# First cabinets



## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

*Building my first ever cabinets*

Now that the temperature in Bangkok has cooled down a little I have been able to make a start on my next project, building some cabinets for my workshop and kitchen. I researched standard cabinet sizes etc. on the internet and built full models in SketchUp before starting. So far the basic boxes are completed and one face frame has been made and fitted.

From left to right the cabinets are:

Mobile workshop cabinet, will have my little planer / thicknesser mounted to it.
Kitchen cabinet for oven and hob.
Cabinet for gas bottle.










I am building these in the North American face frame style as I prefer the look, most cabinets here are Euro style. The local True Value store had obviously made a mistake and imported a lot of face frame door hinges that they then couldn't sell, I picked up a bunch for around 60c (US) a pair, I wish I'd got more of them!
The carcass is 3/4" Thai plywood and the face frames are rubber wood. I am going to stain the workshop cabinet but I'm unsure about the kitchen, I may paint those white.

I'm really looking forward to getting the kitchen cabinets completed, currently we have a Thai style kitchen which means nowhere to cook inside. Balancing a wok on a gas burner outside is OK for some things but not much use for cooking a nice western meal or baking some bread.


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

mgipson said:


> *Building my first ever cabinets*
> 
> Now that the temperature in Bangkok has cooled down a little I have been able to make a start on my next project, building some cabinets for my workshop and kitchen. I researched standard cabinet sizes etc. on the internet and built full models in SketchUp before starting. So far the basic boxes are completed and one face frame has been made and fitted.
> 
> ...


so whats wrong with the metal rack in the background?  3/4 ply here cost me about $20 US and isn,t to bad quality, whats it like over there?


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## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *Building my first ever cabinets*
> 
> Now that the temperature in Bangkok has cooled down a little I have been able to make a start on my next project, building some cabinets for my workshop and kitchen. I researched standard cabinet sizes etc. on the internet and built full models in SketchUp before starting. So far the basic boxes are completed and one face frame has been made and fitted.
> 
> ...


The plywood I bought for these cost around $28 US a sheet, it's wood from Laos but made in Thailand. It seems pretty good so far, not many voids and no falling apart. The cores are rubber wood which seems hard to get away from here and the veneer is unknown to me at the moment.


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## woodworm (Jul 27, 2008)

mgipson said:


> *Building my first ever cabinets*
> 
> Now that the temperature in Bangkok has cooled down a little I have been able to make a start on my next project, building some cabinets for my workshop and kitchen. I researched standard cabinet sizes etc. on the internet and built full models in SketchUp before starting. So far the basic boxes are completed and one face frame has been made and fitted.
> 
> ...


They look well constructued.
One thing I like working with furniture grade ply is, I need not to wory about flatterning. Just to share with you, the price of 3/4" plywood sheet here in my country is about $ 22 US.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *Building my first ever cabinets*
> 
> Now that the temperature in Bangkok has cooled down a little I have been able to make a start on my next project, building some cabinets for my workshop and kitchen. I researched standard cabinet sizes etc. on the internet and built full models in SketchUp before starting. So far the basic boxes are completed and one face frame has been made and fitted.
> 
> ...


aren't you worried about the doors sagging on the rubber face frames ? ( dumb joke )
looks real good !


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

mgipson said:


> *Building my first ever cabinets*
> 
> Now that the temperature in Bangkok has cooled down a little I have been able to make a start on my next project, building some cabinets for my workshop and kitchen. I researched standard cabinet sizes etc. on the internet and built full models in SketchUp before starting. So far the basic boxes are completed and one face frame has been made and fitted.
> 
> ...


Looks like a good start. I like the frame you made to keep the cabinets off the floor.


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## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *Building my first ever cabinets*
> 
> Now that the temperature in Bangkok has cooled down a little I have been able to make a start on my next project, building some cabinets for my workshop and kitchen. I researched standard cabinet sizes etc. on the internet and built full models in SketchUp before starting. So far the basic boxes are completed and one face frame has been made and fitted.
> 
> ...


That frame is proving to be useful for lots of things. It's great for keeping work off the floor and I also use it to break down big sheets of plywood with the circular saw. I cut into the frame a little each time of course but I can easily make a new one when it gets really torn up.


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## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

*Face frames completed*

The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.










Here are some construction details for those interested.

The cabinets sides and bottoms are 3/4" Thai plywood, the backs are 8mm ply (the wood here is mainly in metric sizes).
I used my router to cut dados in the sides for the bottom which was then fixed in place with glue and screws. The back sits in a rabbet and is secured with glue and small nails.
The face frames are made from rubber wood and I used my new Kreg pocket hole jig to make them, I am finding the Kreg jig perfect for things like this that I want to get built a bit quicker than if I used more traditional joinery.
I fixed the face frames to the cabinets with glue and counter bored and plugged screws. I don't have a biscuit joiner or nail gun and my hand nailing technique needs a lot more practise so I decided to use the screws.

Things I learnt today:


I'm really glad I didn't try to build these as one cabinet, I would not be able to move it my own.
Getting a large cabinet and face frame all square and flush fitting is hard! Mine are not perfect but I think a bit of shimming and trimming on installation will get everything lined up nicely.
Don't leave a silver coloured metal tape measure under the Bangkok sun for an hour. Remember that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where the bad guy picks the pendant thing out of the fire? I'm sure I have 'Stanley' burnt on my palm now.

I'm delaying the moment of truth for another day, will the oven actually fit into the cabinet?

I'm starting to run out of wood and hardware now so progress is going to be slow for a few days, a family illness means I don't have access to our truck at the moment.


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


Mark, those look pretty good. Good idea with the screws. They have a lot more holding power than nails.


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## woodworm (Jul 27, 2008)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


For a self-taught wworker like you, these cabinets proved that you've learnt alot, by your self.
Great job! 
Isn't there any ACE hardware store in Bankok?


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## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


Thanks woodworm. We don't have ACE hardware here but we do have True Value which I think is the best hardware store in Bangkok. They stock a lot of imported goods, mainly from the US. It's not cheap but sometimes I like to pay extra to get something that actually works unlike a lot of the local made hardware!


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


Looking good, you're off to a great start.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


Hey Mark
Are trying to make us guys that have been doing this for a while look bad? LOL Very nice cabinets now for the install.


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## cabinetmaster (Aug 28, 2008)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


Great job Mark. They are starting to look fantastic. Keep up the good work.


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## HarleySoftailDeuce (Jan 14, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


Hi Mark,
Thanks for your sill sharing! I'm a new woodworker, and building kitchen cabinets as my first project. I'm a tool maker, so the same rules apply in wood working as building tools; start and stay square throughout! Check my site, and you can see some of my progress. I'm busy with 2 jobs, so my progress is s l o w…but I'll be retiring in December 09'. 
I'm about to build the face frames, and wanted to see how others do this. I did buy a Kreg pocket hole system, so that should help. Heck, if it's good enough for Norm Abrams, then I'm sold! Sometime I also want to try mortise & tennon joinery. 
Again, thanks for sharing, and soon hopefully, I'll to post my work.


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## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


Hi Paul. I used a Kreg jig to build the face frames and then screwed them onto the frames. I used screws simply because my hand nailing skills are dreadful and I don't have access to a nail gun or biscuit cutter.
My cabinets are getting a lot of use now but I still haven't finished the door for them! It's coming towards the end of the rainy season here now so I will be able to get back into the shop soon and work on some projects.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


Mark those cabinents looks good.


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## chinabeach (Jun 24, 2015)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


mark
The cabinets look great. Where did you buy your kreg jig in bangkok?


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


These are looking very nice, Mark.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


Thanks for the kind comments guys. These cabinets don't look quite as nice now. They sat in flood water for 6 weeks during the major flooding in Thailand a few years ago. To my surprise the plywood held up just fine, the flood water stained everything and left a tide mark but I still use them.
Chinabeach, are you in Thailand? I imported my Kreg jig from the US. I have used Rockler, Woodcraft, Lee Valley and Highland, a good place in Thailand to look for stuff is the Thai carpenter website, http://www.thaicarpenter.com. He is adding new stuff all the time and it's possible to buy things here now that I had to import a few years ago.


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## chinabeach (Jun 24, 2015)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


Nawwww
I am in…China Beach….DaNang, Vietnam. But visiting Bangkok in the next few weeks and hoping to pick up some tools. Like Thailand we have thousands of Ma 'n Pa toolshops seeling cheap stuff from china… but no pocket hole jigs….they look helpfully at you, point at their pockets and then try to sell you a drill. I tried to order some through Rubys store on Ali Express…but got the usual trouble with having to supply them with my passport, credit card numbers, the nameof the cat and tell them where I hid the front door key under the flowerpot….so I just gave up. Thanks for the tip…I will try the Thai carpenter…do they speak English?


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## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *Face frames completed*
> 
> The weather has been kind to me again today and I was able to get outside and do some more work on the cabinets for my shop and kitchen.
> Today I built and fitted the face frames to both kitchen cabinets.
> ...


I met the Thai carpenter guy one time, he speaks a little English, just a little. He does have a pocket hole jig, not a Kreg though. There are some good shops on 'Wood Street' in Bangkok that have English speaking staff. If you want to send me a PM with a general idea of what you are looking for I can let you know if I have seen it on Thai carpenter, on Wood Street or if I imported it.


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## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

*More progress*

I'm back in the shop after some time out to visit my wife's village for a funeral. The cabinet for my workshop has been fully assembled, a stain and finish applied and my planer / thicknesser has been mounted.










The jointer cabinet is mounted on 4 small castors and seems very stable in use. I had some problems fixing the top onto the cabinet and mounting the jointer. I hadn't really thought about access for fixing the top when I put the fixed shelf in place and there really wasn't enough room to get a drill or screwdriver in there. When it came to mounting the jointer I could only get 3 bolts in place, my lack of a drill press led to some inaccurate holes for the mounting bolts. The angle in the photo makes it look a bit tippy but I haven't noticed any problems so far.










I am also making a door for the cabinet, my first attempt at door making. I forgot to check reality when cutting the styles, the final door is only just big enough to cover the opening in the face frame. When I resized my design I made a small mistake in SketchUp and carried that onto the final build, lesson learnt. The stub tenons for the door are not as nice as I would like. I cut them with my new table saw and got distracted by the blade not cutting a flat bottomed groove. In my attempts to smooth out the bottom I cut a bit deeper and wider than required. To give the joints a bit more security I drilled a hole through each joint and drove a dowel through to peg them into place.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *More progress*
> 
> I'm back in the shop after some time out to visit my wife's village for a funeral. The cabinet for my workshop has been fully assembled, a stain and finish applied and my planer / thicknesser has been mounted.
> 
> ...


Looks good to Me. Making these little mistakes is a great way to learn. Usually it takes much more time to fix mistakes than to do the job right from the beginning, but you also learn something from the fixing. Apart from attending a good woodworking school or having a mentor close at hand, it's the only way I know to improve your craftsmanship. Keep up the good work!


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

mgipson said:


> *More progress*
> 
> I'm back in the shop after some time out to visit my wife's village for a funeral. The cabinet for my workshop has been fully assembled, a stain and finish applied and my planer / thicknesser has been mounted.
> 
> ...


There's nothing wrong with a doweled tenon.

If you offset the holes about 1/64", it's called a draw bored tenon, & it will pull your joint tighter.

You don't even need glue.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

mgipson said:


> *More progress*
> 
> I'm back in the shop after some time out to visit my wife's village for a funeral. The cabinet for my workshop has been fully assembled, a stain and finish applied and my planer / thicknesser has been mounted.
> 
> ...


looks good well done


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## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

*On the home stretch*

Almost there with the kitchen cabinets. Today I was able to install them, fit the top and appliances and start using them. There are only 2 things left to complete this project, build and install the kick plate and the cabinet door. The door may have to wait a little while as I don't have a drill press yet. I don't fancy trying to drill the 35mm hole for the hinges with a hand drill. I am looking at the limited choice of drill presses here at the moment, so far a Performax 12" bench top model is leading the field.










This is by far my biggest and most challenging project so far. I'm not trying to complete with you guys that make these all day, I really just wanted to have something to cook on inside the house! Before building this we only had a large wok sized burner outside, perfect for cooking Thai food but no good for trying to simmer something for a couple of hours.

Total cost for materials worked out at around $100 US, not bad at all.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *On the home stretch*
> 
> Almost there with the kitchen cabinets. Today I was able to install them, fit the top and appliances and start using them. There are only 2 things left to complete this project, build and install the kick plate and the cabinet door. The door may have to wait a little while as I don't have a drill press yet. I don't fancy trying to drill the 35mm hole for the hinges with a hand drill. I am looking at the limited choice of drill presses here at the moment, so far a Performax 12" bench top model is leading the field.
> 
> ...


Good result Mark. Hope you post it with the door and kickplate on. Have to envy your being able to cook outside every day though. It must be really nice there.


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## Splinterman (Mar 13, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *On the home stretch*
> 
> Almost there with the kitchen cabinets. Today I was able to install them, fit the top and appliances and start using them. There are only 2 things left to complete this project, build and install the kick plate and the cabinet door. The door may have to wait a little while as I don't have a drill press yet. I don't fancy trying to drill the 35mm hole for the hinges with a hand drill. I am looking at the limited choice of drill presses here at the moment, so far a Performax 12" bench top model is leading the field.
> 
> ...


Not a bad effort at all Mark…...looking good.


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## mgipson (Feb 22, 2009)

mgipson said:


> *On the home stretch*
> 
> Almost there with the kitchen cabinets. Today I was able to install them, fit the top and appliances and start using them. There are only 2 things left to complete this project, build and install the kick plate and the cabinet door. The door may have to wait a little while as I don't have a drill press yet. I don't fancy trying to drill the 35mm hole for the hinges with a hand drill. I am looking at the limited choice of drill presses here at the moment, so far a Performax 12" bench top model is leading the field.
> 
> ...


Thanks guys. I'm really pleased to have somewhere to cook inside now and having more than one burner is going to make cooking some western food so much easier. We live in a rented house at the moment so I am not putting too much effort into the kitchen. I do need more storage space though and I am thinking of building a mobile storage cabinet that can double as a bread making / prep station. Does anybody have any good plans for such a thing?

After we build our own place I will be able to move these cabinets and have them set up again in no time while I build a full kitchen for our new house.

Is it nice to be able to cook outside most of the time. I have a nice gas BBQ outside made by an American run firm in Thailand. They custom made one for me with a large burner on the side which is perfect for Thai cooking. It can get a wok smoking hot in an about 15 seconds but will burn anything you don't stir just as quick.

I will post this as a finished project once the door is built and fitted. I need to do some research on what drill presses are available here. I don't want to buy the Performax as they are a defunct brand, I will probably end up with a Chinese import but at least they are sturdy and spares are available.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

mgipson said:


> *On the home stretch*
> 
> Almost there with the kitchen cabinets. Today I was able to install them, fit the top and appliances and start using them. There are only 2 things left to complete this project, build and install the kick plate and the cabinet door. The door may have to wait a little while as I don't have a drill press yet. I don't fancy trying to drill the 35mm hole for the hinges with a hand drill. I am looking at the limited choice of drill presses here at the moment, so far a Performax 12" bench top model is leading the field.
> 
> ...


Nice work on the cabinets, Mark.


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## chinabeach (Jun 24, 2015)

mgipson said:


> *On the home stretch*
> 
> Almost there with the kitchen cabinets. Today I was able to install them, fit the top and appliances and start using them. There are only 2 things left to complete this project, build and install the kick plate and the cabinet door. The door may have to wait a little while as I don't have a drill press yet. I don't fancy trying to drill the 35mm hole for the hinges with a hand drill. I am looking at the limited choice of drill presses here at the moment, so far a Performax 12" bench top model is leading the field.
> 
> ...


beautiful and elegant


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## chinabeach (Jun 24, 2015)

mgipson said:


> *On the home stretch*
> 
> Almost there with the kitchen cabinets. Today I was able to install them, fit the top and appliances and start using them. There are only 2 things left to complete this project, build and install the kick plate and the cabinet door. The door may have to wait a little while as I don't have a drill press yet. I don't fancy trying to drill the 35mm hole for the hinges with a hand drill. I am looking at the limited choice of drill presses here at the moment, so far a Performax 12" bench top model is leading the field.
> 
> ...


Nice proportions


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## chinabeach (Jun 24, 2015)

mgipson said:


> *On the home stretch*
> 
> Almost there with the kitchen cabinets. Today I was able to install them, fit the top and appliances and start using them. There are only 2 things left to complete this project, build and install the kick plate and the cabinet door. The door may have to wait a little while as I don't have a drill press yet. I don't fancy trying to drill the 35mm hole for the hinges with a hand drill. I am looking at the limited choice of drill presses here at the moment, so far a Performax 12" bench top model is leading the field.
> 
> ...


What are your ideas for the door on the front of the gas bottle?


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## chinabeach (Jun 24, 2015)

mgipson said:


> *On the home stretch*
> 
> Almost there with the kitchen cabinets. Today I was able to install them, fit the top and appliances and start using them. There are only 2 things left to complete this project, build and install the kick plate and the cabinet door. The door may have to wait a little while as I don't have a drill press yet. I don't fancy trying to drill the 35mm hole for the hinges with a hand drill. I am looking at the limited choice of drill presses here at the moment, so far a Performax 12" bench top model is leading the field.
> 
> ...


What wood did you use for the top?... any thoughts on inlaying some granite or limestone in the future?


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

mgipson said:


> *On the home stretch*
> 
> Almost there with the kitchen cabinets. Today I was able to install them, fit the top and appliances and start using them. There are only 2 things left to complete this project, build and install the kick plate and the cabinet door. The door may have to wait a little while as I don't have a drill press yet. I don't fancy trying to drill the 35mm hole for the hinges with a hand drill. I am looking at the limited choice of drill presses here at the moment, so far a Performax 12" bench top model is leading the field.
> 
> ...


This is looking very nice, Mark. You are doing a nice job.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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