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# Papa's Wood Shop

## Simple Woodworking How-To

## and Project Plans for Beginners

### Book 1

### Bookcases, Cabinets, Countertops.

### Detailed Plans to Build or

### Customize Them for Your Home

### A. William Benitez

# Papa's Wood Shop

## Simple Woodworking How-To

## and Project Plans for Beginners

### Book 1

### A. William Benitez

Published By

### Positive Imaging, LLC

http://positive-imaging.com

mailto:bill@positive-imaging.com

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

Copyright 2015 A William Benitez

ISBN 9781944071134

### About The Cover

I took the photo on the cover in the sunroom of our home because it seemed to convey the message of this book. The dual level end table is the centerpiece of the photo because it was a project that I built while performing power tool demonstrations at a Home Depot store many years ago. I built it with consumer brand tools in a 4 foot by 8 foot temporary work shop that I set up one Saturday but there are other interesting things in the photo.

Just above the table is a small shelf made of cedar with a turquoise finish to hold the leaf lamp we purchased. Admittedly, I unplugged and coiled the power cord behind the lamp because it was unattractive hanging down to the outlet.

The cross just above the small shelf and to the right is made from a scrap piece of white pine 2 X 4 using a band saw and a belt sander. I made it and about twenty other designs during a period of interest in crosses.

The open pass-through above the wicker chair leads to the kitchen and shows the cabinets I built with the light-bridge directly over the sink. Just to the right is the small shadow box I built for old cookie cutters that belonged to Barbara's grandmother.

I chose this picture because I built every project in view, including the complete kitchen, in my small, back yard shop named Papa's Shop by my grandson using only consumer brand tools as I did all the projects in this book.

## Contents

Preface

Introduction

Simplified Projects

Bookcases

Laundry Room Cabinet

Laundry Room Counter

Corner Cabinet

Simplified Project Drawings

Bookcases

Laundry Room Cabinet

Laundry Room Counter

Corner Cabinet

Simplified Methods

Working With Plywood

Ripping Plywood Sheets

Cross-Cutting Plywood, etc.

Sliding Compound Miter Saw

The Table Saw

Joinery

Biscuit Joiner Overview

Rabbeting For Backs, etc.

Using Nails as Joinery

Drilling The Shelf Pin Holes

Covering Plywood Edges

Plywood Edges Are Ugly?

Applying Plywood Veneer Edging

Solid Wood Edges For Tops

Attaching Table Edge Moldings

Laminating Surfaces

Laminating Tops and Surfaces - Part 1

Laminating Tops - Part 2 - Edges

Making and Installing Doors and Drawers

Making and Installing Cabinet Doors

More On European Hinges

Making and Installing Drawers

Finishing Projects

Staining Wood Projects

Applying The Final Finish

Spraying Finishes

Power Tool Safety

Power Tools

Table Saws

Sliding Compound Miter Saw

Circular Saw

Saber Saw

Band Saw

Finishing Sander

Random Orbit Sander

Belt Sander

Router

Drill Press

Biscuit Joiner

Dremel Rotary Tool

Pneumatic Nailers

Final Notes

Woodcarving

Note About My Shop

Hand Tools

About Bill

Disclaimer

Other Books By A. William Benitez

Preface

This how-to book is the first of a five-book series especially for beginning and novice woodworkers alike. In it, I've drawn upon more than twenty-five years of experience as a professional woodworker to jumpstart the beginner or novice who wants to quickly start making useful, beautiful projects for the home or office. You'll learn to work safely with affordable consumer level tools readily available from big box or home improvement stores. And you'll feel the satisfaction of having made functional projects that you've customized to your own space.

Using the methods and details in this book and the rest of the series, even someone with limited skills and inexpensive consumer level tools can build cabinets and furniture.

Book 1 contains four attractive and functional wood projects complete with materials lists, photos, drawings, exploded views, detailed instructions, and tool usage information, everything needed to build the projects as described or alter them to your needs and taste. In addition to suggestions on how to change the projects easily, I'll answer email questions at bill@papas-woodshop.com . I built every one of these projects in my small back yard shop using consumer level power tools, so I believe you can build them also by following my instructions and asking for help if needed.

If you're an avid reader of woodworking information as I am, some of my methods may surprise you. What's important is that they work, and I used them to operate a successful woodworking business for over 25 years and in my home shop for another 20 plus years. They work for me, and I know they can work for you.

Book 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the series, will contain four more complete projects each that you can build for your family and friends. For each project you'll find step-by-step instructions, detailed materials lists, precise working drawings and exploded views to guide you. You'll also learn the best methods to use the tools specified for each job, so that you'll be creating efficient, safe habits as you learn.

I hope you find this first book on building wood projects of real value. I look forward to your questions and comments at bill@papas-woodshop.com . Thanks.

Introduction

Four complete and simplified how-to plans of wood projects for your home await you in this book. A photo, materials list, drawing, exploded view, and detailed instructions are all included with each project and the information is supported by access to me at: bill@papas-woodshop.com .

Even though I spent years building hundreds of projects for customers in my professional shop, these four projects were designed and built for our home in my back yard shop. Almost all of the tools used to build the projects were inexpensive consumer brands.

You can use the project plans as is to build the projects or change them to suit yourself as I encourage and coach you to do throughout the book. With a little effort, you can personalize each project.

Most of the projects are either still in our home or were in our home when I first designed and built them. They were all built using the simplified methods of woodworking that I developed over many years.

The project plans include an introduction describing my basic design idea, the purpose of the project, details on how to build it, and some ways to change it to fit your ideas. I sincerely believe that you can build all of these projects with basic woodworking tools, limited skills, and careful reading of the instructions.

For now, check out your favorite of the four projects and build it yourself. The concise instructions will guide you and provide an excellent experience for future designs. If you have any questions, I am as close as your email. Just send any questions to bill@papas-woodshop.com and I will answer as promptly as possible.

Because this is an ebook version some of the drawings and materials list may appear too small on some ereaders. To resolve that problem all the drawing pages and materials list will include links to a pdf version that you can view on a larger screen or download and print in a full letter size page.

Check out the list of cabinets and furniture below and select the ones you want to build. The list of detailed wood project how-to instructions include:

Bookcase and Bookcase Wall

Whether you need a single bookcase or an entire wall of bookcases for an office or reading room, this plan will help you to create it in any location.

Laundry Room Cabinet

This cabinet stores everything needed in any laundry room and is easy to build and install.

Laundry Room Counter Top

A great work surface for over front loaded washer and dryers. It's a large work table that can be easily removed to work on the equipment.

Corner Cabinet

A perfect fit for the end of a hallway as in the photo but would fit well in almost any corner of your home.

The Simplified Projects

I designed and built all the projects in this book for our home. Barbara had the original idea and then I ran with it and completed the design. I made all of them after retiring from the woodworking business and using consumer level tools. There are six projects in this book and five of them remain in our home. We gave the bookcase to a friend who now has it in her home.

Each project includes a photo, detailed instructions, a materials list, drawings, and a 3D exploded view. The detailed drawings are all in the Drawings section, and each project refers to them. Remember the link on each drawing page opens a pdf file that you can view or print.

Throughout the instructions small drawings and photos appear to help you better understand exactly how to make each project. In addition you can email me at bill@woodworking-simplified.com with any questions and I will respond as promptly as possible.

### The Bookcase

Bookcases are the first project in this book because they are so functional and can be built and used in so many ways. I first came up with this basic design many years ago when I was contracted to build bookcases throughout the home of a book collector. Every wall in almost every room was to have bookcases. I had to come up with a design that was not only functional but also economical.

Purchasing ready-made bookcases to place side by side was not an option because they wanted the bookcases to fit the walls evenly. Measuring and building them to fit was the only way. That's the beauty of this design; it's attractive, functional, easy to build, and economical being built from a single sheet of hardwood plywood.

I first built it for my home a dozen years after the original bookcase job. After spending more than a dozen years at the end of a hallway, it was replaced by a corner cabinet, for which instructions appear later in this book. The bookcase lives on in the living room of our good neighbor where I photographed it for this book.

The bookcase has adjustable shelves and is easy to build. The same methods work for an infinite variety of bookcase designs. Variations are limited only by your creativity and your needs.

Following the materials list is complete and concise step-by-step instructions on how to build the basic bookcase just exactly as designed. Nevertheless, study the complete drawings and the exploded view before cutting the parts, so you understand how it comes together.

After the detailed drawings, I describe many potential variations for the bookcase. You can use these variations or others to make the design fit your decor.

The last section is how to make the design into a continuous wall of bookcases to fit any wall, even one with a window. Be sure to check it out. The materials list for the bookcase appears on the next page and a larger version of the materials list is at: <http://papas-woodshop.com/bookcasematerialslist.pdf>

The drawings are in the **Drawings Section** and they show all the parts on the materials list making the instructions easier to understand. With the drawings, you will not only identify every part but also where it fits in the assembly.

While the bookcase, as designed, is built from a single sheet of ¾ inch plywood, the one in the photo requires one more piece. This piece is the plywood back of ¼" plywood. Even though it appears on this bookcase, it's not necessary and increases the cost. This design is sufficiently stable and looks better without the back.

The bookcase in the picture was built using oak plywood, but you can make yours using maple, cherry, ash, walnut, etc. You can also build the bookcase using solid wood from inexpensive white pine to many of the much more expensive hardwoods.

I prefer using plywood because it's more stable and less expensive. It also works better for these simplified methods. I suggest plywood for your bookcase as it has a nice appearance when used with edge veneer.

The dimensions I selected were based on several factors. First and most important, it was designed to fit the space at the end of the hall. That is the unique advantage of custom-built projects. Secondly, the depth is only 9 ¼ inches because I like how the books look on a shallower bookcase, and it allowed me to make the entire thing from one sheet of plywood.

Cutting plywood can be difficult for various reasons. The most significant is that the sheets are large, heavy, and clumsy making them difficult for one person to handle. While there is no getting around this fact, there are easier ways to move these sheets around. Cutting these sheets can be done in various ways as described in detail in the Simplified Methods Section. These methods include using a Table Saw, even though it's the most difficult for one person alone. They also include a home-made and a store-bought ripping guide. Use the method that best suits your shop space and cut all the parts from the list.

After completing the cutting proceed with sanding all the parts, especially any rough cuts. After the sanding, start assembling the top and bottom support pieces. These are simple boxes you assemble easily with a hammer and finish nails unless you own or purchase a pneumatic nailer. They are inexpensive and make the nailing much easier. You don't even need a compressor anymore because of battery powered nailers. On the next page is a drawing showing how to angle the nails for extra strength on plywood butt joints. Remember to use glue on every joint.

Nail the fronts and backs for strength by simply angling some of the nails as shown in the drawing on the previous page. Also use wood glue lightly on every joint to add even more strength. These are just plain butt joints with no joinery of any kind. Simply nail the front of the top support face to the two top ends. Then nail the two back pieces forming a simple box. Now you have two small boxes. Check the photos on the next page to see how these boxes fit in the assembly.

Notice the red arrows point to the two boxes previously described. This shows how they fit the top and bottom of the bookcase.

**NOTE:** If you are concerned about joints solely nailed, consider that this bookcase has been in use now for over 25 years in two different households without requiring repair. Nails, properly used, are an adequate joinery method for many projects.

Next step, nail one of the shelves to the top of the bottom support making certain that it sticks back 1 inch and sticks forward ½". The 1-inch space on the back is to accommodate a baseboard if you choose to install your bookcase flush against the wall.

Then nail a shelf to the bottom of the top support making certain it is ½" past the front board of the top support. This recess accommodates the small molding at the top of the bookcase and completes the main supports of the bookcase.

Once you have completed the top and bottom supports, your bookcase is almost ready to assemble. There are two things to do to the sides before assembly. The first is to drill the holes for the shelf pins and there are various ways to do that. The simplest and suggested method is to purchase a simple jig and a specialized drill bit that makes the job easy and accurate. This method is critical if you plan to build more bookcases over time but it's a good purchase even for only one bookcase. Nevertheless, you can use a simple brad point drill bit with a short piece of 1 inch or larger dowel to serve as a stop to drill the holes. Just measure the hole locations and punch a small starter hole with an awl. Obviously significantly more work and, even if you're careful, it can be inaccurate. Check out the photo of a shelf pin hole drilling kit on the next page. It's a simple Shelf Pin Drilling Jig for adjustable shelves that comes with a 1/4" self centering bit. This jig is easy to use with any portable drill and a couple of clamps. There are various models of shelf pin hole jigs but this one is available from Amazon.com at the following link: <http://bit.ly/shelfpinholejig>

Another thing you may want to do on the sides is the notch at the bottom, back edge to accommodate the baseboard. Ever noticed how most store-bought bookcases sit away from the wall at the base. They are seldom designed to accommodate the baseboard and the shoe mold. The drawing above shows a notch of 1" X 3 ¼" which was necessary for the baseboard in our home. It could be quite different in your home. The best bet is to check this out and take a measurement and use it to leave the correct spacing on the bottom support and to cut out the baseboard notch. On the next page is a small drawing of the notch cut out for baseboards.

The final step before assembly or applying a finish is to apply veneer to the front edge of all the plywood parts. There are various ways to do this and it depends on the veneer that you can obtain online or in your area. The simplest way is to use an iron-on veneer and a household iron to apply it and then trim and sand the edges. If you are uncertain about how to do this, check out the details in the Simplified Methods section for instructions.

After completing these tasks but before assembling the bookcase, apply a finish. Since I always sprayed furniture pieces I built, a piece like this would take one coat of sanding sealer after which I would sand all the surfaces until they felt like glass. Then I would spray two coats of lacquer sanding lightly with a 400 grit sandpaper between coats. I always preferred the natural wood look but if the customer wanted a darker color, I would apply a stain before applying the sanding sealer.

My favorite clear finish is Deft Clear Wood Finish. It is a brushing lacquer and when used properly leaves a clear finish without brush marks. Start by applying the stain if you wish to change the color of the wood. Let the stain dry but don't sand it even though it feels rough. Sanding can create splotches that show up through the clear finish. Then apply a coat of Deft Clear Wood Finish. The trick for a good job with Deft is to move fast, apply generously but avoid runs, and never go back to a finished section. Deft dries completely in 30 minutes and starts drying quickly. If you go back and brush in an area that has begun drying it will form unattractive brush marks.

After applying the first coat, wait about an hour and then use a fine sandpaper, preferably 320 or 400 grit on all the surfaces carefully. After sanding, the surfaces should feel like glass. Then apply the last coat exactly as you did the first. For a finer and long-lasting surface sand all the surfaces with a 600 grit sandpaper and then apply a final coat.

One final note on finishing, because of the simple assembly method of this bookcase I suggest applying the finish to all the components before assembly avoiding the need to apply the finish into corners. For much more information about finishing check out the Simplified Methods Section.

Assembly

The assembly of this bookcase is simple. The top and bottom supports are simply screwed from the inside to the sides using 1 ¼" drywall screws. Start by drilling four 3/16" holes through each end of the top and bottom supports. Then use a countersink bit to countersink slightly the holes for the screws you will be using to assemble the unit.

Place the two sides on the floor or a large workbench with the back edges in and the shelf pin holes facing up. The two baseboard notches should be facing each other. Now put the top support with the back on the floor and the top edge up near the top of the sides. Then put the bottom support with the back on the floor and the bottom edge near the bottom of the sides. Raise the left side with the front edge up flush with the front edge of the shelf on the top support and the top edge of the side flush with the top edge of the top support. Clamp this together and then drive the 1 ¼" screws into all four holes. Then raise the right side and repeat this same procedure to assemble the right and left sides to the top support.

Follow a similar procedure for the bottom of the bookcase. The sides will already be upright so just place the bottom support between the sides with the front of the shelf on the bottom support flush with the top edge of the sides. Make certain the bottom support is flush with both edges of the right and left sides. Clamp them together, and drive the screws from inside the bottom support into the right and left sides and the assembly is complete.

Put the bookcase in place, install the shelf pins in the appropriate locations and place the shelves and your bookcase is almost ready to use. There is one last step, often overlooked, that is important for safety. Using a ladder, find a wall stud and place a screw through the back of the top support into that stud. This important step will keep the bookcase, loaded with books and knick knacks, from falling over and injuring someone.

**NOTE:** In the photo of the bookcase there is an oak plywood back. I didn't include the instructions for that because it is an unnecessary step that I seldom add to bookcase projects. To me, seeing the wall through the books and knick knacks is a more attractive view. In spite of my opinion, you can add a 1/4" back to the bookcase by making the sides 1/4" wider. They would now be 9 1/2" so the back edge can be rabbeted a 1/4" deep by 1/2" wide for fastening the back so the edges of the plywood are not visible. This cut's called a rabbet and it must stick beyond the back of the top and bottom supports. Make certain the back doesn't run to the floor as it must remain clear of the baseboard area. Normally I would staple the back into place but to facilitate disassembly you need to use small screws for fastening the back.

Check out the following pages for six variations on the basic bookcase unit described in these instructions.

### SIX VARIATIONS ON THE

### BASIC BOOKCASE UNIT

In the next few pages are described six ways you can use to alter the design of the bookcase in your home. Please check them out and send any questions to bill@papas-woodshop.com .

**BOOKCASE VARIATION NUMBER 1:  
** Wall of Bookcases Around a Window

If you have a window in your wall, you can place bookcases on either side of the window. You can even place smaller bookcase units over and under the window to cover the entire wall around the window. To make multiple bookcases, you merely have to make more top and bottom support structures and shelves.

To determine the size of the top and bottom support structures, you must calculate the shelf space after deducting all the Part A (uprights). For example, if the size of your wall is exactly 122" you would make the following calculations: First, subtract the space on each side of the bookcase. Let's say you will leave 1" on each side. Deduct 2", leaving 120". It will take four units to cover this space. A four-unit bookcase requires five Parts A. Each Part A is ¾"thick. Multiply ¾" times five and then subtract the result of this calculation from 120" leaving 116¼". Divide it by four, resulting in 29 1/16", the size of the top and bottom support units. You must change the size of the Parts B and Parts C to 29 1/16". Everything else remains exactly the same as described in the materials list. You also need more of each part including five Parts A, 28 Parts B, 16 Parts C, 8 Parts D and E, 4 Parts F, and almost four times as much iron-on veneer.

You drill the holes for your shelf supports, sand and assemble the bookcase in the same way you would for the one-unit project except that the three center Parts A will need shelf pin holes on both sides. Be careful to properly align the holes on both sides so the shelves will be even with each other when placed. Just clamp the units together, and then attach with screws. Once assembled, you can raise the entire unit in one piece and fasten it to the wall as you would a single unit.

Below the window, build a low bookcase in the same fashion as the full sized single units. Depending upon the width of the window, you can use either a single, double or triple unit. You will need to make a top for this part of your bookcase because the top supports on the taller units are open. Finish the top like the rest of your bookcase, or laminate it with a plastic laminate of an appropriate color. These units should be built the size of the window opening plus approximately 1" or more to accommodate the space between the tall bookcases and the window curtains or drapes.

Leave the area above the window open, or decorate it with a bridge from the bookcase on one side of the window to the bookcase on the other side. This bridge can be built simply as a top support structure spanning the full width of the space between the bookcase units. If you add a face board, it can serve as a valance for a curtain rod. Or you can make it a light bridge by using 3" canister spots to light the top of the lower bookcases. If you want indirect lighting in the room, you can install fluorescent light units in the support opening. If the bookcases are floor to ceiling; the top section can serve as a bookcase only, or as a combination of bookcase, valance, or light bridge.

Remember, when building a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, allow room for the bookcase to fit on the diagonal. It is quite embarrassing to build a bookcase that will not fit into your room because the diagonal measurement is too large to allow for standing it upright. The simplest way to deal with this problem is to convert the bottom support into a separate toe space arrangement. That is, built separately, and the size of the toe space unit plus ¾" is deducted from the floor to ceiling measurement for the overall measurement of the bookcase. Instead of fastening a bottom support inside the two Part A's, you merely attach a Part B to form the bottom shelf.

Make the toe space the same way as the bottom support unit, but the Part B is not attached since it is now a part of the bookcase. The toe space may be constructed the same size as the bottom support would have been, and this will provide for a recess around the base of the bookcase. Or you can enlarge these dimensions to make the toe space unit the same size as the bookcase and then install a decorative baseboard. If you don't use a baseboard, cut and assemble the toe space unit using miters at the corners so the end grain of the plywood doesn't show.

Using the toe space arrangement makes installation of a floor-to-ceiling bookcase quite simple. You merely stand the bookcase up and place it in the proper location. Then push the unit up to the ceiling and slide in the toe space. Now fasten the bottom Part B to the toe space unit with screws.

For safety, tall bookcases should always be fastened to the wall. If the bookcase is the height described in our plans (84"), this is easy to do. Using a stepladder to reach the top of your bookcase unit, drive a screw through the back Part C of the top support directly into a stud. If possible use two screws, but if the distance between studs makes this impossible, just make certain that the screw is solidly into a stud. If you are building a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, it won't be possible to put a screw into the back of Part C because the top of the bookcase is too close to the ceiling. There are two ways to deal with this situation. You can install a ¾" strip of solid wood on the bottom of the Part B. This strip is called a hang rail in cabinets because its sole function is to provide a place through which the cabinet can be screwed solidly to the wall. You can also use a small metal "L" bracket in the same location and fasten it to a stud but it will not look as neat. See variation 2 on the next page.

**BOOKCASE VARIATION NUMBER 2:  
** Moldings

Moldings provide many ways to change the design. One basic way is to use moldings at the top and the base of the bookcase. For example, a wall of bookcases can be changed completely by simply altering the top and bottom supports. By increasing the size of Parts D and E by ¾", Part C will be flush with the front of Parts A at the top and the bottom. Then you can attach a solid molding to the top and bottom supports. You can use a one-piece molding such as a bed mold or a crown mold along the top. Along the bottom, you can use a piece of Colonial base mold or some other molding style that you like. This alone will make a significant change in the look of the bookcase. See variation 3 on the next page.

**BOOKCASE VARIATION NUMBER 3:**  
Edge Moldings

Solid wood edge moldings provide another way to change the appearance of your bookcase. There are a few ready-made ¾" solid wood moldings that you can use on the front edge of your shelves. To use a decorative edge molding, make your shelves (Parts B) about ¾" narrower so that the ends of the molding on the front edge of Parts B will butt against the sides of Parts A. Otherwise, the molding on Parts B will butt unevenly against the sides of the molding on Parts A This will look unprofessional. You can also use solid wood to make square edging. The wood you use for this purpose should be at least ¾" thick, but can be any width that you like. If this strip is left square, there is no need to cut the shelves (Parts B) narrower. However, if you decide to round over the edge strips, you should narrow the shelves as described above. See variation 4 on the next page.

**BOOKCASE VARIATION NUMBER 4:  
** Face Frames

Face frames can significantly alter the appearance of your bookcase. I prefer bookcases without face frames, but many people like them. If you decide to use face frames, I suggest that you make them 2" or less in width and put face frames only on Parts A and on the top and bottom supports, leaving the shelves recessed for a pleasant appearance. The shelves are still easy to adjust. If you must have face frames on all the edges including the shelves, it's best to make the shelves non-adjustable.

There are various ways to fasten solid wood moldings and face frames. The quickest and simplest is with finish nails; drive them, set them, and then fill the holes with wood putty. You might also use screws and plugs. I would use nails on kitchen and bath cabinets and the biscuit joiner to attach moldings to furniture pieces. With either technique use glue. Unfortunately, when using glue there is almost always a degree of squeeze-out that must be thoroughly cleaned up. The biscuit joiner minimizes this problem. By using glue sparingly and only in the biscuit slots, you have the advantage of glued joints without the problem of squeeze-out. On face frames, you can use the biscuit joiner with the small #0 wafers to assemble all the face frame joints. The strength of these little wafers is amazing. See variation 5 on the next page.

**BOOKCASE VARIATION NUMBER** _5:_ _  
_Doors

Doors can be a worthwhile addition to your bookcase. Installing them on the bottom section of your bookcase can provide valuable, dust-free storage. With a few minor changes to the basic unit design, you can easily install doors. First, determine how tall you want your doors. At the chosen height, fasten one of the Parts B permanently to provide a non-adjustable shelf forming the top of the cabinet covered by your doors. Next determine how many of the Parts B will be in the bottom section of the bookcase and rip these shelves (Parts B) to a size at least 1" narrower than the rest of the Parts B.

As to the design of the doors, there are several options. The simplest is a flat, plywood door with iron-on veneer edges for an attractive, yet functional appearance. Or you might install a decorative, surface-mounted molding on each door. You can also use a fancy brass or antique brass pull to add a little character to the door.

To make the doors for each bookcase section, use the following steps. First, measure and list the width and then the height. Get an exact measurement. To determine the size of the doors, deduct ½" from the width and then divide this result by two giving you the width of each of the two doors in a unit. The ½" is deducted to provide 1/8" on either side and 1/8" between the doors for a total of 3/8". The other 1/8" is to allow for the thickness of the iron-on veneer of approximately 1/32" thick and four thicknesses of veneer adds up to 1/8" The 1/8". The gap may seem a little large, but remember that your cabinet will have three coats of varnish on it. On four edges makes a total of twelve coats of finish and can be rather thick. The height of the door is determined by measuring the exact size of the opening and then subtracting ¼" for the final height of the door after considering spacing, veneer, and finish.

Next apply the iron-on veneer to all edges. Trim and sand the door, and apply finish before hanging it. Use Blum or other brand European concealed hinges on your doors. To install them, drill two 35mm (1 3/8") diameter holes exactly ½" deep in the back of each door. The holes should be centered exactly 3" from each corner and 7/8" from the edge of the door. You must use a Forstner-type bit with a drill press or jig to drill these holes because regular bits have large tips that could protrude through the front of the door and ruin the face of the door. The 7/8" measurement is not critical, but your latitude there is minimal. If the center of the hole is less than 13/16" or more than 15/16" from the edge, the hinges may not function correctly.

To hang the door on the cabinet, fasten the mounting plates to the hinges and then the hinges to the door. Place the door in its proper position. Use a small shim (wedge) to raise the door from the bottom to ensure proper spacing. Make certain that the distance between the top and bottom of the doors and the cabinet is the same. Determine if your doors will be flush or recessed. Make certain the door remains in place with the hinge edge against the side (Parts A) of the bookcase. While the door is in its proper place, reach into the cabinet and install screws into the mounting plates. Now open that door and follow the same steps for the other door. Once both doors are installed, take a Phillips screwdriver and adjust the doors, so they fit exactly in the opening. For more details about installing cabinet doors using concealed European hinges check the Simplified Methods Section.

**NOTE:** Remember you can choose to make the bottom part of the bookcase deeper than the top part. It would involve building a base cabinet unit separately, then making a shorter bookcase unit to place above it. Certainly there are many other designs possible. Let your imagination roam, and you may come up with original designs. See variation 6 on the next page.

**BOOKCASE VARIATION NUMBER 6:**  
Metal Shelf Strips and Clips

Brass or aluminum shelf strips with metal clips can be surface mounted but it's unattractive. They should be recessed flush with the surface of the bookcase sides involving much more work. Clips are much stronger and a good choice for shelves that will hold more weight.

There are two easy ways to cut the recesses in Parts A for the metal standards. You can use an edge guide for your router and set it so that the edge of the recess will be 1" from the edge of Parts A. Adjust the depth of the router bit to cut slightly deeper than the thickness of the metal standard. Now carefully align the router and guide on the edge and feed the router through the cut from left to right. Try this on a scrap piece or two first. If the router pushes away from the edge, you are cutting in the wrong direction. You should maintain pressure against the edge.

Another way to make this recess is to clamp a long plywood guide to Part A. The guide should be measured to ensure that the bit will cut the recess 1' from the edge. With the guide on the side of the router away from you, make your cut from left to right.

These cuts can be tricky and are easy to mess up if you are even a little careless. It's essential to run the router in the correct direction and maintain control over it at all times. The router bit is spinning clockwise, and you want it to pull toward the guide and the edge of the plywood so move left to right. Make a full cut on the scrap, so you are completely familiar with how the router will behave during the actual cut. On the next page there is a photo of the 5/8 inch fluted router bit used for this job.

This fluted 5/8 inch router bit is capable of cutting ¾ inch deep but it should be set to the thickness of the metal strip or slightly deeper to accommodate the finish coats.

Attach the metal standards with the nails provided for that purpose after the bookcase is assembled and finished. They are the correct color and fit perfectly into the recesses.

Remember, I welcome your questions at my email address: bill@papas-woodshop.com .

Laundry Room Cabinet

As with most subdivision homes, our laundry room in our home had a single shelf that crossed over the washer and dryer space for storage. This is not only inadequate but also unattractive. We decided that a cabinet was essential, and I designed this one. It's a practical and simple cabinet that may work in almost any laundry room. In our laundry room, it's directly over the washing machine and dryer. Barbara puts all laundry related soaps, bleaches, etc. in her cabinet and also stores bathroom-cleaning products even though the cabinet is shallow.

The cabinet is intentionally shallow because we had a top loading washer, and a deeper cabinet would have interfered with the washer door. Now we have front loaders so the cabinet could be deeper. Consider this in building your version. You can make the cabinet almost 12 inches deep without increasing the cost of the materials.

This cabinet was designed and built for our laundry room. Your laundry room may be larger or smaller, adjust the size of the cabinet accordingly. If your washer and dryer are in the garage, it may allow for a much longer cabinet, and you may have to divide it into three shelf sections.

As with all the wood projects in Woodworking Simplified, you need to think about the best way to build it to serve your situation. Let's start with the cabinet photo on the previous page so you can get a good idea of how it will look.

The next illustration is the drawing in the Drawings Section. It includes two front views. The top one is how it looks with the doors installed and closed. The bottom front view is the cabinet itself without the doors installed. On the next page of the Drawings Section is an exploded view.

Between these two there is a top view and to the right side there is a side view of the laundry cabinet. Below the side view is a Front Section showing the adjustable shelves held in place by shelf pins placed into predrilled holes. Find instructions for drilling these holes in the Simplified Methods Section. It is done exactly as for an adjustable shelf bookcase.

Directly beneath the Front Section is a Top Section showing how to assemble the cabinet with the sides, support nailers, and the back. It also shows the hinges and mounting plates holding the doors. For complete instructions for making and installing cabinet doors check out the Simplified Methods Section.

Check out the drawings carefully and then use the materials list on the next page for purchasing the material and cutting it to size. A larger version of the materials list is at: <http://papas-woodshop.com/laundrycabtable.pdf>

Remember to check the instructions for ripping and crosscutting materials for wood projects on pages 79 and 82 in the Simplified Methods Section. After cutting the materials to size, you can apply the veneer to the exposed pieces. This includes the front edge of the two A pieces, top and bottom, the center panel, the support nailers, the right and left trim, and all four edges of all four of the doors. Follow the instructions for veneering on page 91 in the Simplified Methods section.

Once all the veneer is applied, assemble the laundry cabinet as shown in the drawing. You can assemble by simply using nails, or you can use a biscuit jointer to make all the joints. I believe that the easiest way for this cabinet is nails with a few reinforcing screws, but you can also follow the biscuit jointer instructions on page 85 of the Simplified Woodworking Section. The last thing to assemble is the back, and it will ensure that the cabinet is square. Squareness is always a critical consideration with every cabinet you ever build.

I suggest you install the doors with the cabinet on your work table because it's much easier. Just follow the instructions in the Simplified Methods Section and fully install them. Once they are installed, take them loose from the mounting plates and hang the cabinets without them because it is much lighter.

Before installing the cabinet, apply the finish using the methods described in the Simplified Methods Section. It is always easier to paint or varnish a cabinet before installation.

For a simple installation, make a level line on the wall where you are placing the bottom of the cabinet. Drive two screws, one close to each side of the cabinet, on the level line and into studs. Place the cabinet on the two screws and slide it so each side is even to accommodate the trim pieces. Screw the cabinet to the wall, first through the top support nailer and into the studs and then through the bottom support nailer and into the studs holding the cabinet solidly on the wall.

Reminder: I designed this cabinet especially for our laundry room. It will work almost anywhere, but don't hesitate to change the plan for your situation. These sizes were perfect for me, but yours may be totally different, and you shouldn't hesitate to change the plan as necessary to make it fit better in your home.

Laundry Room Countertop

When we purchased new front loading washer and dryer units for our utility room, it seemed like a unique opportunity to create a nice work surface above the two units. As I began planning a countertop, it became clear it could make reaching either machine for repairs and service difficult unless I made it removable.

This laundry room countertop provides the large work surface we wanted but can be easily removed and placed in the garage out of the way to accommodate service or repairs.

As with most woodworking simplified projects, I encourage options with this laundry countertop. I covered the countertop with plastic laminate. I prefer laminate for a top like this because it works well for any surface that might get wet. However, you can also finish it with a good clear coat with or without a stain color. Or, you can even paint it with a good grade of enamel. The instructions are for a laminated top, but you can finish the top as you choose.

The materials list and the drawings are for the countertop in the laundry room of our home. Laundry room sizes vary so it's essential that you adjust the length of the countertop to the length of your laundry room. Our laundry room is 67 3/4 inches wide. I believe this plan would work well for a room up to 72 inches wide and maybe a couple of inches wider by adjusting the size of the top. If your laundry room is wider, you will have to change the plan because the ¾ inch plywood top will sag too much if the span is much more. The depth should work fine with most washer and dryer combinations as should the rest of the dimensions. The materials list appears on the next page and a larger version of the materials list is at: <http://papas-woodshop.com/laundrycountermaterialslist.pdf>

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Instructions For The Laundry Countertop

There are various ways to cut the pieces described in the materials list. You can use a table saw with run-off tables or rollers but that can be difficult. Because plywood is difficult for one person to handle, I like to use a workbench and a rip guide. There are several such guides available, and you can even make one.

My favorite is the Kreg Rip-Cut Circular Saw Guide. I found it by doing a google search for plywood ripping guides. I bought it because it seemed to be the simplest to set up and use. Check out the photo on the next page to see how it works.

You simply fasten one part to the bottom of your circular saw and then slide it onto the measuring bar. Make sure you calibrate the bottom plate on the saw with the blade and then just set the correct size on the measurement scale, and you are ready for a long cut on any sheet of plywood. As with most jigs, it does require some care but it does an accurate job ripping long pieces. You can also crosscut wide sheets of plywood like the countertop piece.

Naturally, you can also make a rip guide of plywood. The Simplified Methods section describes ways to rip plywood sheets and how to make and use a plywood rip guide.

There are many ways to crosscut the pieces. The miter gauge that comes with the table saw works for smaller, narrower pieces. You can improve it by adding a scrap piece to the front of the miter gauge making it more stable for the cuts. A carbide tipped blade with at least sixty teeth does an excellent job. Set the depth of the blade to exceed the thickness of the plywood by no more than ¼". These steps will ensure clean cuts that improve the final appearance of your project by reducing filling and sanding. I suggest you read the information on the table saw on page 123 in the Power Tools section and page 83 in the Simplified Methods section.

Remember, even though table saws are versatile and capable of making all kinds of cuts, they are also dangerous and capable of causing serious injuries. Always give your work full attention and never use the table saw, or any power tool, when you are drinking, using drugs, or very tired.

NOTE: Never use the table saw freehand. Table saws come with a rip fence and a miter guide to help ensure they are not used freehand. There are no safe freehand cuts on a table saw. Remember, it only takes one mistake to cause a serious injury.

Choosing The Crown

While it is important to select wood and plywood that is as straight as possible, sometimes you may get a piece that is crooked, or the sheet will get crooked after you get it home. Plywood often responds to the environment where it is stored such as a hot garage and then it becomes curved slightly. It is still usable but can be problematic if you don't take the curve or crown into account whenever plywood spans a wide area such as over the washer and dryer.

Instead of seeing the crown as a problem you can view it as an advantage by making certain it is the top surface. The crown makes the plywood surface stronger and allows it to hold more weight before it begins to sag. No matter how you are finishing the top, take a moment to make certain the crown is facing up before working on the countertop.

For surfaces covered by plastic laminate, you can choose a lower quality plywood. You still need a fairly good quality plywood to ensure good, flat surfaces for the laminate. Begin by cutting the pieces as described in the Materials List.

After cutting all the pieces, you need to nail and glue "C", the counter buildup, to the bottom front edge of the countertop. Make sure it is flush with the front of the countertop. Use a belt sander to sand the edge lightly to prepare it for laminate. Once this has been completed, all the pieces are ready for plastic laminate.

The next two pages contain photos of the laundry room countertop in various positions. The first page shows the countertop being pulled out. It can be removed completely to make the washer and dryer easy to service or repair.

The second page includes two close up photos so you can see how the counter top fits on the side panels.

Laminating

Purchasing plastic laminate can be a problem in some areas. If there is a laminate distributor close by, you can get any size you choose but most home improvement stores have limited sizes, and you may have to purchase more than you need. You have to select a color so you will need to either view the colors online or go to a location where they have the color chips. Often you will have to place a special order for the color you choose.

You'll need a quart of contact cement, a cheap 2" brush, and both flush and bevel laminate trim bits for your router or trimmer. Many other tools are appropriate for laminating, but these will do for a small job such as this. During the laminating you will also need a hammer and a wood block, but these you will probably already have in your shop. Check the Simplified Methods section for more details on laminating the countertop and other pieces.

Laminate the edges of all the pieces first including the front edge of the countertop and the top and front edge of the two side panels. Read the laminating edges information in the Simplified Methods section for details on how to cut and apply the laminate to the edges. Once you have completed the edges, trimmed them to the plywood, and sanded them down you are ready for the face pieces to be installed.

Gluing the face pieces is also covered in the Simplified Methods section, and you should read it carefully and follow the instructions. These instructions call for a plastic laminate edge, and that looks good, but you can also use a solid wood edging by biscuit joining it to the front of the countertop after applying the surface laminate.

Check out Solid Wood Edges in the Simplified Methods section for wood edge installation instructions. Find more information on wood edging.

Once you have laminated all the surfaces, they are ready to be installed. The first thing to do is measure from the floor to where you are locating the bottom of the side panels. Mine were 38 ½ inches, but I suggest that you measure the height of the washer and dryer to make certain and then allow a little more. Mark a location at each end and then use a stud finder of some kind to find the location of the studs because you want to screw the side panels to the wall studs.

Once you have located the studs, place the side panels in place. Screw heads are hidden by locating the screws near the bottom of the side panels. The countertop supports cover the screw heads. Drill 3/16-inch holes through the side panels at these locations. Hold the side panels in place on the lines and then drive 2 ½" drywall screws through the side panels and the sheetrock into the studs. Two screws are sufficient.

Next, drill three 3/16 inch holes into the countertop supports. Drill one at each end and one in the center, and then screw it flush with the bottom of the side panel using three 1 5/8" drywall screws. You can pre-drill the side panel surface, but it's not essential. Once you have installed the side panels and the countertop supports on each side just slide the countertop into place. The final step is to mark any cables or hoses that stick up and notch the rear of the countertop to accommodate them as shown in the photos below.

Corner Cabinet

After years of having a regular bookcase at the end of our hallway, Barbara felt that a corner cabinet would look much better, and she was right. The corner cabinet seems to create a flow from the living room into the hallway, the two bedrooms, and the bathroom at the end of the hall.

After years of having a regular bookcase at the end of our hallway, Barbara felt that a corner cabinet would look much better, and she was right. The corner cabinet seems to create a flow from the living room into the hallway, the two bedrooms, and the bathroom at the end of the hall.

This corner cabinet fits well in almost any corner. In our case, we decided to make it somewhat rustic. I built it of plywood except for the face frames that are white pine. After building it, I used a large chain to distress it before we applied the finish. Barbara applied all the finish. I'm fairly good at painting but dislike that part of the job so I was glad Barbara wanted to do it herself.

She started out by painting the entire cabinet with a satin Cabin Red enamel. Once that dried, she took a dry brush with black paint and went over it lightly. Finally, she touched certain accents with gold paint. It has an interesting appearance and fits in perfectly with our décor.

It's not a complex project except that cutting the triangles can be tricky. I assembled the entire project with a pneumatic nailer and a few screws for extra strength. The shelves are all stationary, so there are no shelf pin holes to drill.

Use the materials list below to cut all the pieces. The plywood back is made of ½ inch plywood because I didn't want to use any structural supports that would be visible in the corner cabinet. This thickness of plywood provides adequate support for the entire cabinet. The back is easy to cut as described in the materials list by using either a table saw set up for ripping plywood or the ripping and crosscutting methods described in the Simplified Methods section. The materials list appears on the next page and a larger version of the materials list is at: <http://papas-woodshop.com/cornercabinetmaterialslist.pdf>

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After cutting the backs, you'll need to cut the shelves. Cutting these can be tricky but all seven shelves will come out of one-half sheet of ¾" plywood. Since you won't need the entire sheet of ¾" plywood you choose the left over size, either a 4' X 4' piece of plywood or a 2' X 8' piece, and the same size is left over.

Cut that piece into four pieces 23 9/16" X 23 9/16". Remember to use a good cutting table to make these cuts. Plans for a good cutting table appear on page 81 in the Simplified Methods section under the Ripping Plywood topic. Once you have the four square pieces use a saw guide to cut from one corner to another to form two triangles from each piece. Making this cut exactly from corner to corner gives you two pieces 23 ½" on the square side because the thickness of the saw blade will reduce the size from 23 9/16". You will now have eight triangles. You only need seven so this gives you an extra one just in case. If you use a carbide tipped blade with at least 40 teeth to make all of these cuts through the plywood and use a carefully clamped saw guide, all your cuts need only light sanding if any. They will all be covered either by the backs or by the face frame.

Once the backs and the shelves have been cut all the rest of the materials can be cut and ripped easily using a table saw and miter saw since it is all white pine. Ripping the white pine for the parts D, E, I, and J requires setting the table saw blade to a 22 ½ degree angle to fit the angled corner of the cabinet.

The H part is cut to 7" wide at first but then it's shaped with a saber or band saw as shown in the drawing in the Drawings Section. There will be more instructions for this later but now let's assemble the main cabinet. Before assembling the project check out the drawing in the Drawings Section **.**

Assembly

To begin the assembly, mark the location of the shelves on the back panels. Place both back panels on a large work bench with the inside surface of the back facing up, the back corners against each other, and the top and bottom flush with each other. On the inside surface of either back start with a mark 3" from the bottom. From the 3" mark measure up 12 ½" to the top of the second shelf and continue marking at 12 ½" for four more shelves. Now, use a framing square to mark the location of all the shelves except the top with a light line across the inside of the backs. Flip the backs over and mark the outside of the backs at the center of each shelf. This mark is a nailing guide. You can make this mark light or dark since it will not be visible once the cabinet is installed.

Assemble on a large flat surface and the best bet may be the floor. Place part C with the front edge up and the back edge against the floor. While holding this part in a vertical position place the top shelf flush with the top of part C and flush with the front corner of the shelf and nail the back to the shelf. I use a pneumatic nailer to make things easier, but you can nail it with a hammer making certain that everything remains flush. I suggest one nail every 4 or 5 inches. You can use finish nails or nails with heads as this side of the back will be against the wall and not visible. Once you have nailed the first shelf, the back will remain upright by itself, and you can nail the other shelves. Just place them against the back and on the lines you marked on the inside of the back and then drive the nails in the center of the mark you made on the outside of the back. Repeat that procedure for every shelf.

Next, pull the back down, so it is flat on the floor, and the shelves are pointing upward and you are ready to nail the other back part. Place part B against the upright shelves with the shelf marks on the inside and the top of the back flush with the top shelf. Make certain the top shelf is flush with the edge of the part B back and flush on top and then nail it as you did the other back. Then nail the other shelves in exactly the same way using the nailing marks on the outside to make certain that none of the nails come out on the inside.

Roll the entire unit over with the front face is down on the floor. With the back corner of the parts B and C are facing upward use some small nails to nail parts B and C to each other. Assembling the corner cabinet is completed except for the face frames and the unit is square because of the squareness of the two back parts.

Now you are ready to apply the face frame parts to the front of the corner cabinet. Start with parts D and E. These are 2" wide at the long point with a 22 ½ degree angle. Place the left part D flush with the top and the bottom of the part C back so that it runs along the inside face of the back. The edge of the back cannot be covered because this is where you will nail part J, the left edge cover. Nail part D directly to each shelf edge only. Repeat this exact procedure with part E on the right-hand side of the corner cabinet.

Install part G, the toe face, and parts F, the shelf faces between parts D and E and flush with the top of each shelf. Be sure to nail these parts with nails at least ½ inch from the top surface to accommodate the cove router cut later. Nails that are too close to the top edge could be hit by the router blade which will cut it but will also be made dull in the process. Don't fasten part H, the top décor face because it requires shaping and the decorative flower must be cut in it first.

Nail Parts I and J next, but you have to make a decision about them based on the circumstance of your location. When I built our corner cabinet, we had a small, ½" thick baseboard in our home. Some would simply install the corner cabinet against the baseboard and allow the small space to be open behind it as you would with a store-bought unit. Custom built units can be installed taking into consideration the baseboard. Parts I and J are nailed to the edges of the backs parts B and C and go beyond the back by ½". In that protrusion, I cut a notch at the bottom that fits the baseboard, so there is no space between the back edge of the corner cabinet and the wall. To accomplish this, I made parts I and J 1 3/8 inches at the long point.

Notice the baseboard cutout on the Corner Cabinet drawing in the Drawings Section. If you have a wider baseboard and also have a shoe molding, you can simply make parts I and J wider. For example, most baseboards are about ½" thick but a shoe molding adds another ½" to that size making the width 1". You would add ½" to the width of parts I and J making them 1 7/8" wide and fasten them in exactly the same way. Then you would have sufficient room to notch for the baseboard and the shoe mold and your corner cabinet would fit perfectly against the wall. Installing parts I and J completes the corner cabinet except for part H, the top décor face, routing the face frames, the finish, and the installation.

The Top Décor Face

Part H, the top décor face is where you can make this corner cabinet your own. My design and the drawings and photos to duplicate it are in the Drawings Section. Notice that the flower on part H is an original drawing and carving. You are welcome to copy it but you can also add your design. One possibility is just a plain circle with a decorative router cut. Or, one larger circle with a smaller circle at each end with the router cut. Use your imagination to create your look.

Let's start with cutting it to the basic shape in the photo and drawing. The part H is 7" wide so let's begin by placing it on a work table face up. On both ends measure up from the bottom 2", the starting point for the top curve. Next, measure across the top and mark the exact center, 14 3/8".

**NOTE:** The sizes in the materials list are accurate, but you should check the exact size of the front face pieces by measuring between parts D and E. Depending on the accuracy of all the cutting, the size of these cross parts may vary a little. By measuring yourself before cutting them to length you will be certain to get a perfect fit. It's best not to make assumptions even though the sizes are probably correct.

Once you have the two edge measurements and the center measurements you are ready to mark the curve. There are many ways to draw this curve including freehand. I used a flexible ruler to get the initial shape from one edge to the center mark. You can also use cans of various sizes. I used my band saw to cut from the edge mark to the center. Then I just used the cutoff piece to mark the other half by simply flipping it over giving me an exact replicate of the first half. Then I cut it with the band saw to complete the shaping of part H.

**NOTE:** There are mathematical methods to calculate and draw things like this and if you are familiar with them, please use them for your drawing. I've found that I work faster by keeping things as simple as possible, and mathematics is not my strong suit. You should use the methods that work best for you when building any project.

For the bottom of part H I once again mark the center at the bottom. Then I measure up 1" and use the same flexible ruler to draw the curve. I use the band saw to cut the center line that I made up to the 1" line and then cut the curve beginning from the outside edge. Once that piece is cut, I once again use it to mark the other half by flipping it over and using it as a guide. After cutting the second piece, both sides are the same and part H is ready for sanding.

Since the band saw or saber saw will leave a rough surface, sanding is essential. I use a belt sander placed upside down on my work table, but there are other ways to sand these edges. If you own a benchtop sander , it's perfect for sanding those edges. Or, you can use a random orbit sander to sand the edges. Just make certain they wind up smooth and ready for finish.

The next step on this part H is the flower carving. I drew the flower freehand, drilled a large hole at the center and then used a Dremel rotary tool with wood carving bits to shape the flower. A Dremel rotary tool with various wood cutting bits will do this job easily. Just take your time and it will turn out perfectly. Drawings of part H are in the Drawings Section . Remember, you can draw whatever you choose, this flower was our choice for this project.

Making part H square avoids all the curves for a different design. Just add a small crown molding at the top. Remember, this is your corner cabinet and should be your design to fit into your home décor.

Once part H is completed and installed, the cabinet is ready for the cove routing with a ¼" cove router bit to a ¼" depth as shown on the drawing on page 72. I used it on all the inside surfaces of the face frame and along the top of the cabinet. Again, this is a choice. You can also use a round over router bit instead of a cove bit. Or, you can just leave the face frame square and just soften the edges with a sander.

The finish is another step that is entirely your choice. We decided on a rustic, distressed look that required a satin finish over a surface that was distressed with a large chain and then black and gold highlights. This corner cabinet would also look good with a completely smooth and glossy painted finish in some other décor. It would probably be attractive with a natural or stained wood finish. What will work best for you?

**FINAL NOTE:** For safety, tall cabinets should be fastened to the wall. At 80" this corner cabinet is tall enough to merit fastening even though because of its wide, triangular base it's quite stable. Fastening to the wall is easy to do using a stepladder to reach the top of the cabinet. Just drill a hole through one of the backs at an angle at the top of the cabinet. Then drive a screw at an angle down through the back panel from where it meets the top shelf and directly into a stud. Remember that the back is not against the wall because of the I and J parts so don't overtighten the screw. Its sole purpose is to ensure that the cabinet can't fall forward. One screw should be enough.

Project Drawings

This section contains the drawings for all the woodworking projects. In addition to the two-dimensional drawings, there are also exploded views to help illustrate how each project comes together. Each drawing includes as much detail as possible and dimensions. None of the drawings is to scale. I find it helpful to review the drawings of a project before starting to cut the materials.

I have created some drawings of project parts, and these may relate to a specific project or more than one. Explanations are included to help you better understand these. All drawings follow with page break between each. There is a larger version of all the drawings at the links below.

Bookcase Drawing - <http://papas-woodshop.com/bookcasedrawing.pdf>

Exploded View of Bookcase - <http://papas-woodshop.com/bookcaseexploded.pdf>

Laundry Cabinet Drawing - http://papas-woodshop.com/laundrycabnew.pdf

Exploded View of Laundry Cabinet - <http://papas-woodshop.com/laundry_cabinetexploded.pdf>

Laundry Counter Drawing - <http://papas-woodshop.com/DrawinglaundryCounterFinal.pdf>

Exploded View of Laundry Counter - <http://papas-woodshop.com/laundry_counterfinal.pdf>

Corner Cabinet Drawing - <http://papas-woodshop.com/CornerCabinetDrawing.pdf>

Exploded View of Corner Cabinet - <http://papas-woodshop.com/corner_cabinetexploded.pdf>

Crosscut Jig Drawings - <http://papas-woodshop.com/crosscutjig.pdf>

**Bookcase and Bookcase Wall Drawings**

Exploded View of Bookcase

**Laundry Room Cabinet Drawing**

Laundry Room Cabinet Exploded View

**Laundry Room Countertop Drawing**

Laundry Room Countertop Exploded View

**Corner Cabinet Drawings**

**Corner Cabinet Details Drawings**.

Corner Cabinet Exploded View

Simplified Woodworking Methods

Simplified methods resulted from my need to built quality projects for customers of my woodworking business while making an adequate profit. I realized early on that the market for my woodworking was not individuals interested in heirloom pieces but people like me who wanted good cabinets and furniture at a reasonable price. Based on my experience with traditional woodworking methods I didn't believe they would serve me well in reaching this market. I concluded that it would be better to use simpler and faster methods to design and build projects for these customers.

I've created a separate section for these methods because, even though they work on the projects in this book, they also work well on other projects. The instructions for the projects in this book refer to this section often to avoid duplicate information. In some cases, the information is duplicated because I felt the instructions would be incomplete with just a reference, but they still refer to this section for helpful details.

Use this section with any project even if it's not in this book. The information is always about the simplest methods for the task. I used all these methods, and they work. Use them to make your work faster, easier, and safer.

Working With Plywood

**Ripping Plywood Sheets**

Ripping most wood can be done easily and safely on a table saw using a good rip fence and a push stick when your hand begins to approach the blade. You can use the rip fence that came with your table saw in most cases but if you have to rip a lot of wood an aftermarket rip fence is helpful.

Ripping becomes more of a problem when working with sheet goods such as plywood or laminate. Plywood comes in large (4' X 8') sheets and can be both heavy and clumsy to handle. If you work alone just getting the plywood to the table saw is difficult. Laminate is much lighter but much too flexible to handle easily on a standard table saw setup.

The ideal situation is having a shop with a table saw that is surrounded by runoff tables. In my woodworking business shop, my table saw and the surrounding tables formed a work area 8-foot square.

A woodworker friend of mine who built multiple commercial cabinets of particle board (2 ½ times as heavy as plywood) had a work table surrounding his heavy duty table saw that was 11-foot X 11-foot. You don't need to have either of these tables, but you do need a way to rip heavy and clumsy sheet goods.

The plywood handle in the photo on the next page is available online from Amazon and probably in other locations. I have used mine for years to carry even ¾ inch plywood sheets to a table for ripping or crosscutting.

I've always enjoyed working alone but it's becoming more difficult. Handling sheet goods alone becomes harder as we age. One way I work now is described below and on the next page.

Recently, I decided to take advantage of an idea I used years ago to cut doors on job sites. This involved using a standard circular saw with a good carbide tipped blade and a saw guide I made. The guide kept the saw cutting straight and protected the surface of the material from being scratched by the metal base of the circular saw.

It could work for sheet goods if it was much longer than the one I made for doors. I had two of them for ease of handling. One was an eight-foot unit for ripping sheet goods, and the other was a four-foot unit for crosscutting sheet goods. The drawing on the next page can be used as a guide to make both sizes.

A set of quick clamps holds the saw guide in place, and they don't interfere with the cutting surface. On the next page is a photo showing how the saw guide works for ripping sheets. Naturally, you can use any clamp just make certain that the part touching the plywood is padded to avoid marking the sheet. Quick clamps are perfect for this because of the large plastic pads, and they go on and off easily.

Even though the guide was a good idea, it required a good table that allowed for cutting through the sheet without worrying about cutting the table. I built mine with some 2X4s to create a good cutting surface that protected the supporting table from the saw blade. More importantly, it kept the sheet goods flat while I made my cuts.

A drawing of this simple cutting surface appears on the next page. I built mine to fit on top of a certain table I already had, but the size can be altered to fit any size table or work bench as long as it can accommodate a 4' X 8' sheet of plywood. You can also add 2 X 4 legs to the cutting table and eliminate the need for the portable table completely.

Saw guides are not an original idea, and you can purchase some excellent units that are quite easy to use. The expensive ones come with a built-in saw held in place throughout the cut. There are also metal rip guides you can use but these guide the saw but do not protect the surface and the base of the saw can scratch fine surfaces. My favorite is the inexpensive Kreg Rip Cut Jig because it allows you to rip pieces up to 24 inches wide and has a plastic base for the circular saw that protects the plywood surface. Unlike most rip cut jigs it doesn't require clamping to the plywood. It is easy to assemble and use. See the photo on the next page.

There is one disadvantage to many of these guides including the homemade one shown on the previous page and that is the saw is guided only on one side. It's important to proceed with cuts carefully and use both hands to guide the power saw and keep it tight and flat against the guiding edge.

I do this by using one hand to hold the switch handle and the other hand on the circular saw motor applying slight pressure toward the guide. Remember that none of these guides are needed if you have a table saw set up with adequate runoff tables.

Cross-Cutting Plywood, Etc

If you've spent as many years as I have building cabinets and furniture of all sizes and designs, you would have used many methods for crosscutting material. One machine that I used for many years for crosscutting pieces up to almost 14 inches wide is the radial arm saw. This piece of equipment is no longer popular with woodworkers whether novice or professional. I found the drawing on the next page on the web when I searched for radial-arm saw.

For several years, my shop was 12 foot wide and 48-foot long, and I had my radial arm saw setup with long tables along one wall. It was an ideal arrangement for a long narrow shop. I used that radial arm saw to crosscut and rip large sheets of plywood for many wood projects until I moved to a wider shop where I could set up a large table saw arrangement.

Some woodworkers still use radial arm saws. They are still available used at many places for as little as $100, a bargain considering the capabilities of a radial arm saw.

Crosscutting is this saw's strong suit but it is capable of many other tasks including ripping and mitering, even though there are many power tools that perform better for those specific tasks.

Many consider the radial arm saw dangerous because of the direction of the blade rotation while ripping. While there is some truth to that, I think the radial arm saw's design is just less tolerant of careless use. I used one for over five years for crosscutting and ripping plywood sheets without incident.

What all woodworkers need to keep in mind with radial arm saws and every other woodworking power tool is to read the instructions carefully and use them with caution. Safety should be the first consideration to avoid injury.

**Sliding Compound Miter Saw**

My preference for most crosscutting today is the sliding compound miter saw. It's the perfect power tool for crosscutting up to 12 inch wide boards. Its strong suit is mitering because of its center swivel. Unlike the radial arm saw where the entire arm must swing to the right or left of center for any miter cut, the sliding compound miter saw cut always remains at the center. My sliding compound miter saw helped me to build every project in the past ten years. The best part is that you can purchase a good compound miter saw for about $200.

A photo my Ryobi Sliding Compound Miter saw appears on the next page. Notice that there are two openings near the sliding compound miter saw. These openings are necessary because my stop space is quite small. The hole directly behind the sliding compound miter saw allows the sliding mechanism to slide fully without bumping the wall. The opening on the right side is for use when the boards I'm cutting are too long to fit the space I have available. This door allows the long boards to stick out through the wall to accommodate any length.

**The Table Saw**

Cutting across the entire width of plywood sheets can be handled using the methods described in the section on ripping plywood. Plywood pieces too wide to cut with a sliding compound miter saw can be cross cut using a crosscut jig built to fit on your table saw. The photo on the next page is a simple jig that I built for the table saw in my shop many years ago. This jig can only be used on table saws with bevel guide slots. My present table saw would not work but I used this jig in my woodworking shop for many years. A drawing of the table saw jig is on the page following the photo of my table saw.

This jig required only three pieces of plywood and two wood strips all from material I already had in my shop at the time. This jig was capable of cutting pieces as wide as 24 inches and narrow pieces also.

Joinery

**Biscuit Joiner Overview**

There are various ways to use a biscuit joiner. This overview describes what I consider the easiest method for most projects.

Biscuit Joiners have a fence that can be used to control the depth of almost all slot cuts. This fence is unnecessary for most cuts and sometimes less accurate because it can make maintaining the location of the cut more difficult. Instead, I use my work table as the fence for cutting biscuit slots whenever possible. Naturally you need a smooth, flat table but this is important for most woodworking tasks. Each of the projects will contain specific instructions for using this method, but this general overview will help you with most biscuit jointing tasks.

For almost all biscuit joining, place the base of the biscuit joiner either on the work table or against a part. Either of these guides the cut so it's centered in ¾ inch thick material. More details appear in individual projects.

After the biscuit slots are cut, you are ready for assembly and glue up. Before beginning put everything you need, including all the clamps, on the work table within easy reach. Once you begin the glue-up, it's important to proceed rapidly to get everything assembled and clamped before the glue begins to dry.

Follow an order of assembly that will avoid glue running out of the biscuit slots and making a mess. For table legs for example, begin by putting glue in each of the biscuit slots on the ends of the aprons and immediately put a biscuit in the slots. After all the apron pieces are ready, begin the assembly.

NOTE: The most common mistake in the glue up process is using too much glue. If you put an excessive amount of glue in the slots, it comes pouring out when you push in the biscuit or the joint is squeezed tight. There is no need for this to happen if you apply the glue carefully. One way to glue up biscuit slots is using a specialized glue bottle as in the photos on the next page.

You can use a standard glue bottle if you apply the glue by squeezing it just inside of the biscuit slot at the top on each side. Allow a moment for it to beginning running down the side of the slot and then put in the biscuit. Remember, don't overdo it. It's OK if it oozes out a little, but you don't want a big mess.

Continuing with the assembly of a table, once you put the biscuits in the slots on the aprons, remove any excess glue and put them aside. Now lay the legs flat on the workbench with the biscuit slots facing up and apply the glue in the biscuit slots in the same manner as you did on the ends. Then quickly move the apron end to the leg and insert the biscuit in the slot. Moving rapidly and smoothly, do the same for all the other legs. Clamp the pieces together but don't tighten it too much. Check to make certain that the pieces are even with the top of the leg. Then tighten the clamps a little more and stand the table upright.

Whether making a table or other project, the last step is to square the project and it's critical. You can easily check if a piece is square by measuring the diagonals from the outside one corner to the outside of the other. Then move across and check the other diagonal. Both dimensions should be identical. If they are off, adjust the placement of the clamps until the dimensions are exactly the same and then tighten the clamps completely and check the diagonal one last time.

**Rabbeting For Backs**

Rabbeting for cabinet backs improves the appearance of projects by hiding the edge of the plywood back. Rabbeting involves creating a recess in the back of the of cabinet sides for the plywood back. It's a simple matter to cut the rabbet before assembling the project but there are various ways to do it.

The drawings on the next page illustrate the different ways I have used over the years. Each one of the drawings is explained in the paragraphs on the page immediately following the drawings.

Let's go from left to right starting with the top two drawings. The first one is quite simple and is done using a table saw with a standard rip fence. The fence and the depth of the blade are set correctly for each cut, and two quick cuts provide an accurate rabbet on each cabinet side to accommodate the plywood back.

The second rabbeting method on the top row also uses a table saw but with a dado blade. This one takes a little more time and care, and I would not advise it unless you already own a dado blade. They can be expensive and it's certainly not necessary for this purpose.

The third method on the bottom row is using a piloted router bit. The one shown in the drawing is called a rabbeting router bit, so it's intended for that specific purpose. The ball bearing pilot makes it easy to control the cut of the rabbet, and this method works well. As with the table saw method, you may have to make two cuts, and you want to measure the settings carefully before making the cuts.

The fourth potential method for rabbeting the sides to accommodate the plywood backs involves using a router but with a fluted router bit. For this method, you either need a guide attached to the router, or a router table with a fence so you can control the size of the cut.

Of the four I mostly used the third with the rabbeting router bit. If you don't already own a router and a rabbeting router bit, both are a good investment for anyone doing woodworking of this kind.

**Using Nails As Joinery**

I grew up as a carpenter working with my contractor dad building homes and commercial buildings. Nails were always an important part of that job. Most of my youth involved using a hammer to drive the nails but later we used pneumatic nailers that made the work much easier and faster.

When I began building cabinets, I read everything I could find about woodworking, and it was obvious that nails were unpopular as a joinery method. Nevertheless, I felt they could be of value to me. I found ways to make use of them, and the drawing below illustrates how I nail joints

Nails work well with biscuit joinery, my favorite joinery method. I have used nails in combination with a biscuit joiner since shortly after I opened my first woodworking shop. It was a great help when I didn't have sufficient clamps for a large cabinet assembly.

After making all the biscuit slots and assembling the cabinet, I would clamp it up and while the clamps were on I nailed it together. Then I could remove the clamps before the glue was dry and use them to continue the assembly.

The next page has a drawing of reinforced joinery.

**Drilling The Shelf Pin Holes**

Bookcases and cabinets often have adjustable shelves requiring shelf pins to hold them. These pins require the drilling of a concise pattern of holes. For drilling those holes, there are various methods, and you need some basic tools. One way involves measuring the shelf pin holes manually and using a 5 mm or ¼" brad point bit with a short piece of ¾" dowel as a stop. This method can be time consuming and inaccurate.

I prefer buying a shelf pin jig and a specialized drill bit that helps you do a better job. The jig is essential if you plan to do more than one project. Photos of a shelf pin drill kit and bit appear on the next page.

The shelf pin jig shown on the previous page helps me cut perfect shelf pin holes. The jig lines up with the edge of the board, and you clamp it in place. Other models are available from various dealers.

Using these jigs is simple. Measure the distance for the first shelf pin hole from the top or the bottom of the sides that will support the shelves. On long sides like a bookcase, you move the jig along and line it up using a shelf pin in one of the holes. This ensures the accurate continuity of the drilling.

For a bookcase or cabinet, place the two sides on a sturdy work table with the inside surfaces facing up. Place the rear edges facing each other and the top and bottom edges together to make certain you drill the holes in the correct location. I normally start by marking the location of the bottom shelf and deciding how high above this shelf I want the first shelf pin.

Separate the two sides in the center to accommodate the jig for the rear holes. Begin with the jig lined up with the first hole location and tightly clamped to the side piece and drill all the holes in the jig.

Drill all the holes on the front edge of one side and all the holes on the rear edge of the other side. Then move to the other side of the work table, relocate the jig and drill the holes on the front edge of one side and then the rear edge of the other.

Take care each time you move the jig to make certain it lines up as close as possible to the previous hole location. You want all the holes aligned properly to avoid shaky shelves caused by misaligned shelf pins.

Once all the shelf pin holes are drilled, sand the surface lightly to get rid of any rough drill edges. You may have to use a sharp utility knife to clean some of the holes depending on the material.

Covering Plywood Edges

Plywood Edges Are Ugly?

Most project instructions regarding the use of plywood to build cabinets or furniture include some method to cover the plywood edges. The bookcase project in this book is no exception and uses iron-on edge veneer to cover the facing edges of all the plywood parts.

Some projects cover the plywood edges with solid wood face frames while others use thin strips ripped from solid wood and then glued to the plywood edge. Plywood edges are considered ugly but are they always that unattractive or can these edges be made attractive? I believe they can be attractive without any form of cover.

Even the edges of inexpensive hardwood plywood sheets that are readily available at home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes can be made attractive with a little work and a good finish. The desk in my office and Barbara's were built using exposed plywood edges for the top and the drawer fronts. The project photos show the edges and they look attractive and interesting.

You can do this with any hardwood plywood because it has at least seven layers that are sometimes in lighter and darker colors. Baltic Birch edges are especially attractive edges because it has so many layers. Even a ½ inch thick plywood has nine layers and the ¾ inch even more. These layers are often multi-color and finish out well. Notice in the project photos the various layers that show and add interest.

Notice the raw edges in the desktop and drawer fronts photos of the desk project. Once these edges are filled, sanded and finished they look good. In the drawers this arrangement even serves as the drawer pull eliminating the need for hardware.

**Applying Plywood Veneer Edging**

A good grade of hardwood plywood gives you an excellent surface for cabinets and furniture. Plywood edges vary in appearance and can be unattractive. Covering edges with iron-on plywood veneer edging that is easy to apply with a household iron resolves the problem. The edges then finish as well as the plywood surfaces.

There are only three tools needed to apply plywood veneer edging, a household iron, a small roller, and a utility knife. You can replace the small roller by using a smooth piece of wood and a small hammer or a dead blow hammer to squeeze down the glued veneer with a slight impact on the veneer. If edge veneering is a regular task purchase a specialized iron as shown below and a veneer trimmer as shown on the next page. A veneer seam roller is also helpful but not essential.

The veneer edging is available in short rolls for single jobs and long rolls if you will be doing a lot of edging. Check out the photos on the next page for the short veneer rolls and the seam-roller.

There are many places to purchase the veneer related products, but these particular screenshots are from a veneer specialty store called VeneerSupplies.com. They carry a complete line of veneers and veneer related products at reasonable prices.

If you are only doing one or two jobs, a household iron will work well for hot melt veneer. It's best to get an old household iron at some used store or flea market for two reasons. The first is that glue will probably make a mess of the iron's surface, and you may hear some complaints about this. The second is newer irons have safety features that turn them off fairly quickly when you are not using them actively. It's frustrating to start ironing down veneer with a cold iron. If you will be doing lots of veneering a specialty iron will do a better job for applying hot melt, iron-on veneer edging and well worth the investment. On the next page is a photo of one of these specialty irons.

Even though you can trim the veneer edging using a utility knife carefully, I suggest buying a veneer trimmer like the one on the next page because it will make the job faster and easier. It also avoids the potential for damaging the plywood surface with the utility knife.

Apply the veneer to the front edge by clamping the board with the edge up so you can easily apply pressure on the veneer. Cut the veneer strip at least two inches longer than the side or shelf. Place the veneer on the edge allowing it to overhang at least one inch on each end and then begin ironing at one end. Iron about two feet but not more than three feet and then roll or hammer the board on the veneer.

If you have a dead blow hammer, it works well in place of the roller or the board. Just tap the veneer to make certain it bonds. Then begin ironing again. A shelf can be done all at one time, sides in three sections.

Once the pieces have been veneered and put aside, begin with the first one to trim the excess. A utility knife works if used carefully to avoid cutting the plywood surface. It's easy to slip with a utility knife. The veneer trimmer, as shown on the next page, is much more accurate and easier to control. Use the utility knife to cut off the ends.

After trimming, sand the edges by hand with a 220 grit sandpaper or with a finishing sander. Once the corners of the edges feel smooth, you are ready to apply the finish.

**Solid Wood Edges For Tops**

Creating solid wood edges requires the use of a router unless you are planning to have a square edge. Read more about routers in the Power Tools section but this just deals with it to create table edges. On the next page are four possible table edge cuts and there are others.

 **Router Bits – Available in Various Sizes**

It is possible to make these edges with just one pass, but this can cause rough cuts and puts a strain on consumer brand routers, so it's best to make two or three passes to complete the cuts.

Any of these four would make a nice edge for most tables. All of the router bits used to make these cuts come with either a ¼-inch or ½ -inch shank. Most consumer brand routers have a ¼-inch collet accommodating only ¼-inch shank bits. Some of the more expensive routers have collets for both ¼-inch and ½-inch shanks. If your router can handle a ½-inch shank then buy bits with a ½-inch shank as they are stronger and safer.

Whether using a 1/4 inch or 1/2 shank router bit, make certain that you test the cut on a scrap piece before cutting the actual parts. Once you start the cut move deliberately, not too fast and not too slow as this could cause roughness and burning.

The table edges shown on the previous page have only a top cut but some table edges require a top cut and a bottom cut. Make the top cut with one bit and the bottom cut with a different one, usually a plain round over router bit.

To make the cuts, start by setting the depth of the bit at one-half the correct depth and then run the router around the top of the table. Then set the router bit to the correct depth and test the cut on a scrap piece to make certain it is as you planned. Make any adjustments necessary before cutting the actual top and then make the final cut. After these cuts, only light sanding is required since the router will usually leave the material quite smooth.

**Attaching Table Edge Moldings**

NOTE: Always apply solid wood edges to tops after the laminate is applied. Use biscuit joinery to apply all these edges.

Cut the biscuit slots on both the solid wood edge and the desktop for #20 size biscuits. Place the table top on the workbench face down (laminate surface to the work table). After mitering the table edge pieces to size, place them in the correct location. Then mark the location of the biscuit slots on both the table top and the table edges. Number each of the four pieces and mark a like number on each side of the table top so you will know where each piece fits back into place. Then you use these lines to cut the biscuit slots by placing the biscuit joiner base flat on the workbench and centering it on the mark you made. Cut each biscuit slot on both the table top and the table edge.

Once all the biscuit slots are cut, carefully put glue in the biscuit joint slots and use biscuits to apply the edge to the desktop making certain everything is aligned properly and then clamp everything tightly. Apply glue to the desktop plywood edge and the edge piece as these are good glue surfaces. You should use a limited amount of glue to avoid a mess but if you do have spill out be sure to clean it up. Let the glue dry for a few minutes until it begins to harden and then use a putty knife to remove the excess. Wiping with a wet or dry cloth will merely spread the glue all over surfaces and make it difficult to finish.

Once the glue is completely dry, you can remove the clamps, and you can then cut the edge using the router and router bit of choice. After this step, sand down all the edges and prepare for the finish.

In some cases, you can router the edges before applying them to a table top. If you follow that method, I suggest that you also prefinish the moldings before applying them to the table top. If the table has laminate and the molding is prefinished glue squeeze out is not a problem because both surfaces can be cleaned with a damp cloth immediately after clamping without damaging either surface.

Laminating Surfaces

**Laminating Tops and Surfaces – Part 1**

Laminating tops on projects sometimes includes installing a solid wood edge. Other tops may have laminate edges adding more complexities. There are several brands of plastic laminate. The two I'm most familiar with are Formica and Wilsonart, but there are others.

Granite and many other specialized materials such as Corian have become the standard for kitchen and bath tops. Some believe this transformation took place because laminate didn't work well in wet areas, but that isn't the case. The main problem with laminate, in my experience over the years, is the particle board surfaces under the laminate. Even though it's a stable product used consistently, I don't believe it's a good choice for wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.

I built the kitchen cabinets in our home and used laminate over a good grade of plywood, a common practice in my woodworking business. I didn't see the need for the high-cost surfaces in our kitchen. Our old countertop was butcher block color laminate over particle board, and except for the edges of the particle board, it was still in excellent condition after 24 years. Barbara is a regular and excellent cook who makes heavy use of our kitchen. It was clear that plastic laminate, properly installed, is still an excellent surface for a kitchen, bathroom, or any project.

Let's start with tops with solid wood edges. Applying laminate for this kind of project is easy because there are no laminate edges. You only need to cover the top surface with the laminate.

Buying the laminate can be a problem. The nearest laminate manufacturer to my home is in Temple, Texas which isn't far, and there are laminate dealers in this area. These dealers carry many sizes of laminate making it easier to get the size you need for a project. My recent searches for online sellers and local home improvement stores showed only 4-foot by 8-foot sheets available which means you may have to buy more than you need.

Besides the laminate, you need contact cement. For most projects, a quart should be enough. Contact cement is difficult to clean so I always work with throwaway brushes and rollers to apply the cement. You also need a solvent for cleaning any excess cement. I suggest Contact Cleaner but lacquer thinner also works. Don't attempt to clean with mineral spirits or paint thinner as it won't break down the contact cement.

A J-roller is helpful for pressing down the laminate surfaces but not essential for small jobs. A photo of a J Roller appears on the next page. You can also just have a clean, flat piece of scrap wood and a hammer handy and that should work fine.

One final thing to have on hand is a small squeeze bottle filled with contact cleaner or lacquer thinner. You will only need this if you make a mistake applying the plastic laminate and have to remove it. Contact cement becomes 70% dry upon contact and it's impossible to remove a piece of laminate without a solvent to break down the glue.

A trimmer or router is the only power tool you need and both flush and bevel trimmer bits. The trimmer is just a small one-handed router especially designed for trimming. If you plan to do much laminating you should have one. Otherwise, you can get along with the router.

The trimmer has slightly less power than a router but the real difference is in the size. Trimmers make working with laminates easier and faster, but the bit will behave the same in either one. I prefer trimmers because they are easily managed with one hand.

The photo on the next page shows the two kinds of trimmer bits I use. The flush trimmer bit is for the square edge cut that you need to make for a desktop. The bevel trimmer bit is for trimming the laminate edge on a top surface when it overlaps another laminate surface.

The ball-bearing router bits are popular because the pilots won't damage surfaces, but they aren't a good choice for working with laminates and contact cement. The contact cement creeps into the ball bearing and causes it to get stuck causing friction for which you are unprepared. I advise avoiding the ball bearing style router bits for laminate work. Instead, use the solid bevel bit with a lubricant to reduce friction on laminate surfaces.

Cutting plastic laminate is done various ways but for all of them you need a large flat surface. If you purchase 4-foot by 8-foot sheets, it may take several passes to make one cut to create the laminate pieces for your project. There are special laminate cutting blades for utility knives that work for this. Clamp a straight edge on the line of the cut to guide the knife for the cut. It may take a half dozen passes, but you will cut through.

My favorite method is to take advantage of the router or trimmer with the flush trimmer bit. Just clamp a 1X4 or something similar to the laminate. It should be clamped to the bottom of the laminate at the cut line. Then use the router bit to follow the 1X4 with the laminate trimmer bit cutting through on the cut line. The clamped piece serves the dual purpose of guiding the trimmer bit on the cut line and raising the rotating trimmer bit from the work surface. You can use the router or trimmer to make these cuts.

After cutting, clean the surface of the desktop and the bottom of the laminate. Prepare clean wood strips or dowels that are long enough to cross the surface. Apply contact cement to the back of the laminate first since it takes longer to set. Then apply the contact cement to the surface using either a brush or roller.

Allow the contact cement to set for a few minutes. The time depends on the temperature. Higher temperatures cause faster drying. Normally drying takes 10 to 20 minutes. When the two surfaces no longer feel sticky, put the wood strips on the top surface across the short side and about every 8 inches. Now carefully place the laminate piece face down on top of the wood strips making certain it does not touch the other surface anywhere. Take care with this step because contact cement gets it's name because it adheres to about 70% strength immediately upon contact. You don't want to make a mistake here, or you will have to use the squeeze bottle to remove the laminate, and it's not easy.

Carefully align the laminate piece with the surface. It's should be larger than the surface so it easily overlaps on all sides. Once aligned, remove the first wood strip nearest the end of the surface and slowly push down the laminate, so it bonds to the surface. Gradually remove one wood strip at a time moving slowly towards the other end. Press down the laminate as you go along until the last strip is removed. Continue until you have pressed the entire laminate piece down on the surface. Now, if you have a J roller use it to press down the laminate all around. Lacking a roller, use a wood scrap flat on the laminate surface and slide it around slowly while hitting it with a hammer. Press down all the edges fully but don't overdo it. There is no need to beat down hard. Don't hit the laminate surface with the hammer unless you have a rubber mallet or a plastic dead blow hammer.

The last step is to use the trimmer or router with the flush trimmer bit to trim the excess laminate around the outside edge of the top. No need to lubricate the plywood surface because it won't be visible once the edge molding is attached. However, you should check to make certain there are no small voids in the plywood edge and fill them to avoid trimmer bit damage. The trimmer bit will leave a tiny almost imperceptible overhang of laminate that will help if you are using a wood edge molding.

**Laminating Tops Part 2 – Edges**

Part 1 covered laminating a flat surface of any kind, but some countertops have edges that require laminating, the subject of this section.

Countertop edges look better if thicker than just the thickness of the plywood surface. Make a buildup, as this is called, by ripping a plywood strip or solid wood strip and gluing and nailing it to the bottom of the top at the front and side edges.

This buildup strip can be any thickness you choose. I normally use either ¾" or ½" plywood that gives you either a 1 ½" or 1 ¼" countertop edge. The drawing on the next page shows the buildup on the edge of a top with a line representing the laminate applied to the edge and the top. D points to the buildup.

When applying the buildup make certain it's flush with the edge of the top. Once applied, use a belt sander to make the plywood edge smooth. If there are voids in the plywood layers, fill them with wood putty and let it set before sanding. A smooth, flat surface is important for the laminate to adhere properly.

Once your countertop is ready for the laminate, apply the edge laminate first. Cut the strips at least 1/8" wider than the width of the edge giving you a little slack. Since the strip is applied with contact cement, this slack makes the job easier.

Cutting the strips can be done in various ways. The easiest way is, of course, the most expensive. The laminate slitter, as shown in the photo on the next page, is a critical tool for professional woodworkers using laminates because it saves time and does a quick and smooth job. Unfortunately, it costs $130.00, so it may be too much of an expense to use only once or twice. However, if you plan to do laminating regularly, it's a great investment.

Cutting with the table saw works well, but is tricky because laminate is thin and flexible. It also tends to slip under the rip fence causing inaccuracy. It's essential to keep a piece of ¼" plywood on the saw table to keep the laminate from sliding under the fence.

You also need a long, flat, run off table for sliding the laminate through the blade because the laminate is quite flexible and difficult to control. For good straight strips, you must also use a carbide tipped blade with at least 40 teeth. Since you are cutting narrow strips it is essential to use a push stick anytime the cut nears your hands. Cutting narrow strips, whether wood or laminate, on a table saw is a dangerous procedure unless you use a push stick, move the material slowly, and watch your hands at all times. Remember, it just takes one careless moment to cause an injury that can affect you for life.

The third method for cutting the strips is using a laminate scorer. It's cost much less than a slitter but not nearly as easy to use. As shown in the photo on the next page, the laminate scorer has a sharp blade that you use to cut through the melamine, the color surface of the laminate. For strips, you must use a straight edge to guide the scorer and do it on a strong surface so you can apply significant pressure to ensure that the score is deep enough.

After scoring, flip the laminate over and bend it away from the score until it snaps. Be careful and move slowly to avoid breaking the laminate at the wrong place. If done correctly the laminate will snap at the score, and you can gradually go from one end to the other to make each strip. It does work but is my least favorite way to make laminate strips.

Do the glue up carefully to ensure a good bond. Use a small chip brush to apply the glue. These are inexpensive, throwaway brushes that are readily available at home improvement stores. I use the 2" size. Begin applying the contact cement to the edge of the countertop since this is an end grain and should get two coats.

After the glue on the countertop edge dries for a few minutes, place the laminate strip face down on the countertop and apply a coat of glue to the back of the strip. Quickly apply a thin second coat to the edge of the countertop.

Allow both surfaces to dry for 5 to 20 minutes depending on the weather. The contact cement should be dry to the touch without stickiness. Then the surfaces are ready to glue up. Begin at one end of the edge and slowly apply the strip while just touching the two surfaces. Once the strip is lined up, you can use a J roller to press the two surfaces together. You can also use a dead blow hammer or a regular hammer with a scrap of wood between the laminate and the hammer to avoid damage. The important thing is to make certain the strip is tight on the edge.

Remove all the excess laminate at the top, bottom, and both ends using a trimmer with a square trimmer bit. The square and bevel bits appear in a previous photo.

Using the belt sander, smooth down the edge of the laminate even with the wood surfaces of the countertop on both the top and the bottom. Keep the sander upright and flat on the surface to avoid forming an angle. The sanding should be completely flat, and the excess glue removed.

Cut the laminate for the top at least 1 inch wider and longer that the top, to make applying the laminate easier. Cut the laminate using the methods described in the first part of the laminating instructions.

Place the laminate face down on the top and apply glue to the entire back surface with a brush or a roller. After applying the contact cement to the entire laminate surface, place it to one side. Quickly apply the contact cement to the plywood surface. Wait until the contact cement is dry to the touch, and you are ready for the glue down.

The safest way to avoid a mishap is using slip sticks. These are thin strips that are either square or round that you place on the countertop after the glue has dried sufficiently. Place one strip at least every 8 inches on the glue surface and then place the surface laminate on the sticks. Line up the laminate with the countertop and then remove the first stick and press the laminate to the surface of the countertop. Gradually pull out one slip stick at a time going from one end to the other until all the slip sticks are removed, and the two glue surfaces are together. Now press the two surfaces together using a J roller or a scrap with a hammer so they adhere solidly.

The last step involves using the laminate trimmer with a bevel trimmer bit to cut off the excess laminate. There are two steps that are critical when performing this task.

Lubricate the surface of the front laminate strip to avoid the bit pilot causing a friction burn on the laminate. I use wax sticks purchased from the laminate dealer, but Vaseline, or even lard will do the job. It will all be cleaned off with the contact cement.

Carefully set the depth of the bevel trimmer bit, so it doesn't cut too deeply. Set it too deep and the bit cuts into the front surface of the laminate edge and ruins the appearance. Set the bevel bit so it cuts exactly to the joint between the top laminate and the front laminate strip. As always, the only way to ensure this is by testing on a scrap. To avoid testing on a scrap, you can set the bit too shallow and make several cuts adjusting gradually until reaching the correct depth. It may take two or three attempts but it's worth the effort for a good job.

Filing is the next step in making laminated tops. Check out the drawings on the next page. Laminate edges are razor sharp after trimming and filing makes the edge smooth so it won't cut someone when they feel it. File both the top and bottom of the top edge. Overlooking the bottom edge leaves it sharp and can cause injuries. A light filing avoids this risk completely. File carefully because it's easy to overdo it and ruin the edge. First file at a deep angle like the first drawing to clean the edge and remove glue residue. Then file at a 45 degree angle to soften the edge and remove all the sharpness.

Cleaning all the glue residue off of the laminate surfaces is the final step. Clean using either contact cleaner of lacquer thinner. Remember that these products are highly flammable. T-shirt rags work well for cleaning but almost any rag will work. Clean the glue off after finishing the filing because filing removes much of the excess glue and saves you a lot of cleaning time. Also, you can easily cut your hand when wiping clean unfiled surfaces.

Making and Installing Doors and Drawers

**Making and Installing Cabinet Doors**

I use many styles for building projects but European is my favorite. I prefer the European style without face frames because it facilitates full use of the inside of a cabinet. In most cases I find face frames wasteful and avoid them in my designs. You're not obligated to do the same. It's just important to know this because it impacts how the doors on these projects are made and installed.

There are many other styles and many of them are more traditional and involve using face frames on the front of the cabinets. It's not about right and wrong but simply preference.

European style cabinets can have one of three styles of doors. One of those styles is Inset which means the front of the door is flush with the front edge of the cabinet, and there are no face frames. The next style is Full Overlay which means that the doors cover the entire front edge of the cabinet, and there are no face frames. The third style of door is half overlay, and this style can be used with or without face frames. It covers about one-half the width of the front edge of a European style cabinet or a similar amount of a face frame. No matter the cabinet style, the door making and installation methods below will work with minor adjustments.

Making the doors to fit the opening is the first step. I've listed the size of the doors for each project in the materials list, but I suggest you measure and calculate this for yourself.

Start by measuring the width of the door opening. The size of the door to fit the opening will vary depending on whether you are doing Inset, Full Overlay, or Half Overlay doors. Once you have the size of the opening, consider several things in determining the width of the door. Let's begin with an inset door.

First is the spacing between the edge of the door and the wall of the cabinet. Allow 1/8 inch for each side of the door for a total of ¼-inch of space. Allow for the thickness of the veneer edging applied to the edge of the door. Finally, consider the various coats of finish applied to the edge of the door and the cabinet wall. To accommodate all of that you will need another 1/8 inch for a total of 3/8 of an inch. So, if the opening in the cabinet is 14 ¼ inches, the width of the door should be cut to 13 7/8 inches for inset doors.

Follow the same instructions to determine the height of the door. If the doors are half overlay you would add ¾ inch to the 14 ¼ inch size of the door and then deduct the same 3/8 inch from 15 inches for a 14 5/8 inch door size. If using full overlay doors, add 1 ½ inches to the 14 ¼ inch door size before deducting the 3/8 inch from the 15 ¾ inches for a 15 3/8 inch door size. To make your doors fit tighter, deduct 5/16 inch instead of 3/8 inch from the measurements. If the doors are plywood, the next step is applying the veneer edging, trimming it, and sanding it to prepare it for the finish. If you aren't using veneer edging the deduction must be even less.

Next, drill the 35 mm holes for the concealed hinges. My preferred tool for drilling these holes is a drill press. Even an inexpensive one is quite adequate for this job. However, if you don't have a drill press and don't care to make the investment, you can purchase a drill bit jig that serves adequately. The first jig that appears on the next page comes complete with the drill bit. The second jig has the specialty drill bit and a measuring template and should be used with a drill press. This jig has the advantage of also marking the location of the screw holes. The set is readily available from various sources. Find it quickly with a Google search.

To learn more about European hinges the Blum Company has great and helpful guides. It's worthwhile to spend some time studying them. In most cases marking the center for the hinges holes 7/8 inch from the door edge and 2 ½ inches from the top and bottom of the door works well.

Drilling the holes should be done carefully as the depth is critical. Drill all the holes in the correct location and depth. Drilling the hole too shallow, won't allow the hinge to screw flat to the inside of the door. A too deep hole allows for hinge movement causing the screws to loosen over time. Testing the depth of the first hole on a scrap piece is the only way to achieve the perfect depth.

You can drill the holes before or after applying the finish. I prefer drilling after the finish to avoid drippings into the hinge holes. After drilling the holes, you are ready to apply the door part of the hinges after applying the finish.

The next step is to install the hinge plates to the inside of the cabinet. There are jigs available for that purpose, but they aren't necessary unless you are producing a large number of cabinet units. Install the hinge mounting plate onto the door part of the hinges by sliding it into place and then loosen it a little before tightening the screw.

Place the door in the cabinet space with a thin piece of laminate or even use a nail on the bottom of the cabinet serving as a shim to approximate the space between the door and the cabinet bottom. For inset doors line up the front of the door with the front of the cabinet. Reach into the cabinet using an awl to mark the location of the first screw hole in the mounting plates.

Use a screw gun to drive the mounting plate screws. Once all the screws are in, remove the shim from the bottom, and check that the door functions properly. If it doesn't seem to fit just right, you can easily adjust the hinges until the door fits perfectly.

On some cabinets, the shelf serves as a door stop on others you may need a door stop. Many types of door stops are available. You may wish to use a small door pad on a shelf to cut the noise of the door closing. With full overlay or half overlay doors, the cabinet serves as a door stop.

Narrow cabinet boxes on projects with single doors may make this task more difficult. The tools you have may not fit the narrow space. You may have to use a smaller screw gun or a short screwdriver.

**More on European Hinges**

European hinges are my choice for almost every cabinet or piece of furniture requiring doors. They aren't better than American made hinges but they are more adjustable and forgiving when things don't fit perfectly. That may not be important to a perfectionist, but it is to me.

Even though some European style hinges are manufactured in the USA, after over thirty years, Blum is still my favorite brand of European hinges. I used them on hundreds of cabinets when I was in the business. I have found other brands that work well and recently I found European-style hinges at my local home improvement store. They were adequate but not the quality of the Blum hinges still available from some online woodworking supply stores where you can also obtain a copy of the Blum catalog with their infinite list of quality products.

Once a cabinet door is installed correctly with European hinges it is adjustable in all directions. If your doors do not fit perfectly, you need make only minor adjustments with a Phillips screwdriver to align them.

Installing doors with European hinges does require care when drilling the 35mm (1 3/8") holes on the back of each door for the concealed hinges. The drill press shines for this purpose because the depth of the holes is critical. Always drill test holes on a scrap of the same thickness as the door first.

Making and Installing Drawers

Drawers can be complex to make and have them fit and run smoothly in a cabinet. Or, they can be simple to make. Since this book is about simplified methods, I won't cover what I consider complex methods. Some woodworkers frown on the simple methods I use to build drawers and may even say that my drawers will quickly fall apart. I know better because after over 30 years of using this method for building drawers in cabinets, I never got a call back for a drawer issue of any kind.

My basic method involves using ½ inch plywood for the sides, front, and back and ¼ inch plywood for the bottoms. I build drawers as complete and simple boxes where the actual drawer is completely separate from the drawer front. Check out the drawing on the next page for additional details.

I assemble the drawers with nails and glue using a pneumatic nailer. You can also use regular nails and a hammer. Before I started using a pneumatic nailer, I used 4D box nails but you can also use 4D finish nails. The pneumatic nailer facilitates making a drawer in minutes once the parts are cut.

Rip all the ½ inch plywood to the correct size and then cut the sides the correct length. The front and rear parts are cut to the correct size to accommodate the drawer slide you are using. Most drawer slides require a ½ inch space between the side of the drawer and the cabinet on each side for a total space of 1 inch.

A common mistake is to assume that ½ inch plywood is ½ inch thick. That seems to make sense but is seldom the case. Plywood sheets are usually thinner than the advertised thickness. For example, ½ inch plywood could be 15/32 inch or 31/64 inch thick or some other metric equivalent. Assuming the full ½ inch size could make the drawer slide spacing too large. Even though it's a minor difference, it causes significant issues for certain drawer slides.

Most of the European style drawer slides are quite forgiving and will usually work fine if the spacing is not more than 1/16 inch too large. Nevertheless, strive to get this spacing right so your drawers will run smoothly. Instead of assuming the thickness of the plywood, check it carefully.

Here is a simple way to make certain you make the drawers correctly. Measure the exact width of the drawer space in the cabinet. Subtract 1 inch from this measurement. Cut two pieces of scrap from the ½ inch plywood. Deduct the thickness of the two pieces of scrap from the drawer opening measurement and this will give you the exact size of the front and rear parts of the drawers.

If there will be an error, it is best to err on the side of too small instead of too large. Drawers that are too large for the opening will not run smoothly if at all. I always used Blum brand self-closing, captive roller drawer slides, but now there are many similar brands that will serve you well. You can usually find them at home improvement stores, or purchase them online.

Nail and glue the sides to the front and rear parts of the drawer, wipe off any excess glue that may have oozed out and place the drawer on a work table. Nail the ¼ inch thick bottom plywood to the bottom edge of the drawer box, squaring and completing the drawer. You can use the same nails for the bottom or use a narrow crown pneumatic staple gun driving at least 1 inch or 1 ¼ inch long staples. Remember to use glue for the bottoms also. The final step is to turn the drawer over and sand the top edge. You can also use a router to round over the top edges. I would normally round over the inside of the top edges and then sand the edges carefully first with a random orbit sander and then with a finishing sander.

Now you have to decide if you wish to apply a finish to the drawers. In kitchen drawers, I applied two coats of white enamel in case they got wet. On my desks, I didn't apply a finish. Here again you must choose.

Installing the drawer in the cabinet is the next step. It's always important to measure carefully but especially so if you have multiple drawers as in the office desk. Correct measurements ensure that drawer fronts will fit correctly. The style of drawer slide determines the installation method. I like the bottom mount, captive roller style because they work well and are forgiving if the drawer size is not exactly correct. If you use this style of slide, the first step is to screw the drawer part of the slide to the bottom of the drawer. Place the drawer bottom up on your bench and place the slide in the correct position making certain it is flush with the front of the drawer. Three screws is enough for this, but you can put more if you choose.

Measure carefully the location of the slide in the cabinet. Normally I leave a 1-inch space for the top drawer. For example, if the drawer is 3 inches high I would mark the inside of the cabinet at 4 inches for the installation of the cabinet part of the drawer slide. You must also consider the distance from the front edge of the cabinet. For example, the drawers on some projects are inset but the drawers on the Office Desk are surface mounted as in the photo at left. Check out the photos on the next page.

For inset, the cabinet part of the drawer slide should be 7/8 inch back from the front edge of the cabinet allowing ¾ inch for the drawer front. For surface mounted the cabinet part of the drawer slide should be 1/16 inch back from the front edge of the cabinet because the drawer front overlays the front of the cabinet. After installing both the drawer and the cabinet part of the drawer slides, place the drawer and make certain it fits correctly and runs smoothly.

Here are a few hints to help if you have problems with the fit or running of the drawers. Sometimes the drawer doesn't fit properly. It may seem bouncy on one side or another. You can usually notice where the slide wheel is not meeting the track. Just adjust the track to meet the wheel to resolve the issue.

Loosen or remove all but one screw on one side of the cabinet part of the slide. Adjust the slide and put one screw back in and try again. Do this until the bounciness is gone. If the drawer is so loose that it falls off the slide, remove the screws, put a small washer behind the cabinet part of the slide and reinsert the screw. This brings the slide closer to the drawer resolving the issue.

If the drawer is too tight to slide properly, you have to cut it down to fit the opening. Remove both slides from the drawer and measure the drawer width. Set the rip fence on the table saw to the correct width of the drawer. Set the blade depth to 1 inch high. Run the drawer through the table saw to rip off the excess on one side. Replace the drawer slides and put the drawer back in place resolving the issue.

You can make the drawer fronts from solid wood or plywood with various edge treatments or with veneer. I fasten drawer fronts in various ways. Most of the time I staple from the inside while holding in place. Or, it can be screwed in place. The drawer front is made to the correct size depending on the style of the cabinet or desk. For example, in the photo at the bottom of the previous page the drawer fronts overlap the desk cabinet on the right and left side forming the drawer handle. If the drawers are inset you will need some kind of handle on the drawer front.

Finishing Projects

**Staining Wood Projects**

I've always preferred a natural wood finish but there are times when applying stain to a wood project is essential to improve the look. It's also useful to match or complement another piece. There are several ways to stain, and some professional furniture makers use solid stains that cover the original wood to ensure a completely even color. This kind of staining requires a high level of expertise and shouldn't be attempted by amateurs until they have trained and practiced on sample pieces.

The staining in this context does a good job and is readily available to anyone and with just a little care ensures a good finish. There are specific steps to follow to make certain that your stain job turns out beautiful and complements the project.

Some products recommend the application of a pre-stain, a light coat to even out the wood surface before applying the actual stain. It's intended to avoid splotching and is a good idea for certain wood surfaces. The problem with pre-stain is it avoids splotching by sealing the wood and this in turn reduces the absorption of the actual stain lightening the color considerably. I advise testing the staining process, with or without a pre-stain, on a similar wood piece before beginning the actual staining job.

In most cases, the stain will raise the grain of the plywood surface a little, and it will feel rough. Resist the urge to sand out this roughness. Sanding the stained surface can cause splotching that will show through the finish. Instead, just make certain all the surfaces are clean of dust and begin applying the first coat of clear wood finish. I sometimes wipe the entire project with a damp rag a couple of hours before staining. Then I sand and clean all the surfaces one last time before starting to apply the stain. I find that the stained surface remains smoother when I take this extra step.

Stains can add much to a project if the wood used has a little character. Staining doesn't detract from an attractive wood grain. Before applying a stain, read the label to determine the recommended application method and the drying times that vary with different stains. I normally apply stain with a brush or a rag as evenly as possible and then wait and watch. Even if tempted, do not walk away with the intention of coming back in a few minutes. Watch the drying process. If you are staining a large project, plan the staining in delineated sections and avoid stopping in the middle of a section. Wait for the best time to wipe off the excess. You don't want the stain to dry completely as this can cause streaks.

Wipe each section as soon as it's ready. I prefer to start wiping as soon as drying begins even in just a small section. It is preferable to wipe too soon than to wait too long. Keep fresh rags handy and replace them when they get so loaded with stain that they will not wipe without streaks. Use three T-shirt rags. The first one will become saturated with stain, so you then wipe again with the second rag and then finally the third. As the first one becomes too saturated, replace it with the second rag, replace the second rag with the third and the third with a new rag. Continue until every part or section has been stained. If you do this carefully, the stain will be even throughout the project. Then just allow it to dry overnight.

Wipe vigorously with the grain until all evidence of the stain, except the color, is gone. The grain of the wood should be prominent through the stain without streaks. If stain dries and streaks, you can usually remove the streaks and much of the stain with lacquer thinner. You can also lighten a dark stain color with this method. Just wet a rag with lacquer thinner and wipe the surface evenly. Always wear gloves when using lacquer thinner and avoid sparks as it is flammable.

Remember, the single most common mistake made with staining is inadequate wiping off of excess stain. Various stains have different instructions, but for the most part staining involves applying the stain, allowing a little drying time, and then wiping off excess stain. The important thing to remember is that all you want from the stain is the color. It should not contribute lines to the grain pattern of the wood. If it does, you have not wiped enough, or you allowed it to dry too long so that it will not wipe off.

During my years as a professional woodworker, I hired painters several times when cabinets required painting. During an extremely busy period, I had a job to build a large desk and a room full of bookcases for a customer. I decided to hire a painter I knew to stain and clear coat it, wrongly assuming that all professional painters know how to apply stain. Unfortunately, it was a bad assumption and when I came to pick up the pieces they were full of streaks and looked awful. I had to call the customer and reschedule the installation. Then I took all the units to my shop and used a finish stripper to remove all the clear coat and the stain and did the entire job again. It took two of us all day long just to strip all the finish. A real nightmare. So, make certain you wipe all the excess stain while it's still wet, or you may have to strip the finish to get rid of the streaks.

Some stains are a combination of stain and varnish or polyurethane. I have used a couple of those successfully. Polyshades by MinWax is a good product that I recently used to stain and finish some crown molding. It applies easily, but you must be sure to apply it evenly because there is no wiping.

An advantage of Polyshades is that you can apply it over an existing clear finished project. For example, if the stain color on a project is too light you can make it darker by simply sanding it lightly and then applying a coat of a darker shade of Polyshades. It does level out fairly well but avoid overbrushing and going back to brush areas that have begun to dry.

My favorite is called Bartley's Gel Varnish with stain. It comes as a gel in clear or a variety of stain colors for applying with a rag or a brush. Once again, removing the excess is critical. Once it has been wiped off, buff your piece lightly with a clean cloth.

You'll need at least two coats of Bartley's Gel Varnish and preferably 3 or 4 coats. You have to wait at least 6 hours between coats, but it does an excellent job. A unique advantage of Bartley's is that you can apply two or more coats of the stain gel to get a darker color. If you like the color after the first coat, you can use clear Bartley's for the additional coats. You can even use a different color after the first coat to alter the final color of the project. You can also color clear Bartley's or alter the color of the stain using oil base colors. It's a flexible finishing product.

I've included all this information about Bartley's Gel Varnish because I enjoyed using it for many years. Unfortunately, it may no longer be available except for remaining inventory. Bartley's was bought out by a company that later filed for bankruptcy and may remain out of business indefinitely. If that happens, Bartley's will no longer appear on store shelves. Because it's an excellent product, I advise that you purchase it if the opportunity arises and keep it for future use. Sealed cans will last for years.

Remember, unless you are using a product like Polyshades, the key to successful staining is careful and complete wiping.

**Applying The Final Finish**

Whenever possible I prefer finishing projects before assembling them to avoid working in corners. It's especially important if you're spraying the finish because project interiors can throw spray back in your face. Brushing is also easier if it's not necessary to reach into corners.

If you're like me and enjoy natural wood colors then stain won't be part of your finish job. However, if you prefer to darken the color of the wood, applying a stain is necessary before the finish coat.

The first step in finishing is always cleaning all surfaces completely. Use a dust brush to get all the excess sawdust and other debris completely removed. Next I like to use T-shirt rags to clean all the deep seated dust. Finally, go over all the surfaces with a tack cloth, a simple gauze rag impregnated with varnish. They are readily available at home improvement stores. Unfold the tack cloth and wipe all the surfaces before applying the first coat of finish. Save the tack cloth in a sealed plastic bag or it will quickly dry out and become useless. A photo of a tack cloth appears on the next page.

Whether you spray or brush, I recommend Deft Clear Wood Finish, an excellent product that is readily available in most places. Your best bet is to find it locally because it will save you the cost of shipping. Over the years, I have purchased it at paint stores and once I purchased it at Walmart and it was the best price I could get. If you can't find it locally, it's available online at many places including Amazon.com. It's available in quarts and gallons. A picture of a gallon can of Deft Clear Wood Finish appears on the next page.

Deft Clear Wood Finish is an excellent brushing lacquer and the odor and vapors are strong like most lacquer. It should be used in a well-ventilated room and preferably wearing a good respirator. Breathing in the vapors is dangerous. An open, covered area may work well if the day is not windy causing dust that could ruin your finish.

I am taking a lot of time with this one product because I've used it successfully for many years. It can be a little pricey, but it's worth the extra cost. Here are a few things that will guarantee you a good job with Deft Clear Wood Finish when applying with a brush.

Brush evenly smoothing out the liquid and moving on. Do not over brush and never go back to areas you have previously brushed. Deft dries fast, and if you go back, it will stop the self-leveling and cause ugly brush marks.

Allow the first coat to dry for 30 to 45 minutes and then sand the entire surface with 220 grit sandpaper and then clean all the surfaces with a T-shirt rag and a tack cloth. The instructions on the can say that sanding between coats is not necessary, but it is if you want a good finish.

Apply the second coat the same as the first and allow it to dry for 30 to 45 minutes. Once this coat has been applied you may be satisfied with the appearance and the job is complete. For a great finish sand all the surfaces with a 400 grit sandpaper and clean all the surfaces before applying a third coat.

For that special, extraordinary finish sand the third coat with a 600 grit sandpaper and clean all surfaces before applying a fourth coat.

As you apply additional coats remember that the surface gets slicker with each coat and the potential for runs increases. Take extra care with each coat to avoid this. Notice that you can apply another coat 30 to 45 minutes later, so you can easily apply at least three coats of finish and complete a project the same day.

Deft Clear Wood Finish is one of my favorites, but it's not the only finish available. Bartley's Gel Varnish is another great finish that is also pricey, and I've used it many times. It's more work to use and requires more time to complete projects. For one thing, it takes 6 hours to dry instead of 30 minutes like Deft. That means no more than one coat a day.

MinWax Polycrylic

MinWax makes many good products including a water based clear coat with many advantages. This clear coat is called Polycrylic and it dries fairly fast but not like Deft. MinWax Polycrylic is almost self-leveling and is easier to control. It also sprays well. It works great with Minwax stains because, unlike Deft, it isn't a lacquer so it doesn't cause the stain to lighten.

Whether brushing or spraying MinWax Polycrylic does a good job. It's readily available at most home improvement stores and online. One of its great benefits is the lack of harsh lacquer vapors making it a much safer product to use.

Spraying Finishes

During my years as a professional woodworker, I sprayed almost every project. I found it faster and allowed me to do a better job. Nevertheless, it is possible to do a nice finishing job with a brush, the right finish, and careful application.

My preference for spraying projects is an HVLP (high volume, low pressure) Sprayer. They spray at low pressure reducing the overspray and bounceback that often makes spraying difficult. There are many HVLP systems at various price ranges. Some of them are made to work with an existing compressor while others, my preference, come with a turbine making it one complete unit, so you don't need a compressor. A photo of an inexpensive HVLP sprayer appears on the next page.

If you are not planning to make building wood projects your business, invest in a low price, all-in-one unit. They are inexpensive and with care will do an excellent job. The important thing is to read and follow the instructions.

Make certain that you wear the proper protective gear for the finish. If you use either lacquer or Deft Clear Wood Finish, wear a correctly filtered respirator. The fumes and vapors from these products are harmful, and you shouldn't be breathing them.

Remember that these products are also flammable, and a spark can set them off. Never light a match or lighter while using these products. While working on a job years ago I saw someone who was using lacquer to clean paint off a vinyl floor, light a cigarette. In a split second, the entire floor area and the rag he was using went off in a frightening flash. Fortunately, the lacquer container was covered, and the surface had begun to dry so it was a short flash, but it could have been a disaster.

Spraying is not difficult to do correctly but being careless and failing to follow the directions that come with the equipment will cause a poor finish and possibly ugly runs. In addition to the guide with the equipment, there are plenty of instructions available on Google.com and videos on YouTube.

Power Tool Safety

POWER TOOLS ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS! Any tool that can cut wood can also cut skin and bone. I sincerely encourage you to keep this in mind every time you use any power tool. Plan every cut carefully before starting the tool. Clamp work pieces securely before cutting, routing or sanding. Read and adhere to the safety guidelines that came with the power tool. These guidelines are written to help you avoid serious injuries.

Here are a few more simple hints to will help you avoid injuries.

Keep track of your hands at all times. If you are using a power tool with one hand, always check the location of the other hand before starting the tool. Some consider this silly, but it is a good way to keep all your fingers.

Visualize the complete procedure before you start to help avoid potential kickback or other injury-causing incidents.

Never use power tools when tired, taking medications or using alcohol or drugs.

Always use ear and eye protection and dust masks when needed.

Woodworking is an enjoyable hobby, and it can be profitable. Don't let a moment of carelessness ruin it for you. Think before turning on any power tool and take good care of yourself and others around you.

I can't overemphasize the importance of thinking safety during all your work. I feel fortunate to have all my fingers after so many years of using power tools. Unfortunately, I saw my dad remove the tips of two fingers with a jointer and my son split open his thumb with a band saw. These were unpleasant and bloody sights that certainly made me think. Avoid injuries by working safely at all times.

NOTE ON TABLE SAWS: The table saw is probably the most commonly used stationary power tool for woodworking. It's a tool with many diverse uses. With the right jigs and guides, it can perform an infinite variety of tasks but it can also be dangerous. More than 90 percent of shop injuries take place with table saws. These machines can injure you seriously. Using a table saw, and any other power tool requires your total attention.

In addition to cutting you, when improperly used, a table saw can kick pieces back at astounding speed. These pieces can cause serious injuries. It is not my intent to scare you. I just want everyone to understand the power of these machines. Always give your work on any power tool your full attention. Take the time to learn the safety rules for the machine and adhere to them. It only takes one mistake to cause a serious injury that can change your future. Please be careful.

Power Tools

I believe it's important to recognize the value of consumer level tools because so many people think that quality projects are only possible with higher priced, commercial level tools. I don't want to discourage you from buying the best tools you can afford. Instead, I want you to understand it's possible to build attractive, functional, quality cabinets and furniture pieces without an excessive investment in tools. Good tools aren't as important as good skills and a desire to create quality pieces.

Good skills include taking care of your tools and taking full advantage of their potential. I'll illustrate this with a couple of stories about tool use that I enjoy telling.

I did handyman work for a short time and once while helping a friend on a job the need for a miter saw surprised us. He said we could use his because he kept it in his pickup truck. That seemed like a good thing because it would save me the time of driving back to my shop.

It turned out his miter saw was so rusty I could hardly change the angle settings for the molding I was cutting. The saw was a mess and I finally gave up and decided to come back the next day with my miter saw to finish the job. Take care of all your tools whether they are consumer level or more expensive commercial units. They won't serve you well if they aren't maintained.

Years ago I was acquainted with a woodworker who had an excellent job with a large cabinet manufacturer. He worked every day beginning at seven a.m. And was highly respected by the company.

His dream had always been to start a woodworking business in his garage. He began saving up for his tools, but it took him over two years because he was convinced that he needed the same large, expensive, commercial equipment he used on his job. He finally finished outfitting his garage as a shop and then started his business.

He had lots of friends and family so his business began to grow rapidly. After about a month a strange thing happened. He cut down on his work hours and began leaving the shop at 2:00 p.m instead of working a full day.

Then he started sleeping late and beginning his day at 11:00 a.m. He started taking days off during the week to go off with his friends. This caused him to fall behind on his jobs, and his customers became upset with the consistent delays.

He lost several customers, and word of mouth discouraged new ones from coming in. Before long he had to close the business, and he went back to work for his previous employer where he renewed his good work habits.

Two things are interesting about this story. He was obviously a good worker but definitely not self-motivated. He needed someone to push him to get the job done. More importantly, in this case, having the best tools didn't help get the jobs done. You must have the skills and motivation to get the work done. If you do, the tools you have will be adequate for the tasks.

The tools described in this section are readily available at most home improvement stores. They were used to build all the projects in this book and the complete series.

**The Table Saw**

After some forty years using table saws I still find them fascinating. The number of woodworking, carpentry, and handyman tasks handled with a table saw is incredible. With jigs and guides you can safely cut many projects.

In spite of the table saw's flexibility they are often used in an unsafe manner. I want everyone to understand that regardless of all the tasks possible with a table saw, there is no freehand task that should be done on a table saw. Unlike band saws or jigsaws they are intended to cut wood with some form of guide holding the material while it passes through the rotating blade. The can be a bevel guide, a rip fence, or some other custom made guide or jig that ensures the material does not kick back or draw your hand in causing serious injury.

I suggest that you purchase and read a table saw book to better understand the possibilities of a good table saw. You can find some at a local bookstore and a long list at Amazon.com.

The Table Saw Book by R.J. DeChristoforo, even though written in 1987, is a great book and used copies in both paperback and hardcover are readily available through Amazon.

If you are a Kindle reader, the editors of The Family Handyman have published Advanced Table Saw Tips, a short ebook that is informative and inexpensive. You can find it on google and purchase and download it easily.

Any of these books will help you get the most from your table saw safely, and if you don't own one they may help you purchase the one that is best for your shop situation.

Another good way to learn more about using table saws is on YouTube. Just search YouTube for videos on using the table saw for a long list.

Fine Woodworking has an excellent five-minute video about the basics of using the table saw. Just search on their web site. It's a great, short video on using the table saw safely.

It may seem like I'm spending too much time on one tool, but this is only the beginning of the information on the table saw. It's the center of any woodworking shop, and it's important to use it effectively and safely.

There are many different table saw models ranging from under $100 to thousands of dollars in cost. Three things that must be taken into consideration when acquiring a table saw, the kind of woodworking you will be doing, the space you have available, and your budget. If you don't already own a table saw I suggest you purchase the best one you can afford that fits your available space.

In a large garage shop, you can accommodate almost any of the models described below, and you can allow your budget to determine your choice. Let's discuss a few options starting with the top of the line table saw for cabinet and furniture work, the powerful Cabinet Table Saws found in large, professional cabinet and furniture shops.

These saws come at a high price and take up lots of space. Most often they require three phase electrical that isn't found in most homes, so it's probably not a good choice unless you have a commercial shop space with adequate electricity to support it.

The next model is the Contractor Table Saw. There are a large number of companies who make various models of the Contractor saw pictured below. If you have space and the budget, this is an excellent choice. The photo on the next page is just one model from the Grizzly company. I used this one in my shop for many years.

The advantage of the Contractor Table Saws is that they are powerful but come at a much lower price than the Cabinet Table Saws. Like their larger and more expensive counterparts, Contractor Table Saws can be fitted with after-market fences which are especially useful when cutting large sheets of plywood as needed for most of the projects described in this book. During my years in the business I used both the Vega and the Unifence after-market table saw fences and found them both excellent.

Over the years, I used several table saws. When I first started my business, I purchased a 10-inch contractor table saw from the Grizzly Company, and it served me well for many years. At first it required lots of adjustments but this is an important part of setting up any table saw.

I added many things to make this table saw serve me better for cutting large plywood sheets that were a common material for my work. I made a large rear out-feed table directly behind the table saw. I made two small tables, one on each side of the table saw. The result was a total table size of almost 8-foot square that easily accommodated the ripping and crosscutting of plywood sheets for my cabinet projects. The photo on the previous page is a front view of that saw.

Notice that the two smaller tables on each side of the saw have heavy flue liners placed on the shelf. The tables were light-weight, and the flue liners made them more stable so they never moved while I was ripping large sheets.

I covered the tops of all the tables with plastic laminate, so the plywood slid smoothly while being cut. The tables around the saw are critical for cutting large sheets quickly, easily, and safely because there is never any stress on the plywood during the cut.

A good friend of mine, who owned a woodworking shop a few blocks from mine, had a Powermatic Cabinet Table Saw. His work involved making display units in large quantities. To keep the cost down, he used particle board instead of plywood and to make it easy to cut the large sheets he created a table around his table saw that was 11-foot square. It was an impressive worktable.

Not visible in this photo of my first professional table saw is the Vega aftermarket rip fence. I had removed it temporarily to accommodate the crosscut fixture in the photo. With the Vega fence I could cut up to 48 inches on the right side of the blade and easily cut the parts for almost any project. The Vega and Unifence are expensive but pay for themselves quickly in a large shop.

My second table saw purchased many years later was a Ryobi BT3000 that became a rather famous model. It was a good table saw with an infinite number of accessories available. It's not manufactured any longer.

The BT3000 had one major shortcoming, the blade and the motor were one unit. It was a geared arrangement instead of just a circular saw with a table but it was one unit nevertheless. During the time I owned the BT3000, I had to replace the gears once and the entire motor once and that was a problem. With the Grizzly I could just replace the motor in minutes and I kept a spare motor so I could be back in business in minutes.

The BT3000 did have a very functional sliding crosscut table of which I made great use regularly. It also had a built-in section to use as a router table so you could make use of the rip fence and the sliding crosscut table with your router. Another great feature.

The least expensive model is the consumer level table saw that lacks the power, precision, and weight of either the Cabinet or Contractor models but properly equipped and set up can be used to build most projects.

One of the big differences between the consumer brands and the larger commercial models is that the blade is connected directly to the motor unlike the expensive saws where the blade is driven by a belt to the motor. This arrangement can be a real problem in a professional shop because if the motor goes out the saw becomes useless. On a commercial table saw, if the motor goes out you simply repair or replace the motor and the saw is unaffected.

At its most basic, the consumer table saw is a circular saw built into a table. These small saws are often available for less than $100 dollars. For some professional woodworkers who work on job sites and for novice woodworkers who lack space to keep a table saw set up, the portable table saw provides a good alternative. Even though I was a professional woodworker for many years, I have a portable table saw now because I lack the space for a full size saw.

No matter what model table saw you have, cutting large sheets of plywood will require surrounding your saw with a work table to make ripping and crosscutting large sheets viable unless you use some of the other methods described in this ebook to rip the plywood sheets.

After retiring from the woodworking business, I sold my larger power tools and did not replace them until I built a small shop behind my home. I then set up the tools that I still had and decided to purchase a table saw. Because of the limited space I opted for a portable table saw but because I liked the Ryobi BT3000 Sliding Crosscut Table, I decided on a Ryobi portable model with that feature. A photo of that portable unit closed and set up appears on the next page.

Some woodworkers will tell you that this kind of table saw won't work for serious woodworking, but that isn't true. When I was ready to build the kitchen for our home I built three light-weight out-feed tables and cut and built the complete kitchen including the countertop. I built it alone and only had help from my grandson to rip out the old cabinets and install the new ones. I cut all the plywood pieces for that entire job and many other jobs since then, with that table saw.

Here are a few things that make an inexpensive and portable table saw better. First, take the time to adjust everything to ensure accurate cuts by reading and following the instructions. Secondly, purchase a quality carbide tipped blade with at least 40 teeth. Yes, this saw came with a carbide tipped blade but it was a cheap blade and had only 24 teeth. I invested in a good blade. And of course, build or buy sufficient out-feed tables to ensure accurate and safe cuts.

Properly set up, a consumer level table saw can serve you well for many years. Just keep it clean, lubricated, and adjusted.

Sliding Compound Miter Saw

The compound miter saw is a useful tool for a woodworker, but its strong suit is cutting moldings, a task that is most often handled by carpenters. The compound miter saw in the photo on the next page is one that I have used for years. It's useful for cross cutting wood up to about 5 inches wide.

For a shop used for building cabinets and furniture I suggest a larger investment in a sliding compound miter saw as shown in the photo on the next page. The sliding compound miter saw will do everything just like the compound miter saw except on boards up to 12 inches wide making it extremely functional as a crosscutting tool in any shop.

My Ryobi sliding compound miter saw was relatively inexpensive and has done an excellent job for me over many years. While a 12-inch unit is more powerful and useful, it is considerably more expensive, and the 10-inch will handle all your tasks quite well.

For several years, I worked with an 8 ¼ inch model and was well satisfied with its performance. The larger size unit provides some advantages, but you can accomplish most of the same tasks with the smaller units.

Besides the standard safety considerations involved in using any power tool, the sliding compound miter saw requires a little extra effort to ensure accuracy. All miter saws have location stops or bumps called detentes. These are usually found at 90, 45, and 22 1/2 degree angles. Most users assume these detentes are accurate and just proceed to make their cuts at those positions. Even under ideal circumstances, these detentes aren't exact, and you should check them using a square or a miter tool.

I always use a framing square to make certain my 90-degree cuts are correct. There are other ways to check this using scrap pieces of wood. For example, using a piece of scrap at least 24 inches long, cut it in half with the saw set at 90 degrees. Flip one of the two pieces you cut over and then place the two ends against each other. If you set the angle at 90-degrees exactly, the two pieces should fit perfectly together when held against the miter saw fence. If they don't, your saw is not set accurately, and you must adjust the cut. You can do the same with any cut including 45 or 22 ½ degrees. Just make the cut, flip one of the pieces and place them against each other. Unless the pieces fit well, the angle of the saw is set incorrectly.

Circular Saw

The circular saw is a carpenter's tool but it does have a place in a woodworker's shop. I use mine with various jigs to make straight rip or cross cuts in plywood. It's not a tool for freehand cuts. Yes, you can mark a cut and then use the circular saw to cut it freehand but it's seldom a good idea. It might be acceptable for rough construction where you have some leeway with cuts but not appropriate for building cabinets and furniture. Always use it with a guide or jig to ensure accurate cuts. A photo of my circular saw appears on the next page.

There are an infinite variety of blades for circular saws. There are blades of different sizes to fit the many sizes of saws. There are blades with different numbers of teeth and teeth shapes for various kinds of cutting. I mostly use a 40-tooth finish blade for woodworking since I want smooth cuts on everything I do.

Circular saws can be unsafe if handled carelessly. Having worked in construction for many years, I saw many carpenters remove the retracting guard from circular saws because they were inconvenient and bothersome. Removing this guard creates a hazardous situation because the blade is fully exposed ready to cut anything it touches.

Once the guard is gone, the saw must be placed on the floor upside down when turned off. Forgetting and touching your body with it ensures a disastrous outcome. Putting it down on the floor with the blade downward can cause the saw to move quickly over your foot. Safety devices are intended to help you avoid injury, don't remove them.

Even with a guard an injury can occur if you are careless. My advice, know the location of both hands before starting the saw. If you are holding it with your right hand, check the location of your left hand before starting the saw. Make certain the blade is not touching the cutting surface before starting the saw. Plan the cut before you make it. A few seconds of planning can save your fingers or your hand. Never use a circular saw while drinking or taking drugs.

Saber Saw

This small power tool is useful on many projects for cutting curves. There are some excellent consumer brand versions of this fine tool, but you must be careful because there are some cheap ones that perform poorly. Find the consumer version of a known brand like Ryobi or DeWalt and pay a little more for a truly useful tool. It will last longer, be easier to control, and do a much better job for you. My latest saber saw is shown in the photo on the next page.

These saws can use many different kinds of blades with a variety of teeth. Some of the blades are wide with large teeth to cut thicker lumber fast. Other blades are narrow with small teeth for fine cuts on thin materials. Getting the best results with a saber saw depends on purchasing the correct blade for the job. With the wrong blade, cutting can be a struggle.

I used this saber saw to cut many of the curves on the projects in this book. I purchased it to replace an old, commercial grade Makita saber saw that I purchased over 30 years ago. That Makita cost more than twice as much as the one in the photo when I bought it all those years ago. It took a beating year after year until it finally gave up. I'm not a professional woodworker any longer, so I settled for a good consumer brand saber saw.

Band saw

Band saws are useful power tools but not essential for making the projects in this book. I include it because there are many cuts that are easier and safer with a bandsaw. Bandsaws come in many sizes including an inexpensive 9-inch model that I used for a while. It had limitations because of it small size, but it still performed fairly well considering it only cost about $100.00.

My band saw shown in the photo on the next page is a 12-inch model and can cut materials up to 6 inches thick. I have not cut material that thick with it, but it may come in handy. Band saws in this size are too heavy to move around easily.

Because of the small size of my shop I needed to make it easy to move around, and I did that by building a bench with casters. I bolted the band saw on one end and my drill press on the opposite end. When I need either tool or both, I just roll it out to the middle of the open shop space, lock the casters, and begin working. A photo of that rollaround bench appears on the next page.

The band saw comes with a rip fence like a table saw, but unlike a table saw, band saws are quite useful for freehand cutting. As with any power tool, you have to be careful to avoid cutting yourself but you need not worry about a kick back because the direction of the blade is downward toward the table.

There are many size blades from ½ inch wide for thick materials and straight cuts or slow curves and 1/8 inch for cutting tight curves and circles.

Finishing Sander

An all-around great tool to sand project parts before assembly or entire projects after assembly. Finish sanders work well with sandpaper of 100 grit or finer for final sanding before a finish. They work well on solid wood but are especially good for plywood surfaces because they work gently, and you are unlikely to sand through the veneer unless you sand carelessly.

The Finishing Sander in the photo on the next page is my latest unit, and it works well. A couple of things to remember when using these sanders includes using precut sanding sheets as they usually have smooth edges. If you do cut your own from full sheets, cut them with a sharp knife and a straight edge. Don't fold and tear the paper to size as this leaves rough edges on the sheets that can cause squiggles. I know that sounds funny, but it's not attractive when you have light little lines by the hundreds as a pattern in your finish.

Even if you use precut sheets or cut them with a knife, apply pressure upwards against the two sharp edges of the paper before you begin sanding. Curving up the edges reduces the chances of any squiggles or other scratches.

Once you are ready to sand surfaces, keep the sander moving, preferably along the grain. Even though these are gentle sanders, it's unwise to hold them in one location for any length of time.

Random Orbital Sander

This is my favorite sanding tool and does an excellent job especially when the grain on two wood pieces meet at opposite directions. It was the perfect tool for sanding the frames of the doors for our kitchen cabinets because it's an excellent tool for sanding joints. It seems like a regular finishing sander with a round disk, but it's much more. The photo on the next page is my random orbit sander that has served me well for many years.

Disk sanders remove wood too fast and create ugly swirls but on the random orbit sander the spinning of the disk is offset by an orbital movement. It removes material but never causes swirls. While you don't need to be careful to follow the grain, I always do out of habit unless I'm sanding a joint where the grains run across each other. Here the random orbital sander does a great job. Even though plywood veneers are extremely thin, you can use a random orbit sander if you are careful, gentle, and move quickly to avoid remaining in the same spot for long. I prefer finish sanders for most plywood surfaces.

The Belt Sander

The belt sander can be an excellent tool for sanding rough surfaces and for altering the shape of wood surfaces. It can also ruin a project faster than any other sanding tool if you fail to use it correctly because it removes large amounts of wood quickly from any surface. I suggest that you limit using a belt sander to plywood edges and solid wood because they can cut through a plywood veneer surface in seconds even with a fine grit belt.

There are many different belt sander models, and it can be a difficult choice. I will only deal with two models because I own and have personally used both of them, but many others are equally functional.

As with most tools, there are various categories but the two main ones are consumer brands that are inexpensive and can perform poorly if you don't use them carefully. The second category is commercial or trade tools. These are the ones preferred by professional woodworkers because they hold up for years and perform well even under adverse conditions.

My favorite is a workhorse of a belt sander that has been on the market for many years. The photo on the next page is the 3X21 version of the Porter-Cable 4X24 Belt Sander which I used for years. It's not pretty, and it's quite heavy, but I had mine for over 20 years, and it always performed well. I sold it when I moved to Austin, and now I have a new model with a smaller belt but just as heavy and tough. If you plan on doing a lot of woodwork, this one or similar heavy duty models by other manufacturers will serve you well. In some cases these models cost over $200.00.

Practice is important with commercial sanders because their extra weight and power make them more difficult to control. It's easy to gouge or damage a wood surface if you don't know how to use one. You will notice the power the moment you press the switch on these units so don't start one while it is on the surface being sanded. In most cases, it's best to start the sander and then place it gently on the surface. Before pressing the switch make certain the sanding belt is clear of the sanding surface and your body. Never hold it against your clothes

I also own a much lighter consumer belt sander for which I paid less than $50.00. It is a 3X21 inch model Black and Decker that works fairly well. This unit is much easier to control because of its lighter weight, but it's not as effective. Working with this grade of sander demands regular belt changes because it won't do much once the belt begins to lose its granules.

The last model is a table top combination belt and disc sander, a great tool to have especially to work on small pieces that would be difficult to clamp down for regular belt sanding. It works great to shape small projects or to round over corners. The disc sander is handy for edges when necessary. It isn't essential to have one of these, but they can come in quite handy for certain tasks.

The Router

I was going to start by saying the router was my favorite power tool, but that wouldn't be accurate. I think my favorite power tool is the Biscuit Joiner, but it's difficult to be sure because I love using power tools. Perhaps my favorite power tool is the one I'm using at the time.

Routers are great tools capable of many woodworking tasks. The most common tasks I now perform with the router is cutting decorative edges on hardwoods or cutting the recess in a cabinet to accommodate the back but over the years I done many different tasks with various routers. The photo on the next page is just one model of a consumer brand router.

I first started using routers as a hinge mortising tool to hang the doors in homes that my dad was building. When I first started that job I used chisels and a hammer to make the mortise for the hinges and I was fairly fast but the router made the job faster and easier. A router with the correct door jigs allowed the door-hanging to be completed in minutes.

There are various kinds of routers. The one in the photo is just a regular router that may be used with an many different bits to make all kinds of cuts. There's another similar version called a plunge router. It's basically the same except it has a spring loaded plunge mechanism that allows setting the depth in advance. It's excellent for making cuts in the middle of a work piece. You just place the router in the right location, turn it on and then plunge it into the wood to the preset depth and make your cut.

Plunge routers are popular today, and some regular routers come with a plunge attachment that comes in handy for certain tasks. If you are doing this kind of routing, the plunge attachment is quite handy. Otherwise, it's clumsy. I've had one of these for several years and have yet to use the plunge attachment.

Routers come in a wide range of prices including inexpensive units for about $70 and expensive ones costing over $800. For most normal work in a home shop you don't need to spend over $200 and a $70 model will perform many woodworking tasks. It can certainly handle all the work needed to build the projects in this book. For really heavy duty work every day in a professional shop, the $800 unit could be a good investment.

The Laminate Trimmer is just another router but on a smaller scale with a small bit opening and easily handled with one hand.

A router table is another tool that serves well for these projects. It's a worthwhile investment for routing small pieces which would be difficult and perhaps dangerous to do on a work table. A photo of an inexpensive router table appears on the next page.

NOTE: Router bits spin at over 20,000 rpm and are razor sharp. They can cause serious injuries and in more than one way. They can mangle any part of your body it touches so always use it carefully. Never start it while the bit is against the wood. Give the bit sufficient time to gain speed before applying it to the wood. Avoid making deep cuts in one pass as you will get cleaner and safer cuts in two or more passes.

Years ago someone in my shop, whom I believed was an experienced woodworker, almost injured me seriously. While performing a job, he adjusted the depth on a router bit by loosening the collet and sliding the bit out. Router bit depth adjustment is done with the depth adjustment gear on the router itself, not with the collet. As he worked at one end of the shop, the shank on the over-extended bit snapped sending it flying across the shop, penetrating the wall after passing within inches of my head. I immediately went over to the router he was using, loosen the collet and what dropped out was a piece of shank less than ¼ inch long. His lack of knowledge about router use could easily have killed me or him depending on how it flew when it snapped.

Routers are extremely versatile power tools but have the potential to be dangerous if used carelessly. As with most power tools, routers require your full attention especially since they operate at such high speeds. Take the time to learn how to use it safely.

Routers come with ¼ and ½ inch shanks. You must take special care with the ¼ inch shanks and make certain they are at least ½ of the length of the shank into the collet. The ½ inch shanks are much stronger, but I would apply the same rule of thumb unless a special situation requires more exposure of the shank. In those cases, be sure to make multiple passes reducing stress on the shank.

The Drill Press

The drill press is an important tool for accurate drilling in any shop. It's not as indispensable as a table saw because many of the it's tasks can be done with a handheld power drill. Nevertheless, it is critical for really accurate drilling. As with most power tools, it's not essential to purchase an expensive, commercial grade drill press. The unit in the photo at left will do an excellent job and fit on your workbench.

A drill press can be used to drill holes accurately in almost any piece of wood or metal. The drill press can be set up to drill repetitive holes for many purposes with total accuracy using various tables and jigs. A photo of my drill press is on the next page.

The location and depth of the holes can be maintained consistently accurate. This level of accuracy is much more difficult with a handheld power drill and for some precise work only the drill press gives the required level of accuracy and ease.

For some jobs, a small vise can be attached to the small work table for clamping jobs requiring precision accuracy.

The functionality of a drill press can be increased significantly by adding a plywood table to the metal table that comes with the unit. The most important job I do with my drill press is drilling the specialized holes for European hinges. Notice the wooden table in the photo of the drill press on the previous page. With a table like this you can clamp fences and stops to help you perform many accurate tasks.

Biscuit Joiner

As with most power tools, there is more than one way to use a biscuit joiner. The way I describe is what I consider to be the easiest for most projects.

Biscuit Joiners have a fence that can be used to control the depth of almost all slot cuts. This fence helps to guide the location of the blade and can be handy for many projects. After many years of using biscuit joiners, I've found that for most of my work the fence is unnecessary. I believe it can be less accurate in some cases because it makes maintaining the location of the cut more difficult.

I suggest your work table makes a better fence for most biscuit cuts. Naturally, the work table must be smooth and flat, but a good work table is necessary for most tasks in woodworking. Each of the projects except the dual level end table includes specific instructions for using the work table as fence method. On the next page are two photos showing the difference between the biscuit joiner with and without the fence. The biscuit joiner fence is retracted in the second photo.

For a few applications you will need to use the biscuit joiner fence but in most cases leaving it retracted to cut the biscuit slots is the best choice.

After the biscuit slots are cut, you are ready for assembly and glue-up. Before beginning this process be sure to put everything you need including all the clamps on the workbench within easy reach. Once you begin the glue-up, it's important to proceed rapidly to get everything assembled and clamped before the glue begins to dry.

Complete instructions for gluing up projects for biscuit joinery appear in the Simplified Methods - Biscuit Joiner Overview section.

The Dremel Tool

This small rotary tool is perfect for many jobs, but I especially like it for carving. Over the years, I've made many carvings large and small, and I have included photos of some of them on page 140 of the Final Notes Section.

In addition to carving, I've sanded hard to reach places, made delicate cuts, and even removed the grout between tiles. It's a simple tool for one-handed operation. It's less likely to injure you than a router or trimmer, but the bits still rotate at high speeds so it's wise to use it carefully. A photo of a dremel tool appears on the next page.

The Dremel Rotary Tool is often underestimated. It's usually viewed only as a hobbyist tool but it's much more. I became acquainted with it as a carving tool but realized early on that it had great potential to resolve issues in tight places where a router or normal sander could not function. I suggest that you have a Dremel tool with a few accessories available for special circumstances.

Pneumatic Nailers

These tools can be a touchy subject with some woodworkers. I don't think their problem is so much with pneumatic nailers as it is with nails in general being used as part of any joinery technique. I've used these nailers for many years and believe they are valuable tools. Now there are even nailers that are battery powered avoiding the need for compressors.

Some woodworkers believe that mortise and tenons, dovetails, finger joints, etc. are valid joinery methods but frown even on biscuit joinery. So joinery with nails is definitely beyond the pale, and if you believe that woodworking tradition precludes the use of nails in any form, parts of this book may disappoint you.

I don't close the door on any joinery method. My concern is the end result. If it's a quality project that looks good, then the methods are mine to choose and pneumatic nailers have been part of those methods for over 25 years and will continue for many more years. On the next page is a couple of pneumatic nailers and the small compressor that powers them.

I like to use the pneumatic brad nailer or narrow crown stapler for assembly of drawers. The drawing at right shows how I improve the strength of the joints by tilting the nails or staples. Once all the nails are in they form a pattern that gives extra strength to the joint. I used this method with ½ inch plywood on hundreds of drawers over many years and never got a single call back for a problem with drawers.

I nail the sides of the drawers to the front and back. Once the drawer is in place, the drawer front will cover the edge grain of the wood in the front, and the edge grain of the back will face the back of the cabinet.

It is possible to do this with hand nailing, but it's much more difficult and takes much longer. With a pneumatic nailer, a drawer can be assembled quickly, and using the nail pattern shown on the next page ensures it stays together.

With the front and sides of the drawer assembled, the bottom of the drawer is nailed or stapled in place. It's not essential, but I advise using a light coat of wood glue on all the joints adding to the strength of the drawer.

Cabinets and drawers can also be assembled with screws, or you can just reinforce the joints with screws. The drawing on the next page shows the use of screws for assembling drawers, but I have never found that necessary. However, I have often reinforced joints in cabinets using screws. I find regular drywall screws best for this purpose. They are sharp, so they go in easily even without predrilling.

Drywall screws are also available with trim heads that countersink easily and then filled for a finished look on any surface.

Final Notes

The Final Notes section is part of all my books. This is where I share thoughts and ideas that don't seem to fit well in any other section of the book. It could also be something that came to me at the last minute just before the book was published.

Over the years, I've been a carpenter, handyman, contractor, woodworker, consultant, and now an IT professional, web designer, writer, and publisher. I've always enjoyed writing about the things I like to do. I especially like writing about woodworking since I've enjoyed it for so many years.

Mostly I've written about the woodworking business because I thought non-professional woodworkers might not care for my simplified methods. I had a Woodworking Simplified blog that was hacked and disappeared so I rebuilt it with a new name. It's now Papa's Wood Shop blog. The name Papa's shop was coined by my grandson years ago. I also ahve Facebook page that shows there is interest in simplifying woodwork and this book is the first in a series based on those methods and will be followed by four more already planned and perhaps more in time.

My books are based on first-hand experience. If I haven't done it, chances are I won't be sharing it. In this book and the ones that follow I share only about projects I built for our home, in my home shop, with consumer level tools.

Even my table saw, considered the center and heart of a woodworking shop, is a portable model that I set up each time I'm going to build a project. I sincerely believe that any one with basic, consumer brand woodworking tools can build any of the projects in this book and those that will appear in future books in the series.

Wood Carving

In woodworking, one of my favorite sidelines was carving. As a power tool person, it was unlikely that I would be carving anything using hand tools. I took to the Dremel the first time I read about someone using it for woodcarving.

Over years I did many carvings but I'm only including a couple in this book. All of my carving were done with a dremel and a set of dremel bits.

The large wall carving with the eagle and text on the next page was carved from one piece of Honduras Mahogany 18" wide and 48" long. I carved most of it with a Dremel, but I did some of the rough shaping with a belt sander. It's a romantic project I carved for Barbara while we were dating. It was a message she sent me in one of the many letters we shared (before email and texting) before we were married. It's still on the wall in our bedroom.

The Pieta, on the next page is also a Dremel carving in Honduras Mahogany It was a gift for my mother-in-law who died years ago. We later inherited the carving.

Even though I did many carvings and used my carving skills on a couple of jobs for antique dealers, it was never a significant part of my business. I preferred to just do the carving for my enjoyment and to make special pieces for family and friends.

**Note About My Shop**

The shop for my woodworking business was over 1,100 square feet, an adequate space for a one-person business. All my stationary power tools had a separate location, and they were always ready to use.

I had a large work table surrounding my table saw so ripping and crosscutting plywood sheets was easy. My sliding compound miter saw was fastened at the center of a twenty-foot-long table for cutting boards of any length.

I had a separate spray room for finishing the projects without being concerned about sawdust.

It was an efficient setup for cutting, assembling, and finishing large projects, and I made good use of it for years.

Now I have a small shop where I have to put tools away carefully and set things up to make the best possible use of the limited space that I have. It's a big difference, and I admit it's not as easy to cut, assemble and finish projects as it was. Part of that is the smaller space, but maybe it's also because I'm much older.

Either way, I can still build large projects including a complete kitchen, bookcases, cabinets, desks, etc. Small spaces can be used to build the projects described in this book and many others.

One of the things I've done to keep my larger tools ready to work is put them on wheels. The photo on the next page shows my drill press and my bandsaw on a roll around cabinet that also serves as storage for tools in the bottom section. It was a simple project that has helped my work often.

Hand Tools

Reading the instructions for all the projects in this series it's obvious that I'm a power tool person. It doesn't mean that I don't have or use hand tools but, having the choice, I will use a power tool to do the work.

There are still woodworkers who use hand tools almost exclusively and love to work that way. As a person who loves tools, I can understand that even though I'm not one of them. I love woodworking but for me woodworking is much more than using tools effectively and efficiently. For me, it's about designing and building useful projects.

I own many hand tools, and they get some use. I think most woodworkers need at least a small collection of good, sharp hand tools. To me the tape measure, framing square, combination square, and the level are four of the most important hand tools because they are essential to measure projects and ensure they are build square and installed level but many other tools are helpful including the ones listed below.

Hammers are an important tool especially if you are going to be doing nailing instead of using a pneumatic nailer. A good claw hammer works well for nailing and many other tasks. I find the dead-blow hammer invaluable for assembly and applying veneer edging and laminate.

Chisels are critical for fine traditional woodworking but for simplified woodworking a small but sharp basic set is all you'll need. When using chisels, a good wooden mallet comes in handy but a dead blow hammer is adequate.

Screwdrivers are necessary even if you drive screws with a screwgun. Sometimes only a special sized screwdriver will work.

Since you will be driving nails either with a hammer or a pneumatic nailer, a nail set is a useful tool. Even with a pneumatic nailer sometimes you have to set a nail to fill it before applying the finish.

I do almost all my cutting with power saws but once in a while I need to cut something by hand. I suggest having a hand saw and a coping saw on hand for those jobs.

A thickness planer, electric planer, and a belt sander take care of most of the work I do with solid wood but sometimes a jack plane or block plane can come in handy.

A few other tools you may need include hack saw, pliers, utility knife, wrenches, tin snips, staplers, rasps, clamps, brushes, and saw horses.

If you don't already own these tools I suggest you purchase them as the need arises instead of collecting them all.

About Bill

I guess you could say I was born into construction. By age twelve I was spending my summers and weekends as a helper working with my dad, a general contractor for homes and commercial buildings in Tampa, Florida. At age nineteen I contracted and built a home for a friend, and built my home by age twenty. For more than 30 years, I've owned and operated one-person businesses as a handyman, general contractor, and woodworker.

Construction also led me to spend twelve years working for local government agencies managing federally-assisted housing programs. I began with a three-month assignment to inspect and classify all the buildings in an Urban Renewal area and eventually became the Director of Community Improvement with 78 employees. During those years, I was writing and consulting about my work with many cities. Eventually, I resigned to write and consult full time.

**Writing, Publishing and Consulting**

In the next phase of my career I concentrated on using writing and publishing to make what I learned useful to others. Through **Rehab Notes** , my monthly newsletter, I reached subscribers in all 50 states, Canada, and England. And I continued to consult and do public speaking on housing related topics for agencies and organizations in cities across the country until 1980, when most federal funding for housing activities dried up. Then I took advantage of my construction and business experience to start a handyman and woodworking business.

**Over Twenty-Five Years In The Woodworking Business**

I spent over twenty-five years building hundreds of small and large cabinet and furniture projects for individuals, companies, churches, and government agencies first in Tampa, Florida and then in Austin, Texas where I moved in 1986. During that time, I began writing books about my experiences in woodworking, self publishing, ebooks, and even relationships. You'll find a list of my other books at the end of this book.

I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and now live in Austin, Texas with my wife, Barbara Frances.

You can reach me at bill@papas-woodshop.com .

Disclaimer

After twenty-five years of designing and building cabinets and furniture for hundreds of customers, I've enjoyed doing the same for our home. Some are one time projects for us but some were built many times for family and friends. Using these plans almost anyone with basic woodworking skills and a sincere desire to learn can start building these projects and even design and build their own.

In this book it's my goal to describe and explain in detail the methods I believe to be simplest and fastest to build these projects. I built them all and I believe you can do the same. Nevertheless, no guarantees are expressed or implied regarding your results using the information in this book.

Some individuals are apt to get better results with the same information. Perhaps because they have better skills or are more adaptable to the methods described here. I have no way of knowing why this may be the case nor am I able to control that situation.

Woodworking involves the use of an extensive collection of power and hand tools capable of inflicting serious injuries while being used to build projects. I've made every effort to encourage the safest possible use of these tools including cautions against using them while tired, sleepy, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

My experiences are accurately described as are methods of working as safely as possible. Nevertheless, I cannot be held liable for any damages or injuries that may result from the use of the information in this book even if the user informs me prior to or after these damages or injuries occur.

The user of this information agrees he or she is solely responsible for the consequences of using the tools or products described in this book.

For questions, please contact bill@papas-woodshop.com .

Other Books By A. William Benitez

Woodworking Business:  
Start Quickly and Operate Successfully **  
**A. William Benitez  
http://woodworkingbusinessbook.com/

The Handyman's Guide To Profit:  
Using Your Skills To Make Money In Any Economy  
A. William Benitez  
<http://handyman-business-guide.com/>

Biscuit Joiner:  
A Woodworker's How-To Guide To Biscuit Joinery  
by A. William Benitez  
<http://biscuitjoiner.woodworking-business.com/>

Woodworking Business 101:  
A Basic Business Guide For Woodworkers  
(Available as a Kindle eBook)  
by A. William Benitez  
<https://www.createspace.com/4278255>

Relationship:  
Notes on Love, Mutual Respect, Boundaries,  
Marriage, and Divorce  
(Available as a Kindle eBook)  
by A. William Benitez  
<http://notesonrelationship.com/>

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