In the final part of this series, I do the final work on the stretchers and then its time for the glueup! The table top gets a special profile as well as a few cable recesses for the monitor and mouse cables. The top is attached via screws in elongated slots, and the counter sink holes are hidden using tapered plugs. Of course, the desk needs a good finish and Arm-R-Seal Stain fits the bill nicely!

Topics Covered:

• Milling the cross-members
• Cross-member joinery
• Small knot repair
• Final leg sculpting
• Sanding methods for cross-grain situations
• Using a special table top router bit
• Attaching the top to the base
• Making elongated screw slots the easy way
• Creating tapered plugs
• The Glueup
• Finishing and Sanding Strategies
• Dust Safety
• Finishing Justification: Color and Sheen
• Pore-Filling Products

Other Parts in this Series
Part 1
Part 2

Resources:
Table Top Router Bit #174-4055
3m 7500 Respirator
A Simple Varnish Finish DVD

My Shop Journal articles for this project:
Trestle Table – Playing with Curves
Trestle Table – The Dreaded Prototype

Now we’re really getting into the meat of the project. I show how to create a jig for the hinge mortises. I also cover the joinery being used to connect the legs to the case. I finish up by cutting the dados and rabbets in the case sides, and show you just how imperfect our machines can be. The router plane saves the day!

This series is now available on DVD! Order your copy today!

Links:
Gadget Station (Pt. 1)
Gadget Station (Pt. 2)
Gadget Station (Pt. 3)
Gadget Station (Pt. 4)
Gadget Station (Pt. 5)
Gadget Station (Pt. 6)
Gadget Station (Pt. 7)
Gadget Station (Pt. 8)
Gadget Station (Pt. 9)
Gadget Station (Pt. 10)
Gadget Station (Pt. 11)
Gadget Station (Pt. 12)

“I’m getting ready to start my mahogany Barrister’s Bookcase, and I had a quick question. The plans I’m using call for 32 X 14 inch doors with rails and stiles that are only 1 1/4″ wide, (3/4 stock). Since the rails and stiles are so narrow the plans call for a bridle joint. If advisable, I’d like to instead use a mitered joint reinforced with a 5 x 30 mm Domino in the middle of the joint. It’s very important to me that these Barristers last for generations, will the Domino mitered joint hold up to decades of use as well or better than the bridle joint in this particular application? This is the project that I ordered your finishing video for. I thought your video was among the best instructional video’s I’ve seen! Very well done! I will surely purchase more as you make them!”

And this was my reply:
Thanks for the kind words Craig. Glad you enjoyed the video. We will definitely have more out in the future. Now for the Barrister’s Bookcase. I guess my first question would be “why not a bridle joint?”. A bridle joint gives you a huge amount of long grain to long grain glue surface. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to say the joint would be stronger than a reinforced miter. The miter joint itself is not very strong. With reinforcement, it is much better. But that reinforcement simply comes in the form of long grain glue surface (which you would actually maximize with a bridle joint). So yes, I do think a domino-reinforced miter would be very strong and would hold up to generations of use. But if you are comparing the two options, I would guess that the bridle joint would be even stronger. The real question is, do you think you’ll need that extra strength for this application? You’ll have to decide for yourself, but I would say for a small door frame, it probably makes no practical difference.

So here it is, my first attempt at semi-fine wood-working… a dog feeding station. This is my first furniture project and first project using the Domino, which I bought after watching your Domino episode about 8 times. WHAT A MACHINE! (sorry, about the caps but I love it). I used the Domino to reinforce/align the glue joint for the “table” top and it worked like a charm – a perfectly aligned and reinforced glue up. I then used the Domino to join the table skirts to the legs, and for the first time in my short wood-working career, came out with a perfectly square, strong frame. Although the price tag is a little hefty, its the best money I ever spent (except for that course of antibiotics in college, just kidding). At the end of the day the most satisfying part was that I designed the project myself from some similar examples I’d seen in the Orvis catalog. I tend to like mine *a little bit more* especially since they get $49.00 for theirs and its made out of pine. As for materials, I made the whole project out of lacewood – a slight upgrade from the pine I’ve used for everything else. Three coats of tung oil later, I’m ready to pass the project onto my brother and his horse/golden lab.

Interestingly, I gave it to my brother about a month and a half ago after putting 3 coats of tung oil on it. I saw it over Thanksgiving and it just didn’t look right – the slobber/water and food took its toll. The grain was raised and the whole project just looked dull. So, I hijacked it from him, re-sanded it, and just finished putting 3 coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly on it. It looks a whole lot better and more durable but only time will tell I guess.

New Website:

Check out the new website at woodtalkonline.com. Expanded content including an expanded blog with several woodworkers contributing articles regularly. The new content on the site will also be used as general content for the shows!

Giveaways:

The giveaways mentioned in this episode are no longer available.

AWFS:

Marc recently returned from AWFS in Las Vegas… podcasts and videos coming.
Steel City Granite Countertops
The riving knife revolution… new UL mandate (UL 987) requires all new table saws to have riving knives by 2008 with existing products to be converted by 2010.
Interview with David and Victoria Marks
Marc got a chance to talk with Chris Schwarz and Glen Huey of Popular Woodworking.
Marc meets Norm Abram (with Nicole’s help)!

Voicemails:

Kaleo – Tasmania, Australia
I’m doing some schooling at the Australian School of Fine Furniture. I recently had some hands-on time with the Festool Domino, and I also recently watched Marc’s episode 20 on the step stool made with the Domino. I was really wondering how it turned out and how the through tenons turned out. I know the domino is made of compressed beech, and I really wondered how it looked oiled up or just finished if you wedge them.

Barry W. – South Dakota
I have most of my shop on casters, and I just got a 17″ Grizzly Band Saw and 8″ Grizzly Jointer. I wanted to know your thoughts on putting those two big pieces of equipment on caster systems.. what you thought might be done.

E-mails:

Roberto
Hey guys, I came across this video on Youtube. According to the video, this is a new show (Woodworking Together) coming in January 2008, and it’s hosted by a woman. Do you guys think it will be as good as Yankee or Woodworks (or of course Matt’s Basement Workshop or The Wood Whisperer)? I only ask because the majority of woodworkers are men… not sure how many women are really “in to woodworking.”
Note: This video is no longer available.

Josh
My question is about flush-trim router bits. What is the point of having different diameters since the point is to make a flush cut rather than cut a dado or grooves of a certain width? Why would you need a wide bit when you are most likely making a shallow cut, even if you have a large overhang? I understand the different cutting lengths, but the diameters confuse me, and I’d like to keep from having redundancy in my bit collection so I can buy more tools and wood.