The fitting of parts has got to be the most fun there is in fine cabinetmaking. I really mean it. Sharp tools, precise measurements, a little patience; and you're good to go!

The Entry Hall Mirror project has served as a fill-in between other projects. This allows me to always keep busy, but I have to stay alert to make sure the parts are well protected as I move about the shop attending to other things.

The cabinets are beginning to take shape this week with the assembly of the sides and bottom.

The Entry Hall Mirror project calls for key hooks that will be on each side of the cabinet interiors.

Curved, tapered doors make positioning the hinge mortises interesting. I must be careful to ensure the hinge mortises are parallel to the front face of the door.

Surface preparation with the hand plane and cabinet scraper is now complete.

As I prepared the surfaces of the mirror frame and inner cabinet sides for assembly, I also bored several holes for dowel pins. This will help to keep the parts aligned during glue-up.

It's now time to make the cabinets and fit them around the mirror frame. The yellow birch parts are rough cut and machined to thickness, ready for final milling and shaping.

I especially enjoy projects when I'm able to create all the parts, even the hardware, right here in the studio. Here I'm making a pair of brass wall brackets for the back of the mirror.

The top rail of the mirror frame projects slightly beyond the vertical stiles. These end-grain surfaces are chamfered, softened and finished prior to assembly, since it's much easier to control the process before the parts are assembled.

Rough milling of the yellow birch is completed and I've gone ahead and milled the frame members for the mirror.

As the season turns, I'm returning to an entry hall mirror that I started a while back. The yellow birch wood I found for this project has a great story.