Sometimes it’s easy to forget that in the midst of my ranting and raving that I do make furniture from time to time. Just a few days ago I began the final project in my Arts and Crafts trilogy of furniture: a bookcase. I began my project in earnest the other day by cutting my plywood stock to length and cutting the dados for the carcase assembly. This is my first large-scale furniture project using plywood. It is sometimes difficult to maneuver large sheets in my garage shop, so a big part of the battle was getting the stock cut to usable length. To complete that task I turned to a power tool that I haven’t used in quite some time, my sliding compound miter saw.
When I purchased the saw around 7 years ago, woodworking wasn’t what I had in mind for it. The saw was one of the tools I bought for finishing my downstairs. Keep in mind, my house did have a finished lower level when we first looked at it. My walking cliché of a real estate agent even pointed it out to my wife and I. Technically she was correct, but I didn’t consider 70’s panelling, tile floors, and porcelain pull chain fixtures a finished downstairs, but I also knew that the rooms had some potential. We actually lived with it for a few years. Eventually one day I gutted it, re-wired and reframed it, and the rest was history. From that time on I haven’t used the miter saw all that much, but it was there when I needed it. Funny thing is that about a month ago I came across a clearance at a Sears hardware; they had a very nice fine finish blade for next to nothing. So I purchased it and threw it on the miter saw, just in case, and it payed off.
Though I don’t consider the saw a woodworking tool it has a few good points. It can cross-cut a 13″ wide board, and after messing with it a little it cuts with good accuracy. With the brand new finish blade on I was able to cut the side panels of the carcase to finish width without splintering the plywood, which had worried me a little. I also used the miter saw to cut the top and bottom panels of the carcase to rough length; I then finished them on the table saw with a crosscut sled. After that was finished I layed out the dados for the case assembly.
Those who read this blog on a regular basis already know what happened with that operation. I had planned on making the dados with a router but I could not get the long case sides properly clamped to my workbench, so I cut the dados using a stacked dado cutter on the table saw. Normally that is how I would do it anyway, but I felt it would be easier with the router considering that the side panels are longer than 6ft, and not fun to maneuver around a table saw bed. But, in the end I’m glad I used the dado blade. On the first set up and test cut I managed to get a perfect width dado, the first time that’s ever happened for me. With that accomplishment the case pieces were dadoed and assembled quickly. After that I turned to drilling the holes for the adjustable shelves.
I use a Kreg shelf pin jig when I’m adding adjustable shelves to a project. It works accurately, and is under $40.00. Because you can only drill five holes at a time without reindexing the jig, it is a bit slower than a full-sized unit. But it’s also well under half the cost so I can deal with the trade-off; If I were making furniture for a living it may be a different story. The nice thing about the jig is that the 1/4″ bit that comes with it is a good quality one that doesn’t tear out the wood and really clears the chips out of the holes. The compact size makes it easy to store, and even with only five holes being drilled at a time, I had the entire case done in less than 10 minutes.
With everything cut and ready to go I glued and screwed the case then set it aside to dry. During the case assembly I was thinking that this project won’t have much hand work. The joinery for the case was cut on the table saw. The only handwork there was during the case assembly was cleaning out the dados with a router plane and a chisel. I’m going to put in arches, which I will cut with a jigsaw and clean up with a spoke shave. The top will be done as a glue up and I will probably hand plane that. The case will also have three face frames, one on the face obviously, and one on each side to simulate a raised panel look. I’ve already decided to assemble the face frames with pocket screws and glue. I’m sure that there are some who will scoff because I’m not using mortise and tenon joinery. But I just don’t see the need for it on face frames. If I were hanging doors on the frames I probably would use M&T joints, but I’m not. Sure, pocket screws may not be as strong a joint, but I will personally guarantee that the only way this case will come apart in my life time is if it’s being moved, falls out of the moving truck, and gets hit by another moving truck.
So for right now the only thing I’m unsure of is the back. I dadoed the back to accept either a full plywood sheet, or 3/4″ wide boards tongue and grooved. The plywood would be more cost-effective but at the moment I’m leaning towards the tongue and grooved boards, maybe even chamfered boxcar panel style. If I have the money I think that’s how I’m going to do it. I have really high hopes for this piece. I hope it lives up to them.
Nice and tight dado joint.
My little girl wanting badly to stand in the case.
The Slightly Confused Woodworker 