Everyone enjoys the look and feel of fine wood furniture. It has a warmth and elegance that enhances every home. With the prices of quality wood furniture increasing, many do it yourselfers are making their own custom pieces. In this article we are going to show you the correct way to start the project and how to find the right tools and understand the correct key words and terms about cabinet building.
Planning:
Before you begin, plan to gather the items that you will be using, and place them where you will build the cabinet.
Let's simplify things a little and look at the basic components you will be working with to build your cabinet.
Basic Cabinet Components:
Kick-plate
Carcass
Strong-back
Face frame
Doors
Drawers (optional)
False Front
Terminology:
Before you begin your project, you will want to become familiar with the wood working terms shown below.
Miter Cut - Angle cut across the width or thickness of the board
Rabbet - L-shaped cut
Dado - Channel cut across the board, into which a second piece of wood is fitted
Kerf - Width of the blade
Countersink - To set a screw head at or below the surface
Dowel - Wooden pin used to provide strength and alignment
AA Lumber - Lumber which has a good finish on both sides.
Ripping - A cut with the grain
Crosscutting - A cut across the grain
Shim - A thin, wedge-shaped piece of wood used for leveling or spacing.
But Joint - The square end of one piece butting up against the flat surface or end of another piece.
Materials:
Because of the size of the lumber involved in this project, you need an extra person to help with cutting some of the wood. Plan ahead so your "Assistant" is available at the appropriate times.
Wood Selection:
Before you purchase your wood and select a finish for your cabinet, you should ask yourself some simple questions about how you plan to use and display it in you home, Where will the cabinet be located? Do the dimensions of the cabinet fit properly in the space you have allowed for it?
You can use a plywood that has a furniture grade veneer on only one side (AB plywood), since only one side will be visible. Plywood with a finished veneer on both sides (AA) can also be used for a top quality look. Face frames of solid oak will be used to cover the plywood when necessary.
Similar to laying a pattern out on a piece of cloth, often you can cut several different pieces of the same thickness of wood out of a single piece. It is a good idea to add up the total number of boards, being careful to make sure you group short pieces in with long pieces to minimize waste.
We hope this little clip will help you gain understanding of the planning and preparation it takes to build custom kitchens. We provide layouts and drawings for all of our kitchens before submitting them to our builders. For basic layouts that require standard sizes, our suppliers have the "boxes" already finished ready for the type of door needed to finish the job.
Call us today and we are ready to help, and give free estimates on your Kitchen Remodel. (407) 256-0397
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