PROJECT: Cherry Dog Kennel

PROJECT: Cherry Dog Kennel

For those of us with dogs in our households, a dog kennel — the ubiquitous “crate” — can be a lifesaver. It’s basic equipment for dog owners, serving both as a comfortable, safe home for the pooch and a place to contain them as needed. Over the pandemic, many people decided that a dog would improve their lives, and many of those pet owners keep their canine buddies indoors most of the time. And while those plastic and metal crates and kennels are useful and practical, most of them are pretty ugly.

Dog sitting in cardboard box

My kennel here is made of solid cherry hardwood. I think it looks like a piece of furniture. Its door flips open and slides into a pocket inside the kennel, using Rockler’s EZ Pocket Door Slides. The project is built around a plastic tray and a cushion, so there’s no wooden bottom to the kennel. That way, if something messy happens inside, it’s easy to remove the mess and clean the area.

Opening wooden kennel with dog inside

One detail here is either a benefit or a flaw: the kennel is obviously made of wood. If your dog is a chewer, this is not the best solution. But worse case scenario, the good news is that the slats are replaceable. Still, consider yourself warned, because this project takes a good bit of time and effort to complete, so evaluate your dog’s chewing tendencies before you build.

Get Ready for Some Table Saw Time!

Cutting down pieces of cherry lumber
Using cherry 1-3/4″ stock sourced from Rockler, the author starts breaking down the lumber by crosscutting it into manageable lengths. The lumber had been in the shop for some time to get acclimated to its environment.

The kennel consists of 31 different pieces and 85 total parts, by my count. As my shop buddy, Woodworker’s Journal Senior Art Director, Jeff Jacobson, pointed out, the key to building this project is staying organized.

Cutting lumber into smaller parts for stiles
Here, he rips the four side frame stiles to size. A sharp narrow-kerf saw blade did the trick and made efficient use of the stock. Cherry burns easily, and this is a substantial cut, so a sharp saw blade is important.

Nearly the entire kennel is built using the table saw to do the machining. I opted for 1-3/4″-thick cherry lumber, surfaced on two sides, for the lion’s share of the construction. You can purchase it in that dimension at Rockler stores as I did. Or you can order some 8/4 lumber and surface it to thickness. After using my miter saw to break the lumber down into manageable pieces, I jointed one edge of the boards and got busy on my table saw.

Matching up markings for cutting grooves
Determine which side stiles will look best surrounding the kennel’s door. Mark the stock with the approximate location of the grooves to be plowed down their length.

I ripped the side frame stiles to width before heading back to the miter saw to cut the pieces to their exact length. Repeat this process for making a pair of 1-1/4″-thick stiles for the end frame and door now, too. Then I examined the thicker stiles to see which ones looked the best and chose those for the front of the carcass, on either side of where the door will hang.

Cutting installation grooves in kennel stiles
A back leg receives a pair of grooves. Check the Drawings for locations.

Next, I sketched where the grooves will be plowed on the stiles to help keep their orientation clear. Note that all the stiles have full-length grooves along their inside edges to fit the ends of the rails. The rear stiles of the side frames also have a groove on an adjacent face so they can attach to the end frame with loose tenons. The end frame stiles have a groove along both long edges — one groove to house the rails and another to fit the loose tenons. To plow all of these 1/4″-wide grooves, I switched to a full-thickness saw blade and made them each in a pair of side-by-side cuts. Those on the end frame and the door also need to be centered on the stock thickness.

Lots of Notches Come Next

Marking notch location for half lap jig
Here the author sets up Rockler’s Cross Lap Jig to form notches in the rails.

As I mentioned initially, the slats of the kennel are replaceable. To make the housings that hold the slats, I decided to cut 3/8″-deep notches into 5/8″-thick stock that would be used to form the top and center rails for the two side frames, the end frame and the door. Start with rail blanks that are overly long and twice as wide as the various rails will be in the end. After machining the stock, you’ll rip them in two and then glue them together into doubled-up rails with 3/4″-square, centered slat mortises. It’s a slick trick.

Adjusting dado stack height with setup bar
He uses a brass setup bar to dial in the dado blade height.

I used a Rockler Cross Lap Jig to form the slat notches. You will find the layout for the notches in the drawings. Mount a 3/4″-wide dado blade in the table saw and adjust the key on the jig to match the blade width. Offset the key by the 2″ space between the notches, and lock it in place.

Cutting notches for dog kennel rails with dado blade
The width of the jig’s key must be set to the exact width of the dado blade.

Now measure to the center of your first rail blank and mark a line. Mark another line in the center where the dado head cuts through the jig’s backer board.

Using sacrificial board to guide notch cuts
With the center notch marked, it is cut with a sacrificial board behind the stile blank.

Put a piece of stock up against the jig face to clear the jig registration key, and cut the center notch on the rail material. Now, you can use the registration key to locate the remaining notches on the board.

Cutting multiple notches for kennel slats
The board keeps the blank forward of the jig’s key to make a first cut. Once that first cut is made, the offset of the key will locate the rest of the notches.

I recommend that you machine all the notches in all the rails while you have this jig set up on the table saw. That will help you stay organized!

Multiple boards with slat installation notches cut in them
Form all the notches on the blanks in one session.

Set those parts aside for the moment so you can rip and crosscut the slats from 3/4″ stock, making certain that they fit the notches you just formed in the rails. They should slide easily in the notches; too tight and you will have trouble later.

Gluing rail blanks together for dog kennel
Two short cutoffs (“drops”) from the slats are used to perfectly align the side rail pieces as they are glued and clamped together.

Now it’s time to rip those rail blanks in two and glue them together to form the rails. Glue up all the rails and scrape off the squeeze-out when it gets rubbery. Clear away any excess glue inside the slat mortises at the same time so that it won’t obstruct the slats.

Marking out center section of kennel rail blanks
Since the glued-up rails are initially overlong, measure out from the center to mark their final length.

When the glue has cured, it’s time to carefully cut the rails to length, keeping the notches properly centered. I did that by inserting a “drop” piece of the slat material into the center slat mortise and then measuring half the length of the rail to each side of center.

Cutting kennel rails to final length with miter saw
Once one rail is cut to length for each frame or the door, you can use it to mark the other rail. A slat drop piece makes a handy registration pin when gang-cutting the rails to length. Cut them all to length before moving on.

Once you have that marked, you can stick two matching rails together with the slat piece in their same mortises and cut the rails to length simultaneously. This gives you the proper sized rails and perfectly located mortises.

Using table saw to cut tenon in end of dog kennel rail
The rail lengths in the Material Lists include 1/4″ stub tenons on the ends.

Remember those grooves you plowed earlier on the stiles? Now we’re going to raise some 1/4″-long, 1/4″-thick stub tenons on the rail ends (see the Drawings) that will fit into those grooves. This is another table saw task, although you could do it on a router table, too.

Checking height of rail tenon against dado stack
Raise them on the table saw.

When that’s done, use the placement of those stub tenons to locate grooves in the bottom of the center rails and the top of the bottom rails. These grooves will capture the raised panels that we will be making shortly.

Cutting groove in dog kennel rail
Plow grooves in the stiles for the stub tenons and for the loose tenons joining the end and side frames.

In addition to those grooves, on the top edge of the top rails you’ll need to form a 3/4″-wide by 1/4″-deep centered recess to accept the retaining caps. The caps will hold the slats down and in place.

Testing the Fit and Keeping Organized

Test fitting parts for side of dog kennel
The author continually tested the fit of the various parts as he worked through the building process. The joinery is not difficult, but there are a lot of pieces to keep track of. Staying organized is key!

Next up is making the solid raised panels (pieces 6, 13 and 22) that surround the bottom of the kennel. Use 1/2″-thick stock and cut the various pieces to width and length. I raised a rectangular field in these panels in a two-step table saw process. First, I used a tenoning jig to slice across the grain on both ends of each panel.

Cutting grooves in rail for panel installation
Mill grooves that will house the raised panels. They must line up with the stub tenons on the part ends. Be sure to test the setup on scrap lumber.

With that done on all four panels, I set up the saw with some featherboards and cut a pair of long rabbets along the length of the panels to complete the raised area. Sand the saw marks smooth and dry-fit the panels in their grooves.

Cutting groove for securing slats in kennel rail
The slats are replaceable, if necessary. Plow a 3/4″-wide groove to accept the retaining caps that hold the slats down in position under the top panel.

If all looks good, glue and clamp the rails and stiles of each frame together, but be sure to allow the raised panels to “float” in their bottom grooves without glue so they can expand and contract. Don’t put the slats in place just yet.

Cutting raised panel for kennel doorfront
The raised panels are made of solid 1/2″ cherry lumber. Cut the pieces to size as called out in the Material Lists. We opted for a square-edged field area on these panels, but you can choose other style options if you wish.

While you are waiting for the glue to cure, make the slat retaining caps (pieces 8, 15 and 24), filler strips (pieces 7, 16 and 25) and a pair of loose tenons (pieces 17) for attaching the end frame to the side frames. These are all 1/4″-thick pieces of wood, so some care needs to be taken as you cut them.

Using table saw jig to complete panel cuts
Raising the rectilinear field in the raised panels starts with a tenoning jig cutting across the grain to create a wide rabbet with a 1/4″-thick tongue. Make the remaining two long-grain rabbet cuts against the rip fence.

I used Rockler’s Thin Rip Tablesaw Jig, which kept the part thicknesses uniform. Don’t cut these pieces to length just yet. The front top and bottom rails (pieces 26) are next. Rip and crosscut them to length and width from 3/4″ stock, then use a pocket-hole jig to bore two screw pockets into each rail end.

Putting It All Together

Drilling pocket hole in kennel rail
The front top and bottom rails framing the door opening are secured with pocket-hole screws.

It’s time to assemble the carcass! Spread glue on the two loose tenons, insert them into their grooves in the end frame and then bring the side and end frames together with the tenons seating in their side frame grooves. Pocket-screw the front top and bottom rails to the side frame stiles, checking to be sure the carcass assembly is square.

Aligning rail parts for installation
Position the top rail flush with the top of the stiles

As you wait for the glue to cure, it’s time to prepare the stock for the kennel’s top panel. I chose to make it out of solid lumber, as I wanted a real “furniture” feel to the project. But veneer- covered plywood with solid-wood edging would work just as well. Cut the cherry to rough length, and then use a jointer and planer to create 3/4″-thick pieces with flat, parallel faces and dead-straight 90-degree edges.

Installing slide into dog kennel door
Rockler’s EZ Pocket Door Slides are mounted so that the door extends a short amount when opened.

With that done, lay your stock out on a flat surface and “compose” the top. When you are happy with the grain arrangement, glue and clamp the top together. I used Rockler’s Deluxe Panel Clamps for this job, because they work great to keep the edges aligned and the panel flat.

View of installed kennel door slide
Position the slides by registering the hinge cups as shown in the photo above.

Unclamp the carcass when the glue dries because it’s time to hang the door on the EZ Pocket Door Slide hardware. It is pretty straightforward on this project, as you mount the slides right to the side frame rails. Choose whether you want the door to open on the left or right. After doing that, I positioned the slides and then eyeballed their setback. Attach the hinges to the slide mounting plates, then transfer the placement of the hinge cups to the door.

Cutting hinge cup installation holes with Forstner bit
While most hinge cups are 32 mm in diameter, the hinges for this 1-1/4″-thick door are 40 mm. You can use a drill press or Rockler’s JIG IT Concealed Hinge Drilling Guide to bore the holes accurately.

These are 40 mm-diameter cups for Rockler’s Thick Inset Pocket/Flipper Door Hinge Kit, and I bored them on a drill press. With that done, I temporarily mounted the door. It fit pretty well, but I wanted the reveals around the door to be even, so I took it to the table saw and trimmed it down just a hair. Once it fit perfectly, I completed the installation. I also crosscut and installed all the filler strips to fill the open grooves in the kennel’s carcass and door stiles.

Cutting the door for dog kennel down to size
After hanging the door in the opening, it required just a bit of resizing to create an even reveal inside the carcass. A quick cut on the table saw right-sized the door handily.

You might wonder, will those slides and hinges get tangled up with my dog? The answer is probably yes, so we put a safety panel (piece 27) in place, mounted to two supports (pieces 28). The cherry supports have 1/4″ grooves plowed along their length to capture the safety panel and are secured to the carcass with pocket-hole screws.

Adding filler strip in dog kennel stile groove
Filler strips hide the grooves in the stiles. When tightly fit, the strips become invisible. Ripping these thin strips safely can be a bit of a challenge. Rockler’s Thin Rip Tablesaw Jig or similar can help.

The panel is 1/4″-thick plywood. The panel is the last thing you mount in the kennel. Finally, cut a couple of cleats and glue them in place at the top front and back of the carcass. You’ll use them to attach the top panel. Drill elongated holes through them for 1-1/4″ screws.

Laying out top panel for dog bed on panel clamps
A solid-cherry top caps this project. It is a sizable panel to glue up. Joint each of the board edges so they’re flat and square. Arrange them for an attractive look and mark the boards’ orientation before applying glue.

Cut the kennel’s top panel to final size and then get out the sander … yup, you are going to make some sawdust. Sand the top smooth and up to 180-grit. Take the door off so you can do the same thing to all surfaces of the carcass, door and slats.

Gluing up parts for dog kennel top panel
Rockler’s Deluxe Panel Clamps are ideal for clamping the top panel together. These handy clamps apply pressure across the grain while also keeping the faces of the panel flat.

When I got done sanding, I applied three coats of aerosol shellac to all the parts. Shellac is food-safe and worry-free if your little buddy decides to snack on some of the slats. Then I inserted the slats into their mortises and cut the retaining caps to length. I set those in place before attaching the top and door.

Installing cleats in top panel of dog kennel
The top must be removable in order to replace any damaged slats. Glue
cleats to the end frame top rail and the top front rail, then drill elongated
holes through the cleats for attaching the top with #8 x 1-1/4″ screws.

I mounted a small catch on the door, but it turned out I needed a stronger one, because dogs can actually push pretty hard to get out. You’ll want to be able to latch the door securely.

Cherry dog kennel with closed door

I’m pleased with this kennel’s furniture quality, and my dog has taken to the new digs without a bark of complaint!

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

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