Simply-Built Cabinets

POPULAR

WOODWORKING

WOODWORKING

Yes, cabinets are those things that make up the storage in a kitchen. And they are the built-in storage spaces in your bathroom, den and other rooms. But cabinets are also free-standing storage units like bookcases. Building cabinets is really building boxes and there are simple techniques to create solid, quality cabinets that look great. Learn easy steps for making doors and drawers for your cabinets; how to make counter tops, install hardware and more.

simply-built cabinets

Cabinets are just boxes. Keep it Simple!

simply-built cabinets PLAN • BUILD • INSTALL • The easy way to great results

Proulx

W0715

US $24.99 (CAN $28.99)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4403-1305-9 ISBN-10: 1-4403-1305-9

4 52299

35313 65335

W0715 CM CABINETS.indd 1

3

9

01 02 03 04 FnL1 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWNhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL cnVlZ2VyAE1wwHoEMTAuNAI4MAExBkVB Ti0xMw05NzgxNDQwMzEzMDU5AA== 04 0124

0

01 02 03 04 FnL1 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWNhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL cnVlZ2VyAE1wtPkCMTMDMTAwATEFVVBD LUEMMDM1MzEzNjUzMzUzfA== 04 0120

UPC

EAN

Danny Proulx 781440 313059

POPULAR WOOD WORKING BOOKS

3/22/11 2:35:45 PM

designing & building cabinets

While there are many reasons to build cabinetry for your home, the number one reason falls to the kitchen, the heart of any modern home. The principles used to build cabinetry apply to both kitchen and other cabinetry, but because of the importance of the kitchen, I want to start here.

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material lists & cutting plans REFERENCE

QUANTITY

PART

STOCK

THICKNESS

(mm)

WIDTH

LENGTH

CUTTING LIST FOR A 36" (914MM) CORNER BASE CABINET USING 3⁄4" (19MM) THICK SHEET MATERIAL INCHES (MILLIMETERS)

(mm)

A

2

sides

melamine pb

3⁄

4

(19)

221⁄ 2 (572)

31

(787)

B

1

bottom

melamine pb

3⁄

4

(19)

333⁄ 4 (857)

333⁄ 4

(857)

(mm)

C

2

backs

melamine pb

3⁄

4

(19)

22

(578)

31

(787)

D

1

back

melamine pb

3⁄

4

(19)

18

(457)

31

(787)

E

2

stiles

hardwood

3⁄

4

(19)

11⁄ 2

(38)

313⁄ 4

(806)

F

2

rails

hardwood

3⁄

4

(19)

11⁄ 2

(38)

111⁄ 4

(285)

hardwood

3⁄

4

(19)

1

1⁄

3⁄

4

(19)

10

G

2

rails

H

2

doors

3⁄

4

2

1⁄

(38)

10

(254)

301⁄ 2-high (775)

2

cut as illustrated cut oversize, then sides are angle-cut at 45° to fit

(267) stock can be wood-veneer pb or frame and panel hardwood

Whether you’re building one cabinet for your bathroom, or 15 for your entire kitchen, the place to start is on paper. If it’s multiple cabinets you are building, then you need to start with a floor plan. It’s your information source and road map to completing the project successfully. Draw the plan to scale so that any potential problems can be discovered before you begin construction. You’ll find this exercise is valuable and the time spent will be well worth your effort. Design software programs are available on the

the example illustrated in the drawing on the

market for those of you who are familiar with

following page.

computers. These programs, (some free, some

Accurately measure the room dimensions,

costing under $100), sometimes allow you to

locating all the doors, windows and any special

render a three-dimensional image of the pro-

features of the walls. You may have a plumbing

posed cabinetry on the screen. A few programs

run or heating duct pipe that has been boxed

allow you to move around in the room, showing

in with drywall that creates a bump-out on the

different perspectives of the cabinets.

wall. These special features have to be account-

However, the most important exercise is

ed for, as they may change your cabinet instal-

drawing a simple, scaled overhead floor plan like

lation procedures. Use graph paper to scale the

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assembly procedures

Most woodworking shops, whether professional or hobby, have a similar set of tools and machinery that include a table saw, drill press, clamps, drills, etc. Not every shop will have a table saw with a sliding crosscut table as shown, above, but the cross-cutting task shown could also be completed with a circular saw. The steps following are those used to build a simple, but very functional and versatile cabinets. Please adapt the basic steps to the machinery and tools that are at your disposal.

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wall-hung faceframe cabinets

The standard upper cabinet is the most basic cabinet in this building system. The sides or gable ends of the cabinet perform some important functions. Primarily, of course, they define the height of the cabinet box and give it strength. The sides also support the European hidden hinges and are drilled for the shelf support pins. Also, in this particular cabinet style, the face frame is nailed onto the side edges as well as the top and bottom board edges.

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base face-frame cabinets

The standard base face-frame cabinet differs from the standard upper face-frame cabinet in two areas — the lack of a carcass top board and the addition of adjustable legs. No top board is needed, as the kitchen coun-

on the backboard, and one in the center of the

tertop covers the base cabinet. The countertop

face-frame rail. The countertop is secured with

is secured with screws and right-angle clips. This

two 5∕ 8" screws through each right-angle clip. Adjustable cabinet legs are used, replacing the

method, along with the face frame, gives the installed base cabinet its strength and rigidity. I use

base frame that was common with older-style

3

kitchens. These legs simplify cabinet installation

∕ 4" × 3∕ 4" metal right-angle clips, two per side, two

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specialty cabinetry

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building islands & peninsulas

While many of the techniques shown in this section for building islands and penninsulas highlight kitchen uses, many basements, and family room are now using these special cabinets to leave an open room feel, but still divide the area into separate functional spaces.

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building frameless cabinetry

The European frameless cabinet is modular and commonly ranges in widths from 10" to 36". The frameless system offers flexibility with quality, and can be built with any 5∕ 8"- or 3∕4"-thick sheet material; we are not restricted to white cabinets. The Europeans perfected the box, or unit-

America. European design features such as the

ized, construction methods to a point where the

hidden hinge, bottom-mount drawer glides and

frameless cabinet, often called the Euro-style

adjustable cabinet legs are now an important part

kitchen, has become a popular option in North

of the North American cabinetmaking industry.

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countertops

The simplest and least expensive approach in a renovation project is to use one of the many styles of roll or postformed laminate countertops that are readily available. Laminate is applied under pressure over a particleboard form that has a curved, moulded backsplash and front edge. It is relatively inexpensive and available at one of the many countertop specialty companies in most major cities.

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cabinet doors & drawers

As most cabinetry is for storage, doors to hide the spaces and drawers to ease in access are important parts of an attractive and functional storage cabinet. There are a variety of styles available and I have tried to show most of the major options available here.

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Cabinet Drawers

Drawers are required for many woodworking projects. You’ll find them in desks, kitchen cabinets, storage cabinets, workshops and many more applications. We need drawers to store and organize all sorts of things in every room of the house, office and workshop. Some woodworkers believe that a drawer lacks quality unless it’s built with dovetail joinery. I don’t hold that opinion. There are dozens of ways to build highquality drawers, and all of them have a purpose and place in modern cabinetry. I’ll start by describing drawers made with melamine particleboard (PB) and then move on to other materials such as Baltic birch plywood and solid wood. I’ll explain some of the joinery options as well as the hardware that can be used for your drawers.

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door & drawer hardware The hardware used to mount doors and drawers demands that both fit properly and are correctly sized. The methods used to calculate the correct size for both drawers and doors will be discussed in this chapter. There are differences between frameless and

styles are overlay and inset. The overlay door

face-frame style cabinets that must be taken into

is attached to the cabinet or carcass box with

consideration when doors and drawer boxes are

hinges and partially covers the front edges of the

installed. Two common door-hinge mounting

cabinet. The inset door is set into the cabinet opening, flush with the outside face. There are of course variables on the two, including half-overlay and pocketmounting styles. However, the two generally accepted terms for door-fitting styles are the overlay and inset door. Drawer boxes that are mounted on mechanical slides also demand that you accurately size each box to its opening. In general, bottom-mount or fullextension side-and-bottom mounted glide sets require a 1

∕ 2" space on each side of the

drawer box for correct fitting. However, manufacturers have different specifications, so you should verify the space requirements before building the drawer box.

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cabinet finishes Many finishes are available on the market. They include paint and stains in any color imaginable, washed stains, polyurethane, oils and varnishes. Most finishing products are easy to apply and produce excellent results. However, check sample finishes on the type of wood you’ll be using for your cabinets, and research all the properties. Check specifically for the product’s hardness, resistance to stains from oils and grease, and its life expectancy. The finish will be subjected to a good deal of abuse in the kitchen from heat, moisture and handling. The Internet is a good place to start your research on finishing products and techniques. Many major suppliers have information-based sites that are helpful. Some sites, such as the one run by the Hardwood Council at www.hardwoodcouncil.com, have on-line data and information brochures that you can order.

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cabinet installation

Cabinet installation methods vary depending on the installer. The primary difference is whether to begin by installing the uppers or the bases. Each method has its merits, as there is no absolute correct way of installing cabinets. Find a process that you are comfortable with to achieve the end result: properly installed cabinets. I will describe my method of cabinet installation based on our sample kitchen layout at the beginning of the book.

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POPULAR

WOODWORKING

WOODWORKING

Yes, cabinets are those things that make up the storage in a kitchen. And they are the built-in storage spaces in your bathroom, den and other rooms. But cabinets are also free-standing storage units like bookcases. Building cabinets is really building boxes and there are simple techniques to create solid, quality cabinets that look great. Learn easy steps for making doors and drawers for your cabinets; how to make counter tops, install hardware and more.

simply-built cabinets

Cabinets are just boxes. Keep it Simple!

simply-built cabinets PLAN • BUILD • INSTALL • The easy way to great results

Proulx

W0715

US $24.99 (CAN $28.99)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4403-1305-9 ISBN-10: 1-4403-1305-9

4 52299

35313 65335

W0715 CM CABINETS.indd 1

3

9

01 02 03 04 FnL1 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWNhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL cnVlZ2VyAE1wwHoEMTAuNAI4MAExBkVB Ti0xMw05NzgxNDQwMzEzMDU5AA== 04 0124

0

01 02 03 04 FnL1 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWNhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL cnVlZ2VyAE1wtPkCMTMDMTAwATEFVVBD LUEMMDM1MzEzNjUzMzUzfA== 04 0120

UPC

EAN

Danny Proulx 781440 313059

POPULAR WOOD WORKING BOOKS

3/22/11 2:35:45 PM