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Colonial Pewter Cupboard

Published in Woodworker’s Journal ‘From Shop to Home: EssentialProjects, Tips and Techniques for Today’s Home Woodworker”

WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ColonialPewterCupboardColonial styling and a milk paint finishbring history alive in this pinereproduction piece.

Fine pewter isn’t seen muchin daily use anymore, but

not so long ago it was the mate-rial of choice for many domes-tic utensil makers both hereand in Europe. A malleable tin-based alloy, pewter could beshaped and formed to createvessels, mugs and serving dish-es. Unfortunately, many earlypewter creations contained agreat deal of lead, and if usedover a protracted period,caused untimely death. Thoseearly pieces with high lead con-tent are characteristically dull,while latter-day pewter is gener-ally bright and shiny due to ahardening process involvingantimony and copper.

Prosperous homeowners ineighteenth century NewEngland prized their pewterdishes and platters, in largepart because those pieces werehandcrafted by skilled artisans.To display them, another groupof artisans — furniture makers— came up with the pewtercupboard, much like the oneshown here. In this respect youmight say that the pewter cup-


board was a precursor totoday’s china cabinet.

Plate grooves cut into theshelves held serving dishes on-edge, while smaller pieces suchas tureens, goblets and bowlswere arrayed in front. Below, asingle door kept flatware andutensils out of sight.

Clear pine was the mostabundant and also the mostworkable species in the newcontinent, so it became thewood of choice for pewter cup-boards. And the finish of choicewas the standard of its day —milk paint — made with milkfrom the same pewter jug usedthat morning at breakfast.

Begin with the SidesThose magnificent wide pine

boards used for the sides ofantique casework projects are,unfortunately, a thing of thepast. Technology has provideda solution, however: Biscuitjoiners. With their help you canmake up stock for the sides(pieces 1) in two stages. Beginby biscuiting and gluing up twoboards for each of the full-length sections, then add a 5"-wide strip to the front edges.

The flagstone floors in earlyAmerican kitchens were quite

uneven, and cabinets often hadfeet rather than a solid base todeal with this problem. You cancut these with a jigsaw, follow-ing the Half-size Foot Profileshown on the TechnicalDrawings on page 90, then cleanup the cuts with a drum sandermounted in your drill press orby using an oscillating spindlesander if you have one.

The cabinet’s back is madeup of boards and splines(pieces 2 and 3) that are set inrabbets in the sides. Cuttingthese rabbets is next on yourlist (see Figure 1), and the easi-est way to do it is on your tablesaw. Check the Technical

Drawings for the dimensions,make the cuts, then switch toyour portable router to cut aseries of dadoes across both ofthe sides. These dadoes holdthe unit’s bottom panel andlower shelf (pieces 4), thecounter (piece 5), and the twofixed shelves (pieces 6) in theupper half.

Cut these dadoes with astraight bit chucked in yourrouter, running the base against

a straightedge. The locationsand dimensions for the 3⁄4"-widedadoes can be found on theTechnical Drawings.

The last milling operation onthe sides is to make the cut tofit the counter. This is fairlysimple to cut with your jigsaw,following the dimensions on theTechnical Drawings. First use asharp utility knife to scoreacross the grain to preventtearout. Also, cut with the sawagainst the inside face so thatany ragged edges will be hiddenwhen the cabinet is assembled.

Now Make the ShelvesCut the countertop to shape

using your jigsaw (see Figure 2and the dimensioned drawingbelow). It’s also a good ideahere to score the crossgrainwith a knife to avoid tearout.When you’re done, assemblethe sides and shelves, counterand bottom panel, gluing andclamping them together.

The two upper shelves arefixed in place, as are the count-er, the lower shelf and the bot-tom. After cutting all four tosize, rout plate grooves in the

Figure 1: In the traditional mode, weglued up solid-wood panels for the sidesinstead of substituting plywood. Rabbetsfor the back were then cut on a tablesaw, as shown here.

Figure 2: Use a jigsaw to notch thecounter so it fits between the cupboardsides (see the Counter drawing at rightfor dimensions).

63/4"

13/8"

5

The back of the counter fits between the cupboard’s sides, while the front wraps around, under the stiles.

To create this shape, use a jigsaw — but first score your line with a sharp utility knife to prevent tearout.

Counter(Top View)

Colonial Pewter Cupboard 85


6"

167/8"

177/8"30"

375/8"

371/8"

84"

131/4"

131/4"

1

10

2

3

4

29

5

6

6

7

8

9

11

12

16

17

18

19

4

30


upper shelves and the counter-top with a V-groove bit (seeFigure 3, above). The TechnicalDrawings show the locations ofthese grooves.

Begin with the bottom andwork your way up, gluing all theshelves into one side first. Thenspread glue in the second side’sdadoes and repeat the process.Check the diagonals for squareand tighten your clamps.

Making the Face FrameThe upper and lower stiles

(pieces 7 and 8) and the top rail(piece 9) can all be made at thesame time. After ripping andjointing them to size, use abeading bit in your router tocreate the decorative detail onthe outside edge of the stiles,as shown in Figure 4. Then saw

the foot profiles on the lowerstiles using the Half-size FootProfile as a guide in theTechnical Drawings. Clean upthese cuts with your drumsander, then dry-fit the upperstiles and the top rail to thecupboard carcass. If everything

fits, use glue and biscuits(pieces 10) or dowels to attachthe upper stiles to the top rail.When the glue is dry, change toa chamfering bit in your routerand ease the inside edge of thissubassembly. Continue thechamfer into the corners with afile or sharp chisel, then glueand clamp the upper subassem-bly and lower stiles to the car-cass. Now glue and tack thebottom rail (piece 11) in place.


Figure 3: To display your best pewter, cutplate grooves in the shelves with a V-groove bit in the router table.

Figure 4: To create the traditionaldecorative detail on the edges of thestiles, use a bearing-guided beading bitin your router.

T x W x L1 Sides (2) 3⁄4" x 171⁄8" x 84"

2 Back Boards (3) 1⁄2" x 91⁄2" x 793⁄4"

3 Back Splines, Plywood (2) 1⁄4" x 3⁄4" x 793⁄4"

4 Lower Shelf and Bottom (2) 3⁄4" x 165⁄8" x 291⁄4"

5 Counter (1) 3⁄4" x 181⁄2" x 32"

6 Fixed Shelves (2) 3⁄4" x 115⁄8" x 291⁄4"

7 Upper Stiles (2) 3⁄4" x 4" x 46"

8 Lower Stiles (2) 3⁄4" x 4" x 371⁄4"

9 Top Rail (1) 3⁄4" x 6" x 22"

10 Biscuits (2) #0

MATERIAL LIST - CarcassT x W x L

11 Bottom Rail (1) 3⁄4" x 1⁄2" x 22"

12 Top (1) 3⁄4" x 115⁄8" x 281⁄2"

13 Screws #6 x 11⁄2"

14 Cleats (8) 3⁄4" x 23⁄8" x 21⁄4"

15 Crown Backer (1) 3⁄4" x 1" x 60"

16 Cove Molding (1) 3⁄4" x 4" x 72"

17 Ogee Molding (1) 11⁄4" x 13⁄16" x 61"

18 Bullnose Molding (1) 3⁄4" x 1⁄2" x 72"

19 Glides (4) 5⁄8", Nylon

The crownassembly is built

up with threemoldings plus a

backing strip anda series of sup-

porting cleats.

14

15

16

17

18

Bullnose Molding

Cove Molding

Ogee MoldingCrown Backer

Cleat


ing installation. This line will behidden by the crown backer(piece 15), which should beinstalled now. Drive thesescrews from the inside.

Three moldings are attachedto the cleats and backer. Thefirst of these is a large cove

molding (piece 16) that is madeon your table saw (see cross-section on the TechnicalDrawings). With the blade low-ered below the table, clamp twoparallel boards to the saw, asshown in Figure 5, this page.)The boards should be 4" apart

88 Essential Projects, Tips and Techniques

T x W x L20 Door Stiles (2) 3⁄4" x 33⁄8" x 321⁄2"

21 Door Rail, Top (1) 3⁄4" x 31⁄2" x 153⁄4"

22 Door Rail, Bottom (1) 3⁄4" x 37⁄8" x 153⁄4"

23 Door Panel (1) 5⁄8" x 153⁄8" x 255⁄8"

24 Door Hinges (2) Solid Brass Partial Wrap

25 Door Knob (1) 11⁄2" Dia. Low Profile

26 Pivot Dowel (1) 1⁄4" x 13⁄4"

27 Washer (1) 5⁄16" ID

28 Latch (1) 5⁄8" x 1" x 23⁄4"

29 Wedge (1) 1⁄4" x 1" x 13⁄4"

30 Magnetic Catch (1) Low Profile

MATERIAL LIST - Door

Making the CrownThe first step in the crown

assembly is to attach the cup-board’s top (piece 12) withscrews (pieces 13) driventhrough predrilled 1⁄8" holesin the sides and the top rail.

A series of cleats (pieces14) to hold the crownassembly in place can nowbe screwed to the sides andtop rail (from the inside). Theshape and locations of thesecleats can be found on theTechnical Drawings. It’s veryimportant that the bottomedges of the cleats all line upproperly, so draw a pencil lineat this location (see theDrawings) all the way aroundthe cupboard to guide you dur-

Figure 5: To create the cove molding, useyour miter gauge to orient and clampfences at 45° to the blade, then raisethe blade 1⁄16" per pass as you cut thecurved profile.

28

20

20

21

21

22

23

23

24

2526

27

20


and set at a 45° angle to the blade. Your mitergauge can help you set this angle. Test your setupon scrap, making repeated passes and raising theblade 1⁄16" after each pass. (Note: For this opera-tion a sharp blade will reduce your sanding timeconsiderably.) When you’re satisfied with yourtest cuts, mill the workpiece.

Make the Roman ogee and bullnose moldings(pieces 17 and 18) on your router table, as shownin Figure 6. Then miter all three moldings to thecorrect lengths, apply glue on the mitered endsand secure them to the cupboard with finishnails. Set the heads, apply filler and sand smooth.

A Spline-jointed BackWhen building cabinets, it can be helpful to

attach the back to the carcass as early as possi-ble — a square plywood panel helps keep thecabinet stiff. But the style of this piece predates

plywood, so that’s not really an option here.Instead, the fixed shelves serve to stiffen the cab-inet until you install the three separate boards forthe back. The two outside boards have a groovecut along their inside edges, and the center boardhas the same groove cut into both edges. Refer tothe Technical Drawings for the dimensions, thenplow these grooves on the table saw with theworkpiece on edge. Use plywood for the splines


Begin by raising your blade just less than1⁄8"above the table, and set the fence 15⁄8" from theblade. Use this setup to score the front face ofeach door four times to create the panel’s shoul-ders (see photo, above). After making these cuts,raise the blade a hair and recut these kerfs fornice clean grooves that will require very littlesanding.

Place the panel on edge, then set the blade at12° and raise it until the teeth meet the shoulderkerfs. Set the fence 1⁄4" from the inside edge of theblade and cut across the grain first, then with it(see photo, above). Keep the panel tight againstthe fence while you’re making these cuts. Nownudge the fence 1⁄32" closer to the blade andrepeat this process to create cleaner bevels.

How to Raise Panels on Your Table Saw

Figure 6: The Romanogee and the bullnosemoldings are cut on therouter table. Be sure tosand the top edges ofthe Roman ogee beforeinstalling it.

Figure 7: The1/4"-thicksplines in theback are cutfrom scrapplywood.Solid-woodsplines wouldjust crackalong theirgrain.


90 Essential Projects, Tips and Techniques

Technical Drawings Colonial Pewter Cupboard

15/8"

41/4"

3/4"

3/4"

3/4"

3/4"

153/4"21/8"

155/8"

131/4"

131/4"

1

2

3

2

5 6

20

25

20

22

23

21

24

20 23

18

16

14

1

15

17

3/8"

1/4"

101/8"

31/4"

111/16"

4"

1/8"

1/4"

1/4"

1/8"

3/8"2120

5"

15/8"

41/4"

3/4"

3/4"

3/4"

3/4"

153/4"21/8"

155/8"

131/4"

131/4"

1

2

3

2

5 6

20

25

20

22

23

21

24

20 23

18

16

14

1

15

17

3/8"

1/4"

101/8"

31/4"

111/16"

4"

1/8"

1/4"

1/4"

1/8"

3/8"2120

5"

Side(Inside View)

Crown Assembly(End View)

Fixedshelfdadoes

The covemolding inthe crownassembly isattached to thecrown backer and aseries of cleats.Install two cleats oneach side and fouracross the front, secur-ing them from inside the cabinet.

Lowershelfdado

Note: This assemblyis shown full-size

Rabbet for back

Rabbetfor back

Counterdado

Bottom dado

See the Half-size Foot Profile, above right.

Half-size Foot Profile

8



15/8"

41/4"

3/4"

3/4"

3/4"

3/4"

153/4"21/8"

155/8"

131/4"

131/4"

1

2

3

2

5 6

20

25

20

22

23

21

24

20 23

18

16

14

1

15

17

3/8"

1/4"

101/8"

31/4"

111/16"

4"

1/8"

1/4"

1/4"

1/8"

3/8"2120

5"

Door JoineryDetail

(Top View)

Back Boardsand Spline(Top View)

Raised Panel Door(Front View)

Raised Panel Detail

(Top View)

Fixed Shelvesand Counter(End View)

Cut 1⁄4" by 1⁄4"grooves in stiles

and rails

When cutting partsfor the door, note

that the top andbottom rails are not

the same widths. Note: See “Howto Raise Panels”on page 89.

Use a V-groove bit tomake the plate grooves.


because solid wood will crackalong its grain. Be aware thatmost 1⁄4" plywood is actually alittle thinner, so adjust yourgroove accordingly. Dry-fit thesplines (see Figure 7) and theboards for a snug fit.

Picking up on a Colonialtheme, the edges of the boardsare chamfered where theymeet, creating a V. Cut thesechamfers with the same V-groove router bit you used ear-lier to make the shelf plategrooves and be sure to testyour setup on scrap beforemilling the workpieces.

Dry-fit the boards against thecarcass and mark the shelf loca-tions, then remove them anduse your marks to predrill fromthe inside for the screws.Countersink the screw holesfrom the outside and screw theback in place. To allow forexpansion and contraction,don’t glue the boards or thesplines. Drive a tack througheach spline near the bottom tostop it from sliding out. Tackthe two outside boards to thecarcass sides. Attach the glides(pieces 19) next.

The Raised Panel DoorThis is a standard frame and

panel door, with a 1⁄4" x 1⁄4"groove cut in the stiles (pieces20) and rails (pieces 21 and 22)using a straight bit in the routertable. The same bit can also be

The author’straditionalrecipe for milkpaint includesskim milk,linseed oil, limeand whiting.Pigment canthen be addedto this base.

There are countless varia-tions on the basic recipes, butthe two I’ve used are listedbelow. One is for interior proj-ects such as furniture andwainscoating, and the other isfor exterior structures such asbarns, chicken coops andgraineries. Both use the sameelements, differing only in theproportions required (by theway, milk paint contains nolead, propellants or otherharmful chemicals). With theingredients in hand, add themilk to the lime, then stir inthe linseed oil. Sift the whitingonto the top and let it sink,then stir vigorously with astick.

The small packages of pig-ment sold at hardware storesto color cement will work as acoloring agent, as their chemi-cal content is compatible withlime. Mix them with a littlewater to make a paste, thenstir them into the paint.

Experiment with some ofyour batch to get the colorjust right, keeping in mind thatyour paint will be a lot lighterby the time it’s finished dry-ing. Then apply it with a bris-tle or foam brush.

Over the past cou-ple of decades I’ve driv-

en through most of thecontiguous 48 states. Like

any traveler, I revel in thedrama of great treasures like

Yellowstone and the GrandCanyon, but I have to admitthat some of my best trips havebeen simple drives through thepastoral hills of New Englandand the plains of the Midwest.And my most enduring memo-ries of both regions are of hugered gambrel-roofed barns thatdominate every dairy farm.

Have you ever wonderedwhy, with so many coloroptions available, almost everybarn in America was paintedred? The answer is simple buteconomically sound: Until thelatter half of this century, farm-ers used their own abundantproduct — milk — to make thepaint they used to spruce uptheir barns. The formula, devel-oped in Egypt and China a cou-ple of millenia ago, has beenused successively through theages by, among others, Greeks,Romans and Celts.

All-Natural Milk Paint


used to cut tongues on theends of the rails (see theTechnical Drawings). The doorpanel (piece 23) is edge-gluedand sanded, then milled accord-ing to the instructions given onpage 89. (Note: On a panel thisbig, be sure to add a high auxil-iary fence to your saw’s ripfence before making the secondcuts.) Once your door piecesare milled, dry-fit them, check-ing that the panel isn’t tootight. Then glue up the doorframe but allow the panel tofloat freely in the frame. Nowinstall the door in its opening,using the two partial-wraphinges (pieces 24). Their loca-tions are shown on theTechnical Drawings. Thenremove the door and hinges toprepare for finishing.

A Milk Paint FinishAfter giving the entire project

a thorough sanding with 220-

grit paper, finish up with some280-grit and wipe everythingdown with a tack cloth. Apply avibrant red milk paint (We usedJ.E. Moser’s Salem Red, avail-able though catalog outlets).This is a water-based finish, soyou must raise the grain beforeapplying it. Dampen the woodwith a moist sponge or rag, letit dry completely and then sandlightly with 280-grit paper. Becareful not to sand too hard oryou’ll go through the newlyraised grain and be back tosquare one.

Although many over-the-counter milk paint mixes rec-ommend one coat coverage, wesuggest applying two. Then topit off with two coats of Danishoil. If you’d prefer a more tradi-tional approach to milk paint,check out the tips from finisherLarry Fiscus on how to makeyour own milk paint in thestory at left.

When the finish is dry, rein-stall the door and then turnyour attention to the knobassembly. Enlarge the hole in awooden knob (piece 25) with a1⁄4" drill bit, then glue a shortlength of 1⁄4" dowel (piece 26)into the hole. Drill a 5⁄16" holethrough the door at the loca-tion indicated on the TechnicalDrawings, and slip the dowelthrough the hole. Place a wash-er (piece 27) over the dowel,then drill another 1⁄4" hole —this time through the latch(piece 28). Glue the latch ontothe dowel, making sure theknob still spins freely, then tackthe wedge (piece 29) in place.

Wrap up by attaching themagnetic catch (piece 30) nearthe bottom of the door openingto provide for a nice, tight sealthat will help prevent the doorfrom warping over the years.


Door Glue-Up JigWhen gluing up frame andpanel doors, it sometimescan be difficult to keep theassembly square. To helpsolve the problem, here’s ajig that squares one cornerof the frame, giving you areference point for check-ing the other three corners.The jig has two cleatsscrewed to a plywood baseat 90° to each other. Whenusing the jig, first apply alittle pressure with theclamps while adjusting the frame so it’s square, thentighten the clamps and check the other corners of theglue-up. Lay wax paper in the jig first to prevent gluesqueeze-out from sticking to jig.

Screw cleats toplywood at exactly90° to each other.

Wax paper


Colonial Pewter Cupboard - Woodworker's Journal · woodworker. To download these plans, ......

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