Classic Arts and Crafts Furniture 14 Timeless Designs-2

226 6

it’s easy to tilt or go too far. A fl oat is almost as fast, and allows

more controlled removal.

As the size of the tenon gets closer to the size of the mor-

tise, I slow down and remove material carefully. The difference

between a joint that almost goes together and one that is sloppy

can be a matter of a stroke or two.

When I’m satisfi ed with the fi t, I run a pencil around the outer

edge of the joint, marking where the tenon pokes through the

cabinet side. Then I use a rasp to bevel the ends of the tenons,

stopping the bevel about^1 ⁄ 16 " from the line. Before assembly, I

plane and/or fi nish-sand the cabinet parts.

It’s likely that I will need to refi ne the surfaces once more after

assembly, but the areas

around the mortises are

diffi cult to work. This is a

point where the desire to

see an assembled box tries

to take over, but it pays to

wait. After sanding, I brush

glue inside the mortises

and on the end of the

shelves, and let it wick in for about 10 minutes. Then I put glue

on the tenons and assemble the carcase.

After clamping, I remove any excess glue and check for square.

I’ve never liked measuring diagonals, so I place corner clamps or

square blocks and check each corner with a reliable square. Then

I let the assembly dry overnight.

Details at the End

In most furniture the front is in a single plane, and visual inter-

est comes from applied mouldings. Craftsman furniture does

without the trim, and the front of the case is enhanced by set-

ting each element back from its neighbor. The top and bottom

are^1 ⁄ 8 " back from the sides, the hinges strips are^1 ⁄ 16 " in from

the top, and the door is back another^1 ⁄ 16 ".

The hinge stiles sit inside the door opening, and are 1^1 ⁄ 2 "

wide with a^7 ⁄ 8 " deep rabbet, leaving a^3 ⁄ 8 " wide edge beside

the door. The rabbet acts as a door stop and keeps dust out of

the cabinet. After shaping the strip and fi xing the hinges I glued

these strips to the cabinet sides.

The back is a simple frame and panel. In original examples

of this cabinet, the panel was plywood in a solid-wood frame,

but I made a^1 ⁄ 4 "-thick solid-wood panel. I made the stiles and

rails wide so that I could use a single panel from the available

material. The bottom front rail is glued to the cabinet bottom.

Above it all. Line up your shoulder over your hands so you can use your

body weight to increase leverage as you pare the end grain.

Make your mark. Wait until the mortises are completed to lay out the tenons

on the cabinet top and bottom. Mark the locations from existing edges.

Under control. Cut the tenon shoulders fi rst, using a straightedge and a

bearing-guided router bit. Adjust the depth of cut in small increments to

achieve the proper thickness.

First things fi rst. Test the thickness of the tenon by plac ing a corner of the

shelf in the mortise. Aim for a tight fi t at this point.

Supplies

Arts & Crafts Hardware

586-772-7279 | gerryrucks.com

1 X Gustav Stickley V-door pull

1-1/2” x 4” - $37

Price correct at time of publication.

1 18-27_StickleyMCabinet.indd 26 8 - 27 _StickleyMCabinet.indd 26 3/25/13 9:55 AM 3 / 25 / 13 9 : 55 AM