Here are some kitchen cabinet plans and blueprints for building a cupboard that can be used to store jars and boxes.
Let the lumber dry out in your shop for two weeks, before you start work on the sides of the cupboard.
Kitchen Display Case Plans And Instructions For Crafting Timber Sections
In order to minimize the cupping that may occur with wide boards, we edge-glued each of the sides from two narrower boards.
When the glue dried, we cut the sides (A) to a finished width of 111/4″ and finished length of 571/4″ (Fig. SHELF DADOES.
Five shelves hold the sides of the cupboard together.
The shelves are held in dadoes spaced apart evenly (Fig. But there are a couple tricks to routing the dadoes in the sides and getting them to align after the cupboard is assembled.
First, we clamped both cupboard sides together with their top ends flush and the inside faces up (Fig. Then we laid out the positions of the dadoes by measuring down from the top end.
To follow the layout lines for the dadoes, we guided the router against a straightedge clamped to the workpiece.
And because the pine for the shelves was slightly less than 3/4″ thick, we used a 1/2″ straight bit in the router.
I routed each dado to the correct width in two passes by using a removable spacer against the straightedge (Fig. (Refer to the Shop Tip below for details.) BACK RABBET.
After routing the dadoes for the shelves, a rabbet can be cut in each cupboard side for installing the back slats (Figs. 2 and 2a).
Note: To make sure the rabbets are routed along the correct edges (the sides are “mirror” images), it helps to stand the sides up first and mark the edges to be rabbeted.
DECORATIVE CUTOUTS
The last cuts to make on the cupboard sides look simply to be decorative —but they also serve a purpose.
The semi-circular cutout at the bottom of each piece creates a pair of “feet.” (Fig. 3).
This allows the cabinet to “bridge” uneven spots in the floor.
Note: Although the feet start out different widths, they’ll end up the same after a facing strip is added to the front (refer to Fig. 6 on page 5).
After laying out the arcs, we used a jig saw to cut just shy of the layout lines.
Then we smoothed up to the line with a drum sander.
Creating Shelves
Next, we started on the shelves.
I cut these from 1x12s.
A single board this wide will often cup.
If your stock is cupped, one way to flatten it is to rip each shelf blank into thirds.
Then glue the blank together with the middle piece upside down.
When the glue dries, plane the blank flat.
Now the shelves can be ripped to width so they’re flush with the front edges of the sides and also the shoulders of the rabbets for the back slats (Fig. 5).
Then cut the shelves (B) to finished length (Fig. 4).
To determine this length, measure between the bottoms of the dadoes on the case sides.
Finally, the case can be assembled with the shelves glued into the dadoes (Fig. 5).
The Shop Tip below shows one way to do this.
Note: Keep the shelves flush to the front edges of the sides (A).
If you don’t have enough clamps, you can also assemble the case with square-cut nails.
FACING STRIPS To create a frame that surrounds the door, facing strips are added next.
The facing strips are attached to the front edges of the cabinet sides and to the top and bottom shelves (Fig. 6).
First, we ripped two side facing strips (C) and one top facing strip (D) to a width of 1″ (Fig. 6).
STRIPS
Now cut the side strips to the same length as the cupboard sides.
Then glue these to the sides, flush with the outside edges.
Next, we ripped a 2″-wide piece for the bottom facing strip (E) (Fig. 6).
Then the top and bottom facing strips (D, E) can be cut to length to fit snugly between the side strips.
Before gluing on the top and bottom strips, make marks on the top and bottom shelves to indicate where the strips should be glued on (Figs. 6a and 6b).
By leaving 1/4″ of each shelf edge exposed, a lip is created at the top and bottom of the door opening.
These lips serve as stops for the door (attached later).
Constructing The Kickboard
A kickboard at the bottom of the cupboard adds a decorative touch.
To make the kickboard (F), first rip a piece of 3/4″-thick stock to a width of 51/2″ (Fig. 7).
Then cut it to length to match the width of the case.
Next, to soften the transition between the kickboard and the lower facing strip, rout a 1/2″ roundover along the top outside edge of the kickboard (Fig. 7a).
TOE OPENING
To make a toe opening on the kickboard, we used my jig saw to cut out a profile along the bottom edge (Fig. 7).
Now the kickboard can be attached to the case.
But we did this with dowel pins (G) (Fig. 8).
First, clamp the kickboard to the case and drill two 1/4″-dia. holes that go through the kickboard and facing strip into the cupboard side (Fig. 8a).
Then cut four lengths of dowel to fit in the holes.
Note: Cut the dowels so they stand proud of the kickboard when they’re tapped into the holes (Fig. 8a).
Then they can be trimmed and sanded flush after they’re glued in place.
BACK & TOP
The back of the cupboard is made of individual slats to allow for plenty of expansion and contraction.
To make the back, start by ripping four back slats (H) from 3/4″- thick stock to the same width (Fig. 9).
The finished width allows for a 1/16″ gap between the installed slats (Fig. 9a).
Next, cut the slats to finished length so they extend from the top of the cabinet sides to the bottom of the lower shelf (Fig. 9).
SHIP LAPS
The ship lap joint is really just overlapping rabbets.
The rabbets are cut to a depth half the thickness of the pieces (3/8″), and to identical width.
Note: Cut rabbets on the opposite edges of the middle slats, but on just one edge of each outside slat (Fig. 9a).
ATTACH SLATS
Now the back slats can be screwed to the cabinet, keeping the gaps between them equal (Fig. 9a).
The top (I) is an edge-glued blank (Fig. 10).
Cut it to finished size to allow for a 3/4″ overhang at the front and sides (Fig. 10a) but not the back.
Next, rout 1/8″ roundovers on the edges of the top, and sand a 1/8″ radius on the corners.
Now the top can be attached using woodscrews driven up from below (Fig. 10a).
Making the Door Frame
The door of the cupboard is a frame and panel unit.
Its construction is the same whether you use tin or wood panels.
DOOR FRAME
To make the door frame, start by ripping two door stiles (J) and two door rails (K) to finished width (Fig. 11).
Then, to determine the length of the pieces, measure between the facing strips and subtract 1/8″ to allow for a 1/16″ gap all around the door.
Cut the frame pieces to finished length (Fig. 11).
END LAPS
Now cut the end lap joints half the thickness of each of the mating pieces (Fig. 11a).
After the lap joints are cut, the frame can be glued and clamped together.
CORNER PINS
Next, we drilled two 1/4″- dia. holes through each corner of the frame for the dowel pins (L) (Fig. 11a).
Then glue the pins into the holes and trim them flush with the frame.
RABBET
When the frame is assembled, rout a rabbet around the perimeter of the door opening in the back side (Figs. 12 and 12a).
This creates a lip for the door panels.
When the rabbet is cut, square up the corners with a chisel (Fig. 12b).
When the frame of the door is complete, the dividers (M) can be built.
The purpose of the dividers is to separate — and support—the door panels.
CENTER DIVIDERS
Start by ripping three blanks to finished width (Fig. 13).
Then cut them to length to fit between the rabbets in the door frame.
TONGUES
The dividers are held in place by a short tongue on each end (Fig. 13).
I used a dado blade to cut the rabbets that form the tongues (Fig. 14).
EDGE RABBETS
Now the dividers can fit flush down into the frame.
But first, in order to completely support the panels, two more rabbets are needed on the edges of each divider (Fig. 15a).
To cut these rabbets, we again used my dado blade (Fig. 15).
Cut these with the front of the divider facing up.
KEEPER STRIPS
Once the dividers are glued in place, work can begin on the keeper strips.
The panels are held in place by small quarter-round keeper strips (N) that are nailed to the door frame (Fig. 13a).
To make these keeper strips, first rout 1/4″ roundovers on both edges of a blank (Fig. 16).
Then set the rip fence 1/4″ from the blade and cut a 3/8″-deep kerf on each edge.
Finally, to separate a keeper strip from each edge, run the blank through the blade face down so the keeper strip falls to the waste side (Fig. 17).
This prevents kickback.
TIN PANELS
To make the tin panels, tape your pattern to the tin blank, then fasten the blank to a hardboard backing board.
Punch the holes by striking an awl with a hammer.
Use softer strikes for smaller holes, heavier strikes for larger holes.
When each panel is finished, trim it to size and secure it in the door (Fig. 13a).
MORTISES
After the panels are in place, the door is attached to the case.
I used three 2″-long hinges and cut a shallow mortise for each hinge in the door stile and the facing strip (Fig. 18a and the Exploded View on page 2).
DOOR KNOB
Next, we built a knob and latch assembly.
To start, drill a 3/8″-dia. hole through the door stile (Fig. 13).
Then drill a hole in the wooden knob to accept a length of dowel (O) (Fig. 19a).
A short “flipper” (P) fits in a slot in the end of the dowel (Fig. 19).
When the knob is turned, the flipper will catch the facing strip and prevent the door from swinging open (see photo).
Now the cupboard can be stained and finished.
