CRAFTS & HOBBIES C O M P L E T E LY R E V I S E D A N D U P D AT E D R E V I S The popular choice for today’s new and remodeled ED kitchens is traditional American cabinetry. In this ED Building I T completely revised and updated version of woodworker I O N Jim Tolpin’s fundamental book on traditional kitchen cabinets, he breaks down the process of building face- frame cabinets into a series of easily mastered techniques. Traditional With new color photography and an easy to follow format, B Tolpin simplifi es building cabinets by using modern hard- u i ware and joinery systems that are fast and foolproof to l d execute. He shows how to construct easily handled cabinet i n modules and how to customize the g Kitchen face frames, doors, and drawers in T r the style you choose. Pro-tips and a updated technical information on d i newly available tools and hardware t i o makes the process easier than ever. n Cabinets a l With the help of this book and basic K shop tools, you can build a complete i t set of kitchen cabinets that will add beauty c h and value to any home. e n C JIM TOLPIN is a woodworker, teacher, and writer living a b in Port Townsend,Washington. He is also the author i of The Toolbox Book and Built-In Furniture (The Taunton n e Press) and a frequent contributor to Fine Woodworking and t Fine Homebuilding magazines. s T O L The Taunton Press also publishes Fine Woodworking US $24.95 / $34.95 CAN P magazine, the single best source of woodworking ideas ISBN 978-1-56158-797-1 I and information anywhere. 52495 N Jim Tolpin Visit our website at www.taunton.com. T Pp a u n t 9 781561 587971 o n Taunton Product #070851 S Building Traditional Kitchen Cabinets Completely Revised and Updated Building Traditional Kitchen Cabinets Completely Revised and Updated Jim Tolpin t Text © 2006 by Jim Tolpin Photographs © 2006 by Craig Wester except on p. 4: (bottom left) Charles Bickford, © The Taunton Press, Inc.; (bottom right) Roe Osborn, © The Taunton Press, Inc.; pp. 8, 174: Smallbone of Devizes; p. 18: (top) © KCDw Software; p. 21: © Brian Vanden Brink; p. 39: courtesy Blum; p. 41: (top) © The Taunton Press, Inc.; (bottom) Tom O’Brien, © The Taunton Press, Inc.; p. 153: Photo courtesy Crown Point Cabinetry; pp. 168 (top) and 169: Photos courtesy Rev-A-Shelf. Illustrations © 2006 by The Taunton Press, Inc., except chart on p. 38 courtesy Rockler® All rights reserved. T The Taunton Press, Inc., 63 South Main Street, PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506 e-mail: [email protected] Editor: Helen Albert Cover design: Alexander Isley, Inc. Interior design and layout: Laura Lind Design Illustrator: Jim Tolpin Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tolpin, Jim, 1947- Building traditional kitchen cabinets / Jim Tolpin ; photographer, Craig Wester.-- Completely rev. and updated. p. cm. E-Book ISBN: 978-1-60085-688-4 1. Kitchen cabinets. 2. Cabinetwork. I. Title. TT197.5.K57T65 2006 684.1’6--dc22 2005023632 Printed in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 The following manufacturers/names appearing in Building Traditional Kitchen Cabinets are trademarks: 3M®, Accuride®, Beadlock®, Bessey®, Blum®, Confirmat®, Corian®, Durham’s® Rock Hard, Fastbond®, Formica®, Forstner®, Kreg® Tool Co., Lion Trimmer®, Masonite®, MEG® Products, Mylar®, Plexiglas®, Polyseamseal®, Porter-Cable®, RocklerSM, Sears® Craftsman®, Styrofoam®, Tyvek®, Vise-Grip®, Vix® bit, WD-40®. Working wood is inherently dangerous. Using hand or power tools improperly or ignoring safety practices can lead to permanent injury or even death. Don’t try to perform operations you learn about here (or elsewhere) unless you’re certain they are safe for you. If something about an oper- ation doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Look for another way. We want you to enjoy the craft, so please keep safety foremost in your mind whenever you’re in the shop. I dedicate this book to the memory of David “Bud” McIntosh, designer and boatbuilder of the old New England school and author of a classic text on wooden boatbuilding. In word and deed, Bud taught me to love all that I do but to write only about what I know. Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 4 Designing Your Bills of Materials Custom Kitchen . . . . . . . . . 2 and Cutlists . . . . . . . . . . 44 Designing for Your Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Making Up the Bills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Designing for Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Story Poles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Designing for the Mobility Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Creating Master Cutlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Designing for Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Developing the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 5 Standard Proportions for Kitchen Cabinetry . . . . . . . . . .13 Basic Floor-Plan Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Getting the Floor Plan Down on Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Cutting Stock to Size . . 60 2 Sheet Stock Layout and Sizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Solid Stock Layout and Sizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Cabinet Design and 6 Construction . . . . . . . . . 20 A Cabinet: The Sum of Its Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Cabinet Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Cabinet Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Face Frames . . . . . . . . . . .70 Laying Out the Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 3 Joining the Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Assembling the Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Surfacing the Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 7 Sheet Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Solid Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Countertops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Door Construction . . . . 84 Plank-and-Batten Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Frame-and-Panel Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Predrilling for Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 11 8 Installing Doors, Drawer Drawers, and Construction . . . . . . . . .108 Other Components . . . . 156 Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Installing the Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Layout and Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Installing the Drawers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 Drawer-Box Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Installing Shelving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Assembling the Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 Installing Commercial Storage Fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 Attaching the Face Front to the Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 Installing Shop-Built Storage Fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172 9 12 Case Construction . . . . . 124 Cabinet Installation . . .182 Preparing the Panels for Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Transporting the Cabinets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182 Assembling the Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 Site Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183 Installing the Face Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 Installing the Base Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Installing the Wall Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189 Installing End Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 10 Installing Running Moldings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 Installing Fixtures and Making Final Adjustments . . .195 Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 13 Selecting a Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 Preparing the Stock for Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144 Preparing the Shop for Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Building and Installing Penetrating-Oil and Oil–Varnish Finishes . . . . . . . . . . . .147 Laminate Counters . . . . 196 Clear Surface Finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197 Painting the Cabinets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Cutting and Joining the Substrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 Working with Milk Paint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 Cutting and Applying the Laminate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Cutting and Installing the Backsplash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Metric Conversion Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Acknowledgments I wish to thank the following peo- I also wish to acknowledge and thank ple who helped me put the first these companies for supplying materials edition of this book together: or photographs: Brian Vanden Brink for his American Design and contributions to the color gallery; Jacob Engineering, Inc. Middleton, Audrey Jean, and Craig CMT Tools® Wester for their help during the photo Crown Point Cabinetry shoot; and, of course, Pat Cudahy for his Excalibur® Machine and Tool Co. prodigious efforts in getting well over Feeny Manufacturing Co. 100 clear images onto film. Scott Swant- Häfele® America Co. ner and Libby Keefer of the Wooden Julius Blum®, Inc. Boat Foundation for their support and Knape and Vogt® patience. And at The Taunton Press: Manufacturing Co. John Lively for initiating the book in the Kreg® Tool Co. first place, Helen Albert for shepherding The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co. the work through the publishing pro- Pat Warner Router Accessories cess, and Peter Chapman for his insight- Rev-A-Shelf,® Inc. ful editing skills. Robert Bosch® Power Tool Corp. For this new edition, I thank Craig Smallbone® of Devize Wester for capturing the color digital Smith Woodworks and Design images, John Marckworth for his tech- Timbercraft Homes (Charles and nical contributions, Kees Kolff for the Judith Landau) loan of some materials, and Seb Eggert Veritas® Tools, Inc. of The Maisefield Company for allowing us to do some photography in his very busy shop. I also thank these readers of the first edition who sent in some helpful comments and corrections: Monty Poliner and Dave Matheny. At Taunton Press, proj- ect editor Julie Hamilton worked on the material for the new edition. Introduction I won’t deceive you, building a the primary roots of our design heritage: fine set of traditionally styled cabi- for example, the colonial, Shaker and nets for a complete kitchen is not Mission eras. a job for the faint of heart. It’s I find building cabinets in these a big undertaking that will keep you in styles to be exciting, challenging, and your workshop for a couple of months’ hugely rewarding—the fruits of these worth of weekends. But what better way labors never cease to enrich my home to spend your recreational time than and my life. If you share my visions of creating such an attractive and useful what makes for a good kitchen and an addition to your home? While a qual- aesthetically pleasing set of cabinets, I ity kitchen undeniably adds significant hope that this book inspires you to get investment value to your property, it also to work building your own. brings much pleasure to those who will spend many years using it. At first thought, the idea of design- ing and building your own cabinets might seem like a complex and daunt- ing process—huge in scale and full of mysteries. Although the scale is admit- tedly large, the process is surprisingly straightforward. If you follow the step-by- step procedures described in this book and learn a few relatively simple layout and cutting skills, the building of your kitchen cabinetry should go smoothly and relatively quickly. While specialized cabinetmaker’s tools such as a panel-cutting saw, a line- boring machine, and perhaps a wide belt sander would admittedly make the job go faster, they are by no means necessary. Be assured that the average basement or garage shop outfitted with standard woodworking machinery and a modest selection of hand and power tools are all that you’ll need. The cabinets that I show you how to build in this book, as you can no doubt tell by leafing through these pages, are decidedly traditional in design. The door and drawer-face styles and the trim-molding profiles (along with some of the finishes) pay homage to some of 1