With Our Compliments&
PROJECT BOOK
Stickley Design
ARTS & CRAFTS
BOOKCASE is
Easy to Build,
Made to Last
SHARPENING
Plane Irons
and Chisels
Tool Review:
New MORTISE
AND TENON JIG
by Leigh
FROM THE EDITORS OF
From the Editor Magazine Cabinet
f you had been shopping for a magazine cabi-
This set of Arts & Crafts
oodcraft is not only a
Contents
Inet in 1910 and came across this piece in
Wleading retailer of prod- Gustav Stickley s catalog, chances are you would
shelves has subtly tapered
Magazine Cabinet " 3
have turned the page with barely a glance.
ucts for woodworkers, it has a rich
Mortise-and-tenon Jig
The photo of the No. 72 Magazine Cabinet in
legs and arched top rails that
Tool Review " 12
history, too. In 1928 when the 1910 catalog is horrible. Someone in Stickley s
Sharpen Plane Irons art department mangled the picture, and it bears
turn it from stocky to stylish.
Woodcraft opened its doors,
and Chisels " 14 almost no resemblance to the real thing. The legs
Gustav Stickley s furniture compa- look spindly and lumpy, while the shelves
don t look sturdy at all.
ny (next page) was still operating.
In reality, this piece of furniture is
In this project book we re proud to present, in cooperation impressive. It was one of several pieces
of furniture designed by Harvey Ellis, an
with Woodcraft, a very useful reproduction you can build of a
architect, painter and designer. Ellis s
Stickley design. You ll also find an important step-by-step short stint with Stickley s company before
Ellis death in 1904 was remarkably fruit-
guide to sharpening your edge tools. After trying many sys-
ful. Under his talented pen, a fair number
tems, we ve settled on this one to highly recommend. We of Stickley s massive and overbuilt furni-
ture forms became lighter and a bit more
also review a superb new tool, the Leigh Frame Mortise and
graceful.
Tenon jig, a product we find to be one of the best engineered The No. 72 Magazine Cabinet is a
good example of this period. The curved
joint-making jigs we ve seen.
top rails and tapered legs all conspire to
make this piece look more delicate than
it is.
Like most Arts & Crafts projects, this
one is straightforward to build. I used
Editor and publisher
about 15 board feet of 4/4 mahogany,
Popular Woodworking magazine
four board feet of 5/4 and six board feet
of 8/4  I had some wood left over, but
P. S. I encourage you to request your no-obligation trial issue
that always beats a second trip to the
of Popular Woodworking. If you like it, take advantage of our lumberyard. The plans were developed by
Robert W. Lang for his book More Shop
special one year free offer! Just return the postage-paid
Drawings for Craftsman Furniture. This is
reply card that s included. Lang s second book of Craftsman furni-
ture plans, and it features measured
3
drawings for 30 pieces of this more traditional way, begin
D 2"-wide, 3D 8"-deep
museum-quality classics. If you by milling a 1
D
are an Arts & Crafts fan, it s and 313 4"-long stopped groove
required reading. on the leg in the location
Sacrificial
shown in the diagram. Square
fence
Start With out the groove where it stops
the Sides using a chisel.
Most of the work on this proj- Now cut a matching tongue
ect is in the two assemblies on the two long edges of your
that make up the sides of panel. You want the fit to be as
the cabinet. And the heart of near perfect as possible.
these side assemblies is the To keep things neat, I used
side panels. a backsaw to cut a small shoul-
These two panels have a der on the bottom corners of
tongue on the two long edges There are a variety of ways to cut the groove in the legs: A router the panel that conceals where
Cut the tongues on the edges of the side panels using a dado stack in
table and a plow plane come to mind. I prefer to use a straight bit in a
that are glued into a groove in the groove ends.
your table saw (plus a sacrificial fence). You also could use a rabbet-
router with an edge guide. This allows me to see my cut at all times.
ing bit in your router table.
the legs. Dados in the panels Before you can glue the
hold the shelves in place. And side panel between the legs,
D 4"-deep by
the rails are tenoned into mor- the side panels to be glued between the legs without join- you need to cut the 3
3
D 4"-wide dados that hold the
tises in the legs. Finally, the top between the legs. I used a tra- ery. However, it also guarantees
is screwed down to the cabinet ditional tongue-and-groove you will have no visible gap shelves. Use the diagrams on
using cleats. joint. It s more elaborate than between the legs and panel. pages 8-10 to lay out the loca-
The first task is to prepare simply gluing the panel If you want to do things in tions of the dados, then cut
them using your dado stack.
If all this seems complicat-
GUSTAV STICKLEY MAGAZINE CABINET ed, the sides can be simplified.
Make your side panels 9" wide
N O . I T E M D I M E N S I O N S( I N C H E S ) M AT E R I A L C O M M E N T S
T W L
D
instead of 93 4" and don t cut
D D D
4 Legs 11 2 13 4 411 8 Mahogany
the tongues and grooves. Cut
5 3
D 8 D 8 D 2 D 4"
2 Side stretchers 13 101 Mahogany TBE
3 3 the dados for the shelves and
D D D D
2 Side panels 4 93 4 317 8 Mahogany 8" tongue, 2 edges
3 3
then simply glue the panels
D 4 D 4 D 4 D 4
2 Bottom rails 11 163 Mahogany " TBE
3 3
D 4 D 8 D 4 D 4"
2 Arched top rails 13 163 Mahogany TBE between the legs.
3
D D D
3 Shelves 4 113 4 153 4 Mahogany
The long-grain joint
7
D 8
1 Top 13 22 Mahogany When your grooves and tongues are complete, they should fit snugly
between the side panel and the
1 1
D D
2 Cleats 2 2 8 Mahogany Attach top to sides as shown. If you re not up to this task, you could simply glue the panel
legs is stronger than the wood
to the legs without any joinery. Just make sure you keep everything
TBE = tenon on both ends
itself  you ll just have to be lined up so you re certain you ll achieve a tight joint.
4 5
careful about lining everything
up and making sure your stock
is milled perfectly to avoid any
gaps between the legs and the
side panels.
Before you glue anything up,
you re going to want to first cut
the mortises in the legs. So set
your parts aside and fit the
Gauge block
shelves in their dados.
The Shelves
are Simple
Cut the shelves to finished size
and mark out the notch that
needs to be cut in the corner of
Cut the dados in the side panels using this setup on your table saw or a straight edge and a hand-held
each one. This notch allows the
router. The gauge block keeps the panel from getting caught between the fence and the blade.
shelves to wrap around the
legs. You can rig up some fancy Details Lighten
setup with your router table to the Load
do this, but I prefer using a With the tenons and mortises
backsaw for such a simple task. milled, it s time to make a few
Now fit your shelves in the cuts that visually will slim this
dados and make any adjust- chunky box a bit.
You ll need to notch the bottom of
ments necessary using a block The first order of business
the side panel to fit in the leg
groove. A backsaw makes quick
plane or chisel. When every- is cutting the curve on the top
work of this simple operation
thing is fitting nicely, it s time to rails. Mark the curve using the
(above). Clean up the cut with a
cut the mortise-and-tenon joints diagrams and a flexible piece of
sharp chisel and you re ready to
move on (right).
that hold everything together. scrap wood. Cut the curve using
I usually cut my tenons a coping saw and clean up the
using a dado stack or a tenon put the new Leigh Frame one special animal. See the saw marks using a spokeshave
saw. When it comes to mortis- Mortise and Tenon Jig through story titled  Joint Making or sandpaper.
es, I choose to drill them out on its paces. It s usually a smart Marvel on page 12 for more Now cut the tapers on the
the drill press or fire up the hol- move to be skeptical of any jig information on this precise legs using the diagrams as a
low-chisel mortising machine. that costs as much as a table joint-cutting system. guide. I cut the tapers using my
To prevent tearout where the dado stack exits the side panel, put
However, for this project, I saw, but this particular jig is down a couple pieces of masking tape to support the wood fibers. band saw and cleaned up the
6 7
SOURCE
Numerous tools and sup-
plies needed to build this
magazine cabinet are
available through Wo o dc r a ft
stores nationwide, or by
calling 800-225-1153 to
order by mail, or on the We b
at www. w oo d c ra f t . c o m .
1
D 2
Straight router bit, d i a .
#24A35 - 1D 2 d x 1 cl x 1D 2
s ha n k , or #24A10 - 1D 2 d x
1 cl x 1D 4 s h an k
SystiMatic Dado Set 8
# 1 4 E 1 2
Backsaw #17Z03
Marples Blue Chip Chisels
#12G11 through #12G81 or
set of six chisels #12G15
Plan section through rails
Lie-Nielsen No. 5 plane
# 81 2 5 0 5
Leigh Frame Mortise &
Tenon Jig #822034
Bartley Clear Satin Gel
Varnish #34M51
 More Shop Drawings for
Front elevation
Craftsman Furniture, b y
Side elevation
Robert W. Lang #145169
cuts with a smoothing plane. top edge of your side assem - ish it. Or you can tape off the
Keep the offcuts since they can blies and bore a couple holes joints, finish the individual parts
be used to glue the case togeth- through the cleats. Break all the and then assemble the case. I
er at the end of the project. edges of your parts with took the latter course.
Now sand or plane down all 120-grit sandpaper. Keep the finish simple on
your parts and glue up the side Now comes an important this piece and use a red
assemblies. In order to attach decision. You can go ahead and mahogany colored stain on all
the top, screw the cleats to the assemble the case and then fin - the parts. Just apply with a rag
Plan section above shelf
8 9
A spokeshave
If you haven t figured it out
cleans up your
yet, magazine cabinets aren t
saw cuts on
much good for storing modern
the top rails
magazines (unless you stacked quickly. After
working with
them flat). But they do make
the fancy Leigh
handy bookshelves  especially
jig, it s a relief
for antique volumes.
to pick up a
tool that s so
Once I set the cabinet in
You could set up your router table or
simple.
place next to my fireplace and
table saw to cut the notches in the
shelves. But a sharp backsaw works
loaded it up with books, I took
just as well.
a second look at the picture of
the original in the 1910 Gustav
Stickley catalog. Someone in
his art department should have
been fired for butchering that
photo. This is a nice piece.
 Christopher Schwarz
Most people
don t notice the
tapers on the
legs. (My wife
didn t, and she
has a sharp
enough eye to
always find my
car keys.) The
Now fit your parts together and tune
tapers are criti-
up the notches in the shelves with a
cal, however.
sharp chisel so you make sure you
You definitely
Side section
get a tight fit.
would notice
their absence.
then wipe off any excess to Campbell s Magnalac precat- the tape from the tenons and
achieve a consistent color. alyzed lacquer (satin sheen) then glue up the individual parts
Allow the stain to dry overnight. using a HVLP spray system. of the cabinet. Use the falloff
The next day, apply a few Sand between the second and pieces from cutting the leg
coats of your film finish of third coats with 320-grit tapers to clamp the lower part
choice. I sprayed M.L. stearated sandpaper. Remove of the case squarely.
10 11
Joint Making Marvel
SOURCE
The Frame Mortise and
possible. Then just snap the Tenon Jig (item #822034) is
The newest jig
a vailable through Wo o dc r a f t
template into the jig.
stores nationwide, or by
Now mark the center of
from Leigh makes
calling 800-225-1153 to
your tenon on the end of your
Center the table over your tenon order by mail, or on the We b
workpiece. Then you center the
using the slide-out window. Lock
at www. w oo d c r a f t . c o m .
perfect mortises
the table in place and put the
table over the tenon using a
router up on the jig.
slide-out window. It works kind
and tenons.
of like a bomb sight. (One side ter of your mortise, clamp the
note: Though you think that piece in your jig and center the
hough the Leigh Frame someday you ll forget to retract table over the cut.
TMortise and Tenon jig this plastic sight and rout it to Turn the turret depth stop
looks complex, it will feel pieces, that s actually impossi- on your router so it makes a
instantly familiar if you ve ever ble. The jig is designed to push slightly deeper cut (this keeps
With the assistance of your plunge router, you can cut almost any
used your router for pattern it out of the way if you forget.) your tenons from bottoming out
mortise-and-tenon joint with this new jig from Leigh Industries.
cutting. The manual shows you how in the mortise). Lift the router
The jig uses snap-in tem- to set up a stop that positions subbase and place the pin on
You can connect dust collection
plates that guide a plunge your tenons in the same place the inside track of the template.
to the back of the jig, which I
router as it cuts. Just select the Outside edge of the every time, without using the Plunge and make a few holes
recommend. It doesn t get all the
template cuts the tenons
size tenon you want to cut and sight. After a week of using the first. Then move the jig back
chips, but it cuts down signifi-
snap that template in place. cantly on the mess. jig, I found I got better results and forth to clean out the walls
Position the tenon stock in by marking the center of each of the mortise.
the jig and set your depth of paragon of clarity) walks you tenon and adjusting the table The jig is capable of cutting
cut. Then plunge your router. A through the process of slightly (usually less than 1D 64") almost any mortise-and-tenon
pin on the router s subbase fol- installing your plunge router each time I made a cut. This joint you can think of, including
lows the outside edge of the and getting it locked down to takes about three seconds. The double, triple and angled
template. Your tenon is done. the subbase. Once this is set variability comes from the fact tenons. Slip-joints also are a
To cut the mortise, position up, you can easily remove your that wood can warp a bit as it s breeze. To be sure, there are
the stock in the jig and place plunge router and return it to ripped to width. less expensive ways to cut this
The templates snap in and out of place with fingertip pressure. Pick
the pin into a slot on the inside the jig in a matter of moments. Set your plunge router for joint. The jig costs about $800
your tenon size and pop it in the jig.
of the same template you used After your router is in place, the depth of cut you want (3D 4" and comes with one template
for the tenon. Plunge your you re ready to make test cuts. in this case). Plunge and then set and a 5D 16" cutter. However I
router and make your mortise. If The Frame Mortise and As I started using the jig, Select the size tenon you circle the jig s pin around the know of no better or faster way
the joint is too loose or too Tenon Jig  like all jigs from every single question or objec- want based on your project s template. Cut all the tenons for to cut mortises and tenons, and
tight, just turn a small dial on Leigh  is an impressive and tion I had was addressed. design. By changing which your project this way. it s worth a close look for your
the subbase to adjust the cut in thought-out piece of engineer- Setting up the jig takes a diameter cutter you use, tenons Mortising uses almost the shop.
.001" increments  simple. ing. few hours. The manual (a of almost any thickness are same procedure. Mark the cen-  Christopher Schwarz
12 13
Sharpen Plane Irons & Chisels
Here s how to get
the best possible
edge with the least
amount of fuss.
If you don t polish the backside of your chisels and
plane irons, your cutting edges will always be jagged
and easily dulled. You need to polish just the area up
by the cutting edge.
The tools you use to get contraption shown in most of skew chisels and specialty
there are up to you. But here the photos) for sharpening my plane irons that won t fit in the
are a few words of advice: Pick chisels and most plane irons. Eclipse guide, such as irons for
hen I took my first looking at the rows of chisels bad points. Some are simple, a sharpening system and stick I also own the Veritas honing shoulder planes.
Wwoodworking class and backsaws and wondered others don t make a mess, some with it before giving it up. guide. It excels at sharpening
years ago, the first thing the when we were going to get to are less expensive and most If you stick with one sys-
instructor showed us was his the important part. systems can put an astoundingly tem, your edges will improve
shop-made waterstone pond. Within a week we all real- good edge on tool steel. gradually as you get better and
With a reverence and care ized that sharpening was the better at using your system.
reserved for religious artifacts important part. Soon there were Familiarity Breeds Second, buy a honing guide.
and small injured animals, the only two sharp chisels in the a Keen Edge It s a big old lie that these
teacher brought the pond out shop for the class, and we quar- These steps will work with things slow you down. In fact,
from its special place in his cab- reled over them. Trimming every sharpening and honing these simple and inexpensive
inet. For more than an hour he tenons with the equivalent of a system I know of on the market. guides are quick to set up and
talked with a furrowed brow butter knife wasn t fun. That s because no matter what ensure your edge will be per-
about secondary bevels, wire So I made it a point to learn system you use, sharpening is fect every time you sharpen.
edges and polishing the back of to sharpen well. And I ve been about one thing: Grinding and However, don t buy a whole
our edge tools. fortunate to be able to use a polishing the two intersecting rolling army of honing guides. I
Flat-grinding your cutting bevel should not take long on a coarse dia-
All of us in the class did our variety of methods. planes of a cutting edge to as use a $10 Eclipse-style guide
mond stone. If you re having trouble gauging your progress, color the
best to stifle our yawns. I kept Each system has good and fine a point as possible. (the gray-colored side-clamp cutting bevel with a permanent marker to find out where you stand.
14 15
After working the 4,000-grit stone,
here s what the secondary bevel
Continue honing the edge by switching to a 4,000-grit stone. Remove the should look like. It got a little
burr on the backside with the 8,000-grit stone. bigger and it is more polished.
Begin with a 1,000-grit stone and rub the tool back and forth across
After a dozen licks, turn the tool
the work. Try to wear the stone evenly by moving the tool in a regu- over and remove the burr from
lar pattern.
the backside by rubbing it a couple
times over the 8,000-grit stone.
After honing the tool on the 1,000-grit stone,
this is what the secondary bevel should look Polish the secondary bevel on the
like. Repeat the same process on the 8,000-grit stone. You are almost finished. 8,000-grit stone until it is a mirror.
The Backside that you have newly acquired. waterstone, then do the same do it on a coarse sharpening Put the tool in your honing Rub the cutting bevel
There are three sharpening Once you do these three things, operation with the 4,000-grit stone, which will produce a flat- guide and set it so the cutting against the diamond stone and
operations that must be per- maintaining an edge is much and then the 8,000-grit stone. ground edge. bevel is dead flat against the check your progress. You want
formed on all chisels and plane easier. Most sharpening is just The backside should look like a I grind using a diamond stone. Most tools come ground to grind the entire cutting bevel
irons that are new to you. First honing and polishing the sec- mirror when you re finished. stone for three reasons. First, it at a 25° bevel, which is good of the chisel or plane iron all
you must polish the flat back- ondary bevel. will never destroy a tool due to for most woodworking tasks. the way across.
side (sometimes called the  cut- Begin with the backside of The Grind overheating (which can happen Mortising chisels should be set As you progress on this
ting face ) of the tool. Next you the tool. Rub the backside back The next step is to grind the with electric grinders). Second, I for 30°; tools designed for light coarse stone, you should make
grind the cutting bevel. Finally and forth across a medium-grit cutting bevel of the tool. You use the diamond stone to flatten paring only can be set for 20°. a substantial burr on the back-
you hone and polish a small part sharpening stone or sandpaper. can do this on an electric the waterstones. And third, the I use mineral spirits to lubri- side of the tool. This is called a
of that cutting bevel, which You don t need to polish the grinder that has a tool rest, diamond stone is great for cate my diamond stone. It evap -  wire edge, and you ll want to
most call the  secondary bevel. entire back, just the area up by which will produce a slightly touching up my router bits. orates more slowly than water remove it by rubbing the back-
Keep in mind that these the cutting edge. I begin this curved cutting bevel called a I use DMT s extra-coarse and won t allow rust to build up side on your finest-grit stone a
three steps are only for tools process with a 1,000-grit Norton hollow-ground edge. Or you can stone for grinding my edges. easily on the stone. couple times. Never rub the
16 17
SOURCE
ONE YEAR FREE!
Sharpening accessories are
a vailable through Wo od c r a ft
DISCOVER GREAT PROJECTS...PRACTICAL
stores nationwide, or by
TECHNIQUES...AND AUTHORITATIVE TOOL REVIEWS
calling 800-225-1153 to
order by mail, or on the We b
backside on your coarse stone. oilstone or 320-grit sandpaper. I in Popular Woodworking!
at www. w o o dc r a f t . co m.
That just undoes all your polish - use the 1,000-grit Norton
Send for a FREE ISSUE and check out Popular W oodwork ing ,
Eclipse-style honing guide
ing work there. waterstone. Lubricate your
your leading source for woodworking know-how, inspiration
# 03A 2 1
stones as recommended by the
and expert advice. Inside every issue, you ll find:
Veritas honing guide
Honing manufacturer. Rub the tool back
# 0 3B 41
" Beautiful Projects for your home and family that build
Honing is quick and painless if and forth on the stone. Turn it
your woodworking skills and makes your shop time even
your stones are flat and you ve over and check your progress. Norton wa t e r s t o n e s :c o m b o
more reward ing
220/1000 grit #818262;
done the first two steps cor- You should see a secondary
combo 1000/4000 grit
" Technique articles and no-nonsense tips from professional
rectly. The first thing to do is to bevel appear up at the cutting
# 8 1 82 6 3 ; combo 4000/8000
woodworkers including Bill Hylton, Don McConnell,
reset the tool in your honing edge. Rub your thumb along the
grit #818264; 220 grit
Glen Huey and Troy Sexton
guide. Loosen the screw that backside; you should feel a
8 2 245 9 ; 1000 grit #822460;
clamps the tool and slide the small burr all the way across 4000 grit #822461 and 8000 " Practical finishing techniques by Bob Flexner for satisfying resu lts
grit #822462
tool backwards about 1D 8". the cutting edge. If there s no
" Tool rev iews that arm you with the knowledge you need to make the best
Retighten the screw. burr, then you re not sharpening
DMT Diamond Stones X buying decisions that save your money
This will set the tool so only up at the edge; so continue coarse #02P15
" Plus a new special section: Woodworking Essentials, an ongoing series of
a small part of the cutting bevel honing until you feel that burr.
articles from Nick Engler that focus on a single, important topic and covers it
will get honed. This speeds Once you have that burr,
in encyclopedic detail. Series subjects include routing, table saw use and joinery
your sharpening greatly. remove it by rubbing the back - your 8,000-grit stone. At this
Start honing with a 1,000- side across your 8,000-grit stage, the bevel should look a
Send today for a FREE ISSUE! You risk nothing with this special prev iew
grit waterstone, soft Arkansas stone. Go back to your 1,000- bit polished in places.
o ffer  and if you decide to subscribe, you ll get ONE YEAR FREE!
grit stone and refine the sec- Finally, you want to polish
ondary bevel some more until the secondary bevel with your
ORDER FORM
all the scratches on your sec - finest-grit stone or 1,500-grit
ondary bevel look consistent. sandpaper. I use an 8,000-grit
Use less and less pressure as Norton waterstone.
Yes! Send my FREE ISSUE of Popular Woodworking .
you progress on this stone and Polishing is a bit different.
If I like what I see, I ll get 13 more issues (total of 14)
remove the wire edge on the You won t feel a wire edge on
for just $19.96 (that s ONE YEAR FREE!). If not, I ll write
backside as you go. the backside of the tool. Work
cancel on my invoice, return it and owe nothing. The
Put the 1,000-grit stone both the secondary bevel and
FREE ISSUE is mine to keep, no matter what!
away and get out a 4,000-grit the backside of the tool on the
Here s how to test your edge
Name____________________________________________________
waterstone, a hard black 8,000-grit stone and watch the
without flaying your finger open.
Arkansas oilstone or 600-grit scratches disappear. When
Pull your thumbnail across the
edge at about a 90° angle. If the
sandpaper. Go through the they re gone, you re done. Address________________________________________________________________________
edge catches and digs in imme-
same process you did with the Test the edge using your
diately, you re sharp. If it skids
1,000-grit stone. Remove the fingernail  see the photo for
City_______________________________________ State________________ZIP____________
across your thumbnail, you have
more work to do. wire edge on the backside with details.
Annual Newsstand rate: $34.93. Please allow 4-6 weeks for FREE ISSUE delivery.
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