c/cabinetmakers

Tbh, I swore by pocket screws for face frames until I tried dominoes

Honestly, I thought pocket screws were fast and strong enough for all my face frame work. Tbh, a buddy lent me his domino joiner for a big built-in job, and I was skeptical. After using it, the alignment was perfect every time, with no clamping fuss. Ngl, I'm switching to dominoes for face frames now, it just makes everything smoother.

Am I the only cabinetmaker who learned everything from online tutorials?

Everyone says you need an apprenticeship to learn cabinetmaking. I disagree. I learned from online videos and books. Set up shop in my garage. Messed up early projects but learned from each mistake. Now I do custom jobs with happy clients. A mentor might help, but self-teaching sticks with you. The focus on old-school training limits new folks.

In my cabinet shop, coworkers used to teach each other. Now everyone has their own project list.

Unpopular opinion: Fancy design apps make simple cabinet plans way too hard

I spent ages trying to use that popular 3D design program for a client's built in bookcase. It kept freezing on me when I added shelves... and the learning curve was steep. Last week, I said forget it and just drew everything on graph paper first. Then I used a basic drafting tool to clean it up. It took half the time and the client loved the clear sketches. Sometimes going back to basics feels like a win when tech gets in the way.