Any simple thing can be done in a variety of ways, so there is no shortage of opportunity for making things different, in a personal style and in a manner comfortable to your own working conditions. I am working on a new book about making small cabinets and the photo above shows two types of joint that do exactly the same thing. One is done using a biscuit joiner and the other, a blind mortise and tenon joint, is formed using table saw and router table. Each is equally effective. I am currently adding a third joint to the mix, a through wedged joint. The woods used here in making small spice cabinets are cherry and basswood, and the woods themselves offer new options for personal expression.A third type of cabinet joint is shown below, an exposed mortise and tenon, which will be locked in place with walnut wedges in the finished cabinet. I will also do a doweled joint on another cabinet, using this first chapter to set an example for what readers can do with the rest of the book.
James Krenov liked to construct his small cabinets with dowels.
ReplyDeletewww.finewoodworking.com/FWNPDF/011007046.pdf
That's a very good reminder. Dowels were never my favorites, but are very effective for small cabinets if you have a good doweling jig or horizontal borer to get precise location of matching holes. Biscuits are more forgiving and are considered by most to be just as strong.
ReplyDeleteBy the time the book is complete, I'll cover lots and lots of joinery techniques.