Howdy fella ..just found your channel. Cabinet maker for over 25 years and a few points that people who want to try to learn and may get frustrated with their results. People will always want to say, and I am sure you have heard this, "you make it look easy". First: Your tools are an extension of the result of your work just as much as the skill to use them. What I mean by this is, quality tools and blades may cost you a lot more than walmart specials but will save you more in the long run in time and quality. Second; Keep your tools and equipment in top condition. Service your tools. Keep your blades sharp or keep sharp blades. SQUARE your circular saw and jigsaw! ( or any type of table or guide to cutting blade ) Make sure the plate / guide on each isn't bent. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people trying to do accurate work with tools that it looks like they pulled it out of the junk pile bent every which way and wondering why the pieces they cut were so bad. Third; Learn how to properly use the tools. I find it extremely sad how many high schools have decided to do away with Industrial Arts. Learning a skill, I believe, is just as important as math, science or a second language.
Wow! This is how to make an instructional video. No rock & roll music, funny faces, kids, or time wasted with stuff intended only to be a filler. A bonus is that all of the structures you show will work in my soon to be new house 2 car garage shop. Can't wait to watch the others.
Jigs and spacers. Jigs and spacers! I never saw a tape measure in this video 😄 You've got this down to a science. I think I learned more during every minute of this video than I ever have on RU-vid. Loved it 👏
I’ve made plenty of cabinets, but I still love watching how other people do it because I always learn something new. I really like your jig for holding up the cabinet doors while you attach them
Fantastic job on the video, this is my number one favorite cabinet building video on RU-vid. Talk about efficiency and effectiveness of words! I’ve watched it at least six times in preparation for building my own cabinets. Thank you for the great instructions!
I am going to rewatch this video a few times before making new kitchen cabinet drawer boxes. You showed a very nice way to accurately mount the drawer slides to the drawer and cabinet. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
My only critique would be brad nailing the back end of the drawer bottom rather than inserting it in a dado like the sides and front. I have found drawer bottoms tend to let loose at the back over time when heavy items get tossed in the drawer. I always put mine in the dado at the back as well. Yes, it does take a bit more time at assembly, but it makes for a stronger drawer bottom in the long run. I liked your idea of using the foam for a worktable. I was a cabinet maker for almost 50 years, and this shows you can still learn new things from others.
Sir. Great video, clear concise and no added unproductive chatter Thank you. Our local community college runs a cabinet making course and it would prosper greatly having you as a professor. I've been making cabinets for 50 years and happily learned as I watched through your video. As a much younger man I was taught to build cabinets with the toe kick as a separate base peace. That allows you to level the kick before topping it with a cabinet after which you cannot shim the rear of an installation. As well I prefer corner slides, but that's just me. thank you from a new subscriber.
One thing to add on toe kicks. Depending on where the cabinets are going, and the context of the install, I will build my carcass without the toe kick. Then I can build a base frame on the install location, level it, and then just set the cabinets on top. The frame is inset so you realize your toe kick at this point, and you can modify your carcass height during the initial build accordingly. This can save a ton of time in some cases with not having to beat your carcass into submission because nothing is ever level.
agreed - I built cabinets for about 10 years in 2 different shops and we always built the toe kick/base separate. But yours works well and really nice job on the video!
excellent video! a couple tips from a professional cabinet maker. been making cabinets for over 30 years, we dado stiles and bottom rail of face frame, put it together, lay it on bed and then proceed to shoot side panels and deck to face frame, quick production and much easier, toe kick is usually 4 inch, face frame is usually 1,75 of an inch for rails and stiles, mullions are 3.5 of an inch. material that wide allows for 2 pocket screw, drawers we use half an inch as well as five eights materials , we also drill 2 holes in the front part of drawer to secure fronts, when we install hinges we install them at the same distance, this makes it easier to hang the doors and you make less mistakes, also save time , a few other things we do at the shop for faster manufacturing and save time and materials. your video is very easy to understand and fun to watch, keep up the hard work, a new subscriber here from san diego california.
Thanks for your video. I used your idea of taking a bit off of the back of the drawer boxes so the base of the drawer could slide right it. That made the "putting together" fairly easy. I made 12 drawer boxes for a bench seat/"dresser".
By far the best instructional video I have ever seen. Not only instructive but also very informative and easy to follow. Now I am 100% confident that I can make any cabinet for my own use - as I am not a professional cabinet maker and wouldn't take the risk to offer myself to do someone else. Thank you very much!
It looks this gentleman is so enjoyable for making cabinet, working very carefully. thanks for sharing... I advise you to consider using our full automatic soft shaped edge banding machines if you have idea of mass production.
Lot of great tips here. Love the tip about screwing in the drawer faces in. I had a hell of a time doing this and this was was ridiculously easy. Only thing I'd add is I usually put pocket holes in the carcass for the faceframes, They turn out great that way!
Great video. Another tip for attaching face frames with glue is to put a finish nail halfway into the carcass face then snip it off right above the surface gives a sharp “no slip” anchor so your face frame won’t move while gluing it to the carcass.
Thank you for a very good and informative video. I like that you show a lot of details and alternative methods, and the tempo is fine. Apart from actually building it, the big challenge for me would be to "translate" the use of all your machines/tools to my few and much simpler tools (and lack of building space).
I really like that you show other ways to mill the lumber. I'm sure that there is plenty of DIY folks like me that don't have is many tools as you. bravo to you sir and really respect your craftsmanship.
I have to tell you, I have been a high end professional Custom Cabinetry maker/furniture builder for 27 years and I don’t think I have ever run across a video where someone builds in a similar fashion to the way I do. (Meaning you build very similarly to me) As you know, there are 1 million ways to skin a cat. Admittedly so, it is not often I learn a new trick of the trade, as I feel as though I have seen most everything in many ways. I am also not stupid enough to think I can’t learn something new. Your trick with attaching the drawer fronts is a great way. I never thought about screwing it on from the face and then coming back from the inside to permanently affix it. The only time I can’t see that method working is if the customer doesn’t tell you where they want the handles to be mounted and or have them picked out by the time you are installing. For how much information you put into that video, great job! This is a very high compliment, because I am not one to give compliments out very often at all. If I were to critique something you did, it would be the reasoning for making that panel of the door go horizontal versus vertical grain. Your method of installing drawer slides on the actual box itself is exactly what I do. Regarding the way you install the drawer slides to the actual drawer box itself, that only works in situations where you have to offset one or the other because having it set where you have it, makes the drawer box flush with the bottom of the drawer slide, so if you are mounting it to the bottom of a drawer box, you have to raise the drawers slide a good 1/8” inch off the bottom or it will rub. The only other thing I’m a bit confused as to why you did it that way is putting a dado for the drawer bottom but yet you pocket screw the top rails. Seeing how plywood is a millimeter dimension, it just seems like there is too much math that is not necessary to figure out the distance difference between the inside of the box and how deep your dado is. It would be much faster to pocket screw The bottom and the top rails versus putting the dado for the bottom. Just seems a bit of overkill if you ask me. With gluing the face frame on, there is no way that box is going to come apart so pocket screws would be more than sufficient.
Perfect video!! Thank you so much. I just finished 2 Vanities because of this video.... I got the go ahead from my wife to build our kitchen. I owe you one.
Last year I had a kitchen redone in a rental property. The cabinets were custom built by a company, and installed by another contractor. Having previously only purchased cabinets from IKEA, I thought they would come with pre-drilled holes for the pulls. Um, no. Duh. They didn't, of course. Once the cabinets were installed, the contractor said he had to leave on a 10 day vacation with his family, and he would install the pulls when he returned. Not wanting to wait, and being somewhat handy, I bought a True Position Jig. A bit of an indulgence for one job, but I loved it, and it was cheaper than what the contractor would charge to install the hardware. When the contractor came back, he was not only impressed that I did the job myself (kind of patronizing that way) but he had never heard of the True Position jig. When I asked what he used, he said he made on out of scrap, or use a cheap Home Depot jig. For this, and many other reasons, I no longer work with this contractor. I'm not skilled at making cabinets, but I would love to be able to install pulls. Pretty sure that's not a specialty, however.
Preparation, Sequence, Methodology, Technique, Knowledge and Experiencia! Efficiency and productivity! And of course, marvelous communication skills! All this compacted in less than 20 mins! This video is a lesson that should be universally applied to all trade, profession, vocation, and career in industry, commerce, education, health, government and private sector!
Really good guidance on how to make cabinets, a prefect base design that fits everywhere. Just one advice, for a more heavy duty project pocket hole joinery is more strong if you screw from the outside (holes can be seen instead of hidden insiden)
Perfect video for me! I like the way you broke down every detail of each piece of wood and walk through why & how each piece is built and installed. It was a great & protection wood woodworking video. Thank you…
Absolutely brilliant video. Only thing wrong is those handles, they act like hooks and you're forever catching clothing on them - we had them in the kitchen and drive me mad! :D
I have watched this video 1000x already. I have never made anything of this level before! Thank for such a detailed easy video, I also bought the whole enchilada pack!!
Your pocket holes are aimed the wrong way, they are heading towards the edge instead of into the meat of the panels you're joining the braces to. The pocket holes should have been drilled on the opposite sides of the braces - - that way they are stronger because they're aimed in the correct direction, into the meat of the panel AND they also will not be seen on the inside of the cabinet. If you do it that way, once the cabinets are installed, the pocket holes will not be seen even though they are on the outside because they will either be up against a wall or the floor.
Surprisingly good work and good quality tools but the details to your work and how safe and proper you did everything was amazing and shows you are a quality worker which you really dont see much of anymore
As many others have written, this is a really excellent video for it's pace, information density, and clear to-the-point dialog - VERY well done. (and lots of useful info to boot - I have learned quite a few techniques by watching and re-watching it)
I've never understood why every frakkin' tutorial on attaching drawer slides goes through the use of some complicated measuring or jig to position the slides on the sides of the drawers. Like you, I simply install them flush to the bottom, the logical place for them to be.
I agree this is easier and how I would do it, but why is it the most logical? Wouldn't centering the slide on the drawer pull technically be the most logical since it eliminates the off-axis torque being applied to the slide?
It seems most intuitive to me to support a weighted box from the bottom rather than hanging it from the top or partly up the sides. Any off-axis torque in the system would be negligible. (Of the three positions, the top would be my second choice, probably as easy to install as at the bottom.)
What a double whammy piece of work. Excellent total demonstration of cabinet build with zero wasted time as well as a masterful use of the video giving a clear view of everything you did. You are one of the few leaders setting an example of excellence that many so called You tubers could learn from. Well done and ....yes I an now subscribed
Awesome info. Been woodworking as a hobby for many years. But have forgotten "pieces" or parts of the info stored upstairs after a brain injury. This vid helped me put those pieces back in storage!
I know this video is a year old, but thought I'd offer up something---that kreg jig that you used to cut the hinge holes has a pair of holes built into it on each side of the big hole to drill the pilot holes for the mounting screws too, makes that process one easy motion! I just bought one of those this week for a cabinet door project I was doing and thought that was a nice touch on their part.
Boy I sure would love to have you live close to me. I am a 100% disabled vet and teach other vets how to turn and use hand planes and would love to make a cabinet to hold my turning tools and make a router table that would work for us. You do a good job and teaching as well just a little fast for me tho.
This video is outstanding. Maybe you should make a video to teach others how to make an amazing straight to the point video without a bunch of bloviating! You even managed to put a plug in for Home Depot. My hat is off to you, sir on both the tutorial and your outstanding craftsmanship. Well done!
Love the look of these - the only change I would [personally] make is thicker, more solid bases in the drawers so they don't bow out over time like ALL thin drawer bases eventually do... Great build!!
I bought your plans to build the miter saw station. I picked up all of the pre finished maple plywood today, and im gonna start breaking it down tomorrow. It's definitely a bit intimidating for me, but im sure I'll do alright and learn a ton. I'll let youknowe how it goe, haha
Simple commentary and excellent video , Your knowledge sharing and practical use of machinery and tools is the Best that I saw in the many Cabinet making videos. TIPS shared by you are many years of your Hard and Honest work.Thankyou for sharing. Wish you best of luck and Success in you work
I'm always looking up on RU-vid for Tips and inspiration on diy projects...never been disappointed but every now and then I get lucky and find all that and then some. Such is the case today after watching you at work. Talk about knowledge, efficiency and well articulated ideas that are very easy to comprehend. As it was said in a previous coment, Not a minute was waisted in this very well presented and explained and video. Much respect and appreciation to you Sir for spreading your knowledge and inspiration. Blessings to you and your family!
My question for you is (Multi-questions actually), how did you get started in woodworking, how long have you been in business and lastly, where are you based out of? Thank you in advance for your time and also for posting this very informative how-to video on making cabinets!!!
I liked that you started with - if you don't have this tool, you can do it another way. Although your woodworking shop is awesome sauce, I don't have the room to have a tablesaw the size of a trampoline and nice flat reference surfaces, etc. I have a $250 10 inch portable ryobi tablesaw, a portable routing table I got from Harbor Freight, another hand router, circular saw, large and small miter saws, a variety of mismatched clamps, chisels, hand coping saws, wireless drills, jig saws, and such. I have construction squares, large and small and folding tables that must all get cleaned up and put away when I am done "building my shit in the garage" as my wife calls it. The point being, I would love to see more videos on how to do things like build jigs, slides and such that might help use under $500 equipment to achieve good results. I do recognize that the reason these tools exist is to make this work faster, easier, more consistent, and ultimately pay for themselves if you are building cabinets or furniture for a living. Most of the viewers, I would venture to say, do not. We are putting cabinets in after finishing a basement, or replacing a cabinet under our sink that rotted out, or we are rehabing a home or two. I learned a ton from your video, have subscribed and would LOVE to see more of your "alternate ways" in focused video about that. Thanks!
I can totally understand and have some great ideas for future "jig" videos. I myself am not a professional cabinet builder. My shop is in the basement/garage of the house that I'm slowly renovating. I'm just 10 years down the road from you on my journey of loving woodworking, hence all the fancy equipment. I appreciate your supporting my content and providing valuable feedback, my friend!
Nicely done. I've seen numerous videos on this topic and have my own method. What I love about your method is that it incorporates methods for a high level of repeatability, efficiency and accuracy. Nicely done.
Hey that was a very useful tutorial you gave and the cabinets look great. I'm no carpenter at all, but I need the cabinets for my garage and I love doing projects. I'm afraid of mostly messing up, but I'll take my time. A lot of the jigs you have, I don't think I have even one, but I do have all of the saws and router bits. I'll let you know how it all turns out. Thanks again!!!
Hey, great video. I work in furniture manufacturer in Indonesia as a CAD drafter. I just drawing a tecnical drawing but i don't know about process to make it. Your video is a good explanation.
