Townsend Kneehole Bureau Inside Panel & Drawer Dividers Step 2

The next step in the build is to make a place for the internal panels around the kneehole.  I marked out dovetails in the front and a 3/16 inch dado from the kneehole to the back.

I chopped out the dovetails in the usual manner, the pins are on the bottom of the partitions. Now I am using my marking knife of scribe the edge lines of the dados I am going to cut.  The dados could be cut with a router but I chose to do them the old fashioned way, 

One the fibers have been cut by the marking knife it makes a groove that the saw will follow. Starting at the front of the cut and working my way towards the back the saw follows the line. I cut to a depth of 3/16.

Once the saw cuts are made, I use a router plane to clear out the waste between and create a nice flat bottom in the dado.

The kneehole panels need to be cut off on the bottom to fit into the dovetails and the dado, I do this with a hand saw since it is a stop cut at the front dovetails.

I chopped out the dovetail pins on the bottom of the panels and fit the panels into the dado and into the tails on the bottom front.

Now it is time to start working on the cross pieces to keep everything in place. I cut half blind dovetails in the top of the sides and fit the two 1 inch thick cross pieces which make up the sub top for the bureau.  The top will be fastened to this sub-top.

I use my story stick to layout the dados for the drawer runners, dovetail sockets for the drawer dividers on the case sides and inside panels.  There are grooves in the back of the sides for the back panel and grooves in the front for the applied cockbeading.

There is also dado for two thin shelves in the kneehole behind the door

Cutting the grooves for cockbeading along the front of the panel.

Routing the dovetail sockets and dados for the drawer runners and dividers

Cut out the top drawer divider which runs all the way across the case. Put the cockbeading on with the beading bit in the router.  I'll clear out the material in the middle with a chisel.

Fitted into the case sides.

Putting the cockbeading on the small drawer dividers

Putting the dovetail on the end of the small drawer divider.

Fitting the drawer divider in to the case.

I still have to fit the dust panel into the dados behind the large drawer divider. The dust panel has dados on the bottom which the top of the inside panels fit.  This helps keep the inside panels from moving.

Once the dust panel is fitted I think I am done with the carcass. Next step will be to glue it up.

Here is todays video: