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Tips & Techniques4

Choosing Veneer8

Veneer offers options you don't have with solid wood. Here's how to make the right choice.

The best place I've found to purchase veneer is VeneerSupplies.com. It’s a well-organized site that shows photos of the actual flitches that are sale. All you need to do is choose your wood species, price range, and favorite wood pattern. Another good site is B&B Rare Woods. They also show photos of the veneer sheets and flitches they have in stock.

Backed veneer can be purchased at many lumberyards and home centers. It’s also available at VeneerSupplies.com.

Dust Collectors10

Find out what you need to know to select and set up a dust collector for your shop.

Choosing the right dust collection system for your shop isn’t too difficult with the many options available on the market today. You can find dust collectors at Rockler or Penn State Industries, as well as several other sources.

Rockler also sells the plastic adapters (36337) to link PVC to your collector and the metal duct work for collection. PVC pipe, and plastic duct work to route dust to the collector, is available at most home centers or hardware stores.

Rockler's Concealed Hinge JIG-IT14

This handy jig makes using European-style hinges even easier. Take a look.

Drilling the cup holes for Eurostyle hinges is easier with the Concealed Hinge Multi-Tool JIG-IT (31126) from Rockler or the Euro-Eze II (951-640) from Woodworker’s Supply.

Box-Jointed Silverware Tray16

The design is classic, but the woodworking is definitely up-to-date. You'll learn how to cut angled box joints on the table saw and get a tray with countless uses out of the deal.

  • Page 17: Second illustration
    In the drawing in the lower right corner, it appears we are making the cut by pulling the workpiece back through the blade. Actually, it should show a completed cut with the cut line completely through the workpiece.

Storage Bench22

You usually don't think of a bench as a storage project - but this one sure qualifies. It features plenty of seating on top as well as a place for three, roomy storage baskets below.

  • Page 29: Main drawing
    In the main drawing at the top of the page, the basket dimensions of 9" and 12-1/4" were flipped. The baskets are 9" tall, and 12-1/4" wide, not the reverse as shown.
  • Page 28: Main illustration
    The side panel (M) should be 15 1/4" wide, not 15 1/2" as originally printed.
  • Page 29: Materials List
    The side panels (M) should be 15 1/4" wide, not 15 1/2" as originally printed.
  • Page 29: Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram
    The Back Panel (K) should be 42 1/2" long, not 42 3/4" as originally printed.
  • Page 25: Rail Mortises illustration
    The original illustration for the setup for routing the ends of the rails with the jig was virtually impossible for one person to setup using two supports and a pair of clamps. The art should show a saddle-style support held in place with one clamp. Page 25 in the archive PDF was replaced with a page showing correct art.

Online Extras

  • Storage Bench
    A storage bench is a great addition to an entry hall or mud room. This design features three storage bays — plenty of room to stow away some clutter. To organize the space, I used inexpensive baskets from a housewares store. If you need to change the dimensions of the bench to suit a different basket size, we’ve created a handy part-size calculator.

Organizing an entry way in your home will be easy with the bench project on page 22. We purchased the wicker baskets (9″ x 12¼″ x 15″) for the bench at Pier 1 Imports. The SKU number is 2302659.

The finish on the bench seat is three coats of lacquer to let the natural wood show through. The remainder of the bench is painted with Benjamin Moore Paint Corinthian White (OC-111).

Shop Notebook30

  • Page 30: Mortise Jig
    The carriage bolts shown in detail 'b' must be counterbored into the fences in order to work correctly for routing the mortises in the ends of the rails, which is covered on page 25 of the Storage Bench article.

Craftsman-Style Wall Cabinet32

The Craftsman heritage of this handsome wallcabinet is unmistakable. And you'll appreciate the fact that the woodworking is uncomplicated and, of course, solid as a rock.

  • Page 36: Detail b, Top Section View
    At the far right of the drawing, there is a dimension of 3/8" shown for the glass stop. The lower arrow for this dimension is pointing to the outside face of the glass. It should be pointing to the inside face of the glass.

You’ll be able to display treasured keepsakes or just about anything in the Craftsman-style wall cabinet that begins on page 32. The pulls (01A22.94), hinges (02H12.41), magnets (99K31.03), and washers (99K32.62) were purchased at Lee Valley. The finish is a custom mix of three parts Zar Cherry Stain to 1 part Jel’d Cherry Stain.

Three-Tiered In-Box38

It's surprising that something so practical could look this good. With its splined miter joints, contrasting woods, and sliding trays, this stylish in-box is sure to be a hit.

  • Page 40: Illustration, top view and detail
    In both the top view detail and detail 'b,' the tray guides are incorrectly labeled as part F. They should be labeled part D, as in the main drawing.

There are only a few pieces of hardware for the three-tier inbox on page 38. The screws and washers for the trays and the cork pads for the bottom can be purchased at a local hardware store or home center.

I decided to let the natural color of the cherry and maple shine through. The finish was just three coats of lacquer.

Router Templates42

When it comes to shaping perfect duplicate parts, a router and a template can't be beat.

Flush-trim bits and pattern bits like the ones shown in the article on page 42 are available from most router bit manufacturers. The bowl and tray bit (851.502.11B) by CMT is available at Amazon. Other bits are available at Woodcraft.

Coping & Fret Saws44

Every shop needs one of these essential saws. Here's how to choose one and put it to use.

When it’s time to cut curves or do intricate work, nothing beats a reliable coping saw or fret saw.

You can purchase these saws and replacement blades at Tools for Working Wood or Olson Saw. Coping saws and blades are also available at most hardware stores and home centers.

Applying Shellac46

We'll show you three easy ways to successfully apply this versatile finish to your projects.

Solid-Wood Drawer Bottoms48

A traditional project deserves all the right details - including solid-wood drawer bottoms.

Q & A50

Final Details52