Here is the process to assemble the cabinet face frame

Add the face frames

Face frames dress up the front of the cabinet and add structural strength as well. When building face frames in the past, I’ve used dowels, biscuits,and even mortises and tenons to join the horizontal rails and vertical stiles.

The size of this project, however, was the perfect excuse to try out a new technique. I’d heard that pocket hole joinery was a quick and accurate way to assemble face frames and this project proved it.

Looking at the completed cabinets, the stiles and rails all appear to be the same width.The rails (H) are 1½" wide, but the doors overlap the intermediate stiles (I) on two sides, so I made them 2" wide so the amount left exposed was the same as the rails.

The end stiles (G) are left wider to cover the framed end panels that extra for scribing to the wall. One other added feature of my face frame design is that the end stiles extend down to the floor.This gives the base units a furniture look while covering the carcase ends.

With the face frame parts cut to width and length, the pocket hole jig (shown at right) is used to drill a couple of angled holes on the back side of the rails (H). Then the end stiles (G) and rails, are lined up and clamped together. Once everything’s positioned, two screws are driven across the joint (you don’t even need glue). The intermediate stiles (I) are then attached to the rails the same way, followed by the drawer rails (J).

Before installing the face frame on the carcase, I applied finish to the inside surfaces of the carcase and stain and one coat of finish to the face frame. It lets you get to both sides of the face frame and eliminates the need for masking off the carcase.

The pocket hole screws came in handy again when it was time to attach the face frame to the carcase (Detail b). Corner braces (K) complete the base cabinet. These help stiffen the carcase and provide a way to fasten the countertop to the base.