The Shop

THE SHOP

Though Hankins & Associates, Inc. has been designing and creating beautiful kitchens since 1992, The Shop Kitchen and Bath (an extension of Hankins & Associates) was officially launched in October of 2015. Though The Shop is small, our capabilities are quite large in comparison. We feature some tools and equipment you'll likely not find in cabinet shops of this scale (or maybe even larger) to include CNC technology and the capability to replicate and run custom mouldings. With the exception of producing stainless doors or exotic high-gloss doors “in-house”, The Shop is up to the challenge for most anything—just ask us. While we are residentially driven, focusing on cabinetry and related millwork, if you have a commercial need, please ask ... we'd love to hear about what you're working on.

This collection of videos is a work in progress—it'll get better. As it develops, my hope is that visitors will get a better sense of What we do ... How we do it ... What we offer ... and finally What we deliver.

Please check back for updates!

The Design Process

We cannot provide an idea of cost without something tangible to assess (a design plan). Our design process is fairly simple. We’ll come and visit for an in-home consultation. The fee to come to your home (when within 40-miles) is $150.00. That $150.00 investment will be applied to cabinetry purchased from The Shop. During this visit, we’ll measure, discuss your project needs, discuss budget and more. Back here in our office we’ll take those measurements, together with notes and your completed questionnaire and develop a plan-view design concept from which to budget. We’ll present the design concept and review budget with you here at our Furlong, PA office/shop where you can also see our cabinetry, construction, door styles, finishes, etc. After seeing both our design ideas for your kitchen and our cabinetmaking capabilities, if you’d like to move forward ... we have a design engagement fee. That fee is $7.00/SF, with a $750.00 minimum. For example: If your kitchen area to receive cabinetry is 170 SF, then the fee would be about $1,200.00 (less the $150.00 already paid). That $1,200.00 would be applied to the deposit amount for your new cabinet order by The Shop. We don’t charge for design and drafting when you engage and pay us to build your new custom cabinetry. Until then, we need to protect our investment of time until you’ve committed to the project with us. Please see THE PROCESS for more information and downloadable design agreement and questionnaire forms.

The Biesse CNC

Our shop is just that ... a shop. When you visit our design studio, you’ll find a safe pathway to our office and studio area from the entry door. The first thing you’ll see upon entering is our Biesse 3-axis CNC (computer numerical control). So, what is the CNC? It’s a machine that assists with repetitive tasks that require precision and quality. Is it common for small bespoke cabinet shops to have CNC’s? Generally, not ... but we're fortunate to have one. This video will give you an idea of some (but not all) of its tasks.

Table Saws

How many table saws is enough? Not really sure, but for this small bespoke shop ... it’s three. Two of our table saws are found at either end of this sizeable outfeed (general purpose) table. Each typically equipped with different blades, for different tasks. One features a 4-roll feeder, while the other is the “go to” shop saw. The third saw is a “Slider” with a 7.5HP motor/12” blade and 1.0HP motor/4.72" scoring blade. This saw is tasked with many jobs and works especially well with veneered sheet goods with its scoring blade.

Shapers (wood spindle shapers)

I have an affinity for shapers. Why? Not really sure. Some individuals collect baseball caps, some sneakers, some dolls, some Matchbox® cars. Ok, perhaps I don’t "collect" them, but I do like them and currently have 7. Not unlike the CNC, “...is it common for small bespoke cabinet shops to have this many shapers...?” No, but you'll find them here. These machines vary in size and are tasked with different cutters for different needs (Baseboard moulding, Lightrail moulding, Door profiles, Faceframe material, and more). Having more than one shaper saves time in changing cutters and set up. Might not mean much to the client, but it does here in the shop. The oldest shaper here (American made cast iron) dates back to 1943 and works wonderfully. I would love to know its history and what it's produced over the 75+ years (imagine!).

Edgebander

Probably one of the most persnickety machines in the shop is the SCM Edgebander. What’s an edgebander you ask? It’s a machine that applies wood or PVC edge material to (in this shop) 3/4" plywood. The lead edge on frameless cabinets, the shelving, etc. is edgebanded. If you don’t have an edgeband machine for applying banding material, then you might be doing with an iron—yes, an iron. They make edgeband material pre-glued that adheres with an iron, requiring time and hand trimming. The process is typically tedious and can burn up a lot of time. An edgebanding machine holds a 300’ roll (or larger) and feeds it through the machine, applying the banding using pressure rollers, then guillotines the edgeband before the panel heads down the line for lead and end trimming, then trimming of top and bottom edges, finishing with buffing the banded panel edge. So why can the machine be persnickety? These machines require adjusting, tuning, (call it) "dialing in" for different banding material and plywood thickness. So, plywood material (which can vary 2mm +/-) and edgeband thickness variations require running a few test samples a must.

Door Assembly

Something else you’ll find here in our quaint bespoke shop is a Doucet SDM door assembly machine. I ordered this machine during the Covid period. Why? Because we either couldn’t get doors or couldn’t’ get them in a timely fashion from our door vendor. So, while outsourcing doors is not unusual (typical for most large cabinet manufacturers), we can if needed (and do) produce some doors here in-house more efficiently, making short order in production, while offering the greatest precision.

Materials

A commitment we make (I make) to our customers—we use quality materials. Starting with plywood—our plywood is domestic (North America) formaldehyde-free material. Does it cost us more than imported "offshore" material? Yes. But it’s simply better material for us ... for you. Likewise, our solid hardwoods are sourced locally/regionally. Our drawer slides, hinges and specialty equipment come from either Salice®, Blum® or Hafele®—to name a view. Our finish material is sourced from either M.L. Campbell, Mohawk, or Benjamin Moore.

Let’s talk Drawers

We’ve got really good drawer boxes. Our boxes are made from maple wood. The sides, front and back are 5/8” and joined using a dovetail joint. The bottoms aren’t 1/4" ... but rather 3/8” thick. They are solid and they’ll not fall apart. These aren’t 'ready to assemble' boxes from China, Vietnam, Indonesia, or Mexico. Our boxes are custom made here in Pennsylvania, then carefully sanded, and then finished AFTER assembly. Feel the sides and feel the dovetails—there is a difference! The drawer box slide mechanisms we use are undermount by either Salice® or Blum®.

A really well-built cabinet

How solid and well-built are our Bretonwoode™ custom cabinets and why do we believe they’re better than some other brands? Well ... 3/4" domestic plywood, solid hardwoods, quality hardware, solid build construction (tight fit & finish, glue & screws and more), and 'attention to detail' finishing which we invest more time in. This might sound a bit proud of me, but If you can find better quality cabinet for the investment—buy it.

Why Contact THE SHOP

Why contact The Shop Kitchen and Bath? First and foremost, we'll work with you to achieve the perfect "something" that you desire, that you'll love. Be it a kitchen, bath, fireplace built-in, bar or mud room (just to name a few) ... we'll take the time to guide you.

The word Custom to some can be 'off-putting'. For some it means expensive and out of reach. We understand this and while we can’t change your perceptions about the word, we'll do our best to show you what the word means to us.

We believe that custom should be getting what you want. We think that custom should be exploring all the design options and developing a solution. Whether it’s a specially made trim or turning, we’ll do it. Our focus is design, developing solutions and satisfying your desires. Maybe it’s a really large pot & pan drawer that someone else said, "No, we can't do it." Maybe it’s a matching or special sized table that you just can't find. Perhaps it's a really unique door style or finish that you've seen in a magazine, but nowhere else—Just ask us!

When we say custom, we mean custom. But here's the catch, we’ll not break the Bank. Want to learn more? Call us today at (215) 794-5930.

Ditchin' My Kitchen®

“Ditchin’ My Kitchen” was a kitchen remodeling program and 2008 Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Nominated program (#33. Informational/Instructional Program Feature or Segment) produced by Jim Davey, Multi Media Productions, Inc. and first aired on the Comcast Network (CN8). The program followed homeowners from design through to completion of an extensive kitchen remodel, hosted by kitchen designer Jerry Hankins of Hankins & Associates, Inc. Watch brief video clip.