Does anyone know a good website that details how to make custom cabinets?
Tommy asked:
I am trying to be as cheap as I can while redoing my kitchen and thought about trying to make my own cabinets. I really can’t afford to spend a whole bunch.
I am trying to be as cheap as I can while redoing my kitchen and thought about trying to make my own cabinets. I really can’t afford to spend a whole bunch.
January 27th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
I assume you are a gifted do-it-yourself person? If not, forget it. If my assumption is correct, I suggest a book called “How to Build Your Own Log Home for Less Than $15,000″ Even though you are not building a cabin, this book has excellent detailed instructions on how to build cabinets. Search for it on amazon.com and read the reviews. Everyone is pleased with the instructions. The book is a few years old and you can probably pick it up for $10.
Before purchasing the book, I had searched websites for this and never found a decent site.
Good luck.
Another idea is to buy a kitchen from someone who is remodeling. People get rid of nice things every day. Unless, of course, you want a project;-)
February 1st, 2009 at 5:26 pm
@Tommy -
Building an entire set of kitchen cabinets and installing them is a much bigger job than most people realize. I’m certainly not trying to insinuate that you can’t (or shouldn’t) attempt it but here are some things to think about…
[1] It is likely to cost you much more for the raw product necessary for your project than it would cost a professional cabinetmaker in your area. This is because they buy their lumber, cabinet doors, pulls, accessories, etc. from a commercial supplier rather than from an outlet that sells to the general public.
For example… the cabinet hinges I use most often are made by Blum. I pay about $1.00 per hinge (in bulk) wheras the same hinge costs about $3.50 each if you buy it from cabinetparts.com (an online supplier to the public).
The same is true for all elements required for a kitchen remodel and for this reason, you may not save that much money.
[2] If you really decide to go for it I would highly recommend that you start by building a new bathroom cabinet. Since most bathroom cabinets are one-piece, easier to build than a full set of kitchen cabinets and easier to install… this will give you an idea of how much work is involved.
This should give you the experience necessary to more accurately determine whether or not you should tackle the kitchen.
Much success,
cabinetguru