mud room storage bench
Transcription
mud room storage bench
UCCESS D LS A EE TO T mud room storage bench GUARAN T © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. Designer Series Project storage Bench This handy bench is a great project to try your hand at loose-tenon joinery. A storage bench is a great addition to an entry hall or mud room. This design features three storage bays — plenty of room to stow away some clutter. To organize the space, I used inexpensive baskets from a housewares store. (It’s a good idea to have the baskets in hand first. This allows you to build the bench to suit the baskets for a good fit.) Since I wanted to paint this project, I used poplar and MDF for the { Pull-out baskets are a great alternative to drawers. bench. The hardwood top adds a They help keep things in order (so nothing gets lost nice contrasting detail, and ensures plenty of seating support. in the back) and provide a clean look. 1 WoodsmithPlans.com The construction is pretty straightforward as well. I relied on loose-tenon joinery for the frame. The advantage of using this type of joint is that you don’t have to worry about fitting each individual tenon to a particular mortise. You just use a shop-made router jig to rout perfectly sized mortises, accurately positioned on every workpiece. And because the mortises are all the same size, you can make all the tenons you’ll need in just a few minutes at the router table and table saw. WS18222© 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 46!/2"W x 18#/4"D x 30#/4"H #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew Arched back rail adds decorative detail 17!/4 #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew #8 x 3" Fh woodscrewNOTE: This NSIONS: #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew NOTE: Refer to FIRST: This is for an !/16 !/8 !/4 page #/4 11 easy-to-build router jig #/8 !/2 %/8 for &/8 cutting the mortises SECOND: This #8 x 1#/4" FhThin woodscrew back slats fit in grooves in the top and #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew center rails #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew Solid-wood seat provides THIRD: sturdy This support Spacers in the rails separate the slats 26!/2 27#/8 17!/4 26!/2 !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 27#/8 Pocket screws attach dividers to front rail Hardwood edging covers front edge of dividers Cleats on the lower rails support the bottom Loose-tenon joinery speeds construction and ensures strength Dividers fit into dadoes in the bottom to form storage bays Side panels fit in grooves in rails and legs Legs are made from 1#/4"-thick stock to guarantee a strong frame Edge of seat is eased by adding a slight roundover Screws in cleat attach solid-wood seat to frame Pocket screws connect dividers to front and back rails Groove for panels starts just below mortise in rails FRONT SECTION VIEW 2 WoodsmithPlans.com SIDE SECTION VIEW WS18222© 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. #/4"-Ply. a. 1!/4 B SIDE SECTION VIEW #/4 b. 17!/4 A #/4 #/8 !/4 26!/2 FRONT LEG FRONT CLEAT D 1!/4 16#/8 BACK VIEW #/8 A A #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew !/4 1&/16 A 2 3&/8 1!/4 42 C 42 B C 16#/8 FRONT RAIL Drill and countersink for #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew 8 1 8 #/4 18 e. A D FRONT CLEAT FRONT LEG 1!/4 #/4 NOTE: This d. 1!/4 !/4 TOP SECTION 27#/8 VIEW C A c. D B BACK VIEW !/4 #/4 3&/8 #/4 start with the Front Frame #/4 #/4 SIDE SECTION VIEW 1!/4 C LOOSE TENON !/8" roundover 1#/4 1#/4 NOTE: Mortises and grooves centered on width of legs The bench consists of a front and them to size. Next, mark the loca- loose tenons. You only need about back frame that hold the storage tions of the mortises on the legs and 30" of stock for the 20 tenons used bays in between. Starting with the rails. You’ll want to pay particular throughout the project, but I usufront frame allows you to practice attention to the end points of each ally try to make a few extra. I and perfect your technique for cut- mortise. Since the router jig you’ll started by resawing and planing ting and fitting loose tenons. This be using will keep the cut centered, some hardwood stock to fit snugly way, when you get to work on the the start and stop locations are the in the mortise (1⁄4"). It’s a good more involved back frame, you’ll key layout marks. idea to begin with the stock a little be an old hand at the joinery and thicker than the mortise and then Rout the Mortises. Now you’re ready assembly processes. to cut the mortises for the loose ten- sneak up on a good fit. The frame is simply two legs ons. The techniques illustrated on After you’ve milled the stock joined by two rails. As I said page 4 give you an overview of each to thickness, you can move to the earlier, the loose tenons provide of the different types of cuts you’ll router table and round over all four strong joints. I used the router jig need to make. edges. Then, all that remains to do is shown on page 4 to cut the morI started by routing the mortises cut the tenons to final length. tises. It’s simple to build, accurate, in the legs. Note that the mortises on Assembly. Begin assembling the and very easy to use. the back face are joined by a shallow front frame by gluing tenons in each of the mortises on the rails. Legs. To give the bench plenty groove that holds the side panels. of strength, I used 8/4 stock (13⁄4" You can rout this groove using the Then add glue in the leg mortises #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) 1. Finishe and clamp the assembly. thick) for the legs. If you can’t find router jig, as well. of patt For the mortises in the rails, start stock this size, you can always glue Add the cleat. I attached a cleat 2. Whi up thinner pieces. After planing by securing the workpieces in a vise to the inside of the lower rail to patt clamp stock to its finished thickness, provide a platform for the bot#/4"xthe 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) 1. Finished dimensions #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherryor (4.83 Bd. Ft.)them vertically to your pattern BODY I cut the legs to final size. At the bench before routing. You might tom. Start by cutting theofcleat to router table, I added a 1⁄8" round- also need to clamp supports to the final size, then drill countersunk 2. White area defines sides to stabilize the router. holes as shown in detail ‘d,’pattern above.template (Fru over to the bottom of the legs. 3. Sp #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) #/4"x 8"60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) 3 #/4"x 8"60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) Finally, attach the cleat using a litRails. The rails are just ⁄4"-thick Cut the tenon stock. With the mor72" Fir (Three @ 3.5it’s Bd. time Ft. each) tle glue and a few screws.BODY TEXT AND NUMBE stock. You can start #/4"x by 8"cutting tisesboards done, to 8"make the (4.83 #/4"x 60" Cherry Bd. Ft.) haped undover e bits ECTION ALSO NEEDED: One - 48" x 96"sheet !/4" Cherry plywood 3 WoodsmithPlans.com #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) WS18222© 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) 3. Specify scale of patte W X Y END VIEW Z F F GG MM NN T T UU SECOND: This TOP VIEW How-To: Loose-Tenon Joinery SIDE VIEW PART NAMES NOTE: This #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew THIRD: This NOTE: See page 11 for more on building the router jig !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 a. #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew The thought of drilling squar#8 x 1!/2"and Fh woodscrew ing up the 40 mortises used in the #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew bench may seem a little dauntSECOND: This ing at first. But by a plunge #8 xusing 2" Fh woodscrew router and a simple jig to guide it, #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew THIRD:you’ll This make short work of them all. (Shop Notebook on page 11 has the !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 details for building the jig.) #/8 !/2 %/8 base&/8 The jig is just an auxiliary plate for your router with two adjustable fences. These fences trap the stock in between and keep the cut centered on the thickness of the workpiece. By attaching the fence with carriage bolts and wing nuts, the fences can be adjusted for different thicknesses of stock. Using the jig. When you’re ready to rout the mortises, first install a spiral upcut bit in the router. I found that this style of bit works well for these cuts because it clears the chips quickly. Then, using the layout marks on your workpiece, set the fence positions. Use a piece of scrap the same thickness as the workpiece to make test cuts and tweak the settings until the mortise is perfectly centered. (Once you have it set, you might want to rout all the workpieces of that thickness before moving the fences.) After centering the bit, the next step is to set the depth of cut. With a plunge router, this is simply a matter of zeroing out the bit and adjusting the depth stop. Fence You’ll need to clamp the workpiece in place, making sure the clamps won’t interfere with the !/8" path of the router. For the legs, this roundover bit isn’t a problem. But when it comes to routing the ends of the rails, you’ll need to hold them in a vise and clamp a support saddle to the workpiece to support the jig. Finally, rout the mortises using a few light passes rather than one deep pass. This will result in a cleaner cut. The depth stop on your plunge router makes this easy. FIRST: Make plunge cuts at each end of mortise !/4" spiral upcut bit Router jig Waste #/4 FRONT LEG FIRST: This is 4 #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew A SECOND: Remove waste between ends of mortise in multiple passes 17!/4 1!/4 SIDE SECTION VIEW Clamp leg securely to bench 26!/2 Routing the Leg Mortise. After adjusting the fences on the router jig so the bit is centered on the width of the workpiece, plunge the bit to full depth27#/8 at each end of the layout marks for the mortise. Then, using a few shallow passes, rout away the waste in between. Reposition clamp as needed to complete the cut a. !/4 A FRONT LEG A B C D E Rout shallow groove between mortises F G H I J OVERALL DIMENSIONS: N CROSS SECTION SIDE SECTION VIEW F END VIEW S L M K Routing the Groove. reset the depth of the router bit P Q the R SlegT mortises U V W complete, X Y Z N O With and rout the shallow groove for the end panel. The fences keep TOP this groove in line with the VIEW AA BB DD E E F F CC GG mortises, ensuring a perfectly aligned assembly. HH I I J J KK L L MM NN OO P P QQ R R S S T T UU VV WW XX YY a.Z Z b. PART NAMES Support saddle FRONT RAIL #/4 B B SIDE VIEW !/4 END SECTION VIEW #/4 B #/8 1!/4 SIDE SECTION VIEW Spacer Rail Mortises. Start by clamping the rail vertically in a vise or securing it to the bench with clamps. Then, clamp a support saddle to the workpiece for the router jig to ride on. Finally, rout the mortises using the same technique as you did for the legs. Loose tenon blank 1&/16 Doublesided tape Fence !/8" roundover bit Stop block NOTE: Loose tenon blank is 1!/4"-wide Aux. miter fence Loose tenon blank Making Loose Tenons. After milling the stock to thickness and width, round over the four long edges at the router table. Then move to the table saw and cut the tenons to #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) length using a stop block and an auxiliary fence on the miter gauge. WoodsmithPlans.com WS18222© 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. T a. b. %/8 FRONT SECTION VIEW 1!/4 E REAR TOP RAIL F E REAR #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew REAR 7#/4 TOP LEG RAIL 1!/4 #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew NOTE: This FIRST: This is 3 F OVERALL G NOTE: This E 1!/4 G H I J K C O Q R This S Tis U P FIRST: V W X A BB CC DD E E F F H I I J J KK L L M M#8 xN2" N SECOND: This O P P QQ V WW XX 1#/4 1!/4 3&/8 1#/4 R R S S YY ZZ THIRD: This T 1&/8 I REAR CENTER RAIL 42 7#/4 E 26!/2 G SPACER J 2 17!/4 #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew REAR LEG #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew 42!/2 FIRST: This is SECOND: This D GG THIRD: This Fh #/8 woodscrew SIDE VIEW #/4 #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew T UU d. PART NAMES NOTE: Align !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 rear cleat with cleat on front #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 frame making the K #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew BACK PANEL #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew (!/4"hardboard) #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew 11!/4 42 17!/4 !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 FRONT SECTION VIEW #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 26!/2 H REAR BOTTOM RAIL 1!/4 2 27#/8 2 #/8 #/4 H NOTE: Add !/8"round over on tops and bottoms of rear legs REAR BOTTOM RAIL also need mortises to accommodate a wide center rail. As you can see in the main drawing above, this rail requires two mortises. Begin by laying out the locations and then rout each one. Now you can rout the grooves for the side panels. Note that there’s The back frame is similar to the front in construction. But it features a curved top rail and slats to provide back support. Below the slatted back rest, a hardboard panel encloses the back of the storage bays. Legs. Once again, you’ll need to start with the legs. This time, you’ll 27 #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew #/8 Back Frame also a groove on the inside face of each leg that will hold the hardboard back panel. Rails. The rails for the back frame not only provide structural support, but they also hold both the lower back panel and the slatted back rest. You can start by cutting How-To: Make Spacers & Open Grooves Push1. Finished dimensions block of pattern !/2 Sand a slight roundover on edges of blank t.) Sandpaper the Corners. Start with extra-wide stock for spacers and round over the One 48" x 96"sheet !/4" the Cherry plywood t.) corners with 220-grit sandpaper. 5 WoodsmithPlans.com Zero-clearance insert STANDARD PATTERN 28" 2. White area defines HEADING FONT pattern template (Frutiger 2: view font) J Ease 3.5 Bd. Ft. each) Bd. Ft.) 17!/ 27#/8 4#/4 !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 NOTE: This DIMENSIONS: #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 REAR CROSS SECTION 4#/4 CENTER #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew RAIL L M END VIEW #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew BACK Y Z CLEAT 1!/4 #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew TOP VIEW B J !/8" #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew roundover THIRD: This PART NAMES SPACER #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew 16#/8 1%/8 !/8" roundover #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew #/8 #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 SIDE VIEW D !/4" roundover 2 1!/4 DIMENSIONS: TOP VIEW 3 F BACK SLAT #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew #/8 NOTE: This #/4 #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew 1!/4 CROSS SECTION #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew FIRST: This is THIRD: This 30 c. FRONT SECTION This SECOND: !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 VIEW OVERALL SECOND: This NOTE: Rails are made from #/4"-thick stock. Spacers and slats are !/4"-thick stock 42 6" Aux. Aux. fence BODY TEXT AND NUMBERS Attach stop miter block to fence fence with double- One square = 1. Finished dimensions sided tape STANDARD PATTERN of pattern 3. Specify scale of pattern 4. Waste area 28" White area HEADING FONT Rip the Spacers. At the 2. table saw, ripdefines Cut to Length. With an auxiliary fence on the pattern template (Frutiger view font)block attached to the the spacer stock to final width. Use a miter gauge2:and a stop 6" push block to make the BODY cut safely. rip fence, trim the spacers to final length. TEXT AND NUMBERS One square = WS18222 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. 1. Finished©dimensions of pattern 3. Specify scale of pattern STANDARD PATTERN 4. Waste area the three rails to size. Then it’s back to the bench to rout the mortises on the ends. Use the same technique for these cuts as you did earlier on #8 x 1!/4" Fh the woodscrew front rails. At this point, you’re ready to cut #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew the grooves in all three rails. The in the top rail and on the #8 x 1#/4" Fhgrooves woodscrew center rail hold the back slats and #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew spacers. The bottom rail and the #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew groove on the lower edge of the center rail hold the hardboard back !/16 !/8 panel. !/4 #/4 The box below shows how I made these cuts at the table saw. #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 Top Rail. With the mortises and grooves complete, you can turn 8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew your attention to laying out and 8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew cutting the arch on the top rail. The centerpoint of the arch is 1" 8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew higher than the ends. The easiest 8 x 2" Fh woodscrew way to lay out the arch is to bend a flexible strip of wood to match 8 x 3" Fh woodscrew the profile of the curve while you trace it onto the workpiece. !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 Next, you can move to the band #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 saw and cut the arch. After sanding the curve smooth, step over to the router table to add the roundovers on the top and bottom edges. Lower panel. The next step is to cut the hardboard back panel to size. It’s worth taking a few minutes at this point to dry fit the panel in the rails and legs. This way, you’ll be assured of a good fit before moving on to the assembly. Back slats & spacers. A series of thin back slats separated by short spacers forms the back rest for the bench. For both the slats and the spacers you’ll need to start by milling some 1⁄4"-thick stock. Shop Tip: Assemble Back Rest Starting with a slat at the centerline, add spacers to each side and glue in place Tape a. NOTE: Trim final spacer flush with end of rail 17!/4 26!/2 Thin stock supports slats during 27#/8 installation After preparing the thin stock, NOTE: Use a square to you can cut the slats to final size. verify spacers in top and center rails are Then, cut a wide blank for the spacaligned ers. Ease the edges with sandpaper17!/4 and rip the spacers to final width, as shown in the box on page 5. Finally, 26!/2 cut the spacers to finished width. When cutting the spacers to length, Clamp top note that the end spacers are longer 27#/8 and center rails together than the others. It’s a good idea to to install spacers wait and cut these after dry fitting the others in the assembly. This way you can cut them for a perfect fit. the top rail, clamp it to the center Assembly. I started the assembly by marking the centerline on the length rails as shown in the lower illustraof the top and center rails. Using this tion above. This way, you can use centerpoint, I centered a slat in the it as a template for adding spacers groove on the top rail and glued a to the center rail. Using a square spacer on each side and secured it makes this method almost foolwith tape. The tape acts as a clamp proof and guarantees the spacers in to keep the spacers in position. Now the two rails will match when you it’s just a matter of using the slat to install the slats. From here, the entire back frame position and install the remaining spacers with glue and tape. When comes together at once. After the you’ve finished adding spacers to glue on the spacers has dried, you can add the slats between them with a little glue in both the top END VIEW and center rails. Keep your square #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) and check the slats as you handy Rotating the rail after the first cut clamp the assembly. keeps the groove Now simply glue the tenons in centered all three rails and add the back #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) H #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) in the grooves in the lower panel ed and center rails. To complete the Edge is shaped ver with roundover assembly, just add glue to the s and cove bits mortises in the legs and clamp it #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) ION #/4"x 8"60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. allFt.) together. CROSS SECTION #/4"x 8"- 72" Fir (Three boards @ 3.5 Bd. Ft. each) Featherboard The in completing the #/4"x 8"- 72" Fir (Three boards @ 3.5last Bd. step Ft. each) ALSO NEEDED: One - 48" x 96"sheet !/4" Cherry plywood back frame is to add the !/4" cleat on the ALSO NEEDED: One - 48" x 96"sheet Cherry plywood lower rail. Just like the cleat on the Cutting Grooves for the Panels. You can cut the grooves at the table front frame, drill countersunk holes saw using a regular blade. Start the first cut a little off-center, as shown and attach it with glue and screws. in the inset, then rotate the rail end-for-end and repeat. 6 WoodsmithPlans.com WS18222© 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. NOTE: Side rails and cleats are made from #/4"-thick stock. The side panel is !/4" hardboard and the dividers are #/4" MDF #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew NOTE: This ENSIONS: FIRST: This is #/16" washer SECOND: This #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew 1!/4" pocket screw #8 x 1!/4" #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew Fh woodscrew P Q R S AA BB CC DD E E F F GG HH I I J J KK L L MM NN OO P P QQ R R S S T T UU VV WW XX YY ZZ T U V W X Y Z TOP VIEW b. !!/16 SIDE VIEW 1 PART NAMES !/4" wide slot 17!/4 M L SIDE CLEAT 15#/4 !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 P 12#/4 SIDE RAIL O 14 N BOTTOM c. 2 L DIVIDER 43 15!/4 O 11!/4 !/4 15#/4 #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew SIDE PANEL #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew Storage Bays & Seat d. a. Z M NN T UU 1 1!/4" pocket screw A L !/2 L !/2 14#/4 B A TOP SECTION VIEW Bottom. With the side frames complete, you can turn your attendividers fit into dadoes in the bottion to the bottom. It’s just an MDF is CROSS SECTION tom. The dividersFIRST: are This attached panel with dadoes to hold the to the front and back rails using dividers. It’s also notched on the This END VIEW pocket hole joinery SECOND: or the alternate ends to fit around the legs. You can method shown in the box below. start by cutting the bottom to final TOP VIEW Side frames join the front and back size. You’ll then need to install a THIRD: This frames and also connect the bottom dado blade in the table saw and SIDE VIEW and the hardwood top. I started by cut the shallow dadoes to match making the side frame assemblies. the thickness of the dividers. To PART NAMES complete the bottom, drill holes in side frames. The side frames conthe dadoes so you can attach the sist of rails that hold a hardboard dividers with screws later. panel. The rails are attached to the #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew Dividers. The dividers not only form the storage bays, but they support the top as well. As you can see in the drawing above, you’ll need to drill pocket holes #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) on the front and back edges to join Slots allow for wood movement them to the rails. You can install SIDE VIEW a. #/16" washer the dividers in the dadoes in the bottom glue and screws. #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83with Bd. Ft.) Assembly. Assembling the bench #/16" Edge is shaped isn’t too difficult because you’ve washer with roundover #8 x 1!/4" and cove bits already built a few sub-assemblies Fh woodscrew #8 x 1!/4" #8 x 1!/4" Rh woodscrew (the (4.83 frontBd. and back frames, the side #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry Ft.) Rh woodscrew CROSS SECTION frames, the bottom, and dividers). #/4"x 8"- 72" Fir (Three boards @ 3.5 Bd. Ft. each) Now you can start putting it all1. Finished No Pocket Hole Jig? You#/4"x can8"attach the dividers 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. to Ft.)the front and back rails using two ALSO NEEDED: One - 48" x 96"sheet !/4" Cherry p together by gluing tenons in the of patte cleats. Simply cut the cleats to fit between the dividers and drill countersunk holes, as side frames. Then, glue them into 2. White shown to attach to the rails and top. Fasten the cleats to the dividers with screws. L M GG O B The three storage bays are formed F N SIDE VIEW by making a simpleNOTE: box This with two OVERALL DIMENSIONS: Y 26!/2 FRONT SECTION VIEW 27#/8 N M building the P 1!/2 14#/4 O #8 x DIVIDER 2" Fh woodscrew M EDGING #8 x 1!/4" x"x#/4"-10 3" Fh woodscrew Rh woodscrew #8(!/2 !/2") THIRD: This Q #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 N O front and back frames with loose #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew tenons. After cutting the rails to size, you can rout the mortises and #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew the grooves that will hold the panel. #8 xthe 1#/4" Fh woodscrew I cut hardboard panels to size and glued them into the grooves. #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew To attach the hardwood seat, I x 3" Fhcleats woodscrew also#8added to the upper rails. After cutting the cleats to final size, !/16 holes !/8 !/4for #/4 the screws. Note just drill the front end is slotted to allow for #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 seasonal wood movement (detail ‘b’). Then fasten the cleats to the inside edge of the rails. Shop-Tip: Optional Joinery patte 7 #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) WoodsmithPlans.com WS18222 © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. BODY T NOTE: Seat is notched to fit around back legs NOTE: The bench seat is made from #/4"-thick stock a. 46!/4 R BENCH SEAT A 12!/4 B 17!/2 C D E N O P Q R AA BB CC F S G H T U DD I J K V W X E G OVERALL DIMENSIONS: Basket TOP SECTION VIEW NOTE: This BENCH SEAT !/2 #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew CROSS SECTION FIRST: This is END VIEW SECOND: This #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew L M Y Z E E F F GG HH I I J J KK L L MM NN OO 9P P QQ RR S S T T UU VV WW X X 15 Y Y ZZ R 2!/4 b. TOP VIEW #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew SIDE SECTION VIEW #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew R THIRD: This SIDE VIEW !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 #8 x 1!/4" #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 Rh woodscrew and washer !/8" roundover PART NAMES A A the front and back frames. Place clamps at each tenon location and make sure the assembly is square. When the glue dries, the next step is to drop the bottom in place on the cleats and secure it with screws. Now simply fasten the dividers to the front and back rails with screws in the pocket holes you drilled earlier. To complete the assembly, glue thin strips of edging on the front edge of both dividers. The Hardwood seat. The last component you need to make for the bench is the hardwood seat. It provides a nice decorative contrast to the bench. I chose oak because of its strength (as the seat of the bench) and its great looks. You’ll probably need to glue up a few pieces to get the final width of the seat. After jointing the individual pieces, take care to keep them aligned during the glueup. I find it helpful to add clamps and cauls on the ends to keep the pieces aligned and minimize any planing and sanding later. When the glue Materials, Supplies, & Cutting Diagram A Front Legs (2) 13⁄4 x 13⁄4 - 18 3⁄ x 2 - 42 B Front Rails (2) 4 1⁄ x 11⁄ - 36 rgh. C Loose Tenons (20) 4 4 3⁄ x 3⁄ - 42 D Front/Back Cleats (2) 4 4 E Rear Legs (2) 13⁄4 x 13⁄4 - 30 3⁄ x 3 - 42 F Rear Top Rail (1) 4 3⁄ x 43⁄ - 42 G Rear Center Rail (1) 4 4 3⁄ x 2 - 42 H Rear Bottom Rail (1) 4 1⁄ x 2 - 73⁄ I Back Slats (11) 4 4 1⁄ x 1⁄ x 48 rgh. J Spacers (24) 4 2 1⁄ Hdbd - 111⁄ x 421⁄ K Back Panel (1) 4 4 2 3⁄ x 2 - 143⁄ L Side Rails (4) 4 4 1⁄ Hdbd - 111⁄ x 151⁄ M Side Panels (2) 4 4 4 3 ⁄ MDF - 153 ⁄ x 43 N Bottom (1) 4 4 3 ⁄ MDF - 123 ⁄ x 153 ⁄ O Dividers (2) 4 4 4 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 143⁄ P Side Cleats (2) 4 2 4 1⁄ x 3 ⁄ - 101⁄ Q Divider Edging (2) 2 4 2 3 ⁄ x 171⁄ - 461⁄ R Bench Seat (1) 4 2 2 • (44) #8 x 11⁄4" Fh Woodscrews • (4) 11⁄4" Pocket Screws • (2) #8 x 11⁄4" Rh Woodscrews •(2) 3⁄16" Flat Washers 8 WoodsmithPlans.com has dried, cut the seat to final size and set it aside until you’ve finished painting the bench frame. Paint First. At this point, it’s a good idea to paint the bench. This way, you’ll have easier access to all the nooks and crannies. After applying a couple coats, you can attach the seat using screws through the cleats on the side frames. Now you can place the baskets in the bays and put the bench to use. It’s sure to provide many years of convenient storage. 1#/4"x 4"- 72" Poplar (4.0 Bd. Ft.) E A A E #/4"x 6"- 96" Poplar (4.0 Bd. Ft.) B L H D Q Q #/4"x 6"- 96" Poplar (4.0 Bd. Ft.) B L D G L #/4"x 6"- 96" Oak (Two boards @ 4.0 Bd. Ft. each) F L D R !/4"x 7!/2"- 48" Poplar (2.5 Sq. Ft.) I I I I I C J !/4" - 24"x 48" Hardboard P P R #/4" - 48"x 48" MDF I N O O K M M WS18222© 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. woodworking technique gluing up Large Panels Most case projects built from solid wood start with gluing up and surfacing the wide panels needed to make the parts. And the success at this stage can determine how the project goes from there on out. If your panels are smooth, flat, and accurately thicknessed, the rest of the work gets much easier. The usual procedure is to glue up a panel to “rough” thickness and then surface it to your specs. If you have a wide planer or a drum sander in your shop, this is easy to do. But most of us don’t have this luxury. And in this case, the work 1 of surfacing a panel after glueup can be a trial. The tedious handplaning, belt sanding, or scraping can make you think about taking up a less strenuous hobby. Reverse the order. To get my projects off to a smoother start, I tried approaching panel glueups from a different angle. I simply reverse the order of things. Briefly, the technique goes like this: I start by surfacing all the boards to final thickness. Then I lay them out, joint the edges, and very carefully glue up the panel one joint a time. This “extended” glueup allows 2 Plane First. After cutting the boards to rough length, plane them to the final thickness of the panel. 9 Approaching panel glueups in a different way can save you time and effort and give you better results. Joint & Dry Clamp. After laying out the boards and jointing the edges of the boards, dry clamp the panel and use a straightedge to check it for flatness. WoodsmithPlans.com you to concentrate on getting each joint perfectly flush, flat, and tight. Admittedly, the process of gluing up all the joints takes a little longer, but you easily recoup time by having to do very little cleanup to the panel afterward. And the panels usually turn out flatter, smoother, and better looking. First, The boards. I start by choosing stock for the panel and cutting the boards to rough width and length. You want a couple of inches extra length in the glued up panel and an extra inch or so in width for final sizing. It helps to start with the straightest boards possible. They don’t have to be perfect, but the straighter the better. Surface. Next, I joint one face of each board and then plane them to final thickness. Normally, I would leave the boards a little thick for “post-glueup” surfacing, but not here. You want the thickness to be dead-on (Figure 1). Lay out the panel. Once all the boards are planed, I take them to the bench. Before I joint the edges, I do a little mixing and matching of the pieces. I have two goals that sometimes require a compromise. You want to WS18222© 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. arrange the boards in the panel to achieve the best figure and color match, but you also want the panel to be flat and straight. If your boards are all pretty straight, you can arrange them strictly for appearance. But more often, a board or two is slightly bowed. This can be straightened by placing the board in the center of the panel, using a straight board on either side to counteract the bow. I always place a straight board at either edge of the panel, then any bowed boards go to the inside. If two bowed boards have to be placed side by side, reverse the bow in each piece so it cancels out. Joint & Dry Clamp. When I’m satisfied with the lineup, I mark the order of the boards and take them to the jointer (Figure 1). After jointing each edge, the next step is to dry clamp the panel to make sure that the joints are tight, lie perfectly flat, and are also easy to align (see Shop Tip below). It pays to check each joint as well as the entire panel with a straightedge, as in Figure 2. You don’t want any humps or dips at the joints. If you need to rejoint an edge, do it now, before you start gluing up the boards. Glue One Joint. When the panel passes the dry clamp test, you can get ready to glue up the first joint. I like to start at one side and work my way across the panel. Figure 3 shows the clamping arrangement. First I lay out a series of clamps and adjust them to the width of the boards. I also prepare an upper set of clamps to alternate with the lower set. You’ll need to have pads on your clamps or cauls ready to protect the jointed edges. After spreading glue on one edge, align the boards on the clamps and rub them together. There should be enough glue on the edge to keep the boards in contact. End Clamps. Before tightening the main clamps, I add a small clamp at each end to keep the two boards flush. Then I add the upper clamps and begin to tighten all the clamps. Remember, you’re only gluing one joint so don’t overdo it. Check for flush. While the clamps are being tightened, I’m feeling the joint for flush. If you find an offset along the joint, a dead blow mallet can be used to force the high side down. You may have to loosen the clamps to get the boards to move. If you find a hump or dip with your straightedge, adjust the clamps to change the pressure. Since you’re only gluing one joint, it’s not a panic to make these adjustments. A Short Wait. The next step is to wait while the glue sets up. This doesn’t take long. After about 30 minutes, the joint will be strong enough to loosen the clamps and add another board. At this point, I also scraped off the gummy glue squeezeout (Shop Tip below). More of the Same. The next joint goes just like the first. Again, the key is to make sure the joint is dead flush and lies flat. And you simply 3 4 repeat the process until you’ve completed the panel (Figure 4). Finish Up. I let the panel sit for several hours before the final step. When the clamps come off, I simply pick up a hand scraper and spend a few minutes removing any remaining glue squeezeout and touching up the joints (main photo, previous page). A little fine sanding finishes the job. To me, this technique proves that a little patience and planning can sometimes eliminate the need for a lot of hard work. Shop Tips: Biscuits & Scraping Soft Glue <Scrape the joint before adding the next board and the gummy glue squeezeout will come off cleanly and easily. { If you think you’re going to have trouble keeping long or bowed boards aligned, adding biscuits to the joints can help. 10 WoodsmithPlans.com WS18222© 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. Auxiliary base (!/4"acrylic) a. NOTE: Size auxiliary base to fit router Drill mounting holes to fit router Mortise Jig To create the mortises for the loose tenons used on the mudroom bench, I turned to my plunge router and a simple shop-made jig, like the one shown at right. The jig starts with an auxiliary base made out of a piece of clear acrylic (Plexiglas). Two adjustable hardwood fences are attached to the base with carriage bolts, washers, and wing nuts. A pair of slots in the base allows the fences to be adjusted to match the thickness of your workpiece. To use the jig, first attach it to your router. Then place it over your workpiece and adjust the fences to fit against the sides of the workpiece. The router bit should be centered on the thickness of the stock. The fences guide the router to create a perfectly straight mortise. 1"- dia. hole 8 TOP VIEW Fence 10 !/4"- wide slot !/2 1!/4 NOTE: Fences are made from #/4"-thick hardwood 9 7 b. SECTION VIEW !/4" washer !/4" wing nut Fence 1!/4 !/4" x 2" carriage bolt !/4"-deep counterbore #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) Edge is shaped with roundover and cove bits CROSS SECTION 11 #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) WoodsmithPlans.com 1. Fi of #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) WS18222© 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. #/4"x 8"- 60" Cherry (4.83 Bd. Ft.) #/4"x 8"- 72" Fir (Three boards @ 3.5 Bd. Ft. each) 2 mail order sources Woodsmith Store 800-444-7527 Benjamin Moore 800-344-0400 benjaminmoore.com Pier 1 Imports 800-245-4595 pier1.com 12 Project Sources Organizing an entryway in your home will be easy with the storage bench project. We purchased the wicker baskets (9" x 121⁄4" x 15") for the bench at Pier 1 Imports. The finish on the bench seat is three coats of lacquer to let the natural wood show through. The remainder of the bench is painted with Benjamin Moore Paint Corinthian White (OC-111). WoodsmithPlans.com WS18222© 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.