Best method to put cabinets together

[tony strother]

All, I am starting the process of making a handful of storage cabinets for the Mrs craft stuff. a number of them will hang on the wall via french cleats and a number will sit on the floor underneath.
I have read many articles and book on the subject and wanted to get some hands on views on your best methods.
Materials will be 3/4" plywood for cases (and likely the shelving as well, possibly 1/2 plywood for the shelves), 1/4" for backs, some fixed and adjustable shelves.
I suppose my main question is what joinery methods to use to join the pieces together and as well as attaching the fixed shelves.
Some articles say to use rabbets/glue/brads/nails others say to just use no rabbets screws, nails/brads and glue.
Thanks in advance for your insights!
Tony

[Phil Thien]

I built five cabinets for my shop, three of which hang on French cleats. For all five cabinets, I used #20 biscuits in the corners. I added a rebate to the rear of the two sides (uprights) and into that rebate I glued/stapled the back. I then glued/pocket screwed a 3/4" thick "nailer" to the inside of the cabinet, and screwed the French cleat to the back, through the 1/4" thick back, and into the nailer.

The sides are drilled with 5mm holes for shelf pins, on which the shelves sit.

[tony strother]

Thanks for the info. I do not have a biscuit machine. Open to other methods for joining the cases together. I suppose I could just butt the case pieces together and screw them together but have read that is not one of the best/strongest methods? Thoughts?
Tony

[Art Mann]

In my opinion, the fastest and easiest way, by far, to assemble a cabinet carcass is to use pocket screws and a Kreg jig. If you haven't used them before, then there are some essential but largely undocumented techniques to get a perfect fit. For example, you need to clamp the pieces together tightly with cabinet clamps rather than counting on the Kreg vise grip clamp to hold the pieces together. I have a shop full of cabinets and tables that were assembled with pocket screws and all of them suffer a lot more abuse than average kitchen cabinets - or in your case craft cabinets.

[tony strother]

Oh, I have a Kreg Jig, have not used it for quite some time, so probably need to brush up a bit. Where would find more of these highly useful but undocumented suggestions? I assume the holes from the using the jig would all be on the outside of the cabinets/drawers? Maybe the LOML would be able to get used to seeing them if that is so..these are for her craft storage/room...does the Kreg stuff work with 1/2 and 3/4 ply?
Thanks!
Tony

[George Bokros]

The holes from the pocket screws can be on the inside of the cabinets. As for the drawers they can be on the outside of the back and front. If you apply a false front to the drawers the screw holes will be covered. I just did this with the drawers for a closet organizer. You will want the pocket screws with the pan heads and in coarse thread for ply and soft woods. Yes you can use pocket holes with 1/2" thick material but you need to make sure your jig is adjusted correctly and the screw length is correct.

[Jim Matthews]

Plywood shelves set into dadoes will make very strong boxes.

Hafele and others make sleeved connector bolts that can be inserted
after drilling through holes in cabinets that are clamped together,
where they will be installed. Level and plumb all cabinets to be joined, first.

http://www.homedecorhardware.com/hf-267-07-903.html?utm_source=googlepepla&utm_medium=adwords&id=47729434878&gclid=CLmAxNLIhL8CFcqhOgod20EAMw

[Rich Enders]

Fine Woodworking #233 Page 44-51 covers Chris Gochnor's method. It is simple and solid. Dadoes and rabbits.

[Larry Frank]

I built all my cabinets for my shop from 3/4" plywood using pocket screws. These were all Euro style cabinets and the drawers and shelves were also from 3/4" plywood.

I have tried the regular Kreg screws on 1/2" plywood but it was quite difficult. On a recent project for a rolling cabinet, I made it out of 1/2" plywood. The drawers were put together with the Kreg micro jig and screws.

[Rich Enders]

291530



Tony,

Above is a copy of the Gochnour method that I mentioned previously. I built cabinets using his methods which work. The only thing I would add would be to use prefinished plywood for the interior if available to you.

This design is special, but your sweetie will appreciate something eye-catching. If function is the only criterion you can probably do well at Home Depot, or Lowes.

[Phil Thien]

All the methods outlined will work great and produce terrific cabinets.

I'd rather use biscuits or pocket screws over dados though, for these reasons:

(1) Inconsistent plywood thickness, even in a single sheet. You can make test joints only to later find out that one panel won't fit into a groove because it was cut from a slightly thicker bit of the panel. This never matters with biscuits or pocket screws.

(2) Tearout even when using very good dado heads.

(3) Compensating for the depth of a groove in your overall measurements. Just one more dimensional adjustment to worry about.

I know plenty of people still swear by dado joints. I have a friend that uses them extensively. The reality is, though, that I've spied some of his work and the dado joints get fairly gappy in areas.