| Hanging Bookcase -- Milling and Dovetail Techniques |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-110 |
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In this project, host David Marks builds bookcase that's designed so that it can be wall-mounted. This solid-wood bookcase is an example of a simple, straightforward piece of furniture that's enhanced by some distinctive design elements. The case is made from mahogany and maple for a contrasting wood-tone effect, and is constructed using an age-old woodworking technique -- dovetail joinery. Exposed through-dovetails join the maple top and bottom pieces to sides made from mahogany. The two contrasting wood colors accentuate the pattern of the dovetails, which form a bond that is both strong and visually attractive. The inset shelves are made from maple, and each has a front trim piece that adds strength and visual weight. A mounting plate on the back panel allows the shelf to be hung on a wall, keeping floor space clear. The highlighted dovetails (figure A) are the most distinctive feature of the piece and communicate its precise, solid-wood construction -- something increasingly uncommon in this age of particleboard furniture and veneers. Materials: Maple and mahogany stock
Jointer
Power planer
Drum sander
Band saw
Table saw
Handheld router; dovetail bit; two-flute carbide bit
Dovetailing jig
Wood-scraping tool
Woodworking glue
Carpenter's pencil
Saftety glasses or goggles
Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his website -- information below under Resources. Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, saws, drills, routers, etc. Milling the Wood Stock This particular project calls for wood stock that is 11-3/4" wide. You may be able to find lumber in the desired woods that's wide enough for the elements. If you can't, you may need to glue up stock to create boards that are wide enough. (In our demonstration, David Marks glued up stock to create the individual elements of the bookcase.) Either way, good milling techniques are critical. Steps: - To start the process, run the stock over the jointer to make sure that one side is perfectly flat (figure B).
- To make the other side perfectly flat and parallel, the stock is then passed through the planer (figure C).
- For the top piece of the bookcase, Marks glued up two identically milled boards (figure D).
- Once the stock has been milled flat, the next step is to joint the edges of the boards for glue-up (figure E).
Tip: Since the fence on jointers can sometimes get slightly out of alignment, there's a technique for ensuring the edges of boards to be glued together will mate precisely. Before jointing the edges, place the two boards edge-to-edge in position as they'll be glued together, and mark a triangle on their faces -- with the mark crossing the juncture of the two connecting edges. Then joint the two connecting surfaces with the face of the boards facing in opposite directions with respect to the fence. That way, when the boards' edges are passed over the planer, any potential misalignment of the fence should be canceled out in the cutting -- resulting in two true mating edges for the glue-up. The triangle marking across the face will help you ensure the mating edges are being placed together. - Once all the edges have been jointed, the pieces are glued together using woodworkers glue (figure F) to create the wider stock needed for the bookcase.
- The pieces are then clamped to hold them secure as the glue dries. To even out the pressure of the clamps, pieces of wooden dowels are slipped between the clamps and stock (figure G).
- A sufficient number of clamps are used to ensure even pressure across each piece (figure H).
- The glue is allowed to dry for several hours. Once it is dried, excess glue is scraped away with a hand scraper (figure I) in preparation for passing the stock through the drum sander.
- Once the excess glue has been removed, the stock is passed through the drum sander (figure J) to sand it to its final dimension of 5/8" thick and to smooth out any imperfections left from the glue-up.
- Once the stock has all been glued up and milled, it is taken to the table saw, where the pieces will be cut to their final, exact lengths (figure K).
Cutting the Dovetail Joints With the stock milled up, the dovetail joints for the bookcase can be cut. The joints are made using a dovetail jig -- a tool that enables exact cutting of dovetails and allows the size and spacing of the dovetails to be varied as desired (figure L). According to conventional woodworking wisdom, smaller dovetail pins are more aesthetically pleasing than larger ones. And by varying the placement and spacing of the dovetails within the layout -- creating an irregular pattern -- the "corn-on-the-cob" look can be avoided. This can provide more visual interest and create the impression of handmade dovetailing. - Tip: Cutting dovetails is an exacting procedure. It's a good idea to experiment on a piece of scrap stock first in order to get the exact layout and fit that you want.
Steps: - For the bookshelves, the dovetail jig is adjusted for the smallest size possible for the pins and tails, and the spacing is staggered to create some visual interest.
- To start, a dovetail bit is installed in the handheld router (figure M) for cutting the tails in the mahogany.
- The tails are cut using the router and dovetail bit. Pencil marks on the inside of the board indicate exactly where to cut the tails (figure N).
- The jig-template is then flipped (figure O) and adjusted to cut the pins in the maple pieces.
- With the adjustments dialed in on the jig, a two-flute carbide bit is installed in the router and used to cut the pins in the wood (figure P). As the pins are being cut, the wood is removed gradually to lessen the stress on the bit (figure Q).
With the pins and tails cut in the bookcase elements, preparation for assembly can begin. The assembly of the bookcase and fitting of the shelves is demonstrated in the segment that follows. Sponsored Resource
> Click here to order your tools and materials for this project from Woodcraft!
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
Beds and Bedroom Furniture: The Best of Fine Woodworking
Model: 1561581917
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking
(1997)
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Complete Woodworker's Companion
Author: Roger Holmes
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
ISBN: 0823008665
The Complete Book of Wood Joinery
Author: Robert J. Decristoforo
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.
ISBN: 0806999500
Advanced Woodworking
Model: 0783539126
Author: Editors of Time Life Books
1998
Time-Life Books Inc.
Website: www.timelife.com
Popular Woodworking
F & W Publications, Inc.
Website: www.popularwoodworking.com
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