Jeremy Greiner
10-17-2010, 2:19 PM
I was working on a small desktop book rack this weekend so I could try out some new techniques, router templates and figuring out some good joinery system.
For joinery, I Tried the Zip Slot mortis mill, had a lot of difficulties with accuracy so I decided for a more traditional mortise and tennon joint for the shelves to the sides.
I made the router template with the curves that I wanted and the mortises to plunge out. I used a drill and a jig saw to cut out the mortise in the template. I hated it, they don't really look straight to me and I think they would have produced poor mortises.
After reading a bit, I decided that my mortising will have to wait until I get a drill press, mortiser or a mortis jig for the router.
I thought I'd give dowels a try, I already had all the parts I needed (drill bit and stop collar) the only thing standing in my way is not having a drill press to make repeatable accurate holes.
I ended up making a template which I then used to drill 2 jigs, one to attach to the side of the rack, the other for the shelves themself.
The jigs worked out great I drilled all the holes and dry fit the entire peice together and it all fit together.
I used some double stick carpet tape and taped the template to one of the side peices. Clamped down with my flush trim bit I cut out the template. The first time around it took a bit, clamping and unclamping to rotate the peice but it came out flawless.
For the second side I clamped the peice a bit differently in hopes to limit the need for rotating and reclamping as much. This was my fatal mistake when I went to round one of the feet, pow tear out. A large chunk of the leg was torn out of the shelf bottom.
The chunk was splintered into a ton of peices so I couldn't really glue it back on. And since it was the leg, there isn't really a way to sand it out without totally destroying the level of the shelves.
Since I don't really need the book rack, I don't think I'll be rushing out to get new peices of wood to rebuild the sides but I learned a lot and got some good experience with router templates which are totally awesome.
Pictures:
1. A clamp up of the 15 degree mitered peice for the dowel template, I used to the scrap that came off to re-square it for clamping.
2. Template that went on the long part of the shelves
3. Angled template for the bottom set of holes.
4. Same template rotated for the back set of holes, using the same template for the back and bottom on both sides (just had to flip the template over) made for nicely lined up shelves that where slanted 15 degrees to hold the books
5. Tear out!
6. Router template, with my really bad mortise holes in it, I still used the template for the outer edge I liked how that turned out.
7. The other side of the book rack, it actually came out great.
-jeremy
For joinery, I Tried the Zip Slot mortis mill, had a lot of difficulties with accuracy so I decided for a more traditional mortise and tennon joint for the shelves to the sides.
I made the router template with the curves that I wanted and the mortises to plunge out. I used a drill and a jig saw to cut out the mortise in the template. I hated it, they don't really look straight to me and I think they would have produced poor mortises.
After reading a bit, I decided that my mortising will have to wait until I get a drill press, mortiser or a mortis jig for the router.
I thought I'd give dowels a try, I already had all the parts I needed (drill bit and stop collar) the only thing standing in my way is not having a drill press to make repeatable accurate holes.
I ended up making a template which I then used to drill 2 jigs, one to attach to the side of the rack, the other for the shelves themself.
The jigs worked out great I drilled all the holes and dry fit the entire peice together and it all fit together.
I used some double stick carpet tape and taped the template to one of the side peices. Clamped down with my flush trim bit I cut out the template. The first time around it took a bit, clamping and unclamping to rotate the peice but it came out flawless.
For the second side I clamped the peice a bit differently in hopes to limit the need for rotating and reclamping as much. This was my fatal mistake when I went to round one of the feet, pow tear out. A large chunk of the leg was torn out of the shelf bottom.
The chunk was splintered into a ton of peices so I couldn't really glue it back on. And since it was the leg, there isn't really a way to sand it out without totally destroying the level of the shelves.
Since I don't really need the book rack, I don't think I'll be rushing out to get new peices of wood to rebuild the sides but I learned a lot and got some good experience with router templates which are totally awesome.
Pictures:
1. A clamp up of the 15 degree mitered peice for the dowel template, I used to the scrap that came off to re-square it for clamping.
2. Template that went on the long part of the shelves
3. Angled template for the bottom set of holes.
4. Same template rotated for the back set of holes, using the same template for the back and bottom on both sides (just had to flip the template over) made for nicely lined up shelves that where slanted 15 degrees to hold the books
5. Tear out!
6. Router template, with my really bad mortise holes in it, I still used the template for the outer edge I liked how that turned out.
7. The other side of the book rack, it actually came out great.
-jeremy