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Kitchen Cabinet Sink Base 36 Full Overlay Face Frame

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Submitted by Ana White on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 11:26
Difficulty
Intermediate
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Build your own kitchen cabinets!  Free plans to DIY standard sink base with full overlay doors and face frame.  As shown, built for about $100 using premium PureBond 3/4" Hardwood Oak plywood, hardwood face frame and doors.

3D Model to Download

With all kitchen plans, I'll be uploading 3D Models to Google 3D Warehouse in a Collection so you can download the models and design your own kitchens!  I've already added a few plans to the collection, more will be coming as I build and blog more plans.  This model is actually a 36" wide drawer/door base - it's the same as the sink base, but you just leave the drawer out and the back off as done in this plan.  I'll put together another plan for the 36" wide drawer/door base in a bit.

Special Thanks to PureBond

Special thanks to the kind folks over at PureBond for supplying our beautiful healthy plywood for these cabinets.  PureBond is also hosting a huge $100 Home Depot Gift Card Giveaway that anyone can enter every day in January 2012 with daily giveaways!  

If anything is surprising us about building your own kitchen cabinets, it's just how easy it is!

Yep, that's DIY!  We used PureBond Formaldehyde Free Plywood for the cabinet box or carcase (thanks for helping me out with the spelling, I really cringed every time I called the box a carcass ... so morbid!), oak for the frame and doors.
We've got all the base cabinets done.  Once we got rolling, or rather once the plywood was ripped, construction was super fast.  Like twenty minutes a cabinet fast.  Like faster than assembling flat pack cabinets (Bonus - no piles of cardboard and styrofoam to throw away afterwards!).
It's the doors that take the time, but I'll talk about different door ideas later in this post and also in dedicated door building posts.
If there's one thing I want to leave you with, besides the plans to build this cabinet, it's that you CAN build your own kitchens! 
Dimensions
Standard 36" wide sink base as shown in diagram.

Preparation

Shopping List

1 sheet 3/4" cabinet grade plywood, MDF or Melamine (shown built with PureBond Formaldehyde Free Plywood in Oak) ripped into strips 22 3/4" wide, 8 feet long (you will only need one strip, but you will have to buy a whole sheet to get the strip)- SAVE THE SCRAP STRIP!!!

1 - 2x4 @ 8 feet long or stud length
14 feet of 1x2 boards
2 feet of 1x3 boards
1x3 furring strips or scrap plywood for supports
Doors and Drawer Face not included in this plan
Common Materials
1-1/4" Pocket Hole Screws
2-1/2" Pocket Hole Screws
Elmer's Wood Glue
Cut List

2 - 3/4" plywood @ 22 3/4" wide x 31" long
1 - 3/4" plywood @ 22 3/4" wide x 34" long
3 - 1x2 @ 33"
2 - 1x2 @ 31"
1 - 1x3 @ 21"
2 - supports @ 34"
2 - supports @ 22"
2 - 2x4 @ 17 1/2"
2 - 2x4 @ 35 1/2"

Cutting Instructions

Rip plywood into strips 22 3/4" wide x 8 feet long. Save center scrap. Cross cut strips to create box pieces.

Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Kreg Jig
Drill
Miter Saw
Table Saw
Power Sander
General Instructions

Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!

Instructions

Step 1

Please read this post before beginning any cabinet construction. It talks about general building techniques, how to modify, and other good stuff about cabinet building!

Build the base as shown in diagram. Plan ahead and drill pocket holes to attach base to underside of cabinet in later steps. Once base is built, set aside. Note that base is 1/2" less in width than cabinet to account for face frame overhang.

Step 2

Build the carcase as shown in diagram. Make sure you also drill 3/4" pocket holes along front edges for attaching face frames in later steps.

Step 3

We used scrap plywood strip for the back supports, but 1x3 or 1x4 boards can also be used. These supports add a ton of strength to the cabinet - especially since this is a sink base and is backless.

Step 4

The trick to face frames is clamping each joint, marking each joint, and having a flat level surface. Use glue and build with 3/4" pocket holes and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws. NOTE: If your face frames are hardwood - recommended if you are attaching hinges to the face frame - then use fine threaded pocket hole screws.

Step 5

Step 6

These guys are for attaching the top plywood when all your cabinets are in place to support the countertop. They also provide corner support, keeping your cabinets square. We used scrap plywood pieces, but 1x3 or 1x4 boards would do the trick too.

Step 7

Once the carcase has been built, attach the base, flush to back and sides.

Step 8

We found the most time consuming part of building the cabinets was the doors. Here's the measurements but I'm going to save door construction for another post - so we can use the same building techniques regardless of the door size.

The drawer face is of course just a 1x8 ripped down to size.

Step 9

An alternative is to use a door building service. Because doors take such high abuse and are more likely to warp, could be a good idea to look into ordering doors unfinished. Doors also require more tools and know-how, and are the part that you see on your cabinets. They are also cheap to ship. 

The cabinet box cost us about $50 to build.  Ordering two doors will put us up to $90 - not bad for PureBond 3/4" plywood cabinets, built with glue and screws!  Very reasonable, especially if you are planning lots of open cabinetry up top (no doors = less $$$$).
 PS - Barker door has no idea who I am, they just are the least expensive door option I've found online.  I have never used them or worked with them but we are considering ordering doors from them for the second kitchen for fancier drawers and doors.

Would love to hear your thoughts on ordering doors!
Finishing Instructions
Preparation Instructions
Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth.

It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.
Help Improve This Plan

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Project Type
Cabinet Plans
Room
kitchen
Style
Cottage Style Furniture Plans

Comments

Lady Goats

Tue, 01/10/2012 - 12:08

I have plans to reno my kitchen in the next 2 years, and I've seen easy plans... but you always amaze me with your ability to simplify things! I'm a lot less scared, now :-p

claydowling

Tue, 01/10/2012 - 18:27

Ana, unless I've mistaken those photos, the surface veneer is red oak, an open-pored wood. It tends not to look very nice painted unless you fill the pores, which is going to be a fair amount of labor.

Have you considered staining instead? If there's a color scheme you're looking for you can still tint the stain. Most paint stores will do that for you, and you can always tint a water based polyurethane on your own.

Ana White

Tue, 01/10/2012 - 15:50

Hi Amy, it depends on what type of farmhouse sink. I've seen people just cut this cabinet out to add an aprons sink, then I've also seen a squashed version of the cabinet under the sink. Maybe we should do an apron sink in the next kitchen? Either way, I plan to add plans for a base to support an apron sink.