Put a bead in any board

While building a cabinet recently, I decided I wanted a beaded-board look on the doors, but didn't want to hassle with beading a solid-wood panel. (Router bits designed for this task don't work in the middle of a panel.)

So, using a dado set on my tablesaw, I made my own by cutting ¹⁄₄ " grooves where I wanted the beads. After breaking the edges of each groove, I glued a ¹⁄₄ " dowel into each groove. The end result: It looks just like the real McCoy. Try using this technique with a contrasting species of dowel for visual effect.
—Robert Holzer, Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.