SIDE VIEW
Make cuts on both sides
and check fit in mortise.
Raise bit slightly and
Fence repeat process.
6/4/2018 9:59:23 AM
 1 2 3
{ When making tenons on the router table, { Move the piece away from the fence and { When complete, you can move the piece
first use the fence as a stop and rout the continue making passes on both sides to around over the bit to remove any ridges
shoulders on both wide faces. remove the remaining waste. that may be present.

QUICK SETUP. Moving past the clean
results, another plus of making ten-
ons at the router table is that in many
instances, the setup is quicker and a
little more user-friendly than the other
machine methods. There’s no dado
blade to install or tenoning jig setup
to hassle with. You simply install a
straight bit in the router table and
you’re ready to go.
Dialing in the setup is pretty straight-
forward, as well. As the illustrations at
the bottom of the previous page show,
you’ll start with the router bit posi-
tioned slightly below the layout line
of the tenon cheek (Figure 1). Like the
other machine setups, I always check
my setups on a test piece.
After making one pass on each side,
you can check the thickness of the tenon
by doing a test-fit in the mortise. If the
tenon doesn’t fit (or is too snug), sim-
ply raise the straight bit and repeat the
process, as shown in Figure 2. When the
thickness is just right, position the fence
for the shoulder cuts and get to work.
BIGGER IS BETTER. There’s one other facet
worth mentioning when it comes to
making tenons on the router table. If
you’re making large tenons, it helps
to use a good size bit to remove more
material in one pass. I usually have a
1"-dia. bit reserved for this purpose.
But smaller bits will also work.
If you’re more of a hand tool person,
keep reading below for a few tips. No
matter the method you choose, you
probably already have the means in
your shop to turn out quality tenons. W

How-To: MAKE HAND-CUT TENONS

If you’re just building your power tool arsenal, or you simply
prefer the relaxed (and quiet) rhythm of using a hand saw, you
can still make quality tenons. The process is quite similar to mak-
ing tenons using a power tool. From properly prepared stock to
a crisp layout, you’ll follow the same procedures shown earlier.
But what’s more important when cutting with a hand saw
is ensuring that your workpiece is properly secured. A sturdy
vise and bench dogs are helpful for this task, as shown below.
And if you’re just learning how to use a hand saw, you might
want to start with larger workpieces until you have a sound
control over the process.
The photos below walk you through the best order to tackle
tenons when cutting by hand. The key is to take your time and
practice on a few test pieces until you get it right.

1 2 3

Shoulders
scored with
marking gauge

{ After laying out the tenon location on the { Clamp the workpiece to the bench and { Reposition the workpiece and level the
end of the workpiece, transfer the layout make the shoulder cuts first, being sure to saw to complete the cheek cuts. Take it
marks down each face. cut on the waste side of the lines. slow to avoid overcutting.

Woodsmith.com • 61

WS238_060.indd 61 6/4/2018 2:26:24 PM

 ering the
mast saw
table

Making Riving knife

Safe Rip Cuts

Featherboard
Splitter
{ Featherboards (above), hold-downs (main
photo) and a splitter or riving knife (inset)
are essential for safe rip cuts.
Ripping a workpiece to width is one of
the first steps in any woodworking proj-
ect. To do this common task at the table
saw, there are a few things to keep in
mind to ensure the best results.
TABLE SAW TUNE-UP. To begin, there are a
couple of things to check before you
start ripping workpieces. The first is to
make sure the saw blade and rip fence
are parallel to each other. Your saw’s
manual can show you how to make
these adjustments. And it’s important to
start with a clean, sharp rip blade.
SPLITTERS & RIVING KNIVES. One potential
problem that occasionally pops up dur-
ing a rip cut is the tendency for the saw
kerf to close up and pinch the blade.
This is caused by internal stress in the
board that’s released during the cut.
The downside is that it can cause burn-
ing and dangerous kickback.
To alleviate this problem, it’s impor-
tant to use a splitter or a riving knife
(main photo and inset photo). It sits
behind the blade to prevent the saw
kerf from closing up. Most table saws
include one of these devices, or you can
make your own. The key is that it must
be no thicker than the saw blade and
be perfectly aligned behind the blade.
Otherwise, the workpiece can catch, pre-
venting a complete cut.
HOLD-DOWNS. When ripping long
boards, it can be difficult to keep the
leading end of the workpiece flat on the
saw table at the start of the cut. To help
with this, it’s a good idea to use a hold-
down, as shown in the main and left

62 • Woodsmith / No. 238 Written by: Randy Maxey

WS238_062.indd 62 6/4/2018 9:24:20 AM


{ A shop-made push block with a hook is
perfect for guiding the workpiece through
the blade at the end of the cut.
photos on the previous page. This can
be as simple as a board clamped to the
rip fence. Rigging a featherboard to the
fence is a great solution, as well. Plus,
the pressure of the fingers on the feath-
erboard help prevent kickback.
SIDE PRESSURE. For a consistent, smooth
cut, one edge of the workpiece should
be straight throughout its length. This
is the reference edge that rides against
the rip fence. Any peaks or hollows
along this edge can allow the work-
piece to shift during the cut or bind
between the blade and rip fence.
While we’re on the subject, holding
the workpiece firmly against the rip
fence during the cut can be a challenge,
especially on large or long workpieces.
To help with this, I like to use a feath-
erboard. It’s positioned at the front of the
blade and adjusted to apply pressure on
{ This simple jig makes ripping thin strips safe and easy. It behind the saw for the
keeps the cutoff on the outside of the blade instead of
trapping it between the blade and rip fence.
Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman
WS238_062.indd 63
Position outfeed table
slightly lower than
table saw height
Position
featherboard
at the front
TOP VIEW
of the blade
Never stand
directly behind
the workpiece
the edge of the workpiece. You can see
this in the lower left photo on the oppo-
site page and the illustration above.
For shorter workpieces that are eas-
ier to handle, you can use your hand to
accomplish this task (main photo, previ-
ous page). Just remember to keep your
hand stationary on the saw table.
PUSH BLOCKS. Before ripping any board,
I make sure to have a push block
nearby. It has a hook on the back side
that engages the tail end of the work-
piece to push it through the blade to
complete the cut. A good example is the
push block shown in the photo above.
It’s made from a short
length of 2x4.
I don’t use the push block
until the end of the work-
piece is near the edge of the
saw table (photo and illus-
tration above). If you try to
use the push block too early,
the downward pressure can
lift the workpiece away
from the blade, which can
cause burning or kickback.
CLEARANCE & SUPPORT. I like
to make sure I have plenty
of clearance in front of and
workpiece before turning
on the saw. And for longer
Ensure adequate clearance
for the workpiece in front
of and behind the saw
Clamp
featherboard
or hold-down
to rip fence
Keep area behind the
workpiece clear in case
of kickback
boards, it’s important to have outfeed
support to prevent the workpiece from
lifting at the end of the cut.
BODY POSITION. The illustration above
highlights the things I’ve been talking
about. It also shows the proper body
and hand position during a rip cut.
The most important point is to never
stand directly behind the blade. Kick-
back is always unpredictable, so you
don’t want to be standing in the path
of the workpiece when it happens. So I
like to stand to the side, with one hand
controlling the workpiece while a feath-
erboard keeps it tight to the rip fence.
THIN STRIPS. When ripping thin strips,
such as shelf edging, it’s tempting to set
the rip fence close to the blade to make
the cut. But it’s not the only solution.
Another option is to use a jig
designed for this purpose. You can see
a shop-made version at left. Commer-
cial versions are also available. The jig
is positioned ahead of the blade and
secured to the saw table. The distance
between the jig and the blade deter-
mines the thickness of the thin strip.
Adjust the rip fence so the workpiece
is trapped between the jig and fence.
Repeat for each strip needed.
Following these simple steps will help
you make safer and better rip cuts. And
this will result in better projects. W
Woodsmith.com • 63
6/4/2018 9:24:53 AM
 m
tips frop
our sho

Shop Notes
Dovetail Tenoning Jig
To make the tenons on the ends of the
braces for the butcher block table on
page 48, you need a jig (photo above).
The jig is used at the router table to
guide the braces past the router bit.
PLYWOOD BOX. The jig is simply a box
that has one side angled, and is open
at the top to allow you to clamp it to
a miter gauge. The angled face serves
as a base for clamping the workpiece
while routing the dovetailed tenons. A
dovetail slot in the base combined with
a Matchfit clamp is what holds the brace
in place on the jig.
QUICK CONSTRUCTION. I started by cutting
the back, bottom, and side pieces to
length. That’s followed by cutting the
miters on the side pieces. Gluing those
four pieces together was the next order
of business. While that was drying, I
turned my attention to the base.
At the router table, cut the groove for
the Matchfit clamp (detail ‘b’). Follow
this by drilling some countersunk screw
holes. To finish, tilt the blade on your
table saw to cut the mitered end and
then attach it to the box with screws.

NOTE: Dovetail dado

2!/2
a.
is made with a
#8 x 1!/4" !/2" x 14° bit
Fh woodscrew
BACK SIDE
SECTION VIEW
SIDE
BASE 45° 3!/2

BOTTOM 3!/2
SIDE 5!/2

1#/4
7 b.
1 3
NOTE: Jig is made 7
from #/4" plywood #/8

2!/2
SIDE SECTION VIEW

64 • Woodsmith / No. 238

WS238_064.indd 64 6/7/2018 7:56:56 AM

 Edging
Bending Thin Edging
The pullout unit in the dressing table
on page 30 is mostly made of plywood.
I covered the exposed plywood edges
with thin strips of hardwood. On the Place a clamp
at each hole Soak edging
curved front and back pieces, I was location before clamping
struggling to bend the pieces and glue over bending form
them in place at the same time.
My solution to was to make the small
bending form shown at right. This form
allowed me to prebend my edging after Bending
soaking the pieces in warm water. form
EASY TO BUILD & USE. The process for mak-
ing the bending form is simple. After
cutting it to size at the band saw and a. 1!%/16 6" rad.

sanding the curved edge to match the

2#/16
pullout unit parts, drill three large 3!/4
holes to accept clamp heads. Use an extra-long
piece of edging
Then I soaked an extra-long piece of 6 when bending
edging in warm water for several min-
4!!/16 8
utes before clamping it to the form. After
letting it sit overnight, the piece holds its
shape and can easily be glued in place. A 2!/4 " dia.
few pin nails speed up the process and 5#/4
8
are easy to conceal.

Installing a Router Plate Insert

The router table on page 42 has an
aluminum insert plate attached to the
rotary tool. You need to create a snug
fitting, recess in the top of the table to
house the plate. An easy way to tackle
the problem is to use the insert as a tem-
plate, along with some guide strips and
a pattern bit to rout a matching opening.
SIMPLE PROCESS. Start by transferring
the rough opening location of the case
to the underside of the top. Now drill
a pilot hole large enough for a jig saw
blade to pass through. This sets you up
to cut the hole from the underside of the
top (Figure 1). This hole doesn’t have to
be perfect since it’s going to be covered
by the aluminum insert.
At this time, I glued the top to the case.
When the glue is dry, use a pencil and
a square to lay out the location of the
insert on the top. These marks indicate
where to position the insert.
Next, I made four strips that guide
the pattern bit around the perimeter of
the insert opening. Figure 2 shows how
to place the guide strips. The strips are
held in place with double-sided tape.
Remove the insert and set up your
router with the pattern bit.
SETUP & ROUT. To set the depth of the
bit properly, lay the insert on the guide
strips to act as a spacer. Then with the
router sitting on top of the insert, adjust
the pattern bit so it just touches the sur-
face of the table.
To rout the opening, position the
router so the base is supported by the
guide strips (Figure 3). Then rout the
recess in a clockwise direction.

1 NOTE: Cut the rough 2 NOTE: Double-sided tape

holds the guide strips
3
opening for the insert in place
from the underside
of the top
3
8

Rout top
Insert in clockwise
Top direction
Pilot Guide
a.
hole strips

!/2"-dia.
pattern bit

Woodsmith.com • 65

WS238_064.indd 65 6/7/2018 10:32:16 AM

 Shaping Curved Doors
The wood hinge cabinet on page 18 has
doors with sculpted fronts. The left door
is concave, and the right door is convex.
MACHINE OUT WASTE. While much of the
fine-tuning of the doors will happen
with hand tools, most of the waste will
be removed at the table saw. Start by
using the pattern available at Woodsmith.
com and attach it to both ends of the
doors. I started with the right door.
RIGHT DOOR. At the table saw, use a tall
auxiliary fence and tilt the blade to cut
a large bevel as close to the template
line as possible. You can even make
multiple passes with the blade at dif-
ferent angles to start forming the front
of the door into the curve shape (Fig-
ure 1). After the rough shape is cut, the
curve can be refined by hand.
To get to the final shape of the door, use
a hand plane and remove the facets left
from the table saw (Figure 2). While this
will leave you with a pretty nice surface,
a card scraper or large, soft sanding block
will help smooth out the curvature.
1 Right
door
Pattern
Tall
aux. a. END VIEW
rip
fence Right
door
Tilt blade to
match pattern
3 4
Left door
Pattern
a. END VIEW
Left door
66 • Woodsmith / No. 238
WS238_066.indd 66
Patterns for the door
profiles are available
at Woodsmith.com
Concave
door
NOTE: Left door is made from
1%/16"-thick hardwood and planed Convex
to a final thickness of !%/16". Right door door
is made from 1%/16"-thick hardwood
a. TOP VIEW
30"-rad.
b. TOP VIEW
20"-rad.
LEFT DOOR. With the right door complete, as they follow the curve towards the
you can move to the left door and head edge. This is done by simply adjusting
back over to the table saw. To remove the the blade height to the template curve
waste on the left door, you’re going to and setting the fence. Then, make a pass.
make a series of kerfs that are deepest in Move the fence and lower the blade as
the middle of the door, but get shallower you get to the outside edge (Figure 3).
SHAPE BY HAND. With the majority of the
2 waste removed, you can once again
Smooth out head over to the bench to do some hand
facets with
hand plane shaping. Start by breaking out any
remaining fins of waste with a chisel,
as seen in Figure 4. If you have a plane
with a curved sole, you can quickly
eat through the remaining waste
and ridges. Otherwise, a curved card
Right door
scraper and a shaped sanding block do
the trick (Figure 5). Just sneak up on the
curved line, but don’t go past it.
The goal is to have a fluid, subtle wave
on the doors. After the faces are shaped,
the curves on the top and bottom of the
doors can be cut at the band saw. W
Remove
5 Curved
sanding
excess waste
with chisel block
Left door
Left door
6/7/2018 7:58:06 AM
 hardware & supplies
Sources
Most of the materials and sup- HEARING PROTECTION (p.14) 1⁄ "
4 Alum. Plate . . . . . 8975K432
plies you’ll need to build the • Amazon 3" Steel Pull . . . . . . . . 18645A21 MAIL
projects are available at hard- SoundVision Glss . B00IGXWI1M • Amazon ORDER
ware stores or home centers. For • Rockler 9" Drwr. Slides . B00NWONJ0E SOURCES
specific products or hard-to-find ISOtunes Pro . . . . . . . . . . 54033 • Rockler Project supplies may
items, take a look at the sources 48" T-Track . . . . . . . . . . . 20054 be ordered from the
listed here. You’ll find each part WOOD HINGE CABINET (p.18) 36" Miter Track . . . . . . . . 48037 following
companies:
number listed by the company • Rockler The case is sprayed with two
name. See the right margin for Z-Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46357 coats of lacquer. amazon.com
contact information. Ball Catches . . . . . . . . . . . 28613 Buy-Rite Salon & Spa
Shelf Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30473 BUTCHER BLOCK TABLE (p.48) 855-270-1441
buyritebeauty.com
WAXES IN THE SHOP (p.10) • Stewart-MacDonald
• Amazon DRESSING TABLE (p.30) Precision Tool Router Base . 5260 The Home Depot
800-466-3337
Beeswax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . varies • Amazon • Osborne Wood Products homedepot.com
Carnauba . . . . . . . . . . . . . varies Wooden Knobs . . .B00M0193LO Dining Table Legs . . . . . . . 1025
Lee Valley
Alfie Shine . . . . . B06WCZ3NZS • Buy-Rite Salon & Spa • The Home Depot 800-871-8158
Johnson Paste Wax . . . . . 00203 Blow Dryer Holder . . PIB-1502A 7mm x 50mm Screws . . . .818168 leevalley.com
Behlen Tung Oil . . . . B740-00035 Appliance Holder . . . . PIB-1502B • Widgetco McMaster-Carr
1
• Woodcraft • Lee Valley ⁄2" Buttons . . . .5-500-MAP-MW 630-833-0300
mcmaster.com
Renaissance Wax . . . . . . . 08G22 Mirror Pivots . . . . . . . 00K65.01 The top is finished with min-
Bttm. Mount Slides . . . 02K43.40 eral oil. The base is stained with Osborne Wood Prod.
800-849-8876
The Complete 30mm Bolts . . . . . . . . .00N16.30 Watco cherry stain that’s avail- osbornewood.com
Woodsmith • Rockler able at home centers. The base
Rockler
No-Mortise Hinges . . . . . . 28720 is then sprayed with two coats
Magazine Collection Grommets . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57269 of lacquer.
800-279-4441
rockler.com
1979 to 2017 Freud Table-Edge Bit . . . . 38757 Stewart-MacDonald
 Access Every Issue, SCRAPERS (p.56) 800-848-2273
stewmac.com
Article, Photo, and Illus- ROTARY TOOL TABLE (p.42) • Lee Valley
tration from 1979 to 2017 • McMaster-Carr Veritas Burnisher . . . . . 05K32.01 Widgetco
1 800-877-9270
 A Wealth of Plans, ⁄4"-20 x 1"Knob . . . . . 6399K52 widgetco.com
Tips, and Techniques, at
Cabinet Scraper
Woodcraft
your fingertips! 800-225-1153
woodcraft.com
 Instant Online Access on
Your Computer, Laptop, For a limited time, Woodsmith Woodsmith
800-444-7527
Tablet, or Smartphone! is offering a custom cabinet store.woodsmith.com
scraper. This 6" x 3" scraper
is made from 0.036" (0.9mm)
tempered, high-carbon steel.
It’s the perfect tool for achiev-
ing a glassy, super-smooth
surface on all your fine fur-
niture projects. $14.99

• Woodsmith Cabinet Scraper Item #375005

Item #WL07U
Woodsmith, The Complete
Magazine Collection
on USB Flash Drive...$99

Woodsmith.com • 67

WS238_066.indd 67 6/7/2018 8:10:38 AM

 looking inside
Final Details
< Roll-Top Chisel Case. This chisel case stores your
tools in style. Slide back the tambour door to reveal a
set of your favorite chisels. You’ll find complete plans
for building it on page 24.

{ Wall Cabinet. Gentle curves give this cabinet a

modern, graceful look. But don’t overlook the wood
hinges that connect the doors to the case. We’ll walk
you through the construction beginning on page 18.

< Dressing Table. With a nod to post-war modern design,

this dressing table is an updated version of a classic
bedroom vanity. Step-by-step instructions can be found
starting on page 30.

WS238_001.indd 68 6/11/2018 10:40:43 AM