Over Toilet Cabinet

[George Bokros]

Wife wants me to make this for over the toilet in our half bath. Design will pretty much like this. I will make it from 1/2" cherry, I think 3/4" will be to heavy looking. My question is how would you make the drawer fronts?

I am thinking using 1/4" cherry for the drawer front then apply the rail and stile pieces on top of the 1/4 drawer face to come back to the 1/2" thick like the rest of the cabinet. The drawer box will be 1/2" cherry attached to the now 1/2" front using either a drawer lock joint or a locking rabbet joint.


376227

Thanks

[Doug Garson]

No comment on your question but a suggestion. If it is going on an inside wall, you can make it 4" deeper if you inset it into the wall, you'll have to modify the studs but you get a lot more storage space.

[Bill Space]

Hi,

I can't help with your question, but have a related question that perhaps you can answer for me while waiting for some help.

I am thinking about doing the same thing. Just wondering how much concern things falling out of the cabinet into the toilet is...yes, I am serious about this question.

Of course, put the lid down before opening the cabinet is the answer I guess, but who can count on that?

I will still make the cabinet anyway...and cross my fingers. Have you thought about this?

Bill

[George Bokros]

We have a cabinet over the toilet currently (been there for 18 yrs) and have never had anything fall into the toilet. My son and daughter-in-law have one also and they have never had anything fall into the toilet.

[George Bokros]

No comment on your question but a suggestion. If it is going on an inside wall, you can make it 4" deeper if you inset it into the wall, you'll have to modify the studs but you get a lot more storage space.

We have one currently and what we keep in there does not need extra depth. We even have spare toilet paper and it fits fine.

[Jamie Buxton]

Recessing a cabinet into the wall behind a toilet is quite likely to collide with the toilet’s vent stack.

[Warren Lake]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYcO_LjU_u8

[Sam Murdoch]

George I've read your post 5 times and I don't understand. :confused:

Are you intending a 1/2" thick frame rabetted on the back to receive the 1/4" panel - glued into the rabbet?

Is that a bead and do you intend such a detail?

If yes to my first question it seems to me that the drawer box IF flush to the sides of the rail and stile front can be attached in many conventional ways OR you can make an independent 4 piece drawer box that simply attaches to the front with screws or with the through bolts of the knobs. Of course with the latter you loose a bit of depth of the very shallow box.

All this you know - so I'm guessing I don't understand your question. :)

[George Bokros]

Sam, what appears to be a rail and stile around the drawer is actually part of the drawer front. The drawers will not have false fronts.

Not sure what you mean by a bead?

Thanks for your response.

[Derek Cohen]

Wife wants me to make this for over the toilet in our half bath. Design will pretty much like this. I will make it from 1/2" cherry, I think 3/4" will be to heavy looking. My question is how would you make the drawer fronts?

I am thinking using 1/4" cherry for the drawer front then apply the rail and stile pieces on top of the 1/4 drawer face to come back to the 1/2" thick like the rest of the cabinet. The drawer box will be 1/2" cherry attached to the now 1/2" front using either a drawer lock joint or a locking rabbet joint.


376227

Thanks

George, I think a 1/2" thick cabinet will flex. Stick with 3/4" for the carcass. Attach to the wall with a french cleat for strength.

The construction is a standard chest of drawers. If I was making this, I would not be using mechanical fittings, and therefore use drawer blades and drawer runners. You may choose to use metal slides to attach to the sides of the drawers.

These are insert drawers, and so you need a divider. Typically, this is dovetailed on to the carcass.

My preference for drawers is to dovetail them: half blind in front and through dovetails at the rear. There are other methods you can use instead, such as a lock joint or even dominos.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[George Bokros]

This is a simple cabinet. The shelves will have some spare toilet paper, some knick knacks, etc. and the drawers will have a tooth brush, comb, maybe a bottle of aspirin and band aids etc.

We have one now that is 18 yrs old and the things above are what is in it currently. In my opinion it does not need to be built like a chest of drawers as it will not see the kind of use a chest of drawers will see. 3/4" stock for the sides etc will be out of proportion for the size of the cabinet in my opinion.

This cabinet is only 31" high, 7" deep and 23" wide.

Thanks for your reply and thoughts Derek.

[scott vroom]

I am thinking using 1/4" cherry for the drawer front then apply the rail and stile pieces on top of the 1/4 drawer face to come back to the 1/2" thick like the rest of the cabinet. The drawer box will be 1/2" cherry attached to the now 1/2" front using either a drawer lock joint or a locking rabbet joint.


376227

Thanks

Your description isn't 100% clear to me. Are you saying you'd like to build the drawer box sides and back with 1/2" and the front with 1/4", and then apply a 1/4" profiled front to the 1/4" box front, making the front 1/2" total to match the drawer sides and back?

[George Bokros]

Your description isn't 100% clear to me. Are you saying you'd like to build the drawer box sides and back with 1/2" and the front with 1/4", and then apply a 1/4" profiled front to the 1/4" box front, making the front 1/2" total to match the drawer sides and back?

Yes, you are correct Scott. The attached profiles will be made and attached so the drawer front is 1/2" before the joints to attach the drawer sides to the front are cut.

[Jim Becker]

George, I think you are spot-on with considering thinner material to construct this particular cabinet. It will help keep things in proportion. This reminds me of the NYW shaker style clock I built many years ago where the case material was thicknesses to 9/16 and I have to say, it made a huge difference as compared to what I might have looked like with thicker stock. With good construction techniques, it will be darn strong...more than it would ever need for the function it will perform.

[Jerome Stanek]

Instead of drawers maybe flip down fronts like on some kitchen sink cabinets

[James Pallas]

George your way wil work just fine. If you didn't want the joint to show with the drawer open you could rabbet the back of the rail and stiles and fit the 1/4 into that. Seems like more work to hide a joint in that situation. I'd just go with your plan.
Jim

[Brian Henderson]

We have a cabinet over the toilet currently (been there for 18 yrs) and have never had anything fall into the toilet. My son and daughter-in-law have one also and they have never had anything fall into the toilet.

Same here, we've always had cabinets over the toilets and have yet to have a problem. Maybe this is an issue for people who are incapable of putting the lid down, I don't know.

[George Bokros]

Instead of drawers maybe flip down fronts like on some kitchen sink cabinets

Didn't think about this. Thanks Jerome I will think about it and runt by the boss.

[Brian Henderson]

Didn't think about this. Thanks Jerome I will think about it and runt by the boss.

Those are really handy BTW. You can pick up a simple kit at HD or Lowes for a couple of bucks.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rev-A-Shelf-14-in-W-x-2-13-in-D-x-3-in-H-1-Tier-Plastic-Pull-Out-Cabinet-Basket/3031321

[Mel Fulks]

Commercial bathroom cabinets are a neglected market, good project. Since the cabinet will not be over the sink it can be deeper than the standard mundane stuff. To make the drawers deeper I would make the finished piece the same depth as
front of terlet tank to wall. And use standard drawers with a stop to make sure a guest doesn't pull one all the way out.

[Dave Richards]

Based on the dimensions of the commercial version of this cabinet as pictured in your first post, the case sides are at least close to 3/4 in. thick. That is probably thicker than you need to use, though. I made a start on a 3D model (https://flic.kr/p/DPPk96). Draw with 3/4-in.-thick sides and horizontals

[George Bokros]

Dave that is awesome. Looks great. I was going to use 1/2" because the one we have (purchased) is done in 1/2". I thought 3/4" would be a little heavy looking but your drawing looks great in 3/4". Using thicker stock makes joints much easier.

Thanks, your work is appreciated. I wish I could master SketchUp. From time to time I try and get nowhere.

[Derek Cohen]

George, keep in mind that you can always lighten the look (for example, with chamfered edges) if you feel the 3/4" sides are heavy. Trying to build a carcass in 1/2" is tricky as there is not much to work with.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[mike sato]

Hi,
I am thinking about doing the same thing. Just wondering how much concern things falling out of the cabinet into the toilet is...yes, I am serious about this question.
Of course, put the lid down before opening the cabinet is the answer I guess, but who can count on that?
Bill

Bill,

Your concern is well justified. I put up a temporary shelf above the toilet in our master bathroom to hold some towels until I got around to building an over the toilet cabinet. Our son and his wife were living with us at the time. His wife stored some small glass bottles of stuff she used while taking a bath, on the end of the shelf on the bathtub side. Well she knocked some bottles off the shelf and they fell into the bathtub. Two severe nicks happened in the tub's porcelain. I tried to patch the nicks using porcelain paint but over time the nicks started rusting anyway. I have to replace the bathtub.

Stuff in a "cabinet" could only fall in the toilet (not in the tub) but the damage to the porcelain could still happen, so only store stuff in the cabinet that cannot damage the toilet even if they fall in. The other thing is that someone does not flush the toilet with something that fell in. They will have to fish it out even if they just made #2. If you have young children, that may be a challenge ;).

Mike

[Jim Becker]

Nothing would fall in the toilet if the lid is kept down... ;) (Required in our house!)