The Cupboard is Bare

I was so excited about getting the skirt wrapped up yesterday, it wasn’t until later I realized how bare and unbalanced this cabinet looks at this stage.  It has this nice, fat skirt attached to a think box.  So I decided I’d better make a start on the top, and while I was at it, the shelf.

The top is 10.75″ wide, which in some woods might be a little tricky, but wide Sapele boards don’t seem to be a problem.  This one was just over 12″ wide, I have another that’s 13.5″ and there were wider ones in the pile.  It turns out the my pickup bed is my favorite combination saw bench and finishing work station.

Wide 4/4 Sapele

This is “4/4” Sapele, and except for the rough sawn texture it’s dead flat and generously thick.  After jointing and planing I could have finished this at almost an inch thick (.993″), that impressed me.  Most places I buy 4/4 it measures out less than an inch, and if it’s S2S it is usually closer to 7/8″ or 13/16″.

I dimensioned the top, but I still have to shape the underside – it will be cut back 2.5″ on the underside all around, leaving a rounded step.

With the sized-but-unshaped top you can start to see the proportions. Squinting helps.

This is more like what the top will look like after it’s undercut and shaped.  I’m not sure how I’ll do this yet, the current front runner is with a tall fence on the table saw.

Detail of how the top will be cut and shaped

I knocked out the shelf, this was a quick job.  Since I have put together a CAD model it was simple to print a pattern for half of the shelf, cut it out in 1/8″ MDF and trace it onto the shelf blank.  A little filing and sanding finished it off.

The shelf is finished

I’m hoping to finish off the top and glue it on today, and make a good start on the door.  I updated my plans last  night, but they are not as well organized at this point so I’m going to hold off on posting them until I have a chance to clean them up.