Woodworker's Journal 2004 Spring, страница 52

Figure 2: To drill out the waste in the center of each mortise, reposition the stock under the bit by slipping strips alongside the fence.

Borrowing an old machinist trick, cut half a dozen 3/16" x 3/16" x 12" strips and use them as blocks to incrementally reposition the stock below the bit (see Figure 2). Slip a strip between the stock and the fence to drill the second hole, then add a third strip for drilling the third hole, and so on. Follow this procedure for milling all four mortises, then clean up the edges with a chisel.

Making the Shelves

Rip and crosscut more of your stock for the shelves, edging and top rail (pieces 2, 3 and 4). In addition, rip some of the leftover scrap to the same width as the shelves to use as samples when setting up your table saw for cutting tenons.

Install a 1/4" dado blade, raise it 1/4" and plow the grooves in the top rail and edging pieces, as shown in the Shelf Joint Elevation on the previous page. Next, adjust your saw and form the tongue on both edges of the shelves to fit the grooves. Be sure the fit is snug.

Switch to a 3/4" dado blade and clamp a setup block to your fence for cutting tenons on the ends of the shelves. Set the blade height to 1/8" and adjust the fence and setup block to cut IV2" long tenons (see Figure 3). Cut a tenon on one of your scrap pieces and test its fit in the side piece mortises. The tenon should slip through the mortise with only slight resistance. When you get a good test fit, cut the actual shelves.

Without moving the saw fence, raise the blade to 3/8" and cut the

tenon shoulders. Make test cuts first on scrap to be sure the tenons fit through the mortises smoothly but without leaving gaps.

Mortising the Tenons

Once the shelf tenons are formed you can cut the holes for the wedges. Lay out the holes as shown on the Pinup Shop Drawings, then use your drill press and 1/4" mortising bit to remove most of the waste. After cutting these, chop the sloped edge of each hole with a chisel, making sure to back up the stock with scrap wood. The difference between the hole layout and the hole formed by the 1/4" mortising bit provides a guide for chopping the slopes at the proper angle (see Figure 4).

Figure 4: Position a 3/4" chisel on the layout line of each wedge hole and chop at an angle to meet the edge of the starter hole.

Shaping the Wedges

Rip some 1/2" stock into a 3/4" wide strip for making the wedges (pieces 5). Cut out the full-size wedge pattern included in the Pinup Shop Drawings on page 39. Trace the pattern onto the edge of the strip and band saw the pieces to shape. You can hold the small wedges by hand while cutting the chamfers, but hold the stock with a pliers or a small handscrew clamp while making the sloped cuts. This keeps your hands a safe distance from the blade. Cut just outside the lines, then use a chisel to plane each wedge up to the layout lines. You may need to refine the slopes slightly more for a better fit in the wedge holes.

Figure 3: Make multiple passes with a dado blade raised 1/8" to cut the cheeks of your tenons. Test your setup on scrap wood first.

Wrap up the tenoning work by chamfering the ends of the tenons with your table saw and the setup block. Tilt the blade 45°, then position the fence and setup block to align the tenons with the blade for cutting the 1/16" deep chamfers.

Now reset the blade to 0° and turn your miter gauge 45° to cut the corners on the sides and top rail, as shown in the Side and Front Elevation Drawings. Chamfer the top edges of the rail and edging pieces with a router table and chamfering bit, then sand all the pieces to 120 grit. Glue the shelves to the edging, making sure the ends of each assembly align perfectly.

Finishing Up

Assemble the spice rack to test fit all the joints, and do your fine-tuning now before you apply any finish. When everything is settled, position the flush-mount hangers on the top support and drill pilot holes for the screws. Don't mount the hardware until the finishing is completed.

Traditionally, Arts & Crafts style furniture was finished in a dark color. One easy way to achieve this look is to rub the spice rack with a few coats of Watco® Dark Walnut Oil Finish.

Put the spice rack together after the finish dries, pressing the wedges into place to create a rigid assembly. Occasionally you may have to tap the wedges in a little to compensate for seasonal changes in the wood's dimensions, just as the timber framers did back in the 1500s. @

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Spring 2004 Arts & Crafts Furniture