Cherry Pie Safe
This versatile classic goes together fast with biscuits.
By Dave Munkittrick
and Bruce Kieffer
|
Pie safes like this one were once
commonplace. The pierced-tin panels
kept insects out while providing ventilation
for cooling baked goods.
Our version is built of solid cherry with
a simple, modified-Shaker style that blends
easily into most any decor. Adjustable shelves
and a pair of drawers make it a versatile storage
cabinet. The pierced-tin panels that once
cooled pies provide ventilation for a modern
sound system. Or, you can use this pie safe to
store clothing and take some of the pressure
off that overstuffed closet or bureau.
|
|
You may also like...
Face Frame Cabinets
Sycamore Pantry
Shaker Sideboard
|
Biscuits make the joinery on this project
as easy as pie. If you’ve never made a project
of this scale before, or are new to biscuit
joinery, this is the perfect place to start. You’ll
need to know how to make stopped rabbets
for the back and dadoes for the drawers, but
hanging the flush-fit doors is a breeze with
no-mortise hinges.
|
Cut the biscuit
slots about 6" apart for
edge joining. The biscuits
align the surface of the
boards producing flush
joints that require little
sanding. You don’t want
to expose a biscuit
joint when making your
final cuts so keep your
biscuits at least 3" away
from the ends of the
top (A) and the leg
cutout area on the
sides (B).
|
|
Click any image to view a larger version.
|
|
Cut the slots in
the end of the shelf
with the base of the
plate joiner on the
cabinet side. Clamp
the shelf on the side
so the top edge of the
shelf lines up with the
top edge of the layout
mark on the side.
Mark for biscuits in the
middle of the shelf and
3" in from each end.
|
|
|
|
Cut the slots in the side with the plate joiner held
vertical and using the markings on the shelf.
|
|
|
|
Drill for adjustable shelf pins using a perfboard
template. Mark the bottom and back edge to
correctly register the template on the other side of
the cabinet. Mark the holes to be drilled (every other
hole gives a 2" spacing) and use a sharp brad-point
bit. Make your own fool-proof depth stop from 3/4"
x 3/4" stock that’s drilled down the center and cut to
length.
|
|
|
|
Clamp the carcass assembly using shop-made
cauls to distribute clamping pressure across a wide
joint. See Photo 6 for
how to make cauls.
|
|
|
|
Make your cauls from 2x4s cut to the width of the cabinet. Make sure they are
well dried and all four sides are square. Plane or sand a 1/16" crown on each caul and mark
the crown with an arrow. While you’re at it, make some extras and keep them for future use.
|
|
|
|
Cut slots in the ends of narrow parts, like this
face frame rail, using a simple jig to steady the work
and provide a wider surface for the plate joiner
fence. We used a 12" x 30" piece of melamine with a
3" x 18" piece of hardwood centered along the edge.
Add a couple of hold-down clamps. Note how the cabinetmaker’s triangle identifies
the piece being cut as the top rail.
|
|
|
|
Assemble your door
frames on a perfectly flat
surface using identical clamps.
This helps ensure a flat door
and saves all kinds of headaches
later. Spacer sticks hold the
frame up off the clamps (so it
won’t get stained) and in line
with the clamp screw pressure
(so it won’t get twisted). Note
how the biscuits protrude
into the panel rabbets. They’ll
be removed later when the
rabbets are completed with a
router.
|
|
|