"Dave Dolbow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
> have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
> with everything but a planer.
>
> Thanks
> Dave
>
>
My dad has redone a couple of kitchens himself. The catch, no table saw or
radial arm saw. Everything was done with hand tools. The only power tools he
used were a skill saw and drill.
Greg
On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 11:16:21 -0500, "Dave Dolbow" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
>have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
>with everything but a planer.
>
>Thanks
>Dave
>
it depends.
if you start with something basic, practise your jointery before you
commit any expensive material and such you can probably save some
money and have a good time doing it.
AND... we'll be glad to act as a knowledge resource ; ^ )
No, it wouldn't be unreasonable, but, then again, if you have to ask,
well........................
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Dave Dolbow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
> have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
> with everything but a planer.
>
> Thanks
> Dave
>
>
So this tread is a wealth of info.
I too am contemplating - trying to get started with the same project. Going
to practice in the utility room first with the same style techniques as the
kitchen (face frames, raised panel doors lots of options). I also spent a
day with Marc Adams at a recent wood show. well worth the $100, one of the
best hints was trying to remember you are building cabinets, not furniture
and they will probably be out of style in 15 years, which just happens to be
twice the average length of stay for homeowners.
Been slowly gathering - justifying the tools too :-)
Planer, jointer and maybe a HVLP sprayer to go.....
Duane
On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 11:16:21 -0500, "Dave Dolbow" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
>have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
>with everything but a planer.
A circular saw and a decent guide will get you most of the way there,
especially if you buy the door fronts. Naturally a drill, tablesaw
and miter saw will help tremendously. A router with a few basic bits
and you've got flat doors and some with designs with no problem, a
panelling set and you're pretty much done. A jointer and planer are
nice, especially for face frames, door frames and thicknessing
drawers.
FWIW, basic stock cabinets are less hassle, less expensive and
faster... :)
Jeff
"Dave Dolbow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
> have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
> with everything but a planer.
>
> Thanks
> Dave
Oh yeah, it's very realistic. Just make sure you know how to do it, are set
up with the right tools and equipment, and have enough time. Most guys I
have heard from say that their cabinet projects seem to drag out forever.
I'm going to be doing the same thing, only somewhat more "masochistic" - my
materials for the doors, drawers and face frames are still logs, waiting to
be sawn into lumber. I need to saw it out, kiln dry it, and then I can have
a go at it. I've chosen a simple flat panel, Shaker-Style design with inset
(as opposed to overlay) face frame doors and drawers. Drawer boxes will be
Appleply (I found a local retailer) and the wood species will be mixed -
cherry, hard maple, and walnut. I already had all the necessary equipment,
except I decided to make things much easier on myself and bought a Kreg
ProPack for all the cabinets and face frame construction. I have to look at
the project as a cabinet job, and not fine furniture. There's a guarantee
that my family will abuse them, and that they will be out of style in 15
years.
Some other (unsolicited) ideas, gleaned from the web and from cabinet
retailers:
- Use full extension drawer slides on everything. if you're building them
yourself, the extra cost for the full extension slides is peanuts compared
to the increase in functionality.
- Set yourself up to spray finish the carcases and fronts. Saves probably
weeks of time.
- Use more drawers than doors in base cabinets. This is strictly from
experience and frustration with my own (purchased) kitchen. I will have two
doors in my base cabinets (50 lineal feet of cabinets) and they will be
under the sink.
- It may be possible to find prefinished plywood for the carcases, if
you're leaving them natural. I found a supplier which has cherry one side,
prefinished maple the other side. Weird, but it will save me a ton of work.
- Design your cabinets so that the wall cabinets can be hung by a french
cleat. Really handy when you're trying to install them yourself.
Ok, I've said enough. I recommend books by Proulx, Tolpin, and the fine
pamphlet available from one of the wreck denizens John Paquay.
http://home.insightbb.com/~jpaquay/shop.html
also try http://www.cabinetmaking.com/ for an interesting resource.
--
Jon Endres, PE
Reply To: wmengineer (at) adelphia (dot) net
"Dave Dolbow" wrote in message
> Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
> have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
> with everything but a planer.
Not at all unrealistic. Check out my website below, Page 1 of the projects
section ... for pictures of the "proof is in the pudding" with regard to
doing your own kitchen cabinets.
There are plenty here who will be glad to answer your questions.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 2/13/04
No. But you need to know that it will take quite a while and investment on
you part. If you are good at finishing a project and not becoming
uninterested there should be no problems. I rebuilt my whole kitchen 14
years ago. I did it in 4 steps. I would build a whole section of cabinets
and when they were finished I removed the old cabinets and replaced them
with the old ones. The kitchen was only un usable for about 2 days total
during the whole process.
All this said, because you will be buying a lot of lumber and probably not
at the same time, you will save a lot of money if you buy s2s lumber. With
s2s lumber you have a relative smooth front an back surface but the
thickness will tend be inconsistent. You will need a planer to insure that
your lumber is uniform thickness. The difference in price between s2s and
"s4s, regular looking lumber" with smooth sides and relative straight
edges", should more than buy you a new portable planer for a job of this
size.
"Dave Dolbow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
> have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
> with everything but a planer.
>
> Thanks
> Dave
>
>
Go for it. Don't let lack of experience stop you. Just expect it to
take much more time then you think.
I'm doing just that. haven't done any wood working in 40 yrs. My wife
wanted a new kitchen. The works, floor, ceiling, appliances, the works.
I'm a machinist, but not a woodworker. Had no shop, do now.
coming out pretty good, just have to go back and fix things now & then.
Spend way too much time figuring out how to do something. My wife
sure is proud of them.
And the real kicker is we will spend less money for everything then the
cabinets we were looking at. 33 ft of base, 15 ft of uppers. Slides on
everything in the bases. All appliances built in.
Arrogance and ignorance will carry you a long way.
ave Dolbow wrote:
> Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
> have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
> with everything but a planer.
>
> Thanks
> Dave
>
>
Go for it!
But since this would be a first. I would build an upper and a base cabinet
to get your feet wet. Then you will have a better understanding of what
other tools would make the job easier. A planer is a big plus I found this
out after working with stock lumber on my first set of cabinets. S2S is not
all the same thickness.
Oh, and do all this prior to dismantling the kitchen.
Steve
"Dave Dolbow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
> have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
> with everything but a planer.
>
> Thanks
> Dave
>
>
A recent poster was storing completed components in self-store place
until everything was done prior to any removals.
On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 22:27:26 -0500, "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Oh, and do all this prior to dismantling the kitchen.
On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 11:16:21 -0500, "Dave Dolbow" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
>have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
>with everything but a planer.
>
>Thanks
>Dave
>
Not at all!
Check these out:
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1561580589/qid=1076960523//ref=pd_ka_1/002-9077531-0641628?v=glance&s=books&n=507846>
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0941936562/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/002-9077531-0641628?v=glance&s=books&st=*>
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1561584703/ref=pd_sim_books_1/002-9077531-0641628?v=glance&s=books>
Try your library first, but I have all three books and find them very
useful.
Barry
On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 11:16:21 -0500, "Dave Dolbow" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Hi, would it be unrealistic for me to make my own kitchen cabinets if i
>have a basic knowledge of joints and finishes. I have a modest workshop
>with everything but a planer.
>
>Thanks
>Dave
>
Not at all... I'm building my own kitchen... started it in about 1985 by making an island, and then replacing a built-in
counter that was only 16" wide with one 24". The island is now a peninsula with the stove.
Then a few years later I really got moving when I replaced all the plumbing and the cast iron sink, and put built in
cabinets. (That sink really held me up...) I never made doors for them because I wasn't sure if I would replace them
with better or not. I'm making the doors at this very moment!! 10 years late...
The upper cabs I made years ago complete with the doors, I used a very simple design, not raised panels but flat tongue
and groove in a frame. It's all pine... I'm now making new wall and floor cupboards around the fridge where I just had
stuff piled up on a microwave cart, and on top of the fridge... I will have a place for garbage and re-cyclebull's...
I've changed my materials and technique a bit over the years... I now use solid pine instead of veneered press wood, and
I have a biscuit joiner to do the basic carcass joints. And a router table for the edges... far superior to the pilot
bit. I want to get a dovetail jig next...
But I'm still debating whether or not to replace the first cabinets I made... they aren't the best!! If I do, I'll make
sure I can still use my newer doors and drawers.
I'll put a pic up at A.B.W
PS I don't have a planer either! Nor a table saw...