292 24 26MB
English Pages 148 Year 1993
i
l \
//
* 'f .
I I
t I I
t I
THEARTOFWOODWORKING
HOMEWORI$HOP
WORKSHO GPU I D E SAFETY TIPS
TURNING ANDCARVING TOOLS
Power tools
9kew chisel UeedLo ehape peaa6and Pommels on workpieceemounLed on ETne;ranqe7 beLween /, inchand 1l incheatn wtdth
. Wearappropriatesafetygear:safety glasses, a faceshieldfor extraprotection and hearingprotection. lf therers no cust collection system, weara dustmask.For exotrcwoodssuchas ebony,usea respirator;the sawdustmaycausean allergic reaction.Wearworkgloveswhenhand l i n gr o u g hl u m b e r . o Drapethe powercord of a portable powertool overyourshoulderto keep it out of the way.
Round-end earaPer 9moothe work mounLedon lalthe faceplaLe:typical blade widtheare , 1 ,l,a n d l i n c h
. C o n c e n t r a toen t h e l o b ; d o n o t r u s h . Neverworkwhenyou aretired,stressed, o r h a v eb e e nd r i n k i n ga l c o h ool r u s i n g m e d i c a t i o nt h s a t i n d u c ed r o w s i n e s s . . A l w a y sk e e py o u rw o r ka r e ac l e a n a n d t i d y ; c l u t t e cr a n l e a dt o a c c i d e n t s , and sawdustand woodscrapscan be a fie hazard.
Roughing-out gouge UeedLo turn cyltndere from oquare blankemounLedon lathe;availablein '/-,1 /- and 1y'inch widthe
. K e e py o u rh a n d sw e l l a w a yf r o m a t u r n i n gb l a d eo r b i t . o Do not usea tool if any partis worn or damaged.
9pindle gouge Kound-noaed 1ouqefor qenerai turntnq;ran4e9 '/, from Lo 1 ',1 incheetn wtdl,h
Handtools . Usethe appropriate tootfor the lob: do not try to makea tool do something for whichit wasnot intended. . Clampyourworkpiece to freeboth handsfor an operation.
Parting tool Narrow,chiael-like tool ueed1taaecLion workptece mountedon laLhe; avatlablein'/:.-and /,-tnch widtha
o Cut awayfromyourselfratherthan towardyourbody. . Do not forcea tool;if possible, try removing lessstockon eachpass. . Keepthe edgesof cuttingtoolssharp
Veiningchioel Fartrng Loolfor ouLliningaeparate areao and cuttin7 6harpqroovea; availablein 1-, l-,
and ''/.-tnch wtdths
Eent gouge For ehap,inqholtowaana curvea: ranqeafrom'/ tnch t o 1rnchin widLh No.5 gouge For shaping ,ftne worK;ranqea from I inch Lo 1 inch in wtdth No.8 gouge For,rou4hehaping worK;ran4e' rrom '/
inch to 1 inch in width Handlee
With a typical lenqth of 10 to 14 rnchee,handleo of turninq l;ooleare Lhicker and lonqerLhanLhoeeof carvinq Loola: the exl,ra
lenqth permiLsLwohanded operation
DESIGN ANDMEASURING T()()LS . Awl
. Carpenter's square o Combination
square o Compass o Contourgauge o Cuttinggauge o D i a lc a l i p e r
. Dovetail square r F l e x i b lceu r v e r Frenchcurve
o Protractor
o I n s i d ec a l l p e r s . Markinggauge o M e a s u r i nt g ape
o Steelruler
o M i t e rs q u a r e . Mortisegauge . Outside ca||pers
o Sliding DEVCI
. Straightedge
. Trammel points . Trysquare
I I I I T
t I I I I
t I
t I I I I I I I I I I I
t I I I I I I I
T I I I
THEARTOFWOODWORKING
CABINETS ANDBOOKCASES
I I t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
THEARTOFWOODWORKING
CABINETS AN{DBOOICNES
t I I I I I I I I
TIME.LIFE BOOKS VIRGINIA ALEXANDRIA. ST.REMYPRESS MONTREAL. NEWYORK
THE ART OF WOODWORKING wasproduced by ST. REMYPRESS PUBLISHER KennethWinchester PR-ESIDENT PierreL6veill6 SeriesEditor SeriesArt Director SeniorEditors Art Directors Designers ResearchEditor PictureEditor Writers Research Assistant Cont r ibuting I IIustrators
Administrator ProductionManager SystemCoordinator Photographer Proofreader Indexer
PierreHome-Douglas FrancineLemieux Marc Cassini(Text) HeatherMills (Research) Normand Boudreault,Luc Germain, SolangeLaberge Jean-GuyDoiron, Michel GiguEre, H6ldneDion TimMcRae ChristopherJackson Andrew Jones,Rob Lutes BryanQuinn GillesBeauchemin,RollandBergera, Michel Blais,Jean-PierreBourgeois, RonaldDurepos,RobertPaquet, JamesTh6rien NatalieWatanabe MichelleTirrbide fean-LucRoy RobertChartier Iudith Yelon ChristineM. Iacobs
Time-Life Booksis a division of Time-Life Inc., a wholly ownedsubsidiaryof THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY
TIME-LIFEBOOKS President Iohn D. Hall Vice-President NancyK. Jones Editor-in-Chief ThomasH. Flaherty Directorof Editorial Resources EliseD. Ritter-Clough MarketingDirector EditorialDirector ConsultingEditor ProductionManager
ReginaHall LeeHassig fohn R. Sullivan MarleneZack
THECONSUTTANTS fon Arno is a consultant,cabinetmakerand freelancewriter who livesin Tioy, Michigan. He also conductsseminarson wood identificationand earlyAmericanfurniture design. Kam Ghaffari is a freelancewriter and editor. He hashis own businessin RhodeIsland designingand building one-of-a-kindand limited production furniture. Kam's background alsoincludesworking professionallyin furni ture reproductionand fine carpentry,and studyingwith furniture patriarchsWendell Castleofthe U.S.and FredBaierofEngland. Giles Miller-Mead taught advancedcabinetmaking at Montreal technicalschoolsfor more than ten years.A nativeofNew Zealand,he has worked asa restorerof antiquefurniture. fosephTruini is SeniorEditor of Hoze Mechanixmagazine. A former Shopand Tools Editor of PopularMechanics,he hasworked as a cabinetmaker,home improvementcontractor and carpenter.
Cabinetsand bookcases p. cm.-(The Art of Woodworking) Includesindex. ISBN0-8094-99 45-2 (trade) l. Cabinetwork-Amateurs' manuals. 2. Bookcases-Amateurs'manuals. I. Time-Life Books.II. Series
TTr97.C23 684.1'6-dc20
93-20771 CIP
For information about any Time-Life book, pleasecall l-800-621-7026,or write: ReaderInformation Time-Life CustomerService P.O.Box C-32068 fuchmond, Virginia 23261-2068 @ 1993Time-LifeBooksInc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form or by any electronicor mechanical means,including information storageand retrievaldevicesor systems,without prior written permissionfrom the publisher,exceptthat briefpassages may be quotedfor reviews. First printing. Printed in U.S.A. Publishedsimultaneouslyin Canada. TIME-LIFE is a trademarkof Time WarnerInc. U.S.A. R 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
CONTENTS 6
INTRODUCTION
t2 T4 T6 L9 20 24
CABINETMAKING BASICS Wood movement Selectingand orderinglumber Lumber defects Preparingstock Cabinetmakingjoinery
40 42 44 45 50 52 54 56
BOOKCASE Anatomy of a bookcase Bookcaseaccessories Adjustableshelving Fixed shelves Edgetreatmentfor shelves Faceframes Basesand feet
106 108 110 Llz 116 118 I20 L24 L28 130 I34 136
HIGHBOY Anatomy of a highboy Assemblingthe upper chest Cabriolelegs Assemblingthe lower chest Cockbeading Drawers Crown moldings Rosettes Finials Quarter columns Applied sculptures
I4O
GLOSSARY
I42
INDEX
T44 ACKNO\{LEDGMENTS
60 62 64 66 72 84 86 88 93 100 104
ARMOIRE Anatomv of an armoire Pilasters' Cornicemoldings Doors BLANKET CHEST Anatomy of a blanketchest Tops Basesand feet Hardware Inlays
INTRODUCTION
Nain Morcelandhis
LIBRARYI.]NIT wasoneof my helibrary unit shownhere,madeout of Hondurasmahogany, Loeven, with Frdddric I in the shop co-own It was built I first big commissions. past, was our but this pieces in the lot single had a of We built a fine cabinetmaker. large, inteof a planning construction and with the first opportunityto experiment gratedwall unit. of theroom that theunit would Our first stepwasto takeaccuratemeasurements walls arenot alwaysstraight.Thedifsince occupy.Thishadto bedoneverycarefidly, thewallsat the corners between we measured ferencecanbe asmuch as%inch.So to cut our stockonce! We wanted inches out. only of the room andagaineveryfew piece Our clientwanted in the shop. the in hand,wedesigned With measurements mahogany.The why we chose a dark which was a traditionalEnglish-librarylook, ofthe unit. appearance Frenchdoorsalsocontributedto the classical would be wasto makesurethebookcases Themostcriticaldesignconsideration height, depth between the The relationship wellproportionedfor thesizeof theroom. as visual reference with a provide ourselves andwidth of the unit hadto be right. To plan of we drew a full-scale structure, the componentsof the we cut and assembled and usto keeptrackofall thepieces theroomon thefloorofthe shop.Thisenabled we went along. positionthemin theirproperlocationsas fiberboardfor the basicstructureandjoinedthe We usedmahogany-veneered theysit on brassshelfsupports areadjustable; pieceswith biscuits.Mostof theshelves panels. We addedsolidmahoganybanding, in theside into sleeves whicharescrewed to givethem twicethe thicknessof the shelfstock,to the front edgesof the shelves of the unit. We back edges morerigidity.Thebackpanelssit in rabbetscut into the jointswith mortise-and-tenon madethepaneleddoorsout of solidmahoganyusing pieces up of three separate molding.Thecornicemoldingis made a fineintegrated the unit. applied to of wood individuallyshapedand gluedtogetherbeforebeing with a darkredmahoganystainfollowedby severalcoats Wefinishedthebookcases the molding lacquer,thenwipedon a glazingstainto accentuate of cellulose-based andgivethepiecean agedappearance,
Alain Morcel operatesLesRialisations Loeven-Morcel,a cabinetry shop in Montrdal, Qutbec, along with his partner, Fr,lddricLoeven.The shopspecializesin architectural woodwork and reproductionsof antiquefurniture.
INTRODUCTION
ChrisBecksvoort describes the
CHALLENGES OF CABINETMAKING asepieces---l1ension.Turn eawand markf'helenqlhof cut on Ihe erteneion. Aliqnawoodblockwi|ht'he mark and clampiNin p.lace ae-a olop block.To lineup oachcul, bulN'lheend of aqainet'Nheblockand makeNhecut' vhe workpiece
t I I
t
23
a beltsander Using to Clampa stopblockto a worksurface a Install moving. from keepthestock power cord the beltanddrape sanding to keepit outof the overyourshoulder parallel direction way.Withthesanding and grain, the tool on turn to thewood (above). surface slowlylowerit ontothe preferto setthetool Somewoodworkers it. starting before f latontheworkpiece along machine In eithercase,movethe strokes thegrainwithlong,overlapping To is smooth. avold untilthesurface keepthe sander gouging thesurface, do notletthe moving; f lat andalways pause in onespot. machine
I
CABINETMAKINGIOINERY his sectionintroducessomestan-
J. dardjoinerytechniques common to thebuildingof virtuallyanystyleof cgline1 orbookcase. Ifyouareusingsolid lumberforyourproject,youwill make upthewidepanels forthecarcase or the panelof aframe-and-panel assemblyby gluingboardstogether edge-to-edge, as shownbelow.Thistechnique enables youto savemoney-wideboardsare prohibitively expensive-without sacrificingstrength; a glued-uppanelisjust asstrongasa singlepieceof lumber.If youareworkingwith plywoodpanels, hardwoodbandingwill hideunsightly (page25). edges Of thedozens ofjoineryoptions,the throughdovetailjoint remainsthe benchmark of craftsmanship. Thejoint
canbecut on a varietyof powertools, but thehand-cutting technique shown startingonpage26will giveyouthedistinctivelookassociated withfinefurniture.A platejoint,shownbeginning on page29,is a muchquickeroption. Althoughit lacksthedovetail's esthetic appeal,the platejoint is virtually asstrongandis anexcellent choiceif youareworkingwith p\nvoodpanels, whichcannotbejoinedwith dovetails. joint youchoose, Whichever yourcar-
casewill needa back.Installationdetails areprovidedon page31. Manytypesof cabinets, includingthe armoireshownon page60, are built around frame-and-panel assemblies ratherthancrcrses.Twojoinery options for buildingsucha cabinetarepresented:themortise-and-tenon (page33)and joint (page35).The the cope-and-stick panelsfor a frame-and-panel cabinet can be raisedon eitherthe tablesaw (pagej6) or router (page3S).
GLUING UPA PANET
t I I
t I I I I I I I I I I I
t I
t I T Theplate,or biscuit, joint ffirs a strong and simplemethodof connecting carcasecornerswith a minimum of set-up time. The slotsarecut with a special toolknownasa platejoiner. Onceglue isaddedto the slots, ovalbiscuitsof compressed beechare inserted.When the joint isgluedand assembled, thebiscuits swell,creating a durableconnection.
t theglue 1 Applying r Settwobarclamps on a worksurface andlaythe boards on top.Adoas many propthecramos clamps asyouneedto support thepieces at 24-to 36-inchintervals. on notched woodblocks to keepthemfromfallingover.Marktheendgrainorientation of eachboard witha pencil, thenarrange thepieces to enhance theirappearance, as shownin thephotoonpage13.Tominimize warping, makesuretheendgrainof adjacentboards runsin opposite directions. onceyouhavea satisfactory arrangemenr, alignthepieces edgeto-edge andmarka triangle onthestockto helpyouassemble the boards at glueup.Next,cuttwoprotective woodpadsat leastas longastheboards. Leaving thefirstboardfacedown,standtheotherpieces onedgewiththealignment marksfacingawayfromyou.Applya thingluebeadto eachboard(above), rnenuse a small,stiff-bristled brushto spread theadhesive eventv.
24
I I I T T I I I I T
t I
CABINETMAKING BASICS
I I
t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
llltlll lllllllllllllllllillfllllllllllllilllllllllllillllllllllllJllll 1HO?Tt? Adding edge molding to plywood Coicealthe vieibleedqeeof plywoodpanelewilh eolid' woodmoldin7.Uoea I'onguejoint'lo )oinlhe and-groove pieceo.CUI a qrooveinNo lhe ed4eone-t'hirdas Nhick a e N h eo a n e l . T h esna wa matchiiqlonyueon the edqe of lhe hardwoodboardthat' willbeusedaslhe edqemoldinq.(lNis besl'o maket'he
t I I I I I I
lhe 7rooveand on Lhetonque. gecurelhe moldinqin 7lacewilh clampo. Nhree-way
25
r) Tightening theclamps facedown,making L Settheboards align.Tightsurethesidesof thetriangle s n d etrh eb o a r djsu s t e nt h ec l a m p u a Install themtogether. to press enough thetopof thestock, thirdclampacross Gradually theothers. it between centering untilthere alltheclamps(above) tighten and the boards arenogapsbetween outof the a thinbeadof gluesqueezes joints.Usea C clampto leveladjacent f lushwith thatdonotlieperfectly boards witha theboards eachother.Protecting theclamponthejotnt woodpad,center n e a tr h ee n d sa n dt i g h t e ni t u n t i lt h e thenremove arelevel(inset), boards theclampandpad.Usea puttyknifeto as muchof thesqueezed-out remove it dries.Oncethe before glueaspossible theclamps hascured,remove adhesive any to remove andusea patntscraper gluethatremains.
I CABINETMAKING BASICS
I I
HAND.CUT DOVETAILS
I T I I
thoulder
1 Waate
t
Center
t I I
t 'l
0utlining thepins I Marktheoutside faceof eachboardwitha bigX,thenset gauge a cutting to thethickness of thestockandscribe a line around theendsof thefourpanels to marktheshoulder of the pinsandtails.Thepanels thatwillformthetopandbottom of thecarcase willbethepinboards. Secure eachonein turnin a viseandusea dovetail square to ouflinethepinsontheends of theboardin thesequence (youcanalsousea shown above. slidingbeveltomarkthepins;setanangleof l:6 forsoftwood o r 1 : 8f o rh a r d w o o d . ) T haerreen of i r mg u i d e l i n feosrs i z i n g a n ds p a c i ntgh ep i n so f a d o v e t aj iol i n t .I n g e n e r at lh, ep i n s r) Cutting thepins Z- Secure thef irstpin boardrna vise wrthits outsidefacetoward you.Usea dovetail saivto cut alongtheedges of thepins,working fromonesideof the panelto the other(right).Somewoodworkers findit easier to cut all the lefthandedges first,andthenmoveonto theright-hand edges. Foreachcut,align thesawbladewiththewastesideof the cuttinglineandusesmooth, evenstrokes, takingcareto keepthebladeperpendicularto thepanelendasyoucutto the shoulder lines.Repeat theprocedure at theopposite endof theboardandat both endsof theotherpinboard.
s h o u lb d en ow i d etrh a nt h et a i l se; v e n lsyp a c epdi n sa t l e a s t one{hird thesizeof thewaste sections around themwillmake j o i n t .B e g i nw i t hh a l f - p i nast e a c h f o r a n a t t r a c t i v set,r o n g edge,making certain thatthenarrow sidesof thepinsareon theoutside faceof thepanel.Outline thewastesections beside thehalf-pins andmarkthecenter of thepanelend.Oufline a pinat thecenter mark,thenmarktheremaining pins(above, right),indicating all thewastesections withXs.Usea combinationsquare to extend themarksdownto theshoulder lineon bothfacesasyougo.
I I I I I I I
t I I I I I I I I I I
26
t I
I
t
CABINE,TMAKINGBASICS
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
llllllljt]llilllllllll[ lllll]illllllllllllJlll tjillll i[ tlil]Illll 9HO7Tt? Cuttin7 awaywaole with a aoping saw A copinqsawworKe a s w e l la s a c h i e e l for clearingawayNhe bulkof the wast'ewood betweenNhepine.WiNh N h ep a n e le e c u r e du p r i 4 h l i n a v i e e ,s l a n d f a c i n q t h e o u N s i d e f a c e o f N h e V a n e la n d o l i d e the saw blade into t'he kerl beeide each pin, Kolale lhe frame wit'houL e N r i k i n aN h ee n d o f L h e b o a r d a n d c u No u t ' a e m u c h w a e t ' ea o y o D c a n w h i l ek e e p i n qt h e b l a d ea b o u l / , ai n c h a b o v et ' h e s h o u l d e rl i n e .C u l
u n N yi lo ur e a c h l h e k e rot n L h ee d q eo f t ' h ea d l a c e n t wasLe. pin.Dsea chieello pareawayany remaininq
outthewaste Q Chiseling r-J Mostof the wastewoodbetweenthe p i n sc a nb e r e m o v ew d i t ha c o p i n gs a w , a s s h o w ni n t h e s h o pt i p b e l o wl,e a v i n g . o w e v e irt, t h e f i n a lp a r i n gf o r a c h i s e l H i s n o t m u c hm o r ed i f fi c u l tt o c h i s eol u t all the waste.The keyis to workpatientl y , r e m o v i ntgh i n s l i v e r so f w o o dw i t h e a c hc u t , u s i n ga c h i s e nl o w i d e rt h a n the narrowsideof the wastesection.Set t h e p i n b o a r do u t s i d e - f a cuep o n a w o r k a n dc l a m pa g u i d eb l o c ko n t o p surface w i t ht h e s h o u l d e r w i t ht h e e d g ea l i g n e d l e v e l - o uatg a i n s t t h ec h i s eb l i n e .H o l d i n g t h e g u i d eb l o c ka n d p e r p e n d i c u ltaort h e s t, r i k et h e h a n d l e f a c eo f t h e w o r k p i e c e w i t ha w o o d e nm a l l e t o s c o r ea % - i n c h deepcut (above,left).Thencut fromthe end of the boardto shaveoff a %-inch layerof wasle (above,rrght). Continue r e m o v i ntgh e w a s t eu n t i ly o ua r ea b o u t halfway throughthe stock.Onceyouhave all the wastefromonesideof removed the edge the board,turn it over,reposition y v e rt h e s h o u l o f t h eg u i d eb l o c kd i r e c t l o d e rl i n e ,a n dr e m o v teh e w a s t ef r o mt h e o t h e rs i d e .
I CABINETMAKING BASICS
?in board
X
I I I I I I
t I
t I I I ()utlining andcutting thetails M a r ks h o u l d el irn e so n t h et a i lb o a r dassv o ud i do nt h e t o e x t e n tdh e l i n e so n t ot h ee n d so f t h eb o a r d sM. a r k a l lt h e p i n b o a r d sS, e to n eo f t h et a i l b o a r dosu t s i d e - f adcoew no n wastesections withXs.Usea dovetail sawto cutthetailsthe a w o r ks u r f a c ae n dc l a m pa g u i d eb l o c ka l o n gt h ee x p o s e d samewayyoucut the pins(step2). Forsomewoodworkers, s h o u l d el irn e .T h e nu, s i n ga h a n d s c r eaw n dc l a m p sf i,x o n e anglingthe board(above,right)ratherthanthe sawmaKes pin boardon endagainst theguideblockwithitsoutside face f o r e a s i ecr u t t i n gI.n e i t h ecr a s es, a ws m o o t h layn de v e n l y a w a yf r o mt h et a i l b o a r dM , a k es u r et h ee d g e sa r ea l i g n e d , a l o n gt h ee d g eo f e a c ht a i l ,s t o p p i nagt t h es h o u l d el irn e . , f f ) .R e p e at th e p r o c e d u r e O n c ea l l t h e s a wc u t sh a v eb e e nm a d ei n t h e no u t l i n et h et a i l s( a b o v e/ e b o t ht a i lp a n e l s . o n t h e o p p o s i teen do f t h e b o a r da n do n t h eo t h e tr a i l remove thewaste witha chiselor a copingsaw. panel, thenremove theclamps andusea combination square
t
upthecarcase f, Gluing r.,l Dry-assemble thecarcase glueupto ensure before the jointsfit properly. Press eachcorner together byhandasfar asit willgo,thentapthepieces intofinalposition withthe mallet,protecting thewoodwitha scrapboard.lf a jointis tootrght,markthespotwhereit binds, thendisassemore thecarcase andpareexcess woodat themark.Onceyou aresatisfied withthefit, takecareof theotherrequirements of thecarcase, suchasinstalling a backpanel(page 3j) or preparing thesidesforshelving or drawers. Forglueup, makefourwoodpadsaslongasthewidthof thepanels and cutsmalltriangular notches in thepadssotheyonlyconract thetails.Spread a thin,evenlayer of glueonallthecontactingsurfaces, thenassemble thecarcase andinstall two barclamps across the pin boards. Tighten the clamps a littleata timeuntila smallamount ofgluesqueezes outof thejoints(rghf).
I I
I I I I I I
I
t I I I I
t 28
I I T
I I
t t I I I I I
CABINETMAKINGBASICS
J()INTS WITHPLATE A CARCASE ASSEMBLING theslotlocations 1 Marking l d e n t i ftyh eo u t s i dfea c eo f e a c h I lines panel withanX,thenmarklocation four corners. of the on each fortheslots Tostart,placeonesidepaneloutside-face d o w no n a w o r ks u r f a c ae n dh o l dt h e to it. Usea penat a 90' angle top panel a d j o i n i npga n e l s l i n e s o n t h e c i lt o m a r k make each corner; in from abou|2inches (left). the edge midway along a thirdmark b li s l si l lr e q u i raed d i t i o n a W i d epr a n e w o ne g e n e r a l , b e t h e r e s h o u l d c u i t s ;i n t h e R e p e a t 4 6 i n c h e s . b i s c u iet v e r y t o p r o c e d u tr oe m a r ks l o tl o c a t i o nosn t h e o t h e trh r e ec o r n e rosf t h ec a r c a s e . to helpyouidentiletters Addreference fy thecorners.
/":.
t I I I I I I I I T I I
t I
t I I I I I I
t I
r) Cutting theslots willallowyouto cutalltheslotsfor above L m" setupshown Leaving a side moving thepanels. without corner onecarcase piece upon outside-face the top panel down,set outside-face making panel thickness, by the stock thetop topof it. Offset arepermarks onthetwopanels slotlocation surethemating p l a c e p i e c e s a s u pport i n a n d s e t fectla y l i g n eC d .l a m tph e panels. front of the in asthestock thesamethickness board thedepthof forsetting instructions themanufacturer's Follow
butt board, Restthetoolonthesupport cutontheplateloiner, andaligntheguidetheendofthetoppanel, against itsfaceplate Then markonthestock. witha slotlocation lineonthefaceplate left).Iocutthematingslotsin cuta slotat eachmark(above, thetoppanbaseplateagainst buttthejoiner's thesidepanel, e l a n dt h e na l i g nt h ec e n t egru i d e l i no ent h ep l a t ew i t ha s l o t rrght). locationmark(above,
29
I CABINETMAKINGBASICS
Inserting thebiscuits Q r-,1 Onceall the slotshavebeencut, dryf i t t h e p a n e l sa n dc u t a b a c kp a n e li f t h a t is partof yourdesign(page31),or make r e a d yf o r s h e l v e so r d r a w e r sT. h e ns e t l u t s i d e - f a cdeo w no n t h e o n es i d ep a n e o w o r ks u r f a c e a n ds p r e a dg l u ei n t h e s l o t s a n d a l o n gt h e p a n e sl u r f a c ei,n s e r t i n g b r s c u i ta s s y o ug o ( l e f ) . f o p r e v e ntth e w o o d e nw a f e r sf r o m e x p a n d i n g before t h e p a n e l sa r ea s s e m b l e dp .r o c e e tdo s t e p4 a s q u i c k l ya s p o s s i b l e .
I I I I
t I I I I I
t I I I I I I I I I I I I
Gluing upthecarcase F i t t h e t o p a n d b o t t o mp a n e l so n l n d t h e na p p l ya d h e s i v e t h e s i d ep a n e a i n t h e s l o t sa n d a l o n gt h e p a n e e l nds, i n s e r t i nb g i s c u i t sa s y o ug o .A d dt h e o t h e r s i d e p a n e l( r i g h t ) .T u r n i n gt h e c a r caseon end,usetwo barclampsto press t h e t o p a n d b o t t o mp a n e l st o g e t h ear n d t i g h t e nt h e c l a m p se x a c t l ya s y o uw o u l d w h e ng l u i n gu p a c a r c a sw e i t hd o v e t a i l (page 28),Ihis time using standard lotnIs woodpadsto protectthe stock.
I I I I I 30
I I I
I
t
CABINETMAKINGBASICS
I
t
A BACKPANEL INSTALLING 'l
I I I I I I
\\-
I I I I I I I I I I
forthepanel a rabbet Routing ona worksurandsetthecarcase I Drv-assemble theoanels usinga together facewithitsbackfacingup;holdthepieces w i t hs u p p o b r to a r d sI n. s t a al l % - i n crha b b e t i nb gi t b a rc l a m p loa t n da d j u stth ed e p t ho f c u tt o m a k e w i t ha b a l l - b e a r ipni g s sf t h e t a tw i l lb e ' l oi n c hd e e p et hr a nt h et h i c k n e o a r a b b et h b a c kp a n eyi o uw i l lb ei n s t a l l i nSgt.a r t i nagt o n ec o r n eorf t h e board with baseplateonthesupport resttherouter's carcase, firmlyin Holding therouter thebitjustclearof theworkpiece. 0nce thebitintothepanel. turnonthetoolandguide bothhands, thedirecagainst meets thestock,pulltherouter thepilotbearing thebaseplatef lat.Whenyoureach keeping tionof bitrotation, boardand thesupport turnoff thetool,reposition thecorner, t h ee d g eos f t h er e m a i n i npga n e lfso l l o w i n g c u tr a b b e tasl o n g (/eft). thesameprocedure
\
I I
t I I I I I I
r)
S q u a r i ntgh e c o r n e l s l n da s t r a i g h t e d gt oe L t l s ea p e n c i a m a r ks q u a r ec o r n e r sa t t h e r o u n d e d ' l - i n c ho r e n d so f t h e r a b b e t sU. s i n ga w i d e rw o o dc h i s e ls, t r i k et h e t o o lw i t h cuttingto the a woodenmallel(above). d e o t ho f t h e r a b b e tB. e s u r et h e c h i s e l b e v e fl a c e st h e i n s i d eo f t h e c a r c a s e .
thepanel 2 Installing e i l l h e l pk e e pt h e a s s e m b l y r J I n s t a l l i ntgh e p a n e dl u r i n gg l u eu p o f t h e c a r c a sw . l u eu p t h e c a r c a s e s q u a r eC . u t a p i e c eo f p l y w o o tdo f i t s n u g l yi n t ot h e r a b b e t sG g l u e r a a l o n gt h e b b e tasn do n t h ec o n a n d ,a t t h e s a m et i m e ,a p p l ya t h i n b e a do f glue and evenly,setthe panelin position, Spreadthe of the plywood. tactingsurfaces g l u e up Y o u c a n a l s o u s ef i n i s h i nnga i l s t os e c u r ei t a t 4 - t o 6 - i n c hi n t e r v a lbsb o v e ) , p a n e l . t h e c a r c a ssee p a r a t e llye,tt h e a d h e s i vder y ,a n dt h e ni n s t a ltlh e
r I I
J I
I CABINETMAKING BASICS
FRAME.AND.PANEL C(lNSTRUCTI()N Frame-and-panel cabinets mayvary cope-and-stick on page35. Whatever nerontheedges thanin themiddle. widelyin theirdetails, butallshare sev- thejoint,cabinetmakers generally build Theshapeof sucha so-called raised eralfeatures: Theassemblies arecomframes fromstockthatis at least%inch panelis achieved bycuttingawaythickprisedof framesmadefromstilesand thickand2 inches wide.Larger stock nessat theedges. rails,andpanels thatfit intogrooves in canalsobeusedto suitthedimensions Thereareseveral waysof making a theframe.A typicalfrontandsidesecproject. of a particular panel, raised depending onthevisual tionis shownbelowat right.To provide Thepanels thatfit inside theframes effectyoudesire. A common method, access to the insideof thecabinet, the canbemadeeitherof plywood or edge- shownbeginning on page36, involves frontfrequently hasa framebutnopan- gluedboards(page24).Toensurethat beveling theedges of thepanelwitha el.Thisonefeatures a median railwith a panelwillfit snuglyin thegrooves of tablesawor router. openings fora dooranda drawer. The therailsandstiles, butstillhavea little Thestepsforgluingup individual twomissing assemblies wouldbesimiroomto moveasthewoodexoands and frame-and-panel assembl iesandcabilarto thesideassembly shown; eachhas contracts, it is madesubstantially thinnetsareshownon page39. a frameanda panel.In thiscase,the sideswouldsharestileswiththefront andbackassemblies, allowing therails AI{ATOMY OFA FRAME.AI{D.PANEL CABIT{ET to fit intoboththeedges andfacesof thestiles. Bottoms aretypically attached to the frameby ledgerstripsor let into Rail grooves cut in the insideedges of the Frovidea horizontal auppori at top and bottom frame. Topscanbeattached withwood of cabinet buttons thatfit in grooves in theframe, orwithmetalfasteners, ledgerstrips,or pocketholes. Stile Vertical compojointsusedin Thetwomostcommon nent of frami,e frame-and-panel construction arethe mortise-and-tenon shownin the illustrationandthecope-and-stick. Themorprovides tise-and-tenon a relatively large gluingarea,making joint. it a verystrong Twovariations areemployed in thetypicalcabinet: Blindmortise-and-tenons Panel Solid woodpiece joinmedian railsandstiles, whilethe that fits into haunched version is usedto fill the qroove-typically groove end,eliminating theneedfor %inch deep-in inoide edqea of grooves. stopped Thecope-and-stick is frame; aan be flat quite not asstrong,butoffersan addiwith edqeorabbettionaldecorative touch.Therouterbit ed or beveledon thatcutsthegrooves forthepanelalso four oifufn"raige" carves a decorative molding on the center ofthe panel insideedges of theframe.Step-by-step techniques for producing theseloints areshownin thissection: themortiseand-tenons starting on page33 andthe
t I I I I
t I I I I I
t I I I I I I
t I I I I I I I I I
32
t t I
I I I
t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I t I I I I I I I t
CABINETMAKING BASICS
JOINTS M(lRTISE.AND.TEN()N intherails thetenoncheeks 1 Cutting tenons, startby I Forbothblindandhaunched i n s t a l l i nagd a d oh e a do ny o u rt a b l es a wt h a ti s widerthanthe lengthof thetenons-often slightly 3/oinch. fenceandraisethe Thenattachan auxiliary notchin it. Setthewidth to cuta clearance blades of cut equalto thetenonlengthandthecutting Feedthe heightto one-third thestockthtckness. the face-down, butting theendagainst workpiece Turn the mitergauge. fenceandtheedgeagainst thecut ontheotherside therailoverandreoeat (left).TesI thetenonin a scrappieceof woodwith a mortise thesamewidthasthoseto becut in the the heightof thedadohead stiles(page34); adJust Cuttheremaining andrepeat thecuts,if necessary. proceeding. before tenoncheeks
thetenonshoulders O Cutting tenons canbe Z m" shoulders forbothblindandhaunched leave thecutting cutonthetablesaw.Forthe blindtenons, andsetthe heightof thedadoheadto about widthunchanged thefenceandthe miter Y,inch.Withtherailf lushagainst gauge, Turnthe feedtheworkpiece on edgeintotheblades. railoverandrepeatonthe othersideof thetenon(abovd. C u tt h es h o u l d ear st t h eo p p o s i teen do f t h er a i lt h es a m e
usethesamecuttingheight tenons, way.Forthe haunched a rsf o rt h eb l i n dt e n o n st h, e np o s i t i o n a n dc u to n es h o u l d e equalin widthto thedepthof thefenceto leavea haunch Withthestockon on theothershoulder. the panelgroove to feedit intcthe edge,usethefenceandthe mitergauge on theotherend Repeat to cut the haunch blades(insef). of theboard.
33
I I I I I I I I t I I I
CABINETMAKING BASICS
Routing themortises Clampall thestilestogether faceto face,endsaligned, and useoneof theblindtenons cut in step2 to outlinethemortises on thestiles.Tocuteachmortise, secure onestilein a vise. Installa commercial edgeguideon a plunge router, thenscrew a woodextension ontotheguide.Fittherouterwitha straight bit thesamewidthasthe mortise andsetthecuttingdepth. Center thebitoverthemortise outline andbutttheextension against thestile.Gripping therouter firmly,turnit onandplunge the bit intothe stock(right).Movethetoolfromoneendof the mortise to the other,makingas manypasses as necessary to complete thecutto therequired depth.Repeat to routtheother mortises, thensquare theendsof thecavities witha chisel.
t I I I I I I I Cutting thegrooves Ontherailsandstilesof eachframe. markthelocation of thegrooves thatwill holdthepanel.Leave thestraight mortisingbit in therouter, mountthetoolin a table,andadjustthecuttingdepthto aboutYz inch.Center theedgeof a stile on the bit andbuttthefenceagainst thestock.Clampa featherboard to the tableto holdtheworkpiece against the fenceandfeedthestockwithbothhands, making sureto press thestileflushagainst thefence(/eff).Complete the passwith a pushstick.Tocut grooves in thestile faces,keepthefencein thesameposition,butreposition thefeatherboard as necessary. Next,youcancut andraise the panels(page36).
I I I I I I I I I
t 34
I I
I I I I
CABINETMAKING BASICS
CABINET A COPE.AND.STICK
t t I I I I I I
Miter qauge extension
i /
-
\
Rail Copin4
\//'
- .-
bit
t I I I I I
thetongues in therails 1 Cutting I Beginconstructing a cope-and-stick in theendsof all framebycuttingtongues for the the rails.Afterthat,routgrooves panels of theframe alongtheinsideedges pieces; in thestileswillaccomthegrooves at thesametime. modate the railtongues installa pilotedcoping Tocutthetongues, bit-the railcutter-in yourrouterandmount thetoolin a table.Setthecuttingdepthby thebit and buttingtheendof a railagainst depthsettingsothat adjusting therouter's cutteris slightly thetop of the uppermost Position thefenceparabove theworkpiece. slotandin linewith allelto themitergauge theedgeof thebit pilot.Fitthemitergauge face withanextension andlaytheoutside of thestockflatonthetable;keeptheends of theworkpiece andextension buttedagainst thefencethroughout eachcut (left).
t I I I I I I I I I I t I I
r) Cutting thegrooves Z Replace the copingbit witha pilotedstickingbit-also knownasa stilecutter.To setthecuttingdepth,buttthe end railagainst the bit,andadjustthebit until of thecompleted teethis levelwiththe railtongue oneof its groove-cutting (above, left).Alignthefencewiththeedgeof the pilotbearing. theworkpiece duringthecut: to secure Usetwofeatherboards
the bit andsecure the Clamponeto theroutertableopposite (ln fence. this illustration, the infeed side of the otheronthe hasbeenremoved for clarity,) Makeeach featherboard second pressing the workpiece with stock outside-face down, cut the right).Usea pushstickto complete againstthefence(above, pass. groove Repeat the cut onall therailsandstiles. the
35
I I
CABINETMAKING BASICS
t I
RAISING A PANEI WITHA TABLE SAW theendgrain 1 Cutting I Test-fit therailsandstilesandmeasuretheopening between them.Add Y ,i n c ht o e a c hd i m e n s i o% n ;i n c ho f eachpanel sidewillfit intothegrooves in theframe.Thencutthepanelto size onthetablesaw.Todetermine theblade angle forraising thepanel, drawa %-inch square at thebottomcorner, thenmark a linefromthefrontfaceof the panel through theinside corner of thesquare to a pointon the bottomedge%inch fromthebackface(inset). Holdthepanel against an auxiliary woodfenceand adjust thebladeangleuntilit aligns with themarked line.Adjust theheight of the cutting edgeuntiltheoutside trpof one toothextends beyond thefaceof thepanel,thenclampa guideblockto theworkpieceto ridealong thetopof thefence. Feed thepanelintotheblade, keeping it flushagainst thefencewhilepushing it forward withtheguideblock(lef\.f esIfit thecutendin a groove. lf lessthan %inchof thepanelenters thegroove, move thefencea littlecloser to thebladeand pass.Repeat makeanother thecutat the otherendof theoanel.
I I I I I I I I I I
t I I I I I I I I I I
r) Cutting withthegrain 1 Setthe panelon edgeandfeedit i n t ot h eb l a d et,h e nt u r nt h ep a n eol v e r to cut the remaining edge(nghf).No guideblockis needed forthesecuts,but takecareto keepthebackflushagainst thefence.Cutting intotheendgrarn ofthe panelf irst-beveling thetopandbottom before thesides-helps reduce tearout.
t I I
t t 36
I I
I
t
CABINETMAKING BASICS
I
t I I I I
t I I I I I I I
t
PANETS RAISED A JIGFORCUTTING at righw t i l le n a b l e T h ej i g s h o w n youto raisea panelonthetablesaw to tilt thesawblade. without having forsuggestReferto the illustration eddimensions. Screwthe lip alongthe bottom edgeof the angledfence,making where to position thescrews certain theywillnotbestruckbytheblade whenthejig is used.Leantheangled fenceat theauxiliary fenceagainst thesameangleasthecuttingltne marked onthepanel(page36l (Use theangle.) a slidingbevelto transfer supports to fit between Cuttriangular thetwofencesandfastenthemin olacewithscrews. Tn rrsethe iip set it on thesaw thelip tablewiththeseambetween fenceovertheblade; andtheangled arewell checkto besurethescrews
An4led fence
12"x 30" Auxrliary fence
9" x 30"
N LIP
11"x30"
I I I
Position clearof thetableopening. theauxiliary the rip fenceagainst fence,thenscrewthetwotogether. Turnonthesawandcrankup the bladeslowly intothejigto cuta kerf through thelip.Turnoffthesaw,seat thepanelin thejig andadjustthe tip of bladeheight untiltheoutside onetoothextends beyond thefront faceof theoanel.Makea testcuton a scrapboardthesamethickness as thentest-fit thecutend theoanel. in a groove. Reposition thebladeor fence,if necessary. Then,placethe panelin thejig andmakethecuts, theendgrainfirst(/eff). beveling
t I I I I I I I I I I I
37
I I I I I
CABINETMAKING BASICS
MAKING A RAISED PANEL WITHA ROUTER uptherouter 1 Setting I Install a panel-raising bit in yourrouterandmountthetoolin a table.Toensure posithatthecuttingdepthis uniform, tionthefenceparallel to themitergauge s l o ta n di n l i n ew i t ht h eb i t p i l o t W . ith therouterturnedoff,adjustthefenceby placing a scrapboardalongthefenceand across thebit.Thebit pilotshould turnas the boardtouchesit (right).Startwith a %-inch-deep cutsothatyouwillreach yourfinaldepthin twoor morepasses.
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I r) Raising thepanel L Lower theguardoverthebit andturn onthe router. To minimize tearout, cut theendgrainof the panelf irst.Work caref ully;a panel-raising bit is oneof themoredangerous routerbitsbecause of the largeamountof stockthat it removes witheachpass.Keepthe panel flaton thetableoutside-face downand flushagainst thefenceasyoufeedit across the biI (left).Repeat the cut at the otherendandalongbothsides.Turnoff therouterandtest-fit oneendin a frame groove. lf thepanellieslessthan%inch deepin thegroove, increase thecutting depthslightly pass andmakeanother allaround. Continue in thismanner until thepanelfits properly.
38
I I I I I I
t I I I I
r
I I I
t
CABINETMAKINGBASICS
CABINET A FRAME.AND-PANEL ASSEMBLING
I I I I I
Notched wood black
I
t I I I I I I
r
assembly upa single 1 Gluing (above, b a rc l a m p sa,l i g n i ntgh eb a r sw i t ht h er a i l sT, o k e e pt h e left).ll a the frame-and-panel I Test-assemble o v e rp, r o pt h e mu p i n n o t c h ebdl o c k s . c l a m pfsr o mf a l l i n g p i e c e s a n du s ea c h i s e l t hl e , isassemb l o i n ti s t o ot i g h t d t es t o c kt,i g h t e e nach b l o c ktso p r o t e ct h c l a m p i n g U s r n g fit, withthe to pareawaysomewood.Onceyouaresatisfied g l u e o u to f t h e o f s q u e e z e s b e a d u n t i a l t h i n i n t u r n c l a m p w h e nt h e s a n da n ys u r f a c et hs a tw i l lb ed i f f i c u lt to r e a c h (above, 90o as are at corners that the right). Check g l u e f r a m eh a sb e e ng l u e du p ,a n ds p r e a d o n a l lt h ec o n t a c t - loinIs glue a n y d r i e d r e m o v e h a s d r i e d , y o u g o . a d h e s i v e O n c e t h e i n gs u r f a c eosf t h el o i n t sD . on o ta p p l ya n ya d h e s i vi net h e p a i n t t he a n d s a n d s c r a p e r , w i t h a w o o d o n t h e r e m a i n i n g panelgrooves; the panelmustbefreeto movewithinthe surfaces. outside theframeandsetit facedownontwo frame.Reassemble
t t I I I I I I I I t I I I
r) Gluing upthecabinet adjust anyill-fitit thecabinet, Z- Test-f of surfaces tingjoints,andsandtheinside y l u et o t h ej o i n t s a l lt h ep i e c e sA.p p l g thatholdthepanelsthegrooves except Then,withthe thecabinet. andassemble install fourbarclamps upright, cabinet fromfrontto backovertherails, running thestock. usingwoodpadsto protect evenly(/eft)until Tighten theclamps outof the a thinbeadof gluesqueezes joints. tssquare Check thatthecabinet t hged i s t a n cbee t w e e n b ym e a s u r i n thetwomeasurements corners; diagonal anextra lf not,install bethesame. should of thetwo the longer barclampacross onthose theclamp.1aws setting diagonals, Tighten theclampuntil in place. already t h ed i a g o n aal rsee q u a lO. n c et h eg l u e andscrape theclamps remove hascured, awavanvdriedadhesive.
39
I I I I I
BOOKCASE,
t I I I I I I I I I
t I I I I I I I I I
sizeandweightof theitemsit is hetheritis asimpleplywood for examto hold.Shelves, intended or acustom-made structure to dotheir ple,mustbelongenough wall unit craftedfrom fine hardjob,but not solongthattheywill twofuncserves wood,abookcase canbefixedin sagin use.Shelves tions at once:It is an efficient Each hasitsown place or adjustable. accommodating system, storage shelving Adjustable advantages. accuitems that other and books mulatein mosthomes,anda fine Qagea5)permitsa moreflexible interiof abookcase's organization pieceof furniturein its ownright, (page 50) fixed shelves but space, or freestanding as the handsome as rigidity. structural lend a bookcase at left. unit choiceof Youhaveconsiderable on illustrated Thebasicbookcase joinerymethbuildingmaterials, to storejust page 42canbeadapted when A lengthof moldingis shapedon a routertable. ods, and ornamentation aboutanything,from boundvolThe chapter a bookcase. building carcase, top ofthe or the to thebase Fixed records, toys, china, crystal, umesto compactdiscs,andvideocassettes. moldingprovidesa classictouchto a bookcase. thatfollowsdetailstheconstruction of abasicunit.Youmaywishto add Withtheadditionof somespecialthepieceandsoftenitslines(page frame to strenghen face a (page can be transformed simple bookcase 44),a izedhardware to andfeet(page56)canallowabookcase and 54).Moldedbases centerto housea television into a homeenteitainment will surround that pieces of furniture other with harmonize utilitarian gear. This and computer components VCR,stereo of most it. Seepage59for a simplemethodof stringinga series oneof thewoodshop's versatilitymakesthebookcase into awallunit. together bookcases popularprojects. to work, skill,andpatience Byputtingyourimagination, mayvaryfromone of abookcase Althoughtheappearance pieceof a fine building rewards of reap the you able to will be remain constant. its design principles of the unit to another, furniture. useful and the its size between a balance strike must Everybookcase
t I I
with and sizes,bookcases Because bookscomein manyshapes they are built. after long their retain adjustableshelves Jlexibility at left can the bookcase movable, its shelves With all but oneof growing collection. of a demands the changing accommodate
I I
4l
ANATOMYOFA BOOKCASE suchascrown |-\ espiterefinements Iul and.basemolding,a faceframe andturnedfeet,thebookcase at right is basicallya carcasewith shelves. Theprocedurefor buildinga carcase canbe foundbeginningonpage24. Mostof theotherdetailsof thebookcase,from the shelves to the feet,are discussed in this chapter.Thecrown moldingis similarto thetypeinstalled on thearmoireon page66. Designa bookcase to suittheitems it will store.Standardbookshelves, for example, areatleast8 inchesdeepand9 inchesapart;allowanadditional3 or 4 inchesof depthandheightfor oversize bools.Recordalbumsneed13inchesin bothdepthandheight.Televisions, video recorders, andstereoequipmentmay requireapto24inchesof depth. After you havesettledon dimensions,decidewhichtype of shelving bestsuitsyour needs.Thebookcasi on thispagefeatures threeadjustable, or floating,shelves andonefixedshelf. Although the fixed shelfcannotbe movedonceinstalled, it helpsto snengthenthepieceandislesslikelytosagthan adjustable shelves. Theloadtheshelves will haveto bearshouldbeconsidered whenchoosing materials(page43).The thickerthe lumber,the strongerthe shelf.Whilel-by-10pineor fir is economical,% hardwoodwill support greater loads. Alsorememberthat a shelfweakens asit increases in length.Shelves thatare too,longarenotlikelytobrealgbut they will almostalwayssag.Ifyou areplanninga bookcase widerthan36inches, consider insallingcleatsunderthemiddleoftheshelves atthebackor averticalpartitionbetween them.
I I I I I I I I I I I I
t t I I I I I I I I I
Foot
Qaoe
I
t
I I I I I I I I I I I I I t I I I I I
BOOKCASE
MATERIATS SHETF COMMON u/oHardwood LJsedfor heavier loadoand ahelf epaneup to 4B inchba
ReinforcedoAhardwood L)aedfor liqht-to-medium loade.gpan for ahelveereinforced with 1-by-2lipe can be up to 42 inches:without reinforcement,epan ahould not exceed32 iiches
I I
%'inchplywood For meAiumloadsand ahelf ePaneuP to 32 inchee;up to 42 incheo,if reinforced with lipa.For enhancedaPPearance, front edqe ahould be concealedwith bandin4
SUPPORTS SHETF AD'USTABIE Hidden adjuat'able euPPott Woodatripe with dowelathat fit in holea drilled in eide panele;etripe are concealed in blind rabbets routed in the undersideof the ahelf Dowel
?laetic aupport
Adjuatable auppotte Flaced in drilled holea in aidea of bookcaEe; holedepth ia one-halfthe lenqth of aupport
t I I I I I I I I I
Temperedhardboard Conipooite,Ii7htwei7ht shelf for medium-to-heavyloadaand shelf epaneup to 36 inchea;features two layere of tempered hardboard oandwichinqPieceeof 2by-2 etock. Front edgecan be rounded for decorative eFfeot
ffi--WW
r-_ri F-'s-$wr-1 Pa))tc-an)L*,*t.il-:j W e,eeve6uPPot-, Two-piecemetal-plated a uPPo rt; sl eevea are ineerfedinto holeadrilledin eidepaneleand paddleeare elippedinto aleeves at each ahelf location
Threaded \fl,JS,
euppot+ Two-pieceadjuetable eupport; threaded part is inaerted into holea drilledin eidepaneloand 6UPpOrt6are qcrewed in to hold up ohelf
Z ffi_'
to hold ehelvinq rnPEce
(-.".*
Standards and alipa Track ehelvin4eyetem that featurea slotted verDical etripo Lhat 6it in grooveerouted in eidepanel; clipa lock into alote at ahelf locatione
ffi 43
BOOKCASE ACCESSORIES ff ooksarenot the only itemscomI) monlystoredin a bookcase. With thecommercial accessories shownbelow, you caneasilyorganizerecordalbums, compactdiscs,audiotapes,andvideocassettes. Ifyou intendyour bookcase to housea stereosystem,televisionor
VCR,wire clipsandcord-holeplugscan tamethetangleof wiresandconnectors thataccompany them. Specialty itemslike runnerslet you slideshelves in andout of thecarcase, providingeasyaccess to the contents, whileswivelattachments canbeinstalled
on a slidingshelfor thebookcase top for a television set, Youcanevenilluminatethe insideof your bookcasewith a cabinetlight or hideand protectthe contentsbehind tintedglassor acrylicdoorsheldclosed by magneticlatches.
()FSHETF A SAMPLING HARDWARE Cabinei light Uauallymounted out of aight inaidecarcaoe;moaet ehownia uaedto dieplavchina and qlaeewareaia ieaLureea 25-watt bulb
Glaaa door hinge )wivelinq hingea uaed for glaoadooro up to %inch thick; ocrewapreee eafety plate aqainet qlaoe to hold it in place.
Wire clip 9 elf-adheatveclipemo unted inaide bookcaaeto hold wireaout of eiqht
Compact diac holder Conaiateof two tracks with adheaivebackingfor mounting to carcaee; modelahowncan hold up to 24 diace. )imilar holdera for videocasaetteaand audio tapea are available
f#*,ffi
fite eniqly-in hole in bookcaae back;holdeand feede wireoout of carcaae
Mag netic d oor Iatch -a nd -plate Uaedwith acrylic or 4laaa d'oora up to %ainch thick. Latch plate attachea to door and maqnetic latch ia mountedineidebookcase: latch holdoplate ma4netically, keepinqdoor cloeed
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
t I I I I I I
t I I I I I I
I
t I I I
t I I I I I I I T I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
SHELVING ADJUSTABLE shelves do not I lthoughadjustable .{1. contributeto the strengthof a theydo giveit greaterflexibookcase, biliry allowingyouto adaptto changing needsand organizespacemostefficiently.It isunwiseto makeabookcase withoutprovidingatleastonefixedshelf for structuralrigidity. shelves arecommonly Adjustable or metheldin placewithwood,plastic, (page43)thatfit in al shelfsupports The sides. holesdrilledin thecarcase trickisto makecertainthattherowsof Usea comaligned. holesareperfectly jig (below) or a mercialshelf-drilling jig (page46)to borethe shop-made
holes.Otheroptionsincludeadjustable whicharemountedin shelfstandards, or shop-made grooves in thesidepanels, a8).These aredadoed cornerstrips(page to theinteriorcornersof andattached to holdup theshelving. thebookcase
shelf Madeof solidbrass,thesetwo-piece supportsaddan eleganttouchto a bookcase.Thesupportscanbescrewedinto alongthe any of the threadedsleeves to be sidepanels,permittingtheshelves mountedat any heightin thebookcase.
SUPPORTS THREADED SHELF
holes forthesleeves 1 Drilling rowsof holesto requires twoparallel system I Thismounting jig Thecommercial of thebookcase. bedrilledin thesidepanels youto boreholesat 1-inchintervals and allows shown above aligned. Set holeswill be perfectly ensures thatcorresponding andclampthe ona worksurface inside-face-up thesidepanels jigto theedges from theholescanbeanydistance of onepanel; butabout2 inchesin wouldbe bestforthe the paneledges, panels drillwitha bitthesamediameter Fityourelectric shown.
depth andinstalla stopcollarto markthedrilling asthesleeves at ettherendof oneof the length. Starting equalto thesleeve jig'srails,place bushing in thefirstholeof the theappropriate (Thebushing to keeps the bit perfectly square bushing carrier. borethehole.Bore Holding thedrillandcarrier, theworkpiece.) holesalongbothrails.Remove thejig spaced a series of evenly positioning thejig fortheothersidepanel,carefully andrepeat withthosein thefirstpanel. willbealigned sothattheholes
45
BOOKCASE
I I I I I
t t I I I I I I
r) Mounting thesleeves andsupports l to installthreaded sleeves without d a m a g i nt h g e m ,u s ea s l e e v e - s e t t i n g punch. Place a sleeve ontheendof the punchandpushit f irmlyintooneof the holesin a sidepanel(above). Inserta sleeve intoeachholeyoudrilled. Once youhaveinstalled allthesleeves, screw shelfsupports intothesleeves at each (inseil. shelflocation
I I I I I ilufiI]llllilltfilttjllilltfilllll ilIjfilttllllltlll lll1 tltllllilt1 t
1HO?TI? A shop-made ahelt drillingjig jiq TheI-ehaped ehownherewillallow youto borea rowof evenly epacedholeeas accujig. ral,elyas a commercial Makethe jig from 1-by-Zebock, beinqcarefullo ecrewlhe fence and arm NoqelheraNa pertecN90" angle.Marka linedownLhecenlerot Nhearm and boreholeeatr2-inchinlervaloalonqit,wiLhlhe eamebil you would /,usetor threadedsleevee. Touselhe jiq, p a n e lwith clamp c l a m Qit f i Tto . o a eide e t a e panel w t l n lhe t n e fence rcnce ) b u | I e d a q a i n e Ne i l h e r e n d o f t h e p a n e la n d
the markedcenNerline 2 incheein from ito edge. FiNyour drill bit wiLha stop collar,boreNheholee, and repoeiLion the ji7 for eachnewrow.
46
I I I I I I I I I I I t t I
I
t I I I I I I I t I I I I I
BOOKCASE
HIDDEN SHELF SUPPORTS andinstalling 1 Making I theshelfsupports Usea jig to boreholesfortheshelfsupporls(page45). lfake twosupportsper shelf.Eachoneis a thinwoodstripabout 1 inchlonger thanthegapbetween the rowsof holes; makethestripwideenough dowto holda dowelat eachend.(%-inch foraverage loads.) elsarelargeenough on the To helpyouposition thedowels supports, inserta dowelcenterintoeach of twoparallel holesandpressthestrip against the points.Usethe indentations pointsfor fromthecenters asstarting drilling theholes. Maketheholesin the shelfsupports thesamedepthasthe holes inthesidepanels. Gluedowels into and,oncetheadhetheshelfsupports s i v eh a sd r i e di,n s t a tl lh e mo nt h es i d e panels at the heightthatyouwantthe shelfto resl(left).
t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
r) Preparing theshelves andinstalling cut I to conceal the shelfsupports, Mark out the in eachshelf. blindrabbets positioning on the rabbets by theshelf on andoutlining theirlocations supports the rabof theshelf.Cut theunderside betsusinga routerf ittedwitha rabbeting theendswitha chiseland bitandsquare mallet. Therabbets shouldbe a wooden of theshelfsupasdeepasthethickness ports.Onceall therabbets havebeencut, (right). test-fittheshelfin the bookcase if necUsea chiselto adjusttherabbets, fit thatcomessary, to ensure a perfect pletely hidesthesupports.
47
BOOKCASE
STANDARDS ANDCTIPS Installing thestandards Metal standards andclipsareamong the simplest accessories to install formountingadjustable shelves in a bookcase. Two slotted standards, ortracks, arefastened to theinside facesof thesidepanels and shelf-support clipsareinserted in theslots at thedesired height. Rather thannotchingtheshelves to accommodate thestandards,recess thetracksin grooves cut in thesidepanels. Install a dadobladeon yourtablesawandcuttwoparallel grooves in eachpanel. Thegrooves shouldbeas wideandasdeepasthestandards; forthe position widthof panelshown, thegrooves about2 inches in fromeachedge. Withthe panels inside-face-up on a worksurface, setthestandards in thegrooves andfix themin place, driving screws through the predrilled holesin thetracks(left).AtIach clipsto thestandards ateachshelflocation.
CIip
A
^v CORNER STRIPS thecorner strips 1 Making I Dadoed corner striosinstalled in each insidecorner allowbookcase shelves to be adjusted. Youcanmakefourstripsfrom a single 4-inch-wid be oard t h a ti s l o n g enough to extend fromtopto bottomof the interior. Install a dadoheadonyourtable sawandsetthewidtheoualto thethickyouplanto nessof the shelfsupports use.Determine thedesired spacing of the notches andcuttwodadoes thatdistance apartin a mitergauge extension board. Lineuptheleft-hand dadowiththeblade andscrewtheextension to yourgauge. 0nedadoshouldbeoffsetto theright; cuta 2-inchpieceof shelfsupport stock andpress it iniothatdado,whereit will serve asan indexing key.Buttoneendof t h ew o r k p i e caeg a i n st ht e k e ya n dc u t yourfirstdado.Cutthesecond andsubsequentdadoes bymoving thepieceto the rightandfittingthelastdadooverthekey (right). Whenthedadoes areall cut,rip theboardintofour1-inch corner strios.
I I I I I
t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
t t I I I I I I 48
t I
I I I I
BOOKCASE
r) Installing thecorner sttips I andshelfsupports of thebookPosition eachstripin a corner face case,making surethatthedadoes andscrew thestripsto the the interior, Placean extra sidesat topandbottom, fastener in themiddle ona tallbookcase. Fortheshelfsupports, measure thedisthefrontandbackof the tancebetween to fit. bookcase andcut the supports M a k es u r et h a tt h es u p p o r tasr ew i d e properly; testenough to holdtheshelves in f it themto ensure thattheyf it snugly thedadoes(/eft).
I I I I I I I I I I I I I T
lllllll lllrllllllllllllllltllllllllllll ilttrl1lllriiltlli lllilllllll1
t
1HO?T'?
I
Jig for routinq evenly opaceddadoes tILachNhejig ehown h e r e t o N h e b a s te VlaNeol your ..-\i'rouler fo cui -----
I T I
t t T I I I T I I
?."'
lhe dadoesin the
cornerotrripeof a ehelf (ThieNech' eupVort6yoNem. niquecan aleobe ueedIo roul
----iiie tne baee da'doeefor fixeder,elreo.) from'/"-inch plywood and'thee?acerfromsolid
-\--. ----\12
wood.CUNa bit clearanceholeLhroughthe baseand --.-_-/ ecrewiI to the roufer.Makethe widlh of Ihe o?acerg,quu,l, you Lo the willuse cul dadoee. NoNhediameterof the ot raiqhNbiL 1crewlhe opacerto NheboNlomof Lhejiq baeeeo Nhedisf,ancebethe dadoes. tweenil and NhebiI equaleNheopacinqyou wanNbeNween Cut,the firet,dadowilh the 6?acerridinqalonqt'heendof the work' cuts wibhNheeVacerin t'heiuot'-cut'dado. Viece.Makeeubeequent
49
Preparing theshelves Allfourcorners of eachshelfmust b e n o t c h etdo f i t a r o u n tdh ec o r n e r andmarking strips.Aftermeasuring it in a viseandcut eachshelf , secure witha backsaw outthecorners hbove),
FIXEDSHELVES
I I
t bolsterthe structural f, ixedshelves I' integrityof a bookcase, but since they cannotbe movedoncethey are installed, you need to give careful thought to their location.You can mount fixed shelvesquite simply by screwingthem to cleatsthat arefastened to thebackandsidepanels. Yourbookcasewill be strongerand more attractive,however,if the shelves areattached to thesidepanelsusingoneof thejoinery methodsshownbelow. Ifyou do not intendto add a face frameto your bookcase, rememberthat someof thesejointswill conceal thecut madein the sidepanelfor the shelf. Cuningthroughdadoesin thesidepanelsis oneof thequickestwaystojoin a fixed shelfto a bookcase. In thephotoabove,thesidepanelsareclamped togetherwith theirendsflush,allowingtwoperfectlyaligneddadoesto be jig guidestherouterthroughthecut. cut at thesametime.A straightedge
JOINERY OPTIONS FOR FIXED SHELVING
I I I
t I I I I
t I I I I
t t I I I I I I I I I I
50
I I I
r
I I I I
BOOKCASE
DOVETAIL A HALF-SLIDING MAKING
t I I I
t I I I I I I I I
thesidepanels 1 Preparing arerouted in in thesidepanels half-dovetail dadoes I The with a dovetail bit. bit, and then first with a straight twosteps: in yourrouter. Clamp diameter bitof thedesired Install a straight panels a work surinside-face-up to edge-to-edge and theside Clamp a board against ends are aligned. face;makesuretheir Also tearout. thestockat theendof thecuttinglineto prevent properly panels, locate guide offset to across the clampanedge at one theedgeof therouterbaseplateandthebit.Starting pressing panels, the stock, feed the router across edgeof the thecuI(above). theedgeguidethroughout thebaseplateagainst with a dovetail the second cut thedadobymaking Complete (inset), guide from firsi cut by away the shiftingtheedge biI bitdiameter. one-half thedovetail
I I
t I I I I I I I I I I I
t
r') Preparing theshelf ontheendsof the mating half-dovetail tongues L fo creale bit in therouter andmountthetool leave thedovetail shelves, cut. theshelf thefencefora shallow Feed in a table.Position fence withone it flushagainst the onendintothebit,keeping (/eff). pushing hand Testit forward withtheother handwhile fit, if necesdado.Adtust the fit thecutendin a half-dovetail thefencerluinchawayfromthebit andmaking sary,bymoving Reoeat thecutat theotherendof theshelf. another oass.
5l
EDGETREMMENTSFORSHELVES arestripsof solid E dg. treatments I--i wood,veneer, or commercial banding appliedto the visibleedgesof plywood shelves; theyconcealthe panels' plies,creatingtheillusionthattheshelving is madeof solidwood.Commercial edgebandingis available by the roll in a wide varietyof wood types,colors, and widths.To install,simply cut off thelengthyou need,setit in place,and heatit with a householdiron to melt
the adhesive that bondsit to the edge of the shelf. Althougha little morepainstaking to apply,shop-made wood stripsoffer severaladvantages overstore-bought banding.Theyareoftenlesscostly,and you can finish your shelfedgeswith any availablewood species, cut to whateverthicknessyou desire.A variety of solidwoodedgetreatments is shownbelow.
If your shelvesare made of solid wood,you can rout a decorativedesignin their edges.For plywood shelvesyou will needto attach wood stripsor veneerto covertheplies.
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
A SETECTION OFEDGE TREATMENTS
t
V-groove
Wood atrip
I T T I I I I
t
Molded wood atrip
I I I I Tongue-and-groove
Reinforaededge
t I I
t T
I I I I
BOOKCASE
A SHELF REINFORCING
t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
llllfiltllllillllllllllljlllllll lllllllllllJll11 tllltllJiltllltllll1{1lr 9HO7Tt? Springboard alamp for edgegluing ForIhick edgetrrealmenls,youmiqh| needthreeor four clamVo to holdthe piecein place whileNheqluedriee.A oinqleclampwilldo rhe job jueNas wellif you ueea oprinqb o a r d . T om a k eL h e d e v i c ec, u t a 4enLlecurve-'/o-inch-deepaL
boardlhe eame iLs cenLer-alongoneedgeof a 2-inch-wide the Vanelon NoVof Nhebar len7thand thicknessas lhe panel.CenNer edge againeNNhe edqeoflhe oVringboard clampand eet.Nhe concave material.Uoinqa woodpad f,o ?roLectlhe other edqeof lhe panel, Nighten th e clamp unt il Ih e eprinqboard fl aLt ene againot th e edqe,
53
Rabbeting theedgepiece A pieceof hardwood canbegluedto the it. Torout edgeof a shelfto strengthen install a %in theedgepiece, therabbet inchstraight bit in yourrouter andmount thetoolin a table.Setthefencefora of the widthof cuteoualto thethickness theworkpiece throughshelf.Tosecure to a outthecut,screwa featherboard s h i ma n dc l a m pt h ea s s e m btloyt h e t a b l eT. h es h i mw i l lr a i s et h ef e a t h e r to themiddle of board to applypressure featherboards theworkpiece. Alsoinstall t o t h ef e n c eo n b o t hs i d e so f t h eb i t . (Forthesakeof clarity, thefeatherboard sideof thefencehasbeen ontheoutfeed r e m o v eidn t h e i l l u s t r a t i o nD.o) n o t to routtherabbetin on€pass; attempt increasinstead, makea series of passes, ingthedepthof cuteachtime(abovd. R e p e autn t i tl h es h e lffi t sf l u s hi n t h e rabbet(inset). Youcanroundor shape to yourliking. theedgepiece
t
FACEFRAMES theycompletely coverthe |f ecause IJ edgesof sidepanels,faceframes areideallysuitedfor plywoodbookcase construction. Madefroma contrasting wood,theycanalsoprovidea decorativedetail.Cuttingandassembling aface framedemands precision; thejoints mustbetightandtheframesquare if it is to fit properlyandprovidestrength. Usetheassembled carcase asa reference to measure therailsandstiles. Face frames areeithergluedin placeor attached with biscuitjointsasshownbelow.
I I I I I I I I I I I
A faceframestrengthens A cArcase whilehidingpaneledges. It also jambsfor doorhinges. provides
INSTALLING A FACE FRAME
I I I I I I I I
slotsin the 1 Gutting I carcase andfaceframe yourcarcase Measure andcutthetworails andstilesof thefaceframeto length; also cut median railsto coveranyfixedshelves. Theframeshouldrestflushwiththeoutsideof thecarcase. Jointherailsandstiles withdowels, biscuits, or mortise-and-tenon joints,thenglueupthefaceframeassembly,ensuring thatit is square. Oncethe adhesive is dry,sandit andplaceit ontop of thebookcase. Markthe locations of the biscuitjointson boththecarcase andthe faceframe-typically every 4 to 6 inches. Setthe platejoinerfor the biscuityou areusingandcuttheslotsin thecarcase (right),aligning theguideline ontheface platewitheachpencilmark.Thencut matingslotsin theframe.
I I
t t
54
I I I I I I t I
I I I I
BOOKCASE
t I I I I I I I I I I I
t I I I I
thefaceframe Installing A p p l yg l u et o t h es l o t si n t h ec a r thematcaseandfaceframeandalong in the Insert thebiscuits ingsurfaces. carcAqe slots.thensetthefaceframe sincethe Workquickly in placehbove). g l u ew i l lc a u s teh eb i s c u i t so e x p a n d almostimmediately.
I
I I I I I I I I I I
theassembly Clamping C l a m pt h e f a c ef r a m et o t h e c a r c a s e
Toapplypressure 12 inches. aboutevery t o t h ec e n t eor f t h em e d i a rna i l ,u s ea at pieceof stockclamped to thecarcase eitherendwitha shimin themiddle(/efil.
BASES AND FEET
I I
t t ':.,'ii
i
I
-,'tr, li qp*
\, 'lq- .;,
Basentoldingand Jbetadd n firishing touchto a bookcase. The nnlding cnn be routed to rnatcltilrc crown rrrolditrgor thestn'roundingtrint in the room.
isoftenaddedto a book$.)"asemolding "anchor" piece S-J caseto the andcomplement anycrowrr nrolding installed at thetop.Therearetwobasicwaysto build a base.The firstis to rnake.r rabbeted miteredframeof moldedpiecesfrom stockstanding on edgefseabclowl; rhis framewrapsaroundthe baseof the bookcase likea skirtandhidesthejoineryatthebottomofthecarcase. Thesecondn-rethod involves buildinea mitered fraure of horizontal rnolded stock; this providesa flat surfacefor attaching turned feet(page5B).Both rnethods allowfor woodexpansion andcanalso beadaptedto fit modularbookcases or joinedtogether. bookcases
INSTALLING A RABBETED BASEM()LDING
I I
t I I I I I I I I I I T I I I I I I I I
'l
Assembling theframe I Theframeshownaboveis madefromthreepiecesof molded s t o c ka , b a c k ,a n df o u rc o r n e b r r a c e sA. r a b b e its c u t a l o n gt h e i n s i d ee d g eo f t h e m o l d e dp i e c e sf,o r m i n ga l i p t h a tt h e b o o k c a s ew i l l s i t o n . T o m a k et h e b a s em o l d i n gf,i r s t p r e p a r teh r e e p i e c e so f s o l i ds t o c ka n d r o u ta d e c o r a t i vm e o l d i n si n t h e e c l s e
of eachT . h e ni n s t a lal s t r a i g hbt i t a n dc u t a r a b b e itn t h e o p p o s i t ef a c eo f e a c hp i e c eC . u tt h e m o l d i n g t o l e n g t hw i t h m i t e r sa t b o t hf r o n tc o r n e r st ,h e n c u t a p i e c eo f s t o c kf o r t h e b a c ka n d j o i n i t t o t h e s i d e sw i t h b i s c u i t sG. l u et h e f r o n tt o t h e s i d e sa n d s c r e wc o r n e rb r a c e si n p l a c et o s e c u r et h e l o i n t ( a b o v e ) .
56
I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I
BOOKCASE
thebasemolding lnstalling a s s e m b l i nt hge O n c ey o uh a v ef i n i s h e d
frame,attachthe unitto thebottomof the thejoint,screwtwo Toreinforce bookcase. alongthe inside midway anglebrackets glueon Spread frameof thebasemolding. therabbetonthefrontpieceof theframe a n do nt h ef i r s ti n c ho f t h es i d ep i e c e s . ( T h i sw i l lc a u s ea n yw o o dm o v e m etnot thebackof thecarcase, takeplacetoward preventrng themiterjointsat thefrontfrom Thensettheframein placeon breaking.) to andscrewthebrackets thebookcase, the bottomof thecarcase.
I I I I I I
ANDFEET MOLDINGS, BASE BRACES, BOTTOM
t I t t I
t I I I I I I I
brace lnstalling a bottom nearthebotanda f ixedshelfis located nobasemolding features lf yourbookshelf youcaninstalla bottombraceto bottom, tomof thepiecein placeof a carcase /eff).Simplycut thebraceto sizeandglue hidethespacebelowtheshelf(above, shelf.Youcanalsocuta or nailit in placefromtheendsandthetopof thebottom center)glued A basemolding(above, patternin the brace(dottedlines). decorative Youmight optton. isanother thecarcase to thefrontandsidesfrominside orscrewed (above, right)'(seepage97for moretnforto attachogeebracketedleer alsochoose andinstallation.) ontheirconstruction mation
57
I I
BOOKCASE
I I
INSTATTING A BASE WITHFEET
t I I I I
r I I I
t I I I thefeet 1 Turning I C u tb l a n k fso rt h ef e e tf r o mt h e a p p r o p r i astiez es t o c kT. ot u r ne a c h blank,determine itscenter, mountthe blockona faceplate, andattach thefaceplateto thelathe.Position thetoolrest in linewiththecenter of theblankand ascloseto thestockaspossible without touching it, thenusea round-end scraper to shapethefoot(above). Always work onthe"down" sideofthespinning block to prevent kickback. Periodically check theprofileof thefootwitha pairof out(rnset). sidecalipers Onceyouaresatisfiedwithitsprofile, sandthefootonthe lathewithprogressively finersandpaper.
llilllfltltlllltlllt]lllllllltll]l1 t]lllllltll]llljtltllltillllltltlll ";;
5HO?TI? Routin6 deaorativedet ails lf youare building a bookcaee Lhatfeatureeboth base andcrownmoldinq,you AV
' tl'
f#iy
can uoe lhese adorn-
or otrherdetail in i] ;t Nheeideeofrhefaceil 11 f r a m e e , l n e t aal l li pilobed decoralivebit li ti in your rouIer.WiNh the bi| clearof lhe work,bull the t ool'ebaeeVlaheaqainsllhe crownmoldinq. Turn on Nheroulerand easethe bit,into the work,Continuecuttina unlilthe baoeVlate louchesNhemoldinqat lhe oppositeend-.
ii
58
I I I I I I I I
t I
t I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I
BOOKCASE
r) Installing thefeet L Oncevouhaveturnedall thefeet, screwthemto the bottomof the base basemolding theverttcal Unlike molding. at on page56,thebaseillustrated shown witha widerabbetroutleftis horizontal, ed in thefaceof eachpiecethataccepts is a molding of thebookcase; thebottom cutontheframe'souteredge(page96) the base,drilla counAfterassembling of theway tersunkholethree-quarters of eachfoot,thenbore thecenter through the a pilotholetherestof thewaythrough wood.Screwthefeetto the base(/eft).
I I I
T(IGETHER B()()KCASES ATTACHING
I I I I I I
t I I I I
t I I I I I
filtllllllllllllljlllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllll]llfijllll illlllll 1HO?TI? Anchorin1 bookaases to the wall OnceelackedwiLh and books,maqazineo, of,her iLeme,bookcaees topcan be danqerouely heavy.Larqe, f reeeI'and' i n g b o o k c a e easr e b e e t ' a n c h o r e dt o t h e w a l l , Lo a eIud.lf preterably y o u r b o o k c a e ies l a l l enouqh, an anglebracket Or on Nopw.illbe invi.sible. you can locatelne anqle brackel underneaI'hlh e fixedshelfand hiqheot, Nheback ecrewit,Nhrou4h paneland into the wall.
connectors Using threaded morethanonebooklf youarebuilding c a s eo r a m o d u l awr a l lu n i t ,c o n s i d e r together bookcases adjacent attaching A quickandefficientwayto forstability. connectors dothejob is to usethreaded Withthe sides(above). to joinadjacent sidebysideandproptwobookcases witheachother,borea hole erlyaligned t h r o u gthh et w os i d ep a n e l sl n. s t a lal use for stability, connector; threaded alongthelength fourto sixconnectors o f t h es i d ep a n e l sl f. y o u rb o o k c a s e s youcaninstallinterhavefaceframes, stilesto hidethegapbetween mediate thetwobookcases.
59
I I
t I I I I I I I I I I I I
t I
t I I I I I
ARMOIRE andadothesclosettoanentercupboard tainmentcenter. Whatever its use,the modernarto meetthegrowingneedfor Centuries moireis usuallybuilt in thetraditionEurope's space by Renaissance storage al,or period,style.Likeits ancestors, city dwellers. wealthyandacquisitive with anupright, today's armoirebegins Thearmoireprovideduprightstorage rectangular cabinet,typically74to 80 were of finegoods;before,belongings wide.For inches talland36to 48inches usuallypackedin largechests. thepieceshouldbe useasa wardrobe, thearmoirewas Fromthebeginning, deepenoughto housea clotheshangas attributes asprizedfor itsdecorative er-about 22inches. Thepieceis essenfor its practicality. Thebasiccabinetshownonpage60 closetfeaturingone tiallyafreestanding with frame-and-panwasput together to hang or two doors,providingspace a combi32)toachieve eljoinery@age drawersand clothes,andoccasionally andstrength. nationof attractiveness shelvingto furnishadditionalstorage. Dovetails(page26) and platejoints a pinnaclein the Thedesignreached (page29)areequallysturdyalternatives. cabilate17thCenturywhenParisian Thischaptershowshowto addthe Boullepronetmaker Andrd-Charles adornments of an armoireto a basic for thecourtoflouis XIV. ducedseveral (page 64),corniceand cabinetpilasters Thoughhis pieceswereundeniably basemoldings(page66), andframein theirelaborate ornamenta- This glasscurio,or display,cabinetwas Baroque and-paneldoors(page72).Theelein muchthesamewayas constructed tion,theystillserveasloosemodelsfor in mentsof thearmoirearehighlighted except thearmoireon thefacingpage, of today. thearmoires theanatomyonpage62. and thesideand In America,thetermarmoireisoften that thewoodenshelves the Despite itselaborate appearance, doorpanelswerereplacedwith glass. with its Englishequivainterchanged projectfor a armoireis a reasonable name,the Bywhatever lent,wardrobe. carefi.rlly of average skills.Buildthevariouspieces piecehasprovento bepopularin NorthAmericasincethe woodworker pieceof furniture. versatile fromafood andtheresultwill beanattractive, aseverything late18thCenturyandnowit serves he armoire cameinto favor during the late 15th and early 16th
t I I I I
t I
Thearmoireat leftdisplaysa muted Baroquedesigntypicalof manymodernAmericanwardrobes.
6l
I
ANATOMYOF AN ARMOIRE,
I I I
Layered cornice moldinq ( 2 a q e6 6 )
'\ \
I I
--','-'
,,'
/ Top panel FlywcoC or aoltd jr;ccK ett.aahae fluslt tvt*ch eC4es of c;ebinel,uein4 rnrooci buLfone, met.al fastenert, (-1fltoaKaTtlotea
I I I I I
t \
Layered cornice molding
_!
Stile YerTicat ir;eme aomFa)neni
I
t I I
ncIizon"tei frame aornPOnent.
to"t / ( 2 a q eb 3 ' ;
I I I I
Door / ( 2 a q e7 2 )
/
/
Pilaeter l.2aqe64'1
f
t
t / \ Eott.om r^,,-/ aZ
Bottom panel ,.'ii. a t l tr,::l t.o f r :l tr e wi r.it 1cr14er t,l.rtp:' al ctat ,t: .et. inf.o a 4 i ' L ) a r ( ' , ; t . t i .t.n i . i i c in:t,it: ::ti4t::' of tht i:ctli,arr: r:|l:t
Decorative base moldinq rt.t.aclted t.h. aeffi. riet 'o.\' l ': .t
)
Muttion / t,'erfical member f,hat, a.peral,e. fronl, tnto fwo parts. pro',,tCtnqeur'face for d o c r L o o l o s ea 4 a t n e t a n d for mcunLtn4lock hardware
bl
\..-
i:a?e../ inc.habovr,'bcl,t.om oi :srrnotret.c prcvenT.nol'7rnq ircrr i:carinq any wct4lit.. 0r'. tnst,alta rabberetl ba?t nttltitnq (2aqe 56'1
I I I t I I I I I I f I
I
I I
t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
ARMOIRE
()FARMOIRE HARDWARE ANASSORTMENT
*--l t
^
^
I r:1
I
-l\a/l : :
l
r
NA I
I
f^-=----------e :
l
Il:'
l\6/l
r1l
l\6/l
l
t - - -l/n f\|l - l lL-Jl
] l:t
i\6-ll
Double-ballcatch 9mall catch wiLhtwo eprinq-loadedballeecrewedLo mullionor rail. Dallaonap in placeovera keepermounted to door; catch can ehter'keeperfrom front or srdee.
Adjuatable levelera UaedLo levela pieceoffurnrture; threaded bolt with plaatic baae aecuredin threaded T nut
Laaehinge Full-len7thhinqewith finialeat top and bottom; htnqete bolted to cabrnetand mortiaed into door
Rat-tail hinge Ftvotaon pin wtLhdecorative Lail natledto armoire:like ( clock-caee hinqe,allowe o door to be eaaily removed
o
----\./ 4 ^\
-E
--*