Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 25

Thread: Hidden dovetail shop cabinet design

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Central NC
    Posts
    156

    Arrow Hidden dovetail shop cabinet design

    I just glued up the carcass for a small shop cabinet (18.5x7x30 inches) with hidden mitre dovetails. Carcass is 5/4 heart pine and dadoed shelves are 3/8". I am going to build drawers for the two lower 4" openings and I am wondering about design opinions for the doors. More specifically, should the doors be full height or just cover the upper 22" where the open shelving will be. Opinions?

    IMG_0017.jpgIMG_0021.jpg

    A shot of the corner.
    IMG_0019.jpgIMG_0020.jpg

    My apologies, for computer skills are at the Neanderthal level and cannot figure how to rotate photos.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Ramona, CA by way of Phliadelphia
    Posts
    270
    Hi Michael,
    What kind of doors and will you be adding a face frame?
    Rick

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Central NC
    Posts
    156
    Rick,

    i was not planning to build a face frame. As far as what type of doors I put on, that is dependent on whether I go full height or just the top 22". If full height I will probably build a door with some depth to it so as to allow tool storage on the door and to allow for door knobs. If only the upper 2/3 I will try to minimize door thickness so that it does not stick out too far from the plane of the drawers and that will be either frame and panel or a glue up.

    Michael

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Ramona, CA by way of Phliadelphia
    Posts
    270
    Michael,
    I have something like that going on and it was a struggle to decide and went with raised panel doors but still not sure what the drawer front will look like right now its just a spacer so I can fit the doors. The bottom line was that I didn't want to open the doors to get to the drawers.

    Rick

  5. #5
    Nice job on the secret miter dovetails.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621
    Ditto on the dovetails.

    Is the cabinet for tools or other shop material? If for tools, cabinets never seem to be big enough in the long run, so more storage on the inside of the doors might be a good idea.

    Look forward to seeing what you decide.
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Central NC
    Posts
    156
    Thanks for the compliment Mike and Christopher. This was my first attempt at the secret mitre dovetail and I learned the hard way that one must cut pins first in order to transfer the layout. That corner is on the bottom of the cabinet.

    I do do like the idea of the storage on the door, unfortunately I only thought of it after I rounded the edges over on the carcase and I am uncertain how the door will look intersecting that. And yes I know it is a little precious to worry about that in shop furniture, but I like to work on design as much as execute the design.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Central NC
    Posts
    156
    I understand the dilemma Rick. Any chance you can post a photo for inspiration?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
    Posts
    7,252
    Blog Entries
    7
    Nicely done!
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Ramona, CA by way of Phliadelphia
    Posts
    270
    Michael, hope this helps this is in the trailer section of my abode and on top of the water heater, thinking about leaving the drawer front plain to look like part of the face frame to not draw any attention, kind of like, sorta a hidden space!
    Rick

    IMG_2421.jpgIMG_2422.jpgIMG_2425.jpgIMG_2423.jpg

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Central NC
    Posts
    156
    Thanks Brian.

    I like that Rick. With the crisp lines that drawer just disappears.

    I cant go in that direction as I have already cut the drawer fronts to be flush with the carcase.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Central NC
    Posts
    156
    An idea just occurred to me for a more uniform look. What about small flush mount doors for each shelf. That way when closed the shelves and the drawers would be of a type and in plane. Thoughts? Ideas for hinges?

    Thanks

    Michael

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Todrin View Post
    Thanks for the compliment Mike and Christopher. This was my first attempt at the secret mitre dovetail and I learned the hard way that one must cut pins first in order to transfer the layout. That corner is on the bottom of the cabinet.
    I think having to cut pins first is the real "secret" in those dovetails. A lot of people get caught with that because most of us do tails first.

    Mike

    [You don't need it but I'll post a link here to my tutorial on the secret miter dovetail.]
    Last edited by Mike Henderson; 05-15-2017 at 1:40 PM.
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Ramona, CA by way of Phliadelphia
    Posts
    270
    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Todrin View Post
    An idea just occurred to me for a more uniform look. What about small flush mount doors for each shelf. That way when closed the shelves and the drawers would be of a type and in plane. Thoughts? Ideas for hinges?

    Thanks

    Michael
    See thats my problem changing horses in mid stream, do it all the time because I'm the only one I have to please.
    You could always leave the shelves open and drawers below, that was my original intention but in Ramona we only have 2 seasons,
    dust and dust with heat and the doors will help with that.
    Rick

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    2,151
    Nice job on the dovetails Michael. Drawers behind doors on a shop cabinet is just another thing to fumble with in my opinion. It may be ok for decorative things like a spice cabinet but not so for the shop.
    Jim

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •