How to Install Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen Cabinets are a big help for me and my wife, because we love to cook, and we spend most of our time in the kitchen. Kitchen Cabinets provides me enough space to store my kitchen materials and the stuffs I need for cooking, it also gives me enough space to store food, condiments, and cooking utensils. It also helps me to organize stuffs and helps me locate easily the things that I need to find in the kitchen.

Because kitchen cabinets are special to me, I would prefer to build it myself. This allows me to create my own personal design and style. So how do we build kitchen cabinets? To start with I will decide what type of cabinet I will make. There are two types of cabinet; the frameless cabinet and the cabinet with frames. In this project I will choose to have a cabinet with frames. Then I will set up the tools that I need to have

 The Tools

A tape measure

A Square

A Hammer

 Clamps

Miter saw

 Jigsaw

Router

 Circular saw

Table saw

Drill

Nail gun

Sander

Cabinet dimensions and drawings

Now I’m going to set up the dimensions of my cabinet. In this project I will use the most common proportions used for cabinets.

For my base part or my base cabinet am going to have a Height of 36″ you can have 28” if you prefer it for sitting, but since I love cooking, most of the time I will work on standing so I would use 36″. I will have a Depth of 24″ to provide me more working space in the kitchen.

For my upper cabinet I will have a height of 28’ so that I can leave a space above for decoration, since we spend most of the time in the kitchen I would love to have it decorated. If you choose to make it go up to the ceiling you can use 42”or higher it depends on the height of your house.

For the depth I will have 12’ for my cupboards, and 16’ for my microwave
The distance between my base and upper cabinet will be 18”

The top of my upper cabinet will finish at 84”

For my knees space, I will have a height of 24 so that I can fit in an 18” chair and a pair of legs to fit underneath, then I’m going to have a width of 30”

Now that all dimensions are set all I need to do now is to draw my cabinet on a sheet of paper and write the dimensions on the side they relate to, this will serve as a pattern for me while I work.

Looking for the perfect wood

After all the necessary tools are set and finished all the planning, this time I will visit my local lumber supplier that sells cabinetry.  I will examine how various types of finished wood look and note the price. Then I would look for a wood that looks best for my kitchen. Since my kitchen is a busy place I would choose a less expensive wood for painting, the paint will protect the wood from spilling and moisture.

For my project I will choose the maple wood for my frames, a white to light tan hardwood with a straight-grain, sometimes curly, wavy, or bird’s eye grain occurs. Staining can range from clear to very dark. This is perfect for painting and glazing. It looks lovely when stained since the grain can be curly with interesting patterns. Then I will have plywood for my walls, tops, and floors. When selecting wood, choose boards that are clean, straight and flat. Examine corners for damage.

Now that I have selected the perfect wood for my project, it is now time to give my measurements to a lumber store employee to help me estimate the total cost then I will buy all the wood that I need. This includes all the wood pieces that I need and their exact dimensions.

Other materials

               There are other materials that I need to consider. These materials will also help my cabinet to function well and look good. Now it’s time for me to visit a local hardware store.

I will buy a European hinges or a Blum overlay hinges. They are adjustable in three directions, easy to install, and can really speed up the cabinet door installation process.

I will also buy a couple of drawer slides. For my project I would prefer to have a ball bearing drawer slide.

I will also look for a couple of cabinet knobs and pulls.

 

A big can of wood paint

A bottle of glue is also needed

 Creating the box parts list

 

For me it is very important to make a box part list, this will avoid getting mixed up and will keep my work organized. Using the drawing of the cabinet and its dimensions that I have as a pattern I will set up the box parts cut list. My cabinets feature 3/4” plywood box construction with ¼” plywood backs.

I will start on the finished end side panel. For the height I will subtract the toe kick height and the thickness of the top from finished height. Then I will subtract the face-frame and back from finished depth.

For my wall end side panel, I will subtract the thickness of the top from finished height.
Then subtract the face-frame and back from finished depth.

For my bottom shelf I will subtract the thickness of your two sides from finished width. Then subtract face frame and back from finished depth.

For my shelves, I will do the same as the bottom shelf

for my nailing cleat I will have the same length as the bottom shelf. I want a total of 3 cleats, two across the back top, and one across front. I will use 3” for my depth.

For my toe kick, I will use the length as finished cabinet width because my cabinet meets a wall at both ends. For my finished ends I will subtract 3 ¼ “from finished width for each occurrence, this will allow a toe kick on the finished end. My height will be 4.5” standard.

For my back, using 1/4” plywood, I will use the size of the finished width. For the height I will subtract the toe kick height and the thickness of the top from finished height.

For my tops, I will have the same width and depth as finished cabinet. With a plywood top I will nail it on and cut a ¾” x 1 ½” hardwood band to go around the working sides of the top. My tops with ¾” 1 1/8” granite should be 1” bigger than finished depth of cabinet. I will have the same width as the finished cabinet width, then I will add 1” each time tops end at finished end. This allows a 1″ overhang around the working edges of my cabinet.

Creating the frame cut out list

Face Frame Parts Cut Out List

My face frame consists of stiles (vertical) and rails (horizontal), which are joined together using, pocket joinery. My cabinet’s feature solid wood face frames.

For my face frame with ¾”x 2″ solid wood I will subtract the toe kick height and the thickness of the top from finished height.
For my Top and Bottom Rail I will subtract 4″ from finished width. My base cabinets get a 3/4″ bottom rail and a 2″ top rail, while my upper cabinets get a 2″ bottom rail and a 4″ top rail.

My Inside Stiles and Rails will vary depending on doors, drawers; knee spaces etc.  At this point I will draw the openings I want in my cabinet project separating them with 2″ stiles and rails. 

Creating my Doors & Drawer Fronts List

 

My Door & Drawer List
Qty Height Width
4 -24″ x 12″
2 -6″ x 25″
1- 4″ x 25″

For my Doors & Drawer Fronts, I will use ¾” hardwood 1/2″. My overlay doors and drawers measure 1″ bigger than the opening height and width.

Drawer Box Cut Out List

My Two Sides will be ½” plywood. For the height I will subtract 1″ from the height of the opening. For the length I will subtract 2″ from the depth of finished cabinet.

For my Front & Back using ½” plywood, I will subtract 1 ½” from the height of the opening for my height, and for the length I will subtract 2″ from the width of opening.

The Bottom will be subtracted 2″ from the width of the opening and 2″ from the depth of finished cabinet. All in all I will end up with 5 pieces for each drawer.

Cutting and Shaping

               Now that all is set, it is now the perfect time to cut the all cabinet parts according to the shape and sizes that I have on the list. With the use of power tools and cutting tools, I will carefully lay them on the working table and cut them piece by piece according to their exact sizes. I have to make sure that I have the correct measurements and the correct shape so that I don’t end up replacing a wood, which will be a waste of time and money. After the cutting is done I will make sure that edges of each cabinet part have a smooth finish, so with use of sander, I will clear all the edges so that it will look smooth and clean. With my pencil I will label each part accordingly so that I will not get mixed up and my assembling will be smooth.

Assembling all the parts

               Since all parts are now set, it is now time to grab a nail gun and a bottle of glue and start the assembly process. With my cut out list, it will guide me to put all parts together. This will be easy because I have labeled all the parts, all I have to do is to put it all together in my kitchen and check the alignments to make sure that there are no small holes or openings on some edges.

After all parts are assembled together, I will now install the hinges for the cabinet doors and the cabinet knobs and pulls. I will also install the drawer slides then place the drawers on the slots.

Before I start painting, I will have to put a chemical that will protect the wood from termites and other insects that will destroy the wood, since woods are susceptible to these types of household pests. After applying the chemical it is now time to paint my newly constructed cabinet.

Written By Jeremy Trio