Everyday Cabinet, An
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An Everyday Cabinet Straightforward construction methods for building a case with doors and drawers BY SCOTT GIBSON 66 FINE WOODWORKING A Leg with Flare 1 1 square = ⁄2 in. 1 1 ⁄4 in. Leg, 1 1 ⁄4 in. square Start flare 1 3 ⁄2 in. from Chamfer bottom. inside corners. Story stick aids leg layout. To ensure consistent leg form, shape a single template to trace the layout of all four leg blanks. The same template can be used for marking out the mortises. 1 3 1 ⁄4 in. ⁄4 in. hen I set up an office and be- gan working at home, I vowed W to be careful with what little space I had. But before long I was awash in all of the junk any office accumulates— pencils, notebooks, phone books—and not Cut all but the curve. Mark the fence to indi- enough storage room. Part of the solution cate how far to cut, then was this small, shallow cabinet, which cut to that line and shut tucks beneath a window without blocking off the saw. Take care to the view. Its two drawers offer useful stor- hold the stock tightly age, and the lower compartment is unob- against the fence until structed by a center door divider. the blade has stopped. I wanted to build the cabinet quickly and with a minimum of materials. The sides and back are frame and panel with frame stiles biscuited to the legs. That makes for a sturdy carcase that is easy to put together. With the exception of the drawers, the rest of the joinery is mortise and tenon. The bottom of a table or cabinet leg can be hard to get right. This cabinet is boxy to start with, and I thought a straight leg would be too plain. In Wallace Nutting’s Furniture Treasury (Macmillan Publishing Co., 1933), I found drawings of several legs that meet the floor in a graceful curve. The Finish on the bandsaw. one I liked the most was a tall clock foot Cutting from the bottom with Hepplewhite origins. of the leg, finish the The cabinet’s design is adaptable. It sweep of the foot on the would be easy to alter the height of the bandsaw. Photos, except where noted: Timothy Sams; facing page: Michael Pekovich NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2001 67 drawers or even the overall dimensions of Front-Leg Joinery the cabinet without changing its look very much. Figured veneer door panels or drawer fronts would give the piece a much Drawer-rail mortise, 3 5 more formal feel. In the end, I kept the ⁄8 in. wide by ⁄8 in. 3 high by ⁄4 in. deep design simple. Drawer-rail mortise, A template helps with the legs 3 7 ⁄8 in. wide by ⁄8 in. It’s easier to lay out and shape a template 3 high by ⁄4 in. deep than it is to measure and duplicate the same pattern on four separate legs. I used Mark and cut mortises. For consistency, mark scrap pine for this template, marking the the mortise locations directly from the story stick sweep of the foot with a French curve and (above). A dedicated mortising machine makes noting the locations of mortises for the quick work of cutting all 12 mortises (below). front frame pieces. These legs curve in on- ly one plane, away from the case sides. 3 The tip of the foot extends about ⁄4 in. be- yond the side of the cabinet, so there real- 1 ly isn’t much waste in cutting the legs from 27 ⁄2 in. 22 in. solid wood. Most of the cutting can be done on a tablesaw by running the leg blank through the blade until the kerf just Bottom-rail 3 reaches the start of the curve. Mark the ex- mortise, ⁄8 in. wide by 1 in. tent of the blade’s reach on the fence be- 3 high by ⁄4 in. fore you start so that you know how far to deep go before turning off the saw. A bandsaw will finish the cuts, and a rasp, file and scraper quickly remove the saw marks. A tapered chamfer helps the leg look thinner and more delicate as it reaches the floor. It begins just where the curve starts outward and widens as it nears the floor, 1 5 ⁄2 in. making the leg look less bulky at the bot- tom. This is very simple to do with a spoke- shave. If the wood wants to tear going around the bend, use a file. But try to stay Biscuit-join the leg and stile. It’s helpful to place the stock and ma- Glue up the leg and stile. To ensure a tight bond along the entire glue- chine on a flat surface (like the MDF pictured) for square cuts. The MDF line, glue and clamp the leg to the stile before setting the frame and also acts as a riser, allowing you to lay the leg flat, with the foot hanging panel into place. off the end and out of the way. 68 FINE WOODWORKING away from sandpaper as much as possible because it rounds over the edges. Side-Panel Construction The only thing left on the legs are the Leg 3 mortises for the front frame pieces. These Top rail, ⁄4 in. thick 1 are located so that the frame pieces (and by 1 ⁄2 in. wide by 11 in. long, doors) can be set back from the front of the including tenons 1 leg by ⁄4 in. This dimension is important. Depending on where the hinge pivots, too 3 Stile, ⁄4 in. much of a setback will prevent the doors thick by 1 from opening very far. It’s a good idea to 1 ⁄2 in. wide by Prefinish the have the hinges in hand before you start. 7 22 ⁄8 in. rabbets to The front frame pieces extend to the long make final back edge of the leg, making for a clean finishing easier. corner inside the cabinet (that will be help- ful later). Now is a good time to cut the Stiles are mortises for the knife hinges and to plunge biscuited to a groove in the back of the bottom drawer the legs before panel rail with a biscuit joiner for the intermedi- is inserted. 1 ate drawer support (both operations will Panel, ⁄2 in. be very difficult to do later). Also, the da- thick by 13 in. 3 wide by 19 ⁄8 in. does or dovetailed mortises for the center long, including drawer divider can be made now. rabbets Making and fitting the frame and bottom 3 Haunched tenon, 4 1 These frame pieces are made of ⁄ -in.-thick ⁄4 in. thick by 3 in. 1 material with a groove for the panel ⁄4 in. wide by 1 in. long 1 wide and ⁄2 in. deep. A single panel is on 3 Leg Gap for seasonal Bottom rail, ⁄4 in. each side, and two panels are on the back. Stile 1 movement, ⁄8 in. thick by 3 in. wide After milling up the parts, I set up an ad- by 11 in. long, justable dado to cut all of the grooves in including tenons the center of each stile and rail. Before run- ning off all of the pieces, I tinkered with the width of the cut to make sure it would match the width of my mortising chisel. I Panel wanted to make sure the 1-in.-deep mortis- 1 Setback, ⁄4 in. 1 Reveal, ⁄8 in. Attach the rails. Once the leg-and-stile as- Drop the panel in place. Gibson prefin- Complete the side. Finish by attaching the other sembly has dried, insert the bottom and top ished the rabbets on the panel so that he stile and leg, which have been biscuited. Glue and rails of the frame and panel. wouldn’t have to squeeze finish into the clamp horizontally. small gap between the frame and the panel. Drawings: Bob La Pointe NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2001 69 Case Construction 1 Tenons, 1 ⁄4 in. Top long; haunches, 3 Breadboard ends, ⁄4 in. long 3 1 ⁄4 in. thick by 2 ⁄2 in. 7 wide by 16 ⁄8 in. long 1 Back panels, ⁄2 in. 3 thick by 12 ⁄4 in. 1 wide by 18 ⁄2 in. long 3 Stiles are biscuited to Back rail, ⁄4 in. thick Kickers are slotted 1 sides before glue-up. by 1 ⁄2 in. wide by for metal clips that 1 23 ⁄2 in. long attach top. Drawer Drawer runners stop are attached to 1 Door panels, ⁄2 in. the stiles. 5 thick by 8 ⁄16 in. wide 3 Side blocking, by 19 ⁄8 in. long 1 ⁄4 in. thick by 3 2 in. wide by Top rails, ⁄4 in. 7 7 10 ⁄8 in. long thick by 1 ⁄16 in. 5 wide by 8 ⁄16 in. long Bullet catch Trim strips, 1 Drawer rails, ⁄4 in. thick, 7 ⁄8 in. thick secure the bottom. 3 3 Stiles, ⁄4 in. Bottom, ⁄4 in. thick, Bottom rails, 7 thick by 1 ⁄16 in. 3 is rabbeted on the ⁄4 in. thick by 1 wide 15 ⁄4 in. bottom and notched 11 1 2 ⁄16 in. wide by long Ledgers, ⁄2 in. at the corners. 5 3 8 ⁄16 in. long thick by ⁄4 in. wide 1 by 12 ⁄2 in. long, Bottom rail, support the 1 in. thick bottom. 35 in. 7 25 in. 16 ⁄8 in. Bottom, 1 ⁄2 in. thick 7 22 ⁄8 in. 1 28 ⁄4 in.