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Utility worktop project

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Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 11 Aug 2014, 19:10

OK, thought it about time I did some woodwork and so this is where we are headed.

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From the left, we have a 100mm pullout unit, Belfast sink, 300mm cupboard, three appliances and a 300+mm cupboard. The top is going to be one of three woods (maple, oak, ash) but Chief Designer has yet to make the final decision. The 40mm worktop is coming from Worktop Express. I'm quite impressed with the way they run things and the two samples we have to hand are pretty good.

Finish will be Osmo Polyx and Osmo End Grain around the sink cutout. Two carcasses are from B&Q. The cupboard under the Belfast sink will be homemade as will the cupboard on the extreme right as we need to squeeze a vacuum cleaner inside.

Prior to this, I boxed in the electricity meter and some central heating pipes using solid ash and ash veneer for the panels.

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There is one small panel left to cover the main incomer mains cable.

I will make the cupboard doors also out of ash and the style will be Shaker.

Stock preparation tomorrow
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby Mike G » 11 Aug 2014, 19:55

Is that a cable coming through a window frame?

I love ash, and I am sure this will be a nice little project.

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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 11 Aug 2014, 21:06

Mike G wrote:Is that a cable coming through a window frame?

I love ash, and I am sure this will be a nice little project.

Mike


Yes, it's our mains cable. Just have to hope they never want to change it !
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby Andyp » 12 Aug 2014, 07:16

Roger, I think I warned you before about building cupboards to hold vacuum cleaners. I made a space specifically for a Dyson upright, it fitted in like a glove. Then she decided that she wanted a Dyson pull-along. Totally different footprint......
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 12 Aug 2014, 13:25

Stock preparation

I don't have the luxury of PAR or sawn timber. My available source of ash comes from a large pile of 10 year old air-dried that I bought at a Pugh's auction. The upside is that it was very cheap. The downside is that the boards are very wide, long and meander all over the place. Here's an offcut to give you some idea. Trying to win 18mm out of these is not helped by some of the planks being cut too thinly IMO by the lumber man.

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My approach to sorting out suitable bits is not particularly scientific as one can fret for ever trying to work out how get which bit from where. Instead, I will cut off any extremely bent bits at the ends. I then rip them roughly to width because if I tried to plane and thickness the boards at their extreme width then I'd end up with laminates! OK - joking - but you get my drift, I hope.

I will also cut them roughly to length and, because all the rails are very short, will try and add them to any lengths reserved for a stile. At this point in time I probably won't fret about getting them perfectly planed all the way down the length....just as long as I'm getting approximately there.

Here's a case in point
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Otherwise if I try and plane totally flat at this stage then chances are I won't necessarily get my 18mm out of it. Flexibility is the key and if one bit looks as if it's veering towards 'too thin' then I'll probably change things around and use it for rails. You do have to be prepared to plane a few extra pieces to give yourself a bit of wiggle room.

OK..so all done. The furthest bit is reserved for the 100mm door because that is going to need a bit of thought which I'll explain later. Then some combined rails and stiles for the Belfast sink cupboard, the 300mm cupboard and the 300+mm cupboard at the end.
Note the thin rod which I've marked up at 870mm, 600mm and 300mm. Beats fiddling around with a tape measure when you're trying to allocate stock from wiggly wood!

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I like these bits. Should look good as rails (that is if they don't move too much!)

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I mentioned the special piece for the 100mm cupboard. Now I am a 'thin is good' man. I much prefer slender dimensions even though I frequently make a rod for my own back. So normally my stiles would be 35-40mm (I have been known to go down as low as 30mm) but because I've decided to use kitchen door type hinges because they allow the doors to open within the cupboard width (butt hinges would need a space between adjoining cupboards which wouldn't be a problem for the end cupboard but would be for the three on the left.

But these hinges need a lot of real-estate and so I've had to go up to 55mm for the stiles (even though I think wide stiles look clunky). If you're ahead of me you'll have worked out that 55 x 2 = 110mm which is a problem for a 100mm cupboard! So current thought is to simply make the door (a pull-out) out of a single piece 100mm wide and route a groove down the middle vertically to give an impression of a faux panel.

OK...time to go routering
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 14 Aug 2014, 15:10

I'm using the Axminster Shaker Router cutter set.

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This is designed for stock between 18mm and 22mm thick. My stock is 18mm. The instructions suggest running through the moulding and groove for the panel on the stiles and then adjusting the height to cut the scribes on the ends of the rails I prefer to do it a better way (and one suggested by someone over on woodworkuk..can't remember who). I also like to use a false fence with the router table.

The approach is to have a false bed to raise the stock high enough to avoid the cutout in the false fence and then when scribing to use another spacer to raise the stock up to the appropriate height - remembering to turn the stock the other way up DAMHIKT.

Here's some I made up earlier.

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I do use false fences a lot and always try to label them up with as much information as possible. For instance, here is one for one of the many mouldings used on the Vulliamy clocks I made. Note I also write down the spindle rotation (since after modifying my Kity I have the luxury of spinning in either direction). All those MDFs sheets are false fences.

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OK so here's the false fence and false bed fitted.

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Next up is to take my 'stock' master and adjust the height of the cutter. The 'stock' master is exactly the same thickness (take a gnats) as the stock I have just prepared. This is critical else you have to start faffing about with changing the spacer plate etc.

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I'm breaking this all down for those who've never done this sort of thing before. You old hands will be bored to death!

So then using the spacer plate and a piece of my new stock I will make the scribe. This is another advantage of having 'spares'....in fact, whatever job I am doing, anything that is fiddly such as glazing bars I will make spares because if anything untoward happens I'm good to go rather than have to faff around resetting everything, planing, thicknessing etc.

Notice the square alongside...another tip picked up from woodworkuk (Senior IIRC). The Incra fence does come with a right-angle attachment for doing scribes etc but once you have fitted a false fence you can't use it (design oversight, Incra!). So simple solution. Use a piece of scrap exactly cut with a 90 degree angle. Doubles up as a backer board to stop breakout.

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Having that false fence with no gaps for the stock to fall into makes it so much easier. I guess 55mm wide rails do as well !

So here we have our test cut.

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Next job is to remove the spacer plate (remember scribe first...that way when you run the moulding through you automatically help clean up any scraggy bits of wood left over from the scribing cut.) and run the moulding through and check that the scribe and moulding match. But will they?

I'm afraid you'll have to wait as I have to go out to look at a job ;)
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby Phil » 15 Aug 2014, 05:12

Nice detailed WIP Roger. :text-goodpost:
That Ash really looks nice.

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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 16 Aug 2014, 18:03

And the result is looking good

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Out of curiosity I measured the thickness of that thin wafer left after moulding and it measured ten thou which is close enough for me :)

So I cut the prepared timber to length remembering to add 18mm ( 2 x 9mm) for the scribed ends of the rails to sit inside the groove moulded in the stiles. Then I discovered a cockup. That's the trouble with multi-tasking as this is a wet weather job so I'm on and off the project. End result being that I discovered I'd not prepared enough for one rail as I'd not turned this piece over.

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Rats. So quickly prepared a new piece, ran the scribes on the ends of the rails (took minutes..job done) and then got ready to run the mouldings. Which for me is a doddle as I have one of these and which is one the best purchases I've made.

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It gives a nice even feed rate and I literally have to do very little. The added bonus is that if I have some tricky highly figured timber that would benefit from being routed as a 'climb-cut' (very difficult if you try and hand feed it and potentially very dangerous DAMHIKT) then I just stick it in reverse.

All mouldings run off very quickly and a dry fit.

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Looking good. I've taken the trouble to match the rails and stiles as much as possible. The 100mm front is quite pale and it sort of segues to a darker ash as you move right.

So ready to glue up. Time for the balls. Space balls...what did you think I meant? These from Rockler (which Bob brought back for me from the States...thank you, Bob :obscene-drinkingcheers: )

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They sit in the grooves and you cut the panel so that the balls squeeze up. Stops the panel from rattling while letting it move.

Glueing up stuff I use these (again a tip from WoodworkUK). Guaranteed 90 degree glue-up.

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I also use these liberally (an idea from David Charlesworth). No matter how good and square a clamp is, there is always a strong chance that they don;t pull the joints up squarely because the clamps are not at right-angles. Using these small blocks, it doesn't matter. Pressure is applied evenly across the joint keeping it tight across its width. It is important that they are the same width as your timber.

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OK...three doors glued and clamped.

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Quick check they are in wind.

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Nearly there. That's enough for today. It was a late start. Time for G&T an my Saturday cooking fest. Thai prawns tonight with homemade spice sauce...yum
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby Bungle » 16 Aug 2014, 21:10

Is there any reason for not gluing the panel in as its veneered and won't move? A glued in panel makes for a stronger door in my experience.

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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 16 Aug 2014, 21:39

Good point. You're right, of course. I could have glued it in place. Looking back, not sure now why I didn't !

Well, actually I do. I am a bit hamfisted with the glue at times and I could see it oozing all out over the veneer. I'll give the last door a glue-up. Be interesting to see how they fare over time.
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 19 Aug 2014, 19:01

I had an hour spare today and made up the sink unit to go underneath/support the Belfast sink. MRMDF side cheeks pocket screwed to an ash frame. I've left the back open as I need to get to the plumbing once the sink is in place. The two side cheeks are to allow me to fit some sort of back panel once it's all been plumbed in.

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Those with sharp eyes will spot my mistake :oops:

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Painted the MDF to make it look a bit brighter inside.

As I'm not installing any plinths anywhere, the unit goes almost down to the floor. To level it I've fitted four adjustable feet underneath. They also have the added advantage of keeping the cabinet above water level in case there's a leak.

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The inserts simply screw into the surrounding timber with an Allen key.

It's about now that I need to start making a snagging list otherwise things are going to get forgotten !
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby TrimTheKing » 19 Aug 2014, 20:22

Face frame 5mm short on the right hand side?

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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 19 Aug 2014, 21:06

TrimTheKing wrote:Face frame 5mm short on the right hand side?

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Yup!
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 20 Aug 2014, 06:58

Actually it's not as bad as 5mm...more like 1.5. Not really a face frame either..more a quasi-face frame! Never having fitted a Belfast sink before and not being entirely sure just how much to position it forwards of the cabinet line, I opted to keep the top open as much as possible. Even then I forgot to allow for the drain outlet but fortunately the positioning of the cross-pieces on the top is OK. Nothing like PPPPPP.

Likewise I needed to keep the bottom clear so I could adjust the feet once the cabinet was finally in place. And being tight, I was making do with whatever small pieces of MRMDF I happened to have lying around.
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 23 Aug 2014, 10:51

Yesterday saw delivery of the maple worktop. 3m x 960mm x 40mm and weighs a ton. Got it from Worktop Express. Very very impressed with the company. Pleasant to deal with. Efficient and a good price. They also get good reviews.

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Only wee problem is that when I removed the shrink wrap two dings became apparent. The first I could probably steam out with an iron

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but the other one is deep and slap bang in the middle.

The plan is to remove 180mm off the width and use some of that as upstands and also, in conjunction with the sink cutout, make the extra 300mm wide piece I need to complete the run. I was originally going to put the add-on piece at the sink end but think that it is probably better to place it at the far end as it's less visible and better supported by the cabinet.

Even so, I do have a major problem in manhandling it from the workshop into the kitchen. We don't exactly have any close neighbours. I calculate the weight at about 80kg :shock:

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These things happen and as long as it's replaced I guess I can't complain. Although I am a bit surprised that it wasn't picked up in production. Might have happened in transit though, I guess. I looked at the underside but that side has many noticeable dark pieces.
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 23 Aug 2014, 18:19

I am a Grade 1 Muppet! The reference line for the front of the cabinets is going to be set back and parallel to the line of the floor tiles. But because I haven't got a long enough straight edge to span the entire length, I started scratching my head. I can't measure back from the rear wall as it isn't parallel to the main line of the room or tiles. Then I thought about using one of those laser lines that throws a fan of light. Good excuse to go and buy one.

So I traipsed down to Malvern and hunted around without success. Then I thought 'Hire one' which I did. Worked a treat. Nice bit of kit. Only. Only....

...I needn't have bothered. It could all have been done using a scrap piece of MDF with a right angle. Long enough to span from the cabinet to the first tile line and high enough to reach the cabinet. Simply put the first cabinet in the right place, hold the MDF vertically and slide it up to the front of the cabinet then mark a line where the tile line is. Move on to the other side of the cabinet and adjust so the mark lines up with the tile. Fix cabinet. Do next. Repeat until all done.

As I said...Grade 1 Muppet.
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby Rod » 23 Aug 2014, 21:56

A piece of string works too

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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 24 Aug 2014, 04:32

Rod wrote:A piece of string works too

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Can you elaborate, please? I know I can use string to align the front of the cabinets but that doesn't give me reference to the tile line.
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby Rod » 24 Aug 2014, 06:50

I was thinking to plum bob for the ends and then string in between?

I've got a spirit level with a built in laser which I got from Axy quiet cheap - the thing you have to be careful with is that the beam is 15mm? above the base which you have to allow for if transferring levels.

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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 26 Aug 2014, 09:45

Very quick response from Worktop Express who are going to replace the worktop. So top marks there. Think I might make a couple of saw horses and get them to put the replacement in the kitchen where I can cut, rout ad sand it. Then not so far for it to be manhandled into place.
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 20 Sep 2014, 16:04

Dry weather diverted me on to repairing rotten window sills and making a start on re-painting the outside of the house. It's the barge boards very high up that need most attention. But rain stopped play and so back to the plot....

...the new worktop arrived and free of dings and has sat in my workshop on top of my finishing table to keep it flat. It needed trimming for depth and, as per usual, the back wall isn't parallel to the front edge and the two side walls converge towards the back (at least that worked in my favour!). So the finishing table is a good flat solid surface, got the Festool TS55 plunge saw and tracks out and started to make the cut. After cutting about 12" came to the conclusion that I needed another pair of hands at the end to support the very long and heavy offcut. SWMBO to the rescue.

Started to cut again and then a near calamitous miss. Wasn't concentrating and applying enough downward pressure to the TS55 to keep it in place and so it kickbacked and out of the slot bouncing over the surface. Luckily the Gods were with me and the gouges occurred in the offcut. Needless to say am very embarrassed.

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The offcut has to provide the upstand for the rear and two side walls PLUS enough to glue together a 300mm strip that I need to fix on the end of the worktop to give me the required length. The waste from the cut-out for the Belfast sink would be ideal for this but I'm very concerned about manhandling the board with the amount of cut-out right at one end and prefer to make the cutout once the worktop is more or less in place. I'll come back to this in a while because.....

..because while preparing the offcut pieces prior to making this 300mm strip I chanced to put one piece end-on on top of the worktop and watched it rock....badly. My immediate reaction was that I'd cocked up planing the offcut but a quick check of the rule showed that not to be the case. It is the worktop that has bowed and bowed very badly. Relative to the central portion the front and back are down by 5mm each. Pressing the straight-edge flush with the front lets me slide a 10mm spacer block in at the back. This is not good. Back to the supplier for comment.

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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby Andyp » 20 Sep 2014, 16:41

Thats a real bummer Roger. I suppose it is to much to pull down in the middle when you attached it to the cupboards.
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 20 Sep 2014, 18:10

I think it would lift the cupboards off of the floor.
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby RogerS » 12 Oct 2014, 10:12

The good weather has seen me outside painting bargeboards which on one side of the house are rather high and require me standing on a step-up on top of the platform on the scaffold tower - one of my better purchases. So nothing doing for a while until rain stopped play.

The 3m worktop is not quite log enough and so I need to add a small section at one end. The optimist in me says that the staves should all be the same width and so will match up with the main board. In theory. And if I can plane down the offcuts exactly right.

As the off cut on the end is going to be used to manhandle the worktop into the utility room I decided to Domino up the pieces. Remembering which way up they go is important and even then I manage to cock things up. As the Domino's are a very tight fit, for something like this I will have one Domino on the smallest waggle' setting for referencing the pieces together and then make all the others with about a couple of mm play. Usually. For some reason I forgot this time and ended up with wide slots. Ho hum. The downside of having a project that you only dip into when weather dictates.

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Oops..

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In hindsight I should have used much more glue on the faces of the offcuts. Glue still to be applied to the Dominoes.
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Even then you need some beefy clamps like these to pull the boards together tightly. These Bessey clamps are the best ones I have. Just wish I had a load more.

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All glues and clamped and put in the Plano -

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useful bit of kit but you have to warn the wife and neighbours before trying to use it as getting it all together is guaranteed to turn the air blue with profanities. I also, despite trying not to, managed to not get the ends lined up very well. I do have enough spare but trimming the ends is yet something else that needs to be done. Bitty projects never work.

And I still have not yet worked out how I am going to get this monster into the house. SWMBO reckons she is going to help me but a dry run convinced her that lifting it is not an option. Maybe I should cut it in half and do it that way. This project is becoming a right ball-ache.
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Re: Utility worktop project

Postby Andyp » 12 Oct 2014, 10:32

What happened to the bowed worktop? Did you get a replacement?
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