I don't bother to make a dado. I use only two biscuits on one side, so
I can align it dry. Then I put glue on and clamp the heck out of it.

IMO, the key to making a good face frame to a cabinet is to plane,
sand, assemble the face frame, and attach it to the carcass as quickly
as possible. As a hobbyist, I have found that if I plane and sand, and
then wait a couple weeks to finish the job, it gives the boards time to
warp (which makes it a lot harder to clamp it down flush). So, I try to
complete the entire process within 2-3 days.

Also, a classic hint is to make the face frame slightly too wide. When
you clamp it down, you have maybe 1/8" overhang on each side, which can
be sanded down perfectly flush. Takes a lot of the stress out of lining
it up perfectly.

My other hint is that if I am making a bottom unit, I will put pocket
screws on the bottom (unseen) part of the cabinet and use that to
fasten the bottom of the face frame. Reduces the number of clamps you
need, and those pocket screws really hold it tight, and since the
bottom faces the floor, no one will ever know.

Mike Pio wrote:
For the cabinets I've made thus far, I've assembled the face frames using
pocket screws and attached them to the boxes with either glue/nails or
glue/biscuits. But I'm thinking it might be nicer to dado the back of the
face frame and attach it with just glue. For a 1 1/2" face frame, is there
enough room to run a dado and still use pocket screws to assemble the face
frame?

I've searched the web and found many different opinions on FF
construction/attachment. What are some of yours?

-m