This project was one of the more challenging projects I have done. Not only was it a full wall of cabinets that didn’t fit in my shop. The client wanted the copper to be patinated to add some color to the doors. The floor had a red-ish stain to it, so the standard orange, brown patina on copper could clash with the floor’s tones. So I went through a series of experiments on how to get the copper to patina in the direction of the floor color.
The final result is shown in the video.
Affiliate link: The Book I used to create the patina formula
More pictures of the project can be found at Custom Cabinets For Home Office
How to Build Custom Office Cabinets with Patina Copper Inlay and Live Edge Countertop
Building custom office cabinets is a rewarding project that combines traditional woodworking with creative design elements. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how I built a stunning set of office cabinets featuring patinated copper inlays and a live-edge walnut countertop with hand-inlaid ebony bow ties.
Materials Needed
- Live-edge walnut slabs
- 3/4″ walnut plywood
- Walnut lumber for face frames and door frames
- Copper sheets
- Ebony for bow ties
- Cabinet hardware (hinges, soft-close drawer slides, shelf pins)
- Wood glue, domino/floating tenons
- Veneer for door panels
- Chemicals for copper patina (potash, cupric sulfate, Japanese rusty salt)
Part 1: Preparing the Live Edge Countertop
Rough Sizing the Slabs
Start by cutting your live-edge slabs to a manageable size using a chainsaw. This makes them easier to work with in the shop and helps you begin visualizing the final countertop dimensions.
Flattening the Slabs
Since live-edge slabs are often warped, set up a router sled to flatten both faces and bring them to their final thickness. This ensures a stable, level surface for your countertop.
Creating a Seamless Joint
If your slabs aren’t wide enough to cover the full countertop depth, source a second slab from the same tree to ensure matching grain and color. Lay the slabs side by side and carefully match the grain patterns, then trim the edges to create a nearly invisible seam where the grain flows naturally from one piece to the other.
Use glue blocks rather than clamps to pull the seam tight—this prevents crushing the delicate live edge while still achieving a strong bond.
Adding Ebony Bow Ties
Plan out the placement of your ebony bow ties across the slab, then hand-inlay each one. These decorative elements not only add visual interest but also help stabilize any checks or cracks in the wood.
Part 2: Building the Face Frames
Milling the Components
Mill and rip walnut lumber for your face frame components. Set up a stop on your miter gauge to cut multiple pieces to identical lengths efficiently.
For longer rails that exceed your miter gauge capacity, use a stop block on your fence positioned back from the blade. This allows the material to clear before cutting, preventing dangerous pinching between the fence and blade.
Creating the Joinery
Use floating tenon joinery (like a Domino joiner) to create quick, accurate mortises in your face frame pieces. This method is fast and creates strong joints perfect for cabinet construction.
Custom Configuration
For this project, I built three large face frames with multiple openings rather than individual cabinet boxes. This approach maximizes interior space, which was essential for fitting office equipment like printers and paper shredders without losing room to multiple cabinet side walls.
Part 3: Cutting the Cabinet Cases
Preparing the Dados
Once your face frames are glued up, cut dados to accept the plywood dividers, sides, tops, and bottoms. Mark everything clearly to avoid confusion during assembly.
Cutting Plywood Components
Cut out the bottoms, dividers, and sides from 3/4″ plywood. Be extremely careful when handling modern plywood—the veneer is paper-thin and scratches easily without any hope of sanding them out.
Adding Toe Kick Notches
Set up a stop block at the bandsaw to cut consistent notches for the toe kicks at the bottom of each cabinet.
Drilling Shelf Pin Holes
For adjustable shelving, use a shop-made jig with a collar and router to drill evenly spaced holes for shelf pins.
Creating Divider Dados
Rout stopped dados in the cabinet bottoms where vertical dividers will sit, then clean up the ends with a chisel to create square corners.
Part 4: Building Internal Structures
Web Frames
Construct internal web frames using tongue and groove joints to add stability, especially for file drawers. Pre-assemble these frames before installing them in the cabinet.
Interface Frames
Create interface frames to hide soft-close drawer hardware and provide a surface for drawers to overlay against. This creates a clean, professional appearance when the doors are closed.
Cleaning Up Dados
Use a router plane to clean up any dados that didn’t cut to full depth due to slightly bowed boards. This ensures the cabinet will assemble square.
Part 5: Cabinet Assembly
Assemble the cases in sections, working methodically:
- Glue the bottom to the face frame first
- Add the sides and check for square
- Add dividers at the appropriate stages
Take your time with this process, especially when working with multiple dividers that need precise placement.
Custom Toe Kick with Vent
For any cabinet covering a floor vent, create a custom toe kick with integrated ventilation. Cut thin vertical strips and dado half-laps into them, then cut horizontal dividers (cutting dados first, then ripping to width saves significant time). Assemble carefully, keeping horizontal dividers in grain order for a seamless appearance.
Part 6: Constructing the Doors
Making Veneered Panels
To minimize wood movement behind the copper inlays, resaw thin walnut veneer and glue it to plywood substrate for the door panels. Use a veneer bag to press everything together uniformly.
Building Door Frames
Mill walnut stock for door frames and cut grooves with a dado stack to accept the panels. Make two passes on each piece (flipping between passes) to ensure perfectly centered grooves.
Cut pieces to length using a stop on your miter gauge, then cut tongues on the rails using a dado blade. Always make test cuts on scrap pieces milled at the same time to dial in your settings.
Preparing for Copper Inlay
Cut panels to the final size, then widen the dados in specific areas where copper will overlap using an offset setup at the router table. During door assembly, insert small copper wedges in these areas to prevent glue squeeze-out from blocking the copper inlay locations.
Part 7: Creating the Copper Inlay
Cutting the Copper Grid
Cut copper sheets into strips using a track saw for longer pieces. For smaller pieces that are unsafe to hold, score and snap them with a utility knife.
Patina Process
Safety First: Thoroughly research all chemicals before use and take appropriate safety precautions.
- Sandblast: Sandblast each copper piece (a handheld blaster in a large garbage bag works if you don’t have a cabinet)
- Etch with Potash: Mix potash solution and dab it onto the copper using mesh to create patterns. Do both sides so you can choose the best-looking side later
- Apply Cupric Sulfate: Grind cupric sulfate crystals and dissolve in water
- Prepare Japanese Rusty Salt: Mix this solution a week in advance, let it sit, then decant the settled material
- Heat Treatment: Place copper on a decommissioned (no longer food-safe) barbecue, heat the Japanese rusty salt solution, boil the copper for a few minutes, then quench in water
Installing the Copper Grid
Mill mullions (thin vertical and horizontal strips) and rout shallow rabbets to lap over the copper edges. Assemble the grid on the door panel, gluing down both copper and mullions. Use a vacuum bag with hardboard protection over the copper to apply even pressure without damaging the patina finish.
Part 8: Building Drawers
Drawer Box Construction
- Rout dovetails for the drawer corners
- Cut dados for the drawer bottoms
- Measure and cut everything to length
- For file drawers, cut notches for metal file folder hangers
- Create a ladder-style adjustable stop to prevent file folders from sliding backward when drawers aren’t full
- Assemble all drawer boxes
File Drawer Features
Cut steel bars to length for file folder support. Using a small CNC or by hand, create a file folder backstop and round it over at the router table for a finished look.
Part 9: Final Assembly and Installation
Hardware Installation
Install all hinges on doors and soft-close hardware on drawers. Double-check everything operates smoothly before transport.
On-Site Installation
Transport the completed cabinets to the installation site and secure them in place. Make any final adjustments to ensure doors and drawers operate perfectly.
Tips for Success
- Grain Matching: Take time to match grain patterns, even in areas most people won’t notice—the craftsmanship will show
- Safety with Chemicals: Never skip safety research and precautions when working with patina chemicals
- Plywood Handling: Modern plywood veneer is extremely delicate—handle with care
- Test Cuts: Always use scrap pieces milled at the same time as your workpieces for setup
- Work in Sections: Complex assemblies are easier when broken into manageable sub-assemblies
This project combines multiple advanced woodworking techniques into one stunning piece. Take your time, work methodically, and enjoy the process of creating something truly custom and beautiful.
I’m the owner of Benham Design Concepts, a mixed media art studio where I design and build custom furniture and other works of art using wood, glass, stone, and various metals.
In this blog, I talk about the art I create, my journey, and the things I learn along the way.