The basic cabinet is, essentially, a box made of plywood (typically ¾”). This box is called a carcase. The carcase is then trimmed with doors, hinges, and appropriate hardware. The carcase is usually held together with either dadoes or rabbets, pieces of wood that fit into associated-shaped holes, and then glued together for maximum strength holding.
The general process of building a cabinet includes the following steps:
- Measurements – the area where the cabinets will be installed should be measured, this includes height, depth, and length, width dimensions. In addition, it will include area above and below the cabinet.
- Selection – Selection of wood type, finish, and other details will be made by the customer.
- Building – The cabinets will be built according to the customer’s specifications:
- The wood is cut to the correct dimensions
- The pieces of wood are then “put together” (according to the manufacturer, this includes the aforementioned dadoes, rabbets, and, in some cases, screws).
- The backing is left unfinished, but the rest of the cabinet is then finished.
- Hinges are installed – typically on the inside of the cabinet so that they are not seen.
- Other hardware is either installed at the cabinet maker or factory or is installed on-location.
- Shipment – The finished cabinet(s) are shipped to the location they were ordered from for installation.