Kelly dazzled us not only with his descriptions and discussion of cabinets in their various forms, but by actually constructing two of them right in front of us!

Traditional: Framed Cabinets are probably what’s in your kitchen. The doors can be full-overlay, partial-overlay or inset.

European: Frameless cabinets are the more modern variety. Doors are by definition full overlay, except they could be inset as well.

Frameless are much faster to construct, as the time consuming face frame (and its joints) is omitted. Kelly estimates it takes 3 hours for frame parts and preparation, but only 1.5 hours for frameless parts and preparation. Frameless are cheaper to build and also more modern looking.

In addition, frameless affords more usable storage space in the same outside cabinet dimensions, due to the lack of obstructions and drawer limitations. For the 12" wide cabinet he made during the presentation, he got an 8" draw in the frameless vs. a 5.5" drawer in the framed cabinet.

He recommends Titebond II glue (waterproof) and uses FF size biscuits for faceframes. Size "0" one inch long for the sides. When clamping be aware of moments introduced by the clamp itself, so raise the panel to coincide with the middle of the clamping force.

He recommends melamine with an MDF core, as opposed to a particle board core. With melamine your insides are finished when the box is assembled! MDF is stronger and easier on the tool edges, due to the high proportion of glue in particleboard. When affixing melamine to melamine, Kelly recommends ROO-Glue (T&J Hardware). Kelly uses full-sized biscuits on 12" centers to attach the sides to the bottoms. He recommends keeping a sharp cutter in the biscuit joiner and gluing sandpaper (60 grit) to the front of the joiner to prevent slip.

He fully overlays the cabinet bottom, and attaches everything with

#8 case hardened, high thread 1.5" Robinson Drive screws (square or Phillips).

He pre-drills with a Fuller C-5 (3/8") countersink bit with 1/8" drill bit and sets it short of the screw’s full length. The 3/8" countersink affords use of a standard 3/8" plug cutter for making plugs that you have a chance of aligning with your chosen cabinet wood. The combination of biscuits, glue and screws makes for a very strong joint. Kelly cautions not to get too close to the edge of the melamine when fastening, or unavoidable breakout or bumps in the banding will occur.

A 36 " standard cabinet height is arrived at as follows:

30.5" sides + 4" kick plate + 1.5" countertop = 36"

Kelly uses a large, "height-sized" jig with notches for stretchers and holes for pre-drilling mounting holes for the hardware, to mark the end-panels and position the hardware for attaching the 75pound-test, static weight, full-extension, Accuride or Dynaride drawer supports. Using a Vix Bit is advisable so all the screw holes are centered in the hardware guide.

He doubles the side-wall on one side of the cabinet (with spacers) and places cleats on the other side of the cabinet. I didn’t understand the reason for this if one is going to use cleats on one side anyway, but that is how it was described to us. The drawer width is 1 1/16" less than the opening (1/2’ for each side’s hardware and 1/16" for clearance).

You could cut a ¼" dado into the cabinet back to mount the plywood back, assuring the back is flat outside and the cabinet is 12" deep. Or you can tack-on the ¼" plywood backing affording more inside space. He attaches the 1 ¾" stretchers to the second inside panel (vertically on top and horizontally on the bottom), and then mounts the second panel to the cabinet bottom and he screws through the single side, into the stretchers.

The base plate (floor) of the cabinet is slotted with biscuit cuts to assure alignment by #10 biscuits and ROO-glue.

Hanging by means of a French Cleat is possible if the soffit allows room to slide the cabinet on top of the wall mounted, reverse sloped hanging cleat.

Usually Zymat wall anchors (metal or plastic) in the wall, screwed through the upper horizontal member, are used to hang the cabinet in sheetrock walls.

Kelly edge-bands all his cabinets with wood or plastic edge-band using a Brandt Edge Banding machine. A large Jig is used to index or position screw-holes for drilling. Remember to blow the dust off the pieces before glueing!

A Bellrock faceframe hinge plate is used to index the hinge holes. Euro-hinges are adjustable 6-ways!

A full back is applied to square and stiffen the cabinet. It is cut 1/16" smaller than the cabinet’s outside dimension and affixed with ¾" staples. Two skids are attached to the bottom of the cabinet to allow sliding across the shop floor without damaging the cabinet bottom. Four triangular corner blocks assure strength, a lifting place and the ability to attach the countertop.

Plywood is recommended for toe kicks as a protection against a possible kitchen flood soaking into and destroying particleboard or MDF. They are built separately, attached to the wall and leveled, making the cabinet installation just a matter of positioning and fastening to the wall. The cabinets are not attached to the toe kicks. Kelly remarked that the toe kicks could actually be removed after the cabinets are affixed to the wall. Never install toe kicks on top of carpet!

After all the other trades have gone, the finished end-panels are applied.

For the 12" cabinet built during the demonstration,

 Remember to leave a "flange" on the end cabinet, so as to facilitate scribing to an abutting wall!

Kelly "fills-in" the scribed vertical surface, working with the thin finished wood piece and applies it to the cabinet flange, bringing the abutting surface out to the door plane.

Kelly reminds us that most of the cost of cabinets in the labor component. The type of wood is relatively immaterial. Flush doors are the fastest growing trend in kitchen cabinet design.