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® http://www.woodmagazine.com Shining Showcase Bring your special glassware, china figures, or other prized collectibles out of the closet and into the light. This easy-to-build project showcases their beauty and your craftsmanship.

Here’s a visually high- impact piece of furniture that you can build for only a moderate investment of time and materials. Its three glass-insert shelves let light from a concealed halogen stream from top to bottom. To discover how to beef up frame corners on this project and others, see the mitered half-lap joinery article on page 9. This joint hides the frames’ exposed end grain within the project’s legs.

DP-00272 ©Copyright Meredith Corporation 2003 Page 1 of 13 1 LEG (Right rear shown) 1a LEG DETAIL (Top view shown)

fi" notch fi" deep (right rear leg only)

fi" grooves 2‹" Outside faces B ‹" deep in right rear leg (Light area) only Center of 12" 1fi" ¤" #20 #20 biscuit slot biscuit ‡" fi" fi" A 1‹" 1fi" 1" C

fi" notch fi" deep in top and ‹" hole bottom of right rear leg only ›" deep 7" ‡"

1" ‹" holes ›" deep

1b LEG TAPER DETAIL 7" 54" A

1fi"

fi" to center 1fi" of biscuit slot A 2" Center of #20 biscuit slot fi" to center of biscuit slot 1‹" 4fi"

fi" notch fi" deep (right rear leg only)

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TM Laminate four legs 1 Cut eight ‡×1fl×55" blanks for A laminating the legs (A). To form a channel to conceal the light fixture’s cord, install a blade in your tablesaw, and plow a centered fi" ‹" deep in two of the pieces, where shown on Drawing 1a. 2 Glue and four pairs of laminations, keeping the ends and edges flush. The grooved pair forms the right rear leg. Remove Hole centers any excess glue, and joint „" off marked on one edge of each lamination. masking tape the opposite edges to form four 1fi×1fi" legs. Trim the legs to the length listed in the Materials List. 3 Mark the tops of the legs with their final orientations. Indicate the face to be drilled for shelf supports. Position the leg with Stopblock the centered cord channel at the right rear, where shown on Drawing 2. Referring to Drawing 1, lay out the shelf- Mark the right-rear leg shelf-support hole centers on support hole centers on the right masking tape. Align each mark with the bit, and position a rear leg. stopblock. all four legs at each stopblock position. 4 To drill the legs’ shelf-support holes, chuck a ‹" bit in your drill press. Attach a 5'-long fence ‡" 7 Mark the bottom tapers on tabletop fasteners in the side caps back from the bit’s center, with each leg’s two inside faces, where (E), where shown on Drawing 2. about 1' of the fence extending to shown on Drawing 1b. the right of the bit. Drill the ›"- and sand to the lines. To ensure Note: Before cutting the grooves, deep holes, as shown in Photo A. uniform tapers, see the Shop Tip check the offset of your tabletop 5 Adjust your biscuit ’s on page 4. Sand the legs to 220 fasteners. It may be different from the fence to center a slot fi" from the grit. Á" dimension shown on the drawing. legs’ outside faces, and cut slots for #20 biscuits, where dimensioned Form the rails and caps 5 Finish-sand the rails and caps. on Drawing 1. 1 Cut the rails (B, D) and caps Mark the locations of the top 6 To provide electric cord (C, E) to size. To ensure that the edges of the rails (B, D) on the access to the hole in the right rear rails and caps are identical legs (A), where shown on leg, make a V-block from 2×4 lengths, use a stopblock clamped Drawing 2. Glue, biscuit, and scrap. With a fi" straight bit in to an auxiliary miter- clamp the front and back rails (B) your table-mounted , and a extension. between the front and back legs. stopblock clamped to the fence, 2 Adjust your to Then join the front and back form a fi"-long notch in the leg’s center a slot in the thickness of leg/rail assemblies (A/B) together top and bottom inside corners, the rails. Then plunge slots for by gluing and clamping the side where shown on Drawings 1 #20 biscuits in the rail ends, rails (D) in place. Glue and clamp and 1a and as shown in Photo B. centered in their width. the rail caps (C, E) to the rails. Cut the notches in steps, first 3 Using a fairing stick, draw arcs The caps’ front edges are flush positioning the bit to cut ¤" into on the rails (B, D), where shown with the legs’ outside faces. the leg’s corner, and then raising on Drawing 2. and sand Finally, ease the corners of the the bit in ¤" increments until the them to shape. completed assembly with a notches are complete. 4 Cut ¤" grooves ‹" deep for the .

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TM Stopblock

B V-block

With the right rear leg cradled in a V-block, rout the top and bottom fi"-long notches in progressive ¤" increments. Clamp a stopblock to the fence to control the depth.

SHOP TIP

Sand perfect leg tapers quickly with a simple scrapwood To sand uniform tapers on all four legs (A), tack together the scrapwood jig shown in the drawing, below. Leave the nailheads protruding so you can easily disassemble the jig and return the parts to your scrap bin. Clamp the jig to your disc- or belt- table ¤" from the face of the sanding disc. Slide each leg along the fence, as shown in the photo, right, until its end contacts the stop.

‡ x 6 x 24" Sanding disc base ¤"

1¤" 2Œ"

‡ x 2 x 16" fence ‡ x 2 x 6" stop

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TM 2 EXPLODED VIEW 22‹" 18‹" F ›" #8 x fi" Halogen light panhead screw fixture E Tabletop fasteners C ¤" groove ‹" deep Á" from top edge

B D 1‹" ‡" D E #8 x fi" 1" panhead screw A C 13" B A 1" 17" ‹ x 10› x 17Á" glass 1fi" (3 needed)

A I A H H I 54" ¤"

G 20‹" ‹" shelf supports E Tabletop ‹" shelf fastener support FRONT D C

B Light cord D E ¤" groove ‹" deep Á" from top edge C 3" 6" #20 biscuit

B 3 BOTTOM

20‹" #20 biscuit 1‡" 1‡" 16‡" A 1‡"

12‡" G 16‹"

A 1‡"

¤" chamfer along ¤" gaps between top and bottom edges leg A and bottom G

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TM C D

Grommet

Back housing

Disconnect the cord from the internal wiring by Grasp and squeeze the cord grommet with pliers removing the wire nuts. Mark the wires for to release the cord from the housing. Pull the cord proper reassembly. out of the housing, and remove the grommet.

deep, centered on the lower face Fish the cord up through the right Add the top and bottom of each frame side (I), to accept rear leg, leaving about 20" 1 Edge-join oversize blanks for the shelf supports. extending from the bottom of the leg. the top (F) and bottom (G), and 3 Rout ˇ" chamfers along the 4 Clamp the top (F) and bottom then cut them to finished size. Cut outside lower edges of all the (G) in place, centered. Turn the the corner notches in frame parts. shelf upside down, position the 2 Rout ›" chamfers on the top’s 4 Glue and clamp the frames tabletop fasteners, drill pilot lower edges, and ¤" chamfers on together, making sure they are holes, and drive the screws. the bottom’s upper and lower and flat. With the glue dry, 5 Replace the grommet on the edges, where shown on finish-sand the frames. cord, and reinstall it in the Drawings 2 and 3. Finish-sand housing. Drill pilot holes, and both parts. Finish and assemble screw the back housing to the top 1 Examine all the parts and (F), leaving ¤" between the Make three shelf frames assemblies, and resand any areas housing and the front cap (C). 1 Cut the frame fronts and backs that need it. If you wish, apply a Reconnect the wires, and (H) and frame sides (I) to the sizes stain, and let it dry. (We used ZAR assemble the light fixture. listed. Form the mitered half laps, no. 116 Cherry.) 6 Have ‹" glass cut to fit the where shown on Drawing 4. For 2 Apply the finish. (We brushed rabbeted openings in the frames. complete instructions on forming on two coats of satin For a finished look, we had pencil these joints, see page 9. polyurethane, sanding between edges ground on our glass inserts. 2 With the mitered half laps coats with 220-grit .) Insert the shelf supports, and formed, install a dado blade in 3 Remove the light fixture’s back install the shelves. ¿ your tablesaw, and cut the ‹" housing, and disconnect its 7fi'- ‰" deep on parts H and I, long cord, as shown in Photo C. Written by Jan Svec with Chuck Hedlund where shown on Drawings 4 Then remove the cord from the Project design: Jeff Mertz and 4a. Then cut a ›" groove ¤" housing, as shown in Photo D. Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine

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TM 4 SHELF FRAME

20" Mitered 1fi" H half laps

‹" rabbets Mitered ‰" deep half laps I 1fi" H ‡"

›" groove ¤" deep, centered Mitered half laps 12Í" I

›" groove ¤" deep, centered

ˇ" chamfer

4a FRAME DETAIL

H I ‹" ‰" deep ˇ" chamfer ›" groove ¤" deep, centered, on part I 1fi"

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TM *Parts initially cut oversize. See the Materials List instructions. FINISHED SIZE Carcases T W L Matl. Qty*. Materials key: LC–laminated A* legs 1fi" 1fi" 54" LC 4 cherry, C–cherry, EC–edge-joined B front and back rails ‡" 3" 17" C 4 cherry. Supplies: #20 biscuits (16), #8¥fi" C front and back caps ‡" 1‹" 17" C 4 panhead screws (14), ‹" glass. D side rails ‡" 3" 13" C 4 Bits and blades: Stack , fi" straight router bit, chamfer router bit. E side caps ‡" 1‹" 13" C 4

F* top ‡" 18‹" 22‹" EC 1 Buying Guide G* bottom ‡" 16‹" 20‹" EC 1 Hardware. Spoon-style shelf supports no. 27I11, $2.99 for a bag of H frame fronts and backs ‡" 1fi" 20" C 6 25 (1 bag); tabletop fasteners no. 27N10, $1.99 for a bag of 10 (2 I frame sides ‡" 1fi" 12Í" C 6 bags). Visit your local Woodcraft store, call 800/225-1153, or go to www.woodcraft.com. Light fixture. Hampton Bay halogen accent light kit no. 233778, at your local Home Depot. Similar fixtures available at other home centers and hardware stores and from woodworking Cutting Diagram supply catalogs.

B B A B B ‡ x 7‹ x 96" Cherry (5.3 bd. ft.) E E A

‡ x 7‹ x 96" Cherry (5.3 bd. ft.) C C

D D F F F D D ‡ x 7‹ x 96" Cherry (5.3 bd. ft.) The purchase of these plans does not G G G I I transfer any copyright or other ownership interest in the plans, the design or the ‡ x 7‹ x 96" Cherry (5.3 bd. ft.) finished project to the buyer. Buyer may neither reproduce the plans for sale not offer H H H for sale any copies of the finished project. ‡ x 3fi x 72" Cherry (2 bd. ft.)

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TM Mitered Half Laps Team up a half lap with a basic miter, and you instantly create a handsome joint that also provides plenty of strength.

Miters look great, but in many applications they need reinforcement from splines or metal fasteners for strength. But as you can see in the photos right, there’s a better way to add beef to a miter: by combining it with a half lap. Why’s that? Because of the joint’s ample face-grain gluing surfaces. To create this reliable joint, you’ll need a tablesaw equipped with a dado set that produces flat, smooth cuts. You’ll also need a Flip over scrapwood stop that attaches to your rip fence, an accurate miter gauge equipped with an auxiliary fence, and a simple plastic guard that we’ll tell you how to make. To get started, use a straight piece of solid wood or plywood to make the stop for your tablesaw’s rip fence. Cut the stop about 12" long, and narrower than the height of your rip fence. Clamp it to the rip fence with the front end slightly back from the dado blade. Check your miter gauge for accuracy at both 45° settings, and then add an auxiliary miter-gauge A mitered half- consists of two parts like the ones fence that’s narrower than the shown here. Just flip the piece at right, and the mating miters height of your rip fence. Make it form the completed joint, inset. We placed the exposed end more reliable by adding self- grain at the top and bottom of the frame. adhesive, 120-grit sandpaper to its face to keep the workpiece from slipping. Be sure to place the sandpaper away from the business To make the guard, attach a piece end of the fence to prevent the of ¤×8×16" acrylic to a ‡×2×30" from contacting the dado board with 1" panhead screws. The set and making it dull. dimensions aren’t critical; size your Some of the cuts you’ll make guard so that it extends past the tend to throw chips straight up in dado set when you cut. the air. That’s why we put together a safety guard from scraps we had in the shop.

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TM 8 EASY STEPS TO MITERED HALF LAPS

A tight begins with 1precise equipment. Make sure your tablesaw table sits square with the blade. Then set your miter gauge to a 90º setting, or use this trick. Insert tight-fitting ‡" scrap in the right miter-gauge slot, and place your miter gauge in the left slot. Slide an accurate 45° angle against the scrap, and place a steel rule against the miter gauge, left. Then line up the angle, the rule, and the miter gauge. To double- check the accuracy of your setup, cut miters on two pieces of scrap, hold them together at a right angle, and check them with a reliable square, right. They should fit with no gaps.

Install a full-width dado set, 2 and raise it to cut exactly half the thickness of your workpiece. (If your dado set produces rough surfaces, see issue 150 for our dado set test.) Make test cuts on scrap pieces of the same thickness as your workpieces. Mate the two pieces, and use a rule or other straightedge to check for a flush fit, as shown. Cut your stiles and rails to finished length.

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TM Clamp your safety guard and 3 stop in place, as shown. Adjust the rip fence so that the distance from the stop to an outside tooth of your dado set equals the width of your workpiece. Set your miter Safety guard gauge at 90°, and cut away the underside of each rail at each end. Make two or three passes, as necessary. For the final pass, butt the end of the rail against the stop. Stop

120-grit sandpaper

Rail

Set your miter gauge at 45° 4 as shown, and place a stile Stile facedown against it. Align the leading corner with an outside tooth on the dado set. Adjust your rip fence so that the opposite corner of the stile contacts the stop. Lock the fence in place, and leave it there for the remaining cuts. Make the needed passes to form a mitered recess on the underside of the stile.

Stile

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TM Place your rail on the tablesaw 5 with its inside corner butted against the stop. Miter-cut this half lap with just one pass. The inside corner drops away as you complete the cut.

Rail

Now, swing your miter gauge 6 to the opposite 45° setting, again using the procedures from Step 1. (Shop tip: Buy extra miter gauges so you can leave them set at 90° and both 45° settings.) Now, butt the inside corner of the stile against the stop, and cut each of the remaining two stile ends, as shown.

Stile

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TM Complete the cuts for your 7 frame by mitering the remaining two rail ends, as shown. Again, place the inside corner of the workpiece against the stop to line up each cut.

Rail

A type of glue with longer 8 open time, such as Titebond Extend, comes in handy when you assemble mitered half-laps. Lay the frame on a pair of bar clamps, and make them snug. Now, add a small clamp vertically at each joint to apply face-to-face pressure. Finally, add two bar clamps on top of the frame and perpendicular to the first pair. (We’ve left one off for clarity.) ¿

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TM