I need some advise.

[Tim Boger]

My BIL asked me to help him cut off the bottom of this upper cabinet to allow a 1/2in. taller fridge fit in the opening.

This picture shows the old fridge.

If the quality of the cut is poor I'll need to clean it up .... Circular saw ?? Jigsaw ?? Router ??

Thanks for the help. Tim
215497

[Bob Wingard]

Router & straightedge for me ... clean up the corners with chisel or Dozuki saw.

[Kevin Presutti]

Tim,
If I were going to attemt this, which I try to do mostly casework, trim, and doors for my day job. I think you are better off taking the cabinet out, removing the doors and running it through a tablesaw. Fixing up the bottom will be much easier with the cabinet removed, zero chance of clipping either of the adjoining cabinets. If you have to remove crown or anything over the cabinet it still a lot less hassle and will make a better job instead of saying oops and wondering what to do next, it will make for a better job anyway. Besides you have to address the sides of the cabinet anyway I would think. My guess is about 8 screws an any molding and it'll be sitting on the bench. The rail of course will look disproportionate but if that's OK with him then go for it. Of coure I can't tell if they are individual cabinets or not but if they in fact are not and are built-in's then I might suggest an oscillating saw (fien, rockell, bosch) and a router. Pop the doors off that may interfere with a straight edge and remove the rest of the material with the router, be sure to make the vertical cuts a hair fat so you can sand smooth and straight. Hope this helps!

[david paul miller]

i agree w/ what Bob said

[Jeff Monson]

A palm router, straight edge and a flush cut bit would work nicely. I have also used my Fein with a wood blade set on low speed and done this very operation, cleaned up with a 6" ros to smooth out the cut. I'm amazed at how straight I can cut with this tool.

[Rick Fisher]

Yeah, smallest router you have and a sharp chisel will make short work of that .. I you have a quality flush cut saw, that would work too.

[Jerome Hanby]

I had to do the same thing. After several aborted attempts, I ended up using a Shark Japanese style hand saw for the main cutting, then clamped on a straight edge to run against and used my Colt to route the edges smooth. Used some files to pretty up the corners where the Colt wouldn't reach.

[Tim Boger]

Thanks guys for the advice .... sounds like a trim router can get it done.

Tim

[John T Barker]

I just wanted to jump in and point out something. You will be routing this while it is hung? No small task to rout six feet off the ground while holding the router in a non conventional way. I would remove as much as possible with a power jigsaw and then do your final router cut taking off as little as possible.

If you are taking this down towork on it I would consider removing a 1/4" from the top and a 1/4" from the bottom so that bottom rail doesn't look so thin.

John

[brian wight]

Will removing the plastic trim piece on the fridge's hinge help at all?

[Ellen Benkin]

If your cut comes out "rough" apply some 1/4 round moulding to the bottom of the cabinet frame. Moulding hides a multitude of sins.