Best Way To Build Face Frame Cabinets

Begin with the right cabinet dimensions.

Best way to build face frame cabinets.

A cabinet face frame is the wood fixed to the front of a cabinet case sometimes called a carcase which hides the edges of the case and provides the fixing point for doors and other external hardware. Pilot holes should be pre drilled. I definitely recommend face frame cabinets over frameless or euro style and the good news is face frames are pretty easy to build. Face frames cover plywood edges.

If staining your piece you want to match your face frame wood as closely as possible to your carcass lumber. I generally always build my face frames out of 1 2 poplar when painting. Properly attaching the cabinet face frame to the case is crucial to ensure your cabinets are sturdy and endure the wear and tear of repeated use. Framed cabinets are attached to each other through the width of the face frame.

Overlaps on the sides let you fine tune the cabinet width during installation. Well since the face frame is 1 4 bigger on the ends you can simply use 1 4 plywood in matching veneer or painted as we did to finish out those ends. Adjust the bit depth so the cutting edges are only slightly deeper than the face frame. This allows the screws to anchor more deeply into the attachment points of the adjacent cabinet.

Face frames on furniture look best when they re flush with the cabinet sides. Framed cabinets can accommodate a longer screw length usually 2 1 2 due to the width of the face frame and the solid wood material. To build a cabinet start by cutting panels for the bottom and sides out of mdf plywood or another type of laminate. The sample base and wall cabinets shown below have these features to make building them as simple as possible.

Attaching the frame to the case hides the holes. Pocket hole screws give the frame all the strength it needs and then some. Then cut 4 pieces of 1 by 6 lumber to the same width as the bottom panel for the front back and top brace panels. But it s still better to build the face frame a little bigger about 1 16 in and trim it off with a flush trim router bit.

The 3 4 plywood case eliminates panel jointing planing and glue ups.