Best Ever Woodworking Jigs PDF

--l
Tablesaw ligs
Thin- S t r ipRippi n gJ i g
F e e ls a f e rs i z i n gt i n y p i e c e s .
Four-SidedTaperingJig
Shape table legs fast.
10
Dead-On90' Crosscut Sled

Squareboards easilyon your tablesaw.
12
Jig
Rais ed- P anel
Createthree styles of doors.
16
Corner-RabbetingJig
Dress up miteredframes with face keys.
18
S pline- Cut t ingJ i g

Giveframe corners a new look.
Router Iigs
20
Two-PartDado Jig
Rout dadoes for perfect-fittingshelves.
22
M ult i- HoleDow e l i n gJ i g
Positiondowels for even sPactng.
24
Two Pushsticks
With these projects,it's all about safety.
26
RouterTrammel
F o r a c c u r a t ec i r c l e s ,y o u ' l ln e e d t h i s j i g ,
29
\.--..-
Flus h- T r im m in g F e n c e
on plywoodpanels
Put a professronaledge
32
M or t is ingJ ig
Rout dead-on lz"-wide mortises.
33
K ey hole- Rout i nJgi g

H a n g i n gp r c t u r ef r a m e sj u s t g o t e a s i e r .
33
Jig
P anel- Rout ing
C u t s u p e r - s i m p l ep a n e l sf r o m M D F .
34
Circle-CuttingTrammel
T h i n k b i g , p e r f e c tc i r c l e sw i t h t h i s j i g .
35
Router-TablePush Pad
R i g h t - a n g l es u p p o r tt o m t n i m i z et e a r o u t .
36
Dovetail-KeyJig
Cut dovetailkeys with ease.
38
Router-PlaningJig
This surfacingjig tames wild grain.
35
More Iigs
47
51
Drill-PressTable
52
S anding- Dr umD u s t C o l l e c to r
Removefine dust at the source.
AlignableBandsaw Fence
U s e t h i s . a n d r i o c u t s w i l l n e v e rw a n d e r .
C i r cl e-C utti ngGui de

Make perfect disks at your bandsaw.
Transformyour drill press into a shop star.
45
Ba ndsawMul ti -Ji g
Make your 14" bandsaw do more.
Drill-Press Iigs
40
54
Ji g
Bi s cui t-Joi nter
Cut slots in 3/+"materialeffortlesslv.
Best-EverWoodworking Jigs, Homemade Tools, & Shop Organizers 2008
Homemade Tools
57
Hand Plane
This littleshaverfits your hand like a glove.
61
HeightGauge
Set the precise saw blade height every time.
62
64
MarkingGauge
Relyonthisclassic
toolforproject
layouts.
Dead-BlowMallet
Workcenters & Supports
Coax parts togetherwith this tool.
68
Marking Knife
Scribed lineshave never looked cleaner.
72
74
108 RollingWorkshop Storage

Mobilizeyour storage and organization.
SandingBlock
Prepprojects
withthisshopmade
beauty.
1O9 Tapes-to-goWall-HungDispensers
Centerfinder/Trammel
11O Rock-SolidWorkbench
Simplifythe layoutof circlesor arcs.
Readyto roll when you need them.
Build this basic workbench in a weekend.
Shop Organizers
111 WorkbenchUpgrades
yourbench's
Sixadd-ons
increase
versatility.
78
115 Outfeed Table

Ina supporting
role,thistableshines
Tool-CabinetSystem
Find lots of drawers, shelves,and dividers,
79
Mitersaw Work Station

Expandyour tool's horizons.
80
Sheet-GoodsRack
Buildhorizontalstoragefor bulky plywood.
81
Wall Gabinet
Tidyupyourshopwiththissolution.
82
Drill/DriverOrganizer
Multitieredbox bdngs order to your bits.
85
Storage Tray
yourwall-hung
Tucktoolsbeneath
cabinets.
88
ClamshellCabinetDoors
yourspacefortoolsandhardware.
Double
89
Quick Clamp Rack

yourclamps
Corral
atthisstation.
92
Lumber Storage
yourwoodforgood.
Organize
96
Lathe-StandRetrofit
yourlathe.
Create
storage
beneath
98
Utility Cabinet System

Whipyourgarage
orshopintoshape.
1O7 RevolvingStorage
platform
Lazy-Susan
expands
storage.
woodmagazine.com
118 3-in-1Work Support

Trythesesaferwaysto machine
longstock.
124 Right-AngleSupport
gOo
Clamping
glue-ups.
squares
ensure
126 Portable FinishingCenter
Usethisplastic
tentfordust-free
finishing.
128 Portable Workstation Upgrades
Expand
clamping
workstations
theeasyway.
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Gift PerfectWine Box

PlanDP-00529 53.95
KeepsakeBox
PlanDP-00209 55.95
t)-l U I
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Best-EverWoodworking Jigs, Homemade Tools,& Shop Organizers
sk seasonedwoodworkersabout
the benefitsof stocking a shop
with a variety of hardworking
jigs. They'll likely tell you that
somejigs get used again and again, while
others gather dust. We guarantee that
these six jigs will be worth your investment in time and materials.
'fitirt*S
woodmagazine.com
;riti
For example,afteryou takean eveningor

two to build the sledon page 10,we predict
that you'll constantlyuse the crosscutsled
for repetitivecuts.Thefour-sided
taperingjig
jig provideyou with more
andspline-cutting
specialized
techniques.
We constructed
mostof theseshophelpers from Baltic birch plywood and hard
maple. If you pref-er,you can substitute

medium-densityfiberboard (MDF) for
plywood and anotherdensehardwoodfor
maple.SeeSources on pctgeI I for help
in buyingthe inexpensive
hardwareitems
you'll needfor thejigs in this chapter.
Seepage 6l for a simple height gauge
that complements
thesetablesawjigs.
.,@
**'s u**rx$.a*e'g"'
F"*ms
jfr,qth;x;nrus*$
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y*a* f***$ r'x't#r.*ie
s$"8#k*
g**n q"4
h $s3p'xn-r
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.:
\ ...,
\.
\
t*ruypd*r*:es,
o n r e t i n r e sy o u n e e d t o r i p s e v e r a l
thickthin strips of wood to eclr-ral
ness to serve as ed-uin-u.veneer.
o r b e n c l i n gs t o c k . S l i c i n e o f f t h i n
stock on the f'enceside of the blacle.I'urwThat's becartse
ever. could prove Lrnsal'e.
it beconres awkwarcl to use your blacle
guarci and pr-rshstickwhen yoll cLlt close
to the I'ence.Tlie solLrtion:Run the wicle
portion ol- yoLrr workpiece between the
f'encearrclblacle.cLrttin_s
tl'restrips on thc
sicleol'the blade opposite the f'ence.YoLr
c o u l c l a c c o n i p l i s ht h i s b y n r e a s u r i n - fuo r '
tr
To make a cursor, scribe a line across

t h e a c r y l i ci n d i c a t o rw i t h a s h a r p k n i f e
a n d a s q u a r e .C o l o r t h e s c r i b e dl i n e w i t h
a permanentmarker.Wipe off the excess
i n k w i t h a c l o t h , l e a v i n ga f i n e l i n e .
h
CLrt a piece of 7i" plywoocl to the

c l i n r e n s i o n ss h o w n t i r l t h e b a s e o n
yrgc 7. Cut a clitcloon the bottclrn sicleof
the base lbr the guicle bar. where sl.town.
Now. cut the y'+"clacloon the top side ol'
t h e b a s el u r t h e s l i d i n e b a r .
Cut two pieces of rnaple to size fbr

the nriter-slot-guidebar (acliustthe dir l e n s i o n s s h c l w ni f n e c e s s a r yt o f i t y o u r
s a r .C c t t t a b l e s a w ' ss l o t s )a n d t h e s l i c l i n - b
ter tl'remiter-skrt-uuiclebar in the bottont
c l a d o .a n d g h - r ei t i n p l a c e . D r i l l a p a i r o f
/r," holes in tl'resliclin-gbar. where shown.
scrollsawthe nraterialbetweenthetl. attcl
sn.rooththe insicleof the slot with a file.
Set the jig in yor.rr tablesit\/'s lel.t
slot. Place the sliclingbar
niiter--eau-{e
in tl-recladowith its lelt enclfh"rshwith the
base.Slide the ji-s tbrward. and mark the
S i z ey o u r t h i n - s t r i pr i p p i n gj i g t o s u i t y o u r
t a b l e s a w ,s o t h a t a 1 " s c r e w i n t h e g u i d e
b a r c a n c o n t a c tt h e b l a d e .l n s t a l l a z e r o clearancethroat plate to preventthe
s a w n s t r i p f r o m f a l l i n gi n t o t h e s a w .
R e m o v et h e j i g b e f o r em a k i n gt h e c u t s o
the workpiece doesn't bind betweenthe
rip fence and the screw head. Replacethe
j i g i n t h e s l o t w i t h o u t m a k i n ga n y a d j u s t ments to set up the next cut.
e a c h c u t . b L r tt h a t ' s t e c l i o u sa n c l i t r a c c u r a t e . T h i s t h i n - s t r i p r i p p i n - t. j i - l c l o e st h e
job saf-ely.accurately.anclcluickly.
Ref'erto Sources or.l/)rr,ga11 lbr harclware firr this prolect.
F:!r':s9..
klaxsEd
9*ts*$rs*
B e s t - E v e rW o o d w o r k i n gJ i g s , H o m e m a d eT o o l s ,& S h o p O r g a n i z e r s 2 0 0 8
Four-armknob with t/+"insert

I
EXPLODED
VIEW
-J
G./
--
#8 x 1" brassF.H.
w
r
#8 x3/q"F.H. wood screw\
lNDrcAroR
Z
2'-^fi1
@r
.'-
t/q"llal washer
5/0" slot
--1--.
.!
Yse"
shank
hote,
I
t ii .'"o'o!l"r:tottn
S L I D I N GB A R
s/+" dado
1t/sz"deap
Cursorline
t/+x 11/zx 2" clear acrylic
1tl2"sectionof steel rule
1/zx3/q x 9"
/+" hole, countersunk

on bottomside
I
i
t / + - 2 x0 1 1 / z ' F . H . m a c h i n
s cer e w- - - - - - - -
point wherea left-leaningsawbladetooth

- touchesthe bar. Make a secondmark t/2"
closer to the base.Removethe bar, and
crosscutit at the secondmark.
7/e+"pilot hole in the slid',rl Drill a
tfing
bar, centeredon the end you just
cut. Drive a brass screw halfway into
the wood. (We used brass to avoid any
chance of damaging a tablesaw blade.)
You'll turn this screw in or out to finetune your jig's basic "zero" setting,or to
adjustit for a blade of different thickness
or with a different tooth set.
fiFrom the bottom sideof the assembly,
Udrill andcountersinka Vq"holethrough
the miter-slotguide bar and basefor the
machinescrewthatholdstheplasticknob.
Sandall of the wood parts to 180grit, and
apply three coatsof clear finish.
ftMake a mark 1" from the left end of
uthe sliding bar. Cut the first lr/2" from
woodmagazine.com
'/2
MITER-SLOT
GUIDEBAR
an inexpensivesteelrule, align its left end

with the mark, and attachit with epoxy.
a piece of t/q" acrylic to the
JCut
f dimensions shown for the indicaror.
Drill and countersink the two mounting holes, and scribe and mark a cursor line. as shown in Photo A. Attach
the indicatorto the base,and add the knob.
Now, cut some strips

To cut a thin strip with the jig, place its
guide bar in the left-handmiter gaugeslot
on your tablesaw.Loosenthe knob, set the
cursorto zero (the bottom end of the rule),
and retightenthe knob. Slide thejig so that
the brassscrewheadis besidethe sawblade.
Turn the screwin or out with a screwdriver
until the head lightly contactsa leftleaning tooth. Pull the jig toward you, loosen
the knob, setthe cursorfor the desiredstrip
thickness,and retightenthe knob.
Position your workpiece againstthe rip

fence,and move the fenceto bring the left
edge of the workpieceagainstthe screw
head, as shown in Photo B. Lock the
fence,setthejig out of the way, and you're
readyto cut a strip, as shownin Photo G.
After completingthe cut, clean up the
workpieceon the jointer. Replacethe jig
in the slot. Then unlock the rip fence,
move it to bring the jointed edge against
the screwhead,lock the rip fence,remove
the jig, and saw anotherstrip. Repeatthe
process as many times as necessaryto
produceall of the strips that you needfor
your project..F
Writtenby Jim Pollock with Jeff Mertz
and Kevin Boyle
lllustrations:Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson
Four-$ided
Tapering
Jig
Here'sa slick way to taper
four sidesof a table leg-all
with one simplejig.
ou can taperone sideof a table leg

without much head-scratching,
but taperingall four sidesequally
presentsmoreof a challenge.With
thisjig, however,youcancutall four tapers
without changingyour setup.You simply
rotateyour workpiecebetweencuts.
Locatethehold-downsto suitthelength
of your workpiece.(The pivot block can
sit at eitherendof thejig.) If your tablesaw
hasa 10"blade,youcanhandleworkpieces
up to 2" thick.
Refer to Sources on page I I for hardware for this project.
Buildthe jig
zA" ply@ For the base.cut a piece of

& wood to the size shownon Drawing
1, then cut a pieceof t/q"hardboardto the
samedimensions.
s/s"dadoes3Ao"deepin one face
ffiCut
&of the plywood, where dimensioned.
Glue the hardboard to the dadoed face
with yellow glue. Now, clamp the assembly between two scrapsof plywood
to ensure even pressure.After the glue
dries, removethe clamps,set your dado
blade for a t/+"-widecut, put an auxiliary
fenceon your miter gauge,and cut a slot
throughthe hardboard,centeredovereach
plywood dado,as shownin Photo A.
r/qx3/8x12",
ffiCut a piece of maple to
ffi1fen cut two 3" pieces and one 3t/2"
piecefrom this blank for the guide bars.
For the hold-downbases,cut a piece of
7+"plywood to lv2xl2". Cut a t/q"groove
down the center of one face of this plywood,wheredimensioned
on thedrawing.
Drill two /+" holesnear oppositeendsof
8
the groove,with eachhole centeredin the

grooveandVz"from theend.Cut a 3" piece
from each end to make two hold-down
bases.Next, glue one guide bar piece in
the grooveon eachhold-downbase.After
the gluedries,drill a t/q"holethrougheach
assembly,using the previously drilled
holesas guides.
t/qx2xl2" to
;fi Cut a maple blank to
afmake
the pivot block.(We begin with
an oversizedpieceto assuresafetyduring
the cutting process.)Cut a rabbeton one
end of the blank, where shownon Drawing la. Now, drill two holesto form the
ends of the adjustmentslot, remove the
materialbetweenthe holeswith a coping
saw or scrollsaw,and clean up the slot
with a file. Cut aVq"sroovecenteredon the
bottom edgeof the blank. Next, drrll a Vq"

hole centeredin the groove2Vz"ftom the
rabbetedend. Glue in the 3t/2" gurdebar
piece, making it flush with the rabbeted
end. After the glue dries, drill a t/q"hole
through the blank, using the previously
drilled hole as a guide.Trim the blank to
3/i' rn length.Sandandfinish the assembly.
fiAssemble the hold-downsas shown.
t#For the pivot block, file or grind one
edge of the washer flat, as shown on
Drawing 1a, and then assemblethe nut,
screw,and washeras shown. Adjustable
up or down in the slot, this screw serves
as an indexingpin. Once setfor a particular workpiece, it guaranteesthat every
cut in the sequenceis an equal distance
from the centerof the workpiece.
After cutting dadoes in the plywood base,

glue the hardboard to the dadoed face.
Mount the two outside blades of a dado
set in your tablesaw,and cut slots through
the hardboard centered over each dado.
Diagonal lines on the end of the workpiece

locate the hole that fits onto the indexing
pin. Draw the cutline for the final shape,
and extend the lines to the edges to help
you position the workpiece on the jig.
Best-Ever Woodworking Jigs, Homemade Tools, & Shop Organizers
2008
IexeloDED vtEW
Four-armknob
wilh th" inseft
Plasticknob
@''-'"
flal washer
L/-'t/+"
H'LD
Dow.
tr;,lrilL. ",,
s/qx1|/zx'3" plywood
1/z'
7z
J*/
4-
)>-@
343/s'
tZ" slots
1/q"deep,
centeredover
Te"dadoes
1/+x 3" panhead
machine screw
l/qx 12 x 36" hardboard

7e"dadoes
s/o"deep
BASE
3/+x 12 x 36" plywood
3411/ta"
lE PtvorBLocK
Tap into tapering
To taper a leg, cut your workpieceto its
finished length,then rip it to the square
dimensionsthat you want for the untaperedsectionat the upperend.Draw a line
on all four facesto mark wherethe taper
will begin. Drill a t/q" centeringhole 3/s"
deepat the centerofthe bottom end, and
add cut lines to show the final dimensionsof that end, as shownin Photo B.
Draw cut lines on the face connecting
the leg-bottom marks with the taperstart marks. This helps you visualize the
final shape,andservesasa safetyreminder
as you pushthejig acrossthe saw.
Mount the leg-centeringhole on the
indexingpin. Slide the pivot block until
the plannedoutsideface of the leg aligns
with the edgeof the jig. Thrn the knob to
lock the pivot block in place. Now, near
the upper end of the leg, align the taperstart cutline with the edgeof thejig. Slide
the hold-downblocks againstthe leg, and
tightenthe nylon nut on eachoneto setthe
block's position.Tighten the top knob on
eachhold-downto clampthe leg in place.
Raise the saw blade t/q" abovethe leg.
Butt the jig to the fence,move the fence
until the saw blade just clears the left
side of the jig, and then make the cut, as
shown in Photo C. To make each of the
three remaining cuts, loosen the holddown knobs, rotate the leg one-quarter
turn clockwise(asviewedfrom the pivoting end),reclamp,and cut.
woodmagazine.com
This jig alsoservesanotherpurpose,as

shownin Photo D. When you needto cut a
singletaper,mark its start and stoppoints
on the end and edge of your workpiece.
Remove the indexing pin from the end
block, andnestthe endof the workpiecein
the notch.Align the marks with the edge
of thejig, andclamp.Placeyourhold-downs
againstthe workpiece.Tighten the pivot
block in place,and make the cut. i
31/2"
" rabbets/ro"deep
3/1"
e/sz"slot
th" gloove
i 3/a x 31/2" 3/6" deep,
IDE BAR centered
Hold the taper jig tightly against the

tablesaw rip fence as you cut. Before
starting each pass, make certain that
your left hand is well away from the line.
' t/+"washer,
filedto allow
nut to engage
the rabbet
The width and adjustability of the taper

jig allow you to handle a wide range of
angle cuts. Here,with the jig flipped endfor-end, we're shaping a simple leg.
"f
Dead-0ng0o
Sled
Crosscut
Whenyou build this sled,Your
accuracy and efficiencyat the
tablesawwill soar.
rf Selecta flat pieceof 3/q"plywood, and

I cut the platform to the dimensions
shownon Drawing 1.
f)Cut two 72x3x30"maplepiecesforthe
&fence, and cut a s/a"groove%e" deep
in the face of one piece, where shown
on Drawing 1a. Glue the two blanks
together,keepingthe edgesflush and the
groove on the interior of the lamination.
After the glue dries, cut a Vq"groovecenteredon the s/s"groove.Then, cut a rabbet
along the front of the bottom edge and a
t/2"groovecenteredalong the top edge.
flFrom 3/+"maple, cut the blade guard
Usides and end.Glue and screwthe end
to the sides.Now, screwthe blade guard
to the fence,whereshownon Drawing 1.
f, Cut the front rail from:/+" maple.Use
rfa jigsaw to cut a notch, where shown,
for the blade to passthrough. Attach the
front rail and the fence to the platform
with screws.
frCut, sand, and finish two toP blade
tfguard supports.Using a fine-toothed
tablesawblade, cut a piece of Vq"clear
acrylic to size for the blade guard cover.
Attach the cover to the supportsand the
front rail.
3/q"maple stock, cut two strips
ftFrom
[Jto serveas miter-slotguide bars. Set
your tablesawrip fence 8%" to the right
of the blade, and lower the blade below
the table'ssurface.(Note: Make sureyour
fence is parallel to the miter gauge slot

before proceeding.)Apply double-faced
tape to the top of each guide bar, and attach the bars to the platform, as shownin
Photos A and B. Remove the assemblY
from the saw,and permanentlyattachthe
bars with screws.
JCut a piece for the stopblock,and cut
f a dado in the back, where shown.Cut
a guide bar, and glue it into the dado.
Drill a shankhole through the block and
bar, where shown.Now, cut a pieceof Vq"
acrylic plasticto sizefor the stopblockindicator.SeeDrawing 1b. Drill, saw,and
file smooththe slot, where shown.Make
a cursorline, as shownin Photo A.
QRemove the top bladeguard, sandthe
l0iig, and apply three coats of finish.
Reattachthebladeguard,assembleandinstall the stopblock,placethe crosscutsled
on your tablesaw,and make a cut from
the front edge through the fence. Use a
rule to setthe stopblock4" from the kerf.
Mark the centerof the stopblock on its top
Two pennies shim the miter-slot guide

bars slightly above the tablesaw surface.
Place a couple of these stacks in each
miter-gaugeslot, and set the bars on top.
Keepingthe rightend of the platform against

the rip fence, set the sled assembly on
the guides. Press down firmly to stick the
bars to the platform.
Hold the workpiece firmly against the

fence as you make a cut. Keep your hands
outside the blade guard, and don't cut
through its end.
ieliable tablesaw miter gauge

t
handles a lot of crosscutting
tl
but not all. It rides in just
fltutks,.
rone slot, and suPPortsthe worka
pieceon just one sideof the blade,allowing for slop. This problem disappears,
however,with an accuratecrosscutsled.
Our designis both inexpensiveand simple to build. Plus, it includes reliable,
adjustablestopsfor repeatablecuts.From
the momentyou put this jig to useat your
tablesaw, you'll discover that making
right-anglecuts is easierand safer.
Build a real workhorse
10
2008
E exploDEDvrEW
# 8 x s / q "F . H .
wood screw
-TT
TOP BLADEGUARD
?t
?
1/qx31/qx223/q"
3/qx3/qx161/q"
clearacrylic
supports
7ax1Bx30"
plywood
tl
# 8 x 1 1 / z 'F . H .
wood screw
1/qx1 x13/q"
6eAa
BLADEGUARD
clearacrylic
# 8 x 1 1 / z 'F . H .
wood screw
3"
L
Self-adhesive
measuringrule
43/q"
31/q'
1x3x30"
PLATFORM
sAax3/qx18"
miter-slot guide bars
3/qX11/+X215/ta"
stopblock
l/qX1/2X11/q"
guidebar
[-.,
# 8 x 1 1 / z 'F . H .
wood screw
end,align the 4" line on the self-adhesive

measuringtapewith thatmark,andattach
the tapein the fencegroove.Usetin snips
to cut off the portion of the tape extending beyondthe left end of the fence.Place
the indicatoron the stopblock,align the
cursorwith the tape's4" line, and attach
the indicatorto the block with a screw.
Now, let's go sledding

If a workpiece fits between the fence
and the front rail, you can cut it on your
crosscutsled,as shownin Photo C. Use
the stop block to cut multiple pieces to
the samelength,providedthatlengthfalls
within the stopblock'srange.Removethe
stopblockwhencutting piecesthat extend
beyond that range. When you install a
blade of a different thickness or with
a different tooth set than the one used to
calibrate your stopblock, check the setting with a rule, and adjustthe cursor.lF
woodmagazine.com
,/L
t/q" dado t/q" deep

7/a"from top edge
#8 x 1/2"F.H.wood screw
sEcloN vtEW
@ rerucE
DETATL
l[ rNorcAToR
1/2"gloove %0" deep

(to fit measuring rule)
L\I _t
T lttzu"
%"Tf-j\#"
'/a"
_-_l'
1/q"groove/
5/6"deep
t/s" 76filgl--/y'
/e" deep -
li ,
| \'
I t I u/r"grooue
I | | s/o" deep
1 |
V,r;.-
1"
_1
Scorea line on the acrylicwith a knife,
and color it with a permanentmarker.
Sources
Forthejigsonpages
5-13,weusedthese
Sources:
Stainless
steel
ruleno.06K20.06,
each;
$1.95
plastic
four-arm
knobno.00M55.30,
each.
$1.90
CallLee
Valley
at800-871-8158,
orgotoleevalley.com.
(boltandknob);
Hold-down
no.145831,
self$4.99
adhesive
rule,no.08Y42,
CallWoodcraft
at
$9.99.
800-225-1153,
orgotowoodcraft.com.
11
,ci
---=\-
.---
Witlrthis *ne jig,

ysili*#n build thr**
psputar styles of
for your
donr pffin:els
next *abinet project.
{n
tz
aisedpanelshave long been a sign

of fine craftsnranship-perhaps
beciluse they appear difficult to
make. But as yoLr'llsee here, that
rreed not be the case. On puge 14, we'll
show yoLr:.rsimple method for Lrsingthis
jig to cut panelswith a tablesarw.
Combine scrap material with a f'ew
harclwareitems and yor.r'llhave a jig destined lbr a lif'etime of service. See puge
11. lbr a hardware soLlrcefor the knobs.
Start with the basics

Cr,rt two pieces of iA" MDF to the
d i n - r e n s i o n si n t h e M a t e r i a l s L i s t
to nrake the upright (A) and base (B).
S c r o l l s a w o r b a n d s a wt h e l % " r a d i i o t t
the two cornel'sof (B). cuttin-uoutsidethe
l i n e . T h e n s a n c tl o t h e l i n e .
Using yor.rr dado blade. cut two '/-r"

dadoes /-r"deep in the top of the base.
whereshownon Drawing 1.
Afteradding an auxiliary f-enceto yoLlr
saw tablesaw rip f-ence.cut it rabbet
%" wide and t/t" deep along the bottom
ed-qeof the upright (A). where shown on
Drawing 1.
Next. drill %r," l'rolesin the upri-eht
(A) and at the ends of the slot locations in the base.Lay or.rtthe sidesof the
to shapewith a
slots, and scrollsaw ther.r-t
# 1 2 b l a d e .C u t t w o b r a c e s( C ) . a s d i m e n s i o n e do r r D r a w i n g 2 .
Drill y'::" pilot holes, and then glue
and screw the ji-e together using
#8xlth" brass screws. where shown.
T i p : U s e b r a s ss c l e w s u r t y t i t l e y o u r j i - e ' s
screw holes are close to the saw blade.
Best-EverWoodworking Jigs, Homemade Tools,& Shop Organizers 2008
Now, add the extras

Cut the guide strip (D) ts fit your
I miter-gauge slot in depth and width.
Trim the pieceto 28" long, and drill countersunk t/+"holes centeredon the strip 3"
from each end. Attach the guide strip to
the baseusing the hardware shown.
QCut the upright stops (E) to size, and
&drlll
the hole and counterbore hole,
where shown on Drawing 2. Securethe
stopsto the ends of upright (A).
{
{tCut the clamping bar (F) to size, and

tJdrill %0" holes, where shown. Lay
out and shapethe clamping bar curve, as
shown on Drawing 1, using a bandsaw.
Sandsmooth.
;l Next, attach the clamping bar to
'?the
jig using the hardware shown.
Tip: If you havetrouble finding extra-long
machine screws, cut two pieces of allthread. Then secure the four-arm knobs
to the screwsusing 5-minute epoxy.
fRemove the hardware and the clamptJing bar and guide strip, and sand all
parts to 150 grit. Now apply two coats of
finish, sanding between coats with 180grit abrasive.
a piece of adhesive-backed
fiCut
Yl2}-grit
sandpaper,and apply it to
the jig face, as shown on Drawing 1.
Then, reassemblethe jig. lF
-T
I
8"
3u
|-
-l
s/q" rabbel
V+" deep
111/2'
7Yz"
E EXPLODEDVIEW
1Y4tr
/+-2Ox4Y2'F.H.
machinescrew
Curveon this edge

'
1Va"
-J
#8 x 1tl2"brass
F.H. wood screw
-1
4 x 24"aonesivbt-r=--backed 120-grit
s/sz"
pilothole
/q" dado
t/a" deep
*:ffi
tA'flatwasher
/q-2Oknite thread insert

Vq" tabbel't/a" deep
/a" holes,countersunk
on bottom face
upright
B base
/q" 11Y2" 28"
C braces
D guidestrip
MDF
{c'
7Y2" 111h" MDF
Va"
{to
28"
E upright
stops
/e"
Vl'
8u
F clamping
bar
Yi'
1{eu
29'
tilaterlalakey: MDF-medium-densityfiberboard,
M-maple.
Sppfbo: #8x1Y2",#8x1"
brass
flathead
woodscrews;
(21,V+20x4t/t
(2);
l+-20x2"
flathead
machine
screws
Vq-20low-arm
(81;llzx%|
knobs(4);/+"flatwashers
compression
(2);V+20
springs
(2);
knifethread
inserts
4"adhesive-backed
120-grit
sandpaper.
woodmagazine.com
r/c-2Ox 2" F.H. machinescrew
LocatepreviousWOODmagazine
projectarticlesat
wood m a gazine.com /i ndex
13
Howto Sut
Panels
Rai$ed
Cu$tom
Cut raisedpanels
with a tablesaw
For the woodworker who doesn'thave a
router table or the budget for expensive
raised-panelbits, cutting raised panels
on the tablesawis an effective alternative. This methoddoeshaveonedrawback:
You'll needto investtime andelbowgrease
into finish-sandingthe panelbevels.
To solve the challenge of supporting
panelssafelywhile cutting bevels,build
jig shownon page 12.
the panel-cutting
THREEPOPULARPANELSTYLES
PROUD
PANEL
BACK-CUT
PANEL
PLAIN-BEVEL
PANEL
Preparethe panels
Before cutting the door panels to size,
matchthe wood tonesand arrangethe grain
patternsfor best appearance.For example,
centerthe cathedral(inverseV) patternon
narrow single-boardpanels.When gluing
up wider panels,use piecescut from the
grain andcolor.
sameboardfor consistent
Next, decide which style of panel you
want. The drawing at right showsthree
popular styles:a plain-bevelpanel, one
that'sflush with the frame (calleda backcut panel), or a proud panel (with the
panel raised abovethe frame). All will
give panelsa custom look. Glue up the
stockneededto make your panelblanks.
Then,cut your panelsto finishedsize.
Note: To minimize wood movement,we
suggestusing boards no wider than 5"
when gluing up your panels.
Te"rabbet
t/+"deep
Shoulder
1vq'
)
s/a"raisedpanels
PROS
. contemporarylook
. easy-to-sandbevels
coNs
. no paneldetailto
catch the eye
PROS
. shoulderdetail
catchesthe eye
coNs
. bevelsare a bit more

difficultto sand
PROS
. can decorateshoulder
with profilerouterbits
coNs
. bevelsare a bit more

difficultto sand
Mark the bevels

Looking at the endof the panelblank,lay
out the desiredbevelusinga slidingbevel
square.Also, if your panelneedsa tongue
and rabbetlay them out, at this time.
To cut a raisedpanelwith shoulders(the
squarelip on the face of the panel),first
adjust the tablesaw'sfence 1/+" from the
blade.Cut a saw kerf t/e"deep(34o"deep
if making proud panels)and I3/q"from all
four edgesand ends of the panel'sface,
as shownin Drawing 3. This kerf will
determinethe shoulderlocation.
Set up the jig for

smooth, accuratecuts
For yourjig to functionwell, it must slide
parallelto the saw bladewith its upright
at a right angleto the saw'stabletop.With
eitherbladeor upright out of alignment,
scoringand burning will occur.
14
The following set-up procedure assumes that your miter-gaugeslot aligns

parallel with your sawblade.If not, make
that adjustment.
With a steelrule, measurethe distance
from the saw blade to the jig's upright.
Move the jig sideto sideas neededso the
distancebetweenthe saw blade and the
jig is the sameas the panel'stongue(and
rabbet)thickness.When the uprightis the
correct distancefrom the blade,and parallel to the blade,tighten down the knobs
in the guide strip. Now, adjust the blade
bevel,asshownin the photooppositetop.
Let's cut a raised panel

Clamp your panel into the jig, exterior
faceout, andcut the bevels.Panelscanbe
cut in four passesthroughthe saw.First,
cut acrossthe endgrain to reducechip-out.
Then cut the bevels on the panel edges.

Move through the blade at a consistent
speed,slowingdown only if the sawstrains.
Note: If your saw bogs down in the cut,
you may need to use a thin-kerf blade or
mal<ethe cut in successivelydeeperpasses.
Sand the panel bevels

Remove any saw marks with 100-grit
sandpaperand a hardwood block. Then
finish-sandthe bevelswith 150-and220grit sandpaper.Take care when sanding
not to removethe ridge at the intersection
of the bevels.Stain the panelsbeforeyou
assemblethe door.i
Written by Pat Lowry
"l
E pnruelKERFS
DEFINESHOULDERS
To adiust the blade to match your bevel, place the panel into the jig with the exterior face
out. To adjust the angle and height of the saw blade,sight down the blade,and align it with
the layout marks, as shown above. Clamp a test piece into the jig and run it through.
Readjustthe settings until the angle and bevel thickness are accurate.
Add detail to your raised panels

After raisingthe panelon yourtablesaw,use a 7a"round-nose
bit in yourroutertableto detailthesquareshoulderon the face
of the panel.Set the bit 1%"from the fence,as shown below.
Then rout the detail,startingwith the end grainfirst,followed
by the edgegrain.
f
W rcbbet,/t dery
FINISHED
CONTOUR
A 7a"round-nose bit creates a distinct panel.
woodmagazine.com
15
CornerRabbeting
Jig
Variations on a Theme
Experimentwith differentcombinationsof
speciesforframes,keys,and decorativepins,
or try some of the looksshownbelow.
Potentialkey combinationsinclude:
Dress up miteredpicture frames with

face keys, and you'llopen up a world of
creativepossibilities.
I Walnutand mahogany
keyson mahogany
nce you masterthe precisionneededto make tight miter joints, you're

ready to explorewaysto embellishthem with face keys of contrasting
of a standardframe.
woods that break up the predictableappearance
This sophisticatedlook is simple to create.For starters,you can
make both the key stock and cornerrabbetson the tablesawwhereyou cut the
miters. For an easy-to-makejig that steadiesa mitered frame at the correct
angle for cutting corner rabbetson both faces, see the drawing below. The
sampleframe corners,shownat right, usereadily available3/q"-thickstockcut
2" wide.
2 Walnutkeysand
cherrypinson cherry
EXPLODED
VIEW
cherrypinson cherry
--:{
r
I
{ tr
l' f-4 Cherrykeysand

maplepinson maple
11"
45" suppoft
bevels
Placelowerscrewsabovemaximum
heightof tablesawblade.
#8x2" brass F.H.wood screw
Mahoganykeys
on maple
Assemble the corner rabbeting jig so the support bevels and the bottom edge of the backing rest flat on your tablesaw. Place the lower pair
of screws at least !Vz" above the lower edge of the backing and base to
avoid accidental contact with the tablesaw blade.
16
2008
Let's make a facekeyed miter joint
cut a slot the distancefrom the face of the

blank slightly thicker than your saw kerf
will cut in your frames.Usea featherboard
and pushstickfor added control. Flip the
piece end for end and cut a secondslot, as
shownin Photo A, leavinga Vz"bridge in
the middle to connectthe key stock to the
blank. Then, by hand or on a bandsaw,cut
the key stockfree from the blank.
workpiececorner,as shownoppositetop.
By cutting the rabbet on the frame face
pressedtight againstthe jig, you'll minimize tear-out.For keys on both sidesof
the frame, rotatethe workpieceand make
a secondcut.
In preparation,build a corner rabbeting

jig using 3/qxl" supports and a piece of
MDF overlay plywood, t/q" Baltic birch
plywood, or MDF. You'll also need assembled frames plus scrapwood frame
cornersfor practice.
To make key stock that works with the
2"-wideframepartsshown,resawa pieceof
/+" stockthat's4W'wideby roughly8" long
to createtwo 2"-wide piecesof key stock.
The blank can be a singlepieceof wood or
an edge-gluedcombinationof woods.Raise
your saw blade to 2" and set your fenceto
Set your tablesawblade height to 2" for

cornerson 2"-widestock.Make test cuts
in scrapmiters to fine-tune your cutting
depth and position. Secure the mitered
frame in the jig, and set the fence so the
blade will cut a kerf-deeprabbetinto the
If necessaryafter sawing the keys,plane

them to just thicker than the depthof your
rabbet. Glue and clamp the key stock to
the corners on the front, back, or both
facesof thq.frame,as shownin Photo B.
Bandsawthe excesskey stockfrom the
edgesof the frame, as shownin Photo C.
Flush-sandthe edgesand facesof the keys
with the edgesand facesof the frame.
To cut the key stock, leave a bridge about

Vz"wide between the saw kerfs. Later,
you can remove the bridge with a bandsaw or handsaw.
Before gluing and clamping, plane the

face keys to about t/az"thicker than the
depth of the key rabbets in the frame
stock. Then, glue and clamp.
To saw keys flush with the frame, remove

excess key stock with a bandsaw. Then,
sand the face and edges flush using a
random-orbit sander.
How to further
decoratethis joint
wood movement.Glue and seatthe plugs,

leaving about %" abovethe surface.Remove the excesswith a flush-cuttins saw.
as shownin Photo E. Finish by sanding

the plugs flush with the frame'sface. t
Face keys alone offer you dozens of

wood combinations,but your imagination needn'tstop there.Adding dowelsor
plugsto the keys,as shownat right, gives
them evenmore character.
Begin by marking the locationsof the
plugson the keys,as shownin Photo D.
We placedthese:/s"plugsVz"fromthe long
edgeof the key, spacingthem 1" apartand
equal distancesfrom the shorteredgesof
the keys. For your plugs, use either the
frame wood speciesor introduce a third
speciesto thejoints.
Theseplugsextendthroughthe key and
into the frame without emergingthrough
the faceon the other side.Orient the grain
of theplugswith thatof thekeysto allow for
woodmagazine.com
Gut the corner rabbets
Space the plugs an equal distance from

the miter joint line. Plug locations can be
adjusted to suit your key and frame sizes.
Attach the keys
Writtenby Bob Wilson
When using a flush-cutting saw to remove

plug stock above the key, cut parallel to
the direction of the key grain.
17
SplineGuttingJig
T
T
A slighttilt of a saw blade

givesyourcornersplines
a wholenewlook.
VIEW
EXPLODED
T
gu
/*
L/'t''\
#8 x 2" F.H.wood screws
7se"shank hole,countersunk
on back face
45'bevels
I t doesn'ttake much work to put a new

! spinon traditionalsplinedmiterjoints.
I Justinstall thesplinesatanangle,aswe
I did above on a maple-and-walnutletter tray, and you get eye-catchingresults.
First, makethe simplespline-cuttingjig
for your tablesaw shown above. Then,
mark three evenly spacedspline locations
on a piece of scrap the samewidth as the
tray side.
Install a blade in your tablesaw that
producesthe flattestpossiblekerf bottom.
(We used an outsideblade from our dado
set.)Tilt the blade to 15o,and raise it so
it extendsabout halfway into the mitered
corner. Set your jig against the tablesaw
rip fence, place your marked scrap in the
jig, and adjustthe fence to cut a test slot.
Now make the other slots,readjustingthe
fence betweencuts.
When you're satisfied with the design,
place clear packing tape around the workpiece corners to reduce chip-out. Hold
the workpiece firmly in the jig, and cut
as shown in Photo A. Cut the top slot in
each corner, adjust the fence, cut all four
middle slots, adjust again, and cut the
bottom slots. Removethe tape.
18
Rip splinestockfrom theedgeof a board

of contrastingstock,asshownin Photo B.
Match its thicknessto the kerf-usually
%". Then, cut individual splinesfrom the
strips, making them slightly longer than
the slots.Spreadyellow glueon thesplines,
slip them into place, and let the glue dry.
Trim them off at the surfacewith a flush-
cutting saw or use a dovetail saw followed by a chisel.Sandflush.

By varying the number and placement
of the corner splines, you can come up
with other designs.You might try different sawblade angles,too. al
Double-check the orientation of your workpiece before cutting. Here we're holding
the bottom of the tray to the left, so the
slots will point downward.
To cut splinestock,usethe thin-strip

rippingjig (seethe how-todetails,beginning on page5) to cut splinestock.
Repositionthe fencebetweencuts.
Photographs:Hetherington Photography
lllustration:Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson
2008
vrEW
I exeloDED
PatWarner's
Two-Part
DadoJig
#8 x 1Y4'F.H.wood screw
We introducethis
chapterwith jigs from
three router experts.
Readon to appreciate
why they're sold on
these shop helpers.
7/aq"pilol hole t/2" deep
I n addition to writing four router

I books, Pat Warner has designedspeI cialty router bits. Additions include
I inexpenseivedisposable single-flute
mortising bits and pattern bits (straight
bits with shankbearings).
Why you need this jig
c
6
o
E
oo
3
i
6
o
o
(L
'Accuracy in routing requiresattentionto

detail-and not much sophistication,"Pat
notes.This Californian's simplejig helps
match dado width to shelf thickness.
Using Pat'stwo-part jig, we set up to cut
a dadoin lesstime than it takesto equip a
tablesawwith a dado set.
How to build Pat'sjig

You'll need to assembletwo of the jigs
shown above. (We cut two pairs of jigs,
one from t/+"-thick plywood and another
usingmedium-densityfiberboard(MDF).
If you plan to make dadoes10" or longer,
build additionalpairs with the top pieces
at least 12" long or more.
Put the two-part jig to use
ultimately be placed in the dado. Here's

one key to a snugdado: Go through each
sandingstepyou plan to follow until your
samplepiecereachesits finishedthickness.
For this example,we're cutting a dado
in the side of a cabinet for a shelf. Position the two-part jig where you plan to
cut the dado; then snug the sandedshelf
scrapbetweenthe parts, as shown in the
photo opposite top. Next, clamp both
parts firmly in place at the edgesaway
from the gap to keep the clampsfrom interfering with the router.
After removing the sample (savethis
piece for future reference),setyour router
cutting depthequalto the thicknessof the
jig parts plus the depth of cut you want.
Then rout a dado using a pattern-cutting bit (also sold as a shank-bearing
guided trimmer). The bearing of this bit
rides along the edge of the jig parts and
producesa crisp, squaredado, as shown
in the drawing oppositefar top.
"Be surethe cutter isn't larger than the
bearing,"Pat cautions,"or elseyou'll tear
up the edgesof your jig parts." Q
Before you begin cutting dadoes,you'll

need a sample of the stock that will
20
2008
Two-partjig
Workpiece
Firstpass
Secondpass
vlEW
l!onoo JtcstDE
KIR'F
Fr+,n
;*q;'#,t$sxag'
'**aas
" #Eafl
A f t e r l o c a t i n gt h e d a d o p o s i t i o n ,p l a c e a p i e c e o f f i n i s h - s a n d e ds c r a p b e t w e e n
t h e j i g ' s t w o p a r t s .T h e n c l a m p t h e p a r t s t o t h e w o r k p i e c e .
To avoi d teari ng out the edge of your

w orkpi eceas you fi ni s h your cut , as
show n bel ow , cl ampa sacr if icialpiece
of scrapwoodto the edge of your work.
H ereareothertacti csP atr ecom m ends
to reducetear-out:
. Good material.Routing
straight-grained,
properl yseasonedhar dwoodr educes
tear-out.Interesting
grainpatterns,includingbird's-eye
andquiltedmaple,havevisual
appeal,butcreatemorerouting
challenges.
. Well-prepared
possible,
stock.Wherever
el i mi nate
cups and bows in your st ock
beforeyou get to the routingsteps.
. Sharpen cutters. Well-honedbits producel esstear-out.
. Li ght cuts. l f you cut deepert han 7e"
w i th one pass,you' reapt t o int r oduce
tear-outto yourproject;7e"is ideal.
. Feed rate.You'llworsentear-outwitha
fastfeed rate.
. Climb-cutting.Youcan reducetear-out
witha climbcut (cuttingwiththe rotation
of the bi t i nsteadof againstit ) . Light
cuts and addedsafetyproceduresare
a must.See the noteson page24.
. C ut end grai nfi rst. B ec auseendgr ain
is moreapt to tear out, rout it first.Then
routedgegrainandcleanup anytear-out.
!:
I:{-*
I
tr
l f t h e d a d o i s t o o s n u g ( s o m e t i m e sc a u s e d b y a p a t t e r n - c u t t i n gb i t t h a t ' s
s m a l l e rt h a n t h e b e a r i n g ) s, h i m o u t t h e s h e l f s c r a p w i t h a s h e e t o r t w o o f
p a p e r ,a d j u s t t h e j i g p a r t s ,a n d r o u t a g a i n .
woodmagazine.com
ll
PatrickSpielmanns
Multi-Hole
Doweling
Jig
Patrick was one of
North Americansmost
prolific woodworking
authors,producing
severalbooks on
routers and router
tips. This jig was one
of his favorites.
Patrick Spielman's doweling jig makes quick work of doweling tasks, including the face
frame joinery (end to edge grainl above. The 7a"guide-bushing hole is compatible with
and 7a"dowel pins. The positioning block ensures quick, accurate alignment of
T4",s/16",
the stock. lllustrations, opposite,show routing dowel-pin holes in the railand stile.
atrick Spielman of Fish Creek,

Wisconsin, authored more than
75 woodworking books. His original Router Handbook sold more
than a million copies, and his revised
New Router Handbook remains one of
Sterling Publishing's best-selling titles.
Before he died in 2005, Patrick sharedhis
popular multi-hole doweling jig
Why you need this jig

In addition to positioning dowelsfor most
doweling joints (we found the jig particularly useful for face-framejoinery), this is
a greatjig for aligning.shelf-supportpins.
"The dowel joint makes a lot of sense
to me," Patrick said.Dowels provide extra
mechanical strength when joining end to
edge grain. Plus, they're quicker to make
than hand-cut dovetails.
"The dowel joint is pptty much foolpoof, and with this jig, you can take the
joint further and have the dowels come
through the other side."
The 2" counterbored slots in the
sh"-thickplasticjig make Patrick'sjig ver-
22
satile.The adjustable,removablestopwill
help you precisely position face stock.
How to build Patricknsiig
Follow Drawing 1 and 1a, opposite top,

to build the jig. Lay out and drill the 5/s"
holes as accuratelyaspossiblein the plastic. (We used a drill pressfor this step.)
For a source for the knob on this
project, seeleevalley.com.
Put the iig to use
With a guide bushing in your

router, dowel holesalwaysline
up regardless of how accurately you spacedthe /s" holes
for your doweling jig. For this
type of plunge routing, use
upcut spiral bits like the one
shown at left.
To position the jig and router
to makeidentically spaceddowel
holes in face frame stiles and
. rails, see the two illustrations
opposite.*
Upcutspiralrouterbit
2008
llslor DETATL
vrEW
I exeloDED
7a"counterboredslot
/10"deep with a
t/a"slot centeredinside
7a"counterboredslot
s/0"deep with a
't/q"
slol centeredinside
e
EI
Te" hole
e/a"acrylic
1" counterbore
e/+"deep with a
t/q"hole centeredinside
t/q" T-nul
)4
1,/""
\@
L,
Two-pleceguide bushings easily attach
to your router's base.
7+"counterbore
t/a"deep with a
t/q"hole
centered
inside _ab
(/'@
/a" slot
1" long
/+" SAE washer
1/q"f -nut
ONST|LE
E cuTTrNGHOLES
ONRA|L
E cuTTrNGHOLES
Originallydesigned for doweling,this jig

also helps you make evenly spaced holes
for shelf pins. To avoid goofs, tape over
hofes you won't use, as shown above.
(Spacing of 1Vc-2"between holes works
well in most applications.)
The plastic world

With more than 35 yearsof routerexperience,Patrickdeplastic.We builthis jig from
signedmanyjigs incorporating
s/e"polycarbonate
becauseit's readilyavailableat hardware
stores and home centers. However,Patrick preterredt/2"
polycarbonate,
a thicknessthat'stougherto find.
"lf you can find 1/2"
plastic,"Patricksaid, "you havefewer
woodmagazine.com
problemswithguidebushingsbeingtoo longfor the bits.Plus,

thickerplasticmakesit easierto routadjustableslots."
"l avoidacrylicplasticbecauseit's brittle,"Patrickadded.
"l'vehadfewerproblemswithpolycarbonate
plasticcracking
or breakingarounda holeor nearthe edge."
We found our local polycarbonate
supplierunder"plastics"in the phonedirectory.
23
2
CarolReedns
Pushsticks
3I | ;fi#J,',,:i:;:
3.',T'l::
ffi
I taught router and woodworking

I technique for more than 20
years. This Phoenix-arearesident also
demonstratesher talents at woodworking
and home and garden shows. Her first
book, Router Joinery Workshop, was
publishedin 2003.
Why you need these iigs
"I like to call thesepushsticksmy 'success

devices'," Carol says."The real reason
to usepushsticksis that,not only will you
be safer,you'll reduceburn marks and errors.Overall,you'll enjoymore success."
Put the pushsticks to use
With the aid of a feather board, Garol

Reed's pushstick for narrow stock keeps
workpieces flat against the router table.
When paired with a featherboard, Carol's

narrow-stockpushstick helps you control
small pieces,as shownin Photo A. The
vertical pushstick,Photo B, supportsthe
endsof tall pieces.
"I usethis handledesignat my tablesaw
andjointer, too," Carol advises.After you
chew up the soleand heel,sendit through
the jointer and attachnew pieces.
'And don't think of just '1A"-thick
material. I have safely routed with
7s"pushsticksand a little heel."l
Written by Carl Voss
Carol's vertical pushstick, with a replaceable t/+"plywood heel, helps you press tall
pieces firmly againstthe router table fence.
How to build Carol'sjigs

Follow Drawings 1, 2, and 3 to cut the
piecesfor Carol'stwo routertable accessories.Createa templateof the handledesign,
Carol says,and then "make an armload of
thesedarn things.That way, you won't feel
bad whenyou chewup oneof yourjigs."
We made our handles from easily
worked and inexpensive MDF. To
assemblethe vertical pushstickused for
routing the ends of long stock, glue and
-clampthe baseto the MDF upright piece.
After applying glue to the handle,rub it
acrossthe upright and clamp it in place.
Glue on the heel last.
To makethe pushstickfor narrow stock,
glue the base to the handle and clamp
until dry. For safety,do not usemetal fastenersto hold the piecestogether.
t,
\
,,ft
1/ntl
)tr*
41
\t\
i
11/q"
I-t\+_
-lr,U 1/2"
N__\_
l-r
3/q"
I
____----l
8s/q'
l
ss>=-_._=
5"
l ijill
3/a"
30" bevelon handle I

|
':ll
I il?"
iIilj
2'/r',
)'t*
PUSHSTTcK @ vemcAL-srocK
PUSHSTTcK
ll runnnow-srocK
Glimb-cut safely
with
to approachclimb-cutting
Caroladviseswoodworkers
addedcaution.(Althoughthis methodof clockwisecutting
with a handheldrouterproducesless splinteringthan the
traditionalcounter-clockwise
direction,the routertends to
you
pull itselfaway from the operator.)
With climb-cutting,
can removeburnmarksor cleanup tear-out,makingonly a
with a handheldrouter.
%+"plSS
"But I don'tadvocateany climb-cutting
at a routertable,"
Caroladds."Thinkof it thisway:A routertablewas designed
24
l--n*,,
t/a"round-overs
to cut wood narrowerthan the handheldrouterbase. lf you

introducewood to the backsideof a cutterat a routertable,
you essentially
dropyourstockontoa movingsidewalk.And
if you'retryingto controla smallpiece,wherewill your fingersgo? Rightintothe bit."
"For safety, I encourageall my studentsto draw big bit
rotationarrowswith a Sharpiemarkeron their routerbases
and motors."The arrowsprovidea constantand readilyvisiblereminderof whichdirectionthe bit is turning.
2008
p nnruolEFULL-stzE
PATTERN
woodmagazine.com
25
Router
Trammel
Gut perfect circles
from 15"to 48" in
diameterwith this
shop-madeaccessory.
R
Say goodbye to rough and irregular
edges the next time you cut a circle or
ring. And, using the trammel's extended
base for added stability (rightl, you can
detail an edge or rabbet the back of a
cabinet without fear of the router tipping.
Build your own trammel

Cut a piece of Vz"Baltic birch plyI wood to 6x9t/+"for the extendedbase
(A). Cut a centered /a" groove t/q" deep
alongoneend,whereshownon Drawings 1
and4. Use a table-mountedrouter with a
slot cutter or a tablesawwith azero-clearanceinsert to cut the groove.
f)Spray-adhere the full-size base patGtern onto the blank, aligning the /s"
groove with the groove location marked
on the pattern.Bandsawand sandthe extendedbase(A) to shape.
flRemove thebaseplate
from yourrouter,
9and position the plate on the paperpattern adheredto the extendedbase.Align
holeswith thecenteringlineson
thebaseplate
thepattern.Mark thescrew-holecenterpoints,
as shownin Photo A. Tracethe router-bit
clearancehole onto the extendedbase.
and countersink the marked
/lDrill
ttholes
for attachinsthe extendedbase
{
plrnnunaEL
ARM
t/2" hole s/ro"dggp,
z on bottom face
--l
s/ro"hole
11/z'7
3"
tl
13/. ^tl
to the router. Then drill or scrollsaw the

router-bit clearance hole.
bottom
fiRout a %" round-over along the
dedse of the extended base. where shown.
Note:-Do not round over the end of the
base with the groove.
Router-bit
clearancehole
26
plywood
s/ro"hole--l 1t/'" 1)
Locationof @
t/2
1/zu
t/q" tlal washer
t/e"round-over
ttt
t/q-20lapered knob
3zle"long
t/q-20x 11h' F.H

machinescrew
t/e"round-overon bottom
edge,excepton groovedend
/2" recess 17t/2" long

s/re"deep, centered
BASE
EexreruDED
t/e"groove
't/q"
deep,
centered
/e" groove't/q" deeP
To markthe base hole centerpoints,transfer

the screw-holelocationsfrom your router
baseplate onto the extended base, positioning them over the centering lines.
13/q'
_l
Form the trammel arm
From r/2"Balttc birch plywood, cut a

il piece to 3x20" for the trammel arm
(B). Cut a centered %" groove t/+" deep
along one end of the arm, where shown
on Drawing 2.
f)On the top face of the arm, mark the
4centerpoints, and drill a pair of s/ta"
holes through the arm, where dimensionedon Drawing 2. Connectthe hole
perimeters for the slot (to be cut later)
with a straightedgeand pencil.
tl On thebottomface of the trammel arm
tJ(B), usea Forstnerbit to drill a vz"hole
sAa"deep,whereshownon Drawing 2.
ATo form the trammel-arm recess,
Clinstall at/2" straightbit into your tablemounted router. Raise the bit sAo"above
the surfaceof the table.Positionthe fence
so the bit centersover the t/2"hole drilled
in the previousstep.Mark start and stop
referencelines I t/2"from the centerof the
straightbit on the router fence.
fiBring the trammelarm (B) up to the left
dstart line on the routerfence,and slowly
lower it onto the bit. as shownin Photo B.
{
Best-Ever Woodworking Jigs, Homemade Tools,& Shop Organizers 2008
-.- 5/te-18three-armknob
#Bx1/2"F.H.woodscrew
5/ro"flat --- i
washer
\s
pexeloDEDvrEW
PIVOTPIN
CUTTINGDETAIL
CENTERPOINT
ADJUSTMENTPLATE
Ti
l+-20 tapered knob

3zla"long
#8 x s/e"F.H.
wood screw \
TRAMMELARM
161/z'
s/'ra"llal washer
groundto fit 1
t/2" feCeSS
-l.-
7se"shank hole,
countersunk
z/oa"
pilot hole
Ta"deep
.H
s/ro"hexheadbolt
2" longwith head
hacksawedoff
s/ro"slot
t/e"round-overon
bottom edge,
excepton groovedend
1/a"grooves'
1/4"deep,centered
recessuntil the
Carefully rout a s/rc"-deep
trailing end reachesthe right stop line on
the fence.Lift the trammel arm off the bit.
fiScrollsaw the %0"-wide slot previLfously marked on the top face of the
trammel arm (B). Rout a %" round-over
along lhe bottom edges of the trammel
arm excepr on the grooved end, where
indicatedon Drawing 2.
Join the extended base to

the trammel arm
From %" hardboard, cut the spline
I tCl to size. Glue the spline into the
groovedend of the trammel arm.
f)Cut the connectorplate (D) to size
&from
V4" hardboard. Drill the two
countersunkmountingholesand glue and
screwthe connectorplate to the trammel
{
Holesfor mounting
@
to yourrouter,countersunk
on bottomside
%"straight
straightbit
bit
%"
Align the end of the trammel arm (B) with the

start line on the router fence and carefully
lower it onto the straight bit. Rout the recess
until the trailing end reachesthe stop line.
woodmagazine.com
Three-armknob
sAa"tlal
washer
5/ro"slot
5/ro"hexnut
l/q"hole, countersunk
on bottomface
Pivotpin
12"recess
5/6"deep
/s" round-over
EXTENDEDBASE
arm (B), where shown on Drawing 3.

Slidethe extendedbase(A) overthe spline
(C) in the trammel arm. Drill and countersink the Vq"hole through the baseand
connector plate for the knob machine
screw. where indicated on the extended
basepattern.This ensuresholealignment
and a tight fit betweenthe two pieces.
Add the centerpoint

adjustment plale
Cut the guidebars(E) and (F) to size.
I Drill the holesshownon Drawing 3.
Screwthe three piecestogether.
l) Grind oppositeedgesoff a2" long s7ru"
Atlat washerso it fits into the t/2"-wide
trammel-arm recess.Hacksaw the head
off a sAe"hexheadbolt, where shown on
Drawing 3a. Thread a s/re"hexnut onto
the bolt. Assemblethe adjustmentplate
to the trammel arm (B) in the configuration shownon Drawing 3b.
{
Puttingthe trammelto work
tr
END SECTIONVIEW
20"
fit /2" ICSS
PIVOTPIN
@rnnuMELARM
t/a" hole
s/ro"hexnut to --4
Using trammel pointsor a largecompass,

mark the centerpointand requiredradius
on your workpiece. Cut the workpiece
about %" oversize with a handheldjigsaw.This leaveslessmaterial to rout and
improves the quality of the cut. At the
previouslymarkedcenterpointdrill a5/ro"
hole 3/s"deep. Position the centerpoint,
adjustmentplate with attachedpivot pin

until the distancefrom the inside cutting
edge of the straight bit to the center of
the pivot pin equals the desired radius of the circle. Now, drop the pivot
pin into the centered hole and begin
routing in a counterclockwise direction, as shownoppositetop.
For a sourcefor the knobs on this and
other projects,seeleevalley.com. I
Projectdesign:Jeff Mertz
extendedbase
1/2" 6"
trammelarm
1/2"
spline
t/a
Ply
3"
Ply
t/2
HB1
plate 1/+" 3"

connector
91h"
HB1
guidebars
1/2" 1/z'
2u
Ply
%" 2"
idjulifr-diiidute
a"
HB 1.
HB-hardboard.
Materialskey:Ply-plywood,
woodscrews
adhesive,
#8x7e"
flathead
Supplies:Spray
(2),#8xt/2"
(4),1h-20x1Vr"
flathead
woodscrews
flathead
t/a"flatwasher,
t/a-20
tapered
knob,
machine
screw,
(2),
%0"hexhead
bolt2"longwithnut,%0"flatwashers
three-arm
knob.
%o-18
router
Bits:/s"round-over,
%"straight
bits;t/z'Forstner
bit.
27
FULL-srzE
PATTERN
BASE
@ eneruDED
28
2008
FlushTrimming
Fence
Usethis simpleroutertable setup to put
a finishededge on
plywoodpanels.
hile buildinga child'sdresser, ing, and clamp the fencedown. Hold the
lEsrDEsEcfloNvtEW
projectbuilderChuckHedlund
edgedplywood firmly againstthe fence
had to do a lot of flush
as you make each pass,and the edging
trimming on the solid-wood comesout perfectlyflush everytime. ?
edgingthat dressesup the plywood panWrittenby David Stone
els. He neededa foolproof way to get
P r o j e c td e s i g n :G h u c k H e d l u n d
the job done. A handheldrouter with a
l l l u s t r a t i o n sR: o x a n n eL e M o i n e : L o r n a J o h n s o n
flush-trimbit would work, but it's easyto
accidentallytip the routerand gougethe
edging and plywood. Chuck solved the
problem with the router-table-mounted IexeloDED vtEW
fenceshownin the photo,aboveright.
Made of 3/+"plywood, the fence sits
perpendicularto the table, as shown in
Drawings 1 and 1a.The loweredgeof the
fenceis mountedl" abovethe router-table
surface,so it accommodates
edgingup to
/+" thick.
Note: All stockis
To build the project, cut its identi3/+"plywood
cally sizedfenceand baseto 173/+"
wide.
11s/q'i
Measurethe top of your routertableto determinethe length.Cut matchingnotches
ji
Insidewidth
in the baseand fence,positionedto align
j i matcheslong leg
with the bit hole in your table.Two triF i i of trianqulardrace.
I
il t
angular braceshold the base and fence
together.The cleatsat eachend helpposition the assemblyon your routertable.
?'/"'{
Chuck also added a supportpanel to
4l
the bracesthat stiffensthe entire assembly. A hole cut into the supportacceptsa
shop-vacuum
hoseto collectchips.
Widthof
To usethe fence,install a flush-trimbit
routertable
# 8 x 1 1 / z 'F . H . 1 x 1" notches,
in your table-mountedrouter.Align the
wood screws
centered
fenceface flush with the bit's pilot bear-
fl
3/ax 11/zx 16" CLEAT
woodmagazine.com
sits flushwith front

edge of base.
,.**ar^.**{j
Plunge-Routing
Basics
Learn the essentials,and then put your knowhow into practice with the jigs on pages 32-34.
lunge routersdate back to 1949,
when they were first introduced
in Germany by Elu, a company
now owned by Black & Decker.
It wasn'tuntil the early-S0s,
though,that
plunge routersbecamewidely available
in North America.Today,manufacturers
offer more modelsof plungeroutersthan
their fixed-basebrethren.
30
What does a plunqe router

have going for it?Its forte is making cuts on the interior
surface(orfield) of a workpiecefor such
tasksas mortising,stoppeddadoes,inlay,
and sign-routing.To makefield cutswith
a fixed-basemachineyou needto tilt the
spinningbit into and out of the cut, a
tricky and sometimesdicey maneuver.
With a plungerouter,the motor-and-bit

mechanismslides up and down on two
spring-loadedpostsattachedto the base.
First, you presetthe cutting depth, then
releasea lock that raisesthe motor and
bit to a non-cuttingheight. Positionthe
router over the cut, switch on the motor,
and pushit straightdown until it contacts
a depth-stop.Lock the plunge,make the
cut, releasethe lock, and the motor and
bit againspringup. You canevenreadjust
the depth without turning off the router,
which you'll find useful for making
multiplepasseson deepcuts.
.Enatorny of a Plunge Router

Althoughthey can performmanyof the sameduties,ptungerouterslook distincily
different than fixed-base routers. Beyond the motor, collet, and handlesparts common to both styles-a plunge router also has the following:
PLUNGE TOCK
Trippinga lever,or squeezing
or twistinga handle,locksthe
bit'sdepthafterit has penetrated
the work-piece.Releaseing
the lock lifts the bit at the end
of the cut.
MrcRo-ADJUST
Thisfeaturefine-tunes
thecutting
depthwithmicrometer
accuracy.
Plunqe routers have

their ups and downs
PIJUNGE RODS
A pairof springloadedsteel rods
attachedto the
subbaseguide
the motor up and
down, perfectly
perpendicular
to
the base.
Plungeroutersmake short work of some

tricky cuts, but don't toss out your fixedbasedrouterjust yet. Here'swhy:
Plunge pros:
. A plunge router is safer than a fixedbase model becauseits bit protrudes

only when cutting.
. Plunge routers typically offer more
power-up to 15 amps-and most have
variable-speedcontrol, which fixedbasemachinesgenerallydo not. These
are major considerationsif you plan to
table-mountyour router and work with
large bits, suchas panel-raisers.
. For a table-mountedrouter, the plunge
router's depth-adjustmentknobs control
the bit-height changes more precisely.
To take advantageof this feature, you
may needto extendyour router'sheightadjustmentknob. Many manufacturers
include knob extensions with their
plungerouters,or you can buy an extensionfor $20 or so.
Plunge cons:
. Plunge routers cost and weigh more

than fixed-baseroutersand offer no advantageon edge cuts. If you anticipate
making mostly edge cuts, you may be
better off purchasinga lighter and less
expensivefixed-basetool.
. Not all plunge routers work well suspended upside down under a router
table. Falling sawdust can gum up
unshieldedplunge-posts,which you'll
needto cleanperiodically.
. When mounted in a table, adjusting
the bit depth of some models is an.
awkward, two-handedoperation.With
others,removingthe plungemechanism
springs,which makesit easierto raise a
table-mountedrouter,requiresdismantling the machine's motor housing-a
procedurewe don't recommend.
woodmagazine.com
TURRET STOPS
For a projectthat requires
progressivedeepercuts,
such as deep mortises,you
can presetthe steps on a
turret.Rotatingthe turret
enablesyou to quicklystep
from one depth to the next.
rI'
DEPTH ADIUSTMENT ROD AND SCALE:

Not all plungeroutersoffera depth-of-cut
scale, but all have an adjustablerod that helps
you halt the plungeat a precisepresetdepth.
With most plungerouters,yotJ"zero"the tool
by lockingit at the work surface.Then you set
an adjustablecursorto "0" on the scale.The
scale tells you the depth of the dado, mortise,
or othercut you'llbe making.
31
Four qreat wavs

to plu-ngeright in
To put a plungerouterthroughits paces,
you'll need the correct bit for the job at
hand (manufacturersoffer hundreds for
You can spend good money for accessoryjigs, but you can constructyour
own for next to nothing.So we askedour
talented staff to come up with jigs for
four popularplunge-routingtasks.
different shapesand sizes of cuts), and

some type of guide (straightedge,template, or jig). In many casesyou'll also
needguide bushings,which fit into your
to follow the guide.
router'sbaseplate,
Mortising Jig,awnsnu
\
he trick to cutting mortisesin table legsis to preciselypositionthe

mortise on each leg and to make
each mortise exactly the same
length.Build the mortisingjig, as shown
in the drawingat right, and you'll be able
to cut identical Vz"-wrdemortises time
aftertime.
To set up a cut, mark the l,engthand
centerlineof the mortise on your workpiece. Clamp the workpieceto the jig's
baseso the mortiseis centeredin the slot
on the sliding top plate. Lock the plate
into placewith the wing nuts.The threaded rod acts as a stop,and allows you to
adjust the length of the mortise-from
th."to 2t/+".Once you've locked in these
settings,you can quickly transferthe jig
from one workpieceto the next.
Now, fit your router with a /+" guide
bushingand a /:" straightor spiral-flute
bit. (For the cleanestcuts,use an up-cut
spiral for solid wood; a down-cut spiral
with plywood and veneers.)Insert the
guidebushingin thejig's slot,turn on the
power,plunge,lock, and guide the router from one end of the slot to the other.
Deep mortiseswill require two or more
passes-no sweat,thanksto your plunge
router'sturret stops.$
\Q4r
ffi
t/a"threaded rod
A.3/,,lnnn
t
1/4"wing nut
1/+"flalwasner-Zf
11/q'
1/zx 9s/ax 9" plywood
t / 2 x 6 1 / qx 1 1 " p l y w o o d
I
1 / z x 1 x6 % "p l y w o o d
1"
21/q"
g-V
#8 x 1 1/q"F.H.
wood screw
sAe"shank hole,
countersunk
,/
.<
21/q
1/zx 3s/qx 1 1" plywood
%" plywood
EXPLODEDVIEW
32
KeyholeRouting
Jig
sturdy way to hang items, such

as picture and mirror frames,
shelves, and plaques, keyhole
slots can spell trouble if they
aren't exactlythe samedistancefrom the
top of the project. You can go nuts offsetting the wall hangersto compensatefor
the misalignment.
The keyhole-routing jig below, devised by WOODo magazinereader Don
Thomas and modified by reader Luther
Williamson, consistsof a frame that fits

your router'sbase.The routerrides on the
rabbetson eachrail.
With the help of a movable stop, you
can bore slots 6%", 7Vq",or 8" from the
top of the frame. After setting the stop,
center and clamp the jig to one of the vertical frame pieces,place the router at the
near end of thejig, plungewith a keyhole
bit. slide it to the far end. then back out of
the cut. Repeatthe processon the other
sAa
Lengthof router
base + 3gle"
,:
3/qu
th" hole,
countersunk
11/2" I
R
EXPLODED
VIEW
MovABLE
sroP litgl',i^:?'
1Y2"
Panel-Routing
Jig
routerremovesstock,so how can it
raise a panel?Actually, plunging
with a bearingless bit into the
ield of a flat panel createsthe
illusion of frame-and-panel construction. This techniqueis limited to making
raisedpanelswith medium-densityfiberboard (MDF), which you plan to paint.
The Panel-Routing Guides, shown

below, amount to a simple frame with
splined corners that let you adjust it to
a variety of panel sizes. Cleats on the
back of the frame capturethe panel.And
to keep the router from tipping toward
the field and ruining the cut, we taped
a small disc the same thickness as the
guides to one corner of the router's base

with double-facedtape.
We madethesecuts with a plunge-ogee
bit, but you also could use a bearingless
ovolo or plunge bead bit. You also can
create bevels and coves up to lVz" wide
with bigger,3V2"raised-panelcutters,but
theseare bestusedin a router table.|l
t/6'y t5/16X 3/+"
#8x 1"F.H.
wood screw
t/a"slots
t/z" deep
t/e"slots
lz" deep
3/+x 3/qx 24" cleat
l/sy1sA6X3Vq"
hardboardspline
3/qx3/q x 30" cleat
7/a+"pilol hole t/2" deep
woodmagazine.com
EXPLODEDVIEW
33
CircleCutting
Trammel
ere we offer two ways to help
your plunge router get around.
For routing larger circles and
arcs,build and outfit your router
with the Circle-CuttingTrammel,shown
below,that cutscirclesup to aboutJ2" in
diameter.The jig's two steel rods slide
as shownat right.
into the subbase,
Set the radius of your arc or circle by
measuringfrom the cutting edge of the
bit to the centerpin on the jig, and lock
in the radiususing the threadedknobs.
Insert the pin into a predrilledhole at
the center of the workpiece, and use
With
the trammellike a giant cornpass.
thicker or harder stock, you rnay need
to make this cut in severalprogressively
deeperpasses.
Leery aboutdrilling a centerhole that
might mar your project?Here'san easy
solution:Drill and cut from the back or
undersideof the workpiece.rF
W r i t t e nb y J i m H u f n a g e l w i t hD a v i d C a m p b e l l
T e c h n i c acl o n s u l t a n tJ: a m e s R . D o w n i n g
l l l u s t r a t i o n sR: o x a n n eL e M o i n e ;L o r n a J o h n s o n
*=.::;;#
EXPLODEDVIEW
1/a"rod 1s/q"
long,
g r o u n d to a point
\
%" plasticknob
ll +
\/
Et
i&
: H
i H
Sources
LocatepreviousWOADmaqazine
router articlesat
\,vri( tifir.}{g r.'i{}ei
'
1/q" hole
...-----------_<r.
source,
Fora hardware
seepage11.
j''"
5/e"
34
RiiiitHr-Table
PushPad
ot only does this

simple guide keep
stock
perfectly
squareto the router fence, it also supports
the back edgeof the routed
stockto minimize tear-out.
Plus, it keeps your hands
safelyaway from the spinning bit.
To build it, cut the pieces to the sizesand shapes
noted on the drawing.Cut
several extra supports so
you can replace them as
the inside end gets routed
away. For a comfortable
grip, rout the edges of
the handle with a V4"
round-over.
Screw,but do not glue,
the support to the base.
Then, screw the handle
to the base. Sufficiently
countersink the screws
securingthe handleto the
base so they don't scratch
or catchon the top of your
routertable.lF
Projectdesign:Tom Clark
HANDLE
t/+"round-overs
1
3"
<.>
EXPLODEDVIEW
s/sz"
shank hole,countersunk
on bottomside,with a
7/aq"pilolholee/+" deep in handle
Findmoreshopproiectplansat:
woodmagazine.com/freeplans
(
#8x11/z"F.H.
wood screw
woodmagazine.com
35
DouetailKeyJig
Perhapsno otherioint
has more strength
or better looks than
a cornerjoined by
through dovetails.
But here'sa simpler
joinery processthat
comes pretty close.
With just a router
table and a homemadeiig, you can
crank out terrific box
corners like the one
aboveright.
{ The jig below mountsto a miter gauge

* that slidesin the miter slot of a router
table. Built to the length shown,on most
router tables it will handle boxes with
sidesup to about24" wrde.You can tailor
the length to better suit your router table.
Note: If your table has a plunge router,
it may be impossibleto raise the bit high
enough to make a full-depth cut. AIso,
the shorter shanks on smaller bits may
prevent the bit from cutting high enough.
In that case,you may have to make the
jig froml/2" plywood.
The miter slot-to-routerbit spacingon

your table may affect the exactplacement
of the screws.Be sureto put them where
the routerbit will not cut into them.
. ;Mark the locationwherethe shankof
:..,thedovetailbit will passthroughthejig
in the following steps.First usea 1"-wide
dadoset.asshownin Drawing 2, to remove
the stockin this areaof the jig; this will
allow the bit to passthroughthejig. Make
this cut through only the "V" portion of
the jig-do not cut through the vertical
piece that mounts to the miter gauge.
IexeloDED vrEW
STOPBLOCK
DETAIL
t/a"sawdust relief
rabbetst/a"deep
3/qx21/2x6"
stopblock
'r'aI
,.
3/qx 31/qx 24'r plywood
#10 R.H.or P.H.woodscrews

#8 x 11/2"
F.H.wood screws
36
3/qx3x24"
plywood
JE
You also could make this cut by sawinga

seriesof kerfs with a handsawand chiseling out the waste.
Mount a dovetail bit in your tablemounted router. We used an tt/re"diameterbit with an 8ocutter angleand a
/2" shank for the dovetails shown opposite top in the t/+"-thickcornerstock.Most
dovetailbits will work, and you may want
to considerusing smallerbits for thinner
stock.Raise the bit so it will cur to the
correct approximatedepth through your
workpiecesitting in the jig.
jig throughthe spinningbit,
QPass the
\Jas shown in Drawing 3. The bit's
shankshouldpreventthe bit from passing
through the back sideof the jig.
,fi Assemble a mitered corner from
*fscrap
stock of the same thickness
as the wood used in your box. Use this
test piece to fine-tune the height of the
routerbit. On the inside of the "V," mark
the centerof the dovetailcut. as shownin
Drawing 4.
frOn a piece of paper that's as long as
rJyour box corners,lay out the position
of the dovetails.You can spacethe dovetails evenly or unevenly, but it usually
looks bestto havea symmetricalarrangement.For our box, we put one dovetail in
the exact center,with equal spacingbetween the dovetails.The spacebetween
the end dovetailsand the endsof the corner equal half of the spacebetweenthe
dovetails.Mark the dovetail centers.
Position your layout on the inside of
the jig's "V," as shown in Drawing 5,
woodmagazine.com
with the centerof the right-mostdovetail

aligned with the center mark on the jig.
Positionand clamp the block at the end of
the paperlayout.
jig, butt it against
ftPlace your box in the
\rthe stop, turn on the router, and pass
the V portion of the jig through the bit as
shownin Drawing 6.Aftermakingthecut,
lift the workpieceoff the jig and pull the
jig back through the bit. Do not leavethe
box in thejig whenyou pull thejig backdoing so may enlarge the dovetail cut.
Make this cut on eachof the box corners
(four total cuts).
JRotate the box 180o so its bottom
f facesin the oppositedirection it faced
in the previousstep.Butt the box against
the stop, and again cut each of the four
cornersas shownin Drawing 7. Rotating
the box in this fashionensuressymmetrical spacing.Move the clampedstopblock
as necessaryto make the remaining cuts.
QMeasure the depthof the dovetailcuts,
\Jas shownin Drawing 8. Your dovetail
key stock should be l/ro"thicker than the
depth of the dovetail cut. Rip this stock
so it's t/ro" wider than the widest part of
the dovetail cut.
Ousing the samedovetail bit as before,
Vadjust it t/td" higher than the thickness of your dovetail-key stock. Adjust
the fence on your router table so the bit
just barely cuts into the key stock at table
height, as shownin Drawing 9.
Passthe stock along the bit. At the end
of the cut you will get a small amount of
snipe.You'll cut this off later.
{ flRotate the key stock end for end,

| \Jkeeping the sameface down. Rout
the other edge,as shownin Drawing 10.
Test the fit of this stock in the dovetail
cuts. (Slide the unsniped portion of the
stock into the dovetail cut.) The stock
should be slightly too wide. Adjust the
fencejust a hair and recut the stock. Do
this until the stockfits tightly in the dovetail cuts.Cut off the snipedends.
{ { Cut the key stock into lengths
I I about W" longer than the dovetail
cuts. Apply glue to the dovetail cuts and
slide the keys into them, leaving about
Vs" extra key length at both ends of the
.
dovetailcuts.
After the glue sets,saw off the excess.
key stock, as shown in Drawing 11. A
special flush-cutting handsaw works
well, or you can usea typical handsawif
you protect the box with a sheetof card
stockas shown.Q
Writtenby Bill Krier with Chuck Hedlund
lllustrations:Brian Jensen; Roxanne LeMoine
37
RouterPlaning
Jig
How Craig Bentzley

Gorralswild grain
.,]',,lllx
3J li,J'T'
[,T:-l:,i'l'-'
I with some wild wood." says

I craftsman Claig Bentzley of
Chalfbnt. Pennsylvania.After more than
30 years of buildin-efurniture and restoring antiques, Craig's amassed a pile of
curly. crotch, quilted, and spalted stock.
Like -tems in the rough, these boards are
destined to become door panels. tabletops. or other eye-catchin-sparts in his
mllselrm-quality work. "Fi-uuredstock is
tricky." l-resays. "Most production shops
will toss theseboards becausethey're to<r
much work." Though it takes time. taming wild stock can be rewarding. "Once
yoLr see what yor"r'reworking with. you
won't mind the extra tirne." he says.
Tametear-outwith
jig
a router-planing
Typically, wild-,grained boards are
cupped. twisted. or bowed. To flatten
thenr, Crai,e pref'ers usin-e hand planes,
but this piece of crotch walnut, rigltt, tapered from one end to the other, required
a dift-erent tact. "l could have hanclplaned one f'acein less time than it took
to bLrildthe.iig. But now that it's bLrilt.the
router works twice as fast." he says.The
hoarcls
ii,e's rails can be sized to sr.rrf-ace
or lzirninationsseveralf'eetwide or lon-t.
There are seven parts to Crai-e'sjiStwo sides. two handles. a base. and two
rails. To build it. cr-rtthe parts to the dim e n s i o n ss h o w n i n D r a w i n g 1 . a n d t h e n
d r i l l a n d c o u n t e r s i n kt h e s c r e w h o l e s i n
the t/+"-thickacrylic base so the screw
heads won't hit the rails and there's
enou-uhthread to attach yoLlrroLlter.Drill
38
o
c
c
r!
E
o
6
o
o
6
E
L
Craig Bentzley'ssuper-simpleplaning jig cuts through all types of tough stock

without tear-out. And while most jointers max out at 6 or 8"-wide,this jig can flatten
b o a r d su p t o 1 7 " w i d e .
and countersink the remaining screw

holes for attaching the base to the sides
and the sides to the handles. Bore the
centeredhole for routerbit clearance,and
the starterholesfor the handle openings.
Cut the handle openings,dado the sides
where shown, and then glue and screw
thejig together.
Note that the rails are simply made
from 3/q"scrap plywood. Cut them so
they standabout Vq"taller and at least6"
longer than your workpiece. (The extra
length preventsyour router from taking
a nosedive at the end of the cut. Also,
the inside rail or spacer allows you to
rout beyond the edge of the workpiece.)
You can use any flat-bottomed bit. but
Craig recommendsa ltA" diameter dishcarving bit that routs a wide path. The
bit's radiused edges also help transition
into the next pass.
How to put the routerplaningjig to work

Craig begins the planing processby first
securing the workpiece to his bench
and and attaching his router to the jig's
acrylic base. To hold the workpiece in
place and to preventit from rocking, he
uses a combination of wedges,hot-melt
glue (to temporarily weld the rails to the
workpiece), and bench dogs (to secure
everything to the bench). Next, he sets
his router bit to make a light cut, and
with the tool turned on, he runs the jig

over the face of the workpiece,as shown
opposite. The bit will cut the same
regardlessof the way the grain is running, so you can make your passesback
and forth or acrossthe board. He makes
successivelydeeperpasses,if needed,to
flatten the workpiece.
This jig also doublesas a no-tear-out
thicknesser. Once Craig surfaces one
face, he removes the wedges,flips the
board over, and surfacesthe other side.
Becausethe bit cuts the wood at a different angle than planer knives, it won't
tear the stock.Leavethe board aboutVro"
extra thick for sandinsrouter tracks. lF
4 tips forwildwood
ll exploDEDvtEW
R=1"
HANDLES
43/q"
1tla"starter
hole
DY"?'
i
-/
lqx7 x 36" clearacrylic
Router
mountingholes
3/a" dado
th" deep
7se"shank hole,countersunk
on bottomface
# 8 x 1 1 / z 'F . H .
wood screws
l! eruosEcloN vtEW
ROUTER
HANDLE
ACRYLICBASE
OUTSIDERAIL
STRIGHTBIT
I N S I D ER A I L
woodmagazine.com
. Learnto readroughwood.Unusual
tear-outfrom the sawmillmight
suggestbird's-eyeor curlyfigure.
. Tamethetwistfirst.Flattenoneface
usinga plane,jointer,or a planing jig. At this point,minortearout is okay;you'reonly trying to
establisha flat referencesurface.
. Adjustyourmachinesto cut lightly. Set yourjointerand planerto
makesuper-light
cuts,especially
on the first pass.To improvethe
cut, feed the board at an angle.
You can try misting down the
board with a 50/50 mixture of
fabric softener and water-a
mixture that helps expand and
soften fibers so they cut rather
thantearout.
. When all else fails, scrape or
sand. A scraperplane,such as
the one shown below, is faster
than sanding, and leaves a
smoothersurface.
Fitting in somewhere between a

smoothing plane and a belt sandern
a scraping plane does the best job
of cleaning up curly stock. Being the
easiest plane to master, it requires
no set-up and leaves a smoother
finished surface than a router.
39
40
Ithoughindispensablein a woodworking shop,most drill presses

come equippedwith a table more
suitedto metalworking.This addon table with fence sets things straight,
supplying everything the cast-iron table
on your drill presslacks.
6"----8"
Enuxn-rARYTABLE
EXPLODEDVIEW
Start with the table

For the base (A), cut two l4Vzx29vz"
I piecesof t/2"plywood.(We usedBaltic
birch plywood for its flatnessand absence
of voids.You also can use regularbirch
plywood or medium-densityfiberboard.)
Glue and clamp the piecestogether,keeping their ends and edges flush, where
shownon Drawing 1.
f)From t/+"temperedhardboard,cut the
ltap sides (B), top front (C), and top
back(D) to the sizeslistedin the Materials List. Mark thez/s"-radius
finger notch
on the front edgeof part D, where shown
on Drawing 1. Cut and sandit to shape.
[The notch makes it easy to remove the
insert (E).1Now spreadglue on the backs
of the hardboardtop parts, and glue and
clampthem to the l"-thick plywoodbase,
as shownin Photo A.
cutoutat the rear
QDraw the 3t/q"-radius
\Jof the table,whereshownon Drawing 1.
Bandsawor jigsaw and sandit to shape.
ATo locate the 3Vzx3Vz"cttout in the
'Tadd-on
table base,install a Ve"bit in
the drill-press chuck, center your metal
drill-press table under the bit, and lock
the table in place. Position the add-on
table to centerthe bit in the recessfor the
insert(E) createdby partsB, C, and D. If
the metal drill-press table protrudesbeyond the front edge of the add-on table,
slide the add-on table forward until the
two are flush. Clamp the add-ontable in
place. Now drill a %" hole all the way
through the base(A). Removethe add-on
table, and turn it upsidedown. Mark the
3Vzx3Vz"cutout centeredon the Vs"hole.
Then drill 3/s"holes at the corners, and
cut the opening with a jigsaw. Now cut
the insert (E) to the size listed.
f,For a drill press with slots through
tJits metal table, cut the groove for the
mini-track in the bottom of the add-on
tablewhereshownon Drawing 1.
For a drill press without slots in its
metal table,drill two V+"mountingholes.
Locate the holes about halfway between
the center of the table and its rear edge
and as far apart as possible.Then clamp
the add-on table in place as before, and
tracethe hole locationson its bottom. Cut
the groovefor the mini-track so it passes
over the hole locations.
{
woodmagazine.com
141/z'
on centerpointof
I chuck
Centerpointof
chuck
141/2"
g/sz"pilot hole
4Y2'
291/z'
#6x1/2"F.H.woodscrew
7+"mini-track
29t/z"long
With glue applied to their bottom surfaces, position top parts B, C, and D on the 1"-thick
base (A). To keep them from shifting, tape the top parts to each other and to the base with
masking tape. Then clamp the top and base between 7+"-thickcauls and 2x3 bearers.
ftTurn the table over, and cut dadoes

\Jfor the top mini-tracks, where shown
on Drawing 2. (The dadoesare centered
on thejoint lines betweenthe parts B and
the parts C and D.)
Note: To add under-table dust collection
for the sanding-drum setup shown in the
photo, near left, see page 46.
Now, make the fence
{ Cut the base blank (F), face blanlc

I (G), lower rear blank (H), and upper
rear blank (I) to size. Install a :/a" dado
blade in your tablesaw,and position the
fenceto cut centeredgroovesin the thickness of parts H and I, where shown on
Drawings 3 and 4. Then cut %0"-deep
groovesin theseparts, and mark the face
41
knob
FEN.E EXTENST.N
.4-arm
74"press-ln
insert
fs,threaded
t/+"F.H. bolt
|t/z" long
E EXPLODEDVIEW
/+" SAE washer
sttG_
Ta"steel rod
14/2" long
that was against the saw

-'"14r/;,long
fence. When cutting the
v tU-jJX
top and bottom grooves
MICRO-ADJUSTABLE
in the lower rear blank.
STOPBLOCK
keep the marked face
against the fence for both cuts. Now
HOLD-DOWN
without changingthe setup,cut a mating
ASSEMBLY
groovein the baseblank.
a)Glue and clamp the face blank (G) to
Athe base blank (F), where shown on
Drawing 4. Make sure the face blank is
squareto the base blank. With the glue
dry, glue and clamp the lower rear blank
(H) and upper rear blank (I) in place, as
7+"mini-track
*rm'-'*W
%" hexheadbolt
|Vz" long
14V2"long
FENCE
EXTENSION
4t/2"(See Step 5
on page 41.)
1/q"hole or existingslot
TABLE
DRILL-PRESS
-: =-.-.:
taperedhandleknob
With their marked faces against the back

of the face blank (G), glue the lower rear
blank (H) and the upper rear blank (l) to
each other and to the base blank (F) and
face blank (G). Apply clamping pressure
in two directions.
shown in Photo B. Before

the glue dries, run a length of
7s" steel rod in and out of the
squareholesto clear awayany excessglue.
{!Cut a3/q"groove3/e"deepfor the mini9track in the fence face (G), where
shown on Drawing 4. Then cut a VsxVB"
sawdust-relief rabbet along the bottom
edge of the fence face.
/lTrim one end of the assembledfence

rtblank
square,and then cut it into three
pieces,where shownon Drawing 3, making a 22V2"-longfence and two 3Vz"-long
extensions.Cut off the baseportions of the
extensions,where shown on Drawing 4.
Tiros on usinct
thieaded ins-erts
Shop fixtures and jigs often requirethe
installationof variousclampingor adjustment knobs.That'swhen you'll reachfor
threadedinserts.Commonlyavailablein
sizes from #8-32 (a #8 screw body with
(as/a"screw
32 threadsper inch)to 3/a"-16
body with 16 threadsper inch),there are
two basic types: thread-inand press-in,
shown at near right.
Use thread-ininserts in softer woods
and plywoodwhere their coarse outside
threadscut easily into the surrounding
wood. Simply drill a hole sized for the
bodyof the insert,and screwit intoplace.
ln very hard woods, such as white oak
and maple,or whenthe insertis closeto
the edge of a part and screwingit in may
splitthe wood, drill a hole slightlylarger
than the outside thread diameter,and
42
epoxy the insert in place.To protectthe

internal threads from epoxy, cover the
end of the insert,as shown above right.
Press-ininserts,with their barbedexteriors,work well in hard or soft woods and
plywood.Drill a hole sized for the body
of the insert,and press it into place with
a clampor tap it in with a hammerand a
blockof wood. For applicationsin which

the clampingactiontendsto push the insert out of the wood, such as the knobs
that tightendown on the drill-pressfence
extensionrods,drilla hole that engages
just the tips of the insertbarbsand epoxy
the insertin place.
2008
g FENCEEXPLODEDVtEW
Chuckkey
Y
3/s"grooves
s/0"deep,
7e" groove
s/0" deep
3Aa"trom
front edge
Holesizedto fit
..2 drillchuck key
# 6 x 1 / 2 "F . H .
wood screw
ffiBending a fairing strip to join their

ruFendpoints and centerpoints, mark the
centered radius cutouts on the top of the
fence and the back of its base (F), where
shown on Drawing 3. Bandsaw or jigsaw, and sand them to shape. Then drill
/-+"holes for the bolts that hold the fence
to the table and a hole for the drill-press
chuck key in the f-encebase, where shown
in Drawing 3.
ftTo install press-inthreaded inserts in
Vthe fence portion of part l, drlll1/a"
holes to intersect the top square hole in
the fence, where shown on Drawings
3 and 4. Spread epoxy in the holes, and
press the inserts in place. When the
epoxy cures, ream out any excess that
may have dripped into the extension rod
holes with a 7s" drill bit. For more information on using threaded inserts, see the
sidebar,opltosite.
I iI:i':;l "-iiii: etS$gf1^6L]5q'
t t " i g i . * r 6 ^ - : r;:. r i t r i , F f E ! { ; e
{ Cover the bottoms of the grooves
& and dadoes for the mini-track in the
table and fence with masking tape. Now
apply a clear finish to all parts. (We used
two coats of satin polyurethane, sanding
between coats with 220-grit sandpaper.)
When the final coat of finish dries. remove
the masking tape.
QUsing the countersunk holes in the
ffimini-track as guides, drill pilot holes
into the mating table and fence parts.
(The mini-track supplied with the hardware kit listed in Sources on page 44
comes cut to the needed lengths.) Apply
epoxy to the bottoms of the grooves and
dadoes, and screw and clamp the minitrack in place.
woodmagazine.com
7sz"pilothole
Te"deep
/a" rabbet
(-
Note: The mini-track has a

small flange along one outside edge, where shown on
Drawing 4. To make certain
the track in the fence aligns
with the track in the extensions, orient the flange in
the same direction in all
three parts.
*$Cut four l4t/z"-longpiecta#les of 3/s"steel rod with a
hacksaw.Using SO-gritsandpaper, rough up 3V2."at one
end of each rod, and epoxy
these ends into the square
holes in the fence extensions.
To hold the rods parallel
while the epoxy cures, insert their other ends into the
square holes in the fence.
^ft To make knobs for lock%ine the fence extensions
Trim basesfrom
both extensions.
vtEW
ErerucesEcTtoN
7/'ra"hole
e/6" deep
7e" grooves /io" deep,

centered
7a"grooves3/6"deep,
centered
Mini-track
t,/e"deep
in place,refer to Drawing 2, and thread

7r/z."-long
flathead bolts partway into a
pair of four-armknobs.Apply epoxy under the heads,and then seatthe bolts in
the knobs.
ffi,At shown on Drawing 2, slide the
q#heads of two hexheadbolts into the
auxiliary table bottom mini-track.Position the auxiliarytableon the drill-press
table,droppingthe bolts into the slotsor
holes.Add washersand threadon the taperedhandleknobs.
Note: The taperedhandle knobsfor this
jig accept about t/u" of bolt length. You
may need to trim the 2"-long hexhead
bolts to accommodatethe thickness of
your drill-press table.
ffiSlide hexheadbolts into the auxiliary
{#table topmini-tracks.
Align rheholesin
Trim the fence

extensionshere.
the fencebasewith the bolts,drop on flat

washers,andfastenthe fencewith four-arm
knobs.Then, slide the extensionrods into
the fence,andthreadin the lockingknobs.
-edffiffirTfrLi.iris [;r$*$**tmpfuf;u*re,
S To form the body (J), cut two pieces
F of /+" stockto 2x21/s",
and glue them
togetherface-to-face,keepingtheir ends
and edgesflush. With the glue dry, cut a
t/+"dado3/t(,"deepcenteredin the back of
the body,whereshownon Drawing 5.
ffiCut the pad (K) to size, and adhere
f it with double-facedtape ro rhe right
side of the body (J) in the configurarion
shownon Drawing 5. Chuck a t/2"Forstner bit in your drill press,and drill a 3/t"deep counterborein the left side of the
body, where dimensionedand as shown
43
tZ" counterbore7e"deep with a

r/+"hole centeredinside
r/+"lock nut epoxied
intonartQ
in Photo C. Now, without moving the

parts,changeto a t/q"bit, and drill a hole,
centeredin the counterbore,all the way
throughboth parts.
QSeparate the pad (K) from the body
trr(J). Using a 3/q"Forstnerbit, drill 3/s"deep counterboresin the body and pad,
centered on the /+" holes, where shown
on Drawing 5. tto centerthe Forstnerbit,
insert piecesof V+"dowel in the holesbebit in
fore drilling. Now, centeringa t7/oq"
the t/q"dado in the back of the body, drill
a hole through the body, where shown.
lllEpoxy a lock nut in the Vz"counter'tbore
in the body (J). Then cut the
guide bar (L) to size,and glue and clamp
it in the dado in the back of the body,
flush with its right edge,where shownon
Drawing 5.
EApply a clear finish to the parts.With
9the finish dry, slip a /+" SAE washer
onto the roundheadbolt, and insert it in the
holein the pad (K). (A /+" SAE washerhas
an outside diameter of s/t".)Slip another
washeronto the bolt. and then thread on a
lock nut. Tighten the lock nut so it firmly
holds the pad, but still allows the bolt to
turn. Now assemblethe pad and the body
(J), as shownin Photo D, driving the bolt
until the pad contactsthe body.
A_/
EsropeLocK
g/+"counterbore7e"deep
"1
.-l
t/a" hexhead bolt 2" long
th,, dado
'f:.tt?33'
\sb@
o/e,,
deep
7a"counterbore
b-O._-\4
4-arm
knobs
/a" SAE washer
P@
(
\
@'
r/a"roundhead
1
27/e"
hnlt 4tl2"
41/c" long
lono,
bolt
( /a" sAE
\--washer
t/a"lock nut
{l
l"t,?'
s/4tr1"/4
Epoxy a four-arm knob onto the end

of the roundheadbolt. Slide a hexheadbolt through the stop body (J) from
the back. and add a washerand four-arm
knob at the front, as shown on Drawing 5. To use the stopblock,first adjust
it to leave Vz" between the pad (K) and
the body. Slide the guide bar and the bolt
hexheadinto the mini-track, using a ruler
or tape measureto position the stopblock
closeto the desireddistancefrom the drill
bit. Clamp it in place by tightening the
front knob. Now fine-tunethe distanceto
the bit by turning the end knob. Because
the clamping knob and guide bar (L) are
centeredin the stopblockbody, you can
use it on either side of the drill-press
chuck by simply turning it over.
H
3/q'
/q" SAE washer
JAssemble the hold-downclampsin the

f configuration shown on Drawing 2.
Slide the hexheadsof their bolts into the
mini-track. Now yolr woodworking drill
pressis ready for action.Q
Written by Jan Svec
base
141/z' 29Y2"
LP
B topsides
1/q" 1O/a' 14Y2"
lu
C topfront
1/t"
3Y4"
83/4"
D topback
1/+" 5%"
83A"
Yz"
32'
baseblank
G faceblank
3u
H lowerrearblank 3A" 1Y2" 32'

rearblank s/t" 3/+"
upper
body
K pad
L guidebar
With the pad (K) down and the dadoed back

of the body (J) against the fence, clamp
the parts in place, and drill a 72"counterbore3/e"deep in the side of the body.
With the pad (K) mounted on the bolt with

washers and a lock nut, slide the bolt into
the stop body (J), and drive it into the
lock nut epoxied in the body.
Cutting
Diagram
1/2x24 x 30" Baltic birch plywood(2 needed)
g/+x51/zx 96" Maple (4 bd. ft.)
44
1/rx 24 x 48" Hardboard

*Resawand plane
to the thicknesses
listedin the
MaterialsList.
'1Y2"
2'1/8"
LM
3/+" '1Y2" 27/eu
1/4,
2"
3/s,
11/d'
plywood,
H-tempered
Materialskey:LP-laminated
maple.
M-maple,
LM-laminated
hardboard,
t/"dowel,
epoxy.
tape,
tape,
double{aced
Supplies:Masking
bits.
dadoset:/2"and/+"Forstner
Bladesandbits:Stack
Sources
(12);
woodscrews
flathead
Hardwarekit. #6xlz"
long(1),
long(2),22Y2"
2912"
long(1),14y2'
7a"mini-track:
(2);%"
inserts
threaded
long(2);t/a"press'in
andSlz"
long(2);%"
bolls11/2"
long(4);%"flathead
steelrod1412"
bolts:1/i' long
long(1);t/+"hexhead
boll4lz"
roundhead
(5);t/i' locknuts(2);
(2),2"long(3);%"SAEflatwashers
(2);1/q"
lDxl1h"
handle
knobs
knobs(6);tapered
four-arm
(2).Kitno
(2);hold-down
assemblies
washers
ODlender
Woodplusshipping.
& Sons
Schlabaugh
ADP-1,
$64.95
schsons.com.
working,
800-346-9663,
pieces
ofBaltic
Sheetgoodskit. TwoVzxl4Tzx29Vz"
pieceoftempered
andone1/rx15Vqx31{s"
birchplywood
plusshipping.
Telephone
Kitno.LP-6,
hardboard,
$25.95
listedabove.
number
andWebaddress
2008
7i//),
,/,1
,,
/./,//
hether you acld sancling-clrurl

ch-rstcollection to the adcl-on
clrill-press table. clr to solre
's
other table. hele the lowdown on how to do it. Before applying
t h e f i n i s h a n c l i n s t a l l i n gt h e t n i n i - t r a c k .
Iay orrt t 2t/:"-wiclestoppeclchannel that
intersectsthe 3t/:x3t/:" cutout in tl-retable. w,lrereshown in clrawin_9
belrnr. (Ltty
out tlie channel to tl'reright or lefi of the
centercLltolrt,depenclin-u
ctnthe rnostconvenient location for youl shop vactrurl.)
Then aclhere scrapwc-rocl
-luicles to the
t a b l e w i t h c l o L r b l e - l a c e tcal p e . a l i g n i n g
t h e n r w i t h t h e l a y o L r tl i n e s . N o w r o u t a
y'ir"-cleep
channel. as sho\.1,n
in Photo A.
Note: If'vour tuble doe.sn'thuve a cutout

untl ittsert, drill -y's"('ortter ltole .s, urtcl.jig.\ovt'u cutoltt. Tltett rout o-t/t" rubbet t/t"
cleeptround it.serlge.s.fbru t/t"-tltic'k insert.
Change to a-%"rabbetin_e
bit. and rout a
/s"-cleep rabbet along the edges of the
centef cLrtoLttancl the channel. ils shou,n
in Photo B. Stop the rabbet wherc dintensioned beknr. Cr-rttwo %" hardboard covers
to fit the rabbeteclopenin-us,anclglue and
c l a r n p t h e r l i n p l a c e .A p p l y a f i n i s h . a n d
i n s t a l l t h e n t i n i - t r a c k .U s i n - ut h e l - r o l e si n
the shop-vacLlLlm
dust port as _quides.
drill
screw holes. anclfhsten it in place. IF
.$*r*x:*e
tr
l"lustB*ri"Plastic
shop-vacuum
dustportn0.03J61.10,
LeeValley.
Using a pattern bit guided by scrapwood
Call800-871-8158
$2.50.
orgoto
guides,rout a 2t/2"-wide
stoppedchannel
leevalley.com.
%" deep in the bottom of the table.
21/ex 41/qx 41/q"hardboard
Sandradiusto matchrabbetedcorners.
Leavethesecornerssouare.
1/ax 31h x 81/2"hardboard
Sandradiusto match
rabbetedcorners.
Shop-vacuum
dustport
#6 x 1/2"panhead
3t/zx 3t/2"cutoul
SCTEW
EXPLODEDVIEW
(Bottomside shown)
tr
3'ya
-widestoppedchannel
21/2"
s/e"deep,centeredon the
3t/zx 3t/2"cutout
woodmagazine.com
Stop line
#6 flatwasher
%" rabbeta--5
Va' deep \
Rout a 7s"rabbet /a" deep along the edges

of the 31/2x31/2"
cutout and the edges of
the 2t/2"-widechannel,stopping 3" from
its end.
45
Bandsaw
Multi-Jig
ls your bandsaw
the versatile
precisiontool you
want it to be?
rt,
'$e'
$i")
,<'
-'--:**=\
"rilHfi,-;
*m$i.lj
e'vejust the solutionfor you.

Thejig tableincreases
the size
of your bandsaw table, and
the guidessteadythe bladeat
tabletop height to minimize any blade

wander and increase accuracy. Next, add
the easy-to-alignfence, shown on page 51.
Finally, the circle-cuting guide attachment, shown on page 52, allows you to
cut disc after disc with amazing accuracy
and consistency without ever drilling a
hole in your workpiece.
de@
woodmagazine.com
47
The slotsallow you to adjustthe woodjig

tableon the metalbandsawtable.
ftReposition and clamp the front table
Lt(A) to your bandsawtable l3/+"in front
of the centerof the blade. As shown in
Photo A, usea centerpunchto mark the
centerof the slot locationsonto the metal
table. Removethe front wood table, and
holethroughyour metalbanddrill a t3/r,+"
saw table at eachmarkedcenterpoint.
ATup the holes in the metal bandsaw
f tablewith a r/+-20tap.
Next, add the spacers

and bladeguides
Using the front table as a guide, use a center punch to mark the hole locations on the
metal bandsaw table.
Note: This jig was designedto fit most

14" bandsawtables.If your metal bandsaw table measuresmore than 10" in
front of or behind the blade, you'll need
to increase the depth (front to back) of
thejig. If your metal table measuresmore
than 9" on eithersideof the blade,you'll
'need
to increasethe width of thejig table.
For larger bandsaw tables, the distance
betweenthe guides (E) must be 1/t"more
than the width of your metal table plus
the length of the protrusion of the metal
alignmentpin.
Start with the two-part

plywood table
.l Cut the two tables(A) to the size lisr
I ed in the Materials List. (Due to its
stabilityand strength,we used7+"[8mm
actuall Baltic birch plywood.)Mark and
cut a 7+" radius on two cornersof each
table,whereshownon Drawing 2.
f)Using a /+" spline cutter in a router
&table or a dadobladein your tablesaw,
cut a V+"grooves/r," deep,centeredalong
the insideedgeof eachtable(A).
48
ff Placethe front table(A) on your metal

tJbandsaw table, and center the table
side-to-sidefrom the blade. Now, stand
in front of your bandsaw,and move the
tabletowardyou until it is l7+"in front of
the centerof the bandsawblade.Clamp
the tablein place.
/lLook under the metal table on your
'Tbandsaw,
and locate any protruding
websor brackets.Then, locateand mark
the centerpointsfor a pair of Vq"holeson
the front table,beingcarefulnot to locate
the holesdirectly overany websor brackets on the bottom sideof the metal table.
Hold a drill with a r/q"hrgh-speedtwist
bit in it directly over the markedcenterpoints,and make sure the drill can be
positionedso the bit is perpendicularto
the table.If the top of the bandsawgets
in the way, move the hole centerpoints
forward,againbeingcarefulnot to locate
them over any webs or bracketson the
bottom sideof the metaltable.
fRemove the front table sectionfrom
Uyour bandsawjig, and form a pair of
counterboredslotsin it, where indicated
on the FrontTableportionof Drawing 2.
Cut the spacers(B) and bladeguides

I (C) to size.
flUsine your tablesawor router table,
hori
i tonguealong both edgesof
eachspacerto fit snugbut slidesmoothly
in the mating groovesin the front and
rear tables(A).
flForm a t/v,"-notchl3A" long in each
tJbfade guide, where shown opposite
on Drawing 1a.
I Drill the holes,and screw the blade
rtguides
(C) to the spacers(B). Note
that you will have a mirror-imagerighr
hand and leflhand spacer/guide.Sand
the top and bottom of the blade guides
flush with the spacersif necessary.
{
Gut and secure the

clamp blocks and guides
Cut the clamp blocks (D) to size.
I Mark and drill the sAz"holes.where
shownon Drawing 2.
ff Drill a pair of 3/e"holesin eachclamp
4block throush which the all-thread
rod will pass.
{lCut two piecesof 7s" all-threadrod
\Jto 23r/z"lons.
./f Screw the ilocks to the bottom side
tof the front and rear tables(A), where
shownon Drawing 2.
{
IE SPNCER/GUIDE
(Right-hand
spacer/guide
shown)
s/sz"hole, countersunk
\
f.--t-
#8 x 11/z'F.H.
wood screws
31/z'
ry"J
W
E To form the guides (E), rip four 7s"t lthick stripsfrom the edgeof 3/q"stock
l9t/s" long. Using the Groove detail accut
companyingDrawing 1 for reference,
a 3/s"groove3/to"deep,centeredalongone
edgeof eachstrip.
ftDry-clamp two of the strips together
\lgroove-to-groove. Slide a pieceof 3/s"
all-threadrod into the opening created
by the mating grooves.The rod should
fit snugly yet slide back and forth in the
opening.Enlargethe grooveif necessary.
Then, glue and clamp the two strips together to make each guide (E). Run the
all-threadrod through the squareopening in each laminated guide to remove
any glue squeeze-out.
Wait l0 minutes,
and repeatthe reamingprocess.
J Sand each guide (E) smooth.Then,
f aritt t/16"pilot holes through each
guide 3Az"from the edges,where shown
on Drawing 1. Later, you'll drive nails
throughtheseholesto securethe guides
to the bottom of the rear table (A).
E EXPLODEDVIEW
(left-hand
SPACER/GUIDE
one shown;
guideis not shown in drawing)
right-handed
1/a-20
x 1" panhead
machinesbrew
\
(holesin bandsaw
tabletappedto fit)
101/q'
bladeguides
clampblocks 3/+" 11/4' 20"
E guides
9i/q"
BP
3/n" s/q" 31/z'
3/q'
3/qu
I
e/e"SAE flat
washer and nut
3/e"hole
t/q" groove
s/ro"deep,
centered
along edge
Note: Guides(E)
are gluedand nailed
to reartable (A).
tl
I\/
LCI'
, lf
I I
#B x 1 1/q"F.H,
wood screw
1 1 / q x" 1 6 f i n i s h n a i l
s/sz"trom outside edge
Drill%e"pilot hole first.
Te" hole
#8 x 11/q"F . H . '
wood sc rew s/sz"
hole,
countersunk
on bottomside
f(
".+-ff
.)r\/ (t
\
Ta".grOOveJ
)
197/a'
plywood,
Materials
key:BP-birch
B-birch.
(8),#8x1t/z'
Supplies:#8x1r/q"
flathead
woodscrews
(4),1/+'x16
flathead
woodscrews
finish
nails,
7e"
all{hread
rod231/z"
long(2),%'SAEflatwashers
and
panhead
(2).
nuts(4),1/q-20x1"
machine
screws
woodmagazine.com
REARTABLE
t/q" deep with a

t/a" slot
7a" long,
centered
inside
I
tl
spacerguides 3/a' 4"
1/a"groove5/6"deep,centeredalongedge
t/zx1" slot
78"SAE flat
washerand nut
tZ" rabbetstA" deeptop and bottom
1s/q"rabbel t/a" deep
7a"all-threadrod
23t/z"long
3/+'
7/a+"pilol holes g/+"deep
Findmoregreatjigsat
w ood magazi ne.com/ji gs
49
(B,
QPosition thetables(A) andspacers
fJCl upsidedown on your workbench,
with the spacersbetweenthe tables as
shownin Photo B. Slide the all-thread
rod through the clamp blocks (D) and
guides(E) to align the pieces.Leavea t/+"
gap at the front end of eachguide (E) and
next to one clamp block (D). Glue and
nail the guidesto just the rear table (A).
*.,
Here's how to set

the blade guides
Using a pair of panheadmachinescrews,
attachthejig to your bandsaw.Adjustthe
wood tablesand guides so the blade is
positionedbetweenthe blade guides,as
shown on Drawing 3 below. The blade
guides(C) shouldbejust nextto the blade
without touchingit.
Note:If youplanto buildthe Circle-Cutting
Guide (page52),the trammelpoint must
be exactlyperpendicular to the bandsaw
blade'stooth tips or the circles attempted
won't be perfectly sized.
For changingtheblade,simplyremove
the nuts and washersfrom thefront end
of the front table,and slide the rear table
(A) off the metal bandsawtable. Change
blades,and reconnectthe rear table.lF
tr
With the tables and spacers upside down, slide the all-threadrod through the clamp
b l o c k s a n d g u i d e s t o a l i g n t h e p i e c e s .N a i l t h e g u i d e s i n p l a c e .
@ennrsvrEW
R=3/a"
20'
r/4
;,,
| '/4
(l
Locationof @
101
of @
LocatioH
I 7-
nrn$nare
1/q"groove 5/6" deep,'
oneose
cdn{ereo
EleLnoeLocATtoN
_-/t-.,
1/zx 1" slots /+" deep

with a 7a" slot 7a" long,
centered inside
t/a" slot s/q"long,

centered inside
---t
*'1,,
.Dimensionas
in the
determined
howto copyto provide
necessaryclearance
whendrillingthrough
the tableintothe metal
bandsawtable.
FRONTTABLE
',,r.- Localion of
@
i 1/o"gal
i ---z
i--
(for
--\--
.---\
'
4I-l
2I |.Gulletof blade
shouldalmosttouch
edge of notch.
@-
--l *2
@-
10
t/a" gap
Location
of@
1
\
I
I
11/q"
s/|,
R=3/a
7ez"holes,countersunkon bottomside
t"
l-a
] ]l
5/e"
20'
50
Straight-Shooting
Alignable
Bandsaw
Fence
andsawblades don't always track

straight, especially when you're
making long rip cuts. The blade
can wander off its intendedpath
and ruin your work. The folks at bandsaw
blade-manufacturer
Lenox gaveus a litany
of causes:Toolow blade tension,a difference in sharpnessor tooth set on one side
of your blade,poorly alignedbladeguides,
evena buildupof sawdustbetweentheblade
IEBODY DETATL
and the wheel. To make ripping stock on

your bandsawan accuratetask, build this
alignablefenceto useon your table,or with
our precisionbandsawjig on page48.
Begin by cuttingthe piecesand assembling themasshownon Drawingl below.
The body (A) tapersalong one edge.Cut
the body so the widestportion is centered
on your bandsawblade.When gluing and
screwingthe fence head (C) to the body,
make surethe headis at a90" angleto the

non-taperededge.
Once you haveall the parts assembled,
positionthe fenceon your bandsawtable.
Tighten the3/s"handleto securethe fence
in place.
Test-rip on a piece of scrap, and alternately loosen one machine screw and
tightenthe other until the fenceis parallel
to the cutting track of the blade. For example,if the bladewandersin (towardthe
fence),bring the infeed end slightly closer to the body by turning out the outfeed
screwand turning in the infeed screw.If
it goes out from the fence, do the opposite. Loosen and tighten the screws the
sameamount so as not to bow the fence.
On shorterripping cuts, suchas when
cutting shoulderson a tenon,blade travel
usually isn't a problem.For theseoperations, remove the entire assembly and
rotateit so the untaperededgeof the body
is closestto the blade.|l
ProjectDesign:Chuck Hedlund
l l l u s t r a t i o n sK: i m D o w n i n g ; L o r n a J o h n s o n
Photography:Hetherington Photography
#6 x 3/n"panheadsheet-metalscrews
-----l--.Note: Do not screw the aluminumplate tight againstthe
gApbetr,ieeniheplateand @.
beveledend of
@. Leaveat/sz"
vtEW
I exeloDED
t\
nluHltrrrruM
PLATE
@
t/e
x 1t/ax 21/q"aluminum
@ aoov
lt
/),t
11/zx 11/2"birch
'7e"
. .11/a"
Taper stafts at center of

bandsawblade.Blockis
taperedafterlaminating.
13/32"
1 \ l * n . ,ru , ,
\.,,,'
i\-_
t72\
.tf
lTse"groove
t3/ez"deep
(Cut it before
laminating
Width of bandsaw
and tapering.) lable + 1t/2"
#10-32x 11/2"
R.H.
machinescrew
#10-32threadedinsert
3/e"hole 1V+" deep
7a"all{hreadrod
263/e"long
lock nut
FENCE
3/qx11/2"
birch,lengthequals
width of bandsawtable + 1r/2"
7e" hole tA" deep,
with a 3/ro"hole
centered inside
1t/q"
,,?
IE ALUMINUMPLATEDETAIL
/e" shankholes
1t/2"
--.->r/
@ rrrrrceHEAD
s/qx 1Y2"birch
33/a
\a11/2"
7sz"shank holes,countersunkon bottomside.

Requiresa7/aq"pilotholes/q"deep drilledinto
bottomof fence'boOV@ Locatescrews
to avoid groove.
2V4"
13/sz"hole,
centered
over groove
F-
woodmagazine.com
11/q"--4
51
Multi-Jig
Bandsaw
Circle-Cutting
Guide
t/ax3/a"
flat
{ Crosscut two pieces of
I steelto 18" long. Cut two piecesto
t/sxlxl7/rc"for the stop. See Drawing 1
for reference.Drill and tap the holes in
the stoppieceswhereshown.
flCut the arms (A) to sizefrom %" solid
Astock (we usedbirch).
(B)
QCut the arm spacers and sliding
Utrammel (C) to sizeplus 12"in length
from t/2"stock.
t/+" rabbet t/+" deep along the
1/lCut a
t?bottom
outsideedgeof eacharm (A),
where shown below. Tesrfit the newly
createdtenon on eacharm into the mating slotsin the table.Seepages47-50.
3/s"deep, centered
fiCut a %" groove
tJalons the inside edee of each arm
(A) and along the extrallong blanks for
the arm spacers(B) and sliding trammel
(C), whereshownin Drawing 1a. Check
that the t/sx3Axl8"flat steel stock slides
smoothlywithout slop in the groovesin
parts A, B, and C. Then, crosscutthe
partsB and C to lengthfrom the 12"-long
blankswhereshownin Drawing 1.
frDrill a'ls" hole,centered,in the slidLling trammel(C). Drive at/+"threaded
insertsquareinto the
slidingtrammel.
'f Hacksaw
the
f heads off two
tA" hexhead bolts
with smooth upper
shanks. Cut to 3/1"
long to form the two 7+"-longtrammel
pointslike thoseshownin Drawing 1a.
(lAssemble (dry-fit)the flat steel into
Llthe groove in the arms (A), and position parts B and C betweenthe steel
stock.The trammel (C) must slide back
and forth on the flat steel. Sand the
groovesin the trammelif necessaryuntil
it slidesfreely.
flEpoxy the steelstockinto the grooves
{fin the arms (A). Immediatelvremove
any excess epoxy. Later, position the
spacers (B) and sliding trammel (C)
keepingthe
betweenthe two assemblies,
ends of the spacersflush with the end
of the arms. Epoxy the spacersin place;
the trammel must be le.ftfree to slide
on the steel stock Rub a bit of paraffin
on the bars if necessaryso the trammel
slidessmoothly.
t/q-20machine screw,
{ flUsing the
I usecure the stopto the steelstockso
the stopwill slideon the flat steelstock.
{ { Cut the tranrmeldisc (D) to shape,
tr I anddrill a %:" holein its center.For
useof thisjig, seeDrawing 2. dP
'lg"
B* arm soacers
1/z' 11/z' 11/z'
C* slidinotrammel t/2" 11/z' 11/z'

H
3%" diam.
D trammeldisc
-Cutpartsmarked
Trimto
inlength.
withan* oversize
totheinstructions.
finished
sizeaccording
key:B-birch,
H-hardboard.
Materials
flalsteel
36"long,%x1" flatsteel
Supplies:l/axs/t"
hexhead
bolts
inserl:2-th-20x2"
long,t/+threaded
3tl2"
1/q-20x1/2"
points),
(fortrammel
machine
screw
flathead
(trimmed
long).
tou/ro'
DETATL
l! suotNc TRAMMEL
vrEW
I exeloDED
hexhead
Use 1/a-20
boltswith headscut
s/0"chamferon inboardbottomend of arms
offto formpins,.
\
ziJi
rJ\ ("-
1/q-20
F.H. machinescrew
trimmedto z/ro"long
pont.
,.n'19
=\$\l-"
"';['fr,i1"o Vl
Inboardend
of guide ../
Saw a screw
driverslot in
bottomends
of trammel
points.
t/q" hole. centered

and countersunk
t/e"flat steel
1 " w i d e x 1 z l r o "l o n g
t/q" rabbel
t/q" deep
r7oq"
hole,tappedfor machinescrew
TRAMMEL
@ slrorr.rc
1/+"rabbel
t/+"deep -
52
Grindtop
half of bbtt
7e"hole,
centered
t/e" grooves
7a" deep,
centered on
edge of stock
/a" flat steel
3/q"wide x 18" long
t/e" grooves 3/8"deep
BesbEver
YardFigurePlans
;# ri'
"4i
B usrrucrHE ctRCLEC U T T I N GG U I D E
,*"
,':. ,
GUIDE
CIRCLE-CUTTING
STOP
::.
*,
,:.i',
:1i+1
f..4?f i i ;i h it "
SLtDtNG
TRAMMEL
and PIN
:t:
...F:t..
Set stop to achieve

radiusof circleto
be cut.
PlanOFS-I003 513.95
Angels
HeavenlyWinds
PlanOFS-I080 513.95
Sittin'Pretty Santa
PlanOFS-I060 513.95
Sleigh
PlanOFS-I011 513.95
Sleekand StylishReindeer
PlanOFS-I068 513.95
All-StarLuminaria
PlanOFS-I049 59.95
spacerguide,and
Removethe right-hand
guide.
replaceit withthe circle-cutting
Positionand securethe slidingtrammel
so the distancefromthe centerof the pin
to the bladeis eoualto the radiusof the
circlevou wantto cut.
.ti
.ri
SLIDING
TRAMMEL
s i n g d o u b l e - f a c e dt a p e , a d h e r e t h e
trammeldisc to the bottomcenterof the

stock.Positionit ontothe oin.
dru
Startwith the edge of the stockagainst
the blade.Turnthe saw on, and slowly
rotatethe stock intothe blade.At the
sametime,slowlypushthe stock
(mountedto the discand slidingtrammel)
towardthe bladeuntiltheslidingtrammel
comesin contactwiththe stop.Bladewill
beginto cut a perfectcircleat this point.
AngelicChorus
PlanOFS-I019 513.95
JumboTransferPaper
TS-1010 S9.9s
plans
at:
Seemorethan1,000
otherwoodworking
ne.com
woodmagazi
/plans
perorderto havethesefull-sized
patterns
Add53(5+H)
mailed
to you.Calltoll-fiee:
l-888'636-4478
woodmagazine.com
haveyourcreditcardavailable.
Please
AccurateAlignment
BiscuitJig
Joiner
Mountyour biscuit
joinerto this handyiig,
and step up to a new
levelof precisionand
conveniencewhen
cutting slots in
3/a"-thick
material.
Start with the base

.fl From /+" plywood,cut the base(A) to
I the finished size of 18x233/+".
From
t/q"temperedhardboard,cut the top (B)
to l8t/+x24".
flUsing a dado bladein your tablesaw,
&cut a 7s"groovet/s"deepin the top of
the base,whereshownon Drawing 1 and
dimensioned
on Drawing 2.
f}Ar
shown in Photo A, use scrap
Vl/1" plywood for a platen,cauls, and
spacers,to adherethe oversizetop (B) to
the base (A) with yellow woodworking
glue. Centerthe top with an equal overhang on all edges.After the glue dries,
trim the top flush with the baseusing a
flush-trimbit in your router.
a{ Refit vour tablesawwith a t/+" dado
G*utua..'Then cut a r/+"-deep
groovein
the top (B) centeredover the 7s" groove
in the base (A), where dimensionedon
Drawing 2. (This forms a T-slot for the
alignment-guide
toilet bolt, whereshown
on Drawing 1.)Now changeto a /g" dado
groove in the
blade, and cut a 3/a"-deep
base/top,where dimensionedon Drawing2. (This grooveholdspartsin position
whenplungingslotsin bevelededges.)
'/+" plywood, cut the brackets
ffiFrom
sJ(C), fences(D), and cleats(E) to the
sizeslistedin theMaterialsList. Position
54
Edge-to-edge joint
With the jig clamped to your workbench, position the workpiece against
the fixed fences. Align the marks, and
cut the slot.
Beveled-edge joint
Hold the part against the fixed fences
with the beveled edge in the 3/sx3/e"
groove. This offsets the slot toward the
inside face.
90o corner joint

For a 90" joint, place the workpiece
against the square edge of the 90'/45'
alignment guide. Position the guide to
alignthe cut.
45o corner joint

To cut a slot in a 45' mitered end, position the workpiece against the angled
edge of the guide. Flip the guide to cut
the other end.
the fences against the brackets, where

shown,with the ends and bottoms flush.
Drill mountingholes,and drive the screws.
ftClamp the fence assemblies(C/D)
\Jin position on the base/top (A/B),
where shown on Drawings 1 and 2,
with the front face of the fences flush
with the back edge of the r/a"groove. To
keep the fences aligned, clamp a scrap
piece of 3/q"plywood as a straightedge
to the front of the fences. Check that
your biscuitjoiner fits in the openingbe-
tween the fences with the biscuit-joiner

fence flush against the straightedge.
If your joiner has a dust-collectionport,
make sure you have sufficient clearance
for the hose attachment.If needed,trim
the fenceassembliesto fit the joiner, and
then remove the joiner.
Twith the straightedgeclampedto the
f fences,glue and clamp the fencesto
the top (B). Drill mountingholesrhrough
the brackets (C) into the base/top, and
drive the screws.Removethe straightedge.
Glue and clamp the top (B), centered,
to the base (A), using a plywood platen
and cauls to evenly distribute the
clamping pressure.
90"/45"
ALIGNMENG
T UIDE
)'tt
gY
Four-armknob
-.-- 1/+"flat washer

1/.tt 4l^+..,^^1^^.
ia
#8 x 11/z'F.H. wood screw

t/n"grooves
s/o"dgep
FENCE
ASSEMBLY
th-2o x2r/q" loilel bolt ---
5Y4'
t-
7oz"shank hole,
countersunk
2',
F-
r #8 x 11/z'F.H. wood screw
|,.--r/uo" pilot hole s/q"deep
VIEW
EEXPLODED
-----------___
/
19"
a PARTSV|EW
R=/2"
#8 x 11/z'F.H.
wood screws--4
3/.
7gz"shank hole,countersunk
on bottom face
r" grOOVe
" deep fc
p"tr @"no r
des
-f4
--* T"--*:*-** 3{e"

*****-f-
woodmagazine.com
-N
-l
ClPosition the cleats (E) on the bot{Oto- of the base (A), where shown
on Drawings I and 2. (The cleatsposition the jig againstthe front edgeof your
workbench.)Drill mounting holes, and
drive the screws.
fiDraw t/2" radii on the corners of the
Ybase/top and brackets (C). Cut and
sandthe radii smooth.
I nUsing a Forstnerbit, drill l" holes
I llJ(for hanging the jig) through the
base/top,where dimensionedon Drawing 2. Use a backerto preventtear-out.
Add the alignmentguide

{ From-/+" plywood, cut the guide (F)
I to size. Then cut a V+" gtoove 3/ro"
deep on both faces of the guide, where
dimensionedon Drawing 2. Now drill
a t/q"hole through the guide, centeredin
the groove,where dimensioned.
6Mark the 45' angle on the guide.
lBandsaw or jigsaw to the line, and
sandthe edgesmooth.
4lTo form the long and short guide
tJbars (G, H), plane or resaw a piece
of t/qx2xl6" hardwood (we used maple)
to W" thick to glide smoothly in the Vq"
groovein the top (B). Rip a 7a"-widestrip
from the piece. Then crosscuttwo 5Vz"long bars and two 2V+"-longbars from
the piece.Glue the bars in place in the
guide (F), leaving a l" spacebetween
them,whereshownon Drawing 1. After
the glue dries,trim the endsof the short
guide bars flush with the angled edge of
the guide using a fine-tooth saw.
Position your biscuit joiner on the jig, and clamp it to the straightedge.Then mark the
centerpoints of the joiner-base mounting holes (shown at right).
Finishup, and rig the iig
{ Finish-sandthe base assemblyand

I alignmentguide,andremovethe dust.
Apply three coats of satin polyurethane,
sandingto 220 grit betweencoats.
fJTo mountyour biscuitjoiner, reclamp
Athe straightedgeto the fences.Then
positionthe joiner on the jig, and mark
centerpointsfor the joiner-base mounting holes on the top (B), as shown in
Photos B and C. (Due to the tight space
with somejoiners, you may need to use
a nail insteadof an awl to mark the centerpoints.)Drill shank holes through the
base/topassembly,and countersinkthem
on the bottom face. (The screws must
not protrude from the base.)Fastenthe
joiner to the assemblywith suitablehardware. (To mount our Porter-CableModel
557 joiner, we drilled 3/ro"shank holes
through the base assemblyand secured
flathead machine
the unit with 3Aex2Vz"
screwsand3/te"flat washersand nuts.)
Note: If your biscuitjoiner doesnot have

mounting holes, check if it has a removable baseplate attached with machine
screws. If so, drill holes in the iig base
assembly matching the baseplate hole
pattern, and mount the unit using the
samesize machinescrewsexceptI" longer to account for the thicknessof the
base assembly.If your joiner does not
have a removablebaseplate,you'll need
to drill holes through the baseplate.
r/q-20x2va"
toiletbolt,
{! Finally,installa
l)V4" flat washer.and four-arm knob on
the alignment guide, where shown on
Drawing 1. Then slide the guide onto
the base assembly,engaging the toiletbolt headin the T-groove,and tighten the
knob. Now clamp the jig to your workbench,and plungeaway!lF
base
Gutting Diagram
B* top
1/+' 18" 233h" TH
C brackets
3/c"
BP
D fences
3/t'
2'
87/a'
BP
3/q'
11"
11"
BP
51/+u 8?/8"
cleats
guide
G* longguidebars
1/+u 3/a' 51/z'
3/e" 21/+"
H
bars
H* shortguide
-Parts
initially
cutoversize.
Seetheinstructions.
3/qx24x 48" Birchplywood

G
1/ax 24 x 24" Temperedhardboard
Pj
3/qx31/2x24"
Hardwood(.7 bd.ft.)
*Planeor resawto the thicknesslistedin the MaterialsList.
56
Writtenby Owen Duvall

lllustrations:Roxanne LeMoine
plywood,
TH-tempered
Materialskey:BP-birch
hardboard,
H-hardwood.
(16),
wood
#8x1%"
flathead
screws
Supplies:
1A-20x21/q"
knob.
four-arm
toiletbolt,t/q"flatwasher,
router
bit,
set,flush{rim
Bladesandbits:Dado-blade
bit.
1"Forstner
2008
Hand
Plane
After assemblingthis
little gem,Voumay be
temptedto place it in
a displaycase.But
go aheadand put it
to work. This sturdy
planewill do wonders
in your shop.
woodmagazine.com
First, let's make the parts

.f Cut a maple blank to ItAx2r/zxl4"
I (enough material for two block
planes,and long enoughto run through
a thickness planer). If you don't have
lzA"-thickmaple (8/4 stock),laminatethe
blank from thinner piecesof maple.Preparean identicalsizedscrapblank.
f)Plane both blanks to Itt/ro" thick,
lkeepine all sidesof eachblank square
to each other. Set aside the scrap blank
for now.
ff Crosscutthe mapleblank to 6Vz"long,
\land adherethe FrontCoreBlank, Rear
Core Blank, and Wedge Block full-size
patterns(Drawing 6) on page 60 to the
top face with spray adhesiveor rubber

cement.Cut the core blanks (A and B),
and the wedgeblock (C) to shapewith a
bandsaw,staying just outside the lines.
Sandthe parts to shapeusing a stationary
sandingbelt or disc set absolutelysquare
to its table. On your tablesaw,trim the
wedgeblock (C) to 1/s" thick. Setit aside.
/lFromt/q" padauk,cut two plane sides
rt(D)
to 2t/zx6t/2".Cut the Side fullsize pattern (Drawing 5) found on page
60 along its bottom edge. Next, adhere
it to one of the side pieces,being careful
to precisely align the bottom edge of
the pattern with the bottom edge of the
sidepiece.
57
ll eoov ASSEMBLY
Now, shape up the body

UsingDrawing 1 as a guide,position
I parts A, B, and D on a flat surface,
such as the top of your tablesaw.Place
waxedpaperunderneaththe parts.
fiGlue andclampthe front andrearcore
4blanks (A and B) to the side(D) with
the applied pattern.Be careful to align
the part bottoms,and leavea t/tr,"space
betweenthe front and rear core blanks.
After the glue dries, glue and clamp the
othersideto the coreblanks.
flCut thescrapblankto 5" longandinsert
\Jthis piece(unglued)intotheopenthroat
It shouldfit snugly,
of the planeassembly.
but loosely enough so you can remove
it later.The scrapservesasa chip breaker
for the cutting and drilling that follows.
,1| Next, cut the assembly to length,
rtusing Drawing 5 as a guide.Cut the
curvedportionswith a bandsaw.Sandthe
edges,ends, and bottom with 100-grit
abrasive.Take care to keep the bottom
flat and squareto the sides.
{
A few final touches

and you'llbe planing
Place a t/t" brt in your drill press, and
I set its table squareto the bit. Drill the
t/,+"hole at the location marked on Drawing 5 through the assembly.(SeePhoto A
atright.) Drill therTo+"holes,where shown
on the pattern, through the assembly.
Remove the pattern and scrap blank.
f)Cut five pieces of /+"-diameterbrass
&rod to 2j/rt" long. Near the ends of one
of the brass rods, reduce the diarneterjust
slightly (by about r,/o+")
with light sanding. Insert this rod into the t/+"hole, withdraw it about t/2",apply epoxy to both rod
ends, and reinsert. Apply epoxy to the
remaining holes and insert the other brass
rods. The rods should protrude evenly on
both sides of the plane. Afier the epoxy
cures, use a stationary sander to flush
the ends of the five brass rods with both
plane sides.
'1/t"core-box bit in a router
{lSet up a
Vtable, as shown on Drawing 2. Place
the bottom of the plane against the router
fence with either end against the righr
side stopblock. Lower the plane onto the
{
58
spinningbit, holdingit firmly againstthe

f-ence
andtable,and slidethe planeto the
left until it contactsthe other stopblock.
Lift the planestraightup and off the bit.
Rotatethe plane end for end and repeat
this routingprocedureto cut a rnatching
fin-eerrecessin the othersideof the plane
body,as shownon Drawing 3.
,{ Round the edges of the wedge
-?block
(C) and the plane sides (D)
with a %" round-overbit, where indicated on Drawing 4. Sand smooththe
areasyoujust routedin the lasttwo steps.
E F i n i s h-sand the enti re pl ane w i th
of 150- and 220-gri t
t l a s u ccessi on
We appliedtwo coatsof Olyrnabrasives.
pic InteriorAntiqueOil Finish.lP
The scrap blank preventsthe side stock

from tearing out when you drill lhe'r/q"
holes for the brass rods.
REcESS
E noureR-TABLEsETUpFoR FTNGER
vtEW
ElstDE
Fingerrecess,routedwith a
7a"core-boxbit t/e"deep
T"rja -;s'*" I
stoPblock
#.)}-;--t"
4 exeloDEDvrEW
t/e"round-overs
A- rearcoreblan( 1i1/1d'11/2" 37/a"
B* frontcoreblank lttAd' 1t/''a" 2Vd'
@
WEDGEBLOCK
C* wedgeblock
1s/d' 1%d' 31sAd' M
D sides
1/;'
2t/e"
6"
-Cutpartsmarked
withan* oversized,
Trimtofinished
sizeaccording
totheinstructions,
Materialskey:M-maple,
P-padauk,
t/a"
Supplies:
brass
rod12"long,
epoxy,
oilfinish.
round-over
BLADE
Sources
SIDE
/+" brass rods 2slo" long
170+"
holes,drilled
Pfaneblade.Hockls/sx4r/2"
blade,
item04835,
$36.99.
Woodcraft,
800-225-1153
toorderorgoto
woodcraft.com,
t/" padauk,
Woodandbrassrod.Enough
1ttl0"maple,
/+"brassrod,andscraplo makeoneplane.
KitLP-15,
plusshipping.
Schlabaugh
andSonsWoodwork$9.95
ing,call800-346-9663,
schsons.com.
afterassembly
REAR
CORE
BLANK
Writtenby Bill KrierwithJim Downing

ProjectDesign:PaulHamler
lllustrations:
Kim Downing;LornaJohnson
1/q"hole, drilled
after assembly
Fingerrecess
No round-over
ri:"'ffii"v
&
woodmagazine.com
@
FRONTCORE BLANK
t/a"round-overs,
outsideedge only
170+"
holes,drilledafterassembly
59
PATTERN
E SIDEFULL-SIZE
61/2"
Waste is shaded.
XiiJ?sSll|:i\\
t+\
tr
sB=
----r
vv\z
(2 needed)
,-*h
tz/a+"holes, drilled
after assembly
21/z'
_/
rl
-/
/'-r'
/-l-\*-=\
/
^q
,%o"r)1"r,
dritted
after assembly
PATTERNS
FULL-SIZE
E cone BLANKSANDWEDGE-BLOCK
'irl8 ---+l
WEDGEBLOCK
FRONTCORE
BLANK
60
2008
0uick-and-Easy
Height
Gauge
Raiseyour cutting
accuracyto new levels.
et the cutting depth of tablesaw
bladeseasilyusingthis adjustable
gauge. To ensure accuracy, we
outfitted it with a steel rule. See
Source belowfor the parts.
Start by cutting the body to size from
34" maple,as shownon Drawing 1. Plow
groove,sizedto fit your rule,
a t3/tz"-deep
in one face of the body, where shown.
Next, set your dado blade to V+",and
cut the combinedrabbetandgroovein the
body for the slidingbar.To do this, place
the gaugebody on edge (ungroovedface
againstthe fence).Cut the rabbet/groove
in three passes,with the last one at Is/s",
whereshownon Drawing 1a.
Drill and countersinkthe screw hole.
Then sandand finish the body.
Usea copingsawor scrollsawto shape
the t/+"acrylic sliding bar to the dimensions shown.Createthe adjustmentslot
by drilling a pair of s/re"holes, where
shown,and cutting out the material betweenthem.Smooththe edgesof the slot
and the outeredgesof the bar usinga fine
file. Buff the outer edgesif you want to
make them super smooth. Now, scribe
a cursor line on the back face, where
shown, using the method describedin
Photo A, page 6.
Attach the steelrule in the grooveusing double-facedtape. Placethe bottom
end of the rule t/+"from the bottom of the
body.Then install the slidingbar.
To usethe gauge,setthe cursorline to
the desiredheight. Hold the sliding bar
in its groovewhile adjustingthe gaugeto
keep the bar squarewith the base.Place
the body on the tablesawtop besidethe
blade,as shown in the photo, and raise
the bladeto setthe height.?
@ roe vrEW
-T
3/a"
I exeloDEDvrEW
Source
woodmagazine.com
2,'
1s/a
1/qx1"F.H.
machine screw
t/q"hole, countersunk
on back side
1/q"tlal washer
\
I
-6..
&@
-m
wd\
ET\
\
I
Four-armknob
wilh t/q"insert
l l l u s t r a t i o n sR: o x a n n eL e M o i n e
Hardware.
Stainless
steelruleno.06K20.06,
$1.95;
plastic
1t/2"
four-atm
knob(t/+-20
threads)
no.00M55.30
each.
CallLeeValley
at800-871-8158,
orgoto
$1.90
leevalley.com.
r_-----]
f--
'
Sliding bar
5/6"
adjustment
11/z'
l/q x 21/ax 7" clear acrvlic
61
but
$imple
Effective
Marking
Gauge
ln a short evenitrg,
you can turn a few
scraps of wood into
an accurate,easy-touse layouttool.
a't tough to beat a marking gaugefor
l
layoutlines.
I creatingcrisp,repeatable
I Consistingof a beam,a sliding fence
I held in placeby a small wedge,and a
scribingpoint, this time-testedtool sets
up quickly. (To learn how to use it, see
"Get More From Your Marking Gauge,"
opposite.)
To build one, start by cutting the beam
to the size shown on Drawing 1. Then,
to create the thumbnail profile on one
edge,chuck a Vz"round-overbit in your
table-mountedrouter, and rout the parfial round-overusingjust a portion of the
bit. Now drill a hole near one end to
receivea 6d finish nail. Insert the
nail, allowing the point to project t/s".Cut off the head leaving
%" exposedon that end, as well.
Sharpenboth ends to create the
scribingpin.
Make the wedgeby tracing the
full-size pattern (Drawing 1b)
onto a piece of s/ex4x2" stock,
running the wood's grain lengthwise. (An oversizepieceis saferto handle asyou shapethe wedge.)Bandsawthe
wedgeto shape,and then sand it smooth
so it slideseasily againstthe beam and
along the inside edgeof the fence.
To createthe fence,first cut it to shape
using Drawing 1a as a guide.Next, bore
a 3/a"hole through the fence where di62
mensioned.Using chisels,a flat file, and

a round file, expandthe hole, and shape
it into an opening that fits the beam and
wedge.Note that one side of the opening
tapersto matchthe wedge(Drawing 1b).
Be sure to test-fit the beam and wedge
periodicallyas you shapethe opening.
To protectthe marking gauge,top it off
with a coupleof coatsof oil finish. ?
vrEW
I exeroDED
FENCE
PATTERN
@ rerucEFULL-srzE
I
5/a"
$";
T-I
L
t/q"
th'
\
t\
t
./"."t> ...
3/^r
)
1/z" parlial
rouno-over
E WEDGEFULL.SIZEPATTERN
2008
GetMore
FromYour
Marking
Gauge
hen it comes to marking cutlines and laying out joints, it's
hard to beat the simplicity and
accuracy of a marking gauge.
To uncover the fundamentals of m4rking
gauge setup and use, we consulted renowned master craftsman Frank Klausz.
Here's how Frank gets the most from his
favorite layout tool.
What a marking gauge

can do for you
A marking gauge provides a fast and
accurateway to mark lines parallel to the
edgeof a workpiece, either with the grain
or acrossit. A marking gauge'sadvantage
over a pencil is that its pin, which Frank
sharpensto a knife edge,producesa very
fine mark that does not broaden, and it
scores the workpiece for chiseling and
saw cuts (preventing splintering). Here
are a number of ways you can use one:
. Mark the centerof boardsfor resawing.
. Mark stock edgesfor joining.
. Lay out lines for cutting joints, such as
dovetail or mortise and tenon.
along the beam to

set the required
marking distance
to the pin. A locking device, such as
a thumbscrew or
wedge, secures the
fence to the beam
at the set position.
Somegaugeshavea
removable marking
pin, which makes
it easy to sharpen
the pin or replaceit.
Also. the beams of
some gaugesare ruled to allow for direct
setting of the marking dimensionwithout
the needfor measuring.
One type of marking gauge, a mortising gauge (photo above), has a single
marking pin for general layout and another pair of pins on the opposite side of
the beamfor easymortiselayout.Onepin
is fixed and the other slidesin the beam
to set the mortise width.
@ errusHAPEDETATL
Grindor file tip to a knife
edge and buff smooth.
The basic marking gaugeconsistsof four

parts: an 8- to l2"-long beam, afence,a
fencelocking device,and a marking pin,
as shownon Drawing 1. The fenceslides
LOCKING
THUMBSCREW
BEAM
8-12"long
'',\'
GAUGE
(BOTTOM
vrEW)
FENCE
Knifeedge angled
away from fence
][-]oi,.""tion
l l l gauge
ot
Jl I
I lP'tt
tl
v-7
Tips for using a gauge
. Becausethe fencefollows the stock's

edges,make sure they are straight and
smooth for accuratemarking.
. After securing the fence, recheck the
settingto be sureit hasn'tchanged.
Practice marking on scrap first to
verify the setting.
. Position the fence
againstthe stock's
edge,and apply light
pressureto keep it
flush. Rotatethe beam
so the pin is at an angle
to the stock (as in the
photo above), then
lightly drag the gauge
to make your mark. i
[|E
SIDEVIEW ENDVIEW
1 116"
woodmagazine.com
DETATL
@ erruANGLE
Let's get to the point

For a marking gauge to work correctly,
Frank notes, you need to focus your
attention on its smallest part-the marking pin-and make sureit hasthe correct
shape,projection,and angle.
. Shape: Most new marking pins havea
conical point, which will tear wood fibers rather than slice through them. To
prevent this, sharpenthe pin to a knife
edge,as shownon Drawing 1a.
Thegauge'sparts
ll exeloDEDvtEW
. Proiection: For bestcontrol, adjustthe

pin so it projectsVra"from the beam.
. Angle: Because a gauge works best
when you pull it toward you, angle the
point about 5o away from the fence, as
shownon Drawing 1b.The angledpin
will draw the fence againstthe edge of
the stock when marking.
FrankKlausz,of Pluckemin,
N.J.,worksout of his
unpretentiously
named
"Frank'sCabinetShop."
63
Heirloom
Persuader
Dead-Blow
Mallet
hether coaxing together the
closely fitted dovetails of a
drawer,finger joints of a box,
joints of
or mortise-and-tenon
a cabinetdoor, you'll appreciatethe concentrated no-rebound striking power of
this handsomemallet. Filled with about
5 ouncesof looseleadshotand facedwith
thick leatherpads,it packsa wallop without leaving a mark. You can make the
mallet from shopscraps,or seeSources
for the necessarysupplies.
Why you need a dead-blow mallet

The head of this malletcontainsloose lead shot for controlledimpactwithout
As the malletstrikesthe work surface,the shot movesforwardimbounce-back.
mediatelybehindthe blowto dampenthe reboundand solidlytransmitthe force.
It'sthe idealtoolfor assembling
And becauseit puts
two tightlyfittingworkpieces.
moreweightbehinda shortswing,a dead-blowmalletworksgreatin closequarters.
T o s e e morehandtool si n thi sseri es,go to w oodmagazi ne.com/han dt ools.
Make a laminatedhandle
For the handle sides (A), cut two
I t/sxIt/qxlg" morado blanks. (For an
explanationof our wood choices,seethe
sidebarfar right.) Then for the handle
core(B),headcapandbase(C),faces(D),
andfiller (E) cut oneVzx3x12"ashblank.
From this blank, cut a lrAxSs/s"piece for
the core and set the rest aside.Glue and
ciamp the core betweenthe sides,keeping the edgesand one end flush.
f)Joint one edge of the handle (A/B)
Znusn and sqriareto the face and rip
it to lsAz" wide. Then joint /zz" from
the sawn edge for a finished width of
1%".Make a copy of the Handle pattern
(Drawing 4) on page 67. Adhereit to the
handlewith sprayadhesive,where shown
on Drawing 1. Install a zA" dado blade
in your tablesaw,and cut IVz"rabbets%"
deep, where shown on the pattern. Now
with the pattern facing up, bandsawand
sandthe handleto shape.
QChuck a /s" round-overbit into your
tJtable-mounted router,attachan auxiliary extensionto the miter gauge,and
finish rounding the end of the handle,as
shownin Photo A. Then movethe routertable fenceawayfrom the bit and rout the
{
64
handle edges,where shown on the pattern, and as shownin Photos B and C in

the sidebar,oppositeaboveright.
Form the head parts
Retrieve the t/2"-thickash, and cut a

I t/qxg" blank for the cap and base(C).
Make a copy of the Cap and Base patterns (Drawing 5), adherethem to the
blank with spray adhesive,and form the
end rabbets,as shown in Photo D. Then
flip the blank over and cut the dadoesin
the tops of the parts. Now cut the parts
from the waste, and bandsawand sand
the curved edges. For filling the head
with lead shot after the mallet is assembled, drill a s/rc"hole in the cap, centered
in the dado,whereshownon Drawing 2.
f)For the faces (D) and filler (E),
lcut
three t/z.xlVs"pieces from the
t/2"-thickash.
QFor the cheeks(F), planea3/qxlt/zxl2"
9morado blank to s/e"thick. Lay out the
4"-long cheeksat each end of the blank
andthecentered\tla"dadoesW' deep,where
shownon Drawing 2. Chuck a Vq"roundover bit in your table-mountedrouter and

rout the outsideedgesof the blank. Now
cut the dadoes,checkthe fit of the handle,
and then crosscutthe parts from the blank.
To accommodate the handle offset,

place a spacer betweenthe handle and
the miter-gaugeextension,and round
over the end.
2008
Safe freehand routing

with a starter pin
Whenthe shapeof a part,suchas the mallet
handle,preventsyou fromsupportingit withthe
router-table
fencewhilerouting,you depend
on the bit pilotbearingto guidethe piece.
But you'llhaveto routawaysome material
beforethe partcontactsthebearing,and the
bit can suddenlygraband pullthe partfrom
your grasp.To preventthis, some router-table
insertsare equippedwithstarterpins,or you
can simplyforma pointon a pieceof stockand
clamp it to the routertable,as shownat right.
Eitherway,beforeengagingthe bit,placethe
partfirmlyagainstthe pin or point,as shownin
PhotoB. Then pivotthe parton the starterpin
or pointand easeit intothe bit untilit contacts
the pilotbearing,as shownin PhotoC. Now
routalongthe part length.
Handfe held /
@
away from the bit
EI
ASSEMBLv
I HnruoLE
lr
"/:;-t
,/2
':-I
3/a"
1t/2" rabbels t/e" deep
B exeloDEDvtEW
To cut the end rabbets, back the cuts

with a miter-gaugeextension. Position
the blank for the cap and base (C) with
a stopblock, and cut the rabbets.
t/+"round-overs
^rl
o \
Forma t/ro"dome
on the faces
afterassembly.
G-
1tle"dado
t/q" deep
s/ro"hole,
centered
?9;
(#7Vz)
shot
3Aax2 x 2" leather
trimmedflushwith the
mallethead afterassembly
woodmagazine.com
Choosincr wood
for your rnallet
Tropicalhardwoods,because of their stability

and density,have beenfavoredby toolmakersfor
generations.Rosewood,long a favorite,meets
requirements
with the addedad3/8"round-overs these utilitarian
vantageof unsurpassed
beauty.But withgenuine
rosewoodlogged nearlyto extinction,hardwood
dealerssubstituteotherlook-alike
tropicalspecies.
For outsidepartsof this malletwe used morado,
sometimescalledBolivianrosewood.
For the core of the handleand head,we chose
ash.Baseballbatsand hammerhandlestraditionally use wood speciessuch as hickoryand ash,
knownfor their resilience.
A handleas short as
this one doesn'trequiremuch resilience,
but the
ash contrastsnicelywith the moradofor a pleasing appearancethat matchesother tools in the
Collector's
Series.lf youwish,youcanconstructyour
malletfrom any contrastinghardwoodscraps.
65
Insert a t/2"-thickspacer between the handle

sides (A).Apply glue to the dado in one cheek
(F),then glue and clamp it to the handle.
Applyglueto the baseandcap (C)and

the faces(D),positionthem,andseatthe
facesin the baseand cap rabbets.
Assembleand applyfinish
back of the leather with 80-grit sandpaper, gettingit as smoothaspossible.Then

useordinary woodworkingglue to adhere
the pads to the slightly domed mallet
faces.as describedand shown below in
the Shop Tip.
,1t|With the glue dry, use a utility knife
rfto
trim the leatherflush with the mallet head. Then finish-sand the mallet,
smoothingthe edgesof the leatherpads
as you sand.Apply a clear finish to the
mallet, including the edgesand facesof
the leatherpads.(We appliedthree coats
of Minwax Antique Oil Finish.) Now
show off the newestaddition to your fine
tool collectionto your friends.dF
Glue and clamp the headparts to the

I handle,as shownin Photos E, F, and
G. With the glue dry, file and sanda t/re"
dome on the faces of the mallet head,
t)With the mallet upright, use a funnel
Ato fill the head with .095"-diameter
(#7Vr)lead shot. While filling the head,
tap the side to settle the shot so you can
pour in as much as possible.Then glue
the filler (E) in place, where shown on
Drawing 2. Sandthe filler to match the
curve of the cap (C).
ffCut two 2x2" pieces of %0"-thick
\Jleather for face pads. Sandthe rough
{
Apply glue to the base and cap (C),faces

(D), and side (A). With the base, cap, and
faces seated,clamp the cheek (F) in place.
p uallET FAcEDoME
FOP V|EW
3/tax2x2"
leather trimmed
146"-
--l'r-
flushwith the
mallethead
afterassembly
Materials List
Foarn pads ensure a croodbond

on sliitrtty curved iurfaces
To applyeven pressurewhen gluingthe leatherpads
to the domed malletfaces,line your benchvise jaws
with rigid-foaminsulation.Spreadglue on the mallet
facesand applythe oversizeleatherpads.Positionthe
malletand pads betweenthe foam. Then tightenthe
vise,slightlycrushingthe foam to make it conformto
the domedsurfaces.
3/su
|1/au
10"
D* faces
1/2"
1/2"
11/a'
E* filler
1/2"
3/a,
11/a'
F* cheeks
s/au
1t/zu
4"
C* capandbase
-Parts
initially
cutoversize.
Seetheinstructions.
Materials
key:M-morado,
A-ash.
Supplies:
Spray
adhesive.
Bladesandbits:Stackdadoset,/s"andt/a"round-over
router
bits.
Gutting Diagram
Sources
3/qx31/z
x 24" Morado(.7 bd. tt.)
*Planeor resawto the thicknesseslistedin the MaterialsList.
Writtenby Jan Svec with Kevin Boyle

l l l u s t r a t i o n sR: o x a n n eL e M o i n e :L o r n a J o h n s o n
Woodandsupplies.
Morado
tothickness
andashplaned
3Aax2x4"
pieceofleather,
forthepartslistedabove,
5 oz.
(#7r/z\lead
of.095"
shot.Kitno.W165-M,
$16.00.
Heritage
Building
Specialties.
Call800-524-4184,
or
gotoheritagewood.com.
Leadshot..095'(#71/z)
leadshotno.9030K23,
$32.02
plusS&Hfora 5-lb.package.
McMaster-Carr.
Call
609-223-4200,
orgotomcmaster.com.
Youalsomay
check
localgundealers
whocarryreloading
supplies.
3 / q x 3 1 / zx 1 2 " A s h ( . 3 b d . f t . )
66
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67
-t
1\
tr-a
*i'
,\.\:.,
Fine-Line
Marking
Knife
For accurate layout,
nothing beats a crisp
scribed line.
68
ith the flat back of its blade

againsta straightedge,you can
use this marking knife to lay
down cutlines with pinpoint
accuracy.When not in use,a hiddenmagnet keepsthe bladesheathsafelyin place.
This fine tool is one you'll be pleasedto
use and proud to show. For the special
materialsneededto make this markine
knife, seeSource on the next page.
Make a laminatedblank
From a -'1AxIxI2" piece of stock (we
I used maple), resaw and plane a 3/te"thick piece for the core (A). Check the
thickness against the %o"-thick tool{
steelbar you will use for the blade.Then

cut the core to the size listed on the
Materials List. Set asidethe remaining
piece for the accent strip (C). Make a
copy of the Core patternon Drawing 2,
and adhereit to the part with sprayadhesive.Use a Forstnerbit to drill a t/q"hole,
whereshown,andthenscrollsawtheknife
blade cutout. (The V+"semicircle makes
room for excessepoxy when mounting
the knife blade.)Check the width of the
slot with the /a"-wide tool-steelbar.
4)From a t/+xlxl2" piece of stock (we
Zused, bubinga),resawand plane a Vq"thick piece for the top and bottom laminations(B). Then cut the laminationsto
2008
-l
To ensureperfectlymatchedgrainfrom
handleto sheath,gluethe knifeup as a
singleblank,andthencut it intotwo pieces.
size.Use a Forstnerbit to drill a:/s" hole

Vs"deepfor the magnetin the top lamination,wheredimensionedon Drawing 1,
below. Make sure the magnet does not
protrudebeyondthe surface.
fllnstall
a zero-clearanceinsert in
tJyour tablesaw,and cut a 3/ra"groove
I/a" deepcentered in the top lamination
(B) for the accentstrip (C), as shownin
Photo A. Checkthe fit

of the 3/to"-thick stock
left from making the
core (A). Then rip a
shz"-wide strip from
the edge of the leftovet 3/te" stock, and
glue and clamp it in
the groove. Sand the
strip flush.
AF;p*y the magnet
the 3/e"hole in
Tin
the top lamination (B),
and let it cure. Remove
any excessepoxy with
a chisel. To keep track
of the magnet end,
make a mark over Cut a %e"groove 7e"deep in the top lamination (B) in two passes.
the magnet on the top Turn the part end-for-end between passes to center the cut.
surfaceof the lamination. Now spreadglue
sparingly on both faces of the core (A),
keeping the glue away from the edge of
A. core
Vta" 1u 55/e' M
the centercutout.Clamp the core and the
top
and
bottom
top and bottom laminations(B) together,
-"'
D*
1/
1/4" 1u Ss/au B
b' fifriiiiiions
keepingthe edgesand endsflush.
C" accentstrip
Shapeand finish the knife

Make a copy of the Side View patI tern on Drawing 2, and adhereit to
the edge of the laminated blank, orienting the sheathend of the patternwith the
magnetend of the blank. Use a s/e"-diameter sandingdrum and stopblockto form
the finger recesses,as shownin Photo B.
Removethe pattern.
{
3/ro"groove
I exeloDEDvtEW
Fingerrecess
4'"
1/8,
3/16,,
Ss/a"
-Parts
initially
cutoversize.
Seetheinstructions.
Materialskey:M-maple,
B-bubinga.
Supplies:Spray
adhesive,
epoxy.
r/q"and%"Forstner
Bitsandaccessories'.
bits,
t/+"round-over
router
bit,%"-diameter
sandinq
drum.
Source
t/e"thick,%ox7sx6"
Hardwarekit. %' rare-earth
magnet
barofW-1toolsteel.Kitno.300-BLD,
$2.75plusS&H.
Add$2.50foreachadditional
kit.Schlabaugh
andSons,
72014thSt.,Kalona,
lA 52247.
Call
800-346-9663,
orgotoschsons,com.
piece
Woodkit.One%ox1x12"
of
pieceof
mapleandonet/+x1x12"
plusS&H.
bubinga,
kitno.LP-Z$3.50
Schlabaugh
andSons,seeabove.
3/taX3/aX31/2"
W-1 toolsteel
-3/6"
rare-earth
magnet t/s"thick
Formorehomemade
handtoolsvisit:
woodmagazine.com/handtools
Fingerrecess.
!
woodmagazine,com
69
Prevent chipping
in critical cuts
Adjusta notchedscrapwoodfenceso
1/ta"
of the drum protrudes,then sand
the fingerrecesses.
Using a thin stick, apply a small amount of

epoxy to the inside of the handle opening.
f)Make a copy of the Top View patZrcrn bn Drawing 2, and adhereit to

the laminatedblank with sprayadhesive.
Saw and sand the handle edge profiles,
and sandthe end arcs.Removethe pattern.
{lChuck a W" round-over bit in your
tJtable-mounted router,and rout all the
edges.Finish-sandthe laminatedblank.
ATo separatethe sheathfrom the han'ldle.
cut the blank where indicatedon
the Top View pattern (Drawing 2). To
preventchipping when cutting the blank,
seethe shop Tip at right.
3/tox3/ex6"
bar of grade W-l
fFrom a
tJtool steel.make a blade.as instructed
on page 71. Clamp the blade in a vise between two piecesof scrapwood,and cut it
to 3Vz"long with a hacksaw.Wrap masking tapearoundthe bladeto mark the lVz"
length that will protrudefrom the handle.
Install the blade in the handle.as shown
in Photos C and D. Removeany excess
epoxy with acetone.
E rut-t--sze
When separatingthe markingknife

sheathfrom the handle,you get only
one chance to make a perfect cut.
Chip-outwill be impossibleto hide,
To guaranteesuccess,installa finetooth blade and a zero-clearance
insert in your tablesaw.Then, to
back the cut, attach an extension
to the miter gauge. Wrap masking
tape around the blank centered2"
from the magnetend, and mark the
cutline.Then to keep the crosscut
perfectlysquare,wrap maskingtape
around the blank near both ends.
Align the cutlinewith the blade and
clampa stopblockto the extensionto
preventthe blankfromshiftingduring
the cut. Apply double-facedtape to
the extensionand stickthe blankto it.
Now makethe cut, as shownbelow.
Withthe bladepointbearingon a scrapblock,

pushthe handledownto the maskingtape.
AApply a clear finish. (We wiped on
\lthree coats of Watco Natural Danish
Oil Finish, following the instructionson
the can.) With the finish dry, align the
accent strip, and slide the sheath onto
the blade..F
Writtenby Jan Svec with Chuck Hedlund
lllustration:Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson
PATTERNS
1"
CORE
FULL-SIZE
PATTERN
s/0" maple
TOPVIEW
I
I
.)1 /^tl
'/a
HANDLE
1u
70
@
\
ToPvtEW
FULL-SIZEPATTERN
,,,
r/+"bubinga
SHEATH
Cut hereafterassembly
and routinground-overs.
,
I
2008
Making
A Blade
Withthe ri
with
right steel,you can makea
keen,durablebladein your own shop.
aking a custom blade for a hand tool, such as the marking

knife on page 6B, might seem out of reach, until you discover grade W-1 tool steel. (SeeSource below.) You can cut
this metal with a hacksaw,shapeit with a grinder, and then
harden the cutting edgeby heating it with a propane torch and quenching it in cold water. (First heat the steelto a red glow, and then keep it at
a red glow for two minutes for each Vre"of thickness.)That's it! Using a
3/tox3/sx6"
bar of W-l tool steel for the marking knife blade, here'show
to shapeand sharpenthe blade shown in the drawing, below lrft. S
BLADEANGLES
{a'
Usinga propanetorch, hoatebout 1%"ot

lho gFund end of the bar, mrylng lhe flame
back and forth untll lhe entlre 1/." length
glows ld. NovYcontinuelo heat the stel,
keeplng ll glowing rd lor sir minutes,
To grind the point, mark 60' guidelines

on your grinder tool rest, and position it
perpendicular to a 100-grit grinding wheel.
Mark a centerline on the too!-steel bar with
an awl. Grind the V point, cooling the bar
with water as needed.
To grind the bevels, tilt the tool rest to a

45'angle, and start grinding one bevel.
Check the angle with a protractor, and
adjust the tool rest as necessary. Then
grind bevels on both sides of the point,
forming sharp edges.
After leeplng the tlp glowing rd lor the

nded tlme, lmmediatsly plunge the bar
in cold wrter. Then run the steel under cold
uraGr until it is cool enough to handls. The
tip is now hardenedand till hold an edge.
Placing220-grtt,then 320-grit,and fina y

OO-gdt weftry sampaper on a n* surtace,_
honethe beneb, and polish th @, botfom;
and sld6s ot the bar.Euff to a Uf-gtrtnnistr
with a buffrng s'hesl and Tripoli c;mpound.
Source
Iod3h|.Wa|erhad8ninggnadeW.1too|sbg|a/ai|ab|einrds,ialb8rs,andEuaresin3'|engths.PIic8fiom$1.32b$170.Toviswa||sizsandpdc
typelv.1bo|gtee|inlheseaIchwind0,'Forthmaddngknifeonpage68,y0ucanodga946,t'{r36'l|atbaIo'gradMbo|slee|no.8895K
callMcMaslr-Can
at609-223-4200.
woodmagazine.com,
71
Sanding
Block
lf evera sandingblock
was a work of art, this
is it. Suppleto the
touch and easyon the
eyes,it will serveyou
well for manyyears
to come.
his idea comes from WOODa
magazine reader M.C. "Morrie"
Patten of Mesa, Arizona, who
makeshis laminationslongenough
to yield at leasttwo sandingblocks at a
time. That way,they'reeasierto machine,
and he hasseveralto presentto his woodworking buddies.We were so impressed
with Morrie's idea, we decidedto make
a couple of these beautiesfor our own
shop,and sharehis ideawith you.
Makingthe sanding
block 6ases
Rip and crosscuta pieceof 3A"maple

I to 2t/+x10"long, enoughfor two bases
(A). Now,joint, resaw,or hand-planethe
mapleto s/s"thickness.
f)Rip two strips of walnut t/q" thick
Efrom the edge of a piece of 3A"stock.
Crosscuteachto 10" for the sides(B).
{tGlue and clamp one walnut strip to
tJeach edgeof the maplebase,with the
bottom edgesflush. Scrapeoff any glue
squeeze-out.
;f Crosscut two 4t/2"-longbases from
rttne
iamrnauon.
{
The palm grips come next
3/+"maple
{ Startby cuttingonepieceof
I (C) and one pieceof t/q"walnut (D) to
2t/+x10"long. Using a bandsawor tablesaw,resawthe walnutinto two piecesjust
under7s"thick each.
f)Glue andclampthe maplebetweenthe
I
two piecesof walnut, making sure
that all edgesalign exactly.
Remove the clamps, and scrape off
any excess glue. Then, joint or plane
72
the walnuttop andbottompiecesto a finishedthicknessof Vq"each.Now,joint or

plane the edgesuntil the palm grip fits
snugly between the protruding walnut
sidesof the base.(Later, you'll sand the
palm grip to finishedwidth.)
f Crosscut the palm-grip lamination
t.Jinto
two 4t/2"lengths.
Drillinq the bolt and

wing riut holes
Mark diagonalson the top of each
I palm grip to locateits center,and position the palm grip in the basewith the
endsflush.Clamp the palm grip andbase
to your drill-presstable, and drill a /rs"
guide hole through both pieces,[Photo
Al. (For this and the following steps,we
machinedboth sandingblock piecesat
once.)
{
fSeparate the two pieces,and, using a

Eflat-bortomed bit, drill a lVq,'holeVz',
deep into the top of the palm grip, centeredover the guide hole. (SeeDrawings
1 and 2 for hole size details.)Then, drill
and counterborea 3/q"hole 3/t', deep cen_
tered over the guide hole on the bottom
sideof the base.
t/+"hole through the baseand
{lDrill a
Va s/o" hole through the palm grip,
centering both holes on the guide hole.
Countersink the Vq"hole on the bottom
sideof the base.
lllPlane or sand Vro" off each side (not
'?the
ends)of the palm grip for a 2Va,
finishedwidth.
f,Clamp the base, bottom up, in a
t/woodworker's vise. Thread a Vqxlv2,,
machine screw through the hole, and
tighten the palm grip to the base with a
wing nut. Epoxy the screw in the hole in
the base.Cut a 3/+"mapleplug, and epoxy
it over the headof the screw.
ftDetach the base from rhe palm grip,
t/and sandthe plug flush with the base.
Sandthe basesmooth.
TFit your table-mountedrouter with a
I Vz" round-over bit, and rout the top
edgesof the palm grip. Finally, sandthe
palm grip to fit comfortablyin your hand.
flYou may want to cut and glue a piece
\Jof felt to the bottom of one or all of
the sanding blocks for sanding pieces
with slight contours. Trim the edges of
the felt flush with the base.
vtEW
ll exeloDED
t/+"wing nul
PALMGRIP
rA" fenderwasher
1t/q" hole 1/2"deep
t/2"round-overs
Sandcorners
smooth.
41/2'
Finalassembly
Fit a fender washerin the hole in the
I palm grip. Then, apply the finish of
your choiceto the baseand palm grip.
DTo use,slip rhepalm grip overif,"bolt
f.on the base,and just start the wing
nut. Quarter a standardsheetof sandpa_
per, and tuck the sides under the palm
grip. Now, tighten the wing nut to hold
the sandpaperfirmly in position.dl
@ eruosEcloN
Writtenby Marlen Kemmet

ProjectDesign:M.C.,,Morrie" patten
Photographs:Bob Calmer
woodmagazine.com
base
B* sides
C* palmgrip
D* palmgrip
Y4'
Vc'
41/2'
Vt"
2yB"
41/2"
lAu
21/e" 41/2'
tA1"9ap
M
W
I
2
.Partsinitially
cutoversize.
Seeinstructions.
Materials
keylM-maple,
W-walnut.
r/qxlyz"
Supplies:
tlalhead
machine
screw
withfender
washer
andwingnut,epoxy,
felt(optional),
finish.
3/q"hole s/e"deep filled with a

3/q"-diam.maple plug
0n-the-Mark
Centerfinderl
Trammel
Here'sone simplejig that
does the work of two. Use it
to locatethe center of round
stock, or use the increment
holesto mark differentsizes
of circlesand arcs.
pilot holesinto the wood body. Screwthe
two piecestogether.
utthe trammelbody to the sizeand

shapeshown on Drawing 1 from
32"stock.Using a hacksaw,crosscut a piece of %x1" aluminum
bar stock to 12" in length for the blade.
Mark the screw-holecenterpointsand increment hole centerpointson the blade,
where dimensioned on Drawing 1a.
Using your drill press,drill three countersunk screw holes through the blade.
Then drill the increment holes and the
pivothole.Drilling throughthealuminum
will create rough surfaces,so sand the
aluminum smooth with 220-grit sandpaper.
Use a squareto position the blade perpendicular to the end of the body at the
-apex
of the V-shapednotch. Using the
screw holes in the blade as guides, drill
Usingthe tool
To find the centerof round stock,suchas
the bowl blank shown above, rotate the
body of the tool around the diameter of
the stock and mark a pair of roughly perpendicularintersectinglines as shown.
The intersectionmarks the centerpoint.
To use as a trammel, fit an awl, nail,
or other pointed object through the pivot
hole in the body and blade.Using one of
the previouslydrilled incrementholesin
the bar, rotate the tool around the trammel pivot point to mark a circle or arc, as
shown at rigfu. tl
Projectdesign:Bob Settich
y-Blade,
*'.j
vrEW
I exeloDED
7ez"shankhole,
countersunk
t/ax1x12"
aluminumbar
t/a"pivot holes
Tsz"pilot
J
3/q"
74
'/16
increment
holes
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75
fil;
First,an overview
of what we did
To best show you the improvementsto
Mark's shop, here's a diagram of the
floor plan and photosthat say it all. Use
the projectdrawingsshownthroughoutto
build the key components.
-*_**fthF*
t-*l
3*",
E==*r---
, _*H
E-;-
Project
lA
i:_
i
ti--.
1:l
I
f-rFd
l: vunsA-cnB
sYsrEM
This customizablecabinet system, dubbed

the "Versa-cab" (see page 78lor the plan),
works as a wall or base cabinet. The
cabinet's 1S%"-deeptop serves as a shelf
for tool cases.
Project
2: MrrERsAwwoRI{ srf,,TroNMore
rhan32
square feet of countertop, not including the mitersaw platform,

were added to Mark's shop. As you can see from the photos,
none of the space, either above or below the countertop, is
wasted. Most mitersaws benefit when they have a permanent
home with plenty of work support on either side. Our mitersaw
platform, supported by neighboring Versa-cab base cabinets,
is deceptivelysimple to build and effective in function.
(See page 79tor the plan.)
Mobile
belVdisc
sander
Versa-cab
Mobile
Project
3: snnErcooDsRAcr{
A long but shallow rack allows Mark to store

full-sizedand partial sheet goods in spite of
the shop's limited ceiling height of 7' 9". (See
page 80tor the plan.) lt includes a hinged
containment stretcher for easy material
removal. We even threw in extra storage
for dowel rods that come in the form of two
spaced sections of heavy-dutycarpet tubing.
Sheet-goodsrack
Dowelstorage
Mobite
tool
cabinet
FLOOR PLAN
Lumber
rack
Mobilerouter
table under
bench
Mobile
bandsaw
Mobiletool cabinet
underbench
Drill
press
MOBITE BASESThree HTC mobile bases
added to the larger power tools significantly
improved Mark's workshop mobility.
htcproductsinc.com or call 800-624-2027
76
Overheaddoor
-l
5 Ba_sigprinciples of
worksh6p organization
Mobility-This makesa small shop work like a large one. To
create mobility,mobile bases were added to Mark'stablesaw,
8" jointer,and 14" bandsaw.(The router,belt/discsander,and
planeralreadyhadwheels.)Whenthe countertops
and mitersaw
stationalongone wallwereadded,resultingrecessesservedto
house Mark'slargejointerand roll-aroundcabinets.After two
days,his shop had only threewheellesstools (the workbench,
mitersawstation,and drillpress).
I
Project
4 : wALL cr,BrNEr/opENsHELvEs
Two simple wall cabinets perched above the new countertops make a huge differencein the small shop's available
storage space. Becausesurface mounted conduit prevented us from mounting the cabinets together,we used the opportunity to add adjustable shelving between the two. As a
final touch, shop brushes find a handy home on the cabinet
side. (See page 8l lor construction details.)
Flexibility-Needs changefrom projectto projectand with each

new tool purchase.The "Versa-cab"(see the prqviouspage)
offersthe maximumin flexibility.
Bothshelvesand drawerscan
be quicklyrelocatedto meetchangingstorageneeds.The Triton
lumber rack system (below /eff) has movablearms. The large
tool recessin the corneraccommodates
either Mark'smobile
jointeror his mobiletablesaw.
Accessibility-Organization means litile if you can't get to
thingseasily.To createaccessibility,
we openedup Mark'sfloor
spaceby creatingsensiblehomesfor allthe largetools.(Seethe
shop diagram oppositebelow.)The open floor space dramatically improvesworkflow,providingobstruction-free
accessto all
partsof Mark'sshop.
Durability-There'sno pointin doingthe workif it'snot goingto
last.Forthe shop'sworksurfaces,birchplywoodwas usedwith
3/a'MDF
hardwoodedgestrips;forthecabinetry,
withheavy-duty
hardware.Mobile bases, made of welded steel for maximum
strengthand durability,made movinglarge,heavytools easy.
For protectionof the bare wood surfacesof Mark'scountertops
and cabinets,he'llneedto applyat leasttwo coatsof oil-based
polyurethane
to ensurelastingmaterialstability.
IT.U,RGE
POWER TOOL RECESSLeaving space underneath
the countertops allowed us to store and protect Mark's g,'
jointer.The space is large enough to alternateas a temporary home for the tablesaw as well.
Affordability-ln additionto makingsure that the shop componentslast,purchasing

them at a low or reasonable
pricealso
provedimportant.(See"Wherethe moneywent"on page g/.) In
Mark'sshop,all the materialsfor the cabinetryand countertop
costlessthan$440for fivecabinets,multipledrawersand shelving, and more than 32 squarefeet of countertop.Lessthan g40
was spenton the plywoodholder.
BI
LUIVIBERR.H,CKTriton's sturdy lumber rack, mounted

above the countertop, leaves Mark plenty of room for .,current project" material and those special boards set aside
for an heirfoom to come. (rockler.com or call gOO-279-4441)
woodmagazine.com
'S''o"
'"
I
For a grid and tooltemplates to begin planning your shop, see

w o o dm a g a z ni e . c o m / s h o p l a y o u t .
77
I vensA-cAB
t/a"groove7e"deep 3/q"trom back edge

e/q"rabbel s/a"deep
I
IL
41/z'
81/2"
7 Yz"
Proiect I: "Versa-cab"
tool cabinet system
This simple cabinetdesign,Drawing 1,
offers the ultimate in versatility, hence
the name. It accommodates multiple
drawers. shelves.or vertical dividersor a mix of all three. Placeit vertically
as a base cabinet on the floor or mount
it vertically or horizontally on the wall.
Becausethe dividers lay loosely in their
slots, the layout of each cabinet can be
quickly reconfigured to meet changing
needs.The cabinetsize makesoptimum
use of a sheet of medium-densityfiberboard (MDF), and the spacing between
the dividers proves ideal for mediumsize drawersand many smallertools,tool
cases,and other items.
Overall, the cabinet measures(when
vertical) 153/4"deep, 13V4"wide, and
38V4"high. At its most basic,it hasthree
equal compartmentsof lltAxlllAxl4zA".
The individual spaces,with dividers installed. are33/q"wide.
Assemble the Versa-cabby gluing and

fitting the center dividers (C) and the cabinet back (D) into the sides (A). Glue and
nail the dividers and cabinet ends, square
the cabinet,and then nailthrough the back
into the dividers to stiffen the cabinet.
78
t/+"dadoes
1/4"deep
121/z'
7+"dadoes
Te"deep
12t/2"-2
<-.--_---<->=
l\r
s/q" rabbel
7e" deep
\..
-.
t/q" gloove 7e" deep

thu.from bottom edge
7+"rabbets
\
th" gtoove 7e" deep
3/q"trom back edge
.,ttN
When routing the Vq" wide, 3/e"deep

groovesfor the cabinetbacksand drawer
bottoms,make certain the Vq"hardboard
fits somewhatlooselyinto the grooves.If
the fit is too tight, the remaining lip may
split awayfrom the MDF. As you assemble the cabinet carcaseand the drawer
boxes, glue the Vc" hardboard into the
groovesfor extra strength.
We found that onceall the parts are cut
and routed,and assumingyou havea finish nailer, each cabinet, including three
drawerboxes,can be assembledin about
an hour.
'to".l
3/q' 153/q' 381/+" MDF
sides
topandbottom 3/q' 153/q"121/z' MDF 2

centerdividers 3/q' 143A"121/2'MDF 2
C
D
back
E partitions
drawerfront
E*
'
andback
G* drawersides
1/q, 121/2, 371/2' HB
1/q"123Aa"143/q" HB
3/4tt 311/16tt1178"
MDF
3/4tt311/16tt 14'
MDF
H* drawerbottomsth' 107/e" 14' HB 1

- Quantity
foronedrawer.
fiberboard,
Materials
key;MDF-medium-density
HB-hardboard.
For wall installation,add a horizontalcleat inside the cabinet and to its back securing
it to the sides. Then drive screws through the cleat and back and into the wall studs.
To increase the versatility of the partitions, add a dowel for storing circular saw blades
of 10" or less.
2008
@ nltrrensAwwoRKsrATtoN
Note: *Dependingon the hightof

mitersawlable,3t/+"lo 4".
# B x 1 1 / z 'F . H .
wood screw
#8 x 11/2"F.H.wood screw
BENCH
6d finishnail
#8x11/q"F.H.
wood screw
(6d finishnail
26V+'
.L
_
|
PLATFORMASSEMBLY
6d finishnail
E N DS U P P O R T
4"
=\
3/2" \-
VERSA-CAB
I
'tr"F
3/qu 27'
i
As base cabinets supporting the mitersaw work station,
the flexible Versa-cabs accommodate multiple
drawers, shelves, and vertical dividers. The division
of space within the cabinets allows for storage of
smaller tools and other items. The space behind
the cabinets provides room to run the dust collector
hose out of the way and to the jointer.
frontedging s/qu 2Y4'
PO
3/+' 2Y4" 273/q" PO
3/q" 2Y4" 72'
PO
e
%u
26" 26y4' Bp
gt/r" 26t/^,
'
"/r'
G platform
edging 3/q" 2y4" 271/z' PO
H* topcleats
11/2" 2" 15o/+' P
sideedging
wallcleat
mitersaw
;iatfb;ni'
PW::Y
suppons
E
"
Ft
''
BASE
f*
J*
Proiect 2z Mitersaw
work station
As with most workshops, the mitersaw
servesas one of the busiesttools in Mark's
shop, and it needed a permanent home.
Mark neededadditional work surfaceand
storagecapacity.Theseneedswere met by
installing a mitersawwork stationalongthe
18'right-handwall (lookingin from rhegarage doorway).The mitersawwork station
was centeredon the wall to allow maximum cutting lengthto the left or right.
Two Versa-cabs(see Drawing 1), installed as base cabinets, support the
countertopson either side of the mitersaw. Wall cleats (D) were screwedinto
woodmagazine.com
wall studs to support the back of the

countertopand the outsideend of the left
countertop.If you don't carry the countertop all the way to the corner,build the
end supportshownin Drawing 2. Either
solutionwill provide firm support.
Mark's shop had an unevenand sloped
concretefloor that required a little extra
effort when setting the base cabinets.To
solvethe problem,the position of the base
cabinetswaslocated,andthenmeasuredup
from the highestspoton the floor. The top
of the wall cleat was positioned41" from
this high spot to allow the Versa-cabbase
cabinetsto fit underneaththe countertop,
as shownin Drawing 2. Next, a 48"-long
72'
72'
sidebasetrim
3/q' 11/z' 15s/q'

3/q" 3Yz'
26'
3/q' 3Y2'
longleg fillers 3/a' 31/z'
30"
shortlegfillers 3/q" 31/2'
4u
bottomcleat 11/z' 1Vq' 15a/+' P

frontbasetrim 3/c" 1y2" 14s/q' P
endsupport
crossrails
K*
outerlegs
. Quantity
foronecabinet.
41"
depending
onmitersaw
table
height,
I 3y4-4',
pO-poprar..
Materials
plywood,
key:BP-birch
P-pine,
level line was drawn from this mark. We

lengthenedthe level line acrossthe entire
wall with a chalk line andusedthe mark to
installthe wall cleats.Becauseof this floor
variation, the height of the end supports
wasadjusteduntil level with the line.
79
With the countertopsinstalled but not

attached to the base cabinets, the base
cabinets were positioned and leveled to
maintain 27W' between the sides of the
cabinets.This spacing left a 3/q"gap between the side of the basecabinet and the
countertop side edging (C). The gap left
spaceto maneuverthe mitersaw platform
support (F) into the correct position. We
then attachedthe countertopsto the base
cabinetsthrough the upper top cleats(H).
We placed a long straightedgeacross
both countertopsto act as a guide while
leveling and plumbing the basecabinets.
In this case,one of the bottom cleats(I)
was shaved,and we added cedar shims
where neededto even up cabinets.Nails
were driven through the cabinet bottom
to hold the bottom furring strips in place.
We securedthe bottom of the cabinetsto
the floor by applying concrete-compatible siliconeto the trim parts (J,K) before
nailing them in place. The end result: a
perfectly level countertop.
To align the top surface otifre mitersaw

with the top surface of the adjacent worksurface top, we used a combination square
and measured down from Mark's mitersaw
table; as shown. We then trimmed the width
of the platform supports (F) to that measurement, less /r". This measurementgap
provides adjustability for the platform
positioning without sacrificing strength.
Set the depth of the front of the mitersaw

platform first by sliding the platform supports
(F) behind the countertop edging (C).Glamp
the platform supports to the neighboring
cabinet sides. Setthe depth of the platform's
back, and screw it in place at that location.
Return to the front, recheck the depth,
and
finish screwing the platform in place.
p sHeer-cooDs
RAcK
sYz'
R=3"
#8 x 3" F.H.wood screws

centeredover wall studs
7Y4"
# 1 2x s / a "
F.H.screw
Door hook and eye screw

The lower (containment) stretcher (B) of
the sheet goods rack is held in place by
a 6" strap hinge bolted to the rack's side
and a "hook and eye" at the other end.
Proieet 3: Sheet-goodsrack
Shopsneed a place to store sheetgoods,
including sheetgood scraps.Mark's shop
is no exception.However,the limited ceiling height (7'-9") of Mark's garage shop
required some special considerations.To
meet that need, we built a rack for horizontal storagewith enoughspaceinside for
97"-longsheetsof MDF. (SeeDrawing 3)
Because the wall-mounted cabinetry above the holder prevents placing
full sheetsin the holder by lifting them
over the lower containment stretcher,
we designeda "swing-out" containment
stretcher(B) that improvesthe accessibility of the rack and reducesthe amount of
lifting necessaryto storesheets.
80
The trough at the bottom of the rack

contains the materials in a defined and
generousspace.The rear stretcherat the
top allows you to firmly mount the rack
to wall studs.To add versatility, we also
mountedtwo shortsectionsof heavy-duty
cardboard carpet tubing (shown in the
photo above left) to the side for containing dowelsand other thin-strip material.
48"
sides
B sUetchers
3/q' 3Y2'
3/q" 53/q' 97Y2"
botbm
99"
P
Materialkey:
P-pine.
2008
Wallstud
#B x 3" F.H.
wood screws
s/+" rabbel Ta" deep
t/+"groove
7a"deep
3/q"trom
back edge
Floller catch strike

12',-..*
A
tF\,
l--ot
!-o-\.
@ wnu- cABINET
..\
Roller 3 JU
catches
J"
V
Va"hole
o o
Rollercatch
strike
ls'
0i"
Shelfpin
7e"deep
{-
t/e"round-overalong
outsideedges
223/a"
1/q"gfoove
s/e"degp
3/+"tfom
back edge
291A',
30"
Rr
111V6" ---
\:
'r"l-\
Full-overlayhinge
2314',
sides
B
Proiect 4= Wall cabinet
Two wall cabinets were mounted 18"

above the countertop beside the mitersaw work station. The 18" space between
the cabinets allows them to support
adjustable shelving for added storage.
Most shopsrequire at least some degree

of protectedstoragewhere dust can't enter. This basic wall cabinet meets that
needsimply, affordably,and quickly.
Cut the parts shown in Drawing 4 to
size. If making a pair of cabinets that
support shelving in between,first determine which cabinetsideswill supportthe
shelving.On thesesides,drill the holesfor
the shelf pins all the way through, where
shown. This way, the holes can house a
Where the money went

All in all, the workover at Mark's workshop was limited to a budget of 91,000,
making the changes affordable. There was even cash left over. Here's what
we had to buy to put things in order:
Bandsawmobilebase
Jointermobilebase
Tablesawmobilebase
$106
106
80
7+"medium-density
fiberboard(MDF)(5 sheets)
t/+"hardboard (4 sheets)
142
3/q"birch plywood(3 sheets)

3/q"poplarand pine
108
47
76
Tritonlumberrack
82
Assortedhardware
84
TOTAL
woodmagazine.com
3/"n
12"
topandbottom 3/q' 12"
30" MDF
231/q' MDF 2
back
Y4' 23Y4' 29Y4' HB
doors
3/4" 1115/16" 30"
MDF
E* shelves
3/+" 10Y4" 223/a' MDF
F* shelfedging
3/qu 11/2" 223/a' PO
3/q"
22V2' PO
wallcleat
4u
.Optional
quantiity,
shelf
andshelf
edging
depending
onneed.
Materials
key:MDF-medium-density
fiberboard,
HB-hardboard,
PO-poplar.
shelf pin on either side. Next, drrll Vq"
holes 3/a"deepon the interior faces of the
opposingcabinetsides.
Assemblethe cabinetcarcaseand dryfit the Vq"back in place to ensurethat it's
not so tight as to risk splitting off the lip
behind. Then glue the Vc"backing into the
V+" groove,and glue and nail the sides,
top, and bottom together.To easeassembly and hanging, align and pre-drill the
hinge holesfor the doors,but don't mount
the doors until after hanging the cabinet.
Install the cleat on the cabinet by using
glue and nailing into the endsof the cleat
and into the cabinetsides.
Using 3" deck screws, we installed
the cabinetsto wall studs.where shown.
checkingfor level..l
Written by Mike Satterwhite
Projectdesign:Kevin Boyle
Photographs:Richard McNamee
$831
81
o a c h i e v cn r i l x i n r L u h
n o l c l i n gp o w e r
w h e n u s i n g s c r c w s .c l r i l l i n - gt h e
c o r r e c t p i l o t - a n c ls h a n k - h o l es i z e s
arc a nrust. Ancl. knowitt.' whitt
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s o l v e t h e s e c l i l e nr n a s . b L r i l c l
t h i s s u p c r o r g a n i z e c lp r o j e c t . I exeloDED
vrEW
YoLr'llevertfincl a cokrr-coclccl
:/a"round-over
chalt to nrakc sclccting thc
routedafter ass{,\y,-,-c o r r e c t b i t a n o - b r a i n e r 'E. x t r a
t i e r sp r o v i r l ep l e n t l ,o l ' r o o t nl i r r
a l l t h c b i t s y o u ' l l n c c c lt o c l r i v c
a w i c l ea s s o r t n r e not l ' s c r e w s .
Tir bLrilcl(nrc. LrscDrawing 1
a n c l t h e l ' L r l l - s i z ep a t t e r n s o r r
Drawing 2 <tt't1tugt,,lJ to cr-rt
t/i'
lriecesA-F to size. Use
(
A
)
h a r c l b o a r cf bl r t h e s i c l e s l n c l
- y ' +s" o l i c l s t o c k l i r r e v e r y l hi n c
e l s e .F u r t h c t i c r s ( F ) . c u t a ) r r " thick pieceol' stock to lxl(r".
M : . r r k t h e h o l e c c n t c r l ) o i n t \ See Drawing 2
for hole locations.
ancl kcrl' locations lirr crosscutting the piecesto len-gth.
D r i l l t h e h o l e s . b e v e l - r i pt h e
bottonr ecl-ue
with a pair of'-l-5"
% solid
45"
stock
c u t s . t h e n c r o s s c l r t h c 't i e r s t o
\.v
l ' i n i s h e clle n g t h . W h e r t l r s s e n r round-over
b l i n g t h e p n r . j e c t .a l l o w t h e
routedafterassembly
#6 x 9'r' F.H.
WOOO SCTEW
# B x 7 + "F . H . WOOOSCTEW
,z
# 1 0 x s / + "F . H . w o o d s c r e w
#12 x 3/+"F.H.woodscrew
111ha
7e"round-over
di
-/,'
3/sz
------]'r
-\i
p i l o th o l e '
1 . / o r 'a i a a n
1e/ta
3/ta" hole,-
countersunk
# Bx % F . H .
woodscrew
82
2008
w00n
MAGAZINE
Guideto pilot holes,countersinks,

plug cutters, and drivers
For wood screws of this size
Use the following accessories and hole sizes
Hardwood pilot-hole size
5/64" I e/gz"
Softwood pilot-hole
Ira"
size
| 5/a+"
lid to rotate on the two #8xz/+"flathead

screws.We sandedthe edge of the lid to
rotatesmoothlybetweenthe sides(A).
Use model airplane gloss-enamel
paint or nail polish to mark portions of
the bits to match the color-codedchart.
Cut out the color chart above or make a
color photocopyof it. Using spray adhesive, adherethe chart to the inside of the
woodmagazine.com
box, where shown in the photo opposite.

Then, when you need to drill a hole, note
the size of the screwon the chart. If you're
not sure, match its head size to the tier
of screwspermanently mounted in part
E. Match the color on the chart for that
particular size to the color codedbit. aF
TIERSFULL.SIZE
TOP.VIEWPATTERN
@ ruu--srzEPATTERNS
2"--f..<-
3/4x---->)-<-
,-|,
3/4"-l
Vsz" h1le
,/a" hOle
.t ,,
y1" deen4fa1"deep\,i
4|\
W,,,noJ'*"oF@
-T--
BITS
SELF-CENTERING
+-o++
s/ro"hol e 1" deep
NK BITS
PILOT/COUNTERSI
COMBINATION
PLUGCUTTERS
SQUAREDRIVERS
rl
V\
4.@
i:;33';_-S
DRIVERS
PHILLIPS
r|,
t];t
r|,@
t]z
i:.!3';----Q
SLOTTEDDRIVERS
@
FULL-SIZE
PATTERN
LID FRONT
2008
Drop-Down
ToolTray
ere'sa great way to squeezea lot
of tool-storagespaceinto a small
area. The storage tray shown
here holds nine measuringand
marking tools and quickly folds up into
an often-unusedspace.You couldjust as
easilycustomizeyour tray to hold chisels,
screwdrivers,
wrenches,or othertools.
To build thetray,youmustfirst measure
the undersideof thecabinet.The lengthof
the tray shouldequalthe insidemeasurementbetweenthe two sidesof the cabinet
minus t/s"for clearance.The width of the
tray mustequalthe measurement
from the
wall to the insideedgeof the cabinetface
frame minus the thicknessof the wall
cleatand minus Vs"for clearance.
For accuratepositioning,center and
screw the wooden latch to the bottom
edge of the cabinet face frame after you
have installed the tray. Then, hold the
tray in the closedposition,and drill the
hole for the dowel through the latch and
into the front rail of the tray.Finally, cut
tool-holdingblocksand glue them to the
tray bottom to prevent your tools from
sliding around.lF
P r o j e c tD e s i g n :R . B . H i m e s
Photograph:John Hetherington
l l l u s t r a t i o:nR o x a n n eL e M o i n e
woodmagazine.com
85
--_-. .r:.T...l.
ffiffi
t-
F-*
a
'
ffi:r
h e n e w s i s s h o c k i n - gb r " rttr u e : O L t t '

s h o l - rusr e i n c l L t t t ecr r i s i s .M o s t a r c
s o s t u l ' l ' e dw i t h t o o l s a n c l s u p p l i e s
that littlc spacerenrainslirr projects.
'fakc.
lirr exanrple.Jerry Mertetts' sliop in
F o r s y t h . M i s s o L r r i .H i s p l a c c s l i o w e c la l l
t h e s y n r p t o n r so l ' a s i c k s l t o l t . v i s i b l e 'i n
the "be lirrc" photos ancl floilr plan. Duri n g o u r - l t 3 - h o L rvri s i t . w e c u r e c lh i s s h o p
w i t h s i n r p l es o l r , r t i o ntsh a t y o u c a l t L t s et o
work over your wilrk space.
E v e r ys h o p w a l l w a s f i l l e d w i t h a n o v e r l o a do f d i s o r g a n i z e dh o o k s a n d h a n g i n gi t e m s .
AFTER
BEFORE
D
Gorner
FTf------l'r
CornerA
1
I
J
Radial-armSAW
Mitersaw
ffi
w)
tRt
Spindle
sander
lnl c
lyl 5
I ll-r
rL/--\- ' }
Window
Countertop with
ooen storage below
It td| l ll
I I i l t c J
I
-.'1-.--l
Mitersaw
-t'-)
!r\I
t-1
Spindle
sander
ll.-r
Ul
IltE
ti
R o u t e rt a b l e| | I H I
LqP
Y9raPn
prnsI
I
rr----- 1il|
BelVdisc
sanoer
:r---
LI
!'
Lathe
"'l
ft
Dust
collectorTool
T-----n^
I _-JL ano
I L__jSparrs Foot
loct<erlocker
l,.ll
l\-/l
\-
CornerB
liltl
t6-ll
t.r-__7i
t-i
il
Portable
Planer
Rolling
toolbox
Tablesaw
and extension
wino with
route-rtable
Tablesaw
llgs
on wal.
1-
)'
Lathe
tI t"r fli
trTr
ql_- ,1
Portable
Planer
.tl
\<D
HI
t"t
fi--l
fr-ll
Dust
collectorr_r.--ll
c^{l
\nt
I|l._rT il|
Vacuum
under
/ table
Mortiser
Radial-arm
SAW
JT
GARAGE
BelVdisc
sanoer
F n^lna6d
Storage
snerves
'\"
''
Chair
7
Dust!-/
n\
collectorll|trl
I r-r}
::t:
u *o\
L!l
I (-oj ) l
GornerD
GornerA
.
Plywood
storage
6l
b
CD _oi
ol
(Jl
c!
Lumber
rack
Gorner
G
FI
t"l
t-f,
Et
CornerB
Clamshell
srorage
cabinet
Plywood
storage
Drill
press
Lumber
racK
Gorner
G
Before the workover began, Jerry's shop was crowded and inefficient.Atterward,the shop is effectivelyartanged and the walls hold
cabinets instead ol dust-coveredDackaqesand tools.
86
2008
New prefab cabinet
l
- l
TheSicknesst
.
...:
:,::i...:-j::
'.i.
\,
,, ,
t:;l-;.1-';,,'i
Like rnost shops, Jerry's evolved over

time. As new tools and jigs entered,they
were positioned wherever they'd fit.
The Gure: Rearni*r-Beti{'4r*

'rr,r::rc
thg tfie k
We relocated Jerry's tools and sr-rpplies
where they belong, instead of wherever
space allowed. The "after" floor plirn,
lefi, shows that tools tbr breaking down
boards-radial-arm saw. jointer, and
planer-reside on one end of the shop.
Tools for machining parts, handwork,
and assemblylive on the other end. Jerry
now has easy accessto everything.
woodmagazine.com
The Sickness: F;*iterinex

i'*l-rs"*h
stur.ege
The Sickness: La*k ert

enc*e:sed
stsrage
Jerry's storagefbr finishing suppliesconsisted of a set of simple shelves (see Corner A-Be.fore photo). They swallowed
stain and finish cans, and gobbled up
loads of dust and clutter.
Perforated hardboard off-ers versatile

storage; but in Jerry's shop, this storage
system was hooked on clutter. One wall
was packed with hooks that held most
anything you could think of, much in
its original packaging (see Corner ABeJitre photo).
The Cure: A r";*tuT

tne;acle:
{: I tr\,J t{.} t i} r.",-rlJ i r} q} |
Two t/2"-plywood doors hinged to a face
frame made of scrap stock put this problem under wraps. Secured by wood turn
buttons, the doors keep dust out, and cans
in (see Corner A-A.fier photo).
The Cure: Fr*fah fr#hia.rt:;xr,,

cr*#t'"sfi r{uick s*ir,ltior:r
To provide storage,we hung four readyto-assernbleprefab cabinets purchased
at a home center(seeCornersA and Blfter photos).Theseunitsinstallquickly
and-at $50 and$75apiecedependingon
size-prove economicalwhen compared
to buildingyour own cabinets.
87
Wall hooks
hold oftenused items.
I
Mbreprefab
cauills
Tfhe bandsaw
ihas a home!
.R:81
The Sickness: A sinqle

cabinet gets crammeE-full
Jerry had built one four-doorwall cabinet
(seeCorner B-Before photo).It proved
suitablefor holding jars of screwsand a
few supplies.But at only about 4" deep,
it couldn't acceptmuch else.This cabinet location near the benchproved ideal,
though, for turning the cabinet into a
home for hardwareand hand tools.
The Cure: Deepshop-built

doors hold more
We turned this space-impairedcabinet
into a storagesuperstarby equipping it
with clamshelldoors. (Seethe drawing,
right, andCorner B-After photo).Inside
one pair, perforatedhardboardoffers effectivehangingstorage.Another option:
Add shelvesinsidethe doors.Jerry plans
to load this cabinet with more hardware
and handtools.
The Sickness: Toolshave

no placeto call home
When we arrived in Jerry's shop, we
found the bandsawand drill pressshoved
into a corner due to lack of open floor
space (see Corner C-Before photo).
Both machineshad to be pulled out into
the room for use.
At least those tools could be used.
Jerry'sbenchtoptools that residedon his
long built-in counter (seeCornersA and
B-Before photos) had gotten so buried
that they were tough to evenfind.
Jerry's shop now sports a clean countertop and loads of enclosed cabinet space.
Using a combination of shop-built and store-bought units allows easy customization.
CLAMSHELLCABINETDOORS(two options)
Door skin tZ" birch
# 1 6 x 1 " w i r eb r a d
Door skin 1/z"bitch plywood

Door tops 3/q"pine,
31/2"wide
# 1 6x 1 "
wire brad
Dooredges
g/q"pine
3t/z" wide
#6x 1"F.H.
wood screw
# 1 6x 1 "
wire brad
t/z" plywood
The Gure: Reclaimed

areas give tools space
Pushingthe bench and tablesawtogether
items,suchas
and removingunnecessary
88
spacer
7/a+"
pilot hole 7a"deep
Door bottom
s/q"pine
3/2" wide
/a" perforated
hardboard
7se"shank hole.countersunk
F.H.wood screw
x 11/2"
2008
You can never have enough clamps, or rack

space to hold them. The drill press, which
was crammed into a corner, now can be
used anytime and is surrounded by plenty
of work space.
a foot locker, extra scrapbins, and loads

of lumber cut-offs, freed up about 20
percentmore floor spacein Jerry'sshop.
This meansthe bandsawand drill oress
now get their own cornerswherethey're
easy to use but out of the way. (Seethe
After floor plan.) We even brought the
portableplanerin from the garage.
Solvingthe on-wall storageissuesover
the long counter also made more usable
spaceavailablefor Jerry'sbenchtoptools.
The Sickness: Jiqs and

woodworkingclarips
sit in the wrohg carhps
As shown in the Corner C-Before photo, Jerry built his shop with an 8'-wide
doorway leading into his garage. He
neverused half of the opening,though,
and simply coveredit with clear plastic.
He hung a few tablesawjigs on the wall
(in a locationnot handy to the saw),and
parkeda rolling toolbox in front of it.
constructedthe sameway.The difference

lies in the size and spacingof the slots.
One rack holds pipe clamps, the other
keepsrapid-actionbar clamps.
The Sickne$s: An unmovable tablesawdoublesas

a dumpingground
Jerry's3-hp cabinetsaw with a 52" fence
earns its keep at the center of the shop.
But positioning it there effectively chops
the workspaceinto two separaterooms.
At least the tablesaw became a convenient tabletopand workbench-meaning

it easilygot buried!
The Gure: Makinq the saw

mobile cuts out h5ssle
Mounting a universalmobile baseunder
the saw allows Jerry to move this heavy
machine by himself if the need arises.
That way he can positionit for cutting big
boardsor get it out of the way altogether
to increasefloor space.
Pipe-clampslot
EASY.TO.BUILD
CLAMP RACK
TOP
1/zx 41/2"plywood
Rapid-action
bar clampslots
#16x1"
wire nails
The Gure: Wall racks

cradleclamps
Enclosinghalf of the doorway with a 4'wide wall givesthe shopa finished look
and provides the backdrop for a bevy
of clamp racks (see Corner C-After
photo). The clamps used to hang on the
opposite end of the shop,a long way from
Jerry'sworkbench.
We moved what clamp racks he had,
plusbuilt a few more,like the onesshown
in the drawing at right. Both styles are
woodmagazine.com
CLEAT
s/+x3Yz"pine
7se"shank hole,
countersunk
Secureto studswith
#8 x2/2" F.H.wood screw.
SUPPORT
t/zx 41/zx 8" pine
89
The Sickness: A router

table wastes space
In the Corner D-Before photo, you'll
see that clamps consumed one wall
on the infeed side of Jerry's tablesaw.
Someof the longer clampsforced him to
position his router table away from the
wall in the alreadyinadequatefloor space.
The Gure: An all-in-one

sawingand,routingstation
worKswongers
We got rid of the stand-alonetable and
replaced it with a router-table-equipped
extensionwing for the tablesaw.This fullfunction tableatethe biggestsinglechunk
of our budget (detailed in "Where the
moneywent" atbottomright),butupgraded both Jerry's tablesawand his routing
capabilitiesin additionto openingup space.
Of course, we didn't let the spacewe
created go to waste. We parked Jerry's
rolling tool box along the newly cleared
wall where it interfered least with other
shoptools. Then we surroundedthe toolbox with Jerry'smany tablesawjigs. They
now hang on screwswhere they belong,
on the infeed side of the saw whereJerry
can reach them easily as he works (see
Corner D-After photo).
-:
\
Long clamps behind the router table gobbled up valuablefloor space in Jerry's shop.
Jerry had only a narrow path between his tablesaw, foreground, and his radial-arm saw.
The final diagnosis

So, did our cures rid Jerry's shop of its
sickness?Here's what Jerry had to say:
"I knew that I wasn'tvery organized,but
I didn't realize what a difference more
storageand mobility could make.I find it
hard to believehow much better the shop
functions, and so does everyone who
comesby to seemy workshopworkover."
Jerry has learned that anyone can

get his or her workshop organized. It
just takes forethought,a few well-spent
dollars,and a little help from his woodworking friends.JF
Writtenby David Stone with Kevin Boyle,
Chuck Hedlund, and Jeff Mertz
Photographs:Gayle Harper, In-SightPhotography
Where the
nroney went
We set out to make major improvements without spending more than
$1,000.You can see that had we not
needed two big-ticket items-the
router table and tablesaw mobile
base-we could have cut our budget
in half.Here'showwe spentour money,
roundedto the nearestdollar.
Universal
'mobile
base
Tablesawmobilebase
$ 180
Routertableextension
for tablesaw
$ s+z
Cabinets
(three24x30",one 24x36")
$ 216
4" lockingcasters
$ 28
Sheetgoods
$ 95
Lumber
$80
Hardwareand supplies
$42
TOTAL
$ 988
Adjusting the new mobile base makes Jerry's massive tablesaw moveable.
90
flsI.t-4'b
i
'q
Ditching the freestandingrouter table

made space for a tool box. The dust collector tucks tight to the wall and turns on
by remote control.
i\\
' - . '\
Router-table
extension wing
Seemoreshopproiectplansat
\,r/oodrr agazine.{0 m ish r:pi*oi s
An integratedrouter table makes the tablesaw multi-tasf. Senlor Oesign Editor Kevin
Boyle makes sure it sits flush with the saw table.
woodmagazine.com
91
Triple-Threat
for
Storage
Lumber,
ScraFS,
andSheetGoods
Buildone or all three of these
easy-to-makeprojects to keep
your shop organized.
StorageSolution1:
Adjustable board bunks
{ To make each rack, start by cutting
I two piecesof Vz"plywood to the sizes
shown on Drawing 1 to create the side
plates for the board bunk.
l)From an 8'-long 2x4 cut a piece 40"
6\ong. Rip about Vz" from one edge.
Then rip the other edge to achieve the
frnal2Vz" width.
flFrom the ripped stock, cut the divid\Jers to length, as shown, making sure
to miter both ends at 5". (Note that the

bottom divider is 4Vs" long.) The workpiece is longer than you'll need, but
this allows you to work around knots to
make the dividers as strongas possible.
lllCut a spacer2\3/te"-widefrom a scrap

'Tof
2x4 stock, and use this as a spacer
to align the dividers. Now glue and screw
the dividers to the plates,where shown.
7a"hole
e/e"lag screw
5" long
t/+"round-overs
DIVIDER
S ID E
PLATE
...@
{
3"
213/ra
Make as many of these adjustable racks ds you need

to store boards flat and out of the way. Wall-mount
them over studs.
92
7ez"shankhole,
countersunk
#8 x 1" F.H.wood screw

Best-EverWoodworkingJigs, HomemadeTools,& ShopOrganizers 2008
Trt make the arms. rip a secondpiece

of 2x4 to 2.3A"wicle. Again, avoid
sections with knots to ensure maxinrum
strength. (We ntade four arms for each
rack assembll,.)Miter one end of each arm
at 5o. Then roLlt /+" round-overs on the
ed-uesancl ends where shown. Don't rout
the mitered end. Sandall the parts through

15O-grit,and apply a clear finish if desired.
To mount the rack assembly, locate
yourwalls studs,andthendrill.%" holes
throu-ehfburof the dividers,as shown.Use
t h e s e h o l e tso m a r k y o u r w a l l ,a n d t h e n d r i l l
/+" pilot holes 2" deep into the studs. (lf
the studsareexposed-no drywall-then

makethe pilot holes2r/2"-deep.)
Screw the rack assemblyonto the
studsusing3/sx5"lag screws,spacing
them every 16" or 24". Slip in the arms,
and add your prized lumberstock.
1/+x3/qx141/2"
edgebanding
p scnaPsoRrER
l------.--.-.,0*,,
1/qx 3/q x 141/2"
edge banding
1/qx3/ax193/q"
edge banding
SHELVES
7sz"shankhole,
countersunk
Corral your cutoffs with this handy

mobile cart. lt lets you organizeyour
stock by length so you'll always know
exactly what you have at a glance.
$to rage Solution 2:

$ h e i 6 , - - ' . : , , : : : i , , c; ',;;- . i - r, 'i ,
Be-sin by cLrttin-uthe plywood sides.
shelves. and dividers to the sizes
shown on Drawing 2.
Rip stock (we used poplar) to size to
create the edge bandin-e.Then apply
the ed-uebanding. where shown. This will
dress up the project while protectin-rthe
plywood ed-qesfrom nicks.
woodmagazine.com
/'
\
panhead screw
Place both side pieces face to face and

drill shank holes for the #8x2" screws
that will hold the cart rogether.Also drill
shank and pilot holes, and then assemble
each of the divider cubbies.
Sand the parts through 15O-grit,and
apply two coats of clear finish to all
the cart's pieces.
Now assemblethe cart. We used screws
only-no
glue-to allow tweaking
the fit of each piece.
Install four 3" swivel casters to the

bottom corners of the cart, where
shown. To do this, turn the cabinet upside
down, place a caster at each corner, mark
and drill the holes. and screw the casters
in place.
93
g SHEETGOODS
CART
STORAGE
3/q"boll2" long
1/zX3/qX4B1/q"
s/sz"hole,
countersunk
-T
T
I
71
--w
i*
.-+a
e/qx1x261/q"
edgebanding
{_
#B x 2" F.H.
wood screw
1/zx3/qx 481/a"
edgebanding
1/zX3/qX261/a"
edgebanding
1/qx3/qx96"
edgebanding
SHELF
s/ax1x48"
cleats
9 6"
1/ax3/ax16"
edgebanding
3" swivel
caster
Sheet goods never store easily,and they
take up a lot of shop space.This tall cart
allows you to store full sheets, half sheets,
and cutoffs in a small area.Though sizeable, it rolls around with little effort. We've
even included wall-mountingbracketsyou
can add if your shop floor is rough or out of
level.lf your ceiling is less than 9', take
a pass on this project.
s/qx 1 x 26t/q" edge banding
@ cnsrER DETATL
DETATL
@ wnll MoUNTTNG
StorageSolution3:
Upstanding sheet
storage cart
Note: For structural strength, we used
-t/t" plywood;
five sheets suffice for the
project shown. If you intend to finish
or paint the project, you'll find it easier
to simply apply it to the full sheets before you begin cutting and assembly. We
applied two coats of water-based finish
using a paint pad, taking care to not coat
the plywood edges.
Cut the top, bottom, back, and shelves
to the sizes shown on Drawing 3.
Next, cut edge banding (we used poplar) to the sizes shown in the drawing.
Note that the edge banding on the front
edge of the top and bottom extends these
plywood parts by 1", whereas the edge
banding on the front edges of the top,
94
1/z'F.H.
SCTEW
1" hole
Note: 4 needed
bottom,sides,divider,and shelvesextend
the plywood parts by t/r". This ensures
alignment.Noq cut the shelfcleatsto size.
Apply edging,where shown,and the
samefinish or paint usedon the plywood parts.Attach the shelf cleatsusing
#8xt/+"screws.
Assemblethecart using#8x2" screws,
as shown.You may want a friend to
help move the configurationand steady
the large pieces. We found it easiestto tnstall the shelvesbetween one side and the
divider, and then add the back, top and
bottom, and final side. When done, install 3" swivel casters,where shown. t
Projectdesigns:
BoardBunks:Jeff Mertz
Cart:Jerry
ScrapSorter,SheetGoodsStorage
Lenz, Elizabeth, Colo.
l l l u s t r a t i o n s :R o x a n n e L e M o i n e
, \ ' o l c . ' ( ) t t t ' t l t ' t t t i t t 1 4 tst t t t l I n ( ' ( t \ L t t ' ( n t ( n ! \

t t t ' c f l t t ' t t t l r t o t 'l t t u t L ' i( t n ( l l t ' t t n t ( 'l t t t c t l i r , t
( u t ( ) l ) ( n - . \ l t r r t t ln, r i t l . s i - c t ll t r t l t L ' .I l t t ' : i , t '
r t l l l t c l t i t ' t ' t ' st t t ' t ' t l c , lr l l 1 1r ' r l i ' . fr t' ' t , t t tr r t o t l
c l l t t n t o t f t ' 1 .l ' l t t t \ ( ' t t t ( ( t : t u ' t '. t r t t u ' l i t l l t L '
. \ l ( t n ( lr t t t t l l t t o l . s .t t t t t l t t t l f t t s l t r tt t t t ' t l i t t g l . t .
( ' r i t t l r c I r r t t t l t t r t o Liil i t t t c i n t ' r t i r r ' l :
( \ . l J ) t o s r z c "r t l t i , t l e. , l t o ur ] o n D r a w i r r g 1 . . t l l l r t i L l g lt ri r e o p g 1 1 i 1 r11. 1o1t t r ' l l t t l t i
: t l t t t t i\ \ l l \ t r r t l ) c , / r l i t l r\i\lc. n t i l r l ar i t t t l l . L I r i t '
I r ' ([ i t t l t t r l t r lti ) l ' r ' i r \ ri t' ) . , , t t \ l lL t \ ' r ; r , l l .
I - l t -or t t t l u t c l t l r i I I t i t c t t l t i i r r r : i i ,i l r ' .
-[ircn.
g l r r e" r l o u c l . l r r t t l c l i t t t t l r t l r e
c ( ) l ' n c l ' . j o i n t se" h c e l ' t i r t l o t ' s ( l L r . u ' cl -. i t t c l "
tlrill
; " l r , r l c rt h i ' t i t t g l ith c u o o r l c n l t ' r . t t t t . '
l u n t li n c t l r l s l l n t l l i r l b o l t i r r r t l r e l n r t t t c i o
thc lathc'.llrnri
96
B e s t - E v eW
r o o d w o r k i n gJ i g s , H o m e r n a d eT o o l s ,& S h o p O r g a n r z e r s 2 0 0 8
Cut the door panel (C) to size from

3/+"birch plywood.
, Miter-cutthe bandingstrips(D, E) to
size from 3/q"stock.Rout %0" chamfers along the mating edgesof C, D, and
E, whereshownon Drawing 2.
*-*Cut or rout %" grooves t/q"deepalong
'z*#themating edgesof the bandingstrips
(D, E) and plywood door panel (C). Cut
splinesto the sizeslisted on Drawing 1.
Next, glue, spline, and clamp the chamferedbandingstripsto the plywood panel.
On the insideface of the door panel,

iadd a solid-woodtool holder(F) to fit
your turning tools,as shownon Drawing
1. The holesin the holdershouldbe about
t/to"larger than the diameterof the metal
ferruleon your turning-toolhandles.Add
otherholdersas needed.
'i Finish-sandthe pieces.Mask the ply.i wooddoor panel.Now,finish the solidwood banding (D, E) and frame (A, B)
with a clearfinish. Later,maskthe sealed
wood, and paint the plywood door panel.
QUse a pieceof lVz"continuoushinge

Llto securethe bottom of the door panel to the top edge of the bottom frame
member (A). Bolt the frame to the stand.
Finally, to keep the door from opening
too far, usean I l" lengthof chainto connect the door to the frame. i
Writtenby Marlen Kemmet
P r o j e c tD e s i g n J: i m B o e l l i n g
Photographs:Hopkins Associate
eXeIODED VIEW (Viewedfrom back side of door)
1lax7lrc x 28"
spline
11/2"
Closed door hides tool storage.
$ ffi
11/q'
1/a"grooves
1/+"deep
#8 x 5/e"R.H.
wood screw for
mountinqchain
to pari@
[| rnorurvtEW
\1rlr"
Headstock
1/ro"
chamferson parts@, @, anO@.
/2"wirepull
1/+"carriaqe
bolt 1" lon"g
secunno
framet6'
stand.
Plywood
Hinged door (open) viewed from top
of lathe
woodmagazine.com
97
AUersatile
for
Solution
yourBasement
orGarage
Utility
Cabinet
System
['lffiffi
Not impressedwith the

particleboardutility
cabinetsavailableat
your local home
center?Neitherwere
we. So we designeda
sturdy,easy-to-build
set of cabinets.Build
one or more of the
componentsto suit your
clutter-controlneeds.
Build the cabinet cornbination
II
861/q'
II
l_
98
I
L
861/q"
that flts your space and storage needs
I
L
861A',
2008
I f your garageor basementis the final

I pocket of disorganizedresistancein
I yout home,then assemblethis SWAT
I teamof storagesolutions.Made of durable medium-densityfiberboard(MDF),
thesecabinetsfeaturerigid hardwoodface
frames and, for added hanging options,
perforated-hardboardbacks. Better yet,
the systemis chock full of featuresthat'll
help you speedthroughthe construction:
. Shop-madeguides make drilling hardware mountingholesfast and accurate.
. Butt-joint construction makes for fast
but sturdyjoinery.
. Screw-togetherassemblyallows you to
prefinish all the parts with a paint roller.
. Special drawer side/slide hardware
makesbuilding the drawersa breeze.
. Self-closinghingeseliminatethe need
for door catches.
And whenit's setuptime,levelersaccessiblefrom insidethe baseand tall cabinets
give you perfectno-hasslealignment.
Planyour installation
Measurethe lengthof wall in the area
I whereyou wish to setup your storage
system.Make sure there is room for the
I7z/+"depthof the tall and basecabinets.
Eachwall/basecabinetpair and eachtall
cabinetrequire30" of wall length.To find
the total numberof 30" modulesyou can
fill with a combinationof wall/baseand
tall cabinets,divide the total length of
availablewall in inchesby 30, and round
your answerdown to the next whole number. For instance,if your wall measures
103",dividing 103" by 30" equals3.43
modules.Roundingthis down to a whole
modulegivesyou three30" modules.The
90" cabinetarrangement,shownopposite
page,bottomright, would fit in this space
with 13" left over.
.*)Make a sketchof the wall area,divid&ing it into the numberof 30" modules
{
Position the stiles (A, B, C) with a stopblock, and drill countersunk screw holes
s/a"ltom the ends. Reposition the stopbfock, and drill holes 1s/o"lrom the ends.
determined in the
previous step. Then
sketch in the combination of wall/base
and tall cabinetsthat
fits your needs.Now
count the number of
each type of cabinet
and generatea cutting
list by filling in the
blankson the Materials List on page 104.
rnce
Clamp a stile (A, B, C) and rail (D, E) to a

flat surface, aligning them with a stopblock.
Drill pilot holes into the rail, and drive the
screws. Repeat for the other three corners.
FRAMES
Tsz"shankhotes,
countersunk
l-9,/o'
19e/a"
for tall cabinet
6r/2"tor base cabinet
"H
24t/q" tol
86t/c" tor
Holesin tall cabinetonly
L,rrr"on part@
Vtor tall cabinet

. | 9t/e',onpart@
I for base cabin-et
T'."
7sz"shankholes.
countersunk
with mating
7o+"pilotholes
1" deepintorails
Gut the
case parts
From t/q" thick poplar, cut the stiles
I (A, B, C), top andcenterrails (D), bottom rails (E), edging (F), and back rails
(G) to the sizeslisted on the Materials
List. Mark the part letter on the end of
eachpiece,and stackthe parts in order.
flReferring to Drawing1, drill counter6sunk 7:2" shankholescenteredin the
edgesof the stiles (A, B, C) for fastening the top and bottom rails, as shownin
Photo A. Then drill countersunkshank
holesin the stiles(B, C) for fasteningthe
centerrails of the tall and basecabinets.
Assemblethe stiles and top and bottom
rails, as shownin Photo B. Then adb the
centerrails. wheredimensioned.
{
QMeasure the exact sizes of the asiJsembled face frames. and then from
3/+"medium density fiberboard (MDF),
cut the sides(H, I, J); narrow tops and
I
L
86Y4'
woodmagazine.com
99
bottoms (K); and wide tops, bottoms, and

fixed shelves(L) to size.
Make surethe sidesare the samelength
as the mating stiles and the length of the
tops, bottoms, and fixed shelvesis equal
to the overall width of the face frames.
Then cut the adjustable shelves (M, N),
doors (O, P), and drawer fronts (T) to
size. Mark the part letter on the end of
each piece, and stack the parts in order.
For the length of the backsplash(X), add
up the total width of the base cabinets
in your storage system, and cut a piece
of 3/q"MDF to the width listed and the
length det6rmined.
/lCount the number of base and tall
Tcabinets in your storagesystem.Des-
E cAsEsrDES
51V4"
ignate this number of parts L as bottoms,

and use a Vi' Forstner bit to drill leveler
accessholes,where shown on Drawing 2.
f,Measure the actual thickness of the
rJperforated hardboard for the backs
(Q, R, S), and cut 3/a"-deep
groovesin the
sides(H,I, J), whereshownon Drawing 3.
fiGlue and clamp the edging (F) to
lJthe adjustableshelves(M, N), where
shown on Drawings 4, 5, and 6. When
the glue dries, sandthe edging flush with
the shelves. Then sand any saw marks
from the edgesof all the MDF parts. Now
rout %" round-oversalong the front edges
of the edging, the front edgesof the sides
(H, tr,J), and all edgesof the doors (O, P)
and drawer fronts (T).
r/From V+" perforated hardboard, cut
I the backs (Q, R, S) to size. Cut the
tool board face (Z) to width and to the
samelength as the backsplash(X).
F- 11
lvt
V+"gloove
7a"deep
Vq"tfom
back edge
on insideface
lt" groove
7a"deep
4q" trom
back edge
on inside
face
I t/+"groove
a: ,;;i::i
- backedge
on insideface
s/sz"shank holes,
countersunk
I)Yo'
31/2"
lr
?l+
2"/o'
WALL CABINETSIDE
BASE CABINETSIDE
TALL CABINETSIDE
6 SHELFSTANDARDS
TOPVIEW
'f..:ffi;fT
Shelf --
standardEi
1"I
#8 x 2" F.H.
wood screw
E WALL CABINETEXPLODEDVIEW
Shelf standard
20" long
Shelf
,standard
#8 x 2 "
F.H.wood
V /screw
t/e"round
t/a"round-overs
l(
I
251/2'
11/2",
Shelfsupport
/2" overlayselfclosinghinge
::::-\r.
S" chromewire pull
100
z%+"
pilot hole
lrh" deep
,l
/
s/sz"shank hole,
#8 x 2" F.H. 7ee"shank hole,
111Vt'
countersunk
)
wood screw
countersunk *gx 21/2,F.H.woodscrew
#8x2" F.H.woodscrew
2008
7/aq"pilol hole 1t,/q"deep
$ rnu cABtNEr
EXPLODED
VIEW
'4
x 2" F.H.
wood screw
Shelfstandard20" long
1
/
2Yz'
/
861/q"
3" chrome
wirepulls
Shelf
841/z'
support
g/o" hole
#8 x3/q"
panhead
screw
13/q'
Shelfstandards t/z"
leveler
60" long
access hole
s/sz"
shank hole,
countersunk
Izv'
13slo'\
\__
)\ri
3/e-16x 2r/2" leveler
#8x2/2" F.H.woodscrew
t/a"round-overs
7/aq"pilol hole 1t/q" deep
--15s/+'7
#8 x 2" F.H.
wooo screw
7sz"shank hole,
3/ro"hole,countersunk
countersunk
10-24x 11/q"
F.H.machinescrew
*-28%"
t/aq" pilol hole 1t/a" deep
14" drawerslide
EXeLoDED
vtEW
@ ense cABINET
7sz"shank hole.
countersunk
11s/q'
t
'/4
l-
13slo'-\i
12"overlayself'closing
hinge
-i
23/+"
woodmagazine.com
t/z" leveler
access hole
#8x 2" F.H.

wood
-13-flilil,"il1
,_/'r)8.
ler bracket/
bracket/ fL,
, , Levefer
s/e-16X 2t/2"-/ /
17e/+'
leveler
10-24 x 1t/q"F.H.
3Aa"hole,countersunk machinescrew
and
With the back (Q) captured in the side (H)

grooves,clamp the top (K) in place,flush with
the tops of the sides, and the bottom (K)
in pface, 13/q"
lrom the bottoms of the sides.
Alignthe top edgesof the rails(D,E)with

the top surfacesof the top and bottom(K).
Drillcountersunk
screwholeswheremarked
on the sidesand rails,anddrivethe screws.
Placea 21"-longspacerbetweenthe tall

cabinettop andfixedshelf(L)at the back.
Usea squareto alignthetop surfaceof the
shelfandtop edgeof the centerrail(D).
Finishand assemble
ftFor a wall cabinet,assemblethe back

#(Q), sides (H), and top and bottom
(K), as shownin Photo C. Now add the
face frame (A/D/E), as shown in Photo
D. Assemblethe basecabinetin the same
manner. For the tall cabinet, insert and
align the fixed shelf (L), as shown in
Photo E. Then drill countersunkscrew
holes, where marked on the sides, and
rails and drive the screws.
,{ Turn the cabinetsfacedown,andposi*Ttion
the back rails (G) where shown
on Drawings 4, 5, and 6. Drill countersunk screw holes through the sides and
into the rails. and drive the screws.Then
on all the cabinets, drill countersunk
screw holes through the back rails and
into the tops and bottoms(K, L). On the
tall cabinet,drill and screwthe back rail
to the fixed shelf(L). Then turn the cabinet over.and drill and screwthe back (R)
to the backrails.
ffiTo mount the levelerson the baseand
b",,ttallcabinetsand the pulls on all the
.'riTo'seal the edgesof the MDF parts

* before painting, see the Shop Tip,
below.Now prime and paint all the parts
exceptthe backrails (G). (We rolled on an
exterior acrylic latex primer followed by
two coats of exterior acrylic latex semigloss paint. A short-naproller gives the
surfacesa subtleflaw-hiding texture.)
:f't.gApplymaskingtapeto the outsidefaces
.rtof thesides(H,I, J),andmark screw-hole
locations,wheredimensionedon Drawing
3. Make sure the sidesare mirror images.
Then apply maskingtape to the faceframe
rails (D, E), andmark screw-hole
locations,
I ontl curDES
Y4 OTOOVeS
F--t3/n'
vd"deep
_ft--l
11/2"
t
J
Seal MDF edcr

- es
quicklv and
e-ffectively
The rawedgesof MDFpartswillsoak
up many coats of primerbeforethey
are readyfor a finishcoat of paint.To
avoid repeatedprimer applications,
mix three parts woodworkingglue
with one part waterand seal the edges, as shown below.When dry, sand
the edgessmoothwith220-9ritsandpaper.Apply a singlecoat of primer,
and you'rereadyfor the finishcoat.
7u
11/z'
s/ro"hole
lq x 31/qx 41/2"hardboard
LEVELER
GUIDE
P U L LG U I D E
tAx3x53/q" hardboard
o,@
guide
Hold the levelerdrilling guide cleat

against the bottom end of the side and
align the guide edge with the side front
edge. Drillthe holes. Repeatat the rear
and other side.
102
With a plywood scrap underneath the door

to prevent chipout, position the drilling
guide with the short cleat against the end
of the door and the long cleat against the
e d g e ,a n d d r i l l t h e h o l e s .
Best-Ever Woodworking Jigs, Homemade Tools, & Shop Organizers 2008
Insert1"-widespacersbetweenthe shelf
standardsand the stile (A)and back(Q).
Withthe endsof the standardsagainstthe
bottom(K),nailthestandardsin place.
doors,makethe drilling guidesshownon
Drawing7. Then drill holesin the cabinet
sides,as shown in Photo F. Countersink
the holeson the outsidefaces.Drill holes
in the doors,as shownin PhotoG. (Drill
the holesat any corner.They will be properly orientedwhen installing the hinges.)
Fastenthe levelersto the caseswith #1024xlV+" flathead machine screws.lock
washers,andnuts.Do not installthe pulls
at this time.
' For the wall cabinet,trim the top ends
,
{#of four 24"-longshelfstandardsto 20".
Referringto Drawing 4a, fastenthe standards to the sides(H) with special shelf
standardnails, as shown in Photo H. For
the basecabinet install 24" standards.For
thetall cabinet,install60"standards
in the
lowercompartmentand trim24" standards
to 20" for the uppercompartment.
pPosition the top and bottom hinges
f for each door on the stiles (A, B, C)
and drill pilot holes,as shownin Photol.
Positionthe top and bottom hingeson the
doorswith the previouslydrilled pull holes
at the bottomsof the wall cabinetand tall
cabinetshortdoors(O) and the topsof the
basecabinetshortdoors (O) and tall cabinet long doors(P).Now mountthe hinges,
as shown in Photo J. Then on each long
door,centera third hinge,drill pilot holes,
and screwthem in place.
Tape a 2r/q"-longspacer to the stile with one

end against the top, center, or bottom rail.
Hold the hinge against the spacer,and drill
pilot holes, centered in the hinge slots.
Set your combination square lo23/c".Holding

the square againstthe top and bottom edges
of the door, and the hinges against the
guide, drill pilot holes. Then, drive the screws.
Holdthe bottom/backassembly(V/W)in
yourvise.Removethe optionalalignment
tabsfromthe drawerside/slides,
andclamp
themin place.Drillpilotholes,and drive
the screws.
Withthe locationsof the bottomfront

cornersof the drawerbox markedon
maskingtape,alignthe drawerbox
assemblywith the marks,and markthe
bracket-holelocations.
through the back and into the bottom;

and drive the screws.Mount the drawer
side/slidesto the bottom/back assemblv.
as shownin Photo K.
flSnap the righr and left-handdrawer\Jfront brackets onto the side/slides.
Apply masking tape to the front (T) and
mark the bottom front cornerlocationsof

the drawerbox on the tape,where shown
on Drawing 8. Mark bracket mountingscrew locations,as shown in Photo L.
Removethe drawer box, drill pilot holes,
and remove the tape. Reposition the
drawerbox. and drive the screws.
S OnnWER(viewedfrom the back)

Left-handdrawer-front bracket
3" chrome
wire pull
261/z'
'/a
1 / l l
Make base cabinetdrawers
round-overs
'-* Laminatetwo piecesof t/q-thickstock,

f and cut the cleats(U) to size.Placea
71/z
t/2"selt2"-wide spacerbetweenthe basecabinet
top (L) and the cleat,and clamp the cleat adhesive
bumper
in place.Drill countersunkscrew holes
through the side (J) and into rhe cleat.
Then drive the screws.
*rpFrom %" plywood, cut the drawerbot&tom (V) and back (W) to size.Clamp
the back to the bottom, where shown on
\
Drawing 8;drill countersunkscrewholes # 6 x V z "panheadI screwI
woodmagazine.com
,r)o"nn""d screw
7ez"pilothole /a"deep
131/q
--
#8 x 11/q'F.H. wood screw
7sz"shank hole.countersunk
14" metaldrawerside/slide
103
Add a top and tool board

List.
Howto complete
theMateilals
countthenumber
Step1Working
offyourplanning
sketch,
Enter
thenumbers
in
wall,
tall,andbase
cabinet.
ofeach
marked
intheverticalcolumns
alltheopenwhiteboxes
1under
case.
Column
theappropriate
ineachhorizontalrowand
enter
Step2 Addthenumbers
2.
thesumintheooenboxinColumn
2 bythenumber
inColumn
Step3 Multiply
thenumber
4.Thisisthe
inColumn
3 andentertheresultinColumn
oftop
number
oleachpartneeded.
Forthetotalnumber
(F);backrails(G);wide
rails(D);shelf
edging
andcenter
(L);andwideshelves
(N),
shelves
tops,
bottoms,
andfixed
4 andenter
inthetworowsofColumn
addthenumbers
thesuminColumn
4a.
wallstiles
3/i,
11/2, 241h'
tallstiles
3/t,
11/2"
861h',
basestiles
3/q,
11/2'
323/+'
toprails
Vc"
2'
25Y2'
D center
rails
3/q"
2'
251/2"
bottomrails
3/q' 2Y2'
251/2"
shelfedging
3/+u 1Y2'
28"
shelfedging
3/+u
28'
backrails
3/q" 21/2' 28Yd'
backrails
3/q"
wallsides
3/q' 119/q' 24Y4" MDF
tallsides
3/+u 17s/q' 86Ya" MDF
3/+, 173/q' 323/+" MDF

basesides
narrowtopsand s/q" gs/4" 2g1/2" MDF
11/z'
21/2'
281/2'
t(E
e
o
Sources
(1);3"chrome
wirepulls
bumpers
WallCabinet:t/2"self-adhesive
(4);
(2pr,);24"
(2)i,/2"
hinges
shelfstandards
overlay
self-closing
(1);shelfstandard
kitno.KlT0'1053,
nails(1).Order
shelfsupports
Hardware.
Call800-383-0130,
orgoto
Woodworke/s
$20.49
wwhardware.com.
(1);3"chrome
wirepulls
bumpers
Tallcabinet:t/2"self-adhesive
(4lr;t/2"
(4);|eve|er
(4li3/e-16x21/2"
|eve|ers
brackets
ouerlay
(4);60"shelfstan(5pr.);24"
hinges
shelfstandards
self-closing
(1);shelfstandard
nails(2),Orderkitno.
dards(4);shelfsupports
Woodworke/s
Hardw
are,seeabove.
KlT01
051,$49,51
(1);3"chrome
wire
bumpers
BaseCabinet:
/2"self-adhesive
(4);t/2"
pulls(3);3/a-16x2t/zi
(4);leveler
overlay
levelers
brackets
(4);shelfsupports
(2pr.\;24"
hinges
shelfstandards
self-closing
(1pr.);
(1);shelfstandard
left-hand
nails(1);14"drawer
sides/slides
(1).Order
(1);righlhand
frontbracket
drawer
frontbracket
drawer
Woodworke/s
Hardware,
seeabove.
kitno.K1T01052,
$46.85
listedabove
lo buildtwo
ofthehardware
Totalsystem:Enough
kitno.K1T01054,
Order
ofeachcabinet.
$169.
Hardware,
seeabove.
Woodworker's
3/qu 153/+' 281/2" MDF
widefixed
3/+, 153/q' 281/2" MDF
shelves
narrowshelves 3/q' 83/4' 28' MDF
wideshelves
3h' 143/q" 28"
MDF
wideshelves
3/4' 149/q' 28'
MDF
shortdoors
3/q" 133/1a"203/+" MDF
longdoors
3/q" 133/ra" 61"
PH
PH
MDF
wallbacks
1/q' 29Y4' 24Y4"
fi
tallbacks
th" 291A" 84Y2"
basebacks
Y4u 29Y4" 31"
fronts
3/+u 71/2,
261/2'
cleats
11/2' 2"
15Vq"
bottoms
Yd' 131/q" 243/a"
BP
1/2" 45/e' 24a/a'
BP
W backs
X
o)
e
(rt
E
z,
'1
ct
o
(D
.ct
L ylqq
Materials
backsplash
3/+'
11/2' 17'
tace
1/4u
verticalspacers 3/+u 11/z' 21'

3/qu
MDF
willbe
forquantities
Note:Shipping
otherthanthosegivenabove
will
andinmostcases
calculated
forthetotalcostofthehardware
prices
given,
cabinet
belessthanthesumoftheindividual
LP
MDF
51/q'
Y top
BB lglrgJlal
To make the lVz"-thick top (Y), cut two

I pieces of 3/q"MDF to the width listed and
to match the length of the backsplash(X). Glue
and screwthe piecestogetherwith the edgesand
ends flush. Sand the front edge smooth.Rout a
3/s"round-over along the top front edge and a Vt"
round-overalong the bottom front edge, where
shown on Drawing 9. Apply two coatsof semiglosspolyurethaneto the front edge,sandingbetweencoatswithZ2o-grit sandpaper.Then apply
two additionalcoatsto the entire top, once again
sandingbetweencoats.
f)Clamp the backsplash(X) to the rear edgeof
Athe top, flush at the bottom and ends. Drill
countersunkscrewholesthrough the backsplash
and into the top, where shown on Drawing 9.
Drive the screws.
QCut vertical spacers(AA) for the endsof the
Uface (Z), and then enoughto spacethem 30"
center-to-centerin between.Cut the horizontal
spacers(BB) to the samelength as the face. Retrieve the face, and keeping the ends and edges
flush, glue and clamp the spacersto the face,
where shownon Drawing 9.
{
tLM
Findmore
plansat
shelvingand bookcase
woodmagazine.com/shelvi ng
24'
1Y2'
varies,
seetheinstructions.
f Dimension
seetheinstructions.
ofpartsvaries,
tt Number
Materialskey:P-poplar,
MDF-medium-density
fiberboard,
PH-perforated
hardboard,
LP-laminated
poplar,
plywood,
BP-birch
LMDF-laminated
mediumdensitv
fiberboard.
panhead
Supplies:#6xtl2"
and#8x%"
screws;
#8x11/2"
flathead
#8x11/t",
, #8x2",and#8x21/2"
woodscrews;
#10-24x11/q"
flathead
machine
#10-24
nuts;#10lockwashers.
screws;
Bladesandbits: Stackdadoset.t/2"Forstner
bit,
1/s"
round-over
router
bits.
and3/a"
f,l wonxBENcH
AND TOOL
BOARD
BASECABINETCUTTINGDIAGRAM
s/ax 48 x 96" Medium-densitv

fiberboard
96" Poplar(4 bd. ft.)

3/qx31/2x96"
Poplar(2.7 bd. tt.\
a/,, #8x 2" F.H.

"fo,/wood
screw
7a"round-over
/8" round-over
tt
7 e z "s h a n k h o l e ,
countersunk
on back face
1/2x24 x 48" Birch

plywood
i7/aq"pilol hole 11/4"deep
#B x 1 1/q"F.H. wood screw
WALL CABINETCUTTINGDIAGRAM
1/ax 48 x 48" Perforated

hardboard
TALLCABINETCUTTINGDIAGRAM
o
o
s/ax 48 x 96" Medium-densitv
fiberboard
1/qx48x48"
Perforated
hardboard
s/qx 48 x 96" Medium-density

fiberboard
s/qx48 x 48"
Medium-density
fiberboard
3 / q x 5 1 / zx 9 6 " P o p l a r ( b d . f t . )
WORKBENCHAND TOOL BOARD

CUTTINGDIAGRAM
s/qx 48 x 96" Medium-density

fiberboard
Note: The Cutting

Diagramsshown
representthe
materialsneededto
b u i l de a c hc a b i n e t
i n d i v i d u a l lF
y .o r
moreefficientuse
of material,use
thesediagramsas
g u i d e sa n d m a k ea
c o m b i n e dd i a g r a m
for all the cabinets
y o u p l a nt o b u i l d .
1/qx48 x 96" Perforated hardboard
s/qx 48 x 96" Medium-densitv

fiberboard
3 / q x 5 1 / zx 9 6 " P o p l a r ( 4 b d . f t . )
1/+x 48 x 96" Perforatedhardboard
3 / q x 7 l / qx 9 6 " P o p l a r ( 5 . 3 b d . f t . )
3/qx 51/zx 96" Poplar (4 bd.

woodmagazine.com
105
Set up the system

Many garages(like the one shownhere)
havea protruding concretecurb at the
bottom of one or more walls. Tall and
basecabinetssitting directly on the
floor cannotbe pushedtightly against
the wall. For a solutionto this problem,

seethe Shop Tip, bottom.The six steps,
below, show how to setup the storage
systemshownon page 98. Usethese
instructionsas a guide for settingup
your own cabinetconfiguration.Now
straightenout your garage,throw out the

junk, and storethe good stuff in your
new cabinets.|l
Writtenby Jan Svec with Chuck Hedlund
Tool board
Step 1 Check the floor for levelwhere you

will place the cabinets. Position blocking
under the front levelers.Start at the high end
and level the first tall cabinet. Drill holes,
and screw the cabinet to the wall studs.
Step 2 Add the base cabinets, aligning the

bottoms and front edges with the tall cabinet.
Screw them to the wall. Position the worktop,
inserting 7c"shims behind it. Drill holes,
and screw the worktop to the base cabinets.
i
t
Step 3 Removethe shims, and rest the

tool board on the top edge of the backsplash. Drill countersunk screw holes
through the tool board and into the wall
studs. Screw the tool board to the wall.
.,:,:,
::::;:
| ,:,::
Step 4 Rest the first wall cabinet on the top

edge of the toolboard tight against the tall
cabinet. Drill holes through the cabinet
-back and drive the screws. Position the
second cabinet, and screw it to the wall.
Step 5 Add the second tall cabinet, align

it, and screw it to the wall. Mark and cut a
trim board to fit between the floor and the
bottoms of the cabinets. Drill holes through
the trim board and screw it to the blocking.
Step 6 Retrievethe hinge spacer,and using

it to position each bottom hinge, hang the
doors. On the tall doors, flip the center hinge
leaf onto the stile, drill pilot holes, and drive
the screws.Installtheshelvesand drawers.
Hopping the curb gains inches

In most garages,every squareinch of floor space counts.lf
your garagehas a low curb at the perimeterpreventingyour
storagesystemcabinetsfrombeingpushedtightlyagainstthe
wall,hoggingup valuableinches,here'sa way to get overit.
Select a combinationof dimensionlumber thicknesses
(pressure-treated
on the bottom)that comes close to the
heightof the curb.Cut the piecesto the combinedlengthof
the cabinets,and screwthemtogether.Withthe cabinetrear
blocking
levelerson the curb,positionthe dimension-lumber
underthe front levelers,where shown at right.When all the
cabinetsare in place,screwa pieceof compositedeckingto
the blockingto hide it and the gap betweenthe blockingand
the cabinets.
106
1" composite
decking
trim board
#8 x 2" F.H.
wood screw
2008
r-!
Reuoluing
Storage
With this three-sided
kiosk, you can
transform an 18x18"
space into the
equivalent of 4x6' of
tool storage board.
The secret? Your tools
revolve on a lazySusanbearing.
Here's how Louis Grivetti of Latonia,
Kentucky, squeezeda lot of storageinto a
small amount of floor spacein his shop:a
rotating tool kiosk.
Start by ripping the perforated hardboard to width, joining the three pieces
with plastic cable ties, as shown at right,
then cutting and fitting the triangular
plywood top and bottom. Don't attach the
ends to the sidesjust yet, though.
Drill a 1" hole in the center of each triangle, and attach a 3" lazy-Susanbearing
(part no. 28951, Rockler Woodworking
-and
Hardware, 800-279-4441or rockler.
com) to the bottom. Centerar;/ro" holeVz"
deep in the plywood floor anchor. Posi'
tion the bottom's 1" hole overthe anchor's
hole, and attach the other side of the lazySusan bearing to the floor anchor. You'll
need to drill an accesshole in the bottom
to drive the screwsinto the floor anchor.
Using construction adhesive, cement
the floor anchor.to the floor at least 18"
from the wall, and let it cure. Attach tlte
top and bottorn triangles inside the perforated-hardboardsides with screws,run '
a length of 3/q"conduit through the holes,
thenslip the conduit into the anchor hole
as you standup the kiosk. When the conduit is plumb, secure it to a ceiling joist
with a conduit strap.Finally, hang storage
hooks in the peg holes, and your tools on
the hooks. .l .
woodmagazine.com ' ,
107
.i
Rolling
Storage
Workshop
"This unit was designedand built to bring
order out of the chaosin my workshop,"explainedreaderBernardMonneauof Calgary,
Alberta, in his letter to us. We liked his idea
of mixing plastictubs and shelvesso much,
we built one for theWOODo magazineshop
and invite you to constructone for your work
areaas well.
The design centers around plastic storage tubs of the type sold in home centers
and large discount stores.Our unit houses
RubbermaidRoughneckStorageTote 3-gallon/I1.3-litercontainers.Adjust the project
dimensionsaccordingly if you use a different sizetub.
The entire project, minus the optional
shelvesand cleats.is built out of two sheets
of MDF (3/+"birch plywood would also work

well). See the Cutting Diagram for optimal
usage.
sheet-goods
To build the project, cut the parts to the
sizesnotedon the drawing below.Rout a %"
round-over along the one exposededge of
eachIVzxlVz"cleatand along the top edgeof
cleat where shown.(The roundeach3/qx3/q"
over on the interior cleats allows the tubs
to slide easier.)Then, drill the countersunk
mounting holesthrough all parts where noted. Glue and screwthe two dividersbetween
the two sides.Next, attach the top, bottom,
centerpartitions,and cleats.Mount the interior support cleats allowing just an inch
or two of clearance,top to bottom, between
containers.Attach the casters.|l
1t/2x11/2x323/q"
#8 x2" F.H.wood screw
cleat
l G
\t
'r
--<
71h"
t/e"round-over
,'f
/---f-
As an option, use
10V2x16"shelves in
place of some or
all of the tubs.
#8 x 2" F.H.
wood screw
71/4'
*Dimension
willdepend
uponthe size
of your tubs.
Gutting
Diagram
t/a"round-overs
#8x11/4'F.H.
wood screw
CENTER
PARTITIO
#8 x 2" F.H.
wood screw
1t/zx1lzx32s/q"
cleat
e/tx 49 x 97"Medium-density
fiberboard
(MDF)(2 needed)
outsidecreats
I
323/+'
/s" round-over
*261h',
4" fixedcaster
1 1 / 2 x 3 1 / 2 x 7 2 "P i n e ( 4 b d . f t . )
i
i,/-
# 8x 2 " F . H .
woodscrews
Insidecleats
3 / + x 5 1 / zx 9 6 " P i n e ( 4 b d . f t . )
lnside cleats
3 / q x 3 1 / z x9 6 " P i n e ( 2 . 7 b d . f t . )
108
Tapes-to-go
Wall-hung
Dispensers
Hang them at a
convenientheight,
and lift off only the
dispensersyou need.
tart by determining how
many rolls of tape you use
EXPLODED
VIEW
Hacksawbladecrosscut
#8 x 1" F.H.woodscrew
in your shop.Then, create
to widthof tape plus s/ro"
1/zu
a dispenserfor each,as dit)
mensionedin the drawingat right.
#19xt/2"wirenaiL
WALL MOUNT
-I
-+a
Note that the interior width of
eachdispenseris %0"wider than
#8 x 2" F.H.
the roll of tapeit holds.Createthe
wood screw
discs to be glued to the sidesof
centeredover stud
r/qx 1s/a"diam.
the dispenserby tracingthe inside
or 2z/a"diam.
opening of each roll of tape onto
Vq" hardboard, and cutting them
round on a bandsawor scrollsaw
or cuttingthemwith a circlecutter. 3q:"1
,n"n^ritb6lr,
In our shop,all of our rolls of tape
f I
usedeither a l3/s"or 27/s"diameter
#8xs/a"F.H.--/ 3aAa,,
-f ll
disc (%" smallerthan the taperoll
wood screw
I
s/'rax sAa
F--^^"^-.
I
insidediarneter).
rabbet
Whenassembling
eachdispenser, don't _elueone of the sidesin
place.To load a new roll of tape,
# 8 x e / q "F . H .
simply remove the two screws
wood screws
from one side to gain access.A
Removableside,allowing
piece of hacksawblade servesas
accessto add or replacetape.
a cutter.
Now,build the wall mountasdimensioned.
Attach the wall mount
DISPENSER
in placeusing fastenersappropriINSERTING
ate to your shop wall. To hang a
A DISPENSER
dispenserfrom the wall mount,
SECTIONVIEW
lift the front end of the dispenser
Drywall
while insertingthe top edgeof the
Rabbetedcleat
WALL
back into the rabbetedcleat of the
STUD,
wall mount, where shownat right.
The projectis designedso you can
pull tape from a dispenserseated
Seemore
in the wall mount or removethe
shopprojectplansat
wood magazine.com/shoptools
dispenserfrom the mount and set
it on your workbench.cF
>/--
ll
I
woodmagazine.com
WALL MOUNT
109
Rock-Solid
Workbench
Build this sturdy workhorsein
a weekend,and add features
as you needthem.
Begin with the base
Start by selectingclean, straight dimensional lumber (2x2s,2x4s and 2x6s) for
thebase.You'llneedtwo 2x2s8' long,five
2x4s 8' long, and two 2x6s 8' long. The
drier the stock you can select, the less
chance of troublesome warpage. If the
stock is wet, let it dry as long as possible
in your shop before machining. Rip and
crosscutall the parts to the sizes listed
in the Materials List. When cutting the
pieces to width, we ripped both edges
to remove the round-overs found on all
dimensionallumber.
If you plan on using the workbench
behind your tablesawas an outfeed table,
adjust the overall height dimensions so
that the tabletop sits about 1/+"lower than
your tablesawtop.
Also, we built our workbenchfor someone about5' 10" tall to work comfonably. If
you'd like your workbenchshorteror taller,
adjust leg parts I and K accordingly.
Using the drawing at right for reference,
glue and screw the base together.Cut the
lower shelf (E) to fit in the opening, drill
the mounting holes,and screwit in place.
Add the sturdy top

You can laminzite stock to form the top,
or do as we did and purchasea solid-core
door. Slightly damageddoors often can
be purchased at a substantial discount
from home centersand other outlets. Using the previously drilled shank holes in
the cleats(H), securethe top to the base.
110
s/e-16x4" F.H. machinescrew
?9:--
13/q'
Spacerand jaw faces cut per manufacturer's

Vise
#8 x 3" F.H.
wood screw
%0"shank hole
#8 x 1sla"F.H.
wood screw
#8 x 3" F.H.
wood screw
17n"..4,/
........-
nrGIr.fr
wood screws/
?
/
40 ,. /)tr E U
..,^^l
#8
x 3" F.H.wood
screw
#B x 2yz" F.H. wood screw
Project Design: Jeff Mertz

2008
lowerrails
1Y2' 3u
lowerendrails 1Y2' 3" 19" C

lo,W
shelflong 1yz, 1y2, 57, C
6
shelfshort 11/2"1/2, 1g,, C
O lo,weJ
57"
lowershelf
3/q" 16"
57'
SG
upper
rails
1Yz" 5"
57'
upper
endrails 1Y2' 5"
19"
crosscleats
1Y2' 3"
16"
legs
1Y2' 3u 321/z' C
lowerdividers 1y2' 3"
upperdividers 1Yz' 3" 181/2"C
6"
Howto Upgrade
YourWorkbench
Fewworkshopitems hold as much raw
potentialas your bench.Here'show to
tap into its full usefulness.
ike a tablesaw without a dado blade,

Materials
key:C-choice
pine,
ofspruce,
orfir;SG-choice
sliding cutoff table, or other helpful
goods
(WeusedMDF).
ofsheet
add-ons, a bare-bones workbench is a
iesr#8x1%"
Suppf
flathead
woodscrews,
#8x2lz"
flathead
workshop staple that becomes several
woodscrews,
#8x3"flathead
woodscrews,
#12x21/z
times more helpful after you accessorizeit.
3/a-16x4"
panhead
woodscrews,
flathead
machine
screws,
So you can understandwhy we couldn't let
3/e"
%"flatwashers,
locknuts.
our
basicworkbench,shownopposite,stay
g"
jaw.
Hardware:
G9851
ShopFoxQuick-Release
Vise,
basicfor long.
CallGrizzly
Industrial,
800-523-4777,
orgoto
$69.95,
For starters,we supplemented
grizzly.com.
the base
Seemore shop project plans at
wtrod ma gazi ne "corn /shoptoo Is
with a hefty, solid-coredoor top and an affordable9" quick-release

vise. We drilled
holes into the top for bench dogs to increasethe vise'sholdingcapacity.

That still leftplentyof waysto makeour
bench more accommodating,versatile,
and solid. After all, workbenchesearn
their place at the heart of your shop
becausethey'remultipurposetoolsfor everythingfrom grippinga delicatecarving
to providing a level slab for assembling
furniture.With theseadd-ons,you'll make
your benchreadyfor nearlyanything.
Six-pack of upgrades
rb
i,.-.-*,,i,i)4
1 50 poundsof addedweight
p. 112
for stability,
2 Threetooltotes,p. 113
3 Threewidedrawersfor
toolsand plans,p. 115
4 Paperrollholderfor
protecting
the top,p. 116
5 Surgeprotectorpower
slrip,p. 116
6 Glue-upclampholder,p. 117
{'}
woodmagazine.com
111
-,
Upgrade1:
Add weight for stability
Maybe you've been there: With a workpiece clamped in your vise, you muscle
a plane down a board edge, causingthe
benchto go for a little walk.
Workbenches, unlike woodworkers,
can't be too weighty when push comes
to shove.True, the MDF lower shelf and
solid-core benchtop add heft, but more
weight means more stability. For the
price of a 50-pound bag of sand and a
second piece of 3/q"MDF cut to 16x57",
you can turn a bantambench baseinto a
heavyweight.
The cleatsinsidethe lowerrail that support the shelf also bracethe secondMDF
sheet holding your ballast in place. To
make thejob easier,removethe benchtop
before you turn the frame upside down.
Then pour the sandinto the shallow tray
formed by the shelf and lower rail cleats,
as shownat right. Spreadthe sandevenly,
keepingit off the tops of the cleats.
Test-fit the shelf bottom to ensure a

leak-free fit. Then drill and countersink
screw holes. Run a thick bead of glue
along the top of the cleats,lay the shelf
bottom within the frame, and secure it
with #8x1/s" wood screws. Allow the
glue to dry beforeturning the benchback
on its legs.
The cavity
beneath the
shelf holds a
50-pound bag
of sand to keep
the bench from
becoming
top-heavy.
Pick a benchtop that meets your needs

Becauseot its hardnessand weight,a shop-mademaple
butcher-blocktop is the ultimatework surface, but.lt's
also costly and time-consumingto make.Hereare some
in a freshpiece.A 3o"-wide
topcan't
benchtop
beforsdropping
be madefroma single48x96'sheet,whichcostusaboutS23
piecesfromtwosheetsto
locally,butyoucanusetheleftover
sturdy, time-saving options:
makethe 16x57"lowershelfand a cap for addingsandto anchorthe bench.An advantageof this materialis that it provides
a dead-flatsurfaceand plentyof much-neededweight.However,it doesn'thaveplywood'sresistanceto breaking,especially
if weightis appliedto the overhangingareasof the benchtop.
Sofid-core door. The door used atop the bench opposite

has a 1t/2"medium-densityfiberboard(MDF)core between
t/a"lauanskins.With pinetrim stripson the sides,thoughnot
the ends,the door is 30" wide by 80" long.Doorssavetime
becausethey comecut to sizeand readyto finish.We bought
this one at a homecenterfor $43. Youalsocan find discountand millworkstores.
ed returnsand secondsat lumberyards
Medium-densityfiberboard. Gluetogethertwo piecesoI e/+'
MDF,and trimthe edgesflush.To avoiddamagingthe edges,
gluemapletrim
stripsto allfour.
By makingthe trim
stripst/+"higherthan
the top surfaceof
the panels,you can
lay a sheet of 1/4"
temperedhardboard
atopthe MDF to
createa durable,
easy-to-replace
work
surface.Drilla1"
holeintothe MDF
to pushthe hardboardawayfrom the
112
piecestogether,and trim the

Plywood. Glue two V+"-thick
edgessquarewith the surface.Then add trim stripsand a
temperedhardboardtop, as with the MDF.You'llneedtwo
sheetsof plywoodto makethis top. One 4x8' sheetol s/q"BC
pine plywoodcost us $25. Plywoodis a durablechoice,but
is not as consistentlyflat as MDF.
Manufactured
butcher block.
Wantthe butcherblocklookwithout
the work? Buy i
prefabricatedmaple
top. A 17+x30x96"
top, no. G9916,that
can be trimmed
to fit this benchis
$249.95,plusshipping, from Grizzly
Industrial,
800-5234777 or grizzly.com.
2008
't,"'l
*c-*
b"--
\
\''
\\
Temporary
support blocks
\'\
\
I
-\\
- \ l
\-......--
Upgrade2:
Tooltotes that stow or go
If a project can't come to your tools, take
your tools to the project in theseeasy-on,
easy-off tool lotes.
Buildthe tool tote case
From -/-r"MDF, cut the top and bottom (A), sides(B), and back (C) to the
dimensionson the Materials List on Trrrge
114.(The tool totes share the same size
cases as the drawers on poge 115.)If you
plan to build both, savetime now by doubling the number of tops, bottoms, sides,
and backs that you cut.)
Cut two pieces of lth" square stock
to a length of 26t/s,"for the cleats (D)
to hang the case from the workbench
woodmagazine.com
frame. Next, make

the dividers (E) and
retainers (F) from /-+"
hardboard. Use hardboard that's smooth
on two sides,or substitute /+" MDF.
Cut t/1" grooves
3/8" deep, where
shown in the top and bottom (A).
From a scrap of 3/t" MDF, cut a strip
that's-/-r"wide by 18".Cut a /+" groove
3/s"deep along one f-aceto use as a guide.
Place the guide on the top edge of the
dividers (E) to serve as a3A" spacer.Now,
glue and clarnp on the retainers(F) to the
dividers, where shown. Glue the retainers
(F) to the cabinet sides(B), aligning rhem
flush on each end and flush on the top edges.
Attach the cleats (D) to the top of

the tool tote case, where shown on the
drawing on page I14.
Glue and screw the case together. We
finished the case and totes with Watco
Danish Oil. When attachingthe caseto the
bench, use blocks like those shown above
to support the case while driving screws
through the bench and into the cleats.
113
Tool Totes and Gase

Materials List
bottomitop
B sides
e/eo 10%0" 18'lla" MDF
C back
3/tu 1o/ra" 26Va" MDF
D cleats
1y2'
E dividers
retainers
1g',
11/zu26Va" c
Y4u 1O1Vta"18Vq" HB
TOOLTOTEAND CASE
2
1
l--26/r"
#8x2" F.H.wood screw
18Y4" HB
G tooltoteends
18Y4" C
tooltotehandles 1"diam. 173/q' B
H tooltotesides
I
4"
J tmlbte botbms Y4u 7u
17Y4" HB
K gluedivider
6V2" C
1t
4'
l-----'
#8x2" F.H.wood screw
tQuantity
needs.
willvarywithyourgluestorage
fiberboard;
density
tatedals key:MDF-medium
pine,orfir.
HB-hardboard;
B-birch;
C-choice
ofspruce,
fIatheadwoodscrews,
#8x2t/2"
/2",#8x2",
Suppfie: #8x11
and%"drillbits
BhdesA Bils:Stackdadoset,2Yz"
pu|ls(01A57,65)(3),
Haldwalg3t/cx2"
catd-trame
$S.00
orleevalley.com.
each;
LeeValley
at800-871-8158,
1O1Aa"
I
)
TOOLTOTE
1"hole
1" hofe Vz"deep
1Y2'
7+"rabbets
Vz" deep
f4
-.-
\T
3/ro"hole
II
#8 x 2" F.H.
#8 x 11/2"F.H.woodscrew
4u
7gz"shank hole.countersunk
t/+"grooves l+" deep

th" lrom bottom edge
On to the tool totes
3/c"-thickpine, cut the tool tote

{ From
I ends (G) and sides(H) to the dimensions in the Materials List above. Cut
W' grooves /+" deep and /q" from the'
bottom edge of the sidesand ends to hold
the drawer bottoms (J) as shown on the
drawing above. Cut the bottoms to size.
f)Cut 3/q"-widerabbets W' deepon each
knd,of the sides.For the tote to fit the'
case, its width should be Ve" narrower
114
than the case opening, and the sides

shouldbe Vro"lessthan the openingsbetween the casebottom (A) and the lower
edgesof the drawer retainers (F).
{lDrill a l"-diameterhole,whereshown,
9for the handle (I) on each of the tote
ends. Now, glue and screw the tool totes
together,as shown in the drawing.
llFor the optional glue dividers (K), cut
tttre number desiredto the dimensions
shown. and drill holes to fit the bottles.
(The 2W-diameter holes fit the diameter

of common 16-ounceglue bottles.) Attach the glue dividers, where shown.
fSand all parts to 150 grit, and apply
rJtwo coats of Watco Danish Oil. Then
drill two %e" holes, where shown, and
attachthe pulls, where shownabove.
2008
Upgrade3:
Stacking.drawersfor
specrarsrorage
These stacking drawers store tools you
need to protect but still use every day,
measuring instruments and chisels to
name a few.
Build a tool drawer case
Cut 3/+"MDF to the dimensionsgiven

I in the Materials List to makethe top
and bottom (A), sides(B), and back (C).
ffCut V+"grooves3/s"deep on the sides
A(g),where shownon the drawingbelow.
t/q"hardboardglides (D) ro
{lNow cut
\Jsize. Glueandclampthe drawerglides
to the sides(B) so that the endsare flush.
,{ Next, glue and screwthe casetogeth-?er,
as shownon the drawing.
f,Attach the cleats(E) to the top of the
Vcase. as shown.
{
Three-Drawer Gase
Materials List
bottom/tops
B sides
3/c,' 1O|Aa" 1g1/q" MDF
C back
D glides
3/n"10Va" 26Va MDF 1

1/tu 11/a' 18ya"
cleats
11/z' 1/z'
dnawer
fronWbacks
G drawersides
26Va'
HB
Assemblethe three drawers
Allow the drawer bottom to float loose

within the slots.
/ Sand all parts to 150 grit, and apply
'ftwo
coatsof WatcoDanishOil finish.
two 3/ro"holes into the fronts
fiDrill
\r(F), and attachthe drawerpulls.
lftAttach the completedcaseto the un\Jderside of the bench rails using 2/2"
wood screws,similar to the way the tool
tote casewas installed on page 113.
From 3/q"pine, cut the drawer fronts

I and backs (F) and sides (G) to size.
Cut a V+"gtoove V+"deep,where shown.
f)Cut3/q" rabbets/2" deepon both endsof
&the dr awersides.Dr iIl sAz"countersunk
pilot holesz/i' fromthe edgeswhereshown.
{lCut the drawer bottoms (H) from V+"
\Jhardboard. Glue and screwthe drawers together, as shown in the drawing.
{
#8x2" F.H.woodscrew
31/s' 24y4'
3/c" 31/a" 18Tn"
H drawerbottoms 1/a" 17/c' 23s/c' HB 3

.Partsinitially
cutoversize.
Seetheinstructions.
Materialskey:MDF-medium
density
fiberboard,
HB-hardboard,
pine,orfir,
C-choice
ofspruce,
Suppfies:#8x11/2",
#8x2",#8x2lz"
flalhead
woodscrews.
Blades& Bits:Stackdadoset.
Hardware:
pulls(01A57.65)
3r/qx2"
(3),$S.OO
card-frame
each;callLeeValley
at800-871.8158,
orgoto
leevalley.com.
THREE.DRAWER
CASE
\ -l
s/sz"
shank
hole,count"rrunt
CASE
t/aq" pilol hole 1th" deep
F=
!--
r l-
26Ve'
,.rF
-t
Ta"rabbets
t/z" deep
1Olra"
7sz"shankhole.
t1
31/a'
DRAWER
-\
J
181A',
#8 x 2" F.H.
wood screw
l
#8 x 11/z'F.H. wood screw
241/4' 1s/ta"l
___tt-I
Card{ramepull
woodmagazine.com
#8 x 2" F.H.wood screw
t/+"grooves t/+"deePt/q"lrom bottom edge
115
Upgrade4:
Wbrkbench extras
In addition to workbench accessories
you make, there's a host of helpful
items you can buy. Check these out:
Add benchtop protection

Seeking a way to protect your bench during finishing work? Add the 30"-wide
paper roll holder, shown at right, to the
undersideof your overhangingbenchtop.
The only part you need to make is a
block to mount the metal roll holder (see
Sources) to the bench.We cut ours from
aZxB with the factory edgesremoved, as
shown on the drawing below. After sanding the block to 150 grit, apply two coats
of Watco Danish Oil.
Now, center the roll holder on the
mounting block, and attach it using
#&xIW' panhead screws. Drill countersunk pilot holes in the mounting block.
Then center and attach the paper roll
holder to the bench. Expect the mounting block to extendabout 1" pastthe edge
of the workbench on the front and back.
Insert the paper roll as directed in the
manufacturer'sinstructions.
Bench dogs. No mortisingis required

with the 7a"brass bench dogs shown
below.Simply drills/+"holesfor them to
sit in.A springclipholdsthemin place,
and plasticpadsare availablefor delicate work.Adjustablebenchdogs,as
shownbelow,provideclampingpower
used with or withoutthe benchvise.
Hold-downs, These providevertical
clamping pressure to secure workpiecesanywhereon the benchwhere
there'sas/+"hole.
lYheels. Our bench lacks wheels
because we wanted a solid stance
morethan mobility.Wheretightspace
requires a movable bench, opt for
lockingcasterswith a 150-poundcapacity (each)and rubber4"-diameter
tiresthat grip the floor.
PAPERROLL HOLDER
7sz"shank hole.countersunk
on bottomface
#8x2lz" F.H.woodscrew.mounted
to bottomof bench
MOUNTING
BLOCK
Sources
ROLL HOLDER
#8 x 11/4"panhead screw
Upgrade5:
Plug into convenience
When you add a heavy-duty power center to your workbench, you eliminate the
inconvenienceanddangeroftripping over
multiple extensioncords on the floor.
Selecta power strip with a metal case
for impact resistanceand a cord long
enoughto reach a wall outlet in the least
traveled part of your shop. Most model's
surge-blockingability protects the electronics in today's battery chargers,and
numerous outlets accommodatemultiple
tools and a rechargeror two.
116
Most power strips have mounting holes

in the back panel. Select sheet-metal
screwsto fit these holes. We positioned
our metal-casedpower strip so it could be
lifted free for replacement.
Carefully route the cord under the
bench to avoid the drawers, if added, or
possibledamagecausedwhile you work
at the bench.
Periodicallycheckthe power strip outlets and cord for wear or damage.Always
plug three-prong cords into grounded
three-prongwall outlets.Follow any local
electrical code restrictionsthat may apply.
Vise.ShopFoxquickrelease,
9"vise,#G9851,
$69.95
grizzly,com,
lndustrial,
CallGrizzly
800-523-4777;
Benchdogs,holddom acoesfofies,.
4{a"
(#05G
(#05G04.04,
04.02,$26.70/pai
r) and2Va"
round
bench
dogs;adjustable
bench
$21.70/pai0
dogs(#05G10.02,
#05G10.03,
$31.50;
$38,50);
(#05G14.01,
hold-down,
bench
dogpads,
$69.00);
(#05G04.10,
LeeValley
at800-871$2.80/pai0,
leevalley.com.
8158;
Paperroll holdetandpaper,30"Butcher
Paper
(18100-A500-30,
Dispenser
and30"x800'
$31,95)
paper(190318,
rollof50#butcher
from
$32.95),
POSpaper.com,
877-469-7655.
2008
Upgrade6:
Turn vour bench
into a glue-up station
Nobody enjoysscrapingglue globs off a
workbench. Save time and hassleswith
this pipe clamp glue-up table designed
specifically to fit our 30x80" door. The
hardboardbase catchesthe drips, while
the rack steadies up to eight clamps
spaced6" apart.Holes in the baseallow
you to hangit on a wall betweenglue-ups.
We designedthis glue table to lse 3/q"
pipe clampslike thoseshownat right.To
hold other types of clamps, modify the
shapeof the notchesaccordingly.
The glue-up station's

sliding railsupports
clamps close to the workpiece, allowing you to size
clamp lengths to suit
the project.
Build the glue-up station

From 2x4s andtA" hardboard,cut the
I parts to the sizeslisted in the Materiafs List and drawings below. Rip both
edges of the 2x4s to remove the factory
edgesand squarethe stock.
f)To make the notchesin the fixed rail
Zfelshown in the Parts View, first drill
a seriesof lVz"holes 3A"fromthe top edge
of the workpiece. We set up a fence and
drilled them on the drill pressfor greater
consistency.Turn the holes into notches,
as shown,using a jigsaw or handsaw.
{lTo house the dowels, drill a pair of
Vy4" holes 3/+"deep in the fixed rail,
where shown. Drill t/e" holes through
the slidingrail (B).
and cut notches in the sliding
/lDrill
"frail (B) using the dimensionsshown.
f,Cut the glides (C) from Vq"hardboard,
t/and round over the edges.Glue them to
theloweredgeof theslidingclampsupport,
centeringthem under the dowel holes.
{
PARTSVIEW
Cut out the glide supports (D), as
shown. Then cut two pieces of 3/q"
dowel to 28W' long for the guide bars (E).
JCut a piece of Vq"hardboard to the
I dimensions indicated to make the
base(F). Drill two 1" holes,whereshown,
to hang the rack on the wall.
flSand woodenparts to 150 grit. Finish
||Jthem wittr nvo coatsofWatcoDanishOil.
QAssemble the unit as shown, taking
r/care to avoidgluing the sliding clamp
supportto the dowels.al
D=11Aa
23/q'
t
k--
Written by Bob Wilson

Project design: Jeff Mertz
6,'
s/c"hole e/+"deep on inside face
PORTABLE
GLUE-UPSTATION
ik
l)
Glue-Up Station
Materiils List
1 1/2'
fixedrail
t/s"round-overs
B sliding
rail
C glides
to fit your
clamp bars.,
1Y2'
23/au
V4u 1Y2'
D glidesupporb 1Y2" 2'

E
guide bars
F base
,r.--*-
Location
oi@
48'
1Y2'
4',
HB
c2
3/q"diam.
28y2'
Y4u 30"
48"
HB
p-poplar,
Materials
key:HB-hardboard,
C-choice
of
pine,orfir.
spruce,
Supplies:
#8x1",
flathead
woodscrews.
Blades& Bits: t/s"round.over bil;1t/2",1",7/8",
and3/4,,
drillbits.
#8 x 1" F.H.wood screw-l

woodmagazine.com
117
3-in-1Work
Support
FI PLATTORM TOP
El Great as an assemb l y o r f i n i s h i n gs t a n d ,
this top is alsoa handy
place to stack parts
while machining.
r{
E 39""'"13;
when you need to

support the end of
a long workpiece
on your drill press
or mitersaw.
:
L
t''
Eil ROLLER TOP

El Adjust this top's
height to catch the
outfeed from your
tablesaw or planer.
{rPti:-
:
\
,b'
,
o
*
I
118
JIG
E SPACER
hetheryou're machining long
stock or simply looking for a
place to rest your workpiece,
you'll find this versatilestand
ready to help. With adjustableheight and
interchangeableglide, roller, and platform tops, it's a perfect match for any
numberof tasks.
uprights'edges,whereshownin Step 2.
Now form the half-lapsanddrill the hole,
where shownin Step 3.
t/qx4t/axI6va"pieces of
QCut four
LIstock, and glue and clamp them together in pairs to form two lr/2"-thick
blanks for the feet (C). Joint and trim
them to size. Make four photocopies of the Foot pattern on Drawing
First,build a sturdy base
5, page 122, and cut them out along
-r Cut four t/qx2vax29"piecesof stock,
the lines. Tape the half-patternstogether
i and glue and clamp them togetherin
to form the whole foot. (Half of eachpatpairs to form two lVz"-thtckblanksfor the
tern will be facedown.)Adherethe patterns
uprights(A). Joint and trim rhem to rhe
to the foot blankswith sprayadhesive.
size listed in the Materials List. Install
,d Form half-laps, where indicated on
t*the
a dado blade in your tablesaw,and plow
pattern, to mate with the laps at
groovesin the uprights,whereshownon
the bottoms of the uprights. Now bandDrawing 1, Step 1. Cut the fillers (B) to
sawand sandthe feetto the patternlines.
size, and glue and clamp them in piace,
Removethe patterns.Glue and clamp the
where shown. The fillers' and the upfeet to the uprights.When the glue dries,
rights' bottomendsare flush.
sandthejoints smooth.Setthe leg assem,."iwith the dadobladein your tablesaw, blies (A,B,C) aside.
-,L*form the dadoesand rabbetsin the
t/qx4v2.x96"
ffiPlane two
to#boardsto t/z"thick. From
one, cut the six rails (D) to
size. Set the other board
aside for the top supports
2" rabbets
(G). From l"-thick stock,cut
1/2"deep
5/ro"hole
the spacers(E) to size.Make
the spacer jig, shown on
Drawing 2. Glue and clamp
spacersto eachend of three
rails, as shownin Photo A.
11s/a'
Then glue and clamp a third
I
spacerat the rails' centers,
lftStand the two legs up+*Frighton your workbench.
Spread glue in the lower
dadoesin one edge of each
z',
upright,and slip in one rail/
spacers assembly. Spread
1" grooVe
glue in the dadoesin the uprights' other edges and on
the spacers,and clampa second rail in place, as shown
2" dadoes
on Drawing 4. Repeatthis
t/2"deep
process for the other two
31/z'
lap on
rail/spacer/rail assemblies.
outside
I
Make surethe rails' endsare
face
flush with the uprights' outz',
sidefacesand that the whole
assembly
is square.
lt-
I uenrcnr
I
I
1.-
Clampingthe spacerjig to the railshelps

you accuratelypositionthe endspacers.
end on one edgeof the extensions,where
shown on Drawing 4a. Chuck a 3/4"
straightbit in your table-mountedrouter,
and in %" increments,rout the stopped
grooves,as shown in Photo B. Square
the endsof the grooveswith a chisel.
-+\Drill the s/ro"hole, where shown on
di*Drawing 4a.Bandsawand sandthe
roundedcorners.(The bottomshaveonly
one rounded corner.) Cut two pieces of
aluminum mini-track (a type of T-track)
to length, drill screw pilot holes, and
screwthe tracksin place.Seethe Source
on page 120 for our mini-track supplier.
*pRetrieve your previously planed Vz"
q#stock and cut the top supports(G) to
size.Drill counterbores
near the endsof
threesupports,whereshownon Drawing
4b. Tapea secondsupportto the onesjust
counterbored,and, centering the bit in
the counterbore,drill s/to"holes through
the paired supports.Mark the radius on
the corners,as shown,and bandsawand
31/z'
31/d'
31/z'
{
STEP 1
Insideface
woodmagazine.com
STEP2
Outside
face
STEP 2
Outsideface
Add extensions
and tops
{ From l" stock,cut the ex(F) to size.Mark
E tensions
a stop line for the groove's
t#.-
Mark the bit location on your fence. Stop

routing when the stop line on the extension aligns with the mark on the fence.
119
sandthe corners.To ensureperfecthole

alignment,keep the pairs togetheruntil you are ready to glue them to their
respectivetops.
,rg Cut the tops(H) to size.Install a dado
ktFblade
in vour tablesaw.and cut the
centeredgroou"r, as shown in Drawing
4c for the glide top and Drawing 4 for the
roller top. Cut a strip of %"-thickUHMW
plastic to fit the glide top's groove width
and length. Adhere it in the groove with
double-facedtape. See the Source for
our UHMW supplier.
ffiTilt your tablesawbladeto l5o.Clamp
qJthe glide top to a tAx5t/qx36"carrier
board, and cut the bevels,as shown on
Drawing 3 and in Photo C. The glide
strip's protruding edges are beveled in
this operation.Standthe glide top on end,
clampit to the carrierboard,andbevelthe
ends,as shownin Photo D. Repeatwith
the roller top. Sandthe bevelssmooth.
ffiSlide the extensions(F) into the
Ubase. and securethem with bolts and
T-knobs,as shownon Drawing 4. Select
a pair of top supports(G) and install the
T-nuts. Fasten the supports to the extensionswith studdedT-knobs.See the
Source for our T-knob supplier. Apply
glue to the top edgesof the supports,and
A. uprights
11/2" 2"
B fillers
1/+u
C* feet
D rails
1u
283/+'
M
11/z' 4"
16"
LM
1/z'
28'
E spacers
1"
1"
G topsupports
1/z' 2'
27'
H tops
1"
28'
M
BP
panel
3/+" 141/2" 28'
ends
3/q'
3/+,
K sides
-Parts
initially
cutoversize.
z',
53/q'
clampthe glide top to them,centeredand

equally overhangingthe ends. Remove
the clamped assembly before the glue
dries,cleanup any excessglue,and setit
aside.Repeatwith the roller top.
(I) to size, and miterffCut the panel
f cut the ends (J) and sides(K) to fit
aroundit, as shownon Drawing 4. Glue
andclampthe endsandsidesto the panel.
Fastenthe last pair of top supportsto the
panel using the sameprocedureas with
the glide and roller tops.
1|/zu 16"
11/z' 291/2"
Removethe extensions
from the base,
I and the mini-track from the extensions.Removeall the T-knobsand bolts.
Leavethe T:nutsandUHMW strip in place.
dlFinish-sand all the parts and as4semblies to 220 grit. Remove the
sandingdust, apply two coats of polyurethane, sanding between coats with
22}-gritsandpaper.(We wipedon General
FinishesArmour Seal,following the directionson the can.)
{}When the finish dries, reinstall the
Vmini-track in the extensions.
and slide
{
F extensions
11/2" 247/e
A carrier board stabilizesthe glide top

for bevel-ripping.
Time to disassemble,
finish,and reassemble
31/z'
2'
s BEI,'ELDETAIL
Materials
key:LM-laminated
maple,
M-maple,
plywood.
BP-birch
(4),r1o"
(6),
Suppfies:t/a'flatwashers
T-nuts
yqxle/q"
hexhead
bolts(2),sprayadhesive,
double-faced
finish.
tape,
Usethe samecarrierboardto safely

bevelthe ends.
them into the base, securingthem with
bolts, washers,and T:knobs.Drill screw
pilot holes, and fasten the ball-bearing
rollers in place,as shownon Drawing 4.
Mount your choiceof topsto the extensions
with studdedT-knobsand washers.|l
Writtenby Jan Svec with Kevin Boyle
ProjectDesign:Kevin Boyle
l l l u s t r a t i o n sR: o x a n n eL e M o i n e ; L o r n a J o h n s o n
Gutting Diagram
Source
Hardware.
48"aluminun
mini{rack
w/tape,
no.145825,
T-knobs
M /r" insert,
no.85J95,
$19.99;
(2);T-knobs
(2);
wl t/qx2"
stud,no.27R16,
$1.19
$1.19
t/sx4x48"
s7"'
plastic,
UHMW
no.124225,
ball-bear$8.99;
(9).
ingrollers
no.07809,
M screws,
$2.99
Available
fromWoodcraft.
Call800-225-1153.
oroo
towoodcraft.com.
120
e/qx7t/cx 96" Maple(5.3 bd. ft.) .Plane or resawto the thicknesseslistedin the MaterialsList.
s / q x S t / zx 9 6 " M a p l e ( 4 b d . f t . )
2008
1/ax2x 28" UHMWplastic
2" groove
t % 0 "d e e p
G L I D ET O P
2" groove t/o" deep
_-<s
<;
7+" counterbore
/e" deep,
with a s/ro"hole
centered inside
1/q"tlal washer
ROLLERTOP
[| exeloDEDvtEW
1/qx 2" T-knob
PLATFORMTOP
Aluminummini-track
21t/+" long
r
'/+"hexheadbolt
1s/q"long
E EXTENSION
EE TOPSUPPORT
11/z'
TF'{6
r I
J f.A\-l
t v-)z-lg
Ta" counterbore
t/a" deep, with a
s/ro"hole
centered inside
I
35/a'
#4 x't/2" I
F.H.woodI
screw
EE cLtDETOP
1 7 / a l,r l 1 " l r l
1/zu'
1/2"
3/qx 41/zx 96" Maple (9.3 bd. ft.)
lll
3/4x 41/2x 96" Maple (3.3 bd. ft.)
'l
x71/qx 96" Maple (6.7 bd. tt.)(S/4stock)
woodmagazine.com
1/qx 2" T-knob
3/qx 141/z x
tri
s/q"groove
%" deep
Aluminum
mini-track on insideface
211/4"
long
28" Birchplywood
121
HALF-PATTERN
S roor FULL-stzE
o
(E
o-*
(s(D
T'o
(.)
EE
NO
122
2008
Auxiliary
Table
Forbig-time
cuttingsupport
aul Anthony, a WOOD@magazine reader from Pigelsville,
Pennsylvania,
relieson this handy
table to help him rip long boards,
as shown near right He also usesit to
rough-cutlarge sheetsof plywood,far
right. To cut sheetgoods,Paul pulls the
table away from his saw,attachesa cutting guide to the panel and makes the
first cut with his circular saw.Next, he
removesthe waste,slidesthe panel over
to the tablesaw,and trims it to size.When
not usedfor cutting, the table servesas a
surfacefor project assembly.
How to make the sturdv

auxiliaryoutfeed table
To constructPaul'sauxiliary table,first
measure the height of your tablesaw
Havinga big outfeedtableat the far end of

yoursawis the bestwayto keepcontrolover
longboardsor sheetgoodsduringthe cut.
Pullingthe tableawayfrom the saw

transformsPaul'soutfeedtable into
a plywoodcrosscuttingstation.
and use that as a guide to determinethe

total height of the table that includes
the melaminetop, legs,and lag screws.
(SeeDrawing 1.)You'll want to keepthe
table's height just below the saw table
so you can adjust up to it with the lag
screws.Paul attachedthe aprons to the
2x2" legs using mortise-and-tenonjoinery (seeDrawing 1a) to combatthe stress
encounteredwhen the table is dragged
aroundthe shopto fill different needs.
After cuttingthe partsto size,mill the

tenonson the tablesaw.Cut the mortises
with your mortiser or drill press.Tesrfit
the aprons and legs, and then measure
the center rail to fit and cut the biscuit
slots,whereshown.Next,drill the pocket
screw holes for attaching the top. After
cutting and drilling the parts, glue and
clamp the apronsto the legs.
To make the top, cut the 7+"melaminecoatedparticleboardto size,then cut and
attach the edging with glue. Screw the
top to the rails; then flip the table over
and insert the lag-screwlevelers.Adjust
the table height so it's about Vq"below
the height of your saw.Finally, mark the
location of your saw's miter gaugeslots
onto the tabletopand rout thesegrooves
so the top doesn'tinterferewith the travel
of your miter gaugeor any jigs that use
theseslots.al
ll auxr-tARYTABLE
Miter-gaugeslots routedafterassembly
g/+"melamine-
l/q x 3/cx 49t/q" lrim

1/qx3/q x 44" trim
Pocketscrews
1/2"
381/a'
D-TENONDETAT
L
IE MORTTSE-AN
Lengthequals
tablesaw
height
minus17a".
II
woodmagazine.com
123
Subassemblygluing of this nightslanduses L-shapedclampingsquaresto ensure90' angles.Risels hold your assemblyotf the
workbench,allowingspacetor clamps.
Right-Angle
Support
Foryour next glue-up,follow
this script for perfectlyaligned,
rock-solidassemblies.
hether your next woodworking task is a major production
or just a l0-minute skit, every
project that gets rave reviews
includes successfulglue-ups as part of
the script. The clamping squaresshown
aboveand detailedin the drawing at right
will ensure90oangles.
Planningthe production
Preparingto glue up milled stockeliminates unpleasant,last-minutesurprises.
Use this scriptto ensuresuccess:
Gather the necessaryclamps for the
project.(In most edge-to-edge
glue-ups,
figureabout10"spacingbetweenclamps.)
Need more? Borrow or buy clamps as
neededto provide full bonding..F
124
RIGHT-ANGLE
SUPPORT
113/+"
..,,
Makefrom
3/a"plywood.
1" holefor l .
hanging | ....
a f t e ru s e , I
45"
"'--,/,
r-:a I
Tt/r"
I I
z" I
yo,,
Acclirnation is key to precise glue-ups

firstreadyyourstock.Only
Whenyou'regluingand clampingyourpartassemblies,
alignpartsin a glue-up.
by workingwithstraight,stablestockcanyou precisely
Before cutting and assembly,be sure to properlyacclimateyour stock to the
humidityand temperature
of yourshop.Here'showto proceed.
Stage 1: Allowroughstockto acclimatein yourshopfor 24 hoursbeforemilling.Aim
for a 6- to 11-percent
moisturecontent.Then millpiecesto roughdimensions.
Stage 2: Afterthe initialmilling,givethe stockanother24 hoursto acclimateagain.
Followingthis secondrest, inspectyour piecesto see if you'll need to flattenor
otherwiseadjustyour stock beforeassembly.When satisfied,mark up your stock
in your plans,set up your tools,and machineyour
accordingto the specification
workpiecesto size.
2008
eploy this handy tent any time

you want to wipe or brush on
a finish without having to shut
down work in the rest of your
shop.The plasticcoveringlets in plenty
of light and zips shutovera simpleframe
made of polyvinyl-chloride(PVC) pipe
and fittings to protectyour projectas the
finish dries.Bestof all, you canbuild one
in an afternoonwith about$80 worth of
materialsavailablefrom a homecenter.
Portable
Finishing
Center
Here'show:
Applyfinishesin a
dust-freeenclosure
that sets up or tears
down in just 5 minutes.
126
Cut 34" inside-diameterPVC pipe

to the lengthsshownin Drawing 1.
Next, dry-assemblethe frame using the
PVC and fittings as in Drawing 1a.
Using a straightedge
and utility knife
or scissors,cut the one-piecetent top
TOTE THE CENTER WITH EASE

Store the center on your lumber rack
or stand it in a corner, then carry it to
your location.
Doorflaps5' x 7'6"
4-milplasticsheeting
Clearpackingtape strip
goes here
T o p a n d s i d e s6 ' x 1 9 ' 6 "
4-milplasticsheeting
Clearpackingtape strip
goes here
Backer
E exploDEDvtEW
,.i*Sr&l}*ir& ,,.,
Zippers come stitched to a one-piece
backer with adhesiveapplied.Just stick
the zipper in place, open it, and cut
through the backer.
and sides to size from a single piece of
1 0 x 2 5 ' 4 - m i l p l a s t i c s h e e t i n g .D r a p e t h i s
piece over the frame, tuck the ends under
the stretchers, and temporarily secure it
to the fl'arne with masking tape.
From a second sheet of 4-mil plastic
sheeting,cut the two door flaps to size.
Mount a pair of self-adhesivetarp zippers to each door. To do this, lay each
door on a flat surface. Peel one side ofthe
protective paper off the zipper, as shown
in the photo above. Position the zipper so
the open end is flush with one end of the
door and the zipper aligns with the edge
of the door. Rub the backing to ensure
that the adhesivemakes full contact with
the door. Note that the zippers are shorter
than the doors, which leaves a flap about
8" long at the top of each door.
Once you have all four zippers adhered to the doors, position them on
the PVC frame. Align the lower edge of
each door with the lower crossbar and
Tarp zippers
@ conNERDETATL
tuck the flap over the upper crossbar.
Now adhereeachzipperto the tent sides.
Using clearpackingtape,securethe
flap at the top of each door to the
tent top. Then unzipeachzipperand cut
throughthe backerwith a utility knit-e.
Removeany tapeyou usedto temporarily
hold the tenf assemblyto the frame and
you'refinished.
Note: This finishing center is not designedfor use as a spray booth. Use it
only when applying brush-on or wipe-on
finishes, and always keepone door open
when working inside. Zip the doors shut
to keepdust out as thefinish dries.lF
/+\
llilrll
PVC reducingE
adapter F
3/4tt lO 1/ztt -,'
i
i
Supplies:
%"inside-diameter
PVCpipe,
10{eet
long(10);
3/q'PVC
1/z'PVC
(8);3/o'to
side-outlet
elbows
adapters
(8);10x25'4-mil
plastic
(1);10x12'4-mil
plastic
sheeting
(1);tarpzippers
(a).(Wefound
sheeting
thetarpzippers
atTheHome
Depot.
lf youdon'tfindthemlocally,
contact
themanufaclurer
at800-531-8573
ortaroline.com.
Putthiscenterto work
youneedto
anywhere
protecta projectwhile
thefinishdries.
.r
\.
l.v
lil\
,t:\,
,71
l,l
iil
iit
$1
.,,a.a
r',oi7lr \-,
h:.+-rt
ROIL OUT THE PLASTIC TENT

Lay out the tent and remove the
frame. The corner fittings stay attached

to the stretchers.
woodmagazine.com
ERECT THE FRAME IN A FLASH

Assemble the frame by sliding the
pipes into the corner assemblies.
ZTP TT AND GRAB A BRUSH
Arrange the tent over the frame, and

zip down the doors to completethe setup.
127
!l
for
Upgrades
Workstation
Portable-Glamping
lf you own a Black
& DeckerWorkmate,
or anotherbrand of
portable-clamping
workstation,you know
how handythey can
be. Now, make yours
even more useful with
these shop-made
accessories.
Fixture steps
up to lend b hand
Al Finch, a WOODo magazine reader
from Baltimore, Maryland, expandedthe
versatilityof his portable-clampingworkstation with a T-shapedfixture to support
workpieces.By adjusting the height of
the fixture, he can use it to supportlong
stock at his tablesaw,radial-arm saw,and
router table.
To instantly adjust to the proper height
for eachtool, Al addedhardboard"steps,"
where shown above right. Each step sets
the correct height for a different tool. Now
when Al needsto supporta long or wide
workpiece, he simply clamps the fixture
between the jaws of the workstation,
resting it on the appropriatesteps,and the
height is spot-onevery time.
3/qx3x l2" plywood

7a"holes spaced 2" aparl
Extend vour
workstalion's reach
While refinishing an old dresser,Dennis
Petersonof Lewiston,Idaho,removedthe
top to scrape off the paint. The problem
he encounteredwas how to hold the top
during the scraping process.Clamping
it to his workbench meant moving the
clampspart way through the job, and his
portable-clamping workstation doesn't
open wide enoughfor the dressertop.
To give the workstation's jaws added
capacity,Dennis made a setof four clamp
extensions,whereshownatright. He made
128
his own dogsout of hardwoodscrapsand

3/q" dowels, but you could modify the
design to use your workstation's own
plastic dogs. The extensionsadd 20" of
clamping capacityto his workstation.tF
2008

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--l

Dead-On90' Crosscut Sled

S pline- Cut t ingJ i g

K ey hole- Rout i nJgi g

C i r cl e-C utti ngGui de

Transformyour drill press into a shop star.

Workcenters & Supports

Coax parts togetherwith this tool.

108 RollingWorkshop Storage

Simplifythe layoutof circlesor arcs.

Readyto roll when you need them.

Build this basic workbench in a weekend.

115 Outfeed Table

Mitersaw Work Station

Quick Clamp Rack

Utility Cabinet System

118 3-in-1Work Support

Gift PerfectWine Box

Tabletop Nativity Scene

Presidentand ChieiExecutiveOfficer STEPHENM. LACY

For example,afteryou takean eveningor

maple. If you pref-er,you can substitute

To make a cursor, scribe a line across

CLrt a piece of 7i" plywoocl to the

Cut two pieces of rnaple to size fbr

Four-armknob with t/+"insert

#8 x3/q"F.H. wood screw\

1tl2"sectionof steel rule

/+" hole, countersunk

point wherea left-leaningsawbladetooth

an inexpensivesteelrule, align its left end

Now, cut some strips

Position your workpiece againstthe rip

ou can taperone sideof a table leg

zA" ply@ For the base.cut a piece of

the groove,with eachhole centeredin the

bottom edgeof the blank. Next, drrll a Vq"

After cutting dadoes in the plywood base,

Diagonal lines on the end of the workpiece

Best-Ever Woodworking Jigs, Homemade Tools, & Shop Organizers

l/qx 12 x 36" hardboard

3/+x 12 x 36" plywood

This jig alsoservesanotherpurpose,as

Hold the taper jig tightly against the

The width and adjustability of the taper

rf Selecta flat pieceof 3/q"plywood, and

fence is parallel to the miter gauge slot

Two pennies shim the miter-slot guide

Keepingthe rightend of the platform against

Hold the workpiece firmly against the

ieliable tablesaw miter gauge

Build a real workhorse

Best-Ever Woodworking Jigs, Homemade Tools, & Shop Organizers

end,align the 4" line on the self-adhesive

Now, let's go sledding

t/q" dado t/q" deep

1/2"gloove %0" deep

Witlrthis *ne jig,

aisedpanelshave long been a sign

Start with the basics

Using yor.rr dado blade. cut two '/-r"

Best-EverWoodworking Jigs, Homemade Tools,& Shop Organizers 2008

Now, add the extras