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.
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.
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