Hi, I’m Bob Schmidt with Home Remodel Workshop. Every cabinet project basically requires the same tools and materials. I’m going to show you what you need to get started. Let’s get work.
I always make sure that I have a good supply of screws of different lengths. I have my containers clearly marked. I like having plastic containers, that way when I use them around cabinets they don’t beat up the material that I’m working with. Some cabinet companies will provide you with screws for mounting your cabinets, others do not. I generally just use dry wall screws.
In these containers, I have different types of dry wall screws. These are about an inch and a quarter. One is a coarse thread, one is a fine thread, there are different circumstances that you want to use a finer thread. Say through hard wood to hard wood. And if you wanted to use a coarser thread, say through a granular type of materials, something that’s a pressboard to pressboard, I always use a coarser thread. Some cabinet companies will provide you with screws. I always use these whenever possible. These are mounting screws to anchor cabinets to walls but they don’t provide you with every size screw you need for anchoring the cabinets together or putting panels on or overlays. Depending on the size of the project you have will depend on how many shims you need. I always keep a bundle or two handy. What I prefer to use are the long seeder shims. They’re a lot easier to cut off. If you check the ones in the store before you buy them, you really wanted it to be dried out because the wet shims are very difficult to cut and almost impossible to break.
Another thing that every cabinet project should have is a touch up kit, a colored crayon that matches the color of the cabinets you’re working on, a stain marker for small scratch repairs. Some cabinet companies even will provide you with the actual stain that they stain the cabinets with and a little bit of clear finish to put over the top of your repairs. Another tool that is essential when you’re installing cabinets and you have to put two cabinets together is a good set of wood clamps. You’ll need two of these. They don’t damage the cabinets when you tightened them down and they’ll keep them from moving when you put the screws in. An accurate level is a must. Counter tops don’t fit properly, cabinet doors don’t operate properly, unless things are plumed and leveled. So make sure that your level’s good. If you have too, you go and replace it.
In the odd situation where you’re going to have an exposed screw, say an open bookcase cabinet or a just an open decorative cabinet in the kitchen, some cabinet companies will provide you with screws that actually have whole’s drill in the center of them, then you can take one of these little caps and it fits tightly on top of the screw head.
Another alternative for the caps, these are called fast caps, they’re self adhering stickers and basically they come in just about every finished and every wood grain known to man. From the natural woods to the multiple different colors of whites to the, they even sell some natural ones that you can actually stain with you touch up marker to match your cabinets.
You’ll also need some good sharp drill bits in an assortment of sizes and a counter sink bit so that you can set the screws flush with the cabinet surface to cover with fast caps and drill in nice and tight.
Another tool that’s essential when hanging any type of cabinetry is a good dependable drill. A lot of people have cordless drills and those are fine. If you had three drills, one that you can keep a screw tip in, one that you can keep a drill bit in and one that you can keep a counter sink bit in, that will help you from having to swap tools around constantly or swap bits around constantly during a large project.
So there you go. With those basic tools and supplies, you should have everything that you need and save you from stopping and having a run up to the hardware stores.
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