Okay...I really messed up and I don't know how to fix it..........Advice please?.....

Mark Rios

Member
Messages
797
Location
Central CA
You folks probably won't think this is much of a big deal but it is for me and my limited cabinet making knowledge.

This is the upper cabinet at the right hand end of a run of cabs.

111acab.jpg

To the immediate left is the microwave cabinet/microwave so the left panel is exposed Maple, meaning that I can't put pocket holes on the outside to attach my faceframe. Well, because I'm a bonehead I forgot to put them on the inside. (Please berate me later :rolleyes: ) The cabinet is glued up as far as you see it. I am doing a couple of other things to it such as putting a dividing wall 8" to the right of the finished panel, where the 45* angle starts.

Well, I can't fit a drill inside to be able to drill my pocket holes on the inside wall of the cab. The cab isn't deep enough and I don't have a drill, out of 6, that will fit. So now I'm trying to figure out how to attach my faceframe to the left cabinet side without using pocket holes.

I don't have a biscuit jointer and I"m not going to buy one for this job. I've never been any good at doweling and I don't have any of those tools either. I'm thinking that I can glue and screw a piece of 3/4" x 3/4" maple behind the faceframe, along the inside edge of the cabinet and, using predrilled :rolleyes: pocket holes, attach the faceframe that way. Will that work?

My concern is that the plywood edge will only be directly attached to the faceframe with glue, as opposed to a glue AND a mechanical fastening like with a normal glue and pocket hole attachment. By gluing the 3/4" maple strip on the inside I can do the mechanical fastening but I'm worried that, being right next ot the stove, the faceframe may start to pull away from the plywood edge and creat a gap. Will glue alone between the faceframe and plywood edge (along with the screws in through the maple strip along the inside edge) prevent the faceframe from pulling away and causing a gap ?


Thanks very much for your help and advice.
 
Last edited:
Mark,
Glue it and clamp it. using modern glues the joint will be stronger then the wood.

Edge (not one of the faces) of the plywood to the maple faceframe will glue okay Don? I wasn't sure about gluing to the plywood edge and having it be strong enough.

Thanks.
 
Hi Mark, Glue and clamps or some brads will work just fine. Looks like an interesting cabinet. Often times you need to pocket hole the face frame on to help keep the cabinet square.. in this case, you don't need the face frame for structure, just details.

On that same note, recently I took on a project where I took an existing manufactured kitchen cabinet apart - New, only 6 years old, cherry, quite lovely, so when I got it apart it was just 5/8 ply - so of course in these cases, you really need the face frame to help you out. Interestingly enough, the face frame was applied to the cabinet with these little staples shot from the inside - no glue. Glad it wasn't my kitchen.

Good luck.
 
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