Woodshop plans

Start Up Woodworker

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dieter_W_Hoffmann]Dieter W Hoffmann
Woodworking magazines provide excellent ideas for woodworkers but sometimes the projects are far above the ability of the beginner. Beautiful cabinets with elaborate marquetry may pose a challenge to the expert carpenter/woodworker, but for the guy starting off, it is far beyond his ability and experience.
What is in it for a Beginner
This article is too short to make an expert out of a beginner but it tries to show what simple projects can be attempted. Plans cannot be given here as they are available elsewhere, but I will give an idea of the process that is followed when making something. It is not intended to give detailed instructions, just to give an idea of what is involved in creating a project. Using a typical project, the process is illustrated.
The Process of Creating a Project
Lets assume you want to make a table. The process is the same whether a coffee table or a kitchen table is made, so lets make a coffee table. Choose a size: make it 4 ft x 2 ft and 16 inches high. Now choose the wood. For a beginner, choose something that is not expensive and that can be stained to look like a more expensive type of wood.
The top can be made out of a piece of board or plywood with the same type of wood or veneer that will be used for the other parts. To hide the edges a border can be cut from say a 2 inches x 1 inches of wood. The edge can be routed in a nice pattern to make it look better. Where the edges meet, a miter needs to be cut. It is perhaps easier to make this frame first and cut the board to fit exactly inside.
For a coffee table the legs need to be looking a bit more elaborate than a normal kitchen table. If you dont have a lathe to turn the legs, they can be cut square with a taper toward the feet. If you have a router, you can rout some edges or a stripe into the legs to make them look more fancy, just dont overdo it.
The side and end rails can be straight or have a curved bottom, if you have a jig saw or a band saw the bottom edges can then being routed to a nice edge. If the table size is, as mentioned above, the table top needs to overhang by about 2 inches all round. That means the lengthwise rails have to be cut to 4 ft less 2x2 inches less 2x the thickness of the legs. The same for the end rails but now the width is less.
Alternatively if it should be a modern design, the legs can be straight down and be flush with the table top.
For simplicity the legs and the rails can be joined up with dowels. Three dowels per joint with dowels not less than 3/8 inch. The drilling is tricky if you do not have a drill press. The holes need to be exactly 90 degrees to the face of the joint. You can buy little marker plugs with your dowels.
First drill the holes in the rails, held in a vice and clearly marked. Hold the drill exactly 90 degrees to the face being drilled. When this is done place the marker plugs into the holes. Place the leg where it must go and tap with a hammer. Thus the holes that need to be drilled in the legs, are marked exactly where they must be drilled, then drill them to the right depth.
For the next step you will need clamps. Glue the dowels and the face of the rails and press into the legs. If you only have two clamps, clamp the sides first and when the glue has set, assemble the frame with the same procedure as described.
The table top can also be fitted with dowels to the rails. Just be careful not to drill through the table top and ruin it. Use a depth gauge on your drill. Now the job is finished except for the staining and/ or varnishing and there you have it! You have created a coffee table.
Author: D.W. Hoffmann, hobby woodworker. For the necessary resources see my website: http://www.toolsforcarpentry.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Start-Up-Woodworker&id=6766688] Start-Up Woodworker