Anyone build their own kitchen cabinets?

[TB Roye]

I am getting ready to build new kitchen Cabinets for LOML. She wants painted as is the new style now. I am lucky as we have small kitchen so it will not be a huge task, but it will keep me busy. We are planing on adding some new lighting, and an Island instead of a Penisula as we have now. The sink will be move about 8in. so it is centered on the window. I am following Nahm and will get the DVD's as I have missed the 3 shows sofar. I have the aritcle from Fine Woodworking about the new show so I have an Idea of what I need to do. I have all the tools execpt the Kreig Jig, but BIL has that. I am currently buying new blades for the BT3 and building the wide table kit and a out feed /assembly table to use and then when the weather gets better I will start. I have a place to store the boxes after they are assembled so not problem there. Big job will be builing drawers as we are getting rid of lower cabines/shelves. BIL has the PC Dovetail set up so that is a saving and I have HVLP sprayer for finishing. I will not dissemble the kitchen untill we are ready to install new cabinets. Still debating the counter tops, everything from Concrete to Marble. I will post pictures of the now kitchen when I get going. Being retired I will have plenty of time and living in Northern CA I will have good weather for drying paint and Poly and won't be restriced to working in the shop or Garage.

Tom

[JimD]

I used melaimine particle board for some basement cabinets. It is durable and inexpensive but I don't think I'd use it in the kitchen. It's not real strong and at least with iron on edging it doesn't look as good as I think kitchen cabinets should look. Maybe with hardwood edging.

I made plantation shutters for 6 windows and used white tinted resisthane for the finish. It is very easy to spray. I get it from Hood finishing. It is rated for kitchen cabinets. I also refinished a drawer front with it that was showing some wear and it is holding up well. It dries very quickly which is good if you don't have a completely dust free environment.

I put cabinets up as I go. It saves having to keep the cars out of the garage or otherwise finding space for storage.

Jim

[Woodwerker]

I built my own cabinets. Took 7 months of intense work. I need to post pics. I also removed the wall that seperated the dining room from the kitchem and put new 3/4" prefinished brazilian redwood througout the first floor. I used 3/4 Hardwood ply for the base cabinets and 1/2 Hardwood ply for the uppers. Got a GREAT deal on the ply. I used maple as the door material and went $$$ on hardware. Very Happy with the results. I still have to build an enclosure for the frig then she's done.

[180x]

I would suggest also getting Bob Lang's The Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker. It's an excellent book. I have Danny Proulx's book, along with Schmidt's Building Kitchen Cabinets, Fristad Cabinetmaking Procedures for the Small Shop, Tolpin's Building Traditional Kitchen Cabinetsand Piontkowski's The Complete Cabinetmakers Reference (I like to read as much as I can). Each has useful information, but I have gravitated toward Lang's and Tolpin's books more.

[gordons]

Instead of replacing, you could buy yourself a whole lot of extra usage by painting the exiting cabinets. Provided of course, that you have a fairly sound wood cabinet base to begin with. This is how I try to earn a living and the process is relatively easy, but very labor intensive. Nevertheless, working on your own and depending on the size of the kitchen, you could have it completed within 2-4 weeks.

My basic routine is to wash all accumulated years of grime, grease, and what have you off all the doors and frames. Don't use TSP, rather mix together ammonia, vinegar and baking soda in a pail of water. Wash and rinse well. Remove the doors and hinges. Wash and dry the hinges well if reusing, or discard if replacing. If replacing knobs and pulls and holes need to be filled and new ones drilled, now's the time to do so. Fill the holes with dowel rods and glue - drill larger hole if necessary for a tight fit. Don't use spackle or wood filler, it will probably crack in time. Drill new holes for new hardware.

Now for the fun part - sanding. Flat surfaces are easy enough. Use 120 or 150 grit if possible. Depending on the varnish or shellac or whatever was daubed on the wood 20 or more years ago will determine how easy or difficult a task this becomes. I have found no viable chemical alternative to remove these substances. Sand and scrape. Be very careful not to damage contours. Depending on what ultimate effect you desire will determine how much sanding you will need to do. I usually go down to the bare wood if I see a good grain that I can bring out again.

Next, prime with an oil based primer such as Zinsser and tint this to match you final color. Sand the primed coat with fine steel wool and be sure to blow all residue away. Finally, apply two coats of semi-gloss high quality latex paint. Allow to dry and sand if necessary between each coat. If desired, apply and work a dark glaze onto the painted surface to achieve a cottagy look and bring out the grain. Allow to cure for two days then apply a protective acrylic paste wax.

Do the same to the framework, install the new hardware, rehang the doors and you'll have a new kitchen for a fraction of the price.

Here are a couple of pictures to show you what can be achieved. Unfortunately, my photography does not do justice to the glazed finish and the grain effect, but I think you'll get the idea.

[Schleeper]

I'm back, following a few days in the Buffalo area tending to some rather unpleasant family business: http://www.buffalonews.com:80/cityre...ry/286235.html The young man was my brother's son.

Gordons, that kitchen looks great. However, what LOML really objects to in our existing cabinets is the interiors. The shelves are all fixed instead of being adjustable, and they don't stand up to any weight. Besides, we want to switch from 30 inch to 42 inch wall cabs.