| Apothecary Cabinet -- Top, Base and Drawers |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-405 |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
With the case assembled, and the top and bottom caps made, the next step is to install the decorative top and base pieces. Next, work begins on building the drawers. Materials: 1/2-inch apple-plywood stock for drawer-sides
1/4-inch maple-plywood stock for drawer-bottoms
Table saw
Table router
Locking-rabbet bit
Yellow wood-glue
Glue roller
Dead-blow hammer
Wire snips
Brad nails
Carpenter's pencil
Clamps
Safety glasses or goggles Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his Web site -- information below under Resources. Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc. Attaching the Top and Base Pieces - The top and bottom pieces are laid out so that there's a 1/2-inch reveal all the way around. Because these pieces both involve a large gluing area, there's a danger that the pieces may tend to slide around during glue-up. To prevent them from sliding, tap a brad into each corner, and snip the heads off the brads with wire-snips, leaving a tiny spike exposed. This will hold the wood stationary as clamps are added.
- To attach the top piece, apply yellow glue to both gluing surfaces. Then, carefully position the top (figure A) and tap it down onto the spikes using a dead-blow hammer.
- Repeat the process for the bottom.
- Clamp both the bottom (figure B) and the top (figure C) securely, and allow the glue to dry.
Drawers - Each of the eight drawers is built from 1/2-inch apple-plywood for the sides, and 1/4-inch maple-plywood for the bottoms.
- The pieces of each drawer are joined together using locking rabbets (figure D). The bit cuts a double-lip that stands up well to the constant wear and pulling to which drawers are exposed.
- A dado is cut on the inside surface of all four sides on each drawer (figure E) to hold the bottom panel in place.
- The easiest method for cutting the stock for the eight drawers is to batch-cut all of the elements. First, rip all the stock for the bottom pieces to just under 5 inches at the table-saw (figure F).
- Next, use the cross-cut sled to batch-cut the fronts, backs and sides to proper dimension (figure G). Use a stop-block on the table saw to ensure that all of the cuts are exactly identical.
- To cut the locking-rabbet joint, a specialized locking-rabbet bit is used (figure H).
- Make the rabbet cut using the specialized bit at the router table. Cut the rabbet along the front and side pieces of the drawer stock (figure I). This rabbet could also be made using a straight-bit and multiple passes, but the specialized bit makes the process go more quickly.
- Once the rabbet is cut in all the pieces, the frame of the drawer can be fit together securely (figure J).
- Next, at the table-saw, batch-cut a dado on the inside faces of all the drawer-frame pieces. This dado will hold the bottom-panel in place. With the bit raised 1/8-inch, and the fence 1/4-inch from the bit, cut all of the pieces. Then, move the fence 1/32-inch to make a second pass on all the pieces to complete each dado (figure K).
- Assemble the drawers using a small amount of yellow glue (figure L).
- Clamp the drawers securely to allow the glue to dry (figure M).
- Once the drawers are dry, test them for a snug fit in the cabinet (figure N).
- If the fit is too tight on any of the drawers, attach a piece of 220-grit sandpaper to a flat surface on your workbench, and use it to sand the sides (figure O) until you achieve a perfect fit in the case, with smooth sliding action.
- The drawer-fronts are cut from bird's-eye maple. For an artistic touch, a long board was cut into two book-matched slices. By keeping the faces in order, the front of the cabinet will exhibit a unified grain-pattern.
- To help keep the faces in order, number the pieces with chalk (figure P).
- With a stop-block clamped in place on the cross-cut sled, cut panels that are 5-1/2 inches square (figure Q). The panels are cut wide to create a 1/4-inch reveal around each drawer.
- Attach the drawer-fronts to the drawers using yellow glue (figure R), making certain that each piece is centered.
In the segment that follows, the brass hardware is added along with a tung-oil finish. Sponsored Resource
> Click here to order your tools and materials for this project from Woodcraft!
RESOURCES :
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619
Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561583456
David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
