Glue up enough cedar for the 20"-diameter round shelves and saw them to shape.
The shelves on the inside of the island spin on a lazy Susan bearing. To keep this round idea in mind, I made the shelves circular.
There are two jigs that will help you to make a perfect circle. The first is for your router. It is an extended base that allows the router to swivel around a centre point. The second option is for your bandsaw. This jig features an adjustable rail that will guide the blade to cut
Cut the eight shelf arms and central post. Fasten them together using #20 biscuits, and when the glue is dry screw the assembly onto the shelves. Support the shelves by adding the 3⁄4" x 11⁄4" vertical filler strips glued to the central post and the edges of the shelf arms. Set the completed shelf assembly aside for now.
Working with acrylic
Next, cut sheets of acrylic plastic (Plexiglas is one popular brand name) to fill in the frames and doors. This material is available at hardware stores. You can cut acrylic plastic on any tablesaw, but you need to be careful. Be sure to use a featherboard to hold down the material during a cut, as the plastic tends to lift as you slide it over the blade. A 80-tooth triple-chip blade in your saw will cut well.
Be sure to leave the protective paper on the acrylic until you’re ready to install it. Unlike cutting wood, a slightly faster feed rate produces a better cut. I always use a mask when cutting acrylic because of the smell, and I schedule the work at the end of the day, to let the odour dissipate overnight.
The corners of the acrylic panels are square, and they have to be rounded to fit into the router-cut rabbets you milled to support them. A belt sander is ideal for this. I rounded one piece to test for fit, then I clamped a bunch together in the vise and belt-sanded them all at once to the same shape. This speeds up the job and offers a wider surface for the sander to sit on.
You can make the acrylic opaque, as I did, by using a random-orbit sander spinning a 220-grit disc. Consistent movement and light pressure creates the best results. Sand and oil the wooden cabinet parts before installing the acrylic panels. When ready, secure the panels with a bead of clear silicone caulking. Orient the sanded face of each panel inward.
Final details
Slip the shelf unit in from above, set on a 12"-diameter lazy Susan bearing. Install the doors (I used 21⁄2" zinc- plated hinges), and fasten the top with #10 x 2" screws driven up through the top frame from inside the cabinet. I installed a magnetic push catch to hold each door closed. This eliminates the need for a door pull.
When you have finished, place the newest member of your deck team in its place by the barbecue.
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