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General => Owner-Builder Projects => Topic started by: guyromano on July 19, 2007, 10:59:39 PM

Title: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Post by: guyromano on July 19, 2007, 10:59:39 PM
Does anyone have a site where do-it-yourself free kitchen cabinet plans are available?  I've spent more than an hour googling various search phrases and all I get are sites loaded with kitchen cabinet retailers who seem to have cleverly included the search phrase -- I guess in an effort to re-direct your attention to buying their product.  Or, google finds sites promoting books about the subject.  Years ago my dad built wall and base cabinets for a kitchen using a then-popular style: slab doors that overlapped the cabinet frame facing, made of birch ply with an inward angled edge (plain angle cut on table saw - no fancy router stuff), thus eliminating the need for knobs -- you just placed your fingers behind the face of the door or drawer and pulled on the angled surface.  And, the angled edge also hid the plain old-fashioned cheap hinges from view for the most part.  Seems like there ought to be lots of sites like this, but if so, I'm having no luck finding them.
Title: Re: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Post by: glenn-k on July 20, 2007, 12:06:39 AM
I didn't find any plan info but here is a site that may help with general questions and practices.  Some links with pictures where you see the little camera symbol.

http://www.woodweb.com/KnowledgeBase/KBCabinetmaking.html
Title: Re: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Post by: peg_688 on July 20, 2007, 12:33:58 AM
Google 30 degree reverse bevel , that what that door detail is called . Hinges still are out there for that application . You'd need face frame cabinets as the hinge screws on to the back of the door and the style (vertical piece) of the face frame of the cabinet.

Heres what I got with that search ,

http://search.hp.netscape.com/hp/search?query=30%20degree%20reverve%20bevel%20hinges%20and%20cabinet%20details&fromPage=compaq1top

G/L PEG
Title: Re: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Post by: guyromano on July 20, 2007, 07:26:44 PM
Thanks for the leads :D -- I'm off to find out more!
Title: Re: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Post by: deertracks on July 21, 2007, 10:02:24 PM
That website is a great find. It has a link about wood countertops, which
we plan to use. Good tips there if this interests anyone.
Any other input on wood countertops?
Title: Re: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Post by: peg_688 on July 21, 2007, 10:16:58 PM
Just made a Jatoba island counter top , here's a link to it ,

http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=67501

Title: Re: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Post by: hobbiest on July 23, 2007, 07:07:03 PM
for the actual building of the cabinets, go and check out a book from the library, or go and read on at a bookstore.  Take a note pad to the bookstore to write down the good points you come across.  
Title: Re: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Post by: jwv on July 28, 2007, 09:45:28 AM
http://www.samclarkdesign.com/index.htm

Sam Clark's books have instructions, etc.  As I've said before, his ideas on the functionality of a kitchen are spot on.

Judy
Title: Re: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Post by: deertracks on July 29, 2007, 10:50:42 PM
PEG...That's a gorgeous wood countertop.
What type of stain and finish?
Your forum may have stated, but I didn't see that info.
What's your take on using solid hardwood flooring, attached to some type of
backing and put lots of coats of finish.... would it hold up just as good?
Title: Re: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Post by: peg_688 on July 29, 2007, 11:33:08 PM
No stain,  just 6 to 8 coats of  Sam Maloofs Poly /oil finish . Avialable from Highland hardware ,  Rockler and other suppliers .

I don't think,  in fact I know , wood flooring attached to a substrate would proform poorly as a counter top no matter how much finish was applied. Due to wood movement mostly and the way the two different materails would react to ever present kitchen / bathroom moisture  that a counter top would be subject to.

Thats the main reason that Jatoba top was layed up in so many laminations , to limit / some what control  the wood movement.

 If you had access to a bunch of wood flooring it would be better to rip off the T&G , which isn't milled with a glue up in mind , but rather just as a "engaging" joint  , and provide for proper fitting glue joints edge to edge and glue up the top that way. you could glue on a self edge of the same or dissimilar wood that would give the appearance of a thicker top.