# Kitchen Cabinets



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

I just finished building some cabinets for my brother in law's duplex rental. I designed and drew the plans, and after a couple of revisions, we settled on option #3.

These are paint grade cabinets built using 3/4 inch birch plywood and poplar for the face frames. The doors are shaker style built (with free delivery) by Evans Cabinet and Door in Brenham. The rails and styles are hardwood with a 3/8 inch thick mdf flat panel (Style 1100). The back side of the panel is raised, but sanded smooth with the frames. I have bought numerous doors from them in the past and never had any problems.

While the cabinet construction is fairly simple, they are strong and sturdy. Note that I follow the basic work flow of 



. I like his videos and they are straight forward with no rambling or BS.

*Uppers* - Each cabinet side has a dado cut at the top and bottom, 1 1/4 inch from each end. I used a shop made jig and a router with a 1/2 inch pattern bit to cut the dadoes 1/4 inch deep in two passes.

*Base* - Each cabinet side has a dado cut 4 1/4 inches up from the bottom. This makes the cabinet bottom at 5 inches from the floor. A 3 1/2 inch toe kick is cut out of each side. With the face frame bottom rail 2 inches wide, it mates to the bottom with just a lip. No dado for the top of the cabinet side.

*Assembly* - Each piece is assembled using stretchers for the toe kick, back, and the top. All three pieces are identical in length so that forces the cabinet to go together square. Pocket screws are used to assemble the basic box.

The face frame is positioned on the box for a dry fit to make sure everything is going together as planned. (Thankfully, all 16 cabinets were right on the money. :redface Then glue is applied to the box, and the frame set in place. I calculated all pieces to that the frame is proud on each side by about 1/8th inch. 18ga brad nails hold everything in its place until the glue dries.

For the fake drawer fronts on the sink and cooktop cabinets, I attached a filler block inside the face frame flush with the front using pocket screws. Then I drilled through the fillers with two 1/8th inch drill bit and attached the drawer front with pocket screws from the inside of the cabinet. It can be taken off if the need ever arises.

I glued and attached two countertop supports on the top side of each of the base cabinets. The plywood deck can be screwed to them, or if the owner installs a factory countertop, it can be screwed to from underneath.

Right now, the rooms are just studs and wiring/plumbing. When everything gets installed, I will take some pics and post them here.

Mike


----------



## ChampT22 (Mar 7, 2011)

Very nice.


----------



## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Cabinets*

Very nice and clean. I build boxes pretty much the same way and sometimes the dado's make you pay pretty close attention but sure makes it square. I have a Porter Cable router guide I use and a dedicated Freud 3/4 plywood dado bit. Some builders just block up the bottoms and shoot nails from the sides. One thing I started doing and some may not like it I run the side or corner face frame full length on base cabinets and don't cut the corner out for the toe kick. To clean it up I put an angled piece in to close the corner in. It also makes sweeping the toe kick out easier especially if it is against a wall. Kind of hard to describe and I do some the other way. I have a small kitchen to do also I just have to get in gear. I am going to check out the door shop in your thread. Thanks, Wado.

If you saw my drawings you would die laughing! I wasted money on a CAD program and went back to graph paper and a ruler.


----------



## 98aggie77566 (Jul 7, 2009)

Gotta love Kreg jigs!

Nice work!


----------



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

> I am going to check out the door shop in your thread. Thanks, Wado.


I think you will like them.

Here's a couple of pics from our kitchen remodel using knotty alder and a kitchen remodel with shaker style doors and drawer fronts.


----------



## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Shaker Doors*

I think I am going to tool up and make a shaker door using my router table and see just how much fun it is. The pricing at Evan's looks reasonable, I probably can't make them for the same price and I know my quality won't come close. I just don't have the tools to mass produce. I just bought 320 linear feet of Red Oak 13/16 x 2 for frames at $1.45 per foot. The majority of the doors for the cabinets I am fixing to build have 6 feet of 1 x 2 in each one. I might figure the square footage and go back and see what their cost is per door.


----------



## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

Nice project. Thanks for the link on Evans. I have been ordering from Barker out of the northwest. It is good to have a local source instead.


----------



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

Wado said:


> I think I am going to tool up and make a shaker door using my router table and see just how much fun it is. The pricing at Evan's looks reasonable, I probably can't make them for the same price and I know my quality won't come close. I just don't have the tools to mass produce. I just bought 320 linear feet of Red Oak 13/16 x 2 for frames at $1.45 per foot. The majority of the doors for the cabinets I am fixing to build have 6 feet of 1 x 2 in each one. I might figure the square footage and go back and see what their cost is per door.


The price per door is for 4 board feet. Then there is an extra charge for each additional foot...something like $5 per bd foot so that will make the door more expensive.

For me, building 22 doors for these cabinets was a no brainer. I ordered the doors and a week later, the truck pulled up in front of the house.


----------



## TheSamarai (Jan 20, 2005)

beautiful work but with your level of skills and tools u seem to have I wonder how much more difficult it would have been to just built your own doors.


----------



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

TheSamarai said:


> beautiful work but with your level of skills and tools u seem to have I wonder how much more difficult it would have been to just built your own doors.


I have a drum sander, but it is broke. That would have helped sand the doors smooth. I just think the cost of the materials and the labor for me to build 22 doors wasn't worth it compared to having them built...and it shortened the building time frame.


----------



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

GT11 said:


> Nice project. Thanks for the link on Evans. I have been ordering from Barker out of the northwest. It is good to have a local source instead.


Sometimes we go to Brenham to order or pick up the doors. It's good to make a road trip ever now and then. And there are several nice places to eat there also.


----------



## Gottagofishin (Dec 17, 2005)

TheSamarai said:


> beautiful work but with your level of skills and tools u seem to have I wonder how much more difficult it would have been to just built your own doors.


Even the professional cabinet builders don't do their own doors and drawer fronts anymore. The factory built are all done with CNC machines in climate controlled shops. They are cheaper and of higher quality than they can make on their own.

I've have custom cabinets put in two houses over the last three years. Both the cabinet makers had the doors and drawer fronts factory built. Everything else was custom built, but not the doors and drawer fronts.


----------



## TheSamarai (Jan 20, 2005)

i see, that makes sense


----------



## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

I've built one set of cabinets and realized they take more time to build than what I would have thought. Kreg jigs and clamps are the way to go, make a novice like me look good. I see you have a number of the clamps.

Nice work.


----------



## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Outsource*

Here is a couple of reasons I would outsource doors and drawer fronts. This is how I band doors and fronts. It all has to be glued, clamped and pinned then ran through the router table to do the vee groove in the match line and give the door some detail. Then all the sanding begins with an orbital and then hand sand with a block. No wonder my fingers go to sleep at night and burn. I had a lot of hours in this stuff when it was all said and done.


----------

