I was in my garage shop about two years ago, working on a dresser for a client in Charlotte. I had marked the pins on the first drawer front, but I got distracted and cut the tails on the wrong side of the line. I had to glue in a new piece of walnut, re-plane it down, and start the whole layout over. It added almost a full day to the job. Has anyone else had a major layout brain-fart like that on a nice piece of wood?
I used to fight it and had projects warp. Now I plan for movement after seeing old cabinets hold up.
I walked by the trade school last week and saw the woodshop was closed. Ten years ago, it was buzzing with students learning dovetails and mortises. I picked up a lot just chatting with instructors there. Now, it's silent, and I worry about where new folks will learn. It's a different world for cabinetmaking now.
Using reclaimed wood isn't just trendy, it's key to less waste. I see too many shops throw out good stuff that could be used again. Do you ever save wood from old jobs?
Early in my career, I thought frameless cabinets looked too industrial and cheap. After working on a modern kitchen project, I saw how clean and efficient the design could be. The lack of face frames made installation quicker and allowed for more storage space. Now, I offer both styles and let clients choose based on their needs.
I've been putting together a built-in for a kitchen redo, and the corner doors were tough. After tweaking the mounting plates three times, they open and close without any issues. I checked the reveal on all sides during setup. It feels great to have it run smooth, and the client saw the improvement.
I just applied the final coat of lacquer to a maple cabinet, and it looks great! Now I have to pick hinges for the doors, and I have no idea which style to choose. What kind of hinges do you recommend for cabinets that get used a lot?