Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Outdoor Woodworking Designs

This collection contains woodworking designs for the outdoors. Included in these outdoor woodworking plans you'll find projects for your yard or garden. As with several of the projects on this site, many of the designs were originally developed to be given as gifts.


One thing to pay particularly close attention to when building outdoor woodworking projects is the wood species. If your project doesn't need to last very long, there is no need to pay premium prices for moisture and insect resistant woods like Cedar and Redwood.

However, less expensive woods like Fir and Pine need to be well protected with paint or outdoor wood sealer. Otherwise, they will become moldy and rotten after only a couple of seasons out in the elements.


I have chosen to use Cedar in most of my projects. Personally, I like the look of natural wood and don't care much for the chemicals in outdoor wood sealers. Also, where I live Cedar is readily available and less expensive than Redwood.


I just let the wood weather naturally. It would last a bit longer if I coated it with wood sealer, but I'm happy with the look and the project lifespan without the use of the chemicals.


Pressure treated lumber is also available that resists rot and insects. However, it's probably not suitable for many of the woodworking designs here. The biggest problem with using pressure treated lumber is that you can't cut or sand the wood without creating chemical-laden sawdust.


Also, most pressure treating only reaches a short distance below the surface of the wood. Anywhere the wood is cut, you need to apply end-cut treatment to the cut surface in order to maintain the rot-resistant properties.


For my money, I simply prefer a wood species that naturally works well outdoors with no further treatment. Barring that, any wood species will work fine outside as long as you keep it well painted or well sealed. This is usually necessary about every other year.


Whatever wood you choose, I hope you enjoy building the projects from these free outdoor woodworking plans.


Want to make some birds in your neighborhood happy? Take a gander at these bird feeder plans and you'll be well on your way. By following the link or clicking on the picture, you'll find more details and drawing files in PDF format that you can view or download.


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Children's Workbench Plans

One evening a friend of my daughter's was talking about some workbench plans he had percolating in his head. He asked if I could get him a few pieces of scrap wood from work. However, as we discussed his ideas for how to build a workbench, I realized that this would be a great project to develop for Totally Free Woodworking Plans.


His idea was to build a workbench that actually doubled as a giant toolbox. The storage tray beneath the top, the hinged door, and the a-frame style legs were his idea. I refined the dimensions a bit and added the peg holes for hanging tools. What you see here are children's workbench plans that came straight from the mind of a kid!

The funny part about this being a children's workbench is that it would really work great as an adult's workbench too. The 32" height is too short for my comfort, but increasing the height would be a pretty simple matter. I'm 6 feet tall but someone shorter may find it comfortable to work at a 32" high workbench. So don't be scared away from building it just because it was designed with kids in mind.

Material Since the whole discussion of these workbench plans began as a request for scrap wood, my first inclination was to build it out of 3/4" melamine. By now you probably know how much I love the stuff, but the real motivation was the fact that we have tons of scrap 3/4" melamine at work. The problem with using melamine started to become apparent when I discovered that my son and the inventor's little brother also wanted to build the same workbench.


As I imagined three rough eight to ten-year-old boys pounding on their new workbenches, I realized that particle board simply wouldn't hold up. A couple of good smacks with a hammer and the corners of the workbench would be a mess. So 3/4" plywood was my choice due it's durability. Any shop grade of plywood will work fine, or even AC plywood sheathing. I happened to find four leftover sheets of plywood that had been faced with plastic laminate, so the boys' workbenches turned out pretty fancy when all was said and done.

Hardware There are a couple of simple pieces of hardware you will need to complete the workbench. The workbench plans show a piano (or continous) hinge for the door. This is my preference for durability, but a piano hinge is about three times the price of a pair of simple butt hinges. At the last minute (meaning the checkout line at the hardware store), I changed to butt hinges and they worked great. We used only two per door, but three would hold up better.


The other thing you'll need is some sort of catch at the top of the door. We used a heavy duty magnetic touch-latch that only cost a couple of dollars. Another alternative would be to use a magnetic or roller catch with some sort of handle to pull the door open.

Cutting The Parts The only really complex pieces to cut are the legs. Once you lay out the lines for the angles, they can be cut with a circular saw, a jigsaw, or a table saw with an angle jig. I sort of cheated and cut all the parts on a CNC router at work. Which brings up a good point about all the holes that need to be drilled (I think there are about seven thousand of them).


The 1/4" holes aren't completely necessary. I had a bunch of 1/4" dowel laying around and thought it would be cool to make a sort of peg board to hang tools on the outside of the workbench. The workbench plans show the peg holes on the outside of the bench, but a couple of the boys turned the back around so they could hang their tools on the inside of the tool storage tray.

I used a CNC machine to drill all the holes, but I'm not too sure I would have drilled them all if I had to do it by hand. So drill as many as you think you'll need, or don't drill any at all. They really are just an option.


The 3/16" thru holes aren't really optional. Those are there for assembly with 1-5/8" wood screws. If you lay them out according to the drawings you'll have a much easier time lining things up. So I encourage you to drill them, even if you opt not to drill the peg holes.

Assembly Start by attaching the front and the back to the bottom using glue and 1-5/8" wood screws. Next, using the section view in the workbench plans as a guide, mark the locations of the back, bottom, and front on the inside of both legs. Attach the legs to the back/front/bottom assembly using glue and screws.


Hinging the door is easiest if done while the top is off. Attach the hinges to the door first, then fasten the hinged door to the front. For mounting hinges I suggest that you use a Vix Bit. For those who aren't familiar with Vix Bits, they are self-centering drill bits. The ingenious little tool makes drilling perfectly centered holes an absolute breeze.


Mounting the top is pretty straightforward. Just make sure it overhangs the legs evenly all around. Depending on what method you use for holding the door shut, you may want to attach the catch to the underside of the top before attaching the top to the legs. That's what we did and it eliminated the need to crawl inside the tool compartment upside down to install catch hardware.

Drawing File With a bit of help from us dads, the boys did almost all of the assembly themselves. So whether you build one of these workbenches for your kids, with your kids, or even for yourself, be sure to check out the plans. Just click on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "Workbench Plans"


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Table Saw Safety

I cannot overemphasize the need for strictly following all table saw safety rules when working in the shop. Most of the projects on this site require cutting parts on a table saw. Developing safe table saw operating habits will ensure that you can finish and enjoy your projects free from injury.


Of paramount importance when working with any power tool is to wear eye and hearing protection. Also, be sure to read all of the manuals and safety instructions that come with your tools.


Beyond that, this short video on table saw use and safety is a great primer for novice woodworkers. It's also an excellent reminder for seasoned woodworkers who may need to brush up on their shop safety awareness.



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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Cabinet Plans - 2 Door Wall

These cabinet plans simply add doors to the open wall cabinet. The beauty of building cabinets using the 32mm system is that the box (or cabinet carcass) is the same whether the cabinet is open, has drawers, doors, or any combination thereof. And just like the open wall cabinet, the size can be adjusted to fit your room perfectly.
Doors As usual, I don't stray from my general affinity to melamine. In this free kitchen cabinet plan, the box and doors are listed as white melamine with PVC edge banding. This is a durable combination, but doesn't contribute much character to your finished cabinets.


Here's where your basic cabinet can take on it's own personality and really show off your creativity. There are nearly an infinite number of ways to customize your cabinet doors.


They can utilize simple plywood slabs, raised or recessed panels, carved solid wood, super durable thermofoil, inlaid veneers, varied grain directions, and paints or different colored stains. Cabinet doors styles are only limited by your imagination, so experiment and make them truly your own creation.


There are a few things to watch out for if you choose something other than a slab door with 0.5mm thick edge banding for your cabinet plans. First, the cutlist shows dimensions for the door before edge banding is applied. If you aren't using 0.5mm thick edge banding, then you need to use the dimensions from the door layout elevation.


Basically, allow a 3/8" (10mm) gap (called a reveal) at the top, 1/16" (1.5mm) reveal at the outside edges of the cabinet box, and 1/8" (3mm) reveal between the two doors. The doors fit flush to the bottom of the cabinet. This will keep the door at the correct size for proper hinge clearance.


Next, try to stick with a door that is pretty close to 3/4" (19mm) thick. Most concealed euro-style hinges are designed to fit a 3/4" thick door panel. If you go much thinner or thicker than that, you may have trouble with the hinges fitting and problems with the door opening and closing properly.


Finally, when using five-piece (raised or recessed panel) doors, the stiles (vertical pieces of solid wood) need to be wide enough for the hinge to fit. It's okay to make the stiles narrow, but then you will need to use a smaller hinge like the Blum Mini Hinge.
Hinges I can't say enough good things about using three-way adjustable, concealed, euro-style hinges. They make door hanging and adjustment very easy. Because of their opening geometry, they also allow two cabinets to butt directly together without the doors binding. The gap between the hinge edge of two doors on adjacent cabinets really does only need to be 1/8" (3mm).


When buying hinges, be sure to get both the hinge and the mounting plate, since they are often sold separately. If you're using full system holes, then an Expando dowel mounting plate is a great way to go.


The Expando dowels are very strong, fit into 5mm system holes, and don't damage the system holes like euro screws do...just in case you make a mistake. If you aren't using full system holes, then a screw-on mounting plate is your best bet.


For the hinge itself, the cabinet plans show a pair of 5/16" (8mm) holes in addition to the 1 3/8" (35mm) hinge cup hole. This design is for a press-in hinge arm. The press-in style uses a dowel that is similar to the Expando dowel, but is actually designed to be pressed in by machine.


It can also be easily tapped in with a hammer and small block of wood. The hinge can then be removed and reinstalled several times without damaging the door. This is a nice feature if you want to fit the hinges first, then remove them to finish the door with paint or lacquer.


Another good way to mount the hinge is to use a screw-on hinge arm. In this case, omit the extra 5/16" (8mm) holes on the door and just drill pilot holes for #6 wood screws. I actually prefer the press-in style for the ability to remove and reattach the hinge several times.


Repeatedly removing and reinstalling wood screws tends to weaken the wood fibers in the door. If you only plan to do it once or twice (say for finishing), then it's okay. Otherwise you might be better off sticking with the press-in hinges.

Buying Hardware Online Some of the links on this site take you to product pages on Amazon.com, so just a quick note about buying cabinet hardware from Amazon. There are two or three major internet cabinet hardware suppliers that sell their products on Amazon. They all have similar offerings, good reputations, reasonable prices, and decent shipping rates.


If you want to save a bit of money, try to find one supplier that has everything you're shopping for, and place your entire order with them.


The listed shipping rates are often not just for a single piece of hardware. It might cover everything in an entire order, up to a certain dollar amount. So you may be able to get a great deal on shipping by combining your whole order under one supplier.

Drawing File For a more in-depth discussion of euro-style hinges, take a look at the notes on the 2 door base cabinet plans. Otherwise, just click on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "2 Door Wall Cabinet 30W x 12D x 30.5T"


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Woodworking Projects For Kids

This category contains some great woodworking projects for kids. Some of the projects are excellent for kids themselves to build. Others are more complex and you'll just want to build them for the kids in your life. Or build them for the kid in you!


Kids love to be in the shop around tools and woodworking. Helping to build their own toys, or gifts for others, can bring them unmatched pride and satisfaction.

I encourage you to include them in your woodworking projects whenever you can. But please keep safety as THE most important factor whenever using tools around children, especially with power tools.


Here is an easy plan for a set of wooden toy blocks, inspired by a set my grandfather built. Simply follow the link or click on the picture. You'll find more details and drawing files in PDF format that you can view or download.


Fun little set of workbench plans that my daughter's friend dreamed up. The bench is sized for a child, but with a little modification would work great for an adult as well. Take a look, especially if you're looking for a project that you can build with your kids.


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Monday, July 11, 2011

Cabinet Plans - 2 Door Wall

These cabinet plans simply add doors to the open wall cabinet. The beauty of building cabinets using the 32mm system is that the box (or cabinet carcass) is the same whether the cabinet is open, has drawers, doors, or any combination thereof. And just like the open wall cabinet, the size can be adjusted to fit your room perfectly.
Doors As usual, I don't stray from my general affinity to melamine. In this free kitchen cabinet plan, the box and doors are listed as white melamine with PVC edge banding. This is a durable combination, but doesn't contribute much character to your finished cabinets.


Here's where your basic cabinet can take on it's own personality and really show off your creativity. There are nearly an infinite number of ways to customize your cabinet doors.


They can utilize simple plywood slabs, raised or recessed panels, carved solid wood, super durable thermofoil, inlaid veneers, varied grain directions, and paints or different colored stains. Cabinet doors styles are only limited by your imagination, so experiment and make them truly your own creation.


There are a few things to watch out for if you choose something other than a slab door with 0.5mm thick edge banding for your cabinet plans. First, the cutlist shows dimensions for the door before edge banding is applied. If you aren't using 0.5mm thick edge banding, then you need to use the dimensions from the door layout elevation.


Basically, allow a 3/8" (10mm) gap (called a reveal) at the top, 1/16" (1.5mm) reveal at the outside edges of the cabinet box, and 1/8" (3mm) reveal between the two doors. The doors fit flush to the bottom of the cabinet. This will keep the door at the correct size for proper hinge clearance.


Next, try to stick with a door that is pretty close to 3/4" (19mm) thick. Most concealed euro-style hinges are designed to fit a 3/4" thick door panel. If you go much thinner or thicker than that, you may have trouble with the hinges fitting and problems with the door opening and closing properly.


Finally, when using five-piece (raised or recessed panel) doors, the stiles (vertical pieces of solid wood) need to be wide enough for the hinge to fit. It's okay to make the stiles narrow, but then you will need to use a smaller hinge like the Blum Mini Hinge.
Hinges I can't say enough good things about using three-way adjustable, concealed, euro-style hinges. They make door hanging and adjustment very easy. Because of their opening geometry, they also allow two cabinets to butt directly together without the doors binding. The gap between the hinge edge of two doors on adjacent cabinets really does only need to be 1/8" (3mm).


When buying hinges, be sure to get both the hinge and the mounting plate, since they are often sold separately. If you're using full system holes, then an Expando dowel mounting plate is a great way to go.


The Expando dowels are very strong, fit into 5mm system holes, and don't damage the system holes like euro screws do...just in case you make a mistake. If you aren't using full system holes, then a screw-on mounting plate is your best bet.


For the hinge itself, the cabinet plans show a pair of 5/16" (8mm) holes in addition to the 1 3/8" (35mm) hinge cup hole. This design is for a press-in hinge arm. The press-in style uses a dowel that is similar to the Expando dowel, but is actually designed to be pressed in by machine.


It can also be easily tapped in with a hammer and small block of wood. The hinge can then be removed and reinstalled several times without damaging the door. This is a nice feature if you want to fit the hinges first, then remove them to finish the door with paint or lacquer.


Another good way to mount the hinge is to use a screw-on hinge arm. In this case, omit the extra 5/16" (8mm) holes on the door and just drill pilot holes for #6 wood screws. I actually prefer the press-in style for the ability to remove and reattach the hinge several times.


Repeatedly removing and reinstalling wood screws tends to weaken the wood fibers in the door. If you only plan to do it once or twice (say for finishing), then it's okay. Otherwise you might be better off sticking with the press-in hinges.

Buying Hardware Online Some of the links on this site take you to product pages on Amazon.com, so just a quick note about buying cabinet hardware from Amazon. There are two or three major internet cabinet hardware suppliers that sell their products on Amazon. They all have similar offerings, good reputations, reasonable prices, and decent shipping rates.


If you want to save a bit of money, try to find one supplier that has everything you're shopping for, and place your entire order with them.


The listed shipping rates are often not just for a single piece of hardware. It might cover everything in an entire order, up to a certain dollar amount. So you may be able to get a great deal on shipping by combining your whole order under one supplier.

Drawing File For a more in-depth discussion of euro-style hinges, take a look at the notes on the 2 door base cabinet plans. Otherwise, just click on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "2 Door Wall Cabinet 30W x 12D x 30.5T"


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Using A Wood Router

Using a wood router to shape an edge, plow a dado, or perform some other cutting task is an important requirement of many woodworking projects that you'll come across. Even a project as simple as the toy blocks can be greatly enhanced by employing a wood router to soften the edges with a roundover bit.


If you're completely new to woodworking, or even just new to wood routers, this series of videos should prove to be very useful to you. Woodworking routers are dangerous tools, and operating them with good results can be a mysterious endeavor.


Although there are numerous online videos that demonstrate great tips on using wood routers, most of them are targeted more towards people who already have a basic knowledge of router operation.


This series of videos takes a slightly different approach. The videos teach the very basics of operating a router, including a strong emphasis on safety. They're produced by an industrial arts instructor so it's just like being in shop class!



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Sunday, July 10, 2011

Using A Wood Router

Using a wood router to shape an edge, plow a dado, or perform some other cutting task is an important requirement of many woodworking projects that you'll come across. Even a project as simple as the toy blocks can be greatly enhanced by employing a wood router to soften the edges with a roundover bit.


If you're completely new to woodworking, or even just new to wood routers, this series of videos should prove to be very useful to you. Woodworking routers are dangerous tools, and operating them with good results can be a mysterious endeavor.


Although there are numerous online videos that demonstrate great tips on using wood routers, most of them are targeted more towards people who already have a basic knowledge of router operation.


This series of videos takes a slightly different approach. The videos teach the very basics of operating a router, including a strong emphasis on safety. They're produced by an industrial arts instructor so it's just like being in shop class!



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Lighthouse Pattern

I developed this lighthouse pattern for a wooden house number I made for my mom. She needed a replacement for an old wooden number that had weathered beyond repair.


Since she loves lighthouses I wanted to engrave one, along with the number itself, on my CNC router. I searched online for suitable vector images of lighthouses, but couldn't find one simple enough to meet my needs. So I created my own.


It was specifically designed to be v-carved with a 90 degree v-carving router bit. I imported the DXF file into Vectric's VCarve Pro to generate toolpaths for my CNC router. However, it could also be used as a woodburning pattern or even for stained glass.


Truthfully, I debated whether or not it was even worth posting to the site since it's so simple. However, a huge reason I have this site is because I hate to see design work, regardless of its simplicity, go to waste. My hope is that someone out there can put this to good use, rather than me just using it once and tossing it aside.

File Formats This pattern was originally created as a DXF, but I've included several other file types for download. These are available in a ZIP file containing the lighthouse pattern in PDF, DXF (AutoCAD), AI (Adobe Illustrator), and JPG file formats. To download a copy to your computer, right click the "ZIP File" link below and then "save-as".


To view just the PDF, click on the "PDF Only" link. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download PDF Only


Download ZIP File Including PDF, DXF, AI, And JPG File Formats


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Saturday, July 9, 2011

Barn Shaped Knick Knack Shelf

I'm not exactly sure how or when I came up with the idea to build a knick knack shelf in the shape of a barn. My oldest daughter has a small collection of horse figures and somehow the idea seeped into my brain that they needed a barn to live in. Since my daughter is growing out of the toy stage, a barn shaped knick knack shelf seemed the way to go.


My wife helped me get the overall look and size of the shelves just right for the horses and the result is what you see here. I have to admit that this project stretched my finish carpentry skills. Fitting all of the angled pieces together in various combinations was a lot trickier than I thought it would be. However, with some patience the project turned out fine and my daughter was thrilled with the new "home" for her horses.
Material Since I had planned to paint the barn and needed a large panel for the back, I chose 1/2" MDF for the entire knick knack shelf. The back could just as well be 1/2" plywood, with the walls, roof, and floor made of 1X solid stock. This would have been my choice had I intended to stain and lacquer the barn.


Part of my decision to use MDF was the fact that I knew my finish carpentry skills weren't the best and expected I might have to fill and paint over some gaps in the joinery. I discovered (I suppose I already knew) that it's better to approach a project with care and patience rather than planning to have to cover up mistakes or poor joinery.


As it turns out, I took my time and there was no need for any filler on the finished barn. Even so, the MDF turned out nice and takes paint very well.

Cutting The Parts In the knick knack shelf plans I've given you a layout for cutting the back by hand. I cut mine on my CNC router (including the 4 3/4" and 5 1/2" pieces) out of a half sheet (48" x 48") of 1/2" MDF. With a careful layout, you could use a saber saw or hand saw and achieve the same material yield. If you don't want to cut it yourself and are interested in having one cut on a CNC router, please let me know and I'll see what I can arrange.


In addition to the back, each of the wall, roof, and floor pieces are also laid out in the drawings. I cut them about a half inch too long, then mitered and trimmed them to fit as I went along. This is reflected in the parts list but not on the detail drawing views.


For the miter cuts I tried to keep the angles consistent and nice round numbers. Ideally they would have been on increments of 15 degrees, 45 degrees, 22 1/2 degrees, etc. I tried that but didn't care for the shape or size of the barn. So I went with what you see.

There is one challenge that I didn't foresee. In the original design, the Loft Brace and Loft Rafter both required 50 degree miters and my chop saw will only tilt 45 degrees. There are several great ideas I found on the internet for making 50 degree cuts and I encourage you to do a search and check them out.


My own solution, however, turned out to be very simple. I happened to have a cedar shim that had been cut at a 5 degree angle. After tilting the saw 45 degrees, I simply used the shim under the board I was cutting to make up 50 degrees. As simple as it was to make the 50 degree cut, I made a change in the design posted here to simply avoid the 50 degree cut altogether.

Assembly Putting the barn shelf together was a bit more of a challenge than I anticipated. There were no real surprises. It was just tricky to get all the miter joints to align properly. Leaving the parts long and trimming to fit was VERY helpful. I started with the bottom and just worked my way up to the top, finishing the perimeter before moving on to the interior braces, walls, and floors.


Glue and pin nails hold it together well. Some of the mitered joints were a bit tricky to get nails into. On those I only used glue and it has held up fine.

Hardware It isn't shown in the drawing but I discovered a really cool way to hang the knick knack shelf. You'll notice that there will be a 1/4" space between the back and the wall after the shelf is hung. I left the space there anticipating that I would use an aluminum bracket styled after the French cleat.


The bracket I had in mind proved difficult to find, but in my searching I discovered a neat bracket made by Hangman Products. It's marketed for hanging pictures and other decor items. I figure that knick knack shelves count as "other decor items", and with a 200 pound rating it was perfect for the barn shelf.


The kit came with screws for attaching one bracket to the barn, and drywall anchors for attaching the other bracket to a sheetrock wall. It even included a little bubble level to make sure everything hangs straight.

Drawing File This isn't quite a beginner project, but it's a great way to hone your joinery skills. If you're ready to tackle this knick knack shelf project, check out the drawings by clicking on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "Barn Shaped Shelf Plans"


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Table Saw Safety

I cannot overemphasize the need for strictly following all table saw safety rules when working in the shop. Most of the projects on this site require cutting parts on a table saw. Developing safe table saw operating habits will ensure that you can finish and enjoy your projects free from injury.


Of paramount importance when working with any power tool is to wear eye and hearing protection. Also, be sure to read all of the manuals and safety instructions that come with your tools.


Beyond that, this short video on table saw use and safety is a great primer for novice woodworkers. It's also an excellent reminder for seasoned woodworkers who may need to brush up on their shop safety awareness.



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Friday, July 8, 2011

Children's Workbench Plans

One evening a friend of my daughter's was talking about some workbench plans he had percolating in his head. He asked if I could get him a few pieces of scrap wood from work. However, as we discussed his ideas for how to build a workbench, I realized that this would be a great project to develop for Totally Free Woodworking Plans.


His idea was to build a workbench that actually doubled as a giant toolbox. The storage tray beneath the top, the hinged door, and the a-frame style legs were his idea. I refined the dimensions a bit and added the peg holes for hanging tools. What you see here are children's workbench plans that came straight from the mind of a kid!

The funny part about this being a children's workbench is that it would really work great as an adult's workbench too. The 32" height is too short for my comfort, but increasing the height would be a pretty simple matter. I'm 6 feet tall but someone shorter may find it comfortable to work at a 32" high workbench. So don't be scared away from building it just because it was designed with kids in mind.

Material Since the whole discussion of these workbench plans began as a request for scrap wood, my first inclination was to build it out of 3/4" melamine. By now you probably know how much I love the stuff, but the real motivation was the fact that we have tons of scrap 3/4" melamine at work. The problem with using melamine started to become apparent when I discovered that my son and the inventor's little brother also wanted to build the same workbench.


As I imagined three rough eight to ten-year-old boys pounding on their new workbenches, I realized that particle board simply wouldn't hold up. A couple of good smacks with a hammer and the corners of the workbench would be a mess. So 3/4" plywood was my choice due it's durability. Any shop grade of plywood will work fine, or even AC plywood sheathing. I happened to find four leftover sheets of plywood that had been faced with plastic laminate, so the boys' workbenches turned out pretty fancy when all was said and done.

Hardware There are a couple of simple pieces of hardware you will need to complete the workbench. The workbench plans show a piano (or continous) hinge for the door. This is my preference for durability, but a piano hinge is about three times the price of a pair of simple butt hinges. At the last minute (meaning the checkout line at the hardware store), I changed to butt hinges and they worked great. We used only two per door, but three would hold up better.


The other thing you'll need is some sort of catch at the top of the door. We used a heavy duty magnetic touch-latch that only cost a couple of dollars. Another alternative would be to use a magnetic or roller catch with some sort of handle to pull the door open.

Cutting The Parts The only really complex pieces to cut are the legs. Once you lay out the lines for the angles, they can be cut with a circular saw, a jigsaw, or a table saw with an angle jig. I sort of cheated and cut all the parts on a CNC router at work. Which brings up a good point about all the holes that need to be drilled (I think there are about seven thousand of them).


The 1/4" holes aren't completely necessary. I had a bunch of 1/4" dowel laying around and thought it would be cool to make a sort of peg board to hang tools on the outside of the workbench. The workbench plans show the peg holes on the outside of the bench, but a couple of the boys turned the back around so they could hang their tools on the inside of the tool storage tray.

I used a CNC machine to drill all the holes, but I'm not too sure I would have drilled them all if I had to do it by hand. So drill as many as you think you'll need, or don't drill any at all. They really are just an option.


The 3/16" thru holes aren't really optional. Those are there for assembly with 1-5/8" wood screws. If you lay them out according to the drawings you'll have a much easier time lining things up. So I encourage you to drill them, even if you opt not to drill the peg holes.

Assembly Start by attaching the front and the back to the bottom using glue and 1-5/8" wood screws. Next, using the section view in the workbench plans as a guide, mark the locations of the back, bottom, and front on the inside of both legs. Attach the legs to the back/front/bottom assembly using glue and screws.


Hinging the door is easiest if done while the top is off. Attach the hinges to the door first, then fasten the hinged door to the front. For mounting hinges I suggest that you use a Vix Bit. For those who aren't familiar with Vix Bits, they are self-centering drill bits. The ingenious little tool makes drilling perfectly centered holes an absolute breeze.


Mounting the top is pretty straightforward. Just make sure it overhangs the legs evenly all around. Depending on what method you use for holding the door shut, you may want to attach the catch to the underside of the top before attaching the top to the legs. That's what we did and it eliminated the need to crawl inside the tool compartment upside down to install catch hardware.

Drawing File With a bit of help from us dads, the boys did almost all of the assembly themselves. So whether you build one of these workbenches for your kids, with your kids, or even for yourself, be sure to check out the plans. Just click on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "Workbench Plans"


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Pocket Hole Jig Videos

I was able to pick up a used Kreg pocket hole jig for a good price and have had a lot of fun trying it out on different projects. In fact, the first time I ever used pocket hole joinery was when I built the guitar case rack. I encourage you to try out the technique, so here are a couple of videos that do a nice job showing how to create strong, concealed pocket hole joints.

Pocket Hole Basics This first video does a great job of showing the basics of pocket hole joinery. The demonstration shows the Kreg Jig Master System, but the method applies just as well to other brands and styles of jigs.


Pocket Hole Joinery For Panels Most of the videos I've run across that show how to assemble a joint using pocket hole screws show techniques for face frame construction. In my case I wanted to create a pocket hole joint between panels. This video even shows a couple of tips that would have been nice to know had I seen the video before building the guitar rack.



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Lighthouse Pattern

I developed this lighthouse pattern for a wooden house number I made for my mom. She needed a replacement for an old wooden number that had weathered beyond repair.


Since she loves lighthouses I wanted to engrave one, along with the number itself, on my CNC router. I searched online for suitable vector images of lighthouses, but couldn't find one simple enough to meet my needs. So I created my own.


It was specifically designed to be v-carved with a 90 degree v-carving router bit. I imported the DXF file into Vectric's VCarve Pro to generate toolpaths for my CNC router. However, it could also be used as a woodburning pattern or even for stained glass.


Truthfully, I debated whether or not it was even worth posting to the site since it's so simple. However, a huge reason I have this site is because I hate to see design work, regardless of its simplicity, go to waste. My hope is that someone out there can put this to good use, rather than me just using it once and tossing it aside.

File Formats This pattern was originally created as a DXF, but I've included several other file types for download. These are available in a ZIP file containing the lighthouse pattern in PDF, DXF (AutoCAD), AI (Adobe Illustrator), and JPG file formats. To download a copy to your computer, right click the "ZIP File" link below and then "save-as".


To view just the PDF, click on the "PDF Only" link. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download PDF Only


Download ZIP File Including PDF, DXF, AI, And JPG File Formats


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Thursday, July 7, 2011

Free Woodworking Patterns

I hadn't originally intended on making free woodworking patterns available until I started to realize how much time it takes to create a pattern from scratch. Since I usually create a pattern to run on a CNC router, it has to be in a vector graphics format suitable for cutting on a computerized machine. As such, quite a bit of time goes into making sure the geometry and formatting is just right.


As is the case with other woodworking plans, a pattern often gets used only once and then is discarded or forgotten. By making them available here, my hope is that you will find something to help you with one of your own projects. Also, vector graphics are easy to shrink, stretch, or modify into something new altogether. So even if you don't find something to meet your needs exactly, it might provide a good starting point.


If you don't already use a program like Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, or even AutoCAD, I encourage you to check out a free vector graphics program like Inkscape. Vector graphics are nearly infinitely scalable and fairly easy to modify. They're also perfect for use in CNC routing operations, water jet or plasma cutting of metals and plastics, and even embroidery.


Here's a simple little lighthouse pattern with a border. Originally designed for use on a wooden house number, it could be adapted for nearly anything. By following the link or clicking on the picture, you'll find more details and several different file formats that you can view or download.


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Turning Around America

June 28th, 2011 in blogs         3 users recommend $(document).ready(function() {$("a.popit").fancybox();});

The back of Beth's van opens to a complete woodworking shop.

Photo: Doug Stowe It seems that many in the media these days are mourning the loss of American manufacturing, and have changed their minds about whether or not it is ok for us to abandon manufacturing completely. (I for one never thought it was OK.) But if we don't introduce our children to  craftsmanship, and the value of making things, there is little we can do to reverse the loss. Beth Ireland decided that as a woodturner she could do something. She’s been on a mission to turn as many students on to woodturning as she can in a single year. Her idea was that while children taught to the test and challenged by compliance with "standards" in school and occupied by social networking at home  just don't make things anymore, she could take matters into her own hands.

Having heard about Beth's Turning Around America project, I invited her to Eureka Springs, Arkansas to teach at the The Eureka Springs School of the Arts, and the Clear Spring School. 

For 9 months, 32 states, 21,000 miles, Beth traveled the US in a van equipped with two lathes, a band saw, boxes of tools, a grinder, and would teach wherever an extension cord could be plugged in. Her van also contains a bed, living and cooking supplies, toilet, and space dedicated inside for book making. She’s taught at schools, clubs and even campsites. Her total after 9 months is 2084 students, which in the vast scheme of things may not seem much more than a dent, until you remember that most of those students had never made anything before in their lives.

At ESSA, our School of the Arts, I brought a lathe from Clear Spring, and the Stateline Wood Turners from Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missiouri brought one, and with Beth's two lathes set up and ready to go, woodturners of all ages were invited. Adults, some as old as in their seventies turned on the lathe for the first time. We made turned pens and whistles, and even the director and staff of ESSA became hooked on turning.

In three days at Clear Spring School, all my students from 1st through 12th grades made turned and carved whistles.  From  a wood shop teacher’s perspective, I can tell you that spending time with another teacher with such skill and passion brought me new skills of my own.

Beth’s partner Jenn is taking the  the van on the road to new schools, while Beth does a residency at the Turning Center in Philadelphia, as part of the International Turning Exchange. Her project, "Turning around America" is aptly named, as nearly all the political pundits have finally moved toward agreement that we have lost our creative edge,  that we've been going steadfastly in the wrong direction and that it is not enough for us to be a nation of mindless consumers educating our students heads, but failing in the education of their hands. We've been missing the development of character and intellect that arise when the hands are intelligently engaged in learning.

You can support Beth's project through a link on her website. www.turningaroundamerica.com

posted in: blogs, , wood turning, woodworking education, Beth Ireland, ESSA, the Clear Spring School

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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

DVD-CD Storage Cabinet

When my mother-in-law asked me to design a DVD-CD storage cabinet, these plans are what I had originally come up with. It turns out she really only needed to store DVD?s, so the plans were scrapped and gave way to the DVD storage cabinet you?ll see elsewhere on the site.


I was bummed that she only wanted a simple shelf, because I had come up with a kinda clever way of locating the adjustable shelves to fit various combinations of CD?s and DVD?s. Although I never had a chance to actually build the original shelf, I'm publishing it here for those who might find it useful.
Material There isn?t much to say about materials. It?s designed with the same white melamine as the DVD cabinet, with white PVC edge banding. As with many of the projects you'll find here, it could also be built out of plywood or even solid lumber.


I did learn something new about edge banding while designing the DVD-CD storage cabinet and building the DVD shelf. Most of my experience with banding has been operating automatic glue pot edgebanders in a commercial shop. During my very first job in a cabinet shop I also had some exposure to a simple table-top hot air bander, but that?s about it.


Recently I bought a used Virutex hand-held hot air edgebander (apparently the same machine is marketed under the Grizzly brand name). I?m accustomed to high quality PVC edge banding and was quite disappointed to discover that virtually all of the pre-glued edge banding on the market is cheap, lightweight vinyl. No wonder hot air edge banding has such a poor reputation!


I contacted my favorite edge banding supplier, Frama-Tech, and they are able to pre-glue any of their stock PVC colors for a small fee. That?s pretty awesome considering they?re incredible at matching even the most obscure laminate color. Of course my first order of PVC was white for the DVD-CD storage cabinet but it could have been just about any color I wanted.


I?m used to 15/16? edge banding and it worked very well in the Virutex bander. Having a bit of extra width was helpful in making sure it completely covered the edge of the board when my hand wasn?t running very steady. I used a FastCap Quad Pro Trimmer on the edges and a Flush Cut Trimmer for the ends. It went very quickly and you can?t tell the difference between the hand-held bander?s work and that from a $25,000 automatic glue pot bander!

Hardware Other than some small size differences, the major difference between the original DVD-CD storage cabinet and the plain old DVD shelf is in the shelf pin hole location and hardware. Initially, I wanted the CD storage shelf to be configurable for several combinations of CD?s or DVD?s. Regular 32mm system holes don?t always line up nicely for storing items of a real specific size. So I placed holes in a modestly sized cabinet such that the resulting shelf spacing would be a ?perfect? fit for storing CD?s, DVD?s, or VHS cassettes.


In the original design I had figured on using a low profile, concealed shelf support. The main purpose for this was to allow the shelf to be centered on the pin holes rather than sitting above the holes on shelf pins. I also liked the clean look of no exposed shelf supports. This requires slot to be cut in the ends of the shelves to conceal the shelf support.


When I switched to the simple DVD shelf, I also simplified the construction by eliminating the concealed support in favor of an angled steel shelf support. The angled support didn?t require the extra groove in the ends of the shelves, but still centered the shelf on the pin holes. I left the concealed support in the original DVD-CD storage cabinet plans just so you could see a nice alternative method for supporting adjustable shelves.

Drawing File Even though the DVD shelf design turned out nice, I still like this design better. Hopefully you?ll enjoy it too. You can view the drawings by clicking on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "DVD-CD Storage Cabinet Plans"


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Free Woodworking Patterns

I hadn't originally intended on making free woodworking patterns available until I started to realize how much time it takes to create a pattern from scratch. Since I usually create a pattern to run on a CNC router, it has to be in a vector graphics format suitable for cutting on a computerized machine. As such, quite a bit of time goes into making sure the geometry and formatting is just right.


As is the case with other woodworking plans, a pattern often gets used only once and then is discarded or forgotten. By making them available here, my hope is that you will find something to help you with one of your own projects. Also, vector graphics are easy to shrink, stretch, or modify into something new altogether. So even if you don't find something to meet your needs exactly, it might provide a good starting point.


If you don't already use a program like Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, or even AutoCAD, I encourage you to check out a free vector graphics program like Inkscape. Vector graphics are nearly infinitely scalable and fairly easy to modify. They're also perfect for use in CNC routing operations, water jet or plasma cutting of metals and plastics, and even embroidery.


Here's a simple little lighthouse pattern with a border. Originally designed for use on a wooden house number, it could be adapted for nearly anything. By following the link or clicking on the picture, you'll find more details and several different file formats that you can view or download.


Return from Free Woodworking Patterns
to Totally-Free-Woodworking-Plans Home


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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Laminate Countertop Plans

No kitchen installation is complete without countertops. So here I give you plastic laminate countertop plans. Plastic laminate is a durable, inexpensive counter surface that comes in hundreds of different colors.


Probably the most commonly known brand is Formica. In fact, plastic laminate is often referred to generically as Formica. However, there are numerous other plastic laminate manufacturers out there. They include Pionite, LaminArt, Abet Laminati, Nevamar, Wilsonart, and others.
Laminate Grades Laminate comes in three basic thicknesses: standard grade, post-form grade, and vertical grade. Until recently, standard grade laminate was used for countertops because it is the thickest of the three grades and wears better under heavy use. However, most manufacturers have moved toward only stocking post-form grade.


Post-form grade is slightly thinner than standard grade, and was originally intended for a technique called postforming. This is where the laminate is heated as it is applied to the substrate to form integral splashes, coves, and bullnose and no-drip edges.


Vertical grade laminate is the thinnest and is only suitable for low-wear vertical surfaces such as cabinet doors and finished cabinet ends.

Substrate Material The substrate is the foundation for a quality laminated countertop. Industrial grade particle board or even MDF can be used for dry areas such as offices and many garage cabinet installations.


Wet areas (any place that has a sink in it) such as kitchen and bathroom counters should be made with a plywood substrate. The plywood itself doesn't need to be waterproof, but it DOES need to have a surface that is clean, smooth, flat, and free from voids.

Gluing Plastic Laminate Plastic laminate is attached to the plywood or particle board substrate using contact cement. The cement is brushed, sprayed, or rolled (make sure to read the instructions for the particular contact cement you are using) onto both the laminate AND the substrate and allowed to dry.


After the contact cement has dried, the two pieces are carefully aligned and pressed together. The laminate countertop is then rolled firmly to produce a strong bond between the two different materials.

Sizing The Laminate The laminate should be cut about 1/2" larger than the substrate, then trimmed to fit after gluing it to the substrate. This is best accomplished with a flush trim router bit.


When trimming laminate to a wood surface, such as the top and bottom of the self-edge, I like to trim it first with a router. Then gently belt sand the edge of the plastic and the surface of the substrate at the same time. This makes a nice smooth surface for attaching the top laminate.


Belt sanders are pretty aggressive, so you need to be careful to sand lightly to prevent creating dips in the laminate countertop. Also, only sand with the belt direction moving towards the center of the top. Otherwise the sander can actually pull off the laminate self-edge.

Filing The Laminate After the final trim of the top laminate, the edge will have small chatter marks from the router and a sharp edge. Many people simply file out the chatter marks and file the sharp edge smooth. I prefer to make a second pass over the edge with a bearing-guided bevel bit in the router. After this extra step, I only have to lightly file the chatter marks and the sharp edge.


There are even "no-file" router bits for this purpose, but I have never personally tried one. The point is to make a heavy trim pass to size the laminate, then make a lighter finish pass to "soften" the edge. It may take a little bit more effort to set up the router a second time, but the result is a professional looking laminate countertop edge.


Using the bevel bit also requires much less filing. The hard work is done by the router, with only minor hand work with the file. Incidentally, sandpaper should never be used to finish the edge of laminate. Sandpaper actually scratches the laminate, whereas a file will scrape or cut the laminate smooth.

Assembling The Sub-Top There are many ways to assemble the substrate for a laminate countertop. At the most basic, a single piece of plywood or particle board can be laminated as-is. Traditionally, countertops are between 1 and 2 inches thick. Plywood or particle board that thick is generally pretty expensive and VERY heavy.


A single thickness of 3/4" or 1/2" could be used. However, most material this thickness will tend to warp over time. Besides, thin countertops aren't very visually appealing.


A second method that is commonly used for countertops that are laminated in place, is to nail or screw two layers of plywood or particle board (or a combination of the two) directly to the cabinets. I don't particularly care for this method because it makes a mess wherever you install the laminate countertop. It also makes it more difficult to later replace the counters if needed.


My preference is to build the laminate countertop in the shop using 3/4" substrate with a 1/2" or 3/4" built-up self-edge. The build-up can simply be 2" to 4" wide strips glued and nailed to the bottom of the substrate.


Several years ago, one of the guys I worked with showed me a great variation on this method. This is the technique I have used in these plans. It adds the extra step of gluing and nailing a trim strip wherever plastic laminate self-edge will be applied. The trim strip is the same width as the thickness of the countertop, and extends past the counter substrate 1/4" wherever the counter hits the wall.

Why The Extra Work? First, gluing laminate to the edge of two pieces of plywood or particle board stacked on top of each other can be a bit tricky. The edges don't always line up perfectly, and sanding them can easily put them out of square. This way you always have a nice flat surface to attach your edge laminate.


After gluing the edge laminate and trimming it with the router, you can belt sand the laminate edge and the wood edge together to fit flush with the face of the substrate. You'll then have a perfect surface for attaching your top laminate.


(As a small side note, the edge laminate should always be attached before the top laminate. If done the other way around, the edge laminate will eventually peel off from things being dragged off the edge of the counter. It also looks rather unprofessional because the dark brown core of the laminate is much more visible.)


The second reason for adding the extra wood edge is to simplify installing the countertop. Very often you will find that your walls are not perfectly straight, plumb, or square. This can cause the edges of the laminate countertop to not meet the wall, leaving a visible gap. Scribing (marking and cutting) the counter to fit the wall is the typical solution, but this can be difficult and time consuming.


In this design, only the counter edges that show will actually contact the wall. Everywhere else that the counter meets the wall will have a slight gap. If the walls are perfect, then the gap will be a uniform 1/4". Otherwise it will vary according to the imperfections in the wall.


This technique should save you lots of time and headache when installing the counter, but will only work if you are applying a backsplash that will cover the gap. If you don't plan to use backsplash, then you may need to scribe the counter to fit any irregularities in the wall.

Backsplash For these plans, I didn't provide any details for the backsplash other than an overall size. You can use matching laminate for the backsplash, wood, tile, stone, metal, glass, or nearly anything you want.


You will notice that I stop the splash 1/4" from the edge of the counter. This makes it easier to caulk the joint between the splash and the counter surface, a necessary step if you're installing the top in a wet area such as a kitchen or bathroom.

Drawing File Well, that's quite a lot to say about building a laminate countertop. It may seem complicated, but it's definitely within the capabilities of the average woodworker.


I encourage you to dive in and give it a try by clicking on the link to the plans below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "Laminate Countertop"


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Children's Workbench Plans

One evening a friend of my daughter's was talking about some workbench plans he had percolating in his head. He asked if I could get him a few pieces of scrap wood from work. However, as we discussed his ideas for how to build a workbench, I realized that this would be a great project to develop for Totally Free Woodworking Plans.


His idea was to build a workbench that actually doubled as a giant toolbox. The storage tray beneath the top, the hinged door, and the a-frame style legs were his idea. I refined the dimensions a bit and added the peg holes for hanging tools. What you see here are children's workbench plans that came straight from the mind of a kid!

The funny part about this being a children's workbench is that it would really work great as an adult's workbench too. The 32" height is too short for my comfort, but increasing the height would be a pretty simple matter. I'm 6 feet tall but someone shorter may find it comfortable to work at a 32" high workbench. So don't be scared away from building it just because it was designed with kids in mind.

Material Since the whole discussion of these workbench plans began as a request for scrap wood, my first inclination was to build it out of 3/4" melamine. By now you probably know how much I love the stuff, but the real motivation was the fact that we have tons of scrap 3/4" melamine at work. The problem with using melamine started to become apparent when I discovered that my son and the inventor's little brother also wanted to build the same workbench.


As I imagined three rough eight to ten-year-old boys pounding on their new workbenches, I realized that particle board simply wouldn't hold up. A couple of good smacks with a hammer and the corners of the workbench would be a mess. So 3/4" plywood was my choice due it's durability. Any shop grade of plywood will work fine, or even AC plywood sheathing. I happened to find four leftover sheets of plywood that had been faced with plastic laminate, so the boys' workbenches turned out pretty fancy when all was said and done.

Hardware There are a couple of simple pieces of hardware you will need to complete the workbench. The workbench plans show a piano (or continous) hinge for the door. This is my preference for durability, but a piano hinge is about three times the price of a pair of simple butt hinges. At the last minute (meaning the checkout line at the hardware store), I changed to butt hinges and they worked great. We used only two per door, but three would hold up better.


The other thing you'll need is some sort of catch at the top of the door. We used a heavy duty magnetic touch-latch that only cost a couple of dollars. Another alternative would be to use a magnetic or roller catch with some sort of handle to pull the door open.

Cutting The Parts The only really complex pieces to cut are the legs. Once you lay out the lines for the angles, they can be cut with a circular saw, a jigsaw, or a table saw with an angle jig. I sort of cheated and cut all the parts on a CNC router at work. Which brings up a good point about all the holes that need to be drilled (I think there are about seven thousand of them).


The 1/4" holes aren't completely necessary. I had a bunch of 1/4" dowel laying around and thought it would be cool to make a sort of peg board to hang tools on the outside of the workbench. The workbench plans show the peg holes on the outside of the bench, but a couple of the boys turned the back around so they could hang their tools on the inside of the tool storage tray.

I used a CNC machine to drill all the holes, but I'm not too sure I would have drilled them all if I had to do it by hand. So drill as many as you think you'll need, or don't drill any at all. They really are just an option.


The 3/16" thru holes aren't really optional. Those are there for assembly with 1-5/8" wood screws. If you lay them out according to the drawings you'll have a much easier time lining things up. So I encourage you to drill them, even if you opt not to drill the peg holes.

Assembly Start by attaching the front and the back to the bottom using glue and 1-5/8" wood screws. Next, using the section view in the workbench plans as a guide, mark the locations of the back, bottom, and front on the inside of both legs. Attach the legs to the back/front/bottom assembly using glue and screws.


Hinging the door is easiest if done while the top is off. Attach the hinges to the door first, then fasten the hinged door to the front. For mounting hinges I suggest that you use a Vix Bit. For those who aren't familiar with Vix Bits, they are self-centering drill bits. The ingenious little tool makes drilling perfectly centered holes an absolute breeze.


Mounting the top is pretty straightforward. Just make sure it overhangs the legs evenly all around. Depending on what method you use for holding the door shut, you may want to attach the catch to the underside of the top before attaching the top to the legs. That's what we did and it eliminated the need to crawl inside the tool compartment upside down to install catch hardware.

Drawing File With a bit of help from us dads, the boys did almost all of the assembly themselves. So whether you build one of these workbenches for your kids, with your kids, or even for yourself, be sure to check out the plans. Just click on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "Workbench Plans"


Return from Workbench Plans
to Woodworking Projects For Kids

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Monday, July 4, 2011

Laminate Countertop Plans

No kitchen installation is complete without countertops. So here I give you plastic laminate countertop plans. Plastic laminate is a durable, inexpensive counter surface that comes in hundreds of different colors.


Probably the most commonly known brand is Formica. In fact, plastic laminate is often referred to generically as Formica. However, there are numerous other plastic laminate manufacturers out there. They include Pionite, LaminArt, Abet Laminati, Nevamar, Wilsonart, and others.
Laminate Grades Laminate comes in three basic thicknesses: standard grade, post-form grade, and vertical grade. Until recently, standard grade laminate was used for countertops because it is the thickest of the three grades and wears better under heavy use. However, most manufacturers have moved toward only stocking post-form grade.


Post-form grade is slightly thinner than standard grade, and was originally intended for a technique called postforming. This is where the laminate is heated as it is applied to the substrate to form integral splashes, coves, and bullnose and no-drip edges.


Vertical grade laminate is the thinnest and is only suitable for low-wear vertical surfaces such as cabinet doors and finished cabinet ends.

Substrate Material The substrate is the foundation for a quality laminated countertop. Industrial grade particle board or even MDF can be used for dry areas such as offices and many garage cabinet installations.


Wet areas (any place that has a sink in it) such as kitchen and bathroom counters should be made with a plywood substrate. The plywood itself doesn't need to be waterproof, but it DOES need to have a surface that is clean, smooth, flat, and free from voids.

Gluing Plastic Laminate Plastic laminate is attached to the plywood or particle board substrate using contact cement. The cement is brushed, sprayed, or rolled (make sure to read the instructions for the particular contact cement you are using) onto both the laminate AND the substrate and allowed to dry.


After the contact cement has dried, the two pieces are carefully aligned and pressed together. The laminate countertop is then rolled firmly to produce a strong bond between the two different materials.

Sizing The Laminate The laminate should be cut about 1/2" larger than the substrate, then trimmed to fit after gluing it to the substrate. This is best accomplished with a flush trim router bit.


When trimming laminate to a wood surface, such as the top and bottom of the self-edge, I like to trim it first with a router. Then gently belt sand the edge of the plastic and the surface of the substrate at the same time. This makes a nice smooth surface for attaching the top laminate.


Belt sanders are pretty aggressive, so you need to be careful to sand lightly to prevent creating dips in the laminate countertop. Also, only sand with the belt direction moving towards the center of the top. Otherwise the sander can actually pull off the laminate self-edge.

Filing The Laminate After the final trim of the top laminate, the edge will have small chatter marks from the router and a sharp edge. Many people simply file out the chatter marks and file the sharp edge smooth. I prefer to make a second pass over the edge with a bearing-guided bevel bit in the router. After this extra step, I only have to lightly file the chatter marks and the sharp edge.


There are even "no-file" router bits for this purpose, but I have never personally tried one. The point is to make a heavy trim pass to size the laminate, then make a lighter finish pass to "soften" the edge. It may take a little bit more effort to set up the router a second time, but the result is a professional looking laminate countertop edge.


Using the bevel bit also requires much less filing. The hard work is done by the router, with only minor hand work with the file. Incidentally, sandpaper should never be used to finish the edge of laminate. Sandpaper actually scratches the laminate, whereas a file will scrape or cut the laminate smooth.

Assembling The Sub-Top There are many ways to assemble the substrate for a laminate countertop. At the most basic, a single piece of plywood or particle board can be laminated as-is. Traditionally, countertops are between 1 and 2 inches thick. Plywood or particle board that thick is generally pretty expensive and VERY heavy.


A single thickness of 3/4" or 1/2" could be used. However, most material this thickness will tend to warp over time. Besides, thin countertops aren't very visually appealing.


A second method that is commonly used for countertops that are laminated in place, is to nail or screw two layers of plywood or particle board (or a combination of the two) directly to the cabinets. I don't particularly care for this method because it makes a mess wherever you install the laminate countertop. It also makes it more difficult to later replace the counters if needed.


My preference is to build the laminate countertop in the shop using 3/4" substrate with a 1/2" or 3/4" built-up self-edge. The build-up can simply be 2" to 4" wide strips glued and nailed to the bottom of the substrate.


Several years ago, one of the guys I worked with showed me a great variation on this method. This is the technique I have used in these plans. It adds the extra step of gluing and nailing a trim strip wherever plastic laminate self-edge will be applied. The trim strip is the same width as the thickness of the countertop, and extends past the counter substrate 1/4" wherever the counter hits the wall.

Why The Extra Work? First, gluing laminate to the edge of two pieces of plywood or particle board stacked on top of each other can be a bit tricky. The edges don't always line up perfectly, and sanding them can easily put them out of square. This way you always have a nice flat surface to attach your edge laminate.


After gluing the edge laminate and trimming it with the router, you can belt sand the laminate edge and the wood edge together to fit flush with the face of the substrate. You'll then have a perfect surface for attaching your top laminate.


(As a small side note, the edge laminate should always be attached before the top laminate. If done the other way around, the edge laminate will eventually peel off from things being dragged off the edge of the counter. It also looks rather unprofessional because the dark brown core of the laminate is much more visible.)


The second reason for adding the extra wood edge is to simplify installing the countertop. Very often you will find that your walls are not perfectly straight, plumb, or square. This can cause the edges of the laminate countertop to not meet the wall, leaving a visible gap. Scribing (marking and cutting) the counter to fit the wall is the typical solution, but this can be difficult and time consuming.


In this design, only the counter edges that show will actually contact the wall. Everywhere else that the counter meets the wall will have a slight gap. If the walls are perfect, then the gap will be a uniform 1/4". Otherwise it will vary according to the imperfections in the wall.


This technique should save you lots of time and headache when installing the counter, but will only work if you are applying a backsplash that will cover the gap. If you don't plan to use backsplash, then you may need to scribe the counter to fit any irregularities in the wall.

Backsplash For these plans, I didn't provide any details for the backsplash other than an overall size. You can use matching laminate for the backsplash, wood, tile, stone, metal, glass, or nearly anything you want.


You will notice that I stop the splash 1/4" from the edge of the counter. This makes it easier to caulk the joint between the splash and the counter surface, a necessary step if you're installing the top in a wet area such as a kitchen or bathroom.

Drawing File Well, that's quite a lot to say about building a laminate countertop. It may seem complicated, but it's definitely within the capabilities of the average woodworker.


I encourage you to dive in and give it a try by clicking on the link to the plans below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "Laminate Countertop"


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Bookcase Plans

This set of free bookcase plans stems from a furniture project that went into my home office. My wife needed a bookshelf to store some of the kid's school things, but it needed to fit on a certain wall in the room. It also needed to be pretty tall to maximize the amount of storage space available.


As I was developing the bookshelf plans, I tried to make it simple to build. But I also wanted it to have a little more character than just a box with a bunch of 3/4" shelves in it. The result is now sitting in my office, packed full of stuff, and I think it fits the bill pretty well.
Size As I mentioned, the bookshelf needed to fit a certain wall in my office and be as large as possible. An overall width of 28" and height of 82" worked great.


Often, bookcase plans call for a depth of only 12". This seemed too small to me. I extended the depth to 14" to accommodate even the largest of books. The plans can be adjusted to nearly any size you like, as long as the shelves don't become too long to support their load without sagging.


Normally I suggest avoiding shelves that are more than 36" long. In this case however, you should be safe extending them to 48". The addition of a panel (or valance) along the front edge of the shelves serves to stiffen them. It also gives the bookshelf a bit more character than plain old 3/4" shelving.

Design A common practice with simple furniture designs, like bookcases and dressers, is to extend the wall ends to the floor. Then, a slightly recessed toekick is installed just below the bottom shelf, between the wall ends.


I like this look and it helps prevent the unit from tipping forward. So, I included it in the bookcase plans.


This bookcase could easily have been built as a simple box, much like a cabinet. But the recessed toekick gave me the idea to add the same detail to the top and to the adjustable shelves. You can leave off the valances, but they do add a nice detail without a lot of extra effort.


By adding the valances to the adjustable shelves, you also add a great deal of rigidity to the shelves. This allows you to build a bookcase with longer shelves and they won't sag under the heavy weight of books.


In this case, the extra strength is not needed. So the added valances are really just for looks.

Materials If you're at all familiar with any of my other plans, you won't be surprised to learn that I built the bookcase out of white Melamine. It's durable and easy to work with, but any 3/4" panel will work just fine.


If you choose a wood veneer plywood or particle board, the valance panels at the toekick, top, and adjustable shelves can be made from solid stock to match the veneer.


Something I discovered as I was assembling the bookcase was that I had failed to edge band the top edges of the wall ends. For an 82" tall bookcase it's not a big deal since you won't ever see that edge. If you shorten the bookcase plans so that the top is below eye level, then the top edges really should be finished.

Assembly I'm kind of in love with my Kreg jig, so that's what I used to assemble the bookcase. If you're not familiar with pocket hole joinery, I encourage you to check out these videos. They do a pretty good job of demonstrating the basics.


In this case, pocket hole screws are particularly useful for joining the valances to the top, shelves, and bottom. I also used them, along with Melamine glue, for attaching the top and bottom to the wall ends. An alternative would be to screw through the wall ends into the top and bottom, but I didn't want visible fasteners in the wall ends.


The "nailers" are sort of a throw back to cabinet construction that serve to help keep the unit straight and square. They're glued and screwed to the wall ends, top, and bottom.

Drawing File Overall, it's a pretty simple project. With the addition of the valances, and the right material, it will be equally at home in a casual office setting or the front room of your home.


Wherever you decide to put it, to view the plans just click on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "Bookcase Plans"


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Sunday, July 3, 2011

DVD Video Storage Cabinet

The plans for this DVD video storage cabinet actually started out a little more interesting than the result you see here. My mother-in-law had asked me to design a shelf to store DVD?s, CD?s, and VHS tapes.


I came up with a clever shelf that was adjustable to fit various combinations of CD's and DVD's perfectly. It turns out all she really wanted was a set of simple DVD storage shelves. So I headed back to the drawing board and turned out these plans for a pretty basic DVD storage cabinet.

At first, I considered making the shelves fixed rather than adjustable. A DVD case is about 7-1/2? tall by 5-3/8? deep so the 8-1/2? tall clearance would have been fine. However, by making the shelves adjustable it will be useful for storing other things as future needs change.

Material I?m quite sure that you?re all getting pretty sick and tired of me building things out of 3/4? white melamine. But this time in particular, that?s what she asked for! My in-laws just had some new cabinets installed as part of a dining room addition and everything is white. So in this case, white melamine really did fit in okay.


I should take a moment to mention that there are significant differences in the quality of various brands and grades of melamine panels. This is probably why it often gets such a bad rap. I picked up some melamine at the local ?home improvement warehouse? and it turned out to be complete garbage. The core was a very poor grade of particle board, making it completely unsuitable for building cabinets.


For the DVD video storage cabinet I bought a reputable brand of melamine from a lumber yard that often deals in factory seconds. The core was a dense, good quality particle board, but the face had several blemishes in it that really caused problems when I laid out the sheet for cutting. Also, the price was very little different than what I would have paid for a high quality panel at a commercial lumber supplier. The bottom line is that it pays to shop carefully when choosing your materials.

Construction The DVD storage cabinet is really just an open wall cabinet with a couple of minor adjustments. First, since I wanted a specific clear distance between the shelves, I placed the shelf support holes at intervals other than the standard 32mm. Keeping 8-1/2? between shelves allows enough room for a DVD (or VHS tape?they?re the same height) plus a bit of room to reach in and pull the disc or tape off the shelf.


As I was designing the original DVD video storage plans, I needed to center the adjustable shelves on the support holes. Normally the shelf sits slightly above the hole, depending on the shelf pin or support used. To achieve the look and spacing I wanted, I opted for an angled steel shelf support. They?re available for use in both 5mm and 1/4" holes and they allow the shelf to sit approximately centered on the hole.
Wall Mounting One of the things that makes this DVD video storage cabinet unique is the method used for mounting it to the wall. Rather than screw the cabinet directly to the wall, it is hung on a pair of beveled rails called a French cleat. One cleat is attached to the cabinet and the other is attached to the wall. The cabinet is then hooked onto the wall cleat. A screw can then be used through the bottom nailer to prevent the cabinet from being lifted up off the cleat.


Hanging wall cabinets using a French cleat is actually pretty common. In fact, there are several commercially produced metal variations on the wooden French cleat that I?ve employed here. A couple significant advantages of using a French cleat are increased strength and a better ability to hang your cabinets level and plumb.


Strength is improved, especially in a long run of cabinets, because the wall cleat runs the full length of all the cabinets and is screwed to every stud. Sometimes with long runs of narrow cabinets you?re only able to fasten a cabinet to one stud. By using a French cleat, the weight of the cabinets is evenly distributed between all the studs.


Leveling your cabinets is also easier with a French cleat. You only need to level and plumb a 4? wide board. This is so much easier to handle than four or five cabinets ganged together. It?s also possible to shim the wall cleat away from the wall if the wall isn?t perfectly straight.


In my particular case I was most interested in the French cleat because it allowed me a very simple, concealed method of fastening the DVD video storage cabinet to the wall. Since both cleats are completely enclosed between the cabinet back and the wall, you can hang it without any exposed fasteners. This cabinet is so small that I wouldn?t even add the screw through the bottom nailer.

Drawing File I suppose this has digressed from how to build a DVD storage shelf into a discussion on avoiding poor quality sheet goods and a mini primer on the use of French cleats for hanging cabinets. If after all that you still want to see some plans for DVD storage, then just click on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.


View or Download "DVD Video Storage Cabinet Plans"


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Fine Woodworking Magazine Goes Digital

June 28th, 2011 in blogs         6 users recommend $(document).ready(function() {$("a.popit").fancybox();});


At long last, Fine Woodworking magazine has gone digital! We've just launched a new viewing feature which allows users to view our magazine online in a digital format. To get things started we're offering up a FREE preview issue for the entire FWW community. Going forward, an FWW online membership will give you access to browse recent issues at the click of a mouse. The new issue viewing platform allows you to flip through the magazine as if it were right in your hands. It features a whole host of user-friendly options you may find helpful when viewing our magazine, but those who still enjoy receiving FWW in the mail need not worry, we're not discontinuing our standard print edition. This is just an added bonus and convenience for online members who can access FWW anywhere, print pages right from the magazine, enlarge photos and text, and continue to download individual articles via our PDF files which launch with every issue.


Browse the FREE preview issue now!


Members can now browse all of the latest issues online.


***UPDATE: We would like to clarify that the online issue viewer is not yet compatible with the iPad. An update to the code is soon to arrive, which will make it compatible. We are limited to what Apple allows us to do on their platform and will be accommodating our format as soon as possible. Our video workshops and 90% of our other videos have been updated for compatibility and function on the iPad. In addition, online members will continue to be able to view PDF articles from the individual article pages. ***

Want more of Fine Woodworking in a digital format? Try one of our NEW interactive ipad apps:




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Saturday, July 2, 2011

My Very First Blog Entry

Giving away free woodworking plans seems contrary to my job creating drawings in a commercial cabinet shop. Due to the highly custom nature of these woodworking projects, it's rare that a design created for one customer is ever suitable for another. Countless hours and dollars are spent on a drawing that usually gets discarded or filed away and forgotten after only one or two uses. The Problem I wouldn't throw away a brand new table saw or a quality hand tool, but what could I do about all of these valuable designs going to waste? My Solution First of all, I could plan the projects such that the designs are much more suitable for reuse. In the shop we get in a hurry to push jobs through production and we don't take the time to make the design reusable or configurable. My goal is to include elements in every design that allow for rapid customization and multiple configurations.

Secondly, I could share the designs. Give away free woodworking plans! I can't give away the actual woodworking drawings from my job. They belong to the company or the customer who paid for them. In addition, those designs generally aren't suitable for reuse. So the plans you will find here are original, created from scratch to share with you. What To Expect Keep in mind that since I'm coming from a commercial cabinet background, the plans tend to be more shop drawings than project instructions. They assume a modest level of skill reading prints and working with tools and wood. Even so, I'll try to include projects that are very basic as well as those that are much more complex. Getting Started If you are new to woodworking, I encourage you to find someone who is willing to share their knowledge and experience with you. For those of you who are seasoned pros, I endeavor to earn your respect. To everyone, I welcome and encourage your feedback.

The greatest lessons I can hope to learn about designing cabinets and furniture don't come from books or drawing instructors. They come from you folks out in the shop. With that, I hope these free woodworking plans find as much use in your shop as that brand new table saw or your favorite hand tool.



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Outdoor Woodworking Designs

This collection contains woodworking designs for the outdoors. Included in these outdoor woodworking plans you'll find projects for your yard or garden. As with several of the projects on this site, many of the designs were originally developed to be given as gifts.


One thing to pay particularly close attention to when building outdoor woodworking projects is the wood species. If your project doesn't need to last very long, there is no need to pay premium prices for moisture and insect resistant woods like Cedar and Redwood.

However, less expensive woods like Fir and Pine need to be well protected with paint or outdoor wood sealer. Otherwise, they will become moldy and rotten after only a couple of seasons out in the elements.


I have chosen to use Cedar in most of my projects. Personally, I like the look of natural wood and don't care much for the chemicals in outdoor wood sealers. Also, where I live Cedar is readily available and less expensive than Redwood.


I just let the wood weather naturally. It would last a bit longer if I coated it with wood sealer, but I'm happy with the look and the project lifespan without the use of the chemicals.


Pressure treated lumber is also available that resists rot and insects. However, it's probably not suitable for many of the woodworking designs here. The biggest problem with using pressure treated lumber is that you can't cut or sand the wood without creating chemical-laden sawdust.


Also, most pressure treating only reaches a short distance below the surface of the wood. Anywhere the wood is cut, you need to apply end-cut treatment to the cut surface in order to maintain the rot-resistant properties.


For my money, I simply prefer a wood species that naturally works well outdoors with no further treatment. Barring that, any wood species will work fine outside as long as you keep it well painted or well sealed. This is usually necessary about every other year.


Whatever wood you choose, I hope you enjoy building the projects from these free outdoor woodworking plans.


Want to make some birds in your neighborhood happy? Take a gander at these bird feeder plans and you'll be well on your way. By following the link or clicking on the picture, you'll find more details and drawing files in PDF format that you can view or download.


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Book Giveaway: Shop Improvements: Outstanding ideas from the world's finest woodworkers from Fine Woodworking magazine

June 26th, 2011 in blogs         1 user recommends $(document).ready(function() {$("a.popit").fancybox();}); Photo: Matt Berger

Shop Improvements
Taunton Press, 2007
$19.95; 224 pp.


We have an extra copy of this book in our library so we’re giving you an opportunity to win it. Leave a comment here for your chance to win.


This book is a collection of articles from past issues of Fine Woodworking covering all sorts of things for the shop. There are lots of jig articles for the tablesaw, bandsaw, planer, router and the drill press. Also included are smart storage solutions and improvements to workstations and shop aids, like a tilt-top shop cart that handles plywood and a rock-solid plywood bench. Like Fine Woodworking articles over the years, these articles include detailed drawings and photos to help with step-by-step instruction. Quite simply, Shop Improvments is full of great ideas and would be a great help to just about all woodworkers.


Leave a comment on this post by 12:01am Eastern Time, Tuesday, July 5, 2011, and you might just win this book.


And after you’ve won the book and read it, we would love for you to come back and post another comment and tell us what you think of it.


A winner will be chosen at random and announced on Wednesday, July 6, 2011.

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Friday, July 1, 2011

Woodworking Projects For Kids

This category contains some great woodworking projects for kids. Some of the projects are excellent for kids themselves to build. Others are more complex and you'll just want to build them for the kids in your life. Or build them for the kid in you!


Kids love to be in the shop around tools and woodworking. Helping to build their own toys, or gifts for others, can bring them unmatched pride and satisfaction.

I encourage you to include them in your woodworking projects whenever you can. But please keep safety as THE most important factor whenever using tools around children, especially with power tools.


Here is an easy plan for a set of wooden toy blocks, inspired by a set my grandfather built. Simply follow the link or click on the picture. You'll find more details and drawing files in PDF format that you can view or download.


Fun little set of workbench plans that my daughter's friend dreamed up. The bench is sized for a child, but with a little modification would work great for an adult as well. Take a look, especially if you're looking for a project that you can build with your kids.


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