In my previous post I glued the panel. Now I’ll continue with the cherry frame.
The frame
I start with a 2″ thick board that I cut down to the approximate size of the wood that is needed for the two side pieces.
The lumber is set aside for a minimum of 24 hours. This gives it the opportunity to release all the stress that is in the wood when it’s cut. Then I move on to the jointer.
First, I flatten the side, that has the least amount of warp in it, followed by an adjoining side. This way I end up with two flat surfaces that are perpendicular to each other.
At this point I could use the table saw, but I decide to enlist the bandsaw, to bring the thickness down close to its intended size. Here again you have the option to wait another 24 hours.
Now I’ll plane the piece down to the exact thickness required in the project.
What remains is sawing the board into 2 pieces on the table saw. The height of the blade is set to extend just a little above the wood and the fence is adjusted to the width of the cut.
Finally, the remaining cut is made. If you have a good saw and a sharp blade, you may not even have to finish the wood any further.
Dimensioning lumber is a lot of work, but satisfying none the less. Routing is next.
Routing a rabbet
A rabbet in the frame will hold the panel. I use ½” guided rabbeting bit.
The rabbet is 3/8″ wide and I take 2-3 steps to get close to the required depth.
I ease in until I’m satisfied with the result.
Now that the rabbets are finished, the cherry hardwood panel is cut to its final width,
The dry fit shows the frame just proud of the surface of the panel. It is a personal preference of mine; it leaves me some room to adjust by sanding it down.
Time to glue and clamp everything together.
After about 30 minutes I remove the squeezed-out glue to prevent staining of the wood.
Another hour or so later, I cut off the rear end of the shelf with my panel jig.
And screw in the extension sliders on both sides.
In my next post, I will move from the workshop to the van. I have to install the shelf and take measurements for the front and bottom, where I have to incorporate it into the bed railing.