Popular Woodworking Magazine » Tables & Chairs

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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Free Plan: Porch Swing With A Curve

David Thiel — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:16:30 +0000

This clever porch swing design from ‘Backyard Projects for Today’s Homestead‘ uses bent lamination sides to support the slats and to create the arms. Clever, and an interesting project. Download the free PDF plans by following the link below. Free Porch Swing Plan

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I Can Do That: Small Bench

Megan Fitzpatrick — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:00:40 +0000

This simple seat is ideal for a hallway or porch.By Megan Fitzpatrick Pages: 26-27From The October 2011 issue #192 Buy the issue nowThis project is inspired by a period choir bench in my mom’s dining room – but I modernized the Gothic revival design of the original with sweeping curves on the arms (instead of shelter arms), and left out the moulding and cutouts.From the October 2011 issue #192 Buy this issue nowARTICLE: HallBenchICDT BONUS ARTICLE: “I Can Do That” article from Mag Ruffman on our web site. PLAN: Download the free SketchUp plan for the Small Bench. ARTICLE: All the “I Can Do That” articles are free online. Read more »

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Free Plan From Thomas Moser

David Thiel — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:41:31 +0000

The updated and revised version of Thomas Moser’s classic “How to Build Shaker Furniture” is now available for pre-order. You may be asking, “What’s updated and revised?” We thought we’d offer a peek, and also let the author himself tell you what’s changed — in the world, and in the book. Click on the link … Read more »

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I Can Do That: Limbert Outdoor Cafe Chair

David Thiel — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:53:54 +0000

A great chair to make in pairs (or more), this outdoor version of a classic Charles Limbert Arts & Crafts cafe chair is simple to make using basic home center lumber and only a few common tools. Very little woodworking experience required. Download the Limbert Chair Plans Here

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I Can Do That: Outdoor Garden Bench Project

David Thiel — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:29:34 +0000

Built from pine boards available from you local home store, this outdoor bench can be built with only a jigsaw and screw gun. A simply coat of paint to match your decor and you’ll be sitting pretty! This project is one of many from ‘Backyard Projects for Today’s Homestead‘. Click here to download your free … Read more »

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I Can Do That: Lap Desk

Pop Wood Editors — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:43:09 +0000

Portable productivity with a nod to steampunk style.By Mag RuffmanThe glorious thing about being self-sufficient is that you can usually figure out ways to create what you need.My latest need arose after a bad case of Burning Thighs Syndrome, a malady caused by sitting on the couch typing on a laptop computer. With my quadriceps performing as heat sinks for the laptop’s toiling battery, I had the hottest legs in Canada. PLAN: Download the free SketchUp plan for the Lap Desk. ARTICLES: All the “I Can Do That” articles are free online. Download the complete “I Can Do That” manual. Read more »

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All-weather Morris Chair Plan

David Thiel — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:52:17 +0000

When it comes to slouchy comfort, there are few chairs that answer that call better than the Morris chair. But when it’s 70 degrees, the sun is shining and you just want to get out of the house, you need a special Morris chair. An all-weather Morris chair. Say no more! This is the newly-updated … Read more »

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Morris Chair Tour

Robert W. Lang — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:36:38 +0000

My favorite project is usually the last one I’ve finished, or the one I’m about to start. The cover project for the April 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine will likely stay a favorite for a long, long time. It’s a reproduction of a Gustav Stickley No. 369 bent arm chair. Gus knew what he … Read more »

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