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Tips & Techniques4

Sandpaper8

There's more to choosing the right sandpaper than you might think. Here’s how to get it right.

You can find a wide variety of sandpaper at just about any hardware store or home center, as well as the woodworking suppliers listed in the margin at right. For wet/dry, silicon carbide sandpaper, automotive supply stores are often a good source.

Stack Dado Blades10

Get the scoop on finding a stack dado blade that will give you the most bang for your buck.

A stack dado blade is certainly one of the best investments you can make for your table saw. Several blade manufacturers (Freud, Forrest, and Infinity Tools) make high-quality stack dado sets for around $200-$250. If you’re looking for a good, "entry-level" dado blade, the Freud Pro Dado (SD208) is an excellent value. It typically sells for about $100.

Oneway Multi-Gauge12

Here's a handy set-up gauge that puts machine shop accuracy at your fingertips.

The Multi-Gauge is available directly from Oneway Manufacturing, or from several of the sources listed below.

Pocket Hole Joinery14

This modern joinery technique can make your projects go together faster and better.

When it comes to pocket hole jigs, the Kreg Tool Company wrote the book. You can purchase Kreg jigs through most woodworking dealers. Or view all the products Kreg has to offer by taking a look at their website, kregtool.com.

Quilt-Top Keepsake Box18

There's no stitching required -- just a couple days of straightforward woodworking. The end result is a unique project that's guaranteed to attract attention and compliments.

  • Page 21: Drawing of top block pieces
    Clarification: The thickness of the blocks used to create the pattern is 1/4".
  • Page 21: Dimensions of Part H
    The illustration at the top of the page and detail a in the top illustration under How-To Cut Blocks gives the dimension of 1 1/58" for the diamond-shaped pieces (H) but it should be 1 23/32".
  • Page 23: Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram
    The dimension of 1-5/8" shown on part H (Diamonds) should be 1-23/32".
  • Page 21: Detail a and b
    Detail illustrations 'a' and 'b' in the upper right corner of the page show incorrect distances for the stop block location. The measurement in detail 'a' should be changed from 1 5/8" to 1 1/2". The measurement in detail 'b' should be changed from 1 1/2" to 1 5/16".
  • Page 1: Online Extra
    The dimension for the short vertical border block (lower right corner of the page) should be 6".

Online Extras

  • Additional Quilt-Top Boxes
    In addition to the "tumbling block" pattern used on the Keepsake Box in issue No. 190, we also came up with a couple other lid designs—a star pattern and a pinwheel pattern. The basic boxes are constructed just like the box in the article. Only the dimensions will vary.

Aside from the wood, the only thing you'll need to complete the quilt-top boxes on page 18 is some adhesive-backed felt. You can find this at most craft stores.

To finish the boxes, I simply applied a coat of General Finishes' Seal-A-Cell, followed by a couple coats of spray lacquer.

Knock-Down Bookcase24

Who says that straightforward construction and style can’t go hand in hand? Here’s proof positive. No-nonsense techniques and simple details add up to a practical, great-looking project.

In addition to pocket screws, there are a few other items to purchase for the knock-down bookcase on page 24. The connector bolts (00N14.30), cap nuts (00N20.17), leveler brackets (01S04.01) and leveler feet (01S06.02) were all ordered through Lee Valley. For the 1/4"-thick fluted glass panels, we went to a local glass shop.

To give the red oak a little warmer color, the bookcase was finished with a coat of General Finishes' Seal-A-Cell and then two coats of lacquer.

Shop Notebook30

  • Page 30: Illustration, lower right
    The drawing has the person's arm in an unsafe position. The arm should be more to the left and away from the saw blade.

Classic Corner Cabinet32

This handsome corner cabinet gets all the traditional details right -- from its crown molding and beaded back to its painted finish. The bonus is making good use of an empty corner.

  • Page 34: Main illustration
    At the top of the main drawing, there is a dimension shown of 13". This is actually the distance from the end of the top panel to the screw hole, not to the corner of the panel as shown. The left arrow of the dimension line should extend over to the screw hole. (The correct distance of 11 1/16" from the end of the panel to the back corner is shown on the bottom panel.)
  • Page 41: Materials List
    Four corrections: (1) The materials list indicates that four pocket screws are needed, but only two are required. (2) The dimensions for the Shelf (M) should be 12 3/4". (3) The Door Panels (Q) are 3/4" thick. The cutting diagram properly shows them as being cut from 3/4" poplar. (4) The correct dimension for the Side Panels (E) is 16 7/16" (3/8 ply. - 16 7/16 x 27 1/4), as shown in the drawing on page 34.
  • Page 51: Source for crown molding
    The crown molding source was omitted from the Sources information. The molding used was from Ferche, product number F610. The Ferche website has a dealer locator: www.ferche.com.
  • Page 38: Middle illustration, detail a
    The middle drawing in the How-To box gives an incorrect depth of 1/4" for the dadoes in the Back Stiles (D). The correct depth is 3/8". This matches the depth of the rabbets at the top and bottom of the stiles.

Online Extras

  • Stand-Alone Base Cabinet
    One big advantage of the corner cabinet’s two-piece design is that you have the option of building just the base cabinet. And there are only a couple of changes you need to make to the base to use it as a stand-alone unit.

To build the corner cabinet on page 32, you'll need magnetic catches (26559), a leg leveler (31210), and figure-8 fasteners (21650) from Rockler. For the door hinges (CP-11), shelf pins (SP-10), and Shaker knobs (WK-7), we turned to Horton Brasses.

We also used several router bits to create the various moldings for this project. The ogee bit (54120) and the reed bit (54360) are both made by Amana Tool.

The crown molding (F610) was manufactured by Ferche.

When it came to selecting a paint color, we chose two different shades. The beaded plywood back of the cabinet is painted with Benjamin Moore's Peach Brandy. The color of the rest of the cabinet is cite>Masada. Then to give the cabinet an aged look, we applied a coat of General Finishes' Gel Stain (Java) as a glaze.

Chisel Basics42

Learn a few simple techniques that will allow you to get more from this essential hand tool.

Hand-Rubbed High-Gloss Finish44

We'll show you how to make your project shine with this tried-and-true finishing technique.

To create a traditional handrubbed finish, you’ll need a number of supplies. These include varnish (or lacquer), paste wood filler, pumice, rottenstone, paraffin oil, felt blocks, and non-woven abrasive pads. You can find most of these finishing supplies from one of the several sources listed below.

Molded Door Frames48

Using a combination of power and hand tools, you can make classic-looking door frames.

Q&A50

Final Details52