Cabinetmaking Procedures for the Small Shop: Commercial Techniques That Really Work [Paperback]

John Ward (Author), Kevin Fristad (Author), John Kelsey (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2000

An amateur cabinetmaker, no matter how skillful, runs into a whole new set of problems when he or she takes on a large project—building all the cabinets for a kitchen or a study, for example—or ventures into cabinetmaking as a commercial venture. For these larger production projects, the issues of accurate and consistent measurement, standardization, efficiency, and procedure become crucial. This practical manual explains how to keep the work flowing and how to keep the quality high in a custom cabinet shop.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Even relatively new woodworkers can make a single serviceable cabinet, but making an entire kitchen-full presents a much greater challenge. Written by professional cabinetmakers, this volume offers a number of production methods used in cabinet shops, which could prove useful for both home woodworkers and professionals. Pros must work quickly and efficiently, but they also have to achieve a high level of quality. Numerous parts must be milled and then kept in order so that work can proceed smoothly. Fristand and Ward show methods, developed over 20 years in the shop, that work for them. They assume that readers are competent woodworkers, covering a great deal of ground in only 93 pages. Minimal but adequate illustrations supplement the text. Useful for both amateurs and professionals, this title is appropriate for comprehensive woodworking collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

John Ward is the founder of Artisan Woodworks, a custom cabinet shop. He lives in Sonoma, California. Kevin Fristad was the foreman at Artisan Woodworks and is now the general manager of a large cabinet shop. He lives in Freeland, Washington.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892836114
• ISBN-13: 978-1892836113
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #516,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're building kitchen cabinets, read this book., May 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Cabinetmaking Procedures for the Small Shop: Commercial Techniques That Really Work (Paperback)

As a professional furniture maker building his first kitchen, I found Fristad's book the most useful of the three I read - the other two being the best sellers. This book is about production; how to make money; how not to make mistakes; how to streamline the process; how to get the sequence right. It covers both frame and frameless cabinets. No pictures, but lots of good drawing that are really all that are needed. While you need to know the information contained in the other books, this book fills in all the gaps that the others leave out. I recommend this book both to pros and people building a kitchen only for themselves.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This is not the last cabinetmaking book you will read..., November 3, 2002

By 

Philip Lipton (Ketchum, Idaho United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cabinetmaking Procedures for the Small Shop: Commercial Techniques That Really Work (Paperback)

Nor should it be your first. The authors have more than 20 years of experience in cabinet shops. They have good advice and smart tips. This short book (96 pages) strikes me as being a great employee training manual. If you are new, this is a good place to begin learning how to build cabinets. The authors explore issues like face frame cabinets versus Euro or frameless case constrution. But there is not enough detailed instruction for a novice to design or build cabinets based just on the information in the chapters.

If you are experienced, this book will remind you of the many things you are suppose to know. For instance, make sure your cabinets will fit through doorways and up stairs. The authors remind you to account for the floor material so a dishwasher will still fit under the cabinet when the 3/4 inch flooring is installed. There is a brief discussion about schematics and how to measure jobsites.

The authors discuss business practices, contracts, estimating, shop drawings and equipment choices. This is a lot of ground to cover in a few pages so they can not go into much detail about any aspect. The reader can find books that have more detailed instruction on cabinetmaking and other books that cover how to run a woodworking business. If the authors of this book are a bit overly ambitious, I respect their solid advice and practices based on hard experience in the field. They have a refreshingly positive attitude that makes the book a pleasure to read.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Advice but the Book is Narrowly Focused, March 8, 2006

By 

David C. Brayton (Healdsburg, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cabinetmaking Procedures for the Small Shop: Commercial Techniques That Really Work (Paperback)

The title of this book is spot on. The book is a detailed procedure for making cabinets in a small (1-3 people) shop. The authors give detailed advice on the procedure they have used for many years to make a profit and still have time to spend with the family.

But that is also the limitation of this book. For example, the authors glue face frames to the cabinet and they give great advice on this. However, there are other popular methods, such as biscuits and pocket screw holes. Both of these methods warrant only a superficial discussion. And both of the methods are popular and have pluses and minuses. But alas, the authors only really cover dowels and gluing.

Recently, I was asked to design an entire kitchen of cabinets. I used this book a lot to answer some very specific, detailed questions regarding carcass construction. The example drawings are pretty darn good.

The authors' discussion of door building is a bit brief. They state that it is really important to keep doors flat. Duh. Any suggestions for making sure they are flat? Jigs? What about procedures for gluing up 15 doors at a time? Any idea regarding storage racks? They suggest having a third party do all of the work. Sorry, but my clients want me involved every step of the way including selecting appropriate grain and making sure there is continuity.