When you build your own cabinets youre not just saving money. You also can improve upon the materials and construction used in factory-made cabinets, and get exactly the sizes you want. And with the techniques that Udo Schimdt demonstrates and explains, you can incorporate custom details in your cabinets to make them even more distinctive. Arched doors, custom cornice treatments, oversize pantry cabinets, and solid wood end panels are just a few of the options to consider.

If youre comfortable using a router, tablesaw, and drill, this book will show you how to build beautiful cabinets in your own workshop.

Whats inside:

• Designing custom cabinetry to suit your space and budget
• Building drawers and doors in a variety of different styles
• Installing Euro-style concealed hinges and drawer slides
• Improving storage and convenience with special hardware and accessories
• Selecting and installing a wide range of countertops

About the author:
Udo Schmidt apprenticed with a master cabinetmaker in Germany before moving to the United States over 20 years ago. Today he combines Old World craftmanship with time-saving tools and techniques. He lives and works in North Carolina.

Introduction

How to Use This Book

1. Tools
First, a Table Saw
Other Stationary Machinery
Portable Power Tools and Accessories
Other Tools and Equipment

2. Understanding Wood
Composite-Wood Panels
Solid Wood
Sources for Lumber

3. Design
Design Ideas
Making Drawings
Doors and Drawers
Designing Custom Cabinets

4. Face-Frame Construction
Dimensioning Face Frames
Assembling Face Frames

5. Doors and Panels
Door Design Options
Calculating and Cutting Door Parts
Milling Door Parts
Assembling Doors
Building End Panels

6. Building Drawers
Style, Joinery, and Materials
Building a Basic Drawer Box
Building a Dovetailed Drawer
Making Drawer Fronts

7. Base Cabinets
Making a Cutlist
Cutting Panels to Size
Assembling Standard Base Cabinets
Building Corner Base Cabinets
Building End Panel Cabinets

8. Wall Cabinets
Dimensions and Design Options
Cutting and Joinery Details
Assembling Standard Wall Cabinets
Building End Panel Cabinets
Building Corner Wall Cabinets

9. Other Cabinets
Wall Cabinets above the Stove
Refrigerator Cabinets
Cabinets for Wall Ovens
Pantry Cabinets
Island Cabinets

10. Finishing
Sanding and Surface Preparation
Choosing a Finish
Using Paint and Stain

11. Hardware
Concealed Hinges
Drawer-Slide Hardware
Knobs and Pulls
Attaching Drawer Fronts

12. Accessories
Shelves and Shelf Supports
Sink Trays
Trash Doors
Rollout Shelves
Lazy Susans
Appliance Garages

13. Installation
Plumb, Level, and Square
Shimming, Scribing, and Trimming
Installing Wall Cabinets
Installing Base Cabinets
Crown Molding and Kickspace Trim

14. Countertops
Plastic Laminate
Solid Surface Material and Engineered Stone
Granite and Soapstone
Tile
Solid Wood
Installing Countertops

Resources

Index

Building an entire kitchen's worth of cabinets is a large-scale woodworking project. When you imagine a 30-ft. expanse of continuous cabinetry, it's no wonder many woodworkers develop a mental block about building kitchen cabinets. And it's easy to justify this resistance by arguing that major cabinet manufacturers now offer a seemingly endless variety of choices when it comes to cabinetry styles, wood species, finishes, and special accessories.

But neither the scale of the project nor the capabilities of cabinet manufacturers should dissuade you from designing and building your own cabinets from scratch. It's true that a kitchen full of cabinets represents a great deal of lumber and plenty of joinery work. But you use the same construction techniques on one cabinet as you do on many. This book will show you how joinery and assembly work can be simplified without sacrificing a cabinet's quality or appearance. To succeed as a professional cabinetmaker, this knowledge is critical. If you put my techniques to work in your own shop, you'll be surprised at how quickly you can build cabinets. Limited space is a problem in many shops, including my own. But as you'll see in the pages ahead, the construction sequence I use calls for building the smaller components first -- cabinet face frames, then doors and drawers. The cases, which take up the most space, are built at the end.

Although cabinet manufacturers have many "custom" options for customers to consider, they can't compete with the details you can incorporate into your own custom-built cabinets. You can take extra time in selecting individual boards from which to make doors and drawer fronts. You can even utilize locally milled lumber or unusual wood that isn't available to large-scale manufacturers. Where factory-made cabinets show hardwood plywood, you can build a beautiful frame-and-panel assembly from solid wood. This book will also show you how to make curved-top and glass-paneled doors, as well as angled corners to replace standard right-angled corners. When you build your own cabinets, you're not limited by the standard dimensions that manufacturers use. Custom-sized pantry and island cabinets are no problem. You'll have the ability to do what your customers or your imagination suggests. Work safely, and good luck.