The was made when I had almost no woodworking tools. It was also when I had my first tablesaw, an old Shopmaster (not Shopsmith) with a true 3/4 HP motor. (That would be a 2 HP motor by today's Searz Crapsman standards.) For some odd reason, this tablesaw had a 3/4" x 1/4" miter slot, instead of the standard 3/4" x 3/8" slot. Needless to say, it didn't come with a miter gauge. You can imagine my dismay when I discovered the slot was non-standard. The non-standard slot and the horrible fence were the two main reasons for the upgrade to my current Jet contractor style tablesaw. I started saving for this almost immediately after I purchased the Shopmaster.

The wood is mahogany, and it was nice to work with, as I recall. Did you notice the masking tape along the glass? The glass was built in much like a drawer bottom. There is no way to remove it without disassembling the piece. This might not have been the best idea around, but it was the easiest way to hold it in place. The corner joints are 45 degree miter joints. I can't remember if I used biscuits or not -- my memory is just fading too fast, I guess. I might have purchased the Ryobi minature biscuit joiner at this time for this specific project. That sounds like the right time frame. As a side note, the Ryobi minature biscuit joiner is NOT well made, and the slots are sloppy at best due to the wobble in the guides of the joiner.

The piece is finished with a coat of sanding sealer, some mahogany stain, and then marine polyurethane. Why marine polyurethane? I had a gallon of it at the time (still have half that gallon sitting in the garage). 'Nuff said.

Checkerboard pattern? What checkerboard pattern? Oh, THAT checkerboard pattern. Well, you see, I was just having a little fun with my graphics editer.... Pay no attention to the checkboard piece.

Stephen Bigelow