Thread: Cabinet out of square - Help!

Hi Metester,
You must have a twist in the cabinet somewhere and if it wasn't obvious before you put the feet on then that is probably where the problem lies. Try lifting the rear of the left leg by placing a small chock under it and see if that makes any difference. If it does then at least you have identified where the problem is. As it is all glued up then it may be that you have to modify the leg height individually to get iot to sit squarely. Hope this helps.
Jim

Mate
You probably have done the job right!
Because of the smallish nature and the Stand alone feature of your Cabinet its just the way it sits. If you were to screw it to the wall you would be able to control the twist by counteracting it with more tension on one side than the other. Puting packing under the appropriate foot will work until you move the cabinet to another location. Also it could change again when you "load up" the thing with its contents
Something to remember when constructing any project is to make sure you check every component for straightness and trueness or you will get a finished job that will not line up no matter what you do

I'd say the cabinet is just trying to lean away from the fittness machine

Hi Metester,

There is no way a cabinet like you have built should be racking when it is moved as it has all the elements in its basic design needed for strength and stability. If the cabinet was originally square and planar then there is some critical weakness in the joinery.

Next time you build a cabinet like this try carefully rebating the back of the carcase all round to accept a perfectly square back that is tacked and glued into the rebate. That will get you 90% of the way to a strong solid square cabinet.

Old Pete

Thanks for the tips guys. I will investigate the leg situation. Having built a few cabinets this is the first time I have encountered this problem.

Rod1949, love it!!

As I am typing this I have had a thought that the top 2/3rds of the cabinet has adjustable shelves. Perhaps if I secure one of them ensuring it is square it might give me the stability I need.

Sounds to me that the problem could be a twist in one piece of timber that you may not have picked up on. When the timber is finally glued up the twist will pull the other timber out of alignment and create the sort of problem you are experiencing. I keep my cabinet clamped to several squares during all stages of construction to try and prevent twist while the glue dries. Another possibility of course is the timber not being completely dry.

Nice looking cabinet though.