Face Frame Cabinet Building Tips

The advice on face frame cabinet building is to dry fit all the frame parts so that the best side of the boards will become visible and one has to avoid the grain variations that usually occur at joints. The pieces, all of them, have to be labeled with a pencil so that the frame can be made to be together just the same way that they were laid. When one wants to sand the frames that are assembled, he would make use of the pencil marks that were labeled. The moment the pencil marks disappear, one will know that he will have flat joints. The next step is to build the cabinets and buy the doors. The author states that the task of building kitchen cabinet doors are a tricky enterprise although they are doable because the wood shaping equipment that are required are powerful and expensive. If what has to be built are many, one should make use of clamps and use much more space. The author suggests that the prospects of building the cabinet can be considered when one has free time but he should also consider buying the doors. Other tasks that have to be undertaken to build the face frame cabinet are outlined in the blog.

Key Takeaways:

Face frames need to be dry fitted so that all the parts will be seen and in order to avoid the stark grain colors.
Every side of the piece needs to be labeled with a pencil because this makes it possible for the frame to go back together.
The ability to build kitchen cabinet doors can be a tricky enterprise but doable because it requires expensive equipment for shaping wood.

“A mortise-and-tenon joint may make you feel like a true craftsman, but only you will know you spent all that extra time. You can buy an entry-level pocket screw jig for less than $50, but if you plan to build several face frame projects, spend about three times that to get a top-of-the-line jig.”