Popular Woodworking Magazine » Projects

Bob Lang’s Books Now in the Popular Woodworking Store

Robert W. Lang — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:29:22 +0000

I came to work at Popular Woodworking Magazine in a roundabout way. I spent most of my adult life working with wood professionally, and along the way I read a lot of books and magazines. I was passionate about furniture of the Arts & Crafts period, and wished there was a book of measured drawings … Read more »

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‘City Sideboard’ & Getting Square

Megan Fitzpatrick — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:31:27 +0000

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 »

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American Trestle Table

Article Index — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:55:51 +0000

One of the oldest designs for a dining table is also one of the most highly engineered and contemporary. But will its unusual dimensions work in a modern home? By Christopher Schwarz From the Autumn 2006 issue of Woodworking Magazine Traditional trestle tables have a bit of an austere reputation. They show up in Gothic … Read more »

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Shaker Wall Cupboard

Christopher Schwarz — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:40:24 +0000

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 »

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I Can Do That: Bookshelf & Wine Rack

Article Index — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:30:22 +0000

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 »

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I Can Do That: Shaker Carry Box

Megan Fitzpatrick — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:05:38 +0000

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 »

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I Can Do That: Contemporary Coffee Table

Robert W. Lang — Tue, 29 May 2012 19:40:13 +0000

Take the easy way out: Find sizes without measuring.By Robert Lang Pages 62-63This 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 1x8, one 8' length of 1x6 and two 8' lengths of 1x4.Start by gluing the top from two pieces of 1x8 and one piece of 1x6. 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 TableVideo: 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. Read more »

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I Can Do That: Hanging Shelves

Megan Fitzpatrick — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:43:10 +0000

Get a period look with big box materials.by Megan Fitzpatrick pages 23-23From the April 2012 issue, #196The 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: HangingShelvesPlan: Download the free SketchUp model for the Hanging Shelves. Articles: All the I Can Do That articles are free online. Read more »

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Making Frames

Robert W. Lang — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:04:47 +0000

Sooner or later, someone will ask you to make a picture frame. Here is how to get it right the first time. by Robert W. Lang Pages 21-23 From the Summer 2009 issue of Woodworking Magazine, issue 14 Buy this issue now Picture frames are one of those woodworking projects that we all assume we … Read more »

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