| Cherry and Maple Medicine Cabinet -- Maple Door-Frame |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-208 |
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Bird's-Eye Maple Door Frame With the, medicine cabinet case assembled, work can begin on the second phase of the project -- the mirrored door made from bird's eye maple. The maple stock exhibits a striking grain pattern. The frame has 45-degree miters at the corners, and is accented by purple-heart splines at the corners.
Materials: Bird's-eye maple stock
Purple heart stock
Table router; spiral carbide bit; bevel bit
Table saw
Miter jig
Band saw
Band clamp
Spring clamps
Carpenter's square
Putty knife
Hand-scraper
Fine sandpaper
Yellow wood-glue
Carpenter's pencil
Safety glasses or goggles
Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his Web site -- information below under Resources. Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, saws, drills, routers, etc.
Steps:
- The back of the frame features a double rabbet (figure A). One of the rabbets accommodates the glass mirror, while the other holds the back panel that holds the mirror in place. The rabbets are cut in the stock before cutting the miters.
- Begin by cutting the rabbet for the back panel. At the router table, use a spiral carbide bit to cut the first rabbet (figure B). The first rabbet should be 3/4-inch wide by 1/4-inch deep. Make the cut in two passes.
- To cut the second rabbet, raise the bit (figure C), and move the fence on the table router to cut a secondary rabbet that's 3/8-inch wide by 7/16-inch deep (figure D). This is the rabbet that will hold the mirror securely in place.
- While still at the router table, change the bit to a 1/8-inch bevel bit to round off and soften the inside edges of the door frame (figure E).
- To cut the frame stock to length, install a miter jig on the table saw. Cut the pieces about 1/16-inch oversized so that the door can later be hand-shaved down to an exact fit. First, cut the top and bottom pieces of the frame stock, using a stop-block to ensure that they are cut to exactly the same length (figure F).
- Next, adjust the stop-block to cut the longer sides of the frame (figure G ).
- Cutting Tip: Bird's-eye maple has a tendency to chip out when being cut on the table saw. If this happens try sanding the wood and leaving the dust in the recess, then adding a couple of drops of thin C-A (cyanoacrylate adhesive) glue. Let the glue cure, then sand it flush for a fine finish.
- With the frame pieces miter-cut, glue-up can begin. The frame is glued up before adding the purple-heart splines to ensure the tightest possible fit. Use yellow wood glue and a band clamp to ensure that the corners are tight and square (figure H).
- Once the glue has dried on the door frame, the slots for the splines can be cut. The splines are cut by creating a cradle, and using spring-clamps to hold the frame securely in place (figure I) as the slots are cut on the table saw.
- A square-toothed ripping blade is used for cutting slots at 90-degrees on the corners (figure J). Cutting deep spline slots will add to the strength of the joint. Using the cradle for stability and accuracy, make identical cuts on all four corners.
- Use Brazilian purple-heart to cut the stock for the splines. First, rough-cut the stock to size at the band-saw, then mill it to thickness at the drum sander. In this case, the stock is milled to fit the size of the slot, which is the width of the saw blade used to cut the slots.
- Use the band saw to cut the splines 2 inches in width (figure K).
- To glue the splines in the slots, first use a putty knife to apply yellow wood glue inside the slots. Then apply glue to each spline, and slide it carefully into place (figure L).
- Use corner blocks to clamp the splines in place as the glue dries (figure M).
- After the glue has dried, trim off the excess spline material at the router table (figure N) so that the spline is flush with the edge of the frame.
- Use a scraper to remove any excess glue on the edges, and finish the job with some fine-grade sandpaper.
In the segment that follows, the mirror and back panel are added to complete the door, and the door is mounted on the case using hinges.
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RESOURCES :
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619
Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561583456
Mastering Woodworking Machines (Fine Woodworking Book)
Author: Mark Duginske
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 0942391985
David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com
The Complete Woodworker's Companion
Author: Roger Holmes
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
ISBN: 0823008665
Popular Woodworking
F & W Publications, Inc.
Website: www.popularwoodworking.com
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