kitchen cabinet build process

[James Morton]

Due to limited space in my gar...er, shop, I am considering building the doors and drawer faces prior to building the boxes and attaching the face frames. I have the face frames done (although not finished), and the thought of bullding all the boxes and having to store them and work around them in an already cramped work space doesnt seem like a good idea. I could build the doors and drawer faces and store them more easily while building the boxes. My only concern is that somehow the face frames would move ever so slightly when attaching them to the boxes, and all my carefully fitted inset doors wouldnt fit.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks

[Robert Reece]

I have recently been thinking about this myself. I also thought about not building any drawer fronts or doors until the cabinets were installed. I'd do that in "phase 2".

I suspect the frames will move slightly so I would not do final fitting until the face frames are attached. However, you could make them and just not finish them. Then build the boxes, attach face frames and final fit the doors / drawer fronts. That might be tolerable with a gar...er...shop full of cabinets.

I think you should also give some thought to not making the doors or drawer fronts until the cabinets are installed. I am still contemplating it, but I think it can work. The only downside I can see is that you will have to empty the drawer to install the fronts and the handles.

[Tom Lowry]

I am in the final stage of my rebuild. I have planned all along to do the doors and fronts after cabinets and bases were built and installed. This way I can use my laser to make sure all fronts and doors are level with each other.

[David DeCristoforo]

With fitted doors, things get much more critical than with overlay designs. I would build out the cabinets and install them (pre-finished if you like). Then make the doors and drawer fronts to fit.

[Nathan Callender]

I doing kitchen cabinets and I'm building the cabinets first, installing and then building the doors/drawers/shelves. This works well because it gets the bulk of the material out of the garage and is great motivation for finishing all the other pieces.

[James Morton]

Thank you guys. Sage advice that sounds good to me.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Maybe I'm the minority but I make doors slightly oversize, then I trim them to final size so they fit.

[Peter Quinn]

I would not cut the doors and drawer fronts to finished size until the boxes are assembled and framed. Make the doors? Sure, but I would leave them a little heavy and fit them to the actual openings, particularly if you are using very tight reveals.

[Terry Hatfield]

Agree with Chris and Peter. I/ve built only inset doors and drawers for everything in my house. I actually make the doors and drawer fronts the same size as the openings and then joint/edge sand/plane them to generate that perfect reveal. May be cheating, but it works for me.

I would do what has already been suggested. Build the cabinets adnnd install them before installing the doors and drawer fronts. You can go ahead and build them as they do store easily, just wait and fit at the very end.

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[Leo Graywacz]

Not sure what you guys are worried about the FFs moving. I make kitchens, about 3-5 a year. I have a big shop so space isn't a concern. But I make the FFs first, then the doors, then I fit them and sand them to 120. I punch the 35 mm holes and then mount the doors temporarily. Then I go about my cabinet making. I will cut all the sheet goods and when I'm done I start assembling. I will assemble a single case and then attach the FF. While that one is drying I start assembling another box. Repeat until done.

[James Morton]

Leo,

When do you apply the finish? Ive heard of some folks finishing in the shop, and others who finish after the install.

[Leo Graywacz]

Early on in my career I did no finishing at all. I would have a painter come in after they were installed. It was fitting because most of my earlier work was done in 18th century homes and required a brushed on finish.

Then I got my second shop. I started to prime in the shop with inexpensive spray equipment using fans under the garage door. Then I needed to do my first clear job and it was more difficult because I was making dust in the same room as I was finihsing. So every time I needed to do a finish I needed to clean the shop to the Nth degree. I got the opportunity to get the bay next to me and built myself a good sized spray room with a drying area.

After that I really had to learn the ins and outs of finishing. I was using HVLP guns and I would always finish the insides of the cabinets before assembly. It would lead to extra work because I would have to mask off the inside. But I would get great inside finihses.

Now I have upgraded to a Kremlin 10:14 and I finish the whole cabinet at once. Doors and drawers and fronts separately.