Finishing the Template/Storage Drawers

	When I was first conceptualizing the SuperStation, one of the things on my "Must Do List" was to have a way to store the 50 Incra templates — hopefully in a way that would protect them and allow me to find the one I needed. The template idea is great, but it is like any router bit or tool, if you can't find it, you are out of luck.
Well, some time later, I have completed the template storage drawer(s) (inset) and so far they work well.    I spent too much time figuring out various ways to store them and finding obstacles, but hopefully, you can learn from my experimentation. I will skip the wrong turns and just recap what I did.
	I started with 1/2" MDF. It is available at home centers in 2' X 4' panels. Since MDF is quite machinable, I thought it would be a good start.    My concept was to use a dovetail bit to make a shallow cut that would allow each template to slide in the channel.
As you can see, the cut can seem ragged at times, but the fuzzies were quickly removed with a sanding block.    Each groove was cut with a 1/2" dovetail bit at a depth of 1/4". Since the templates are 1/2" wide, they would bind in the slots. Not what I wanted.
	To make each slot looser (wider), but still use the 1/2" dovetail bit, I made each row in two cuts. The first cut was lining up the next position on the 5/8" template. After that first cut was made, I used the micro adjust knob. By trial and error, I found that turning this knob one complete revolution gave me the groove width that would work. So, I made the micro adjustment, cut a second pass, and then moved the fence to line up with the next 5/8" mark. This operation went quite quickly.
When all the grooves were cut in both panels,  I covered a scrap that had a mitered edge that fit into the dovetail shaped sides. I wrapped this with a piece of 150 grit PSA paper and sanded each groove edge. This got rid of the fuzzies you saw earlier.
	And now to test the grooves. The strips fit fine. Since MDF can be very porous and moisture can cause edges to swell, I sprayed both trays with shellac.
Now back to the drawers that were dovetailed. I can cut the 1/4" dado for the drawer bottom. This is no time to make mistakes...such as cutting the dado on the outside or at the top. What I do is put drawer together loosely and draw a heavy pencil line where the dado should be cut.
	Under Samantha's watchful eye, I pin the corners with a brad nailer. Dovetailed corners have great gluing surfaces, so I did brush on a liberal coat of carpenters glue before assembling. The pinning only helps to keep the drawer together while the glue dries. If everything fits as is should, no clamping is necessary.
It took only minutes to add the slide hardware to the drawers and slip the finished units into the cabinet. These drawer will have the fronts attached — I had cut them earlier.