| Contemporary Headboard -- Frame Completion and Back-Panel |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-107 |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
With the mahogany frame, rails and legs all assembled and glued together, work proceeds removing the dog-ears, shaping the curved frame, and preparing the frame for installation of a mahogany plywood back panel. Materials: Mahogany plywood stock
Headboard template
Jig saw
Hand-held router; flush-bearing bits; rabbet bit
Carpenter's pencil
Saftety glasses or goggles
Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his Web site -- information below under Resources. Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, saws, drills, routers, etc. Shaping and Smoothing the Mahogany Frame Steps: - With the glue completely dry, the clamps can be removed in preparation for cutting away the dog-ears and excess spline-stock from the frame joints (figure A).
- A jigsaw is used to carefully cut away the excess wood from the curved frame (figure B and C).
- With the excess wood pieces removed from the frame, the 1/2-inch thick template -- used earlier to fashion the headboard -- is slid into position on top of the glued-up assembly (figure D).
- Once aligned the template is used as a guide for creating the exact profile of the headboard. A hand-held router and flush-bearing bits are used to trim away excess mahogany and create a smooth edge on the frame. The template provides an exact path for the bearing-bits to follow (figure E).
- Using the router to create a smooth edge is a two-step process. The a bit with the bearing mounted on its bottom follows the inside curve of the template, cutting a smooth edge about halfway down the stock (figure F).
- The headboard is then flipped over, and a bit with the bearing mounted on its top follows the smooth edge to clean up the rest of the headboard (figure G).
Fitting the Back-Panel in the Frame Steps: - To install the mahogany plywood back-panel in the frame, a rabbet is cut into the back side of the frame. A 1/2-inch rabbet bit is installed in the hand-held router. The router is used to cut a 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch rabbet around the inside curve on the back of the frame (figure H) as well as the back of the top rail.
- Since the rabbet bit leaves rounded corners, a sharp chisel is used to cut the bottom corners square (figure I) so that it will accept the square corners of the plywood panel.
- With the rabbet cut out, and the corners chiseled square, the frame itself can be used as a template for cutting out the curved plywood back-panel. The frame is set carefully onto the plywood panel (figure J).
- The straight edge of the plywood is referenced up against the bottom edge of the rabbet (figure K), and the curve of the headboard is marked onto the plywood stock.
- The plywood panel is cut to fit the curved shape using a jigsaw. A pattern-maker's rasp is used to smooth the edges of the cut panel.
- Once it has been cut and shaped to the exact dimensions, the panel is given one final check for fit inside the rabbet (figure L).
In the following, and final, segment in this project, the headboard is finely shaped with various hand tools, the back-panel is installed, and a dark wood finish is applied. Sponsored Resource
> Click here to order your tools and materials for this project from Woodcraft!
RESOURCES :
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619
Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561583456
Mastering Woodworking Machines (Fine Woodworking Book)
Author: Mark Duginske
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 0942391985
David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com
Beds and Bedroom Furniture: The Best of Fine Woodworking
Model: 1561581917
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking
(1997)
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Complete Woodworker's Companion
Author: Roger Holmes
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
ISBN: 0823008665
The Complete Book of Wood Joinery
Author: Robert J. Decristoforo
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.
ISBN: 0806999500
Advanced Woodworking
Model: 0783539126
Author: Editors of Time Life Books
1998
Time-Life Books Inc.
Website: www.timelife.com
Popular Woodworking
F & W Publications, Inc.
Website: www.popularwoodworking.com
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
