Cabinets can be tough

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] Whew! It has been about four years since I installed any cabinets, and I had forgotten how tough it was! You really have to be stubborn in order to get "perfection" as far as fit and alignment is concerned. Of course there are always the usual number of mistakes from the cabinet manufacturers; a section of countertop made too long; stuff like that; but IN GENERAL, the "boxes" we installed were pretty square; better than the building was, actually. I'm pretty tired this morning, but the cabinet install in the "loft" project that I have been involved in looks pretty good. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] We are also building a "wet" island with a high bar on one side, and a legless 30 X 40 table sticking out one end. I fabbed the steel piece that had to go INSIDE the high bar wall yesterday and got that in place so the table can bolt on later. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] This new, two-bedroom "loft" is on the upper floor of a historic building facing the town square of a small Iowa community. If it was in Manhattan, it would be worth about a million six-fifty. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

[jml755]

As they say, LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!! My daughter lives in DC and I cannot believe the prices for housing and it's probably only about half of what they get in Manhattan. I've heard of 2-3 people sharing a 1 BR apt in Manhattan that rents for close to $4k/month.

Anyway, I agree with you about cabinets. Sometimes a 1/8 inch mis-alignment somewhere can cause major headaches with expensive countertops. I had heard so many horror stories on kitchen redo's that I did all my own work except fab the Corian countertop. Even then, I insisted that I get to check the template myself. Didn't want the hassle of a mistake and the inevitable fight with a contractor about whose problem it was. Turned out perfectly. Fits were dead on the money. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Lot to be said about measure twice, cut once. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] How about measure twenty-three times,... cut once. It is SO hard to put six inches BACK ONTO a countertop. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Yeah, installing cabs is not trivial but for me building them is harder.
Pat

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] Building cabinets? I equate that with going to the moon. Waaaaayyy beyond my level of woodsness. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] Yes, I KNOW, that cabinet manufacurers are one of the most competitive, most high-production, low-buck aspects of the building industry, but it still amazes me that cabinets can come out so darn good; even the cheapies look good from a distance. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[egon]

In another place in another life when still filled with the enthusiasm of youth and ignorance I built a set of cabinets.

No particle board and the only plywood was for drawer bottoms. The rest was all sold, or glued up solid construction grade spruce lumber straight from the lumber yard. Original counter top excluded. It was replaced by plywood and tile]

I have one picture but there will be many others that I would have to locate and copy before posting. One of these days!

Tools used, radial arm saw, 6" jointer, belt sander, 1/3 plate sander, hand drill and the brown powder glue one mixes with water. I can never remember the name for this glue. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[jml755]

Pat,Dave,
Building your own cabinets is one of those things that I really question the ROI for the average equipped wood shop, especially when the value of your time is condered. As Dave mentioned, even cheap ones can look good. A while back I added a cabinet to my laundry room to encase the tub. I had used Merrillat for all the cabinetry when I added the room onto the house (to match the kitchen cabinets). I couldn't get a Merrillat of the correct size, so I found a face frame (included the door) of solid oak at HD or Lowes (can't remember which) and just fabbed the plywood sides. It was a fraction of the cost of a Merrillat cabinet and even though the color and pattern is a little different, most people don't notice as it sits alone next to the washer across the room from the other cabinets.

As Dave says, the production methods of the pro shops make it difficult to justify building your own. One of the things that bugs me about our 20+ year old is that most of the stuff is of pretty good quality but the interior doors are "fake" six-panel made of compressed fibers. I've always liked the feel and look of a solid wood door. I priced the cost of a good six-panel cutter set plus a shaper big enough for them and the raw material and found that there was no real cost advantage to making them over buying them. I guess the only satisfaction would be knowing that I built them myself.

[Bird]

Egon, do they still make that brown powder glue? The only time I used it was in a woodworking shop class in junior high school when I made a "sewing table" for my mother (55 years ago). Of course, I later inherited it, and it's still solid. That brown glue was good stuff.

I have a son-in-law who has both the equipment and talent to make cabinets and furniture, but it would definitely be beyond my talents.

[egon]

That is a nice table. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]


Yes one can still buy it Bird. It does have a shelf life so I now have a few cans that will never get used. I usually use an electric food chopper from the kitchen for mixing it up. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Any time spent that eliminates MSD board from the kitchen is well worth it! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Egon

[Pat]

Mine sort of look OK from a distance. I have only built one set (chronicled in the home building thread) but I will probably be making more.

Pat