barlowmom:

You can put doors and drawers on, but you'll have to take them all off again to install the cabinets.

Separate your parts and set up a low and medium height table for assembly. Bottom, back, sides, front, top is how we used to build 'em in the shop, but I'd follow the instructions.

The first few are much slower; take your time and you'll be surprised how much faster you get.

Thanks, Trebuchet!

I have to say I am looking forward to assembling these - it must be the lure of the forbidden!

How did you make sure the cabinets were perfectly square? I picked up some bar clamps, but I'm not sure whether to get 90 angle clamps or use assembly squares. Do I need to use them for the top and the bottom or would the top be enough?

(Or if I'm just being paranoid - I met briefly with a KD recommended by our GC and she said RTA cabinets are hard to square up, but admitted she hadn't used them herself.)

I have only assembled a few of the conestoga cabs (but have assembled many of my own cabs)....no need to use any clamps with the conestoga system, the face frame is what ties the whole thing together and keeps it square....

Don't get carried away with the glue when assembling the box, the sliding dovetail is what is going to keep it together...this is a case where less glue is better for sure

If I remember correctly, the back slides in between the sides and nests in a groove in the bottom...make sure that the back is seated tight to the bottom and flush with the top rail and you will be square

I did not install the doors first, never saw the point in doing that...as mentioned above they just need to come off to help make a easier install

So exciting barlowmom!
We have an order in for an upper and custom lower for an area between our front door and the kitchen with Albany Frosty white inset beaded that we are waiting for...so right there behind you!

We also ordered from Brian at Cabinet Joint and we plan on building ourselves. Once that's build, we plan on ordering the kitchen cabinets from him in the next few weeks!

I totally hear you with the giddiness of waiting and building.

Did you also order crown and light rail (what styles)?

Cfreeman recommended on another post that she used zip ties from a big box store that worked perfectly as spacers for the inset cabinets while building. I look forward to hearing other tips to use as well :)

I didn't order crown or light rail from them. I'm planning to match the crown in the rest of our house. There won't be two rows of crown because this is a 1940s house and our ceilings are low, so the uppers reach the ceiling.

I'm thinking of a simple nosing for the light rail, or one with beading on both sides. The ones in the catalog were too detailed for me.

Apparently you can send trim in and have them paint it to match, but I haven't. Yet.

Let's hope that the local sherwin Williams can match the paint, or I may be shipping them some trim pieces....

Good luck with your cabinet order!

I had a lot of custom sizes so I came up with an excel chart to track all the dimensions, finished sides and extended stiles, etc. Happy to share if you want it. I found it easier than the online form they use :)

You will want to invest in a high-precision framing square, and see if the plywood box parts have been cut square; several of mine had not, so truing them up made the assembly go better.
Organize all your parts, there are a lot of them.
My kitchen had seven pallets/99 boxes of components.
Casey

It's really easy to put these together, and if you line things up as the instructions say, they'll be square. If this beginner bozo can do it, anyone can.

I am lucky I didn't have any of the issues Casey had, but now that I know, I probably will.

I recommend laying the face frame down first and putting the doors on, because then you can get the hinges placed correctly. Of course, you'd be better off to remove the doors (not the hinges) to actually place/hang the cabinets.

Barlowmom, Brian probably told you you'd need a 3/4" piece of wood to go behind the face frames to which you'd attach your drawer glides. Just pick up a few 1x2" at the store (they'll measure 3/4"). It's easiest to put them in before you try to place the cabinets. I'm short, so reaching through the top to the bottom to screw it in was hard. I ended up doing it reaching in the front.

Also, drawer glides are very easy to install if you lay the cabinet on the back and put 1 screw into the drawer glide at what would be the front of the cabinet. Gravity will assist you in getting them level, but measure! You can also use a T-square to drawer a line down the inside of the box, where the drawer glide should be lined up.

I really look forward to seeing your cabinets. For the record, even with my DirectBuy membership and up to 65% off retail for Brookhaven & Norcroft (and a few others) I still buy cabinets from Brian when I have the money. Also, when I've had no luck for a year or so at reuse centers.