# Bookcase - display cabinet



## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

I'm about to embark on a mjor project to construst a bookcase/display cabinet in the style of Greene and Greene (turn of the century up to 1920's in the USA - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greene_and_Greene). Some may remember the media cabinet I built last year in the same style. This one is a LOT bigger.

Here is a rather crude illustration of what I'm aiming for - it will live here in this passage between the kitchen and the sitting room at Rue-Darnet.










The curious looking thing below the bookcase is the small table that I forgot to remove before taking the photo of the background !!

It will be built in oak - I'm about to go and buy it from my local sawmill, with ebony details such as the plugs and handles.

Here is the nearest I ever get to a working drawing...  










The two different versions of the door were for discussion, and we settled on the RH version. Authentic ? i hope so, take a look at the Gamble House built by Greene and Greene : http://gamblehouse.org/interior/

I've just cleared the trailer of rubbish from the restoration project so I can go collect some nice locally felled white oak...


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

*First steps*

At last some progress !
The last few weeks have seen a short holiday in La Rochelle for Isabelle's birthday, construction of two table extensions - here gluing on the breadboard ends prior to cutting tongues and grooves the full length to marry up with the table :









and - the most time consuming - work on a wall to close off our front courtyard. I had applied for planning permission (we are in a conservation area) which was granted, but had not got around to building it. Then realised in early april that the permit was about to run out, hence a rapid start. None of these things conducive to progress on the cabinet.

Anyhow... it's beeen raining for a couple of days, so no progress on the wall, but some progress on milling up the timber : 

These are going to be the four 2m high corner uprights, currently 100x30, due to be ripped to 2x 50x30 and glued up to 50x60 before final sizing.









These are some of the horizontal members :









And these some of the side pieces and some bits for the doors :









I realised while milling up the 2m long corner posts that the design is very vulnerable to any bowing of these, so have decided to add a central cross member in the sides hidden behind the floating panel, and to integrate the central shelf into the structure as a brace for the front (the others will be adjustable). Feels a bit more secure !!


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## Travico (Dec 25, 2012)

WOW! Thanks for the info. This is going to be a nice build.


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

*Some joinery at last*

The 100 x 30 pieces were duly ripped into two 50 x 30 and then glued back together (bookmatched) as 50 x 60s. This has the effect of reversing the grain, so any tendency to warp will be largely cancelled out. 










It also produces some nice grain effects, hope you can see it here : 










Also made the top and bottom members of the two sides, cut the tenons : shoulders on the TS with a crosscut sled, sides on the TS with a vertical tenon jig - see below (this was done before they were shaped of course, I just forgot to take the photos !)



















They were then shaped with the obligatory G&G cloud lifts : rough cut on the bandsaw, then smoothed out by hand with files, glass paper, spokeshave etc.










Then I cut the matching mortices (12mm, 35mm deep) using the router in a router box to give me a bit more stability. 










Managed to make one front and one back corner post OK (have been known to make two identical !)
and did a quick dry assembly. 










Next step will be to rout or TS a slot for the side panel. I will also add a bracing cross member in the middle, but it will be on the inside edge, hidden behind the panel and will also serve as a shelf support for the middle shelf which will be fixed to brace the middle of the cabinet.


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

*More progress*

Finished the afternoon yesterday cutting the slots for the floating side panels. Quite simple in principle, but a lot of material to remove to create an 8mm slot 175 x 36cm. Cut the short parts on the TS, three passes with a 3mm blade, then routed the long parts as I was not confident to control the 2m long corner sections well enough to make stopped cuts on the TS.










Also made the two central cross braces and routed the appropriate mortices.










Today I started making up the side panels. These will be in chestnut - I like the "cathedral window" grain and a slightly different tint will look good I believe.

Some 25mm rough boards planed up to 18mm, then biscuit jointed for alignment and glued up. Note the central section of the bench removed to allow clamping both sides of the job to the bench top to keep everything perfectly flat, this is one of the key advantages of this bench arrangement.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Very good documentation with pictures on your progress.


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

I am closely following this, Chat. It's so cool to see each step and the special tools you're using. Thank you, and please keep it up!


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

Lots of other stuff going on at the moment, so progress is slow, but I have now made the floating panels for both sides and assembled them.


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

*Back after summer hols etc !*

It's been a while !!! What with holidays, organising a photo exhibition, fitting out the kitchen in Isabelle's investment appartment and numerous other distractions, I've not done much to the project during the summer. The last week however, there is finally some real progress.

The first steps were to prepare the oak frame members for the top and bottom and create the (chestnut) floating panels that sit in them. Lots of milling up of boards, lots of profiling for the cloud lifts - then cutting the big mortices in the side assemblies to take the top/bottom frames. Mortices cut with a router, the assemblies were far to big to manipulate in the hollow chisel morticer. Then assemble the top/bottom and central shelf with two sides : on trestles as it fouled the lights when I tried to assemble it on the bench top. The central shelf is M&T'd and glued into frame members at the front (free to expand etc at the back) to ensure the front of the cabinet does not bow in or out and so avoid potential problems with the doors










A simple job in principle, but it's big (almost 2m tall) and everything is VERY heavy, I nearly had a disaster when I found it was a tad out of square and I had no clamps long enough to reach corner to corner to pull it into line. Frantic improvisation using a loop of rope and a stick to twist it like a tourniquet !!

Next job : the doors. These are glazed with fancy muntins in the style of G&G, and since I didnt fancy cutting glass around these fairly complex shapes, the muntins are on the surface of a single rectangular glass panel. The cloud lifts are done by drilling the main parts of the curves with forstner bits, then cutting into the curves with the bandsaw, finally faired by hand sanding. 



















Getting the angles right on the muntins was quite tricky, in the end I simply made a full scale drawing and cut them to fit. All M&T'd into place even if they are only decorative.




























I always cut mortices on the hollow chisel morticer where possible, then fine tune tenons to fit. I cut the shoulders on the TS using a crosscut sled, then cut the cheeks on the bandsaw. A trick I've found useful is to cut the tenons over long, then creep up on the bandsaw setting using the actual cheeks, but only cutting in the overlength bit. Once it all fits right, I cut the rest of the cheeks and trim off the end bit.

First door assembled today : here it is propped in the cabinet and secured with a clamp until I fit the hinges.



















Now for the second door...


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Really looking good. Great job of showing the progress with the pictures. Is the cabinet made of White Oak?


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

Toolman50 said:


> Really looking good. Great job of showing the progress with the pictures. Is the cabinet made of White Oak?


Yes, the main structure is white oak and the panels are chestnut - all local felled timber.


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## asevereid (Apr 15, 2012)

Subscribed! 
This is going to be a very nice looking piece! Looking forward to seeing more.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

High quality build!


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

*Doors and ebony pegs*

Hinges duly arrived and were fitted. I used the router to cut the recesses, too tricky to eyeball it as the cabinet is assembled and upright with no space to lay it down, so I had to work on vertical surfaces. I made a little jig to clamp to the cupboard sides and then guide the router using a guide bush. 100% successful thank goodness - with quite a lot of time and material invested already, not a moment for a slip up ! 

The doors were made and hung oversize, then planed to fit. They are located in the closed position by rare-earth magnets epoxied in the top and bottom with corresponding magnets in the carcase. Works beautifully - the doors close silently rather than "clacking" against a stop. 

Spent today making the ebony pegs for the classic G&G joint pegs which were both functional and decorative in the original. My joints are not pegged - modern glues are quite good enough on their own - but the decoration needs to be reproduced for an authentic piece. This is where I plan to put them (these are bits of black tape to test the effect).










Then to make the dummy pegs - rather a lot of them, 12mm square for the carcase : 22 off, plus 8mm square for the doors : 20 off. These were made by cutting strips of ebony 12 x 12 and 8 by 8 on the bandsaw (smallest kerf possible to avoid waste of precious ebony) then putting the strips in the lathe and turning a spigot which will be glued into a drilled hole in the cabinet. 8mm spigots for the 12 by 12 pegs and 6mm for the smaller ones. Then the dummy peg is cut off with the junior hacksaw (smallest possible kerf again) and repeat for the next one. (Apologies for the poor photos - didnt want to risk the reflex in the dusty workshop so used a compact that seems to have had trouble deciding where to focus !).










These little chaps were then taken to the belt sander and individually cleaned up, including pillowing the tops. My finger tips will be sore for days !



















They will be fitted after the carcase is stained.

In the meantime, I need to make a back for the cabinet. I had intended cheating and using oak faced plywood, but at nearly 50€ the m2 and it needs 3.5m2, I decided to do it the long way and mill up a load of 15mm boards in chestnut which will be t&g'd or at least lapped to make the back. Quite a bit of work, but less than half the price and more authentic too.


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

*Making the back of the cabinet*

Made up the panels for the back and cut rebates shiplap style. Made quite a few, random widths to best use the boards.










They are also rebated to fit over the edge of the top and bottom cross members and will be tidied up from the back with a moulding to cover the ends.










I've also stained the whole thing. Decided to go with a spirit stain as I find the colours of the water based ones a bit flat. This is Liberon chêne moyen. Quite a challenge to put it on and wipe it off fast enough to keep it even. Very pleased with the result, it brings up the grain of the chestnut panels beautifully and is dark enough to minimise the colour difference between the chestnut and the oak. The photo does not really do it justice as there is a mix of overhead lighting and flash which makes the panel look lighter at the top. It's not really !

The door below is also waxed with a slightly tinted Carnauba wax and buffed out.


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

Got a bit behind with posting - this is from a couple of weeks ago.
Finished glazing the doors and rehung them. The back is also fitted and stained but not polished.



















The inside of the doors gives away the fact that the muntins are dummies if you look closely, but I dont feel it's really a big deal. Wow, that glass is really filthy !!!










Afternoon off to go view an exhibition of leather goods in St Yrieix. Tomorrow I start to fit the ebony dummy pegs and make some handles. After that there are just two more shelves to make but I'd like to get the main cabinet out of the workshop - it's too crowded and the adjustable shelves can be fitted once it's in its final home in the house.


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

Fitted the ebony plugs today. To make sure they all line up correctly I decided to make some little jigs in MDF that locate against the edges of the carcase and doors respectively, then drilled the jigs for the hole locations so i could reproduce each position accurately. The jigs were designed to be revesible so that left and right sides match exactly. Heres the result : 










I'm a bit undecided about what to use for a door handle, so made this mock up in scrap quickly on the BS, and fitted it with one screw. I've decided I quite like the idea of mimicing the cloud lifts in the muntins etc, but that it's too big. Will make a scaled down version tomorrow and try that. If it looks right, I could make the real ones with an ebony spline set into the back.










Then again... the media cabinet which will be in the same room, had solid ebony bar as handles - might go for that...?
It would create another design link between the two pieces.


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

*More or less finished !*

Like veryone said, the ebony is the best option :




















Good decision I think. 

Tomorrow Isabelle's 6' 6" son arrives to help me move it ! It's going to be fun 'cos it's too big to go through the doors except on its side... I think I'll take the doors off to reduce the weight. I'm not feeble, a bag of cement is no great effort, but with the doors on even lifting one end is a struggle - the glass alone weighs a ton.


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

Very nice piece of furniture. The wood color and grain came out beautifully.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Thank you for the update. It turned out great. The Ebony plugs really transforms the piece. Excellent work.


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

Thanks for the detailed photos and description of the process of the build from start to finish. I must complement you on a nice cabinet. I just hope my wife dlesn't see it. She will start asking when I'm going to make one. 
I like the ebony in contrast with the oak. I have always been partial to this idea of contrasting woods.


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