Medicine Cabinet

[Tanus]

I'm designing a cabinet for above the sink in the bathroom.

The cabinet part will be either box-joints or dovetails, about 38 " x3

3/4" x 18".

The door will be flush with the walls of the cabinet, ~ 38" x 18", and will be 1 1/2" rails and stiles, mortise/tenon, with a rabbet cut out of the back to accept the mirror. Material is 3/4" QSO.

I'll hold the mirror to the rabbet with some small quarter round.

I'm worried about seasonal shrinkage, and I don't know how much of a gap, if any, to leave between the edge of the mirror and the wood. If I place the mirror inside the rabbet with 1/16" play, is that enough to absorb the shrinkage of the wood - is it too much? Do I need to worry about this at all and just aim for a nice snug fit?

TIA

Tanus

[Robatoy]

Not too snug. 1/16 all around will be fine. Was in Gatineau two weekends ago... didn't see you...*S*

[Tanus]

1/16 it is then. With my accuracy, I'll just shoot for real snug, and I'll get that 1/16th.

I work in Gatineau. What were you doing there?

[Puckdropper]

Tanus wrote in news:h3tjrv$r6n$ [e-mail]:

Avoiding you, perhaps?

Puckdropper

[Leon]

1/16 it is then. With my accuracy, I'll just shoot for real snug, and

Remember, Robatoy said 1/16" "all around", 1/8" total side to side and top to bottom. I agree with that amount of clearnace. IMHO 1/16" total might be a bit too tight.

[Robatoy]

Indeed. 'all around' is the ticket. Then, I lay a small bead of silicone in the 1/16" gap, all around, and I mean small. Just to stop it from sliding around and rattling once installed.

[Robatoy]

A good friend of mine lives there. He worked at Canada Post in the marketing dept... now happily retired at 58. Very creative and eccentric=97he collects and trades Laurel & Hardy memorabilia. He and his wife always put on a great spread for Angela and I. I will be coming up more often as Angela really likes the Market in Ottawa. The people there are still talking about Obama ordering his driver to turn into the area. Word has it that the Secret Service justabout blew a gasket and shiat their pants when that happened. I guess Obama wanted to see hustle and the bustle of The Market up close..to help him in the socialism experiment. :-^

[Zz Yzx]

[whit3rd]

Mirror/bathroom =3D> condensing moisture. Oak (also maple) will support mildew if they get damp, and that means black stains.

I'd pick another wood, myself. Walnut or cherry are pretty, selected pine can be quite nice. Mahogany and teak are excellent in moisture, but pricey.

[Tanus]

That was something I'd thought about, but I've seen oak in bathrooms that didn't mark up. However, now it appears that the oak I've got won't do this job and SWMBO has been pushing me to get select pine, as you suggest.

Tanus