More shop storage

[wtnhighlander]

Starting another shop cabinet (or two). Since the 'Barrister Book case' design worked so well previously, I am moving forward with the same design. This is not pretty furniture, rather it is functional, inexpensive, and quick to build. I'm posting this to share some of the cost and time saving techniques I used.

Starting with a plank of paulownia, mostly because it was handy, but having the benefit of strength and light weight. I can see why it was traditionally used for traveling cases (Tansu) in Japan.

This board is a sawmill slab cut, a heavy 8/4 thick. This design could also be made from 2x or 1x construction lumber. I ripped a straight-ish edge on my bandsaw.

Then made is really straight..

With it flat and square enough to run through the tablesaw, I cut it into strips, a shade more than 3/4" thick, keeping the thickness of the plank as the resulting boards width.

Note that my saw has no riving knife or splitter. For ripping stock, I ALWAYS employ a push block with a sacrificial sole, and a 'hook' at the back.

With the blade just clearing the stock, I run the push block right over the cut, in this case. This block is long enough to hold the stock firmly against the table, and the hook spans across the kerf so both pieces are controlled through the entire cut. I have never experienced a kick-back with this method, although I have often had the kerf pinch the blade. A saw with more HP might not fare as well, so use all the safety devices at your disposal.

This installment concludes with a stack of boards about 13/16 x 2". 

 

[wtnhighlander]

Critical dimensions for this Box are:

A-height

B-depth

C-length

...and stock thickness.

Overall length (C) will be 36".  Depth (B) will be 11", and height (C) will be 14".

From these dimensions, I can derive the lengths for each part of the case frame:

1. Six each, long case rails, 36" - 1 stock thickness.

2. Four each vertical side rails, 14".

3. Four each, horizontal side rails, 11".

4. Two each, long door rails, 36" - 2 stock thickness.

5. Two each, short door rails, 14" - 2 stock thickness.

[wtnhighlander]

I continue milling by ripping a skim cut down each edge, to remove the rough surface. My fence extension works like a jointer bed to keep things straight. My stock was pretty straight anyway, do this was enough. Now I have uniform sticks to work with.

Next, I broke in my new sled by squaring up one end.

Miter gauge would be faster, but having the clamps was really nice.

Now to start cutting lengths. I used an end off-cut to get my required 36"-1 width measurement.

Now I have things all jigged up to cut the long rails for the case, but ran out of time.

I'll pick up on this in a couple days.

Side note: I can see that moveable blocks with toggle clamps could be a faster option on the sled. Also, I need to make that long support strip in the last pic so it can clamp to the fence rail, and make a stop block that clamps to the fence rail, too.

[Mark J]

On 5/19/2026 at 5:57 AM, wtnhighlander said:

Note that my saw has no riving knife or splitter. For ripping stock,

Was that how the saw was made?

[Von]

On 5/20/2026 at 8:52 AM, Mark J said:

Was that how the saw was made?

Perhaps similar to @wtnhighlander, I purchased my saw in 1997 and it only came with a splitter as part of the blade guard. I made my own riving knife.

According to wikipedia, riving knifes have only been required since 2008.

[wtnhighlander]

12 hours ago, Mark J said:

Was that how the saw was made?

Early to Mid 1990s, I think. I'm probably the fourth or fifth owner.

It is a Rigid TS 24241. Loose parts in the box when I got indicate there may once have been a blade guard / splitter on it.

[wtnhighlander]

This morning, I started cutting the frame stock to length. The setup shown previously is for the top & bottom frame "long" rails, which are 36" minus one stock thickness. I cut 4 of those, then switched to the door & back "long" rails, which are 36" minus 2 stock thicknesses. An off-cut provides the perfect spacer.

Next come the end frame parts. Each end gets 2 vertical rails at 14", and 2 horizontal rails at 11".

There are also 2 short rails for the door, 12" each.

With all the lengths cut, on to joinery! For simplicity, I am using half-laps. Easy to cut, easy to assemble, and no complicated math. I use a gauge, eye-ball the center, and mark from both faces to locate the center of my test piece. It is amazing how close one can get on the first try.

After adjusting the blade height to match, and setting the stop block to the width of my stock, I nibble away the waste, using the same combination blade. If I had a flat-top blade, the surface would be smoother, and a dado would be faster, but I don't want to change blades or ruin the kerf in my sled. A vertical + horizontal cut would also be faster, but my shop-made tenoning jig was proven to be slightly off plumb during the last cabinet build. Dust and lost time aside, these results will work. Ends are slightly proud by design.

Out of time again!

[fcschoenthal]

On 5/22/2026 at 5:58 AM, wtnhighlander said:

Ends are slightly proud by design.

I always do that too. It's so much easier to trim the excess off than to fiddle with it to get it exact and hope it stays that way during glue up. 

[wtnhighlander]

When I stepped into the shop this morning, I happened to notice a rarely used jig stashed in the corner. Intended as a vertical hold-down for long rip cuts, its primary component is a wide L shape, with a bracing block on the inside corner. I removed the featherboard, and checked with a 16" machinist's square. Dead on 90 degrees! It even had slots to clamp it to my sled base. This offered a solution for cheek cuts, so I first made all the shoulder cuts, which the sled was already set up for. Then I set up the sled like so:

And after a scrap test proved successful, I made all the cheek cuts. Much faster and less dusty than the nibbling method.

The lap joints fit beautifully!

I love these self-squaring joints.

Now I have all the laps done (plus a couple of shoulder cuts that weren't supposed to happen, oops).

And a stack of perfectly square off cuts. Too bad this isn't walnut & maple, I could make a chessboard!

[Von]

On 5/23/2026 at 9:52 AM, wtnhighlander said:

When I stepped into the shop this morning, I happened to notice a rarely used jig stashed in the corner.

Money found in winter coat pockets and stuff found in nooks and crannies of the shop are two of my favorite things.

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

On 5/23/2026 at 9:04 AM, Von said:

Money found in winter coat pockets and stuff found in nooks and crannies of the shop are two of my favorite things.

This is second only to the sweetest money on earth: unexpected mailbox money. 

 

Last year i got a check for some class action suit that i had never even heard of and had no idea i was a part of. 

 

 

[wtnhighlander]

Well, shoot. I started gluing the framework together, and discovered a mis-count. I'm short by 4 rails of 11" each. Fortunately, I have extra stock. It is always frustrating to try to duplicate a precise cutting setup, though.

[wtnhighlander]

So, I managed to re-create the jig setup, and cut the misding parts. Frames now in the 'wait for glue to dry' stage.

Meanwhile, I had a few more minutes before the rest of the family roused themselves, so I made a glue bottle 'wrench', ala @gee-dub,

And this clamp thing for the front fence rail on my table saw.

I will move the knob to the bottom, then this will be the prototype for a couple of rail-mounted accessories I need. One is a support strip for long pieces in the sled, second is a stop block for said long pieces, also to be used as a 'return to position' stop for the fence.

[gee-dub]

"Meanwhile, I had a few more minutes before the rest of the family roused themselves, so I made a glue bottle 'wrench', ala @gee-dub,"

No, no.  Credit for that one goes to Mark J . . . 

[Mark J]

Nay!  I merely stepped on the shoulders of the giant before me!

[fcschoenthal]

I found and printed this out. It works really well.

[pkinneb]

On 5/27/2026 at 7:12 PM, fcschoenthal said:

I found and printed this out. It works really well.

Any chance you can post / PM me the link for that?

[fcschoenthal]

On 5/27/2026 at 8:50 PM, pkinneb said:

Any chance you can post / PM me the link for that?

Of course. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5676436

 

[wtnhighlander]

More joinery milling today!

Am I the only one that does a full layout for each cut, even where machine setup ensures each operation is repeatable?

I have run a part through the saw or router with the wrong face up, too many times. Marking gives me a double check, and served me well this time.

I needed my tall fence accessory for some cuts, and left it on for the rest to minimize setup time. For the tall 'on end' cuts, the push block goes sideways.

I never put my hands inside the throat plate zone without a push tool, even for non-through cuts.

Note that cutting rabbets thus way produces potential kick-back spears, like these. 

My saw is aligned to the fench so that these barely pushed back at all, but still...always keep your tender bits out of their path!

The groove cut waste was nibbled away after the sides were established. A pass with a chisel removed any remaining slivers.

And here is the dry assembly:

There is one more groove to make, for the door pivot pins to slide in.  The frame needs to be this far along to ensure the door is a proper fit, before that groove is marked.

[Von]

On 5/28/2026 at 6:54 AM, wtnhighlander said:

Am I the only one that does a full layout for each cut, even where machine setup ensures each operation is repeatable?

I've learned to do this. I find it lets me catch a lot of mistakes. The lines makes things visible in such a way that things jump out at me as "not quite right."

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

On 5/28/2026 at 5:54 AM, wtnhighlander said:

More joinery milling today!

Am I the only one that does a full layout for each cut, even where machine setup ensures each operation is repeatable?

I have run a part through the saw or router with the wrong face up, too many times. Marking gives me a double check, and served me well this time.

I needed my tall fence accessory for some cuts, and left it on for the rest to minimize setup time. For the tall 'on end' cuts, the push block goes sideways.

I never put my hands inside the throat plate zone without a push tool, even for non-through cuts.

Note that cutting rabbets thus way produces potential kick-back spears, like these. 

My saw is aligned to the fench so that these barely pushed back at all, but still...always keep your tender bits out of their path!

The groove cut waste was nibbled away after the sides were established. A pass with a chisel removed any remaining slivers.

And here is the dry assembly:

There is one more groove to make, for the door pivot pins to slide in.  The frame needs to be this far along to ensure the door is a proper fit, before that groove is marked.

You do fine work, sir!!

This looks great

[pkinneb]

On 5/28/2026 at 5:54 AM, wtnhighlander said:

More joinery milling today!

Am I the only one that does a full layout for each cut, even where machine setup ensures each operation is repeatable?

I have run a part through the saw or router with the wrong face up, too many times. Marking gives me a double check, and served me well this time.

I needed my tall fence accessory for some cuts, and left it on for the rest to minimize setup time. For the tall 'on end' cuts, the push block goes sideways.

I never put my hands inside the throat plate zone without a push tool, even for non-through cuts.

Note that cutting rabbets thus way produces potential kick-back spears, like these. 

My saw is aligned to the fench so that these barely pushed back at all, but still...always keep your tender bits out of their path!

The groove cut waste was nibbled away after the sides were established. A pass with a chisel removed any remaining slivers.

And here is the dry assembly:

There is one more groove to make, for the door pivot pins to slide in.  The frame needs to be this far along to ensure the door is a proper fit, before that groove is marked.

Nice!!

[Coop]

Very nice!

[wtnhighlander]

Now for the door frame. First I cut some 1" lengths of 1/4" dowel. I used aluminum, but hardwood works also.

Next, I marked each top corner, in from the face and down from the edge, using the same marking gauge set at half the stock thickness. One a gauge is set to a critical dimension, I try to keep it locked until the project is finished. Then I drilled holes that left the dowels proud by just over 1/4".

Forgot a photo, but with the dowels in place, I clamped the door into position and marked the width of the dowels onto the side frames. Last time, I used a router to cut a stopped groove for the dowels. This time, keeping to the 'all tablesaw' theme, I cut through grooves, just as for the joinery.

Now I need stop plugs the close the front. First checked the depth with door in place.

Then glued in some of those squares left from the lap joints.

Once they dry, I'll trim them flush.

Next, I have to wrestle a sheet of hardboard into the shop and cut panels to fit the frames.

[wtnhighlander]

Trimming the plugs ...

Adjusting the door to fit and hinge smoothly ...

 

Now glue-up.

Sides and lower back rail are glued, upper back rail is left dry, so it can come out and release the door. Thanks to @Coop for that detail on a glass door barrister bookcase project he posted.

I also marked the inner edges of the door while it was in the closed and opened positions. That gave me a guidline for installing the door stoppers.

You might recognize these strips as the potential 'spears' left from cutting rabbets for joinery. Waste not, want not!