Woodworker's Journal 2007-Winter, страница 51

tabletop and your laminate (piece 7), and let it dry to the touch. Place dowels or thin sticks about every eight inches along the tabletop as shown in the tint box below, and gently lay the laminate in position, centering it over the top. If you followed the Material List, you'll notice that the laminate is 1" longer and wider than the tabletop to allow for trimming. Remember that the adhesive bonds on contact, so there is no room for mistakes: You must have everything lined up right the first time.

Working from the center out, remove the dowels and press the laminate down firmly. When the last dowels are removed, roll the entire surface with a 3"-wide hand roller, applying heavy pressure from the center out to the edges. Or, use a piece of 2 x 4 wrapped in a towel to press the laminate flat. The goal here is to provide full contact and force out any air bubbles between the laminate and the substrate.

Before trimming, it's important to use a scraper to remove any adhesive that may have run down the sides of the tabletop: The laminate-trimming bit in your router must have a clean surface to run against. Keep in mind that a minimum amount of the bit's cutting edge should be exposed to reduce the possibility of damage in case the router tips.

Making the Base Frames

The front and back of the base are frames with floating panels. Their stiles and rails receive 3/4"-wide grooves (see Pinup Shop Drawings) that house both the panels and splines. Forming those 7/16"-deep grooves is the first milling process and it is done with a dado blade in the table saw.

The front and back rails (pieces 8) are milled along their full length, as are the short stiles (pieces 9). However, the cuts on the long stiles (pieces 10) are stopped at the 14" mark. This is because these two stiles extend beyond the bottom rails and become the assembly

table's legs. After the grooves are made, square their ends with a sharp chisel. Now chamfer the bottoms of the long stiles, and you're ready for assembly.

Assemble the frames and panels using the base splines (pieces 11) and glue, but don't glue the panels

Working with Plastic Laminate

Applying plastic laminate is not too complicated, but you should keep in mind that the adhesive is very unforgiving. The plastic must be positioned

correctly the first time: Once contact is made, it can't be repositioned.

Use dowels or thin sticks to separate the two cemented surfaces while positioning laminate on the substrate. Remove them one at a time, starting in the center.

Use a piloted laminate-trimming bit to trim off the overhanging laminate. Feed the router counterclockwise and at a constant speed to avoid burning or chatter marks.

Winter 2007

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