How to Make a Hinged Storage Cabinet

Measure the opening if you have a specific area you want your hinged storage cabinet to occupy. Size is purely a matter of preference unless you wish to match existing cabinetry or items; most kitchen base cabinets, for instance, are 34½ inches tall and 24 inches deep, while upper cabinets hanging from the wall are typically 18 inches deep. A standalone cabinet such as a wardrobe might measure 6 feet tall and 2 or 3 feet deep, in contrast. Sketch a quick design, labeling the height, width and depth desired, to better visualize it.

Cut a board to use as the back of the cabinet. Choose furniture-grade plywood for a higher-quality finish, although any plywood that's 3/4 inch thick or greater works well. Measure from the edge of the plywood over to the height desired and make a mark. Repeat in two more spots and run a straightedge between the marks to draw a straight line. Mark the width of the cabinet similarly. Cut the piece out, labeling it lightly with a "B" to notate it's the back piece.

Mark and cut two more boards to compose the cabinet sides. Use the cabinet height and depth desired to determine the size of the pieces. Write an "S" on each to designate the boards as those for the sides.

Cut two more pieces, which will form the cabinet top and bottom. Measure and mark the width and depth dimensions desired for these. Put an "E" on the boards to signify they are the cabinet ends.

Run a tape measure up the length of the cabinet sides, one at a time. Mark the position of each shelf you want. For example, if you have a 5-foot-tall cabinet and want four shelves, make a mark every 12 inches from the bottom of the board. Use a second set of marks on the opposite side of the board, as always, and connect with a straightedge to ensure accuracy.

Make a second set of marks that are above the original marks by the thickness of the shelf material you are using. If you are using 1/4-inch plywood, for instance, create another straight guide line 1/4 inch above the original board line. These marks should outline the shelves exactly.

Lower your table saw blade to 1/4 inch above the table surface. Set the guide to measure 1/4 inch away from the blade.

Run each cabinet piece except the back through the saw, creating a cut 1/4 inch deep that is 1/4 inch away from the edge on three sides -- every surface except the one that will face the front.

Flip each board over, setting it on edge and running it through the saw again, to create another cut, this one perpendicular to the first cuts on each of the three edges. This second cut will remove a 1/4-inch-by-1/4-inch block from the wood. The remaining edge constitutes an L-shaped joint referred to as a rabbet joint. It allows each piece to connect on two planes per joint, which is considered stronger and higher quality.

Rabbet-cut the back plywood board on all four edges. This allows the back to set slightly into the side boards as well as creating a better joint.

Leave the blade at a 1/4-inch cutting depth and move the saw guide over to allow you to align each mark for each shelf with the blade. Cut along each line. Stop just short of the cabinet front edge if you want the shelves slightly recessed from the front of the cabinet. Once each shelf guide is completely cut, you have cuts outlining where the shelves will rest.

Make successive cuts to remove the wood between the shelf cuts. Alternatively, use a chisel or a hammer and screwdriver to carefully and slowly remove the wood core between the guide cuts. When complete, you have performed kerf cuts that create what are known as dados -- recessed channels in which the shelve edges will sink.

Count the number of shelves and cut each out of a sheet of plywood. Feel free to use 1/4-inch plywood if preferred. To determine the shelf dimension, use the depth -- allowing for the amount recessed, if applicable -- minus 3/4 inch, and use the cabinet width less 1 inch. The reason is simple: the opening inside the cabinet is shallower than the outer cabinet measurements by the thickness of the plywood, and the opening's width is 1½ inches narrower than the cabinet's exterior width -- but the kerf cuts that allow the shelves to nestle into the cabinet walls slightly allow the shelves an extra 1/4 inch of width on each side.

Lay the bottom board on the floor and glue each rabbet edge with a thin bead of glue. Squirt glue in the side dados and set the sides in place on top of the bottom piece. Insert the shelves in place as you push the sides together. Glue and press the back and top in place to finish. Follow with finishing nails, spaced every few inches, along the back and sides. Don't worry about the nailing the shelves, however.

Cut a board to attach as a front piece and door. Attach hinges according to their type and their manufacturer's installation instructions. Ensure the door has free, easy movement before securing it to the cabinet.