Favorite Carcase Joint

[Joe O'Leary]

I'm building a medicine cabinet; carcase dimensions are 30" x 34" x 4 1/2". What's your preferred joining on something like this?

I'm not interested in dovetails or box joints.

Thanks.

[Sam Yerardi]

Joe,
If I were doing carcase construction for this type of cabinet and I didn't want to do dovetails or finger joints there are several options avaliable. Aside from screw construction, you could use dowel construction, mortise and tenon, combination rabbet & dadoe (this would probably be my first choice for this application, as it would be the easiest to implement. There are other methods but these are the ones I would first consider.

[Jamie Buxton]

What's your material -- lumber or plywood?

Is the cabinet surface-mounted, so you see the outside? Or is it like many medicine cabinets embedded inside the wall so you don't see the outside?

[Mark Singer]

dowels using a template

[glenn bradley]

If it will show, drawer lock or rabbet and dado
http://images.meredith.com/wood/images/a_111_1_1.gif
If it will not show, butt it and pocket hole it.

[Greg Muller]

I second Glenn, but without the pretty pics.:)

[frank shic]

butt joint with screws all the way, baby!

[Joe O'Leary]

I'm planning on solid wood and it will be surface mounted.

[Joe O'Leary]

Glenn,

Where can I get that Illustration. Too small for me to read.

Thanks,

Joe

[frank shic]

solid wood? in that case i'd biscuit/domino or maybe even dovetail the thing.