CD End Table

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This project, like any of our projects, begins with a visit to our lumber stacks.  We maintain a supply of rough sawn lumber in a variety of species.  These species usually include, Red Oak, White Oak, Walnut, Cherry, Poplar, Silver Maple, and Hickory.  On occasion we'll get the chance to buy something special and that will be added to our offering once it's dry and until it's gone.

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A while before I'm ready to start construction I go to the lumber stack and pull out boards that are well suited to the project coming up.  A detailed discussion of what this entails would be beyond the scope of this little article; it is something learned through experience… we call it “reading the wood”.  When I have what I need I move these boards into the workshop to acclimate.  If short enough, we will stand the boards vertically.  if not they will be loosely stacked on the floor.

Acclimation is just a snazzy word for adjusting to the new environment.  The environment inside my workshop is different from that outside (thank God).  As the wood’s water content and temperature equalize with that inside my workshop it may want to change shape.  This time I allow it to do so.  While this process is on-going, I can chunk the boards up into over-sized pieces from which the parts will be made, but I must allow them to finish acclimating before milling them to finished size.  If it changes shape after we mill it into finished parts, the parts become expensive firewood.

To begin the project we take our parts list and decide what boards will be used to make which parts.  The way the grain runs through a board will affect it's behavior in the future, for even though long 'dead' wood never stops moving.  Once we've laid out the parts, we cut them to rough size -- slightly over-size so we have some extra for trimming and straightening should it bow a little as the tensions within the wood are released.

As the parts are roughed out, they are labeled to avoid confusion later on.  Some of the parts for casework used in this project are similar in size and shape, but confusing them will create problems later.

It generally takes one full day to rough out the casework parts, including resawing the pieces that will become the solid wood panels.

The next step is to trim all the rails, stiles and grid pieces to finished size.  At this point we're also working on making up the back panels and the 4 half-panels for the sides.

Because the back has 4 rails running across it instead of just the top and bottom rails like the sides, the panels that fit between them are small enough to be milled from standard stock, no glue-ups are required.  The side panels however must be glued up from 4 to 6 pieces to get the hight we need.  We make up half-height panels first that are small enough to be run through the surface planer to smooth them out and bring them to the precise finished thickness.  Then two half-panels are jointed and glued together to make each full side panel.  This leaves only one joint to be faired and sanded for a perfectly smooth, flat panel.

The third day we cut the tenons, mortises, grooves and half-lap joints that will allow all the parts to fit together.  At left is an example of the frame and panel parts that go into the back of a 9 drawer CD End Table, laid out in an 'exploded' view.  If you look closely you will see the mortises (deep pockets) that the tenons (tabs on the end of rails) fit into, the grooves that hold the panels and the small rectangular pockets where the ends of the drawer slide rails will fit into.

When all the parts are cut we assemble the panels and fit them together to form the cabinet -- but without any glue.  When we're sure everything fits, we'll take it all apart again and re-assemble them, with glue, screws and nails as needed.

At this point, we've assembled all the rails, stiles, and panels for the cabinet sides and back, as well as the grid work for the cabinet front.  The 'T' rails have been milled and installed as well.  Frame and panel construction gives a classier look than solid wood panels as well as producing a considerable weight savings.  These panels also are not as prone to warp or crack with age.  Because we use mortise & tenon joinery in all our rail/stile joints, these panels will last for generations.

Here we have the drawer boxes installed.  These drawer boxes were built of Baltic Birch plywood by request.  Normally we make these of poplar.   We install a 'claw' style glide on the back of the drawer to run on the 'T' rail, and glide pads in the lower corners of the front opening to provide smooth operation of the drawers.

The top plate is usually the last piece to be made and installed. , this allows the rough-milled parts as much time as possible to acclimate to the shop environment; if they're going to bow or twist, we want them to do so *before* we make them into a case top.  That way we can set that piece aside for some other use and build the top of pieces that will remain flat.  Installing the top plate, which is attached with screws from inside the cabinet.  Note that the mounting screws on the front edge pass through a slot rather than a hole to allow for movement as the top plate expand and contracts with atmospheric humidity.

With construction completed, the drawer pulls are carefully laid out and installed.  Everything look good?

The pulls are removed and stored inside each drawer.  The entire cabinet is final sanded, vacuumed, and finished.  After it sits for 24 hours to allow the finish to cure, the pulls are re-installed and it's ready to crate up and send to it's new owner.

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