I see an old (Aug '23) post on this topic, but can’t open it, so starting a new one.
There are many ‘issues’ with the cabinet software. here’s the list:
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the box back has no rabbet to hold the back panel
- When using 3/4" nailers and 1/4" back panels, there should be a 1" rabbet around the back to capture the back panel and then the nailers.
- This is important because a back panel is not just decorative, it is structural. It holds the case square, and being able to install it during case build assures this squareness.- Of course, the back panel needs to be carved to the correct size. Oddly, currently the back panel is carved to the correct size for this, which would mean adding 1/2" to both length and width (for a 1/4" rabbet, when using a 3/8" rabbet, size accordingly).
- My current ‘solution’ is to put the nailers INSIDE the box carcass with the back behind them. then I cut 3/4’ x 3/4" battens on the table saw and glued/tacked them to the sides so that the back is supported. This is not the correct way to build a cabinet, but the parts are made and it needs to go together. It would also be possible to put the nailers flush, make and install the battens and install the back panel from the inside, but its a tad of a wrestle, but doable. Either way, correctly made, a cabinet has the back set into a rabbet, which does not currently exist, and would save users from making battens.
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the drawer boxes do not have support on the front/backs. There should be dados all the way around, Currently the software does not provide any support except the sides.
- I was going to manually cut a dado to the front, a simple task with a router table, or for only a few, I grab the trusty Stanley 50. The trouble however is that the software cuts the bottoms too short (they only touch the front and back.
- this problem means cutting more battens. This time a 1" x 1/2" front and back to support the bottoms.
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the back of the drawer boxes is an ODD one. It is either too short or too tall depending upon how you prefer to build your drawer boxes.
- the back measures from the top of the sides to the bottom of the side dados. A VERY ODD measurement to be sure.
- When making fine furniture drawers with dovetails, it is normal to cut the back shorter and have it come from the top to the top of the dado. Once the box is built, then you slide the bottom in from the back, and tack it to the back panel. but as the backs are made now, they are 1/4" too tall to build this way.
- When making standard cabinets, it is normal practice to ‘capture’ the bottom in a dado on all four sides. This makes the build not only easier and quicker, but also has the added benefit of having the square bottom panel hold the drawer box square. HOWEVER, as mentioned, the back of the drawers are too short to build in this manner.
- I had a choice, either A) cut new bottoms on the tablesaw big enough to fit into three dados and tacked to the back (which would require ripping the back down on the table saw or B) I solved this issue by making more battens and gluing and tacking them in place, More work, more wasted time.
Side note: this is not a design flaw, but rather a feature request: Please add the option for standard drawer slides. I am making cabinets for under my X-Carve Pro, and these cabinets will have a lot of shallow drawers, which means a lot of drawer slides. At $40 a pair for Blum slides, and $8-$10 per pair for standard slides, it is a no brainer.
The trouble is that the thickness of standard slides (made by dozens of companies) is 1/2" per slide which means a 1" variance between the drawers. HOWEVER, the total variance when using Blum slides is 5/8".
As such, I edited the fronts and backs of the drawers to make them 3/8" shorter. I am in the shop now building drawers, so time will tell if they came out correctly. TBD.
BTW - If Inventables offered a bench and cabinets/drawers when I bought the machine, I would have bought them to save myself a lot of time and aggravation. But it is what it is, just saying that Inventables left money on the table. I suspect that I’d not be the only one to buy a complete package so as to get to learning the machine and getting the business up and running rather than building benches and cabinets/drawers
- Natalie, If you see this and would like to do a video call so I can walk you through the above, I’d be happy to. Otherwise, good luck to us all.
all my best,
Joe