Many fine furniture constructions use web frames with dust panels between the drawers.

These frames are normally assembled with mortise-and-tenon joints, and with dadoes for the thin wooden dust panels. The web frames may be held in place with glue and nails or screws. More often, the frames are fitted into rabbets or dadoes in the sides of the case and glue blocks used for support under the frame pieces at the back. Although the dadoes in the sides of the case could be the full thickness of the frame pieces, it is best to rabbet the frame edges and cut a narrower dado joint to provide more gluing surface and a stronger joint. A dovetail joint is the strongest for this type of unit; however, the frames must slide in from the front. When a frame-and-panel construction is used for the sides of the case as well, the web frame may be fitted with stub mortise-and-tenons.

If the front edge of the frame is also to act as a drawer-front facing, it is covered with hardwood to match the exterior of the project. Otherwise the frame is concealed behind the drawer fronts. If the frames are long, as on buffets, they should have a middle supporting rail or even two supporting rails if necessary.

Doors and Drawers Doors and drawers can be overlap, lip or flush. Overlap doors and drawers have the entire front thickness exposed. These are often used on "Euro" style kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. Lip doors and drawers normally have a 3/8-by-3-inch lip or rabbet around all edges. This allows for using 3/8-inch lip hinges for installing the doors. Flush doors and drawers are fitted with their fronts flush with the case facings. These require great care in building and installing. Flush doors don't seal off the cabinet as well as overlap or lip doors.

Shown are common door examples.

Door fronts may be made of solid wood or 3/4-inch plywood. The outer edges may be left square on overlap doors, but are commonly rounded on lip doors. Drawers are commonly made of solid wood, sometimes of plywood.

Finer furniture, however, often utilizes frame-and-panel construction for the doors and sometimes for the drawers. Or the drawers may be solid wood with shaped fronts. The frame-and-panel doors consist of two uprights, called stiles, and two horizontal pieces, called rails. Some doors also have a third horizontal piece, or cross rail, in the middle. The frame pieces have dadoes cut along their inside edges for panels. Or a rabbet may be cut along the inside edges of the frame, in which case the panel is held in place by molding. The inside edge of the frame is called "sticking." It can be left flat or shaped, or provided with attached decorative molding. A molded sticking adds to the strength of the frame structure.

Frame-and-panel doors may be made in several ways. The simplest is to cut dadoes in the frame pieces then dowel and glue the frame pieces together, inserting the panel in place as you assemble the frames. Or the frame can be assembled with mortise-and-tenon joints. The best method, however, is to use a router or shaper to create shaped stickings. This creates a shaped joint and provides a larger glue surface, as well as a decorative frame edge.

The panels inserted into the frames can be thin plywood panels or solid wood with their edges shaped. The top of the frame and panel can be left straight, or an arched panel and top rail may be created on a shaper or with a router.

Creating cabinetry, whether building your own kitchen cabinets or a fine piece of furniture is a rewarding task. Start with simple box construction and work your way toward the more complicated construction as you gain experience and tools.

Doors and frame-and-panel construction often consist of shaped bead and ogee edges with flat or shaped panels. These can be cut with a router or shaper.

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