Cabinet Wizard

Help & User Manual
Cabinet drilling and slot milling for Mach3

Contents

1. Getting Started

Cabinet Wizard generates Mach3 G-code for machining cabinet side panels without requiring a separate CAD/CAM program. Enter the cabinet dimensions, select the operations required, check the machining values, and press POST CODE.

The Wizard can generate shelf holes, drawer runner holes, hinge mounting holes and rear slots. Operations may be used individually or combined in one job.

Important: Always verify dimensions, tool information, work offset, workpiece position and the generated toolpath before running the machine.

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2. Cabinet and Machine Setup

Length and Width

LENGTH is the cabinet side-panel length/height. WIDTH is the front-to-back depth of the side panel.

Distance Between Panels

Sets the physical gap between the two cabinet side panels when both are positioned on the CNC table.

Metric / Inch

Select the unit system used for the job. Make sure the dimensions and machine setup correspond to the selected units.

G54 / G55 / G56

Select the work coordinate system to be used in the posted G-code. The selected work offset must already be set correctly on the machine.

X0 / Y0 Position

Select the corner where the machine X0/Y0 is set. Cabinet Wizard automatically adjusts all coordinates for the selected position and panel orientation.

90 Degree Rotate

Rotates the panel layout 90 degrees. Machining coordinates and the selected X0/Y0 position are adjusted automatically.

Common Cutting Values

SettingPurpose
Tool DiameterDiameter of the active drilling/machining tool.
Hole DepthDepth of the drilled holes.
Feed RateMachining feed rate.
Spindle RPMRequested spindle speed.
Safe ZSafe clearance height for non-cutting moves.

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3. Shelf Holes

The Shelf section creates front and rear rows of shelf-support holes on both cabinet side panels.

SettingDescription
Distance from BottomStarting position of the shelf-hole pattern measured from the bottom of the cabinet when SYMMETRIC is not selected.
No. of HolesNumber of shelf positions in each front/rear row.
Hole DistanceCenter-to-center spacing between consecutive shelf holes.
Distance from FrontPosition of the front shelf-hole row measured from the front edge of the panel.
Distance from BackPosition of the rear shelf-hole row measured from the back edge of the panel.
SYMMETRICCenters the vertical hole pattern symmetrically about the center of the panel length/height.

Example: if 10 shelf positions are requested, the Wizard creates a front and rear hole at each position. This gives 20 shelf holes per panel.

SYMMETRIC affects the vertical pattern only. It does not make the front and rear row distances equal.

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4. Saved Settings (Shelf, Drawer and Hinges)

The Shelf, Drawer and Hinge functions each provide three user presets: SET 1, SET 2 and SET 3.

SELECT SET cycles through the three presets for the active function and loads the selected configuration. No SET is loaded when Cabinet Wizard starts.

SAVE SET stores the current configuration of the active function in the selected preset.

Saved settings are stored locally and remain available after Mach3 or the computer is restarted.

Important: Shelf, Drawer and Hinge presets are saved independently. Saving a preset replaces the previous values stored in that preset for the active function.

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5. Drawer Runner Holes

The Drawer section creates mounting-hole patterns for drawer runners on the cabinet side panels.

Drawer Rows

Up to five drawer rows may be entered. Each row position is measured from the bottom of the cabinet. A row value of 0 means that row is unused.

Runner Hole Positions

Hole 1 is the absolute distance from the front edge of the cabinet side.

Holes 2-5 are entered as distances from Hole 1. A value of 0 means that hole position is unused.

Blum Tandem Presets

Use SELECT TYPE to select the supported runner family and SELECT RUNNER SIZE to select a predefined pattern. The RUNNER INFO button provides the quick reference for available 560H and 563H sizes.

If no predefined runner-size LED is selected, the pattern may be entered or modified manually as a custom pattern.

Remember: Hole 1 is measured from the front edge. Hole positions 2-5 are offsets from Hole 1.

Saved Settings

Use SELECT SET to choose Drawer SET 1, SET 2 or SET 3. Use SAVE SET to store the current Drawer configuration in the selected set.

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6. Hinges

The Hinge section generates cabinet-side mounting holes for the selected hinge arrangement.

Enter the first hinge position and any additional hinge positions required. Hinge positions are measured along the cabinet length/height from the bottom.

Select the required panel option: left, right, or both panels, as available on the Hinge screen.

Hinge Plate Position

INLINE (BLUE) ON - Uses two horizontal mounting holes for the hinge plate.

INLINE (BLUE) OFF - Uses two vertical mounting holes for the hinge plate.

Both patterns use 32 mm hole spacing. The blue holes in the drawing show the selected mounting position.

Unused hinge positions should remain at 0.

Saved Settings

Use SELECT SET to choose Hinge SET 1, SET 2 or SET 3. Use SAVE SET to store the current Hinge configuration in the selected set.

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7. Rear Slot

The Slot section mills a slot/groove along the rear area of each selected cabinet side panel.

SettingDescription
Slot WidthRequired finished width of the slot.
Distance from BackLocation of the slot relative to the rear edge.
Slot DepthMachining depth of the slot.
Feed RateFeed used while milling the slot.
Slot Tool DiameterActual cutter diameter. This may be smaller than the finished slot width.
Slot RPMSpindle speed used for slot milling.

If the finished slot is wider than the cutter, Cabinet Wizard generates the required additional pass.

New Slot Tool

If NEW SLOT TOOL is selected, the posted program stops the spindle and outputs a tool-change command before slot milling. After the change, the spindle restarts using the Slot RPM setting.

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8. Combining Operations

The INCLUDE controls determine which operations are placed in the posted job:

Any supported combination may be selected. Cabinet Wizard performs safety checks before creating the G-code.

For example, when Drawer and Slot operations are combined, the Wizard checks that runner mounting holes do not interfere with the rear slot.

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9. POST CODE

After all dimensions and machining options have been entered:

  1. Verify cabinet dimensions, panel orientation and X0/Y0 position.
  2. Verify the selected G54/G55/G56 work offset.
  3. Verify tool diameter, depth, feed rate, spindle speed and Safe Z.
  4. Select the required INCLUDE operations.
  5. Press POST CODE.

Cabinet Wizard checks the job before writing the G-code. If a problem is detected, an error message identifies the condition and posting is stopped.

The generated filename identifies the selected operations, for example Shelf, Drawer, Hinges and/or Slot.

Before machining: review the generated G-code/toolpath and confirm the physical workpiece zero and clamping.

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10. FREE and FULL Versions

The FREE version is fully usable for smaller jobs and evaluation. Current FREE limits are independent for each operation:

OperationFREE limit
Shelf8 actual generated shelf holes
Drawer8 actual generated drawer holes
Hinges4 actual generated hinge holes
SlotUnlimited

The FULL version removes these limits. Safety checks remain active in both versions.

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11. Safety Checks and Errors

Cabinet Wizard checks important dimensions before G-code is generated. Typical conditions include:

If an error appears, correct the indicated value and press POST CODE again.

Automatic checks reduce setup mistakes but do not replace operator verification. Always confirm the toolpath and machine setup before cutting.

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Cabinet Wizard
by Branko Kopic
Help version 1.03 - September 2026