Fundamentals of Wall Cabinet Design and Construction

$150.00 Sold out

Details

Through the years, I have made many wall cabinets, and along the way I've learned many lessons about how to design them, the best techniques to construct them, and how marry design to technique so that the cabinet is strong, beautiful, light, and functional.

In this course, I'll share what I've learned, discussing and explaining every step along the way: from design to material selection and milling, to joinery, assembly, and finishing. Over the course of 6 lessons (broadcast live but also available for on demand viewing), I'll design a new wall cabinet and then make it. Please read everything below for an explanation of what I'll cover in each of the 6 lessons, when they take place, and where you'll be able to watch them.

All live classes begin at 7:00 PM Eastern and run for no more than 2 hours. They will stream via Zoom, and I will send out a link the morning of the class. The lessons will be recorded and posted for on demand viewing within 24-48 hours. There will be a password protected page on my website where the recordings will live along with other information about the class. I'll send out an email invitation to join the protected page closer to the start of class.

LESSON 1

May 23, 2022
For me, design begins with a blank sheet of paper and a pen, which can be intimidating, especially if you believe that designs spring fully formed from your mind. They do not. Design is an evolutionary process. I'll design a new wall cabinet in real time, explaining the decisions I make, answering questions. We'll discuss things like proportions, how to move from proportions to dimensions, figuring out how design influences construction, and many other topics.

LESSON 2

May 30, 2022
Lumber selection and milling are critical to making beautiful boxes (and furniture). I'll talk about how I decided which species of wood to use for a cabinet, why the shape and size of grain is critical, how to create the boards you want if you can't find them, and how to mill your boards accurately.

LESSON 3

June 6, 2022
The three joints I use the most when doing casework are dovetails, dadoes, and rabbets. I show how I cut them, and explain the small things you need to pay attention to in order to create strong, gap-free joints.

LESSON 4

June 13, 2022
Wall cabinets often have drawers. I'll show how I make and fit drawers, talk about pulls, and explain how a drawer should fit. We will also look at different ways to make a stop and consider their strengths and weaknesses.

LESSON 5

June 20, 2022
Making and fitting a door is an important skill to master. I don't know if this cabinet will have a frame and panel door, or a slab door with a plywood core, but we'll figure it out, and I'll show you how to make and fit it. We can also discuss types of hinges.

LESSON 6

June 27, 2022
The last two things we'll cover are how to make a back (after considering the types of back there are), and choosing and applying a finish.

TOOL LIST

These are the tools that I will be using. You do not need to have all of them in order to make boxes, and you certainly don't need them all to get something from the class. When appropriate, I'll discuss how to do things with hand tools.