Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2024 i Woodsmith

If I were to tally up my shop time, making drawers would account for a decent chunk. Drawer joinery is rarely intensive, but a good deal of the projects we build have at least one drawer — if not several. Thankfully, there are enough ways to bring drawers together to keep the task interesting. How sturdy do these drawers need to be? How often will they be used? Will they sit flush with or proud from their case? Do I want to attach a false front? And, of course, that’s before even considering the hardware. WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH DRAWERS? I don’t need to explain what a drawer is, but it is important to look at why they’re built the way they are. Looking at the bare joinery of any…

KITCHEN The quote, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler,” from Albert Einstein accurately describes the waste bin you see here. It simply does what it’s supposed to do. It can be a repository for cans, bottles, cartons, and tins that will eventually find their way to a recycle center, or a waste bin. If you shop online, or wander any number of retail outlets, you’ll find versions of this cabinet tend to the extremes. Either it’s so flimsy that you’re not sure it will survive the trip home, or it’s so expensive and complex that you might have to take out a small loan and attend night school to learn how to operate the beast. I think it’s fair to say our bin lands in…

Pocket Hole Plug Jig I like to build small step stools for children, held together by pocket screws and glue. They come together quick, and all joints are made from the bottom. This makes for strong stools, but most commercial plugs are overly long, and it’s hard to maneuver a saw in to trim them. The jig shown here allows me to trim the dowels to size before assembly. The back attaches to a miter gauge, with an adjustable front piece held on by a threaded knob and carriage bolt (detail ‘b’). Before attaching the front piece though, drill a pocket hole through it to accept the dowels (detail ‘a’). A hardboard stop is then attached to bottom out the dowel. Once you’ve got a test pocket hole, adjust the…

Before making the pivot into fine woodworking, I spent a number of years as a general contractor. Today I still spend plenty of evenings and weekends helping friends and family fix up this or that, and I’ve always got my eye out for must-have tools for on the go. The selection you’ll find here are a few I’ve recently found quite useful, both in the shop and on-site. GREX P635 PIN NAILER The first tool on the list is the P635, a pneumatic pin nailer from Grex sized for 23-gauge headless pins up to 1⅜" long. Grex’s P6 series features a number of 23-gauge models, but I prefer the P635. It’s light and easy to maneuver, and if I need to use a nail longer than 1⅜", chances are I’d…

What do you want from a finish? This question dogs me. That a project I make needs (and gets) a finish is a given. However, I rarely give the purpose much thought. If pressed, I’d probably mutter something about appearance or adding protection. Some finishes bring out colors and grain in wood that appeals to me. Other finishes form durable surface coatings. The trouble is I end up putting the same finish on every project, no matter what it is. Mastering a finishing technique and product makes sense. It simplifies your finishing routines and reduces analysis paralysis. Many woodworkers default to a “bombproof” finish. I began to wonder, is that appropriate for all projects? High-durability coatings attempt to shrug off the effects of daily life. However the finish will fail…

Furniture has a fascinating way of shaping the space around it. In large rooms the furniture divides and defines. In smaller rooms that same furniture seems to expand the area and give it life. The sideboard you see here was inspired by a selection of pieces manufactured in the Hokkaido region of Japan. Interestingly, these designs were based on Dutch furniture, with the intent of recreating the aesthetic of grand European and American homes with a smaller footprint to acommodate typical Japanese housing. Here you’ll find a lifted case and top that provide an airy sense of minimalism. Four sturdy drawers and two compartments with shelves provide plenty of storage despite the small footprint. Additionally, the back panels (shown below) allows this sideboard to function well as either a centerpiece…