# So...I want to build a pantry



## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm OCPD, so I like to have everything planned out well in advance of a project. This isn't going to be started for several weeks at best, but I want to have everything ironed out.

I want to build something similar to this: Link. A double-door pantry measuring 80"H*42"L*16"D. I'd like to have a structural wall separating the two spaces, so that I can have shelves that can be adjustable independently of the other side (I'm still debating this, as fixed shelves would be so much easier). This will either be a light-stain or a white paint finish.

Here's what I think I think:
-I'd like to have the joints be either a box corner or rabbet
-I'd like to have the bottom shelf sit above the floor, but am not sure how to have the structural wall be supported

Here's what I don't know what to think:
-what material to use, and should it be solid or several pieces joined together (I don't know what this is called)
-if this is going to be cost-prohibitive

Any ideas you can pass on would be great. Thanks.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

You can build this as one unit. A few more questions.
Where do you want to put it?
Will this be a stand alone piece or mounted against the wall?
Bottom shelf above floor no problem. Toekick like standard cabinet? or feet like furniture?
Do you want a face frame or european style (no face frame)?
Does it need to match any other cabinet?
What type of shelf adjustment do you want? Shelf pins? They come in 5mm or 1/4". Use a jig to drill holes accurately. If you use a center partion down middle drill each side offset or you will drill through to other side. Or metal shelf standards? 

You need to decide what kind of finish because if stained you will need to match material of other cabs? or if paint you can use a lower cost material. If painted you can use birch plywood for the case & popular for the faceframe, doors, & edging? I would use a center rail (non adjustable shelf) to keep cab from bowing in center. If mounted next to a base cab which is usually 24" deep. Your 16" deep cab will not allow door to open fully for access unless side style is wider on that side to move cab door opening over a bit for door operation. It will bang other cab. I would use plywood shelves with a hardwood edging. For the adjustable shelves I prefer to make the shelf 3/4" ply with a 1" edging on front flush with top & let the rest over overhang the bottom of the shelf. It gives a little more stiffness to the shelf to help prevent sagging.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

jlord said:


> You can build this as one unit. A few more questions.
> Where do you want to put it?
> Will this be a stand alone piece or mounted against the wall?
> Bottom shelf above floor no problem. Toekick like standard cabinet? or feet like furniture?
> ...


Where this is going, I don't have to really worry about adjacent cabinets. It's going on an empty wall, with a door frame to it's right, and the wall ends to it's left. The only reason I would really worry about depth is because I'm planning on placing a shelf on top to span the doorway and would want to match the depth of the cabinets on the opposite side. This will be a floor-stander, with an anti-tip bracket bolted to the wall with a toekick.

The kitchen cabinets are plain white, with plain fronts. Similar to euro-style, but this is actually 'cheap-ass 70s-style' cabinets. Completely flat faces with rounded sides. I really don't have a preference in what I do with the doors, I think those will come later.

The shelves I think I may just keep fixed for simplicity sake. We'll see. As for the material, I have no idea really. Would it be nice to match the cabinets? Maybe. It would also be a huge white monolith to put in an already too-white kitchen. My wife and I both prefer lighter woods, but I'm going to show her some natural and stain choices and see what she thinks. Too bad I don't still have Photoshop.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Cocheseuga said:


> Where this is going, I don't have to really worry about adjacent cabinets. It's going on an empty wall, with a door frame to it's right, and the wall ends to it's left. The only reason I would really worry about depth is because I'm planning on placing a shelf on top to span the doorway and would want to match the depth of the cabinets on the opposite side. This will be a floor-stander, with an anti-tip bracket bolted to the wall with a toekick.
> 
> The kitchen cabinets are plain white, with plain fronts. Similar to euro-style, but this is actually 'cheap-ass 70s-style' cabinets. Completely flat faces with rounded sides. I really don't have a preference in what I do with the doors, I think those will come later.
> 
> The shelves I think I may just keep fixed for simplicity sake. We'll see. As for the material, I have no idea really. Would it be nice to match the cabinets? Maybe. It would also be a huge white monolith to put in an already too-white kitchen. My wife and I both prefer lighter woods, but I'm going to show her some natural and stain choices and see what she thinks. Too bad I don't still have Photoshop.


Most questions have been answered when building a project. Since it does not need to match anything else for continuity you can pick any style you like. You will probably need 3 sheets of ply. 2 for case & shelves & 1 for back. 
You can rout a rabbit with hand held router in the back after case is assembled for back panel to sit flush & not show from sides. If you are going to install a center divider then rip it the same depth as case sides minus the depth of the rabbit you are going to use for back. You can install after you rabbit case. Getting wifes approval is always a good idea. It might even give license to buy new tools for project.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

OK, I went and priced plywood today, this is going to be cheaper than I thought.

As for the footer - If I want to make it, can I make the corner pieces from 3/4 ply, or do I need a hardwood for the 'feet'?


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

For a furniture style pantry I would go with a hardwood for the feet, or possibly a bun style. If paint grade you could use something like popular, if stain grade I would keep all wood same species. It would make a nice accent piece if natural w/clearcoat finish or stained to offset the all white kitchen.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

OK, I decided having a gap where stuff can get under it isn't the best idea. So I'm going with a kickplate instead.

If I go with three identical 80"x16" pieces for the sides, and cut out a square for the middle, and attach the kickplate there, that would be the most structurally sound, yes? Or have the bottom shelf go all the way across and attach a separate piece under the bottom shelf to support the middle divider?


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Hmmmmmmmmmmm says I... 

there appears to be much said for this OCPD thing!! 

enjoyable thread guys...


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## Packard (Jan 23, 2010)

This is a very simple build (except for the doors).

First, cut the sides to size. Use 3/4" hardwood ply. 

Use your dado head (or router) to cut a groove 3/4" from the bottom that will accept the same size ply. Do the same for the top.

Use your dado head (or router) to cut a 1/4" groove on the inside of both the sides and the bottom and top to accept a sheet of plywood for the back.

Glue up all the pieces. 

Add a face frame.

Add legs.

I would forego the shelves entirely and put in full extension pull outs. They will triple the utility of the cabinet.

The doors shown appear to be flat panels (1/4" ply) but the discription hints otherwise.

This is a big piece. You might want to consider doing it as a top and bottom, with the top about 2" shallower and an inch narrower sitting on a finished top. It will make moving it around much easier.

I suspect it will take almost as long to apply a good finish as it takes to build it.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

I think this can be done in one piece, it's only 16" deep. I would cut the sides full length with a notch cut out on bottom for toe kick. I would make horizontal cut a square cut & vertical cut a 45* cut so you can apply front piece for a finished joint. 

I would build a sub-frame under cabinet for support surface for toe kick piece & cabinet itself. Install center support in sub-frame for center panel support to floor. The height would be from underside of bottom shelf to floor. That will transfer weight to floor. Here's a couple of drawings to give idea. Adjust for your use.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Thanks James, I think that clears up almost all of my remaining questions.

Hopefully I can get my materials on Tuesday. I'm aiming for a $145 completed cost.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Picked up the main wood today. 3/4" (cabinet) and 1/4" (backer) white birch. Should go together mostly tomorrow.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Don't forget pictures.


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Packard said:


> This is a very simple build (except for the doors).
> 
> First, cut the sides to size. Use 3/4" hardwood ply.
> 
> ...


Me thinks someone forgot to add, check to make sure it stays square. If it moves just slightly, you'll discover that soon enough and when you least expect it.


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

jlord said:


> Getting wifes approval is always a good idea. It might even give license to buy new tools for project.


This is always the part I like about a project, new tools. :moil::dance3:


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Started on this Saturday, and think I made good progress.

Started out with 3/4" white birch plywood (C-D grade). Ripped and crossed out the major pieces with my circular saw and a neat little guide I picked up at Home Depot for $20. The new Lithium battery I got for my saw really helped things go a lot faster.

The sides are 16x80 with a 4x4 kickplate cutout at the bottom. I made (the most frightening aspect of the project thus far) lock rabbet joints for the top and bottom to mate using my rabbet cutting bit. It says 1-1/8 on the box, but it was a perfect 3/8", just what I needed. This was my first time using the router in handheld mode, much less plunge outside of squaring up the trim on the router table. Went pretty good. Not the tightest joints in the world, but I think glue and perhaps a finish nail or two will do it right. 

A dry fit was loose, but square. I then did a dado on the top and bottom pieces to accept the middle vertical board. It was at that point where things went a bit wrong. I had a good bit of bend to the boards themselves, and some flex when I tried to dry fit. I have a good bit of weight on the applicable boards now, and hopefully they will be nice and straight in a couple of days. I hope that the bit of bend in them when I cut and routed won't affect square.

It's amazing how long something like this can take trying to get everything perfect. It took four hours to do that, and mitre cut some 2x4 for my crawl space door (other ongoing project). No pictures, as I didn't have a camera. When I check out how the boards are doing on Tuesday, I'll snap a couple of pictures. Splinters galore - using gloves is awkward, but I need to try and get used to it.

If everything comes out straight and my dados et al line up correctly, it's a smashing start. If not, I've wasted about $60 so far. Well, maybe $30 - those panels could always be converted to shelves.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

An update:

The good news - the plywood mostly straightened out, and the remainder can be addressed with some applied force. Not a big deal. Wood looks beautiful. Got the frame glued up.

So-so news - not everything lined up correctly, so my mistakes of the pieces not lining up will be in the back. Not a huge deal.

Bad news - I made a major mistake. I did a dry fit of my pieces last night. I put the outside frame together, clamped at top and bottom, and stood upright. I then put in the middle vertical divider/support piece. All fit well. I laid it back down and glued everything up, one end at a time.

Unfortunately, I test fit that vertical piece standing up. I didn't notice (because I hadn't put one in yet) that due to the lack of the bottom center support, the bottom shelf was sagging due to the weight of the vertical piece. The top piece is also bowed upward, meaning I cut the center vertical piece too long. And since it's all glued up now, I can't just take it out and fix it. I shouldn't have been so impatient.

I can think of a few options I have.

1) leave it. The bottom will bow downward, and the top will bow upward. I can disguise it a little bit with the facing I will use, but while the bottom will be unnoticeable from the outside, the top will. The bottom shelf will also not be level for anything put down there. I call this my 'safe option.'
2) try to remove the center vertical piece, cross cut to proper length, and reinstall. I'm not sure this is an option. I did a pretty fair job of gluing it up, so I think that if I tried to do this I would do damage to the top and bottom pieces - making me redo everything.
3) try to cut the center vertical piece in two places, and install a center horizontal fixed shelf. I think this has the most potential for error. I have to get multiple cuts exactly perfect, as well as routing dados on the outside frame to accept the new shelf.
4) start over. About 4 hours and $60 wasted. I have enough wood right now (that was going to be used for shelves) that I could make everything new, but would have to get more wood in order to make the shelves (that I haven't made yet).

Ugh. It was going really well up to this point, too.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Hi Chris - sorry to hear things aren't working out all that well. If it were me, I think I would start over as the thing is going to be a major focal point in the home. Salvage what I could and chalk the rest up to tuition. Also gives you a shot at correcting the other minor flaws you said can be otherwise hidden. You will always know they are there though. I been there, done that. If it were something for the shop or otherwise inconsequential, I would likely live with it or cabbage something together. 
Devil is always in the details. I remember only getting two usable kitchen drawers out of a whole sheet of birch once.:laugh::lol:


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Well if you are seriously thinking of scrapping it, why not TRY fixing it first? Dremel Multimax or similar tool would let you cut it flush at the bottom then remove as much as you need to remove the bow, some wedges to get some more glue in there... might work. If not, back to square one.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Didn't realize anyone responded...

It's not nearly as bad as I thought. I'd say there's only about a half inch deflection at most on the top and bottom. Not worth trying to fix, IMO. The back got rabbeted and the back panel cut. Again, not perfect, but it's fine. I'm hoping I can get some shelves cut next week, and I need to figure out what I'm going to use for a face.

Some pics:


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm going to make the shelves today, but I still don't know what kind of mounting I want - flush-mount standards or pins. I'd prefer standards because it would be easier, but I don't know...


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Pins give you adjustment flexibility which might be a good thing in a pantry.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Yeah, I ran it by the wife and she said don't bother with paying the $42 or so for the standards - pins it is.

Got all set to whip up the shelves yesterday and the batteries were dead. Oh well.


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

What are flush mount standards? 

I always either do either a dado, plain nail or screw, or a cleat to hold a shelf....all depends on what I am doing it in and what my skill level or what tools have been available at the time. Never done shelf pins yet, but that was only because there were some already at the spot She wanted a shelf added to a RTA closetmaid 4' pantry/wardrobe thing we got for Christmas.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Brass Shelf Standards - Rockler Woodworking Tools

Instead of securing them with just screws, rout a dado and flush-mount them as well, just like the picture.


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

Thanks for the link...once I saw them it was an 'oh duh, I know that' type of moment.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Little update:

Got the dados done for the fixed middle shelf. Did a dado on the outside panels, but am going to have to come up with something else for the middle. Probably will rip some scrap ply to make a little ledge.

Shelf holes done all the way around. May have to grab a brad point bit and clean them out.

Main kick panel support cut, but not installed yet.

And I can't believe that little bit took almost four hours. This is so time consuming, and it's worse because the piece is too big to work on at home. Can't wait to get to some smaller projects.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Bigger projects take much more time then anticipated, or so I have found. Patience is something they need to can and sell.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Got half the remaining shelves 'cut' today. My dad's circular saw isn't very good, I may have wasted the wood. I erred on the side of caution beforehand though, and cut them a fraction of an inch wide.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Had to make a choice today, and I *think* I made the right one (after I screwed up again). I didn't realize that by clamping together the unit, I was slightly giving an inside bow to the side panels. So when I put on my L-brackets for the fixed shelf, I made sure the side panels were completely straight. This left a gap on one of the shelves of about 1/3" from the middle support. I should be able to fill this pretty well with a thin strip of ply and glue it together.

I realized the mistake after I had already set the glue to dry and clamped the unit together. My attempts to remove the shelf and substitute the right size were unsuccessful.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

I have heard that the biggest part of being a good wood worker is learning to fix your mistakes. That's why I like to make lots of them.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

:haha:


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm still unsure as to what to use for the face frame. IE, what dimensions? 1x2?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Wood Working the art of fixing errors 

======



CanuckGal said:


> I have heard that the biggest part of being a good wood worker is learning to fix your mistakes. That's why I like to make lots of them.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

bobj3 said:


> Wood Working the art of fixing errors
> 
> ======


Art huh? Well that explains why a lot of my stuff looks like Picasso had somethin to do with it. :sarcastic:


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Face frame complete, awaiting attachment Thursday evening. Went with flat corner braces to improve structural integrity, especially with screwing up a couple of corner screws (went too far, didn't leave a shelf for the screw to attach on the primary piece).


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Face frame installed.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Hi Chris,
Looks like your project is coming along pretty good. If I may make a suggestion. On the next face frame you build, run the outside vertical stiles top to bottom, That will hide any end grain from showing on the sides of your cabinet. Any vertical stiles in the middle of a frame will fit between the top & bottom rails as your center stiles is. Good to see it's almost finished.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Yeah, I originally planned to buy six foot sections of poplar, so I sketched it out so that the vertical rails would be 71.5" or so. Ended up buying 10' sections, so it didn't matter. Also, since the top and bottom of the pantry are slightly bowed, I wanted to make sure I didn't have any exposed ply.

Wife and I discussed it, and it's most likely going to be painted white to match the rest of the kitchen and cabinets. Now, I just need to figure out what to make the doors out of, and how thick they should be. I'll be going shaker style with a T&G fitment.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Cocheseuga said:


> Yeah, I originally planned to buy six foot sections of poplar, so I sketched it out so that the vertical rails would be 71.5" or so. Ended up buying 10' sections, so it didn't matter. Also, since the top and bottom of the pantry are slightly bowed, I wanted to make sure I didn't have any exposed ply.
> 
> Wife and I discussed it, and it's most likely going to be painted white to match the rest of the kitchen and cabinets. Now, I just need to figure out what to make the doors out of, and how thick they should be. I'll be going shaker style with a T&G fitment.


What I do for cabinets that will be painted for customers is make the doors out of popular with mdf center panels. Center panel can be either a raised panel or 1/4" flat panel. Prime before paint. 3/4" material is fine. I usually use 4/4 material from a hardwoods supplier for all face frame & doors. 4/4 usually measures out to 13/16" & I run my assembled face frames & doors thru a drum sander before finishing. For doors of your size I use 4 hinges per door to carry the weight thru out it's lifetime.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

If I do 3/4" poplar frame and 1/4" MDF flat center, the center won't be to flimsy?

I may do 1" frame and 1/2" center for ease, but I'm not sure how much weight that would be.

Oh yeah - the cool thing is, I had to take out two cabinets to fit our fridge, so I already have matching hardware to the rest of the kitchen. Although, I'll need to find at least two more hinges.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Cocheseuga said:


> If I do 3/4" poplar frame and 1/4" MDF flat center, the center won't be to flimsy?
> 
> I may do 1" frame and 1/2" center for ease, but I'm not sure how much weight that would be.
> 
> Oh yeah - the cool thing is, I had to take out two cabinets to fit our fridge, so I already have matching hardware to the rest of the kitchen. Although, I'll need to find at least two more hinges.


Hi Chris,
3/4" thick frame with a 1/4" flat center panel is fine. That is usually standard for cabinet doors of that style. The picture I included in my last post is a 3/4" popular frame with a 3/4" mdf center panel. It's a raised panel that's why it is a 3/4" center panel. If it were a flat panel it would have been 1/4". I think 1" thick material for your door frame is overkill & too heavy. 

My bits I use to machine the center panel profiles have a backcutter & machine the rails & stiles on the doors with a 1/4" groove for the panel to fit into. So they can be fitted with a raised panel or a flat panel. Even though the center panel is mdf I still use the rubber strips inside the grooves to keep panel centered & eliminate rattling.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

OK, I'm ready to make the doors...maybe.

I'm worried. OK, maybe worried is the wrong term. Apprehensive, perhaps. I think 4/4 poplar would be a great place to start for the door 'frames'. Finished on both sides to 13/16, it would be so close to 3/4 that I'd just leave it. I can pick up a cutting bit to rout the dado to accept the interior panel.

But my problem is this: what if it's not perfectly straight? I don't have any way to either straighten the wood out, or plane (a 5/4, for example) down to the correct dimensions. I think my lack of tools may come into play here.

Need to pick up another sheet of 1/4" birch (for the interior panels and for the back of my RT) from the toy store, so I'll be interested to hear opinions on both what I should get for the 'frames' (leaning poplar), and perhaps if I should grab something like a band saw.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Buy the straightest stock you can when you pick it out. After you assemble & sand your doors they will be under the 4/4(13/16"). For paint grade popular will work well. I use it often unless someone makes a different request but rarely on paint grade. Check for square during glue-up (measurement should be same corner to corner).


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Hey Chris I would offer again to get together here or at your shop, I am sure honey would like to come along to meet new folks. If you came here I think you could see what all I have and try to see if anything would help you decide what you want for your shop. I will PM you with a number to get in touch with me.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

very cool of ya Jerry!! *S*


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Major update here.

I sauntered off to the lumber yard Saturday morning and got a few things I need to finally finish this off. Got a sheet of 1/4" white birch ply for the door interiors, another 3/4" white birch sheet for the remaining shelves and extra stock, and some 4/4 poplar for the door 'frames'

Dropped the ply off at my parent's (where the husk currently is), and took the poplar back home to sort out. Borrowed a table saw, and had a rather interesting process of getting the stock ripped to around a 2-1/8" width for the frames. I would have liked to go 2-1/4 or so, but the width of the stock was just a touch too narrow. Didn't want to push my luck and be short, so I adjusted my expectations. Also did a rough cut of about 80" for all four vertical pieces, and an unknown length for the horizontal ones, but I think I left myself a ton of room for error here.

Took the newly ripped and cross-cut pieces for a run on my new (in-process) router table. I absolutely love the new RT so far. I was actually able to rout in the shed and not have dust go flying all over the place. (You can check out my Table 2.0 thread for more info) Picked up a slot cutting set from HF and went to town putting a groove in all of the frame pieces.

This was a mistake, as I wanted to do a simple butt joint, but as I now have a groove through all the pieces, this would show at the corners. So I'm going to take this opportunity to try my hand at a T&G, something I've never done. Now that $5 PC bit will get it's first use!


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Dang Chris,,,, you're gonna turn out to be a woodworker yet!!! *S*

I enjoy following along with your posts...


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I think everyone else is either tired of them, or they're waiting for the final pics.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

In for a penny in for a pound. It's great to watch your progress through this project. As a newbie to woodworking myself I know how these things take time and always seem to wander off the path that seemed so easy at the outset. It's all part of the learning experience, and watching each others projects we learn vicariously together. 
I admire that the very experienced members of this forum can do photo shoots as their work progresses, and teach us valuable things through that process. But as every beginner knows our photo shoots would be a lot of mistakes that got remade, repaired or burned. While there may be some education in such things, most of us prefer to keep the frustrations of them carefully concealed within the confines of our shops or fireplaces. 
Big projects take time and patience. None of us ever has enough time and some of us (like me) have even less patience. Still when it's finished all that remains are the pleasant memories of the skills used and learned and a product that will stand the test of time because it was carefully hand crafted. And such is the joy of woodworking.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I run into (and this is pretty much anything I do) that taking pictures is an afterthought. I'm so eager to get into the project that I just forget. I've been trying to get better about it with the table project, but I only remember so often.

Plus, it doesn't help when the only camera you think of is an iPhone.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

The only thing I was able to get done was put the kick panel on.

I do have a rather annoying issue of something being off-kilter, I may have to post a picture this weekend.

About the only thing left to do major is cut the door interiors and the rest of the shelves. That should get done this weekend, and then we'll see how terrible it looks.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Decided to cut my losses for the time being. The pantry will come home this week and go in the kitchen as-is. Trying to do things in two different places hasn't been working out the way it should, and the doors are going to have to be something I do a little bit later on. We'll use some foam board or something to block off the bottom until the doors get made.

Paint will happen a bit later too, we want to see if we can live with it natural.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Pantry comes home today!


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)




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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Looks like it turned out just fine. Some doors on it in the future will be a nice addition. Good job!


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Doors will be worked on once everything else settles down. It will be nice to be able to design them at home when I have 5-10 minutes to do something instead of having to plan it.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Keep us posted, Chris... we want to see it with the doors on too!


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

About six shelves got a matching band and poly on Monday. Stick on birch band and a flush trim bit made quick work of it.

I hope to pick up some more poplar stock (or maybe something different, I dunno) and start working on the doors again this weekend.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm at the point where I could use some advise. Now that I have what I need as far as tools and experience goes, I'm ready to make the doors.

A bit of a recap:
Cabinet - 3/4" white birch ply
Face - 1"x2" (I think) poplar

I need to know what kind of dimensions to use on the door itself. I'm aiming for either a traditional or full overlay, and I want the style to be shaker. Should I use 2" width for the rails and stiles? 3"? Stick with 1/4" ply for the middle?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Chris

I would suggest using 2 7/16" wide for all the parts for the door frame, almost all R & S sets cut 7/16" deep and you can use the golden rule of 4" to help cut all your parts to size.. 


========



Cocheseuga said:


> I'm at the point where I could use some advise. Now that I have what I need as far as tools and experience goes, I'm ready to make the doors.
> 
> A bit of a recap:
> Cabinet - 3/4" white birch ply
> ...


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## RJM (Apr 11, 2010)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Chris
> ... and you can use the golden rule of 4" ...
> ========


???


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Robert

The golden rule is use when you want to make door frames and have them come out right every time.

Lets say you want to cover a 12" x 14" hole in the face frame with a door, then norm is a 1/2" over lay on all sides of the door opening for support of the door frame,,you would start out by cutting the stock to size, the stiles would be 15" long and the rails would be 9" long, this is when the 4" rule comes into play= 13" -4" = 9" long, it comes by the mill work done by the bit or to say 7/16" and 7/16" = " 0 " the part that the bits remove from the stock for the joint..

I will say by using 1 x 6" stock makes the job easy ,run the end grain of the stock and than take it back to the table saw and rip to 2 7/16" wide than you have both rails done at the same time and the same for the stiles, if you get a bit of rip out on the on the end grain pass you can just clean in up on the table saw at rip time....the panel is cut 1/8" smaller than it need to be so it fits just right in the door frame a little bit of floating is always nice..and the 4" rule is also use on the panel..


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RJM60 said:


> ???


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Robert
> 
> The golden rule is use when you want to make door frames and have them come out right every time.
> 
> ...


If you use the new Sommerfeld rail & stile bits & want 2" showing you will need to rip stiles to 2-1/2" as the pattern cut for the bits are 1/2" not 7/16" as the CMT brand he carried. Most other brands have the 7/16" detail.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Well, I'm just using a plain sheet of 1/4" ply, I'm not doing a raised panel if that was thought. I'm also unsure of how thick the frame should be. I was thinking 3/4" or so to have the panel centered.

I was probably going to run the frame through the table saw instead of using the router table this time. But we'll see.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Well, I've got both doors done, the second one is gluing up. As soon as I find the second set of hinges and pull, I'll be ready to put them on.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Chris do youhave any pictures of your progress?
You blog looks GREAT! I put you on my Follow list!


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Thanks Deb. I didn't think to take any today. I did take some pics of my drill press stand that I worked on today as well though.

Hopefully I can find the hinges tomorrow. I'd rather not put any more money into this, I'm an hour or so away from being done.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Oh yeah, and I did sustain an injury trying to test fit the doors to the frame. My big aluminum clamp fell off the doors when they bowed out and hit me on the nose.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

I bet that hurt! Two black eyes?


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Nice little bruise right on the bridge. 

Haven't been able to find the hinges yet, so I may need to buy some.


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## Mike Dawson (Jul 28, 2010)

thats an awesome plan!


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Random bump aside, the pantry now has all it's hinges. I bought three sets of ones that very closely match the 3/8" ones I have, and they worked well. Also bought new pulls, and they ended up being the exact ones.

All we're missing is some magnetic catches, and she's all done.


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