DIY Network

Cherry Corner-Shelf -- Legs and Assembly From "Wood Works" episode WWK-312

advertisement

The legs and edge-banding is chemically treated to give the wengae hardwood the look of ebony. Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Figure F Figure G Figure H Figure I Figure J Figure K Figure L Figure M Figure N Figure O

Legs and Assembly

Once the side panels and shelves are made, the only elements left to create are the legs. The legs are treated with a wood dye to give them an ebonized look. Once the legs are made, the corner-shelf can be assembled.

Materials:

Cherry stock
Table saw
Biscuit joiner; wood biscuits
Hand plane
Hand scraper
Sanding pad; 220-grit sandpaper
Yellow wood-glue
Carpenter's pencil
Clamps
Safety 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, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc.

Steps:

• The legs are cut from solid cherry stock that has been milled to 1-1/2 inches square. Each piece of stock is 60 inches long. Two pieces are required.

• The legs will need to be hand-shaped to give them a curve that's in keeping with the curved design of the shelves. To help get the curved design for the legs, a pattern is made from cardboard (figure A). The pattern is taped to the ends, and the curved line is traced onto each end to provide a cutting guide.

• To get a head-start in hand-shaping the legs, some of the stock can be cut away using the table saw. With the blade set at 45 degrees, cut off some of the stock -- being careful to cut close to the traced line. The stock removed by the table saw (figure B) means that hand-shaping the curve will take less time.

• With the excess stock removed, use a hand-plane to start roughing out the curve (figure C).

• Continue refining the shape using a hand-scraper until you've achieved a symmetric, round shape (figure D).

• Finish up the shaping with some 220-grit sandpaper taped to a rubber sanding pad.

• Once the legs are done, the process of assembly can begin. The shelf structure is held together with glue and biscuit joinery.

• To assist in cutting the slots for the biscuit joinery, make a marking stick from the fall-off, and mark it symmetrically to lay out five biscuit slots along the edge of the legs and on the side panels.

• With the leg stock clamped to the workbench, and the biscuit cutter set at 90 degrees, cut the biscuit slots in the leg (figure E).

• Before gluing up the display stand, the legs are ebonized so that they will match the wengae accents. The cherry wood is darkened to give it the look of ebony using metal acid dye. This wood dye is available from woodworking supply stores. Dying the wood this way will save money (since real ebony is extremely expensive), and will keep the job easy since cherry is easier to cut and shape than wengae is.

  Safety Alert: Always wear protective gloves when working with wood stains, dyes, solvents and other toxic solutions.

• Apply a coat of the metal acid dye (figure F) and let it dry for a half-hour.

• Using the marking stick again, lay out the cuts for the biscuit slots on the side panels.

• For the wider panel, on one side use the biscuit joiner held in a vertical position, with the fence set at 90 degrees (figure G). These vertical slots will join the two panels together.

• On the other side, cut the slots on the edge with the fence set at zero degrees (figure H). These slots will hold the ebonized leg.

• The two rows of slots on the narrower panel are cut along both edges -- one row for the leg, and one to attach the side panel.

• To attach the legs, brush yellow glue on the edges (figure I), and use a biscuit glue-applicator to apply glue to the slots.

• Brush glue onto the biscuits, and insert them into the slots. With the biscuits in place, position and attach the leg (figure J).

• Use the template -- that was earlier used to help cut the dados -- to help clamp the assembly securely (figure K).

• With the legs glued on, conduct a dry-fit to make sure that the elements fit together properly. With the assembly dry-clamped, apply blue tape to the edges of the shelves (figure L) to help protect the wood from glue squeeze-out and make cleanup easier.

• Disassemble the pieces and set down cauls on the work surface to elevate the assembly during glue-up.

• Set down the cutting jig, and place the wider side panel inside it for support. Then apply glue into the dados (figure M).

• Insert the shelves into the dados (figure N).

• Glue in the remaining biscuits and add the other side-panel to the assembly. Clamp the entire assembly securely by adding clamps horizontally underneath and diagonally above (figure O).

In the segment that follows, a wood finish is applied to complete the display shelves.

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