Cabinets with Domino

[ShadyMaple]

So - do you recommend a dado back for cabinets or do you just domino one in flush?  Maybe rabbet with Dominos?

Seems like with the domino I'll just use that to put a flush back in. 

What about drawers?  Same thing?  Hanging cabinets?

I guess since I'm new to the Domino I'm not sure of the best approach.  I'm so tempted to just use it for everything. 

 

[antss]

Depends on if you're make a one off for fun, or money

-or-

A whole kitchen's worth , or shipload of them.

Domino will work , but isn't necessary or even efficient for things like the backs.

 

[Kodi Crescent]

I built some cabinets with Dominos.  They turned out nicely.  It was a hobby project, so time wasn't of the essence.  The Domino seemed to slow things down and I had to be super careful about all my reference marks and cuts and such.  The Woodpeckers Story Stick Pro helped immensely with marking.

A dado'd back probably would have been much faster to build and assemble.

 

[bertv]

A dominoed-in back complicates glue up too much. If there are no aesthetics are involved use any other method. Just my 2 cts.

 

[semenza]

    For "regular" cabinets I still go with a dado for the back.  It's easier, faster , and as Bert said the domino back can complicate the glue up.  Plus to domino you need to use something thicker than 1/4" which generally is overkill for a cabinet back.  I do sometimes domino the back for something  special.

Seth

 

[lawhoo]

I'm in the process of completing a bookcase project (for myself) where I routed a 1/4" dado near the back edge of the sides, top, and bottom. I then rabbeted all four edges of a 1/2" sheet (the back of the case), so they will fit neatly into the dados. The back will function as a floating panel. It fits pretty tightly, but I might add some 23-gauge pins at strategic points on the back to help ensure that it eliminates any racking. I much prefer it to the standard 1/4" back that's nailed or pinned into a rabbet. Much more solid.

 

[sancho57]

It depends, its mainly personal preference.  My method for uilding cabinets  is to use 2 dominos per joint then use screws.
the back again it depends, some dado 3/4" in from the back to hide the nailing strip. Others will cut the back about 1/4 higher and lier then the cab, screw on 3 corners then get a square to square up the cab and use the 4th screw to keep it square and put the nailing strip on the inside the box. some will dado and out the nailing strip inide the box, I use all of them depending on what Im using the cabs for. Drawers can be dove tailed, dado'd, lock miter bits, dominoed a lot of different ways..
as I said its all personal preference

 

[ShadyMaple]

Now that I've thought about it - dominoing the back would be problematic.

Anyone out there just pocket screwing it in - or does it cause some expansion/contraction issues that way?  I'm not opposed to dadoing - that's probably what I'll go with.  I'm just looking for how others do things.

 

[JimD]

I've never used a 3/4 back for a cabinet.  Seems like wasted material and unnecessary weight to me.  But I put a hanging strip on some base cabinets with pocket screws.  The cabinets are all drawers so there is no need for a back but I needed a way to screw them to the wall studs.  I would normally have notched the uprights and used through screws but the pocket screws worked fine.  Their holes face the wall so I don't have to look at them.

 

[Kodi Crescent]

I put 3/4 backs on the cabinets I built.  But the cabinets were built-ins in a finished attic.  The cabinet had finished, conditioned space on one side, unconditioned attic scuttle way on the other side.  I didn't think thinner material would be sufficient for the back.  All Domino construction, painted on all surfaces.  Only time will tell what movement problems I'll have.