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Woodsmith #152

April 2004
Issue 152

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Table of Contents

Tips & Techniques4

Sanding without Sandpaper8

Try these sandpaper alternatives for smoothing curves and other detailed profiles.

Hardwood Plywood10

The inside story on what goes into plywood and how to choose what's right for your project.

Using Wood Fillers12

Mistakes. Everyone makes them, but you can make them disappear with wood filler.

Drilling Square Holes14

One-step mortising. Find out how to get great results with hollow chisel mortising systems.

Mortising Table16

This table and a mortising kit turns your drill press into a precision joint-making machine.

  • Page 17: Exploded view
    The size of the carriage bolt and star knob was printed as 15/16" but it should be 5/16".

Tile-Top Craftsman Table18

This small table is the perfect project to try your hand at mortise and tenon joinery.

  • Page 22: Exploded view illustration
    The Top Center Panel (H) should be 12 3/4", not 12" as printed.

Online Extras

  • Tile-Top Craftsman Table
    Like most Craftsman-style pieces, this table sticks to the basics. It's mostly just straight lines and straightforward joinery. Mortise and tenon joinery is one of the cornerstones of woodworking. And once you get a good feel for it, you're well on your way to building this classic little table.
  • Large Craftsman Table
    The simple design of this table allows you to easily modify the size and create a table with maybe a different purpose, but an equally attractive appearance. If you take a look at the drawing, you'll see that all I did was make the square footprint of the table slightly larger. Instead of two vertical slats between the rails the table now has three. All of the joinery and construction techniques stay exactly the same.
  • Tile-Top Craftsman Table

Perfect Chamfers with a Router24

Master this hand-held router technique for crisp, tearout-free edges every time.

Craftsman-Style Futon Sofa Bed26

A router template and unique hardware are all it takes to go from sitting to sleeping.

  • Page 29: Exploded view
    Two measurements are missing from the lower right side of the drawing. There are drill holes in the legs of the piece; the lower one is 5 7/8" up from the bottom, and the upper one is 8 3/8" up from the bottom.
  • Page 29: Exploded view, detail a
    Clarification: It may not be clear that the detail view of the top section shows the orientation of the leg (A) and stretcher (G) for the back right leg and the front left leg. The other two legs are mirror images with the same dimensions.
  • Page 30: Exploded view, detail c
    The drawing indicates that the leg piece H is 3 1/2" long, but it should be 3".

Online Extras

Shop Notebook32

High-Style Tall Chest34

Dovetailed drawers and highly figured veneer make this chest stand out.

  • Page 38: Exploded view, detail a
    On piece J - Side Front Stile, the depth of the groove is printed as 3/4" but it should be 1/2".

Online Extras

  • High-Style Tall Chest
    This beautiful maple and bird's-eye maple veneer chest might seem a little intimidating, but as with all projects a step-by-step approach makes the job easy. You'll find that the joinery and the assembly are really pretty straightforward.
  • A Low Base
    If you want to bring the tall chest down to earth a bit, this easy-to-build low base is what you need. It gives the chest a slightly more traditional, but equally impressive, appearance. And at a lower level, you'll have easier access to the upper cabinets and drawers.

Finish information: The stain used on this project consisted of 1 part J.E. Moser Cherry Amber Maple dye (water-based) in 1 quart of warm water. It was finished with wiping varnish. Note: We actually recommend using an oil stain rather than the water-based option noted. It was difficult to get consistent results without blotching with the water-based dye. We re-did several parts of project to get everything right.

Taming Those Wild Veneers44

Highly figured veneers turn an ordinary project into a classic showpiece. We'll share proven techniques for great-looking results.

Workshop Wood Storage46

Simple strategies you can use to get your lumber and sheet goods under control.

Lacquer and a Brush48

A sprayed on lacquer finish without a spray gun -- we'll show you how.

Q & A50

Final Details52