Shaving 1/4” off cabinet
- Thread starter Quick01GT
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Terranova
Well-known member
Speed isn't as important as direction. One way (the correct way) you'll be pushing against the rotation of the bit. The other, wrong way the rotation of the bit will try to pull the router away from you or run away from you.
Innovate1
Well-known member
I did this with a router on a cabinet that was slightly too big to fit in a bathroom. It will be a little harder to do in place but with a guide rail you will get a nice even cut. I suggest you mock up a vertical board like the cabinet and try it first before you do the real thing since you say you don't have experience with this. If you have room to run the router to the ends the router will do it all.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Please share some pictures. Depending on how concerned you are about the final look, it might be worth spending a couple hundred to have a trim carpenter do the work
240sxguy
Well-known member
IMO take the cabinet down and do it on a bench where you have better control over what is going on. Ideally run it through a tablesaw, which is how I did mine.
Higgins
Well-known member
Is the other side of the fridg against drywall??
If it is, it's most likely 1/2". You could remove the 1/2 DW and replace it with 1/4" DW. Problem solved
If it is, it's most likely 1/2". You could remove the 1/2 DW and replace it with 1/4" DW. Problem solved
Innovate1
Well-known member
Mike93lx mentioned "trim carpenter". Is that the same as a "finish carpenter"? We didn't have a very good finish carpenter - that's why I ended up doing it myself. When I said the cabinets were about 3/8" too wide for the space he said there was no way to make them fit and said he had 17 years experience. I asked a carpenter friend who said there were several ways to make them fit. My understanding is that is why the face frame overhangs the side panels - so they can be trimmed to fit. He didn't say a word when he came back for other work and walked by the cabinets that couldn't be done were all installed.
The OP may have a slightly different situation. I don't completely understand "cabinet containing the fridge". A picture would be good. Might have inside corners that require a plane as mentioned.
The OP may have a slightly different situation. I don't completely understand "cabinet containing the fridge". A picture would be good. Might have inside corners that require a plane as mentioned.
Kaizen
Well-known member
Guessing op has a fridge in this cabinet so can’t easily take it out. Router imo can go bad fast. Hard to get a straight guide sometimes. I’d suggest going out and getting a little trim circular saw. I have one that is small and good to use on stuff like this. Finish up with chisel and sander.
Or belt sander and an hour will get it done.
Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
Or belt sander and an hour will get it done.
Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
If this is the facing part of the cabinet make sure to pre-score the cut with a box cutter, especially if the cabinet is veneered particle board. I would use a hand held electric plane and shave very small amounts at a time, and an oscillating tool to plunge the bottom and top where the plane cant reach. Finish with a sander unless its particle board then maybe take more than 1/4" and glue new veneer strip over particle board. I have a router also but I know my skills are not good enough to use it on this task.
Itsjustdirt
Well-known member
Planer. I’ve used a planer to do this many times.
Router with a clamp on guide board or some flush cut bearing works to provide an excellent finish cut. I prefer to use a small trim router.
Not using a hand held circular saw on finished cabinets. Only thing worse would be jig saw.
Planer does work.......but not deep enough into the corners.....so its had work.
Done this multiple times on built in ovens and refrigerator installs. Ovens it’s very common to take a 1/8 to 1/4” off..........and yes 1/8” small but if it to Big it still too bigot force it in. Plus it always has to come back out.
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rlitman
Well-known member
A circular saw is just nuts. A jigsaw with a down-cut blade, held against a guide, and with the cut line pre-scored with a knife should actually do a fine job.
Kaizen
Well-known member
Thanks for keeping me honest. This is what I’m referring to. Very fine cut blades.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dremel-...fJMMKJH4yglslOZiqe4GOYWzM8nhlwRgaAusaEALw_wcB
As op is not a woodworker by his own admission I swayed away from tools that can go badly quick. We both know a router is top of that list. Yes it can work if he can mount a straight edge and have enough to ride it on. Neither of those details do we know yet.
Thinking this is most likely veneer so would also recommend taping the cut line
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scottydosnntkno
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2010
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It sounds like it’s the face frame, so not veneer, more likely solid wood (oak or maple) most likely.
For someone who isn’t a woodworker, a belt sander run into the cavity with the fridge out(so belt is pulling towards the wall) would probably be the most foolproof.
Pencil or tape line your depth(which I would go 1/8 per side) going. 1/4 on one side will run you into the outside edge of the side panel, and will just look off horizontally compared to the upper cabinet. Plus you may need 1
3/16 on each side because the cabinet isn’t perfectly plumb. You just slowly move the belt sander up and down until you get to your marked out line.
No trying to chisel through 3/4 of hardwood, or keep a router straight, etc. just use some 100-120 grit and it should take less then five mins per side tops. Slow and steady a little at a time until you sand all the way to your line
matt_i
Well-known member
This would be my recommendation and how I modified several cabinets to accommodate a new fridge.
Lynden
Well-known member
Replace the base on your router with a simple edge-cutting base. Use a piece of 1/2" plywood for the base and a 1" square piece of wood for the fence screwed to the bottom of the base. Set the fence to expose 1/8" of a straight router bit and make the first pass top-to-bottom. Unscrew the fence and move it to expose 1/4" of the router bit and make the second pass. Use a jig saw with a flush-cutting blade and/or a chisel to finish the short uncut sections at the top and bottom. Your base doesn't need to be as large or as complicated as the bases shown below.
https://www.woodworkweb.com/woodwor...make-an-edge-guide-jig-for-a-trim-router.html
http://www.woodsmithtips.com/2011/04/07/shop-made-router-edge-guide/
https://www.woodworkweb.com/woodwor...make-an-edge-guide-jig-for-a-trim-router.html
http://www.woodsmithtips.com/2011/04/07/shop-made-router-edge-guide/
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Done guys/gals, used a belt sander but all your suggestions were taken into consideration and thought about each one and how confident I felt in my abilities.
I did do dry runs with a router/fence and the belt sander is what I was most comfortable with. Thanks everyone!!!
I did do dry runs with a router/fence and the belt sander is what I was most comfortable with. Thanks everyone!!!
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manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Glad it worked out for you, as always there is more than one way to skin the cat'.
Seems like you chose the best method for you.
Seems like you chose the best method for you.