I cut a biscuit slot in each piece along the stock’s edge, then glued them together to create a holder for the swollen biscuit. I made the slots in the jig slightly shallower than a biscuit is thick. Now, when I run across a swollen biscuit, I drop it into my sanding jig clamped in a vise. A few swipes with a 60-grit sanding block over the biscuit reduces its thickness so it fits the slot again.

The post Sanding Jig Thins Swollen Biscuits appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

You could opt for a plain-Jane version. But I decided that I was going to dig out a couple of special scrap pieces, add some of my favorite Rockler T-track accessories and build the drill press table of my dreams.

Start this project by cutting all the needed materials to size according to the Material List. In terms of material selection, I used some cherry plywood for the table, a piece of maple for the banding and fence and a small scrap of thin walnut for some sacrificial inserts. Which materials you use is entirely up to you.

Once everything was cut to size, I installed the maple banding around the table, attaching it with glue and mitered corners. Setting that off to the side to dry, I turned my attention to the fence. I wanted it to be multi-functional, so I placed sections of Rockler’s aluminum T-track on top of the fence for mounting a stop block as well as across the table to lock the fence in place.

Using a T-slot cutting bit on a router table, I milled a slot in the back of the fence (see the Drawings for details) that will be used to attach the fence brackets and the dust collection port.

I switched to a 3/4″-dia. straight bit to rout grooves for the T-tracks in the table. Laying out your grooves according to the Drawing will make sure you only need to cut the T-track a couple of times. It’s easy to do if you clamp it securely and cut it with a hacksaw.

The tabletop will benefit from a sacrificial insert that can be replaced when needed. With the Rockler Bow Tie Inlay System I was able to make several inserts quickly and accurately. I used the system’s acrylic frame to rout a mortise in the table and then the same frame to rout out the walnut inserts.

To make these inserts easier to remove, I drilled a 5/8″ hole through the mortise area in the table so I would be able to pop them out easily with a finger.

Before final installation of the T-track and other accessories, I applied a couple of coats of finish to make the surface more durable and easier to clean. I think the table also just looks better with finish on it!

Before final assembly, I decided to add a 1/4″ piece of plywood to the underside of the table. It adds more holding power for the T-track screws. I then installed the T-track, making sure that the pieces were flush with the table surface and the intersecting corners were nice and tight. Driving short screws through its pre-machined holes makes installation simple.

I attached a couple more lengths of T-track to the bottom of the table so I can use hold-down clamps to secure the project to the cast-iron table of my drill press.

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

Hard-to-Find Hardware:

3 Ft. Universal T-Track (2) #26420
T-Track Intersection Kit (2) #22209
2″ x 2″ Multi Track Brackets (1) #35961
Dust Port for Drill Press Fence (1) #56312
Mini Hold-Down Clamp (2) #45692
Easy-to-Grip 1″ Round Knob 1/4″-20 (4) #58088
T-Slot Bolts 1/4″ – 20 Thread (1) #31969
1/4″ Shank Keyhole Slot Bit (1) #92035

The post PROJECT: Benchtop Drill Press Table appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

– Bruce Ridgway
Tupelo, Mississippi

The post Clamp Makes Dispensing Glue Easier appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

That’s why this patio love seat is a lovely option. Its pocket-hole and countersunk screw joinery matches the ease of assembly of traditional outdoor furniture, and Rockler has developed cardboard and MDF templates to aid in shaping its curved and angled components. Another departure for our love seat is to use a wood species different from the cedar or cypress typically chosen for traditional outdoor projects (although those woods would work fine here, too). I selected mahogany because it’s a wonderful wood to work with, machines like a dream and has a lovely color and pleasing figure. It is also a very sturdy outdoor wood.

Getting Started

I chose to start on the curved pieces of the love seat. I got a huge piece of 1-1/2″-thick mahogany from the lumberyard (it was quite a surprise). After doing a little figuring, I was able to trace the legs and the other curved pieces onto the board, then break the stock down into smaller pieces using my table saw with a crosscut sled.

From there it was onto the band saw to cut out the shapes, staying about 1/16″ outside of the lines. I will be template-routing the pieces to their exact shape later, so that 1/16″ is a perfect amount of stock to trim away — it’s like Goldilocks, not too thick or thin.

A moment here regarding the templates: If you decide as I did to template-rout these pieces to make them exceedingly precise, you will need to use templates to guide those cuts. With the cardboard templates, you’ll need to transfer their shapes to MDF or hardboard to give the router bit’s guide bearing an edge to follow. If you select Rockler’s MDF templates instead, they will work perfectly for the template-routing task. However, you could skip the template-routing step by simply band-sawing the pieces close to the layout lines and then sanding them to their final shape instead.

Template-routing Time

With the band-sawing done it was time to move to the router table for template routing. I chucked Rockler’s 3/4″-diameter Flush Door Trimming Router Bit into my router table. Its 2″ cutting flutes are long enough to template-rout this love seat’s 1-1/2″-thick parts. Next, I needed to secure the template to one of the legs (the first piece I chose to shape). Traditionally, I’ve used double-sided tape for this task, and it works really well. It is important that the template does not move during this process, or your piece will be ruined.

The only downside to double-stick tape is that it can be frustratingly difficult to remove the top backing paper from the tape once it is in place on the workpiece. It seems as if it should be so simple, but often — especially with tape that has been in my shop for a while — it is surprisingly difficult to get that peel-away layer started. I’ve used chisels, knifes and screwdrivers, and still it can be a truly annoying task. Enter Rockler’s 2-Sided Stick-It Dots. They make this task so much simpler, as the top layer peels off easily. (Our publisher literally cannot say enough good things about these dots!)

In any case, secure the template to the workpiece with your double-stick product of choice, and carefully rout the workpiece to its final shape. However, do not rout the end-grain areas of these pieces. The router bit will tear out the end grain and make a hash of the parts … don’t ask me how I know this regrettable fact. Instead, sand the endgrain sections to their marked outlines. Repeat the template-routing process with the rest of the curved pieces. You will still need to do a bit of sanding to remove machining marks formed by the router bit, but it is quick work as the marks are small. Now onto the rest of the love seat’s parts.

Cutting Out the Straight Stuff

With the curved pieces behind you, now you are going to exercise your table saw. Rip the straight parts to width. The slats are 2″ wide and the front and rear aprons are 3″ wide. Then consult the Material List to crosscut them to length. A miter saw is perfect for this job, but your table saw outfitted with a crosscut sled is also a great way to get this done. The last part of this step is to form the appropriate angles on the arms, aprons and other parts. On the templated pieces, you can use the templates to set your miter gauge for making the angled cuts on the table saw.

At last, it’s time to start doing some assembly. Clear off a work surface that is large enough to lay out the parts that make up the sides of the seat (those are the seat aprons, arms and front and back legs — pieces 1, 2, 5 and 8). To properly align all of these parts, it’s very helpful to have stop board or surface to stand in for the “ground.” I found my table saw was a perfect place to do this first assembly, with the saw’s rip fence acting as the stop board.

Measure 13″ up from the stop board or fence to locate the bottom edge of the side seat apron. Mark the apron’s bottom, top and center locations on the legs. Remember when I mentioned that we used pocket-hole joinery as one of the ways we put this project together? Well, now is the time to grab your Kreg Jig and bore two pocket holes on the inside face of both ends of the seat apron. Don’t place them too close to the top edge, or the screw pockets will be noticeable under the slats.

Locate the seat apron between the legs and temporarily clamp it in place; it needs to be flush with the inside of the legs. Now put one of the arms in position on the frame and mark the location where screw holes will go through the back leg and down through the top of the arm into the front leg. Unclamp the assembly and bore those holes on the drill press.

Temporarily clamp the frame back together, positioning the side seat rail properly. Secure the arm to the legs with screws first. Then drive home the pocket screws in the seat rail to complete the frame. Go ahead and sand the inside face of the frame assembly and break the sharp edges. Now guess what … it’s time to do it all again for the other frame. But here is an important detail: the second frame is a “mirror” image of the one you just made. The side apron must be on the inside of that frame. See the Exploded View drawing to be clear about this.

More Subassemblies Come Next

Now it’s time to put together the remaining part of the undercarriage. Start by adding the corner braces and seat supports to each of the frames you just made. Bore countersunk holes through the face of two of the seat supports and through the corner braces. The holes on the corner braces should be on the long front edge and be drilled so the screws will be perpendicular to the members they will be attached to. All the corner braces will be flush with the bottom edge of the side seat rails. To mount the rear corner brace, first measure in 1″ from the 90-degree corner of the brace. Use that mark to locate the brace with the 1″ protruding past the end of the seat rail. Secure the rear brace with glue and a #8 screw. Repeat the operation on the other frame.

With the rear corner braces installed, grab a front corner brace and one of the seat supports. Place the narrow end of the seat support on the rear corner brace. Set the front corner brace in place, aligned with the bottom edge of the seat rail and so the wide end of the seat support is sitting on the front corner brace. With these three pieces correctly positioned, attach the brace and seat support with glue and screws. Do the same to the opposite frame.

To complete the lower framework, stand up the side assemblies and dry-fit the front and rear aprons. The top of the front apron lines up with the top of the side seat supports, as it will be fitting under the seat slats when you install them later. The back apron needs to align with the top of the rearmost seat slat (3/4″ above the seat support). Mark their locations, remove them and bore pocket holes on the aprons’ inside faces. Now attach the aprons to the front and back legs, remembering to put glue on the joining edge of the corner braces. Use 1-1/2″ pocket screws to secure these joints, completing the undercarriage.

Time to Add the Slats

We are really making progress now! The next step is to install the slats for the seat and the back. Put a #8 countersink bit in your drill/driver and bore a countersunk hole at each end of the eight seat slats, centering these holes on the slat widths. Bore deeply enough that you can plug the holes later.

Set the most forward seat slat in place with it overhanging the front apron by 1/4″. Secure it with #8 screws driven down into the seat supports. Now set the other six seat slats into place, with 1/4″ spacers between them, and fasten them to the seat supports with countersunk screws. You may need to adjust the spacing on the last couple of slats to fit them properly in front of the rear apron.

When the slats are in place, flip the love seat over and mount the center seat support as shown in the Drawings. I chose to simply drive screws into the support through the front and back apron. But you could use pocket-hole joints here, if you wish. Then stand the love seat back up, and bore screw holes so that you can drive screws through the slats into the center seat support.

The back slats don’t need to be as precisely located as the seat slats. Keep the slats above the curve in the back legs, and secure them with pairs of pocket screws at each end of the slats. Center the slats front-to-back on the thickness of the back legs.

Plugging Along

I chose to plug all the screw holes on the love seat, and I made my own plugs from the same mahogany that I used to build the bench. Rockler sells a plug-cutting bit that I mounted in the drill press.

I only needed 16 plugs for the exposed holes, but I made a few extra just in case. Once they were bored into the workpiece, I used the band saw to cut them free.

If you wish to plug the pocket holes (especially on the back slats), Kreg sells a bit to make angled pocket-hole plugs. They also sell premade plugs. The choice is yours.

Glue the plugs in place using a water-resistant formula like Titebond II or III. Allow the glue to cure, trim the plugs flush with a sharp chisel and then get busy sanding. I sanded the love seat up to 320-grit. It is my opinion that the smoother the prep, the better the finish.

And speaking of finish, I chose General Finishes Outdoor Oil, applying three coats and allowing time for it to cure between each coat. I like this product because it’s easy to reapply in a couple of years when the wood begins to look dry and needs sprucing up again.

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

The post PROJECT: Outdoor Love Seat appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Preparing Six Project Panels

Select 3/4″-thick stock to make four side panels for the taboret’s base, plus a top panel and a shelf. If you go “traditional” and use quartersawn white oak as I have here, try to compose your panels with a fairly balanced ray flake pattern so no single board calls more attention to itself. Watch for lighter areas along the edges of the boards, which often indicate sapwood. Sapwood will fume or stain much lighter than heartwood and will stand out like a sore thumb along a panel’s glue lines. Glue and clamp each panel together. When that cures, plane or sand the seams flat. Rip and crosscut the six panels to their Material List dimensions. Then trim the four edges of the shelf to 6 degrees, sloping these cuts inward toward what will become its top “show” face. Wrap up your stock prep by finish-sanding all surfaces to 180-grit.

Building a Simple Sawing Sled

Because the taboret’s polyhedron base reduces from a 16-1/2″ square at the bottom to 11-1/2″ at the top, its four long vertical edges form compound bevel angles that will be challenging to cut without a purpose-built holding device. I settled on a simple sled that would enable me to rip those long angled edges by laying a panel on top, holding it in place and pushing the sled and workpiece through the cut. My sled consists of a 24″-long runner that fits in the saw table’s miter groove and is mounted to a piece of 18″ x 24″ scrap sheet stock. I used Rockler’s Aluminum Miter Bar for the sled runner. If you’d rather use a shop-made equivalent, a strip of 3/8″ x 3/4″ dimensionally stable hardwood would also work.

Fasten the sheet stock to the runner so there’s sufficient overhang on the left side of the runner to engage with the saw blade when it’s tipped to 45 degrees (assuming your saw is left-tilt). Then trim that near edge of the sled to this angle along its full length. Now you have an accurate way to align the taboret’s side panels with the blade for cutting those long beveled edges precisely. Apply several strips of coarse sandpaper to the top of the sled with spray-mount adhesive to ensure that the panels won’t shift during cutting. I’ve found that sandpaper substitutes well for hold-down clamps here.

Coloring the Wood “Old School” Style with Fumes

Ammonia fuming is a traditional finishing approach for Arts & Crafts furniture. And because this taboret is a small project, I thought it’d be an excellent opportunity to get out my jug of 25-percent (lab grade) ammonia and give it a fumed finish. Ammonia fumes will stain tannin-rich woods like white oak a dark gray/brown color. While 3- to 5-percent strength household ammonia will eventually fume oak, a stronger concentration is advisable to reduce the amount of time the reaction will require from a week or two to just a couple of days.

Angle-cutting the Side Panels

When our magazine staff designed this taboret, we created a “master” MDF template for the angled base pieces and the shaped center cutout. Rockler soon will offer this full-size template for sale in cardboard or MDF options. Or you can enlarge the drawing on the next page with a photocopier or reproduce it by plotting points on a full-size grid if you’d prefer to make your own template instead of buying one. Either way, you’ll need the template in order to proceed with this project.

To prepare for cutting the long bevel angles on the side panels, I traced the template’s shape onto them and marked their faces as “Outside” and “Inside.” Then, using a combination square, I marked the top and bottom ends of the panels with 45-degree layout lines on bright green painter’s tape to indicate where the blade would need to enter and exit each cut. (Be sure to arrange these layout lines so the cuts will angle toward the inside faces of the panels.)

With your saw blade tilted to 45 degrees, rip the first bevel angle by placing a side panel on the sled — inside face down — and lining up the layout lines on its top and bottom ends with the sled’s sharp edge adjacent to the saw blade. Press the panel down firmly against the sled and make the bevel cut in one long pass. Then, spin the panel around to its opposite long edge (inside face still down), align the cutting layout marks and cut the second bevel.

Once those cuts are done, there’s still the matter of cutting the top and bottom end of each panel so they’ll tilt inward, stand flat and create a flat top surface for the taboret’s top panel. Tilt your saw blade to 6 degrees. To make these cuts, I set and locked my rip fence so the blade would just cut across the ends but not shorten the panel lengths in the process. It’s important to keep the orientation of the panel faces in mind when making these cuts — the cut ends need to end up parallel with one another. So, when cutting the long bottom end, orient the panel with its outside face up. Then flip the panel so the inside face is up before trimming the shorter top end.

Tips for Gluing Up the Base

While it might be tempting to cut out the inside shapes of the side panels now, don’t do it yet. It would be difficult to reinforce the long edges of these compound-bevel joints with biscuits, dowels or Dominoes. So I decided to simply glue them together instead — they’re basically long-grain joints. Considering that they’re also very long, I wanted to make sure they’d close tightly all along their length. That’s why I left the cutout areas intact: full panels would enable me to apply maximum pressure across the joints with strap clamps.

On this tapering polyhedron shape, strap clamps will tend to creep upward when tightened. To prevent that problem, I installed three scrap blocks on each side panel — two in the cutout area with screws and one above it, adhered with CA glue to wide painter’s tape. With the clamp straps located underneath these blocks, they would stay put when tightened.

To assemble the base, I set the panels outside face up and together, edge-to-edge, in order to apply a strip of wide painter’s tape along each bevel joint to act as a temporary “hinge.” Flipping the whole assembly over, I could then spread hide glue along the panel edges, fold them closed on their tape hinges and install three strap clamps to pull the assembly together tightly. (Hide glue provides much longer open time than PVA glue, which can really help!) When the clamps come off the base, break the sharp edges of the bevel joints with a sanding block as needed.

Creating the Cutouts

Now we can tackle those decorative cutout shapes in the base. To do that, use a jigsaw set to no oscillation and a fine-tooth woodcutting blade to remove the waste piece in the cutout area. I split mine up the middle first, then sawed out the halves to make the waste pieces smaller and easier to manage. Cut about 1/16″ inside the layout lines of the shape. Then fix your template in place with pieces of double-sided carpet tape, and template-rout the cutout profile using a handheld router equipped with a piloted pattern bit with spiral or straight cutters. Sand these cut edges smooth on a spindle sander or using sandpaper wrapped around a large-diameter dowel.

If you’ve fumed these project parts as I have, you may find that the fuming process only penetrated into the edges of the wood by 1/8″ or so, and the unfumed oak may appear as much lighter grain along the routed edges of the cutouts. No worries! Just put the base back into your fuming tent for another eight to 12 hours; the ammonia fumes will even out the mismatch in coloration without significantly darkening the rest of the fumed wood in the process.

Installing the Top and Shelf

Glue blocks have been used to reinforce wood joints for centuries, and they’ll serve a two-fold purpose here: they’ll strengthen the bevel joints of the table’s base while also providing attachment points for the top panel and shelf. I made up eight triangular-shaped glue blocks from a long piece of 3-1/2″-wide, 1″-thick white oak scrap. The short legs of each of these right triangles needs to be bevel-cut to 6 degrees. I accomplished that by first bevel-ripping one long edge of the scrap to 6 degrees. Then, with the saw blade still tilted and using my miter gauge, I trimmed the adjacent end of the scrap to 6 degrees as well. From there, I could slice off the glue block at the miter saw, with the blade swiveled to 45 degrees, to form the hypotenuse of the triangle. Each glue block received a pair of pocket-screw holes bored into the wider face and pointing toward the short legs of the triangles. I also drilled a countersunk screw hole through each block near its center. I fumed these blocks so they’d match the rest of the project and to prepare them for use.

With the table base inverted, install four of the glue blocks inside each of the top corners of the base with glue and 1″ pocket screws. After those are in place, attaching the top is a simple matter of positioning the inverted base on the panel’s bottom face, centering it evenly and driving four #8 x 1-1/2″ flathead wood screws through the glue blocks into the top panel.

The shelf will rest on the other four glue blocks. To position those, I drew a pair of layout lines inside each bottom corner of the base, 2-3/4″ up from the feet and parallel to them. Now set the shelf into place in the base. It should fit about 3/4″ farther inside than the glue block layout lines. Leave the shelf in place while installing the four glue blocks beneath it with glue and pocket screws. Then attach them to the shelf with four 1-1/2″ screws.

Finishing Up with a Three-step Finish

A simple wipe-on oil/varnish blend such as Watco, or one you mix yourself from equal parts boiled linseed oil, mineral spirits and polyurethane, will darken this fumed oak to a lovely chocolate-brown color without requiring any stain. I applied a heavy coat to the entire project with a rag, let it soak in for 10 minutes or so, then wiped off the excess with dry shop towels. The next day, I followed with a coat of shellac to help enhance the wood’s figure. Several light coats of spray lacquer came next, to knock down the glossiness of the shellac and give the taboret a satiny, low-luster sheen.

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

The post PROJECT: Roycroft-style Taboret appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

You can make this table as large or small as you like. I’ve sized mine to fit on top of Rockler’s Material Mate Panel Cart. The cart enables me to tip the clamping table down when I’m done using it to save space. But you could mount this project to a wheeled cart or leg base you make yourself or even to a couple of prefab cabinets you already have on hand. There are lots of options.

Sizing Down MDF and Laminate for Assembly

You can certainly cut MDF with an ordinary circular saw or on the table saw with a helper, but be advised that a 3/4″-thick 4 x 8 sheet weighs nearly 100 lbs! So, I laid a thinner piece of MDF on the shop floor to serve as a waste board underneath, then cut my 3/4″ substrate for the clamping table on top of that. A track saw yielded perfectly smooth, flat edges when I trimmed the MDF to my 40″ x 60″ table size — but again, the final dimensions are entirely up to you. The other benefit of the track saw was its built-in dust collection, because believe you me, MDF creates clouds of fine powdery dust in no time! If you don’t have a saw with dust collection, be sure to wear a dust mask when you cut this stuff. Or consider hauling your sheet outside to cut it there on a nice dry day.

I’ll be using my clamping table regularly for glue-ups, so I wanted a durable surface for the project that would be easy to clean. High-pressure plastic laminate for countertops fills that bill nicely! I bought a 4 x 8 sheet of matte gray laminate from a local countertop supply company. I also bought a sheet of what cabinet shops call “cabinet liner.” It’s a much thinner plastic laminate that costs less. My reason for using it is that a backer piece of laminate will add durability to the bottom face of the table and creates a moisture barrier, like the top face. Balancing the panel helps the MDF from warping due to uneven moisture absorption.

Trim two sheets of laminate so they’re oversized for the project by 4″ in both dimensions — you want a 2″ overhang all around to provide some margin for error when positioning the laminate on the substrate. After marking the size of my laminate, I set my track saw blade super shallow and cut the pieces to size. Be very careful when handling these cut sheets after you’ve trimmed them: cleanly cut plastic laminate will have razor-sharp edges. You won’t notice how sharp they are until it’s too late and you’re searching for Band-Aids! File or sand those edges now to make the sheets safer to handle.

Laminating the Substrate

Applying plastic laminate isn’t difficult, and it’s a great technique to know for future cabinet or countertop projects. But before I explain the procedure, there are a few important things to cover. First, keep your work surfaces and laminate as clean as possible while installing it.

Any random sawdust or particles of debris can form bubbles under the laminate when it’s glued in place. They’ll not only show as a raised bump but are impossible to fix.

Second, whether you use 3M High Strength 90 aerosol contact adhesive as I did or a roll-on variety, once both surfaces have adhesive applied, they will stick together the instant they make contact, and undoing them is nearly impossible without breaking the laminate.

You’ll need to install a barrier or a series of spacers between the MDF and laminate in order to position them without accidentally sticking them together; I used a large sheet of cardboard as a barrier layer. But long dowels closely spaced will also work.

And third, if you use roll-on solvent-based contact cement, the fumes are harmful to breathe and flammable. Be sure to have adequate ventilation in the shop, wear a cartridge respirator and extinguish any pilot lights or open flame.

The photo series here shows how I installed the gray laminate to the top face of my clamping table, but the black cabinet liner is applied the exact same way. Start by vacuuming or brushing off the MDF and the back face of the laminate carefully — again, any debris will be problematic. Lay down drop cloths or use offcuts of laminate to protect from overspray if you use aerosol contact adhesive as I did. Then apply an even coat of adhesive over the entire back face of the laminate and the MDF surface.

The adhesive must dry to a tack before the parts are bonded together, so while you wait, consider how you’ll position the laminate over the substrate. Remember, the laminate is larger than the MDF, and it’s floppy to handle. I laid a long scrap stick against one end of my substrate so I’d have a visual reference for where this end was.

I also set several Bench Cookies along both sides of the substrate to serve as spacers for the cardboard along the edges. When the contact cement was tacky and nearly dry to the touch, I set the cardboard in place over the substrate. Then, I carefully laid the laminate on the cardboard (adhesive side down).

I adjusted the laminate and the cardboard to overhang the substrate, then pushed the cardboard and the laminate backward, exposing a couple of inches of the MDF. I carefully pulled just the laminate forward and stuck the laminate to the MDF. With that end of the laminate and substrate now stuck together, I could slowly pull the cardboard out from beneath the laminate to present both cemented faces to one another.

I used a J-roller to then roll the surface of the laminate thoroughly from the center outward, further bonding the adhesive. If you don’t have a J-roller, you can just wrap a towel around a piece of 2×4 or other large scrap and press the surfaces flat that way instead — it will work just fine. Take a few extra minutes to roll the edges of the table all the way around the perimeter so the laminate is fully bonded there, too.

Edge-trimming and Installation

I gave the contact cement several hours to cure, then I trimmed off the overhanging edges using a router fitted with a piloted 1/16″ roundover bit. If you still have the table’s other face to laminate, do that now.

Since my tabletop was ready to go, I could attach the panel to my Material Mate Cart with four scrap blocks — they just friction-fit against the corners of the cart’s top metal framework so I can lift it off when needed.

Routing the T-Slot Grid

The T-slot grid in my table consists of 3/8″-wide, 3/8″-deep slots spaced 2″ in from the table edges, then 6″ from the ends and across the field area. Rockler’s Indexing Dado Jig, mounted to my router, made easy work of milling this series of slots with a 3/8″ straight bit.

The colored grid shows how I set up the groove pattern. I routed the red slots first, then the blue slots, with the Dado Jig’s fence following the edges of my tabletop. From there, I could rout the rest of the green slots with the Dado Jig’s fence fitted inside the previous slot cuts.

Once all the slots were routed, I swapped my straight bit for Rockler’s T-slot Cutter Bit and left the Indexing Dado Jig on the router. I adjusted the router’s cutting depth so the bottom of the T-slot bit was flush with the bottom of my groove cuts.

Then, I could simply repeat the routing process with the new bit to reshape the lower areas of the grooves into T-slots. It’s a dusty process, but it worked great, thanks to the jig!

When I finished all of the T-slots, I knocked those razor-sharp laminate edges along the top of the grooves down with some sandpaper wrapped around a scrap to finish this handy shop project.

Advice for Using the Clamping Table

You now have a substantial grid of T-slots to help you for all sorts of project assembly or for other sanding and routing tasks! The more I use this accessory, the more applications are made easier by it. Here are a couple of tips I’ve learned to keep in mind. First, if you use Rockler T-slot clamps, choose the styles that push laterally, not the types that apply downward pressure. Those “downward” clamps can produce enough force for their T-bolts to lift and break the MDF, ruining the T-slot. Second, if you use this clamping table for glue-ups, you’ll invariably get some glue drips down in the slots. No problem! They’re easy to clean out by simply running the router and the T-slot bit through those slots again to whisk away the dried glue. Finally, I also use my clamping table for general assembly, which sometimes involves lots of small fasteners and other hardware that could get lost in the slots. In those situations, I just grab a larger scrap piece of sheet material and cover over the area of the clamping table I’m not using to hide that portion of the grid. It’s a simple way to keep those little items right where you can see them and out of the T-slots where they don’t belong.

Hard-to-Find Hardware:

Rockler Material Mate Panel Cart (1) #56889
Rockler Indexing Dado Jig (1) #59237
Rockler T-Slot Cutter Router Bit (1) #26099
Rockler Straight, 2-Flute Router Bit (1) #90462

The post PROJECT: Universal Clamping Table appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Outdoor Love Seat: Beautify your patio, yard or garden with this mahogany bench for two. It’s easy to make using full-size templates from Rockler.

Benchtop Drill Press Table: Add functionality and efficiency to your drill press with this versatile accessory. You can appoint it economically or supercharge it with lots of accessories.

Universal Clamping Table: This work surface will integrate T-slots into your clamping process for assembly, glue-ups, machining and more.

Roycroft-style Taboret: Build this little Arts & Crafts hallmark, then give it a traditional ammonia-fumed finish for a vintage touch!

Shop Talk: We profile a Twin-Cities non-profit that teaches kids life skills while they create first-rate watercraft.

Woodturning: Scroll chucks make work-holding easier. Our expert’s advice will help you choose a chuck that meets your needs.

Skill Builder: Our second installment of a six-part joinery series discusses the foundationally important yet incredibly simple butt joint.

Power Tool Fundamentals: The hard-working band saw can cut curves, rip, crosscut and resaw. It just may be the most versatile woodworking saw ever invented.

Tool Preview: Rockler’s 4-piece Digital Measuring Kit can verify angles, fine dimensions, blade and bit settings and more with numeric convenience and precision.

Hardworking Hardware: Undermount drawer slides are gaining popularity rapidly in the cabinetry marketplace because they’re nearly hidden with quiet, self-closing convenience. Here’s a primer for installing Blum Tandem Edge slides.

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The post Scroll Chuck Options appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

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