Building a Cabinet to Fit Between Two Walls

[George Bokros]

I am going to be building a cabinet, vanity actually, that needs to fit between two walls. I am not sure how to build it so it will fit without any molding to hide any small gap there may be because the walls are not plumb. I do not even know at this point if the wall are not plumb.

I am thinking about allowing for scribing the end stiles but how do I do that if I allow some additional width, 1/4" or so, to allow for scribing if the additional width will not permit the cabinet to fit in the space between the two walls to scribe the stiles?

I have some thoughts on the subject,

First make the cabinet in two sections. I can do this because one end will be open shelves for open storage of towels and the major part will be basically a sink base. I could build one cabinet and scribe it to the wall it abuts then build the other cabinet scribing its stile to fit the wall then adjust the opposite stile width to fit the space between the wall and the other already fitted cabinet.

Another idea is to build the face frame to fit the opening scribing the two outer stiles to fit any out of plumb in the walls then build the cabinet to fit the face frame.

My final approach would be to determine how out of plumb the two walls are then build the cabinet a little wider than the widest point, top or bottom. Make scribe pieces to put between the cabinet and the walls and scribe them to match the walls and fill the gap between the cabinet and the walls.

Hope my description of the cabinet and ideas is clear.

Comments, thoughts ideas??

Thanks

George

[Ruhi Arslan]

build the face frame to fit the opening scribing the two outer stiles to fit...

^^^^^^^^^^

[Judson Green]

I'd make it with one, possible both, of your scribing styles (the ones that will touch the wall) removable or just not attached to the cabinet till after the cabinet is installed. You could dowle or pin nail or pocket screw em on after.

Might also want to rabbit the styles a bit where they'd meet the wells to help your scribing go a little easier.


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?208059-Fitting-A-Cabinet-In-A-Tight-Space

[Kevin Jenness]

Another option; recessed scribe strips. Fasten flat boards to the wall behind the stiles with screws into framing, drywall anchors, and/or gub. Size the face frame to allow a small reveal (~1/4" or to taste). Rabbet the back of the stiles for a lighter look. No scribing necccesary.

[Michael Kellough]

Scribing the face frame to fit the walls is relatively easy compared to getting the counter top to fit, unless it will be tiled...

[Harry Hagan]

I’d use the same process granite counter tops are measured to fit irregular walls:

Make a template using ¼" plywood hot-glued together to conform to the opening and use that to scribe the stiles on your face frame. The template will help you determine the necessary stile width to accommodate any necessary trimming.

[George Bokros]

Another option; recessed scribe strips. Fasten flat boards to the wall behind the stiles with screws into framing, drywall anchors, and/or gub. Size the face frame to allow a small reveal (~1/4" or to taste). Rabbet the back of the stiles for a lighter look. No scribing necccesary.

Fitting counter tops is easy. The 4" high back splash easily hides any irregularity in the wall. Just make sure the front edge of the counter is tight to the wall. If a wall is more than off 3/8" in the 24" from the counter front to the back wall there is a bigger problem than getting the counter to fit.

[George Bokros]

I’d use the same process granite counter tops are measured to fit irregular walls:

Make a template using ¼" plywood hot-glued together to conform to the opening and use that to scribe the stiles on your face frame. The template will help you determine the necessary stile width to accommodate any necessary trimming.

Trying to do this in a vertical plane is much more difficult than in a horizontal plane with the plywood on top of the base cabinets.

George

[John TenEyck]

Make the outer two stiles removable. Run a 3/8" or so deep x 1/8" saw blade dado down the back side of them 3/4" from the edge that will butt against the rails. Put a couple of pieces of 3/4" wide 1/8" Masonite in the dados in line with the ends of the rails. Center, level, and plumb the cabinet in the opening. Now hold the stiles over lapping the rails with the Masonite shims butted against them. Set your scribe distance for 3/4", scribe the line, remove the Masonite shims, cut and trim to the line, and the stile should fit perfectly. Attach the stiles as you choose.

John

[scott vroom]

Make the outer two stiles removable. Run a 3/8" or so deep x 1/8" saw blade dado down the back side of them 3/4" from the edge that will butt against the rails. Put a couple of pieces of 3/4" wide 1/8" Masonite in the dados in line with the ends of the rails. Center, level, and plumb the cabinet in the opening. Now hold the stiles over lapping the rails with the Masonite shims butted against them. Set your scribe distance for 3/4", scribe the line, remove the Masonite shims, cut and trim to the line, and the stile should fit perfectly. Attach the stiles as you choose.

John

I'm having a hard time visualizing what you're describing. Do you by chance have any close up photos showing this method?

[Gilbert Vega]

I've had to do this several times. My procedure is to install the cabinets in their permanent location without the face frame. Attach the vertical stiles on each end making sure they are approximately 1/4" wider than desired and are plumb. Attach by pin nailing or double stick tape. Scribe to the wall, remove and trim the excess. Re-install the stiles tight to the wall. If you are satisfied with the fit, verify they are still plumb. If so, measure the distance between the two stiles for the rail dimension. Fabricate the face frame and install using a pin nailer and glue. If you would rather use dowels or biscuits mark the face frame and cabinets for location and remove if necessary to drill and then re-install as a complete unit.

Gilbert

[John TenEyck]

I'm having a hard time visualizing what you're describing. Do you by chance have any close up photos showing this method?

No photos Scott, but here's a little plan view sketch. ON the left the stile with the 1/8" Masonite spline in the back, held against the end of the rails ready for scribing. On the right, the trimmed stile fit in place, tight against the wall.

John

291341

[Phil Thien]

Get two pieces of 1/8" thick hardboard that are as tall as your cabinet and each about 3-4" narrower than the opening. Take them to the opening and pull them apart so the left edge of the left piece touches the left wall, and the right edge of the right piece touches the right wall, and the two pieces overlap in the middle.

Now secure them with four binder blips (two top, two bottom) so they don't shift. If you don't have any gaps, transfer this shape to your face frame. If you do have gaps, scribe the hardboard, reposition in the opening until you're satisfied with the fit, and finally transfer the shape to your face frame.

[Peter Quinn]

Trying to do this in a vertical plane is much more difficult than in a horizontal plane with the plywood on top of the base cabinets.

George

no, not really. It's pretty typical. Leave at least a 1/2" scribe on both ends, you mark one edge of your template using a level to hold it plumb as a reference, once well fitted you do the other edge, then bridge the two to set the distance, transfer to the case, cut/belt sand/ block plane to a nice fit, back bevel one side so it can make the angle into the hole. Bigger problem than plumb is square. If the cabinet is going into an opening between two walls and these walls are not square coming forward, and the opening toes in meaning it's narrower at the front than the rear, options change. You can sometimes move the bottom plate....er. Do what the framers should have to begin with, square the opening. But if lots of finishes are in place this may not be viable, ie tiled walls, next to a tub. Etc. The double scribe works well for small cabinets in shallow holes in square openings. The loose scribe or recessed scribe described above works well for large cabinets in deep recesses where the reveal is in shadow. A third option is to design in a break front, build the cabinet in three sections....left wing, right wing center. Particularly effective visually with sinks in today's furniture style vanities.

The center steps forward at least 1 1/2"-2", the left and right stiles return into the corresponding stiles of the two wings, a tongue and rabbit is a nice way to achieve a seamless look. This is not complicated, but it is very precise work. On install you scribe the right, scribe the left, taking care that the distance between rabbits is precisely equal to the distance between tongues on the center unit, slide in the center....suck it together with a few screws from behind, one from above, one in the toe kick. Done. I just built a few like that to conform to badly framed walls clad in slate for a client, sorry no pics, I'm not the installer, but am told it was simple and seamless as designed.

oh, the plywood sides nearest the walls must always be kept away from the walls so they don't inhibit your scribe, typical is 1" or greater, and stay at least 1/4"-1/2" off the wall in the back, shims fill the void when securing the cabinet to the walls, counter covers the voids.

[Sam Murdoch]

I'm in the camp of leaving the scribe verts loose. In my world I attach the face frame to the cabinet with biscuits. I attach the stiles and rails to each other with pocket screws from the back. In this case the scribe verts are left 1/4" to 1/2" wider than the intended finish width. I rabbet the 2 scribe verts so that the edge touching the wall is not full thickness for about a 1/2" worth of scribe (you are then planing or sanding a thinner surface).

The entire face frame (including the scribe verts) is fitted to the cabinet, but the scribe vert biscuits are not glued and the pocket screw holes are bored but the screws aren't set. Now, as regards pocket screws here you might not be able to use them depending on how the face frame overlays the box(s). Sometimes you can attach a pocket screw through the top of the rail into the side of the vert and sometimes you might be adding a piece of trim or baseboard which would hide face screwed pocket screws, so you have options. Sometime you must simply rely on the biscuits and glue to hold the verts in after they are fitted.

Easy enough to fit a loose piece to the wall either by measuring and scribing or making up a sacrificial template from which you can get an accurate tracing to the scribe vert. John TenEyk's method is a good one!