more cupboard work

pfollansbee

May 4

one of many test-assemblies

I spent another few hours working on the cupboard - it's fun getting this thing going again. Above I am starting another test-assembly of the front section to the lower case. I'm setting the narrow shelf in place on top of the bottom drawer framing.

Then comes the pillars connecting to the top drawer.

lined up and dropped in place

Now that unit drops onto the tenons at the top & bottom side rails - I always keep saying this step (one of many) would be easier with a helper, but then I go ahead and do it myself. And it works out fine. This assembly was to test for and fit the soffit that snugs under the top drawer framing - to seal that overhang above the pillars.

knocked in place

Now a few things have to happen. I need to turn the feet for it and paint them and the pillars black. Once the pillars are painted and dry I can do the final assembly of this case - (the feet can go in after assembly) - here it is with the soffit in place - barely noticeable. It gets nailed down to the recessed upper rail after the actual assembly. This time it fits in a rabbet in the top drawer's bottom rail.

nearly ready for assembly

Here's a view from the previous cupboard, showing installation of that soffit. In that case, it's beveled to fit in a groove in that forward drawer rail. This time the framing didn't work out to include a groove, so it's just snugged into a rabbet in that rail. It will be lightly toe-nailed up to that rabbet and then down to the recessed rail. Both soffit arrangements work just fine.

previous cupboard's soffit

To round out the day, I started making some strips of molding for decorating the lower case. I'm using a plane made for me by Matt Bickford - https://msbickford.com/ it works great. I tend to plane blanks to the thickness I need, run a molding then rip them to width. Then joint the new edge and run another molding. Some prep the blanks to the desired width first. Both methods work.

molding

Here's where I quit for the day.

a good start

Still waiting for spring migration to bring the birds up here from the south. It's not happening today, that's for sure. But soon...here's a white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) who posed nicely last week. They're here year-round, but nice & bright now that spring is here. To impress, of course.