You won’t see this view again

This is the last we’ll see this view in this lifetime. It’s the upper case before the top goes on.

upper case sans top

I think of the top as if it’s a giant joined stool seat. Same approach. Plane it, cut it to size, make the molded edge. Then peg it on. I had glued up three quartersawn oak boards a while back and rough-planed them. At this point, the fussy planing happens. Get one side flat enough, then work the thickness.

trimming it to thickness

I make the thumbnail molding with a rabbet plane followed by a smooth plane. Here, a batten works as a fence for the rabbet plane. Depth by eye.

rabbet first

On the cupboard, this is just below eye level, so it all shows. No place to hide.

meet me at the corner

To bore the holes (and to peg it after) I needed a boost. This low bench was perfect, like first-time drivers sitting on a phone book.

just enough room

3/8″ square pegs in round holes. I used 8 altogether, 3 in each end, one in the middle of each long rail.

square peg round hole

(pt 34 Essex County cupboard project 2021/22)