Materials

• Cabinet cases can be made of plywood, melamine, MDF or hardwood glued into panels. If you are using wood veneered plywood or MDF, look into flat cut veneer for a more natural look. Most commercial veneers are cut off of the circumference of the log, resulting in a distorted grain. Good hardwoods for cabinetry include oak, maple, cherry, ash, beech and walnut.
  
  

Doors

• Cabinets can be left open, as with bookshelves, closed to hide what is inside or fitted with glass doors to simultaneously display and protect their contents. Doors can be fitted with European hinges, which attach to the backs of the doors and are invisible when the doors are closed, or with old-fashioned solid brass hinges for a more traditional look. Doors can be inset, leaving a small gap around the edges of the cabinet, or made with a lip that sits over the opening.
  
  

Drawers

• Drawers are one of the fussier aspects of cabinetmaking. They must be built square, flat, and to very precise specifications in order to open and shut properly, without binding. Drawers can be made with metal slides on wheels, or more traditionally with simple wooden guides on which they slide in and out. Like doors, drawers can be inset into the cabinet, or built with lips that cover the edges of the drawer opening.
  
  

Uses

• Cabinets serve several purposes. Most kitchens and bathrooms have utilitarian, built-in cabinets for storage of food, utensils and personal items. Entertainment centers are large and diverse cabinets that house televisions, stereos, computers and other electronics. Hutches and glass-fronted cabinets display heirlooms, china, crafts and other belongings. Blanket boxes and hope chests, often lined with red cedar to deter moth damage, store blankets and linen.
  
  

Tools

• A well-equipped wood shop is required for serious cabinetmaking. Although it is possible to build cabinets with little more than a handsaw and a hammer, cabinets are easier and faster to build, and will almost certainly be more accurately built and more durable, when built using precision tools such as a jointer, planer, and table saw. A clean, well-lit workshop with adequate ventilation and tools are important.