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Seeking General Kitchen Cabinet Opinions

I would also agree with 3/4". I myself tried my hand at resawing veneer for the first time and did my own pecan ply finished ends.
 
Cynthia White said:
I wasn't planning on doing dovetails. The only ones who will ever see and hear about these drawers will be my bulldogs and they usually agree with anything I say, especially if I have a dog biscuit in my hand.
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Cynthia,
I look at each project I do as a learning curve, now building cabinates is a rather simple thing to do just a bunch on boxes, styles and rails door and hardware. Anybody can do that with a little patience. Now is your change to challenge your self and learn a now technique of joining. Since I learned how to do dovetails I won't make a drawer any other way. they assemble fast, and the joint is strong Drawers take the most abuse of any thing when you make cabinates.
 
Cynthia,

Most of us have gone through this dilemma. I certainly have... it's exactly what got me started in woodworking. But here's what I learned, and it was a cold, hard lesson:

It will cost you more to make them than it will to buy them. Unless, of course, you already have a fully equipped shop. If you do, then you might come close to breaking even. ;)

Now, it's true, you'll eventually end up with better stuff if you make them yourself. And you'll end up with exactly what you want, and feel a great deal of satisfaction. But you're unlikely to save any money, especially if you count your time! ;)

Me, I'm stubborn, and thick-headed. I want to have saved money. But if I counted up the cost of all the tools, and all the materials...

In a way, it's like the accounting of bass fisherman. True, he pulled that fish out of the water for free. Unless he counts the boat, and the gas, and the trailer, and the truck to pull it. By then, he's paying 80 bucks a pound. ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
Your looking at it the wrong way Bill. Take for example the El Camino I'm restoring. I could have bought the floor pans already made up for $300 a side for a total of $600. I went ahead and bought a bead roller and a shrinker and stretcher for forming metal and the metal to do it with for less than $300. Yes it would have been easier and faster to buy them already made but now the now I have the tools and knowledge to tackle other parts of the carthat need sheet metal work. For me this is a hobby and I don't consider my time as an expense. Without these hobbys I would just be laying on the couch watching tv and stuffing myself.

I have about $2000 in materials for about 20 lineal feet of cabinets and loml has what she wants. That to me is "PRICELESS".
 
I disagree about the net savings. She doesn't need a shop full of machines to do all three project she has planned. She is already getting routers for free and a band saw to boot. She can buy her lumber already milled to demensions so realy if sheneeds a good guided saw, a cordless drill and some sander she will be good to go. Although if she plans on doing more of this then this will give her a chance to use the money she will be saving and use it in investing in the tools for her shop.
 
Thanks to Don, Bill, and Alan.

Okay Don, I'll learn dovetails. One question I have is (and I lack the right vocabulary so I apologize for that) when you're talking about a dovetail, is it still called a dovetail whether it's *1* of those "lock and key" joints or *10* of the lock and key joints on the same corner? My point is, I assume it's easier to learn bigger ones than smaller ones, no?

Bill, I gotta disagree with that. I priced out bathroom vanities a couple of months ago, and what I wanted would have been about 1200$ from soup to nuts (cabinet + hardware + sinks). I ended up buying an all-in-one from a big box DIY for about $900. I think I could have made it for $300 in materials. You're right if a person doesn't have any tools, but I wouldn't attempt kitchen cabinets until I had all the major tools, and some more confidence. I've got 4 projects and 75,000 questions for you ahead of that. 1) bookcases 2) built-in banquette 3) some outdoor furniture and 4) a table for my kitchen. And in general I think kitchen cabinets are way over-priced. But I get your point, and I think it would be a MAJOR project requiring a MAJOR commitment on my part and months of work.

Alan, can you tell me where that thread is about your cabinets? I doubt I could learn sketchup well enough and fast enough to help me. I'd probably pay someone to do to-scale drawings......:type:
 
Cynthia White said:
Thanks to Don, Bill, and Alan.

Okay Don, I'll learn dovetails. One question I have is (and I lack the right vocabulary so I apologize for that) when you're talking about a dovetail, is it still called a dovetail whether it's *1* of those "lock and key" joints or *10* of the lock and key joints on the same corner? My point is, I assume it's easier to learn bigger ones than smaller ones, no?
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Cynthia,
Heres a thread showing 1/2" dovetails in 3 1/2" drawers. I made these drawer in about 15 minutes and I defy you to pull them apart.
 
Darren Wright said:
Bill, don't make me revoke your man card...
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Darren,

Not to worry. Doorlink confiscated my man card years ago. Along with my passport and my bankbook! ;)

Already, the whole village mocks my machismo. The way they mock this guy!

Did you see what he said? "I just don't have the eggs!" ;)

He needs to move somewhere far, far away. Like, say, the cote d'azur. No-one there will notice... ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
All this time I thought the only reason for making things for the house was the excuse to buy new tools..... Who cares if the cabinets are overpriced if you get a new shiny something out of the deal?
 
Jeb Taylor said:
All this time I thought the only reason for making things for the house was the excuse to buy new tools..... Who cares if the cabinets are overpriced if you get a new shiny something out of the deal?
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+1 on that. Of course I've never had any problem convincing loml that I need a new tool.:rofl:
 
don't get me wrong, i love dovetails. they are the best and look the best. but saying cynthia can make her dovetails drawers in 15 min having never done them is misleading.

my main point was that they just aren't necessary, unless of course you plan to rolls your drawers down a hill and expect them to remain assembled.

just my thoughts
chris
 
Chris Mire said:
don't get me wrong, i love dovetails. they are the best and look the best. but saying cynthia can make her dovetails drawers in 15 min having never done them is misleading.
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I never said she could do it in 15 minutes but she certainly could after learning how If we are to get better at this craft we need to challange our selves and learn new things and with a dove tail jig and a router dove tails are not that hard to do.
 
i agree don, and if she really wants them or wants to try and learn to do them, then she should. i guess i was just going off the assumption that she was looking for simpler ways to do things.

sorry for saying you were misleading her

chris
 
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