Cabinetmaking [Edition Unstated] 0-8094-9904-5, 0809499053

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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP

GP UIDE WORKSHO TIPS SAFETY . Concentrate on ihe job;do notrush. or Never workwhenyouaretired,stressed h a v eb e e nd r r n k i nagl c o h oo r u s i n g m e d r c a t i ot nh sa ti r d u c ed ' o w s i n e s s .

POWER TOOLS r Wearappropriate safetygear:safety glasses. on. a 'aceshieldfor extraprotect protectors or earplugs.lf andhearing wea'a thereis ro dustcolecton system. dustmask.Forexoticwoodssuchas may ebony,usea respirator; thesawdust reaction. Wearwork causean allergic g l o v ew s h e nh a n d l i nrgo u g hl u m b e r .

. Keepyourworkareacleanandtidy; andsawdust cluttercanleadto accidents, andwoodscraps canbea firehazard,

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mater ial.or sharpen thecuttingedge, . KeepLheedgesof cuttingtoolssharp.

ANATOMY OFA BOARD

HAND TOOLS

. Donotusea toolif anypartof it is worn or 0amageo. . Keepyourhandswe I awayfroma turning b l a d eo r b i t .

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. Usetl-eappropriate tool'or thejob:do for nottryto makea tooldo something whichit wasnotdesigned.

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. Clampdowna workpiece to f reeboth handsfor an operation.

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it from overyourshouderto prevent gettingin thewayandbe ngdamaged.

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. Cutawayfromyourself ratherthan towardyourbody.

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CLAMPS CABINETMAKING

W e bc l a m p Aleoknovrn a e b a n dc l a m po r e L r a pc l a r n p : l y p i c a l ya v a ia b l e with eLra2 15 feeL.tn lenqLh.For a p p l y t n q? r e . a L ) r .t n m o r eL h a n o-P ) .pr tion, -, .c\ )

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f o u r c h a i r ) e q ea L o n c e .

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Handecrew f, ao Kncwnaa acrew c l a m p .C o m e et n v a r i o l s e i z e ew i " v h jawethaL can o?en u p l o 1 6 i n c h e ew i d e ,

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with deepLhroaLelor e x l e n d , ecd a m 2 i n qr e a c h 6ar clamp C amge uVtu A fuel i n i e n q l ha v a ta b l e ' , m o r ec o r n m o ne t z e e a r e2 4 , 3 6 a n d 48 nchea. ? i p eo l a m p for SuiLable c l a m ? r n qa n I e r L h a n1 2 t n c h e e . C o n e i e l eo f j a w e a l * " a c h e d l o . o . / . _- c r _ a r a 1 f i , ? ?", p i g e e n q t hc a n b ec u . L o r n t z e a t o f i l a p a r L i c ua r . ? a n ,

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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

CABINETAAAKING

THE ART OF WOODWORKING

CABINEMKING

BOOKS TIME-LIFE VIRGINIA ALEXANDRIA. ST.REMYPRESS NEWYORK MONTREAL.

THE ART OF WOODWORKING wasproduced by

ST.REMYPRESS PUBLISHER KennethWinchester PRXSIDENT PierreLdveill6 PierreHome-Douglas FrancineLemieux Marc Cassini(Text) HeatherMills (Research) Art Directors Normand Boudreault,SolangeLaberge Designer Luc Germain Research Editor TimMcRae PictureEditor ChristopherJackson Writers TamsinM. Douglas,Andrew fones ContributingWriter StephenHart Cont r ibuting IIlustrators RonaldDurepos,RobertPaquet, Studio La Perludteinc. Administrator NatalieWatanabe ProductionManager MichelleTurbide SystemCoordinator fean-LucRoy Photographer RobertChartier Index ChristineM. Jacobs Proofreader Iudith Yelon SeriesEditor SeriesArt Director SeniorEditors

Time-Life Booksis a division of Time-Life Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY

TIME-LIFEBOOKS President Publisher ManagingEditor Directorof Editorial Resources Associate Publisher MarketingDirector Editorial Director ConsultingEditor ProductionManager

Mary N. Davis RobertH. Smith ThomasH. Flaherty EliseD. Ritter-Clough Trevor Lunn ReginaHall Donia Ann Steele Bob Doyle MarleneZack

THECONSUXTANTS Mark Duginske,a cabinetmakerwho lives in Wausau,Wisconsin, is a contributing editor to F in e Woodworking magazine and the author ofseveralbooks on woodworking power tools. Leonard Leeis the presidentofVeritas Tools and LeeValleyTooli, manufacturersand retailersof fine woodworkinghand tools. He is also the publisherand executiveeditor of Woodcuts, a magazinethat focuseson the history and techniquesof woodworking. GilesMiller-Mead hastaught advancedcabinetmakingat Montreal technicalschoolsfor more than ten years.A nativeof New Zealand, he previouslyworked asa restorerofantique furniture. fosephTruini is SeniorEditor ofFlome Mechanixmagazine. A former Shopand Tools Edrtor of PopularMechanics,he hasworked as a cabinetmaker,home improvementcontractor and carpenter.

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Cabinetmaking p. cm.-(The Art of Woodworking) Includesindex. (trade) ISBN0-8094-9904-5. (lib) ISBN0-8094-9905-3 l. Cabinetwork. L Time- Life Books. II. Series TTt97.C2r2 1992 684'.04-dc20 92-11188 CIP For information about any Time-Life book, pleasecall l-800-621-7026,or write: ReaderInformation Time-Life CustomerService P.O.Box C-32068 Richmond,Virginia 2326r-2068 @ 1992Time-LifeBooksInc, All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form or by any electronicor mechanical means,including information storageand retrievaldevicesor systems,without prior written permissionfrom the publisher,except that brief passages may be quoted for reviews. First printing. Printed in U.S.A. Publishedsimultaneouslyin Canada. TIME-LIFE is a trademarkof Time Warner Inc. U.S.A.

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CONTENTS

6 INTRODUCTION 12 CABINETMAKING TECHNIQUES 16 18 20 27 39 4L

CARCASECONSTRUCTION Anatomyof a carcase Making wide panels joinery Carcase Edgebanding Shelving

44 FRAME-AND.PANEL CONSTRUCTION Anatomy of a frame-and-panel 46 assemblv 48 Making the frame 53 Making the panel 57 Puttinqthe panelin the frame 59 Assemblinga frame-and-panel case 60 Installinga bottom panel 6 T Shelving 64 Installinga top 69 Installingmolding 72 74 76 85 87 95 97

DRAWERS Anatomy of a drawer Drawerjoinery Assemblinga drawer Mounting a drawer Drawerstops Falsefronts and hardware

r00 DooRS I02 104 108 111 113 115

Anatomy of a door doors Frame-and-panel Solid-paneldoors Glassdoors doors Veneered-panel Hanginga door

I2O L22 L24 I28 131 I33

LEGS Anatomy of a cabrioleleg Cabriolelegs Thperedand octagonallegs Inlaysand detailing Legjoinery

I4O GLOSSARY I42 INDEX IM

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Ian Ingersollon building a

SHAKERCHEST the furniture.Wandering whenI firstcameunderthespellof Shaker f remember to I was transported New York, Museumin Old Chatham, I ha[sof theShaker pieces. were The Shakers those simple by atthefeelingevoked anothertime,awestruck Midrvestin the a religious,utopiansocietythatflourishedin NewEnglandand_the partially out of a desireto least at wereborn 19thCentury.Theirfurnituredesigns purity of design quest, achieved a they In their existence. morereligious leadasimpler, of temples for theBuddhist |apan'_ rivaledonlybytheworkcreated of drawers andcase term,I havedubbedthecupboard Forlackof amoredescriptive "TheUtilityChest." purpose is no-longer whose original Itsprototype, shownhere off-center The surprising 1825-1850. around known,wasbuiltin Enfield,Connecticut, pgp$g its height, design at Shaker demonstrates placement of thetwosmalldrawers well. The as human existence of not onlyto apurity of form,but to theasymmetry have been is to but it sure maybelosttoday, originaifunctionof thosetwodrawers one. a practical wideand 17inches deep,31inches Theutilitychestisbuiltof pineandmeasures using be accomplished simpleandcan is relatively 71incheshigh.Itsconstruction Fora techniques. door-anddrawer-making casework-, of standard a combination I find layout_of the design. attentionshouldbepaidto the projectlikethis,however, frahly the piece or of cardboard drawingon eitheralarge it trilpm to doafull-scale is correct. thatthescale to ensure sanded topof myworkbench arenotfinMostcabinetmakers challenge. Finishingthispiecewasaconsiderable It shouldbepointedoutthatthetrickto anygoodfinishisto buildit up gradishers. alightyellowpaintlvasusedfirst,thensteel ln thiscase, uallywith multiplethin coats. of wool,followedbyawashof pumpkinpaint,moresteelwool,andanapplication a light coating with to warmuptheyellow.Thefinishingtouchcomes orangeshellac to protecttheshellac. ofvarnishor lacquer

lan Ingersollownsa cabinetmaking shopin WestCornwall,Connecticut, specializingin Shakerfurniture.

INTRODUCTION

MichaelBurnstalksabout

CRAFTSMANSHIP peargivento me heinspiration forthiscabinet camefroma smallbilletof Swiss yearsago.I feltthatit hadtakenmeatleastthatlongto acquire theskills seven difficultwood.Thepearwasadarkgolden toworkwiththisbeautiful, butsomewhat pinkandhada softappearance. I designed thecabinet to highlightthewood'swonof delicate edgeprofiles. I wantderfi.rlsurface anditsabilityto standupto theshaping edto showofftherawmaterial. I resawed thepearintoveneers, ascnt %-inchthick,bookmatched them,andglued andshaped thetopandbottom.I doweled themto aplywoodcore.I thenedgebanded posts, needing solidwoodforthejointswiththelegs.Next, thesides to smalllYa-inch precisely, I doweled usingonedowelperinch.I thetop,bottomandsidestogether finishedallthepieces beforegluingup.Thelegs,madefromjarrah,werethennotched, gluedandscrewed to thecorners ofthecabinet. Thejoinerymustbetightandperfect; slight Pearisasdemanding asit isbeautiful. myplanes imperfections areverynoticeable. I spenta greatdealof timesharpening jointscrispandthesurfaces unflawed. Thejarrah,ontheotherhand, to gettheedge sawed andshaped easily, and wasapleasure to workwith.It planedin anydirection, verywell.I finished thepearwithseveral thin coats tookthelightoil finishI applied markings. of blondshellac, bringingoutitscolorandsurface padauk eachmadeof Andaman andcamphor. Insidethecabinet aretwodrawers, in themiddleof theinterior,isacurvedshelf.I madetheL-shaped Underthedrawers, knifehingesanddoorpullsfrompatinated brass. includingmyteacher My inspiration comes fromseveral sources, Greek JimKrenov, Emile What is imporcraft and French cabinetmaker Rutrlmann. architecture, fapanese isthe I makeisthattheinfluences arebalanced, thecraftsmanship tantin everything pleasing. andtheresults bestI canachieve,

MichaelBurnsteaches cabinetmakthe Redwoods in ing at College of FortBragg,Califurnia.

INTRODUCTION

Terry Moore andhis

WRITINGDESK My furnituretends I relyonaveryinformalapproach to design. eingself-taught, process. Forexample, seeking to evolve asI proceed throughtheconstruction leg,andinspiredby 1920s cabinetmakers to thecommontapered analternative Jules I developed amultifaceted flutedleg.Todothis,I designed kleu andEmileRuhlmann, a fixturefor myspindleshaperthatallowedmeto profileandflutethetwelvefacets of theleg.Aftermuchtrial anderror,I hadoneprototypelegandawholenewchalI madea lenge:Namely,howto attachthelegto a tableor deskapron.Eventually, thelegto thepost. mock-upof a deskwith a diagonalcornerpostandattached the visuallypleasing detailsthatbecame Presenting thelegata 45oangleproduced for thislady'swritingdesk. inspiration anddovetail of mortise-and-tenon Toconstruct thedesk,I useda combination joinery.Thedrawers I chose Bubinga-AfricanRosewood-which arealsodovetailed. isremarkable for itsstrikingfigureandcolor.Thegrainpatternin thedesktopwas veneer. A wonderfulstreakof lightaplankinto %o-inch-thick achieved byresawing edges wereglued graces colored sapwood oneedgeof theplank.Whenthesapwood (mirrorimage)panels,theresultswerespectacular. togetherinto bookmatched framemeetsthepanels, Aroundtheperimeterof thetopandwherethesurrounding theframeI inlaidathinlineof curlymapleto addvisualtextureandto emphasize further aroundthedrawers and-panel effea.Addingcurlymaplepullsandacockbead All features work together to evoke a sense of functhe color contrast. these enhanced tionalelegance. youshouldnotfeelintimidated; every Whilethisdeskisobviously ammplexpiece, right instructional information, along was a novice. You can, with the craftsman once masterallof thetechniques thatyouwill need.Remember, withpatience andpractice, your masterpiece, museums wait to enshrine sodon'tbiteoffmore though,the can projects you right with simple that allowyouto practise than canchew away. Start is farbetter yourskillsanddevelop yourdesignsense. A simpleprojectwellexecuted piece has made. There will be failures andmisthananelaborate that beenshoddily part process is learning. The main objective of the of takesalongtheway,butthis,too, you isto enjoyyourworkanddothebest can.

OriginallyfromWales,TerryMoore designs and buildsfinefurniture in Newport, NewHampshire..

CABINETMAKINGTECHNIOUES -l- h. first stepin anycabinetmaking I. projectisto selectandprepare your stock.As shownbelow not all thewood at a lumberyardis freeof defects, so it is importantto chooseboardscarefully. Whetheryou arebuildingan armoire or a toy box, most stockis readiedin

roughlythe sameway.The procedures illustratedon pagesl3 to 15coverthe basictechniques. For rough,or unsurfacedlumbet first passone faceacross the jointer,then one edge,producing two surfaces that areat 90oto eachother.Next,planethe secondface,making

it parallel to thefirst.Nowyouareready to rip yourstockto widthandcrosscut it to length. Fordressed, or surfaced lumber,youonlyhavetojointoneedge, then rip andcrosscut. Before gluingupapiece of furniture, besureto sandanysurfaces thatwill bedifficultto reachafterwards.

CHO()SING LUMBER COMMON WOOD DEFECTS Knot, A dark whorlaurcoundedby new qrowth ringe; may fall out, affectinq appearance.Avoid eawing through thia defect.

Cheak 9plito acroae qrowDh ringa, affectinq apPearance

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t Pitah Kesinaccumulationon aurface; can affect

Twiat Unevenor irceqularwarping; makea board unatable and prone to further warpinq

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Crook End-to-endcurve alon4 edge

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Selecting stockforcabinetmaking Woodisavarlable in twobroadcategories: hardwood andsoftwood. Although thetermsarebotanical rather thandescriptive, hardwoods, suchasmahogany andcherry, arepreferable formost projects cabinetmaking because theyare,in fact,generally harder. Before buying lumber, examine it carefully. Check its color,texture andgrainpatterns, andselectstockthatyoufind visually appealing. Lumber is usually milledin oneof twoways:

Quarter-sawed, or edge-grained lumberhasa toughsurface and plain-sawed, isgenerally stable; orflat-grained lumber, although lessexpensive, is moreprone to warping andshrinking. Whatever you typeof wood buy,choose kiln-dried lumber, andwatchout fordefects. Someof thoseshownabove onlyaffectappearance, butothers canmakethewooddifficultto cut,jointor plane. "select" Youcanavoiddefects bybuying lumber whenpossible.

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CABINETMAKING TECHNIQUES

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JOINTING A BOARD proper pressure Maintaining ontheoutfeed table Formostoperations, seta cuttingdepth between Vaandlruinch.Tojointa board edge,feedthestockslowlyintothecutpressing terhead, itsfaceagainst thefence whilekeeping theedgef latonthejointer tables.Besureto feedtheworkpiece so t h ek n i v ea s r ec u t t i n gw i t ht h eg r a i n . C o n t i n ufee e d i n tgh e s t o c ku n t i ly o u r righthandapproaches theoutfeed table. Thenreverse the position of yourhands without stopping thecut.Gradually slide yourleft handtowardthe backof the workpiece, maintai ningpressure against thefence(/eff).Shiftyourrighthand fartherbackon thestockto maintain justto theoutfeed pressure downward sideof theknives. Continue thesehandover-hand movements untiltheoassis completed. Tojointthefaceof a board, followthesameprocedures, usingpush blocksto feedthestock.

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PLANING STOCK Feeding theworkpiece intothecutterhead Seta cutting depthupto %einch.Stand t o o n es i d eo f t h ew o r k p i e caen du s e bothhands to feedit carefully intothe machine, keeping theedges of thestock o a r a l l et ol t h ep l a n etra b l e0. n c et h e gripsthe boardandbegins machine pullingit across thecutterhead, support itstrailing endto keepit flatonthetable (left).Thenmoveto theoutfeedsideof theplaner. with Support theworkpiece bothhandsuntilit clearsthe outfeed roller.To prevent stockf romwarping, avoidpassing onlyonefaceof a board planethe through themachine; instead, sameamount of woodfrombothsides.

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CABINETMAKINGTECHNIQUES

RIPPING A W()RKPIECE Using theripfenceasa guide Setthebladeheightaboulr/qinchabove theworkpiece. Position theripfence forthe w i d t ho f c u t ,t h e np u s ht h es t o c ki n t o theblade,pressing it against thefence withyourlefthandandfeeding withboth thumbs(/eff).Standto onesideof the workpiece andstraddle thefencewith yourrighthand,making surethatneither handis in linewiththeblade. Keeooushingtheboard untilthebladecutsthrough it completely. Tokeepyourhandsfrom c o m i n cg l o s etrh a n3 i n c h e fsr o mt h e blade, complete thecutwitha pushstick. (Caution: Bladeguardpartially retracted for clarity.)

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CR()SSCUTTING STOCK

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Using themitergauge Withtheworkpiece f lushagainst the mitergauge, markwith alignthecutting t h eb l a d eP. o s i t i ot nh er i of e n c ew e l l awayfromtheendof thestockto prepiece ventthecut-off fromjamming up a g a i n st ht eb l a d e a n dk i c k i n bg a c k you.Hookthethumbsof both toward hands overthemitergauge to holdthe stockf irmlyagainst thegauge andf lat onthetable,thenfeedtheboardinto the blade(righil.(Caution: Bladeguard partiallyretracted for clarity.)

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CABINETMAKINGTECHNIQUES

SANDING

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Using a sanding block Clampstopblocks to a worksurface at bothendsof the workpiece to holdit steady. Fita sanding blockwitha piece paperandsandthesurface of abrasive of thestockalong (abovd.Use pressure thegrain,applying even,moderate long,smooth, is smooth. overlapping strokes untilthesurface paperfora smoother Repeat witha finer-grit finish.To preventrounding theedges of theworkpiece, keepthesanding blockflaton itssurface, andworkupto-but notover-theedge.

THEBELT SANDER ASPTANER

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Using a beltsander Usea stopblockto keeptheworkpiece frommoving. Install a sanding beltanddrape thepower cordoveryourshoulder parallel to keepit outof theway.Withthesander to thewood grain, lower turnit onandslowly it ontothesurface, holding it firmlywithbothhands(above). Movethemachine backand youwouldusewitha sanding forthwiththesametypeof strokes block.Toavoidgouging thesurface, keepthesander flatand always moving; do notletthemachine restin sppsnnt

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Smoothing a panel is notavailable lf a planer to evenout panels, thesurface of glued-up usea belt sander. Thediagrams ontheleftillustrate thecorrect sequence of operations. First, slowlymovethesander backandforth across thesurface al a 45'angleto thewoodgrain(farleft),Besureto coverthe entire surface, butdonotletthesanding drumruncompletely offtheedges of the panel; thismayround thecorners. Next, makea secondoassbackandforth diagonally across thegrainin theoppo(centerlefil. Finally,run sitedirection thetoolalongthewoodgrainto remove a n ys c r a t c h el esf tb yt h ee a r l i esra n d ing (nearleft).

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CONSTRUCTION CARCASE, panelsrun in the samedirection. andcontracts, Sincewoodexpands especially across thegrain,thepanbeenthe startingpoint of many elswill expandandcontracttogethtypesof furniture.The earliest the er at thesamerate,preserving nailed examples weresimplecoffers, structuralintegrityof the box. together, thatserved douor pegged Assembling with thegrain a carcase or benches. Toduy, ble-dutyaschests ofadjacentpanelsatrightangles to limitlessvariathereareseemingly eachothervirtuallyensures thatone The tionsonthatsamebasicdesign. of thepanelswill eventually split; of carcase consmallest examples plywood whenwoodis readyto move,it is pieces Drawers,shelves and aveneered of structionfeaturedelicate almostimpossible to stop. backpanel transforma typicalcarcase into an highlyfigured,exoticwoods,such Muchof thecharacter andindielegantbookcase. Thedrawersrun alongfixed asbird's-eyemaple,rosewoodor viduality of a particularcarcase setinto dadoescut in thesidepanels. Hawaiiankoa,that areassembled shelves designderivesfromthemethodof with precisejoints and delicate assembling thepanels. Thereareagreatmanytypes of corner Largerbut still hingesto formjewelryboxesandsilverchests. jointsyoucanuse;someof themostcommonincludedovetails, compactboxesprovidetheframeworkfor drawers. joins, biscuitjoints,and miter-and-spline in thepages lockmiters,rabbets, examined Onceassembled, thetypeof carcase jointsarehighlyregarded dovetail thatfollowcanbethebasisfor anythingfroma smalldresser boxandfingerjoints.Because cabinetor a home-enter- for theirstrengthandbeautyin solidwood,onevariety-the or tool chestto a floor-to-ceiling in thisbooklookat the hand-cutthroughdovetail-is featuredin thischapter(page tainmentcenter.Thelaterchapters 27).It canalso becutmorequicklywith ajig asshownin the doorsor legs-so asto subsequent steps-addingdrawers, Drawers chapter(page80).Intheeyesof manywoodworkers, turn thebasiccarcase into a finishedpieceof furniture. hand-cutdovetailjoint isvisibleproofof thecabto withstand awell-made Althoughcarcases anddrawersaredesigned inetmaker's competence. in contypes and levels ofstress use, there are certain different Forplywoodcarcases, rabbet(page34)orbiscuitjoints-also thatareapplicable to both.Whereapprostructiontechniques j6) arebetter jonts-(page plate known choices. Bothoffer priate,a cross-reference as Drawers chapter will be included to the joints pretfymuch prove as dovetail and, although the same strength you technique that could to direct to a drawer-building pleasing, quick they are and methods less easy of esthetically for usefi.rl constructingcarcases. joined major panels assembly. The convenience factor becomes a considerfour together to form All carcases consistof withproducing alargenumberof carcases. a box.A keyrequirementis that thewoodgrainof all the ationif youarefaced hebasicbox-or arcase-featured in this chapterhaslong

panelsofferstwo very Usingbiscuitjoints to assemble strengthand easeof assembly. Abiscuit appealingbenefits: joiner cutssemicircular groovesinto matingpanek.The beech, slotsarefilled with glue and biscuitsof compressed thenthepanelsarebuttedtogethertoform a perfeajoint.

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I I hetherit is a boxthatwill house acoupleof drawers anda shelfor a chinacabinetdestined to graceyour diningroom,thecarcase youbuildwill featuremanyofthebasicelements illustratedbelow.First,it will havefoursides, or panels,whichareusuallythe same widthandthickness. Anotherrequire-

mentis thatparallelpanelsmusthave thesamedimensions. Althougha panelcanbemadefrom a singlepieceof lumber,it is generally lessexpensive to gluenarrowerboards edge-to-edge to formthewidesurface (page20).Oncegluedup,thepanelsare planed,jointedon oneedge,cutto size,

andthentheirsurfaces aresanded.A third option-one whichcombines the economy of glued-uppanelsandthe easeof solidlumber-is to usehardwoodplywood,whichcanbemadeto looklikesolidwood, bytheadditionof a bandingalongexposed edges(page39). Constructingcarcases from plywood

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funel Uaedto form the top, bottom and sidea of the carcaai, May be a ein6le piece of plywoodor eolid lumben but panelaare more commonlymade from amaller boarda qlued edqe to edge; dowela may be ueed to help with alignment. Individualboards can be of varyinq widtha, but are uaually2 to 5 inches wide.

Cornerjoint Secureathe ende of the panele together: rabbet joint ia ahown,but dovetail and plate jointa are aleo popular choicea.

Thissimplecarcase-framed cabinet paneh edge-glued of ashand features rabbeted cornerjointscutona tablesaw. A fixed uppershelfissetin dadoescut into thesidepanek;aloweradjustable shelfrestson hiddensupports.

Back UauallyI/+-inchplywood piecenailedand'gluedinto a rabbot routed alonq baok ed1e of the panela.

thelving May be plywoodor ein7le pieae of wood,but often made from edge-qluedboarda. Fixed ahelveaare qlued in dadoes routed on the inside surfaces of aide panele;adjuatable ehelvearegt on aupporta.

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CARCASECONSTRUCTION

however. doeshaveits disadvantages, It reduces vourflexibiliwwhenit comes for example, to thejoinery;dovetaiis, not work. It also rulesout will simply possibilities creating esthetic as such attractivegrainpatternson the panels byedgegluingcareflrlly matchedboards.

Ifyou planto addedgebandingor (page 41), youmustanticinstallshelves ipatethosesteps beforegluingthepanels youwill needto Forshelves, together. routdadoes or boredowelholesonthe insidesurfaces of thesidepanels. Formoredetailon thecutting,jointing, sandingand other procedures

necesssary to prepare boardsandpanels, Techniques referto theCabinetmaking section onpage12.Of themanyjoinery methods thatcanbeusedto connectthe panels thischapterfocuses ofa carcase, on threeof the mostcommon:the hand-cutthroughdovetailjoint, the platejoint andtherabbetjoint.

CORl{ER JOINTS Through dovetail joint Taperedpine on onepanel interlock with anqled taila of the other: offera lar1e qluing aurface. For best appearance, pino are ueuallycut at the enda of the top and bottom panela;taile are aawnat.enda ofthe eide panele. Stronq, decorativejoint for eolid lum' ber; not recommendedfor plywood. Good choice whenfeaturinq joinery ae an elementof deoiqn.

Plate or biocuit joint Diecuits of compreaaedwoodfit into slote in the matinq boarda; qlue owellothe biacuite, atrength' eninqthe joint. Toconcealend 1rain whenviewedfrom the aide of carcaae, alots are uauallycut into end 6rain of top and bottom panelaand into mating facea of oide panele,)tronq joint for aolid lumber or plywood.Not decorative but quick and eaay to make.

Edge banding Decorativeveneercommerciallyavailablebut can be made in the ahop;glued to expoeed edqeoof plywoodpanelaand shelvea.

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Rabbetjoint Edge of one board fita into rabbet cut in the matinq board;offers larqe gluinq aurface. To conceal end grain of top and bottom panele,the rabbeta are normally cut into the aide panela.)trong joint for aolid lumberor plywood. Alao uaed to join carcaee back to panela.Not ae decorativeaa a throuqh dovetail, but much aimplerto make.

MAKING WIDE PANELS

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makeup the \ 7f ost woodworkers IVJ. widepanels for a carcase bygluing boardstogetheredge-to-edge. Building a carcase thiswayisnot a matterof cutting costsat the expense of strength. Panels ofedge-glued boardsareeverybit asstrongasa singlepieceof lumber.In fact,a propergluejoint providesa sturdier bondthanthefibersofa oieceofwood. Followthesteosdetailed belowand on thefollowingpages to assemble panels.Apartfrom a supplyof glueandan

assortment of clamps,all you needis a levelwork surfaceor a shop-builtglue rack(page24).To helpkeepthe boards aligned,somewoodworkers alsouse dowels(page2S).Formoreinformation on selecting glue,referto theinsideback coverofthis book. Selecting yourwoodis an important part ofthe process. Do not buy green woodor stockthat is cuppedor ftvisted, andavoidusingwoodwith a high moisturecontent,whichcanadversely affect

the glue.Instead,buy lumberthat has beendriedin a kiln. If you areworking from rough stock,begin preparing boardsby jointing a faceand an edge, thenplaningtheotherface.Next,crosscut theboards,leavingthem roughlyI inch longerthan their finishedlength, andjointan edgeofeachpiece.Ripthe stocksothatthecombinedwidth of all the boardsexceeds the finishedwidth ofthe panelby aboutI inch,thenjoint thecut edses.

Edge-gluedboardsshould createthe illusion of a singlepieceof wood rather than a composite.Experimentwith the boardsin diferent configtrations to producea pattern that is visuallyinterestingbut makesurethat thegrain runs in the samedirectionon all of the oieces.

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EDGE GLUING 'l Arranging theboards I Settwobarclamps ona worksurface andlaytheboards onthem.Useasmany clampsasnecessary to support theboards at 24-Io 36-inchintervals, Tokeeothebars placethemin notched frommoving, wood (insef). blocks Usea pencil to marktheend grainorientation of eachboardasshown, thenarrange thestockontheclamps to (photoabove). enhance theirappearance Tominimize warping, arrange thepieces so thattheendgrainof adjacent boards runsin opposite directions. lf thegrainisdifficult to read,dampen orsandtheboardendsto makeit showup moredefinitely. Onceyou havea satisfactory arrangement, alignthe stockedge-to-edge andusea pencil orchalk (right). to marka triangle Thiswillhelpyou correctly rearrange theboards if youmove thempriorto finalassembly.

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filltllllllll]llllllIllllllllllllllfillllllllllllllllilllllllllllllilll 1HO?TI? Two wayo to opreadglue To soreada aluebead

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art oupplyelores.Tocleanlhe rollerafler use,roll iI repeaNedly overa ocrapboard.Fora ohoP-made ueea 6-inchlenqlhof alueepreaAer, i/"-inchdowelae a handleNoholda 2-incheectionof a brokenor worn or blade.Usea backeaw hackeaw in one slot' shallow cuN a saw No band endof lhe dowel,makinqit' t'hinenouqh lo holdNhebladeeectiononu4ly.FiI the int'othe sloL' bladeNeelh-eide-ouL

r) Applying theglue of the marring theedges L fo auoid you the clamPs, panel tighten when of scrapwoodat least cuttwopieces and to beglued, aslongastheboards first pads. the Leaving usethemas boardfacedown,standtheother pieces on edgesothatthetriangle marksfaceawayfromyou.APPIY a thingluebeadto eachboard(/eff), justenough to covertheedgecompletely is spread. whentheadhesive glue in willresult a weak Toolittle a mess bond;toomuchwillcause Usea theclamPs. whenyoutighten to spread brush small,sttff-bristled edges ontheboard theglueevenly (abovd,leaving Do no baresPots. forsPreading; notuseyourfingers to thegluewill dirtorgrease adding thebondandslowthedrying weaken time.Moveonto step3 assoonas thegluefromdrypossible to prevent youtighten theclamPs. ingbefore

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CARCASECONSTRUCTION

Tightening theclamps Setthe boardsfacedownand line u p t h e i re n d s ,m a k i n gs u r et h a tt h e s i d e so f t h e t r i a n g l e alignT . i g h t e tnh e c l a m p su n d e rt h e b o a r d sj u s te n o u g h t o b u t tt h e mt o g e t h e cr ,h e c k i n g again f o r a l i g n m e nA t . v o i do v e r t i g h t e n i n g t h e c l a m p so r t h e b o a r d sm a yb u c k l e u p a t t h e j o i n t s .P l a c ea t h i r dc l a m p acrossthe top of the boards, centering i t b e t w e etnh e t w o u n d e r n e a t F h i.n i s h t i g h t e n i n ag l l o f t h e c l a m p si n t u r n (left) until there are no gapsbetween t h e b o a r d sa n d a t h i n b e a do f g l u e s q u e e z eosu t o f t h e j o i n t s .

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Leveling theboards Foradjacentboardsthat do not lie

perfectly levelwitheachother,usea C c l a m pt o h o l dt h e mi n a l i g n m e n t . Protecting theboards withwoodpads, c e n t et rh ec l a m po nt h ej o i n tn e atrh e endof thestock;placea stripof wax paperundereachpadto prevent it from sticking to theboards. Thentightenthe clampuntiltheboards arelevel(right). Refer to themanufacturer's instructions fortheglue's drying time.lf youareshort of clamps, markthetimeonthepanel sothatyoucanmoveonto thegluing of thenextpanelassoonaspossible.

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glue theexcess f, Removing :,f Usea plasticputtyknifeto remove glueas asmuchof thesqueezed-out it dries.Themoisture oossible before e illbe f r o mg l u el e f to n t h e s u r f a c w swelling bythewood,causing absorbed a n ds l o wd r y i n gh; a r d e n eadd h e s i v e c a na l s oc l o gs a n d p a p edru, l lp l a n e r knivesandrepelwoodstain.Oncethe from gluehasdried,remove theclamps andusea paint thetop of the boards, that anysqueeze-out to remove scraper (/eftl.Remove the lowerclamps, remarns by thepanelforjoinery thenprepare planing anedgeandcutting it, jointing t o i t sf i n i s h eddi m e n s i o n s . t h ep i e c e to smooththe surUsea beltsander once facesthatwillbehardto reach is assembled carcase the

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'lll$ "llllflt"llJ"llf

"lfif"1lr1llf".llr'ffi llll"l$

1HO?TI? ?revenling clamp otains Themetal bar of a clamp can be olainedby adheeive thal dripodurin44luing Oriedqluecan operationo. aleo interterewith Ihe ratchetinqaction ot elimieomeclamoe.To nat'eNheproblem,usea haoksawor bandeawto cut a rollof wax?a?erinto Z-inch' eachNime widemini'rolls.Then, you applya clamp,tearofl a ot'rip of paVerIo wrapoveror underNhebar.

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GIUERACK Tousethegluerack,seatat least A shop-built rackmadefromtwo twobarclampsin the notches so provides sawhorses a convenient thatthe boards to begluedare wayto holdtheclamps forgluing supported at leastevery24 to 36 up a panel.Tobuildthejig,remove thecrosspiecefromyoursawhorses. Cutreplacements thesamewidth andthickness astheoriginals, making themat leastas longastheboards thatyouwillbegluing. Usea handsawor a bandsawto cut notches alongoneedgeof each crosspieceat 6-inchintervals. Make the cutswideenough to holda bar c l a m ps n u g l a y n dd e e pe n o u gtho holdthebarlevelwiththetopof the crosspiece.Youcanalsocut notches pipeclamps, to accommodate but barclampsarestronger.

inches. Therestof theoperation is identical to edgegluingboards ona worksurfaceasshownin steps3 to pages. 5 onthepreceding

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ANAIDT(lALIGNMENT DOWELS: usedowelsto help Marrywoodworkers with thealignmentof boardsin a panel.Oneof theproblemsin usingthis techniqueis that thewoodpins have to bepreciselycenteredon theedges of theboardsto bejoined.In thephoto at left,locationpointshavebeenmade for thedowels-oneabout3 inches from eachendof theboardsand one in themiddle.A line is thenscribed across thepointswith a cuxinggauge of the setto one-halfthe thickness at thecenter stock.Thelinesintersect perguaranteeing of theboardedges, placement the dowels. of fect

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thedowelholes 1 Boring onthe board I Locatepointsfor dowels Toavoidsplitting edges(phoitoabove). dowels withthe pins,usegrooved boards asthick thatarenomorethanone-half asthestock.Fita drillwitha bitthesame thenwrapa strip diameter asthedowels, thebit to mark tapearound of masking beslightthedrillingdepth,whichshould the lengthof the ly morethanone-half to the Keepthedrillperpendicular dowels. boardedgeasyouboreeachhole(righ), tape thebitwhenthemasking withdrawing thedrill thestock.(Although touches press canalsobeusedto boretheholes, steadyon the longerboards keeping difficult.) tablemayprove machine's

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r) Pinpointing mating dowelhotes L lnserta dowelcenterthesamediameter asthedowels in eachof the holes(above), thensettheboards flatonthe clamps withthetriangle markfacingyou.Aligntheendsof theboards andbutttheedgeof thesecond boardagainst thatof thefirst.Thepointed endsof thedowel centers will punchimpressions providing onthewood, points starting for themating dowel holes. Boretheseholes to thesamedepth as in step1, thenrepeat theprocedure forthethirdboard.

Gluing uptheboards A p p l yg l u et o t h e b o a r dt h e s a m ew a ya s w h e ne d g e

gluing(page 21).fhenusea pencil tip to daba smallamount of adhesive in thebottom of eachdowelhole.Avoid spreading gluedirectly onthedowels; quickly theyabsorb moisture and willswell, making themdifficult to fit intotheirholes. Insert (above), thedowels thentapthemintofinalposition using a hammer. Avoidpounding onthedowels; thismaycause a board to split.Close upthejoint,thentighten theclamps (page22). Remove the excessglue(page23).

ilIlllllilttfillfililllllll illlfiltfltlllJil[filtllllilltiltlljltllll 1HO?TI? lnoerling dowelewith a deplh 0au0e ToavoidNherisk of oplittin7 boardswheninseilinqdowels,usethie oimple ehoV-made depth qauqe.Kipa f-inch'/' longboardto a Nhickneeethal ie exactly one-haltthe lenqthof Nhe dowele.Borea holethaN is olightlywiderNhanthe t.hicknessof Nhedowelelhrou7hthe gauqenearoneend. Thenplaceit aroundeachdowelwhenyou NapiXinNo its hole.Thedowelwillbe aNT,hecorrecl deobhwhen iNis flush with the Lopof Nhedepth qauqe.

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CARCASE IOINERY herearemanywaysof joiningcarThepages that J. casepanelstogether. follow will examinethreeof the most popularchoices:dovetail,rabbetand platejoinery.As shownin thephotoat right, the interlockingpins and tails of a throughdovetailjoint giveboth solidity and distinctiveappearance. Cuttingsucha joint with thetraditional hand tools is considereda rite of passage for aspiringwoodworkers.It requiresskill and practiceto perfect. It alsoleavesroom for creativity,since it allowsyou to choosethe width of pins and tails to giveyour joints an

f

blind dovetail,which is examinedon pages B2-84. If you prefer somewhatsimpler forms of joinery,try eitherthe rabbet or the plate joint (page34-37).Both are ideal for joining plywood panels,which arenot suitedfor dovetails. Whichevertype of joinery you select, you mustplan aheadfor the laterstages projects,suchas pleasinglook. The same ofyour cabinetmaking esthetically panels, shelving,edge joint canbeexecuted installingback in far lesstime,but Somedrawer-hangbandingor drawers. with equalprecision,usinga routerand requireyou a jig; that approachis demonstrated ing methods,for example, panels (page before 80-81). to rout a groovein theside in the Drawerschapter is assembled. thecarcase You may also want to try the half-

D()VETAIL JOINTS thoulder line

Half-pin

X

X X /

\ X

X X

'l 0utlining thepins faceof eachpanelwitha bigX,thenseta I Marktheoutsrde of thestockandscribea line to thethickness cuttinggauge of thepins to marktheshoulder along theendsof thefourpanels of the thatwillformthetopandbottom andtails.Thepanels eachonein turnin a vise Secure willbethepinboards. carcase thepinsontheendsof the to outline square andusea dovetail at Startwithhalf-pins above. boardasshownrnthesequence endsof thepinsareon surethatthenarrow eachedge,making thewastesections Nextoutline faceof theboard. theoutside thenmarkthecenterof theboardend. adjacent to thehalf-pins,

thenoutline theremaining mark, a pinat thecenter Outline withXs. pins(above, all thewastesections right),marking (Youcanalsousea sliding gauge thepins; bevel to outline or 1:8for hardwood.) setanangleof about1:6forsoftwood of pinsorfor forthenumber There arenorigidguidelines pinsthatare spaced them.Butevenly between thespacing around them thesizeof thewastesections at leastone-half andsolidjoint.Usea combination makeforanattractive markssothattheyreach allthedovetail square to extend lineson bothfacesof theboards. theshoulder

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r) Cutting thepins Z- Secure thefirstpin boardin a vise sothattheoutside faceof thepanelis you.Usea dovetail toward sawto cut alongtheedges of thepins,working from onesideof thepanelto theother. Some preferto cut allthe left-hand woodworkers edges first,thenmoveon to the righthandedges. Foreachcut,holdthepanel steady andalignthesawbladejustto the waste sideof thecuttingline.Usesmooth, evenstrokes, allowing thesawto cut on the pushslroke(right). Continue sawing r i g h t o t h es h o u l d el irn e ,m a k i nsgu r e t h a tt h eb l a d ei s p e r p e n d i c utloatrh e line.Next,usea copingsaw(sfep3) or a chisel(step4) to remove the waste between thepins.Repeat theprocedure at theotherendof theboardandat both endsof theotherpinboard.

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t I I thewaste witha coping saw Q Removing r-J Standontheothersideof the panel andbegincuttingawaythewastewood between thepins.At thesideof eachpin, slidea coping sawbladeintothekerfand rotatetheframewithoutstriking theend of theboard. Cutoutasmuchof thewaste asyoucanwhilekeeping theblade about %oinchabove theshoulder line.Cut(/efrl untilyoureachthekerfontheedgeof the pin.Pareawayanyremaining adjacent wastewitha chisel(step5).

2B

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Removing thewaste witha chisel Setthepaneloutside faceupona worksurface and clampona guideblock, aligning itsedgeabout%oinchto thewaste sideof theshoulder line.Using a woodchiselno widerthanthenarrow sideof thewastesection, butttheflat sideof thebladeagainst theguideblock.Holdtheendof thechiselsquare to thefaceof thepanelandstrikeit witha wooden mallet(left),scoring a lineabout7s-inch-deep. Then turnthechiseltoward theendof thepanelabout% inch belowthesurface of thewoodandshave off a thin layerof thewaste(below). Continue shaving awaythewastein this fashion untilyouareabouthalfway through thethickness of thepanel, thenmoveonto thenextsection. Whenyouhave removed all thewaste fromthisside,turnoverthepanel, andworkfromtheothersideuntilthepinsareallexposed.

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paring f, Final \,, Withthepaneloutside faceup,aligntheedge of a guideblockwiththeshoulder lineonthepanel andclampit in place. Butttheflatsideof a chisel yourthumbto holdthe against theblock, andusing gently bladevertical, taponthehandle to pareaway thefinalsliverof waste(left).Repeat the process between theotherpinsuntilthereis nowaste beyond theshoulder line.

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I Preparing to outline thetails S e to n eo f t h e t a i l b o a r d so u t s i d e f a c ed o w no n a w o r ks u r f a c ea n d c l a m p a g u i d eb l o c ko n t o p o f i t w i t h t h e e d g e o f t h e b l o c kf l u s hw i t ht h e s h o u l d elri n e . T h e nh o l dt h e e n d o f o n eo f t h e p i n b o a r d sa g a i n stth e g u i d eb l o c kw i t h i t s o u t s i d ef a c ea w a yf r o mt h e t a i l b o a r d . F a s t e na h a n d s c r e w to the pin board a n d u s ea n o t h ecr l a m pt o h o l di t f i r m l y rn position(/eff).

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Markingthe tails I / Usea pencrlto outlineIhe Iatls (rrghil, t h e nr e m o v e t h e c l a m p sa n d u s ea c o m b i n a t i o ns q u a r et o e x t e n dt h e l i n e so n t ot h e e n do f t h e b o a r dM . a r kt h e w a s t es e c t i o n s w i t hX s ,t h e no u t l i n et a i l so n t h e o t h e r e n do f t h e b o a r da n da t b o t he n d so f t h e o t h e rp a n e l .

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Cuttingthetails andremoving waste U s ea d o v e t a isl a wt o c u t t h e t a i l s the samewayyou cut the pins (step2). S o m ew o o d w o r k efrisn d t h a t a n g l i n gt h e b o a r d ,a s s h o w nr a t h e rt h a n t h e s a w m a k e st h e c u t t i n gg o e a s i e rI.n e i t h e r case,sawsmoothlyand evenly,and stop justa fractionof an inchbeforeyoureach t h e s h o u l d elri n e .R e m o v teh e b u l k o f t h e w a s t ew i t h e i t h e ra c o p i n gs a w (step3) or a chisel (step4), then pare a w a yt h e f i n a l b i t so f w a s t ed o w nt o the shoulderline (step5).

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Dry-fitting thecarcase gluing Before upthecarcase, assemble it to check t h e f i t o f a l l t h e j o i n t s .S t a n do n eo f t h e p i n b o a r d so n a w o o db l o c k t, h e na l i g na m a t i n gt a i l b o a r dw i t h i t ; supportthe otherend of the tail boardwith a sawhorse. P r e s st h e l o i n t t o g e t h e b r y h a n da s f a r a s i t w i l l g o , t h e nt a p t h e t w o e n d st h e r e s to f t h e w a y i n t o p l a c e , whileprotecting the workpiece with a scrapboard.To a v o i db i n d i n ga n dd a m a g i ntgh e p i n s ,c l o s et h e j o i n t evenlyalongits wholelenglh(left).Jointhe otherpin a n dt a i l b o a r d tsh e s a m ew a y ,t a p p i n go n l yo n t h e t a i l b o a r dT. h ej o i n t ss h o u l db e t i g h te n o u g ht o r e q u i r ea l i t t l eg e n t l et a p p i n gb, u t a v o i du s i n ge x c e s s i vf o er c e . l f t h e j o i n t i s c l e a r l yt o ot i g h t ,m a r kt h e s p o tw h e r ei t b i n d st,h e nd i s a s s e m btlhee p a n e l sa n d u s ea c h i s etl o pareawaya little morewood.DryJitthe carcaseagain a n d m a k ef u r t h e ra d j u s t m e n t isf ,n e c e s s a rlyf .t h e r er s anygapbetween a pin anda tail, inserta thin wedgeto f i l l i I ( p a g e3 2 ) . A I t h i s p o i n t ,y o uw i l l n e e dt o s e e t o t h e o t h e rr e q u i r e m e n ot sf y o u rp r o j e c ts, u c ha s i n s t a l l i na g b a c kp a n e l( p a g e3 & a n d e d g eb a n d i n g ( p a g e3 9 ) , i f d e s i r e dt,h e n p r e p a r i ntgh e s i d e sf o r shelves(page41) or drawers. Oncethat is done,glue up the carcase(stepl0).

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f\ Gluingup thecarcase e hen I\J r o a p p l yp r o p e rp r e s s u rw t i g h t e n i ntgh e c l a m p su, s ef o u rw o o d p a d ss p e c i a l lnyo t c h e d f o r d o v e t a ji ol i n t s . M a k et h e p a d st h e s a m el e n g t ha s t h e p a n e l sa r ew i d e ,a n dc u t a w a y carcase l i t t l et r i a n g u l anro t c h e s o t h a ti h e w o o d w i l l o n l ym a k ec o n t a cw t i t ht h e t a i l sa n d n o te x e r tp r e s s u roen t h e p i n s .A p p l ya t h i n b e a do f g l u eo n t h e f a c e so f t h e p i n s a n dt a i l st h a tw i l l b e i n c o n i a cw t h e nt h e j o i n t sa r ea s s e m b l e dU.s ea s m a l l ,s t i f f b r i s t l e db r u s ht o s p r e a dt h e g l u ee v e n l y , leaving n o b a r es p o t s A . s s e m b lteh e c a r c a s ea n d i n s t a ltl w o b a rc l a m p sa c r o s s t h e f a c e so f e a c ho f t h e p i n b o a r d si n t u r n .T i g h t e n t h e c l a m p sa l i t t l ea t t i m e (left)unlil a little glue squeezes out of the joints.Remove the excessglue(page 2 3 ) , a n dk e e pt h e c l a m p si n p l a c eu n t i l t h e g l u ei s d r y .

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llltl]lllllllllllllrlll]lll ilitllilllrllltlll l[ llllllrlll1 l]ltllt jHO? TI? Dealingwith a defeclivedovetail Evena eliqhN error in cuLNinq doveLaile can resullin a small qaVbeNween a Vin a n da I a i l . l tt h e q a pi o small,fill it wilh a thin lrianqularchiVof veneeror a woodshav' i n qc u t t r o m t h e V a n eol l o c k . T om a k e L h e woodchipleesobvioue, cut itrso lhat ito qrainwillrun in the samedirectionae lhat of the Vino.Usea dovetail eawIo eLraighNen out or deepenLhegap,if neceooary. qluein NheqaVand inserlIhe chip,which AVVIya liLNle shouldfiNenualv.

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CARCASE-SOUARING BLOCKS youareinstalling Unless a back panelon a carcase, it canbedifficultto keepthefoursidessquare glueup.A shop-made during carng block(right)placed case-squari on eachcorner will helpa great deal.Foreachblock, cuta pieceof 3/q-inch plywood intoan B-inch

square. Fita drillpress oranelectric drillwitha 2-inch-diameter holesaw or circlecutter,thenboreanopeningin thecenterof theblock.(The gluesqueeze-out holewill prevent frombonding theblockto thecarcase.)Next,outfityourtablesaw witha dadoheadthatis thesame widthasthethickness of thestock.

Carcaoe-aquartnq

block B"xB"

andcuttwogrooves at rightangles to oneanother, intersecting at the centerof theblock. Tousethejig,applytheglue andassemble thecarcase, thenfit a blockovereachcorner(left), centering the holeat the point join.Makesure wheretwopanels thatthedadoes onthe blocksfit snugly around theedgesof the panels.lnstallandtightentheclamps.

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llllllltlll lllllll1 lltlll1 lll llll]ltllllilltillIlll illllll llllilt1 1HO?TI? Checkinga carcaoefor equare To Vrevenlclamp Vreoourefrom pullinqa carcaaeoul of oquaredurin4qlueu?,meazurethe diaqonalo beNween opposiLecornerl immediately after IiqhNeninq lhe clampo. TheLwo resulf,sehouldbe lhe eame.lf Nheyare noL,the carcaee ie out- of- equare.To correcNNhe loosenNheclampe,then problem, olideonejaw of eachclampaway fromthe joint aL oppooihe corners ae ehown.Tiqhten the clampeand checkaqainfor 6quare, ohifLin7Iheclampoa6 neceobary untilNhecarcaoeio oquare.

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RABBET JOINTS

t Quickandeasyto cutandassemble, therabbetjoint is idealfor bothsolid woodandplywoodcarcases. Thejoint is madeup of a boardorpanelthatfits intoa rabbetcuton itsmatingpiece. Thewidthof therabbetshouldbe equalto thethickness of thestock.In a carcase, thejoint is bestcut into theside panelssothat theendgrain of thetop and bottomwill becovered. Although stronger thansimplebuttjoints,rabbet jointsfrequentlyrequirescrewsor nails for reinforcement.

therabbets 1t Cuttine I Marka cuttinglineforthewidthof edgeof one therabbetonthe leading l l d a d oh e a d s i d ep a n e lT. h e ni,n s t a a widerthantherabbet andlower slightly it below t h et a b l eS . crew a na u x i l i a r y woodfenceto thesaw'sripfenceand markthedepthof therabbet on it; the depthshould beone-half thethickness of thestock.Withthemetalfenceclear theauxiliary of thedadohead,position fenceoverthetableopening. Turnon slowlyintothe thesaw.Raise theblades woodupto thedepthline.Turnoffthe sawandlineupthepanelandauxiliary fenceforcutting a therabbet. Clamp featherboard to thefenceabove the dadoheadto holdthepanelsecurely against thetable.Turnonthesawand makethe cut (above), thenrepeat the process fortheremaining rabbets in the (Caution: guard Blade sidepanels. removed forclarity.)

filillttlltlllfitltll]IrIIJlllllllllllfiltllrllltlllttlllfillllll

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lnvisiblenailer Toconcealnaile driveninLoa carcaoepanel,uoe a b l i n dn a i l e r . Thecommercial deviceworkslike a mini-plane,litti n 7a l h i n w o o d ehavinqunderwhicha nailcan bedriven.The ohavinq canLhenbeqluedriqhl backdownto hidelhe nailhead. )et up the nailertollowing Lhemanufactrurer's inslrucLions-uouallyf or a 1/zz-inch-t hickohavinq, And praclioe on a 6cra?boardbeforeuoin7the naileron an aclual workpiece. Theehavinqyou raieemusl be lon4enou4h to leNyou drivethe nailcomforLably. A ebriVof Iape will holdIhe ehaving downwhileNheqlueie drying.

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upthecarcase ! Gluing 1- Dry-fit thecarcase, thenmakeanyothernecessary preparations, suchasinstalling a backpanelor preparing Then,applya thinbeadof adhesive thesidesforshelving. surfaces of thetop in therabbets andonthecontacting panels. theglueevenly, andbottom Usea brushto spread leaving nodryspots. Assemble thecarcase andinstall two panels, protecting barclamps across thetopandbottom withwoodpads. Tighten a little theworkpieces theclamps at a timeuntilgluestartsto squeeze outof thejoints. Reinforce thejointswithscrews aboutI inchf romthe of thetopandbottompanels; foraddrtional strengih, edges in themiddle. lf youwishto conceal the drivemorescrews screwheadswithwoodplugs,boreholesin twostages bits.First, usinganelectric drillf ittedwithtwodifferent fortheplugs; usea spade bitwideenough to makeholes widerthanthescrew thenswitchto a twistbitslightly holes. Boretheclearance shanks formaking clearance holes deepenough to reach thesidepanels; angle thedrill theinsideof thecarcase to increase thegrip slightly toward Then,drivethescrewsintoplace(right). of thescrews.

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t I I T I woodplugs ? Installing r-,1 Tosecure theplugs,applya dab of glueto thescrewheads, theninsert the a plugintoeachhole(/effl,aligning grainwiththatof thepanels. Tapthe plugsin placewitha wooden mallet, thenusea woodchisel to trimtheprojecting stubsflushwiththesurface of thepanels. Finally, remove anyexcess glue(page23).

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CARCASECONSTRUCTION

t PLATE JOINTS Although it lack the allu'e of luud-ctft dovetails,theplate or biscuitjoirt hnsgrown in popularity in recerttyearsltecause of its strengthand sinrylicity.Tlrcjoint is ctrt with a platejoiner, showrrirr thephoto nt left. The tool workssorrrewhnt like n rrirtiotttrccircrtIar saw,with n retractablebladethat plunges into mating workpieces. Glue is nppliedand an oval-shapedbiscuitof corrtpressed beeclr is insertedhtto rtntching slotsorr eachpiece. The carcnseis therrossentbled. Sirtcethe blade projectsfront the tool orily while it is ctrttirrg, theplatejoirrcr is very safeto use.Guide lines on thebaseplateof the nnchine rnakeit u sir'trple nntter to nlign the slotsirr nnting boards. The slotsare cut slightlylnrgerthnn the bisctrits,perntitting n small rnargin of error while still ennn'inga properlyaligrecljoirtt.

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Marking thelocation ofthejoints _

I l d e n t i f tyh e o u t s i d e f a c eo f e a c hp a n e l w i t ha n X , t h e nm a r kl o c a t i o p n o i n t sf o r t h e s l o t sa l o n ge a c ho f t h e f o u r c o r n e r s . S t a r tw i t h o n eo f t h e s i d ep a n e l so u t s i d e f a c ed o w no n a w o r ks u r f a c ea n d h o l d t h e t o p p a n eal t a 9 0 ' a n g l et o i t . U s ea p e n c i l t om a r kl i n e st h a to v e r l atph e faceof the top pieceandthe endof the s i d ep a n eal b o u t2 i n c h e si n f r o me a c h c o r f l € rm ; a k ea t h i r dm a r km i d w a ya l o n g t h ee d g eW . i d e rp a n e l sw i l l r e q u i r e addit i o n a lb i s c u r t si n; g e n e r atl h, e r es h o u l d b e o n eb i s c u i e t v e r y4 t o 6 i n c h e sM . ark s i m i l a rs l o t l o c a t i o np o i n t so n t h e o t h e r threecornersof the carcase.

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)loL locaLion mark

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CONSTRUCTION CARCASE,

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r) Cutting theslots facedownontheworksurface, sidepaneloutside L Leauinga piece outside faceup ontopof it. Offsettheendsof setthetop of the byan amount equalto thethickness thetwoworkpieces marks on the two stock.Makesurethatmatingslotlocation panels Protecting thetoppanelwithwood aligned. areperfectly place pads,clampthetwoworkpieces in andsetin frontof Thissetasthestock. board thesamethickness thema suooort you of the carcase upwillallow to cutalltheslotsforonecorner panels. instrucFollow themanufacturer's the withoutmoving thedepthof cutontheplatejoiner;it usually tionsforsetting

the plate on the sizeof biscuitbeingused.Resting depends j o i n e ro n t h e s u p p o r b t o a r d ,b u t t t h e m a c h i n e 'fsa c e p l a t ea g a i n stth e e n d o f t h e t o p p a n e la n d a l i g nt h e g u i d e n a r ko n t h e s t o c k . e i t ha s l o tl o c a t i o m l i n eo n t h e f a c e p l a tw Holding t h e j o i n e rw i t h b o t hh a n d sc, u t a s l o ta t e a c hm a r k ( l e f i l . f oc u t t h e m a t i n gs l o t si n t h e s i d ep a n e l b, u t tt h e j o i n l n dt h e na l i g nt h e e r ' sb a s ep l a t ea g a i n stth e t o p p a n e a centerguidelineon the baseplatewith a slot locationmark to cut on the top panel(righil.Followthe sameprocedure marks. s l o t sa t t h e o t h e rs l o tl o c a t i o n

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upthecarcase Q Gluing r-J 0nceall theslotshavebeencut,dry-fitthe panels or a backpanelif thatis partof yourdesign, andinstall glue Then up the carready for shelves or drawers. make facedownona worksuroutside case:Setthesideoanels glue intoeachslotandalong squeeze a bead of face,and panels theslots,inserting bisof the between thesurface panels, you go boftom Repeat for the top and cuitsas @fl. Toprevent thewooden thistimeomitting thebiscuits. panels are assembled, before the wafers fromexpanding possible, gluing quickly fitting thestde as upas dothe p a n eal n dt h e na d d i ntgh et o p . p a n e losnt h eb o t t o m panels thetopandbottom Install twobarclamps across gluing you would when theclamps exactly as andtighten joints rabbet 35). with up a carcase @age

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CARCASECONSTRUCTION

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INSTALLING A BACKPANEL

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Routing a rabbet forthepanel I Fitthepanels together andsetthecarcase ona worksurface withits backside facingup;install a barclampwitha support board across thetop andbottompanels, asshown. Installa 3/s-inch rabbeting bit witha ballpilotonyourrouter, bearing thensetthedepthadjustment to cut %oinch deeper thanthethickness youwillbeinstalling. of thebackpanel Starting at onecorner, resttherouter's baseplateonthesupport boardwiththebit justclearoftheworkpiece. Griptherouter firmlywithbothhands andturnit o n ,g u i d i ntgh eb i t i n t ot h ep a n e lO. n c et h ep i l o tb u t t sa g a i n st ht es t o c k , pulltherouter slowly toward theadjacent corner, keeping thebaseplate flat.Whenyoureachthecorner, turntherouteroff.Reposition thesupport boardandcutrabbets alongtheedges panels of thethreeremaining in the samemanner(above).

r) Squaring thecorners 1 tlsea pencilanda straightedge to mark square corners in therounded endsof the rabbets. Select a woodchisel thatiswide enough to finishoff thecorners wrthtwo perpendicular cuts.At eachcorner, stand thetip of thechiselonthemarkthatruns across thegrain,making surethatthebevel facestheinside of thecarcase. Usea woodenmallet to strikethechisel(above), cutting to thedepthof therabbet. Alignthechisel withtheothermarkandstrike thehandle (Making again. thecutwiththegrainf irst maycause thepanel to split.)

thepanel Q Installing r-,f Cuta pieceof plywood to fit snuglyintotherabbetsonthebackof thecarcase. Glueupthecarcase and,at thesametime,applya thingluebeadalong therabbets forthebackpanelandonthecontacting surfaces of theplywood. Spread theglueevenly, set thepanelin position, thenusesmallnailsto secure (/effJ. it at 4-inchintervals

3B

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EDGEBANDING D dg. bandingistheusualwayof conof plyruood Ij cealingthevisibleedges theillusion it creates panelsandshelves; of is madeexclusively that the carcase solidwood.Youcanchooseoneof two options:Commercialedgebanding, shownon page40,is availablein a wide varietyof woodtypes,colorsandthick-

nesses. Installingit is simplya matterof cuttingoffthe lengthsyou needfrom a roll, settingthe bandingin placeand heatingit with a householdiron to melt that bondsit to the surface the adhesive ofthe wood. Althoughsomewhatmorepainstakedgebanding ing to apply,shop-made

overthe storeoffersseveraladvantages boughtsolution.Youcanmakeit from anv availablewood speciesand cut it to whatever thicknessyou choose; bandingis typical.The 7s-inch-thick varietyis alsolessexpenshop-made sive-a considerationif you plan to usea lot ofbanding.

BANDING EDGE SHOP.MADE thebanding 1 Applying I Usethetablesawto cutthinstrips froma board;besureto of edgebanding usea oushstickto feedthestockintothe longer than Makethestripsslightly blade. thepanelandat leastaswideasthepanel isthick.Gripthepanelat eachendin thenclampthehandscrews a handscrew, sothatthefrontedgeof to a worksurface facesup.Thenapplya thtn theworkpiece gluebeadto theedgeof thepanelanduse the brushto spread a small,stiff-bristled along thebanding evenly. Center adhesive edge; to holdit flatwhilethe thepanel's gluedries,tapeit veryf irmlyat 2-inch intervals. Useas manystripsof tapeas anygapsbetween necessary to eliminate andtheedgeof thepanel. thebanding

I I I I I r) Trimming excess banding gluehasdried, that trimanyedgebanding Z Oncethe projects Fita routerwitha flushthepaneledges. beyond baseplateonthepanel bit,thenrestthemachine's cuttrng Holding banding. edgewiththebitjustclearof theexcess turnonthemotorand firmlywithbothhands, therouter guidethebit intotheexcess Oncethebit'spilot banding. the thepanel,guidetherouterslowlyagainst buttsagainst endof theworkto theopposite of bit rotation direction piece. Makesurethatthebaseplateandthepilotremain andendsof sandtheedges Lightly flushwiththepanel. unevenness. anyremaining thebanding to remove

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a CARCASECONSTRUCTION

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SETF.ADHESIVE BANDING

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theedgebanding 1 Applying I Seta household ironon High(without steam) andallowit to heatuo.Meanwhile. applyclamps to holdthepanelupright, andcuta stripof banding slightly longer thantheedgeto becovered. Setthebandingadhesive-side downalongthe panel e d g eH . o l d i ntgh eb a n d i nign p l a c e with onehand,runthe ironslowly alongthe paneledge,pressing thetrimflat.Theheat of theironwillmelttheglueandjointhe banding to thepanel. Keeptheironmoving;resting it ononespotfor morethan a fewseconds will leavescorchmarks.

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llltllllfllJ fit]IIJlllllll]lllllllllll]lltllllIIJillJlllllllltllllllt 1HO?TI? r) Flattening outthetrim pressure, L Applyingeven runa smallhandrollerbackandforthalong the lengthof theedgebanding to smooth it outandbondit firmlyto the paneledge.Shaveoff anyexcess banding witha laminate edgetrimmeror a router(page39).

5 pringboard f or alamping edgebanding Forthick edgebandinq,iNmay be neceeoary to clampLhebandinryto a paneledqewhilethe gluedriee.Foratypical panel, you miqhLneedNhreeor four bar clampo;a einqle clampwill suffice, howevenif youueea ohop-made oprinqboard.To make the device,cut a genblecurve-r/+-inch-deep aL iIs c oneed7eof a 2-inch-wide boardthe eami lenaNh and Nhickness ae the panel.CenterNhepanelon a bar clampand seNVhe concaveed4eofthe Ihe epringboard againeLthe edgebandinq.Uee aqainof,lhe edgebandinq. Ue a woodpad lo protecl prolecl prolecl the Vanel, Ti the clampunLilNhe Vanel,Ti4hten epringboard flatlens aqainelthe bandinq.

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SHELVING isoneway to a carcase I ddingshelves f\ to turn a simplewoodbox into a usefulpieceof furniture.The simplest is to bore methodfor installingshelves parallel rowsof holesin the side two panelsof the carcase and insertcommerciallyavailableplasticor metalshelf shownin supports.Thetwo alternatives thischapterrequirea littlemorepreparation, but they havea payoffin that thereareno visibleshelfsupportsto mar theappearance of thefinishedpiece.Like hiddensupcommercialshelfhardware, ports(belowandpage42)areadjustable; the differenceis that they relyon narrowwoodstripsrecessed in rabbetscut into the undersideof the shelves, and this makesthem all but invisible. For fixedshelves(page43),youhave to rout dadoeson carcase sides.The shelves arethen gluedpermanentlyin is assembled. Many woodworkers usecommercialshelf-drillingjigsto helpwith the olacewhenthe carcase job of boringparallelrowsof holes.Clampedto theedgeof thepanel, rowsareperfectlyaligned.Thejig the jig ensures that thecorresponding anydistance in thephotoallowsyou to boreholesat l-inch intervals from 2 inchesin from theedges is typical. theedges of thepanel.For mostprojects

ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORTS HIDDEN

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andinstalling 1 Making I ttrestretfsupports Boreholesfortheshelfsupports usinga jig.Afterthecarcase is assemcommercial pershelf. For bled,maketwosupports eachof them,cut a thinstripof wood aboutI inchlonger thanthegapbetween therowsof holes;makethestripwide enough to holda dowelat eachend.To markpositions forthedowels, inserta dowelcenterintoeachof twoparallel holes, thenpress thewoodstripagainst forthe theooints. Usetheindentations points forboring dowelcenters asstarting t h eh o l e sM . a k et h eh o l e si n t h es h e l f pieces support thesamedepthasthe h o l e isn t h es i d eo a n e l sG.l u ed o w e l s intotheshelfsupports, andwhenthe hasdried,install themonthe adhesive sidepanels at theheight thatyouwant theshelfto rest.

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CARCASECONSTRUCTION

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t r) Making andpreparing theshelving plywood Z- Usesolidlumber, or edge-glued boards(page20)to maketheshelving. Cuteach shelfto thesamewidthasthecarcase oanels andto a length equalto thedistance between thesidepanels. Addedgebanding to thevisible edgeof theshelf(page39),if desired. Toconcealthesupports, routstopped rabbets in the . Startbypositioning shelf theshelfonthesupportsandoutlining theirlocations ontheundersideof theshelf.Usinga woodpadto prevent anymarring, clamptheshelfto a worksurface. Fita router witha rabbeting bit,thensetthe depthof cutto thewidthof theshelfsupports. Gripping thetoolfirmlywithbothhands andrestingits baseplateontheshelf,routeachrabbet (abovd,making asmanypasses asnecessary to cutto themarked outline. Square theendsof the rabbetsusinga chisel(page3B).

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t I I I theshelving Q Installing \Jt Withtheshelfsupports at thedesired height onthesidepan(above). els,test-fittheshelfin thecarcase Usea chiselto adjust the length, widthor depthof thestopped rabbets, if necessary, to ensure a perfect f it thatcompletely hidestheshelfsupports.

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CARCASECONSTRUCTION

FIXED SHETVING thecarcase sidepanels 1 Preparing I Setthesidepanels oneontooof theotheron a worksurandmarkcuttinglinesforthe face,edges andendsaligned, of bothpanels. Makethewidth dadoes ontheleading edges of theshelf;thedepth of thedadoes equalto thethickness Install of thesideoanels. a should beone-half thethickness dadoheadona tablesawandalignthecuttinglinesonone to the proper heightfor sidepanelwithit. Cranktheblades the theripfenceflushagainst thedepthof cut,thenposition panel.Cuta testdadoin a scrapboardandadjustthewidth Clampa featherboard to thefenceabove of cut if necessary. stability. Tomakethecutin each thedadoheadforadded panel, turnonthesawandfeedthepanelintothedadohead Blade usingthemitergauge andbothhands(/eft).(Caution: guardremoved forclari$.)

r) Making anddry-fitting theshelving plywood tlsesolidlumber, oredge-glued boards I (page20)to maketheshelving. Cuteachshelfto panels andto a thesamewidthasthecarcase thesidepanlengthequalto thedistance between Addedgebanding elsplusthedepthof thedadoes. 39),if desired. to thevisible edgeof theshelf@age jointhetopand Tocheckthefit of theshelving, withonesidepanel, of thecarcase bottompanels intothe dadotighD.FiIthe thenfit theshelving othersidepanelontop.Adjustthe lengthor width if necessary, to ensure a perfect fit. of theshelving,

upthecarcase Q Gluing r-J Applya thingluebeadintothedadoes in thesrdepanels whilegluing surfaces of theshelving andonthecontacting Spread theglueevenly andthenassemble upthecarcase. (step2). Clampthecorners of the theboxaswhendry-fitting joints@age32) or for rabbetor plate for dovetail carcase joints(paEe35).Fortheshelving, installa barclampacross thesidepanels withwood eachedgeof theshelf, protecting pads;placea %-inch-thick woodchipundereachpadto pressure midway between the focussomeof theclamping of theshelving. Tighten eachclampa littleat a time edges untila thingluebeadsqueezes outof eachdado.

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FRA4E-AdD-PN\TEL CONSTRI.ICTION

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joinery was rame-and-panel inventedabout 500yearsago)

Theopening in theframeisfilled "floating"panel,which in sits by a grooves probablyby a frustratedmedieval cutin therailsandstiles. Thepanelis saidto floatbecause craftsman deterrnined to findabetit is not gluedin place.Rather, it terwayto buildcabinets thansimply merelyfitsin itsgrooves with room fixing boardstogether.A major for movement. If thepanelwere of woodasa building drawback gluedin place,theassembly might material isitstendency to warpand eventually split. split.Frame-and-panel offersasoluPanelsaresetinto their surtion to theseoroblems. roundingframeswithoutglueto Ever-changing moisturelevels minimizewarping. Butin addition in theaircause woodto move,espepressure on the Thisclampingsetupfocuses to theirstructural function,panels ciallyacrossthegrain.As relative cornerjoints to locktogetherthecomponents alsoserve anesthetic role.Theyare humidityrises,wood swells;as "raised"-that of aframe-and-panel assembly. Whileglue often is,theyhave themoisturecontentfalls,wood bondsthecorners,no adhesive is appliedin bevels cutaroundtheiredges. This Thecentralheatingfound shrinks. thegroovesthat holdthepanel,allowingit not onlymakesthemeasier in mostmodernhomescompounds to fit to moveasthewoodexDands and contracts. into grooves, In a heated hbmein but alsogivesthem theproblem. interest. winier,therelativehumiditycan decorative Wth oneframe-and-panel youneedonlyrepeat drop aslow asl0 percent;in summerit cansoarto 85percent. assembled, Thedifference betweenthe two levelscansignificantlychange theprocess andvaryit slightlyto builda cabinet(page59). the cross-graindimensionsof a pieceof wood. Usually, tlvoassemblies arejoinedtogether with siderailsand Frame-and-panel constructionis designed to accommodate panels, with thefrontassembly leftopenfor a door. the movementof swellingand shrinkingwood,resultingin furAsyouwill seein thepages thatfollow,frame-and-panel niture that is both strongand stable.In the typicalpieceshown construction isaversatile furniture-building Youcan system. on the two pagesthat follow, individual frame-and-panel addabottompanelto a cabinet(page60),thenatop (page &) (page61).lnstalling assemblies arejoined togetherto form a four-sidedcabinet. andeitherfixedor adjustable shelving Eachassembly molding(page69)hidestheconnection comprisestwo verticalmembers-stiles-and between theframeand two or morehorizontalrails,all lockedtogetherby anyoneof thetop;it alsoaddsa decorative flourish. a varietyof joints.Thesecanincludedowel,plate,miter-andAlthoughthismethodof construction is moredifficultto masterthanbuildinga simplecarcase, splineandlap joints.This chapterwill showyou how to usethe theresultis a sturdy, (page48)andthe decorative functionalandattractive pieceof furniture,whichmakes haunchedmortise-and-tenon allthe joint (page51). cope-and-stick timeandeffortworthwhile.

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Mountedupside-down in a table,a routerfltted with a copingbit cutsa tongueat theendof a rail.Anotherbit will cut a matching grooveinto thestiles,makinga solidand attractivecope-and-stick joint, oneof thehallmarlcs offrame-and-panel construction.

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ANATOMY OF A FRAME-AND-PANELASSEMBLY espite theirdifferences, theframeand-panel assemblies thatmakeup haveelements in comatypicalcabinet mon:Namely,framesmadefrom rails andstiles,andpanels thatfit intogrooves in theframe.Bottoms andtopsareusuallyadded,alongwith shelvingin many cases. Thesecomponents aretypically madeof edge-glued boardsof thesame stockusedfor theframe. Individualcabinets will featurevariations.In someinstances, thesides will sharestileswith the front and back assemblies with railsfittingintoboththe edges andthefaces ofthestiles. Toprovideaccess to theinsideof thecabinet, the front frequentlyhasa framebut no panel.Sometimes, a medianrail is usedto dividethe openinginto two discrete sections. Thetwomostcommon iointsin frameand-panel cabinets ateihe haunched mortise-and-tenon andthecope-andstickThehaunched mortise-and-tenon offersgreatergluingsurfacethanthe standard mortise-andtenon,makingit a verystrongjoint. Thehaunchalso fills in the endof the groovecut into the stiles,eliminatingthe needfor stoppedgrooves. Thecope-and-stick joint providescomparable strength and addsits own decorativetouch. The routerbit that cutsthe grooves for the panelalsocarvesa decorative moldingin theinsideedges of theframe. Whatever thejoint, cabinetmakers usuallybuild framesfrom %-inchstock that is at least2 incheswide;larger stockmayalsobeusedto suitthedimensionsofa particularproject.

Rail Frovideahorizontal aupport at top and bottom of cabinet Stile Vertical component of frame

)olid wood piece that fit6 into 4roove-typically 1/z-inch-deep-in frame; can be flat with edqea rabbeted or beveledon "raiae" four aideeto center of the panel

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FRAME-AND-PANELCONSTRUCTION

ToP Uouallyoverhanqaoutaide edqeaof frame; attached with wood buttona, ae ahown,or with metal faetanera, led4er etripe or pocket holea.Edqe commonlyhaa routed decoration

Molding Concealajoint betweentop and frame; can be purchaaed or made in the ohop

Wood button Used to faaten top to frame. Oneend fits into 1roovecut into frame, permittinq ali4ht movement;other end acrewedto top

thelf eupport Can be pooit.ionedin dadoea at any heiqht inaide cabinat to provideadjuatable ehelving

Shelf May have decorative detail routed alonq front edqe

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I Led4er etrip Uaedto faaten bottom or top panel to frame; one edqeacrewedto frame; other ed1e screwedto panel Eottom Attached to frame by ledqer atripa or 1lued into 7roove cut in inaideedaee of frame

Thisframe-and-panel cabinetis held togetherby haunchedmortise-andtenonjoints. Thefront hasrailsand stiles,but nopanel.Instead,a median rail serves asa dividinglinebenveen theopenings for a doorand a drawer.

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MAKINGTHEFRAME hissectionof thebookexamines I theframingtechniques forbuilding a typicalframe-and-panel case. Remember,however, youneeda carefuldesign for thewholepieceof furniturebefore you makethefirst cut on a projectof yourown. Whetheryouwill beusingthestanHa unchedmortiae-a nd-tenon ioint joint, the dard mortise-and-tenon haunched versionofthat joint (right, -stickjoint (right, top),or thecope-and bottom), calculate thenumberof rails andstilesyouwill beneeding soyoucan cutthemall to lengthandwidthat the sametime.Thispermitsyouto usethe sametoolsetupfor allthecutting. Forthehaunched mortise-and-tenon youmustcuta joint andthecope-and-stick, Cope-and-etick f

groovefor the floatingpanelalongthe insideedgesof the rails and stiles.The grooveis typically Vqinch wide and Vzinch deep,and the panelis cut to dimensionsthat allow/+ inch of its edges to sit in the groove.If you opt for morjoints,you alsoneedto tise-and-tenon cut a haunched---or notched-tenon at the endsof eachrail to accommodate the panel.For frameswith no panels,suchas the front ofthe caseshownon page59, you haveto cut standardmortise-andtenons.Toproducethisjoint, followthe sameproceduresusedin making the frameof a frame-and-paneldoor(page 104).Whatever typeof tenonyou decide to make,cutit3/+inch long andthe same thicknessasthe groovein the stiles.

HAUNCHED MORTISE.AND.TENON J(lINTS

thetenonsin therails 1 Cutting I Installa dadoheadslightly widerthanthelengthofthetenons ona tablesaw,thenattachanauxiliary fenceandraisetheblades to cut a notchin it. Setthewidthof cut eoualto thetenon length. Tocut thetenoncheeks, buttthestockagainst the fenceandthemitergauge, thenfeedit face-down overtheblades. Turnthe railoverandrepeat thecut ontheotherside.Test thetenonin a scrappieceof woodcut witha dadothesame sizeasthegrooves in thestiles;adjustthe heightof thedado headandrepeatthe cuts,if necessary. Next,cut thetenon

cheeks at theotherendof therail (above, /eff).Position the fenceto leavea haunch equalin widthto thedepthof thegroove for the panel;setthe heightof the dadoheadto cut about Vzinchintothetenon.Withthestockon its edge,usethe fenceandthe mitergaugeto guideit overthe blades. Repeat to cut the haunchontheothersideof thetenon(above, right). Fortherailsof anassembly withnopanel,cutstandard tenons (page104),makingthe shoulders equalto thewidthof the notchyoucut intothehaunched tenons.

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FRAME-AND- PANELCONSTRUCTION

r) Planning themortises inthestiles forthe L fust,evaluate theappearance of theboards withtheirbest stilesandarrange themona worksurface cabinei, suchasthe sidesfacingdown.Fora four-sided posioneshown on page59,setthestilesin theirrelative number themin sequence, tions-oneat eachcorner-and withthefrontleftstile.Thiswillhelpyourearbeginning Next, range thestilesshould theygetoutof sequence. putting locations of themortises, marktheapproximate facesat thetops Xsontheinside edges andtheinside witha median andbottoms of thestiles(lefil,Forstiles location rail,markanadditional X at theappropriate on theedseof thestock.

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-) Outlinine themortises