Starting a kitchen remodel, cabinets first.

[NUTTSGT]

The wife has been wanting to remodel the kitchen after doing the utility room last year. So I made her a deal, I make the cabinets.

After making a test cabinet, she was fine with it. . . . atleast for now. This will allow us to gather ideas and won't be starting on the actual kitchen until the cabinets are done.

I'll be able to purchase a few new tools as I go and gain some rebate dollars at Menard's to buy me (my labor costs) something when it's done. This also helps us spread the cost out over the next few months. I'm not sure if she realizes how long this will take. However, I should okay as long as she sees progress in the cabinet build.

I started out with some measurements, design of the first cabinet and set up some standard sizes to work from for the lowers/base cabinets. She wants them painted white so I can use Poplar and it'll hide a little bit more than stain.

So far, as posted in "new tool arrivals", I have have picked up the following Kreg jigs and 4 Dewalt 24" HD trigger clamps.

 

[NUTTSGT]

The first cabinet was the "stove" cabinet, between the stove and sink base. It's a 30" wide cabinet. It'll have a utensil drawer and a pull out shelf for pots/apns.


I'll be using 3/4" BCX plywood for the sides, the bottom or shelves will be 1/2" plywood and a 1/4" back panel. The faces/stiles will be 3/4" poplar. The doors will also be poplar and a 1/4" plywood panel for a shaker style door. The wife also says no hardware on the doors/drawers.

 

[Kaizen]

Love to see your design. I just picked up that drawer jig. I am adding full extension slides to some old cabinets i have and making slide out drawers for lowers. Some great organization ideas on pinterest. I got ten pairs of full extension soft close drawer slides on amazon for under 100 bucks. i was skeptical but look decent. Hardware is so expensive in stores.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073XS8KGD/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'm going to make all the drawer fronts at one time to allow for a simple plan of set up and mounting.




oops forgot to attach the pictures.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Love to see your design. I just picked up that drawer jig. I am adding full extension slides to some old cabinets i have and making slide out drawers for lowers. Some great organization ideas on pinterest. I got ten pairs of full extension soft close drawer slides on amazon for under 100 bucks. i was skeptical but look decent. Hardware is so expensive in stores.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073XS8KGD/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Thanks, I bought the first two sets of slides at Menard's. They are a "in stock" item so I can pick them up as I need to. One more thing to spread the cost over the next few months. . . . and so I don't have a bunch of stuff sitting around in the way.



EDIT: I think these are the ones I'm using. I don't have the part numbers or SKU off hand.

https://www.menards.com/main/tools-...635-c-9337.htm?tid=8049301181000200836&ipos=2

 

[NUTTSGT]

On to the sink base cabinet. I added some extra bracing . . . just because I thought it needs it and for extra assurance.

I'll be gluing up the doors here shortly after I cut the door panels. One reason I picked up the Dewalt clamps this morning.



Looking closely, you might notice the 3/4" plywood for the toe kick. Some how, it moved when I was screwing it in. It's not a big deal in the big picture. My plan was to add a strip of 1/4" plywood underneath for a toe kick after they are installed for a seamless joint. It'll be painted black also.

 

[mike93lx]

I think i would use a better grade plywood for kitchen cabinets. BCX is going to need a lot of sanding and will definitely have imperfections. At least AC or a hardwood ply, IMO

 

[NUTTSGT]

The BCX I've picked up at Menard's is pretty nice, believe it or not. None of it will actually be seen from the outside of the cabinet. I did stick the 1/4" back sheet in backwards but there will be plumbing to cover it and nobody ever looks under the sink.

Once I get to the uppers, I may need to change it up depending on what's in stock. I will keep that in mind as I go.

 

[mike93lx]

I certainly admire someone that builds their own stuff. Looks great.

I'd love to build my own cabinets when the time comes for a remodel, just depends on how soon that needs to happen

 

[engineer2]

Looks nice, and it's an ambitious project to make your own!
I like 3/4" shelves. Our builder's-grade cabinets with 1/2 shelves are all sagging.
Menards started carrying reasonably priced plywood that is nearly perfect on one side, if you sort through the sheets.

 

[bored350]

Are you planning to use a French cleat to hang the upper cabinets?

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Notgrownup]

I am interested in making new doors for my existing cabinets...might try later.

 

[usa#1]

I am interested in making new doors for my existing cabinets...might try later.

Check with the online door suppliers. Depending on what you are looking for you may be surprised that the prices aren't that high.

 

[PelicanPines]

Damn that looks nice. I'm in to see more.

 

[Notgrownup]

Check with the online door suppliers. Depending on what you are looking for you may be surprised that the prices aren't that high.

The satisfaction of doing them yourself is unexplainable...

 

[usa#1]

The satisfaction of doing them yourself is unexplainable...

I hear ya. I'm satisfied with spraying just them though.

 

[captain14]

I will be here for the project. A couple of questions on the build.

1. Are you finishing the interior of the cabinets the same as the exterior?

2. If there are no handles or pulls for the cabinets, what are your plans for
opening/closing everything? Recessed into the doors, or...?

Fingerprints?

 

[JonBoehman]

If you know of anyone with a large drum sander, I'd suggest seeing if you can run the doors through it to get them flat as to not have any gaps or bows once installed.

 

[Nazjaz]

The wife has been wanting to remodel the kitchen after doing the utility room last year. So I made her a deal, I make the cabinets.

After making a test cabinet, she was fine with it. . . . atleast for now. This will allow us to gather ideas and won't be starting on the actual kitchen until the cabinets are done.

I'll be able to purchase a few new tools as I go and gain some rebate dollars at Menard's to buy me (my labor costs) something when it's done. This also helps us spread the cost out over the next few months. I'm not sure if she realizes how long this will take. However, I should okay as long as she sees progress in the cabinet build.

I started out with some measurements, design of the first cabinet and set up some standard sizes to work from for the lowers/base cabinets. She wants them painted white so I can use Poplar and it'll hide a little bit more than stain.

So far, as posted in "new tool arrivals", I have have picked up the following Kreg jigs and 4 Dewalt 24" HD trigger clamps.

Rockler has some pre-made (custom too) door and drawer fronts; that may be the way we go when we get ready to build our cabinets.

 

[manwithtools]

Rockler has some pre-made (custom too) door and drawer fronts; that may be the way we go when we get ready to build our cabinets.

I'll bet you can find doors and drawer fronts from other suppliers for far less money than Rockler sells them for. Rockler is good for having a wide variety of products, but their prices are rarely the best out there.

 

[manwithtools]

If you know of anyone with a large drum sander, I'd suggest seeing if you can run the doors through it to get them flat as to not have any gaps or bows once installed.

Excellent advise.

 

[larry4406]

Check with the online door suppliers. Depending on what you are looking for you may be surprised that the prices aren't that high.

A friend of mine says he has purchased some doors from this company and was quite pleased. No affiliation.
https://www.barkerdoor.com/

I agree very ambitious project! Nice work.

 

[Firstram]

If you're going to spray the inside of the boxes, make the back removable. So much easier to spray with the back off.

 

[Higgins]

Ditto on Rocklers. They have great products and cut down your project build time immensely. And in the grand scheme of project will be able to complete the project quicker!

AL

 

[Uncle Phil]

Norm Abram of the New Yankee Workshop used prefinished plywood so he wouldn't have to apply finish on the assembled cabinet. I don't think the quality of the prefinished plywood is very good at Menards.

But I did spray polyurethane on the interior side of the plywood before I screwed it together. That basically followed the same principle as Norm.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Looks nice, and it's an ambitious project to make your own!
I like 3/4" shelves. Our builder's-grade cabinets with 1/2 shelves are all sagging.
Menards started carrying reasonably priced plywood that is nearly perfect on one side, if you sort through the sheets.

I've had to move a few sheets on my visits, typical as everybody does.

Are you planning to use a French cleat to hang the upper cabinets?

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

No, they will be screwed directly to the wall. I will be bracing them for such.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Damn that looks nice. I'm in to see more.

Thanks.

The satisfaction of doing them yourself is unexplainable...

I'd agree with that also.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I will be here for the project. A couple of questions on the build.

1. Are you finishing the interior of the cabinets the same as the exterior?

2. If there are no handles or pulls for the cabinets, what are your plans for
opening/closing everything? Recessed into the doors, or...?

Fingerprints?

The wife says no hardware. Any fingerprints will be her problem.

If you know of anyone with a large drum sander, I'd suggest seeing if you can run the doors through it to get them flat as to not have any gaps or bows once installed.

Yeah. That would be nice.

If you're going to spray the inside of the boxes, make the back removable. So much easier to spray with the back off.

I'll be spraying the inside but the backs will be glued and stapled on. I bought air stapler last fall for another project. I was keeping the kitchen project in mind when I bought it though.

 

[EdT]

I have done 3 kitchens and I have learned a few things in doing so.
1) as suggested above go with a better grade of plywood for the boxes. The incremental cost is not that much and the result and the process is much better. More pleasant to work with and fewer work arounds.
2) IMHO the kreg system for face frames is very good, just be sure to have the parts well clamped when you drive the screws since there is a tendency for the part to step out of plane if you don't.
3) Do as many drawers as possible whether they are visible all the time or pull outs behind regular doors.
4) Unless you attach no value to your time or you just want the challenge, buy the doors and drawer fronts from a place that makes doors and drawer fronts and have them sanded and all ready for finish when you get them. I'm sure that someplace in Northern Ohio specializes in doors and drawer fronts. Since you've not done this before, I'd suggest you get the face frames up and the measure for the doors and drawer fronts. That'll make doing the face frames easier since you won't have the constraint of having to fit doors or drawer fronts that are already made.
5) Often the toe kick level of the cabinet is a separate "box" leveled and fastened to the floor and then the main cabinets are attached to that. Bit simpler to make the end panels and creates a better look for any exposed end panels IMO. You'll need to find the highest or lowest point of the cabinet base contact with the floor and then make the base level relative to that.
6) Assume that no corner is square, no floor is level, and no wall is straight because that's usually the case.
7) If you have drawers in cabinets that join at 90* be sure to allow for the handle stick-out so that the front of set A doesn't bump into the handles for set B when you try to open A and vice versa. My then 11YO son caught that when I was doing my first set of cabinets and it saved me a lot of grief.
Good luck with the project. It can be rewarding especially when you have priced out commercial cabinets.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have done 3 kitchens and I have learned a few things in doing so.
1) as suggested above go with a better grade of plywood for the boxes. The incremental cost is not that much and the result and the process is much better. More pleasant to work with and fewer work arounds.
2) IMHO the kreg system for face frames is very good, just be sure to have the parts well clamped when you drive the screws since there is a tendency for the part to step out of plane if you don't.
3) Do as many drawers as possible whether they are visible all the time or pull outs behind regular doors.
4) Unless you attach no value to your time or you just want the challenge, buy the doors and drawer fronts from a place that makes doors and drawer fronts and have them sanded and all ready for finish when you get them. I'm sure that someplace in Northern Ohio specializes in doors and drawer fronts. Since you've not done this before, I'd suggest you get the face frames up and the measure for the doors and drawer fronts. That'll make doing the face frames easier since you won't have the constraint of having to fit doors or drawer fronts that are already made.
5) Often the toe kick level of the cabinet is a separate "box" leveled and fastened to the floor and then the main cabinets are attached to that. Bit simpler to make the end panels and creates a better look for any exposed end panels IMO. You'll need to find the highest or lowest point of the cabinet base contact with the floor and then make the base level relative to that.
6) Assume that no corner is square, no floor is level, and no wall is straight because that's usually the case.
7) If you have drawers in cabinets that join at 90* be sure to allow for the handle stick-out so that the front of set A doesn't bump into the handles for set B when you try to open A and vice versa. My then 11YO son caught that when I was doing my first set of cabinets and it saved me a lot of grief.
Good luck with the project. It can be rewarding especially when you have priced out commercial cabinets.

Thanks for the advice Ed.

1. That is and will always be a consideration when buying materials.

2. I'd agree with that comment, it's good stuff but you still need to pay attention to what you're doing.

3. The wife will be deciding that for the most part. Basically we'll be duplicating most of the kitchen we have now with a few twists. A new island will be longer and entirely different. The wife wants electric on it and not sure if that's going to fly with the final design.

4. Time is one of those things I generally have plenty of. I work a 24/48 shift. It allows me (for the most part) to put more labor into project for less money. . .. giving us more for our money.

5. I'm happy to have the cabinets as a "one piece" item.

6. I've already been been there/done that many times on this house. Let me attach a picture of the utility room gut/remodel from last year. Around 3600 lbs of **** out of a 10x12 room, down to the studs, bare floor joists and looking up into the attic.

7. Only one spot, that this might cause an issue and it's near the stove. The wife may need to make a decision whether or not the "bar" cabinets get drawers or all cupboard space.

I've kinda got a ball park of what a base cabinet is going to cost, unfinished. I know the one we got at Menard's for the utility room where about $90 unfinished. Those were made out of particle board with oak facing. Nothing fancy, just a utility room.

EDIT: should be some picture attached now. More pics if you go to page 120 of my Garage Refurb Thread

 

[rharman]

Unless it's too late, take a look at the Rockler corner clamps and jig. They work really well.

And, use the Kreg Face Clamp.

 

[ddawg16]

I have done 3 kitchens and I have learned a few things in doing so.
1) as suggested above go with a better grade of plywood for the boxes. The incremental cost is not that much and the result and the process is much better. More pleasant to work with and fewer work arounds.

2) IMHO the kreg system for face frames is very good, just be sure to have the parts well clamped when you drive the screws since there is a tendency for the part to step out of plane if you don't.

3) Do as many drawers as possible whether they are visible all the time or pull outs behind regular doors.

4) Unless you attach no value to your time or you just want the challenge, buy the doors and drawer fronts from a place that makes doors and drawer fronts and have them sanded and all ready for finish when you get them. I'm sure that someplace in Northern Ohio specializes in doors and drawer fronts. Since you've not done this before, I'd suggest you get the face frames up and the measure for the doors and drawer fronts. That'll make doing the face frames easier since you won't have the constraint of having to fit doors or drawer fronts that are already made.

5) Often the toe kick level of the cabinet is a separate "box" leveled and fastened to the floor and then the main cabinets are attached to that. Bit simpler to make the end panels and creates a better look for any exposed end panels IMO. You'll need to find the highest or lowest point of the cabinet base contact with the floor and then make the base level relative to that.

6) Assume that no corner is square, no floor is level, and no wall is straight because that's usually the case.

7) If you have drawers in cabinets that join at 90* be sure to allow for the handle stick-out so that the front of set A doesn't bump into the handles for set B when you try to open A and vice versa. My then 11YO son caught that when I was doing my first set of cabinets and it saved me a lot of grief.
Good luck with the project. It can be rewarding especially when you have priced out commercial cabinets.

EDT just saved my a lot of f'ing typing. About as spot on as you can get. Allow me to STRESS #4. BTW....where is that f'ing "Like" button?

I did my first kitchen in 2001. Made my own drawers and drawer/cabinet fronts. I did a major 'redux' of the kitchen last year. I was able to reuse some of my upper and lower cabinets and drawers. When I needed new, I bought....including ALL the doors and drawer faces. 59 Of them to be exact. **** shows up about a week later....all I have to do is wipe them off, stain and seal. On the glass faced doors, they have this fantastic seal you shove into a groove to hold the glass.

We also added a second sink...prep sink....main sink is a farmhouse solid copper sink...and the prep also a copper sink. One of the best mods we made. So EASY to clean.

The first picture is from 2001....the rest from last year.

Oh......our counter tops are Quartz....expensive....but worth it.

 

[shelteredV]

Blum 563H undermount glides with the 965-536 side adjusting locks and their soft close hinges are my go to parts. Try 'em, you'll like'em. :} Your doing all the work to make your own boxes, it would be a shame to use antiquated hardware.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Unless it's too late, take a look at the Rockler corner clamps and jig. They work really well.

And, use the Kreg Face Clamp.

I've got one Kreg face clamp and a second "one" that I made myself.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I bought 45 doors and drawer fronts made from poplar from a cabinet shop behind my workplace and the average price worked out to $33 per piece.

 

[acer66]

The satisfaction of doing them yourself is unexplainable...

Yes, that is why I am doing the same thing right now.

If you know of anyone with a large drum sander, I'd suggest seeing if you can run the doors through it to get them flat as to not have any gaps or bows once installed.

Or you could use the build as an excuse to buy one.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Yes, that is why I am doing the same thing right now.



Or you could use the build as an excuse to buy one.

That has crossed my mind.

 

[ez-duzit]

With a drum sander you really must have a dust collector, otherwise the sandpaper clogs and it makes a lot of dust. So it is really a big commitment.

 

[NUTTSGT]

With a drum sander you really must have a dust collector, otherwise the sandpaper clogs and it makes a lot of dust. So it is really a big commitment.

Yes, that and I'm already running out of room to work.

 

[lilscorpion]

Cool project. Look forward to seeing it come together (as I'm sure your wife is as well).