How much oak do I need?

[Lewis Ehrhardt]

I'm about to start on my face-frame kitchen cabinets. Roughly will be about 25 to 30 linear feet of cabinets, top/bottom. Can some of you guys put me in the ballpark of how many board feet of oak I will need to do the face frames? Is there some sort of guide that can tell you the board feet for a given number of doors and drawers? Thanks and if any of you want to help, let me know. Thanks Lewis

[Jeff Monson]

I'd say for just for face frames 35bf + waste = 45 bf roughly. If you are doing raised panel doors and solid drawer fronts also, add another 90bf + waste = 120bf. I'd plan for around 200bf + 11 to 13 sheets of plywood for carcass material. That should get you pretty close.

[Mark Blatter]

If I was doing the job I would need about 0 bf of oak. Sorry, but I cannot stand oak in kitchens anymore. I am sure many will say I am crazy or just wrong, but I simply cannot stand the sight on oak in a kitchen.

My wife and I are looking at houses and we have agreed that we will not buy a house with an oak kitchen, or the price has to be such that we can immediately remodel with cherry, maple, walnut....anything but oak.

A rule of thumb on face frames is about 4 bf per cabinet, assuming you are doing a 1 1/2 face frame. As for doors and drawers, to many variables to even offer a guess.

Good luck.

[glenn bradley]

I am sure many will say I am crazy or just wrong, but I simply cannot stand the sight on oak in a kitchen.

This could be geographical. I'm in California and we use red oak for everything. I very rarely use it due to over-exposure but, not so for other areas in the world ;-) Have fun on your kitchen Lewis and take some pics so we can all go along for the ride.

[Chip Lindley]

Enjoying or hating red oak is definitely a personal-taste thing, and definately Off Topic! To each their own! RO is definately an opened-grained hardwood as ash is. Maple and cherry are definately closed grain hardwoods. So, apples and oranges. I am just happy we have so many choices.

Meanwhile back at the ranch--years ago I spent wayy too much time perfecting a computer program in Microsoft Excel, to calculate all parts needed for raised-panel cabinet doors; faceframes; and casework. Now there is a $79 program available that does much more than all my hard work did. But it was a real learning experience. I don't regret it.

To roughly figure hardwood for RP doors and faceframes, figure height x width of each FF for uppers and lowers. Add all the Square footages together. Add 20% to cover such things as door overlay, panel tongues and above all, waste.

You won't be far off IF you are working with FAS or Select & Better hardwood. IF No.1 Common, Add 50% to your square foot figure. One square foot is same as one board foot, using 4/4 lumber.

[C Scott McDonald]

If I was doing the job I would need about 0 bf of oak. Sorry, but I cannot stand oak in kitchens anymore. I am sure many will say I am crazy or just wrong, but I simply cannot stand the sight on oak in a kitchen.

My wife and I are looking at houses and we have agreed that we will not buy a house with an oak kitchen, or the price has to be such that we can immediately remodel with cherry, maple, walnut....anything but oak.

A rule of thumb on face frames is about 4 bf per cabinet, assuming you are doing a 1 1/2 face frame. As for doors and drawers, to many variables to even offer a guess.

Good luck.

Ahem! Sheesh I hate oak! I wouldnt even use it for floors.