Table Of ContentWeekend&
Evening Projects
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WOODSMITH CUSTOM WOODWORKING
Weekend&
Evening Projects
SHOP SAFETY IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
Using hand or power tools improperly con result on
serious injury or death. Do not operote ony tool until
you reod the manual ond understond how to operate the
tool solely. Alwoys use oll oppmpriote safely
equipment os well os the guards that come with your
tools ond equipment and reod the manuals thot
accompany them. In some of the illustrations in this
book, the guards ond safety equipment hove been
removed only to provide 0 better view of the orrotion.
Do not attempt ony procedure without using o I
appropriate safety equipment or without ensuring thot
oil guards ore in place. August Home Publishing
Company ossumes no responsibility for injury, damage
or loss suffered os o result of your use of the material,
plans or illustrations contained in this book.
WOODSMITH CUSTOM WOODWORKING
Weekend&
Evening Projects
By the editors of Woodsmith magazine
Weekend&
Evening Projects
FRAMES, MIRRORS & CLOCKS 6
Laminated Picture Frames .................................................................. 8
Glue up some layers of hardwood co make these beawif11l frames .
Desk Clock ................................................................................................. 16
Build chis handsome clock with just a few pieces rescued from cite scrap bin.
Maple Mirror ............................................................................................. 20
There's an ingenious and easy way to make the cherT)' insets in the frame.
Picture Frame Moldings ...................................................................... 27
Learn how co make beautiful moldings with just some regular router bits.
Picture Frame Clock ............................................................................ .34
The folding case coniains a clock and room for your favorite photo.
Picture Frame Clock Hall Mirror ................................................................................................. 42
Your coat and keys are always within reach tmh this great-looking mirror.
HOUSEHOLD HELPERS
48
Routed Trivets ......................................................................................... .50
A 1mique /)attem makes chese criveis a classy addition LO your kitchen.
Bookends ..................................................................................................... 54
In jtm a few ho1m, build chese great-looking bookends thac won'r slide.
Note Board ................................................................................................. 58
Hand-carved accenr.s provide an eye-catching personal wuch.
Serving Tray. .............................. ................................................................ 64
Sometimes the small features (like splined joints) draw che most attention.
Cheese Board ............................................................................................ 71
Decorative grooves add texture and interest to this easy-to-make project.
Country Wall Shelf ............................................................................... 76
This simple yet versatile shelf is a great spot for displaying collectibles.
Step Stool. ....................................................................................................8 2 Note Board
A slide-out step makes this sturdy stool more convenient than a folding one.
IN THE SHOP 90
Shop Tote .................................................................................................... 92
Here's a project with dividers and "splir" handles for cwo totes in one.
Sandpaper Storage .................................................................................. 96
Keep your sandpaper close at hand ·with these storage options for your shop.
Saw Blade Rack .................................................................................... 102
The protection this saw blade rack provides will save you time and mone)•.
Stacking Sawhorses ............................................................................ 106
Special tabs and notches lock these sawhorses together for work or storage.
Drill Bit Case ......................................................................................... 112
Your drill bir.s are safe in rhis pocket-size storage case with a flip-open lid.
Utility Ladder ......................................................................................... 116
It's sturdy and stable, feaiures a tray for cools, and folds up when not in rise. Shop Tote
Joiner's Mallet ........................................................................................ 121
This "sr:riking" shop-made mallet is filled with lead weights to pack a punch.
Sources .................... ...................... ................................... 126
Index ...... .......... ... ..... ...... ............................... ........... ... ..... 127
anging from a clock that fits in your hand to mirrors
that hang on the wall, the projects in this section are
Rmeant to <lraw your eye. Each one provides a way to
polish your skills in the few hours it takes to complete.
Laminated Picture Frames
Shop Jig: Indexing Jig ......... . ................. 9
Shop Jig: Miter Gauge Setup Jig ....... . ... . ...... 10
Shop Jig: Corner C lamp ........................ 11
Technique: Perfect Miters ............ .. ... . ..... 14
Shop Tip: Card Shim .. .. ... . ... . ............... 15
Desk C lock
Designer's Notebook: Tapered Clock ............... 19
Maple Mirror
Designer's Notebook: Spindled Mirror .............. 22
Shop Jig: Layout And C hi el Guide ................ 23
Technique: Hanging a Frame ..................... 26
Picture Frame Moldings
Shop Tip: Grout Trowel Push Block ............... 28
Shop Tip: Deeper Rabbets ............... . ...... . 29
Shop Tip: Installing Brads ....................... 30
Shop Jig: Frame Clamp .. ....................... 33
Picture Frame C lock
Technique: Veneering .. . ....................... 3 7
Designer's Notebook: Veneering Options ............ 38
Technique: Mortising a Catch ........ .. ... . ...... 39
Designer's Notebook: Inlays ..................... 41
Shop Tip: Fitting Inlay . ... . .................... 41
42
~:l~~::yrh:: Hang"' ....... . .......... . ... 46 /
Joinery: Mortise and Tenon ........ . ......... . ... 4 7
Laminated Picture Frames
The secret to making these picture frames is building up a blank from several layers of wood.
You can mix different types of wood to create a look that complements whatever you're framing.
art of the appeal of a small picture "sandwich" to make a wide, thick blank. WOOD. To highlight the details in
frame is that it's usually a quick, Then narrow pieces are ripped from the each frame. I chose woods with con-
easy project to build. But al first blank like strips of bacon. When these trasting colors. One frame uses mostly
glance, these two frames may not pieces lie flat. you can see the layers of cherry with maple trim. The oilier uses
appear all that simple. U1e sandwich. These pieces are then more maple Ulan cherry. You can prob-
Both frames look like they were mitered to finished length and assem- ably find a variety of ways to customize
assembled with lots of tiny pieces or bled into a frame. the look of iliese frames by using some
blocks, which must mean a lot of time- There's one thing to note about the of the pieces from your scrap bin.
consuming setups and fine-tuning. But size of these picture frames. They're MITERING. One of the keys to making
that's not how they were made. designed to accept standard photos "picture perfect" frames is tight-fitting
Actually. both frames follow the with precut mats (see Sources, page miters al each corner. This is one of
same general procedure. And it's not 126). The larger gridwork frame (Oil the those operations iliat take a bit of time
that complicated. left in the photo above) is sized to hold and patience to set up, but the end
LAMINATED BLANKS. Each frame is an 8 x 10 matted photo. The smaller result is well worili ilie effort. There are
built in three basic steps. First, pieces of accent strip frame (on the right) is the a number of tips to help you with this
different types of wood are glued into a right size for a 5 x 7 malted photo. beginning on page 14.
8 FRAMES, MIRRORS & CLOCKS
GR DWORK FRAME spaced dadoes in a strip of wood. (If the CHERRY
dadoes faced outward on a cabinet, this DENTIL MOLDING
It may look like you'd have to cut a lot of strip would be called dentil molding.) PIECE
tiny squares to make the individual I cut the <lentil molding profile on the
blocks in this frame. Actually, all you router table, using a simple indexing jig
need to do is cul a series of evenly- (see the Shop Jig box below).
:RAMEBLANK
To build the frame, I prepared a single
blank with three layers of wood. Later,
the four pieces of the frame will be NOTE;
ripped from this blank. This way, all the RIP PIECE IN TWO
AFTER CUnlNG DENTILS
pieces end up identical, and you'll save (SEE INDEXING JIG BELOW)
quite a bit of setup time.
I laminated the blank for the frame
from two pieces of %11-thick cherry and
a thin strip of maple. But t11e two cherry
pieces start out as one extra-wide piece
(F ig.1 ). That's so the dentil profile only
has to be cut on one piece.
ROUT DENTILS. After the cherry
piece is cut to size, the next step is to cut
the den Lil profile on it (Fig. Ia) . (Here's DENTIL MOLDING PROFILE
where you'll need the indexing jig.)
Then rip the blank in hall.
~DD© .... . . . . ...... lndexinq Jiq
ne thing I like about the gridwork evenly-spaced openings are easy to cut attached to your miter gauge and a
frame (shown above) is the open with the help of a simple indexing jig. couple of small pieces of scrap, as
spaces in the frame pieces. These All you'll need is an auxiliary fence shown in the series of drawings below.
To make the jig, clamp a fence to the Now cut an indexing pin to fit the Next move the fence so the bit is 1/4"
miter gauge. Then rout a 3J,6 "-high notch. Sand edges so workpiece can from the pin. (Use a spacer the same
notch in the fence with a 1/4" straight bit. be set on and off easily. Glue pin in place. width as pin.) Then rec/amp the fence.
With fence still clamped in place, drill To cut dentils, lay the workpiece face Place the just-cut dado on the
pilot holes and screw the fence to the down, keeping it tight against the indexing pin and make a pass. Repeat
miter gauge. Then raise the bit 114" high. fence and pin. Cut the first dado. process along the length of the board.
LAMINATED PICTURE FRAMES 9
