Tools For Cabinetmaking

What tools would I need if I wanted to start building cabinets? (Part 2)

Shapers, molders, planers and routers are the tools used in cabinet making for taking raw lumber and turning it into cabinet grade hardwood face frames, trim moldings and solid wood components. A common stationary tool used for making moldings and profiling is the shaper. The shaper is a costly piece of equipment and I think it’s over rated. I have a 3 hp shaper in my shop and for the most part it sits idol. The reason, I have a 3 hp variable speed router mounted under a large table with a quality fence system that I use to do most jobs. It’s more versatile, easier to set up for long runs, and the bits are much cheaper. The BenchDog ProMaxRT Router is a good example of a router table system that will perform most shaping duties and replace the more expensive shaper. In m shop the router is by far the most used and important piece of equipment that we have. In cabinet shops it is very common to have several with varying horse power to do specific jobs.

(continue reading…)

What makes a great gift for a cabinet maker? You would think that any quality woodworking tool makes a good gift, but how do you choose from all the thousands of products available?  Here’s two of my top picks for a perfect gift to give.

Clamps

There is no more important piece of equipment in a cabinet shop then clamps! It’s a safe bet that the cabinetmaker your buying a gift for has clamps. The thing here is it’s never enough! Cabinetmakers never have enough clamps and can always use more, always! The best and most common sizes that are used routinely are the 6″, 12″, and 24″. The Bessey company produces a top quality clamp in a variety of sizes, styles, and functionality. This is the only brand I use or recommend. Watch video or read my post on these clamps.

Kreg Pocket Hole Jig

Kreg Jig Master System

This may seem redundant because I’ve already posted on the Kreg Jig but I believe this tool should be a gift to consider. Not that expensive, it will add many more options to the cabinetmaker when considering assembly of cabinets. It allows face frame joinery without the use of bar clamps. Also, this type of construction can be applied to many situations and help the cabinetmaker in a variety of areas. See video and more comments in my post on the Kreg Jig.

Read my posts on other tools for cabinetmaking. Any one of them would make a great gift for the cabinet maker in your life.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all.

The ProMaxRT Router Table with base

One of the Tools For Cabinetmaking you should consider is a well made, accurate, and reliable router table. A good router table with a solid cast-iron table and sturdy base can be a a great asset in your cabinet making tools inventory. The ProMaxRT Router Table with base is an affordable substitute for the more expensive shapers available today. Mounting a variable speed 3hp router and attaching a standalone dust collector will give you the capability of performing a multitude of wood routing operations.

This is a top-of-the-line system featuring a 8 1/4″ x 11 3/4″ ProPlate router plate, with Bench Dog’s 32″ Pro-Fence and ProCabinet Baltic birch base. The cast-iron top is over 5 square-feet, no seams, and machined T-slot and miter

slot. At almost 100 lbs it’s actually bigger than most shaper tables. The ProPlate excepts (continue reading…)