| Jatoba Bookcase: Template, Side Panels and Joinery |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-501 |
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In this episode of DIY Wood Works, host David Marks builds a contemporary bookcase with curved side panels and a molded base.
Traditionally styled, this bookcase is built from solid jatoba -- a Central and South American wood -- with a mahogany plywood back panel. For the sides of the case, jatoba boards are cut at the band saw and shaped using a router template. The base is solid-wood molding that's shaped on the router table. The molding is miter-cut and attached to the case with fasteners that permit wood movement. The top is cut so that it hangs over the sides of the case, and the leading edge of each shelf is hand-shaped to add a craftsman touch. Mortise and loose tenons are used throughout to join all the parts, while the back panel is glued into a rabbet cut along the back edge of the case. This five-shelf bookcase stands five feet tall. The bottom shelf is 12 inches tall and, working upward, the distance between each succeeding shelf is decreased by one inch. The most distinct challenge of this woodworking project is the cutting of the cove-molding for the base using a table saw.
Materials:
Jatoba stock
MDF for template
Table saw
Band saw
Plunge router; template guide
Table router; 1/2-inch spiral carbide bit
Pattern-maker's rasp
Clamps
Straight-edge
Double-stick tape
Carpenter's pencil
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:
- To make the template for the sides, lay out the positions of the shelves onto a piece of MDF. Design the curve using a flexible 1/8-inch strip of hardwood clamped to some bricks (figure A). The narrowest part of the curve should fall between the two top shelves.
- Use the band saw to rough cut the curved template, cutting close to the line. Once the curved template has been cut, smooth the edges using a pattern-maker's rasp (figure B). Finish off the edges using a flexible sanding strip.
- For strength, and because bookshelves may need to support a lot of weight, mortise and loose-tenon joinery is used for this piece. To save time, lay out the mortises for the joinery onto the MDF template. Slots can then be routed through the MDF creating a template for cutting the joinery. Begin by drawing a reference line along the long straight edge of the template to indicate the position of the rabbet that will hold the back panel. This line will also be used as the reference point for positioning the mortises (figure C).
- Each mortise will be centered in the shelf stock and will be spaced 1/2-inch in from the reference line. For strength, the two lower shelves use two 3-1/4-inch mortises (figure D). The middle shelf will have two mortises 2-3/4-inches wide, and the two narrow top shelves will have two that are 2-1/4-inches wide.
- For cutting the mortises in the template, place the template onto some scrap boards to avoid damaging your work surface. A router guide constructed from scrap wood, and attached to the template with screws (figure E) serves to ensure the accuracy of mortise cuts using the plunge router.
- Half-inch slots are cut into the template, but the mortise slots in the bookcase will only be 1/4-inch wide. To cut the actual mortises in the wood, a half-inch template-guide and quarter-inch bit will be used in the router. The bit is positioned in the center of the template guide, which fits inside the slot to guide the cuts.
- Use the plunge router to cut the first set of slots in the MDF (figure F), then reposition the router guide and repeat the process to cut all of the slots in the template, following your layout marks.
- Using the cross-cut sled at the table saw, cut the jatoba stock to length -- 58-1/2 inches (figure G).
- Use the template to trace the curve onto the side stock (figure H).
- Rough-cut the curved shape in the stock using the band saw (figure I). Once you've cut both curved side-panels, determine which two sides you want to use for the outside faces of the bookcase, and mark them with chalk.
- With the template double-stick taped to the stock, use 1/2-inch spiral carbide bit to flush-trim the edges of the stock (figure J).
- To make the mortises, use a plunge-router with template-guide installed (figure K).
- Use a 1/4-inch bit to cut mortises that are 3/8-inch deep (figure L).
- Remove the template, flip it over and attach it to the other side-panel to repeat the process of cutting the mortises.
In the segment that follows, the bookcase shelves are created.
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
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
Bookcases: Outstanding Projects from America's Best Craftsmen
Model: 1561583030
Author: Niall Barrett
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
Cabinets and Bookcases (Art of Woodworking)
Model: 0809499452
Author: Niall Barrett
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
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