Pantry Built-ins

[SimonStevensCanes]

We have a small area off the kitchen that’s just begging for some built ins to give us some extra storage.



We are going to block in the cupboard under the stairs and move the radiator into the kitchen proper (and replace it with something much less anaemic).

Then the new storage will include an integrated fridge freezer, full extension drawers and a top cupboard for less frequently accessed stuff.

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

We haven’t settled on drawer/door front designs yet. We don’t want anything to dark, but considering just flat oak (veneered ply). I could get all of them from a single sheet, so that opens up the possibility of an entirely grain matched front, which sounds quite elegant.

Any ideas welcomed

I hadn’t got around to plastering this side of a door that we blocked up in to the office, so first job to tackle was getting that squared away. Second time plastering, did a half decent job I reckon.

 

[DBT85]

Point of order, i've never plastered in my life and do not plan to attempt it. You appear to have had a good result. Don't worry about whether you can build that workshop of yours! No witchcraft needed for that.

Looking forward to how this plays out!

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

Thanks dude, if you can take on a workshop, you can definitely tackle plastering

 

[DBT85]

Thanks dude, if you can take on a workshop, you can definitely tackle plastering

Ha, I don't have a bit of wall that I can afford to have fall down in 3 months

 

[Spectric]

Plastering is easy, the hard bit is to get it to stick to the wall and still be there in the morning something I have not yet managed so know your limations.

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

I'm currently debating the drawer design. They are going to have open sides, so that we can see and access tins, sauces etc, and they're going to be holding a fair amount of weight.

I would like to save space, so I'd prefer to go with 12mm rather than 18mm. I have no concerns about 12mm ply holding that weight, but I'm wondering whether it would allow for enough flex that it could cause issues. Any body have any thoughts?

 

[DBT85]

What width and depth are you talking about?

On the basis that the base probably won't be right at the bottom of the drawer front, it would ave to sag a lot to cause a problem with the drawer below. If you're not sure get a bit of the right size and support it on the sides and get someone to stand on it. It'll probably deflect a lot less than you think at 12mm, especialyl considering its going to be held in place on 4 sides once its all secured together. In reality you could probably go with 6.

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

Yeah I’m not concerned about the bottom panel flexing. I think I was worrying about weight pushing the top forward like a trapezium, which is nonsense because the weight is still all on the bottom, which is supported by the drawer slides. The top rails are just to stop things falling out.

 

[DBT85]

Oh that'll be fine then. As you say its all loaded on the runners. If you are really worried maybe spend the extra on nice blum runners rather than standard BB ones.

 

[cowtown_eric]

12mm doesn't flex much, particularly if it has a rabbetted /glued side/center piece, even just one.

You'll work it out

I worry more about your fixation on gettin "matched grain for the drawer fronts.

Why do I say that, well I would advise you to consider what JUST ONE Mistake would do to that plan.......Cut wrong size, serious scratch, finishing error, etc. Pye wrote a tome on the nature of craftsmanship as "workmanship of risk" and this looks to be the r prefect scenario to test that. ??up for the test??

Not that it can't be done, but I've also seen a 10ft'ht x20ft wide set of beautiful cabinet doors of custom made book matched exotic veneers where the painting contractor "lost" one of the doors (I was asked to replace it!-as f I could)

Just sayin....keep that in mind

Something else ...on drawers of this type, think ahead on how yu are going to adjust all doors to be flush. . I have no doubt shimming will be required, so build that into your planning. Been there and done that, even with expensive pantry pullouts. If it ain't flush, it will look like a rumbled checkerboard, and if just one panel isn't grain matched it will only look good in the dark!

Don't let me dissuade you, just offering my observations . Forewarned is forearmed.

Eric

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

Yeah I'm aware that trying for matching grain is high risk for somebody with my skillset. I tend to try to mitigate risk with making test pieces, so I'm pretty confident that I can pull it off.

The other risk mitigation is to have a plan for "what do I do if it goes titsup". In this case, if I screw up one door/drawer front and have to remake it then it's going to be really obviously wrong and the entire thing will look weird. The answer to that is "jumble them all up", so that I abandon the idea of matching grain entirely. It wouldn't be the finish I was looking for, but it would be acceptable.

Good point on getting the doors flush, I hadn't considered that too much. I can plan it in now.

In other news, the bottom drawers are intended for bottles, with a drawer full of 2l pop bottles will come to ~50kg. I had a good cry when I started looking for full extension, soft close, 700mm drawer slides. Cheapest I could find was > £50 a pair. 600mm on the other hand can be found for less than £25 a pair, so my intension is to use shorter slides for just the bottom two drawers, which would obviously result in them not being full extension. Anybody think that's a crazy idea?

 

[DBT85]

How much is the whole project going to cost you, and is it worth pissing around with sliders over the sake of that £50 difference? You'll always be sitting there going "I wish I'd just spent that bit extra and done it right" I feel.

Maybe have a look at the blum tandem runners?

 

[Jameshow]

How about abandoning the sliders and putting the bottom draws on casters, if there isn't a plinth...?

Cheers James

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

How about abandoning the sliders and putting the bottom draws on casters, if there isn't a plinth...?

Cheers James

There is a plinth, but the design could be changed. I’m going to stick with drawers, but I’m struggling to describe my reasoning. They’re just the “right” tool for the job.

If the drawer’s intended use meant that being able to wheel it across the room was a bonus, then that might persuade me, but in this case I don’t see that happening.

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

How much is the whole project going to cost you, and is it worth pissing around with sliders over the sake of that £50 difference? You'll always be sitting there going "I wish I'd just spent that bit extra and done it right" I feel.

Maybe have a look at the blum tandem runners?

I finalised the drawer design last night which allowed me to finally calculate my sheet goods requirement. 5 sheets of 18mm Baltic birch, 3 of 12mm, plus a 18mm sheet of veneered. This project was already coming in at around a grand. The “budget” of around £200 for sheet goods isn’t even going to be close.

If we are spending a lot, I’ll end up throwing enough money at it to ensure I’m happy with it at the end. Nothing worse than a gaping hole in your finances and a product that you’re not happy with.

So yeah, it’ll be the good drawer slides. I’m gonna be in the financial planner’s bad books for a while

 

[DBT85]

Do you need all that sheet because of the box design for the sides of the drawers?

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

The base, front and rear of the drawers takes up the bulk of the materials for the drawers.

The 18mm is for carcasses and the dimensions make for inefficient cuts. At least I’ll have lots of scrap

 

[Cabinetman]

You said that the new storage would include an integrated fridge freezer, that is really going to make things difficult in the getting things level department as Cowtown Eric said, I would hesitate to have that many doors/drawers and imagine I could get them all flush and level, particularly if using sliding runners.
How would you edge the veneered ply or MDF btw?

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

You said that the new storage would include an integrated fridge freezer, that is really going to make things difficult in the getting things level department as Cowtown Eric said, I would hesitate to have that many doors/drawers and imagine I could get them all flush and level, particularly if using sliding runners.

How does the fridge freezer affect getting things level? Weight?

QUOTE="Cabinetman, post: 1443268, member: 25810"] How would you edge the veneered ply or MDF btw?
[/QUOTE]

I figured thin strips of solid wood or edging (which I hate).