Measuring with GUILD  EDITION FASTENER

PRECISION TOOLS Fundamentals

Woodsmith.com Vol. 46 / No. 271

Easy-to-Build
Plans:
• Croquet Set
• Diamond
Bookcase
• 10 Drawer
Chest
• Leather
Tool Bag
• Kitchen Canister
GREAT GEAR:
ROUTER
ACCESSORIES
 ®

AN ACTIVE INTEREST MEDIA PUBLICATION

from the editor
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Phil Huber
SENIOR EDITOR Erich Lage
ASSISTANT EDITOR Rob Petrie Sawdust
EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth
SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR Dirk Ver Steeg
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Bob Zimmerman,
Becky Kralicek The drill press in my shop was made a few years before I was born. It’s
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Erich Lage
the kind of tool you walk up to and expect to turn on and get to work. I’ve had
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chris Fitch it for nearly 15 years. Compared to the newish models in the shop at Woodsmith,
PROJECT DESIGN EDITOR Dillon Baker
PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doyle my press seemed to be showing its age. It ran loud and had a vibration that
CAD SPECIALIST/BUILDER Steve Johnson
made some drilling tasks challenging.
SHOP MANAGER Marc Hopkins
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Chris Hennessey Rather than replace this classic tool, I decided to spend time giving it some
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jack Christiansen attention. I lubricated the bearings in the motor. I disassembled the quill feed
847-724-5633
[email protected] mechanism, replaced the return spring, and oiled it as well. After a long search,
AD PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Julie Dillon
I found the manual online. To wrap things up, I cleaned the column and wiped
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Julie Green
down all the painted surfaces with a degreaser.
The sound of the freshly tuned tool on its first startup was amazing. Smooth,
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT Rob Yagid quiet, it hummed. All that work and research gave me a deeper understanding of
DIRECTOR, SALES OPERATIONS Heather Glynn Gniazdowski
how my drill press works and what it’s capable of doing. I also have a renewed
appreciation for well-made tools and the value of craftsmanship.
What about your shop? Are there tools you take for granted? What kind of
CHAIRMAN & CEO Andrew W. Clurman routine maintenance do you do? Send your answers to [email protected]
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS Efrem Zimbalist III
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Brian Van Heuverswyn
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Adam Smith
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Gary DeSanctis
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING Erica Moynihan
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING Amanda Phillips
VICE PRESIDENT, CIRCULATION Paige Nordmeyer
VICE PRESIDENT, SALES OPERATIONS Christine Nilsen
VICE PRESIDENT, EVENTS Julie Zub
VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Ashley MacDonald
VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGY & RESEARCH Kristina Swindell
DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES Scott Roeder
DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION Phil Graham
DIRECTOR, RETAIL SALES Susan A. Rose
DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Andrew Shattuck

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4 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 No. 271 • February/March 2024
Projects
game project
Croquet Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
It’s time to level up your outdoor game gear. Build a
croquet set that features a unique look and is designed to
stand up to serious use.
designer project
Diamond Book Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Put a fresh angle on storage and display. The diamond-
shaped components of this dresser feature rugged joinery

28 and a sturdy support system.

heirloom project
10 Drawer Chest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
A parade of drawers marches down the front of this stately
dresser. Creating the stepped shape involves learning a
clever shaping technique.
shop project
Leather Tool Bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Here’s a stylish carryall for when you need to take
tools on the road. Along the way, you’ll pick up a few
leatherworking techniques.
turning project
Checkered Canister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
The recipe for this eye-catching canister takes a few
simple woodworking ingredients and turns it into a
project that improves your skills.

42 Departments
from our readers
Tips & Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
all about
Precise Measuring Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
working with tools
Fastening Fundamentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
great gear
Router Accessories & Handy Holders . . . . 24
router workshop

50 Roundovers & Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Woodsmith.com • 5
 READER’S
Tips

Revised Dado Tote 2¼"-rad.

While Millicent Doyle’s dado tote (issue 268) is a
traditional and simple design, I wanted something NOTE: The sides and
base are ¾" plywood.
more expansive. With the dado tote you see here, The spacers are
each part of the dado set can be accessed individu- ½" plywood
8½
ally without needing to unstack them. ½"-dia.
dowel
The tote is made of three parts, along with the
spacers for the blades. Tongues in the base slot into 1"-dia.
hole ½"-dia.
dadoes in the sides. The sides have two holes: one SPACER hole
for a dowel to hold spacers and one for finger holes. (½" x 7¾")
5
Pete Banning SIDE
Mill Valley, CA SIDE
(4½" x 10")
a. TOP VIEW 5⁄16

Spacer NOTE: Spacers

Base are glued to
3⁄16 base
½ ¼

1⁄8 ½ b.
NOTE: Size gaps 1⁄8
to match your BASE
dado set (4½" x 9¾") SIDE
Side SECTION Dowel
5⁄8 VIEW

6 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 QUICK TIP SUBMIT A TIP TO WIN
GO ONLINE
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So jump online and go to:

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upload your photos and drawings. You can
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editorial address shown on page 2. We will pay
up to $200 if we publish your tip.

W271_007F01.TIF 25%
Plug Stop. Ken Reid of Akron, OH was
assembling the dresser you see above
when he came up with a simple piece to
make sure all his screw plugs were set
evenly. He grabbed a spare scrap from
dimensioning the pieces and cut a dado
down the center of the piece to the
desired exposure for his screw plugs.

Illustrations: Becky Kralicek Woodsmith.com • 7

 Dado & Groove Router Jig
Dadoes and grooves are some of clamp the jig in place. Then, fold hinge. The base is 2" wider than
the most common joints in wood- the fence back and rout, using the the fence to allow room for the
working. Making them is pretty base as a guide for your router. clamps. As for length, I found 30"
easy too; all you need is a router The width of the fence is equal to a be good size for most of my
and something to register the base to the distance between the edge projects, but cut them to whatever
off of. However given how often I of the router base and the center length suits your work.
make these joints, I thought there of the bit you’re using, removing Using a straight bit to rout
must be away to expediate the the need to measure and offset a grooves is what I use this jig for
process. That’s when I came up separate guide. the most. However, it would work
with the jig you see below. As you can see below, there great for routing sliding dovetails,
In a nutshell, here’s how it really isn’t much to the jig. Two flutes, or V-grooves as well.
works: you line up the fence on pieces of plywood make the base Clifford Swan
with the center of the joint and and fence, joined by a continuous Greensboro, North Carolina

Continuous
hinge
NOTE: Make base
2" wider than fence
for clamp clearance

a.
BASE
(30" x ¾" ply.)

FENCE Fence
(30" x ¾" ply.)
Base
Workpiece
Chamfer for
dust relief x
NOTE: Sizing fence from center of bit allows
Width matches any bit to be used with the jig
distance between edge of router
base and center of bit

8 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 Arm NOTE: Drilling guide
is made from
1"-thick hardwood
(27¾" long)
4½
4½
2½

First hole is Cleat

located 1¼" from
edge of bench
1¼

Vise
spacer
1¼

Finish the
Dog Hole Guide dog holes
Drilling dog holes in a bench can To use the jig, I clamp it in line using a spade
be tricky. They need to be evenly with the hole in my vise jaw. bit, with
spaced and to align in both direc- I started by drilling in with a the guide
tions. When I made my new Forstner bit (photo above), then clamped on
benchtop, I also made the drill- finished drilling through with a the underside
ing guide shown above to help spade bit (right photo). To drill the of the
make these holes. It’s simply an second row of holes, I just move benchtop.
arm with a short cleat on one end the guide and repeat the process. This ensure
and a series of holes spaced out to Jack Mayer a clean, crisp
achieve a consistent pattern. Aurora, CO edges.

“My shop is 10 times cleaner now

than it used to be. The Supercell
works really well.”
- Ed N.
SUPERCELL
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Woodsmith.com • 9
 Small Part Cutting Board
When working with hand saws, the vise is a go-to
holder, but it’s not always feasible when working
with smaller pieces. However, the small V-shaped
board you see at left is the answer.
The downward cutting action of the blade
keeps the workpiece firmly against the board. I
made the board extra long to give it as much sta-
bility while cutting as possible. Plus, the board
just clamps in place wherever I’m working.
I cut the board from an 18"-long piece of 3⁄4"
plywood. The V-shaped notch at the front of the
table creates an opening for the blade, supporting
the workpiece while you cut.
To use the board, just keep it in place with one
hand and cut with the other. I focus on keeping
the saw facing one direction and moving and
turning the workpiece to guide the cut, just like I
would at the scroll saw. To make a cut-out shape
like the one shown at left, you can thread the
blade through a starter hole drilled somewhere
in the waste part of the piece.
Don Moses
Garland, Texas
The V-shaped notch provides
access for the blade while the
sides offer support.

QUICK TIPS

Dust Pan Basin. Luke Dunham of Chandler, Quick-Access Hardware. Randy Wolfe of
AZ started getting some rough cuts on his Hoover, AL had the clever idea of attaching
router when he realized it might be time to rare earth magnets to a tennis sweat band,
cleans his bits. However, without a tub at pinning the band between the magnets.
hand, he had to make due. Instead, he used This works great to hold screws during an
a large, metal dust pan as his basin, propping assembly or to swap out bits for different
the end up with a piece of scrap. drive types on the fly.

10 • Woodsmith / No. 271

QUICK TIP DIGITAL WOODSMITH
RECEIVE FREE ETIPS BY EMAIL
Now you can have the best time-saving secrets,
solutions, and techniques sent directly to your
email inbox. Simply go to: Woodsmith.com
and click on,

Woodsmith eTips
You’ll receive one of our favorite tips by email
each and every week.

Steel Wool Finish. John McPhee of

Armada, MI uses steel wool as his
preferred applicator for oil-based stains.
The steel wool provides an even color
across the workpiece, and it burnishes the
surface while applying the finish as well.
Plus, you can get a lot more application
out of a wad of steel wool than a rag.

Woodsmith.com • 11
 ALL
About

Measuring &
Marking Tools
Anodized
aluminum
construction A significant amount of
time spent in the shop
is used for marking and laying
out workpieces that you’ll cut
The anodized black body and
the laser-etched white lettering
make my aging eyes happy. Also,
I’m impressed with the finger
or drill with various tools. Here hole and the thumb groove that
1⁄ ”
we’re going to take a peek at a aids you when maneuvering the
16 Common angle
increments holes few interesting tools for making square. One more clever thing is
those initial marks. how quickly and accurately you
Angle pin A MINI CARPENTER SQUARE. Any time can access often used angles by
stores I pick up a well-made tool it dropping the angle pin in holes
neatly in
the base sparks my imagination. The along the edge.
“Mini Carpenter Square” you A GOOD TOOL. The square is a con-
see in the photos here makes cise version of the speed square
me feel confident that all that many carpenters rely on,
the angles I’ll draw with and there’s nothing wrong with
it will be perfect. The that. If you spend a lot of time
 The Mini Carpenter Square from Pinnacle is a stout
little square machined out a solid piece of aluminum
square is manufactured by
Pinnacle and we’ll look a couple
in the shop marking and cutting
angles on small pieces this tool
that stows conveniently away in your apron. more of their tools shortly. will be a joy to use.

12 • Woodsmith / No. 271 Written by: Erich Lage

 Easy to read
etched markings

Saddle design
for accurate THE THUMB RULE
edge marking
Another handy tool from Pin-
nacle is the thumb rule you see
above and to the right. It’s an
extruded piece of aluminum that
cradles the edge of the board.
Like the mini carpenter square
it has a black anodized surface
with laser-etched white mark-
ings for easy reading.
The thumb grip runs the
length of the tool and lets you
hold the rule easily in place. The
six inch rule that’s shown here
(along with the 12") have 1⁄32"
graduations. This rule is also
available in 24" and 36" versions
with 1⁄16" graduations. The rules  The thumb rule lets you accurately mark adjacent edges of the workpiece
progressing left to right. And by flipping the rule you have the option of
are available in metric as well as marking right to left. The ruler comes in 24" and 36" lengths as well.
imperial. (Sources on page 66
tells you where to find all the it has one other clever attribute attributes as the previous two.
tools shown here.) — drawing center lines for 3⁄4" It’s in essence a machinist square
When the wider 3⁄4" flange is material. Instead of setting my on steroids. I like the rabbeted
up the rule reads left to right combination square to 3⁄8", I use edge of the handle that snugly
(photo right). The narrow 3⁄8" the thumb rule to mark the loca- engages the workpiece. Also
flange not only reads right to left, tion of my pilot holes. the thumb groove in the handle
makes it easy to manipulate the
PRECISION SQUARE tool. It’s great for machine set-
The last of the tools we’ll look ups as well as layout work.
at from Pinnacle is the preci-
sion square you see below. The INCRA TOOLS
square has all the same material Now we’ll visit about another
trio of precision marking tools
that flip the script on being
precise. The photo on the next
page shows from the top down;
a Marking rule, a T-rule, and
a Bend rule. All three of these
stainless steel rules work in tan-
dem with a 0.5mm mechanical
 Like its cousins the
Precision square
pencil. The pencil lead fits pre-
cisely in the holes and slots that
from Pinnacle is a run the length of the rule. Let’s
monolithic piece look at each one a little closer.
of aluminum. The MARKING RULE. The Marking rule
square is designed features 1⁄32" registration holes
for more than on the edges of this flexible
marking 90° cuts. blade for accurately marking
flat and curved surfaces. The
center slots spaced at 1⁄16" let you

14 • Woodsmith / No. 271

add a dashed line when needed.
When you combine the rule with
Lots of slots and
an awl or scribe, it becomes a dots to choose
wonderfully accurate compass. from on the
Marking rule
The Marking rule comes in 6", 12",
and 18" lengths.
T-RULE. The T-rule is like having a
combination square that’s perma-
nently set at every 1⁄32" increment
— no adjustments needed. Like
the rule it has center slots in the
flexible metal for drawing bigger
marks on flat and curved sur-
faces. The adjustable T-bar lets
you stand the rule on end to accu-
rately set router and saw blade
heights. The tool comes in 3", 6",
12", and 18" lengths.
Adjustable
BEND RULE. If you took the marking The Bend rule T-bar on T-rule
rule and folded it down the cen- is great for mark-
ing adjacent
ter you would pretty much have surfaces
the bend rule. But here the slot
in the center wraps the edge of
0.5mm
the board, which is pretty handy. mechanical
It comes in the same lengths as pencil
the marking rule. The box below
gives you an old-school tip that
works as well as these fancy ones.

MAKE A CLEAR MARK

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Woodsmith.com • 15
 Thumb
screw

A marking gauge
(right) tears its way
across the wood,
while a cutting gauge
(below) scores a line.

Blade

Brass wear
strip
Stock Beam
(or fence) (or stem)

GAUGES — GOOD & BETTER It may sound like a minor The only differences you’re
Now we’re going to step away point, but if you spend much likely to find between the vari-
from marking tools that require time using one of these gauges, ous gauges on the market have
the use of a pencil and take a you’ll quickly see why I’ve rel- to do with the level of fit and
look at gauges. Gauges have egated my marking gauge to finish, and the amount of brass
their marking devices built in the bottom of the toolbox. And details used in the construction.
and come in two styles. why I now use the cutting gauge The more expensive gauges have
A marking gauge cuts with a whenever possible. brass thumb screws as well as
pin located in the beam, while a DESIGN. A cutting gauge is one of brass wear strips inlaid into the
cutting gauge has a blade (photo those simple tools whose basic stock and beam.
above). This is the key differ- design hasn’t changed much THE BLADE. One thing you’ll
ence. The cutting gauge slices in the last couple of hundred notice when looking at new cut-
the wood fibers, scoring them years. Like the marking gauge, ting gauges is that the blade on
instead of tearing them like a it has a beam and an adjustable most of them is only roughly
marking gauge does (see photos stock that is held in place with a ground. Some of these gauges
above right). thumb screw. feature a blade with a single

VERITAS MARKING GAUGE

Marking Tool Options. Unlike traditional
marking gauges that use a pin, this marking
Hardened
gauge from Veritas uses a hardened steel wheel cutting
cutter (inset photo at right) to mark layout wheel

lines. So it works like a cutting gauge. Veritas

offers this tool with a couple of options — a
graduated rod (below) and a micro-adjust Recessed base
protects cutting
feature to make fine adjustments. wheel in storage

16 • Woodsmith / No. 171

bevel, while others have a blade To make minor adjustments
with a double bevel. The double to the stock, tighten the thumb
bevel allows you to either push screw down just enough to
or pull the gauge. lightly hold the stock in place.
ROUND-NOSE PROFILE. But for the Then gently tap either end of the
best results, I like to re-grind the beam straight down on the top
end of the blade to a round-nose of your workbench to nudge the
profile, like that shown in the stock down a hair and tighten
drawing below. It’s a little bit the thumb screw. Once the gauge
trickier to hone this profile, but is adjusted, simply hold the stock
it makes the cutting gauge a lot against the edge of the work-
easier to use. piece and draw the blade across Blade Bevels. Most cutting gauge blades are ground
There’s one other thing to the surface to create a score line. with one or two bevels. For best results, re-shape the
mention in regards to the blade. USES. I use a cutting gauge for bevel to a round-nose profile, as shown above.
I like to insert the blade in the quickly laying out all kinds of
beam so that the bevel is facing woodworking joints — tenons, workpiece over to the table saw
the stock. This makes it easier to mortises, dovetails, and rab- and cut away most of the waste,
measure the distance from the bets. You just measure once and stopping just shy of the layout
stock to the outside of the blade. you’re guaranteed that all your line. Finally, I come back in with
And it also helps to draw the lines will be located identically. a sharp chisel and pare away the
stock tight against the edge of CLEAN UP. Another advantage is remaining waste for a perfect fit.
the workpiece. that the score line of the blade If you take a look at the box on
TECHNIQUE. Using a cutting creates a perfect starting point the bottom of the previous page
gauge is not a complicated for your chisel when it comes you’ll find a more contemporary
task. You just move the stock to paring away the waste. For take on the marking gauge. It’s
along the beam in relation to the example, I use a cutting gauge nice to have all the options we’ve
blade, adjusting it to the dimen- to mark out the shoulders talked about. Now comes the fun
sions you require. of a tenon. Then I’ll take the task of picking the ones to use. W

NOTE: Bevel
faces stock of
cutting gauge

Bevel. The bevel should face the stock to draw the gauge
tight against the workpiece.

Place chisel in score line

Score Line. The line left by the cutting gauge creates a per-
fect starting point for your chisel.

Woodsmith.com • 17
WORKING
with Tools

Fastener
Fundamentals
TRADITIONAL
SCREW
MODERN
SCREW
S crews are one of the
most elementary pieces
of hardware in woodwork-
ing. Although you’ve probably
you’ll find the threads are an
equal diameter to the shank.
Thanks to innovations in man-
ufacturing however, modern
driven in more screws than you woodscrews have threads that
can count, the fastener aisle can are rolled or drawn from the
still be daunting. For a long blank. As a result, their threads
Shank Thread
diameter diameter time, I simply bought Philips are be larger than the shank,
and thread larger than head woodscrews in whatever which results in a stronger hold.
diameter shank
are the diameter size I needed without consider- Plus, I only need to drill one
same ing what other options might be pilot hole for the shank.
Threads Deeper threads right next to me (aside from the Today, most of what you’ll find
are formed with steeper pitch cost). As it turns out, there’s a lot is modern screws. Traditional
by cutting are more resistant
to pullout more in that aisle than I thought. screws are still available, and
MODERN VS TRADITIONAL. The first often are rather cheap, though I
thing to discuss is traditional prefer the modern design.
screws versus the modern DRIVE & HEAD. Beyond the type
design. You can see these two of woodscrew, the next thing
illustrated at left. Traditional to look at is the head and
woodscrews are cut to shape drive type. Beginning with the
from a blank, which is why drives, you have a few options,

18 • Woodsmith / No. 271 Written by: Rob Petrie

 PHILLIPS COMBO SQUARE TORX
DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE

 Awithcommon drive type

fair cam-out
 Offers the choice
of using Phillips or
 Little force is
required to keep
 Torx virtually
eliminates
resistance square drive bit the bit engaged cam-out

shown above. The key differ- screw, and I’ve had enough Phil- The star shape of a Torx drive
ences between these types are lips drives strip out on me that also engages well and almost
how easy it is to register a bit, I prefer the two you see on the never cams out.
and how resistant they are to right. Square drives are good for When looking to heads, it’s
cam-out (the bit slipping out of tight spaces, as they can engage often about the look. Pan heads
the drive). Phillips is the most even if not fully seated. The and washer heads provide a
common, and one that almost straight square drive is also far large amount of “pull,” but a
everyone has. That said, they more resistant to cam-out than typical flat head screw and a trim
cam-out easier than any other the tapered tip of a Philips bit. screw can be easily hidden.

A flat head is Flat underside The broad, flat The small head
installed flush increases the surface provides can be more
with the surface screw’s grip maximum “pull” easily hidden

FLAT PAN WASHER TRIM

HEAD HEAD HEAD HEAD

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Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman Woodsmith.com • 19

 Simple pilot Countersunk, Tapered pilot
hole with stepped pilot hole with
countersink for hole for traditional counterbore for
modern screw screw traditional screw

INSTALLING SCREWS hiding the screws after assembly. want to go with one of the holes
Installing woodscrews is a Here you’ll find some advanced on the right. Since the shank and
deceptively simple task. At face tips for installing woodscrews threads of a traditional screw are
value, you simply need to drive that go even further to make a the same diameter, these holes
it in place. With some more stable, attractive assembly. are stepped to provide wider
experience, you’ll learn that a COUNTERSINK. A pilot hole with clearance for the shank.
pilot hole and a countersink will a countersink is the best way to In the lower left photos you’ll
help prevent splitting while also install a flat head or trim screw. see a few examples of countersink
However, there are a few kinds bits. My favorites are collared bits
 Collared countersinks are handy to have for drilling pilot
holes. They can be attached to most small drill bits and
of pilot holes, and which you’ll
want will depend on the screws
which can be directly attached to
the bit I’ll use to drill the pilot
adjusted to match the length of your screws. you’re using. hole. They’re easy to adjust to
For a modern woodscrew, match the length of the screw and
Stepped
countersink you’ll need a pilot hole like you switch to different sizes of bits as
Tapered bit see at left above. The hole should needed. For larger countersinks
with countersink
match the size of the shank, however, you may want to step
allowing the threads to bite in. up to a Weldon-style (or single-
For traditional screws, you’ll cutter) countersink bit.
Straight bit
with countersink DETERMINING SCREW LENGTH

End grain provides fifty percent less holding

strength, so the longer the screw the better

Weldon
countersink
bit Ideally, 2⁄3
of the screw
Countersink length should
penetrate
into the
lower piece
Use 1¼" screws for
joining ¾" stock

20 • Woodsmith / No. 171

 One solution is to
clamp the pieces while
Bridging driving the screw
occurs when A shank hole
the screw drilled
threads force through the
the two upper piece
pieces apart will prevent
bridging

Beware of Bridging. Even if you didn’t know the second workpiece rather than biting in and pulling it.
terminology, you’ve likely encountered bridging before. The two boxes on the right show two ways to avoid
This happens when the threads of a screw push the bridging when installing a screw.

SCREW LENGTH. Determining what free easier than the head. Addi- BRIDGING. One last thing to dis-
length of screw to use depends tionally, if you’re going into end cuss is bridging. This happens
largely on how the pieces are grain, a longer screw is always when the threads of a screw fail
being joined. In general, you’ll better, since it’ll be harder for to bite into the wood and push
want the majority of the screw’s the threads to get a good grip. instead. The illustrations above
length to be in the lower piece, You can see some examples show this in action, along with a
as the threads of a screw pull illustrated on the previous page. couple solutions.

Woodsmith.com • 21
 Trim
Pocket hole screw
Production screw
screw

SPECIALTY SCREWS In rough carpentry, a split here in a workpiece, as the counter-

Woodscrews may make up the and an ugly countersink there is bore they need to be hidden
main meat of the screws in a no big deal. When it comes to (shown above) is much smaller.
woodshop, but they’re far from fine woodworking though, that These screws provide com-
the only ones you’ll find. For our could ruin a workpiece. Produc- parable strength to standard
last section, we’ll take a look at tion screws are useful for jigs and woodscrews, as long as you’ve
a few specific screws that I find supports, but I’d avoid them in sized the pilot hole correctly.
particularly useful in the shop. the project itself. SHEET METAL SCREWS. Sheet metal
PRODUCTION SCREW. Having POCKET HOLE SCREW. Woodscrews screws are short fasteners with
worked in rough carpentry may be the most common fas- fine threads up the entire shank.
before moving onto fine wood- tener in woodworking, but Attaching sheet metal to wood
working, I have a soft spot for pocket hole screws certainly for rough carpentry is their pri-
the production (or structural) take second place. These feature mary use, but they work well to
screw. These screws have a wide pan head and a partially attach a number of small hard-
 Coating the
threads of a screw
augured tips that make them
self-tapping, and some even
threaded shank that maximizes
the angled force the screw exerts.
ware pieces, such as the piano
hinge you can see below.
in beeswax eases have recesses in the head that You’ll find most of these have SPAX SCREWS. The SPAX brand is
their entry into cut the countersink as they’re augured, self-tapping tips, but known for the serrated threads
the wood. driven in. The coarse threads it’s still a good idea to drill a pilot at the tip of its screws. These ser-
grant a good deal of “pull,” and hole to avoid splitting. rations help the threads dig into
the shank is partially (or some- TRIM SCREW. A trim screw is the the wood as you drive the screw.
times fully) threaded to prevent equivalent to a finish nail: a While I advise you to ignore the
bridging. However, they don’t narrow head and fine threads claims of them being self-tap-
do any of these things well. to minimize its footprint. Trim ping and drill a pilot hole, the
screws are best utilized when serrations can make a difference
Standard you want to hide your fasteners in especially hard woods. W
screw

Smooth
threads

SPAX
screw
Aggressive,
serated thread

 The serrated tip of a SPAX screw cuts as it makes it

way into a workpiece, making it easier to drive into the
 The fine threads of sheet metals screws cover the entire shank of the screw.
This gives them extra strength in thin materials and plywood, and makes
wood and helping to prevent splitting. them a great choice for attaching hardware like the piano hinges above.

22 • Woodsmith / No. 171

EVOLUTION OF NAILS
Roman
(wrought-head) Cut nails
nails
Wire nails

Nails in the Woodshop. Woodscrews may seem to dominate the

fastener discussion, but this wasn’t always the case. Before screws could
be produced en masse, nails were king. The modern nail (right above) is
cut and shaped from wire, thus the name. These work well in the right
applications, but are almost always poor choices in furniture. However, the
slightly less modern cut nail and the traditional Roman nail can work just
as well. They may take a more effort to install than drilling a pilot hole and
countersink, but they add a uniquely traditional look.

TRIM WASHERS

No Need to Sink. Trim washers provide a few benefits

when using them near the edge. Without a need for
countersink, they speed up assembly while also providing
extra strength and avoiding a blown-out countersink.

Woodsmith.com • 23
 GREAT
Gear

Router Accessories
& Handy Holders
Adjustable
steel guide rod
Machined
aluminum body
F inding new tools for the
shop is always a joy. You
never know what could be the
next game-changer. Of course,
made of CNC-machined alumi-
num, along with a pair of 1⁄2"-dia.
steel guide rods to run along. A
Porter Cable-style guide bush-
the cost investment can always ing fits into your router base
put you on guard when you while 1⁄2" or 1⁄4" pivot pins keep
don’t know how useful a cer- the tailstock at the center of the
tain tool will actually be. That’s workpiece.
why I’ll be sharing a few tools USING THE JIG. You can see the jig
here that have occupied my shop in use at the top of the next page.
time as the winter cold has set in. If you’ve ever used a trammel
guide
bushing pivot pins or jig to rout circles, this should
CIRCLE CUTTING JIG seem familiar. However, there
The first tool on our list is a are a few benefits this Wood
circle cutting router jig from River jig provides that make it
 aluminum
This circle-cutting jig from WoodRiver consists of an
body and tailstock, steel guide bars, a Porter
WoodRiver, which you can see in
the photos above and at left. The
much easier to set up and use.
The first step is to find the cen-
Cable-style guide bushing, and two pivot pins. jig consists of a base and tailstock terpoint and make the hole for

24 • Woodsmith / No. 271 Written by: Rob Petrie

 1 2 3

 Then,
First find the centerpoint of the workpiece.
use a plunge router and straight bit
 you
Etchings on the base and tailstock allow
to set the jig using either the edge
 bearing,
The guide bushing fits into a sealed
allowing the router to rotate
to make a hole for the pivot pin. (or the center) of the bit. independently from the jig.

the pivot pin (left photo). From The routing itself couldn’t be
there, you can set the base and easier. The guide bushing slides
tailstock to the proper radius. into a bearing, which allows the
As you can see in the middle router to rotate freely. Not only
photo above, there is one etch does this make for more comfort-
on the tailstock at the center able routing, but it also lets you
of the pivot pin and three on keep the cord (and dust hose if
1⁄ "-dia.
the base. The three on the base you have one) out of the way. 2
hardwood
are made for a 1⁄2" straight bit, I find it best to rout in 1⁄4"-deep dowel
showing the centerpoint, the passes, stepping down with each
inside of the bit (for routing a one. As you can see in the photos,
workpiece into a circle), and the
outside of the bit (for routing a
this jig makes a good bit of dust,
but it also makes easy, enjoyable  dowels
Replacing steel guide rods with hardwood or metal
allows you to rout larger circles. The jig remains
circle out of a workpiece). work out of routing circles. solid using these dowels up to about 21⁄2' in radius.

VAMPLIERS & VSHEARS

Screw Remover.
These pliers are T-shaped,
specially designed to steel-core
handles provide
remove screws, with immense
unique jaws that are strength Wire
cutter
made to grip stripped Serrated
blade for
and rusted heads. rope and
fabric Flat blade
for thin
material

Shop Shears. The vShears are

four-in-one cutters, with flat
and serrated cutting edges, as
well as a box cutter at the tip
Verticle and a wire cutter at the base
serrations Box cutter Cover protects
maximize grip of the shear blades. edge blades

Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman Woodsmith.com • 25

 Center-finding
platforms 1

Set platform
to center of piece

 combination
The platform on this lock miter bit is used to register the exact center of the piece. I use a
square set to half the piece’s thickness to help set the height of the bit.

2 3
4
Set fence Mating
workpiece

First
workpiece

 exposed
I set the fence using a ruler. The cutter should only be
enough to just make conctact with the top of
 the
The first workpiece can be cut laying face down on the router table. To make
mating edge, the second workpiece is cut vertically. When the platform is
the workpieces. at the exact center of the piece, the two parts will form a perfect match.

LOCK MITER BIT bit above. For anyone unfamiliar, the bit — always the surest way
The next tools to look at are both a lock miter joint (shown at lower to set a bit height.
from MicroJig, and the first is a left) creates a groove and a tongue Using a combination square,
unique router bit. You can see the along the miter, making for easier I set the ruler to half the thick-
photos of using this lock miter alignment and an increased glu- ness of the piece and raise the
ing surface. They’re excellent for bit until it makes contact, as in
making boxes, drawers, and even Step 1. The next task is to set the
tapered assemblies. There are a fence depth. With the bit height
number of lock miter bits on the already established this is easy:
market, but there’s a few reasons all you need to do is place a
this one from MicroJig stands out ruler across the top of the work-
in particular. piece and slide the fence until
CENTER-FINDING PLATFORM. The tricky the ruler just makes contact with
part of making a lock miter joint the cutters (Step 2).
is lining the center of the bit up Once the bit and fence are
with the center of workpiece. If set, make a test cut on a couple
you’re even a little bit off, there’ll scraps to make sure they’re set at
Well be gaps in your joint. The stand- the right position. You may need
out of this bit however is the to make a few small adjustments
 the
The central cutter extends slightly deeper into
workpiece, creating wells that cause the
center-finding platform shown
in Step 1 above. This platform
(around 1⁄32"), but it takes much
less time to find the center than
tongues and grooves to wedge together. allows you to directly register with most lock miter bits.

26 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 ROUTING THE JOINT. Routing with
this bit is simple. The initial piece
is cut face-down, as in Step 3. To
create the mating edge, cut the
piece vertically, as in the inset
photo in Step 3, with the face
of the piece against the fence.
Additionally, as you can see in
the photo at the bottom of the
previous page, the grooves actu-
ally run slightly deeper than the
tongues. Becuase of the taper
on the grooves and tongues this
wedges the pieces together for a
stronger joint.

DOVETAIL TRACK CLAMPS

The final tools on the list here are
a pair of dovetail track clamps.
As you might deduce from the
color, these are from MicroJig as
well, and they also have a few  edges
These clamps have a number of applications. They can be used clamp as you remove rough
at the table saw, to set up guides for a router, or as hold-downs on a number of tools.
unique features compared to
other track clamps. the photo in the upper right, clamps saves a good deal of
DOVETAIL TRACKS. If you’ve never making a straight line rip to time and effort.
used dovetail track clamps remove the rough edge of a All in all, any of this gear will
before, they can be quite useful board. These clamps also work make excellent additions to
for all manner of oddly shaped well as hold-downs and to set your shop. The cold is setting in
workpieces. A common use up stops at the drill press or (at least
east here in the Midwest)
Midwest),
is making a mitered rip at the miter saw, or to easily set up a andd it’s nice to have some
table saw, or, as you can see in guide for a router base. neww things to explore as
All you need to create a dove- it does.
oes. Winter is a great
tail track is a 14°, 1⁄2" dovetail time
me to spend in the
bit (shown below). With its shop,
op, and hopefully Dovetail
numerous laminations, Bal- you’ll
u’ll find some of track
tic birch plywood is my usual these
ese gems as use-
choice for cutting the tracks, ful as I do. W
as it makes for a strong, stable
base. Cutting a grid across it as
you see above gives you a plenty
of options to position a clamp.
RATCHETING CAM. It might seem
like a small detail, but one of
my favorite things about these
clamps is the ratcheting and Ratcheting
Dovetails quick-release cam. Usually cam
slot
when I’m using these clamps
I’m aiming for an angle off of
90°, and being able to use one
hand to tigthen and a adjust the

The ratcheting cam on these

 A 14° dovetail bit is all that’s
needed to make the tracks that
clamps makes them easy to
tighten or release with one hand.
accept these clamps. Dovetail
bit

Woodsmith.com • 27
 TOY
Project

28 • Woodsmith / No. 271 Written by: Phil Huber; Designed by: Dillon Baker
 Custom
Croquet
Say goodbye to chipped
mallet heads and flimsy
wickets. This rugged set is
ready for serious play.

F or several summers, the kids in my neigh-

borhood played croquet pretty much
nonstop. The classic lawn game has the right
balance of competition, strategy, and the unex-
pected to suit a variety of ages.
The weak point was the discount store cro-
quet set: thin-gauge wickets, low-grade mallet
 Build a matching trolley to store and transport your
new set of croquet mallets, stakes, and wickets. The
heads, and a ragged cardboard box sapped the
fun out of the game. What we needed was this
vintage balls were purchased online. set designed by Dillon.
MALLETS TOWARD NONE. The mallets form the heart
of the set. A steel core, solid hardwood, added
weights, and durable striking faces combine to
improve your aim and increase the lifespan of
the mallets.
The point of croquest is directing your ball
through a pattern of wickets (hoops) around
the course. The wickets are made from alumi-
num rod and a reinforcing wood brace. Even the
stakes are beefed up beveled shafts.
All this equipment needs a place to stay when
it’s time to mow the lawn. So Dillon came up
with a two-wheeled trolley that corrals all the
gear whether you keep it in the garage or take
it to the park.
WHAT ABOUT BALLS? You’ll notice I haven’t said
anything about making the balls for the set.
That is a skill above me. If you’re a turner (or
 The handles on the mallets are stretched out
octagons, while the stakes and wicket braces are
know someone), then you can take this on. For
this set, we purchased vintage wood croquet
hexagons. These shapes play well together and give balls online. New plastic versions just didn’t
the whole set a family resemblance. seem right for this custom set.

Illustrated by: Becky Kralicek Woodsmith.com • 29

 a.
NOTE: All the mallet B
parts are assembled SIDE
with epoxy SECTION VIEW

B
HANDLE 2¾ A
(1¼" x 33¼") 1
1½

NOTE: Mallet head is

made from 1¾"-thick 1⁄8" chamfer
hardwood. Handle halves ½" -dia. stainless
B steel tube, 36" long
are ½"-thick hardwood

Mallets with a heart of STEEL A

1¾" x 2½"
Garolite HEAD
Backyard croquet mallets fea- (2½" x 10½")
1"-dia.
ture turned handles that thread steel rod
into round heads. I appreciate
the wood threads. However the
head can loosen unexpectedly
during a game. What we need is head. You glue steel weights in STEEL SHAFT & WOOD HANDLE. A wood
a solid connection between the the holes with epoxy. I use West handle provides a comfortable
handle and head. Systems epoxy for projects like grip to the mallet. A stainless
MALLET HEAD UPGRADE. The start- this. A center hole accepts the steel shaft fits inside the handle
ing point for our set is select- handle shaft (main drawing). and is attached to the head.
ing a robust hardwood. Dillon Each end of the mallet head is There’s no easy way to drill
chose ash (think baseball bats). capped with a piece of Garolite. a hole that long. Instead, the
He learned that official croquet It consists of phenolic resin rein- handle is made in two halves, as
mallets can weigh up to two forced with cotton fabric. Use shown in the box below.
pounds. Heavier mallets deliver epoxy to attach an oversized With a core box bit in the
a solid strike without a lot of piece. Trim the striking face flush router table, you can plow a
effort, along with better aim. to the head with a router and channel down the center of each
Detail ‘a’ above shows a pair flush trim bit. The long edges of half. A chamfer eases the edges
of holes in the bottom face of the the head get a chamfer. and gives you a secure grip.

ROUTING A HOLLOW HANDLE

1 2

B
B

a. END
a. END B VIEW
½"-dia. VIEW Chamfer
core box bit B bit ¼
¼

Round Groove. Center a core box bit on the width Chamfer. Install a chamfer bit to form bevels on
of the handle half. Make the groove in two passes each edge of the handle pieces. This gives the com-
for a clean, burn-free result. pleted handle an octagonal shape.

30 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 STAKE
(7⁄8" x 22")
C
2½"-rad.
NOTE: Stakes and
¼"-dia. aluminum braces are made from
rod, 36" long ¾"-thick hardwood

D
BRACE
(7⁄8" x 5½") CUTTING CORNERS
a. END
a. VIEW
END 1 C
Tilt saw
VIEW D blade 30°

D
30°

D
C

12
Zero-clearance
insert
Sharpen the b.
end of the
stakes with Stake & Brace Bevels. Cut a bevel along each
a block plane C 1⁄8" chamfer edge of the stakes and braces. Then flip it end
2½
over end to cut the remaining bevels.
TOP VIEW

The handle is glued up around the box below. Another option these the same way. Drill a hole
the shaft (more epoxy) flush is to make the multipurpose near each end to match the dis-
with one end. Then install the scroll-bending jig you can find tance between the wicket legs.
shaft into the head. The goal is at WoodsmithPlans.com. Press the aluminum through the
keeping the wide faces of the The braces are like shorter holes. The tension in the alumi-
handle and head aligned while versions of the stakes. I beveled num keeps the brace in place.
the epoxy cures.

STAKES & WICKETS

Now we need something to aim
BENDING METAL
at. Stakes and wickets complete
the game equipment, as shown 1 FIRST: Thread one
end of the rod into the
®

in the drawing above. Cleat with

rabbet on the cleat
¼" x ¼" rabbet To find the plan for a
STAKES. The stakes are cut to
scroll-bending jig, head
length from hardwood and to WoodsmithPlans.com
then shaped into hexagons. The
upper right drawing shows the Fence
table saw setup. It’s like cutting
a chamfer. Base
The bottom end of the stake is
sharpened with a block plane.
Then use a file to ease the top SECOND: Pull rod
around the curved
end by forming small chamfers, form until the two 4"-dia. form
as shown in detail ‘b.’ legs are parallel
WICKETS. Two parts make up the Aluminum rod
wickets: a length of aluminum
rod and a hardwood brace. Each Form Functions. A rabbeted cleat captures one leg
rod is bent around a form for a of the aluminum rod while bending.
consistent curve, as shown in

Woodsmith.com • 31
 a. 1⁄8 G
NOTE: Handle is F
laminated from two
G FRONT VIEW layers of 1⁄8"-thick
5"-rad. hardwood. All other E
H
parts are ¾" Baltic I
birch plywood ¾
2 c. ½
G
HANDLE
265⁄8 3⁄8"- (¾" x 96" rgh.) the bottom accepts the mallets.
25½ dia.
The upright tapers bottom to top.
23 1⁄16" chamfer
on through You can see an arc at the top that
20½ holes mimics the shape of the soon-to-
18 3⁄8"- be-made handle. Wrap up the
15½ dia.
13 ½" deep upright by drilling a series of
H F 10½ holes to accept elastic cords.
E
8
31⁄8 LAMINATED HANDLE. The hardwood
handle wraps around the back.
23⁄8 It’s made up from thin strips in
3¾ I H order to bend smoothly. The box
6¾
3½"-dia. below shows how the handle is
UPRIGHT formed and attached.
b. ¼"-rad.
SIDE SECTION (15" x 30") Long woodscrews join the
43⁄8 VIEW F
back to the bottom. A pair of
E ¾ 2
F WHEEL E wheels and a foot wrap up the
¼" (4" x 4") 1⁄8"
oversize H chamfer BOTTOM chassis of the trolley. The wheels
1½ (12¾" x 15")
H I washer ¼"-20 can be made with a wing cutter
threaded insert
H
in the drill press. Note in detail
¼"-20 x 11⁄8" ‘c’ that there are counterbores
Wheeling connector bolt 1½ I
on each face of the wheel to hold
FOOT washers. The plywood foot is
the TROLLEY 1¾"-dia. #8 x 1¾" Fh woodscrew (1½" x 15") shaped and glued to the bottom.

This trolley is the solution to stor- in the drawing above. The bot- STORAGE SOLUTIONS
ing and transporting the gear. It’s tom is a rectangle with threaded We now turn our attention to
made primarily of plywood and inserts in the edges and counter- the storage features. The first is
features some clever ideas for sunk screw holes for the upright. the two-part holder for the cro-
holding the equipment. The upright has a row of holes quet balls. The upper right box
L-SHAPED. The structure of the down the center which accept on the next page shows how
trolley is L-shaped, as shown the balls (detail ‘a’). A notch at this is made. One side is glued

CURVY TROLLEY HANDLE

1 Curved caul
NOTE: Apply 2
wax to clamping G
form parts F
Straight
caul

5"-rad. Fixed block

fixed form
G
Cut away the
Notches waste and sand
for clamps the handle flush
with the upright

Bent Lamination. Apply glue to the strips and wrap them Glue & Trim. Once the handle is cured,
around the form. Clamp the top caul in place then clamp glue it to the trolley back. Trim the ends
the sides to the lower form. flush with a hand saw.

32 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 MALLET RACK
LIP
(1" x 4½")
N
WICKET RACK
(4½" x 4½")
M
L
(2¾" x 9¾")
¼"-20 x 11⁄8"
RACK ‘EM UP
connector bolt

1⁄8" chamfer 1 3½" hole 2

3⁄8"-dia.
x ¾" NOTE: Stake holder is saw
¾"-thick hardwood. Set rip fence
dowel to cut holder
55⁄8 3⁄8"-dia. Lip is ¼"-thick hardwood.
All other parts are ¾" to size
x x"
dowel Baltic birch plywood.
¼
J
J a. K
BALL Holder
HOLDER blank
(2½" x 26¼") 1½
¼ 5¾ Drill. Use a hole saw to cut Trim. Trim the two holder
J openings for the croquet pieces to final width at
5 balls in the holder blank. the band saw.

3⁄8"-rad. K
103⁄8
3⁄8
¾
8
J
½
7⁄32 L
K 1½
M
STAKE HOLDER J
J
(¾" x ¾")
b.
c. M
5⁄16" -dia.

L
J
K
rack accepts the mallet handles,
as in detail ‘d.’ This rack is glued  Amallets
connector bolt and elastic band head holds the
(left). A ball end captures the ball holder.
1¼
to the upright only. I drilled
¼" -rad. 11⁄8 1½ out the bottom corners of each the rack. Dowels secure the rack
TOP VIEW 11⁄16
notch to form a radius. to the top of the fixed ball holder.
The other is shaped with a Don’t miss the two stake hold-
to the upright (drawing above). series of angled cuts to hold the ers in details ‘a’ and ‘c.’ The top
The other is held by dowels and wickets (detail ‘b’). The sawtooth end of stakes as well as the ball
elastic cords. profile is shaped with a 120° holder and mallets need the elas-
RACKS. At the top of ball hold- V-groove router bit. A hardwood tic cords (photos above). For
ers are a pair of racks. A notched lip is glued to the outside edge of now, though, it’s time to play. W

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram • (4) 1⁄2”-Dia. x 36” Stainless Steel Tubes
A Mallet Heads (4) 13⁄4 x 21⁄2 - 101⁄2 I Foot (1) 3⁄
ply -
4 11⁄2 x
15 • (6) 1⁄4"-Dia. x 36" Aluminum Rods
B Mallet Handles (8) 1⁄ x 11⁄4 - 331⁄4 J Ball Holders (2) 3⁄ ply - 21⁄ x 261⁄ • (2) 1⁄4"-20 Threaded Inserts
2 4 2 4
C Stakes (2) 3⁄ x 7⁄ - 22
4 8 K Stake Holders (2) 3⁄ x 3⁄ - 3⁄
4 4 4 • (4) #8 x 13⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
D Braces (6) 3⁄ x 7⁄ - 51⁄ L Mallet Rack (1) 3⁄ ply - 23⁄ x 93⁄ • (3) 1⁄4"-20 x 11⁄8" Connector Bolts
4 8 2 4 4 4
E Bottom (1) 3⁄ ply - 123⁄ x 15 M Wicket Rack (1) 3⁄ ply - 41⁄ x 41⁄ • (4) 1⁄4" Stainless Steel Oversize Washers
4 4 4 2 2
F Upright (1) 3⁄ ply - 15 x 30 N Lip (1) 3⁄ x 1 - 41⁄ • (2) 3⁄8"-Dia. x 3⁄4" Dowels
4 8 2
G Trolley Handle (1) 1⁄ x 3⁄ - 96 rgh. • (8) 1"-dia. x 1" Steel Dowels • (2) 3⁄8"-Dia. x 1" Dowels
4 4
H Wheels (2) 3⁄ ply - 4 x 4
4 • (1) 1⁄4"- 12" x 12" Garolite • (5) 5⁄16"-Dia. x 12" Elastic Cords
¾"x 4" - 96" Oak (2.7 Bd. Ft.)

N K G

¾"x 6" - 96" Ash (4.0 Bd. Ft.)

C
B B D D

1¾"x 3" - 48" Ash (2 Bd. Ft.)

A A A A NOTE: One 48" x 48" Sheet of ¾" Baltic Birch Plywood

Woodsmith.com • 33
 for the Woodworker

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DESIGNER
Project

Diamond
Bookcase
A shift in perspective
makes this bookcase
stand out. Despite the
eye-catching design, this
piece certainly doesn’t
put form over function.  Splines join the miters on the bracket posts and box
assemblies, reinforcing the joint and keeping the
miters aligned during the glueup.

S ometimes saying a little says a lot. Only

a slight deviation from the norm can
massively change the look and function of
an object. In this bookcase the primary devia-
tion is obvious: the angled boxes. It’s likely the
first detail someone will notice (or comment
on), and between the simple bracing posts and
open back, the minimalist design puts these
angled boxes on center stage.
Of course, these aren’t just angled for their
own sake. For anyone who keeps a less than
full bookshelf, it’s a safer way to store books
since there’s no risk of them tipping over. As
an avid reader of books and frequent leaver of
empty shelves, I appreciate the design.
The modern-minimalist sensibility lends
this project another boon. The slim, open
body of the bookcase along with its small
footprint allows it to fit in any room, whether
it’s binders in the office, novels in the living
room, or cookbooks in the kitchen. Addition-
ally, the brackets let the bookcase mount into
both the wall studs and the floor, meaning it’ll
stay upright no matter what critters go run-
ning by — be they on two legs or four. This
project may not take you long in the shop, but  Hardwood brackets mount the bracing posts to the
wall. The screws you see here are counterbored,
it’ll last a lifetime in your home. giving you the option of hiding them with plugs.

36 • Woodsmith / No. 271 Written by: Rob Petrie; Project Design: Dillon Baker
Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg Woodsmith.com • 37
 Beginning with the BOXES
The best place to start this book- 1⁄8" x ¾ " - 11¾"
Hardboard
case off is at the heart: the boxes. spline
A
As you can see to the right, each
BOX SIDE
box is four identically (11¾" x 18") 35⁄16
sized sides joined together
by miters and splines. A
divider stretches between
opposing sides of each
box, providing a smaller
cubby for separate books. A
B
NOTE: Box sides A
The first step was to cut and dividers BOX DIVIDER
the sides to size. I chose to are glued up (11¾" x 16¾")
from two pieces
make these panels from of ½" veneered
two glued-up pieces of plywood
1 ⁄2 " veneered plywood.

The dividers also need to

A
be cut to size, but I waited
to cut those until after fit-
ting the sides together.
BOX JOINERY. A few cuts
create the joints for the
box assembly. How-
ever, before getting to
the joinery, the ends of each
panel need to be mitered. After a. b.
3⁄8 FRONT
mitering the sides, fit the boxes VIEW
A
together and cut the dividers.
The box below illustrates the
joinery for the box sides and 3⁄8 B
A
dividers. After mitering the ends, A
¼
the first step is to cut the grooves A
for the splines (detail ‘a’). Hard- 1⁄8
3⁄8
board splines are an excellent FRONT VIEW
addition to miter joints. The
provide extra glue surface and
a stronger joint, plus they’ll help
keep the assembly aligned dur-
ing the glueup. These grooves
BOX JOINERY
can be cut at the table saw with
a. END VIEW
the blade tilted to 45° (Figure 1). 1 5⁄8
DIVIDER JOINERY. The dividers
span between two sides to cre-
A
ate a separate cubby. Tongues in NOTE: Cut spline
grooves at 45°
the dividers slot into dadoes in ½
the sides, as in detail ‘b’ above. A
I cut the dadoes using a dado
blade at the table saw (shown in
Figure 2 on the next page).
Next, I cut the tongues on the
dividers. I used an auxiliary Spline Dadoes. After cutting the mitered edges on the box sides,
fence to bury the dado blade lower the table saw’s blade and use the rip fence to guide the
while cutting long rabbets across workpiece as you cut the dadoes for the hardboard splines.
the ends of the dividers.

38 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 BOX ASSEMBLY. Now it’s time to a.
put this box together. As I men- FRONT VIEW
tioned earlier, I used hardwood
splines to join the box sides. C
While mitered-box assemblies
can be tricky, the splines kept C D
the mitered edges aligned as I C

fit the divider in place and got

everything clamped up. Once
b.
the clamps came off, it was time
for the next portion of the book- A
case: the edging.
C
C ¼
BOX EDGING
While the veneered face of the D

plywood will make a pleasing DIVIDER TOP VIEW

EDGING
side and interior for the book- (1" x 16")
case, those front edges leave
something to be desired. To C
NOTE: Edging
conceal the exposed edges, I SIDE EDGING is ¼"-thick
(1" x 18") hardwood
chose to use hardwood edging.
My goal here was to imitate the
look of a solid wood panel, so I When first cutting your edging gauge, a good way to make sure
made sure to get quartersawn to thickness, leave a bit of extra your saw is set to an exact 45°
veneer for the plywood panels material to joint off. Your table crosscut is to use a test piece and
and plainsawn hardwood for the saw blade likely won’t leave an a pair of straightedges. After
edging. Together these create the ideal surface, but giving each cutting the test miter, flip the
image of natural face grain and outward face of the edging a cutoff and butt the mitered ends
side grain, as you can see in the pass over the jointer and a little together with the pieces pinned
photos on pages 36 and 37. sanding will result in a clean, between the straightedges. If
SIZING THE EDGING. While there even surface. they fit together without a gap,
isn’t anything especially com- MITERED FACE FRAME. With the edg- the saw is set to exactly 45°.
plex about cutting the edging to ing sized, the next trick will be EDGING THE BOXES. One step is left
size, there are a few tricks you to cut those miters perfectly on these boxes: attaching the
can use to get the best-looking to ensure gap-free corners. edging. Once you’ve got them
pieces, since these will be the Whether you’re using the miter positioned, a little bit of glue
face of the bookcase. saw or the table saw with a miter and tape is all that’s needed to

2 END VIEW a. 3 a.
3⁄8
35⁄16
3⁄8 NOTE: Bury Aux.
A Aux. blade in auxiliary fence
A fence fence B
3⁄8 B 3⁄8

3⁄8" dado END VIEW

blade

Divider Dadoes. The next dado to cut will accept the Divider Tongues. To finish the box joinery, create the tongues
tongues that will be made on the dividers. Use a dado blade on the dividers. These fit the dadoes in the sides, and are best
to cut these dadoes, as shown above. made by burying a dado blade in an auxiliary fence.

Woodsmith.com • 39
 POST HORIZONTAL
(1½" x 8¾") a. b.
F TOP
SECTION
¼ VIEW FRONT
SECTION
VIEW
F E
81⁄8 3⁄8

G
POST
BRACKET ½
(5" x 5")
E

c. d.
Stud
3⁄8
M7 x 50mm 1⁄8
½
confirmat
screw F
E ½
½
4"
½ F SIDE
VIEW
¼
H 3⁄8
POST TOP
Optional SECTION E
3⁄8"-dia. x ¾" UPRIGHT ½"-dia. plug
dowel (1½" x 69") VIEW
E

Bracing with POSTS

1
The boxes are are sup- MAKING THE POSTS. I started
ported by a pair of posts. these posts out by making the
These industrial-looking uprights and horizontals. These
357⁄8
posts — consisting of are narrow pieces, though the
1⁄8" chamfer only four pieces each — uprights are quite long. When
provide a modern sense cutting these pieces to size, I
of minimalism to the mitered one end of each hori-
bookcase. And, despite their zontal and upright, making sure
NOTE: The appearance, those hardwood they lined up with each other
uprights
117⁄16 and horizontals uprights in combination with respectively (detail ‘d’). I also
are 1½"-thick Confirmat screws provide more cut two grooves in each mitered
hardwood. The
brackets are ¾"-thick than adequate strength to the end as well for splines, similarly
hardwood.
overall box assembly. to Figure 1 on page 38.

STACKING THE BOXES

1 NOTE: Cut a. 2
tops and END
bottoms of VIEW
boxes after
assembly NOTE: Use
1 a helper to
ensure proper
11⁄16 alignment during
transfer

Dowel
center

Flatten the Boxes. To allow the boxes to sit on the floor and stack on each Dowel Transfer. Dowel centers are an
other, the bottoms of all boxes and the tops of the lower two need to be cut at a easy way to keep consistent hole locations
45° angle. I did this at the table, as shown above. between the boxes above and below.

40 • Woodsmith / No. 271

NOTCH ROUTING JIG a.

1 SIDE VIEW 2 SIDE

VIEW
½
1½ 4
Stop

Clamping NOTE: Rout

cleat slot using
Guides dado cleanout
bit
#8 x 1"
Fh woodscrew

The Jig. A 45° clamping cleat

keeps the jig in place while two Routing. After clamping the jig in place, use a dado cleanout bit to rout the notches. For
guides register the bit’s bearing. a clean cut, I took two passes, routing off only a 1⁄4" of material at once.

BRACKET MORTISE. As shown in used a dado blade at the table NOTCHING JIG. The final task is
detail ‘c’ on the previous page, saw. The horizontals are simple to screw the posts to the boxes,
a mortise and tenon joins the enough, but the length of the which means notching the
brackets with the other post uprights means you’ll need to boxes first. I used the jig you see
pieces. I prefer to make the mor- use a long auxiliary fence on the above to rout out these notches.
tise first, so I cut the blanks for miter gauge to steady the piece. You can see the jig’s setup in
the brackets to size at this point. Figure 1 and the dimensions of
To make these blanks into PUTTING IT TOGETHER the notch in Figure 2a.
circles, I used a trammel and a With everything made, it’s time Now the boxes can be glued
plunge router, routing in several to bring it all together. The post up with their dowels. Next, the
passes. The holes from the pivot assemblies can be glued up posts can be screwed into the
points also gave me a center- and the boxes can be stacked. notches and the brackets screwed
point on each piece to begin the As shown at the bottom of the to your floor and wall studs
mortise. I removed most of the previous page, you’ll need to (details 'a' and 'c'). Both of these
waste with a Forstner bit, then flatten some corners of the boxes can be counterbored if you’d like
finished the corners with a chisel. to allow them to sit on the floor to hide the screws with plugs.
TENONS. To cut the tenons in and stack. From there, dowels Then you'll have a sleek book-
the uprights and horizontals, I join the boxes together. case to match any room. W

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Box Sides (12) 1 ply. - 113⁄4 x 18 F Post Horizontals (2) 11⁄2 x 11⁄2 - 83⁄4 • (12) 1⁄8" x 3⁄4" - 113⁄4" Hardboard splines
B Box Dividers (3) 1 ply. x 113⁄4 - 163⁄4 G Post Brackets (4) 3⁄ x 5 - 5
4 • (6) 3⁄8"-dia. x 3⁄4" Dowels
C Side Edging (12) 1⁄ x 1 - 18 H Post Splines (4) 1⁄ x 1 - 11⁄ • (6) M7 x 50mm Confirmat screws
4 8 2
D Divider Edging (3) 1⁄ x 1 - 16 • (4) #8 x 11⁄2" Fh Woodscrews
4
E Post Uprights (2) 11⁄2 x 11⁄2 - 69 • (4) #8 x 21⁄4" Fh Woodscrews

¾"x 5½"- 96" Walnut (3.7 Bd. Ft.)

D H
G G G G C C C

1½"x 3½"- 84" Walnut (3.0 Bd. Ft.)

D F

ALSO NEEDED: One 48" x 96" Sheet of ½" quartersawn walnut veneered plywood,
and one 48" x 48" Sheet of ½" quartersawn walnut plywood

Woodsmith.com • 41
DESIGNER
Project

42 • Woodsmith / No. 271 Written by: Erich Lage; Project Design: Chris Fitch
 10 Drawer
Tower
The romantic utility
of the stack of finely
made drawers you see
here whispers sweet
woodworking somethings
that are difficult to resist.

 The beauty of the drawer is bolstered by the brawn

of the sliding dovetails that join the drawer front to
the sides. These drawers are built to last.
T he ubiquity of a stack of drawers has been
celebrated across time, cultures, and voca-
tions. There’s a visceral appeal to taking such a
small footprint and loading it with so much orga-
nizing potential. As the main photo reveals, this
tower of drawers is a handsome fellow that could
take up residence in a bedroom, a kitchen, hall-
way, studio, or I daresay a shop?
DESIGN DETAILS. As far as the style of this project goes
it pays homage to several sources. There’s a wink
towards Asian architecture along with the aroma of
some Arts & Crafts energy. While lacking the com-
plexity of Greene and Greene furniture elements
there’s clearly a nod in that direction in the water-
fall-like drawer front and its organic handle.
The wood of choice for this project is cherry. The
wood is always a delight to work with and pays
visual dividends with the drawer fronts. When
it comes to making the handles, we’ve provided
you a couple of options to choose from. As for the
two-tone look — a simple stain applied to the top,
corbels, legs, and handles provides subtle contrast
to the tower (that has a clear top coat).
The bottom photo to the left shows off delicate
yet sturdy legs that lift the tower and provide an
airy touch. The photo above it reveals the no non-
sense maple drawer box and the sliding dovetails
that join it to the face. That photo also shows that
the drawers ride on shop-made guides that will
 Lean and supple legs lift the tower off the floor
and bring a lightness to this piece of furniture
last more than a lifetime. From top to bottom this
tower is going to be a fun build that will have your
that belies its strength. family arguing of who gets to use it.

Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg Woodsmith.com • 43

 a.
A
21⁄16
5⁄32"-dia. B
hole CASE TOP
(14" x 15½")
8
11⁄8
5
SIDE VIEW
2 A
CASE SIDE
(14" x 419⁄16")

Start with a strong

CASE A

C
To support the good-looking BACK
(15½" x 419⁄16")
form of the tower while being
lifted off the floor, you’ll want
the strong function of tongue
and groove joinery holding the
case together. As you see in the
main drawing, the sides, top, NOTE: The
and bottom are glued-up hard- sides, top, and
bottom are
wood panels. The back is 1⁄2" made from
thick plywood that adds rigidity ¾"-thick
hardwood.
to the case. Start by gluing up the The back is
panels for the case. ½" plywood
JOINERY. Once the panels are
trimmed to their final size,
B
switch out the blade and cut
the grooves along the rear
edges to receive the plywood
back (detail ‘e’). Then bring in
your miter gauge to support
the workpieces while making c.
the dado cuts that join the sides b.
¼
to the top and bottom (details FRONT
‘b’ and ‘c’). The same details SECTION A
½ VIEW
show the tongues on the ends B
¼
of the top and bottom that fit in ¼ C

the dadoes. To make that cut I ¼

C
increased the dado stack to 1⁄2" A B
and buried it in an auxiliary FRONT ½
VIEW
fence that I stuck to my rip fence
with double-sided tape.
d. BOTTOM VIEW
Next, adjust the fence and
dado blade to cut the rabbet that e.
B
runs around the perimeter of the 3⁄8
plywood back. Notice in detail ¼
5⁄32"-dia. C
‘e’ that the width of the rabbet hole ¼
will leave a shadow line around
the back of the case. 12 B ¼
2
Before assembling the case it’s 7¼
a good idea to drill the pilot holes TOP A
1½ SECTION
and countersinks for screwing VIEW
the legs to the case (detail ‘a’).

44 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 E TOWER TOP
Also, drill the holes in the case (16¼" x 21½")
top for the tower top (detail ‘d,’
previous page).
CASE EDGING CORBEL
GLUEUP. Gluing up the case is (1" x 16½") (1¾" x 6")
a straightforward process. The D F

joinery does most of the work

needed to square the case. But I
always double check when the
clamps go on — it’s better to be
safe than sorry. While the glue is #8 x 1¼" Fh
drying, you can turn your focus woodscrew
to the next parts.
FRONT VIEW
DECORATIVE DETAILS a. 11⁄8
There are three decorative ele- TOP VIEW
F
ments you need to make to F
15⁄16
complete the case. We’ll start ½"-rad.
with the case edging. 3⁄8
1⁄8"
CASE EDGING. The case edging D ¾ roundover
¼
hides the joinery on the front of
2¾
the case. Its profile is identical ¼"-rad.
to the drawers you’re making
for the tower. The easy way to
b.
tackle the edging is to make FRONT VIEW
an extra drawer face, then rip NOTE: The tower
E top is made from
pieces to width and glue them ¾"-thick hardwood.
to the case. We’re adding these The corbels are
D made from 1¾"-thick
parts here because there’s a lot F
hardwood.
going on when the drawers are The case edging is
an extra drawer front 19"-rad.
being made at the end of the 13⁄8 that is ripped to the
thickness of the
project. You could add these case top and
parts then if you want to wait. bottom then
glued to the case
THE TOWER TOP. The tower top is
D
an unassuming yet pleasant
way to crown the tower. It’s
attached flush to the back of the
case and centered side to side.
There’s a gentle arc across the 11⁄16
front edge (detail ‘c’). The sides c.
overhang the corbels as you see TOP VIEW E
in detail ‘b.’
To draw the arc, I used spring 1⁄8"-rad.
clamps and a yardstick on the
front edge of the over wide 13⁄8
blank. A quick visit to the band
saw, followed by a bit of time at 10¾
the belt sander had the edges of
the top ready for a roundover bit.
Before attaching the top to the same width and align with the Or lay out one piece and shape
case, I took the time to stain the legs you’ll work on next. The its profile, then use it as a tem-
piece (as opposed to taping it off profile of the corbel is shown to plate for the remaining pieces.
when it’s attached to the case). the right of the main drawing Once the corbels are made,
THE CORBELS. The corbels that above. It’s a simple yet elegant you’ll want to stain them to
reside under the tower top serve shape that’s easy to make. You match the top before attaching
more as visual punctuation than can make a template based them to the case. Next up are the
structural support. They are the on the dimensions shown. legs and some interior work.

Woodsmith.com • 45
 ½
1½ a.
#8 x 1½"
37⁄8 #8 x 1½" Fh Fh woodscrew
woodscrew
47⁄8

NOTE:
To prevent G
105⁄8 splitting, drill
pilot holes
115⁄8 in legs

FRONT
SECTION
G VIEW
G G

FRONT G
VIEW NOTE: The LEG
back corbels (3¼" x 285⁄8") b.
are flush to
the back
of the case. 3⁄8
Front corbels
are set back G
from front edge
NOTE: The legs are made
from 1¾"-thick hardwood

TOP SECTION VIEW

not stoop to rummage around in the front view above. Or, you’ll
1¼ 2 the lower drawers. The style of find a pattern of the leg online at
the legs needs little explanation Woodsmith.com/271 that you can
Raising the TOWER or defending. As I mentioned use to make the template you
earlier, they play well with the see in Figure 2 below.
As many of you know — the corbels at the top of the tower Which ever path you choose,
older you get the farther away (they also have the same stain as first you’ll need to rough out the
the floor is. Lifting the tower the corbels and top). profile at the band saw as you
with the stylish legs you see in MAKE A TEMPLATE. As with the cor- see in Figure 1. Make sure to stay
the main drawing above is equal bel, you can lay out the profile of on the waste side of the line. In
parts pragmatic and stylish. On the leg on a properly sized blank Figure 2 the scene shifts to the
the pragmatic front it’s nice to with the dimensions shown in router table. Here you see that

SHAPING THE LEGS

1 2 3
Template
NOTE: Square
corner from Waste
both directions
Waste Waste
G
G

Flush-trim G
bit

Rough Out. Trace the shape on the Smooth Operation. Attach the Squaring Up. You’ll need to pare away
blank and head to the band saw. Just template to the blank and use a flush- the remnant waste in the corner of the
stay on the waste side of the line. trim bit to smooth the edges. leg — it’s a job for a sharp chisel.

46 • Woodsmith / No. 271

the template has been attached to
the leg blank with double-sided
tape. The bearing of the bit rides
along the edge of the template
and removes the blade marks
that were left from the band saw.
Don’t be lulled when doing this
operation — there’s still some H
DRAWER
potential for chipout, so pay GUIDE
attention to grain direction as (1" x 13¼")
SIDE SECTION VIEW
you go. Figure 3 covers the last
detail before installing the legs. NOTE: Guides
There’s a smidgen of waste left in are made from SECOND: Use spacer to install
½" - thick the rest of the guides
the crook of the notch that you’ll hardwood
have to attend to with a chisel.
It’s time to skim a folded piece #10 x ¾" 3 Spacer
of sandpaper over the exposed Ph woodscrew
sharp corners of the leg. Also
sand modest chamfers where the
legs touch the floor. The legs are
now ready to be stained. FOURTH: Adjust guides as
ATTACHING THE LEGS. To attach the needed to fit remaining drawers
legs (detail ‘a,’ previous page) I
H
spread a drop cloth on the floor
and flipped the case upside
down. To prevent splitting one
of the legs while screwing it to
FIRST: Install bottom guides
the case, I invested the time in
clamping the legs in position
19⁄16
(detail ‘b,’ previous page) and
drilled pilot holes before driv- THIRD: Fit bottom
ing the screws home. (The back drawer
legs are clamped together.)

DRAWER GUIDES
With the case back in the upright a.
position you can turn your focus TOP SECTION #10 x ¾" Ph
to the last parts that are attached VIEW woodscrew
to the case — the drawer guides.
5⁄16"-dia. shank hole
For the sake of longevity it’s a
H
good idea to make the guides
out of hardwood. 1¼ 5⁄8"-dia. NOTE: Drill over- 1¼
THE DETAILS. You’ve got a lot of counterbore sized shank holes
3⁄16
holes to drill in each guide, but
there’s an easy way to tackle
that obstacle. After ripping and into the drill press, I aligned and drill all the middle coun-
cutting each guide to size, I laid the middle mark under the bit, terbores first. When those are
out the hole centers on one of and clamped a stop block to done, put the spacer against the
the guides. Two holes are set the fence at the right end of the stop block and drill the second
in the same distance from the guide. Then you’ll need to slide counterbore. Flip the board end
ends, while the remaining hole the guide to the left until the end for end and drill the third coun-
is centered on the guide. Detail mark is under the bit. Next, cut a terbore. To complete the guides,
‘a’ shows this. spacer that fills the gap between change out to the shank hole bit
COUNTERBORE FIRST. With the the guide and stop block. Now and repeat the process. The side
marked guide in hand and a 5⁄8" you’re ready to drill the holes in section view above shows how
diameter Forstner bit chucked the guides. Set the spacer aside to install the guides.

Woodsmith.com • 47
 a. b.

I
I J 1 K
3¼

11⁄16
I
¼ SIDE L
SECTION
VIEW ¼
11⁄8 ¼
I
¼

NOTE: The drawer I 1⁄16

fronts are made DRAWER BACK
from 1"-thick (3" x 14")
hardwood. The K
J
sides and back
are made J DRAWER SIDE
K #8 x 1¾" Rh (3½" x 13¾")
from ½"-thick woodscrew
hardwood. The
bottom is L
¼" plywood I DRAWER BOTTOM
(13½" x 14")
J

I HANDLE
I DRAWER FRONT (1½" x 10½")
(315⁄16" x 16½") 2 M

I c. ½ d. I TOP
11⁄8 SECTION
I VIEW
L
I
J 11⁄16 L 14° ½ I
SIDE
I SECTION 1½
2
VIEW
2¾

e.
It’s not a complicated process,
but with ten drawers to do you J
½ ½
might as well pop on your blue-
Make some beautiful tooth headphones and settle in
¼
¼
for some quality resawing time.
DRAWERS The box at the top of the next
page shows the steps. ¼
To wrap up the tower you’ll After the resawing is done
spend some time at the two saws (Figure 1) you’ll need to plane
that are the anchors of the shop both pieces to final thickness the stopped groove you need to
— the band saw (to make the (detail ‘d’). Follow this up with rout along the bottom interior of
drawer fronts) and the table saw trimming them to final length the drawer front. To complete
(to mill the box parts). Cherry and dressing the ends with the the work on the drawers, drill
is wonderful for the exterior of proper roundover (Figure 2). the holes for the handles.
the tower, but maple is a better Then you can glue the pieces DRAWER BOX. Now you can turn
option for the wear and tear that back together. your attention to the drawer
drawer boxes get put through. As for making the stopped box — starting with the sides.
Let’s start with the drawer front. dovetail socket (detail ‘c’) on Detail ‘b’ above shows the wide
MAKING A FACE. The simplest way the interior face of the front groove you need to cut in the
to make the tiered look of the (and the tail in the drawer side) side. This groove allows the
drawer front is to start with a all the information you need is drawers to ride on the guides
thick blank and slice off a thin online at Woodsmith.com/271. you installed on the inside of
piece to use for the top layer. Detail ‘a’ shows the location of the tower case. Next you’ll need

48 • Woodsmith / No. 271

CRAFTING A FINE DRAWER FRONT
1 7⁄8 3⁄8 2 ¼"-rad.

½"-rad.
I
I
NOTE: Plane
resawn parts For more on
routing dovetail
to final thickness slots, and full-size
Clipped brad patterns for the
nail legs and drawer
pulls, go to:
Resaw First. Slicing apart the face of Then Reassemble. Clipped brad nails in the Woodsmith.com/271
the drawer front into two pieces is done thick face prevent the thin face of the drawer
economically at the band saw. from shifting while the clamps are applied.

to switch out the dado stack to when assembling the drawers. THE HANDLE. As I mentioned in
make the dado in the sides that It’s just a matter of applying a the beginning, there’s a pattern
holds the drawer back — detail little glue in the sockets and on and DXF file available online to
‘e’ shows what this looks like. the tails before sliding them in make the handles. It’s also the
Then cut the grooves for the place. Once the drawer back is last part that gets stained.
drawer bottoms (details ‘b’ and clamped in place, you can slide Wherever you choose to place
‘e’ provide the information). the drawer bottom in its groove this tower, you can be sure that
GLUE UP. The work you put into (no glue needed here) and pin it will be admired for its style
the sliding dovetails aids you nail it to the back. and utility. W

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Case Sides (2) 3⁄ x 14 - 419⁄ G Legs (4) 13⁄4 x 31⁄4 - 285⁄8 M Handles (10) 3⁄ x 11⁄2 - 101⁄2
4 16 4
B Case Top/Bottom (2) 3⁄ x 14 - 151⁄ H Drawer Guides (20) 1⁄ x 1 - 131⁄
4 2 2 4
C Back (1) 1⁄ ply. - 151⁄ x 419⁄ I Drawer Fronts (11*) 1 x 315⁄16 - 161⁄2 • (12) #8 x 11⁄2” Fh Woodscrews
2 2 16
D Case Edging* (2) 3⁄ x 1 - 161⁄ J Drawer Sides (20) 1⁄ x 31⁄ - 133⁄ • (20) #8 x 13⁄4” Fh Woodscrews
4 2 2 2 4
E Tower Top (1) 3 ⁄4 x 161⁄4 - 211⁄2 K Drawer Backs (10) 1⁄ x 3 - 14
2 • (60) #10 x 3⁄4” Ph Woodscrews
F Corbels (4) 11⁄8 x 13⁄4 - 6 L Drawer Bottoms (10) 1⁄ ply. - 131⁄ x 14 • (6) #8 x 11⁄4” Fh Woodscrews
4 2

¾" x 10"- 84" Cherry (Three boards @ 5.8 Bd. Ft. Each)
A B E

A B M M

1¼" x 8½"- 102" Cherry (9.0 Bd. Ft.) *Case edging

I I I I I D

I I I I I

1¾" x 8 "- 60" Cherry (6.7 Bd. Ft. )

G G
ALSO NEEDED: One 48" x 96" Sheet of ¼" Maple
G G Plywood, One 48" x 48" Sheet of ½" Cherry Plywood
F F F F

½" x 8"- 60" Hard Maple (Five boards @ 3.3 Sq.Ft. each)
J J J H
J K K

Woodsmith.com • 49
 SHOP
Project

 The zipper is sandwiched between the bag and an

additional backing piece. The leather tab makes
it easy to operate the zipper.

50 • Woodsmith / No. 271 Written by: Erich Lage; Project Design: Dillon Baker
 Leather
Tool Bag
This bag is great for the
itinerant woodworker.
Having a place to safely
stow your tools when
working away from the
shop is a comfort.

T he occasional quiet project in the shop

is good for the soul. Turning off the
saws, drills, and routers for a stretch of time
is refreshing. And in the case of making the
leather bag you see here, adding some leather
working to your skillset is a good thing.
SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. Our project design editor,
Dillon Baker, said he was inspired by the first
tool bag that Chris Fitch did for ShopNotes
issue 133. That bag employed buckles and
rivets to close the top of the bag, where Dil-
lon chose to use a zipper here and a lot of
saddle stitching for a strong, yet pliable bag.
I think you’ll agree the contrasting thread is
a nice accent to the dark leather.
PLAY BALL! He also said that the stitching
pattern of the bag is inspired by how the
leather of a baseball is stitched together. “If
you think about the shape of a baseball, and
how the two pieces of leather come together,
I really like the economy of that formation.”
As you see in the main photo, the top is also
the two sides that drop down to the bottom
of the bag. Meanwhile the front and back of
the bag are part of the bottom and wrap up
to join the top.
This bag is built for abuse. What you don’t
see in the upper inset photo is that the zipper
 The square patch of saddle stitching firmly anchors the
tabs of the handles to the bag. This touch will provide
is anchored to the bag between two layers of
leather. And the handles are wrapped around
years of durable wear for the bag. some paracord and stitched to the bag with
handsome rectangular stitching.

Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman Woodsmith.com • 51

Cutting the LEATHER PARTS 163⁄8
5⁄8 ¾"-rad.
A
7½ TOP/ENDS
The first order of business is to (6½" x 32")
cut the leather pieces to size. The
four parts you see to the right are
what makes up the bag (you’ll B
C
need two pieces for the handles). BOTTOM/SIDES
(19" x 19½") HANDLE
It’s a good idea to pre-visualize (2" x 19")
(need two)
where each piece goes so you can
9½
hide any blemishes.
With that in mind, imagine
3 D
that you’re looking at the out-
ZIPPER BACK
side of the top in the drawing to 2 (2" x 19")
the right — that means the ends
9¾ NOTE: Slot
will fall down to tie into the bot- 8¼ is same
NOTE: Leather is 5.5 -6.5
tom. Likewise with the bottom, weight, 3⁄32" -thick
dimensions
as in part A
you want the best face showing from Newbury leathers
(See Sources, page 66)
where the sides reach up to the
top. The handles will roll around
some paracord and the zipper
back isn’t seen at all. the zipper between the two the zipper back first, then use
CUT TO SIZE. Use a fine-tipped pieces of leather ensures the it as a pattern on the top (since
pen to draw out the parts on zipper mechanism will oper- both openings are the same size).
the leather. You can use a util- ate smoothly for a long time. Then you can confidently cut the
ity knife, or the preferred rotary The steps required to make the opening in the top (Step 2).
cutter you see in Step 2 below. openings and glue the zipper to PRE-GLUEUP. The steps on the
The photo to the left shows a lit- the top are covered in the pho- next page show the sequence of
 Aa good
washer makes
corner-
tle trick you can use to shape the
corners of the top and bottom.
tos below and on the next page.
It starts with making the open-
bringing the parts of the zipper
together. If you’ve ever worked
rounding guide. The handles are simple square ings in the leather pieces. with plastic laminate, the pro-
pieces that can be set aside for cess is similar. You’re going to
the moment. Next you’ll need to INSTALLING THE ZIPPER use a cement to, in this case,
make the openings for the zipper If you’re new to the world of adhere the three parts together
in the top and its backer. tooling leather, you might want in preparation of sewing the
ZIPPER OPENING. The long slot to take some time and practice zipper into the top of the bag.
you see in the top and in the using the tools you see below THE CEMENT. The cement we
thin strip are for the zipper that (Step 1). A good example of this used is a toluene-free product
closes the bag. Sandwiching would be to cut the opening in that is perfect for working with

1 2 Connect the circles

with straight cuts
to create the
zipper opening

Punch circles at each

end of the layout lines

 Perfect  You
5
circles are easy to make when using the ⁄ " 8 could use a utility knife to cut the parts to size, but a rotary cutter
hollow punch you see here. Make a practice hole in a makes quick, clean work of slicing leather. Make sure to have a firm
scrap piece to get the feel of the tool. grip on the straight edge that’s guiding the cutter.

52 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 3
Zipper-backer
NOTE: Cut opening same as top

Apply glue
around
perimeter

Spread glue evenly

 Adhering the zipper to the underside of the top starts with making
sure the surface is clean and dry. Then trace the profile of the
zipper on to the underside of the top before spreading the glue.
Make sure the glue goes to the edge of the zipper profile.

 After the glue has tacked on the zipper, place it over the opening
in the top. Flip the top over and confirm the zipper is centered and
parallel in the opening with no buckling in the cloth. Then firmly
rub the two pieces together.

leather. Keep in mind, although zipper that’s hidden under the ADD THE BACK. Adding the leather
the cement isn’t toxic, it still has top. Once the glue has become back to the stack is the next order
an odor, so you’ll want to have tacky, or “dry,” you can press the of business. To keep things tidy,
good ventilation. two together (Step 4). The drying place the back on the zipper and
The first thing to do is trace time can take 10 to 15 minutes, trace the opening on to the cloth.
the outline of the zipper and the depending on the humidity. As Then you can apply the glue to
zipper back on the underside of I mentioned in Step 4, you’ll the back (Step 5) and the cloth of
the top. Then it’s time to apply want to examine the position the zipper that’s hidden under
glue to the top and the face of the of the zipper while there’s still the back. When the glue is dry,
zipper (Step 3). Take care to only time to make any necessary lay the back over the zipper and
apply cement to the area of the adjustments. apply pressure for a good bond.

5 6

Apply glue to
the back of the
zipper backer

 First, trace the profile of the back over the zipper and top. Then
you can apply the glue to the surface that meets the zipper and
 You’ll need to repeat the glue-spreading process on the underside
of the top. Once the glue has tacked on all the parts, press the
underside of the top. Apply the glue liberally and let it tack. backer in place. Then you’ll be ready to do some stitching.

Woodsmith.com • 53
 1 2 3
Align the
chisel to
This tool makes the tracks
This tool cuts perfectly spaced and drive it
a relief groove marks to follow through to
for the stitching for the next step complete
the stitch
holes

 Cutting a groove around the perimeter

of the zipper opening is the place to start
 Aspaced
4mm overstitch wheel marks the properly
hole locations as it rolls along in the
 The stitching chisel (4mm) fits in
the tracks made with the wheel
when sewing the zipper into the top. groove you just made. and makes all the holes needed.

Making tracks for SUCCESSFUL SEWING

You’ve got the zipper assembly so that’s the distance you want the zipper. The first one is shown
ready for stitching — so let’s get between the head of the cutter in Step 2. It’s an overstitch
after it. There’s a little work to do and the shaft of the tool. You can wheel that lays down evenly
before thread and needle are on set this at whatever you desire. spaced marks in the groove.
the scene. First, you’re going to To prevent the tool from slip- The second tool is the stitching
GO cut a path for the thread to lay in.
THE PATH. This requires the tool
ping, hold the shaft against the
edge of the opening and apply
chisel you see in Step 3. Use this
tool to punch the holes through
Online
nline you
yo see being used in Step 1 constant, even pressure as you the marks made with the wheel.
Extras above.
ab It’s called an adjustable cut the groove. A little prac- When you come to the circle
groover
gr — which pretty much tice on a scrap is a good idea, at the ends of the opening you
For detailed describes what it does. There’s a especially when it comes to the can use a stitching awl to make
instructions on
stitching the bag cutter that’s locked in the shaft circled ends of the opening. those holes.
together, go to: by a screw on the end. The zip- MAKE SOME HOLES. Two tools are
Woodsmith.com/271 per stitch is set back from the used to make the holes in the STITCHING
edge of the opening about 1⁄8," groove you just made around We’ll walk through the steps of
stitching the zipper to the top.
It’s good practice before you do
the more challenging parts. The
process will apply to the handle
and the bag as well. The grooves
Rivet Anvil and holes in the handle are done
setter
after the paracord is glued in
place. Each handle needs about
25" of thread. Stitching the bag
is the big leagues and the two
sections each require about 6' of
Rivet thread. There’s a guide online at
Woodsmith.com/271 that walks
Foot
you through the steps of stitch-
ing up the bag.
 Tools for adding the feet can be
purchased online. Page 66 has sources
THE BASICS. Traditional saddle
stitching is strong and easy to
for all the tools used on the bag. do. The first step is to thread a

54 • Woodsmith / No. 271

needle at each end of the thread. 1
You’ll need about three feet Apply cement
to inside of
of thread to stitch all the way handle
around the zipper opening.
DOUBLE STITCHING. Saddle stitching
involves passing each end of the
thread through the same hole as
you work your way around. To
start, pass one needle through 2 NOTE: Position paracord
the first hole, (close to the cir-
No glue filler and apply
cle on one end) then pull both on ends more glue
needles together to tighten and
center the thread. Pass each
needle through the second hole,
pulling the thread tight. Repeat
the process (Figure 1) all the
way around until you reach the 3 Pinch sides
last hole. together
around
LOCKING THE STITCH. When you get rope
to the last hole, (just past the
circle where you started) you
can’t simply cut the threads and
call it done. You need to “lock”
the stitching to prevent it from
unraveling. To do this, pass each  The body of the handle is filled with a length of paracord. Apply the cement to the interior of the
handle first. When it’s tacky, set the paracord in place and coat it with cement as well.
needle through the previous
hole and pull the thread taut As with most projects, once 1
— you can see this in Figure 2. you’re done you’ll notice a few Saddle stitch. Using a length of
This locks the stitching in place. things you would’ve done differ- thread with a needle on both ends,
At this point, you can cut the ently. Since this bag is every bit use a criss-cross pattern as shown
threads flush on each side and as good looking as it is durable to secure pieces together.
burn the ends with a lighter to — you might end up having to
seal the stitching in place. make a few more. W

NOTE: Install FOURTH: Close end

feet, attach and stitch row 'D'
handles and SECOND:
stitch zipper Align and Row 'D'
before stitching stitch row 'B'
top and
bottom together

Row 'B' 2
Back stitch. To lock the stitch, reverse
direction and back-stitch two holes
with one thread. Back-stitch the other
Row 'A' only one hole.

THIRD: Close
end and
stitch row 'C'
Row 'C' FIRST: To stitch the bag
Rivet together, lay the top
face down with the
bottom laid over it
with and stitch
row 'A"
Foot

Woodsmith.com • 55
 TURNING
Project

56 • Woodsmith / No. 271 Written by: Rob Petrie; Project Design: Chris Fitch
 Checkered
Canister
With stave construction,
a bit of creative cutting,
and some work at the
lathe, this canister is a
great weekend project
and kitchen addition.

T here’s something particularly striking

about using contrasting woods in a
project. It’s more than mere color — the tex-
ture of the wood, the flow of the grain, and
even the distinct sheen of some species. All
this comes into play when choosing materi-
als, and even more so in a piece like this.
CHECK PATTERN. Checkered patterns are pretty
common in woodworking. Once you know
how to do it, it’s an easy technique to incor-
porate anywhere. In this project, we use two
methods to achieve the desired grain direc-
tions in the check patterns. This gives the
canister a sense of verticality, drawing the
eye upward toward the knob.
STAVE CONSTRUCTION. As you can see in the inset
photo to the left, the canister itself consists
of a series of beveled strips, called staves.
Through history these have been used to
create water-tight structures, such as barrels
and the hulls of ships, as the beveled edges
only press tighter against each other as they
absorb moisture. While strong construction
is a bonus, our prime intent here was to cre-
ate a shape that could be easily turned round.
All in all, you’ll find this to be an easy week-
end project that provides an oppurtunity to
work on a few simple yet uncommon tech-
 Tocreate
achieve the look shown here, two different methods were used to
the checkered grain pattern on the canister and the lid.
niques. Patterned blanks, splined staves, and
bit of turning are all it takes to make a beauti-
ful container. What you’ll practice here can
be applicable to a number of future projects.

Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg Woodsmith.com • 57

 CANISTER STAVE a.
(15⁄8" x 6½")
A TOP VIEW

1⁄8
A

1⁄8

keep the beveled edges aligned

during the glueup.
I made these grooves at the
table saw. For the best possible
joints, I wanted to make sure the
grooves were as crisp as pos-
sible. To accomplish this, I used
an MDF panel to create a zero-
clearance surface, as you see in
NOTE: Staves
are glued up from Figure 2 below. After sticking the
four 5⁄8" x 15⁄8" - 15⁄8" Hardboard spline panel down with double-sided
hardwood blanks each (¼" x ¾" - 523⁄32")
tape, I raised the blade up to 1⁄8"
above the MDF, creating the kerf.
A Splined CONSTRUCTION ASSEMBLY. It’s nearly time to
put the canister together. First
As I mentioned, the construc- vertically on the canister. To however, you’ll need to cut the
tion of the canister comes from accomplish this, I cut a series of hardboard splines to size. Once
an ancient design: staves. These small blocks to size and glued that’s done, use them (along
beveled strips join together them up as in Figure 1. To keep with a bit of epoxy) to join the
to form a cylinder, providing them all equal size, I first ripped staves. Epoxy will make for a
significant strength. The main the strips, then used a stop on a stronger assembly, but it also has
highlight however is that this crosscut sled to cut them all to a long set time. Since there are
creates a 12-sided shape. The length. Epoxy was my adhesive a number of staves and splines
numerous crests at each miter of shoice since these are end to juggle in place, I appreciate
joint are easily rounded. grain joints. Once dry, I beveled the grace period. Band clamps
MAKING THE STAVES. The box below the edges at the table saw. around the top, middle, and bot-
shows how to make the staves. Hardboard splines join the tom will provide the pressure
I wanted the grain to run staves together. They help to for an even and solid glueup.

CHECKERED STAVES
NOTE: Ensure
1 grain on all 2 a.
pieces runs 3⁄8
vertically END
VIEW
Scrap
A
1⁄8
NOTE:
Scrap Wax scraps NOTE: Use
to keep ¼" MDF for a
glue from zero-clearance
sticking cut
to them

Stave Glueup. To glue up the staves, I used two Spline Grooves. I cut the grooves for the splines at the table saw. To
lengths of scrap wood to keep the pieces aligned, provide solid support, I raised the blade through an MDF panel taped
then clamped the scraps and pieces together. down to the table to create a zero-clearance surface.

58 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 SHAPING THE CAN
After the clamps come off the
canister, the next step will be at
TURNING IT ROUND
the lathe. To mount the cylinder,
I used a pair of plywood plugs 1 Plywood plugs
a.
that you can see in Figure 1a at Inner
right. These plugs are made of plug
two circles: one larger one to
press against the top and bottom
of the canister, and one smaller
one to fit inside. To cut out these
circles, I used my router along FRONT SECTION VIEW
with a straight bit and a tram-
mel. Once cut and glued up, Smoothing the Canister. I used a pair of plywood plugs to help mount the canister
screw one plug to the faceplate. in my lathe (detail ‘a’). All I needed to do was knock down the crests, so a few passes
After slipping the canister onto with a roughing gouge and some sanding did the job.
that plug, the other one can be
inserted and the tailstock can be 2 NOTE: Size
upper circle a.
brought into position. to match
TURNING. Now comes a bit of canister
bottom
turning, though only a small
amount at this point. When
joined into a cylinder, the staves
¼
create crests and troughs, and SIDE 3⁄8
5½"-dia. SECTION
all that you need to do here is VIEW
knock down the crests for a
smooth, round surface. A few Rabbeted Bottom. The lower rim of the canister is rabbeted to accept a plywood
passes with the roughing gouge bottom. The lower portion of the jig I used slips over the canister, while the upper
got me there, and after some circle guides the bearing of a dado cleanout bit as you rout.
sanding through the grits while
on the lathe I was left with a
glass-smooth surface. this rabbet. I used a jig consisting the same as the canister bot-
ROUTING A RABBET. The illustra- of two pieces: an MDF base that tom (illustration at left below).
tion below shows the last piece fits around the canister to keep As with the plugs, I used a router
needed to complete the canister. it in place and a plywood circle and trammel to make these cir-
First however, the lower rim of to register the bit’s bearing while cles. After creating the jig, one
the canister needs a rabbet to routing. The MDF circle matches pass with a dado cleanout bit
accept the piece. the diameter of the canister, will finish the rabbet.
Figure 2 shows how to rout while the plywood circle is sized BOTTOM. Finally, the canister
bottom can be added. Again, I
cut this piece using a router and
trammel. After the bottom is
sized, it can be glued in place —
NOTE: The bottom is then it’s time to work on the lid.
made from ¼" plywood
a. b. SIDE SECTION VIEW
Top edge
of canister
3⁄8
3⁄8
17⁄32
¼ B
CANISTER
BOTTOM
(5½" x 5½") NOTE: Use
B
same jig
SIDE SECTION VIEW to rout
lid rabbet

Woodsmith.com • 59
 Sculpting a LID NOTE: The lid
LID is 1"-thick
What comes next will seem (63⁄8" x 63⁄8") hardwood.
The lid plug
C
familiar: a patterned glueup and is ½" hardwood
a bit of turning. However, glu- ¼"-dia. ¼" roundover
ing up and shaping the circular
blank will be quite a bit different.
The first step is to rip the strips.
The box below shows how to
create the lid blank. Begin as in
Figure 1, gluing up some strips
side-by-side. Once dry, crosscut
LID PLUG 1⁄16" roundover
the blank at the table saw to cre- (57⁄16" x 57⁄16")
ate checkered strips. Figure 2a D
shows the last step in making
the blank. Glue the strips offset
with each other, so constrasting
woods are adjacent. Once dry,
cut the blank slightly larger than
the final circle will be. Mark out
the center of the blank and use a
compass to scribe the final diam-
eter across the top. a. SIDE C
LID PLUG. It’s nearly time to get SECTION VIEW
back to the lathe, but first you’ll
want to glue up and size the
lid plug. This piece should be 9⁄16
sized to fit in the canister snug-
D
gly, without jiggling around.
As with the previous plywood
circles, a router and trammel
 Your options for
knobs are nearly
makes quick work of the task.
shows the ogee-shaped curve MOUNTING THE BLANK. Figure 1
unlimited. Above TURNING THE TOP you’re aiming for, but the exact on the next page shows how I
is a selection of Returning to the lathe, it’s time measurements aren’t necessary mounted the blank in my lathe.
other knobs we to get a little less prescriptive — the only necessity here is that I screwed the bottom side of the
considered. with this project. Detail ‘a’ above it looks good. lid into the faceplate so I could

CREATING THE LID BLANK

1 2 a.
NOTE: Offset
strips by13⁄8"
Push block

NOTE: Lid is made from

13⁄8"-wide strips of
contrasting hardwood

Lid Glueup. The lid begins by gluing up the Checkered Strips. After the initial blank is glued up, crosscut the blank into
hardwood strips. For a pleasant contrast, we strips at the table saw. Once the strips are cut, glue them up in an offset
used hard maple and mahogany. fashion (detail ‘a’ above) to create the checkered lid blank.

60 • Woodsmith / No. 271

turn the top of it as I would
with a bowl blank. Four wood-
screws will do the trick, as long
TURNED TOP
as they won’t pierce through to
a.
the other side (Figure 1a). The 1 SIDE
lid plug will cover up the holes SECTION
later, so there’s no need to worry NOTE: Screw VIEW
lid blank to
about them showing. faceplate
FLOWING LID. After firing up the #8 x ¾" Fh
lathe, start by rounding the woodscrew
blank down to the diameter you
laid out. From there, the goal
for the lid should be a smooth, Mount the Blank. I mounted the lid blank by screwing it to the faceplate, as I would
flowing shape, as you can see in when turning a bowl. This side will be the bottom, allowing you to cover up the screw
the main illustration on the pre- holes with the lid plug after shaping.
vious page. Figure 2 shows how
I shaped the blank. Working 2 a.
from the inside out, remove the NOTE: Use TOP VIEW
waste with a roughing gouge in roughing
gouge to 1⁄16" roundover
several steps. As you go deeper, shape, then
start each cut farther out from sand for a
smooth
the center to create the ogee- surface
shaped curve. Gouge
After I got the main shape of
the lid down, I rounded over
the top edge (detail ‘a,’ previous Gouge to Shape. With the blank chucked in the lathe, I used a roughing gouge to
page). I then did some sanding. shape the curves. I began by shaping the long, sweeping curve, then I rounded off the
While starting with the rough front edge and sanded a slight roundover on the back edge.
stuff, I sanded a slight round-
over on the bottom edge of the
lid. Once I got a nice, smooth 66, or you could turn a custom around the threads to make sure
surface on the lid, it was time to one yourself. the knob wasn’t glued in place as
start putting everything together. With a pivot hole already in well. After clamping the pieces
ASSEMBLY. The next item to the lid plug and the center of up, all that was left was to wait.
address is what kind of knob the lid marked on the blank, Once the clamps come off the
will look best on the canister. most of the work of making the canister’s done. Your choice of
Although you’ll see our final clearance holes for the knob is finish will depend on your
choice on page 56, there were already done. After a little drill- choice of woods. In my opinion,
a number of contenders (which ing, the pieces can be glued up. it looked good without any stain
you can find in the margin on I used the threaded rod of the or oil, but I did give the canister
the previous page). You can find knob to keep the pieces aligned, and lid a coat of spray lacquer
our source for the knob on page sticking a layer of packing tape for a brilliant sheen. W

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Canister Staves (12) 1 x 15⁄8 - 61⁄2 C Lid (1) 1 x 63⁄8 - 63⁄8 • (1) 13⁄8"-dia. Knob
B Canister Bottom (1) 1⁄ ply. - 51⁄2 x 51⁄2 D Lid Plug (1) 1⁄ x 57⁄16 - 57⁄16
4 2

5⁄4 x 3½" - 60" Hard Maple (1.8 Bd. Ft.)

A ALSO NEEDED:
C D D One 24" x 24" sheet
of ¼" Baltic birch
plywood for bottom
5⁄4 x 3½" - 60" Mahogany (1.8 Bd. Ft.) and one
24" x 24" sheet of ½"
A Baltic birch plywood
C for plugs

Woodsmith.com • 61
ROUTER
Workshop

Roundovers
& Beyond
½" roundover
M y preferences for edge
treatments lean toward the
simple: roundovers and chamfers,
curves and facets. Don’t be fooled
I’ll explain what roundovers do,
then we’ll examine some options to
employ them in your work.
A roundover serves two essential
bit
into thinking that this means bland functions. First, a roundover is punc-
uniformity. There are times when a tuation, a transition from one surface
¼" roundover project calls for the crisp detailing to another. The visual effect diffuses
bit
and tight radii that would make any light across the curve, like the glow
engineer tear up. on the horizon just before sunrise. By
These same details can also be flexed contrast, a chamfer creates a sharp
and stretched into a variety of distinct facet that reflects light, like a car light
looks. You can achieve this customiza- bouncing off a mirror.
tion through imagination mixed with The other purpose of a roundover is
a small amount of exertion. functional. The radius eases the edge,
FOCUS ON ROUNDOVERS. To avoid an making it softer when you brush
 the
Roundover bits are defined by the size of
radius they create on the edge of the
exhaustive discussion of profile
philosophy, let’s instead explore
against it. Sharp edges are more prone
to chipping. The surface tension of fin-
workpiece. one of these elements: roundovers. ishes cause it to pile up at a corner.

62 • Woodsmith / No. 271 Written by: Phil Huber

A roundover allows the finish to Basic Roundover. Set the
!/4 "
flow out into a smooth coat. cutting edges of the bit roundover
flush the workpiece to form bit

ONE-SIDED ROUNDOVERS a simple curved shape. This

From an application standpoint, blends one surface to the
I’d like to expand our percep- other in a pleasing way.
tion of what a roundover is. The
image in your mind is probably
the one shown at the upper right. Roundover & Shoulder. If
This is a generic quarter round you raise the bit, the square !/4 "
roundover 1/8
profile, versatile and subtle. edge forms a shoulder (also bit
SQUARE SHOULDERS. The lower two called a fillet) on one edge
examples build on that shape of the piece. This creates a
by adding one or two shoul- shadowline to draw your
ders (fillets). These shadowlines attention.
accent the roundover.
These variatons are created Just Bead It. To turn a ½" roundover 1⁄16
bit with bear-
with a standard roundover bit. roundover bit into a beading ing removed 1⁄16
All you need to do is raise the bit bit, remove the bearing and
to create one shoulder. A second back up the fence. Adjust
shoulder requires removing the the fence and bit height to NOTE:
Workpiece
bearing or replacing the bearing create symmetrical fillets on rides against
with a smaller one. either side of the workpiece. fence

HAND-SHAPED ROUNDOVERS

Block plane Sanding block

roundover roundover

A router speeds through the task of creating a roundover. texture to the profile. Its ecentricity is its advantage. If a
However, you have other options than the powered smooth profile is your goal, a sanding block eliminates the
roundover. For small radii it’s just as easy to go unplugged. facets quickly.
My preference is to grab a block plane to shape a radius A second approach is to use a sanding block from
with a handful of swipes. I start by making a chamfer. start to finish. Wrap the block with 120-grit sandpaper
Then, varying the angle I hold the plane, I blend the facets to shape the profile quickly and smoothly. I find this
into a smooth curve. One benefit of this technique is that approach works best for breaking edges. A sanding block
you can leave the subtle facets in the roundover to add allows you to shape smooth roundovers that feel satiny.

Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman Woodsmith.com • 63

 Double Roundover. A small
!/4 " !/4 "
roundover formed on each edge roundover roundover
of a piece creates a finger-friendly bit bit

surface. The narrow flat edge

avoids the half-round look.

Bead on the Edge. A variation

!/4 " !/4 "
on the bead is to rout a roundover 1/8 roundover 1/8
shouldered roundover on each bit bit
edge. The bead then is centered
on the edge rather than the
corner of the workpiece.

TWO-PASS PROFILES DOUBLE ROUNDOVER. The simplest FRONT EDGE BEAD. On the previous
There’s a tendency to consider approach is simply rounding page, I showed a bead profile
profiles from a single perspec- both corners on the edge of a that uses a roundover bit with
tive. For example, looking top workpiece. This is shown in the bearing removed. That forms
down at a table. The lower edge the top drawings and photo. the bead on the upper corner of
usually isn’t considered. The The main idea is using a small the workpiece, so to speak.
most common treatment is a radius bit so that after routing, The near profile above shows
bevel to lighten the top’s appar- there’s still a flat band along the an alternate version. In this situ-
ent thickness. edge of the piece. ation, you rout a shouldered
Our interaction with projects is A related profile is a half- profile along each edge.
more multidimensional. Take a round. Here you use a bit with BULLNOSE. When you rout a stan-
few steps back from a project and a radius that is equal to half dard roundover you do lose the
you can see many more surfaces the thickness of the piece. So if crisp edge of the cabinet top.
than when you’re up close. With you’re using 3/4"-thick material, If you don’t want a shoulder,
this in mind, we can now look at a 3/8" radius bit gives you a half- there’s another option. That’s a
ways to combine and play with round profile. It all depends on bullnose, as shown in the lower
roundover profiles. the look that you want. drawings and photo.

Bullnose. Use a portion of a

!/2 " !/2 "
larger roundover bit to add a soft roundover roundover
edge to a workpiece while still bit bit
3/8 3/8
keeping a crisp line on the top
and bottom edges.

Thumbnail. Two different

!/4 " !/2 "
roundover bit sizes create an roundover roundover
asymmetrical profile that forms bit bit
a dynamic shape to the edges of
tabletops and case pieces.

64 • Woodsmith / No. 271

 To form this profile, you use top and bottom edges with a bevel, to my eye. The box below
a larger diameter roundover bit. softened edge. shows a different way to achieve
The radius should be greater THUMBNAIL. All of the profiles to an asymmetrical look.
than half the thickness of the this point have been symmetri- It’s easy to overlook roundo-
workpiece. Then align the top of cal. So our final roundover look vers in favor of more fancy,
the cutting edge with the center- employs two different radii bits. complex bits. However working
line of the workpiece. Since only The example shown on the bot- with a simpler range of options
a portion of the profile is used, tom of the previous page gives can open up new avenues of cre-
the result leaves a line along the the appearance of a rounded ativity in your work. W

JAZZING UP A ROUTED PROFILE

It’s possible to transform stock routed profiles into
something unique. The way to do that is to refine the profile
using hand tools. Here’s one example I picked up from
furniture maker Garret Hack. Think of this as an elongated
roundover or a pillowtop roundover.
The starting point is to rout a bead along the edges of
a tabletop or case top. Then, using a square and a pencil,
draw a line set back from the upper shoulder. The farther
back you go, the greater the effect.
The next step is to blend the roundover back to the layout
lines using a plane. I use a block plane for greater control
and visibility during the process. Starting at a corner lets you
gauge your process in two directions. That’s my preference, along the surface for ridges or troughs that need attention.
but you can certainly work one edge at a time. Avoid planing away the pencil lines. Instead work your
You create a series of facets then go back to eliminate the way right up to the line. Towards the end, set your plane for
highpoints until you have a graceful curve. The initial swipes a fine cut to soften the remaining facets. For a profile like
are right at the upper fillet, angling it back toward the this, smooth and soft is the way to go. So I finish by using
pencil lines. The process is similar to planing a roundover. progressively finer grits of sandpaper on a sanding block to
Your eye and your fingertips will guide you. Crouch down to smooth the surface. The completed profile should have the
sight the edges and judge the shape of the curve. Then feel softened look shown at lower right.

Before

Guidline

After

Woodsmith.com • 65
 Sources
Most of the materials and supplies you’ll need to build the projects are available
at hardware stores or home centers. For specific products or hard-to-find items,
take a look at the sources listed here. You’ll find each part number listed by the
company name. See the left margin for contact information.

MAIL ALL ABOUT (p.12) explanatory). Use and exposure TOOL BAG (p.50)
ORDER • Woodcraft will mean you’ll need to tune • Buckle Guy
SOURCES Pinnacle Mini Square . . . 182857 up the finish. For that, I recom- Leather . . . . . . LNW-CH-P-TAN
Project supplies may Thumb Rule . . . . . . . . . . 175861 mend using an outdoor oil. Barge Cement . . . . . Da081/2oz
be ordered from the 6" Square . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175873 • McMaster-Carr Zipper . . . . . . . . . . . . RCCFS-NI
following Incra Marking Rule . . . . 125480 Stainless Steel Tubing . 8989K258 Stitching Awl . . . . . . . . TL62225
companies: T-Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125479 Steel Dowel Pins . . . . 98381A908 Stitch. Wheel . TL-SMW-SP-WAL
Woodsmith Store Bend Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . 125478 Garolite . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8491K23 Blunt Tipped Needle . . . . .TL156
800-444-7527 Crown Cutting Gauge . . 163778 Aluminum Rod . . . . . . . 8974K22 Waxed Thread . . . . . . . JTLC-EC
store.woodsmith.com
• Lee Valley Stainless Washers . . . 90377A178 Nickel Matt Stud . . . . . . . B7483
amazon.com Veritas Marking Gauge . . 49133 Elastic Cords . . . . . . . . . 8730T43 Nickel Matt Post . . . . . . . . B1414
Buckle Guy • Rockler Foot Setter . . . . . . . . . . . . TLHSB
978-213-9989 GREAT GEAR (p.24) Connector Bolts . . . . . . . . 48570 • Amazon
buckleguy.com
• Woodcraft Adjustable Groover . . . . 8074-00
Hooks and Knobs Circle Cutting Jig . . . . . . 186654 DIAMOND BOOKCASE (p.36) Rotary Cutter . . . .B0C8BQ8R8P
hooksandknobs.com
• Vampire Tools • Rockler Stitching Chisel. . . B014549SNG
Lee Valley Vampliers . . . . . . . . . . . . 490500 3 5
⁄8" Hole Buttons . . . . . . . 20537 ⁄8" Hollow Punch . . . . . . 1271G
800-871-8158
leevalley.com vShears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VT-011 The screws used to attach the Paracord . . . . . . . B0BYV95TCV
• MicroJig bracing posts to the boxes and
McMaster-Carr
630-600-3600 Lock Miter Bit . . MB-050-0750LM mount the bookcase can be CHECKERED CANISTER (p.56)
mcmaster.com Track Clamps. . . . . . DVC-538K2 found at most hardware stores. The only hardware on the canis-
MicroJig I didn’t used any stain or oil ter is the knob atop the lid. The
855-747-7233 CROQUET SET (p.28) — the color of the walnut was exact one we went with is listed
microjig.com
A couple coats of lacquer pro- great on its own — but I did below, though I went through
Rockler tect the mallets, stakes, wicket apply a few coats of lacquer for a few different options from
800-279-4441
rockler.com braces, and the trolley. Croquet the sheen and protection. Hooks and Knobs first. You can
sets usually feature color-coded use an knob with a long enough
Sherwin-Williams
800-474-3794 mallets to go with the ball. The thread, or even turn one your-
sherwin-williams.com colors also appear as stripes on 10 DRAWER TOWER (p.42) self. As far as finish goes, I left
Woodcraft the stakes. For ours, we used The top, corbels, handles, and the canister bare, save for a few
800-225-1153 Sherwin-Williams paint in the legs are stained with Varathane’s coats of lacquer to guard against
woodcraft.com
following colors: Evergreens “Gunstock” stain. Then the any kitchen mishaps.
Vampire Tools (green), Bolero (red), Salty Dog tower was top-coated with two • Hooks and Knobs
949-748-0552
vampiretools.com (blue), and Raucous Orange (self- coats of lacquer. 11⁄2" Threaded Knob . GB001-CL
Varathane

RAZOR-SHARP EDGES
varathane.com

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sharp edge using only a few simple tools. The
secret is in the Woodsmith jig—a unique tool that
lets you file the edge and then create the bur.
Item# 7512124
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66 • Woodsmith / No. 271

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