My wife has been an elementary school teacher for almost 15 years. When she started at a new job some 5 years ago, it came up that she could really use a podium of some sort. All of her previous schools had provided the teachers with some sort of podium, but this school was lacking this “creature comfort”

After scouring some samples, I decided to build her one. Constructed out of birch ply, red oak edging, MinWax Sedona Stain, and several coats of poly. The unit is equipped with leveling glides. Completed in ‘03.

I would like to have had a picture of it in the classroom in use, however I couldn’t find one.

She has been the envy of all of the other teachers in her school, with many requesting that I build them one.

My niece, a very precocious 11 year old, is very hard to shop for in terms of gifts and such. While wandering a craft fair one late November last year we happened upon a gentleman selling doll furniture, and in particular a swing sized for the American Doll format. The magical statement from my better half was uttered, the statement I know we have all heard from time to time: “Honey, you should be able to build something like that.”

Of course I gave it my best shot and this is what I came up with using scraps of pine and oak and a half hour at the band saw. I stained the swing, and gave the entire thing several spray coats of MinWax satin. I thought the frame was kinda boring, so I asked my niece the names of the various dolls she had and proceeded to letter them on as an added interest.

I am currently working on a bookcase where I wanted to do some really quality joinery which in my case means no visible fasteners.

I found this router jig in Taunton’s Jig and Fixtures text. I highly recommend this book as a good source of ideas. The jig is designed such that the one fence is fixed 90 degrees relative to the alignment block, and the other fence floats on a pair of slots.

Here in my jig I have trimmed the fence with a 1/2” router bit. This will allow me to cut any size dado from 1/2” up including the non standard 23/32” plywood.

The floating fence can be set at an angle which I am using to cut tapered sliding dovetails for my shelves.

Made from 1/4” hardboard, poplar, and a little scrap oak. The T-Nuts are from Rockler.

Looking at the corresponding planer cart for my DW735 from DeWalt on Amazon, I thought it a little flimsy. After reading one reviewer’s urging to bypass the sheet metal and throw one together with some 2×4s and plywood, I took his advice. While I probably spent more in time on it than it would have cost me to buy the DeWalt offering, I enjoy the opportunity to hone skills and experiment on utility shop projects.

The body is constructed with some half lapped 2×4s, skinned with scrap sheets of cabinet grade ply, and equipped with shelves made from spare laminated pine. I used a 1 1/4” dowel for the handle. The top has had three coats of Helmsman Spar; the rest may receive equal treatment someday.

I have read a few stories advising against the use of casters in certain situations as there may still be sufficient play even in locking ones to be annoying if not unsafe. So I used a wheelbarrow approach for the cart itself. As positioned all four legs make contact with the floor. To move it you lift up one side and the casters make contact with the ground and off you go.

The planer has been bolted to the top, however I soon realized one design flaw. The lower shelves are currently useless untill I put in stops on the ends opposite the handle as when you lift it to move it, whatever is on the shelves and not bolted down slides off—live and learn.