Little alcove cabinets

[Jimmy Mack]

Another little alcove cabinet project...nothing super fancy but pays the bills....and that's what counts [emoji106]

Lovely customers, they made me chicken fajitas for lunch yesterday and pizza today.

The first thing they gave me was a cuppa tea and a whole pack of mcvities fruit short cakes ...happy chappie.

A really tight budget, so budget MFC interiors, they had some left over Ikea work tops...I threw in some oak for the shelf lippings. MDF doors and face framing painted in satin wood brilliant white...soon to be brilliant yellowish white [emoji6]

Happy weekend everyone [emoji4]

Jim

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[Rod]

Nice work

Rod

 

[Malc2098]

:text-+1:

 

[Pinch]

Lovely work Jim!

Paying the bills is what it's all about these days - unfortunately. :|

And you saved on your lunch after munching on a packet of Mcvities short fruit cakes - just the job!

:text-bravo:

 

[AndyP]

Clever stuff.

 

[paulrees1]

Hi Jim,

How do you get the tops flush with the alcove, do you make up a template?
I've got to make some shelves for an alcove and am worried about over cutting

Thanks
Paul

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[Doug]

They fit into n nicely Jimmy

 

[Doug]

Hi Jim,

How do you get the tops flush with the alcove, do you make up a template?
I've got to make some shelves for an alcove and am worried about over cutting

Thanks
Paul

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

Hope you don't mind me offering my method.

The quickest way I've found Paul is to place a straight edge on the back wall then put a framing square against that to show how far the reveals are out of square, then mark the top taking reference from this set up.

By the time I'd have made a template I can have the top fitted

 

[Jimmy Mack]

Hi Jim,

How do you get the tops flush with the alcove, do you make up a template?
I've got to make some shelves for an alcove and am worried about over cutting

Thanks
Paul

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

Hi Paul,

With the worktop off I measure from the centre. I draw a line down the centre of the cabinets and measure left and right of the line at the front and back...as well as the depths (front edge to back wall). I transfer this to the worktop, again working out from a centre line. I allowed an extra 10mm on the finish depth (front to back) so once I get a fit I can scribe the back to the wall. I then add my return , the little nubby that wraps around the chimney breast.

I back cut where possible...especially on the chimney breast edge, so I can drop the worktop in at an angle (with the width over the diagonal being longer) . Back cuts are also easier to fettle with a block plane (less material).

This process might be trickier for a floating shelf. And if the side walls wibble-wobble a tight scribe all round is tricky.

It's worth marking it all out then transfer your layout onto card to double check.

Hope that made sense.

Jim

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[paulrees1]

Jim / Doug,

Thanks for the very quick and excellent responses, a massive help

Thanks

Paul

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[Jimmy Mack]

Hi Jim,

How do you get the tops flush with the alcove, do you make up a template?
I've got to make some shelves for an alcove and am worried about over cutting

Thanks
Paul

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

Hope you don't mind me offering my method.

The quickest way I've found Paul is to place a straight edge on the back wall then put a framing square against that to show how far the reveals are out of square, then mark the top taking reference from this set up.
By the time I'd have made a template I can have the top fitted

A good tip Doug. This being where the back wall is parallel with the chimney breast and/or cabinet front edge position?

 

[Robert]

I drew up virtually the same thing for our friends yesterday except that there are 3 doors each side.

I'd been wondering whether to build them in situ or make and fit as you have. Seeing yours make and fit makes more sense for getting the doors to fit right.

Thanks for posting

 

[TrimTheKing]

Very nice Jimmy. [emoji1376]

Cheers
Mark


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[Commander]

Those look great Jimmy! Could you post some more details on the doors and how the fit? Aside from getting the top to fit perfectly (already well explained thanks!) the doors are the thing that make a project like this to my mind, so more details on that would be very useful.

 

[Jimmy Mack]

Those look great Jimmy! Could you post some more details on the doors and how the fit? Aside from getting the top to fit perfectly (already well explained thanks!) the doors are the thing that make a project like this to my mind, so more details on that would be very useful.

Thanks chaps.

Hi Commander.

The doors are 100% MDF. 18mm stiles & rails with a 9mm panel. These are hung on 35mm concealed INSET hinges and 3mm mounting plates. I use Hettich 'sensys' hardware.

The door construction is a bit of a cheat really and a method I've used for years.

I cut strips of 18mm mdf for the stiles & rails and then route a 9.5mm groove down the perfect centre of an edge...usually anywhere between 5-7mm deep (tho the later is really two passes/ a climb cut).

I then trim my stiles & rails to length. The rails being less the combined thicknesses of the stiles (150mm if the S&R's are 75mm) plus 2x the groove depth as this will form the stub tenon.

I then, using a cross cut sledge on the router table trim both sides of the rail ends to create a snug (which is important) stub tenon.

Then I PU glue the S&R's ...AND...panel together. I put a spirit level across the width at top and bottom, and pack under the clamps where necessary...this way you can avoid gluing in a twist and don't have to have a perfectly flat bench.

I make the doors 1-2mm oversize, so I can true them up on the panel saw...but this step is not really necessary...it's just a fail safe incase I goof during glue up [emoji1]

I would only use the this construction method with MDF, due to its zero movement. I use a similar method with wooden S&R's but would use Domino's for a better M&T joint...I would probably use the spindle moulder to run my grooves too ...as its tough work for a twin flute router cutter in solid, plus there's the breakout

Hope that's answered you question...tho nothing radical...I'll try and snap the process at somepoint...it's bound to come up soon.

Cheers Jim

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[Commander]

Thanks for the detailed explanation Jimmy! Some photos would be very helpful, but I get the gist of what you mean. Taking the extra time to make doors this way really adds to the project.

 

[meccarroll]

Nice looking job Jim, how long did it take in total?

I'm guessing a week or about 40 hours based on your fitting time, any where near?

I quite like the round over on the doors and frame in this project it seems to work well.

Mark

 

[Jimmy Mack]

Nice looking job Jim, how long did it take in total?

I'm guessing a week or about 40 hours based on your fitting time, any where near?

I quite like the round over on the doors and frame in this project it seems to work well.

Mark

Cheers Mark,

Round over? Do mean chamfer?

Indeed, I'd say, on and off there's about a weeks labour in it, start to finish. Though it probably happens over 7-8 days to allow for drying times.

Took about 1.5 days to fit, though in that a good morning is spent getting it there!

Jim

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[meccarroll]

Round over? Do mean chamfer?

Sorry Jim, It is a nice detail and works well but looked like a slight round to me (could be the camera angle).

Took about 1.5 days to fit, though in that a good morning is spent getting it there!

Jim

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Not bad for the complete job, Jim.

Seriously it's a very nice looking job and thank you very much for the reply.

Mark