CNC Versus Traditional Machinery for a Start-Up Shop Here's a long, detailed, and thoughtful discussion about the ideal equipment investment for starting a cabinet shop, focusing on whether to jump into CNC right from the get-go. October 18, 2011
Advice about Starting a Cabinet Business Cabinetmakers deliver several truckloads of advice to a young person with some start-up cash and a lot of enthusiasm. October 25, 2006
Line Boring and Dowel Assembly Tips Here's a long discussion about choosing a line boring machine and about best techniques for doweling and cabinet assembly. April 12, 2011
Square Edges and Edgebanding Woodweb's Cabinetmaking forum straightens out a shop owner who has been edgebanding after putting cabinets together. Along the way there's a detailed discussion of how to produce square edge cuts, even with basic equipment. March 3, 2009
Sawdust as fuel Building a sawdust-fired boiler to heat kiln and shop. November 18, 2002
Cabinet Businesses Overseas Here's an in-depth discussion of what it's like to move your U.S. cabinet business to a developing country (where, yes, there are opportunities). August 29, 2011
Coping With Burnout Cabinetmakers discuss how to keep interest alive and productivity up while juggling multiple roles in a one-man cabinet business. March 12, 2009
Choosing a Verical Panel Saw or Slider A question about choosing a panel saw slips into familiar territory: would a slider be better? That all depends, of course; cabinetmakers here share experiences they've had with both. November 23, 2012
Cabinet Software and Photo-Realistic Rendering This thread on a timeworn topic (choosing cabinet design software) has an extra feature: some examples of super-realistic rendering. January 13, 2009
Quirk Bead Cutters An extended discussion on cutterheads for making quirk bead, plus equipment choices and setups for this custom decorative detail. March 3, 2009
Equipment and Curriculum for a Woodworking School Woodworkers discuss the shop equipment, software, and focus appropriate for a serious secondary school program intended to train professional woodworkers. July 27, 2008
Drum Sander or Wide Belt Sander? Another discussion comparing and contrasting widebelt sanders and drum sanders (widebelts win).October 3, 2011
Organizing Tight Shop Space A start-up cabinetmaker is working in cramped conditions. Other chime in with space-economizing ideas for workflow and storage. August 29, 2005
Getting Mahogany Flat Very hard woods with alternating grain patterns sometimes develop waviness when sanded with wide-belt equipment. Here's an extensive discussion of the characteristics of Mahogany, and of ways to approach it using both hand tools and power equipment. November 12, 2005
Stabilizing Details for a Mahogany Island Top Concerned about wood movement, pros consider options including threaded rod reinforcement, sliding dovetails, or thin-sawing the wood. December 10, 2008
Shop-Built Custom Shapers Advice on motor and pulley sizing for a dedicated-purpose shop-built shaper, plus a discussion of the alternatives to making a special-purpose tool. March 3, 2009
Who cuts sink holes? Is this the responsibility of the cabinetmaker or installer? December 17, 2003
Going from handcrafted to CNC Discussion of P2Ps, dedicated boring, edgebanders and other equipment, software and processes. August 29, 2001
Drum Sander Options for a Small Shop This thread wanders a little, but it sheds some light on the sander choices available for the owner of a one-man shop with space and budget limits. March 12, 2015
Shopping for a Used Edgebander This discussion of comparison shopping for an edgebander has some detailed info from a maintenance and repair technician. May 30, 2011
Sealing Plywood to Slow Down Formaldehyde Emissions Here's an extended discussion of whether, and how, to seal plywood in order to reduce the emissions of formaldehyde (or whether to purchase a different type of plywood instead). December 27, 2010
Edgebander or Small CNC? A part-time garage-shop cabinetmaker gets advice on whether his next investment should be a CNC or an edgebander. Good thoughts on both sides in this long thread. October 11, 2007
A Curved Mahogany Bar Top This discussion of a curved bar top job gets into wood choices, joinery, templating, fabricating, and more. February 13, 2009
A Sliding Table Saw in a Small Work Space Here's another long discussion of the value of sliding table saws, and the practical aspects of fitting one into a small shop footprint. July 29, 2012
Saws Basic descriptions of sliding table saws, miter saws, re-saws, and related saw equipment used in wood shops. November 13, 2008
Relationships with Edgebanders No two ways about it, edgebanders are temperamental. Here's an extended discussion on getting through the working day with your useful but finicky mechanical partner. December 7, 2007
New Shop Layout Efficient shop flow for increased profit. February 28, 2004
Unpainted MDF Filler Strips Near a Dishwasher Is it safe to have a cut MDF edge located close to a dishwasher? Cabinetmakers talk about materials, water resistance, and the meaning of "quality." July 9, 2007
Doing the Front-End Math Jon Elvrum provides a process for making the transition to the 32mm system.
Should I Joint and Plane My Own Face-Frame Stock? It's work to get nice flush joints and consistent dimensions on cabinet face frames. Here's a discussion about whether to surface your own stock or buy pre-planed lumber. January 28, 2009
Figuring Out Woodshop Power Requirements Amps, volts, watts, horsepower, and all that jazz: here's an instructive thread on how to figure out if a building's power supply will support your plans for shop equipment. July 9, 2007
Compressed-Air Piping for a Woodshop Copper is considered the safe choice, but here is a discussion of some alternatives, and tips on a workable setup. April 21, 2007
Drawers and the Utilization of Space Why slide-integrated drawer systems are less costly to produce and provide greater space efficiency than traditional drawer construction. 1998.
Drawer Building Options Materials choices, fastening methods and systems for drawer assembly. September 23, 2006
Why Does Plywood Warp? An extended technical and practical discussion of dimensional instability in plywood panels. January 20, 2010
Stretchers Versus Full Tops Stretchers at the top of cabinet carcases sometimes cause drawers to get stuck. Is it wiser to just build a full top onto the cabinet?July 5, 2011
The Most Important Skills to Learn An apprentice woodworker asks what he should concentrate on for a career in the trade, and gets a full helping of good advice. October 2, 2005
Is There Any Future in Woodworking? A young shop owner starts an informal survey of whether it's a field that's worth spending your life in. October 13, 2010
Tuning Up an Older Edgebander A cabinetmaker gets help with an adhesion problem with an old-model Adwood edgebander. September 27, 2009
Achieving functional kitchen design When it comes to the kitchens you build, should you design them yourself or hire an expert? December 6, 2000
Kitchen Advice for a Young Beginner A youngster gets some advice and encouragement about getting into the kitchen cabinet business. April 20, 2008
Setting Up a 32mm Stop System Tips on the "Sticks" 32mm stop system from Metricks, and general advice on getting started with 32mm Euro cabinetry methods. August 31, 2009
Drawer Slide Choices for Pull-Out Shelving Thoughts on whether to use high-end drawer slides to mount pull-out shelves, and on what the installation process would entail. February 26, 2007
Cost of Shop Power Understanding (and minimizing) your shop's utility bill. July 5, 2006
Selling a Cabinet Shop as a Business Does a successful cabinetmaking business have a market value above and beyond the value of machinery in the used market? Only in special cases. October 18, 2011
Sliding Table Saw and Panel Saw Choices Cabinetmakers kick around the uses of sliders and panel saws, what makes a good one, and which to purchase if you can't have both. November 22, 2005
Re-Flattening a Warped Countertop A beautiful wood countertop warped after it was finished on one side only, then stored for years. This discussion is about making it flat again by kerfing the underside and clamping the piece. September 16, 2008
The Ultimate Primer on Single Head Wide Belt Sanding With understanding of how successive grits function, you can improve the efficiency of your belt sanding and orbital sanding process while optimizing the quality of the results. November 12, 2014
Line-Foot Estimating Advice on efficiently coming up with ballpark numbers for a cabinet job proposal. August 8, 2008
Edgebander Glue in Small Lots (and Related Issues) This thread starts with simple Q&A about getting particular glue colors in small-job quantities, but goes on to explore many aspects of edgebander setup and maintenance.February 17, 2012
Expanding Table Saw Capacity Woodworkers discuss choosing a second table saw, building on an outfeed table, using a "shoot board," and other ways to expand panel ripping and crosscutting capacity. August 3, 2009
Straight-Line Rip-Saw for a Small Shop? Should a two-man cabinet shop acquire a straight-line rip-saw? The discussion balances cost against quality and productivity issues. March 13, 2014
Clamping Lock Miters A discussion of the fine points of aligning, clamping, and gluing miter joints, with some commentary on whether lock miters are even worth the trouble. June 3, 2013
Cloth Versus Paper Sanding Belts Cloth belts are washable and last longer, but may mark the wood more than paper belts. Here's a detailed look at all the pros and cons. January 12, 2015
FOB defined Origins and meanings of the term "freight on board." (Sawing and Drying Forum) March 23, 2003
Shop Heat Solutions Ideas and suggestions for heating a woodworking shop. March 26, 2008
Specialty Sawing Vocabulary A newcomer asks for definitions of terms like "resawing," "ripsaw," and "chopsaw." December 30, 2005
Shopping for a Widebelt Sander: One Head or Two? Expert advice on good characteristics for a belt sander, with advice on effective sanding and some first-hand reports on a few models. April 19, 2015
Choosing and Using a Pocket Hole Jig Thoughts about what entry-level pocket-hole system to choose, and how to get the best use out of it. March 26, 2008
Compressor Noise Thoughts on choosing a quieter air compressor, or muffling a noisy one. April 18, 2006
Whether to Mill Your Own Cabinet Mouldings Is it practical for a cabinetmaker to mill his own mouldings? Shop owners say that depending on your situation, investing in a moulder might be worth it. July 29, 2007
Straight Line Ripping on Two Edges Cabinetmakers discuss the difficulty, cost, benefits, and drawbacks of buying lumber that has been straight line ripped on two edges — or buying the equipment and doing it yourself. October 13, 2012
Whether to Rip Your Own Stock Cabinet shops consider the pros and cons of setting up to gang-rip and surface stock, instead of ordering it that way from a supplier. February 12, 2009
Finished Versus Unfinished Cabinet Installations In some areas, cabinets are often delivered unfinished and sprayed on site, but in other markets that's practically unheard-of. Here, cabinetmakers discuss the pros and cons of both approaches. May 23, 2007
Face Frames First? Most small cabinet shops build face frames first, boxes second. Here, woodworkers explain their preferences. July 5, 2006
Feets Don't Fail Me Now All day on on your feet on a concrete shop floor is an rX for full-body pain. In this thread from the Cabinetmaking forum, old hands with old feet tell where they stand on personal footwear. October 1, 2005
Touching Up the Burnt Ends of a Routed Flute Here's advice on cleaning up the rounded end of a flute if the router leaves burn marks — and on scraper sharpening, and on how to avoid those burn marks to begin with. February 11, 2010
Drawer Construction Choosing an efficient method over farming out the work. June 4, 2004
Miter Joinery in a Wood Countertop In principle, a miter joint in wood is problematic because of moisture-related expansion and contraction. But some installers say that if the whole countertop is left free to move, the joint will be okay. January 25, 2013
Compressor Choices for Pneumatic Sanders It takes a lot of air to power air sanders, but many shop owners consider the upgrade worthwhile. Here's extensive advice on compressor choice, with additional tips on setup and operation. September 8, 2007
Forced-Air Shop Heat Versus Radiant Heating A few thoughts on the effect different heating system types have on comfort for people, and conditions for wood or machinery. April 10, 2008
Whether to Rebuild an Edgebander Here's a savvy discussion of the pros and cons of replacing a few important parts on an edgebander to keep it running for more years. June 15, 2014
Equipment Choices A closet contractor shopping for an edgebander, boring machine, and panel saw considers his machinery options, new versus used equipment, and whether to lease or buy. November 11, 2005
Shopping for a Panel Saw Advice on how to get your money's worth for a panel saw, and thoughts on choosing a slider or a track-guided circular saw instead. May 28, 2010
Joinery for Cabinet Drawer Boxes What's the best joint for a drawer box, asks a shop owner who wants to supply drawers for the trade? Cabinetmakers share their thoughts on drawer joinery and on supplying the outsourcing market. November 22, 2005
Are Tracksaws Under-Powered? A tracksaw is handy when you need one, but it's no straight-line rip saw. February 27, 2015
Frameless Cabinets: Sticking to the System How important is the 32mm module to frameless cabinetry? And is there a place for solid wood components in frameless?March 27, 2012
Sliding Table Attachment Woodworkers report varying degrees of satisfaction with sliding table attachments for their tablesaws. One big factor may be how carefully you first set the equipment up. December 14, 2005
Eliminating Melamine Chip-Out Suggestions for blade choice and equipment tweaks that will help reduce chip-out when cutting melamine on the table saw. May 6, 2010
A Tale of Two Grit Sequences Sophisticated practical advice on the wise sequence of grit choices for a belt sander to optimize sanding effectiveness while removing final scratches and preventing burnishing defects. November 12, 2014
Table Saw Blade Alignment Advice on keeping a table saw blade parallel to the fence, and some general observations on accuracy and tolerances. October 25, 2006
Small-Volume Edgebanding Setups What's an economical but productive setup for edgebanding just the occasional shelf? February 8, 2008
Cabinetry for Farmhouse Sinks Construction details for farmhouse sink cabinets have to include structural support for the heavy, bulky sink. September 15, 2011
Choosing a Phase Converter Here's advice on choosing a phase converter to bump up two-phase power to supply three-phase motors, with some explanation of how those gizmos actually work. January 31, 2012
Trouble with Pre-Glued Dowels A cabinet failure with pre-glued dowels gets cabinetmakers talking about the method's pros and cons. May 10, 2005
Dovetail Drawer Boxes: Make or Buy? This thread about whether to make your own drawers includes some details about materials, joinery, equipment, and assembly methods. October 15, 2012
Replacing Insert Cutters on a Holz-Her Edgebander The Woodweb community steps up with detailed instructions and drawings for an edgebander owner who has gotten himself in too deep with a maintenance issue.July 5, 2011
Comparing Line Boring Machinery Cabinetmakers discuss how to shop for a solid, reliable line boring machine and how to get the best use out of it. January 2, 2012
Drawer Bottom Construction Material Home-center cabs may use 1/8" plywood for drawer bottoms, but pros in this thread explain why they prefer 1/4" or 1/2" material. December 27, 2006
Advances in Edgebander Technology Woodworkers describe good results from applying the adjustability and programmable features of the newest generation of edgebanders. January 23, 2014
Cabinet Side-to-Bottom Joint Design A discussion of whether to let cabinet sides run past the bottom and top shelves, or sit above and below them. October 14, 2009
Moving and Unloading Machinery Practical advice for getting a large, heavy, and expensive piece of industrial equipment off the truck and into place in the shop. October 12, 2007
Shopping for a Slider Comparing and contrasting two makes of sliding table saw, with comments about the fine points of user-friendliness. February 2, 2011
Face frame clamping options Woodworkers discuss their clamping systems and share pictures of what works for them. July 24, 2001
Inset Drawer Stops With inset face frame cabinets, making drawers stop just flush with the frame is tricky. Here are tips on hardware solutions and a "hillbilly rig." December 26, 2006
Attaching Cabinet Backs for Strength Will a quarter-inch cabinet back, stapled to the carcass, keep the rest of the cabinet attached to the wall? Cabinetmakers discuss. March 25, 2007
Troubleshooting a Cracked Beechwood Countertop A good case example of the inevitable cracking that occurs when wood moisture-related movement is not allowed for — this time, in a counter of solid wood glued to plywood. February 11, 2010
WOODPRO - Species Selection Made Easy A free complete working computer program (that can be downloaded at WOODWEB), allowing woodworkers to select the most suitable wood species for any particular application - 1997
Good Size for a Start-Up Shop Shop owners tell how much space they have — and whether it's enough or not. January 10, 2008
Finishing Wood Edges of Laminate Tops Suppose you want to edge-band laminate tops before finishing the edgebanding? Here are some creative ideas for protecting the laminate top from overspray while finishing just the edge. May 22, 2007
Speeding Up Repetitive Pin Insertion Ideas for making the placement of 600,000 grommets go a little bit faster (so it will end sooner). March 3, 2009
Tablesaw Lubricating Advice Tips on lubricating a sticky mechanism for raising and lowering the blade on a cabinet shop table saw. April 18, 2010
Controlling Woodshop Dust Cabinetmakers discuss vacuum tool attachments, filters, fans, and whole-shop dust collection systems. February 9, 2006
Quarter-Inch Plywood for Cabinet Backs Cabinetmakers discuss whether it's wise to economize by using quarter-inch plywood and a stiffening strip for cabinet backs, rather than half-inch or three-quarter-inch material. July 5, 2006
Sliding Table Saws — New Versus Used When the budget is tight, a used high-end slider can be a better value than a brand new low-end machine.November 15, 2011
Heating the Shop in a Cold Climate A discussion of the choices for heating a large, poorly insulated shop, including radiant gas burners, wood-fired boilers, and more. March 22, 2013
Using Prefinished Plywood Cabinetmakers discuss why they use material that's finished on both sides, even where only one side will show. March 26, 2008
Sizing a Phase Converter for the Load Advice on matching the capacity of a rotary phase converter to the demands of the equipment it serves. May 28, 2010
What Thickness of Material for Cabinet Backs? Cabinetmakers discuss whether they use 3/4-inch, 1/2-inch, or 1/4-inch plywood for cabinet backs, and the reasoning behind their preferences. July 11, 2013
Inside Corner Drawers Pricing and practical considerations for drawers that fit the inside corner of a corner cabinet. February 11, 2010
Free Span Limits of Cabinet Shelving For wide cabinets with double doors and no center stile, how far is too far for the shelves to span? Here are suggestions for stiffening wide span shelving. March 27, 2012
Milling Face-Frame Stock Fastidious cabinetmakers find that S4S stock comes with too many imperfections. Here, pros discuss their methods for machining lumber that's straight, square, flat, and true. January 10, 2006
Fine-Tuning an Edgebander Detailed advice on tweaking the edgebander so that edges don't require hand-trimming or sanding. November 30, 2009
Troubleshooting a New Slider After getting a variety of advice on finding the source of trouble, a woodworker finds out his new sliding table saw had a bad motor from the factory. September 3, 2014
Shopping for a Used Slider Cabinetmakers discuss the desireable and undesirable attributes to consider in purchasing a previously owned sliding table saw on a budget. November 15, 2011
Making Acrylic Cabinetry Solid sheet acrylic and acrylic veneer are opening a new niche in cabinetmaking. Here is some background information and an extensive set of photo examples of finished work. November 29, 2014
Do Edgebanders Provide Perfect Output? Few, if any edgebanders will consistently produce panels that can pass your thumb's feel test — and none will without continual tending by a good operator. December 27, 2006
"High End" Ready-to-Assemble Fasteners Furnituremakers take a look at Lamello's new line of knockdown assembly connectors for cabinetry and furnishings. March 28, 2012
Choosing a Moisture Meter A well-informed discussion comparing the cost and characteristics of various pin and pinless moisture meters. October 11, 2012
Tenoners Basic descriptions of various types of tenoning machinery and their capabilities. November 13, 2008
Drawer Front Adjustment Issues Drawers with a sub-front and applied face offer the chance to adjust fit on site or during assembly. But what about four-piece drawer boxes with no sub-front? April 29, 2011
Shop Layout Tips and Techniques Paper models make visualizing your shop floor easier, and good planning can really boost your workflow. May 10, 2005
Sliding Table Saw: Manual or Digital? Cabinetmakers consider how to assess the productivity benefits of a digital or computer-controlled slider. November 15, 2010
Determining Square for Machine Setup and Q.C. Here's advice on shopping for reliable squares, checking for square on machines or cut parts, and setting up machinery to be true and square. April 6, 2011
Spot Checking for Drill Hole Placement For high-volume production work, a simple gauge is the best way to check for consistent drilled hole location accuracy. July 13, 2010
Chipout Problems when Cutting Melamine Badly sharpened blades, an out-of-tune beam saw, or maybe just too many sheets at once might be causing excess chipout on melamine cuts. July 6, 2006
More boxes, less time Making the process more efficient, including discussion on toekicks and finishing. May 2, 2001
Drawer construction High-quality, cost-effective methods of drawer construction, and tips on joinery. March 28, 2001
Router Overheating Woodworkers discuss how hot router bits and collets should be expected to get during normal operation, and what might cause them to overheat. September 7, 2006
Indexing Blumotion Drawer Slides Fine points of the alignment of a Blum drawer slide: Why are the screw holes not parallel with the drawer bottom? July 29, 2011
Sliding Table Saw Tips and Tricks Sliding tables saws ease the work, but there's a knack to using them. In this thread experienced hands help a new slider owner learn a few dance steps. July 22, 2005
Install Floors Before Cabinets, or After? Cabinetmakers and installers discuss the sequence of the job. Which should you install first, the flooring or the cabinets? June 16, 2014
Shapers: Single-Phase Versus Three-Phase A discussion of what makes a three-phase shaper different from one with a single-phase motor, and whether the difference matters. January 23, 2012
Applied Versus Captured Drawer Bottoms Cabinetmakers discuss the strength, appearance, speed of construction, and perceived value of different drawer-bottom attachment methods. May 12, 2008
Squaring up a Vertical Panel Saw Here's advice on tweaking a second-hand vertical panel saw into square (with the proviso that a trained tech will do it faster and better).February 16, 2014
Routers Basic descriptions of various types of routers commonly found in wood shops, including CNC router equipment. November 13, 2008
Static charge on wood Troubleshooting and resolving static problems on freshly planed boards. October 9, 2002
Inverter Cooling and Ventilation Inverter power supply electronics generates heat, and the units should be adequately cooled and ventilated for good performance and long life.October 26, 2011
Track Saws for Breaking Down Panels A tracked circular saw is no substitute for a panel saw or sliding table saw, but it's a productive tool that's worth the investment. October 13, 2010
Dado processing Methods and equipment for producing dados. October 30, 2003
Construction Hole Boring Accuracy Tips Here's advice on how to get consistent, high-accuracy performance from a construction boring machine. October 3, 2011
Assembly table A cabinetmaker shares a photo and description of his shop's assembly table. October 30, 2002
Humorous Tool Definitions Do not read this while drinking, or your beverage may go up your nose and on your keyboard. December 28, 2006
Torsion Box Details A conversation about ideas for a torsion-box flat work surface for the shop. August 31, 2010
Cabinet Back Plywood Thickness Yet another discussion about whether to use half-inch or quarter-inch plywood for cabinet backs, and why. June 15, 2014
Tips on Working with Walnut A little advice for a cabinetmaker about to build a countertop using Walnut. October 11, 2012
Dowel Construction Advice A cabinetmaker who has just invested in a horizontal boring machine gets help making the transition to dowel construction. August 22, 2013
Making Cool Stuff with Metal Components This thread started out with a question about finding T-nuts for rigging up an adjustable cabinet pull-out shelf slide. But it goes on to consider all sorts of things you can rig up in the shop using off-the-shelf metal parts. February 13, 2009
Rotary Screw Compressors for Intermittent Use? Rotary screw compressors are best for high volume continuous operation. What about situations with more stopping and starting?October 13, 2012
Necessary Equipment for a Start-Up Cabinet Shop Most respondents did not take the original poster seriously in this thread. But a few cabinetmakers did provide a list of basic equipment for a start-up shop.June 16, 2014
Slider, Panel Saw, or Festool? "All three" is the easy answer; but here are some thoughts for the cabinetmaker who is forced to choose. April 29, 2012
Cutting Clean Grooves A discussion of ways to dado drawer parts to accept bottom panels, without chipping and other defects. April 15, 2009
Compressor CFM and Pressure An explanation of how airflow speed and pressure relate, and how this affects compressor sizing and distribution pipe system design. June 15, 2014
Start-Up Cabinet Shop Equipment Needs What machinery does a start-up cabinetmaking business need? Small shop owners describe their setups. December 28, 2005
Millwork Touch-up and Repair A visitor seeks advice on how to get training in the fine art of fixing faults. February 26, 2005
Case Clamp Workflow Setup Tips on labor-saving arrangements for integrating a case clamp into your production setup. April 12, 2011
Drum Sander Ripple Marks Ripple or chatter marks on boards run through a drum sander may not be a maintenance issue, but just the nature of the equipment. April 30, 2009
Fine Points of Torsion Boxes A torsion box is a clever way to create a strong, lightweight, flat surface for shelves or worktables. Here's some info on materials and assembly. September 23, 2006
Saving Caulking and Putty After Opening Woodworkers share their secrets for keeping half-used tubes of caulk or cans of putty from drying out before they're used up. October 20, 2013
Wood Edge Detail for a Laminate Countertop Laminate trimming, edge attachment, and rounding-over technique for a wood edge on a laminate counter or table top. January 24, 2006
Disposing of Cabinetmaking Waste Once your volume gets high, disposing of waste (and reducing it) becomes a priority. Here's a discussion. August 19, 2013
Switching to metric A discussion of the 32mm system and its attendant need to convert to metric measure. February 13, 2001
Using Up Waste Off-Cuts with Cutlist The Cutlist optimizing software lets you organize the process of saving and using and scrap drops. Here's how one cabinetmaker takes advantage of that capability. June 3, 2013
Drawers, from scratch to systems Materials and methods forum participants are employing in their quest for the perfect drawer. February 14, 2001
Drawer Slides and Stock Thickness Can drawer slides standardized for use with half-inch material work if you build your drawers from 3/4-inch stock?June 16, 2014
Where to Mount Drawer Slides Cabinetmakers discuss whether to position drawer slides so that the slide itself halts the drawer travel, or to install bumpers instead. August 14, 2007
Cutoff Switch for Microwave Power Receptacle A cabinetmaker wants suggestions for a safety switch for an unconventional microwave cabinet, but instead he receives warnings about the wisdom of the whole idea. June 16, 2014
Construction Boring Patterns Is there a way to set up a construction borer so it can drill dowel holes for both upper and lower cabs, without a lot of changing of bits? April 18, 2011
Line Boring Equipment on a Budget Is there anything short of a line-boring machine that will serve the purpose as an intermediate upgrade?May 15, 2012
Decorative Epoxy Inlay Tips Advice on choosing a pourable or flowable material for decorative inlay work. March 13, 2014
Undermount Slide Installation Jigs Ways to speed up and standardize the layout and attachment of undermount drawer slides. February 11, 2010
Troubleshooting Magnetic Switches on Equipment A cabinetmaker complains that a piece of equipment keeps shutting down for no reason. "Off" switches can be finicky, explain those who have had similar problems. March 1, 2006
Edgebander Guillotine Retraction Issues A detailed troubleshooting report about solving problems with the guillotine device on a Holz-Her edgebander, with good info on sources for parts and support. June 22, 2012
Cabinetmaking Forum -- 32mm: Imperial Versus Metric Frameless cab systems use metric measurement. Your crew will make the transition with ease, but you'll still need to talk feet and inches to most customers. August 29, 2006
Edge Lipping Planer Choices Here's a closer look at the high-quality tools available for flush trimming shelf edges and similar components. March 22, 2013
Widebelts, Drum Sanders, and the Budget Widebelts are generally preferred among cabinetmakers, but there are votes (with reasons) for double drum sanders and stroke sanders. January 12, 2012
Whether to Reverse Planer Blades Short answer: Don't do it. Long answer: Take a look at spiral cutterheads or a widebelt sander. July 10, 2009
Considering Bifocals As we age, some of us need bifocals for good close-up and distance vision. In this thread, cabinetmakers who've switched to bifocals discuss the fine points of different types. September 21, 2005
Orbital Sander Tips Cabinetmakers give advice on avoiding swirl marks. July 22, 2005
Whether to Keep the Slider Does a sliding table saw earn its keep when there's also a CNC in the shop?February 1, 2011
Cleaning Glue Off Melamine After Edge-Banding "Hot" solvents can dull melamine or leave a combined glue-and-thinner residue behind. Here are some suggested solutions. February 26, 2007
Vomit-Like Odor of Bacterially Infected Wood When cabinets or wood smell like vomit, a likely culprit is bacterial infections in the trees the wood was made from. Unfortunately, there is no known fix. April 20, 2008
Getting Started with a 32mm System Advice on learning about True 32, KISS 2, and Blum methods for standardizing Euro frameless cabinet construction around a 32mm module.October 20, 2013
Cyanoacrylate adhesive How does this glue work for gap filling? (From WOODWEB's Finishing Forum) March 23, 2003
Corner Cabinet Joinery Here are several suggestions for ways to build 22.5-degree corners for a face frame for an inside corner cabinet.. March 27, 2012
Using Beech to Build Cabinets It's a beautiful wood, but is American Beech too unstable for cabinets? Not necessarily, say those who've tried it. August 21, 2006
Stepping Up Shop Voltage More powerful machinery may need higher-voltage power. There's more than one way to obtain that. August 22, 2007
Lift Truck for a Small Shop Contractors discuss ways to get heavy materials up to and down from an upper-floor loft in the shop. July 11, 2013
Solid Wood Countertops Advice on allowing for movement with solid wood countertops. October 13, 2010
Trimming Edgebanding on a Curved Edge Good suggestions for clean, efficient trimming of edgebanding applied to a flat surface with a curved perimeter. June 21, 2012
Characteristics of Lyptus Wood Cabinetmakers discuss the properties of this lesser-known but increasingly popular wood species. February 28, 2006
Getting Tight Joints with a Corner Stapler Corner staplers make fast work of frame assembly. For joints that are tight on the front face, elevate the pieces on blocks and clamp carefully. April 20, 2008
Twin Tablesaw Setups Two cabinetmakers describe (with pictures) how they set up left-tilt and right-tilt Delta Unisaws shoulder to shoulder in the shop, for versatile cutting ability in a tight footprint. July 12, 2012
Efficient Face-Frame Shop Process Thoughts on making face-frame beaded inset-door cabinets efficiently, relying mainly on a CNC router. October 27, 2008
Edgebanders General description of edgebanding equipment. November 11, 2008
Assessing a Used Edgebander Advice on checking a previously owned edgebander for typical wear and tear issues, and some complaints about the inconsistent thickness of edgebanding these days. August 19, 2013
Squaring a Sliding Table Saw Advice on how to adjust the fence on a slider to restore its ability to make accurate, precise cuts. January 13, 2015
Tapered Stop Flutes The search for a simple, efficient method. December 26, 2004
Shop-Built Sliding Table Saw Jig A cabinetmaker displays his low-cost self-built alternative to a sliding table saw. February 2, 2011
Limitations of a Hot-Air Edgebander Thick edgebanding does not tend to work well with a hot-air edgebander because of the limited glue quantities on the pre-glued banding. July 11, 2007
Index Pin Accuracy on Line Boring Machines Index pin setups let you extend the line of holes you bore, but there is debate about how accurate they allow you to be. October 2, 2007
Tumble Sanding for Toy Parts Advice on how to cobble together a tumbling drum arrangement to sand small wooden items. March 12, 2015
Glue-Pot Issues, Maintenance, and Edgebander Performance In this case, slow heating and glue burning were caused by blown heating elements. But there are other things to be aware of that can help or harm an edgebander glue pot's performance and longevity. June 17, 2012
Over-Arm Router Tips General advice on ways to use an over-arm router. November 21, 2006
Should I Make My Own Crown Moulding? Is it worth investing in a moulder for the convenience of making your own crown moulding sometimes? April 20, 2008
Rolling Carts for the Shop Descriptions and photos of shop-built carts on wheels or casters, used for moving cabinets or materials around the shop. October 28, 2014
Truing-up rough wood Planers will not remove the bow from rough stock; jointing is required before boards can be properly thicknessed. February 13, 2001
Tooling up for Euro-style cabinets When considering a switch to the 32mm system, there are two choices: Get your feet wet, or dive right in. 1998.
Which software? Ideas on reasonably priced, comprehensive computer applications for cabinetmakers. February 13, 2001
Effective Shop Lighting Let's get some light in here so we can see what we're doing. February 8, 2008
Working with Jatoba ("Brazilian Cherry") This tropical hardwood is dense, heavy, and beautiful, but prone to movement and hard on tools. Yellow pieces will probably change to match the rest. May 11, 2011
Remote Control Through Closed Doors There are several solutions to the problem of controlling equipment in an entertainment center when the doors are shut. December 27, 2006
Remotely Located Air Compressors Cabinetmakers and finishers discuss how to locate their compressors in an outbuilding or basement. February 9, 2006
Straight Edge Options Jointer bed too short to handle that long piece? Here's a grab bag of jigs, rigs, and tricks for making long straight edges. July 21, 2005
Hinge-Boring Bit Choices Cabinetmakers discuss how to set up for boring Euro hinge holes in hard materials. August 31, 2010
Choosing a Power Feeder Advice on matching power-feeder horsepower to the intended use. July 27, 2008
Alternatives to Cumaru for Cabinet Work A client want cabinets made with Cumaru, a Brazilian hardwood. But the cabinetmaker is looking for a more practical species to substitute. Here are a few ideas. December 31, 2012
Knotty Alder Bar Is the softness of Knotty Alder a problem in a bar situation where the wood could encounter some abuse? July 28, 2012
Defining Quarter-Sawn and Rift-Sawn There are both formal and informal definitions for "quarter-sawn" lumber. Here, cabinetmakers and the Wood Doctor discuss the fine points. July 5, 2006
Dovetails for Front Only? How about if we dovetail just the front joints of a drawer box, and just staple the back? Cabinetmakers kick the suggestion around. July 9, 2007
Re-Configuring Existing Cabinets Five out of five doctors agree: tearing out and reassembling existing cabinets is just not worth it. September 23, 2006
Single Phase Wide-Belt Sanders Single-phase wide-belts top out at about 10 horsepower. Most woodworkers seem to prefer the beefier models that run on 3-phase power. September 7, 2006
Stripes in Fir Plywood A cabinetmaker's finisher notices a strange defect in some Fir plywood, probably caused by grain compression that happened at the plywood mill. October 13, 2012
Tuning Up a Low End Widebelt Advice on a few tweaks to get the best performance out of an inexpensive light-duty widebelt sander. April 12, 2013
Vacuum Panel Lifter Here's some basic info on vacuum panel lifters — how they work, setup, and use. April 21, 2011
What's the Best Pencil for Woodworkers A few jocular comments notwithstanding, this is a serious question for the professional woodworker. December 28, 2014
Sanding Disk Preferences Woodworkers discuss abrasive and backing characteristics that make various brands of sanding disk useful in particular applications. March 12, 2015
Line Boring Bit Recommendation Debating the advantages of brad-point and V-point bits for production boring. January 12, 2012
Cubby Construction Methods Advice on joinery methods and veneer application for storage cube shelving. July 15, 2014
Troubleshooting Burnt Glue in the Edgebander Glue selection, heating element performance, and temperature settings all come up for discussion when an edgebander seems to have a burnt glue problem. December 27, 2010
Troubleshooting Melamine Chip-Out Around Bore Holes Drill bit type and drilling speed control can reduce chipout on two-sided melamine panels, and there are also touch-up solutions for minor chipping problems. February 26, 2007
Entry Level Line Boring Equipment Cabinetmakers explain the advantages of buying a used piece of serious machinery, rather than buy a less-capable machine new. January 13, 2009
CNC Bits for Cutting HPL Laminate High Pressure Laminate is rough on tooling. Here's advice for choosing a bit that might last a little longer. November 27, 2012
Drawer Slide Adjustment Some drawer slides are designed to leave the drawer just a hair proud of the face when closed. November 10, 2006
Specialty Scribing Tools Cabinetmakers and installers consider the value of specialized jigs for scribing cabinets to fit tight spaces.September 25, 2014
Casters for an Island Cabinet Here's a look at how to equip an island with casters, while providing for it to be held fixed when necessary. August 12, 2014
Keeping Plywood Flat Pros discuss causes, cures, and prevention of warping in plywood. July 9, 2005
Troubleshooting Sandpaper Scratch Marks Sandpaper choices and sander settings both play a role in swirl marks created by small wood slivers that stick to the sandpaper. May 27, 2014
Sensor Color Sensitivity Problem with Edgebander Infrared lights and sensors in some edgebanders need to be calibrated to the color of the edgebanding, or they won't trigger when they're supposed to. December 8, 2010
Unloading and Handling Panels Techniques and equipment for getting sheet goods off the truck and into the shop. August 15, 2006
Glue Pot Rebuild: Buy or Do in Shop? When an edgebander glue pot fails, you can spend money on a replacement, or spend your own time and aggravation rebuilding it yourself. September 26, 2009
Sawblades 101 Select the right blade for the job with this quick rundown of blade characteristics. January 7, 2007
Tuning an Edgebander Advice on dialing in the variables of an edgebander's operation, one step at a time. October 19, 2014
208-Volt to 240-volt Machinery Conversion Woodshop owner moves from a shop with 240-volt power to a shop with 208-volt power, and has to figure out how to adapt some older machinery to the new situation. March 3, 2009
Soft-Starting a Compressor A properly located buffer tank in the air line can keep a compressor from stalling or tripping the breaker on start-up. June 13, 2011
Applying Laminate with an Edgebander Yes, you can apply high-pressure laminate to panel edges using an edgebander. Here are tips on trimming and adhesives. February 16, 2012
Shadow Lines On Cabinet Door Backs Faint dark lines on the inside face of cabinet doors right at shelf locations are typically caused by deposits of dust. March 12, 2009
Glass Shelf Span? Advice on glass thickness for a wide shelf span. February 17, 2012
Sizing the Air Compressor for a Small Shop Horsepower and tank size aren't the best measures of whether a compressor can keep up with the work you're giving it. Here's a closer look at the specs that matter. January 25, 2013
Wiring a Fan Motor Advice on figuring out whether a motor, purchased second hand, is correctly wired. August 16, 2012
Evaluating Lipping Planers Woodworkers discuss the good and bad points of various lipping planers. February 28, 2006
Waxing Equipment Surfaces Using butcher's wax to make wood move easily across machine tables. April 18, 2004
Vocabulary for Frameless Cabinet Parts "What do you call that thing?" The terminology used to describe the various structural elements of a frameless cabinet appears to vary widely throughout the industry. June 16, 2014
A Humidity-Controlled Display Case A cabinetmaker gets advice on appropriate details for a climate-controlled display case for musical instruments. October 8, 2005
Drawer Front and Door Suppliers Cabinetmaker gets suggestions on economical sources for drawer fronts and cabinet doors. June 17, 2005
Air Piping Sizing and Material Choice Wider diameters offer less resistance and more storage buffering. Pex is also an option to consider. April 20, 2008
Miter Saw Blade Cut Creep Saw blades pulling on the work can pull cut angles slightly out of whack. Here, craftsmen suggest solutions for accurate cutting. March 20, 2006
Is a Drum Sander Worth $400? Even if the drum sander is cheap, some people would say to stick with random orbit sanding. May 15, 2012
Residential ADA Cabinets Here's some invaluable first-hand advice: a paraplegic woodworker describes the accessible designs that work in his own kitchen. September 3, 2011
Xenon Versus Halogen Cabinet Lighting Comparing the cost, performance, and availability of halogen and xenon lights for cabinets and display casesJanuary 9, 2008
Edgebanding with No Edgebander Alternative ways to apply edgebanding to small runs of laminate doors when you have no edgebander. September 23, 2006
Whether to Use a Refrigerated Air Dryer Wise woodworkers use air dryers to protect their air-powered equipment from atmospheric humidity. Here's more discussion. June 17, 2013
Inconspicuous Drawer Front Mounting Methods Advice on a tricky attachment problem: hiding the fasteners for a drawer front when the geometry leaves you few easy options. November 15, 2011
Sourcing Cabinet Box Parts What are the options for a company that only wants to assemble parts, not cut them? August 29, 2005
Gang Rips Saws and Glue-Ready Edges A gang ripsaw or straight-line ripsaw should yield a glue-joint ready edge, but only with proper blade sharpening and maintenance. January 12, 2012
De-Glazing a Widebelt Conveyor The standard method is to sand the conveyor with the wide belt, but you can just use a random orbital hand sander instead. October 15, 2012
Troubleshooting Split-Fence Accuracy A split fence on the shaper allows for quick setup, but it takes time to learn how to set the fences accurately. August 29, 2006
Applying a Bead to an Arched Face Frame Several suggestions for machining a bead into an arched piece, plus the simple way: make it separately and then attach it. October 27, 2011
Repairing Broken Abrasive Belts Sanding belts have a shelf life, and once the joint tape fails, it's not easy to fix. February 16, 2012
Appearance Considerations with Sapele Sapele wood darkens over time (as do Cherry and Mahogany), and its compatibility with the look of other woods is a matter of personal preference. April 11, 2008
Drawer Slide Adjustment for Flush Inset Cabinets The math and the hardware positioning and adjustment can get tricky when you're using tandem slides with inset face frame construction. July 6, 2011
Working with Red Birch Red Birch is the heartwood of Yellow Birch. Here are tips on how it behaves. August 15, 2006
Stationary Biscuit Joiners Advice on modifying or adapting biscuit joining equipment for use as a stationary machine. November 10, 2006
Infra-Red Tube Heaters Shop owners say gas-fired infrared overhead heaters work well, with good heat, quick recovery, and no worries about over-drying stored lumber. February 13, 2009
Fridge Panel Dimensions Refrigerator panel dimensions provided in the manufacturer's manual should be checked against the actual appliance measurements, because sometimes things change. February 17, 2012
Working with Lyptus Cabinetmakers share experiences working with the tropical hardwood Lyptus. July 22, 2005
Sawing Stainless Steel Stainless steel is hard to cut. Specialty blades can handle it, but it may be best to have a metal shop handle the task. February 6, 2007
Dowel Equipment Basic info on dowel-making and dowel-inserting machinery. November 11, 2008
Setting Up a New Slider Nine out of nine doctors agree: have the supplier's tech set up your brand new sliding table saw for you. Do not do it yourself. January 23, 2014
Working with Hickory Hard, dense, and splintery, Hickory does not take finish well either. You might want to consider Butternut as an alternative. November 15, 2011
Using a Skid-Steer as a Forklift Considering whether a skid-steer could load and unload cabinetmaking materials in addition to doing other useful work. December 27, 2010
Cleaning an Edgebander Glue-Pot Cleaning the gluepot is a hassle, so it's wise to take steps to minimize fouling. September 8, 2007
Shelf Life of Widebelt Sanding Belts How long are widebelt sanding belts supposed to last? Here's a closer look at why a belt might fail early. June 16, 2014
Dealing with Planer Tear-Out Craftsmen discuss tooling and operator techniques for minimizing tear-out from planing lumber. November 12, 2005
Warping and cracking in glued-up pine To find clues for cracked and warped pine panels, a measure of moisture content is needed before the splitting occurs. 1998.
Wood Countertop with a Drop-In Cooktop Cabinetmakers consider the risks of putting a cooktop in a wood countertop, and discuss the best finish for that situation. August 19, 2013
Shop-Rigged Task Lighting Ideas for task lighting that is there when you need it, out of the way when you don't. August 21, 2006
1/2-Inch Drawer Bottoms Cabinetmakers discuss construction details of wide drawers with half-inch bottoms, dovetail boxes and undermount slides. October 2, 2007
Flat-Profile Crown Moulding Some might call it a "Shaker" or "Mission" detail. Here are some examples and discussion of crown moulding with simple, flat faces. June 3, 2013
Substitutes for Mahogany Either lyptus wood or luan (also called "meranti") may be an acceptable lower-cost alternative to mahogany in cabinets. March 12, 2006
Fix for Mis-Placed System Holes There are ways to patch mis-located screw holes. But it's smarter to back off and start over (you can still re-use the scrap). April 21, 2011
Shop Voltage Limits for Edgebanders Accurately controlled AC voltage supplied to the machine is important for regulating the 24-volt DC output of the edgebander's internal transformer. October 15, 2009
Flip Stop Choices Advice on shopping for aftermarket stops. May 31, 2014
Ipe For Cabinet Construction Ipe's coloration, oiliness, irritating dust, and density are disadvantages when it comes to building cabinets. October 27, 2009
Roughing Up a Wide-Belt Feed Mat Tips on how to roughen the surface of the feed mat on a 2-head widebelt sander to keep parts from slipping as they're fed in. February 12, 2010
Keeping solid doors flat Techniques for preventing warpage of solid wood cabinet doors. June 14, 2000
Sanding an Inside Profile Cabinetmakers don't report much luck with machine sanding to remove cutter burns. July 11, 2007
Termite-Resistant Cabinet Materials Advice on termite-resistant wood, composites, or synthetic materials for use in tropical locations. August 31, 2010
Maintenance for a Martin T-71 Slider A longtime Martin owner advises a new buyer of a vintage 1985 slider how to care for the machine. January 14, 2013
Copper Countertop Tips Copper is tricky to work with. Here are a few thoughts on using it for countertops. April 17, 2009
Air Dryer Power Consumption Refrigerating dryers for pneumatic equipment air lines consume power when they're running. Cycling models can save electricity. March 9, 2008
Removing Veneer from Backer A cabinetmaker wants to pull the backer off of some backed veneer. Others provide advice. August 29, 2006
Tips for Paint Grade Doors Advice on door materials, spackle, and paint techniques for paint-grade work. February 27, 2013
Re-Roughening Power Feeder Tires Aftermarket replacement tires give the best grip. But here are tips for sanding old tires to improve their surface friction. December 27, 2008
Electric Motor Starting Problems When the motor sits and hums instead of starting, the problem could be in a switch or in the starting capacitor. March 3, 2009
Fastening Wood Edging to MDF Advice on fastening 3/4" by 3/4" solid wood to the edge of an MDF panel. Is anything besides glue required? August 29, 2006
MDF for Painted Projects? Medium density fiberboard (MDF) has some advantages over wood for paint-grade cabinetry. This discussion looks at when to use MDF and also at fastening and related issues. April 6, 2011
Exterior Cabinetry Materials Choices Cabinetmakers suggest woods, synthetic materials, and finishes for cabinets exposed to the elements under cover. February 21, 2011
Attaching Slides to Drawer Boxes Tips on efficient, accurate, and consistent ways to position slides on drawer boxes. February 26, 2007
Dealing with Oversize Edge Banding If your edgebanding is a little wider than the thickness of your panel stock, you have several options. October 26, 2012
De-Greasing Drawer Slides Cabinetmakers ponder how to get the packing gunk off new drawer slides before it gets grimy and causes binding. October 12, 2007
Corner Cabinet Tips and Ideas Suggestions for a cabinetmaker getting into building his first corner sink base. January 13, 2009
Joints in Solid Wood Edgebanding How to detail the intersection where one piece of rounded-over solid wood edgebanding butts into another. March 28, 2015
Concrete Countertop Cement Choices Advice on materials choices and some tips on technique for a first-time concrete countertop job. June 12, 2014
MDF and Tooling MDF dulls tooling quickly, so craftsmen tend to keep a set of cutterheads dedicated to MDF. March 28, 2015
Foreign Material in Sheet Stock People have found nuts, bolts, wrenches, nail sets, and sheet rock knives embedded in sheets of MDF or plywood. September 3, 2011
Shop-Built Cam Clamps A cabinetmaker shows off his aluminum and maple cam clamps, and explains how they work. August 8, 2005
Repairing a Wide Belt Platen If damaged, the graphite and felt pad on a wide-belt sander can be repaired with generic materials. March 27, 2012
Line Boring with Through Bits A discussion of bit choice for a line boring block. Can you do all your boring with through bits? June 16, 2014
Edgebanding "White Out" Problem Dark edgebanding sometimes turns white at ends where it passes through the cutters. Applying heat will restore the color — but what's a fast way to do it? April 4, 2011
Small Trucks and Plywood The search for an economical rig that will haul a few full sheets occasionally. January 22, 2006
Roller Stands for Sheet Goods Shop owners discuss various kinds of roller stands, rolling tables, and stationary outfeed tables for handling sheet goods. December 28, 2005
Shared Power Switch for Tool and Vacuum Quick tips on linking tool and shop-vacuum power supplies so that the vacuum starts when the tool starts. April 24, 2013
Sanding Drawers After Construction Ideas for sanding distinctive hardwood drawer boxes after building them, without distorting the corners. November 26, 2008
Finishing Cabinet Interiors Depending on the use, cabinetmakers may match the exterior stain color, or go with melamine or a light wood and clear finish. October 1, 2005
Air Line Tubing Systems Shop owners discuss various tubing and connection systems for supply lines to air-powered tools. March 22, 2013
Edgebanding with Aluminum Laminate Aluminum does not spark, but even the thin edgebanding will wear out tools faster than wood or plastic banding. October 20, 2013
Managing Edgebander Outfeed in a Small Shop Ideas for a simple automated setup to catch parts before they fall off the end of the edgebander, without tying up a worker's time. December 31, 2012
Sliding Table Saw Slider Elevation Why the slider is positioned slightly above the main table, and how to compensate when using the machine to rip hardwood. February 26, 2007
Line Boring Accuracy Troubleshooting a 2 millimeter discrepancy when boring long panels in the 32mm system. February 26, 2007
Isolating Air Lines from Compressor Vibration To prevent vibration and noise, install a short section of suitable flexible tubing between the compressor and the copper air lines.January 3, 2012
Aspen for Drawers Would Aspen be good wood to use for drawer boxes? Here's the thinking. October 1, 2005
Tapered Rollers on an Edgebander Users and service techs differ on the usefulness of tapered pressure rollers on an edgebander. October 19, 2014
Line Boring Bit Sharpening Careful sharpening will renew the bits and preserve bored-hole accuracy. October 11, 2007
Shelf Supports and Uplift An unusual shelf setup needs restraint against tipping. What's the solution? Some shelf support pins provide a way for holding the shelf down. July 29, 2007
Dovetailing plywood Successfully dovetailing baltic birch plywood. March 20, 2001
Working with Silver Maple Like Red Maple, it's a type of Soft Maple. Machines easily, but with a tendency to fuzz. August 29, 2006
Interruptions During Glue-Up When you notice a problem you need to fix, is it okay to take apart a piece you are in the middle of assembling, clean it up, and then glue it together later? October 15, 2012
Contour Edgebanders — Enough for a Small Shop? A contour edgebander is okay for occasional work, but too slow for full production banding lots of straight edges in a busy shop. October 3, 2011
Cutting Aluminum in the Shop Tips and cautions for cutting aluminum accent strips with woodworking equipment. March 26, 2009
Cleaning Melamine Blades Solvent cleaning will give you a little more mileage between blade re-sharpenings. March 9, 2008
Gas Fired Radiant Tube Heat for the Shop Shop owners give these gas tube radiant heaters high marks for convenience, safety, and heating effectiveness. January 10, 2006
Compressor Burnout A post about a smoking air compressor kicks of a discussion of quality characteristics of compressors, and whether they can be repaired. March 16, 2015
Easing MDF Edges Sanding techniques and tool options for gently rounding over the edges of MDF door and drawer faces. July 5, 2006
Dressing Power Feeder Tires Old power feeder rollers that have gotten too glazed to grip can be restored to softness by cleaning, sanding, or re-covering. October 27, 2011
Mixing Maple and Poplar Maple and Poplar have similar characteristics, and can be combined in a paint-grade project. April 2, 2013
Edgebanding on a Curve Hand-application tips and machinery recommendations for applying edgebanding to a curved edge. September 15, 2011
Adjustable-Height Work Tables Advice on work tables that allow the user to choose between standing and sitting. November 14, 2014
Alternatives to dado cabinet construction John Elvrum offers a practical approach to identifying viable, mechanical alternatives to traditional dado joinery of cabinet boxes. 1998.
Glue Choices for Sizing Use a soft, easy-to-sand inexpensive white glue to mix glue sizing. May 28, 2010
45-Degree Frameless Door Hinge Problem A cabinetmaker gets input on making a five-knuckle hinge work with frameless cabs that meet at 45 degrees. December 27, 2010
Circle Jigs for Routers Ideas and photos for router setups for cutting circles of various sizes. August 31, 2010
Lipping Planer Operator Technique A cabinetmaker gets advice on handling a lipping planer with the right touch, so it won't tear up his panels. June 21, 2012
Tiger Stop Stretched Belt The belts on an automated stop system may stretch in service over time and require replacing to maintain accuracy. January 9, 2015
Cross-Grain Plywood If you want plywood grain running up and down instead of side to side, carefully cutting and seaming the piece will usually fool the eye. July 9, 2007
Fat Shelf Concepts Construction ideas for thick torsion-box shelves. January 24, 2006
Touch-Up Marker Choices Advice on marker selection for touching up bare wood exposed by raised panel seasonal shrinkage. July 26, 2010
Sanding Inspection Lighting Ideas Quick thoughts on lamp choices and construction for a shop-rigged inspection light at the sanding table. July 15, 2011
Where to Mount a Power Feeder Convenient adjustment and smooth operation are considerations when you mount a power feeder on a table saw or shaper. January 26, 2008
Kitchen island height What is the standard height for a kitchen island countertop? June 24, 2001
Choosing a table saw Selecting a table saw and fence system for a small shop. January 3, 2001
Glue Pot Cleaning Tips Thoughts on the messy business of cleaning out an edgebander glue pot.July 28, 2012
Wood Movement and Strap Hinges Quick tips on mounting large hinges to solid wood in a way that won't restrict the freedom of the wood to expand or contract in response to ambient conditions. July 11, 2013
Fraction Conversion Chart This measurement conversion chart shows inch system fractions and decimals with their metric system equivalents. January 3, 2007
Baby Steps toward More Efficient Sanding A small shop owner considers stepping up to a drum sander or stroke sander, or just investing in more compressor capacity and some pneumatic hand sanders. October 27, 2011
Building with Pre-Finished Plywood Pre-finished plywood can streamline the construction and finishing workflow. Here are some tips and stories. July 12, 2012
Building a Stroke Sander Craftsmen share tips about making and running this handy shop tool. October 2, 2005
Plunge Cut Circular Saw Versus Table Saw For a part-time shop, can a high-quality circular saw and guide setup take the place of a table saw for panel cutting on small jobs? June 3, 2009
Preventing Back Pain Seasoned cabinetmakers discuss shoes, boots, floor mats, exercise, and other back-pain prevention strategies. November 30, 2009
Preventing Sweat Marks on Work Thoughts on how to affordably air condition a wood shop in a hot climate, and advice on preventing sweat from discoloring wood or finishes. May 23, 2011
Boosting Air Supply You can step up to a beefier compressor, or you can tweak your setup by adding buffer air tanks and another small compressor to work in tandem with existing equipment. October 26, 2011
Boring Machines Casework assembly methods that rely on evenly-spaced 32-mm holes are most efficient when you have high-volume precision equipment to bore the holes. Here's a rundown on the options in machinery for that purpose. September 18, 2008
Buying a Used Beamsaw Input from users and maintenance techs on what to watch out for when buying a pre-owned beamsaw, and advice about teardown, transport, and re-assembly.July 29, 2011
How to make a tenon Accurately sized tenons without a tenoner. September 25, 2002
Budget Alternatives to a Sliding Table Saw If a slider's not in the budget, what are the alternatives? Cabinetmakers discuss table saw attachments, vertical panel saws, and track saw packages. April 6, 2011
Blade and Bit Resharpening Most cabinetmakers agree that sending blades and bits out for resharpening is a practical and economical choice. March 25, 2007
Powering a Slider with a Rotary Phase Converter Assessing whether a phase converter has the capacity to power a piece of equipment, and avoiding damage to the electronic controls of the machine. March 27, 2012
Blind Dadoes Versus Dowel Joinery A discussion of the efficiency and accuracy trade-offs involved in switching from blind-dado and screw construction to dowel joinery. August 8, 2008
Pivoting Bookcase Show and Tell Photos and video of a unique project: a bookcase that pivots to hide a client's master bedroom. June 15, 2014
Pros and Cons of Used Edgebanders It might cost more to get a used edgebander up and running than to purchase it. But even at that, the results could be well worth it. October 19, 2014
Bracing solid surface When using solid surface materials, what sort of "bridgework" is needed for support? June 24, 2001
Buying a Used Edgebander There's more to running a glue-pot edgebander than plugging it in and turning it on — so be cautious when buying used equipment. December 30, 2005
Portable Power Planer for Shop Use? Cabinetmakers tend to be dissatisfied with the performance of small hand-held power planers. For cabinet work you need real shop machinery. February 20, 2008
Box Lid Alignment Issues Problems with jewelry box tolerances may be related to moisture in finishes. December 27, 2008
Household Chemicals and Hardware Corrosion Household chemicals, pool chlorine, and other common substances can tear up brass or chrome fixtures. Here's an example. June 15, 2009
Production Capacity of a One-Man Shop Can one man working alone knock out two custom kitchens a month — and run the business too? It's debatable. January 13, 2008
Pneumatic Motor Freeze-Up Air-powered motors need regular oiling, or they stop working. October 11, 2007
Production Gains from a Horizontal Boring Machine Properly put to work, a boring machine make better use of your skilled labor, keep your shop cleaner, and help with build quality of your cabinetry. August 16, 2012
Halving Dowels Techniques and jigs for sawing round dowels in half lengthwise. July 9, 2009
Building a Clamping Table A woodworker considers the idea of making his own pneumatic clamping table. October 19, 2013
Plywood Holiday Ruins a Cabinet A cabinetmaker's cautionary tale of how a cabinet was ruined when his router dropped into a void in a piece of plywood leads to a few comments about materials and tools. June 15, 2014
Birch for Cabinets Yellow Birch (but not other Birch varieties) is widely used in cabinets. Here are some thoughts on its pros and cons.March 22, 2013
Phase Converters for a Small Shop Downsizing from a big-iron shop to a basement-based setup. Is it worth holding on to some three-phase machinery and installing a phase converter? April 27, 2011
Purchasing a Boring Machine A dedicated boring machine is a huge productivity booster that will quickly repay its purchase price. August 29, 2006
Patching damaged veneer Repairing damaged veneer on the top of a chest of drawers. June 14, 2000
Powder Post Beetles in Plywood Amazingly, the bugs are not killed by plywood manufacturing methods, and can lurk inside plywood for years. October 27, 2011
Pre-Finished Plywood and Wood Edgebanding Advice on assembly and finishing of a cabinet made with prefinished plywood interiors and solid wood edgebanding. October 13, 2012
Paint Finish on Melamine Will paint adhere to melamine? With scuff sanding, yes, say people who have tried it. July 22, 2005
Poplar for Paint-Grade Cabinet Doors? It works well for paint-grade trim, but woodworkers say poplar creates stability issues when used for casework. March 20, 2006
Powder Post Beetle Worries Will powderpost beetles found in a piece of furniture spread elsewhere in the house? April 21, 2011
Pocket Hole Machine Maintenance Slow operation and a gravely, rough, grinding sound could be caused by junk in the gears. July 28, 2012
Beam Saw Versus Sliding Table Saw Which to buy, slider or beam saw? Versatility, productivity, and ease of maintenance are issues to consider. August 24, 2008
Panel Saw/Slider Comparison Cabinetmakers compare the advantages of vertical panel saws and sliding table saws, with special reference to ripping. November 11, 2005
Pre-Glued Dowel Advice Pre-glued dowels seem to hold well if holes are precisely drilled, but don't save a lot of time except in an automated setup. January 2, 2012
Production sanding for humidors There's no 'silver bullet' when it comes to the detail sanding that fine work demands, be it in a one-off or production environment. 1998.
Pull-Out Trash Can Drawers Turn a drawer upside down, stick a trash can through the bottom, and screw a cabinet door to the front — presto! January 26, 2009
Building Cabinets with Lyptus Cabinetmakers discuss the machining qualities and other characteristics of Lyptus (Eucalyptus) wood, and its suitability for cabinet construction. April 6, 2007
Power Feeder Wheels for Slippery Material Stock feeder wheels may not be grippy enough to grab onto prefinished plywood or other low-friction material. January 25, 2013
Pony Clamp Pads Staining Work Watch out: an oil-based residue in the rubber pads on a clamp can mark your work. May 28, 2010
Poplar Is a Hardwood, but Is It Hard? As a deciduous tree, Poplar is classified as a hardwood. Here's some hard info about just how hard it is (or isn't).November 15, 2011
Power Feeder on a Table Saw Advice on setting up a power feeder to handle wide and narrow rips with a table saw. June 23, 2006
Protection on the Assembly Table Suggestions for soft surface coverings for the assembly table to protect delicate cabinet surfaces during assembly. December 9, 2013
Pantry Pullout Details A couple of photo examples of tall, narrow pullout pantry shelf units, and some thoughts on materials and hardware. May 26, 2011
Blind woodworker's story A blind cabinetmaker tells the story of his education and career in woodworking. (From WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum) January 21, 2003
Choosing Sliding Table Saws and Panel Saws Pros discuss the choices in panel saws and sliding table saws, and offer advice on modifying equipment for better performance. November 10, 2006
Table Saw Blade Height Above Material Here's a long, thoughtful discussion of the practical and safety aspects of setting blade height when working with a table saw. November 13, 2009
Small Chunks Sticking to the Edgebander Roller Trying to get to the bottom of a performance issue with an edgebander: small particleboard core chunks sticking to the glue roller are starving parts of the joint for glue. November 15, 2010
Choosing a Standard Method for Cabinet Construction A supervisor helping a new cabinet company establish its standard production system gets feedback about the pros and cons of many different assembly methods, from a variety of perspectives. July 11, 2013
Affordable Sanding Options for the One-Man Shop In yet another take on a frequent forum topic, shop owners compare the pros and cons of drum sanders, wide-belt sanders, and stroke sanders.March 13, 2014
How to Prevent Sanding Swirl Marks There is more to power sanding than you might think. Here, pros discuss the fine points. December 26, 2006
What's the Best Tool for Cutting Panels? A start-up shop owner asks whether he should purchase a sliding table saw, a vertical panel saw, or maybe even a beam saw. Experienced hands offer thoughtful opinions. July 6, 2005
Learning About Edgebanders Advice for a woodworker who is in the market for a very low-priced edgebander, and wants to educate himself about edgebanders and other machinery. March 13, 2014
Sliding Table Saw Safety Here's an extensive set of tips and cautions for working safely with a sliding table saw. December 2, 2010
Corner Chisel Fine Points Tool choice, sharpening methods, and hand techniques for cleaning out mortise corners. November 13, 2009
Accurate Placement of Finished End Panels Cabinetmakers describe tips and tricks for keeping end panels properly registered while fastening with pocket screws. June 8, 2008
Entry-Level Edgebanding Here's a discussion of how to accomplish occasional and incidental edgebanding with decent quality, when you don't do enough of that kind of work to justify a big investment. August 19, 2013
Switching to Factory-Built Cabinets A Gulf Coast cabinetmaker has had good luck with a line of factory cabinets. His story triggers a discussion of today's market realities and the pros and cons of adding factory-made cabs to your business model. November 10, 2006
32mm Systems and Drawer Stretchers A discussion of the fine points of positioning and installing drawers stretchers (or "spreaders") in a 32mm Euro cab system. July 15, 2011
Does Your Sanding Make Sense? "Trouble starts when taking off more than a belt can handle, or taking off more than the scratch pattern of the previous head. These are the most common mistakes in sanding... It can be incredibly frustrating to see a company trapped in a prison of their own design because they really never und ......
Joinery for a U-Shaped Wood Countertop Given the natural tendency for wood to move, joinery for a complex wood countertop requires some careful thinking. December 1, 2010
Delivery Truck Choices How best to move cabinets: Truck or trailer? Purchase or lease? Or just hire a moving company? Shop owners kick the topic around. September 4, 2005
Heating a Woodshop Shop owners chime in on heating options and climate-control considerations. August 31, 2005
Count Your Fingers A woodworker describes the accident that took off the ends of two of his fingers, and a discussion ensues about the lessons learned. November 10, 2006
Tape Measure Accuracy Even before they get dropped on the shop floor, tape measures are unreliable. Calibrating your machinery instead might work better than relying on any tape. May 13, 2008
Measuring-Tape Accuracy Finding an accurate tape measure is a challenge. Ensuring an accurate match between two different tapes is even more challenging. July 11, 2007
Compressed Air Lines in a Shop Advice on material choices and layout strategies for compressed-air supply lines in a woodshop. March 28, 2010
Basic Edgebanding Methods Simple, low-cost tips and tricks for small-volume edgebanding work. April 16, 2009
Getting a Good Bond with HPL Edgebanding Good priming and a warm working temperature are important for good adhesion when applying high pressure laminate edgebanding. May 12, 2013
Sawstop Stories Cabinetmakers discuss the value of a Sawstop table saw, which trips and stops before cutting off your fingers. August 12, 2014
Riving Knife Choices and Use A discussion of the use of riving knives on the table saw, and of sources of aftermarket riving knives. March 22, 2013
Cutting Dadoes on a Sliding Table Saw Many sliders will accept a dado blade set. You'll have to consider the riving knife when using one for that purpose, though. August 17, 2006
SawStop Setup Tips on adjusting the SawStop cabinet saw's safety brake. May 15, 2011
Pocket Screw Machine Slow Operation Maintenance and cleaning tips that may restore a multi-head pneumatic pocket screw machine to its former quickness. August 15, 2011
Buying a Sliding Table Saw A second-hand, high-quality slider is a good investment. Here are tips on tuning it up and getting the best out of it. February 16, 2012
Peel and Stick Edgebanding Occasional users discuss the pros and cons of peel-and-stick edgebanding. June 23, 2014
Accurate Panel Rips Tips for obtaining clean, accurate results when ripping panels to width. October 13, 2005
Contour Trimming 3mm Edgebanding Advice on rounding over and trimming plastic edgebanding without melting the material. August 31, 2010
Countertop Bolt Systems Cabinetmakers compare experiences with different undercounter bolt and clamp systems for securing countertop joints. April 29, 2011
Gloves for Saw Operators Woodworkers suggest some tough, skin-tight, high-friction gloves for use around power equipment. April 21, 2011
Blade Choices for Table Saws Thoughts on which saw blades work best for which materials, and some general info on saw blade characteristics and maintenance. December 27, 2010
Finger Versus Tablesaw A cautionary tale of a seven-stitches encounter with a tablesaw blade sets off a discussion of accidents had and lessons learned. April 25, 2006
Machining Face Frame Stock A cabinetmaker gets advice on improving his process for planing and dimensioning face frame material — or whether to buy pre-milled stock instead. October 12, 2007
DeWalt 3521 Radial Arm Saw A collector and reseller of old American-made tools discusses a classic radial arm saw. March 26, 2013
Choosing a Hand-Held Sander Woodworkers discuss the options in electric and air-powered random orbital sanders. December 28, 2014
Mobile Shop in a Trailer? Cabinetmakers discuss the practicality of running a woodshop on wheels. June 28, 2007
Value of a Sliding Table Saw Cabinetmakers discuss whether, and why, a sliding table saw is worth having around when other tools can do (sort of) the same thing.April 29, 2012
Praise for Impact Drivers It's official: installers and cabinetmakers love cordless impact drivers. July 3, 2006
Edge-Planing Boards for Width Cabinetmakers discuss the fine points of sending boards through the planer on the narrow dimension. December 28, 2005
Biscuit Fit Problems Swelling due to moisture, or narrowing of the slot due to cutter sharpening, are possible reasons why biscuits don't fit. November 13, 2009
Planing on edge Processing stock through planer to define parts' widths. January 3, 2003
Shop-Built Sliding Table Saw Sled Decisions Advice on whether to build a shop-rigged table saw sled, buy a sliding table attachment, or step up to a professional-grade slider. January 19, 2011
Choosing an Air Line Material Shop owners discuss the pros and cons of various metal and plastic tubing materials for compressed-air supply lines. March 20, 2006
Air Versus Electric Random Orbital Sanders Air-powered sanders are sweet, but they call for a big compressor — and there are electric sanders that do a nice job. July 5, 2006
Using a Radial-Arm Saw to Cut Dadoes A radial-arm saw is good for repetitive cross-cut dadoes, but dangerous for ripping. Here, woodworkers discuss equipment alternatives for efficient, accurate dadoing. November 10, 2006
Radial-Arm Saw Cutting Technique Radial arm saws have their place, some cabinetmakers say. Here, they discuss blade choice and cutting technique. November 25, 2005
Heavy-Duty Miter-Saw Choices Shop owners describe their experiences with industrial-grade cutoff saws and miter saws. July 29, 2011
Sander Skittering and Vacuum Suction Reported control problems with some sanders may be solvable by adjusting dust collection vacuum settings. July 16, 2008
Conversion varnish basics The pros agree: conversion varnish is best for kitchen cabinets. April 20, 2001
Clear Alder Versus European Beech A cabinetmaker who finds that clear Alder looks good, but scratches too easily, discovers a satisfying alternative: European Beech. April 9, 2008
Matching stain to existing work Techniques for matching the finish of new work to that of the existing cabinets in a cherry kitchen. November 7, 2000
Matching Sun-Darkened Cherry Color-matching new work with old is tricky when the wood is Cherry, because of the way Cherry darkens when exposed to light. May 24, 2006
Is Walnut Toxic? Walnut knowledge overcomes Walnut fear in this informative and humorous discussion. June 8, 2008
Machine Setup for Lock Miters Lock miter setup requires a lot of fiddling, so a permanent dedicated machine can be most efficient. April 6, 2011
Stickley Design A question about Stickley style provokes answers starting with a discussion about rift-sawn and quartersawn oak, and ending with a wide-ranging ramble (or was that rumble?) about Gustav Stickley, the Arts and Crafts movement, history, and the philosophy of work and play. Some pictures of cabinets he ......
Repairing Scratched Melamine No repair is perfect, but here are some pretty good options for a surface gouge in a melamine cabinet interior. September 23, 2006
Problems with Chinese Plywood Cabinetmakers report widespread quality and performance problems with hardwood plywood imported from China. May 22, 2007
Adjustment Problems and Customer Care An extended discussion of how to handle a customer who repeatedly calls about minor drawer alignment issues on custom cabinetry. December 6, 2008
Small Shop Struggles A one-employee cabinet shop owner gets wide-ranging practical advice on managing his fledgling business. The voice of experience, from pros who have been there. August 29, 2005
Melamine: Why? If you think melamine is for cheap manufactured imported cabinets, think again. This discussion explores the varied character of melamine, including its appropriate use in some top-dollar projects. August 16, 2012
Tools and Methods for Beaded Face Frames Cutting the beads and the miter joinery could be a CNC deal, a table-saw and jig deal, or a hand chisel and shooting block deal. Here's the debate. April 15, 2011
Hinge-Boring Machine Compatibility A discussion of retrofitting hinge-boring equipment to handle different companies' hinge screw patterns. July 21, 2006
Slides for Very Wide Drawers Hardware is available for a five-foot-wide drawer, but it's a little stiff in operation. June 17, 2012
Mahogany Varieties for Countertops A discussion of the practicality of mahogany for a countertop, and thoughts about similar alternatives. November 7, 2007
Melamine Carcasses Can melamine interiors be considered high end? April 18, 2004
Marketing and Selling Outsourced Cabinets Here's an insightful discussion of the practical aspects of outsourcing cabinet parts for the small shop, in light of customer perceptions of the value of the end product. November 23, 2008
Does it Pay to Own an Edgebander? A good edgebander can really boost your productivity, but how much machine you need depends on how much volume you're doing. October 9, 2006
Setting Shop Temperature A long discussion about how warm (or cool) to keep a shop, whether to turn the heat down at night and over the weekend, and the effect on costs, productivity, and quality of different practices. December 24, 2012
Customer Deposits and Payment Schedules A heartfelt and sometimes heated discussion about setting payment terms, including initial deposits, for a cabinet job. February 27, 2013
Are Cabinet Makers Carpenters? Mulling over the dividing line between skilled tradesmen who all build things out of wood — but in different ways. July 20, 2011
Kitchen Cabinet Pricing Comparison Cabinet shops compare price estimates on a basic kitchen job, and discuss the factors that influence their prices. June 5, 2006
Appliance Cutouts Standards, and a lack of, for kitchen appliace cutouts. August 7, 2004
Confirmat screws -- getting started A discussion on drilling holes for confirmat screws dives deeper into screw and dowel construction. July 3, 2001
Who Are You? Thumbnail Biographies of Forum Members Ever wonder who you're interacting with on WOODWEB? In this thread, forum posters give a brief history of their lives in the woodworking trade. June 16, 2014
AWI certification Is membership or certfication with AWI worth your while?July 29, 2003
Selling Factory-Made and Custom Cabinet Lines When you offer both your own custom-made cabinetry and a less expensive line of factory cabs, pricing and selling strategies become complicated. Here's a long and thoughtful discussion. January 19, 2011
Shop lighting Best bulbs for brightness and efficiency. February 12, 2003
Nested Base Versus Beam Saw and PTP A closet system fabricator and installer describes his journey through various shop equipment situations. May 26, 2014
Solar Power for a Wood Shop? Solar panels or a windmill can supplement your shop's electric usage, but you're not going to run big iron on it without the grid doing most of the work.. June 4, 2012
Speeding up the Work with a Value Stream Map Drawing a map to visualize the steps in the production process helps cabinet shops streamline their processes and focus on productive activities instead of on moving parts around. October 2, 2007
Kitchen Pricing for Newbies So this guy's trying to figure out how much to charge for building a kitchen for a relative. Naturally, it's all relative. But beginners could begin to grasp the basics of pricing from this discussion. June 8, 2008
Comparing Assembly Methods for Euro Cab Construction Starting with a question about entry-level cabinet assembly, and bypassing a digression about business qualifications, this thread digs deep into the relative advantages of different assembly methods and process systems for a production cabinet shop. April 27, 2011
Communication Between Cabinet Shops About Outsourced Work A busy cabinetmaker who needs to send work to another shop for cutting on CNC equipment wishes the other shop would meet him halfway on the transfer of information. A debate ensues. January 31, 2012
Responsibility for a Too-Dark Finish A cabinetmaker is being asked to hold the bag for the poor work done by a painter who the customer hired. In this thread, professionals suggest ways to handle the problem. November 11, 2005
Chordal's Letters Considered by Today's Shop Men A discussion of a century-old book about shop craft, "Chordal's Letters" by James Waring See, available today as an on-line archive. February 6, 2010
Metric Versus Imperial Point oh six of one, half a dozen percent of the other ... February 13, 2013
Another Cabinet Pricing Survey Cabinetmakers from around the U.S. quote ballpark prices for a generic cabinet project, and discuss costs and markets. April 9, 2008
Mistake-Proofing Cabinet Jobs Deep thoughts on office, shop, and job-site standard operating procedures that can reduce the human-error factor in cabinet production and installation. April 29, 2010
Lean Production of Raised Panel Doors A discussion of tricks for evening out workflow, such as: to speed up the whole job, move labor to the bottleneck from downstream activities. June 28, 2013
Markups for Hardware Should you charge for knobs, pulls, et cetera based on a markup formula, based on a fixed price, based on labor factors, or what?September 3, 2011
Making Time in a Small Shop A 2-man shop needs to pick up speed. Should they buy tools or revamp their process? March 17, 2005
Face frame assembly Fastening face frame members that are assembled and sanded before being applied to a cabinet. April 17, 2002
Naming Cabinet Styles How do you describe the cabinet styles you offer to customers in simple, understandable, and attractive language? September 30, 2010
Keeping the Glue Pot Clean This thread starts with a question about glue brands, but evolves into a discussion about how to operate the glue-pot edgebander to avoid charring of glue and reduce the need for cleaning the equipment. November 2, 2010
Components--Not Cabinets A longtime adherent of the system process of cabinet manufacturing makes his case for componentizing. 1998.
Fastening dado joints Fast techniques for assembling dadoed cabinet boxes. June 24, 2002
What to Do When a Customer Bid-Shops You Pros give advice on handling the situation where a customer asks a cabinetmaker to price-compete with a low-ball bidder. (Note: The good guys won this one.) February 17, 2006
Drying racks for cabinet doors Purchased and shop built varieties - the designs that work the best. Illustrated. (Finishing Forum) March 23, 2003
"Green" Cabinetry Environmentally-friendly or non-toxic cabinet work has become an important market niche. In this thread, cabinetmakers discuss the ins and outs of meeting customer expectations for "green" cabinets. September 4, 2005
Deposits and Design Fees Cabinetmakers describe how (and how much) they bill for design work. June 23, 2006
Adhesive Issues with Solid Wood Edgebanding Cabinetmakers discuss whether and how to prime surfaces before applying solid Maple edgebanding to particleboard edges. July 15, 2011
Finished Outside But Not Inside How to handle things when specs call for finished face frames but unfinished interiors. February 8, 2005
Glue Pot and Pistol Technology Here's a close look at pressurized glue pot and pistol glue applicators, which offer convenience, versatility, and good control. November 15, 2011
"Finder's Fee" for Designers Yet another discussion of the ethical and practical business issues involved when a designer is in the middle of your relationship to a customer. April 19, 2015
Raised Glue Joints on a Wood Countertop Detailed analysis of why glue joints may show up as visible bumps or grooves on a wood surface in a location subject to moisture changes. April 24, 2009
Fortune Teller: Making More Money in the Wood Industry Wood Doctor Gene Wengert makes some educated guesses about the near future in the wood products industry, and offers some advice about how wood-based businesses can profit from change. April 15, 2013
Charging for Edgebanding A cabinetmaker ponders whether and how to modify his piece rates after acquiring a more productive, but costly, piece of edgebanding equipment. July 12, 2012
Cabinet Assembler Productivity How many cabs should an assembler put together daily, assuming all the pieces are cut and ready? In this thread, bosses and workers offer their perspectives. November 12, 2005
Cutting dadoes and spraying Finding the best order to assemble, finish and dado. (Cabinetmaking Forum) May 1, 2003
Life as a Cabinetmaker "Would you do it all over again?" asks a cabinet shop owner after five years of struggling with business realities. Heartfelt responses prove that building cabinets is no easy way to make a buck. February 21, 2006
Edgebander Operating Tips Advice on how full to fill the glue pot, glue selection, adjustments, and other factors that affect edgebander performance. January 20, 2010
Shop Layout Advice Here are some useful tips on making scale mockups of a shop floor plan, along with advice about how to best use the available space.July 8, 2014
Edgebanding Glue Holding Problems Cold melamine stored in the unheated shop overnight may be stopping edgebander glue from adhering properly. March 20, 2006
Melamine And Water Is melamine safe for cabinet interiors under sinks? April 18, 2006
Outfeed Table Plan Construction ideas for an outfeed table with mounted router. March 14, 2004
Joining cabinets - at a 45 degree angle Cabinetmakers offer illustrated tips on joining a line of cabinetry which incorporates a 45-degree-angled unit. April 3, 2002
Very Heavy Stainless Steel Cabinets Cabinetmakers discuss materials sourcing for an unusual job: 3/8-inch solid stainless steel cabinets. October 15, 2009
Laying Out a New Shop So brilliant, it's simple: Use full-size cardboard cutouts to mock up your layout on the shop floor before you decide. February 1, 2011
TV cabinets Designs for large, small and flat screens. April 9, 2003
Teamwork Versus Solo Work on the Shop Floor Cabinetmakers discuss efficiency on the shop floor. When should people work in pairs, and when should handle tasks alone? June 23, 2014
Who Supplies the Tools? Practices vary, but in most shops the employer supplies all power tools — and often, small incidentals as well. March 22, 2013
Working with Pre-Finished Plywood A little extra care is needed to prevent scratches, but the convenience can be well worth it. November 11, 2005
Inset-door cabinets A cabinetmaker goes from frameless to face frame and seeks advice. September 19, 2001
Crafting a Curved Range Hood Buying is easier than building if you want a curved range hood. But here are some tips on building it anyway.August 16, 2012
A Jig for Drawing or Cutting Ellipses This clever but simple jig can be used with a pencil to draw an ellipse, or with a router to cut one. April 18, 2006
Eliminating Burn Marks when Routing Flutes Tips on router techniques to prevent burning at the end of flutes, and on tools and methods for removing burn marks when they do happen. December 28, 2005
Materials Cost as a Proportion of Cabinet Costs There's no standard ratio of materials cost to other costs in cabinetmaking — it depends on many factors, and varies widely from job to job. April 10, 2008
Trimming Plugs Cutting and sanding wood plugs can be tedious and laborious. Here, pros discuss efficient ways to make a clean job of it. September 3, 2005
Gluing Painted Glass to Wood or MDF Woodworkers discuss colored coatings for glass, and adhesives that will reliably fasten the coated glass to a wood fiber substrate.July 12, 2012
Quantifying the Waste Factor How much of the lumber you buy becomes scrap instead of cabinets? Shop owners report their observations. December 27, 2007
Cabinet warranty period What is a reasonable warranty period for a custom cabinet installation? July 24, 2001
Edgebander Options Cabinetmakers discuss the advantages of different edgebanding materials and equipment. September 21, 2005
Template Material for Router Work Pros suggest aluminum, MDF, phenolic board, or particleboard. Also here, a discussion of techniques for making templates and some tips about using them. November 22, 2005
Sourcing Dry-Erase Materials A look at product choices for making dry-erase fixtures, furniture, and accessories. April 29, 2010
Glue Applicator Tips and Tricks Advice on the practicalities of using a simple glue applicator with hopper — and on higher-end alternatives. January 25, 2013
Sliding Cabinets Around in the Shop From glides to dollies to conveyor belts, cabinetmakers describe how they move cabinets around the shop during fabrication and finishing. July 18, 2013
Managing Battery Drills Useful thoughts on labeling and organizing multiple drill/drivers in the shop, plus an epiphany about turgid nomenclature. September 26, 2009
Cabinet Shop Lighting Pros share advice on bulbs and fixtures for bright, even light. May 10, 2005
Shopping for Case Clamps If you use dowel joinery to build cabinets, what's the most practical choice in a case clamp system? February 2, 2011
Shop flow Enhancing efficiency in the workplace by carefully planning shop layout. January 16, 2002
Mitering Radius Moulding to Straight Moulding Here's help visualizing and laying out the miter cuts where a curved piece of moulding meets a straight piece with the same profile. April 24, 2014
Yellow Cedar Characteristics Not a true Cedar, Yellow Cedar grows mainly on the northern Pacific coast of North America. Here is some info about its useful properties. April 2, 2013
Sanding Methods for Face Frames Is it worth using the wide-belt sander, or will a random-orbital sander get the job done? Pros share opinions and experiences. July 22, 2005
Magnetic Chalkboard Solutions Suggestions for providing a magnetic bulletin board that the customer can also write on with chalk. February 27, 2015
Replacing Electronics for Big Iron Here's a tip: shop around for parts or components before you buy a whole new touch screen, display, controller, or similar electronic element for shop machinery. You could save a bundle. January 2, 2012
Folding Blueprint Table Cabinetmakers discuss folding table options for the stuff they bring along when they measure a job. December 31, 2012
Getting Appliances for a Kitchen Showroom If you're creating a classy showroom, appliance makers and other vendors may be happy to provide you with products to include. June 5, 2006
Gluing UV-Prefinished Plywood Scuffing might help (with the right glue), but you're probably going to need screws. October 9, 2006
Door/drawer gaps in Euro-style cabinets Americans need to apply the looser European standards to door and drawer gaps to avoid frustration when ordering these parts from other manufacturers. October 18, 2000
Applying Edgebanding to Curves Curves the edgebander can't manage can create difficulties. Here's advice on workarounds. May 12, 2013
Gluing Steel Panels to Wood Tapes and adhesives that can hold steel plate to wood, even if the plate is slightly sprung. July 8, 2014
Exterior Kitchens Tips on materials and methods for building outdoor kitchen cabinets. April 8, 2008
Cabinet Cost Versus House Cost What percentage of a house's price might the cabinets cost? Feedback from various locations. August 29, 2005
Removing Drum Sander Scratches Tips for detecting and sanding out the scratches left behind by a drum sander. October 13, 2005
Understanding AWI's "Premium Grade" Watch out — if you really have to build to an Architectural Woodwork Institute specification, you really have to know your stuff. January 10, 2008
Attaching Hardwood Edges to Panels Here's a handy tip: use pocket holes and screws for edging panels with solid wood, and mate the pieces using tongue-and-groove joints. November 19, 2006
Rating drawer slides What does a drawer slide weight rating mean, exactly? February 12, 2001
ITEMIZER - From R & R Drummond, Inc. Use your computer to generate efficient layouts for cutting sheet material into desired sizes (a link to a demo download is provided)1998
Gluing Wood to Melamine Adhesive choices for gluing wood face frames to melamine carcase board edges. April 4, 2011
Backyard Shop Ideas Here's lots of advice for a first-time shop builder from cabinetmakers who have been there and done that (with a side discussion about relating to the neighbors). January 28, 2009
Potential of a One-Man Shop Is it realistic to think a small shop owner can make a decent living? December 9, 2004
Basics of Saw Blade Selection An introduction to the important characteristics of various saw blade types. November 24, 2008
Pricing, Productivity, and Profit An inexperienced cabinetmaker asks for help ball-parking a project, and kicks off an interesting discussion about how long it should take to do stuff. February 27, 2015
Building a Shop Cabinet shop owners converse about what they would do differently if they were to build their shop all over again, again. August 14, 2007
Bidding on Big Commercial Jobs Advice about organization, level of detail, and covering yourself in working up and submitting a bid for a large commercial project.September 17, 2014
How Long to Build Cabinets? Cabinetmakers share views on how long a typical cabinet job should take a small shop, and help a colleague figure out why his progress has been slow. April 20, 2008
Pricing a Small Kitchen A question about how to price an example of kitchen cabinetry leads to thoughts about pricing methods and design rendering. February 26, 2007
Printing and Viewing Blueprints for Bidding Cabinetmakers discuss the nuts and bolts of working with digital blueprints, including a look at software that helps with takeoffs and estimating. April 19, 2015
Bowing in a Panel Glue-Up Woodworkers consider why a one-inch thick shelf made up of a 3/4-inch wood layer glued to a 1/4-inch MDF layer came out of the vacuum bag bowed. October 13, 2012
How many confirmats? Determining how many fasteners to use per joint in frameless cabinetry. April 2, 2002
Plywood and Lumber Rack Ideas Thoughts, suggestions, and examples of shop-built material storage racks. September 26, 2009
Panel Processing Time with and without CNC A CNC shop and a cabinetmaker using conventional equipment compare the labor time used to cut up and bore an entire kitchen. January 1, 2012
Building Bee Hive Boxes Bee hives are mass-produced at prices the small craftsman can't easily compete with. July 12, 2012
Hardwood Lumber Tallies Are you being shorted on a lumber delivery? The answer could depend on the fine points of board-foot calculations. April 19, 2015
PUR Glue for Cabinet Assembly Thoughts about the characteristics of hot-melt PUR glue, gluing equipment, and the requirements of cabinet construction. May 23, 2007
Heavy-duty CNC router recommendations Suggestions choosing for a good-quality CNC router, offering adequate tech support and training. February 28, 2001
Pre-Finishing Edge Banding Cabinetmakers share ideas for applying finish to plain wood edgebanding before use. September 22, 2005
Fine Points of Linear-Foot Pricing Linear-foot estimating can play a role in sales and bidding, but it's only a starting point. Here's an extended discussion. August 31, 2010
Pricing Cabinet Installation Work Pros discuss their differing approaches to charging for kitchen and bath cabinet installation work. January 24, 2005
Work-Station Shop Organization Systems Thoughts on a shop setup that involves moving the workpiece from station to station, rather than moving pieces and tools onto and off of a single work bench.May 23, 2011
Bidding Wars Heat Up In a tough economy, price undercutting can get extreme. Here, a cabinetmaker's anecdote sets off a long discussion of price competition and reality. August 11, 2009
Pricing Example: a Simple Cabinet A simple pair of free-standing cabinets, with a long discussion on pricing, bidding, and relating to a competitive market. July 5, 2006
Cabinet Shop Growing Pains A cabinet shop owner gets advice on expanding his production volume while integrating some complex new software into his workflow. July 12, 2008
Taking Measurements on Site — Tape Measure or Laser Device? The new generation of laser measuring tools can improve accuracy and save time. Here, cabinetmakers describe why they made the switch and how they use the new tools. November 22, 2005
Methods for Pricing Cabinet Work After years of estimating cabinet costs box by box in detail, you may have enough data to start taking short-cuts. October 2, 2007
Attention, Safety Practices, and Loose Nuts A woodworker describes how a moment's inattention damaged his machine — but luckily, not him. The tale sets off a long thread of similar stories (including one fatality) and lessons learned. November 16, 2011
Drawing Units and Precision Deciding on the level of precision needed for cabinet and millwork design. October 20, 2004
Recovering from a Shop Fire Woodweb forum steps up with well-informed advice about how to cope with a catastrophic fire in the wood shop. April 16, 2009
Home Shop Pros and Cons Cabinetmakers describe what it's like to have your shop next to (or underneath) your house. April 13, 2012
Cargo Trailer or Box Truck? Cabinetmakers discuss the cost, benefits, and practicality of buying a trailer or box truck for hauling cabinets, materials, and equipment. November 20, 2005
Pricing Kitchen Cabinets Price by the foot, or by the box? Cabinetmakers discuss the pros and cons of different estimating and pricing methods. May 20, 2006
Driver Choices for Confirmat Screws Experiences using battery-powered and air-powered impact drivers to drive Confirmat screws, and some thoughts on screw selection. April 18, 2006
Estimating Sheet Quantities for Cabinets Advice on "guesstimates" and more precise calculation of the number of sheets needed to build a set of cabinet boxes. September 7, 2006
Biscuits for face frames A discussion of using biscuits for assembling cabinet face frames. Pros and cons of biscuits on face frames, and equipment used. November 21, 2000
Deposits and Payment Schedules for Cabinet Jobs Here's an extensive debate on the reasons for requiring payment from customers in advance of starting work or delivering a product. December 7, 2008
Distressing Wood Learning how to give new furniture that well-worn look. January 6, 2005
Should I charge more? Cabinetmakers share their systems for determining pricing. August 29, 2001
Alignment of Face Frames The decision on making face frames flush versus leaving a reveal. February 10, 2004
Where Doors and Panels Meet How various cabinetmakers deal with the relationsihp between overlay doors and the adjacent edges of finished end panels. January 24, 2005
Coping beaded face frames Efficient methods, plus hinge suggestions for face-frame cabinetry. January 3, 2003
Sourcing Cabinet Hardware Pros discuss one-stop shopping for cabinet hardware from various manufacturers. August 29, 2005
Bidding Wars on a Nice Built-In Another lost-bid case study: Custom cabinetmakers discuss pricing and negotiating strategies for a custom Cherry entertainment center job. August 11, 2009
Dowel drilling and use guidelines A quick guide to dowel clearances and practices, including drilling depth, diameter-to-edge ratios, and dowel selection. 1998.
Clamping Equipment A brief description of the various types of high-volume clamping equipment available today. September 20, 2008