- Fix shelf pin hole
- Drill pocket holes in top rails
- Make trim pieces
- Glue trim to top rail
- Create screw holes in top rails
Fix Shelf Pin Hole
In my last post I mentioned that when adding the photos to the blog post that I noticed I'd missed a shelf pin hole. It was the one at the bottom and will probably never be used but I couldn't just leave it, especially since it would be easy to fix.
I still have my story stick that doubles as my shelf pin drilling jig. To get the holes to line up I took apart a couple of the shelf pins, put the pins in a couple of holes and used them to register the jig.
With the pegs sticking out I could just drop the jig over them and it just lines up. This was even easier than the original set of holes since I didn't even have to clamp the jig. One item done!
Create Screw Holes in Top Rails
The top rails are a couple strips of plywood that run between the side panels across the top front and top back of the case. The actual solid wood top will be attached with screw through the rails. To accommodate for seasonal wood movement the screw through the back rail need to be in slots so when the top expands and contracts the screws can slide rather than splitting the top or breaking the case.
I double checked that the new rails were a perfect fit. Then the holes in the front were just drilled and countersunk. The slots in the back had the bulk of the waste removed with a 1/4" brad point and cleaned up with a chisel. I might come back with a file and make the slots cleaner but they'll work.
Drill Pocket Holes
I also mentioned in my week 6.1 post that I drilled the pocket holes in my top rails before doing a final trim requiring me to make new top rails. I didn't drill the pocket holes in them earlier in the week so it still needed to be done.
This was just a matter of pulling out the Kreg jig and drilling the holes.
Cut Trim
The side panels to my case are solid wood but the bottom shelf, the middle panel and the top rails are plywood. I need some 3/4 inch trim to cover the plywood edges and I made it thick enough to also hide the inside of the case once the door and drawers are installed. It's effectively 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch.
When I cut the legs and panels for the sides I made rip cuts along the grain in my boards so the grain in the legs would be vertical and not run out the sides. This left me with a couple of triangle shaped off cuts that were perfect for ripping down then running through the planer until they were the right size. Sapele isn't super expensive but why waste it.
Glue Trim to Top Rail
I actually only need to glue the trim to the top front rail. The back rail will never be seen as it will be hidden by the solid wood top and the back.
The top board in the photo is the front rail. I'm using the back rail as a clamping caul to help spread the clamping pressure evenly. I left the glue up to set for an hour or so then came back and scraped the glue drips.
Drawer Spacers
I thought I was done but then I remembered that I am going to need spacers to make sure the middle divider is a consistent spacing from the right hand panel. If it leans in or out the drawers will either stick on their sliders or fall off. Fortunately I had some scrap cherry plywood lying around that I just needed to cut the pocket holes off of.
This cherry plywood is actually very nice. I did find a couple of small voids in the interior but its actually 3/4 inches thick and it is super flat and smooth
Gluing Preparations Done
That pretty much completes all the things I needed to get done in preparation for gluing the bottom shelf into the side panels. I was getting a bit tired and didn't want to take on that task when I wasn't at 100%.
Next up, gluing the case, adding the top rails and gluing up the top and some shelves.
