Cabinet Making Tools

The folks over at ThisIsCarpentry.com recently posted an article titled "Why Hand Tools (Still) Matter".  The author, Keith Mathewson, did a great job pointing out exactly what the title states.   Some of the points he makes are:

• Sometimes the fastest method is still the oldest
• Hand tools often do what power tools can’t
• They give you precise control, ensuring a perfect cut

So what kind of woodworker are you?  Do you rely mostly on power tools?  Are you an old-fashioned hand tool kind of person?  As much as we here at Eagle America focus on power tools (after all, have you ever tried to use router bits by hand, without a router?!?!), our customers often tell us that their most prized possessions are old woodworking tools that have been passed down from previous generations.  There's just something about those old wood cutting tools that bring nostalgia to the forefront.  Often we hear about cabinet making tools like old hand planes but sometimes we hear stories about other woodworking accessories too.  So which woodworking tools in your collection do you cherish?  Let us know, post your comments to this blog post. 

Also, if you are looking for new hand tools, did you know that Eagle America carries a nice selection?  Click here to see our selection of Hand Tools and Planes.

Kreg pocket hole jigs and pocket hole machines are some of the best cabinet making tools on the market! These woodworking tools make the creation of butt joints quicker and easier than anything we have seen.


They give you clean, strong, professional butt joints without the need for glue.


Whatever your woodworking skill level or budget, there is a Kreg pocket hole jig or machine that will satisfy all of your woodworking needs.


From 7/1 - 8/31/2010, Kreg is offering mail-in rebates worth up to $1,000 on their line of Pocket Hole Machines. Click here to see the product pages for details.


Come on over to Eagle America and check out these great woodworking tools and woodworking accessories. We know that once you try them, you will be hooked for life!

Well, it's been a while since I posted about the rocker, but my shop time has been limited and there was a little design issue to work out.

That has been done and the SketchUp model has been updated to reflect the changes and additions.

You can view the model at: sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details in the 3D Warehouse on Google.  You can even download and “explode” it to get the dimensions.
 

The joinery is not in the model.  I am not that sophisticated in using SketchUp.  I should be, I have “SketchUp for Dummies”!  The problem is time!

SketchUp would make a great addition to your cabinet making tools or woodworking tools! 

Although Eagle America does not carry SketchUp, those of you that have some time and want to learn to use this FREE CAD application, there are plenty of FREE resources on the Internet at Google and other web sites.  Both Fine Woodworking and Popular Woodworking Magazine have editors that blog about SketchUp.

It really is a pretty radical FREE software package.  Did I mention that is does not cost anything to download it?

 More soon on the construction of the rocker….

I am getting ready to start remodeling my kitchen and that includes all new cabinets.  As I was thinking about my woodworking tools, woodworking accessories and what router woodworking I would be doing, I started getting things together in my shop.  Even though I have a complete shop including a nice table saw set up with a good table saw blade in it, I have come to the conclusion that I need to take another approach to cut all the sheet goods.  Having to handle many large sheets of plywood by myself in a limited space would be a real chore.

I decided to invest in the Festool TS55EQ saw and guide rail system.  This will allow me to lay a full sheet of plywood on a pair of sawhorses that have rails running between them, to give the plywood full support, layout my components and precisely cut pieces to size.  It's a lot easier to flip a 3/4" sheet of ply onto these low sawhorses than to try and wrestle it up onto the table saw.  
 
The great thing about the Festool saw system is that the guide rail will allow me to make my cuts very accurately and very quickly.

What I have been doing is cutting the pieces out of a sheet of ply, slightly oversize with a small trim saw and then re-cut them to finished size on the table saw.
 
With the Festool saw I can easily and accurately cut the pieces to finished size with the first cut.

It will make my life a lot easier, make the job go a lot faster and probably save a lot of back pain.  And to make the decision easier, right now thru July 31st, I can save 10% off the purchase of any Festool saw system at Eagle America.

When this happens I find one of my favorite sources of inspiration is woodworking books.

I turn to books when I feel like learning a new technique or for new project ideas such as building my own router table and fence.

Books are also great resources when I need to tune up my shop tools or I need help selecting the right cabinet making tools, table saw blades and woodworking router bits for a project.



Also, don't forget about DVD's. There are some great ones out there now covering everything from woodworking tools and woodworking accessories to new and old woodworking techniques!

When I pull out my cabinet making tools and Kreg pocket hole jigs, I generally work under the impression that no holes will be visible when I am done working on my project. This is great in theory but when time is of the essence and I can’t wait 12 or 24 hours for glue to set up or I am attaching trim which is difficult for woodworking clamps, I turn to my pneumatic pinners, nailers and staplers.

As product manager at Eagle America, I was excited to introduce the full line of Freeman pneumatic woodworking tools. They are a great tool but there was one problem, Eagle America did not have the couplers and hose to go with them. I immediately went to work trying to find the best quality air tool accessories on the market.

My search turned up some wonderful new products I would like to introduce to you.

First, there is Flexzilla Air Hose. Flexzilla is a revolutionary hose featuring a premium hybrid polymer material that redefines flexibility.

This hose offers zero memory allowing it to lay flat exactly where you drop it and it won't work against you during operation or when coiling after use. It is currently in use by companies located in Alaska due to it’s extreme all-weather flexibility, even in sub-zero conditions.




Second, is our new selection of air plugs, couplers and blow guns. With the ColorConnex color coding system it easy to connect the correct tool to a specific dedicated hose line.

Color coding eliminates tool contamination and takes the guess work out of trying to determine which tool goes to which coupler or plug. Now you can quickly and easily separate and identify lubricated "wet" lines for air tools and filtered "dry" lines for paint guns or dedicated nitrogen lines for tire inflators.

 

Third, is the Rapid Air compressed air piping system. Rapid Air offers an easy and flexible way to customize your workshop or garage with applications ranging from woodworking to automotive.

This is a complete compressed air distribution system that is designed to easily install beneath walls of new construction or on wall surfaces of existing workshops.


 

These items are completely new to the Eagle America line and we hope you will try them out and let us know what you think!

Someone forwarded this fun clip to me the other day.  Do you have this much control with your pneumatic nail gun?

As you get to know me you will quickly find out that I like to laugh at myself.  There is nothing more therapeutic than a good laugh...which is why I almost spit water onto my computer monitor when I received the following picture from one of our business partners:

Amongst all of the projects I have been working on this winter, my wife decided it was the perfect time to remodel our master bathroom.

After a few weeks of researching and planning, we finally agreed on a design and layout for the bathroom.

Not that it needed it, but after all of the upgrades and changes, the job ended up being almost a total tear-out.

The nice part of this project was that it was time for me to dust off my cabinet making tools and cabinet bits as I build my own custom vanity.

Naturally, I will be using Eagle router bits but I had to build the cabinet carcass first.

 

 

                      

The quickest and easiest way I have found to build a cabinet is by using Kreg pocket hole jigs. I was able to use my pocket hole jig to assemble the face frame and body of the cabinet in less than a day.


Pocket hole jigs create strong joints and can save you time and money!

 

 

As I continue to build my cabinet, I will keep you updated on the tools and techniques I use.

This week I found an article from the Chillicothe Gazette in Chillicothe, Ohio about preschoolers and teens connecting through woodworking.  It's a great, quick read about a preschool that is located right next to the high school shop class.  In essence, the older kids are sharing their craft with the preschoolers.  What a great example for YOU!

Woodworking is a hobby that needs to be shared with the masses, are you doing your part?  Did you know that due to budget shortages all around our country, school woodshops are being closed and programs are being cancelled?!  It's a shame that an entire generation of kids will not be exposed to our craft...so it is on all of us to keep it alive!



So how can you spread the word?  When people ask you about your finished projects, or compliment your handy work, volunteer to tell them how you made them!  If a child marvels at the box you made, take them right out into your shop and show them where you made it.  Show them the cabinet making tools you used to refurbish the kitchen, show them the Kreg pocket hole jigs you used when building that new end table, let them cut a piece of scrap wood with your wood bandsaw blades, let them whittle with your wood carving set, let them go to town on some scrap boards with your woodworking drill bits. 

Just 5 minutes spent with an open eyed child could create a woodworker for life!

On Saturday, February 6, 2010 Dave R. posted a few questions regarding my post on the Kitchen Cabinets I made.

Dave wrote:

Very well designed and built cabinet unit. Would you please describe what slides you used for the pullout work surface and how you reinforced its mounts against the considerable loading that could occur, e.g. while using it to mix and knead bread dough? Also, what did you use in finishing this project?

My response:

Dave,

Let me start by saying that the pull-out took a little more than just your standard cabinet tools and hardware. Since the pull out is made from 2" thick hard maple and weighs approximately 40 pounds I needed to build the cabinet to support it.

The sides, back, base, and top are all made from 3/4" solid core white oak plywood and held together with Titebond glue and Kreg pocket hole jigs screws. Some people would say this is overkill but I build things to last.


The glue-ups for the top needed to be re-enforced so rather than using dowels or biscuits, I pulled out my Festool Domino and used the largest domino tenon Festool makes. There are 4 domino's in each joint to add rigidity and support when someone is pounding on the top. The domino's also help lock the wood together so as it expands and contracts, it moves as one continuous piece of wood. If you don't have a Festool Domino, you can do the same thing with long dowel pins that run through all of the pieces.

I should also tell you that on the back side of the pull-out there is a piece of 2" angle iron supporting the 47" wide pull-out and the white oak face is 3/4" thick and held to the front of the pull out with Kreg pocket hole jigs screws and Titebond glue. 

The hardware I used is a set of the Accuride self-closing series ball bearing drawer glides with a 100 pound load rating. These work great and allow the top to move in and out of the slot freely. 

After the cabinet was built and the pull-out installed, I cut and installed a center support inside the cabinet and secured 3/4" slick strips to each side, similar to drawer runners/supports. I used my router table and fence and roundover bits to round over the top edges to help reduce any gravitational forces that might increase the chance of any potential bowing over time. This may not have been necessary but it put my mind at ease. 

To finish the project, I used a clear semi-gloss polyurethane applied with my Earlex HVLP sprayer, one of the best woodworking accessories for your shop! I thinned the mix and applied at least 5 light coats with minor sanding in between. 

The cabinets work great and everyone is happy. Can't ask for any more than that!

 

The Eagle woodworking pros have done it again! We have found some really great cabinet making tools that will make installing cabinet hardware and creating shelf pin holes a breeze.
The True Position Drill Guide is designed for door and drawer fronts, 32mm Shelf Holes and wide hardware spacing (long handles). 

This jig locates hardware holes of any dimension on doors & drawer fronts by simply adjusting the sliding guides on each end.   A great alternative to the line boring machine for the small shop, the True Position Drill Guide allows you to drill shelf pin holes in the shop before assembly or on the job after assembly. 

Be sure to check out the video below and visit our website at www.EagleAmerica.com for more great new woodworking tools that will help make you woodworking tasks quicker and easier!

 

You may have noticed that I like to scour the web for interesting woodworking articles.  Here is a great one that I read on Monday in the Augusta Chronicle about Danny Hill and his son Chad, two dedicated cabinet makers from Georgia.  Some of the highlights from the article for me were:

• His home and his shop are on the same piece of land, just like many of our Eagle Woodworking customers
• He has been doing it since 1961 and has never made the same kitchen twice!
• He doesn't do it for the money, it's all about making the people happy
• He says there's always something new to learn in woodworking.  "You could do any kind of wood work you want to for 500 years, and you're still going to only know a small percent of what you can do with a piece of wood. You never quit learning."

It was a great article about about a woodworking family!  It also made me think more about how we can help you make your own beautiful cabinets.  It is a lot easier to do than you think.

We have lots of woodworking tools and woodworking accessories that can help you get the job done right and it all starts with our world famous selection of Router Bits.  Router bits are the key component for building your raised panel cabinet doors.  We offer a very large selection of cabinet bits between our Eagle Router Bits (Made in the USA) and PriceCutter Router Bits (imported).  In the very near future you will actually be able to build your very own Cabinet Making Router Bit Sets on our site!  Combine those bits with a router table system such as the Kreg Router Table and you are good to go. 

The cabinet doors give your kitchen their distinctive look and feel but it is actually the boring old cabinet itself that holds everything together.  You can't have form without function!  Building the carcass for your cabinets has never been easier.  First you need one of your favorite table saw blades to cut your stock down to size.  We then suggest using one of our Kreg Pocket Hole Jigs to make assembling the cabinets as easy as 1-2-3.

Enough for now, I am sure I will write more about cabinet making tools in the near future.  Just know this, like Danny Hill says in the article that started this post, there's always something new to learn in woodworking.  Who knows, maybe for you this year that something is cabinet making.




 

I got a call one Thursday evening to go over to my in-laws for dinner. When my wife and I arrived, we sat down and had a nice meal. During the meal, my wife's aunt, Teresa, mentioned that she wanted to add kitchen cabinets on an open wall in her kitchen. The problem was, she could not find anything to match her existing cabinets. My wife immediately volunteered me for the job knowing I have all kinds of cabinet making tools!

After dinner, we stopped by Teresa's house and I took a few measurements, made a few drawings and made sure that Teresa was happy with the design.

The following Friday evening, I figured out what the total cost for the job would be and called Teresa to see if it was acceptable. She gave me her approval and I was off and running.

Early Saturday morning I was at the lumber yard hand selecting my material and by noon, I was back in my shop cutting everything to size.


Kreg pocket hole jigs have to be one to the best woodworking accessories you could have in your shop. I used it to build the cabinet's carcases and face frames all within a hour.

I used my woodworking router table with Eagle America's stile and rail bits to make the door and drawer frames and a 3-wing raised panel bit for the panels. It really helps to have some type of router height adjustment on your router table. I use a Jessem Master Lift and love it!

The edges of the door frames were finished using Eagle America's roundover bits. I figured I could use this project to showcase my talents as well as some of the cool cabinet hardware that is on the market so I used ball bearing drawer slides with Blum Blumotion accessories.

Bruce, one of our Eagle woodworking experts, recently shared with us this story about Festool woodworking tools.

He was particularily excited about the C-12 portable drill kit,  I know the feeling!  I have one myself!  The right angle and offset attachments in themselves put the unit light years beyond any other drill on the market.  When we got to the TS55  rail saw he was blown away. 

Miki, one of our Eagle woodworking experts writes:

"My mom was refinishing her kitchen cabinets.  My sister and I thought it would look great if we added knobs and drawer pulls to her cabinets so we gathered up our cabinet making tools and cabinet bits and set off to mom's house. We purchased the hardware and was ready to install them for her birthday.  Mom was excited about the idea and thankfully agreed with our choice of knobs and pulls.  So one weekend morning, my sister and I went out to my mom’s while she was at work and installed them.

We used the Euro Handle-It Jig to install them.  This is on of the great woodworking accessories out there!  It was so easy we were done in about a half hour!  All we had to do is decide on a dimension for the knobs on the doors, hold the jig in place and drill using a premium drilling bit.  You can flip the jig for left or right opening doors.

Then we set up to do the drawer pulls.  That was just as simple.  We measured the drawer length, subtracted 3” for the drawer pull length and divided by two.  Set the jig, drilled the holes, and installed the pulls.  If you are in the market for a well made, easy to adjust jig for installing door and drawer pulls, I suggest the Euro Handle-It.  And it’s made in the USA!

 

Coping sleds are one of the must have woodworking tools and router accessories when doing router woodworking. Coping sleds are disigned to help you make those difficult small or narrow cross-grain rail cuts when building cabinet doors.

To use the coping sled, simply align your material flush with the outside edge of the sled and clamp it into place with the special holding clamp. The non-slip strips help hold the piece in place. Then run the sled along your router table and fence until you cut into the replaceable plastic guide block, which eliminates tear out. It's just that easy!

All of Eagle America's sleds are proudly made in USA.

By the way, if you ever wanted to see how Eagle America' s coping sleds are put together, then you have to see this video. The Wood Whisperer had a great time assembling our Model 3000 Coping Sled...