# Carvel Kitchen Cabinet Build Thread



## Carvel Loafer

After over 20 years in the house I finally got the courage to build new kitchen cabinets. I refuse to buy cabinets. 

Here is a shot of the old mahogany cabinets painted white many years ago, these have to go. We have a tiny old house and it has taken 20 years to finally get around to renovating the kitchen. My wife will shoot me for posting a shot of the messy kitchen even though it is my mess.











So I headed to Windsor Plywood to pick up 11 sheets of shop grade oak. $55.00 per sheet which I thought was an ok price.










I was thinking of building the cases out of melamine, but I was influenced by some of you on this forum to rethink that and consider plywood. Thanks! Here is the plywood in my panel rack waiting for attention.










The layout of the kitchen is a very simple L kitchen. It still took a while to work out some shop drawings and a cut list for the cases but when I start cutting I want to finish.










Ripping the panels. The shop is just long enough to be able to rip an 8 foot sheet.










And with the wing table I just made, and sliding the table saw back and forth a little I can cross cut anything on a 4x8.










So after two part days this weekend I got most everything cut for the cases. 85 out of 87 pieces; I ran short by one sheet so I'll have to pick another one up next week. I sorted the pieces that need rabbets cut from the ones that don't need anything else done. This coming week will be a lot of router work to cut rabbets.











Knowing how long most home renos take me this might be interesting. I hope to get the rabbets cut this week and maybe start assembly of the cases by the weekend.

I plan on oak flat panel doors with solid oak fronts for the drawers. We'll see how it goes, I built flat panel doors for the vintage trailer I rebuilt last year and they turned out "reasonable".

I posted a few other shots on my profile album if you are interested.

Any advice along the way is very welcome. I've been around wood and carpentry for many years but when I see some of the talent on this forum I realize how much I have to learn.


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## Jim West Pa

Cool build CL. I'll be watchin this one.:yes:
Mmm...i can't imagine doin all those rabetts with a router vs a dado blade :blink:
You got more patience than i do :laughing:


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## ArmedFerret

Well looky here....exactly what i'm planning on doing in a few years. Subscription? Yes please. :thumbsup:


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## Hubbard

Very nice. I'm interested to see how this pans out.


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## Carvel Loafer

Well a few nights out in the shop and I was able to sort through all the pieces between those that get routing for rabbets and those that don't. Now is when I am real glad I made a set of rough shop drawings to refer to.











I set up my old router table. I built this in 3rd year trade school about 30 years ago so it's nice to use it from time to time.











I'm hoping for warmer weather on the weekend so I can open the door and turn on my wall exhaust fan to pull the dust out. I don't have any dust collection other than my respirator.










Hoping to get the rabbets cut and the panels sanded this weekend, we'll see.


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## firehawkmph

Looking good so far Carvel,
you're off to a good start. Keep on posting,
Mike Hawkins


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## rayking49

I'm watching this too. Looking good.

Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


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## Carvel Loafer

Well here is a little update on my kitchen cabinet adventure and the progress this weekend.

It was cold out but I wanted to open the door and turn on the wall fan for routing the rabbets.











The trusty Dewalt router on my old router table.










But I got them all cut and ready for assembly.











The first of 14 cases assembled.











One of the base units that will become a bank of drawers.











A slight mis-fire with the nailer. I'm glad my hands were out of the way. :blink:











Spreading the glue in the rabbet. I was careful to not get much on the shoulders reducing the risk of squeeze out which paid off.











I was able to get 10 out of 14 cases assembled. I'm so glad someone talked me out of the melamine idea. This plywood is so nice to work with compared to melamine. Unless I change my mind again, these will have oak face frames, flat panel doors, solid drawer fronts, baltic birch drawer boxes.











Here's a shot of the old barn that is my shop. It's pretty crooked and rough but it sure is nice to have a place to play around in.











Any comments, critisism, ideas along the way are appreciated. My motivation is looking at the projects of others.


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## rayking49

Looking too busy to be loafing. Those boxes are lookng good. You'll have a kitchen there before you know it.


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## buggyman1

Nice job on the cases. I like working with the oak plywood, thats about what i pay for it here in Kentucky. I like your shop too, it looks like a perfect getaway.


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## jaosnh

Looks good so far  ill be taking some pointers for when I do my kitchen

Sent from my iPhone 4S using Wood Forum


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## nblasa

Looks great and the oak plywood was a good choice. Looking forward to seeing the cabinet doors


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## Carvel Loafer

As of this weekend I have all 14 cases assembled. I have one spare upper unit from a 3" mistake I made but fortunately I had enough plywood left to re-make it to the correct size.

I have the cases sorted on one side of the shop with the units that receive drawers all accessible including the pantry sections. I'm planning on using 5/8" baltic birch for the drawer boxes with maple edging; I'll pick that up next week and hopefully get started on them by the weekend but I have to find the drawer glides first; I'm thinking of bottom mount but I need to go shopping.











Here is a shot of the colour board we have so far for the oak, the laminate counter top, the pulls and handles, and the wall colour. The drawer boxes will be clear finished baltic birch and maple. We haven't selected flooring yet but it will likely be a resiliant sheet or tile good. I thought of ceramic but my house is on a crawl space and the floors tend to be very cold 8 months of the year.











The cases were the easy part. The drawer boxes get a little more fussy but not too difficult. Once the drawer boxes are built I will need to do some drywall work in the kitchen before installing. Then I will set the cases and install the face frames with the units fixed in place. Then the fun part begins with the doors and drawer fronts.

I may not have the finesse of a true cabinet builder but I am sure enjoying this so far and I think the enjoyment is 90% of it. The only customers I have to please are myself and my wife, and I've pleased her for 32 years so I'm not worried there .


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## garryswf

Carvel, You have been busy my friend. I wish you had some of our weather so you could at least be comfortable while working, you seem like a very determined fella. Be safe and i'll be watchin!!!!


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## Carvel Loafer

Time for a weekly update on the Carvel cabinets.

I picked up my baltic birch this week for the drawer boxes so Good Friday was a good day to start cutting on the drawers and pantry pullout trays.

Here are all the pieces cut ready to rabbet.













Back to the router table to cut the rabbets.











The first of 20 boxes assembled. This is the deep pot drawer.











Pulling the boxes together. I nailed the fronts and backs into the sides, no nails through the sides. The bottoms are glued and stapled.











12 drawers and 8 pantry pullout trays all assebled.











It was a good couple of days in the shop. The afternoons warmed up enough that the door was open, the tunes were loud, and the dust was flying. :yes:

Next is to mill up a bunch of maple for the edging. I have a pile of maple strips that will work good.

There are a few more shots in my album on my profile page if you want to see a few more, but after a while a pile of plywood looks like a pile of plywood.

Happy Easter!! :thumbsup:


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## Carvel Loafer

This week was just milling the maple for edging on the drawer boxes. I got the maple milled and a good start on glueing it on several boxes.

I had quite a pile of maple strips that I scrounged from a local spindle shop so I ripped it up for my edging on the drawer boxes.












After ripping it I set up the thickness planer to mill it down to just over 5/8" X 3/8".











I have just enough clamps, of varying types collected over the years, to glue up one drawer at a time. But while it sets up I clean up the one that was clamped up before it.












I used a flush cutter on the router table to trim up the excess, then I sanded the rest nice and clean.











I was able to get 7 out of 20 drawer boxes edged with 5 of them sanded clean. I should have them finished through this week depending on energy levels. I'm happy with it all so far, I'm anxious to get them installed.











Oh that Delta scroll saw just found its way into my shop today. My grandson has been wanting me to make him a dinosaur so I figured I might need one of these to do that, I found it for $50.00, I don't know if that's a good price or not but it works good.


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## SteveEl

Looks like fun, and I enjoyed seeing how you stayed organized.


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## tymann09

This is all awesome. I was always intimidated by the idea of building kitchen cabinets. You make it look easy though.


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## Carvel Loafer

tymann09 said:


> This is all awesome. I was always intimidated by the idea of building kitchen cabinets. You make it look easy though.


Tyler, I checked out your website, it's me that should be intimidated. You do some awesome wood work. The cabinets are quite simply a collection of boxes, so far anyway.


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## tymann09

Well thank you. I'm looking forward to seeing how you progress with these cabinets!


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## cabinetman

You are doing a great job. Nice looking plywood...looks like plain slice Red Oak. You are likely finding out how much room you need for all the parts and pieces. 

I might suggest a router jig for doing dadoes and rabbets. Some panels are pretty big and bulky to do on a table. Here is what I use...it is easy to make.

For drawer edging, it may be faster and less of a hassle to cut your 8' lengths of side material, and 8' lengths of edging. Then glue several laying flat edge to edge with clamps. When dry, you have an 8' drawer section that you trim the edge and then crosscut them for size. It works like they were lumber.










 







.


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## ArmedFerret

That router jig is impressively simple. Thanks for sharing that!!

(i guess i know what i'm going to do to avoid painting the guest bedroom tonight!)


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## Shop Dad

Very nice work and I love your shop. Nice to have the wood stove in there.


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## Chaincarver Steve

You're coming along quite nicely on the cabs! I'm glad I peeked in here. I'll be following along for the rest of the build. Keep up the great work.

Cabinetman: cool idea for a jig. Thanks.


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## Carvel Loafer

cabinetman said:


> You are doing a great job. Nice looking plywood...looks like plain slice Red Oak. You are likely finding out how much room you need for all the parts and pieces.
> 
> I might suggest a router jig for doing dadoes and rabbets. Some panels are pretty big and bulky to do on a table. Here is what I use...it is easy to make.
> 
> For drawer edging, it may be faster and less of a hassle to cut your 8' lengths of side material, and 8' lengths of edging. Then glue several laying flat edge to edge with clamps. When dry, you have an 8' drawer section that you trim the edge and then crosscut them for size. It works like they were lumber.
> 
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> 
> 
> 
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 Thanks for the comments. I like the router guide idea, I have to make one for sure. I like the idea of pre-edging the birch too. I thought about doing that but the lengths of maple I had was shorter because it was free, (scrounged from a scrap bin). Plus I wasn't sure how the rabbets would cut, I was concerned about tearout on the maple. But I'll need to tryu that on another project because the edging of the boxes does take a lot more time than I like. Of course I'm not concerned of the labour since it is for me but its a lot of clamping.


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## Carvel Loafer

It's been a couple of weeks but I finally got the drawer boxes finished, somewhat. I was able to get all the maple edging on and sanded up, and it turned out nice I think. A few glue lines and minor imperfections but stuff I can live with for sure.











Eight of the boxes are pull out trays for the pantry unit and they will not receive drawer fronts. I decided to cut an inlay to cover the end grain of the birch plywood.

I used my little router to cut out for the inlays.











These are the strips of walnut I used for the inlays. I cut them at 10 degrees just slightly oversized so I could plane and sand them flush.











Glued them in place.











Planed them close to flush then sanded them. I know, those planes need a little attention to the clean up the steel, but they do have a good edge.











Here are all eight of them stacked in the pantry case. I really like them and can't wait to see them with a clear finish on them.











And a close up of one inlay. Most of them are nice and tight like this, there is one that has a slight gap, very small though.











My next step is to demo the existing cabinets, re-drywall the ceiling, prep the floor for new vinyl, do a little electrical and plumbing rough ins, build the bases, then I can install the cases.

I had lunch with a contractor friend the other day who can't understand why I don't just buy cabinets and screw them to the wall. I told him, "if I did that then it wasn't me that built them, I'm building them because I enjoy doing that, :smile: screwing the cabinets to the wall is just one step."


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## buggyman1

Man, those look good. I never would have thought of the inlays like that, i love that idea, mite have to steal that one.


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## SteveEl

I'm collecting ideas for shop cabinets to house my drillpress and planer in a single thing, and just noticed that's what you did too. I'd enjoy seeing some more pics of that one. Nice thread, thanks


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## rayking49

Those inlays are great. I've had to tell friends that same thing when I was doing my addition. They just don't understand the concept. Looking good man.


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## Carvel Loafer

SteveEl said:


> I'm collecting ideas for shop cabinets to house my drillpress and planer in a single thing, and just noticed that's what you did too. I'd enjoy seeing some more pics of that one. Nice thread, thanks


SteveEl, I'll post some close up shots of the planer/drill press cabinet later. I bought it like that and plan to clean it up and customize it a little some day.


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## Sorrowful Jones

Wow.... I wish I had found this thread earlier. I will be watching from now on. Looks like you are doing a GREAT job!


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## Chaincarver Steve

Very cool idea on adding inlays. It's looking great so far. I can't wait to see it with finish on.


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## Carvel Loafer

The last couple of weeks have been working in the house to get ready to set the cabinets. This is a complete reno of the room so it will be a little while before they go in.

Ripping out the old cabinets including the one I built for the wall oven back in 94.











The remains of the old kitchen.











And the ultimate destiny for most of it.











Relocating some electrical in the ceiling. The old house has wood shavings for insulation covered by blow in fiberglass covered by blow in celleous. I had to crawl through 18" of mixed insulation in the attic to do the wiring.











We want to get rid of the old textured ceiling to have a smooth painted finish so it is poly over the old ceiling and 1/2" drywall. Yes, that is mould in the corner on the left which I had to clean and kill with Concrobium from Home Depot.











All this mess gives a good excuse to bbq every day.











I have it taped, now for the filling then the dreaded sanding.











So, not much woodworking in this post but this is where we are at. I better get off this computer and stir up my mud and get to work. The weather has turned for the good so camping is going to slow down the project for sure.


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## rayking49

Great work, and alot of it too,huh?


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## garryswf

*great work Carvel*

I haven't had a whole lot of time to surf the forum but i finally was able to get back to your kitchen remodel. I am sure you have made more progress but i haven't seen any updates---more pictures please. have a great day Carvel!!!


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## Carvel Loafer

Well its been 3 or 4 weeks since my last update. Most of the time that I have been able to spend on this project lately has been all inside; electrical, drywall, painting. Plus there has been a ton of yard work that had to be done so that really slowed me down.

Nonetheless, this weekend was a major milestone. I was able to bring the cases into the house and get them installed. I still have a whole lot to do since I decided to install the face frames and do the finishing after they are in the house. 


Loading up the cases from the shop.











Drive them over to the house.











Moved into the house, this in itself felt great just to have them inside.











And by 10:30 p.m. Sunday they are all secured in place. As crooked as my house is these turned out nice and plumb and level; I'm happy with how they hung. There are a few things in the overall design that I don't like, such as the stove up against the blind corner and the uppers by the windows right up to the windows. There were several factors that drove me to those things and I think I am over them now that the cases are in.











And even though there are many miles to go it felt good to have a meal with the new cases in place.










I'll be picking up oak for the face frames this week. Now the fun stuff begins.


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## Ricovski

Very Nice! So far so very good!


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## rayking49

Looking good there CL.


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## buggyman1

Looking good. I like your compact tractor, here's a link to a great forum on them. www.tractorbynet.com/forums/


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## Chaincarver Steve

I love the smiling faces of you guys sitting down for a meal in the "new kitchen". Milestone indeed. It's looking great man!


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## Carvel Loafer

Well what has this Loafer in Carvel been up to. :blink: My last update had us having supper in the middle of the construction zone. I haven't been loafing the whole time but progress does seem slow even though I do something almost every day.

This is a longer post since it has been a while.

Back to the shop to cut up face frames and crown moulding. Most of this material was scrounged from a dumpster at a local spindle shop so that saved some coin.











I did a full size layout for the crown mould. This is close to what I ended up making.











Installing the crown mould.











This is a close up of the two pieces that made up the crown.











Using pocket screws to install the face frames for the drawer openings. The angle drill worked good on the narrow drawer bank.











I've come to really like these pocket screws, I never used them before this.










Installing an oak jamb extension on the window.











Re-sawing material for the gable trims.











This piece should have gone on before the crown moulding, :wallbash:but I was able to scroll saw it pretty good, it actually fit.:laughing:











This is my "Hillbilly" ventilation system as I get set up to stain. I used all oil base conditioner and stain and will be using the same for the poly coat.











It took most of the day to stain. I really like the colour even though my wife thinks it's too dark. It might be dark but that is what I wanted.











Ahhhh!! Another milestone! Well I guess it will be once I get the polyurethane done. I am hoping to borrow an HLVP from work to do that, if not it will be a lot of brush work through the week.












Next steps; polyurethane the cases and drawer boxes, install the drawer boxes and shelves, fabricate and install the counter top, move stuff out of the living room back into the kitchen, lay the flooring, install the appliances, casing and baseboards, build the doors.

Thanks for tagging along on this "little"journey.


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## chsdiyer

Looking good! Nice progress you're making! The stain doesn't look that dark. Seems like a good compromise between too dark and too light. Hope to get my cabinets started one of these days


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## rayking49

Looking good!


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## preacherman

Looks good!:thumbsup:


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## rayking49

What are you fabricating the countertops of? I made red oak in my den countertops. So I was curious.


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## Carvel Loafer

rayking49 said:


> What are you fabricating the countertops of? I made red oak in my den countertops. So I was curious.


Nothing fancy, just plastic laminate. I'm trying to convince my wife to let me at least do something creative with the edging such as an oak chamfer. Any ideas?


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## Raselei

Wow, I just found this thread and am now 100% hooked, can't wait to see how this comes together in the end. Looking great for now!


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## CasinoDuck

buggyman1 said:


> Man, those look good. I never would have thought of the inlays like that, i love that idea, mite have to steal that one.


+1:thumbsup:


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## Icutone2

+2:thumbsup:
Lee


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## Carvel Loafer

Hey thanks for the comments, a few kudos makes a guy overlook some of the "sins" on a project. This week I've been working toward spraying the finish.

Bringing the drawer boxes in from the shop. It's nice to have a little space out there again. Of course without a kitchen, and such a mess in the house, the trailer is set up so it's almost like camping.










I'm using oil based Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane. I borrowed an HVLP from work. I got the first coat sprayed Saturday morning. About half way through we had a power failure so I had to throw the gun into a bucket of solvent and get out the brush. I brushed two drawers and the power came back on so out came the gun again.


The entire room is full of stuff to spray. I laid the drawers out on boards and horses.












The first coat of polyurethane is setting real slow, especially inside the cabinets. I have fans on everything I can but I really don't think I will get a second coat on today. Any ideas how to help it set up faster?











But I sure do like the finish. The drawer boxes set up ok so I will sand those but I don't think I'll be spraying until Monday because of the cabinet interiors taking so long to set.

This is the HVLP I am using. Once I got the hang of it and the volume turned way down, I think it laid it on real nice.











I also brought home the tile for the floor. It is a luxury vinyl tile. Using the tractor to get it from the truck to the house.











This is the tile. The charcoal colour will picture frame the room and the lighter colour will be laid at 45 degrees with a few accents thrown in the centre.










That's it for this week. Mama's away for a while so I have to get motivated to hopefully get the spraying done, the drawers installed, and maybe even the floor laid before she gets home. Yeah I know, I'm dreaming.


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## Chaincarver Steve

Looking great so far. You've got lots of drawers too. One can not have too many drawers.

The only tips I can think of for the drying of polyurethane is thin coats and low humidity.

EDIT:

... Oh, and air flow. 

Too thick of a coat - which is easy to do when trying to coat inside corners - and/or too much humidity can GREATLY increase drying time of poly.


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## troyd1976

ive never tried it with poly, but typically oil based materials will dry quicker if you heat it up with a little bit of naptha. too much though it it makes things flashy as can be.

your kitchen build is looking awesome btw, id love to know a materials comparison to buying as close as possible quality cabinetry, id bet you saved a small fortune.


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## Carvel Loafer

I think the slow setting on the poly is like you said, too heavy inside the cases. Plus we've had a lot of rain move in so the humidity in the house is over 60%. By time I started spraying the drawers I caught on to turn the material way down, they are ok. I should be good to do the second coat Monday so that one will be thin.

I haven't added up the bills yet but not counting labour I know it will be a lot cheaper than buying pre-built. Of course a project like this is a good excuse to buy new tools so that adds to the cost even though I will have them for years after.


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## Chaincarver Steve

Carvel Loafer said:


> Of course a project like this is a good excuse to buy new tools so that adds to the cost even though I will have them for years after.


Shoot, a hang nail is a good excuse to buy new tools. It doesn't take much (for me at least). I milk any excuse I can come up with. :thumbsup:


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## rayking49

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Shoot, a hang nail is a good excuse to buy new tools. It doesn't take much (for me at least). I milk any excuse I can come up with. :thumbsup:


HaHa amen to that!!!:thumbsup::laughing:


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## Taylormade

Sorry I'm late to the awesome party, but I've enjoyed going through this thread and not having to wait to see progress! Excellent job Carvel!


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## woodbutcher360

Wow!


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## jack warner

looks good. your ( what you called crown molding ) is actually called step molding. not that it matters


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## Carvel Loafer

jack warner said:


> looks good. your ( what you called crown molding ) is actually called step molding. not that it matters


I've never heard it called "step moulding", makes sense though. I guess I have a step moulding for my crown? I should be spraying second coat tonight, finally. This time it will be a very very thin coat.


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## Carvel Loafer

Another milestone today. :smile: The polyurethane is done and the drawer boxes are installed, all except one, (have to leave something for tomorrow you know).

I was able to get three coats on, I would like to put on a couple more but I have a deadline on cleaning up the kitchen and getting it at least functional so 3 it is.

I like how the polyurethane brings out the grain and the colour, I like it a lot. :icon_smile:











Installing the drawer glides using a spacer.











I like how the pantry trays turned out. The little walnut accents that cover the plywood end grain look good to me.










So here they are. I wish I could have got the shelves in today too but I have to pick up clips, I thought I had them.











Next week will be the shelves, the microwave, and the counter top; (I hope).


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## garryswf

Howdy Carvel----now don't take this as being pushy but i am waiting for more pics :yes: :thumbsup: i really think you are doing a fantastic job. Threads like yours is what keeps me coming back to WWT. Have a Great Day


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## Carvel Loafer

Hey thanks Gary. I need to upload the last shots, I got the shelves installed and mama has everything loaded in them even though the doors and drawere fronts are down the road a way. I got the microwave installed yesterday and now I need to get the counter top done so I can get a sink working again. Hopefully by the weekend!


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## buggyman1

Man, this is really turning out great. Looks like a huge amount of work, but worth every minute it took to build them. Great job.


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## Carvel Loafer

Well not a lot of progress but I thought I'll load a few more shots. My album has a few more but these give you the idea.

Using a drill jig to drill in the shelf clips. I used brass L clips with the 1/4" peg, I never got a close up but I'm sure most of you know the kind I mean. My jig had several options for my wife to pick from for the heights. I only drilled where she wanted the shelves, I don't like how commercial kitchens have holes every two inches.











Installing the shelf into that inside corner was a pain, my belly is too big for those tight spots.











Here it is with the shelvs in and loaded. I got the microwave installed to.











My wife sure likes these pantry trays. Even though I never used full extension hardware, she loves them. Actually I like the corner mount Blum drawer glides that I used, they don't show much, they have the same 75 pound capacity as expensive hardware, and they are cheaper $$.










That's it for now. I've lost a few nights of work due to a disaster I am dealling with on my job. I am a Facility Manager for a seniors housing organization and one of our buildings just had a $1.5 million fire, here is a shot of the suite where the fire originated. Sadly there was one life lost in an adjacent suite in the event.











Sorry for the wet rag with that shot. A guy was moving in and someone put a cardboard box on the stove that accidentally hit the control and turned on the stove, what we see is the result.

Anyway, my next post should have the counter tops in.

Thanks


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## Chaincarver Steve

Your kitchen progress is looking good. It's a great feeling to witness it all come to life for you.

And, man, what a heartbreak that fire must be. That's terrible.


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## Carvel Loafer

This week it was the counter tops and sink that went in. Now you want to see a happy woman, well it has been a long time with this kitchen tore to pieces so even though I know there is still a lot to do, I am another step closer to a functional kitchen so Mama is getting happier.

I decided to keep it simple with the counter top. I just made a plastic laminate top and edging. I use a carbide hook knife to cut the laminate.












Gluing on the edges first. I used solvent base contact cement. I started using water based but was not having success with it bonding. I used many many gallons of water based contact over the years and never had a problem like this day, it might have been the high humidity at the time.











I don't have a laminate roller so a hardwood block did ok for pressing it down.











Trimming the overlap edges with a 15 degree cutter. Then I use a bastard file to clean up the last little bit, works good.











A shot of the right side installed.











A shot of the left side. And yes, that is the traditional "do something with the sink cut out" cutting board.











And a shot of both tops installed, the sink functioning, and the stove and dishwasher in place. And a little toast to another successful step toward a functional kitchen.










I think before I start on the floor I will do the final paint touch ups. I made a little mess with the stain and my masking tape tore off some paint too. I might just roll a full coat on.

Happy Woodworking!! :smile::smile:


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## garryswf

Way to go carvel, looking real nice. That being said doesn't mean i ain't keeping an eye on this cabinet build till you are done. Good job buddy.


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## Carvel Loafer

There might be Christmas decorations in the kitchen before its done. :blink:
I have the day off today so I'm doing one more coat of paint then installing the ceiling lights. Next week is the floor.


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## ftk

I like that sink. Where did you get it?


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## Carvel Loafer

The sink came from Home Hardware, $250.00. The taps from Home Depot, $200.00. Yeah, I like the sink too. The old sink I had was one of those with a little vegetable basin on one side, such a pain to rinse my coffee mug. This one is deep enough to bath in, well almost.


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## chsdiyer

The kitchen's looking good! You're almost done....then what are you going to do? 

I think my hopes of building my cabinets are going out the window. Baby will be here in 4.5 months and with everything else I still have to finish, I could probably only spend 2 months building/finishing/installing mine.


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## Fishinbo

I find the thread quite interesting. I have to say, turning out perfectly. I like it a lot.


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## mat 60

Yes this has been great following this thread. The cabinets look great and Im looking forward to more...Thanks


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## Carvel Loafer

I ended up rolling a complete coat on the ceiling and the walls and they look a lot better now. So it is time for the flooring. I know this is a woodworking forum not a DIY forum but the room comes with the cabinets. Also, these tiles were kind of "fun" to cut and fit.

I started with a boarder of grey tile. I used a straight edge to fit the tile against so that when I lay the field tiles they have a true edge to fit against.











I divided the room into three sections so that it would be workable, both in glue time as well as energy. This is the first section with the pressure sensitive glue spread out waiting to set up.











This is the product I used, it is called Luxury Vinyl Tile. I like it, I use it at work in medium traffic areas and it wears like iron so far.











The first section laid. You notice a few boarder pieces missing on the left side; my supplier did the measuring and calculating so I came up short on the boarder tiles and surplus on the field tiles. Fortunately there was stock in the city so it was just the hassle to go get it.











The second section going in now. Even though I really like this colour I think it kind of clashed with the burgandy maple in the living room, but I can live with it.











And there is the last of it. Well not really the last, I have to do the bathroom and the laundry closet but that will be later.











I put up the lights, that fluorescent light over the sink is temporary until I build the bridge. That table was built by my Grandfather many many years ago; I hope to refinish it once I am done the kitchen and then build some chairs to match.











I have to park the project now for a couple of weeks, we have company coming. Next will be the trims and baseboards, I plan on using the grey tile for the kick on the cabinets. After that I will start the doors and drawer fronts, I really need to get them done soon because I can't finish them in the house and the weather will be cooling off next month.

Thanks for your comments along the way. Stay tuned, we will get this one finished before Christmas. :yes:


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## garryswf

10-4 carvel I will be waiting for door fronts and drawer fronts and trim, enjoy your guests. i will be in hybernation mode :sleep1::sleep1::sleep1::sleep1:.


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## SeanStuart

Just read the thread. Really nice job on the drywall, especially the ceiling. That is not much fun and even less fun in an older house. Your scraps from the spindle shop would cost me quite a bit around here, nice score! I like your router table, I need to make one, and yours seems simple and usefull. 

I think the different levels you did on the tops of the cabinates is going to add a lot to the room. I am a bit of a beginner, but really like what you have done. 

Thanks for the thread.


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## garryswf

Carvel keep in mind i am still interested in your kitchen overhaul completion :thumbsup:


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## Carvel Loafer

garryswf said:


> Carvel keep in mind i am still interested in your kitchen overhaul completion :thumbsup:


Hey what happened to that Loafer from Carvel???

I haven't disappeared, I just got sidetracked by a lot of other things, good things though. I've kept an eye on the site because of my dream of one day being as good as some of you on here.

Progress on the kitchen?....... Well not much, but I sure did enjoy the summer, short as they are here in Alberta. Got a lot of yard work done, did a some camping, caught a few music festivals, ..... , now I guess I better get back to work, while I still have the favor of my wife :laughing:. I did hope to be done by Christmas, but it is now going to be my winter project. I love my wood shop any time, but the winter feels nice with the wood stove going, the snow blowing, and hot coffee on the bench. :yes:

Stay tuned.....


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## garryswf

Looking great Carvel i think you have done a fantastic job on your cabinets. I for one know the time crunch a guy gets himself into with projects like your kitchen overhaul and everything else that we have to keep up with around the house. I'll drop by from time to time just to keep an eye on your progress. Have a good day :thumbsup:


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## rayking49

It's never easy to do a project and be living in the house at the same time. Looks like you're doing a great job of it. Looking forward to the door builds.


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## Carvel Loafer

With winter setting in I better get back to work on the Carvel kitchen. I installed the tile backsplash this weekend. I think it turned out real nice.

No, still no doors or drawer fronts, but that will come.











Tiles in, now to grout it.











Bright white non sanded grout.











The bright white grout goes good with the white appliances.











And mama's happy with it, and that's almost as important as me being satisified with the outcome.











Next is the kick base tiles, then possibly the lighting for the under and over cabinets lights before getting back to woodworking. I'm sure glad I have a patient woman, :yes: :laughing:.


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## jaosnh

Carvel Loafer said:


> With winter setting in I better get back to work on the Carvel kitchen. I installed the tile backsplash this weekend. I think it turned out real nice.
> 
> No, still no doors or drawer fronts, but that will come.
> 
> Tiles in, now to grout it.
> 
> Bright white non sanded grout.
> 
> The bright white grout goes good with the white appliances.
> 
> And mama's happy with it, and that's almost as important as me being satisified with the outcome.
> 
> Next is the kick base tiles, then possibly the lighting for the under and over cabinets lights before getting back to woodworking. I'm sure glad I have a patient woman, :yes: :laughing:.


Looking good.....I've been waiting for more pics . Loving the faucet


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## WoodWorkinRI

Great job! I haven't posted on here yet because I wanted my first post to be an introduction but I just couldn't resist posting after reading your thread. As a carpenter and wannabe cabinet maker I can truly appreciate the work you have put in to this. 

I gotta say, that backsplash really pulls everything together. Great choice! :thumbsup:

Alex


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## garryswf

Looking good carvel, one question are the doors going to be raised panel?


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## rayking49

Yeah I like the backsplash too. I like how you went all the way behind the stove too. That is a nice faucet. Good job.


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## chancey1483

looking really good so far, can't wait to see it finished.


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## Carvel Loafer

garryswf said:


> Looking good carvel, one question are the doors going to be raised panel?


No, not raised panels. They will be flat panel doors. The stiles will be 3-1/4" and the rails 2-1/4". If you look at the gables I simulated the flat panel effect, that's what I am planning on for the doors.


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## Carvel Loafer

woodpro1102 said:


> Great job! I haven't posted on here yet because I wanted my first post to be an introduction but I just couldn't resist posting after reading your thread. As a carpenter and wannabe cabinet maker I can truly appreciate the work you have put in to this.
> 
> I gotta say, that backsplash really pulls everything together. Great choice! :thumbsup:
> 
> Alex


Hey Alex, I'm a carpenter/wannabe cab maker too. I've laid my tools down a long time ago to do a Facility Management thing so I like to use my tools at home when I can. I really like this site, there some real talented members that inspire me to try. However, time comes up short way too often.

Thanks for all the comments. As most of you know, the pictures don't show all those "whoops" spots. Some of them I can fix as I go along, others I resign to live with. But Mrs. Carvel is impressed so :thumbsup:.


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## garryswf

DUH---Sorry Carvel i didn't have my glasses on, got them on now and after looking the second time now i see. That will look real nice, i like a cabinet that has the same panel on the exosed end that matches the door. :thumbsup: keep at it my friend, and always keep the end result in mind, and that would be --making Mrs Carvel happy!!!!!!:yes:


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## frankp

I looked in on this thread early on but hadn't been keeping up with it. Great work Carvel. I'm not sure how you justify the "Loafer" part of your name, but this thread has been fantastic to catch up on and watch. Especially with my current kitchen and bathroom woes, this gives me ideas and inspiration! Thanks.


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## Chaincarver Steve

Carvel, the kitchen is looking great man! The tiles really help tie it all together nicely. That the wife likes it is the real kicker. And I think that's the same faucet we have on one of our kitchen sinks. I'm glad to see your progress. Keep up the excellent work.

Frank: I THINK "Carvel Loafer" refers to a particular model travel trailer.


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## ctwiggs1

This is great work - definitely following this thread now!


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## Carvel Loafer

frankp said:


> I looked in on this thread early on but hadn't been keeping up with it. Great work Carvel. I'm not sure how you justify the "Loafer" part of your name, but this thread has been fantastic to catch up on and watch. Especially with my current kitchen and bathroom woes, this gives me ideas and inspiration! Thanks.


Yes, as Steve said, the Loafer refers to the little vintage trailer I have. Well actually I have a few vintage trailers but the Aristocrat Lil Loafer is one of two that I have rebuilt. The community I live in is near the hamlet of Carvel, hence Carvel Loafer. But I do enjoy loafing too, :laughing:.

Here is a link to the 59 Lil Loafer I rebuilt a couple years ago, as well as other trailer trash. http://carvelloafer.shutterfly.com/


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## Taylormade

The carvel is awesome, of course, but I'm drawn to the Spartan for sure... can't put my finger on it (tapping chin)

:laughing:


The kitchen is turning out wonderful! I'm very impressed.


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## Carvel Loafer

Taylormade said:


> The carvel is awesome, of course, but I'm drawn to the Spartan for sure... can't put my finger on it (tapping chin)
> 
> :laughing:
> 
> 
> The kitchen is turning out wonderful! I'm very impressed.


I wonder what it is about the polished aluminum? Aluminumitis I think! :blink:


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## Carvel Loafer

Well its not much progress, but I did do something on the kitchen over the holidays. The unit on the far left was built to be a broom closet on top and storage below. I couldn't find the right hooks to hang Mama's things so I made some out of baltic birch. Then I made the shelves for the lower unit out of baltic birch with walnut ends and mounted them on rollers. I also made some temporary drawer pulls out of walnut since it is taking me a while to get the fronts on.









































I think before I start the doors that I will install the baseboards and casings. I can paint those in the house because it will be water borne paint, the doors and fronts will be solvent based stain and poly so I can time those toward the spring for finishing. Nothing like using the weather as an excuse eh!! :laughing:


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## chsdiyer

Lookin good! Definitely wishin I had your skills!


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## ctwiggs1

any update??? love this thread


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## Carvel Loafer

Well its resurrection time!

It has been a great year but this poor kitchen still needs doors and drawer fronts. I'm still happily married, don't know how that happens when a guy starts a kitchen project in March 2012 and in November 2013 he starts to make the doors. . This is what my wife has to say about it, " "!!

Seriously though, it feels good to get this project going again. I've been keeping an eye on you guys while I was doing other things other than wood working and there is so much inspiration from the work you guys show here.

So as I was planning on doing flat panel doors I thought I better make a proto type first to be sure of my process. I'm using two pieces of 1/8" to make the panels so it will be good both sides; I couldn't find decent G2S 1/4".










Dry fitting looks good.










Glued up with Titebond III.










I'm making them Shaker style with mild profile routered to the outside. I'll get a close up of it later but I like it.

So with the proto type ok, and the wife ok, I cut up the stiles and rails. I'm short a few pieces so I'll pick them up through the week so I can get them routed before next weekend.









It feels real good to be back in the shop!! :yes:


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## Chaincarver Steve

I'm glad to see you back at it. The door looks good.


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## USMCSergeant

Can't wait to see it with the doors on!! Great job and great thread so far


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## gideon

i see you have a dart board up... you a shooter? i've been shooting leagues for 17 years.


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## Carvel Loafer

gideon said:


> i see you have a dart board up... you a shooter? i've been shooting leagues for 17 years.


The dart board is sort of like the barbell by the wood stove, mostly for show. Pick it up once in a while when friends are over for a couple of pops.


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## chsdiyer

Alright, he's back at it! I wondered when you'd stop loafin  Your work is looking good as usual. Now keep this train rolling and get it done. Can't wait to see the final result!


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## Carvel Loafer

Yes chsdiyer, I finally quit loafing for the season. Actually it was a great year of loafing, we pulled the Lil Loafer trailer over 8,000 miles this year, but the shop is humming again.

I had to pick up more oak for the doors and drawer fronts. I found a nice supply at Windsor Plywood and wide enough that I only have to glue up one of the drawer fronts, the rest are full pieces.











With all the pieces cut to size I set up to cut the tenons on the router table.











A little dry fitting, this panel is going to be the bridge over the sink.











I bought a real nice Veritas shoulder plane to clean up the tenons, well worth the money.











My shop is small so when I cross cut at this size I have to shift the table saw over but it works. These are the panels for the doors.











My trusty Craftsman RAS cuts 100% square, came in handy on this part.











Glued up the two 1/8" pieces as I assemble the doors.











Using my old benchtop Workmate to help the assembly. I decided to glue in the dado for the panels, being plywood I'm not concerned about them needing to move like a solid wood panel, and the little more glue will add some strength. I really like that little plastic oiler I found for a glue bottle, it gets into tight spots and gives very good flow control.











With everything cut and assembled it was a day of sanding today. Using my ROS I started with a 60 grit, then 100, 150, and 220.











The finish sanding was by hand with a 320 grit.











Clamps put away, making room to start routing the edges of the doors tomorrow.











And of course a nice warm fire makes shop work so nice.











I took the week off work so hopefully I will be staining by the weekend if things keep going well. I have to make a few trims for the bridge and a couple of posts for the sides of the stove then I am ready to route everything that needs routing.

Take care!


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## Taylormade

Very nice Carvel!! Love the wood burning stove! Why 60grit sandpaper? Seems to me you could easily start at 100, no?


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## Carvel Loafer

Thanks Taylormade, actually I started with 100 grit but a few of the joints needed flushing up and a few stiles had mill marks and I was a little impatient so stepped it up a notch with 60 grit.


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## rayking49

Looking good!


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## Carvel Loafer

Well I made a little more progress the last couple of days.

Cutting some small oak angles to support the acrylic lens that goes over the sink window.











I made some false posts that will frame out the range. They turned out nice, especially when in place.











Assembling the bridge that goes over the sink window.




















The corner unit door will get glass of some kind so I cut the dado into a rabbet.











Sanding the profile using rubber sanding blocks. I picked up a bag full at Lee Valley for 15 bucks and it sure made this easier.




















Here is a better shot of the finished profile cut on the panels.











So out of all those pieces I only had one that cracked up on me. Good thing it was a small drawer front that was easy to re-make and not one of the doors.











The drill press is all set to drill for the concealed hinges, tomorrow.











I have to do the finishing in the house so I am setting up drop cloths and tables to turn the house into a paint shop again. Hopefully I will get them all stained tomorrow.

Take care!


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## chsdiyer

Awesome job! You're flying through this...maybe you can try doing it with one arm tied behind your back. Can't wait to see the finished result!


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## aaronhl

Thanks for sharing, nice project you have


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## garryswf

Way to go Carvel, I was wondering when we would see the final episode of your cabinet build. There must be a problem with my phone because not one picture has showed up just blank squares but I am sure the doors are looking just as nice as the rest of the cabinets. Keep at it and if you would send me some pictures in the mail !!!!!!!! Just kidding.


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## Carvel Loafer

garryswf said:


> Way to go Carvel, I was wondering when we would see the final episode of your cabinet build. There must be a problem with my phone because not one picture has showed up just blank squares but I am sure the doors are looking just as nice as the rest of the cabinets. Keep at it and if you would send me some pictures in the mail !!!!!!!! Just kidding.


Hey garryswf, I have the same issue with the pics on my phone. I wonder if it is related to how I copy them into the thread. 
Pics are in the mail (;


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## Taylormade

Carvel Loafer said:


> Thanks Taylormade, actually I started with 100 grit but a few of the joints needed flushing up and a few stiles had mill marks and I was a little impatient so stepped it up a notch with 60 grit.


Ahhh yes. I refer to that as SBBS or Shaping By Belt Sander, ha! :thumbsup:

Looking very good!


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## Carvel Loafer

Well Christmas is closing in on me and I have to be 100% done for the holidays. Here is the latest progress over the last couple of weeks.

The house was turned into the paint shop for staining.





























A few mistakes made such as a hinge in the way of pantry hardware, a pair of doors built too narrow, a mis-drilled drawer pull, and the wrong pantry hardware :furious: . The challenges of re-working to make it work. Good thing I'm not doing this for a living or I would be broke, :blink:.






































I got the bridge installed over the sink, I still have to get a diffuser for it. I really like how that turned out. I did get the doors hung but the ones under the sink are the ones too narrow, I just narrowed up the opening to match the doors so I'll get them on soon.




























My wife doesn't know her backside is being modeled, shhh.

I pulled out the range and put in the filler posts. I like how these turned out too.




















Its getting closer. I have a few more pieces to put together and then apply the poly and install the handles. I also have LED ribbon lighting to install on top and underneath the upper cabinets as well as within the corner unit that gets glass of some kind.

Its been a trying couple of weeks with the mistakes I've made but the reward comes in being able to hide them, :shifty:.

Take care and keep warm!


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## chsdiyer

Lookin really good! Soon enough you can sit back in your chair (or camper) and say...aaaaaah  just don't make my mistake and turn to your wife and say...we should build a new house fron scratch  thank God for patient, supportive and forgiving wives eh?

Its funny. My two doors under the sink came up too narrow but since I was painting mine I just glued a thin strip of wood to each side...shhh


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## Chaincarver Steve

The doors look great in place. Despite the inevitable errors, you're overcoming them and the kitchen is shaping up to be really nice. :thumbsup:


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## rayking49

Looking very nice!


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## Carvel Loafer

I noted earlier that I had to replace the pantry drawer hardware from the standard Blum corner mounts to the bottom mount Blum Tandems. I still had to shim them out about 5/16" and shift the drawers all the way to the right, but it worked and worked good, :thumbsup:.





























I think I have most of my re-work done now including fixing a couple of "whoops" from last year yet. I've been putting on Minwax Fast Drying polyurethane, oil based. I've got a couple coats on and a couple more to go, I hope to get at least four coats on. It is looking better with every brush stroke.











I'll take some closer detailed shots once I finish the poly and get the hardware on. Hopefully this week. Then what will I do,  ?


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## Taylormade

Man, it was worth the wait! Great job!! Will you be putting on hardware after the poly? And uhhh... how tall are you?








hehe, I presume you're standing on something in the last pic, but at first glance you look like a giant.


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## SgtSteve

Great job on the kitchen. That's a big job and it looks great.


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## Chaincarver Steve

Taylormade said:


> ...
> 
> And uhhh... how tall are you?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> hehe, I presume you're standing on something in the last pic, but at first glance you look like a giant.


I thought the same thing at first glance :laughing:


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## RMDMan

Kitchen looks great! Thanks for the pics and details, start to finish.


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## garryswf

Finally got some of the pictures to load, very nice looking cabinets Mr Carvel. Your wife must be very pleased.


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## MT Stringer

WOW! That job has taken a long time. I don't see how you can stay focused over such a long period of time. Two days and I am ready to do something else! 

We are planning to redo our kitchen this coming year so I took the time to read through all of your posts. Needless to say, it took awhile. Thanks for posting all of the pics.


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## Carvel Loafer

Yes MT, a very long time. I started this project in March 2012. Today I installed the door and drawer pulls....:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

Yes, I finished the last of the poly, buffed it up, and put on the pulls. My wife reloaded the pantry and changed a few things around and she is very very happy.

I buffed it with a very light rub with a 600 grit then a vigorous buff with a microfiber cloth. The poly is a satin finish and this final buffing just makes it glow.




















Looking to the right end,










Looking to the left.











This is the whole set, well the best I could capture in the pic. 











A quick count and it appears this project involved calculating, cutting, glueing, sanding, scraping, screwing, nailing, staining, polishing, over 560 individual pieces of wood, not counting hardware and fasteners. It feels good to have touched every single piece. :yes:

So in the end there are several things I would have done differently, both design and methods but overall I am very pleased. I pulled many ideas from many posts on this forum, so thank you. I still have a few insignificant things to do, lighting over and under the cabinets, build a wet drawer for in front of the sink, and install the glass in the corner unit. In spite of a few things left, this feels done.

Thanks for following along and bearing with me while I "loafed" the summer away.

Now my big project is to clean the shop, :laughing:.


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## Ted Tolstad

Awesome job! I have enjoyed following this thread from the beginning. Your cabinets look absolutely awesome!


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## Chaincarver Steve

Congrats on as job well done :thumbsup:


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## garryswf

WAY TO GO CARVEL you did a great job. Now you can set back with a drink in hand and admire a job well done.


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## rayking49

Great job. Love the cabinets.


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## Carvel Loafer

*Can you see the Pics?*

I was just going to post a shot of the beveled glass panel we had made for the corner cabinet in this kitchen and I noticed that I cannot see any of my pictures that I posted. I checked a few of the other threads that I started and it is the same thing. I have messaged the administrators but I'm curious if any of you can see the pics or is it something on my end.

I have always uploaded the pics to my albums within the forum and copied them into the threads from there. My suspicion is that during some server maintenance the albums were relocated resulting in broken links. I can still see the pics in my albums though.


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## Alchymist

Just skimmed through the thread - was wondering why no pictures were showing up......


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## Carvel Loafer

Hmmm, I tried to upload to my albums and I get an error message. Something must be wrong in the servers.


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## BigJim

I will let the admin know about the problem, maybe she will know.


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## Carvel Loafer

BigJim said:


> I will let the admin know about the problem, maybe she will know.


Thanks Jim, I sent an email too. It might be some routine maintenance that is going on at this time that has things disconnected.


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## chsdiyer

The kitchen isn't missing too is it? Or maybe your George and Lorraine never ended up together. Sorry...a little back to the future memory and a lot of lack of sleep. That's all I got:/


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## Carvel Loafer

No the kitchen is not gone  

I haven't heard anything from the admin on what might have happened to the pictures though. I'll poke around a little more next week when I get back to my regular computer. I hope they can be restored, there was a lot of effort in posting the entire project, which I enjoyed. I know that others' threads have been very helpful to me complete with the pictures and I would hope there were a few ideas in this thread that might be useful to someone. But without the pics it is not the same.


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## BigJim

Carvel Loafer said:


> No the kitchen is not gone
> 
> I haven't heard anything from the admin on what might have happened to the pictures though. I'll poke around a little more next week when I get back to my regular computer. I hope they can be restored, there was a lot of effort in posting the entire project, which I enjoyed. I know that others' threads have been very helpful to me complete with the pictures and I would hope there were a few ideas in this thread that might be useful to someone. But without the pics it is not the same.


Sorry about not hearing back, I will send her a PM here and on the other forum, hopefully she can help.


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## Admin

I have not received any messages, but maybe it was sent to the admin username instead of me. 

I am not finding an issue with the account at all. Can you tell me what the error message is that you received? One possibility is of the image being too large.


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## Carvel Loafer

Thanks Cricket, I'll PM you later. I was messaging directly off of the Contact Us button.


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## Carvel Loafer

*Thanks to Cricket and the Tech Team*

Hey Cricket, thanks for fixing the picture problem in my posts. Everything seems to be working and I was able to upload and post again.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Carvel Loafer

When I built the cabinets I wasn't sure what to put in the corner cabinet for glass. At the time I just put in a piece of acrylic from a light fixture. My wife had this piece made by a local artisan and I think it is beautiful.


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## The Night Rider

Wow I just read this build thread now and it's amazing. So much work and dedication, you have completely transformed that kitchen. That glass work is the perfect thing to complete it.


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## BigJim

The Night Rider said:


> Wow I just read this build thread now and it's amazing. So much work and dedication, you have completely transformed that kitchen. That glass work is the perfect thing to complete it.


+ 1...


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