Cutting plywood panels flush, advice please

[Lionel]

A friend is making a cabinet, has fastened the back and the dividers to the base, and finds that the dividers stand about 1/8" taller than the back. What's the best way to bring the dividers down flush with the back? His tool selection is very limited (he's making the cabinet parts with a circular saw and a straight edge). The material is 3/4" plywood with a paper-thin black walnut veneer.

No, this isn't me. I would have solved the problem before I fastened the dividers in place.

Thanks for the help.

Lionel

[John Grossbohlin]

Given the tool and skill situation it might be easier to add an 1/8" piece of solid wood to the top of the back with glue and a few brads..., i.e., redesign it!

John

[Andy]

Maybe a flush-cut saw? Granted he'd have to buy something new, but even a nice one (i.e. Veritas by Lee Valley) isn't too expensive ($16-19, see below for link). It would take a while to go through any significant distance of 3/4" ply, but it might be easier than re-building the cabinets. Andy

[Rob Mitchell]

[Swingman]

I agree with John ... since it's on the back, the parts are already fastened, and given the situation with tools, the better part of valor may be to add a 1/8" thick slice of the same veneer to the top of the back ... look around on the floor.

IOW, it would take a good deal of experience with other hand tools to not bollox it up further.

[Mike Marlow]

Not that I've ever found myself in similar situations...

Well then, what would you do now? If you can solve the problem early on, surely you can solve it later on. You do know, don't you that the true mark of a craftsman is not that he performs work flawlessly, but that he covers his flaws better than everyone else.

How did he fasten the back and the dividers to the base? Can it be disassembled easily? If so, take it apart and trim as appropriate. If not, trim carefully with the saw, or get a rasp and file to fit, or perhaps a flush cut saw.

[Woodchuck34]

What a silly mistake. That's never happened to me. I would have no idea how to fix that, not even with a 1/8" rabbeting bit in a router, to cut approximately 1/2 the thickness of that extra 1/8" on the divider, then following up with a flush trim bit to clean up the other

1/2. But like I said, that's never happend to me.

(By the way, when you get towards the end of the divider the router will hit the back of the cabinet leaving an inch or so of material the bit can't reach. I clean that up with a flush trim saw or a dovetail saw, some chisels and some sand paper.)

Good Luck!

Chuck

[Frank Boettcher]

With no tools to work with, a small piece of walnut cove molding or

1/4 round in the top back or top all around.