Building Cabinets - Cutting and Assembly

Ripping and Crosscutting the Plywood

Cut the sides longways first then cut it to length. The cabinet will be 19" deep, so when you cut the side the cut is made at 18 1/4" because the face frame is 3/4". (18 1/4" + 3/4" = 19")

Measure from the fence to the inside of the saw blade, cut along the scrape side of the stock to make sure you have an 18 1/4" cut.
Note: If the cut is made to the good side of the blade, then you will decrease the width of the piece 1/8 " or the width of the blade known as a kerf.

Rip the plywood. **You will need an assistant to help with this step.**

Crosscut the stock using a circular saw. (A table saw will also work but can be difficult to use when cuffing long pieces of plywood) Note: To make accurate cuts, clamp a straight edge across the board to act as a guide. Also, set the saw blade " deeper than the " plywood.

Crosscut the sides to 30 1/4". This along with the countertop gives the total height of 31".

Making the base. The base is 3 1/4" high and cut out of the plywood. Cut so that the width is the width of the cabinet, less the two sides and the depth is the depth of the cabinet less the depth of the notch for the kick, plus the thickness of the faceplate. Nail the bottom onto the base using a little glue and a few 6d finishing nails. Make sure to line it up perfectly as you nail it, then nail the bottom shelf on to the base.

Notch the sides at the bottom to create the kick.

Note: Cut the notch on the side a little lower because the face frame drops a 1/2" lower than the bottom of the shelf. This prevents a 1/2" gap when assembling the carcass. For the final cut measure 2 1/2" deep and 2 3/4" high. The best tool for this is a jigsaw. Draw the notches onto the plywood using a small finishing square.

Assembling the Carcass Unit

Nail the sides onto the base. To stabilize the unit clamp the sides to the base. The bottom should be flush to the sides and the kick should recede the designated 2 1/2" from the face of the carcass. Before nailing spread glue on the sides of the base, and sides. This will strengthen the vanity.

Draw a line on the sides of the cabinet using a framing square. This will give you proper placement so that the finishing nails will not puncture through the cabinet. Use two rows of nails on each side, one that penetrates the bottom shelf, and one that penetrates near the bottom of the base.

Using 6d finishing nails, nail the sides to the bottom leaving the nails protruding slightly to be set later with a nail set.