Start With the Frame

Begin by building the external frame. First, select the lumber for your parts. Once the parts are milled and cut out, it's time to lay out and cut mortises in the legs.

The notes that follow go step-by-step through the process in queue with the video. Use the time codes to find the corresponding section in the video.

Step 1: Select the lumber
Time: 00:16

Grain selection is one way to elevate your work. Rousseau explains the differences between flatsawn, rift-sawn, and quartersawn lumber.

He uses each of these cuts differently in the case. He chooses flatsawn lumber for the door and side panels as well as the top. Rift-sawn lumber is commonly found on the edge of the board. It yields straight grain on both sides of the piece of lumber, so Rousseau uses it for leg stock.

Quartersawn lumber is the most stable of the cuts. Rousseau uses it exclusively in the drawer because it’s less likely to bind during seasonal changes.

Step 2: Rough out the parts
Time: 2:50

Next, begin cutting the parts out of the rough board.

Step 3: Let the parts acclimate
Time: 3:03

Run the parts through the jointer and the thickness planer. Leave them thicker then they need to be, and then put them aside for a week or so to let them “freak out.” The parts may warp and change size a bit as they acclimate to the shop. Once the parts stabilize, cut them to the final dimensions.

Step 4: Get the legs square
Time: 3:19

Take special care in milling the legs. Getting a square leg is crucial to executing the case joinery.

Step 5: Cut the parts to final size
Time: 3:40

Rousseau cuts the parts to final size in batches to avoid getting lost in a sea of parts. He begins by cutting the legs to length on the tablesaw. He recommends using a sliding tablesaw or a crosscut sled with a stop set up to yield repeatable results.

Step 6: Leg layout
Time: 4:23

Begin to lay out the parts. Determine the orientation of each leg in the cabinet.

Step 7: Use a cabinetmaker’s triangle
Time: 4:47

Rousseau uses a cabinetmaker’s triangle to keep track of the parts. He finds that it dramatically simplifies joinery layout and case construction.

Step 8: Begin laying out mortises
Time: 5:22

Start by making dummy marks for all the mortises. These marks help to make sure all the joints are cut in the right spot.

Step 9: Mark mortise dimensions
Time: 5:49

Get mortise layout information from the plan and start laying out the joinery. Rousseau marks the dimensions on one component, and then transfers the layout lines to all the other components using a square. This guarantees that all joinery is the same.

Step 10: Cut the mortises
Time: 6:34

Rousseau cuts the mortises using a horizontal mortising machine, though there are many other ways to do it. You can use a router, a drill press, or even cut them by hand.

Step 10: Clean up mortises with a chisel
Time: 6:55

The horizontal mortiser leaves a rounded mortise that Rousseau cleans up with a mortise chisel. When chopping, he uses a sacrificial block to avoid blowout in adjoining mortises.

In the next segment, Rousseau shows how to complete the external frame and cut tenons on the bandsaw.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Tom Olivares

Finish the External Frame

Rousseau continues building the external frame. He starts by cutting tenons using the tablesaw and bandsaw. Learn his unique technique for spacing the tenon anywhere on a component using a bandsaw spacer block. He also shares a slick technique for cutting stopped dadoes on the tablesaw.

Step 1: Cut rails to length
Time: 0:42

Begin by verifying that the rail parts are cut to the correct length. The back rails are longer than the side rails.

Step 2: Prepare to cut the tenon shoulders
Time: 1:07

Take tenon layout information from the actual leg mortise and transfer it to the rail parts. Set the tablesaw blade height for the shoulder cut. It can be just a whisker below the layout lines. Next set a stop on the tablesaw fence to set the tenon length.

Step 3: Trim the tenon shoulders
Time: 2:12

Cut the tenon shoulders using the setup from step 2.

Step 4: Lay out the tenon "ears"
Time: 2:22

Again, take measurements for trimming the tenon ears from the mortise itself, what Rousseau calls "reality".

Step 5: Cut the tenon ears
Time: 2:36

Reset the tablesaw blade height to make the ear cuts. Again, set the height just below the layout line. Make sure that your tablesaw is well-tuned to get precise-fitting joints.

Finish the tenons on the bandsaw

Step 6: Make a shim
Time: 3:09

Rousseau’s bandsaw-tenoning-technique uses a shim that lets you place the tenon anywhere on the rail. The thickness of the shim is a simple calculation, adding the mortise width to the width of the blade’s kerf.

Get the kerf dimension by measuring a block of wood with calipers. Then, cut the block in half on the bandsaw. Hold the two offcuts together and measure the new thickness. Subtract the new measurement from the original one to get the thickness of the kerf. Mill the shim on the thickness planer.

Step 7: Cut the tenon shoulders on a test piece
Time: 3:41

Hold a test piece against the fence. Set the fence to the outside layout line for the tenon and trim the tenon shoulder.

Step 8: Add the shim
Time: 3:53

Next, insert the shim between the test piece and the fence to make the second tenon cut. Your tenon should now be the same width as the leg mortise. Make sure that you put the same reference face against the fence through the whole process. This assures that the tenons are all the same.

Once the bandsaw setup is accurate, cut all the rail tenons.

Step 9: Cut off the ears
Time: 4:15

Next set the fence to trim off the ears of the tenon. Again, take the layout marks off the mortise itself. End by cleaning the mortise up with a chisel.

Step 10: Miter the tenon
Time: 4:37

The last step is to miter the end of the tenon. Opposing rail tenons meet inside the leg mortises. To keep the tenons from bumping into one another, Rousseau knocks a corner off to give more clearance inside the joint.

Creating a groove for the panels

Step 11: Make dummy marks for the groove
Time: 5:29

It’s easy to put a groove or dado on the wrong side of the rail, so Rousseau recommends putting a dummy mark on the parts to orient them correctly when cutting.

Step 12: Set up the tablesaw and cut the dadoes
Time: 6:13

Rousseau uses a dado stack to cut the grooves. Set the blade height so that it doesn’t run into the tenon. Set the fence so that the dado falls roughly in the middle of the tenons. Again, keep one reference side against the fence when you cut all the parts.

Step 13: Layout the dadoes on the legs
Time: 7:00

Transfer the groove information from the rail parts to the legs using a scalpel or marking knife.

Step 14: Reset the depth of cut
Time: 7:18

When cutting the leg dado, set the blade height to account for the expansion and contraction of the panel. Reset the tablesaw fence to cut the dado.

Step 15: Set the tablesaw up for a stopped dado
Time: 7:55

First determine where the blade enters and exits the table. This window is where the blade begins and finishes its cut. Plan to begin the stopped cut halfway through one mortise and end it before the end of the other leg mortise. Clamp a stop to your outfeed table to set the end point of your cut.

Step 16: Cut the groove
Time: 8:30

Make the cuts using a push stick following the procedure shown in the video. Once the cut is complete, cut the power to the blade. When the blade stops spinning, you can safely remove the part. As you make the cuts, keep the same reference face against the fence.

Step 17: Dry fit the external frame
Time: 9:02

After you finish cutting the joints and dadoes, test fit the frame. Verify that the joints fit snugly and admire your progress.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Tom Olivares

The Blades

Join the front of the case with three flat connectors called blades. They're attached to the case with double tenons and two dovetails.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Tom Olivares

Runners and Kickers

Complete the web frame with parts that help the drawer slide smoothly.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Tom Olivares

The Panels

Enclose the case with panels. Get tips for cutting rabbets on the tablesaw and see how to bevel the top safely on the bandsaw.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Tom Olivares

Surface Preparation and Leg Tapering

The cabinet is almost ready for glue up. Before getting out the glue and clamps, Rousseau prepares the surface of the parts using a hand plane, card scraper, and a random-orbit sander. He also shows a quick technique for tapering the legs on the bandsaw.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Tom Olivares

The Moment of Truth: The Glue-Up

See the piece come together and get tips for a successful glue-up.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Tom Olivares

Make a Flat, Sturdy Door

Learn how to make a square, stable door that fits perfectly in the case.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Tom Olivares

The Ultimate Knife-Hinge Lesson

Don't let these low-profile hinges intimidate you. Rousseau demonstrates a straightforward technique using double-sided tape, a trim router, and a chisel.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Tom Olivares

Piston-Fit Drawer

Learn the high points of drawer-making using half-blind and through-dovetails.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage

The Drawer Continued

See the drawer come together and get tips on fitting it to the case.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage

Finishing Touches

Hang the door, install a door catch, apply a finish, install the top, and add the pulls.

Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Tom Olivares