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French-Canadian cabinet
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Diamond points are a distinctive, sought-after design element
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By Gary Walchuk, photo by Roger Yip, illustration by Len Churchill
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Routed beading runs around the perimeter of the overlapping top piece. You'll use your router to roundover the bottom edge.
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This cabinet is a reproduction of a Louis XIII piece built in 18th-century Quebec. After this time, woodworkers began to incorporate British and American elements in their furniture. Ideal materials were plentiful: an entire diamond-point panel could be made from a single board. Most early Quebec pieces were painted to brighten up the home. The original cabinet that inspired this project is in the Canadian Museum of Civilization collection.
Rather than combing sawmills or reclaimed-wood dealers in search of stock of immense proportions, I revisited the design of the piece, keeping in mind today's lumberyard realities and woodworking technology. Where a 18th-century woodworker may have used one large board to make these diamond-point panels, I had to use several small pieces for each. But with today's tools I could make short work of profiles and beading with my router, reproducing results that old-time woodworkers created with hand tools.
Face Frame Foundation
Start this cabinet by making four simple face frames that form the foundation of the project. Cut the front and back stiles, the side stiles, and the top and bottom rails to size, then mark each piece to indicate its location and outside surfaces. While you work, keep everything organized by frame, and don't forget to cut curves into the bottom inside corner of the back and front leg parts.
Arrange the frame parts as they'll appear on the completed project, then mark the board edges where you'll create biscuit or dowel joints. I used two #10 biscuits on every joint between rail ends and stile edges. You could also use 3/8"-dia. x two-inch fluted dowels, too. The plans show that the bottom rails should be 2 1/2" up from the stile bottom ends. Make sure all surfaces are flush after gluing and clamping.
After the four individual frames are complete, sand the inside and outside surfaces flat and smooth, then get out your router. You'll need to rout a 1/2" x 1/2" rabbet along the inside perimeter of the back and side frames to accept the panels. Square the rounded corners with a chisel.
Next you'll make the top and bottom inner frames. Cut the parts to size, then join two long and short frame members, using two #8 x 2" screws into each overlapped corner. The frame should measure 16 1/2" wide x 22 1/2" long x 2 1/4" high. Before assembling the top frame in the same way, cut a 3/8"-deep saw kerf into each part, along the inside surfaces, 3/8" in from the top edge. You'll use this kerf to secure the cabinet top with metal clips.
Cut the cabinet bottom to size from 1/2" plywood, then glue and nail it to the top edges of the bottom frame. Now it's on to the major assembly.
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