Step 4 - Panels and Grid
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 To get started today we install a high quality, fine tooth blade on the table saw and trim the edges of the panel parts we made the other day. This will include the four small panels for the cabinet sides and the two long panels that will go into the cabinet back as well as the three pieces that will become the cabinet top and three pieces that will become a blank from which the drawer fronts will be cut.
 Once the panel pieces are edged, we lay them out and test fit them together. looking at the graining and color. Because we have several pieces that will become the end panels, we choose those that look best together. The goal is to have the grain and coloring at the glue joint flow in such a way as to hide the joint so it looks like one continuous piece of wood.
 The long pieces for the back panels were resawn from thick boards so that they could be flipped over edge to edge and match perfectly. The two panels differ some in color, but the pieces to make each panel will look great together because the halves came from the same piece of board.
 When we've paired up pieces to become panels, they get edge glued together and placed in clamps. Because there is no stress on these joints, the clamps can be removed after about 30 minutes, once the glue tacks up well, and laid aside to allow the glue to finish curing. If the joints were stressed at all the clamps would have to remain in place over night to allow the glue to set up hard so the joints wouldn't be pulled apart by that stress.
 Before the glue hardens completely is a great time to cut off the ridge of glue squeeze-out using a flush plane. Trimming the rubbery glue flush to the wood now will greatly ease our scraping and sanding chores later. We must be careful, however, to keep the panel laying flat and allow no bending forces at the glue line -- we don't want to weaken the joint.
 While the panels harden up, we set up the table saw to cut tenons on the ends of the side and back frame rails. These tenons will fit into mortises that will be cut in the case stiles later. Together, the rails and stiles will frame the panels to make the sides and back of the cabinet. The 3/8" thick panels we glued up will sit in grooves routed on the inner face of these rails and stiles. The mortise and tenons provide lots of gluing surface and structural support at the corners.
 Next we turn our attention to the grid work that forms the front of the cabinet. There are two vertical pieces and three horizontal pieces that form the basic grid. At the 6 points where these parts cross, we must cut very precisely sized half-lap joints. We use gang-cutting to make sure the cut-outs are in exactly the same place, and the same size, on each of the matching parts. That is, we tape the 3 horizontal rails together and the 2 vertical stiles together and cut each bundle as a single part. But first we must determine very precisely where the cuts go. Use a sharp pencil for a hair-thin line, for even a few thousandths of an inch will mean the difference between a properly fitted joint and a sloppy one. Check the measurements carefully so each drawer opening is exactly the same height and width (and the right size for the drawer!)
 Once the cuts are made, we sand the fuzzy bits off and test fit the grid pieces. The goal is for the half-lap joints to fit snugly side to side, and for the front and back faces to end up exactly flush to one another. Some fine work with a sharp chisel may be needed to accomplish this. Once again we measure the openings to be sure no mistakes were made.
 Once we are satisfied with the fit it's time to get out the glue pot and brush. Adding a little glue to the mating surfaces of the lap joints we hold the cross points snugly in place with spring clamps, then draw the top and bottom rails tight with pipe clamps.
It's a little early to quit, but we now have clamped up parts sitting on all of our work surfaces, so we can go no further for the moment. This is a good time to break out the shop vac and clean up a bit. Then restock the firewood bin for tomorrow, flip off the lights, lock the door and call it a day.
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