Make cabinets the easy way (2023)

Okay, let them hear—your excuses for not making those cabinets you could use anywhere from your kitchen to your workshop: "Oooh, they have doors." You can make doors with just your table saw and a utility blade to cut the joints.

"But...but they have drawers!" Imagine building a simple box without a lid and you imagine most of the skill required to make these drawers using just a table saw. You assemble these boxes with simple glides that almost install themselves and adjust to eliminate minor installation errors. Then mount the drawer fronts to the boxes for exact alignment. no sweat

"Um, I need to go to the bathroom." Then take measurements for a new bathroom cabinet and read about it on the next page.

Start with the right cabinet dimensions

Sample base cabinets and wall cabinets are shownin betweenhave these features to make building as easy as possible:

A word about the material

The cabinet bodies shown here are constructed from birch veneer, medium density fiberboard (MDF) core plywood for economy. You can use wood veneer plywood, solid MDF, smooth or plywoodmelamine faced chipboard, and solid wood. Check material thickness before calculating cabinet sizes and cutting dies and fittings.

Construct the solid wood frame to match or contrast with the sides. Choose light-grained, straight-grained wood and assemble the frame right after machining to reduce warping.

Patterns help you with design

Over the years, cabinetmakers have standardized some cabinet dimensions based on practical considerations such as: B. the average height of people. You don't have to follow them strictly, but vary them at your own risk and discomfort.

Fit the case into an opening

Design the cabinet to make room for built-in cabinets for non-square walls¹⁄₂"narrower than the opening between another cabinet and a wall or between two walls. Fill the gap with overlapping face frame on the sides.

To calculate part sizes for a base cabinet that is wider or narrower than thisAbove, follow this formula:

Cut the bottom of the cabinet to this length. For example, to make a closet 33³⁄₄" wide use³⁄₄"Plywood, cut box bottom to 33" long. To size the stretchers use the same number minus the³⁄₄" Given Allowance. Calculate the sizes of the upper cabinets in the same way.

Make a hassle-free case with your table saw

For a base cabinet less than 4 feet wide, you can cut all of the pieces except the back and footboard of a³⁄₄"×4'×8' plywood or MDF board. Plywood thicknesses vary, so make sure your material thickness is correct³⁄₄", or adjust the dimensions of the part to get the final cabinet width.

Start by ripping two side pieces down to the depth of the cabinet (minus the thickness of the frame); then cut them to length. Label them left and right with pencil marks on the inside pages. Now subtract the bracket thickness from the fence setup and cut the bottom panel to width. Then cut the bottom to length.

Using the thickness of the plywood to define the width of the stacked die, cut a³⁄₈"-deep die on the inside of each side piece to accommodate the bottom. You can use the same setting to cut³⁄₈"- Deep folds along the inside rear edge of the sides to accommodate the back of the cabinet. Then notch the bottom front corner of both side panels for the toe kick [in between🇧🇷 A toe kick lets you get closer to a locker without hitting your feet in front.

Now cut four 2¹⁄₂"- wide stretchers and 3¹⁄₂Drill two pocket holes at each end of each piece. If you are adding an adjustable shelf inside the cabinet, create and drill holes for shelf pegs on both sides. For even spacing, make a one-piece template out of perforated plywood to aid in drilling.Click hereto watch a free video on drilling holes for shelf pegs.

put it all together

A dead square enclosure requires a flat mounting surface to avoid twisting the bond. First, place a side panel on the work surface, die side up. Apply glue to the die and insert the background. Then glue the die to the die on the other side panel and assemble it at the bottom. Support the other end of the side panel with the top turnbuckles screwed into the holes in the pockets.

To calculate the front drawer stretcher position, add 1 inch to the height of the drawer boxes you will be making. Then cut two turnbuckles to this length to place the front drawer turnbuckle this distance from the top front turnbuckle, and screw the drawer turnbuckle into place with pocket screws [in between].

Measure and center the rear drawer bracket flush with the bottom of the front drawer bracket. Check for squareness, as with the wall unit [in between🇧🇷 After the glue dries, trim the liner to fit. Then glue and nail in place.

Pocket holes simplify face frame assembly

You can join face frame pieces with anything from dowels to half-turns to mortise and tenon joints, but we like pocket joinery. Here's why:

Cut the smooth fiberboard frame pieces³⁄₄"-thick stick 1¹⁄₂" or 2" wide, depending on the piece. Why these sizes? Frame parts narrower than 1¹⁄₂" doesn't mount easily into the case, while parts much wider than 2" impede access to the case.

Cut the face frame pieces

Start by cutting 2-inch-wide styles¹⁄₈" larger than the dimension from the toe cutout to the top of the case (31" in this case). If you must allow for uneven walls, make 2 stringers¹⁄₄" wide and then cut the overhangs on the sides to fit the opening. You will also cut the center rail under the drawers to 2" wide.

Ab 1¹⁄₂"stock width, shorten the top and bottom rails. To calculate the length of all three rails, measure the width of the housing and add them together¹⁄₄"For both¹⁄₈" Overhangs. Subtract twice the rail width from this number to the rail lengths. Route one¹⁄₈" Rounding on the upper inner edge of the lower rail.

Position the center rail so that its top edge is flush with the top of the center stretcher. Cut the top and bottom vertical dividers to fit between the center rail and the top and bottom rails. Assemble the frame with two blind hole screws at each joint [in between🇧🇷 The screws will not be visible after gluing the frame to the cabinet.

Glue the frame to the box

apply glue to the edges of the box; Then, center the frame between the sides of the chassis with the inside edge of the frame's bottom rail.¹⁄₈" on the inside surface of the bottom of the cabinet. Make sure the top edges of the rail are flush with the top edges of the sides of the cabinet. Attach the frame, including the center rail, to the drawer bracket [in between🇧🇷 If you are painting the cabinet, you will save tensioning time by gluing and nailing the frame to the cabinet. Then fill in the holes.

Make these doors workable on your table saw

If you've been putting off learning how to make cabinet doors, these easy-to-cut gaskets, tenons, and snaps will help you get past the horror of the door. Break the work down into these six easy steps.

1) Von³⁄₄× 2" blank, cut two stiles to the height of the door (A) [DrawingAbove].

2) Subtract 4" from the overall width of your door for the two 2" wide steps (B), add³⁄₄" for the tenons and cut the rails to this length (C).

3) Set the blade height on your table saw to³⁄₈" and position the fence to center a test piece end-to-end over the blade. Then cut a groove the length of the scrap. To ensure the groove is centered, rotate the scrap edge-to-edge and make a second cut [in between🇧🇷 Gradually move the fence away from the blade until you cut a centered groove that matches the thickness of the plywood sheet. Cut slots in stringers and rails.

4) A cutter blade will speed up cutting grooves in the rails, but several passes with a general purpose blade will do the same. Set the blade height to¹⁄₄", then double-sided tape an extension on the miter gauge and a spacer block to the fence about 4" beyond the blade [in between🇧🇷 Adjust the fence until you cut a³⁄₈"Spins on test scrap that is just sitting in the spar grooves.

5) Cut the width (A) and length (E) of the panel just a hair shorter than the distance between the stringer and the bottom of the rail groove. If you paint the doors, paint the panels before assembling the frame.

6) Apply glue to the studs and a little to the center of each groove in the frame part to prevent the panel from rattling. Assemble and secure the frame and panel, measuring between the diagonal corners to check the squareness.

Now assemble your closet doors

Thanks to its adaptabilityeuropean style hingesmake door assembly as easy as assembly. start drilling 1³⁄₈" holes¹⁄₂" deep with a Forstner bit [in between🇧🇷 (European style hinges require 35mm holes, but a³⁄₈"Bit is close enough.) We position the 4 holes¹⁄₄" from the top and bottom of the door for plenty of clearance, using the center of the hole¹³⁄₁₆"From the end of the spar.

Place a hinge cup in a hole with the straight edge of the hinge parallel to the edge of the stringer [in between] and mark the center of the mounting screw slots. Then drill the screw holes and assemble the hinge. Repeat for the other hinge.

Holding the door vertically centered in the opening, mark the mounting location for each hinge screw (at the center of each oblong hinge screw hole) along the edge of the frame. Drill pilot holes and screw the door into the frame. For details on how to adjust the position of the door, refer to the hinge instructions.

How to get horror out of drawers

Imagine all the possible pitfalls of making drawers. Then pretend they don't exist - because for this drawer, they don't:

Von¹⁄₂×4" blank, cut sides to length of drawer box - 18" for cabinet shown in drawing at top of this article. Then subtract 1 inch from the width of the drawer opening in the frame and cut the front and back to that size (12¹¹⁄₁₆" for this example).

Cut a groove on the bottom inside edge of each piece.¹⁄₄" from the edge to accommodate the drawer bottom. (Our drawer bottom sheets measure¹⁄₄" pau.)

Set up your table saw fence¹⁄₄"From tip one¹⁄₄"Set of Data Slides¹⁄₄" high as shown inStep 1 in between🇧🇷 Test saw settings on scrap metal; Then cut the dice at both ends on both sides.

arrest one¹⁄₄" Spacer for the rip fence as shown instep 2 Above🇧🇷 It should just touch the teeth of the blade. Then fold both the front and back edges of the drawer to create a tenon to match the side data [in between🇧🇷 The cones must fit the data perfectly, with the front and back outer surfaces aligned with the edges of the sides. Glue each spike, assemble and secure the drawer and make sure it is square.

Assemble a framed and paneled drawer front as a small version of a cabinet door. Then assemble the gliders [in between] on the box and on the bottom edge of the drawer side according to the product instructions. With the plastic mounting bracket, you can adjust these slides up and down and side to side for smooth drawer opening. Make the front of the drawer box flush with the frame.

When the doors are installed and aligned, place a spacer in the door the width of the space between the doors and the drawer fronts [in between🇧🇷 Apply double-sided tape to the inside of the drawer front, align with the door and press against the drawer body. Then drill pilot holes from inside the front of the drawer box to the front frame of the drawer and screw in the front.

Make a template the size of the exposed panel on the front of the drawer and center two mounting holes to match your hardware. Place the template in front of the drawer [in between] and drill the mounting holes for the hardware. Then install the drawer handles. If necessary, use longer screws for your hardware.

Get your finished cabinets up and running

Remove doors, drawers and all hardware and apply a finish. Move the cabinets to the position where they will be installed. Shim the bottom edges to level the cabinets and make the bezel edges parallel to each other.

Secure the cabinet front frames while screwing them to the wall and to each other, making sure the fronts are level. To compensate for frame overlap, add a¹⁄₄" Spacers between the housings at the rear and between the terminals [first photoin between🇧🇷 Then drill pilot holes and screw the frames together [second photoin between] and the lockers you glued them to¹⁄₄"Spacers.

Next, you will need a workbench large enough to overlap the front or front and sides by about 1¹⁄₂–2". We made ours from two sheets of MDF with maple edges - a practical choice for shop use. However, in a kitchen or bathroom, countertop options include butcher block, plastic laminate, surface solid, granite and tile.

To keep the top cabinet in place while you screw it to the wall, make two 18-inch-tall makeshift brackets out of scrap metal. put them¹⁄₂" spacers and place the wall unit on the brackets [in between🇧🇷 After screwing the case into place, slide it out.¹⁄₂" Spacers to leave enough room for the temporary brackets to drop out from under the cabinet.

Replace doors and drawers, stock up on your new cabinets, and look elsewhere in your shop, garage, kitchen, or bathroom for new woodworking opportunities.

Origins