Popular Woodworking 2007-08 № 163, страница 21

I Can Do That

BY MEGAN FITZPATRICK

Canted Wall Box

Adapted from a 19th-century example, this wall-hung shelf is perfect for displaying your treasures.

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dapted from an 1840s piece, this canted wall box is scaled up from the one you'll find in John A. &Joyce C. Nelson's "The Big Book ofWeekend Woodworking" (Lark). Making it just a wee bit bigger allowed me to make use of V2" x 6" poplar (which is actually o nly 5V2¹¹ wide) without having to make any rip cuts.

Cut Your Pieces

First, cut the two sides to length with your miter saw, then draw the side pattern on one piece. Clamp the side pieces together, then clamp them flat to your workbench so the offcut area is overhanging the edge. (To help control the two pieces from slipping, you could use carpet tape to help keep them together.) With a jigsaw, carefully cut to the pattern, leaving your lines intact. (If you need instruction on proper jigsaw use or any other step to construct this project, visit

Fit before nailing. Dry fit your pieces before cutting the shelves and bottom to final size. Notice that the sides overlay the bottom and back, and that the back sits on top of the bottom piece.

ICanDoThatExtras.com and download the free manual.)

Unclamp the sides from your workbench, but not from one another. Clamp them cut-edge up in your Workmate then use a rasp, file and sandpaper to refine and smooth the curve, then set them aside.

Now cut the back to length and lay it flat on your bench. Lay out the arcs using the pattern to the right, or mark them out with a compass. Each arc is a half circle; the top radius is 2³/4", the side radii are 2". Cut with a jigsaw then refine and smooth the arcs.

While you can certainly cut the shelves and bottom to depth according to the cut list, it's beneficial to first cut them a little oversized (the shelves should for now extend past the front of the piece), then do a dry fit of your pieces as shown in the picture at left, and carefully mark the final size. That way, you'll get a custom fit; your shelf edges will match with the front edge of your box. You'll need to do this for the top shelf anyway because you must mark the angle on the front edge to match the side curves. Cut the angle with a jigsaw, then refine the cut as necessary. Use a file to cle an up your saw marks. You could, however, forgo the jigsaw altogether for this cut, and instead use a rasp or block plane to establish the angle, then refine it with your file and sandpaper.

Dry Fit Your Assembly

Now that all the pieces are cut and shaped, do your final sanding prior to assembly. Then dry fit the pieces together as shown, with the back flat on your workbench. Glue isn't necessary for this project because it's small and nails will provide sufficient hold, but you can use glue if you wish. Clamp across the

Male tchotchkes. This 19th-century primitive wall box is a perfect place to display some of your treasures ... or a hang it by a door for use as a handy receptacle for mail, keys and other small items.

30 ■ Popular Woodworking August 2007

LEAD RHoto BY AL pARRisH; ILLusTRATioNs BY MARY JANE FAYoRITE