One of the important considerations in designing cabinetwork is the time required to construct it. Time may affect the type of joint, kind of material and fasteners, method of construction and kind of finish. To save time, you may use a butt joint reinforced by corrugated fasteners instead of the more complicated and time-consuming mortise-and-tenon joint. To save time, you may use nails instead of screws, or a quick-drying sprayed finish may be selected.

The quality of the finished product is also a factor in designing. High-quality products take more time and cost more to construct. The Builder must decide the minimum quality level that will be accepted and produce it at minimum cost.

Making a Sketch

A sketch is a free-hand drawing which lets the designer experiment with the elements of a design. It is the preliminary step to a working drawing. The first step in designing and building an object is to make several drawings to experiment with design, size, and proportion. After the design and size have been determined, next determine the type of wood to be used, the finish, and the construction details, such as joints, style (Early American, traditional, contemporary, and so on), location, and type of fasteners. Different kinds of drawings may be used according to which best illustrates the information, such as perspective, orthographic projection, pictorial or exploded (fig. 5-3),

Figure 5-3. - Exploded drawing and nomenclature of a cabinet.