# Making Your Own Kitchen Cabinets-Easy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253 "2013-02-24T15:47:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/21 "2013-02-27T07:10:00Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > [Judge for yourself.](http://www.dgath.com/misc/kitchen_sm.jpg) I like the single wide drawers. easier to make and more useful. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/22 "2013-02-27T15:12:42Z")
" In real life getting accurate measurements and cuts is very, very hard" Nope. It takes care, but it is not difficult. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/23 "2013-02-27T15:28:34Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > " In real life getting accurate measurements and cuts is very, very hard" > > Nope. It takes care, but it is not difficult. Will you please learn to use the quote function? If you don’t know how it works then open a thread in the About The Message Board forum to get some help. Without proper quoting your posts look like random comments unrelated to the conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/24 "2013-02-27T16:02:41Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > That said, suppose a guy like me (moderately handy, can cut wood) has a software program that will generate the drawings- **I then get the wood cut by a pro** , and then, I can screw the whole thing together-is this possible? Have you considered ready to assemble cabinets?[Scherrs](http://www.scherrs.com/)is one company I’ve heard good things about. Ikea also makes excellent cabinets that are very easy to assemble and install, although they have fewer finish options thank Scherrs. Or you can buy ikea boxes and order doors from Scherrs to fit. All better options than trying to build from scratch if you’re only moderately handy. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/25 "2013-02-27T18:30:13Z")
TriPolar get a grip. You say: "Will you please learn to use the quote function? If you don’t know how it works then open a thread in the About The Message Board forum to get some help. Without proper quoting your posts look like random comments unrelated to the conversation. " If you didn’t know what I posted was a quote, why would you suggest I use the quote function? because you think it is just some random unrelated comment? Obviously, you did recognize it as a quote, because you are saying use the quote function. QED. Look like random comments? Yeah, you see a lot of that in discussion threads. If you don’t know what quotation marks mean, then open a thread and ask someone to help you. And as I said before, if looking at my posts ticks you off - you know how to avoid it. Mine are the ones with my name at the top. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/26 "2013-02-27T18:37:03Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I like the single wide drawers. easier to make and more useful. You mean the one big drawer on the right? That was a sweetheart. It’s on full-extension 300 pound slides, so you can put huge knife sets, cast iron, baking sheets, or whatever in it. (All the drawers went in on ball bearing slides, partly because they were easier to install and just as cheap as euro- or plastic-key slides.) I wish I had a good pic of what’s over the refrigerator. When we emptied that cabinet for the remodel, we found stuff that had been stacked there on move-in 12 years earlier and never again touched. So I built a big open-faced shelf, boxed on back and sides, that fills that double cabinet and comes out on long full-extension slides. A person of moderate reach can pull it out from the left side, reach anything on it right over the fridge (we kept appliances on it for the 4-5 months we got to live with it), and then push it back. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/27 "2013-02-27T18:41:52Z")
> [@Klaatu](#): > > As a long time carpenter, nice work! But the cab doors over the fridge are sagging a bit and the right door looks about a quarter inch down from the left one on the bottom. 😉 Sharp eye. Everything is lined up better than it might appear in that shot - I used top-grade hinges and know how to align them. The flaw on the top line is that the ceiling is irregular and I couldn’t bring it in square without a helluva lot more work. There are some compensations and compromises as a result. Oh - the two doors at lower right are 50qt pull-out trash and recycle bins. A matching unit was the first thing I installed here in the new house… 🙂 Oh - and the dent in the microwave is both old (it’s about 6 years old; the other appliances were new) and nowhere near as noticeable as the light makes it in this shot. ETA: The nice thing about veneer refacing is that you can do any damned thing you have to with the underlying structure and it will be covered. Not like real cabinetwork where every piece and joint has to be perfect. There is some UGLY work in the extension of that big cabinet on the right, but no one but the demolition crew will ever know. It’s quite solid, just ugly. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/28 "2013-02-27T23:20:34Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > TriPolar get a grip. > > You say: "Will you please learn to use the quote function? If you don’t know how it works then open a thread in the About The Message Board forum to get some help. Without proper quoting your posts look like random comments unrelated to the conversation. " > > If you didn’t know what I posted was a quote, why would you suggest I use the quote function? because you think it is just some random unrelated comment? Obviously, you did recognize it as a quote, because you are saying use the quote function. QED. > > Look like random comments? Yeah, you see a lot of that in discussion threads. > > If you don’t know what quotation marks mean, then open a thread and ask someone to help you. And as I said before, if looking at my posts ticks you off - you know how to avoid it. Mine are the ones with my name at the top. I was giving you a chance because I thought you had interesting things to say. But if you want to post random quotes from unknown sources out of context then I don’t think there’s anything worth looking at. If you are interested in talking to yourself you don’t need to cc us. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/29 "2013-02-27T23:30:12Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > You mean the one big drawer on the right? That was a sweetheart. It’s on full-extension 300 pound slides, so you can put huge knife sets, cast iron, baking sheets, or whatever in it. (All the drawers went in on ball bearing slides, partly because they were easier to install and just as cheap as euro- or plastic-key slides.) I’ve never worked with drawers that big. How did you construct them to hold that kind of weight? Are there are bunch of supports running underneath like a ladder? I’d like to make a map case insert for some shelving. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/30 "2013-02-28T01:03:56Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I’ve never worked with drawers that big. How did you construct them to hold that kind of weight? Are there are bunch of supports running underneath like a ladder? I’d like to make a map case insert for some shelving. The drawers were built for me along with the replacement doors. They were all substantially built; the key is to make them from real hardwoods and not flimsier materials. Nothing about the drawer construction would have limited the weight of stuff in it, I don’t think. A lot of the problems with drawers come from binding in the slot or on the slides - the more binding, the more they get yanked, the more damage they take over time, the more they bind… round and round. The ultra-HD slides on that drawer will let you open it with a fingertip on any corner, fully loaded. That contributes to both working capacity and lifespan. I’m starting to miss that kitchen… ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/31 "2013-03-02T04:42:40Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > ETA: The nice thing about veneer refacing is that you can do any damned thing you have to with the underlying structure and it will be covered. Not like real cabinetwork where every piece and joint has to be perfect. There is some UGLY work in the extension of that big cabinet on the right, but no one but the demolition crew will ever know. It’s quite solid, just ugly. I’m curious – what did you veneer over? You mentioned the face frames were painted before. Did you strip them? To the OP: no, making you own kitchen cabinets is not easy. You’re dealing with fairly large pieces of plywood, so unless you have a really big saw, you’re forced to try to saw to a line with a circular saw, or clamp down saw guides. It’s a lot fussier than cutting pieces on the tablesaw, and typically you end up with a lot of cleanup to do. And butt joints reinforced with screws are a little subpar, though you can screw on a back panel to resist racking. Then you have the problem of face frames, or finished plywood edges, in the case of frameless cabinets. And then, as mentioned above, getting a good finish is really not for the uninitiated. Bear in mind that if you order doors, they’ll usually have a sprayed lacquer finish, which will look different from any finish you put on the face frames. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/32 "2013-03-02T05:17:55Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > I’m curious – what did you veneer over? You mentioned the face frames were painted before. Did you strip them? > > To the OP: no, making you own kitchen cabinets is not easy. You’re dealing with fairly large pieces of plywood, so unless you have a really big saw, you’re forced to try to saw to a line with a circular saw, or clamp down saw guides. It’s a lot fussier than cutting pieces on the tablesaw, and typically you end up with a lot of cleanup to do. And butt joints reinforced with screws are a little subpar, though you can screw on a back panel to resist racking. Then you have the problem of face frames, or finished plywood edges, in the case of frameless cabinets. And then, as mentioned above, getting a good finish is really not for the uninitiated. Bear in mind that if you order doors, they’ll usually have a sprayed lacquer finish, which will look different from any finish you put on the face frames. I’m going to throw a bit of disagreement in here. A good circular saw with the proper blade will make the same cut a table saw will. You have to more precise measuring to get a good parallel cut and it needs a good guide bar. I’m talking about something like [this](http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/the_ez_smart_woodworking_system_10777.asp). It even has an edge guide designed to keep it from chipping the edge which a table saw can’t do. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/33 "2013-03-02T13:57:04Z")
> [@ethelbert](#): > > Watching a professional work in a scripted presentation can be very deceiving. If you want to be entertained, go see a ShopSmith demonstration next time it comes to your local mall. It is amazing what they can do while talking to you and making jokes. Norm has two advantages over that guy (aside from Norm’s considerable experience). He has the most incredibly well equipped shop I have ever seen and he is working on television. I would compare watching Norm work to a magic show except that I probably have a better chance of replicating the magic show than I do of replicating one of Norm’s creations. In fact I would be very surprised if he does much carpenting himself, presenters present, carpenters carpent. Carpenting and make-up don’t mix well. Cameras don’t like dust. > [@Magiver](#): > > I’m going to throw a bit of disagreement in here. A good circular saw with the proper blade will make the same cut a table saw will. You have to more precise measuring to get a good parallel cut and it needs a good guide bar. I’m talking about something like [this](http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/the_ez_smart_woodworking_system_10777.asp). It even has an edge guide designed to keep it from chipping the edge which a table saw can’t do. Building cabinets isn’t about one cut, it is about cutting dozens of pieces at the exact same size. You can’t beat a tablesaw for that. Also if you’re working with plywood you’ll find guide rails for handsaws are never quite true for longer cuts (you can’t clamp 'em down in the middle). And a modern tablesaw doesn’t chip, it has a couple of small blades to prevent that. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/34 "2013-03-02T14:31:05Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I’m going to throw a bit of disagreement in here. A good circular saw with the proper blade will make the same cut a table saw will. You have to more precise measuring to get a good parallel cut and it needs a good guide bar. I’m talking about something like [this](http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/the_ez_smart_woodworking_system_10777.asp). It even has an edge guide designed to keep it from chipping the edge which a table saw can’t do. The job can certainly be done this way, but as\*\* The Librarian\*\* points out, it requires a lot more care and attention. The other reality is you need a way to hold a 4x8 sheet of plywood, with clearance to make your cuts and get your guide on there, and with clearance for you, the person behind the saw, to make the cuts comfortably and safely. I usually find myself making a trestle out of my trash cans, which is what I \*know \*Norm would do in that situation. None of this is to say it can’t be done that way, just that a person with only a moderate amount of experience will find it troublesome – more troublesome that it’s worth, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/35 "2013-03-02T15:57:59Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I’m going to throw a bit of disagreement in here. A good circular saw with the proper blade will make the same cut a table saw will. The same way a Kodak Disc Camera could get superior results to a Hasselblad… under some very limited conditions, like the Kodak in Annie Leibowitz’s hands in afternoon light and the Hassy in an Ohio tourist’s hands at night. Using all my abilities and a large cutting surface and hours lining up cutting rails etc., I could get the same exceptional cut that a medium- to large-table saw will turn out all day with far less hassle. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/36 "2013-03-02T16:03:55Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > I’m curious – what did you veneer over? You mentioned the face frames were painted before. Did you strip them? No. They had been painted at least twice, the last time with a very tough and well-applied oil base in a peculiarly unpleasant shade of yellow. I sanded all surfaces that were in good condition, used new wood and filler for the extensions and repairs, and laid 4mm ply over one bad (burned, it looked like) surface. I then sanded, filled, squared etc. until a coat of paint would have made everything look perfect… and started the veneer job. The surface underneath doesn’t matter, as long as it’s square, flat and solid. Everything is in the surface prep. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/37 "2013-03-02T20:58:45Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > The surface underneath doesn’t matter, as long as it’s square, flat and solid. Everything is in the surface prep. Well, and adhesion, which is the thing I’d worry about here ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/38 "2013-03-02T21:10:32Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > Well, and adhesion, which is the thing I’d worry about here By surface prep, I meant both making it flat and square and ensuring max adhesion. Clean wood and filler is no problem; I had to sand the painted surfaces with 100-grit to break the shine and create a surface that will adhere. A very good grade of water-based contact cement, two coats on the base and one on the veneer. The most easily underdone or forgotten step is the press-down after the veneer is in place and flat; you have to use a wooden edge and just about all the strength you can manage to “squeegee” the bond to permanence. I used soft pine, cut to a 60-degree angle and sanded just round, end points sanded off, and did my best to peel the veneer with the finishing strokes. There were no bubbles or delam in approximately 4 months, anywhere, and I’d bet against anything but minor and repairable lifts for the life of the cabinets. Hand-pressure, or even hard roller pressure, just doesn’t push hard enough. I think it becomes a major failure point for veneer jobs even where good surface prep and glue procedures are used. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/39 "2013-03-03T00:28:02Z")
Asking if it’s easy to make cabinets is like asking the dealer how much the Ferrari will cost. If you have to ask… However, I must take umbrage with this bit. > [@The\_Librarian](#): > > In fact I would be very surprised if he does much carpenting himself, presenters present, carpenters carpent. Carpenting and make-up don’t mix well. Cameras don’t like dust. Obviously, you have not watched the show, nor his other gig This Old House. Nahm (as he is affectionately named in many woodworking forums) too often (in my mind) favoured the easier weekend warrior projects and had an unfortunate penchant for using his brad nailer ( until the glue sets :)) , but he is a great carpenter, a great woodworker and while they probably edited out a lot of whoops he most certainly built everything on the show, most often twice. Typically, the first “prototype” was built off camera and was on display in the shop to point to and use as an example as he built the second item. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253/40 "2013-03-03T05:10:39Z")
> [@FordPrefect](#): > > Typically, the first “prototype” was built off camera and was on display in the shop to point to and use as an example as he built the second item. In the interview I read with Norm, he said that he built at least three of everything. The first was a prototype, which he could point to during the show. The second and third were filmed. One of them went to the guy who owned the property where the show was shot and Norm kept the other. Some of those pieces found their way to charity auctions. Sometimes he even did a “pre-prototype” using cheap wood and quick-n-dirty joinery, just to see what it would look like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-your-own-kitchen-cabinets-easy/651253.md?page=3)