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The curvy design of this compact organizer will help you conquer a desk disaster

Make test cuts in scrap to see where your dados should stop. Position marks signifying where the dados should stop with a piece of tape stuck to the tablesaw fence or table. When the uncut part of the dado is on the leading edge of the board (the part toward the back of the saw), lower the blade, position the board over the blade aligned with the mark, raise the blade into the board and push the wood the rest of the way through. When the uncut portion is on the trailing edge of the board, push the board into the blade, stopping when you reach your mark.

Add accuracy to your cuts by arranging them such that you're not raising or lowering the blade any more than necessary during the operation. If the fence on your tablesaw can be moved to the left of the blade, you'll have more options for making these dado cuts without having to lower the blade.

Again, carefully mark the orientation of the bottom and back boards before proceeding to cut the stopped dados for the dividers. Note that, as shown in the plans, the back board calls for a larger uncut portion at the top, which allows you to prepare the decorative arch there.

Cutting stopped dados for the middle and top shelves comes next. Measure carefully before making these cuts: the curved face of the divider and the end complicates things. Since the end board is taller than the divider, you'll have to set the fence individually for each of the four cuts.

With the dados complete, cut the angled waste pieces from the bottom of the ends to produce the curved corners that define the feet. You can do this work with a scrollsaw or a Forstner bit.

Trim the extra stock from the dividers now too. They need to fit into the stopped dado cuts in the back and bottom pieces. Try a test fit (without glue) of the entire organizer.

The two pieces you still have left to cut are the small shelves that sit in the right side of the organizer. These need to be cut to close tolerances to fit well. I recommend you take measurements from your dry-fitted organizer, in case they are slightly different from the dimensions in the materials list.

Using a tablesaw, cut the two shelves to shape. Remember to leave enough material to allow the shelves to fit into their mounting dados. Trim back the tip from the front of each shelf to allow these parts to fit into the stopped portion of the dados.

The last bit of cutting you need to do is on the back of the organizer. While you have the pieces dry-fitted, mark the place where the top of the ends meet the back. Use these locations as starting points for the arched curve. It's better to cut these a bit high, then refine the cut, rather than cutting the back too short. I left the back on my organizer a bit tall on each side by about 1/16". This made the assembly and final tweaking a bit easier, and it also created a nice visual detail.

After cutting the arch, make the decorative cut-out motif at the top. The plans include a pattern. Mark the centre of the top and glue or tape the pattern to the back, about a half-inch down from the top. Next, cut the circle with a 1/2" Forstner bit on your drillpress. The triangles on either side can be cut either with a jigsaw or a scrollsaw. In either case, you will need to drill an access hole through the wood, then thread the saw blade through the hole before cutting out the waste.

When your motif is complete, dry-fit the parts one more time to see what the organizer looks like as a whole.

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