62 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G Photos: Michael Pekovich

hen designing and building themore utilitarian pieces for your

home—entertainment centers, book-cases, corner hutches—you’ll inevitablyconsider the question: Should I make itfreestanding or built-in? The answer in-volves both aesthetics (which will lookbetter?) and economics (do you want tospend all of that time and effort on a pro-ject you’ll have to leave behind if youmove?). Sooner or later, you’re likely totackle a built-in.

Over the last few years I’ve earned an in-creasing portion of my income from wood-

Level bases, modular construction, and scribing to walls are keys to success

B Y T O N Y O ’ M A L L E Y

Built-In Basics W

working, and the majority of it has beenfrom built-in projects. Built-ins are popularwith homeowners for two important rea-sons: First, they add value, becoming a per-manent, hand-crafted part of a home.Second, you can buy a piece of furniture ata store, but you can’t buy a built-in.

Built-ins are a unique form of wood-working, sharing elements of furniture,cabinetry, and finish carpentry. Becausethe built-in is permanently attached to oneor more of the walls, the floor, or the ceil-ing of a room, the design goal must be tomake the built-in appear as an integral part of the room. That means matching and integrating the room’s features, espe-cially moldings, into the design. But abuilt-in also can stand out as a bold coun-terpoint to the design features of a room.Either way, a successful built-in requirescareful planning for its installation. Ideally,all of the finishing is done prior to installa-tion. That, in turn, leads to a number ofconstruction techniques specific to built-ins, including modular cases, scribededges, and reveals or V-grooves to concealseams and joints where the cases or faceframes come together.

For this home office, separate cabinets, made of hardwood plywood, were screwed together on a level base. Then solid face-framepieces were nailed to the cases with the two outside stiles scribed to fit the walls. Crest and base moldings went on next. Shelves (onadjustable pins) and doors (on cup hinges) were installed, and last, the thick desktop slab was slid into place.

Outsidecases are off-set from thewall 1 in. toaccommodatean out-of-plumb wall.

Cleats, 1 in. by1 in., supportthe centercabinet anddesktop.

Desktop,11⁄2 in.thick

Center cabinet hasoverlay doors; caseedges are hiddenwith iron-on veneertape.

Fixed shelvesadd strengthand separatecabinetspaces.

Built-in is left1 ft. short ofthe ceiling,leaving oneless surfaceto scribe to.

Casesare screwedto each other.

Cases arescrewed towall studsthrough theirtops andbacks (belowthe fixedshelves).

Leveling feetscrewed toinside of base

Back of the base is1⁄2 in. short to keepit away from theedge of the floor.

Lights go here toilluminate ceilingand recessedshelves.

Tall cabinetshave insetdoors, flushwith faceframes.

Outside stilesare scribed tothe walls.

Cases arescrewed to the bases.

Base, 3⁄4-in.-thickplywood, is 1⁄2 in.shorter than thetarget height toallow for shimmingand leveling.

Face frame,3⁄4-in.-thickcherry,splined tocase

Case, 3⁄4-in.-thickcherry plywood,joined with biscuitsand screws

Back, 1⁄4-in.-thickcherry plywood,screwed intorabbet in case

Hardboardspline, 1⁄8 in.by 5⁄8 in.

Extra layer of plywoodreduces the overhangbehind the face frame.

N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 3 63Drawings: Bob La Pointe

A N AT O M Y O F A T Y P I C A L B U I LT - I N

64 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

This article follows the making of a built-in wall unit for a home office and includesmany of the typical challenges that built-ins present, especially those that involvebookcases and cabinets.

Start with the roomNo two rooms are exactly alike, so no twobuilt-ins are alike either. It’s rare to findroom surfaces that are dead straight, letalone level and plumb. Yet a built-in muststand level and plumb if it’s to look right

and if the doors and drawers on the unitare to work properly.

Every built-in starts with a careful assess-ment of the room conditions, in addition tothe obvious measuring of the space it willbe built into. The key to success is to scribeparts accurately where they meet the walls,floor, or ceiling, which requires cuttingthose parts oversize.

Then work out the designBuilt-ins run the stylistic gamut from tradi-tional to modern. A painted built-in gener-ally is less expensive than a natural orstained-wood version. In my painted built-ins, I use birch plywood for most case con-struction and solid poplar for the trim.

Painted built-ins are more forgiving becausethe joints can be caulked and painted over.

The built-in here was planned for in thehome’s original design and construction. Itfills the entire length of a 14-ft. wall butstops a foot short of the 8-ft. ceiling. It alsocalls for lights on top of the cabinets be-hind the crown molding and inside the topof each bookcase.

The design is contemporary and straight-forward but with some subtle refinementsworth mentioning. The wood is cherry,straight-grained in the face and doorframes. For contrast, the door panels areplainsawn with custom walnut pulls. Thefour tall cabinets are in the same plane at16 in. deep, with the upper shelves set back

B A S E S A N D C A S E S

S TA R T W I T H L E V E L B A S E S

Shim one base level. Check it alongits length and width. While leveling it,raise it to the target base height.

Use small squares of plywood as lev-eling feet. Screw these to the base,which will remain level even when shift-ed slightly during later stages.

Raise and level the second base.Use a level and a tight mason’s cord tobring the second base up to the samelevel as the first one.

Place two cases on each level base. These cases should be sanded and finished before installation.

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N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 3 65

a few inches to allow the interior lightingto reach them. The open shelves are deepenough for oversize books and magazines,while the closed cabinets are deep enoughfor storage. The desktop extends to 25 in.,and its flared shoulders lie neatly over thevertical face frame, visually connecting thedesktop to the fixed shelves in the book-cases. The center cabinet above the desk-top is recessed from the main cabinets,creating a visual counterpoint and makingthe crown molding more eye-catching.

Build the casesThe cases were built from 3⁄4-in.-thick cherryplywood, and the backs from 1⁄4-in.-thickcherry plywood. Hardwood plywood usu-

ally has an “A” side and a mediocre side, soorient it for best appearance.

I use biscuit joinery for almost all caseconstruction (see my article in FWW #165,pp. 66-71) because it’s versatile, simple, andreliable. On this project, most of the jointscould have been screwed together as wellbecause the rows of screws are concealedby moldings, the desktop, or adjacentcase sides. Screwing together the casesstrengthens the joinery and makes assem-bly easier because it eliminates clamping.

Before assembling the cases, I ran a 1⁄8-in.-wide groove in the front edge of all

the case parts. These grooves will receivesplines to position the face-frame parts. Ialso cut rabbets into the case parts for theback panels.

Before installation, I finished all of theparts with Waterlox, which is a tung-oil-based finish that can be wiped, brushed, orsprayed on, and builds like a varnish. I ap-plied three coats, sanding in between with320-grit paper.

Install level basesThe bases for built-ins always should beseparate from the cases. That way, you can

Screw the cases together. Drive the screwsjust below where an adjustable shelf might go.

Screw the cases to the base. Make sure thecases are flush with the front and inside edgesof the base so that the face frame and basemolding go on straight. Note that the baseends up 1⁄2 in. short of the wall, avoiding incon-sistencies at the edge of the floor.

Connect the sides. Set the center cabinet on itscleats to set the distance between the tall cases.Clamp in the desktop slab to plumb the cabinets,and screw through the cabinet backs to attachthem to the wall studs. Shim where there are gaps.

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3

4

66 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

level the bases independently of the larger,more cumbersome cases. There are lots ofsimple ways to make structural bases forbuilt-ins. Stud lumber can work in manysituations; just mill it straight beforehand.But I generally screw together simple boxesfrom the scrap 3⁄4-in.-thick plywood that’sleft over from the cases.

Start with a target height—in this projectit was the floor of the cases—and workfrom there. Whatever the target height, therough base should be built 1⁄2 in. shorter toallow for dips in the floor and for shim-ming up to the target height.

If the base molding is going to touch thefloor, it should be milled 1⁄2 in. wider thanthe finished dimension to scribe it to an un-even floor. In this project, I tacked a smallshoe molding onto the base molding,which eliminated having to scribe the basemolding to the floor.

For this unit, I started by shimming oneof the two bases level (see the photos onp. 64). If possible, determine which side ofthe room is highest overall, and start on

Extra groove makes scribing easy

FA C E F R A M E SS P L I N E S A D D S T R E N G T H A N D E A S E A S S E M B LYAll of the frame pieces receive 1⁄8-in. splines, which serve a number of functions: They locatethe pieces precisely on the cases, hold them in place during dry-fitting, and add somestrength to the glued-and-nailed joints.

MIDDLE STILESThe groove in the stile is offset1⁄4 in. to create a 1⁄4-in. overlapin the case. Only one spline isnecessary.

OUTSIDE STILESThe groove in the stile isoffset an extra 1⁄4 in. tocreate a 1⁄4-in. overlap insidethe case.

Outside stile is 21⁄4 in. wide toallow for scribing.

Middle stile,2 in. wide

Outsideof case

Fillersheet

Lower rails andstiles stop 1⁄4 in.above the floor.

Inside stile, 2 in. wide

Upper rail,41⁄4 in. wide

Lower rail,4 in. wide

INSIDE STILESThe grooves are offset equallyto make a flush joint outsidethe case. Plywood filler reducesthe overhang inside the case.

Case, approx.1 in. from wall.

Offset, 1⁄2 in.

A two-groovesequence makesscribing a cinch. First,make the outsidestiles 1⁄4 in. wider toaccommodate wallsthat are slightlybowed. Cut the firstgroove for finalpositioning, and cut a second one forscribing.

Target widthof stile is 2 in.

This area iscut away.

Scribe block,1⁄2 in. wide

1. Position the stile on the scribinggroove and use the scribe block tomark the area to be removed.

2. Cut to the scribe line with a jigsaw or bandsaw. Use theother groove to install the stile.

Groove forscribing

Groove forscribing(see below)

Groove for finalpositioning

After scribing the outside stile to the wall,put the remaining stiles in place. Their longsplines should secure them during the dry-fit.

Shelfedging,11⁄2 in.wide.

RAILSThe grooves areoffset equally inthe case andrails to make aflush joint.

SHELVESThese grooves also are offset equally to create a flush joint.

Wall

1⁄4-in.

1⁄4-in.overlap

1⁄4-inoverlap Flush

joint

Flush joint

Flush joint

1 . D R Y- F I T T H E FA C E F R A M E S

N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 3 67

that side. To level the second base to thefirst, I stretched a length of mason’s cordfrom the outside corner of the first base tothe outside corner of the second (a laserlevel also will work), then raised the sec-ond one up to the stringline. Once leveled,a base can be screwed to the floor or thewall studs. But in this project, because thebases needed to be shifted slightly whenthe entire row of cabinets was brought to-gether, I let them float. Once the bases arein place, it’s a good time to locate and markthe wall studs.

Install the cases—Set the cases on theirleveled bases, and screw them together. At-tach the cleats that will support the centercabinet and the desktop. Position the cen-ter cabinet and clamp it to the side cabi-nets. Screw through the walls of the centercabinet to attach it to the side cabinets.Next, set the main desktop slab on its cleatsand snug a clamp across the two cases totrue up the entire assembly.

Now the entire unit can be attached tothe wall. Because I had access to the top ofthe cabinets, I drilled through the tops atan angle into the studs. I also screwedthrough the case backs underneath thefixed shelves.

Install the lighting next—Before theface-frame parts, moldings, doors, anddesktop are in the way, install any lightingor power strips that you desire.

For the set of cabinets in this project, Iused small, surface-mounted halogenlights, which are shaped like hockey pucksand available in home centers. I mounted

one underneath the top of each open case,hidden behind the top face-frame rail.These throw some light onto the recessedshelves below. I also mounted one atopeach cabinet to throw soft light into the 1-ft.space above the cabinets. The lights are

hidden by the crown molding, as is thefour-way outlet that was installed abovethe cabinets by an electrician.

Mill and dry-fit the face-frame piecesWith the cabinets installed, I proceeded todry-fit the face-frame pieces to the cases.Traditional kitchen-cabinet face frames arebuilt as independent frames, held togethereither with mortise-and-tenon joints orpocket-hole screws, then applied to thecases. With some built-ins, this is a sensibleapproach. But building large face frames isawkward and unnecessary.

Instead of having flush, glued joints at theintersections of the face-frame panels, Ichamfered the edges of all the parts and theends of the horizontal pieces, leaving a smallV-groove wherever parts come together,to hide any minor inconsistencies. As a re-sult, I was able to cut and dry-fit all of theface-frame pieces to the installed cabinetsbut finish them in the shop on my bench.

With all of the face-frame pieces inplace—dry-fitted at this point—you can

2 . I N S TA L L T H E FA C E F R A M E S

Fit the rails. Starting at the outside cabinets,mark and fit the upper and lower rails and theedging for the fixed shelf. Then move to the in-side cabinets.

Prepare the face-frame pieces for installa-tion. Chamfered edges hide inconsistencies atthe joints, allowing you to prefinish the parts inthe shop and nail them on one at a time.

Start with the innermoststile. This joint must beflush. Adjust the alignmentas you nail on the piece.Shoot through a thin pieceof cardboard if your gun hasa tendency to dent the sur-face (inset). Later, fill thenail holes with colored wax.

68 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

record the exact openings for the miteredframe doors. The idea is to avoid trimmingthe doors to fit, as mitered doors must betrimmed equally on all four sides to main-tain their symmetry. If you make the doorsbefore at least dry-fitting the face frame,you may end up with uneven miters or un-even gaps around the doors.

Finish and install the face frameSand and finish all of the face-frame stock,along with the base- and crown-moldingstock. The face-frame parts on most largebuilt-ins are nailed to the cases because itis difficult to clamp and glue face frames toinstalled cases. I filled the nail holes withwax colored to match the wood tone. I re-moved the excess wax by rubbing hardwith a clean rag.

Working from the stile nearest the cen-ter—with its flush joint—I reinstalled theprecut, prefinished face-frame parts usinga pneumatic nail gun for speed. If you don’thave a nailer, you can predrill and nail onthe parts with #6 finish nails. I also ran aquick bead of glue into the spline grooves.

Fit and install the moldingsBase molding seems like it should slap oneasily and quickly, but that’s rarely the casewith built-ins. Miter any outside cornersfirst; here I started with the return piecesunder the desk. Then cut the end thatmeets the wall, scribing it to fit if necessary.

Last, cut or scribe the bottom edge of thepiece to bring the top edge of the basemolding to the target height.

Installing crown molding is trickier—The crown molding is a flat piece of 6-in.-wide stock with chamfers cut at the bottomand top edges (see the drawing above).The chamfer at the bottom determines theangle at which the crown projects fromthe case; I chose 35°. Pieces of plywood at-tached to the top of the cases support theupper half of the molding. Basically, I nailedthe bottom of the molding in place, thenscrewed the support pieces to the back ofthe molding and to the tops of the cases.

I added some glue to the outside miterswhen everything was ready for final nail-ing. The squeeze-out cleaned up easilyfrom the finished wood. I nailed the miterstogether, then went back and added nailsalong the rest of the molding to secure it tothe cases. I finished by screwing on thesupport blocks behind the top edge.

Make and install the doorsThe doors on this project are miteredframes around a 1⁄4-in.-thick plywood panel.The mitered look suits this project’s con-temporary, angular demeanor, and thewalnut splines added after assembly willensure the joints stay tightly closed.

You can use off-the-shelf plywood for thepanel, but the back side of the wood is

likely to be pretty shabby. To get cleanfaces in and out, I veneered both sides of aplywood panel, making a nice bookmatchfrom sequential leaves of veneer.

I used biscuits to align the faces of themiters during assembly. The biscuits addsome strength to the joint but would not besufficient without the splines.

Make a simple jig for the tablesaw (seeFWW #151, p. 49), and cut slots through themitered corners. Clamp a tall auxiliary fenceto the tablesaw fence to keep the jig fromtipping. Then plane stock for the splines.

Hang the doors—I chose cup hinges fortheir versatility and ease of installation,

A trick for mitering crown molding

C R O W N A N D B A S E M O L D I N G S

B A S E M O L D I N G

Use a sample block to break down the angle. The 6-in.-wide molding won’t fit inthe miter saw when tilted into its 35° position. But you can fit a smaller version ofthe molding in the miter saw, tilted against the fence. Set the fence to 45°, andmake a cut (left). Then lay the molding flat on the saw (right) to find the proper fenceand blade angles for cutting the real thing, which must lie flat.C R O W N M O L D I N G

Crown molding, 6 in. wide whenflat, 3⁄4 in. thick

Bevel, 3⁄4 in.wide

Bottom edgeis nailed to theface frame.

Plywood supportstrips, screwed tocase and molding

45° bevel

Basemolding,3⁄4 in.thick

Shoe mold-ing, 1⁄2 in.thick by 7⁄8 in. high

Face frame

Top of case

N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 3 69

though traditional butt hinges would workjust as nicely. Cup hinges are classified ac-cording to the relationship between thedoor and the case part they are hungfrom—inset, full overlay, or half-overlay.The doors on the center cabinet are fulloverlay, while the bottom doors are inset—with a twist. Because the cabinet side is setback from the edge of the face frame, I hadto block out behind the face frames to cre-ate a flush surface for an inset hinge.

Make and fit the desktopThe desktop is a solid slab of 8/4 cherryplaned to 11⁄2 in. thick. It rests on cleatsscrewed to the case sides. I wanted the ex-

tended portion of the desktop to overlapthe face frame, angling outward to meetthe inside edge of each stile and connect-ing the desktop visually to the fixed shelf.But cutting clean, precise notches in a sin-gle slab would have been impractical.

Instead, I glued up one slab for the entiredesktop, then ripped off the front, overlap-ping section. I crosscut the back section tothe same length as the top cabinet and dry-

fitted it on its cleat to mark the location ofthe front of the cabinets. After ripping theback flush with the front of the cabinets, Iglued on the longer front extension pieceand did another dry-fit to lay out the angledends. Last, I slid the desktop into place andscrewed through the cleats to attach it. �

Tony O’Malley makes furniture and built-incabinetry in Emmaus, Pa.

Install the base molding. Starting with the re-turn piece, shim the molding up to its properheight and mark the miter (above). Cut the re-turn, and mark and cut the front piece, then nailthe moldings in place. A small shoe molding willhide the gap below (see the drawing at left).

Work from the center out. Clamp blocks to the face frame to ensure an even reveal. On the re-turn pieces, fit the miters first, then dry-fit the pieces and mark their lengths. The front pieces willbe trickier. You must nibble away at each end to creep up on a good fit.

Make test cuts to fine-tune the fit. Youwill have to reverse the saw fence to cut theopposite angle.