# Built-in kitchen



## sprucegum (Apr 9, 2019)

I have been working on our new house for about a year or 4 years if you count planning and site work. I finally have it down to finish work. I started the kitchen today. I have instaled too many factory built cabinets to count and have prefab ed around 20 kitchens in my shop but I have never built one in place. I am hoping to save a little on materials and have a more custom look with less joints in the face frame. I got the base built today. My next step will be the full height oven cabinet , pantry , and refrigerator surround. I will then build the top carcasses then the bottom and lastly the face frames doors and drawers.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 4 | Creative 1


----------



## ripjack13 (Apr 9, 2019)




----------



## woodtickgreg (Apr 9, 2019)




----------



## Wildthings (Apr 9, 2019)




----------



## Mr. Peet (Apr 9, 2019)

Dumb question, my brother always had me prime the drywall to the floor, he claimed as a moisture block. That was with standard "rock". Don't recall what we did with "green board", but think he had me do the same. Just wondering.


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 10, 2019)

Mr. Peet said:


> Dumb question, my brother always had me prime the drywall to the floor, he claimed as a moisture block. That was with standard "rock". Don't recall what we did with "green board", but think he had me do the same. Just wondering.


----------



## Tony (Apr 10, 2019)




----------



## sprucegum (Apr 10, 2019)

Made a little progress today. I got the refrigerator enclosure done. I wanted to tackle the pantry but I didn't have anyone to help me rip a sheet of 3/4 plywood , my shop saw is still in my shop and I only have my bosch contractor saw on site. Makes for a balancing act alone. I tackled one of the corner cabinets instead , the other one will go faster as cut some of the pieces while building the first one and the head scratching is done.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 3


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 10, 2019)

Handy tool for this work

Reactions: Like 2 | Informative 2


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 17, 2019)

Making steady progress. I had a minor design change that cost me half a day ,other than that it has gone pretty well. The 42 inch tall uppers were a bit harder to handle than standard 30 inch.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 2


----------



## Graybeard (Apr 17, 2019)

Admire your gumption. Those are gonna be some nice cabinets, sturdy and darned nice. Wise on not fighting with the sheet of plywood. You're older and wiser.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 19, 2019)

My lazy susan hardware came yesterday made some good progress on the corner pantry today.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 3


----------



## woodtickgreg (Apr 20, 2019)

Man I really like that tall lazy Susan pantry, very nice.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 20, 2019)

woodtickgreg said:


> Man I really like that tall lazy Susan pantry, very nice.




Starting to think one of these would be handy in the shop. Most of my tools end up on it while I'm working. One more face frame to build and I am done with this phase. Overall I'm glad I did a build in place kitchen. Some savings on expensive plywood but the big plus for me is fewer joints. It just looks cleaner
to me. Probably not one in 20 will notice.

Reactions: Way Cool 2 | +Karma 1


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 21, 2019)

I know working on Sunday especially Easter Sunday is a sin but my wife wanted me out of the house and I really need to get this project done. This morning I did the face frame for the wall oven cabinet. It will be a 30" electric with a separate microwave above. That finishes the face frames now it is doors all 33 of them. They will be cherry rail and style to match the face frame. I will be making solid cherry beaded boards for the bottom door panels. The uppers will be a mix of seeded glass and bead board. Going to dust off my old Belsaw planer molder to cut the beads.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 3


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 23, 2019)

Spent the entire day prepping stock for rails and styles . Takes time starting with rough stock lots of planing ,ripping, and jointing. Then shaper set up and milling. Hope my math works out, I hate running short a little and setting up for a couple pieces.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 3


----------



## woodtickgreg (Apr 23, 2019)

I find it to be a lot of fun milling rough stock. Not so fun sanding it all.
Enjoying watching this

Reactions: Agree 2


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 24, 2019)

woodtickgreg said:


> I find it to be a lot of fun milling rough stock. Not so fun sanding it all.
> Enjoying watching this



Carbide shaper cutters leave a pretty smooth finish on easy to work wood like this cherry. Usually I can clean the flats up pretty fast with a palm sander. I don't do much sanding until the doors are assembled no point in sanding the waste. Hope to get the pieces all cut today . I got the shaper set up for coping the ends before I quit yesterday ..

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 2


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 25, 2019)

Here is the same pile ready to be assembled into doors. It took a day and a half to cut all of the pieces for the 34 doors. Today I milled cherry T&G beaded paneling for the door panels. Some of the uppers will be seeded glass, I tried to pick out figured wood for the glass doors. I should finish milling the paneling tomorrow and start assembling them Saturday. I would like to get them done by Monday so I can start the drawers. So far I have gone thru 15 sheets of plywood (mostly birch) and I am sure 300 or more feet of cherry. I expect the hardware to hit $2500 reckon I will have 6 to seven thousand in it not counting the cherry that I cut and milled myself. Last picture is of the back side of the peninsula that is finished in maple some showing tap holes from being taped for syrup production.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 4


----------



## woodtickgreg (Apr 25, 2019)




----------



## Graybeard (Apr 26, 2019)

Have you ever looked at something and really liked it but couldn't explain why? I think that's what will happen with your use of plywood. It looks clean and neat and most won't know, but they'll love it I'm sure. Seems like you're really moving along, although I'm sure to you your not. Love seeing this, thanks for taking the time to post.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 26, 2019)

Spent the morning milling out the rest of the beaded cherry for the doors . After lunch I hit them with the palm sander and some 120 to remove the planer marks the gave them a coat of sanding sealer . Got most of the full glass doors glued up. Tomorrow the real fun begins making the panels.

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 1


----------



## sprucegum (Apr 29, 2019)

Doors all assembled now it is sanding. I got at it this afternoon. I'm set up good with two belt sanders, a palm, and detail. Think I am doing about 3/hr should finish tomorrow . I clamped this one in the opening just to get a look. Think I like it.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 2


----------



## JoshfromPA (Apr 30, 2019)

Really pretty looking work. I'm enjoying following your progress. Thank you for sharing. 

I love cherry and to have a kitchen thats built with cherry you milled is special all on its own. 

I'm sure it feels like you'll never see the end of it but from watching this thread it does look like you are moving right along! Thats a darn fine looking kitchen, my wife would likely kill for a kitchen like that. ( not someone she knew mind you...but someone she didn't know...boom , done.)

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Agree 2 | Funny 1


----------



## sprucegum (May 1, 2019)

Doors and drawer fronts are done and ready for polyurethane. I preped my drawer stock this morning and will get the dovetail jig setup after lunch. I will not start on them until my slides come. The tolerance is pretty tight on the soft close under mount slides and I don't want to screw up all 10.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 1


----------



## sprucegum (May 1, 2019)

I have spent hours tweaking the old omni jig trying to get a good fit. First test cut I ain't messing with it.

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 1


----------



## sprucegum (May 2, 2019)

I am going to take a few days off from this project. I need a little break and I am waiting for my hardware so I will work on some other trim in the house. My order should come in a day or two so I plan to get back at it Monday. I am working 7 days a week now because we have a sales contact on the old house. Didn't plan to sell before fall but opertuaty knocked.

Reactions: Like 2 | +Karma 1 | Sincere 1


----------



## rocky1 (May 2, 2019)

Had friend did that in ND; started building a new house, got it dried in, were in fact in the process of installing doors and windows, and listed the old house, anticipating it taking months to sell. Sold it in 5 days! They had sheets strung from clothesline for walls in the basement. Wife was cooking meals on a hot plate, that sat on a wooden box on the floor. Just jacked his schedule all up. 


Best of luck on the prospective sale Dave. Might be a pain, but at the same time it can be a blessing.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## sprucegum (May 2, 2019)

rocky1 said:


> Had friend did that in ND; started building a new house, got it dried in, were in fact in the process of installing doors and windows, and listed the old house, anticipating it taking months to sell. Sold it in 5 days! They had sheets strung from clothesline for walls in the basement. Wife was cooking meals on a hot plate, that sat on a wooden box on the floor. Just jacked his schedule all up.
> 
> 
> Best of luck on the prospective sale Dave. Might be a pain, but at the same time it can be a blessing.



Never listed mine. It is a good house in what is becoming a tourist destination and it has a kick ass view. My buyers would be in it now if they could. Told them best I could do is July 1 and I have till August to clean out my back shed.

Reactions: Like 3


----------



## sprucegum (May 7, 2019)

Got back at it today. Put 2 pc molding around the top. The dark wood at the top is some prefinished cherry that I made several years ago for a large set of commercial display cabinets I did. The job was 2 hours from home so I made extra of everything. Finally found a use for it. I expect the new wood will darken to match in time .

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 1


----------



## Gdurfey (May 7, 2019)

I was talking about your kitchen @sprucegum last night to a friend who really wants to do a lot of the work on his house which is being started probably within about 6 weeks. Just from what you posted and thinking about those "improvement shows" I watch, I can see where doing a built in kitchen can save a lot of cuts, a lot of sheet goods, etc. if I am understanding correctly. Great stuff. Congrats on the sale. I know, blessings come with challenges sometimes, but sounds like you have had and continue to have a good plan!!!!

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## sprucegum (May 7, 2019)

Gdurfey said:


> I was talking about your kitchen @sprucegum last night to a friend who really wants to do a lot of the work on his house which is being started probably within about 6 weeks. Just from what you posted and thinking about those "improvement shows" I watch, I can see where doing a built in kitchen can save a lot of cuts, a lot of sheet goods, etc. if I am understanding correctly. Great stuff. Congrats on the sale. I know, blessings come with challenges sometimes, but sounds like you have had and continue to have a good plan!!!!


If one has the ability to do this work the savings is huge on a quality kitchen .you can probably build a nice kitchen with shop grade birch carcasses and high end hardware for about what low end cabinets cost at the box stores. I have about over 40 feet of cabinets. We have about everything bought now and the total material bill is rite at $4000 not counting around 400 bdft of not too great cherry lumber. The corian counter tops will be $5200. My upper cabinets are 42 inch and I have tall oven cabinet and corner pantry. To buy something similar installed you would easily spend $25,000.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | +Karma 1 | Informative 2


----------



## Gdurfey (May 7, 2019)

and the wonderful satisfaction of "i did this". I know, from past posts, you are a professional in this trade, but still, your hands did this the kitchen. And I am not implying "prideful." I totally believe you can be and should be proud of something as gorgeous as this.

Reactions: Agree 3


----------



## JoshfromPA (May 7, 2019)

Coming right along, beautiful cabinet work. Cant wait to see the countertops in there.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## ripjack13 (May 7, 2019)

I love it. I like the dark at the top. Good contrast with the lighter colored cherry.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## sprucegum (May 8, 2019)

Drawer slides were the project today. 10 drawers and 5 sliding shelves, these are KV soft close slides rated for 75 lbs . I spent a lot of time getting them in square and level, I have found the payoff is huge when it is time to make them work nice and smooth. Also got a couple drawer put together ,the rest will go faster now that everything is dialed in.

Reactions: Way Cool 4


----------



## woodtickgreg (May 8, 2019)

Very nice, I like the dovetailed drawers and the round over on the Inside top edge.

Reactions: Like 1 | Great Post 1


----------



## sprucegum (May 14, 2019)

My wife has been working on the polyurethane. She got the sanding sealer on the uppers yesterday. Starting to make the cherry show up a little. Hoping to put the doors on this weekend.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 3


----------



## sprucegum (May 15, 2019)

I got the sink set in place and plumed in today. It is a vintage American Standard porcelain over cast. It is a 42 inch sink with one 12 " deep basin and one 8". The rim is just a tad thicker than the counter top so they will butt the corian to it and grout the crack. The sink is in excellent condition.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 4 | +Karma 1


----------



## JoshfromPA (May 16, 2019)

Those drawer slides have come a LONG way in the last several years. My casework guy dropped off some hardware samples a couple weeks ago for a big job I'm doing and to my suprise the architect approved them and sent them back to me. ( I wasn't suprised that he approved them...only that he sent them back to me LOLOL!!!) 

After I got them back I got to looking real closely at them, I can't remember what brand they are but I was amazed at the quality of them. I was REALLY blown away at the cabinet door hinges, they appear to have some kind of soft close system in them but ill be darned if I could figure out how they worked by looking at them, they seem to have a little hydraulic cylinder in them but no matter how i turned them and looked at them I cannot for the life of me find anywhere that looks big enough to hold the cylinder. Looks to me like magic lol!!! At any rate, the hinges as well as the slides appeared to be of amazing quality, really impressed with the smoothness of them. 

Been a good number of years since I messed with trying to install any drawers and I only ever had to do it a few times but I do remember have a bear of a time getting them perfect. Glad the closest I get now is having to approve samples!!! Lolol!

Reactions: +Karma 1


----------



## sprucegum (May 16, 2019)

I would have liked the soft close hinges but the cost about 3 times the regular and with 43 doors it adds up. The undermount slides are not bad to work with I made a jig to hold them in place while I put the screws in and I find it helps to put a little magnetic torpedo level on the while attaching. The plastic attaching clips that I bought for these have a little adjusting wheel that gives you quite a bit of side to side adjustment. Most of them did not need it but 3 of them just would not work until I moved the adjustment.

Reactions: Informative 1


----------



## sprucegum (May 19, 2019)

Hinge day

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 1


----------



## sprucegum (May 19, 2019)

Had a pretty successful day doing hinges. Got them all on and adjusted, now I just need to send them to the glass shop for the seeded glass and cut all of the shelving and my job is done.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 5


----------



## woodtickgreg (May 19, 2019)

Man it looks beautiful!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## sprucegum (Jun 7, 2019)

I'm done counter tops went in today . Appliances are due next week.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 5


----------



## woodtickgreg (Jun 7, 2019)

That's an absolutely beautiful kitchen! Great work.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 4


----------



## frankp (Jun 25, 2019)

I'm glad I didn't see this until now... I would have been impatient with the progress pics looking forward to each step. Now I get to see all the great work in one fell swoop! Fantastic job!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 1


----------



## DKMD (Jun 25, 2019)

frankp said:


> I'm glad I didn't see this until now... I would have been impatient with the progress pics looking forward to each step. Now I get to see all the great work in one fell swoop! Fantastic job!



Me too! I just binge watched the whole thread like it was on Netflix.

It looks great!

Reactions: Funny 4


----------



## sprucegum (Jun 25, 2019)

We moved in last week, the refrigerator and oven are coming tomorrow. We have been using one of those dorm size mini fridges, the gas cooktop and microwave. Not exactly roughing it but it does crimp the beer drinking. I still have many days of work before it is a completed house, the upstairs is almost ready for flooring and my man cave is pretty much the junk room with a computer desk in the corner. We like the house it is very private and far enough from the road that we don't hear passing cars often. A hay field in front of the house and hardwood forest starts 50 feet from the back door. We have some close neighbors but the house is almost in the center of a 35 acre lot so they are not too close. Closest is my son last night our 2 YO granddaughter and 5 YO grandson walked across the field to visit, maybe not great to have kids that close but we know how to mind our own business.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 3


----------

