|
|
Cabinet Installation Advice
Question
Forum Responses
From the original questioner: That makes perfect sense. Thank you so much for the helpful response. I will definitely give that a shot. From contributor R: I do much the same as contributor K in that I pre-screw the cabinets in the shop. I used to belt sand the edges flush with one another (I always use 1/4" solid material) and then unscrew and take to the job site. But now I put an 1/8th roundover on the cabinet sides. When I hang them, I don't worry about them being exactly together and it creates a nice detail behind the door. The doors themselves can be adjusted for any slight discrepancy in protrusion. Form the original questioner: I never thought of including a detail... That's interesting. I appreciate all of the ideas that I can get. I'm a self-taught woodworker. I've been doing it for about four years, but only about a year and a half as a business. Does anyone use cabinet jacks during installation? I saw them used one time and cannot find them anywhere. From contributor K: We got some jacks from Pepboys that are for extending from one side of a truck bed to the other to keep stuff from sliding. The packaging also shows cabinetry as something else to use it for. They are awesome. You crank them up so getting the height you need is a snap. They also have an easy release. I weigh a little over 200 lbs and I put all of my weight on one pole. Not a problem. They also cost less than 30 bucks each. From contributor O: Hiring out the installs is not a bad idea for a 1 man shop. Are you a cabinetmaker or a cabinet installer? I always figured that if I was on the job putting in cabinets, then nothing was getting built. I make a lot more money building cabinets than I do putting them in. Gil-lift is the cabinet jack that works the best. Marcon also makes one that is similar for a better price. You can screw a whole run of uppers together on the floor, then just crank the handle to lift them up on the wall. My installer has been using one for a couple of years now. It saves his back and a lot of time.
From contributor D: I would never let someone else install my cabinets. If they are installed incorrectly, then it makes my work look bad! From contributor O: Sometimes we get caught up in this "if I don't do it myself it won't get done right" mentality. There are plenty of competent trim carpenters and master carpenters out there who can do a great job installing your cabinets. You should look at it as an opportunity to add some value to your product. In other words, if you can find a great installer, you should make money on the install as well. Again, are you a cabinet installer or a cabinet maker? You can be both, but when you are installing, you are not building cabinets. Building cabinets is where the profits are. Would you like to add information to this article? Interested in writing or submitting an article? Have a question about this article? Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below? 
|
