Project Post - Our Kitchen - long

[Craig Thompson]

Happy to say it... I am finally doing a project for my own family.
We have been wanting to remodel the kitchen-dining-family rooms ever since we moved in 5 yrs ago. So Early December we embarked on ripping into the project. I planned on getting the basic remodel work done first, so I could spend the Holiday break really diggin in and getting the kitchen built. Why can't it ever that easy. We started with ripping out the inner walls and opening up the room, then took out 3 windows, Put in new electrical, new flooring, 2 doorwalls, 3 windows, ended up residing the outside of the house during december.....blah,blah,blah.

So I figured I would give a status report to all those smart people at the creek so they could put in there 2 cents b4 I start installing and completing the cabinet builds this weekend.

I will post pics of what it looked like... and the design. Sorry for those who like mauve... but the carpet had to GOOOOO.:D

[Craig Thompson]

Here are the proposed cabinets and layout

[Craig Thompson]

We started milling and what not 3 weekends ago... Here are some pictures of the "help" and the shop. ( Her kitchen, she has to help ):D

[Craig Thompson]

Doors went ok, We have completed all the basic door assembly. We originally planned on a door with a small applied trim on the 'inside' of the shaker door... but we are going to get every thing built and installed first. I will have to add them later...

We put together all the pillars as well and have them staged for spraying.

[Craig Thompson]

Tonight and tomorrow night we are doing the cabinet prebuilds... drawer fitment, door fitment (inset doors... what a pain). I will try to repost soon.

Thanks for looking.

[David Eisan]

We started milling and what not 3 weekends ago... Here are some pictures of the "help" and the shop. ( Her kitchen, she has to help ):D

Those are the face frames I want to use in my kitchen!

How did you make them with the beads?

Thank you,

David.

[alex grams]

David, I am sure he is using a rail and stile bit for making the face frame patterns that give him that profile.

[frank shic]

craig, did you rout the beads on the face frames or tack them on afterwards?

[Craig Thompson]

David / Frank,

The bead is milled into the faceframe. I milled the faceframe at 1.625" so it did not look to thin. I used a mortiser with the chisel rotated to 45 deg. (use the smallest cutter you can for least chipout ) We followed up with the bandsaw for tops and bottoms of the uprights, 3/4 mortising bit, then the pockets where cleaned up with hand chisels. The crossmembers 4 corners where just mitered on the chop saw with a stop jig.

It was not the 'production' way to do it.... but with a small shop and no 10,000 beaded faceframe tools.... it worked out OK.

[Bob Magnuson]

Can I ask what software you are using on your designs???

Bob

[Steve Clardy]

Looking great Craig. ;)

Nice layout

[frank shic]

craig, that's one of the best methods to making sure that the beads match up with the face frame stock. GREAT JOB - i can't wait to see the finished product! how do you like using that delta 32-325 line drill BTW?

[Craig Thompson]

Bob,

Catia V5 is the software this was designed in... typically used in automotive, plastics, etc... not really intended for simple cabinets... but does the job. I have a fairly complete library of cabinets and door styles, trimwork etc. It works great for cutlists as well.

[Craig Thompson]

Frank,

Hate to say it... but that machine is a bit of a sore subject. Great for a small shop persay... not to expensive, gets the job done... but not really useable the way its sold.

The from factory fence is too short to be able to jig a 30" upper cabinet, so you either drill based on a center line and deal with a little inacuracy.
I opted for buying a 48" fence with 6 good flip stops... setting them on both ends so the panel is locked, rock solid for 30" 36" and 42" uppers...

[frank shic]

craig, if you set the flip stops carefully, i've found that it's possible to bore a standard 30" end panel with decent accuracy. i think i have mine set up to miss the last two drill bits on each side so that i get a total of 22 holes after passing the panel twice. i also use a scrap piece of melamine to help me set the different setbacks needed for drawer slides and the standard 37mm. it definitely beats drilling all those holes by hand although it sometimes takes more effort to align the drawer slides.

[Jim Becker]

Looks like a great project...and well organized, too!

[C Scott McDonald]

Love the beading on the frames. Can't wait to see the finished Kitchen

[Norman Pyles]

Looks like it coming along really well. Keep posting photos please.

[Craig Thompson]

Have had a busy 3 day weekend.... wanted to spend all of the time at the shop... but only got to spend Friday Eve and Monday. Ended up being productive though. Friday eve got to wrap up and bring a mantle home for the same living space... and got to build up all the boxes.

I used 3/4 prefinished maple for the first time... my god what a time saver.

Here they all are... with the exception of the 5 'tall' cabinets...

[Craig Thompson]

Spraying is complete with the exception of the final coat. Really looking forward to completing this kitchen for the LOML. She has been very patient as I have been to busy with the day job, and the other customers that the shop keeps acquiring... sooner or later... I get to quit that day job that keeps getting in the way:D

Here are some pics of todays progress. 2 coats of pre-cat on everything.
Hopefully I will be able to get back to the shop on wednesday eve to do the last sanding and final topcoat.

I threw in an additional pic of the 'spray booth'.... not really a proper spray booth, but it has actually served the purpose well enough... Until the inspectors see it....... At least it does have a non-spark fan.