Joining face frame wall cabinets

[Sparktrician]

If I have 4x 30" cabinets, I can see how I could attach the face frame, via pocket holes along the perimeter, but what about the stiles between cabinets?

Same methodology, but from inside the cabinets, presuming of course, that you have access to pre-drill the pocket screw holes prior to cabinet assembly.  If the visible pocket holes are an obstacle for SWMBO, cover them using Kreg's Pocket Screw Plugs.  The ones shown are white, but there are other colors available, if I remember right.

 

[Oldwood]

Oldwood...there are really tall baseplates for Blum hinges available now so you don't necessarily need to worry about shimming anymore

We looked at those. Most of the cabinets have drawers and that was a bigger issue than the hinges.

There are always lots of ways to get the job done though.

As mentioned we do mostly frameless and attaching the frames flush to the inside allowed us to construct the boxes and drill for hardware without changing the cabinet programming. We did allow a .5 mm reveal on the frame to insure we did not expose the edge of the melamine.

 

[Oldwood]

When we do insets the rsailland stiles are 1-1/2" execpt the upper/wall cabinet to rail, it is 2". The 2" is to accomadate a riser, it finishes at 1-1/2" with the riser installed.

The white base with the cook top is just under 15', the black vanity is just over 13', the black tall with what will be glass doors is 12'ish.

The black vainty tower is just to show a fun door to make.....

We did have a 23' base with insets, we split a stile at 3/4-3/4, Dominos and screws make the seam pratically invisible. The unit was shot joined the separated for transport.

and yes, I'm getting to old to be moving these things....

Tom

You do beautiful work Tom. I like the look of the monolithic but always shied away because of the transportation and installation complications. It is the traditional way of doing face frame though.

It looks like you get some very interesting jobs. 

 

[Imemiter]

Thanks Packard.  If I have 4x 30" cabinets, I can see how I could attach the face frame, via pocket holes along the perimeter, but what about the stiles between cabinets?

This would be a great excuse to buy three or four of those FastCap Stile Rite clamps.https://www.fastcap.com/product/stilerite

 

[Packard]

I build face frame cabinets as individual boxes.  I am not sure how others do it when they gang the boxes into one unit.

As an experiment, because I've seen it done on home improvement shows, I built a small cabinet (20" x 32" x 8") using nothing but my nailgun and glue.  It is a surface mount medicine cabinet.

I fastened the face frame to the box using nails and glue.  I was surprised by how sturdy it all seemed. 

I had demoed a bathroom in my 1953 built home.  All the vanity cabinets were site build using nails only.  It was surprisingly difficult to tear apart.  We (as a group) may underestimate the capability of nails and glue (and mounting to the wall). 

It was not a very satisfying build, however, and I won't be building more like that.

 

[jarbroen]

I think the combination of Sparktrician's advice and the Domino connectors might get you there.
Build your cabinets - 4 boxes.
Build the face frame to fit those boxes and cut your Domino mortises.
The D500 connectors work perfectly if you're doing 3/4" face frame.  They actually make the parts/system compatible with 18mm ply so 3/4" FF is no problem.
The only thing you would see on the inside of your cabinets is the round grub screw connector, but they make caps to cover that hole. The kit comes with a few different colors to try out.

To make it easier for yourself you might want to do your marking, Domino holes and connector test fit with the cabs and face frame on your work bench before install. 

One seamless frame looks nicer to me than face frame butted together.

 

[Packard]

If not a large amount, I think drilled dowels or biscuits would work fine.

 

[Imemiter]

I'll often hide screws behind the hinge arm ahead of the cup. I wonder if a pocket screw for the face frame could fit in there.

 

[Packard]

My early cabinets used biscuits.  I did not calculate the offset for the biscuit joiner, I simply shimmed up the base plate with 1/4" plywood that would be used for side panels.  Clamped and glued, biscuits are sufficient for the job and require less precision than other methods. 

Of course, if you are building individual boxes, this is not an issue.

 

[JeremyH.]

The 1/4" setback of the face frame allows for a couple of advantages over a flush version.

It allows for scribing to the wall.  It allows for unevenly plastered walls that might cause a gap in the front if it were flush.  And it allows for 1/4" plywood end panels.

When I build face frame cabinets, I place the pocket holes that hold the face frame on, on the outside of the cabinet.  I use through confirmats to clamp the sides to the tops and bottoms and through dowels for rigidity against racking.  It leaves the inside of the cabinet unblemished by fasteners and I cover exposed ends with a 1/4" plywood end panel. 

The trough dowels are stronger than blind dowels, and faster and easier to drill and insert.

Do you have a picture? I'm too dumb/tired to comprehend that atm.

 

[Packard]

I don't use Miller Dowels, but this is an example of "through dowels".  Alignment is automatic.  The only downside is that the dowel is visible. 

It is also stronger.  You get the dowel through the entire thickness of the panel.  You can use longer dowels.  You drill, glue and tap in the dowels.  I used a drill guide, but you can eye-ball it if you are skilled enough with an electric drill.

I don't know what other aspect you need illustrated.

 

[JeremyH.]

Oh maybe it's simpler than I was thinking.

My Duo Doweller (the smaller one) just arrived and is being sent to me so I'm excited to be able to set depths and do hidden dowels easily.

 

[Packard]

Doweling the face frames on is definitely going to work.  It is way, way, way overkill in terms of strength requirements.  The face frame does not add much structure.  It is only as strong as the joint where the rail meets the stile, which is typically unglued pocket holes.

I've used dowels and once tried saddle joints.  The saddle joints were visible so it pleased me.  But they took up way too much time and offered minimal advantages.  There is probably a reason most commercial shops use pocket hole joinery for the face frames: They are fast to execute and get the job done.