Question 1

How do you support 200lb cast iron sinks?

Accepted Answer

We use a combination of 3/4" plywood cleats and deep dados in the cabinet gables. This creates a structural "cradle" that transfers the weight of the sink directly to the floor, rather than relying on fasteners.

Question 2

What are 'Biscuits' in cabinetry?

Accepted Answer

Small, football-shaped compressed wood wafers used to align panels (like tabletops or wide gables) during glue-up. They expand when they hit the glue, ensuring a perfectly flush surface across the joint.

Question 3

How are the cabinet boxes (carcasses) assembled?

Accepted Answer

We use CNC-machined blind dados (hidden grooves). The horizontal shelves and bottoms lock into "blind" slots in the vertical gables, providing superior shear strength compared to simple butt joints and screws.

Question 4

What is 'Knock-Down' (KD) joinery?

Accepted Answer

Standard in flat-pack cabinetry but used sparingly in custom work for oversized units. A metal pin locks into a rotating cam, allowing a cabinet to be assembled on-site in tight spaces where a pre-built box won't fit through the door.

Question 5

What is Cope and Stick joinery?

Accepted Answer

The standard for Shaker and raised panel doors. The "stick" is the decorative profile routed along the inside edge of the frame, and the "cope" is the inverse cut on the ends of the rails that allows them to interlock perfectly.

Question 6

What is a Cross-Lap joint?

Accepted Answer

Used for "X-pattern" wine racks or decorative lattice. Two pieces of wood are notched to half their thickness so they "nest" inside each other, creating a flush, interlocking grid.

Question 7

Are your cabinets doweled?

Accepted Answer

We use 8mm hardwood dowels for fixed shelving and face-frame-to-carcass alignment. This ensures the cabinet remains rigid and square throughout the delivery and installation process.

Question 8

How are the drawer boxes constructed?

Accepted Answer

We primarily use Dovetail joinery—interlocking wedge-shaped joints—for maximum mechanical strength and a high-end aesthetic. These are paired with 5/8" or 3/4" solid wood sides.

Question 9

What is a floating tenon (Domino) joint?

Accepted Answer

A modern alternative to traditional mortise and tenon. We use a Festool Domino joiner to cut matching mortises in two pieces of wood and insert a solid beech "floating tenon," providing massive structural strength for heavy island legs or table frames.

Question 10

What is a Finger Joint?

Accepted Answer

A series of complementary rectangular "fingers" cut into two pieces of wood. While similar to dovetails, they rely more on glue surface area than mechanical wedge-locking; often used for modern, industrial-style open shelving.

Question 11

What is a 'Half-Blind' Dovetail?

Accepted Answer

A high-end drawer joint where the dovetails are only visible from the side, not the front. This is the hallmark of custom-fitted drawers where the drawer face is applied directly to the box.

Question 12

What is a 'Haunched' tenon?

Accepted Answer

An advanced version of the mortise and tenon used in high-end paneling. A small "haunch" or shoulder is left on the tenon to fill the groove used for the panel, preventing the joint from twisting over time.

Question 13

What is a Mitred cabinet door?

Accepted Answer

Unlike Cope and Stick (90-degree joints), Mitred doors meet at a 45-degree angle at the corners. This allows for complex, continuous moulding profiles around the entire door frame, often seen in transitional designs.

Question 14

Do you use Mortise and Tenon joinery for doors?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For traditional wood doors, the horizontal rail (tenon) fits into a carved hole (mortise) in the vertical stile. This creates a massive glue surface and mechanical bond that prevents door sagging over decades.

Question 15

When do you use pocket holes?

Accepted Answer

Pocket holes are used primarily for assembling face frames or hidden structural cleats. They allow for strong, mechanical tension between wood pieces while keeping the fastener completely hidden from the exterior view.

Question 16

How are the cabinet backs secured?

Accepted Answer

We route a "rabbet" (L-shaped notch) into the back of the gables. The 1/2" or 3/4" back panel sits inside this notch, which squares the cabinet perfectly and prevents "racking" or leaning over time.

Question 17

What are Richelieu Axiom drawer systems?

Accepted Answer

A modern, high-performance metal-sided drawer system featuring a slim 13mm profile. They offer synchronized full-extension slides, integrated soft-close (liquid damping), and high weight capacities (up to 40kg or 70kg) for a clean, European look.

Question 18

How are heavy wooden partitions joined?

Accepted Answer

A "male" dovetail is cut onto the end of a board and slid into a "female" housing on the adjacent piece. It is one of the strongest joints in woodworking, used for heavy-duty dividers or integrated solid wood shelving.

Question 19

How do you strengthen 45-degree corner joints?

Accepted Answer

We cut a slot across the miter and insert a "spline" (a thin strip of wood). This adds significant glue surface and prevents the miter from opening up due to seasonal humidity changes in Alberta.

Question 20

Where is Tongue and Groove used?

Accepted Answer

Commonly used for "beadboard" back panels or integrated wood ceilings. One edge has a protruding "tongue" that fits into the "groove" of the adjacent piece, allowing for natural wood movement without showing gaps.

Joinery

Apron-Front Sink Framing

Biscuit Joinery

Blind Dado Joinery

Cam and Pin (KD)

Cope and Stick

Cross-Lap Joinery

Doweled Joinery

Drawer Box Construction

Festool Domino System

Finger Joinery

Half-Blind Dovetail

Haunched Tenon

Mitred Door Joinery

Mortise and Tenon

Pocket Hole Joinery

Rabbet Joints

Richelieu Axiom Drawers

Sliding Dovetail

Spline Reinforcement

Tongue and Groove