# Out in the shop



## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

*Upper Shop Cabinets $36.70*

Matthew and I were going to do a video this weekend but got side tracked with the need for storage. Things are piling up and disorder is setting in. Time to get things in order a little. Last week I added a drawing for shop cabinets to the free plans section on www.thenewfoundlandwoodworker.com . They are very basic, and cheap. This is them 
Mind the doors, they are stuck on with double faced tape for now. Hinges Monday

Cabinet Size
14 1/4×33 1/4










Materials
1 sheet 5/8 D grade ply
1 sheet 1/8 Masonite

Joinery 
Kreg Pocket Hole Screws
Mortis and Tennon

Tools used
Table Saw
Kreg Jig
Router
Drill
18" clamp
Kreg clamp

So, I will jump right in. Sheet goods are cut up and assembly started. The sides are 14 1/4×12, top and bottom 33 1/4×12. Back of cabinet has a 3/16" dado running 5/8" in from the back. 1/8" masonite for the back. The backing is cut 1/8" shy all around. No need as its not going to expand/contract, just habit.










Everything is Kreg screwed together except for the doors. Will show you then a little further down. We didn't go too crazy with the screws as we used plenty of glue on all the matching pieces.










Face frames are 1 3/4 wide. A couple of Kreg screws hold them tight and square. 








Careful not to over tighten the screws. If you have a torque setting on your drill, USE IT!  









Face frame together, we install it via pocket screws to the box. The face frame is slightly oversize by 1/32-1/16" purposely. This will be trimmed off later with a flush trim bit in the router, and everything will look as if it were cut precisely. Great tip from George Vondriska.










Due to the limited space inside the cabinet, Matthew is using a right angle chuck on his drill. This is the Festool CXS. It would have been such a pain to screw this on by hand. Clamping the frame in place is helpful as well.










We added the centre rail once the cabinet was hung on the wall. Why? meh, we wanted too.  Also, it's easy to add these in at any time with the Kreg Jig, as well, with the CXS angle attachment, there was nothing too it.

The cabinets are hung on the wall using a French Cleat. I didn't take a pic of the back, but it's just a 2" wide cleat running along the back with a 45 degree angle. This then hooks into a matching 45 2" wide hook on the wall.










So here they are. The plans make 2 of these cabinets from one sheet of plywood. Sit them side by side like we have or space them apart.










Next we move on to the doors. 1 3/4" 5/8". We begin with the dado, raising the saw blade to 3/8". Something a little better than a measuring tape or those stepped depth gauges, we are using the Betterley UNA-GAUGE. Originally obtained for tuning Matthews saw, but unlike other alignment gauges out there, this one does so much more, if you noticed the pic above, we don't keep it in its case as it's in and out so often, it's best left on the shelf.










Next we use the gauge to move the fence 1/4" off the blade. This is perhaps over kill, but just so fun to use. 









The blade is set. We get 8' of 1 3/4" and prepare to run the dados for the panels. Feather board is great to use here. be sure you have the feather board setup BEFORE or IN FRONT of the blade. 








Maxswitch makes it fast and easy to setup their feather boards and they hold very tight. 








Next we cut the tenons that will sit in the dado of the door. No need for a dado blade as it's just a few passes. 








Here are the pieces we just made. Lets fit them together








Dry fit looks good. everything is nice and square. We measure the inside of the door and add 5/8", this will give us the panel size. 








Time for the glue up. We glue two rails to the side style and slide in the panel.








Get everything in place and clamp up. We left these in for about an hr then glued up the other two doors. 









That's all there is to it. As mentioned above, we need to pick up the hinges, the doors are just held in place with double faced tape for now. The doors are 1/2" wider and longer than each opening.

Cabinets are not difficult to make. They are just boxes with doors. Give them a try. 









Thanks for reading


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## crashn (Aug 26, 2011)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Upper Shop Cabinets $36.70*
> 
> Matthew and I were going to do a video this weekend but got side tracked with the need for storage. Things are piling up and disorder is setting in. Time to get things in order a little. Last week I added a drawing for shop cabinets to the free plans section on www.thenewfoundlandwoodworker.com . They are very basic, and cheap. This is them
> Mind the doors, they are stuck on with double faced tape for now. Hinges Monday
> ...


I cant wait until my son is old enough to help in the shop. He is 1 now, so it will be a bit before he is ready. He does go nuts with excitement and even grunts like tim the toolman, when we do go in the shop together. Sometimes it helps to change his perspective when he is having a meltdown in the house, so we go to the garage and his attitude changes immediately.


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## sikrap (Mar 15, 2009)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Upper Shop Cabinets $36.70*
> 
> Matthew and I were going to do a video this weekend but got side tracked with the need for storage. Things are piling up and disorder is setting in. Time to get things in order a little. Last week I added a drawing for shop cabinets to the free plans section on www.thenewfoundlandwoodworker.com . They are very basic, and cheap. This is them
> Mind the doors, they are stuck on with double faced tape for now. Hinges Monday
> ...


Very nice. Its great that you get to spend time with your son in the shop.


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Upper Shop Cabinets $36.70*
> 
> Matthew and I were going to do a video this weekend but got side tracked with the need for storage. Things are piling up and disorder is setting in. Time to get things in order a little. Last week I added a drawing for shop cabinets to the free plans section on www.thenewfoundlandwoodworker.com . They are very basic, and cheap. This is them
> Mind the doors, they are stuck on with double faced tape for now. Hinges Monday
> ...


Thanks all. due to the size of sheet goods, Matthew was happy to take care of laying out and drilling the pocket holes and full assembly.


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## Gshepherd (May 16, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Upper Shop Cabinets $36.70*
> 
> Matthew and I were going to do a video this weekend but got side tracked with the need for storage. Things are piling up and disorder is setting in. Time to get things in order a little. Last week I added a drawing for shop cabinets to the free plans section on www.thenewfoundlandwoodworker.com . They are very basic, and cheap. This is them
> Mind the doors, they are stuck on with double faced tape for now. Hinges Monday
> ...


Well built cabinets, Having such good help is priceless…...


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Upper Shop Cabinets $36.70*
> 
> Matthew and I were going to do a video this weekend but got side tracked with the need for storage. Things are piling up and disorder is setting in. Time to get things in order a little. Last week I added a drawing for shop cabinets to the free plans section on www.thenewfoundlandwoodworker.com . They are very basic, and cheap. This is them
> Mind the doors, they are stuck on with double faced tape for now. Hinges Monday
> ...


Gshepherd - I find, I am the helper on most days.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Upper Shop Cabinets $36.70*
> 
> Matthew and I were going to do a video this weekend but got side tracked with the need for storage. Things are piling up and disorder is setting in. Time to get things in order a little. Last week I added a drawing for shop cabinets to the free plans section on www.thenewfoundlandwoodworker.com . They are very basic, and cheap. This is them
> Mind the doors, they are stuck on with double faced tape for now. Hinges Monday
> ...


Seems like we can all learn a little something from Matthew. He's very talented.


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Upper Shop Cabinets $36.70*
> 
> Matthew and I were going to do a video this weekend but got side tracked with the need for storage. Things are piling up and disorder is setting in. Time to get things in order a little. Last week I added a drawing for shop cabinets to the free plans section on www.thenewfoundlandwoodworker.com . They are very basic, and cheap. This is them
> Mind the doors, they are stuck on with double faced tape for now. Hinges Monday
> ...


Thanks for the comment Roger!


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## Optimal (Aug 11, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Upper Shop Cabinets $36.70*
> 
> Matthew and I were going to do a video this weekend but got side tracked with the need for storage. Things are piling up and disorder is setting in. Time to get things in order a little. Last week I added a drawing for shop cabinets to the free plans section on www.thenewfoundlandwoodworker.com . They are very basic, and cheap. This is them
> Mind the doors, they are stuck on with double faced tape for now. Hinges Monday
> ...


Great cabinets. I'd like to know how you fixed the french cleat to the back of the cabinet. Does it attach just to the ply sides using screws? I'm trying to think of how strong that would be.

Thanks!


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

*Long spline jig*

I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.

It's a 45 degree "rest" for the mitred board to sit on as you slide it over the blade.










Here is a pic of a test board on the jig. The jig is placed the width of the mitre away from the fence. If you have a gap under your fence like we do, you will need to add a piece of material, (we used MDF) to your fence. Anything will do, as long as it covers the little gap.










Next, the jig is held to the table with MagSwitch magnets. We used 2. Could use clamps, but MagSwitch is hard to beat.










With the jig in place, turn on your saw and slide your board through. Super easy.









Here is the result









Insert your spline and your golden.










There you go.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


This is really really good.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


Great blog! I've been trying to figure out how to do these. What do you think about using this jig on a router table with a slot cutter?


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## pneufab (Dec 19, 2009)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


Cool jig! I am kinda a noob, so hopefully I don't sound too foolish, but I always thought that this type of spline was easy to cut simply by angling the blade 45° and running the stock with the miter fence? Is there a benefit by doing them this way instead?


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


gfadvm you certainly could do this on the router table. I will do a quick sketch and show you.

pneufab - you are right, the only trouble is, you would need to but the fence on the other side of the blade from what i'm thinking. Doing it the way I put above will have no real limit on the panel size you are splining. well within reason.


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## pneufab (Dec 19, 2009)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


Ahh… I didn't think of it like that. I guess you couldn't easier run, say a 36" panel with a miter gauge or even most sleds! Well done!


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


gfadvm - This is how I would picture it with slot cutter on router table.



















Hope this makes sense. On the table saw, the mitre touches the table and slides past the blade. On the router, the mitre would ride against the fence and go through the slot cutter.


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## pneufab (Dec 19, 2009)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...












Edit! I did find this in the "Tablesaw tough cuts made easy" book… I knew I saw it somewhere!

By using the rip fence it would eliminate the restriction on width like using the miter gauge right?

I don't mean any disrespect for your jig , I am just trying to learn new techniques.


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


pnuefab - LOL. that is much easier than my jig. lol. nice find. much easier than having to build and setup a jig. Thanks for sharing that.

No disrespect taken.


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## pneufab (Dec 19, 2009)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


I still have 53 mins if you want me to delete the post….. I will..


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


No no not at all. This is what LJ's is all about. Your post will be very helpful for many  Keep it on here.


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


I am thinking though, it could still be an effective jig as it's 45 degrees to the table. Perhaps one may wish to spline mitres without taking their blade out of 90 degrees. lol. I may be grasping, but I think it's still useful though pneufab's post will surely be the best option for most


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


Michael, Thanks so much for the cool sketch. That's what I had pictured in my feeble mind. I'm gonna try your jig on the router table with the slot cutters for my boxes. The tablesaw would be the way to go for bigger projects but I like the option of cutting different width splines by raising/lowering the router and making a second pass rather than setting up a dado stack for a small project. Thanks again.


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Long spline jig*
> 
> I was out in the workshop this evening making a simple box. I mitred the box and needed to spline the corners. I made this simple jig to aide in creating a grove for the spline.
> 
> ...


gfadvm - You are very welcome. was my pleasure to sketch it out for you. I love the boxes you make. I hope this jig aids you well.


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

*Whirlygig Video - Railway Hand Cart*

Here is the Whirlygig that Matthew and I put together for the Whirlygig Wars got it finished just in time for the deadline  Was allot of work for something so small in comparrison to other projects. Made out of Oak, should last many years in the weather. Here is our brief contest video.

http://woodtube.ning.com/video/whirlygig-wars-response-video for USA

YouTube only works in Canada for some reason but here it is.


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## Kookaburra (Apr 23, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Whirlygig Video - Railway Hand Cart*
> 
> Here is the Whirlygig that Matthew and I put together for the Whirlygig Wars got it finished just in time for the deadline  Was allot of work for something so small in comparrison to other projects. Made out of Oak, should last many years in the weather. Here is our brief contest video.
> 
> ...


YAY! This is great. I will say my favorite part of the video is when you are sanding the guy - it looks like he is scratching his back on the sander. This is so well designed - and looks fabulous in action. Congrats!


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## Billboard (Apr 10, 2008)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Whirlygig Video - Railway Hand Cart*
> 
> Here is the Whirlygig that Matthew and I put together for the Whirlygig Wars got it finished just in time for the deadline  Was allot of work for something so small in comparrison to other projects. Made out of Oak, should last many years in the weather. Here is our brief contest video.
> 
> ...


OK guys outstanding job. I love your whirligig.


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## NateMeadows (May 11, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Whirlygig Video - Railway Hand Cart*
> 
> Here is the Whirlygig that Matthew and I put together for the Whirlygig Wars got it finished just in time for the deadline  Was allot of work for something so small in comparrison to other projects. Made out of Oak, should last many years in the weather. Here is our brief contest video.
> 
> ...


Wow, this is amazing work! Great Job! I really like your design! The detail is really awesome!

Nate


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Whirlygig Video - Railway Hand Cart*
> 
> Here is the Whirlygig that Matthew and I put together for the Whirlygig Wars got it finished just in time for the deadline  Was allot of work for something so small in comparrison to other projects. Made out of Oak, should last many years in the weather. Here is our brief contest video.
> 
> ...


Kookaburra - thanks for the comment. I looked back at that pic and you are right. Looks to be scratching his back lol.

Bill - Thanks so much. Also, your DVD Cabinet - You knocked that out of the park. Fantastic job!


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## MichaelAgate (Jan 15, 2012)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Whirlygig Video - Railway Hand Cart*
> 
> Here is the Whirlygig that Matthew and I put together for the Whirlygig Wars got it finished just in time for the deadline  Was allot of work for something so small in comparrison to other projects. Made out of Oak, should last many years in the weather. Here is our brief contest video.
> 
> ...


Nate - thanks so much. Hearing a design compliment from someone of your artistic ability is very humbling.


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

MichaelAgate said:


> *Whirlygig Video - Railway Hand Cart*
> 
> Here is the Whirlygig that Matthew and I put together for the Whirlygig Wars got it finished just in time for the deadline  Was allot of work for something so small in comparrison to other projects. Made out of Oak, should last many years in the weather. Here is our brief contest video.
> 
> ...


So cool what a fine work you have done.
Best thoughts,
Mads


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