Hey everyone!
I’m working on a project right now and am running into some questions regarding wood movement. The piece is a 6 foot hanging cherry cabinet with a slab top. it’s divided into three sections, the outer two have roll up tambours and the inner section has four drawers.
I’m wanting to make the case entirely out of hardwood and am trying to sort out the joinery – especially so the tambour doesn’t jam when the wood moves. I also don’t want to use frame and panel because I want it to look more modern. I’d like to use a domino to butt joint the case with one fixed tenon and the others wider slotted tenons to account for the movement. Would this work out?
I guess I have many questions but bottom line…are there too many moving parts in this thing to go for hardwood and I should just use an edged ply?
Any tips are appreciated!! Thanks -Michal
Replies
If I understand everything correctly, the answer is pretty simple. Make sure all of the grain of the panels runs either vertical or horizontal. That way all expansion/contraction works front to back. Your drawers and tambours should not be affected. The only precaution is for the back where I recommend plywood. With the grain of the casework running vertically and horizontally, it will have no capacity to move in either of those directions and so would be in conflict with any solid wood movement on the back.
What Bilyo said. Also no need for loose tenons to allow for movement. With everything running the same way "fixed" domino tenons will move right along with the rest of the case and be fine. Be careful where you hang the weight from if there is no subtop like in the drawing.
There's how the drawer dividers will attach to the hardwood case.
Thanks everyone this was very helpful! I had to put this project on hold for a bit but am back at it now.
One more question for you all - do you think a subtop is necessary with this? I'd like to do it with out for the look but am not sure if that will be a total nightmare for the glue up. Thoughts?
Gluing up the individual tambour units would make it easier, but it's probably doable with some extra hands involved. A temporary brace in the back might get you through final assembly.
There is no reason to fear wood mouvement in this design as wood does not expand lenghtwise and you will hopefully build it so Wood grain will run parallel with the top and bottom in the dividers. My joinery choice for the dividers to top attachement would be sliding dovetails and I would have a rabbet to join the bottom panel to the sides so you dont rely purely on glue over gravity. You could also use knock down hardware and eliminate fear of glue-ups.