DIY Network

Zebra-Wood Corner Display: Curved Sides and Shelves From "Wood Works" episode WWK-703

The curve shelves are actually birch plywood with a zebra-wood veneer and banding along the front edge.

With the zebra-wood stock prepared, and the veneered shelves assembled, work can begin on shaping the sides and the shelves. Later, edge-banding will be added to the shelves as well. First, the zebra-wood boards that were edge-glued earlier will be shaped to create the sides of the corner stand.

Materials used in this episode:

Zebra-wood stock
Baltic birch plywood stock
Cocobolo stock
MDF for templates
Table saw; cross-cut sled
Jointer
Drum sander
Table router; flush-bearing bit
Plunge router
Biscuit jointer; #20 biscuits
Jig saw
Spoke shave
Rasp
Chisel
Clamps
Yellow woodworker's glue
Glue roller
Straight-edge
Carpenter's square
Compass
Scribe knife
Measuring tape
Carpenter's pencil
Blue carpenter's tape
Safety glasses or goggles

Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses, and follow proper safety precautions, when working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc.

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Figure A

The Curved Sides

The corner table is 48" tall and, once the piece is assembled, each of the two sides is 12" deep. To create the sides, the MDF template made earlier, delineating the curves of the side, is laid onto the edge-glued boards and traced onto the zebra-wood stock. The layout marks for the joinery are added as well.

One of the sides is 12" wide, while the other is 12-3/4" wide. Rather than mitering two evenly sized sides, the wider side will be butted up against the smaller side. This will produce the same inside measurement for each side -- 12" (figure A).

• To make the through dados in the 12" side, we clamped a router jig (made from 1/2" Baltic birch) to the jointed edge of the stock (figure B).

• The rectangular jig aligns with the layout marks on the stock, locking the plywood base-plate so that the router only moves back and forth in a straight line (figure C).

  Figure B

  Figure C

  
  

  Figure D

  
  

• Use the jig and plunge router to rout dados in the stock that are 1/2" wide and 1/4" deep (figure D). To prevent chip-out, make the dados in two passes.
  

  
  

• To cut the stop-dados in the wider 12-3/4" side stock, place the two sides together (figure E) and align the layout marks to the dado (figure F)

  Figure E

  Figure F

  
  

  
  

• Use a fine scribe-knife to score the boundaries of the dado (figure G). The scribed lines will help ensure that the dados in the two sides will match up.

• Since these are stop-dados, it's advisable to do test-cuts to determine where to make the stop marks. The stops should be 1/2" from the edge of the board (figure H).

• Use a chisel to square up the corners of the stop-dados.

  Figure G

  Figure H

  
  

  
  

• While the sides are still square (before the curves have been cut), cut in the biscuit slots for the joinery. To cut the biscuits in the wide side-stock, clamp a reference stick 3/4" from the edge. Line up the reference marks on the biscuit jointer with the marks on the reference stick, and cut the #20 biscuit slots (figure I).

• Next, cut the slots in the edge of the 12" side, using the same layout stick as a guide (figure J).

  Figure I

  Figure J

  
  

  
  

• With the biscuit slots all cut, cut the curved profile of the sides using a jig saw (figure K). Follow the layout lines marked up using the template, and cut the curves in both sides.

• Before routing the edges, insert some scrap stock in the dados (figure L) to support the stock and prevent chip-out.

  Figure K

  Figure L

  
  

  
  

• At the router table, attach the template and flush-trim the sides (figure M).

• To prevent the router bit from grabbing the end-grain and tearing it out, use a guide pin got support (figure N).

  Figure M

  Figure N

  
  

  
  

• With the curves in the sides cut and flush-trimmed, the sides can now be glued up. Right-angle supports made from plywood will help hold the sides square as the glue sets.

• Before gluing, it's a good idea to conduct a dry-fit using the L-shaped guides, and clamp the sides together. Check the assembly to ensure that it's square (figure O).

• Once you've checked the assembly for square, keep the guides clamped in position, but unclamp and remove the back side.

• Apply yellow glue to the slots and biscuits in one side, then to the slots and biscuits in the other side (figure P).

  Figure O

  Figure P

  
  

  
  

• Position the sides together (figure Q) and apply good clamping pressure to hold the pieces securely as the glue dries (figure R).

  Figure Q

  Figure R

  
  

  	Figure S
  	Figure T

  
  

• While the glue is drying on the side pieces, work can continue on the shelves, trimming them to their final size and shape. To do this, use MDF templates cut to match the length of the various sides

• Attach the templates to the veneered stock using double-stick tape, then use the band saw to cut out the shapes. Carefully rough-cut the shape close to the boundaries of the template (figure S).

• At the router table, flush-trim the edges using the shelf templates as a guide (figure T).
  

  	Figure U
  	Figure V

  
  
  

• With the shelves cut to size, there's one step still left in preparing them. To give the illusion that the shelves are solid wood, their front edges are banded with a strip of zebra-wood veneer.

• At the band saw, re-saw some zebra-wood stock to make banding strips that are 1/8"-strong.

• Drum-sand the banding strips to remove saw-marks and make them all a uniform thickness of 1/8" (figure U).

• To make the banding strips pliable so that they will bend to the curved shape of the shelves, soak the strips in warm water.

• After soaking the strips for an hour, position and clamp the strips into a bending form (figure V). David made these forms from MDF, and they are cut to the same radius as the front edge of the shelves.

• Let the strips dry in the forms for about three days before removing them.
  

  	Figure W
  	Figure X
  	Figure Y

  
  

• To edge-band the shelves, double stick each shelf into a glue-up jig. Our jig is equipped with notches used for clamping (figure W).

• Spread yellow glue onto the banding strip and onto the edge of the shelf, and set the strip into position (figure X).

• Align the strip with blue tape, add a curved caul and clamp securely to allow the glue to cure. To get the curve pressure we need for a perfect bond, we used the same concave caul that we used to bend the strip (figure Y).

RESOURCES :

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

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

Woodworker's Guide to Wood: Softwoods, Hardwoods, Plywoods, Composite, Veneers
Model: 080836878
Author: Rick Peters
(2000)
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com

Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com