Plane the edges of the panel with a block plane to leave a pleasant bevel on the inside edges. The pine is quite soft so a sharp blade and a fine cut will be needed to ensure you don't break out the grain.
When you are happy with the fit of the panel, dry assemble the door. If all is correct we can move on to pre-finishing the components before glue-up. It can be difficult to finish the piece after it has been glued up, and as the cabinet is destined for the bathroom and a humid atmosphere I expect the panel will expand and contract a lot. By finishing it before gluing up un-finished areas won't show up in the future on the panel.
I tried a few different finishes on scrap timber to come up with the final choice. First apply a coat of white Dulux undercoat to the timber and then immediately wipe the excess off with a pieces of rag. This allows the grain to show through but still colours the wood white. Leave to dry thoroughly then de-nibb lightly with 240 grit sandpaper. Then two coats of waterbased gloss varnish are applied with a brush, de-nibbing between coats. This dries quickly so you can easily finish the whole piece in one day.
Cut the 4mm ply back panel on the table saw. Mark out the sides, top and bottom for the rebate to hold the back. Cut the rebates on the router table, being careful to stop the cuts on the top and bottom pieces.
Rout a gentle profile on the top and bottom pieces. I used a 12mm cove bit in the router table. Remember only to rout the front and side edges, running the ends first to minimise breakout.
Now you can apply the finish to the cabinet pieces, using the same method as for the door panel. The cabinet is nearly finished-just glue-up and fitting the door to go!
Glue up time. Apply a small amount of glue to the front end of the dovetail grooves only. Then quickly assemble the cabinet, ensuring it is square. Do the same to the door. Leave the piece to dry in the clamps.
Attach the door knob to the door. The Cabinet is all ready-just need to mount it on the wall. I used two metal hangers attached to the back of the top rail.
There you go-in situ! The Missus is happy and I can get back in the workshop.
