How would you construct this?

[chopnhack]

Playing around with sketchup is a nice way to help visualize actual construction methods for projects. I have some ideas for a hall credenza, not that I will be constructing it anytime soon but I would like your thoughts. How would you build a face frame on a cabinet that has a bump out? The bump out could be anywhere between 3/4" to 2" deep.

[LarryG]

How would you build a face frame on a cabinet that has a bump out? The bump out could be anywhere between 3/4" to 2" deep.

Lots of ways this could be done, but the depth of the bump out might be the decider. If it were only 3/4", and assuming a 3/4" thick face frame, one way would be to build a full face frame covering all three bays of the unit. Then build a second, center-section-only face frame and apply it directly over the face of the first one. IOW, at the center section, the face frame would be double-thickness.

If the bump-out were deeper, I'd probably just build the unit as three separate boxes, each with its own face frame, and then gang them together at the end.

[cabinetman]

You can minimize materials by using a single panel floor and top. Use dadoes/rabbets as joinery for the floor and top, to the ends. Dado the floor and top for the panels for the center unit, and let them extend as far out as you want. Add the face frame for the two ends and one for the center section.

If the top will be some other material, like granite, just use a framework to connect the ends and center dividers.

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[atgcpaul]

If the FF is 3/4" thick and the bump out is more than that, is your goal to hide
the interface between the FF and the box when viewed from the side?

If that doesn't matter to you, regardless of the depth of your bumpout, I would
build 3 separate boxes with 3 separate FFs and simply attached each of the
boxes together from the inside and apply the FFs to its respective box.

Paul


PS--I also saw C-man's post. I like that approach, too.

[chopnhack]

Thanks guys! Mike, thanks for that tip, that really clarifies the construction of the piece. I assume that is how the furniture manufacturers make it as well.

[cabinetman]

Thanks guys! Mike, thanks for that tip, that really clarifies the construction of the piece. I assume that is how the furniture manufacturers make it as well.

That may be a 'production' method. I've done it both ways, i.e., as with 3 separate boxes, or one unit. I find the single unit is much quicker to do, uses less materials, and lines all the openings up nicely.

There are times though, when either due to overall size and/or weight, it could be advantageous to have multiple units. Here is a good example.

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[chopnhack]

Good point, but as furniture goes I believe the first method you mentioned would work best. A cohesive piece IMHO would be easier to construct on small scale. Obviously on larger pieces the modular approach wins out.