I've been woodworking for about two years now and I'm gearing up to build a built-in closet for a family member, inspired by a built-in bookcase I made from melamine. I have a SawStop table saw, a mitre saw, a Dewalt plunge router, and some basic tools typical for beginners. The family member has a quote of about $10,000 for ready-made closets, but they're willing to cover all material costs and buy me some tools I can keep afterward. I've planned on using birch plywood, a Kreg 720 Pro, Blum undermount slides, and a SawStop dado stack, all of which I'll be getting from places like Home Depot, Amazon, or Rockler, totaling around $3,000. While I want to be respectful of their budget, I'm also on the lookout for quality and time-saving tools. Since this project is for family and not a money-making venture, I'm also curious about any jigs you might recommend for doors and drawer mounts. Any suggestions or alternatives?
3 Answers
Consider investing in a Domino joiner; it’s a huge time-saver for wood joining. Also, make sure you have all the mounting and drilling jigs for your hardware. Having at least three cordless drills with various bits ready to go can be a real game changer. If you're planning on making frame and panel doors, a router table is definitely worth considering for efficiency.
If you're looking to add adjustable shelves, look into getting jigs specifically for that task. Since you're using birch plywood, you might want to edge band it for a cleaner look. A veneer trimmer could be really helpful here. And don't forget, if you use pocket holes that will be seen, you'll need to fill them. Dowel plugs with a flush cut saw could work well.
A high-quality sander like the Bosch GET75-6N can save you tons of time when sanding compared to a smaller palm sander. I noticed a significant decrease in time from rough cut to finish using it. Don’t hesitate to look at the Jessem Doweling Jig instead of the Kreg because it might make assembly easier, even if it’s a bit slower.