The Wobbly Chair Clinic
Three neighbours' chairs on the bench, three different wobbles. Wade diagnoses loose joints, a cracked leg and a stretched dowel, and fixes each with glue, clamps and time.
A Bookshelf from One Sheet of Plywood
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Show notes
A Bookshelf from One Sheet of Plywood
The first project is the one Wade has taught more times than any other: a sturdy bookshelf cut from a single sheet of three-quarter inch plywood. He reads the full cut list, explains how to get the lumber yard to make the big cuts for you, and admits what went wrong on his own first attempt.
- The cut list, read twice, in inches and millimetres
- Circular saw and a straight edge: the only tools you really need
- Dadoes versus screws and glue for a beginner
- Why his 1994 shelf leaned four degrees to the left
Listener question at the end: a door that sticks every summer and what to do before planing it.
Transcript
Well, good morning and welcome to Sawdust and Second Tries. My name is Wade Kettering, I taught shop class in Dayton, Ohio for 31 years, and I am talking to you from my garage with the door half open because it is a nice day. This is a show for people who build and fix things at home with a few tools and some patience. Today's project is the first one I ever taught and the one I still recommend to anyone starting out: a bookshelf from a single sheet of plywood. I will read you the cut list twice, tell you how to get the lumber yard to make the big cuts, and explain why my own first shelf in 1994 leaned four degrees to the left. Then a listener question about a door that sticks every July. You are listening on Witspeak Podcasts.
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