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~ J J J J J ! J l j J ~ j J i J J J H ~ I D . i J jjjjlJ:d/ i h . l ~ l J ~ i J J j j ~

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Tool Cabinet page 24

Using Edge Guides page8

Notch & Tenon Joinery page 16

ContentsFeatureshands-on techniqueNotch & Tenon Joinery 16

A classic look and strong joints are only a fewsaw cuts away We 'll show you how.best-buitt jigs &fixturesBand Saw Template Jig 18This upgrade speeds up the process ofmaking multiple contoured workpieces.

storage solutionsWall-Mounted Tool Cabinet 9'W 24weekend project

Here's your chance to build a storage cabinetworthy of showing of f your favorite tools.

Drop-Side Tool ToteThere's more to this tote than meets the eye.You'll find ample storage space hidden inside.best-buitt jigs &fixturesRouter Table Dovetail Key Jig 38This easy-to-use jig allows you to adddecorative splines to a miter joint.

DepartmentsReaders' Tipsrouter workshopUsing Edge Gu ides______

Follow these tips to get more use out of thisessential router accessory

8jigs & accessoriesDoweling Jigs

We'll give you the rundown on what to look forto get the best results with dowel joinerymaterials & hardware

Load-Lightening Lid Stays 14Choosing the right lid s tay for your project isjust a matter of understanding the options.Shop Short Cuts 22Check out our shop-tested tips and techniquesfor solving your woodworking problems.hands-on techniqueSecrets to Locating Hinges 36Learn how to make your project look its bestwith these simple guidelines and tips.

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Drop-Side Tool Tote

in the shop

, ,,page 30

RifAer Rasps&Files 42Find out what makes these tools a "must-have"for fine detail and cleanup work.setting up shopHandy, Hardworking Awls 44We 'll get right to the point on understandingand using the different types of awls.mastering the table sawChoosing the Right Rip Blade 46

great gearThere's more than one type of rip blade. Here'show to find the blade that suits your needs.

Pocket Hole System 48This new ig makes quick work of creatingstrong and sturdy joints.

Q&A ___________________________ 50Sources 51

------------------------------------ShopNotes.com

CutoffsO ne thing I've learned from ting to other woodworkers iswe all view ou r tools as an investmEven i f ou r tools don't have a high dovalue, we wouldn't part with them. Smatter what their cost, protecting yourcollection is a natural part of the hobby

In this issue, we're featuring plans fwall-mounted cabinet designed to soffyour most-prized hand tools. It's a gproject for showcasing some special wyou've been saving for the right occasi

For everyday tools yo u need to keehand, check ou t the drop-side tool totegreat for tasks both inside and outsideshop. No matter which project you deto build, you're sure to pick up somewoodworking skills along th e way.

Additionally, look over the plans fcouple of handy jigs. One will helpcu t identical, contoured parts at the bsaw. The other jig we're featuring makeasy to install do vetail-shaped keys oncomers of boxes an d case assemblies.keys give the project a classic, decoralook an d also strengthen the joints.

To top it off, we've incluaed somean d tricks for getting the most out of sother common shop tools. We've paa lo t of useful information into this iJust turn the page to ge t started.

O N L I N E E X T R A S

This symbol lets youthere's more informavailable onlineShopNotes.co

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from ourTipsforYourShopFlathead

T-slot nut

CAM CLAMP.FLANGE 60LT,AND WASHERLOCK INSERT TO6ENCHTOP

ShopSpace SaverIn my small shop, having a dedicated stand for every tool simplyisn't feasible. So I built one of mybenchtops to accommodate a variety of tools and jigs. The secretis the interchangeable insert. It al-lows me to slip in a different toolin no time at all.

The benchtop is made fromtwo layers of plywood. The bottom layer has a pair of T-tracksused for securing the insert inplace. The top layer has a section cut out to accept the insert.

The drawing below shows theconcept. You'll want to size theinsert for the largest tool. Andyou'll need to take into accountthe storagespace required for thetool when it's not in use. (Mineare s tored on a shelf below.)Before gluing the two layers ofthe top together, I cut the pair ofdadoes for the T-track. I locatedthem to leave space for the tool

and clamping hardware(photo above).

After gluing the two layers, it'sjust a matter of making enoughinserts for your tools. I usedflange bolts and cam clamps tosecure them, but knobs wouldwork just as well_ (drawingb e l o w ) ~ For a flat worksurface,make a blank insert and use thehardware shown in the left margin to fasten the insert at eachcomer (photo below).

Robert TindallLittleton, Colorado

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Tee MalletWhile browsing the plumbingaisle of the hardware store, it occurred to me that a brass pipetee fitting would make a greatmallet for the shop. I found twotypes, as you can se,at right- around cast fitting and a squaremachined fitting.Now, I had to figure out a wayto fasten the heads and handle.I wanted to be able to replacethem when necessary, so usingepoxy was out of the question.Instead, I used the fitting to cutthreads on the wood parts for asolid connection.

You can see in the photo atright how I filed notches in thethreads with a three square file.This helps form cutting edges toslice through the wood fibers.

Next, I formed a squaretenon on an extra-longblank for the heads andhandle. The tenon isslightly undersized an dthe comers are trimmedwith a chisel, as shown inthe drawing at right. This provides enough "meat" to engagethe threads of the fitting.

After installing the blanks intothe fitting, you can cu t them tolength and shape them to sui tyour tastes and comfort.

Matt Huber,Kansas City, Missouri

If you have an or iginal shopt ip, we would like to considerpublishing it . Go to'

A Thread Cutting. Notches filed into thethreads create a "die" to cut the threadsin the wood faces and handle.

SIZE OF TENON IS ABOUTYe" LESS THAN INSIDEDIAM ETER OFFITTING

CROSS SECTION

ShopNotes.comand click on the linkSUBMIT A TIP

There, you' ll be able to desc ribe your tip in detail andupload photos or drawings. Or you can mail your tipto the editorial address shown in the right margin.We will pay up to $200 if we publish your tip. Andif your tip is se lected as the to p tip, you' ll also receivethe Bosch Impactor shown on the right.

ShopNotes.com

Issue 116 March/April 201PUBLISHER Donald B. Peschke

EDITOR Terry J. StrohmanMAN AGING EDITOR Bryan Nelson

SENIOR EDITOR Phil HuberASSOCIATE EDITOR Randall A. Maxey

ASSISTANT EDITORJames Bru tonCONTRIBUTING EDITORS Vincent Ancona,Ted Raife, Dennis Perkins, Carol BeronichEXECUTIVEART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth

ART DIRECTOR Cary ChristensenSENIORGRAPHIC DESIGNER Jamie Downing

SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Dirk Ver Steeg, Peter J. LarsoCONTRIBUTINGILLUSTRATORSDavid Kreyling,Harlan v. Clark, David Kallemyn

GRAPHICDESIGNER Shelley CroninCREATIVE DIRECTORTed KralicekSENIORPROJECT DESIGNERS Ken Munkel, Kent WelsChris Fitch, James R. Downing

PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doy leSHOP CRAFTSMEN Steve Curtis, Steve Johnson

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Crayola England,Dennis KennedyASSOCIATE STYLE DIRECTOR Rebecca Cunningham

SENIOR ELE CTRONIC IMAGE SPECIALIST Allan RuhnkPRODUCTION ASSISTANT Minniette Johnson

VIDEO DIRECTOR/EDITORMark Hayes, Nate Gruca

SbopNotes OSSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthlybyAugust HomePubiL.Jting.2200 Grand Ave Des Mc>ines,JA50312.ShopNotes is aregistered trademark ofAugust Home PublishingCCopyrig)lt 2011 by August Home Publishing. All rights reserved.Singlecopy:$4.95 U.S. I $6.95 CONCanada PostAgreement Number40038201.Send change of address informationand blocks of undeliverablecopies tP.O. Box 881. Station MainMarkham.ON L3P 8M6Canada BN 84597 S473 RTPeriodicals Postage Paid at DesMoines, lA and at additional mailing offPostmaster: Send change of address to:SlwpNot&. P.O. Box37106. Boone. lA 50037.0106

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Phone: 800-333-5EDITORIALShopNotes Magazine2200 Grand AvenueDes Moines, lA 50312shopnotes@shopnotes.com

Printed in U

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Slot. A wide slottheof a saw whilethe blade slips

into a kerf.

#Bx1W' FhWOODSCREW

NOTE: ALLKERFS SPACED1Vz" ON CENTER

Quick Tips

KERFS ARECUT AFTER

WIDE SLOTSARE CUT

Quick & Easy Tool TillAs my collection of hand sawsgrew, I needed a quick and efficient way to store them. Thewall-mounted saw till you seehere is a simple design yet can beexpanded as needed to accom

modate more saws andother tools (photo above).It consists of a wall bracket,shelf, and front edging.

. _,

I first cut the shelf to size.Next, I cut slots spaced evenlyalong the length of the shelf.Youcan see what Imean in the drawing. These slots provide room forthe spine of a saw to slip into thekerf (inset photo).

The kerfs are cut at the tablesaw. Just be sure to stop the cutwhen it reaches the slot.

The bracket is simply a rab-beted piece of hardwood. I usedglue and screws to fasten it to theshelf. Finally, a strip of thin edg-ing covers the ends of the kerfs.

Donald HendersonOrleans, Ontario

i It's no secret that using a zero-clearance insert makes for a cleanercut. But over time, they can get pretty chewed up. Rich Constand ofCincinnati, Ohio can usually restore an insert by using auto body filler.After filling the saw kerf with filler and Jetting it dry, you simply recut thekerf. This technique works great tor miter saw inserts, too.

i JerryGauthierofKamloops, British Columbiauses an inexpensive bath or kitchen mat as asanding pad. It not only protects the workbenchbut cushions the workpiece, too. And the nonslip rubber backing keeps it in place.

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Cove Molding CalculationsWhen cutting cove molding atthe table saw, the fences are setat an angle relative to the sawblade. Since math is my otherhobby, I worked ou t a formulathat calculates the fence anglefor any simple cove, like theone shown in detail 'b.'The formula requires a bit oftrigonometry. (Editor's Note:We've condensed Hugh'sformula into an easy, down-loadable PDF file you can findonline at ShopNotes.com.)

NOTE: CUTCOVE INMULTIPLEPASSESRAISINGB L A D E ~ " BE1WEENCUTS UNTILDESIREDHEIGHT OFCOVE ISREACHED

Once the fence angle is com-puted, it's a simple task to setthe miter gauge and use it asa reference to fix the fencesto the table to cut the cove.The distance from the sawblade (set to the finished coveheight) is determined by sub-tracting the cove width fromthe board width then dividingthe remainder by two.You cansee what I mean in detail 'b.'

Hugh DaveyEllicott City, Mtzryland

COVE WIDTH DETERMINED BY aPOINTS AT WHICH BLA DE EXITSAND ENTERS THE INSE RT PLATE

H.,

~ ~ w . , 7 "-=(WIDTH OF WORKPIECE We) /2

A Finishing tasks go a little smoother with these two tips. Duane Heng of Woodbury,Minnesota uses a lighting grid and marbles to suppor t the workpiece when applying afinish. And to keep track of when and how many coats of finish he has applied, CoryHoehn of Jeffersonville, Indiana uses the paperprotecting the workbench as a notepad.He records the date, time, and number of coats, crossing out the previous entryShopNotes.com

Fence Angle =coal{ W . , - T ~ o

10 sin(coa1(1-H.,IWhere:H., = Height of finiahed coveW" = Width of coveT ~ o = Thickneaa of blade

ShopNotes.O N L I N E E X T R A S

7

For custocove calctions. goShopNotes

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J rj:i0_ _ - - J ~ ~ Unlock the potential of your hand-held routerwith this precise, inexpensive accessory It's amazing to me just howmany jigs and accessories there

are for routers. However, oneinexpensive router add-on that Iconsider a must-have is an edgeguide. Although it was once apretty common accessory, I thinkit's often overlooked now. That' s

8

too bad, because an edgeguide can help you getmore out of your router.

Benefits. I like tothink of an edge guideas a portable versionMicro-adjuster letsyou fine-tunethe fence

Shop-madehardwoodauxiliaryfence facesincreasecontrol

of a router table. It's ideal forworking on large workpieces thatwould be awkward to handle on arouter table or table saw. As you'llsee later, an edge guide lets youcreate custom profiles and detailsas well as cut precise joinery.Simple Design . As versatileas it is, an edge guide is a simpledevice. It consists of just twomain parts - a fence and an armthat can be quickly attached tothe base of your router, as youcan see in the photos below.

Arm positions~ f e n c e to set thebit location

The fence can be locked in placeanywhere along the arm to setthe position of the bit relative tothe edge of a workpiece.

There are two other thingsI want to mention about edgeguides. First, choose an edgeguide that has a micro-adjust feature. This way you can fine-tuneyour setup for perfect cuts.

The second thing is it's a goodidea to add hardwood auxiliaryfaces to the fence. This providesa longer reference edge for bettercontrol, especially when startingand completing a cut.

Using an Edge Guide. Usingan edge guide is pretty straightforward. But there are still a fewtips that are worth mentioning toget the best results.

Start by clamping the workpiece securely so it can't shiftin use. As you do so, be sure tocheck that the edge guide trackfreely along the edge and doesn'tget hung up on your workbench...,.. Easy On. Most edge guidesattach directly to the router'sbase with a pair of screws.

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The next thing to think aboutis the routing direction. Just likean y hand-held routing task, youshould move the router from leftto right along an edge.

During a cut, your main goalsare holding the guide firmlyagainst the edge of the workpiecean d gently pressing the routerdown onto the surface. This doestw o things. First, it keeps the cutting depth consistent. An d second, it prevents the router fromdrifting away from the edge,which can spoil a cut.

Starting and ending a cut canpose a challenge. That's becauseonly one side of the edge guideis making contact with the workpiece. To keep the router fromdiving into and out of the cut,shift your pressure to the side ofthe edge guide that's contactingthe workpiece.

With these basic tips in mind,you're ready to put your edgeguide to use. Here are three waysI regularly use mine.

Custom Profiles. On e advantage of an edge guide is that youcan use just a portion of a bi t- whether it has a bearing or not(main photo, opposite page). Thisgives you more freedom in posi-tioning the bit. And, you can mixan d match bits to create uniqueprofiles on cabinet an d table tops.

Joinery. An edge guide lets yo ubring the tool to the workpiece

Flutes. Combine acore box bit and anedge guide to quicklymake fluted parts.

ShopNotes.com

! Dadoes & Grooves. The fence on an edgeguide ensures joinery cuts are perfectly parallelto the ends or edges of a workpiece.for cutting joints on large casepieces. You ca n see tw o examplesof this in the photos above.Th e left photo shows a dadobeing cut near the en d of a lon gworkpiece. Using the fence on theedge guide ensures that the cu twill be perfectly parallel to theend. An d I can easily make consistent cuts on other parts, too.

The precise adjustability ofan edge guide really comes intoplay when routing rabbets inplywood (right photo). Here Ican use an ordinary straight bi tto rout a rabbet that perfectlymatches the thickness of th e matin g piece. As an added benefit,routing with an edge guide givesme great visibility and control for

making stopped dadoes, rabbets,and grooves as well.

Decorative Details. The ability to rout parallel to an edge isn'tlimited to joinery. In the photosbelow, yo u ca n see how to createdecorative details with an edgeguide. With the fence se t, yo ucan make perfectly parallel andsymmetrical cuts from each edgequickly and easily.

Finally, an edge guide ca n beused on round pieces, too. Th esplit fences create tw o contactpoints for routing around a table(lower right photo an d inset).

It's easy to see how an edgeguide lets yo u get more from yourrouter. And it's sure to become anessential part of your work. 4--

Inlay Grooves.The split fence(inset photo)allows an edgeguide to followround tops forcutting inlaygrooves.

9

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to 1ng a look at /

Doweling JigsAdoweling jig is a handy shop accessory.Here's what's available and what they can do .

Ralph Waldo Emerson said,"Build a better mousetrap andthe world will beat a path to yourdoor." When it comes to doweling jigs, i t appears there are anumber of manufacturers thatfeel the same way.

Over the next few pages, you'llread about doweling jigs thatrange from a bare-bones Rockiermodel ($12), all the way up to the

Dowelmax, a top-of-the-line jig thatwill set you back just a bit over$310. That's quite a price range.But as you'll see, the price sometimes defines the capability andease of use for many of the jigs.(For sources, turn to page 51.)The Tests. To check out how

well each doweling jig performed, I ran each one through aset of basic joinery tasks - creating a face frame, strengthening astandard 45 miter joint, and joining workpieces edge-to-edge fora panel. I followed that up withsome simple case constructionjobs like making a comer but t jointand aT-joint (to add a shelf).

Doweling jigs are good for othertasks, too. So I worked through afew other tasks, like creating amortise and drilling centered, perpendicular holes to a surface.You'll find a summary charton page 13 that details how eachdoweling jig fared on each test.Plus, there's information on theaccessories included with each of

the jigs as well as wi th anyoptionalaccessories you can purchase.

ROCKLER JIGOn the low end of the price range,the Rockier jig you see at the lowerleft has to be the simplest doweling jig I've ever used. _It's nothing more than a hardened steel guide with a pair of%"-dia. holes drilled through it.Screwed to the guide is a clearplastic fence with reference lines.Two lines identify the centers ofeach hole and the third is the centerline of the pair.

The first step in using the Rock-Ier jig is marking a centered layoutline across the joint of each workpiece. Then, using the center reference line on the jig, align it withthe layout line on the workpieceand clamp the jig in place (photoat left). After drilling a pair ofholes in one workpiece, just repeatthe process on the other one.

I f all you ever wanted to dowas create face frames, this is the

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jig to use. And for the price, that' sa bargain. This jig will work formiter and edge-to-edge joints aswell, although I didn't find it aswell-suited for those tasks.

SELF-CENTERING JIGI wouldn't be surprised if the selfcentering jig you see at right isthe one you picture when someone mentions doweling. It's aheavy-duty, well-machined jigthat comes in a couple of differentsizes depending on your needs.

The one shown at right s available from a number of sources. I thas a width capacity of 2" (somemodels go up to 4"), which canbesomewhat limiting. But it doescome with three pairs of bushings ( ~ " , 5116", and %") to meet theneeds of most workshops.For edge-to-edge or face framejoints, this jig is quite easy to useand set up. You won't be doingcase joinery with this jig, but fordrilling centered holes in dow-els (photo at right) or removingthe waste to create a basic mortise (inset photo at right), this jigmore than passes the test.

GENERAL JIGSAlthough the next two jigs arefrom the same manufacturer, Iincluded both of them becausethey're each designed quitedifferently, as you can see below.

The first one I tried out wasthe General EZ Pro at the lowerleft. And I'll be quite frank, afterusing it on a basic T-joint, I wasready to set it aside and forgetabout it for the rest of the tasks Iran on the other jigs.In my opinion, it's a hassle touse and simply isn't accurateenough to create strong, solidjoints. The problem starts withthe included guide bushings. The"matching" drill bits fit loosely inthe bushings, reducing the accuracy of the holes. And when making a T-joint, you have to alignthe jig to a layout line by eye andhold the jig in position by handto drill one half of the joint, asyou can see in the photo below. Aworkable joint can be created, bu tit's just not worth the effort.The Pro-Daweling Kit, on theother hand, fared a little better.It worked great at drilling intoen d grain, as shown in the rightphoto below. And again, with alittle work, I could ge t acceptableedge-to-edge joints.

However, there are downsidesto the design of this dowelingjig. Any workpiece edge or faceyou want to drill into can't beany wider than 4". That meansusing dowels to connect a shelfinto the side of a cabinet is outof the question. Unlike the EZPro, the bits fit the holes in the

A General EZ Pro. Creating a well-fitting T-joint is a challenge.Besides accurately transferring layout lines, you need to hold the jigin place while you drill the holes, which often end up misaligned.ShopN otes.com

A Self-Centering. The designofthis self-centering doweling jigmakes it a great choice for drilling a perfectly square, centeredhole in round stock (above).Andyou can set it up quickly forroughing out a mortise (inset).drilling turret better, but I'd be alittle concerned about how wellit holds up after repeated use.

This jig does work great asa basic guide for drilling holessquare to most edges and surfaces. But I think you'll find thati f your main interest is creatingaccurate joinery, you'll want tolook at a few of the other jigs.

General ProDoweling Kit.Drilling holesIn end grain issimple with this.d}ulrtable jig.

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higher-quality

O N L I N E 2JEXTRtJ.S .For moreon basicand optionaleachling jig, go to:ShopNotes.com

JigsOn these pages, you'll find a fewmore dowel ing jigs that are worthconsidering. And on the oppositepage, there's a handy summarychart comparing all the doweling jigs to one another. Finally, atShopNotes.com, there's an onlineextra showing each jig along withthe accessories that come with itand extras you can purchase.

VERITAS DOWELING JIGThe next doweling jig I took alook at is made by Veritas (upperright photo). Like most Veritastools, this doweling jig is wellmade. But what makes this jigunique is that it's based on theVeritas 32mm Cabinetmaking Sys-tem. That does limit it usefulnesswhen it comes to many dowelingoperations, as you'll see.

Consistent Reference. Wherethe Veritas jig excels is joiningboards edge to edge (or end-toend). The design of the jig allowsyou to consistently referenceoff one face on al l your workpieces. This way, even if there'sany variation in the thickness ofthe workpieces, at least one faceof any glued up assembly willalways be perfectly flush.

An indexing pin and accessorygauge head (resting on the completed board in the photo) ensureaccurate alignment of the dowel

I

A Veritas Doweling Jig. The design of this doweling jig ensuresthat even ifyour stock thickness varies slightly, one side ofa gluedup panel will always end up with flush joints.

holes from the end of the workpiece and along its length.This jig works well for face

frame joints and miters, too.You'll need to reposition theclamping bases to do this. Hereagain, you can rest assured thatthe joints will be perfectly flush.

Finally, the Veritas dowelingjig can be used for mortises.Although it's not quite asconvenient for this task as a selfcentering doweling jig. But itdoes come with bushings for %",51].6'', andW'- the most commonmortise sizes I work with.

The Downsides. Unfortunately, that's about the extent ofits abilities, Comer and T-jointsfor case assembly are off limits.And drilling into round stockand end grain are limited toworkpieces you can fit betweenthe clamping bases (about 11;]_6''in thickness or diameter).

WOLFCRAFT DOWEL PROAfter working with the Veritasdoweling jig, Iwasa little skepticalmoving on to the Wolfcraft DowelPro (photo at left). The fit and finish weren't quite as nice, but once

Wolfcraft Dowel Pro. This isthe only ig that allows you to drillmating holes at the same time toensure exact alignment.

I started using it, I was pleasantlysurprised by the results.Dual Drilling. Unlike all the

other doweling jigs, you don'tdrill all the holes in one workpiece and then move on to themating piece. The Wolfcraft jig isdesigned to damp the two mating workpieces into the jig atthe same time. This allows youto drill one dowel hole and thenimmediately drill its mate.

What I found was that it prettymuch guaranteed that the holeslined up on edge-to-edge joints. Iwas able to get similar results fora comer joint on a case, as in thephoto at left. This system makesthe entire process go faster sinceyou don't have to set up a secondtime for the mating workpiece.Miter and end-to-end jointsworked out well, also. And aslong as you can fit it between theclamps, you can drill perfectlysquare holes into en d grain.Can't Cover I t All. While theWolfcraft jig worked well in thetests above, a couple of the othertests didn't get a passing grade.While I was able to complete aface frame joint with a little work,it wasn't quite as intuitive as I'dhoped. It required more carefulsetup since the alignment wasn'tautomatic. Drilling a centeredhole in a dowel is out. And it's a

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hassle to create a centeredmortisewith the Wolfcraft. It only workswith stock less than %" thick andthen you have to use shims inmany cases to get it just right.

DOWELMAXThe final jig I took a look atwas the Dowelmax (upper rightphoto). But calling the Dowel-max a "jig" doesn't do it justice.As the included literature says,it's a "precision-engineered joining system" - a pretty accuratedescription as I found out.I'll get right to the point -there probably isn't much theDowelmax can't accomplish whenit comes to joinery. Plus, it takesa lot of the frustration out of theprocess.And i f you do have questions, there's an included DVDcovering its many uses.Built-In Precision. The mainreason the Dowelmax works sowell has to do with its preciselymachined aluminum parts.Every part fits perfectly. And themain parts can be rearranged tosuit the task at hand.

;:?'g.

Like many ofthe other dowelingjigs, using the Dowel-max involves clamping aworkpiece in place, drilling a set of holes, and thenrepeating the process on themating workpiece. You can seehow this works for a miter jointin the photo at right.As I mentioned, there isn'tmuch you can't do with theDowelmax (chart below). Butit's really a joinery system, so itdidn't fare as well drilling a centered hole in dowels of differentdiameters. Dowels up to 1" canbe made to work. Consideringeverything else it can do, that's apretty small price to pay.Conclusions. I f you're think-ing about adding a dowelingjig to your arsenal of shop tools,many of the jigs detailed in thechart below are worthy of consideration. Which one you selectwill depend on the tasks youexpect to face most often.

19{I S' &;- .....f s S'0cJt !Jl0 /J /J

! Dowelmax. The precision machining of theDowelmax guarantees a perfect fit of everyassembly It excelled at just about every taskthrown at it, like the miter oint shown above.Overall, I had to say I liked the

Rockier doweling jig. It's an inexpensive option and the perfectchoice for face frame construction. But if my doweling jig has tobe at the ready for just about anytask, the Dowelmax is the hands-down winner. Exactly what Iwould expect for a tool with abase price of $310. 4.

fl.)(}) S {I (! j {I

...I & cJ iO cJ cJrand/Model I.C. ~ ~ liJ CommentsRockier $12 y y y L N L N L N Handles basic joinerySell-Centering $59 y y y N N y L L y Good, basic jig for many tasksGeneral EZ Pro $26 L L L L N L N N y Too difficult to useGeneral Pro $31 L L L L L L L y y Limited usefulness for joineryVarllas $95 y y y N N y N L y Good, basic jigWolleran $41 y y y y L N N L y Mating holes drilled in bothworkp1eces installed in jigDowelmax $310 y y y y L y L y y Excels at almost every taskNOTES: Y: Works with ease for task, L: Can accomplish task with effort or jig has limitedcapacity for task, N: Can't accomplish task. To see each jig and the included accessories, aswell as optional accessories, check out ShopNotes.com

ShopNotes.com 13

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Hardware

StaysThe key to asmooth-closinglid is this uniquely

designed hardware . A question I hear a lot from readers building a chest is how to

control the dosing of the lid soit doesn't drop down too fastand hard - especially on yourfingers. The answer is to use alid stay. A well-designed lid stayshould not only hold the lid openbut allow the lid to slowly dose.

Lid stays come in an endlessvariety of styles and finishes.So choosing the proper typedepends on a number of factors.

FIRST:WEIGH LID BEFOREATTACHING TO CHESTSECOND:MEASURE DEPTH OF LID

THIRD:USE FORMULA 6ELOWTO CALCULATETORQUE ININCHPOUNDSTORQUE =WEIGHT x DEPTH + 2EXAMPLE:8 L6S. x 18" DEPTH + 2 = 2 INCH-POUNDS

\ \\ \\ \' - ----;::;=,-: .ar, \ \................. . \ \............ ..... \.. \..........

14

TORQUE RATINGWhen you start shopping for lidstays, you'll notice some modelsinclude a torque rating in theirspecifications. This rating is oftenlisted as inch-pounds. But whatdoes this really mean to you?Defining Torque. To allow a

lid to dose slowly or with gentlepressure, a lid stay has to counteract the amount of torque generated by the lid. There are twofactors that play into the torquerating - the depth of the lid ininches (front to back) and itsweight in pounds.

So the first thing you'll need todo is get out the bathroom scaleand weigh the lid. Using the formula in the drawing at left, it'seasy to calculate the torque ratingof your lid in inch-pounds.Time To Shop. With thisnumber in hand, you can start

shopping for a lid stay that willbe appropriate for your lid. Butfinding the torque rating onsome stays can be a frustratingexercise. You sometimes need tocontact the vendor or manufacturer to get this information. Andyou might have to convert metric measurements to find exactlywhat you need. One of the moreinformative sources I've found isonline at TheHardwareHut.com.

ONE OR TWOYou could soon find that a single lid stay won't be rated highenough to support the lid. In thiscase, it's perfectly fine to use twoof them - one on the right sideof the chest and the other on theleft. (Some stays aren't designedto be installed in the center.)Getting It Right. But you'll

want to be careful when select-ShopNotes No. 116

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Flap Slav Collar adjuststensionLee Valley OOU06.01)

ing lid stays. If the total torquerating of the stays you install ismore than the lid requires, it maynot close all the way. And if thelid stays are too light-duty, the lidmay still close too fast and hard.

Trial & Error. The bottom lineis that selecting the right lid stayscan sometimes be a trial-anderror process. Even with the rightcalculations, you may find thestay isn't doing the job. So I oftenorder a couple different types toget the right combination.

DESIGN VARIATIONSAnother feature you'll have totake into account as you shopfor lid stays is the type. By that Imean how it's designed to do itsjob. You can see some of the morecommon types on this page.Shock Absorber. The pistontype stay you see on the top leftacts a lot like a shock absorber.But instead of using air, it relieson friction. As the lid closes,inner coils grab the shaft to resistthe force of the lid. A collar on theend of the housing allows you toadjust the amount of tension fora range of torque requirements.This lets the lid close slowly.

Spring-Loaded. Another common type of lid stay you'll find

makes use of a heavy spring. Afew examples are shown in theright margin. The tension on thespring counteracts the torque ofthe lid. Some of these allow youto adjust the amount of tensionby simply turning a screw. Others are designed for a specifictorque rating, so you'll need tochoose the one that best matchesthe torque of the lid.

Most spring-loaded stays aredesigned to hold the lid all theway open (usually at 90). Theyonly need a gentle push to overcome the tension in the spring toclose the lid. This type of lid stayis also the least expensive.

Hingeless. Of the lid staysshown here, none are designedto act as hinges for the lid. Foran easy solution that solves theproblem of choosing hinges andstays, see the box below.

The Right Choice. With theendless variety of lid stays listedin the catalogs, it's easy to beoverwhelmed. Butwith the information I've detailed above, youshould be able to narrow downyour choices to the right type,style, and finish that complements your project. The satisfaction of a l id that closes softly andgently is worth the effort. A

rockier lid-stayTorsion HingeIf you're looking for a fast, easysolution for fastening a lid to achest, the Lid-Stay Torsion Hingesfrom Rockier can't be beat. Withthese hinges, you don't have toworry about installing a separatelid stay. Their friction mechanismserves double duty as a stay, too.

As with other lid stays, you'llneed to calculate the torsion ofShopNotes.com

the lid on the chest to select theright combination of hinges.They're available in 30, 40, and60 inch-pound capacities.

The hinges are designed for%"material. And they'll support thelid in any open position. Closingthe lid requires a gentle push,which makes it safe for youngand old fingers alike.

Heavv-Dutv SoH-Down Lid Support(Rockier 30280 & 32090)Available inright or leftversions\___..

Sell-Balancing Lid Supports(Rockier 33027 & 33043)

Available in right,left, or center mount Lid Supports(Rockier, various)

Available in a range oftorque ratings "'

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Techniquenotch & tenonJoinery

Create this distinctivejoint with a fewsimple techniques. Cutting a workpiece while holding it on edge can be a real challenge. And making an accurate

cut while balancing it on end iseven trickier. The narrow edgeof the workpiece provides limited support. And the small faceon a standard miter gauge reallydoesn't help out all that much.

f Perfect Fit.goal is tenonsthat fit snugly in

the notches.

You're faced with both thesetasks when cutting the notch andtenonjoints used to build the toolcabinet on page 24. Notch andtenon joinery is used to connectthe sides of the case with the topand bottom. The solution to theproblem is simple - providebetter support for the workpiece.All that's needed is a miter gaugeand a tall auxiliary fence.

Tall Auxiliary Fence . Attaching a tall fence to the miter gaugegives additional support to the

workpiece when making a cut.Plus, it backs up the cut to prevent chipout on the workpiece.This way, you can make yourcuts safely and accurately.

The size of the auxiliary fenceis the key. It needs to be tallenough to provide support forthe workpiece while on edge orend. But it also needs to providea place to securely grip the workpiece. Since the sides of the caseare 8" wide, I made my fence 834"tall. You can use any straight, flatpiece of material. (I used 34" Balticbirch plywood.)

Since the fence also helps toreduce chipout on the workpiece,it should extend beyond the rightside of the blade (%" in my case).And although it's not critical, Ilike to attach adhesive-backed

sandpaper to the face of the fence.It helps keep the workJ*ece fromshifting during a cut.Setup. The workpieces thatmake up the top and bottom ofthe case fit inside dadoes andnotches cut in the sides. You cansee what I mean in the photo onthe left. This makes for a strongjoint, bu t in order to have a tightfit, the dadoes and notches needto line up perfectly. A simplesolution is to use the rip fence asa stop to locate the cuts.Since you won't be cuttingthrough the workpiece, this issafe and more accurate. And thegreat thing is that the dadoes andnotches are the same distancefrom both ends of each side, soyou only have to set your ripfence once. They're also the same

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width, so once you have yourdado blade installed to matchthe thickness of your workpieces,you can begin making the cuts.Dadoes. Istartedby cutting thedadoes first, since they're only%'' deep. Starting with the shal-low cuts and then progressing tothe deeper cuts helps minimizechipout by ensuring that the topof the cut is always supported bythe auxiliary fence. The photo atright shows how it's done. Onceall the dadoes are complete, youcan move on to the notches.Notches. As I mentioned, thedadoes and notches in the edgeare aligned, so there's no need toadjust the rip fence. All you haveto do is adjust the height of thedado blade for the notches (%"for the tool cabinet) and you'reready to make the next cuts.

! Cut Dado. The rip fence acts as a stop whenmaking the cuts. This ensures that the dadoesand notches line up perfect ly

! Mark Layout Lines. The notchin the side help to mark the layolines for the tenons.

This is where the tall auxil-iary fence really starts to comein handy. With the workpieceon edge, you can hold it firmlyagainst the face of the tall fence. Ifyou look at the main photo on theprevious page, you'll see what Imean. Now you're ready to makethe cuts. Just be sure that the endof the workpiece is against theface of the rip fence.Tenons. With the notches cut,the next step is to mark the layoutlines for the tenons. And that'spretty straightforward. If youlook at the photo at the upper

right, you can see how I did this.Simply lay the sides over the topand bottom pieces and use thenotches in the sides to accuratelymark the inside edge of the ten-ons. You'll want to mark lines onboth sides of each workpiece. I'llexplain why in a second.Rather than cutting the cheeksof the tenons first, I prefer to startin the middle of the workpieceand work my way out towardsthe tenons. The photo belowshows you how. This lets mesneak up on the fit of the tenonsin the notches. You don't need therip fence for this, so move it outof the way. Also, the design of thetool cabinet calls for the tenons tostand proud of the case sides. So I

Use the ripfence to fine-tune the finalsize of the tenon.! Remove Waste. Start near the middle andremove waste towards one tenon. Flip the work-

piece around and work toward the other tenon.ShopNotes.com

don't have to adjust the height ofthe dado blade for these cuts.You'll really appreciate the tallfence when you set the work-piece on end. A firm grip hold-ing both edges of the workpieceagainst the fence is all you need

to make the cuts safely. As I men-tioned, start in the middle of theworkpiece an d work towardsone of the tenons. Don't cut to thelayout line just yet. Flip the work-piece and use the layout line onthe other side as a reference markto cut towards the other tenon.You'll want to use the rip fenceto make the final skim cuts. Thisensures that the tenons are cen-tered and identical in size. Checkthe fit and adjust the fence as nec-essary until the tenons fit snuglyin the notches. Once the fit issecure, the joinery is complete.4

I

Solid Joint.A snug fit createsa solid connectionbetween both workpieces.

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t.Jar JcJ savv

Cutting multiple, identicallyshaped parts has never beeneasier. This simple jig is the key

Whenever I have a project thatcalls for identically shaped, con-toured parts, I Like to use a tem-plate to quickly lay them out.Another benefit is the templatecan also serve as a cutting guideto rough out multiple parts onthe band saw, as you can see inthe photo above. And after theparts are cut, you can clean upthe cut using a flush trim bi t inyour router table.

18

The trick to quick and easyresults is to use a jig to help guidethe workpieces through theblade. The simple jig you see heredoes the job. It works because theblade is nestled between two con-tact points on the curved guide(photo at right). These pointsguide the template (and work-pieces) as you cut.

Simple Jig. l f you take a lookat the Exploded View, you'll soon

! Guide. The template is steadilyguided by a contact point at thefront and rear of the blade.

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realize that the template jig is aquick build. A hardwood basesupports two steel rods an d anadjustable guide. A se t of rareearth magnets keeps the jigsecure on your saw's table.

Exploded View DetailsMagnetized Base. To start

building the jig, cu t the base tosize, as shown in Figure 1. Thenext few steps are going to requiresome time at the drill press.

It's important that the jigdoesn't slip ou t of position in themiddle of a cut. Three large rareearth magnets an d cups securelylock the jig to the saw table. You'llhave to drill a se tof threecounterbores to accept the magnet cups.Those cups increase the strengthof the rare-earth magnets.

The key to drilling the counterbores is getting the depth right.For maximum "grab," you wantthe magnets to sit flush with orjust a hair proud of the base, asyou can see in Figure la . You canmake use of the depth stop onthe drill press to help you accomplish this goal. After completingthe counterbores, you can installthe cups an d magnets.

Designing a Release. Thechallenge with using these typesof magnets is they're so strong Ifound theymade the ig difficulttoremove from the saw. Iha d to findan easy way to release the mag-nets without damaging the jig.

ll f. DIA.

&LADERIDES INNOTCH

THREADED KNO&LOCKS GUIDEIN POSITION

&ASE PROVIDESSOLID FOUNDAnONFOR JIG

A studded knob in a threadedinsert does the trick You simplyturn it to "pry" the magnets off ofthe saw's table. I filed the en d ofthe stud smooth to prevent mar-ring the saw table. While you'reat the drill press, it's a simple task

RAREEARTH M A G N E T ~ w/CUP & SCREW

ShopNotes.com

' Y."-20THREADEDINSERTNOTE:&ASESHOWN&OTTOM SIDE UP

Materials& HardwareA Base (1)8 Guide (1)C Nose (1)

:Y4x4-6:Y4x1Y2-S

:V. X lY2 - :V. (2) -dia. x 6" Steel Rods (1) Y.."-20 x 1:V." Carriage Bolt (1)Y."Washer (1) V.."-20 Insert Knob (1) Y.."-20 x 1" Studded Knob (1) !1.."-20 Threaded Insert (3) ~ " - d i a . Rare Earth Magnets (3) Magnet Cups w/Fh Screws

RELEASE KNO&INSTALLS INTHREADED INSERT

to drill the hole for the threadedinsert {Figure 1).

There's a trick I use to installthreaded inserts. I use a bolt withthe head cu t off as an installationtool (margin photo). Just chuckthe smooth en d in your drillpress. Spin a pair of hex nuts an dthreaded insert onto the bolt. Youcan snug the nuts tight againstthe top of the insert.

Then with the power off, useon e hand to spin the chuck whileusing the other hand to applydownward pressure with thequill lever. Finally, loosen thechuck to remove the bolt fromthe threaded insert.

19

A Straight. Udrifl chuck to ethe threaded inis instafled stra

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creating theGuide

FIGUR E

NOTE: SECURERODS INTO 6ASEWITH EPOXY

To complete the jig, the next stepis to install two steel rods andmake the adjustable guide. Figures 2 and 3 provide the details.Two-Piece Guide. The guideis made from a long blank that'sdrilled to fit over the steel rods.The guide adjusts up and downto accommodate thick or multiple workpieces. A short "nose"piece adds contact area to theguide and allows you to lowerthe guide to cu t thin workpieces.

I started by cutting the guideto length and gluing on the nose.Then form a gentle curve thatallows you to follow a contouredtemplate, as shown in Figures 2and 2a. The shape of the curvecan be modified to suit your proje c t - the tighter the curve on theguide the smaller the radius itcan follow on the template.

I used a narrow blade on theband saw to form thenotch shown in Figure2a. This creates the twocontact points for thetemplate - one each atthe front and rear of theband saw blade.

20

U NOTCH SIZEDTO FIT AROUND6LADE

Guide Rods. At thispoint, you'r e ready todrill the pair of holesfor the rods. I drilledthrough the guide andbase at the same time toensure the holes werealigned. To create a little clearance between the back of thenose and the base, I used a ~ " -thick spacer to locate the guideon the base (Figures 2 and 2b .After securing the guide withtape, you're ready to drill.The next step involves removing the guide from the base andheading to the band saw. Tomake it possible to clamp theguide to the rods, I cu t a longkerf in the guide, stopping atthe second hole (Figure 3).

Finally, you can drill thehole to accept the car

riage bolt.

SIDEVIEWCLAMPKN06

SIDE VIEW

Instal l the Rods. I cut the steelrods to length and filed the endssmooth before securing them inthe base with epoxy. All that's leftis to install the hardware beforeyou can pu t the jig to good use.

Hardware. You can alsosee in Figure 3 the hardware Iadded that allows the guide tobe clamped in position on therods. It consistsof a carriage bolt,washer, and knob.

Once the jig is complete, thereare a few tricks to getting consistent results. Take a look at thenext page for some helpful, stepby-step instructions. 4:

6ASE

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Us in the Tern late JiWhen it comes to cutting identicallyshaped workpieces, the template is thekey. First, the template is used with thejig at the band saw for cutting the partsto rough shape. Then you can use thesame template to finish smoothing theworkpieces at the router table.The photos here step you throughthe process I used to cut a se t of smallcorbels, like the ones shown on theright. The process starts by stacking theblanks for the parts and the templateusing double-sided tape (Photo 1).

For the next step, I like to make arough cut to remove the bulk of thewaste, as shown in Photo 2. Doing this

Stick & Stack. Use double-sidedtape to stack the workpieces and fasten the template in place.

Guide Height. Adjust the guide so itcontacts the template, making sure itdoesn't contact the workpiece.ShopNotes.com

makes it easier to maneuver the template along the jig for the finish cut. Youdon't have to be too exact here. Thisstep should go fairly quickly.

No w you're ready to se t up the jig onthe band saw. You can see ho w this isdone in Photo 3. The goal is to set the jigso the contact points on the guide areabout Ytl beyond the blade.

The next step involves adjusting theheight of the guide. For this, I use theworkpiece as a gauge (Photo 4).

With the jig set up, you're ready tomake your final pass at the band sawto trim the workpiece closer to its finalshape (Photo 5). The key is to keep the

Roughing to Shape. To allow theworkpiece to clear the base of the jig,you may have to remove some waste.

Cutting to Shape. Keep the templatein contact with both points of he guideas you move through the cut.

template ridingagainst thecontact pointsof the guide asyou go.Finally, youcan head overto the routertable an d usethe same templatefor final shaping. Forthis, I use a flush trim bit. Thetemplate rides on the bearing of thebi t for a smooth cut (Photo 6). After alittle sanding, you're ready to pu t youparts to use on your project.

Jig Position. The blade fits in the notchon the guide. The points of the noseshould extend YJ6. beyoncHhe blade.

Final Trimming. With the template stiattached, use a flush-trim bi t to createa smooth, finished shape.

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Our ShopShopShortCuts

li!/4"-WIDEFENCE

ReversibleDrilling GuideGetting shelf pins aligned so theshelves don't rock and wigglecan be a challenge. For this reason, I turn to a shop-made drilling guide. The guide helps makesure all the holes are consistent.

I used a guide to drill the holesin the cabinet sides for the toolcabinet (page 24). The problemis the holes are offset a differentdistance from the back edge andthe front edge.

Dovetail KeyBackerWhen routing the slots for thedovetail keys on the tool toteshown on page 30, it's important to support the back of theworkpiece as the bit exits. Thisway, you'll reduce tearout andleave a nice, clean edge to highlight the dovetail keys.The jig I used for cutting theslots incorporates a replaceablehardboard backer just for thispurpose. I t slips into a dovetailedrecess (main drawing).

I cut the recess at the routertable using a dovetail bit. Thedepth of cut should equal thethickness of the hardboard you'll22

FRONTEDGE

This two-sided guide allowsyou to accurately locate the shelfpin holes from both edges. Asyou can see in details 'a ' and 'b,'two hardboard fences locate theholes from the front or back edgeof the cabinet side. The widefence is used when drilling theholes along the front edge. A narrow fence on the other side of theguide is used to located the holesfurther in from the back edge.

be using for the backer (detail'a').After routing the two sides of therecess, clean out the waste withmultiple passes.Making the insert is an easytask at the table saw. I made several to have on hand by rippinglong stock with the blade tilted.

Using the jig is simple. Line upthe centerlines of the jig and cabinet side (drawing above). Afterclamping the jig in place, you candrill the holes. Then just repeat theprocess for the other set of holes.

REAR6ED

REAR 6EDMATCH2 )llol __ TH ICKNESS....Y. OF 8 ACKERRECESS

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CuHing Half LapsThe broad, face grain gluing surface of half laps makes for a solidjoint. That's why I chose it for thetool cabinet doors shownon page24. I wanted joinery that wouldlas t as long as my tools.

Creating tight-fitting half lapjoints is easy to do at the tablesaw. A wide dado blade makesquick work of removing thewaste. But there are a few techniques to point out that will helpyou along the way.Blade Height. The key togetting joints that are flush isthe depth of cut. The goal is toremove exactly half the thicknessof the workpiece, as you can seein the drawings at right.

To work toward this goal, Iuse test pieces that are the exactthickness of my workpieces toadjust the blade height. Figure 1shows how this works.

Mark a "halfway point" oneach piece and then set the dadoblade height to be a little bitbelow the mark. After you makea cu t across the en d of each piece,simply overlap them to check theresult. Raise the blade slightlyand repeat the process until thefaces fit flush, as in Figure l a.Length of Cut. With the blade

height set, all you need to do isset the length of the cut. First,set the rip fence so that the dis-tance from the outside edge ofthe blade to the fence is about

Flush Trim Tern

1M' shy of the final length. Thenmake your first pass on oneworkpiece, as shown in Figure2a. Make multiple passes cuttingaway the waste from the end, asshown in Figure 2b.

Since the fence isn't set to cutthe cheek to final length, the endwon't be flush. But now it's easysee how far to cut back the shoulder for a perfect fit. Just sneakup on the final cheek length byadjusting the fence away fromthe blade unti l the fit is flush. 4.

Sanding the large radius on the ends of the tool cabinet sides (page 24) can be time-consuming. And itcan be difficult to cut each en d identical to the others. The solution to making a nice smooth cut thatdoesn't require a lot of sanding is to use a hardboardtemplate, your router, and a flush trim bit.

Getting a smooth layout and curve is a lot easieron a piece o f ~ " hardboard. And once that's done,you're guaranteed identical curves on the ends ofthe cabinet sides. Just stick the template down withdouble-sided tape, use a band saw to remove mostof the waste, and then trim it flush with the router.ShopNotes.com

'f Rock-Solid. Wideshoulders and lots ofgluing surface makea half lap a tough,all-purpose joint.WIDESHOULDERS

NOTE: FIRST ROUT SHORT( ~ " ) S E C T I O N RIGHT TO LEFT TO PREVENTtHIPOUT, THEN REMOVE REMAININ GWASTE ROUTING LEFT TO RIGHT

23

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storagesolutions

Store and display your favorite tools in a cabinetthat breaks the mold of traditional storage . Some ofmy tools have been handed down throughthe generations. So when I design a cabinet to storeand display them, I want it to share the same levelof detail and craftsmanship as the tools themselves.I think you'll agree that this design fits the bill.24

The cabinet features ample space for someof yourfavorite tools and the glass doors make it easy to seethe contents. Decorative details such as highly fig-ured wood and gentle curves really make it standout. Finally, unique joinery brings it all together.

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Exploded View DetailsOVERALL DIMENSIONS: &D x 24"W x 30"H

CURVED SIDESREDUCE VISUALWEIGHT OF CABINET

CABINET TOPCAN BE USEDFOR ADDITIONALSTORAGE

HALF-LAP JOINTSIN DOORS ARESELF-SQUARING

PLYWOODeACKPREVENTSRACKING

DECORATIVE WALNUTPEGS ADD

CONTRASnNG COLOR PEGS SECURESIDES TO TOPAND &OTTOMNOTE: REFER TO PAGE16 FOR HANDS-ON NOTCH

AND TENON TECHNIQUE OF CASE

Materials & HardwareCASA Top/Bottom {2)B Sides {2)C Back Panel {1)D Rails {4)E Stiles {4)F Glass Stop {1)G Shelves {2)H Hanging Cleats (2)

ShopNotes.com

;t4 X8 24;t4 X8 30

22:V.. X 25 Y.. Ply.:v.. X 2Y. -11

:V.. X 2 24VaY.. X Y.. -11' Rgh.

:V.. X 6- 22l,i:v.. X2- 22Y.

{1)Y."- dia. x 36"Walnut Dowel {4)1!-1" x2"Hinges {2) 1" - dia .Knobs {2) l,i" Glass Panel {7'l16" x 2 0 ~ 6 " ) (2) Magnetic Catches w/Screws {8) Y." -dia. Shelf Pins {32) Brads

SOLID CASECONSTRUCTIONUSES NOTCH ANDTENON JOINERY

O N L I N E EXTRASTo download a freecutting diagram forthe ToolCabinet,go to:ShopNotes.com

CLE.AT SYSTEMSECURESCABINETTO WALL

25

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SIDE VIEWD OVERVIEW

2t

2

9

0

0

0

0

0 0

0

R A D I U

III\ I

5ACK PANEL( ~ ) ( ~ )

5SIDE(& " )( 30")

NOTE: TOP. BOTTOM.AND SIDES ARE MADEFROM l!4"THICK HARDWOOD:8ACK 1514" PLYWOOD

FRONTVIEWTOP/eoTTOM

I!IACK

SIDEVIEW

SIDE

, ., ..' .. ""/

making the Casethe cuts for the joinery, notice inFigure 1a that the end of eachtenon extends proud of thecase sides. To create a more fin-ished look, I softened these endsby adding a chamfer around allfour edges. It's easier to start thisthree-step process before makingthe cuts for the tenons.

What I like most about this toolcabinet are the details. They'resubtle, but they really make ita showpiece for some of yourfavorite tools. The first thing youmay have noticed is the woodselection. I chose ambrosia maplebecause of its distinctive colorand figure characteristics.Another detail worth noting isthe joinery used to assemble thecase. I t begins with tenons cut onthe ends of the top an d bottom.As you can see in Figure 1, thesefit into notches cut in the sides.This joinery not only makes for astrongcase,but adds visual interest that you don't see in a lot ofbasic tool cabinets.

Chamfers. I started buildingthe case by cutting the sides,top, and bottom to final size atthe table saw. Before making26

Take a look at the box at thebottom of the next page. You'llsee that I started by routing achamfer on the ends of the piecesthat make up both the top andbottom of the case. This takescareof the chamfers on three sides ofeach tenon. You'll add the fourthchamfer to the inside edges afterthe tenons have been cut.Join ts. Now it's time to getstarted on the joinery. With adado blade in your tablesaw, youbegin by cutting the dadoes andnotches in the sides first. Withthese cut, you can make the tenons for the top and bottom. Onceyou've made all the cuts, use a

sanding block to create the cham-fer on the ;.nside edge of the tenons. Making cuts while standinga board on end can be challenging, but I came up with a straightforward technique that will giveyou perfect results. Take a look atpage 16 for more de tails.Curves. You can see in Figure1 that the case sides extend abovethe top. I designed the cabinetthis way because I wanted to usethe top of the cabinet as an additional shelf for open storage. AndI didn't want to risk having a toolfall off the sides. To balance thelook of the cabinet, I extended thesides below the bottom as well.This added a lot of visual weight

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NOTE: ROUT GROOVE FOR 6ACKPANEL 6ETWEEN NOTCHESIN SIDES

to the cabinet though. To reducethis weight and streamline thelook, I added a slight curve to thetop and bottom of each side.

Notice that the curve startsfrom the back of the cabinet an dcurves down towards the front.The radius of the arc is 30", whichjust happens to be the full lengthof the sides. This makes it easyto lay out the line using a beamcompass. Just adjust your compass to extend the full length ofthe side. To get the desired arc,place the fixed en d on the backcomer, then draw an arc from theopposite back comer to the frontedge. Repeat this process for theremaining three curves.A band saw makes it easy tocut the curves. When making thecuts, be sure to stay just to thewaste side of your layout line.When you're done, a little workwith a sanding block and you'llhave a nice smooth finish.

a. WRAPTAPEAROUND 8IT A6A DEPTH GAUGEWHEN DRILLING

Y. STRAIGHT&IT

I included another techniquefor making the curves on page23. You'll find that both methodscreate great results.Grooves. All that's left to complete the case is to cu t groovesin each piece for the back panel(Figure lb . Figure 2 above showsyou how to rout the groovebetween the dadoes in the sides.Drill holes for the shelf pins andyou're ready for assembly. Thereare details for a jig on page 22 tohelp you with that.

Assembly. After you cut theback panel to final size andassemble the case, you can drilla hole through each tenon for thepegs. I used a handheld drill an dattached tape to my bitas a depthguide, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The pegs in the tenons add adecorative detail, bu t they also

PEG HOLE&(FIGURE 1c:)

a. NOTE:TRIM PEG WITH FLUSHCUT SAW. CHISEL AND SANDTO CREATE FINISHEDSURFACE

help secure the top and bottomto the sides of the case (Figurelc). I used walnut dowels to create contrast with the light color ofthe maple used in the case.

With a mallet, drive the dow-els into the holes until they seatfully. A flush-cut saw allowsyou to trim most of the excesswaste. Some work with a chiseland sanding block will bring thedowels flush and leave a nicesmooth surface.

While the glue dries on thecase, you can turn the page andbegin work constructing theshelves and doors.

Chamfer Tenons a. TOP/60TTOM

ShopNotes.com

USE SANDING&LOCK TOCREATE INSIDECHAMFER

TOP/&OTTOM

27

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a.

GLASSSiOP

51DEVIEW

b.

adding shelves & The goalhere is to sneak up on thefinal height of the blade by slowlyraising it until both sides of thejoint fit flush. Once you have theblade height dialed in, you canset the rip fence to 2"and use it asa stop while making the joinerycuts. For more details on cuttingperfect half-lap joinery, refer toShop Short Cuts on page 23.

DoorsBeing able to display your favorite tools is what this cabinet isall about. That's why the panelsin the doors are glass instead ofsolid wood. And to keep the construction simple, the door frameis constructed using half-lap joinery. To tie the design of the doorsto the rest of the case, I used thesame walnut dowels as decorative pegs in the door frames.Rails & Stiles. Constructionof the doors starts by ripping therails and stiles to width and cutting them to length. One thing tomake note of is that the rails are%" wider than the stiles.Next, you can install a dadoblade. Adjust the height of yourdado blade using test pieces thesame thickness as the door frame.

O VERV IEW

0

\' I

Finish the doors by cutting rabbets to secure the glass panels.Anauxiliary fence damped to yourrip fence allows you to bury thedado blade in the fence. This letsyou control the width of cut.Assembly. Assembling theframe is straightforward becausethe half laps help square up theframe automatically (Figure 5).You'll want to use large damps topull the joints together across theends and smaller clamps directlyacross the half laps.After the glue dries, you canadd the pegs to the door frame.

/ ,.,., "" I \// "',. ' RA IL

,,.-' ,I

' I r

FRONT VIEWTOP

RAIL

28

\I I I!I Ii IIi II II

t

NOTE: RAILS,STILES, ANDSHELVES ARE MADEFROM "I"-THICKSTOCK

A Decorative Pegs. Dowels inthe case and doors enhancethe design of the cabinet.Unlike on the case, these pegsare purely decorative. In otherwords, they don't go throughboth the stile and rail (Figure 5b .The process is basically the samethough. The only difference is thedepth of the holes (%").

GLA55PANEL('PM' x 2 o & ~

KN06(1" DIA.)

STILE(2" x 243/e")

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Hinges. To attach the doors,you need to cut mortises for thehinges. I find that it's easiest tostart with the case first. I use thehinges to mark the locations onthe case an d a small palm routerto remove most of the waste.Clean up the comers with achisel and you're ready to attachthe hinges. You can find addi-tional information about locatinghinges on page 36.

Now you can transfer the hingelocation to the doors and cut themortises for the other side of thehinges. Then attach the doorsand make adjustments as necessary to get a good fit. What you'relooking for is a consistent gap oflf16" around each door. Once thedoors are fit, you can drill holesfor the knobs to attach later.Glass Stops. You'll install theglass after you apply a finish, butgo ahead and cut the stops usedto secure the glass to the doors.They're just small strips cut on

D FIGURE

NOTE: RAILS ARE2Y. WIDE: SflLESSTILE

NOTE: INSIDEVIEW SHOWN

the table saw. The box at the bottom of the page shows how it'sdone. Now is also a good time tocut the shelves to fit.

Cleat. Fullyloaded, the cabinetis going to be fairly heavy. That'swhy I secured the case to thewall with a two-part cleat. Figure 6 shows that it's made fromtwo identical beveled strips. Thedegree of the angle isn't critical

WALLSTUDATTACHCLEATSECURELY

TO WALLWITHSCREWS

LARGE GLUINGSURFACE FOR SOLICONSTRUCTION

SIDE VIEW

Y."-DIA. PEG

(I used 30), just be sure to attacheach piece correctly. The cabinethangs on the cleat and the sidesof the case keep it from slidingsideways on the wall.

Complete the case by installing the glass panels and addingthe knobs. You'll notice that theknobs are attached low on thedoor. So the magnetic catches arescrewed to the bottom of t..he caseinstead of at the top. I did thisto reduce any racking that mayoccur when opening the door.I finished the cabinet with twocoats ofspray lacquer. That' s all itneeds to bring out the beauty ofthe wood and complete a cabinetyou can be proud of. 4.

Installing the GlassEND VIEW

A Making the Stops. After cuttinggrooves in the edges of a wide work-piece, cut the glass stop free.ShopNotes.com

GLASSPANEL /eRC GLAssSTOP

SIDEVIEW

' \ "ILICONESflLE CAULK........___ ....... \

A Add Silicone. Silicone caulk holds A Secure Stops. Use a nail set tthe glass panel secure while allowing . install the brads that secure the stopfor easy replacement if necessary to the rails and stiles.29

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f.,The unique design of this versatile toolcarryall gives you easy access to everything inside.

Many portable tool boxes take a top-down approachto storing tools. This works fine for storing just a fewthings. The problem is that the items on the bottomcan be hard to find, easily damaged, or forgotten.

The tote you see here uses a different method.Instead of access from the top, the sides fold down.30

This gives you access to all of the contents withouthaving to move tools out of the way. And to keepthe tools organized and prevent damage, they'reheld securely on simple racks and custom holders.Best of all, you can build this tote in an easy weekend from common materials.

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NOTE:CASE AND DRAWERARE MADE FROMW' PLYWOOD

SbopNotes.O N L I N E EXTRAS

To download a freecutting diagram forthe Tool Tote, go to:ShopNotes.com

DOWEL PLUGSCOVER SCREWHOLES

CENTER PANELADDS STIFFNESSAND PROVIDES TWOSURFACES FORSTORING TOOLS

LOWER RAIL CREATES61N IN 60TTOM OFTOTE FORLARGER ITEMS

STOPPED CHAMFERCREATES MOUNTINGSURFACE FOR TOGGLESTRIKE

Exploded View DetailsOVERALL DIMENSIONS: t1t.,.o K 21"W 1< 20"H

LARGE, COMFORTA6LEHARDWOOD HANDLEMAKES CARRYING TOTEEASY ON THE HANDS

CONTINUOUS HINGESECURES DOOR TOCASE

USE INSIDE OF DOORFOR STORING TOOLS

NOTE:FOR HARDWARESOURCES, TURN TO PAGE 51

STOFREQUENTLY USTOOLS AND SUPPLIN DRAW

DROP-DOWN DOOALLOW FULL ACCTO CONTENTS OF C

Materials & HardwareA Sides {2)B Top/Bottom (2)c Shelf (1)D Divider {1)E Keys (24)F Rails(2)G Doors (2)H Drawer Front/Back (2)

Drawer Sides (2)Drawer Bottom (1)K Handle (1)

ShopNotes.com

6 X 17- Y2 Ply.6 X 20 - Y2 Ply.6 X 19"Y:!- Y2 Ply.

13% X 19Y2 - Y:! Ply.Y:!x"Y:! -1Y2

2"Y:! X 20- Y:! Ply.11 X 20- Y:! Ply.

2"Y:! x18Vs- Y:! Ply.2"Y:! X 6- Y:! Ply.

SY2 x 18%- Y4 Hdbd.3-18

(2) 1" x18" Continuous Hinge w/Screws (4) Toggle Latches w/Screws (4) Toggle Strikes w/Screws (4) 118 x1Y:!" Fh Woodscrews (1) Ys"-dia. x12" dowel (for plugs) (4) Turn Buttons (Var.) 16" Magnetic Tool Bar (Var.) 4'-dia. Rare-Earth Magnets (Var.)Vs" O.D. Magnet Cups w/ScrewsNOTE: Number of tool bars and magnets

depends on your storage needs.! Take It Anywhere. Therow profile and hardwood hmake it easy to take toolsupplies to the job site.

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NOTE:ALL PARTSKEYS)E MADE FROMW'PLYWOOD

'SIDE(6 " C 11")@ I

iIr , I

I I III-2"-WIDEM I'4 "-DEEP I ) I (ROOVECENTEREDON WIDTHJ \ l

CASEASSEMBLY

making theCaseOne of the main reasons I builtthis tote is for the times when Ineed to do an odd job or two outside the shop. So it had to havea few important design features.First, it needed to be easy to carryaround. To do this, the case isnarrow enough to be at my sidewithout bumping into my leg.

Versatile Storage. Anotherthing the tote needs is the ability to hold and organize awide variety of tools. This is

FIRST: USE BAND CLAMPSTO PULL MITERS ON SIDES,--TOP, AND BOTTOM TOGETHER

SECOND: BARCLAMP DRAWSTHE SIDES TIGHTTO THE SHELF

'\ \

I\\ \\

accomplished by including a fewtypes of storage. At the top of thetote is a smal l drawer for holdingfrequently used items. Inside themain case, the vertical surfacesof the divider and doors can beused to hang tools. And finally,the bottom of the case is a bin forholding bigger items.

Quick & Easy Construction.The final feature of the tote isa straightforward constructionprocess that doesn't take a lotof time. You can see how thisworks in Figure 1. The tool toteis built from w plywood to mini-mize weight without sacrificing

DIVIDER

SIDE THIRD: ANOTHERBAR CLAMP KEEPSTHE SHELF AND BOTTOMFROM FLEXING AWAYFROM THE DIVIDER

32

b.

stability and strength. Iused Balticbirch plywood because I like howthe thin, consistent layers look.

There's a catch, though. At firstglance, the tote looks like it'sassembled with dovetails - anodd detail for a plywood case.But i f you look again, the dovetails are actually hardwood keysthat reinforce (and dress.up) themiter joints in the case.

As for the rest of the case, thejoinery is pretty simple. The shelfan d divider rest in dadoes andgrooves. Later on, you'll see thatbuilding the drawer echoes thissame construction process.

Begin Building. The case iswhere the construction begins.I started by cutting plywoodpieces for the top, bottom, shelf,and sides to size, as in Figure 1.(Note the top, bottom, and sidesare mitered on each end.) The keyis making sure the pieces are thesame width and that corresponding parts are the same length.

The next step is to ad d somejoinery that divides the case,making it easier to use. I cut a

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centered groove in each side, theshelf, and the bottom, as shownin Figure 1. This accepts a centerdivider that increases the rigidityof the case. I talso creates a pair ofsurfaces for mounting tool holders. The groove is cut at the tablesaw with a dado blade sized tomatch the plywood.

With the dado blade still setup, I cut a dado across the sidesto accept the shelf, as you can seein Figure la. The shelf creates aspace for a drawer.You'll need to make one finalpart before you can assemblethe case. And that's the centerdivider. It's simply cut to size tofit between the grooves in thesides, bottom, and shelf.Case Assembly. Gluing up thecase is probably the most challenging part of building the tooltote. That's because all the mainparts need to come together atthe same time. But, don't worry.All you need to do is follow theright assembly sequence. It's alsoa good idea to use slow-settingglue. This will give you enoughtime to get the pieces alignedbefore the glue tacks up.You can see my clamping setupin the Case Assembly drawingon the facing page. I set the center divider on the bottom, thenplaced the shelf on the divider.After bringing the sides and topin place, I laid the case on its sideand applied band clamps. A couple bar clamps pull the shelf anddivider tight into the grooves.

Dovetail Keys. When theclamps come off, you're ready

ShopNotes.com

" t\ \I I DOOR ' \ l I(11" )( 20'') I,' @ I \ [ ll

I I ' , \I I I II I . I.

b.

SIDEVIEW

! ROUT STOPPED 114CHAMFERON TOP EDGEAND SIDES OF DOOR(F IGURE3)

to add the dovetail-shaped keys.This is a two-step process. Inthe first step, you rout dovetailshaped slots across the miterjoints with a jig. The second stepis to create the matching keys thatfit the slots. The details for all thiscan be found on page 38.Enclosing the Case. With thebasic framework of the case complete, you can get to work on

CHAMFER ENDSOF RAILS ONLY

DOOR

FRONTVIEW

dosing it in with the drop-downdoors. The doors are hinged torails added along the bottom ofthe case, as in Figure 2.

To accommodate the continuous hinge, you need to cut a widenotch in the lower edge of thedoor and upper edge of the rail(Figures 2a and 2b). I've foundthe best wa y to do this is to usea dado blade in the table saw.Support the workpiece on edgewith a tall auxiliary fence on themiter gauge, then make multiplepasses to complete the notch.

To complement the miteredcomer joints and soften theedges, I chamfered the ends ofeach rail along with the sides andtop of the doors. Take a momentto note that a section on eachside isn't chamfered. This createsa flat spot to attach the togglelatch. You can see how to rout thestopped chamfers in Figure 3.

33

SIDEVIEW

SIDE

a.

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wrapping up theTool ToteThe work on the main part of thetool tote is done. All that remainsis to ad d some more storage and ahandle to carry the tote around.

Small Drawer. I mentionedearlier that the upper part of thetote has an opening for a smalldrawer. This way, you can get tothe contents of the drawer without having to open the doorsfirst. The slide-out drawer alsomakes a great tray for corrallingitems during work on a project.

By this point, the constructionof the drawer should be prettyfamiliar. The front, back, and sidesare joined with miters and then Iadded the samedovetail key detailused on the case (Figure 4b .

METALTURN BUTTON

FIG URE D

NOTE: DRAWERFRONT, BACK, AND SIDES ARE'k" PLYWOOD. BOTTOM IS Y.,."HARDBOARD. HANDLE 15 MADEFROM %"-THICK HARDWOODWhen making the drawer, it'simportant to size the parts accu

rately. The length of the sidesshould match the width of thetote. And the length of the frontand backshould leave a smallgap(1;],6'') on each end. This way, thedrawer will operate smoothly.

One other thing I want to pointou t is the groove cu t near the bottom edge to accept the drawerbottom. You can find the dimensions for this groove in Figure 4a.Once again, you add the dovetail keys after gluing up thedrawer. As in Figure 4, there areonly two keys at each comer.

Tum Buttons. Since thedraweris designed to be removed fromthe case, you need a wa y to keepit in place. To solve this problem,I attached a pair of metal tu mbuttons to the front and back ofthe tote. To remove the drawer,

HANDLEPATTERN ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2----1lHANDLE t1l,i,

34

a.

DRAWER SIDE

- - C---L'.END VIEW

-:v

all you need to do is pivot oneset of tu m buttons out of the wayand push the drawer ou t fromthe opposite side.

Hardwood Handle. The finalpiece of the tote to add is thehandle. I made the handle out ofhardwood to stand up to heavyloads. I cut it to the shape shownin the drawing below. Roundovers on all the edges make itmore comfortable. The handle isglued and screwed to -the tote.Finally, I plugged the screw holeswith short pieces of dowel, Figure 4b and detail 'a ' below.

To get the most out of the spaceinside the tote, I added a few storage options. You can learn moreabout those on the next page. A

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The key to making the most ofthe storage space in the tool toteis organizing your tools so youcan get to them easily. To do that,I came up with a combination ofcustom tool holders and somegeneral-purpose racks.Magnet Racks. Versatility isone of the main advantagesof thistote. So the storage inside should

be versatile, too. For the generalpurpose tool racks, I turned tomagnets. A magnet bar attachedto the divider (lower right photo)is perfect for storing a variety oftools. On the doors, I used strongrare-earth magnets to hold smalltools (middle photo).Custom Racks. Magnets evencome in handy when makingcustom tool holders (drawings below). Finally, the ruler

supports in the bottom drawingwork with gravity. They capturethe rulers in angled slots andhold them in place whether thedoor is openor closed.

Magnetic Holders

END VIEW

ShopNotes.com

NOTE: MAKEHOLDERS FROMEXTRA LONG,~ " T H I C K 6LANKSFOR &ETTERCONTROLANDSAFETY

END VIEW

C < S : f i k O ~ H ATCH THICKNESS OF MAGNET CUP

MAGNET CUP WITH A SCREW

Ruler SupportsNOTE: USE AT LEASTTWO SUPPORTS

FOR EACH RULER

ATTACHRULER SUPPORTSWITH SCREWS

CUT SLOTS SO TOP---::::::. . .-:::::......EDGES OF RULERSARE EVEN

NOTE: SUPPORTSARE MADE FROMi!W'THICK HARDWOODMagnetic Bar. Amagnetic tool baris an inexpensiveway to organizetools in the tote.

Custom. Cate easy-to-mcustom holdetake advantathe space ondrop-down do

...,.. Small MaTo hold smallin place. attasingle rare-eamagnet to thewith a magneand screw.

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...Techniquesecrets toLocatingHinges

Selecting the right hingesfor your project is onlyhalf the battle . Placingthem properly adds theprofessional touch .

T Centered.Centering thehinges on theof the railsa pleas-look on small,square doors.

When I'm building a project, it'seasy to get caught up in the nitty-gritty construction techniques.I want to make sure everythingworks out right. Sometimes, itpays to step back and figure outwhy and how one piece of furni-ture looks good and another canbe a little "off." This is especiallytrue when it comes to hardware.

The right hardware can reallyadd to the look of a project. Butthat's only if it's placed well onthe piece. One example of this isthe hinges on the doors. Know-ing the best location to placehinges may seem like a mystery,bu t there are some secrets youcan use to solve the puzzle.

BASIC GUIDELINESFiguring ou t where to locate thehinges on a door doesn't have tobe a guessing game. While thesearen't hard and fast rules, I havea few guidelines that I use as astarting point for placing hinges.

Symmetrical Placement. Thefirst rule of thumb is to place thehinges the same distance fromthe top and bottom ends of thedoor. To me, this gives the proj-ect a more balanced look. Youcan see how this looks in all theexamples shown on these pages.

Align With Rails. The realtrick is figuring out just what thedistance should be. For this, I usethe design of the door as a guide.Most of the doors I build areframe and panel assemblies witheither a wood or glass panel. SoI usually align the end of eachhinge with the inside edge of therails. You can see this in the toolchest shown above. As your eyefollows along the horizontal edgeof the rail, the hinge seems to bein a "natural" spot.But that doesn't mean it worksfor every door. For example, take alook at the cabinet in the left photo.The doors are shorter and they'renearly square in shape. Aligningthe hinges with the rails wouldplace them too dose together.And the resulting space betweenthe hinges would look too tight.Instead, I centered the hinges withthe inside edge of the rails.

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SPECIAL SITUATIONSThe previous guidelines workwell on uncomplicated doors.When the doors are more com-plex, I'll use some variations tothe basic principles.

Decorativ e Details. One wayto dress up a door is to add deco-rative details. The cabinet doorson the right have contrastingplugs. I f the hinges were alignedwith the rails, both elementswould compete with each other.The solution is to step the hingestowards the center slightly. Thisallows the plugs and hinges tostand out on their own.Different Rail Widths. There's

no rule that says both rails on adoor need to be the same width,as shown in the lower left photo.Aligning the hinges with the railswould result in an uneven hingeplacement top to bottom.

The answer is to choose one ofthe rails as the guide for locating

both hinges. Since the upper railis relatively narrow, I used thewider lower rail as my guide.

Large Doors. The doors on thebookcase in the lower right photoare highly detailed: uneven rails,decorative plugs, divided lights,and they're pretty large. Locatingthe hinges here is a challenge.

First, for more support, I addeda third pair of hinges centeredon the doors. Then I used thenarrower upper rail as the basisfor locating the top and bottomhinges. This also centers the bot-tom hinge on the lower rail.Test Run. Before you commit

to the location of the hinges, it'sa good idea to tape them to thedoor temporarily. This way, youcan see for yourself how a givenapproach will look.Locating hinges isn't mysteri-ous. All it takes are some simpleprinciples and the flexibilitx tobend themwhen necessary. 4.

I.- - .. I. .! Avoid Clutter.n the design of this project,shifting the hinges away from thedecorative plugs keeps the doorsfrom looking too busy

! Choose a Rail. When the rails aren't the samewidth, select one rail as the guide for both hinges.For this cabinet the lower rail worked best.

! Tall Doors. Larger doors like this need a combination of solutions. First, an additional hinge provides extra support. Thenthe hinge position is determined by the upper rail.

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Dovetail keys are a great way to strengthen a miter joint.This jig takes the hassle out of cutting the slots for the keys. The mitered comers used onthe tool tote on page 30 give it a

nice, clean look. But a glued upmitered joint isn't all that strong.A great way to provide extrastrength, along with good looks,is to add dovetail-shaped hardwood keys across the comers.The challenge comes in accurately positioning and cutting theslots for the dovetail keys. Thesolution is the jig you see above.I t securely holds the project at thecorrect angle while you make thecuts on the router table.

38

a.

FRONT8ED

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The Jig. The jig is just a pair ofangled bed assemblies that support both sides of the project.They're attached to a hardboardbase. A runner attached to thebase guides the jig in the miter slotof your router table. Note: If yourtable doesn't have a slot, you canleave the runner off and guide thejig using your router table fence.A piece of T-track that rests ina groove in the front bed is usedto lock in a pair of stops that keepthe workpiece in position duringthe cut. In the rear bed, I cut adovetail-shaped dado to accept areplaceable backer that helps prevent tearout, as in Figure la. Youcan read more about this additionin Shop Short Cuts on page 22.Finally, I rounded the topoutside comers and shaped theinside edge of each bed, as illustrated in Figures 1 and lb .Jig Assembly. Once the bedsupports are completed, youcan glue and screw them to bedsusing braces, as in Figure 2. Likethe beds, the outsiae comers ofthe supports are rounded.The two beds are attached to thebase to create a cradle assembly.I sized the base so that when thebeds were glued inplace, it createda small dust relief (Figure2b).Before moving on and addingthe runner, there's one thing to

do at the table saw. And that'sto cut a centered slot in the jig toprovide clearance for the dovetailbit, as you see in Figure 2a.

Runner & Stops. With the slotcut for the bit, you're ready toadd the runner that guides the jig(Figure 3). It's just a strip of hardwood cut to fit the miter slot ofyour router table.You'll need to locate the runnerto center the slot over the bitand install it square to the frontedge (Figures 3 and 3b). Finally,I added the stops. Each is simply

NOTE: STOP LEGS ARE%" PLYWOOD. RUNNER ISSf&"-THICK HARDWOOD

NOTE: 6E D SUPPORTAND 6RACES A R E ~ " PLYWOOD. 6ASE IS y.,."

HARD60ARD

a. FRONT VIEW

FRONT6ED

EIEDSUPPORT

END VIEW

EIED SUPPORT

two small pieces of plywoodglued and screwed together ata right angle. They're locked inplace using a flange bolt, washer,and knob, as in Figure 3a.a.

Ib.

END VIEW

NOTE: LOCATE1 RUNNER SO SLOTIS CENTERED OVERROUTER 61T

39

FRONT6E D

b

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a.

Using the JigOnce you have the jig completed,cutting the slots for the keys, likethe ones you see in the photo atright, is a snap. It's a simple stepby-step task that only takes a fewminutes. To complete the joint,you'll make the dovetail-shapedkeys and glue them in place. Andfinally, trim and sand them flush.

ROUTING THE SLOTSAs I mentioned, the jig makesrouting the slots for the keys easy.The first step in doing this is setting the depth of cut.Setting the Depth. I've foundthat the easiest way to do this isto install the dovetail bit and position the jig over it. In Figure 1 youcansee a layout line drawn acrossone comer of the project. This linerepresents the desired depth of

a.

40

the key slot and provides an easyreference for adjusting the heightof the bit to match.

Positioning the Project. Thattakes care of the depth of cut, soyou can move on to the next step- positioning the project in thejig. To do this, you need to knowexactly where the bit will cut. Asillustrated in Figure 2, I marked alayout line along the top edge ofthe backer to indicate the centerline of the bit.

Now that you know where thecenterline is, you 're ready to position the project using the stops.They'll keep it from shifting sideto side. To do this, you'll need tomake additional layout lines onthe sides of the project.Each layout line indicates thecenter of a slot. The number and

FLIPPING WORKPIECEENSURES SLOTSYMMETRY

! Cut Slots. The jig positionsthe project securely to cut adovetail-shaped slot for a key.spacing of the lines will dependon the project. The main goal isto mark the layout lines on oneside so they extend above the topedge of the jig, as in Figure 3. Thismakes it easy to position the project to align with the centerline onthe backer. Then, simply slide thestops against the sidesof the project to lock it in place.

Routing a Slot. At this point,creating a slot is just a matter ofturning on the router and making a single pass. All you have todo to cut a slot on the other threecomers is rotate the project andmake an identical pass.I f your slot layout is symmetri

cal along the comer of the project,you won't always neeq to reposition the stops to cut a slot. As youcan see in the example in Figure4, flipping the project takes careof locating the slot identicallyfor the next four passes. If youhave more slots to cu t in a differen t location, simply readjust thestops and repeat the process.

CREATING THE KEYSCutting the slots is just half thejob. The final task is to add thedovetail-shaped keys. The nicething is you'll stay right at therouter table and use the same bit.

Safety First. Because the keysare small, it's best to start with along, extra-wide blank. This way,you can work safely and moreaccurately. The goal is to rout

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dovetails along the edges of theblank that fit snug in the slots, asillustrated in Figure 5.

Sizing the Key. To start with,adjust the height of the bit to cu tslightly deeper than the depth ofthe slot. Then, sneak up on thesize of the key by making a seriesof passes. The extra width of theblank allows you to rout a keyalong both edges of the blank.Just be sure to check the fi t fre-quently, as detailed in Figure Sb.

Rip the Key Strips. When youhave a good fit, you're ready torip the keys from the edges of theblank (Figure 6). I positioned myrip fence to cut the strip free rightalong the shoulder line, as yousee in Figure 6a.

Glue in the Keys. After cutting individual keys free fromthe strips, double check the fitof each key before you glue anyof them in place. You may findyou have to sand one side of eachkey lightly to get a perfect fit.To avoid installing a key in thewrong slot, I found