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THE BEST OF
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12 great projects
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Tables for every room
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Shaker
furniture
Techniques and projects from the editor s of F ine Woodwor king
6 On the Web
8 Introduction
60 ONE TABLE.
TWO WAYS
By Christian Becksvoort
10 Quick Tips
Design
14 Classic Shaker
Discover the difference
between the masterful
and the near-miss
BY CHRISTIAN
BECKSVOORT
22 Elements of the
Shaker Style Techniques Small Projects
A working pro reveals the
authentic details that help
him stay true to the form 26 Keep Your Doors 40 Step Stool
BY CHRISTIAN Closed Durable design
Handmade latches add function will last a lifetime
BECKSVOORT
and flair to your furniture BY CHRISTIAN
BY CHRISTIAN BECKSVOORT
BECKSVOORT
46 Lap Desk
30 Turn Pulls Celebrate pen and ink
Without a Lathe with this quintessential case
Create custom knobs using BY CHRISTIAN
your drill press BECKSVOORT
BY CHRISTIAN
BECKSVOORT 54 Shaker Boxes
68 ICONIC
SIDE TABLE 34 Rediscovering
Master the basics,
and you’ll be building
these in bunches
Milk Paint
BY PETE BAXTER
Get a rich, traditional look
or break out of the bag
for a wide range of effects
BY NANCY HILLER
Photos:
Shaker furniture
Issue Art Director Michael Pekovich
108 BUILT-IN
CABINETS
Special Projects Editor
Associate Editor
Matthew Kenney
Anissa Kapsales
60 One Table, Two Ways 84 Simple Hanging Administrative Assistant Betsy Engel
76 Trestle Table
98 Classic Cupboard Fine Woodworking: (ISSN: 0361-3453) is published
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BY MICHAEL PEKOVICH 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON N8T 3B7.
Printed in the USA
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VIDEO
A Shaker Staple
Milk paint (p. 34) is more than just a traditional
finish—it’s a hallmark of Shaker design. Learn how
to lay on a super-smooth coat of this 19th-century
staple in our step-by-step video. Independent publishers since 1975
Founders, Paul & Jan Roman
VIDEO: Turn a Shaker Leg SVP, Home & Construction Renee Jordan
Breeze through this elegant turning (p. 60) with SVP, Fine Cooking John Boland
expert guidance from Christian Becksvoort.
Publishers of magazines, books, videos, and online
'JOF8PPEXPSLJOHr'JOF)PNFCVJMEJOH
5ISFBETr'JOF(BSEFOJOHr'JOF$PPLJOH
taunton.com
VIDEO WORKSHOP
Chimney Cupboard Fit for a Shaker
Build the traditional Shaker chimney cupboard featured on p. 116,
with step-by-step video instruction. Furniture maker Michael
Pekovich highlights a variety of construction techniques, including:
6 FINE WOODWORKING
Woodworking joinery is made Easy, Accurate,
Fast and Fun with the PantoRouter.
Use the supplied templates or create your own
4VY[PZLHUK;LUVUZ +V]L[HPSZ
)V_QVPU[Z *\Z[VTZOHWLZ
A video collection to
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Turning
THE NEW
WOOD
© 2017 The Taunton Press
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Richard Raffan
8 FINE WOODWORKING
42 Years
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SHAKER FURNITURE 9
quick tips Wood block
Steel rule
Back is angled at 45°
so rule faces up.
Work
support
3
⁄4-in. pipe
flange
Hold-down
SHAKER FURNITURE 11
quick tips continued
Pins board
Natural starting
place for the
coping saw,
making it easy
to control
Choose Forstner
bit that just fits
between pins.
Place scrapwood
Narrow side of below for clean
pins faces up. exit holes.
12 FINE WOODWORKING
t e n t o
Liysour passion
Expert, lively
podcasts
devoted to
your craft
SHOP TALK L VE
SHOP TALK L VE
Tom McKenna, Mike Pekovich, Matt Kenney and The Fine Homebuilding Podcast digs deep into
Ben Strano weigh in on reader-submitted topics and building topics with Rob Yagid, Brian Pontolilo,
talk about their all-time favorite woodworking things. Justin Fink, and guest experts.
FineWoodworking.com/shoptalk FineHomebuilding.com/podcast
© 2017 The Taunton Press
DESIGN
Classic Shaker
14 FINE WOODWORKING
Discover the difference between the masterful and the near-miss
B Y
C H R I S T I A N B E C K S V O O R T
Online Extra
See the water-powered machinery
at Hancock Shaker Village at
FineWoodworking.com/shakerfurniture.
SHAKER FURNITURE 15
Candle stands
Candle stands are among the most diverse
and creative designs of any Shaker furniture.
But within all that diversity there is a uniquely
Shaker spin on the form.
PRIMITIVE
Simple and unrefined. Early stands like
this one, built in 1820 at Sabbathday Lake
Shaker Village in Maine, have the least
ornate posts and legs. The post has a long
swell-taper that ends in a small cove above
a cylinder. The legs are really slightly tapered
dowels fit into drilled mortises in the post.
The rectangular and square-edge top is
another indication of early design.
QUINTESSENTIAL
Reminiscent of a wine
bottle, the post starts at the
top with a tulip-shaped swell
that flows downward through
a stretched out S-curve and
ends in a cylinder with a
slightly reduced diameter.
QUEEN ANNE The beautiful “spider” legs Every detail counts.
taper in thickness from Tapered in thickness and
Snake in the garden. The most
top to bottom and dovetail beveled on the edge, even the
prominent features on this stand
into the post, where their brace under the top (rarely,
are the Queen Anne snakefoot
curve creates a seamless if ever, seen) is elegant. The
legs, an obvious worldly influence.
The post’s shape has become transition from leg to post. post’s tulip-shaped swell is
more ornate. The top has been The round top has a slightly another perfectly executed
dressed up as well, having an radiused edge profile. but mostly unseen detail.
undercut ovolo edge profile.
PURPOSE-BUILT BEAUTY
Although built in 1890 by Elder Henry
Green of Alfred, Maine, this matched set of
sewing desks retains the classic features
of crisp, unadorned lines, frame-and-panel
construction, large drawers on the bottom,
and stepped back gallery. And they were
clearly built as sewing desks, with pull-out
work surfaces. Almost every community
had similar desks.
SHAKER FURNITURE 17
Trestle tables
The Shakers didn’t invent the trestle
table, but they refined its design and
adapted it for communal life.
A step behind. At 20 feet in length, this communal dining table was definitely Worldly details. The Victorian influence is clear in this trestle
purpose-built. The high arched feet are attractive and the slight radius on the table built by Brother Delmer Wilson at Sabbathday Lake around
toes carries up the legs and onto the curved supports. But the legs are flat, 1920, notably in the molded edge of the top. It also lacks the
making it a less-refined design. breadboard ends of the classic table and has square feet and legs.
18 FINE WOODWORKING
Dressers
The best Shaker chests are strictly functional.
Carvings, veneer, and ornamentation are absent
and moldings are used only sparingly.
NEAR-MISS
NOTHING NEW
Early built-in hasn’t
broken free. This is one of
the earliest examples of a
Shaker built-in. Found next
to a post in the Sabbathday
VICTORIAN
Lake Meeting House (built
in 1794), its construction is Outside creeps back in. When the Trustees Office at Hancock,
similar to techniques used Mass. was refurbished in 1895, its built-ins were also updated to
in New England at that time. a Victorian style. The door frames have stopped bevels on their
It has raised, beveled door inside edges and the doors are surrounded with a walnut bead, a
panels and surface mounted detail picked up in the walnut cock beading on the drawers. The
H-hinges. porcelain knobs are a Victorian touch, too.
Shakers
weren’t shy
with color
Most of us think of cherry’s
warm glow when we think of
Shaker furniture. However,
the Shakers often painted
their pieces. The exteriors
of these built-ins at Hancock
Shaker Village show just
how bold the original paint
colors were. An analysis of
the faded original paint (still
present inside the cabinets)
allowed conservators to
remake it accurately and
return the cabinets to their
lost vitality.
20 FINE WOODWORKING
UNDERSTATED BEAUTY
Located in the dwelling house at Hancock Shaker
Village in Massachusetts, this built-in has door panels
that appear flat, even though they have soft bevels.
The rails and stiles have a quarter-round molding
on their inside edges that echoes the quarter-round
thumbnail profile on the lipped drawer fronts.
DESIGN
Elements of the
Shaker Style
A working pro reveals
the authentic details that help
him stay true to the form
B Y C H R I S T I A N B E C K S V O O R T
22 FINE WOODWORKING Furniture courtesy Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, Mass; photos, except where noted: Scott Phillips
TABLETOP EDGES ARE FRIENDLY TO THE TOUCH
A fair number of Shaker tabletop edges were square or only slightly eased.
A square edge, however, was by no means the only profile used. Shaker
craftsmen realized that a simple, shaped profile was not only less prone to
damage than a square edge but also less painful when bumped. Rule joints
were used on drop-leaf tables. The joint looked crisp and was less likely to
lodge crumbs or pinch items hanging over the edges.
5
⁄8 in.
1. Double-tapered
square
26 in. 2. Straight-turned
taper with straight
shoulder
11⁄4 in. 3. Straight-turned
taper with round
shoulder
4. Taper with small,
flattened ring below
square shoulder
1 2 3 4 5
5. Swell taper with
12 in. three scribes
6. Swell taper
7. Swell taper with
long, round shoulder
8. Telescope
or double taper
9. Straight taper
with rings
SHAKER FURNITURE 23
these dictums alone do not lead inevitably
to a particular style, much less to a specific CROWN MOLDINGS CREATE
set of elements and details. In addition to CLOSURE
being inspired by their beliefs, the Shakers
and the furniture they made were influ-
enced by their historical context.
In short, the Shakers took the furniture
they were familiar with, the local styles
3
from New England to Kentucky, and ⁄16 in.
stripped it of superfluous ornamenta-
tion. The Shaker craftsman Orren Haskins
(1815–1892) perhaps said it best: 7
⁄8 in.
“Why patronize the outside world? … We
want a good plain substantial Shaker ar-
ticle, yea, one that bears credit to our pro-
fession & tells who and what we are, true Moldings along the tops of
and honest before the world, without hy- Shaker case pieces are hard
pocrisy or any false covering. The world at to justify as anything but
large can scarcely keep pace with it self in decorative. Most styles of
its stiles and fassions which last but a short furniture (and architecture)
incorporate moldings or
time, when something still more worthless
some type of overhang
or absurd takes its place. Let good enough
at the top. To the eye, a
alone, and take good common sense for crown molding or overhang
our guide in all our pursuits, and we are denotes an ending; it is
safe within and without.” much like a period at the
Shaker furniture, especially from the clas- end of a sentence. The
sic period of 1820 to 1850, contains little Shakers, presumably, were
in the way of excessive moldings and vir- not immune to this near-
tually no carving or veneer. The Shakers universal need for closure.
favored native materials and were dead set
against materials they felt were decadent,
such as brass. The Western communities
tended to follow the local vernacular style BASE MOLDINGS
to a much greater degree than their Eastern DEFLECT DINGS
counterparts. So the Shaker furniture from Shaker craftsmen used
Ohio and Kentucky appears more ornate. base moldings and profiled
Some forms of furniture were never bracket bases for protection,
built by the Shakers. You will never see not decoration. A rounded or
Shaker coffee tables, tea tables, highboys, shaped edge is far less prone
pencil-post beds or upholstered pieces. to splintering or chipping
Some companies market these items “in than is a sharp corner. This
is especially true near the
the Shaker style,” but mostly the Shakers
floor, where base molds
built desks, chests of drawers, and built-in
and brackets are likely to
storage pieces. encounter brooms and mops
Certain elements appear over and over or shoes and boots.
in Shaker furniture. In striving for a de-
sign that remains faithful to the Shaker
style, be mindful of their approach. Just
as you wouldn’t build Queen Anne out 3
⁄16 in.
of poplar, you wouldn’t build Shaker out
of rosewood. Shakers traditionally used
cherry and pine. And pay close attention
7
to the details. □ ⁄8 in.
1
⁄4 in.
3 in.
3
⁄8 in.
3
3
⁄4 in. ⁄8 in.
SHAKER FURNITURE 25
TECHNIQUES
Keep Your
Doors Closed W ooden spinner latches for
doors are fun and straight-
forward to make, yet they
exemplify the finer details of handmade
furniture. In their most rudimentary
form, spinners are mounted on the out-
Handmade latches add function side of case pieces; for a cleaner look,
they can be placed inside the door and
and flair to your furniture operated by twisting the door knob.
I’ve always preferred the interior, back-
mounted variety, but over the years the
B Y C H R I S T I A N B E C K S V O O R T spinners on my cabinets have evolved
from very basic to more sophisticated.
Many of my ideas were borrowed
from Shaker pieces I’ve had the plea-
sure of restoring. One of my first cabi-
nets had the simplest form of interior
spinner, a pointed oval. It worked, but
since you could turn it 360° as you
twisted the knob, you had to “feel”
when the spinner actually engaged be-
hind the cabinet frame.
To solve that problem, I added two
small dowels on the inside of the door
stile to act as stops for the open and
closed positions. Then it dawned on me
that if I left one square corner on the
TWO OPTIONS spinner, a single dowel could serve as
Both mortised and stop for both open and closed. I used
interior spinner this method of keeping doors closed
latches operate with for many years. Then I chanced upon
a twist of the knob, a small Shaker cabinet with a spinner
and disappear when mortised into the edge of the door stile.
the door is closed. Quite a bit more work, but so elegant,
The interior spinner so understated, so clean and clever.
(right), which engages Soon I was putting that type of spinner
the inside of the face
on many of my cabinets.
frame or a slot in the
Whichever type I’m making, I first
cabinet side, is simpler
to make. The mortised
create the knob, giving it a 1⁄2-in.-dia.
spinner (above), which or 3⁄8-in.-dia. tenon, depending on the
requires a deep mortise size of the case. I start by cutting the
into the edge of the tenon with a tenon-cutter on the drill
door, rewards the extra press. (For tips on making knobs, with
effort with elegance. or without a lathe, see pp 30–33.)
Dry-fit the knob. The hole through the spinner Mark out the spinner. With the knob tenon Don’t cut that corner. As you bandsaw out the
blank should be a snug fit. But the hole in the inserted in the stile, Becksvoort draws the shape spinner, leave one of the inside corners square.
door stile should be 1⁄64 in. oversize to ensure of the spinner by eye. The overlong blank he uses This provides the surface that contacts the
smooth action. is easier to control on the drill press and bandsaw. dowel stop in the closed position.
SHAKER FURNITURE 27
Mortised spinner
MAKE THE
MORTISE
Rotating layout.
With the knob
dry-fitted to the
spinner and
resting in the hole
in the door stile,
turn the spinner
to the open and
closed positions
Spinner, 1⁄4 in. thick by Mortise for to establish the
11⁄8 in. wide by 2 in. long spinner top, bottom, and
back edges of the
mortise that will
house the spinner.
Washer
28 FINE WOODWORKING
PIN THE SPINNER
Pinned, not glued. It’s not possible to glue the mortised spinner to the knob tenon, so Becksvoort Trim the tenon. After the spinner is pinned in
uses a pin. He drills through the spinner and into the knob (left), then cuts a brad to length and place, saw the tenon flush to the inside face of
pushes it home with needle-nose pliers (right). To make it removable, he leaves the head proud. the door stile.
Mark and cut out the spinner slot. To lay out the slot in the cabinet
side (or face frame) for the tip of the spinner, close the door and mark the
farthest points the spinner reaches (top). Use a slotting cutter to make the Soften that sharp tongue. Sandpaper eases the edges of the spinner,
mortise (bottom), following the layout lines on the edge of the cabinet. allowing it to engage the mating slot more easily.
Quick, clean
tenons. Make
the tenon at least
11⁄2 in. long, so
there’s plenty of
tenon for the chuck
to grip and 1⁄4 in.
below the chuck
for clearance while
you’re shaping.
SHAKER FURNITURE 31
Turning with
a drill press
Set the drill press to its
highest speed and use rasps
and files to shape
the pull.
3 Waist,
⁄4 in. 3
⁄8 in. dia.
Base,
11⁄2 in. 3
⁄4 in. dia.
Start with a cylinder. Turn the rough
octagon to a perfect round with a flat,
coarse rasp (left). Check the diameter with
Tenon, 1⁄2 in. dia. a pair of calipers (above).
Critical work in tight quarters. Use a small file, either flat or triangular,
to clean up the shoulder of the base. The shoulder must be smooth and
flat to seat tightly against the drawer front or door.
SHAKER FURNITURE 33
TECHNIQUES
34 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, this page and across bottom: Michael Pekovich
Milk paint
101
Powder first. To reduce
clumping, add some
water to the powder,
and then stir to a paste
before adding the rest.
Alternatively, you can add
all of the water, cover the
mixing container tightly,
and shake vigorously for
several minutes.
Endless color
WAX palette. You can buy
TOPCOAT dozens of milk paint
colors, and those
colors can be mixed
to achieve unlimited
variations. Mix colors
in small batches,
keeping track of the
DANISH ratios so you can
duplicate the color
OIL
in a larger portion.
Wax is simple
and easy. After
scuff-sanding with
220-grit, Hiller bur-
nishes the milk paint
with 0000 steel wool
(right) and uses the
steel wool to work in
a fairly heavy coat of
paste wax (below) for
a natural look.
make up only as much as you can use in a day. Unused powder, is self-priming: The first coat is partially absorbed by the wood
however, can be stored indefinitely in an airtight, sealed container. and, when cured, forms its own bond coat. This makes applying
Moisture makes the powder unusable, so the trick is to keep out the first coat very different from applying the first coat of a pre-
humidity. You can purchase many different colors. The paint dries mixed paint. The wood will absorb the milk paint as you apply
lighter than it looks when it’s wet, so test colors on scraps. it, so don’t expect it to glide on. Compensate for this by reap-
Close-grained species such as pine, poplar, and maple will give plying paint to the brush more often and dabbing the paint into
the smoothest finish under milk paint. While you can use it on the wood.
open-pored species such as oak or ash, the grain structure will be The most common approach is an opaque finish, which ob-
pronounced and must be considered part of the design. scures the figure of the wood and covers your piece with the
intense, velvety color that is milk paint’s hallmark. Mix equal
Applying milk paint is easy but different from other paints parts warm water and powder in a nonmetallic container and stir
To prepare the surface, sand to 180-grit and remove dust using briskly. Let the paint slake for about 10 minutes. An opaque ap-
a vacuum or tack cloth. Milk paint is not like premixed latex plication is between two and four coats. Although some people
and oil-based paints that form a layer on top of the wood’s sur- recommend raising the grain with a light spray of water before
face. It’s thinner and, when used on clean, unfinished surfaces, applying the paint, I don’t. I find this step to be redundant. Since
36 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, this page (top and bottom right): Michael Pekovich, facing page (bottom): Dirk Bakker
POLYURETHANE
BLUE MILK
PAINT WITH
OIL-BASED
POLY
I am applying multiple coats of milk paint, I’m not worried about such as a kitchen or a bathroom will need more protection than
sanding through the first coat. a keepsake box, picture frame, or wall shelf. Waxes, shellac, and
With an inexpensive natural-bristle brush, apply a generous oils provide less protection than polyurethanes.
first coat with the grain. Stray bristles or small chunks of undis- Whether water-, alcohol-, or oil-based, topcoats will alter the
solved paint can be picked off the surface as you go. Applying a final look, making it darker. Whichever topcoat you plan to use,
second coat of base color before the first has fully dried seems to prepare the painted surface by sanding with 220-grit paper along
help even out the coverage. When the first two coats have dried, the grain, then remove the colored dust.
scuff-sand with 220-grit paper to a smooth surface and decide Wax, alcohol, and oil-based topcoats—These topcoats all tend
whether you need subsequent coats. You can tell a coat is dry by to leave the paint color warmer and darker. Because visually the
the characteristic papery appearance. Drying time is quick—you end result is almost the same, you should consider the level of
can usually recoat in one to two hours—depending on humidity. protection when choosing between them.
Apply as many coats as needed to produce the opacity you Wax, like oil, will darken milk paint. While it is one of the
want. There is no rule about how many coats to apply. If you traditional coatings used over milk paint, it won’t afford sub-
want a very smooth finished surface, sand each time between stantial protection from common household substances. Shellac
coats. I don’t always do this (sometimes I want to achieve a more will create a clear, glossy look but give only limited protection
imperfect-looking surface), but I always sand before applying the against damage by water and oils. Boiled linseed oil and Danish
topcoat in order to create optimal conditions for adhesion. Let oil are two traditional protective coatings. Apply as many coats
the milk paint dry completely—at least over-
night—before protecting it
with clear topcoats.
Topcoats: different
looks and levels
of protection
Topcoats add protection but alter the color of the
paint. The bare finish has a distinctive shaded look Polished and modern. On
the clean lines of his contem-
with subtle imperfections that can be left natural
porary designs, Jose Regueiro
or burnished to a soft sheen using 0000 steel wool. brings milk paint out of its tra-
Milk paint is compatible with almost any topcoat, ditional role. This dining table
but topcoating is not required; the paint itself is has four coats of milk paint
hard and stands up to normal wear on furniture. followed by two coats of satin
However, if left unfinished it will quickly pick up polyurethane.
and show oils from fingers. A high-traffic area
SHAKER FURNITURE 37
as necessary to build up the luster you desire.
Weathered from the These oils will darken the paint’s color as well
start. Milk paint is the as give the piece a subtle sheen and moderate
logical finish for this protection. For a more durable finish—neces-
traditional cupboard. To
sary in the case of kitchen or bathroom cabi-
achieve the distressed
look, D. Andrew Kates
nets, for example—use oil-based polyurethane.
layered different colors Like oils, it will darken the paint’s tone and give
of milk paint (scraping colors a warmer look. It is important to take this
through layers) over ambering effect into account if you are working
dark brown aniline dye with blues, which will shift toward green under
and completed oil-based polyurethane. If you are concerned
the finish with a
about yellowing, you can always use a water-
dark brown glaze
and wax.
based polyurethane instead.
The availability of matte and glossy finishes
adds yet another dimension to consider.
Water-based topcoats—Unlike oil-based topcoats, water-based
topcoats can make a finish look colder and give it an artificial ap-
pearance. This can be a problem over warm colors such as reds
and browns. However, this effect can be a positive if the design of
the piece calls for a starker look.
Once dry, milk paint forms a coating that is nonsoluble, so it
won’t dissolve when water-based topcoats are applied. In days
past, water-based finishes were not resistant to damage from oil,
so you couldn’t rely on them to protect a milk-painted surface
from such common hazards as a pastry baker’s buttery fingers
opening cabinet latches in the kitchen. But these days, many
water-based finishes are as good as, if not better than, their oil-
38 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, this page (top left): D. Andrew Kates; facing page (bottom right): Phil Harris
Go halfway with a washcoat SOURCES
Keep grain but O F S U P P LY
add color. Thinning
the paint mixture at THE OLD FASHIONED
a ratio of about 1:4 MILK PAINT CO. INC.
allows you to see milkpaint.com
the wood’s figure
through the milk THE REAL MILK
paint. PAINT CO.
realmilkpaint.com
based counterparts and offer full protection from oils, water, and that could work well with a washcoat are yellow pine, furniture-
alcohol. Some even mimic the warm yellow cast of the oils. grade Douglas fir, and maple.
Decorative painting—To paint intricate pictures and
Breaking the mold: special effects graphics, mix milk paint as you would any other artist’s paint.
In addition to the opaque finish, you can get a variety of looks To cover a large surface, mix larger quantities of dry powder,
with milk paint, depending on how the film is applied. adding more of particular colors to obtain the look you want.
Layering—Layering different colors and then sanding through For small designs, you can blend small batches of color on a
in spots so that the base hues appear is a good way to age a ceramic plate just as you would on a painter’s palette, adjusting
piece instantly. When you layer different colors, you should use hues as you go.
two coats of the base to ensure that the buildup will be adequate. Because the first coat of milk paint soaks into the wood, it’s
And whenever you switch colors in layering, be sure to let the best to decorate on a background that has already been coated
paint dry well to prevent the wet colors from mixing together. at least twice. The consistency should be thicker when you are
Washcoat—A wash made from a dilute solution of paint adds decorating than when you are covering an entire surface with one
color while allowing the figure to show. Because the finish be- color. Test it on a sample piece that matches the piece you’ll be
comes more opaque with each coat, I use one washcoat only. painting. Experiment and have fun. □
My wood of choice for washcoating is cypress because it’s close-
grained yet has pronounced figure that shows through under the Nancy Hiller owns and operates NR Hiller
color. It isn’t always accessible at local lumberyards, but I have Design Inc. (nrhillerdesign.com)
found a great mail-order source, paxtonwood.com. Other woods in Bloomington, Ind.
Decorative painting
Release your inner artist. Milk paint is
simple to use as a decorative paint. Mix
colors to a thicker consistency and apply
them with small artists’ brushes.
39
SMALL PROJECTS
Step Stool
Durable design will last a lifetime
B Y C H R I S T I A N B E C K S V O O R T
Arched cutout creates two feet. Stay close Scribe the tenon length. Set a marking gauge Then mark the width. Measure in from each
to the layout line with the coping saw, then to the thickness of the top and use it to create edge to mark the width of each tenon. Use a
fair the curve with sandpaper attached to the a baseline for the tenons on both faces and square to carry the layout lines from each mark
curved offcut. ends of each leg. across the top edge and down to the baseline.
Dado,
1
⁄8 in. deep
Braces, 3⁄4 in. thick by 93⁄4 in.
11⁄2 in. wide by 81⁄2 in. long
Excavate the
edges. First, use
a marking knife
to deepen the
scribe lines on the
bottom side of the
top to about 1⁄8 in.
(right). Then make
a series of angled
cuts with a chisel
(far right) to reveal
the vertical wall
created by the
knife.
Clean between.
Angle the chisel,
bevel down, to plow
out the remaining
waste and flatten
the dado’s bottom.
A router plane also
works well for this
task.
42
MORTISES FIT IN THE DADOES
Chop from both sides. Start from the underside, removing about half
the waste. Then, to prevent blowout, flip the board and finish the mortise
from the top. Check the walls with a straightedge, and test-fit the tenons.
a marking gauge to scribe the thickness of the top on both faces Mark the tenon locations between the scribe marks, then flip the
(because the tenons will sit in a dado, they will protrude from top and stand the tenons in the dado to mark their outlines.
the top so you can plane them flush later). Then mark the tenon When cutting the mortises, start by chopping vertically, setting
width on the top and both sides of each leg—at 1 in. and 31⁄4 in. the chisel’s back flat against the dado wall as you chop along the
from both sides. Cut the tenons and remove the waste as shown. length. Next, set your chisel in the middle of the waste area and,
To keep track of the parts, mark the legs for their orientation in with the bevel down, make a series of angled cuts toward each
the finished piece: right leg, right side, left leg, left side. scribe line to define the long mortise walls. To prevent blowout
Because the wide pine legs might cup, I seat them in a shallow on the opposite side, chisel halfway through, then flip the piece
dado in the top’s underside. You can use the legs themselves to and finish the work from the other side. Again, define the mortise
help lay out the dadoes and the mortises. Use a marking gauge walls first, being careful to stay within the scribe lines. When I’m
to scribe a line 11⁄2 in. from each end above and below the top. done, I use a small square or the edge of a chisel to check for
Now place the leg on this line and knife along its edge to finish high points on the mortise walls. These should be pared down.
marking out the dado. Deepen the scribe lines on the underside Orient the legs and dry-fit them. Look for a snug fit that holds
to about 1⁄8 in. using a sharp knife. Next, chisel out the bulk of the against gravity but doesn’t require brute force to seat.
waste. You can flatten the bottom and get the dado to a consistent
depth with careful chisel work, but a router plane is quicker. Corner braces add strength
Next, use a pencil to mark the tenon locations on the top and Each corner brace is mortised into the leg and top, and notched
bottom face of the top. I lay the leg flat on the top so the tenons to prevent racking even under heavy loads. With a dovetail saw,
are directly over the scribe marks. Make sure that each piece is cut the brace stock to length with opposing 45° ends. Leave each
oriented correctly, and that the edges of the top and legs are flush. about 1⁄16 in. longer than finished length, so the ends can be
Cut the notches. Saw down each pencil line to the baseline
(left), and then remove the waste with a coping saw. Pare
away any high spots with the chisel (above), test-fitting the
brace as you go for a fully seated and snug fit.
Scaling up
Wedges ensure snug tenons. Cut the wedges from 1⁄8-in.-thick hardwood about 6 in.
long. Use a chisel to taper them from 0 at the bottom to full thickness 3⁄4 in. up. Cut off
1 in. and repeat three more times. Apply glue to both sides of the wedge and tap it into
the kerf with a hammer. Trim with a saw when the glue dries.
SHAKER FURNITURE 45
SMALL PROJECTS
Lap Desk
Celebrate pen and ink
with this quintessential case
B Y C H R I S T I A N B E C K S V O O R T
46 FINE WOODWORKING
SHAKER FURNITURE 47
MAKE THE CASE
Front and sides are
rounded under;
back is left square
for hinges.
Square the
assembly. After
pulling the joints
tight with bar
clamps, check the
box for square.
Elevate the drawer-
Front, 3⁄8 in. thick by
side clamp a 23⁄4 in. wide by 19 in.
couple of inches long
to avoid exerting Dado, 3⁄16 in. deep by
3
pressure at the ⁄8 in. wide
drawer opening.
Breadboard end,
maple, 3⁄8 in. thick
by 11⁄4 in. wide by
123⁄8 in. long
Stopped rabbet,
3
⁄16 in. deep by 3⁄8 in.
wide by 21⁄2 in. high,
accepts short leg of
L-divider
21⁄2 in.
Drawer opening,
L-divider, short 3 in. wide by
leg, 3⁄8 in. thick 21⁄2 in. high
by 21⁄2 in. wide
by 41⁄16 in. long
23⁄4 in.
Carcase side, 3⁄8 in. thick by
4 in. wide by 12 in. long, tapers
to 23⁄4 in. wide at the front
L-divider, long leg,
3
⁄8 in. thick by 23⁄4 in. wide
by 87⁄16 in. long
3 in.
LIGHT, STRONG, AND VERSATILE
The lap desk isn’t just for paper and pens. With the
center divider removed, the case can hold a laptop.
All the parts are pine except the breadboard ends,
Paper Envelopes Pencils drawer pull, and keeper.
111⁄4 in. 12 in.
77⁄8 in.
3 in.
TOP VIEW, INTERIOR SIDE VIEW
Countersink
and clearance
hole for wood 1 1
11⁄4 in. 11
⁄32 in. ⁄4 in. ⁄2 in.
screw
KEEPER/STOP KNOB
50 FINE WOODWORKING
ASSEMBLE THE INTERIOR
Dovetailed
divider makes a
drawer pocket.
The L-shaped
divider, dovetailed
at its elbow, defines
a space for pencils
and creates the
drawer pocket. The
divider is glued into
a rabbet beside the
drawer opening and
into a dado in the
case front.
Slide stopper. A
T-shaped hardwood
keeper in the guide
slot keeps the
drawer running
straight and acts
as a drawer stop
at both open and
closed positions.
52 FINE WOODWORKING
ADD HINGES TO CLOSE THE CASE
Placement. Mark out the leaf location on the case with a knife, setting Eyeball the mortise. Using a detail router with a 1⁄4-in.-dia. straight bit,
the hinge 2-1⁄2 in. or so from the end. rough out the hinge mortise. Then clean it up with a chisel.
Shaker Boxes
Core
Shapers
Cut out the core. The core is sized to match the internal dimensions of
the box. Cut close to the line, and then sand to it. It doesn’t have to be
41⁄8 in. perfect, because the core is just a tool for flexing the band into an oval.
31⁄2 in.
27⁄8 in. Trace the
shaper from the
NO. 2 core. You need
NO. 3 two shapers.
One is inserted
NO. 4 13⁄4 in. from the top, and
21⁄4 in. the other from
the bottom. Drill
Major 23⁄4 in.
axis 1 3⁄4 in
two finger holes
. in each shaper,
Cutout so you can pull
hole 2 1⁄16 i it out after the
n.
band dries.
Start band 2 1⁄4 in
.
here for
bending. Minor axis
100°
*Enlarge 133%
CORE/SHAPER PATTERNS for full-size
The Shakers made oval boxes in eight sizes. The three pattern.
sizes here, Nos. 2, 3, and 4, are neither too small nor
too big—just right for use around the house.
too. Panels are fitted to the top and bottom after the bands have
dried. You need a few specialized tools—a water tray for soaking
the bands and an anvil for peening over the tacks that hold the
bands together—but I’ll tell you where you can get them. Once
you have these tools, you’ll be making boxes in bunches.
SHAKER FURNITURE 55
Make and shape the bands
Although function always trumped form for the
Shakers, they still knew how to make things
beautiful. Cutting the exposed end of the band
into swallowtails not only minimizes the
chance that the band will crack along
the grain, but it’s also an
elegant touch.
BOTTOM BAND
LID BAND
Mill the band stock. For the boxes shown here, the bands are 1⁄16 in. thick—too thin for a planer.
SOURCE So after resawing the bands, remove the sawmarks with a drum sander or handplane.
O F S U P P LY
Shakerovalbox.com
You can find all of the tools Lay out the swallowtails.
and hardware you need to A master template allows
make Shaker oval boxes you to make several boxes of
at The Home Shop, the same size quickly. Use a
which sells everything mechanical pencil (0.5mm or
from water trays (starting 0.7mm thick) for its consistent
at $38 for a 32-in.-long line, which results in fairer
galvanized steel tray) to curves when cutting out the
cores, shapers, swallowtails. Transfer the tack
copper tacks, locations, too. The holes in the
and pegs.
template should be the same
size as the pilot holes you’ll drill
in the box bands.
SWALLOWTAIL TEMPLATES
NO. 2 NO. 3 Lid band, 1⁄16 in. thick by
*Enlarge 200% for 7
full-size pattern. ⁄8 in. wide by 24 in. long
Lid band, 1⁄16 in. thick by
3
⁄4 in. wide by 193⁄4 in. long 21⁄4 in. 5
⁄16 in.
15
1 ⁄16 in.
1
⁄4 in. 1
⁄4 in.
7
1 ⁄8 in.
1
⁄4 in. Use #1
111⁄16 in. tacks.
Use #1
tacks.
11
⁄16 in.
9
⁄16 in.
3
⁄8 in.
5 7
⁄8 in. ⁄8 in.
1 1
Bottom band, ⁄16 in. thick Bottom band, ⁄16 in. thick by
by 2 in. wide by 19 in. long 21⁄2 in. wide by 23 in. long
56 FINE WOODWORKING
Feather the ends on the inside face. Use a horizontal belt sander. A Cut the swallowtails. Clamp the band between a backer board and
block spreads pressure and produces a more consistent taper. The taper hardwood “holddown.” Use a new blade in a utility knife and move the
makes it easier to cut the swallowtails, too. backer board after each set of tails so that the blade won’t fall into a kerf
already there and get pulled off the layout line.
two shapers for each box size. If you are making more than one
box of the same size (it’s really no harder to make several than it is Bevel the
to make one), you’ll need one additional pair of shapers for each edges. Hold
the blade
box you plan to make. You can use the same core for all of them.
perpendicular.
Finally, you’ll need to make templates for the swallowtail patterns. Believe it or
Now make the lid and bottom box bands. I start with the bot- not, the blade
tom band (you’ll see why later). Cherry and maple are the tradi- will flex a bit
tional woods for the bands. Use straight-grain stock, which bends as you pull it,
the best, and mill it to 1⁄16 in. thick. I choose stock that is wide resulting in the
enough for both bands so there is a nice grain match between slight bevel
(1° or 2°) that
them. Use a template to trace the swallowtail pattern on the end
you want. Be
of the band. Taper the ends of the band on the inside face from careful at the
the main tack line to the end, then cut the swallowtails and drill tip. It needs to
pilot holes for the tacks. Then put the band into the hot water be 11⁄2 times
for a 5- to 10-minute soak. When you pull out the band, quickly as wide as the
tack head.
1
⁄4 in.
1 Drill pilot
2 ⁄16 in. 1
⁄2 in. holes. Be sure
to hold the
drill (a Dremel
in this case)
Use #11⁄2 perpendicular
tacks. to the band.
21
⁄32 in.
15
⁄16 in.
1
Bottom band, ⁄16 in. thick by
31⁄16 in. wide by 27 in. long
www.f inewoodworking.com 57
Bend each band
The bands are soaked in hot water so they bend easily. To minimize
breaks when you bend, make the bands from straight-grain, quarter-
sawn stock. Dry the band for a day or two before removing the shapers.
Online Extra
To watch a video on
how to bend the wood
for a Shaker box, go to
FineWoodworking.com/
shakerfurniture.
58 FINE WOODWORKING
Add the top and bottom
Make the bottom
panel. To get
the best match
possible between
the band and
bottom, trace each
band individually
(far left) rather
than using a
pattern. Sand it to
the line (left) with
the bottom 90° to
the sanding disk.
No glue needed.
The bottom goes in
dry (far left) and is
held in place with
copper shoe pegs.
After the bottom is
in, drill pilot holes
for the pegs with
a #56 bit. Driving
the pegs flush
with a hammer
eventually results
in a damaged box,
so leave them just
a hair proud and
clean them up with
a small bastard file
(left).
bend it around the core. Put a witness mark where the two ends
overlap (be sure to mark both ends of the band), then take the Add a handle
band off the core. Realign the witness mark and tack the ends with the same
together on an anvil. Now press one shaper in from the top and
one from the bottom. The lid band is made the same way, but
techniques
instead of bending it around the core, bend it around the box
band. After tacking it together, put it back on the bottom band
and let it dry in place.
The Shakers most often made the top and bottom panels
from quartersawn white pine, and that’s what I’ve done here.
After it has dried for a few days, place the band on a piece
of stock, and trace around the inside. Cut out the panel and
sand to the line. Press the panel into the band until it’s
flush with the band’s edge. Drill pilot holes for the cop-
The handle is made the same way
per shoe pegs, then drive in the pegs. Do not use glue.
as the box, but it is bent and dried
If you like the look of natural wood, finish the box
with wipe-on polyurethane. But don’t be afraid to paint on one form. Baxter drills holes in
your boxes with milk paint, as the Shakers were fond the form so he can clamp the handle
of bright colors. □ in place to dry. Like the bands, it
takes a day or two. He uses copper
Pete Baxter of Seymour, Ind., is a professional furniture maker tacks to attach the handle.
who specializes in Shaker oval boxes and rockers.
B Y C H R I S T I A N
B E C K S V O O R T
N ot long ago, a
couple ordered a set of
cherry side tables from
me, one for each side of their
pencil-post bed. I based the de-
sign on a Shaker side table from shapes can make a big difference in the look of a piece of fur-
Canterbury, N.H., although vir- niture. As far as difficulty goes, the table with tapered legs is a
tually every other Shaker com- very good project to tackle if you’re a beginner, and the one with
munity had similar designs. As turned legs adds a bit of a challenge. The rest of the construction
a surprise (I don’t recommend is standard mortise-and-tenon joinery, a dovetailed top rail, and
this unless you are very familiar a dovetailed drawer. I start with the legs, move on to the joinery,
with your clients), I decided to make slightly different versions: add the drawer, and finish.
one with square tapered legs, the other with turned tapered legs.
The overall design is a basic, timeless one that can move from Tackle the joinery: mortises, tenons, and a dovetail
bedroom to living room. But notice how the simple leg change Once the legs are finished (see “2 options for legs,” p. 62), the
alters the whole feel of the table. Tweaking the dimensions or construction is the same for both tables. The first step is to add
60 FINE WOODWORKING
Side table with drawer Top, 3⁄4 in. thick
by 16 in. wide by
This little table design, taken from the 24 in. long
Enfield, N.H., Shakers, is rock solid, no
matter which legs it stands on.
Spacer,
1
⁄2 in. thick Kicker, 1⁄2 in. thick by
1
⁄16-in. shoulder on 11⁄4 in. wide by 111⁄4 in.
Rails, bottom of dovetail long, notched for legs
5
3 ⁄8 in. 1
⁄4 in. ⁄2 in. thick by
3
⁄4 in. wide by
Back apron, 3⁄4 in.
151⁄4 in. long
thick by 41⁄2 in. wide
8º TOP EDGE PROFILE by 151⁄4 in. long
Drawer back,
Groove, 5
⁄8 in. thick
1
⁄4 in. by 1⁄4 in.
Side apron,
3
⁄4 in. thick by
Drawer front,
3 41⁄2 in. wide by
⁄4 in. thick
121⁄4 in. long
Drawer bottom,
1
⁄4 in. thick Tenon, 1⁄4 in.
Tenon, 1⁄4 in. thick
thick by 5⁄8 in.
by 31⁄2 in. wide by
wide by 1 in.
1 in. long, with a
1 long 3
⁄4 in. Runner, ⁄4-in. shoulder at
3
⁄4 in. dia. Drawer side, 1
⁄2 in. thick by top
3
⁄4 in. 1
⁄2 in. thick 11⁄4 in. wide
by 111⁄4 in.
1
long, notched TURNED LEG
⁄2 in. dia. around legs
Learn how to make
3 3
⁄8 in. 1
⁄16 in. ⁄8 in. dia. a classic turned leg
with three simple
PULL DETAIL TAPERED LEG lathe tools, p. 63.
Legs, 13⁄8 in.
A simple shopmade square by
271⁄4 in. long
jig (p. 62) makes 13⁄8 in.
To purchase expanded plans quick work of the Miter
and a complete cutlist for Two
a tapered leg design.
Classic Shaker Tables and other
projects, go to FineWoodworking
.com/PlanStore.
1 in.
3
⁄4 in.
1
1 in.
⁄8 in.
FRONT LEG DETAIL
Photo, facing page (top): Dennis Griggs; drawings: David Richards SHAKER FURNITURE 61
2 options for legs A JIG M AKES TAPERS EASY
When building tables, it’s logical
to start with the legs because they 6 in.
tie all the other parts together. Hold-down clamp Two layers of 13⁄8 in.
1
Use a tapering jig on the tablesaw ⁄2-in. plywood
to taper the two inside faces, or
turn the round legs on the lathe.
271⁄4 in.
T he tapering jig to create these
two-sided tapered legs is simple
to make. Use a piece of plywood 4 in.
to 6 in. wide and 3 in. to 4 in. longer
than the leg. I mark the end of the leg
to see the final dimensions and use
those marks to position the leg on the
plywood. Set the leg on the edge of the Second taper.
Turn the leg blank
plywood with the portion to be tapered
90º in the jig and
flush with the end and overhanging the cut the taper on the
edge. Then, trace around the leg and second inside face.
cut the leg area away freehand on the
bandsaw. Once that’s done, screw that
piece of plywood to a base piece and
add hold-down clamps to keep the leg
stock secure as you run it through the
tablesaw.
After cutting the first taper, turn the
leg 90° in the jig and cut the second
one. The final step is cleaning up the
tapers with a sander.
1 in.
Square to round.
Using a 1⁄2-in. gouge, Define the
start to turn the transition point.
blank round from With a very sharp
the line down. Turn diamond-point
it to its widest scraper held on
diameter (11⁄4 in.). edge, carefully cut
in at 90º, clearly
defining the point
where the square
collar ends.
TURNED LEG
13⁄8 in.
A lthough the turned legs aren’t
as easy as the tapered legs, the
turning is pretty basic. There are a few
Create a 1⁄4-in.
ring. Still using
the diamond-point
points to keep in mind: the transition scraper, establish
the bottom part of
where the square top turns round, the
the ring and cut in
53⁄4 in. 1
⁄4-in.-wide ring just under that, the another 1⁄8 in. to
maximum diameter, and the gentle bring the diameter
11⁄4 in. dia. taper down to the bottom of the leg. down a bit more.
Clean up the mortises with chisels. Mark the depth of the mortise on a
mortising chisel. Starting at the ends of the mortise (left), tap the mortising
chisel squarely in place. Finish by cleaning up the mortise walls with a
regular bench chisel (above).
64 FINE WOODWORKING
Dovetailed rail
adds strength
A quick dovetail locks the top
rail in place and adds extra
sturdiness to the whole base.
Dovetail the rail and then cut
the mating slots in the legs.
Transfer the
layout to the legs.
Dry-fit the lower
rail to the legs,
and position the
upper rail across
the top of the legs
to transfer the
dovetail profile
(above). Use a
small router to cut
close to the line
(left) and a chisel
to finish the job.
Complete the base. After the front and back of the base are dry, add the side aprons.
clamped in place, flush with the top and bottom of the aprons in the back to allow for seasonal movement. I turn the mushroom-
and rails. Trim the spacers perfectly flush with the inside faces shaped knobs on the lathe.
of the legs.
Screw the top in place
Hand-cut dovetails in the drawers Last, I edge-glue the 3⁄4-in.-thick top, cut it to size, sand it, and
The drawer fronts are cut to fit the openings. I make the front use the tablesaw to add a slight bevel to the underside. With the
3⁄4 in. thick, the back 5⁄8 in. thick, and the sides 1⁄2 in. thick. I top facedown, I center the base (11⁄2 in. front and back, 4 in. on
make the back a little thicker than the sides for three reasons: the sides) and drill three countersunk holes through each of the
First, thinner sides make the drawer appear more graceful, and drawer kickers (one in the center, one at either end) to screw the
you’ll seldom pull it all the way out to see the thickness of the base to the top. I made the end holes oval-shaped to allow for
back. Second, the added thickness of the back gives a bit more wood movement. I give the tables three coats of an oil finish. The
glue surface to the dovetails, resulting in stronger joints on first coat is straight Danish oil and the next two coats are a ratio
all four corners. Finally, it allows a solid bottom (not ply- of two parts Tried & True Varnish oil and one part spar varnish. I
wood) to expand and contract while remaining hidden under use only wax on the drawer runners, spacers, kickers, and drawer
the back. sides and bottom, to help them run more smoothly. □
I cut half-blind dovetails in the front and through-dovetails in
the back, cutting the tails first. I make the drawer bottoms from re- Christian Becksvoort is a longtime furniture maker and designer
sawn, book-matched stock and secure them with a screw and slot in New Gloucester, Maine, and an expert on Shaker furniture.
66 FINE WOODWORKING
Dovetailed drawer Keep it level.
Secure the pin
Shakers used
an easy oil
finish. After all
the construction
is finished,
Becksvoort uses
an oil finish inside
and out, but uses
only wax on the
interior drawer
parts.
68 FINE WOODWORKING
TABLES
TOP EDGE
version of this Top,
PROFILE
1
⁄2 in. thick
rare round stand by 161⁄8 in.
dia. 3
⁄4 in.
Subtop,
3
⁄4 in. thick
by 7 in. dia. 2 in.
B Y C H R I S T I A N
B E C K S V O O R T SUBTOP EDGE
PROFILE
Post, 193⁄8 in. long
To purchase
expanded plans (see profile, p. 70) 5
⁄8 in.
and a complete
T
Post,
he first time I saw a photo of this cutlist for this Shaker 115⁄16 in. dia. 9
⁄16 in.
small table, I was thrilled, but also Candlestand and at base
other projects, go to
taken aback. It looked to me like FineWoodworking
something designed in Denmark in 1960, .com/PlanStore. 5
⁄8 in.
not in a Shaker village in the early 1800s.
The Shakers designed a variety of beauti-
ful round stands, and I’ve written about
other versions—and built more than 100
of them—but this one in my opinion is LEG-TO-POST
the ultimate. With its slightly concave DOVETAILS
tapering post, thin top, and light, half-
crescent legs, the piece sums up the
power and simplicity of Shaker design.
It also happens to be the rarest of
round stands; only one original in this Leg, 2 in.
5
form is known to exist. I’ve since built ⁄8 in. thick
several reproductions, in a variety of
woods, and refined the parts until they Table spider
are as near to the original as possible. reinforces joint 77⁄16 in.
(hortonbrasses
.com).
Start with the top, then the post
My first move is to glue up a blank for the
161⁄8-in.-dia. cherry top and put it aside.
A single-board top (like the original) is
ideal, but that kind of plank is rarely 7
⁄8 in.
161⁄8 in. 81⁄4 in.
available. I usually cut two pieces from a
9-in. or 10-in. board and edge-glue them.
I look for a flatsawn or riftsawn board WHERE TO FIND
and disguise the glueline by putting two 255⁄16 in. THE RAREST ROUND STAND
rift-to-quartersawn edges together. The lone original example of this table,
made at the Mt. Lebanon, N.Y., Shaker
Start the post by selecting stock with village in 1820, is in the collection of the
grain as straight as possible, and turn a American Museum in Bath, England. John
2-in. cylinder. Using a story stick, make Kassay measured and drew the table for his
classic book, The Book of Shaker Furniture
pencil marks on it at each of the dimen- (1980, The University of Massachusetts
sions. On the top end, turn a tenon 1 in. Press), which is still in print.
13⁄4 in.
2 in. dia.
2
Marked and measured. After turning
115⁄16 in. dia. 2 in. the cylinder, use a pencil to transfer
diameter marks from a story stick (1).
Then turn the tenon (2) and the bulb at
POST PROFILE the top of the post (3). 3
dia. by 3⁄4 in. long. Just below the tenon is a flared bulb. Its curve with a sharp gouge and then fairing the curve with a thumbnail
is not an arc, but rather a section of a parabola. Turn the diameter gouge. When the turning is finished, leave the lathe running and
below the bulb first, using a parting tool. Then use a small gouge sand the whole post to at least 400 grit, followed by a rubdown
and a spear-point scraper to turn the bulb itself. with 0000 steel wool.
The long part of the post is not a straight taper, but a concave
flared curve, and reproducing that subtle shape requires precise Shape and dovetail the legs
turning. I use a parting tool fitted with a gate jig to make a series Make a pattern for the legs and trace it three times onto 5⁄8-in.-
of cuts that will control the shape of the curve. If you prefer, you thick stock, orienting the pattern so the wood’s grain runs more
can use calipers instead of the gate jig. The last section of the or less straight between the two farthest points of the leg. Cut
post—where the legs will dovetail in—must be perfectly cylin- out the legs on the bandsaw and sand the curves fair. Then,
drical, and the small shoulder should be crisp. Make a series of at the router table, use a roundover bit to cut a shallow arced
depth cuts with a parting tool, clean them up with a spear-point profile into the curved edges of the legs. Next, create the dove-
scraper, and follow with sandpaper on a block. tail keys on the legs at the router table, using a 14° dovetail
With the bottom cylinder complete, move on to the main section bit. Then finish-sand the legs to 400 grit and rub them with 0000
of the post, cleaning out the waste between the parting-tool cuts steel wool.
3
Dial in the diameters. Use a gate jig (1) or a pair of calipers to control the depth of
cut. Establish the critical diameters of the post with a parting tool (2). Then remove
the waste between the grooves with a heavy, shallow gouge (3), before fine-tuning the
2 surface with a fingernail gouge.
SHAKER FURNITURE 71
Shape the legs
Leg layout. Trace the shape using a cardboard Strapped in for sanding. After cutting the legs, tape them in a stack and smooth the ends and the
template, orienting the grain so it runs straight outside curve at the disk sander (left). Sand right through the tape. Re-tape the stack, then fair the
from tip to tip (see leg profile, p. 70). inside curve (right) with a drum sander.
Leg,
Fence 5
⁄8 in. thick
9
⁄16 in. Socket layout. With the post inverted in the vise, scribe around the
dovetail key. Pine cushion blocks hold the post steady.
72 FINE WOODWORKING
Mark and cut the dovetail sockets the shoulder, this angled cut will create a bit less than half of the
To properly locate the dovetail sockets, clamp the post upside cheek of each dovetail. The rest of the work is done with a chisel,
down in the vise and divide the bottom into three 120° sec- using the sawn plane as a guide.
tions. You can do this with a protractor or a compass, but I do Carefully define the end of the socket by chopping downward
it with paper. Wrap a strip of paper around the end of the post, right at the shoulder line, then begin chiseling out the bulk of the
marking and cutting it to the exact circumference. Flatten the waste between the sawcuts. Once most of the waste is removed,
paper on the bench and divide its length into exact thirds. Then place the chisel into the knife cuts and pare down the slot. If the
wrap the paper around the post again and transfer the marks to grain runs perfectly straight, this works fine. Unfortunately, the
the end grain. grain often runs to the left or right, in which case one side pares
Now position one of the leg dovetails on the post’s end grain very well, while the other side tears into the post. When that hap-
so that it sits flat and the tips of the shoulders just touch the rim pens, instead of paring along the grain from the end of the socket,
of the post. Put it just to one side of one of the third marks. Then pare across the grain from the outside of the post.
scribe around the dovetail with a knife. Repeat the process for
all three legs, and be sure to number the legs and their mating Fit and glue up the dovetails
sockets. If the knife marks are faint, I highlight them with a chisel. Once the socket is well-defined, begin fitting. Mark the three
Use a small square and a pencil to bring the lines down the face leading edges of the dovetail key with a pencil, and push the leg
of the post to the shoulder. in as far as it will go with moderate hand pressure. The graphite
To cut the sockets, position the leg in the vise at about a 30° transfers to the edges of the socket and shows where the dovetail
angle. Using a rip dovetail saw, cut on the inside of the pencil is binding. Pare this away from the socket, and repeat the process
lines, following the knife marks. Since you have to stop shy of five, 10, even 15 times until the leg slides all the way to the end. It
Post
Curved recess
matches edge
profile of leg.
Sliding dovetail
socket
Flat tops. Cut flats on each side of the socket (left) to seat the shoulders of the dovetail keys. Use
a shallow gouge (right) to cut a crescent-shaped recess to accept the rounded edge of the leg.
5
⁄8 in.
Leg
74 FINE WOODWORKING
BRACE THE BOTTOM AND ADD THE TOP
Joint cleanup. After the glue cures, smooth the bottom of the post with
a drum sander.
should seat with no wobble. Too loose a fit means a weak joint. Bottom needs support. Screwing in a metal brace, or spider, reinforces
But you shouldn’t have to pound a leg in, either; if it’s too tight the sliding dovetails. Becksvoort bought his spider and modified it,
it could split the leg. cutting several inches off each of its legs.
When all three legs are fitted, glue them in. If they fit right,
there’s no need to clamp them.
SHAKER FURNITURE 75
TABLES
Trestle Table
Form meets function in this timeless design
B Y C H R I S T I A N B E C K S V O O R T
76 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Tom Begnal; this page: Michael Pekovich
The posts are simple turnings
Turn the blank. Becksvoort turns a 35⁄8-in.-sq. blank to 31⁄2 in. dia., then makes a series of
23⁄8-in.-dia. parting cuts along the midsection, checking the diameter with calipers. After that,
with the parting cuts serving as guides, he reduces the entire midsection to 23⁄8 in. dia.
SHAKER FURNITURE 77
Notch the posts
Build a cradle. Two saddles screwed to a base, 3⁄4 in. Lay out the location of the notches. With the cradle on a flat surface, use a square to
thick by 8 in. wide by 121⁄2 in. long, create a cradle for the mark a vertical centerline on each end of the post (left). Measure and mark the width of
post that simplifies a number of construction steps. the notch, then use a square to scribe the notch depth (right).
Cut the two notches. With the post securely clamped in the cradle, use a bandsaw to Hand work. Smooth the ends of the notches
cut the notch on each end, following your layout lines by eye. and the cheeks with a sharp chisel.
dia. At each end of the center section, turn a small cove and a a bandsaw does as good a job in less time. With the post clamped
bead with a small flat at each end of it (see drawing, p. 77). If your in the cradle, carefully saw between the lines to the bottom of the
turning skills are rusty, practice first on a shorter blank. notch. Then, nibble out the bottom of the notch with the blade.
As you switch from one end to another, you’ll need to reposition
Jig simplifies post joinery the clamp so that it doesn’t bump into the saw table as you cut.
Once both posts are turned and sanded, they need to be notched Rout a shallow groove for the stretcher—There’s one more
for the braces, feet, and stretchers. To hold them for layout and machine cut to make on each post—a groove, 1⁄4 in. deep by 1 in.
machining, I clamp the posts to a shopmade cradle that consists wide by 5 in. long, that will accept the end of the stretcher. You
of a couple of U-shaped saddles screwed to a rectangular piece can cut the groove with a chisel, but it’s easier on a router table.
of plywood. A narrow piece of paper towel in each saddle, held Again, I use the cradle to support the post. A clamp gets in the
in place with masking tape, helps prevent scratches on the posts. way on the router table, so I made a wooden yoke that serves
Place the cradle on a bench (with the clamp between the as a clamp. With the yoke screwed to the base of the cradle, the
opened jaws of the vise so the cradle can rest flat). Use a square post stays securely in place. Before tightening the yoke, make sure
to lay out the width and length of the notch on each end of the the cheeks of the slot are parallel with the router-table surface.
post. To lay out a notch, first use a square to mark a vertical line Install a 1-in.-dia. straight bit in the router, and raise the bit to
through the center of the turning. Using that centerline as a refer- make a 1⁄4-in.-deep cut in the post. Adjust the router-table fence
ence, mark the width of the notch. Finally, mark the depth of the so that when the cradle slides against it, the bit is centered on
notch. The notches can be cut by hand with a deep backsaw; but the post. Also, clamp a stop block to the fence to stop the cradle
78 FINE WOODWORKING
Stub tenon, Add glue to Peg, 3⁄8 in. dia. 1-in.-dia. by 5⁄8-in.-
1
⁄4 in. long center tenon by 1 in. long deep counterbore
only.
Tenon, 3⁄8 in.
thick by 2 in.
long Top, 1 in. thick by
36 in. wide by 94 in.
long (includes tenons
at each end)
5 in.
BRACE 7
⁄8 in.
1
3 ⁄2 in.
dia.
7
⁄8-in.-dia. Shank hole is
counterbored slotted to allow
hole wood movement. 4 in.
27⁄8 in. 1
2 ⁄2 in.
45º chamfer
(top edge only)
11⁄2 in.
Flats,
1
7 in. FOOT ⁄4 in. wide
41⁄2 in.
4 in.
25 in.
POST
80 FINE WOODWORKING
Complete the trestles
Dado the legs and braces. Cut a wide dado on each side
of the brace and foot (above). Use the tablesaw miter gauge
with a long auxiliary fence to support the parts during the
cuts. A pair of stop blocks helps ensure that the ends of the
dadoes end up perfectly aligned on both sides of the parts.
Drill holes in the ends of the stretcher. Add a trestle to the stretcher
temporarily, then use a 3⁄8-in.-dia. brad-point bit to extend the bed-bolt
hole slightly into the end of the stretcher. After that, remove the trestle
and drill deeper to complete the hole.
Put it together. After all the parts have been sanded and finished, it’s finally time to put the table Attach the top. A screw and washer go into
together. With the table parts upside down, slide the ends of the stretcher into the post grooves and each counterbored hole in the braces. The
slip the bed-bolt nuts into the mortises in the stretcher. Then, insert the bolts (top right). slotted shank hole allows wood movement.
SHAKER FURNITURE 83
CABINETS
The Shakers
had this
diminutive
design pegged
B Y C H R I S T I A N
B E C K S V O O R T
Shelf supports,
1
⁄4 in. thick by
1
⁄2 in. wide by
31⁄2 in. long
Door knob
with spinner
Side, 1⁄2 in. thick
by 41⁄2 in. wide by
14 in. long
181⁄2 in.
15 in. 14 in.
Take your pick. The cabinet’s simple design sings in a range of clear
finished woods—above, cherry on the left and pine on the right. But it
also looks great when painted. For the center cabinet, Becksvoort used
Federal Blue milk paint from the Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company. 13 in. 51⁄2 in.
Cut the grooves. Once the pins are cut, the sides get Case comes together. Knock the case joints together, following up with clamps if
grooved to accept the back. Two passes on the tablesaw necessary. Check to see that it is perfectly square before setting it aside to cure.
create the 3⁄16-in.-wide groove.
with half-blind dovetails for additional While the case glue-up is curing, make boards—a long, wide center board sand-
strength. Lay out and cut the dovetails the cabinet top and bottom. With a roun- wiched between two narrower, shorter
using your preferred method, keeping in dover bit at the router table, shape the ones. Shape the half-round at the top of
mind that while the case parts will all be bullnose on their front and side edges, the center board at the bandsaw, and re-
flush at the front, the sides are wider than where they’ll overhang the case. Glue the fine the curve at the disk sander or by
the case top and bottom because they are bottom to the case at this point, and then hand. Then glue on the side boards.
grooved for the back. add the face-frame stiles and the shelf Next, use a Forstner bit to drill a 1-in.
Before assembly, sand the inside surfac- supports. hole in the center of the half-round. Then
es of all four pieces. Then glue and clamp, trim the back to width, being certain to cut
checking to be sure the case is perfectly Back business from each side to keep the hole centered.
square. When the glue is dry, plane or To simplify shaping the half-round hang- After cutting tongues along the side edges
sand the exterior surfaces flat and smooth. er, I made the back by gluing up three of the back, insert it in its grooves to test
86 FINE WOODWORKING
Double roundover. The top and
bottom get a bullnose profile
on three sides. You can gang
the two pieces while cutting the
roundovers on the router table.
1
⁄4-in.
roundover bit
Three-part back. Shape the back’s half-round top Two tongues. Two passes on the tablesaw—one Circle session. A Forstner bit
section before gluing on the two narrower side boards. with the back standing on edge—create the in the drill press cuts a clean
Then trim the whole back to length and width. tongues on the sides of the back. hanging hole in the back.
Secure the back. Slide the back into place, then add the top (above right). To attach
the top, drive screws up through the case top. Then fix the back, screwing it to the
case top (right) and case bottom.
88 FINE WOODWORKING
Build the door
www.f inewoodworking.com 89
CABINETS
The Enfield
Historic Shaker cabinet
3 in.
Door stile,
15
⁄16 in. thick Door panel, 5⁄8 in.
75⁄8 in. by 21⁄2 in. wide thick, rabbeted on
61⁄2 in. by 423⁄4 in. long back to fit groove
21⁄16 in.
75⁄8 in. 113⁄4 in.
1
2 ⁄2 in.
65⁄8 in.
4 in.
31⁄4 in.
105⁄8 in.
517⁄8 in.
19 in.
15
17 ⁄16 in.
Groove,
1
⁄4 in. wide
by 3⁄8 in.
deep
123⁄4 in.
3 in.
5 in.
6 in. 6 in.
11⁄2 in. 1
⁄2 in. 11⁄2 in.
13 in.
case and you can reuse the spacer during this step to keep
the opening square.
Plane the face frame flush to the cabinet, then install the Peg, 3⁄16 in. dia.
shelves. The shelves immediately above and below the draw-
ers get stopped dadoes for the vertical dividers. I cut these at
the router table with a spiral upcut bit. After fitting the verti- Tenon,
cal dividers, you need to cut stopped dadoes in them for the 3
⁄8 in. thick
drawer divider. Once the dividers are glued in, you can turn by 13⁄4 in. long
to the door construction. Online Extra Hinges,
To hear an interview with Matt Kenney Horton Brasses,
Build and hang the door on designing furniture reproductions, PB-409
The door is frame-and-panel construction. The raised pan- and to watch a video on applying a milk-
paint finish, go to FineWoodworking
els are done using a special Shaker panel-raising bit ($37, .com/shakerfurniture.
leevalley.com, 16J66.51), but as the Shakers did, I placed the
Back panel
(flat), 1⁄4 in. thick
Groove,
1
⁄4 in. wide by
3
⁄8 in. deep
Drawer front,
5
⁄8 in. thick
Face-frame stile, Back stile, 3⁄4 in. Side, 7⁄8 in. thick
1 in. thick by 3 in. Cabinet bottom and thick by 3 in. wide by 13 in. wide by
wide by 511⁄4 in. long shelves, 5⁄8 in. thick by 507⁄8 in. long 511⁄4 in. long
by 121⁄4 in. wide by
FOOT
183⁄4 in. long
3
⁄8 in.
TOP AND MOLDING
5
1 DOOR PULL DRAWER PULL ⁄8 in.
⁄2 in.
11⁄4 in. dia. 5
⁄16 in. dia. 5
⁄16 in. dia.
5
5
⁄8 in. dia. ⁄8 in. dia. 3
⁄16 in. dia.
3
⁄8 in. dia. 1
⁄8 in.
51⁄2 in.
11⁄8 in.
11⁄2 in. 3
1
1
⁄2 in. ⁄4 in.
5
⁄8 in. 1
⁄8 in. ⁄2 in. 1
⁄8 in.
7
⁄32 in. 1 in.
SHAKER FURNITURE 93
CASE SIDES
Dadoes for shelves. The dadoes for the shelves are cut at the tablesaw
with a crosscut sled and dado set. Kenney uses the rip fence as a stop to
ensure that the dadoes on both sides are cut perfectly in line.
raised fields on the inside. After gluing the door together,
Rabbets for the reinforce the joints with shopmade pegs (see drawing, p. 92).
back. The case Hanging the door is a bit easier because you only have to fit
sides are rabbeted three sides. Cut the hinge mortises in the door stile first. I use
at the router table a template and a short flush-trimming bit. Then set the door
with a bearing-
in the opening with spacers between the door’s top edge and
guided bit. The
bottom of the case the face frame so that the gap there will match the gap on the
sides can be rabbet- hinge side. Transfer the mortises to the face frame and rout
ed straight through, them. I use the same bit and template. Next, hang the door
but at the top, the and try to close it. This should give you an idea of how much
rabbet must be material needs to be removed from the lock stile. Remove the
stopped at the pin door from the hinges and plane the stile with a slight inside
baseline to avoid a
bevel on the edge. If you plane it square, by the time the back
gap in the joint.
corner clears the face frame, the visible gap can be too big
when the door is closed.
Before moving on to the top, make and fit the drawers.
At this point you can also make the pulls for the door and
drawers, but don’t install them until after you’ve finished the
cupboard.
94 FINE WOODWORKING
CASE GLUE-UP FACE FRAME
Dovetails first. Using cauls, glue the dovetails at the top of the case Simple frame. With the mortise-and-tenon joints cut and fitted, a
first (above). Putting the bottom and a shelf or two into the case will help single clamp takes care of the top portion of the glue-up.
keep it square during this part of the glue-up. Kenney glues in the bottom
separately using cambered cauls (below), making sure the back of the
bottom is flush in the rabbet so the back can fit in later.
Seamless frame. The face frame simply gets glued to the front of
the case and then planed flush with the case sides.
SHAKER FURNITURE 95
OUTFIT THE INTERIOR wider than its final width, and long enough to wrap around
the three sides of the cabinet, plus 6 in. to allow for mistakes
in the fitting process. Lay out the profile on the end grain. At
the tablesaw, set the rip fence and blade height so that you
can cut a kerf down the low side of the molding. Move the
fence and raise the blade to cut a second kerf next to the first
one. Repeat this process until you have reached the top of the
molding (see photo, opposite).
There should be a 1⁄4-in.-wide strip of waste that supports
the molding as you cut away the waste. Flip the molding, put
its back against the rip fence, and cut the waste free.
Head to the bench to turn the stepped, rough molding into
a smooth profile. The best tool for this is a hollow plane, but
a gooseneck scraper works too. I prefer to hold the plane
Dadoes for dividers. Use a 1⁄4-in. straight bit to cut the stopped dadoes
vertical during use, so I made support blocks that hold the
into the case shelves for the vertical dividers that will form the drawer box. molding with the arc faceup.
As you plane away the remaining waste, don’t worry if the
profile isn’t perfectly identical along the molding’s length.
What’s most important is that it matches where it bends
around the cabinet—and it will, as a natural outcome of how
you’ll cut and hang the molding. Start with one side of the
cabinet. Cut a miter in a length of molding a few inches too
long for the side. Hold it up to the side so that the miter is
aligned with the front face of the cabinet. Mark the back end,
and cut it flush. Drill clearance holes in the molding so that
it doesn’t split, and nail it to the cabinet.
Now fit the front molding. You’ll need to recut the mitered
end that was left from the first side. This miter cut should mate
to the piece that’s hung. Hold the molding on the cabinet with
the miter joint closed tightly and mark the back for length
directly from the cabinet. I cut it a bit long, fit it with a shoot-
ing board, and nail the molding in place. To fit the last piece,
recut the mitered end so that it mates with the open miter on
the cabinet, hold it, mark it, and crosscut it. Nail it in place.
Ready for drawers. The left vertical divider slides up to the back
of the face frame to close off the space between the divider and the
cabinet side. The right divider stops 5⁄8 in. short of the shelf’s front
edge, creating space for the pulls. The horizontal divider stops flush
with the right divider.
96 FINE WOODWORKING
MODIFIED B ULLNOSE SHOPMADE COVE TRIM
Start at the
tablesaw. Once
the profile for the
molding is traced
on the stock, use
consecutive passes,
at increasing
heights, to nibble
away the waste. A
featherboard keeps
the thin stock
against the fence.
Then cut off the
bridge piece to free
the cove.
Cinch down
the top. After Fit and finish.
centering the top After mitering the
on the case and trim and cutting it
clamping it down, to length, predrill
pre-drill and screw and nail it to the
it on from the case. Kenney used
inside (right). hand-cut nails.
them like the other feet because the cabinet will live against a wall.
After the cabinet is finished, attach the back with countersunk screws.
I finished the cabinet with shellac, brushing it on and sanding
between coats. After the final coat, I knocked it down with ex-
trafine steel wool and then waxed it. For the drawer fronts, I used
three coats of Old Fashioned Milk Paint (Federal Blue). Before you
spread any paint, tape off all four edges of the front. I sanded with
320-grit paper after coats one and two, and then used 0000-grit
steel wool after the third coat. Then I rubbed on a coat of wax.
Finally, glue the pulls in place and install a catch for the door.
For a catch, I glued a magnet into the lock stile and covered it with
leather. The magnet sticks to a screw—countersunk and covered
with leather—driven into the shelf edge opposite. □
Matt Kenney is the author of 52 Boxes in 52 Weeks (The Taunton Press, 2018).
Classic Cupboard
Handsome
storage cabinet
is comfortable
in any room
B Y C H R I S T I A N
B E C K S V O O R T
S
everal years ago, I built a low chest
of drawers and wrote about its
case construction, drawer runner
system, and using a shopmade jig
and router to cut dadoes and dovetail slots
in the carcase. Since then, a client asked
me to build a large Shaker cupboard to
use in a kitchen. (To read my article about
the low chest of drawers, go to FineWood-
working.com/shakerfurniture.)
As I build this larger piece, I’ll explain
how I approach Shaker casework, show-
ing you how to apply the three-sided
face frame to the front. I’ll also walk you
through how I fit and install drawers. Also,
because the drawers are so wide, I includ-
ed a simple but effective center guide that
keeps big drawers from binding.
The way I approached the doors is ap-
propriate for almost any Shaker piece, so
I’ll expand on those techniques later in
the article. By the way, because this piece
will live in a kitchen, I sized the drawers to
hold cutlery, kitchen linens, and even pots
and pans. But this classic storage piece
can be adapted to any room of the house.
That’s what the Shakers would have done.
98 FINE WOODWORKING
START WITH A CHEST OF DRAWERS AND GO FROM THERE
Though the construction details are not complicated,
the size and number of the parts in this tall cupboard
present their own challenges.
Make a solid face frame. Mortise-and-tenon Inset it. The face frame goes inside the sides of the piece, but overlays the subtop, which is cut
joints add strength and simplify assembly: One short to accommodate it. Make the frame just a bit larger than the opening, and trim the side
clamp will hold it together. Gluing the frame pieces with a block plane to perfect the final fit. Apply clamp pressure from top to bottom, front to
into the case makes it completely rigid. back, and along the sides.
Add the middle shelf and back. The fixed middle shelf (left) sits on the
web frame below it, sharing a wide dado in the case sides. A dab of glue at
the front and a finishing nail through the top drawer frame hold it in place.
Keep the clamps on the face frame, or allow the glue to dry completely
before adding the middle shelf. A frame-and-panel back (above) adds
rigidity and racking resistance. Fit it and glue it into the rabbeted sides.
SHAKER FURNITURE 99
CUPBOARD DETAILS 1
⁄4 in. Door frame rail, 3⁄4 in.
thick by 13⁄4 in. wide
The subtop and fixed shelf are cut back to
accommodate the face frame and back assembly. 11⁄16 in.
The middle shelf also acts as a stop for the lower
edges of the doors. 3
⁄4 in.
TOP DETAIL
Molding,
76 in. quarter-
4 in.
round, 1⁄4 in.
5 in.
6 in.
7 in.
8 in.
42 in. 20 in.
Door panel,
1
⁄4 in. thick
Dado, 3⁄4 in. wide by 115⁄16 in.
by 1⁄8 in. deep wide by Dovetail,
3
233⁄16 in. long ⁄4 in. thick by
5
Dovetail, 3⁄4 in. thick ⁄8 in. wide
by 3⁄4 in. wide by
3
⁄8 in. long
Peg,
1
WEB FRAME ⁄4 in. dia.
DETAIL
Back top rail, 5⁄8 in. Back upper center stile, Tenon, 1⁄4 in.
Door stop, Subtop, 3⁄4 in. thick thick by 13⁄4 in. wide 5
⁄8 in. thick by 4 in. wide thick by 11⁄4 in.
3
⁄8 in. thick by 185⁄8 in. wide by by 411⁄2 in. long by 3213⁄16 in. long wide by 13⁄4 in.
by 11⁄4 in. 413⁄4 in. long long
wide
Back stile,
5
⁄8 in. thick
by 13⁄4 in.
Shelf, 3⁄4 in. thick wide by
Face-frame by 18 in. wide by 7415⁄16 in.
stile, 401⁄2 in. long long
3
⁄4 in. thick
by 43⁄16 in.
wide Grooves,
1
⁄4 in. wide
by 1⁄2 in.
Rabbet, 5⁄8 in.
deep
deep by 1⁄2 in.
wide
Back panel,
5
Side, 3⁄4 in. thick ⁄8 in. thick by
by 20 in. wide by 103⁄4 in. wide
7415⁄16 in. long by 323⁄4 in.
long, with a
1
⁄4-in.-thick
by 1⁄2-in.-long
Fixed shelf, 3⁄4 in. tongue
thick by 185⁄8 in.
wide by 403⁄4 in. Back center
long rail, 5⁄8 in.
thick by
4 in. wide by
411⁄2 in. long
Back lower
center stile,
Drawer guide, 5
⁄8 in. thick
3
⁄8 in. thick by by 4 in. wide
3
⁄4 in. wide by 317⁄16 in.
long
Back panel,
5
Center stile, ⁄8 in. thick by
3
⁄4 in. thick by 103⁄4 in. wide
21⁄4 in. wide by 333⁄4 in.
long, with a
1
⁄4-in.-thick
by 1⁄2-in.-long
tongue
Back bottom
rail, 1⁄2 in.
Frame rail, 3⁄4 in. thick by
thick by 17⁄8 in. wide 4 in. wide by
by 411⁄2 in. long 411⁄2 in. long
Tenon,
1
3
Drawer runner, ⁄4 in. ⁄4 in. thick
Apron rail, by 31⁄2 in.
3
⁄4 in. thick by thick by 11⁄8 in. wide
wide by
15⁄8 in. wide 13⁄4 in. long
Drawer stop
Spline 15⁄8 in.
Glue block
3
⁄4 in.
To purchase digital plans and a Apron leg,
complete cutlist for this Tall Shaker 3
⁄4 in. thick by APRON 3 in.
Cupboard and other projects, go to 211⁄16 in. wide Corner DETAIL
FineWoodworking.com/PlanStore. block
31⁄2 in.
102 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Anissa Kapsales; p. 98: Dennis Griggs
CENTER GUIDES KEEP THEM IN LINE
Wide drawers have a tendency to bind, but this simple dowel system
keeps them running smoothly.
Drawer
the back so that it just drops into the rabbet, and glue it in. Now
you can make and fit the doors.
the fit. Before gluing the doors together, I oil the panels so no the same thing to the top of the door. Once the bottoms and tops
raw wood shows if they shrink in dry months. Glue and pin the of both doors match the case, take off enough material to leave
joints, and sand both faces. Now I simply cut, fit, and glue the a 1⁄16-in. gap on the top and 1⁄8 in. on the bottom. This technique
1⁄4-in. quarter-round moldings to the outside face of the frame, all also works for a single door.
the way around the panel. Then I fit the doors to the opening. To fit the width of the doors, set both doors in place and trim
them (on the jointer) so they just fit into the opening with about
Getting the doors to fit the case a 1⁄16-in. gap at the hinges. The final fitting will be done after the
Start with a slightly oversize door and work on the length first, hinges are in. Last, drill for the doorknobs and add brass butt
then the width. Working on one door at a time, butt the first door hinges on both doors.
to the hinge side of the opening. Things can be very slightly out of
square. This isn’t a problem. If the bottom of the door isn’t square Wrap up some details, then tackle the drawers
to the case, mark it and square it on the jointer. Then, because With the doors complete, most of the hard parts are finished.
the top of the opening might not be parallel to the bottom, do While the case is still open, use a handheld drill and jig (a simple
1
Tenon ⁄4 in. thick
Small,
1
Rail ⁄4-in. round
Notched stile molding cut
from larger
profile
Offset shoulders
Fit it piece by
piece. Glue the
molding to the
frame only, not to
the panel. Work
Tenon, on one piece at
1
⁄4 in. thick a time, marking,
cutting miters, and
Haunch fills groove
gluing as you go.
at bottom of stile.
Use hand pressure
1 to keep the pieces
⁄4 in. 1
⁄4 in. in place for about
3
⁄4 in. 1 minute each,
and then leave a
1
few pieces of tape
⁄2 in. behind as clamps.
Fit the length first. If the door isn’t parallel to the case, you’ll have to Then reverse the
make an angled cut. Working on one door at a time, butt the door to the door so the first cut
hinge side and mark the door parallel to the bottom of the opening. is on the trailing
end. Run the door
straight through to
complete the cut.
piece of plywood with predrilled holes) to drill holes on both
sides of the upper section to accept pins for the adjustable
shelves. Then glue in the mitered, splined apron in the base
at the front.
Once the case is sanded, cut the top to size and then run a cove
profile around the front and sides of the top on the router table.
Screw it to the subtop from the inside. FOR A TAPERED CUT
Drawers are the last hurdle, and the most time-consuming. I cut First make a leading-
half-blind dovetails in the front and through-dovetails in the back, end cut (same
and I always cut the tails first. On the tablesaw, groove the front as above) to the
maximum depth of the
and the two sides for the drawer bottoms. These grooves will help taper. Then reverse
align things when it’s time to transfer the tail layout to the pin the door, pivoting the
boards. On the wide drawers, make sure to locate the grooves uncut end down onto
3⁄4 in. from the bottom to allow enough room for the center track. the outfeed table.
After you complete the drawers, turn the knobs, glue them in
place, and add drawer stops to the fronts of the web frames. Next,
make the tracks for the wide drawers to run on. They are fitted,
centered, and glued and screwed to the front and center rails.
Run the door
Now drill a hole and insert a dowel into the drawer back, cen- through the
tered exactly. Finally, test-fit each drawer and make adjustments. jointer to finish
I finished the case with Tried & True Danish oil. Once dry, I the cut. Presto,
perfect taper.
screwed in the drawer bottoms, polished the brass hinges, and
added leather bumpers to the door and drawer stops. □
Built-in Cabinetry
Add charm to any home with customized
storage cabinets
B Y C H R I S T I A N B E C K S V O O R T
I
’ve grown used to the pleasure of working solid wood at the makes the space unsuitable for almost anything else. I started with
workbench, so it takes some persuasion to get me to leave a rough sketch, consisting of three sections of doors and drawers
my shop, haul sheets of plywood, and get on my knees to that would be built in place into a single unit. This built-in navi-
scribe along crooked walls. But in my younger days, I built gates the knee wall, but the techniques and order of operations is
my fair share of kitchen cabinets, commercial fixtures, and built- exactly the same as for a straight built-in. The keys to success are
ins. And recently, my most discerning client, my wife, convinced keeping everything plumb and level and having a lot of patience
me that we needed a built-in. So out of the shop I went. while you go back and forth between the site and the shop.
Early homes tended to lack closets and storage space, so ward-
robes and built-ins were common. The Shakers added built-ins Troubleshoot the site
wherever possible and turned them into an art form. Most, if not The more sound, plumb, and level the location, the easier your
all, the built-ins made by the Shakers were constructed in place. I built-in construction and installation will be. The first thing to
did the same, except I used plywood partitions and shelves where do is survey the site. Note where the walls aren’t plumb and the
the Shakers used solid pine (or poplar in the South). I used solid floors slope. If your walls and floors are old, warped, sloped, and
cherry for the face frames, doors, and drawers. out of square, then make leveling frames to fit the wall and the
The best part of a built-in is its versatility. You can design it to floor. Anything more than 1⁄8 in. is too much out of whack and you
function for your particular situation. Mine has a middle bottom should correct for it. It takes some time and patience to get things
section for drawers. The right bottom section has a closet rod, just right, but the effort will be repaid with an easier construction
while the left bottom section has adjustable shelves. and a straight and square finished product.
In our case, the location was under a roof and knee wall next Mark the locations of your wall studs and use a level and shims
to a doorway. A lot of homes have areas where a slanted ceiling to make sure the frame is plumb and flat. A stack of cedar shingles
www.f iinewoodworking.com
newoodwor k i n g.com S E P T E M SBHE AR K
/OE RC TFOUBRENRI T2U0 R1 E1 109
ANATOMY OF A SHAKER BUILT-IN Top rail, 3⁄4 in. thick by
31
⁄2 in. wide
Plywood partitions are easy to cut to size and quick to install. Solid-wood
face frame pieces are scribed to the wall and ceiling, and then dry-fitted
to mark their joinery.
Frame for a flat,
PLYWOOD MAKES FOR QUICK CONSTRUCTION level wall
Vertical dividers
are the backbone.
Rip them to width,
and then cut the 45°
angle at the top using
a circular saw and a Outer stiles,
3
simple cutting guide ⁄4 in. thick by
21⁄2 in. wide,
(left). Ledger strips are
scribed to fit wall
the connectors. Secure
them to the same
measurement on all
the dividers (right).
DETAIL
Flat panel
Back ledger,
3
⁄4 in. thick by
11⁄2 in. wide by
225⁄8 in. long
Drawer runners,
3
⁄4 in. thick by
1 in. wide by
22 in. long
Face-frame drawer
dividers, 3⁄4 in. thick
by 1 in. wide
Nail frame
to floor.
Laps are
3
⁄8 in. deep
Add a divider to
create the next
box. Again, nail
the shelves to
the ledger strips
to hold it all
together. As with
the first box, the
final step is to
toenail through
the bottom
ledger strip into
the floor.
A versatile interior
After the built-in was constructed and before I finished it, I used
a simple plywood jig to locate holes for shelf pegs, and drilled
them with a cordless drill.
The last step is to make and fit the 10 doors and five drawers.
I make traditional dovetailed drawers and run them on wooden
runners, not commercial slides. I kept the face frames flush to
the sides of the middle section with the drawers so I wouldn’t
have to block out for the drawers. The frame-and-panel doors Nail the face frame in
are mounted with standard butt hinges, but I mortised them into place. Reuse the nail holes
the doors only. The hinges are surface-mounted to the frames. from when you tacked up
the frames. Start with any
Once the drawers are made and fitted and the doors are made,
preassembled sections,
fitted and hung, the entire piece can be finished. I used a mixture and then add the individual
of Tried & True Varnish oil and spar varnish. □ pieces. Becksvoort fills the
nail holes with a commercial
Christian Becksvoort is a longtime furniture maker and designer putty (Wunderfil medium
in New Gloucester, Maine, and an expert on Shaker furniture. brown).
Chimney
Cupboard
An original piece
with classic looks
and easy joinery
B Y M I C H A E L P E K O V I C H
27 in. 217⁄8 in. Top, 7⁄8 in. thick by Subtop rails, 3⁄4 in. Back rails, 3⁄4 in. thick;
121⁄2 in. wide by thick by 31⁄2 in. wide top rail, 3 in. wide; all
163⁄4 in. long by 151⁄2 in. long Tenons, 1⁄4 in.
others, 31⁄2 in. wide
thick by 11⁄4 in.
long
Back panels,
3
1
⁄8 in. thick,
3 in. 5 ⁄4 in. Inset magnetic rabbeted to fit
catch contacts 1
⁄4-in. groove
35⁄8 in. flat-head screw
in door.
Groove, 1⁄4 in.
707⁄8 in. wide by 5⁄16 in.
Dadoes, 1⁄4 in. deep
wide by 5⁄16 in. Face frame stile, 7⁄8 in.
deep thick by 13⁄4 in. wide by
303⁄4 in. 70 in. long
25 in.
Vertical divider,
5
⁄8 in. thick
Front,
3
⁄4 in. thick
Drawer stop,
1
Stiles and rails, 7⁄8 in. ⁄8 in. thick
thick by 2 in. wide* Drawer guide,
Sides and back, 1 in. wide
1
⁄2 in. thick
Photo (opposite page): Michael Pekovich; drawings: John Hartman SHAKER FURNITURE 117
J O I N E RY
SIMPLE DADOES AND RABBETS
Case side has
1
⁄4-in.-wide by 5⁄16-in.-
deep dadoes.
118 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Ken St. Onge
Stopped dadoes for the vertical divider.
Clamp both shelves together with the back edges
adjacent. Rout the dadoes using a straightedge
to guide the router base. Stop short of the ends
and square up the dadoes with a chisel.
Vertical divider,
Tenon, 1⁄4 in. 5
⁄8 in. thick
thick by 1⁄4 in.
long
Stopped dado,
1
⁄4 in. wide by
5
⁄16 in. deep
511⁄16 in.
1
⁄2 in.
Fixed shelf
First I cut the dadoes narrower than the side). And because the joint registers off case bottom is a little trickier because the
shelves, dividers, and bottom, and rab- the shoulder, you can cut the dado a little long side can pivot during the cut. For that
beted those parts to fit. deep, which allows room for excess glue dado, I made a stop block with hold-down
This approach has some big benefits. to gather and prevents squeeze-out. The clamps and attached it to the sled.
First, rabbeting a part to fit a dado is much face frame and back panel hide any gap While I had the 1⁄4-in.-wide blade in the
easier than milling a part to a precise thick- at the bottom of the joint. saw, I grooved the back of the face-frame
ness to fit a full-width dado. Second, the To cut the dadoes for the shelves, divid- stiles. The trick here is to locate the groove
rabbet creates a shoulder on the shelf that ers, and case bottom, I used a crosscut so that the face frame will be about 1⁄32 in.
registers against the inside face of the case sled and a 1⁄4-in.-wide dado blade on the proud of the case side when glued up, so
side. This makes for much more accurate tablesaw. To cut the three dadoes for the you can plane the face frame flush to the
glue-ups because it doesn’t rely on the shelf and drawer dividers, I registered the case. If you’re really organized, you can
bottom of the dado being perfectly even work against a long hook stop (see top cut the panel grooves in the door and back
(that is difficult to pull off on a wide case photos, opposite page). The dado for the frame parts now as well. I hate changing
Shape the feet first. Pekovich jigsaws the profile on the case
sides, and then smooths it with a block plane as shown, using a file
to work into the corners. He tapers the bottom of the face frame
on the bandsaw, smoothing the cuts with a bench plane.
out my dado blade more than I have to. for that. So I placed the side flat on the stiles to the sides first eases construction
One more thing: You can use cutoffs from benchtop and held the rail vertically while in a couple of ways. First, it allowed me
the grooved parts to dial in a perfect fit on scribing, and I kept them there to rout, to plane the stiles flush while the side as-
the rabbets later. chop, and pare away the waste. semblies were easy to deal with; doing
Next, I widened the dado set and rab- The last task before assembly is to cut it when the whole cabinet is together is
beted the case sides, dividers, and shelves. out the feet on the case sides and the bot- awkward. It also was easier to mark and
The case sides get a rabbet along the back tom of the face-frame stiles. notch the shelves to fit around the stiles
and front edges. The rabbet in the back at this stage. And that let me assemble the
houses the case back. The one at the front Face frame anchors everything else rest of the case all at once, without having
creates a tongue that fits the groove in the Normally the face frame is the last thing I to slide in the shelves afterward.
back of the face frame stiles. It’s a little add when building a case, but it’s the first The case bottom and the front subtop
more work than simply butting the parts thing I tackled on this project. Gluing the rail butt against the back of the face frame
together, but the tongue-and-groove joint
makes it easier to register the parts during 2. NOTCH THE SHELVES
glue-up and can help correct any slight
bow in the long case sides. Scribe and cut. The
The two horizontal dividers require a fixed shelf and dividers
end up flush with the
stopped dado to accommodate the vertical
case front, so they need
drawer divider. I handled this with a rout- to be notched to fit
er. Clamp both shelves to the workbench. around the face frame.
With a T-square fence clamped in place, Butt them against the
you can rout both shelves at once, saving face frame and be sure
time and ensuring perfect alignment. they are vertical when
scribing. Cut outside the
line and pare to fit with
Dovetails lock the top of the case
a chisel.
The subtop rails are joined to the case
sides with half-blind dovetails. Start by
cutting the tails on the subtop rails, and
then transfer their layout to the case sides.
I normally stand the pins board in a vise
for scribing, but these sides were too long
and act as door stops. The fixed shelf and Assembly continues with gluing up the go ahead and glue up the case. Once all
dividers, on the other hand, end up flush sides, shelves, and bottom and top rails. the clamps are on, add the glue blocks
with the front of the face frame, so you Dry-fit and clamp the parts together and under the bottom shelf. Apply a thin coat
need to notch them to fit around it. With check for square. Also check that all the of glue on two faces and rub the block
the stiles already glued to the case side, shelf notches are sized properly. A notch back and forth until it grabs. The vacuum
it’s easy to scribe the notches. Mark them that’s too narrow will look fine from the will hold it in place without clamps. To al-
a little high, so the shelves end up protrud- front of the case, but won’t allow the low for seasonal movement, apply multiple
ing a bit from the front of the case. You can shelf to seat fully. The notch should be short blocks along the joint rather than one
plane them flush later. Cut just outside the deep enough so that when slid forward, long one. The drawer guides are glued in
line with a handsaw or bandsaw, and pare the shelf or divider is just proud of the the same way, but because the guides are
the remaining waste with a chisel. face frame. When everything looks good, long, glue the front half only. Afterward,
1
Plane its neighbors, then slide it in. Go slowly when planing (1) to avoid gouging the face
frame. Then slide the vertical divider most of the way in (2), apply glue, and tap it home. Plane the
divider flush when the glue is dry (3). 3
Final profile