# Face frames of kitchen cabinets



## NorthenMN (Apr 26, 2012)

When building kitchen cabinets where does everyone locate the face frames where to cabinets are butted up to each other? 

I am using 1.5" hardwood for the face frames and I was wondering if I should make the face frame flush with the outside of the cabinet or have it overhang the edge? I have seen it done both ways but wonder what the advantages of each method are.

Thanks for helping


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

NorthenMN said:


> When building kitchen cabinets where does everyone locate the face frames where to cabinets are butted up to each other?
> 
> I am using 1.5" hardwood for the face frames and I was wondering if I should make the face frame flush with the outside of the cabinet or have it overhang the edge? I have seen it done both ways but wonder what the advantages of each method are.
> 
> Thanks for helping


I do mostly frameless cabinets, but when I do them with face frames, I make the edges flush. Some make them with a sight overhang to make contact with a party cabinet, to insure the face frames mate.










 







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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

I leave a little overhang in most cases.


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

+1 on the overhang


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## NorthenMN (Apr 26, 2012)

wow quick responses today, when you guys leave an overhang how much? do you put a shim in the back of the cabinet to take up the gap so teh cabinets stay square?


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

The advantage in allowing the FF to hang out is in installation. Walls are seldom perfectly straight or corners perfectly square. Cabinets might not be perfectly square either. The overhang allows the faces to fit tight at the front where things show, rather than the sides hitting towards the back and preventing a tight fit at the front. With custom cabinets, there is no need to build numerous individual boxes and attach them to each other. Even when size and length of run make it necessary to break runs up, cabinetmakers construct the joining of cabinets so you don't see a joint between units. You can spot manufactured cabinets easily by the visible joints and the odd size, unbalanced visual on door sizes.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Most of the time when I do residential cabinets I make the faceframes 2" wide and put the end panel flush on the exposed sides. Then on the side going to the wall I put the side panel 5/8" in from the outside in case the wall is out of square it won't hold the cabinet out from the wall. Some companies will build cabinets with a cheap wood and recess the side panel in 1/4" on the exposed side so you can cover the end with finished plywood. Back in the 1970's it was common to build the interior of a cabinet with particle board so we used this type of construction. That way we could build the face out of solid ash and put 1/4" ash plywood on the exposed ends.

As far as the cabinets butting up against each other it is better off avoided if possible. I will build a cabinet in one piece if there is any way to get it into the house. Where I have to make a seam I will usually take a solid piece of wood and rip it down the center and spline it together so the grain matches and looks like a 2" stile. Then I put one piece on each cabinet so when the two cabinets are put together is looks like one piece of wood. This usually involves clamping the two cabinets together and sanding them as one cabinet. Then taking them apart to finish.


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