Taking cabinet building to the next level

I wanted to take another step in my building and see if I could build a cabinet without the use of screws. My wife found the plans in an old Woodsmith Magazine and asked me to build the largest bookcase of the set. My plan was to build the entire cabinet using dowels instead of screws, dado slots instead of pocket hole joinery and biscuit joints.

Using rough oak purchased from a local lumber mill, I milled and sized the lumber to the specifications to create this book cabinet with 5 shelves. It was time to replace a number of older pine book cases in the house.

Instead of using the traditional pocket hole joinery, the sides, shelves, doors and face frame were all joined using 3/8” dowels,biscuit joints, dados and glue.

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I used tempered glass for the doors for safety which I was able to purchase locally. The glass vendor recommended using silicone caulk to secure each pane before applying a few small mirror catches on all the sides. The doors were each hung with 3 Ball-Tip Full Back-to-Back Wrap-Around Inset Hinges.

Finished with Minwax English Chestnut and homemade wiping polyurethane, this cabinet will stand the test of time and hopefully become a keepsake that is passed down through generations.