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I also wanted the 3/16" glass to slide down through the
top rail into the frame grooves, rather than sit in a rabbet
on the back of the frame. To achieve this, I had to design
a special corner joint and devise a particular method to join
and split the top rail. I made 1/4" thick double tenons
in the rails and between them created a groove for the glass.
Then, I cut a 3/4" deep x 3/16" wide groove into
the stiles and rails. However, I cut the groove of the top
rail on the inside and outside edge, leaving some material
in the center; this kept the rail together until the assembly
was completed. I made a short 3/8" miter on the inside
corner of the back of this joint and then continued it as
a plain shoulder.
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| Glass
door for upper part of case. |
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Using
the table saw, I beveled the front faces of all the frame
parts to define a 3/16"x1/4" bead toward the inside
edge. I cut away 3/8" of material from the inside of
the frame, creating a "pushed-in" corner pattern.
After the shape was roughed out with the table saw and handsaws,
I used chisels and knives to refine the bead and corner pattern.
Unlike the upper rail, the bottom rail has an additional small
tongue to fill the 3/4"x3/16" glass groove in the
stile. It is quite a small piece, but does add more strength
to the bottom joints. As with the raised-panel doors, I made
the stiles with a horn, which helped preserve the joints until
they were assembled. After I glued the frame together, I cut
away the extra material and planed them flush.
I also cut away the remaining material in the top rail using
an azebiki and chisels to completely clean out a groove. Then
I was able to slide the glass into place. Next, I made a 3/16"
thick filler strip, tapped it into place and secured it from
the back with three brass screws; this helped restore the
strength of the upper rail.
Now
I turned my attention to the "flower-box area".
My design followed no particular rule or tradition, but came
from an innocent and casual thought of a bride wearing flowers
on her head. However, this idea gave me a ton of troubles.
First, I started decorating under the flower-box lip. I inlaid
small drapery like patterns and small pyramid-shaped end-grain pieces. Then, I added a 1"x1"
rounded lip on the top.
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