The Cabinet Maker’s Handbook

Cabinet makers make cabinets and other furniture and also repair them. They measure, cut, join, and carve wood or other materials to make furniture from design and other specifications. All cabinet makers have special tools that they need for their job. We will talk about what a cabinet maker needs to know to be successful, and the approach to cabinet making here.

Cabinet Maker

Essential Skills Cabinet Makers Should Have

If anyone wants to become a cabinet maker, here are the skills he or she should develop:

• He or she has to be skilful in manual and practical tasks.
• A certain amount of knowledge of mathematics is necessary.
• He or she should have great eye-hand coordination.
• The attention to detail and accuracy of work should be ingrained.
• He or she should not have any kind of dust allergy or asthma problems.
• One important point is to be creative.

Tools Cabinet Makers Should Have

A cabinet maker performs three fundamental tasks:

1. Cutting
2. Assembling
3. Finishing

Special tools are required for each task. These may be as follows:

• A nicely tuned table saw with a sharp blade for making straight cuts with precision
• A band saw for making curved cuts
• A router for shaping and creating grooves
• A drill for making holes and also as a screwdriver
• Clamps for doing glueing
• An accurate ruler
• A bevel to measure angles
• A tape measure
• A sander (could be stationary, handheld, or orbital according to your needs)

These tools can be manual as well as power tools, and apart from this, cabinet makers also use some advanced computerised equipment that may be partly or fully automatic.

Because of the nature of their work, cabinet makers often need to wear goggles, earmuffs, masks, and protective shoes.

Cabinet Makers

A Typical Day in the Life of Cabinet Makers

If you try to imagine what a cabinet maker does normally, here is what a typical day will be like:

• Assemble wood products
• Take measurements of the completed cabinets or other furniture to ensure that they are as per the specifications provided by the client
• Use woodworking tools and equipment

A Three-Step Process

Now let us talk a little about how to go about cabinet making:

Plan it

Any project that involves working with wood should have a plan with a cutting list and a diagram that shows how all the different parts will fit together to make a complete cabinet. You can also plan exactly how much wood you will need by referring to the cutting list. Before drawing up the plan, it is extremely important to take precise measurements of the place where you plan to install a cabinet. You can always consult someone more experienced than you for help with the measurements and the plan.

Buy It

Hardwood is a luxury that few people can afford, and often oak and birch are used in conjunction with cabinet-grade plywood, which is cheaper. Don’t always go for the cheapest option, but consider the fact that your customers may be using the cabinets for years to come, and invest in some good material for it.

Make It

Fasteners and glue are something all cabinet makers need. If you want to use screws, it is mandatory to produce pre-drill holes. White or yellow carpenter's glue can be used for a lot of woodworking. After you have assembled the cabinet, sand it with a palm sander and 80- to 120-grit sandpaper so that the cabinet looks finished. Sanding also removes any glue spots which were formed during the assembling phase.

A good cabinet maker can make cabinets that will last for years to come. Search online for ones near where you live and keep the contact details handy for when you need them!