|
|
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
by
Gary Walchuk
photos: Roger Yip
illustration: Len Churchill |
FRENCH-CANADIAN CABINET (part 2) |
Assemble
the Frame
Start by gluing and clamping the front edge of one side frame
to the back outside edge of the front frame. Allow these parts
to dry, then position and clamp the two inner frames to the
inside of the front-side assembly. The bottom frame should be
flush with the bottom rails; the top frame should be flush with
the front and side top edges. Use #8 x 1 1/4" screws to
attach the frames to the cabinet from inside. Next, add the
opposite side frame to the front and inner frames, and, finally,
add the back frame to the side back edges and the inner frames.
You’ll have a four-sided assembly that forms the foundation
of the cabinet.
Laminate the material to make
the cabinet top, then trim it to exact size. Rout a profile
along the front and side edges before sanding the surface smooth
with 120-grit paper. It’s time to use the saw kerfs you
cut into the top frame members. Centre the top on the cabinet,
back edge flush with the cabinet back, then secure the top with
metal fasteners from inside. These hold the top firm, yet let
the solid wood expand and contract without cracking.
 |
| The
legs have their own decorative detail: a small rounded
profile on the inside corner |
 |
| The
front panel contains four dramatic triangles, carved
separately and then appliquéd |
|
Cut
the back panel now and sand it smooth, but don’t install
it just yet. Instead, cut the shelf supports to listed dimensions,
and rout or cut a 3/4" x 1/4" rabbet along one edge
of each part. These support the removable shelf when the project
is complete. Cut the shelf now, then glue and clamp a solid
pine edge strip on the front to cap the raw plywood edge. Sand
the shelf after the glue dries.
Door and Side Panels
The unique diamond design on these door panels is a distinctive
feature of early French-Canadian furniture. Start with the panels
behind the diamonds by cutting the door stiles and rails to
size. Assemble them with glue, clamps and one #20 biscuit per
joint. Sand the frame smooth, then rabbet the opening with a
1/2" x 1/2" router bit along the inside to accept
the door panel. Rout a decorative profile along the outside
edges of the door frame.
Make the door and side panels
by laminating some 3/4"-thick stock. Glue up oversized
pieces, then trim each to size after they come out of the clamps.
Routing the distinctive beaded
grooves comes next, and this is where the fun really begins.
Use a sharp pencil and a straightedge to mark a line 1 1/2"
in from the edge along all four edges of each panel. On the
door panel only, mark an X pattern diagonally where previous
pencil lines intersect at the corners. On the side panels, locate
the centre point of each line, then draw the large diamond-shaped
outline onto both panels.
To rout the bead on the side panels,
I used a handheld router following a plywood straightedge clamped
in place as a guide. The bit creates a 3/16"-rad. plunge-style
beading profile, equipped with a top bearing to run along the
plywood and stop collar to hold the bearing on the shaft. The
bit is set to cut 1/4" deep into the panel. With this set-up,
and the router base gliding atop the plywood straightedge, you
need to set the straightedge 3/16" toward the inside of
the panels to make the finished routed bead 1 1/2" in from
the panel edges. It’s easy if you mark another set of
lines 3/16" from, but parallel to, the original lines.
|
|
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART
3 |
|
|
|
|
| FREE
NEWSLETTER |
Subscribe to our newsletter. Every few weeks, you'll get a behind-the-scenes
peek at the magazine, the web site and the folks who put it all together.
CLICK HERE |
|
|
PROJECTS
