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RWW 193 Display Shelf Part 1

8 comments
9 years ago
Maple Display Shelf     Projects     Videos

This shelf is a very simply designed and built project for a customer. When I started it I’ll be honest that I thought it to be an easy one that I could just knock out quickly and I have allotted 5 hours total to build it. What I discovered was that it wasn’t difficult to build but the simplicity of it allows me to really focus on getting it done perfectly and that has been a whole new exciting learning experience.

In this first part I focus on the legs. Milling, sizing, dado joinery, and finishing touches like tapers and chamfers. I also bring out my adjustable dado plane technique that I wrote about several years ago.

Here is the SketchUp model of this design for anyone who is interested

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Josh

Shannon-

Why did you choose to use a dado plane instead of a saw & chisel? Do you think the dado plane was faster or more exacting?

    Shannon

    For a couple reasons.

    1. I haven’t demonstrated that method before and I get questions about it a lot.
    2. When you have a lot to do like this I do think it is faster because there are fewer variables to control
    3. Cutting a dado across a wider board like this is easier with a plane and a fence

    In the end this is just another arrow in the quiver and I wouldn’t go out and start buying dado planes because you think you need one to do this work. Most of the dado work I do is done with a saw/chisel/router plane but it is fun to change it up a bit.

Marty Backe

Nice build.

I like your new lighting setup. Having the background lit makes your shop look much more inviting. And the way that you’re doing it, with the lamps, gives it a nice warm look.

    Shannon

    Thanks Marty, lighting has always been a problem because my ceilings are too low. I’m hoping to install the new track lighting in the next month now that it has warmed up enough for me to throw open the garage door and rely on natural light during the install.

Joe

I just made 4 of the same legs for an end table (my first commission). I tapered on the bandsaw, then cleaned up with the block plane. Your way is faster.

I also used the block plane for the chamfers at the top. I will try the chisel next time. I was having problems getting things even.

    Shannon

    Good luck with it Joe. Just grab a scrap block and try the chamfers with a chisel. It doesn’t take long to get the feel for it.

Chris Hudson

Hi Shannon. Help me understand?

At 14:37 you finish up hand planing one face of a leg. Next we see 4 legs going thru your Grizzly planer…

Did you hand plane one surface of the other 3 legs, and are now simply getting an opposite parallel surface? (Or?)

You didn’t put the legs with the full dado cuts facing up and go thru the planer? Or did you? (On my planer, with its rollers, that might be a bit exciting as they drop into the notches..:>)

A bit more on whats going on between 14:37 and 15:00 or so appreciated!

Nice project. Keep up the great work. And all the WoodTalks, too.

Chris

    Shannon

    Hey Chris sorry this wasn’t clearer. The trip through the planer was to get a parallel face to the hand sawn face that I have just previously planed. In other words the planer was establishing the 4th face and bringing the leg blank to a 1.25″ square. The joinery face did not go through the planer as that was established in the initial trip at the beginning of the episode before I ever cut the dados. So if you look close you will see the legs are running through on the 90 degree faces to the joinery.