BTDT w/ maple.

IMHO, the cost/quality difference of rough-cut lumber will justify equipment
purchase of a jointer and planer.

First go to a hardwood supplier, not a lumber yard for your stock. Fo my
mid-sized kitchen, I used sheet stock for the carcases, pannels and drawer
bottoms and solids for the face frames and drawers. I think I spent about
600 each on HW and ply, and a few hundred on hardware (knobs, drawer slides
etc.)

My guess is that you could come close to breaking even on the purchase of
jointer and planer (about $800 combined). You will have *much* better stock
if you joint and plane it yourself because you can arange you work such that
it is used before it moves (warps).

They you have tools at the end of the process :-)

-Steve


"igor" wrote in message
...
I'm preparing for my first real kitchen cabinet project - big kitchen.
(mine) Cabs will have face frames. Flat panel doors with no edge
detailing. Using biscuits for the frames. Having lurked here on and off
for years, I think I have a good sense of the benefits of having a planer.
And a joiner. I'd like to avoid buying either, but if I have to bite the
bullet, I will.

Questions: If I go to a "good" lumberyard, is it fair to expect that the
1x
oak will be uniform enough so that my face and door frames will be doable?
What about the edges when I have to glue-up 2 1x6s for some drawer fronts?
Is there a spec/standard to ask for?

I am near Washington, DC. As far as I know, there are no real mills in the
immediate area -- they order-in. Would it make a difference if I ordered
everything at once -- i.e., maybe it would all run through a single run at
the mill? That seems good, but a downside is that I would not be able to
pick through a larger lot.

In short, I'm willing to pay more for wood that is uniform versus DIY, but
is it likely that even a bit paying more I will get uniform-enough stock?

TIA. -- Igor