Ep14 - Cupboard Door / Drawer Fronts
In Part 1 of this laundry makeover, Dale replaces the dated and worn laminate cupboard doors/drawer, with some custom-made hardwood ones. Utilising the carcass of the existing cupboards (which are in good condition), he simply matches the existing door/drawer sizes and refits them. The main tools Dale used were:
- SawStop SST-JSS15-PRO Jobsite Saw
- Kreg KR-KMS7102 Precision Mitre Gauge
- Carbatec WB-6030 Height Adjustable Workbench
- Kreg KR-KHI-HINGE Kreg Hinge Boring Jig
Other consumables that were used were:
Of course, this will be very specific to your own requirements, but in Dale’s door/drawer makeover he used:
The Process
This part of the project was pretty simple, with time being taken to carefully measure and mark out the new door/drawer fronts, so they perfectly matched the existing units. It is a good practice (when you’re not 100% confident), to cut short of the line, check and re-cut as required (which you will see Dale do in the video). You can always make the board shorter by cutting again, but it’s very hard to make it longer, if you make a mistake!
- Before removing existing doors and drawers and mark each one for its location and orientation (top/bottom/left/right etc). A good practice is to write or make the OUTSIDE of the old components, and take a wide picture that you can refer to later.
- Remove old components and carefully measure and mark all dimensions on them.
- Using your table saw, first rip all new components to the correct width, and mark the bottom edge with the matching component name from your old components.
- Once all rip cuts have been completed, fit a good quality mitre gauge (or cross cut sled) so that accurate 90deg cross cuts can be made.
- Work through each of your components, crosscutting to the required lengths.
NOTE: Be careful with stacked drawers or doors, to ensure each is cut from a single piece and that the grain runs from top to bottom across all drawer fronts. Mark each in their correct order.
- Use the Kreg Hinge Boring Jig and follow you hinge manufactures instructions to mount the concealed hinges on all doors. Measure your previous hinge locations if you are trying to match hole spacing.
- After a light sand, finish all sides and edges with a couple of good coats of Whittle Hardwax Oil, to help keep the moisture out, and the surfaces looking good.
- When dry, fit your door/drawer fronts in place.
- Mount your chosen handles etc.
- NOTE: The simplest way to accurately mount door handles and drawer pulls, is with the Kreg Cabinet Hardware Jig