cabinet sleepers

[matt norton]

Not sure if this is the correct term or not,talking about the strips across the top of cabinets to support the counter top. We are going to use corian tops and want to know how cabinet makers run them? Do you notch the partitions at front and back and run them length ways flush with the sides or make the cabinets 3/4 inch short and run them across the top completely? Also how many do I need to support the corian? I build a lot of custom furniture but these are my first kitchen cabinets in about 20 years and I can see a lot of different ways do do it and just wondering what the pros. do.. Thanks for any tips,, Matt

[Jim Becker]

I build them in as part of the carcass structure and they stop with each individual cabinet. Putting them on/in later is a whole lot of extra work. Front and back is usually all you need unless it's an unusually wide island or something like that.

[matt norton]

Thanks for that quick reply, do you notch the ends or just but them with ends and front or back and glue and nail or screw? Thanks again,, Matt

[Jim Becker]

The top front and back "strips" are part of the carcass and as such stay inside the carcass sites. For the construction method I use (pocket screws) they are butt joints, but could also be accommodated in rebates along the top edge of the cabinet. The rear one is also supported by a rear rail that is also used to to hold screws into the building structure. Since I use face frames on all my cabinets, the front "strip" is tied into the top rail of the FF once assembly is compete and that also provides additional rigidity.

BTW, welcome to SMC!

[frank shic]

matt, i believe that the term you are searching for is STRETCHERS which are those thinner strips of plywood/melamine/solid wood measuring anywhere between 2"-6" which are typically screwed into the BASE cabinet sides in a number of places: between a drawer/door, between drawer/drawer, at the front and back of the top to save on material to give you something to screw the cabinet countertop into and the top of the back of the cabinet so you can screw it into the wall.

if you are building a cabinet with a partition then you can notch the partition to run the stretchers from side to side or you could forego the notching and just screw the stretchers individually in between the two sections with pocket screws although you'll have to make sure that the pocket screws towards the middle don't collide with each other.

don't worry too much about the width of the stretchers as it's the cabinet sides and the face frame that will hold up the slab of corian. i usually use 4" width for my stretchers since that's how wide i cut my detachable toe kicks.