Kitchen storage

Kitchen storage

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  by Spike Carlsen More KITCHEN STORAGE ➤➤ 30 SEPTEMBER 2001 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN 5 Roll-out pantry cabinet p.44 Chances are, your kitchen has plenty of storage space—it’s just that a good chunk of it is hidden in the hard-to-get-at corners, nooks and crannies of your cabinets. Deep base cabinets and corner cabinets pose particular problems. We’re going to show you five projects that create more storage space and make existing cabinet space more accessible. Each project is constructed using readily available lumber, plywood, hardware, L-moldings, glue and screws. For speed and accuracy, we recommend you borrow, buy or rent (about $20 per day) a power miter saw. We start with the easiest project and end with the hardest, so if you’re a beginner, you can build your do-it-yourself skills and confidence as you work your way through. Since many cabinet openings differ from ours in height and width, we’ll concentrate on the basic steps and “key measurements” rather than exact dimensions. Here’s what it takes. Some of these projects mount to cabinet doors or face frames. Make sure your cabinets, doors and hinges are in good shape and that you don’t overload your finished projects with heavy cans and other objects. Tip 1 Door-mounted spice rack p.32
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  5projects that create more space in your cabinets... THE FAMILY HANDYMAN SEPTEMBER 2001 31 2 4 Door-mounted lid rack p.32 3 Swing-down cookbook rack p.36 Glide-out and swing-out shelves p.38
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  1 2 Door-mountedspice and lid racks More KITCHEN STORAGE ➤➤ 1MEASURE the distance between the two vertical stiles and the two horizontal rails to determine the outside dimensions of your spice rack. Cut existing shelves back 2 in. so they don’t interfere with the rack when the door is closed. 32 SEPTEMBER 2001 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN 2TRANSFER the dimensions from Fig. A onto 1/2 x 2-1/2 in. side boards. Cut out the sides of the spice rack. Drill 1-in. holes to create the circular shape, then finish the cutout with a jigsaw. Drill 5/16-in. holes for the dowels. Sand the edges and surfaces smooth. These simple racks will help transform those chaotic gangs of spice bottles and pan lids into orderly regi-ments. We show you how to build only the spice rack; the lid rack uses the same steps but without the shelves. Each spice rack can hold 20 to 30 bottles, and each lid rack two to six lids, depending on the height and width of your cabinet doors. Before building, measure your spice bottles and lids to determine the spacing of your shelves and dowels. Here are other key measurements and clearances to keep an eye on: Existing shelf depth. If the existing cabinet shelves are full depth, narrow them by about 2 in. to accommodate each door-mounted rack. Shelves that are permanently affixed in grooves in the cabinet sides will need to be cut in place with a jigsaw. Adjustable shelves can be OUTSIDE-TO-OUTSIDE RACK MEASUREMENT VERTICAL STILE HORIZONTAL RAIL CLAMP 1" HOLE 1" SPADE BIT 5/16" DRILL BIT 1/2" x 2-1/2" BOARDS CUT SHELVES SO FRONT EDGE IS 2-1/2" FROM BACK OF DOOR JIGSAW &
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  4CLAMP the finishedrack to the door, then drill angled pilot holes through the rack and into the door every 8 in. Secure with brad nails (remove the door for this step if you find you need a more solid surface for hammering). Use carpenter’s glue for a more permanent installation. Tip removed, cut along the backside with a circular saw or table saw, then replaced. You may need to move brackets or add holes to remount narrowed shelves. Spice rack depth and position-ing. Make certain the new rack won’t hit the cabinet frame when the door swings. We found that fit-ting the rack between the two 2-in. wide vertical stiles (Photo 1) gave us adequate room. If your doors are solid wood or laminate, hold in place a scrap of wood the same depth as the spice rack (2-1/2 in. was the depth we used) and swing the door. Move it away from the door edge until it no longer makes contact with the cabinet frame, then mark the door. This will determine the overall width of your spice rack. We used soft, easy-to-nail pine and basswood for both the spice and the lid racks. If you’re using a harder wood, like maple or oak, position the pieces, then predrill 34 SEPTEMBER 2001 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN Use high-gloss polyurethane for natural wood, high-gloss enamel for painted wood. These finishes are more “scrubbable.” holes through the side pieces and into the shelf ends. This will prevent splitting and make nailing easier. Install your shelves one at a time so you don’t have to balance and juggle multiple pieces as you work. Always nail on a flat, solid surface. 3GLUE AND NAIL the shelves in place one at a time, using 3d finish nails. Then use 3/4-in. brads to pin the dowels in place. Sink all nailheads using a nail set. Apply polyurethane or other finish to match the cabinets. More KITCHEN STORAGE ➤➤ 1/2" x 2-1/2" SHELVES 3/4" BRAD 5/16" DOWELS 1/16" DRILL BIT CLAMP FIG. A SWING-OUT SPICE RACK Dimensions will vary according to the size of your cabinet doors 1" DIA. CUTOUT CABINET RAIL 3d FINISH NAILS BRAD NAILS 5/16" DOWEL 1/2" x 2-1/2" BOARDS CABINET STILE 1/4" 2" 3/4" 1/2"
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  Swing-down cookbook rack 1CUT the 1/2-in. thick plywood base to size. To get straight cuts, measure from the edge of your circu-lar saw base to the edge of the blade, then clamp a straight board to the plywood that distance from your cutting line to serve as a guide. Cut with the ply-wood’s “good” side down. 36 SEPTEMBER 2001 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN 2GLUE AND NAIL the 3/4 x 3/4-in. lip to the front of the base, then “picture frame” the plywood with L-moldings. For an exact measurement, cut one end at 45 degrees on a miter saw, hold it in position and mark the other end. Put a “reminder mark” on the board so you remember which direction to cut the angle. Secure the pieces with carpenter’s glue and 3d nails. When counter space is at a minimum and counter mess at a maximum, this swing-down rack will keep your cookbook up and out of the fray. The special spring-loaded brackets allow you to swing your cookbook down when you need it, then out of the way when you’re done. Our cookbook platform tucks under a single cabinet. But you can make your platform larger to hold larger books, then mount it beneath two cabinets. With a little creativity, you can use this same hardware to create a swing-down knife rack or spice rack too. Fold-down brackets (No. 00S30.02) are available for $17.95 plus shipping from Lee Valley Tools, P.O. Box 1780, Ogdens-burg, NY 13669; (800) 871-8158. www.leevalley.com 3d FINISH NAILS 3/4" x 3/4" LIP L-MOLDINGS GLUE STRAIGHT-EDGE 3 SUPPORT BLOCKS 45- DEGREE ANGLES
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  MACHINE BOLT SWING-DOWN HINGES 3MOUNT the hinges to your base using wood screws. Hold the assembled unit in position under the cabinet, then mark the holes for the brackets (a two-person job). Drill the holes, then secure the brackets to the cabinet using short machine screws, washers and nuts. FIG. B SWING-DOWN COOKBOOK RACK Overall dimensions can vary according to space available MACHINE BOLT WITH WASHER AND LOCK NUT More KITCHEN STORAGE ➤➤ THE FAMILY HANDYMAN SEPTEMBER 2001 37 PLYWOOD 3/4" x 3/4" LIP SWING-DOWN HINGES 3d FINISH NAIL 1" x 1" L-MOLDINGS
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  Blind-corner glide-out andswing-out shelves 1GLUE AND NAIL the 1x3s together using 4d fin-ish nails, then secure the plywood bottom with 3d finish nails. 38 SEPTEMBER 2001 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN Blind-corner cabinets— those with a blank face that allows another cab-inet to butt into them— may be great for aging wine, but they’re darn near impossible to see and reach into. This pair of accessories puts an end to this hidden wasteland. The hinged shelf swings out of the way, and the gliding shelf slides forward so you can access food items stored in the back. You can use the same hardware and techniques for making base cabinets more accessible too. The key measurements and clearances: Glide-out shelf dimensions. You can only make the unit as long as the door opening is wide (or else you can’t fit it in!). Make the unit about 1/2 in. narrower than the inside width of the cabinet. 3d FINISH NAILS 1x3 1/2" PLYWOOD BOTTOM 1" x 1" L-MOLDING SUPPORT L-MOLDING TO COVER BOTTOM EDGE OF TRAY 1/2" PLYWOOD 4 Build the glide-out shelf 2CUT out the two plywood sides, then glue and nail the corners. Connect the trays to the two plywood sides using 1-in. drywall screws, then cut and nail L-molding to support the front corner. Cut and install L-moldings to support and cover the exposed plywood edges of the upper tray. Install 3/4-in. screen molding to cover the plywood edges of the bottom tray. More KITCHEN STORAGE ➤➤ PLYWOOD SIDES GLIDE-OUT SHELF HINGED SWING-OUT SHELF
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  ■ These twomeasurements cannot exceed cabinet opening width 40 SEPTEMBER 2001 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN SECURE UNIT TO MOUNTING BASE WITH 3/4" DRYWALL SCREW More KITCHEN STORAGE ➤➤ Beg, borrow or rent a compressor, finish nailer and brad gun, if you can. You’ll work faster, eliminate hammer marks and split the wood less often than you would hand-nailing. Tip COMPLETED TRAY UNIT BLIND CORNER CABINET 1/2" PLYWOOD L-MOLDING 1x3 1x4 PINE 1/2" PLYWOOD MOUNTING BASE 3/4" SCREEN MOLDING PLYWOOD MOUNTING BASE METAL SLIDES 3CUT the mounting base plywood slightly smaller than the other tray bottoms, then secure the two slides parallel to each other about 1 in. from each edge. Slip this mounting base into the opening, extend the slides, then screw them to the cabinet bottom at the rear of the cabinet. Install the slides parallel to the cabinet sides, so the base slides back and forth freely. FIG. C GLIDE-OUT AND SWING-OUT SHELVES 1" x 1" L-MOLDING SLIDES 1x10 CUT TO FIT 1/2" SPACE PIANO HINGE 1x4 MOLDING 3d FINISH NAIL 2" DRYWALL SCREWS 1/2" SPACE 22-1/2 DEGREE MITER CUTS CABINET OPENING WIDTH 4SCREW the tray unit to the mounting base using 3/4-in. screws. After installing the first screw, slide the unit forward and back, then adjust it until it runs parallel to the cabinet sides and install three more screws. ■ Shelf unit dimensions will vary according to cabinet size 1/2" SHELF BOTTOM
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  Build the swing-outshelf COUNTER-SINK BIT 5CUT the 1x10 swing-out uprights to length and width (one should be 3/4 in. narrower than the other). Use a countersink bit to predrill holes along one edge, then glue and screw the two edges together. The diagonal measurement (see Fig. C) should be less than the cabinet opening. Test-fit your shelf units in the cabinet as you work. Tip 42 SEPTEMBER 2001 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN 6ASSEMBLE the shelf unit. First mark the shelf positions on the uprights and predrill holes from the front side. Create the three shelves by cutting a 1x10 to length and width, then cutting the corner at 45 degrees. Hold the shelves in place and drive drywall screws through these holes from the backside into the shelves. Cut the 22-1/2 degree angles on the front mold-ings and secure them with 3d finish nails. You can use any type of wide decorative molding that’s at least 1/2 x 3 in. 7SCREW the piano hinge to the front edge of the swing-out unit, then to the edge of the cabinet face frame. Make certain the swing-out has 1/2 in. of clearance top and bottom. Use an assistant to help you lift and hold the unit at the proper height while you’re securing it to the cabinet. 2" COARSE-THREAD DRYWALL SCREW Use a damp sponge to wipe up glue drips immediately. It’ll save hours of sanding down the line. Tip PIANO HINGE DIAGONAL MEASUREMENT CANNOT EXCEED OPENING WIDTH OPENING WIDTH 22-1/2 DEGREE MITER CUTS EQUAL LENGTHS 1x10 SHELF 45- DEGREE CORNER CUT PREDRILL HOLES, THEN DRIVE SCREWS INTO SHELF FROM BACKSIDE 1x10 UPRIGHTS CARPENTER’S GLUE Swing-out tray dimensions. The corner-to-corner or diagonal measurement of the unit (Fig. C) can’t exceed the width of the door opening (or else that won’t fit either!). Make the unit about 1 in. shorter than the opening height so it has room to swing freely when installed. Piano hinges (No. 19283) and bottom slides are available from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, 4365 Willow Drive, Medina, MN 55340; (800) 279-4441. www.rockler.com. The front moldings (No. 673) are manufactured by House of Fara (800-334-1732; www.houseoffara.com). House of Fara products are available at Menards, Home Depot and Lowe’s stores. Call the company if you need help finding a dealer. More KITCHEN STORAGE ➤➤
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  1MEASURE the cabinetface frame opening, then sub-tract the height of the top and bottom glides. Use the guidelines given to arrive at the depth, width and height of your pantry unit. Be sure to install the bottom glides so they run parallel to the cabinet sides. If neces-sary, use plywood to raise the cabinet bottom even with the bottom lip of the face frame. 44 SEPTEMBER 2001 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN 2INSTALL the top glide support and top glide so the support is level and flush to the top of the frame opening. Screw plywood flanges to each end of the 1x3 support beforehand to make it simpler to secure it to the front and back of the cabinet. Roll-out pantry cabinet Most cabinet manufacturers now include roll-out shelves in their base cabinets. But if you don’t have this convenience, this project will one-up those shelves. Here we’ll show you how to make an entire roll-out pantry. The hardware consists of two heavy-duty bottom-mounted slides and one center-mounted top slide that together can support 130 lbs. Again, construct your unit to suit your needs. We made our bottom tray 3-1/2 in. tall and the upper ones 2-1/2 in. tall. You may want to include only two trays if you’ll be storing cereal boxes and other tall packages. Since you’ll be converting your door from swinging to rolling mode, you’ll need to remove the door and hinges. You’ll also have to remove the existing handle and reinstall it centered on the door. If your hardware mounts from the backside, install it before attaching the door (Photo 6, p. 48). SUBTRACT 1/2" FROM CABINET OPENING TO DETERMINE PANTRY UNIT WIDTH SHELF UNIT HEIGHT (MINUS DEPTH OF TOP BRACKET) PLYWOOD FLANGES 1x3 TOP GLIDE SUPPORT TOP GLIDE FACE FRAME AND DOOR HINGES REMOVED PLYWOOD FILLER BOTTOM GLIDES 5 More KITCHEN STORAGE ➤➤ TOP OF FRAME OPENING
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  1x4 6d FINISH NAIL 3ASSEMBLE the pantry trays using 1x4s, 1x3s, 6d nails and carpenter’s glue. Use the plywood bot-toms to “square up” the trays before nailing them on. L-moldings support and cover the plywood edges of the upper two trays; 3/4-in. screen molding covers the exposed plywood edges of the bottom tray. The key measurements and clearances: Roll-out unit measurements. The ply-wood front and back panels should be about 1/8 in. shorter than the distance between the installed top and bottom glides (Photos 1 and 2). The width of the unit should be 1/2 in. narrower than the cabinet opening. The depth of the unit should be 1/2 in. less than the depth of the cabinet (not including the face frame). Accuride Pantry slides (No. 91968) are available for $57.99 plus shipping from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, 4365 Willow Dr., Medina, MN 55340- 9701; (800) 279-4441. www.rockler.com 46 SEPTEMBER 2001 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN 4SECURE the trays to the 1/2-in. plywood uprights using glue and drywall screws. Arrange the spac-ing of the trays to meet your needs. More KITCHEN STORAGE ➤➤ 1/2" PLYWOOD BOTTOM 3/4" SCREEN MOLDING 1/2" PLYWOOD UPRIGHT 2" COARSE-THREAD DRYWALL SCREWS INTO ENDS OF 1x3s AND 1x4s 1" DRYWALL SCREWS 1x4 FIG. D ROLL-OUT PANTRY CABINET PANTRY BOTTOM GLIDES PLYWOOD FILLER EXISTING CABINET FACE FRAME EXISTING CABINET BOTTOM 1/2" PLYWOOD UPRIGHT TOP GLIDE 1x3 1x3 TOP GLIDE SUPPORT 1/2" PLYWOOD 1x3 L-MOLDING 3/4" SCREEN MOLDING EXISTING CABINET DOOR BOTTOM GLIDE Shelf unit dimensions will vary according to cabinet size.
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  BRACKET-TO-SHELF UNIT SCREWS 48 SEPTEMBER 2001 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN 6CLAMP the cabinet door to the front of the pantry assembly; center it and make the height even with adjacent doors. Predrill eight holes through the plywood upright and drive screws into the back of the cabinet door. After installing two screws, close the door to check its alignment with the adjacent doors. Make adjustments, then install the remaining screws. Use short screws so they don’t penetrate the front of the cabinet door (duh!). TOP GLIDE SECURED TO 1x3 SUPPORT 5SCREW the tray assembly to the bottom runners, making sure it’s centered in the opening and running parallel to the cabinet sides. The extended portion of the top slide is secured to a 1x3 screwed between the two plywood uprights. You can loosen this 1x3, then adjust the height so the top glide runs flat and smooth. SPRING CLAMPS About our kitchen Allure stainless steel vent hood from Broan, (800) 558-1711 Piermont maple cabinets with honey spice finish from Kraftmaid, (888) 562-7744 1x6 tongue-and-groove pine (Sherwin-Williams paint, Moon Slice, No. 1647) 1x3 backsplash ledge (site-built) Gallery stainless steel stove from Frigidaire, (800) 374-4432 3" x 3" blocks with wings (site-built) Gilded Elements EM2-2T laminate from Nevamar, (800) 638-4380 Ruby laminate cork floor from Wicander, ($9.75 per sq. ft.), www.wicanders.com/wic_us.html Pendant light fixture (and cabinet hardware) from Restoration Hardware, (800) 762-1005 Molding (Sherwin- Williams paint, Yorkshire Brown, No. 1097) PLYWOOD UPRIGHT Hartland sink from Kohler, (800) 456-4537 Faucet (N470-WH) from Delta, (317) 848-1812 Art Direction • BECKY PFLUGER Photography • BILL ZUEHLKE Illustration • FRANK ROHRBACH Kitchen Design • KATHERINE HILLBRAND, SALA ARCHITECTS