Building shop cabinets


Tom Cancelleri

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I've built some book shelves and helped my uncle with building his router table cabinet, etc. I've mainly used my Kreg pocket hole jig. However last year I bought the Somerfeld tongue and groove set as well as the raised panel/rail and stile set. I'm going to be building kitchen cabinets for my parents and this gives me a chance to build kitchen quality type stuff in my shop for practice and perfecting my design.

I'm thinking of doing the face frame with pocket screws, or possibly mortise and tenon and then do tongue and groove like in Marc Somerfeld's video on YouTube for the boxes behind the face frame.

What are your thoughts on cabinet builds?

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Shop furniture is good practice for the real stuff.

 

I am not a fan of pocket screws, but they work well for face frames. Depending on the look you are going after, you may want to consider a half-lap joint. You didn't mention it, and there has been recent discussions on this, but I am a huge fan of using a Domino for this purpose. If you don't have one, M&T joints, or perhaps a routed floating tenon joint would be a good choice.

 

Lots of options.

 

Looking forward to pics or a video. :)

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Just biscuits and glue can also work for face frames. Pocket screws are quick and easy but can also be tedious getting things square and flush.

If you half lap you can screw from the back for extra strength (and to do the clamping for you). Norm built them that way on NYW.

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I don't have a Domino. Not yet, though it's on the list at some point within the next year. 

 

 

Why the biscuit hate?

 

Biscuits drive me nuts, I used them to build a plate joining jig out of oak for gluing guitar tops and I found it didn't keep everything as flat and perfect as I like, plus I think they are a bit too shallow.

 

I might actually cut tenons and mortise the frame with my HCM.

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You're not running a production shop pocket holes are fine for face frame, in fact they are used in most production shops. There is no benefit what so ever to M&T over pocket holes for face frame joinery other than production speed and bragging rights. Face frames benefit most by being attached to the box with dado joinery. 

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