Parametric Cabinet Model Ready for CNC Cut Work

Oct 26, 2026 Last reply: 1 day ago 3 Replies
Jump to replies (3)

The hardest part of this build looks like the parametric engine behind it, and the maker seems to have handled it well. The cabinet was modelled in Fusion 360 from the ground up for CNC work, with formulas in the parameter table driving the sketch constraints and the joinery dimensions. Tenon length is worked out as half the mating part thickness minus a clearance tolerance, and dado depth comes in at half the host panel thickness. Getting all of that to recalculate cleanly for any size is real engineering, not just a scaled sketch.



The prototype carcass ran 18 inches deep, 20 inches wide and 32 inches high, with two large drawers low down and four shallow ones up top. A 3/4-inch sheet of birch cabinet-grade plywood formed the main structure, and a second 1/2-inch sheet supplied the base, back panel and drawer components. Cutting was done on an aluminum extrusion gantry router controlled from an Asus laptop, with a metal touch block and a ground wire and clip setting the Z-axis zero. A blue-coated 1/4-inch spiral down-cut bit milled the dados, slots and perimeter outlines, and a cordless impact driver secured the corners of the workpiece.



Several details stand out to me. Overall height adjusts automatically for user-specified caster heights and countertop thicknesses, and hole locations recalculate along with the dimensions. The hardware list includes 100lb soft-close drawer slides, 4-inch nickel pulls, removable lift casters with clamps, a second clamp set, and adjustable feet.



The one hiccup came from the 1/16-inch end mill used for shallow drawer slide pilot holes: the holes filled with paint during finishing and had to be cleared out with a punch tool and a screw. The maker now recommends a 1/8-inch diameter bit for future pilot holes. Doors, hardware, shelving and sliding shelf options are still being designed, and face frames, trim and custom doors for kitchen and bath use remain to be added, so there is plenty still open on this one.



Project by This Is How I Made It. Watch it on their YouTube channel:

formatting link


The choice I rate most is the clearance tolerance built into the tenon length formula. Rather than locking tenons to an exact half-thickness, the maker leaves a tunable margin, and in my view that is the smart way to do it, since real plywood thickness varies and a rigid formula would fight you on every sheet change.

Does anyone know what value the maker set for the clearance tolerance in the tenon calculation? The half-thickness rule for dado depth is easy to follow, but I am curious how much slack went into the tenons on the prototype and whether it changed at all between the two drawer sizes.

For anyone cutting a version of this, I would start with the 1/8-inch pilot bit the maker recommends rather than repeating the 1/16-inch run. Wider flutes should resist clogging during finishing, which would spare you the punch-and-screw cleanup and keep the slide mounting points clean on the first coat instead of the third.

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required