10: Check that the basic frame remains square and then wipe off surplus glue and leave it to dry.
11: Check that the top will fit correctly. Line up the pencil guidelines to give about a 4 in. (102 mm) overhang at each end and a 1 in. (25 mm) overhang over each side rail.
12: Using the pencil lines as a guide, nail or screw the top into both ends and side pieces. The nails or screws will hold better in the side rails than in the end grain of the end pieces.
13: Punch all nail heads below the surface and fill the indentations, or glue and plug the counterbored screw holes.
14: Remove the pencil marks and sand all surfaces clean. Round over all sharp edges, especially those on the top of the seat.
15: Finish according to your choice by clear varnishing, staining, or painting. If the bench is to be used regularly outdoors, the application of a suitable wood preservative will prolong the life of the bench, especially if pine was used in its construction.
Shaker Shelves & Pegboard
The utopian religious movement of the Shakers originated in France but was led in the late-18th century by Ann Lee, from Manchester, England, who emigrated to the United States in 1774. In 1776, she founded the parent Shaker community at Niskayuna, about 7 miles from Albany, New York.
Their numbers are now greatly reduced, and the Shakers are best known today for the excellence and simplicity of the work of their craftspeople. Part of the Shaker belief is that work is a form of religious devotion. Within their strict creed—“hands to work and hearts to God”—they create a simple beauty in all they do; functionalism predominates and ornamentation is regarded as unnecessary “worldly show.” Their furniture is plain but always beautifully proportioned. Of their many endeavors, the Shakers are perhaps best known for their fine furniture and wooden artifacts. Many of today’s top furniture and interior designers have embraced the purity of Shaker form and style. The simple utility of the hanging set of shelves seen here is typical of their work. Shelves very much like these are made for use in all living and working areas of the Shaker house to hold personal effects, kitchen utensils, and objects pertaining to work. Rooms are also routinely fitted with horizontal pegboards, often in continuous lengths and set at a uniform height, equally used to accommodate all manner of objects, and hanging the shelves (and even furniture) from them is a common Shaker practice.
SHELVES
ABILITY LEVEL
Novice
SIZE
25 x 22 x 7 in. (635 x 559 x 178 mm)
MATERIALS
Pine, Cherry, Beech
CUTTING LIST
2 sides
22 x 7 x .625 in. (559 x 178 x 16 mm)
3 shelves
25 x 7 x .625 in. (635 x 178 x 16 mm)
PEGBOARD
ABILITY LEVEL
Novice
SIZE
(Pegs)
5 x 1.5 x 1.5 in. (127 x 38 x 38 mm)
(Board)
48 x 3.5 x .75 in. (1219 x 89 x 19 mm)
MATERIALS
(Pegs)
Cherry, Oak, Maple, Beech
(Board)
Pine
CUTTING LIST
(Pegs)
3 pieces 5 x 1.5 x 1.5 in. (127 x 38 x 38 mm)
(Board)
1 piece 48 x 3.5 x .75 in. (1219 x 89 x 19 mm)
1: Begin by planing the edges of the shelves and gluing pieces to make wider boards if necessary. Note that the shelves decrease in width toward the top: the middle shelf is approximately 6 in. (152 mm) wide, while the top shelf is about 5 in. (127 mm) wide.
2: Cut all pieces accurately to length, making sure that they are perfectly square across their ends.
3: Depending on the condition of the wood, plane or sand back all the surfaces so that they are smooth.
4: Cut both side pieces to the correct tapering shape as shown and plane or sand back the sawed edges.
5: Referring to the diagram, mark out the positions of the top and middle shelf housing and the rebate to accommodate the bottom shelf. Carefully check the exact thickness of the shelves before doing this, since all dimensions quoted when buying wood may be nominal only. Make the housing fractionally less than the shelf thickness to ensure a tight fit later on.
6: Cut the housings and rebate .25 in. (6 mm) deep and to the full width of the shelf.
7: Check each shelf for fit. If necessary, shave wood from the underside of the shelves.
8: Drill a .25 in. (6 mm) hole, at the top of each side piece for the hanging cords. Before drilling, place a piece of scrap wood under the exit point of the bit to prevent the wood from splintering.
9: Assemble the shelves, without using glue, to make sure that everything fits together properly. Disassemble.
10: Glue and assemble the shelves. If necessary, hold them together with clamps and check that all the angles are square. Wipe off any excess glue.
11: The bottom of the rebate joint should be further secured by careful nailing. Take care not to split the wood. If the other joints fit tightly and are also nailed for security, clamping may not be necessary.
Pegboard Method
1: Pegs would normally be turned on a lathe (dimensions are given). Simple shapes can be whittled by hand and finished off by filing and sanding. Alternatively, you can purchase ready-made pegs.
2: If turning the pegs on a lathe, place each piece of wood in turn between the centers, or fix each to a chuck and turn to the shape shown—or any other of your choice. Make sure that the tenon joint is true to size and is not too small.
3: If you are shaping the pegs by hand, make preliminary saw cuts all around as shown, and then cut or chisel into these to establish the rough shape of each peg before using files or rasps, followed by abrasives, to refine the shape.
4: Measure the size of the tenons needed in a test hole of the correct diameter, made in a piece of scrap wood.
5: If using ready-made pegs, buy these first and check the diameter of the tenon joints before proceeding to the next stage.
6: Mark the positions of the pegs and drill 1 in. (25 mm) holes (or holes of other sizes to suit) through the board. Drill into a piece of scrap wood underneath to prevent the underside