I can't believe you had to ask!

Measuring is my weakness. So I must measure a million times. When 3 out of 4 times it matches, I go with the 3x one.

Buy decent material.
Have the correct tools: Table saw with dado, nail gun, screw gun, glue, tape measure, pencils with erasers, rubber mallet (just in case) and a book on cabinet making.
For the face frames, you need a chop saw, either a Kreg pocket screw jig, a biscuit maker, or plan Shaker butt joint frames.

I've quit doing this, though.
I buy cabinets at the reuse centers for $5.00 - $25.00 depending upon the center, and still put my doors on them. I stalk the centers for solid, plywood cabinets. Every so often I'll take one made of MDF or particle board, but the latter I'll trade in if I find a better made one.

After I used up the (free) materials I had, I found buying materials to be ridiculously expensive. Plus, sheets of plywood are almost impossible for me to manipulate, let alone carry by myself.

I also found that buying the cabinets RTA from TheCabinetJoint.com is a little more expensive, but WAY less in frustration and anxiety. I can buy my beloved beaded inset frames for an extremely low surcharge.

The last upper cabinet I was able to buy took me less than 15 minutes to assemble. The last base, because it had Blum full extension drawer glides, took me about 45 minutes. It's that level and plumb thing that get me.

Keeping in mind I buy mine unfinished maple. I also have purchased some slab drawer fronts because I haven't decided what doors I actually, will finally, want.

Making them is fine, but I don't throw myself the dog bone and simper, "I have the satisfaction of having made them myself." Who the heck really needs that in the face of cost, learning curve, and anxiety?

If you're teaching yourself, I wouldn't start your first project with your kitchen cabinets. I'd start smaller. If you've got experience, you probably wouldn't be asking this question. I highly recommend contacting Brian at the cabinet joint.com.

If you can afford learning on the job? Knock yourself out.

I've built a few cabinets, although they were standalone decorative cabs and not kitchen cabs. It's fairly easy to build the boxes if you have the right tools, which is a big "if" for the novice.

My advice would be to plan as much in advance as possible for "production runs" where you cut a bunch of things to the same size all at once before changing your setup to cut a different size. That will help to keep your panel sizes consistent, which is a big bugaboo for the home woodworker.

Invest in a good straightedge, a good 90 degree angle, a zero-clearance tablesaw insert, and a good blade for your tablesaw. And realize that shortcuts in woodworking usually turn out to be the long way around.

TP Cabinets

Coffee Table Diary

I wouldn't be building them, my DH would and he's talented enough for the boxes. I was just wondering if it was more a pain than the savings were worth..

Christine, are you able to take regular door/shelf cabs and turn them into drawer bases or no? Do you look for cabs that are the sizes you want or do you alter them down if need be?

Chief: thanks for the input and loved the coffee table saga... classic.

Chief: that's hysterical. *I* have one question: what happened to the extra pieces? I don't really see them in the end product, do I...?

is this hijacking? ;)

Well, what they said on experience, etc., but I'll also add this: Think about if you have enough space--presuming you (DH, whoever) don't build 1 box, install it, on to the next--maximum kitchen disturbance--you're going to have to have someplace to put first all the wood/sheet goods (and I agree about the difficulty of handling full sheets of ply--for instance, they don't go down into my basement until they're cut up some, because they can't fit in..). And then you need to store the cut pieces as they go--likely you'd cut everything to size, then start doing dadoes, etc. And THEN you need to store the boxes--presumably unfinished & eventually finished, until you're done the whole entire project.

I've sworn never to do my own kitchen. I'm contemplating RTA because I know I could do the assembly quickly myself--still worried about the finishing requirements (time, space--I have no decent interior finishing space, and snow & finish don't get along well, so timing is critical!). Now, your DH might be lots faster than I am, but full-time working plus time to spend with kids, spouse...I've done a fair amount over the years, but it nearly always takes lots longer than I hope when I begin!

Meganmca: good point. Space is not something we're rich in... never thought of that. He'll be glad to hear I'm rethinking this idea... of course, he's been thinking a lot about it whilst eating potato chips and watching TV....

@chiefneil those threads are just how my projects go! Currently in the waiting for inspiration phase on a door painting project. Looks great, new hinges exactly the same size as the old ones, but it no longer closes. I now own saw horses and a chisel, but still not working. Buying a hand planer made me feel better, haven't used it yet!

But on the current topic, while I have no experience with this particular task, i have taken on a lot of DIY projects. Plan a lot of research time before starting and at each new step. Figure out what local stores have sales people that know their stuff and can help with advice. Be patient.

Best of luck if you take this on!

yup - can take a lot longer than you would hope, and it takes a lot of room too.

But it was worth doing, and in our old home where everything had to be custom, the only way we could afford it. Hardware can cost more than the lumber too.

Speaking of lumber. . .

Like others have said, get into assembly line - here are box components ready

to finish and assemble most of the time it is easier to finish them first.

I find it is easier to put some of the hardware on before assembly.

Kreg tool and biscuit joiner come in handy

These are drawer bottoms in the basement (A good dovetail jig is nice also).

and have lots of clamps. We could only glue up a few at a time as that is all the clamps we had

my dining room looked like this more often than not.

Canning rings, dixie cups and plastic cups in assorted sizes make nice drying stands - and then you can layer.

We started on making the cabinets in the fall of 2010. We're still not quite finished. . . But we both have outside jobs and DH had injuries twice (one cabinet related, one not)that held things up for almost a year total.

DH figured next time, we'll go Ikea.

They don't look to bad . . .