32 mm cabinet construction

[Ray Schafer]

Can you point me to the best resources for learning about 32 mm cabinet construction? I am started down that road and want to learn the basics. I am very interested in where to find the hardware as well as the techniques.

Thanks.
Ray

[Gene Michael]

Try a google search. I did and got several hundred hits.

[Ben Abate]

there is a site call True 32. I haven't been there for some time but this fellow shared a wealth of info to the internet. He also publishes books and so forth. Very good site for learning about the 32 mm style.

hope this helps.

[David Werkheiser]

I will second what Ben said about "True 32", the site has a lot of knowledge if you go back thru the archives. The book "Tuue 32" seems expensive at $50 for a small book, but it is worth it (you can get it for less at Amazon or Cabinet maker on line).
Hardware mfg. Grass and Blum both have pdf on their sites on building cabinets with the 32mm system.
True 32 site has good prices for Camar and Grass products when buying in bulk
David Werkheiser

[Jeffrey Makiel]

A google search on 'european cabinetry design' would work also.

A book by Jim Christ called "Euorpean Cabinetry Design" may still be around in the used book world. This book was written around 1990 but I'm guessing the fundamentals of the 32mm system are still accurate.

-Jeff :)

[Ray Schafer]

Yes, I had already done a Google search and found many hits, but did not find one that was what I was looking for. I am hoping that someone who knows this topic will point me to something helpful.

[Ray Schafer]

Thanks. I was having trouble finding the right term.

[Ray Schafer]

Thanks. I will check out the Grass and Blum websites.

[Bill Neely]

Here: http://32mm.dalrun.com/

And a PDF document from Cabsystems:

http://www.cabsystems.com/KISSII/KIIrivDe-mail.pdf

Hope this helps, Bill

[Ray Schafer]

Thanks, everyone!

[Bruce Wrenn]

The 32 MM system is based on the fact that that is as close as you can put two spindles in a line boring machine. To be really successful, everything needs to be done on a machine- no hand boring or cutting. Accuracy is everything. I would suggest that you look at Danny Proulx's book "Making Your Own Kitchen Cabinets." He developed a system that allows for the use of "Euro" hardware, but retains the look of face frame construction. Boxes are made from melamine and a type of face frame is added. Boxes are just butt joints and screwed together. I attach my modified face frames with pocket screws- no glue. Makes a really nice cabinet- white interiors and wood exteriors.

[Ray Schafer]

Bruce,
Thanks for pointing out that book ... and it is the one that I based my cabinets on. It is a great book and I highly recommend it, also. I even created his jig for drilling the shelf pin holes ... and I made it 32mm spacing. I have a picture of it in another thread.

Ray

[Rob Diz]

Also take a look at Bob Lang's book. Next week I should finish my kitchen that I built using a combination from both books. One of the best things I picked out of Lang's book was his organization method - use a three ring binder, make a page for each box, label it by it's relative position, list each part you will need as well as hardware, use that to make your cut list, then mark each piece on an edge with a sharpie with the cabinet number.

I put my kitchen project aside for a LOONNNNNG time, and was able to pick it back up quickly using this method.

They also have different ways of approaching corner cabinets. It was helpful for me to see both approaches.

Ultimately, I made mine using a rabbet and dado design, with a 1/2 inch back. My cabinets are rock solid and were very easy to install on the wall.

I would suggest that you spend a little extra and get high quality plywood, or even prefinsihed ply.

Good luck on your project. It's not that its a particularly hard project, it's that it is so big and time consuming that gets to people. But once things start to come together, it's really quite awesome.

One other thing - I would not recommend that you put the holes up the sides of the cabinets. It is just about as easy to screw in the hinge plates as using the press in thingys. I figured out the range I might want to sue for the shelves, and only drilled holes in those areas. That way the inside look more custom made.

[Ray Schafer]

Great suggestions, thanks!

Have you seen the True32 book? How does that compare to Bob Lang's book?

[Rob Diz]

I have not. I had answers to my questions and a good plan from these two books.

[frank shic]

the true32 book is geared much more for someone who is interested in starting a cabinet business and - here's the key - NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS lol. bob buckley boils it down to a very systematic process in which he basically endorses many time-saving hardware like levelling feet, hanging brackets, european hinges/drawer slides, metal box drawers and advocates ORDERING the doors and using bottom mount crown molding. the book is just a foretaste of a course that he teaches for PROFESSIONAL cabinetmakers as the price tag is well above what the average woodworker is going to shell out in which he strongly advocates KCDw for cabinet design and a program that he invented that streamlines the biddnig process.

it's an extremely enlightening read but if you don't have experience in 32mm cabinetry, the danny proul book and the cabparts reference previously mentioned are great starters although you won't get the full benefit unless you have a CONSISTENT way to drilling the 32mm holes with either a GOOD DRILL JIG (i've only found one BTW and no it wasn't veritas or rocklers!) or a boring machine like the delta 32-325 and by utilizing metabox drawer slides.

[Ray Schafer]

Always great info in your answers, Frank! Thanks again!