by Bruce Kieffer
A friend of mine recently asked me to make a mission style magazine rack as a special gift for her husband. So off to my computer I went and designed this piece.
At first glance the project looks simple, but the wedged through tenons present a challenge. Getting them to fit perfectly requires patience, careful machine setups, and a bit of fine-tuning with a chisel. Keep in mind that a small project like this really benefits from meticulous attention to detail. I like to say it's a weekend project that will take two weekends to build. Here's how it's made:
RAILS AND SLATS
1. Cut the slats (C) and rails (B). Lay out the slat mortises and the through mortises for the wedges on the rails (Fig.B).
2. Chop the angled mortises for the tenon wedges in the rails (Photo 1).
3. Switch to a 1/2-in. chisel. Cut a sample mortise the same size as the ones that will be cut in the sides (Fig. B). Use the sample mortise to size the rail tenons.
4. Cut the through tenons on the rails (Photo 2).
5. Use the mortising machine to chop the slat mortises in the rails.
6. Cut the slat tenons. Note that the backs of the slats align flush with the backs of the rails. This ensures that magazines won't catch on the lower rail.
7. Sand the slats and rails, then dry fit them together.
Photo 1: Cut the angled mortises at the ends of each rail using a tapered support block (see Fig. B) to hold the rail at the correct angle.
Photo 2: Cut the rail tenons. A tenoning jig makes the job a lot easier. Use a sample mortise as a guide for sizing the tenons.
MAKE THE SIDES
8. Cut the sides (A) but leave them 1/16-in. oversize in thickness. This allows you to clean up any blow-out from chopping the through mortises.
9. Cut the angled top on a miter saw. Cut the long taper on the front edge on the bandsaw.
10. Use the assembled front grill to locate the through mortises on the sides (Photo 3).
11. Chop the side mortises. To insure a tight fit on the tenon, keep the mortise a bit short. It’s easy to pare down the tenon to fit. If the mortise is cut even a hair too long, you’re sunk.
12. Plane the sides to their finished thickness removing any blowout from cutting the mortises.
13. Rout the keyhole hanger grooves on the back edge of the sides (Photo 4).
Photo 3: Use the assembled front grill to precisely locate the through mortises in the sides. You want these tenon locations to be dead-on, so put a sharp chisel point on your pencil.
Photo 4: Cut the mortises for the keyhole hangers using a 5/8-in. straight bit. Set a start and a stop blocks on the fence to gauge the mortise length.
FINISHING TOUCHES
14. Glue and clamp the slats into the rails.
15. Cut the bottom ( D) and glue it in place.
16. Make the wedges (E). Leave them a bit wide and pare them with a chisel to fit. Each wedge will be slightly different, so mark which goes where to keep track.
17. Disassemble, sand and apply the finish. I used Watco Medium Walnut Danish Oil Finish because I find it resembles fumed oak.
18. Reassemble the rack and screw on the keyhole hangers.
WALL MOUNTING
19. Tape short screws into the keyhole fastener slots (Photo 5). Align the rack to the wall and press to mark the wall anchor locations.
20. Insert the wall anchors, and then hang the rack using #8 x 1-1/2-in. flathead screws.
Photo 5: To mark precise locations on your wall for screw anchors, tape the screws in the hanger slots. Locate the rack on your wall, make sure it’s level and then give it a push.
Bruce Kieffer is a freelance woodworking author, technical illustrator, and custom furniture builder. You can see a collection of his work from the past 30-years on his website, www.kcfi.biz.
Source information may have changed since the original publication date.
Source
Rockler, (800) 279-4441, www.rockler.com, 2 pair -Keyhole Fittings, 5/8” x 1-21/32”, Part #28837. $2 a pair
September 2007, issue #130
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