NCCER Cabinetmaking cheat sheet

Face frame cabinets: frame rails and stiles are typically 1-1/2 in to 2 in wide; overlay doors cover part or all of the frame, inset doors sit flush within the opening.

Standard base cabinet depth is 24 in (without countertop); wall cabinet depth is 12 in; tall pantry cabinets are commonly 24 in deep.

Base cabinet height is 34-1/2 in to accept a 1-1/2 in countertop for a 36 in finished height; wall cabinets typically start 18 in above the counter and are 30 in or 36 in tall.

Toe kick height is usually 4 in with a 3 in setback; a 4-1/2 in toe kick yields a 35 in cabinet box for a 36-1/2 in finished height.

Reveal is the gap between doors/drawers; a 1/8 in reveal is common for inset and overlay construction, while 3/16 in to 1/4 in is used for euro-style full overlay.

Modular sizing: cabinet widths are commonly 9 in to 48 in in 3 in increments; fillers make up differences at walls and corners.

Drawer box height is measured from the bottom of the drawer side to the top edge; standard depths are 3 in, 4 in, 6 in, 8 in, and 10 in.

A blind corner cabinet uses a 12 in to 18 in blind side; the cabinet door width plus the blind dimension must fit the corner space.

Cabinet parts: sides (gables), bottom, back, face frame, shelves, and toe kick; a dado in the gable receives the bottom and fixed shelf.

3-4-5 method: measure 3 ft along one line, 4 ft along the perpendicular, and adjust until the diagonal is exactly 5 ft to establish a 90° corner.

Diagonal check: for a rectangular box, measure both diagonals; equal diagonals indicate square corners.

Read a tape measure by the smallest graduation (typically 1/16 in); add or subtract fractions by converting to a common denominator before calculating.

Story pole: mark cabinet heights, countertop line, and wall cabinet line on a straight board and transfer those marks to the wall for consistent layout.

Reveal layout: total opening width minus door width equals total reveal; divide equally between both sides for centered doors.

Centerline layout for hardware: pull width divided by 2 gives centerline; for a 6 in pull on a 24 in drawer, centers are 9 in from each edge.

When measuring for cabinets, record the smallest dimension in an out-of-square room and use fillers to close gaps; check floor level and wall plumb before ordering.

Metric conversions: 1 in = 25.4 mm; 1 ft = 304.8 mm; 1 m = 39.37 in.

Scribe allowance: allow 1/8 in to 1/4 in for scribing cabinets to an uneven wall; fillers are ripped on site to the largest gap.

Plywood grades: A-grade face is smooth and paint-ready; B has minor defects; C and D show knots and splits; the back face is often a lower grade.

Particleboard (PB) and MDF are common cabinet box materials; MDF machines cleanly and holds paint well but swells when wet, so keep it away from sinks and dishwashers.

Melamine is a resin-impregnated paper surface on PB or MDF; edgebanding (PVC or melamine) seals exposed edges and must match the panel thickness.

Solid wood for face frames and doors is chosen for stability: rift-sawn or quarter-sawn oak and maple resist warping better than plain-sawn stock.

Hinge types: concealed European cup hinges require a 35 mm cup bore and 3 mm to 6 mm edge distance; overlay, half-overlay, and inset hinges differ in the door offset.

Drawer slides are rated by load (commonly 75 lb, 100 lb, 150 lb) and by extension (3/4 extension, full extension, over-travel); side-mount slides need 1/2 in clearance on each side of the drawer.

Shelf pins are commonly 5 mm or 1/4 in diameter; shelf pin holes are drilled 32 mm apart on a system line for adjustable shelving.

Fasteners: confirmat screws (7 mm x 50 mm) for particleboard joinery; dowels and biscuits for alignment; glue strength depends on proper clamp pressure and fit.

Adhesives: PVA wood glue for wood-to-wood joints; construction adhesive for attaching panels to walls; contact cement for plastic laminate; allow proper open time and clamp time.

Table saw blade height: set the blade so teeth clear the stock by about 1/8 in to 1/4 in; use a riving knife and blade guard for through cuts.

Rip fence and miter gauge: never use the rip fence as a length stop for crosscuts; a crosscut sled or miter gauge is used for crosscuts.

Dado set: a stacked dado head cuts grooves for shelves and bottoms; test the width on scrap because stacked chippers vary slightly.

Router direction: feed the router left to right along the outside edge of a workpiece (counterclockwise around the bit) for a climb-free cut when using a hand-held router.

Drill press for hinge cups: set the 35 mm Forstner bit depth to about 12 mm to 13 mm for a standard European hinge cup; use a fence and stop for repeatability.

Shelf pin holes: use a 32 mm drilling jig or line-boring machine; holes are typically set 37 mm from the front edge and spaced 32 mm apart.

Rabbet and dado joints: a rabbet is an open-sided groove at the edge; a dado is a flat-bottomed groove across the grain; a groove runs with the grain.

Edgebanding: trim flush with a flush-trim bit or edgebanding trimmer; a 2 mm PVC band needs a 2 mm x 2 mm or 3 mm radius corner to avoid sharp edges.

Cut list accuracy: account for blade kerf (commonly 1/8 in) when calculating parts from a sheet; subtract kerf from each cut when nesting parts on a 4 ft x 8 ft sheet.

Box assembly sequence: attach the bottom and fixed shelf to the gables with glue and confirmats or dowels, then install the back panel square, then attach the face frame.

Check square by measuring diagonals before the back is fastened; clamp the box and adjust until diagonals match within 1/16 in.

Face frame attachment: glue and clamp, then pin or screw from the inside; flush the frame to the cabinet sides and top.

Wall cabinet installation: locate studs, mark the cabinet line at 54 in above the floor for a standard 18 in backsplash, and use a ledger board to hold cabinets while fastening.

Base cabinet installation: set the highest point of the floor as the reference, shim low spots, and fasten cabinets to studs through the back rail; join adjacent cabinets with clamps and screws.

Level and plumb: use a 4 ft level across cabinet fronts and a torpedo level for individual boxes; shim at the floor and against the wall, then trim shims flush.

Countertop allowance: leave a 1/8 in to 1/4 in gap at walls for expansion and scribe the backsplash; secure countertops with screws through the cabinet rails, not through the countertop surface.

Door and drawer adjustment: European hinges adjust in three directions (side, height, depth); drawer fronts are adjusted by loosening screws and shifting the front before retightening.

Installation sequence: upper cabinets first, then base cabinets, then countertop, then doors and drawers, then hardware and trim.

Sanding sequence: start at 80 or 100 grit, progress to 120, then 150 or 180; do not skip more than one grit step, and sand with the grain.

Raise the grain on water-based finishes by wiping with a damp cloth, letting it dry, and sanding lightly with 220 grit before the first coat.

Stain application: apply, let it penetrate, then wipe off excess with the grain; test on scrap because different wood species absorb stain differently.

Finish coats: apply thin coats; sand lightly between coats with 320 to 400 grit; the final coat is usually not sanded.

VOC and ventilation: solvent-based finishes require ventilation and respirators; water-based finishes have lower VOC but still need airflow.

Personal protective equipment: safety glasses for cutting and machining, hearing protection above 85 dBA, and a NIOSH-approved respirator for dust and finish vapors.

Table saw safety: use a push stick for stock narrower than 6 in, keep hands at least 4 in from the blade, and never reach over a spinning blade.

Router safety: unplug before bit changes, tighten the collet, and feed against the bit rotation; a router table provides more control for small parts.

Fire safety: store oily rags in a listed metal container with a self-closing lid; spontaneous combustion can occur with linseed oil and oil-based finishes.