The Workshop · Issue 04

Engineering notes for the modern cabinet shop.

Technical guides, builder communication playbooks, and case studies from North Carolina's most forward-thinking millwork firms.

Join 50+ NC shop owners reading our weekly VDC insights.

Featured

Technical VDC · 12 min read

The 2026 Cabinet Shop: A Guide to Digital Infrastructure

The shops that will dominate the next decade aren't the ones with the biggest CNCs — they're the ones with the cleanest data pipelines. A field guide.

Read the guide

Shop Efficiency

The Ultimate Guide to Cabinet Shop Drawing Management in 2026

From naming conventions to version control to builder approvals — the complete playbook for running a paperless cabinet shop.

9 min read

Technical VDC

Why Raleigh Millwork Firms are Switching to VDC (Virtual Design & Construction)

VDC isn't just for big GCs anymore. Inside the quiet shift happening across North Carolina cabinet shops.

7 min read

Technical VDC

Cabinet Vision vs. Mosaic: Which Software Needs a Project Vault?

Both. Here's why your CAD software was never designed to be your communication layer — and what to use instead.

6 min read

Builder Relations

7 Reasons Builders Ghost Your Drawing Approval (And How to Fix It)

If you've ever sent a PDF and waited two weeks for a 'looks good,' this one's for you.

5 min read

Builder Relations

Killing the Builder Email Thread

Replacing 60 emails with one permanent URL. A field guide to the Builder Portal.

6 min read

Founder's Log

Why We Built Kerf

Notes from the shop floor. The day we lost a $14k job to a faxed cut list — and decided to build the system we wished existed.

4 min read

Free Download

The Builder Communication Checklist

12 questions every shop should ask before sending the first drawing. PDF, instant download.

Get the Checklist

Cabinet Tech Terms

Glossary

VDC: Virtual Design & Construction. The discipline of managing projects through digital models, versioned drawings, and shared truth.
CNC: Computer Numerical Control. The machine that cuts your panels — only as accurate as the data you feed it.
Shop Drawings: The detailed, fabrication-ready drawings produced by the cabinet shop for builder approval before any material is cut.
Submittals: The formal package of drawings, specs, and finishes sent to the builder or GC for sign-off.
VDC Vault: A single permanent home for every drawing version, approval, and change order on a project.

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