Popular Woodworking 2001-12 № 125, страница 41

Popular Woodworking 2001-12 № 125, страница 41

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WALL SHELF

Learn to make through-mortises

using a template and a router as you construct this simple and sturdy shelf.

Like most woodworkers, I try not to reinvent the wheel every time I build a project. Instead, I search through my library and back issues of woodworking magazines to see if I can find what I'm looking for. I usually don't find exactly what I want - but if it's close, it's easy to modify a dimension or decorative feature. So I was quite surprised when I started looking around for a Craftsman-style wall shelf, and came up empty. Further digging revealed that the Craftsman folks of yesteryear didn't use them. Not because they didn't have knickknacks, but because they relied on built-in shelving units and large sideboards or buffets to store and display their cherished collectibles.

Undaunted, I dusted off my drafting table and put pencil to paper. Designing a wall shelf like this was fairly straightforward as I had a rough idea of the dimensions I needed and I knew I wanted three shelves approximately 30" long. As I worked, I incorporated three classic

Craftsman-style details into the wall shelf: shallow, graceful curves, the corbel (the distinctive curved shape at the bot-torn of the sides), and the honesty of through-mortise-and-tenon joints. Although quartersawn oak is a trademark of Craftsman-style furniture, I chose cherry instead for two reasons. First, quartersawn oak is highly figured and I wanted the items displayed to catch the eye rather than the shelf itself. Second, since I was looking for a formal, dignified look, I chose cherry - a wood I've always felt adds a touch of elegance to any piece.

Once I was comfortable with the design and had worked out the majority of the details, I made a quick mock-up to get a better feel of how the curves would work together and to better visualize the finished piece. See the story "Crude but Effective Mock-up" on the following pages.

Construction

To build the Craftsman-style wall shelf,

by Rick Peters

Rick Peters is a woodworker and publishing professional and resides in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.

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