POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 29cased with fl at stock (3.5") as you
would a pass-through opening. It
is absolutely imperative that your
jams are set both level and plumb to
keep your reveals even. You'll also
be measuring off the top and bottom
of the hinge side jamb leg to set your
hinges on the threshold and header
and as such, keeping your jamb leg
plumb is critical to insuring they are
parallel to one another. Once this
is done, measure your opening and
subtract 1" from the width and 1^1 / 8 "
from the height. This will be the
dimension of your face frame.
Make the Face Frame
Start by cutting your two 1^1 / 2 " wide
stiles to length. Place them on a
fl at surface, face to face, backside
up and aligned with one another.
Make a mark 2^1 / 4 " from the top and
31 / 2 " from the bottom. These marks
represent your top and bottom rails.
Next, make a mark at 31^1 / 2 " from
the bottom of the stile. Draw an x
8
8 The face frame is assembled us-
ing pocket hole joinery. It’s fast and
strong for installation in the fi eld. l
add a little glue for peace of mind.below this line to remind you which
side the rail goes on when assem-
bling. This rail is wider because it
will have a door resting on it with a(^3) / 4 " overlay, which in turn will leave
11 / 2 " showing so that it matches all
of your other 1^1 / 2 " rails.
Next, measure the distance from
the top of your stile and the mark
you made at 31^1 / 2 ". Subtract from
this number the 2^1 / 4 " being allowed
for the top rail. The diff erence
will be what you use to determine
the layout of the rest of your shelf
rails evenly. Once you have their
locations fi gured, make marks for
them along the face edge of one
stile. Transfer these marks across
both stiles remembering to place an
x to the side each rail as you go. To
fi nd the width of your rails, take the
overall with of the frame and sub-
tract 4^1 / 2 ". Next, drill pocket holes
in all of the rail ends. Assemble the
frame placing each rail on its re-
spective mark with glue and pocket
screws clamping them as you work.
Once your face frame is assembled,
you're ready to build your case.
Build the Case
The sides of the cabinet cannot
exceed 7" as the overall depth
including a^3 / 4 " face frame and^1 / 4 "
back must be 8" or less. This ensures
you will have the proper clearances
specifi ed by the manufacturer so
that your door functions with the
recommended hardware placement.
Cut the case sides 1^3 / 8 " less than the
height of your face frame. The top of
the case will be recessed^3 / 4 " below
the top of your face frame.
Using a combination square, draw
a line on the back of your face frame
(^3) / 4 " from the top. At this time, I also
make reveal lines on the stiles^15 / 16 "
from the outsides on the back and
(^3) / 4 " from the outsides on the front.
The lines on the back represent the
overall width of your case whereas
the lines on the front will be the re-
veal marks for your trim boards later.
Now place one cabinet side on
edge and fl ush with the^3 / 4 " reveal
line on the frame. Make a mark on
the cabinet side between^1 / 16 "-^1 / 8 "
below the top of each shelf rail with
an x placed on the side the shelf
board will go. This slight reveal will
prevent any seams from showing and
save you a bit of fi lling and sanding
of seams. The top shelf board, which
is the ceiling of the case, will be fl ush
with the sides. The very lowest board
will sit^1 / 2 " below the top of your
bottom rail. Once you've made all of
these marks, place the two cabinet
sides face to face and transfer them
using a large square to draw them as
continuous lines.
Dado joints are a must for these
bookcases. The added strength of
a mechanical joint is needed to
prevent sagging and racking. I start