Our local wood club has been asked to build 10 red oak display cabinets, 4' wide, 2-1/2' deep and 40" tall. The front will have glass 2'x4' and the same for the top. We will be using plywood for the sides and 2 shelves. The back side will have 2 sliding doors for access to whatever is displayed inside and a drawer on the bottom between thise two shelves. The front and rear rails will be 3/4"X 2" and the stiles will be 3/4"x2-1/2" and joined together with 3/8"x 2" dowels.

These cabinets will have a metal frame with casters under them for mobllity and may be moved haphazardly.   My concern is lack of surface contact on the rails to the stiles and the possiblity of racking after a few years of being moved from room to room..........building to building.

I hope I described this so all can understand.

Gary, if I'm hearing your concern you're worried about the rails becoming loose after awhile.  Have you considere gluing a triangular strip on the inside of all of the joined pieces?  This wold give a bit more stability without a whole lot of unsightliness.

Any chance you could post a ruff sketch of the project?

Ron......Yes, I think you have the right idea of my concern. I/we have dicussed bracing the corners and may have to do that. They will just be visable and detracting.

Ron Dudelston said:

Gary, if I'm hearing your concern you're worried about the rails becoming loose after awhile.  Have you considere gluing a triangular strip on the inside of all of the joined pieces?  This wold give a bit more stability without a whole lot of unsightliness.

Richard.......I have a sketchup drawing that was emailed to me but I have no idea as to how to get it on this forum.

Richard McComas said:

Any chance you could post a ruff sketch of the project?

Gary, can you forward the email with the drawing to me? If so I'll give you an email address to send it to.

I use these for attaching shelves to sides and all other cabinet frame applications

 

http://www.mcfeelys.com/confirmat-mdf-screws

 

The hold in Plywood and MDF very strong.  No need for any "triangle" pieces or corner braces (though some flat mount corner braces on the backside at the corners wouldn't be a bad idea).

 

Send it to me and I'll try to get it up tonight.

 

 

Dragonshadow2334 at AOL dot com

Richard............yes I can. I'll send ya a PM. Thanks

Richard McComas said:

Gary, can you forward the email with the drawing to me? If so I'll give you an email address to send it to.

Hey Dragon..........If ya remember.........I sell the confirmat screws too. But, they are not for this application..........at least to my way of think'n. It's hardwood to hardwood.

Hey.....thanks.....but I already have it going to Richard.

dragon1 said:

I use these for attaching shelves to sides and all other cabinet frame applications

 

http://www.mcfeelys.com/confirmat-mdf-screws

 

The hold in Plywood and MDF very strong.  No need for any "triangle" pieces or corner braces (though some flat mount corner braces on the backside at the corners wouldn't be a bad idea).

 

Send it to me and I'll try to get it up tonight.

 

 

Dragonshadow2334 at AOL dot com

 We have a problem Gary. When I try to open the file I get the following message:

 

Adobe Reader could not open "Attached Message Part" because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been damaged (for example, it was sent as an email attachment and wasn't correctly decoded).

Oh crud!!! I will try again..............but I'm not that good on these puters.

Richard McComas said:

 We have a problem Gary. When I try to open the file I get the following message:

 

Adobe Reader could not open "Attached Message Part" because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been damaged (for example, it was sent as an email attachment and wasn't correctly decoded).

Gary, I was able to open the file this time. I too don't know to post an FDF file on the forum.

Personally the way  that's designed with all the plywood and especially the plywood ends I think it should stand the test of time if you secure the glass in place with silicone.

 

If I were doing it I'd probably biscuit/domnio the front and back face frames to the carcase. The face frames themselves I'd mortise and tenon at the corners.  The top frame with the glass, here again if the glass is secure in the frame the frame is not going anywhere.

Just my opinion, hope it helps. 

A few thoughts on that glass part:   Tempered glass: +1,   keeping the glass panels smaller than full size of the top/front: also +1.      You'll want to make sure that IF someone were to lean onto the glass, it would safely hold them( until you can get them to move along),  Smaller panels of glass would lessen the load on the wood frame parts.   Wood movement and glass just don't get along,    without something cracking.   BTDT.

In my opinion tempered glass is a waste of time and money. I've been around a lot of display cases both store bought and home made. So far they all have safety glass( 2 pieces of glass with some kind of plastic sheet between them). It the stuff the use in auto windshields. Our schools are full of 1/4'' safety glass in the display cases.

Here in Alaska the last time I got tempered they had to cut it to size and then send it to the states to have it tempered and then sent back. Get real expensive. Maybe it's easier and cheaper if you live in the right place.

Maybe I'm wrong on this but all the display case I been involved with it our local schools have safety glass.

 

steven newman said:

A few thoughts on that glass part:   Tempered glass: +1,   keeping the glass panels smaller than full size of the top/front: also +1.      You'll want to make sure that IF someone were to lean onto the glass, it would safely hold them( until you can get them to move along),  Smaller panels of glass would lessen the load on the wood frame parts.   Wood movement and glass just don't get along,    without something cracking.   BTDT.

Thanks to John I was able to up load you PDF file to the forum so everyone can see. Just  click on the file.

Richard..  If I understand this properly, go to PAINT, click open and try and find your file.  If you do, open it and click on
"Save As" and rename it to a ,JPG file.  Then post it.  That's what I do with my very old Canvas CAD drawings that doesn't support JPG,

Larry

Richard McComas said:

Gary, I was able to open the file this time. I too don't know to post an FDF file on the forum.

Personally the way  that's designed with all the plywood and especially the plywood ends I think it should stand the test of time if you secure the glass in place with silicone.

 

If I were doing it I'd probably biscuit/domnio the front and back face frames to the carcase. The face frames themselves I'd mortise and tenon at the corners.  The top frame with the glass, here again if the glass is secure in the frame the frame is not going anywhere.

Just my opinion, hope it helps. 

Thanks of the heads up Larry. I got it up just before your post. John told how to do it within the form.

Larry Jenkins said:

Richard..  If I understand this properly, go to PAINT, click open and try and find your file.  If you do, open it and click on
"Save As" and rename it to a ,JPG file.  Then post it.  That's what I do with my very old Canvas CAD drawings that doesn't support JPG,

Larry

Richard McComas said:

Gary, I was able to open the file this time. I too don't know to post an FDF file on the forum.

Personally the way  that's designed with all the plywood and especially the plywood ends I think it should stand the test of time if you secure the glass in place with silicone.

 

If I were doing it I'd probably biscuit/domnio the front and back face frames to the carcase. The face frames themselves I'd mortise and tenon at the corners.  The top frame with the glass, here again if the glass is secure in the frame the frame is not going anywhere.

Just my opinion, hope it helps. 

Richard.....We were/are planning to use silicone to secure the top glass. I.......me personally......had planned on using that rubber glass retainer stuff that fits a kerf, around the front glass.

Silicone, like you say, would hold the glass in place and make the frame more ridged. Yup, I like that.

The plan is to biscuit the front and back frames to the plywood.

I was out voted in the use of m&t. They want to go with dowels.

Richard McComas said:

Gary, I was able to open the file this time. I too don't know to post an FDF file on the forum.

Personally the way  that's designed with all the plywood and especially the plywood ends I think it should stand the test of time if you secure the glass in place with silicone.

 

If I were doing it I'd probably biscuit/domnio the front and back face frames to the carcase. The face frames themselves I'd mortise and tenon at the corners.  The top frame with the glass, here again if the glass is secure in the frame the frame is not going anywhere.

Just my opinion, hope it helps. 

Steven ...........I don't know if I was out voted on that one also........or not. I know I asked about safety glass, but the price was better than double...........and someone says tempered......"that's all we use". I guess the only consolation would be if they break it...........it breaks into little pieces.

I also like the idea of smaller glass panels...........like maybe 3 panels on the top or maybe 2 panels.

steven newman said:

A few thoughts on that glass part:   Tempered glass: +1,   keeping the glass panels smaller than full size of the top/front: also +1.      You'll want to make sure that IF someone were to lean onto the glass, it would safely hold them( until you can get them to move along),  Smaller panels of glass would lessen the load on the wood frame parts.   Wood movement and glass just don't get along,    without something cracking.   BTDT.

Lewis........Bridle joint???? Not sure what that is. Kinda like a half lap????

Yours and everyone else's .02 is appreciated.

Lewis Kauffman said:

I think I would have the rails and stiles joined with a bridle joint. Lots of glue surface and you colud even add screws to add additional strength.

 

Just my 2¢

 

Lew