Kitchen Remodel #3: Buffet / Hutch Cutting the Stiles and Rails

The continuation of the Buffet / Hutch build. Today was a busy day, just not in the shop. Lunch with my wife, pick up the kids at school, etc. So when I got into the shop it was after dark.

I posted a blog on
Hardwood Lumber Grading
This is why. My best friend, who I moved away from when I moved to Delaware, and I went together to purchase some wood that was rated as Select. I was unable to go pick it up, but he went and picked up the wood.

If I had been there I think I would have walked away from the deal. It looks like to me that the seller cherry picked (not a pun on words) the select cherry and sold it to someone else or these boards were kicked out by a previous buyer. Here is the front of some of the boards. Yes they look like select lumber, Maybe a little light on the length.

But, here is the reverse side

The hardwood grading article has this statement when talking about No 2A Common: “The smallest clear cutting allowed is 3” by 2’ and the number of these cuttings depends on the size of the board. If the poorest face meets the minimum requirements for Number 2A Common, it does not matter what the grade of the
better face is.”

These boards are Select on the front face but maybe not even 2A Common on the back. If you were making a piece of furniture and you would see both faces then these boards are not acceptable. They classify this as flooring grade. On the buffet portion of this project, you don’t see the inside so I’m trying to use up this wood instead of using better wood.

I had to make a story stick of the stiles and rails, in order to get the correct dimensions of this chest. See the previous blog about my feeling about the Fine Woodworking articles on making furniture.

So the boards were cut to length;

Then it was on to the jointer to true up one edge. I previously jointed the face and planed the thickness to get clear wood. This was done to allow me to see how these boards could be used.

Back to the table saw to rip to width.

The spots you see on two boards were the sweat of my brow, working in unfavorable conditions. I need to talk to the owner about that. I need Air Conditioning.

I stopped to figure out my tenons on these pieces, and the mortises on the rails for the stiles to fit in. I also wanted to post this blog. Tomorrow is toy making day (Wed) so maybe tomorrow night I’ll get the tenons cut and then do a dry fit.

Again here is the Buffet that I’m attempting to build except mine will be all drawers in the buffet portion.

Picture Copyright Fine Woodworking Jan/Feb 2007.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com