Make a wine bottle rack that holds 12 bottles

Start by laying out the centers of the 3 ½” holes leaving ½” at each end and ½” between each hole. This is made easy if you use a story stick

Mark a small tic mark on the edge of the board at the center line of each hole. Transfer the marks to the other side of the board with the Story Stick or a square. Just mark a small tic mark where the center of the hole lines up with the edge. Draw a line using a square in at one of the tic marks that is 2 ¼” long and mark the end.

Install the 3 ½” hole saw in the drill press. Set the pilot bit on the mark that is 2 ¼” in from the edge of the work piece and lock the bit down on the mark. Set a fence against the work piece and clamp it against the work piece. Draw a tic mark on the fence that lines up with the line on the work piece

Release the bit and start the drill press. Drill the six holes by aligning the tic marks with the mark on the fence. After all six holes are drilled install the 1 ¾” hole saw in the drill press. Draw a line on the work piece in lime with one of the tic marks that is 1 3/8” in and mark the end of the line. Re-set the fence by setting the pilot bit on the mark and moving the fence to the work piece. Aligning the mark on the fence with the tic mark on the work piece and clamp it down. Drill the six 1 3/8”

Use the table saw to rip the pieces. Set the rip fence on the table saw so the blade center is 2 ¼” from the fence. Rip the 3 ½” piece in the center of the holes and rip the piece again so that you have two pieces the same. Re-set the fence so that the center of the blade is 1 3/8” from the fence and repeat the cuts as above.

Cut off a piece of the left over from the previous step that is 9” long and notch both ends ¾” down X 3/8” deep. For this step you can use a number of methods. I use a dado blade on the radial arm saw however a table mounted router with a ¾” straight bit will work also. You can use a back saw or hand saw too. After the end is notched, rip the piece into 4, ¾” X 9” pieces. These pieces will become the “stringers”.

Rip the balance of the left over stock into 3/8” strips and cut two pieces 8 ½” and two pieces 7 ¾” long. These will become the risers.

Begin assembly by marking the two 3/8” X ¾” x 8 ½: risers two and one quarter inches from the end and the two 7 ½” risers 1 3/8” from the end. The marked end will become the top

Make end frames with one 8 ½ “riser and one 7 ¾” riser and two ¾ X ¾ X 9”stringers. Start by fastening a stringer and the two risers at the bottom and the other stringer at the marks on the top of the risers. Make the other end frame on the opposite side to create handed sides. Be sure to check that the frames are square before gluing and nailing.

                                                      

Install the lower racks on the frames with the risers against the rack and sitting on the stringer. Install the 3 ½” semicircles at the end of the frames with the longer riser at each end

Install the upper rack on the upper stringers keeping the larger semi circles at the rear.

Sand and finish as desired .

Make a paper towel rack that will hold the roll without it falling off every time that you pull a towel off. This rack can be mounted on a wall of under a shelf.

Start with a ¾” thick board that is 5” wide and 11 ½” long. Draw a radius on each end of the board. Draw an “L” shaped notch on each end of the board. The notches should start on the edge of the piece where the radius intersects with the flat side of the board and on each end of the board. The leg of the notch should be ¾” X 3 ¼” with the “L” section being 1 ¼” X ¾”.Next install a 3/8” round over bit in the router. It is best if the router is a table mounted router with a starter pin installed in the table. You can use a hand held router with a clamp to hold the board. If you are using a hand held router you will have to move the clamp a few times. Route all sides of the board. Flip the board over and repeat routing the other sideNow cut out the areas to be notched on both ends of the board using a jig saw or band saw. Sand all areas and make sure that a ¾” board will slide into the

notches. Cut the board into two equal pieces. These will become the side pieces

Next cut a board ¾” X 1 3/8” X 15 3/8”. Draw a radius on both ends of this board and draw a ¾”x ¾” notch on each end of the board. These notches should be about 1” in from each end and 11 3/4” between them. Round over all sides of the board using the router. Flip and round over the other side. Cut the notches

out and sand all edges.

Cut a piece of ½” plywood 5” wide and 13- 3/8” long for the base. Glue and screw the two end pieces to the plywood base. Make sure that the notches are orientated the same way and lineup. You can use a small piece of molding or a thin strip of wood glued to the plywood edges if needed. Drill two small holes equally spaced to mount the rack.  . Apply finish as desired and install

Making Round End Pegs for a Coat Rack using 3/4" Dowel & Table Router

A simple fixture can be built using scrap wood that will hold a dowel to enable you to cut a perfectly rounded over end for a peg on a coat rack or any other reason that you might need round end dowels. I made this fixture using a scrap of ¼” MDF and four small pieces of pine wood.

Start by cutting a piece of ¼” plywood about 12” X 8”. Mark the center across of the 12” length and cut out an area on one end at the line about 1 ½” X 1 ½”.

Cut two pieces of wood 12” X 3”x ¾” and mark the center of the 12”length. Drill a ¾” hole as close to the edge as possible on the center line of each piece. Sand the holes so a ¾ dowel will slide through them easily.

Align the two pieces with a piece of dowel through the holes and fasten them to the ¼” plywood. Set the first board ¾” in from the edge of the plywood and with the hole over the center line. Set the second piece about 3” back and make sure that the holes are aligned with each other by leaving the dowel inserted in both holes while fastening.

Cut two pieces of wood ¾” x 1 ½” x 6”. Fasten them vertically to the fixture front where the ¾” set back is. Fasten them at each end so they end up flush with edge of the fixture. These will be used to clamp the fixture to the router fence.

Install a 3/8” round over bit in the router and set the height so the lower edge of the curved part of the cutter is flush with the top of the ¼” plywood bottom of the fixture.

Insert a dowel in the fixture and align the center of the dowel with center of the bearing. Clamp the fixture in place using two small “C” clamps.

Pull the dowel away from the cutter and turn on the router. Gradually slide the dowel into the cutter and rotate it counter clockwise until the end is rounded over.

A fixture like this can be made for different size dowels but you need to select the correct size cutter. For instance, for a 1” dowel you would need to use a ½” round over cutter.

How to Make and use a Rip Guide for your Circular Saw

A rip guide is used to cut accurate and straight cuts using a circular saw.

A simple rip guide can be made using a scrap ripping leftover from a paneling job or ¼” plywood. You will need at least one edge that is straight or a factory edge. The guide is made using two pieces. The base piece needs to be about 12” wide and the top piece with the factory or straight edge should be about 6”.


Start by laminating the two pieces together lengthwise with the out side long edges directly on top of each other. Install the straight edge on the top with the straight side on the side of the bottom that reveal. Use glue and short staples or brads that don’t completely penetrate the two pieces. Allow the glue to set before continuing.

After the glue has se,t clamp the guide to a work bench or suitable support. The clamps need to be on the side with the two layers and as close to the edge as possible. Rip the lower edge of the guide using the same saw that will be used while using this guide. Be sure to keep the base plate of the saw tight against the factory or straight edge of the guide. I recommend using a new high quality blade in the saw and using that blade anytime you use the guide. This step will cut the guide exactly where the saw will cut in the future.

To use this guide, mark the work piece at both ends. Clamp the guide on the marks. Keep in mind which side of the work piece that you are keeping or you will cut the piece short by the width of the kerf.

Guides like this can be made to use with routers, however they are tool specific. If you make one for a router it needs to be made for that particular router and what ever cutter that will be used in that router. It works great with a plunge router to make flutes in columns.

How to Make Decorative Scalloped Molding

Furniture with a scalloped top adds interest to the piece. Making the molding is not as hard as one would think. All you need is a little imagination, some 1/8” plywood or some cardboard to make a pattern. If you can find a piece of cardboard (not corrugated) large enough, it works well because it cuts easily using a sharp knife. I save the cardboard from the back of legal pads.

Other things that you will need are a good table mounted router with a desired profile bit including a rub bearing, a jig saw or band saw, sandpaper or a spindle sander and a wood rasp.

Start by drawing the shape of ½ of the piece of molding on the plywood or cardboard. This is to be ½ of the width of the cabinet that you are going to build plus enough past the end to make a miter if needed.

Next select a piece of lumber that is wide enough and long enough to make the molding. This needs to be twice as long as the pattern from step one. Using a Combination square and a pencil draw a line across the center of the board. Set the pattern on the line and trace around the pattern. Turn the pattern over and place it on the other side if your center line. Now trace the other ½. This approach will help keep the molding symmetrical.

Next cut out the shape using a band saw or jig saw leaving the outside edge to be cut later. Sand the edge smooth and check that the contour doesn’t have any unwanted humps.

Select a router bit that has a bearing and is appropriate for the style of furniture that you are building and install it in the table mounted router. Be sure to use a starter pin installed in the base of the router to safely start the cut. Now route the edge that will become the lower profile of the piece. Be sure not to run around the end of the piece.

Using a marking gauge or a pencil and your finger as a gauge, mark the outside of cut on the piece. Cut the outside line with a band saw or a jig saw. Sand the outside edge and make sure that the piece is smooth and does not have any unwanted humps in it.

Using a Story Stick to aid in the designing and laying out furniture.

Laying out all of your joints and built up moldings for any given piece of furniture on a story stick removes most of the fuzzy math and guess work.
A story Stick can be made using any scrap lumber. I salvage the left over wood after ripping long lumber or plywood. Begin by cutting a piece of scrap the exact overall length of the piece that you are designing. Using a Ruler, sharp pencil and a Combination Square measure the height of the base or legs and mark it on the stick. Next measure and mark the capital, Top or Crown on the other end of the stick. The area that is left over area can be used to layout drawers, doors and any face frame areas. Using this will allow you to mark out all door parts as stiles and rails. If the door has a divided light section you can even mark all of the muntins and even glass sizes can easily be calculated.

For instance, suppose that I am going to build a small Curio Cabinet. This cabinet will be 40” tall with a 3” crown on the top, a wood framed glass door including muntins and a small drawer at the bottom. I will start by cutting a stick 40” then I will mark the height of the drawer on the stick and the 3” crown on the top. I will then mark the face frame and any reviles. Then mark out the door parts Rails and muntins. If you make a mistake just sand out the pencil marks and start over. Make a stick for both the vertical and horizontal cabinet and lay out all of the joints and components on the sticks.
On a much larger scale you can use story sticks to layout built in cabinets and complete kitchens. Start by cutting and assembling a stick the full length of the wall or room the cabinets will occupy. Screw any pieces together and mark them for reassembly. Mark all of the existing conditions on the stick as plumbing, electrical outlets, doors and windows. Assemble the stick in the room on the wall that the cabinets will be installed. Armed with this you can take apart the stick parts, go into the shop and layout all of the cabinets without any mistakes.

Using a Cross Cut Sled to make Box Joints

Things you will need:
A Table Saw with a DADO Blade.
A Cross Cut Sled
A 3/8” X 3/8” X 1” hardwood Index Stop
Enough 3/8” X the height box desired stock to make a box the dimension desired.
Instructions:

Cut the stock into 4 pieces. The stock should be cut into lengths of 2 ea for the sides and 2 ea for the ends. These should be the outside lengths of your box. Set the DADO blade up to cut a 3/8” groove. Cut a kerf in the sled floor with the DADO Blade. Install the 3/8” X 3/8” X 1” index stop exactly 3/8”away from and parallel to the kerf, to the right of the blade on the floor of the sled. Set up the height by adjusting the DADO Blade to the height of the sled floor plus 3/8”. You can lay a piece of your 3/8 stock on the sled and bring the blade up until it is even with the top of the stock.

Flip the stock over and repeat on the other end. Do both side pieces the same way. Then cut the ends. This time start by setting the stock tight next to the index stop.

This will offset the end cuts on the end pieces by 3/8” which enables the joints to align.

Using the Cross Cut Sled to make Dental Molding

The Cross Cut Sled can be used as a jig to make dental molding. The trick is to install an index stop on the bottom of the sled. The first step is to decide the spacing and depth of the depressed area that forms the teeth in the molding. Set up a Dado Blade on your table saw to the width desired. For furniture I recommend 3/8”. The Dado blade should be a stack dado set because the wobble style blade does not form a flat bottom groove. Feud makes a box joint cutter set that is ideal for this because it takes the guess work out of the set up. This set is available at Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. There is a link to Rockler on my web site: www.JLeistFineWoodworking.com. With the blade installed on your saw, raise the blade and run the sled through the bottom of the sled to make a kerf that is exactly 3/8” in the bottom of the sled. Make a stop using a piece of scrap hard wood. This stop should be 3/8” x 3/8” and about 1” long. Fasten the stop parallel to the kerf and exactly 3/8” to the right. Set the height of the blade 3/8” above the sled. Select a piece of stock in the species desired that is straight flat and about 5”-6” in width and 3’ to 4’ long. Start by placing the stock face down in the sled and slide it to the stop. Start the saw and pass the sled clear past rear edge of the stock. Move the stock to the right so the groove in the stock is over the stop. Repeat this until you have grooves 3/8” apart the entire length of the stock. Set the rip blade in the table. Set the fence at the desired width of the molding. Rip as many pieces as you can out of the stock. I was able to get about 24’ out of a 5” X 30” piece of pine while researching for this Blog. Sled with index stop installed.

How to make a Cross Cut Sled

A Cross Cut Sled is a handy fixture in any shop. It can be used to cut small pieces square and as an index for making dental mold and box joints.
A simple cross cut sled can be made from ¾” plywood with hard wood ends and steel runners. All of the parts can be bought from your local home center. All you need is a scrap of ¾” plywood (chose a good flat piece that is slightly larger in width than the miter slots in your table saw and about 14” long). You can also use melamine or MDO plywood, if you can find some, but any good flat stock will do. Pick up a short piece of ¼” x ¾” x 28” flat stock steel. (Home centers usually carry it in 3’ lengths). Test it to make sure that it slides freely but snug in your miter slot. If it is too tight, dress it to fit using a flat file. Cut the steel into two pieces the length of your plywood base. Drill and counter sink three holes in each piece. Cut two pieces of good straight surfaced 8/4 hard wood that will fit the width of your plywood base and glue and screw them to each end of the base. Be sure to counter sink the screws. Place the steel bars in the miter slots and using double face tape, cut to slightly the ¾” width of the runners. Place the plywood squarely on to the steel runners. Carefully pick up the plywood with the runners stuck to the plywood. Install screws in the 3 holes in each runner. Test the sled to ensure that it slides freely in the miter slots. Make sure that no screws holding the hard wood in place are in the path of the blade. Bring the blade up about 1-1/2”. Start the saw and cut the base of the sled. Cut a scrap and check to insure that it is cutting square.