Top Tools That Every Cabinet Maker Should Consider Owning...

Jigsaw

With the right blade you can cut intricate shapes and make compound and bevel cuts in boards and other materials. It is also useful if you need to remove some of the depth from finished cabinets or cut the decorative profiles used for the base after the cabinets have been assembled.

Router

Routers cut, shape and make the square, straight edges you need to join boards. In terms of cabinetmaking, they are perfect for cutting grooves for panel doors and to profile rails and stiles. Furthermore, they can be used to create the rail/stile joint, make raised panels and to joint edges. Read our Meet The Maker Matt Estlea piece to find out how useful he finds the Festool OF1400 Router for creating his elliptical cabinets.

Ellipse shaped cabinet
Ellipse shaped cabinet with two opposing semi-circular doors, hinged on the curved edges.

Random Orbital Sander

Random orbital sanders are finishing tools which create a smooth, clean finish. They remove imperfections, edges and ridges in wood, without the crosshatch pattern of other finishing methods. Finally, you can sand faster (and more safely) without any interference of dust with the fitted vacuum and hose.

Veritas Hinge-Boring Jig

This tool is powered by your electric drill and will locate cup and screw holes for 35mm cup hinges. It avoids the need for an expensive production-line machine tool or a specially jigged drill press. Additionally, it fits into your toolbox for outside work making it a must have purchase for many cabinet makers.

Veritas Hinge-Boring Jig

Lamello Zeta P2 Biscuit Jointer

This jointer offers extremely fast joining methods and utilises some unique fittings which create strong joints at varying angles. In very little time, it is possible to produce high quality furniture which makes the Zeta ideal for cabinet makers seeking a high quality joining solution.

Lie-Nielsen No. 85 Cabinet Maker's Scraper Plane

This scraper plane has open sides and a full width blade to allow scraping flush into corners along adjacent surfaces. You can also scrape on flush or angled surfaces as the handle and knob tilts both left and right. Furthermore, it is perfect for cleaning glue from assembled pieces making it an essential tool in a cabinet maker’s workshop.

Lie-Nielsen Cabinet Maker's Mortice Chisels

Mortice chisels are designed specifically with cabinetmaking in mind. They are perfect for accurate cabinetmaking due to the increased tensile strength and stability. What's more, the chisels are double tempered and cryogenically treated for increased wear resistance. This means you can go longer between sharpenings. Overall, a great choice for anyone cutting out mortices.

Self Centring Drill Bits

Self centring drill bits make it easy to drill precise pilot holes in cabinet door hinges and door butts. It is virtually impossible to drill anywhere other than the exact centre thanks to the conical spring-loaded nose piece. An added bonus are the three slots for chip clearance which prevents clogging. Finally, the universal 1/4" hex shank is compatible with all quick change systems.

Self Centring Drill Bits

Cabinet Hinge Installation Jig and Bit

A cabinet hinge installation jig and bit eliminates measuring mistakes. As such, this set is perfect for when you need to replace a few doors in an existing kitchen. Being able to mark your setting, drill it and then mount it guarantees precise alignment. Lastly, this cabinet hinge installation jig and bit will save you valuable time when cutting the recesses. For use with click on hinges and mounting plates, the template can also be used for the 35mm hole to be drilled in the door.

UJK Technology Professional Coping Sled

A coping sled maximises control and precision when making intricate cuts by safely securing your workpiece. It slides smoothly across the router bit, ensuing your workpiece is square to the table's mitre slot. This is especially useful if you are making cabinet doors on a router table. It will transform the way you make end grain cuts for stile and rail doors, tenons and other joints. Easily adjusted to accommodate a range of router tables.

Veritas Shelf-Drilling Jig

This tool saves you time and reduces the likelihood of expensive mistakes. It creates matching, level shelf support holes for your shelf pins to sit in. A big advantage is that time consuming layout sessions are eliminated. Perfect for cabinet makers who want to create adjustable shelves with guaranteed alignment accuracy.

Veritas Shelf-Drilling Jig

Cabinetmaking Tools - The choice is yours

Please note, the above is not an exhaustive list. As with every trade, what you have in your tool collection is determined by the type of work you want to do and by personal preference.

If you love woodworking and enjoy cabinetmaking we would love to hear from you about which tools you cannot live without, and why! Either leave us a comment, find us on Facebook or send us a Tweet using #cabinetmakingtools to @AxminsterTools

Interested in Cabinetmaking?

Learn about Titebond Glue- Which Glue for you? or delve into the world of professional cabinet makers Rhiannon And Jamie Of J Smith Woodwork.