The Kitchen Project

[Peter Stahl]

Yes I am. Waiting for a router bit set to come in early this week so I can start those after the island. For the island, I happened to get one sheet of the cherry ply I'm using for panels that is 5.2mm and I already had a shaker-style bit set for 5.2mm ply.

One thing that's really going to help there is the router table I borrowed from a friend Its a dual router Bench Dog table with dual lifts. I'll be able to set up one side for the rail cuts and one for stiles and keep my setup until I'm done.

That should be a big plus. I remember seeing a guy that made a triple router table so he had one for the raised panel too. Guess you don't need it for the flat panels.

[Matt Meiser]

Today's task was to get all the faceframes on the boxes. Lots of work since I had to basically unload them and then reload them into the storage unit.

[Matt Meiser]

Closeups of the ducks for Marty.

[Art Mulder]

Have to let LOML jr. decorate them as such.

I'm late to this thread and have two things to say...

1- you're amazing, Matt. The progress is blinding. How you do that with a day job is beyond me. Your wife must be very generous with your time. All those pocket holes... your jig must be smoking

2- to your LOMLjr... uh-oh, Bare feet are a huge no-no in my shop. Watch out for nails and splinters!

[Matt Meiser]

I'm late to this thread and have two things to say...

1- you're amazing, Matt. The progress is blinding. How you do that with a day job is beyond me. Your wife must be very generous with your time. All those pocket holes... your jig must be smoking

2- to your LOMLjr... uh-oh, Bare feet are a huge no-no in my shop. Watch out for nails and splinters!

Usually same here. She was playing outside and I called her over and carried her to there.

I just keep plugging away at getting it done--several hours each weekend day if we are home and at least a few nights a week after dinner.

While finishing, it helps that I work from home. I can go out and do a coat before work in the morning, one at lunch, and one before dinner.

[Paul Greathouse]

Over the last couple days I applied the finish to all the face frames and just sprayed the last coat about an hour ago. Tomorrow I will be starting to attach them to the boxes. As I go, I'll also be creating a spreadsheet of all the opening sizes (actual measured rather than planned.) Then on to the island.

Matt, I like that drying rack, is that wooden closet rods passing through drilled holes on a 2x4 frame?

[Matt Meiser]

Matt, I like that drying rack, is that wooden closet rods passing through drilled holes on a 2x4 frame?

Its PVC pipe. I had used 3/4 but the arms weren't long enough for some of the pieces in this project so I slipped 1/2" through to extend them which worked out great. When its not in use, it disassembles and I can store it above my spray booth.

[John Thompson]

Matt.. have to agree with Art on how fast you are moving on this large project considering you work. Definitely keeping your nose to the grind-stone on this one.

[Matt Meiser]

Today's progress. First I cut all the shelves, first using up any offcuts that were big enough to use for that purpose. Then I used Cutlist to lay out what was left as well as the island parts and cut my last 2 sheets of prefinished. Did good--my estimate was 21 sheets so I ordered 24. I have 4 left.

I also assembled the island carcase and mounted the top. We had a local hardwood supplier (Ken Craft, for those that know them for their dust collection fittings) do the glue up from hard maple. There's a matching (but thinner) piece that will be a pullout shelf at table height on the back side. Hard to explain but it will make sense when I get it together.

Next is edgebanding the shelves when I need mindless busy work and working on all the trim for the island--face frame and frame-and-panel trim for the other three sides as well as three drawer fronts.

[Todd Young]

I have a question......have you actually slept at all in the last month or are you just working your day job, then doing this afterwards until morning comes and you're back at the day job, and so on?

If you haven't (which would come as no surprise, seeing your progress) you may need to pull a Rip Van Winkle when this job is done and sleep for many days and nights just to get caught up. LOL

Your drive on this job is inspiring. I'm still checking it out regularly, just not posting too often.

Kepp it up brutha, your making excellent progress.

T

[Matt Meiser]

No, I've been getting a normal amount of sleep. But I also started using a CPAP machine about 2 days before starting so maybe that has something to do with it? My wife is helping out too by doing things I normally do like mowing the lawn. And my parents bring dinner here on Sunday instead of us going there like usual.

I just plug away at it pretty much every day. Yesterday I milled up stock for and built the face frame for the front of the island. Then I started working on the pullout, mostly getting dimensions and other details worked out. Didn't get any photos. Didn't do anything today though since I had to get up at 5:15 to drive over to Battle Creek for the day and didn't get home until 8 this evening. Had a grrreat! time rebuilding a couple servers. I did pick up the rail and style bits today from a friend who picked them up from the a semi-local tool dealer for me so now I can get the frame-and panel cladding for the other three sides of the island made.

[Matt Meiser]

Not too much progress this weekend since we went camping. Have to get back to regular work each night this week.

What I did get done was get the pull-out for the island fabricated and mounted. The actual glue-up was done by a Ken Craft Company in Toledo. I added the banding around the edge to hide the Blum Tandem heavy duty slides underneath. Its mounted just below the top drawer and just above the middle drawer, but pulls out from the backside of the island. I'm a little concerned about stability, but I'll be adding some stops to limit how far it pulls out and if need be we have discussed purchasing a large steel plate and dropping it in the bottom under the bottom drawer as a counter-balance because this is a feature my mom really wanted since they have it on their current (non-mobile) island.

[Matt Meiser]

Today's progress. Got the 2 doors that have glass inserts started. I need to cut the rabbets for the glass. Joinery is just an 8mm Domino in each corner. Also got all the skin panels for the island done. That pullout starts becoming clearer. I should have put a center stile in the big panel under the pullout but didn't realize the relative size until it was too late. Once the glue dries on the sides I need to route a bead on the corners and attach them. Then I just need to build the drawers, drawer fronts, and the drop down cover for the pullout to finish this up.

[Matt Meiser]

Took me long enough to upload pictures, check my mail, etc that I figured I might as well install the side panels tonight. I'll add the bead after some initial sanding.

[frank shic]

matt, i'm not sure if you answered this already but how did you go about cutting the carcase parts? did you use the festool to cut lengthwise or widthwise and then trim on the table saw or did you use the festool for the entire thing? how well does it handle perpendicular cuts? love this thread!