by Jaimela King

Created on: August 19, 2008

Building your own kitchen cabinets is an attractive alternative to buying ready made cabinets. You may have great ideas in mind about what you want your kitchen cabinets to look like but you are experiencing some difficulty finding just the right one. When building your own kitchen cabinets, you have control over the process from start to finish and you get to create your own work of art. Planning, designing and having the correct tools for the job are essential elements to creating the perfect kitchen.

Planning is perhaps the most important step in the process. In the planning phase, you will take measurements, decide on the type of cabinets you want and estimate the cost you can expect to incur. This phase requires quite a bit of research, comparison shopping and assessing the skill level and time required to start and complete the project. Develop a plan around your kitchen cabinet design and take an inventory of all the tools you have and the equipment and supplies you will need to successfully complete the project. You can browse magazines, existing plans and the internet to get some great ideas to get you started.

The materials required for the job will depend on the style of cabinets but there are a few basics you will need. Make a list all the supplies you will need and do some comparison shopping to get the best deals. Small items like hinges, dowels, knobs glue and sandpaper, screws and finishing nails, are essentials for building the cabinet. You will need cabinet grade plywood for the carcass, the door and false front inset. For finishing, select the kind of wood, oak or pine for example for the face frame. You will also need supplies for the drawers and counter tops. Tools include table saw, jig saw, clamps, sander and shapers, but it all depends on how sophisticated you plan to get as well as your skill level.

Often in our excitement to start a new project, we tend to neglect the little things necessary for our safety. Safety is critical in any do-it-yourself project, so ensure that you wear the correct safety equipment when working on your cabinets. Anything you attempt to drill or shape should be securely fastened. You want to wear the necessary protective gear for your eyes ears, hands and nose, and appropriate clothing. Your equipment should be checked regularly for defects and kept in a secure place and unplugged when not in use.

Now you are ready to start building your cabinets but to ensure you get the best most precise results and avoid waste, remember to always take measurements. Your tape measure and level will be constant buddies through every step of building the kitchen cabinets. Measuring and leveling will help you greatly in constructing cabinets that are well aligned and hung straight. Always put together the face frame before you attach it to the carcass and see that everything is flush before doing any nailing or gluing.

Building kitchen cabinets is a big undertaking but not a daunting one. Once you have a clear plan in mind and on paper and have created a budget that you can live with, all that remains is gathering your supplies, reading building instructions carefully and completing your labor of love. Hardware stores that carry supplies and equipment for making cabinets can be great resources in this undertaking. They can help you with the plans, developing your list and advising you on available choices, and on the actual construction. If you are planning to make cabinets you already have at minimum, a basic knowledge if wood working principles and techniques. There are plenty of do it yourself books and videos that can offer you more support and information if needed.

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