Woodworking Projects

Push-Button Bandsaw Box

2012-12-14T14:49:00Z

Push-Button Bandsaw Box How do you open it? Just push the bottom drawer. By Alex Snodgrass If you've ever been to a woodworking trade show, you’ve probably seen me demonstrating on the bandsaw. I’ve been doing it for, oh, 21 years now–a long run. Last year, I introduced a box whose drawers pop out with the push of a button, and folks have loved it. It took me a while to figure out how to make the mechanism work, but it’s really quite simple. There’s a T-shaped piece...(read more)

Wooden Spring Tongs

2012-12-13T20:56:00Z

Wooden Spring Tongs A great all-around kitchen utensil. By David Radtke Here’s a great kitchen utensil you’re sure to find indispensable. These wooden tongs feature a unique spring tab mechanism built into a knuckle joint. The joint allows the tongs to be folded flat for storage. When the tongs are opened up, the spring tabs contact each other so the tongs want to spring back open. This is the same action found in those metal tongs used by chefs the world over. Tongs are perfect for...(read more)

Queen Anne Footstool & Cabriole Leg

2012-03-23T17:39:00Z

Old styles of furniture can still speak to us loud and clear today. The Queen Anne style, popular in America from 1725 to 1760, is an elegant language of flowing lines and reverse curves. This footstool is a small-scale example of a very elaborate style. If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at cabriole legs, which are one of the defining characteristics of Queen Anne furniture, this project is a great place to begin. You may also like... Double-Duty Shop Stool Two-Drawer Coffee Table St...(read more)

Greene and Greene Mailbox

2012-03-23T17:37:00Z

We needed a new mailbox, but I couldn’t find an off-the-shelf version that I liked. So I decided to build my own. As I’ve always admired the work of Greene and Greene, the architect brothers who fused Asian design with Arts and Crafts style during the early 20th century, I thought it would be cool to include some of their signature elements in my mailbox: Pronounced joints with heavily rounded edges create the structure, stepped profiles accentuate the lid, and faceted pegs add visual...(read more)

Shaker Table

2012-03-23T17:35:00Z

Shaker Table A perfect blend of classic lines and modern joinery. By Tom Caspar When I first saw a drawing of this table 20 years ago in a book by Thomas Moser, I knew I had to make it. It perfectly captures the essence of classic Shaker design. Taut, lean and elegant, Moser’s reproduction has become an American icon. Here’s an up-to-date version that retains the Shaker spirit. They used mortise-and-tenon joinery, but I’ve substituted biscuits. For this table, the biscuits are just...(read more)

Lighted Quilt Hanger

2012-03-21T19:56:00Z

Lighted Quilt Hanger By Randy Johnson Decorative quilts make great wall displays, and this quilt valance gives you an easy way to show off a quilt—with light, no less. The top of the valance doubles as a small shelf for displaying plates or other collectibles. The design can easily adapt to any quilt size. You may also like... Mission Plant Stand Display Cabinet Free-Form Wall Shelf Glue the valance boards around the light board. You can remove the clamps very quickly if you pin the joint with...(read more)

Stickley Sideboard

2012-03-21T19:53:00Z

Stickley Sideboard By Tim Johnson and Bruce Kieffer This sideboard is a reproduction of one that originally appeared in Gustav Stickley’s 1912 Craftsman Furniture Catalog as piece No. 8141⁄2. The cost was $50. It was factory produced, at a time when woodworking as a hobby was virtually unknown. Today, though it will cost a lot more than $50, this piece is perfect for our power tool-driven workshops. This project is a major undertaking, but by dividing it into three stages, you’ll...(read more)

Show Case

2012-03-14T15:38:00Z

Show Case View your treasures from every angle. By Luke Hartle Any collection you want to display, from fish fossils to Baccarat crystal will look great inside this cabinet. It allows unobstructed viewing from the front because the doors are on the sides. The doors themselves are frameless glass to maximize the side views. Inside, the mirrored back presents views from still another perspective, and glass shelves allow the built-in lighting to filter throughout the cabinet. This showcase features...(read more)

Norwegian Tine

2012-03-14T15:35:00Z

Norwegian Tine By Jim Anderson and Cathy Balazs Almost everyone associates oval bentwood boxes with the Shakers. But Scandinavian artisans were making similar lidded boxes, called tine (pronounced “tee-nah”) long before the Shakers settled in America. As collectors of Scandinavian antiques know, tines come in all shapes and sizes. They can be plain or highly decorated, painted or intricately carved. I’m a tine maker. My tines (“tiner” in Norwegian) are rooted in tradition...(read more)

St. Croix Valley Chairs

2012-03-14T15:31:00Z

St. Croix Valley Chairs Enjoy your setting while comfortably sitting. By Tim Johnson Stylish and comfortable, these chairs are also built to last. Made of rot-resistant white oak, with robust joinery secured with weatherproof glue, they’re guaranteed to become some of your garden’s most cherished perennials. We’ve engineered the building process so you’ll be able to fit every joint using shop-made jigs and simple procedures. There are zillions of mortises, but they’re...(read more)

Face Frame Cabinets

2012-03-06T20:50:00Z

Face Frame Cabinets Master these techniques to open up a world of projects. By George Vondriska If you can make dadoes, rabbets and face frames, you can make almost any cabinet. Master this foundation of skills and you’ll be ready to launch into complex variations of the simple cabinet shown in this story. Here’s how: Face-frame cabinets are little more than plywood boxes covered by a solid-wood frame. The frame adds strength and rigidity to the box, while covering the ugly plywood edges...(read more)

Oval Picture Frames

2012-03-02T18:46:00Z

Oval Picture Frames Don’t let their shape intimidate you —these classic frames are easy with our simple jigs. By Randy Johnson Oval frames are delightful eye-catchers, evoking images of days gone by and giving a unique setting for that very special photo. At first glance these frames may look tricky, but we’ve figured out an easy way to make them and you don’t even have to know how to draw an oval. Simple-to-make jigs and patterns are all it takes. In fact, this method can...(read more)

Patio Planter

2012-02-21T17:38:00Z

Patio Planter By Tim Johnson If you can build a box, you can build this planter. It’s much sturdier than most commercial versions, so it should last for many years. It’s also the perfect opportunity for you to try your hand at shingling! The opening accommodates a 30-in.drop-in plastic window-box planter. They’re available at any garden store in several lengths. You could easily alter the design to fit a different-size box, or to accommodate individual pots. A square version of...(read more)

Build Your Own French Doors

2012-02-21T17:05:00Z

Build Your Own French Doors Traditional joinery and stave construction make these doors stable and durable. By Brad Holden Let that sunlight in, enjoy the view, and make a grand entrance! French doors are simply doors with windows from top to bottom. Building a set of French doors involves milling many parts and some careful upfront planning. In this story, I’ll walk you through the whole process. First of all, since these doors will be exposed to the elements, it’s a good idea to make...(read more)

Arts & Crafts Table Lamp

2012-01-31T20:11:00Z

Arts & Crafts Table Lamp Sure-fire steps simplify the intricate shade joinery. By Jon Stumbras Our table lamp is reminiscent of the Prairie style of design, with lines that Frank Lloyd Wright might favor. In spite of its complex-looking shade, this elegant lamp is within reach of any intermediate woodworker. We’ve figured out a straightforward system that tames all those nasty angles and guarantees good results. The wiring is also simple, even if you haven’t done much electrical work...(read more)