Woodworking 101 Skill-Building Projects that Teach the Basics

306 Pages·2012·73.48 MB·English

by  Aime Fraser

Includes Step-by-Step
Instructions for 7 Projects
Woodworking
101
Aimé Fraser,
Matthew Teague,
and
Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk
Woodworking
101
Text © 2012 by The Taunton Press, Inc.
Photographs © by The Taunton Press, Inc.
Illustrations © by The Taunton Press, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Pp
The Taunton Press, Inc., 63 South Main Street, PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
e-mail: [email protected]

Editor: Alex Giannini
Copy editor: Candace B. Levy
Indexer: Barbara Mortenson
Cover design: Teresa Fernandes
Interior design: Barbara Balch and Cathy Cassidy
Layout: Cathy Cassidy
Illustrators: Chuck Lockhart pp. 26–119, 232–295; Melanie Powell pp. 120–231
Photographers: Front cover (clockwise from left): Del Brown; Sloan Howard; Sloan Howard; Back cover Del Brown;
Philip Dutton pp. 2–93; Matthew Teague pp. 94–119; Slaon Howard pp. 120–231; Del Brown pp. 232–295

Fine Woodworking® is a trademark of The Taunton Press, Inc., registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The following names/manufacturers appearing in Woodworking 101 are trademarks:
Forstner®, Kevlar®, Masonite®, Nicholson®, Phillips®, Quick-Grip®, Spirograph®, Super Bowl®,
Super Glue®, Tapcon®, Watco®
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Fraser, Aimé Ontario.
Woodworking 101 : skill-building projects that teach the basics / Aimé Fraser, Matthew Teague and Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk.
pages cm
E-Book ISBN 978-1-60085-965-6
1. Furniture making--Amateurs’ manuals. I. Teague, Matthew. II. Hurst-Wajszczuk, Joe. III. Title. IV. Title: Woodworking
one-o-one.
TT195.F73 2012
684’.08--dc23
2011049154
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
About Your Safety: Working wood is inherently dangerous. Using hand or power tools improperly or ignoring safety
practices can lead to permanent injury or even death. Don’t try to perform operations you learn about here (or elsewhere)
unless you’re certain they are safe for you. If something about an operation doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Look for another
way. We want you to enjoy the craft, so please keep safety foremost in your mind whenever you’re in the shop.
Woodworking
101
Includes Step-by-Step
Instructions for 7 Projects
Aimé Fraser, Matthew Teague,
and Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk
t
Contents
SETTING UP YOUR SHOP
92 Your First Shop
26 The Basic Shop
60 The Efficient Shop
94 Building Tool Storage
WoodWorking Projects
120 Materials for Projects
148 Outdoor Easy Chair
172 Old-World Coffee Table
202 Classic Bookcase
232 Storage Bench
252 Serving Table
276 Simple Bed
296 Resources
297 Index

Your First Shop
T
hough they share
many operations,
woodworking and
carpentry are different
trades. Carpenters work
on site with a tool kit
chosen for versatility
and mobility. Wood­
workers work at a bench
in a shop (though they
may share it with a car
or hot­water heater) and
use a larger collection of specialized tools capable
of a wider range of operations and closer tolerances.
This section starts you out with the essentials—
the tools you’ll need to accomplish the most basic
operations.
What to Consider
As you progress in woodworking, you’ll find delicate business, and many advanced wood-
that there are some important differences workers spend huge amounts of time obsess-
between woodworking and carpentry ing over and building their perfect bench. New
tools. But while you’re still learning basic skills, woodworkers need some experience before they
you can use the same tools a carpenter uses. can evaluate their bench needs, so the goal is
They’re readily available and less expensive, so to get something that meets the basic criteria
you can get started in woodworking without a without much fuss. Later, you can modify or
big outlay for tools. retire it.
You’ll also need a means of getting work-
pieces out of the lumber you buy, and a
Laying a Foundation
circular saw fits the bill. It’s not elegant, but
Your first tool should be the one that most with the right setup, it does a good job with
clearly declares you a woodworker—a sturdy both solid wood and sheet goods. You’ll need
workbench. Determining the right bench is a measuring tools for cutting out those parts and
With a good collection of clamps, you can hold the work to the workbench without the need for a vise. Eventually, you’ll want
a vise for the convenience of quickly securing and releasing parts.
4 Your First Shop
In the beginning, before you’ve bought many tools, your shop space can be simple. You may even have room to share it
with the car.
for getting them square, planes and chisels your planes, and how to measure and mark
for fitting the pieces, and clamps to hold it all efficiently and without error. As you do, you’ll
together while you fasten the joints using ham- be learning how to think like a woodworker.
mers, screwdrivers, and a cordless drill/driver. You’ll be learning the correct order in which to
Once your projects are complete, sanding tools tackle operations, how to reduce mistakes, how
are used to smooth them before finishing. To to work efficiently, and more.
keep you safe and efficient all the while, be sure You’re embarking on a craft that takes a
to have a few cleaning tools and some proper lifetime to master. There’s a lot going on, and
protection devices. it’s important that you give yourself room for
imperfection. Allot more time and materials
than you think you’ll need, and when some-
One Step at a Time
thing goes wrong, make the most of it. Before
As you take on new projects and get familiar rushing off for the do-over, figure out just
with your tools, you’ll be learning new skills— what went wrong and what you might have
how to stand when using the router, how to done to prevent it. You won’t make that mis-
drive a screw with a cordless drill/driver, and take again. With each one, you build up your
how to plane. Then you’ll learn related skills— store of woodworking wisdom. With each one,
how to set up guides for the saw, how to sharpen you get better.
What to Consider 5