Corner construction

[Chuck H]

Zinsser makes the amber shellac. It's a key step in this process because the lye has an effect on the amber tint used in the shellac. It's available at almost any hardware store.

Update on my project, and info that could help others...

I used the 2 rounded Tbsp per gallon of water concentration of lye and for some reason I didn't get the same results as I did the first time. I had to up it to 4 rounded Tbsp per gallon.

Word to the wise. I've also found that time is a factor. The amount of time that passes between when you do the treatment and when you apply the shellac makes a difference. So do some test samples and duplicate EXACTLY whatever gives you the results your after. My current method is:

Pine sanded to 180 grit.

4 TBSP lye per gallon of water brushed over bare pine. Applied liberal but no drip or sag on any surface when set aside to dry.

At 24 hours apply Zinsser "amber shellac"

That's where I'm at right now. Too much lye and the effect becomes artificial looking, the end grain can actually turn kind of purple instead of brown. You need to do samples and follow whatever recipe gives you the result your after.

When dealing with this process I guess it's like bread making. Different specific temp, humidity, time lag between processes, etc. seem to effect the outcome.

Chuck

[dan stanton]

A simple indexing jig will make the spacing of dowels easy. On a scrap, squared piece of wood, drill two holes at your spacing. Place a piece of dowel in one hole extending 1/4" out. Drill the first hole, place the jig in the first hole, drill the second, then keep moving it down. A second piece of scrap can be attached at 90 degrees to keep the side to side placing even. If the jig dowel gets stuck in the hole, sand lightly. Spray a couple of coats of lacquer on it so you can re-use it. As always practice on scrap first.

[Chuck H]

Good method. I just awl'd my spacing with graph paper and drilled small pilot holes first. I did fine but your method is better for sure. Another note. Pine and other soft woods like to "tear out" when drilling. Move slowly with the drill at high speed. If drilling before construction you can clamp another piece of wood to the drilled side and this helps a lot. I drilled after construction and I don't have a drill press to assure a straight hole, so I used a strip of masking tape thumbed down on the work area and then made my awl dents on the tape. It helped sufficiently but was not as ideal.

Chuck

[DustyJBLs]

The thing about dowels, in general, is that they don't give you a whole lot of additional glue area, which is what increases the strength of the joint. In your drawing, the top view shows that the majority of the circumfrence of the dowel is up against end grain, which dosen't accept glue. as you come around the outside of the dowel and the grain becomes side grain it becomes gluable, but that is a relatively small part of the dowel.

I would reccomend getting a biscuit joiner. They are cheap, very easy to use, and make a very strong joint. If the aesthetics of having the dowels show through is important, you could drill holes part way in to the board and plug them as if you had driven screws. This would allow you to use any species of wood you had around to cut your plugs from, to contrast with or blend in to the pine you are using for the cabinet.

My two cents. Fine Woodworking magazine did an article on dowels a number of years ago, which is where I got my information. That and the fact that the old woodworking professor I studied with in college spat out the word "Doweler" as his worst insult.

[Klugetone]

Just finished my own dowelled cabinet. Never built an amp cabinet before and wanted to try it. All hand power tools too. No table stuff. Made it challenging. Used pine boards cut to length and squared with block sander. Using butt joints, I then used drywall screws to frame it up temporarily. Measured and drilled the dowel holes as best I could. Dry fit everything and insured square corners with thos little squaring clamps. Removed the screws and glued it all together. Dowels and all. Then put the drywall screws back in to hold it all together along with the clamps etc. It is very strong but I am going to add some 3/4" triangle stock glued into the inside corners for additional reinforcement... because amps frequently get used as seats. So it seems that in the absence of proper finger jointing equipment, the dowels will work fine.

Some crude photos of the progress so far are in my photo album.

Dave

[olddawg]

I have had decent results by simply countersinking 1.5 inch drywall screws and filling the holes over the screws with 1/4 inch dowel. Glue on all mating surfaces of course and a 1x1 reinforcement block where necessary.

[Chuck H]

+1 I know that would be the best way now. I guess I just wanted to make it all wood for the fun and challenge of the project. I'm over it now and I'm using countersunk screws and short pegs glued in next time for sure.

Chuck

[Klugetone]

I have had decent results by simply countersinking 1.5 inch drywall screws and filling the holes over the screws with 1/4 inch dowel. Glue on all mating surfaces of course and a 1x1 reinforcement block where necessary.

I am sure it is plenty strong using the drywall screws and glue with the reinforcement blocks. Once it is covered, no one will know the difference anyway.