Fundamentals of Cabinet Making
George Vondriska
Class Preview
2:18
- In-depth Instruction; over 208 mins
- On-demand video access anytime
- Bonus downloadable PDF resources
- Access to class Q&A
Session 1: Getting Started
1:58
Meet your instructor, woodworker and author George Vondriska. Get an overview of the class, and have a look at the project that will be used as a teaching tool throughout the class.
Session 2: The Carcase
26:47
There are a variety of materials you could choose from for making a cabinet carcase; plywood, mdf, melamine… they each offer pros and cons. Learn what material is best for your project, how to handle large sheets, and how to safely and accurately cut the case parts to size.
Session 3: Case Joinery and Details
31:06
Quality joinery leads to a quality project. Dadoes and rabbets are the mainstay of carcase construction, and you’ll learn joinery rules of thumb that can be applied to any project. Stackable dado heads are great for cutting dadoes and rabbets, and you’ll learn great tricks for easily setting the width of the dado head.
Session 4: Case Assembly
13:34
When projects call for adjustable shelves a hand-held drill, self-centering bit and boring jig provide a great solution, if the jig is used correctly. You’ll see how to consistently register the jig on your case parts. Cabinets glued together out of square will forever be out of square. You’ll see George’s secret for letting the clamps do the squaring work for you, which greatly simplifies assembly.
Session 5: Door and Face Frame Parts
13:43
Handling narrow door and face frame parts on the jointer and table saw can be tricky, unless you know some tricks of the trade that’ll keep you safe and accurate. This is a great lesson in ensuring that all of your frame parts are consistently dimensioned, which greatly simplifies crafting the face frame and door.
Session 6: Make the Face Frame
33:57
How do you make a face frame that perfectly matches the dimensions of the case, without ever using a ruler? Learn George’s trick for transferring measurements, and all of your woodworking projects will become easier and more accurate. Also see how to glue your assembled face frame to the cabinet without having it slip and slide in the glue.
Session 7: Edge Band the Shelf
6:28
Shelves are commonly made from man-made materials, which means banding the edge. Learn how you can easily produce a jig for your shop that will allow you to safely rip the skinniest of edge band pieces, with the saw guard in place.
Session 8: Make the Door
40:24
The door style-inset or overlay-affects the door dimensions, as does the tongue length of your cope and stile bit set. George walks you through calculating your door part sizes for a perfect fit, and teaches how to set up and use rail and stile cutters on the router table.
Session 9: Cap the Cabinet
34:14
A solid wood top dresses up the top of a cabinet, but must be allowed to seasonally expand and contract, so can’t be rigidly fastened to the case. Learn how to easily create a connection that allows this flexibility, and great tricks for adding a mitered molding to the top of the case.
Session 10: Class Summary
0:48
George wraps up this class with a reminder to use the processes and skills you learned in making this base cabinet – to help you create virtually any type of cabinet project with more success.
Bonus: Instructor Insights
1:50
Learn more about this class and some history of cabinet making.
Bonus: Meet Your Instructor
2:31
Learn how George got started in woodworking and learn about his experience as an instructor.
Description
Once you master cabinet making, you open the door to many projects: cabinets for your shop or kitchen, bathroom vanities, book cases, dressers and more. The construction methods used on all of these projects are very similar. This woodworking class provides every detail you need to build quality cabinets in your shop.
Cabinet making projects may appear daunting, but are easy if you break them down into manageable steps, using a logical approach for the building process. This class teaches you how to do that, and provides the following key information:
• Designing attractive cabinets
• Choosing the best material
• Managing large sheets
• Dado and rabbet joinery
• Dimensioning a face frame, perfectly
• Face frame joinery techniques
• Calculating door dimensions
• Cope and stile joints on cabinet doors
• Accenting cabinets with caps and moulding
This class details each step of the process. You’ll gain core skills and knowledge, including how to accurately (and easily) set up a stackable dado head, the best table saw blade for cutting sheet goods, face frame tricks, how to make doors on a router table, and more.
Instructor George Vondriska brings many years of residential and commercial cabinet making experience to your Class. He has developed many tips and techniques that streamline the cabinet making process, and he’s ready to teach you all his tricks. From shop-made jigs to measuring without using a ruler, George has lots of great experience that he’ll share with you.
In addition to video instruction, this class includes a detailed woodworking drawing for the cabinet you’ll build in your own shop while following along with George’s techniques; source references for any specialized tools used; and a class guide as a reminder for key steps.
George Vondriska
Formally trained in technology education, George Vondriska has been teaching woodworking since 1986. He has been the managing editor of Woodworkers Guild of America since 2007. In addition to classes at his own Vondriska Woodworks School, George teaches at woodworking shows across the country and has taught woodworking for the Peace Corps, Andersen Window, Northwest Airlines and the Pentagon.
Bonus materials available after purchase