Have you ever wanted to build a cabinet but felt limited because you don’t own a table saw? That was me a few years ago. I wanted to build cabinets for my garage, but I didn’t have a table saw, and it wasn’t in the budget to purchase one at the time. That’s when I discovered one of my favorite tools—the rip-cut guide. It costs just a fraction of the price of a table saw!
With just a circular saw, a rip-cut guide, and a few other handy tools, you can build a customized cabinet to fit your space.
In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how I built a cabinet for my bathroom vanity and my fireplace nook—all without a table saw. If you’re a visual learner, I’ve also put together a detailed step-by-step video to guide you.
Follow along as I share step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and a complete list of tools and materials to help you tackle your own DIY cabinet project!
Tools and Materials Used
Here is everything I used for this project
Tools
- Circular saw guide track (optional if building a countertop with wood boards)
- 24 inch Bar Clamps (optional if building a countertop)
Protective Gear
- Knee pads (optional)
Materials
- ¾” plywood (maple, oak, or pine depending on finish preference)
- 2×4 for the cabinet base
- Hinges for cabinet doors (I chose 1-1/4 overlay for my fireplace nook cabinet)
- 3.5-inch baseboards (to cover toe kick)
- Red oak boards for the countertop
- Stain or paint for finishing
Step 1: Plan and Sketch Your Cabinet
Before starting, decide on the dimensions for your cabinet and sketch them out. You can use paper or an app like SketchUp to create a detailed plan.
I like using Sketchup, because it helps me visualize the projects and also helps me figure out exactly how much materials I need. I will be sharing a tutorial on the basics of sketchup soon!
Step 2: Choose and Cut Your Materials
For the cabinet frame, I used ¾” plywood. If you’re planning to paint, you can use standard sanded plywood. If staining, go for a better quality like maple or oak plywood for a smoother finish.
I used a circular saw paired with a rip-cut guide to ensure straight, clean cuts. Before cutting, I applied painter’s tape to prevent splintering and drew cut lines with a straight edge.
Step 3: Sand Your Pieces
After cutting the plywood, sand the edges, top, and bottom of each piece to smooth them out. This step is important for a professional finish.
Step 4: Make Pocket Holes
To assemble the cabinet, I used a pocket hole jig to create hidden, strong joints. Practice on scrap wood first if you’re new to pocket holes.
I made the pocket holes on the bottom outside piece of the cabinet to keep them hidden.
Step 5: Assemble the Cabinet Frame
To assemble the cabinet I used right angle clamps to ensure that the cabinet is squared.
I also used wood glue and screwed it in using pocket hole screws.
Step 6 :Add the Back Support
Once the sides and bottom were assembled, I added the back top support piece using pocket holes.
I used a laser distance measurer to double-check that the cabinet box was square.
I made sure the piece was leveled and used clamps to help hold it in place while I secured it with the pocket hole screws.
I also used wood glue and screwed it in using pocket hole screws.
Step 7: Build the Cabinet Base
The cabinet base is made from 2x4s which is what the cabinet will sit on. I made the base slightly smaller than the cabinet to create a toe kick.
Step 8: Build the Front Frame
To cover the rough plywood edges, I built a front frame using 1×2 red oak, pocket holes, and glue. I used corner clamps to make sure it was a perfect 90-degree angles.
Here is a close up of the front frame.
Here is a close up of the back oof the front frame showing the pocket hole.
Step 9: Add Adjustable Shelves
Because I wanted to be able to adjust the shelf height in the future, I decided to add an adjustable shelf.
I used the Kreg shelf pin jig. This tool makes it easy to create evenly spaced and perfectly aligned shelf pin holes without drilling too deep.
Step 10: Build and Install the Countertop
To create a custom countertop that fits perfectly, I made a template using wood rulers and a hot glue gun.
The countertop itself was made by gluing together red oak boards.
Once the countertop was ready I cut it to size using the template with my circular saw and track saw guide.
Step 11: Install the Hinges and Doors
Using the Kreg hinge jig, I drilled the cup holes for the concealed hinges. This tool ensures the hinges are properly aligned and adjustable for the correct offset, making the process quick and easy.
Once the cup holes were drilled, the hinges fit perfectly into place. I installed the concealed hinges on the cabinet doors, and they simply needed to be screwed in. While it’s possible to drill cup holes without this jig, using it eliminates the need for measuring and ensures you drill the cup holes in the correct spot.
Installing the cabinet doors to the cabinet frame is just as simple. First, align the doors at your desired height. To do this, I stacked scrap pieces of wood to the exact level I wanted, which helped hold the doors in position during installation.
Step 12: Finish the Cabinet
Using the Kreg hinge jig, I drilled the cup holes for the concealed hinges. This tool ensures the hinges are properly aligned and adjustable for the correct offset, making the process quick and easy.
Watch the Full Tutorial
For a more in-depth walkthrough, check out my YouTube video where I show every step in detail. If you’re working on your own cabinet, let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear about your project!
