Mounting Full-Overlay Doors

Sometimes it takes a lot of fiddling around to get an even gap between two full-overlay doors. So I use a simple technique to establish a consistent gap.

First attach the hinges to the doors. Then roughly position the doors on the cabinet frame. Next slip a steel rule (mine is 3/32" thick) between the doors and clamp them together, see drawing. The steel rule keeps a perfect gap between the two doors while you position them on the cabinet frame. When everything is aligned, simply screw the hinges to the cabinet frame.

Note: To raise the pipe clamps above the rule (and to protect the doors), I added an over-sized clamp pad to each jaw. It’s just a scrap with a hole to fit the pipe.

Two Tips for Installing Hinges

Installing a door on its hinges can be one of the trickiest parts of building a cabinet. Here are two tips I've used in the past to make the job easier.

Temporary Steel Woodscrews

I usually take a door on and off a few times before I get the right fit. In the process, I often strip or break the brass screws that come with the hinge.

To prevent this problem, I temporarily substitute steel screws while I'm positioning the hinge. Plus, I put only one screw in each leaf while adjusting the fit. And when it's time to add the other screws, I run steel screws in and out of the pilot holes first. This creates a ready-made hole for decorative brass screws.

Thin Shims

If a hinge mortise is cut too deep, there may not be enough of a gap between the door and the cabinet. A quick fix for this is to add a paper or thin cardboard shim below the hinge. 

A shim also comes in handy if the gap between the door and the cabinet tapers from top to bottom. Use the shim at the top or the bottom hinge only to correct the taper.

Self-Centering Plunge Router Base

A plunge router is great for cutting mortises on the edge of a workpiece. The only trick is getting it centered. Here's a handy auxiliary base that will center the bit automatically, and it works with workpieces of just about any thickness.

The key is a couple of pins. These are nothing more than common bolts with their heads cut off. I fastened them to the base with T-nuts and hex nuts, but for the base to work, these pins have to be positioned carefully. The centerpoint of the bolts and the router bit must form a straight line. Plus, the pins must be the same distance away from the bit. 

To use the base, simply attach your router and set the base on the edge of the work-piece. Twisting the base so the pins contact each face of the piece automatically centers the bit, as you can see in the details at bottom right. Then just plunge and rout the mortise.

Routing Stopped Flutes

Recently I was making a bookcase with stopped flutes on the side. I was disappointed when I noticed my router bit left some pretty bad burn marks at the end of each flute.

Routing a stopped flute usually results in burn marks at the ends.

The ramps lift the bit out of the flute, leaving a clean, tapered end.

To overcome this problem, I made a simple ramp device that keeps my router from burning the edges. This method works so well that now I use it just about anytime I’m building a project that calls for routed flutes.

My device looks like a miniature skateboard ramp, see photo below. When I slide the router up the ramp, the bit is lifted smoothly out of the flute. Not only do you eliminate the burning, but you also get a nice, tapered end.

The ramps are nothing more than scraps of “2x4” stock with arcs cut in them, see Fig.1. The blanks for the ramps should be the same width as the stock that you are routing the flutes in. For the flutes in the bookcase, I found that a 3"-radius arc was just about right. After laying out the arcs, I cut them on a band saw and sanded them smooth on a drum sander. To see how I use the ramps, go to page two of this tip.

To use the ramps, simply clamp them to the ends of the workpiece, making sure that the end of each ramp is square to the edge of the workpiece, see Fig.2. (You could also tape the ramps down with double-sided carpet tape.) With a jig or edge guide attached to your router, the ramps will help lower and raise the router into the cut, see Figs.3 and 3a.

There's one thing to be aware of. I found that the sharp edge of my router base had a tendency to "catch" on the edge of the ramp at the end of the flute. To avoid this, I simply filed a slight chamfer on the edge of my router base plate.

Simple Router Trammel

Circle cutting is easy with a router and a shop-built trammel. And the trammel doesn't have to be anything fancy. In fact, on the rare occasion that I need to cut circles, I just use a scrap piece of hardboard. Then when the project is complete, the hardboard goes back into my scrap bin.

To make a trammel, first remove the router's sub-base, and trace the bit opening and mounting screw locations onto a rectangular piece of hardboard, as shown in the drawing. (I like to use a piece of hardboard that is slightly wider than the base of my router.) Bore these holes and make sure to countersink the holes for the head of the mounting screws.

Next, install a bit in the router (I use a ¼" straight bit for most projects). Then measure the radius of the hole you want to cut from the inside edge of the bit. Now drill the hole for the pivot pin. I drilled this hole with a ¼" bit and used the bit as the pin.

Always be sure to rout the circle counter-clockwise, which is in the opposite direction of the bit's rotation.

Drill Charging Station & DowelMax

Drill Charging Station & DowelMax

Calendar Frame

Calendar Frame
Part 1

Part 2

Router Bushing Thread Lock

When I'm routing dovetails or following a template, I use a guide bushing on the base plate of my router, like the one shown in the drawing below. But sometimes I have a problem with the threads of the bushing working loose due to the vibration of the router.

To solve this problem, I use a simple fix. Before installing the bushing on my router base, I wrap the male threads of the bushing with Teflon tape (the kind used with threaded pipe connections). The tape prevents the threads from vibrating loose. (Teflon tape can be found at most hardware stores.)

How to build a small wooden gift box

How to build a small wooden gift box
Part 1 / 2

Part 2 / 2

Rolling Featherboard

When cutting raised panels on a router table, my featherboard attachment does me little good.

With the panel up on edge, my featherboard simply doesn't provide enough support to help steady the workpiece while I'm making the cut. To solve this problem, I came up with a device that works like a featherboard, yet offers much more support in keeping upright panels steady.

My rolling featherboard consists of an L-shaped fence (made with MDF) with a pair of appliance casters attached to one side. The rollers allow the workpiece to glide smoothly along the table while the spring action behind the rollers keeps it snug to the fence. 

First build the fence section. Attach the castors to a length of MDF that matches the width of your router table. To make sure the castors will move in and out of the fence (as the spring expands and contracts) be sure to drill holes for the castor studs slightly larger than the stud diameter. Also, studs on casters can be rather short, so you might need to counterbore the holes in your fence stock (see detail a.) 

Next attach a base to the fence with woodscrews.

Flush Trim Jig

Recently I was building a plywood bookcase with several shelves. To conceal the rough plywood, I glued hardwood strips to the front of each shelf. But when I tried to trim the strips using my router, the edge of the shelf was too narrow for my router to ride on. So I came up with this quick jig for trimming these kind of edges.

The jig provides a wide, flat support surface that I can attach to any board for trimming narrow edges. Simply clamp the jig to the side of your work piece, align it flush with the edge of your shelf, and start trimming (see photo).

To make the jig, join two pieces of 3/4" plywood with glue and screws to form an " L" shaped object, see drawing below. Then attach a small support bracket to each end.

After you assemble the jig, be sure to cut a shallow notch in the front edge to create clearance for waste. This notch can be cut on a table saw. (Just make sure you don't cut through the screws.)

Zero-Clearance Top

Most table saw inserts have wide throat openings around the saw blade. This makes it all too easy for narrow cutoffs to fall in the opening and possibly bind against the blade. Also, since the throat opening isn't supporting the workpiece, you'll often end up with chipout along the bottom face of your board.

To solve these problems, I made a zero-clearance insert from ¼" hardboard. But as you can see in the drawing, the one I made doesn't replace my standard table saw insert, it's simply a large piece of hardboard that I lay over my table just before I'm ready to make a cut.

Here's how it works.

1. Set your rip fence for the desired width of the cut.

2. Lower your saw blade below the surface.

3. Place the hardboard on your table, flush with the fence. Use carpet tape to hold it in place.

4. Turn on the saw and slowly raise the blade. 

5. Position your workpiece and make the cut.

To make another cut at a different width, simply re-adjust the fence following the steps listed above. The large-size board will provide you plenty of room for making a variety of cuts before it needs to be replaced.

Table Saw Taper Jig

Recently, I was building a blanket chest featured in Workbenchmagazine. When it came time to make the thick, tapered legs, I needed a way to make a long, angled cut quickly and accurately. But I also wanted to make sure the taper on both legs ended up identical. So, I made a simple taper jig. The jig makes it easy to position the leg at the correct angle and hold it in place during the cut (see photo).

The jig is nothing more than a plywood base with two support blocks. The base acts like a "sled" that carries the leg through the saw blade. A couple of hold-downs attached to the long support block prevent the leg from shifting.

To build the jig, start by ripping a piece of plywood for the base. The ripped edge will serve as a reference to indicate the path of the saw blade. This same reference edge can be used to align the leg on the base and help locate the support blocks.

To position the support blocks, lay out the width of the leg at the top end, then align this mark with the reference edge on the base of the jig. Next, position the bottom outside corner of the leg flush with the reference edge and trace the outline of the leg onto the base (Fig.1).

Then screw down the support blocks along the layout lines and add the hold-downs (Fig.2).

Now to use the jig, simply push it through the saw blade along the reference edge to cut a taper on each leg.

Small Piece Miter Gauge

I make a lot of small picture frames for gifts. But there's a couple challenges: mitering the small pieces accurately and holding them safely. So I've made a jig designed to help with this. It's nothing more than a shallow box attached to a miter gauge runner.

The runner rides in the miter gauge slots for accuracy, as you can see in the photo. And the workpiece can be clamped to either side of the jig so your hands are always out of the way.

The Jig: To make the jig, cut four pieces of stock for the sides. Rabbet joints at the ends of two of the pieces help align them during glue-up, as shown in the main drawing. (Note: Size the pieces for the box so it clears the blade once it's attached to the runner, as illustrated in the detail at right).

Add Bottom: To strengthen the sides of the box, I glued a piece of ¼" hardboard to the bottom. Finally, glue and screw the box to a wood runner. 

Note: To cut accurate miters with this jig, it's critical to make sure the box is square and sits at a 45° angle to the blade. (I used a plastic triangle to set the position of the box.)

Shop Tip: The workpiece may shift when making the cut even when it's clamped. To prevent this, you may want to attach self-adhesive sandpaper to the sides of the box.

Small Parts Sled

Using a table saw to trim a number of small parts to identical size can be tricky — especially if the cut is angled. But this small parts sled makes it easy and safe.

The sled consists of two parts: a base that carries the workpiece through the saw blade and a pair of fences that position the workpiece on the sled.

Base: The base is a scrap of ¼" plywood (or hardboard) that’s ripped wide enough to accommodate the workpieces, as you can see in Figure 1. (I cut mine 6" wide.) This creates a reference edge that’s used to position the fence.

Note: You can make the sled whatever width is required for the workpieces you are trimming. Just don't move the rip fence once you've cut the reference edge.

Fence: The fence is made up of two scrap pieces. To position these pieces, lay out the line you want to trim to on one of the workpieces. Then, align the mark with the reference edge on the plywood. Finally, butt the fence pieces against the edges of the workpiece and glue them to the base, as shown in Figure 2.

Note: Hot melt glue works great for this.

Trim Workpieces: Now you're ready to trim the workpieces. Just slip one in place against the fences and then run the sled along the rip fence.

Note: In my case, the workpieces were mirror images. So when I trimmed them, I could stack the two mating pieces together, as you can see in Figure 2.

Rip Fence Setup Gauge

When trying to make very accurate cuts with my rip fence, I used to check the distance between the fence and my saw blade with a tape measure.

But trying to hold the end of the tape against the rip fence and adjust it at the same time took more coordination than I could muster. So instead I made a simple setup gauge for my rip fence.

My setup gauge consists of nothing more than a block of hardwood and a 12"-long steel rule, see drawing at left.

I simply cut a shallow dado across the bottom edge of the block to hold the rule. Then glued the rule into the dado with epoxy so that it was flush with the edge (back) of the block.

To use the gauge, just clamp it to the rip fence, see photo. This way, the gauge moves along with the fence as I adjust it, leaving me with both hands free to set the fence.

Miter Gauge Extension

Using a miter gauge to cut multiple pieces to identical length on a table saw is easy — if the pieces are fairly short. But if the pieces are long, it can be difficult cutting them to identical lengths. Unless I use an extremely long fence, there’s no place to clamp a stop block. And a long fence would just get in the way most of the time.

To solve this problem, I added a removable extension rail to the wood fence attached to my miter gauge. Then I made a stop block to fit on the rail. 

Extension Rail: The extension rail is a piece of aluminum bar stock that attaches to the back of the wood fence. (You’ll find bar stock at most home centers.) To hold the rail in place, I cut two notches in the bottom edge of the aluminum bar to fit over screws installed in the fence. Tightening the screws will secure the rail to the fence.

Stop Block: Next, I added a sliding stop block. It’s a thick, hardwood block with a wide kerf that fits over the rail. After positioning the stop block on the rail, locking it in place is just a matter of tightening a knob that fits into a threaded insert (see detail 'a').

Miter Gauge - Bookmark -

When cutting miters on my table saw, I sometimes need to change my miter gauge to a different setting, but then return to my original angle to finish the project.

To help me get back to my original setting, I use a piece of tape to -bookmark - the location on my scale, see drawing. Just before I make my first cut, I place a small strip of adhesive tape across the gauge scale and indicator and cut it with a razor blade (so I can reposition the gauge for my next cut). 

When I need to return to my first setting, all I do is adjust the miter gauge so the strips of tape are realigned.

Finishing Dowels

Once I designed a project that included quite a few dowels. I really didn't give the dowels too much thought — that is until I had to stain and finish them. I soon found out that finishing dowels with a brush can be extremely time consuming and tedious. Plus, it's easy to miss spots around the sides of the dowel.

After a bit of experimenting, I came up with a quick fix that made the job go a lot quicker. I simply taped a couple of foam brushes together, as shown in the photo. The double-edge completely covers one side of the dowel in one stroke. Another stroke down the other side and I'm on to the next dowel.

Drying Rack for Shelves

Finishing shelves can be awkward and time consuming, especially if you need a finish on both the top and bottom surfaces of a shelf. For most of us, this means letting one side dry completely before we can start on the other side. To make things go a little quicker, I built this drying rack that lets me hang the shelves vertically so the entire shelf can be finished in one shot. It only takes a few minutes to build.

First create the side rails by drilling a series of 1"-dia. holes down the center of a scrap board. I used a piece of 2x4 stock. Space the holes about four inches apart. Then rip the board, cutting through the center of the holes, to create a left and right rail, see below.

Now join the rails with a cross brace across the top, as shown in the drawing at right. Size the length of your cross brace according to the length of the shelves you will be finishing.

Next, partially drive a small nail or screw into each end of the shelf, somewhere near the back. Now simply hang the shelves from the half circles you created in the rails. With the rack leaning against a wall, you can finish and hang several shelves at the same time without taking up a lot of space.