I’ve always used pocket screws or just a finish nailer and glue to assemble carinet carcasses. But have considerd picking up a 16 ga. 1/2″ wide crown stapler to use in luie of drilling pocket holes.
Anyone see a good reason not to use a stapler to assemple cabinets.
ML
Edited 12/17/2008 11:34 am by MSLiechty
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If you mean for butt joints, I'd not. Reason is you STILL have to clamp the parts in place and to get snug, a stapler, as most air tools won't "home" a joint that may need some coaxing, as in a bow in the plywood, or a faceframe that has a little twist.
That and the skinny legs can find a weakness and curl out RIGHT where you really, really, dont want. They also are fragile in nature bendy and breaky..not my choice for certain.
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I hope you mean to use the stapler to fasten the back panel in place. Pocket screws are the way to do the fase frames.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
This would only be the box assembly, back etc. The FF are always attached with pocket screws/ glue.ML
Some of the big factory cabinet operations staple only.....I don't, and don't recommend it. I may use staples to assemble (often do), but they are backed up with particleboard screws (usually, if I'm using staples), or biscuits, dowels etc in which case the staples take the place of clamps until the glue fries.....some are using the new structural hotmelts for carcase assembly but I don't think that's a great idea. I'm not a big fan of pocket screws for carcases either, though I use them in lots of other places.
And I do use staples for backs, but they get reinforced inother ways too, never staples alone.
Cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
Just curious why you don't favor pocket screws for carcase construction.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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The only way I'd staple a cabinet box together is if I had dadoed the top and bottom in.
Then the staples would basically act as clamps while the glue dried.
IMO, staples don't give enough sheer strength for butt joints.
You mean there are those that don't dado the bottoms and rabbet the backs?
The old fellow I learned from is likely spinning in his grave. He might have accepted pocket screws over his loose tennons for the face frame construction, but I don't think biscuits would have taken the place of the dados to fit the face frame to the carcase.
I use narrow crown stables on the back panels to hold them in the rabbet untill the glue dries. Also use then to hold corner blocks while the glue sets.
I've installed way to many cheap cabinets on HUD jobs to ever have any faith in staples or cheap particle board.
Like you said, stable don't give much strenght to any joint.