Melanie Heinrich Artist
Melanie Heinrich, Artist
Furniture Designs

Mini Cabinet

July of 2009 took me to north western New Jersey. I partook in wood working class at Peter's Valley. I did this to develop up my technique and get hands on experience with a working professional wood worker. The class was called "Making Boxes" but in this case I revised the box we were making into a cabinet. I used finger joint construction and added decorative doors which swing open on oak dowels.

Using Walnut and Cherry I created a box, Cherry on top and bottom and Walnut on the sides. The doors were also made of walnut and Cherry. This time the Cherry functions as a frame around the Walnut. These were constructed with tongue and grove joinery and cut out on the table saw using a jig. The center Walnut, originally a 2 inch thick board was sewn in half on the band saw to get what is called a book matching pattern.


Tongue and grove door joinery with inset book matched walnut

Both doors were the same size as the box edge to edge. Instead of using metal hinges at the sides I decided to add and additional piece of Cherry on the top and the bottom of the box. These pieces have about an inch over hang off the front of the box and about a half inch overhang on either side. With the doors laying flat on the box the tope and bottom pieces still stick out further than the doors. With this over hang I was able to drill four 1/4 inch holes through, two on the bottom and two on the top. I made sure the length of the holes which went through the outside Cherry and into the edges of the doors was just long enough to suspend the door so when it was opened it did not rub on the bottom piece of Cherry. I drove a 1/4 oak dowel through these holes and attached the doors.

Both handles were made of walnut dowels drilled and secured through the entire door so that the dowels contrast the Cherry wood. The handel itself is made of Curio Walnut with deep rich values and interesting character. It is so dark it is hard to see the figure and beauty in the wood.

Curio walnut handle attached with 1/4 inch walnut dowel

1/4 inch dowel hinge on top and finger joinery

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