Our April 2013 cover project is a “City Sideboard” built by Mario Rodriguez of the Philadelphia Furniture Workshop (the digital issue drops to subscribers late next week; the print issue will start arriving in subscribers’ mailboxes shortly thereafter). The sideboard, which is sized for smaller, contemporary spaces, is designed to introduce students to a traditional … Read more
A classic form from the New Lebanon Shaker community is easy to build in a few hours. By Christopher Schwarz Page: 48-49 From the February 2011 issue #188 Buy this issue now If you don’t like nails, then perhaps you should turn the page. This small wall cupboard from the New Lebanon Shaker community bristles … Read more
This simple modular shelf offers plenty of options for reconfiguration. By Tom Nunlist Pages 58-59 One symptom of my pervasive early 20s restlessness is that I regularly overhaul my apartment, completely rearranging the furniture and décor once a month or so. It’s not so much that I can’t settle on a suitable arrangement, but that … Read more
Notched and nailed joints add visual interest to this simple project. By Megan Fitzpatrick Pages 50-52 This form is typically called a Shaker silverware tray – but it comes in handy for ferrying all sorts of things hither and yon. I got lucky at the big box store in finding some perfectly straight, flat and … Read more
Take the easy way out: Find sizes without measuring.
By Robert Lang
Pages 62-63
This small coffee table is a great introduction to building furniture. It doesn’t require much material and it’s an opportunity to develop your skills. This project is sturdy, attractive and easy to build. All of the parts come from standard widths of lumber. I used poplar from my local home center, and I made the table from one 6′-long piece of 1×8, one 8′ length of 1×6 and two 8′ lengths of 1×4.
Start by gluing the top from two pieces of 1×8 and one piece of 1×6. If you are cutting the parts from 6′- or 8′-long boards, leave them a couple of inches long, then trim them to the final length after the glue has dried.
The goal during glue-up is to keep the faces of the boards aligned. Use a couple straight strips of wood below for a level work surface and, if you need to, clamp straight pieces across the top and bottom to hold the edges in alignment while the glue dries.
Let the glue dry overnight, then trim the top to length. Clamp a straightedge across the top to guide your jigsaw or circular saw to make the cut. When the top is at its finished size, set the blade of your combination square at 2″ and draw lines in from each corner on the underside of the top.
Download the PDF of this article for the drawing and cutlist:
Contemporary Coffee Table
Video: Learn a quick and easy method for finding the center of an edge with a combination square.
Plan: Download a free SketchUp model for the “Contemporary Coffee Table.”
Articles: All the “I Can Do That” articles are free online.
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Last week marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, and as such we received a number of requests for the “Titanic Deck Chair” article, which originally ran in 1999. In honor of that fateful night a century ago (and in response to popular demand), we’re making the article and full-size plans … Read more
Get a period look with big box materials.
by Megan Fitzpatrick
pages 23-23
From the April 2012 issue, #196
The inspiration for this small hanging set of shelves is a late 18th- to early 19th-century (circa 1775-1825) English dovetailed version in oak with a dark finish. I wanted to replicate the look as much as possible using the I Can Do That tool set and big-box stock, so I adjusted the dimensions to fit dimensional lumber, and, after the construction was done, sanded the edges heavily to impart a well-worn look. I then applied a somewhat distressed finish (more on that later).
Download the PDF of this article for the drawing and cutlist:
HangingShelves
Plan: Download the free SketchUp model for the Hanging Shelves.
Articles: All the I Can Do That articles are free online. Read more
