| Apothecary Cabinet -- Plywood Stock for Case |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-405 |
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In years past, pharmacies -- also known as apothecaries -- used cabinets with numerous narrow drawers to store and organize their medicinal treatments, herbs and powders. Today these versatile, multi-drawer cabinets are ideal for storing and organizing a variety of items -- from jewelry to sewing essentials to fishing lures to stationery items. In this episode of DIY Wood Works, host David Marks builds a reproduction of one of these cabinets using standard cabinetry techniques. Made from maple plywood this "box of boxes" is primarily built using a combination of dado and rabbet cuts. The case is a basic box with drawer dividers that slide into dados. The drawers are constructed from maple ply, joined with locking rabbets and faced with beautiful bird's-eye maple. There are three main components to this cabinet: the case, the decorative top and bottom, and the drawers. Materials:
Maple-plywood stock: 3/4-inch, 1/2-inch and 1/4-inch
Maple stock
Bird's-eye maple stock
Table saw; cross-cut sled
Table router
Straight-edge
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, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc. Plywood Stock for Case Plywood typically is sold in 4x8-foot sheets. To build the case for this cabinet, about a half sheet is needed.
Steps:
- Begin by cutting the 4x8 sheet into 10-3/4" widths on the table saw (figure A). This provides the basic stock for the case of the cabinet -- the sides, top, bottom and inner dividers. Be sure to use a good quality saw-blade that's rated for cutting plywood. The fine teeth on a plywood blade are designed to minimize tear-out.
- Cut each of the basic pieces in half using the cross-cut sled on the table-saw (figure B), leaving them slightly oversized in length.
- To prevent the rough edges of the plywood from showing in the finished piece, they will be covered using 1/8-inch strips of solid maple. The strips are cut wide (figure C) to ensure that the edge is fully covered.
- For the top, bottom and sides of the case, the front and back edges are banded using the maple strips. There's no need to band the ends, since they'll be covered by the decorative top and bottom pieces. Only the front edges of the dividers need to be covered since the back panel will hide the exposed back edges (figure D).
- Rather than band several short pieces, it's easier to band the stock while it's long. Apply glue to the banding stock and along the edge of the plywood. Set the stock up on 1/16-inch shims (figure E), add a caul and clamp.
- Make certain that the banding overhangs on both sides of the plywood. To save time and clamps, glue the banding on two shelves simultaneously (figure F).
- Once the glue has dried, flush-trim the maple banding at the router table using a customized fence that has a 3/8-inch rabbet cut at the base (figure G). This fence holds the stock firmly, allowing the banding to be flush-trimmed without cutting into the plywood.
- At the table-saw, cut the sides to their final length of 11-3/4 inches (figure H).
- Cut the top and bottom pieces, and the three horizontal dividers to 11-1/4 inches long. Cut the four vertical dividers to 5-1/2 inches.
- Next, cut out the back panel from 1/4-inch maple plywood (figure I).
- To hold the back panel in place, a rabbet is cut along the rear edge of the case. Using a 3/4-inch straight bit, cut the rabbet 3/16-inch deep by 1/4-inch wide. To get a clean cut, add an auxiliary fence to bury the bit (figure J).
In the segment that follows, the joinery is made, and assembly of the case begins. Sponsored Resource
> Click here to order your tools and materials for this project from Woodcraft!
RESOURCES :
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619
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
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