CLASSIC CHERRY SIDEBOARD

A plywood carcase provides a quick-to-build foundation for the dovetailed drawers and mortise-and-tenon doors.

- CRAIG RUEGSEGGER

This project provides opportunities to practice many of your joinery skills, or to learn a new one. But don't worry: we walk you through them all. The plywood carcase goes together with simple dado and rabbet joinery. Tongues and grooves make the frames for the side panels. Routed dovetails create durable drawers, and mortise-and-tenon joints keep the doors sag-free.

This piece was designed to look great on its own, or as a companion to the "Classic Corner Cabinet" in issue 287 (March 2023), see page 29.

CHOOSE SIDES TO START

The first step is making two frame-and-panel side assemblies. Then you'll join them with a plywood carcase and strengthen that with a face frame that defines the openings for the drawers and doors.

1 Cut the side stiles (A) and the top and bottom rails (B, C) to size [Materials List]. Mark the inside edge of each and cut a centered groove to fit your 1/4" plywood on this edge [Drawing 1]. Form stub tenons on the ends of the rails to fit the grooves [Drawing 1a].

2 Mill material for the side fillers (D) to fit the grooves and cut them 5" long. Glue one into the groove in each side stile, flush with the bottom end [Drawing 1a].

3 Make a tapering sled as shown in Photo A and taper the bottom inside edge of each side stile (A). Save the sled for use again later.

4 Dry-fit the rails and stiles and cut the side panels (E) to fit in the grooves. Glue up the side assemblies, gluing the panels into the grooves, and check the assemblies for square.

5 Set up a dado stack to match the thickness of your 3/4" plywood. Cut the dado and rabbet across each side assembly [Drawing 1, Photo B].

6 Mark one assembly as the right, the other as the left. Rout a stopped rabbet on the back stile of each assembly between the dado and the rabbet [Drawing 1].

MAKE YOUR CASE