My next project...

[Peter Gozintite]

I did good today, I had a very good day in the shop!

3 doors down...
View attachment 67292

Plus this one too, 5, ten 15 20!
View attachment 67295So I have four more to put together, all the pieces are cut and it will take about an hour to put the last four together. I will be able to get started painting tomorrow, ahead of the game is where I am! But I can't let up, it needs to be finished and cleaned up by Saturday.

I think I'm gonna go horse around Under the Porch for a

I really do admire you taking on projects like this. So many lazy, do nothing, people out there, and they always find excuses why they can't do things. Don't over do it.

 

[fordman84]

... will be wall to wall bookshelves above wall to wall base cabinets in the front room, same Shaker style as the kitchen and living room cabinets.

The wall is just under 14' long and I have 3 full sheets of 3/4" plywood plus a couple partial pieces and it will be plenty to build the base cabinets and even the countertop too, maybe. It hasn't been decided yet on how wide to make the base cabinets from front to back. 24" is standard depth, but for a bookcase, many times the base is just an inch or so wider than the shelves.

A standard depth of 24" will leave a 12" countertop in front of the shelves that will reach the ceiling. I think I like that look but it will also make it harder to reach things on the upper shelves. What that 12" platform/countertop would also be handy for is to stand on it to reach the upper shelves.

I haven't drawn up plans yet but this will be a simple and straightforward project. And by 'simple' I don't mean 'easy', it's just not a complicated design, it's a very simple build but it will still take a lot of time and effort to complete.

And @SlinkyRedfoot , if you have any suggestions on how deep to make the base cabinets, 12 to 24" is the range, let me know so I can get drawing!

This is the wall:
View attachment 63857

Nice. I did wall cabinets in my first place, will dig up photos. The only issue was I built them in place and so had to sand, fill, prime, paint them. in place. They ended up looking amazing. Used poplar and MDF for the facing and ply for the load bearing surfaces. No cabinets on the bottom, just a wall of floor to ceilings shelves. Loved those things, hated building them.

 

[fordman84]

I did good today, I had a very good day in the shop!

3 doors down...
View attachment 67292

Plus this one too, 5, ten 15 20!
View attachment 67295So I have four more to put together, all the pieces are cut and it will take about an hour to put the last four together. I will be able to get started painting tomorrow, ahead of the game is where I am! But I can't let up, it needs to be finished and cleaned up by Saturday.

I think I'm gonna go horse around Under the Porch for a while!

I've never once made a cabinet door that I actually hung. Tried quite a few times, always ends up flimsy or just looking shitty. Really want to make a couple that have acoustic fabric to allow air and remotes to work through them but hide everything behind them. Just can't get them sturdy enough, but haven't taken the time to learn to do it right. The trying to figure it out on my own was the fun part.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

I've never once made a cabinet door that I actually hung. Tried quite a few times, always ends up flimsy or just looking shitty. Really want to make a couple that have acoustic fabric to allow air and remotes to work through them but hide everything behind them. Just can't get them sturdy enough, but haven't taken the time to learn to do it right. The trying to figure it out on my own was the fun part.

There's this place called youtube

 

[Parka]

Nice. I did wall cabinets in my first place, will dig up photos. The only issue was I built them in place and so had to sand, fill, prime, paint them. in place. They ended up looking amazing. Used poplar and MDF for the facing and ply for the load bearing surfaces. No cabinets on the bottom, just a wall of floor to ceilings shelves. Loved those things, hated building them.

I would like to see it! I'm undecided on how to build the shelves. I like the idea of hollow shelves. A lightweight stick frame covered with that thin 5mm plywood. Or just solid 3/4 plywood but I like that 'thick' look of a hollow shelf. I don't want to say I went 'cheap' on this build but lumber prices have about doubled from pre-covid prices. So I used pine instead of poplar for the door frames.

 

[Parka]

I've never once made a cabinet door that I actually hung. Tried quite a few times, always ends up flimsy or just looking shitty. Really want to make a couple that have acoustic fabric to allow air and remotes to work through them but hide everything behind them. Just can't get them sturdy enough, but haven't taken the time to learn to do it right. The trying to figure it out on my own was the fun part.

It's never too late to learn! And it is fun, the satisfaction is immense, like Cloud Nine shit!

 

[Parka]

There's this place called youtube

That is exactly what I did. I found my favorite tutorial and I watched every day, numerous times every day until I had it darn near memorized.

There really is no substitute for experience but Youtube is a very good helper. It was like having a personal instructor.

 

[Parka]

I really do admire you taking on projects like this. So many lazy, do nothing, people out there, and they always find excuses why they can't do things. Don't over do it.

Thanks Pete! Your admiration really makes me happy. I didn't overdo it all yesterday, I took a long afternoon break and I still got all eight doors prepped and prime painted. Today will be top coats and tomorrow should be when I hang the doors.

I already have all the hardware needed left over from the kitchen project. I'm still slightly ahead of sched and If I could get the countertops knocked out by Saturday, I think it's a strong possibility. I'm just using plywood for the countertops.

So about my break yesterday, I took my Power Wheels out & about! I got me some donuts and more Ave & Ave for my coffee. I fell off the Have & Have bandwagon! I'm still losing weight though, ever so slowly... I'm under 230 now... I would like to shed 15 more pounds by late September.

And I also stopped at the Vape store and picked up another Delta-8 cartridge. My inner junkie has needs too, ya know!

 

[Parka]

Here's a progress report. Me and the Guide Bear been gettin it done! In about 90 minutes I can put the second top coat on the doors.
Here's a few pics.

 

[Parka]

If I had me a Hammer!
Today this is my world.
And I had it ALL in my grubbies, my grubby little paws!

I'm pretty happy and I might celebrate Under the Porch tonight!

 

[Parka]

Other things to consider.

Before I put the countertop on I think it would be a good idea to run a new electric outlet above the counter, from the existing outlet now inside the cabinet. There's two outlets, one near each end. It would be a very bad idea NOT to do this.

Lighting. I think this is also a good idea because this room doesn't have any ceiling lights!?! And since I will be cutting holes in the wall for electric boxes, I should add some switches and do some slick lighting. However, this part of crafting, electricity and lights, it's just not my strength. Challenge accepted!

Shelf spacing. I'm thinking I'd like to put the first shelf up from the counter, and the top shelf down from the ceiling the same distance of 18 inches, give or take. This will allow for oversized items on the top shelf or the counter and then the remaining shelves will be spaced equal distance apart, 12 inches give or take.

And I already decided the shelves and columns will be two inches wide, a thick stout look. And then when all the shelves, columns and doors line up in lockstep with one another, and some new lighting, it will look stunning.

 

[Parka]

We have 9 foot tall ceilings though, so the top shelf down from the ceiling, I'm thinking it should be around 24 inches below the ceiling putting it at around 7 feet high. I have to beat these things around in my head before any rash decisions are made!

 

[Peter Gozintite]

We have 9 foot tall ceilings though, so the top shelf down from the ceiling, I'm thinking it should be around 24 inches below the ceiling putting it at around 7 feet high. I have to beat these things around in my head before any rash decisions are made!

Have you considered doing some led strips along the flanges of the shelves? Hidden behind a flange, ot notched. Low voltage, remote controlled, and dimmable. Low cost, nice effects.

 

[Parka]

Have you considered doing some led strips along the flanges of the shelves? Hidden behind a flange, ot notched. Low voltage, remote controlled, and dimmable. Low cost, nice effects.

Of course! Just now...
Before I considered any lighting I thought I would like light under the bottom shelf lighting the counter area and then the opposite effect on the top shelf by casting light on the ceiling. So yes, I will look into those LED strips. I havn't even seen those kind of lights yet.

I did 'map' out 2" wide and 1-1/2" wide shelves and I decided to go with 1-1/2" because it gives almost the exact measures I wanted.
It will have four shelves tall and the top and bottom shelf will be 18" from ceiling and countertop with 12" between the shelves themselves.

I sure did get off to a damn good start! Time to follow through. I'm going to need ONE more piece of 3/4" plywood though.

 

[Parka]

It wasn't much but what I got done today, it was a big deal. I cut the wall open at both ends and added a pig tail I think it's called, I added two new electric outlets to existing outlets. I can finish the electric work above the countertop at my convenience, the work below the counter is done and the holes are patched.


I still want to add cleats inside the cabinet for a shelf before I install the countertop. It can be done afterwards but it will be SO much easier to work from the open top.

The countertop should be ready to install tomorrow. I'm making it with 3/4" plywood. And then I will put 8 shelves together,
Almost 7 feet long each, 11 inches deep and 1 1/2 inches thick. At the 7' point there will be a center column and at 3 1/2 feet, the center of each shelf, I will most likely add support columns between the shelves down to the countertop. I don't know if I will add those additional columns on the top shelf or not. If it 'completes' the look then yes...

This thing is about aesthetics as much or more as it is about function. That's why Bunny said no to the work station. And she also said if I do lights, she would like them on each shelf.

 

[DraftNerd]

@Parka ….I’m late to the game here. Fabulous idea and the progress looks great.

Here I am balking at wood costs on building an outdoor loveseat for the porch just because I don’t want to do it right now….and you’re killing it.

 

[Parka]

@Parka ….I’m late to the game here. Fabulous idea and the progress looks great.

Here I am balking at wood costs on building an outdoor loveseat for the porch just because I don’t want to do it right now….and you’re killing it.

Thanks OE! Wood prices, yep it bites. What I started doing because of it, where I used to use solid hardwood, now I'm substituting it with 3/4" plywood in many places. On all of the doors I made before these eight I used poplar 1x3's for the door frames and on this build I used solid pine.

What I built is equivalent to four large cabinets, 39.5 inches each, and since I built it in as one unit, I saved a bunch of material and at least three or four more weeks of work to build and finish four separate cabinets. I'm enjoying it!

 

[Parka]

she also said if I do lights, she would like them on each shelf.

@Peter Gozintite Petey G, can ya help a guy out? When you lit your stairs, it looks like you used a bunch of separate light strips. Is this correct?
Because if it is, what I have going on to get lit up is 20 sections of shelving, each section aprox 39" long.

If it makes any difference, the shelves will be hollow and if needed wires can be ran inside the shelf.

I also know how to solder as I am a seasoned DunceCrafter!

If you could, tell me which product(s) I should consider. I use Amazon almost exclusively for all my purchases.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

@Peter Gozintite Petey G, can ya help a guy out? When you lit your stairs, it looks like you used a bunch of separate light strips. Is this correct?
Because if it is, what I have going on to get lit up is 20 sections of shelving, each section aprox 39" long.

If it makes any difference, the shelves will be hollow and if needed wires can be ran inside the shelf.

I also know how to solder as I am a seasoned DunceCrafter!

If you could, tell me which product(s) I should consider. I use Amazon almost exclusively for all my purchases.

I will when I sober up

 

[Fog]

Do you want smart lights or motion?

I have some simple battery operated ones that use double sided tape that you have to push on to turn on.

If you get some smart ones you could set them up on a time cycle which could be cool.