The saw’s two-step pulley system provides a mechanical high speed range for wood and low speed range for metal, which are easy to switch between by shifting the saw’s poly-groove drive belt from one step to the other. Then, just twist a variable-speed control knob on the saw’s column to increase or decrease the blade speed incrementally and on the fly. A digital readout below the knob reports the blade speed in real time.

Laguna provides electronic speed control by way of a pulse width modulation (PWM) system. It uses an inverter to control the output to the machine’s 1-3/4hp DC motor. PWM offers the added advantage of quickly stopping the cutting action when the saw is turned off.

Ready for Resawing

Blade momentum is crucial for demanding woodcutting operations such as resawing. And to help ensure it, Laguna outfits this saw with heavy, precision-balanced cast-iron flywheels. It offers an impressive 13″ of resaw capacity and can be outfitted with 115″ blades up to 3/4″ wide; a 1/2″ bi-metal 10/14 variable TPI blade is included. In the event that a quick stop is needed, just step on a foot pedal to engage an oversized disc brake in the saw’s lower flywheel housing. When the time comes to switch blades or de-tension them between uses, a quickrelease lever makes the job easier. Other Noteworthy Features For many years, Laguna has outfitted its band saws with long-wearing, cooler-operating ceramic blade guides, and you’ll find them on the 14|CX. They off er a total of 10 contact points above and below the workpiece for precise blade tracking.

This saw has a generous 16″ x 21-1/2″ cast-iron table with a conventionally sized miter slot. The table tilts 7 degrees left and 45 degrees right. It’s mounted on a heavy-duty cast-iron trunnion. The rip fence is also beefy, with a 5-1/2″-tall aluminum beam that moves on a gear-driven crank; this 18″-long fence beam can be set either to a high position for thick cuts and resawing or tipped over to a low position for cutting thin materials.

To mitigate sawdust, two 4″-diameter dust ports — one just below the table and a second near the saw’s base — help to keep the machine’s interior clean.

For shops with space constraints or poor lighting, Laguna off ers a three-wheel mobility kit and an industrial work light as optional accessories.

Laguna 14|CX Bandsaw

Motor: 1-3/4hp, 110-volt

Speeds: 160-4,400 (High) / 60-1,600 (Low) SFPM

Resaw Capacity / Throat Depth: 13″ / 13-5/8″

Blade Length / Widths: 115″ / 1/8″-3/4″

Blade Guides: Laguna ceramic

Weight: 258 lbs

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Christine Adams, marketing director for General Finishes, reports that this cross-linked polyurethane is an ideal topcoat for protecting figured woods and can be used over paint that already has a flat sheen. “With Dead Flat, the beauty of the wood grain displays with natural clarity, and the color of painted projects shows with more intense saturation,” Adams says.

Due to recent advances in its patented polymer technology, General Finishes has formulated Dead Flat without the use of the durability reducing matting agents required in the past. This gives it the durability of higher gloss finishes with a more natural appearance and low luster.

Adams reports that Dead Flat has a <5-degree sheen (compared with the company’s Flat Out Flat product that has a <10-degree sheen), with improved chemical and water-resistance properties. It meets KCMA durability standards, contains no Prop 65 chemicals, uses renewable resources and is VOC compliant nationwide.

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This 80.5-lb lathe off ers a maximum turning diameter of 10″ for creating moderately sized bowls or vessels, and an 18″ span between centers is sufficient for turning all manner of small furniture legs, pens, tool handles, spindles and other decorative items.

Both the headstock spindle and tailstock quill are machined with common #2 Morse tapers, and the spindle threading is 1″ x 8 threads per inch (tpi). The 10-18 Mini Lathe comes with a 6″ tool-rest, 3″ faceplate, spur drive center and ball-bearing live center. When equipped with an optional bed extension, its distance between centers expands to 38-1/2″.

VS 12-24 Midi Lathe

For even more capacity and ease of speed changing, consider Rockler’s larger VS 12- 24 Midi Lathe. Its 1.2hp induction motor can be infinitely controlled between two speed ranges — 300 to 1,100 and 750 to 3,500 rpm — by simply turning a speed dial. A digital readout reports the speed setting. You can also switch the lathe to turn in reverse, which can be helpful for sanding. The 93-lb Midi Lathe will turn bowls up to 12″ in diameter or 24″-long spindles. Its bed, headstock and tailstock are all made of cast iron for durability, rigidity and low vibration. Adjustable rubber feet keep it firmly planted on a benchtop. The bed can be expanded to a 54″ distance between centers by installing an accessory bed extension.

Like the Mini, this larger lathe has #2 Morse taper spindle and tailstock bores, and the 1″-diameter spindle is threaded 1″ x 8 tpi. Standard accessories include a longer 7-7/8″ tool-rest, 3″ faceplate, live center, drive center and an onboard rack for storing the tools. Rockler includes a helpful plastic spindle washer to prevent the faceplate and chucks from getting stuck on the spindle.

While both of these machines will be quite at home on a bench or shop-made stand, either can be mounted to dedicated, adjustable-height steel stands, if desired.

VS 12-24 Midi Lathe

Motor: 1.2hp, 110-volt

Speeds: 300-1,110 / 750-3,500 rpm

Swing Over Bed: 12″

Distance Between Centers: 24″

Spindle Threading: 1″ x 8 tpi

Weight: 93 lbs

10-18 Mini Lathe

Motor: 1/2hp, 110-volt

Speeds: 760, 1,100, 1,600, 2,200, 3,200 rpm

Swing Over Bed: 10″

Distance Between Centers: 18″

Spindle Threading:: 1″ x 8 tpi

Weight: 80.5 lbs

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The stile cutter cuts a centered groove along both a door’s stiles and rails for fitting wood panels or sometimes glass. The bit also mills a decorative profile, called sticking, along the inside front-facing edge of the door parts.

This shape may be as simple as a chamfer or any number of different roundover, filet or ogee forms, depending on the bit set’s design. Because the stile cutter is also used on the door rails, it sometimes is referred to as the “sticking” bit instead, which actually may be the more fitting term for it.

The rail cutter mills a mirror opposite profile of the stile cutter — a reversed sticking cut and a stub tenon to fill the panel groove and strengthen the joint.

Because the rail cutter’s profile mates with the stile cutter, much in the same way a mitered piece of trim molding is contoured with a coping saw to fit its mate, this bit often is called the “coping” bit.

Label Them for Clarity

It’s easy to confuse which bit is which, because the profile each creates is actually the negative space of its shape. Plus, the bits are oriented in a router table to cut stiles and rails back-face up.

So do yourself a favor and label each bit with an “S” for stile/sticking cutter and an “R” or “C” for the rail/coping cutter.

You’ll thank us the first time these labels prevent you from choosing the wrong bit for each cut … it’s an astonishingly easy mistake to make.

Which Cut Comes First?

While the photos show the stile bit used first for making a joint, it’s also perfectly acceptable to cope the ends of the rails first.

That can be advantageous when you already know the final length of a cabinet door’s rails. The rail can be coped on each end, followed by the stile/sticking cuts.

Either way, since coping cuts are made across the narrow rail ends, they’re best performed with the workpieces clamped in a sled that increases stability and keeps your fingers clear. A backup block of scrap can be used in place of a coping sled, if you don’t own a sled.

Note that when the stile/sticking cuts are made first, you’ll need to make a filler strip with the coping cutter to fit into the stile cut in order to prevent the second coping cut from tearing out the wood inside the stile profile when the bit passes through it.

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It applies with a cloth and, after the excess is wiped off , dries on the surface in about 20 to 30 minutes. Bumblechutes recommends that the paste be reapplied every two to four weeks. It can be used as a stand-alone finish or to improve the moisture resistance of surfaces treated with Woodworker’s Oil.

Both products have a pleasant, lemony smell when first applied. Rockler sells Woodworker’s Oil in 8.45 oz bottles. All-In-One Wood Conditioner comes in 4 oz glass jars.

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Other benefits include milk paint’s versatility and visual appeal. It can be applied over absorbent surfaces such as wood, concrete, plaster or brick without the need for primer. It is UV fade-resistant and will accept all topcoats and finishes, which can alter the sheen or add even more durability. Milk paint dries quickly without residual odor and cleans up with water. Waste paint is worry-free, too — just pour it down the drain, flush it or compost it.

The Real Milk Paint Co. Milk Paint, now available in an assortment of colors from Rockler, is made from natural ingredients: casein, lime, pigments and a plant-based filler. The paint is simple to prepare for use by mixing it 50/50 with tap water. Each can includes 11⁄4 cups of paint powder and a handy glass mixing marble. Pour the amount of dry paint and water you need into the plastic can, drop the marble in, snap on the lid and shake the can vigorously for 5 minutes.

Once mixed, the paint is workable for up to two weeks if kept refrigerated. In powdered form, it’s shelf stable and will last for years. The dry contents of the can forms one pint of liquid paint, which covers about 35 sq. ft.

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Understanding Origin

So what is a Shaper Origin? “Think of it as a router with a super accurate GPS system,” Jake says. It is essentially a handheld CNC machine.

Shaper Origin locates itself within a workspace created by the user via strips of domino-looking adhesive tape placed on the workpiece. The user can then place a “digital template” onto the workspace, and Shaper Origin machines it by reading the programming. The user steers the tool along a path shown on its touch screen on top. Shaper Origin adjusts its cutting position instantly to correct for minor user errors.

The programming is easy to make on the machine or by using Shaper Studio, and there are also hundreds of designs available at Shaper Hub, including the programming for the clock you see here. That’s one of the best things about the Shaper Origin system. When you buy a Shaper, you get access to all sorts of programming — from plans to hardware installation to templates. There are accessories that add functionality to the tool, too. Learn more by visiting Rockler or at shapertools.com.

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Clapham’s Beeswax Salad Bowl Finish can alleviate any niggling concerns you may have, because its ingredients couldn’t be simpler: beeswax and food-safe mineral oil. That’s it! It contains no harmful chemicals or additives.

Unscrewing the lid and taking a deep breath of the contents will confirm the beeswax immediately — it’s subtle and the only discernible smell this product has. Clapham’s has formulated the wax emulsion to be firm enough to be solid but not so stiff as to prevent it from loading easily onto an applicator. Rubbing it over bare wood, the wax immediately liquefies and penetrates into the grain, darkening it without imparting a shine. Once it dries, the wood takes on a flat appearance again, as though the surface is damp but entirely dry to the touch.

Aside from being food-safe, the other upside to a natural blended-wax finish is that it couldn’t be simpler to apply: wipe it on liberally, give it a few minutes to soak in and wipe off the excess. The downside, however, is that it will need to be reapplied often and off ers only slight water resistance and protection.

Clapham’s Beeswax Salad Bowl Finish is suitable for wooden bowls, spoons and butcher blocks and can also be used as a cutting board wax or as a food-safe countertop finish. It comes in a 7 oz jar and sells for $19.99.

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“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring our new GRR-RIPPER 2GO technology to the newest entrants to the craft who are learning the fundamentals of working with wood and creating with their hands,” said CEO Bruce Wang. “We’re grateful these young learners are expressing interest, and we hope to provide a safe foundation for a fruitful journey with wood.”

The GRR-RIPPER 2GO, introduced in February, is the first-ever patented color-coded push block. It is designed to allow users to cut thin pieces safely and accurately with no bare-hand feeding, providing enhanced safety and control on table saws, router tables, band saws and jointers. The color-coded design of the GRR-RIPPER 2GO can make it more intuitive for students to use and adhere to proper safety protocols.

With this donation program, MICROJIG is making a significant investment in personal safety for public schools across the United States and contributing to the overall goal of ending table saw injuries.

Middle schools can visit microjig.com to apply for the donation. Additionally, as part of the initiative, MICROJIG will offer a 25 percent discount to all public schools interested in adding other MICROJIG products or additional GRR-RIPPERS to their woodworking spaces.

MICROJIG was founded in 2001 by woodworking hobbyist Henry Wang in his Orlando, Florida, garage. The company has since grown and now offers a total of nine product categories, all aimed at providing innovative solutions for woodworkers to work safely and efficiently. Their flagship product, the GRR-RIPPER, was created to replace traditional push sticks with a safer and more advanced woodworking technology.

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When building small projects that you want to really make a statement, material selection is one essential key. Perhaps wenge is not a lumber you find attractive. If so, this wine cabinet would look amazing if made of bird’s eye, clouded big leaf or fiddleback maple. Highly figured walnut or quartersawn mahogany would also be good choices. The point is that if the design is basic, the “wow” factor must come from the beauty the wood provides. Then the hardware will enhance the whole. In a simple project, the details will carry the day. In this case, the curly cherry plywood back and the green felt lining add much to the whole, too.

First Things First

Whatever species of lumber you choose, select your most attractive pieces for the sides and the door. As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but being intentional about these choices will pay dividends in the long run.

Rip the sides to width and then crosscut them to length. We did both on the table saw, but you could cut them to length using a miter saw as well. The dimensions provided in the Material List will accommodate most wine bottles, but if you have specific bottles in mind, measure them to make sure they will fit, and adjust accordingly if needed. With that step done, go ahead and cut the top and bottom pieces to size as well.

We cut out each of these parts from lumber wide enough that we did not have to glue up pieces for the sides, top and bottom.

That was not true for the door. We used 3/4″ x 5″ x 24″ wenge lumber, sourced from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. The door needs to be just a little shy of 10″ wide, so that required a center glue joint. It was our preference that the door panel look as if it were formed from a single piece of stock, so we took care to match the figure and the color of the two pieces. Joint the mating edges so that they fit together well. Use Titebond III (its darker hue is helpful here), clamp them together and leave them in the clamps overnight. If you are using wenge like we did, that extra clamping time is important because glue joints in wenge can be fussy.

With the door still in clamps to allow the glue to cure, grab the sides, bottom and top. Go ahead and sand them up to 100 grit, then step over to the router table. The top and bottom pieces require an ogee shape on both faces of their forward edge. All the pieces need 1/4″ x 1/4″ rabbets on their inside edges.

Chuck the ogee bit into the router table and set up the cut on scrap lumber. The shape should leave about a 3/8″ flat area between the two ogees. Again, if you are using wenge, move the pieces slowly across the bit. Wenge can be brittle, and tearouts are common. You may even wish to consider a climb cut to avoid trouble. You can certainly choose another edge shape rather than an ogee, but keep the depth of the shape around 1/4″ to align with the edge of the door.

Next, chuck a 1/2″-diameter straight bit into the router table. Set the cut to form a 1/4″ x 1/4″ rabbet, checking the setup on scrap lumber. On the sides, rout the rabbet the full length of each piece. Stop the rabbets on the top.

Dowels and Dowel Points

The next step is to join the carcass pieces together. We used dowels to strengthen the joints. In hindsight, biscuits might have been a better choice. There are carefully to length. Next, go ahead and sand the door smooth up through 320- grit. We chose Odie’s Oil for the finish, and with that product, the smoother the better. (It’s another important detail in taking a cabinet like this to the next level.)

When the glue has cured on the carcass, chisel off any glue squeeze-out and sand the carcass up to the 320-grit level as well. (You may wish to install the hinges first, then remove them and do your final sanding.)

Install and then remove the door pull and the feet, then apply the Odie’s Oil. Note that with this hard wax oil, a little goes a long, long way.

Once the finish dries, put the felt pad in the carcass and attach the plywood back. Put a drop of CA glue into the holes where you mount the feet and secure them. Rehang the door with its pull, and you are ready to grab a couple of wine bottles. Enjoy the cabinet, oh … and the wine too!

Click Here to Download the Drawing and Materials List.

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