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Solid Wood

This category is here for historical reference only. Everyday cabinetry is seldom made from 100% solid wood. The time and material costs of solid wood are exponentially more expensive and therefore best suited to fine woodworking. Fine woodworking typically involves using machine and hand-cut joinery to assemble the parts. Hand-cut dovetails and mortise and tenon joinery are common. The following pieces are my roots as a cabinetmaker. The toolbox at the bottom was built in the late 70's and was one of the first things I built.

Cherry Table

Cherry TableA small cherry table assembled with through mortise and tenons. The small ovals in the legs are where the tenons (shaped ends) of the tables skirt boards (sides) terminate after passing through the mortises (holes) in the legs. The low placement of these mortise and tenons allows the top of the table to be mounted with four more mortise and tenons (changes in humidity won't tear the table apart). Small Walnut wedges in the tenons lock all the pieces together (glue was used but not required). The drawer is assembled with hand-cut dovetails, has a Maple bottom and a Walnut pull.
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Walnut Wall Cabinet

Walnut Wall CabinetI made the sides and doors from a single two inch thick board. The doors are the board split (re-sawed) in half and opened like a book (book-matched). The cabinet is assembled with hand-cut dovetails. The back is re-sawed book-matched Eastern Maple. The back was built as a frame and panel to allow the wood to move with changes in humidity. The shelf supports and catches are hand carved Maple.
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Oak Toolbox

Oak ToolboxThe box is solid Oak assembled with hand-cut dovetails and loose wedged tenons. The horizontal pieces and sides are mortised and the tenons are blind and face wedged to lock the pieces together. The drawers are assembled with hand-cut dovetails (blind cut on the faces, through cut on the backs). The Beech drawer slides, through slots and brass screws, function very similar to metal drawer slides. There's two mortised pin and pivot assemblies to hold the drop down face closed.
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