Building My Closet Cabinets – Part 1

First, I used my 16-guage nail gun with 1.5-inch nails and nailed the items collectively to type the edges, prime, and backside of the unit. To begin, I needed to discover one thing to lean the primary lengthy aspect towards in order that I might get them nailed collectively.

As soon as I had the primary two items nailed collectively, the opposite two had been simpler. I put them collectively in order that the shorter prime and backside items of the unit had been nailed into the perimeters of the longer aspect items.

And it was at this level that I spotted my mistake with the backer boards. I had meant to simply place the 1/4-inch plywood on the again of the body and nail it into place. However I spotted in a short time that I had minimize the backer board to the size of the lengthy aspect items, and it wanted to be the size of the aspect items PLUS 1.5 inches to cowl the perimeters of the highest and backside items. Ugh. I didn’t need to purchase all new 1/4-inch plywood at $28 a sheet for eight items, so I needed to modify my plan on the fly.

Since I couldn’t add plywood to the size, my resolution needed to contain chopping plywood off of the width in order that the backer board would match nested utterly contained in the outer body. However then I wanted one thing to nail the backer board to. So I used my desk noticed and ripped down some additional 1″ lumber that I had readily available to three/4-inch vast, and I nailed these strips across the backside (which is definitely the again aspect of the unit) into the body items utilizing 1.25-inch 16-gauge nails.

After which I used my round noticed with a information to chop off the surplus 1.5-inch strip from the width of the backer board, and I positioned the backer board on prime of the strips I had simply connected.

The lengthy sides of the plywood body had been slightly bit bowed, so earlier than nailing the backer board to the strips, I minimize a spacer from some scrap lumber to the width of the unit and positioned it within the center to push the bowed items aside to the right width. After which I nailed the 1/4-inch plywood backer board into place utilizing 3/4-inch 18-guage nails.

After the backer board was in place and I had checked the corners to make certain they had been sq. and nailed the backer board to the strips, I then went again and secured the aspect items (which had solely been connected to one another with a couple of 16-gauge nails so far) to one another utilizing Spax #8 1.5-inch cupboard screws.

Subsequent, I sat the unit upright and nailed a spacer board into place in the midst of the again to provide slightly extra stability to the 1/4-inch plywood backer board. I nailed this into place utilizing 2.5-inch 16-gauge nails by the edges of the unit and into the ends of that board. After which from the opposite aspect, I tacked the backer board to that strip of wooden utilizing 3/4-inch 18-gauge nails.

The toes are simply 2×4’s that I minimize to 2.75″ lengthy utilizing my miter noticed. So I positioned wooden glue on the highest of two toes, tipped the unit up and held it into place with one hand in order that it was a couple of inches off the ground, and used my different hand to slip the toes into place, one on entrance and one on again. After which I went to the opposite aspect, put glue on two toes, lifted that aspect up a couple of inches with one hand, and slid the toes into place with my different hand. And at last, I positioned a fifth one within the entrance heart of the cupboard. I made positive the entrance toes had been lined up completely with the entrance fringe of the cupboard as a result of these toes are what I’ll nail the underside trim to once I begin trimming out these items. As soon as all 5 toes had been below the unit, I used my hammer to faucet them into place precisely the place I needed them, after which I nailed them into place utilizing 2.5-inch 16-gauge nails by the underside piece of the unit and into the perimeters of the two×4 toes.

So right here’s what the essential construct seemed like when it was completed.

You may see that the lengthy sides are nonetheless slightly bit bowed, however I wasn’t nervous about it. As soon as every thing was in place and all of the items had been connected, I knew that may be taken care of. So I scooted the unit up towards the washer cupboard and screwed these to cupboards collectively utilizing Spax #8 1.5-inch cupboard screws. I made positive that I obtained the massive unit as plumb as potential earlier than screwing it to the washer cupboard. And for the reason that washer cupboard was sq., plumb, and degree, screwing these two items collectively took the bow out of the left aspect piece of the tall unit.

I constructed the second unit the very same method, after which once I pushed it subsequent to the primary unit, the 2 weren’t fairly assembly up like they need to. So this took some work to get these two items to suit collectively like they need to. First, I needed to shim the toes on the second unit. After which it took fairly a little bit of pushing and pulling and wrestling with these items to get them to line up.

I truly began on the backside as a result of it was simpler to get the underside corners to line up. As soon as I obtained the underside corners lined up and flush on the entrance with one another, I screwed the cupboards collectively on the backside utilizing the Spax cupboard screw. With the underside corners secured to one another, I used to be capable of get the highest corners lined up and clamped in order that I might add extra screws to safe them to one another.

In order that’s so far as I obtained yesterday. I’ve two extra items to construct for this aspect of the room, and I’m hoping I can a minimum of get these executed as we speak. I do have to depart the home for a few hours this afternoon, so it gained’t be an uninterrupted work day. Meaning my progress is perhaps a bit slower as we speak, however I’m going to do my highest to get the opposite two items for this aspect of the room completed earlier than I am going to mattress tonight.

And right here’s a glimpse of what you see when standing within the doorway to our bed room suite. I adore it when a plan comes collectively. My complete purpose was to have the wallpapered unit seen from the bed room suite doorway, and there it’s. I needed it positioned in order that it wouldn’t be obscured by the aspect of the cupboard on the doorway wall and in order that the gorgeous wallpaper can be seen from the bed room suite doorway. We’ll have to attend and see the way it appears to be like as soon as that doorway wall unit is in place, however I believe I’ll have completed my purpose.

In order that’s the progress. Extra to come back tomorrow. We’re lastly to the enjoyable stuff, y’all! After all, the magic occurs once I begin attaching the entire trim and molding, however I’m simply so joyful to lastly be to the constructing stage!

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