Novice Vanity Build

Or "How not to make a vanity"

If you want to see how it's *supposed* to be done, read Gary Zimmel's thread.

Okay, we're reno-ing 2 bathrooms, and I thought I'd be a big shot and said "I'll make the vanities." :eek: So here's the first one. I got the carcass done in time for the counter and sink. Now I have to make the doors and drawers.....neither of which I've ever done.

Mistake #1: I thought a cabinet was a box. You know, a box with 5 sides, and the 6th side is the front, done later. Not so! When I called the counter guy and asked what kind of surface he wanted on top of the cabinets to receive the stone, he said, "I don't want any surface. I want the tops open with just a strip in the front and back of the top for stability." So I learned in a hurry how to make a plunge cut with a circular saw and had to cut off most of the tops I had just glued and screwed on.

Mistake #2: I can't handle a full sheet of plywood on a table saw by myself, so I cut out the box parts with a circular saw. Although I was pleased that the sides were accurate to 1/8", cutting on a table saw is more accurate. No more cutting everything with a CS.

This is what it looks like now:

IMG_1985 (1).jpg
 
i wood say you dun great grasshopper:) you are learning well and your vanity shows it.. well done indeed for a gal that wasnt sure which end of the saw to use a few months or year ago:) see all those questions helped huh:)
 
easiest way to break down sheets, just use you cs to get it down to 1/4 or 1/2 inch to size, then use your ts for final cut.
youll be doing your entire home over soon, this is the way it starts. you do one piece, and say, wow, I did that, why not do this one, and then its why not keep going
 
I agree, it looks like you are right on track. The quickest method for reliable drawers that I use is pocket-hole joinery and false fronts. If that fits with your plan, they are quick and easy.
 
Going with frameless? FWIW, I substrate all cabinet tops with ¾" plywood for any stone type tops. Marble and granite can crack. It helps if they are supported. A plywood top could also be used as a template for the actual top.


MikesMasterLogo2.gif

movingplane1.gif

.
 
Wow, I've sure missed you guys.

Bob G., and Jeff B., thanks for the kind words of encouragement.

i wood say you dun great grasshopper:) you are learning well and your vanity shows it.. well done indeed for a gal that wasnt sure which end of the saw to use a few months or year ago:) see all those questions helped huh:)

Larry, you got that right about the questions! And I have lots more coming up too! Thanks for the kind words. :D

For your benefit, this is the first thing I made in 2010:

2feedtables.jpg :rofl: I'm slow, but I do learn.

easiest way to break down sheets, just use you cs to get it down to 1/4 or 1/2 inch to size, then use your ts for final cut.
youll be doing your entire home over soon, this is the way it starts. you do one piece, and say, wow, I did that, why not do this one, and then its why not keep going

Allen, you're totally right, and that's how I'll do it from now on. I didn't realize how important it was to cut as much as possible on the TS.

Glen, I do have that Kreg pocket joinery kit, I've just never used it before. I'll take a look at it, THANKS!

Tom, thanks :), but I think you'll have to wait a while for the dovetails. I cut a box joint not long ago that looked like a hot mess. :rofl:

Mike, yeah, I see what you mean, but I just followed the instructions of stone boy.

I forgot to mention a couple of things.

If you look carefully at the photo, and look at the backs of the cabinets, you'll see something odd at the upper top of the back panel. That was Mistake #3. I cut the backs too short....not sure how I did that, but I did it consistently :rolleyes: so I added a little strip at the tops of the backs to make it look better.

All edges where sides/panels met have dadoes! :thumb:

I finished the insides with brush-on lacquer. I love the way it looks but it's, as you know, toxic as all get out and stinks with a crash. After putting on the first coat in my shop with all doors and windows open and a respirator, the whole house stunk (Mistake #4) . So now I do it outside on a covered part of the patio. Less than ideal finishing conditions, but I only got one fly stuck in it. :rofl:

My husband begged me to ask you if there's another less toxic, less stinky finish I can use that's easy to apply and will dry hard and glassy like that stuff (which I like).

So thanks again everyone, and I'll keep you posted.:thumb:
 
you can get em6000 water based laquer, it doesnt have much odor, I spray it in the garage, its fine for cabinet interiors. (I used gloss on other things)all you need is a compressor and a spray gun, (inexpensive, guns are 30 bucks at harbor frieght)
 
Looks like you're doing a great job. No need to point out your mistakes. As long as you learn from them, you're good to go. We're all our own worst critics. Most will never even notice most of the mistakes that we call out on ourselves.
 
With bathroom vanities, I often skip more than the top. With the plumbing connections I let the original wall show... much easier. I put a horizontal brace a few inches high across the top and bottom of the back, and declare a victory. If the left and right compartments will be drawers, you can cheat there too.

I also am a fan of Target Coatings EM6000 for interior cabinets. It has burn in like solvent lacquer, so is very forgiving. If you want a more durable finish, go to EM8000 conversion varnish. For example, on a desk, I use EM8000 on the work surface, and EM6000 elsewhere. See www.solowoodworker.com/wood/lacquer.html for more on spraying lacquer (especially water based)
 
I could sure use a large shot of your "Charge Ahead" attitude. Glenn says that I worry a thing to death before I actually try it.

My 14" BS and my lathe are on cabinets with Kreg pocket hole construction, including the drawers. Attached are some pics of the joints that I took. I hope they help you. If you need specific pics, drop me a PM or ask on the thread.

Enjoy,
JimB
 

Attachments

  • Kreg PH 008.jpg
    Kreg PH 008.jpg
    66.3 KB · Views: 17
  • Kreg PH 001.jpg
    Kreg PH 001.jpg
    60 KB · Views: 19
  • Kreg PH 002.jpg
    Kreg PH 002.jpg
    56.1 KB · Views: 18
  • Kreg PH 003.jpg
    Kreg PH 003.jpg
    65.8 KB · Views: 19
Great job Cynthia!
sizing sheets of plywood on the ts can be awkward for anyone as they are quite unwieldly. See if your lumber supplier has plywood sized for cabinet making. its 1/2" oversized in both directions. 48-1/2x96-1/2. Many times what I will do is rough size my sheets a bit over then once they are more managable cut them on the table saw. When doing this always leave yourself enough factory edge to ensure accuracy. I also use a festool track saw which, if you dont do alot of plywood cutting can be an unnecessary expense. instead you can easily make yourself a track system for your existing circular saw with 1/4" ply and a 3/4" strip down one side as a guide. once you run the saw down the guide it will cut off the 1/4" right at the saw blade and you can used that to set up your cuts. works like a charm.
As far as finishes, Charlie and Allen nailed it. Target coatings and Ill add General Finishes both make high quality waterborne products and additives that will give you beautiful and durable finishes that have low to no odor and dry in hours instead of days. I also second Larry's suggestion. Learn to spray! Jeff Jewett has some great videos and books on the subject.
Looking forward to seeing the finished project!!!! :D
 
Thank you so much everyone for all the kind words and information. I guess I'm going to have to try spraying. I always thought that spraying would involve a lot of complicated clean up with the sprayer etc. Maybe I'm wrong about that. I can imagine spraying a flat surface, but I have a hard time picturing spraying the inside of a cabinet...?

Jeff B., yeah I saw the prefinished but it was a lot more expensive so I figured I better learn how to finish myself. By the way, is there any limit to the number of coats of lacquer you can put on a project?

Rich and Allen, yeah, I'm going to cut the sheets down just enough to handle them and then make the more precise cuts. That's great advice.

Frank M., you're right about the mistakes. Non-woodworkers probably wouldn't notice them. I want to point them out to the novices that are lurking just to show them that a novice can learn to build these things. With every mistake I make, I learn something. Ken C., nice to see you! I'm sure you'll have something clever to add before long. :D

Jim B., that's beautiful work you showed me there. I was thrilled to see that you used plywood for the drawer, but left the edges au naturel. I thought that was heresy. Thanks for showing me that, cause that's what I'm gonna do! :thumb:

IMG_2003.jpg

So today I added the slides to the cabinet. I made a template so all the slides would be in identical places. I read the instructions (I think that's a girl thing), and went verrrry slowly with a screwdriver instead of a power tool. Don't want to bugger up this part. Questions I have are that on the instructions it says that you don't have to use all 400 screws they give you on the slide, but they don't say the minimum either. Right now I have 2 on each slide to hold it in place. How many screws should I put on each cabinet slide? And for the slide that you attach to the drawer, does it have to be on the bottom of the drawer side, or can it be anywhere on the drawer side? I almost forgot to mention Mistake #5 was buying slides that are too short. Oh well. :eek: I'll either have a lot of dead space behind the drawers or space at the back of the drawer that's hard to access. I don't care.

Again thanks for any and all replies/suggestions, etc. :bow: :woot:
 
Last edited:
Three or four per slide should do the trick.:thumb: With out seeing exactly what they are it looks like yours are side mount which means any where on the side you like. Most often mounted along the bottom for easy of aliment. :thumb: Some side mount slides are designed to be on the bottom and have a lip for the box to set in.
 
Top