BOOK STORAGEBOOK STORAGE^6655
Getting in shape. After cutting the lower arch with a jigsaw, the curve is
smoothed with a rasp.able to leave well enough alone, I decided it would look nice
to set the wedges on a slight angle, making dovetail-like
shapes in the end of each tenon.
I marked the distance to the edge of each cut on the ends
of the tenons with a combination square, then marked the
angles with a bevel gauge and knife. The slots for the wedges
are at a compound angle, but I only fussed about the start of
each cut. Using a dovetail saw, I cut the vertical angles by eye.
This meant that the wedges also had to be a complex shape.
I began by cutting simple wedges from a piece of purpleheart,
about 1" thick, 8" wide and 1^1 ⁄ 2 " long. I set the miter gauge
on the band saw to 3º and made the wedges by making a cut,
fl ipping the wood over and making a second cut.
I put each wedge in place, trimmed off the end with a saw,
then pared the edges with a chisel to match the tenon cheeks.
To keep the wedges organized, after fi tting a group I stuck
them in order on a strip of blue painter’s tape, then stuck the
tape to the face of each shelf. On fi nal assembly, each group
of wedges would be where they belonged.
For assembly, I used liguid hide glue to allow plenty of open
time to put the joints together and set the wedges in place.
After clamping the assembly, I brushed glue in each slot then
drove the wedges in with a hammer. While the glue was dry-
ing, I made the back panel.
This panel is straightforward: The rails and stiles join with
mortises and tenons that are haunched at the top and bottom
extremes to fi ll the grooves for the panels. The panels are
slightly thinner than the frame, and they are raised on both
sides. The panel was made about^1 ⁄ 16 " too wide to allow for
fi tting to the case, and the top is trimmed to land in the cen-
ter of the top shelf.
Back to Level Ground
When the glue on the case had completely dried, it was time
to trim the wedges and exposed tenons down to the surface
of the case sides. The fi rst step was to use a fl ush-cutting saw
to remove the ends of the wedges. Then I took a rag soaked
with mineral spirits, and wet the ends of the tenons.
This saturation makes the tough end-grain fi bers easier to
trim with a block plane. The fi nal bit of leveling was with a
One side makes another. After the curves on one side are completed, the
fi r s t sid e is u s e d as a t e m plat e t o make t h e s e c on d sid e.Shoulders fi rst. A shallow rabbet is cut on each side
of the shelves to start the making of the tenons.Ends second. The ends of the tenons are cut by
hand, then the waste in between is removed.M ar ke d in place. T h e t e n on s ar e mar ke d d ir e c t l y f r om
the mortises, ensuring that the locations match.6 60-69_Craftsman Bookcase.indd 65 0 - 69 _Craftsman Bookcase.indd 65 3/25/13 9:56 AM 3 / 25 / 13 9 : 56 AM