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DIY Kitchen Remodel

kmkommes

Red Skull Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2021
Member Number
3686
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17
I should be reading through the “unfinished projects” thread but my ADD started this instead.

Let’s make things more complicated than they need to be.

I’ve read a few kitchen threads here and against better judgement I’m still planning on the DIY option.

My desire for quality and budget doesn’t support the box store or a custom solution.

I looked at RTA. I was heavily leaning towards Barker Cabinets. I priced them and was at about $10,000 in just unfinished cabinets. Additionally, I would have to trim out the cabinets, build refrigerator encloser, and an island, etc. Barker cabinets are made and sourced in the US. They have a sister company citycabinets which is a cheaper due to globally sourced materials. I could look into them but that would sway me away from DIY and I don’t want that to happen. Yes there are cheaper RTA options but I've already made up my mind.

After staring at RTA cabinets and watched too many youtube videos I came to the conclusion cabinets aren’t all that hard to make. So that’s my plan. At first I was thinking of building boxes and buying the drawers and door. Then I decided to build drawers. Now I am thinking doors wouldn’t be that bad either.

I understand this is going to take me longer and cost more and quality is a big unknown. But I will have additional tools and an experience. I love teaching others by making my own mistakes.

Decisions
Layout​
Design/Construction​
Materials​
Tools​

Layout:
I’m going to screw this up. We didn’t like our previous layout. This one may not be any better. It’s an expensive risk we are rolling with.​

Design/Construction:
Frameless: 3/4 plywood with solid edgebanding of unknown thickness​
BLUM hinges and undermount slides.​

Materials:
Wood....​
Paint finish​

Tools:
I’m trying not to go full retard on this but I did order a the Festool TS 60 track saw and have been eying up a SawStop table saw.​
$2000 to $7000​
The kitchen is a big project. I have a lifetime of other ideas of stuff to build.​

Please add your thoughts below so I can ignore them, especially if you are in the cabinet or wood business.
 
Saved for pics
Kitchen.PNG
 
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Unfortunately, I do this for a living :laughing:

We do things a little different in residential joinery here, everything is built in a similar manner to commercial joinery or shopfitting up there, so probably a lot of advice wouldn't cross over very well.

I do like your idea of cutting it all out of 3/4" ply, rather than framing it out, lets you run full overlay door and drawer hardware as we do here and opens up a lot of hardware and fitting options. Face-framed cupboards disappeared here in the early '80s.
Just one material for all your carcases then, Buy a pack of board and rip into it.

I'd honestly stick with the track saw, you'll get a better, straighter cuts than you will with a table saw, unless you step up to a proper industrial table saw with a big sliding table.

The Blum stuff is exceptional, if you want to step it up a little more, look into the full drawer systems (Legrabox etc), gives you some post-install drawer front adjustment, but also more geared around melamine internals.

Get all your appliances before you start drawing. Have them on hand. That is what most people fuck up.
 
Saved for when some asshole know it all comes in and dick swings his bullshit and without giving a single piece of asked for advice or help, tells you all about his own shit and that you are all mouth and no action. Seriously, good luck, We'll check back together in September. :beer:

Edit: Wendle thank you. :flipoff2:
 
On the appliances definitely have them on hand. The dimensions that the give you are close, but if making a custom kitchen you don't want to make everything and then the fridge doesn't fit! Lol
 
Grnjp92 said:
On the appliances definitely have them on hand. The dimensions that the give you are close, but if making a custom kitchen you don't want to make everything and then the fridge doesn't fit! Lol
Click to expand...
The fridge doesnt fit. It is full depth. It should be no suprise, but the wife doesn't want to give up the depth. The plan is to move the exterior wall behind it.

Fridge.PNG
 
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Remember this stupid project?
irate4x4.com

Replace load bearing wall with beam. My house remodel.

I will probably get a permit. I believe to get a permit I need plans from a Structrual Engineer. I have had no luck finding an Engineer yet. I'm here to figure out options before I spend too much money on an Engineer. I have started modeling my house in solidworks. I can share a solidworks...
irate4x4.com irate4x4.com

I probably should have just built a 4 ft wall to that LVL where my fridge is. I could have got away with an LVL in the ceiling instead of that Ibeam runing all the way to the exterior wall. :lmao:
Beam.PNG
 

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Track saw is definitely a good option for ripping cabinets.

I wouldn't go with a full on sawstop - just find a decent cabinet saw on facebook for 1/.3 the price and 4x the machine.

For the cabinets, are you doing faceframe or frameless? If you're painting, I'd go poplar face frames, because it's cheap, and easy to work, and MUCH more forgiving than frameless cabinetry. You do end up losing a little bit of drawer space, but it's pretty much a non-issue.

Biggest bonus of the face frame is the ability to hide a (slightly) out of square cabinet. If you do it right, and dado your cabinets together, that probably won't be an issue though. If you use pocket screws on the cabinet boxes (which can work) you run a higher risk of being out of square.

The other thing to bidget for is a set of NICE squares. Not the $15 speed square from home depot either. You could go full retard and buy a woodpeckers square, but there's knock-offs that are 99% as good for 30% of the cost on amazon.

Pocket hole jig for the faceframes makes that an easy setup to keep square.

I really like the technique of building the lower cabinets and setting them on a seperately made riser that creates your toe-kick. It makes it easier to level everything.

1/2" plywood for the backs is a solid way to mount everything. You can also do 1/2 or 3/4" stretchers with a 1/4" panel in front of them for the backs.

Since you're painting, I wouldn't go over 120 grit sanding.


If you do shaker style doors, they're pretty easy to make on a table saw. If you go with a router table, a $45 set of bits will get you the fancy tounge and groove construction that looks tits.


Drawer boxes are a big pot to stir though. Going fancy with dovetails is an option, but there's easier methods that are just as strong, and a lot faster to make.


Source: I've spent a lot of time on youtube :flipoff2:



Been doing some sort of woodworking for a long time now. Just finished a complete bathroon remodel, and have built several cabinets for garage storage. Also, I'm on the internet, so I must be right :flipoff2:
 
kmkommes said:
The fridge doesnt fit. It is full depth. It should be no suprise, but the wife doesn't want to give up the depth. The plan is to move the exterior wall behind it.
Click to expand...
Our house has an 8" "bump out" into the garage, which allows for a full depth fridge. I am in the process of installing a switched by-pass and outlet in the garage where I can plug in a generator to power the fridge directly in case of extended power outage. The by-pass switch will disconnect the existing hot outlet powering the fridge, and connect to the plug where my 5 kw generator will plug into. The existing outlet for the fridge is actually the last outlet on that circuit, so it makes things easier.

I toyed around with a whole house generator, but outage history where I live doesn't justify the cost, and I already have a portable generator.
 
Grnjp92 said:
On the appliances definitely have them on hand. The dimensions that the give you are close, but if making a custom kitchen you don't want to make everything and then the fridge doesn't fit! Lol
Click to expand...

And RTFM for any clearances behind. My mom had her kitchen done and the cabinet guy failed to build the cabinet under her single drawer dishwasher with enough space for the plumbing and junction box for power.
 
This is an almost finished pic of the one my wife and I diy'd. Cabinets real wood, $1,200 off of fb marketplace. Granite also off of marketplace, $1,000. I did the electrical install, cabinets, and granite. She did the tiling.
20240307_145255.jpg
 
kmkommes said:
The fridge doesnt fit. It is full depth. It should be no suprise, but the wife doesn't want to give up the depth. The plan is to move the exterior wall behind it.
Click to expand...
Heh heh, following for this:flipoff2::laughing::beer:

My buddy does cabinets for a living. Hes going to do ours in our house build. Thats as close to cabinet work as I care to get:flipoff2:
 
I've worked in a cabinet shop, and I built a beautiful full house set for myself. Now for the last house, I bought them. No way I'm making them again.
 
Pt_Ranger_v8 said:
Not everyone is a miserable bachelor who frantically spends all their energy on "projects".

Lots of couples spend time in the kitchen so they can be miserable together :flipoff2:
Click to expand...
🤣

I'm not miserable. I've got work to do, that definitely doesn't involve a kitchen.
Hell I don't even have a stove, just a meecrowavy and toaster oven.
 
AKnate said:
🤣

I'm not miserable. I've got work to do, that definitely doesn't involve a kitchen.
Hell I don't even have a stove, just a meecrowavy and toaster oven.
Click to expand...


because you're a bachelor, eat shsit food, and are going to die of a heart attack when you're 50? :flipoff2:
 
kmkommes said:
The fridge doesnt fit. It is full depth. It should be no suprise, but the wife doesn't want to give up the depth. The plan is to move the exterior wall behind it.
Click to expand...


Check the door swings on your fridge.
Usually when you set a fridge in flush that isn't designed to sit flush the doors don't open enough for the crisper bins etc to slide out.
 
non-OP said:
And RTFM for any clearances behind. My mom had her kitchen done and the cabinet guy failed to build the cabinet under her single drawer dishwasher with enough space for the plumbing and junction box for power.
Click to expand...

Integrated or freestanding dishwasher, or undermount sink, or sink without a built-in tap landing - just make that side of the kitchen 650mm (26") deep.
Saves a lot of stress with appliance fit.
Even some of the newer induction cooktops struggle to fit into a 24" deep top.
 
You should look around at rta places and prices, I’m doing a similar kitchen in a flip, 13 cabinets 42 uppers, pantry, trash can ect. Cabinets and trim are 5200, if did the cheap ones they were going to be 3500. This is with them pre assembled , painted ready to install.

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IMG_7676.jpeg


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You've put enough planning and for thought in to the process you are in a good spot to get going.

I think you could shave some money by buying used quality gear, a sawstop saw while a extra expense might be a worthwhile investment...
 
CarterKraft said:
You've put enough planning and for thought in to the process you are in a good spot to get going.

I think you could shave some money by buying used quality gear, a sawstop saw while a extra expense might be a worthwhile investment...
Click to expand...


If you're not scared of your tools just a little bit, will you really be extra careful when using it? :flipoff2:
 
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