Professional Cabinet Making: The Definitive Masterclass – Part Two
Cabinet making is a highly respectable focus in carpentry, and nowhere is it more prominent than in the kitchen. There are few more skilled areas of woodworking than that of professional cabinet making. And, when it comes to making cabinets, all of their skills are at play.
Learn the step-by-step professional process for making cabinets and cabinet doors. Find out how the standard cabinet box goes from sheets of material to a custom kitchen focal point. And, discover how cabinet makers use their skills to customize each cabinet project to the corresponding kitchen in which it is destined.
Cabinet Making Masterclass: Professional Step-by-Step Processes
Cabinet making requires years of experience to master. A professional cabinet maker breaks the process down into its separate stages to plan accordingly for the project’s materials and tools. In the first part of how to make cabinets, you learn about the preparation cabinet makers take and the tools they use.
Once the cabinet maker is ready to begin the project they should already have the materials needed for the construction and assembly of the upper and lower cabinets. It wastes time and risks mismatched materials if the cabinet maker runs out half-way through the project.
Step-1: Pre Cutting Material
The worst way to undergo building cabinets is to, both assemble and cut material – simultaneously. So, professional cabinet makers begin by making a cut list. A cut list is a detailed list of every piece of material that needs to be cut before assembly. Measurements are carefully taken to the nearest 32nd of an inch to ensure precision.
Once the list is complete, the cabinet maker cuts each piece as the list denotes. After each cut, the carpenter clearly labels the piece in pencil to ensure the most efficient assembly. Also, after labeling, the carpenter maintains an accessible workspace by storing the cut material in stacks that are nearby, but out of the way of the workbench.
Step-2: Building the Cabinet Boxes
Starting with full sheets of 8×4 plywood, the cabinet builder makes rough cross-cuts of about 32”. The smaller plywood sheets are more manageable to work with on the table saw, and it accommodates enough length for, either top or base cabinets. Then, each plywood sheet is cut to its final size on a table saw.
When cutting the back panel of the cabinets, each quarter-inch panel is cut with an extra half-inch of width on the bottom, and an extra inch on the panel’s sides. Then, a half-inch groove is cut on the bottom of the inner side of the back panel, as well as both sides, and one of the stretcher pieces. The carpenter measures the fence on the table saw for these grooves by setting it to the width of the nailer piece.
Step-3: Covering the Edges of Exposed Plywood
Before assembling the final cabinet structure, the cabinet builder uses a wood edge banding to cover the exposed plywood sides. Using heat and pressure, the banding tape is carefully applied and adhered to the exposed edges on the nailer, the bottom, and the sides of the back panel. Once the edging adheres to the plywood, the carpenter cuts the ends to length, squares the edges to the panel with a banding trimmer, and smooths the edges by hand with medium-grit sandpaper. Once each of the necessary pre-cut pieces has edge banding, the final product will assemble with a uniform wood grain between the sides and edges of the cabinet.
Step-4: Assembling the Cabinet Boxes
Once it is time to assemble the cabinet boxes, the builder tacks the back panel to the side panels with a pneumatic stapler. Then, the front stretcher is placed into position and tacked-in with staples to hold everything in place. The back panel slides into the corresponding grooves and the rear stretcher is placed in alignment with the top and back.
The nailer strips are assembled to the back-side, on the top and bottom of the rear of the cabinet. They are attached with staples through each side piece of the cabinet. But, the staples currently holding the box together are not the weight-bearing fasteners that ultimately give the cabinet its strength.
Finally, the carpenter fastens the box together using a quarter-inch to half-inch screws. Before screwing the side panels to the back panel, pilot holes are drilled to prevent the plywood from cracking or becoming frayed. The builder countersinks the screws into the plywood, which can later be filled with wood filler or a simple wooden plug.
These basic boxes can become, either a base cabinet or a wall cabinet in the next steps of the process. In the next part, find out how cabinet makers take the cabinet box and customize the doors, sliders, and opening hardware. Talk to a Myers Cabinet associate for a free consultation on custom kitchen cabinets and to learn more about the professional cabinet making process.