This project is only about half done, so I am taking a chance with this thread because the cabinet might not work out as well as we expect it to. Also, I have written this so that those that have not done much cabinet making can follow each step. For many folks, I realize that you know these steps better than I do and I appologize in advance.

My friend Terry West (who I have known since I was two) and I are building a cabinet for his recently renovated house in Ottawa. Terry has done quite a bit of rough carpentry and house maintenance but little cabinet making. He has tool bench in his furnace room but does not really have the space or equipment to undertake a project of this scope. So, I offered to build a cabinet at my place (about a 5 hour drive from Terry’s house).

The plans that we are using for the are based upon those in the issue 163 of Wood magazine (June/July 2005). I made plan modifications to use better wood and so that the cabinet will fit into the spot that Terry and his wife Peggy have reserved for the cabinet.

We are planning to build the cabinet during two three day weekends. The weekend occurred in late November. The next one will probably be in mid January.

The wood for the cabinet is quarter sawn oak boards and plywood purchased from Century Mill Lumber about 25 kilometres north of our house. This place has been in operation by the same family for over 150 years. It’s great to be able to do business with such places. The hardware is mostly from Lee Valley Tools.

Following is a picture “essay” on “crafting” of the cabinet during the first weekend. Because of forum limitations, I need to split this into six posts.

(1) Terry with a “raw” oak board to the left of the picture and three processed, glued and sanded, oak boards to the right of the picture.

006 Terry with rough board and with partly finished cabinet top -small.JPG

(2) The first step in preparing an oak board is to smooth one edge and one side on the jointer. The corner between the two sections is 90 degrees.

010 Jointing oak board -small.JPG 050 Preparing board 5-fully jointed side -small.JPG

(3) Now the other side is planned to the correct thickness. The planner insures that the two sides are parallel.

060 Preparing board 6-plane the other side -small.JPG 070 Preparing board 7-partly planed side -small.JPG