Are you looking for a simple way to build wall cabinets? I show how to build easy wall cabinets for beginners. As a woodworking educator, I walk you through step-by-step instructions and provide tips on how to be successful at your project.
A wall cabinet has 2 sides, a top, a bottom, a back, and 2 nailers. There are a number of different ways cabinetmakers build cabinets but I want to show you the easiest way to build a wall cabinet without a lot of tools. The first cabinet is simple, the second one I build is a little more complex with and adjustable shelf and hidden nailers.
The first step is determine the size of the cabinets you want to build. Then buy your material and cut it down to size. I use 3/4 inch plywood for all the parts except the back, which is 1/4 inch plywood. If you have limited tools, you can have the lumber yard cut down the plywood for you. If you want to learn how to cut down large boards, check out our video to learn how to do that https://youtu.be/CyMudtkwoQY
Once the parts are cut to size, it’s time to add edge banding to cover the edges of the plywood that will be visible. This iron-on veneer is easy to apply with a hot iron. Once it’s cooled, I trim it off with an edge band trimmer on the long sections and a utility knife on the ends.
For the first and easiest wall cabinet, all the parts are now ready to be assembled. Its easier to do this with 2 people, but if you’re working along, I suggest buying some clamping squares to hold the parts together while you pre-drill the holes and drive in the screws. I drive in 3 screws for each section to connect the side to the bottom and the side to the top. I also glue this joint for a little more grip. Once the sides are secured to the top and bottom, check for square by measuring diagonally from corner to corner to make sure they’re equal in both directions.
The back is glued and nailed on to help keep the cabinet square and prevent it from racking. The last step is to install the nailers on the top and bottom. These are important as they are used to attach the cabinet to the wall. I drive in 2 screws from each end and two on the top/bottom. You’re done on the easiest wall cabinet you could ever build. The nailers are visible, so if you want to hide them, the second cabinet I build shows how to do that.
The second wall cabinet also has an adjustable shelf. This is easy to add to a cabinet using a shelf pin jig and some shelf pins as shown in the video. My goal is to give you enough information to be successful in building a wall cabinet.