c/cabinetmakers

7

wood.noah•2d ago

Appreciation post: The day I stopped using my combo square as a pry bar

For about 5 years I used my 12-inch combo square for everything but measuring. I'd hammer it, pry with it, even scrape glue off my table saw with it. Then last spring I dropped $60 on a proper Starrett square and realized my old one was bent by like 3/32 of an inch. I was wondering why my face frames always had tiny gaps in the corners. Now I treat my squares like they're made of glass, and my joinery has never been tighter. Anyone else have a tool they abused for way too long before seeing the light?

6

sarah_brown•2d ago

Had a retired cabinetmaker tell me sanding is just 'polishing your mistakes'

He said if I spent more time dialing in my jointer and planer setup I wouldn't need to sand nearly as much, and after spending a whole Saturday dialing in the blades on my old Powermatic, I think he was onto something - has anyone else cut way back on sanding time by fixing their machine setup first?

28

xenan64•2d ago

Vent: Just found out my 'premium' plywood has a 1/32 inch tolerance

I was looking at the specs sheet on a shipment I got last week and it says the thickness can vary by 1/32 inch. For what I paid, I expected tighter than that. Has anyone else run into this with cabinet-grade plywood brands?

8

samward•2d ago

Finally saw the payoff after 3 months of squaring up my dados

I've been fighting wobbly shelf pins for years. Last quarter I started taking an extra 30 seconds per dado to check square before glue-up. Built a bookshelf last week for a client in Wichita and the shelves slid in perfectly without any shims. The client said 'this is the first time my books actually look level.' Has anyone else found a small habit change that made a big difference down the line?

28

ryanf66•6d ago

Figured out a weird trick for fixing drawer slides that kept binding up on me

I had these soft close undermount slides on a job last month that just would not run smooth. They'd get stiff about halfway out and I was ready to toss them in the trash. I tried adjusting the brackets, checked for level, even replaced a set thinking they were defective. Then my old mentor stopped by and pointed out the drawer box itself was twisted just a hair from the glue up. He had me run the drawer through the tablesaw and trim 1/16 off the back edge where it was pinching. Fixed the problem completely and I felt dumb for not checking the box squareness first. Anyone else run into slides binding from something dumb like that and find a simple fix?

2

irishenderson•8d ago

Vent: I think pre-finished plywood is way overhyped

I've been building cabinets for 15 years now and I keep seeing everyone push pre-finished plywood as the better option. But I switched back to raw birch about 6 months ago after a job for a client in Austin. That pre-finished stuff delaminated on the edges where I cut it, and I had to spend an extra 3 hours sanding and filling gaps. Has anyone else run into this or is it just me?

7

taylorb94•11d ago

Saw a custom cabinet shop in Nashville that blew my mind

Stopped by a little place in East Nashville called Wood & Oak last weekend while visiting my cousin. The guy there was doing curved cabinet doors for a kitchen remodel, and he showed me how he built a jig to route the panels consistently. I never thought about making my own curved doors, but now I really want to try it. Has anyone here built a jig for something like that?

18

grayperez•11d ago

TIL most cabinet hinges have a tiny adjustment screw for side-to-side gaps

I was fighting with a misaligned door for like an hour yesterday, and my old timer boss just pointed to this tiny screw on the hinge I never noticed. Turns out a quarter turn fixed the gap completely. Anyone else find those hidden adjustments after years of shimming?

11

jamiew83•12d ago

Had a pro call out my edge banding at a job site last month

Guy told me my glue line looked like a drunk ran it, and he was right. I switched from a trim router bit to a flush trim chisel and the difference is night and day. Any of you still fighting with routers for banding?

35

wendyc53•14d ago

Had a week last fall where every single drawer I built came out perfectly square on the first try

I even checked my table saw alignment twice because I thought something had to be off, but nope, just one of those rare lucky weeks in the shop where nothing went wrong - has anyone else had a streak like that or am I just getting boring?

3

mark611•15d ago

Warning: pocket hole screws vs. domino joinery - a cabinet door war in my shop last week

I built an oak cabinet for a kitchen remodel in Fort Worth last month, doors all done with pocket holes like I always do. Then a buddy of mine, he's been doing this 20 years, stopped by and said I was wasting time and making weak joints. He swears by domino joinery for doors, says pocket screws are only good for face frames. I stood there looking at a door I'd just finished and wondered if he had a point. Three days later I tried his method on a small set of doors and honestly, the alignment was dead on and it felt solid. But here's the thing - I had to buy the damn domino machine and it cost me $1,100 I didn't plan on spending. Now I'm torn: stick with pocket screws for speed and cost or go full domino for strength? What do you all do for cabinet doors?

23

joseph529•17d ago

Wasted $150 on a cheap router bit set. Don't do it.

Thought I was being smart saving money. Bought a 15-piece set online for $150. Looked fine in the package. First bit snapped on cherry wood within 5 minutes. Second one wobbled so bad it left burn marks. Tried the third on maple. Chip-out was terrible. Had to throw the whole set out. Two days of work ruined. Waste of cash and time. You guys have any luck with mid-range bits that won't break the bank?

20

wells.reese•19d ago

Old timer told me to stop sanding between coats of lacquer

Guy named Hank with 40 years in the shop said I was wasting time. Told me to lay it on wet and leave it alone. Tried it on a kitchen job in Austin last month. He was right. No scratches, no nibs, saved like 2 hours per cabinet. Anyone else ditch the sanding step?

7

taylorb94•19d ago

Picked up a tip from an old timer at the hardwood supplier last Tuesday

I was at Commonwealth Hardwoods in Hartford grabbing some cherry for a kitchen job. An old guy probably 70 years old saw me struggling to get a clean cut on some figured maple. He told me to stop using my standard blade and switch to a 60 tooth triple chip grind for veneer work. I always thought more teeth just meant slower cuts. He let me borrow his spare blade to try it out right there in their shop. The difference was night and day, zero tearout on the curly stuff. I ordered two of those blades that same afternoon. Has anyone else found a weird blade swap that fixed a specific problem?

8

schmidt.willow•20d ago

Is it really faster to pre-finish before assembly or am I wasting my time?

I know a lot of guys who swear by finishing every piece before glue-up. Says it saves them sanding time and prevents those nasty glue spots showing through the stain. But I had a job last fall for a kitchen in Portland where the client wanted a dark walnut stain. I pre-finished all the drawer fronts and face frames. When I assembled, the edges didn't match up perfect and I had to touch up anyway. Took me way longer than if I just did it all at the end. Am I missing something or do other people run into this too?

1

jana_price•22d ago

I finally switched from hand-routing dovetails to using a jig after 20 years

Used to spend all Sunday cutting dovetails by hand for a single dresser, proud of every joint. Last month I picked up a Leigh jig on a whim and cranked out the same work in 2 hours, now I'm wondering why I waited so long. Anyone else stubbornly stick with the old way for years before giving in?

7

mila_reed•24d ago

Finally figured out why my drawer slides kept binding after three hours of adjusting

Turns out I had the cabinet box 2 millimeters out of square the whole time, has anyone else chased a tiny measurement issue that ruined their whole afternoon?

0

jason958•25d ago

Sliced my finger open on a brand new cabinet door at a job in Phoenix

Was installing some custom shaker doors for a kitchen remodel last month. Everything was going smooth until I grabbed a door to hang it and my hand slipped on this razor sharp edge from the router. Blood everywhere on this white painted door. Client walks in right as Im trying to wrap my finger in blue shop towels. Ended up needing 4 stitches at urgent care. Worst part was the door was my fault for not breaking the edge with sandpaper before install. Anyone else have a close call with sharp edges on CNC cut doors?

3

sethr11•27d ago

Tried a plunge base router for dadoes and it went sideways fast

I usually cut dadoes with a table saw and a dado stack, but last month I tried using a plunge base router on a walnut bookshelf project in Portland. The bit walked on me during the first pass and ruined a $60 board because I didn't secure the guide rails tight enough. Learned that I really need to clamp everything down way more than I thought with a router, or just stick to the table saw for dadoes. Anyone else have trouble switching between tools for the same cut?

7

the_abby•28d ago

Thermofoil vs painted MDF on a recent kitchen job, curious what you all would've done

Had a client last month who wanted slab doors but was on a tight budget. I priced out thermofoil at $45 a door and painted MDF at $68 a door. Client picked thermofoil because of the savings. First week in, steam from the dishwasher already started lifting the edge on one of the panels. Now I'm wondering if I should've pushed harder for the painted option or if there's a way to make thermofoil hold up better in high moisture spots. Anyone else run into this call and regret it?

8

emmap16•29d ago

Switching from the old school glue pot to modern PVA changed my whole build quality

Back in 2004 I was still using that old hot hide glue pot my mentor gave me. It worked fine but you had to keep it at exactly 145 degrees or it would gel up on you mid-assembly. I switched to Titebond III on a big library job in Portland about 8 years ago. No more reheating joints when the phone rings. Has anyone else had better luck with one over the other for face frames?

27

lunaw72•1mo ago

I finally stopped using particle board after a job went bad last Tuesday

Had a kitchen remodel in Phoenix where the homeowner wanted cheap cabinets. I used particle board on the drawer boxes like I always did. Got a call two days later that one drawer just collapsed under a load of pots and pans. The weight snapped the bottom right out of the box. I had to drive 3 hours back to replace all the drawer bottoms with plywood. That extra $200 in materials taught me never to cut corners on drawer construction again. Any of you guys had a similar fail that made you switch materials?

21

the_lucas•1mo ago

Heard a guy at the lumber yard say dados are pointless in modern cabinets

I was picking up some plywood yesterday and this young guy was telling the counter guy how dados are old school and just use pocket screws for everything now... I get that pocket screws are fast but I spent years cutting perfect dados and I feel like they hold up way better over time. Has anyone else had a job come back because pocket screws just didn't hold?

27

taylorb94•1mo ago

Tried a different glue up sequence on a walnut table top

I flipped the order and glued the middle joint first instead of working from one side. The panel actually came out flatter with less clamping pressure. Anybody else mess with their glue up order or just stick to what they know?

7

gray_patel•1mo ago

Unpopular opinion: prefinished plywood is overrated for custom cabinets

My supplier talked me into using prefinished cherry ply for a kitchen remodel 2 months ago, said it saves time and looks cleaner. But the edges were a pain to match and the finish chipped when I cut it. Anyone else think raw ply with your own finish still comes out better?