What's inside
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A small display cabinet is a useful intermediate woodworking project: it is compact, teaches accurate joinery, and does not require a full-size sheet of glass. This plan makes a cabinet about 24 inches wide, 30 inches high, and 8 inches deep, with one adjustable shelf and a sliding glass door. Change the dimensions as needed, but keep the case square and the door opening consistent. Those two details matter more than decorative trim.
Contents
Materials and tools
Use 3/4-inch hardwood or cabinet-grade plywood for the case, 1/4-inch plywood for the back, and 1/4-inch tempered glass for the door. A hardwood such as oak, maple, or poplar works well. Poplar is inexpensive and paints cleanly; oak and maple cost more but look better under clear finish. For a painted cabinet, cabinet-grade plywood is usually the sensible choice.
You will also need wood glue, 1 1/4-inch screws, a few brad nails, sandpaper from 120 through 220 grit, and a finish. Buy a tempered glass panel from a local glass shop if possible. Do not cut tempered glass yourself. For tools, plan on a table saw or circular saw with a guide, drill, clamps, a square, tape measure, and router or chisel. A router makes the sliding-door grooves cleaner, but a table saw can also cut them.
Cut list and design choices
The following cut list assumes a case assembled with the top and bottom between the sides. The finished outside dimensions are approximately 24 by 30 by 8 inches.
| Part | Quantity | Size | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side panels | 2 | 30 x 8 inches | 3/4-inch stock |
| Top and bottom | 2 | 22 1/2 x 8 inches | 3/4-inch stock |
| Back | 1 | 24 x 30 inches | 1/4-inch plywood |
| Shelf | 1 | 22 3/8 x 7 1/4 inches | 3/4-inch stock |
| Glass door | 1 | About 22 1/8 x 27 3/4 inches | 1/4-inch tempered glass |
Measure the actual opening before ordering glass. The door should overlap the opening by about 1/2 inch at the top, bottom, and both sides, while still having enough clearance to slide. Glass dimensions vary with the groove layout, so ordering it before cutting the grooves is a common and expensive mistake.
Prepare the case parts
Cut the sides, top, and bottom accurately, then label every part. Check each piece for bowing. A slight bow can usually be oriented toward the inside and pulled straight during assembly; a badly twisted panel will keep the cabinet from tracking correctly.
Cut a 1/4-inch-wide by 3/8-inch-deep rabbet along the rear inside edge of each case part to receive the back. If you do not have a router, attach the back over the rear of the cabinet instead. That method is quicker, but the exposed plywood edge looks less finished and the cabinet is slightly deeper.
Drill shelf-pin holes in the side panels before assembly. A 5mm or 1/4-inch shelf-pin jig keeps the holes aligned. Stop the row at least 2 inches from the top and bottom so the holes do not show through the finished edges. If you only need one shelf position, fixed cleats are cheaper and faster, but adjustable pins make the cabinet more useful.
Cut the sliding-door grooves
The door rides in two horizontal tracks: a deeper groove in the top and a shallow groove in the bottom. Cut both grooves before assembling the case. Position each groove about 3/8 inch back from the front edge. Make the top groove 1/4 inch wide and roughly 1/2 inch deep. Make the bottom groove the same width but only about 1/4 inch deep.
The deeper top groove lets you lift the glass into place, then lower it into the bottom track. Test the fit with a scrap of material the same thickness as the glass. If the groove is too narrow, the door will bind. If it is too wide, the glass may rattle. A thin strip of felt inside the track can reduce noise, but it should not be used to compensate for a badly sized groove.
Assemble the cabinet
Dry-assemble the sides, top, and bottom first. Measure both diagonals; they should be within 1/8 inch of each other. Apply glue to the mating edges, clamp the case, and drive screws through the sides into the top and bottom. Predrill near the ends to prevent splitting. Keep the front edges flush, because sanding a misaligned front will change the door clearance.
Check the diagonals again before the glue sets. Then fit the 1/4-inch back into its rabbets and secure it with glue and brads. The back is not just a cover: it locks the case square. If you are installing a hanging cleat or wall bracket, add it now rather than relying on the thin back alone.
Fit the shelf and door
After the glue dries, install the shelf pins and test the shelf. Leave at least 1/8 inch of clearance on each side and about 1/16 inch above the shelf if it sits in a fixed position. A shelf that fits tightly can push the sides out of square.
Sand all visible surfaces through 180 or 220 grit. Break the sharp front edges with one or two light sanding passes. To install the glass, tilt the top edge into the deeper upper groove, lift the door, and lower it into the bottom groove. If it will not move, check for a case that is out of square before widening anything. Widening the groove may hide the symptom while leaving the cabinet structurally crooked.
Finish and mount the cabinet
Apply two or three thin coats of water-based polyurethane for a clear finish, sanding lightly between coats. Oil-based finishes add warmth to oak but take longer to dry and can yellow light-colored wood. For paint, use primer first, especially on plywood edges, then two thin topcoats. Do not finish inside the grooves with a heavy film; extra finish can reduce the door clearance.
Wall-mount the cabinet into studs whenever possible. A French cleat or metal picture-hanging rail is safer than screws driven only into drywall. The completed cabinet may weigh 25 to 35 pounds before adding objects, and the sliding door shifts the load as it opens. Add rubber bumpers or felt pads where the door stops, and keep fragile items away from the front edge of the shelf.
Common problems and fixes
A door that rattles usually has an oversized track or too much side clearance. A door that binds usually indicates an out-of-square case, unequal groove depth, or a glass panel that is slightly oversized. Cracks at screw locations come from skipping pilot holes or placing screws too close to an end. Finally, do not use ordinary window glass for a cabinet mounted where people can bump it. Tempered glass costs more, but the safer failure mode is worth the difference.