# Help with solid wood case joinery



## buktotruth (Nov 15, 2010)

Hi everyone,

I'm about to build something like this (http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/joystyle-interior/item/common-120l-na/) per the wife's request. I'd typically do this with veneered plywood, but I have a lot of solid cherry in my shop that I'd like to use. My question to you all is this: can I do that and sufficiently account for wood movement? My concerns are the top being a single slab as well as what types of joints to use for the vertical parts joining the horizontal parts (if it were framed joinery, I would just do M&T with floating panels, but with solid pieces, I'm not quite sure what to do).

Thanks for the help!


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## plasma800 (Apr 27, 2017)

I'm no expert, but I'd be considering pocket screws in the sides and center divider top and bottom. These plus glue should make a nice, strong butt joint.

I might even consider a shallow dado for the center divider top and bottom.

Nice looking unit by the way.


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## buktotruth (Nov 15, 2010)

plasma800 said:


> I'm no expert, but I'd be considering pocket screws in the sides and center divider top and bottom. These plus glue should make a nice, strong butt joint.
> 
> I might even consider a shallow dado for the center divider top and bottom.
> 
> Nice looking unit by the way.



Thanks! I'm not super concerned about strength (I can do M&T, dovetails, finger joints, whatever). The main concern is wood movement. I have a solid panel piece of wood on the top, bottom, and sides (the back I can float or nail a backer if need be). My worry is that the different parts will move with moisture changes and crack. How do I (or can I at all) accommodate this type of movement? Or should I just not worry?

Thanks!


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## Terry Q (Jul 28, 2016)

So long as the wood is moving in the same direction from front to back you will be fine. The only problems you might have are applied molding which won't move with the rest of the carcass. On the sides you need to glue the first few inches where it attaches to the molding running across the front of your case to make a nice tight joint, but the rest of the side molding need to be nailed with brads or headless pin nailer 


Enjoy yourself, life is short


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Well, I don't know if you would want to, but since the sides are flush with the top and bottom, you could do either finger joints or dovetails. I have done this numerous times and had no problems with movement issues over the years, providing the face grain is oriented in the same direction on all of those pieces, which it is in the pictures. But then you have the exposed joinery and if you don't mind that, you would be good.


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

Jumping in late but the above tips are correct. I only wish too add that dealing with wood movement is something I have learned in the past year with a couple of projects. I also built a tv stand with solid wood and added a breadboard on the ends. To deal with wood movement, I attached the end board with a sliding mortise and tenon and glued the center 6 inches on a 18 inch wide top. That has allowed the top too move with no problem. I also built a dinning table for one of our sons using the same method. Over the winter, with the use of a wood stove in his home, the 40 inch table top has shrunk about 3/8 of an inch with no problem. I glued the center 10 inches on the table. I'm sure the experts on this site can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you can safely center glue 1/4 of the total width.


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