Showing posts with label how. Show all posts

Saturday, February 22, 2014

How To Build Frameless Base Cabinets

Free Frameless European style base cabinet plans that you can build for your kitchen, bathroom, office, home theater or other renovations. This is more than just how to build a base cabinet. Its practically everything you need to know about building frameless base cabinets before you begin.

When I first tried to learn how to build cabinets I had a hard time finding all the information I needed. There was a little bit here, a little bit there, but nowhere did I find all the information all in one place. I did my best to combine most of what you need to know in one place to make things easier for you. Its a bit of a long read but if youre serious about building your own cabinets it to save money its well worth the time. One book I commonly saw mentioned was Build Your Own Kitchen Cabinets (Popular Woodworking) by Danny Proulx which might be worth considering. I havent read it myself.

Frameless cabinets are easy and affordable to build. They also provide more usable storage space over face frame cabinets. Over the years Ive looked into different construction techniques for frameless cabinets and have put all that information together to help you build your own frameless base cabinets. To build matching wall cabinets see my post on How To Build Frameless Wall Cabinets. Construction of the base cabinet is relatively straight forward. The most difficult aspect is planning and sizing which will make up a good bit of this post.

Frameless cabinets have a more contemporary look but can be dressed up with trim and more elaborate doors to have a more traditional look.

In this article were going to focus on how to build a frameless base cabinet carcass. The cabinet carcass is the main box of the cabinet which does not include doors, drawer fronts or drawer boxes. The cabinet carcass can be configured in a number of different ways to allow doors, drawers, open shelving or any combination which suits your needs.

The frameless cabinet design I find easiest to build, install and provides exceptional strength is the one pictured right. It is made of 3/4" plywood throughout, including a full back. The top consists of 2 4" stretchers. Up to a 30" wide standard base cabinet carcass can be constructed out of a single sheet of 4 x 8 plywood.

This is the design well focus on but Ill address some other options and aspects.

Cabinet Base Options

There are 4 different ways you can configure the base of your lower frameless cabinet. Each one has its pros and cons.

Standard Base

The standard base has the sides and back of the cabinet extend all the way down to the floor and is notched in the front to provide a toe kick. The notch is 3" deep and 4-1/2" tall. There is a "sub toe kick" that provides additional support for the bottom and makes it easy to apply your finished toe kick cover (such as a decorative baseboard) over a continual stretch of cabinets for a seamless look.

This type of base is marginally more difficult to build and uses a little more plywood but you get a single cabinet unit which has advantages. Each cabinet needs to be shimmed individually to make it level. This is what most semi-custom cabinets you buy look like.

Standard Base No Toe Kick

Sometimes you wont need a toe kick at all such as when youre building a built-in desk or library. This base has the same pros and cons as the standard base except it has no toe kick. Instead a decorative board, the same thickness of the doors, is applied over the base of all cabinets after installation for a seamless look.

Adjustable Cabinet Legs

Adjustable cabinet legs (such as these Platte River Cabinet Leveling Legs or better Blum Leg Levelers and Blum Kick Plate Clips) make installation of cabinets very easy on uneven floors and lets face it, most floors have some degree of unevenness to them.

Whats more, its easy to make changes to the cabinet height during installation (and with a little more work after installation) if the need arises.

The toe kick board gets screwed onto a plate that clips onto the legs after all cabinets have been installed and leveled. Unlike the standard base, its easy to add a toe kick on the side of a cabinet such as the exposed end of a cabinet run. It also makes it easier to change the toe kick board to change the look of your kitchen at a later date.

Since the wood cabinet is kept off the floor these are good for spaces where dampness is an issue such as in basements, garages or other areas where cabinets are installed on a concrete slab floor.

The downside is it will add a little bit extra to the cost of each cabinet but not much and the benefts will usually outweigh the cost.

Separate Base Platform

Finally you can create a separate base platform that consists of a frame made up of 2x4s with a plywood top giving you a total toe kick height of 4-1/4" (3-1/2" 2x4 + 3/4" plywood). Whats nice about this arrangement is you level the platform before installing the cabinets. Then you just need to place your cabinets on the platform without having to do much if any additional leveling. The base is also sturdier than a base that is part of or attached to your cabinets.

You can even create toe kicks on the sides of cabinets where necessary such as the end of a cabinet run or a kitchen island.

Cabinet Back Options

You also have a few options on how you construct the back of the cabinet.

Full Back

You can choose to use a full back that is the same 3/4" plywood used for the rest of your cabinet. (Some people choose to use 1/2" but I find its easier to just use one thickness throughout.) This configuration will give you an enclosed cabinet with exceptional strength which is important when installing heavy stone countertops and supporting heavy countertop appliances. It can be a little more money but not much if you plan your cuts out well. Well be using the Full Back in the example in this article.

Nailer Back

Sometimes you dont care if a cabinet has a back or not, such as in garage storage cabinets. This option can save on material. Instead of having a full back you create 2 nailing strips out of 3/4" plywood for the top and bottom of the back so you have something to affix the cabinet to the wall with and to provide rigidity and strength to the cabinet.

1/4" Back With Nailers

In some cases youll want to have an enclosed back but you want to save some money. You can use nailers as in the previous option but also staple a 1/4" plywood back over the nailers to provide a finished look. This is cheaper than using a full back and provides a lighter cabinet. Many semi-custom cabinet manufacturers use this technique. It doesnt add as much strength as a full back but it does give you the look and feel of one. The 1/4" plywood is more prone to warping than the 3/4" plywood and may bow out over time.

What Youll Need

Tools

Table saw or circular saw and guide for making accurate and square cuts in plywood.
Combination square
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
Kreg Shelf Pin Drilling Jig

Materials

3/4" hardwood veneered plywood is the best option for building your cabinets. If youre taking the time to build your own cabinets might as well make them the best you can. Youre still going to save money over most semi-custom cabinets that are usually made out of 5/8" particle board and wind up with a better quality cabinet.

Plywood comes in different apperance grades. A1 being the best. If you plan on painting your cabinets or dont care about the apperance (garage cabinets) you can use a lower appearance grade cabinet. If you must use MDF to save money make sure you glue your joints in addition to using the appropriate pocket screws .

Step 1: Calculate Cabinet and Component Dimensions

Chances are you will want to build a different sized cabinet than what Im going to show in this example. In most cases youll want to build multiple cabinets of different sizes so lets go over how to calculate the dimensions of the different components that make up the carcass.

Cabinet Height

The height of the cabinet will be determined by the application. For example the standard height for the top of a kitchen work surface is 36". If our countertop thickness will be 1-1/2" that means our cabinet needs to be 36" - 1-1/2" or 34-1/2" tall.

Cabinet Height = Desired Top Height - Top Thickness

Some common work type heights are:

Kitchen 36"
Bathroom Vanity 33" to 36"
Desk 30"

Cabinet Depth

The standard depth for kitchen cabinets is 24" which includes the door. This should work for most situations but you may want to check the specifications of your appliances (slide in range, dishwasher, etc) to see if they require a different size.

For bathroom vanity cabinets the standard depth is 21". For desks and other custom cabinets you can choose whatever depth works best for you though most are 20-30" deep.

Cabinet Width

This one is easy. The cabinet width is determined by your design and your preferences.

Cabinet Component Dimensions

In our example were going to be constructing a 30" W x 34-1/2" H x 24" D cabinet using 3/4" plywood. Well be making it with a standard base and a full back. In all the dimensions below the direction of the grain will follow the height.

*Note: if youre using thick edgebanding youll need to factor that in where appropriate. Most edgebanding is less than 1/32" thick which is pretty insignificant so I dont factor it in most of the time. As long as its used consistently and applied before assembly I consider it an acceptable margin of error. Wood expands and contracts. Not all human cuts are very accurate. Consistency is more important over precision and it makes calculating sizes and cutting components much easier.

Cabinet Side Dimensions

We will need two sides for the cabinet. The height of the side is simply the height of our cabinet minus an external base if using one. The width is the depth of the cabinet minus the thickness of the door.

Cabinet Side Height = Height of Cabinet - External Base (34-1/2" - 0 = 34-1/2")

Cabinet Side Width = Depth of Cabinet - Door Thickness (24" - 3/4" = 23-1/4")

Well need 2 34-1/2" x 23-1/4" sides for our cabinet.

Cabinet Bottom Dimensions

The height for the bottom of our cabinet will need to be the width of our cabinet minus twice the thickness of the sides. The width will be the depth of the cabinet mins the back depth minus the door thickness. (Be careful sometimes advertised size isnt true size. A digital caliper can help you get an accurate thickness measurement. Your 3/4" plywood may sometimes be 23/32" or something else entirely.)

Cabinet Bottom Height = Cabinet Width - 2 x Side Thickness (30" - 2 x 3/4" = 28-1/2")

Cabinet Bottom Width = Cabinet Depth - Back Thickness - Door Thickness (24" - 3/4" - 3/4" = 22-1/2")

Well need one back that is 28-1/2" x 22-1/2".

Cabinet Shelf Dimensions

If youre installing a shelf in your cabinet (as our example does) you want to size it appropriately. Its basically the same dimensions as the Bottom minus a little depth (1/2") so that it stays clear of the doors even if there is some expansion.

Cabinet Shelf Height = Cabinet Bottom Height (28-1/2")

Cabinet Shelf Width = Cabinet Bottom Width - 1/2" (22-1/2" - 1/2" = 22")

Cabinet Back Dimensions

We can use some of the previous dimensions we calculated to determine the dimensions of the back of the cabinet. The back of the cabinet will rarely be seen and even when it is it wont be lit very well. While its nice to have a consistent grain direction for the backs you might be able to save a sheet of plywood by mixing the grain direction up for the backs if you dont mind a little inconsistency in an inconspicuous location.

Cabinet Back Height = Cabinet Bottom Height (28-1/2")

Cabinet Back Width = Cabinet Side Height - Stretcher Thickness (34-1/2" - 3/4" = 33-3/4")

Our cabinet needs one back measuring 28-1/2" x 33-3/4".

Stretcher and Sub Toe Kick Dimensions

Grain direction should be along the long side but in most cases these components will hardly be seen so feel free to change the orientation if it helps you maximize the usage on your cut plan.

Stretchers should be 3-4" wide, the sub toe kick should match the height of the notch cut into the base (4-1/2" in our example). The height of both should be the same as the Cabinet Back Height (28-1/2").

Well need 3 stretchers (4" x 28-1/2") and one sub toe kick (4-1/2" x 28-1/2")

Step 2: Attach Side To Back

Wow! Youve read all this way and were just starting to put the cabinet together! Careful planning makes the rest of the process easy.

Start by applying edgebanding to the front of both cabinet sides.

Drill pocket holes around the top and sides of the Cabinet Back and attach it to one of the sides as shown.

Notice that the bottom of the back is flush with the bottom of the side. There is a 3/4" space on the top of the back for the stretcher that will eventually be installed.

Step 3: Attach Bottom

Apply edgebanding to the front of the bottom, drill pocket screw holes as shown and attach the Bottom to the Side and Back previously assembled. Notice that the bottom of the Bottom is flush with the notch for the Toe Kick. Use your square to make sure everything is aligned properly.

Step 4: Attach Other Side

Attach the other side to the cabinet assembly using the previously drilled pocket holes in the Back and Bottom pieces.

Step 5: Attach Stretchers

Apply edgebanding to the front of the 2 stretchers that will be attached to the front. Drill pocket holes and attach to the cabinet making sure everything is square. The bottom stretcher on the front is for the first drawer. To minimize visibility of the pocket holes install them with the pocket holes facing up. (The drawer will hide the second front stretcher holes.)

In this example were assuming the cabinet will have a single full width drawer and 2 lower doors. The spacing for this bottom section will be determined by the desired drawer height. The standard top drawer height is 6". Were planning for overlay drawers and doors. A 1/4" gap should be on the top to avoid any binding against the counter top. That means the second front stretcher should be 6-1/4" down from the top of the cabinet.

Step 6: Install Sub Toe Kick

The Sub Toe Kick helps support the cabinet and add rigidity. It also makes it easy to nail in the finished kick board after installation. Drill pocket screw holes and attach it between the cabinet sides as shown.

Step 7: Drill Shelf Pin Holes

Using the Kreg Shelf Pin Jig make holes in the back and front of each side of the cabinet for shelf pins. Leave at least 3-4" on the top and bottom for room to install your door hinges depending on where you drill the bores for your hinge cups on the door.

Use the short side of the jig without the fence to get the holes 37mm from the front edge of the jig. When doing the back, flip the jig around.

When youre done, apply edgebanding to the front of the shelf, insert shelf pins in the appropriate locations and install your shelf.

To learn how to make drawers see my post on How To Make Drawer Boxes.

Monday, February 17, 2014

1 How To Woodworking Woodworking Plans

How To Woodworking

Woodworking Plans

Do-it-Yourself Patterns and Crafts, Woodworking kits, Furniture Plans Plus Much, Much More. Will Show You How to Make 16,000 Different Woodworking Plans. Use The Plans For Fun, Functionality or Profit!
How To Woodworking

How To Woodworking. Wood is 1 of the most attractive, durable and versatile components that you can perform with whilst on a do it oneself project. The beauty of a cabinet door that is finished in wood can not be matched by any other material no matter whether natural or man made. As with any project, you would demand a detailed set of plans while you work with wood and wood based materials. This is why it is advisable that you use a detailed set of woodworking plans after you program to extensively use wood based supplies to comprehensive the project that you have embarked on.

Now let us examine why woodworking plans are very important in any wood based do it oneself project. To begin with, these plans aid you remove waste. If you start a woodworking project without the need of a firm plan, the possibilities are that you would finish up making use of extra wood that you originally intended to. Most of the wood primarily based projects would call for substantial assemblies and sub assemblies.

When you start your project, you would be ideally operating with individual members of wood and finishing them individually ahead of assembling them. If you do not have the proper woodwork plans, you could end up with mismatching wood members at the time of assembly. This could result in high priced cost and time overruns in the project. All these difficulties can be avoided by utilizing a properly laid out set of wood plans.

The other benefit that you could have if you use woodworking plans are that you would be ready with all the tools and implements that you would call for for finishing the wood based project. Usually we discover that we do not have access to a specific tool in the middle of a woodworking project. This circumstance could lead to a loss of time and occasionally you might even have to abandon the project in case a unique tool is not available. All these concerns can be avoided if you have a detailed strategy at the onset. How To Woodworking

How To Woodworking Causes

Constant Promoting - The romance of woodworking will need to be balanced with the constant advertising and marketing and marketing essential to retain the operate coming in. In time, phrase of mouth brings in a lot of operate if you develop a superior recognition. Till lastly then, you will want to get the phrase out routinely. Soon after the perform arrives in you have to have exceptional manufacturing systems so you can full the tasks promptly and continue to hold the cash flowing. If jobs contemplate also really lengthy and the dollars movement stops, it can turn into tricky to shell out the costs. Talking of revenue flow, you must build and adhere to standard assortment procedures. This is 1 region where by numerous woodworkers fail. The payment for the carry out will want to be as crucial as the execute by itself. If you are lax in accumulating, you will run into prospects who fall short to shell out you and this will result in really serious revenue movement troubles.

The Small enterprise - Even even so you like woodworking, you will want to do the household company if you are to make a dwelling at it. Superior results commonly demands an in-depth information and facts of each woodworking and small business management. If you in no choice have every, I suggest you hesitate to leap in until you have honed your enterprise expertise.

Looking back once more I recognize that my lack of knowledge in the course of my startup pretty a few decades back could have been offset with some prevalent details and one more particular person to advise me.Sadly I had to find out most elements by trial and error.

Just about every and each and every and every week, I take the time to go through the comments that my viewers make about my woodworking web site. 1st of all I want to them for taking the time to comment, I surely value all of the comments and tips. This earlier week there was a comment from a gentleman, who expressed a will need to get into woodworking. As a man who is passionate about woodworking, I want to welcome him to the fold. And I want to give you him all of the ideas and encouragement probable in his endeavors.How To Woodworking

More How To Woodworking Clip :

Tag : How To Fix How To Woodworking, How To Quit How To Woodworking, Bargain How To Woodworking, Where Can I Find How To Woodworking, Where To Purchase How To Woodworking.

How To Woodworking Reviewed by Ann Boyle on Rating: 4.5

Saturday, January 25, 2014

How about a barn for a Christmas gift

I was asked to create a barn as a Christmas gift for a little boy. Here are some pictures of it, in progress... I should be able to finish it in time for the big day! The front will have sliding doors, and the back is open so a tractor or horses can be brought in...