i l \

//

* 'f .
I
I
t
I
I
t
I

THEARTOFWOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP
 I
I
WORKSHO
GPU I D E I
SAFETY
TIPS TURNING
ANDCARVING
TOOLS I
Power
tools
. Wearappropriatesafetygear:safety
9kew chisel Veiningchioel T
UeedLo ehape Fartrng Loolfor ouL-
glasses, a faceshieldfor extraprotection
and hearingprotection.
collection system,
lf therers no cust
weara dustmask.For
peaa6and
Pom-
mels on work-
liningaeparate
areao and cuttin7
t
pieceemounLed 6harpqroovea;
exotrcwoodssuchas ebony,usea respi-
rator;the sawdustmaycausean allergic on ETne;ranqe7 availablein 1-, l-, I
reaction.Wearworkgloveswhenhan- beLween/, inchand and ''/.-tnch wtdths
d l i n gr o u g hl u m b e r . 1l incheatn wtdth I
Eent gouge
o Drapethe powercord of a portable
Round-end
powertool overyourshoulderto keep
earaPer
For ehap,inqhol-
towaana curvea:
I
it out of the way.
9moothe work ranqeafrom'/ tnch
. C o n c e n t r a toen t h e l o b ; d o n o t r u s h . mounLedon lalthe t o 1rnchin widLh I
Neverworkwhenyou aretired,stressed, faceplaLe:typical
o r h a v eb e e nd r i n k i n ga l c o h ool r u s i n g
m e d i c a t i o nt h
s a t i n d u c ed r o w s i n e s s .
blade widtheare
, 1 ,l,a n d l i n c h
No.5 gouge
For shaping
t
,ftne
worK;ranqea
. A l w a y sk e e py o u rw o r ka r e ac l e a n
Roughing-out from I inch Lo I
a n d t i d y ; c l u t t e cr a n l e a dt o a c c i d e n t s ,
gouge 1 inch in wtdth
and sawdustand woodscrapscan be a
fie hazard. UeedLo turn cyltn- t
dere from oquare No.8 gouge
. K e e py o u rh a n d sw e l l a w a yf r o m a
t u r n i n gb l a d eo r b i t .
blankemounLedon
lathe;availablein
For,rou4hehaping
worK;ran4e' rrom
I
'/-,1 /- and 1y'- '/
inch to 1 inch
o Do not usea tool if any partis worn inch widthe in width I
or damaged.

Handtools
9pindle gouge
Kound-noaed
Handlee I
. Usethe appropriate With a typical lenqth of
tootfor the lob: 1ouqefor qenerai
do not try to makea tool do something turntnq;ran4e9
'/,
10 to 14 rnchee,handleo
of turninq l;ooleare Lhicker
I
for whichit wasnot intended.
from Lo 1 ',1 and lonqerLhanLhoeeof
. Clampyourworkpiece to freeboth
incheetn wtdl,h carvinq Loola: the exl,ra I
handsfor an operation. lenqth permiLsLwo-
Parting tool
o Cut awayfromyourselfratherthan Narrow,chiael-like handed operation I
towardyourbody. tool ueed1taaec-

. Do not forcea tool;if possible,

Lion workptece I
try mountedon laLhe;
removing lessstockon eachpass. avatlablein'/:.-and
/,-tnch widtha
I
. Keepthe edgesof cuttingtoolssharp
I
I
DESIGN
ANDMEASURING
T()()LS I
. Awl . Dovetail o Protractor
square
. Carpenter's
square r F l e x i b lceu r v e o Sliding t
o Combination r Frenchcurve DEVCI
square o I n s i d ec a l l p e r s o Steelruler I
o Compass . Markinggauge . Straightedge
o Contourgauge o M e a s u r i nt g ape . Trammelpoints I
o Cuttinggauge o M i t e rs q u a r e . Trysquare
o D i a lc a l i p e r . Mortisegauge I
. Outside
ca||pers I
I
I
I
T
I
I
I

THEARTOFWOODWORKING

CABINETS
ANDBOOKCASES
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I THEARTOFWOODWORKING
I
I
I
CABINETS
I
I
AN{DBOOICNES
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I TIME.LIFE
BOOKS
ALEXANDRIA.VIRGINIA
I
ST.REMYPRESS
I NEWYORK
MONTREAL.
I
I
I
 I
I
I
I
I
THE ART OF WOODWORKING wasproduced by THECONSUTTANTS
ST. REMYPRESS
I
fon Arno is a consultant,cabinetmakerand free-
lancewriter who livesin Tioy, Michigan. He also
PUBLISHER KennethWinchester
PR-ESIDENT PierreL6veill6
conductsseminarson wood identificationand I
earlyAmericanfurniture design.
SeriesEditor PierreHome-Douglas
Kam Ghaffari is a freelancewriter and editor.
I
SeriesArt Director FrancineLemieux
He hashis own businessin RhodeIsland
SeniorEditors Marc Cassini(Text)
HeatherMills (Research)
designingand building one-of-a-kindand lim- I
ited production furniture. Kam's background
Art Directors Normand Boudreault,Luc Germain,
alsoincludesworking professionallyin furni
Designers
SolangeLaberge
Jean-GuyDoiron, Michel GiguEre,
ture reproductionand fine carpentry,and I
studyingwith furniture patriarchsWendell
H6ldneDion
ResearchEditor TimMcRae
Castleofthe U.S.and FredBaierofEngland. I
PictureEditor ChristopherJackson
Giles Miller-Mead taught advancedcabinet-
Research
Writers
Assistant
Andrew Jones,Rob Lutes
BryanQuinn
making at Montreal technicalschoolsfor more
than ten years.A nativeofNew Zealand,he has
I
Cont r ibuting I IIustrators GillesBeauchemin,RollandBergera,
worked asa restorerof antiquefurniture.
Michel Blais,Jean-PierreBourgeois,
RonaldDurepos,RobertPaquet,
I
fosephTruini is SeniorEditor of Hoze
JamesTh6rien
Administrator NatalieWatanabe
Mechanixmagazine. A former Shopand Tools
Editor of PopularMechanics,he hasworked as a
I
ProductionManager MichelleTirrbide
cabinetmaker,home improvementcontractor
SystemCoordinator
Photographer
fean-LucRoy
RobertChartier
and carpenter. I
Proofreader Iudith Yelon
Indexer ChristineM. Iacobs I
Cabinetsand bookcases
Time-Life Booksis a division of Time-Life Inc.,
p. cm.-(The Art of Woodworking)
Includesindex.
I
a wholly ownedsubsidiaryof
ISBN0-8094-99 45-2 (trade)
THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY l. Cabinetwork-Amateurs' manuals. I
2. Bookcases-Amateurs'manuals.
TIME-LIFEBOOKS
I. Time-Life Books.II. Series
TTr97.C23 I
684.1'6-dc20 93-20771
President Iohn D. Hall
Vice-President NancyK. Jones
CIP I
Editor-in-Chief ThomasH. Flaherty
Directorof Editorial Resources EliseD. Ritter-Clough For information about any Time-Life book,
pleasecall l-800-621-7026,or write:
I
MarketingDirector ReginaHall
EditorialDirector
ConsultingEditor
LeeHassig
ReaderInformation
Time-Life CustomerService I
fohn R. Sullivan P.O.Box C-32068
ProductionManager MarleneZack fuchmond, Virginia
23261-2068
I
@ 1993Time-LifeBooksInc. I
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproducedin
any form or by any electronicor mechanical I
means,including information storageand
retrievaldevicesor systems,without prior writ-
ten permissionfrom the publisher,exceptthat
I
briefpassages may be quotedfor reviews.
First printing. Printed in U.S.A. I
Publishedsimultaneouslyin Canada.

TIME-LIFE is a trademarkof Time WarnerInc. I

U.S.A.

R 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
I
I
I
I
 CONTENTS

6 INTRODUCTION 106 HIGHBOY

108 Anatomy of a highboy
t2 CABINETMAKING BASICS 110 Assemblingthe upper chest
T4 Wood movement Llz Cabriolelegs
T6 Selectingand orderinglumber 116 Assemblingthe lower chest
L9 Lumber defects 118 Cockbeading
20 Preparingstock I20 Drawers
24 Cabinetmakingjoinery L24 Crown moldings
L28 Rosettes
40 BOOKCASE 130 Finials
42 Anatomy of a bookcase I34 Quarter columns
44 Bookcaseaccessories 136 Applied sculptures
45 Adjustableshelving
50 Fixed shelves I4O GLOSSARY
52 Edgetreatmentfor shelves
54 Faceframes I42 INDEX
56 Basesand feet
T44 ACKNO\{LEDGMENTS
60 ARMOIRE
62 Anatomv of an armoire
64 Pilasters'
66 Cornicemoldings
72 Doors

84 BLANKET CHEST
86 Anatomy of a blanketchest
88 Tops
93 Basesand feet
100 Hardware
104 Inlays
 INTRODUCTION

Nain Morcelandhis

LIBRARYI.]NIT
helibrary unit shownhere,madeout of Hondurasmahogany, wasoneof my
I first big commissions. It wasbuilt in the shop I co-own with Frdddric Loeven,
a fine cabinetmaker. Wehadbuilt a of lot singlepieces in the past, but this was our
first opportunityto experimentwith the planning and construction of a large, inte-
gratedwall unit.
Our first stepwasto takeaccuratemeasurements of theroom that theunit would
occupy.Thishadto bedoneverycarefidly, sincewalls arenot alwaysstraight.Thedif-
ferencecanbe asmuch as%inch.Sowe measured between thewallsat the corners
of the room andagaineveryfewinchesout. We only wanted to cut our stockonce!
With measurements in hand,wedesigned the piece in the shop. Our clientwanted
a traditionalEnglish-librarylook, which was why we chose a dark mahogany.The
Frenchdoorsalsocontributedto the classical appearance ofthe unit.
Themostcriticaldesignconsideration wasto makesurethebookcases would be
wellproportionedfor thesizeof theroom.Therelationship between the height, depth
andwidth of the unit hadto be right. To provideourselves with a visual reference as
we cut and assembled the componentsof the structure, we drew a full-scale plan of
theroomon thefloorofthe shop.Thisenabled usto keeptrackofall thepieces and
positionthemin theirproperlocationsaswewentalong.
We usedmahogany-veneered fiberboardfor the basicstructureandjoinedthe
pieceswith biscuits.Mostof theshelves areadjustable; theysit on brassshelfsupports
whicharescrewed into sleeves in thesidepanels.Weaddedsolidmahoganybanding,
twicethe thicknessof the shelfstock,to the front edgesof the shelves to givethem
morerigidity.Thebackpanelssit in rabbetscut into the backedges the unit. We of
madethepaneleddoorsout of solidmahoganyusingmortise-and-tenon jointswith
a fineintegrated molding.Thecornicemoldingis madeup of threeseparate pieces
of wood individuallyshapedand gluedtogetherbeforebeingappliedto the unit.
Wefinishedthebookcases with a darkredmahoganystainfollowedby severalcoats
of cellulose-based lacquer,thenwipedon a glazingstainto accentuate the molding
andgivethepiecean agedappearance,

Alain Morcel operatesLesRialisations Loeven-Morcel,a

cabinetry shop in Montrdal, Qutbec, along with his part-
ner, Fr,lddricLoeven.The shopspecializesin architectural
woodwork and reproductionsof antiquefurniture.
 INTRODUCTION

ChrisBecksvoort
describes
the

CHALLENGES
OF
CABINETMAKING
asepieces---<upboards,
bureaus,bookcases,chests,
sideboards,andotherassort-
ed cabinets-areat bestmerelyglorifiedboxes.Yetthereis somethingspecial
aboutthem.All containanelement justwaitingto beexplored.
of mystery, who can
resist
openinga smalldoorwithatinyturnedknobandspinner, oi liftingthelid of
a dovetailed
keepsakebox?AskPandora.
To thecabinetmaker, casepiecesarea pleasure, aswell asa challengeto build.The
possiblelay'outcombinationsareendless: doors,drawers,shelves, pull-out trays,
dividers,pigeonholes, and oneof my favoritecomponents, secretcbmpartmenls.
Nothingthrillsa customermorethanto betold thattheirnewacquisition h,asa hidden
compartment.And nothingaddsto the anticipationmorethan to sayit is up to
themto find it.
Woodworkers specializingin individuallybuiltpiecesthriveon variety.I concentrate
on cases that arenot availablecommercially, suchasa special-size pieceto fit a specific
spot,a l5-drawercameracabinet,a displaycasefor a watchcoll-ction,or a tinware
cupboardlike theoneshownin thephotograph.It wasinspiredby a shakeroriginal
I sawat the RenwickGalleryof theSmithsonian Institutionin 1973.Thecupboard
is oneof themostversatile piecesI build,equallysuitablein a hallway,
bedroom,bath,
kitchen,or livingroom-anlnvherespaceis at a premium.
EachpieceI makeinvolves theintegiationof functionanddesign. Therealchallenge
comesin thebuildingprocess. wood expands duringsummer's humidityandshrinks
duringwinter'sdryness. A boardmovesacrossitswidth,whileits lengthremainsvir-
tuallyconstant.Any constraintthat physicallylimits this movementlnvites disaster.
Moldingscannotbegluedacross a cabinetside;insteadtheyrideon dovetails. Door
framesarecut from relatively narrowquartersawn woodto minimizemovement, while
the wide panelsarefreeto float in their grooves.Theframesbetweendrawersmust
telescope in andout of theirmortise-and-tenon jointsto followthemovementof the
casesides. Backs, likedoors,consistof quartersawn framesandfloatingpanels, mor-
tisedand tenonedto providestrengthand resistracking,Eventhe gapi aboveeach
drawermustbe figuredpreciselyto keepthem from swellingshut.
when the elementsof design,wood,andjoinerycometogithercorrectly,thecase
will survivesothat futuregenerations will becomeintriguedenoughto wantto turn
theknob,openthedoor,andsearchfor thesecretcompartment.

Chris Becksvoortbuildsfine furniture at his workshop

in New Gloucester,Maine. He is shown herewith
his tinware cupboardin the Meeting House at the
Shakercommunity of SabbathdayLake,Maine.
 INTRODUCTION

aboutbuildinghis
Mario RodriguLeztalks

CORNER
CUPBOARD
1 A f henmy wifeandI startedhouse-hunting in thecountrywelookedat newcon-
V V temporaryhomes,newhouses built in traditionalstyles, andold houses.
Naturally, weconsidered thingslikelayout,heatingsystems, and dependable plumbing.
But wewerestilldrawnto old houses. For me,therewasthe knowledge that an old
housewasbuilt by hand-from thehand-dugfoundationright up to the hand-split
shingle roof.Oldhouses werebuiltwith sheerstren$hguidedby experience andskill.
Weendedup buyingan old house.
Walkingthrbughour placeyou seesurfaces that undulateand ripplefrom hand
I planesthaipasedoverthemnearly200yearsago.Therearechestnut beamswith shirn-
mering,fatetedsurfaces cut by an adzeand thick, pine floorboardsstudded
I with hind-wroughtnails.Nl thedoor-ways, mantels, andpanelingwereproducedwith
handplanesfrom choiceHudsonValleypine.No flakeboard or finger-jointedbase
I moldinehere.
I waitedto builda specialpiece for thediningroom.With itsmassire stonefireplace,
I it istheheartof thehouJe.In thel8th Centuryiiferevolved aroundthis room. I decided
to buildthecornercupboardshownin thephotoandplaceit oppositethe fireplace.
It'slikelythata similarpieceoccupiedthesamespotmanyyearsago.
I built thecupboardfromtigermaple;muchof it wasmadeusingantiquehandtools.
I shapedthemoldingwith planesandscrapers, someof whichI mademyself.Thehard
mapiesurfaces werJhandplaned,not sanded, andup closeyou cansee. smallbitsof
tearout-justas.you wouldfind on cupboards fromthe lBthCentury. Theinteriorof
thecaseisfairlystraightforward, asidefroma fewangles. It is madeof pineandjoined
with dadoes andrab6etjointssecured with srnallcutnails.I mortisedandtenonedthe
cabinetframesandfinedthesashwith oid,seeded I evenuseda dark,less-refined
glass.
shellac to givethewooda warmhoneycolor.Thenit wasrubbedwith a mlxtureof
pumiceanldfinseedoilto achieve an antique-like satinfinish.I madethecabinetas
it wouldhavebeenbuilt 200yearsago.Whenit wascompleted andplacedin thecorner,
the cupboardand the room cameto life.Togethertheytakeyou backto the lBth
Centurv.It'sa perfectmatch.
Likea painting,a pieceof furnitureneedsthepropersettingto createtherightmood
andatmoiphere. Xot onlyistheproperperiodenvironment important,but soisscale,
color,andiighting.Theseareconsiderations thatwillheighten theimpactof thepiece
andcontributetolts success. I wouldenjoymy cupboardplantedaq'wherebut without
a doubtI enjoyit ntoreinthediningroomof my beautifulold horne.

MnrioRodriguez teocheswoodworking nt WarwickCotuttryWorkjnps irt

Warwick,NewYork,andat theFttshion in NewYork
Instituteof Technology
editorof FineWoodworkingntngctzine.
City.He is alsoa contributirtg

l1
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
t
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

I
I CABNETKG
I
I BASICS
I
I
herearetwo kindsof skill
I involved in constructing a
finecabinetor bookcase: putting
I togetherthebasicskeleton of the
pieceandthenembellishing it.
I Thefinialsandrosettes of the
QueenAnnehighboyfeatured
I on page106mustbe turned
with careon a latheandthen
I artfullvcarved:the distinctive
of anarmoire(page60)
pilasters
I requirecarefirlattentionto pro-
duceontherouter.Butalthough
I thesedistinctiveadornments
maycaptureaviewer's attention,
t theyalsoreflecta truism:No
amountof decoration will con-
I cealthedefects of a poorlybuilt interestingwhile thegrain of all the boards should run
structure. Thischapter looksin
I detailat thebasicskillsyouwill
r needto selectstock,prepare
professionally,
it
and then assem-
ble it into a sturdyfoundationfor your cabinetor bookcase.
I Thebasicsof cabinetmakingbegin
of wood.Thesectionson dealingwith woodmovement(page
I 14),orderingwo od,(page16),andpreparinga cuttinglist based
on a sketch(page18)will help
youpurchase theright lumber
for yourproject.
With your stockin hand,
you canbeginthestep-by-step
process of buildinga carcase.
Thisbegins withpreparing stock
(page20)andgluingup panels
Qage2a).A varietyof corner
joineryoptions,including hand-
cutdovetails andplate(or bis-
cuit)joints,arepresentedbegin-
ningon page26.Nextcomes
abackpanel(page
installing jl)
andfinalglue-upandassembly.
Panelsareoftenmadeof boardsedge-glued together. Theframe-and-panel method
The pieces
should produce a pattern that is visually ofbuildingacabinet isdescribed
startingon page32.Thistech-
in thesame A
direction. marked triangle will help niqueispopularnotonlyfor its
you rearrangethe boardscorrectlyif theyare moved appearance, butbecauseit allows
In many
beforeglueup.
"raised"-that
for woodmovement.
frame-and-panel cabinets, the
panelsare is,theyhavebevelscut aroundtheir
with an understanding edges. touch,but they
Not only do thebevelslenda decorative
alsoallowthewoodto expandandcontractwhilepreservingthe
worKsintegrity.Raisingpanelsis shownstartingon page36.

I
I
I
I
I
A skewchiselremoves sliversof wastefrom the
I dovetailsin a drawerside.Cuttingthejoint by
handispainstakingbut it impartsa traditional
I and distinctivelookto a Dieceof furniture.

I t3
I
 I
WOODMOVEMENT I

ood is a hygroscopic material, rangesbetween5 and20 percent.Still, possible.

Remember to makeallowances I
absorbing andreleasing moisture the fluctuationin relativehumidity for woodmovementin theconstruction
astherelativehumidityof thesurround- betweentypicalNorth Americanwin- of your work. Usingframe-and-panel I
ing air risesandfalls.And asthe mois- tersand summerscan causesubstan- joinery for example(page32) will pro-
turecontentofa pieceofwoodchanges, tial wood movementoverthe course vide spacefor wood to expandand I
sodo its dimensionsandweight.When of a year. contractwithout affectingthe overall
wood is assembled into a pieceof furni- Youcancompensate for thisin several conditionof thepiece.Somewoodstend t
ture, the changescan produceprob- ways.Usea humidifier in winter and a to movemore than others;consulta
lems-somegreat,somesmall.A cabinet dehumidifierin summerto keepthe lumberdealerto find the mostdimen- t
door that shutssmoothlyin December indoorlevelofhumidityasconstintas sionallystablespecies for yourprojects.
may not closeat all in lune; a perfectly I
squarebookcase canliterallypull itself
apartat thejointsashumiditychanges I
throughout the year. Knowing how
moistureaffectswood will help vou
Moisture
content 30% (nochange)
above
I
avoidtheseproblems.
The waterin wood is measured as I
a percentage ofits oven-dry,or water-
freeweight.Forexample, if a 4O-pound I
pieceofwooddropsto 30poundswhen
oven-dried,the weight of the shed Moisturd (nochange)
contentatFSP-26%
I
water-10 pounds-divided by the
wood'sdry weight-30 pounds-is the I
moisturecontentof the originalpiece:
in thiscase,33percent. I
Woodholdswaterboth asvapor-like
moisturecalledfreewaterin itsiell cav- Moisture at 17%(%"shrinkage)
content I
itiesandasboundwaterin thecellwalls.
Whenwood is cut and exposedto the I
air,it shedsits freewaterfirst. Whenall
freewateris expelled, the wood is said I
to beat its fibersaturationpoint (FSP),
typicallybetween23 and 30 percent Moisture at 13%(%"shrinkage)
content I
moisturecontent.Tothispoint therehas
beenno change in thedimensions of the I
piece;it simplyweighsless.As wood
driesfurther,however,wateris shedfrom I
the cellwalls,causingthem-and the
board-to shrink. contentat 8o/o('1"shrinkage)
Moisture I
Undernormalcircumstances, wood
neverregainsits freewater;a dried I
board'scellcavitieswill alwaysremain
emptyof moisture.But the amountof I
boundwatercontainedin thecellwalls
changes with shiftsin the humidity in Asthemoisture levelof a 2-by-10plain-sawn
plankof softwood lumber t
the air.At 100percentrelativehumid- dropsbelowthefibersaturation point(FSP),
thewoodshrinks. At 17 per-
ity, wood reaches its FSP.At 0 percent cent,theboardis %inchnarrower thanit wasat its FSP;it loses
another I
humidity,woodis drainedof all water, %inchof widthwhenkiln-dried to 8 percent.
Shrinkage depends partly
Therelativemoisturein theatmosphere onthedensityof thewood; generally,
a denser
species shrinks andswells I
normallyfallsbetweenthesevalues,and morethana lighterone.Sapwood alsotendsto change in sizemore
the moisturecontentof mostwoods quicklythanheartwood. I

I
I
I
I CABINETMAKING BASICS

I WOOD
SHRINKAGE
I Tangentialandradialshrinkage
Wooddoesnotshrinkuniformly; asshown
I bythedottedredlinesin theillustration
at right,tangential shrinkage-tangent to
I thegrowthrings-isabouttwiceasgreat
asradialshrinkage, whichoccurs across
I therings.Thisdifference causesboards
andpanels to warpastheyshrinkor swell
I withchanges in relative
jointsto loosen
humidity.lt can
alsocause ortighten
from
I excess Dressure, asdiscussed below.
Shrinkage alongthe lengthof a boardis
I usuallyinsignificant. A 2-by-10 plankthat
shrinks%inchacross itswidthmightlose
I lessthanXeinchalongan8-footlength.

I
I
I WOOD ANDJOINERY
GRAIN
I
I
I
I
I
I
t 0ptimizing graindirection
Thelocation of thetangential planes of
I mating boardswillsignif icantly affecta
joint'sstrength andstability. Intheide-
t al situation-as shown in theillustration
of a mortise-and-tenon jointat left-the
I tangential planes of joinedpieces are
parallel. Thisensures thatthe boards
I willexperience similarwoodmovement

t r< Tan4ential
in thesamedirection
content changes.
wayhelpsprevent
astheirmoisture
Orienting boards
a jointfromcoming
this

I plane
loose;it alsoprevents themating boards
whentheyswellwithhigh-
r fromsplitting
er levelsof moisture.

t 15

t
 I
SELECTINGAND ORDERINGLUMBER I
I
V ou canbuy the lumberfor your woodwill oftenneedto be seasoned example,orderWesternred cedar,not t
I woodworkingprojectfrom several andsurfaced. Rerycled boards aregrow- simplycedar.Tobeabsolutely sure,learn
sources, eachwith its own advantages ingin popularity, a resultof thescarci- the botanicalnameof the wood you I
and drawbacks. The locallumberyard ty of certainwoodsandthegrowing want and askfor it.
is oftenthe most convenientsupplier, sense of environmental responsibility .Quantity: Let your supplierknow I
but the selectionmaybelimitedto con- felt bv manvwoodworkers. Whether whetheryou areorderingin boardfeet
structionwoodssuchaspine,spruce, removed fromanoldbarnor a pieceof or linealfeet.A lineal foot refersto a I
and other softwoods.Though you timewornfurniture,suchwoodmaybe board'slength,regardless of its width
mayfind the occasional cacheof hard- relatively inexpensive and,because it andthickness. Theboardfoot is a mea- I
wood at a lumberyard,you will prob- oftenoriginates fromoldgrowthtimber, sureof the volumeof woodtit is usual-
ably have to venture farther afield, it canbevisuallyandstructurally supe- Iy necessary to referto board feetfor I
consultingwoodworkingmagazines rior to thesmallbilletsof younger lum- orderinghardwoods,which areoften
to find dealerswho soecialize in the beravailable today. availablein randomsizesonly. t
hardwoodsusedin cabinetry.Pricesfor Before ordering yourwood,consider .Size:Woodissoldin nominalrather
goodhardwoodlumbercanbe high, yourrequirements carefullyandreferto thanactualsizes. somakeallowances for I
but asis oftenthe case,you will gener- thefollowingtipsto helpyougetwhat the difference whenorderingsurfaced
ally getwhat you pay for. youneedat a reasonable cost. lumber.A nominal 2-bv-4is actuallv t
Sometimes you canbuy locallycut . Species:Askfor thespecific wood l'/i'-by-31". The thickness of wood ii
lumber from a smallsawmill,but the species, not a broadfamilyname.For oftenexpressed asa fractionin quarters I
I
BOARD
CATCUTATING FEET I
0rdering bytheboardfoot
lumber
Theboardfootis a unitof measurement commonly usedwhen I
dealing withhardwood lumber. Asshownbelow, thestandard
boardfootis equivalent to a pieceof wood1 inchthick,12 I
inches wide,and12 incheslong.Tocalculate thenumber of
-,iy6:[,::;#f,
boardfeet in a particular pieceof wood,multiplyits three
dimensions, thendividethe resultby I44 if thedimensions difterent,
sizeboardg
areall in inches.
or bv 12 if oneof thedimensions is in feet.

1-by-3= 2 board feet i

Theformulafor a standardboard:
I " x 1 2 "x 1 2 "+ I 4 4 = I ( o r1 "x 1 2 "x 1 ' : 1 2 = I )
Soif youhada 6{ooflong1-by-4, youwouldcalculate the l-D!-O = + OOarATeeT ',
boardfeetasfollows: 1"x 4" x $' + 12 = 2 (or2 boardfeet).
Otherexamoles areshownin theillustration, Remember that
boardfeetarecalculated onthebasisof nominal ratherthan
1-by-12=Bboardfeet
actualdimensions.

1"x 12"x 12"= 1 eLandardboardfoot

2-by-4=5%boardfeet

2-W-6 = B board feet i,

I
T6 I
I
I
I CABINETMAKING BASICS

I
I of an inch.A 2-inch-thickboard,for primary differencebetweenthe two
example, is expressedas%;surfacingwill is the moisturecontent(MC) of the THESTAGES
OF
I reduceit to 1%inches.Wth unsurfaced wood.Kiln-driedwoodhasa moisture PRODUCTION
CABINET
or greenwood,the nominaland actual contentof about8 percent;it will not Likemosttasks,the building
I dimensions arethesame. drv anvfurtherwhenusedfor indoor of a oieceof furniture canbe
. Grade: The primary difference fuiniture.Air-driedwood hasan MC
accomplished mostsmoothly
I betweenhigh and low gradesof hard- of 12to 15percent.Thiswoodis often andefficientlyif youtakea
wood lumberis appearance ratherthan chosenby carvers, or by woodworkers Most
methodical approach.
I strength.Because the gradeofa board who preferto dry their own wood. projectsinvolve the stepslist-
isdetermined by theproportionsof clear .Surfacing:Surfacingrefersto how
ed below;theyshould becar-
I wood it contains,large high-grade wood is preparedat the mill beforeit riedoutin thesequence shown,
boardsarefar moreexpensive thanlow- comesto the lumberyard.Hardwood startingat the drawing board
I er-gradeboards.If you needonly small- lumberis usuallysurfacedon both faces andending witha finalinspec-
er high-gradepiecesyou cancut them (S2S). Ifyou havea planerandajointer,
t out ofa lower-grade board,at greatsav- buying rough lumber and surfacing
tion.Formaximum efficiency,
layoutyourtoolsin theshop
ings.Consultyour localdealerfor a chart it yourselfwill provelessexpensive.
sothatyourwoodfollowsa
I ofthe differentgradesavailable. directroutefrom
relatively
. Seasoning: Lumberis soldeither roughstockto f inalassembly.
kiln-dried(KD) or air-dried(AD).The Considerations fordetermin ing
yourneedsandordering wood
arediscussed at leftandonpage
18.Stockpreparation andjoin-
erybeginon page20.

rDesign andplanpiece
. Listandordermaterials
. Prepare stock
.Jointonefaceandedge
. Plane otherface
. Ripto width
rGrosscut to length
. Cutjoints
.Sandbefore assembly
.Assemble components
.Finishsand
oMakeandinstalldoors
anddrawers
'APPIY finish
.Givefinalinspection

I
t t7

I
 t
CABINETMAKINGBASICS I
I
CUTTING
LISTS t
Making andusinga cutting list
A cuttinglistrecords thefrnished sizes
I
of lumberneeded fora particular pieceof
furniture. lf oneis notincluded withthe
I
plansyoupurchase, youwillhaveto make
yourownbased ona sketch of thedesign.
I
o n p a g e1 6 t o
U s et h ef o r m u l sah o w n
totalthe number of boardfeetforeach
I
component of the prolect; add20 to 40
percent (depending on thespecies) to
I
account forwasteanddefects in thewood.
Forthe bookcase shownat right,which
I
totalsroughly 14 board feet,youshould
purchase 17 to 20 board feetof %lumber Adjuotableehelf I
in addition to theplywood forthebackof
thecase. Asshown below, a cuttinglist
I
should i n c l u dteh en a m eo f t h ec o m p o -
nent,thequantity, thedimensions of each
I
piece, andthewoodspecies selected for
the project. Forconvenience, assign each
I
piecea kevletterfor laterreference,
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
CUTTING
tlST
I
Piece Qtv. Th. w. L. Material Boardfeet
A Top 1 1u 10' 23Yo' ash 1.6 I
B Bottom I 1', 10' 23Yo' ash 1.6
C Side a
I
Z 1u 10" 4z', asn 5.8
D Fixedshelf 1 1u 10' 23%'. ash 1.6 I
EAdjustable
shelves 1u 10' asn 3.0
F Back 1 Y"' 24',
zL-k

42', plywood
t
I
I
18 I
I
I
I LUMBERDEFECTS
t
I T umberdefects mayreducea board's Mostdefects,however,areundimin- The chartbelowillustratessomeof
L.i strengthor workabilityor mar its Although
ishedtrouble. somemayresult the most commondefectsand details
I appearance. Or, in the handsof a cre- fromdamage to thestandingtreeor the the wayin whichmostcanbe correct-
ativewoodworker,somedefectsmayin lumbercutfromit, the greatest
number ed;with diligentuseof the band saw
I factbecomevisualassets, transforming ofdefectsareproduced dry-
byirregular eventhemostseriously cuppedboards
an ordinarypieceinto a work of art. ingof thewood. canbe salvaged(page21).
I
I INWOOD
DEFECTS
I CHARACTERISTICS REMEDIES
I Appears asa whorlencircled bysoundtissue.Formed as Tightknotscanbecutoutor used,
deador
dictates;
gradually
girthof treeincreases, enveloping branch. Live asappearance
t branches withsurrounding
integrate wood,
tightknots;deadstubscannotintegrate
resultingin looseknots
withsurroundingbeforeworking
mustbe removed
withstock.
t tissue,forming deador looseknots.
of the boardor in pockets Donotusestockif a quality
Anaccumulation onthesurface
t withintheboard.
feredan injury,
Usually
exposure
develops
to fire,
or
whena treehassuf-
insectattack. bleedthrough
asgumwill
finishis required,
mostfinishes.
t
t Lengthwise in thewood,usually
orseparations
ruptures
Maycompromise
byrapiddrying.
caused and
strength
Canbecutoff'

of board.
appearance
I
I Anend-to-end curvealongtheface,usually caused by Flattenbowedboards onthe
storage of lumber.Introducesinternalstresses jointer, pieces,
or cut intoshorter
I improper
in thewoodthatmakeit difficultto cut. thenusethejointer.
I Anedge-to-edge curveacrosstheface.Common
cutstock,or boards
tangentially
in
cutcloseto thepith,
Cupped boards canbesalvaged
onthe bandsaw(page21) or
if onefaceof a boardhaslesscontact withtheairthan flattenedonthejointer.
I theother.
I End-to-end curvealongtheedge,causedby incorrect Boardcanbesalvaged byjointing
Crook
orcuttingtheboardcloseto thepithof a tree. andrippingwastefromtheedges.
I ffi
lJ---------/
seasoning
Weakens thewood,making
applications.
bearing
forweight-
it unsuitable Crooked remainunstable,
boards
andmaynotstainorfinishwell.
t Twist Uneven warping
or irregular whenonecorner is not Boardcanbeflattenedonjointer,
t .-'-t-Z withtheothers.
aligned
a cross-grain
Results fromuneven
patternthat is notparallel
drying
to theedge.
or boards.
orcut intoshorter

t Y--t'--
t Split to checks,
Similar asseparations
appeartng alongthe
rings.Alsoknownasringcheckor ringshank.
grovuth
Board canbeused,butsplitmay
martheappearance of thewood,
fromimproper
Results of woodorfellingdamage. becoming
drying morenoticeable
when
I € stainis applied.

I
I
I
I l9

I
 I
PREPARING
STOCK I
I
/l nceyouhavedesigned a projectand The procedures you follow depend board to makeit parallelto the first. t
\-rl purchasedthe lumber,you must on how the wood wassurfacedbefore Whenthe stockisiquareand smooth,
preparethe stock,jointing and planing you boughtit. For rough,unsurfaced youarereadytorip it to widthandcross- t
it smoothand square,cuttingit to the Iumber,first smoothone faceon the cut it to length.
properdimensions andsandinganysur- jointer,then one edge,producingtwo For S2Slumber,which hasalready I
facesthat will be difficult to reachwhen adjoiningsurfacesthatareat 90oto each hadboth facessurfaced, you needonlv
the work is assembled. other.Next,planethe other faceof the joint one edgeacrossthe jointer,then I
cut to width andlengh. S4Sstock,with
all four surfaces dressed,
canbe ripped t
andcrosscutimmediately;only surfaces
thatwill begluedtogethermustbejoint- t
ed.Beforegluing up anypart ofyour
project,rememberto sandanysurfaces I
thatwillbe hardto reachafterassembly.
I
I
A jointer producesa smooth,even
edgeon a hardwood board. For best I
results,seta cutting depth between
Vtaand t/einch. I
I
SURFACING
LUMBER
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
lointing
a board
Slidethefencetowardtheguard,if necessary,to ensure fence.)Feedthe boardslowly andsteadily across the knives I
thatno portionof thecutterknives
will beexposedasthe (above) applying downward pressure on the outfeedsideof
workpiece passes overthem.Laytheworkpiece face-down t h ek n i v e as n dl a t e r apl r e s s u raeg a i n st th e f e n c e W
. hen I
on the infeedtablea fewinchesfromthe knives.Buttits w o r k i nwg i t hl o n gs t o c kb, r i n gy o u rl e f th a n dt o t h e b a c k
edgeagainst thefence,thenplacetwopushblocks squarely o f t h ew o r k p i e cweh e ny o u rr i g h th a n dp a s s etsh e k n i v e s . I
on itsface,centered betweentheedges. (Usepushblocks W h e no n ef a c ei s d o n ej,o i n tt h e b o a r de d g ea ss h o w ni n
withoffsethandles to prevent
yourhandsfromhittingthe the ohotoabove. I
I
20 I
I
I
I CABINETMAKING BASICS

I
I
I
t
I
T
I
I
T
T
I
I
t
I
I
I Planing stock
depthto %oinch.Stand
I
Setthecutting
to onesideof theplaner
handsto feedthestockcarefully
anduseboth
into
llllilllltillllililllllllllill
l]llllljlllllllll]lllllllllllllllllllll1
I
t
themachine.

across
Oncethefeedmechanism
g r i p st h eb o a r da n db e g i ntso p u l li t
thecutterhead, support thetrail-
)HO? TI?
galvagingouppedotoak
@
i n ge n dt o k e e pi t f l a to n t h et a b l e on lhe band eaw
I hbove).Thenmoveto the outfeed Youcanoalvage cuppedboardoueinq
sideof theplanerto support thework- Nhebandsaw,radialarm eaw,or table
t prece withbothhandsuntilit clears the eawfo riVVinqNhe ehockinNo narrower
outfeed roller.To prevent thestockfrom boarde.lf you are ueinqlhe bandeaw
I warping in use,avoidplaning onlyone as ehownhere,ineNall yourwideet'
face;instead, plane thesameamount bladeand a rip fence.Thenarrow-
I of woodfrombothsides
er Nhewidlh of cuI,I'he flaNt'erthe
reeulting boarde.5 el Nheboard
I convex(hiqh)eideup on lhe Iable
and,bul5inqLheboardaqainet
the fence,teed it eteadilyinbo
I the blade,Finishthe paeewiNha
puehetick.Kemove any remaininq
I hiqhopote on the jointer.

I
I
I 2l

T
 I
CABINETMAKINGBASICS t
I
DIMENSIONING
ST(]CK t
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
t
I
I
Ripping a board onthetablesaw I
Setthe bladeheightabout%inchabove theworkpiece. posi- withyourrighthand,makrngcertainthatneither
handis in line
tiontheripfenceforthewidthof cut,thenpushthestockinto wrththeblade.Keeppushing theboarduntilthebladecuts I
t h eb l a d eh, o l d i nigt f i r m l ya g a i n st ht ef e n c ew i t hy o u rl e f t throughit completely.
Tokeepyourfingers fromcoming closer
handandfeeding theboardwithboththumbs(above). SIand than3 inchesfromtheblade,usea pushstickto complete the
I
slightly to onesideof theworkpiece andstraddle thefence pass.(Caution:
Bladeguardpartially
retracted
for clarity.)
I
t
I
r
I
I
Crosscutting stock
W r t ht h ew o r k p i e cf leu s ha g a i n st ht e I
mitergauge, alignthecuttingmarkwith
theblade. Position theripfence wellaway I
fromtheendof thestockto prevent the
cut-offpiecefromjamming against the I
blade andkicking backtoward you.Hook
thethumbsof bothhands overthemiter I
gauge to holdthestockf irmlyagainst the
gauga e n df l a to n t h et a b l et,h e nf e e d I
theboardintothe blade(right).(Caution:
Bladeguardpartially retracted for clarity.) I
I
22 I
I
I
I CABINETMAKING BASICS

I
r SANDING
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
Using a beltsander
I Clampa stopblockto a worksurface to

I llllllllllllllllllllllllllllljl]lllllllllll iltlll llllllllIIlllllllt keepthestockfrom

sanding
moving.
beltanddrapethe
Install
power
a
cord
overyourshoulder to keepit outof the
I 1HO?TI? way.Withthesanding directionparallel
to thewood grain,turnon the tooland
t Making repeat
cuts with the
slowlylowerit ontothesurface (above).
Somewoodworkers preferto setthetool
I lable eaw
To cut, several f latontheworkpiece beforestartingit.
In eithercase,movethemachine along
boardeLo Nhe
I eamelenqNh on thegrainwithlong,overlapping strokes
Nhet ablesaw, untilthesurface is smooth. avold
To
I 6crewa boardLo gouging thesurface, keepthe sander
lhe miler qauqe f lat andalways moving; do notletthe
I a e a n e x t e n e i o ne,n o u r i n q machine pausein onespot.
Nhat one ende>lvends beYond Lhe
I sawblade.Tueht'he miberqauqet'o
offthe
cut,intol'heendof the e>l1ension.Turn
I eawand markf'helenqlhof cut on Ihe erteneion.
Aliqnawoodblockwi|ht'he mark and clampiNin p.lace
ae-a olop block.To lineup oachcul, bulN'lheend of
I vhe workpiece aqainet'Nheblockand makeNhecut'
t
I
I 23

t
 I
CABINETMAKINGIOINERY t
I
his sectionintroducessomestan- canbecut on a varietyof powertools, casewill needa back.Installationdetails I
J. dardjoinerytechniques common but thehand-cutting technique shown areprovidedon page31.
to thebuildingof virtuallyanystyleof startingonpage26will giveyouthedis- Manytypesof cabinets, includingthe t
cgline1 orbookcase. Ifyouareusingsol- tinctivelookassociatedwithfinefurni- armoireshownon page60, are built
id lumberforyourproject,youwill make ture.A platejoint,shownbeginning on around frame-and-panel assemblies I
upthewidepanels forthecarcaseor the page29,is a muchquickeroption. ratherthancrcrses.Twojoinery options
panelof aframe-and-panel assemblyby Althoughit lacksthedovetail's esthet- for buildingsucha cabinetarepresent- I
gluingboardstogether edge-to-edge,
as ic appeal,the platejoint is virtually ed:themortise-and-tenon (page33)and
shownbelow.Thistechnique enables asstrongandis anexcellent choiceif the cope-and-stickjoint (page35).The I
youto savemoney-wideboardsare youareworkingwith p\nvoodpanels, panelsfor a frame-and-panel cabinet
prohibitively
expensive-without sacri- whichcannotbejoinedwith dovetails. can be raisedon eitherthe tablesaw I
ficingstrength;a glued-uppanelisjust Whichever joint youchoose,yourcar- (pagej6) or router (page3S).
asstrongasa singlepieceof lumber.If I
youareworkingwith plywoodpanels,
hardwoodbandingwill hideunsightly GLUING
UPA PANET I
edges (page25).
Of thedozens ofjoineryoptions,the I
throughdovetailjoint remainsthe
benchmark of craftsmanship.Thejoint I
I
I
I
t
I
t
I
T
t
Theplate,or biscuit,
joint ffirs a strong
and simplemethodof connecting car- I
casecornerswith a minimum of set-up theglue
1 Applying
time. The slotsarecut with a special r Settwobarclamps on a worksurface andlaythe boards on top.Adoas many I
toolknownasa platejoiner. Onceglue clamps asyouneedto support thepieces propthecramos
at 24-to 36-inchintervals.
isaddedto the slots,
ovalbiscuitsof com- on notched woodblocks to keepthemfromfallingover.Marktheendgrainorientation I
pressed beechare inserted.When the of eachboard witha pencil,
thenarrangethepieces to enhancetheirappearance,
as
joint isgluedand assembled, thebiscuits shownin thephotoonpage13.Tominimize warping,makesuretheendgrainof adja- T
swell,creatinga durableconnection. centboards runsin oppositedirections.
onceyouhavea satisfactory arrangemenr,
alignthepieces edgeto-edge andmarka triangleonthestockto helpyouassemble the T
boards at glueup.Next,cuttwoprotective woodpadsat leastas longastheboards.
Leaving thefirstboardfacedown,standtheotherpieces onedgewiththealignment I
marksfacingawayfromyou.Applya thingluebeadto eachboard(above), rnenuse
a small,stiff-bristled
brushto spreadtheadhesive eventv. I
I
24 I
T
t
I CABINETMAKING BASICS

I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I r) Tightening theclamps
L Settheboards facedown,making
I llltlll lllllllllllllllllillfllllllllllllilllllllllllillllllllllllJllll surethesidesof thetriangle
e nt h ec l a m p u
align.Tight-
s n d etrh eb o a r djsu s t
I enough to press themtogether. Installa
1HO?Tt? thirdclampacross thetopof thestock,
I Adding edge molding
centering it between theothers. Gradually
tighten alltheclamps(above) untilthere
to plywood
I Coicealthe vieibleedqeeof
arenogapsbetween the boards and
plywoodpanelewilh eolid' a thinbeadof gluesqueezes outof the
I woodmoldin7.Uoea I'ongue- joints.Usea C clampto leveladjacent
and-groove joint'lo )oinlhe boards thatdonotlieperfectly f lushwith
I pieceo.CUI a qrooveinNo eachother.Protecting theboards witha
lhe ed4eone-t'hirdas Nhick woodpad,center theclamponthejotnt
I a e N h eo a n e l . T h esna wa n e a tr h ee n d sa n dt i g h t e ni t u n t i lt h e
matchiiqlonyueon the edqe boards arelevel(inset), thenremove
I of lhe hardwoodboardthat' theclampandpad.Usea puttyknifeto
willbeusedaslhe edqemold- remove as muchof thesqueezed-out
inq.(lNis besl'o maket'he
I glueaspossible before it dries.Oncethe
adhesive hascured,remove theclamps
t andusea patntscraper to remove any
gluethatremains.
I lhe 7rooveand on Lhetonque.
gecurelhe moldinqin 7lacewilh
I Nhree-wayclampo.

I
I
I 25

I
 I
CABINETMAKING BASICS t
I
HAND.CUT
DOVETAILS I
thoulder
I
1 T
Waate Center
I
I
t
I
I
t
I
'l
I
0utlining thepins
I Marktheoutside faceof eachboardwitha bigX,thenset s h o u lbd en ow i d etrh a nt h et a i l se; v e n lsyp a c epdi n sa t l e a s t I
a cutting gauge to thethickness of thestockandscribe a line one{hird thesizeof thewaste sections around themwillmake
around theendsof thefourpanels to marktheshoulder of the j o i n t .B e g i nw i t hh a l f - p i nast e a c h
f o r a n a t t r a c t i v set,r o n g I
pinsandtails.Thepanels thatwillformthetopandbottom of edge,making certain thatthenarrow sidesof thepinsareon
thecarcase willbethepinboards. Secure eachonein turnin theoutside faceof thepanel.Outline thewastesections beside I
a viseandusea dovetail square to ouflinethepinsontheends thehalf-pins andmarkthecenter of thepanelend.Oufline a
of theboardin thesequence shown above. (youcanalsousea pinat thecenter mark,thenmarktheremaining pins(above, I
slidingbeveltomarkthepins;setanangleof l:6 forsoftwood right),indicating all thewastesections withXs.Usea combi-
o r 1 : 8f o rh a r d w o o d . ) T haerreen of i r mg u i d e l i n feosrs i z i n g nationsquare to extend themarksdownto theshoulder lineon I
a n ds p a c i ntgh ep i n so f a d o v e t aj iol i n t .I n g e n e r at lh, ep i n s bothfacesasyougo.
t
r) Cuttingthepins
Z- Secure thef irstpin boardrna vise
I
wrthits outsidefacetoward you.Usea
dovetail saivto cut alongtheedges of
I
thepins,working fromonesideof the
panelto the other(right).Somewood-
I
workers findit easier to cut all the left-
handedges first,andthenmoveonto
I
theright-hand edges. Foreachcut,align
thesawbladewiththewastesideof the
I
cuttinglineandusesmooth, evenstrokes,
takingcareto keepthebladeperpendic-
I
ularto thepanelendasyoucutto the
shoulder lines.Repeat theprocedure at
I
theopposite endof theboardandat both
endsof theotherpinboard.
I
I
I
26 t
I
I
t CABINE,TMAKINGBASICS

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I Q Chiseling outthewaste
r-J Mostof the wastewoodbetweenthe
I p i n sc a nb e r e m o v ew d i t ha c o p i n gs a w ,
a s s h o w ni n t h e s h o pt i p b e l o wl,e a v i n g
I t h e f i n a lp a r i n gf o r a c h i s e l H . o w e v e irt,
i s n o t m u c hm o r ed i f fi c u l tt o c h i s eol u t
I all the waste.The keyis to workpatient-
l y , r e m o v i ntgh i n s l i v e r so f w o o dw i t h
I e a c hc u t , u s i n ga c h i s e nl o w i d e rt h a n
the narrowsideof the wastesection.Set
I t h e p i n b o a r do u t s i d e - f a cuep o n a w o r k
surface a n dc l a m pa g u i d eb l o c ko n t o p
I w i t ht h e e d g ea l i g n e d w i t ht h e s h o u l d e r

I llllllljt]llilllllllll[ lllll]illllllllllllJlll tjillll i[ tlil]Illll t h ec h i s eb

l i n e .H o l d i n g l e v e l - o uatg a i n s t
t h e g u i d eb l o c ka n d p e r p e n d i c u ltaort h e
f a c eo f t h e w o r k p i e c e s t, r i k et h e h a n d l e
I 9HO7Tt? w i t ha w o o d e nm a l l e t o s c o r ea % - i n c h -
deepcut (above,left).Thencut fromthe
I Cuttin7 awaywaole end of the boardto shaveoff a %-inch
with a aoping saw layerof wasle (above,rrght). Continue
I A copinqsawworKe
r e m o v i ntgh e w a s t eu n t i ly o ua r ea b o u t
a s w e l la s a c h i e e l
for clearingawayNhe halfway throughthe stock.Onceyouhave
I bulkof the wast'ewood removed all the wastefromonesideof
betweenNhepine.WiNh the board,turn it over,reposition the edge
I N h ep a n e le e c u r e du p r i 4 h l i n o f t h eg u i d eb l o c kd i r e c t l o y v e rt h e s h o u l -
a v i e e ,s l a n d f a c i n q t h e o u N - d e rl i n e ,a n dr e m o v teh e w a s t ef r o mt h e
I s i d e f a c e o f N h e V a n e la n d o l i d e o t h e rs i d e .
the saw blade into t'he kerl beeide
I each pin, Kolale lhe frame wit'houL
e N r i k i n aN h ee n d o f L h e b o a r d a n d c u No u t '
I a e m u c h w a e t ' ea o y o D c a n w h i l ek e e p i n qt h e
b l a d ea b o u l / , ai n c h a b o v et ' h e s h o u l d e rl i n e .C u l
I u n N yi lo ur e a c h l h e k e rot n L h ee d q eo f t ' h ea d l a c e n t
pin.Dsea chieello pareawayany remaininq wasLe.
I
I
I
I
 I
CABINETMAKING BASICS I
I
I
?in board
I
X I
I
t
I
t
I
I
I
()utlining andcutting thetails t
M a r ks h o u l d el irn e so n t h et a i lb o a r dassv o ud i do nt h e t o e x t e n tdh e l i n e so n t ot h ee n d so f t h eb o a r d sM. a r k
a l lt h e
p i n b o a r d sS, e to n eo f t h et a i l b o a r dosu t s i d e - f adcoew no n wastesections withXs.Usea dovetail sawto cutthetailsthe I
a w o r ks u r f a c ae n dc l a m pa g u i d eb l o c ka l o n gt h ee x p o s e d samewayyoucut the pins(step2). Forsomewoodworkers,
s h o u l d el irn e .T h e nu, s i n ga h a n d s c r eaw n dc l a m p sf i,x o n e anglingthe board(above,right)ratherthanthe sawmaKes I
pin boardon endagainst theguideblockwithitsoutside face f o r e a s i ecr u t t i n gI.n e i t h ecr a s es, a ws m o o t h layn de v e n l y
a w a yf r o mt h et a i l b o a r dM , a k es u r et h ee d g e sa r ea l i g n e d , a l o n gt h ee d g eo f e a c ht a i l ,s t o p p i nagt t h es h o u l d el irn e . I
t h e no u t l i n et h et a i l s( a b o v e/ e
, f f ) .R e p e at th e p r o c e d u r e O n c ea l l t h e s a wc u t sh a v eb e e nm a d ei n
b o t ht a i lp a n e l s .
o n t h e o p p o s i teen do f t h e b o a r da n do n t h eo t h e tr a i l remove thewaste witha chiselor a copingsaw. I
panel, thenremove theclamps andusea combination square
I
I
f, Gluing upthecarcase I
r.,l Dry-assemble thecarcase before glueupto ensure the
jointsfit properly.
Press eachcorner togetherbyhandasfar I
asit willgo,thentapthepieces intofinalposition
withthe
mallet,protecting thewoodwitha scrapboard.lf a jointis I
tootrght,markthespotwhereit binds, thendisassemore
thecarcase andpareexcess woodat themark.Onceyou t
aresatisfied withthefit, takecareoftheotherrequirements
of thecarcase,
preparing
suchasinstalling a backpanel(page 3j) or I
thesidesforshelving or drawers.Forglueup,
makefourwoodpadsaslongasthewidthofthepanels and I
cutsmalltriangular notchesin thepadssotheyonlyconract
thetails.Spread a thin,evenlayer of glueonallthecon- I
tactingsurfaces,thenassemble thecarcase andinstalltwo
barclamps across the pin boards. Tighten the clamps a I
littleata timeuntila smallamount ofgluesqueezes outof
thejoints(rghf). t
I
28 I
T
I
I CABINETMAKINGBASICS

t
t WITHPLATE
A CARCASE
ASSEMBLING J()INTS
I 1 Marking theslotlocations
I l d e n t i ftyh eo u t s i dfea c eo f e a c h
I panel withanX,thenmarklocation lines
fortheslots on each of the four corners.
I Tostart,placeonesidepaneloutside-face
d o w no n a w o r ks u r f a c ae n dh o l dt h e
I top panel at a 90' angle to it. Usea pen-
/":. c i lt o m a r k l i n e s
o n t h ea d j o i n i npga n e l s
I abou|2inches in from each corner; make
a thirdmark midway along the edge (left).
t W i d epr a n e w
c u i t s ;i n g e
l si l lr e q u i raed d i t i o n a
n e r atl ,
h e r es h o u l b
d e o
b li s -
ne
I 4
b i s c u iet v e r y t o 6 i n c h e sR . e p e at h
t e
p r o c e d u tr oe m a r ks l o tl o c a t i o nosn
I t h e o t h e trh r e ec o r n e rosf t h ec a r c a s e .
Addreference letters to helpyouidenti-
I fy thecorners.

I
I
I
I
I
T
I
I
t
I
t
I r) Cutting theslots
L m" setupshown above willallowyouto cutalltheslotsfor cutontheplateloiner, Restthetoolonthesupport board, butt
I onecarcase corner without moving thepanels. Leaving a side itsfaceplate against theendof thetoppanel, andaligntheguide-
paneloutside-face down,set the top piece outside-face upon lineonthefaceplate witha slotlocation markonthestock. Then
I topof it. Offsetthetop panel by the stock thickness, making cuta slotat eachmark(above, left).Iocutthematingslotsin
surethemating slotlocation marks onthetwopanels areper- thesidepanel, buttthejoiner's baseplateagainst thetoppan-
I d .l a m tph e
y l i g n eC
fectla p i e c eisn p l a c e
a n ds e a
t s u pport e l a n dt h e na l i g nt h ec e n t egru i d e l i no ent h ep l a t ew i t ha s l o t
board thesamethickness asthestock in front of the panels. locationmark(above, rrght).
I Follow themanufacturer's instructions forsetting thedepthof

I
t 29

I
 I
CABINETMAKINGBASICS I
I
Q
Inserting thebiscuits I
r-,1 Onceall the slotshavebeencut, dry-
f i t t h e p a n e l sa n dc u t a b a c kp a n e li f t h a t I
is partof yourdesign(page31),or make
r e a d yf o r s h e l v e so r d r a w e r sT. h e ns e t t
o n es i d ep a n e o l u t s i d e - f a cdeo w no n t h e
w o r ks u r f a c ea n ds p r e a dg l u ei n t h e s l o t s I
a n d a l o n gt h e p a n e sl u r f a c ei,n s e r t i n g
b r s c u i tas s y o ug o ( l e f ) . f o p r e v e ntth e I
w o o d e nw a f e r sf r o m e x p a n d i n g before
t h e p a n e l sa r ea s s e m b l e dp .r o c e e tdo I
s t e p4 a s q u i c k l ya s p o s s i b l e .
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
Gluing
upthecarcase
F i t t h e t o p a n d b o t t o mp a n e l so n I
t h e s i d ep a n e a l n d t h e na p p l ya d h e s i v e
i n t h e s l o t sa n d a l o n gt h e p a n e e l nds, I
i n s e r t i nbg i s c u i t sa s y o ug o .A d dt h e o t h -
e r s i d e p a n e l( r i g h t ) .T u r n i n gt h e c a r - I
caseon end,usetwo barclampsto press
t h e t o p a n d b o t t o mp a n e l st o g e t h ear n d I
t i g h t e nt h e c l a m p se x a c t l ya s y o uw o u l d
w h e ng l u i n gu p a c a r c a sw e i t hd o v e t a i l I
lotnIs (page 28),Ihis time using standard
woodpadsto protectthe stock. I
I
30 I
I
I
t CABINETMAKINGBASICS

I
t A BACKPANEL
INSTALLING
'l Routing a rabbet forthepanel
I I Drv-assemble theoanels andsetthecarcase ona worksur-
facewithitsbackfacingup;holdthepieces together usinga
I b a rc l a m pw i t hs u p p o b r to a r d sI n. s t a al l % - i n crha b b e t i nb gi t
w i t ha b a l l - b e a r ipni g
loa t n da d j u stth ed e p t ho f c u tt o m a k e
I t a tw i l lb e ' l oi n c hd e e p et hr a nt h et h i c k n e o
a r a b b et h s sf t h e
b a c kp a n eyi o uw i l lb ei n s t a l l i nSgt.a r t i nagt o n ec o r n eorf t h e
I carcase, resttherouter's baseplateonthesupport board with
\\- thebitjustclearof theworkpiece. Holding therouter firmlyin
I bothhands, turnonthetoolandguide thebitintothepanel. 0nce
thepilotbearing meets thestock, pulltherouter against thedirec-
I tionof bitrotation, keeping thebaseplatef lat.Whenyoureach
thecorner, turnoff thetool,reposition thesupport boardand
I c u tr a b b e tasl o n g t h ee d g eos f t h er e m a i n i npga n e lfso l l o w i n g
thesameprocedure (/eft).
I
\
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
r) S q u a r i ntgh e c o r n e l s
I L t l s ea p e n c i a l n da s t r a i g h t e d gt oe 2 Installing thepanel
m a r ks q u a r ec o r n e r sa t t h e r o u n d e d r J I n s t a l l i ntgh e p a n e dl u r i n gg l u eu p o f t h e c a r c a sw e i l l h e l pk e e pt h e a s s e m b l y
I e n d so f t h e r a b b e t sU. s i n ga
' l - i n c ho r s q u a r eC . u t a p i e c eo f p l y w o o tdo f i t s n u g l yi n t ot h e r a b b e t sG . l u eu p t h e c a r c a s e
w i d e rw o o dc h i s e ls, t r i k et h e t o o lw i t h a n d ,a t t h e s a m et i m e ,a p p l ya t h i n b e a do f g l u e a l o n gt h e b b e tasn do n t h ec o n -
r a
I a woodenmallel(above). cuttingto the tactingsurfaces of the plywood. Spreadthe glue evenly,setthe panelin position, and
d e o t ho f t h e r a b b e tB. e s u r et h e c h i s e l u s ef i n i s h i nnga i l s t os e c u r ei t a t 4 - t o 6 - i n c hi n t e r v a lbsb o v e ) , Y o u c a n a l s og l u eup
I b e v e fl a c e st h e i n s i d eo f t h e c a r c a s e . t h e c a r c a ssee p a r a t e llye,tt h e a d h e s i vder y ,a n dt h e ni n s t a ltlh e p a n e l .

r
I J I

I
 I
CABINETMAKING BASICS t
I
FRAME.AND.PANEL
C(lNSTRUCTI()N I
Frame-and-panel cabinets mayvary cope-and-stick on page35. Whatever nerontheedges thanin themiddle. I
widelyin theirdetails, butallshare sev- thejoint,cabinetmakers generally
build Theshapeof sucha so-called raised
eralfeatures: Theassemblies arecom- frames fromstockthatis at least%inch panelis achieved bycuttingawaythick- I
prisedof framesmadefromstilesand thickand2 inches wide.Larger stock nessat theedges.
rails,andpanels thatfit intogrooves in canalsobeusedto suitthedimensions Thereareseveral waysof makinga t
theframe.A typicalfrontandsidesec- of a particular project. raisedpanel,depending onthevisual
tionis shownbelowat right.To provide Thepanels thatfit insidetheframes effectyoudesire. A common method, I
access to the insideof thecabinet, the canbemadeeitherof plywood or edge- shownbeginning on page36, involves
frontfrequently hasa framebutnopan- gluedboards(page24).Toensurethat bevelingtheedges of thepanelwitha I
el.Thisonefeatures a median railwith a panelwillfit snuglyin thegrooves of tablesawor router.
openings fora dooranda drawer. The therailsandstiles, butstillhavea little Thestepsforgluingup individual I
twomissing assemblies wouldbesimi- roomto moveasthewoodexoands and frame-and-panel assembl iesandcabi-
larto thesideassembly shown; eachhas contracts, it is madesubstantiallythin- netsareshownon page39. I
a frameanda panel.In thiscase,the
sideswouldsharestileswiththefront I
andbackassemblies, allowing therails
to fit intoboththeedges andfacesof AI{ATOMY OFA FRAME.AI{D.PANEL CABIT{ET t
thestiles.
Bottoms aretypically attached to I
the frameby ledgerstripsor let into Rail
grooves cut in the insideedges of the Frovidea horizontal aup- I
frame. Topscanbeattached withwood pori at top and bottom
buttons thatfit in grooves in theframe, of cabinet I
orwithmetalfasteners, ledgerstrips,or
pocketholes. Stile I
Thetwomostcommon jointsusedin Vertical compo-
frame-and-panel construction arethe
nent of frami,e I
mortise-and-tenon shownin the illustra-
tionandthecope-and-stick. Themor- I
tise-and-tenon provides a relatively large
gluingarea,making it a verystrong joint. t
Twovariations areemployed in thetypi-
calcabinet: Blindmortise-and-tenons Panel
Solid woodpiece
I
joinmedian railsandstiles, whilethe that fits into
haunched version is usedto fill the qroove-typically I
groove end,eliminating theneedfor %inch deep-in
stopped grooves. Thecope-and-stick is inoide edqea of I
not quite asstrong,butoffersan addi- frame; aan be flat
with edqeorabbet-
tionaldecorative touch.Therouterbit ed or beveledon
I
thatcutsthegrooves forthepanelalso four oifufn"raige"
carves a decorative molding on the center ofthe panel I
insideedges of theframe.Step-by-step
techniques for producing theseloints I
areshownin thissection: themortise-
and-tenons starting on page33 andthe I
I
I
t
32 t
I
I
I CABINETMAKING BASICS

I
t JOINTS
M(lRTISE.AND.TEN()N
1 Cutting thetenoncheeks intherails
I I Forbothblindandhaunched tenons, startby
i n s t a l l i nagd a d oh e a do ny o u rt a b l es a wt h a ti s
I slightly widerthanthe lengthof thetenons-often
3/oinch. Thenattachan auxiliary fenceandraisethe
I blades to cuta clearance notchin it. Setthewidth
I of cut equalto thetenonlengthandthecutting
heightto one-third thestockthtckness. Feedthe
workpiece face-down, butting theendagainst the
I fenceandtheedgeagainst the mitergauge. Turn
therailoverandreoeat thecut ontheotherside
I (left).TesI thetenonin a scrappieceof woodwith
a mortise thesamewidthasthoseto becut in the
I stiles(page34); adJust the heightof thedadohead
andrepeat thecuts,if necessary. Cuttheremaining
I tenoncheeks before proceeding.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
O Cutting thetenonshoulders
I Z m" shoulders forbothblindandhaunched tenons canbe way.Forthe haunched tenons, usethesamecuttingheight
cutonthetablesaw.Forthe blindtenons, leave thecutting a rsf o rt h eb l i n dt e n o n st h, e np o s i t i o n
a n dc u to n es h o u l d e
I widthunchanged andsetthe heightof thedadoheadto about thefenceto leavea haunch equalin widthto thedepthof
Y,inch.Withtherailf lushagainst thefenceandthe miter the panelgroove on theothershoulder. Withthestockon
I gauge, feedtheworkpiece on edgeintotheblades. Turnthe edge,usethefenceandthe mitergauge to feedit intcthe
railoverandrepeatonthe othersideof thetenon(abovd. blades(insef). Repeat to cut the haunch on theotherend
I C u tt h es h o u l d ear st t h eo p p o s i teen do f t h er a i lt h es a m e of theboard.

I
I 33

t
 I
CABINETMAKING BASICS I
I
Routing themortises I
Clampall thestilestogether faceto face,endsaligned, and
useoneof theblindtenons cut in step2 to outlinethemortises I
on thestiles.Tocuteachmortise, secure onestilein a vise.
Installa commercial edgeguideon a plunge router,thenscrew I
a woodextension ontotheguide.Fittherouterwitha straight
bit thesamewidthasthe mortise andsetthecuttingdepth. I
Center thebitoverthemortise outlineandbutttheextension
against thestile.Grippingtherouter firmly,turnit onandplunge I
the bit intothe stock(right).Movethetoolfromoneendof the
mortise to the other,makingas manypasses as necessary to t
complete thecutto therequired depth.Repeat to routtheother
mortises, thensquare theendsof thecavities witha chisel. I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
Cutting thegrooves
Ontherailsandstilesof eachframe. I
markthelocation of thegrooves thatwill
holdthepanel.Leave thestraight mortis- I
ingbit in therouter,mountthetoolin
a table,andadjustthecuttingdepthto I
aboutYz inch.Center theedgeof a stile
on the bit andbuttthefenceagainst I
thestock.Clampa featherboard to the
tableto holdtheworkpiece against the I
fenceandfeedthestockwithbothhands,
making sureto pressthestileflushagainst I
thefence(/eff).Complete the passwith
a pushstick.Tocut grooves in thestile I
faces,keepthefencein thesameposi-
tion,butreposition thefeatherboard as I
necessary. Next,youcancut andraise
the panels(page36). I
t
34 I
I
I
I CABINETMAKING BASICS

I
I CABINET
A COPE.AND.STICK
in therails
t Miter qauge
1 Cutting thetongues
I Beginconstructing a cope-and-stick
t extension framebycuttingtongues in theendsof all
the rails.Afterthat,routgrooves for the
panels alongtheinsideedges of theframe
I pieces; thegrooves in thestileswillaccom-
i / - \ modate the railtongues at thesametime.
I Tocutthetongues, installa pilotedcoping
bit-the railcutter-in yourrouterandmount
I thetoolin a table.Setthecuttingdepthby
buttingtheendof a railagainst thebit and
I Rail
adjusting therouter's depthsettingsothat
Copin4 \//' - .- thetop of the uppermost cutteris slightly
I bit above theworkpiece. Position thefencepar-
allelto themitergauge slotandin linewith
I theedgeof thebit pilot.Fitthemitergauge
t withanextension andlaytheoutside
of thestockflatonthetable;keeptheends
face

of theworkpiece andextension buttedagainst

I thefencethroughout eachcut (left).
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I r) Cutting thegrooves
Z Replace the copingbit witha pilotedstickingbit-also Clamponeto theroutertableopposite the bit andsecure the
I knownasa stilecutter.To setthecuttingdepth,buttthe end otheronthe infeedsideof the fence. (ln this illustration,
the
of thecompleted the bit,andadjustthebit until
railagainst second hasbeenremoved
featherboard for clarity,)
Makeeach
I oneof its groove-cutting teethis levelwiththe railtongue cut withthestockoutside-face down, pressing the workpiece
(above,left).Alignthefencewiththeedgeof the pilotbearing. againstthefence(above,right).Usea pushstickto complete
I Usetwofeatherboards to securetheworkpiece duringthecut: thepass.Repeat thegroove cut onall therailsandstiles.

t
I 35

I
 I
CABINETMAKING BASICS I
t
RAISING
A PANEI
WITHA TABLE
SAW I
1 Cutting theendgrain I
I Test-fit therailsandstilesandmea-
suretheopening between them.Add I
Y ,i n c ht o e a c hd i m e n s i o%n ;i n c ho f
eachpanel sidewillfit intothegrooves I
in theframe.Thencutthepanelto size
onthetablesaw.Todetermine theblade I
angle forraising thepanel, drawa %-inch
square at thebottomcorner, thenmark I
a linefromthefrontfaceof the panel
through theinside corner of thesquare I
to a pointon the bottomedge%inch
fromthebackface(inset). Holdthepan- I
el against an auxiliary woodfenceand
adjust thebladeangleuntilit aligns with I
themarked line.Adjust theheight of the
cutting edgeuntiltheoutside trpof one I
toothextends beyond thefaceof thepan-
el,thenclampa guideblockto thework- I
pieceto ridealong thetopof thefence.
Feed thepanelintotheblade,
it flushagainst thefencewhilepushing
keeping t
it
forward withtheguideblock(lef\.f esI- I
fit thecutendin a groove. lf lessthan
%inchof thepanelenters thegroove, move I
thefencea littlecloser to thebladeand
makeanother pass.Repeat thecutat the I
otherendof theoanel.
I
I
I
I
I
I
r) Cutting withthegrain I
1 Setthe panelon edgeandfeedit
i n t ot h eb l a d et,h e nt u r nt h ep a n eol v e r t
to cut the remaining edge(nghf).No
guideblockis needed forthesecuts,but I
takecareto keepthebackflushagainst
thefence.Cutting intotheendgrarn ofthe I
panelf irst-beveling thetopandbottom
before thesides-helps reduce tearout. t
t
36 I
I
I
t CABINETMAKING BASICS

I
t
I
I
A JIGFORCUTTING RAISED PANETS
I T h ej i g s h o w n
at righw t i l le n a b l e
youto raisea panelonthetablesaw An4led
I without having to tilt thesawblade. fence
12"x 30"
Referto the illustration forsuggest-
t eddimensions.
Auxrliary
Screwthe lip alongthe bottom
I edgeof the angledfence,making fence
9" x 30"
certain to position thescrews where
I theywillnotbestruckbytheblade

I
I
I
whenthejig is used.Leantheangled
fenceagainst

marked
theauxiliary
thesameangleasthecuttingltne
onthepanel(page36l (Use
a slidingbevelto transfer
Cuttriangular supports
fenceat

theangle.)
to fit between
N
thetwofencesandfastenthemin LIP
I olacewithscrews. 11"x30"
Tn rrsethe iip set it on thesaw
I tablewiththeseambetween thelip
andtheangled fenceovertheblade;
t checkto besurethescrews arewell

I clearof thetableopening. Position

the rip fenceagainst theauxiliary
I fence,thenscrewthetwotogether.
Turnonthesawandcrankup the
I bladeslowly intothejigto cuta kerf
through thelip.Turnoffthesaw,seat
t thepanelin thejig andadjustthe
bladeheight untiltheoutsidetip of
I onetoothextends beyond thefront
faceof theoanel.Makea testcuton
I a scrapboardthesamethickness as
theoanel. thentest-fit
thecutend
I in a groove.Repositionthebladeor
fence,if necessary.Then,placethe
I panelin thejig andmakethecuts,
beveling theendgrainfirst(/eff).
I
I
I
I
I
I 37

I
 I
CABINETMAKING BASICS I
I
MAKING
A RAISED
PANEL
WITHA ROUTER I
1 Setting uptherouter I
I Install a panel-raising bit in yourrout-
erandmountthetoolin a table.Toensure I
thatthecuttingdepthis uniform, posi-
tionthefenceparallel to themitergauge I
s l o ta n di n l i n ew i t ht h eb i t p i l o t W
. ith
therouterturnedoff,adjustthefenceby I
placing a scrapboardalongthefenceand
across thebit.Thebit pilotshould turnas I
the boardtouchesit (right).Startwith
a %-inch-deep cutsothatyouwillreach I
yourfinaldepthin twoor morepasses.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
r) Raising thepanel
L Lower theguardoverthebit andturn
I
onthe router. To minimize tearout,cut
theendgrainof the panelf irst.Work
I
carefully;a panel-raising bit is oneof
themoredangerous routerbitsbecause
I
of the largeamountof stockthat it re-
moves witheachpass.Keepthe panel
I
flaton thetableoutside-face downand
flushagainst thefenceasyoufeedit
I
across the biI (left).Repeat the cut at the
otherendandalongbothsides.Turnoff I
therouterandtest-fit oneendin a frame
groove. lf thepanellieslessthan%inch
t
deepin thegroove, increase thecutting
depthslightly andmakeanother pass
I
allaround. Continue in thismanner until
thepanelfits properly.
I
I
38 I
r
I
I CABINETMAKINGBASICS
I
t CABINET
A FRAME.AND-PANEL
ASSEMBLING
I
I
I
I
Notched
I wood black

I
t
I
I
1 Gluing upa single assembly
I I Test-assemble the frame-and-panel (above, left).ll a b a rc l a m p sa,l i g n i ntgh eb a r sw i t ht h er a i l sT, o k e e pt h e
l o i n ti s t o ot i g h t d
, isassemb t hl e p i e c e s
a n du s ea c h i s e l c l a m pfsr o mf a l l i n g o v e rp, r o pt h e mu p i n n o t c h ebdl o c k s .
I to pareawaysomewood.Onceyouaresatisfied withthe fit, U s r n c
g l a m p i nbg l o c ktso p r o t e ct h t es t o c kt,i g h t e enach
w h e nt h e
s a n da n ys u r f a c et hs a tw i l lb ed i f f i c u lt to r e a c h c l a m pi n t u r n u n t i a
l t h i n b e a o
d f g l u e s q u e e z o
e u
s to f t h e
I g l u e
f r a m eh a sb e e ng l u e du p ,a n ds p r e a d o n a l lt h ec o n t a c t - loinIs (above, right). Check that the corners are at 90o as
y o u g o .O n c e
t h ea d h e s i vhea sd r i e dr,e m o vae n yd r i e dglue
. on o ta p p l ya n ya d h e s i vi net h e
i n gs u r f a c eosf t h el o i n t sD
I panelgrooves; the panelmustbefreeto movewithinthe r e m a i n i o
n n
g t h ew o o w
d i t ha p a i n t
s c r a p ear n
, ds a n t
d he

r frame.Reassemble theframeandsetit facedownontwo outside surfaces.

t r) Gluing upthecabinet
it thecabinet, adjust anyill-fit-
Z- Test-f
t tingjoints,andsandtheinside surfaces of
y l u et o t h ej o i n t s -
a l lt h ep i e c e sA.p p l g
I except thegrooves thatholdthepanels-
andassemble thecabinet. Then,withthe
I cabinet upright, install fourbarclamps
running fromfrontto backovertherails,
I usingwoodpadsto protect thestock.
Tighten theclamps evenly(/eft)until
I a thinbeadof gluesqueezes outof the
joints. Check thatthecabinet tssquare
I b ym e a s u r i n t hged i s t a n cbee t w e e n
diagonal corners; thetwomeasurements
I should bethesame. lf not,install anextra
barclampacross the longer of thetwo
I diagonals, setting theclamp.1aws onthose
already in place. Tighten theclampuntil
I t h ed i a g o n aal rsee q u a lO. n c et h eg l u e
hascured, remove theclamps andscrape
t awavanvdriedadhesive.

I
I 39

I
I
I

I
I
I BOOKCASE,
t
I
I
hetheritis asimpleplywood sizeandweightof theitemsit is
I structureor acustom-made intended to hold.Shelves, for exam-
wall unit craftedfrom fine hard- ple,mustbelongenough to dotheir
I wood,abookcase serves twofunc- job,but not solongthattheywill
tions at once:It is an efficient sagin use.Shelves canbefixedin
I storage system, accommodating place or adjustable.Each hasitsown
books and other items that accu- advantages. Adjustable shelving
I mulatein mosthomes,anda fine Qagea5)permitsa moreflexible
pieceof furniturein its ownright, organization of abookcase's interi-
I as handsome as the freestanding or space,but fixedshelves (page 50)
unit at left. lend a bookcase structural rigidity.
I Thebasicbookcase illustratedon Youhaveconsiderable choiceof
page 42canbeadapted to storejust buildingmaterials, joinerymeth-
I aboutanything,from boundvol- A lengthof moldingis shapedon a routertable. ods, and ornamentation when
umesto china, crystal,toys, records, Fixedto thebase or the top ofthe carcase, building a bookcase. The chapter
t compactdiscs,andvideocassettes. moldingprovidesa classictouchto a bookcase. thatfollowsdetailstheconstruction
Withtheadditionof somespecial- of abasicunit.Youmaywishto add
I izedhardware (page 44),a simple bookcase can betransformed a faceframe to strenghen thepieceandsoftenitslines(page
into a homeenteitainment centerto housea television and 54).Moldedbases andfeet(page56)canallowabookcase to
I VCR,stereo components and computer gear.This utilitarian harmonize with other pieces of furniture that will surround
versatilitymakesthebookcase oneof thewoodshop's most it. Seepage59for a simplemethodof stringinga series of
I popularprojects. bookcases together into awallunit.
Althoughtheappearance of abookcase mayvaryfromone Byputtingyourimagination, skill,andpatience to work,
I unit to another, the principles of its designremain constant. you will be able to reap the rewards of building a fine pieceof
Everybookcase must strike a balance between itssizeand the useful furniture.
I
I
I
I
I
t
Because bookscomein manyshapes and sizes,bookcases with
I adjustableshelvesretain theirJlexibilitylong after they are built.
With all but oneof itsshelves movable, the bookcase at left can
I accommodate the changing demands of a growing collection.

I 4l

I
 I
ANATOMYOFA BOOKCASE I
I
|-\ espiterefinements suchascrown I
Iul and.basemolding,a faceframe
andturnedfeet,thebookcase at right I
is basicallya carcasewith shelves.
Theprocedurefor buildinga carcase I
canbe foundbeginningonpage24.
Mostof theotherdetailsof thebook- I
case,from the shelves to the feet,are
discussed in this chapter.Thecrown I
moldingis similarto thetypeinstalled
on thearmoireon page66. I
Designa bookcase to suittheitems
it will store.Standardbookshelves, for I
example, areatleast8 inchesdeepand9
inchesapart;allowanadditional3 or 4 I
inchesof depthandheightfor oversize
bools.Recordalbumsneed13inchesin I
bothdepthandheight.Televisions, video
recorders, andstereoequipmentmay t
requireapto24inchesof depth.
After you havesettledon dimen- t
sions,decidewhichtype of shelving
bestsuitsyour needs.Thebookcasi I
on thispagefeatures threeadjustable,
or floating,shelves andonefixedshelf. I
Although the fixed shelfcannotbe
movedonceinstalled, it helpsto snength- I
enthepieceandislesslikelytosagthan
adjustable shelves. Theloadtheshelves I
will haveto bearshouldbeconsidered
whenchoosing materials(page43).The I
thickerthe lumber,the strongerthe
shelf.Whilel-by-10pineor fir is eco- I
nomical,% hardwoodwill support
greater loads. I
Alsorememberthat a shelfweakens
asit increases in length.Shelves thatare I
too,longarenotlikelytobrealgbut they
will almostalwayssag.Ifyou areplan- I
ninga bookcase widerthan36inches,
consider insallingcleatsunderthemid-
dleoftheshelves atthebackor averti-
calpartitionbetween them.
Foot
Qaoe

I
t
I
I BOOKCASE
I
I
MATERIATS
SHETF
COMMON
I
u/oHardwood Temperedhardboard
I LJsedfor heavier Conipooite,Ii7htwei7ht shelf for
loadoand ahelf medium-to-heavyloadaand shelf
I epaneup to
4B inchba
epaneup to 36 inchea;features
two layere of tempered hard-
board oandwichinqPieceeof 2-
I by-2 etock. Front edgecan be
rounded for decorative eFfeot
I %'inchplywood
ReinforcedoAhardwood
For meAiumloadsand ahelf
I L)aedfor liqht-to-medium
loade.gpan for ahelveerein- ePaneuP to 32 inchee;up to
forced with 1-by-2lipe can 42 incheo,if reinforced with
I be up to 42 inches:without lipa.For enhancedaPPear-
reinforcement,epan ahould ance, front edqe ahould be
I not exceed32 iiches concealedwith bandin4

I
t SUPPORTS
SHETF
AD'USTABIE
I Hidden adjuat'able euPPott
Woodatripe with dowelathat fit in holea
I drilled in eide panele;etripe are concealed
in blind rabbets routed in the
I undersideof the ahelf
Dowel
?laetic
aupport

I Adjuatable auppotte
Flaced in drilled holea in aidea of bookcaEe;
holedepth ia one-halfthe lenqth of aupport
I
t
I
ffi--WW
Threaded \fl,JS,
Pa))tc-an)-
e,eeve6uPPot-,
r-_ri
W
F-'s-$wr-1
L*,*t.il-:j

euppot+ Two-piecemetal-plated a uPPo rt; sl eevea

Two-pieceadjuetable
I eupport; threaded part
is inaerted into holea
I drilledin eidepaneloand
6UPpOrt6are qcrewed
I in to hold up ohelf
are ineerfedinto holeadrilledin eidepan-
eleand paddleeare elippedinto aleeves
at each ahelf location
to hold ehelvinq
rnPEce

I
Z (-.".*
I ffi_'
I Standards and alipa
Track ehelvin4eyetem that featurea slotted verDi-
I
I
ffi cal etripo Lhat 6it in grooveerouted in eidepanel;
clipa lock into alote at ahelf locatione

I 43
I
 I
BOOKCASE
ACCESSORIES I
I
ff ooksarenot the only itemscom- VCR,wire clipsandcord-holeplugscan on a slidingshelfor thebookcase
top for I
I) monlystoredin a bookcase. With tamethetangleof wiresandconnectors a televisionset,
thecommercialaccessories
shownbelow, thataccompany them. Youcanevenilluminatethe insideof I
you caneasilyorganizerecordalbums, Specialtyitemslike runnerslet you your bookcasewith a cabinetlight or
compactdiscs,audiotapes,andvideo- slideshelves in andout of thecarcase, hideand protectthe contentsbehind I
cassettes.
Ifyou intendyour bookcase providingeasyaccess to the contents, tintedglassor acrylicdoorsheldclosed
to housea stereosystem,televisionor whileswivelattachments canbeinstalled by magneticlatches. I
I
()FSHETF
A SAMPLING HARDWARE I
Cabinei light
Uauallymounted out of
I
aight inaidecarcaoe;moaet
ehownia uaedto dieplavchi- I
na and qlaeewareaia iea-
Glaaa door hinge
)wivelinq hingea
Lureea 25-watt bulb I
uaed for glaoadooro
up to %inch thick;
ocrewapreee eafety
I
plate aqainet qlaoe
to hold it in place. I
I
Wire clip
9 elf-adheatveclipemo unt-
I
ed inaide bookcaaeto hold
wireaout of eiqht I
I
Compact diac holder
Conaiateof two tracks
with adheaivebackingfor
mounting to carcaee;
modelahowncan hold up
to 24 diace. )imilar hold-
era for videocasaetteaand
f#*,ffi
fite eniqly-in hole in book-
caae back;holdeand feede
wireoout of carcaae
t
I
I
audio tapea are available
I
I
I
I
Mag netic d oor Iatch -a nd -plate
Uaedwith acrylic or 4laaa d'oora
t
up to %ainch thick. Latch plate
attachea to door and maqnetic I
latch ia mountedineidebook-
case: latch holdoplate ma4neti- I
cally, keepinqdoor cloeed
I
I
I
I
I
t SHELVING
ADJUSTABLE
I
I I lthoughadjustable shelves do not holes.Otheroptionsincludeadjustable
.{1. contributeto the strengthof a shelfstandards, whicharemountedin
I bookcase, theydo giveit greaterflexi- groovesin thesidepanels,or shop-made
biliry allowingyouto adaptto changing cornerstrips(page a8).Thesearedadoed
t needsand organizespacemosteffi- andattached to theinteriorcornersof
ciently.It isunwiseto makeabookcase thebookcase to holdup theshelving.
I withoutprovidingatleastonefixedshelf
for structuralrigidity.
I Adjustable shelves arecommonly
heldin placewithwood,plastic, or met-
I al shelfsupports (page43)thatfit in Madeof solidbrass,thesetwo-pieceshelf
holesdrilledin thecarcase The
sides. supportsaddan eleganttouchto a book-
I trickisto makecertainthattherowsof case.Thesupportscanbescrewedinto
holesareperfectly aligned. Usea com- any of the threadedsleeves
alongthe
I mercialshelf-drilling jig (below)or a sidepanels,permittingtheshelvesto be
shop-made jig (page46)to borethe mountedat any heightin thebookcase.
I
I THREADED SUPPORTS
SHELF
T
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I 1 Drilling holes forthesleeves
I Thismounting system requirestwoparallel rowsof holesto asthesleeves andinstalla stopcollarto markthedrillingdepth
I bedrilledin thesidepanels of thebookcase. Thecommercial jig equalto thesleeve length. at ettherendof oneof the
Starting
shown above allows youto boreholesat 1-inchintervals and jig'srails,placetheappropriate bushing in thefirstholeof the
I ensures thatcorresponding holeswill be perfectly
aligned. Set bushing carrier. (Thebushing keepsthe bit perfectlysquare to
thesidepanels ona worksurface
inside-face-up andclampthe theworkpiece.) Holdingthedrillandcarrier, borethehole.Bore
I jigto theedges of onepanel;theholescanbeanydistance from a seriesof evenly spacedholesalongbothrails.Remove thejig
the paneledges, butabout2 inchesin wouldbe bestforthe andrepeat fortheothersidepanel,carefully thejig
positioning
I panels shown. Fityourelectricdrillwitha bitthesamediameter sothattheholes willbealignedwiththosein thefirstpanel.

I
I 45

I
 I
BOOKCASE I
I
I
I
t
t
I
I
I
I
I
I

I
I
I
I
r) Mounting thesleeves andsupports
l to installthreaded sleeves without I
d a m a g i nt h
punch. Place
g e m ,u s ea s l e e v e - s e t t i n g
a sleeve ontheendof the
ilufiI]llllilltfilttjllilltfilllll ilIjfilttllllltlll lll1
tltllllilt1 t
punchandpushit f irmlyintooneof the
holesin a sidepanel(above). Inserta 1HO?TI? I
sleeve intoeachholeyoudrilled. Once A shop-made
youhaveinstalled allthesleeves, screw ahelt drillingjig I
shelfsupports intothesleeves at each TheI-ehaped jiq
shelflocation (inseil. ehownherewillallow I
youto borea rowof even-
ly epacedholeeas accu-
ral,elyas a commercial jig.
I
Makethe jig from 1-by-Zebock, I
beinqcarefullo ecrewlhe fence
and arm NoqelheraNa pertecN90"
angle.Marka linedownLhecenlerot I
Nhearm and boreholeeatr2-inchinler-
valoalonqit,wiLhlhe eamebil you would /,- I
usetor threadedsleevee. Touselhe jiq,
clamp
c l a m Qfiti Tto eide
. oa e panel
t a ep a n e lw
with n e rfence
t l n tlhe cnce ) I
b u | I e d a q a i n e Ne i l h e r e n d o f t h e p a n e la n d
the markedcenNerline 2 incheein from ito edge. I
FiNyour drill bit wiLha stop collar,boreNheholee,
and repoeiLion the ji7 for eachnewrow. I
I
t
46 t
I
I
t BOOKCASE

I
I HIDDEN
SHELF
SUPPORTS
1 Making andinstalling
I I theshelfsupports
Usea jig to boreholesfortheshelfsup-
I porls(page45). lfake twosupportsper
shelf.Eachoneis a thinwoodstripabout
I 1 inchlonger thanthegapbetween the
rowsof holes; makethestripwideenough
I to holda dowelat eachend.(%-inch dow-
elsarelargeenough foraverage loads.)
I To helpyouposition thedowels on the
supports, inserta dowelcenterintoeach
t of twoparallel holesandpressthestrip
against the points.Usethe indentations
I fromthecenters asstarting pointsfor
drilling theholes. Maketheholesin the
I shelfsupports thesamedepthasthe
holes inthesidepanels. Gluedowels into
I theshelfsupports and,oncetheadhe-
s i v eh a sd r i e di,n s t a tl lh e mo nt h es i d e
I panels at the heightthatyouwantthe
shelfto resl(left).
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I r) Preparing andinstallingtheshelves
I to conceal the shelfsupports, cut
I blindrabbets in eachshelf.Markoutthe
rabbets by positioningtheshelfon the
I supports andoutlining theirlocations on
theunderside of theshelf.Cuttherab-
I betsusinga routerf ittedwitha rabbeting
bitandsquare theendswitha chiseland
I a wooden mallet. Therabbets shouldbe
asdeepasthethickness of theshelfsup-
I ports.Onceall therabbets havebeencut,
test-fittheshelfin the bookcase (right).
I Usea chiselto adjusttherabbets, if nec-
essary, to ensure a perfectfit thatcom-
I pletelyhidesthesupports.

I
I 47

I
 I
BOOKCASE I
I
STANDARDS
ANDCTIPS I
Installing
Metal
thestandards
standards andclipsareamong the
I
CIip
simplest accessories to install
formount- t
A ingadjustable shelves in a bookcase.Two

^v
slotted standards,
to theinside
ortracks, arefastened
facesof thesidepanels and
I
shelf-support
at thedesired
clipsareinserted
height. Rather
in theslots
thannotch-
I
ingtheshelves
dards,recess
to accommodate
thetracksin grooves
thestan-
cut in
I
thesidepanels. Install a dadobladeon I
yourtablesawandcuttwoparallel grooves
in eachpanel. Thegrooves shouldbeas I
wideandasdeepasthestandards; forthe
widthof panelshown, positionthegrooves I
about2 inches in fromeachedge. Withthe
panels inside-face-up
setthestandards
on a worksurface,
in thegrooves andfix
I
themin place, driving screwsthrough the I
predrilled holesin thetracks(left).AtIach
clipsto thestandards at eachshelflocation. I
I
CORNER
STRIPS
I
1 Making thecorner strips
I Dadoed corner striosinstalled in each
insidecorner allowbookcase shelves to be
I
adjusted. Youcanmakefourstripsfrom
a single 4-inch-wid be oard t h a ti s l o n g
I
enough to extend fromtopto bottomof the
interior.Install a dadoheadonyourtable
I
sawandsetthewidtheoualto thethick-
nessof the shelfsupports youplanto
I
use.Determine thedesired spacing of the
notches andcuttwodadoes thatdistance
I
apartin a mitergauge
Lineuptheleft-hand
extension
dadowiththeblade
board.
t
andscrewtheextension
0nedadoshouldbeoffsetto theright;
to yourgauge.
t
cuta 2-inchpieceof shelfsupport stock
andpress it iniothatdado,whereit will
I
serve asan indexing key.Buttoneendof
t h ew o r k p i e caeg a i n st ht e k e ya n dc u t
I
yourfirstdado.Cutthesecond andsubse-
quentdadoes bymoving thepieceto the
I
rightandfittingthelastdadooverthekey
(right).Whenthedadoes areall cut,rip
I
theboardintofour1-inch corner strios.
I
I
48 t
I
I
I BOOKCASE

I
I r) Installing thecorner sttips
I andshelfsupports
I Position eachstripin a corner of thebook-
case,making surethatthedadoes face
I the interior, andscrew thestripsto the
sidesat topandbottom, Placean extra
I fastener in themiddle ona tallbookcase.
Fortheshelfsupports, measure thedis-
I tancebetween thefrontandbackof the
bookcase andcut the supports to fit.
I M a k es u r et h a tt h es u p p o r tasr ew i d e
enough to holdtheshelves properly; test-
I f it themto ensure thattheyf it snugly in
thedadoes(/eft).
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
T lllllll lllrllllllllllllllltllllllllllll
ilttrl1lllriiltlli lllilllllll1
t 1HO?T'?
Jig for routinq evenly
I opaceddadoes
tILachNhejig ehown
I h e r e t o N h e b a s te ?."'

VlaNeol your ..- -\i'-

T rouler fo cui ----- Preparing theshelves
lhe dadoesin the Allfourcorners of eachshelfmust
I cornerotrripeof a ehelf b e n o t c h etdo f i t a r o u n tdh ec o r n e r
eupVort6yoNem. (ThieNech' strips.Aftermeasuring andmarking
t niquecan aleobe ueedIo roul
da'doeefor fixeder,elreo.)
iiie tne baee
----- -\--. eachshelf , secure it in a viseandcut
----\12 outthecorners witha backsaw hbove),
t from'/"-inchplywoodand'thee?acerfromsolid
wood.CUNa bit clearanceholeLhroughthe baseand
--.-_-/
ecrewiI to the roufer.Makethe widlh of Ihe o?acerg,quu,l,
T NoNhediameterof the ot raiqhNbiL you Lo
willuse cul the dadoee.
1crewlhe opacerto NheboNlomof Lhejiq baeeeo Nhedisf,ancebe-
I tweenil and NhebiI equaleNheopacinqyou wanNbeNween the dadoes.
Cut,the firet,dadowilh the 6?acerridinqalonqt'heendof the work'
I Viece.Makeeubeequent cuts wibhNheeVacerin t'heiuot'-cut'dado.

I
T
I 49

I
 I
FIXEDSHELVES I
t
f, ixedshelves bolsterthe structural I
I' integrityof a bookcase, but since
they cannotbe movedoncethey are I
installed, you need to give careful
thought to their location.You can I
mount fixed shelvesquite simply by
screwingthem to cleatsthat arefastened t
to thebackandsidepanels. Yourbook-
casewill be strongerand more attrac- I
tive,however,if the shelves
areattached
to thesidepanelsusingoneof thejoin- I
ery methodsshownbelow.
Ifyou do not intendto add a face I
frameto your bookcase, rememberthat
someof thesejointswill conceal thecut I
madein the sidepanelfor the shelf.
Cuningthroughdadoesin thesidepanelsis oneof thequickestwaystojoin t
a fixed shelfto a bookcase.
In thephotoabove,thesidepanelsareclamped
togetherwith theirendsflush,allowingtwoperfectlyaligneddadoesto be I
cut at thesametime.A straightedgejig guidestherouterthroughthecut.
I
JOINERY
OPTIONS
FORFIXED
SHELVING I
I
t
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
50 I
r
I
I BOOKCASE

I
I DOVETAIL
A HALF-SLIDING
MAKING
t
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I 1 Preparing thesidepanels
I Thehalf-dovetail dadoes in thesidepanels arerouted in
I twosteps: firstwitha straightbit,andthen with a dovetail bit.
Install bitof thedesired
a straight diameterin yourrouter. Clamp
I theside panels edge-to-edgeand inside-face-up to a work sur-
face;makesuretheirendsarealigned. Clamp a board against
t thestockat theendof thecuttinglineto prevent tearout. Also
clampanedge guide acrossthe panels,offsetto properly locate
I theedgeof therouterbaseplateandthebit.Starting at one
edgeof the panels, feedtherouteracross the stock, pressing
I thebaseplateagainst theedgeguidethroughout thecuI(above).
Complete thedadobymaking thesecond cutwith a dovetail
I biI (inset),shiftingtheedge guide awayfrom the firsi cut by
one-half thedovetail bitdiameter.
I
I r') Preparingtheshelf
L fo creale mating half-dovetail ontheendsof the
tongues
I shelves,leavethedovetail andmountthetool
bit in therouter
thefencefora shallow
in a table.Position cut.Feed theshelf
I onendintothebit,keeping thefencewithone
it flushagainst
handwhilepushing it forward withtheotherhand(/eff). Test-
I fit thecutendin a half-dovetail dado.Adtustthefit, if neces-
sary,bymoving thefencerluinchawayfromthebit andmaking
I another oass.Reoeat thecutat theotherendof theshelf.

I
I 5l

t
 I
EDGETREMMENTSFORSHELVES I
I
E dg. treatments arestripsof solid the adhesive that bondsit to the edge I
I--i wood,veneer, or commercial band- of the shelf.
ing appliedto the visibleedgesof ply- Althougha little morepainstaking I
wood shelves; theyconcealthe panels' to apply,shop-made wood stripsoffer
plies,creatingtheillusionthattheshelv- severaladvantages overstore-bought I
ing is madeof solidwood.Commercial banding.Theyareoftenlesscostly,and
edgebandingis available by the roll in you can finish your shelfedgeswith I
a wide varietyof wood types,colors, any availablewood species, cut to
and widths.To install,simply cut off whateverthicknessyou desire.A vari- I
thelengthyou need,setit in place,and ety of solidwoodedgetreatments is
heatit with a householdiron to melt shownbelow. I
I
If your shelvesare made of solid wood,you can rout a
decorativedesignin their edges.For plywood shelvesyou I
will needto attach wood stripsor veneerto covertheplies.
I
A SETECTION
I
OFEDGE
TREATMENTS
I
t
I
T
V-groove Wood atrip
T
I
I
I
I
Molded wood atrip t
I
I
I
I
Tongue-and-groove Reinforaededge
t
I
I
t
T
I
I BOOKCASE

I
I A SHELF
REINFORCING
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
Rabbeting theedgepiece
I A pieceof hardwood canbegluedto the

I tllltllJiltllltllll1{1lr llllfiltllllillllllllllljlllllll
lllllllllllJll11 edgeof a shelfto strengthen
therabbet in theedgepiece,
it. Torout
install a %-
inchstraight bit in yourrouter andmount
I 9HO7Tt? thetoolin a table.Setthefencefora
widthof cuteoualto thethickness of the
I Springboard alamp shelf.Tosecure theworkpiece through-
for edgegluing outthecut,screwa featherboard to a
I ForIhick edgetrreal-
s h i ma n dc l a m pt h ea s s e m btloyt h e
menls,youmiqh|
needthreeor four clamVo t a b l eT. h es h i mw i l lr a i s et h ef e a t h e r -
I to holdthe piecein place board to applypressure to themiddle of
whileNheqluedriee.A theworkpiece. Alsoinstall featherboards
I oinqleclampwilldo t o t h ef e n c eo n b o t hs i d e so f t h eb i t .
rhe job jueNas wellif (Forthesakeof clarity, thefeatherboard
I you ueea oprinq- ontheoutfeed sideof thefencehasbeen
b o a r d . T om a k eL h e d e v i c ec, u t r e m o v eidn t h e i l l u s t r a t i o nD.o) n o t
I a 4enLlecurve-'/o-inch-deepaL attempt to routtherabbetin on€pass;
iLs cenLer-alongoneedgeof a 2-inch-wide boardlhe eame instead, makea series of passes, increas-
I len7thand thicknessas lhe panel.CenNer the Vanelon NoVof Nhebar
ingthedepthof cuteachtime(abovd.
clampand eet.Nhe concave edqeoflhe oVringboard againeNNhe edge
R e p e autn t i tl h es h e lffi t sf l u s hi n t h e
I material.Uoinqa woodpad f,o ?roLectlhe other edqeof lhe panel,
Nighten th e clamp unt il Ih e eprinqboard fl aLt ene againot th e edqe, rabbet(inset). Youcanroundor shape
theedgepiece to yourliking.
I
I
I 53

I
 t
FACEFRAMES I
I
I
|f ecause theycompletely coverthe
IJ edgesof sidepanels,faceframes
areideallysuitedfor plywoodbookcase I
construction. Madefroma contrasting
wood,theycanalsoprovidea decora- I
tivedetail.Cuttingandassembling aface
framedemands precision;thejoints I
mustbetightandtheframesquare if it
is to fit properlyandprovidestrength. I
Usetheassembled carcaseasa reference
to measure therailsandstiles.
Face frames I
areeithergluedin placeor attached with
biscuitjointsasshownbelow. I
I
I
A faceframestrengthensA cArcase
I
whilehidingpaneledges.It also
providesjambsfor doorhinges. I
I
INSTALLING
A FACE
FRAME
I
1 Gutting slotsin the
I carcase andfaceframe I
Measure yourcarcase andcutthetworails
andstilesof thefaceframeto length; also I
cut median railsto coveranyfixedshelves.
Theframeshouldrestflushwiththeout- I
sideof thecarcase. Jointherailsandstiles
withdowels, biscuits,
or mortise-and-tenon I
joints,thenglueupthefaceframeassem-
bly,ensuring thatit is square.Oncethe I
adhesive is dry,sandit andplaceit ontop
of thebookcase. Markthe locations of the I
biscuitjointson boththecarcase andthe
faceframe-typically every4 to 6 inches. t
Setthe platejoinerfor the biscuityou
areusingandcuttheslotsin thecarcase
(right),aligning
t
theguideline ontheface
platewitheachpencilmark.Thencut I
matingslotsin theframe.
I
I
I
I
I
54 t
I
I
I BOOKCASE

I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t Installing thefaceframe
A p p l yg l u et o t h es l o t si n t h ec a r -
I caseandfaceframeandalong themat-
ingsurfaces. Insert thebiscuits in the
I carcAqe slots.thensetthefaceframe
in placehbove). Workquickly sincethe
I g l u ew i l lc a u s teh eb i s c u i t so e x p a n d
almostimmediately.
I
I
I
I
I
I
theassembly
Clamping
I C l a m pt h e f a c ef r a m et o t h e c a r c a s e
aboutevery 12 inches. Toapplypressure
I t o t h ec e n t eor f t h em e d i a rna i l ,u s ea
pieceof stockclamped to thecarcase at
I eitherendwitha shimin themiddle(/efil.

I
I
I
 I
BASES
AND FEET I
t
$.)"asemolding isoftenaddedto a book- I
"anchor" piece
S-J caseto the andcom-
t ':.,'ii plement anycrowrr nrolding installed
at I
thetop.Therearetwobasicwaysto build
a base.The firstis to rnake.r rabbeted t
i miteredframeof moldedpiecesfrom
I
stockstanding on edgefseabclowl; rhis I
-,'tr, framewrapsaroundthe baseof the
li bookcase likea skirtandhidesthejoin- I
qp*
eryat thebottomofthecarcase. Thesec-
\, ondn-rethod involves buildinea mitered I
fraureof horizontal rnolded stock;this
'lq- .;, providesa flat surfacefor attaching I
turned feet(page5B).Both rnethods
allowfor woodexpansion andcanalso I
beadaptedto fit modularbookcases or
Basentoldingand Jbetadd n firishing touchto a bookcase. The nnlding cnn be bookcases joinedtogether. I
routed to rnatcltilrc crown rrrolditrgor thestn'roundingtrint in the room.
I
INSTALLING
A RABBETED
BASEM()LDING I
I
I
T
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
'l
I
Assembling theframe
I Theframeshownaboveis madefromthreepiecesof molded of eachT . h e ni n s t a lal s t r a i g hbt i t a n dc u t a r a b b e itn t h e o p p o - I
s t o c ka, b a c k ,a n df o u rc o r n e b r r a c e sA. r a b b e its c u t a l o n gt h e s i t ef a c eo f e a c hp i e c eC . u tt h e m o l d i n g t o l e n g t hw i t h m i t e r sa t
i n s i d ee d g eo f t h e m o l d e dp i e c e sf,o r m i n ga l i p t h a tt h e b o o k - b o t hf r o n tc o r n e r st ,h e n c u t a p i e c eo f s t o c kf o r t h e b a c ka n d I
c a s ew i l l s i t o n . T o m a k et h e b a s em o l d i n gf,i r s t p r e p a r teh r e e j o i n i t t o t h e s i d e sw i t h b i s c u i t sG. l u et h e f r o n tt o t h e s i d e sa n d
p i e c e so f s o l i ds t o c ka n d r o u ta d e c o r a t i vm
e o l d i n si n t h e e c l s e s c r e wc o r n e rb r a c e si n p l a c et o s e c u r et h e l o i n t ( a b o v e ) . I
I
56 I
I
I
I BOOKCASE

I
I thebasemolding
lnstalling
a s s e m b l i nt hge
O n c ey o uh a v ef i n i s h e d
I frame,attachthe unitto thebottomof the
bookcase. Toreinforce thejoint,screwtwo
I anglebrackets midway alongthe inside
frameof thebasemolding. Spread glueon
I therabbetonthefrontpieceof theframe
a n do nt h ef i r s ti n c ho f t h es i d ep i e c e s .
I ( T h i sw i l lc a u s ea n yw o o dm o v e m etnot
takeplacetoward thebackof thecarcase,
I preventrng themiterjointsat thefrontfrom
breaking.) Thensettheframein placeon
I thebookcase, andscrewthebrackets to
the bottomof thecarcase.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
BASE
BRACES,
BOTTOM ANDFEET
MOLDINGS,
I
t
I
t
t
I
t lnstallinga bottom brace
lf yourbookshelf featuresnobasemolding nearthebot-
anda f ixedshelfis located
I tomof thepiecein placeof a carcase bottom, youcaninstalla bottombraceto
hidethespacebelowtheshelf(above, /eff).Simplycut thebraceto sizeandglue
I or nailit in placefromtheendsandthetopof thebottom shelf.Youcanalsocuta
decorative A basemolding(above,
patternin the brace(dottedlines). center)glued
I orscrewed to thefrontandsidesfrominside thecarcase isanother Youmight
optton.
alsochoose to attachogeebracketedleer right)'(seepage97for moretnfor-
(above,
I mation ontheirconstruction andinstallation.)

I
I 57

I
 I
BOOKCASE I
I
INSTATTING
A BASE
WITHFEET I
t
I
I
I
I
r
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
1 Turning thefeet
I C u tb l a n k fso rt h ef e e tf r o mt h e I
a p p r o p r i astiez es t o c kT. ot u r ne a c h
blank,determine itscenter, mountthe
llilllfltltlllltlllt]lllllllltll]l1
t]lllllltll]llljtltllltillllltltlll I
blockona faceplate, andattach theface- ";;
plateto thelathe.Position thetoolrest 5HO?TI? ' tl' I
in linewiththecenter
ascloseto thestockaspossible
of theblankand
without
Routin6 deaorativedet ails f#iy I
lf youare building
a bookcaee
touching it, thenusea round-end scraper Lhatfeatureeboth base
to shapethefoot(above). Always work andcrownmoldinq,you AV
I
onthe"down" sideofthespinning block can uoe lhese adorn-
to prevent kickback. Periodically check I
theprofileof thefootwitha pairof out-
sidecalipers (rnset). Onceyouaresatis- I
fiedwithitsprofile, sandthefootonthe or otrherdetail in i] ;t
lathewithprogressively finersandpaper. Nheeideeofrhefaceil 11 I
ii
f r a m e e , l n e t aal l li
pilobed decoralivebit li
in your rouIer.WiNh ti t
the bi| clearof lhe
work,bull the t ool'ebaeeVlaheaqainsllhe crownmoldinq. Turn
I
on Nheroulerand easethe bit,into the work,Continuecuttina
unlilthe baoeVlate louchesNhemoldinqat lhe oppositeend-. t
I
I
58 I
I
I
I BOOKCASE
I
I r) Installingthefeet
L Oncevouhaveturnedall thefeet,
I screwthemto the bottomof the base
molding. Unlike theverttcalbasemolding
I shown on page56,thebaseillustrated at
witha widerabbetrout-
leftis horizontal,
I ed in thefaceof eachpiecethataccepts
thebottom of thebookcase; a molding is
I cutontheframe'souteredge(page96)
Afterassembling the base,drilla coun-
I tersunkholethree-quarters of theway
through thecenter of eachfoot,thenbore
I a pilotholetherestof thewaythrough the
wood.Screwthefeetto the base(/eft).
I
I
I T(IGETHER
B()()KCASES
ATTACHING
I
I
I
I
I filtllllllllllllljlllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllll]llfijllll illlllll
I
1HO?TI?
I
Anchorin1 bookaases
I to the wall
OnceelackedwiLh
Using threaded connectors
lf youarebuilding morethanonebook-
t books,maqazineo,
of,her iLeme,bookcaees
and
c a s eo r a m o d u l awr a l lu n i t ,c o n s i d e r
can be danqerouely top- attaching adjacent bookcases together
I heavy.Larqe, f reeeI'and' forstability. A quickandefficientwayto
i n g b o o k c a e easr e b e e t ' dothejob is to usethreaded connectors
I a n c h o r e dt o t h e w a l l , to joinadjacent sides(above). Withthe
preterably Lo a eIud.lf twobookcases sidebysideandprop-
I y o u r b o o k c a e ies l a l l erlyaligned witheachother,borea hole
enouqh, an anglebracket t h r o u gthh et w os i d ep a n e l sl n. s t a lal
I on Nopw.illbe invi.sible. Or
threaded connector; for stability, use
you can locatelne anqle
fourto sixconnectors alongthelength
t brackel underneaI'hlh e
hiqheot, fixedshelfand o f t h es i d ep a n e l sl f. y o u rb o o k c a s e s
ecrewit,Nhrou4h Nheback havefaceframes, youcaninstallinter-
I paneland into the wall. mediate stilesto hidethegapbetween
thetwobookcases.
I
I
I 59

I
I
I

t
I
I ARMOIRE
I
I
I
he armoire cameinto favor dur- cupboard andadothesclosettoanenter-
I ing the late 15th and early 16th tainmentcenter.
Centuries to meetthegrowingneedfor Whatever its use,the modernar-
I storage space by Renaissance Europe's moireis usuallybuilt in thetradition-
wealthyandacquisitive city dwellers. al,or period,style.Likeits ancestors,
I Thearmoireprovideduprightstorage today's armoirebegins with anupright,
of finegoods;before,belongings were rectangular cabinet,typically74to 80
I usuallypackedin largechests. inches talland36to 48inches wide.For
Fromthebeginning, thearmoirewas useasa wardrobe, thepieceshouldbe
I asprizedfor itsdecorative attributesas deepenoughto housea clotheshang-
for its practicality.Thepieceis essen- er-about 22inches.
I tiallyafreestanding closetfeaturingone Thebasiccabinetshownonpage60
or two doors,providingspace to hang wasput together with frame-and-pan-
I clothes,andoccasionally drawersand eljoinery@age 32)toachieve a combi-
shelvingto furnishadditionalstorage. nationof attractiveness andstrength.
t Thedesignreached a pinnaclein the Dovetails(page26) and platejoints
late17thCenturywhenParisian cabi- (page29)areequallysturdyalternatives.
I netmaker Andrd-Charles Boullepro- Thischaptershowshowto addthe
ducedseveral for thecourtoflouis XIV. adornments of an armoireto a basic
t Thoughhis pieceswereundeniably cabinetpilasters (page 64),corniceand
Baroque in theirelaborate ornamenta- This glasscurio,or display,cabinetwas basemoldings(page66), andframe-
I tion,theystillserveasloosemodelsfor in muchthesamewayas
constructed and-paneldoors(page72).Theele-
thearmoires of today. thearmoireon thefacingpage,except mentsof thearmoirearehighlighted in
I In America,thetermarmoireisoften that thewoodenshelves and thesideand theanatomyonpage62.
interchanged with its Englishequiva- doorpanelswerereplacedwith glass. Despite itselaborate appearance, the
I lent,wardrobe. Bywhatever name,the armoireis a reasonable projectfor a
piecehasprovento bepopularin NorthAmericasincethe woodworker of averageskills.Buildthevariouspieces carefi.rlly
I late18thCenturyandnowit serves fromafood andtheresultwill beanattractive,
aseverything versatilepieceof furniture.

I
t
I
I
I Thearmoireat leftdisplaysa muted
Baroquedesigntypicalof manymod-
I ernAmericanwardrobes.

t 6l

I
 I
ANATOMYOF AN ARMOIRE, I
I
I
Layered
I
cornice
moldinq I
( 2 a q e6 6 )
'\ ,,'
/
I
\ --','-' Top panel
FlywcoC or aoltd
jr;ccK ett.aahae
I
fluslt tvt*ch
eC4es
of c;ebinel,uein4
I
rnrooci buLfone,
met.al fastenert, I
(-1fltoaKaTtlotea
I
t
Layered \ _!
cornice molding
Stile
YerTicat
I
ir;eme
aomFa)neni t
I
I
ncIizon"tei
frame I
to"t / aornPOnent.
( 2 a q eb 3 ' ; I
I
Door / I
( 2 a q e7 2 )

/ f Pilaeter I
l.2aqe64'1
/ t
t / \
I
I
Eott.om
r^,,-/
aZ t
I
Bottom panel Decorative base moldinq I
,.'ii. a t l tr,::l t.o f r :l tr e ) rt.t.aclted t.h. aeffi. riet
Muttion /
wi r.it 1cr14er t,l.rtp:' t,'erfical member f,hat,
'o.\' l ': .t I
al ctat ,t: .et. inf.o \..- i:a?e../ inc.habovr,'bcl,t.om
a.peral,e. fronl, tnto fwo
a 4 i ' L ) a r ( ' , ; t . t i .t.n i . i i c
in:t,it: ::ti4t::' of tht
parts. pro',,tCtnqeur'face for
oi :srrnotret.c prcvenT.nol'7-
rnq ircrr i:carinq any wct4lit..
I
d o c r L o o l o s ea 4 a t n e t a n d 0r'. tnst,alta rabberetl ba?t
i:ctli,arr: r:|l:t
for mcunLtn4lock hardware nttltitnq (2aqe 56'1 I
I
bl f
I
I
I ARMOIRE

I
t
()FARMOIRE
ANASSORTMENT HARDWARE
I
I *--l
t ^ ^ l

I r f^-=----------- ]
I I NA Il:'
l e :

t - - -l/n f\|l - l
l

r:1 r1l l:t

I -l\a/l : : I I l\6/l l\6/l lL-Jl i\6-ll

Double-ballcatch
I 9mall catch wiLhtwo eprinq-loadedballeecrewedLo Adjuatable levelera
mullionor rail. Dallaonap in placeovera keepermount- UaedLo levela pieceoffurnrture;
ed to door; catch can ehter'keeperfrom front or srdee.
I threaded bolt with plaatic baae
aecuredin threaded T nut

I
I
I Laaehinge
Full-len7thhinqewith finialeat top and bottom;
htnqete bolted to cabrnetand mortiaed into door
I
I Rat-tail hinge
Ftvotaon pin wtLhdecorative
I Lail natledto armoire:like (
clock-caee hinqe,allowe
door to be eaaily removed o o
I
I
I ----\./
4 ^\ Caeementbolt lock
Eolta exLendthe full

I -E --*<_ len7thof Lhedoor

and are aecuredin
brackete faetened to
\ the top and bottom
I Straight cupboard loak
ratla of Lhearmoire
Eack-mounteddoor lock wrtwrtha
I through bolt extendtnglefLor
riqht, ao required;key chamber
I centeredin lock case

I
I
I
Cloak-aaeehinge
I Tivots on a pin, which
allowadoor to be lifLed off
I
I
I
I 63

I
 I
PILASTE,RS I
I
MAKING
ANDINSTATLING
PITASTERS I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
1 Cutting thegrooves I
Pilastersare narrow boardsfastened I C u tt h ep i l a s t epri e c etso s i z et,a k i n gr n t oa c c o u nt ht ew i d t ho f t h es t i l e sa n d
to thefront stilesof an armoire and allowing enough spacebetween thedoorandthepilaster forthehinges youplanto t
Jluted with two or three blind grooves use.Then,installa coreboxbit in yourrouter andmountthetoolin a table.Adjustthe
for decoration. cutting height fora semicircular cove.Markthelocation of thegrooves ontheendof I
theboard andaddmarks onthefaceindicating where thecutshould startandend.
AIignthefrontcuttinglinewiththebit,thenusetheleading endof thepieceto marka I
reference Iineontheoutfeed fence,Repeat theprocedure withthebackcuttingline
andmakea similar reference lineontheinfeed fence. Adjustthefenceforthefirst I
groove, theninstalla featherboard on thetableto holdthe pilaster firmlyagainst
thefence.Roundoverthetopedgeof thefeatherboard to prevent thestockfrom I
catching whenit is pivoted downintothecut.Tomakethecuts,aligntheleading end
of thepilaster withthereference lineontheoutfeed fenceandlower theboard face I
ontothe biI (above, topl.Holdtheworkpiece flat on thetableasyoumakeyour
p a s sW . h e nt h eb a c ke n do f t h ep i e c ea l i g n ws i t ht h er e f e r e n cl ien eo nt h ei n f e e d I
fence,pivotthe stockoff the Iable(above, bottom).Repeatthe cut on the other
p i l a s t etrh, e na d j u stth ef e n c et o c u tt h er e m a i n i nggr o o v e s . I
t
64 I
t
I
I ARMOIRE

I
t
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
r') Installingthepilasters
I Z. Pilasters canbesecured withglue

I
llllilltillllll1 fillllllllllllill]llllllllllllllfillllllllll
llllfilll]l1 alone,butforaddedstrength,
well-concealed screws.
usesome
First,determine
thelocatron of thepilasters
onthestile.
I gHO? TI? Theyaretypically centeredbetween its
edges. Next,spread a thin,evencoatof
thaping pilaeteroonthetable eaw
I Wilh Lhehelpof a oimpleohop-builljiq,youcan useNhecove-cut'tin4
glueonthebackfaceof thepilaster, set
Nechnique ehownon ?aqe69 ro ehapeVilaohere. Forlhe iiq, cul a andclampit, usingwoodpads
it in place,
I wedqe- 6hapedbaee pieceal Nheappropriahe an7lef or lhe coveyou to protectthestock.Drillpilotholesinto
neeAand ecrewil t d two tencee:a' lowfencealongonelonqeideand thepilaster frominside thecabinet and
I a hi4heroneon lhe adlacenleide,lhenscrewlhe jiq t'o the eawe rip drivea screwintothetopandbottomof
fence.Io makeNhecule,lineup t'hemiddleof the leadinqendof a thepilaster (abovd.Repeat theprocess
I IesI boardwith Nhebladeand adjueLNherip f enceuntilIhe anqled to mountthesecond pilaster.
4uidebuLIoaqainotthe pilaet'er,lurnon t'heeawand feedlhe board
I inlo the bladeao shown;adjuotI'hecultinq heiqhl
untilyou creaNetheaVVropriaNe groove.
Markqroovelocalionlineeand
I fronNand backculLinqlineson
Nheworkpiece a6 you did in oNeV
I 1 on paqe64,then eawIhe
qrooveg.Useexlremecare
I and raieinq
in lowerinq
Ehework-
t ?tec,eaT,
,
eacnena
I of the
troove.
I
t
I
I 65

I
 I
CORNICEMOLDINGS I
I
Created by the three separaterouter I
bits shown below, the three layersof
molding that make up the typical cor- I
nice at right appear as one singlepiece
when theyare installedcn an armoire. I
Besidesproviding a visual framework
for the armoire, the molding servesa
secondestheticfunction, leading the
t
eye into the center of the piece and t
keepingit focused there.
I
I
I
MAKING
CORNICE
MOLDING
I
TAYERED
C(|RNICE
MOTDING
I
t
Covebit I
I
I
t
1 Routing themolding
I Cutthreeboards longerandwiderthan
youwill needforthethreelayers of mold-
I
ing(above). Installa panel-raising
bit in
yourrouter andmountthetoolin a table.
I
Alignthebit bearing withthefenceand
adjustthecutterheightto leavea flat lip
I
nomorethan%inchthickontheedgeof
thestockabove themolding. Mounttwo
I
featherboards onthefenceandoneonthe
tableto secure thestockthroughout the
I
cuts.(lnthisillustration,
thefeatherboard
ontheoutfeed fencehasbeenremoved
I
forclarity.)
Turnonthetoolandfeedthe
stock(left).Tocomplete the pass,move
I
to theoutfeed sideof thetableandoull
thestockthrough theendof thecut.
I
Makeseveral passes, increasingthewidth
of cut%inchof stockat a time.Formthe
I
second boardwiththecovebit andthe
thirdpiecewiththeRoman ogeebit.
I
I
I
66 t
I
I
I ARMOIRE

I
T r) Mitering themolding
L Wnenvouhavemadethethreemold-
I ingstrips, ripeachto width(thefirst,inner-
mostoieceshould bethewidest andthe
t thirdthenarrowest). Thencutstripsslight-
ly longer thanyouwillneedforthefront
I andsidesof theworkoiece. Theendsof
themolding stripsaremitered at 45' to
I goaround thecorners andpilasters. The
procedure foreachlayeristhesame:Hold
I thesidemolding in position, itsbackend
flushwiththebackof thecabinet. Mark
I thefrontcorner of thecabinet onthestrip.
(Forthesecond andthirdstrips, markthe
t frontcorner of the previous layerof mold-
i n g . I) n a d d i t i o nm, a r kt h ed i r e c t i or ne -
I quired forthemitercut.Tiltthetablesaw
bladeto 45" andfeedthestockusingthe
I mitergauge(/eff).(Caution: Bladeguard
removed forclatity.) Repeat thecutonthe
I second sidepiece. Then,markandcut
theendsof thefrontpieces.
I
I
I
I
I
I 2 Installing thefirstlayerofmolding
r-J Eachlayerof molding is fastened to
I thearmoire in twosteps: Thelonger strips
forthesideandfrontareattached first,
I followed bythesmaller pieces around the
pilasters. Spread a thinlayerof glueonthe
I backfaceof thefirstsidepiece, thenset
it in placeagainst thearmoire withitstop
I levelwithor slightly above thetopof the
cabinet. Usea cut-offbradasshownon
I p a g e1 2 3t o h e l pp o s i t i otnh em o l d i n g
whileyouclampandscrew it in placeat
I eitherendof thestrip.lf you areusing
carcase rather thanframe-and-panel con-
I structionto buildthearmoire, usea sliding
dovetailto holdthesidemoldings in place
I (page 127).Repeat the procedure to attach
theothersidemolding, thenmountthe
I franl
, , v , , (
nioeo
P ' v v v
(riohfl

I
I 67

I
 I
ARMOIRE I
I
Applying
themolding thepilasters
around I
O n c et h e s i d e sa n d m a i nf r o n tp i e c eo f t h e f i r s t l a y e o
rf
molding areinstalled, thesmallpieces around thepilasters I
mustbecutto sizeandmounted in place. Foursmallpieces
needto befittedaround eachpilaster; miterallthepieces I
at 45'at bothends.Holdthemitered endof a stripof the
f irstmolding flushagainst themrtered endofthemainfront I
piece, thenmarkthefrontcorner of thepilaster ontheedge
o f t h em o l d i n gM. a k ea 4 5 " m i t e cr u ta t t h i sp o i n tT. h e n , I
holdthemolding in placeandrepeat theprocedure to mark
a n dc u tt h en e x p t i e c eC. o n t i n ui net h i sm a n n eurn t i tl h e I
fourpieces arecutto surround eachpilaster. Dry-assemble
thepieces to ensure anaccurate fit,thenspread glueonthe
p i e c eas n df i t t h e mi n p l a c eS. e c u rteh ef r o n tp i e c eo n
r
t h ep i l a s t ewri t ha s c r e wU. s ef i n i s h i nnga i l sf o rt h es m a l l - I
er pieces, driving theheads below thesurface witha nailset
(right). Thesecond layerof molding cannowbeattached I
thesamewayasthefirs1.
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
f, Clamping theoutside layerof molding in place I
. - , 1S r n c teh eo u t s i dlea y eor f m o l d i nw g i l lb ee n t i r e lvyi s i b l e gluesqueezes outfromthejoint;usewoodpadsto protect
f r o mt h ef r o n to f t h ea r m o i r ei t,s h o u l d
b es e c u r ewdi t ho n l y thestock(above). lf necessary, usecut-offbrads(page123) t
g l u eA . s b e f o r ea,p p l yt h es i d e sa n dm a j nf r o n tp i e c ef i r s t , t o h o l dt h em o l d i nign p o s i t i ownh i l ey o ua p p l yt h ec l a m p s .
t h e na d dt h es m a lsl t r i p sa r o u ntdh ep i l a s t e rW s .h e ni n s t a l l - R e p e at ht ep r o c e d ufroert h et w os i d ep i e c e sT.of i n i s ht h e I
i n gt h ef r o n tp i e c es, p r e agdl u eo n i t a n da l i g ni t st o pe d g e m o l d i n g ,l u eu p a n di n s t a tl lh ep i e c easr o u ntdh ep i l a s t e r s .
w i t ht h et o po f t h ef i r s tt w ol a y e rosf m o l d i n gI n . stallthree C l a m tph es m a lflr o n tp i e c ew s i t hb a rc l a m p sF. o rt h es i d e s , t
b a rc l a m p a s c r o stsh ea r m o i rteo s e c u rteh ep i e c ei n p l a c e , s e tt h ep i e c eisn p l a c ea n di n s t a l l o ncel a m pa c r o srsn e
t r g h t e n rtnhgec l a m pgsr a d u a li lnyt u r nu n t i a l t h i nb e a do f pilaster to secure thembothat once. I
t
6B I
I
I
I ARMOIRE

t
I ()NTHETABLE
MOLDING
CUTTING SAW
I
I
I
I
I
I
I 1 Setting thewidthandmarking theguidelines
I Fashion cornice molding withthehelpof thecove-cutting between theinside edges of thetwolongarmsequals twicethe
I guideshown above. jig
The willenable to you cut a cove mold- widthof the coved partof molding youwillinstall.
Setthe blade
i n g ,w h i c hc a nt h e nb er i p p e di n h a l ft o p r o d u ct e
w oc o r n i c e height
at the desired depth of cut,Laytheguide acrossthe blade
I moldings. Toconstruct the1ig,fasten two18-inch-long 1-by-2s androtate it untiltheblade, turned byhand, just
touches the in-
to two9-inch-long 1-by-2s withcarriage bolts and wing nuts, edges
side of thearms. Then runa pencil
along the insideedges
I forming twosetsof parallel arms.Adjust thejig sothedistance of thelongarmsto traceguidelines onthetableinsert(above).

I r) Cuttingthe cove
I Z- Remove the suideand lowerthe blade
beneath t h e t a b i e .O u t l i n et h e d e s i r e d
I c o v ep r o f i l eo n t h e l e a d i n ge n d o f t h e
workpiece, thensetthe stockon the saw
I t a b l ea , l i g n i n tgh e m a r k e d o u t l i n ew i t ht h e
g u i d e l i n eosn t h et a b l ei n s e r tB. u t tg u i d e
I boardsagainstthe edgesof the workpiece
a n dc l a m pt h e mp a r a l l et ol t h e g u i d e l i n e s ;
I u s eb o a r d sl o n ge n o u g ht o s p a nt h e s a w
t a b l e .D r a wl i n e s3 i n c h e st o e i t h e sr i d eo f
I t h e b l a d eo n t h eg u i d eb o a r d sd,e l i n e a t i n g
a d a n g e zr o n et h a t y o u rh a n d ss h o u l d
I a v o i dC . r a n kt h e b l a d e% i n c ha b o v et h e
t a b l e .T o m a k et h e f i r s tp a s s f, e e dt h e
I w o r k p i e cset e a d i liyn t ot h e b l a d ew i t hy o u r
l e f t h a n d ,w h i l eh o l d i n gt h e w o r k p i e c e
I a g a i n stth e t a b l ew i t h y o u rr i g h th a n d
(/eff)F . i n i s ht h e c u t u s i n ga p u s hb l o c k .
I M a k ea s m a n yp a s s eas s n e c e s s a rrya, i s -
i n gt h e b l a d e% i n c ha t a t i m e .F o ra d e e p
I c o v e t, a c ka b a c k u pb o a r dt o t h e t o p o f
t h e w o r k p r e cteo p r e v e nst p l i t t i n gF . o ra
I s m o o t hf i n i s h ,r a i s et h e b l a d ev e r ys l i g h t -
ly for the lastpassand feedthe workpiece
I s l o w l yi n t or t .W h e nt h e c u t i s c o m p l e t e d ,
r i p t h e s t o c ki n h a l ft o f a s h i o nt h e m o l d -
I i n g ,t h e ns a n dt h e p t e c e s .

I
I 69

I
 I
ARMOIRE I
I
I
I
I
MITERJIG
Thissimple jigwillallowyouto miter I
theendsof molding onyourradial
armsawwiththebladein thenormal I
90'crosscuttingposition.Referto the
illustration
forsuggested dimensions. I
Tobuildthejig,bevel theendsof
theguides at 45". Next,cutthebase I
andfenceandscrewthetwopieces
together,leaving
enough of thefence I
extending belowthebaseto sit in the
slotbetween thefrontauxiliarytable I
andthespacer. Then,remove the
saw'sfenceandposition thebaseof t
thejigonthesawtable,seating the
fencein thetableslot.Settheblade
in the90'crosscutting
t
position and
adjustthecuttingdepthto makea I
%-inch-deep kerfin the base.0nce
thecut is made, remove thejig and I
screwoneof theguidesedge-down I
onthebasewithitsbeveled endflush
against thefenceandits pointjust I
touching thekerfin thebase.Posi-
tionthebeveled endof thesecond I
guideflushalong thekerfinthebase.
Usea carpenter's square to ensure I
thesecond guideis square to the
firstone,thenscrewit in place. t
(There shouldbeenough spacebe-
tweenthetwoguidesforthestock I
youwillbecutting.)
Install thejigonthetable.Holding I
t h es t r i po f m o l d i nfgi r m l ya g a i n s t
oneof theguides, butttheendof I
thestockagainst thefence.Turnon
thesawandpulltheyokethrough the I
cuI (left),Tocut the matingmiter,
secure thesecond pieceagainst the I
opposite guide,thenpullthesaw
through thecut. I
I
I
I
70 I
I
I
t ARMOIRE
I
t MOLDING
DENTIL
MAKING
I Using a tablesaw
D e n t im l o l d i nigs a c l a s s iocr n a m e n t a l
I d e t a icl o n s i s t i nogf s m a l rl e c t a n g u l a r
blocks, or dentils, withspaces between
I them.lt is madefromthinstock, typical-
l y b e t w e e% n a n d% r n c ht h i c k a , n di s
I placed either directly against thecabinet
w i t ha n o t h emr o l d i nogn t o p ,o r s a n d -
I wichedbetween twomoldings (inset).
First,rip thestockto thedesired width.
I Theninstalla dadoheadaswideasthe
space youwantbetween thedentils, and
I adjustthebladeheight to setthelength
of the blocks.Screwan extension board
t to themrtergauge, thenfeedit intothe
dadoheadto cuta notch.Movetheexten-
I sionto therightbythewidthof theden-
til,thencuta second notch. Make a small
I wooden keyto f it snugly in thenotches;
s l i d ei t i n t ot h ef i r s tn o t c hu n t i li t p r o -
I trudesabout1 inch.Butttheendof the
stockagainst the keyandholdit f irmly
I against the mitergauge to cut thef irst
d e n t i lF. o rt h en e x ct u t ,p l a c et h ef i r s t
I notchoverthe keyandrepeat the proce-
d u r eC . o n t i n ui net h i sm a n n eurn t i tl h e
t lengthof molding is cuI (right).

I THE
LEVELINGARMOIRE
I levelers
adjustable
Installing
Tocompensate foran uneven floor,install
t adjustable on the baseof your
levelers
of a T nut
armorre. Thehardware consists
I anda threaded rodwitha plasticfoot.
thelevelers
Install byboring holes forthe
I T nutsin thebottom of thefeet.Drillthem
longer
slightly thanthethreaded rods.Tap
I thenutsintotheholes witha mallet, then
(/eff).Adjustthefeet
screwin thelevelers
I to levelthecabinet.

I
I
I
I
I
I 7l

I
 I
DOORS I
I
he frame-and-panel doorsof an I
armoirearebuilt in muchthesame
wayasthe sideassemblies of a frame- I
and-panelcabinet(page32).However,
therearedifferences. Boththeinsideand I
outsideedges of thestilesandrailscanbe
moldedfor addeddecoration. In addi- I
tion,themortise-and-tenon joint usedto
connecttheframepieces incorporates a I
miteredmolding,shownon page73.A
final differenceinvolvesthe stockused I
to build doors.Because theyswingfree,
doorshavea tendencyto deform.To I
counteractthis, doorsareoften made
from heavierstock.To avoidan exces- I
sivelyheavyappearance, thebackofthe
door framecanbe rabbetedto allow a I
portion of thedoor to remaininsidethe
armoirewhenit is closed.Theresultins t
lip alongthe outsideedgeofeachdooi
restson a verticalmullion dividins the I
cabinetopeningor on a falsemulTion,
whichis a stripofwood attached to the I
edgeofthe left-handdoor.
Theglass doorshownon page73is I
essentially
a frame-and-panel doorwith
glass
panels. Theglass sitsin rabbets
cut I
alongtheinsideedges of theframeand
isheldin placeby stripsof molding. t
I
Thedoorsof thearmoireaboveharmonizewith theframe-
and-panelconstruction
of thepiece.Theirtip-rabbeted
mount- I
ingpartly recesses
thedoorsinto thecabinet,makingthem
appearthin and delicatedespitetheirsturdyconstruction. I
I
TWODOOR-MOUNTII{G
METHODS I
t
Lip-rabbeted
I
FIueh-mounted
I

e
_ lr

t
t I
I
I
72 I
I
 ARMOIRE

ANATOMIES
TW()D()()R

DOOR
GLASS

9Lile

Median

--.-'rait 9I;ile

\ Kabbet
 I
ARMOIRE I
I
MAKING
A FRAME-AND.PANEL
D()()R I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
'l Cutting thetenons I
I Makeyourarmoire's frame-and-panel doors
bycuttrng blindtenons attheendsof alltherails, I
asshown here, andthenshaping theinside edges
o f a l l t h ef r a m ec o m p o n e nat ss,i l l u s t r a t ei nd I
s t e p s2 t h r o u g4h. F i n a l l yd,r i l lm o r t i s ei nst h e
stiles(sfep5) andprepare eachframefora pan- I
el (step6).Tocutthetenons onyourtablesaw,
install a dadoheadslightly widerthanthetenon I
length. Install anauxiliary woodfenceandnotch
it byraising thedadoheadintoit. Setthewidth I
o f c u te q u atlo t h et e n o nl e n g t a h n da d j u st th e
cuttingheight to aboutone-third thethickness I
o f t h es t o c kH. o l d i ntgh er a i lf l u s ha g a i n st ht e
mitergauge andthefence,feedthestockface- I
d o w ni n t ot h eb l a d etso c u t o n et e n o nc h e e k .
Turntheboardoverandmakethesamecuton I
t h eo t h e sr i d e C
. h e c fko rf i t i n a t e s tm o r t i s e ,
thenrepeat theprocess ontheotherendof the I
boardandon theotherrailshbovd.Tocutthe
tenonshoulders, setthecuttingheight at about I
I tnch.Then,withtherailfacef lushagainst the
mitergauge andtheendbuttedagainst thefence, t
feedtheworkpiece intotheblades. Turntherail
overandrepeatthecut onthe olherside(right), I
Cuttherestof thetenonshoulders thesamewav.
I
I
/+ I
I
I
I ARMOIRE
I
I r) Shaping therailsandstiles
I I to fashion integrated molding onthe
insrde edges of the door frame, f it your
mount
I router witha piloted molding
thetoolin a table.Alignthefencewiththe
bit and

I bearing onthebit,thenadjustthecutting
depthto shapethebottomportion of the
I board.Foreach
good-face-down
pass, feed the stock
intothe bit, pressing it
c u t-
I t
f i r m l ya g a i n s t
tingheight, if
h ef e n
necessary.
c ea; d
Shape
j u stth
only
e
the
t interior
thedoor's
edges of therailsandstilesaround
perimeter. Fora median rail,
I liketheoneat right, shape both edges.

I
I
I
t
I
t
I
I
I
Q Preparing therailsforglueuP
t r.J Thecorners of thetenonshoulders
mustbe mitered to mateproperly with
t thestiles.Remove theauxiliary from
fence
thetablesawfenceandinstall a crosscut
I orcombination blade. Settheblade angle
to 45', makea testcut in a scrap board,
t a n dc h e c kt h ec u tw i t ha c o m b i n a t i o n
square. Adjustthefenceposition and
t bladeheightsothatthecut is exactly as
wideanddeepasthewidthof theedge
I molding. (Thebladeteethshould justpro-
trudebeyond thetenonshoulder.) Tomake
I thecuts,holdthe piece flushagainst the
mitergauge andthefenceasyoufeedit
I edge-down intotheblade.Repeat thecuts
ontheendsof eachmolded edgeof the
I remaining rails(left).
I
I 75

I
 I
ARMOIRE I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
Notching
thestiles I
L e a v et h e t a b l es a wb l a d ea n e l e da t
45o,measure thewidthof eachrail,and t
marka lineonthemolded edgeof themat-
i n gs t i l ea c o r r e s p o n ddi ni sgt a n cf er o m I
theend.Cutintothemolded edgeat the
line,making certain thatthecutwillnot I
marthefaceof thestile.Forstilesmat-
rngwithmedian rails,youneedto make I
twoopposing 45" cutsandsliceawaythe
wastebetween them.Sliceoff mostof I
thestripof molding between the45" cut
andeachendof thestilewitha bandsaw I
(above). Smooththe cut edgeusingthe
tablesaw.Leaving theripfencein place, t
holdthestileflushagainst themitergauge
andslidethestockbackandforthacross I
the blade(right).Repeat the process for
a l lt h es t i l e s . I
t
I
I
I
76 t
I
t
I ARMOIRE

I
I f, Cutting
mortises in thestiles
r-,f Useoneof the tenonsyoucut in step
I i a s a g u i d et o o u t l i n i n g t h e m o r t i s eos n
t h e e d g e so f t h e s t i l e s , o m a k et h e j o b
T
I e a s i e rc, l a m pa l l t h e s t r l e st o g e t h efra c e -
t o - f a c ew i t ht h e i re n d sa l i g n e dI.n s t a lal
t m o r t i s i na g t t a c h m e notn y o u rd r i l l p r e s s
a n dc l a m po n es t i l et o t h ef e n c ec, e n t e r i n g
I t h e m o r t i so e u t l i n eu n d e tr h e c h i s eal n d
b i t ,M a k et h e d r i l l i n gd e p t hX i n c hm o r e
I t h a nt h et e n o nl e n g t hm ; a k ea c u t a t e a c h
e n d o f t h e m o r t i s eb e f o r eb o r i n go u t t h e
I wastein between(/eff).Repeatthe proce-
d u r et o c u t t h e r e m a i n i nm g ortises.
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
T
I
I
I
I
I
I 1i Preparing thelrames forpanels
\J Cutthepanelgrooves in theframeedges withyourrouter t h e b i t p i l o tb u t t sa g a i n stth e e d g eo f t h e s t o c k ,c o n t i n u et h e
I . r y - a s s e mtbhleer a i l sa n d
a n da t h r e e - w i sn lgo t t i ncgu t t e rD cut in a clockwise direction(above). Repeatthe process for the
stilesof eachdoorandclamptheframeface-down on a work o t h e rp a n e ol p e n i n g sM. a k ea r a i s e dp a n e fl o r e a c ho p e n i n g
I t a b l e u, s i n gw o o dp a d st o p r o t e ct h
t es t o c kA. d j u stth ec u t - ( p a g e3 6 ) a n d g l u e u p t h e d o o ra s y o u w o u l da n yf r a m e - a n d -
tingdepthof yourrouter to cuta groove midway between the p a n ea l s s e m b l yY.o uc a n n o wr o u ta d e c o r a t i vm e o l d i n ga r o u n d
T bottom o f t h ef r a m ea n dt h ee d g eo f t h em o l d i n g W. i t ha f i r m t h e o u t s i d ee d g e so f t h e d o o r sa n da r a b b eat r o u n dt h e i rb a c k
gripontherouter, lowerthebaseplateontothesurface and faces;be sureto leaveenoughstockbetweenthe two to install
I suidethebit intothestocknearonecorner of theframe. Once ihp hinopc lnaop\ F e b e '
7Q)
' / '

I
T 77

I
 I
ARMOIRE, I
t
BUILDING
A GLASS
DOOR T
'l
Cutting a rabbetto holdgtass
I G l a s sp a n e l sl i e r n r a b b e t rsa t h etrh a n
I
g r o o v easn da r eh e l di n p l a c eb yt h i n s t r i p s
o f m o l d i n gC. l a m pt h eg l u e d - ufpr a m et o
I
a w o r ks u r f a c eu, s i n ga w o o dp a dt o p r o -
t e c ty o u rs t o c k T . h e ni n s t a lal % - i n c hr a b -
I
b e t i n gb i t i n a r o u t e ar n ds e tt h e d e p t ho f
c u t t o t h e c o m b i n e tdh i c k n e sosf t h e g l a s s
t
a n dt h e m o l d r n gH. o l dt h e t o o lf i r m l yw i t h
b o t hh a n d sw h i l er e s t i n g t h e b a s ep l a t eo n
T
t h e f r a m en e a ro n ec o r n e rt,h e ng u i d et h e
b i t i n t ot h e i n s i d ee d g eo f t h e d o o r .M o v e
I
the routerclockwise alongthe edges(far
ieft)untilthe cut is completed. Squarethe
I
c o r n e rw s i t ha c h i s eal n da w o o d e nm a l l e t
(nearleft).Makethe cutsacrossthe grain
I
f i r s tt o a v o i ds p l i t t i n g
t h ef r a m e .
t
I
I
I
t
r) M a k i n gt h em o l d i n a gnd
L gluingupthe door
t
Shapeboth edgesof a board(page66)
t h a t i s l o n ge n o u g ht o p r o d u c e the length
I
o f m o l d i n yg o un e e dT. h e nr i pt h e m o l d -
i n gf r o mt h es t o c ko n a t a b l es a w .C u tt h e
t
molding t o l e n g t hm. i t e r i n tgh e e n d sa t
4 5 ' . C u ta n df i t o n ep i e c ea t a t i m e .0 n c e
I
t h e m o l d i n gi s r e a d ys, e ta d r o po f c l e a r
glaztng c o m p o u nedv e r yf e w i n c h e st o
t
p r e v e ntth e g l a s sf r o m r a t t l i n g L. a yt h e
m o l d i n gi n p l a c ea n d ,s t a r t i n 2 g inches
I
f r o m t h e c o r n e r sb, o r ep i l o th o l e sa t 6 -
i n c hi n t e r v a ltsh r o u g ht h e m o l d i n ga n d
I
r n t ot h e f r a m e T . a c kd o w nt h e m o l d i n g
w i t h b r a d s u, s i n ga p i e c eo f c a r d b o a rtdo
I
protectthe glassfrom the hammer(right).
I
I
T
I
I
7B I
I
t
I ARMOIRE

I
I LACE
0NTHEARM0IRE:
THED00RS
HANGING HINGES
I
t
I
I
t
I
I
T
1 Installing thehinges onthedoors
I I Thetypeof hingeshownhereattaches to thedoorwitha intotheshoulder (above, /eff).Periodically test-fit theleaves
leafat eachend;bolts fasten the assembly to thearmoire. The i n t h em o r t i s etsa,p p i ntgh e mi n w i t ha m a l l e ts;t o pd r i l l i n g
t leaves mustbe mortised into the door edge. Begin by secur- oncethe hingerestsflushon theedgeof thedoorwiththe
ingthedooredge-up in a vise.Position thehingeontheedge s .e m o vteh eh i n g ef r o mt h ed o o r ,
l e a v eisn t h e i rm o r t i s e R
t a n dm a r kt h e l o c a t i oonf t h e l e a v e s
A .t e a c ho u t l i n eu, s ea l a yt h ed o o rf l a to n a w o r ks u r f a caen dp o s i t t otnh e h i n g e
c h i s etlo c u t a r e c e sisn t h ec h e e ko f er a b b eat r o u n tdh e
t h ontheedge,leaving the leaves outside themortises. Mark
I b a c ko f t h ed o o re q u a il n d e p t ht o t h el e a ft h i c k n e ssst;o p s c r e wh o l e so n t h e b a c kf a c eo f t h ed o o rs t i l ea n db o r ea
t h ec u ta t t h er a b b esth o u l d eTr h . e nf i t a ne l e c t r idcr i l lw i t h c o u n t e r s uhnokl ea t e a c hm a r kS . l i d et h eh i n g el e a v ebsa c k
T a t w i s tb i te q u ailn d i a m e t et or t h et h i c k n e sosf t h el e a fa n d intothemortises, anddrivethescrews to secure thehinge
borea series of overlapping holesto extend therecesses down to the door(above, right).
I
r) Installing
thedoor
I L to mountthehinpeboltsto the
armoire,setthepiecJonits back.
t Working witha helper,if necessary,
holdthedoorin position andmark
I theboltlocatronsonthefrontstileof
thearmoire.Borea clearance holeat
I eachmark.thenreposition thedoor
onthepiece, slippingtheboltsinto
I theholes(left).Fixthedoorin place
withthenutsorovided.
t
I
I
I
t
I
I
I 79

I
 I
ARMOIRE I
t
HANGING
THED00RS:
CL0CK-GASE
HINcES I
1 Positioning thehinges
I
I Setthearmoire on itsback.Foreach
door,fix stripsof masking
corners of theopening.
tapeacross
Place smallsand-
the
t
papershimsbeside thepieces of tapeto
prevent thedoorfrominadvertently shift-
I
i n ga sy o uw o r kS . e tt h ed o o ri n p l a c e ,
c e n t e r i ni g
t o v e tr h eo p e n i n gM. e a s u r e
I
frombothsidesto makecertain thedoor
is parallel to thestiles.Onceyouaresat-
I
isfiedwiththepositioning,
nersof thedooronthetapewitha pencil.
markthecor-
r
Next,buttthehinges against theedgeof
thedoor;usea tapemeasure to makesure
I
thattheyareequally spaced fromthetop
and bottomof the door(right).Holding
I
theupperhalfof thehingein place,
offthebottom halfandthehingepinand
slip
t
usea pencilto markthescrewholeson
the dooredge(below).
I
t
I
I
I
t
( ( t ( t I
t
I
I
I
I
I
Dottom half T
I
t
I
I
80 I
t
I
t ARMOIRE

I
I r) Mounting thehingesonthedoor
L Securethe on a worK
dooredge-up
t surface. thenboreoilotholesat each
marked point.Holdthetophalfof each
I hingesquare to thedooredgeandscrew
it in place(/eff).
I
I
I
Hanging thedoor
I Place thedoorbackonthearmoire
andreassemble thehinges. Check that
I thecorners of thedoorarealigned with
themarkson themasking tape.Trace
t around thebottom of thehinges witha
p e n c i lr,e m o vteh ed o o rd, i s a s s e m b l e
I the hinges, andreposrtion the bottom
halves on thearmoire. Markthescrew
I holes onthecabinet, borepilotholes, and
screwthe bottomhalfof eachhingeto
I thearmoire (below). Remove theshims
a n dt a p es t r i p si,n s e rtth e p i n i n t h e
I bottom halfof thehinge, andplacethe
dooronthearmoire.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I 8l

t
 I
ARMOIRE t
I
HANGING
THED00RS:RAT-TAII
HINGES I
'l
Mounting
I Measure
thehingeson the door
the distancebetween the top
t
e d g eo f t h e h i n g el e a fa n dt h e s c r e wh o l e s
i n t h e l e a;f t h e h o l e sw i l l b e h i d d e no n c e
I
the leafis readyto be fastened
Makea mortisefor eachhingeleafas you
to the door. I
wouldfor lacehinges(page79). Withthe
d o o re d g e - u ipn a v i s e ,s l i d et h e l e a fi n t o
I
i t s m o r t i s eT. h e ns l i pt h e r a t - t a ipl i n i n t o
its bracketandsetthe bracketon the door
I
edgewith the tail pointingtowardthe bot-
tom of the door.Holdingthe pin and brack-
I
e t i n p o s i t i o nt a
, p t h e l e a fd e e p e irn t ot h e
d o o re d g eu n t i lt h e h o l ei n t h e l e a fa l i g n s
I
with the pin (left).Measure fromthe top
o f t h e l e a ft o m a r ki t s s c r e wh o l e so n t h e
I
doorand borecountersunk
screwsto f ix the leafto the door.
holes.Drivethe I
I
I
I
I
I
I
r) Mounting thedoor
Z. Position thedoorin itsopening in the t
a r m o i raen da s s e m btlheeh i n g es,l i d i n g
therat{ailpinintotheholein theleaf. I
F a s t e n i nt hgeh i n g et o t h ea r m o i ries a
t w o - s t eopp e r a t i obne, g i n n i nwgi t ht h e I
bracket. Traceitsoutline onthearmoire,
remove the bracket andoin.thenborea I
clearance holeforthe bracket boltsup-
p l i e dw i t ht h eh i n g et h r o u gthh ec e n t e r I
o f t h eo u t l i n eT.h r e atdh eb o l ti n t ot h e
b r a c k est ,l i pt h eb o l ti n t ot h ec l e a r a n c e I
h o l ea, n du s et h en u ts u p p l i etdo f a s t e n
thebracket to thearmoire. Thenslidethe I
pinintothebracket, checking thattherat-
t a i ll i e sf l a to nt h ec a b i n e bt ;e n dt h et a i l I
in a vise,if necessary, to makeit sit flat.
R e a s s e mtbhl eh i n g e o n ef i n a tl i m ea n d I
u s ea f i n i s h i nnga i lt o f a s t e tnh er a t - t a i l
to Ihe armoire(right). I
I
82 I
I
t
t ARMOIRE

I
I A L()CK
INSTALLING
I 1
Cutting the keyhole
I T o m a r kt h e k e v h o l el o c a t i o n on the
I d o o r ,m e a s u r teh e d i s t a n c eb e t w e e nt h e
o u t s i d ee d g eo f t h e l o c ka n dt h e c e n t e ro f
I t h e k e yc h a m b eor n t h e i n s i d eo f t h e l o c k .
( T h el o c kb e i n gi n s t a l l e d h e r ei s i l l u s t r a t -
I e d o n p a g e6 3 . ) T h e nt r a n s f eyr o u rm e a -
s u r e m e nt to t h e d o o r ,m e a s u r i nfgr o mt h e
I rabbetcheekon the door'sbackface.You
n e e dt o d r i l l t w o h o l e sf o r t h e k e y :o n e
I f o r t h e s h a f ta n d a n a r r o w eorn ef o r t h e
k e yb i t ,w h i c hi s t h e s t r i po f m e t a lb e l o w
I t h e f o r w a r de n d o f t h e s h a f t ,B o r et h e
w i d e rh o l ef i r s t ,u s i n ga n e l e c t r i cd r i l lf i t -
I t e d w i t h a t w i s tb i t s l i g h t l yl a r g e trh a n
'fhen
t h e k e ys h a f t . f i t t h e d r i l lw i t h a b i t
I s l i g h t l yl a r g etrh a nt h e t h i c k n e sosf t h e
k e yb i t a n d b o r ea s e c o n dh o l eb e l o wt h e
I shafthole(right);localethe holeto suit
t h e k e y .H o l dt h e d o o rs t e a d ya s y o ud r i l l
I t h e h o l e sU . s ea s m a l lf i l e o r a r i f fl e rt o
j o i n t h e t w o h o l e sa n d c r e a t ea c a v i t y
I t h r o u g hw h i c ht h e k e yf i t s e a s i l y .

I
r) Mounting
I thelockand
L makingthe boltmortise
I Position thelockonthebackof thedoor,
sliding thekeychamber in theholein the
I door,andfit thekeyintothe lock.With
t h ek e yi n p l a c eh, o l dt h e l o c ks t e a d y
I whilefastening it to thedoor(/eff).Make
surethatthe lockis square to theedge
I of thedoorasyoudrivethescrews. To
locate the mortise forthe bolt,turnthe
I keyto extend theboltandusea pencil
to coattheendof theboltwithgraphite.
I Retract theboltandclose thedoor.Extend
theboltagainst theedgeof the mullion
t to markitslocation andusethedrilland
a c h i s et lo c u t a m o r t i scee n t e r eodn
I t h e p e n c iml a r k l.f d e s i r e di n, s t a lal n
escutcheon around thekevhole.
I
I
I
I
I B3

I
I
I
I
I
I
I B CHE,ST
t
I
I
hechestis oneof theearliest Blanketchests areall relatively
I typesof furniture,withalong similar,beginning witha rectangu-
utilitariantradition.Duringthe larcarcase andahingedtop.Dimen-
I MiddleAges,chests served asthe sionsvarybutasageneral guideline
primaryreceptacles of household consider a lengthof 40to 45inch-
I goodsandvaluables. Theywere also es,awidthof i8 to 20inches, anda
calleduponto performdoubleduty heightofabout25inches. Thecar-
I asa seating place,at a timewhen caseis madefrompanelsof edge-
chairswerealuxuryformostpeople. gluedboardsandassembled with
t Althoughearlychestdesigns dovetail or frame-and-panel join-
wereprimitive,medievalartisans ery.Thetop features routedwood
I oftenadornedthemwith carved Abiscuitjoiner cutsa slotin themiteredend stripsthatareattached withsliding
arches andelaborate chivalricand of the blanketchest'smoldedbase.Thebaseis dovetail joints (page91); or amold-
I battlescenes. DuringtheRenais- rabbetedto acceptthecarcaseof thechestand ing canbe cut into its edge(page
sanceand Baroqueperiods,the thebracketfeet arethenscrewedto the base. 92).Toprevent thetopfromwarp-
I piecebeganto assume someof the ing,andasadecorative touch,wood
elements thatarestillusedtoday,includingframe-and-panel battens canbefastened for stiffening(page 92).Thetop can
I joinery,moldedtopsandbases, andpatterned bracketfeet. beattached withapianohinge(page88)orbuttbnges(page89).
Overtheyears,attractive hardware wasadded,suchasbrass Thetechniques for makingbasemoldingandbracketfeet
I locks,handles, andescutcheons. forablanket
chest arediscussed startingonpage93.Youmight
In ColonialAmerica,thechestwasusuallyplacedat the choose insteadto installogeebracket feet;thesemakea fitting
I footof a bedto storeblankets, quilts,andlinens-hencethe baseforbookcases andarmoires aswell.Installingblanket box
nameblanketchest.Today, thepieceis usedto storeevery- hardware isshownstartingon page100.Theseitemsprovide
I thingfromtoysandclothingto books.Manychests arebuilt thefinaldecorative touchandshouldbechosen carefullyto
with drawers for additionalstoraqe. complement theparticular designofyourproject.
I
I
t
I
t
I
t chest,with itspatternedfeet
Thistraditionaldovetailed
t and moldedtopand bottom,is basedon a designimport-
ed toAmericafrom easternEuropein the18thCentury.

I 85
I
 I
I
ANATOMYOF A BLANKTTCHE,ST
I
t
Batten I
(pa1e92) --
I
ToP I
^8)
1p-tqe
I
Piano hin4e
(paqe 88)
I
I
I
?ix;:i-,=-..-- I
I
I
I
"t7
I
Cheotlock -/
/
\
P\__ I
(pale 1OO)

\
Flap etay
)creweC to tnatde
of cheel: aiCeand
r
i
Eacutaheon
lid: can be adjusLed
lto suiL wide ran4e
I
(paqe 101) of lid wetqhLeand
cloetn4epeede.ln I
fttlly open poeitton.
collar enaps inLo I
retd cap to hold
ltd oPen
I
I
'Flush handle
ln;ne
\ rulL
tt]t7t
tvu t I
I
/
I
Baee -----.' Dovetailed carcase
( i ) . , 1 E9. C )
(pa7e 26)
I
I
Bracket. foot.
(tttqe 93.) ---\-_____ _,___-
,/ I
I
86 I
I
t
I BLANKET CHEST
I
I Traditional blanket chestswere oftenfur-
nishedwith one or moredrawersto store
I anythingfrom papersand pens to sewing
needlesand thread. The top and bottom
I panelsof rhedrawerassemblyare mount-
I ed in stoppedgroovesin thefront and
backpanelsof the chest,with a divider to
I separatethe openingfor the drawers.

I
I
I
I
t
OFBLANKET
INVENTORY HARDWARE
CHEST

Eutt hinge
)ta nda rd rectangular braoe
I or eLeelhin4eeet fluah wtth
aurfaceof cheaL:pin cannot
be removedeo hingemuet
I be unscrewedto rernovetop
E
Decorative esautaheona
A aelectionof fittin4a ineLalted
on the front panelaround key-
holeto prevent damageby key

I
Cheat ahain Threaded eacutcheon
I Ltnkchainuaed
ae a lid eLay
Key-eha ped fixtu re fita
onuglyin elightlyoveretzed
kevhole, proiectina eliahtlv
I fim cf,'eeifroni

t
I Reaeesedhandle
Featurea receee
for finTera;handle
I etopo at 90"

t Elanket
Colonialchest handlea
aheat hinge
TraditionalAmerican
I )trap-otyle cheet
htn4ewith forqed finieh cheet handlea Large cheot- lifti ng ha ndlea
for anLtqueappearance; Handlewith 90" atop
I availablein 9- to 14-inchlenqtha for lrfttnqheavycheeta

I Campai6n ahest corner

Corn'erfittinqe ortqinallyueed
I for protectronon cheote car'
ried on mtlrtarycampaiqne,
I nowugedto decorate
varioua cheat type6 Marquetry banding
I lnlayetrip conaietin4of
aeveralveneergaaaembled
into an attractive deaiqn
I
I
I 87
I
 I
TOPS I
I
I
I
I
Sincemoldingstripsarefas-
t
tenedaround its edgeswith
slidingdovetailsto accommo-
I
datewoodmovement,the
chesttop shownat left does
I
not requirebattensto keepit
I
flat, thoughtwo havebeen
addedfor decorativeeffect.
Thelid stayholdsthetopopen
I
and allowsit to closeslowly
to avoiddamagingthepiece.
I
t
ATTACHING
THETOPWITHA PIANO
HINGE
I
Installing thehinge
T h eh i n g es h o u l db ee q u atlo o r s l i g h t - I
ly shorter thanthe lengthof thechest.
Clampthetopto a worksurface using I
woodpadsto protect thestock.Holdthe
hingein position, aligning thecenterof I
thepinwiththebackedgeof thetop,and
traceitsoutline. Next,installa straight I
bit in a routerandsetthecuttingdepth
to thethickness of the hingeleaf.(Take t
careadjusting thedepth;if therabbetis
toodeepit willcausethe hingeto bind I
whenthelid is closed.) Alignthebitover
the insideedgeof theoutline, thenfasten I
an edgeguidebuttedagainst therouter
baseplate.Routthe insideedgeof the I
rabbet, keeping the baseplatepressed
against theedgeguide.Makerepeat cuts, I
adjusting theedgeguideeachtime,until
the rabbetis completed. Then,setthe t
h i n g ei n t h er a b b eat n dm a r kt h e l o c a -
tionof thescrewholes. lf youareadding I
molding (page91)orbattens(page92),
doso now.Thenborepilotholesat the I
marks, putthe hingebackin position
(right),anddrivethescrews. Setthetop I
onthechest,withthefreehingeleafflat
onthetopedgeof theblanket chest'sback I
panel.Markthelocation forthescrews,
borepilotholes, anddrivein thescrews. I
I
88 I
I
I
I BLANKETCHEST
I
t THET()PWITHBUTTHINGES
ATTACHING
I 1 Tracing thehinge outlines
I Instead of a pianohinge, youcanuse
I twoorthreebutthinges to attachthetopto
theblanket chest.Thehinges aremortised
I intoboththetopandbackpanelof the
chest.Tobegin, clampthetopgood-side
I downona worksurface andplacethef irst
hingein positiona fewinches in fromone
I end,positioning thepinjustofftheback
edgeof thetop.Usea pencil to tracethe
I outlineof the hinge(left).ltAarkthe oth-
er hingesonthetopin thesamemanner,
I positioningoneneartheotherendandone
in tho eenter , ,i f n p------
epcs:r
v.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
thehinges
2 lnstalling
t .J Setthehinges in theirmortises in thetop,drillpilotholes,
andscrewthemin place (above). Next,setthetoponthechest,
I markthelocation forthecorresponding hingemortises onthe
r) Chiseling outthewaste topedgeof thebackpanel, thenchisel themoutfollowtng the
I o u t l i n ae n dc u t i t t o t h e
L ' l s e a c h i s et lo s c o r teh eh i n g e procedure
described in step2, Nowlaythecheston its backon
thickness ofthehinge. Then,holding thechiselbevel up,pare andsetthetopgood-face
a worksurface downbehindit. Place
I thewaste fromthemortise (abovd.Repeat theprocedure to clear a woodspacerslightly thickerthanthetopunderthebackof
outtheremaintng mortises. Becareful to cutthemortises no theblanketchestto line-up thefreehingeleaves withtheirmor-
I deeper thanthethickness of thehingeleaves to prevent binding. tises.Borepilotholes andscrew thehinges in place.
I
I B9
I
 I
BLANKETCHEST I
I
I
I
I
HINGE MORTISIl{G JIG
A routeris an idealtoolto cut mor- I
tisesfor yourblanketchest'sbutt
hinges, butdo nottryto dothejob I
freehand. A jig liketheoneshown
at rightwill guarantee fast,accurate I
results.Youwill needto equipyour
routerwitha straight bit anda tem- I
plateguideto makethecuts.
Makethetemplate froma piece I
of %-inchplywood wideenough to
support therouter. Outline thehinge I
leafonthetemplate, beingsureto
compensate forthetemplate guide I
andthethickness ofthefence, which
is alsomadefrom%-inch plywood. I
Cutoutthe template, thenattach
thefencewithcountersunk screws. I
To usethejig, securethetop of on the edgeandbuttingthe fence square thecorners
witha chisel.When
thechestedge-up in a vise.Mark againsttheinnerfaceof thetop.Make youareusingthejig to cut mortises I
thehingeoutlineontheworkpiece the cut below),movingthe router in thetopedgeof theblanket chest,
andclampthetemplate in position, in smallclockwisecirclesuntilthe besureto securethecarcase to ore- I
aligningthecutoutwiththeoutline bottomof the recessis smooth, then ventit frommoving.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
90 t
I
I
I BLANKET CHEST
I
t TOTHET()P
MOLDING
ADDING
I 1 Making themolding
I lnstall a moldinp bit in a router and
I mount thetoolin a iable.Routthemold-
i n gf r o ms t o c kt h t c k etrh a nt h et o ps o
I t h a tw h e nt h e l i d i s s h u t h em o l d i n g
willoverhang thesideandfrontpanels
I slightly. (Thestockshould alsobewider
andlonger thanyouneedsothatYou
I canripandcrosscut themolding to size
later.) Alignthefencewiththebearing
I andfeedtheboardintothebitto carve
thedesign in onehalfof anedge.Mount
I a featherboard on eithersideof thebit
t o s e c u rteh ep i e c ed u r i n tgh ec u t .( l n
I the illustration, thefrontfeatherboard
hasbeenremoved forclarity.) Flipthe
I pieceoverandrouttheotherhalf,creat-
inga mirrorcut of the Itrst(right).Then
I ripandcrosscut themolding to thestze
youneeo.
I
I
I
I
t r') Installing themolding
L Y o uc a ns e c u rteh em o l d i ntgo t h e
I edgewithsliding dovetails orgluealone.
ln thiscase, thesidemoldings areattached
I withstopped slidrng dovetatls to allowfor
cross-grain woodmovement; thefront
I m o l d i nw g ,h i c hw i l l s h r i nakn ds w e lpl a r -
a l l e tl o t h et o pp a n e li ,s a t t a c h ewdi t h
I glue.Makestopped dovetails ontheends
of thetop;cut stopped dovetail rnortises
I in thesidemoldings (seepage127).
Afteryouhavemadethedovetail joints,
I mitertheendsof themolding at 45".Then
placethetopgood-face uponwoodshims.
I Spread a thinlayerof glueonthelasttwo
inches of thesliding dovetail andthedove-
I tailslot,thenslidethemolding intoposi-
tion.Next,laysomepaper towelonthetop
I to prevent scratches andinstallbarclamps
withprotective woodpadsto secure the
I molding in place(left).
I
I 9l
I
 I
BLANKETCHEST I
I
R()UTING
MOLDING
IN THET()P I
'l
Routing theedge I
I Instead o f a t t a c h i n sge p a r a tset r i p so f
m o l d i n gy, o uc a n r o u ta d e c o r a t i vseh a p e I
i n t h et o p i t s e l f S
. e c u r et h e t o p g o o d - f a c e
u p o n a w o r ks u r f a c ew r t h i t s e d g ep r o - I
j e c t i n go f f t h e s u r f a c eI.n s t a lal p r l o t e d
r o u n d i n g - o vbei rt o r a n o t h em r o l d i n gb i t I
i n y o u rr o u t e rt,h e ns e tt h e c u t t i n gh e i g h t
t o m o l dt h e t o p p a r to f t h e e d g e T . u r no n I
t h e t o o la n dg u i d et h e b i t i n t ot h e s t o c k ,
m o v i n gt h e t o o l a g a i n stth e d i r e c t i o no f I
bit rotation a n d k e e p i n tgh e p i l o tb e a r i n g
buttedagainstthe stock (/eft).Oncethe I
t o p h a l fo f t h e e d g ei s m o l d e df,l i p t h e
w o r k p i e coev e ra n d r o u tt h e b o t t o mh a l f i f I
c a l l e df o r b y y o u rd e s i g n .
I
I
t
I
I
r) Adding battens
L Wnenmolding isattached withsliding t
dovetails, it serves to stiffen thetop,elim-
inating theneedforbattens; molding that I
issimplyrouted in theedgeof thetopdoes
notofferthisadvantage. In thiscase, to I
prevent warping fromchanging humidity
levels, fastentwoor threebattens across I
theundersrde of thetop.Cutthestrips of
woodfromthesamestockasthetop,mak- I
ingthemaboullY,inches wideand3 inch-
esshorter thanthewidthof thetop.For I
visual appeal, roundoneendof eachbat-
t e no n t h eb a n ds a w .N e x ts, e tt h et o p I
good-face downon a worksurface and
h o l dt h ef i r s tb a t t e ni n p l a c ea b o u 5
t I
inches fromoneendofthetop.Drrve three
screws to fastenit in place(right). (Io allow I
thebatten to expand andcontract, enlarge
thecounterbored holes attheendsofthe I
woodstripsintoovals; thecenterscrewis
t h eo n l yo n et h a ts h o u l b d ed r i v e inn I
tight.)Repeat theprocess to mountthe
otherbattens. I
I
92 I
I
I
I AND FEET
BASES
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
TIrcltottottrttssurtltls, o.l'tlrcblorr-
I kct clrcstcon,si-sr-s ol'brackct.lbct
t t t o t t r t t c trlv l r / r- s c r c t vt os a r o b -
I Itctcdltascrrroldirtg tltat srtpprtrts
tlrc cttrcasc. Tltc ltrockct.lcclorc
I joitrcdn,ith lttl.f blirtddttvctails.

I
FEET
BRACKET
MAKING
I
theninboard
1t Markins
-
t I T h ef e e to f t h e b l a n k ect h e s a t r em a d e
f r o mt w o i d e n t i c abl o a r d sc u t w i t h a d e c -
I orative scrolp l a t t e r na n dl o i n e dw r t hh a l f -
b l i n dd o v e t a i l l o i nM t sa, k el h el o i n e rcyu t s
I f i r s t ,t h e ns a wo u tt h e p a t t e r nasn da s s e m -
b l et h e n i e c e sT o n e s i nc. u t b l a n k tso t h e
I s i z eo f t h e f e e t ,t h e nm a r kt h e h a l f - b l t n d
d o v e t a i l sI n. d i c a tteh eo u t s r dfea c eo f e a c h
I b o a r dw i t l ra n X . T h e na d l u s ta c u t t i n g
p a r r s teo t h e t h i c k n e sosf t h e s t o c ka n d
I s c r i b ea l i n ea c r o s tsh e i n s i d ef a c eo f t h e
p i n b o a r dt o m a r kt h e s h o u l d el r n e .N e x t ,
I s e c u r et h e b o a r de n d - u pI n a v i s e ,s e t
t h e c r r l l r nppa r p et o a h o u o t n e - t h i rtdn e
I s t o c k ' st h i c k n e s sa,n d m a r ka l i n ea c r o s s
t h e e n d c l o s e rt o i t s o u t s i d ef a c e .U s ea
I d o v e t a i l s q u at o r em a r kt h e p i n so n t h e
e n d o f t h e b o a r d .F o rt h e s i z eo f b o a r d
I s h o w na, h a l f - p i na t e a c he d g ea n dt w o
e v e n l sv n a . e dn i n si n h e t w e ew n i l lm a k e
^ ^ f ,^ + r - ^ ^ r i , r, r^n t I. n d r c a t e
I d >LruilB dilu dLLrdLLrvc JL he
w a s t es e c t i o nw s i t hX s ,t h e nu s ea c o m b i -
I n a t i o ns q u a r e t o e x t e n dt h e l i n e sd o w nt h e
i n s i d ef a c et o t h e s h o u l d el ri n e ( / e f f )R. e-
I p e a t h e m a r k so n a l l t h e p i n b o a r d s .

I
I
I
I 93

I
 I
BLANKET CHEST I
I
r) Cutting thepins I
Z- Secure a pinboardin a visewithits
outside facetoward you,thencut down I
alongtheedges of thepinswitha dovetail
saw,working fromoneedgeof the board I
to theother.Foreachcut,alignthesaw
bladejustto thewastesideof thecutting t
lines(left).Usesmooth, evenstrokes, con-
tinuing thecutsto theshoulder line.Next, I
clamptheboardoutside-face downon a
worksurface andusea chiselandmallet t
to pareawaythewastewood:Scorea line
about%inchdeepalong theshoulder line t
andthenshave off a thin layerof waste,
withthechiselheldhorizontally andbev- I
e l - u pR t e p r o c e d utroec u tt h e
. e p e at h
remaining pinboards. I
I
I
I
I
I
Q Gutting rherails I
r.,l Seta cuttinggauge to thethickness
o f t h ep i n st,h e nm a r kt h es h o u l d el irn e I
on all thetail boards. Placethefirsttail
boardoutside-face downontheworksur- I
f a c e .H o l da p i nb o a r de n d - d o wwni t h
its insidefacealigned withtheshoulder I
lineof thetailboard, making certain the
edges of theboards areflush.Outline the I
tailswitha pencil, thenusea trysquare to
extend thelinesontotheendof theboard. I
Markallthewaste sections withXs.Then
usea dovetailsawto cut Ihelails(right). I
Angling the board, ratherthanthesaw,
makes foreasier cutting. Thensecure the I
b o a r de d g e - uipn t h ev i s ea n dc u tt h e
wastebeside thetwooutside tails.Remove t
thewastebetween thetailswrtha chisel
using t h es a m et e c h n i q udee s c r i b ei nd t
step2. Whenyouhavechiseled outhalf
thewaste, flipthepieceandf inishthejob I
fromtheotherside.Repeat the process
to cuttheothertailboards. t
I
94 I
I
I
I BLANKETCHEST

I
t thejoint
Test-fitting
M a k ea t e m p l a t ew i t h t h e d e s i r e d
I p a t t e r nf o r t h e f e e ta n d t r a c et h e s h a p e
o n o n ef a c eo f e a c hb o a r dT . h e n ,t e s t - f i t
I the half-blinddovetailjoinl (right).Mark
a n ys p o t st h a t b i n dw i t ha p e n c i al n d
I c a r euf l l y p a r es o m ew o o da w a ya t e a c h
m a r ku n t i lt h e f i t i s s a t i s f a c t o r y .
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I CUTTING
THEPATTERN
I Usingthe bandsaw
C u t t h e p a t t e r ni n e a c ho f t h e f e e t f r e e -
I h a n do n t h e b a n ds a w .T o k e e pt h e b l a d e
f r o mb i n d i n gi n t h e k e r fa t t h e t i g h tp a r t
I o f t h e c u r v e ,m a k ea s e r i e so f s t r a i g h t
r e l e a s ec u t s f r o m t h e e d g eo f t h e w o r k -
I p i e c et o t h e m a r k e dl i n e .T h e n ,a l i g nt h e
b l a d ej u s tt o t h e w a s t es i d eo f t h e c u t t i n g
I l i n ea n df e e dt h ew o r k o i e ci en t ot h e b l a d e
w i t hb o t hh a n d sm , a k i n gs u r en e i t h ehr a n d
I is in linewith the cuttingedge(left).

I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I 95

I
 I
BLANKET CHEST I
I
MAKING
THEBASEMOLDING I
'l Making thebasepieces
I T h ef o u rp i e c etsh a tm a k eu p t h e
t
b a s em o l d i nagr es h a p eadn dr a b b e t e d
i n d i v i d u a lW l yo
. r k i nwgi t hs t o c kl o n g e r
t
you
than need,routoneedgeof thefront I
andsidepieces thesamewayyouwould
shapecornice molding (page66).Next I
use y o u r
t a b l es a wt o c u tr a b b e tisn a l l
fourpieces. Therabbets aresawnin two I
passes, withtheshoulders f irst,followed
bythecheeks. Adjust thebladeheight so I
thecheeks willbewideenough to support
t h ec h e sw t i t h o urte a c h i nt hg em o l d i n g I
cuts;position thefencesoone-third of the
stockthickness willbecutaway. Usetwo I
featherboards to support theworkpiece;
attach thetable-mounted featherboard to I
a s h i ms ot h em i d d l o e f t h ew o r k p i e icse
p r e s s eadg a i n st h t ef e n c eF. e e de a c h I
pieceon edgeintothe blade(left)until
t h et r a i l i n eg n dr e a c h et h s et a b l eT. h e n I
m o v et o t h eo t h e sr i d eo f t h et a b l ea n d
pullthestockoasttheblade. I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
r) Gluing upthebase
L Sawthemolding pieces to length,cuttingmitersat both Q Fastening thefeetto thebase I
endsof thefrontpieceandat oneendof thesrdes. Thefroni r-,1Workingona flatsurface,position
thebaseonthefeetof
cornersof thebaseareassembled withmiterjoints;buttjoints thechest,making surealltheouteredgesareflush.At each I
aresufficient
fortheback.Theconnections shouldbereinforced corner,borefourcountersunk holes
throughthebaseandinto
withwoodbiscuits, Usea platejoiner to cutslots,
thenspread thefootandscrewthetwotogether (above).
Placethechest I
gluein theslots,insertbiscuitsin thefrontandbackpieces, in therabbetsof thebasepieceanddrivescrews fromunder-
andpress thecornerstogether (above) andclampthem. neath throughthebaseandintothechest. I
I
96 I
I
I
I BLANKETCHEST

I
I A VARIATION: BRACKET
OGEE FEET
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
t
It is easierto sandthe
I contoured surfacesof the
ogeebracketfeet beforein-
I stallingthemon thebase.

I
MAKING
OGEE FEET
BRACKET
I
1 Gutting theogeecove
I I Ogeebracket feetarecreatedmuch
likethe bracket feetshownon page93,
I butwithan S-shaped ogeeprofileshaped
in theiroutside faces.Because of their
I contoured surfaces,
thetwohalves of each
footarejoinedwitha miter-and-spline joint
I (page98),ratherthana half-blind dove-
tail.Theogeeprofileis cut in threesteps
I onthetablesawandtherouter. Beginby
marking theprofileontheendof a pieceof
I stocklongenough to makeall thefeet.Set
up yourtablesawto makea covecut in
I thefaceof theboardasyouwouldforthe
cornicemoldingof an armoire(page69).
I Usea pushblockto feedthestock,mak-
passes
ingseveral shallow to cut a cove
t of theappropriate depth(right).Onceyou
havemadethecovecut,usea routerfit-
I tedwitha rounding-over bit to shapethe
corner of theboardto themarked line.
I
I
I 97

t
 I
BLANKET CHEST I
I
r) Finishing theogeeprofile I
L me rideeof wastebetween thecove
cutandtherounding-over cutissliced off I
bythetablesaw.Tosetupthecut,hold
theworkpiece onedgeonthesawtable I
andadjust thebladeangle to alignthecut-
t i n ge d g ew i t ht h em a r k e d
l i n eo n t h e I
boardend.Butttheripfenceagainst the
stock,lockit in place, andsettheblade I
herght to sliceawaythewaste.Usethree
featherboards to support theworkpiece dur- I
ingthecut:Clamp twoto thefenceanda
thirdto thetable;thisfeatherboard should I
bemounted ona shimsoit willpress clos-
erto themiddleof thestockagainst the I
fence.Feedtheworkpiece withbothhands
(right).Oncetheboard's trailingendreach- I
esthetable,moveto theothersideof the
tableandoullthestockoasttheblade. I
I
ASSEMBLING
OGEE
BRACKET
FEET t
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
1 Making thebevelcuts
I Sincetheoseebracket feetwill beassembled withmiter- B e f o r m e a k i n tgh ec u t ,c l a m pa s t o pb l o c kt o t h ee x t e n s i o n I
and-spline joints, eachof theeightfootpieces willhavebevels t o e n a b lyeo ut o l i n eu pt h ec u t sf o rt h et h r e eo t h e ird e n t i c a l
o n a d j o i n i negn d s F. i r s tc, u t a l l t h ep i e c essl i g h t loyv e r s i z e .pieces.
Holdtheflatedgeof theboardagainst theextension t
Tocutthebevels, setyoursaw'sbladeangle to 45" andattach andtheendagainst theblockasyoumakeeachcut (above).
a w o o de x t e n s i ot on t h e m i t e rg a u g eM . a r kt h e l e n g t h
ofa To beveltheendsof thefourmatching footpieces, holdthe I
f o o tp i e c eo n y o u rs t o c ka n d ,h o l d i ntgh ef l a te d g eo f t h e contourededgeof thestockagainst theextension asyou
b o a r da g a i n st h
t ee x t e n s r oanl ,i g nt h em a r kw i t ht h eb l a d e . m a k et h ec u t s . I
I
98 I
I
I
I BLANKETCHEST

I
I r) Gutting thesplinegrooves
1ne g r o o v ef o
s rt h es p l i n eisn t h e
I beveled ends of the footDieces arecut
onthetablesaw. Install a dado head and
I adjustitsthickness to thatof the splines
youwill use.Settheangleof the headat
I 45oandshifttheriofenceto theleft-hand
sideof theblades. Holding onefootpiece
I flat-face-down onthesawtable,buttthe
beveled endagainst thecuttingedgesof
I thedadoheadandadjustthefenceand
bladeheightsoa %-inch groove will be
I locatedaboul%inchfromthe bottomof
the piece.Buttthefenceagainst theend
I of the stockandlockit in place.Feed
eachpiecewith the miler gauge(left),
I pressingtheendagainst thefencethrough-
outthecut.
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I thepatterns
Cutting and
gluingupthefeet
t Onceallthesplinegrooves arecut,design
thescrolloatterns ontheflatfacesof the
I pieces andcutthemoutonthebandsaw
(page95).Sandthe piecessmooth, then
I cutsplines fromplywood or solidwoodto
fit intothegrooves.
Thesplines shouldbe
I aslongasthegrooves; maketheirwidth
slightlylessthantwicethe combined
I depthof twogrooves. (lf youusesolid
woodfor thesplines, cut themsothe
I grainrunsacross theirwidth,ratherthan
lengthwise.) Spreadadhesivein thegrooves
I andglueup thefeet (right),thenattach
themto the baseasyouwouldstandard
I bracketfeet (page96).

I
I 99

I
 I
HARDWARE I
I
INSTATLING
A LOCK I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
A commonfeature of traditional cam- I
paign chests,solid brassflush handles
add a touch ofclassto any blanketchest. I
The handlesstop at a 90" angle to the
sidesof the chest,providing a convenient
1 0utliningthelockfaceplate t
way to lift the piece. I Laythecheston itsfrontpanelandposition the lockface-downmidway
between thesidesandflushwiththetopedgeof thepanel.Tracetheoutline I
(above),
of thefaceplale thenextendthelinesontothetopedgeof thepanel.
I
r) Routing thelockmoftise I
l mis is oneof therareinstances in
whichtherouteris usedto makea free- I
handcut.Careandpatience arerequired.
Usea woodchiselto firstcut a shallow I
mortise forthefaceplate lip in thetop
edgeof thefrontpanel.Next,installa I
straight bit in yourrouter, setthecutting
depthto thethickness of thefaceplate, I
andcuta mortise insidethemarked out-
line.Startbyguiding thetoolin a clock- I
wisedirection to cuttheoutside edgesof
themortise; clearouttheremaining waste I
byfeeding thetoolagainst thedirection
of bit rotation. Usethechiselto souare the I
corners andpareto theline.Measure the
distance between theedgesof theface- I
plateandthe lockhousing andtransfer
the measurement to themortise. Adjust I
therouter's cuttingdepthto thethickness
of thehousing andcutthef inalmortise I
(left).Usethechiselto square anycorners.
Test-fit the lockin thecavityandusethe I
chisel to deepen orwidenanyof themor-
tises,if necessary. I
I
100 I
I
I
I BLANKETCHEST

I
t thekeyhole
Q Cutting
andmark
r-J Setthelockin themortise
I thelocation Cuttheopen-
of thekeyhole.
ingasyouwouldforanarmoire lock(page
I oneholeforthekeyshaftand
B3),drilling
anotherforthekeybit.Usea smallf ileto
I lointhetwoholes(nght)
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I Installing theescutcheon
Position theescutcheon onthefront
I p a n eol f t h ec h e s ta, l i g n i nigt so p e n i n g
overthekeyhole. Usea stripof masking
I t a p et o h o l dt h eh a r d w a irnep l a c e while
youstartthenailsin theirholes. To pro-
I tectyourf ingers whendriving eachnail
flush,gripthenailshaftwithneedle-nose
I pliers(/eff).

I
I 101

I
 I
BLANKET CHEST I
I
I
f, Mounting thelock
r-f Oncethekeyhole is cut,laythechest
on itsfrontpanelagainandsetthe lock
I
in itsmortise.Markthescrewholesonthe
panel,remove the lock,andborepilot
I
holes. Setthelockin placeagainandfas-
tenit to thechest,drivingthescrewheads
t
flushwiththefaceplate (/effl.
I
I
Front panel
I
I
2 I
2
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
thestrikeplate
Installing I
Complete h e l o c ki n s t a l l a t i ob ny
mounting thestrikeplateto thetopof I
thechest.Slipthescrews through their
holesin the plateandsetthe plateon I
topof the lock.Turnthe keyuntilthe
lockengages withthestrikeplate,then I
adda stripof masking tapeto holdthe
platefirmlyin place.Slowly closethetop I
of the chest(right)untilits underside
touches thescrews. Borea pilotholeat I
eachmarkleft by the screwtipsand
attachthestrikeplateto thetop. I
I
r02 t
t
t
I BLANKETCHEST
I
I HANDLES
FLUSH
INSTALLING
I 1 0utliningthehandles
I Laythecheston onesideandPosi-
I tiona handleoutside-face-downmidway
between thefrontand backpanelsanda
I fewinches below
the top.Tracetheoutline
of the mountingplate
tight).
I
I
t
t
I
t
t
t /) Mounting thehandles
L lnstalla straightbit in yourrouter,
I setthecuttingdepthto thethickness of
themounting plate,
andcuta mortise in-
I sidethemarked asyouwouldfor
outline
a lock(pageI 00). Next,measure the dis-
I tancebetween theedges of themounting
plateandthe bowl-shaped housing and
I transferthemeasurement to themortise.
Adjusttherouter's cuttingdepthto the
I thicknessof thehousingandcutthedeep-
er mortise.
Test-fitthehandle in thecavity
t andusea woodchiselto pareanyremain-
(farleft).
ingwastewoodfromthe mortises
I Oncethemounting platerestsf lushwith
theoutside faceof thesidepanel,mark
I thescrewholes, remove thehandle, and
borea pilotholeat eachmark.Setthe
I handlein placeagain andfasten it to the
chest(near/eff).Repeat
theprocedure for
t theotherhandle.

I
I
t
I
I
I 103

I
 I
INLAYS I
I
Contrrrcrcinlbarding is at,nilaltleirr t
a variety oJ'desigrtsto conrplenterfi
works rarrgirrgJi"ortta Welshtlresser I
to n boardroonrtnble.Here, it nddsa
decorntivetortcltto the top ofn blan- I
ket chest.Inlay nurterinlsctm be nrctal,
wood verteer,or solid lurrdwood. I
I
I
I
I
I
INSTATTING
INLAY
I
I
I
I
t
t
I
I
r
I
I
'l
Routing thegroove I
I G r o o v efso r i n l a ya r ec u t w i t h a r o u t e fr i t t e dw i t h a s t r a i g h t s u r et h e d i s t a n c eb e t w e e n t h e r o u t e rb a s ep l a t ea n d t h e e d g e
b i t t h e s a m ew i d t ha s t h e i n l a y .l f y o ua r ei n s t a l l i nsgh o p - m a d e o f t h e t o p , a n d c u t t h e e d g eg u i d ea n d s t o pb l o c k st o t h a t I
r n l a ys, e tt h e c u t t i n gd e p t hs l i g h t l ys h a l l o w et hr a nt h e t h i c k - w i d t h .S c r e wa f e n c et o e a c hp i e c es o i t c a n b e p o s i t i o n e d
n e s so f t h e s t r i p s ;t h e i n l a yw i l l b e s a n d e df l u s h ( s f e p3 ) . s q u a r et o t h e e d g e so f t h e t o p . F o re a c hc u t ,c l a m pt h e g u i d e I
F o rc o m m e r c i abla n d i n gw, h i c hi s v e r yt h i n ,m a k et h e c u t t i n g a l o n gt h e e d g ey o uw i l l b e c u t t i n ga n df a s t e na s t o pb l o c ka t
d e p t he q u atl o t h e i n l a yt h i c k n e st os m i n i m i zsea n d i n gO. u | i n e e a c he n d . H o l d r n g t h e r o u t e r ' sb a s ep l a t ea g a i n stth e e d g e I
t h eg r o o v o e n t h e t o p w i t ha p e n c i l i;t s h o u l db e e q u i d i s t a n t g u i d ea n do n es t o pb l o c k t, u r no n t h e t o o la n d p l u n g e
thebit
f r o mt h e e d g e sR . o u tt h e f o u rs i d e so f t h e g r o o v ei n d i v i d u a l l y ,r n t ot h e s t o c k .F e e dt h e b i t ( a b o v eu) n t i lt h e b a s ep l a t ec o n - I
g u r d i n gt h e t o o lw i t h a n L - s h a p eedd g eg u i d ea n d s t o pb l o c k s . t a c t st h e o t h e rs t o pb l o c k ,O n c ea l l t h e c u t sa r e m a d e ,
square
T o s e t u p t h e g u i d e sa, l i g nt h e b i t w i t ht h e c u t t i n gl i n e ,m e a - t h e c o r n e rw s i t ha c h i s e. I
I
i04 I
I
I
I BLANKETCHEST
t
I r) Setting theinlayin thegroove
I Cut inlayto lengthto f it in the
the
I groove, usingyourtablesawfor shop-
madeinlay,or a woodchtselforcommer-
I cialbanding. Fortherectangular groove
shown, make 45" miter cuts at the ends
I of the inlay pieces.Cut and test-fit one
pieceat a time,thenspread a littleglue
t ontheunderside of theinlayandinsertit
in theslot (right),tapping
thestripgently
I witha wooden mallet.Commercial band-
ingshould be heldin placewith masking
I tapeuntiltheadhesive cures.

I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I Trimming theinlay
Oncethegluehasdried, sandthetoP
I
I
l r)l to remove anyexcess
theinlayperfectly
of thewood.Forshop-made
adhesive andbring
f lushwiththesurface
inlay,usea
b e l ts a n d efri t t e dw i t ha 1 2 0 - g r ibt e l t .
I Movethesander forward alongoneinlay
pieceIeft)andpullthesander backwhen
T youreachtheendof thestrip,overlapping
thefirstpassbyone-half thewidthof the
I belt.Continue untilthesurfaces of thein-
layandthetopareflush,thenmoveonto
I theotherstrips.Repeat theprocess witha
finerbelt (150- or 18O-grit) to smooth the
I inlayandthesurrounding surface. Sand
commercial banding byhandwitha sand-
I ingblock.Becareful: Somemodern band-
ingis lessIhan%o inchthick.
t
I
t
I
I 105

t
I
I
t
I
I
I HIGHBOY
I
I
r
hehighboyoriginatedin 17th Themodemreproduction shown
I I CenturyEuropeandwasin- in the photograph on page 106 dis-
spiredby theornateChinese lac- plays manytt'aditional elements of
I queredcabinets importedfor the the 18th Centurydesign: the grace-
Endishnobilitv.Because of itssize, frrl cabriolelegs,the scrolledpedi-
I the"highboy-or high chestof mentor crownmolding,theflame-
drawers-wasconstructed in two and-urnfinials,theflutedquarter
I sections: a lowerchestthat suP- columns,andtheshellcarvingand
porteda tallerchestwith four or appliedmoldingadorningthescal-
I moretiers.ThetoPlevelwasfre- loped aprononthelowerchest.
quentlydividedinto threesmaller This chapterwillshowyouhow
I drawerssetsideby side. to design andconstruct thisclassic
fu theQueenAnne styleevolved piece of furniture, frombuildingthe
I into themoreornilmental andclas- upperchest(page110)to sawing
shaoins
andshaping thecabriole (Dase
less(page
legs
sicalChippendale sryleduringthe
I futt.t p*ilf thersth Centu{ the Topreventdustfromenteringthe cabinet, 112) andthen assemblins
and,thenassgmblinq the low-
tifihb"y found favorwith afflu- speciilframesareinstalledunderneath thebot- er chest (page.116). Attention is also
I .n?ro.i.ty in colonialcitieslike nmdranerinthelowerchat.Thedustshield devoted to the finer details, like
Itritaaapiria, Boston,and New isabasicframe-and-panel construction installing cockbgl{ing around the
I York.Towaing7 or 8 feethigh,the scrsuedto theiarcasesides. drawers (page 118), r.outing crown
i.foringhigliboy*miaeaiyiuit- molding (page124),carvingthe
I .a'to in€.t."g.nt,lofty ceilihgsof themanorhousesof the frnals (2ag.el30),and shaping thequartel.glp": (page 1j4)t
time,anditsiumerousdraweisweretheperfectsolutionfor two
The-foiiowing pagej illustrate the htghboy't upper and
I rt"riititft.rttiJes needed Highboysbecame lower
for entertaining'. chests. The major {eatryeg of the piece are identified;
the ha"llmarkof fashionableliving rooirs aid ttreir prices referto thepages indicated to find outhowto makeandinstall
I rosedramatically. Thetrendhascontinuedunabated. Today, eachelement.
tft. ftigiib"yrpr6duced by therenowned Philadelphiacabi- -..Building ahighboyisa challenging.task, butwith careand
I netm;kersofthe 1700sl.. rrnongthemostsought-after diligenceyoucangleateapieceoffurniturewiththegraceand
pieces of antiquefurniture. timelessappealof its200-year-old ancestors.
I
I
I
I
t Thehighboy at leftexempffiestheharmony
betweenstraightlines typi-
andfluid curves
I calof QueenAnne-stylefurniture.

I r07
t
 ANATOMYOF A HIGHBOY

UPPER
CHEST
Crown molding Roeette
ilr:irl. l,-/ij \ // il).,1q.-
i2a')

\
Top rail /
(Y::.t;,1f
i^i;t'1
aaa.., \

/'

l0.s
I
I HIGT{BOY

I
LOWER
CHEST
I
I
I Cockbeading
(.pa4e118)
a
I
I
I
t
T
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
t
\ (
I
I \ /

I thell carvinq
t
Bottom.rail
/
I
(.paae137'1 t,|3q.|o t
I I
I I
Knee block
I (Fqe 117.)

Cabriole leq
I 1 ; t a 4 e1 1 2 )

t
I

I I09

I
 t
THE,UPPE,R
ASSE,MBLING CHE,ST t

lic highbol,'s uppcrchc'sthastu'cr r clrau,cr fl'anrefbr cachticr of cil'arvcrs. n'ithmortisr'-ancl-tenons (prryc

-16J.lx6l1 I
majorconrponcnts: a largccarcase T l l e t o p t r t i li s t l t r t l ' . ' t lr ' . t 6 6 . ' 11t111 . ' franrehasan rrclclecl dovetailedslicle
anclan claborate lircetranrethat tits crorvnmolcling(prrgc124)nd rosettes (pagc122).Tiranchortheframesto the I
1,ithi1it. As shorvn1.,.1sl1r, tl.tecarcase (ptrgc128),both of 1'hicharc aclcle cl cArcase, tn'obraces rrrcscren'ecl
to thc'top
cor.rsistsof ir top anclbottour,tl'o sicle latc'r. The backtaceof the top rail is of cachoneanclto thesiclcpanels. The I
panels, ancltu'clbackpanclsscparatecl qroovecl to acceptthecarcase top,ancl drau'erfl'aurcsarcnotchcdat thc front
'l'he
br.astile-ol mr-rntilt. carcasc cor- hasa tenoncutin eachendto flt in r.nor- to accou'uloclate the front postsancl I
luersarejoincdn'ith throLrgh clovctail tisesin thetu,ofr-ontposts. ThcL shape scrcrvecl to thenr.'l'heuppernrost clrarv
ioints(prrgc 26J,anclthebacli. parre lssit ol'thefl'ontpostscreates thespaccfbr er franrcsllpports thlecsmalldrau'ers; I
in rabbets the insidecclgcs
cr.rtrror.rncl the quarter-colunrns (prrge 1,34). The it f'eaturestu'ocliviclers
anclthreeclrau,-
of thecarcase (prrgc
anclr.r.runtir.r i 1).Thc firnt postssitin notches cLLt in thecar- er slicles.Oncethefrrcefr-ame hasbeen I
n.r-rntir.r
is attachecl to thetop andbot- casetop auclbottout. bLrilt,it is simpl,vslipped into thecar-
tonrofthe carcase n'ithnrortise-and- The drrrrver's supportingfl'trnres irrc ctrse(.scc &c/orr')
aucltheu scrervc'c'l
to thc' I
teuonjoints. assenrbled from railsanclstilesjoined sicleofthe carcrsc tliroLrghthebraces.
Thctracc fl'rrnrc,
shorvnfrrce-Lrp belorv I
auclfacc-clou'n on pageI I 1,isbuiltfronr
a top rail,tn'oL-shapccl fi'ontposts,ancl I
I
DETAIL
C()NSTRUCTION
(FACE-UP
VIEW) I
I
I
'.. Faca
rrame I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
li,,-:ck, --....-_ r
cenai '-
Carcaea I
lll : )tf ! n --"------
--,--'
T
t

I
I
I
HIGHBOY
I

I FACEFRAME
(FACE-DOWN
VIEW)
I
I
t Toppancl

I )

I
I Stde
Panet
I 'l'lrt'
tlratt't'rstlnt lit irtto lltc ltlrr c/ic-sl-s ol'tlrc lrighboy
I trc tvpictlly sttltportctlbv.litrrrrt's -s.rc11'('rlto tltc sidt'
t l
p a t tt' l s; t l o t't' t tt i l r:d t rttrrt t'-s ii i t' t t l raw c r b ott o tt ts t t to l c
I tvitIr rrrott'Irirrs troiIt'd to tItt'.l)'orrrt'.
-s/lrfu'-s {
I

I
I
I
t
I
I
Dtvider /
I
r Drawer
/
-,'
I frame

I
I I \
I {
\,,.,,,,
I {.)r,)t::l

t DcvetatleC
drawcr oltdc

I iri.i I trtl

ir,.r'fi a'i

I
-

I lil

I
 I
CABRIOLELEGS I
I
()UTTHEIEGS
SAWING I

Foat block
r
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
1 Designing theleg
I Makea template froma pieceof %-inch plywood or hardboard cutto thesame I
lengthandwidthasyourlegblanks. Thedesign shownabove at topwillyieldan
attractive,stable,andwell-proportioned leg,butyoucanalterthepattern to suit I
yourproject or copythedesign of an existing legthatappeals to you.Begindrawing
thelegbyoutlining thepostblock.Makeits length equalto thewidthof thelower T
railthatwillbeattached to it, plustheheightof thelowerchest's sidepanels.The
A distinctivefeatureof QueenAnne
widthof thepostblockshouldbeadequate to accepttherailtenon.Later,it will be I
notched (page116)to acceptthequarter columns of the lowerchest.Next,sketch
style,the tapering,curyedcabrioleleg I
thepadandthetoe,thenthefrontof thelegfromthetoeto theankleusinga french
haslongbeenconsidered a challenge point,thediameter
curve;at its narrowest of theankleshouldbeabouttwo-fifths
for cabinetmakers.But itsgracefullines
thestockwidth.Moveonto theknee,sketching a gentlecurvefromthepostblock I
canbecut easilyon thebandsawand
to thefrontedgeof thetemplate about2 to 3 inchesbelowtheblock.Thenjointhe
smoothed with handtools. I
kneeto theanklewitha relatively straightline.Complete theoutlineat thebackof
the leg,fromtheankleto the bottomof the postblock(above). Experiment untilyou
havea satisfactorydesign. I
I
T12 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY

t
t r') Transferring thedesign
I rcne legblanks
I C u to u ty o u rt e m p l a toen a b a n ds a w ,
thensandtheedges to the marked out-
I l i n e .H o l dt h et e m p l a tfel a to n o n eo f
theinside facesof thelegblank,making
I surethattheendsof thetemplate and
t h eb l a n ka r ea l i g n eadn dt h a t h eb a c k
I of theoostblockis f lushwiththeinside
edgeof theblank.Tracealongtheedges
t o f t h et e m p l a t eo o u t l i n teh el e g T
. urn
theblankoverandrepeat theprocedure
I on the otherinsidefacetight).At this
point,somewoodworkers prefer to prepare
I the legsandrarlsforthejoinerybefore
cutting theleg.(lt iseasier to clampand
I cuta mortise in a rectangular legblank,
forexample, thanto carryoutthesame
I p r o c e d u r oe ns a l e gw i t hp r o n o u n c e d
curves.) Otherwoodworkers cutthe leg
I firstandthendotheloinery.

I
I
I
I
I
I Cutting oneface
Setthe leeblankon the bandsaw
I tablewithoneof themarked outlines fac-
ingupandthebottom of thelegpointing
I awayfromyou.Aligning thesawblade
justto thewaste sideof themarked line
I forthebackof theleg,feedthestockinto
theblade. Turnoffthesawabouthalfway
I through thecutandremove theworkpiece.
t h es a m el i n ef r o mt h e
T h e nc u ta l o n g
I opposite end.Toavord detaching thewaste
piecefromtheblankandlosing themarked
I outline ontheadjacent face,stopthecut
about%inchfromthefirstkerf,leaving a
I shortbridgebetween thetwocuts.Retract
theworkpiece, thencutalong thelinefor
I thefrontof the leg(left),againleaving
bridges to prevent thewastewoodfrom
I fallingaway.

I
I 113

I
 I
HIGHBOY I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
Completing thecutsand
severing thebridges I
Turnoverthe blanksothatthemarked
o u t l i n oe n i t sa d j a c e n
s itd ei s f a c i n g
up. I
C u ta l o n gt h em a r k e ldi n e sb, e g i n n i n g
withthosealongthefrontof theleg,then I
theback(above). Thistime,complete ihe
cuts,lettingthewastefall away. Then I
r o t a t teh eb l a n ka n dc u tt h r o u gthh e
bridges leftduringyourfirstcuts(right). I
I
SHAPING
THELEGS I
1 Forming thepad
I Usea compass to outline thecircular
I
padonthebottom of theleg.Thensecure
thelegin a vise,withthebottom endfac-
I
ingup,andusea backsaw to cut away
t h eb u l ko f t h ew a s t e s u r r o u n d itnhge
I
outline. Maketwoseries of cuts,starting
withfourcutsstraight intotheendof the
I
l e ga t t h ec o r n e r tsh, e ns a w i nagr o u n d
theendof the legto severthecorners. I
Next,secure thelegin a barclamp,lock
t h ec l a m pi n a v i s ea, n du s ea p a t t e r n -
t
maker's raspto roundthecorners of the
p a dC . o n t i n uuen t i l t h ep a di s c i r c u l a r I
(right), rotating the legin theclampas
necessary. Usea fileto smooth thepad.
I
I
I
I
I
n4 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY

t
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
r) Shaping thefoot
I Z- Reposition theclampin theviseso
thefootistilteddown.Holding thepat-
I ternmaker's raspat anangleof approx-
imately 45" to theleg,beginbyshaping
I thecontour fromthebottomup hbove).
Rotate thelegin theclampasneces-
I sarysothatyoucanshapethefootall
thewayaround. Smooth thesurface
I usinga double-cut flatbastard file,then
f i n i s ht h ej o bw i t hs a n d p a p eurs,i n g
I progressively f iner-grit papers.

I
I Shaping andsmoothing theknee
Tof inishshaping thecabriole legand
I to remove anyblemishes leftbytheband
sawblade,smooth thesurface of theknee
I witha spokeshave, followingwitha rasp
andsandpaper. Holding thespokeshave
I withbothhandsat thebottom of a curved
edgeof the leg,pushthetoolslowlyaway
I fromyou,cuttinga thinshaving (left).Make
a series of overlappingpasses, working
I withthegrainuntilthesurface is smooth.
Turnthelegin thebarclampto cleanup
t theotheredges. Usethe raspto smooth
an areathatthespokeshave cannotreach.
I Complete thejobwithsandpaper.

I
I 115

I
 I
ASSEMBLING
THE LOWERCHEST I
t
ncethecabriole lessarecomplet- frames.Thebottomdrau,erf}antecon- thesidepanels. Thelegsaregrooved to I
ed and the cavitie-'s for tl-recluar- tainsdustpanelsandisdividedinto sec- accepttl-reentirethickness of theback
t c r c o l L r r t t ri lt rse r o u t e di n l l r e p o s t tionsfor threedrau,ers.Likethedraler panelsandrabbets in thesidepanels. I
blocks,thelou,erchestctrnbegluedup. fiiules of theupperchest,thetop frante Theleesalsofbature nortisesthatrnate
Thechest-sholvn in thephotoou page features dralverslide.(The
a dovetailed nith tenor.rs cut in thebottonrrails.As I
107-is madeup of four legs,trvoside threesmaillowerdr;ru,elsslidervellrvith- lr,ithtl-reupperchest, thebackpanelsirre
panels, trvobackpanels, bottomrailsat out the aid of a s1ide.)
Thefiarrestrre separated bv a nr.urtin.Oncethelou,er I
the front and back,i'Lndtu,o drau,er screrved to bracesthat trreattached to chestis gluedup,kneeblocksarefash-
ionedandattached to thelegs(pngcI 17). I
Cockbeading arround the dralers and
the shellcarvirlgandappliedmolding t
on the bottontrail areaddecllater.To
MunL complete thechest,thequartercolnrnns I
aretnmedandinstalled in thelegnotch-
( esand,finall1,, a moldedfl'ameis at- I
tachedto thetopeclee of thechest.The
\ f}amelvill conceirl the seantrvhenthe I
upperchestis setin place.
\ I
tsack
Frace /
f panel ',,/ I
21
/
t
I
/I I
Drane'---//
raarrle
--}
I
/'
/'-t'
t
DoveLailed ---'
.'t I I
/
Crawer altde
/
I
Diviaer-/
Cabriole
leq
I
/.'* 9ide
/ panel I
,/
Duet --'/ /'
-/ t
frame /
/ I
I
DotLom ratl
I
\nee
PlOCK I
I
QuarLer
aolumn I
I
I16 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY

I
t BL()CKS
KNEE
ANDM()UNTING
MAKING
'l
I Oesigning thekneeblocks
I Thekneeblocks, whichlointhecurves
I of thelegsandbottomrails,aredesigned
andcut muchlikethelegsthemselves. For
I a template, placea prece of stiffcardboard
in thecorner between thelegandadjoin-
I ingrailanddrawa contour linethatcon-
nectsthetwopieces. Thesametemplate
I canbeusedforallthekneeblocks. Trans-
f e rt h e l i n et o a w o o db l a n kt h a ti s a s
I thickastheleg,slightly widerandlarger
than the area it must f ill. Place theblank
I against the rail and leg so its outstde face
is flushwiththeouterpartof thelegand
I drawa second lineontheblankusing the
legas a guide(right).Thegrainof the
I blockshould beparallel to thatoftheleg.
Saw out the block on the bandsawasvou
I did the legs (page 113).

I
I
I
I
t
I
I
t
I
I r) Mounting thekneeblocks
L Onceall thekneeblockshavebeen
I cutandsmoothed, gluethemup oneat
a time.Applya thinlayer of adhesiveto
I thecontacting surfaces,thenholdthe
pieces in placewitha clamp.Usewood
I padsto protect the stockanddirect
clamping pressure byshaping themto
I f it f lushagainst the legs(left).Driuea
screwthrough thekneeblockandinto
I thelegforaddedreinforcement.

I
I TT7

I
 t
COCKBEADING I
I
Cockbeadingis a rounded molding that extends
I
beyond thefront of the highboy and frames
the drawer openings.It is set into rabbetscut
I
along the inside edgesof the openings.In addi-
tion to providing decoration, cockbeading
I
protects the edgesof veneereddrawer fronts.
I
I
I
I
I
I
MAKING
ANDINSTALLING
COCKBEADING I
1 Preparing thedrawer openings I
I Usea routerfittedwitha %-inch oilot-
ed rabbeting bit to cut therabbetsaround I
thedrawer openings. Setthedepthof cut
at%inch,thenattacha square pieceof %- I
inchclearacrylic to thetool'sbaseplate
(inset).
Makethisauxiliary sub-base large I
enough to keepthetoolflatandstable
duringtheoperation. Setthecheston its I
backon a worksurface. Starting
at the
cornerof onedrawer opening,restthe I
routeronthechestwiththebitlustclear
of theworkpiece. Gripthetoolfirmlywith I
bothhands andturnit on,guiding thebit
intothewood.Oncethe pilotbearing I
buttsagainst thestock,feedthe router
toward theadjacent corner,keeping the I
sub-base flal (right).Continue around
theopening untilyoureachyourstarting I
point.Cutrabbets around theotherdraw-
er openings thesameway,thensquare I
thecorners witha chisel.
I
I
I
I
I
I
118 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY

I
t r) Making thecockbeading
L trttaie enoughcockbeading froml-
I inchlhick stock to fit in alltherabbets cut
in step1. Thecockbeading is bestshaped
I usingmolding cutters onthetablesaw.(Do
notusenarrow stock;instead, cut pieces
I thatareat least4 inches wideandthen
ripthecockbeading fromthem.)Install an
I auxiliary woodfenceandf it themolding
headwithcutters onyourtablesaw.Raise
I theheadintothewoodfenceto notchit.
Usea featherboard to secure thework-
I piece;screwit to a shimsothatpressure
w i l lb ea p p l i eadg a i n st ht em i d d l o
e ft h e
I workpiece. Makea fewtestpasses with
scraostockto setthewidthof cut.Forthe
I firstpass,centertheboardedgeovera cut-
ter,thenbuttthefenceagainst theface
I of thestock.Holdtheboardflushagainst
thefenceandthetableasyoufeedit into
I the cutters(right).Experiment withdiffer-
g idthu
e n tc u t t i n w s n t i tl h ee d g eo f t h e
I stockis properly rounded, thenshape both
edgesof eachworkpiece. Onceall your
I stockhasbeenmilled, install a ripblade
onthesawandcutthecockbeading from
I theboards, making it wideenough to pro-
trudebyI inchfromthedrawer openings
I whengluedintotherabbets.
I
I
I
I
I
I
Q Mounting thecockbeading
I .J Cutthecockbeading to length, miter-
ingtheendswiththetablesawora back-
I sawandmiterbox.lt iseasiest to cutand
f i t o n ep i e c ea t a t i m e ,m a k i nsgu r ey o u
I alignthemitered endswiththecorners of
the rabbets. Spread a littleglueon the
I contacting surfaces andinsertonestripat
a time,securing thepieces in placewtth
I spring clamps at 6-inchintervals (/eff,).

I
I 119

I
 I
DRAWERS I
I
MAKING
THEDRAWERS I
I
I
I
t
I
r
I
Thehighboy'sdrawersexemplifyclassic
cabinetmaking techniques.
Thecorners are t
joinedwith throughdovetails and theend
grain of the tail boardsis thenhidden I
with a falsefront. A dovetailedrunner
attachedto the bottomglidesalonga I
matingslidefastenedto theframe.
I
I
I
I
joints
1 Cutting thedovetail
I
I Sizethedrawer partsto fit theopenings in thechests, then
routthedovetails, cuttingthepinsin thefrontandbackpieces
andthetailsin thesides. A setof commercial templates like I
theoneshown onthispagemakes thejobsimple andensures
accurate results. Attach thepinandtailtemplates to backup I
boards following themanufacturer's instructions. Secure one
of thedrawer sidesend-up in a vise.Clamp thebackup board I
to thestock,making suretherearehalttails at either end;the
template andbackup board shouldbeflushagainst thework- I
piece.Protecting thestockwitha woodpad,butta stopblock
against thedrawer sideandclampit to thesupport boardto I
h e l py o ua l i g ns u b s e q u ecnutt s .I n s t a tl h l ed o v e t abi li t a n d
template guidesupplied withthejig andcutthetails,feeding I
thetoolin andoutof thetemplate slots(above). Cuttheremain-
i n gt a i l st h es a m ew a y T . h e nu s eo n eo f t h ec o m p l e t et a dil I
boards to outlinethe pinson onedrawer frontor back.Se-
curethepinboardin theviseandclampthepintemplate to I
t h es t o c ka, l i g n i ntgh ej i g f i n g e rws i t ht h em a r k e od u i l i n e .
I n s t a lt lh es t r a i g hbti ts u p p l i ewdi t ht h ej i g a n dr o u to u tt h e I
wastebetween the pins(left).Repeat at theotherendandfor
theremaining frontsandbacks. I
I
120 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY

I
t r) Preparing thedrawers
Z to,bottom panels
I Dry-f it the parts of eachdrawer andclamp
, l i g n i nt g
t h eu n i t a h eb a r so f t h ec l a m p s
I withthefrontandback pieces; remember
to protect thestockwithwoodpads.Then
I routa groove forthe bottompanelalong
theinside of thedrawer. Fita router with
I a three-wing slotting cutter and mount the
toolin a table.Adlustthe cutting height to
I leave thethickness of thedrawer runners
youwillmakein step3 below thegroove.
I Setthedrawer right-side up thetable
on
and,starting at themiddleof onedrawer
I side,feedthestockintothecutter.Keep-
i n gt h ep i l o tb e a r i nbgu t t e da g a i n st ht e
I w o r k o i e cfee,e dt h ed r a w ecrl o c k w i s e
(right).Continue pivoting thedrawer onthe
I you
tableuntil returnto your starting point.

I
I
I thedrawer runners andslides
Q Making
I rJ Mounting thedrawers in the highboy
requires twoaddrtional components for
I eachdrawer: a runner with a dovetailed
groove onthedrawer bottomanda match-
I ingslidefortheframe. Prepare therunner
f irst;it shouldbeas long as the drawer
sidesandthesamethickness as the gap
I between thebottom panel and the bottom
I edgeof thedrawer. Tocutthegroove in the
runner, install
a dovetail bit in a routerand
I mountthetoolin a table. Set the cutting
depthat one-half therunner's thickness.
Adjustthefenceto center the groove in
I andmaketwo passes to rout it,
therunner
usinga pushblockto feedthe stock (/eff).
I slideonthetablesaw,
Makethematchtng
I using stock one-half asthickastherunner.
Adjust theblade to thesameangle asthe
t sidesof the groove,thenmaketwo
to cuttheslide,positioning
passes
theripfence
I ontheleft-hand sideof thebladesothe
cutting edgeisangled awayfromthefence.
I Feedthestockusinga pushstick(insef).

I
t
I r2r
I
 I
HIGHBOY I
I
I
I
I
I
I
r
I
t
I
I
Gluing
upthedrawers I
F o rt h e b o t t o mp a n e lo f e a c hd r a w e r c, u t a p i e c eo f % - dovetaile gdr o o vteh r o u gthh ed r a w ebr a c k l.f y o uw i s ht o
i n c hp l y w o o d t o f i t t h e o p e n i n ga, d d i n gt h e d e p t ho f t h e installdrawer stops(page123),prepare themnow.Thenglue
I
g r o o v etso i t s l e n g t ha n dw i d t h .D r y - f i a
t n d c l a m pt h e d r a w e r upthedrawer asyoudidthechests, adding someadhesive to
againp , osition t h e r u n n e ra c r o s tsh e b o t t o mp a n e l a, n d m a r k attach therunners to thedrawer bottoms. Notched clamping
I
t h e s i d e so f t h e r u n n e r ' sd o v e t a i l egdr o o v eo n t h e d r a w e r p a d sw i l le n s u rteh a tp r e s s u ri seo n l ya p p l i e tdo t h et a i l
b a c k .D i s a s s e m btlhee d r a w ear n d u s ea c h i s e tl o e x t e n dt h e boards(above). I
t
I
I
I
I
I n s t a l l i ntgh ed r a w esr l i d e s
R
r - , 1O n c et h e a d h e s i v e h a sd r i e d .s l i o I
e a c hd r a w esr l i d ei n t oi t s r u n n e or n t h e
d r a w e rb o t t o ma n d i n s t a l tl h e d r a w e ri n I
t h e h i g h b o yM . a r kt h e l o c a t i o no f t h e
s l i d eo n t h e f r o n ta n d b a c ko f t h e d r a w e r I
f r a m e t, h e nr e m o v e t h e d r a w e rR. emove
t h e s l i d ea n dc e n t e ri t o n t h e f r a m eb e - I
t w e e nt h e a l i g n m e nmt a r k sA . p p l ya t h i n
l a y e ro f g l u eo n t h e c o n t a c t i n g surfaces t
a n ds e c u r teh e s l i d ei n p l a c ew i t hc l a m p s
(right).Oncethe clampshavebeentight- I
e n e d ,s c r e wt h e s l i d et o t h e f r o n ta n d
b a c ko f t h e f r a m e . I
t
r22 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY

I
t
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I Installingthefalsefronts
Attacha falsefrontto eachdrawer
I
lltllllllllllllllllilllllllljllllllllllllllllllllltllllllllllltlll
Ill1 to conceal
sides.
theendgrainof thedrawer
Setthedrawer faceupona work
I surface anddrivetwobradsintothe

t 5HO?TI? drawer front,leavingtheirheadspro-

Makesurethebradsarenot
truding.
Adjuotable \\ located wherethedrawer pullwill be
I drawer otop I installed, thensnipofftheheads and
To keepa drawer reinstall thedrawer.Cutthefalsefront
I from beinqpulled to therightsize,thencarefuly position
riqhNout, allach a
it overthe drawerfront(above). Once
I oimVle6No?Io trhe
youaresatisfied withtheplacement,
frame.Deforegluingup
the drawer, cul a \-inch- press f irmly;thepointed endsof the
I aquarenot'chin the mid' brads willpunchimpressions intothe
dlb of the tup edgeof the backof thefalsefront.Remove thedraw-
I drawerback.1awNheeIoP erandgluethefalsefrontin place, align-
from ecrap,makinqiNlonqerand narrowerNhan1 inch.Mountt'he ingtheimpressions withthebrads.
I etropNolhe boVt'omof Nheframe or 7anelunderwhichNhedrawer
wll'elide.LineiNup wibhIhe not'chin I'hedrawerback.)crewNhe
I otop in place,leavinqNhefaotener looeeenou7heo f'heeloV can be
turn Nhelto? 60 lhaL Nhelong
rot afed, Whenvou installthe drawer,
Ihrou7h
I ed,ae ie paralleliothe drawereides.Oncet'heoI'op'?ao6ee
r,hEnolch,NurniN90" eo it'e lonqedge io Io Nheback'
?arallel
I
I
I t23
I
 I
CRO\ArI\T
MOLDINGS I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
The crown molding-or pediment-on eachsideof the highboyfront is actuallybuilt up
front four
I
separatepiecesof wood. The brokenswan-neckface molding that curvesupwards
from thefront cor-
ner to the rosetteis ntadefrom two piecesof molding glued together.With the hetp of a template cut I
on the band sow,the moldingpiecesare shapedon a pin router (page 125). The moldingson both
sidesofthe highboy,calledthe returns,also consistoftwo piecesglued together.They are installed I
with dovetailedslidesthat fit into matchinggroovesin the upperchest(page 127).
I
A COTTECTION
OFCROWN
M()TDING
STYLES I
I
I
t
I
I
Triangular pediment Latticed broken pediment I
I
I
I
I
I
Eroken pediment 5arolled broken pediment
I
I
124 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY

I
t M()LDINGS
FACE
'l
I Shaping thefirstpieceof molding
I F o ra t e m o l a t et.r a c et h e c o n t o u r s
I o f t h e u p p e r a i lo n t oa p i e c eo f % - i n c h
p l y w o o dA. d d a c u t t i n gl i n et o r e p r e s e n t
I the bottomedgeof the f irstpieceof mold-
ing (inset),then sawthe templatein two
I a l o n gt h e l i n ea n dd i s c a rtdh e b o t t o mh a l .f
O u t l i n et h e t e m p l a t e o n t h e s t o c ky o uw i l l
I usefor the moldingandcut it to size.Next,
screwthe moldingblankatopthetemplate,
I m a k i n gs u r et h e f a s t e n e rwsi l l b e c l e a ro f
t h e r o u t e rb i t . I n s t a lal p i l o t e dp a n e l - r a i s -
I i n gb i t a n dm o u n t h e r o u t e irn a p i n r o u t -
i n ga t t a c h m e nFt .o l l o w themanufacturer's
I directions for settingthe depthof cut,then
p l a c et h e s t a r t e rp i n i n t h e t a b l eo n t h e
I infeedsideof the bit.Asyoufeedthemold-
i n gb l a n ki n t ot h e b i t , b r a c et h e t e m p l a t e
I againstthe pin (right),keepingthe mold-
i n g b l a n ka g a i n stth e b i t ' sp i l o tb e a r i n g .
I M a k el i g h tc u t s ,u s i n ga s m a n yp a s s eass
necessary to reachyourfinaldepth.Repeat
I the processwith the templatereversed to
s h a p et h e m o l d i n fgo rt h eo t h e rs i d eo f t h e
I c h e s tf r o n t .T h e ns h a p et h e s t d em o l d i n g s
u s i n gt h e s a m es e t u pa n da s t r a i g htte m -
I p l a t eo f t h e s a m et h i c k n e s s .

I
I
I
r) S h a p i ntgh es e c o n p d i e c eo f m o l d i n g
I L m " p i e c eo f m o l d i n gt h a t i s g l u e dt o
t h e f i r s to n et o b u i l du p t h e f a c em o l d i n g
I i s s h a p e db y t h e s a m ep r o c e s su s e dI n
s t e pl . U n s c r e w t h e f i r s t p i e c ef r o mt h e
I t e m p l a t et ,h e nd r a wa c u t t i n gl i n ef o r t h e
s e c o n dp i e c e o, f f s e t t i ntgh e l i n eb y t h e
t w i d t ho f t h e f i r s to i e c ep l u s%i n c h .B a n d
sawalongthe mark (left).Cul and shape
I t h e s e c o n dp i e c eo f m o l d i n ga s y o ud i d
t h e f i r s t :C u t i t t o w i d t h ,a t t a c ht h e p i e c e
I t o t h e t e m p l a t ea, n ds h a p ei t o n t h e p i n
r o u t i n ga t t a c h m e n t - t h itsi m e ,u s i n ga
I r o u n d - o vbeirt .O n c et h e m o l d i n gh a sb e e n
s h a p e du, n s c r e w i t f r o mt h et e m p l a t a en d
I s a wi t t o f i n a lw i d t h .

I
I t25

I
 I
HIGHBOY I
I
Q
Preparing thefacemoldings I
r-,f for installation
Gluethe partsof the facemoldingtogether I
a n dh o l dt h e ms e c u r e lwy i t hc l a m p sO . nce
the adhesive hascured,eachpieceof face I
m o l d i n gm u s tb e c u t a t o n ee n dt o m e e t
t h e s i d em o l d i n ga n da t t h e o t h e re n dt o I
f it aroundthe rosette.Forthe side mold-
i n g - e n ds,e t u p y o u rt a b l es a wf o r a c o m - I
p o u n dc u t b y a n g l i n tgh e b l a d et o 4 5 ' a n d
t h e m i t e rg a u g et o t h e a n g l ef o r m e db e - I
t w e e nt h e s t r a i g h et d g eo f t h e m o l d i n g
a n d t h e s i d eo f t h e c a r c a s w e h e nt h e I
molding i s h e l di n p l a c eC . l a m pt h ef a c e
m o l d i n gt o t h e m i t e rg a u g ep, r o t e c t i n g I
t h e s t o c kw i t ha w o o dp a d .S i n c et h e t o p
o f t h e m o l d i n gi s s t r a i g hat n dt h e b o t t o m I
i s c u r v e dy, o uw i l l h a v et o f e e dt h e s t o c k
w i t hw h a tw o u l dn o r m a l lby e t h e t r a i l i n g I
e n d f i r s t .H o l dt h e g a u g ea n d m o l d i n g
securely, and pushthe stockintothe cut, I
k e e p i n gy o u rh a n d sw e l l c l e a ro f t h e
blade (left).Then band saw the waste I
(marked w i t hX s ) .
I
I
INSTALIING
THECR()WN
M()TDING
1 Installing thefacemolding
I
I O n c ea l l t h em o l d i n ghsa v eb e e n
shaped andcutto length, install thequar-
I
tercolumns (page134).Thenclampthe
s i d em o l d i n ign p l a c eu s i n gp r o t e c t i v e
I
woodpads.Next,mountthefacemolding
t o t h er a i la sy o ud i dt h ef a l s ef r o n t so f
t
thedrawers (page123),usingbradsto
alignthe slock(right). Themitered endof
I
thefacemolding shouldrestflushagainst
t h ee n do f t h es i d em o l d i n g G.l u ea n d
I
clamp t h ef a c em o l d i nt go t h er a i l .
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
126 t
I
I
I HIGHBOY

t
I r) Preparing theupperchest
L torthesidemolding
t Thesidemolding tsattached to thechest
g o v e t aj iol i n t o a l l o wt h e
w i t ha s l i d i n d
I carcase to exoand andcontract because
o f c h a n g ei n s h u m i d i twy i t h o ubt r e a k t n g
I themitered jointsonthefrontcorners, The
dovetailed groove is cut in thechestside
I witha router.Installa dovetail bit,then
attacha commercial edgeguideto the
I tool'sbaseolateandscrewa woodexten-
sionto theguidefenceto increase its
I bearing surface. Setthecheston itsside
andplacethe routeron top.Adjustthe
I edgeguidesothatthegroove willbecut
lust below the corner joint. With the bit
I clearof thechest,startat the backand
feedthecuttingedges intothesidepan-
I el, pulling theedgeguideextension flush
against thetoppanel. Continue toward the
I frontof thechest(right),stopping thecut
a littlepastthehalfway point.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t Q Installing thesidemolding
r-,1To produce a slideto matchthe
I groove in thechest,leave thedovetail bit
in therouter, mountthetool in a table,
I andshape theslidein twopasses along
theedgeof a board. Then rip the slide
I fromtheboard. Positionthesidemolding
against thechestandmarkthesidesof
I the groove onthebackof themolding.
Secure themolding face-down in a vise
I andscrewtheslideto theback(inseil,
aligning it betweenthemarks. Spread glue
I onthemitered endof themolding andon
thefirst2 inches of itsbackface,then
I slideit in place(left)andclampsecurely.

I
I r27

I
 I
ROSETTES I
I
Rosettes are an onnnterttalfeatw'e I
cotl1tltot1 to rttartyftu'ninre styles.
Theycttrrtnkerrtanyslnpesarrd be I
producedin variottswttys.The con-
centric circleso.fthe rosetteot left I
h l e r eI r t n t ( do r rn l o t l r e ,c r c n t i r rng
pattem thnt flowsseanilessly f'orrt the I
graceftl cLn'ves o.fthe crown nnLlirg.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
MAKING
THER()SETTES
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
Turning the rosettes I
C u tt h e r o s e t t eb l a n k st o f i t o n t h e e n do f t h e f a c em o l d i n g sA.t - a g a i n stth e b l a n k ,r o u n do v e rt h e r o s e t t e 'osu t s i d ee d g e ,a n d
t a c ha b l a n kt o t h e c e n t e ro f a l a t h ef a c e p l a t et h, e nm o u n t h e t h e n c u t t h e c o n c e n t r i rci n g so n i t s f a c e ( a b o v e )H. o l dt h e I
p l a t eo n t h e m a c h i n eA. d j u s t h e t o o lr e s ts o t h e t o p f a c eo f s c r a p ebr l a d eo n t h e t o o lr e s tt o k e e pi t s t e a d yC. u to n t h e l e f t -
t h es c r a p e r y owui l l u s ei s l e v ew l i t ht h e c e n t e r otfh e b l a n kT. h e h a n ds i d eo f t h e b l a n kt o p r e v e nt th e s c r a p efrr o mk i c k i n gu p . I
r e s ts h o u l db e a s c l o s et o t h e w o o da s p o s s i b lw e i t h o utto u c h i n g 0 n c e t h e r i n g sh a v eb e e nc a r v e d r, e m o v et h e t o o l r e s ta n d
r t . S w i t c ho n t h e l a t h e .H o l d i n gt h e t i p o f a r o u n d - e nsdc r a p e r s m o o t ht h e f a c eo f t h e b l a n kw i t h f i n e - g r ist a n d p a p e(ri n s e t ) . I
I
L28 t
I
I
I HIGHBOY

I
t THEROSETTES
M(lUNTING
I 1 Preparing thefacemoldings
I fortherosettes
I Oncebothrosettes havebeenturned,use
a gouge to shapetherounded endof the
I moldings sothatthecontacting surfaces
fit snuglytogether.
Settheupperchest
I face-up on a worksurface
andholdthe
gougeuprightasyoupareawaywood
t fromthe molding(left)untilit f its f lush
againsttherosette.
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
r) Gluing uptherosettes
I Z. Position eachrosettein turnon the
chesisothat itswoodgrainrunsin the
I samedirection asthefacemolding. This
willcreatethe impressionthatthetwo
I partsareonecontinuous piece.Markthe
rosette
whereit touches themolding, then
I applysomeglueto thecontacting surfaces
of bothpieces. Useoneclampto secure
I therosettein placeandasecond(right)
to keepit fromslidingforward or back-
I ward.Protect thestockwithwoodoads.
I
I t29
I
 t
FINIALS I
I
SHAPING
THEPOMMEL I
I
I
t
t
I
I
t
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
Traditionallyusedto decoratethecor-
nersoffurniture,Jiniak takea variety
I
offor ms, including Jlame-and- urn,
acorn,pineapple, andplume.The
I
aboveincorporates twoshapes,
finial
aflame-and-urnon allutedpommel Cuttingtheflutes I
base.Thisexampleisproducedfrom Makea blankforeachfinialthat is slightly
larger
thanthefinished dimensions.Mark
thebottomup: First,theflutesof the thetopandbottom of thepommel onthe blankanduseXsto indicate thewaste I
pommelaregroovedon a routertable section below thepommel. Usethedadoheadin a tablesawto reduce theblank's
(right),and thentheflameand urn thickness between thetwomarks. Setthecuttingdepthat % inch.Feedtheblank I
areturnedon a lathe(pagel3l). Final- withthemitergauge, cuttingawaythewaste withoverlappingpasses on eachface
Iy,thefinishedshapeof theJlameis
(inseil.Theflutesarecut witha coreboxbit in a table-mounted router.Setthecut- I
carved byhand(page133). tingdepthaI%inch.Alignthepommel overthebitforthefirstsetof outsideflutes
andlockthefenceagainst theblank.Toensure thatallthefluteswillbethesame t
length, clampa stopblockto thefenceat eachendof theblank. Turnontherouter
andlower theblankontothebitwithitstrailing endagainstthestopblockclosest t
to youanditsedgeagainst thefence.Feedtheblankuntilit contacts theotherstop
block.Lifttheblank, thenrotateit andrepeat theprocess untilonesetof outside I
flutesis finished.Reposition thefenceonceto routthemiddleflutesandagainfor
thesecond setof outsidefluleshbovd. I
I
130 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY
I
t THEFLAME.AND.URN
TURNING
I 1 Turning thecylinder
I Cutoff mostof thewastesection be-
I lowthepommel, leaving a couple of inches
fora roundtenon.Mounttheblankona
I latheandadjustthetoolrestascloseto
theworkpiece aspossible without touching
I it. Usea roughing-out gouge to roundthe
corners of theblankabove thepommel.
I Turnonthe latheandholdthetio of the
gouge against therotating blank.Begin
I w i t ht h et i p o f t h eg o u g tei l t e du p ,t h e n
gradually raisethehandle untilthebev-
I e l u n d etrh et i p i s r u b b i nagg a i n st ht e
stockandthecuttingedgeis slicinginto
I it. Workfromtheright-hand endof the
blanktoward thepommel, leaving a square
t shoulder above the pommel(right).Keep
thetoolat thesameangleto thework-
T piecethroughout thecut.Continue until
theblankis cylindrical andsmooth.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
r) Shaping theflame Shapingtheurn
I L L"uu"theblankrotating whileyoumarkthebottom endsof Shapetheurnwitha spindle gougeasyoudidtheflame.
theurnandthe flame witha oencil. Use a skew chisel to cuta Thenusea skewchiselto cuta notchdefiningthe lowerend
I notchseparatingtheflame and urn, thenbegin shaping the flame of theurn.Pressingthechisel firmlyagainstthetoolrest,hold
witha spindlegouge (above).The process is the same as for the theshortpointof thetip againsttheblankto cuttheV-shaped
I cylinder
in step1, but insteadof holdingthe tool at a fixed angle notch;keepthebevel onthebackof thebladerubbing against
to theblank,sweep it fromsideto sidewhileangling thetip to thestockto helpcontrolthecut (above). Thenusethe skew
I cuta contour.Continue untilthe flame has the desired shaoe. chiselandspindle gouge to shape beadsbelow theurn.

I
t 131

I
 I
HIGHBOY I
I
Turning
thetenonand
t
smoothing
thefinial
U s ea p a r t i n gt o o lt o t u r n a % - i n c h - l o n g
I
r o u n dt e n o nb e l o wt h e p o m m e ll,e a v i n a g
t h i nd i s ko f w o o da g a i n st th e h e a d s t o cokf
I
t h e l a t h eT. h e nr e m o v teh e t o o lr e s ta n d
s m o o t ht h e s u r f a c eo f t h ef i n i a lw i t hs a n d -
I
l ye rg r i t s .F o l d
p a p e ru, s i n gp r o g r e s s i v fei n
t h e p a p e tr o r e a c ha r o u n dt h e b e a d sa n d
I
intocrevices (lefil.Io f inishsmoothing the
p i e c eh , o l da h a n d f uol f w o o ds h a v i n g s
I
u n d e rt h e r o t a t i n fgi n i a la n d a l l o wi t t o
r u ba g a i n st th e s h a v i n g C s .o m b i n ew di t h
I
y o u rs k i no i l s ,t h e s h a v i n gwsi l l i m p a r at
s m o o t hf i n i s ht o t h e s u r f a c eO. n c et h e j o b
I
i s d o n e t, u r no f f a n du n p l u gt h e l a t h e b. u t
l e a v et h e b l a n km o u n t e d o n t h et o o l .
I
I
I
t
THEFLAME
CARVING I
1I Sketchins
-
theDattern t
I T o h e l py o uc a r v et h ef l a m e m . a r ka
p r i do
b " * " 'f
- i n c hs o u a r eosn t h ee n t i r es u r - t
f a c eo f t h e f l a m es e c t i o nT. h e nd r a wi n
f o u re q u a l l sy p a c e sd p i r alli n e sf r o mt h e I
h n i t n mt o t h e t o n n f t h e s e c t i o nt o d e l i n -
L v L ' ' v L v P

e a t et h e h o l l o w ys o uw i l l c a r v ei n s t e p2 : I
t h e l i n e ss h o u l di n t e r s e cotp p o s i t ceo r -
nersof eac.hsotnre (ripht). I
I
I
I
I
t
I
I
t
I
t32 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY

t
t
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
r) Caruing theflame
t Z . R e m o vt eh ef i n i a fl r o mt h e l a t h ea n ds a wo f f t h ew a s t e youcanreachthe entiresurface, Usea narrower gougeto
t h et e n o nT. h e nc l a m pt h ef i n i atl o a w o r ks u r f a c e ,carvea sharply
d i s kb e l o w definedridgebetween eachhollow(above,
I usingshimsto holdit parallel to thebenchtop. Carve thehol- right).\Norkf romthe bottomto thetopof thef lame,bring-
lowsbetween thegridlineswithtwogouges, starttng witha i n ge a c hr i d g et o a p o i n tT. h e nh o l l o w
o u tt h et o pe n dt o r e -
I wide-blade toolGbove,/eff).Workparallel to thewoodgrain m o v et h e h o l el e f tb yt h e l a t h e 'tsa i l s t o cakn ds m o o t thh e
a s m u c ha s p o s s i b l reo; t a t e h ef i n i a sl ot h a t
a n dr e - c l a mt p f l a m ew i t hs a n d p a p e r .
I
I MO U N T I T
NHGEF IN IA L S
I Gluing thefinialstothechest
Foreachfinial,borea holeintothetopof
I thechestwitha soade bitthesamediam-
eterasthetenononthefinial.Locate the
I h o l ed i r e c t layb o v teh e
(page134).Thiswillcreate
q u a
the
r t ecro l u
impression
m n

t thatthecolumn
glue
andfinialarea single
Spread onthetenonandthe
piece.
sides of
t the hole,thenfit thefinialin place (left)
U s ea c l a m pt o h o l di t i n p o s i t i ounn t i l
I theadhesive cures.

I
I
I
I
I
I
I r33
I
 I
I
QUARTERCOLUMNS
I
MAKING
ANDINSTATTING
THEOUARTER
COTUMNS I
1 Making thecolumns I
I Cuta blankseveral inches longer than
thef inished lengthof thecolumns, and I
wideandthickenough forthenumber of
quarter columns youneed. Ripthe blank I
i n t oq u a r t e r jso, i n tt h e i n s i d seu r f a c e s
of thepieces, thenglueandclampthem I
backtogether withnewspaper in between
(inset, top).Thiswillenable youto pull I
thecolumns aparteasily. Oncetheglueis
dry,mount theblankona lathe.Marktwo I
lineson theblankforthe lengthof the
columnandindicate
(inset,bottom).
thewastewithXs I
Drivescrews throughthe
wastesections to holdthequarters togeth- I
er.Adjusta setof outside calipers to the
desired diameter of thecolumn, thenturn I
theblankintoa cylinder asyoudidforthe
finials(pagel3l). Periodically turnoff I
thelatheandusethecalioers to checkthe
diameter oftheblank(right).Onceyouhave I
reduced theblankto thecorrect diameter,
turntwobeadsat eachendusinga skew I
chiselanda fingernail gouge. Thencut
theflutesintheblank, eitherbyhandusing I
a gougeor withtherouterandjig shown
on page135. I
I
t
Separating andinstalling t
thecolumns
Onceallthefluteshavebeenmade, I
cut awaythewasteon theendsof
theblank.Thenusea woodchisel I
to prytheglued-up quarter columns
apart.Holding theblankupright on I
a worksurface, workthechiseltip
intoa seamontheendof thestock. t
Pushthebladedeeper intotheseam
(left)untilthe blankseparates in I
half. Prythe halvesintoquarters,
thenusea scraper to cleantheglue t
a n dn e w s p a pfer or mt h ec o l u m n s .
Toinstall thecolumns onthechest, I
Fluted quarter columnsadd a strong spread someglueon theirinside
visualframework to the highboy. surfaces andclampthemin place. t
I
134 t
I
t
I HIGHBOY

I
I
I
I
A ROUTER.LATHE JIGFORFTUTING
I qUARTER COTUMNS
Withthebox-like jigshown below,you
I canroutflutesin a quarter column
blankwhileit is mounted onthelathe.
t Cutthepartsof thejig from%-inch
plywood, except forthetop,whichis
I madefrom%-inch The
clearacrylic.
jig shouldbe longandwideenough
I io supporttherouterandhighenough
to holdthetooljustabove thecolumn
I blankwhenthejig bottomrestson
the lathebed.Oncethetop,bottom,
I andsidesareassembled, addtwo
verticalbracesto makethejig more
I rigid.Restthejig onthelathebed.
a double-bearing
Install piloted fluf to the lathebedsothatall theflutes
ingbit in yourrouter,drilla bit clear- willbethesamelength.
anceholethrough thejig top,and Tousethejig,buttit against one
screwthetool'sbaseplateto thejig. stopblock,turnon therouterand
Theroutershouldbe positioned so pushon thesideof thejig to feed
thebitwillliealongside thecolumn thebit intotheblank. 0ncethepilots
blankwhenthejig is used.Next,mark areflushagainst thestock,slidethe
cuttinglinesfortheflutesontheblank, jig alongthelathebeduntilit con-
thenmounttheblankonthe lathe. tactstheotherstopblock.Keepthe
Besureall toolsareunplugged dur- pilotspressed against the stock
ingsetup.Adjustthecuttingdepth asyourouttheflute.Turnoff the
onthe routersothe bit is aligned router, remove the handscrew and
withthecuttinglineat themidpoint rotatethe blankby handto align
of theblank.Tighten a handscrew the nextcuttinglinewiththe bit,
around thelathedriveshaftto keep a n dr e i n s t atlhl eh a n d s c r eC
wu. t
it fromrotating.Clampstopblocks the remaining flules(below).

I
I
I
I
I
I
t
t
I
t
I
t
I
I
I
t
t 135

t
 t
APPLIEDSCULPTURES t
t
Scallopshells,stylizedsunburstsand I
fans werepopularcarvingsappliedto
QueenAnne,Georgian, and Chippendale t
furniturethroughoutthe18thCentury.
Carvedby hand,decorativemotifslike I
theoneat right werecommonly found
on theapronsof highboys.Theywere I
alsousedto adornthekneesof cabriole
legsand thefronts of centraldrawers. t
I
t
I
I
I
I
A SAMPLING
OFFANANDSHEttMOTIFS
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
Queen Anne ecallop ahell Re1encyflower LouiaXIVshell
t
I
I
I
I
I
QueenAnne fan Chippendaleeaallop shell Chippendaleehell
I
I
I
r36 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY

I
t SHELL
A SCALLOP
ANDAPPLYING
MAKING
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
t
I 1 Sculptingtheshellsurface
I Drawtheshellpattern ona sheetof paper,
full-size then working in thedirection of thewoodgrain.Thentransfer the
I yourdesign
transfer to a hardwood thickness. v e i nl i n e sf r o m
blankof thedesired y o u r
p a t t e r n
t o t h eb l a n ka, n du s ea p a r ting
Cuttheedges of theblankonthebandsawandfasten it to a chiselto etchthelinesintothewood (above, right). Cutfrom
I backupboard.Secure thebackup boardto a worksurface. Start thebottomof theblankto thetop;to avoidtearout, stopeach
thesurface
sculpting of theshellusinga flatgouge(above, left), cutnearthetopandcomplete it fromtheopposite direction.
I
therays
Rounding
I O n c ea l l t h e v e i n sh a v eb e e nc u t , u s e
theflatgouge to roundthecontours of the
I raysbetween theveinlines.Startbymak-
of alltheraysconvex (or
t rngthesurfaces
crowning outward). Tof inishcarving the
pattern, carve a concave valley intoevery
I second raywitha narrow-blade gouge
(lefil.fhesurfaces of adjacent raysshould
I c u r v ei n o p p o s i dt ei r e c t i o nasl t, e r n a t i n g
between convex andconcave. Usea part-
I t h ev e i n si n t h ew i n g s
i n gt o o lt o c a r v e
at the lowersidesof the shell(photo,
T page136).Onceyouaresatisf iedwith
t h es h a p o e f t h es h e l ls, a n dt h es u r f a c e
I lightly. Thendetach it fromthebackup
board andglueit in placeonthefrontof
I thelower chest,usingbrads to helplocate
it (page123)andclampsto holdit tn
I place whiletheadhesive dries.
I
I
I t37

I
 r
HIGHBOY t
I
MAKING
ANDMOUNTING
THEAPPLIED
MOLDING I
1 Shaping thevolutes ontherouter table I
I Thecurved moldings, calledvolutes,
whichdecorate theaoronof the lower I
chest, areshaped partially withtherouter,
asshown at left,andpartially byhand,as I
in step3. Startby making a cardboard
template of the molding, thentransfer I
yourpattern to a workpiece of thedesired
thickness. Leave enough wasteon the T
stockto feedit safelyacrossthe router
table.Cutalongoneof thepattern lines I
on thebandsaw,exposing oneedgeof
themolding. Toshape thisedge,install I
a piloted r o u n d - o vbei rt i n a r o u t ear n d
m o u ntth et o o li n a t a b l e R . a t h et rh a n I
m a k i ntgh ec u tf r e e h a ncdl,a m pa p i v o t
pointto thetablein linewiththebit,using I
a braceto steadyit. Asyoufeedthework-
pieceintothebit, bracethestockagainst I
the pivotpoint(left).Makesureyoukeep
theworkpiece flushagainst thebit pilot. I
T
t
I
T
I
I
I
I
I
r) Cutting awaytheremaining waste
L Onceyouhavefinished shaping one I
edgeof thevolute, detach themolding
fromthewasteusingthe bandsaw.To r
keepthebladefrombinding in thekerf,
makea release cut throughthewaste, I
stoppingat the patternline.Thensaw
alongtheline,feeding theworkpiece with t
bothhands(right).Makesurethatneither
handis in linewiththeblade. I
I
I38 I
I
I
I HIGHBOY

I
I thesecond edge
Q Hand-shaping
r-J Secure a backup board to a worksur-
I faceand clamp the molding to theboard.
Round overthe second edge of thevolute
I witha gouge, copying the profile produced
by the routerbit in step I (right).
Shape
I the edgeuntil its contours are smooth;
try as muchas possible to cut withthe
I grain.Remove themolding fromtheback-
up boardand sand thesurface lightly.
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
t
I
t
I
Mounting thevolutes
I Spread a thin,evenlayerof glue
on thecontacting surfaces of the
I molding andthechest. Clamp the
v o l u t ien p l a c el ,i n i n gi t u p f l u s h
I withtheedgeof thebottomrailand
leaving a smallspacebetween it
t a n dt h ew i n go f t h es c a l l o sph e l l
(\efl. Usetwoclampsforeachpiece
I of molding.

I
I r39
t

A-B-C
Air-driedlumber: Lumber that has
reachedits equilibrium moisture
content by exposureto unheatedair.
Batten: A board fastenedacrossthe
grain ofa flat surfacesuch asa chest
lid to minimize warping.
Bevelcut A cut at an anglefrom
face-to-facealong the length or
width of a workp.iece.Seimiter cut.
Biscuit joinfi Seeplatejoint.
Board foot A unit of wood vol-
ume measurementequivalentto a
pieceof wood I inch thick and 12
inchessquare.
Boundwater: Moisture presentin
the cell walls of wood. It remains
evenafter drying; seefreewater.
Cabriole leg: A styleof furniture lee
characterize? bv rbundedcontours
designedto imilate the hind leg of a
leaping animal.
Carcase The boxJike foundation
of a pieceof furniture; made from
solid panels.
Cockbeading:Narrow projecting
molding surroundingthe inside
edgeof a draweropening.
Cope-and-stickjoint: A method of
joining stilesand rails in frame-and-
panel construction. Tonguesin the
rails meshwith groovesin the stiles;
a decorativemolding is cut along
the insideedgeof thEframe.
Cornice or crown molding:
Molding attachedto the top of a
pieceof furniture; typically mount-
ed aboveeyelevel and angledout-
wardsat 45o.
I
GLOSSARY r
I
Crosscut A cut made acrossthe Escutcheon:A decorativefitting I
grain of a workpiece. installedaround a keyholeto pre-
vent damageto the surrounding I
Cuttinglist A list of the dimen- wood by the key.
sionsof the lumber neededfor a
specificproject.
I
Faceframe A decorative frame
D-E-F
attachedto the front ofa carcase-
basedbookcase,cabinet,or armoire;
I
Dado: A rectangularchannelcut alsoservesto stiffen the structure.
into a workpiece. I
Falsefronfi A pieceof veneeror
Dentil molding: A decorativedetail wood fixed to the front of a drawer, I
consistingof a row of small,evenly usuallyto concealits joinery.
spacedbars or teeth;usuallyadded T
to cornicemolding. Fiber saturation point A condition
in which wood cell cavitiesare free I
Doretail joint A method ofjoinery of all water while the cell walls
usinginterlockingpins and tails;
the name derivesfrom the distinc-
remain fully saturated. I
tive shapecut into the endsof the
joining boards.
Finiat An ornament-usually
turned and carved-projectirig
I
from the upper cornersof a fuini-
Dowel center: A metal rylinder ture piecesuch asa highboy. I
that is insertedinto a dowel hole to
pinpoint a matching hole in a mat- Frame-and-paneljoinery: A method T
ing workpiece. of assemblingdoors and cabinet
sidesusing framesenclosingpan- I
Drawer slide: A strip of wood or a elsthat float m groovesto accom-
commercialmetal devicefixed to a
carcaseto support a drawer.
modateshrinkageand swellingof I
the wood.
Dust frame: A frame-and-panel Freewater: Moisture presentin the
I
assemblyinstalledat the bottom of cell cavitiesof wood, so called
a pieceof furniture or betweenthe becauseit is free to evaporateduring
I
drawersto preventdust from entering. the drying process;see-bound waterl
I
Edgegluing: Bonding boardstogeth- G-H-r-l-K
er edge-to-edge
to form a panel. HeadstoclcThe shaft attachedto I
the motor of a lathe;holds work for
Equilibrium moisture content:
The moisture content that wood
spindle-turningin conjunctionwith t
the tailstockor for turning with a
eventually reacheswhen it is
exposedto a given levelofrelative
faceplate.Seetailstock I
humidity and temperature. Highboy: An elegant18th Century
styleofdresser,consistingofan
I
upper and lower chest.
I
I
I
I
I
I
140 T
I
I
t
t
I Keybit: The part of a key that
engagesthe locking mechanism.
I molding mounted on the upper
Kiln-dried lumber: Lumber that
I hasbeen dried with heat to a specif-
ic moisture content.
I Pilaster:A decorativeboard fixed
Knee block A contoured pieceof
I wood usedto ioin the curved lines
of a cabriole169with the bottom
I chestof a dresseror chest.
L-M-N
I Marquetry: Decorativeinlays of
veneer,metal, or other materials.
I Pommet The bottom sectionof a
Median rail A horizontal member
t betweenthe upper and lower rails
of a frame,dividing the opening
I into two sections.
I Miter cut A cut that anglesacross
the faceof a workpiece.Seebevelcut.
I Miter-and-spline joint A mitered
joint that is reinforcedwith a spline,
I or strip of wood,let into the pieces.
I Moisture content The amount of
water containedin wood, expressed
I asa percentageof the wood's oven-
dried weight.
I Molding: Decorativestrips of
t wood usedto embellisha pieceof
furniture; seedentil and cornice
moWing.Decoration may alsobe
I carvedon the edgeofthe piece
with a router.
I Raift The horizontal member of a
Mortise-and-tenon joint A joinery
I techniquein which a projecting
tenon on one board fits into a cavity
I -the mortise-in another.
I Mullion: A verticalmemberbetween
the outsidestilesof a frame: also
known asa muntin.
I paredto the amount the air would
I expressedasa percentagefigure.
I
I
I
I r41
I
O-P-Q
Pediment Arched or S-shaped
rail of a dresser;alsoknown as
crown molding.
along the full length of the front
stilesof a cabinet.
Platejoint A method ofjoining
wood in which oval wafersof com-
pressedwood fit into slotscut in
mating boards.
finial; rectangularshaped,some-
times fluted.
Quarter column: A turned and
sometimesfluted column setin
nichesin the front cornersof high-
boys and other piecesof 18th
Century furniture.
QueenAnne: A sryleof furniture
that emergedin the early 18th
Century, characterized by graceful,
flowing lines.
R-S
Rabbet A step-likecut in the edge
or end of a board; usuallyforms part
of a joint.
Radial shrinkage: Shrinkagethat
occursacrossthe growth rings as
wood dries.
fr ame-and-panelassembly.
RaisedpaneLA pieceof wood with
bevelededgesthat createthe illusion
"raised."
that the centralportion is
Relativehumidity: The ratio of
water vapor presentin the air com-
hold at its saturationpoint, usually
Releasecut A preliminary incision
from the edgeof a workpieceto a
line about to be cut: enablesa band
sawor sabersawto cut tighter curves
by facilitating the removal of waste
wood. Also known asa relief cut.
Rip cut: A cut following the grain of
a workpiece-usually alongits length.
Rosette A circular ornament found
at the end of crown molding on hig-
boys;typically turned on the lathe.
Scallopshel} A decorative,carved
motif found on the bottom aprons
ofhighboys and other piecesof 18th
Century furniture.
Seasoning:The processor technique
of removing moisture from green
wood to improve its workability.
Slidingdovetail joint A joinery
method in which a dovetailedslide
on one piecefits into a matching
grooYein the other.
Stile: The vertical member of a
frame-and-panelassembly.
T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z
Tirilstock The adiustableshaft on a
lathe;usedin conjunction with the
headstockto hold work for spindle
turning. Seeheadstock.
Tbngential shrinkage Wood
shrinkagethat occurstangentialto
the growth rings.
Volute: An S-shapedscroll carving
mounted on the bottom apron of
highboysand many other pieces
of furniture.
 t
INDEX I
r
Pagereferencesin italicsindicate Build It Yourself: Dovetail joints: I
an illustrationof subiectmatter. Radial arm saws Blanket chests.84
Pagereferences in bdld indicate
a Build It Yourselfproiect.
miter jigs, 70
Routers
Hand-cut, 12,2G28
cutting awaywastewith a coping
t
hinge mortising jigs, 90 saw(ShopTip),27
A-B-C routerJathe jigs for fluting Shelves.50-51 I
Applied sculptures,136 137 quartercolumns,135 Drawers,120-123
Armoires,60,61, 62
Decorativefeatures
Table saws Adjustabledrawer stops (Shop I
raisedpaneljigs, 37 Trp), 123
cornice moldings, 66-69 Cabinetmaking,8,13
dentil moldings, Zl Projectplanning,l7
Blanket chests,87
SeealsoHighboys
I
pilasters,64-65 Cabinets.SeeArmoires; Blanket chests; Drills:
shapingpilasterson the table Highboys Shelf-drilling jigs, 45, 46 t
saw (ShopTip), 65 Cabriolelegs, 112-115, 117 Shop-madeshelf-drilling jigs
Doors,72-73
glass,61,73,78
Carcases:
Backpanels,3I
(ShopTip), 46
Edge-gluedboards, 13,24-25
I
hanging,72,79-82 Edge-gluedboards, 13 Edgemoldings, 52-5i
Hardware. 63 Gluing up,28 Adding edgemolding to plywood I
adjustablelevelerc,63, 71 SeealsoFrame-and-panelconstruc- (ShopTip),25
clock-casehinges,63, 80-81
lacehinges, 63, 79
tion; foinery
Chests.SeeBlanket chests;Highboys
Springboardclampsfor edgegluing
(ShopTip), 53
I
locks,63,83 Chisels,fr ont endpaper Escutcheons, 87,101
rat-tail hinges,63, 82 Clamps: Faceframes.54-55 I
LeveIing, Tl Springboardclampsfor edgegluing Feet:
Band saws:
salvagingcupped stock on the band
(ShopTip), 53
Cockbeading,118-119
Adj ustable lev elers, 63- 7I
Bracketfeet,93-95
I
saw(ShopTip),21 Cope-and-stick joints, 35 ogeebracket feet,97-99
Becksvoort,Chris,8-9 Corner cupboards,l0- I - Turned, 58-59 I
Belt sanders,23 Cornice moldings, 66-69 SeealsoLegs
Biscuitjoints. SeePlatejoints
Blanketchests,84-85,86
Crosscutting,22 Finials, 130-133 I
Crown moldings,124-127 Frame-and-panelconstruction, 32-39
Bottom assemblies Bookcases,42
basemoldings,85,96 Curio cabinets,61, 73,78
Carcaseassembly,39
Cope-and-stickjoints, 35
I
feet, 93-95,97-99 Cutting lists, 18 Doors,73-77
Decorativefeatures glass,28 I
escutcheons, 87,101 D-E-F Mortise-and-tenonjoints, 33-34
inlays,87, 104-105
Hardware, ST
Decorativetechnioues:
Applied sculptu?es,136-137
Raisedpanels,36,37, 38
I
handles,87,100,103 Faceframes.54-55 G-H.I
hinges,87,88-89
locks,8Z 100-102
Finials,130-133 Gluing: t
Hardware Carcases.28
Tops
inlays,104105
escutcheons, 87,101
Inlays,87, 104-105
Edge-gluedb oards,24-25
Springboardclamps for edgegluing
I
moldings,9I-92 Pilasters.6465 (ShopTip), 53
piano hinges,88 shapingpilasterson the table saw Gotges,front endpaper t
Board-footmeasurement . lG 17 (ShopTip), 65 Hand-crafting:
Bookcases,G7, 40-41,42
Anchoring bookcasesto the wall
Quarter columns, 134,135
Rosettes,128-129
Dovetailjoints, 12,2G28
Hardware:
I
(ShopTip), 59 Routing decorativefeatures AdjustableIevelers,63, 71
Basemoldings,56-57 (ShopTip), 58 Locks,63, 83,87, 100-102 I
Bottom braces,57 SeealsoMoldings SeealsoHinges;subheading
Connecting bookcasestogether,59
Decorativefeatures,41, 52,54,57
Dentil moldings, Zl
Display cabinets,61, 73, 78
Hardware under types of cabinets
Highboys,106,107, 108-109
I
face frames, 54-55 Doors: Decorativefeatures
moldings,4I Armoire* T2-73 appliedsculptures,136-137 I
routing decorativedetails,58 fiame-and-panelconstruction, cockbeading,1 18-119
F e e t , 5 65, 7 , 5 8 - 5 9
Hardware.43-44
7i-78
glass,61, 7j,78
crown moldin gs,124-127
finials, 130-133
t
threadedconnectors.59 hanging,72,79-82
SeealsoShelves
quarter columns, 134,135
rosettes,128-129
I
volutes.138-139
I
I
t42 I
I
I
I
I
I Drawers,1lU 111, 120-123 Lumber,16-17 Rosettes,128-129
adjustabledrawer stops (Shop Defects,19 Routers:
I Tip), 123
Dust shields.102
salvagingcupped stock on the
bandsaw(ShopTip),2l
Hinge mortising jigs, 90
Integral moldings, 92
Legs,112-115, 117 Grades,backendpaper |igs for routing evenlyspaceddadoes
I Lower chest,109,116-117 Measurement,backendpaper,1G17 (ShopTip), 49
Upper chest,I l0 cutting lists,18 Raisedpanels,38
I Hinges: Selection,l6-17 Router-lathejigs for fluting quarter
Hinge mortising jigs, 90 Shrinkage/swelling, 14- 15 columns,135
Surfacing/dressing,20-23
I Tlpes of furniture
armoires,63,79-82 SeealsoWood S.T-U-V
blanket chests,8Z 88-89 Safetyprecautions,front endpaper
I Typesofhinges M-N-O Sanding,23
butt hinges,82, 89 Moldings: Sculpture.SeeDecorativetechniques
I clock-case hinges,63, 80-81
lacehinges, 63, 79
Cockbeading,1 18-119
Cornice moldings, 66-68
Shelves,43
Adjastable, 45-49
piano hinges,88 Crown moldings, 124-127 Edgetreatments,52-53
I rat-tail hinges,63,82 Dentil moldings, ZI adding edgemolding to plywood
Inlays,87,104-105 Edgemoldings, 52-53 (ShopTip),25
t I-K-t
adding edgemolding to plywood
(ShopTip),25
springboardclampsfor edge
gluing (ShopTip), 53
figs: springboardclampsfor edge Fixed, 50-5I
I CIamps gluing (ShopTip), 53 Hardwarc,43,44
springboardclamps for edge Integral moldings, 92 standardsand clips,43, 48
I Drills
gluing (ShopTip), 53 Iigs
radial arm sawmiter jigs, 70
threadedshelf supports, 43, 45-46
loinery, 50-51
shelf-drilling jigs, 45, 46 table sawcove-cuttingguides,69 Supports,43,45-51
I shop-madeshelf-drilling jigs Volutes,l38-1i9 jigs for routing evenlyspaced
(ShopTip), 46 Morcel, Nain,6-7 dadoes(ShopTip), 49
t Radial arm saws
miter jigs, 70
Mortise-and-tenonioints:
Frame-and-paneiconstruction,
shop-madeshelf-drilling jigs
(ShopTip), 46
Routers 3i-i4 ShopTips:
I jigs for routing evenlyspaced Ogeebracket feet,97-99 Armoires,65
dadoes(ShopTip), 49 Bookcases,46, 49, 53,58
I router-lathe jigs for fluting quarter P-Q-R
Panels:
Cabinetmakingbasics,21, 23, 26, 27
Highboys, i23
columns.135
Table saws Edge-gluedboards, 13,24-25 Table saws.22
I cove-cuttingjigs, 69 Frame-and-panel construction, Cornice moldings, 69
raisedpaneljigs, 37 32-39 Making repeatcuts with the table
I loinery,24 raisedpanels,36,37, 38 saw(ShopTip),23
Cope-and-stickjoints, 35 Pediments,42, 124-127 Raisedpanels,36,37
t Mortise-and-tenonjoints, 33-34
Platejoints, 24, 29-30,85
Pilasters,64-65
shapingpilasterson the table saw
Shapingpilasterson the table saw
(ShopTip), 65
Wood grain, 15 (ShopTip), 65 Tools:
I SeealsoDovetail joints Planing,2l Safetyprecautions,front endpaper
lointing,20 Platejoints, 24, 29-30,85 Turning and carving tools,
I Lathes:
Router-lathejigs for fluting quarter
Plywood:
Edgetreatments,52-53
front endpaper
SeealsoDrills; Radial arm saws;
columns,135 adding edgemolding to plywood Routers:Tablesaws
I Tools,front endpaper (ShopTip),25 Volutes.l38-139
Legs: Projectplanning,17
I Cabriole,112-115,117
SeealsoFeet
Quarter columns, 134,135
Radialarm saws:
W.X-Y-Z
Wall units. SeeBookcases
Miter jigs,70 Wardrobes.SeeArmoires
t Locks:
Armoires, 63, 83 Raisedpanels, 36, 37, 38 Wood:
Blanketchests,8Z 100-102 Ripping,22 Grain, 15
I Loeven,Fr€d6ric,7 Rodriguez,Mario, -10-1 I SeealsoLumber

t
I
I
I 143

I
 I
I
I
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I
Theeditorswish to thank thefollowing I
CABINETMAKING BASICS
AdjustableClampCo.,Chicago,IL; DeltaInternationalMachinery/Porter Cable,Guelph,Ont.;
I
FreudWestmoreTools,Ltd.,Mississauga, Ont.; GreatNeckSawMfrs. Inc. (BuckBros.Division),Millbury, MA;
LeeValleyToolsLtd., Ottawa,Ont.; SandvikSawsand ToolsCo.,Scranton,PA;Shopsmith,Inc.,Montreal,Que.; I
StanleyTools,Division of the StanleyWorks, New Britain, CT; Steiner-LamelloA.G.
Switzerland/ColonialSawCo., Kingston,MA I
AdjustableClamp Co., Chicago,,r, o-..i..rur?3[:t:Etin.oln, NE; Black& Decker/EluPowerTools, I
Towson,MD; LesBoisM & M ltde.,St-Mathieu,Que.;DeltaInternationalMachineryiPorter Cable,Guelph,Ont.;
FreudWestmoreTools,Ltd.,Mississauga, Ont.; GrisetIndustries,Inc.,SantaAna,CA; LeeValleyToolsLtd.,
Ottawa,Ont.; SandvikSawsand ToolsCo.,Scranton,PA; Sears, Roebuckand Co.,Chicago,IL; Shopsmith,Inc.,
I
Montreal,Que.;Steiner-LamelloA.G. Switzerland/Colonial SawCo.,Kingston,MA; VeritasToolsInc.,
Ottawa,Ont./Ogdensburg,NY I
ARMOIRE
AdjustableClampCo.,Chicago,IL; Black& Decker/EluPowerTools,Towson,MD; DeltaInternational I
Machinery/PorterCable,Guelph,Ont.; Allan Flegg,Montreal, Que.;FreudWestmoreTools,Ltd.,
Mississauga, Ont.; GreatNeckSawMfrs. Inc. (BuckBros.Division),Millbury, MA; LeeValleyToolsLtd., I
Ottawa,Ont.; Sears,Roebuckand Co.,Chicago,IL; Shopsmith,Inc.,Montreal,Que.;StanleyTools,
Division of the StanleyWorks, New Britain, CT; Vermont AmericanCorp., Lincolnton, NC and Louisville,KY
I
BI-ANKETCHEST
AdjustableClampCo.,Chicago,IL; AmericanTool Cos.,Lincoln,NE; Black& Decker/EluPowerTools,
Towson,MD; DeltaInternationalMachinery/Porter Cable,Guelph,Ont.; FreudWestmoreTools,Ltd.,
t
Mississauga,Ont.; GeneralToolsManufacturingCo.,Inc.,New York, NY; GreatNeckSawMfrs. Inc. (BuckBros.
Division), Millbury, MA; Alain Morcel, LesRdalisationsLoeven-Morcel,Montreal, Que.;SandvikSawsand I
Tools Co., Scranton,PA; StanleyTools,Division of the StanleyWorks, New Britain, CT; Steiner-LamelloA.G.
Switzerland/Colonial SawCo.,'Kingston, MA; VermontAmericanCorp.,Lincolnton,NC and Louisville,KY I
HIGHBOY
AdjustableClampCo.,Chicago,IL; AmericanTool Cos.,Lincoln,NE; Anglo-AmericanEnterprises Corp., I
Somerdale,NJ; Black& Decker/EluPowerTools,Towson,MD; Delta InternationalMachinerylPorterCable,
Guelph,Ont.; FreudWestmoreTools,Ltd.,Mississauga, Ont.; GreatNeckSawMfrs. Inc. (BuckBros.Division),
Millbury, MA; Hitachi PowerTools U.S.A.Ltd., Norcross,GA; RobertLarsonCompany,Inc., SanFrancisco,CA;
I
Alain Morcel,LesR6alisations
Loeven-Morcel, Montreal,Que.;Shopsmith,Inc.,Dayton,OH and Montreal,Que.;
RobertSorbyLtd., Sheffield,U.K./BusyBeeMachineTools,Concord,Onl I
Thefollowingpersonsalsoassisted
in thepreparationof this book: I
Lorraine Dor6, Dominique Gagn€,Graphor Consultation,GeneviiveMonette,Brian Parsons,J. Gail Sowerby
I
FURNITURECREDITS I
Cover LesR6alisationsLoeven-Morcel,Montr6al, Qudbec I
40 GilesMiller-Mead,Brome,Qu6bec
60,6l GilesMiller-Mead,Brome,Qu€becand fean-Frangois Brunelle,St-Bruno,Qu6bec
84, 106LesRdalisationsLoeven-Morcel,Montrdal,Qudbec I
I
PICTURECREDITS
Cover RobertChartier
I
6,7 Mark Tomalty
8,9 Tom Stewart I
10,ll GraceHuang
I
t
r44 I
I
I
I
GUIDE
WORKSHOP
I
FOR
GRADES
LUMBER CABINETMAKING
I
SETECT N0.1 N0.2A& 28 NO.3A NO.38
GRADE
HARDWOOD FAS
I COMMON COMMON COMMON COMMON
6'-16' 4',-r6', 4 ' , -1 6 ' , 4 ' , -t 6 ' 4'- 16'
I A l l o w a b llee n g t h
of board
8'- 16'

3" orwider 3" orwider 3" orwider 3" orwider

I A l l o w a b lw
eidth 6" orwider 4" orwider
of board
33Vz% 25%
I M i n i m u m% o f 83i/2"/' 83Vz% 662/z% 50%
c l e a rf a c ec u t t i n g s
I M i n i m u ms i z eo f 3"x7'; 3 "x 7 ' ; 3 "x 3 ' ; 3" x2' 3 "x 2 ' Notlessthan
172"wide
c l e a rc u t t i n g s 4 , ' x5 , 4 ' ,x 5 ' 4" x2'
36
t containing
inches
square
I
Usethe chartsaboveandat leftto
I GRADES
SOFTWOOD CHARACTERISTICS
helpyouchoose theappropriate grade
you
of woodforyourproject. Whether
minordefectsand decideto usehardwood or softwood,
I SelectB and BTR
( s up r e m e )
Clearappearance and highestQuality;
. o t a l w a y sa v a i l -
b l e m i s h e lsd. e a lw i t h c l e a rf i n i s h e sN keeothe intended useof the board
a b l e :e x P e n s i v e i n m i n dw h e nd e t e r m i n itnhgeg r a d e
I youwill need.A high-grade hardwood
C S e l e c (t c h o i c e ) H i g hq u a l i t ys; m a l ld e f e c t sa n d b l e m i s h e s board. for instance, will havemore
t D S e l e c (t q u a l i t Y ) G o o dq u a l r t yd; e f e c t sa n d b l e m i s h em s o r ep r o n o u n c e d clearcuttings
meaning
thana lowergradeboard,
it will havefewerdefects,
S u p e r i oFr i n i s h Highestqualityof finishgradelumber;minordefects andmoreof theboardwill be usable'
I a n db l e m i s h e s However, if youPlanto usesmaller
H i g hq u a l i t yw i t hf e w d e f e c t sa n d b l e m i s h e s
pieces, lowergradestockwillsuffice,
P r i m eF i n i s h
I H a sl i m i t e da v a i l a b i l iat yn ds i z er a n g e sm; a yh a v es m a l l
asvoucancut around the defects'
usinglowergradeboards
N o .1 C o m m o n Consider
tight knots,makingthis gradeappropriate if a knotty for hiddenparts.
I ( c o l o ina l )
a p p e a r a n ci sed e s i r e d
oftenusedwhere
I N o .2 C o m m o n
(sterli ng)
Larger,coarserdefectsand blemishes;
a k n o t t ya P p e a r a n c ei s d e s i r e d
t
I THICKNESS
STANDARD N()MINAL SIZES
ANDACTUAL
HARDWO(ID
SURFACED
FOR TUMBER
ORSOFTWOOD
I
NOMINAL ACTUAL NOMINAL ACTUAL
ACTUAL
I NOMINAL
(rough) (surfaced
twosides) ilNCHES) (rNcHES) (rNcHES) (INCHES)

dry Surfaceddry
I 3/a' 3ho" Surfaced
3h-by-Ir/z Ir/z-by-IVz
r/zu tAr"' 7-by-2 Z-by-2
I Tz' 1/rc" 1-by-3 3k-by-2t/z 2-by-4 7t/z-by-3r/z
e/',0" 1-by-4 3h-by-3t/z 2-by-6 It/z-by-51/z
I 3/q'

3h-by-5r/z 2-by-B IVz-by-7|iq

1" 3/4" or r3a6'' 1-by-6
I rlh' I1Ao" 1-by-8 3h'by-7rh 2-by-10 I\/z-by-91/t
1 F t I
1-by-10 3/+-by-9th Z-by-12 It/z-by-I1\./,t
Ir/z'
I z',
I'/ Lt)

IVz" or I3/q" I-by-12 3h-by-lIrh 4-by-4 3r/z-by-31/z

t 3" 23/t'
A r 33Li
I
I
t