| Mahogany Wine Rack -- Biscuit Joinery |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-203 |
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Biscuit Joinery With the template made, all of the elements cut from the mahogany stock, and the stock edges capped with black walnut, work can begin on joinery of the wine rack. The elements are joined with small wood biscuits designated as "zero" biscuits. Materials: Biscuit joiner; zero biscuits
Table router; radius bit
Table saw
Carpenter's square
Yellow wood-glue
Carpenter's pencil
Clamps
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, saws, drills, routers, etc. Important: Because this design is so involved, it's a good idea to consult with your design and template frequently throughout the creation of the joinery. Steps:
- With the honeycomb structure dry-clamped together, center-lines are marked (using yellow tape to protect the wood) on the long diagonals where the dividers meet (figure A). The marks will indicate where the slots will be cut for the biscuit joinery. Note that, on the ends of the honeycomb -- where the 45-degree angles have been cut -- there is a potential for the biscuits to break through. To compensate, the straight pieces are inset slightly (figure B) and a piece of yellow tape is placed at that location as a reminder.
- To begin cutting slots for the joinery, slots are batch-cut in the short dividers. Once there are a number of cuts to be made for this joinery, a jig has been fashioned to simplify the process. The jig is made from 1/2-inch MDF, and a stop-block is clamped into place as a guide. A center-line is marked, as well as two evenly spaced lines, to indicate the positioning of the slots. The biscuit joiner is set to cut to the center of a 3/4-inch piece of plywood. Each section has three slots cut, using the pencil marks as a guide (figure C). After three slots have been cut in one end of a section, the section is rotated 180 degrees, so that three matching slots can be cut in the opposite end. This process is repeated for all of the short dividers.
- For the offset slots, cut to prevent biscuit breakthrough in the mitered end-cuts, a thin shim of cardboard is double-stick taped to the biscuit-joiner (figure D ) providing the necessary offset (figure E). For reference, to make sure the slots are uniform and on the correct side, the angle-cut sections are placed so that the yellow tape -- placed earlier in step TK -- is facing down.
- Next, the corresponding offset slots are cut in the ends of the long diagonals (figure F). When the back of the stop is up against the stop-block, the set-up used on the joiner and jig in the previous step is maintained for these cuts as well. When the edge with the walnut banding is placed against the stop-block, it must be reset back about 1/4-inch to compensate for the extra thickness of the banding. To prevent mistakes, re-orient yourself for each cut using the diagram.
- To cut the biscuit slots in the middle of the board, another jig is created -- using a reference clamped 3/8-inch off the center line (figure G). Once again, the markings on the yellow tape are used as a guide.
- Once all of the slots have been cut, the glue-up process begins. The fairly complex glue-up is completed in stages. Check your template and diagram frequently, and reference the markings made earlier on the edges of the stock, to prevent getting "lost" during this assembly. In our demonstration, glue-up was completed in two halves. It began with the lower-left portion of the honeycomb (figure H). Because of the symmetry of the shelves, the upper right portion is identical. The two halves are built separately, then joined together.
- Begin the assembly of the first stage by applying yellow glue to the biscuits and slots (figure I).
- The sides are attached, followed by the top piece (figure J). Be careful not to over-glue, as clean-up of will be difficult after the structure is assembled. Clean up any excess glue as you go.
- Once the first stage is glued up, secure the structure with two clamps (figure K) and allow it to dry.
- Next, begin assembling the second portion. Start by adding the sides to the long diagonal (figure L).
- Add the dried first stage on top (figure M), clamp the assembly to the workbench (figure N) and allow it to dry. Once complete, this structure comprises one half of the honeycomb.
- Repeat the steps to create the second half of the honeycomb.
- Once both halves are complete, glue them together -- joining them along the center line (figure O). Although this appears to be a complicated glue-up, if the care has been taken up to this point, and cuts and assembly have been done precisely, this step should go smoothly. Use a carpenter's square to ensure that all corners are square, then tighten the clamps and allow the assembled honeycomb structure to dry.
- Once the honeycomb assembly has dried, fit it into the template (figure P) to ensure that assembly has followed the design correctly.
- With the structure fitting snugly in the template, take measurements for the exact dimensions for the case pieces (figure Q).
- To prepare the case stock for assembly shape the edges using a radius bit on the table router (figure R). On the side-pieces, make a stop-radius on the inside edges so that they'll match up with the top and bottom pieces.
- Cut the top and bottom pieces of the case to length using a table saw. To ensure a precise fit, use the table saw to make trim cuts on the ends of the side-pieces where the mahogany was capped.
- With all of the case pieces cut, dry fit the entire assembly together to ensure a proper fit (figure S).
In the segment that follows, joinery will be made to join the case and honeycomb together, and final assembly will take place. 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
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
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