How to justify building cabinets with this kinda onslaught ?

[venkatbo]

Hi folks,

Random thoughts...

Have found WW enjoyable, pretty late in life...
Attending cabinet-building classes and building up a garage shop...
Really enjoying it, and hope to build my own cabinets for kitchen remodel.
Thought I'd save a few green-baks in the process, and basically justify a garage shop.

And then, I see things like this:
http://www.craigslist.org/pen/fur/157242636.html
$1100 for top/bottom cabs for a 10x10 kitchen.

Looks like, other than the satisfaction of building things oneself, there is no financial justification for building your own :-)

/venkat

[Russianwolf]

Other than the fact that you will have limited choices as far as widths and style. it's very true that you can't compete with mass manufactured goods. They have tools/machines that do in 10 minutes what would take you or I 10 hours. They buy wood by the car load (rail car) so pay $1/bf for Maple that you or I would pay $3/bf.

10 Cabinets for $1100 isn't bad. But I think I've seen better prices for "stock" cabinets at HD.

[just4funsies]

There is no doubt that a high-production shop with a CNC mill and tons of cheap raw material can build things economically, but there is no substitute for the satisfaction you'll get doing it yourself, and no way any store-bought furnishings will be EXACTLY the way you want them. Enjoy!

[linear]

Venkat, to make you feel better, about 6 years back when bulding a new house was just the seed of an idea, I went to a big home show in my area. There were all manner of cabinets (and other home itmes, indoors and out) on display. But one thing really grabbed my eye, even though I had yet to start woodworking myself.

There was a booth that consisted of just a guy sitting in the midst of cabinets. And from 20 yards away, I could spot that these weren't the usual deal. I had no basis in woodworking to recognize the specifics then, but these just screamed quality. And so I couldn't help but go up and talk to the guy.

So he explained how he makes the cabinets by hand. I even got a rough estimate, and oh boy it was impressive ($$$$). I took his card and wished him good luck and decided I really wanted his cabinets in my house, which isn't how it ultimately transpired. And thinking back, I can now look at cabinets (including my own, which are custom made in a local shop) and tell you why his were so glaringly better. He took the time to really look at the wood and select pieces that worked harmoniously together in terms of grain and coloration. So while my cabinets are well-made, and solid value for the dollar, there's spots where I can't believe they made certain choices about using pieces of stock. That just comes from being production-oriented instead of craftsmanship oriented.

So go ahead and do it, or what some guys do is just do the doors and face frames themselves.

[ejs1097]

that sounds pretty darn cheap to me. I paid 4-6 times that for my 12x10 kitchen remodel and thought I did really good. That included builtin frig, bigger cabinet above fridge, shaker drawers, waste can cabinets, etc.

building would be much more enjoyable if you have the time. And you can remind everyone twice everytime they step into your kitchen.

based on your post though it doesn't sound like you need fianancial justification to build them. have fun.

[venkatbo]

All,
Thanks for the encouraging words :-)

Initially, when checking with a few stores for new kitchen cabinets, we got quotes from $15k-$20k... At that point, I thought if I built them on my own, I could save enough to get a well-equipped shop in the bargain - me LOML was agreeable - as long as I did not take an eternity to accomplish :-)

Now, I realize there is absolutely no financial justification... but I should admit, I'm having a ball in my WW class at a local city college - and hope to still build my own cabinets. Need to remind myself - its the journey that counts - not the destination

Just need to make sure me LOML is totally unawares of these bargain basement cabinet prices - she's liable to pull the plug on my entire garage

/venkat

[JimD]

I can add a couple other advantages. First, stock cabinets means stock sizes. Rooms rarely need an integral number of stock sized cabinets. So there are filler pieces. Wasted space. That is also the other reason I do not care for stock cabinets. I typically make European style cabinets so I can avoid wasting the space of the face frame. If you put your drawers 3/4 inch apart, you can gain at least a couple inches and often enough space for a 4 inch drawer in a typical base cabinet. When you make your own, you can completely fill the space available with useful cabinets.

Jim

[LinuxRandal]

If I could have bought the kitchen cabinets, out of the material I wanted, in the style I wanted, I probably wouldn't have bought my BT. I would only need one odd size, so I could of had that made. It's all a matter of taste/preference.

[Crash2510]

who needs justification
we wouldn't do woodworking if we had to justify buying tools clamps etc and building stuff you could have custom made
If you like woodworking and want to build them go for it

[Lee4847]

In process..

Last fall we took our kitchen layout to a Box store and they did a workup for us with Kraft Maid cabinets. The total for the cabinets with no extras was a little over 6K. With pull out drawers/trash can and other options the price went higher. They did however give me a nice drawing and 3-d views of our design! I started at the end of November building the upper cabinets. I don’t have nearly enough room to make/store a complete kitchen. I installed the uppers right after Christmas and then went to work on one side of the room where their were no lower cabinets. After they were installed I built the remaining bases. Two weeks ago we tore out the last of the old ones (including the sink!!). The new ones are installed and the counter people were out and made the template. The new counter will be installed when I get back from vacation. I still have 17 drawers and all the doors to make….next winter. We ride bikes and travel in the summer. So.. Was it worth it?? So Far I have $2100 in materials and $800 in tools . Besides being a lot cheaper I have all the options and no fillers/wasted space. The material cost includes all the electrical and plumbing supplies also. The best part is the satisfaction of building them myself. YES it is worth it to me.

[gerti]

I don't think you can save money with most DIY woodworking projects. But you can make things to perfectly fit your needs. And then there is the satisfaction...

[venkatbo]

Amazing & insiring ;-)
'am SOLD on this venture ;!)
/venkat

[jabe]

Cabinets

Aloha all,
I've built several custom Kit & bath cabinets with face frame and Euro faceless style with Blum hardware. A lot of these mass produced bargin cabinets are made with particle board core with a nice veneer on the outside. Semi-custom cabinets built with 1/2" thick plywd with solid wd FF, still need filler strips. In the tropics, our humidity is high, the PB core cabinets tend to swell, sag, and start to crumble hence I do get a lot of jobs replacing them with cabinet grade ply-core or lumber core Plywds all 3/4" thick. With custom made cabinets you can design your cabinets to get the most use of space with no filler strips. Use 9 ply or lumber core plywds when building your own cabinets, they tend to be more stable. The so called cabinet grade plywds, I see at HD are only 5 or 7 ply, most of them are bowed, not good! You need to purchase from a reputable lumber dealer and you can request that the veneer are all matching and or pre-finished. When you build it yourself, you can use better quality material & hardware and most of all the experience & satisfaction you get when the job is done. Also, you save $$ and probably get to buy more tools without the wife objecting.

[RayintheUK]

A major advantage for me when building kitchen cabinets is that of hanging them on a French cleat system. Not only does this make subsequent re-decoration easier - just lift them off - but the strength is multiplied many times over hook and claw hangers, which rely on a couple of screws each to take a sometimes-considerable load.

Ray.

[vaking]

Cabinets in my kitchen were bought right before I got into woodworking. They are made by Kraftmaid - the expensive name among big box assortment. Still they have particle board core which does not serve well because of moisture around the sink. Doors and drawers are solid wood but they are glazed on the surface and that glaze chips away. My wife is stating clearly that she would have rather had it painted than glazed.
No you will not save money by building your own cabinets but you will make better ones.
One more option is a combination approach. Analysis suggests that base cabinets themselves are cheap. Most money goes towards doors, drawers, sliding shelves and other "organizing stuff". And this is the stuff that makes a difference between cheap junk and high end products - bases are pretty much the same everywhere. Making doors and drawers usually not that much lumber but lots of labor. If you want - buy bases and make your own visible parts and internal organization of those boxes. Most likely this will be the overall cheapest approach.