If you’re still trying to puzzle out a holiday gift for the hard-to-shop-for man on your list, a new tool could be just the thing that keeps on giving all year long. Jai is one of the handiest guys around, so I knew right away that anything from Rockwell Tools would be on the top of his holiday list. When we had the chance to try a tool out for MomStart, he decided that a BladeRunner X2 Portable Tabletop Saw would be just the thing for his many furniture projects. Over the last few years, Jai has built several pieces of furniture from scratch, including our entertainment center, end table, and shelving; so he decided to use his new saw to create an extra shelf for our living room!
The BladeRunner X2 is impressive for a number of reasons. Not only was it the ideal thing for Jai’s furniture crafting project, but it’s so lightweight and easy to move that it makes it feasible for a home like ours, which doesn’t have a garage and is limited in workshop space.
Making a Shelf With The BladeRunner X2
By Jai
We have a corner in our living room that I’ve always wanted to make shelves for but just didn’t have the time, materials, and tools in one place to get started. When I found out that I was going to try out a Rockwell BladeRunner X2, I knew that this was the first project I wanted to tackle. I’ve made a few of the pieces of furniture we have in our living room and I wanted to match the basic style so I used some 1×10″ and 1×12″ scraps which were left over from an earlier cabinet project.
I wanted to make the shelves rounded, rather than just straight and diagonal, to have a softer look and to offer a little more room. The width of the boards wasn’t quite enough to make a full quarter circle so Beeb and I used a makeshift compass to get the ideal curve that would fit the corner, but still use the full width of the boards. It just takes some trial and error adjusting the length of the string (dental floss in this case) and the placement of the tack.
Once we traced, cut, and sanded the first board, I used it as the template to trace the second board.
I wanted to make the shelf two boards thick and rounded underneath to match the other shelf so I offset the lower board back a little and glued them together making just enough room to wrap a 1/4″ round strip of trim in the space between them. I used small sections of the quarter round trim to find the right spacing.
I’m glad the curve of the arc ended up being a little shallow because it took some effort to wrap the rounded trim without breaking it. My first attempt snapped so I had to wet the trim to soften it for the second attempt to work. If you have a router, it would certainly be easier to use that to make the same rounded edge effect.
I used some other pieces of trim as the supports for the shelf. I used the Bladerunner X2 to make a diagonal cut along the front, just for looks, and sanded them.
After applying the stain (Watco Danish Oil Dark Walnut) and several coats of varnish (Varithane clear, gloss, water-based polyurethane) the shelf was complete.”
Hear more from Jai on what makes this saw awesome in his video review:
15% Off Coupon Code
Through December 31st, 2014, MomStart readers can save 15% off the entire store at RockwellTools.com! Just enter coupon code MOMSTART15 at checkout.
“Give One, Get one” Sweepstakes: Tools For People That Rock!
Rockwell Tools is hosting a huge “Give One, Get one” sweepstakes through January 31st, 2015. One winner will receive two ultimate sets of tools – one for themselves, and one for a friend or family member! 10 runners up will receive a two Sonicrafter F50s for themselves and a loved one. What are you waiting for? Click here to enter now!
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