| Contemporary Wall Mirror -- Making a Circle from a Square |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-301 |
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With the circular template made from MDF, and the cherry stock cut and assembled into a 24" square (figure A), the next phase of the wall-mirror project is to cut the square cherry assembly into a circular frame that matches the dimensions of the template.
Materials:
Cherry-stock frame
Table saw
Table router
Multi-router
Band saw
Jigsaw
Hand-router; trammel arm
MDF for back-panel template
Cherry plywood for back panel
Wood scraper
Double-stick tape
Carpenter's pencil
Safety glasses or goggles
Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his website -- information below under Resources. Safety alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, saws, drills, routers, etc. Making a Circle from a Square
- Once the 24"-square glued assembly has dried, use a scraper to remove any excess glue.
- Set the template onto the frame, lining the layout marks on the circular template with the joint lines on the frame assembly (figure B).
- Use a carpenter's pencil to trace the inner and outer circles of the template onto the frame assembly.
- Using a band saw, cut out the outer circle (figure C), being careful to cut it about 1/16" oversized.
- Use a jigsaw to cut out the inside circle (figure D), cutting it slightly wide. The excess left in the outer cut and inner cut will be smoothed away afterward.
- With the inner cut complete, lift out the inside cutout (figure E) and lay it aside.
- Use double-stick tape to attach the template to the rough frame.
- Using a table router, smooth the inside edge of the rough frame (figure F). Referencing off the template, the router bit cuts and smoothes the inside edges of the circle.
- Using the same settings, use the table router to smooth the outside edges of the frame (figure G).
- With the edges smoothed, the transformation of an 8' cherry plank to a perfect circle is now complete. The next step is to cut the double rabbet into the back of the frame to hold the mirror and back panel. The mirror will rest on the lower ledge (figure H), and the panel will rest on the ledge just above it. The rabbet for the mirror is 3/8" deep, while the one for the plywood back panel is 3/16".
- Using the table router and rabbet bit with interchangeable bearings, first cut the rabbet for the plywood back -- since it is wider and shallower. The small bearing of the bit rides along the inner edge of the frame, enabling it to make a shallow rabbet cut (figure I).
- To cut the rabbet for the mirror, change the bearing on the bit to a wider bearing that will make smaller rabbet. The rabbet is 1/4" wide. To get the desired depth for the rabbet, raise the bit to 3/8" (figure J).
- Carefully cut the second rabbet for the mirror (figure K).
Cherry-Plywood Back Panel
With the rabbets cut, the next step is to cut the cherry plywood back panel. The panel is a circular piece, 25" in diameter. - Make the back panel in the same manner that the frame was made. First make a template out of MDF. On a square piece of MDF, find the center point and use a large woodworker's compass to scribe a circle with a 12-1/2" radius.
- Using a trammel arm, cut out the circular template using a hand router.
- Using the completed template, transfer the circle onto a 1/4" sheet of cherry plywood (figure L).
- Using a band saw, cut out the circle (figure M) so that it is about 1/4" oversized.
- At the table router -- with the template attached to the cherry plywood -- flush-trim the edges of the back panel (figure N).
- Sand the edges of the completed back-panel as needed to achieve a snug fit (figure O).
In the segment that follows, the wengae accents will be made and fit into the frame.
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
Popular Woodworking
F & W Publications, Inc.
Website: www.popularwoodworking.com
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