DIY Network

Arts-and-Crafts Book Stand: Top and Assembly From "Wood Works" episode WWK-311

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Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Figure F Figure G Figure H Figure I Figure J Figure K Figure L Figure M Figure N Figure O Figure P Figure Q Figure R Figure S Figure T

Top Piece and Assembly

With the side pieces and bottom-shelf cut, the next phase of the project is to create the curved top using the MDF template made earlier as a guide.

Materials:

Assembly pieces
Hand router
Circular saw
Jig saw
Japanese hand-saw
Cordless drill
Hand scraper
Cabinet scraper
Curved file
Fine wood-file
Hollow-chisel mortise bit
Sharp chisel
Mallet
Dead-blow hammer
Yellow wood-glue
Carpenter's pencil
Clamps and long cauls
Safety glasses or goggles

Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his Web site -- information below under Resources.

Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc.

Steps:

• The top is made from two book-matched pieces of claro walnut. Book-matched boards can be ordered from specialty wood-suppliers.

• To edge-glue the two boards together, first prep the edges using the hand router -- just as was done earlier with the side panels. Use the factory edge of a piece of MDF as a guide for cutting a straight edge.

• Apply yellow woodworker's glue to the flattened edges (figure A).

• Apply good clamping pressure, and set the glued pieces aside to dry for several hours (figure B).

• Once the top is dry, use a hand-scraper to remove any excess glue.

• The top piece is now ready to be given its curved shape. Lay the MDF template onto the stock, and trace the pattern onto the stock with a pencil (figure C).

• Mortises should be cut into the stock before cutting it to its final shape. Lay out the position of the mortises with a pencil. Measure 2-1/2 inches from the trace-line and mark the location (figure D).

• Make layout marks for two 4-inch mortises on each side of the top (figure E). Each mortise should be 1/4-inch wide, and the pairs should be spaced 5/8-inch apart.

• Cut the mortises using a plunge router. The fence of the router references against the edge of the stock (figure F).

• Once all of the mortises are cut, use a jig saw to rough-cut the curves on the top, following the traced layout marks (figure G).

• To clean up the edges, double-stick tape the MDF template onto the stock, and use a hand-router with a flush-bearing bit (figure H).

• Next, mill up and cut the tenons that will be used to hold the book stand together. Make the tenons from walnut that has been milled 4 inches wide. Instead of a table-saw, we used a circular saw to cut the tenon stock. First, we made one pass, cutting 2 inches deep (figure I).

• Before flipping the stock to make the second cut, we inserted a shim into the kerf (figure J) to keep the cut in alignment with the first pass. This also helps prevent the stock from cracking when it is placed in the vise.

• Make the second cut to complete the tenon stock.

• Use a cabinet scraper to smooth the faces of the tenon stock.

• Use a curve file to shape the edges of the tenon stock to match the curve of the mortises (figure K).

• Use a Japanese hand-saw, with a very fine blade, to cut the tenons to size.

• With all of the elements for the stand and the tenons cut, perform a dry-fit to ensure that all of the pieces fit together properly. The dry-fit also allows you to determine the placement of the screws that will reinforce the juncture between the top and side-panels.

• Once you've laid out the placement of the screws, disassemble the elements. Now you can drill pilot holes for the screws into the mortises that have been cut in the underside of the top (figure L). By drilling the pilot holes into the mortises, you'll ensure that the screws will later be driven directly into the tenons during final assembly.

• Before final glue-up, a channel must be laid out and cut for the ebony lip that will support books when they are placed on the angled top. We determined that our lip would be 18 inches long and 3/8-inch wide. It will also protrude 1/2-inch above the surface from the top.

• Measure in 1-1/4 inch from the front edge, and make layout marks for the channel that will hold the ebony lip (figure M).

• Then use a plunge-router to cut the channel. Make the cut in several passes, cutting just shy of the layout marks. Use a sharp chisel to square off the corners of the channel.

• Before gluing up the stand, use a fine wood file to chamfer all of the edges in the stock pieces (figure N).

• With the top flipped face down, use a hollow-chisel mortise bit to cut square mortises around the screw holes. To do this, line up the bit using a straight edge (figure O), and tap the bit into the wood using a dead-blow hammer.

• Clean up the corners of the square mortises using a sharp chisel (figure P ).

• Now glue-up and assembly can begin. The assembly can be assisted by fashioning long cauls out of wood, and covering them with cork, for use in clamping the irregular surfaces of the piece.

• Apply yellow woodworker's glue into the mortises for the shelf, and then to the tenons. Place the tenons into the mortises (figure Q), and tap them into place with a dead-blow hammer.

• With the shelf in place, apply glue to the mortises and tenons on the opposite side (figure R), then secure it to the assembly.

• Stand the assembly upright, apply clamping pressure to the bottom section.

• Add glue to the mortises and tenons for the top, and lower the top into position (figure S).

• Position the cauls and clamps to give good downward pressure (figure T).

  Tip: Because the top is angled, adding clamps after the glue-up can be awkward. Use small clamps to clamp your cauls to the top to stabilize them before adding the long clamps to the assembly. Blocks glued near the ends of the long cauls will help prevent the clamps from slipping off.

In the segment that follows, ebony accents and a wood tung-oil finish are added.

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RESOURCES :

Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com

The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619

Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561583456

Mastering Woodworking Machines (Fine Woodworking Book)
Author: Mark Duginske
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 0942391985

David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com

The Complete Book of Wood Joinery
Author: Robert J. Decristoforo
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN: 0806999500

Popular Woodworking
F & W Publications, Inc.
Website: www.popularwoodworking.com