Making (or made) your own cabinets? Me too - 3-month progress update
This is a slow week between holidays and semesters, so I thought I'd share some photos of my kitchen-in-progress.
I'm making my own cabinets out of vertical grain Doug-fir. They will have inset doors/drawers, with nearly all base cabinets as drawers, with Blum hardware, soft-close/self-close, etc., and a clear lacquer finish.
A few months I asked for layout advice here. Thanks to all who offered layout suggestions. Since then, I've made all the base cabinet boxes and am about to start the doors/drawers. Then in the spring I'll move on to uppers.
Here's the plan:
Here is my left bank of base cabinets, which will be a drawer/trash pullout, then a prep/bar sink with a recycling pullout, and finally drawers for knives, graters, measuring stuff, and other prep items (see the vision?):
This is my cookbook cabinet. It's also a base cabinet that will go on the opposite (right) end of the U, with the finished panel facing into the middle of the room:
And here is the cart I push around two evenings per week, with base cabinets in various stages of construction in the background (including 1 of 2 corner super susans):
Although I have a small woodshop at home, the local technical college
offers an evening open-lab class and LOTS of space. Since I took the
class several years ago, the instructor has been kind enough to let me
re-take the open-lab multiple times (and I'm sure I'll take it a few
more times before I'm finished).
I've seen a few comments on various threads from others who are making or have made their own cabinets, so please feel free to share photos of your work-in-progress. You all inspire me!
Comments (29)
7 years ago
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRelated Discussions
It can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 3
Comments (40)Pls8xx, "One thing that has been on my mind the last few weeks is how important it is to me that a zinnia have a short compact plant form. I grow in a sand/clay mix rather than topsoil. It will hold plants upright fine when dry, but when wet the soil looses its strength and the tall plants become vulnerable to wind knocking them over." You have made a good case that you do need zinnias with a more compact plant habit. Last year, we had a very violent storm with high winds of 50mph and it blew down literally dozens of my zinnias. I had concrete re-bar tomato cages around a few of my more critical "breeders" and they were protected. But many of my big zinnia plants snapped off at the ground and many more lost their basal branches and some lateral branches. Interestingly, some of my big bushy scabiosa flowered zinnias and most of those F1s with a "scabi" parent came through just fine, with amazing resistance to the high winds. As is usual in a high wind storm here, for a period of hours we lost our electrical power, our telephone land line, and our cable connection. I studied the wreckage in my zinnia patch to see "what went wrong" structurally with my zinnias. As is usual for me, there were some surprises. I plan to apply what I learned from my "crash investigation" to make better decisions about plant structure this year. For one thing, I had planted a lot of Burpeeanas, from both Burpee and from Stokes. I had a lot of "out of the seed packet" Burpeeanas and some F1 hybrids from crosses that I made between Burpeeanas. (Incidentally, your picture of the "original" red Burpeeanas shows just how nice that Burpeeana bushy look can be.) To my amazement, some of the most disastrous structural failures were in my Burpeeanas. They have what I refer to as a "candelabra" stem structure, with basal branches coming out from the main stem at a 90 degree angle. Even though the stems look thick and strong, there is a kind of "joint" at the attachment point. Some of the basal branches that were in contact with the soil had actually sprouted roots and were apparently in the process of becoming independent plants. It's almost as if the stem joint was "willing" to detach from the main stem. But even higher up, those branches that cantilevered out from the main stem at a 90-degree angle seemed inherently weak. In almost all cases, the branches broke at their attachment points to the main stem. The plants that seemed resistant to branches breaking off had their branches leaving the main stem at a much more acute angle, like 45 or even 30°. So their branches were headed upward at the attachment point. For whatever reason, those branches seemed much better attached, even if the plant habit was more generally upward than outward. Despite the fragility of the Burpeeana plants in high winds, I plan to continue growing them and selecting the best flowers and plants. I will just be looking for stronger attachment points for their branches. If you want to emphasize compactness in your zinnia breeding, you can start with some strains that are already compact and cross some other zinnias with them. I personally have quit crossing the lower growing zinnias because I don't like kneeling and bending over to do my cross pollinating. I've always had a tendency toward lower back pain from my gardening, and a lot of bending over just aggravates it. However, short zinnias are interesting looking and fascinating in crosses, so I am thinking about constructing some really high raised beds that might bring those short zinnias up to a more comfortable working distance. There are some short zinnias that you can cross with tall zinnias that will produce some intermediate compact F1 hybrids, and the F2s from them should sort out into a wide range of plants that you could pick from for further breeding. Three of the shortest are the Thumbelina zinnia, the Zinnita zinnia, and Zinnia Short Stuff. Here is another view of Short Stuff and here is another seed source: Short Stuff at New England seed. Some taller but still very compact zinnias are Zinnia Swizzle cherry and ivory, Zinnia Swizzle scarlet and yellow, Zinnia Dreamland hybrids, Zinnia Magellan mix, and I just found that Zinnia Peter Pan mix is apparently still available. By crossing some of those compact zinnias with other zinnias you should have the basis for creating several new strains of compact zinnias, with various degrees of compactness. MM...See MoreIt's July 2014- How is Your Build Progressing? Part 3
Comments (104)My first picture! We have survey markers telling the excavator where to dig. Excavators were supposed to be moving their equipment today, but no sign of them yet. The surveyor was supposed to be done in 2-3 days. So I said "go" on Thursday, they had questions, I confirmed they had everything on Friday, and I figured Wed at the latest. On Wednesday, I get an email from the survey company. "Did you want us to do this?" Uh, yeah! I thought it was done by now! I told them the excavators were coming today, so they made it a rush job and got it done yesterday. I went by the lot today to take some pictures. I also needed shots of the neighbour's "ready to fall down even before we start digging" fence. Just in case we get accused of damaging it. I'm driving up the alley, and a new house several doors down is having some landscaping done, and for some reason the guy has his equipment spread out in the alley. So there's not much room to get through, and there's a van coming the other way. We each take turns pulling over so the other can get through. He waves thank-you and goes on his way. As he's passing me, I realize it's BIL's friend who is going to be helping on the build. He's checking out the lot like I am, and didn't even recognize me. :P Also, while out running errands, I noticed a new bathroom showroom. It's a new location of a company I've already got quotes from. The quotes were ridiculous, like, over MSRP on every single thing. So, I'm not buying from them. But a big new showroom might give me a chance to pick out some things. Not a single item had ANY information. No price, no model number, and in some cases, not even a brand name. I asked if this is just a symptom of being new, they haven't put up the info cards yet? "Oh, no, the showroom designers decided that the info cards made the display look too busy, so we don't have any." Really? I think the fact that you have 22 shower heads in a 4'x4' square area makes it look busy. Info cards would make it USEFUL. Oh, well. I don't have to waste my time ever going in there again. It's ridiculous, this isn't some hoity-toity designer brand bathroom boutique. They've got a reputation for being a big supplier of basic plumbing supplies. Maybe they're trying to become the hoity-toity types? I think the ensuite tile is picked. I'll probably get a lighter version of the one I had originally wanted. It's also discontinued, but there's lots of stock as of yesterday. DH is going on his annual mountain bike vacation tomorrow, taking my car for 10 days because it's better on gas. That means I'll be driving his big 'ole beast of a truck, so I'll go get the tile then. If I miss it again, there are a few other options that are just as nice and only slightly more expensive. So no need to panic. As for windows, the cheaper guy's products are much nicer. But, he's still waiting on his 3rd party certification that allows him to sell his window with a sticker. If we have windows without the sticker, we won't pass the city inspection. So, we're giving him another week to find out when that's coming. I am also investigating getting a Direct Buy membership. They also sell windows. So if they can get the ones we want, at a price that makes the membership fee worthwhile, then that's another possibility. Has anyone else looked into getting a Direct Buy membership for their build? Did you find it was worth it? SIL's mother has one, and she swears by it. But she buys a lot of stuff for her 3 daughters and their families. My cousin built his house a few years ago and got the membership. But I'm not sure he calculated the cost of the membership into his "savings". I mean, it costs $5000 or $6000, depending on who you ask. So you have to save at least that much to break even. And a lot of people are probably "saving" that much only because they're buying stuff they wouldn't otherwise buy. For example, you could get a $800 dishwasher and be very happy with it. But you go to DB, and they can get you the $2000 dishwasher for $1200. So you "save" $800. But you've still spent $400 more than you would have without the DB membership. Speaking of windows, I realized that we had quoted the super insulated, fancy opening, custom coloured windows on the garage. That's a waste of money. The garage isn't heated, so single pane is fine. We want them to open, but sliders is good enough. And the colour doesn't matter. So I got a quote from Costco for 3 basic windows. I almost choked when I got it. It's almost as much as the fancy windows that were quoted with the house. I also asked for door pricing, since I don't like what the window guys are offering. And they've spec'd out 1980s Home Depot style doors at several thousand dollars each....See Moreupdate after owning samsung 448 for 2 months
Comments (19)I think it was the Samsung WF 328 aaw - it had a heater but not steam. I gave all the paperwork back to the delivery/haul away guys today so I'd have to look it up to be sure. Today I've done an LG "Speed Wash" that took 29 mins. vs Samsung "Quick Wash" that took 1:02 with default ag* or switch off the ag* and get a 38 min "Quick Wash" Now I'm doing an LG Sanitary cycle with prewash, water plus and extra rinse with an estimated time of a little over 2 hours vs the Samsung Sanitary cycle that I think included a prewash and took 2:56 w/ ag* or 2:50 w/o ag* I was never convinced about the LG "roller balls" and thought they probably only added a rattle noise but the large fins and the roller balls do seem to be turning the laundry better than the almost smooth Samsung drum. My old LG tangled clothes in the washer like PJ's or long sleeved knit shirts but what is interesting is that even though the Samsung washer did not tangle clothes, the clothes came out of the dryer very wrinkled - no matter what washer cycle I used. I was able to wash most of my family's clothes and not need ironing with the LG washer. I still have my original LG dryer. I like that I can fine tune all the cycles on the LG - like change the water temps, speed up or slow down the spin, turn all cycles (except Sanitary) into a "Quick Cycle" More later......See MoreBeen stuck for 3 months! Help me make lighting decisions!
Comments (32)Okay, I went out to the house today. It was rainy and overcast, but it was still hard for me to tell whether these will put out enough light for you. We have 2 recessed lights behind them (like in the pic) and 2 in front of them. We just used the decorative "old-fashioned" bulbs which came with the lights which, I think, are 60 watt. I think you can use 100 watt, but I'm thinking that would just increase glare, not help with task. I turned them on and looked for lighting reflection in the granite, but couldn't see much. I would have tried higher voltage bulbs for you, but, alas, there were none in the house. I'll be honest: I select items based on shape. I can look at a page of 100 lamps at the same time and immediately pick the one or two whose shape I like. That's how I picked these pendants. Task wasn't as important to me as much as size (had to be large since I had selected 2 rather than 3 pendants and the ceiling had volume), shape, and not cluttering the visual space. The choice of pendants and chandelier were the hardest for me, so I understand your dilemma. Good luck. I don't think I helped much....See More- 7 years ago
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One-year update:
Demo started last Friday, and the base cabinets are nearly finished! Wood is vertical grain Douglas-fir; doors and drawers are inset. I am making my cabinets because nobody around here does this style or this wood species - or if they would, it would be ridiculously expensive.
Here are my two big drawer banks that will flank the range. This pull seems to look ok on the top drawer:
But not so much on the lower drawer (so I just ordered one 2" longer than shown). I can't help but look at this picture and think "Do these pulls make my drawers look big?"
My trash, prep sink, and prep drawer cabinet, prior to spraying. I used spacers to fit the inset drawer fronts and doors:
The spray room. (Note that this is likely a big part of what you pay for with custom cabinets - ideally it should be a dedicated, dust-free room with supercharged ventilation.) Dovetail drawers are masked and ready for lacquer:
Drawers, doors, and DW panel fresh from the spray room:
The prep drawers, with flooring sample (seems to go well with the D-fir cabinets, D-fir floor in adjacent dining room, and our black countertops). The Doug-fir darkened a lot in the first couple of days after spraying (which I like):
The big drawers, with flooring sample:
Next up: windows are already reframed and getting installed today. In two weeks I'll double-check measurements for upper cabinets and then start the next phase.More to come!
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
Oh dear, has it really been almost 3 years?!? Here's the 2019 Spring update:
In September 2017, I finished my base cabinets. That same month, my contractors (GC and electrical) did the demo; reconfigured the windows; leveled the floor; installed plumbing and electrical; drywalled and painted; installed the finished base cabinets, countertops, sinks, appliances, and lights. So we had a temporary outdoor kitchen for about 6 weeks during demo/construction (AND my PhD comps - which I passed!). Ever since, we've had a functioning kitchen while I built the upper cabinets. Each time I finished an upper, I installed it (and of course filled it with stuff).
On an almost daily basis, I'm grateful for the advice I've read here (most via lurking, but also when I asked for layout help). My kitchen layout is super functional for us - we don't feel crowded, even when there are multiple people working in the kitchen at once.
Here are some photos, from east to south to west along the U:
East wall:
ETA - I tore my ACL (skiing) while the corner cabinet shown below in the southeast corner was half-finished. That slowed things down - a lot (that, and the PhD that's still in progress).
South wall:
West wall:
Note the lonely plugmold above, at end of the cabinet run. Here's the cabinet that will be finished and installed there next week:
Next steps are to mill, spray lacquer, and install a simple crown molding (like Badgergal's) and toekick. Then I need to finish the design of my pantry cabinets (on the opposite side of the kitchen from the U, which is where the fridge and micro are).And, most fun of all, once this last upper cabinet is installed, I'll order my backsplash!!!
Thanks again to all who helped me get this far. It's been a process, but I'm enjoying both the process and the end result.
- 5 years agoI forgot... I do have a few in progress photos. The one where one of our sons and I are standing next to the island was immediately after hubby had just made the waterfall cut and we were propping it up so he could see how it fit. LOL! That was such a nerve wracking day! LOL! We had paid all this extra money for walnut boards that were long enough to pull this off, and we couldn’t afford to mess it up. Hahahaha!
The entire kitchen project took about a year total. Hubby worked entirely from our garage and driveway. He also took off an entire summer because he finished up two masters degrees, walked for them, went on a short term missions trip to Ghana, and one of our sons competes a lot for his sport (springboard/platform diving) and there’s a lot of travel for it, especially in summer as that’s the main competition season for him. But I was only entirely out of a functioning kitchen for two weeks (well, I used my laundry room and the grill out back during those two weeks) but I lived for quite a while without doors or drawers on my cabinetry... but my kitchen functioned during that time, which was important to me as we have five busy kids. The kitchen was an entire gut job though, we took down a part of a wall, moved a gas line, moved electrical, moved some plumbing just a little bit, added ventilation that didn’t even exist prior... it was a big job. The only thing hubby hired out was the fabrication and installation of our granite countertops. (Oh, and we paid for the 60” range to be installed because there’s no way to get into our house without navigating a staircase, and we didn’t want to wrestle that beast. We got a GREAT deal on that range though, it was a floor model and we got over half off on it and the hood... we couldn’t pass it up, and our neighborhood can support this kind of kitchen.) Actually, the cabinet around our fridge, hubby made that so the shelf comes out easily and the cabinet will eventually house a built in fridge like a subzero because that’s more expected in this area. We just haven’t found a great deal on one yet and that kitchen aid fridge won’t die, LOL!
I included a before/after collage photo. People say “your kitchen before didn’t look bad,” but it was in horrible condition. The cabinetry was literally falling apart, and the layout was horrible to work in, we had no ventilation for the cooktop (and we do a lot of high heat cooking) and it was just miserable to work in because the layout was so difficult. My kitchen now is a dream to work in!
- 5 years ago
- 5 years ago
- 5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
Salex - You are a master carpenter, a Phd, and a skier! Wow, your kitchen is gorgeous! I love it. Can you do my kitchen? :) (I have difficulty hanging a painting, so I am in awe.)
salex thanked Shannon_WI - 5 years ago
skmom