Free base cabinet plans for a single 600 mm-wide frameless (Euro-style) base unit - two doors on 35 mm cup hinges, one adjustable shelf, stretchers up top for the countertop, and a toe kick at the floor. You get the parts list, dimensions, material breakdown, and an optimized cutting diagram you can download as a PDF and take to the workshop.
One cabinet is the right first project if you've never built casework: it's the same construction as a full kitchen, but you can clamp the whole thing on one bench and your mistakes cost one cabinet's worth of plywood. Need the whole 10-foot run instead? Use the kitchen cabinet plans - same construction, six boxes. Uppers live in the wall cabinet plans.
Cut list for a base cabinet
The full cut list for this base cabinet is 10 parts across 7 part types: 2 side panels, 1 bottom, 2 stretchers, 1 adjustable shelf, 1 back panel, 2 doors, and 1 toe kick. Every dimension is in mm so you can move straight from cut list to saw fence without converting.
Unlike a bookshelf, a base cabinet has no full top - two 100 mm stretchers brace the sides and give the countertop something to screw into. That's one of those details that separates cabinet plans from generic box plans, and it saves you half a panel of material. The optimizer below applies kerf to every cut and prints the exact sheet arrangement on a PDF.
What's in the PDF
- Parts list with dimensions - 10 parts total across 7 part types. Every part labeled, quantified, and dimensioned in mm.
- Optimized cutting diagram - generated from 18 mm plywood sheets (2440 × 1220 mm / 4'×8'). Color-coded by part type so you can see at a glance which piece is which.
- Sheet count and material cost estimate - this build packs into 2 sheets with generous offcuts; the PDF shows the exact layout and cost.
- Kerf accounted for - 3.2 mm (1/8") default, adjustable to your blade.
Click "Open in Optimizer" below - your parts and stock are pre-filled, you just download the PDF. No signup needed for a single optimization.
Tools you'll need
- Table saw or track saw; a circular saw with a straight-edge guide handles a single cabinet fine
- Drill driver plus a 35 mm Forstner bit for the hinge cups
- Pocket-hole jig - the fastest joinery for a frameless carcass
- Shelf-pin jig for the adjustable shelf holes
- Edge-banding iron and a flush-trim bit for the visible front edges
- Four clamps and a carpenter's square
Time estimate
Two to three hours to cut and edge-band, two hours to assemble and hang the doors. A single base cabinet is comfortably a one-day build including finishing, which is exactly why it makes a good trial run before committing to a full kitchen.
Build sequence
1. Cut the side panels first, both at one saw setup. They set the cabinet's height and depth - everything else references them.
2. Cut the bottom, stretchers, and shelf at a shared fence setting where dimensions repeat - bottom and stretchers share their 564 mm length.
3. Cut the back panel, doors, and toe kick. Give the doors the cleanest crosscuts of the day; they're all anyone sees.
4. Edge-band the front edges of the sides, bottom, and shelf, plus all four door edges. Iron, trim flush, sand.
5. Drill the shelf-pin rows in both sides with the jig referenced off the bottom edge, and the 35 mm hinge cups in the doors (cup centerline 22 mm from the door edge).
6. Assemble the carcass - bottom between the sides, stretchers at the top front and back, pocket screws and glue. Check diagonals before the glue sets.
7. Screw on the back panel. It squares the cabinet and keeps it square forever - don't skip it because "the wall will hide it".
8. Mount the toe kick, hang the doors, adjust. The cup hinges' three-axis adjustment is what makes an amateur box look factory-made - take the extra ten minutes.
Toe kick: legs vs ladder base
The plan uses a clip-on toe kick over adjustable plastic legs - the way commercial kitchens do it. Legs make leveling on a wavy floor trivial and let the same 596×100 mm kick panel snap on after the cabinet is set. The alternative is a ladder base (a separate plinth frame the cabinet sits on), which is sturdier for very heavy stone tops but harder to level. With the default 100 mm kick the finished counter lands at about 858 mm with a 38 mm top; set the legs to 150 mm if you want the full US-standard 36" (915 mm) height.
Material options
- Plywood (18 mm) - the default. Cabinet-grade for sides and doors; the back can be shop-grade.
- Melamine - pre-finished and cheaper; the standard choice for painted-look kitchens on a budget. Fine blade, banded edges. See the melamine cut calculator.
- MDF doors on a plywood carcass - the painted-shaker route. MDF takes paint better than plywood; keep the structural box plywood. The MDF calculator handles the numbers.
Common mistakes
Building a full top instead of stretchers. A solid top panel wastes half a sheet, adds weight, and the countertop hides it forever. Stretchers are how real cabinets are built.
Forgetting the door reveals. The doors are cut for a 2-3 mm gap all around so the hinges have adjustment range. Cut them to "fit the opening" and they'll bind the first humid week.
Drilling hinge cups too close to the edge. 22 mm from the door edge to the cup centerline for standard frameless hinges. Closer and the screws blow out the edge; farther and the door won't close flat.
Leveling the cabinet by shimming the toe kick panel. Level with the legs (or shims under a ladder base), then clip the kick on. The kick panel is trim, not structure.
FAQ
Are these base cabinet plans really free?
Yes. The plans, parts list, dimensions, and PDF cutting diagram are all free during early access. No card, no part limits, no watermarks.
What does the PDF include?
The optimized cutting diagram (sheet-by-sheet, color-coded by part), the full parts list with dimensions, kerf settings, and total sheet count. Designed to print at letter or A4 and be readable next to a saw.
How many sheets of plywood do I need?
2 sheets of 4'×8' (2440×1220 mm) 18 mm plywood, with generous offcuts left for the next project. The exact layout is in the PDF.
What height should a base cabinet be?
The carcass is 720 mm. With 100 mm legs and a 38 mm top you land at 858 mm; set the legs to 150 mm for the US-standard 36" (915 mm) counter height. Both work - match your appliances.
Can I turn this into a drawer base?
Yes. Keep the same carcass, drop the shelf and doors, and add drawer boxes and fronts in the optimizer. The writing desk plans show the same drawer-box construction if you want a reference.
Can I build a whole kitchen from this plan?
That's what the kitchen cabinet plans are - six of these boxes as one cut list, packed together to save sheets. Build one first, then batch the rest.
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