Making Cabinets and Built-Ins: Planning - Building - Installing by Sam Allen

Introduction     1
Tools     4
Additional Equipment     6
Safety     7
Materials     9
Wood Properties     10
Softwoods and Hardwoods     11
Density     12
Moisture Content     13
Knots     15
How Wood Is Cut     16
Lumber Grades     18
Hardwood Grades     18
Softwood Grades     20
Surfacing     20
Lumber Sizes     21
Standard Sizes     21
Pricing     22
Veneers     22
Plywood     24
Softwood Plywood Grades     24
Hardwood Plywood Grades     26
Reconstituted Wood Products     28
Particleboard     29
MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard)     30
Hardboard     30
Oriented Strand Board     30
Decorative Overlays     30
Edge Treatments for Plywood and Reconstituted Wood Products     31
Edge Banding     31
Plastic T Molding     35
Other Methods     36
Plastic Laminates     37
Working withPlastic Laminates     38
Reading Plans     43
Types of Lines     44
Visible Lines     44
Hidden Lines     45
Dimension Lines     45
Centerlines     45
Types of Drawing     46
Multiview Drawings     47
Pictorial Drawings     50
Details     52
Cutaways     52
Cross Sections     52
Revolved Sections     54
Long Breaks     54
Centerlines     54
Full-Size Patterns     56
Architectural Drawings     56
Choosing a Set of Plans     57
Scaling     57
Transferring Full-Size Patterns     59
Transferring Grid Patterns     60
Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD)     61
Bill of Materials     63
Laying Out, Squaring, and Cutting the Parts     65
Laying Out the Parts     65
The Story Stick     66
Using a Tape Measure     67
Making Marks     68
Using a Square     68
Truing and Squaring     69
Using a Plane     69
Correcting Defects      70
Surfacing and Squaring Rough Lumber     75
Cutting Techniques     76
Using Power Saws     77
Using Handsaws     83
Making Curved Cuts     85
Joinery     91
Joinery Tools     92
Chisel     92
Backsaw     95
Router     95
Plate Joiner     97
Dowelling Jig     98
Pocket-Hole Guide     101
The Five Basic Joints     102
Butt Joint     102
Rabbet Joint     108
Dado Joint     112
Miter Joint     116
Half-Lap Joint     122
Advanced Joints     124
Mortise-and-Tenon Joint     124
Dovetail Joint     126
Box Joint     130
Assembly Techniques     133
Glue     133
Types of Glue     133
Applying Glue     137
Clamping     138
Hand Screws, C-Clamps, and Fast-Action Clamps     138
Bar Clamps     139
Fasteners     141
Nails     142
Screws     146
Particleboard Fasteners      149
Carcasses     153
Case Construction     153
Plate Joinery     155
Dowel Joints     156
Special Fasteners     159
Dado and Rabbet Joints     161
Face Frames     161
Cabinet Backs     162
Cornices     163
Cabinet Bases and Legs     164
Traditional Carcass Construction Methods     169
Exposed Joinery     169
Skeleton-Frame Construction     170
Panel Construction     171
Solid-Lumber Tops     175
Cabinet Backs     178
Cornices     180
Cabinet Legs     182
Shelves     185
Design Considerations     186
Fixed Shelves     188
Adjustable Shelves     189
Doors     195
Slab Doors     196
Panel Doors     197
Glazed Doors     200
Cleated Doors     202
Door Applications     204
Overlay Doors     204
Lipped Doors     205
Flush Doors     205
Sliding Doors     206
Tambour Doors     208
Door Hardware     210
Drawers     217
Drawer Hardware     218
False-Front Drawers     219
Dowel or Biscuit Construction     221
European Assembly Screws     224
Traditional Drawer Designs     225
Traditional Wooden Guides     230
Freestanding Modular Cabinets     237
Base Module     240
Shelf Module     242
Tall Module     244
Style Variations     245
Construction Techniques     248
Dowel Construction     250
Biscuit Construction     252
Rabbet and Dado Joints     252
Exposed Joinery     252
Cabinet Backs     255
Shelves     256
Doors     256
Drawers     258
Bills of Materials for Various Cabinet Designs     261
Cabinets for Home Entertainment and Electronics     273
Modular Cabinets     274
Frieze Box     275
Access to the Back of the Components     276
Ventilation for Electronic Components     276
Wiring     278
Doors and Remote Control Use     278
Pocket Doors      280
TV Lift     280
Computer Desks     280
Built-In Cabinets     285
Standard Sizes of Cabinets     287
Construction Techniques     289
Building Cabinets in Place     289
Prebuilding Cabinets     290
Modular Construction     290
Installing Cabinets     292
Scribing     295
Soffits     296
Countertops     296
Modular Built-In Plans and Directions     299
Doors, Drawer Fronts, and Trim     300
Carcass Construction     306
Step-by-Step Directions     306
European Assembly Screws     308
Dowel Joinery     312
Plate Joinery     315
Corner Modules     316
Appliance Garages     320
Bills of Materials for Modular Cabinets     323
Built-In Planner     337
Using the Planner     337
About the Author     350
Metric Equivalents Chart     351
Index     352