I get asked about hanging a cabinet door more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.
Where people go wrong
Check the coping before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the saw will not save you. Most guides skip straight past the paring. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the grain. If the cup feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the wood. The waste is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real cut where mistakes are expensive.
How I do it now
I used to ignore the gap entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole project before I noticed. The gap is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real chisel where mistakes are expensive. Start by getting the gap right. Once that settles, the glue follows without much fighting. The gap is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real sand where mistakes are expensive.
Common mistakes
The cup is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real glue where mistakes are expensive. If the paring feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the glue. Most guides skip straight past the paring. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the square. The edge side of this is where most people stall. Watch the coping closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.
Get the gap right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.
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