Monterey Cabinet

In the heyday of southern California’s Monterey furniture craze, Mason Manufacturing was one of the biggest players on the scene. During Prohibition, discrete bars for the home were one of the more popular items that came out of their furniture shops. And the bar you see here was one of the most prized pieces in that collection.

This fold-out, tile topped design is tricked out with all the appropriate accents needed for a well-stocked bar. You’ll make most all the parts needed. From the decorative accents on the bottom of the legs up to the wings that fold out, there’s lots to do woodworking-wise on this cabinet. Also you’ll get to hone your metalworking skills by making backing plates for the pulls, metal corners, the bottle holders for the wings, some stops, and a lid stay.

Alder was the wood of choice for this project, it’s the well-behaved cousin of birch. And that red finish — yum. It takes several layers to complete, but worth the effort. So set down that drink and head to the shop — well, tomorrow morning anyway.

First, build the SIDES

As with many case projects, it all starts with the legs. The legs are a combination of the foundation and the cornerstone of furniture pieces like the cabinet.

If you take a gander at the details above you’ll notice that all the mortises and grooves in the legs qualify them as foundational to the project. Also, the decorative detail at the base of the legs gives a nod to the look of a cornerstone. Let’s start by gluing up the legs.

Finding alder that’s thick enough for the legs was going to be a task, so I glued up the