Suggestions for fixing mess-up with corner cabinet shelf

[siggy_7]

This is a bit of an unusual query, but I'm racking my brains a bit and am hoping someone might be able to offer some guidance. I'm after a bit of advice on how to address an issue with a Kessebohmer Le Mans corner kitchen shelf, caused entirely by my own stupidity. When I designed the cabinet, I paid close attention to minimum and maximum shelf openings, installed the shelf unit - all worked fine. However, what I forgot to accommodate was that the door uses half-overlay hinges. Now with the doors fitted, one corner of the shelves fouls on the door as it's being pulled out. It still opens, but the interference is both annoying and will quickly damage the door, so something needs to be done about it.

I've had a few thoughts on how to address this:

• Peel off the metal edging of the shelf, take ~3-4mm off the shelf with a router then re-attach the metal edging. I'm not convinced of being able to put the edging back neatly though and worried it may look bodged
• Slightly re position the front arm mount on the underside of the shelf to change its motion so it doesn't hit the door any more. Having taken a look, I'm not sure how these are attached and whether I could do this without creating visible cosmetic damage and if I could re-attach securely enough, although if any damage is limited to the underside then it's not an issue cosmetically
• Shorten the front arm supporting the shelf to have a similar effect to the above. Would involve cutting through the middle of the arm, welding it back together and then making good cosmetically. I think this may be the best way to go as it should have less risk of subsequently breaking and I should be able to make good such that the alteration isn't noticeable (unless you're really looking for it)

Due to the kitchen design (the doors are inset into face frames) I can't make any adjustments to the door position without ruining the aesthetics/symmetry unfortunately.

Any thoughts on the above or other ideas welcome.

 

[Doug71]

I might be missing something but you say the doors are on half overlay hinges but you also say they are inset in a face frame?

Can you use the zero protrusion hinges that throw the doors further out like if there were drawers in the cabinet?

https://www.trade-hinges.co.uk/blum-zer ... e-24-c.asp

 

[AndyT]

Instead of trimming the front edge of the shelf, could you take a few mm off the rear edge and slide it back?

 

[Geoff_S]

I think I understand your problem. Is the door left/right handed and the same question for the vertical shelf fixing?

If none of that applies because of my misunderstanding, my mistake.

However, if the shelf support is a vertical bar, would it be possible to router out and recess to pull it back into the carcass a bit more, or vice versa, pack it out a bit from the carcass?

 

[siggy_7]

Thanks both for your suggestions.

Doug - I wasn't aware of that type of hinge, thanks for the pointer. Unfortunately in my case the door opening is restricted to 90 degrees as it's in a corner. The construction method is a little unusual I think - the corner cabinets use blind corner hinges fixed to the inside front of the cabinet, see photos (the inset part of the face frame is still to be made and fitted currently).

Andy - the shelves are fouling at a point around when the front arm connects to the underside of the shelf. The arm is mounted at the front of the cabinet. If you imagine an arc drawn from the cabinet mounting position, I think it would need to go back a long way to stop the fouling and the shelf then wouldn't come out into the kitchen properly. Hence the alternate idea to shorten the arm by about 5mm, so that it won't pass as tight into the opposing corner.

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[siggy_7]

Geoff - thanks for your reply, I missed it as I was writing my post at the same time as you. As you can see from the photos the door opens to the left and it's a right handed corner cabinet. The shelves are supported on two pivoting arms underneath, as the shelf is pulled out they rotate on axles that control the motion of the shelf. You can see one of the axles on the left and the top shelf front arm at the top in my second picture. A short video showing their operation explains this much better than I can if you're not familiar with the system.

 

[Geoff_S]

So repositioning the vertical support wouldn’t solve it?

 

[siggy_7]

See attached sketch for a layout in plan view (the arms are cranked rather than straight to allow them to support the shelf further out, but you get the idea). I've marked the offending area with red spray paint. I'm convinced the issue is I haven't allowed enough clearance for the shelf as the front arm travels anti-clockwise. If I re-positioned the front arm backwards, by a fair way, it would no longer foul - but it would also then not open properly. The only ways I can see of fixing it are to remove some material from the shelf, move the attachment point on the underside of the shelf or shorten the arm.

 

[Alex]

Or move hinge up. Need to re-drill cup hinge, fill old hole with two part and paint.

 

[Adam9453]

Certainly easiest to move the hinge and make good, there appears to be a little damage near the hinge anyway so can repair that at the same time

 

[siggy_7]

It's fouling on the door itself, not just the hinge. The top shelf has exactly the same problem (not in line with a hinge).

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[stuartpaul]

Can you ease the back edge of the door? Run a chamfer all the way down and then touch up the paint?

Would probably be easier then trying to adjust or ease the shelves.

 

[Adam9453]

If it’s also binding on the hinge then I’d change the hinge to a long throw version to throw the door further out the way and position the hinges so they don’t clash with the shelves. Or just make new shelves, whichever is quicker

 

[siggy_7]

Thanks to all for the suggestions. In the end I went with my idea of shortening the front shelf hinge-arms - chopped them through the middle, ground about 6mm off and welded back together again. The shelves now swing open cleanly.