kitchen cabinets

148

Upload: isis-calio

Post on 09-Aug-2015

385 views

Category:

Documents


7 download

DESCRIPTION

Kitchen CabinetsFurniture Making

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Kitchen Cabinets
Page 2: Kitchen Cabinets

IItIItI

THE ART OF WOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP

Page 3: Kitchen Cabinets

WORKSHOP GUIDE

INVENTORY ()F MEASURING TOOLS AND DEVICES

Carpenter'aequareFor checkinq or Try aquare

For checkin4 ormarkin4 90"an4lee. Eladeavatlable tn 6-Lo l2-tnch len4th9tud finder

Device LhatlocaLea wall ettudaby an elecltrontcfteld or Lhe natlein a etud by ama4netic fteld

Chalk IineA lenqth of twtne,covered with col-ored chalk duaLconLained tneide acaae: Lhe twine ie

meaeur in4 90 'an4lea euch ae inthe corner of a room;can aleo be used aea eLrai4hted4e

onapped aqainettwalle 1;o mark lon4,etraiqht l inea

9liding bevelAdjueLe ta mea'

Protractor

^ r t r a h a -J u , v , v v r J ,

fer any an4le. Bladeatoree in handle

?pirit levellndicat.ee when a work-

Uaeful for ae|tinq anqlee ofmachine fencee and bladee

French curveCombination squareFor checkin7 or markinq 45"or 90' an4lea; deLachable

piece ie level or plumbby cenLertnq a -/.

blade doublea ae ruleror eLraiqhtedqe

bubble tna vtal

Trammel pointsAtLached Lo a eltraiqhLedqe;on€ Poinf berve!, ab Lhepivot and Lhe oLher acdbee Compaoo

For markin4a circle or an a(c around irutility knifetharpened tip ecoreeltneo an wood more

arce and circlea

precieely l,han

5trai4htedqeFor precteton marktn4 of atrar4ht ltnea and checkin4 flateurfacee. Thick metal ed4eo are machtned otraiqht,

a penci l

For drawinq curved linee

ItItIItI

IIII

tIIIIII

IIItIII

tItI

MAKING CROWN MOLDING

Panel-raioingbit

Cove bit Romanogee bit

Using simple router bits to form a complex profileAlthough crown molding appears elaborate i t can actual ly bemade with three common router bits. To make the molding,f i rst cut three boards longer and wider than you wi l l need forthe three layers of molding. Instal l a panel rais ing bi t in yourrouter table. Al ign the fence and adjust the depth of cut,

then rout the profile for the f irst board. Switch to the secondand third bi ts and boards, repeat ing the process for eachrespective profile. Next, rip each board on your table saw,so the first board is the widest and the third the narrowest.Glue and clamp the boards together to form the molding.

A

Page 4: Kitchen Cabinets

THE ART OF WOODWORKING

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

T

T

I

I

T

I

I

KITCHENCABTNETS

Page 5: Kitchen Cabinets

THE ART OF WOODWORKING

KITCHEN

ST. REMY PRESSMONTREAL

CABINETS

TIME-LIFE BOOKSALEXANDRIA. VIRGlNIA

Page 6: Kitchen Cabinets

PUBLISHERPRESIDENT

Series EditorSeries Art Director

EditorArt Directors

Designers

Picture EditorWriters

Contr ib uting lllustrato r s

AdministratorProduction Manager

CoordinatorSystem Coordinator

PhotographerProofreader

lndexer

Kenneth WinchesterPierre L6veill6

Pierre Home-DouglasFrancine LemieuxAndrew JonesJean-Pierre Bourgeois,Normand BoudreauFrangois Daxhelet,

)ean-Guy DoironGenevidve Monette

John Dowling, Adam Van SertimaGilles Beauchemin, Michel Blais,Ronald Durepos, Jacques Perrault,Michael Stockdale, James ThdrienNatalie WatanabeMichelle TurbideDominique Gagn6Eric BeaulieuRobert ChartierJudy YelonChristine M. Jacobs

THE ART OF WOODWORKING was produced byST. REMY PRESS

THE CONSULTANTS

fon Eakes has been a cabinetmaker and custom renovator inMontreal for more than 20 years. He is known primarily for histeaching through books, videos, radio, and the TV showRenovation Zone.

Giles Miller-Mead taught advanced cabinetmaking at Montrealtechnical schools for more than ten years. A native of NewZealand, he has worked as a restorer of antique furniture.

Kitchen cabinets.p. cm.- (The Art of woodworking)

Includes index.ISBN 0-8094-9545-7l. Kitchen-cabinets. 2. Cabinetwork.

I. Time-Life Books. II. Series.TTr97.5.K57 1996684.1'6-dc20 9s-46501

CIP

For information about any Time-Life book,please call l-800-621-7026, or write:Reader InformationTime-Life Customer ServiceP.O. Box C-32068Richmond, Virginia2326r-2068

@ 1996 Time-Life Books Inc.All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or byany electronic or mechanical means, including informationstorage and retrieval devices or systems, without prior writ-ten permission from the publisher, except that brief passagesmay be quoted for reviews.First printing. Printed in U.S.A.Published simultaneously in Canada.

TIME-LIFE is a trademark of Time Warner Inc. U.S.A.

I

I

t

t

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

Time-Life Books is a division of Time Life Inc.,a wholly owned subsidiary of

THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY

TIME-LIFEINC.

President and CEO John M. Fahey

TIME-LIFEBOOKS

PresidentManaging Editor

Director of DesignDirector of Editorial Operations

Consulting EditorVi c e - President, B o ok Pro du ction

Production ManagerQuality A s sur an c e M anager

John D. HallRoberta ConlanMichael HentgesEllen Robling

John R. SullivanMarjann CaldwellMarlene Zackfames King

Page 7: Kitchen Cabinets

CONTENTStI

tI

I

tI

I

T

I

I

I

I

tI

tII

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

6 INTRODUCTION

12 LAYOUTAND DESIGN14 A gallery of kitchen styles17 Principles of layout19 Dimensioning23 Story poles

26 CASEWORK28 Anatomy of a kitchen

cabinet case30 Building materials33 Building the cases38 Shelving and storage44 Assembling the cabinets50 Face frames

DOORSA gallery of cabinetdoor designsBoard-and-batten doorsFrame-and-panel doorsMounting doors

78 DRAWERS80 Drawer construction83 Building drawers87 Drawer slides and runners93 False fronts and hardware

98 INSTALLING CABINETS100 Installation basicsL02 Installing the lower cabinetsII2 Islands and peninsulas115 Installing the upper cabinets118 Crown molding

I2O COTINTERTOPSI22 A gallery of countertop surfaces123 Installing countertopsI34 Backsplashes and edge treatments

140 GTOSSARY

T42 INDEX

I44 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS5658

606273

Page 8: Kitchen Cabinets

INTRODUCTION

Tom Santarslero on

CHOOSINGCABINET STYLE,Sespite the tremendous variety of kitchen cabinets, they all come down to twobasic types: face frame and frameless. Each has characteristics that greatly affect

how the heart of the modern home will appear and function. For the designer,cabinetmaker, and installer, they also determine how the cabinets will be created.

Face frame cabinets are the most popular type of kitchen cabinet in NorthAmerica. This time-honored method of construction involves attaching a frameworkof solid lumber to the front of a carcase. Doors and drawers can be mounted inone of three ways: inset,lipped, or overlay. Inset, the most elegant in appearance, isa true test of a craftsman's skill in construction and installation. Tight tolerancesare required to accommodate seasonal wood movement and yield a pleasing mar-gin between frame and door. During installation, cabinets must be set perfectly leveland plumb to maintain that margin. My clients who choose framed cabinets arevery interested in forging a link with the past. They appreciate the classic look of well-fitted doors and drawers that open with ease and close with a gentle puff of air asthey nest within the frame.

Frameless cabinetry was born in Europe after World War II. It addressed someof the challenges of the time, such as the shortage of lumber and the need to rebuildhousing rapidly. The simplicity of the frameless, or European, kitchen cabinet greatlyreduced material, needs, and production time. Doors would align tightly together,creating a clean, flowing line of casework. This reflected a modernist view of a changedworld where time was short and production and efficiency reigned supreme. Thisconstruction method yielded other benefits. Drawers could be wider and deeperbecause they didn't need to clear a face frame. And storage and removal of itemsalong with cleaning the cabinet interior became easier and more efficient.

Today, the line between face frame and frameless casework has blurred slightly.Frameless cabinets are no longer limited to flush-laminate doors; most of the frame-less kitchens I build feature traditional raised panel doors, multi-part cornice moldings,and other accoutrements endowing each kitchen with warmth and comfort. Forbuilding, installing, maximizing storage, and ease of use, frameless cabinets can't besurpassed. If, on the other hand, you'd prefer a touch of timeless tradition in yourkitchen, your cabinets are only a face frame away.

Tom Santarsiero is Presidentof the Ktchen Design Center

in Montclair, New Jersey.

Page 9: Kitchen Cabinets
Page 10: Kitchen Cabinets
Page 11: Kitchen Cabinets

INTRODUCTION

Donald Silvers discusses

KITCHENFORMAND FUNCTION

I n *y work as a kitchen designer, I am continually juggling two requirements:I creating spaces that are both wonderfulto look at and a pleasure to work in. Formand function must work in tandem.

This was not always the case. In years past, cabinetmakers who designed kitchenswere virtually unknown, since the homebuilder was responsible for creating thekitchen and its cabinets, and often brought to the kitchen the same economy ofmeans with which he built the rest of the house. For example, a ceiling height of8 feet and three studs spaced 16 inches apart created the need for large quantities ofplywood. The homebuilder felt it was economically sound to use leftover plyvoodfor kitchen cabinets so there would be no waste. The base cabinets were 22 inches deepand the wall cabinets were 11 to 12 inches deep. These cabinets-really just runningshelves with doors-stubbornly resisted any form of change; base cabinets didn'tchange to a 24-inch depth until the development of dishwaihers made it necessary.

In the kitchen environment of today, designing and building kitchens is muchmore than a way of recycling leftover homebuilding materials. To create eye-catchingresidential kitchens, today's designers have taken a cue from the extraordinary workof cabinetmakers. The different woods and finishes that make up the cabinetmaker'spalette provide the freedom to conjure up any style. Wth his tools, the cabinetmakermight carve cherry or oak woods, creating French or English Country cabinets, orshape an intimate Arts and Crafts kitchen in beech. He could fashion an Art Deco lookin the richness of walnut, or an Art Nouveau, Victorian, or Early American look ina variety of woods-pine, ash, maple, or mahogany, to name a few The cabinetmakermight even work with laminates, putting at his disposal the entire color spectrum.And let's not forget the stains that produce an array of hues and patinas. The rangeof choices is breathtaking.

The cabinetmaker has also made the cook's life a delight by incorporating theright kind of accessories that can make the cook's job easier, even fun. For example,there are drawers and roll-outs with hardware that gives the cook fingertip control,pantries that are only a foot wide yet 84 inches tall, providing enormous storagewhen pulled out of a wall cabinet with ease. More and more, the kitchen designer oftoday is drawing on the past and the present to create a kitchen environment that looksand cooks beautifully.

Donald Silvers is a kitchen designer who teaches at theUniversity of California at Los Angeles. He is the author ofThe Complete Guide To Kitchen Design With Cooking InMind, published by The Newark Management Institute.

Page 12: Kitchen Cabinets

INTRODUCTION

Sven Hanson talks about

ASMOOTHINSTALLATION

itchen cabinets need top-quality installation to look good and function well.Unlike fine furniture that can look good in a dusty corner of the shop, cabinets

don't come to life until after they have been installed. Unfortunately, we tend to putoff considering the problems of installation because it happens in an unfamiliarenvironment and requires skills different from those needed to build the cabinets.

To avoid these problems, start with and stick to a detailed installation plan, cirawnup well before the cabinets are finished. Don t be tempted to change it because yousuddenly like a 42-inch drop-in cooktop instead of the 36-inch one you originallyplanned for. This will force you to modifr the range base, both adjacent cabinets,and their drawers. It's far more efficient to bring all parties to the negotiating tableand make that kind of decision before you build the cabinets.

You will get to practice your psychological skills when you announce to the restof the household that the ktchen will be closed for a few days while the new cabinetsgo in. Try to keep the blockade short and timed conveniently for everyone. Above all,do not fall into the snake pit of trying to have your new kitchen ready just beforeThanksgiving or Christmas, investing in one of those "if everything goes to plan"schedules. However, if you plan to get rid of your in-laws while convincing themyou are the complete idiot they thought, success beckons.

There is no right or wrong way to install cabinets. I like to install and level theplinths for the lower cabinets the afternoon before the installation begins. For sheerexhaustion, crawling around the floor to set all the bases level to the highest point ofthe floor stands apart from most woodworking chores. The following morning, Iinstall the upper cabinets first, then the lower cabinets. As I screw the cabinets inplace,I always double-check for levelness. Nothing says "idiot" louder than a tiltingsink or cooktop. During installation, a dust curtain made of 4-mil plastic sheeting canrepel would-be snackers while keeping most dust and some noise contained. To fur-ther reduce dust,you shouldblock anyair ducts and open the kitchen window a crack

Finally, I've observed many first-time installers who use surprisingly few tools.I rely on many more and lay them out on a temporary workbench set at the edgeof the room.If your shop is apart from the job site, start making a list of the instal-lation tools while you're still construaing the cabinets.Visualizing the installation helpsto fabricate a cabinet that is truly ready to install and helps organize your tools (andmindset) to finish the job properly. In 25 years I've never heard a single woodworkersay, "I wish I hadn't wasted so much time preparing for that jobJ'

Sven Hanson is a cabinetmakerin Albuquerque, Ne'w Mexico.

Page 13: Kitchen Cabinets

,;:j/,:;,!ii,

J,.:",.:rIIItIItIttII

F*l'"'

I,d' *F

Page 14: Kitchen Cabinets

\-"

f: - . t

,^-(b@

@

*

nII

& I

*aI

€ l

I

I

I

I

I&

tu

Page 15: Kitchen Cabinets

rI

IIf, IAOUTATDDESIGNrtIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIttIt

ince colonial davs. the Americankitchen has been thought ofas the

heart of the home. It is the first room afamily shares each day; it is not only theplace where meals are prepared, but alsowhere they are often eaten. The kitchenis where children and adults do theirhomework, and where they linger forconversation. Yet, although the role ofthe kitchen has not changed in threecenturies, its appearance has. Once,cooking was done by the central fire-place, and the larder was stored againstthe cold, north-facing wall. Today, akitchen must be carefully planned tomeet the demands of a busy household,and to accommodate a battery of labor-saving devices. This chapter focuses onthe work of today's kitchen-especial-ly its cabinetry-introduces popular designs, and outlinessome basic principles that willhelp you create a kitchen thatmeets your needs.

A kitchen design often starts as a natural extension ofthearchitectural style of a house. Just as trim, molding, and fur-nishings can distinguish a home as being Victorian or Colonial,cabinet doors, molding, and hardware can define the style of akitchen. For example, Victorian is an opulent style marked bycomplex egg-and-dart molding, porcelain pulls, and exposedhinges, while Shaker style is a model of austerity, relying onsimple, recessed frame-and-panel doors, an absence of mold-ing, and the muted colors of milk paint. A gallery of kitchenstyles from traditional to modern is shown starting on page 14.

Whether you choose a traditional architectural style for yourkitchen or a blend of severalstyles, adequate room must be

The supply pipes and drain ofa kitchensink are marked on the wall with the aidof a carpenter\ level (above). The precise

location of the fixtures will then bemarked onto vertical andhorizontal sitestory poles before being transferred to the

story poles for the sink cabinet itself.

you visualize your layout; floor plans and elevations for a typ-ical L-shaped kitchen are shown on page 20. Once you havesettled on the placement of your cabinets, you can divide theirruns into individual cabinets and drawers. While most kitchencabinets adhere to basic dimensional standards inheight (page19), their width and number of doors can be fine tuned toreach a visually well-balanced kitchen design (page 22).

Accuracy is crucial when drafting floor plans and eleva-tions. A site-referenced story pole (page 24) tells you every-thing you need to know about a kitchen wall in precise detail,including the location and size of the cabinets. By using thesesmall lengths of wood for each wall and cabinet, you canproceed from floor plan to cutting list with a minimum oferrors. From there to your dream kitchen it is only a fewmore careful steos.

orovided for work. The kitchen is a work-ihop like any other, and should be laidout with efficiency in mind. You wouldnot think of locating the table saw and aplaner at opposite ends of a workshop;the primarywork centers of a kitchen-in most cases, the sink, refrigerator, andstove/cooking area-are no different.Work triangles (page 17) are one way tominimize the trips between the three.

Arriving at an efficient layout for akitchen in a confined space can be a chal-lenge. Invariably, the size and locationof your kitchen cabinets willhave to beflexible enough to accommodate thelocation of appliances, utilities, windows,and doors. A selection ofbasic layoutoptions is shown on page 18. Draftingscale floor plans and elevations can help

Drawing your kitchen to scale is the best way to experiment with itslayout. The photo at left shows the Jloor plan of an L-shaped kitchen,including the location of cabinets, windows, appliances, and utilities.

It

1 3

Page 16: Kitchen Cabinets

A GALLERY OF KITCHEN STYLESII

\ [ f hile a kitchen should reflect yourY V personal culinary needs and

tastes, its design should not be chosenwithout first addressing a few impor-tant questions. Wiil the style comple-ment or clash with the rest of the house

SHAKER

Many kitchens are Shaker-inspired, butfew are as faithful to Shaker style as thishouse designedby architect Charles AllenHill. With their flat recessed frame-and-panel doors, the cabinets achew ornamen-tation, and evoke the Shalcer's elegant yetutilitarian ethic. There's even a pegboardover the range.

architecturally? A Victorian kitchenwould look out of place in a modernhouse decorated with Mission furniture.Budget is another important consider-ation. The lumber costs alone for anfuts and Crafts-swle kitchen with cher-

ry cabinets and frame-and-panel doorsare beyond the reach of many. Popular,less expensive options include theEuropean-style kitchen, which uses stan-dardized melamine cabinets, or theCountry-style kitchen, in which rustic

III, lIIIIIrIIIIItIIIIIItIII

VICTORIAN

Less opulent than its namesake, thiskitchen designed by Maine architectlohn Gillespie nonetheless features sev-eral hallmarls of the style, most notabftall upper cabinets with tongue-and-groove doors, surface-mounted brasshinges, and porcelain pulls. Note thew ay th e Vi cto ri an m o tifs-cr ow nmolding ornate columns and arches-are carried into adjoining areas ofthe house.

II

Page 17: Kitchen Cabinets

II

ItIIIIIIItItIIttIIIIIIIIII

II

charm can be derived from the minordefects ofaged, recycled wood.

A kitchen design does not have to befaithful to a single style. As the galleryon these pages and the chart on page 16show, several styles can be combined

EUROPEAN

Its hardware out of sight, the European-style cabinet defines the modern kitchen.Its clean, unadorned lines are enhanced byrecessed kghting and plenty ofuncluxeredlaminate countertop. Subtle touches byMaine designer John Scholtz, such as theporcelain frieze and bacl<splash trim andthe ladderback Shaker chairs, lend a warmtone to the immaculate decor.

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

with a careful eye to create a uniquedesign. Blending styles can make yourdesign more flexible: Shaker-stylekitchens are well-adapted to the modu-lar construction of European-style cab-inetry (page26). The discerning choice

of the right materials can also unifr acontrasting kitchen with the surround-ing house. Cherry cabinets, for exam-ple, can provide a graceful transitionbetween a European-style kitchen anda Colonial farmhouse.

c0t0NtAtThis is an ecleaic style that can be evokedas much by decoration as by actual cabi-netry. Framed by exposed timbers, thekitchen at left, designed by Steven Footeof Boston, is a pleasingly modern updateon the style. The brick, pine plank floors,and leaded glazingin the upper wall cabi-nets all contribute to a colonial ambiance.A more explicit reference to the style canbe found in the frame-and-panel doorswith oversized knobs.

l 5

Page 18: Kitchen Cabinets

DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS ()F PERI()D STYLES

tl )

V

C()UNTRYSTYLE

Kaieedframe-and-paneldoor

$IWrought iron hingeo and pullo

SHAKER

Keceseedpaneldoor withpinnedmortiseand tenonjointe

C

Wooden pull Eutterfly hinge Pierced tin panel

-;-_A=_ --_- , i * l ;

I , t l +

ARTS ANDCRAFTS

Leadedglazedwindow

VICT()RIAN 9urface-mountedbraee doorhingea

Porcelain pull Egg-and-dart molding

I

I

I

I

LAYOUT ANI) DESIGN

Page 19: Kitchen Cabinets

PRINCIPLES OF LAYOUTI

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

A successful kitchen depends onA three things: sufficient space towork, adequate lighting over the sinkand cooking areas, and cabinets arrangedso that everything from the cutlery tothe breadbox is at hand. Sometimes thearea destined for the kitchen is woeful-ly inadequate in the first of these threeneeds, Still, with a little creative plan-ning, a functional kitchen can bi laidout in the tightest ofspaces.

The cornerstone of kitchen layout ispositioning the stove, refrigerator, and

sink so they form a triangle (below).Thesmaller the triangle, the more efficientthe use of space. As the illustrations onpage 18 show, there are several layoutoptions for a kitchen. The most pop-ular of these, the U- and L-shapeddesigns, allow for efficient work trian-gles. A large kitchen can benefit fromthe addition of an island, which tightensthe work triangle while freeing upcounter space. Conversely, a single wallor corridor-style layout makes the bestuse of a small space.

All appliances and fixtures come withdimensional requirements of their ownthat should be taken into considerationbefore their positions are fixed. Forexample, a sink should have counterspace ofabout 30 inches on each sidefor washing dishes; a stove should have20 to 24 inches ofspace on both sidesfor uncluttered andsafe cooking. Thedoors of refrigerators, dishwashers, andovens create further demand for space;these appliances should be positionedfully open.

WORK TRIANGLES

U-ahaped

Laying out an etficient kitchenThe three diagrams shown above demonstrate how to apply theprinciple of the work triangle for three different kitchen layouts.For maximum eff ic iency, the perimeter of the tr iangle shouldnot exceed 25 feet; Iess than 20 feet is ideal. Plan your layoutby f i rst drawing your ki tchen to scale, then sketch in the appl i -

ances in di f ferent arrangements unt i l you come up with an eff i -cient and satisfactory use of space. lf possible, lay out the kitchenso the work triangles are clear of household traffic. For furtherease of movement, make sure there is at least 36 inches of clear-ance around any peninsula or is land.

Page 20: Kitchen Cabinets

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

A SELECTION (lF KITCHEN LAYOUT OPTI(INS

SINGLEWALLOood for a amallapartment withemall appliancee

CORRIDORMore efficientthan einqle-wall layout;through traf-fic can bea problem

L.5HAPEDWITH I?LAND)ffere moreefficient worktrianqle thaneimple L-ohapedlayouL; createeoeparate cook-tn1 area

U.5HAPEDThe moat efficientand veraatile kitchenlayout; two blind cor-nere can be a diaad'vantaqe ae they takeup valuable opace

L.qHAPEDMore efficient thaneither corridor orein4le-wall layout;work trtanqle can bekept emall and coun'tera continuoua

Page 21: Kitchen Cabinets

DIMENSIONINGI

I

T

tI

I

T

T

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

Q tandard measurements for kitchenr.J cabinets are derived from humananatomy. For example, countertops arecomfortable for most users when theyare waist-high-typically, three feet offthe floor. Subtracting four-and-a-halfinches for a kickolate and one-and-a-half inches for thi countertoD leaves a30-inch-high cabinet.

Upper cabinets are usually shallowerthan bottom ones for easier access to thecountertop. A general rule of thumb forupper cabinets is to position the bottomof the lowest cabinet at shoulder height.This will fluctuate to allow for a rangehood over the stove or for mountineappliances that used to crowd the counltertop, such as microwaves. You can alsoleave a few inches beneath the cabinetsto accommodate lighting. Allow for aninch or two at the top of the ceiling toadd molding.

Once you have determined the heightand depth of cabinets, you can startdividing the runs on your floor plan andelevations into individual cases with faceframes, doors, and drawers (page 22).Start by positioning the sink and anyother major appliances in the run, thendivide the remainder of the run into cab-inets. Depending on your kitchen needs,these cabinets can be large or small, withone or two doors; they could also consistofa bank ofdrawers. For visual balanceand ease of production, try to make thecabinets proportional, so the width of alarge, two-door cabinet is twice that of asmaller, one-door cabineu 30-38 inch-es is a good width to work with for aIarge cabinet. Also take care to matchthe upper and lower runs. For samplefloor plans and elevations ofan L-shapedkitchen, see pages 20-21.

STANDARD KITCHEN CABINET PR()P(!RTI(|NS AND DIMENSIONS

cabinetVaries withheiqht ofkitchen ceilin4

30-40inchea

)pace -for liqht

15 incheaminimum

Counterbop

24-26inchee

Eackaplaah

32-33incheo

Lowercabinet

Page 22: Kitchen Cabinets

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

FAGE-ON VIEW OF AN I-SHAPED KITCHEN'S SH(]RT WAIL

FACE-ON VIEW OT IONGER WALL

Page 23: Kitchen Cabinets

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Page 24: Kitchen Cabinets

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

I

I

I

DIVIDING A RUN

24 inahea

The illuatration belowshowa how to divide a low-er and upper run of cabi-nete. ln the lower run, thediahwasher and aink arepoeiLioned, then the reat

4-8 inchea widerthan aink

of the run ia divided intoequal caaee. Next, thecaeee are divided intodrawera and doors. lnthie example, the uppercabinet run ia also divided

to match the lower run.For different matchtngeffecte, aee Lhe illuatra-tion at the bottom ofthe paqe.2-inah

sPaae

:, Double eaee ;,)ingle i, Double qase' ,13-19 icaee 1O" 13 '19 iI, inchea wide :,inohes i, incheo,',1ide

" iwide

I 00 0 0I

MATCHING UPPER AND TOWER CABINETS

Matahing top run to bottom Matahing bottom run to top Staggered run

I

I

ttI

I

I

I

I

I

T

t

I

I

t

tI

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

T

I

I

tI

zz

Page 25: Kitchen Cabinets

STORY POLESI

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

Q tory poles are a method of measur-rJ ing kitchen cabinets accurately for amaster cutting list without relying on atape measure or ruler. Carpenters havebeen laying out entire homes on theselong, narrow sticks of wood for cen-turies, and this tried-and-true methodoffers several advantages over standardmeasuring techniques. For one, all mea-surements are marked out full-size, mak-ing an error-free cutting list easier tocalculate than from scale drawings.

Story poles also allow you to visualizeconstruction details more easilv. Bymarking the measurements for each cab-inet on the sticks you have an exact pic-ture of each cabinet; lengths, widths, andpositions ofjoints can allbe marked lat-er on the stock directly, without a tapemeasure introducing error. For ease ofhandling, make your story poles fromwood t/+ inch to 3/+ inch thick and about1r/: inches wide. To see the oencil marksbetter, use light-colored wood.

When laying out a kitchen, site storypoles are first completed for each wallof the kitchen (pnge 24). On the hori-zontal story pole, the location ofevery-thing along that wall is marked: theappliances and cabinets in the run,doors, windows, and any electrical orplumbing fixtures such as outlets or sinkpipes (see photo, page 13). The verticalstory pole shows the height of the kick-plate, lower cabinet, countertop, back-splash, upper cabinet, and ceilingmolding, as well as any windows andelectricalor plumbing fixtures. A depthstory pole provides the depth of kick-plate, cabinet, and countertop overhang.

Once the kitchen has been laid outon story poles, individual story polesare created for each cabinet (page 25).For maximum accuracy, each cabinetshould have three smaller story poles:height, width, and depth, each iefer-enced to the respective site story pole.These shorter story poles willtellyouthe dimensions of your cabinets (right)when it comes time to compile the mas-ter cutting list (page 32).

CABINETSTORYPOLES

Depth atory polelndicatea depth of cab-inet, kickplate, counter-Lop overhan1, andnailinq raile

Width at'ory polelndicatea width ofcabinet, Iocation ofdrawera and doora,and any intermediateface frame attles.Aloo may indicatecutouta for electricalor plumbinq eervicee

Height etory polelndicatea heiqhL of cabinet, kickplate, countertop,and any drawer frame raila. Alao may indicaLecutouts for electrical or plumbina eervicea

Z J

Page 26: Kitchen Cabinets

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

LAYING OUT A KITCHEN WITH STORY POLES

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

1 Making horizontal site polesl -

I Us rng cha l k , ske tch a f u l l - s i ze ou t l i ne o f you r k i t chen l ay -out on the s i te f loor . Mark both the upper and lower cabinetruns , i nd i ca t i ng wh i ch cases w i l l be cab ine ts and wh ich w i l lbe app l i ances . Then c rea te a ho r i zon ta l s i t e s to ry po le f o reach wal l in the k i tchen. On the pole, mark the locat ion of a l lcabinets in both runs (above) and any doors or windows. lf theki tchen wal l is unusual ly long, you can jo in two st icks together+ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ + h ^ l ; ^ + ^ ^ ^ ^L U 5 l i d i l L i l C U t S L d I L C ,

Making vertical site polesFloors and cei l ings are of ten not f la t or level , so you need to

know the min imum distance between the two to p lan the heightof your cabinets. Str ike a level reference l ine on the wal ls aroundthe k i t chen . Then f i nd t he h igh po in t o f t he f l oo r and ho ld t heve r t i ca l s i t e s to ry po le a t t h i s po in t , p l umb to t he re fe rencel i ne . Se t a compass to t he he igh t o f t he k i ckp la te and markth is point on the story pole ( r ight) . Use the compass to makea s im i l a r mark t o reco rd t he he igh t o f any mo ld ing a t t he t opo f t he po le . Now mark t he he igh t o f t he uppe r and l ower cab -i ne t s on the ve r t i ca l po le , as we l l as t he l oca t i on o f any w in -dows on that wal l . Last ly , create a depth story pole for the wal lind icat ing the depth of the cabinets and any other features onthe wal l adiacent to the run.

/ , /

t t

\ /r, / / /-

1 AL.+

Page 27: Kitchen Cabinets

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

Locating electrical andplumbing services

Use a ca rpen te r ' s l eve l t o d raw p lumbl i n e s f r o m t h e l o c a t i o n o f a n y p l u m b i n gor electrical services to the level referenceline (right). Transfer these locations to thehorizontal and vertical site story poles fort he ru n .

/ / :< 1 , ^' - , c - R b

{^\Q, $\ t-'

za-\ /'\\z--J /'1 Horizontalu

t QRb cabineL

{-\F $sJ r- t erort'Pote

\_/r ' I

B3 DRAWERS

B5 DRAWERS

Creating cabinet story polesMake hor izonta l , ver t ica l , and depth

story poles for each cabinet, then referenceeach to i ts respect ive si te pole for the runthe cab ine t i s in . In the example shownat left, the horizontal story pole for a bankof drawers is being referenced to its hori-zontal s i te pole. Mark out the detai ls ofthe cabinet in this case, the face framera i l s and s t i les w i th in the cab ine t w id th .0n the vert ical story pole, mark the heightof the kickplate, countertop, backsplash,upper cabinet, and cei l ing molding, as wel las any windows and electr ical or plumb-ing services. Mark the depth of k ickplate,cabinet, and countertop overhang on thedepth pole. Be sure to label al l poles care-f ul ly to avoid conf usion later.

25

Page 28: Kitchen Cabinets

tI

I

I

I

rtI

I

7

I

- ' t l

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

Page 29: Kitchen Cabinets

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

tI

uilt-in kitchen cabinets are rela-tively recent arrivals in domestic

kitchens. Traditionally, kitchen cup-boards were freestanding units withframe-and-panel construction and faceframes, much like the china cabinet inthe parlor. Yet by the turn ofthe centu-ry, the switch to built-ins had alreadybegun. It accelerated during the post-WW II housing boom in Europe, whenthe construction of millions of newhomes prompted the development ofnew wood products, tools, and tech-niques that saved labor and materials.No room in the house benefitted fromthese advances more than the kitchen.

The development of pll.rvood, parti-cleboard, fiberboard, and other manu-factured sheet goods made assemblyJineproduction of large and rigid cabinets

CASEWORK

An appliance bay is a tidy way to keepa countertop free of clutter. Blenders,

cffie makers, toasters, and other smallappliances can be kept out of sightbut readily accessible. While the

appliance bay shown above featureslouvered doors, space can be savedby using tambour doors (page 40).

and other hardware can then be added tocreate an appropriate style.

While the wide availability of mate-rials such as medium density fiberboardhas simplified casework, sheet goodsstill have an Achilles' heel: their edgesare unattractive and need to be hidden.Laminate board can be edged with hard-wood strips (page 48)or laminate edgebanding (page a9). The traditional faceframe (page 50), a solid-wood frame con-sisting ofrails and stiles that is attachedto the front of the finished case, is anoth-er way to hide the edges of man-madeboards. More importantly, the face framecan impart a traditional, handcraftedfeel to the kitchen.

Shelving and storage are key consid-erations in casework construction. Forexample, a bank of graduated drawers-

possible. The European 32-millimeter system-so called theidealsolutionforcutleryandkitchenutensils-shouldnotbecause allthe holes for drawer slides, dowels, shelf supports, be an afterthought if you are using face frames on your cabi-and hinges are spaced 32 millimeters apart-was revolution- nets. (For more on drawers, see chapter three.) Adjustableary in design. Its modular, predrilled melamine cabinets offered shelves (page 38) can add flexibility to your cabinets, enablingunparalleled flexibility. It also made the modern kitchen afford- you to store oversized bulk goods and adapt to changing culi-able: Even the most modest home could now be outfitted with nary needs. They are also simple to install if you drill the sup-a full complement of sleek kitchen cabinets. port holes before assembling the cases. Another modern storage

Building these cases is mainly a matter of cutting the stock idea, the lazy Susan (page 42), makes good use of a perennialto size and then joining it using one of the techniques shown weak spot in the kitchen: the lower corner cupboard. An appli-on pages 33 to 37; the chart on page 3 I will help you choose ance bay (photo above and page 40) is a separate piece of case-from available materials. Face frames. doors, drawer fronts, work in its own rieht.

Accurately cutting sheet goods to size can be a tricky task. In the photo at left, apanel-cutting circular saw attachment is being used to rip a sheet of melamine

for a kitchen cabinet. The Exqct-T-Guide model shown features a T-square-typeguide that rides in a U-shaped channel screwed to the edge of a plywood base.

I

t

IM{l.-,,*rT:ih

-ffi

27

Page 30: Kitchen Cabinets

ANATOMY OF A KITCHEN CABINET CASE

f1 itchen cabinets should be kept asA. basic as possible. Using sheet goods(page 31) and simple joinery techniqueswill keep the time and expense of build-ing and installing a kitchen's worth ofcabinets to a minimum. Although theirconstruction is simple, it is importantthat the cases be well-built. Drawers,doors, and countertops will all be easierto fit if the casework is strong, straight,and square. Spending a little extra timein the building stage will save much frus-tration during installation.

The anatomies below and on thefacing page show basic cabinet con-struction. Use the measurements fromyour cabinet story poles (page 25) tocut the stock for each cabinet to size.The sides ofthe bottom cabinet canextend right down to the floor, or youcan install leveler legs (page 44) thatwill hold a clip-on kickplate. At thist ime, i t is a good idea to cut al l thegrooves for the back panels, and tobore holes for any adjustable shelving(page 38).

Ifyou are after a traditional look,solid-wood face frames can be addedafter the cabinets are built. If you do notchoose face frames, the exposed edge ofthe olr.r,vood must be covered with somesorf o?banding, either laminate or solidwood. Whiie there are many ways to joinboards, efficiency favors certain meth-ods. Biscuit, lock miter, tongue-and-groove joints and ready-to-assemble--orRTA-fasteners, can all be used to pro-duce joints that combine ease of instal-lation with accuracy and strength.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

UPPER CASES

Holea foradjuotableshelving

Page 31: Kitchen Cabinets

Counteftopnailer

Face frame(paqe 50)

LOWER CASES

\

CASEWORK

tII

I

I

I

I

I

tI

rI

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

RTA fastener Eiaauit joint Loak miter joint

Page 32: Kitchen Cabinets

BUILDING MME,RIALS

f raditionally, all cabinets were builtI ent i relv oisol id wood. But close

examination of anticue furniture canoffer an instructive suiprise. Yesterday'swoodworkers often used less attractivewoods like poplar and pine for hiddenparts such as drawer sides and cabinet

From the economical to the expensive,a uast array of sheet goods is available

for use in casework. The photo at leftshows e selection of sheet goods, includ-ing samples of melamine-coated parti-cle board, medium density fiberboard,and veneered olvwood.

backs;there was no point in putting wal-nut and cherry where it would never beseen. Today, cabinetmakers stillsave thecherry and walnut for the drawer fronts,but they rely on man-made sheet goodsfor the insides of the cabinets. Not onlydothey save money and conserve resources,but sheet goods also outperform woodin terms of dimensional stability.

The chart below offers an overview ofdifferent materials used in making kitchencabinets, from melamine to plyr,vood tosolid wood. Each has its own strengthsand weaknesses. The challenee is tochoose the best product for eachiompo-nent and for the style ofyour cabinets.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

ttI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

rI

I

CASEWORK MATERIATS

MATERIAL

GABINET-GRADE PLYWOOD(softwood veneer core)

Rotary cut

Oak, ash

Maple, birch

Walnut

Pine, poplar, alder

C()MPOSITE

Medium densityfiberboard (MDF)

Particleboard

Melamine

hardwood veneer

Plainsawn veneer Hieh

SOLID WOOD

Cheny

RELATIVE C()ST

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate to low

Moderate to low

Moderate to high

LOW

Moderate

Low

Moderate

CHARACTERISTICS

Easy to work, very strong and dimensionally stable; face veneer not as attractiveas plainsawn variety. Edges must be faced with solid wood; needs little sanding.

Same as above but face veneer resembles edge-joined boards.

One of the finest cabinet woods. Reddish-brown color darkens with age;f inegrained texture accepts natural finishes well. Moderately diff icult to work;resins in the wood can leave burn marks.

Strong, stable hardwoods with prominent, open grain; accepts natural finishes well.

Straight-grained, stable hardwoods that provide a smooth finish. Density canmake these woods di f f icul t to work; maple in part icular can blunt tools.

Choice cabinet wood with r ich color and grain; easi ly worked with al l handand power tools; accepts natural finishes well.

Much softer ihan above woods, yet just as stable. Easy to work but also easilydamaged. Very l i t t le f igure; typical ly f in ished with paint.

Strong and dimensional ly stable; edges easy to rout, shape, or groove;avai lable with plywood face veneers. Can be f inished or painted with l i t t leor no sanding. Some variet ies can emit toxic fumes when sawn; use ofcarbidet ipped tools is recommended.

Slightly less strong and stable than MDF; holds fasteners poorly. More difficultto work and finish; available with plywood face veneers.

Common term for plywood or part ic le board surfaced with a hard plast iclaminate; comes in a variety of colors. Tough and long-lasting; only as strongas its substrate.

30

Page 33: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

TYPES OF PLYWOOD

Types of plywoodThe basic design of al l p lywood is the same: a core coveredon both sides by layers of crossbanding and a face veneer.The most common type has a veneer core. All softwood plywoodsare made this way, and they are stable, warp-resistant, andinexpensive. Hardwood plywoods can also be made with sol idlumber or part ic leboard cores. The middle ply of lumber-coreplywood consists of several narrow str ips of sol id wood-usu-al ly mahogany, poplar, or basswood-edge-glued together.Part ic leboard-core plywood has a sol id core of part ic leboard

PLYWOOD FACE VENEER GRADES

HARDWOOD PTYWOOD

Premium Face veneer with well-matched seamsand smooth surface; made of specifichardwood, such as walnut or mahogany.Even color and grain

Good Face veneer similar to premium,but not as well matched. Free ofsharp contrasts in color and grain

Sound Face veneer smooth, but not matchedfor color or grain; defects only on backveneer. Generally intended for painting

Utility Veneers have rough grain and mayhave knotholes up to % inch, as well assome discoloration, staining, and slightsplits, Not matched for color or grain

Back May have larger defects than utilitygrade, but none that impair panelstrength. Not matched for color or grain

Specialty Made to order to meet specificrequirements, such as separate panelswith matching grain patterns

or med ium dens i ty f iberboard . Lumber -core p lywood ho ldsna i ls and screws bes t and is p re fe rab le where add i t iona lstrength and f latness are required. "Cabinet-qual i ty" plywoodswith suoerior face veneers are recommended for v is ible sur-faces such as doors and drawer faces. There are two broad cat-egories of cabinet-qual i ty plywood: rotary sawn and plainsawn.Whi le equa l in s t rength , p la insawn p lywood can resemble ag lued-up so l id wood pane l , wh i le ro ta ry sawn veneer i s eas i l yidentif ied as plywood.

S()FTWOOD PTYW()OD

Sanded smooth; can takea clear finish; face veneer matched forgrain and color, free of open defects

Sanded smooth; can take a naturalf in ish, but is more often painted

Smooth and sanded; may haveminor spl i ts

Smooth; may have some broken grain,sanding defects and knotholes up to% inch

Sanded; simi lar to C grade, but knot-holes and sol i ts are smal ler

Used mainly for inner pl ies and backveneer; may have knot holes up to2% inches

c

C Plugged

D

3 l

Page 34: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

Making a cutting listMaking a master cutt ing l ist for a ki tchenf u l l o f cab ine ts may seem l i ke a daunt ingtask, yet i f you have been scrupulous aboutmarking accurate story poles for all your cabi-nets, then deducing a cutt ing l ist is relat ivelystraightforward. Write a separate cutting listfor each cabinet on an index card (lefil.f,Aakea rough sketch of the cabinet and jot down alist of all the components and materials, tak-ing their measurements from the cabinet 'sstory poles (page 2fl To avoid confusion laieron, make sure to label the card the same asyour cabinet. The master cutting list can thenbe calculated based on the requirements list-ed on al l the cards. To speed things up at thelumberyard, you may wish to create separatemaster lists for solid stock and sheet stock.

IIItIIItIIIIIIIIIttIIIIIIIIItI

I

t

ESTIMATING BOARD FEET

CASE

I22%"

IFACE FRAME

II

31%"

IIi

Nailer:4@2B%" X 4" X%"

Baak panel:3U/' 'X 29',1" X',/"

1ide:2@51t/r" X 22" X'/o"

Stile:2@31'/"" X 2" X'/o"

Median rail:271" X 2" X%"

Rail:2@26',/; ' X 2" X%"

CATCULATING BOARD FEET

0rdering lumber by the board footThe "board foot" is a unit of measurement used tocalculate the volume of a given amount of stock. ltis commonly used with hardwood lumber. As shownin the illustration at righi, the standard board foot isequivalent to a piece that is I inch thick, 12 incheswide, and 12 inches long. To calculate the numberof board feet in a piece of wood, multiply its threedimensions together. Then, divide the result by 144if the drmensrons are in inches, or by 12 if just onedimension is in feet.

The formula for a standard board:1" x 12" xI2" + I44 = I(o r 1 " x 12" x 1 '+ 12 = 1)So, if you had a 6{oot-long plank that is 1 inch thickand 4 inches wide, you would calculate the boardfeet as fol lows: 1 " x 4" x 6' + 12 = 2 (or 2 board feet).Other examoles are shown in the illustration.Remember that board feet are calculated on thebasis of the nominal rather than actual dimensionsof the stock; consequently, the board feet containecin a2-by-4 that actually measures ll|-by-3/zincheswould be calculated using the larger dimensions.

1" x 12" x 12" = 1 aLandard board foot

R t

2-by-6=Bboardfeet

2-by-4 = 5% board feet

1-W12=Bboardfeet

1-W-6=4boardfeet

1-W-3=2boardfeet

32

Page 35: Kitchen Cabinets

BUILDING THE CASESIIIIIIIIIIItI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

rI

I

I

I

I

A fter you have calculated a masterf\ cutting list for your cabiners, youare finally ready to start building them,As you cut the materials to size, careful-ly mark each piece to indicate which cab-inet it belongs to. Then cut the groovesfor the back panels and bore the holesfor any adjustable shelving (page 38).

With this groundwork done, assem-bly is largely a matter of choosing a join-ery method. If you are comfortable withyour table saw, tongue-and-groovejoints (page j5) are agood choice. Thosewell-versed in using a plate jointer maywant to join their cases with biscuits(below), a joint equal in strength to thetongue-and-groove. Ifyou have a shaperor a very solid router table and a heary-duty router, lock miter joints (page 36)are solid, durable, and easy to cut. Ifspace in your workshop is at a premi-um or if you need to disassemble andmove your cabinets, ready-to-assemble-or RTA-fasteners (page 37) may bethe best choice.

JOINING CASES WITH BISCUITS

Cutting sheet goods such as melamine on the table saw often results in roughedges, chipping and tearout. Installed on a table saw's arbor, the Modulus scor-ing saw attachment shown above features a smaller blqde that cleanly scoresthe sheet before the main blade cuts it, resulting in a professional, smooth cut.

1 Marking the slot locationsI For each cabinet, identify the outsideface of al l four panels with an X, thenmark location lines for the biscuit slots oneach of the four corners. (On lower cabr-nets, which typical ly do not have a toppanel, mark the locat ion l ines betweenthe countertop nai lers and the side pan-els.) To start, place one side panel out-side-face down on a work surface andhold the top panel at a 90" angle to i t .Use a penci l to mark l ines on the adjoin-ing panels about2 inches in from eachcorner (lefil. Mark additional lines aboutevery 4 to 6 inches. Repeat to mark slotlocations on the other three corners of thecase. Add reference letters to help vouidentify the corners.

33

Page 36: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

r') Cutting the slotsL m" setup shown above wi l l a l low you to cut the slots forone mating corner of the case without moving the panels. Placea side panel of the case outside-face down on a work surface,then set the top panel outside-face up on top. Offset the toppanel f rom the edge of the side panel by the stock thicknessand clamp the panels in place; make sure the mating slot loca-tion marks on the two preces of stock are perfectly aligned. Setthe proper depth of cut on the plate joiner fol lowing the manu-

facturer 's instruct ions. To cut the slots in the top panel, buttthe tool 's faceplate against the end of the top panel, al igningthe guidel ine on the faceplate with a slot locat ion mark andrest ing the tool on a support board the same thickness as thestock. Cut a slot at each mark (above, lef i l . fo cut the matingslots in the side panel, butt the joiner 's base plate against thetop panel and al ign the center guidel ine on the plate with a slotlocation mark (above, right).

ItIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItIIItIIItItII

Q Cutting slots for a partitionrJ Vert ical part i t ions or f ixed shelvesbetween case sides can also be joined withbiscuits. Use a framing square to lay outthe thickness of the partition on the mat-ing panels, then lay the part i t ion atop oneof the panels with its lower edge alignedwi th the layout l ine . C lamp the assem-bly to a work surface. Cut the slots in thepanel and part i t ion as in step 2 above.Reoeat to make the slots at the other endof the part i t ion and the second matingpanel (righil. Since some plate joiners cutslots sl ight ly off center, keep the sameside of the partition face-up for both cuts.

Faceplate

Top panel

)upport board

)ide panel

Layout linea

Eottom panel

34

Page 37: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

tII

I

I

I

I

tIIIIIItIItIItI

JOINING CASES WITH TONGUE-AND-GROOVE J()INTS' l Setting up the table sawI Use a dado head on a tab le saw tocut grooves in the side panels and tonguesin the too and bo t tom oane ls . Cut thegrooves f i rst . Instal l a dado head set tohalf the thickness of the stock, and attachan aux i l ia ry wood fence to suppor t theworkp iece dur ing the cu t . Bu i t ing a s idepanel against the fence as shown, sl ide ther io fence toward the blade unt i l the out-side face of the workpiece is in l ine withthe edge of the saw blade (right). LasIly,se t the b lade he igh t equa l to ha l f thethickness of the stock.

9ide panel

Cutting the grooveLav the s ide oanel ins ide- face down

on the saw tab le and bu t t i t s too endagainst the auxi l iary wood fence. Use themiter gauge equipped with an extensionto feed the panel into the blades (left),pressing the workpiece against the fencethroughout the cut. Keep your hands wel laway from the blades. Repeat the cut forthe bottom end of the oanel.

35

Page 38: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

Q Cutting the tonguesr.J To cut tongues in the top and bottompane ls , f i r s t unp lug the saw and add aspacer to the dado head. Lower the bladesbelow the table surface and move theauxi l iary wood fence so i t overlaps thecutters sl ight ly. Turn on the saw and raisethe dado head to cut a notch in the auxi l -ia ry fence. Set the he igh t o f the dadohead and i t s w id th o f cu t equa l to ha l fthe stock thickness. With the top paneloutside-face up on the table saw, buttone side against the fence. Feed the pan-el into the cutters (right), applying slightpressure toward the fence throughout theoperat ion. Repeat for the other side ofthe top panel and the bottom panel.

JOINING CASES WITH A LOCK MITER JOINT

Making the cutsIns ta l l a lock mi te r b i t tn your rou ter and mount the too l in atable. Attach a notched auxi l iary fence and screw an extensionto the miter gauge. Set the bi t height so the uppermost cutteris centered on the end of the oanel with the panel f lat on thetable. Posit ion the auxi l iary fence so the bi t wi l l miter the stockwithout shortening i t . Next, make test cuts in two pieces of ply-wood scrap the same th ickness as your pane ls . But t ing one

piece of scrap against the fence and the mi ter gauge extension,feed it into IhebiI (above, left).fo cut the mating piece, clampa guide b lock to i t to r ide atop the fence. Then feed the boardon end into Ihe bit bbove, right), keeping it f lush against thefence wi th one hand whi le pushing i t and the guide b lock for-ward wi th the other . Test the f i t and adjust the posi t ion of thefence as necessary before making the cuts in the case panels.

I

I

I

tI

tI

tIIIIIIIIIIIIIItIIIIItI

tI

*

36

Page 39: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

tI

I

I

T

T

rI

I

I

I

I

I

T

rI

tI

I

I

tI

ttI

T

I

I

I

I

USI NG READY-TO-ASSEMBLE FASTENERS

' l Preparing the holesI To join a case with ready-to-assemble or RTA fasteners,f i rst dry assemble the f in ished case and secure i t squarely withclamps (page 47). To help posit ion the fasteners, draw l ines onthe sides of the case indicat ing the center of the top and bot-tom panels. ( ln the example shown, the bottom of the case isse t 4 inches f rom the f loor . )Whi le spec ia l s tepped dr i l l b i t sare ava i lab le to bore the p i lo t ho les and counters ink them ina s ing le s tep , a s imp le a l te rna t ive is to use two d i f fe ren t -

sized bi ts. Start with a bi t s l ight ly wider than the base of thefastener; wrap a length of tape around the bi t to mark thedesired depth-sl ight ly more ihan the length of the fastenerbase. Dr i l l a ser ies o f counters ink ho les to the appropr ia tedepth, spacing the holes about 5 inches apart . Then instal l abi t s l ight ly smal ler than the fastener shank to dr i l l the pi lotho les . Mark the appropr ia te depth w i th mask ing tape, thenbore the holes hbovd.

Instal I ing the fastenersl f you wish to move your cabinets

from one ki tchen to another (or i f yourcabinets are large and you intend to dis-assemble them before transport ing themto the ins ta l la t ion s i te ) , s imp ly d r ive afastener in each predrilled hole (lefil.fhefasteners can be removed later and thecabinets knocked down for easy trans-port . l f you want to instal l your cabinetspermanently, then remove the clampsand apply glue to the mating edges of theloints before dr iv ing the fasteners.

37

Page 40: Kitchen Cabinets

SHELVINGAND STORAGE

/l ooks seldom complain about hav-U ing too much storige space in theirkitchens. Appliances, pots, cans, spiceracks, cookbooks, and dishes all seem toconspire to fill every nook and cranny ofavailable space. Efficient shelving andstorage devices can create a surprisingamount of space simply by keepingthings organized. For example, theheight of adjustable shelves (below) can

From towel racks to slide-out garbagebins, there are many commercial stor-age devices on the market designed toreduce time spent rummaging in lowercabinets. The photo at left shows slide-out shelving mounted on drawer slides.

be changed to accommodate different-sized dry goods or dishes. Corner cabi-nets are particularly prone to wastingvaluable space; items at the veryback ofsuch cabinets tend to be forgotten. A lazySwan (page42) is an elegant solution tothis problem: Its two round shelvesrotate around a central shaft, making allthe contents readily accessible.

Appliance clutter is another commonkitchen complaint. Certain appliancesthat see frequent use, such as toasters,coffee makers, and blenders, often crowdthe countertop. An appliance bay witha sliding tambour door (page 40) pro-vides a tidy place to keep these kitchenconveniences plugged in and out ofsight,vet easilv accessible.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

T

I

I

I

INSTATTING ADJUSTABTE SHELF SUPPORTS

1 Drill ing holes for the sleevesI Adjustable shelving requires two parallel rows of holes to bedrilled in the side panels of the cabinet case. The commercial jigshown above allows you to bore holes at 1-inch intervals andensures that corresponding holes will be perfectly aligned. Set aside panel inside{ace up on a work surface and clamp the jig tothe edges of the panel; the holes can be any distance from thepanel edges, but about 2 inches in would be best for the panelsshown. Fit your drill with a bit the same diameter as the sleeves

and instal l a stop col lar to mark the dr i l l ing depth equal to thesleeve lengh. Starting at either end of one of the jig's rails, placethe appropriate bushing in the f i rst hole of the bushing carr ier.(The bushing keeps the bit perfectly square to the workpiece.)Holding the drill and carrier, bore the hole. Drill a series of evenlyspaced holes along both rails. Remove the jig and repeat for theother side panel of the case, careful ly posi t ioning the j ig so theholes wi l l be al igned with those in the f i rst panel.

38

Page 41: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

T

I

I

I

tI

T

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

|llr fil] rll1 llli illl rll1 lllt llll illl llll ill] lll1 ljlr llll lltl llll llll llll5HO? TI?A ohop-made shelfdrill inq jiqIheT-ehapedjiq ohown aNriqhlwi l l a l lowyou No bore a rowof evenly opacedholee ae accurately aea commercial jig. MakeNhe jiq from 1-by-3 stock,beinq careful lo screw Ihefence and arm togeLher aN aperfect 90" angle. Mark a line downlhe center of the arm and bore holesalonq it at 2-inch inNervale wilh thesame biL you would use for thread'ed sleeves.To uset.he 1iq, clamp iLto a

r) Mounting the sleeves and supportsZ. To instal l the threaded sleeves with-out damaging them, use a sleeve-sett ingounch. Place a sleeve on the end of thepunch and push the sleeve f i rmly intoone of the holes in a side panel (above).Insert a sleeve into each hole you havedri l led, then screw shelf supports intothe sleeves at each desired shelf locatron.

oide panel with lhe fence buLted againel,.:e i ther end o l the oanel andthe marked Y

center l ine 2 inches in from i te edge.FiN your drill bil with a otoV collar, bore Nheholee, and, repooition Nhe jiq for each new row.

39

Page 42: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

BUILDING AN APPLIANCE BAY

1 Milling tambour slatsI Start by cutting the tambour stock to size; make thelength of the stock equal to the width of the tambour doorplus % inch. Then plane the stock to a thickness equal tothe desired width of the slats; typical ly % to I inch. Mi l lthe slats in three steps (right). First, jornt the edges of thestock (,4). Next, use a Yo-inch rounding over bit to shapethe two long edges of the stock on your router table (B).Final ly, r ip a /o- to %-inch-thick str ip from each edge tomake the first two slats (C); use a push stick to keep yourf ingers away from the blade. Joint the stock again, thenrepeat the last two steps until you have enough slats tomake the tambour door. The combined height of the slatsshould total 2 or 3 inches more than the height of the dooropening. Tr im al l the slats to length.

r') Gluing the slats to a backingZ t l r" l ightweight canvas as backing for the slats. Stretchthe canvas over a piece of melamine and pul l i t taut, smooth-ing ou t a l l the wr ink les . Secure i t in p lace w i th s tap les . Tohelp al ign the slats, screw three boards to the plywood tofo rm a U-shaped j ig . The dev ice shou ld be as w ide as thes l a t s a r e l o n g a n d p e r f e c t l y s q u a r e . S l i d e a l l t h e s l a t s i n t o

place then screw a fourth board to close the top of the j ig.Remove the s la ts and app ly an even coat o f wh i te g lue tothe canvas. Glue the slats back in place hbovd, then weightthem down to get a good bond. Let the assembly dry over-n igh t . Unscrew the j ig and t r im the excess canvas w i th asharo kn i fe .

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

T

T

T

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

40

Page 43: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

T

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

rI

tI

I

I

tI

I

I

-) Routins the tambour track<

r . , l Start ing at the bottom of the panel,draw the desired shape of the tambour doort rack on one o f the case s ides . Fash iona temola te tha t coo ies the ins ide l ine o fthis track. Place the template atop the cases i d e , a l i g n i n g i t w i t h t h e t r a c k ' s i n s i d el ine . Ins ta l l a top-p i lo ted f lush t r immingbit in your router; the diameter of the bi tshou ld be %u inch grea ter than the th ick -ness o f the door . Set the rou ter on thetemplate and adjust the cutt ing depth tomake a /a - inch-deep groove; use sh imsunder the pattern i f necessary. Rout thetrack (right), keeping the bearing pressedaga ins t the pa t te rn th roughout the cu t .To rout the tambour track in the oooositecase side, turn the pattern over and repeat.

Installing the doorOnce the sides are prepared you can

assemble the case for the appl iance bay.Make the width of the case equal to theleng th o f t he s l a t s p lus t he th i ckness o ft he s ides , l ess t he comb ined dep th o fthe grooves. (Also add Xu inch to g ive thedoor a b i t o f p lay. ) Note that the appl iancebay has no top or bot tom; i t is designedto f i t between the counter top and uppercabinet , and the lack of a bot tom panelmakes i t eas ie r t o s l i de t he app l i ance i nand out . To insta l l the tambour door , t i l tt he case on to i t s back , t hen s imp ly s l i dethe door from the bottom (/eft). The bottomo f t he doo r w i l l r es t on the coun te r andi t s we igh t w i l l ho ld i t up when opened ,therefore no stops or la tches are requi red.

Template Shim

-=t

4 I

Page 44: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

INSTALTING A LAZY SUSAN

1 Finding the pivot pointI A lazy Susan's trays rotate around acentral post screwed to the top and bot-tom of a corner cabinet. To locate thepivot point of the shaft, place one of thetrays on the f loor of the cabinet andadjust it so its circumference clears thetwo back panels by about 1 inch. Slide apencil in the tray's shaft hole and tracea circle. (The manufacturer may providea positioning template to make this stepeasier.) Then use a framing square tolocate the point in the circle that is thesame distance from each back panelhbovd. This is the pivot point. Transferthese measurements to the top panel-or the nailer if the cabinet has no top.

r') Centering the pivot bracketsI Center the lower pivot bracket on thepivot point (right),then screwthe hardwarein place. Turn the cabinet upside downand repeat to install the upper bracket.

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tTI

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

42

Page 45: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

tI

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tITI

5HO7 Tt?5lide-out shelvesthelvee that elide oul of aaabinet not only reduce backeNrain andlime soenNru m m a qin 4 thr o u 4h I ow e rcabinern, thay aleo increa*usable atoraqe epace. Tokeep lhe aonlente of lheshelves from elidinq off, qlueedqinq otripa cut from 5/+-

inch hardwood etockto Nheshelf s ides and ende. lneLal lbottom-mounted shelfs l ides a6 you would for adrawer (paAe O7).

r') Installing the post and traysI For the model of lazy Susan shown,the post consists of two telescopingrods that are extended to fit the cabinetonce the trays are slid in place. Slide thelower tray onto the post (rnset), followedby the collet and upper tray. Place thepost in the bottom pivot bracket, thenextend the rod upward so its top fits in theupper pivot bracket. Tighten the lockingscrew. Next, position the upper tray atthe desired height and mark its locationon the post. Lift the tray and align the topof the collet with the mark. Tighten thecollet in place (above), then lower theupper tray into position.

43

Page 46: Kitchen Cabinets

ASSEMBLING THE CABINETS

{ l. you have cut the componenents of.l- your cabinets accurately, assemblingthem will be a straishtforward task.While the procedurishown 0n pages46-47 is based on biscuit joints, gluingand clamping is identical for most oth-er ioinerv methods.

Ifyour cabinets do not have sides thatextend below their bottom panels, youwillneed to installlegs to support them.Commercial leveler legs (below) arequickly bolted in place and allow you toinstall a level run of cabinets on anuneveu floor. They also accommodatea bracket for a clip-on kickplate.

Hiding the edges of nelantirte or ply-wood cabinets is essettial for cr clean,professional look. Here n lantinotetrintmer ctts solid wood edging flushwith the sides of a cabinet. For ntoreon edge treatntents, see pages 48-49.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

INSTALLING ADJUSTABLE LEGS

1 Dr i l l ing holes for the leg bol tsI Posi t ion the less on the cabinet bot-toms so that when the k ickplate is c l ippedonto the f ront legs @age 104), i t wi l l beinse t f r om the cab ine t ' s f r on t edge byabou t 4 i nches . The l egs shou ld a l so beset in f rom the s ides of the cabinet by thesame amount . The s imple l ipped j ig showna t r i gh t w i l l he lp you bo re t he ho les f o rt he l eg bo l t s i n exac t l y t he same p laceon a l l cab ine ts . To make the j i g , sc rewtwo oieces of l - inch-souare stock to onecorner of a p iece of p lywood. Mark a l ine4 inches p lus the th ickness of the krck-p la te f r om the i ns ide edge o f each l i p ,then dr i l l a hole in the p lywood where thel ines in tersect . Make the holes for the legsby ho ld ing the j i g i n pos i t i on and d r i l l i nga hole in each corner of the cabinet bot-tom panel (right).

44

Page 47: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

r) Attaching the leg basesL tav the bottom panel face-down ona work surface. lnsert a bolt with a washerth rough one o f the ho les you dr i l led inthe previous step, and thread one of theleg bases onto the bolt . Holding the baseso that i ts round surface faces the frontof the cabinet (r ight) , t ighten the boltsnugly. Then instal l the other leg bases.

Inserting the legsThe f inal step is to insert the legs

in the bases. The type of leveler legshown at left has matching grooves andridges. Simply place the leg in the baseand push down l igh t ly wh i le tu rn ingunt i l i t snaps into place. The leg heightcan then be adjusted when the cabinetis installed @age 104).

45

Page 48: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

GTUING AND CLAMPING THE CABINETS

' l Assembling the first cornerI Lay one of the cabinet sides face-upon a work surface, insert glue in each bis-cu i t s lo t , and add the cor rec t -s ized b is -cui ts. Apply glue to the exposed biscuits,then f i t the cabinet bottom onto the sidepane l , match ing the b iscu i ts and s lo ts .

r) Adding the nai lersL non the bottom panel in place witha 90" c lamp or a combina t ion o f hand-screws and clamps as shown in the nexts tep . App ly g lue in the s lo ts fo r the rearand countertop nai lers and place the bis-cui ts in the slots. Apply glue to the nai lerse n d c p i t h p m i n n l a r p l n q p r i 2 q n 2 a p r

between the rear nailers to create a gapbetween the two that wi l l a l low you toslide the back into place (step 4). Clampthe assembly togelher (rrght).

-\\.--.-t-.---

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tItI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

Page 49: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

rI

I

I

I

I

I

rI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

Clamping the cabinetWi th t he cab ine t s t i l l on i t s s i de ,

s l ide i t so that one edge extends of f thework su r face . Remove the 90 " c l ampho ld ing the bo t tom and i ns ta l l a ba rc lamp ac ross t he f ron t o f t he cab ine t ,a l ign ing r t wr th the bot tom panel . Repeatth i s n roced r r re t o sec r r re t he res t o f t hecase. You wi l l need f rve bar c lamps: twofor the case bottom and one each for thetwo coun te r top na i l e r s and uppe r rea rnai ler Protect the s ide nanels wi th woodp a d s ; p l a c e a l - i n c h w o o d c h i p u n d e rthe bot tom pads to focus some of thepressure midway between the edges oft he pane l . Make su re a l l edges a re f l ushand check the cabinet for square beforet i g h t e n i n g t h e c l a m p s . F i n a l l y , s e t t h eassembly on the f loor and s l ide the backpanel into post|on (righil.

Q Instal l ing the second sider-,, Apply glue to the exposed edges ofthe bottom panel and the nai lers. Insertthe b iscu i ts , then se t the second s idepanel atop the assembly (/eft).

o

o o

o o

o o

o o

o o

o o

o

o

47

Page 50: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

SOLID W(IOD EDGING

r) Install ing the edgingL Vttt", the strips al a 45'angle on eachend. Tr im the edging to f i t as you insta l l i t .F i r c t e r r t t hp ods ino f n r t he l onses t s i desL ' ' v v v 6 r I r b

to the exact height of the cabinet . Spreada th in bead of g lue on the mat ing sur faces,and fasten the edging to the cabinet wi thf in ish ing nai ls and a nai l gun ( r ight)or ahammer . l f you a re us ing a hammer , d r i l lp i l o t ho les f o r t he na i l s t o avo id sp l i t t i ngthe wood. Cut the top and bot tom pieces

sl ight ly longer than the width of the cabi -ne t , t hen t r im them un t i l t hey f i t . G luea n d n a i l t h e m i n p l a c e . F i n a l l y , t r i m t h eedg ing f l ush w i th t he cab ine t us ing arouler (photo, page 44).

1 Making the edgingI Make sol id wood edging by r ipping i tf rom a p iece of s tock s l ight ly th icker thanyou r cab ine t pane l s ; t h i s w t l l a l l ow you

to t r im i t f l ush a f t e r i ns ta l l a t i on . P lane alength of hardwood stock such as mapleor oak to the desi red th ickness. Set ther ip fence on your table saw to cut a %-inch{hick st r ip . Feed the workpiece intothe blade (left), keeptng l ight pressure

aga ins t t he f ence ; f i n i sh t he cu t w i t h apush b lock. Rip four p ieces of edging foreach cabinet , cut t ing them s l ight ly longerthan the cab ine t .

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

4B

Page 51: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

tIIIIIItIIIIItI

C()MMERCIAT EDGE BANDING

1 Applying commercial edge bandingI Commercial edge banding is anothermethod of hiding the edges of melamine;simply choose a color that matches yourcabinets. The commercial edge-bandingunit shown at r ight works by feeding thepanel along a fence; an adjustable heatermelts the banding's adhesive just before itcontacts the edge of the panel. Practiceon some scrap stock unt i l you f ind a tem-oerature and feed rate that works wel l .An inexpensive but more t ime-consumingalternat ive is to instal l commercial edgeband ing on your cab ine ts us ing an i ronset on high heat, making sure you do notlet the iron rest in one place.

r') Trimming the edges of the bandingZ nttne ends, push the banding aroundthe corner with the f lat s ide of a chiselto b reak i t c lean ly , then cu t i t o f f w i tha downward s l i ce o f the ch ise l . Use anedge trimmer to trim the edges. The modelshown features two spring-mounted razorcutters and can fit any panel between %eand 1 inch th ick . P lace the t r immer onthe edge o f the pane l a t one end andsqueeze the two edges together, then pull itslowly and smoothly along the edge (left).You can also use a wide, very sharp chiselfor the job. Hold the tool flat to the panel,45" to the edge, and move a long in asingle stroke-one for each side of thepanel. Finish with ei ther sandpaper or asmooth file for a perfectly flush edge.

49

Page 52: Kitchen Cabinets

FACE FRAMES

I face frame is a solid wood frontingAapplied to kitchen cabinets. Faceframes are not essential; in fact they arenoticeably absent on European-stylecabinets, whose concealed, micro-adjustable hinges make it possible toinstall doors that seamlessly cover theentire cabinet front. However, faceframes can add a traditional look to aEuropean kitchen.

When laying out a face frame, remem-ber to add an extra Yrinch to any stilepositioned next to a wall; this will allowyou to scribe and trim the stile if thewall is out-of-plumb. If the cabinet hasdrawers, you will also require dividersbetween them. If your cabinets featurefully recessed doors and drawers, cock-beading (page 53) can add a subtle, dec-orative touch.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

tI

I

T

I

I

I

tI

Face frames can be joined in a number of ways, including pock-et holes, biscuits, and dowels. Here, a commercial pocket holecutter bores a hole in a face frame rail. Pocket holes can also beused to attach the face frame to the cabinet; be sure to cutthe holes in the case sides and rails before assembling them.

ANATOMY OF A FACE FRAME

Drawer rail Ineide stile

50

Page 53: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

JOINING FACE FRAMES WITH DOWELS' l Dr i l l ing holesI Use a dowel ing j ig to d r i l l ho les fo rdowels in the face frame members. Themodel shown at r ight not only al igns theholes in both rai ls and st i les, but also holdsthe bi t exact ly perpendicular to the woodsurface. Follow the manufacturer's instruc-t ions to set up the j ig for the thickness ofthe face frame stock, then adjust the jig todr i l l two holes about 1/, inchin from eitherend of one of the st i les. Insert the bushingthat matches the dowel diameter into thebush ing car r ie r o f the 1 ig , and a t tach acol let to the dr i l l b i t and adlust i t to borea hole Xu tnch deeper than half the lengthof ihe dowels. (Al low for the thickness ofthe l ig and bushing when making this mea-surement.) Clamp a st i le in your workbenchand p lace the j ig on the s t i le , a l ign ing i twith one end of the workpiece. Set thebushing carr ier in the appropriate hole inthe dowel ing j ig . Ho ld ing the l ig s teady ,dr i l l the ho le . Repeat to d r i l l the secondhole, then bore the holes at the oppositeend o f the s t i le , in bo th ends o f a l l ra i l s(r ight) , and in any inside st i les that alsorequire dowel holes.

r") Insefting the dowelsL lnsert dowels in the drawer rails andinside st i les f i rst , then in the outer st i les.To insert the dowels, clamp the appropriateframe member to your bench, spread glueon one end of the dowel, then tap it homewith a mallet (/efil. Assemble the frame(page 53).

5 l

Page 54: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

PLATE J(IINER STANDTo reduce the setup t ime neededto cut slots for biscuit-jointed faceframes, mount your plate joiner in ashop-made stand l ike the one shownat left. Build the jig from 3/q-inchplywood, except for the barrel sup-port , which should be sol id wood.Refer to the illustration for suggest-ed dimensions.

Screw the handle support to thebase, then attach the handle brack-ets, spacing them to f i t your tool .With the plate joiner rest ing upsidedown on the handle support , buttthe barrel support against the motorhousing and trace the outline of thebarrel on the stock. Cut or bore ahole for the barrel, then saw the sup-port in two across its width, throughthe center of the hole. Screw thebottom part to the base and fit theother half on top. Bore holes forhanger bolts through the top on eachside of the opening, then dr ive thehanger bolts into the bottom of thesupport . For quick instal lat ion andremoval of the tool, use wing nutsto hold the two halves together.

Screw the auxi l iary table to thef ixed-angle fence of the joiner. ( l tmay be necessary to dr i l l holes inthe fence to accept the screws.)

To use the stand, secure the joinerin it, then clamp the base to a worksurface. Set the fence at the correctheight and, for repeat cuts, clamp stopblocks to the auxiliary table to centerthe workoiece on the cutter wheel. Tocut a slot , put the workpiece f laton the table and butted against thejoiner 's faceplate, then turn on thetool and push the stock and the tabletoward the culter (\eft, belowl

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

rI

I

I

I

I

52

Page 55: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

I

I

I

tII

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

ASSEMBTING THE FACE FRAME

Clamping up the f rameAssemb le t he f r ame work ing f rom themidd le ou tward , g lu ing up any d rawerra i l s and i ns ide s t i l es f i r s t . I n t he f r ameshown at r ight , s tar t by g lu ing the ins ides t i l e t o t he two face f rame ra i l s . App l yglue to the exposed dowels then pushthe ra i l s i n to p lace . T igh ten the assem-bly wi th a bar c lamp. Next , spread someg lue on the dowe ls i n t he ra i l s and i ns ta l lthe other s t i les; t ighten them in p lace wi thtwo more bar c lamps. Check the assemblyfo r squa re by measu r i ng ac ross t he twodiagonals ( r ight) . Ihey should be equal .l f not , p lace a bar c lamp across the longerd i a g o n a l a n d t i g h t e n i t u n t i l t h e f r a m ei s s q u a r e .

INSTATLING C()CKBEADING' l Making cockbeadingI Make cockbeading as you made sol idwood edging (page 48), ripping Y, inch-th ick s t r ips f rom a p iece o f hardwoodstock % inch thicker than the thicknessof the face frame. To round over the out-side edge of the cockbeading, instal l a / , -inch canoe bead bi t in a router and instal lthe too l in a tab le . Ra ise the he igh t o fthe bi t so i t is centered on the stock, andad jus t the pos i t ion o f the fence to jus tbehind the cutter. Attach a featherboardto the table to hold the stock against thefence, and clamp two more featherboardsto the fence on e i ther s ide o f the b i t toprevent the stock from l i f t ing up. ( ln thei l lustrat ion, the front featherboard hasbeen removed for c lar i ty.) With the work-piece ly ing f lat on the table, feed i t intothe b i t ( /e f f ) , f in ish ing the cu t w i th apush st ick. Rip the cockbeading to widthand then cu t i t to length , mi te r ing theends at 45".

| / / - , L ,

53

Page 56: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

Instal l ing the cockbeadingDry f i t the cockbeading str ips; pare

any i l l - f r t t i ng j o rn t s w i t h a ch i se l . Lay t hef rame on a f l a t su r face . Sp read someg lue on the ou ts ide face o f a s t r i p o fcockbeading and posi t ion i t on the f rame,al igning the back edges of the two. Dr ivein f i n i sh ing na i l s w i t h a hammer o r an a i rnailer (lefil.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

ttI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

INSTALLING THE FACE FRAME

Attaching the face frame to the caseworkApply some glue to the edges of the cabi -net . P lace the face f rame in oosi t ion andal ign i t wi th the top, bot tom, and s ides ofthe cabinet . In the i l lust rat ion at r ight , ther ight s ide of the f rame overhangs the cabi -ne t ; t h i s i s t o a l l ow the s t i l e o f t he f aceframe to be trimmed to fit the profi le of thewall (page 104). Fasten the face frame inplace wi th a f in ish ing nai l every 4-6 inches.

54

Page 57: Kitchen Cabinets

CASEWORK

r.{r rll ffi dr trr il r}.x rili r$ ffi r$ rrr L* $ $ U *

I

I

I

tII

I

tI

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

tII

tI

I

I

I

I

I

tI

tI

I

1HO? TI?Makingwood plugo !Save t ime makingwood pluge by usinq anier^.e nf f Ane f .n re.anve

Nhem from thei r holee, Uee apl , , tg cuLter on Lhe dr i l l preoo tobore a row of Vluqe tro the depLh yourequire. Cover the row with a oLrip ofm a s k i n q N a p e , I h e n r i p t h e p l u g e L olenqLh on r,he band eaw. ) imply peel of fLhe t ,aVe Lo remove Lhe row of pl , tge.

Using screws and wood plugsl f you a re i ns ta l l i ng you r f ace f rameswi th screws, counterbore the fastenersand cover thei r heads wi th wood p lugs.Posi t ion the f rame in p lace as you wouldfor face-nai l i ng (page 54) . dr i l l andcounterbore screw holes, then dr ive the

; ^ ^ r ^ ^ ^ T ^ - ^ k o t h o n l r r o c) u r c v Y ) r r P r d u c . r u i l r d . . -

i ns ta l l a n lup c r r t t e r t he same d rame te ras t he coun te rbo red ho les i n you r d r i l lpress. Choosing some wood that match-es t he f rame s tock f o r g ra in and co lo r ,bore as many p lugs as you need in theslock (above, left). Pry the plugs freewi th a screwdr iver or narrow chisel . (See

the Shop Tip at le f t for an a l ternate pro-cedu re . )To i ns ta l l t he p lugs , app l y g luein t he ho le , t hen tap the p lug i n p lace .T r im the excess w i th a ch i se l . Ho ld ingthe chisel bevel -s ide up on the f rame,remove the waste in f ine shavings bbove,r ight) unt i l the p lug is per fect ly f lush.T h i s w i l l p r o d u c e a m u c h c l e a n e r s u r -face than i f the p lug were sanded f lush.

55

Page 58: Kitchen Cabinets

tI

I

T

I

I

I

I

I\3

Q.I

I

I

I

tttItI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

"4t

1A

Page 59: Kitchen Cabinets

tI

IIIIIIIIIIIIIItITIIItIIIII

II

f abinet doors are arguably the most\-r important single decorative featureof a kitchen. They are the first item togreet the eye and, because they are usu-ally so numerous, can also be the mostimpressive. The style, finish, and con-struction deserve careful attention.

Once. cabinetmakers were concernedprimarily with building simple, sturdydoors that would stand up to the pun-ishment meted out to them in dailyuse.Form certainly followed function by awide margin;kitchen cabinets, and espe-cially their doors, were the most utili-tarian of furniture. But gone are the daysof one-style-fits-all kitchens. Today,homeowners carefirlly consider the peri-

DOORS

A brad driver secures a strip of moldingto the frame of a kitchen cabinet doorsandwiching a central pane of glass

betvveen the molding and a rabbet cutinto the inside edge of the frame. For

more on building glass doors, see page 69.

Considerations of style should notcloud the need for durability. Kitchendoors work hard and. since wood isprone to swelling and warping, soliddoors such as board-and-batten doorsshould only be installed on small cabi-nets. Frame-and-panel, veneered-panel,and glass doors are better able to accom-modate wood movement caused bv fluc-tuations in heat and humidity.'Also,different doors require different degreesof precision when building them. Aflush-mounted door, for example, is cutto close tolerances; an error as slight asZu inch can sooil the look of an other-wise finely eiecuted cabinet. Overlaydoors, on the other hand, do not require

od and sryle of their dwellings before determining the decor oftheir kitchens. Some of the possibilities are shown in the layoutAnd Design chapter (page 16).

Once the basic choice is made, door style can be arrived at.Perhaps it is a basic board-and-batten door (page 60) for acountry cottage. An futs and Crafts bungalow might demandfiner work, with doors featuring glass panes set in glazing bars(page 70). Most homeowners will probably prefer traditionalframe-and-panel doors (page 62). But even here there are vari-ations, such as arched panel (page 67),veneered.panel (page68), and glass panel doors (page 69). This chapter introducesfive door styles and the steps to building each, so you can pro-duce doors that will lend character to your kitchen.

the same precision as they exceed the size of their openings.Advances in the manufacturing of door hardware, particu-

larly hinges, have greatly improved both the appearance of cab-inet doors and the ease of mounting them (page 73). Classic orantique-sryle doors may still be hung from such decorative andattractive fasteners as surface-mounted hinges that come inpolished iron or brass finishes. Other hinge options includethe simple but efficient butt hinge (page 76) for flush-mount-ed doors, and the piano hinge for corner cabinet doors.European-style cup hinges (page 7a) have virtually becomethe standard hardware for melamine kitchen cabinets. Notonly are these versatile hinges fully concealed; they are alsosimple to install and easily adjustable.

The versatile European cup hinge can be used to hang a vari-ety ofkitchen cabinet doors. In the photo at left, a full overlayframe-and-panel door is being mounted on a face framecabinet. The door can be adiusted or removed with ease.

57

Page 60: Kitchen Cabinets

A GALLERY OF CABINET DOOR DESIGNS

1rl f the four door types shown below\-/ and on the following page, all butthe board-and-batten door are builtusing frame-and-panel techniques. Theboard-and-batten door (page 60) is asolid panel door featuring a series ofplanks with rabbeted edges held togeth-er by battens screwed across the back ofthe door. Frame-and-p anel doors (page62) fearve a panel that floats within aframe composed of rails and stilesassembled with mortise-and-tenon orcope-and-stick joints. The floating pan-el in the center ofthe door can be raisedor shaoed for decorative effect. The railsand stiles have an integrated molding

cut into them;for added embellishmentyou can also cut an arch or curve intothe upper rail and panel.

Veneered-panel doors (page 68) fea-ture a panel made from veneered sheetstock that is glued to the frame. Toconceal the plate joints between thepanel and the frame, rabbets are cutinto the inside edges of the frame atthe back. Glass-panel doors (page69)are essentially a frame-and-panel doorwith a pane of glass replacing a float-ing panel. The piece of glass si ts inrabbets cut along the edges of theframe. It is held in place by strips ofmolding. A variation of the glass panel

door features glazing bars that holdsmaller panes in place (page70).Iornedby mitered half-laps, the glazing barshave rabbets cut along their back edgesto accommodate the glass and glass-stop molding.

Although a door is always made to fitits cabinet, it does not always have to besized exactly to fit its opening, as shownin the illustration on the opposite page.Flush-mounted and full-recess doorscan be time-consuming to constructbecause ofthe fine tolerances requiredto fit and hang them properly. They areparticularly unsuitable for board-and-batten doors, as these doors tend to

IttIIIItIIIIIIIItIIIIIIIII

Page 61: Kitchen Cabinets

I

I

IItItIIItI

I

I

tIIIIItIItItII

expand and contract with changes inhumidity. Full-overlay or lip-rabbeteddoors are easier to make. A full-overlaydoor covers the entire width of the cab-inet, while a lip-rabbeted door has rab-bets cut around its outside edges at theback so that only a part of its thicknessis exposed.

One of the most commonly used doorsis the one typically used for European-style cabinets-a piece of laminated par-ticleboard such as melamine simolv cutto size. While inexoensive and eisier tomaintain, melamine doors need edgebanding (pages 48-49) to conceal theirnon-laminated edses.

DOORS

DOOR MOUNTING METH()DS

Page 62: Kitchen Cabinets

B OARD.AND - BATTEN D O ORS

T ike their early colonial counterparts,L modern cabinetmakers seeking arustic or "country" look often turn toboard-and-batten doors. These simplebut sturdy doors consist of rabbetedplanks held together by strips or bat-tens ofwood fastened across their backs.The most common of these features bat-tens screwed to the back of the door inthe form of aZ;the diagonal batten con-necting the two horizontal battens atthe too and bottom acts as a brace tostrenghen the door and prevent sagging.

Because they are solid panel doors andwill swell and shrink with changes inhumidity, board-and-batten doors are

often mounted on smaller cabinets asoverlay doors. In some cases, the battenscan interfere with interior shelving. Onesolution is to recess the battens in dadoescut into the back of the doors. Anothermore elaborate method of bracing aboard-and-batten door is to rout a slid-ing dovetail across the back ofthe boards.Rout a matching dovetail slide in the bat-tens, and secure them in place with a sin-gle screw in the center ofthe door.

Combining rustic strength and charm,board-and-batten doors are ideal for

small cupboards in a country kitchen.

,st

Jb

)

tttItttIIIIItIIIIIIttItIIIIIIIII

e*t

JOINTS USED IN BOARD.AND.BATTEN DOORS

thiplap Chamfered ahiplap

Beaded ahiplap Double-beaded ahiplap

60

Page 63: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

tI

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

T

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

T

I

MAKING A BOARD-AND-BATTEN D()()R

r) Assembling the doolL Clanp the door together and p lace i t ins ide- face up on awork sur face. Then cut two bat tens s l ight ly shor ter than thewidth of the door and narrower than the door boards. Posi t ionthe two pieces of wood across the top and bottom of the assem-b l y as shown . Then f i t an e lec t r i c d r i l lw i t h a comb ina t i on b i tand coun te rbo re ho les f o r sc rews and wood p lugs a t 2 - i nchin te rva l s a long the ba t tens , a l t e rna t i ng be tween the top andbo t tom o f each boa rd . Make c lea rance ho les exceo t i n t he

'l Cutting the rabbetsI I n s t a l l a d a d o h e a d h a l f a s w i d e a sthe s tock t h i ckness on you r t ab le saw .At tach an auxi l iary wood fence and ra isethe b lades to cut a notch in i t , then set thecut t ing height-again one-hal f the th ick-ness o f t he boa rds . To secu re t he wo rk -p iece , c l amp two fea the rboa rds and asuppo r t boa rd t o t he t ab le as shown .Using a push st ick, feed the stock in tothe b lades , t hen f l i p t he boa rd ove r andrepeat the cut along the other edge (left).

To a l l ow fo r wood movemen t , c rea te as l ight expansion gap between the boardsa t t h e b a c k o f t h e d o o r b y r u n n i n g o n eedge of each board across the jo inter .

p laces where the screw wi l l jo in the bat ten to an outs ide doorboard. Then, hold ing the bat ten square to the edge of the door,drive in each screw (above, left).Cut a third batten to fit diagonal ly between the two a l ready in p lace and screw i t in to posi -t ion. To conceal the screws, apply a dab of g lue to thei r heads,then i nse r t n l r r cs i n t he ho les . Tan the n l r r ss i n o lace w i th awooden mallel hbove, right), then use a chisel to trim the pro-

lect ing stubs f lush wi th the door sur face.

6 l

Page 64: Kitchen Cabinets

FRAME-AND-PANEL DOORS

p leasing to the eye and structural ly.L sound, the frame-and-panel door isthe most enduring and popular of allcabinet door designs. Because its panelfloats in a rigid frame of rails and stiles,a frame-and-panel door withstands the

swelling and shrinking of wood broughton by changes in humidity better thanany other solid-wood door. The flexi-bility of its design allows for a wide vari-ety ofattractive options, such as veneeredpanels (page 68), glass doors (page 69),

and glazing bars (page 70).The top railof the frame can even be arched to soft-en the rectangular lines ofthe doors andadd a touch ofelegance (pnge 67).

The frame derives its considerablestrength from the joinery methods usedin its construction. This section coversbuilding a frame-and-panel door usingmortise-and-tenon joinery with inte-grated moldin g (page 63) and cope-and-stick joints (page 66). Before starting tobuild a frame-and-panel door, however,take care to size the stock properly. Makethe stiles equalto the height of the dooropening; the rails should be as long asthe width of the door plus the trvo tenonsat either end-typically about Z inch-minus the width of the stiles.

Depending on the desirecl oppearanceof a frane-and-panel door, the pan-el's inside edges can be ntolded to Jitin the grooves of the f'arne or beveledon four sides to "raise" the certterof the panel. Irr the photo at left, apanel is being raised with an ogeepanel-raisirtgbit on a router table.

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tItI

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

t

RAISED PANET STYTES

62

Page 65: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

I

tT

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

T

t

T

T

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

MAKING A FRAME.AND-PANEL DOOR

r) Gutting the tenon shouldersL to cut the tenon shoulders, set theheight of the dado head at about % inch.Stand ing the ra i l on edge f lush aga ins tthe fence and mi te r gauge, feed theworkpiece into the blades. Turn the rai lover and repeat on the other side of thetenon. Cut the tenon shou lders a t theoppos i te end o f the ra i l the same way(right). Repeat the process with the sec-ond rai l . To add integrated molding, f i t arou ter w i th the appropr ia te b i t , mountthe too l in a rou ter tab le and cu t a longthe inside edges of the rai ls and st i les.

1 Cutting the tenon cheeksI Instal l a dado head sl ight ly wider thanthe tenon length on your table saw. Attachand notch an auxi l iary fence, then set thewid th o f cu t equa l to the length o f thetenon to saw the tenon cheeks; adjust thecutt ing height to about one-third the thick-ness of the stock. Butt ing the rai l againstthe fence and the miter gauge, feed thestock face down into the blades. Turn therai l over and repeat the cut on the otherside of the tenon. Then repeat the processat the opposite end of the rail (left) andwtth the second rai l .

Preparing the rails for glue upRemove the auxi l iary fence and dado

head. Ins ta l l a combina t ion b lade andadjust i ts angle to 45". To set the widthof cut, mark a l ine on the molded edge ofa rai l the same distance from the tenonshou lder as the mold ing w id th . A l ign themark with the blade where it exits the tableopening, then butt the fence against therai l . Adjust the blade height unt i l one toothprotrudes just beyond the tenon shoulder.To make the cuts, butt the rai l against thefence and hold i t f lush against the mitergauge to feed it molded-edge down into theblade. Repeat to cut the other end of therail (left) and both ends of the second rail.

Tenonehoulder

63

Page 66: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

Preparing the stilesMark a l i ne on the mo lded edge o f

each st i le the width of a rai l away fromthe end of the board. With the table sawblade ang led a t 45 ' , a l ign the cu t t ingedge with the mark and cut into the mold-ed edge; adjust the cutt ing height so thecut f in ishes at the point where the mold-ing ends and the face of the st i le begins.Next, slice off the strip of molding betweenthe 45' cut and the end of the st i le witha band saw ?iehil.

I

I

I

T

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

f, Smoothing the cut edger, f On the table saw, adjust the r ip fenceso the b lade l i nes up w i th t he beg inn ingof the cut you made in s tep 1 when thest i le is but ted against the fence. Hold thest i le f lush against the mi ter gauge. Sl idethe stock back and for th a long the mi tergauge to smooth the cut edge (lefil.

trl Cutting the mortisesL.f Cut the mortises in the stiles on a drillpress using a commercial mortising attach-ment. Al ign a rai l wi th each st i le and markthe out l ine of the mort ises. Instal l a mor-t is ing attachment on your dr i l l press andclamp the st i le to the fence, center ing themort ise out l ine under the chisel and bi t .Set the dr i l l ing depth sl ight ly deeper thanthe tenon length, then make a cut at eachend of the mort ise before boring out thewaste in belween (right).

64

Page 67: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

rT

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

tI

Gluing up the doorGlue up a panel f rom %-inch{hick sol id stock and cut i t to

s ize ; add ing % inch to each s ide to a l low the pane l to f i t thegroove in the frame. Then rout the edges of the panel to pro-duce the raised center, as shown in the photo on page 62.Make successive passes until the edge of the panel fits into thegroove in the frame. To reduce tearout, rout the top and bottomedges before rout ing the sides. Squeeze some glue into themort ises in the st i les and on the tenon cheeks and shoulders atthe ends of the rai ls; also apply some adhesive on the contact-ing surfaces of the miter cuts in the rai ls and st i les. Do not add

any glue to the panel grooves. Then, assemble the door and seton two bar clamps on a work surface, al igning the rai ls with thebars of the clamps. To keep the clamps from fal l ing over, propeach one on a notched wood block. Protect ing the frame withwood pads, t ighten the clamps just enough to ful ly c lose thejoints (abovd, then use a square to check whether the cornerso f the door a re a t r igh t ang les . F in ish t igh ten ing the c lampsunt i l the glue squeezes out of the joints, checking occasional lythat the corners remain square. 0nce the glue has dr ied, use acabinet scraper to remove any remaining adhesive.

Three-wing alot-tinq cutter

I Cutting grooves for the panel/ Assemble the rai ls and st i les. Then,protecting the stock with wood pads, usetwo bar clamps to hold the frame togethersecurely. Fi t a router with a %-inch three-wing slot t ing cutter and mount the tool ina router table. Remove the fence and setthe frame on the table. Adjust the cutterheight to place the groove midway betweenthe bottom of the frame and the edge oft h e m o l d i n g . G r i p p l n g t h e b a r c l a m p sf i rmly, butt the inside edge of the frameaga ins t the b i t near one corner , thenrotate it against the direction of bit rota-t ion to cut the groove along the rai ls andstiles (/eff,). Keep the frame f lat on thetable as you feed i t into the bi t . Raise apanel to f it the frame (photo, page 62),then disassemble the frame.

65

Page 68: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

C()PE.AND-STICK JOINERY

I

T

I

I

I

tI

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

1 Cutting tongues in the railsI The cope-and-st ick joint provides amethod of jo ining st i les and rai ls in frame-and-pane l cons t ruc t ion . Tongues in therai ls mesh with grooves in the st i les; therouter bi t that cuts the grooves for thepanel also carves a decorat ive molding inthe inside edges of the frame. To cut thetongues, instal l a pi loted coping bi t- thera i l cu t te r - in your rou ter and mountthe too l in a tab le . But t the end o f ara i l aga ins t the b i t and ad jus t the depthof cut so that the top of the uppermostcu t te r i s s l igh t ly above the workp iece .Posit ion the fence oaral lel to the mitergauge slot in l ine with the edge of the bi tp i lo t . F i t the mi te r gauge w i th an ex ten-sion and lay the outside face of the stockf la t on the tab le ; keep the ends o f theworkpiece and extension butted againstthe fence throughout each cut (left),

r') Cutting the groovesL Unpluc the router and replace thecop ing b i t w i th a p i lo ted s t i ck ing b i t -a lso known as a s t i le cu t te r . To se t thecuit ing depth, butt the end of a complet-ed rai l against the st i le cutter; adjust theheight of the bi t unt i l one of i ts cutters islevel with the rail tongue (inset). Align thefence with the edge of the pi lot bearing.Use two featherboards to secure the work-piece during the cut: Clamp one to therouter table oooosite the bi t and securethe other on the infeed side of the fence.Make each cut with the stock outside-facedown, pressing the inside edge of the work-piece against the fence (rtght). Use a pushstick to complete the pass. Repeat on theinside edees of al l rai ls and st i les.

,,/ \ /y -/

66

Page 69: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

rI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

RAISING AN ARCHED PANEL

1 Raising the archI Bandsaw the pane l to s ize , add ing% inch on each side to al low the oanel tof i t the groove in the frame. Instal l a panel-raising bi t in your router and mount ihetool in a table, sett ing i t for a shal low cut.Clamp a free-standing bi t guard to thetab le , and a gu ide ex tend ing f rom theinfeed end of the table to the bi t 's oi lotbearing. (Do not use a fence for this oper-at ion, as you wi l l need to pivot the panelbeyond the bit.) Using the guide as a pivotpoint (right), pivot one end of the archin to the b i t and s ta r t rou t ing the arch ,keep ing the pane l f lush w i th the p i lo tbearing throughout the cut. Make severalpasses on the arch, rais ing the bi t % inchat a t ime unt i l the panel f i ts the groovein the frame.

Raising the sidesTo ra ise the s ides and end o f the

panel, use the same setup or remove theguide and bi t guard and instal l a fence onyour router table. Lower the bit to a shallowcut t ing depth . Then, ho ld ing the pane lf lat on the table, feed i t into the bi t withyour r ight hand and press i t f lat againstthe guide with your lefl (left). Repeat forthe other side and the end of the oanel.Make as many passes as necessary forthe panel to f it in the grooves in the frame,raising the bi t % inch at a t ime and test-ing between passes. Then glue up thedoor as you would a regular frame-and-panel assembly (page 65, step 8).

Page 70: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

VEENERED-PANEL D()()R' l Preparing the frame piecesI Rrp the four f rame pieces to wrdth, then crosscut them s l ight lyl onge r t han the i r f i n i shed l eng th . F i t a rou te r w i t h a deco ra t i vemo ld ing b i t , i ns ta l l t he t oo l i n a rou te r t ab le , and rou t t he ou t -s ide edge of each f rame piece. Next , cut a rabbet in the backface of each of f rame piece. Set the cut t ing height to equal theth i ckness o f t he pane l ; t he w id th shou ld be one -ha l f t he s tockth ickness. Clamp featherboards to the saw table to support theworkpiece. Inser t a shim between the ver t ica l featherboard andthe fence to keep the pressure off the rabbeted part of the stock.Feed the workpiece face up into the dado head tight). CUI thef rame p ieces to s i ze . mak ing 45 " m i te r cu t s a t each end . D ry -assemb le t he f rame , t hen cu t t he pane l t o f i t i t . Ma rk t he pane ledges and thei r mat ing f rame pieces to help you correct ly assem-b le t he doo r a t t he t ime o f g l ue up .

r) Cutting biscuit slots in the frames. a ^C- Cut the panel to s ize and mark a l ine across the panel andf rame p ieces abou t 4 i nches f rom each edge and a t 6 - i nchin te rva l s i n be tween . D i sassemb le t he doo r and c lamp oneframe piece to a work sur face, protect ing the stock wi th woodn : d c Q p i t h o n r n n o r d o n + L ^ { ^ ^ ' + ̂ - ^ ^ l ^ + ^ ; ^ i n c r i h o n q p iV u u J , r u L L r r u V r u p u r u u p L I l U l d L U L U l l d p l d L U j u l , . - , . . . , - , , - - .

the tool 's base p late on the bot tom of the rabbet in the f ramepiece. Set the cut t ing height so the s lots wi l l be made in themiddle of the rabbeted por t ion of the f rame, as shown by thered dot ted l ine in the i l lust rat ion. Wi th a support board undert h e j o i n e r t o k e e p l t l e v e l , a l i g n t h e g u i d e l i n e o n t h e t o o lw i t h a s l o t l oca t i on mark . Ho ld ing the l o i ne r w i t h bo th hands ,cut a groove at each mark (abovd. Repeat for the other framen i p c p q i h p n r ^ r r i i h p m : t i n o c l n t c , i n t h p n : n p l t h p. . . - . . . * . . , . o . , , - s a m e w a y .

Assembling the doorOnce al l the s lots have been cut , g lue up the door. Set the

frame oieces and the oanel face-down on a c lean work sur faceand squeeze g lue i n to each s lo t , i nse r t i ng b i scu i t s as you go .To prevent the b iscui ts f rom expanding before everyth ing is puttogether , assemble the doors as quick ly as possib le, f i t t ing theframe pieces to the panel (above), Set the door on two bar clampson a work sur face. Wi th wood pads protect ing the f rame, t ight-en the c lamps j us t enough to c l ose the j o i n t s . I ns ta l l two moreclamps, across the top of the door, p lac ing them perpendicularto t he f i r s t two . F in i sh t i gh ten ing un t i l g l ue squeezes ou t o ft he j o i n t s . 0nce the adhes i ve has d r i ed , r emove any excessw i th a cab ine t sc raoe r .

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

I

6B

Page 71: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

tI

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

GLASS-PANEL D()()R

1 Cuttins a rabbet around thel -

I ins ide of a door f rameMake and glue up a frame as you would fora frame-and-panel door (page 63). Usinga wood pad for protection, clamp the frameto a work sur face. Then insta l l a %- inchrabbet ing b i t in a router and set the depthof cut to the combined depth of the mold-i n o : n d t h p n a n o n f o l : c c v n r r i n t o n d i n" ' b " " -

i ns ta l l i n t he f r ame . Ho ld t he too l f i rm lywr th bo th hands wh i l e res t i ng t he base -plate on the f rame near one corner , thentu rn on the rou te r and gu ide the b i t i n tothe inside edge of the door. Move the routerclockwise along the edges ?ight) unti l thecut is comoleted. Souare the corners wi tha wooden mallet and a wood chisel below).Make the cu ts aga ins t t he g ra in f i r s t t oavo id sp l i t t i ng t he f rame .

O Fitt ing the glassI t o ho ld t he g lass i n t he f r ame . makeglass-stop mold ing by rout ing a decorat ivep d o e i n p i t h p r s i d p n f : l n n o n i p e p n f c n l .

i d s tock . R ip t he mo ld ing to w id th , t henmi te r f o r r r n reces tn f i t i he f r ame Se t t heframe and the glass on a work surface, thenp lace the mo ld ing i n pos i t i on . Bo re a p i l o tho le eve ry 2 i nches us ing an e lec t r i c d r i l lf i t t ed w i t h a sma l l f i n i sh ing na i l w i t h t hehead snipped of f . Dr ive the brads in p laceus ing e i t he r a hammer o r a b rad d r i ve r(photo, page 57). When using a hammer,hold the mold ing f lush against the f rameo f t he doo r ; s l i de t he hammer a long thesrr r face of a n iece of cardboard to avoidbreaking the glass (/eff).

69

Page 72: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

Ifyou prefer the look ofsntaller panes ofglass ratherthatr one larger single pane in yotn'door yotr can chooseto make glnzing bars. The molded strips are joined with

mitered half-laps. Rabbets are cut along the back edges ofthe bars to acconmtodate panes of glass and glass-stop

molding. The ends of the bars can be joined to the outerrnils end stiles with dowels or cope-and-stick joints.

oi\{r_.

Q'--\. \-

,\t"n-

't'a

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

MAKING A GLAZING BAR D()OR

' l Mold ing the g laz ing barsI The jo int rs made in three stages: Star t by cut t ing the prop-e r p ro f i l e i n t he g laz ing ba rs , as shown above ; nex t , cu t r ab -be ts i n to t he oppos i t e s i des o f t he ba rs t o ho ld t he g lass andmold ing st r ips (s tep 2) ; I ina l ly , produce the mi tered hal f - lap(sfeps 3 to 5). For the first stage, install a piloted roundover bitin a router , mount the tool in a table, and a l ign the fence wi ththe b i t 's p i lo t bear ing. The stock should be wide enough so thatmak ing a pass on each s ide o f t he ba r w i l l l eave a %- inch -w idel ip between the cuts. Support the workpiece dur ing the opera-

t ion wi th three featherboards: Clamp one to the table opposi tethe b i t and two to the fence on each s ide of the cut ter . ( ln thei l lust rat ion, the featherboard on the out feed s ide of the fencehas been removed for c lar i ty) . Feed the bar in to the b i t unt i lyour f ingers approach the cut ter , then use the next p iece as apush st ick or move to the other s ide of the table and pul l theworkpiece through the cut . Repeat the pass on the other s ideof the bar (above). Prepare an extra bar to help set up the cuti n s tep 3 .

Page 73: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

I

I

I

tII

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

rI

tI

I

rI

I

tI

I

I

tI

I

I

Q Making the miter cutsr-,1 Remove the dado head and install a crosscut blade. Adjustthe blade angle to 45" and attach a miter gauge extension. Toset the b lade he igh t , ho ld the ex t ra g laz ing bar on the sawtable so the tongue you cut in step 2 is f lush against the exten-sion. The top of the blade should be level with the lower sideof the l ip ( inset). Then mark the miter cuts on both sides ofthe bars ; a t the i r w ides t po in ts , the Vs shou ld be the samewidth as the stock. To make the cut, hold the tongue of the

bar f la t aga ins t the mi te r ex tens ion and a l ign one o f themarks with the blade. Butt a stop block against the end ofthe stock and clamp i t to the extension for subsequent cuts.Clamp the workpiece to the extension and feed the glazingbar in to the b lade wh i le ho ld ing i t f i rm ly in p lace . Rota tethe piece and make the same cut on the other side of the V.Repeat the process to cut the V on the opposite side of thebar (above).

r) Cutting rabbets for the glass panesI lnstall a dado head on your table saw slightly wider than thedesired rabbets. The tongue remaining after the rabbets are cutshou ld measure % inch w ide . Ins ta l l a wooden aux i l ia ry fenceand mark the rabbet depth on i t - the combined thickness ofthe glass and the molding str ip. Posit ion the auxi l iary fence overthe dado head and raise the blades to notch the fence to theheight of the marked l ine. Turn off the saw and mark the widthof the rabbets on the leading end of the glazing bar. Butt oneof the marks aga ins t the ou ter b lade o f the dado head, thenposition the fence flush against the bar. Use three featherboardsto support the piece as in step 1, adding a support board toprovide extra pressure to the featherboard clamped to the table.(Again in this i l lustrat ion, the featherboard on the outfeed sideof the table has been removed for clarity.) Feed the bars by hand(left) unlil your fingers approach the featherboards, then use thenext workpiece to f in ish the pass. Complete the cut on the f inalworkpiece by pul l ing i t f rom the outfeed side of the table.

7r

Page 74: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

Cleaning the V-cutsOnce a l l the mi te r cu ts have been

made, use a narrow chisel to pare awaythe waste . The w id th o f the channe l a tthe bo t tom o f the V shou ld eoua l thewidth of the l ip. Holding the chisel bevel-side up, pare away the waste (right) untilthe bottom of the V is smooth and f lat .Work carefullv to avoid tearout.

f, Cutting the half-lapsr . , l Re ins ta l l the dado head in your tab le saw and ad jus t i tto the w id th o f the bar 's l ip . Set the cu t t ing depth to one-ha l f the s tock th ickness , You w i l l need to saw a ha l f - lap inthe bottom of one glazing bar, then make an ident ical cut inthe top o f the mat ing p iece . Set up the cu t by a l ign ing them i d d l e o f t h e V - c u t w i t h t h e d a d o h e a d , w h i l e h o l d i n g t h e

bar f lush aga ins t the mi te r gauge ex tens ion . Keep the work-p iece f la t on the saw tab le and f lush aga ins t the ex tens ionas you cut the half- laps (above). Use dowels or coping cuts(page 66) to secure the glazing bars to a frame-and-paneldoor , then ins ta l l g lass panes as you wou ld fo r a g lass-pane ldoor (page 69).

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

72

Page 75: Kitchen Cabinets

MOUNTINGDOORStI

I

tI

tI

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

tI

I

I

I

fr hoosing the appropriate hinges for*-L your kitchen cabinet doors dependsprimarily upon the style of cabinets youare building. Surface-mounted hinges,though limited in terms of weight capac-ity and ease of adjustment, are idealforantique or rustic cabinets. Butt hinges(page 76), available in iron or brass, arecommonly used on f lush-mounteddoors and si t in shal low mort ises cutinto the door and case. Long, narrowcabinets often require piano hinges forstrengh and proper weight distribution.Tilt-out hinges (pnge 77) are practicalfor turning false drawer fionts into small,handy storage units.

\Ahen style is not an issue, and ease ofinstallation and adjustability are moreimportant, European-type cup hinges,or 32-millimeter hinges, (pnge 74) arean ideal choice. Fully concealed, strong,and simple to adjust once in place, cup

A SETECTI()N ()F DO()R HINGES

hinges have become widespread in thehomebuilding industry. Available forboth European-style and face frame cab-inets, cup hinges come with a variety ofmounting plates that allow the installerto controlthe amount of overlay.

Before installing any hinge, read themanufacturer's instructions regardingplacement. If you are working with fine,delicate woods, tap the stock for machinescrews after drilling pilot holes to reducethe chance of splitting. A spot of glue inthe hole will improve the holding abil-ity of the fastener.

Locating doorknobs need not involvetedious measurement front door to door.The simple jig showrt in the photo at

right, made front a piece of plywood andtwo lips cut from solid stock, Iocates knobsin exnctly the sarne spot ot't each door.

0e

Piano hinge

0 0 a

Page 76: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

MOUNTING AN OVERLAY D()()R

r) Install ing the hingesL to wo rk comfo r tab l y , p l ace the doo rface down on a wo rk su r face . Wr th t hemount ing p late at tached to the h inge arm,f i t t he body o f t he h inge i n t he ho le youd r i l l ed i n s tep 1 . Then , mak ing su re t ha tthe h inge a rm i s pe r fec t l y pe rpend i cu la rt n i h p o d o p n f i h p d n n r f : q t p n i h c h i n o p

in p lace wi th the screws provided by themanulaclurer (risht).

' l Dr i l l ing holes for h ingesI Dr i l l the holes for European cup h ingesw i th a commerc ia l d r i l l i ng j i g and gu ide , o rmake your own j ig by insta l l ing a p lywoodfence and backup board on your dr i l l press.F i t t he d r i l l w i t h a 35 -m i l l ime te r Fo rs tne rbr t , and screw the fence and backup boardtogether as shown. Fol low the h inge man-ufacturer 's i nst ruct ions regard i ng recom-mended bor ing depth and d is tance f romi h p p d s p n f i h p d n n r ' r r q o : n i o n p n f s n r : n

wood to p rope r l y pos i t i on t he j i g . C lampthe 1 ig t o t he d r r l l p ress t ab le , and markthe cen te r l i ne o f t he ho le on the fence .Next , mark the locat ion of the h inges onthe doors; depending on the s ize of thedoor you are work ing wi th. h inges can beins ta l l ed anywhere f rom 3 to 6 i nchesfrom ei ther end of the door; mark a s imi larcenter l ine on the fence. Lay the door facedown on the d r i l l p ress t ab le and bu t t i taga ins t t he f ence , a l i gn ing a h inge markwi th the center l ine. Hold the door s teadyand d r i l l t he ho le ( / e f f ) . S l i de t he doo ra long , l i ne up the second h inge mark w i t hthe cen te r l i ne , and d r i l l t he second ho le .

I

I

I

tI

I

I

rI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

Page 77: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

IIttIIIItIIIIIIIrI

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

Installing the mounting plateWith the mounting plate st i l l at tached to the hinge, al ign

the door with the cabinet as shown, and extend the hinge arms tobutt the mounting plate against the panel. Making sure thatthe adjustment screws on the mounting plate are in mid-position,mark a reference l ine, unscrew the mounting plate from thehinge arms, and fasten it to the cabinet side (above). This neednot be overly precise; the hinge can easi ly be adjusted afterinstallation (step 4).

INSTATTING EUR()PEAN-STYIE FACE FRAME HINGES

Hanging the doorSl ide the hinge arms onto the mounting plate unt i l they

click into position (above), then screw them together. Close thedoor and check i ts posi t ion. Adjust the height, depth, or lateralposit ion of the door by loosening or t ightening the appropriateadjustment screws on the hinge arms and mounting plate.

Installing the hingeEuropean-style hinges are also avai lablefor face frame cabinets, the predominantcabinet style in North American ki tchens.Instal l the hinges to the doors in the samemanner you would an overlay door, butfasten the mounting plate to the insideedge of the face frame (left).

75

Page 78: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

INSTALLING A FLUSH.MOUNTED DOOR' l Routing hinge moftisesI To rout the mortises for butt hinges ona f lush-mounted door, f i rst make a hingemort is ing j ie ( inset). Draw a center l ineacross the width of a piece of %-inchplywood and center a hrnge leaf on theboard's edge. Trace the prof i le of thehardware on the template. Next, install astraight-cutting bit in a router and rest thebit on the lef t edge of the hinge out l ine.Make a mark at the Ieft side of the routerbase plate. Repeat the procedure at ther ight and inside edges of the out l ine. Usea square to complete the template profileand cut it out on a band saw. Now positionthe hinge on the cabinet side and measurethe distance from the bottom of the cabi-net to the midpoint of the hinge. Measurethe same distance from the center l ineof the template to ei ther end of the j igand t r im i t to length . F ina l l y , cu t twosmall blocks for l ios and nai l them to thefront of your template. To use the j ig,olace the cabinet on i ts side on a worksurface, then set the router's depth of cutto the thickness of the hinge leaf. Buttthe template against the bottom of thecabinet and clamp both in place. Usingthe template as a guide, rout the mor-Iise (above, right). BuIt the templateagainst the top of the cabinet and repeatthe cut. Use a chisel to square the corners.

r) Hanging the doorL to cut mating mort ises in the edge ofthe door, secure the workpiece edge-up ina vise. Mark the hinge outlines on the edgeof the door transferring their location fromthe cabinet side; make sure the hinge pinprojects over the edge. Clamp an edge guideto the face of the door to orovide a widerbearing surface for the router, then rout themort ises. Next, shrm the door with a pieceof wood so the door is level with the cabi-net. Set the hinge leaves in the mortises cutin the cabinet sides, and screw the hardwarein place tighil.

I

I

I

t

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

76

Page 79: Kitchen Cabinets

DOORS

INSTALLING A TILT-OUT SINK TRAY

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

1 Attaching the hingesI A t i l t -out s ink tray is a handy space-saving f ixture for stor ing soap, scouringpads, and sponges out of sight yet closeat hand. To instal l the tray, f i rst removethe false drawer front f rom the cabinetand place i t on a work surface. Fol lowthe manufacturer 's instruct ions to tracethe open ing o f the t ray on the ins ideof the drawer front. Next, l ine up a hingewith the edge of the out l ine and centeri t on the drawer front, (When the hingeis c losed, i t w i l l be in the midd le o f thedrawer face.) Hold the hinge to the out-l ine and screw i t to the drawer f ron t .Repeat the process for the other hinge.

r) Re-attaching the drawer frontL Xtacn the two screws that hold thetray in place before installation. Then, mak-ing sure to spr ing the mechanism of theh inge f i rs t , l i ne up the h inge in the midd leof the drawer frame and screw the entireunit in place. Attach the other hinge, andhang the tray from the two screws,

77

Page 80: Kitchen Cabinets

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

rI

I

I

I

I

I

I

fttu

Page 81: Kitchen Cabinets

II

IIIItIIItIIIIIIItIItItIrII

'p roperly proportioned and well-built

I drawers are an indispensable part ofany kitchen. Like cabinet doors, well-styled drawer fronts can contributehandsomely to the overall look of akitchen. Yet their appealing faces hidethe kitchen's most abused elements: thedrawers themselves. Their organizationand construction are of paramount impor-tance, for a visually striking kitchen canbe a frustrating place to work if its draw-ers are haphazardly located or jam everytime they are opened.

Kitchen drawers must be built to last.They are yanked open and slammed shutcountless times a day. Worse, drawers inthe kitchen are often weighed down withappliances and crammed full of cutleryand utensils, so any shortcut made intheir construction will eventually com-promise their strength and utility.

D

Drawers can inJluence look and feel of akitchen. With their molded edges and

round pulls, the bank of overlay drawersin the kitchen shown above speaks of a

very traditional, almost Victorian, style.

83). Other options, like the lock miter(page 37), dado (page 35), and the dou-ble dado are suitable alternatives.

Kitchen drawers place tough demandson the mounting method used to securethem to the casework. Side-mounted firllextension sltdes (page 89) are designed towithstand very rigorous use, and are thebest choice if your budget permits.Bottom-mounted slides (page 87) arenot quite as strong, but are less expensiveand easier to install.

When it comes to the appearance ofa kitchen, the front is the most importantpart of a drawer. The design of yourdrawer fronts will help set the tone forthe kitchen's style. Howwell the drawersare installed will also prove to be a last-ing testimonial to your craftsmanship.It can be a time-consuming task to hanga drawer so it rests perfectly straight and

This chapter details the techniques involved in buildingstrong, attractive, smoothly functioning drawers. The con-struction guides on pages 80 and 81 offer an overview ofyouroptions for drawer faces, joinery, mounting, and materials.Your eventual choice will depend on your experience, shop

level, let alone several banks of drawers in a cabinet run.Applytng a false front to the drawer (page 93) can reduce thetime spent fussing with levels and drawer slides. Wth minimalexperience, you can quickly and accurately install false frontson both inset and overlay drawers. Even if the mounted draw-

setup, and timetable. When it comes to joinery, there is little ers themselves are slightly uneven, they will appear to be hungquestion that the strongest joint is the through dovetail (page with the precise eye of a master cabinetmaker.

A bank of inset drawers in a frameless cabinet like the oneshown at left allows little room for error. By installingfake fronts, the drawers need not be hung perfectly; the falsefronts can then be positioned straight and level to the case.

It

79

Page 82: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWER CONSTRUCTION

INSET DRAWER OVERLAY DRAWER I

tI

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

Also hnwn as a llush-f'ont drawer, an ilsetdra;er f its entirely within its cabinet. To hidethe ud grain of the drawer sides, s raltbet canbe ctff irtto the bttck Jace of the drawer f'ont asshown above, or a false Ji'ottt can be ndcled.

Arr overlay drawer fenttn"es n sepnrote .fhlsafi'ont screwed to the drawer.fi'ortt. A false .fitrttis typically lorger thart its drawer c0tulterpartso thnt it overlays tlrc face Ji'nrrte of tlrc cobitrct.

-q

DRAWER J()INTS

Commonly ueed Lo join drawerbacke Lo eidee; autLable for solidwood. plywood. or melamirte.

Through dovetailVery otron4, deco-rative jotnt eutLablefor any drawer cor'ner; end qrain ofdrawer aidee can beconcealed wtth falaefront. Ueed onlywith eolid wood.

Lock miter jointAIao known aa a drawer lock joint;cut wtLh a epectal ehaper cul,Leror rouLer btt. )uttable for aolidwood, plywood, and melamine.

Double dadoCan be uaedfor all corneraof a drawer;conceal6 enagratn of etdee.Suitable onlyfor eolid wood.

Front/back

Front/back

Page 83: Kitchen Cabinets

I

I

ItItI

I

I

tI

tI

I

rtIIIIIrItIIII

It

DRAWERS

MATERIALS FOR DRAWERS

MATERIAT

Solid wood

Cabinet-grade plywood

Melamine

Medium density fiberboard

USES

Sides, backs, f ronts,false fronts

Sides, backs, fronts, falsefronts, drawer bottoms

Sides, backs, fronts, falsefronts, bottoms

Sides , backs , f ron ts ,false fronts

COMMENTS

Use p ine or o ther inexpens ive wood fo r d rawer car -case; save more attract ive species for false frontsUse plainsawn veneer for false fronts; trim edges of falsefronts and top edges of drawer sides with solid woodbanding (page 48); use %" panels for drawer bottomsTrim all edges with laminate edge banding (page 49);use %" panels for drawer bottoms

Easy to work, yet fair ly heavy for drawer construct ion;must be painted or veneered

DRAWER HANGING METHODS

Wooden runnersthop-made otripe of wood acrewedto orde panela of cabinet eiL in grooveecut in drawer etdee; drawer can beexLended to about. % of ita length.

Eottom-mounted alideeCommercial meLal ahdee; runneroscrewed to the lower cornera of thedrawer mate with tracke faetenedLo cabinet eidee: drawer can beextended about% of ita len7f,h.

Commercial metal alidee; runneroaLtach Lo drawer eide and mate wiLhtrack mounted on cabinet atdee; exten-sion mechaniam tn eome modele allowsdrawer to be fully exLended.

B1

Page 84: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

PLANNING BANKS OF DRAWERS

PTANNING BANKS ()F DRAWERS

Side mounted runners

With f lush front

With overlapping front

Bottom mounted runners

With f lush front

With overlapping front

Wooden runners

With f lush front

With overlapping front

Laying out a bank of drawersThere is only one general ly accepted rule of thumb for planningdrawer heights: a lower drawer should never be smal ler thanthe one above. The human eye appreciates order in proportion;placing larger drawers atop smal ler ones makes a cabinet looktop-heavy. Otherwise, drawers are a matter of taste. Experimentwith the designs shown above or take measurements from other

CALCULATING DRAWER DIMENSIONS

Subtract these amounts from the opening dimensions or cabinet depth.

ki tchens you l ike. Once you have decided on a layout, mark thelocation of the drawers on the cabinet's story pole (page 25). lfyour cabinets have face frames, use the chart below to calcu-late the size of the drawer pieces. For example, the width of adrawer side to be used with bottom-mounted runners should be% inch less than the height of the drawer opening,

DEPTH

%" + thickness of false front

1

1

+ thickness of false front

'/ou

Y4'

HEIGHT

%'

%'

You

YAu

WIDTH

1 u

I

TIIIttI

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

%'

%'

% '

% '

YB'

Ya'

t--;---l

t-;-lt--:---ll lr-:---lt t

Graduateddrawera

Two middledrawers ofequal height,

Three upperdrawera ofequal height

Three lowerdrawera ofequal height

82

+ thickness of false front

Page 85: Kitchen Cabinets

BUILDINGDRAWERSttI

tI

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

T

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

]l rawers tend to take a lot of abuse,Ll so strength is of utmost importancewhen building them. A drawer that hasbeen stapled together may look fine, andwill even work well-for a while. But ina few years it will start to loosen, sag,and eventually fall apart.

When designing for strengh, noth-ing tops the through dovetail joint. Manywoodworkers remain intimidated by thedegree ofprecision needed to executethis joint properly, yet commercial routerjigs have placed this once-exacting taskwithin reach of every cabinetmaker. Ifyou do not have a router, the double-dado, a joint almost as strong as the

CUTTING THROUGH DOVETAITS

through dovetail, can be cut on yourtable saw. Unfortunately, neither of thesejoints works well in plywood, one of themost common kitchen cabinet materi-als. For plywood, a lock miter (page 37)or dado joint can be used.

A lock miter joint is an easy way toturn out perfectly fining drawer

parts by the dozen. The joint fea-tures identical cuts in the end of one

board and the face of the matingboard. The steps for making a lockmiter joint are shown on page 37.

Routing through dovetail jointsWhen joining a drawer with dovetai l jo ints, cut the pins in thefront and back of the drawer, and the tai ls in the sides. Tocut the dovetails with the commercial jig shown above, screwthe pin- and tail-board templates to backup boards, then secureone of the drawer sides end up in a bench vise. Protecting thestock with a wood pad, clamp the tai l template to the work-piece so the underside of the template is butted against theend of the board. Also clamp a stop block against one edgeof the drawer side so the tai ls at the other end wi l l match.Instal l a top-pi loted dovetai l bi t in the router and set the

depth to sl ight ly more than the thickness of the drawer front.Cut the tai ls by feeding the tool along the top of the templateand moving the bit in and out of the jig's slols (above, left).Keep the bit pilot pressed against the sides of the slot. Repeatto rout the tai ls at the other end of the board and in the otherdrawer side. Then use the completed tai ls to out l ine the oinson the drawer front and back. Secure ei ther one in the vise,c lamp the p in -board templa te to the board w i th the s lo tsal igned over the out l ine, and secure the stop block in place.Rout the pins with a top-piloted straight bit (above, righil.

83

Page 86: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

DOUBLE DADO JOINTS

1 Cuttins dadoes in the drawer frontI Mark one end o f the drawer f ron t ,d iv id ing i t s th ickness in to th i rds . Then,ins ta l l a dado head on vour tab le saw.adjust ing i ts width to one{hird the thick-ness of the drawer front. Set the cutt ingheight equal to the thickness of the drawers ides . Nex t , ins ta l l a tenon ing j ig ; themode l shown s l ides in the mi te r s lo t .Pro tec t ing the s tock w i th a wood pad,c lamp the drawer f ron t to the j ig ; markthe ou ts ide face w i th an X. Move the l igsideways to al ign the blade with the mid-d le th i rd o f the board . Turn on the sawand s l ide the j ig a long the mi te r s lo t tocut the dado. Turn the drawer front overand c lamp i t to the j ig to cu t the dadoat the other end (right).

r) Trimming the tonguesL lnstal l a wood auxi l iary fence on the r ip fence. Mark acu t t ing l ine on the edge o f the drawer f ron t tha t d iv ides thetongue on i ts inside face in half . With the stock f lush againstthe miter gauge, inside-face down, align the mark with the blade.Butt the fence against the stock and raise the blades to cuta rel ief notch in the fence. Set the cutt ing height to tr im thehalf tongue. Holding the drawer front f i rmly against the gauge,feed i t into the cutters (above). Turn the board around andreoeat the orocedure at the other end.

Q Cutting matching dadoes in the drawer sidesr .J To jo in the drawer s ides to the f ront , cut a dado near thef ron t end o f each s ide . The dado mus t ma te w i t h t he ha l f -tongue on the f ront . Set the cut t ing height to the length of thehal f - tongue and screw a wooden extension board to the mi tergauge. To set the width of cut , but t the drawer s ide againstt he f ron t and use a penc i l t o ou t l i ne t he ha l f - t ongue on thedrawer s ide. Hold the s ide against the extension and a l ign themarks w i th t he dado head . C lamp a s top b lock f l ush aga ins tthe end of the stock and feed the board to cut the dado hbovd.Repeat the cut on the other s ide.

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

B4

Page 87: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

PREPARING THE DRAWER F()R A B()TT()M PANELCutting the groove for the bottom panelDry-assemble the drawer and mark anyspots where the joints bind; use a chisel topare smal l amounts of wood to achieve agood f i t . Next, use your table saw to cuta groove in the drawer front and sides toaccommodate the bottom panel. Instal l adado head, ad jus t ing the w id th to thethickness of the bottom panel stock. Setthe cutt ing height to half the stock thick-ness and adjust the r ip tence to leave a%-inch border between the bottom ofthe groove and the board edge. Feed thedrawer front across the table using a pushslick (right). (Caution: In this illustration theblade guard has been removed for c lar i -t y . ) Repeat the cu t on the drawer s ides .F ina l l y , ra ise the b lade he igh t a b i t h igh-er than the s tock th ickness and r ip thedrawer back to w id th . Th is w i l l a l low thebottom panel to slrde into posit ion whenthe drawer is assembled,

ASSEMBLING THE DRAWER

1 Clamping the drawerI A web clamp with corner brackets isideal for gluing up drawers. The web dis-tr ibutes pressure evenly among al l fourcorners, whi le the brackets help to spreadthe pressure along the lengh of each joint .To use the web clamps shown, apply glueto the contac t ing sur faces and assem-ble the drawer on a work surface. Next,f i t the corner brackets in olace. Wrao thes t raps around the drawer carcase andt igh ten them wi th the buck les be forelocking them in place ( lef t) . When theadhes ive has cured , remove the c lampsand apply edge banding to the top edgesof the drawer.

85

Page 88: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

O lnstalling the bottomL f rim the bottom oanel'/,e inch nar-rower than the soace between the twogrooves. Sl ide the panel into place fromthe back (above). Do not apply any glue.This wi l l a l low the drawer sides to expandor cont rac t w i th changes in humid i ty ;par t i cu la r ly i f the s ides are made f romsol id wood. Secure the bottom with acouole of f in ish nai ls in the drawer back.

rlt ffr lll IIt ffi lj{t ilt llll fill lllt flfl ljli ljlt II] fin itl tjll ntl1HO? Tt?Eliminatingdrawer rattleDrawer bolNomealwayof i t a tadlooeely to allow forwood movement,Unfor1unately, thiocan somel imeo leadlo an annoytnqraNlle. An eaoy fixfor this io to jamlittle wedqeebelween the bottompanel and the drawersides. Cut four lo six wedaesfor each offendina drawer. ge eureLo cut, lhem eo the grain ie or iented aN a

I

T

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

tT

I

I

tI

I

I

I

r iqhL anqle No the taper. Thio wi l l make i t eaoyto break off . To inet all each wedqe, Nap iN in place.Finally break off lhe excees by liflinq the wedqe.

Page 89: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWER SLIDES AND RUNNERS

INSTATTING BOTTOM.MOUNTED STIDES

I

I

I

I

I

ttI

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

T

I

rI

I

T

I

tI

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

f ommercial slides have simplifed theU installation of drawers to the pointwhere that they have virtually supplant-ed all other drawer-hanging hardware,and for good reason. The slides are sim-ple to install and can be secured withonly three or four screws. Some com-mercial slides even allow for fine tuninsand can be adjusted vertically after thiscrews have been installed.

For the kitchen user, commercialdrawer slides also offer unmatcheddurability. Good quality side-mountedslides (page 89) are rigorously tested;they must open and close flawlessly atIeast 100,000 times and support a loadof 150 pounds when fully extended.Bottom-mounted slides (below) cannotbear nearly as much weight, but are con-siderably less expensive. Wooden slides(page 91) still have a place. Inexpensiveto make, they are perfectly suitable forlight-duty situations.

Some bottom-mounted drawer slides can extenda drawer its full length to display the contents inside.

1 Attaching the runner to the drawerI Bottom-mounted slides consist of twoparts: a runner that attaches to the bot-tom of the drawer sl ide and a track thatis secured to the cabinet sides. Beforeinstal l ing the f i rst drawer, place i t in fronto f the case and lay ou t the s l ide par tsbes ide i t . Make sure you unders tandwhere each piece goes and its orientation.To pos i t ion the runner , se t the draweron i t s s ide and bu t t the runner aga ins tthe bottom of the drawer side as shown.Inset the hardware %e inch back from thedrawer f ront so i t wi l l not interfere withthe false fronl (page 93). fhe runnercan be secured from below or from theside. l f you are using sol id wood or ply-wood, attach it from the side. lf you havechosen melamine, attach the runner frombelow (/eff). In both cases, drill pilot holesf i rst to avoid spl i t t ing the mater ial .

87

Page 90: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

Positioning the tracksOnce you have de termined the spac ing o f the drawers

(page 82), position the tracks for bottom-mounted slides on thesides of the cabinet. Place a track on the cabinet side, using aframing square to hold i t at a r ight angle to the cabinet front.For face frame cabinets, place the track almost f lush with thefront edge of the cabinet; for f rameless cabinets l ike the oneshown above, inset the drawer by the thickness of the falsefront stock;typical ly about% inch. Measure out the appropriate

drawer height from the cabinet story pole (page 25) then movethe square and track together to al ign the bottom of the trackwith this distance hbovd. Given the combined thickness of therunner and track, this means the bottom of the drawer sideswi l l be ac tua l l y about %z- inch h igher than on the s to ry po le .This bi t of extra clearance over the drawer below wrl l not benot iceab le s ince the fa lse f ron ts w i l l cover the gap. F ina l l y ,mark the oredri l led holes rn the track onto the cabinet side.

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

T

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

Q Fastening the tracksr-, f Dri l l a oi lot hole at each of the marksyou made in step 1, wrapping a piece oftape around the dr i l l b i t to ensure tha tthe screws do not pass through the sideof the cab ine t . Then fas ten the t rack inplace with a screw in each hole tighil.lf you have more than one drawer to installat a certain height, cut a plywood spacerto f i t between the track and the cabinetbottom. You can use this to place al l thetracks at exactly the same height withoutmeasuring. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for theother drawers in the cabinet.

88

Page 91: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

rI

T

I

T

I

tI

I

tI

I

I

I

I

INSTALLING SIDE.MOUNTED SLIDES'l Attaching the drawer runnersI Unl ike bottom-mounted sl ides, therunners of a side-mounted drawer sl idecan be attached to the side of a drawer atany height. To make instal lat ion easier,always offset the runner the same distancefrom the bottom edge of the drawer side.The runner in the i l lustrat ion was olaced3% inches from the edge, measuring tothe center o f the runner . Make a s imo lej ig to posit ion al l the runners at exact lythe same spot on each drawer. Fastensome one-inch-square stock as a l ip to a12-inch length of plywood, then tr im thej ig to width to hold the runner at the r ightposition as shown. To attach each runner,f i rst separate the runner from the track.Then clamp the j ig to the drawer side andhold the runner against i t , making sure i tis f lush with the drawer front. Secure therunner with screws tight).

r) Fastening the tracksZ- Position the tracks on the sides of thecabinet according to the desired spacing(page 82) For the lowest track, simplymeasure the offset of the drawer runner(above) from the cabinet bottom, addingYo inch for c learance. Draw a l ine at thisheight. Hold the track against the cabinetsrde and center the predri l led screw holesover the l ine . For face f rame cab ine ts ,posit ion the track so i t is nearly f lush withthe f ron t o f the cab ine t ; fo r f ramelesscabinets, inset the track by the thicknessof the false front stock. Fasten the trackwith screws ( lef t) . f he higher trackscan be posit ioned by adding the drawerheight specified on the cabinet story pole@age 25)to the runner offset. Rememberto measure to the center o f the t rack .Repeat steps I and 2 for the other drawers.

Poaitioninq jiq

89

Page 92: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

Q Installing the drawervl l f you have caref ul ly posi t ioned andins ta l led the runners and t racks , thedrawers can be hung by simply sl ippingtheir runners into the sl ides mounted onthe cabinet sides. To remove the drawer,extend i t ful ly then tr ip the lever releaseson both slrdes kbove).

lljt fill ffi llt llit tlll tllt fitr filt ljlt lllr fill filt illt llll ilIl tlll lllt9HO7 Tt?7uilding up faae frame cabineto) ince mosl commercial drawerslides are desianedto be ecreweddirecbly to the eidee of a cabinel,lhey cannol be ueed on faceframe cabineNe without cerlainadjuet menNe. M anuf acturer emake epecial brackeLeNo br idqe thie qap buI amuch elurdier, ehoe- madealternaNive ie No build up Nhe cabi-neN eidee, Rio eome 1'/z-inch-Nhickeolid etock equal in widLh lo Nhediet ance belween Nhe edge of the faceframe andthe eidee of Nhe cabinet,.Youwill need three upriqhL pieceo IhaN eNreNch

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

between the bothom and lop of Nhe cabineN. Drill pilot, holes in NheupriqhLo every four to six i iches. Locai le each oi Lhe upriqh\e eoit io oppooit e a pre-drilled suew hole in the olide, then f asten theo?acero tro the cabinet side with wood screws. Now Nhe slide canbe oecurely inslalled in line with the inside edqe of Ihe f ace frame.

90

Page 93: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

HANGING DRAWERS WITH SHOP-MADE RUNNERS

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

tTI

I

I

I

tIII

Longbefore the advent of commer-cial drawer slides, cabinetmakerswere making simple yet fficientdrawer runners from wood. Thedrawer in the face frame cabinet

shown at right has dadoes cut intoits sides that slide over woodenrunners mounted to the inside ofthe cabinet. Four notched blocks

scretued to the face frame and cabi-net back support each runner. To

install wooden runners in a frame-less cabinet, see the steps below.

1 Cutting grooves in the drawer sidesI Before assembling the drawer, cut agroove for the runner in the outside faceof each drawer side. To make instal lat ioneasier, offset each groove the same dis-tance from the bottom edge of the drawerside. There are no rigid rules for the widthof the groove, but it should accommodatesl ides that are thick enough to supportthe drawer. On your table saw instal l adado head the same width as the groove.Draw cutt ing l ines for the groove in themiddle of the leading end of one drawerside. Also mark the depth of the groove;i t shou ld be no more than one-ha l f thestock thickness. Butt the l ines for thegroove against the dado head, then crankthe blades up to the depth l ine. Butt therip fence flush against the stock and makethe cut. Repeat for each drawer side.

9 1

Page 94: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

r) Installing the slidesL l tul l the sl ide stock so i ts thicknessand width are about hz inch less than thed imens ions o f the groove in the drawersides. Tr im the sl ides a few inches shorterthan the cab ine t s ides , then dr i l l th reecounterbored c learance ho les in each.Posit ion the wooden sl ides as you wouldcommercial side-mounted slides @age 89.Hold a sl ide so i t is inset f rom the frontedge o f the cab ine t by the th icknessof the false front stock, then screw i t inplace (righil. Test-f it the drawer. lf it istoo loose, add sh ims under the s l ides ;i f too t igh t , remove i t and p lane or sandi t s l igh t ly th in ner .

Q Fine-tuning drawer fitr - ,1 Sl ide the drawer onto i ts runners. l f the sides bind, removethe drawer and mark any shiny areas on the sides-high spotsthat can be shaved off with a hand plane. To secure the drawerfor planing, c lamp a wide board to a workbench with one edgeextending over the side as shown. Remove the bottom of thedrawer and hang the drawer on the board so the binding side

is fac ing up . Then c lamp another board to the workbench,butt ing i t against the drawer; use a bench dog to keep the sec-ond board from moving. Gripping the plane with both hands,shave off the marked spots with smooth, even strokes (above).Test-f i t the drawer and repeat unt i l i t s l ides smoothly. Replaceihp hnf inm nanpl

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

92

Page 95: Kitchen Cabinets

FALSE FRONTS AND HARDWARE

INSTALLING FALSE FRONTS ()N INSET DRAWERS

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

tI

I

I

f, alse fronts solve the problem ofI hanging drawers so they are perfectlystraight and level. Wth the false frontsystem, all the drawers in a cabinet aremounted as close to level as possible,then the fronts are positioned individ-ually so they are plumb and level withthe case or face frame. Shims are usedto fine-tune the fit. The location of thefalse fronts are marked with nail tios setin the drawers, then the draweri areremoved and the false fronts are fastenedin place.

False fronts can be used with eitherframeless or face frame cabinets. The for-

mer always uses inset drawers (below),while the latter can have either inset oroverlay drawers (page 80).

Installing knobs or pulls is nottricky, but take the time to do it right.The key is to center the hardware onthe drawer front. Techniques forinstalling the two different types ofhardware are shown on page 97 .

One of the final touches in making adrawer is adding the appropriate han-dle or knob. Here a drawer knob is at-

tached to a frame-and-panel false front.

'l Preparing the drawerI 0nce the drawer sl ides have beenproperly mounted (pages 87-92), set thedrawer face-up on a work surface and drivetwo brads into the drawer front, leavingtheir head protruding. Make sure the bradsare not located where the drawer pull willbe installed. Then snip off the heads, leav-ing about % inch exposed.

= - - l - l =

93

Page 96: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

Attaching the false frontsApply a thin layer of glue to the front of the drawer. Posi-

t ion the fa lse f ron t in p lace , l in ing up the indenta t ions youmade in s tep 2 w i th the brad t ips . C lamp the fa lse f ron t inp lace , then dr i l l a p i lo t ho le near each corner f rom the ins ideof the drawer ; mark the proper depth on the b i t w i th somemask ing tape to avo id d r i l l i ng th rough the f ron t . F ina l l y fas tenthe false front with screws % inch shorter than the total thick-ness of the drawer Iront (above).

fii1 lili iltl fill lllt lljl llll ilti llll illl llll ill lll1 lll1 llll lllJ lllt lllj5HO7 Tl?Sizing faloe fronlsuein6two st iaks

I

I

I

tI

I

tI

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

r) Marking the drawer frontsZ lnstall all the drawers on their slides.Start ing with the bottom drawer, posi-t ion i t s match ing fa lse f ron t in p lace .Use oaoer o r cardboard sh ims to leve lthe false front and create an even gapof about % inch between i t and the cab-inet bottom. Pul l out the drawer aboveto ensure that i t c lears the bottom falsefront; t r im the front i f necessary. Whenyou are sat isf ied with the f i t , push thefalse front into the drawer, dr iv ing thebrad t ips into the wood. Apply laminateedge banding (page 4& to the edges ofthe false front, then proceed to step 3 toinstall it. Mark the rest of the false frontsthe same way, shimming each one againstthe f in ished drawer benealh i t bbove).

For CuNNinq tatoe lffi$S$#,ffi;;fronls lo eize, twootraiqht, and equareslickg can oerve agaccural,e 4auqeo formeasurinq Ihe ineidewidth of a k ibchen cabi -neL, Tlace Nhe sticks oide byside in Nhe cabinet, bul t inq oneot ick aqainoN one o ide and Lhe otheraqainel Nhe oppooi te s ide. Mark a l ineacro;e the eNicks. Remove them and real iqn themarke.Ihe combined lenquh of the st icks wi l l g ive youNhe correct, meaouremenN for Ihe lenath of the falee fronN.

94

Page 97: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

rI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

INSTALTING FALSE FRONTS ON OVERTAY DRAWERS

1 Chamfering the false frontsI False f ronts on overlay drawers typi-cal ly have some sort of edge treatment,such as rounding over, chamfering (shownhere), or more involved shaping. First sizethe false fronts to match the drawer car-case front, plus the desired overlap. Tochamfer the edges of the false front, installa piloted 45" chamfering bit in a router andmount the tool in a table. Al ign the fencewith the bi t 's pi lot bearing and adjust theheight of the bi t to cut al l but %u inch ofthe front 's edges and ends. Clamp twofeatherboards to the fence, one on ei therside of the bi t , to hold the stock againstthe tab le . ( ln the i l l us t ra t ion the f ron tfeatherboard has been removed for c lar i -ty.) To reduce tearout, chamfer the endsbefore the s ides . Feed the worko ieceacross the table with a push st ick, usingyour lef t hand to press the stock againstthe f ence (righil.

r) Marking the false frontL Ltlarnfalse fronts for an overlay draweras you would for an inset drawer (page 93).The example at lef t shows two side-by-side drawers over a pair of doors. A sup-port block is clamped beneath the drawerto he lp pos i t ion the fa lse f ron t in p lace .First prepare the front of the drawers byinsert ing and cutt ing off a pair of brads(page 93). To place the support block,draw a l ine on the drawer rai l where thelowest part of the false front will be. Clampthe block in place, then set the false fronton top of r t . Finetune the block's posit ionby tapp ing i t l i gh t l y w i th a mal le t un t i lthe false front s i ts level and at exact ly therrght height. Then move the front r ight orlef t to center i t hor izontal ly. Final ly, holdthe front in posi t ion and push the drawerinto the front to mark it (lef).fhe frontcan be screwed to the drawer (page 94)or glued in place (page 96).

95

Page 98: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

Q Gluing on false frontsr. , l Remove the drawer and spread athrn layer of glue on the back of the falsefront. Place the front in position, with thetwo brads in their impressions. Hold theassembly together, using quick-action barclamps along the edge of the front anddeep-throated C clamps along the bottomedge; protect the stock with wood padswhere necessary. Tighten the clampsevenly unt i l there are no gaps betweenthe false front and the drawer bbovd.

tjli filj ilti llll lll] llll llli illi illl lllj llli llli ill illl llll llll lll1 llll)HO? Tt?1eauring false lrontswith double-facedtapeDouble-f aced tape iea quick and eaey /way to Vooition S._and hold faleelronNe in placewhi le inotal l inqNhem. Slick a eNriVof double-faced LaVeto the fronl of thedrawer carcage. For face frame cabi'neNo (ehown here), hold the f alse frontin place with a 6u??ort board. Forframelees cabinets. shim Lhe front,with paper or card,board, shime. Thenoush the fronN aaaineL the drawer soi t ut icke to Nhe iaVe, Final ly, ineLal lIhe falee front with ocrewe.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tII

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

fri

Page 99: Kitchen Cabinets

DRAWERS

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

ttI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

HANDTES AND PULTS' l Installing knobsI Drawers with sinele knobs should havethe knob centered in the midd le o f thedrawer front. To f ind the center, drawd iagona ls connect ing oppos i te corners ,marking just near the middle of the drawer(right); do not make the lines too dark orthey w i l l be d i f f i cu l t to e rase la te r . Dr i l la c learance ho le fo r the knob; the ho leshould be just a shade larger than the boltso the knob base wi l l have something tobear against. lnstal l the knob after apply-ing a f in ish to the front.

r') Installing drawer pullsL me holes for drawer pul ls are a l i t t lemore time-consuming to mark. Most frontsare la id ou t so the pu l l i s leve l and cen-tered both horizontally and vertically; sometal ler drawers may have pul ls placed a bi tbelow the halfway mark. For a single cen-te red pu l l , beg in by drawing a l ine tha tdivides the front in half lengthwise. Usea framing square to lay out the l ine, thendoub le check w i th a ru le r to make surethat it is even at both ends. Measure outthe exact midpoint of this l ine and makea mark. Measure the distance from centerto center of the two ends of the pul l anddivide this number in two. Mark out thisd is tance on the center l ine , measur ingf rom both s ides o f the midpo in t . Dr i l lc learance holes through the front at thesetwo points. Instal l the pul l af ter applyinga f inish to the front.

Page 100: Kitchen Cabinets

i

, l': \:.

I' l

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

\l!:

I

-?; 11V ) .

Page 101: Kitchen Cabinets

II

IIIItIIIIIIIIIItIIIItIItII

Pinpointing irregularities inkitchen surfaces is covered onpage 102. Lower cabinet runs(page fia) are usually installedfirst, followed by the upper cab-inets (page 115). Some cabinet-makers, however, install theupper cabinets first, arguing thatit is easier to do this task with thelower cabinets out of the way.While either option will work,stand-alone kitchen peninsulasand islands (pages 112-114) arebest installed last, as they can cre-ate traffic jams during installa-

they are expected to work in the

Positioning and installing the upper cabinets of a kitchenis more dfficult than installinglower cabinets. Simplejigs such as shop-made cabinet jacks (left) and tempo-rary support raik (page ll5) make the job much easier.

tI

NSTALLNG CABINETS

f nstalling kitchen cabinets canI be the best of times. and theworst. Best, because it marks thecompletion of an arduous task;worst. because installation ofperfect cabinets in an imperfectkitchen is sure to put your cab-inetmaking skills to the test.Until now, you have worked onpaper and in the relative calm ofyour workshop, carefully craft-ing your cabinets one by one.But a kitchen is not a workshop.When you bring your cabinetson site and start installing them,you may find yourself dealing with problems you had notanticipated, often working against the clock.

For example, no matter how painstakinglyyou have exe-cuted your story poles and built your cabinets to their spec-ifications, there will undoubtedlybe gaps between the carcasesand the walls, floors, and ceilings. This is because the walls ofa room, unlike your cabinets, are rarely straight. Fortunately,out-of-plumb walls can easily be straightened by adding addi-tional rails to the end cabinets (page 104) and scribing them(photo, above). The scribe rail can then be planed or sandedto conform to the wall.

The chapter that follows guides you through the stepsand techniques necessary to install your kitchen cabinetsand make sure they are plumb and level. A general reviewof installation techniques (pages 100-101) outlines severaloptions for installing both lower and upper cabinet runs.

A transfer scribe accurately follows the contoursof a wall and draws a matchingline onto a scriberail. Once the rail is planed or sanded to this line,the cabinet will fit seamlessly when it is installed.

tion, no matter how wellfinished kitchen.

Placed on levelers, plinths, or their own integral bases, thelower cabinets (page 104) arc shimmed from behind so theirfaces are plumb and aligned flush with each other, then thecases are fastened to the wall studs. Utility hookups such as hotand cold water supplies, drain pipes, and electrical outletsrequire special planning (page 108). Before installing cabinetsaround such hookups, check with a professional plumber andelectrician to ensure that the pipes are sound and the wiring isin good condition. Upper cabinets are mounted using nailerrails, European-style supports, or beveled wooden support rails(page 115).As in the lower cabinets, variations in the length ofa cabinet run maycall for filler snips to bridge gaps between cab-inets. The final touch is decorative crown molding (page 118),which dresses the joint betr,veen the cabinets and the ceiling.

99

Page 102: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLATION BASICS

hen installing your kitchen cabi-nets, the technique you choose to

keep them level will depend on yourmethod of construction. If your lowercabinets feature an integral toe kick, youcan use leveler legs (page 44) or shims(page 106) to position the cabinets level,plumb, and square with one anotherbefore nailing the cases to the studs. Ifyour cabinets are simple carcases, levelerlegs or a plinth base are both suitable.

While the plinth base (page 112) canbe used with any Iower cabinet, it is par-ticularly well-suited to islands andoeninsulas. This is because both of theseiabinet tvDes are difficult to secure tothe floor while hiding the fasteners. Theolinth is leveled first with shims oridjustable levelers, then fastened inolace with a few L-brackets screwed toihe floor and inside of the plinth. Theisland or peninsula is then screwed ontothe olinth,

Upper cabinets can either be screwedto the wall studs through nailer rails(page 1 16),specialized commercial hard-ware, or hung on beveled wooden sup-oort rails screwed to both the cabinetind the wall studs (opposite).In bothupper and lower cabinets, shims are usedto level the cabinets and make them allappear to be a single unit seamlesslyjoined to the kitchen. Scribe rails andfiller strips should take care ofany gaps.

Kickplate

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tII

0

0

0

0

0

0

,F wwkick clio i Adiuatable

\ , E 1 ,f f i - - - - - - , /

l E F ' : : - : : ! a

: # / : .w-^ @ /tuor)tinq

'g

plate

Page 103: Kitchen Cabinets

II INSTALLING CABINETS

UPPER CABINETS (Page 1 15)

ISTAND(Page 1 12)

5ide view

Adjuetableleveler

Page 104: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING THE LOWER CABINETS

rla he walls and floors of a kitchen areI typically far from plumb, level,

straight, and square. Common irregu-larities such as bows in the wall or awarped floor can create problems whenit comes time to install cabinets that areperfectly square. In older homes, thestuds in the walls may also be placed atintervals other than the standard 16-inchspacing used today. The best plannedkitchen will pose installation challengesthat cannot be tackled until the cabinetsare ready for assembly on-site. However,you need to identify these irregularities

A chalkline simplifies marking outlong level lines, such as indicatingthe top of a lower run of cabinets.

before you begin putting the cabinetsin place.

Your first task is to draw level hori-zontal lines on the walls where the cab-inets will go (below). If the kitchen flooris not level, you can adjust the height ofthe cabinets later with shims or varioustypes of commercial levelers. Next, youneed to locate the wall studs. which arecrucial to securing the cabinets in place.This is easily done with an electronicdevice known as a stud finder, whichdetects differences in the thickness ofawall by means of a magnetic field.

Lastly, the squareness of corners willaffecta close fit (opposite). Scribe rails,used to cover gaps, must be wide enoughto span anyvoids between cabinet sidesand the adjoining wall.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIItIIIItIIIIIIIIIIIt

PREPARING FOR INSTALLATION

1 Drawing layout linesI Use a long carpenter's level to draw aline on the wall at the height of the lowercabinets tighil. Measure this line fromthe highest point of the f loor where i tmeets the wall (page 24). lt you haveadjoining cabinet runs, start markingfrom the highest floor point of the respec-t ive wal ls. This ensures that you wi l l onlyneed to shim the cabinet bottoms to levelthe tops of the cabinets. (lf you startedfrom a lower point on the f loor, cabinetbottoms would require scribing-a morelaborious approach.) The l ines can alsobe easily laid out with a chalk line (pho-to, above). Repeat the procedure to markthe bottom of the upper cabinets.

r02

Page 105: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

IIItIItIIIIIIIItIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

r) Checking the corners for squareL tlse a carpenter's square to determineif a corner is square (left). lf not, measurethe gap, and use this figure to make scriberails (page 104). Use a plumb bob to seeif the wal l leans inward. l f i t does, mea-sure the gap at i ts widest point.

Q Locating wall studsr. , f Use an electronic stud f inder tolocate the centers of the studs in thewal ls . Fo l low ing the manufac turer ' sinstruct ions, cal ibrate the sensor andplace the device against the wal l . Pressthe operat ing button and sl ide the sen-sor sideways across the wall (below);the red light will come on as the devicepasses over a stud. Determine the edgesof each stud and mark its center. Youcan also snap a chalk l ine up the centerof each stud to locate it for both uooerand lower cabinets.

103

Page 106: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

INSTALLING A LOWER CABINET RUN

r) Shimming the cabinets temporarilyZ- Pos i t ion the cab ine t in p lace w i ththe scr ibe ra i l touch ing the wa l l . S l ipsh ims beneath the cab ine t un t i l the topof the cabinet is level (r ighi l . For cabi-ne ts w i th leve le r legs , ad jus t the he igh to f the legs un t i l the cab ine t i s leve l(page 110).

'l Adding scribe railsI lnstal l a corner cabinet f i rst . Cut ascr ibe rai l wide enough to span the gapbetween the edge of the cabinet and thewal l . The scr ibe rai l should be the samelength as the cab ine t face , and madefrom the same mater ial . Glue the rai l inplace so i ts face is f lush with the cabinet.Clamp the scr ibe rai l in place ( lef t)andlet the glue cure.

tIIIIIIItIIIIIIIIItIIIItIIttI

I

I

t

Page 107: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

tIIIItIIttIIIIIItIIIIIIIItIIItII

Q Scribing the railr-t Set a transfer scribe slightly largerthan the gap you determined for thescribe rail (page 103). Place the steelpo in t aga ins t the wa l l and lay the pen-c i l po in t on the scr ibe ra i l . Keep thetwo points level as you slide the transferscr ibe down the wal l (above), markingthe contour of the wal l on the rai l .

Planing the scribe railsSand or plane the edge of the scribe

rai l down to the l ine you scr ibed in step2. Ti l t the tool a bi t toward the rearo f the cab ine t as you p lane the scr iberai l , creat ing a sl ight bevel ( /ef f) . Thisbevel need not be very pronounced, butwi l l ensure a snug f i t when the cabinetis instal led.

t0s

Page 108: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

f, Installing the cabinetr- ,1 Reposit ion the cabinet in place withthe scr ibe ra i l touch ing the wa l l . Sh imthe bottom and sides of the cabinet soi t i s leve l and i t s top is a l igned w i th there ference l ine on the wa l l . Fas ten thecab ine t in p lace by screwing th roughthe sh ims and rear na i le rs in to the wa l lstuds ( /ef f) . Tr im the excess from theshims with a sharp kni fe. Al ign the nextcab ine t in the run and screw i t to thef i rst cabinet (below), Repeat to instal lthe remainder o f the run .

IIItIItItIIIIIIItIIIIttttI

I

I

I

I

I

t

INSTALLING ADJACENT RUNS

1 Aligning adjacent cabinetsI To instal l runs of cabinets on adjacentwalls, start with the corner cabinet. Leveland ins ta l l the case as you d id in s tep 5(above), then align the next cabinet. Placeand adjust shims as needed so the cabi-ne t faces are f lush and Ieve l . C lamp thecabinets together in position (rghf).

0

0

0

0

0

106

Page 109: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

I

I

tIItI

I

tI

tI

I

I

tIIItIItIIIIItIIIt

rlJl l l l I j i ]t r l l i l l l l lrr l l l l l i l i l l i lr l i l l i l l i l l i i t i l { i l l t l i l i l t{ i i l1 i i l lul ur iii lu ili i.u uJ ilJ iti t$ {lJ di ul i.ri ru u ui ut

5HO? TI?Makingthiak shimslf you muet ehim a wide qap, add a sufficienbly thick piece of plywoodLo a ef,andard cedar shim.Thie el iminatee the need for eeveralahime, which may ehifL and compl icate Ihe level inq ?roceoo.Uoinq a piece of plywood of uni form thicknees also

r) Fastening the cabinetsL Once you have a l igned the cab i -nets, fasten them together with screws.Dr i l l th ree countersunk o i lo t ho les a tthe f ron t and the back o f one cab ine tside. l f you are using %-inchthick stockfor your cabinets, make these holes 1%inches deep. Then dr ive the fas tenersin place (above).

enauree that, the shim wi l l noL inlroduce addi-t ional i r regular i t ies, as may happen whenplacinq many ohimo nexf,lo each other.Join Ihe ehim Io the plywood witha shorL screwi make sure Lhehead of the lastener iseunk be low the sur -f ace of the ehim.

.a ' - ',/, a t '

.a/

'..,."

'x.t - I y'' '

'\ti

.,"', / .-G)

d*.

r07

Page 110: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

Q Installing fil ler stripsr-J Minor aberrations in the measurement of the walls and cabi-nets can leave you with a gap between the last cabinets to beinstalled. lf the space cannot be eliminated by adding scribe railsof equal width at either end of the run, cut a fil ler strip the lengthof the cabinet face and wide enough to bridge the gap between

FITTING CABINETS AROUND UTITITY H()()KUPS

1 Locating utility cutoutsI Using the cabinet story poles for theappropriate cabinet (page 24), transferthe measurements for plumbing and elec-tr ical out lets onto the back oanel of thecabinet tighD. lndicate the position andsize of each ut i l i ty cutout.

the two cabinets. Cut the piece from the same mater ial as thecabinets, then screw i t to the cabinet already instal led. Screwan addiiional strip along the top edge of the cabinet bbovd, aswide as the front f i l ler str ip and as long as the depth of the cabr-nets. Sl ide the next cabinet in place, and instal l i t as in step 2.

I

I

I

I

I

tttIIIIttIIIIIIIItItItIIIII

Location- ,-/ofdrain

r08

Page 111: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

r) Gutting holesL Cut the holes usins a dr i l l f i t tedwith a hole saw the saire srze as thecutout (abovel. Make the holes slightlylarger than the pipe. A keyhole sawcan be used for larger holes.

Q Attaching shut-off valves\, Fit decorative flanges over the pipes,then fasten shut-off valves to the pipeends. These taps usua l ly requ i re on lywrenches ( lef t) to fasten them in place.A f lex ib le supp ly tube then feeds thewater to the taos.

109

Page 112: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

INSTALLING KICKPLATES

1 Levelins the cabinetl -

I l f your cabinets have integrated toekicks (page 100), proceed to step 2. Forcabinets with leveler legs, use a level toguide you while you adjust the legs (right).Shif t the level f rom the front to the sideand repeat as necessary unt i l the cabinetis leve l on a l l s ides . Secure the cab ine tin place by dr iv ing fasteners through thenai lers into the wal l studs.

Scribing the kickplateTo f i t the k ickplate, p lace i t on the

f loor in front of the cabinet below). Usea transfer scr ibe to scr ibe the kickplateas you did the scribe rail (page 105).The top edge of the kickplate should belevel; use shims i f necessary. Plane thekickplate to the l ine.

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

T

tI

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

1 1 0

Page 113: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

t

I

I

I

)rrtrr$a'r

Fitting the retaining clipsDraw a centerline down the leneth

of the kickplate's insrde face. lndicatethe locatron of each leveler leg onthe kickplate. Screw the rectangularmounting plates at each of these points,then sl ide the cl ips onto the mountingplates (above).

Attaching the kickplateLine up the c l ips wi th the legs ( le f t )

then snap the k ickp la te in p lace . S l idet h e c l i p s s l i g h t l y a l o n g t h e m o u n t i n gplates, i f necessary, so they l ine up withtheir respect ive legs when the kickplateis properly posi t ioned.

1 1 1

Page 114: Kitchen Cabinets

ISLANDSAND PENINSULAS

I f your ki tchen is large enough, theI addition of a freestanding island cantighten work triangles, reduce kitchentraffic, and eliminate countertop clutter.Incorporating a sink or range and addi-tional storage space into the island canimprove the overall efficiency of yourkitchen even more.

Installing a kitchen island requires adifferent approach than the one used forkitchen cabinets, as the island has nosupport from the walls. One solution isto set the island on a plinth. This is awooden frame with a perimeter slightlysmaller than the cabinet. The plinth isassembled with splined miter joints, Iev-eled, and fastened to the floor;the islandcabinet is then screwed to the plinth. Theplinth can be made from plywood orsolid wood. The former is recommend-ed ifthe floor is uneven; separate kick-olates can be scribed and added later,

I

tI

T

I

I

I

tI

T

T

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

T

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

With its large tiled countertop, sink, and ample storage below, the kitchenisland above does double duty as a dishwashing and food preparationqrea. Instead of resting on a plinth, the island is set on a molded base frame.

INSTALLING A KITCHEN ISLAND

1 Preparing the frame piecesI Assemble the olinth from veneered%-inch plywood or sol id stock usingspl ined miter jo ints at the corners. First ,rip the four frame pieces to width-typi-cally, 4 inches. To cut the frame pieces tolength , t i l t the tab le saw b lade to 45"and mi te r the ends ; when assembled ,the ol inth should be inset 3 inches fromal l s ides of the is land cabinet. Next, makesome spl ines from %-inch plywood; theyshou ld be as long as the w id th o f thef rame pieces and % inch wide. To cut thegrooves in the frame pieces for the splines,remove the saw blade and install a dadohead set to the thickness of the spl ines.Adjust the height of the saw blade so i tcuts a 45" dado into the mitered end of theframe pieces (right);lhe depth of the dadoshould be half the width of the spl ines.

t12

Page 115: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

rI

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

r) Assembling the plinthL npply glue to the ends of the framepieces, spreading i t in the dadoes youcut in step 1. Spread adhesive on thesp l ines and tap them in to the dadoes.Assemble and c lamp the p l in th us inga large web clamp (above); the modelshown features special corners that dis-t r ibu te the c lamping pressure even lyalong the miter jo ints.

Leveling the plinthScrew an adjustable leveler at each

corner of the pl inth, instal l ing the f i rst oneat the highest f loor elevat ion of the fourcorners. Set this leveler as low as possible.then raise or lower the others as neededuntil the top of plinth is level (/eft).

1 1 3

Page 116: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINE,TS

Shimming the pl inthl f t he f l oo r i s uneven , you w i l l undoub ted l y end up w i th

gaps between the bot tom of the p l in th and the f loor once thep l i n th has been l eve led . F i l l t he gaps w i th sh ims , pos i t i on ing

each one so i ts wide end is outs ide the p l in th area (above).

Add a d rop o f g l ue to each sh im to ho ld i t i n p lace , and usea ca rpen te r ' s l eve l t o ensu re t ha t you do no t sh i f t t he p l i n th

as vou inser t addi t ional sh ims.

lnstal l ing the is land cabinelC e n t e r t h e i s l a n d c a b i n e t o n t h e

p l i n th , and mark ou t t he pos i t i on o f t hep l i n th on the cab ine t bo t tom. Sc rew thecabinet in p lace ( r igh i l , dr iv ing the fas-teners through the cabinet bot tom intothe p l i n th . A f t e r t he cab ine t i s i n p lace ,

scr ibe and insta l l k ickpla les (page l l0)on the ou ts ide faces o f t he p l i n th .

F Fastening the plinth to the flootr - ,1 Fasten the p l rnth to the f loor us ing L-shaped angle brack-e t s Se t t he b racke ts i n o lace and sc rew them to t he i ns ideface of the p l in th; use two brackets per s ide. Then screw thehardware to the f loor (above). Once the p l in th has been fas-

tened i n p lace , cu t t he sh ims f l ush w i th t he ou ts ide face o ft h e p l i n t h .

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

T

tr4

Page 117: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING THE UPPE,R CABINETSI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T f pp.r. cabinets can be fastened toLJ the walls in one of three ways. Theeasiest method is simply to screw the cab-inets to the wall studs throueh nailers(below). l f you want a less pErmanentsolution, you can hang the cabinets fromshop-made interlocking rails (page 116).

One rail is screwed to the back of the cab-inet, the other to the wall. Cabinets canalso be hung using commercially avail-able adjustable rails and cabinet supports(photo, right). Whatever method youchoose, the cabinets need to be leveledbefore final installation.

The European-style cabinet sLtpport shown in the cutaway cabinetnt right provides stronger support for mounting upper cabinets than

screws driven into the wall. Screwed to the inside corner of a cabinet,the hardware features a metal hook that protrudes through the back and

clips onto a rnil fastened to the wall behind the cabinet. Adjustmentscrews allow the cabinet to be leveled and tightened against the rail.

INSTALLING UPPER CABINETS

' l Installing a temporary support railI Attaching a temporary support rai lwi l l help you hold the upper cabinetsin posit ion as you instal l them. Screw a straight piece of 1-by-2 stock to thewal l (abovd, al igning i ts top with the layout l ine indicat ing the bottom ofthe upper cabinet run. Make sure to dr ive the fasteners into the wal l studs.

Page 118: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

Installing additional cabinetsPosition the second cabinet in the run

next to the first and clamp them togetherso the faces are flush. Drive two screws inthe second cabinet (right), leauing themslack so you can shim the cabinet as inthe previous step. Shim the second cabi-net unt i l i t is level, then screw i t to thef i rst cabinet. Tighten the screws joiningthe second cabinet to the wal l . Screw thecabinets together. Repeat to instal l theother cabinets in the run

O Installing the first cabinetZ- Posit ion the f i rst cabinet in the upperrun in its corner, setting it on the supportrail. lf necessary, add a scribe rail (page105), then reposit ion the cabinet andscrew it to the wall studs with two screwsdriven through the back of the cabinetnear the top. Do not drive the fasteners allthe way; leave some slack so you can shimthe cab ine t . C lamp a leve l to the s ideof the cab ine t and s l ip sh ims beh ind thecase until it is plumb (left), then tightenthe screws. Drive a second pair of screwsinto the wal l studs through the back ofthe cabrnet at the bottom.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

1 1 6

Page 119: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

USING BEVELED NAILERS

ffi llti llll llll lllt llfl tllj tlll tll} IlIt lllt llll llli fltt lII llll lllt llli1HO? TI?Shop- made cabinet jackeCabinet jacke eerve as an extra pair ofhands , ho ld inq a ca6e in p lace wh i le youins ta l l i t . You can eao i ly make your ownehop-built jacke.7imply screw trhree pieceeof Vlywood or melamine Noqelher inbo Nhel-ohape shown aN riqhL Vake the pieceeae lonq as the dielance belween the uppercabinetrs and the counter lop.The cenNerV iece ehou ld be w ide enou4h to ouVporNa cabinel uni f .

Hanging the cabinetsl f you are using beveled nai lers to instal lyour cabinets, f i rst screw a length of1-by-6 to the back of an upper cabinet.Posit ion the case on the wal l so the bot-tom of the case is al igned with the l ineon the wal l indicat ing the bottom of theupper cabinets, then mark the locat ionof the 1-by-6 on the wal l . Remove thestr ip of wood and cut a 45" bevel downits middle. Crosscut the oieces to thedesired length. Screw one of the str ipsto the wal l studs as a batten, i ts bevelpo in t ing up and fac ing the wa l l . Screwthe other piece to the back of the cabi-net as shown. Attach a second rai l anequal distance from the bottom of thecab ine t to ac t as a sh im. Screw a f i l l e rs t r ip to the back o f the cab ine t f lushwith the bottom, then hang the case inplace (top, left).

Page 120: Kitchen Cabinets

CROVTNMOLDING

f rown molding adds a nice finish-\-i ins touch to a set of kitchen cabi-nets. Itian also hide uneven ceilings andvisually integrate the cabinets with theroom's architecture. Simple one-piececrown molding is available in a variety ofprofiles to match the sryle ofyour kitchencabinets, and is easily cut and installed.You can also make your own with a table-mounted router and a couple of bits (seeback endpaper). \tVhen choosing crownmolding, make sure it is properly pro-portioned for the kitchen;molding thatis too wide will have the effect of lower-ing the ceiling. Molding 3 or 4 inches in

Custom crown moldingis availablewith elaborate carved patternsand scrollwork, in a wide range ofmodern and antique styles (left).

width is about right for an average 8-foot-high ceiling.

While cutting mitered corners at theend of a cabinet run requires care, thereal challenge in installing crown mold-ing is attaching it firmly and invisibly tothe cabinets, particularly when there isonly enough space between the cabinettops and the ceiling for the moldingitself. Attaching a nailer to the molding(below) allows it to be fastened to thecabinet from underneatn.

Crown molding does not have toextend all the way to the ceiling. In thecase ofexceptionally high ceilings, theremay be a gap of as much as a foot. Thishidden space above the cabinet can beused to good effect; by placing fluores-cent lights on top ofthe cabinets, theresulting indirect lighting can add so-phistication to your kitchen.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

INSTALLING CROWN MOLDING

1 Attaching the nailerI To orovide an anchor for the fastenerswhen instal l rng crown molding, at tach anai ler to the molding f i rst . Rip a %-by-IY,-inch piece of stock equal in lengh to thepiece of molding you are instal l ing on thecab ine t . To ease pa in t ing or f in ish ing ,the na i le r shou ld be cu t f rom the samemater ia l as the mold ing . Pro tec t ing thestock with wood pads, glue the edge ofthe nai ler f lush to the bottom edge of themolding; support the two pieces with ashim as you clamp them together (r ight) .Repeat for the other pieces of molding.

Page 121: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING CABINETS

I

I

I

tI

I

rI

tIrttI

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

Cutting the molding to lenghMark the length of the top of the cabinet run on the upper

face o f the na i le r . Se t your mi te r saw to cu t a 45 'ang le andpos i t ion the mold ing r igh t -s ide up on the saw so the mark is

a l igned wr th the b lade. Secure the mold ing in p lace w i th thesaw's vise knob; use a scrap piece of wood i f necessary. Makethe cut, keeping your hand wel l c lear of the blade (abovd.

Instal l ing the moldingPosi t ion the crown mold ing on top of

t he cab ine t run , a l i gn ing the hee l o f t hemiter you cut in s tep 2 wi th the corner ofthe cabinet . The nai ler should extend outover the exter ior of the cabinet f ront bythe th ickness of the doors. l f there is suf-f ic ient space, screw the crown mold ing tothe top of the cabinets through the nai lers,spacing the fasteners every 6 to 8 inches.Otherwise, drive the fasteners from under-neath. Mi ter the p iece of crown mold ingfo r t he end o f t he cab ine t , t hen sc rew i tin place (left).

1 1 9

Page 122: Kitchen Cabinets

I

I

I

I

tI

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

_ l' l

I

I

tI

I

I

tt

:

I

I

t

{ L - t , ' l\

' . .\,a"-- ='--

----=-

'{>++.

Page 123: Kitchen Cabinets

I

I

tIttI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

II

s indispensable to thekitchen as a workbench

is to the shop, the countertopbears the brunt of the kitchen'sworkload. In addition to suD-porting the preparation andcooking of meals, the counteris also an all-purpose work sur-face used for scores of otherdaily household tasks, frombrewing coffee to writing let-ters, from fixing appliances tosundryarts and crafts activities.Itmustbe solidenough to standon, easily cleaned with a dampcloth, and durable enough tolook as good after 10 years asthe day it was installed.

Fortunately, the technicalinnovations that transformedkitchen cabinetmaking in the post-war era have made this kindof performance commonplace. In particular, the perfection ofplastic laminate has put attractive and resilient countertopswithin the reach of even the tightest of homebuilding budgets.Solid-surface materials sold under such brand names as Corianand Avonite offer even better performance-but at a price. Andthere still is a place in the kitchen for natural materials likewood and stone. The guide on page 122 will help you choosethe best counter surface for your kitchen; the pages that followoutline the procedures and technioues necessarv to install it.

While initallation methods differ somewhat among coun-tertop materials, there are many similarities. The procedurefor installing a sink in a countertop with a plastic laminatesurface (page 125), for example, can be easily adapted to oth-er countertops. One of the appeals of plastic laminate is its

COLINTERTOPS

A tile baclcsplash can elevate an ordinary kitchen into awork of art. In the kitchen shown above, a baclesplash ofdecorative ceramic tiles is carried over into an elaborate

mural in the open space above the range, providing a tra-ditional contrast to the clean, modern lines of the cabinets.

ease ofapplication (page 126).The original fitting need notbe painstakingly exact; oncethe laminate is glued in place,it can be trimmed perfectlyflush with the substrate using alaminate trimmer. This cus-tom-fitting ability is particu-larly useful when melding thetop sheet of laminate with acontrasting edge treatment(page 1j7). Plastic laminate isthe material used to make inex-pensive, popular pre-moldedcounter tops (page 132).Thesecountertops have the top, edgetreatment, and backsplashcombined in one unit, and takemuch of the work out ofinstalling a countertop. Solid-

surface countertops (page 129) are more difficult to install butthe results are rewarding. The ability to mold edges and exe-cute invisible joints and repairs has made solid-surface coun-tertops second only to plastic laminate in popularity, despitetheir higher cost.

Getting all the details right is the mark of true craftsman-ship, and installing a backsplash (pages 134-1j6) is an excellentway to add an individual touch to your kitchen. Since a back-splash does not bear as much abuse as a countertop, you haveconsiderably more leewaywhen choosing the material. Woodand tile, which can be problematic as countertop surfaces, areexcellent choices for backsplashes. Selecting the perfect pieceof hardwood or using ceramic tiles with an antique hand-painted pattern as a backsplash could be the difference thatmakes your kitchen unique.

Solid-surface countertop materials offer superior joint-cuxing and shaping abilities.The kitchen at left features countertops made from Corian, a popular solid-surfacematerial. Note the molded corners and seamless transition from countertop to sink.

t21

Page 124: Kitchen Cabinets

tl- h. ideal countertop is not onlyI attractive. durable, heat-resistant

and waterprool but easy to form,install, and repair, and inexpensive.Alas, this wonder has yet to be invented.Fortunately, there are several products,both man-made and natural, thatcome close.

Plastic laminate is the most commoncountertop facing material. First createdin 1913, this material is formed bybond-ing paper, phenolic resins, and melamineplastic under heat and pressure. Plastic

laminate has since become the standard,covering millions of tables and countersaround the world.

Made of cast acrylic and polyester,solid-surface countertops were inventedin the late 1960s, and are the closest to anideal counter surface, but for theirexpense. Ifyour budget permits, you canopt for the opulence ofstone, such asgranite or marble. Wood can be a veryattractive counter, but many people shyaway from using it near the sink whereit will become wet.

Some of the best-designed kitchensmake use of several contrasting mate-rials, taking advantage oftheir differ-ent strengths. For example, a countermight be mostly wood or tile butswitch to stainless steel around thesink. Another option is a plastic lam-inate or solid-surface countertop withan inset cutting board of wood. Lastly,do not forget the decorative possibil-ities of the baclsplash, where the use ofeither wood or tiles can add a hand-crafted touch.

Plastic laminate is tough, inexpensive,and relatively easy to apply. Becauseit is paper thin, however, it cannot beshaped and is very dfficult to repair.

Tile is heat- and water-resistant andavailable in a variety of patterns, colors,and finishes. The grout between the tilescan become stained and mildewed unlessahigh-quality epoxy grout is used.

Solid-surface material, such as Corianor Avonite, is expensive, but can beworked much like wood, since the pat-tern and color is consistent through itsentire thickness. It can also be joinedor repaired with invisible results.

Granite is the most prestigious-andexpensive-material for countertops:extremely hard, smooth, and ideal forrollingpastry dough. It is also heavyand difficult to install.

Marble is very expensive but isnot as tough as granite. And likegranite, it needs to be cut andp oli sh e d profes sio n alf .

Wooden countertops are warm andpleasant-w ell suited for country - stylekitchens, but the least durable of the lot.They are best used for part of a counter,such as a chopping block insert.

IIIIttI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tIIIIIIIIttI

A GALLERY OF COUNTERTOP SURFACES

Page 125: Kitchen Cabinets

INSTALLING COUNTERTOPSI

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

Wooden and plastic laminate coun-tertops are installed by simply screw-ing them to the supporting cabinets.In the photo at left, a wooden coun-tertop with mitered solid wood edgingis being secured to a corner cabinetthat features a lazy Susan; the fasten-ers are driven through the cabinet'scountertop nailers into stretchersattached to the underside ofthe top.

BUITDING UP THE COUNTER

Attaching stretching and cleatsCounter subs t ra tes are usua l ly made o f %- inch med ium-den-si ty f iberboard, chosen for i ts dimensional stabi l i ty. To doublethe perce ived th ickness o f the counter top and increase i t ss t rength , bu i ld up the subs t ra te w i th s t re tchers and c lea ts .F i rs t cu t the subs t ra te to s ize , mak ing sure to inc lude theamount of overhang; typical ly % inch. Then prepare a number

of 4- inch-wide stretchers and cleats of the same mater ial asthe substrate. Screw the stretchers along the edges of thesubstrate, then attach cleats between the stretchers, spacingthem every 1B to 20 inches. l f you are joining two sheets ofsubstrate into an L-shaped countertop (above), make sure tosecure a cleat on the ioint .

t23

Page 126: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

CUTTING A HOLE FOR THE SINK

rI

tI

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

1 Marking the substrateI Most new sinks come with a templatetha t w i l l he lp you pos i t ion and mark theopen ing on the subs t ra te . l f you do no thave a template, you can make one fromcardboard. Place the sink face down onthe cardboard and trace i ts out l ine. Nextdraw a second l ine % inch inside the f i rstone then cut out the template along thisinner l ine. Draw a pair of l ines dividing thetemplate in half both vert ical ly and hori-zontal ly. Center the sink on the substrateatop i ts lower cabinet, marking intersect-ing l ines on the substrate. Place the tem-plate in posit ion and al ign the two pairs oflines. Trace the outline with a pencil (/efil.

r) Cutting the openingL Once you have marked out the posi-t ion o f the s ink , check tha t the l ine doesnot cross any of the screws holding thestretchers and cleats. Next, dr i l l aY,- inchaccess hole through the substrate justins ide the per imeter . Ins ta l l a combina-t ion blade in a saber saw and lower theb lade th rough the ho le . Ho ld ing the too lf i rm ly , tu rn i t on and s ta r t cu t t ing a longthe line tighil. f ry to cut as close to thel ine as possible. This need not be exact,as the edge w i l l be h idden by the l ip o fthe sink. To keep the waste piece frombreaking off as you near the end of thecut, support i t wi th your free hand. Sol id-sur face toos shou ld never be cu t w i tha saber saw; instead, use a router with astraight bi t and a plywood template.

t24

Page 127: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

INSTALLING A TAMINATE COUNTERTOP

r) Trimming matched piecesZ- Whenever two pieces of plastic laminate meet it is importantthat they match perfect ly. Any gaps wi l l be very not iceable andunattract ive. Tr imming the two sheets before instal lat ion in thej ig shown here however wi l l result in precisely matched edgesevery t ime. The procedure is simi lar to tr imming a single sheet6tep 1). To set up the jig, secure both sheets between the boards,

1 Tr immins laminatet -

I A sheet of p last ic laminate can be r ipped to width on yourtable saw, but i t is easier to crosscut i t wi th the j ig shown here.To set up the j ig , f i rs t jo int two boards so they each have ones t ra igh t edge . W i th a f r am ing squa re , d raw a l i ne ac ross t helam ina te a t t he des i red l eng th . Nex t , sandw ich the l am ina tebetween the boards as shown. Al ign the l ine wi th the edges ofthe boards and c lamp the whole assembly to the work sur face.Ins ta l l a f l ush - t r imming b i t i n you r rou te r and se t t he cu t t i ngdep th so the p i l o t bea r i ng w i l l r ub aga ins t t he j i g . P lace therouter f la t on the j ig and ease the b i t in to the laminate, makingsure the bear ing rubs against the j ig throughout the cut ( le f t ) .l f a sheet is damaged at both ends, f i rs t t r im one end to get ac lean edge, then mark of f the desi red length and t r im the otherend . Cu t t he l am ina te a t l eas t an i nch l onge r and w ide r t hannecessarv: i t can be t r immed f lush la ter .

over lapp ing them by 4 to 5 inches , and c lamp the assemblyin p lace . To suppor t the ou ter sheet , c lamp i t to the tab le rna second j ig about 6 inches from the fvst ( insei l . To tr im thesheets, set the router on the j ig with the pi lot bearrng againstthe edge, then pul l i t through the sheets (above). Keep a sl ightpressure against the j ig throughout the cut.

Flueh-trimminq bit

t25

Page 128: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

Positioning the laminateAttach the laminate sheet to the sub-

strate with contact cement. First f in ishthe edges of the substrate (page 138);o therw ise the edge o f the laminate w i l lshow. Tr im the sheet to approximate size,and joint any mating edges (sfep 2). fhesheet shown at lef t is for an L-shapedcounter; the inside corner can be tr immedafter gluing. Apply an even coat of con-tact cement to the substrate and let i tdry. Then apply a thin coat to both sur-faces and let dry unt i l i t is tacky. As con-tact cement bonds instant ly, set %-inchdowels on the substrate about 12 inchesapar t . Lay the laminate sheet on thedowels without let t ing i t touch the sub-strale (lefil.

IIItI

I

I

t

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tIIIIIIIIIIIt

/ Gluing down the laminate'tSlide the laminate sheet over the dow-els to position it properly; since the sheetis sl ight ly oversized, you have some mar-gin for error. Starting at one end, removethe f i rst dowel and oress the laminateagainst the substrate. Work toward theother end, removing dowels and pressingthe laminate down as you go (right). Pressthe laminate sheet against the substratewi th a ro l le r ( inse t ) . l f you are dea l ingwi th two match ing sheets , d raw a l ineacross the substrate where the two sheetsare to meet . When ins ta l l ing the f i r s tsheet, begin by laying down the edge start-i n g a t t h i s l i n e . T o i n s t a l l t h e s e c o n dsheet, begin by careful ly butt ing i ts edgeagainst the first piece.

r26

Page 129: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

IIIIIIIIttIIIIIIIIIIttIItIItI

ttI

f, Trimming the edgesr - ,1 Use a rou ter o r laminate t r immermounted with a f lushtr imming bi t to tr imthe edges of the laminate. First , removeany glue squeeze-out from the joint . Thenset the cu t t ing depth so the bear ing w i l lrub the midd le o f the subs t ra te . To t r imthe edges, hold the tr immer f lat on thecounter and ease i t in to the laminate .Cont inue mov ing the t r immer a long theedge (right), working against the directionof bit rotation and keeping slight pressureaga i nst the su bstrate.

Cutting out the sink openingThe laminate covering the sink open-

ing can be cut out using the same methodyou used to tr im the edges. Start ing thecut, however, is a bi t more tr icky. Youcan e i ther d r i l l a ho le th rough the lami -nate and use a regular bottom-mountedf l u s h - t r i m m i n g b i t o r y o u c a n e q u i p ap lunge rou ter w i th a spec ia l pane l p i lo tb i t . Th is b i t has a po in ted t ip tha t canpenetrate the laminate: the shaft of thebit then acts as a pi lot to guide the tr im-mer. Since this bi t does not have a pi lotbearing i t may burn the edge, but this wi l lbe h idden under the s ink

r27

Page 130: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

I Screwing the counter to the cabinet/ Posit ion the counter on the cabinetand anchor the counter with wood screws,driving them in from below (right). Secureeach screw through the cabinet 's coun-te r top na i le rs and in to the s t re tchersattached to the underside of the coun-tertop. Select the size of your fastenerscare f u l l y ; too long a screw cou ld p ie rcethe laminate.

INSTALLING THE SINK

1 Testing the fitI lnsert the sink into the counter to check the f i t hbovd.Trim the counter opening i f necessary. Mark the holes on thecounter top fo r the taps and cu t them out w i th a ho le saw.Apply plumber's putty to the underside of the sink r im. (Somesinks come with a special c losed-cel l foam tape that servesthe same purpose.) Lower the sink into place (above) and adjustit so it rests square to the edge of the counter.

l') Securing the countelL me sink is held in place with special c lamps that pul l i tdown against the counter top. To instal l each clamp, insert i tshook in to the match ing c l ip on the s ink . T igh ten i t (above)unt i l the serrated end touches the substrate. 0nce al l theclamps are in place, begin to secure the sink as evenly as pos-s ib le , g radua l ly t igh ten ing each c lamp a l i t t le a t a t ime un t i lthe r im is f lush with the countertop; avoid overt ightening.

ItIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIttIIIItIIIrI

Counteretretcher

Counf,ertopnailer

Page 131: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

tItrIIItttIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItIIIIII

INSTATTING A SOTID.SURFACE COUNTERT()P

1 Attaching funing stripsI Un l ike par t i c leboard , so l id sur facemater ia l expands and cont rac ts w i thchanges in temperature, so i t cannot beat tached to a fu l l subs t ra te . Ins tead,attach i t direct ly to the cabinets or tofurr ing str ips. Furr ing str ips add height tothe countertop and al low a bui l t -up edgeto be added later. Cut a number of ,/o-by-

4-inch boards to match the deoth of thecountertop. Attach the strips to cabinetmodules with wood screws, spacing themabout 18 inches apart . Add an extra fur-ring strip wherever two sheets are to bejoined and 3 inches from either side ofan opening for a sink or cooktop.

r) Adding silicone sealerI to al low for expansion, the countermust be fas tened to the fu r r ing s t r ipswith silicone sealer about every 8 inches.Posit ion the counter in place and adjustit so it is square to the cabrnets. lf the endof the countertop meets a wall, leave an}{-inch gap to allow for expansion. lf youare jo in ing two match ing sheets , f i r s ts t i ck a length o f a luminum conduct ivetape (commercial duct tape is too porous)to the furr ing str ip where they wi l l meet(see step 3), then apply the si l icone ontop of the tape.

r29

Page 132: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

Joining the sheetsLay the f i r s t shee t o f so l i d - su r face

m a t e r i a l i n p l a c e o n t h e f u r r i n g s t r i p s ,c l amp ing i t t o keep i t f r om mov ing . Laythe second shee t rn p lace , a r rang ing t tso there is an even gap of /, inch betweenthe two shee ts . Work qu i ck l y ; t he s i l i conew i l l s e t w i t h i n 2 0 m i n u t e s , m a k i n g t h ecounter top dr f f rcu l t to move. Make a damu n d e r t h e g a p w h e r e i t o v e r h a n g s t h ec a b i n e t s w i t h s o m e a l u m i n u m c o n d u c -tive tape (/eft).

I

I

I

tI

ttI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

t

Applying joint adhesiveSelect ing the r ight co lor and pat tern

to match the counter top, prepare a tubeo f so l i d - su r face l o i n t adhes i ve acco rd ingto manu fac tu re r ' s d i rec t i ons . (Th i s usua l l yi nvo l ves i n l ec t i ng a t ube o f ca ta l ys t i n toa l a rge r t ube o f adhes rve and m ix ing thetwo . ) F i l l t he gap ha l f f u l l w r th t he m ix tu re ,wo rk ing f rom back to f r on t . Be su re t okeep the tube ve r t i ca l . Push the shee tstnoerher ro sc l ree/e our the excess adhes i ve . Pop any a i r bubb les w i t h a t oo thp tckand add ex t ra adhes i ve t o a reas wherethe adhesive l ies below the sur face of thecoun te r top . Do no t remove the excess ;i t wi l l be sanded down later .

1 3 0

Page 133: Kitchen Cabinets

COI-INTERTOPS

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

f, Clamping the sheets togetherr,f Attach a strip of wood to the countertop on either side of the gap with beads ofhot-melt glue. Clamp a pair of handscrews to the strips to pull the two sheets snuglytogether. Do not clamp them too tightly since this can squeeze out all the adhesive.Let the glue cure for one hour, then loosen the clamps and tap off the wood strips.Use a putty knife with rounded edges to remove any leftover hot glue.

fi Smoothingthe surface\,f Remove the excess adhesive andlevel the joint with a block plane. Makesure the blade is very sharp and the cor-ners are slightly rounded. A belt sanderwith 120-gr i t paper wi l l a lso work butit produces much more dust and runsthe risk of gouging the counter. Smooththe joint further with a random orbi tsander using 18O-grit sandpaper (above).To keep the dust down, moisten thecounter. Finally, buff the entire surfacewith a synthet ic pol ishing pad. Again,keep the surface moist. The f inal jo intshould be perfectly invisible.

Since their color and pattern runthrough their entire thickness, solid-surface countertops offer unmatchedshaping and joinery abilities. In thephoto at left, a solid-surface counter-top is bonded seamlessly with a sinkof the same material. Thebuilt-indrain board to the right of the sinkwas made by routing grooves in thecountertop with a carbide-tipped bit.

1 3 1

Page 134: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

INSTALLING A PRE-M()LDED COUNTERTOP

1 Laminating the countertop endI App l y p las t i c l am ina te t o t he v i s i b l e end o f a p re -mo lded

counter to h ide any gaps or exposed edges. For example, when

the coun te r i s pushed aga ins t t he wa l l t he re w i l l be a w idegap on the exposed end between the backsplash and the wal l .F i l l t h i s g a p w i t h a w o o d e n b l o c k . T o c o v e r t h e e n d , u s e apre- formed st r ip or cut a rectangle of laminate s l ight ly overs ize,

r) loining pre-molded countertopsL Pre-molded counter tops are typ ical ly avai lable in lengths upto 12 fee t l ong , so t hey ra re l y have to be j o i ned i n a cab ine trun. Corner jo ints , however, are common. Cut t ing a pre-molded

counter top at a per fect 45" angle is t r icky, though, and is a 1obbest le f t to a professional wi th a large radia l -arm saw. Join ingthe countertoos with counter connectors afterward is somewhateasier . P lace the two sect ions face-down on a work sur face andbu t t t he ma t i ng edges o f t he . l o i n t t oge the r . To p lace the con -nec to rs , make a mark ac ross t he j o i n t 6 i nches f rom e i t he rend . Re fe r r rng to t he marks , d r i l l a 35mm-d iame te r recess onei ther s ide of the jo int , set back 1% inches f rom the 1oint . Forma channel between the recesses for the bol t by making two cutsw i th a dove ta i l saw , t hen c lean ing ou t t he was te w i t h a ch i se l .To jo in the two counter tops, a l ign them, inser t the connectors,and t ighten them wi th a wrench unt i l they are both snug ? ighi l .Check that the counter tops are per fect ly a l igned and f lush, thenf in ish t rghtening the connectors.

then affix it to the counter with contact cement. Install a bottom-mounted f lush- t r imming br t in a rou ter o r laminate t r immerand se t the cu t t ing depth to about / , inch . To t r im the end,ease the b i t in to the laminate , then move the b i t a l l a roundits edges (abovd. Keep the base of the tool flat against the endto ensure a smooth cut.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

T

I

rI

I

I

I

T

I

I

T

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

r32

Page 135: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t

I

tI

I

tI

I

t

Scribing the backsplashSince wal ls are seldom stra ight , you

wi l l probably need to scr ibe to f i t the wal l ,then sand down the h igh spots. Posi t ronthe counter top in p lace and set a t ransfersc r i be s l i gh t l y w ide r t han the d i s tanceb e t w e e n t h e w a l l a n d t h e l i p . H o l d t h etool as shown at le f t then pul l i t a long thewa l l t o mark t he backsp lash . Repea t f o rthe other wal l .

Sanding backsplashAs the l i p o f t he backsp lash i s on l y

abou t I i nch th i ck , i t i s f a i r l y easy tosand into shape. With a very l ight touchsand down to t he sc r i bed l i ne w i t h abe l t sande r (be low) . Ho ld t he sande raga ins t t he edge a t an ang le so i t w i l lr emove s l i gh t l y more ma te r i a l f r omthe bot tom edge than the top. This wi l lensure a very c lose f i t a t the wal l . Repeatfor the other wal l .

1 3 3

Page 136: Kitchen Cabinets

BACKSPLASHES AND EDGE TREATME,NTS

MAKING A TILE BACKSPLASH

r) Applying mastic^ t ^ ,( - C 'ean the p l ywooc w i th a s l gh t l yd a m p e n e d c l o t h t o p , c k u p a n y d u s t .P ro tec t t he coun te r top w i th nask ingtanp and :nnlv a st rnproJS coat of mas-t ic wi rh a serrated t rowel , smooth,ng i t asyou go to c rea te a su r face l r ke a f r esh l yn ln ra rpd f i p l r l Dn nn t t r v l n r ^nvo r t nn l a rop

an area at f i rs t ; the mast ic sets in about30 m inu tes .

1 Attachins the substratet -

I To provide a g lu ing sur face and to adddepth to a ti le backsplash, screw a /:tnch-th ick p lywood substrate to the wal l f i rs t .Dptp rm in i no t hp r - n r re r ^ t l pns th n f t hc s r rh -e v l v i i i i i i , i i b

c t r a i o n e n h o i r i n l r y l a a 1 " . ^ + ; l ^ . a r ^ ^ {J L I O L C U o r l U L l l l u n y U L L O U > E L l l C ) O l q U l

f ixed width and the end of the backsplashu s u a l l y w i l l n o t f a l l a t t h e c o u n t e r ' s e n d .The end of the backsplash is usual ly s l ight-ly set back (see page 136). Io f ind theco r rec t l enp th l av o r r t a l t he t i l es on thecoun te r w i t h an I i nch space be tweenthern and cut the substrate to th is length:r i n i f o n r r : l i n i h o n o r o h t n { i h o t i l p c . n l r r s

I i nch . Mark t he p lacemen t o f t he s tudson the wal l , then secure the p lywood wi thtwo screws in each stud (/eft). lf neces-sary. use two p eces of p lywood t r imnedc n t h p v i n i n : t : c t r r d

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

134

Page 137: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

I

I

I

T

I

I

I

I

I

T

T

I

I

I

tItI

I

I

I

tI

I

tI

I

I

I

I

tI

Mounting the tilesCut %-inch-thick spacers to separate

the t i les. Make sure the t i les are al l c leanand dust free. Starting in one corner, placetwo spacers on the counter in front of thewal l where the f i r s t t i l e w i l l go . Set thet i le on the spacers and pivot i t into place,separat ing i t f rom the wal l corner withanother spacer. Press the tile against thesubstrate, giving it a slight twist to ensurea t ight f i t . Then instal l the rest of thetiles, separating them with spacers (lghf).

Attaching moldingAdd molding to the top of the back-

splash after the tile mastic has cured. Thewidth of the molding should be equal tothe combined thickness of the substrateand the t i les. Miter the end of the mold-ing, then trim it to length. Apply a bead ofglue to the plywood substrate then placethe molding in posit ion. Fasten i t to thesubstrate with a finishing nail every 5 to6 inches. Remove the masking tape andsea l the t i les by f i l l i ng a l l the gaps w i thepoxy grou t , and app ly ing a jo in t o f s i l i -cone between the tiles and countertoo.

t3s

Page 138: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTE,RTOPS

INSTALLING A W()()DEN BACKSPLASH

r) Install ing a returnL Wf r " " t he bacnsp lasn e ros . mav .P are tu rn mo ld ing f rom some sc rap l e f t ove rf rom the backsp lash . M i te r t he re tu rn soi t f r l l s t h e g a p b e t w e e n t i e b a c k s p l a s ha n d t h e w a l l , f o r m i n g a s q u a r e e n d a n dcon t i nu ing the mo lded p ro f i l e . S ince th sp i e c e w i l l n o t b e s u b j e c t e d t o a l o t o fs t r e s s i t c a n b e s , m p l y g l u e d ' n p l a c ea n d t h e n h e l d w i t h s o m e m a s k i n g t a p eun t i l t he g lue cu res .

1 Attachins the backsnlashI -

I To make a wooden backsp lash w , thn o l d e d t o p a n d s i d e e d g e s . ' r s l a l l asqua re -edged boa rd , t hen add a mo ld ing(page 135 ) o r shape the edge o f a w ide rboa rd w i th a rou te r o r shape r and ns ta l lthe backsplash in one p iece. In e i ther case,sc lecr a 'pr -pth of at t ract ive hardwooc foryou r backsp lash and p lane i t t o a t h i ck -ness o f / t a / , i nch . Cu t i t t o s i ze , mak rngr t s l r gh t l y sho ' t e r t l ^an the cou r te " top tocreate a setback at t re end. lV i ter tne erdsas shown . l nd i ca te t he p lacemen t o f eachs t u d w i t h a l i g h t m a r k o n t h e w a l l , t h e nnail the board in place (left).

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

rI

I

I

I

1 3 6

Page 139: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

I

I

I

tII

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

INSTATTING A DECORATIVE EDGING

' l Applying wooden edgingI Apply solid wood edging to the countertop before you gluedown the plastic laminatelop (page 126). (Ihis will ensure thereare no cracks between the upper laminate and the edging.) Mi l lthe edge stock to a thickness of %inch and the desired width.

A chamfering bit reveals a walnutdivider between plastic laminate topand edge surfaces. This effect wascreated by applying a solid woodedge to the counter substrate, thenadding laminate to the top and edge.Not only is this an auractive way toease the counter front but it also dis-guises the dark edges of the laminate.

Spread a f i lm of glue on the wood, then fasten the piece inp lace w i th f in ish ing na i l s every 4 to 6 inches . l f the edge w i l lbe chamfered (step 9, place the nails at least % inch below thetop edge; this will protect the router bit from being damaged.

(N

r37

Page 140: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

Q Chamfering the edger -J By chamfer ing the corners o f thebui l t -up edging, you wi l l expose the woodedge you added in the f i rst step. lnstal l api loted chamfering bi t in your router andset the cutt ing depth to % inch. Holdingthe tool with i ts base f lat on the counter-top, ease the bi t into the laminate unt i l thebearing touches the counter edge. Movethe too l a round the counter , work ing i tagainst the directron of bit rotation. The bttcannot cut r ight into the apex of an insidecorner , bu t the resu l t ing lamb 's tonguepattern is an attractive effect.

r) Applying laminateI t r tm a length of plast ic laminate a bi tw ider than the th ickness o f the counter .Fasten it to the counter edge with contactcement ( lef t)and press i t down f i rmlywith a roller. When the adhesive has cured,t r im the laminate f lush w i th a rou ter o rlaminate tr immer. Use a chisel to squareup any ins ide corners , then remove anyexcess contact cement with a scraper.0nce th is i s done, app ly laminate to thecountertop @ages I 25-1 27).

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

tI

I

1 3 8

Page 141: Kitchen Cabinets

COUNTERTOPS

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

MOLDING A WO()DEN EDGE

Rout ing an ogee prof i leNai l a sol id wood st r ip to the edge of the counter (page 137)be fo re g lu ing the p las t i c l am ina te down on the coun te r top .S ince you w i l l be shap ing the edge w i th a rou te r , make su reto p lace the fasteners wel l below the b i t 's depth of cut (above).Next , a t tach the laminate top and t r im i t f lush (pages J26-127). To shape the edge, insta l l a p i lo ted ogee or other edge-

R()UTING A DRIP EDGE IN A S()LID-SURFACE C()UNTER

fo rming b i t in your rou ter . Set the too l on the counrer ancad lus t the cu t t ing depth so the bear ing w i l l r ide aga ins t thelower edge of the counter. To shape the edge, set the routerf la t on the counter top , then ease the b i t in to the wood. Movethe router around the counter, working against the bi t 's direc-t ion o f ro ta t ion .

Shaping a dr ip edgeA dr ip edge is a s l ight ly ra ised edge thatprevents minor spi l ls f rom running of f thecoun te r top . App l y a s t r i p o f ma tch ingso l i d - su r face ma te r i a l t o t he edge o f t hecounter top, creat ing a ra ised edge. Af f ixthe edging wi th adhesive designed espe-c ia l ly for the mater ia l (pages 130-131).Insta l la p i lo ted dr ip edge b i t in your routerand ad jus t t he cu t t i ng dep th so the topof the curve is even wi th the router base;the inset shows how the bt t should meetthe counter . To shape the counter , hold therouter base against the edge, then lower itun t i l t he p i l o t bea r i ng touches the coun -tertop surface. Keeping the router pressedf lat against the edge, move the tool a longthe counter (/eit).

1 3 9

Page 142: Kitchen Cabinets

GLOSSARY

A-B-C.DAdjustable leveller: Any commercialfoot or leg attached to lower kitchencabinets to level and support them.

Auxiliary fence: A wooden attachmentto a tool's rip fence that serves to attachaccessories and prevent accidentaldamage to the fence.

Backsplash: A continuation of thecountertop along the back wall; can bepart of the countertop itself or madefrom tile orwood.

Biscuit: A thin oval wafer of com-pressed wood that fits into a semicir-cular slot cut by a plate joiner.

Blank A piece of solid or glued-upwood used to create a furniture part.

Board-and-batten door: A doormade of boards fastened togetherwith lap joints and held togetherby a diagonal batten.

Board foot A unit of wood volumemeasurement equivalent to a piece ofwood one inch thick, 12 inches long,and 12 inches wide.

Caul: In veneering or gluing uP acarcase, a board placed betweenthe clamps and the workpiece to dis-tribute clamping pressure.

Chalk line: A length of twine loadedwith chalk dust used to mark long linesthat are normally either level or plumb.

Chamfer: A decorative bevel cut alongthe edge of a workpiece.

Cheek The face of the projectingtenon in a mortise-and-tenon joint.

Cockbeading: A narrow decorativemolding applied to the inside edgesof a face frame or drawer opening.

Cope-and-stick joint: A method ofjoining stiles and rails in frame-and-panel construction. Tongues in therails mesh with grooves in the stiles;a decorative molding is cut along theinside edge of the frame.

Counterbore: To drill a hole that per-mits the head of a screw to sit belowthe wood surface and be concealedwith a wood plug.

Countersink: To drill a hole that per-mits the head of a screw to lie flushwith or slightlybelow a wood surface.

Dado: A rectangular channel cutin a workpiece.

Dado head: A combination of bladesand cutters used to form dadoes andgrooves in wood. The assembly ismounted on a table saw with twoblades separated by one to five cuttersto achieve the right width.

Drip edge: A raised profile at the edgeof a countertop that prevents spills'

E-F-G-H-I-lEdgebanding: Strips of material usedto cover the edges of plywood andcomposite boards; can be solid woodor plastic laminate.

End grain: The arrangement anddirection of the wood fibers runningacross the the ends of a board.

Face frame: A decorative woodenframe fixed around the front of acabinet, providing extra rigidity tothe cabinet.

False front A piece of wood installedover a drawer front, usually to concealthe end grain of the sides or to createa lipped front.

Featherboard: A piece of wood withthin fingers or "feathers" along one endto hold a workpiece securely against thefence or table of a power tool.

Fence: An adjustable guide used tokeep the edge of a workpiece a set dis-tance from the cutting edge of a tool.

Filler strip: A thin strip of eitherwood or laminate-covered materialused to conceal gaps between cabinets.

Furring strip: A narrow lengthof wood installed atop a lower cabi-net to support the counter andraise its height.

Glass-stop molding: Decorative stripsof wood used to hold panes of glass ina cabinet door.

Glazingbars: Molded strips of woodjoined by half-laps to hold severalpanes ofglass in a single cabinet door.

Inset drawer: A drawer that fits flushwithin a frameless cabinet.

Island: A freestanding cabinet orcabinet run isolated from the wallsof a kitchen.

fig A device for guiding a toolor holding workpiece in position.

K-L-M-N-O-P-QKickback The tendency of aworkpiece to be thrown back inthe direction ofthe operator ofawoodworking machine.

Kickplate: The board that covers thetoe kick of a lower kitchen cabinet orthe exposed faces of a plinth.

Laminate trimmer: A lightweightrouter used to trim plastic laminateand solid wood edging flush withits substrate.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

t40

Page 143: Kitchen Cabinets

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

ttI

I

I

I

I

tIIIIII

Lockmiter joinfiA joint cut with aspecial router bit that producesan interlocking connection witha mitered outside corner.

Melamine A popular brand of plas-tic laminate made from bondedplastic, paper, and phenolic resin;available in sheets or bonded to ply-wood or particleboard.

Miter gauge: A device that slides in aslot on a saw or router table, providingsupport for the stock as it moves pastthe blade or bit; can be adjusted todifferent angles for miter cuts.

Mortise-and-tenon joint A joinerytechnique in which a projecting tenoncut in one board fits into a matchinghole, or mortise, in another.

Mortise: A hole cut into a piece ofwood to receive a tenon.

Nailer rails: Wooden rails attachedto the backs of cabinets that supportthe cabinets when screwed to thewall studs.

Overlaydrawer: A drawer that par-tially or fully overlays the frame of aface frame cabinet.

Panel saw: A track-mounted circularsaw used for accurate cuts oflargesheet goods such as plywood.

Plainsawn veneer: Veneer thathas been cut from the log in a flatsheet; hardwood plywood withplainsawn face veneer closely resem-bles solid wood.

Plinth: A mitered wooden framethat acts as a base for lower cabinetsor islands.

Push block or stick A device used tofeed a workpiece into a blade or cutterto protect the operator's fingers.

R-SRabbeh A step-like cut in the edgeor end of a board; usually forms partof a joint.

Rail: The horizontal member of aframe-and-panel assembly, See stile.

Ready-to-assemble (RTA) fastener:A type of threaded fastener with astout shaft and a narrow head; usedfor fast assembly of cabinets.

Scribing: Marking a line with a com-pass or scribing tool to copy the irreg-ularity of a wall onto a cabinet orcounter where it butts against a wall.Once the wood is planed or sandedto this line, the cabinet or counterwill fit seamlessly against the wall.

Shim: A thin, wedge-shaped piece ofmaterial used to level cabinets and fillminor irregularities.

Shoulder: In a mortise-and-tenonjoint, the part of the tenon that isperpendicular to the cheek.

Solid-surface materiaL A compositeboard made of cast acrylic and poly-ester used for kitchen countertops;sold under such names as Corianand Avonite.

Stile: The vertical member of a frame-and-panel assembly. See rail.

Storypole A long, thin piece of woodwith the measurements for a proiectindicated on its length.

Stud finder: A device that electronical-Iy pinpoints the location of wall studs.

T.U-V.W-X.Y-ZThmbour door: A type of door madefrom narrow slats attached to a flexiblecanvas backing that slides in tracksrouted in the sides of the carcase.

Tearout: The tendency of a blade orcutter to tear wood fibers.

Template A pattern used to guide atool in reproducing identical copiesoI a plece.

Tenon: A protrusion from the end ofa workpiece that fits into a mortise.

Three-wing slotting cutter: A piloted,groove-cutting router bit.

Toe kick The recess running alongthe bottom of a lower cabinet thatallows space for the feet of a personstanding before the cabinet.

Tongue-and-groove jointA joint inwhich a tongue cut in the edge or endof one piece fits into a groove in themating piece.

Tiansfer scribe: A compass-like devicethat transfers the profile of one surfaceonto another.

Utilityhookup: The point where util-ities such as water, sewage, and elec-tricity are connected.

Wood movement: The shrinkingor swelling of wood in reaction tochanges in relative humidity.

Worktriangle: An ergonomic prin-ciple measuring the efficiency of aworkspace that connects the threemost common places of work inthat space; in a kitchen, typically therefrigerator, stove, and sink.

I4I

Page 144: Kitchen Cabinets

INDEX

A-B.CAdjustable shelving

Shelfsupports, i8-i9Shop-made shelf drilling jigs

(Shop Tip),39Appliance bays, 27, 38, 40- 4 IArts and crafts style, 16Backsplashes

TiL;, 121, 134- 135Wooden, 136

Biscuit joints, 29, 33- 34, 46- 47Plate joiner stands, 52

Board-and-batten doors, 58, 60-61Board.feet,32Build It Yourself

Plate ioiner stands,52Cabinetjacks, gSCabinets

Dimensions, 19,20-22See also Casework; Doors;

Hardware; Layout; Lowercabinets; Upper cabinets

Casework,27,28Gluing :up,46-47Lower cases,29Upper cases,28Sie also Joinery; Lower cabinets;

Upper cabinetsCockbeading, 53-54Colonial style, I5Countertops, 121

Backsplashestile, 121, 134-135wooden, 136

Decorative edgings, 137- 1 i9Installation, 123

plastic laminate countertoPs,125-128,137-139

pre-molded countertops,132- 133

sinks, I24, 127,128solid surface countertoPs,

129-131,139Plastic laminate, l2l, 122,

125-128,132-133edgings, l37-139

Solid-surface, 120, l2l, 122,129- 131drip edges, 139

Wooden, 122, 123

Country style, 16Crown molding, 16, 118-119

Making crown molding,back endpaper

Cutting lists, 32

D-E-FDado ioints, 80

Double dado joints, 8Q 84Design,13

Arts and crafts style, 16Colonial style, I5Country style, i6European style, 15Shaker style, 14,16Victorian style, 14, 16

Doors,57Board-and-b atten, 5 8, 60- 6 lFrame-and-p anel, 5 8, 62- 6 5

arched panels,67cope-and-stick joints, 66raised panels, 62

Glass panel, 57,58, 59, 69glazingbars, 70-72

Hinges,73-76Mounting techniques, 59, 73

flush-mounted doors, 76overlay doors,74-75

Veneered-panel, 58, 59, 68Double dado joints, 80, 84Drawers. T9

Assembly,85-86Bottom panels, 85, 86Dimensions,82Eliminating drawer rattle

(Shop Tip), 86False fronts, 78, 79, 93-96

securing false fronts withdouble-faced tape

(Shop Tip), 96sizing false fronts

(Shop Tip), 94Inset, 78, 80,93-94]oinery, 80

double dado joints, 84 84lock miter joints, 84 83through dovetail joints, 80, 83

Knobs andpulls,9j,97Layout,82Materials, Sl

Mounting,79,87bottom-mounted slides,

81.87-88building up face frame cabinets

(Shop Tip), 90side-mounted slides, 8 1, 89- 90wooden runners, 81, 91-92

Overlay, 79,80,95-96Drawer slides, 38, 8lDrip edges, 139Edge treatments,44

eommercial edge banding, 49Countertops

decorative edgings, 1 37- 1 39drip edges, -139

Solid wood, 44, 48European cup hinges, 56,74-75European style, 15Face frames, 28, 50- 51, 53- 55

Building up face frame cabinetsfor mounting drawers

(Shop Tip), 90Making wood plugs (Shop Tip), 55

FastenersConcealment

making wood plugs(Shop Tip),55

Knockdown fasteners,front endpaper

Ready-to-assemble ( RIA), 32Floor pians, 12Flush-front drawers.

See Inset drawersFrame-and-panel doors, 58, 62-65

Arched panels,67Cope-and-stick joints, 66Raised panels,62

G-H-IGlass panel doors, 57,58,59,69

Glazing bars,70-72Glazing bars,70-72Handles, 16

Drawers,93,97Hansen, Sven, 10-llHardware

Doors,57Drawer slides, 38

bottom-mounted slides,81.87-88

side-mounted slides, 81, 89- 90

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

tI

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

r42

Page 145: Kitchen Cabinets

IIItIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItIIIII

Knobs and pulls, 16,93,97Shelf supports, 38-39See also Hinges

Hinges, 16,73European cup hinges, 56,74-75European face frame hinges, 75

Inset drawers, 78, 80, 93-94

I.K-LIigS

Cabinet iacks,98, 117Circular'saws

panel-cutting attachments, 26scoring saw attachments, 33

Drillsshop-made shelf drilling jigs

(Shop Tip), 39Plate joiners

plate joiner stands, 52Temporary support rails, 115

loinery,29Biscuit joints, 33-34, 46-47

plate joiner stands, 52Board-and-batten doors, 60Cope-and-stick joints, 66Dado joints, 80Double dado joints, 8Q 84Lock miter joints, 29, 36, 80, 83Through do-setail joints, 8Q 83Tongue-and-groove joints, 35- 36

Kickplates, 1 10- 1 1 1Kitchen islands. 112

Plinths, 100, 101, I 12- 1 14Knobs, l6

Drawers,93,97Layout, 13, -18

Drawers,82Proportions and dimensions,

19,20-22Work triangles, 17

Lazy Susans, 38,42-43Legs

Leveler legs, 44- 45, 1 00Levelling techniques, 100, 102Lock miter j oints, 29, 36, 80, 83Lower cabinets

Casework,29Installation, 99, 100, 104-106

adjacent walls, 1 06- I 08levelling techniques, 100,

102- 103

making thick shims(Shop Tip), 107

utility hookups, 108- 109wall studs, 103

Kickplates, 1 10- I I ILayout, 19, 20-22, 24-25

LumberBoardfeet,32Cutting lists, 32Drawers, 81Plywood,30, 31, 81

M-N-O-P-Q-R-SMoldings, l6

See a[so Crown moldingOverlay drawers, 79, 80, 95-96Panels

Arched panels,67Raised panels,62

Peninsulas. See Kitchen islandsPlastic laminate countertops,

t2l, 1 22, I 25- 1 29, 1 32- 1 33Edgings, l37-139

Plate ioiner stands,52Plate joints. See Biscuit jointsPlumbing,13

Sinks, 124, 127,128Utility hookups, 108- 109

Plywood, 30,31,81Santarsiero, Tom,6-7Shaker style, 14, 16Sheet goods, 30

Plywood, 30,31,81Reducing tearout, 33See also Plastic laminate

countertoDsShelf supports, SA-SSShelves

Adjustable shelving supports,38-39

Slide-out shelves(Shop Tip), 43

ShimsMaking thick shims

(Shop Tip), 107Shop Tips

Cabinet installation, 107, 117Casework, 39,43,55Drawers, 86,90,94,96

Silvers, Don, 8-9Sinks,124, 127,128Sink trays, 77

Solid-surface countertops,120,127, 122, 129-131Drip edges, 139

Story poles, 13,23-25

T-U*VTambour slats.40-41Through dovetail joints, 8Q 83Tiles

Backsplashes, 121, 1 34- I 35Countertops, I22

Tilt-out sinktrays, TTTongue-and-groove joints, 29, 35- 36Tools

Circular sawspanel-cutting attachments, 26scoring saw attachments, 33

Drillsshop-made shelf drilling jigs

(Shop Tip), 39Laminate trimmers, 44Measuring tools, back endpaperPlate joiner stands, 52Routers

bits, back endpaperTable saws

blades, front endpaperTiansfer scribes. 99

Upper cabinetsCasework,28Installation, 98,99,

1 0 0 , t } t , 1 1 5 - 1 1 6beveled nailers, 117commercial cabinet supports,

1 1 5crown molding, I18-119making thick shims

(Shop Tip), l0Zshop-made cabinet jacks

(Shop Tip), l lZLayout, 19, 20-22, 24-25

Utility hookups, 108- 109Veneered-panel doors, 58, 59, 68Victorian sIyle, 14, 16

W-X-Y-ZWood.30

See also Lumber; Sheet goodsWood plugs (Shop Tip), 55Work triangles, 17

r43

Page 146: Kitchen Cabinets

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The editors wish to thank the following

LAYOUTAND DESIGNLee Valley Tools, Ltd., ottawa, ont.; Stanley Tools, Division of the Stanley works,'

New Britain, CT; Tritech Industries, St-Lambert, Que.

CASEWORKAdjustable Clamp Co., Chicago, IL; American Clanryinq (Canada) Inc., Cambridge Ont.;

6lack & Decker/Elu Power Tools, Towson, MD; Bradbury Industries, Toronto, Ont.;canadian Industrial Distributors, Inc., Montreal, Que.; cMT Tools, Oldsmar, FL;

Delta International Machinery/Porter-Cable, Guelph, Ont.; Freud Westmore Tools, Ltd.,Mississausa, Ont.i Hitachi Power Tools U'S.A. Ltd'' Norcross, GA;

Julius Blum Inc., Stanley] NC; Lee Valley Tools, Ltd., ottawa, on-t.; Modulus, St-Hubert, Que.;Les Realisations Loeven-Morcel, Montreal, Que.; Sears, Roebuck and Co.' Chicago, IL;

Senco Products, Inc., Cincinnati, OH; Steiner-Lamello A'G.Switzerland/Colonial Saw Co., Kingston, MA; Tool Trend Ltd', Concord, Ont'

DOORSAdiustable Clamp Co., Chicago, IL; American Tool Cos., Lincoln, NE; CMT Tools, Oldsmar, FL;

Delia Internationil MachineryTPort.r-Cable, Guelph, Ont.; Great Neck Saw Mfrs. lnc. (Buck Bros.Division), Millbury, VA; Julius Blum Inc., Stanley,.NC; Sears, Roebuck an$_Cg., Chicago, IL;

Steiner-Lamello A.G. Switzerland/Colonial Saw Co., kingston, MA; Tool Trend Ltd., Concord, Ont.

DRAWERSAdiustable Clamp Co., Chicago, IL; Delta International Machinery/Porter-Cable, Guelph' Ont.;

David Keller, Petaluma, cA; iulius BIum Inc., stanley, NC; Sears, Roebuck and co., chicago, lL;StanleyTools, Division of the StanleyWorks, New Brilain, CT; Steiner-Lamello A.G.

Switlerland/Colonial Saw Co., Kingston, MA; Tool Trend Ltd., Concord, On1

INSTALLING CABINETSAdiustable Clamp Co., Chicago, IL; Delta International Machinery/Porter-Cable, Guelph, Ont.;'

Hitachi i 'ower TooliU.S.A. Ltd., Norcross, GA; Julius Blum Inc', Stanley, NC;Lee Valley Tools, Ltd., Ottawa, Ont.; Ornamental Mouldings,.High Point, NC; Sears,

Roebuck and Co., Chicago, IL; Stanley Tools, Division of the Stanley-Works, New Britain' CT;Steiner-Lamello A.G. Switzerlind/Colonial Saw Co., Kingston, MA; Tritech Industries, St-Lambert, Que'

COI.]NTERTOPSAdjustable Clamp Co., Chicago, IL; Avonite, Inc., Sylmar,. CA; Black &_Decker/Elu Power Tools,

TowJon, MD; CMt Tools, Oldimar, FL; Delta lnternational Machinery/Porter-Cable, Guelph, Ont';' Lee Valley Tools, Ltd., Ottawa, Ont.; Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, IL;

Senco Products, Inc., Cincinnati, OH

tIIIIIIIIIIIItIIIIIIItIIIIIIIIII

The following persons also assisted in the preparation ofthis book:

Lorraine Dor6, Kerry & Victoria McCluggage' Scott Yetman

PICTURE CREDITS

Cover Robert Chartier6,7 Carolyn Jones

8,9 Gary Moss10,11 Michael Tincher

14,15,27,38,79 Brian Vanden Brink87 Courtesy fulius BIum, Inc.

112 Brian Vanden BrinkI l8 Courtesy Ornamental Mouldings

l20,l2l Brian Vanden Brinkl3l Courtesy Avonite, Inc.

t44

Page 147: Kitchen Cabinets

IIIIIttI

I

I

tII

ttIII

I

I

tI

I

I

tIIIIIIt

WORKSHOP GUIDE

TABLE SAW BLADES F()R KITCHEN CABINETS

Combination bladeAll-purpoee eawblade; can rip andcrogocut lumber

Melamine blade9pecialieed blade ueedfor cutLtnq lamtnatee,UCn aA melAmtne-c ove re ti pa rLt c le boa rd

Plywood bladeHae many emallteel,h tthaL make acmooth, apl inter-free cut tn plywood

Dado bladeTwo blades are fittedort eirhe" eide of chipperbladea, which are addeda9 nece'sary T.o varythe widLh of Lhe cut

Page 148: Kitchen Cabinets