The Dilemma

So we want quality and we don't want to max out our credit cards to do it, right? This is something that my wife is a master of. She wants the best, for the lowest price. Well, usually, I tell her, "You can't get that." You get what you pay for, most of the time. In this case though, investing a little time in the evenings can pay off.

The cabinet that you see here cost me about $30 in wood. True, it's pine. Not the most expensive wood, but again, I'm in Mexico right now and I'm not in the mind frame of putting hickory cabinets together. This cabinet is completely solid, except for the luan back. It's built better than any knockdown or pre-built cabinet you can buy, and it costs less.

Great, you say. Looks good. Costs little. But I could never build a cabinet like that Ken, I'm just a do-it-yourselfer, not a master woodworker. Here's the good news. You don't have to be. This article is very step by step. I'm not just going to tell you what to do. There will be lots of pictures. I'm not going to skip over parts that seem simple and assume that you understand. I'm going to cover it all, slowly. If you follow the instructions, YOU CAN BUILD THIS CABINET!

A little voice in your head says "Maybe I could, if I had the right tools." Well, that part is true. You might have to make a small investment, but that is so small that it will pay off with just one cabinet. I mean that. There are only two, out of the ordinary tools that you might need to get.