Jelly Cupboard Reproduction - Woodworking | BlogJELLY CUPBOARD 109 Jelly Cupboard Reproduction...

• Step by Step constructioninstruction.

• A complete bill of materials.

• Exploded view and elevationdrawings.

• How-to photos with instructivecaptions.

• Tips to help you complete theproject and become a betterwoodworker.

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WJ110

“America’s leading woodworking authority”™

Jelly Cupboard Reproduction

Published in Woodworker’s Journal “Woodworking for the HomeHobbyist: 27 Great Projects and Techniques for your Woodshop”

WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The genesis for this jelly cupboardcame from a 100-plus year-old antiqueour author stumbled upon in an antiquestore. The fact that so many cupboardslike this one have survived for a century ormore is testimony to the integrity of theirconstruction. Working with little more thanplanes, saws, and hammers, the builderscombined common sense with efficiencyand often designed their cabinets basedon an ancient Greek standard of propor-tions. We’ve followed the dimensions andconstruction methods of the originalclosely in our rendition here.

Choosing StockOnce you’ve bought your project

lumber, set aside the best straight-grained pieces for the face frame anddoor frames, and choose interestinglypatterned pieces for the door panels.Try to select pieces that are similar incolor. Choose your next best boards forthe sides and the remaining stock forthe top—a slightly crowned grain pat-tern on the top’s front edge is a nice

JELLY CUPBOARD 109

Jelly CupboardReproductionSometimes the best way to learn furniture design is to reproduce an antique. That’s

what we’ll do in this project, taking our measurements and joinery directly from a

century-old cupboard our author found years ago. The original was built solely with hand

tools. For a real trip back in time, sharpen up yours and try to do the same.

Figure 1: If you choose to flatten your project panels with a hand plane, make diagonal passes across the panels in both directions. Finish by taking clean-up strokes along thelength of the stock to remove any planing marks.

touch. Remember, this cabinet is so sim-ple that the visual impact of the woodbecomes an important design element.

Getting StartedBegin building your reproduction

by milling stock and joining it into over-sized panels for the shelves (pieces 1).Make a couple of shelves 12" longerthan necessary so you’ll have testing

material when you get to the joint-fittingstage later on. After the glue dries,plane the shelves flat, first planing diag-onally in one direction, then the other tocreate an “X” pattern (see Figure 1). Besure to plane both sides of each shelfthis way, then smooth the surfaces bytaking light passes along the grain.

Now mill and join stock for the sidesand top (pieces 2 and 3), and plane


Figure 2: Make three hardboard base-plates for your router and mill two hard-wood fences to go with the plates. Drill bitclearance holes through all of them.

Step 1: Mount a fence to your first baseplateto position the dovetail bit so it just grazes theupper outside corner of the dadoes.

Step 2: Mount a fence to your secondbaseplate so the dovetail bit just grazesthe lower inside corner of the dadoes.

110 HOME PROJECTS

these panels just as you did the shelves.Once you’ve finished planing, joint oneedge of each side panel and cut them tosize. Make sure the two panels matchexactly and check their ends for square-ness. Complete the same steps with thetop, but rip it 1/4" wider than its finishedwidth, then rip the panel again to a widthof 153⁄4". The objective is to rip the frontedge off the top now so you can rout thegrooves easily, and then glue it back onafter the joints are completed.

Machining the Sides and TopThe construction of many older

cabinets focuses on a single joinerytechnique. On this cupboard, theshelves connect with the sides, and thesides to the top, with barefaced, dove-tailed housing joints (see Joint Detail onpage 112). The builder of the originalcupboard chose this joint because it’sfairly easy to cut with hand tools.

To form the joint, first install a 5/8"dado blade in your table saw and plow3/8"-deep dadoes in the top and sides,as shown in the Shelf LocationsDrawing on page 113. Cut a fewdadoes in some scrapwood as well foruse as testing material.

Next, make three hardboard base-plates for your router to use for cuttingthe dovetailed shoulder of each dadoand the tail on the ends of the shelvesand sides. Make these plates to matchyour router’s current baseplate (theround one shown in Figure 2 is for aPorter-Cable router). Now make two1/2"-wide by 1/4"-thick hardwood stripsto serve as baseplate fences, and drill arouter bit clearance hole in each one.

Screw a baseplate to your routerand chuck a 14° dovetail bit in the col-let. Lower the bit 3/8" to match thedepth of the dadoes you just cut. Nowposition a fence on the baseplate asshown in Step 1 of Figure 2. When the

fence is set correctly, mark it’s positionand glue it to the plate. Five-minuteepoxy works great here. Test this set-upon scrapwood to see that the bit justgrazes the top corner of the dado wall.

Given that dadoes cut on the tablesaw usually have slightly irregular bot-toms due to the imperfections of thepanels, the router bit pass will probablyshave the high spots. But since the bitisn’t as wide as the dadoes, you’ll needto make a second pass to even thedado bottoms. Switch to the secondshopmade baseplate and glue on afence the same way you did before, but this time position it as shown inStep 2 of Figure 2. Once the epoxysets, rout the remaining ridges in thedado bottoms. When you’ve completed

the routing, glue the cutoff piece fromthe top back to the panel and trim it’sfront edge to bring the top to final width.

Routing the TailsThe third baseplate makes routing

the tails on the shelves and sides abreeze. Keep the dovetail bit set to thedepth of the dadoes and secure a scrappiece from a side panel in your benchvise. Now install your adjustable routerfence and set it as shown in Figure 3,next page. Rout the end of the scrappiece and check the tail’s fit in a dado. Ifit’s too big or small, continue adjustingthe fence until you get a perfect slip fit.

To find the exact shelf length youneed, rout two pieces of side panelscrap and slide them into the dadoes in


Figure 4: Often called banana boards, cauls are perfect tools forapplying pressure on the center of a panel when the ends are forcedtoward the cabinet with clamps.

Figure 3: To rout the tails, mount the thirdbaseplate on your router and guide the cutwith your router’s straightedge fence.

The key to endingup with tight joints is tosize the tails so they justbarely slip into the dadoes.

Cut the tails to fit the dadoes in the sides and top.

7/8"Adjustable Router Fence

JELLY CUPBOARD 111

the top. Measure the distance betweenthem and add the depths of two dadoes.The result is the perfect shelf length foryour cabinet. Now joint and rip yourshelves to width, and crosscut them to the length you just calculated. Makesure the ends are square, then rout the tails. Follow the same procedure to rout tails on the top end of each side panel.

Before assembling the carcass, cut rabbets in the sides and top for theback (pieces 4, 5 and 6). Install a 1/2"dado blade in your table saw andclamp an auxiliary face to the fence.Cut 3/8"-deep rabbets in the sides anda 1/2"-deep rabbet in the top. Be sureto stop the rabbet in the top 27⁄8" fromeach end. After squaring the ends ofthe top rabbet with a chisel, lay out thefeet pattern on the sides, following theElevation Drawings on the next twopages. Cut out the waste with a jigsawand sand the edges smooth.

Assembling the CarcassTo begin assembling the carcass,

have a friend hold the sides on theirback edges while you slide the top ontothe tails, but without using glue. This willhold the assembly steady while you gluethe shelves in position. Spread a slow-setting glue like urea resin or hide glueinto the dadoes for one shelf and on theback 4" or so of the shelf’s tails. Slidethe shelf into position, tapping it with ahammer and block if necessary. Slipping1/2"-thick scrap pieces into the rabbetsin the sides will keep the shelves fromsliding through. Repeat this procedurefor all four shelves, then draw theassembly tight with bar clamps andcauls (see Figure 4). You can usesquare-headed nails to pull the jointstight, if you wish. Be sure to check thecabinet for squareness and clean up anysqueeze-out after the glue becomes rub-

bery. Allow the cabinet to sit overnight,then glue the top to the sides.

Plane the front edge of each shelfflush with the sides, and sand and finishthe inside if you want (the old timersusually left the inside unfinished).

Mill 1/2"-thick poplar for the cabi-net back and cut these pieces to size.Next, rabbet the edges of the backpieces, as shown in the Back Elevationon the next page. Cut tapers on thebottom of pieces 4 to match the frontstiles, as shown in the Face FrameElevation. Glue and nail pieces 4 and 6into place, making sure you avoid nail-ing through the rabbets. Now slide theremaining panels (pieces 5) into posi-

tion, center them and drive one nail ateach shelf location and at the top rab-bet. This arrangement will allow forplenty of wood movement.

Making the Cabinet Face FrameMill the face frame stock (pieces 7

and 8) to thickness, then joint and ripthe stiles 1/16" wider than the finisheddimension and the rail to actual size.Cut the pieces to length, double-check-ing the Material List dimensions againstyour carcass to determine the correctmeasurement. Cut the taper on the bottom of each stile, following the Face Frame Elevation on page 113.

Now form the tongue and groove


Cupboard Exploded View

1/2" wide x 1/4" deep rabbets

1/8" gap between back pieces

Glue and nail pieces 4 and 6 to the cabinet, and use nails only on pieces 5.

Back ElevationTop View

456

Joint Detail

Corner Detail

1

10

3

11

10210

2

246 5

7

8

1111

9

17

3

1

2

1

112 HOME PROJECTS WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

61/2"

21/2"

11°

97/8"

301/8"

503/8"

2"

33/4"

7

8

1/2"

4"

Hinge locations 473/8"

165/8"

91/2"

341/2"

215/8"

73/4"61/2"

371/2"

611/8"

491/2"

33/4"

15"

473/8"165/8"

91/2"

341/2"

215/8"

73/4"61/2"

371/2"

611/8"

491/2"

33/4"

15"

Face FrameElevationFront View

Shelf LocationsCupboard ElevationFront View

JELLY CUPBOARD 113

MATERIAL LISTT x W x L

1 Shelves (4) 7/8" x 151⁄8" x 363⁄4"

2 Sides (2) 7/8" x 153⁄4" x 603⁄4"

3 Top (1) 3/4" x 193⁄16" x 423⁄8"

4 Back (2) 1/2" x 4" x 603⁄8"

5 Back (3) 1/2" x 73⁄4" x 541⁄4"

6 Back (2) 1/2" x 33⁄4" x 541⁄4"

7 Face Frame Stiles (2) 7/8" x 33⁄4" x 603⁄8"

8 Face Frame Rail (1) 7/8" x 43⁄8" x 31"

9 Corner Blocks (4) 2" x 21⁄4" x 63⁄4"

10 Base Crown Molding (1) 1/2" x 23⁄8" x 80"

11 Top Crown Molding (1) 3/4" x 21⁄8" x 80"

12 Door Stiles (4) 7/8" x 3" x 491⁄2"

13 Upper Door Rails (2) 7/8" x 3" x 12"

14 Lower Door Rails (2) 7/8" x 6" x 12"

15 Door Panels (2) 3/8" x 91⁄2" x 411⁄8"

16 Hinges (3 pair) 13⁄4" x 2" Brass Ball Tip

17 Elbow Catch (1) Brass Plated

18 Lock (1) Half Mortise, Brass


Door Exploded View

114 HOME PROJECTS

18

12

13

14

15

16

15

1/4"

21/4"

Panel EdgeDetail

Exploded Door Back View

3"

9"

401/2"

2"1" 6"

5/8"

2"

3"

5/8"

2"

11/2"

3/8"

Door ElevationFront View

joints on the face frame. First, rout agroove in each stile, as shown in theFace Frame Elevation, then use yourtable saw to cut tenons on the rail to fitthe stile grooves.

Dry-assemble the frame and checkits fit against the carcass—we cut atemporary lower rail that helped keepthe frame square. When everything’s inorder, disassemble the frame, apply glue

to the joints and clamp it back together.Remember to check for squareness.

Glue the face frame to the carcass,letting the stiles stick out from the eachside about 1/16", and don’t forget toglue the rail to the top. On the originalcabinet, one nail was driven through theframe at each shelf location to stiffenthe shelves. Allow the glue to cure, thenglue blocks (pieces 9) into the corners

formed by each pair of legs and planethe stile edges flush with the sides.

Cut your crown moldings (pieces10 and 11) to shape, as shown in theCorner Detail on page 112 and on thefull-size pattern in the Pinup ShopDrawings, and miter them to length.Glue and nail the front base molding tothe cabinet, but for the sake of woodmovement, glue only the first 4" of the


JELLY CUPBOARD 115

Figure 5: Once you’ve formed the tenonswith your table saw, dado blade and mitergauge, cut the gap in each lower rail tenonwith a hand saw.

side base moldings. Next, glue and nailthe top moldings to the base molding.Be sure to glue all the miters.

Making the DoorsMill your door frame stock to thick-

ness, then joint and rip the rails andstiles (pieces 12 through 14) to width.Machine the grooves for housing thepanels with a table saw and 1/4" dadoblade. Set the rip fence on the saw tocenter the blade on your stock, andraise the blade to 3/8". Now run theappropriate edges of the stiles and railsthrough the blade.

Lay out the mortises, as shown inthe Door Elevation on the facing page,then clear out the waste. Cut the doormortises using whatever method youprefer. Cut the lower mortises for thebottom rail tenons about 1/8" widerthan called for in the Door Elevation toallow for seasonal movement.

Following the Door Elevation, formthe rail tenons with your table saw, dadoblade and miter gauge. Make sure thecuts are square to the stock, and sizethe thickness of the tenons for a snug fitin the mortises. Cut the gap in the bot-tom rail tenons with a handsaw andchisel as shown in Figure 5, above.

Now mill and size the panels(pieces 15), remembering to allow forseasonal movement when ripping them

to width—the panel width called for in the Material List is a compromisebetween seasonal extremes. Use ahand plane to taper the back edges ofthe panels, as shown in the Panel EdgeDetail on the facing page, until they fitinto the frame grooves. This procedureis just like making old-fashioned raisedpanels, only in this case the flat side willshow on the front of the doors. Oncethe panels fit in the door frames, sandthem and apply finish to prevent unfin-ished wood from becoming exposedwhen the panels shrink. Spread glue inthe mortises, the tenon haunches andthe first 1" of the tenon cheeks, andassemble the doors, making sure tokeep them flat and square.

Mortise the doors and the faceframe stiles for the loose-pin butt hinges(pieces 16). Loose-pin hinges allow youto remove the doors easily during thefitting process—driving screws in andout of the wood to many times would

strip the pilot holes. Mount the doors,then plane their overlapping edges to aperfect fit—bearing in mind the seasonas you establish the gap between thedoors. It’s easier to shave a little materi-al off later than it is to add it back on.

Following tradition, the right doorlatches to the left door, and the leftdoor latches to the cabinet. An elbowcatch (piece 17) will firmly hold the leftdoor to a shelf, and a half mortise lock(piece 18) is ideal for the right door. Besure to notch the left door so it canaccept the lock plunger, and install anescutcheon in the key hole. Like theoriginal cupboard, the key to the lockacts as the pull for the doors.

Finishing UpAfter sanding the cabinet thorough-

ly, seal it with a wash coat of shellac,then finish with two coats of a qualityvarnish. In the old days these cabinetswere almost always painted, so a colorfinish is appropriate if you prefer to gothat route instead.

Once you’ve constructed your ownjelly cupboard, we know you’ll appreci-ate what those old timers accomplishedwith just a few hand tools. If you’relucky, some day a woodworker mayhappen upon your cupboard anddecide that it’s worth reproducing again.

QuickTip

Shop-made LogsEven a benchtop planer produces more shavings than one knows what to do with, and if you use alathe, you know that the chips can make a mountain in no time. One way to put chips and shavingsto one last bit of good use is to make your own shop “logs.” Lay a sheet of newspaper on yourbench or work table, pile on the shavings and roll it into a tight sausage. After three or more layersof newspaper, secure the ends and center with string and your “log” is ready for the fireplace.


10Base

Top

11

Crown Mouldings

Jelly Cupboard

(Right door pattern shown. Make a reverse pattern for the left door panels.)

45° Chamfers

45° Chamfer

Tin Punching Pattern

Full-size Pattern

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