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How to Build a Medicine Cabinet - with Tyson Moore

How to Build a Medicine Cabinet - with Tyson Moore


4 minute read

Greetings, fine folks. We're going to learn How to Build a Medicine Cabinet from Tyson of Tyson Moore Builds. Watch as he embarks on the noble quest of creating a shaker-style medicine cabinet from the revered wood of the pine.

Our journey begins with Tyson venturing to his local purveyor of wood, selecting only the finest premium pine for his craft. 

With the precision of a seasoned warrior, he approaches his miter saw, cutting through the pine with the determination of a beaver through a sapling, creating pieces destined to become the sides, top, and bottom of his cabinet.

cover router bit with lower ball bearing

The we find Tyson at his router table, armed with an Amana Tool 49114 3/8” Radius Carbide Tipped Cove Router Bit with Lower Ball Bearing, a tool chosen for its prowess in carving detailed edges into the wood, much like a sculptor adds finesse to marble. This bit, he declares, will add just the right amount of character to the crown and foot of his creation.

creation of the door

As the pieces of the cabinet begin to find their harmony, Tyson turns his attention to the creation of the doors. With the same pine, he cuts stiles (the vertical peices) matching the length of the cabinet sides. He then introduces them to the table saw, where they undergo a transformation, becoming narrower, ready for their destiny.

 Amana Tool 55438 Carbide Tipped InStile & Rail Mission Style/Straight Router Bit Set

In a stroke of genius, Tyson selects the Amana Tool 55438 Carbide Tipped InStile & Rail Mission Style/Straight Router Bit Set to craft the interlocking stiles and rails of his doors, ensuring they will fit together as snugly as a bear in hibernation. Spacers are his allies in this endeavor, allowing the plywood panel to nestle perfectly within the stiles and rails, secure yet free to breathe.

create your perfect fit

In a twist, Tyson reveals that plywood is a trickster, never quite the size it claims to be, hence the cunning use of shims.

Tyson, ever the strategist, preaches the wisdom of testing on scrap wood before committing to the final cut, a pro tip that echoes through the ages.

testing on scrap wood

The assembly of the door rails and stiles is a ballet of precision and strength, culminating in the addition of a plywood panel that Tyson has expertly sized to fit just so, with a whisper of space for seasonal whispers of the wood.

the door rails

Our hero then faces the rabbets for the cabinet's back panel, wielding the Amana Tool 49340 Multi-Rabbet bit like a knight's sword, adjusting its depth with the skill of a master archer adjusting his bow.

Amana Tool 55227 Carbide Tipped Countersink

With the cabinet assembled, Tyson selects the Amana Tool 55227 Carbide Tipped Countersink to ensure his screws sit below the surface of the wood, as discreet as a fox in tall grass.

the Amana Tool 55227 Carbide Tipped Countersink

With everything starting to come together, Tyson adds a couple of shelves for the inside.

a couple of shelves

The tale nears its end as Tyson, using a Timberline 607-500 8-Piece Plug Cutter Set, creates wooden plugs to conceal his craftsmanship, leaving a finish as smooth as a lake at dawn.

Timberline 607-500 8-Piece Plug Cutter Set

In a final flourish, Tyson employs the Amana Tool PLP-100 Carbide Tipped Non-Marring Plug Planer, making quick work of the plugs, leaving behind a surface as flawless as a freshly zambonied ice rink.

medicine cabinet back panel

With the back panel in place and the addition of door handles, Tyson's cabinet stands complete, a testament to the craft, a monument to the pine, and a shrine to the medicine it will safeguard.

medicine cabinet finished

And so, dear listeners, our tale concludes, not with a bang, but with the soft close of a cabinet door, reminding us that with the right tools, a bit of know-how, and a sprinkle of humor, even the humblest of materials can be transformed into something magnificent.

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