Sawdust Smart
Menu

Build idea

Walnut bookends with contrasting splines

I made this Share a photo of your version.

a pair of walnut L-shaped bookends with pale maple corner splines around a row of plain linen-covered volumes concept — not a real build.

A pair of L-shaped walnut bookends, each mitered from one piece so the grain wraps the corner. Two thin maple keys cross each miter as a contrasting detail, and cork pads go under the base.

Rough size
About 5 1/2 in wide x 6 1/2 in tall x 5 in deep, each of a pair
Wood
Walnut, Thin maple for the keys

Tools you might use

  • Table saw with a crosscut sled
  • Flat-top-grind rip blade
  • Shop-made spline jig
  • Band clamp or spring clamps
  • Flush-cut saw
  • Random orbit sander
  • Combination square

Our tool picks for this idea: Clamps · Wood glue

Right tool for the job: Which push stick or push block should you use on a table saw?

Choosing a sander? Read our sander for cutting boards guide.

Key techniques

Diagram of one finished walnut bookend. In side profile it is an L: an upright 6 1/2 inches tall and a base 5 inches deep, both 3/4 inch thick, joined by a 45-degree miter, with a maple key crossing the corner and showing about 7/8 inch up each outside face, and cork pads under the base. The rear view shows the upright 5 1/2 inches wide, with the grain running up it and two thin maple keys at the bottom edge, each 1 1/4 inches in from a side.
Diagram of the finished piece. Sizes are approximate, not a tested plan. Reader build photos welcome.

All build ideas