Synopsis: Part of the beauty of a frame-and-panel cabinet is all the steps between parts, which add shadows and detail to the piece. This small side cabinet employs frame-and-panels on all four sides and in the door, illustrating all the techniques required in a more complex case piece. Mortise-and-tenon joinery is used throughout, while the top rail connects to the legs with dovetails. This project also teaches a foolproof way to mortise for knife hinges.

I designed this cabinet to teach frameand-panel case construction to students at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. What I like about frame-and-panel work is all the offsets between parts, which add shadows and details. All of that detail requires a lot of parts, and this small piece will give you a feel for building a complex case piece. I’ll also show you a stress-free way to install knife hinges. Start by getting your stock prepped and milled.

Build the case frames

The first step is to cut the rail mortises in the legs. When that’s done, cut the tenons on the rails.

I cut tenon cheeks at the tablesaw with a tenoning jig that rides on the rip fence and a pair of dado blades spaced to the tenon thickness. Once the size is dialed in, I get perfectly fitted tenons right off the saw.

I cut the tenon shoulders at the tablesaw with a standard blade. But before doing that, I remove most of the waste at the bandsaw to prevent the offcuts from becoming projectiles. With the tenons all cut, I miter the tenons on the side and rear rails where they meet in the rear legs.

With the rails fitted to the legs, the next step is to cut grooves for the panels. I use a wing cutter in the…