# Carcass construction



## redline9k (Nov 3, 2010)

Ive been lurking for a long time, reading and looking at others projects and construction methods.

I am trying to learn more about carcass construction beyond basic pocket hole joinery. I am interested in making strong 3/4 plywood cabinets and would prefer to take my time making nice carcass' instead of just screwing it together.

Some of my first few carcass' are full dado and tounge/groove construction but I was basically guessing at how to fit everything, where to put stretchers, how to attach the back (rabbet or flush mount), etc. 

Is there any standardized method of construction that I should be looking at?


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## mako1 (Jan 25, 2014)

Owned a custom cabinet shop for 12 years and always dadoed the cases and rabbited the back.Never thought much of pocket screws although they do have some uses.Glued and pinned the back with the rest.It held the cabinet square and helped with clamping.
Not sure what you are referring to as stretchers?
Most all of my shelves in the lowers were on full extension slides so they were just a box with all of the accessories added.
Entertainment centers and built ins are a bit different with some needing some support in the center horizontally .I tried to go with whatever was most aesthetically pleasing and also provide the support needed.
Frameless boxes need more support than face frame as the face frame adds a lot of rigidity to the case.


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

I am not an expert but I found a workflow that I could use and after three, and the current fourth project in progress, the cabinets are turning out just fine. Solid and square.

Check out Kris Reynolds Custom Cabinets on You Tube. I did a lot of research, and still do. But I like his videos because they are easy to watch - no BS and none of that terrible camera shake or herky jerky movement. His videos are straight to the point with demonstrations of each phase of kitchen cabinet construction.

Note: I am building the lower cabinets now, but the uppers are in and restocked with the wife's goodies. I ordered the doors because we are in a time crunch. On previous projects, I made the raised panel doors. That takes a lot of time.

Here are pics of the previous projects.

Hope this helps.
Mike


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## redline9k (Nov 3, 2010)

Thats great info guys - thanks. I think I have a pretty good understanding of how to construct the carcass in general, its just the details as far as measurements, cut locations, supports for stone counters, tricks, etc. Ill check out that link and keep reading.


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## mako1 (Jan 25, 2014)

When building face frame cabinets that have to fit together make sure to leave the stiles proud of the case for scribe.This will save you lots of headaches.There are many variables that takes practice to figure out.Rail and stile width for different overlay or inset doors are just a couple.Never try to build the uppers to fit flush with the ceiling without leaving a scribe or adding extra to the top rail for trim or crown.The details take a while to learn and there are many that are important .


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## redline9k (Nov 3, 2010)

it looks like alot of people use confirmat screws to hold the dado'd deck/sides/stretchers together during assembly, while some just use glue and staples and clamps to hold while the glue dries. Are the screws needed or just really to hold while the glue dries without using a ton of clamps?


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

redline9k said:


> it looks like alot of people use confirmat screws to hold the dado'd deck/sides/stretchers together during assembly, while some just use glue and staples and clamps to hold while the glue dries. Are the screws needed or just really to hold while the glue dries without using a ton of clamps?


I am a firm believer that more is better, but that is just me. I have been using the Spax screws mainly because they use a Torx 20 bit to drive them. Very little bit slipping.

Aplus is you can move on down the road and not have to leave the cabinet in clamps. Working in a small area, that is a perk for me.


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 16, 2013)

Go to the library and check out Bob Lang's book on kitchen cabinets. He covers the dimension and support issues you are asking about.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Check out "similar threads" as the bottom of this*

If you scroll all the way down beyond the last post you will find a box titled "similar threads" which contain other sources of info on this forum. This is a seldom mentioned or used feature here.... :yes:


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## Vexorg (Apr 16, 2014)

redline9k said:


> Ive been lurking for a long time, reading and looking at others projects and construction methods.
> 
> I am trying to learn more about carcass construction beyond basic pocket hole joinery. I am interested in making strong 3/4 plywood cabinets and would prefer to take my time making nice carcass' instead of just screwing it together.
> 
> ...


I have recently completed my first carcasses for built-in cabinets/shelves in my living room (gallery here http://imgur.com/a/BmjEy). 

I used dados for the shelves and rabbit for the back (I have not attached this yet, it will be 1/4th ply). I used google sketchup to design everything and used 3/4th plywood. My only recommendation is make sure you check the thickness of each sheet of plywood before making the dados. I had to add tiny shims to the back of mine but it wasnt a big deal. The cabinets are solid and I only used wood glue.


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## aaronhl (Jun 2, 2011)

Sommerfeld also has a good series. It I was to build cabinets, I would use his router buits to attach the carcass to the face frame. If you already know how to do it, at least it shows step by step on how to build the rest. I like this method because it ensures squareness since you are building the carcass right off the faceframe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klv0jzWD26w


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## taxmanea (Aug 15, 2014)

Great video on cabinets; I have been wanting to build new cabinets for the kitchen, this gives me the confidence to go for it. Thanks for the link and video.


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