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Chapter 2: Low-Cost Luxury Kitchen #2

If you wish, cover top surfaces of sliding boards with a plastic laminate which will match the top of your kitchen counter. Micarta was used in this project, with Weldwood contact cement.

Turn cabinet on its back and put sliding boards in place. Place a ¾”-by-¼”-by-68½” matching, solid wood strip across the edges of all sliding boards. On this strip, mark three holes to go into each sliding board, keeping holes evenly spaced. Drill holes and attach strip to all front edges of sliding boards, using 1¼" flathead screws. Do not glue.
 
Mark dividing lines on the front strip m line with the centers of each guide strip. Make sure the lines are transferred to the edges as well.

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Remove front strip and cut or plane the front edge to slant toward the bottom, as in Fig. B. Sand all edges smooth. Then cut the strip in sections as previously marked.      

So that screws may be concealed, bore ½"-wide holes ⅜" deep into existing holes. Replace each front strip, using glue and driving the 1¼" flathead screws into their original holes, sinking them 3/8" deep.

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Sink ½ matching long-grain plugs into holes, using all glue. Sand off excess of plugs.

TO MAKE SIDE WALL CABINET, cut and assemble pieces, following dimensions in Fig. C. To attach doors with piano hinges, follow instructions for piano hinge assembly as shown in pictures 15-17.

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Both back and sidewall cabinets may be mounted to walls with 1½" No. 8 roundhead screws through back supports.

Matching crown moulding may be added to cabinet tops and nailed snug against drop ceiling. Use 4d finishing nails, sink them and putty holes. Cabinets may be finished using methods shown in chapter PAINTS AND FINISHES.

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To make wall oven cabinet, dimensions will have to be adjusted to the size of the wall oven unit you purchase. Dimensions used in this project are given in Fig. D. Cut two pieces of ¾" plywood to make sides, notching at bottom and following diagram. Cut three pieces of ¾" plywood according to length and width of your wall oven to make one bottom and two top shelves of cabinet. Make two supports to hold oven unit. Each is made by gluing and nailing together equal lengths of 2"-by-2" and 2"-by-4" pieces of construction fir, as shown above.

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Fig. C. Front and top views of kitchen side cabinet.

Into each 2"-by-2" strip bore four equally spaced, ¼" holes and screw oven supports to insides of oven cabinet sides. For correct height, check construction sheets furnished with oven unit.

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Fig. D. Size of wall oven determines size of cabinet

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To assemble oven*unit cabinet, hold right side perpendicular to floor and attach the three shelves with glue and 6d finishing nails.

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Assembly is continued by mounting second side to cabinet, again using glue and 6d finishing nails. Sink all nails and putty hoes. 

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Mount baseboard to 4"-by-4" cutout in bottom front of cabinet sides. Keep sides and bottom flush.

Cut out and attach ¾"-by-2" plywood strips to all front edges of oven cabinet, with the exception of bottom front of cabinet (since doors will cover this area).

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On bottom of oven cabinet prepare two doors to be assembled with piano hinges (for piano hinge assembly, see pictures 15-17). After piano hinge has been attached to right-hand door, place door in vise. Attach to door at right angles a piece of ¾" plywood which is 1½" narrower and 1" shorter than door. On a piece of ¾" plywood which is 14" square, draw a 14" circle with a compass. Cut out and fasten in place with glue and nails. If you wish, repeat for other door.

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Fig. E. Utility shelf is attached inside oven cabinet door.

Attach entire door assembly to cabinet, making sure that bottom clears sufficiently.

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The kitchen counter is next. For the counter top, the author used a prefabricated Unitop, which was made to size of his kitchen. If you don't care to buy pre-made top, you may cut pieces of ¾" plywood to size and cover with a plastic laminate.

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Mitered corners of counter top are locked together with plywood support blocks as shown above, whether you use a prefabricated top or construct your own.

Opening for sink is cut in counter top by placing sink rim in place on top, marking around it with pencil, then cutting out with keyhole or bayonet saw. Opening for the hot plate should be cut to dimensions given by manufacturer of hot plate.

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To make the kitchen counter base, cut from ¾" plywood two outside panels, 23½" wide by 35¼" high. In the bottom front edge of each piece, make a 4"-by-4" cutout for baseboard. Next, cut out three vertical partitions, using ¾" plywood, 23½" wide by 30½" high. In top and bottom of back corners, notch out ¾ by 2" which will hold back support strips. Cut ¾"-by-3/4" solid wood cleats to length of partitions and mount them flush with top and bottom edges or partitions, using glue and nails. Mount similar cleats to inside surface of each end panel, flush with top edge.

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Turn counter top upside down and mount vertical partitions to under side with  1¼" No.  8 flathead screws through cleats. Place partitions according to width of drawers desired and so they will close off and support sink and hot plate.

Leaving counter assembly upside down, square up partitions and mount counter bottom board to partitions, driving nails through bottom. Then mount ¾" by 4" baseboard along front bottom, 3¼" in from front edge.

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Counter apron is made of  ¾" plywood, cut to size according to minimum and maximum requirements of hot plate. In making dial cutout, note instructions supplied by the manufacturer of the hot plate. Cut apron to 2" width where it becomes top of the drawer section.
 
Mount 2" wide top and bottom back strips, using glue and 6d coated nails,

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Hold apron snug against counter top, and after making sure counter is square, mount apron to counter with glue and 6d finishing nails.

To complete the front face of counter, cover front edge of each partition with ¾"-by-2", matching plywood facing strip, keeping drawer section clear. Use glue and 6d finishing nails. Bottom edge of the drawer section is covered with a 1½'-wide strip, flush with bottom surface of counter bottom. All other bottom edges remain uncovered because the doors will overlap them.

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Depending on the type of drawer used, drawer front support strips may or may not have to be mounted in drawer opening. The author used plastic drawers with matching  plywood  fronts,  which  required  drawer front support strips made of ¾"-by-2", matching solid wood.

Drawer front is made of ¾" plywood cut to size to fit drawer. Upper edge is notched out ¼" by 1" to fit over lip of plastic drawer and extend ¼" above top edge o£ drawer.

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Drawer front is mounted to plastic drawer with contact cement.

To mount sink in place, attach 4"-long blocks of solid wood 3/16" below counter top, in each corner of sink cutout.

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Special corner brackets, which came with the American Standard sink used by the author, are mounted in each corner between top and support blocks. These will enable one person to insert the rather heavy sink tub and adjust it with corner bolts.

Before inserting sink in counter top, faucet and spraying attachment are mounted in holes.

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Sink is placed in counter top and Hudee type rim is fastened with clips to bottom surface of counter top.

Stainless-steel drawer pulls are mounted in center of each drawer.

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To mount hot plate and dial, follow manufacturer's instructions.
 
Sliding doors are cut to size of cabinet front. Be sure to cut height ¼" less than the clearance between the top and bottom channels, and width 1" wider than half the opening. Doors are mounted into place by lifting them into deeper top channels first, then lowering into bottom channels.

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Small cupboard hooks may be mounted to utility cabinet to hold small utensils. There is more space inside for pots and pans.

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Luxury cabinets add 20 cubic feet of storage space over counter and contribute to modern appearance of kitchen.

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