Tu s k Te n o n B o o k rac k
Hand and power tools work together
to make signature Arts & Crafts joints.
T
he dividing line between hand-tool woodworking and machine-
tool woodworking doesn’t exist for me. Although I’m not fond
of noise and dust, I have an appreciation for what machines can do –
make work faster and repeatable. I also know there are times when the
right tool for the job is powered by what my grandfather called elbow
grease.
This small bookrack can be made entirely by using hand tools , or
entirely by using machines. I used both, and as we go through the steps
of making it, you will fi nd out why.
The key elements in this project are the through tenons that con-
nect the shelf to the ends. I based the design on an early 20th century
example from the Roycroft community. It’s an ideal way to learn this
method of joinery – it only takes a few board feet of material and each
of the steps is an opportunity to improve your skills.
A project like this is enjoyable if the parts go together with a mini-
mum amount of fuss. That means that the mortises and tenons need to
be in the right places, and at the right sizes.
I used a pair of templates and a router with a fl ush-trimming bit to
locate and size the joints. This way, the work of getting things to fi t
has to be done only once, when making the templates. Work on the
real parts goes quickly and if I want to make this piece again, or make a
batch of them, I’m well on my way before I even begin building.
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