I’ve been getting my workshop area going in the garage. Getting organized etc. I considered just putting up some shelves over the workbench, but decided on cabinets. I felt like doing some woodwork.
What I wanted to store was a lot boxes of fasteners and small items, parts etc., etc. So I decided on shallow cabinets.
I looked over a few ideas and plans online. And I wanted to lookup how to make the cabinet doors, having never done it. I settled on the rough design seen above which I sketched up using Google Sketchup.
I thought I would use plywood however, when I saw the prices of plywood vs #2 white pine – I went with pine. Would have been a lot more with plywood plus then I’d of had to do a whole lot more ripping of the large 4×8 sheets – which is not easy enough to do yet without a full size table saw.
The box and shelves are all 1×8 #2 white pine. The cabinet face is 1×3 poplar, they didn’t have 1×3 in pine at Home Depot.
Decided on dado joints.
This dado blade was my fathers. It has a sort of a cam mechanism that when adjusted around sets the blade at varying degrees off of 90. So the blade basically wobbles to produce the desired dado cut i.e. a wider cut than the thickness of the blade.
Regular blade back on the radial arm saw. This was was my fathers which he purchased in the early 70s. I recently put a new table top on it seen here. I was happily surprised to find that Sears still sells parts for this saw. I will very soon acquire myself a full size table saw. But for this project I decided to use my dads old radial arm saw (ras) and see how far I could get with it.
After I replaced the table top, fence and spacers, and then trued it all up it is functioning great.
The wall space over the bench on the left there is where the 2 cabinets will hang, where the white texture spots are showing. This little space is my workshop area, situated behind the 2 car garage.
Here you can see the 4 power strips I installed. The bench was in place when I bought the house. It’s covered in carpet which I expect to get tired of very soon and remove. Cabinets to be mounted on the 2 left wall planes there over the bench.
Left cabinet box, shelves and back support. Just needs face. Got this far before I decided to start taking pictures.
Jig up for the shelves on cabinet 2.
The ~35 yr old Sears 10″ Radial Arm Saw. What a war horse! I recently added the mobile base which is WOW nice. I use two vacs to collect dust off it. You can see the shroud behind the blade and then there’s a hose attached to the blade guard. Interesting how these radial arm saws have fallen out of favor. I hear due to accidents. Rumor was at one time that Sears was actually paying owners $100 to buy them back, due to litigation.
Having grown up on the radial arm saw I’m pretty comfortable with it.
Dado joints get glued, clamped and nailed. I’m loving my new nail guns.
Cabinet #2 taking shape.
Attaching 2nd of two back boards. Cabinets will hang on wall by these back boards.
I was pleased with how all my joints came together. Measure twice, don’t get in a rush and with a good plan it all comes together.
Now those back boards can be seen attached to top and bottom of box.
Adding a back shelf support. The front will be supported by the cabinet face.
Face pieces trying out for size & look.
Decided on pocket joints for the face. This cause I don’t have a good way of making mortise and tenon joints, again without a table saw.
Kreg pocket jig. Wonderful tool.
Cabinet face assembled.
Face glued, screwed and nailed in place. Feels very sturdy. I hate sagging shelves so I’ve made sure that these won’t. Shelves are 1×8, so some will complain that these are too shallow. But it’s just what I want.
Jig up for cutting the cabinet doors; rails and stiles.
Well I decided to get a table saw after all. A small portable one anyway. I could have used a router to cut the panel grooves in the rails & stiles. But the table saw makes it quick and easy.
Even though the manual for this saw says not to, I’m using a stacked dado set for this cut. Worked without a problem.
What I guess I should have done is cut a tenon in the stiles to fit into the groove on the rail. But by the time I realized it I had already cut the stiles.
So I figured I’d pocket screw ’em together and see how they hold up. Worse case I’ll remake the doors later on.
So for now I’ll just have to fill those little square holes.
I ended up using Kreg fasteners 1/4″ longer than called for and they appear to be fine.
Cabinet door #1 three sides.
And the panel.
Fits perfectly. I’m good :-)
16 pocket joints to make; jig up for it.
Door #2.
3
And 4.
Instead of using cabinet pulls I am choosing to put a little bevel on the door edges. Last house I owned had this on the kitchen cabinets and I liked it.
Once again I didn’t think about this or I would have put the bevel on before assembling the doors. Worked out though as I figured out this way to do it with the radial arm saw.
Just needed to add a temporary fence out in front of the actual fence. Then put the saw on 10 degrees, set the blade in just the right spot over the temporary fence… and lowered the saw blade while it was running onto the temporary fence. This allowed me to rip the desired 10 degree edge on 2 sides of the doors; inside and bottom.
Worked like a champ. Here you can see the bevel.
25 years ago I didn’t worry about dust or my hearing!
Coat of paint
Mounting the doors
Hanging. In this pic they’re just hanging by a pair of nails. Using that bar clamp to get ’em level.
Temporary nails come out and screwed in with 3″ long wood screws into the studs.
Where the two cabinets come together I left just a 1/8″ gap, later covered with a small piece of molding.
Looks much better than shelves. And the cabinet style is pretty close to what’s inside the house, close enough anyway.
Added a shelf on top. And molding around the edges.
Begin filling it with all my fasteners and parts.
Finished. Took me about 4+ days of work spanning over a week or so.
Before and after.