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Building Doors and Drawers
Building
the Doors and False Front
The doors and false
front will overlap the openings by 3/8" and are rabbetted along the
edges so that they are inset into the openings by 1/4". You may choose
not to make your doors inset but rather sit entirely on top of the
face frame.
Another choice is
to buy ready made doors out of the same kind of wood that you build
the cabinet out of. The doors and false front are made the same way
that we made the face frame. Use dowels at each butt joint and when
you cut your stock make it long enough for the amount of overlap that
you desire.
1. Rip and crosscut
your stock to length.
2. Dowel, glue and clamp the rails and stiles together and allow
drying.
3. Cut the rabbet along the edges for the inset. To make a rabbet cut,
you can use a router or a table saw.
4. Rout out the back so the door panels can be inserted. As a
suggestion, use a scrap piece of wood to check your cut. Advance the
router slowly, so as to not to splinter the wood and move it in the
proper direction, you can feel the difference if you are moving
against the cutting bit.
5. Make rabbet cuts on the back side of the door and false front to
insert the panels in exactly the same way.
6. Use a table saw or a circular saw with a straight edge to cut the
door insert out of 1/4" oak plywood. To compensate for the small
curved corners use a saber saw to cut a small radius in the corner.
This provides a perfect fit.
7. Use a 1/4" round over bead to shape the doors false front, and door
front. Note: Shaping is a personal design choice, there are many
different shapes you can choose from. You can use a shaper or a router
for this process.
Note: Also you can build raised front doors. This involves
making bevel cuts on a solid or built up front panel of the door. Set
your table saw at 15 degrees and then run all four sides of the panel
through the saw in such a way that the height of the blade protrudes
slightly beyond the face of the panel.
Attaching and Installing
Attaching
the Doors and False Front
1. Attach the
hinges to both doors and attach one door to the unit. At first use
only one screw at each hinge and be sure the door is level and plumb,
and properly positioned.
2. Attach the other door, again using only one screw at each hinge.
Check to be sure the top and the bottoms of the doors are aligned and
the space between the doors is even and not too large. Open and close
the doors to be sure they operate properly.
3. Make any needed adjustment and screw in the remaining screws.
Installing
the Unit
1. Install the
cabinet before the countertop goes on. This way it can be attached
from the top without the counter top getting in the way.
2. Determine the correct position and with a level start leveling the
cabinet. Shims come in handy here.
3. Locate the position of the studs behind the wall and mark them. You
can use a "stud finder" or tap with your hammer.
A stud is often
placed on 16" centers so that once you locate one you can sometimes
measure to the next. Use a bugle head self-drilling screw to make the
attachment. Drill through the strong back lining up with your mark on
the wall. If the wall is not level use shims between.
Tools and
Materials
Tools:
• Table Saw
• Jointer (optional)
• A doweling jig or a horizontal boring tool
• Jig saw
• Router
• Orbital sander
• Shaper (optional)
• Clamps for gluing
Materials
• Cabinet
grade plywood for carcass
• Plywood for door, false front insert and kick plate face
• 1" x 6" oak for face frame
• Dowels
• Hinges
• Knobs
• Glue
• Finishing nails (6d)
• Flathead wood screws
• Drawer materials and slides (if needed)
• Sandpaper
• Counter top materials
Building Drawers
There are many ways
to build drawers and we are showing you only a brief outline here. As
you design your cabinets, you must decide if you want drawers, and if
so their sizes. Also you must also decide on the way they are to be
installed, as this will affect their size.
1. Cut the
sides, backs, fronts, and bottom of the drawers out of plywood.
2. Cut any needed dado, or rabbet cuts, in the backs and fronts.
3. Glue and nail the drawer together.
4. Install the slides on the doors and cabinets and install the
doors.
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