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C O NTE NTS
Februar y 2 02 2 VO LUM E 4 6 , NU M BE R 1
PROJECTS
Page 28
Page 42 Walnut Storage Cabinet

By Alex Fang
This influencer’s sleek and
trendy cabinet offers ample
storage while remaining
relatively easy to build.
Benchtop Drill Press

Mobile Stand
By A.J. Hamler
Give your small drill press
a rock-solid base system on
wheels and clear off some
valuable shop counter space.
Breakfront Plant Stand

By Chris Marshall
Our senior editor puts Leigh’s
FMT Pro Jig through its
paces to mill a bunch of mor-
tise-and-tenon joints for this
Arts & Crafts-inspired piece.
Page 36
Drilling, sawing, sanding or machining wood products can expose you to wood dust, a substance
known to the State of California to cause cancer. Avoid inhaling wood dust or use a dust mask or other safeguards
for personal protection. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/wood.
4 February 2022 Woodworker’s Journal
DEPARTMENTS
Page 16 Page 18 Page 52

8 From Our Readers/Stumpers 50 Skill Builder 62 Hardworking Hardware
Watch crab’s purpose made plain In this first installment of a new Euro hinges are versatile and
and tool-battery matters discussed six-part joinery series, we study simple to install. Here’s the step-
as we sort the reader mailbag. the classic mortise-and-tenon. by-step process to tackle the job.
14 Tricks of the Trade 52 Power Tool Fundamentals 66 Finishing Corner

You share solutions for grippier jig Our publisher takes a deep dive If an old cabinet has good bones,
fences and how to make any shop into why table saws are critical to a veneering facelift may well be
vac floor sweep more functional. most woodworking shops. worth the time and effort.
16 Shop Talk 58 What’s In Store

Influencer’s door build opens the Milwaukee’s feature-packed
door to an online audience; Rock- cordless nailer and two affordable
ler discusses novel new clamps. Bosch random-orbit sanders.
20 Woodturning 60 Tool Preview

Follow the advice of a Hawaiian Think Festool’s venerable TS 55
woodturning expert to craft a Track Saw can’t be improved?
distinctive calabash bowl. Surprise — it’s now even safer!
Quality you can count on at rockler.com/learn

The fact that you are reading a woodworking magazine is a good indication that you value high quality
woodworking information. But “quality” can be tricky to find. There seems to be an unlimited number of
people online “teaching” the ins and outs of woodworking. To be frank, some of them make me cringe
as they deliver bad or incomplete information about the craft I love so well. While I sure appreciate their
enthusiasm, I wish they’d take a class. (Or read some woodworking magazines!)
One online location where I can assure that you will get quality woodworking information is the “Learn”
section of rockler.com. These pages have been under development for years and are now ready for prime
time. This substantial and ever-growing body of
content offers a collection of woodworking articles,
advice and videos from Woodworker’s Journal, con-
tributions from reputable online woodworkers and
even a wonderful series of long-form videos from
The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. There are
free plans and project ideas, too. It’s a great place to
spend your online learning time, and you can count
on information that’s safe, informative and vetted by
experts on our staff and at Rockler.
—Rob Johnstone

TODAY’S
WOODWORKER
THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
®
Today’s Woodworker is back!
TODAY’S
WOODWORKER
THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
®
The OVER
TODAY’S WOODWORKER legacy: 9 YEARS ON 1
Every issue from 1989-1998 CD
No longer available
finally together in one place. in print!
Woodworker’s Journal February 2022 7

FROM OUR READERS ROCKLER PRESS
THE VOICE OF THE WOODWORKING COMMUNITY
FEBRUARY 2022
Hibernating is Not an Option Volume 46, Number 1
ROB JOHNSTONE Publisher

PUTTING 2021 TO BED IN A BIG WAY ALYSSA TAUER Associate Publisher
The new year is upon us, and it’s time for me to get into the CHRIS MARSHALL Senior Editor
shop in a big way. I need a substantial project to help me JEFF JACOBSON Senior Art Director
DAN CARY Senior Content Strategist
while away these long, cold and dark winter evenings.
COLLEEN CAREY Video Production Assistant
So what am I building? I am making a bed. It’s such a prac- NICK BRADY Project Builder
tical project for dealing with all the challenges that January MATTHEW HOCKING Internet Production Coordinator
evenings bring to bear. I’m already imagining myself snuggled
Founder and Chairman
under a thick quilt, a good book or woodworking magazine to ANN ROCKLER JACKSON
read and maybe a winter beverage of some sort on the side table. It’s a nice dream.
Curiously, while I have made several beds in my career as a woodworker, I have Contributing Editor
ERNIE CONOVER
never made one for my own use. And to be frank, I am feeling a little nervous about
that. Since I am in charge of all aspects of this project, no one else really has any Advertising Sales
significant input into the design and execution of the bed. If it turns out to be a nice ROB JOHNSTONE Advertising Sales
rjohnstone@woodworkersjournal.com
and practical project, well, one would expect that from a woodworker of my august (763) 478-8255
experience. But if it comes up a big stinker, there will be no one to blame except me!
Even so, you won’t find a bed in the Journal this time (I am guessing mine might be Editorial Inquiries
editor@woodworkersjournal.com
in a future issue), but you will find some great projects to build. The walnut cabinet on
page 28 is a classic design with tried-and-true construction. Or consider making the
tiered mahogany plant stand on page 42. But as this is our “back to the shop” issue, Subscription Problems/Inquiries
(800) 765-4119 or
you will also find a handy mobile stand for a benchtop drill press on page 36, featuring
www.woodworkersjournal.com
storage and extension wings. I know I am very fond of building improvements for my Write Woodworker’s Journal, P.O. Box 6211,
Harlan, IA 51593-1711
shop. So see you in the shop, where there is a headboard and footboard calling me.
email: WWJcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com. Include
— Rob Johnstone mailing label for renewals and address changes. For gift
subscriptions, include your name and address and
LETTERS your gift recipient’s.
Book Sales and Back Issues

Eye Wash to the Rescue Call: (800) 610-0883
While I certainly agree that
personal protective equip- Other Questions or Problems
ment [“PPE: Your First Line Call: (763) 478-8255
rjohnstone@woodworkersjournal.com
of Defense,” October 2021]
Safety First Learning how to operate power and hand tools is es-
is important, accidents still sential for developing safe woodworking practices. For purposes
happen, and woodworkers of clarity, necessary guards have been removed from equipment
should be ready for anything. shown in our magazine. We in no way recommend using this
To that end, I keep a $5 bottle equipment without safety guards and urge readers to strictly
follow manufacturers’ instructions and safety precautions.
of sterile eye wash in my shop.
Sometimes I use it for a bit of Woodworker’s Journal (ISSN: 0199-1892), is published in February,
water on a rag to clean up glue April, June, August, October and December by Rockler Press Inc.,
or just to rinse dust out of my 4365 Willow Dr., Medina, MN 55340. Periodical postage paid at
eyes. But I once needed it for a Medina, Minnesota and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send
all address changes to Woodworker’s Journal, P.O. Box 6211, Harlan,
serious purpose after splashing
IA 51593-1711. Subscription Rates: One-year, $19.95 (U.S.); $28.95
weed killer in my eye. If you’re U.S. funds (Canada and other countries). Single copy price, $7.99.
wondering, yes, it worked. Reproduction without permission prohibited. Publications Mail Agreement
Steve Pomper Number 0861065. Canadian Publication Agreement #40009401.
via the Internet ©2021 Rockler Press Inc. Printed in USA.

Seated but Can’t See?
Concerning the inset picture
for the “Sit/Stand Desk”
project on page 46 of the
October issue, there may
be a problem. It appears While taller users might
unlikely that a seated person opt to remove the desk’s
upper panel when seated
could see the complete
for better laptop viewing,
laptop screen, because the it works well to prevent
Upper Desk Panel (piece 6) overhead lights from
seems to obstruct the view. glaring on the screen.
This would be exacerbated Universal Tool Batteries burgeoning problem: battery
by taller users. How can that and Chargers, Please! packs, chargers and what
problem be avoided? I’m writing to address a to do with them. Displayed
Jeff Grzeca problem that has been sim- inside the cabinet are five
Milwaukee, Wisconsin mering on my back burner different brands of 18-volt
for some time. The epitome battery packs and their
WJ Responds: Taller desk of the problem hit me when I related chargers. When tools
users can slide the top panel received the October 2021 is- had cords, did we need a cab-
out of its dadoes, if needed, sue. There on the front cover inet to store the cords and
for a better view. It’s height is a very nice-looking project
adjustable and removable. to help solve an ongoing and Continues on page 10 ...
READER PROJECTS
Bed Sofa Gets Built, Finally!

Around 30 years ago I had an idea
to build a bed sofa, and recently I
finally got around to doing it! I call Souped-up Router Table
it a bed sofa because unlike a sofa I ran out of room to store router bits and accessories,
bed, which is mostly used as a sofa so I’ve customized my Rockler router table with two
and rarely used as a bed, mine is drawers, two side-loading bit storage compartments
just the opposite. My initial design and an illuminated, sealed compartment for my router
concept for the conversion became and lift. Many of my shop tools and supplies are from
too complex. I resolved that by Rockler, including my SawStop table saw, clamps, dust
simply making the back articulate collection system, hand tools, hardware and even the
to either position. It sits and sleeps wood I use. Just about everything. Thanks for being a
surprisingly well. great woodworking supplier and magazine.
Bruce Kieffer Steve Schklair
Edina, Minnesota via the Internet

FROM OUR READERS CONTINUED
plugs for each brand? and 18 volts for most of the Manufacturers would argue
Were we forced to be common cordless hand tools. that their battery packs
brand-specific because As I see it, the only valid include electronics that are
we had only one wall reasons for brand-proprietary specific to their tool. This
socket pin configura- chargers is to increase the may or may not be a valid ar-
tion? The answer to profit margin for the tools gument, but I feel reasonably
these questions is no. or to prevent, for example, certain that those electronics
Proprietary battery a DeWALT battery from could be made universal and
pack designs and being used on a Milwaukee just as easily be incorporated
chargers need to be tool. This is accomplished into the tool itself with a sin-
eliminated. We only by forcing us consumers gle connection to the battery
need one universal to be brand-specific in our pack.
battery pack design and tool purchases for no other Jeffrey W. Gehm
charger. The industry seems reason than to eliminate the via the Internet
to have standardized the necessity of purchasing an-
voltage of battery packs at 12 other brand-specific charger. Continues on page 12 ...
SURVEY
There’s more online at WE ASKED OUR SURVEY GROUP ABOUT THEIR 2022 SHOP ASPIRATIONS
woodworkersjournal.com The future is now, as they say, so we were wondering what
your woodworking plans are for the new year.
MORE ON THE WEB
Check online for more content What are you most likely to make in Compared to last year, do you think you
covering the articles below: the upcoming year? will be doing:
Woodturning (page 20): Furniture 15% More woodworking in the
Ernie interviews calabash bowl Shop improvements 19% upcoming year 50%
expert Emiliano Achaval (video)
Small projects (boxes, lamps, etc.) 19% Less woodworking in the
Breakfront Plant Stand (page
42): Watch Leigh’s FMT Pro
Outdoor furniture 6% upcoming year 5%
Mortise and Tenon Jig in action Toys 6% About the same amount of
(video) Turned items 10% woodworking in the upcoming year 45%
Skill Builder (page 50): Carved items 3%
Mortise-and-tenon joints are Kitchen cabinets 3%
essential to woodworking, and
here’s why (video)
Home improvement projects 17%
Other 3%
Power Tool Fundamentals
(page 52): Discover why the
table saw is such a critically Which of these skills would you most
important shop tool (video) like to develop in 2022?
What’s in Store (page 58): Dovetail joinery 18% Tile-Topped
Featured tools in action (videos) Woodturning 14% Plant Stand
This project from
Tool Preview (page 60): Over- Carving 6% our December
view of Festool’s newest track
saw and benefits (video)
Veneering 3% 2019 issue is now
available as a
Inlay 7% templated plan
Hardworking Hardware
(page 62): Learn how to install Hand tool skills 14% from Rockler
Euro hinges (video) CNC routing proficiency 5% (item 65064).
Finishing 16%
Working with epoxy resin 13%
Other 5%

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FROM OUR READERS CONTINUED
Steel Cabinet for Battery Why the Gearhead Gear? intended, with tongue firmly
and Charger Storage I just started getting your — sort of — in cheek, but
Regarding your “Tool magazine during the pan- maybe sticking out a bit.
Battery Charging Cabinet” demic, and I love it! But I’m Andrew French
project in the October issue, disappointed with Stumpers. Albion, Michigan
I wouldn’t recommend Why, you ask? Well, as the
enclosing so many chargers title of your magazine is Chris Marshall Responds:
and batteries in a flammable WOODWORKER’S Journal, We’ll try to keep our heads
cabinet. To give my shop a I expected to see woodwork- out from under the hood in
bit more isolation, I’m using ing tools to be showcased the future, Andrew! But the
a steel cabinet, aluminum in this section. Imagine my mail really poured in from
tape over the vents and an horror when the April and fellow readers who shared
8-hour shutoff timer for the June issues showcased auto- their guesses and personal
power strip. I’ve confirmed motive tools! Come on folks, stories about those two
that there isn’t noticeable this is not “Car Mechanics” valve-grinding tools. So brace
heat buildup with the closed or “Classic Car Magazine.” I yourself: there may be more
vents. am a woodworker, not a ma- gearheads among us than
Dave Burkett chinist! Thanks for accepting you realize. But it’s all good!
via the Internet my “venting” in the spirit it is
TRIVIA
Harmful Wood Dust — It’s What You Don’t See
Sandor Nagyszalanczy
Woodshop Dust Control: A Complete Guide to Setting Up Your Own System
The Taunton Press; ISBN: 1561584991

STUMPERS
Ticktock Talk
But why might a
modeler own it?
Even though Paul Doman,
owner of our October mys-
tery tool (shown at far right),
has been unable to deter-
mine exactly what it does,
78 respondents couldn’t wait What’s This?
to unanimously explain his Vince Piacenti’s watch crab closely resembles Paul Doman’s October
watch crab’s purpose. “This mystery tool. Here, its jaws are engaged in the notches of a watch back.
tool is an adjustable spanner Twisting the tool right or left threads the back on or off for repairs.
wrench for removing the driver,” explains Richard with replaceable pins.
watertight back on watches,” Beirne of Galesville, Wis- A number of you, including
says Robert Hobday of consin. Orville McConnell, Brian
Honeoye Falls, New York. “Since watches vary in Napoli and Muhammad
“As a watchmaker for 40- diameter, the two ‘toes’ are Raza, own similar watch
plus years, I have used a tool adjustable in width by the crabs because they were
like this often,” assures Jim knurled screw in the center,” included among a kit of tools
Hill of Sudbury, Massachu- reports William J. Knox, for repairing watches.
setts. Benny Bridges of hailing from Carrickfergus, But in spite of your un-
Charlotte, North Carolina, United Kingdom. “Roll the equivocal certainty of what Geoff Strauss inherited this 3”-long
Dave Knapper of Willmar, adjustment wheel to move Paul Doman’s mystery tool Stanley tool from his father. Its two
Minnesota, and Michael the jaws in or out to set the does, very few ventured wings are tightened by a pair of
Walters, who all regularly spacing of the watch’s back guesses as to why a “highly
long bolts and opposing wingnuts.
work on watches, are well case grooves,” continues Jim regarded model ship builder”
Inside the wings are two flanges,
familiar with it, too. “I own Liles of Lena, Illinois. would have owned it first. A
a couple different versions “This (two jaw) type is one few shared their hunches. and one is stamped 0575. Geoff
of this tool, admits Rob of the cheapest styles made “Maybe the ship builder used recalls how his father used the tool,
Harrison, “as my wife thinks and does not work very well,” it as a small clamp when but do you know its woodworking
that I have a watch collection asserts Scott Hudgins. gluing pieces together,” spec- application? Email your answers to
problem.” But in spite of their low cost ulates Darrel Bickel. “Or
stumpers@woodworkersjournal.com
“You have two main types (around $6), Doug Sele of he used it on small dowels as
or write to “Stumpers,”
of backs on watch cases — Bemidji, Minnesota, says a repeatable measuring tool
those that pop off and those they’re handy to have when to cut small spars,” ponders Woodworker’s Journal, 4365
that unscrew. The latter have your battery dies. “It saves Mike Strange. Willow Drive, Medina, MN 55340.
little indentations or notches going to the jeweler to have a The most likely purpose
of different shapes,” Zach- battery replaced at 10 times might be this. “[A watch
ary Amend says, to set the the cost,” adds Ted Dzik. crab] sits under the model
stage. “There is usually an Greg Munson, a jeweler boat — usually four of them
O-ring or gasket helping to of 35 years, and Paul Wein- — and holds the boat up,”
maintain the tightness of the traub of Deltona, Florida, explains Tom Redd of Grand
cover,” adds Dick Dou- report that other watch crabs Haven, Michigan. “Screw the
brava of Bixby, Oklahoma. have three lugs instead of crab claws snug to the keel
“The (watch crab) spans the two, which allow a better grip of the ship you are building,
indents/slots in the watch on the back of the watch. and do the same with the
case back. Once engaged, And Rob Krauer offers that other three.”
you twist it off like a screw- some watch crabs even come

TRICKS OF THE TRADE
High-friction Fences, Low-friction Vac Sweep
Jar Lid Preserves Finish and Brush
Here’s a way I preserve the surplus finish I’m brush-
ing on, as well as my foam brush, when I’m applying
multiple coats. I insert the wooden handle of my brush
through a hole in the metal lid of a small Mason jar, and
I leave the lid on the handle. The lid helps to keep the
brush handle and my fingers clean when I’m applying a
coat. Then, when it’s screwed back onto the jar between
coats, it keeps the finish fresh, and I can leave the
brush right in the jar without having to clean it.
Bill Wells
Olympia, Washington Thrifty Three-way Edge Clamps
Here’s a simple alternative to three-way clamps
for gluing on shelf lipping or face frames that
uses the C-clamps or F-style clamps you already
own. All you need to do is locate and secure
the clamps far enough above the lipping or face
frame to slide a shim underneath the clamp
body or bar. I create my shims with a gentle
taper down to about 3/16" or 1/4" thick. Once
you’ve got the parts glued together, tap the
shim into place under the clamp to apply lateral
pressure that presses the joint closed.
John Cusimano
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Non-slip Fences with

Drill Bits Handy for Routing Setups Gaffer’s Tape
When I need to set a precise bit height at my router table, I Gaffer’s tape, available at cam-
take two drill bits with diameters that match the router bit era stores as well as some hard-
height I need. I lay both bits down on the table so they’re ware stores or online, is a black
parallel with one another and on either side of the router bit. fabric-type tape that’s used
Then, with the router bit raised higher than necessary, I rest in the film industry and by photographers. I’ve found that
a small scrap on the top cutting edges and on one of the two applying a strip of it to the plastic or melamine-coated fences
drill bits. I lower the router bit slowly until the other edge of of my jigs and accessories creates a helpful nonslip surface.
the scrap touches the second drill bit. At this point, I know my Workpieces stay in place better when held or clamped against
router bit height is dialed in correctly. this tape, and that improves my cutting accuracy.
Serge Duclos Jim Wilson
Delson, Quebec San Marcos, Texas

In addition to our standard
payment (below), Carol Johnston
of Portland, Indiana, will also
PICK receive a Milwaukee M12™ Heated

TOUGHSHELL™ Jacket for being
OF THE selected as the “Pick of the Tricks”
TRICK winner. We pay a one-time sum of
S $150 for each trick used. To join
Adding Wheels Brings Sweeping Changes in the fun, send us your original,
I have an old shop vacuum with a floor sweep attachment. The suction produced by the unpublished trick. Please include a
vacuum is so great that the floor sweep used to be difficult to move around the floor for photo or drawing if necessary. For
cleanups. To fix the problem, I drilled holes on each side of the attachment and added your chance to win, submit your
small wooden wheels with bolts, washers and locknuts to lift the floor sweep slightly Tricks to Woodworker’s Journal,
off the floor. Now I can easily roll the floor sweep around and pick up all the dust on my
Dept. T/T, P.O. Box 261,
shop floor. It made a big improvement!
Medina, MN 55340.
Carol Johnston
Portland, Indiana Or send us an email:
tricks@woodworkersjournal.com
ELL
W E S ER
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G Quality Hardwoods and Plywood For The
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T Craftsmen and Educational Institutions HARDWOOD PLYWOOD
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$ERYHSULFHVDUHIRUDSSUR[LPDWHO\EGIWEXQGOHRIFOHDU)DFHH[FHSWIRUFHGDUDQGZKLWHSLQHRUOXPEHUOLVWHGDV&%WUZKLFKKDYHWLJKWNQRWVµµZLGHҋҋORQJ/HQJWKVDQG Website: www.walllumber.com
ZLGWKVDUHUDQGRP$GGWRSULFHRIEXQGOHLI\RXVSHFLI\SDUWLFXODUOHQJWKVDQGZLGWKV/XPEHULVVXUIDFHGWZRVLGHVµRQµVWRFNµRQµVWRFNRUURXJK6RPHRIWKHKHDY\
ZRRGVDUHVNLPPHGWRPHHWWKHOEOLPLWHYHQWKRXJKURXJKOXPEHULVVSHFLÀHG3ULFHVLQFOXGHGHOLYHU\SUHSDLGLQWKH&RQWLQHQWDO866DSZRRGLQZDOQXWDQGFKHUU\LVQRGHIHFWPlease Send $1.00 For Lumber Catalog
Specify Rough or Surfaced Stock. *Add $5 if Rough. (Shipped in 2 bundles) Add $5 if over 5’ Long. Prices Subject to Change Without Notice
$1 Project Plans
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Download NOW! Call: 1.800.279.4441
woodworkersjournal.com/ FREE code 1048
classics OR Visit: rcklr.co/1048

SHOP TALK
Door Project Opens Other Creative Doors
By Alex Fang
Influencer credits fellow content creator for providing
the nudge to start sharing project builds online.
a door between the master
bedroom and bathroom,
which made showers in the
winter months very chilly.
We wanted to put up some
barn doors, but all the ones
we liked were really expen-
sive. I remember thinking,
“How hard would it be to
make one?” At the time I’d
never done any woodwork-
ing, so I went to the obvious
place to learn: YouTube.
It All Started with a Door

After watching a bunch of
videos from several popular
influencers, I bought a circu-
lar saw, router, pocket-hole
a little welding. jig and a random-orbit sander
It’s also when and got to work. It turned out
I realized I that making a door was not
loved coming easy! It took me much longer
up with my own than I expected, it wasn’t
designs on the computer and pretty and the size wasn’t
then turning them into phys- even right. But I could not
ical products to help solve contain the excitement that
problems that I was facing at came from building some-
the time. thing with my own hands. So
After college, I took a job the next thing I asked myself
as an automotive design was, “What else can I make
engineer where 95 percent with these tools?” But I didn’t
of my time was spent sitting want to just build things for
E
Follow Alex Fang on Instagram ver since I was young, in front of a computer. It the sake of building. I wanted
@bevelish_creations.
I’ve always been a was completely different to build things that better fit
creative and curi- from what I did in college, our lifestyle and the aesthet-
ous person. I liked to draw, and there were very limited ics that both my wife and I
I liked photography and opportunities where I got to love. But I knew I had a lot
videography, and I especially do any hands-on work. But more learning to do.
enjoyed working with my my job always kept me busy, That’s when I found Chris
hands. As an engineering stu- so I never had much time or Salomone’s YouTube chan-
dent in college, my favorite energy to explore hobbies. nel, “Four Eyes Woodwork-
classes were the ones where I didn’t discover my ing & Design.” I was inspired
I got to go down to the lab interest in woodworking until by both his designs and his
and make things. College after my wife and I bought teaching style that made me
was where I was exposed to our first house. One problem feel like woodworking wasn’t
CAD design, 3D printing and with it was that there wasn’t beyond my abilities. Even

though I only had a couple of
projects under my belt then,
I ended up designing and
building my first Mid-century
Modern credenza. That was
the piece that really boosted
my confidence and love for
woodworking. I not only
designed something useful
that fit our lifestyle needs
and space, but also some-
thing that was aesthetically
pleasing to us.
When we were expect-
ing the birth of our son, I
decided to build him a crib. I
thought it’d be cool to docu-
ment the process so I could
show it to him when he was
older. I began sharing photos
and video clips on social me-
dia, and a lot of people urged
me to post the full-build video
to YouTube. So that’s what I
did. I not only enjoyed being
able to share my hobby with
the world and inspire others,
but I also discovered a rare
opportunity to combine
three of my biggest passions:
designing, woodworking and
filmmaking.
My builds nowadays still
revolve around creating
things that can function to
improve my family’s daily life
as well as fitting our aes-
thetic style. I feel very lucky
to have stumbled on this
creative outlet that fulfills
me. And I hope to continue
producing content that’s
entertaining and educational
for my audience. I hope it will
help spark someone else’s
creativity the way others
have sparked mine.

SHOP TALK CONTINUED
Spring-Loaded One-Handed Bar Clamps
By WJ Staff
Innovative instant-closing feature enables clamps
to be positioned and tensioned with only one hand.
B
ar clamps are about
as integral to wood-
working as the rule
in your combo square. But
even tried-and-true “F-style”
bar clamps have an annoying
problem: you need one hand
to position the clamp, the
other hand to slide the mov-
able jaw into place to tighten easily with only one hand. “We focused on the con-
it and often another hand “Many of the basic com- nection between the shroud
or two to hold workpieces ponents of these 6" and 10" and clamp body to ensure
together. Sound familiar? clamps are not much differ- that the parts flow together
Well, Rockler’s product ent than other clamps of their aesthetically and are very
development team set out kind,” says Jay Owens, one durable.”
to solve this three-handed of the clamps’ developers. Another challenge was
conundrum with these new “Our clamps simply have an achieving the correct spring
Spring-Loaded One-Handed additional feature that saves tension. Owens says nu-
Bar Clamps. They feature you time and effort.” merous springs were tested
a patented internal spring Owens says the shroud before the team settled on
mechanism that retracts around the spring mecha- one that delivers “just about
the extendable jaw auto- nism was a big engineering perfect” tensioning.
matically when a metal focal point. The spring was These clamps offer either
trigger is depressed. exposed in early prototypes, 6 ⁄ 2" or 101 ⁄ 2" of open capac-
1
Then, just one or two inviting dust to build up in ity and a 21 ⁄ 4" throat depth.
pumps of the pistol the mechanism and even Non-marring thermoplastic
grip tightens the create a potential pinch point rubber pads protect clamp-
glass-reinforced jaws up during use. ing surfaces. Available now,
to 150 lbs of clamping So the team developed a the 6" size (item 69764) sells
force. This way, the shroud to completely seal in for $19.99 and the 10" clamp
clamp can be both po- the spring and rear portion of (item 65890) costs $22.99.
sitioned and tensioned the clamp’s steel bar.

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WOODTURNING
Turning a Hawaiian Calabash Bowl
By Ernie Conover
Inward sloping walls and a rounded base

are signatures of this unique style.
This stunning calabash bowl by Emiliano Achaval is made of koa

wood. Butterfly patches were often put into weak spots in the wood,
and Hawaiians revered bowls with repairs like these. My bowl exam-
ple for this article (inset) is made of cherry with sapwood areas.
C
alabash bowls are grain pattern and color. After
part of the cultures 1819, they could be owned by
of Hawaii. They have anybody, so wooden calabash
been made for centuries, and bowls have prevailed.
many Hawaiians have exam- Until the last quarter of the
ples that have been handed nineteenth century, Hawai-
down for generations. Histor- ians did not have lathes,
ically, wood calabash bowls so their bowls were made
were intended for royalty by using stone and coral to
while common people used shape and then pumice and
ones made from calabash shark skin to bring them
gourds. Because of their to a very high polish. The
royal connection, Hawaiian calabash shape is not flat on
wood bowls have always ex- the bottom but rounded with
hibited superb craftsmanship the sides tapering slightly
and were made from tropical inwards. The height varies
woods (deemed sacred) from shallow to very deep,
that exhibit stunning figure, and there is usually sap

1
wood at each edge. Many

extant Hawaiian bowls are
quite curved on the bottom;
the lack of a flat bottom Start with a suitable blank
that has been chainsawn
may seem off-putting, but it or bandsawn from a green
works out fine on tables and log. If possible, choose a
counters as well as on the log that exhibits contrasting
ground. That Hawaiian crafts- sapwood for a more authen-
men could bring a piece of tic calabash effect.
wood to look like it had been
turned but without the use of 2
a lathe is truly amazing, but
craftsmanship in woodwork-
ing offers much to amaze us.
Thoughts Before Turning

With all of this in mind, we
should try to incorporate the
following thoughts into our
rendition of the Hawaiian
Mount the blank to a face-
calabash motif so as to best
plate or a worm screw held
honor the people and culture in a four-jaw scroll chuck.
of our fiftieth state. Here the author is using a
t Use a close-grained wood Stronghold chuck with a
with some sapwood at each large worm screw.
edge. Choose wood that will
exhibit beautiful grain and
color as it ages. Cherry and
hickory are good, widely
available North American
woods, but tropical woods
are fair game as well. 3
t Be faithful to the shape.
A round bottom to the bowl
Turn the outside shape of
is part of the fun and will be the bowl, leaving a bit extra
a good topic of conversation in the base area for either
with guests. a short tenon or a shallow
t Sand and finish a calabash recess that the chuck jaws
bowl to a very high sheen, can clamp onto or expand
into. Sand the outside, ex-
both inside and out. clusive of the base area, to
t The size of a calabash a very smooth but not a final
bowl can be anywhere sheen. Depending on your
from 6" in diameter to very gouge skill and the wood
large, with depth generally you are turning, start with
between 40- or 80-grit and
going down as the diameter finish at 120-grit. If starting
increases. Small bowls can at 40, continue with 80 and
be spindle-turned, allowing then 120. In sanding, never
them to be much taller. skip more than one grit.

WOODTURNING continued
Reverse the bowl from

the faceplate or screw
center and remount it with
a compression or expansion
hold, employing appro-
priate size chuck jaws.
Then hollow out the bowl’s
interior, working from the
center outward and down.
It is best to leave extra at
the bottom area so that the
bowl can be reversed to
turn the convex shape of the Turning Process
bottom. This is especially Most modern turners of this
so if you use an expansion
art form start with green
hold. Bring the walls to a
uniform thickness ranging wood, which makes the
between 1/4" and 1/2" thick. shaping and hollowing much
faster. Because of the round
bottom, if you turn your cala-
bash bowl all the way to com-
5 pletion, expect that the rim
will become slightly warped
as the wood continues to dry.
But that’s just part of the fun.
The wall should be in the
1/4"- to 1/2"-thick range, be-
Do not be afraid to switch
from your bowl gouge to a
coming thicker as the overall
large roundnose scraper to bowl size increases.
fair the surface and to help If you’re familiar with basic
remove any tearout in the bowl-turning procedures, the
end grain areas. Hold the photo series in this article
handle high so the scraper’s
burr can cut effectively, and
should be familiar territory
use a light touch. to you already. Start the turn-
ing process with your green
bowl blank mounted to either
a faceplate or a worm screw
held in a four-jaw chuck.
Turn the bowl’s outer profile
as well as a short tenon or a
6 shallow recess for re-chuck-
ing. Sand the bowl’s outer
surface extremely smooth, to
180-grit. Remove all evidence
of tearout during the sanding
process — remember, one
of the signature features of
calabash bowls is that they
are sanded to a high polish.
When you’re satisfied with
Sand the inside to a final the exterior, remount the
finish, starting with 40- to bowl in a four-jaw chuck so
80-grit and working to 220,
you can hollow the bowl’s
skipping no more than two
grits as you go; 40, 80, 120, interior with a gouge and
180 and 220 would be a scraper. Leave extra material
good grit sequence. at the bottom in order to

MORE ON THE WEB
To watch an interview with calabash bowl expert
VIDEO Emiliano Achaval, visit woodworkersjournal.com
and click on “More on the Web” under the Magazine tab.
7 8
Apply the first coat of finish to the inside. The author is using Waterlox Reverse the bowl onto either a jam chuck or a vacuum chuck. Turn the
Original Sealer Finish, but mineral oil, walnut oil or various “salad bowl” bottom to a very uniform, convex shape, and bring the wall of the bowl to a
finishes would be other good choices, too. constant thickness from the rim to the center of the base.
9 10
Sand the bottom and outside to 220-grit as was done on the inside, being It will take three or more coats of finish to bring the sheen to a level that
careful to remove all traces of tearout. Power-sanding with a random-orbit Hawaiian culture demands. Subsequent coats can be done off the lathe or
sander is a fast method, but hand-sanding will also yield good results. on the lathe if you have a vacuum chuck.
complete this area in the next mounted on the lathe, sand Achaval, an expert Hawaiian
step by reversing it again on the bottom and outside up to bowl turner, for all his help
the lathe. Sand the interior 220-grit and apply finish to and sound advice with this
up to 220-grit. the exterior to complete it. article. You can watch an
Apply finish to the interior Once your bowl is finished, interview between the two of
before remounting the bowl go on a picnic and think of us as a “More on the Web”
on either a jam or vacuum the warm sands of a Hawai- extra. Be sure to visit his
chuck. Turn the bottom to a ian beach as you eat lunch website too, which is:
uniform, convex shape, and out of your calabash. It will hawaiiankoaturner.com.
bring the wall of the bowl sit nicely on the ground and
to a uniform thickness from be a thing of beauty at the Ernie Conover is the author
the rim to the center of the center of the tablecloth. of The Lathe Book and Turn
base. Then, while the bowl is I want to thank Emiliano a Bowl with Ernie Conover.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Setting up shop
By A.J. Hamler
Starting from scratch?

It’s the best way to start!
T
he greatest luxury for a The possibilities are endless, For practicality, think more
woodworker is setting up a and when you’re standing in the about straight lines than area,
new shop in a complete- middle of a great big nothing, and where things will go in the
ly empty space. Whether it’s a maybe a little daunting. But by space rather than how much
garage, basement, utility build- c]]haf_ƭn]eYaf[gfka\]j% there is. A lot of shop process-
af_gjkge]làf_\aƬ]j]fl$l`] ations in mind, your new shop es involve working lengths of
fact that it’s empty means you oaddƭlqgmjf]]\kh]j^][ldq& wood, such as planing or joint-
can arrange everything from ing. For that reason, a longer
How much space do I need?
scratch. No need to work around space (or even an L-shaped
That’s like asking how many
existing cabinets, furniture, or one) may be better than a
clamps you need – the answer
someone else’s idea of what a square one.
is that there’s never enough. An
shop should be – you’re starting Square footage is important,
abundance of space is great, but
with a blank page. l`]j]Ydc]qak]Ư[a]fldqmladar%
Zmlmladaraf_allYc]kl`gm_`l&
QgmƄddƭf\dglkg^k`ghhdYff]jk
ing the space you have.
online with adjustable lay-
outs and common shop tools.
Make sure you
Download one of those, cut out
have enough
infeed and out- the tools and try some lay-
feed space when gmlkl`YleYpaear]l`]khY[]
processing long you have, keeping in mind the
stock; orient direction wood moves when
machinery
worked.
whatever way
gives the most Planers and jointers are linear
linear space. tools –the width of their loca-
tion isn’t as important as overall
length of the workpiece.
ADVERTISEMENT
For example, a planer may For a small shop, a few out-

be less than 24" wide, but if lets and judicious use of exten-
you’re planing an 8' board you sion cords – properly rated for
need 16’ of linear space for the A single ceiling outlet, paired with a qgmjlggdkƁeYqkmƯ []&>gjY
job. A miter saw is also linear, retracting extension cord, can easily larger shop, consider hiring an
supply electricity to just about any
but in width, not frontm to electrician to run some addi-
spot in a small shop
back. A table saw works wood tional lines. If you do, know in
in both directions. advance where your tools are
9dkg$[gfka\]jogjcƮgo& Mechanical going to go, and direct new
Generally, you’ll proceed from considerations – power, lines and outlets where needed.
wood storage, to milling and heat, cooling, etc. Don’t forget a few on the ceiling
prep, to cutting, to assembly Unless you’ll work 100% with for lighting.
Yf\$ƭfYddq$ƭfakàf_&9jjYf_] hand tools, your woodwork- Also, be aware of how much
your layout so what you do ing machines need electricity. voltage/amperage your tools
Ʈgok\aj][ldq^jgegf]hjg[]kk Meanwhile, your body (and draw. Many homes these days
to the other. ogg\ƭfakàf_!`Ykl]eh]jY% have breaker boxes with 110-
Gf]ƭfYdl`gm_`lgfkhY[]2 ture requirements. You can’t get volt, 20-amp lines going to
Adding wheels to your tools can around either. outlets. Amperage in older
]Ƭ][lan]dqemdlahdql`]ogjc% Home spaces like basements homes may be less, and the
ing space you have. That planer and garages usually have out- total amperage may be insuf-
example above? Put that planer lets; older construction tends to ƭ[a]fllgjmf`gmk]`gd\f]]\k
on a wheeled stand wherever have fewer, while newer homes as well as workshop tools. Your
you get the length you need have more. After considering electrician can guide you here,
while using it, than roll it into a your layout from the previous but have a list of what your
corner when done. In fact, your section, think about getting tools need in advance.
whole shop can be on wheels. electricity to those tools. Your heating and cooling
needs depend on the structure
housing your shop, and your
geographical location. Base-
ments may get chilly in winter,
but they’re generally comfort-
able year-round. Garage shops,
on the other hand, get cold in
the winter (although usually not
^j]]raf_!Yf\mf[ge^gjlYZdq`gl
in the summer. A freestanding
See our entire structure, meanwhile, has the
Guide for Updating Your Shop same heating and cooling needs
a small house would.
(and links to all products featured here) To adapt your space, consid-
er space heaters and dressing
on Rockler.com in layers for cold months, and
store temperature-sensitive
_dm]kYf\ƭfak`]kafYoYje]j
location. For basement shops,
25
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
When projects keep or draw fresh air in from out-

you on your feet side.
on a hard floor for
extended periods, a What type of floor?
cushioned mat helps MkmYddq$l`]ƮggjqgmjkhY[]
prevent sore feet, [ge]koalàkƭf]&:Yk]e]flk
legs and back.
and garages will probably have
[gf[j]l]Ʈggjk3Yk]hYjYl]
structure could have concrete
gjhdqogg\Ʈggjaf_&9ddg^l`]k]
are good, but can be made
Z]ll]joal`Y[gYlg^ƮggjhYafl&
Painted surfaces are easier to
consult an HVAC professional to plus you can always raise the
sweep, and help prevent the oc-
ƭf\gmla^qgmj`gmk]`gd\`]Yl% door a few inches. A well-placed
casional spill from soaking in.
ing/cooling system can handle Ʈggj^Yfgjoaf\gomfal[Yf
If you spend a lot of time
more square footage with some quickly exhaust fumes and dust
ogjcaf_gfY[gf[j]l]Ʈggj$
additional vents in the shop. For from a small shop.
qgmƄddƭf\qgmj^]]l$d]_kYf\
garages, consider adding a win- For a basement shop, consid-
back tiring after a long day.
\go^gjY^j]k`Zj]]r]gj]n]f er converting a window – the
Place cushioned work mats
an air conditioner. Floor fans are common fold-down type locat-
where you stand and work most
excellent additions to any shop, ed at the top of a wall – into
– in front of major tools, work-
both summer and winter. Yf]Ƭ][lan]n]fladYlagfmfalZq
benches, cabinets, etc. Other
Those fans are important for replacing a glass pane with an
options include interlocking
more than just temperature exhaust fan. These fans usually
cushioned vinyl tiles.
control. Shop air can get stale have closeable doors to keep out
For whole-shop foot comfort,
quickly, and you certainly don’t insects in the summer and cold
alƄk`Yj\lgZ]YlYogg\]fƮggj&
want to breathe fumes from weather in the winter when not
If your ceiling height (and bud-
ƭfakàf_hjg\m[lk&Lqha[Yd_Y% in use, and many have select-
_]l!Yddgo$Yf]ohdqogg\Ʈggj
rages usually have at least one YZd]YajƮgo\aj][lagfkkgqgm
laid over the concrete is a bless-
window to use for ventilation, can choose to exhaust shop air
ing. It’s not nearly as punishing
as concrete, and if raised suf-
ƭ[a]fldqqgm[YfafklYddoajaf_$
dust collection and HVAC ducts
underneath.
Foot-activated casters make

it possible to turn even a
400 lb. workbench into a
mobile workspace.
ADVERTISEMENT
lights are easy to hang on

basement or garage joists; for
ƭfak`]\[]adaf_k$egmfll`]e
with screw-in hooks.
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fected by cold weather, and
last seemingly forever. Initial-
ly, LEDs are a bit pricier but
Maximize shop traffic patterns with accessory worksurfaces – like this represent a better value in the
convertible router table – that fold down against a wall and out of the long run.
way when not in use. LEDs also use less power
than other lights, and most
Can I share a garage shop gfl`]Ʈggjlggmldaf]l`]aj are linkable. That is, once
with cars? position. Open the car doors and l`]ƭjklak`mf_$Y\\alagfYd
Absolutely, but it takes plan- eYjcl`gk]gfl`]Ʈggj$lgg&:] ƭplmj]k[YfZ][gff][l]\af
ning. To be able to park cars in aware of where the top edges of a continuous line of bright,
a garage, nothing can be per- the doors extend, so as not to full-coverage lighting, all
manently located in the middle interfere with cabinet mounting. using a single outlet. Mod-
of the garage. That’s where mo- Then, outline the walking path els vary as to how many can
bile bases – a good idea anyway for each car. be linked, so check package
– really earn their keep. With these taped guidelines in specs.
Arrange mobile tools around place, you can now accurately An important aspect of light
the back and sides of the ga- determine how the remaining is often overlooked, and that’s
rage, allowing for walking paths khY[][YfZ]YjjYf_]\Yf\]Ư % the shop itself. Garages and
and car doors. Use the upper [a]fldqmladar]\& basements can be drab, with
part of the garage for wood bare drywall, wood studs,
and long-term shop storage, Lighting considerations plywood sheeting, or concrete
and consider wall cabinets for Like clamps and working walls that swallow light like a
everything else. Meanwhile, use space, you can’t have too much khgf_]&QgmƄ\Z]YeYr]\Yl
whatever wall space is available light. Fortunately, hanging shop how much brighter a space is
for hanging tools, extension lights are inexpensive and avail- simply by applying a coat of
cords, folding sawhorses and able at any big box store. Shop white paint to the walls and, if
the like. there is one, the ceiling.
A narrow workbench aligned
oal`YoYddeYc]k^gj]Ư [a]fl Light fixtures
woodworking without taking up are the easiest
way to
too much space. Or, consider a
brighten up
àf_]\ogjckmj^Y[]l`YlƮahk a workspace.
down whenever you work and Overhead
back up against the wall when or spotlight
the cars are there. Similar ideas LED fixtures
like this one
include fold-down router tables,
provide ample
miter saw stations and bench- light, and out-
top tool platforms. last those with
The key to making this work fluorescent
is to start with the cars in the tubes by years.
garage, and use masking tape
27
Walnut Storage Cabinet
By Alex Fang
Elegant in styling and relatively simple to build, this trendy
cabinet can satisfy many of today’s storage needs.
far off from this project. And yet, my interpretation here still
blends in nicely with today’s design trends. You’ll see that it’s
not difficult to build, either. Whether you use this project to
store an audio or gaming system and set a big flat-screen tele-
vision on top of it, or park it in your dining room for tucking
Follow Alex
away fine china and other tableware that you don’t use every
Fang on day, its two spacious cabinets and matching drawers offer
Instagram ample storage wherever you need it most.
@bevelish_
creations.
With the exception of the cabinet’s base components and
1/8" solid-wood edge banding, this project is made entirely of
walnut veneer plywood — 3/4" for the cabinet carcass, doors
E
ven though we’re now more than two decades into and drawer faces, 1/2" for the drawer boxes and 1/4" for the
the new millennium, there’s just something about the carcass back panel and drawer bottoms. So you won’t have to
clean lines and simple styling of Mid-century Modern scour your hardwood lumber supplier for lots of heartwood
furniture that appeals to me. While this walnut storage cabinet walnut boards to build this cabinet. Premium walnut can be
is my own design, if you were to flip through the pages of a hard to find and expensive. But do choose your plywood with
furniture catalog from the 1950s, I think you’d agree that the really attractive face veneer, because you’re going to see that
look of those old stereo consoles and sideboards is not too figure and grain every time you look at this substantial piece.

Break down 3/4" plywood to create panels for the top, bottom and sides of the carcass. Whether The author glued 1/8"-thick banding to every part
you use a table saw, circular saw and straightedge guide or a track saw and track, be sure to edge where the plys would show. Rockler’s Bandy
install a sharp blade to cut the walnut veneer cleanly. It’s most liable to splinter across the grain. Clamps are handy for holding this edging in place.
Constructing the Carcass

I mentioned that I glued 1/8" strips of solid
walnut as edge banding to every edge of
this project where the plywood edge plys
would show. No one wants to see those!
But you might decide to use self-adhesive
or iron-on walnut edge tape instead, which
has almost no thickness to it. So take note:
in the Material Lists, if you’re planning
to use edge tape, just cut the parts to the
dimensions listed. But if you would rather
apply 1/8" solid-wood banding instead,
which is a more durable option, adjust
the part sizes when cutting your sheets to
reflect the fact that you will be adding the
banding to it — the Material List dimen-
Set the top and bottom panels together with their ends aligned to prepare for bevel-cutting their
sions assume that whatever banding you’re
ends. Gang-cutting them this way will ensure that the panel lengths remain the same.
using is already applied to those parts.
Let’s get this build underway by break-
ing down your 3/4" plywood into a top, bot-
tom and two side panels. Be sure to use a
sharp blade in your table saw, circular saw
or track saw. You want to slice the walnut
veneer as cleanly as possible to minimize
splintering where these edges will show.
Once those panels were cut to size, I ripped
strips of solid walnut for edge banding and
applied it to one long edge of each of these
four carcass parts with glue and spring
clamps. When the glue dried, I trimmed
the edging flush with a block plane.
The corners of the carcass now need to
be bevel-cut to 45 degrees. To do this, I
clamped the top and bottom panels togeth-
er so their ends aligned, tilted my track Bevel-cutting the ends of the top, bottom and side panels will be easiest to do with a track saw
saw to 45 degrees and cut the bevels across tilted to 45 degrees. If you don’t have a track saw, a conventional circular saw, guided along a
both panels in one pass with the saw on clamped straightedge, will also work for this operation. Make these cuts slowly and carefully,

the track. Gang-cutting them ensures that
their final lengths match. Then I clamped
the side panels together the same way and
bevel-cut their ends in two long passes.
We need to tackle some stopped dadoes
in the carcass panels next before we can
assemble them. Study the Drawings on the
Use a 3/4" straight bit (or a 23/32" undersized plywood bit if your stock isn’t a true 3/4") to plow next page to see where these 3/4"-wide,
matching 1/4"-deep dadoes across the top and bottom panels to house the large vertical partition. 1/4"-deep dadoes need to be located. I
clamped my top and bottom panels togeth-
er again, back edge to back edge, so I could
plow a matching dado across both panels
in one pass for the large vertical partition.
Set up this operation with a straightedge
to guide your router so the dadoes will be
arrow-straight. Stop the dadoes 3/4" from
the front (banded) edges of the parts.
The stopped dadoes for the two smaller
vertical partitions are offset between the
top and bottom panels, so unclamp them
and rout these dadoes separately. The left
side panel also requires a stopped dado,
located 8" up from the inside corner of its
bottom bevel, which will house the horizon-
tal shelf panel. Rout it now.
That takes care of the carcass dadoes,
but we still need to mill a 1/4" x 1/4" rabbet
around the inside back edges of the top,
bottom and side panels for the back panel.
Long bevel joints like these will be very difficult to keep aligned during glue-up unless you rein- I made these cuts with a straight bit in my
force them with loose tenons or biscuits. These reinforcements also strengthen the carcass joints.
router and an edge guide installed on the
base, but you could use a rabbeting bit
instead or a dado blade in the table saw.
The carcass bevel joints need some form
of reinforcement to keep them aligned
during glue-up and to provide some added
strength. For that, I pulled out my Festool
Domino and cut slots along each beveled
edge for several Domino loose tenons.
However, a biscuit jointer and #20 biscuits
would also do the trick here.
Once the loose tenon or biscuit slots
are cut, go ahead and glue up the carcass.
Be careful not to rack the assembly out of
Spread glue on the bevel joints, insert the rein-

forcements and bring the top, bottom and sides of
the carcass together. The author used Rockler’s
Clamp-It Assembly Squares and One-handed Bar
Clamps to close and square the corner joints.

1
Exploded View
5
7
2
8 3
4
6
Left Side Panel Large Vertical
(Inside View) Partition
(Inside View) 2
1
45°
Front Front
/8" trim
1 2 3 /8" trim
1
Back
1
/4" x 1/4"
3
/4" rabbet 3
/4" 9
3
/4" 3
/4"
8" 81/4"
45° MATERIAL LIST
Case TxWxL
1 Top, Bottom Panels (2) 3/4" x 171 ⁄ 2" x 70"
Horizontal Shelf
(Top View) 2 Side Panels (2) 3/4" x 171 ⁄ 2" x 25"
3 Large Vertical Partition (1) 3/4" x 171 ⁄ 4" x 24"
3
/4"
243/4" 4 Horizontal Shelf (1) 3/4" x 171 ⁄ 4" x 491 ⁄ 2"
4
5 Small Upper Vertical Partition (1) 3/4" x 171 ⁄ 4" x 151 ⁄ 4"
3
/4"
20" 6 Small Lower Vertical Partition (1) 3/4" x 81 ⁄ 2" x 171 ⁄ 4"
7 Back Panel (1) 1/4" x 24" x 69"
3
/4" 3
/4" 8 Small Door (1) 3/4" x 141 ⁄ 2" x 191 ⁄ 2"
Front 9 Large Door (1) 3/4" x 231 ⁄ 4" x 181 ⁄ 2"
/8" trim
1
Top Panel
(Bottom View)
Notch Detail
3
/4" 3
/4" (Side View)
Front
1 1
/8" trim 11/8"
45°
1
/4"
45°
3
/4" 3
/4"
193/4" 183/4"
Back 3 4
1
/4" x 1/4" rabbet Front
1
/8" trim
5 6
Back
1 1
/4" x 1/4" rabbet
45° 45°
3
/4" 3
/4"
24 /8"
1
18 /4"
3
Front
3
/4" /8" trim
1 3
/4"
Bottom Panel
(Top View)
Walnut Storage Cabinet Hard-to-Find Hardware

Blum TANDEM Plus BLUMOTION Soft Close Drawer Slide Kit — Full Extension (1) #46974 .... $35.99 pr.
Rockler JIG IT Undermount Drilling Guide (1) #64695 ................................................................................ $29.99 ea.
Blum Soft-Close 110° BLUMOTION Clip Top Inset Hinges for Frameless Cabinets (2) #34807 ...$18.99 pr.
JIG IT Deluxe Concealed Hinge Drilling System (1) #53420 .................................................................. $139.99 ea.
To purchase these and other products online,
visit www.woodworkersjournal.com/hardware
Or, call 800-610-0883 (code WJ1577).

While the Material List provides the length of the large vertical partition, it’s always a good idea
to measure off of your actual project (left) to verify captured part lengths like these. Once it’s cut
to size, notch the front corners of the partition so it fits into and around the carcass dadoes (center,
right photos). All three of the carcass’s partitions and horizontal shelf will be notched this way.
square when you tighten the clamps. Check it for square be- before taking this measurement. Cut the vertical partition to
fore the glue sets by measuring the diagonals — their lengths length and band its front edge to hide the plys. Then nibble
should match. away a 1/4" x 11 ⁄ 8" notch along its front top and bottom cor-
While those joints dry, measure the actual distance between ners so the panel can fit around the front ends of the stopped
the bottoms of the dadoes in the top and bottom panels so you dadoes in the carcass.
can cut a panel for the vertical partition accurately to length. Slide the vertical partition into its dadoes so you can locate
I slipped a temporary brace into place between the top and and mark a stopped dado on its left face that will house the
bottom panels to spread them apart and keep the panels flat right end of the horizontal shelf. Rout that stopped dado, then
Slide the vertical partition into place and mark it for a horizontal shelf Once the vertical partition is dadoed for the horizontal shelf, measure
dado. The author installed a temporary plywood brace between the top between the dadoes to cut the horizontal shelf accurately to length. Make
and bottom panels to correct for slight sagging of the top panel. up this banded shelf, notch its front corners and dry-fit it into place.
Again, measure between the dadoes in the shelf and top and bottom
Mark the shelf to locate dadoes for the small upper and lower vertical carcass panels to determine the small vertical partition sizes. Once you’ve
partitions, and plow these 1/4"-deep stopped dadoes into it. cut, banded and notched them, check their fit in the carcass.

cut and edge-band the horizontal shelf. Notch Cut 3/4" plywood to size for the two door panels. Be sure to take into account the thick-
its front corners, just as you did for the vertical ness of the edge banding you’ll be adding around their perimeters as well as the gaps the
doors will require in their carcass openings.
partition. Slip it into place in the carcass.
Now you can mark the horizontal shelf for a
pair of offset dadoes in its top and bottom faces
for the upper and lower vertical partitions. The
Horizontal Shelf Drawing on page 31 will help you
locate those stopped dadoes. Plow them, then
make up edge-banded panels for the upper and
lower vertical partitions.
Dry-fit the three partitions and horizontal shelf
in the carcass to be sure the joints fit correctly
and the shelf remains flat. If all is well, sand the
inside and outside of the carcass and all of its in-
ternal components to 180-grit, and glue the shelf
and partitions into place. Once that’s done, cut
and finish-sand a back panel from 1/4" plywood
and attach it to the back of the carcass with 3/4"-
long, 18-gauge brad nails or crown staples. Bore a pair of 35 mm stopped holes in the back of each door for the hinge cup hardware.
Here the author is using Rockler’s JIG IT Deluxe Concealed Hinge Drilling System, which
sets the spacing of these mortises and allows them to be bored with a handheld drill.
Hanging Doors on Soft-close Hinges
The two cabinet doors are just a pair of plywood panels cut to
size with all four of their edges banded. When you calculate
their size, be sure to take into account the amount of gap you
want them to have around the inside of their openings in the
cabinet. I factored in 1/8" for these gaps. Build the doors.
Concealed hinges are appropriate for this project’s styling,
so I chose Blum® Soft-Close 110° Frameless Cabinet Hinges.
Set the doors into place in the cabinet so you can mark the
door backs and the cabinet sides for hinges. Rockler’s JIG IT®
Deluxe Concealed Hinge Drilling System made it easy for me
to locate and bore pairs of hinge cup holes on the backs of
the doors with a 35 mm Forstner bit in a handheld drill. But
if you’d rather not invest in this system, you can also install Insert the cup-side hinge components into their mortises in the door, and
attach the hardware with screws. Make sure the hinge arms are square to
Euro hinges like these with a drill press instead. To learn how the door edges before driving the screws.
to do that, see Hardworking Hardware on page 62.
Mount the cup side hinge components to the doors with Building Inset Plywood Drawers
screws, then attach the hinges’ mounting plates to the cabinet Flip over to the Drawer Drawings on the next page, and you’ll
sides with more screws. Clip the hinge components together see that their construction is about as easy as it gets. The
to hang the doors so you can check their operation. Adjust the drawer sides receive 1/4"-deep, 1/2"-wide rabbets on their
hinges as needed to achieve an even gap all around. ends to fit over the ends of the fronts and backs; 1/4" x 1/4"
I wrapped up work on my doors by marking and installing grooves house the bottom panels. Follow the Material List to
a long black metal door pull on each one. I located these pulls cut the fronts, backs and sides to size for both drawers, and
3" in from their inside edges. band their top edges to hide the plys. Then use a dado blade

12 11
MATERIAL LIST
Drawers TxWxL
13 10 Drawer Faces (2) 3/4" x 73 ⁄ 4" x 237 ⁄ 8"
11 Drawer Box Sides (4) 1/2" x 61 ⁄ 2" x 141 ⁄ 2"
12 Drawer Box Fronts & Backs (4) 1/2" x 61 ⁄ 2" x 231 ⁄ 2"
11 13 Drawer Bottoms (2) 1/4" x 141 ⁄ 2" x 23"
12
10
Drawer Details 1
/4"
(Front and Top Views)
12
1
/2"
1
/4"
Notch in the
drawer backs only
1
/2"
13/8"
Rockler’s JIG IT
Undermount Drilling
Guide (64695) simplifies
the process of drilling
accurate holes in the
backs of the drawers
without measuring.
The back end of the
hardware clips into
Mill 1/2"-wide, 1/4"-deep rabbets into the ends of the inside faces of the these holes.
drawer side panels. The author used a wide dado blade for this task.
BLUMOTION Soft Close Under-
mount Drawer Slides require that
notches be cut into the bottom These orange com-
corners of drawer backs to ac- ponents of the slides
commodate the hardware. attach with angled
screws beneath the
in your table saw to cut the drawer bottoms and up
rabbets and drawer bottom against the backs of the
drawer fronts.
grooves. Dry-fit the drawer
boxes together so you can
measure for drawer bottoms, The author adjusted his
and cut those panels to size. banded plywood draw-
Then give all the parts a final sanding with 180-grit sandpaper. er faces with playing
cards to achieve an
I sized my drawers for Blum soft-close, full-extension draw-
even gap all around
er slides that mount underneath the drawer boxes rather than before attaching the
to their sides. This way, the slide hardware is nearly invisible drawer faces to the
when the drawers are opened — it’s hidden behind the draw- boxes with screws and
er faces. Space here doesn’t allow for me to fully explain how metal drawer pulls.
to install the slide hardware; the instructions that come with
the slides will guide you more thoroughly. But I’ll suffice to square; any racking out of square will impact how well they
say that the outside bottom corners of the drawer backs must function on the slides and fit in their openings. Go ahead and
be notched and drilled to accommodate the slide hardware, install the slide hardware on the drawers and inside the cabi-
which clips to them. A second component of the slides fastens net so you can hang the drawers and check their action.
beneath the drawer bottoms, right behind the drawer fronts. When mine were dialed in, I cut a couple of drawer faces
Rockler’s JIG IT Undermount Drilling Guide is very helpful from 3/4" plywood. I sized them carefully to allow for 1/8"
for locating the holes you’ll need to drill for the hardware and walnut banding all around and to account for 1/8" gaps in the
attachment screws to make this process easier! cabinet openings. Make up the drawer faces and install them
With the drawer backs now notched, assemble the drawer on the drawer boxes with countersunk screws driven in from
boxes with glue and clamps; be extremely careful that they’re inside the drawers. Then mark and install your drawer pulls.

15
14
MATERIAL LIST 14
Base TxWxL
14 Stretchers (2) 11 ⁄ 4" x 21 ⁄ 2" x 66" 15
15 Feet (2) 11 ⁄ 4" x 5" x 15"
3" 11/4"
Use a wide dado blade Stretcher
to cut a pair of 11 ⁄ 4" x (Front View)
11/2" 11/4" 14
11 ⁄ 4" notches into the top
edges of the stretchers 11/2"
for cross-lap joints.
2" 11/4"
Feet
(Front View) 11/4"
15
Cut matching notches

in each of the base’s
feet to interlock with
those you’ve cut in the
stretchers. Back all of
these joinery cuts up
with a crosscut sled or
a miter gauge with a
long, wide sacrificial
fence installed.
Tilt the blade on your ta-

ble saw or miter saw to
45 degrees so you can
miter-cut the bottom
ends of the stretchers.
Once the base was glued together, the author drilled shallow holes along
the inside edges of the stretchers to act as mortises for eight figure eight
fasteners that attach the base to the cabinet bottom.
Building a Solid Walnut Base the base. Sand the feet and stretchers through the grits up to
The simplicity and aesthetics of this cabinet’s recessed base, 180, then glue and clamp the cross-lap joints together.
which I saw first on the Internet, complements this project’s Steel figure eight fasteners are a handy means of attaching
design perfectly. It consists of a pair of rectangular feet that the base to the cabinet. I drilled four shallow “mortises” for
connect to two long stretchers with cross-lap joints. To build these fasteners along the inside edges of each stretcher, and
it, start by milling some 8/4 walnut down to 11 ⁄ 4" thick for all screwed the hardware into them. Then, invert the cabinet and
four parts, and cut the stretcher and foot workpieces to size, base, center the base on the cabinet bottom and drive more
according to the Material List dimensions shown above. screws through the fasteners to connect the two components.
Now stack a wide dado blade in your table saw and raise it While it isn’t shown in the drawings, I added a shelf to the
to 11 ⁄ 4" so you can cut a pair of notches in each foot and corre- cabinet’s open compartment. It hangs on adjustable shelf pins.
sponding notches in the stretchers to create these interlock- Complete your walnut storage cabinet with the finish of
ing joints. Test-fit the joints before removing the dado blade to your choice. I removed the slides and hinges first before top-
make sure the cross laps engage correctly. If they do, switch coating my project with varnish using an HVLP sprayer.
to a standard blade and tilt it to 45 degrees so you can trim off
the bottom corners of the stretchers. It will lighten the look of See more of Alex Fang’s work at bevelishcreations.com.

Benchtop Drill Press Mobile Stand
By A.J. Hamler
Convert your bench-
top drill press into a
mobile floor model
with this sturdy
cabinet — and get
plenty of storage for
bits and accessories
at the same time.
B
enchtop drill presses are great ...
until you run out of benchtops.
Instead, how about a custom-built
cabinet that not only supports the ma-
chine but also makes it mobile for use
anywhere in the shop and adds plenty of
storage in the bargain!
Made almost entirely of 3/4" Baltic
birch plywood, this cabinet has some
definite heft, ensuring a stable base for
a tall machine. Built with rock-solid rab-
bet-and-dado joinery, it’s easy to make and
can be tweaked to fit specific drill presses
and storage needs.
Since woodworkers (and benchtop
drill presses) come in all sizes, it’s a good
idea to first measure your ideal working
height. You don’t want to reach higher
than is comfortable or have to bend over.
Stand as you normally would using a drill
press with your hand held where it would
rest most comfortably on the feed handle,
and measure the floor-to-hand height.
Now measure your drill press and use
both measurements to determine how tall
the cabinet must be, including the height
of your wheeled base. I’m 5' 11", so a cabi-
net about 31" high works perfectly for me.
Cutting Parts, Milling Joinery

Begin by cutting workpieces for the main
carcass. A table saw is perfect for break-
ing down your plywood sheets, but you

Cut all the plywood components at the table saw (or with a guided circu- Make all the needed rabbets and dadoes for the workpieces on the table
lar saw). During this process, orient workpieces so the blade cuts down saw with a dado cutter, as shown here, or using a router table equipped
into the face side of the stock for the cleanest cut. with a straight or spiral bit.
can also use a track saw or a clamp-on guide for a circular saw.
Keep in mind that plywood is prone to splintering, so use a
sharp, clean blade and orient the stock so the blade cuts down
into the face side of the material. This way, any tearout will be
on the unseen side.
This is a solid cabinet, thanks to a simple but strong combi-
nation of rabbets and dadoes (and technically, grooves when
the dado is in-line with the grain). A dado blade on your table
saw, or a straight (or rabbeting) bit in a router table tackles all
the joinery you’ll need to make quite nicely.
Cut the drawer and shelf sides, and the sub-top workpieces,
to length only. This provides a longer working edge to make
cutting these joints safer and more efficient — fewer passes
needed over the blade or bit. Once your joints are milled, just
rip the parts to final width. The author mills dadoes and rabbets first, then cuts the workpieces to final
width when making particularly narrow parts. It’s safer and more efficient.
Finally, cut the door and drawer front slightly larger than
their Material List dimensions on pages 39 and 40. Since sub-top pieces are located by tracing them from underneath.
those must fit perfectly inset into the face frame, we’ll tweak Disassemble the top and sub-tops, and arrange them on
the fit a bit later. your marks to lay out the leaf supports. The separate sub-tops
create gaps for attaching the supports on the underside of
Marking and Fitting the Top, Sub-top the main top. You’ll need to stagger the supports for internal
Speaking of fitting, before reaching for a glue bottle, there are clearance, but this won’t affect their holding ability. Their
a few preliminary things to do, beginning with a dry assembly. exact location depends on the supports you use, so a bit of
Visually, the main top is just a flat surface, but there’s a lot tinkering will show the best arrangement. Trace around the
happening underneath it. With the dry assembly clamped up, mounting plates and mark screw holes, and also carefully
mark the underside of the main top to show where the three mark where the supports will exit the sides of the cabinet.
Plywood Playbook: Tips for Taming Baltic Birch

Baltic birch plywood is a reliable building Lightly sand all fresh edges and corners to
material, but the thin outer plys easily splinter on remove protruding splinters while a project is in
the corners when they’re freshly cut. Take care progress, then give them a more thorough sand-
when handling it, not only for personal safety ing afterward to slightly round over these areas.
(I can’t tell you how many splinters I got during Once sanded, a few coats of finish such as
this project), but also to avoid damaging the polyurethane can help prevent further splintering
plywood. These edge splinters, while seemingly of the delicate edge plies.
tiny where they stick out, can continue separat- Should a completed plywood project get
ing from the stock for several inches if snagged, “dings” on the edges during use, sand these over
potentially ruining a clean edge. to prevent another running splinter from forming.

Transfer your exit hole marks to the top
edges of the cabinet sides, enlarging them a
bit for wiggle room. (Mine are 1" high by 11 ⁄ 4"
long.) Cut the holes for these openings with
a jigsaw. To minimize splintering, use a fresh
Before assembling the cabinet carcass, use the three sub-tops to lay out and mark locations fine-cut blade for wood or even a metal-cut-
for the leaf support brackets on the underside of the main top. Then mark the exit hole
ting blade, and turn the saw’s orbital action as
locations of this hardware on the cabinet sides.
low as it goes. Clean up the exit holes with a
light sanding.
Assembling the Cabinet Carcass

Assembling and gluing a cabinet this large and heavy while
keeping everything square is difficult, so I like to start with a
single corner and let it dry before going further. In the bottom
left photo on this page, I’ve glued and clamped the cabinet
back to one of the sides, using Rockler’s Clamp-It® Assembly
Squares to ensure a 90-degree joint. Once dry, this secure
corner joint helps register the rest of the assembly as you add
the remaining side, structural bottom and the three sub-tops.
A separate inner bottom piece adds weight for even more
stability. Just brush some glue onto the structural bottom,
slide the workpiece in, and anchor it with a few screws driven
up from underneath the cabinet where they won’t show.
The last piece of the cabinet is the main top. Because it’d be
Using a jigsaw or handsaw, cut the exit holes for the four leaf supports.
Use a fine-cutting wood blade or even a metal-cutting blade and set your more difficult to do later, lay out and mark the hinges for the
saw’s orbital action to zero to prevent splintering. folding wings now. This is also the time to drill pilot holes and
drive in all the screws for the hinges and leaf supports; having
those pilot holes already threaded will make things easier lat-
er. As with the supports, you may need to stagger the hinges.
Remove the hardware, then place and attach the main top to
the cabinet with screws driven up through the sub-tops.
Putting on a Good Face

Cut the face frame rail and stile workpieces to size. I’ve opted
to assemble the face frame with fast-and-easy pocket-hole
joints. I doubled up the screws on the wider bottom rail and
used single screws on the ends of the narrower top rail.
Before attaching the assembled frame, measure the opening
and trim the door and drawer front to allow a uniform gap all
around. Do a test-fit on your worksurface. A reveal of 1/8" is
ideal; it’ll look great and allow the door to swing freely. When
Set up one perfectly square the gap is just right, give these
corner of the carcass before workpiece edges a careful sanding
proceeding with the rest of
to remove their sharp corners.
its assembly. Rockler clamp-
ing squares hold the assem- Attaching face frames can be
bled joint at 90 degrees until done in a variety of ways: brads
the glue dries. and glue, pocket screws from

Left Side
(Inside View) 3
/8" x 3/8" dado
Exploded View 3
1" x 11/4" exit holes
Locate after mounting 6 2
the drop leaf supports 13
1
5
14
Front 4
9 14
1 13
10 14
3
/8" x 3/8" groove
3
/8" x 3/8" dado
12 15 10
1
14
Sub-top Locations
(Bottom View)
Front 3
/4"
6" 6"
3 7
4 5 6
8
11
MATERIAL LIST
Case TxWxL TxWxL
1 Sides (2) 3/4" x 22" x 31" 9 Face Frame Top Rail (1) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 161 ⁄ 2"
2 Back (1) 3/4" x 153⁄ 4" x 31" 10 Face Frame Stiles (2) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 301 ⁄ 4"
3 Top (1) 3/4" x 181 ⁄ 2" x 22" 11 Face Frame Bottom Rail (1) 3/4" x 2" x 131 ⁄ 2"
4 Sub-top Front (1) 3/4" x 21 ⁄ 2" x 153 ⁄ 4" 12 Door (1) 3/4" x 133⁄ 8" x 241 ⁄ 8"
5 Sub-top Center (1) 3/4" x 5" x 153⁄ 4" 13 Wings (2) 3/4" x 125⁄ 8" x 22"
6 Sub-top Back (1) 3/4" x 13⁄ 4" x 153 ⁄ 4" 14 Drawer, Tray Spacers (5) 3/4" x 11⁄ 2" x 211 ⁄ 4"
7 Structural Bottom (1) 3/4" x 153 ⁄ 4" x 211 ⁄ 4" 15 Thin Tray Spacer (1) 3/8" x 11⁄ 2" x 211 ⁄ 4"
8 Bottom (1) 3/4" x 15" x 211 ⁄ 4"
Mobile Stand Hard-to-Find Hardware

20" Series Centerline® Slides (2) #47758 ....................... $19.99 pr.
Salice Soft-Close Hinges, Inset (1) #52024 ................... $18.99 pr.
Metal Drop Leaf Supports (2) #30006 .............................. $13.49 pr.
Bora Portamate Mobile Base (1) #39379 ...................... $69.99 ea.
Butt Hinges, 2 1 ⁄ 2" L x 11 ⁄ 2" W, Nickel (2) #54646 ........... $3.99 pr.
Stainless Steel Metropolitan Pull, 5 1 ⁄ 4" (2) #24418 ..... $7.99 ea.
To purchase these and other products online,
visit www.woodworkersjournal.com/hardware
Or, call 800-610-0883 (code WJ1577).
Inside Work Comes Next

While the face frame glue joints dry, build the drawer and
Before installing the main top to the cabinet assembly, mark, drill and
pullout shelf. Assembling them is pretty much the same pro-
attach the hinges and leaf supports temporarily to thread all pilot holes.
You’ll install the hardware permanently later in the building stage. cess as the cabinet, but because they’re smaller it’s easier to
assemble everything at once. Just make sure the drawer and
inside or with biscuit joints. But this cabinet’s double-thick top shelf remain square when the clamps are tightened.
and bottom offer a lot of gluing surface (nearly the full width Next, prepare the inside of the cabinet for drawer slides.
of the face frame top rail, and more than half of its bottom Slide hardware varies widely, so follow the specific instruc-
rail), so I opted to just glue and clamp the face frame in place. tions that are included with your slides. However, for a framed
Glue joints will be plenty strong here. cabinet like this, all slides need something to attach to.

All the joinery for the drawer
and shelf are 3/8" x 3/8"
2 rabbet-and-dadoes
6
1
5
2
3
1 7 5
4 6
MATERIAL LIST
Drawer and Shelf TxWxL
1 Drawer Sides (2) 3/4" x 33⁄ 8" x 21"
2 Drawer Front and Back (2) 3/4" x 33⁄ 8" x 113 ⁄ 4"
3 Drawer Bottom (1) 3/4" x 113⁄ 4" x 201⁄ 4"
4 Drawer Face (1) 3/4" x 4" x 133 ⁄ 8"
5 Shelf Sides (2) 3/4" x 2" x 21"
6 Shelf Front and Back (2) 3/4" x 2" x 105 ⁄ 8"
7 Shelf Bottom (1) 3/4" x 105 ⁄ 8" x 201 ⁄ 4"
Drill pocket-screw holes in the solid-wood face frame rails, then assem-
ble the frame on a flat surface with 11 ⁄ 4" pocket screws.
Another task best done before attaching the face frame to the cabinet is
checking and tweaking the fit of the door and drawer face. A gap of about
Fit and attach the face frame to the main cabinet. Because the doubled
1/8" all around is fairly standard and looks good.
top and bottom present a lot of contact surface, the author opted to simply
To support the slides used here even with the face frame, glue the frame in place without fasteners or other reinforcements.
I’ve cut four 11 ⁄ 2"-wide spacers from 3/4" stock that run front Then, just repeat for the other side for perfect alignment.
to back in the cabinet. The slides attach to the middle of the While the drawer slides are the same on both sides, the
drawer/shelf sides, so the drawer spacers should be located shelf slide on the left is offset to allow the door and hinges to
11 ⁄ 2" down from the top. To center the shelf midway in the function without blocking the narrower pullout shelf. Normal-
remaining opening, position their spacers 121 ⁄ 2" below the ly, slides are even with the face frame, which they are on the
drawer spacers. right side, but for the slides and hinges used here, I needed to
Locating these is straightforward for the first side, but get- offset the shelf slide on the left by 17 ⁄ 8". To do this, I tacked a
ting an exact match on the opposite side can be tricky by mea- second “thick” and third “thin” spacer to the first spacer (see
suring only. So I made a variation of story sticks using scraps Exploded View Drawing, page 39).
cut to the exact measurements to serve as layout guides. Attach the cabinet-side components of the slides to the spac-
Starting with the right side, place the drawer guide at the ers in the cabinet so the drawer box and shelf will be flush
top, then the drawer slide spacer, the shelf guide and the shelf with the back edge of the face frame. Then, attach the mating
slide spacer. Three screws in each spacer anchored them. components of the slides to the sides of the drawer and shelf,

Guide
Glue and clamp the drawer box components together, being careful to There’s no better way to ensure that spacers for the drawer and shelf
keep the assembly square. Repeat the process with the pullout shelf. slides are aligned than to use guide pieces cut to the desired measure-
ments. Install one side, then use the same guides for the opposite side.
and do a test fit. Choose the slotted holes in the slide hard-
ware when installing them so they can be adjusted if needed.
Euro-style hinges for hanging the door use an attachment
“cup” that fits into a stopped hole into the back of the door
bored with a 35 mm Forstner bit. This can be done freehand
or with a drill press, locating the cup per the manufacturer’s
instructions. There are a number of jigs made specifically for
this task that make the process fast and easy by dialing in the
required offset for drilling. (You can see one of them in action
at right as well as in Hardworking Hardware on page 62.)
Attach the hinges to the door, then use the door hinges to
mark the left frame for the hinge mounting plates and attach
them on your marks. Mounting the door is as simple as snap-
ping the hinges onto their mounts. Check the door action and
A cabinet door drilling jig paired with a 35 mm Forstner bit makes quick
fit. If it’s not centered or too far in or out, Euro hinges are ad- work of boring the mounting cup holes for Euro-style hinges.
justable up-and-down, side-to-side, and in-and-out with screws.
Just tweak these screws until the door is perfectly set.
To locate and attach the drawer face, first drill holes for
your drawer pull. Then, using 1/8" shims around the edges,
snug the drawer face in place in its opening and drill through
your pull holes and into the front of the drawer box behind it.
Slip the pull’s screws into the holes to hold the drawer face
in place, remove the drawer, and secure the drawer face with
screws driven through the drawer front from inside.
The cabinet is now ready for attaching the internal hard-
ware and hinges as well as hanging the folding wings. This is
easiest to accomplish by turning the cabinet upside down on a
large worksurface. Remove the drawers and unsnap the door
hinges first, and get some assistance for upending the cabinet
as it’s pretty heavy at this point.
Your pilot holes are already drilled and threaded, so it Use 1/8" shims to center the drawer face, then drill through the handle
should only take a couple of minutes to screw the hinges and holes and into the drawer box. Bolts for the drawer pull hold the front in
place until it’s permanently attached with more screws from inside.
leaf supports into place. If you plan to use this project mainly
in a corner, consider angling the back edges of the wings at Now, customize your rolling benchtop stand any way you
this point so they can be lifted while the drill press is in place. like to accommodate the accessories you plan to store in it. If
Then remove the hardware so you can apply a couple of coats this project will be one you’ll be moving around a lot (perhaps
of your favorite protective finish (I used polyurethane). because a car needs to park in your shop space, too), it’s
With assistance, set the cabinet upright onto your rolling worth adding a rear handle. Doing that early on in the con-
base. Center the drill press on top of the cabinet and drill struction process will make the cabinet easier to muscle
down through the mounting holes in the drill press’s base around and very handy thereafter.
plate. Slip a pair of bolts through the baseplate, and secure the
machine with washers and nuts from underneath. A.J. Hamler is a regular contributor to Woodworker’s Journal.

Breakfront Plant Stand
By Chris Marshall
By the time you complete this
handsome accent piece, you’ll
be a mortise-and-tenoning pro!
S
latted Arts & Crafts-style plant stands are timeless, but Initial Surfacing and Getting Organized
many look pretty ho-hum. I wanted to breathe some On many projects, it makes sense to prepare your lumber as
new life into this classic, so art director Jeff Jacobson you need it while you build. But for this plant stand, you’ll
and I decided to join two shorter plant stands to a taller gain some efficiency during the repetitive joinery stages if you
center unit and break the front plane of all three. It triples the make up most of the part blanks now, at the beginning of the
number of plants you can display while adding some pleasing building process. So that’s what we’ll do first.
visual details. Mine is made of quartersawn mahogany, but Start by surfacing and rip-cutting enough 8/4 stock down
white oak, walnut or cherry would be other attractive choices. to 13 ⁄ 8" x 13 ⁄ 8" to make four 36"-long legs for the taller center
Regardless, you’ll need both 8/4 and 4/4 stock to build it. unit and four 253 ⁄ 4"-long shorter legs for the two outer units

(two legs per outer unit), plus at least one “test” leg to use for
dialing in your mortise sizes.
You’ll need eight rails for the center unit and a total of 12
rails for the two outer units. Let’s make blanks for all of the
21 ⁄ 4"-wide rails first, following the Material List on pages
45 and 47. Rip several long strips of stock to 21 ⁄ 4" wide, and
crosscut them to the following lengths for the center unit: two
at 101 ⁄ 4" for the top side rails and two at 11" for the top front
and back rails. Crosscut two top side rails to 71 ⁄ 4" for the outer
units, then cut two more to 121 ⁄ 8" for the top back rails. You’ll
need two top front rails for the outer units as well; cut these
1/4" overly long. And while you’re at it, crosscut two blanks Prepare the long and short legs plus a spare from 8/4 lumber. The author
for the center unit cross supports, making them about 1/4" made them 11 ⁄ 2" square to begin with, let the legs sit for a day to allow any
incidental distortion to occur, then surfaced them down to 13 ⁄ 8" x 13 ⁄ 8".
longer than specified.
Continuing with rough stock preparation for the rails, rip need to measure if you use the original marked legs as your
several long strips to 3" wide. Follow the Material List lengths guides. Notice in the Exploded View drawing on page 45 that
to crosscut blanks for the center unit’s two bottom side rails the back two legs of the center unit have two extra mortises
(101 ⁄ 4") plus a front and back bottom rail (11"). The outer units that receive the top and bottom back rails of the outer units.
will need two bottom side rails (71 ⁄ 4") and two bottom back Mortises for the plant stand’s 20 slats are all 1/4" wide x
rails (121 ⁄ 8") cut to length. Crosscut two bottom front rails for 1/2" long and spaced 11 ⁄ 2" apart from center to center. Mark
the outer units as well, but make these 1/4" overly long. Label their locations on the inside edges of the top and bottom side
and group these rail blanks carefully to avoid confusion. rails of both the center and outer units, using the Drawings on
Blanks for the plant stand’s side slats can happen next. Pre- pages 45 and 47 as layout guides.
pare enough 1/2"-thick stock to rip a dozen
slats for the center unit and two spares at
1" wide. Crosscut these 1/4" longer than
needed at 31". Rip 10 slats for the outer
units (eight required plus two spares), and
make them overly long at 203 ⁄ 4". We’ll trim
all the slats to final length later.
Laying Out Leg Mortises

Arrange the legs into the orientation you’ll
want them to be in when the plant stand is
assembled, and mark their ends to make
this clear. Then follow the Drawings on
pages 45 and 47 to mark all the 11 ⁄ 2"-long
mortises on one long leg and one short leg.
All the mortises are centered on the leg
thicknesses. Transfer these locations with
a square onto the other legs — there’s no
Cut blanks for all the rails from 4/4 stock milled
down to 3/4". Be sure to label them carefully to keep
your parts inventory clear. Note in the Material Lists
that several rails should be left overly long for now.

Plunging the bit down into the
workpiece repeatedly removes
the bulk of the waste in the
mortise area, then sweeping
left-right passes clean away
what waste remains. The end
result is a clean, accurate
mortise that’s ready for glue.
Milling Leg/Rail Joinery with an FMT Pro Jig

This project gave me a chance to try out the Leigh Industries
FMT Pro Mortise and Tenon Jig to mill all of the mortises.
Leigh’s aluminum FMT jig employs a system of small plastic
templates that snap into its movable table to set the size of a
wide variety of mortises. An aluminum subbase attaches to
a plunge router, and a pair of pins underneath the subbase
enable you to rout the mortise by simply following along a
Leigh’s FMT Pro uses a system of plastic templates to guide a plunge slotted opening in the plastic FMT template and plunging
router and spiral bit for milling mortises. A pair of pins on a subbase that’s downward with a spiral bit.
attached to the router limit the router’s cutting path for this operation. But you can certainly use a router and an edge guide, a
hollow-chisel mortiser or a drill press and Forstner bit to cut
these mortises instead. These options will work fine, too. Cut
all the rail and leg mortises 9/16" deep, which leaves a bit of
extra depth for excess glue to pool at the bottom.
When the dust clears from mortising, go ahead and
machine tenons to fit them. Here again, the Leigh FMT Pro
makes this process easy. It enables tenon workpieces to be
clamped vertically against the jig’s body for routing. The same
plastic template for the mortise guides the tenon-cutting pro-
cess, too. This time, tracing around the perimeter of the tem-
plate with the subbase pin directs the router for milling the
tenon with a spiral bit. But you can use whatever tenon-cutting
method you prefer. All of the tenons on the rails and slats are
1/2" long. Be sure to keep in mind that one end of the top and
bottom front rails of the outer units have no tenons where
they butt against the cross supports and bottom side rails of
the center unit.
Creating Side Assemblies for the Center Unit

Dry-fit the top and bottom side rails to the legs to create
frameworks for two side assemblies of the plant stand’s center
unit and one side assembly for each shorter outer unit. Make
sure the top edges of the top side rails are flush with the top
ends of the legs. Now measure between the rails in order
to double-check the slat lengths. The distance between the
inside edges of the rails, plus 1", equals the overall slat length.
The same plastic template used for mortising also sets the jig for cutting a Trim all the slats to final length. Then raise tenons on their
matching tenon. Two cam-activated clamps on the FMT hold workpieces ends, using whatever tenon-cutting process you prefer, and
vertically for this second milling operation with a spiral bit. install them in the side assembly frameworks to check their

MATERIAL LIST
Center Unit TxWxL Exploded View
1 Legs (4) 1 ⁄ 8" x 13⁄ 8" x 36"
3 7
2 Top Side Rails (2) 3/4" x 21 ⁄ 4" x 101 ⁄ 4" 2 2
3 Bottom Side Rails (2) 3/4" x 3" x 101 ⁄ 4" 5
4 Slats (12) 1/2" x 1" x 303 ⁄ 4"*
5 Top Front, Back Rails (2) 3/4" x 21 ⁄ 4" x 11" 5
6 Bottom Front, Back Rails (2) 3/4" x 3" x 11"
7 Top (1) 3/4" x 13" x 133⁄ 4"
8 Shelf (1) 3/4" x 12" x 10"
1
* Initially cut overly long
1
Right Back Leg 4

(Front View)
www.woodworkersjournal.com 1
MORE ON THE WEB 4
11/8"
11/2"
To see the Leigh FMT 1
1
/4" VIDEO Pro jig in action cutting a
mortise-and-tenon joint, please
113/8"
visit woodworkersjournal.com and
click on “More on the Web” under
1 the Magazine tab. 8
Slats
(Top and 6
Front Views) 1
/4"
1
/2" 3
1
/2"
6
4
3
Top Front and Back Rails Top Side Rails

(Top and Front Views) (Top and Front Views)
1
/2"
2
11/2" 21/4"
5
1"
/2"
1
9" 1
/2"
Bottom Front and Back Rails Bottom Side Rails
(Top and Front Views) (Top and Front Views)
11/2" 11/2" 11/2" 11/2" 11/2"
11/2" 6 3" 3
2 /2"
1
1 /2"
1
1"
/2"
1
9"
/2"
1

fit. If the parts go together well, sand the legs, side
rails and slats up through the grits to 180 and ease
their sharp edges.
This plant stand will have a lot of nooks and
crannies to contend with if you assemble it all before
staining and finishing. Pre-finishing the parts in
stages before putting them together simplifies
Dry-fit the side rails and legs of the center and outer units together into four frame- things here and minimizes potential frustration.
works so you can verify the slat lengths you’ll need. The distance between the inside
It also makes glue easy to wipe away. I stained
edges of the top and bottom rails, plus 1", equals the actual slat lengths.
the legs, slats and side rails with an oil-based red
mahogany stain, sealed it in with a coat of dewaxed shellac
and then topcoated with aerosol satin lacquer. Be sure to keep
the finish off of the tenons and out of the mortises. When that
cures, glue and clamp all four side assemblies together.
Rockler’s Table Top Fastener hardware requires that one end fits into a
saw kerf. Cut these kerfs 5/16" deep and 7/16" in from one edge of each
front and back rail on what will be the inside face of the parts.
This plant stand has an enormous amount of surface area and many close-
ly spaced parts that will challenge the finishing process. So staining and Detailing the Front and Back Rails
topcoating in stages before assembly is a wise strategy here!
We’ll make top panels and shelves of this plant stand from sol-
id wood, so cross-grain wood movement of those pieces needs
to be taken into account. Rockler’s steel Table Top Fasteners
(item 34215) are a good solution here: one end of these offset
fasteners fits into a saw kerf on a rail or apron, and the other
end screws to the bottom face of a panel. This way, the fasten-
er allows the panel to expand or contract while still holding it
securely. We can prepare for this hardware now by cutting a
kerf along the inside face of the 12 front and back rails at the
table saw with a standard blade.
Once the final topcoat is thor-
Position the kerf 7/16" in from
oughly dry, glue and clamp the
four side assemblies together. one edge of each rail. Make the
Any wood glue you prefer will kerfs 5/16" deep; they can run
work fine for this application. the full length of the rails.

MATERIAL LIST 10
Outer Units TxWxL
1 Legs (4) 13⁄ 8" x 13⁄ 8" x 253⁄ 4"
2 Top Side Rails (2) 3/4" x 21 ⁄ 4" x 71 ⁄ 4" 2
7
3 Bottom Side Rails (2) 3/4" x 3" x 71 ⁄ 4" 5
4 Slats (8) 1/2" x 1" x 201⁄ 2"
1
5 Top Back Rails (2) 3/4" x 21 ⁄ 4" x 121 ⁄ 8" 8
6 Bottom Back Rails (2) 3/4" x 3" x 121 ⁄ 8"
7 Cross Supports (2) 3/4" x 21⁄ 4" x 91⁄ 4"* Exploded View
8 Top Front Rails (2) 3/4" x 21 ⁄ 4" x 115 ⁄ 16"*
9 Bottom Front Rails (2) 3/4" x 3" x 1115 ⁄ 16"* 1
10 Tops (2) 3/4" x 10" x 137⁄ 16"
4
11 Shelves (2) 3/4" x 9" x 119 ⁄ 16"
* Initially cut overly long
11
Right Back Leg Top Side Rails

(Front View) (Front View)
6
2
11/2"
1 /8"
1
11/2" 11/2" 11/2" 9
1
/4"
Bottom Side Rails 3
(Front View)
3
1
Slats
(Top and
Front Views)
Top Back Rails
(Front View) 1
/4"
1
/2"
11/2" 5 1
/2"
1"
1
/2" 101/8" 1
/2"
Top Front Rails 4
(Front View)
8
1"
3
/16" 101/8" 1
/2" Shelf Notch
Bottom Back Rails
(Front View) (Top View)
7
/16"
6
13/8"
1"
1
/2" 101/8" 1
/2"
Bottom Front Rails
(Front View) 11
11/2" 9
21/2"
1"
13
/16" 101/8" 1
/2"
Woodworker’s Journal February 2022

Once those are done, the front and back rails of the center
and outer units are ready to receive a broad arch along their
bottom edge. The large radii of these curves are 105 ⁄ 8" for
the center unit and 135 ⁄ 16" for the outer units, and the apex
of these curves extends 1" up from the bottom edges of the
rails. To cut them uniformly and efficiently, I first created two
The author made a pair of rail templates from 1/4" scrap MDF (inset) to en- rail templates from scraps of 1/4"-thick MDF — one for the
sure that the arches on the front and back rails would be uniform. He used center unit and one for the outer units. Cut out the templates
them for both tracing the curves and template-routing the actual parts.
and sand their bottom curves smooth and fair.
Use the templates to trace an arch onto each of your rail
workpieces. Notice in the Drawings on pages 45 and 47 that
the curves are centered on the lengths of the center unit’s
rails. However, on the outer units these curves are centered
on just the top and bottom back rails. On the top and bottom
Sand, stain and topcoat the arched rails, then go ahead and bring the
center unit together with glue and clamps.
Attach the cross rail to the top front rail of the outer assemblies with 2"
countersunk wood screws. Then clamp that assembly in place in order to
fasten the cross support and outermost slats together with #6 x 1" screws.
front rails, the arches are actually offset. Locate them so the
curves begin 1/2" in from the tenon shoulders on the outer
ends of these particular rails.
Rough-cut the curves at your band saw or with a jigsaw,
cutting about 1/16" outside your layout lines. Then adhere the
hardboard templates to each rail with strips of double-sided
tape, and template-rout them to final shape on the router table
with a piloted flush-trim
When the center unit comes out of bit. Touch up these arches
the clamps, dry-fit the cross supports
at your drum sander to re-
and outer unit back rails and slatted
frameworks so you measure for the move any router bit marks
top and bottom front rails. This span before you final-sand, stain
plus 1/2" equals their final lengths. and finish all 12 side rails.

Check the fit of all of the outer units’ components before opening a glue Both the top panels and shelves of the outer units will require notches
bottle. If all the joints close properly, round up a bunch of clamps and along their back inside corners in order to fit around the back legs of the
assemble the outer and center units with glue. center unit. Make these cuts with a band saw, jigsaw or backsaw.
Putting the Pieces Together

At this point, assembling the center unit is a snap! Spread glue
on the rail tenons and into the mortises of the side assem-
blies. Bring the whole framework together with clamps.
While those joints set, glue up panels for the three tops and
shelves. In order to contend with wood movement, be sure
to orient the long grain of these six panels so it will run left
and right on the finished project, not front to back. This way,
the panels can expand and contract outward without being
constrained by the legs. When the tops and shelves come out
of the clamps, finish-sand them and set them aside for now.
Round up the two cross supports you made earlier for the
center unit and cut them to length, making sure they fit snug-
ly between the legs. I trimmed the ends of their outer faces to
45-degree bevels; size these bevels to 5/16" x 5/16" so they’ll Attach the top panels and shelves to the arched rails with a pair of table-
transition the front face of the cross supports nicely into the top fasteners installed in each rail’s kerf. Be sure to account for how the
leg faces. Sand the cross supports up to 180-grit, and apply panels will need to expand or contract when locating the fasteners.
stain and finish to complete them. bring the three plant stand frameworks together with glue and
Position and clamp the cross supports to the side slats of clamps. Attach the bottom side rails of the center unit to the
the center unit so the top edges of the cross supports are bottom front rails of the outer units with pairs of 2" counter-
253 ⁄ 4" up from the bottoms of the legs. Then dry-fit the top and sunk wood screws driven from inside the center unit.
bottom back rails of the outer units as well as their slatted side
assemblies to the center unit, clamping these components into Installing Tops and Shelves
place. Now measure the distance between the inside faces of We’re in the homestretch now! Crosscut the tops and shelves
the front legs and the cross supports to verify the final length to final length. Notch the back inside corners of the top panels
of the top front rails. Trim the un-tenoned ends of these rails and shelves of the outer units so they’ll tuck around the back
to that length. Repeat this process for measuring and cutting legs of the center unit. Then soften the edges of all these pan-
the bottom front rails to length. els and apply stain and finish. I switched to satin polyurethane
Dry-fit the top and bottom front rails of the outer units into here; it offers better protection than lacquer against those in-
place and mark their locations on the cross supports and evitable spills that are bound to happen when watering plants.
bottom side rails of the center unit. Then dismantle the outer To install the tops and shelves, insert two tabletop fasteners
units so you can attach the cross supports to the top front rails per rail into each of the saw kerfs and locate them about 11 ⁄ 2"
with pairs of 2" countersunk wood screws driven through the in from the rail ends. If you’re building this project during
cross supports. Now attach the cross supports to the center the wintertime when these panels are fully contracted across
unit by driving two #6 x 1" flathead wood screws through each the grain, back the tabletop fasteners about 1/16" out of their
outermost slat and into the cross supports. saw kerfs to give the panels room to expand in the summer.
With those installed, dry-fit all the rails and side assemblies Fasten them to the top panels with the included screws.
of the outer units to the center unit one last time to check
all the remaining unglued joints. If everything is shipshape, Chris Marshall is senior editor of Woodworker’s Journal.

SKILL BUILDER
Mortise-and-Tenon Joints
By WJ Staff
This dynamic duo of interlocking parts has been
integral to furniture building throughout history.
I
f there ever was a classic
wood-to-wood joint, the
mortise-and-tenon is it.
Typically, its two halves are
formed directly from the two
members being joined with
no separate components
involved. These joints create
strong, reliable bonds for all
manner of wood furniture
and cabinet assemblies.
Like the Chinese yin and
yang, the two halves of a
mortise-and-tenon joint are
male and female: The male
tenon is shaped on the end of
one member (with shoulders
stopping the cut) and fits
snugly into the female mor-
tise that’s chopped, drilled or
routed into the edge or face
of the other member.
Tenons — the protruding portions of a mortise-and-tenon joint — are often formed at the table saw with a wide Mortise-and-Tenon Uses
dado blade. Side-by-side cuts neatly remove the waste and establish the tenon’s thickness, width and length.
Mortises and tenons are
most commonly used for
frame joinery; they’re a
strong and traditional way to
connect stiles and rails end
to edge for frame-and-panel
doors or cabinet face frames.
They’re also great for attach-
ing aprons or stretchers to
the legs of a table, bench or
chair, for both square and
angled connections. In this
issue, for instance, you can
see mortise-and-tenon joints
Accurate layout is the first step to creating a centered mortise on the edge used extensively in the plant
or face of the joint’s mating workpiece. Here that task is being accom-
plished with Rockler’s Center/Offset Marking Tool (item 56094). Then most
stand project on page 42.
of a mortise’s waste can be excavated with a drill press and Forstner or Though less commonly
brad-point bit. What waste remains is easy to chisel away (inset). used, mortise-and-tenon

MORE ON THE WEB Standard Mortise-

Learn more about mortise-and-tenon joints by and-Tenon
VIDEO visiting woodworkersjournal.com and clicking
on “More on the Web” under the Magazine tab.
Joint Report
Strength: Strong
Difficulty: Moderate
Versatility: Excellent
joints are also solid options For example, if you have On typical mortise-and-tenon joints, the protruding tenon fits into a
for building picture frames a drill press and brad-point squared and matching excavation in the mating part, called a mortise.
and strong casework, such as or Forstner bits, you can Once assembled, all visible evidence of the joint is hidden.
chests and the carcasses for remove most of the material
desks and dressers. for a mortise by drilling a Through-tenon
There are several varia- series of holes in a straight Variation
tions of mortise-and-tenon line, then paring away the
joints (see photos at right). remaining waste to create flat
Standard mortise-and-tenons walls and square ends. It’s
are cut stopped or “blind,” simple, even for beginners.
meaning that the entire A router outfitted with
joint is hidden; through a straight bit and an edge
mortise-and-tenons are cut guide is another practical
so that the end of the tenon option for milling mortises.
sticks out of the bottom of A router table can make this
the mortised member. You task even easier, because the
can also add wedges, keys or fence can be marked to set
pins to these joints to deco- the ends of the mortise, and
rate and lock them together. you don’t have to concern
Another option is to cut yourself with guiding and
loose-tenon joints, where two balancing the router over the Sometimes an elongated tenon passes all the way through the mortised
workpiece so its end extends beyond the other edge. This decorative
mortised parts are brought workpiece by hand.
treatment often appears on Arts & Crafts furniture.
together by a third separate Typical tenons can be cut
tenon piece. with a standard blade or
dado blade on the table saw
Loose-tenon
Machining Options safely and easily, using the Variation
Long before power tools rip fence and miter gauge
were the order of the day, or a tenoning jig to register
woodworkers created these the cuts. Some woodwork-
joints entirely by hand, chop- ers cut tenons on the band
ping the mortise with a chisel saw instead, or you can mill
and mallet, then sawing a tenons on a router table with
tenon into the end of the mat- straight or rabbeting bits.
ing board to fit the mortise. Festool’s Domino machine
Of course, if you’re up for the and Rockler’s Beadlock sys-
challenge you can still build tem are two popular options
these joints like our forbears for creating mortises that are
did, but there are many other then fitted with “loose” pre-
machining options that can fabricated tenon stock. Once
get the job done more quick- the mortises are cut, the A tenon doesn’t have to be machined onto the end of one joint member; it
ly, accurately and with fewer busywork is basically done. also can be a third, separate element, bridging both workpieces and fitting
hand-tool skills. into matching mortises in the parts.

POWER TOOL FUNDAMENTALS
The Table Saw
By Rob Johnstone
Table saws are at the heart of
nearly every woodworking shop.
T
able saws take up of respondents said they own What Do They Do?
such a big footprint a table saw. (A full quarter of In a woodworking shop, they
in the realm of those woodworkers surveyed cut wood. Table saws have
MORE ON THE WEB
woodworking, both figu- own more than one table a circular saw blade that is
For a video discussing the ratively and physically, so saw.) In my last shop I had mounted under the “table,”
VIDEO versatility of table saws, approaching the challenge of three of them, but I have to the flat work surface of the
visit woodworkersjournal.com and explaining their fundamental admit that was excessive. tool. The blade raises up
click on “More on the Web” under worth in a shop is more than Why are table saws so through the table with their
the Magazine tab. a bit daunting. prevalent? Because they are teeth rotating forward.
Table saws are in nearly exceptionally versatile and In my dad’s cabinet shop,
every woodworking shop. good at what they do. Table we had a table saw that was
In a Woodworker’s Journal saws are truly the core of just that: a big flat table (48"
survey, more than 96 percent woodworking power tools. x 60") made of plywood. It

Cabinet Saw
Jobsite Saw
Contractor’s Saw
Table saws come in a variety of types, often aligned with a specific use. Jobsite and contractor’s saws are two good examples. Cabinet saws,
while routinely used in cabinet shops, get their name from the cabinet that surrounds the inner workings of the saw.
did not have a rip fence, so accurate crosscuts.

we clamped a straightedge The terms are a bit less
in place to act as a fence. It accurate when cutting
had Babbitt bearings, almost sheet stock. Plywood, MDF,
no height adjustment for its particleboard and the like do
12"-diameter blade and was at not have true grain direction
least 60 years old when I was that determines the type of
using it in the 1980s. I ripped cut being made. Even so, the
miles of lumber on that primi- table saw is still adept at cut-
tive machine, and thankfully I ting sheet stock into precise
still have all 10 fingers. panels. Once again the pieces
being cut are guided by a
Two Basic Cuts fence of some sort.
The two most basic cuts that
a table saw performs are rip Advanced Common Cuts
cuts and crosscuts. While that old-fashioned
Crosscutting (here using a crosscut sled to make a 45-degree angled cut)
Cutting along the length of saw of my youth faithfully
is one of the two primary cuts performed by a table saw. A crosscut sled
a solid-wood board with the ripped lumber day after day helps to make crosscutting safer and can add functionality.
grain direction is referred to for years on end, that was
as a rip cut. The cut is nearly really about all it was good
always guided by a rip fence for. Modern table saws, on
attached to the table saw. the other hand, are tremen-
The cut will be most accurate dously versatile and can cut
if the edge that runs along and shape wood in a variety
the fence is straight. When of ways. Some of the more
you rip a board you are cut- advanced but still common
ting it to a specific width. cuts are miters, tapers,
Crosscutting is when the grooves and dadoes as well
saw is cutting across the as forming tenons, bridal
grain of the lumber. The joints, box joints, half-lap
length of a board is deter- joints and more.
mined in a crosscut. Cross- Miter and taper cuts
cutting on a table saw is require an accurate and safe
safely done using a fence that miter fence or jig to hold
is set at 90 degrees to the workpieces at an angle to the
saw blade. A crosscut sled blade. Grooves or dadoes are Cutting miters, which is a special form of a crosscut, is another highly
or miter gauge are the most typically made with a special useful operation at which the table saw excels. In this photo a miter
common means of creating cutter known as a dado gauge is being used to guide the stock through the cut from behind.

POWER TOOL FUNDAMENTALS CONTINUED
Using a shop-made jig and a stackable blade This cove-cutting jig from Rockler guides wood diagonally across a saw
called a dado set, table saws can form box blade. This configuration shaves the wood into the shape of a cove as the
joints safely and accurately. stock is pushed through the jig.
blade, and raising tenons can consider raised panels the Table Saw Safety
either be done with a miter bailiwick of router tables and Every year there are thou-
gauge or a special tenoning shapers, in a pinch you can sands of accidents, minor to
jig. The same is true of box make perfectly functional major, that happen on home-
joints; a shop-made or man- raised panels using your shop table saws. And truth
ufactured jig is required to table saw and a standard saw be told, almost all of them are
cut a series of repetitive slots blade tilted to an angle. due to “operator error.” They
and fingers that fit together Another ability of the table fall primarily into two cate-
within close tolerances. saw is that it can be used to gories: laceration (including
create decorative shapes. amputation) and kickback.
More Advanced Cuts Bevels or grooves in repeat- Both are eminently prevent-
Occasionally you can employ ing patterns are easy to form able by practicing proper
your table saw to make even with a table saw. And spline table saw techniques.
more interesting cuts such as joints, which can enhance a The easiest way to prevent
cove cuts. Again making use miter’s strength or simply injury is to make use of
of a jig, they’re easy to do. be decorative, are a piece of your safety equipment. That
And while we may properly cake to make. seems obvious, but when
asked in a survey, “How
often do you use a blade
Table Saw Safety Basics guard on your table saw?”
23 percent of woodworkers
Keep Your Body Safe: said they had permanently
Protect your lungs with a mask, your eyes with safety removed their guard, 29
glasses or goggles and your ears with hearing protection. percent said they “almost
never” use it and 12 percent
Use Common Sense: said only sometimes. So that
Make every effort to keep your fingers clear of the spinning totals 64 percent of wood-
saw blade. If a cut you are attempting feels unsafe, stop workers who are failing to
doing it. Approach the problem with safety in mind. Keep take advantage of the blade
your guards and safety equipment in place. guard’s safety features.
In some ways, I under-
Use Sharp, Proper Saw Blades: stand. Back in the day, taking
While almost all cuts can be made with a combination off and then putting the
blade, using an inappropriate blade can make kickback or guard back on a saw was
saw overloads more likely. often an onerous task. It
was frankly time-consuming

Don’t Skimp on
Safety Equipment
There is a wide variety of safety gear on the market that applies to table saw use. Push sticks of various types and styles protect fingers. Featherboards
secure and guide stock. Personal protective equipment shields hearing, eyesight and lungs. But to be effective, these items need to be routinely used.
and annoying. (And some of ture. When combined with

those guards were so primi- anti-kickback pawls, they can
tive as to be of questionable make kickback nearly impos-
use.) But with newer saws, sible. Keep them on your saw
the guards are both effective and properly adjusted.
and easy to install or remove.
While blade guards won’t SawStop Innovation
protect your fingers 100 I was at an Atlanta trade
percent if you are truly care- show many years ago where
less, they do provide a solid SawStop’s “hot dog saw”
barrier between you and the blade brake technology was
spinning saw blade. first introduced. It was amaz-
Speaking of keeping your ing to see, but at the time my
fingers safe, be certain to concern was how it would
In addition to a proven blade braking system, SawStop’s commitment to
make use of push sticks age. After years in a dusty,
safety includes a riving knife, a quality blade guard and a top-notch rip
to keep your fingers a safe grimy shop environment, fence. They could add a fore-and-aft fence adjustment feature to this mix.
distance from the blade would the system start to be-
and featherboards to hold come erratic? Well, that is a knives and blade guards are
the stock firmly against the Rubicon that we have passed. top quality. And their rip fenc-
fence. All of this falls into The saw brake technology es are first-rate. (Rip fences
the realm of simple common has proved to be durable that are easy to adjust and
sense. (But speaking for my- over time and has prevented remain parallel to the saw
self, I have foolishly pushed thousands of injuries. So I blade make table saws safer.)
the envelope on push stick am more than comfortable
safety from time to time.) endorsing the technology. Accessories
New saws also have a true But SawStop table saws are What I have covered so far
riving knife rather than a tra- not one-trick ponies when it has been basic but critically
ditional splitter. Riving knives comes to safety. Their riving important information about
curve around the back of
the saw blade and raise and
lower with it. They prevent
saw kerfs from closing up
and pinching the back of the
blade when stock distorts,
which can cause a kickback.
They’re a great safety fea-
55
POWER TOOL FUNDAMENTALS CONTINUED
8. Zero-clearance
Insert
1. Quality Rip Fence
6. Angle-setting Gauges
7. Rockler’s Thin Rip

Tablesaw Jig
2. Quality Miter Gauge table saws. Now I am about fail to lock the gauge’s pivot-
to journey away from those ing head securely. The sheer
safe waters into the deep. number of aftermarket miter
Table saws are tremendously gauges available testifies that
versatile, but much of that there is room for improve-
capability comes from a ment to the miter gauges on
number of jigs and accesso- many home-shop table saws.
ries that can be employed to
enhance the basic machine. I 3. Essential Saw Blades
am going to list, in my order Most saw blades are of ex-
of importance, what I believe ceptional quality these days.
3. Thin-kerf are the most useful table saw That said, here are three I
Saw Blade accessories. I am sure there think every owner of a 10"
will be challenges to my list, saw should have: a 40-tooth
but here goes. standard-kerf combination
blade, a 40-tooth thin-kerf
1. Quality Rip Fence blade and an 80-tooth thin-
Most modern table saws kerf plywood-cutting blade.
have a good quality rip fence. (You may need to add a
But as I pointed out with my thin-kerf riving knife if your
old-fashioned saw from my saw does not come outfitted
4. Dado Blade youth, that is not a given. In with one.) My rationale for
fact, one of my chief gripes this collection exceeds the
about table saw fences today space I have here to explain,
is the lack of fore-and-aft but suffice to say with this
adjustability. assortment, you will be able
Rip fences must remain to handle almost every table
parallel to the blade in order saw cutting task.
to prevent binding during rip
cuts. Quality rip fences can 4. Dado Blades
be adjusted when needed to The table saw is my favorite
correct for parallelism. That tool for plowing dadoes and
helps to prevent kickbacks grooves. Most dado blades
5. Crosscut Sled and results in cleaner cuts “stack” or nest together to
that are easier to make. vary the cutting width for
these common and important
2. Quality Miter Gauge joinery cuts. But dado blades
This probably comes as no are also useful for milling
surprise. The quality of miter rabbets, tenons, lap joints,
gauge “fences” provided with box joints and more. Is a
modern table saws ranges dado blade essential? Maybe
from acceptable to extremely not at first, but eventually the
good. Poor miter gauges fit need will arise. When it does,
loosely in the miter slots and it’s well worth the expense.

11. Cove-cutting Jig
9. Tapering
Jig
More Table Saw Terminology:
All tools have specific terminology that applies to them. Here is
a short list of some terms that apply to table saws.
Adjustment Wheels: Round handles that raise and lower
the blade and typically tilt it on most models.
Anti-kickback Pawls: Spring-loaded, toothed levers
12 Mobile Base
behind the blade that allow stock to slide past during a
cut but prevent it from moving backwards.
Arbor: Shaft on which the saw blade is mounted.
Base/Cabinet: Body of the table saw that might be a cabi-
9. Tapering Jigs net, open framework or a hybrid of the two and contains
10. Tenoning Jig The need to form angled rip
the saw’s internal workings.
cuts, known as “taper” cuts,
5. Crosscut Sleds is often required for furni- Extension Wings or Tables: Table attachments that pro-
The extra degree of control ture-building. A tapering jig vide side support when cutting wide workpieces.
that crosscut sleds provide can help you do this safely Kickback: When stock binds on the back of the saw blade
by lifting your stock off the and repetitively, which you’ll and then is thrown violently toward the operator with
saw table during cutting surely appreciate. significant force.
makes these jigs a go-to
Miter Slots: Grooves in the tabletop that run parallel to the
product. (See the photo on 10. Tenoning Jigs
page 53.) Many have added Mortise-and-tenon joints are blade and control the travel of the miter gauge as well
mitering capabilities that ideal for solid-wood projects. as some other jigs.
make them even more useful. While there may be better Rip Fence: A movable, locking guide that stretches from
tools for raising tenons, the the front to the back of the saw for accurately indexing
6. Angle-setting Gauges table saw and tenoning jigs and controlling rip cuts.
Table saws can cut precise have been cutting them effec-
Throatplate Insert: A removable and replaceable section
angles but only if they are set tively for generations.
accurately. Whether you use of the tabletop around the blade with a slot that allows
a Rockler Perfect Miter Set- 11. Cove-cutting Jigs the saw blade to pass through it.
up Block or a Wixey Digital Cutting coves on the table Trunnions: Components that hold the motor and saw blade
Angle Gauge, these products saw is downright fun. It also assembly under the table and allow them to tilt.
will improve your results. provides a way to machine T-Square Fence: Rip fence style that rides on a rail at the
large coves into solid wood
front of the table saw and locks in place with a lever.
7. Rockler’s Thin Rip safely. Specialized cove-cut-
Tablesaw Jig ting jigs tackle this unique Often referred to as a “Biesemeyer” style fence.
Ripping very thin slices of shaping operation with ease.
lumber safely and accurately Much More to Learn
can be a bit of a pain. This jig 12. Mobile Bases There have been scores of
provides an elegant solution. As important and useful as books written about table
a table saw can be, they are saws, and this article is just
8. Zero-clearance Inserts often large, heavy machines a fundamental overview.
These throatplates typical- that can get in the way. If you Clearly there is more to say.
ly replace wider-gapped need to move yours from Proper use and maintenance,
standard throatplates and time to time, a mobile base actual how-to instructions for
hug the blade to keep thin with swiveling, locking cast- safe rip cuts, crosscuts, dado
stock from jamming against ers can be a real help. cuts and more are miss-
it. They also help to reduce I’ll stop there with my “dan- ing. Still, these basics are
tearout. For those reasons, dy dozen.” Accessories are important for anyone getting
they improve safety and the key to getting the most started with a table saw, and
cutting quality. One could from your table saw. If you they’re a good reminder for
challenge me as to whether would choose some that are those of us who have been
these are “accessories,” but different from mine, please using them for years.
that is how I see them. let me know!

WHAT’S IN STORE
New Roller, Clamps Deliver Easier Glue-ups
Rockler 5" Glue Roller
with Silicone Rest
Applying a broad, even film

of glue to board faces and
sheet veneer will be simpler
Contact Information and more consistent if you
use Rockler’s 5" Glue Roller
Bosch
877-267-2499 with Silicone Rest for the job.
boschtools.com Its 13 ⁄ 4"-diameter silicone
roller is ribbed in a V-groove
Milwaukee Tool
877-729-3878 pattern that spreads glue
milwaukeetool.com forward and outward for
quick, even distribution with
Rockler
800-279-4441 no voids and less waste. The
rockler.com roller detaches from the
ergonomic ABS handle and
slides off of a plastic core
for easier cleaning when
finished. A blue silicone drip
www.woodworkersjournal.com tray/roller rest keeps glue With several Deluxe Panel
MORE ON THE WEB application tidy, and the roll- Clamps from Rockler, you
For videos demonstrating er handle snaps onto its rim. can edge-glue panels for
VIDEO featured tools, please visit A hole in the roller’s handle tabletops, workbench tops
woodworkersjournal.com and click enables this duo to be hung or doors up to 3" thick and
up conveniently between 36" wide. These clamps are edges, top and bottom faces
on “More on the Web” under the
uses. The 5" Glue Roller with exceptionally heavy-duty. simultaneously when an
Magazine tab.
Silicone Rest (item 61645) Each clamp includes two Acme-threaded handle on the
sells for $21.99. 1.8-mm thick, powder-coated headstock is tightened. This
blue cauls with sawtooth edg- four-way pressure prevents
es on top. They sandwich the glue joints from slipping out
panel above and below and of alignment and eliminates
are helpfully marked with the tendency of panels to
common panel widths. A pair bow under pressure. The
of heavy-duty steel headstock clamp’s gray headstock and
and tailstock couplers tailstock are also powder
Rockler Deluxe engage with the cauls coated, and the threaded rod
Panel Clamps
and apply scissor-like and handle are zinc coated to
action to the panel’s inhibit corrosion. Two feet
install on the bottom caul to
lift the clamp up off of work
surfaces so it’s easier to
clean away squeeze-out. Each
Deluxe Panel Clamp (item
67164) costs $99.99. Space
these clamps about 12" to 18"
apart for any panel size.
Two new brushless, cordless

random-orbit sanders from
Bosch — the GEX12V-5

Bosch GEX12V-5 and GEX18V-5
Brushless Random Orbit Sanders
Milwaukee M18 FUEL

15 Gauge Finish Nailer
tery-powered Thanks to Rock-

solutions that ler’s Dust Right
require no Floor Sweep with
gas cartridges Blast Gate (item
for operation. 66107; $19.99), you
Among them won’t need to use
is this M18 a dustpan or bend
FUEL™ 15 over any longer
Gauge Finish when sweeping up
Nailer. Driven shop debris. Its 4"
12-volt sander and the by a POWERSTATE™ brush- port fits standard
GEX18V-5 18-volt sander less motor, the gun will fire dust collector hoses,
— offer many profession- clips of nails ranging from and a blast gate on top can
al features for modest 11 ⁄ 4" to 21 ⁄ 2" long though ei- be opened or closed by foot
prices. These low-profile, ther sequential or contact-ac- when you’re done cleaning
palm-grip machines have tuation modes. Its nitrogen up. This sturdy polymer
variable-speed brushless air spring mechanism is accessory is reinforced with
motors with soft start and designed for pneumatic-like ribs and has a contoured
vibration dampening ele- performance with zero shape to eliminate “dead
ments. Constant feedback ramp-up time between shots. spaces” in the airflow. At just
circuitry keeps the sanders Milwaukee equips the 6.5 lb over 18" wide and 61 ⁄ 8" deep,
spinning consistently under nailer with depth adjustment the sweep can be attached
load throughout their 6,000 and jam-clearing features that to a wall. Or mount it to the
to 10,000 oscillation per require no tools, plus an LED floor using screw holes in its
minute speed range. Lock-on worklight and a complement side tabs.
switches make extended of bumpers and overmolds
sanding sessions possible. to protect work surfaces. Rockler Dust Right Floor
Sweep with Blast Gate
Their 5"-diameter, eight-hole Its 34-degree magazine will
backing pads are flexible to help the gun drive nails into
accommodate flat or curved tighter places. In kitted form
surfaces, and they have a (model 2839-21CT; $399),
hook-and-loop surface that the nailer comes with one
accepts many brands of abra- M18 REDLITHIUM™ CP
sive discs. Bosch provides 2.0 Ah battery,
a dust bag and vacuum port an M12/M18
for both the 1.8 lb GEX12V-5 charger and
sander ($99) and the 2.4 lb. contractor bag.
GEX18V-5 machine ($129). Or you can pur-
Each is sold as a bare tool chase the nailer
without batteries or charger. as model 2839-
20 without the
Milwaukee continues to battery, charger
expand its cordless nailer or contractor
category, developing bat- bag for $329.

TOOL PREVIEW
Festool TSC 55 K Cordless Track Saw
By Rob Johnstone
A further refinement of their high-performing
cordless track saw now makes it even safer.
T
rack saws have long saw offerings. Powered What’s New Here?
been centered in by two 18-volt batteries, There are two significant
Festool’s wheel- it has sufficient torque to changes to the TSC 55 K
house. The accuracy and cut hardwood, softwood that separate it from its
MORE ON THE WEB
versatility of their track saws and plywood alike. You can predecessors. The first is the
To watch a video demon-
has allowed some space-con- also use the saw with one use of thin-kerf saw blades.
VIDEO strating the TSC 55 K, visit strained woodworkers to batter y for lighter duty. Thinner blades make better
woodworkersjournal.com and click avoid buying a table saw but I own the TS 55 REQ use of battery power because
on “More on the Web” under the still do fine woodworking corded track saw, and while they remove significantly
Magazine tab. with these instead. And of I did not use the two side less material from the kerf.
course, they are just part of by side as I checked out It saves energy and extends
Festool’s systematic ap- this new “K” cordless mod- run time. (The blades are
proach to power tools. el, I noticed no appreciable not backward compatible to
The TSC 55 K is a further drop in performance with earlier TS 55 saws.)
refinement of their track the batter y-powered tool. Consider the claim in Fes-

The new TSC 55 K can be used with a full complement of thin-kerf saw blades. Color-coded, three of them are for specific woodcutting uses. Another is
for high-pressure laminate or aluminum and a fourth blade is for concrete. Thin-kerf geometry helps the 18-volt batteries deliver more cuts per charge.
tool’s documentation: “Thin-

kerf blade design allows
track saws employ, the blade
can become stuck, and its
not only protects
your stock and
Festool: TSC 55 K
Street Price (basic package): $499
users to work up to two times rotation can throw the whole track but also
faster with up to 50 percent saw back upward and out of adds more Motor: Brushless EC-TEC with Soft Start
longer battery life for more alignment. It has happened safety to the No-load RPM (one battery): 2650 to 3800
cuts per charge. Additionally, to me before, and I have plunge-cutting No-load RPM (two batteries): 2650 to 5200
enhanced tooth geometry some scarred-up track and operation. Net Weight (with batteries): 10.14 lbs
provides up to 40 percent lon- have damaged my workpiec- This new saw
Cutting Depth (90 degrees): 21 ⁄ 8"
ger blade life with improved es because of it. works with all
Cutting Depth (45 degrees): 111 ⁄ 16"
cutting performance and The TSC 55 K has an of Festool’s
consistent cut quality.” electromagnetic system that guide rails, dust Inclination: -1 degree to 47 degrees
stops this dramatic event. extraction and Kickback Stop: Electromagnetic
Kickback Stop If the saw senses kickback MFT portable Saw Blades: 160 mm*
We usually associate starting to occur, an internal worktables. * Thin-kerf saw blades are not compatible with
kickback with table saws lever pushes down to lift Rockler
other previous TS 55 track saw models
where the blade grabs a the saw up and clear of the reports that it
piece of stock and throws it cut. It does so in a much will be available
back at the user. That is not more controlled manner for sale in March. Sometimes
what is under consideration than a kickback, saving your you just have to wait to
here. Occasionally with the workpiece and aluminum get the goods!
plunge-cutting action that saw track from damage. It
When the saw detects immi-

nent kickback, an internal
lever pushes down and lifts
the saw and blade up and
clear of the cut. This protects
both the work surface and
the track.
The anti-kickback feature can be controlled

by a button on the left side panel of the saw.
It can be turned off completely or adjusted
to fast or slow.

HARDWORKING HARDWARE
Installing European Hinges
Compact Euro Hinges
By WJ Staff
These rugged, easy-to-use hinges are ideal
for most shop-built cabinet projects.
Long-arm Euro Hinges
ing plate fastens either to a

face frame stile or the inside
wall of the cabinet carcass
with screws. No mortise is
required.
Compact styles are one-
piece hinges, while long-arm
W
hile these sleek, installed — turning a couple styles have two main compo-
versatile and us- of screws moves the door nents that snap together at
er-friendly cabinet incrementally up and down, the mounting plate. Long-
hinges are often called “Eu- left and right or in and out arm hinges are particularly
ropean” style, they’re almost to improve its fit, reveal and handy, because they make
standard issue these days in operation. Some Euro hinges doors easy to remove.
mass-produced kitchen or also offer snap- or soft-close
MORE ON THE WEB
bath cabinetry here in North features that make additional Installation Process
See a Euro hinge installed America. There’s good rea- door catches unnecessary. All the conveniences of these
VIDEO from start to finish by vis- son for it: Euro hinges come There are two basic types production-quality hinges can
iting woodworkersjournal.com and in a wide variety of options of Euro hinges: concealed or also be part of your shop-
clicking on “More on the Web” to suit both face frame and long-arm (see inset photos, built cabinet projects, and
frameless cabinets. They can above). Both have a cup on they’re super easy to install!
under the Magazine tab.
accommodate door swing one end of the hinge that fits If you can drill holes, you can
ranges from 95 up to 120 into a round mortise on the mount these hinges success-
degrees or more, as well as inside back of the cabinet fully on the first try.
complex door clearance re- door; creating this mortise The photo series shown on
quirements for inside-corner involves simply drilling a the following two pages ex-
cabinetry. The hinges also stopped hole. On the other plains the process for mount-
offer easy adjustability once end of the hinge, a mounting typical long-arm hinges

Door Details
The manner in which a door interfaces
with the cabinet’s carcass will impact Door
which Euro hinge options are avail-
able for your project. Inset doors (left Door Door
illustration) fit completely inside and
flush with the cabinet opening. They’re
common on both frameless and face Inset 3/8" Overlay Full Overlay
frame cabinet styles. Some doors,
particularly on older cabinets, have a made to accommodate these full-overlay doors with varying amounts
3/8" x 3/8" rabbet around their back face, enabling them to recess of overlap around the opening; this may range from 3/8" up to 11 ⁄ 4".
partially into the face frame opening (center illustration). Other door Hinge descriptions in catalogs or online will specify inset or overlay
styles overlay the front edges of the cabinet carcass or a face frame style, face frame or frameless cabinet type and maximum swing
by the full thickness of the door (right illustration). Euro hinges are range, among other important product details.
1 2
The first step to installing Euro hinges is to mark their positions on the Install a 35 mm Forstner bit in a drill press for boring mortises for the cups.
cabinet face frame or inside wall and the back face of the door. Make sure Adjust its fence to the specific distance away from the bit required by the
these pairs of layout marks for each hinge align exactly. hinges. Rockler’s Hinge Cup Jig (inset) makes this setup step easy.
3 4
While hinge cup mortise depths will vary, most are around 12 mm (1/2") When mounting the cup portion of the hinge to the cabinet door, be careful
deep. Set the drilling depth according to the hinge specifications, and to first square the hinge arm to the door edge before marking centerpoints
bore a hinge cup mortise into the door at each layout mark. for the installation screws with an awl.

HARDWORKING HARDWARE CONTINUED
5 6
Drill pilot holes for the hinge cup screws with a 3/32" self-centering Locate and drill pilot holes for pairs of screws that will attach the hinge
bit. Then drive in the screws to secure the hinge cups in their mortises. mounting plates to the cabinet. Here, Rockler’s JIG IT Mounting Plate
Installing these delicate screws by hand will help prevent breaking them. Template “A” sets the screw placement and setback without measuring.
7 8
With long-arm style Euro hinges like these, the mounting plates are Set the door into postion on the cabinet, and snap the long-arm portion
installed independently of the rest of the hinge hardware. Fasten the hinge of the hinges onto the mounting plates to hang the door. (If this were a
plates to the cabinet with their attachment screws. compact hinge instead, the hardware would be a single component.)
9 on a frameless cabinet with a JIG IT Hinge Cup Jig enables

frame-and-panel door. Most you to set the Forstner bit
Euro hinges require that the the exact distance away from
cup mortise be drilled with a drill press fence to locate
a 35 mm Forstner bit. Using the hinge cup mortises ac-
a drill press for this step is curately on the cabinet door.
best, but a handheld drill will Then, several options of JIG
also work, provided you drill IT Mounting Plate Templates
carefully and not too deep. can help locate the hinge
A JIG IT® Deluxe Concealed mounting plate screws on the
Hinge Drilling System from cabinet or face frame without
Rockler simplifies the task. measuring.
For an informative over-
Jigs Make It Easy! view to help you choose the
Rockler offers several more right Euro-style hinges, visit
Use the hinges’ adjustment screws to fine-tune door placement on the inexpensive jigs, shown here, rockler.com/learn/europe-
cabinet opening. Depending on the hinge, these screws provide very which will make the installa- an-hinge-buying-guide.
helpful up/down, side-to-side and in/out door adjustability. tion process even easier. A

presents
The Way To Woodwork:
Mastering the Table Saw
Learn to safely and confidently
operate the most important tool
in your workshop with the latest
installment in The Way To Woodwork
series: Mastering the Table Saw. Our
experts teach everything, from the
basics of ripping and crosscutting,
working up to more advanced
techniques. You’ll also discover
how jigs add versatility, safety and
accuracy to your table saw. Expert
or rookie, this DVD has something
for every woodworker.
Our experts put these techniques
to work building a classic Arts &
Crafts Nightstand
made entirely
on the table
saw — free
plan included!
FREE
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Nightstand
plan included!
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FINISHING CORNER
Are Old Cabinets Worth Refacing?
By Tim Inman
Fresh veneer can give old

cabinet carcasses in good
repair a welcomed facelift.
Tim Inman is a professional

woodworker and finishing
Q We have some kitchen
cabinets that are 1970s
vintage, and they are
particle board-covered with
some type of veneer that
expert and the author of gives them a “walnut” type
The Art of Classical Furniture look. The cabinets are in
very good shape, but we just
Finishing.
don’t like the look. Are they
worth refacing? Is it a good
idea to take this on or just
replace the cabinets?
For a complete article teaching
how to reface cabinets go
to https://www.rockler.com/
learn/refacing-cabinets-veneer
A Refacing kitchen
cabinets can definitely
be done, and most
often that’s accomplished by
installing wood veneer and/
or thin sheets of veneered
plywood over the old cabinet
carcasses to spruce up
their appearance. Then new
cabinet doors and drawer
faces are added to match the
carcass veneer. In fact, refac-
ing is a major part of some
cabinet shops’ business.
There are a couple of com-
mon-sense precautions you
should take. First, be sure
the surfaces are clean, dry
Pour filler works best on

open-grained woods such
as oak before other finishes
are applied, to ensure
and grease-/oil-free before
you attempt to bond anything
to them. Second, remember
Rule #1 in veneering: The
grains must not run parallel
is easy: add a “crossbanding”
layer under your new face ve-
neer to fix the problem. This
is super easy to do if you just
buy veneer that is already
A If the pores of the
wood are still “open”
and receptive to the
filler, it will work. If they are
closed or partially filled with
consistent coverage.
between two adjoining layers, “two-ply” with the crossband- finish (which they almost
ever! In other words, you ing factory-installed for you. certainly would be after
don’t want to lay a long-grain Presto! No worries. three good coats of finish)
veneer over a long-grain you’ll have trouble because
cabinet part. If you do, I’ll
guarantee a “glue” failure
sooner or later. The solution Q Can pore filler still be
used atop three coats of
finish on oak?
the pore filler won’t provide
consistent coverage.

presents
The Way To Woodwork:
Getting Started in Woodturning
W oodturning is growing in popularity as
people discover how inexpensive and easy
it is to get started in this practical, fun and creative
craft. This full-length DVD teaches everything
you’ll need to know to start woodturning safely
and with more than enough knowledge to have
fun right from the start.
And to make this DVD even more useful, we’ve
added a bonus sharpening section to get you
sharpening those curved tools perfectly!
BONUS
SHARPENING
SECTION!
The Way to Woodwork:

Order Yours Getting Started in Woodturning DVD-Video
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Start the year off right by adding diamonds to your Tormek Sharpening System.
Tormek Diamond Wheels come in 3 different grits (360, 600, 1200).
Which will you choose?
Visit www.tormek.com for more information!

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6 February 2022 Woodworker’s Journal

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