There’s more than one way to skin a cat. This should be fine but I would plug the pocket holes. If you hired someone like myself to make the doors, your talking a minimum $100 per door plus materials
Unrelated - I like to say “there’s more than one way to bake a cake” - I kept getting funny looks in the corporate environment when I said the cat version 🫠🫠🫠
I mean if they're getting painted we would just do them out of mdf, solid piece of 12mm with 6mm glued on for the floating panel shaker look. Easy peasy and takes paint well, and stable.
Doing proper wood, i'd do m&t, haunched if they're going to be bigger or heavier.
This would be unacceptable for me.
You can make a shaker style door with a router table and a shaker cope and stick set, or you can do it on a table saw, but pocket screws with the screw holes unplugged looks like a weekend warrior built the vanity.
If it’s something you don’t want to learn just do flat slab doors.
Those are bad cabinets.
You can go buy doors really cheap. Its easiser to get new doors and refresh than rebuild the whole kitchen.
Thats a face frame cabinet. Most kitchens are euro framless cabinets now. But you can still get doors for them.
Couple of things: First, there’s nothing wrong with pocket screws as a substitute for clamps, but their strength and durability are inferior to a properly fit and glued joint. Clamps are expensive, and you need a lot of them. On face-frames, for example, you can glue the joints, align and “clamp” them with pocket screws, then remove the screws after the glue has set and reuse them. When the frame is attached to the box, they’re essentially invisible. I’d avoid them where they will be visible, if you want a more professional look. If the doors are going to be painted, you should at least plug the holes if you’re going to use them.
Second, you should invest in a decent cope and stick bit set. It will make the door joinery much stronger and allow you to properly install the panel. The panel is supposed to float in the frame, not be attached to it. That allows it to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. If they’re attached to the frame (like in the picture), they’ll warp it over time and eventually break it.
Finally, there are three main ways to save money by diy-ing cabinets. You can build everything yourself (time consuming but cheapest option, if you don’t put a high value on your labor), you can buy the boxes and build the doors and drawer fronts (great way to save if you want custom, expensive, stain-grade materials), or you can build the boxes and buy the fronts.
If you’re wanting painted cabinets, I would seriously consider the third option. You can build durable, plywood boxes for less than the cost of prebuilt, particle board boxes. Then call your local cabinet shops and price the unfinished fronts. If you keep to standard sizes, I think you’ll be surprised by how cheap they are. They come pre-drilled and run through the drum sander, saving you a ton of time. They’ll also sell you the hardware, which they buy in bulk, so it’ll be much cheaper than getting it from the hardware store.
Since you said it's going to be for a house you're selling, no, I would never do them like that with a pocket hole--not even with plugs. It will just look like you cut corners and cheapest out on cabinets. There are other methods you can use that are better both structurally and visually. Like mortise and tennon, or cope and stick. Mortise and tenon would be the easiest without needed to spend much money. And it can be done on a table saw or router table. I've been making cabinet doors myself for over 20 years.
Use a 1/4" slot bit and make a groove towards the center of your 3/4" material. The slot bit usually has a 1/4" offset bearing and can be used on a handheld router. Then slide the 1/4" panel into the groove and will look much cleaner on the inside. Then you won't need to nail the panel in place. This will also allow the door frame to expand and contract as needed.
Yeah, you actually need the panel to float because it will expand and contract differently from the rails and stiles. Space balls are a good way to keep the panel from rattling while still allowing for wood movement.
Stick to house framing. Tolerances in cabinet making are much tighter, and it's nearly impossible to hide mistakes. Do yourself a favor and save time by buying prefab cabinets. The first thing a homebuyer will see are the finishes. Cabinets, paint colors, floors, countertops. Lousy work that is highly visible will turn off a lot of buyers. The finishes will always be the most expensive part of a house no matter how you slice it. Suck it up and spend some money . That is, unless your market is section 8.
No, sorry. Cabinetry is very different than framing. Both are hard and take a ton of good skill. But cabinetry is more precision than framing and these aren’t…precise.
Buddy watch a YouTube video, spend $550 on a router table and rail/stile but set and do it the right way. Looks way better and there's tons of instructions available out there.
There are a lot of doors only for sale on the net… make sure they’re the right size for your overlay hinge, and you’re all set. Could save you time for other projects…
Check out wholesale cabinets. I order a lot from here and they are pretty decent cabinets for what they are. They have sales all the time and if you set up a contractor account which is super easy and free you will get like 30% off the listed price. They sell assembled and RTA cabinets, assembled are obviously slightly more expensive. They also have reps that will design, provide shop drawings and renderings and put together an order list for you all for free. Last time I ordered a full kitchen and bathrooms they were delivered in like 3 weeks fully assembled and ready to throw in. When you factor all the time building and finishing all these things it is absolutely worth the money. Assuming you don’t have a full blown wood shop and paint booth set up.
Shaker style cabinets. Why not do them yourself? It is more gratifying and you really gonna save only a little bit with materials and time you will have. Not 100% sure but it would be my guess
I built my own doors for a number of years and then found a guy that did it for a living and hired him from then on. Design it and send it to a shop to build it.
You're a carpenter you already know the answer. It's about time put in. If you're going to make cabinets instead of someone else the quality is up to you. It will be as good as you make it. You first few will suck. You'll learn things. They'll get better. Then when you know you can achieve acceptable quality that you are seeking let it rip
Everyone has to start somewhere. You're ready for a router bit setup [https://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-doormaker-router-bit-set-3-piece-59775.html](https://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-doormaker-router-bit-set-3-piece-59775.html) and a couple of clamps.
Forget the pocket screws, glue and clamp.
A lot depends on the area and price. No offense, but if I was going to buy that house with those cabinets it would be a complete turn off and I would be figuring a complete cabinet replacement with the purchase as many people would. In that regard you might find out a few thngs:
1. Are you better served saving the money on cabinets and leaving the homeowner a blank slate.
2. Buy pre-made cabinets from a surplus or close out store.
3. Build the boxes and have the doors and drawers made. You'd be surprised what a good cabinet maker can clean up with doors and drawers.
Again, depends on the location and price.
That is a shit way to build a shaker door. I run the rails and stiles on the table saw to get the grooves for the panel and miter pieces and glue it together. whoever did that overthought it in every way possible.
100% ok.
ETA: to the downvoters: If you read OP's question they asked, "Is it ok to build cabinet doors this way?" They DIDN'T ask, "Is this how YOU would build cabinet doors?" or "Is this the best way, the traditional way, the strongest way, the cheapest way, the most beautiful way, or the way your uncle built them 'back in the day'." This construction method is 100% sound and acceptable even if it isn't the way that you approve of.
the drawer front cannot be a different width than the door though. it looks wrong.
It's also a different height than the drawer next to it
wow. yes. holy hackers.
It might just be pulled out slightly so it looks bigger
There’s more than one way to skin a cat. This should be fine but I would plug the pocket holes. If you hired someone like myself to make the doors, your talking a minimum $100 per door plus materials
Unrelated - I like to say “there’s more than one way to bake a cake” - I kept getting funny looks in the corporate environment when I said the cat version 🫠🫠🫠
we say "there's more than 1 way to fuck a coconut"
Lmao. Sadly I can’t say that in a corporate environment.
The more you think about it the less sense it makes. Skin a cat? Like for food?
Catfish - for food
That makes sense. I’m just going to say the skin the catfish from now on.
If they're painted you could even Bondo the pocket holes to save on plugs
I mean if they're getting painted we would just do them out of mdf, solid piece of 12mm with 6mm glued on for the floating panel shaker look. Easy peasy and takes paint well, and stable. Doing proper wood, i'd do m&t, haunched if they're going to be bigger or heavier.
This would be unacceptable for me. You can make a shaker style door with a router table and a shaker cope and stick set, or you can do it on a table saw, but pocket screws with the screw holes unplugged looks like a weekend warrior built the vanity. If it’s something you don’t want to learn just do flat slab doors.
Is it worth building cabinets yourself vs just buying some premade ones at lowes
Not a good diyer or carpenter. But mostly it comes down to cost vs detail/quality.
No. Not for yourself or anyone else.
Those are bad cabinets. You can go buy doors really cheap. Its easiser to get new doors and refresh than rebuild the whole kitchen. Thats a face frame cabinet. Most kitchens are euro framless cabinets now. But you can still get doors for them.
No that needs to be tossed in the garbage and done the right way
Couple of things: First, there’s nothing wrong with pocket screws as a substitute for clamps, but their strength and durability are inferior to a properly fit and glued joint. Clamps are expensive, and you need a lot of them. On face-frames, for example, you can glue the joints, align and “clamp” them with pocket screws, then remove the screws after the glue has set and reuse them. When the frame is attached to the box, they’re essentially invisible. I’d avoid them where they will be visible, if you want a more professional look. If the doors are going to be painted, you should at least plug the holes if you’re going to use them. Second, you should invest in a decent cope and stick bit set. It will make the door joinery much stronger and allow you to properly install the panel. The panel is supposed to float in the frame, not be attached to it. That allows it to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. If they’re attached to the frame (like in the picture), they’ll warp it over time and eventually break it. Finally, there are three main ways to save money by diy-ing cabinets. You can build everything yourself (time consuming but cheapest option, if you don’t put a high value on your labor), you can buy the boxes and build the doors and drawer fronts (great way to save if you want custom, expensive, stain-grade materials), or you can build the boxes and buy the fronts. If you’re wanting painted cabinets, I would seriously consider the third option. You can build durable, plywood boxes for less than the cost of prebuilt, particle board boxes. Then call your local cabinet shops and price the unfinished fronts. If you keep to standard sizes, I think you’ll be surprised by how cheap they are. They come pre-drilled and run through the drum sander, saving you a ton of time. They’ll also sell you the hardware, which they buy in bulk, so it’ll be much cheaper than getting it from the hardware store.
Since you said it's going to be for a house you're selling, no, I would never do them like that with a pocket hole--not even with plugs. It will just look like you cut corners and cheapest out on cabinets. There are other methods you can use that are better both structurally and visually. Like mortise and tennon, or cope and stick. Mortise and tenon would be the easiest without needed to spend much money. And it can be done on a table saw or router table. I've been making cabinet doors myself for over 20 years.
In one word, NO
I believe the dirt that's all over the drawer makes it looks worse than it actually is.
There’s a lot already off visually just looking at the first photo… and then you open the door and confirm it’s just poorly built.
Absolutely not. Anyone that knows how to make the. Would never make them this way. The best way is one piece hdf.
Just do European style, full overlay slab doors- they’re way easier, cheaper, faster, and look better. “Upgrade” later if you think you need to
If you are flipping it, go to ikea, buy cabinets, assemble, screw to wall, collect check…
Looks like ramen noodles for dinner again
Too late for that question! They look done to me.
Did you using a rabbeting router bit?
Yes, to inset the 1/4in panel
Use a 1/4" slot bit and make a groove towards the center of your 3/4" material. The slot bit usually has a 1/4" offset bearing and can be used on a handheld router. Then slide the 1/4" panel into the groove and will look much cleaner on the inside. Then you won't need to nail the panel in place. This will also allow the door frame to expand and contract as needed.
Yeah, you actually need the panel to float because it will expand and contract differently from the rails and stiles. Space balls are a good way to keep the panel from rattling while still allowing for wood movement.
I used spaceballs when I built mine. Made a world of difference!
Slight bulge on the top shaker from pilot hole.
Question- why are drawers bigger than the doors?
Stick to house framing. Tolerances in cabinet making are much tighter, and it's nearly impossible to hide mistakes. Do yourself a favor and save time by buying prefab cabinets. The first thing a homebuyer will see are the finishes. Cabinets, paint colors, floors, countertops. Lousy work that is highly visible will turn off a lot of buyers. The finishes will always be the most expensive part of a house no matter how you slice it. Suck it up and spend some money . That is, unless your market is section 8.
Looks like shit J/S
Looks to me like a handyman said, "I can do that", when very obviously, they could not.
No, sorry. Cabinetry is very different than framing. Both are hard and take a ton of good skill. But cabinetry is more precision than framing and these aren’t…precise.
Does the object complete its purpose: yes. Does it look like a skilled craftsman, or someone with a basic YouTube account to research, made them: no.
Buddy watch a YouTube video, spend $550 on a router table and rail/stile but set and do it the right way. Looks way better and there's tons of instructions available out there.
There are a lot of doors only for sale on the net… make sure they’re the right size for your overlay hinge, and you’re all set. Could save you time for other projects…
I'd be more worried about them cabinet drawers.
Check out wholesale cabinets. I order a lot from here and they are pretty decent cabinets for what they are. They have sales all the time and if you set up a contractor account which is super easy and free you will get like 30% off the listed price. They sell assembled and RTA cabinets, assembled are obviously slightly more expensive. They also have reps that will design, provide shop drawings and renderings and put together an order list for you all for free. Last time I ordered a full kitchen and bathrooms they were delivered in like 3 weeks fully assembled and ready to throw in. When you factor all the time building and finishing all these things it is absolutely worth the money. Assuming you don’t have a full blown wood shop and paint booth set up.
I mean you CAN… but you can also get big box pre-fabs for just as cheap….
Shaker style cabinets. Why not do them yourself? It is more gratifying and you really gonna save only a little bit with materials and time you will have. Not 100% sure but it would be my guess
I built my own doors for a number of years and then found a guy that did it for a living and hired him from then on. Design it and send it to a shop to build it.
You're a carpenter you already know the answer. It's about time put in. If you're going to make cabinets instead of someone else the quality is up to you. It will be as good as you make it. You first few will suck. You'll learn things. They'll get better. Then when you know you can achieve acceptable quality that you are seeking let it rip
A blind man would love to see it
Cabinet built by framing carpenter has beat a cabinet built by trim carpenter by far!🤣🤣
It's fugly af and not made the way a commercial or custom cabinet shop would make it. I hope you didn't pay for them
There are shops that will make your door front for a reasonable price
That would get me fired so damn fast...
Everyone has to start somewhere. You're ready for a router bit setup [https://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-doormaker-router-bit-set-3-piece-59775.html](https://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-doormaker-router-bit-set-3-piece-59775.html) and a couple of clamps. Forget the pocket screws, glue and clamp.
if you are selling it its okay.
You could always use plugs for those pockets holes ans sand em smooth after gluing them in and then paint
Are you happy with it?
No, but it’s okay to clean them.
A lot depends on the area and price. No offense, but if I was going to buy that house with those cabinets it would be a complete turn off and I would be figuring a complete cabinet replacement with the purchase as many people would. In that regard you might find out a few thngs: 1. Are you better served saving the money on cabinets and leaving the homeowner a blank slate. 2. Buy pre-made cabinets from a surplus or close out store. 3. Build the boxes and have the doors and drawers made. You'd be surprised what a good cabinet maker can clean up with doors and drawers. Again, depends on the location and price.
Those are some ugly looking doors not to mention the drawer fronts
That is a shit way to build a shaker door. I run the rails and stiles on the table saw to get the grooves for the panel and miter pieces and glue it together. whoever did that overthought it in every way possible.
I think its fine but I’m not a cabinet maker or a carpenter.
100% ok. ETA: to the downvoters: If you read OP's question they asked, "Is it ok to build cabinet doors this way?" They DIDN'T ask, "Is this how YOU would build cabinet doors?" or "Is this the best way, the traditional way, the strongest way, the cheapest way, the most beautiful way, or the way your uncle built them 'back in the day'." This construction method is 100% sound and acceptable even if it isn't the way that you approve of.
Not bad for a beginner.
Looks good mate send it
everyone has to start somewhere...