newbie needing help with make vs buy

[Matt Ranum]

I didn't have much woodworking experience when my brother asked if I could make his new kitchen for him. A great learning experience that took a long time to do.

Here is my list of essential tools:
Table saw
router and preferably router table
circular saw and straight edge (for cutting sheets down to manageable size)
Keg pocket screw kit
a hand plane (for truing up face frames)
and of course an orbital sander
drill

If you have most of these tools you can do a very respectable job, if you more thats awesome too but it doesn't take a ton of tools to do the job at a hobbiest's pace.

[Nathan Callender]

I agree with Matt, and I'd also add that you should try to get the shop organized well before starting. IE, build a lumber and plywood rack for the wall, build a simple router table using your newly acquired table saw, make some jigs that you'll need, etc. This will make like much easier once the project starts and gives you some practice projects before starting on the cabinets.

To answer your questions, I would build all new cabinetry. That way everything matches and you can pick your favorite woods for what you want. Also, I would pick the style of cabinet and door you really like, and not base it so much on what seems easier to do - after all, for the amount of time you will put into the project, you'll want to end up with a design that you really like.

Hopefully we're convincing you that this is a good idea. :-)

[Darrell Bade]

Yes it can be done. I would build all new cabinets. Here is my story for proof.

I have done a lot of woodworking over the years but just building shelves, cedar chest and a couple of desks. I had a Ryobi BT3000 table saw and a lunchbox planer, jointer and router.

We moved and I built a 30x60 pole barn. We finished a 20x30 to live in for a while and I made a 30x20 section my woodshop. Problem was I did not get the woodshop finished and we had stuff everywhere from the move so when we started the house I had a 15x20 area to work in plus a table set up outside. I celebrated having a new shop with the purchase of a sawstop and then started building my cabinets. I built all the kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and laundry room cabinets. I started the first of June and got done the middle of September. I do not remember how many cabinets there were, but they were face frame cabinets and there were 27 raised panel doors and 16 drawers plus some pullout drawers for the spice rack. I used 420 board feet of oak, 16 sheets of 3/4" oak plywood, 5 sheets of 1/2 oak plywood and 4 sheets of 1/4" oak plywood. Used Blum drawer slides and hinges. My cost for the project was about $3000. I already had a dovetail and Kreg jig and acquired a Grizzly 15" planer and Grizzly 8" jointer along the way.

It can be done. Before this project I had never made raised panel doors or dovetailed drawers, but neither of them was that hard. The boxes were easy to put together. In my opinion cabinets are fairly straightforward to build. The biggest thing that took time was sanding. I sanded everything using a 5" ROS. If I ever did a job like this again a drum sander would be added to the shop. I spent hours with that ROS in my hand. My wife also stained all the cabinets as soon as I got done building them.

You do need space to put the cabinets as you are working on them. My other 20x30 section of the pole barn was full of cabinets. The ATV's and tractor set outside all summer.

I attatched some pictures for motivation. My cabinets might not look totally professional, but I sure get a lot of compliments on them.

[Stanley Smith]

I have a patient and supportive wife that actually WANTS me to do these projects. And she know's how to bait a hook and clean fish as well!! I am truly blessed.

You better take VERY good care of that woman!!

[scott vroom]

Darrell, thanks for the comments and pics. Your cabinets look beautiful! Did you design them yourself? What type of finish and how was it applied?

Thanks-
Scott Vroom

[Darrell Bade]

I cheated on the design. My wife went to a cabinet shop and told them what she wanted and they laid it out. She then got a Kraft Maid and another book from Lowe's and she found the layout for each cabinet in the book that she wanted and marked it on the drawing. I made a couple of detailed drawings in Autocad to get me started and then just did the rest on the fly. They started the house in May and I had to match the builders pace on the house. Autocad was really helpful on the corner cabinets. I drew them to scale and set the tablesaw for the dimensions it gave me. Was glad they fit perfect when installed.

I did not use any pre-finished ply. I also made the drawers out of solid oak. I bought the oak for $1.90 a board foot and figured that was about as cheap as anything. There are two coats of Minwax stain on the cabinets. I then had the painter that laquered the woodwork in the house spray the cabinets. He used what he called a cabinet laquer that is supposed to be harder than the stuff they used on the woodwork. I installed them and he sprayed them in place, including the insides using Graco airless sprayer. He took the drawers, shelves, doors and other parts home and returned them after spraying them. I planned on spraying them myself before installing them but ran out of time. Like I said, I had to match the builders pace and the mortgage company was giving me grief about the cabinets needing to be done before closing. At least you do not need to worry about that part of the equation.