Could use some help with a cabinet that isn't square!

FrankLepore said:

This had crossed my mind.

Basically the drawers are going to contain dividers and trading cards. I want them on top because I'm going to be accessing them a lot more frequently, and I'll be looking through them and pulling things out frequently.

The bottom shelves are each going to have two specific boxes that weigh between 7-10 lbs each, so between 14-20 lbs per shelf. That means that, when full (which they will be) the bottom shelves will be holding 56 to 80 lbs. My assumption was that this, along with the weight of the carcass, would be enough weight to make sure the cabinet stays put when pulling the drawers out.

Additionally, I was going to make two of this same unit and connect them at the sides with these socket cap bolts: Amazon.com. This way, if I needed more storage in the future, I could even add a third, etc. But also, pulling one drawer out would also have the weight of both full cabinets.

Does this seem sound? Is there a better way to set this up without the drawers being on the bottom?

This is an image of a previous cabinet I built for similar storage needs. The boxes on the bottom few shelves are the same that are going to be stored here at two per shelf.

View attachment 449594

Additionally, I seriously appreciate all the input I've received here! Thanks a ton to everyone who has replied.

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DrRobert said:

You did fine. The trick with cabinets is consistently cut parts and square cuts.

Few things to consider for the future:

• Before cutting parts double check your tools for alignment and accuracy. Table saw blade exactly 90°.
• Don’t assume the ply is square from the factory!
• Use an accurate large square. Also helps find bows. You can make one yourself use 3,4,5 triangle principle.
• If the ply is bowed and you use a small square you will get a false reading. You can chase your tail.
• Cutting panels square critical and challenging if you don’t have the set up. Don’t assume you rip everything and be square! If you do much of this a crosscut panel sled is good to have. Note: this is not a regular ts sled.
• Miter gauges can work but not always depending on panel width and length.
• If you dado one piece of ply, then rip into two sides they‘ll be perfectly aligned.
• Dont rely on glue alone. Cabinets need mechanical fasteners (screws) glue not necessary. Staples ok on back - no nails they don’t hold.
• Screw the shelves from the outside, do a counter bore and plug. If the ply is bowed this corrects.
• Edge banding always gives a more finished look. Iron on is easy to do
• The back needs to square for your cabinet to be square!

Corner clamps can be handy for holding parts while screwing but aren’t necessary. The back squares the cabinet. Be careful with corner clamps. The plastic Rockler set I have are horribly out of square. I recently bought a couple sets cheap that are “pretty good”. Not important enough to warrant Woodpecker prices. 😉

If fastening to wall a thicker back or nailer strips. Cabinet looks better it back is in a groove or rabbet.

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I believe this cabinet design will make the cabinet, top heavy. A top heavy cabinet really needs to be fastened to the wall, at the top.

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FrankLepore said:

As a newer woodworker, I'm looking for some sage-like advice.

I'm working on a cabinet that's going to have four shelves on the bottom and a few small drawers at the top. It's nothing too fancy, but I wanted to use dados for the shelves. Well, this was my first time cutting dados with a router, and it was frustratingly difficult to get them lined up correctly on both sides of the cabinet.

Ultimately, I knew some of the dados were slightly imperfect, but when I dry assembled the cabinet, everything was able to fit. So last night, I got everything lined up, clamped, and glued up. It actually came together okay, but the problem I'm now facing is that it's far from square. This has manifested in both the feet, which have a decent wobble to them, as well as in the drawer slide installation. (The drawers are not sitting flat when placed on shims on the top shelf, which leads me to believe the boards are somewhat twisted.)

My questions are as follows:

a) Is this a problem I could fix in any way?

b) I'm half tempted to disassemble by cutting the shelves out flush at the joint, sanding clean, then using something like pocket screws where I can ensure a square alignment. (I don't have the same aversion to pocket screws that most do. Haha.) I assume I would lose about 1/8 to a 1/16 of an inch from the cuts, but that would be fine. The dados would also be filled in due to the remaining shelves.

Is this something that could be done, and if so, what's the best way to get a flush cut at the joint?

Thanks in advance for any input. I feel like I've learned a lot from this project and I'm hoping to be able to clean it up a bit.


View attachment 449565 View attachment 449568 View attachment 449569 View attachment 449570 View attachment 449571 View attachment 449566 View attachment 449567 View attachment 449564 View attachment 449572

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FrankLepore said:

As a newer woodworker, I'm looking for some sage-like advice.

I'm working on a cabinet that's going to have four shelves on the bottom and a few small drawers at the top. It's nothing too fancy, but I wanted to use dados for the shelves. Well, this was my first time cutting dados with a router, and it was frustratingly difficult to get them lined up correctly on both sides of the cabinet.

Ultimately, I knew some of the dados were slightly imperfect, but when I dry assembled the cabinet, everything was able to fit. So last night, I got everything lined up, clamped, and glued up. It actually came together okay, but the problem I'm now facing is that it's far from square. This has manifested in both the feet, which have a decent wobble to them, as well as in the drawer slide installation. (The drawers are not sitting flat when placed on shims on the top shelf, which leads me to believe the boards are somewhat twisted.)

My questions are as follows:

a) Is this a problem I could fix in any way?

b) I'm half tempted to disassemble by cutting the shelves out flush at the joint, sanding clean, then using something like pocket screws where I can ensure a square alignment. (I don't have the same aversion to pocket screws that most do. Haha.) I assume I would lose about 1/8 to a 1/16 of an inch from the cuts, but that would be fine. The dados would also be filled in due to the remaining shelves.

Is this something that could be done, and if so, what's the best way to get a flush cut at the joint?

Thanks in advance for any input. I feel like I've learned a lot from this project and I'm hoping to be able to clean it up a bit.


View attachment 449565 View attachment 449568 View attachment 449569 View attachment 449570 View attachment 449571 View attachment 449566 View attachment 449567 View attachment 449564 View attachment 449572

Click to expand...

FrankLepore said:

As a newer woodworker, I'm looking for some sage-like advice.

I'm working on a cabinet that's going to have four shelves on the bottom and a few small drawers at the top. It's nothing too fancy, but I wanted to use dados for the shelves. Well, this was my first time cutting dados with a router, and it was frustratingly difficult to get them lined up correctly on both sides of the cabinet.

Ultimately, I knew some of the dados were slightly imperfect, but when I dry assembled the cabinet, everything was able to fit. So last night, I got everything lined up, clamped, and glued up. It actually came together okay, but the problem I'm now facing is that it's far from square. This has manifested in both the feet, which have a decent wobble to them, as well as in the drawer slide installation. (The drawers are not sitting flat when placed on shims on the top shelf, which leads me to believe the boards are somewhat twisted.)

My questions are as follows:

a) Is this a problem I could fix in any way?

b) I'm half tempted to disassemble by cutting the shelves out flush at the joint, sanding clean, then using something like pocket screws where I can ensure a square alignment. (I don't have the same aversion to pocket screws that most do. Haha.) I assume I would lose about 1/8 to a 1/16 of an inch from the cuts, but that would be fine. The dados would also be filled in due to the remaining shelves.

Is this something that could be done, and if so, what's the best way to get a flush cut at the joint?

Thanks in advance for any input. I feel like I've learned a lot from this project and I'm hoping to be able to clean it up a bit.


View attachment 449565 View attachment 449568 View attachment 449569 View attachment 449570 View attachment 449571 View attachment 449566 View attachment 449567 View attachment 449564 View attachment 449572

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Terry Q said:

Investing in some clamping squares will assure you never have the problem again.

Amazon.com : clamping square

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WETOLS 12PCS Positioning Squares, 90 Degree Right Angle Clamp Woodworking Tools for Handyman, Wood Clamp Square Clamp for Carpenter DIY Pictures Frames, Cabinets, Boxes, etc - WE867 - - Amazon.com

WETOLS 12PCS Positioning Squares, 90 Degree Right Angle Clamp Woodworking Tools for Handyman, Wood Clamp Square Clamp for Carpenter DIY Pictures Frames, Cabinets, Boxes, etc - WE867 - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com