Standing Tall Cabinets Another take on the problem of maneuvering those too-tall cabinets into their spot. August 14, 2007
Armoires hautes debout Une autre approche du problème de la manœuvre des armoires trop hautes pour les mettre à leur place. 14 août 2007
Support en acier pour un comptoir en granit en surplomb Conseils sur l'utilisation de l'acier de construction pour soutenir un comptoir en pierre, sans surcharger ni accroître le poids (et le coût) de la structure. 9 avril 2008
Whether to Caulk Painted Cabinet Doors Materials choices, assembly methods, and finishing techniques all affect whether a door looks seamless, or not. May 15, 2014
Stickley Design A question about Stickley style provokes answers starting with a discussion about rift-sawn and quartersawn oak, and ending with a wide-ranging ramble (or was that rumble?) about Gustav Stickley, the Arts and Crafts movement, history, and the philosophy of work and play. Some pictures of cabinets he ......
CNC Versus Traditional Machinery for a Start-Up Shop Here's a long, detailed, and thoughtful discussion about the ideal equipment investment for starting a cabinet shop, focusing on whether to jump into CNC right from the get-go. October 18, 2011
Advice about Starting a Cabinet Business Cabinetmakers deliver several truckloads of advice to a young person with some start-up cash and a lot of enthusiasm. October 25, 2006
Line Boring and Dowel Assembly Tips Here's a long discussion about choosing a line boring machine and about best techniques for doweling and cabinet assembly. April 12, 2011
Cope and Stick Joinery with a Router Tips on door construction using a router table and sled, and an extended discussion about outsourcing doors versus building them in house. June 28, 2007
Whether to Build a Big Order of Slab Doors A long and informative discussion of the risks inherent in constructing cabinet doors as glued slabs made up of solid wood boards. November 14, 2014
Square Edges and Edgebanding Woodweb's Cabinetmaking forum straightens out a shop owner who has been edgebanding after putting cabinets together. Along the way there's a detailed discussion of how to produce square edge cuts, even with basic equipment. March 3, 2009
Cabinet Businesses Overseas Here's an in-depth discussion of what it's like to move your U.S. cabinet business to a developing country (where, yes, there are opportunities). August 29, 2011
Value added defined Many definitions and interpretations are offered up. July 29, 2003
Are Cabinet Makers Carpenters? Mulling over the dividing line between skilled tradesmen who all build things out of wood — but in different ways. July 20, 2011
Appliance Cutouts Standards, and a lack of, for kitchen appliace cutouts. August 7, 2004
Cabinetmaking Productivity Shop owners and woodworkers discuss how fast the people ought to be able to pump out product, and consider strategies for making better time. April 13, 2010
Door Sanding Quality Issues Here's advice on setting quality standards for cabinet door final sanding, and meeting the goals in a competitive market. April 2, 2013
Coping With Burnout Cabinetmakers discuss how to keep interest alive and productivity up while juggling multiple roles in a one-man cabinet business. March 12, 2009
Stupid Woodworker Tricks With a nod toward David Letterman, pros discuss their least-best moments. January 24, 2005
Custom Built-In Seating for a Boat The furniture forum discusses plumb, level, port, starboard, pitch, yaw, and relating nautical seating terminology. June 10, 2006
Cabinet Software and Photo-Realistic Rendering This thread on a timeworn topic (choosing cabinet design software) has an extra feature: some examples of super-realistic rendering. January 13, 2009
Quirk Bead Cutters An extended discussion on cutterheads for making quirk bead, plus equipment choices and setups for this custom decorative detail. March 3, 2009
Techniques and Equipment for Long-Grain Miters Cabinetmakers who like to miter their face frames to their end panels discuss table-saw and shaper setups, joinery, and gluing techniques. September 28, 2006
Face Frame Joinery The definitive, final, last-word discussion on all the ways there are to assemble face frames, until next time. June 28, 2007
Drum Sander or Wide Belt Sander? Another discussion comparing and contrasting widebelt sanders and drum sanders (widebelts win).October 3, 2011
Should I Specialize in Door Production? These days, the cabinet door industry is highly competitive and has low margins. Here's a discussion of the realities of starting a door-making business. March 25, 2007
Nested Base Versus Beam Saw and PTP A closet system fabricator and installer describes his journey through various shop equipment situations. May 26, 2014
Solar Power for a Wood Shop? Solar panels or a windmill can supplement your shop's electric usage, but you're not going to run big iron on it without the grid doing most of the work.. June 4, 2012
Drying Compressor Air This long, detailed discussion covers the whys and hows of drying out the air that flows through your compressed-air lines to power tools and spray equipment. April 6, 2007
Organizing Tight Shop Space A start-up cabinetmaker is working in cramped conditions. Other chime in with space-economizing ideas for workflow and storage. August 29, 2005
Efficient Drawer-Front Installation In this long, detailed discussion, cabinet pros swap techniques for attaching drawer fronts and discuss how to improve efficiency and accuracy of this fussy and time-consuming step. September 8, 2007
Frame-and-Panel Carcases Versus Applied End Panels What's better, building a plywood box and attaching frame-and-panel elements to it, or using the raised-panel frames as structural elements in the cabinet? Cabinetmakers discuss history, technique, and the state of the art. June 5, 2006
Innovative Design for Ergonomic Kitchens Cabinetmakers discuss ways to move beyond the conventional kitchen characteristics such as counter height. October 13, 2012
Out-of-Level Floor Problem A cabinet job for a new house with an out-of-level floor leads to a callback. Pros weigh in with views and technical advice. August 29, 2005
Setting and Leveling Base Cabinets A discussion of various methods for setting base cabs, including using a separate ladder base, using leg levelers, or using a wall cleat at the back and leg levelers in the front. March 26, 2009
Speeding up the Work with a Value Stream Map Drawing a map to visualize the steps in the production process helps cabinet shops streamline their processes and focus on productive activities instead of on moving parts around. October 2, 2007
Getting Mahogany Flat Very hard woods with alternating grain patterns sometimes develop waviness when sanded with wide-belt equipment. Here's an extensive discussion of the characteristics of Mahogany, and of ways to approach it using both hand tools and power equipment. November 12, 2005
Stabilizing Details for a Mahogany Island Top Concerned about wood movement, pros consider options including threaded rod reinforcement, sliding dovetails, or thin-sawing the wood. December 10, 2008
Shop-Built Custom Shapers Advice on motor and pulley sizing for a dedicated-purpose shop-built shaper, plus a discussion of the alternatives to making a special-purpose tool. March 3, 2009
Comparing Assembly Methods for Euro Cab Construction Starting with a question about entry-level cabinet assembly, and bypassing a digression about business qualifications, this thread digs deep into the relative advantages of different assembly methods and process systems for a production cabinet shop. April 27, 2011
Who cuts sink holes? Is this the responsibility of the cabinetmaker or installer? December 17, 2003
Drum Sander Options for a Small Shop This thread wanders a little, but it sheds some light on the sander choices available for the owner of a one-man shop with space and budget limits. March 12, 2015
Shopping for a Used Edgebander This discussion of comparison shopping for an edgebander has some detailed info from a maintenance and repair technician. May 30, 2011
Responsibility for a Too-Dark Finish A cabinetmaker is being asked to hold the bag for the poor work done by a painter who the customer hired. In this thread, professionals suggest ways to handle the problem. November 11, 2005
Chordal's Letters Considered by Today's Shop Men A discussion of a century-old book about shop craft, "Chordal's Letters" by James Waring See, available today as an on-line archive. February 6, 2010
Rough P-Lam Edges, Specs, and AWI Standards A bad case of chip-out on some laminated door edges leads to an informative discussion of AWI standards and quality specifications, along with some good guesses about what caused the unacceptable chip-out. November 23, 2012
Metric Versus Imperial Point oh six of one, half a dozen percent of the other ... February 13, 2013
Mistake-Proofing Cabinet Jobs Deep thoughts on office, shop, and job-site standard operating procedures that can reduce the human-error factor in cabinet production and installation. April 29, 2010
Mitered Versus Cope and Stick Door Joinery A customer's red herring about "strength" of mitered versus square door joinery leads to a discussion of the pros and cons of different door construction joints from the cabinetmaker's point of view.June 7, 2011
Raised Panel Shrinkage Cabinetmakers grapple with the issues raised by installing unfinished cabinetry in an unheated house, mid-project. May 28, 2010
Lean Production of Raised Panel Doors A discussion of tricks for evening out workflow, such as: to speed up the whole job, move labor to the bottleneck from downstream activities. June 28, 2013
Edgebander or Small CNC? A part-time garage-shop cabinetmaker gets advice on whether his next investment should be a CNC or an edgebander. Good thoughts on both sides in this long thread. October 11, 2007
MDF Door Quality Debate MDF has its critics and its defenders. Here's a worthwhile discussion of the pros and cons of MDF as a door-building material. December 28, 2014
A Sliding Table Saw in a Small Work Space Here's another long discussion of the value of sliding table saws, and the practical aspects of fitting one into a small shop footprint. July 29, 2012
Installing Drawer Faces A long, detailed discussion about various ways to accurately and rapidly attach drawer fronts when installing cabinets. February 16, 2012
Vertical panel saws A comparison of speed and efficiency of vertical panel saws as opposed to sliding table saws. July 24, 2001
Router Table Add-ons With a router lift, precision fence, and some customizing, a router table can "kinda-sorta" stand in as a poor man's shaper. November 26, 2006
Speeding Up Euro Box Construction A homebuilder who shop-builds his own cabinets for 15 houses a year asks for advice on speeding up carcase construction. March 3, 2009
Saws Basic descriptions of sliding table saws, miter saws, re-saws, and related saw equipment used in wood shops. November 13, 2008
Relationships with Edgebanders No two ways about it, edgebanders are temperamental. Here's an extended discussion on getting through the working day with your useful but finicky mechanical partner. December 7, 2007
Making Raised Panels Flat Advice on how to joint, plane, and glue up the pieces to achieve a flat door panel. August 31, 2009
Unpainted MDF Filler Strips Near a Dishwasher Is it safe to have a cut MDF edge located close to a dishwasher? Cabinetmakers talk about materials, water resistance, and the meaning of "quality." July 9, 2007
Should I Joint and Plane My Own Face-Frame Stock? It's work to get nice flush joints and consistent dimensions on cabinet face frames. Here's a discussion about whether to surface your own stock or buy pre-planed lumber. January 28, 2009
AWI Quality Standards and Balanced Lamination Here's a long discussion of good practice for making laminate cabinet doors, and what the Architectural Woodworking Institute's quality certification standards require. September 27, 2008
Figuring Out Woodshop Power Requirements Amps, volts, watts, horsepower, and all that jazz: here's an instructive thread on how to figure out if a building's power supply will support your plans for shop equipment. July 9, 2007
Shop Maintenance and Cleaning How to get your crew behind the idea that "a clean shop is a safe and happy shop." May 6, 2006
Order of Operations in Solid Wood Panel Assembly Is it better to dress lumber before gluing up wood panels, or glue up first and then sand the whole panel? People do it both ways; here, they discuss why. December 6, 2006
Thirty-Inch Deep Base Cabinets Extra depth brings cabinet faces out flush with a standard refrigerator, but it introduces other complications. In this discussion, cabinetmakers share techniques for building 30-inch deep cabinets that work. December 28, 2005
Drawer Building Options Materials choices, fastening methods and systems for drawer assembly. September 23, 2006
Why Does Plywood Warp? An extended technical and practical discussion of dimensional instability in plywood panels. January 20, 2010
Stretchers Versus Full Tops Stretchers at the top of cabinet carcases sometimes cause drawers to get stuck. Is it wiser to just build a full top onto the cabinet?July 5, 2011
The Most Important Skills to Learn An apprentice woodworker asks what he should concentrate on for a career in the trade, and gets a full helping of good advice. October 2, 2005
Gluing Methods and Strength of Dado Joints Here's a long and serious debate about how to apply glue to dado joints in cabinets, and whether or not it matters. November 15, 2011
Is There Any Future in Woodworking? A young shop owner starts an informal survey of whether it's a field that's worth spending your life in. October 13, 2010
Troubleshooting Cut Quality on Door Profiles A cabinetmaker's knives are wearing out too quickly. The discussion leads into various aspects of door profile machining. September 17, 2008
Tuning Up an Older Edgebander A cabinetmaker gets help with an adhesion problem with an old-model Adwood edgebander. September 27, 2009
Adjustable Hinge Wear and Tear and Maintenance Cabinetmakers discuss the long-term performance of adjustable hinges, with tips on hardware choice, installation, and maintenance. February 13, 2009
Kitchen Advice for a Young Beginner A youngster gets some advice and encouragement about getting into the kitchen cabinet business. April 20, 2008
Outsourcing Cabinet Installation There are good reasons to install your own cabinets, and good reasons to have someone else do it. Here, installers and cabinetmakers discuss the fine points of communication and cooperation among specialists. August 3, 2005
Screw Through a Water Pipe: Whose Fault? It's a typical snafu: the cabinet installer hits a water pipe with a screw. This thread is a collection of examples, with descriptions of who covered the repair cost. August 16, 2012
Setting Up a 32mm Stop System Tips on the "Sticks" 32mm stop system from Metricks, and general advice on getting started with 32mm Euro cabinetry methods. August 31, 2009
Cost of Shop Power Understanding (and minimizing) your shop's utility bill. July 5, 2006
Selling a Cabinet Shop as a Business Does a successful cabinetmaking business have a market value above and beyond the value of machinery in the used market? Only in special cases. October 18, 2011
Sliding Table Saw and Panel Saw Choices Cabinetmakers kick around the uses of sliders and panel saws, what makes a good one, and which to purchase if you can't have both. November 22, 2005
Direct Drive Shaper Motors A woodworker gathers information for designing a custom-made shaper for finish machining of door edges. August 30, 2010
Making Fluted Pilasters Detailed tips on efficient fluting, including images of a shop-made jig. October 5, 2004
Re-Flattening a Warped Countertop A beautiful wood countertop warped after it was finished on one side only, then stored for years. This discussion is about making it flat again by kerfing the underside and clamping the piece. September 16, 2008
Scribe Rails -- Why Not? Why are custom shops not including scribe material on backs? August 26, 2004
Attaching Trim to a Cabinet Top Cabinetmakers and finish carpenters discuss how to provide good nailing for large trim pieces at the top of a cabinet. June 11, 2014
The Ultimate Primer on Single Head Wide Belt Sanding With understanding of how successive grits function, you can improve the efficiency of your belt sanding and orbital sanding process while optimizing the quality of the results. November 12, 2014
Kick boxes Building separate kicks for efficient installation. September 20, 2003
Crown Transitions for Corner Cabinets Several ways to deal with a tricky crown molding detail at the top of corner cabinets flanked by manufactured upper cabs. October 25, 2006
Shaper Choices for Door Construction Cabinetmakers discuss equipment selection and machining techniques for making raised-panel cope-and-stick doors. May 22, 2006
Defining "Quality" in Custom Cabinet Work Pleasing customers is about matching their expectations, not your own. Cabinet shop pros discuss how to succeed with custom work in a competitive market. August 29, 2005
Tandem Slides and Drawer Dimensions To notch, or not? Cabinetmakers discuss the fine points of matching slide specs to drawer sizes. August 29, 2005
Line-Foot Estimating Advice on efficiently coming up with ballpark numbers for a cabinet job proposal. August 8, 2008
Edgebander Glue in Small Lots (and Related Issues) This thread starts with simple Q&A about getting particular glue colors in small-job quantities, but goes on to explore many aspects of edgebander setup and maintenance.February 17, 2012
Quality Control for Square Doors There's a lot involved in getting five-part cabinet doors to come out really square. October 9, 2006
Machining MDF Raised Panels Four out of four doctors agree: you can run MDF door panels in one pass on the shaper, if your cutters are sharp.January 2, 2014
Strength of Cabinet Joinery Using Pre-Finished Plywood When you use pre-finished plywood, does the finish compromise the strength of glue joints? The question sets off an extended discussion of structural issues in cabinet carcass construction. September 23, 2006
Expanding Table Saw Capacity Woodworkers discuss choosing a second table saw, building on an outfeed table, using a "shoot board," and other ways to expand panel ripping and crosscutting capacity. August 3, 2009
Fitting Inset Doors to Face Frames Pros discuss the efficiency and accuracy of various approaches to measuring, marking, cutting, and installing inset cabinet doors. January 21, 2007
Straight-Line Rip-Saw for a Small Shop? Should a two-man cabinet shop acquire a straight-line rip-saw? The discussion balances cost against quality and productivity issues. March 13, 2014
Corner-Cabinet Face Frame Joints Corner cabinets pose a tricky face-frame construction problem. Here, cabinetmakers discuss ways to detail the corner joint. August 29, 2005
Making Time in a Small Shop A 2-man shop needs to pick up speed. Should they buy tools or revamp their process? March 17, 2005
Clamping Lock Miters A discussion of the fine points of aligning, clamping, and gluing miter joints, with some commentary on whether lock miters are even worth the trouble. June 3, 2013
Cloth Versus Paper Sanding Belts Cloth belts are washable and last longer, but may mark the wood more than paper belts. Here's a detailed look at all the pros and cons. January 12, 2015
Options for Machining Dadoes Here's an extensive collection of methods and tips for cutting dadoes in panels. November 30, 2009
Shop Heat Solutions Ideas and suggestions for heating a woodworking shop. March 26, 2008
Outsourcing Design Work – Why or Why Not? A CAD artist who wants to draw for others on a contract basis gets feedback about the usefulness and value of that proposed service. February 8, 2008
Stile and Rail Sizes for Doors and Drawer Faces A thoughtful discussion on whether and how to vary the stile and rail proportions when designing and detailing cabinets with larger doors and smaller drawer faces. July 13, 2010
Inset Cabinet Door Fitting and Tolerances Here's a discussion about the process and quality control measures cabinetmakers employ when fitting inset cabinet doors. October 27, 2011
Keeping the Glue Pot Clean This thread starts with a question about glue brands, but evolves into a discussion about how to operate the glue-pot edgebander to avoid charring of glue and reduce the need for cleaning the equipment. November 2, 2010
Speaker Box Material — Solid Wood or MDF? Solid wood turns out to be a poor choice for speaker cabinets. This discussion explains why, and covers other ground concerning speaker construction. November 20, 2005
Shopping for a Widebelt Sander: One Head or Two? Expert advice on good characteristics for a belt sander, with advice on effective sanding and some first-hand reports on a few models. April 19, 2015
Are "High-End" Drawer Joints Worth the Trouble? Cabinetmakers discuss the processes involved in dovetail joints, box joints, and simpler drawer construction joints. Will customers see value in a "better" drawer joint? February 26, 2007
Squaring Up Cabinets What's the best way to keep cabinet carcasses square — and is it worth it? Cabinetmakers share techniques and opinions. August 14, 2007
Humidity Control and Cabinetmaking A cabinetmaker gets an introduction to moisture-related wood movement and humidity control. July 25, 2010
Whether to Mill Your Own Cabinet Mouldings Is it practical for a cabinetmaker to mill his own mouldings? Shop owners say that depending on your situation, investing in a moulder might be worth it. July 29, 2007
Straight Line Ripping on Two Edges Cabinetmakers discuss the difficulty, cost, benefits, and drawbacks of buying lumber that has been straight line ripped on two edges — or buying the equipment and doing it yourself. October 13, 2012
Whether to Rip Your Own Stock Cabinet shops consider the pros and cons of setting up to gang-rip and surface stock, instead of ordering it that way from a supplier. February 12, 2009
Finished Versus Unfinished Cabinet Installations In some areas, cabinets are often delivered unfinished and sprayed on site, but in other markets that's practically unheard-of. Here, cabinetmakers discuss the pros and cons of both approaches. May 23, 2007
Face Frames First? Most small cabinet shops build face frames first, boxes second. Here, woodworkers explain their preferences. July 5, 2006
On-Site Laminate Cutting Tips and Tricks Cabinet re-facing work calls for a lot of cut-and-fit laminate work. Here's a long discussion of ways to go about the task. May 6, 2007
Feets Don't Fail Me Now All day on on your feet on a concrete shop floor is an rX for full-body pain. In this thread from the Cabinetmaking forum, old hands with old feet tell where they stand on personal footwear. October 1, 2005
Touching Up the Burnt Ends of a Routed Flute Here's advice on cleaning up the rounded end of a flute if the router leaves burn marks — and on scraper sharpening, and on how to avoid those burn marks to begin with. February 11, 2010
Drawer Construction Choosing an efficient method over farming out the work. June 4, 2004
Miter Joinery in a Wood Countertop In principle, a miter joint in wood is problematic because of moisture-related expansion and contraction. But some installers say that if the whole countertop is left free to move, the joint will be okay. January 25, 2013
"Green" Cabinetry Environmentally-friendly or non-toxic cabinet work has become an important market niche. In this thread, cabinetmakers discuss the ins and outs of meeting customer expectations for "green" cabinets. September 4, 2005
Installing Built-Ins Over Carpet Should built-in cabinets be installed over existing carpet, or should the carpet be cut away and re-attached at the joint? Craftsmen debate the point. July 24, 2005
Skinning the Bottoms of Frameless Upper Cabinets Extended discussion of how to treat the underside of an upper cabinet, with a conversation about space-saver corner drawers on the side. March 5, 2007
Scribing a Farmhouse Sink to Fit A heavy, irregularly-shaped sink needs to fit just right — the first time. The installer asks for help, and reports on his results. August 29, 2005
Compressor Choices for Pneumatic Sanders It takes a lot of air to power air sanders, but many shop owners consider the upgrade worthwhile. Here's extensive advice on compressor choice, with additional tips on setup and operation. September 8, 2007
Refrigerator Cabinet Dimensions A discussion of the practical and esthetic choices around boxing in a refrigerator. April 29, 2012
Forced-Air Shop Heat Versus Radiant Heating A few thoughts on the effect different heating system types have on comfort for people, and conditions for wood or machinery. April 10, 2008
Whether to Rebuild an Edgebander Here's a savvy discussion of the pros and cons of replacing a few important parts on an edgebander to keep it running for more years. June 15, 2014
Equipment Choices A closet contractor shopping for an edgebander, boring machine, and panel saw considers his machinery options, new versus used equipment, and whether to lease or buy. November 11, 2005
Shopping for a Panel Saw Advice on how to get your money's worth for a panel saw, and thoughts on choosing a slider or a track-guided circular saw instead. May 28, 2010
Circular Saw Guides for Cutting Sheet Goods You can make your own straight-edge jig for cutting panels, but many cabinetmakers and installers recommend buying a specialized tool. November 20, 2008
Joinery for Cabinet Drawer Boxes What's the best joint for a drawer box, asks a shop owner who wants to supply drawers for the trade? Cabinetmakers share their thoughts on drawer joinery and on supplying the outsourcing market. November 22, 2005
Applied Mouldings on Cabinet Doors Tips on how to achieve production-shop speed and custom-shop quality when applying mouldings to frame-and-panel cabinet doors. September 23, 2006
Sliding Table Attachment Woodworkers report varying degrees of satisfaction with sliding table attachments for their tablesaws. One big factor may be how carefully you first set the equipment up. December 14, 2005
Attaching Cabinets to Steel Studs Cabinet installers share tips and tricks for hanging cabs in commercial buildings where the framing is steel instead of wood. January 26, 2008
Eliminating Melamine Chip-Out Suggestions for blade choice and equipment tweaks that will help reduce chip-out when cutting melamine on the table saw. May 6, 2010
A Tale of Two Grit Sequences Sophisticated practical advice on the wise sequence of grit choices for a belt sander to optimize sanding effectiveness while removing final scratches and preventing burnishing defects. November 12, 2014
Table Saw Blade Alignment Advice on keeping a table saw blade parallel to the fence, and some general observations on accuracy and tolerances. October 25, 2006
Finger Jointed Stave Cores for Cabinet Doors? Man doors with 1/4-inch sawn face veneers and finger-jointed stave cores are a good product. Would the same concept work for a wood cabinet door? Discussion ensues. July 30, 2009
Small-Volume Edgebanding Setups What's an economical but productive setup for edgebanding just the occasional shelf? February 8, 2008
Cabinetry for Farmhouse Sinks Construction details for farmhouse sink cabinets have to include structural support for the heavy, bulky sink. September 15, 2011
Jointing Door Stock Twice Is a shop worker being too careful and creating double work? How much trouble is it worth to be extra sure that door parts are precisely milled? January 19, 2012
Choosing a Phase Converter Here's advice on choosing a phase converter to bump up two-phase power to supply three-phase motors, with some explanation of how those gizmos actually work. January 31, 2012
Replacing Insert Cutters on a Holz-Her Edgebander The Woodweb community steps up with detailed instructions and drawings for an edgebander owner who has gotten himself in too deep with a maintenance issue.July 5, 2011
Whether to Re-Cut Granite in Place Does it make sense to install granite that you plan to cut later to accommodate an appliance change? December 7, 2008
More About Dadoing Face Frames Additional back-and-forth on a well-trodden path — the whys and hows of dadoing cabinet face frames. March 5, 2007
Comparing Line Boring Machinery Cabinetmakers discuss how to shop for a solid, reliable line boring machine and how to get the best use out of it. January 2, 2012
Constructing and Installing Banks of Bookshelves Library jobs typically call for multiple built-in bookcases, installed shoulder to shoulder. Here are descriptions and photos of different solutions to the construction problem. April 29, 2012
Drawer Bottom Construction Material Home-center cabs may use 1/8" plywood for drawer bottoms, but pros in this thread explain why they prefer 1/4" or 1/2" material. December 27, 2006
Advances in Edgebander Technology Woodworkers describe good results from applying the adjustability and programmable features of the newest generation of edgebanders. January 23, 2014
Cabinet Side-to-Bottom Joint Design A discussion of whether to let cabinet sides run past the bottom and top shelves, or sit above and below them. October 14, 2009
Screw Choices for Cabinet Installation A discussion of screws with and without self-tapping points and nibbed heads, for installing connecting cabinets during installation. November 20, 2008
Moving and Unloading Machinery Practical advice for getting a large, heavy, and expensive piece of industrial equipment off the truck and into place in the shop. October 12, 2007
Shopping for a Slider Comparing and contrasting two makes of sliding table saw, with comments about the fine points of user-friendliness. February 2, 2011
Leg Levelers and Cabinet Construction Cabinetmakers discuss the assembly details that allow leg leveler hardware to provide structural support for installed cabinets. February 6, 2007
Inset Drawer Stops With inset face frame cabinets, making drawers stop just flush with the frame is tricky. Here are tips on hardware solutions and a "hillbilly rig." December 26, 2006
Attaching Cabinet Backs for Strength Will a quarter-inch cabinet back, stapled to the carcass, keep the rest of the cabinet attached to the wall? Cabinetmakers discuss. March 25, 2007
Troubleshooting a Cracked Beechwood Countertop A good case example of the inevitable cracking that occurs when wood moisture-related movement is not allowed for — this time, in a counter of solid wood glued to plywood. February 11, 2010
Optimizing Cut Quality on a Door-Making Shaper With a specialized machine designed for profiling door parts, it can be tricky to adjust RPMs and feed rates for a good, clean cut. July 11, 2007
Finishing Wood Edges of Laminate Tops Suppose you want to edge-band laminate tops before finishing the edgebanding? Here are some creative ideas for protecting the laminate top from overspray while finishing just the edge. May 22, 2007
Speeding Up Repetitive Pin Insertion Ideas for making the placement of 600,000 grommets go a little bit faster (so it will end sooner). March 3, 2009
Controlling Woodshop Dust Cabinetmakers discuss vacuum tool attachments, filters, fans, and whole-shop dust collection systems. February 9, 2006
Minimizing Tell-Tale Un-Stained Lines around Door Panels Seasonal wood shrinkage often leaves a noticeable unstained margin showing around the edge of a door panel. Here are thoughts on how to minimize the occurrence. March 26, 2009
Quarter-Inch Plywood for Cabinet Backs Cabinetmakers discuss whether it's wise to economize by using quarter-inch plywood and a stiffening strip for cabinet backs, rather than half-inch or three-quarter-inch material. July 5, 2006
Steambending How much time to allow based on thickness and proposed radius of wood. September 23, 2003
Cabinet Sink Front Design Concepts What's the point of a false drawer front at kitchen cabinet sink locations? And are there any better ideas? Sure there are.September 23, 2013
Sliding Table Saws — New Versus Used When the budget is tight, a used high-end slider can be a better value than a brand new low-end machine.November 15, 2011
Gluing Up Miters in Solid Wood Countertops Here's a wealth of advice based on successful experience of several cabinetmakers building mitered solid-wood countertops. August 6, 2008
Heating the Shop in a Cold Climate A discussion of the choices for heating a large, poorly insulated shop, including radiant gas burners, wood-fired boilers, and more. March 22, 2013
Using Prefinished Plywood Cabinetmakers discuss why they use material that's finished on both sides, even where only one side will show. March 26, 2008
Stabilizing a Flimsy Cabinet Ideas for reinforcing and/or anchoring a topheavy cabinet design with inadequate bracing. January 11, 2008
Sizing a Phase Converter for the Load Advice on matching the capacity of a rotary phase converter to the demands of the equipment it serves. May 28, 2010
Efficient Door Construction Building solid-wood cabinet doors takes time. In this thread, cabinetmakers share ideas for speeding up the process. July 6, 2005
What Thickness of Material for Cabinet Backs? Cabinetmakers discuss whether they use 3/4-inch, 1/2-inch, or 1/4-inch plywood for cabinet backs, and the reasoning behind their preferences. July 11, 2013
Making Concrete Countertops Fabricating concrete countertops is not rocket science, but it takes practice — and it isn't cheap. March 26, 2007
Speedy Face Frame Construction Cabinetmakers debate the details of fast methods for building and attaching face frames. July 9, 2005
Inside Corner Drawers Pricing and practical considerations for drawers that fit the inside corner of a corner cabinet. February 11, 2010
Free Span Limits of Cabinet Shelving For wide cabinets with double doors and no center stile, how far is too far for the shelves to span? Here are suggestions for stiffening wide span shelving. March 27, 2012
Milling Face-Frame Stock Fastidious cabinetmakers find that S4S stock comes with too many imperfections. Here, pros discuss their methods for machining lumber that's straight, square, flat, and true. January 10, 2006
Making a Full-Height Cabinet Fit A full-ceiling-height refrigerator cabinet can be a bear to install, because you can't tip it up (the diagonal is too long). Here's a useful thread on solving that problem. January 20, 2007
Fine-Tuning an Edgebander Detailed advice on tweaking the edgebander so that edges don't require hand-trimming or sanding. November 30, 2009
Troubleshooting a New Slider After getting a variety of advice on finding the source of trouble, a woodworker finds out his new sliding table saw had a bad motor from the factory. September 3, 2014
Shopping for a Used Slider Cabinetmakers discuss the desireable and undesirable attributes to consider in purchasing a previously owned sliding table saw on a budget. November 15, 2011
Steps for processing cabinets Cabinetmakers share the methods they use for processing doors and cabinet parts. July 3, 2001
Creating a Bead Profile on Curved Stock Cabinetmakers suggest tools and setups for beading curved pieces, and offer an alternative applied-bead technique. Check out the photos! September 22, 2005
Farm Sink Mounting Details For a custom kitchen, confusion arises over how the farmhouse sink is intended to be mounted. Learn more here about farm sinks and how they fit in. April 9, 2008
Making Acrylic Cabinetry Solid sheet acrylic and acrylic veneer are opening a new niche in cabinetmaking. Here is some background information and an extensive set of photo examples of finished work. November 29, 2014
Solid Wood Versus Veneer for a Bar Top Quarter-inch veneer over MDF might show less movement at the miter joints in this large bar top. But can they dance on it in high heels? December 6, 2006
Shoes Off in the House? Woodworkers discuss the practicality of working in socks, and the alternatives for protecting floors in high-end residential work. October 14, 2009
Eliminating springback problems Determining the radius to aim for when creating a curve with vac-laminated plywood. September 23, 2003
How to Make Haunched Face Frames Various woodworking techniques described for making beaded face frames for cabinets. February 6, 2007
Sanding Face Frames Cabinetmakers discuss whether to sand face frames before or after assembling them, and other fine points of sanding technique. October 2, 2007
Sub-Zero Fridge Installation Putting in a Sub-Zero? Cabinet installers feel your pain. But the big, heavy units have their defenders too. February 27, 2013
Do Edgebanders Provide Perfect Output? Few, if any edgebanders will consistently produce panels that can pass your thumb's feel test — and none will without continual tending by a good operator. December 27, 2006
Choosing a Moisture Meter A well-informed discussion comparing the cost and characteristics of various pin and pinless moisture meters. October 11, 2012
Laminate Cabinet Tips Advice (sometimes conflicting) about how to build high-quality laminate cabinets. July 5, 2006
Shop Layout Tips and Techniques Paper models make visualizing your shop floor easier, and good planning can really boost your workflow. May 10, 2005
Determining Square for Machine Setup and Q.C. Here's advice on shopping for reliable squares, checking for square on machines or cut parts, and setting up machinery to be true and square. April 6, 2011
Refrigerator Fit Issues "Counter-depth" refrigerators don't provide a true built-in look: the sides are exposed, as this cabinetmaker learned to his (and his customer's) dismay. November 2, 2010
Spot Checking for Drill Hole Placement For high-volume production work, a simple gauge is the best way to check for consistent drilled hole location accuracy. July 13, 2010
Laser Level Accuracy Issues Laser levels can be knocked out of whack, and old-school water levels can have issues of their own. The watchword is "trust, but verify." October 19, 2014
Cutting a Post-Formed Laminate Countertop Hiring the job out to a well-equipped countertop shop is your best bet — but here's how to do it with an installer's toolkit. February 8, 2008
Chipout Problems when Cutting Melamine Badly sharpened blades, an out-of-tune beam saw, or maybe just too many sheets at once might be causing excess chipout on melamine cuts. July 6, 2006
Kitchen Design Clinic Cabinet pros look at a problematic kitchen design and suggest some improvements. January 11, 2008
More boxes, less time Making the process more efficient, including discussion on toekicks and finishing. May 2, 2001
Drawer construction High-quality, cost-effective methods of drawer construction, and tips on joinery. March 28, 2001
Value Engineering in Custom Cabinets? Cabinetmakers discuss ways to shave costs to make and install custom cabinets in a competitive economy. December 24, 2012
Sanding and Squaring Raised Panel Doors It's typical to build raised-panel doors a hair over-size so that they can be squared up accurately as a final step. In this thread, cabinetmakers describe the various ways they go about it. April 18, 2011
Notching Out the Top for a Frameless Lazy Susan Cutting and banding the inside corners for a Lazy Susan can be time-consuming. Here's a spirited technical discussion of various methods. July 31, 2009
Cabinet Levelers: Worth It? Opinions vary about whether cabinet leveling hardware is worth buying. April 29, 2012
Sanding Cabinet Doors Efficiently Final sanding on cabinet doors can hold back productivity. Here, shop owners discuss means and methods for sanding door faces and profiles in a production environment. October 22, 2005
Cutting dadoes and spraying Finding the best order to assemble, finish and dado. (Cabinetmaking Forum) May 1, 2003
Getting Into Frameless A cabinetmaking newbie gets advice on making his first attempt at a frameless kitchen. June 16, 2014
Router Overheating Woodworkers discuss how hot router bits and collets should be expected to get during normal operation, and what might cause them to overheat. September 7, 2006
Outsourced Door Tolerances Fine accuracy is achievable if a producer cares to put in the effort. September 8, 2007
Shopping for an Edgebander Here's some detailed advice on how to choose the right edgebander for your volume and style of production. January 1, 2012
Scribing Baseboard for an Uneven Floor Here are some good tips on how to scribe base shoe molding to an uneven tile floor around the toe kicks of kitchen cabinets. October 27, 2011
Must-Haves for Edgebanders Which attributes and capabilities matter most when you're comparison-shopping for an edgebander? December 31, 2012
Indexing Blumotion Drawer Slides Fine points of the alignment of a Blum drawer slide: Why are the screw holes not parallel with the drawer bottom? July 29, 2011
Face Frame Dadoing A frameless pro gets advice on fitting face frames to cabinets for the first time. January 19, 2011
Sanding Door Edges The group agrees that a spindle sander is a bad idea for sanding door edges; instead, here are tips on edge sanders. February 16, 2012
Install Floors Before Cabinets, or After? Cabinetmakers and installers discuss the sequence of the job. Which should you install first, the flooring or the cabinets? June 16, 2014
Sanding Hard Maple A cabinetmaker complains of little swirl marks, and gets advice on sanding (and card scraping) technique. July 21, 2005
Milling Raised Door Panels Should you run the pieces face up, or face down, asks a cabinetmaker? Opinions, and the reasons for them, vary. October 30, 2005
Shapers: Single-Phase Versus Three-Phase A discussion of what makes a three-phase shaper different from one with a single-phase motor, and whether the difference matters. January 23, 2012
Solid Wood Cabinet Backs and Wood Movement A cabinetmaker considers, then rejects, the customer's request for an 8-foot-long solid wood back for an island cabinet. July 25, 2010
Applied Versus Captured Drawer Bottoms Cabinetmakers discuss the strength, appearance, speed of construction, and perceived value of different drawer-bottom attachment methods. May 12, 2008
Squaring up a Vertical Panel Saw Here's advice on tweaking a second-hand vertical panel saw into square (with the proviso that a trained tech will do it faster and better).February 16, 2014
Comparing Oscillating Tools How do the original high-end oscillating cutter tools rate in comparison to the less expensive off brands? October 27, 2011
More Fun with Stud Finders No stud finder works perfectly. In this thread, pros discuss stud finding methods high tech and low. September 4, 2005
Making a Curved Face Frame When the top and bottom face frames on a cabinet need to follow the curve of a shelf, there are several simple options. December 27, 2008
Routers Basic descriptions of various types of routers commonly found in wood shops, including CNC router equipment. November 13, 2008
Should Cabinet Door Glass Be Tempered? A discussion of why tempered glass is preferable in some situations, and some information about tempering and about costs. September 27, 2009
Static charge on wood Troubleshooting and resolving static problems on freshly planed boards. October 9, 2002
Competition for Installation Contracts A cabinetmaker complains that his installation sub started working directly for the builder. The story sets off a discussion on fair competition in the new-construction market. November 11, 2005
Inverter Cooling and Ventilation Inverter power supply electronics generates heat, and the units should be adequately cooled and ventilated for good performance and long life.October 26, 2011
Ideal Humidity in a Wood Shop Indoor humidity levels correspond with wood moisture content. Here's advice on humidity control. October 26, 2012
Using Dowels and Confirmats Together A cabinetmaker gets advice on an assembly method that would combine Confirmat screws and dowels. September 27, 2008
Shopping for a Shaper Cabinetmakers give advice on how to select a good shaper for a decent price. September 21, 2005
Table Saw, Slider, or Panel Saw? Here's another detailed thread on an important topic: selecting and using panel-cutting equipment. July 5, 2006
Face Frames: Re-face Versus Replace Here's an interesting thread about the advantages of replacing just a cabinet face frame, instead of refacing the cabinet or replacing it altogether. June 11, 2014
Drilling Through Ceramic Tile A discussion of power tools and bits for effective drilling into hard ceramic tile. May 2, 2011
Track Saws for Breaking Down Panels A tracked circular saw is no substitute for a panel saw or sliding table saw, but it's a productive tool that's worth the investment. October 13, 2010
Cabinet Leveler Success Stories Is a new, more expensive cabinet leveler worth the up-charge? For some cabinet installers who think it works better, the answer is yes. April 18, 2011
Edgebander Operating Tips Advice on how full to fill the glue pot, glue selection, adjustments, and other factors that affect edgebander performance. January 20, 2010
Crown Moulding for Uneven Height Cabinets Alternating high and low upper cabinets create a puzzle when it's time to apply crown molding at the top. Here, installers share ideas and show finished examples. July 24, 2005
Humorous Tool Definitions Do not read this while drinking, or your beverage may go up your nose and on your keyboard. December 28, 2006
Torsion Box Details A conversation about ideas for a torsion-box flat work surface for the shop. August 31, 2010
Structural Concerns for Boat Cabinetry A proposal for a free-standing entertainment center on a boat sets off a discussion about appropriate technology in nautical cabinetry. July 30, 2007
Cabinet Back Plywood Thickness Yet another discussion about whether to use half-inch or quarter-inch plywood for cabinet backs, and why. June 15, 2014
Spacer Balls for Raised-Panel Doors A discussion of space-ball sizes, types, and purposes, along with some suggested tips and techniques. December 30, 2005
Design of Shaker-Style Panel Doors If the face is flat but the edge is narrower than the rest of the door panel, where does the raise go? March 25, 2007
Door Finishing and Wood Movement Thoughts on how to prevent bare wood from being exposed when door panels and frames shrink during dry seasons. November 13, 2009
Dowel Construction Advice A cabinetmaker who has just invested in a horizontal boring machine gets help making the transition to dowel construction. August 22, 2013
Melamine Versus Plywood for Kitchen Cabinets It's an apples-to-oranges comparison, but one that sets off a thoughtful exchange of views about workability and performance in this thread from the Cabinetmaking forum. June 28, 2005
Corner Cabinet Miter Joint Options Cabinetmakers discuss various ways of making a nice 45-degree joint when constructing face-frame corner cabinets. March 9, 2008
Removing Studs Without Damaging Back-Side Drywall Here are tips for surgically removing a short section of wall stud from a bathroom wall to create space for installing a medicine cabinet, without damaging the artistically painted drywall in the adjoining room behind the wall. August 15, 2011
Lazy Susan Door Fit Issues Door tolerances and operation can create problems at the time of installation with lazy Susan corner cabinets. November 13, 2009
Reasons to Dado Face Frames Stiff structure, ease of assembly, and clean joints are all good reasons to dado face frames to accept carcase edges. February 26, 2007
Making Cool Stuff with Metal Components This thread started out with a question about finding T-nuts for rigging up an adjustable cabinet pull-out shelf slide. But it goes on to consider all sorts of things you can rig up in the shop using off-the-shelf metal parts. February 13, 2009
Rotary Screw Compressors for Intermittent Use? Rotary screw compressors are best for high volume continuous operation. What about situations with more stopping and starting?October 13, 2012
Cabinet Door Production Rates How many cabinet doors should a shop produce per man-hour? Depends on the set-up — advanced technology can really boost your output. July 22, 2005
Shop Layout Advice Here are some useful tips on making scale mockups of a shop floor plan, along with advice about how to best use the available space.July 8, 2014
Keeping Cabinet Boxes Square Plywood often has a bow in it. There are tricks for keeping cabs square, but you may also want to use non-plywood sheet goods. September 7, 2006
Necessary Equipment for a Start-Up Cabinet Shop Most respondents did not take the original poster seriously in this thread. But a few cabinetmakers did provide a list of basic equipment for a start-up shop.June 16, 2014
Slider, Panel Saw, or Festool? "All three" is the easy answer; but here are some thoughts for the cabinetmaker who is forced to choose. April 29, 2012
Quality of Outsourced Doors Cabinetmakers share experiences with outsourced door quality after hearing about a shipment of doors that arrived with sanding defects. May 27, 2014
Cutting Clean Grooves A discussion of ways to dado drawer parts to accept bottom panels, without chipping and other defects. April 15, 2009
Checking for Face Twist when Installing Cabinets Advice for installers on how to make sure the face of a built-in cabinet isn't being pushed out of flatness by irregular, out-of-plumb house walls. November 5, 2013
Edgebanding Glue Holding Problems Cold melamine stored in the unheated shop overnight may be stopping edgebander glue from adhering properly. March 20, 2006
Compressor CFM and Pressure An explanation of how airflow speed and pressure relate, and how this affects compressor sizing and distribution pipe system design. June 15, 2014
Melamine And Water Is melamine safe for cabinet interiors under sinks? April 18, 2006
Ripping an Acute Angle For a tricky millwork installation, the woodworker needs to rip a 65-degree angle on a plywood edge. Colleagues offer solutions. November 10, 2006
Start-Up Cabinet Shop Equipment Needs What machinery does a start-up cabinetmaking business need? Small shop owners describe their setups. December 28, 2005
Outfeed Table Plan Construction ideas for an outfeed table with mounted router. March 14, 2004
Joining cabinets - at a 45 degree angle Cabinetmakers offer illustrated tips on joining a line of cabinetry which incorporates a 45-degree-angled unit. April 3, 2002
Case Clamp Workflow Setup Tips on labor-saving arrangements for integrating a case clamp into your production setup. April 12, 2011
Extreme Drawer-Slide Extension With a wide desk overhang above some short drawers, a custom cabinetmaker needs drawer extensions that go above and beyond the call. Here, he presents and ingenious solution for giving a 20-inch drawer 36 inches of travel. November 11, 2005
Refacing a Rounded Face Frame Tips for how to reface cabinets with round corners, and some general comments on the cabinet-refacing market. February 28, 2006
Drum Sander Ripple Marks Ripple or chatter marks on boards run through a drum sander may not be a maintenance issue, but just the nature of the equipment. April 30, 2009
Fine Points of Boring Advice on matching the bore-hole dimensions of various boring machines to the requirements of metric-based frameless cabinetmaking systems. September 7, 2006
Face Frame Efficiency Avoiding bottlenecks in face frame construction. September 20, 2004
Cabinets and Heating Vents When a new cabinet covers an existing heating or cooling register, warm air needs a new path. Here are tips on installing toe-kick vents for those situations. August 8, 2006
Fine Points of Torsion Boxes A torsion box is a clever way to create a strong, lightweight, flat surface for shelves or worktables. Here's some info on materials and assembly. September 23, 2006
Saving Caulking and Putty After Opening Woodworkers share their secrets for keeping half-used tubes of caulk or cans of putty from drying out before they're used up. October 20, 2013
Template Materials Pros discuss the merits of various materials for making router patterns, including MDF, plexiglass, phenolic board, and more. October 22, 2005
Climb-Cutting for Stiles and Rails Cabinetmakers suggest equipment and techniques for creating sharp-edged grooves with minimal tearout. May 22, 2006
Wood Edge Detail for a Laminate Countertop Laminate trimming, edge attachment, and rounding-over technique for a wood edge on a laminate counter or table top. January 24, 2006
Very Heavy Stainless Steel Cabinets Cabinetmakers discuss materials sourcing for an unusual job: 3/8-inch solid stainless steel cabinets. October 15, 2009
Laying Out a New Shop So brilliant, it's simple: Use full-size cardboard cutouts to mock up your layout on the shop floor before you decide. February 1, 2011
Disposing of Cabinetmaking Waste Once your volume gets high, disposing of waste (and reducing it) becomes a priority. Here's a discussion. August 19, 2013
Documenting Work Taking photos of your cabinet installs could help you out some time, in case someone else comes along and disturbs or damages things. May 11, 2011
TV cabinets Designs for large, small and flat screens. April 9, 2003
Rip Widths for Raised Panel Glue-Up A discussion of esthetic and practical aspects of ripping lumber for gluing up into cabinet door panels. November 8, 2008
Switching to metric A discussion of the 32mm system and its attendant need to convert to metric measure. February 13, 2001
Using Up Waste Off-Cuts with Cutlist The Cutlist optimizing software lets you organize the process of saving and using and scrap drops. Here's how one cabinetmaker takes advantage of that capability. June 3, 2013
Cutting Miters Precisely Equipment and methods that help produce a better miter cut. November 15, 2011
Flat-Screen TV Over the Fireplace? Some people hate the idea, but some customers are asking for it. Here, cabinetmakers discuss solutions (and personal taste). August 11, 2009
Span Limits for Plywood Shelving Over three feet, and you're looking at potential sagging issues. Pros discuss span limits and shelf stiffening options. November 11, 2005
Drawers, from scratch to systems Materials and methods forum participants are employing in their quest for the perfect drawer. February 14, 2001
Drawer Slides and Stock Thickness Can drawer slides standardized for use with half-inch material work if you build your drawers from 3/4-inch stock?June 16, 2014
Tambour Doors for a Media Cabinet A few thoughts on the quality issues with tambour doors, and some nice pictures of a related router jig setup. November 23, 2012
Dressing a Wide-Belt Sander Drum Here's a quick, full explanation of how to re-dress a worn drum on a wide-belt sander. January 18, 2012
Ripping Stock Straight Shop machinery and techniques for ripping straight stock with glue-joint quality edges. April 16, 2010
Cabinet Install: Before or After Tile? Installers have various views about whether to schedule the cabinet install before ceramic floor tiles are set, or after. August 31, 2009
Cabinet Back Construction Cabinetmakers share views on the appropriate thickness for cabinet backs and nailer strips. October 22, 2005
Making Door Muntins and Mullions The complex joinery for window frames in cabinet doors can really slow the job down. Here's how some cabinetmakers approach the task. May 7, 2007
Job Site Toolbox Ideas Installers tell how they transport and organize their tools on the job. December 9, 2007
Choosing a Widebelt Sander A discussion of widebelt sander capabilities, the function of the platen, and more. November 6, 2007
Where to Mount Drawer Slides Cabinetmakers discuss whether to position drawer slides so that the slide itself halts the drawer travel, or to install bumpers instead. August 14, 2007
Standard Height for Base Cabinets Cabinetmakers discuss the standard height of cabinets, and reasons to make an exception. November 13, 2009
Flat Doors for an Appliance Armoire What materials would you use for flat-panel doors on a cabinet that will hold a mini-fridge and coffeemaker? February 27, 2015
Making Your Own Cabinet Jack Whether you buy one or go to the trouble of making your own, a nice cabinet jack will make you wonder how you used to get along without it. September 10, 2008
Squaring Up Plywood Out-of-whack plywood can throw off all your cabinet carcase dimensions. Here, cabinetmakers discuss techniques for truing up plywood when the factory dimensions are off. October 22, 2005
Laying Up Radius-Curve Door Panels Cabinetmakers describe ripping, joining, and planing techniques for building barrel-stave curved door fronts. September 7, 2006
Tricky TV Cabinet Problem Entertainment centers can pose awkward dilemmas. Here, cabinetmakers tackle a doozy: The flat-panel TV has to swivel, and it needs pocket doors. November 12, 2005
Crown Coping Tips Some advice on dealing with large, hard-to-cope crown moulding. January 26, 2008
Cutoff Switch for Microwave Power Receptacle A cabinetmaker wants suggestions for a safety switch for an unconventional microwave cabinet, but instead he receives warnings about the wisdom of the whole idea. June 16, 2014
Construction Boring Patterns Is there a way to set up a construction borer so it can drill dowel holes for both upper and lower cabs, without a lot of changing of bits? April 18, 2011
Using a Router Table for Cope and Stick Joinery Here's a nice example of a shop-built sliding table for a router, set up to machine complex door parts on a budget, with a reasonable degree of accuracy and efficiency. June 18, 2009
Decorative Epoxy Inlay Tips Advice on choosing a pourable or flowable material for decorative inlay work. March 13, 2014
Teamwork Versus Solo Work on the Shop Floor Cabinetmakers discuss efficiency on the shop floor. When should people work in pairs, and when should handle tasks alone? June 23, 2014
Who Supplies the Tools? Practices vary, but in most shops the employer supplies all power tools — and often, small incidentals as well. March 22, 2013
Undermount Slide Installation Jigs Ways to speed up and standardize the layout and attachment of undermount drawer slides. February 11, 2010
Cabinet Details for an Apron Front Sink "Farmer's" sinks have an apron front that overhangs the cabinet face. Here, cabinetmakers discuss the difficulties that can arise, and how to address them. February 28, 2006
Working with Pre-Finished Plywood A little extra care is needed to prevent scratches, but the convenience can be well worth it. November 11, 2005
Troubleshooting Magnetic Switches on Equipment A cabinetmaker complains that a piece of equipment keeps shutting down for no reason. "Off" switches can be finicky, explain those who have had similar problems. March 1, 2006
Edgebander Guillotine Retraction Issues A detailed troubleshooting report about solving problems with the guillotine device on a Holz-Her edgebander, with good info on sources for parts and support. June 22, 2012
Stiffening Long-Span Shelves Woodworkers discuss torsion boxes and steel-angle reinforcement for long-span shelf situations. November 11, 2005
Cabinetmaking Forum -- 32mm: Imperial Versus Metric Frameless cab systems use metric measurement. Your crew will make the transition with ease, but you'll still need to talk feet and inches to most customers. August 29, 2006
Order of Operations for Making Door Stiles When making rails and stiles for cope-and-stick doors, do you shape the ends or the long sides of the pieces first? Cabinetmakers have different ways, and for different reasons. February 9, 2006
Edge Lipping Planer Choices Here's a closer look at the high-quality tools available for flush trimming shelf edges and similar components. March 22, 2013
Drawer Box Doweling Pros share tips for dowel construction of drawer boxes. May 10, 2005
Widebelts, Drum Sanders, and the Budget Widebelts are generally preferred among cabinetmakers, but there are votes (with reasons) for double drum sanders and stroke sanders. January 12, 2012
Cabinet Hanger Cleats Ways to install back-panel cleats for attaching cabinets to walls. June 18, 2005
Inset-door cabinets A cabinetmaker goes from frameless to face frame and seeks advice. September 19, 2001
Crafting a Curved Range Hood Buying is easier than building if you want a curved range hood. But here are some tips on building it anyway.August 16, 2012
A Jig for Drawing or Cutting Ellipses This clever but simple jig can be used with a pencil to draw an ellipse, or with a router to cut one. April 18, 2006
Odd Cabinet Heights with 32mm System Hole Spacing Cabinetmakers who use the 32mm system discuss how to create symmetrical balanced panels when building cabinets with heights that aren't even multiples of the basic 32mm module. February 26, 2007
Options for Carving on Cabinet Doors A cabinetmaker looks for practical ways to make bas-relief carvings on wood cabinet door faces. September 23, 2006
Compressor to Power an Air Sander Air sanders do a great job, but they use major air. Here's how some cabinetmakers provide for that. March 26, 2008
Wood Movement: How Big a Risk? In principle, solid wood joinery that does not allow for wood movement is a recipe for disaster. In practice, sometimes you get away with it. June 18, 2009
Melamine/Laminate Panels A discussion of practical ways of building cabinets with melamine exteriors and laminate interiors. October 13, 2010
MDF for Built-In Closet Shelving A discussion of MDF's structural suitability for closet shelves and upright shelf support frames. March 3, 2009
Tall Box Dilemma How to build cabinets with sides higher than 8 feet, without any unsightly plywood joints. March 1, 2006
Ideas for Cabinet Feet Cabinetmakers discuss style ideas for feet on a kitchen sink cabinet. November 30, 2009
Solid Wood V-Groove Cabinet Doors Cabinetmakers consider how to address moisture-related wood movement in cabinet doors made with solid wood slats. January 13, 2009
Managing Pesky Clients When clients are living in the home while cabinets are installed, sometimes they take a little too much interest in the work. In this thread, installers suggest tactful ways to deflect their attention eslewhere. October 22, 2005
Flat Slab Cabinet Doors Given the concern over quality of sheet goods, what's a practical way to make large, flat cabinet doors? Here's a handful of suggestions. September 7, 2006
Veneering a Curved Cabinet in Place Advice on a very tricky veneering problem: applying veneer to a half-completed cabinet with a curved face, on site. August 23, 2006
Cabinets Over a "Floating" Floor Can cabinets be installed directly on a floating floor, or should the flooring be cut away? August 29, 2005
Cabinet Door Clamping Options From shop-built jigs to specialty clamps to clamping tables, there's a range of solutions for clamping doors when gluing up. March 25, 2007
Installing Cabinets On Top of a Floating Floor There are at least two ways to do it so that the floor is free to expand and contract. However, water damage to flooring is still a risk to consider. November 19, 2005
Choosing Hinges Press in, dowel, or Inserta? Speed and convenience are factors in the decision. April 16, 2009
Edge-Banding Issues with Laminated Doors Minor thickness variations in shop-laid laminate doors cause the edgebander to scuff the laminate. What's the fix? May 10, 2005
Wine Cubes Experienced hands describe ways to design and assemble wine storage cabinets. June 13, 2005
MDF Doors: One-Piece Versus Two-Piece This discussion about fabricating MDF doors includes a closer look at why MDF warps, and about the difference between premium and commodity-grade material. July 13, 2010
Shaper Set Up for Door Stiles Cabinetmaker shows off his easily adjustable setup for quick machining of cope-and-stick door parts. August 29, 2006
Is MDF Stable? Cabinetmakers and woodworkers report mixed results with medium density fiberboard in terms of movement in service. December 24, 2012
Considering Bifocals As we age, some of us need bifocals for good close-up and distance vision. In this thread, cabinetmakers who've switched to bifocals discuss the fine points of different types. September 21, 2005
Orbital Sander Tips Cabinetmakers give advice on avoiding swirl marks. July 22, 2005
Warping Plywood Cabinet Doors Cabinetmakers agree that plywood is not suitable for making doors because of its tendency to warp. For flatness and stability, MDF-core material is a better choice. May 13, 2008
Whether to Keep the Slider Does a sliding table saw earn its keep when there's also a CNC in the shop?February 1, 2011
Cleaning Glue Off Melamine After Edge-Banding "Hot" solvents can dull melamine or leave a combined glue-and-thinner residue behind. Here are some suggested solutions. February 26, 2007
Fridge Panel Head-Scratcher When a cabinetmaker is asked to make refrigerator panels without ever seeing the appliance — for a job that's a long drive away — he feels the need for some advice. January 26, 2008
Fitting Drawers to a Racked Euro-Cab The frameless cabinets were put in place twisted, so now the drawers don't fit properly. What to do? June 11, 2014
Flooring First, or Cabinets? Cabinet installers discuss whether they'd rather set base cabs before or after the tile flooring is laid. October 25, 2006
Vomit-Like Odor of Bacterially Infected Wood When cabinets or wood smell like vomit, a likely culprit is bacterial infections in the trees the wood was made from. Unfortunately, there is no known fix. April 20, 2008
Eliminating Burn Marks when Routing Flutes Tips on router techniques to prevent burning at the end of flutes, and on tools and methods for removing burn marks when they do happen. December 28, 2005
Getting Started with a 32mm System Advice on learning about True 32, KISS 2, and Blum methods for standardizing Euro frameless cabinet construction around a 32mm module.October 20, 2013
Gluing Steel to MDF Cabinetmakers ponder the pitfalls that may lurk in a proposal to glue 1/8" steel to MDF for cabinet doors. October 19, 2013
Corner Cabinet Joinery Here are several suggestions for ways to build 22.5-degree corners for a face frame for an inside corner cabinet.. March 27, 2012
Corner Cabinet Ideas Pros and cons of Lazy Susans versus corner pull-out drawer options. April 20, 2008
Using Beech to Build Cabinets It's a beautiful wood, but is American Beech too unstable for cabinets? Not necessarily, say those who've tried it. August 21, 2006
Lift Truck for a Small Shop Contractors discuss ways to get heavy materials up to and down from an upper-floor loft in the shop. July 11, 2013
Solid Wood Countertops Advice on allowing for movement with solid wood countertops. October 13, 2010
Tooling Up for Door Production A discussion of the ideal machinery setup for efficient production of cabinet doors on a regular basis. February 26, 2007
Trimming Edgebanding on a Curved Edge Good suggestions for clean, efficient trimming of edgebanding applied to a flat surface with a curved perimeter. June 21, 2012
Getting Tight Joints with a Corner Stapler Corner staplers make fast work of frame assembly. For joints that are tight on the front face, elevate the pieces on blocks and clamp carefully. April 20, 2008
Lumber Core Raised Panels Considerations involved in fabricating raised-panel cabinet doors using veneer applied to lumber-core plywood. March 20, 2006
Twin Tablesaw Setups Two cabinetmakers describe (with pictures) how they set up left-tilt and right-tilt Delta Unisaws shoulder to shoulder in the shop, for versatile cutting ability in a tight footprint. July 12, 2012
Efficient Face-Frame Shop Process Thoughts on making face-frame beaded inset-door cabinets efficiently, relying mainly on a CNC router. October 27, 2008
Edgebanders General description of edgebanding equipment. November 11, 2008
Assessing a Used Edgebander Advice on checking a previously owned edgebander for typical wear and tear issues, and some complaints about the inconsistent thickness of edgebanding these days. August 19, 2013
Managing Layout for Mechanicals Who's responsible for marking the locations of pipes, wires, et cetera during a kitchen remodel? Cabinetmakers discuss the reasons that some will take on managing this problem, and others won't.February 27, 2013
Squaring a Sliding Table Saw Advice on how to adjust the fence on a slider to restore its ability to make accurate, precise cuts. January 13, 2015
Long-Spanning Shelves A deep hardwood edge on plywood shelves creates a stiffer beam effect. August 14, 2007
Shop-Built Sliding Table Saw Jig A cabinetmaker displays his low-cost self-built alternative to a sliding table saw. February 2, 2011
Limitations of a Hot-Air Edgebander Thick edgebanding does not tend to work well with a hot-air edgebander because of the limited glue quantities on the pre-glued banding. July 11, 2007
Low-Odor, Quick Adhesive for Refacing Is there a fast-setting contact cement for commercial re-facing work that does not smell bad or carry health risks? February 25, 2009
Joinery for True Divided Light Doors Woodworkers discuss the best way to attach muntins to door stiles and rails for true divided light cabinet door construction. June 2, 2009
Troubleshooting Twist in Cabinet Doors Here's advice on building cabinet doors to minimize twisting caused by wood moisture content changes. January 26, 2009
Index Pin Accuracy on Line Boring Machines Index pin setups let you extend the line of holes you bore, but there is debate about how accurate they allow you to be. October 2, 2007
Tumble Sanding for Toy Parts Advice on how to cobble together a tumbling drum arrangement to sand small wooden items. March 12, 2015
Glue-Pot Issues, Maintenance, and Edgebander Performance In this case, slow heating and glue burning were caused by blown heating elements. But there are other things to be aware of that can help or harm an edgebander glue pot's performance and longevity. June 17, 2012
Installing Backsplash Backsplash installation tips, including a cool new product. March 14, 2006
Over-Arm Router Tips General advice on ways to use an over-arm router. November 21, 2006
Should I Make My Own Crown Moulding? Is it worth investing in a moulder for the convenience of making your own crown moulding sometimes? April 20, 2008
Rolling Carts for the Shop Descriptions and photos of shop-built carts on wheels or casters, used for moving cabinets or materials around the shop. October 28, 2014
Refinishing Failed Thermofoil Doors Is there a reliable way to strip and paint RTF doors that are delaminating badly, or is it wiser just to buy new MDF doors and start from scratch? May 12, 2013
Cabinet warranty period What is a reasonable warranty period for a custom cabinet installation? July 24, 2001
Three-Sided Shapers Versus Multiple Machines For making doors, what's better: an expensive dedicated machine that cuts all the profiles, or a setup using multiple basic shapers? February 2, 2011
Which software? Ideas on reasonably priced, comprehensive computer applications for cabinetmakers. February 13, 2001
Using a Widebelt Sander Cabinetmakers explain the advantages of widebelt sanders, and explain how and why they hand-sand with the random orbital sander after belt-sanding. July 5, 2006
Effective Shop Lighting Let's get some light in here so we can see what we're doing. February 8, 2008
Sourcing Dry-Erase Materials A look at product choices for making dry-erase fixtures, furniture, and accessories. April 29, 2010
45-Degree Corner Cabinet Options Ideas for making use of spaces created by 45-degree bends in a kitchen floor layout, caused by a window bay. December 7, 2008
Working with Jatoba ("Brazilian Cherry") This tropical hardwood is dense, heavy, and beautiful, but prone to movement and hard on tools. Yellow pieces will probably change to match the rest. May 11, 2011
Remotely Located Air Compressors Cabinetmakers and finishers discuss how to locate their compressors in an outbuilding or basement. February 9, 2006
Drawer Slide Jigs Pros suggest several options for quick and accurate drawer-slide installation. June 17, 2005
Straight Edge Options Jointer bed too short to handle that long piece? Here's a grab bag of jigs, rigs, and tricks for making long straight edges. July 21, 2005
Hinge-Boring Bit Choices Cabinetmakers discuss how to set up for boring Euro hinge holes in hard materials. August 31, 2010
Vanity Height — Preference or Rule? Thirty inches high is traditional for bath vanities, but many customers may prefer something taller. March 5, 2007
Choosing a Power Feeder Advice on matching power-feeder horsepower to the intended use. July 27, 2008
Face-Frame Bookcase Assembly on Site Here are several suggestions for how to assemble a built-in bookshelf cabinet on site, focusing on face frame issues.July 29, 2014
Alternatives to Cumaru for Cabinet Work A client want cabinets made with Cumaru, a Brazilian hardwood. But the cabinetmaker is looking for a more practical species to substitute. Here are a few ideas. December 31, 2012
Knotty Alder Bar Is the softness of Knotty Alder a problem in a bar situation where the wood could encounter some abuse? July 28, 2012
Door Clearance Issues with Euro Cabs Occasionally you need fillers or spacers to address door swing conflicts in frameless cabinetry. March 27, 2012
Creating a Hand-Hewn Look on Cabinet Doors Depending on exactly what you want, there are several ways to get a scooped-out, scalloped, rippled look on a wood surface. October 11, 2007
Installing Drawer-Type Dishwashers Drawer-style dishwasher units don't always require a cabinet, but attaching the faces and installing controls can be tricky. April 18, 2006
Defining Quarter-Sawn and Rift-Sawn There are both formal and informal definitions for "quarter-sawn" lumber. Here, cabinetmakers and the Wood Doctor discuss the fine points. July 5, 2006
Cutting Out Oven Cabinet Openings Oven cabinets come with small openings that need to be enlarged to fit the brand of oven selected. Here, installers share their methods for making a clean, precise cut. December 14, 2005
End Panels Inset into a Face Frame Cabinetmakers discuss construction methods for a nice end-panel detail: panels set into a face frame, with a slight reveal. March 25, 2007
Thick Butcher Blocks A discussion of construction methods and wood movement issues for a six-inch-thick butcher block top. April 11, 2008
Upper Cabinets Adjacent to a Microwave A 14-inch deep microwave stands a little proud of the nearby 12-inch upper cabs. Here are some design suggestions for deeper cabinets to bring the faces flush. April 18, 2006
Dovetails for Front Only? How about if we dovetail just the front joints of a drawer box, and just staple the back? Cabinetmakers kick the suggestion around. July 9, 2007
Sliding Cabinets Around in the Shop From glides to dollies to conveyor belts, cabinetmakers describe how they move cabinets around the shop during fabrication and finishing. July 18, 2013
Managing Battery Drills Useful thoughts on labeling and organizing multiple drill/drivers in the shop, plus an epiphany about turgid nomenclature. September 26, 2009
Re-Configuring Existing Cabinets Five out of five doctors agree: tearing out and reassembling existing cabinets is just not worth it. September 23, 2006
Frameless Shelf Spans Cabinetmakers discuss the span limits of 3/4-inch shelf material, and share tips on mid-span supports and a stiffening valance. December 28, 2005
Single Phase Wide-Belt Sanders Single-phase wide-belts top out at about 10 horsepower. Most woodworkers seem to prefer the beefier models that run on 3-phase power. September 7, 2006
Cabinets for a Pool Area Selecting durable wood, hardware and finish coatings for cabinets intended for an indoor swimming pool area. March 20, 2006
Stripes in Fir Plywood A cabinetmaker's finisher notices a strange defect in some Fir plywood, probably caused by grain compression that happened at the plywood mill. October 13, 2012
Warming Drawer Installation Issues Getting a warming drawer to fit into an already-built cabinet as a change order calls for some creative tweaking. February 26, 2007
Laser Layout for Out-of-Whack Rooms Here's a good description of how to use a laser level to set benchmark plumb and level layout lines on a room that's not built square, plumb, level, or true. July 12, 2008
Garage Cabinet Details Pros discuss ways to fit cabinet bottoms and kicks to the sloping concrete floor of a garage. June 12, 2005
What's the Best Pencil for Woodworkers A few jocular comments notwithstanding, this is a serious question for the professional woodworker. December 28, 2014
Half-Round Cabinet Joinery Thoughts about how to construct and join the shelves and face frame for a curved-face open-shelf cabinet. September 6, 2012
Template Forming for Farmhouse Sinks Farmhouse sinks require cabinet frames to be scribed and fit to the sink. Here, cabinetmakers discuss ways to make a template for better accuracy and fit. November 26, 2007
Wall Oven in a Base Cabinet Mixing and matching oven units and cooktops is tricky. Here, pros supply advice and cautions. July 21, 2006
Sanding Disk Preferences Woodworkers discuss abrasive and backing characteristics that make various brands of sanding disk useful in particular applications. March 12, 2015
Line Boring Bit Recommendation Debating the advantages of brad-point and V-point bits for production boring. January 12, 2012
Cubby Construction Methods Advice on joinery methods and veneer application for storage cube shelving. July 15, 2014
Wall Nailing Hard Spot Mystery Sometimes it takes a little detective work to figure out why fasteners won't penetrate at one particular spot. January 11, 2008
Dadoed-In Back Panel Case Construction Methods A back panel glued into a dado on cabinet sides contributes to a rugged case, and one that can be quick to build. Here are some thoughts on the details. December 27, 2007
Troubleshooting Burnt Glue in the Edgebander Glue selection, heating element performance, and temperature settings all come up for discussion when an edgebander seems to have a burnt glue problem. December 27, 2010
Troubleshooting Melamine Chip-Out Around Bore Holes Drill bit type and drilling speed control can reduce chipout on two-sided melamine panels, and there are also touch-up solutions for minor chipping problems. February 26, 2007
Entry Level Line Boring Equipment Cabinetmakers explain the advantages of buying a used piece of serious machinery, rather than buy a less-capable machine new. January 13, 2009
CNC Bits for Cutting HPL Laminate High Pressure Laminate is rough on tooling. Here's advice for choosing a bit that might last a little longer. November 27, 2012
Mission Style Glass Panel Router Bit Glass panel doors require a special cut on the frame stiles and rails, which calls for a custom-made router bit. March 3, 2009
Drawer Slide Adjustment Some drawer slides are designed to leave the drawer just a hair proud of the face when closed. November 10, 2006
Door Stops for Cabinets Ways to hold inset cabinet doors flush to the face, when closed. March 20, 2006
Specialty Scribing Tools Cabinetmakers and installers consider the value of specialized jigs for scribing cabinets to fit tight spaces.September 25, 2014
Staining MDF Products and techniques for best results. July 28, 2004
Safe Materials for Museum Storage Cabinets Wood's acidity and release of volatile substances make it a risk to stored artifacts, including paper art work. Here's advice on "art-safe" materials for museum storage or display cabinetry. November 13, 2009
Casters for an Island Cabinet Here's a look at how to equip an island with casters, while providing for it to be held fixed when necessary. August 12, 2014
Troubleshooting Sandpaper Scratch Marks Sandpaper choices and sander settings both play a role in swirl marks created by small wood slivers that stick to the sandpaper. May 27, 2014
Sensor Color Sensitivity Problem with Edgebander Infrared lights and sensors in some edgebanders need to be calibrated to the color of the edgebanding, or they won't trigger when they're supposed to. December 8, 2010
Finishing Backs of Face Frames Is it worth the trouble to finish the back of a cabinet face frame? Cabinetmakers swap opinions and methods. October 13, 2005
Cabinet Installation and Trim Carpentry Installers discuss how trim carpenters and cabinet installers should work out the kinks where their workflows intersect. July 3, 2006
Glue Pot Rebuild: Buy or Do in Shop? When an edgebander glue pot fails, you can spend money on a replacement, or spend your own time and aggravation rebuilding it yourself. September 26, 2009
1/16" Versus 1/8" Cabinet Door Reveals Careful hinge choices will help prevent doors from interfering with each other, but if they're too close, you might still have trouble. December 27, 2010
Upper Cabinet Height Standard Conventions and codes for upper cab height have changed over the years, with some practical implications. July 28, 2012
Sawblades 101 Select the right blade for the job with this quick rundown of blade characteristics. January 7, 2007
Tuning an Edgebander Advice on dialing in the variables of an edgebander's operation, one step at a time. October 19, 2014
208-Volt to 240-volt Machinery Conversion Woodshop owner moves from a shop with 240-volt power to a shop with 208-volt power, and has to figure out how to adapt some older machinery to the new situation. March 3, 2009
Soft-Starting a Compressor A properly located buffer tank in the air line can keep a compressor from stalling or tripping the breaker on start-up. June 13, 2011
Applying Laminate with an Edgebander Yes, you can apply high-pressure laminate to panel edges using an edgebander. Here are tips on trimming and adhesives. February 16, 2012
Yellow Cedar Characteristics Not a true Cedar, Yellow Cedar grows mainly on the northern Pacific coast of North America. Here is some info about its useful properties. April 2, 2013
Material for Doors with False Drawer Fronts Furnituremakers discuss whether to use solid wood or MDF and veneer for a set of vanity doors with fake drawer fronts. April 27, 2011
Shadow Lines On Cabinet Door Backs Faint dark lines on the inside face of cabinet doors right at shelf locations are typically caused by deposits of dust. March 12, 2009
Woven Cherry Door Panels Thin slats woven together into a door panel is a cool idea, but kiln-dried wood is too brittle. Green wood may work. November 10, 2006
Melamine Drawers Melamine makes an economical drawer box, but what's the joinery? Pros share methods in this thread from the Cabinetmaking Forum. July 9, 2005
Glass Shelf Span? Advice on glass thickness for a wide shelf span. February 17, 2012
Antique Barn-Board Cabinets A high-end home with cabinets made from weathered old barn siding? Craftsmen suggest ways to marry rustic and fine. June 12, 2005
Sizing the Air Compressor for a Small Shop Horsepower and tank size aren't the best measures of whether a compressor can keep up with the work you're giving it. Here's a closer look at the specs that matter. January 25, 2013
Working with HDPE Sheet Goods Tips on cutting, machining and joining high density polyethylene (HDPE) sheet goods for cabinet fabrication. July 27, 2008
Door Company Accuracy Cabinet door suppliers only promise accuracy within 1/16 inch — but in reality they usually do better than that. January 26, 2008
Wiring a Fan Motor Advice on figuring out whether a motor, purchased second hand, is correctly wired. August 16, 2012
Evaluating Lipping Planers Woodworkers discuss the good and bad points of various lipping planers. February 28, 2006
Vocabulary for Frameless Cabinet Parts "What do you call that thing?" The terminology used to describe the various structural elements of a frameless cabinet appears to vary widely throughout the industry. June 16, 2014
Upper Cabinet Height Quandary A homeowner found the upper cabs too high — after they were installed. So the cabinetmaker lowered them, but now he needs to make it look right. "It's a lesson for us all," says one pro. November 11, 2005
How to Support "Floating" Base Cabinets These cabinets are supposed to have a deeply recessed toe kick so they appear to be floating above the floor. What about the structure? November 19, 2006
Door Panel Glue-Up Workflow Does anyone lay up door panels in long lengths and then cut down the blanks into multiple doors? October 26, 2013
A Humidity-Controlled Display Case A cabinetmaker gets advice on appropriate details for a climate-controlled display case for musical instruments. October 8, 2005
Laying Out Sink Base Cabinets for Plumbing Stubs Creative cosmetics, advanced math, and inspired guesswork are all it may take for you to punch perfect plumbing holes every time. November 19, 2008
Air Piping Sizing and Material Choice Wider diameters offer less resistance and more storage buffering. Pex is also an option to consider. April 20, 2008
Running Frameless Cabinets to the Ceiling The ceiling joint is a tricky detail for full-height frameless upper cabinets. Here, pros suggest ways to handle it. August 29, 2005
Miter Saw Blade Cut Creep Saw blades pulling on the work can pull cut angles slightly out of whack. Here, craftsmen suggest solutions for accurate cutting. March 20, 2006
Is a Drum Sander Worth $400? Even if the drum sander is cheap, some people would say to stick with random orbit sanding. May 15, 2012
Residential ADA Cabinets Here's some invaluable first-hand advice: a paraplegic woodworker describes the accessible designs that work in his own kitchen. September 3, 2011
Xenon Versus Halogen Cabinet Lighting Comparing the cost, performance, and availability of halogen and xenon lights for cabinets and display casesJanuary 9, 2008
Edgebanding with No Edgebander Alternative ways to apply edgebanding to small runs of laminate doors when you have no edgebander. September 23, 2006
Maple and MDF for Raised Panel Doors After considering the advantages of stability and uniformity, a cabinetmaker opts for MDF raised panels — and he's glad he did.December 2, 2011
Dadoed Carcase Joinery Cabinetmakers discuss using dado joinery for cabinet assembly. October 11, 2007
Dadoes and Plywood Thickness Variation Dimensional variation in plywood can cause trouble with dadoes. Cabinetmakers in this thread offer ways to handle the problem. September 22, 2005
Whether to Use a Refrigerated Air Dryer Wise woodworkers use air dryers to protect their air-powered equipment from atmospheric humidity. Here's more discussion. June 17, 2013
Inconspicuous Drawer Front Mounting Methods Advice on a tricky attachment problem: hiding the fasteners for a drawer front when the geometry leaves you few easy options. November 15, 2011
Sourcing Cabinet Box Parts What are the options for a company that only wants to assemble parts, not cut them? August 29, 2005
Gang Rips Saws and Glue-Ready Edges A gang ripsaw or straight-line ripsaw should yield a glue-joint ready edge, but only with proper blade sharpening and maintenance. January 12, 2012
Cabinet Back Strategies for CNC A discussion with drawings of ways to machine cabinet backs and sides for convenient and strong assembly. May 15, 2011
Quality Control for Five-Piece Doors Basic information on achieving acceptable dimensional tolerances and fit when making cope and stick raised-panel doors. January 2, 2014
TV Concealment Door Ideas Design concepts and hardware suggestions for a moving door to cover a large TV in a built-in wall cabinet. December 27, 2010
Small-Shop Sliding Saws A short-stroke sliding table saw or a panel saw might help solve this cabinetmaker's space problem. May 10, 2005
Curing Time for Glued Door Joints If you plane or sand door panels too soon after gluing, you might experience various defects. September 15, 2011
Design Puzzle: Doors for a Wide Angle Corner Cabinetmakers discuss solutions to an interesting design puzzle: doors that meet at the outside corner of an irregularly shaped island cabinet. August 16, 2012
Wheelchair-Accessible Vanity Details Heights, construction details, and other considerations for a wheelchair-accessible bath vanity. October 13, 2005
De-Glazing a Widebelt Conveyor The standard method is to sand the conveyor with the wide belt, but you can just use a random orbital hand sander instead. October 15, 2012
Upper Corner Cabinet Dimensions For his first time building one, a cabinetmaker gets help figuring out an upper corner cabinet with a lazy Susan. September 23, 2006
Troubleshooting Split-Fence Accuracy A split fence on the shaper allows for quick setup, but it takes time to learn how to set the fences accurately. August 29, 2006
Applying a Bead to an Arched Face Frame Several suggestions for machining a bead into an arched piece, plus the simple way: make it separately and then attach it. October 27, 2011
Repairing Broken Abrasive Belts Sanding belts have a shelf life, and once the joint tape fails, it's not easy to fix. February 16, 2012
File Drawer Hardware Cabinetmakers discuss how to build custom file drawers, without that clunky off-the-shelf hardware. August 29, 2005
Shopping for Panel Clamps Several different suppliers offer clamp systems that hold boards in a flat alignment while applying pressure for the edge glue joints. August 31, 2010
Appearance Considerations with Sapele Sapele wood darkens over time (as do Cherry and Mahogany), and its compatibility with the look of other woods is a matter of personal preference. April 11, 2008
Jobsite Tool Carts Installers share ideas for keeping tools and materials organized on site. March 18, 2006
Cutting Installed Chair Rail With the right tools, surgically removing existing trim before setting a new cab can be the simplest course. September 30, 2010
Moisture-Related Door Expansion It's not surprising for doors to "grow" when humidity increases. This thread offers some insights into the problem. January 26, 2009
Drawer Slide Adjustment for Flush Inset Cabinets The math and the hardware positioning and adjustment can get tricky when you're using tandem slides with inset face frame construction. July 6, 2011
Stationary Biscuit Joiners Advice on modifying or adapting biscuit joining equipment for use as a stationary machine. November 10, 2006
Infra-Red Tube Heaters Shop owners say gas-fired infrared overhead heaters work well, with good heat, quick recovery, and no worries about over-drying stored lumber. February 13, 2009
Fridge Panel Dimensions Refrigerator panel dimensions provided in the manufacturer's manual should be checked against the actual appliance measurements, because sometimes things change. February 17, 2012
Stapling Cabinet Backs On Avoiding blow-outs when attaching cabinet backs using staples. October 25, 2007
Working with Lyptus Cabinetmakers share experiences working with the tropical hardwood Lyptus. July 22, 2005
Sawing Stainless Steel Stainless steel is hard to cut. Specialty blades can handle it, but it may be best to have a metal shop handle the task. February 6, 2007
Dovetailing for a hand-cut look Advice on getting a hand-cut look when dovetailing by machine, and reasons not to do it. June 13, 2001
Fastening to a Marble Floor Tips on careful drilling and attaching for setting island cabinets on a stone floor. June 16, 2005
Dowel Equipment Basic info on dowel-making and dowel-inserting machinery. November 11, 2008
Setting Up a New Slider Nine out of nine doctors agree: have the supplier's tech set up your brand new sliding table saw for you. Do not do it yourself. January 23, 2014
Applying Wood Edging to a Laminate Panel A movement-free joint, a flush surface, and a stable finish are the technical challenges. Are they surmountable? May 12, 2013
Mill Marks on Cabinet Doors A cabinetmaker gets help identifying a production defect in doors he bought from another shop. November 29, 2014
Facing frameless melamine cabinets Facing and finishing melamine carcasses to attain a high-end, traditional look without face frames. April 2, 2002
Working with Hickory Hard, dense, and splintery, Hickory does not take finish well either. You might want to consider Butternut as an alternative. November 15, 2011
Edge Treatment for MDF Is it better to edgeband MDF cabinet doors, sand and paint them, or what? June 9, 2012
Fitting Sheet Goods in Dadoes Irregularities in panel materials can cause trouble with dado fits. Here, cabinetmakers discuss solutions. September 22, 2005
Fixes for a Mis-Drilled Knob Hole Moving a screw hole over less than the diameter of the hole is a pesky task. Here are a handful of tips. October 8, 2005
Using a Skid-Steer as a Forklift Considering whether a skid-steer could load and unload cabinetmaking materials in addition to doing other useful work. December 27, 2010
Cleaning an Edgebander Glue-Pot Cleaning the gluepot is a hassle, so it's wise to take steps to minimize fouling. September 8, 2007
Speaker Cloth in Cabinet Doors Ways to attach speaker cloth in place of a floating wood panel in entertainment center doors so that infrared remote control devices will work through the door. August 14, 2009
Toilet-to-Cabinet Allowable Clearance Tolerances Cabinet makers and installers discuss the allowable distance between a toilet and a bathroom vanity, and consider how to make adjustments when the space gets tight. November 19, 2005
Crown Moulding on Frameless Cabinets Full-overlay doors on frameless upper cabinets make it tricky to apply crown molding at the ceiling. October 9, 2006
Making Fluted Accent Columns Useful Fluted accent columns add a custom look. Here are some ideas for making them earn their keep as doors or pull-out fronts, too. September 8, 2007
Wall Cabinet Undersides Should they match the face frames? Or be a lighter shade to reflect light? Does it even matter? Cabinetmakers discuss the options. July 9, 2005
Lock Mitering Cabinet Corners Practical advice on the process of lock-miter joinery for cabinet corners. October 28, 2014
Shelf Life of Widebelt Sanding Belts How long are widebelt sanding belts supposed to last? Here's a closer look at why a belt might fail early. June 16, 2014
Cabinet Floor-Platform Terminology Most cabinetmakers are familiar with the idea of a ladder-shaped platform for mounting base cabinets in certain situations. But what do you call the pieces of that assembly? July 29, 2007
Wood Countertop with a Drop-In Cooktop Cabinetmakers consider the risks of putting a cooktop in a wood countertop, and discuss the best finish for that situation. August 19, 2013
Flexible Countertop Templating Material With plastic material you can roll up after the template is built, transporting the template is easier. September 30, 2009
Shop-Rigged Task Lighting Ideas for task lighting that is there when you need it, out of the way when you don't. August 21, 2006
1/2-Inch Drawer Bottoms Cabinetmakers discuss construction details of wide drawers with half-inch bottoms, dovetail boxes and undermount slides. October 2, 2007
Sanding Methods for Face Frames Is it worth using the wide-belt sander, or will a random-orbital sander get the job done? Pros share opinions and experiences. July 22, 2005
Magnetic Chalkboard Solutions Suggestions for providing a magnetic bulletin board that the customer can also write on with chalk. February 27, 2015
Fabricating Tambour You can patch, or even make, tambour — if you know how. Cabinetmakers share the secrets in this thread. July 9, 2005
Flat-Profile Crown Moulding Some might call it a "Shaker" or "Mission" detail. Here are some examples and discussion of crown moulding with simple, flat faces. June 3, 2013
Replacing Electronics for Big Iron Here's a tip: shop around for parts or components before you buy a whole new touch screen, display, controller, or similar electronic element for shop machinery. You could save a bundle. January 2, 2012
Substitutes for Mahogany Either lyptus wood or luan (also called "meranti") may be an acceptable lower-cost alternative to mahogany in cabinets. March 12, 2006
Fabricating and Installing Curved Baseboard Suggestions for this curved baseboard situation include using flexible stock, or clamping and laying up thin layers of MDF before profiling with a router. July 12, 2012
Full Length Flush Drawer and Door Pulls Thoughts on hardware sources, and on the esthetics and practicality of a full-length flush drawer pull. February 14, 2010
Kerfed Slab Doors A cabinetmaker gets advice on an uncommon customer request: slab doors with kerfs on 3-inch centers.. May 15, 2012
Adhesives for Cabinet Re-Facing What's a suitable adhesive for attaching a new plywood end panel to an existing cabinet? September 22, 2005
Soundproofing a Shop Tips on wall construction to keep noise from leaking out of your shop. February 12, 2009
Raw Wood Showing at Panel Edges Advice on preventing tell-tale raw wood from showing when door panels shrink over the dry season. December 28, 2014
Sharpening Vibrating-Head Saw Blades Did you know you can sharpen the blades for those vibrating-head detail-sander saws? You can also make your own replacement blades. December 6, 2006
Doubling Up Compressors or Fans When you link two fans or compressors together, what's the effect on pressure and airflow? January 18, 2007
Attaching Wall Cabinets to Steel Studs Steel wall framing poses a particular challenge when it's time to hang upper cabinets. Here are a few installation tips. November 19, 2005
Substrate for Laminating Cabinet Doors Plywood cores are not recommended for laminate cabinet doors (MDF, particleboard, or plywood-core MDF are better). July 26, 2010
Setting Glass into Cabinet Doors Silicone, splines, wood stops, or glazier's points and putty? Each has its pros and cons. August 8, 2008
Fix for Mis-Placed System Holes There are ways to patch mis-located screw holes. But it's smarter to back off and start over (you can still re-use the scrap). April 21, 2011
Cabinets in a Wide-Angle Corner Thoughts on building adjoining frameless cabinets to fit into a 135-degree inside corner. November 10, 2006
Lift-Up Pocket Doors for Appliance Garages A discussion of how to design and make a cabinet door that lifts up and slides back into the cabinet like a garage door.November 5, 2013
Corner Cabinet Height Puzzle When the corner cabinet is higher than the wall cabs, how do you detail the transition? Pros share tips. June 12, 2005
Shop Voltage Limits for Edgebanders Accurately controlled AC voltage supplied to the machine is important for regulating the 24-volt DC output of the edgebander's internal transformer. October 15, 2009
Scribing to Cultured Stone This situation should have been avoided with prior planning — but since it was not, here's advice on scribing cabinetry to a rough stone wall.August 15, 2011
Cabinets for a Bank A cabinetmaker gets advice on creating specs and drawings for cabinetry for a bank, including teller work-stations. December 27, 2008
Roughing Up a Wide-Belt Feed Mat Tips on how to roughen the surface of the feed mat on a 2-head widebelt sander to keep parts from slipping as they're fed in. February 12, 2010
Troubleshooting Bowed Hollow-Core Doors A set of custom door panels made with plywood glued over honeycomb came out with a half-inch hump. What could have gone wrong? March 1, 2006
Custom Coloring Cabinet Installation Screws If the colored-head screws you need don't come in the right size, here are suggestions on how to color the heads of off-the-shelf screws in the right size.November 14, 2014
Sanding an Inside Profile Cabinetmakers don't report much luck with machine sanding to remove cutter burns. July 11, 2007
Termite-Resistant Cabinet Materials Advice on termite-resistant wood, composites, or synthetic materials for use in tropical locations. August 31, 2010
Edgebanding and Butt Joints Rounded-over edgebanding creates an issue of a "soft" joint where edges butt to one another. Here, cabinetmakers discuss whether that's a problem in commercial work. April 20, 2007
To glue or not to glue Is glue necessary in frame assembly for raised panel doors? January 31, 2001
Maintenance for a Martin T-71 Slider A longtime Martin owner advises a new buyer of a vintage 1985 slider how to care for the machine. January 14, 2013
Making a Standard Refrigerator Look Built In Wood-look panels applied to a standard refrigerator fall short of providing the appearance or useability of a true built-in model. January 1, 2012
Wood-Core MDF Panels A quick look at the pros and cons of panels with plywood cores and MDF skins. April 22, 2014
Melamine Quality Issues Cut-price melamine from the big-box DIY stores doesn't match up to professional-grade material, say the pros. December 28, 2005
Copper Countertop Tips Copper is tricky to work with. Here are a few thoughts on using it for countertops. April 17, 2009
Air Dryer Power Consumption Refrigerating dryers for pneumatic equipment air lines consume power when they're running. Cycling models can save electricity. March 9, 2008
Removing Veneer from Backer A cabinetmaker wants to pull the backer off of some backed veneer. Others provide advice. August 29, 2006
Tips for Paint Grade Doors Advice on door materials, spackle, and paint techniques for paint-grade work. February 27, 2013
Re-Roughening Power Feeder Tires Aftermarket replacement tires give the best grip. But here are tips for sanding old tires to improve their surface friction. December 27, 2008
Electric Motor Starting Problems When the motor sits and hums instead of starting, the problem could be in a switch or in the starting capacitor. March 3, 2009
MDF for Painted Projects? Medium density fiberboard (MDF) has some advantages over wood for paint-grade cabinetry. This discussion looks at when to use MDF and also at fastening and related issues. April 6, 2011
Cabinet Doors Twisting in the Clamp A cabinetmaker tries to understand why door parts twist out of alignment during the assembly process. January 11, 2008
Folding Blueprint Table Cabinetmakers discuss folding table options for the stuff they bring along when they measure a job. December 31, 2012
Calculating Springback Simple formula for determining amount of springback in bent solid wood. April 18, 2004
Exterior Cabinetry Materials Choices Cabinetmakers suggest woods, synthetic materials, and finishes for cabinets exposed to the elements under cover. February 21, 2011
Temporary Door-Pull Expedients Before the customer chooses knobs, you've got to use your imagination. Blue tape is just the beginning. February 20, 2008
Refrigerator Cabinet Depth High-end fridges may need cabinet depths that stick out past the rest of the cabinet faces. Here's advice on making things blend. January 26, 2009
Dealing with Oversize Edge Banding If your edgebanding is a little wider than the thickness of your panel stock, you have several options. October 26, 2012
De-Greasing Drawer Slides Cabinetmakers ponder how to get the packing gunk off new drawer slides before it gets grimy and causes binding. October 12, 2007
Metric Hole Saws Workarounds for when you need a round hole to accomodate a metric-sized insert. September 5, 2006
Joints in Solid Wood Edgebanding How to detail the intersection where one piece of rounded-over solid wood edgebanding butts into another. March 28, 2015
Gluing UV-Prefinished Plywood Scuffing might help (with the right glue), but you're probably going to need screws. October 9, 2006
Rolling Jobsite Tool Carts Ideas for putting your tool chest on wheels to get in an out of install sites quickly. September 27, 2008
Adjustable Cabinet Casters Thoughts on a tricky detail: casters for an island cabinet that would allow the cabinet to be lowered all the way to the floor. August 29, 2006
Inside Corner Drawer Construction Here are a few photos of inside corner drawers, with some advice on how to build them. January 9, 2015
Concrete Countertop Cement Choices Advice on materials choices and some tips on technique for a first-time concrete countertop job. June 12, 2014
MDF and Tooling MDF dulls tooling quickly, so craftsmen tend to keep a set of cutterheads dedicated to MDF. March 28, 2015
Foreign Material in Sheet Stock People have found nuts, bolts, wrenches, nail sets, and sheet rock knives embedded in sheets of MDF or plywood. September 3, 2011
Sliding Breadboard Ideas Cabinetmakers suggest options for building slide-out breadboards in limited space. September 20, 2005
Removable Upper Cabinet Bottoms Cabinetmakers consider how to make upper cabinet bottoms detachable for access to undercabinet lighting wiring. August 24, 2008
Edgebanding "White Out" Problem Dark edgebanding sometimes turns white at ends where it passes through the cutters. Applying heat will restore the color — but what's a fast way to do it? April 4, 2011
Small Trucks and Plywood The search for an economical rig that will haul a few full sheets occasionally. January 22, 2006
Gluing Steel Panels to Wood Tapes and adhesives that can hold steel plate to wood, even if the plate is slightly sprung. July 8, 2014
Roller Stands for Sheet Goods Shop owners discuss various kinds of roller stands, rolling tables, and stationary outfeed tables for handling sheet goods. December 28, 2005
Disclaimer for Cabinet Installation How should a cabinet installer cover himself when he notice defects in the cabinet finish before starting the installation? August 8, 2008
Designing Banquette Seating Advice on seat height, table height, seat back slope, et cetera, for built-in banquette seating at a table. September 25, 2014
Shared Power Switch for Tool and Vacuum Quick tips on linking tool and shop-vacuum power supplies so that the vacuum starts when the tool starts. April 24, 2013
Sanding Drawers After Construction Ideas for sanding distinctive hardwood drawer boxes after building them, without distorting the corners. November 26, 2008
Leg Leveler Lifting Capacity Use caution when adjusting leg levelers with a screwdriver from inside the cabinet. February 12, 2010
Finishing Cabinet Interiors Depending on the use, cabinetmakers may match the exterior stain color, or go with melamine or a light wood and clear finish. October 1, 2005
Air Line Tubing Systems Shop owners discuss various tubing and connection systems for supply lines to air-powered tools. March 22, 2013
Microwave "Trim Kits" and Accurate Specs Cabinetmakers discuss the problem of making a built-in microwave fit seamlessly into the cabinet you build for it. February 26, 2007
Wooden Tray Divider Installation Ideas Suggestions for a customized, adjustable cabinet component that lets homeowners stack cookie sheets and trays on edge. January 19, 2011
Edgebanding with Aluminum Laminate Aluminum does not spark, but even the thin edgebanding will wear out tools faster than wood or plastic banding. October 20, 2013
Machining Arched Top Rails for Doors Advice on shaper techniques for curved top rails, in order to avoid breaking the pointed tip of the sharp corners. November 23, 2012
Allowing for Panel Movement when Finishing Doors If you assemble five-piece doors before finishing, seasonal drying shrinkage can expose unfinished wood. Here's how some finishers address the issue. March 26, 2007
Managing Edgebander Outfeed in a Small Shop Ideas for a simple automated setup to catch parts before they fall off the end of the edgebander, without tying up a worker's time. December 31, 2012
Waste Factor in Doormaking You gotta make sawdust to make cabinets. But how much sawdust? Here are some views on the ballpark numbers. February 12, 2009
Strong Joints for Mitered Doors Cabinetmakers discuss corrugated miter fasteners, through splines, pocket screws, dovetail bowties, and other ways to strengthen miter joints. November 20, 2005
Suspending a Vanity from the Wall Cabinet installers describe various ways to attach a heavy, unsupported vanity to the bathroom wall. August 19, 2013
Long Angle Cutting on a Miter Saw A nice illustration in this thread shows how you can cut a 140-degree angle (for instance) on a chopsaw. June 17, 2010
Thinner for Wood Filler Advice on storing, reconstituting, or thinning solvent-based wood fillers. August 8, 2008
Sliding Table Saw Slider Elevation Why the slider is positioned slightly above the main table, and how to compensate when using the machine to rip hardwood. February 26, 2007
Isolating Air Lines from Compressor Vibration To prevent vibration and noise, install a short section of suitable flexible tubing between the compressor and the copper air lines.January 3, 2012
Cabinet Doors for Coastal Climates How do you make a cabinet door that will stay stable through wide seasonal humidity changes? August 19, 2008
Gaps Opening Up After Cabinet Installation When base cabs seem to pull away from walls, the culprit is usually moisture-related movement of the house framing lumber. December 2, 2006
A Pull-Out Medicine Cabinet Example (with picture) of a pull-out front with side-access shelves in a bathroom medicine cabinet. September 23, 2006
Cooling Fans for Computer Cabinets Computers generate a lot of heat and need cooling. Here are some basic ideas for cooling computer cabinet built-ins. May 22, 2006
Tapered Rollers on an Edgebander Users and service techs differ on the usefulness of tapered pressure rollers on an edgebander. October 19, 2014
Line Boring Bit Sharpening Careful sharpening will renew the bits and preserve bored-hole accuracy. October 11, 2007
Shelf Supports and Uplift An unusual shelf setup needs restraint against tipping. What's the solution? Some shelf support pins provide a way for holding the shelf down. July 29, 2007
Dovetailing plywood Successfully dovetailing baltic birch plywood. March 20, 2001
Working with Silver Maple Like Red Maple, it's a type of Soft Maple. Machines easily, but with a tendency to fuzz. August 29, 2006
Scribing the Back of a Frameless Cabinet Scribe moulding, a filler strip, or the judicious use of caulk are the top remedies for a gap between the cabinet back and the wall. November 19, 2005
Clamp Wear and Tear A discussion of how and why bar clamps wear out, and what to do about it. February 17, 2006
Understanding AWI's "Premium Grade" Watch out — if you really have to build to an Architectural Woodwork Institute specification, you really have to know your stuff. January 10, 2008
Making Odd-Angle Templates For out-of-whack shapes (like shelves for irregular closets), assembling templates with hot-melt glue does the trick. September 22, 2005
Contour Edgebanders — Enough for a Small Shop? A contour edgebander is okay for occasional work, but too slow for full production banding lots of straight edges in a busy shop. October 3, 2011
Hand-Planing Wood-Veneer Doors How thick should the veneer be for hand-planed reproduction slab doors made with veneer over a wood-composite core? January 20, 2007
Cutting Aluminum in the Shop Tips and cautions for cutting aluminum accent strips with woodworking equipment. March 26, 2009
Attaching Hardwood Edges to Panels Here's a handy tip: use pocket holes and screws for edging panels with solid wood, and mate the pieces using tongue-and-groove joints. November 19, 2006
Cleaning Melamine Blades Solvent cleaning will give you a little more mileage between blade re-sharpenings. March 9, 2008
Moving Cabinets to Site Ideas for getting cabinets to the job site and into the building. December 7, 2008
Gas Fired Radiant Tube Heat for the Shop Shop owners give these gas tube radiant heaters high marks for convenience, safety, and heating effectiveness. January 10, 2006
Rating drawer slides What does a drawer slide weight rating mean, exactly? February 12, 2001
Compressor Burnout A post about a smoking air compressor kicks of a discussion of quality characteristics of compressors, and whether they can be repaired. March 16, 2015
Easing MDF Edges Sanding techniques and tool options for gently rounding over the edges of MDF door and drawer faces. July 5, 2006
Installing Fabric into Speaker Doors Cabinetmakers suggest ways to fasten the cloth into doors on a cabinet that will house speakers. November 23, 2012
Cherry Cabinets with Birch Interiors Ideas on how to finish off the ends of cabinets built with different species of plywood for interiors and exteriors. February 26, 2007
Dressing Power Feeder Tires Old power feeder rollers that have gotten too glazed to grip can be restored to softness by cleaning, sanding, or re-covering. October 27, 2011
Shelf to Support an Oven Thoughts on the connection detail required for a shelf that supports a built-in oven. February 26, 2007
Edgebanding Dadoed Parts A cabinetmaker who uses blind dadoed construction gets advice on modifying his edgebander to handle the dadoed material. August 29, 2006
Cupping of MDF Doors Depending on the nature of the particular MDF stock, machining one side may relieve surface stress and cause the finished piece to deform. December 27, 2008
Finger Pull Detail for Laminate Doors Painting the cove detail to match the laminate is more reliable than fitting laminate to the profile. July 12, 2012
Wire Management in a Moving Cabinet Products and a shop-built solution for enabling wiring for lights to follow a cabinet that extends and retracts in use.February 16, 2014
Euro Hinge Positioning and Door Edges Euro hinges have to be mounted very close to door edges. But here's a workaround that adds some flexibiity for face frame construction. May 13, 2013
Restaurant Booth Specifications Basic information on appropriate dimensions for restaurant booth seating and tables. November 10, 2006
45-Degree Frameless Door Hinge Problem A cabinetmaker gets input on making a five-knuckle hinge work with frameless cabs that meet at 45 degrees. December 27, 2010
Cutting 45° Crown Moulding Info on cutting crown of various spring angles, and what to do if the walls are slightly off square. July 28, 2012
Countertop Choices for a Farmer's Sink The way farmer's sinks are installed, there's usually an exposed edge where the countertop meets the sink. For that reason, durable countertop materials are preferred. March 1, 2006
Easy Drawer Slide Retrofit Here's a quick tip for speedy installation of new drawer slides in an existing cabinet in place. March 3, 2009
Trimming T Moulding Tips for quickly and easily trimming T molding for laminated countertops. August 7, 2006
Lipping Planer Operator Technique A cabinetmaker gets advice on handling a lipping planer with the right touch, so it won't tear up his panels. June 21, 2012
Tiger Stop Stretched Belt The belts on an automated stop system may stretch in service over time and require replacing to maintain accuracy. January 9, 2015
Cross-Grain Plywood If you want plywood grain running up and down instead of side to side, carefully cutting and seaming the piece will usually fool the eye. July 9, 2007
Sanding Inspection Lighting Ideas Quick thoughts on lamp choices and construction for a shop-rigged inspection light at the sanding table. July 15, 2011
Where to Mount a Power Feeder Convenient adjustment and smooth operation are considerations when you mount a power feeder on a table saw or shaper. January 26, 2008
Kitchen island height What is the standard height for a kitchen island countertop? June 24, 2001
Glue Pot Cleaning Tips Thoughts on the messy business of cleaning out an edgebander glue pot.July 28, 2012
Wood Movement and Strap Hinges Quick tips on mounting large hinges to solid wood in a way that won't restrict the freedom of the wood to expand or contract in response to ambient conditions. July 11, 2013
Circular Arch Radius Formulas A little basic math, plus some links to on-line calculators for figuring arch radius numbers. January 19, 2011
Fraction Conversion Chart This measurement conversion chart shows inch system fractions and decimals with their metric system equivalents. January 3, 2007
Drawing and Cutting Ellipses Drawing ellipses without strings or formulas, making a jig to cut an ellipse, and cutting an ellipse with a router and jig. January 28, 2007
Multiple Cabinet Refacing Can you reface over existing refacing? Yes, if the first layer still adheres well. December 30, 2007
Level Cabinets in Out-of-Whack Houses A rowdy, no-holds-barred debate on whether cabinet installers should fudge square and level when the existing house is neither. December 20, 2005
Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Doors Here's a detailed and lively discussion among cabinetmakers and door specialists about the key issues in outsourcing doors, including schedules, quality, efficiency, cost, and making good on mistakes. October 26, 2007
Backyard Shop Ideas Here's lots of advice for a first-time shop builder from cabinetmakers who have been there and done that (with a side discussion about relating to the neighbors). January 28, 2009
Preparing Face Frame Stock A lively discussion among cabinetmakers about whether, when, and how to joint, plane, or sand stock for face frames. October 8, 2005
Panel and Door Balancing with 32mm Systems A closet contractor struggles to make his standardized shop system compatible with specs for a commercial job. September 30, 2010
Building with Pre-Finished Plywood Pre-finished plywood can streamline the construction and finishing workflow. Here are some tips and stories. July 12, 2012
Basics of Saw Blade Selection An introduction to the important characteristics of various saw blade types. November 24, 2008
Best Method for Leveling Base Cabinets Cabinetmakers compare installation methods for base cabs, including ledgers, ladders, and adjustable levelers. November 29, 2014
Building a Stroke Sander Craftsmen share tips about making and running this handy shop tool. October 2, 2005
Building a Shop Cabinet shop owners converse about what they would do differently if they were to build their shop all over again, again. August 14, 2007
Plunge Cut Circular Saw Versus Table Saw For a part-time shop, can a high-quality circular saw and guide setup take the place of a table saw for panel cutting on small jobs? June 3, 2009
Brainstorming a Modified Door Frame Joint Is there a quicker and easier way to machine the joints for a raised-panel stile-and-rail cabinet door? Here's a handful of possibly useful ideas. May 22, 2007
Beaded Face Frame Joinery Detailed explanations with photos and drawings of how to achieve nice jack-miter joints on beaded face frames. April 16, 2009
Plywood Vs. Solid Wood What do you mean by "solid, dude"? In this thread, cabinetmakers communicate about wood, plywood, particleboard, veneers, core materials, core values, and symbolic forms of expression. It's all in good fun. October 8, 2005
Preventing Back Pain Seasoned cabinetmakers discuss shoes, boots, floor mats, exercise, and other back-pain prevention strategies. November 30, 2009
Preventing Sweat Marks on Work Thoughts on how to affordably air condition a wood shop in a hot climate, and advice on preventing sweat from discoloring wood or finishes. May 23, 2011
How Long to Build Cabinets? Cabinetmakers share views on how long a typical cabinet job should take a small shop, and help a colleague figure out why his progress has been slow. April 20, 2008
Balanced Laminating Over Melamine Here's a detailed discussion about whether it's okay to apply laminate over just one face of a melamine door, and about various other ways to achieve the same product. October 12, 2012
Boosting Air Supply You can step up to a beefier compressor, or you can tweak your setup by adding buffer air tanks and another small compressor to work in tandem with existing equipment. October 26, 2011
Balanced Construction of Plastic Laminate Doors Experience shows that balancing P-lam doors can prevent the occasional case of warping. Here are thoughts on how to lay up balanced P-lam panels. February 12, 2010
Boring Machines Casework assembly methods that rely on evenly-spaced 32-mm holes are most efficient when you have high-volume precision equipment to bore the holes. Here's a rundown on the options in machinery for that purpose. September 18, 2008
Buying a Used Beamsaw Input from users and maintenance techs on what to watch out for when buying a pre-owned beamsaw, and advice about teardown, transport, and re-assembly.July 29, 2011
How to make a tenon Accurately sized tenons without a tenoner. September 25, 2002
Budget Alternatives to a Sliding Table Saw If a slider's not in the budget, what are the alternatives? Cabinetmakers discuss table saw attachments, vertical panel saws, and track saw packages. April 6, 2011
Blade and Bit Resharpening Most cabinetmakers agree that sending blades and bits out for resharpening is a practical and economical choice. March 25, 2007
Pulling Surface Joints Tight Links to gadgets that can make this sometmes-frustrating issue a breeze. February 8, 2005
Plywood Thicknesses and Dado Widths A detailed discussion of the fine points of making a well-fit dado joint. Calipers, shims, decimals, fractions, and more. May 14, 2006
Big-Box Cabinet Installation Pay Rates Installing for the big boxes is a whole different business. Here are some rumors on how the setup works. January 26, 2008
Powering a Slider with a Rotary Phase Converter Assessing whether a phase converter has the capacity to power a piece of equipment, and avoiding damage to the electronic controls of the machine. March 27, 2012
Blind Dadoes Versus Dowel Joinery A discussion of the efficiency and accuracy trade-offs involved in switching from blind-dado and screw construction to dowel joinery. August 8, 2008
Bleeding Space-Ball Blues Space balls have been known to exude a mysterious fluid that can show up in the finish of a raised panel door, leading to possible heart palpitations. (Not really, but it is disturbing.) February 20, 2008
Beyond the Lazy Susan: Corner Cabinet Options Not everyone loves the Lazy Susan cabinet. Here's a discussion of alternative ways to provide easy-reach storage in corner cabinets. December 28, 2005
Pros and Cons of Pocket-Holing Face Frames Cabinetmakers praise pocket hole joinery for face frames, discuss the occasional glitches, and compare notes on equipment. October 26, 2005
Plywood Thickness Variation and Slot Cutting Cutting slots for Shaker doors gets problematic when "quarter-inch" plywood is really more like 3/16" thick. In this thread, cabinetmakers discuss how they adjust to actual plywood thickness. November 12, 2005
P-lam Cabinet Door Backs Construction considerations when backing cabinet doors with plastic laminate to match cabinet interiors. March 20, 2006
Pricing Cabinet Installs This thread on installation pricing takes an interesting approach: Compare with what the big-box stores charge. December 2, 2006
Pivoting Bookcase Show and Tell Photos and video of a unique project: a bookcase that pivots to hide a client's master bedroom. June 15, 2014
Pros and Cons of Used Edgebanders It might cost more to get a used edgebander up and running than to purchase it. But even at that, the results could be well worth it. October 19, 2014
Buying a Used Edgebander There's more to running a glue-pot edgebander than plugging it in and turning it on — so be cautious when buying used equipment. December 30, 2005
Portable Power Planer for Shop Use? Cabinetmakers tend to be dissatisfied with the performance of small hand-held power planers. For cabinet work you need real shop machinery. February 20, 2008
Box Lid Alignment Issues Problems with jewelry box tolerances may be related to moisture in finishes. December 27, 2008
Household Chemicals and Hardware Corrosion Household chemicals, pool chlorine, and other common substances can tear up brass or chrome fixtures. Here's an example. June 15, 2009
Production Capacity of a One-Man Shop Can one man working alone knock out two custom kitchens a month — and run the business too? It's debatable. January 13, 2008
Pneumatic Motor Freeze-Up Air-powered motors need regular oiling, or they stop working. October 11, 2007
Hand Clamping for Mitered Doors What's a simple shop setup for assembling mitered cabinet doors? Pros supply a beginner with tips and suggestions. July 25, 2005
Production Gains from a Horizontal Boring Machine Properly put to work, a boring machine make better use of your skilled labor, keep your shop cleaner, and help with build quality of your cabinetry. August 16, 2012
Building a Clamping Table A woodworker considers the idea of making his own pneumatic clamping table. October 19, 2013
Plywood Holiday Ruins a Cabinet A cabinetmaker's cautionary tale of how a cabinet was ruined when his router dropped into a void in a piece of plywood leads to a few comments about materials and tools. June 15, 2014
Phase Converters for a Small Shop Downsizing from a big-iron shop to a basement-based setup. Is it worth holding on to some three-phase machinery and installing a phase converter? April 27, 2011
Practicality of CNC-Cut MDF Doors With opaque finish, MDF doors are hard to tell apart from wood raised-panel doors. Here are some cabinetmaker experiences and photos. February 18, 2011
Pullout Slide Clearance and Hinge Types Cabinet pullouts may crash into door backs if you don't select the right hardware and install properly. January 10, 2006
Best Ripping Width to Avoid Cupping A discussion of the workable range of widths for ripped lumber intended for gluing up into panels. February 16, 2014
Powder Post Beetles in Plywood Amazingly, the bugs are not killed by plywood manufacturing methods, and can lurk inside plywood for years. October 27, 2011
Pre-Finished Plywood and Wood Edgebanding Advice on assembly and finishing of a cabinet made with prefinished plywood interiors and solid wood edgebanding. October 13, 2012
Paint Finish on Melamine Will paint adhere to melamine? With scuff sanding, yes, say people who have tried it. July 22, 2005
Beating a Cabinet to Pieces You learn a lot about the strength of various joinery and installation methods when you have to tear out a cabinet and break it into pieces for disposal. July 11, 2013
Plywood Face Veneer Grades A question about a spec for "AA" face veneer on cabinet sheet goods leads to a discussion of industry grading standards for face veneers. July 2, 2008
Poplar for Paint-Grade Cabinet Doors? It works well for paint-grade trim, but woodworkers say poplar creates stability issues when used for casework. March 20, 2006
Powder Post Beetle Worries Will powderpost beetles found in a piece of furniture spread elsewhere in the house? April 21, 2011
Pocket Hole Machine Maintenance Slow operation and a gravely, rough, grinding sound could be caused by junk in the gears. July 28, 2012
Plywood Thickness and Cabinet Doors Nominal quarter-inch plywood can really be 5 millimeters thick. Here are thoughts on accounting for edge thickness when machining the door frame groove.July 6, 2011
Beam Saw Versus Sliding Table Saw Which to buy, slider or beam saw? Versatility, productivity, and ease of maintenance are issues to consider. August 24, 2008
Panel Saw/Slider Comparison Cabinetmakers compare the advantages of vertical panel saws and sliding table saws, with special reference to ripping. November 11, 2005
Pre-Glued Dowel Advice Pre-glued dowels seem to hold well if holes are precisely drilled, but don't save a lot of time except in an automated setup. January 2, 2012
Power Feeder Wheels for Slippery Material Stock feeder wheels may not be grippy enough to grab onto prefinished plywood or other low-friction material. January 25, 2013
Heavy Backs for Upper Cabinets Cabinetmakers briefly describe construction and wall attachment methods for cabinets using 1/2-inch. 5/8-inch, or even 3/4-inch prefinished plywood backs. November 12, 2005
Beaded MDF Door Panels Info on buying or making MDF beaded stock for cabinet door panels. October 15, 2009
Boosting Your Cabinet Lift Site-rigged makeshift adjustments to gain extra height when setting a high upper cabinet. August 31, 2009
Pony Clamp Pads Staining Work Watch out: an oil-based residue in the rubber pads on a clamp can mark your work. May 28, 2010
Building Arched Cabinets A first-timer asks for advice on making a veneer arch. Cabinetmakers suggest products and methods, and show project examples. July 9, 2005
Poplar Is a Hardwood, but Is It Hard? As a deciduous tree, Poplar is classified as a hardwood. Here's some hard info about just how hard it is (or isn't).November 15, 2011
Hinging for a Bifold Door Retrofit Thoughts on hinge choice for bifold doors to be installed on a wide opening for an existing entertainment center. October 26, 2011
Pull-Out Bread-Board Ideas Tricks for adding breadboard pullouts to face-frame cabinets, without losing drawer space. October 15, 2009
Power Feeder on a Table Saw Advice on setting up a power feeder to handle wide and narrow rips with a table saw. June 23, 2006
Protection on the Assembly Table Suggestions for soft surface coverings for the assembly table to protect delicate cabinet surfaces during assembly. December 9, 2013
Hanging on a Floating Shelf Here's a fun addition to the Knowledge Base collection on floating shelf attachment: a woodworker demonstrating how a small shelf will support his own weight. May 15, 2011
Pantry Pullout Details A couple of photo examples of tall, narrow pullout pantry shelf units, and some thoughts on materials and hardware. May 26, 2011
Beveled Edge Slab Oak Doors A cabinetmaker describes his technique for fabricating beveled-edge doors with a solid wood edge, MDF core, and veneer faces. November 22, 2005
Equipment and Curriculum for a Woodworking School Woodworkers discuss the shop equipment, software, and focus appropriate for a serious secondary school program intended to train professional woodworkers. July 27, 2008
Blind woodworker's story A blind cabinetmaker tells the story of his education and career in woodworking. (From WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum) January 21, 2003
Outsourcing Pros and Cons Outsourcing door production is a no-brainer — except when it's not. This discussion looks at door production from both sides. July 5, 2011
Plywood Thickness for Cabinet Construction What starts out as a question about 1/4" versus 1/2" plywood for cabinet backs, turns into a long discussion of what plywood cabinetmakers prefer for building carcases, and why. January 20, 2007
Choosing Sliding Table Saws and Panel Saws Pros discuss the choices in panel saws and sliding table saws, and offer advice on modifying equipment for better performance. November 10, 2006
Table Saw Safety Accessories A long discussion on the utility and practicality of guards, splitters, and automatic blade brakes. November 26, 2007
Table Saw Blade Height Above Material Here's a long, thoughtful discussion of the practical and safety aspects of setting blade height when working with a table saw. November 13, 2009
Cabinet Shop Growing Pains A cabinet shop owner gets advice on expanding his production volume while integrating some complex new software into his workflow. July 12, 2008
Taking Measurements on Site — Tape Measure or Laser Device? The new generation of laser measuring tools can improve accuracy and save time. Here, cabinetmakers describe why they made the switch and how they use the new tools. November 22, 2005
Small Chunks Sticking to the Edgebander Roller Trying to get to the bottom of a performance issue with an edgebander: small particleboard core chunks sticking to the glue roller are starving parts of the joint for glue. November 15, 2010
Choosing a Standard Method for Cabinet Construction A supervisor helping a new cabinet company establish its standard production system gets feedback about the pros and cons of many different assembly methods, from a variety of perspectives. July 11, 2013
Affordable Sanding Options for the One-Man Shop In yet another take on a frequent forum topic, shop owners compare the pros and cons of drum sanders, wide-belt sanders, and stroke sanders.March 13, 2014
How to Prevent Sanding Swirl Marks There is more to power sanding than you might think. Here, pros discuss the fine points. December 26, 2006
What's the Best Tool for Cutting Panels? A start-up shop owner asks whether he should purchase a sliding table saw, a vertical panel saw, or maybe even a beam saw. Experienced hands offer thoughtful opinions. July 6, 2005
The Trouble with High-End Appliances Beefs, anecdotes, and general observations about installing expensive, fancy kitchen appliances. January 9, 2006
Learning About Edgebanders Advice for a woodworker who is in the market for a very low-priced edgebander, and wants to educate himself about edgebanders and other machinery. March 13, 2014
Sliding Table Saw Safety Here's an extensive set of tips and cautions for working safely with a sliding table saw. December 2, 2010
Proper Depth for Frameless Cabinets In a long discussion, cabinetmakers share observations, opinions and experiences about the dimensions of frameless cabinets. December 14, 2005
Corner Chisel Fine Points Tool choice, sharpening methods, and hand techniques for cleaning out mortise corners. November 13, 2009
Drawing Units and Precision Deciding on the level of precision needed for cabinet and millwork design. October 20, 2004
Out-of-Level Brouhaha Sparks fly when a cabinet installer goes with the out-of-level house for the sake of appearance. His story sets off a lively exchange of views. October 22, 2005
Switching to Melamine A cabinetmaker who usually builds with plywood gets advice on working with melamine. July 5, 2006
Accurate Placement of Finished End Panels Cabinetmakers describe tips and tricks for keeping end panels properly registered while fastening with pocket screws. June 8, 2008
Entry-Level Edgebanding Here's a discussion of how to accomplish occasional and incidental edgebanding with decent quality, when you don't do enough of that kind of work to justify a big investment. August 19, 2013
Switching to Factory-Built Cabinets A Gulf Coast cabinetmaker has had good luck with a line of factory cabinets. His story triggers a discussion of today's market realities and the pros and cons of adding factory-made cabs to your business model. November 10, 2006
Appliance Size Specifications Rant Here's a universal complain from cabinetmakers: it's dern near impossible to find out the dimensions of a kitchen appliance without measuring the actual appliance.November 27, 2012
Home Shop Pros and Cons Cabinetmakers describe what it's like to have your shop next to (or underneath) your house. April 13, 2012
32mm Systems and Drawer Stretchers A discussion of the fine points of positioning and installing drawers stretchers (or "spreaders") in a 32mm Euro cab system. July 15, 2011
Does Your Sanding Make Sense? "Trouble starts when taking off more than a belt can handle, or taking off more than the scratch pattern of the previous head. These are the most common mistakes in sanding... It can be incredibly frustrating to see a company trapped in a prison of their own design because they really never und ......
Joinery for a U-Shaped Wood Countertop Given the natural tendency for wood to move, joinery for a complex wood countertop requires some careful thinking. December 1, 2010
Delivery Truck Choices How best to move cabinets: Truck or trailer? Purchase or lease? Or just hire a moving company? Shop owners kick the topic around. September 4, 2005
Truck, Van, or Trailer? Installation pros discuss the convenience, gas mileage, and security of various vehicle choices. October 8, 2005
Training a Cabinet Installation Crew Advice based on experience about how to teach a pair of promising shop employees how to install cabinets in the field. November 26, 2007
Heating a Woodshop Shop owners chime in on heating options and climate-control considerations. August 31, 2005
Count Your Fingers A woodworker describes the accident that took off the ends of two of his fingers, and a discussion ensues about the lessons learned. November 10, 2006
Tape Measure Accuracy Even before they get dropped on the shop floor, tape measures are unreliable. Calibrating your machinery instead might work better than relying on any tape. May 13, 2008
Measuring-Tape Accuracy Finding an accurate tape measure is a challenge. Ensuring an accurate match between two different tapes is even more challenging. July 11, 2007
Guide Blocks for a Trash Bin Pullout Cabinetmakers work on a new idea for alignment blocks to help a trash bin slide closed with precision. April 12, 2011
Keeping Faces Flush with Pocket-Hole Joinery Clamping and drilling techniques that will keep pocket-hole-joined pieces from slipping out of alignment during assembly. December 6, 2006
Avoiding Twist when Installing Cabinets Installers share their messages for getting cabinets plumb, square, and level during the installation process. March 22, 2013
Compressed Air Lines in a Shop Advice on material choices and layout strategies for compressed-air supply lines in a woodshop. March 28, 2010
Basic Edgebanding Methods Simple, low-cost tips and tricks for small-volume edgebanding work. April 16, 2009
Getting a Good Bond with HPL Edgebanding Good priming and a warm working temperature are important for good adhesion when applying high pressure laminate edgebanding. May 12, 2013
Sawstop Stories Cabinetmakers discuss the value of a Sawstop table saw, which trips and stops before cutting off your fingers. August 12, 2014
Face Frame Construction Details with Prefinished Plywood Using pre-finished plywood has helped streamline one cabinetmaker's process. Here, he gets ideas from others about touches that could make his product look better. November 20, 2005
Cabinet Construction with Half-Inch Plywood Using half-inch plywood for all cabinet components (sides, back, shelves, and deck) lends itself to quick and simple cabinet assembly. March 5, 2007
Considering Forklift Choices Shop owners discuss forklift capacity, tire type, propane versus electric, and related considerations. August 31, 2010
Crown Moulding Attachment Details Methods for mounting crown moulding on frameless and face-frame cabinets (with clear, useful drawings). April 13, 2010
Riving Knife Choices and Use A discussion of the use of riving knives on the table saw, and of sources of aftermarket riving knives. March 22, 2013
Cutting Dadoes on a Sliding Table Saw Many sliders will accept a dado blade set. You'll have to consider the riving knife when using one for that purpose, though. August 17, 2006
SawStop Setup Tips on adjusting the SawStop cabinet saw's safety brake. May 15, 2011
Supporting a Giant Lazy Susan A brainstorming session on the mechanical aspects of a super-sized-and-customized Lazy Susan. January 21, 2007
Glue Injection Techniques When laminate or veneer is lifting, you can make a slit, inject adhesive, and clamp for a clean repair. Here are some detailed tips on getting the glue where it needs to go. February 20, 2008
Wrapping Cabinets for Transportation The pros and cons of bubble wrap, cardboard rolls, newsprint remainders, shipping blankets, et cetera. March 21, 2012
Dark Putty Ideas for blending a dark wood putty to match dark woods like cherry. July 3, 2006
Fastening Scribe Stiles Cabinet installers discuss ways to attach scribe stiles to cabinets when space is tight on all sides. May 6, 2006
Box Truck Versus Box Trailer Cabinetmakers discuss the best vehicle for delivering cabinets to the job. August 29, 2014
Edgebanding with Veneer A cabinetmaker gets advice on applying quartersawn cherry veneer as edgebanding. January 26, 2008
Keeping Your Cell Phone Handy on Site Installers share ideas for keeping your cell phone handy on site, but safe from being dropped or lost. May 28, 2010
Pocket Screw Machine Slow Operation Maintenance and cleaning tips that may restore a multi-head pneumatic pocket screw machine to its former quickness. August 15, 2011
Hanging Cabinets on a Brick Wall Tips on installing to brick, including advice on trouble-free Tapcon installation and a method involving epoxy and threaded rod. August 28, 2010
Buying a Sliding Table Saw A second-hand, high-quality slider is a good investment. Here are tips on tuning it up and getting the best out of it. February 16, 2012
Peel and Stick Edgebanding Occasional users discuss the pros and cons of peel-and-stick edgebanding. June 23, 2014
Troubleshooting a Backsplash Gap Floor framing shrinkage might cause cabinets to drop, opening a gap between the countertop and backsplash. August 7, 2006
Accurate Panel Rips Tips for obtaining clean, accurate results when ripping panels to width. October 13, 2005
Contour Trimming 3mm Edgebanding Advice on rounding over and trimming plastic edgebanding without melting the material. August 31, 2010
Countertop Bolt Systems Cabinetmakers compare experiences with different undercounter bolt and clamp systems for securing countertop joints. April 29, 2011
Scribing three edges Templates, tic sticking and more for efficient scribing in difficult situations. September 20, 2003
Tooling Up to Make Doors An extended discussion of the best investment in equipment for a cabinetmaker who wants to start making his own doors. March 26, 2010
Pursuing perfect miters Methods and equipment for achieving the highest quality. September 20, 2003
Cabinet Door Shop Set-Up Necessities Specializing in cabinet doors isn't a business you can easily jump into. Here's a lively discussion about "barriers to entry" — the minimum scale required for success, and the equipment you'll need to compete. December 14, 2009
Blade Choices for Table Saws Thoughts on which saw blades work best for which materials, and some general info on saw blade characteristics and maintenance. December 27, 2010
Finger Versus Tablesaw A cautionary tale of a seven-stitches encounter with a tablesaw blade sets off a discussion of accidents had and lessons learned. April 25, 2006
Standardizing Cabinet Construction Thoughts on how to formalize your cabinet-building methods for efficiency and consistent quality. October 13, 2008
Cabinet Startup A general contractor gets advice on getting started building his own cabinets. Some have done it on a shoestring. January 23, 2012
One-Man Installation Setup Small cabinet-shop owners explain how they organize bringing their tools and supplies to the jobsite for installations. March 9, 2008
Machining Face Frame Stock A cabinetmaker gets advice on improving his process for planing and dimensioning face frame material — or whether to buy pre-milled stock instead. October 12, 2007
DeWalt 3521 Radial Arm Saw A collector and reseller of old American-made tools discusses a classic radial arm saw. March 26, 2013
Choosing a Hand-Held Sander Woodworkers discuss the options in electric and air-powered random orbital sanders. December 28, 2014
Tool Organization for Cabinet Installers How does a cabinet installer cut back on the number of trips back and forth from the truck to the house? Pros ponder solutions. December 2, 2006
Mobile Shop in a Trailer? Cabinetmakers discuss the practicality of running a woodshop on wheels. June 28, 2007
Value of a Sliding Table Saw Cabinetmakers discuss whether, and why, a sliding table saw is worth having around when other tools can do (sort of) the same thing.April 29, 2012
Praise for Impact Drivers It's official: installers and cabinetmakers love cordless impact drivers. July 3, 2006
Edge-Planing Boards for Width Cabinetmakers discuss the fine points of sending boards through the planer on the narrow dimension. December 28, 2005
Biscuit Fit Problems Swelling due to moisture, or narrowing of the slot due to cutter sharpening, are possible reasons why biscuits don't fit. November 13, 2009
Equipment Issues for Final Door Sanding Cross-grain scratches from the wide-belt, then swirl marks from the random-orbit sanders — what's the solution to minimize the final hand-sanding stage? November 26, 2006
Planing on edge Processing stock through planer to define parts' widths. January 3, 2003
Granite Countertop Underlayment Depending on thickness, granite countertops may be self-supporting without underlayment. September 5, 2006
Shop-Built Sliding Table Saw Sled Decisions Advice on whether to build a shop-rigged table saw sled, buy a sliding table attachment, or step up to a professional-grade slider. January 19, 2011
Choosing an Air Line Material Shop owners discuss the pros and cons of various metal and plastic tubing materials for compressed-air supply lines. March 20, 2006
Air Versus Electric Random Orbital Sanders Air-powered sanders are sweet, but they call for a big compressor — and there are electric sanders that do a nice job. July 5, 2006
Using a Radial-Arm Saw to Cut Dadoes A radial-arm saw is good for repetitive cross-cut dadoes, but dangerous for ripping. Here, woodworkers discuss equipment alternatives for efficient, accurate dadoing. November 10, 2006
Radial-Arm Saw Cutting Technique Radial arm saws have their place, some cabinetmakers say. Here, they discuss blade choice and cutting technique. November 25, 2005
Troubleshooting Curved Miter Cuts Big chopsaw cutting a little concave? Blade quality and technique might both play a role. August 8, 2008
Heavy-Duty Miter-Saw Choices Shop owners describe their experiences with industrial-grade cutoff saws and miter saws. July 29, 2011
Sander Skittering and Vacuum Suction Reported control problems with some sanders may be solvable by adjusting dust collection vacuum settings. July 16, 2008
Best Router for Dovetails? A discussion focused on woodworkers' favorite routers for cutting half-blind dovetails.
Rebuilding Cordless-Tool Batteries The cells in a cordless tool battery pack can be replaced with aftermarket versions. But is it worth doing? May 22, 2007
Whether to Glue Panels to Stiles and Rails The basic answer is no (don't glue door panels to frames), but there are some fine points raised in this discussion. November 15, 2011
Fans and Grilles to Cool a TV Cabinet A cabinetmaker gets help figuring out how to get enough air moving to cool a big, hot television unit. July 11, 2007
Paint Cracks in Five-Piece Doors Some cracking is pretty much inevitable when you paint five-piece wood cabinet doors. September 25, 2014
Flute Size and Spacing A discussion of the subjective esthetics of fluted pilaster layout and style. February 11, 2010
Clear Alder Versus European Beech A cabinetmaker who finds that clear Alder looks good, but scratches too easily, discovers a satisfying alternative: European Beech. April 9, 2008
Matching Sun-Darkened Cherry Color-matching new work with old is tricky when the wood is Cherry, because of the way Cherry darkens when exposed to light. May 24, 2006
Touching Up White Cabinets Advice on touching up nicks and dings in white thermofoil, vinyl, and melamine cabinet surfaces. August 7, 2006
Hanging Cabinets on Plaster Walls Cabinet installers discuss the classic old-house problem: finding some meat behind the plaster. March 18, 2006
Armoires suspendues sur murs en plâtre Les installateurs de meubles discutent du problème classique des maisons anciennes : Br trouver de la viande derrière le plâtre. 18 mars 2006
Repairing Scratched Melamine No repair is perfect, but here are some pretty good options for a surface gouge in a melamine cabinet interior. September 23, 2006
Adjustment Problems and Customer Care An extended discussion of how to handle a customer who repeatedly calls about minor drawer alignment issues on custom cabinetry. December 6, 2008
Are Solid Wood Cabinets Practical to Build? A long, highly informative discussion of the practical and other issues involved in building and selling cabinetry made from solid wood rather than plywood or composites. February 26, 2007
Melamine: Why? If you think melamine is for cheap manufactured imported cabinets, think again. This discussion explores the varied character of melamine, including its appropriate use in some top-dollar projects. August 16, 2012
Tools and Methods for Beaded Face Frames Cutting the beads and the miter joinery could be a CNC deal, a table-saw and jig deal, or a hand chisel and shooting block deal. Here's the debate. April 15, 2011
Drawer Slide Options A discussion of the latest in drawer slide technology. October 25, 2006
Setting Up to Build Cabinet Doors Even if you usually outsource, building your own doors in special circumstances can make sense. Here's advice on machinery and tooling for that scenario. June 16, 2014
Shaper Choice for Making Door Panels A 5 horsepower shaper gives you some extra power when you need it, but you can get by with 3 horsepower. Here's an extended discussion of the options. April 16, 2009
Hanging Cabinet Doors The efficiency of hanging doors before or during install. January 28, 2004
Mirrored, Frameless, Full Overlay Door Details Here's a good discussion of assembly methods, adhesive application, and hinge and catch details for a vanity door with a full-face mirror on the front. January 1, 2012
Cabinet Hinge Options Cabinetmakers discuss the advantages of different hinge types. November 12, 2005
Euro Upper Corner Cabinets Here's an advanced discussion of design and construction details for frameless corner cabinets, focusing mostly on the operation and appearance of doors. June 16, 2014
Where Doors and Panels Meet How various cabinetmakers deal with the relationsihp between overlay doors and the adjacent edges of finished end panels. January 24, 2005
Hinge Choice for Larger Overlay Advice on designing face frame cabinets with overlay doors that are very close together at the edges. June 22, 2010
Euro Hinges with a 1/4" Overlay A cabinetmaker wants to switch to Euro-style hinges, but isn't sure how to work with his doors' one-quarter-inch overlay. Here's how he solves the problem. May 22, 2007
Defining "Full Overlay" on Face-Frame Cabinets It's a Euro look on a face-frame cabinet — so who's to say what's right? Here's a look at the question from several perspectives. October 2, 2007
Coping beaded face frames Efficient methods, plus hinge suggestions for face-frame cabinetry. January 3, 2003
Cabinet Door Warping Problems Job-site humidity can warp cabinet doors. To reduce problems, some would recommend avoiding Poplar in favor of Maple, or even MDF. October 27, 2011
Hinge Types and Door Overlay A cabinetmaker wants closely spaced doors on face-frame cabinets, and gets advice on specialty hinges that can help him achieve that result. December 30, 2005
Frameless Corner Cabinet Design and Hinge Options Companies make hinges for frameless corner cabinets, but the cabinets need to be put together just right for the hinges to work properly. August 29, 2006
Setting Up for Accurate Raised Panel Cutting Here's a good set of suggestions for setting up and tuning your equipment for precise, reliable production of raised door panels. May 15, 2012
Adjusting Hinges Up and down first, or side to side first? Or does it matter? October 3, 2006
Installing Frameless Upper Cabinets Installers discuss how to keep frameless cabinets stiff, square and well aligned during installation. August 23, 2006
Hinge-Boring Machine Compatibility A discussion of retrofitting hinge-boring equipment to handle different companies' hinge screw patterns. July 21, 2006
MDF Versus Plywood for Cabinets Cabinetmakers discuss the characteristics of MDF, and describe assembly methods. September 22, 2005
Twist in Plywood Doors Troubleshooting tips for twisty plywood doors, and advice on choosing MDF core instead. April 16, 2009
Mortised Hinge Alternatives Tips and ideas for using non-adjustable hinges with exposed pins for beaded-frame inset-door cabinets. March 1, 2006
Dummy Finial Hinges for Inset Doors A cabinetmaker wants to use Euro hinges for the real hinge, but apply a fake half-hinge to the door surface for looks. January 13, 2009
Small Shop Struggles A one-employee cabinet shop owner gets wide-ranging practical advice on managing his fledgling business. The voice of experience, from pros who have been there. August 29, 2005
Setting Shop Temperature A long discussion about how warm (or cool) to keep a shop, whether to turn the heat down at night and over the weekend, and the effect on costs, productivity, and quality of different practices. December 24, 2012
High-Quality Cherry Slab Doors An extended discussion of the advantages of various ways to make slab doors. October 25, 2006
Quality Control in Cabinet Door Fabrication This conversation starts with a question about adhesive choices for frame and panel door construction, but broadens out into a discussion about the acceptable incidence of defects across a range of door quality measures. December 9, 2013
Baby Steps toward More Efficient Sanding A small shop owner considers stepping up to a drum sander or stroke sander, or just investing in more compressor capacity and some pneumatic hand sanders. October 27, 2011
Cabinet Refacing Labor Hours Making a profit on cabinet refacing depends on being productive on site. Here are some thoughts on the labor time required with various methods. May 28, 2010
Building a Curved Door from Solid Wood A student question about solid wood door construction draws lots of responses with descriptions of various methods. January 20, 2011
A Curved Mahogany Bar Top This discussion of a curved bar top job gets into wood choices, joinery, templating, fabricating, and more. February 13, 2009
Gluing Teak to Plywood Advice on surface prep and adhesive choice for glue-up of teak and plywood doors on a boat. October 13, 2010
Mixing African and Honduras Mahogany A long discussion of the woodworking characteristics of various Mahogany types and substitutes, and the practicality of combining different woods in a single door. June 29, 2008
Choosing and Using a Pocket Hole Jig Thoughts about what entry-level pocket-hole system to choose, and how to get the best use out of it. March 26, 2008
Closet "Fit and Finish" What kind of precision is expected in closet shelving? Should shelves be scribed to fit? May 6, 2009
Fastening dado joints Fast techniques for assembling dadoed cabinet boxes. June 24, 2002
Adhesive Issues with Solid Wood Edgebanding Cabinetmakers discuss whether and how to prime surfaces before applying solid Maple edgebanding to particleboard edges. July 15, 2011
Frameless Cabinets: Sticking to the System How important is the 32mm module to frameless cabinetry? And is there a place for solid wood components in frameless?March 27, 2012
Gluing Face Frames onto Cabinets Many cabinetmakers glue and clamp face frames on, with no other fasteners. In this thread, pros discuss options and techniques. October 20, 2005
Raised Glue Joints on a Wood Countertop Detailed analysis of why glue joints may show up as visible bumps or grooves on a wood surface in a location subject to moisture changes. April 24, 2009
Dovetail Drawer Boxes: Make or Buy? This thread about whether to make your own drawers includes some details about materials, joinery, equipment, and assembly methods. October 15, 2012
Trouble with Pre-Glued Dowels A cabinet failure with pre-glued dowels gets cabinetmakers talking about the method's pros and cons. May 10, 2005
Cabinet Pocket Doors and Adjustable Shelves A construction problem: how to build a cabinet with adjustable shelves, inset into a wall, with doors that open out and slide back into recesses next to the cabinet. August 30, 2010
Installing a U-Shaped Countertop Pros study the awkward problem of installing a big, heavy laminated countertop into a space that is enclosed on three sides. September 5, 2006
Installing an Island Over a Radiant Slab Cab installers ponder how to attach an island cabinet over a heated concrete floor, without puncturing any tubes. January 11, 2008
Pin Nailers Versus 18-Gauge or 23-Gauge Nailers Installers discuss the relative usefulness of various fastener sizes and types for attaching prefinished crown moulding to cabinets. February 21, 2006
Avoiding Glue Marks on Cope-and-Stick Doors Here's a long discussion about how to avoid fingerprints or glue stains when sanding, gluing, assembling, and finishing raised panel doors. October 13, 2012
Sliding Table Saw: Manual or Digital? Cabinetmakers consider how to assess the productivity benefits of a digital or computer-controlled slider. November 15, 2010
Cabinet Doors Tips and Tricks A start-up cabinet door manufacturer gets some advice on production methods. October 2, 2007
Glue Applicator Choices Cabinetmakers discuss efficient, non-messy ways to apply glue to solid wood staves when making up door panel blanks. July 10, 2009
Door Gluing and Clamping Techniques Leave the doors in the clamps while they set, or pin nail and remove? Here's a sampling of the various ways cabinetmakers make time with door assembly. December 27, 2007
Bent Lamination Springback Advice on limiting springback in a laminated piece with a fairly gentle bend. July 13, 2010
Boring Clean Shelf Holes Here's a nice selection of practical advice for getting sharp-edged shelf holes bored in questionable panel material. April 9, 2008
Clean Cuts in MDF Saw marks on cut edges could be a problem of fence alignment. Here's some advice on getting straight, clean cuts. October 9, 2006
Door-Frame Clamp Time with Fast-Tack Glue A cabinetmaker's door-assembly process is so quick, he's worried that he may not be allowing glue enough time to set before removing clamps. September 5, 2006
Reducing Door Glue Clean-Up Careful application of glue to cope-and-stick door joints can reduce the time spent cleaning up squeeze-out. June 29, 2008
Boring Machine Tolerances Boring different door parts on different machines has led to some alignment problems. The solution: bore holes slightly oversize. October 2, 2007
Ipe For Cabinet Construction Ipe's coloration, oiliness, irritating dust, and density are disadvantages when it comes to building cabinets. October 27, 2009
Fastening Wood Edging to MDF Advice on fastening 3/4" by 3/4" solid wood to the edge of an MDF panel. Is anything besides glue required? August 29, 2006
Interruptions During Glue-Up When you notice a problem you need to fix, is it okay to take apart a piece you are in the middle of assembling, clean it up, and then glue it together later? October 15, 2012
Edgebanding a Round Table Here's a list of steps for applying edgebanding to a round laminate tabletop. April 8, 2013
Mixed-Wood Countertop Details A discussion of glue-up, sanding, and fastening issues for a countertop made with alternating strips of maple and mahogany. March 1, 2006
When to use waterbornes Applications where waterborne coatings will and won't work. May 22, 2002
Sealing Plywood to Slow Down Formaldehyde Emissions Here's an extended discussion of whether, and how, to seal plywood in order to reduce the emissions of formaldehyde (or whether to purchase a different type of plywood instead). December 27, 2010
Compressed-Air Piping for a Woodshop Copper is considered the safe choice, but here is a discussion of some alternatives, and tips on a workable setup. April 21, 2007
A Cabinet as a Shower Wall? Crazy as it sounds, this question is real: In a tight-space remodel, how to build cabinets so their back side can be tiled and serve as the wall of a shower. Read and learn. May 6, 2007
Solid Mahogany Countertop Details Cabinetmakers discuss glue-up, attachment, and finishing methods for a solid mahogany kitchen countertop. May 23, 2007
Teak Finish on Kitchen Cabinets Teak may be naturally water resistant, but in a kitchen environment, even this tough lumber needs some help. February 26, 2005
Solid Surface as a Shelf Nosing An architect's query sets off a spirited discussion of using solid surface material for shelf nosings. Appropriate adhesives, durability, and movement rates are issues (and yes, it has been done before). June 10, 2006
Conversion varnish basics The pros agree: conversion varnish is best for kitchen cabinets. April 20, 2001
Mahogany Varieties for Countertops A discussion of the practicality of mahogany for a countertop, and thoughts about similar alternatives. November 7, 2007
Cutting "Edge-Installed" Crown This "stand up" crown requires some adaptations to "normal" installation procedures. February 8, 2005
Cabinet Face Dimensions Thoughts about choosing practical and attractive dimensions for face frames, cabinet door stiles and rails, and drawer fronts. April 18, 2006
Fitting Cabinets to Bowed Walls Cabinet-hanging and scribing tips for installations in kitchens with irregular wall surfaces. April 18, 2006
All-Purpose Router Table Tips on constructing a router table for shop and site duty. December 31, 2005
Formaldehyde Irritation in Work Van? An installer reports a reaction triggered possibly by panel products stored and transported in his work van. April 30, 2009
Gluing Painted Glass to Wood or MDF Woodworkers discuss colored coatings for glass, and adhesives that will reliably fasten the coated glass to a wood fiber substrate.July 12, 2012
Minimum Walking Space for Kitchens In a tight kitchen, how much space do you have to allow between a wall counter and an island?April 18, 2006
Overhanging Granite Countertop You should consult the granite supplier, but here are some support methods that have worked in the past. July 29, 2012
False Mullions for Glass Cabinet Doors Mullions laid over full-size glass doors are a tricky detail. Here are some tips on shaping, joining and attaching the pieces. December 30, 2005
Exterior Kitchens Tips on materials and methods for building outdoor kitchen cabinets. April 8, 2008
Building Cabinets with Lyptus Cabinetmakers discuss the machining qualities and other characteristics of Lyptus (Eucalyptus) wood, and its suitability for cabinet construction. April 6, 2007
Crown Moulding and Ceiling Movement Here are some tips on installing crown so that it will keep looking good despite seasonal moisture-related movement of the house structure. December 26, 2007
Hanging Cabinets from the Ceiling No walls to attach to, and no backs on the cabinet — here are a few suggestions for securely mounting these custom cabs. March 25, 2007
Fixation des armoires aux montants en acier Les installateurs d'armoires partagent des trucs et astuces pour suspendre des armoires dans des bâtiments commerciaux où la charpente est en acier plutôt qu'en bois. 26 janvier 2008
Estimating Cabinet Material by Hand An experienced cabinet builder with no design experience gets advice on making his first materials list for a project. February 13, 2009
When Cabinets Fail Like the poet said, "Everything falls apart." Here's a long discussion of common cabinet failures and the nature of cabinet repair work. June 28, 2007
Fine-Tuning Inset Drawers Advice on getting and keeping a consistent fit for drawer faces in full-inset cabinetry. October 27, 2008
Drilling Long Holes in MDF An MDF shelf made of two panels glued together poses a special edge-drilling challenge. October 2, 2007
Positioning Drawer Fronts Cabinetmakers swap ideas for the jigs and methods they use to set drawer fronts onto drawer boxes. September 21, 2005
Advantages of Two-Piece Hinges Cabinetmakers and suppliers compare the relative advantages of various cabinet door hinge types. August 19, 2013
Screws for Joining Face Frames Together A cabinet installer finds his crews are snapping the occasional screw when connecting adjoining face frames in the field. Here's a discussion of installation methods, clamps, and fastening hardware. December 27, 2007
Cabinet Design Skill and Talent Cabinetmakers discuss the knack for good design — what it is, who has it, how to acquire it, and what it's worth. September 27, 2009
Drying racks for cabinet doors Purchased and shop built varieties - the designs that work the best. Illustrated. (Finishing Forum) March 23, 2003
Shop-Built Drying Racks Cabinetmakers compare shop-rigged drying racks for freshly-finished parts. March 20, 2006
Floating Vanity Structural Attachment Here's a handful of strategies for attaching "floating" vanities to the wall so that they'll stay put, despite having no support from underneath. May 6, 2009
Hidden Bookcase Door Hardware What kind of hardware and construction will support a bookcase full of books as it swings like a door? October 2, 2006
Driver Choices for Confirmat Screws Experiences using battery-powered and air-powered impact drivers to drive Confirmat screws, and some thoughts on screw selection. April 18, 2006
Heavy Institutional Cabinet Doors Considering the materials and hinging options for large replacement doors on hospital cabinets. January 20, 2007
"High End" Ready-to-Assemble Fasteners Furnituremakers take a look at Lamello's new line of knockdown assembly connectors for cabinetry and furnishings. March 28, 2012
Drawer Front Adjustment Issues Drawers with a sub-front and applied face offer the chance to adjust fit on site or during assembly. But what about four-piece drawer boxes with no sub-front? April 29, 2011
Kitchen Design: Symmetry Versus Functionality Here's a nice exercise in cabinet design: Whether to choose cabinet sizes for symmetrical appearance, even though it will call for special hardware to make a trash pull-out work.January 31, 2012
Sliding Table Saw Tips and Tricks Sliding tables saws ease the work, but there's a knack to using them. In this thread experienced hands help a new slider owner learn a few dance steps. July 22, 2005
Counter-Boring for Cabinet Assembly Is there any way to speed up the process of drilling pilot holes for screw assembly of cabinets? July 28, 2007
Correcting Warp in Cabinet Doors A cabinetmaker collects many suggestions for working the warp out of a set of oversized cabinet doors. He tries one. It fails. January 13, 2015
Euro-Style Hinges for Frace Frame Cabinets Advice and information about hinges that work in the Euro manner but look good with overlay doors in face frame cabinets. September 3, 2014
Jigs for Hinge Plate Layout Advice on efficient hinge boring layout when using hand drilling methods. March 28, 2015
How many confirmats? Determining how many fasteners to use per joint in frameless cabinetry. April 2, 2002
Parts Handling Flow Ideas for carts or conveyors to handle parts in a busy closet shop. April 9, 2008
Cantilevered Shelf Supports Practical idea for wall attachment and support for shelves that project straight out from the wall with no visible means of support. July 29, 2007
Trash Pullout Install Hassles Advice on making the necessary minor tweaks and adjustments to get a trash pullout operating correctly. August 31, 2009
Design Ideas for Roll-Out Shelves Cabinetmakers offer tips and methods for constructing pull-out shelving so that stored items don't fall off the edge. March 1, 2006
Slide-Out Table Details Cabinetmakers try to figure out how a large slide-out table works. August 31, 2010
Restricting Euro Hinge Swing A cabinetmaker gets advice on preventing a glass door from swinging too wide and contacting an appliance. September 23, 2006
RTA Fittings for Fat Shelves Suggestions for "ready-to-assemble" hardware suitable for thick shelving material in a built-in project. March 13, 2014
Unloading and Handling Panels Techniques and equipment for getting sheet goods off the truck and into the shop. August 15, 2006
Door Choices for an Appliance Garage A cabinetmaker explores the options for doors that will get out of the way to allow access to appliances in the cupboard. May 15, 2014
Oversize Frameless Cabinet Design A newcomer to frameless construction gets advice on designing and building a large, four-bay, floor-to-ceiling closet cabinet. December 28, 2005
Stacking Doors That Open Together Suggestions for dowels, pins, and other methods to connect stacked cabinet doors so they will swing as a unit. June 15, 2014
Self-Closing Non-Euro Hinges? A quick tip on adding a soft-close option to a door with traditional butt hinges. February 27, 2015
Blind Corner Pullout Choices Big supplier salespeople weigh in on this informative thread about choosing and installing pullout shelving for blind corner cabinets. August 31, 2010
Pull-Out Trash Can Drawers Turn a drawer upside down, stick a trash can through the bottom, and screw a cabinet door to the front — presto! January 26, 2009
Tambour Door Tips More good ideas for tambour door construction. March 3, 2009
Loose Biscuit Problem When biscuits fit too loosely to align pieces accurately, the cutter may be the problem. June 15, 2009
270° Hinge Swing It takes special hinges to get a full 270° swing. September 22, 2005
Shopping for a TV Lift A little info on television lifts for cabinets, and how they work. June 12, 2014
Pull-Out Drying Racks Ideas for drying racks for laundry-room cabinets. December 30, 2005
Peg-Hole and Dowel Drawer Bottoms Ideas for how to detail this popular new feature: holes for movable vertical pegs in drawers, used to organize plates and such. February 20, 2008
Material for Oversize Cabinet Doors Plywood is unstable and MDF weighs too much. In this thread, cabinetmakers suggest alternatives. November 11, 2005
Limiting Cabinet Door Swing Options for restraining a door's swing so it won't bang into the next cabinet. April 29, 2012
Sources for Panel Handling Carts Several companies make competing hand carts for moving and lifting panels in the shop. December 2, 2010
Cabinet Catches for a Motor Home Standard hardware suppliers have hardware that will work for cabinetry in a van conversion or motor home interior, but specialty hardware is also widely available. January 2, 2012
Adjustable-Height Work Tables Advice on work tables that allow the user to choose between standing and sitting. November 14, 2014
Pricing Custom Cabinets and Trim Even within one local market, prices can be all over the map. Balancing careful itemized estimating against local market conditions can help you turn a decent profit. August 23, 2006
Marketing and Selling Outsourced Cabinets Here's an insightful discussion of the practical aspects of outsourcing cabinet parts for the small shop, in light of customer perceptions of the value of the end product. November 23, 2008
Does it Pay to Own an Edgebander? A good edgebander can really boost your productivity, but how much machine you need depends on how much volume you're doing. October 9, 2006
Whether to Give Clients your Drawings Here's an extended discussion about appropriate policies for control of shop drawings and design layouts. May 26, 2010
Customer Deposits and Payment Schedules A heartfelt and sometimes heated discussion about setting payment terms, including initial deposits, for a cabinet job. February 27, 2013
Kitchen Cabinet Pricing Comparison Cabinet shops compare price estimates on a basic kitchen job, and discuss the factors that influence their prices. June 5, 2006
Defining "Custom Cabinets" What is a "custom" cabinet, and what do terms like "semi-custom" and "stock cabinet" mean? Pros discuss the dividing line between craftsmanship and mass production. December 28, 2005
Who Are You? Thumbnail Biographies of Forum Members Ever wonder who you're interacting with on WOODWEB? In this thread, forum posters give a brief history of their lives in the woodworking trade. June 16, 2014
When a "Designer" Hands You Sketchy Drawings Advice on structuring the process when a "designer" supplies you with vague, half-baked sketches and asks you to take on the job. November 14, 2014
Door Pricing and Outsourcing Here is a long thread about door pricing, kicked off by a cabinetmaker who gets sticker shock from a door vendor's bid. July 25, 2010
AWI certification Is membership or certfication with AWI worth your while?July 29, 2003
Selling Factory-Made and Custom Cabinet Lines When you offer both your own custom-made cabinetry and a less expensive line of factory cabs, pricing and selling strategies become complicated. Here's a long and thoughtful discussion. January 19, 2011
Kitchen Pricing for Newbies So this guy's trying to figure out how much to charge for building a kitchen for a relative. Naturally, it's all relative. But beginners could begin to grasp the basics of pricing from this discussion. June 8, 2008
Communication Between Cabinet Shops About Outsourced Work A busy cabinetmaker who needs to send work to another shop for cutting on CNC equipment wishes the other shop would meet him halfway on the transfer of information. A debate ensues. January 31, 2012
Another Cabinet Pricing Survey Cabinetmakers from around the U.S. quote ballpark prices for a generic cabinet project, and discuss costs and markets. April 9, 2008
Curved cabinet doors What's the most efficient way to build radius frame-and-panel doors in-house? May 15, 2002
Markups for Hardware Should you charge for knobs, pulls, et cetera based on a markup formula, based on a fixed price, based on labor factors, or what?September 3, 2011
Naming Cabinet Styles How do you describe the cabinet styles you offer to customers in simple, understandable, and attractive language? September 30, 2010
What to Do When a Customer Bid-Shops You Pros give advice on handling the situation where a customer asks a cabinetmaker to price-compete with a low-ball bidder. (Note: The good guys won this one.) February 17, 2006
Glue Pot and Pistol Technology Here's a close look at pressurized glue pot and pistol glue applicators, which offer convenience, versatility, and good control. November 15, 2011
"Finder's Fee" for Designers Yet another discussion of the ethical and practical business issues involved when a designer is in the middle of your relationship to a customer. April 19, 2015
Charging for Edgebanding A cabinetmaker ponders whether and how to modify his piece rates after acquiring a more productive, but costly, piece of edgebanding equipment. July 12, 2012
Cabinet Assembler Productivity How many cabs should an assembler put together daily, assuming all the pieces are cut and ready? In this thread, bosses and workers offer their perspectives. November 12, 2005
Life as a Cabinetmaker "Would you do it all over again?" asks a cabinet shop owner after five years of struggling with business realities. Heartfelt responses prove that building cabinets is no easy way to make a buck. February 21, 2006
A multi-faceted challenge An architectural woodworker gets ideas for making a too-wide handrail intersect gracefully with an octagon-shaped newel cap. December 17, 2003
Cabinet Pricing Versus Built-In Pricing A cabinetmaker who does mostly kitchens gets advice on pricing for a basic built-in entertainment center. February 12, 2009
Materials Cost as a Proportion of Cabinet Costs There's no standard ratio of materials cost to other costs in cabinetmaking — it depends on many factors, and varies widely from job to job. April 10, 2008
Quantifying the Waste Factor How much of the lumber you buy becomes scrap instead of cabinets? Shop owners report their observations. December 27, 2007
Template Material for Router Work Pros suggest aluminum, MDF, phenolic board, or particleboard. Also here, a discussion of techniques for making templates and some tips about using them. November 22, 2005
Mitering Radius Moulding to Straight Moulding Here's help visualizing and laying out the miter cuts where a curved piece of moulding meets a straight piece with the same profile. April 24, 2014
Getting Appliances for a Kitchen Showroom If you're creating a classy showroom, appliance makers and other vendors may be happy to provide you with products to include. June 5, 2006
Cabinet Installation Prices A reasonable per-box rate for cabinet installation can really vary, depending on the complexity of the job. September 27, 2008
Pricing a Built-In Bookshelf Another tour through familiar territory: How much is this bookcase worth? And should neighbors catch a break? November 26, 2007
Bidding on Big Commercial Jobs Advice about organization, level of detail, and covering yourself in working up and submitting a bid for a large commercial project.September 17, 2014
Pricing a Small Kitchen A question about how to price an example of kitchen cabinetry leads to thoughts about pricing methods and design rendering. February 26, 2007
Printing and Viewing Blueprints for Bidding Cabinetmakers discuss the nuts and bolts of working with digital blueprints, including a look at software that helps with takeoffs and estimating. April 19, 2015
Bowing in a Panel Glue-Up Woodworkers consider why a one-inch thick shelf made up of a 3/4-inch wood layer glued to a 1/4-inch MDF layer came out of the vacuum bag bowed. October 13, 2012
Pricing Cabinets Basic ideas on estimating cabinet construction costs. January 9, 2006
Hardwood Lumber Tallies Are you being shorted on a lumber delivery? The answer could depend on the fine points of board-foot calculations. April 19, 2015
PUR Glue for Cabinet Assembly Thoughts about the characteristics of hot-melt PUR glue, gluing equipment, and the requirements of cabinet construction. May 23, 2007
Handling and Installing High-End Appliances What's the best way to get a heavy, expensive Sub-Zero or Wolf fridge or range off the truck and into the house? Short answer: pay somebody else to do it. January 23, 2014
Fine Points of Linear-Foot Pricing Linear-foot estimating can play a role in sales and bidding, but it's only a starting point. Here's an extended discussion. August 31, 2010
Pricing Cabinet Installation Work Pros discuss their differing approaches to charging for kitchen and bath cabinet installation work. January 24, 2005
Work-Station Shop Organization Systems Thoughts on a shop setup that involves moving the workpiece from station to station, rather than moving pieces and tools onto and off of a single work bench.May 23, 2011
Bidding Wars Heat Up In a tough economy, price undercutting can get extreme. Here, a cabinetmaker's anecdote sets off a long discussion of price competition and reality. August 11, 2009
Pricing Example: a Simple Cabinet A simple pair of free-standing cabinets, with a long discussion on pricing, bidding, and relating to a competitive market. July 5, 2006
Making Money on Custom Installs How can a 2-man operation stay profitable on cabinetry installations? A discussion of costs, pricing, planning, and time management for installing custom work. July 27, 2008
Methods for Pricing Cabinet Work After years of estimating cabinet costs box by box in detail, you may have enough data to start taking short-cuts. October 2, 2007
Attention, Safety Practices, and Loose Nuts A woodworker describes how a moment's inattention damaged his machine — but luckily, not him. The tale sets off a long thread of similar stories (including one fatality) and lessons learned. November 16, 2011
Finding Software for Design and Visualization It's hard to find one application that will quickly create design visualizations for a customer during a sales meeting, but also generate good designs suitable for construction in the shop. This thread offers some insight into software capabilities and some nice example drawings. December 28, 2010 ......
Recovering from a Shop Fire Woodweb forum steps up with well-informed advice about how to cope with a catastrophic fire in the wood shop. April 16, 2009
Cargo Trailer or Box Truck? Cabinetmakers discuss the cost, benefits, and practicality of buying a trailer or box truck for hauling cabinets, materials, and equipment. November 20, 2005
Pricing Kitchen Cabinets Price by the foot, or by the box? Cabinetmakers discuss the pros and cons of different estimating and pricing methods. May 20, 2006
Estimating Sheet Quantities for Cabinets Advice on "guesstimates" and more precise calculation of the number of sheets needed to build a set of cabinet boxes. September 7, 2006
Deposits and Payment Schedules for Cabinet Jobs Here's an extensive debate on the reasons for requiring payment from customers in advance of starting work or delivering a product. December 7, 2008
Pricing, Productivity, and Profit An inexperienced cabinetmaker asks for help ball-parking a project, and kicks off an interesting discussion about how long it should take to do stuff. February 27, 2015
Glue Applicator Tips and Tricks Advice on the practicalities of using a simple glue applicator with hopper — and on higher-end alternatives. January 25, 2013
Gluing MDF Miter Joints MDF soaks up ordinary wood glues, compromising the bond. Here's advice on priming the joint before gluing, or using a specialized adhesive. February 25, 2009
Bidding Wars on a Nice Built-In Another lost-bid case study: Custom cabinetmakers discuss pricing and negotiating strategies for a custom Cherry entertainment center job. August 11, 2009
Wearing Shorts on the Jobsite OSHA cares how you dress on construction sites. Here's some info and some discussion. April 8, 2008
Sawdust as fuel Building a sawdust-fired boiler to heat kiln and shop. November 18, 2002
Making Code from Sloppy Drawings The frustrations of messy drawings, and a parallel discussion of CNC theory vs. reality in terms of function. December 9, 2004
Choosing a Verical Panel Saw or Slider A question about choosing a panel saw slips into familiar territory: would a slider be better? That all depends, of course; cabinetmakers here share experiences they've had with both. November 23, 2012
New Shop Layout Efficient shop flow for increased profit. February 28, 2004
Charging for Finish Samples and Color-Matching Matching a customer's finish sample introduces complications. Here's how some cabinetmakers manage the process and the costs. August 19, 2008
Doing the Front-End Math Jon Elvrum provides a process for making the transition to the 32mm system.
Drawers and the Utilization of Space Why slide-integrated drawer systems are less costly to produce and provide greater space efficiency than traditional drawer construction. 1998.
Cabinet design techniques A survey of cabinetmakers' design techniques, from pencil and rule to CAD. September 6, 2000
Achieving functional kitchen design When it comes to the kitchens you build, should you design them yourself or hire an expert? December 6, 2000
Drawer Slide Choices for Pull-Out Shelving Thoughts on whether to use high-end drawer slides to mount pull-out shelves, and on what the installation process would entail. February 26, 2007
WOODPRO - Species Selection Made Easy A free complete working computer program (that can be downloaded at WOODWEB), allowing woodworkers to select the most suitable wood species for any particular application - 1997
Fortune Teller: Making More Money in the Wood Industry Wood Doctor Gene Wengert makes some educated guesses about the near future in the wood products industry, and offers some advice about how wood-based businesses can profit from change. April 15, 2013
Island Clearance How much space around an island? Code and comfort considerations apply. April 14, 2005
Installing cabinets over tile Tying kicks to a tile floor, and the complications presented by floor-integrated radiant heating. February 19, 2002
Small parts on P2P Using a spoilboard to solve problems of no suction with small parts. March 20, 2001
Correcting dowel hole runout Finding and correcting the cause of dowel hole runout in CNC-machined parts. November 7, 2000
Construction Hole Boring Accuracy Tips Here's advice on how to get consistent, high-accuracy performance from a construction boring machine. October 3, 2011
Shimming Cabinets Experienced installers share tips for fitting cabinets in place. April 14, 2005
Cyanoacrylate adhesive How does this glue work for gap filling? (From WOODWEB's Finishing Forum) March 23, 2003
Tapered Stop Flutes The search for a simple, efficient method. December 26, 2004
Trimming Plugs Cutting and sanding wood plugs can be tedious and laborious. Here, pros discuss efficient ways to make a clean job of it. September 3, 2005
Truing-up rough wood Planers will not remove the bow from rough stock; jointing is required before boards can be properly thicknessed. February 13, 2001
Tooling up for Euro-style cabinets When considering a switch to the 32mm system, there are two choices: Get your feet wet, or dive right in. 1998.
Installing Cabinets When Carpet Has Been Laid Thoughts on how to handle the business and technical problems raised when a GC asks the cabinet installer to follow the carpet installer in the job sequence. August 31, 2009
Remote Control Through Closed Doors There are several solutions to the problem of controlling equipment in an entertainment center when the doors are shut. December 27, 2006
Warping and cracking in glued-up pine To find clues for cracked and warped pine panels, a measure of moisture content is needed before the splitting occurs. 1998.
Tear-out on raised panel corners Eliminating corner tear-out on raised panel cabinet doors when using CNC equipment. November 7, 2000
Door/drawer gaps in Euro-style cabinets Americans need to apply the looser European standards to door and drawer gaps to avoid frustration when ordering these parts from other manufacturers. October 18, 2000
ITEMIZER - From R & R Drummond, Inc. Use your computer to generate efficient layouts for cutting sheet material into desired sizes (a link to a demo download is provided)1998
How To Charge For Design Getting paid for design work's not easy, but some markets will bear it. April 10, 2005
Panel Processing Time with and without CNC A CNC shop and a cabinetmaker using conventional equipment compare the labor time used to cut up and bore an entire kitchen. January 1, 2012
Patching damaged veneer Repairing damaged veneer on the top of a chest of drawers. June 14, 2000
Heavy-duty CNC router recommendations Suggestions choosing for a good-quality CNC router, offering adequate tech support and training. February 28, 2001
Breaking router bits Why are bits breaking while cutting exterior-grade MDF? November 26, 2001
Production sanding for humidors There's no 'silver bullet' when it comes to the detail sanding that fine work demands, be it in a one-off or production environment. 1998.
Hinge-mounting machines Hinge insertion machines are available for European as well as traditional cabinet hinges. 1998.
Bonding wood to glass Recommended glues and tapes for bonding wood to glass. January 24, 2001
Biscuits for face frames A discussion of using biscuits for assembling cabinet face frames. Pros and cons of biscuits on face frames, and equipment used. November 21, 2000
Matching stain to existing work Techniques for matching the finish of new work to that of the existing cabinets in a cherry kitchen. November 7, 2000
Dowel drilling and use guidelines A quick guide to dowel clearances and practices, including drilling depth, diameter-to-edge ratios, and dowel selection. 1998.
Face frame alignment Getting good alignment with mortise and tenon joinery in face frames. December 6, 2000
Joinery to Prevent Telegraphing of a Paint Finish Cabinetmakers consider material and glue choices to avoid visual telegraphing of joints in a custom cabinetry and furniture job that will have an opaque white lacquer finish. November 15, 2011
Alternatives to dado cabinet construction John Elvrum offers a practical approach to identifying viable, mechanical alternatives to traditional dado joinery of cabinet boxes. 1998.