Now that I’ve got my plywood, I’m building two cabinets for my kitchen. The walls are plaster and very wavy. The same goes for the ceiling. (These are made to match the existing cabinets with no soffit).
Any recommendations how to make this slightly less painful? I was thinking of hanging the cabinets using a cleat system on the top. I can hit at least two studs.
Because the walls are so wacked, I assume the boxes will need to mounted away from the walls by 1/2″-3/4″.
For the face frame, I was thinking of leaving the longest piece (with the worst wall) for last and installing once everything else was set. Fortunately, the second cabinet is for above a wall mounted microwave, so the scribed line will be pretty sort. Is a back bevel a good idea for the pieces that need the scribe?
The existing cabinets have a cove molding where they meet the ceiling, so I’m hoping this will take care of any gaps.
Sorry for the long post. I can cut boards square, but I’ve got everything to learn about hanging cabinets!
I would greatly appreciate any advice or tips.
Thanks!
Replies
Bump. I am not an expert, but as far as cutting to a scribe line, yes a back bevel is useful it reduces the surface area of the wall and the frame so that there is less of the walls rough surface touching your scribe. It makes for a tighter fit.
As far as mounting the boxes off the wall and on a cleat that is possible, be aware that there might be a gap that you will need to disguise if the side of the box is visible. And doing this might throw them out of alignment with other cabinets in a line. However you mount them, you just need to take the necessary pains to shim them level and plumb, and in alignment with any other cabs on the wall.
As far as the long face frame, build it with a scribing allowance of an inch (or whatever will close the gap. In other words you want to allow for more material that you will scribe off, than the widest point of the wall/cabinet intersection) , attach the frame to the cab. then start with that cabinet. Draw a line on teh wall where the cabinet needs to sit. Draw another line where the cabinet actually sits . Set your scribes to this amount and scribe the side, back cut and you may even fine tune it with a file or rasp or belt sander.
Just a bump, and some tips from my little bit of experience with scribing.
Webby
Yes French cleats can help make hanging them a bit easier.
As for building/scribing them, inset the backs an inch or so and leave the sides long for later scribing. You can back bevel these, but it's not really that big a deal since you're only doing a few.
Alternatively, you can simply hang them an inch proud and cover the exposed ends with an end cap and scribe one side of the cap the wall. Scribe and attach to the cab. This can be easier since you can hang the cabs and get everything set, and then hold the end cap in position for scribing -- and a cap is certainly easier to hold steady while scribing than a whole cab.
Molding should cover you on the front/top, but if not, you can hang the boxes and scribe and install the face frame afterwards as described for the end caps.
If the existing cabs are scribed well, you might wanna consider saving the scribed pieces for patterns.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Everything fits, until you put glue on it.
Edit: After re-reading, I'm not clear what you mean by a cleat "on the top." The cleats are behind the cabs and on the wall, not the top. Also you have to account for the cleats being weight-bearing when you build the boxes.
Edited 8/25/2009 2:07 pm ET by MikeHennessy
First thing try pushing on the plaster wall with your hand to see if it moves. Often the lath has moved away from the studs and the cabinet will pull the wall back to the studs. Then less scribing is needed. I prefer to rabbet the sides instead of a backbevel. If you have to scribe 1/2 to 3/4" you will lose the back bevel, and the rabbet.The sides will have to be wider than you planned to accomadate this.
I imagine when you screw the cabinet to the wall it will pull the lath and plaster back somewhat.Try it and then scribe.
mike