ASSEMBLING RTA CABINETS

You don’t need a crash course in Mechanics 101 to assemble Kitchen Cabinet Discounts’ RTA cabinets.  Unlike assembling many other RTA cabinets on the market, our cabinets require NO hot glue guns, NO staple guns, NO bar clamps, or anything more sophisticated than a Phillips screwdriver.  NO KIDDING! To speed up the assembly process, it does help to use an electric screwdriver.  It also helps if two people work together on very large cabinets – one holding the cabinet parts in place, while the other tightens the screws.

If you do not want to assemble cabinets yourself, for an additional fee, they can be sent to you pre-assembled.  Or,  you may want to contact a local handyperson to assemble them for you.  You can still save THOUSANDS by purchasing your own cabinets, even if you hire your own installer, since you eliminate the middleman fees charged by cabinet companies that have to maintain expensive showrooms. 

Our  RTA cabinets are shipped to customers with their concealed hinges already secured to their doorframe faces, a process our factory completes.  The factory also attaches all "L"-shaped brackets and locking plates before shipping the cabinets to customers.  Customers can assemble wall and base cabinets by simply aligning the 3 holes in each “L”-shaped bracket with the 3 holes in each corresponding locking plate. Each bracket already comes with 2 screws in place that just need to be tightened after you drop a third screw into the pre-drilled hole between them.  All hardware, mounting brackets, shelves, drawer pulls, and screws are provided.  A few extra screws are included, as well.

The first cabinet usually takes about 35 minutes to assemble.  Handy and experienced do-it-yourselfers, as well as total novices, are usually able to assemble each of the other cabinets within 10-20 minutes.  Cabinets that may take a little longer to assemble include base cabinets with drawers, lazy susans, roll out trays, or other special accessories.

DIRECTIONS FOR ASSEMBLING A BASE CABINET

STEP 1:  CLEAR A WORK SPACE
Place your cabinet panels on a smooth, scratch resistant surface in a large, open area.  (Some people like to work on a carpeted area; others prefer to elevate the cabinet by placing it on a table top.  If you are not using a carpeted area, having a large beach towel or blanket under all wood surfaces is helpful to protect the wood from being scratched).

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STEP 2: ORGANIZE YOUR MATERIALS
We suggest starting with a 12, 15, or 18 inch base cabinet, taking care not to scratch the wooden panels against each other.  Carefully remove all contents from one shipping box.  Next, organize your screws by size and type.  Keep flat headed screws separate from those with a slightly rounded head. 

•    Flat headed screws attach mounting glides on drawers to the cabinet;
•    The longest screws hold the drawer together;
•    The small round headed screws are used in all other areas. 

                                                     

      Madison Avenue Cabinet Pieces with       Screws, Bumpers, Shelf Clips, Corner Brackets                Oak Cabinet Pieces with

      Undermount Drawer Glides                                                                                                                 Side Mount Drawer Glides

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STEP 3:  START WITH THE DOOR FRAME
Place the cabinet door frame “face down” on your smooth surface.

 

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STEP 4: (OPTIONAL)  REVERSE THE HINGE
If you need to reverse the hinge on a single door base cabinet so the door swings in the other direction, this is the ideal time to do that.  All you have to do is remove the screws that hold the hinge to the door face frame, flip the door over, and reattach the hinges to the other side.

         

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STEP 5:  ADD SIDE PANEL TO DOORFRAME
Lift one side panel and attach it to the doorframe by sliding its locking plates over the “L” brackets on one side of the door face frame.  (Be sure the groove on the bottom of the panel meets the groove of the bottom of the door face frame).  Align the brackets, making sure the ends of the door face and the side panels are even, without one protruding past the other. 

      

Attach one cabinet side to the back of the doorframe by sliding one locking plate over its corresponding L-bracket.  Align holes.  (When holes are aligned, you usually can hear a slight clicking sound as they lock into place). Add a small round-topped screw to the center hole of the locking plate, but don’t over-tighten it.  Tighten side screws.  (The benefit of this design over one with camlocks is that once an “L” bracket is screwed into the locking plate and tightened, it is unlikely to come apart as some camlocks do).

                

           “L” bracket                                     Locking Plate             Slide locking plate over "L" bracket.    Add middle screw, then tighten side screws.    

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STEP 6:  ADD 2nd SIDE PANEL
Slide the locking plates on the other side panel into the “L” brackets on the opposite side of the doorframe, and repeat the process above.  Again, be careful not to over-tighten the center screw.  Tighten the additional side screws.

 

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STEP 7:  ADD THE CABINET FLOOR
With the door face frame still face-down on the floor and the sides now attached, slide the floor panel into the grooves between the side panels.  (Be sure the finished side of the floor is on the INSIDE of the cabinet, and be sure the corner cutouts face up, leaving a slight opening in the groove here). 

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STEP 8:  ADD THE BACK PANEL
Attach the back panel next.  To do this, place the “L” brackets of the back panel into the locking plates on the two side panels.  Next, carefully flip the cabinet over so you can access the inside.  Add the center screws to the “L” brackets and tighten, but don’t over-tighten.  Next, tighten each L-bracket’s side screws.

 

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STEP 9:  ADD THE KICKPLATE
Add the kick plate to the bottom of the cabinet, making sure the finished side faces out and the unfinished side in on the inside. Insert the locking screws and tighten them.  Turn the cabinet upright.

    

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STEP 10:  ADD SHELF CLIPS
Insert two plastic shelf support clips into the holes on one side of the cabinet at the height you desire, making sure they are aligned.  Insert the other two support clips on the opposite side of the cabinet, making sure you use the holes that align with those of the shelf clips on the first side.  We encourage you put the shelf aside for now, and install all cabinet shelves ONLY after your cabinets are installed in your kitchen.

 

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STEP 11:  ASSEMBLE THE DRAWER BOX
Use your longest screws when assembling the drawer box.  Carefully align and attach one side panel of the drawer box to the back portion of the drawer box head. Attach the second side panel to the back of the drawer box head.  Then attach the two drawer sides to the drawer back, again using the longest screws you have.

NOTE:  The Country Oak model featured below and our Santa Fe model come with side mount glides.  All of our other models come with UNDERMOUNT glides.

                 

          Lay out the drawer parts              Back of drawer parts - drawerhead on right      Screw drawer sides to back of drawerhead 

 

                                                

Slide drawer bottom between sides, with finished side in                                      Add back panel to drawer, being sure to align grooves snuggly.

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STEPS 12 - 15  ARE FOR ALL MAPLE MODELS AS THEY COME WITH UNDER MOUNT, NOT SIDE MOUNT GLIDES.  (MODELS WITH DOVETAIL DRAWER BOXES ARE ALREADY ASSEMBLED.  THEY JUST NEED TO HAVE THE GLIDES ADDED).

STEP 12:  ATTACH UNDERMOUNT RUNNERS TO DRAWER BOX  (FOR ALL MAPLE MODELS EXCEPT SANTA FE)
Place the drawer box on an accessible, solid surface, with the bottom facing up. Next, slide one drawer glide runner into a full open position (see 1st photo).  Set that runner on the appropriate side of the drawer box, making sure the wheel end of the glides sits at the FRONT of the cabinet drawer (see 1st photo).  The thick metal pin on the runner should drop into the pre-drilled hole on the box (2nd photo).   The hook on the back portion of the glide should fit into the pre-drilled hole at the back of the drawer (3rd photo).   Repeat steps to add the drawer glide to the other side of the box.     

          

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STEP 13:  ATTACH DRAWER GLIDE SUPPORTS TO BACK PANEL

Insert the 2 white plastic drawer guide support brackets into the holes at the top of the cabinet’s back panel.  Make sure they are aligned, and screw into place.

 

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STEP 14:  INSTALL DRAWER AND ATTACH GLIDES TO DRAWER BACK
Carefully insert your drawer in the drawer opening at the top of your cabinet.  Slide the metal glides onto the plastic drawer guide support brackets attached to the back of the cabinet.

               

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STEP 15:  INSTALL DRAWER
Make sure the drawer is evenly aligned.  With the drawer in its full open position, attach one small FLAT-headed 4X10 screw from the drawer rail to the SIDE of the drawer opening at the front of the drawer. (You have 3 of these flat-headed screws; 1 is extra).  Attach one small FLAT-headed 4 X 10 screw from the drawer rail to the OTHER side of the drawer opening at the front of the drawer.  

                     

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STEP 16:  INSERT PLASTIC BUMPERS
Next, add 4 of the 6 tiny soft clear plastic bumpers to the 4 holes on the inside of the drawer front.  Add the other 2 bumpers to the 2 holes on the inside of the door face.  You may have to push hard and twist these a little, to get them in.  These bumpers allow the drawer and door to close quietly.

 

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STEP 17:  ADD CORNER BRACKETS
Plastic corner brackets serve two purposes.  First, they help make sure your cabinet is squared off, going into a wall.  Secondly, they allow a laminate or similar countertop to be screwed into place over your cabinets. (Even if you are going to add a granite top, you can still use them).  Place one plastic corner support bracket on the corner of your cabinet top with the platic lip over the cabinet, and screw into place.  Repeat on each of the other 3 sides.  Your base cabinet is complete, unless you want to drill holes in the drawer and cabinet door to add drawer pulls or handles.

                                  

        Plastic corner bracket                                               Cabinet showing all 4 corner brackets in place