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Tips & Techniques4

Glue Line Rip Blades8

A new generation of rip blades delivers smooth, swirl-free cuts -- without sacrificing speed.

When ripping solid wood on the table saw, a glue line rip blade can make a big difference. The Freud glue line rip blade (LM74R010) is available from the Woodsmith Store. Most other blade manufacturers also offer glue line rip blades. See below for sources.

Roundover Bits10

Learn how to make a variety of profiles using nothing more than a couple of roundover bits.

With a roundover bit in your router, you can make a variety of edge profiles, as shown on page 10 of Woodsmith No. 170. The Ultra-Glide bearing on the Amana corner rounding bit makes smooth, half-round profiles. The bit shown on page 11 (Amana 57190) includes the radius bearing. You'll also need to use a regular bearing (47718) to make the first pass (see below for sources).

Plywood on the Table Saw12

Here are some shop-tested strategies for handling large sheets of plywood on your table saw.

Low-Cost Veneering14

This inexpensive vacuum bag system will give you perfect veneering results every time.

Nothing beats a vacuum press for veneering and laminating. It's a great way to apply consistent pressure across the surface of a workpiece during a glueup. A Thin Air Press kit, like that shown on page 14 of Woodsmith No. 170, is available from Woodcraft (145951), Rockler (28777 and 20691), and Roarockit Skateboard Company (01300 and 01301). You can also order replacement bags and accessories from these sources.

Routed Bowls16

Create uniquely shaped bowls with your router? You bet. And you'll be surprised at just how fast and easy the technique is.

  • Page 21: Left Illustration
    The left drawing for the "Large Round Bowl" neglects to include the width of the stave sections. That dimension is 2"

Online Extras

With a router, templates, and the right bit, you can make a variety of bowls (page 16 of Woodsmith No. 170). I used a 1/2" shank, 1-1/4"-dia. bowl and tray bit with top bearing made by CMT. I ordered mine from Woodcraft (823066). You can also purchase this bit from Mike's Tools using the CMT part number (851.502.11B).

You'll also need a collet extension for your router. You can get this from Mike's Tools as well (CMT part number 796.001.00).

For a smooth surface on the inside of the bowls, I used the 3"-dia. Tim Skilton Premium Sanding Pad (68Z25.32) from Lee Valley. You'll also need 180 and 220-grit New Wave sanding disks (68Z63.31), also from Lee Valley. Their unique, wavy edge conforms to the inside of the bowls without gouging.

Classic Modular Bookcase22

Start with a basic case. Then expand the design by building additional units and customize them with options to suit your storage needs.

  • Page 31: Materials & Supplies List
    The lengths of parts H and I are reversed. (They are shown correctly in the cutting diagram).
  • Page 31: Cutting Diagram
    Multiple corrections to cutting diagram: (1) The half sheet of plywood that is used for part E should be labeled as 1/4" - 48" x 48". (2) Only two part N pieces are shown on the diagram, but there should be four. The materials list is correct. (3) The diagram correctly shows three part Ps at 11 3/4", but also shows two more pieces labeled as P which are considerably longer. Those two pieces should be labeled as part Q. (4) Parts C and D should be cut from poplar rather than oak as illustrated (for cost savings only). (5) In the Optional Door and Drawer Materials, Supplies, & Cutting Diagram, parts K and L should both be 3/8" x 3/8".
  • Page 25: Illustration
    Part N (shelf) and part O (shelf edging) should be 21 3/8", not 21 1/2" as printed. (The cutting diagram on p. 31 is correct.)
  • Page 31: Cutting Diagram
    Item J (Drawer Front Panels) should read (2) 1/4 ply. - 3 5/8" x 18 5/8" (not 11 5/8" as originally printed.)
  • Page 49: Magnetic Catch part number
    The part number for the magnetic catch is 01L05.20 (not 00S16.01 as originally printed).
  • Page 29: Illustration
    Clarification: The callouts for parts K and L only show the length. Part K is 3/8" x 3/8" - 17 7/8" and part L is 3/8" x 3/8" x 2 7/8".
  • Page 31: Cutting diagram
    In the cutting diagram for the optional door and drawers at the bottom of the page, parts "H" and "I" are reversed.
  • Page 27: Main illustration
    On Part Z (Face Rail), the art should indicate a 1/2" cove profile, not a roundover profile as originally printed. (The text correctly refers to it as a cove profile.)
  • Page 24: Shelf Pin Hole Layout Illustration
    The 2 1/4" dimension (the distance between the shelf edge and the shelf pin holes) should be changed to 1 3/4". The callout that says Front edge should say Back edge.

The bookcases on page 22 of Woodsmith No. 170 are a great way to add a lot of storage space to any room. For the open bookshelf units, I used 1/4" walnut shelf supports from Rockler (33902). And I purchased the cabinet leveler brackets (01S04.01), leveler feet (01S06.02), 1/4"-20 x 13mm threaded inserts (00N11.13), 1/4"-20 x 30mm quick-connect bolts (00N16.30), and 1/4"-20 x 50mm quick-connect bolts (00N16.50) from Lee Valley.

If you're adding drawers and doors, you'll need some additional hardware. The stem bumper glides for the drawers are from Rockler (28373). The rest of the hardware came from Lee Valley. This includes the bin pulls (02W30.28), mushroom knobs (02W30.24), antique brass no-mortise hinges (00H51.02), plastic retainer clips (00S07.02), magnetic catches (01L05.20), #4 x 1/2" Fh antique brass screws (01Z10.41), and #4 x 1/2" Ph antique brass screws (01Z20.41).

Finish information: We used 2 parts Cherry, 1 part dark oak. Note about Woodkote Jeld Stains - Be sure to allow stain to dry at least 24 hours or an applied finish may pull the pigment back out and cause finish problems.

Shop Notebook32

Five-Drawer Desk34

Sure, this elegant-looking desk stands out from the crowd. But you'll appreciate its straightforward construction and skill-building details.

  • Page 42: Illustration detail a.
    The depth of the dado in the How-To: Dado box should be 3/16" to match detail 'b' at the top of the same page
  • Page 43: Cutting Diagram
    Two Corrections: (1) The dimensions for part D (End case drawer runner) and part H (Center case drawer runner) should be 3/4" x 1/2", not 3/4" x 9/16" as printed. (The same measurement appears on page 36, detail a.) (2) The diagram for the 1/4" maple plywood should be 48" x 48", and there should be four each of part X.
  • Page 36: Illustration detail a, front section view
    The dimensions of part D (End case drawer runner) should be 3/4" x 1/2", not 3/4" x 9/16" as printed. (The same measurement is found in the cutting diagram on page 43.)
  • Page 37: Illustration detail a
    The dimension for the location of the drawer runner in detail 'a' on page 37 should be 1-5/16", not the 1-7/16" shown. The drawer runner location is identical for all of the drawers.

The hardware for the writing desk on page 34 of Woodsmith No. 170 can be purchased at any hardware store. The cherry, Shaker-style pegs I used for the drawer knobs came from Rockler (78469). And the figured cherry veneer for the top was ordered from Certainly Wood.

5 Simple Shop Organizers44

Pick up a few handy ways to keep small tools, bits, and accessories within easy reach.

Perfect Aerosol Finishes46

You don't need expensive equipment to get top-notch spray finishes -- just the right techniques.

Q & A48

Techniques for Making Legs50

Table and desk legs are always on display. Here's how to make them look their best.

Final Details52