cabinet box construction?

[keith ouellette]

I just made some upper cabinet boxes with the top, bottom, and back set in 1/4" deep dados made with cabinet grade 15/32 plywood. I glued and clamped it and then put 1 and 3/4" brads along the bottom, top and back.

Are the brads overkill or is it a good idea because they are hanging on a wall?

Also; I set clamp and nail one piece at a time. Do any of you do it that way or do you glue the whole thing up and do it all at once?

[Ed Peters]

that is exactly how I have been making them for years. I use 3/4" thick for all my cabinets, including the back panesl. My tops and backs are set in rabbetts. Shelves and bottoms are set in dados. I attach the shelves and bottom to the back with glue and screws through from the outside. This is pretty easy in that all the parts are the same width. I then attach each side in turn, gluing and screwing though brads would probably work also. I like the idea of the clamping value of screws and they are concealed when the cabinets are hung except the occassional exposed end which can be covered with a trim panel. If you do try screws, here's a tip. After the dados are cut, drill pilot holes in the center of the dados so your screws are always centered during the assembly.

Ed

[keith ouellette]

that is exactly how I have been making them for years. I use 3/4" thick for all my cabinets, including the back panesl. My tops and backs are set in rabbetts. Shelves and bottoms are set in dados. I attach the shelves and bottom to the back with glue and screws through from the outside. This is pretty easy in that all the parts are the same width. I then attach each side in turn, gluing and screwing though brads would probably work also. I like the idea of the clamping value of screws and they are concealed when the cabinets are hung except the occassional exposed end which can be covered with a trim panel. If you do try screws, here's a tip. After the dados are cut, drill pilot holes in the center of the dados so your screws are always centered during the assembly.

Ed
Thats a great idea Ed. I like the brads because of the speed but your method will stop the occasional wayward nail going into the cabinet space.
Do you think 15/32 is to thin or is it standard?

[Fred Haydon]

Keith,
I've been making and installing cabinets for years and experience has taught me a couple of things. Use 3/4" stock for base cabinets and 1/2" stock for upper cabinets.

Base cabinets need the structural capacity to support some kind of weight most of the time. Using 3/4" stock, dado and glue construction, with or without mechanical fasteners, supports most loads more than adequately.

Upper cabinets need to support the carcase weight and the load weight and most folks don't overload an upper cabinet, kind of a common sense thing. But spend a day (or more) hang upper cabinets out 3/4" stock and you'll gain a true appreciation for using a lighter material.

If you use sound construction techniques on the upper cabinets as you did with the base cabinets, you'll have plenty of weight capacity.

Just my .02 worth.

Cheers,
Fred

[Robert Goodwin]

that is exactly how I have been making them for years. I use 3/4" thick for all my cabinets, including the back panesl. My tops and backs are set in rabbetts. Shelves and bottoms are set in dados. I attach the shelves and bottom to the back with glue and screws through from the outside. This is pretty easy in that all the parts are the same width. I then attach each side in turn, gluing and screwing though brads would probably work also. I like the idea of the clamping value of screws and they are concealed when the cabinets are hung except the occassional exposed end which can be covered with a trim panel. If you do try screws, here's a tip. After the dados are cut, drill pilot holes in the center of the dados so your screws are always centered during the assembly.

Ed

I like that idea as well. I hope to get building my cabinets for the shop-err garage this weekend. So simple, but the predrilling never crossed my mind. I was planning on snapping a chalk line, but predrilling now seems like a no-brainer

[Joe Chritz]

Not even necessary to dado if the side won't be visible.

Dowels, zip'r screws or confirmats are the most popular assembly methods and the weakness is always in the sheet material.

I have a picture somewhere of me sitting in an upper cabinet put together with dado and just glue. Those happen to be 1/2 material.

Now I use all 3/4 with 1/2" backs but if I was using dado construction I would use all 1/2" for reduced weight and easy handling.

Also, I now use crown staples as they seem to hold better than brads.

Joe

[Ed Peters]

especially with the back panels, is my hanging method. When the cabinets are fully assembled, I cut a final dado. It is 1/2" deep in the outside (wall side) of the backpanel, generally about 7" down from the top but the location is not critical. Just as long as all cabinets get cut at the same height. I put the full stack of the dado on and make 2 passes to get a dado that is just over 1.5" wide. I do this on all my upper cabinets. Why? Because I am careful where I expend my energy. Before I head off to do an installation, I rip several strips of a good quality 1/2" thick plywood to 1.5" wide. When I get to the jobsite, the first tools off the truck are the laser level, a tape measure and a chalk line. I set a line around the room to hang the plywood strips. I locate all the studs and then screw on the plywood. I now have a rail to hang my cabinets on. If you are a one man hanging crew, you can't beat this process. I happen to have my brother working with me but we still choose to hang cabinets this way.

Ed

[FRITZ STOOP]

You should draw it up for FHB or FWW!

OLD DOG LEARNS NEW TRICK!

[Ed Peters]

You should draw it up for FHB or FWW!

OLD DOG LEARNS NEW TRICK!
OK, who/what are FHB and FWW?

Ed

[FRITZ STOOP]

FINE HOME BUILDING und FINE WOODWORKING, magazines both!;)

[frank shic]

i just use confirmat screws with 5/8" melamine with a 1/4" dadoed back.

[Grant Morris]

Ed, making a dado in the back of cabinets seems like an awful lot of unnecessary work to be honest. Whenever I have hung upper cabinets I screwed a plywood strip on the wall where the bottom of the upper cabinets need to be (approx 51"-54" from floor) and used it to take the weight of the cabinets while they are screwed to the studs etc. Once that row of uppers is hung I can quickly remove the strip leaving only a few holes in the drywall that will either be covered by the backsplash or that can be filled with a little spackle/mud in a few secs.

No need to measure or cut anything, just a strip of any old wood will do and the bottom edge of the uppers will all come out perfectly straight.

Like yours, this method was the product of being a one-man cabinet installation team. With the cleat taking all of the cabinet weight I can hold it against the wall with one hand and screw it to the wall with the other hand.