New Woodworking Book - Autographed Copies!

Thursday, July 22, 2010 by Dan Walter

Ernie ConoverBoy do we have something special for you today!  We are very excited to offer you a brand new woodworking book with an extra bonus!  "The Frugal Woodturner" is written by Ernie Conover and is available today at Eagle America.  The first 30 people who purchase a copy will get an autographed copy!

Ernie Conover is a famous, well respected woodworker who happens to live only 30 minutes from Eagle America's headquarters in Chardon, Ohio.  We are always proud to offer products from expert woodworkers, especially ones who are local!  In his new books, Ernie shares his knowledge of setting up and maintaining a personal woodturning shop affordably.  His breakdown of getting started at three different budget levels is must-have information for all aspiring woodturners.  Click here to see our complete selection of woodworking books and dvd's that cover a wide range of woodworking tools and woodworking disciplines.

Having a local woodworking celebrity is always a nice bonus.  We also highly recommend the courses that Ernie leads at Conover Workshops, you can see more about Ernie and what he does by visiting the Conover Workshops website.  

Eagle America strives to establish relationships with other famous woodworkers as well.  The goal is this - we learn from them, you learn from them, and we all get better at what we do.  Some other names that you may or may not know are Marc Spagnuolo, Tom Iovino, Matt Vanderlist and Charles Neil

Some quick questions for you today:
  • Are there other famous woodworkers that you would like us to reach out to? 
  • Who are some of your favorite "famous" woodworkers?
  • Do you make decisions on buying woodworking tools and woodworking accessories based on celebrity endorsements?
At Eagle America we think that YOU have the power to be a famous woodworker!  Every time you open the door to your shop you have the chance to make a woodwork of art, it's only a matter of what you do with it!  We are honored to be a part of that process.  With over 2,000 router bits and over 6,000 total woodworking tools and accessories, we know we can do a lot to help you achieve your goals.  Please remember us when you make it to the top!

Circles Anyone?

Monday, July 19, 2010 by Betty Pomeroy

I was looking through the Popular Woodworking Pocket Shop Reference Guide and came across a list of “Circle Templates around the House”. I thought it was so funny that they have a measurement for the bottom end of an Old spice Shave Cream 11 oz. can! By the way it measures 1 5/8” and has a radius of 11/16 “.

  

If you need to make circles, you don’t have to trace pennies, or the bottom end of a coffee can. Eagle America has many woodworking accessories for making circles. Here are 6 different router accessories and router jigs to help you cut circles:

  1. Adjustable Circle Cutting Jigs
  2. Turnlock Circle / Edge guide
  3. Curv Pro Circle / Oval Cutting System
  4. Circle Template
  5. Circle Cutting Template
  6. Router Tri-Jig


If you are using other woodworking tools, like a Drill press, or Jig saw, don’t forget about our 3 Piece Circle Cutting Pins Set.
 

Simply drill a 3/16" diameter hole half way through material being cut, thread proper length pin into filler strip, place material onto pin and cut to shape using straight or spiral router bits. Circular pieces should be rough cut using a band saw or jig saw prior to cleaning up the edge. Pins measure 3/16", 3/8", and 3/4" long for various material thicknesses.
 

Another woodworking accessory we carry at Eagle America for your drill press is the Wheel and Circle Cutter.

 

 

Certainly, with all these woodworking tools and woodworking accessories, you should never have to trace another bottom end of the Borden’s’ condensed milk can again!


Catalogs

Sunday, July 18, 2010 by Ruth Lundstrom

I had a customer call the other day and the Eagle America catalog he used to order from was a catalog he borrowed from his father, that is not that unusual but the catalog was from 2000.  He is not the first customer to order from one of our catalogs from several years ago. I’ve asked "Why do you keep them so long" they usually say they keep it for reference. They would see a woodworking accessory or router bits that they had not seen before. So they hold on to it for when they need that item.

 

Do you know we carry over 6000 different woodworking tools? We have everything from; router table systems, router bits and router bit sets, saw blades and saw blade accessories, woodworking clamps, sanding supplies, wood carving tools, Kreg pocket hole jigs…. and the list goes on.

 

A few years back we ran a promotional offer to see who had the oldest catalog and I believe we had multiple customers that supplied us with catalogs from the late 80's and early 90's.

 

  Yesterday's Catalog                                      Today's Catalog
                                 

 

 

Wow what a difference, so don’t be so quick to toss that old Eagle America catalog it just may be worth something in the future.

Where can I find that information?

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by Dave Szpak

Working here at Eagle America one question I hear more than any other is" where can I get that information"? I hear it in our outlet store, I hear it on the phones and I see it in emails. No matter what the woodworker is trying to do, setting up dust collection, looking for band saw accessories, questions about shaper cutters, any woodworking accessories that is new to a woodworker them we get questions about that item. Another thing we hear a lot of is, I am interested in one of the Kreg pocket hole jigs which one should I get? Or I am building some cabinets which set of stile and rail bits should I use? Which one of your router bit sets is the best for me? We do our best to answer all the questions we receive within 24 hours.

Did you know we have tech support available where we will take your question sent to us via email to us at tech@eagleamerica.com and pass it to our one of our woodworkers that we have on staff?

 

Don't they look knowledgeable!
 

 

Well back to the question, where can I get this information?
You can find just about anything...

                                                                                                                                                                                                      
 ....ON THE INTERNET!  
   

There are thousands of website dedicated to woodworking. Places where you can ask questions of your peers or ask professionals like The Wood Whisperer's website.




You can find just about anything you need right here. They have a community where you can access blogs and forums where you can ask questions that will be answered by many people that are just woodworkers like you that want to help their experience is there to help you. Also in their community they have photos of the member's projects. Not to mention many videos that Marc Spagnuolo (The Wood Whisper) does showing how to do certain things or projects start to finish. You can also find Marc's work on You tube talk about a video library that you don't have to buy! You can also find many different woodworking groups that have joined the community, maybe you belong in one of these groups? Do you?

 

And of coarse what true Wood Whisperer member doesn’t have a Wood Whisperer hat and T-shirt. Well don’t worry you can get these items and more at the store. I should get a free t-shirt for this blog don’t you think?

 

There is a live chat room where you can discuss your project or anything woodworking related. You can even watch projects being made because there are dozens of people/workshops that stream live video to the site for you to watch.

 

This is just one site of the thousands of woodworking sites out there on the world wide web. So if you have a specific question maybe we can help. Or if you are looking for a place to go to learn and pick up some tricks of the trade and meet some woodworkers maybe The Wood Whisperers website is where you want to go.

No matter what you are looking for, the Internet can be the best tool in your workshop.


He Makes Spoons, What Can You Do?

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by Tim Walter
I stumbled across this article at www.ultimateclearlake.com about a woodworker who makes wooden spoons and sells them!

Matt Adams Loves Spoons!  Courtesy of UltimateClearLake.com


In the article Matt states that his grandfather and mother enjoyed working with wood, so it runs in the family.  Matt says, "“I’m happy. Woodworkers, they love what they do. They eat, breath and sleep it. They’re trying to impart wisdom and beauty into the world."  I couldn't agree more!  When he started making spoons it took him hours, now it only takes him 30-45 minutes and he sells them for $30-$40 each.

So, the question for you today is this - what can you make in your shop that you can sell on-line for a profit?  Think outside the box - don't say frames or boxes.  What is something UNIQUE that you could make out of wood and sell on-line?  You have lots of woodworking tools and woodworking accessories at your disposal, how can you use them differently?
Look around your house at everything and ask the question, "Can I make that out of wood?"  Who knows, you could wind up starting a new business!  I do know this, Eagle America has all of the tools and supplies that you need to make it happen, click over and take a look. 

How Much Are Your Tools Worth II

Thursday, July 1, 2010 by Mary Valko

Working in customer service I’m occasionally contacted by customers needing past invoices for insurance claims. People have had all sorts reasons for needing them; floods, fires, tornado's, hurricanes as well as theft.





I have never had a customer send pictures before. I was saddened to see the devastation one of our customers faced recently.






 

He asked us to provide any and all invoices he may have misplaced. Fortunately his invoices of woodworking tools and woodworking accessories were not kept in his shop. As you can see below his shop was a total loss.





Eric recently wrote a blog how he set up an inventory spread sheet to document all of his router bits , woodworking tools and woodworking accessories.  This is a precaution that is certainly worth the time. I am sure this customer wished he had done one.


4 Great New Woodworking Books!

Friday, June 25, 2010 by Eric Reed
Hey there woodworkers!

I just added 4 great new woodworking books to the Eagle America library.


The first book is by famous Ohio based woodturner Ernie Conover. The Frugal Woodturner gives you an in-depth perspective on the woodworking tools and woodworking accessories used by woodturners today and in years past. Ernie even shows you how to build your own wood lathe just like the ones our forefathers used.


The second book is all about How To Make Picture Frames. This is probably one of the best picture framing books I have seen. There are many techniques that use a woodworking router table and wood router bits as well as several easy and unique designs to help you add just the right custom look to you pictures.



The third book is about Getting The Most From Your Wood-Buying Bucks. This book is a great reference for woodworkers of any skill level. The book addresses almost every question you might have regarding cutting lumber, drying it, and selecting the best yield for your projects.



The fourth book is the Woodcarver's Guide To Sharpening, Tools And Setting Up Shop. This book has a ton of helpful information on wood carving tools, wood carving techniques, and the proper techniques for sharpening wood cutting tools with difficult profiles.


Click on the images above for more information on these books and to see the free inside previews. I hope you check out these exciting new titles!

Time to Make a Clock?

Monday, June 21, 2010 by Tim Walter
I stumbled across this article on Gizmodo about a woodworker named Clayton Boyer.  Of course it features some amazing woodworks of art, some intricate clocks such as the one pictured below:

Time for me to get to work, this would take me forever to make!
 
 
Boyer thinks that "anyone with a little determination can put together any of his clock designs".  He also goes on to say that "skill level is not as important as perseverance".
So what are your thoughts on that?  Do you agree, is skill level not as important?  Post your thoughts to this blog post.

I tend to think that it is a combination of 3 things:  the skill level of you as a woodworker, the determination and patience to see a project thru to completion, and the woodworking tools and woodworking accessories that you use to complete the job.  A good craftsman never blames his tools, rather he appreciates how good tools can make his life a lot easier.  Whether you are talking about router bits or router jigs, shaper cutters, a wood carving set, wood bandsaw blades or even something as simple as sanding sleeves, quality tools help you get the job right done the first time.  Which tools can you just not be without when you are heading into a big project?

10 Most Frustrating Tool Features

Saturday, June 19, 2010 by Tim Walter
Chris Schwarz from Popular Woodworking just posted a list of "10 Tool Features that Frustrate Me".  It is a good, quick read.  You should check it out.

Are there any woodworking tools that make you scream?
 
 
I was surprised to see one of my favorite woodworking tools, the router, mentioned twice!  The router is the most versatile tool in your wood shop, thanks in large part to the variety of router bits that are available, yet it still can frustrate people.  The two instances Chris sites are collet locks on routers and router table fences that offset for jointing applications.  What are your thoughts on this?

I can't imagine a router doing more harm than good

Tell us how else your woodworking router or router table and fence frustrate you.  Maybe we can come up with a way to make it better for you.  Is router height adjustment still an issue for you?  Do you constantly have issues setting up or using your router table system?  Are there specific router accessories that drive you crazy?  And if so, why?

Don't forget, we are "The World's Router Bit Source" with over 2,000 router bits and router bits sets so we have a vested interest in your answers.  We want to make your shop a better place for you to work, and we want to make your router indispensable! 

Build Your Own Set and Save

Friday, June 18, 2010 by Tim Walter
Attention woodworkers!  If you love your router and router bits I have some exciting news for you.  We have an AMAZING sale going on now on our famous "Build-A-Sets". 

Router Bits

Our website lets you build your own door construction sets.  It is quick and easy to use and from now thru 6/22/2010 you can save up to 35%!  You can make a 3-piece set that consists of your choice of stile and rail bits and a panel raiser or you can make it a 5-piece set that includes both a glue joint and drawer lock bit.  These cabinet bits will allow you to make beautiful raised panel doors for your kitchen or office cabinets.  Click over today and save, this sale doesn't last long.

Thank You Mom's!

Sunday, May 9, 2010 by Tim Walter
From everyone at Eagle America, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all of the mom's out there! 


 
For woodworkers, mom's are a true source of inspiration...so we owe you a lot.  Not only do we owe you for taking care of us when we were young, but we owe you for putting up with us.  You know what I mean, right?


Not only did you put up with a lot of garbage from us growing up, but you put up with our less than stellar woodworking projects as we honed our craft.  Young woodworkers try really hard to make their mom's smile.  They slave over their woodworking projects, using all woodworking tools and woodworking accessories at their disposal, to make that really ugly first birdhouse.  Remember that first jewelry box you got from high school shop class?  It was NOT pretty, but you smiled and encouraged us anyways.  Remember that first wooden picture frame and how it was crooked?  You still put a picture in there and displayed it on the coffee table in the living room.  When it was our birthday or Christmas, you bought us new tools such as table saw blades, a woodcarving set, router bits and sanding sleeves even though you really had no idea what they would create.

You built us up and we will be thankful for that for the rest of our lives.  If you are a mom, thank you!  If you are reading this and you are not a mom, call yours today and remind her how much she means to you. 

Again, Happy Mother's Day!

Shaper Cutters and a Happy Customer

Friday, May 7, 2010 by Mary Valko

As a customer service representative at Eagle America, the interaction that I have with our customers is one of the best things about my job. When I hear, "my project came out exactly the way I wanted it to" or ”the router bit did exactly what I needed it to do" it brings a smile to my face. 

Recently, I received an email from Roman and he was simply letting us know he was happy with the shaper cutters that he had ordered from us. He was trying to match a profile from an old building on the south side of Boston. Well you can see for yourself how happy he was and what the final result was.

Roman writes:

Sirs:

Back on 2/25, I ordered a set of exterior door shaper cutters and I felt compelled to tell you how satisfied I was with them.

 

I was commissioned to build a replacement exterior door for an old building in South Boston.  I needed a set of shaper cutters that offered a similar profile to the original and that were milled to match each other for a snug fit.  The 285-8512 set I received was perfect for the job.  I was building this door from 1-3/4" thick Poplar and wanted to use my Delta shaper to carve each cut with one pass. Setup was easy.  Most importantly, the fit between the joints was perfect, making an extremely tight fit to make the glue-up snug and reliable. A minimum of sanding supplies were needed to finish my project. 

The price you charge for these shaper cutters were also attractive; especially when you consider that you also include both 1/2" and 1/4" center panel cutters and bearings.  Most of the time these are only supplied at an extra cost. 

Rest assured that I'll order again from Eagle America if this product is representative of the other cutters you provide.  Shipping was quick and much appreciated.

Sincerely, Roman

I asked if he would be willing to forward some photo's of his handiwork and he was happy to do so. Here are the before and after photo's of what Roman did with our shaper cutters.

 

                                                              

Roman replied:

All of the buildings in S. Boston butt up against each other but they are painted differently. Thus the red/black stripes behind me.  This place is modestly sided but trimmed nicely.

The lumber I used was "torrified" Poplar.  Yes, that's poplar with no finish on it.  They take the lumber and heat it to about 240 degrees until all the cells shrink and the wood turns that brown.....almost burned color.  Since the cells are shrunk, water has no affect on it like normal lumber.  It won't swell or shrink or split or check.  It's extremely stable and perfect for outdoor projects where you'd normally use cedar or teak.  It glues up extremely well.  I used Titebond's waterproof adhesive.

The cutters I bought provide me with about 5" of gluing surface on a 1-3/4" thick board.  So, the joints are extremely tight and should last for many years. 

Here's a close-up of the fit.  The rain started just as I loaded my tools into the car.  The door is simply wet, here.  Torrified lumber takes on a deep......very deep hue when you oil it or wet it.

Roman

Another project that went as planned, as I smile to myself!

$1 Shipping Sale - Save on Woodworking Tools Today

Thursday, April 22, 2010 by Tim Walter
Calling all woodworkers!  Now is the perfect time to load up on woodworking tools and woodworking supplies.  Take a look at your wish list because from now thru 4/30/2010 you will pay just $1 Shipping at EagleAmerica.com!  All you need to do is use promo code APRIL-ONE during checkout.

So, do you need some new Router Bits?  Are your table saw blades dull?  Have you had your eye on some new router jigs or router accessories, band saw acccessories or a wood carving set?  Now is the time to make them yours since you can save up to $14.95 on shipping at Eagle America.  Enjoy!

Just $1 Shipping

Make Picture Frames at Home - It's Quick and Easy

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 by Tim Walter
As you know, there are many gift giving holidays just around the corner.  Whether it is for Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations, weddings, etc., you can save yourself some money by using your woodworking tools and woodworking accessories to make something special in your shop.  I think custom, homemade picture frames are the perfect solution to your problem!

Picture Framing

This month we are featuring all things Picture Framing.  The cornerstone of this is a $75 Bonus Offer that comes with the purchase of our 5-Piece Picture Frame Router Bit Sets.  Your woodworking router, used in conjunction with Eagle router bits, gives you the flexibility and the freedom to make picture frames with a number of gorgeous, decorative profiles. 

 
 
 



We have much more to offer you than woodworking router bits!  Click here to visit our Picture Framing category, which contains some other handy framing helpers.  You will see some woodworking clamps, router accessories, a very popular woodworking book on framing and more.









Remember, the only thing more important than the memories that pictures create is to preserve and protect them in your own, custom, homemade frame that itself will become an heirloom.  When you make some, send us an email with some photos of your craftsmanship that we can share with our readers!

March Madness Woodworking Specials

Saturday, March 6, 2010 by Tim Walter

March Madness Savings have come to Eagle America!  Starting now you can Save Up To 60% on 16 different woodworking accessories.  Click here to see the complete selection or scroll down for a preview.





Miter GaugeSAVE $10 - Miter Gauges
  • Fit any machine track with a standard 3/4" x 3/8" miter slot
  • Adjustable stops at 45° and 90° positions
  • 18" guide bars and a pivoting work support body with pointer and calibration readings
  • Click Here










Brad Point Set
SAVE $20 - 13-Piece Carbide Tipped Brad Point Set

  • A premium drilling accessory that will easily outlast conventional steel bits
  • Feature a center ground point and two outer spurs for exact drilling control
  • For use with 3/8" or larger chucks
  • Click Here








Bandsaw Tension CrankSAVE $20 - Band Saw Tension Crank
  • One of our most popular band saw accessories
  • Makes fine adjustments simple
  • Allows you to easily release the tension on your blades at the end of each use, increasing the life of your blade
  • Fits 14" models including Delta (and Jet 12") and most imports
  • Click Here







Router Bit Storage Tray
SAVE $10 - Router Bit Storage Tray
  • Protect your investment in Router Bits!
  • Trays will help you keep all of your bits clean, sharp and accessible
  • The High-Density foam tray includes a wood case and holds up to 100 bits
  • There are (50) 1/4" holes and (50) 1/2" holes
  • Click Here








Scroll Saw Blade StorageSAVE $5 - Scroll Saw Blade Container
  • One of our most popular scroll saw accessories
  • Protect and organize your scroll saw blades
  • Measures 4"W x 5-3/16"D x 6"H
  • Comes with 12 unbreakable, removable plastic tubes and identification labels
  • Tubes and case are clear for easy identification
  • Click Here







...that was just a sample.  Click here to see the complete March Madness Sale selection.

Lights, Camera, ACTION! Woodworking Videos

Thursday, March 4, 2010 by Tim Walter
I love the web...and I love what the web can do for woodworkers.  As much as I like our Eagle America woodworking catalog, I like our website even more.  It allows us to have a conversation with woodworkers in a way no other medium can duplicate.  We can tell whimsical stories on this blog, we can post friendly updates on our Facebook or Twitter pages, we can send you weekly updates via email...the possibilities are almost endless.

What woodworking tools would you like to see star in our next movie?
 
The web also allows us to educate our customers by providing much more detailed technical information thru the use of video.  Woodworking videos are an area that I am very excited to expand upon in the very near future.  Currently you can find video from us in 3 primary locations:

Product Pages - The VIDEO tab on our product pages will appear when a video is available


Video Listing Page - EagleAmerica.com/Videos will always point to some form of a video index page so you can quickly review what is available.

YouTube - For you YouTube fans out there, we have our own YouTube site!  Simply go to YouTube.com/EagleWoodworking for our latest and greatest.

Finally, I want to pose a question to you.  What would you like our next Eagle Original Video be?  Feel free to email us or leave a comment here.  Some ideas:
The options are endless, let us know what YOU want to see!

Busted Knuckles and Router Collet Wrenches

Saturday, February 27, 2010 by Eric Reed
 
 
 
           
Have you ever been loosening up the collet on your woodworking router table with the wrenches supplied with your router and when it released, your knuckles rubbed across the seam between the router plate and the top?



I had this happen to me the other day when I was changing out one of my roundover bits from my Kreg router table. Usually I am careful with my router woodworking but this always seems to be the point where I destroy my knuckles.




This was the last straw for me. I finally decided to break down and buy a set of offset collet wrenches for my Porter Cable 7518 router.


These wrenches are designed to fit around the opening of your router plate so you can easily secure the collet below the router bit on your router. The handles have a nice rubber grip which prevents slipping and adds comfort.



 
 

 


Strong Joints, Big Savings - New Router Bit Sale Starts Now

Saturday, February 20, 2010 by Tim Walter

Router Bits

Eagle America is "The World's Router Bit Source" because of our selection of over 2,000 router bits and router bit sets.  Starting now you can get some of our most popular router bit sets and save even more! 

Our March woodworking catalog cover features some great joint making router bit options.  Choose from Plywood Dado Sets, 3-Piece Glue Joint Sets, 10 in 1 Master Rabbet Pro Sets, and our famous 2-Piece Edge Banding Sets.  All of your options, in both the Eagle America and PriceCutter brands, can be seen by clicking here.  Don't miss out, you can save up to $80 with this great sale.

In the meantime, if you are going to be getting some new bits we also suggest taking a look at our selection of Router Accessories, Router Jigs, perhaps a new Router Table System and more.  We are much more than just Eagle Router Bits, click on over and take a look.




 

Framing Memories

Thursday, February 18, 2010 by Mike Reese

I ordered a 20” x 24” oil painting for our 50th wedding anniversary and needed to frame it.

I wanted to use some nice cherry that I have so I set out to create a simple frame that would complement the painting and not compete with it.



I chose a simple profile that was easily done on my router table system with two simple bits, a 45 degree chamfer bit and a basic rabbeting bit
 
After milling the profiles on my router table system, I cut the pieces to length with mitered ends.



After applying glue to all the joints, I used some woodworking clamps, specifically, a simple picture framing clamp that keeps everything nice and square. I did not use any fasteners because I planned on adding a simple corner spline. 

                                         

After the glue had cured, I cut a slot in each corner using a simple shop made jig and made 1 pass through the table saw.
 

               


The splines were made to match the thickness of the saw kerf. A little glue was added and the splines were tapped in. After the glue dried I trimmed the excess wood off with a flush trim saw and sanded them flush.




I found that one of the easiest ways to hold a picture into a frame is to use fender washers that overlap the inset picture. The washers are slightly countersunk using a forstner bit just slightly larger than the washer.



 

All in all, a successful little project!






 

 


 


Kitchen Cabinets in a Weekend Part II

Monday, February 8, 2010 by Eric Reed

On Saturday, February 6, 2010 Dave R. posted a few questions regarding my post on the Kitchen Cabinets I made.

Dave wrote:

Very well designed and built cabinet unit. Would you please describe what slides you used for the pullout work surface and how you reinforced its mounts against the considerable loading that could occur, e.g. while using it to mix and knead bread dough? Also, what did you use in finishing this project?

My response:

Dave,

Let me start by saying that the pull-out took a little more than just your standard cabinet tools and hardware. Since the pull out is made from 2" thick hard maple and weighs approximately 40 pounds I needed to build the cabinet to support it.

The sides, back, base, and top are all made from 3/4" solid core white oak plywood and held together with Titebond glue and Kreg pocket hole jigs screws. Some people would say this is overkill but I build things to last.


The glue-ups for the top needed to be re-enforced so rather than using dowels or biscuits, I pulled out my Festool Domino and used the largest domino tenon Festool makes. There are 4 domino's in each joint to add rigidity and support when someone is pounding on the top. The domino's also help lock the wood together so as it expands and contracts, it moves as one continuous piece of wood. If you don't have a Festool Domino, you can do the same thing with long dowel pins that run through all of the pieces.

I should also tell you that on the back side of the pull-out there is a piece of 2" angle iron supporting the 47" wide pull-out and the white oak face is 3/4" thick and held to the front of the pull out with Kreg pocket hole jigs screws and Titebond glue. 

The hardware I used is a set of the Accuride self-closing series ball bearing drawer glides with a 100 pound load rating. These work great and allow the top to move in and out of the slot freely. 

After the cabinet was built and the pull-out installed, I cut and installed a center support inside the cabinet and secured 3/4" slick strips to each side, similar to drawer runners/supports. I used my router table and fence and roundover bits to round over the top edges to help reduce any gravitational forces that might increase the chance of any potential bowing over time. This may not have been necessary but it put my mind at ease. 

To finish the project, I used a clear semi-gloss polyurethane applied with my Earlex HVLP sprayer, one of the best woodworking accessories for your shop! I thinned the mix and applied at least 5 light coats with minor sanding in between. 

The cabinets work great and everyone is happy. Can't ask for any more than that!