How to Make Your Cabinet Square with Clamps

As you learn how to build cabinets, one essential rule to remember is that all of the components have to align so that you make the cabinet square. If a cabinet assembly is out of square, doors and shelves won’t fit properly. After you’ve applied the glue and clamped the components, there’s no need to panic if the assembly is out of square. As long as the glue hasn’t dried, you can finesse the assembly and make the cabinet square. Watch this video to learn how to let the clamps do the work of aligning all of the cabinet components for you.

Time is of the Essence

Your window of opportunity to make adjustment to an out-of-square cabinet is limited. After you apply the glue, you must get everything aligned before the glue dries. That means, to make a cabinet square, you can’t plan to apply the glue and clamps and then walk away. This is the point at which you have to check for square and make all adjustments. Once the glue dries, it’s too late.

Let the Clamps Do the Work

Once the cabinet is glued-up and clamped, it’s time to check for square. Most cabinet assemblies require some adjustments. In this video, we show you the process of fine-tuning the clamps. It’s the twisting and tightening of the clamps that pulls the cabinet square. With a little patience, you’ll be able to dial in just the right clamping pressure and position and you’ll end up with a perfectly square cabinet.

Let the Glue Dry

Once you’ve got everything squared up, walk away. Let the clamps do their job and let the glue dry completely. Your perfectly square cabinet is now ready for completion.