Wood Tools - Plans NOWwoodtools.nov.ru/projects2/PlanPDF/Woodsmith Magazine...with the skinflint...

www.PlansNOW.comwww.WorkbenchMagazine.com

page 1 of 12 ©2005 August Home Publishing CompanyAll rights reserved

time and wanted to build a work-bench in the worst way. Little did Irealize how something free couldbe so costly.

My enthusiasm carried methrough the hard work of pullingthe nails from the lumber, andthen patiently straightening them

with hammer taps on the concretegarage floor. But when I was final-ly ready to start cutting, I realizedwhy my neighbor had been eagerto get rid of the lumber.

Simply using the word “warped”doesn’t begin to explain the com-plete range of lumber defects Isurveyed. But I figured that I couldovercome the bad lumber with astrong arm and the coffee can full ofsalvaged nails.

After a weekend of hammeringand sawing, I had assembled aworkbench. Of course, I hadn’ttaken the time to draw any plans,so the only way I could tell that I

was finished was when the lumberwas used up. Then I kept hammer-ing until the coffee can was empty.I stepped back for a look. Then Istepped back further.

I nicknamed that project “my 30-foot workbench,” which had noth-ing to do with its actual length. Itmeant that it didn’t look too badfrom 30 feet away.

Built for StrengthBy the time that first bench gave upits spirit, I had learned a few thingsabout woodworking. So for itsreplacement, I designed a benchwith unshakable joints, a dead-flat

I should have been moresuspicious when my neighborwith the skinflint reputation

offered me some scrap lumber,“free for the hauling.” But I was young and poor at that

Plans N O Ww w w . p l a n s n o w . c o m

®

HANDYMAN'S BENCH PLAN



top, and enough mass to keep itfirmly anchored during the mostintense work sessions. Instead ofnails, this bench has drawboredmortise-and-tenon joints and reli-able nut-and-bolt connections(Bench Construction View).

The top is laminated from threelayers of medium-density fiber-board (MDF) for a flat workingsurface. This heavyweight materi-al contributes enormously to thebench’s solidity.

I’ve often wanted to work whilesitting, but the design of my oldbench made that awkward. In this

bench, I located the lower stretch-ers toward the back. That way, Ican pull a stool right up when Ihave detailed work to do or justneed a break.

The bench also features severalconvenient options (See BenchAccessories; Boxed Drawer andShelf beginning on page 9). Youcan build either or both of themnow or add them later. The draw-ers keep frequently used tools andaccessories within easy reach, andthe shelf stores more tools and fas-teners, so the bench top is alwaysready for your next project.

Bench Construction ViewOVERALL SIZE: 353/4" × 30" × 72"

What You’ll NeedLumber

(8) 8 ft. 2x6 Douglas fir(4) 8 ft. 2x4 Douglas fir(3) 8 ft. 1x4 Pine(2) 3/4" × 4' × 8' MDF

Hardware(6) Figure-8 fasteners

(12) 5/16" × 5" Hex-head bolts(24) 5/16" Flat washers(12) 5/16" Hex nuts(20) 6d Finish Nails(2) 3/8" × 3' Dowels

(12) #8 × 1" FH wood screws(4) #10 × 21/2" FH wood screws(1) 3/4" × 2" hex-head bolt

Top assemblyFor details, see the

Top Assembly View on page 6.

Top2 " x 28 " x 70 "!/4 !/2 !/2

Edging strip" x 2 " x 72"#/4 !/4

Edging strip" x 2 " x 28 "#/4 !/4 !/2

Stretcher1 " x 5" x 58"!/2

Figure 8fasteners

#8 x 1"FHWS

Peg" dia.#/8

Hex head bolt" x 5"%/16

#10 x 2 "FHWS

!/2

%/16" Hex nutand flat washer

Leg AssemblyFor details, see the

Leg Assembly ConstructionView on page 3.

Legs and rails joined bydrawbored mortise-and-tenons.

For details, seeon page 11.

DrawboreJoinery

Shelf1 " x 12 " x 61"!/2 #/4

Cleat1 " x 1 " x 7 "!/2 !/2 !/4

Stretchers1 " x 5" x 58"!/2

Bottom rail1 " x 5" x 28 "!/2 #/8

Leg3" x 3" x 33 "!/2

Top rail1 " x 5" x 28 "!/2 #/8

Note: This workbench project callsfor a Record 52ED vise, a modelthat’s widely available. Threemail-order sources are:Woodsmith Store, (800) 835-5084;Woodcraft Supply, (800) 225-1153;and Tool Crib of the North,(800) 358-3096.



Non-skidmat

Stoppedchamfer

Also chamferbottom end.

3Clamp scrap blocks to the legs to keepfrom routing chamfers too far. Makeseveral light passes to prevent tearingout wood.

Setup block

#/4

!/2

" Dadoblade set

" high.

Leg half

5"

1A setup block clamped to your table saw’srip fence helps you accurately position theleg half for the first dado cut.

Waste

2To cut the top end of the dado, butt the leghalf against your rip fence. Remove thewaste (shaded area) to finish the joint.

Dadoes become mortises whenleg halves are glued together.

Brads with heads clipped offprevent slippage during glue up.

Leg Assembly Construction View Start With the Legs

At the lumberyard, my past expe-rience with poor quality materialhelped me pick out wood that Iwouldn’t have to struggle with.For strength, durability, and econ-omy, I chose Douglas fir. If youwant to make your bench fromhardwood, birch and maple aretraditional choices.

Once you get back to yourshop, use your table saw to rip the2x4s to width, removing therounded corners from both edges(Leg Details). Then crosscut theleg halves to identical length.

Next, set up your table saw tocut the dadoes for the bottom rails(Figure 1). When the leg halvesare glued together, these paireddadoes create the mortises (LegAssembly Construction View).

Screwing a wooden extension toyour miter gauge helps preventtearout when the dado blade exitsthe stock. This will give you clean,precise cuts. First, cut the lowerend of each dado by butting theend of the leg half against a setupblock clamped to the fence. Then,register the bottom end of the leghalf against the rip fence and cutthe top end of the dado (Figure2). After making both end cuts,make several passes to remove thewaste between them.

Now you can turn your attentionto the mortise at the top of the leghalves. Make certain that thedadoes making up this mortise arethe same size as the lower dadoes.That way, all your rails can be iden-tical in width.

Leg Halves Become LegsAfter you’ve milled all the dadoes,glue the leg halves together inpairs (Leg Glue-up Detail). Tokeep the parts from creeping, par-tially drive brads into one leg halfin each pair, then clip their headsabout 1/16" above the wood. Whenyou apply clamping pressure, thebrads will be buried into the otherleg half for a non-slip glue up.

Align the leg halves with their

#/8"

Leg Details

Top rail1 " x 5" x 28 "!/2 #/8

Glue leg halvestogether aftercutting dadoes.

Pegs " dia.cut and sanded

flush after assembly.

#/8

Bottom rail1 " x 5" x 28 "!/2 #/8

Leg3" x 3" x 33 "!/2

Offset holes in tenons" toward shoulder.!/16

Leg Glue-up Detail

#/8" Dia.hole

#/8"Chamfer

4"

3"

1"

1"

1" 5"

!/2"

!/2"

1"

1 "!/2

5"

7"

33 "!/2



28 "#/8

3 "#/16

4 "!!/16 4 "!!/16

5"

1" 3 "#/16 3 "#/16 3 "#/16

13 "(/16

1 "!/2

1 "!/2 1 "!/2

1 "!/2!/4"

28 "#/8

ends and edges flush to line up themortises. I used a small piece ofscrap wood to remove any gluethat oozed into the mortises. Afterthe glue joints cure, unclamp thelegs and sand all their surfaces.

Chuck a chamfering bit intoyour router, and rout the chamferat the bottom of each leg.

Next, make a light pencil markall around each leg to define thelimits of the stopped edge cham-fers. Clamping blocks at the startand stop points of each chamferwill guarantee great results(Figure 3). Rout the chamferalong each edge of the leg.

Drawboring Unites LegsMaybe the memory of driving allthe nails in the first bench — andthe wobbly results — motivatedme to to make extra strong jointsin this bench. The mortise-and-tenon joints get additional musclepower from the time-honoredtechnique of drawboring (seeDrawbore Joinery on page 42).

This system has proven itselfbrawny enough to hold timber-frame houses and barns togetherfor hundreds of years, so it cer-tainly is more than adequate for ahard-working bench.

Carefully lay out the peg holelocations along the centerline ofeach leg, then drill them with abrad-point bit chucked into yourdrill press (Leg Details).

Workin’ on the RailsCut the rounded corners off the

stock for the rails, and rip them towidth after double-checking thesize of the upper and lower mortis-es in the legs (Top and BottomRail Details).

Before you cut the tenons on theends of the rails, double-check thewidth of the legs. I designed mytenons to protrude 3/16" beyond thelegs. To ensure tenons of consistentlength, clamp a stop block to thewooden extension on your mitergauge (Figure 4). Zero in on a per-fect fit by cutting a test tenon inscrap lumber that is the exact thick-ness of your rails. Don’t make thetenons so tight that you need tohammer them into the mortises.That would damage the hammeredends, and could split the legs.

The rails have dadoes to seat thestretchers. Each top rail has onedado, and the bottom rails havetwo (Top and Bottom RailDetails). After laying out the dadolocations, cut them with the tablesaw (Figure 5).

Mark the location of the boltholes in the rails, carefully center-ing them in the dadoes you justcut. Use your drill press to boreholes square to the stock.

Chamfer the Tenon EndsI scratched my head for a whiletrying to figure out how tomachine the chamfers on the endsof the tenons. Then I realized thatI was confusing myself by thinkingonly of power tools.

When I used my block plane, Ihad the chamfers done in a fewminutes (Figure 6). Chamferingthe short edges first will help pre-vent tearout. If you’re a stickler forsubtle points, note that the topedge of the top rail tenon is notchamfered. When chamfering thecheek edges, I worked from bothends toward the center.

Sand the rails, then lay out thelegs and rails in their assembledpositions and mark them. I alwaystake the time to do this when I’mworking with mirror-image assem-blies. It helps to prevent embar-rassing mistakes.

Join the rails and legs, using theprocedure detailed in (DrawboreJoinery on page 42). Using a fine-toothed saw, cut off as much of thepeg waste as you can. Then sandthe end of the pegs flush with thesurface of the legs.

Screw wood extensionto miter gauge.

Bottomrail

#/4

!/4

" Dado bladeset " high.

Use this table saw setup to cut dadoes forseating the stretchers. The bottom railshave two dadoes; the top rails have one.

Plane toward centerto prevent tearout.

Plane thisedge first.

Rail

6A sharp block plane is the perfect tool forchamfering the tenon ends. No plane? Usea sanding block held at a 45° angle.

Stopblock

#/4" Dadoblade

4When you cut tenons, clamp a stop blockto your wood miter gauge extension. Thisguarantees that all tenons are identical.

3 "#/16

1"

Top Rail Details Bottom Rail Details

5

SSiiddee VViieeww SSiiddee VViieeww

TToopp VViieeww TToopp VViieeww



Nuts and Bolts Detail

StretchersUse a rip cut at the table saw tosquare up one edge of your stockfor the stretchers. Crosscut thestretchers to identical length, andrip them to final width.

Even though this workbench isdesigned as a permanent fixturefor my garage, I wanted to be ableto take it apart in case I move to anew house. I settled on a nuts andbolts system for both strength andstraightforward construction.

At first, I was going to simplydrill completely through thestretchers to create a home for thenut. But then I looked at the num-ber of subtle design touches I hadalready built into the bench anddecided to try something a bitmore refined. To keep the nut con-cealed from the front of the bench,I chose to machine recesses intothe back face of the stretchers.

Lay out the hole centerpointson the stretchers (Stretcher/RailDetail). To avoid breakingthrough the front surface of thestretchers when you drill, you willneed to use a Forstner bit (Figure

7). Then grab a chisel and squareone end of the recessed area(Figure 8). This provides a flatbearing surface for the lock nutand flat washer.

Drill Into Stretcher EndsNow you can use the holes in therails as guides for drilling into theends of the stretchers. But to dothis, you’ll need to temporarilyclamp the stretchers between theleg assemblies. Try to recruit anextra pair of hands to help you lineup all of these parts. Clamp the legassemblies to the stretchers, mak-ing sure to align the top edge ofeach stretcher with the top edge ofthe rails (Figure 9). I used pipeclamps to hold the assemblytogether for drilling.

Chuck a 3/8" bit in a hand-helddrill, and use the holes in the railsas guides to drill into the end grainof the stretchers. Unless you havea long bit, you’ll need to disassem-ble the stretchers from the rails tocomplete the drilling. Drill all ofthe stretchers, then assemble thebase with bolts, nuts, and washers(Nuts and Bolts Detail).

On To the ShelfTo make the shelf, joint and edge-glue 2x stock to get the necessarywidth, then rip and crosscut thepanel to its final size (BenchConstruction View). Screw ontwo cleats to position the shelf andhelp keep it flat. The cleats andgravity hold the shelf in place.

Stretcher1 x 5" x 58"!/2"

Rail

1" 1"

1holes,1deep

!/4"

#/8"

1" 1"

3#/8" 5"

9Clamp the stretchers to the leg assemblies and drill the bolt holes into the stretchers.Drill the holes as deep as you can, then disassemble the base and complete the holes.

Drill holes1 " deep.#/8 1 "

Forstner bit!/4

Stretcher7Nuts and bolts join the stretchers to therails. Begin shaping the recesses for thenuts by drilling holes into the stretchers.

!/2" Chisel

Stretcher

8Complete the recesses by squaring oneend of each hole. This creates a flat bear-ing surface for the washer and nut.

#/8" Bit

Rail Stretcher

Hex head bolt" x 5"%/16

Flat washer"%/16

Lock nut

Stretcher/Rail Detail



MDFLaminations

Edgingstrip

#8 x 1 "FHWS

!/4

Top Assembly View

Top Screw Detail

Learning From the PastThe uneven top on my first benchcaused me nearly continuous frus-tration, and I always promisedmyself that my next bench wouldhave a much better work surface.My first thought was a top likethose on the European-style work-benches I had always admired.

But after thinking about it somemore, I ended up ruling out a thicklaminated solid-wood top. The wideswings in temperature and humidi-ty in the garage would make itextremely difficult to keep anysolid-wood top flat.

I finally decided to use medium-density fiberboard (MDF), a manu-factured sheet that’s consistent andtough. And MDF will give you a topthat’s flatter than a stretch of theKansas Turnpike. That meansyou’ll be able to count on yourbench top as a dependable refer-ence surface when you’re assem-bling other projects on it.

MDF’s weight also adds to thestability of the bench. Once you setthe laminated top onto the base,this bench is not going anywhere.That’s a far cry from my first benchand its habit of scooting around inthe garage. With it, I sometimes feltI was chasing my work.

Move To the TopCut the upper and lower lamina-tions of the top from separatesheets of MDF (Top AssemblyView). For economy, use the left-over material to piece together themiddle layer.

By the time you have the threelayers of MDF laminated together,you won’t want to carry it far.That’s why I assembled the topupside-down on a pair of sawhors-es as close as I could get to thebench’s final home. I put somestraight 2x4s on edge

between the sawhorses to keep theMDF from sagging under its ownweight as I worked on it. I didn’twant to discover a crown in theassembly when I turned it over.

Carefully align the edges andends of each layer, then drill coun-tersunk pilot holes to attach themtogether with glue and screws (TopScrew Detail).

A couple of tips: first, be sure tostagger the screw locations so theydon’t run into each other. And don’tgo overboard on the amount of glue— that will create a slippery situa-tion that makes the assem-bly process

Middle layer can bepieced together.After laminating

MDF, notch cornerto fit your vise.

Pine edging strip" x 2 " x 72"#/4 !/4

Pine edging strip" x 2 " x 28 "#/4 !/4 !/2

MDF" x 28 " x 70 "#/4 !/2 !/2

MDF" x 14" x 70 "#/4 !/2

Attach strips with glueand 6d finish nails.

NOTE: When gluing and screwing toptogether, avoid driving screws in area ofdog holes and vise hardware (Figure 10).



more difficult. Be careful not todrive screws into the area whereyou will later drill the bench dogholes (Figure 10).

Everybody Needs a ViseI installed a Record 52ED wood-working vise on my bench, and to

do that I had to notch into the cor-ner of the laminated workbench top(Vise Detail). The vise you choosemay require a similar notch, so it’sa good idea to have your vise onhand to verify the exact size of thenotch you need to cut.

Once you have the vise, lay thetop upside-down and mark the visemounting bolt locations. Drill theholes, then make a spacer blocklike I did to make the upper edgeof the vise lower than the top (ViseMounting Detail).

You may want to recruit a brawnyneighbor to help you flip the top

over. In fact, if you don’t happen tolive next door to Arnold Schwarz-enegger, you may need to invite twoor three friends. Finish the viseinstallation by counterboring theholes and cinching the bolts tight.

Make a vise face to fit your vise(Figure 11). I made mine from aleftover piece of 2x stock, but youcould make yours from hardwoodto gain a little more durability. Onetrick I learned is to leave the viseface a bit rough. A slightly texturedsurface will give the vise face astronger grip on wood workpieces.

Screw the vise face to the visejaw so its upper edge is flush withthe MDF bench top. This is easyto do — you simply tighten thevise to hold the face in position.

On the EdgeAttaching edging strips to the lam-inated top is the next step, so ripyour stock to width. You couldmiter the corners, if you want, butthey are difficult to install withquality corners. Instead, I usedsimple butt joints. I attached theend pieces first, then the strips onthe front and back of the bench.

Driving a few 6d (2"-long) finish-ing nails through the edging stripsis the most direct method ofattaching them. Glue is notabsolutely necessary, but I addedsome for good measure.

If you can position the top edgesof the strips perfectly flush withthe MDF top, you’ll save yourselfsome work. But if you have to set-tle for less than perfect, try to posi-

Edging Vise faceTop

Spacer

After installing the vise, lay out the dog hole locations. The centerline of this row ofholes is aligned with the middle of the push-up dog built into the body of the vise.

3!/4"

Vise

Vise

9"

#/4"

1!/2"

11Size the wood face to suit the vise youchoose. Clamp the face into position withthe vise, then drive the mounting screws.

Vise Mounting Detail

TToopp VViieeww

FFrroonntt VViieeww

Counterbore for washersand hex head bolts.

Notch to fityour vise.

Edgingstrip

!/4" Thick spacerneeded below thebench top.

Vise Detail

Push-up dog

Dog hole

Figure 8 fasteners

Edging strip

6"

6"

6"

6"

3"

10



tion them slightly proud of the topsurface, then plane, scrape, orsand them flush with the MDF.Also sand the faces of the strips.As a finishing detail on the edgingstrips, I routed a 1/4" chamferalong their top and bottom edges.

A Pilot Makes Drilling FlyAfter I marked the row of holes forthe bench dog, I realized that get-ting the top to the drill press wasout of the question. But I wantedto make sure that the holes wereperpendicular to the top.

To accomplish that, I devised amulti-step process. If I drilled anaccurate pilot hole through thetop, I reasoned, I could then use itto guide a 3/4" spade bit.

I drilled a hardwood block at thedrill press to create a pilot hole jig,and then used this jig to guide thbit in my hand-held drill (Figure12). Because of the top’s thick-ness, I had to complete the pilotholes without the jig. But by thattime, the holes were already deepenough into the top to control thepilot bit accurately.

After you drill all the pilot holes,use them to guide the spade bitthat enlarges the holes to final size(Figure 13). Although you still dohave to exercise some care tokeep the drill square to the top,the pilot hole creates a path ofleast resistance that guides thepoint of the spade bit. As a finish-ing touch, rout a chamfer aroundthe perimeter of each hole(Figure 14). The bench dog issimply a 2"-long hex-head boltwith a 3/4" shank.

Attach the TopI selected figure-8 fasteners toattach the laminated bench topbecause they are easy to installand are nearly invisible. The fas-tener placement is not critical — Iused two on each rail and two onthe upper stretcher (refer again toFigure 10). Drill the counter-bores and pilot holes into the railsand stretcher, then screw on thefasteners (Figure-8 Detail).

To slide the top into position,you may want to call in the samecrew that helped you turn it over.Secure it with screws through thefigure-8 fasteners.

To keep grime from grindinginto the wood and the MDF top, Iwiped on three coats of Watco, apenetrating oil finish. Glue has atough time sticking to a surfacefinished with Watco, so anysqueeze-out from project assem-blies will wipe up easily. To pre-vent spontaneous combustionfrom oil-soaked rags, don’t leavethem wadded up — spread themout to dry in a well-ventilated areaor soak them in water.

Expanding the UsesAs I mentioned earlier, I’m realisticenough to know that this bench willbe used for much more than cabi-netmaking and detailed woodwork-ing. I figure that this is where I willsharpen my lawnmower blade,clean up parts while I’m workingon my car, and repair everythingfrom gardening equipment to bicy-cles. Actually, “repair” may not bethe right word. At least this iswhere I take those things apart.

To help me handle those utilitychores, I added a machinist’s vise tothe right front corner of the work-bench. I chose a Record model5VSB, but you may already have avise on hand that will work well.

And to keep the top clean duringeven the dirtiest of those chores, Ikeep a piece of cardboard handy. Ittook me a long time to get a benchwith an inviting work surface. I’mnot going to mess it up now.

Bit" x 6"!/8

Jig1 "x 1 " x 1 "!/2 !/2 !/2

Push-updog

12Use a pilot hole jig (made at the drillpress) to drill accurate starter holes ateach bench dog hole location.

Vise mountingholes #/4" Spade bit

13Hold your drill as square to the top as pos-sible, and let the pilot hole steer the pointof your spade bit into the MDF top.

Rout " chamferaround each hole.

!/8

14Complete the bench dog holes by rout-ing a chamfer around the rim. Makedogs by cutting off 3/4"-dia. hex-headbolts (see inset).

Edging strip

Top

Figure 8 fastenerfits into counterboredrilled into rail.

#8 x 1" FHWS

Figure-8 Detail



Bench Accessory: Boxed Drawer

I designed the drawer for easyconstruction and installation. Itfeatures no-nonsense corner joints— glued rabbets reinforced withscrews. Joinery of the mountingbox is even easier. And whenyou’re ready to install the mount-ing box, access holes through thebottom panel let you easily screwthe unit into position.

The ball-bearing drawer slides Ichose for this project require 1/2"clearance between each side of the

If you want to get organized ina hurry, build a pair of these

simple drawer units and hangthem under your workbench,

below a shelf, or anywhere youneed additional storage space.

drawer and the mounting box. I’vefound that you can oversize thisside clearance by a little bit (up toabout 1/16"), but you can’t make iteven a hair smaller than 1/2". To beon the safe side, I decided to makethe drawers first. I could easilyadjust the size of the mountingbox, if necessary.

After ripping and crosscutting thedrawer sides, front, and back, cutthe rabbets in the sides (RabbetDetail). Then cut the groove for thedrawer bottom (Groove Detail).Double-check the size of the drawerbottom during a dry assembly, andcut it to size.

Now you can assemble thedrawer with glue and two screwsin each corner. Cut the false frontto size, but don’t attach it yet.

To make the mounting box,

start by ripping and crosscuttingthe sides and back. Next, cut thetop and bottom hardboard panels.Drill access holes through the bot-tom panel, and mounting holes inidentical locations through the toppanel. Assemble the mounting boxwith glue and screws. I installedthe drawer slides inside themounting box before adding itstop panel.

Position the false front so itslower edge is flush with the bot-tom of the mounting box. Attachthe false front with screws drivenfrom inside the drawer. Adding thepull completes the drawer.

Install the mounting box withscrews (Installation Detail). Thisis easy enough to do by hand, buta long bit in a power screwdrivermakes it even easier.

Drawer front

Drawerside

!/4"

!/2"

!/2"

Drawerside

!/4"

!/4"

!/4"

Rabbet Detail

TTooppVViieeww

EEnnddVViieeww

Groove Detail Installation Detail

Boxed DrawerConstruction View

OVERALL SIZE: 5 " × 13" × 213/4"

Access holein bottom

panel makesinstallation

an easy job.

Mounting box top panel" x 13" x 21"(hardboard)

!/4

Mounting hole

Washer"%/16

#6 x "FHWS

#/4

Mounting box back" x 4 " x 12"!/2 !/2

Mounting box side" x 4 " x 21"!/2 !/2

Drawer side" x 4" x 20"!/2

Knape & Vogt 130020" slide

Drawer front" x 4" x 10 "!/2 !/2

Drawer false front" x 4 " x 13"#/4 !%/16

Drawer bottom" x 10 " x 19 "

(hardboard)!/4 !/2 !/2

Drawer pull

Drill " access holes 2" fromends and 2" from edges.

!/2

#6 x "FHWS

#/4

Mounting box bottom panel" x 13" x 21" (hardboard)!/4



next time you need it. I designedand built this accessory shelf forthe workbench to create a wealthof right places — all within arm’slength — to store tools, fasteners,and accessories

I purchased some plastic storagebins at a home center to organizethe screws and nails I use mostoften. If you’re also going to do that,buy the containers before buildingin case their size forces you tochange the shelf dimensions.

If the right place to put away atool is closer than the wrong

place, you’re much more likelyto put it in the right place. Andthat means you’ll have a much

better chance of finding it the

Start construction with thesides. Rip them to width and cross-cut to length, then use a dadoblade to cut the rabbet along theback edge of each side (SectionView). Next, cut the shelf dadoesinto the sides.

Double-check the width for theshelves by measuring from thefront edge of the side to the rabbetalong its back edge. Once you’vedone that, you can rip the shelvesto width, crosscut them to length,and mill the dadoes for thedividers (Shelf Detail).

The upper and lower rails arethe same length as the shelves, butthese parts have rabbets cut intotheir ends and along one edge.

Clamp the shelf unit together tocheck the fit of the parts. Cut theback to fit into the rabbet, and trim

the dividers to fit between theshelves. After making any adjust-ments, you’re ready to glue theassembly together. I reinforcedthe glued joints with 6d (2"-long)finishing nails.

I routed a chamfer along alledges and ends (except the bot-tom), and mounted the shelf to mybench with figure-8 fasteners.

1"

5 "!/4

1 "#/8

3"

Side

#/4

#/8

" Dado," deep

#/4

#/8

" Dado," deep

Lower rail

Back

Upper rail Shelves

8"

Section View

Shelf Construction ViewOVERALL SIZE: 8" × 18" × 62"

NOTE: Assemble with glueand 6d finishing nails.

Lower rail" x 3" x 61 "#/4 !/4

Figure 8 fastener

#/8 !/2" Rabbet, " deepalong bottom front edge.

#/8 !/2" Rabbet, "deep at ends.

#/8

!/4

" Rabbet," deep along

inner back edge.

#/4

#/8

" Dadoes," deep.

Optional 1 " holefor outlet strip plug

!/4

Attach figure 8 fastenerwith #8 x 1" FHWS.

#/8 !/4" Rabbet, " deepalong top back edge.

Divider" x 7 " x 4 "#/4 #/4 !/4

Side" x 8" x 18"#/4

6d (2")finishing nails

Back" x 14" x 61 "(hardboard)

!/4 !/4

Shelf" x 7 " x 61 "#/4 #/4 !/4

Upper rail" x 1 " x 61 "#/4 #/8 !/4

BenchAccessory: Shelf

19 "%/8

Dado for divider

Shelf

#/4"

Shelf Detail



others at making skill irrelevant,and a few will surely gather moredust than they generate.

I like watching the constantstream of new ideas, but the moreI see the more I appreciate theingenuity of the early woodwork-ers, craftsmen who made do withsimple tools and techniques.

Drawboring is one of thosegreat techniques, relying on noth-ing more than wooden pegs and

several holes drilled through amortise-and-tenon joint. The holepositions are shifted slightly tocreate a permanent tension in thejoint, almost like building a clampright into the assembly.

The principle is simpler than the

recipe for ice cubes. A straight pegdriven into the slightly offset holesdraws the tenon into the mortise,forcing the shoulder tight againstthe mortised piece. The amount ofoffset varies with the scale of thejoinery — furniture components

Drawbore JoineryAnyone who frequents wood-

working tool shows knows howmany new gadgets arrive everyyear, each promising accuracy,speed, and better results. Some

aim at improving our skills,

Backupscrap board Fence

Determine the best peg hole locationsand drill through the mortise. The holescan be drilled through or stopped blind.

Brad pointdrill bit

Press just enoughto dent tenon.

Dry-fit the joint together and use a brad-point drill to mark the tenon. Press lightlyto leave a small, fine dimple.

1 2



Deadblowmallet

6Use a clamp to close the joint, thencheck the assembly for square. Drive thepegs with a deadblow or wooden mallet.

Original markfrom drill bit.

Awl

Offset spacer

Tenon3Disassemble the joint and mark the tenon holes at the appropriate offset. When drilledaccurately and pegged, the staggered holes pull the joint tight (see inset detail).

Fence

Tenon

Backupscrap board

4Using your drill press (if possible), borethe peg holes through the tenon. A back-up block helps prevent tearout.

Chamfer leading endof peg against movingsanding belt.

5A belt sander makes quick work of theend chamfer on each peg. Don’t skimphere — that "nose" is your navigator.

may require no more than 1/32", butfor a joint in a large timber-framestructure, you can stagger the holesby as much as 1/4", especially if thelumber is green enough to give wayas the peg is driven. One caution —too much of an offset will overstressthe joint during assembly and literal-ly break the wood apart. If you’re notsure, cut some extra parts and do afew trial runs first.

Measure Twice, Drill TwiceAfter you test-fit the tenon in themortise, disassemble the joint andbore the peg holes through the mor-tise (Figure 1).

Like the offset, the peg positionshould be scaled to the joinery.Going more than halfway down thelength of the tenon leaves it weakand prone to splitting; too close tothe shoulder weakens the sides ofthe mortise. This varies with thewood species and the proportions ofthe joint, but as a general guideline,the distance from the center of the

hole to any edge or corner should beno less than twice the peg diameter.Within these limits, though, I usual-ly try to stay close to the shoulders.That way, a gap won’t open up in thejoint if the wood shrinks — themovement will stay to the outside ofthe pegs.

After you drill the first holes, dry-fit the joint again and use a brad-point drill to mark the face of thetenon (Figure 2). Press the bit justenough to leave a small, sharp dim-ple. If you create a large dent there,chances are you’re deforming thevery spot where the offset markneeds to go. Finesse this step andsave your muscle for disassemblingthe joint. Then figure the offset youwant and mark the new hole loca-tions on the tenon (Figure 3).

When you drill these holes, use ablock underneath to support theback of the tenon (Figure 4).

Prior to the final assembly, you’llalso need to customize your pegs. I

cut short lengths of hardwood dowelrod (fluted dowel pins create gaps atthe hole edges) and sand a chamferon the leading ends so each peg canmaneuver through the offset holes(Figure 5).

Attention to DetailI also ease the leading edges of thetenon slightly so it will enter the mor-tise more easily and give the excessglue a little room. When you’re readyfor final assembly, spread glue insidethe mortise and (lightly) on thetenon, then force the joint closed withclamps. Check the assembly forsquare, then drive the pegs (Figure6).

You can vary some details if youwant — the pegs can be left proud orpared flush with the wood surface.Also, they can stop shy of the back ofthe joint or continue through theassembly. And the tenon itself can be“blind” (concealed inside a closedmortise) or “through” (extending toor past the far side of an open mor-tise).

Peg

Offsetexaggeratedfor clarity.

Wood Tools - Plans NOWwoodtools.nov.ru/projects2/PlanPDF/Woodsmith Magazine...with the skinflint...

Documents

Transcript of Wood Tools - Plans NOWwoodtools.nov.ru/projects2/PlanPDF/Woodsmith Magazine...with the skinflint...