Cabinet making – sounds interesting, right?
Well, cabinet making is actually an interesting job if you know how to do it properly.
Also, if you are passionate about cabinet making, this can be a great business for you.
This article will cover everything for you – from learning cabinet-making to building a successful cabinet-making business. Stay tuned.
What is cabinet making?
Cabinet making is one of the most dedicated woodworking trades. This woodwork project forms typical cabinets or cupboards, having doors and shelves. Cabinet making includes both designing and constructing the cabinet for specific purposes. This woodwork requires acquiring a deep knowledge of various tools and measuring equipment.
Cabinet making isn’t all about designing and building typical cabinets. The knowledge of cabinet making is also helpful in making kitchen joinery. Well, cabinet or kitchen joinery is a fixed structure in a similar form to a cabinet. Two or more sections of timber are connected here. That’s why it’s widely known as a cabinet joinery.
Cabinet making industry has a vast field in the furniture-making industry. This industry produces both kitchen and bathroom products from woods. General woodwork and cabinet making aren’t similar jobs. Cabinet making projects usually don’t include decking, framing, and other household jobs. Their focus is just on the cabinet.
Tools required for cabinet making
A successful cabinet making project ends up with the proper use of some equipment. Here is the list of some essential things you’ll need in a cabinet making project.
- Table saw
- Clamp
- Miter saw
- Jig
- Scribe
- Dado set
- Combination square
It’s time to learn about the pros and cons of some cabinet making tools.
Screws
Using brass countersunk screws is a great choice for cabinet making. These screws have a good finish and offer an aesthetic view of the cabinet. They’re also known as pocket screws. Their narrow shank with a thread-cutting tip helps in avoiding splitting hardwoods.
Nailer
Brad nailer is good for any light woodwork projects like cabinet making. Rather than using a framing or finishing nailer, an 18 gauge brad nailer is a better option. It’s because the 18 gauge nail of this nailer can adhere to the surface strongly.
Clamps
If you look for budget-friendly clamps, there is no alternative to pipe clamps. It offers up a cheap way to glue wood panels together perfectly. These clamps come with protective pads to protect the cabinet surface from being damaged.
Required table saw
Small-sized, handy table saw is expedient for any cabinet making project. Cabinet makers usually rely on top-rated brands and the table saw with a high-power motor. Along with the Benchtop table saw, they also use the SawStop, Powermatic, and Shop Fox.
The best wood
Red oak, poplar, maple, mahogany, or plywood is usually used in cabinet making. Engineered glued and laminated wood like plywood is convenient for this project.
CNC for cabinet making
Using the Pro Series 4X8 CNC Router System is recommended for making cabinets. For the versatile types of drills through three axes, any reputed CNC router model is acceptable.
Correct saw blade
The diameter for cabinet making saw blade comes in a wide range. You can use any blade of diameters from 7.5 inches to 12 inches. The blade must include 50-80 blades for precise cutting.
How to be a cabinet maker- A complete guideline
When you enter a cabinet making apprenticeship, your work with solid timber starts. This process is universal for being a full-time furniture maker, especially a cabinet maker. However, are you eager to know how to become a cabinet maker? Well, here are some important things you should know then.
The process of getting into cabinet making job
Learning cabinet making requires hard work of years after years. To be a certified cabinet maker, you need to complete a four-year apprenticeship program. If you seek, you’ll find that many institutes in your localities offer this course. In the meantime in the course, you’ll learn about instrument operation, nailing, and basic woodwork.
People keep misconceptions of cabinet making and carpentry job as similar. Operating power Tools, lamination, finishing, assembling, etc. are the prime skills for a good cabinet maker. Cabinet makers focus on finer details like internal fittings. But, rather than looking at details, carpenters emphasize vast projects and versatile works. A cabinet maker never works on a construction site whereas a carpenter does.
Where to learn cabinet making?
As we’ve mentioned earlier, many woodwork-related institutes offer this course for free or at a cheap fee. Udemy, one of the largest online course platforms, is offering this course only for around $50. Here is their course link:Cabinet making online course on Udemy.
For offline training, you can contact the nearby vocational training center for more specific information. Carpenters training institute requires completing 7000 hours of on-the-job training. Also, they offer 640 hours of classroom lessons. As it’s a technical operation, we recommend selecting a community college or technical school to learn it precisely.
Challenges of being a cabinet maker
Cabinet making may seem boring work if you don’t find interest in this field after working for days after days. The primary challenge of being a cabinet maker is completing the work hour. Next, you shouldn’t forget the operating process of any power tool.
Cabinet making isn’t hard if you’re concentrated and have creative ideas. People love varieties. So, if you can bring variety to your work, you have a good future. Being a professional cabinet maker as well as running your own business isn’t easy at all. Once you start earning money from here, you’ll be motivated to overcome the challenges sooner.
A few more words about cabinet making
Cabinet making isn’t a profession that you can dominate within a few days. If you get involved in cabinet making business, the challenges are more critical. Here are some words you should read before involving yourself with cabinet making business.
How to start cabinet making business
Cabinet making is a good trade as it can bring a significant profit. It’s possible to make $2,500 and $6,000 daily by making 5 custom cabinets. So, it’s a great choice for starting a business with cabinet making. Let’s see how to start a successful cabinet making business.
- First thing first: make a proper plan for the future of your business. If you’re operating the business alone, it’s truly difficult. If you’re in a joint business, make an executive committee for discussing the pros and cons.
- Register your business for taxes from the tax office with a valid TIN number. Before that, complete the nomenclature of your business with a unique, relevant name.
- Opening a business bank account with credit card service. Appoint an accountant or more for calculating the earnings and expenses of the business.
- Complete the insurance procedure, and set up a call center for customers.
- If you’re starting with big capital, you should appoint some skilled cabinet makers. Prepare a healthy salary scale and company policy for them before looking for interested people.
- Finally, build a complete website with a web developer and publish it. Also, make sure that people are aware of your business from social media advertisements.
Expenses of opening a cabinet making business
The primary expenses for opening a cabinet making business depend on your business strategy. Also, it varies from state to state. If you have your own property, the expense will reduce to a larger scale. You’ll need to invest your money primarily in the following sectors:
- Transport
- All kinds of tools (Purchase, maintenance)
- Employee wages
- Raw material purchase
- Workshop customization & maintenance
- Advertising
- Relevant fees (Tax, electricity, gas, internet, etc.)
In these sectors, you should invest from $2000 up to $10,000 depending on your capability. Following the minimal principle will help to reduce your primary expenses.
Who will purchase your products?
Cabinet making business has a wide range of target customers. Property owners are the biggest field of finding customers. Also, architects, interior designers, and contractors are your secondary customers. People interested in the cabinet must look for their recommendations. That’s why convincing them of your product is highly important.
How can you make money?
Your prime income source will be from selling cabinets. Also, you can earn from attracting shareholders and providing quality customer service. You should charge your customers based on your expenses. Also, observe the competitors before fixing a charge. Make people understand why you’re special to others. The charge of the cabinets should be around like this:
- Stock cabinets: $60-$200 per foot
- Semi-custom cabinets: $100-650 per foot
- Custom cabinets: $500-$1,200 per foot
Wrap up
Cabinet making is more than a carpentry job as it requires learning good finishes. It’ll take more than a year to be a pro at this work. After going through the complete guide to cabinet making, your conception must be clear now.
If you’re looking for quick earnings, you should join any company as a full-time cabinet maker. In case you’re thinking about bigger fish, start your own business. Now you have detailed knowledge of starting a cabinet making business from the root.
There are a lot of challenges here. If you don’t complete your target work hours, you can’t get the certificate for this work. Having shallow knowledge of relevant tools isn’t also acceptable here. Only your determination, wise investment, and proper use of time can make you a good cabinet maker.