Tapered cabinets

[Steve Nieuwsma]

I’m trying to build an arts and crafts/mission style grandfather clock with tapered sides. The sides are 7’ tall with a 2 degree bottom to top taper for the front or face view.

My current strategy is to cut the dados for the horizontal panels (and thru tendon) into the side panels using a shop made 2 degree wedge jig and router. The complexity is the horizontal panels will also have a thru tendon (about 3 wide x 2 long) as part of a 13” wide horizontal panel. The other option is to cut the angle into the horizontal panels but then I still have to deal with the thru tendon.

I think it’s less difficult to angle the dado (and use the same jig for the deeper cut thru mortise) into the side panels rather than to cut the angle in the horizontal panel especially since the horizontal panel with have the thru tendons feature. I know I need to finish the thru tendon with a pattern straight router bit on the exposed side.

I have also made a full size story board stick template of the front exposure to ensure I get horizontal length dimensions correct given the 2 degree bottom to top taper. I think the trigonometry math might be error prone so I made the story board for “truth”.

Comments and perspectives appreciated!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Moved here from wrong forum. Hope someone can help Steve with his questions.

[Brian Tymchak]

Hi Steve, welcome to the Creek.

If my mind's eye is working this morning, I think your strategy is sound given the very slight angle. Assuming you are using 4/4 or so for your sides. You should still have enough shoulder on the downside of the dado to support the shelf and I assume there is little actual load on the shelf. If the taper were more pronounced, you would have little to no support on the downside shoulder.

I would practice cutting the dado once or twice on scrap before doing it for real on the project boards.

[Jim Becker]

Steve, the process you lay out makes sense. I do suggest you build some templates and also do some prototyping with inexpensive material to work through your jointery before you commit to the expensive wood. That's really a best practice for anything that adds an element of complexity and angles certainly trigger that need.

[Steve Nieuwsma]

Thanks to all for the fast replies. I am using 5/4 QSW and indeed plan to prototype and practice (again and again)