{"id":4606,"date":"2021-06-11T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snaservices.com\/?p=4606"},"modified":"2021-06-09T14:23:17","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T19:23:17","slug":"sbw45-kitchen-cabinet-build-part-15-base-cabinet-side-prep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snaservices.com\/index.php\/sbw45-kitchen-cabinet-build-part-15-base-cabinet-side-prep\/","title":{"rendered":"SBW#45 \u2013 Kitchen Cabinet Build Part 15 \u2013 Base Cabinet Side Prep"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Once you cut the sides to their dimension, cut the toe kick and dado for the bottom you’re done right? I guess the answer to that is how versatile do you want your cabinets? Do you want to add shelving? Is that fixed, adjustable, full or half-depth shelving, or just slide-out drawer shelves? Are you planning on staining, painting, or clear finishing them? If the answer to any of those is yes, then you’re not done yet and you might want to read on to see what I do to cabinets I build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okay, I might not be a professional cabinet maker but these tricks can save you some time and headaches in the long long run. After all, who wants headaches and wasting time right? So, let’s get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First things first, you’ll want to have your sides cut to the dimension, dado cut for the bottom panel (if you’re going to do that), and toe kick cut out. If you haven’t done this yet, have a look at my article Base Cabinet Sides <\/a>and Toe Kicks<\/a> here first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, if you’re doing adjustable shelving which is what I do when I’m not doing shelving drawers you’ll need to drill holes for the shelving pins. I drill 7 pin hole adjustment hole levels. That’s 24 total holes for each base cabinet. But because I want these to be pretty versatile, I also drill 14 additional holes (7 on each side) to total 42 total holes. I do this so I can have full-depth or half-depth shelving. Most of the time half-depth is what is requested but you never know when someone may want a full depth shelf and it’s easier to drill these holes now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In order to drill all these holes accurately, I recommend using a shelving pin jig such as the Rockler JIG IT Shelving Jig<\/a>. It is a quick and easy solution that maintains accuracy throughout the drilling process. The bit that comes with it is preset for the right depth so there’s no need to use a drill bit with a piece of tape or stop collar on it. If you don’t want to go this route and make you’re own, I’d recommend using something such as an aluminum bar or some very hardwood as to not wear down the pilot holes you’ll need to drill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you’re using an acrylic template like the one that comes with the Rockler JIG IT Shelving Jig<\/a>, you’ll need to take a few breaks to allow the drill bit to cool down. If you don’t, you’ll start to heat up and melt the template.<\/p>\n\n\n\n