This is where I
left off last night. The unit is resting on the base, but I will not fasten it at this
point. I will install the base in the bathroom when the walls and floor are done.
I start the next task, making of the face frame, by ripping some poplar for
the top rail. This will be wider than the standard rail in order to allow for the
overhang.
I will be ripping a lot of narrow pieces. The Grip-Tite fence system really
pays off here. It gives me very safe control of the board and the CMT Rip Blade gives me a
clean cut.
I have cut all the rail and
stile pieces and have turned the unit over onto its back. It makes figuring and test
fitting the pieces easier.
The stiles on the ends are wider by an inch to allow for scribing the
unit into its final place. All the other rails and stiles are 1½" wide. That may be
narrow for this size unit but I will be adding cockbead which will add 1/4" to each
side.
I am drilling pocket
holes and will use this method to join the face frame. I like it because it doesn't
require clamping which greatly increases the speed of face frame construction. The
final piece will be painted white so using finishing nails and brads on the face frame
will not detract from the look.
It sure
doesn't take long to drill all the holes.
I don't know any
great short cuts to assembly of a face frame. I simply start in one corner and work my way
across. A do spread glue over each end.
I clamp the pieces
together using the special ViseGrip that is a part of the Kreg Jig system. It keeps the
pieces aligned so that the pocket screw can pull the pieces together in alignment. It is a
simple system that works well.
A cordless driver with a
long square drive bit works well to drive the two pocket screws home.
I carefully checked the
cuts for square at the compound miter saw when I first started cutting the pieces, but I
still double check the first joint. I do not want a face frame that is out of square.
I cut two gauge
blocks for the upper drawer rails. To me, this is a faster and a much more accurate way to
position the rails than marking with a pencil.