Frame & Panel Construction - innards?

Jason Beam

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Dave Noftz's thread about his nightstand reminded me of an issue that has stumped me for awhile now about frame and panel construction. Instead of hijacking his thread TOO much, I thought I'd start a new topic. So here goes..

Frame and panel construction - what do you do with shelves on the inside?? - especially an inside that will be public facing (not hidden by a door or a drawer, etc)

For an example, http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7902 dave has his bottom shelf dropped a bit. My urge is to raise that shelf up a bit to be flush with all 4 rails.

An even tougher one for me has ben an entertainment center I'm working on. The side panels have middle rails and I can't decide where to align the shelves. Should I split the difference and put the shelf in the middle of the center rail or should it be flush?

I know it's all about personal preference, but I'm sure it's been tackled before and I'm interested to see what others have chosen to do about it.

In a related note, what if you have more shelves than dividing rails in the panel? Make the panel flush on the inside? Notch the shelf?

The flood of questions ... must .... come up ... for ...... air!
 
Hi Jason :wave:,
I always have an opinion on design stuff, remember it is just mine.
I too like the shelf being flush to the top of the rails as it allows for more ease in cleaning and there is no rail edge to stop things coming out. I think marbles are the only thing that might need an edge like that.:dunno::rofl: Mind you though, I have made pieces over the years that did have the floor lower than the rail front. We need to know what the reasons are for the placement of that piece, at that height, reguardless of where it finally ends up. There should be a good reason to choose which ever option.:type:

You have some very good questions that can be solved aesthetically.
Can you try to explain a wee bit more simply, about one area at a time.
Thanks :D,
Shaz :)
 
I use frame and panel A LOT in my house since we have an Arts and Crafts/Craftsman style home. I fretted about this myself and finally came up with a simple answer. It don't matter. SO FAR everything I have done with shelves have been behind a door. Once it is assembled, out of the shop and in place.... it doesn't bother me any more. It drove me crazy at first thought.

Now if the shelves were exposed. I don't think it would bother me because how many people, other than another Wood Worker, is going to look that close at the shelves? BUT if it something that is going to be obvious like say a tall bookshelf or cabinet with a bookshelves. I have a simple answer. Cut a filler strip and glue it to the case behind the shelf. It will make it look better. If you have adjustable shelves.... well you got another problem there. You could probably make a wedge shapes piece by hand planning it and just wedge it beside the shelf once it was in place. Just have to think creatively.

Jeff
Who woke up to early this morning.
 
if you were placing the shelves in an area where there is no rail, just stiles, therefore placing a normal shelf would leave a gap at the panel, you could do one of 2 things.

1. make the shelf fit the gap, cut out the sections that would touch the stiles. therefore allowing the left over wood to fit tight against the panel.

2. if it is a face frame cabinet, you can dado out the section of the stiles, to the depth that reaches the panel and let the shelf sit in this dado and tight against the panel.

if not face frame and the front of the panel will show. then you could still use this method, only it would have to be a stop dado so that it doesn't show through.


i personally did what jeff said when faced with the issue, because it was the fastest and easiest. and it was behind doors and was being used as a clothes armoire for my son. no one would ever see it anyway, i only closed it in because my wife would have noticed it after i stained it and it would have been more work at that time.

hopefully i understood your question correctly, if not, please feel free to disregard my entire post.

good luck with your decision
chris
 
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