I’m only an amateur and don’t try to make money making cabinets, but I’ve built a few cabinets and mine tend to be over engineered. I use rabbets and dadoes for a lot of the joinery because I find them to be stronger and it helps a great deal with assembly. I very much agree about using a plinth (here in Canada it would usually be called a base frame) for the reasons you mention, plus it makes the cabinets themselves more simple boxes and a bit easier to construct. I’ve used the adjustable plastic legs once or twice and in some circumstances they work well. That MDF is a type I’m not familiar with and it looks to be very nice for paint-grade cabinets.
Having done a number of kitchens over the years, I have settled on the plinth method of cabinet bases. I find it easy to build, often with offcuts from the cabinet building, strong and fast to make. Once levelled, you know all cabinets will install quickly and accurately. I have also found it easiest to have a thicker back panel - 12mm prefinished plywood. This makes a strong cabinet and I don't worry about screws through the back holding cabinets in place over years.
Definitely like the idea of building the plinth base over levelling all the feet individually. How would you go about dealing with big gaps between the plinth and the floor if the floor runs out quite a lot over the run? Or is it only used if the floor is relatively level?
@@nachobanditchannel I build my bases out of generic 3/4" plywood. After leveling the bases, I will apply a 1/4" plywood skin over the show faces that will match the kitchen. This will allow me to cover any gaps from leveling.
I’ve always stuck those extra leg tabs past the edge of the cabinet so the cabinet beside it rests on the tab. That way it makes leveling the cabinets easier.
the plastic feet are so nice to have. never having to worry about water damage at the bottom of your cabinets, being able to access the backs of the cabinets for wires or plumming is nice aswell, and you can easily move and level your cabinets without having to build a new toekick. it always feels a little shitty to build nice cabinets and then put plastic feet on it, but they are just better.
Thought the legs cabinets were a bit meh when I assembled them.. Then I installed them. Wow. Legs are the way to go for all the reasons you’ve mentioned.
I fitted a couple of kitchens in the past from Schreiber which were manufactured like this. They were supplied with a series of stepped wedges to act as levelers as there were obviously no legs.
I love the idea of making my own kitchen other than one part - finishing. I'm confident enough in my design and building skills to make a 'close enough' to professional job of it, other than the likelihood of messing it up at the paint stage and it ending up looking amateurish as a result.
Thanks Peter, this style of video is a great reference point for me , you really cram in the information and tips in each one ! I like the idea of the plinth style, so much easier to concentrate on levelling at that stage, then everything above is quicker and easier to fit ! Our Kitchen was fitted when the house was built 25 years ago and is a "Moores" kitchen ( still going today ) it's a good quality kitchen and has lasted well. However, the kitchen was fitted for standard white goods package which we decided not to take and had a gap to fill, so ordered an extra unit direct from Moores ready for when we moved in. However in the meantime the builder had the floor tiled into the recess ( great if you're slotting in a dishwasher or fridge ) and being an "American" style unit, I had no choice but to cut about 4mm off the bottom of the cabinet - not easy with a handsaw ( no track saw then ) and of course that left an open chipboard surface perfect for soaking up water ! 🙄
I've just started building a set of alcove cabinets based on your tutorials and videos from Freebird using Confirmat screws to assemble the carcass. I've learnt so much in the past few weeks, that it's made me look at previous DIY jobs in the house knowing I could now do them so much better!
I remember two personal kitchens back using the plinth method and when the chap doing the floor came in (because I couldn't be bothered by then) and saw it he criticised it. Several months later after having his own kitchen done he said he understood why it was easier to use for uneven floors than the adjustable legs method as the bottoms of his new cabinets were all over the place. (and no i didn't put in his new kitchen)
The plinth option is one I favour. I have done a few dental surgeries where the flooring is laid and turned up the plinth before the carcasses are mounted. Looks smart and they like the seamless corners.
Great Video! I've used plinths and adjustable feet over the years, and I much prefer making separate plinths as they're so much easier to level. You can level the entire run in one go, and have easy access to all sides. Reaching underneath a cabinet to get to the rear feet is a pain in the arse...!
Hello Peter I think at least there is one function for a full board ceiling on a kitchen cabinet and that is (even it is not visible like the rest of the interior of the cabinet) it surely must have the same finish to keep it as clean as the rest of the interior that you can see, without the roughness and possible accumulation of dust or dirt under the stone cover, which is always supplied without polishing and difficult to keep sanitized. The cabinet for the sink must be without a complete roof to avoid exposing the edges of the board that is cut to the shape of the sink on site. This cabinet is "wet" inside since it normally houses cleaning products and trash buckets, we use aluminum square tube chargers for this kind of cabinet and also for the cooking top. Saludos Gerardo
Great stuff! I've just been through a lot of this winging it myself. I've just thrown a temporary kitchen together repurposing a lot of what was already there to suit a better layout resizing existing wall hung cabinets and knocking up frames with shelves under counter from CLS and whatever scrap I board I had kicking around (the original counter was levitating on some flimsy L brackets!). It's not pretty but it's my first house and I've spent long enough getting the bulk of the house into shape so the kitchen can make do for now so I can actually move in! Those space plugs and adjustable feet a brilliant especially when your floor resembles a choppy sea like mine.
Excellent!!! I've used the detached base or plinth method for years. Personally I think it's better. Cheaper cabinets here in the US usually use the full panel or to the floor method. In our new house, the builder used the cheaper particle board to the floor cabinets. Our dish washer leaked and all of the cabinets in that run had to be replaced. Two months for the floor to dry out, and the cabinets to be replaced. Got to reuse the top, and all the custom built in's I had done on those replacement cabinets. Some tweaking required. PS I offered to build the replacement cabinets at cost but the insurance company would not let me do it. Come on guys, the face fames and the doors were all reusable.
I recently built some cabinets with Medite MR MDF and it is a superb product. Sands beautifully, edges are great for painting and ends do not blow it when you screw into them. Did another little job after using standard MR MDF and it's just not the same. After priming, the surface just raised all over the place and it was so much work to get a good enough paint finish
Thanks Peter, really enjoyed this. Never made a cabinet before and have seen videos on it, seeing your description and breakdown for a UK setting is really useful.
Your plinth video section from years ago was a great tip for me fitting some DIY cabinets in my home in the past. Thanks for all the useful content and best of luck on the home remodel.
Great video Peter! Plenty of useful info and food for thought. My house had a 1970’s Hygena kitchen fitted when we moved in and the base cabinets were the same as the US style with the sides running to the floor… plastic levelling feet were probably not invented at that point. They lasted 50 years so not all bad (although no surprise there was some water damage at the base!)
I’m interested in you thoughts in a din rail type of base installation - I’m sure a big manufacturer uses similar. Like many wall cabinets with a bracket and hook/clamp it surely would make runs easier to level then merely wind down a turret leg to spread the load.
Yeah im a big fan of your "Plinth" for the levelling sets of cabinets reason, we call it a couple other names here in australia. Its quick and cheap, just stick a nice finish piece on when youre finished
Peter what about a void at back of cab say gables are 570 with bottom shelf about 502 deep with an 18 back . With this use void to scribe cabs to wall as well for the use of services . You can also use an L shape bracket fixed to top of void and you be able to fix back to wall
I am thinking about a composting toilet for a campervan. Basically, mine will be a box with provision for sitting on, internal space for a bucket (lined with compostable bag), a "jug" - basically a wee bottle, Optional storage for paper, spray bottle of vinegat+water, peat or other composting aid. I am thinking it should be a seat for normal use, perhaps fold up wings for brief privacy. It could extend across the vehicle, or part of the length as a lounge or other furniture, and those parts nt toilet would provide other storage. This seems quite timely.
We have a 4th type of cabinet back in the US, no back. Super weak and very cheap but you would be surprised how often it is done this way. I have been in fairly high-end homes with backless cabinets.
Ooo, interesting, thanks! You sometimes see drawer cabinet without a back here - that displaced air has to go somewhere - but there’s usually bracing sections too & bottom. 👍
we may have the same worktop - Wickes a few years ago , Quartz some kind of composite anyway - When the guys had all the base units in, the worktop company turned up with a laser thing ans mapped out the entire kitchen worktop - quite interesting to watch - just be careful with anything really HOT , ours also stains a bit , and we use Bar Keepers Friend to clean - Great Video as always , only ever fitted 4 kitchens myself and always had the legs and plinth - in fact because of water damage I had to remake some side panels as the kitchen nolonger available and used B&Q to match colour , if the sides had been part of the base unit that would have been a disaster
Hi Peter, great video....... How do you template the cut outs in the back of base cabinets for things like plug sockets etc? I'm sure I remember you using something like plexiglass or similar? But what's your method? Many thanks
I use a product called corex - a corrugated plastic intended as floor protection. It’s translucent enough to mark the positions, then transfer them to the back of the cabinet with an awl. 👍
The forces that act in a cabinet always end up draining through the sides. Shelves, drawers and swinging doors always drain the forces to the sides, do we agree? Therefore, regardless of whether it is a wall or base cabinet, we must install it so that the forces that are draining through the sides finally go to the wall or the floor. Metal hangers with three-dimensional adjustment, fixed to the sides for hanging cabinets or leveling legs (well installed as shown in this video) for bases and towers, as long as the floor is solid. The difference with the US cousins is that "traditionally" their floors were flexible and that is why it is also "by tradition" that a continuous base of solid wood is normally manufactured as an intermediary to drain the weight of each side of each kitchen base cabinet. towards the beams that have the floor underneath, such is the tradition that even if it is now normal to have solid floors, they continue to do it as always. If your floor is solid, leveling legs are the simplest and cheapest way to perfectly support and level a cabinet, do we agree? In Latin America it is common to imitate that North American tradition without any reason since the floors have always been solid It is commonly be made of MDF if it is not taken into account that the humidity of the floor will end up rotting the base. Others, improving this initial error, make it from masonry, up to 28cm, yes 28cm! With modern leveling legs at less than $1 a piece, is this logical? saludos Gerardo
I really enjoy the basic building videos when you do them, especially with the detailed explanations you include. It’s great to get the “ why this technique is better than this other one”. I’m also happily surprised to see that we have access to medite mdf in Canada. I’ll have to give that a try. Are some of these going to go in the house rebuild.? Thanks Peter!
Good knowledge sharing video, for the different cabinets. Would like if you added some more information for viewers on standard cabinet sizes and with the German LR System that was invented after the 2nd World War, and maybe why these standards are used about every where in the world, yes, even the Americans have started to like these standards! I have made all min workshop cabinets with standard sizes, and since floor is sloped then plastic feet come in very handy and affordable as well.
Great video Peter. The integrated kick plate is not something I have ever seen in a kitchen around here either. I am just finishing up built ins in my pantry and plinth method made it dead simple to set the cabinets. I did have to shim the plinth almost 3/8” on the one end so that would have been a nightmare with that other style cabinet. I have not had good luck finding that high quality MRMDF in my area so I always build my cabinets with a high quality birch ply that is always stocked at a local mill near me.
Hi Peter. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Very useful for my next project. Just one question if you dont mind. Should a washing machine always sit on the kitchen floor or can it be installed in a cabinet with legs? The reason i ask is i am building a few kitchen cabinets but not sure how to do the kicker at the bottom if I leave the washing machine sitting on the floor. Thanks again.
Thanks! Depends on the washer, but mostly they sit flat on the floor, and have some kind of integrated toe-kick to cover the built-in height adjustment.They’re generally considered too heavy to install in a cabinet with feet. 👍
Great video! I’m planning to fit out my home office at some point soon and am planning to use the plinth method for my base cabinets. I’ll definitely be using your tips to get the project done though!
Great video as always, just to mention my experience from watching kitchens here in Europe, every kitchen that I saw was on pastic legs, probably because of culture of building kitchens on tiles and practicality of cleaning it and water leak if it happens. P.S. I plan to make this kind of plynth for my wardrobe, is it ok?
Great video, I've subscribed. At 9:42 you show the orange fixing device. What is the brand, or who sells that. Also, I see if the product wasn't thought of in advance to install, prior to hanging cabinets or placement it seems it would be impossible to 'retrofit' the device. What would be suggestions for 'after the fact' fixings? _IGNORE_ I've found them within the description. Thank you.
Buen día Peter, muchas gracias por compartir de tu experiencia, voy a investigar si ya hay disponible este MDF Medite aqui en México, una pregunta, tienes video disponible sobre como colocar los "clips" para sujetar una pieza con otra, girando algun tornillo e ir armando el gabinete??, por favor.....recibe cordiales saludos desde Aguascalientes México...👍
Thank you. I used a Lamello connector called Clamex. I did a video recently on the Clamex S20 that works with biscuit jointers - ua-cam.com/video/NwPCjzXod_I/v-deo.html - and an older video where I compared the Clamex with domino connect fittings - don’t have a link for that, but if you search for ‘Clamex’ it should show up. Thanks and best wishes from London. Peter.
Good evening, thinking about the cabinets I want to build. They’re full height door to ceiling . I was going to have the base piece running the full width so the weight doesn’t sit on join. Am I overthinking this and go for standard construction as the lip of the plastic feet will do the lifting, as it were?
I always prefer a full-width plinth, personally. The only benefit of adjustable feet in floor to ceiling carcasses is that you can build them upright and wind them up to the ceiling. 👍
Hi Peter, when the adjustable legs are placed under the cupboard taking into account a deeper plinth, the adjustable legs cannot be placed under the sides to support them. A heavy kitchen top or a heavy marble sink puts a lot of pressure on the connection between the sides and the bottom and top. What is a good solution for this?
SHouldnt be using these plastic legs for granite or marble, there are meta legs more suited to those applications. Be aware of the weight on the floor as well - I've seen legs sinkl ink to flooring in older victorian houses because of the weight load! 😯 👍
Id happily pay for a full set of plans for kitchen base cabinets (single,double,corner, outer corner, wall single, wall double etc) to UK standard sizing but I can't find anything out there at all. It's very frustrating!
Hiding the cabinet? Or hiding the plastic legs? Fr the legs it’s a simple toe-board attached with clips. Nothing visible from the front and easy to remove for access, if needed. 👍
Hello Peter: We are a medium size shop in California..... Have you seen/used Hafele's Axilo legs and the tool to adjust them? It is our preferred choice. Think you would like it. Surely appreciate your channel.
Nice video - thanks. So Optima has an even denser core than standard Medite MRMDF? I'm going to have to employ somebody to help me manoeuvre the sheets and built bits. I recently made a fireplace surround from 18mm MRMDF and once fully assembled, with its double thickness mantelpiece, it was, er, hefty.
Anybody know of a Canadian source of a similar sheet material? I once lucked out and got a lift of ultralight MDF with double sided birch veneer for $40/sheet but nowadays anything and everything is crazy heavy and expensive.
Curious as a trim carpenter/ cabinet maker in the states is medite readily available? I asked my supplier and a big box store for Water resistant MDF ? Yep they laughed?
The Medite brand is available, but it's not the same medite as we get here! Moisture resistant MDF is available in thr US, but you have to search it out as it isn't widely known about. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop I found it about 45 min from my shop. As we struggle with our leadership loosing it mind us craftsmen hv to adjust our material choices to keep prices reasonable . Once we boot them out we can go back to normal (just high cost as opposed to stupid high cost) . I hv a request in for pricing waiting to hear back! Thank you for presenting the material options Peter! Great Videos ! I hv another question on full overlay hinges but that’s another story for another day!
Great video. I would love more on your kitchen build as I am thinking of doing one myself. I imagine it would be of considerable general interest. No need to reply just a suggestion.
Out of curiosity, why don't they make the bottom the full width and the two sides sit on top of the base? I was thinking that the weight would then be borne by the material and not the fixings at all. Yes, I know the plastic feet are uneven so they still out under the sides but wouldn't it still be stronger to have the sides just sit on the base and the base on the plastic feet?
I'd imagine for commercial cabinetry, they make it as strong as it needs to be, in a way that can be manufactured most easily, eg top, base and shelves all the same width makes the process of manufacture much simpler. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop Ah, thanks for that. Certainly makes sense. I guess it's probably plenty strong enough in that way. The only reason I thought of it is that recently I was trying to move around a 30mm thick stone worktop and was thinking all that weight is essentially resting on the dowels, screw and plastic tabs. Then you have tradesmen sometimes climbing onto the worktops for some sort of maintenance or installation on the ceiling or wall.
Hi Peter, I like the idea of Medite, however living near Looe in Cornwall has its drawbacks, my nearest supplier is 85 miles away . Oh well! keep up the videos very informative. Jonathan Moore.
I have been trying to buy some 22mm Medite Optima, but have found that suppliers are unwilling to sell it to a DIYer like me as they have to buy a whole pack (which is 10 - 22 sheets depending on thickness, I am told). Even Medite have been unable to find me a retailer. Do you have a more helpful supplier?
Thank you. I'm near Cambridge. I know that Keith Rag'n'Bone Brown is relatively close, so I asked him, but he has also had difficulty getting hold of it.@@10MinuteWorkshop
Hi Peter, I recently tried the tongue tite screws and had a nightmare with T10 bits just rounding off after 15 or so screws. Do you have a preferred branded bit or are you just treating them as consumables?
I had this problem too, ended up buying some impact rates tx bits (erbauer i think) and that made the problem a bit better. Not sure I'd use the losttite screws again though as they were quite a faff over a big floor install
One problem with the plinth/legs style is that in a small kitchen you lose a lot of storage space. The full height sides style can be easily modified to include a drawer in the otherwise wasted space. When you only have space for 3-5 cupboards in your kitchen, this matters. I guess the conclusion is that there's no universal best style, you should always consider the space you have. Also, not exactly on topic but still: corner cupboards are EVIL.
I swear creatively and regularly at our corner cupboards. They are definitely agents of evil. But given that kitchens tend to contain corners, what is the alternative? I would genuinely love to know. My parents' kitchen has ingenious rack mechanisms fitted inside the corner cupboards so that on opening the door the entire contents are rendered accessible, at the expense of a certain amount of storage space. Is this the way forward?
@@cooperised You can fit a "magic corner" system in a corner cupboard, it will improve access but also reduce the amount of space available (because the mechanism has to fit there) and you have to be careful to not store small items that could fall out and get stuck. The best solution is to avoid corner cupboards altogether if possible. A galley layout is much more convenient in a small space because you have direct access to everything. For even easier access, have drawers in all base cupboards - no more forgotten items hiding in the back when you can pull out a drawer and see everything.
@@YaaLFH I agree. The problem only gets worse with age. Older people are less able to get on their knees to see what's in the back at the bottom. Drawers make a lot of sense for the bottom row or two!
@@weldabar My dream kitchen has drawers everywhere below worktop level, including under the sink. And they're proper drawers, not those tiny shallow trays that barely fit cutlery like what I have now and can't change because I rent 😭
Hi Peter, As always a really good video thank you. But on one point I have to disagree. Everybody says the top of a base cabinet is not important and that these strips are enough. That is only the point for the stability and cost point but not really practical. Without the full top things like knives or other items can get Stuck and you have problems opening the top drawer. It happens in my kitchen far too often 😢. Love your videos
Thanks, and while there are no drawers in this video I appreciate the comment and I do take your point; as I say in the video, this isn’t prescriptive - it’s just how I make them, and why. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop you are absolutely right. I wanted to add it in the comments because a lot of people love your videos and I think it is one point to consider. I love this segment and plan to build a few cabinets based on your videos and professional insight. Love your approach, how you present it and especially how you talk. You come straight to the point and the information needed. Always happy about your videos.
I used to do gas connections for a kitchen fitter, he’d say to me, keep everything within 30mm off the wall. A few days later I’d get the call, he’d “made a mistake and I only have 25mm”, and I’d end up going back and redoing 🤬🤬🤬 I don’t do work for anyone anymore 😂😂😂
Peter said he prefers using a plinth instead of legs. Doesn't a plinth have the same downsides as the full-length sides - that you must scribe them to an uneven floor and they'll absorb water? I'm probably missing something.
Not all cabinet are in a kitchen, so water / damp isn’t always an issue. And levelling up a single plinth - rarely scribed, usually wedged btw - is much easier to do once on the plinth than on each carcass. 👍👍
We do cabinets very very differently here in the States. Having cabinets spaced out from the wall is lunacy! Electrical and plumbing aren’t run inside the walls over there? I quite like plinths but all cabinets here are of the first style you showed. Our backs are a little different from all of those. For most custom work, I have to match existing pieces and it’s never a box carcass on a plinth here. We also have no access to colored MDF or moisture resistant MDF (at least not on the coast of North Carolina).
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I’m only an amateur and don’t try to make money making cabinets, but I’ve built a few cabinets and mine tend to be over engineered. I use rabbets and dadoes for a lot of the joinery because I find them to be stronger and it helps a great deal with assembly. I very much agree about using a plinth (here in Canada it would usually be called a base frame) for the reasons you mention, plus it makes the cabinets themselves more simple boxes and a bit easier to construct. I’ve used the adjustable plastic legs once or twice and in some circumstances they work well. That MDF is a type I’m not familiar with and it looks to be very nice for paint-grade cabinets.
Having done a number of kitchens over the years, I have settled on the plinth method of cabinet bases. I find it easy to build, often with offcuts from the cabinet building, strong and fast to make. Once levelled, you know all cabinets will install quickly and accurately. I have also found it easiest to have a thicker back panel - 12mm prefinished plywood. This makes a strong cabinet and I don't worry about screws through the back holding cabinets in place over years.
Definitely like the idea of building the plinth base over levelling all the feet individually. How would you go about dealing with big gaps between the plinth and the floor if the floor runs out quite a lot over the run? Or is it only used if the floor is relatively level?
@@nachobanditchannel I build my bases out of generic 3/4" plywood. After leveling the bases, I will apply a 1/4" plywood skin over the show faces that will match the kitchen. This will allow me to cover any gaps from leveling.
@@MrJacrider Ahh nice, thank you mate
I’ve always stuck those extra leg tabs past the edge of the cabinet so the cabinet beside it rests on the tab. That way it makes leveling the cabinets easier.
the plastic feet are so nice to have. never having to worry about water damage at the bottom of your cabinets, being able to access the backs of the cabinets for wires or plumming is nice aswell, and you can easily move and level your cabinets without having to build a new toekick.
it always feels a little shitty to build nice cabinets and then put plastic feet on it, but they are just better.
Thought the legs cabinets were a bit meh when I assembled them.. Then I installed them. Wow. Legs are the way to go for all the reasons you’ve mentioned.
I fitted a couple of kitchens in the past from Schreiber which were manufactured like this. They were supplied with a series of stepped wedges to act as levelers as there were obviously no legs.
I love the idea of making my own kitchen other than one part - finishing. I'm confident enough in my design and building skills to make a 'close enough' to professional job of it, other than the likelihood of messing it up at the paint stage and it ending up looking amateurish as a result.
Thanks Peter, this style of video is a great reference point for me , you really cram in the information and tips in each one !
I like the idea of the plinth style, so much easier to concentrate on levelling at that stage, then everything above is quicker and easier to fit !
Our Kitchen was fitted when the house was built 25 years ago and is a "Moores" kitchen ( still going today ) it's a good quality kitchen and has lasted well. However, the kitchen was fitted for standard white goods package which we decided not to take and had a gap to fill, so ordered an extra unit direct from Moores ready for when we moved in. However in the meantime the builder had the floor tiled into the recess ( great if you're slotting in a dishwasher or fridge ) and being an "American" style unit, I had no choice but to cut about 4mm off the bottom of the cabinet - not easy with a handsaw ( no track saw then ) and of course that left an open chipboard surface perfect for soaking up water ! 🙄
I live the toe kick cabinets.
Replacing the "toe board" with a drawer and you got lots of storage 👍
I've just started building a set of alcove cabinets based on your tutorials and videos from Freebird using Confirmat screws to assemble the carcass. I've learnt so much in the past few weeks, that it's made me look at previous DIY jobs in the house knowing I could now do them so much better!
I remember two personal kitchens back using the plinth method and when the chap doing the floor came in (because I couldn't be bothered by then) and saw it he criticised it. Several months later after having his own kitchen done he said he understood why it was easier to use for uneven floors than the adjustable legs method as the bottoms of his new cabinets were all over the place. (and no i didn't put in his new kitchen)
The plinth option is one I favour. I have done a few dental surgeries where the flooring is laid and turned up the plinth before the carcasses are mounted. Looks smart and they like the seamless corners.
Great Video! I've used plinths and adjustable feet over the years, and I much prefer making separate plinths as they're so much easier to level.
You can level the entire run in one go, and have easy access to all sides. Reaching underneath a cabinet to get to the rear feet is a pain in the arse...!
Totally agree! 👍
Hello Peter
I think at least there is one function for a full board ceiling on a kitchen cabinet and that is (even it is not visible like the rest of the interior of the cabinet) it surely must have the same finish to keep it as clean as the rest of the interior that you can see, without the roughness and possible accumulation of dust or dirt under the stone cover, which is always supplied without polishing and difficult to keep sanitized.
The cabinet for the sink must be without a complete roof to avoid exposing the edges of the board that is cut to the shape of the sink on site. This cabinet is "wet" inside since it normally houses cleaning products and trash buckets, we use aluminum square tube chargers for this kind of cabinet and also for the cooking top.
Saludos
Gerardo
This video is a gold mine of useful tips. Thank you
Thank you! 👍
Great stuff! I've just been through a lot of this winging it myself. I've just thrown a temporary kitchen together repurposing a lot of what was already there to suit a better layout resizing existing wall hung cabinets and knocking up frames with shelves under counter from CLS and whatever scrap I board I had kicking around (the original counter was levitating on some flimsy L brackets!). It's not pretty but it's my first house and I've spent long enough getting the bulk of the house into shape so the kitchen can make do for now so I can actually move in! Those space plugs and adjustable feet a brilliant especially when your floor resembles a choppy sea like mine.
Excellent!!! I've used the detached base or plinth method for years. Personally I think it's better. Cheaper cabinets here in the US usually use the full panel or to the floor method. In our new house, the builder used the cheaper particle board to the floor cabinets. Our dish washer leaked and all of the cabinets in that run had to be replaced. Two months for the floor to dry out, and the cabinets to be replaced. Got to reuse the top, and all the custom built in's I had done on those replacement cabinets. Some tweaking required.
PS I offered to build the replacement cabinets at cost but the insurance company would not let me do it. Come on guys, the face fames and the doors were all reusable.
I recently built some cabinets with Medite MR MDF and it is a superb product. Sands beautifully, edges are great for painting and ends do not blow it when you screw into them. Did another little job after using standard MR MDF and it's just not the same. After priming, the surface just raised all over the place and it was so much work to get a good enough paint finish
Yes, I t’s a solid product. 👍
Thanks Peter, really enjoyed this. Never made a cabinet before and have seen videos on it, seeing your description and breakdown for a UK setting is really useful.
Thanks! 👍
Your plinth video section from years ago was a great tip for me fitting some DIY cabinets in my home in the past. Thanks for all the useful content and best of luck on the home remodel.
Thanks! 👍
Great video Peter! Plenty of useful info and food for thought. My house had a 1970’s Hygena kitchen fitted when we moved in and the base cabinets were the same as the US style with the sides running to the floor… plastic levelling feet were probably not invented at that point. They lasted 50 years so not all bad (although no surprise there was some water damage at the base!)
I’m interested in you thoughts in a din rail type of base installation - I’m sure a big manufacturer uses similar. Like many wall cabinets with a bracket and hook/clamp it surely would make runs easier to level then merely wind down a turret leg to spread the load.
Peter the GOAT 🐐 love this series
After watching this video I’ve been a life long supporter of medite 😂😂
Incredibly useful video, Peter. I’ll making base cabinetry in the near future for the first time and this will be very helpful.
Thanks a bunch for the lesson, Peter! 😊
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thanks, you too!👍
Some fantastic tips throughout this video. Thank you Peter
Yeah im a big fan of your "Plinth" for the levelling sets of cabinets reason, we call it a couple other names here in australia. Its quick and cheap, just stick a nice finish piece on when youre finished
Love the video , have learnt so much from your videos over the years Peter. Top class chippy 👌
I love this series, it is really important as we often hear about this basic stuff on YT, thank you so much!
I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on comparing edge banding to face framing.
Thank you Peter, very helpful indeed. I'm about to make cabinets in the coming month or two so this will prove invaluable 👌
Peter what about a void at back of cab say gables are 570 with bottom shelf about 502 deep with an 18 back . With this use void to scribe cabs to wall as well for the use of services . You can also use an L shape bracket fixed to top of void and you be able to fix back to wall
I am thinking about a composting toilet for a campervan. Basically, mine will be a box with provision for sitting on, internal space for a bucket (lined with compostable bag), a "jug" - basically a wee bottle, Optional storage for paper, spray bottle of vinegat+water, peat or other composting aid.
I am thinking it should be a seat for normal use, perhaps fold up wings for brief privacy. It could extend across the vehicle, or part of the length as a lounge or other furniture, and those parts nt toilet would provide other storage.
This seems quite timely.
We have a 4th type of cabinet back in the US, no back. Super weak and very cheap but you would be surprised how often it is done this way. I have been in fairly high-end homes with backless cabinets.
Ooo, interesting, thanks! You sometimes see drawer cabinet without a back here - that displaced air has to go somewhere - but there’s usually bracing sections too & bottom. 👍
Another great tutorial Peter - thank you for the detailed explanation 🙂
Hi Peter is there a particular brand of kitchen unit legs you can recommend please and possibly where to get these from?
plinth equals level once----------non plinth construction equals measure/level each cabinet---------your method YES good vid eo rick
we may have the same worktop - Wickes a few years ago , Quartz some kind of composite anyway - When the guys had all the base units in, the worktop company turned up with a laser thing ans mapped out the entire kitchen worktop - quite interesting to watch - just be careful with anything really HOT , ours also stains a bit , and we use Bar Keepers Friend to clean - Great Video as always , only ever fitted 4 kitchens myself and always had the legs and plinth - in fact because of water damage I had to remake some side panels as the kitchen nolonger available and used B&Q to match colour , if the sides had been part of the base unit that would have been a disaster
Thanks! We do have a similar Wickes worktop in the utility, but this one was from the kitchen supplier, Caple. 👍
Hi Peter, great video....... How do you template the cut outs in the back of base cabinets for things like plug sockets etc? I'm sure I remember you using something like plexiglass or similar? But what's your method? Many thanks
I use a product called corex - a corrugated plastic intended as floor protection. It’s translucent enough to mark the positions, then transfer them to the back of the cabinet with an awl. 👍
Hi Peter, Well explained and well demonstrated, full of useful tips.This is why I enjoy watch your video's, Take care👍
Thanks 👍
The forces that act in a cabinet always end up draining through the sides.
Shelves, drawers and swinging doors always drain the forces to the sides, do we agree?
Therefore, regardless of whether it is a wall or base cabinet, we must install it so that the forces that are draining through the sides finally go to the wall or the floor.
Metal hangers with three-dimensional adjustment, fixed to the sides for hanging cabinets or leveling legs (well installed as shown in this video) for bases and towers, as long as the floor is solid.
The difference with the US cousins is that "traditionally" their floors were flexible and that is why it is also "by tradition" that a continuous base of solid wood is normally manufactured as an intermediary to drain the weight of each side of each kitchen base cabinet. towards the beams that have the floor underneath, such is the tradition that even if it is now normal to have solid floors, they continue to do it as always.
If your floor is solid, leveling legs are the simplest and cheapest way to perfectly support and level a cabinet, do we agree?
In Latin America it is common to imitate that North American tradition without any reason since the floors have always been solid
It is commonly be made of MDF if it is not taken into account that the humidity of the floor will end up rotting the base. Others, improving this initial error, make it from masonry, up to 28cm, yes 28cm!
With modern leveling legs at less than $1 a piece, is this logical?
saludos
Gerardo
I really enjoy the basic building videos when you do them, especially with the detailed explanations you include. It’s great to get the “ why this technique is better than this other one”. I’m also happily surprised to see that we have access to medite mdf in Canada. I’ll have to give that a try. Are some of these going to go in the house rebuild.? Thanks Peter!
Thanks! No these are for another project. 👍
Good knowledge sharing video, for the different cabinets. Would like if you added some more information for viewers on standard cabinet sizes and with the German LR System that was invented after the 2nd World War, and maybe why these standards are used about every where in the world, yes, even the Americans have started to like these standards!
I have made all min workshop cabinets with standard sizes, and since floor is sloped then plastic feet come in very handy and affordable as well.
Great video Peter. The integrated kick plate is not something I have ever seen in a kitchen around here either. I am just finishing up built ins in my pantry and plinth method made it dead simple to set the cabinets. I did have to shim the plinth almost 3/8” on the one end so that would have been a nightmare with that other style cabinet. I have not had good luck finding that high quality MRMDF in my area so I always build my cabinets with a high quality birch ply that is always stocked at a local mill near me.
I’m betting Medite is not available in Finland but I’m glad you got a sponsor
Hi Peter. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Very useful for my next project. Just one question if you dont mind. Should a washing machine always sit on the kitchen floor or can it be installed in a cabinet with legs? The reason i ask is i am building a few kitchen cabinets but not sure how to do the kicker at the bottom if I leave the washing machine sitting on the floor. Thanks again.
Thanks! Depends on the washer, but mostly they sit flat on the floor, and have some kind of integrated toe-kick to cover the built-in height adjustment.They’re generally considered too heavy to install in a cabinet with feet. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop Thanks Peter. Much appreciated.
Great video! I’m planning to fit out my home office at some point soon and am planning to use the plinth method for my base cabinets. I’ll definitely be using your tips to get the project done though!
Great video as always, just to mention my experience from watching kitchens here in Europe, every kitchen that I saw was on pastic legs, probably because of culture of building kitchens on tiles and practicality of cleaning it and water leak if it happens. P.S. I plan to make this kind of plynth for my wardrobe, is it ok?
Yes, you rarely see the plinth method in kitchen here in the UK, it it’s common in bedroom furniture. 👍
Awesome video Peter.
Thanks 👍
Great video, I've subscribed. At 9:42 you show the orange fixing device. What is the brand, or who sells that. Also, I see if the product wasn't thought of in advance to install, prior to hanging cabinets or placement it seems it would be impossible to 'retrofit' the device. What would be suggestions for 'after the fact' fixings? _IGNORE_ I've found them within the description. Thank you.
Buen día Peter, muchas gracias por compartir de tu experiencia, voy a investigar si ya hay disponible este MDF Medite aqui en México, una pregunta, tienes video disponible sobre como colocar los "clips" para sujetar una pieza con otra, girando algun tornillo e ir armando el gabinete??, por favor.....recibe cordiales saludos desde Aguascalientes México...👍
Thank you. I used a Lamello connector called Clamex. I did a video recently on the Clamex S20 that works with biscuit jointers - ua-cam.com/video/NwPCjzXod_I/v-deo.html - and an older video where I compared the Clamex with domino connect fittings - don’t have a link for that, but if you search for ‘Clamex’ it should show up. Thanks and best wishes from London. Peter.
Nice one Peter, thanks.
Excellent and very informative. Thanks
Hi Peter have you built new cabinets and door in your new kitchen build, will we be getting a look, Thanks Rich
No, I was trying to be completely hands off on the kitchen build - didn’t quite work out, but I certainly didn’t build or fit any of the cabinets. 👍
Good evening, thinking about the cabinets I want to build. They’re full height door to ceiling . I was going to have the base piece running the full width so the weight doesn’t sit on join. Am I overthinking this and go for standard construction as the lip of the plastic feet will do the lifting, as it were?
I always prefer a full-width plinth, personally. The only benefit of adjustable feet in floor to ceiling carcasses is that you can build them upright and wind them up to the ceiling. 👍
Really appreciate the reply. Tying myself in knots with all the different ways of doing things.
Hi Peter, when the adjustable legs are placed under the cupboard taking into account a deeper plinth, the adjustable legs cannot be placed under the sides to support them. A heavy kitchen top or a heavy marble sink puts a lot of pressure on the connection between the sides and the bottom and top. What is a good solution for this?
SHouldnt be using these plastic legs for granite or marble, there are meta legs more suited to those applications. Be aware of the weight on the floor as well - I've seen legs sinkl ink to flooring in older victorian houses because of the weight load! 😯 👍
thank you Peter, I will search for metal legs 👍@@10MinuteWorkshop
Hi Pete, yet another great video. Would you be able to recommend a good supplier for the Menite MR who delivers here in the uk.
I use a local yard, ajferguson.Co.Uk but MDFDirect.Co.Uk supply Medite. 👍
Id happily pay for a full set of plans for kitchen base cabinets (single,double,corner, outer corner, wall single, wall double etc) to UK standard sizing but I can't find anything out there at all. It's very frustrating!
very nice explanation. one thought thought what is your solution to hiding the cabinet using the plastic legs? thanks
Hiding the cabinet? Or hiding the plastic legs? Fr the legs it’s a simple toe-board attached with clips. Nothing visible from the front and easy to remove for access, if needed. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop I C now. You can get leg clips to screw to the toe bored. Any top tips to aline them perfectly? Thanks :)
Very helpful. Thank you!
Hi Peter. Love your work 👍
Thank you! 👍🙌
Fantastic - but how do you go about adjusting the plynth? Is it just a question of leveling and scribing?
Thanks! Yes, level and scribe. 👍
Hello Peter: We are a medium size shop in California..... Have you seen/used Hafele's Axilo legs and the tool to adjust them? It is our preferred choice. Think you would like it. Surely appreciate your channel.
Thanks, yes - they were my preferred leg back when I did that kind of cabinetry. 👍
Nice video - thanks.
So Optima has an even denser core than standard Medite MRMDF? I'm going to have to employ somebody to help me manoeuvre the sheets and built bits. I recently made a fireplace surround from 18mm MRMDF and once fully assembled, with its double thickness mantelpiece, it was, er, hefty.
Yes, Optima is really dense! Heavy to lug a full sheet around! 👍
Good overview video Peter. Can I ask what the worktop you dropped on is?
It’s from our kitchen supplier, Caple kitchens. 👍
Anybody know of a Canadian source of a similar sheet material? I once lucked out and got a lift of ultralight MDF with double sided birch veneer for $40/sheet but nowadays anything and everything is crazy heavy and expensive.
Curious as a trim carpenter/ cabinet maker in the states is medite readily available? I asked my supplier and a big box store for Water resistant MDF ? Yep they laughed?
The Medite brand is available, but it's not the same medite as we get here! Moisture resistant MDF is available in thr US, but you have to search it out as it isn't widely known about. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop I found it about 45 min from my shop. As we struggle with our leadership loosing it mind us craftsmen hv to adjust our material choices to keep prices reasonable . Once we boot them out we can go back to normal (just high cost as opposed to stupid high cost) .
I hv a request in for pricing waiting to hear back! Thank you for presenting the material options Peter! Great Videos !
I hv another question on full overlay hinges but that’s another story for another day!
Nice one Peter, you got a lot into 10 minutes mate!
Thanks Michael! 😂👍
Great video. I would love more on your kitchen build as I am thinking of doing one myself. I imagine it would be of considerable general interest. No need to reply just a suggestion.
Out of curiosity, why don't they make the bottom the full width and the two sides sit on top of the base?
I was thinking that the weight would then be borne by the material and not the fixings at all. Yes, I know the plastic feet are uneven so they still out under the sides but wouldn't it still be stronger to have the sides just sit on the base and the base on the plastic feet?
I'd imagine for commercial cabinetry, they make it as strong as it needs to be, in a way that can be manufactured most easily, eg top, base and shelves all the same width makes the process of manufacture much simpler. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop
Ah, thanks for that. Certainly makes sense. I guess it's probably plenty strong enough in that way. The only reason I thought of it is that recently I was trying to move around a 30mm thick stone worktop and was thinking all that weight is essentially resting on the dowels, screw and plastic tabs.
Then you have tradesmen sometimes climbing onto the worktops for some sort of maintenance or installation on the ceiling or wall.
Hi Peter, I like the idea of Medite, however living near Looe in Cornwall has its drawbacks, my nearest supplier is 85 miles away . Oh well! keep up the videos very informative. Jonathan Moore.
Thanks Jonathan! I’m sure Cornwall has its benefits as well! 👍👍😂
A few companies make units so the side goes down to the floor. Moore’s kitchens is a well known one.
I have been trying to buy some 22mm Medite Optima, but have found that suppliers are unwilling to sell it to a DIYer like me as they have to buy a whole pack (which is 10 - 22 sheets depending on thickness, I am told). Even Medite have been unable to find me a retailer.
Do you have a more helpful supplier?
Whereabouts are you based Mike - I’ll ask, see if there’s anyone within striking distance. 👍
Thank you. I'm near Cambridge. I know that Keith Rag'n'Bone Brown is relatively close, so I asked him, but he has also had difficulty getting hold of it.@@10MinuteWorkshop
Great work, as usual - love the musical interlude @ 06:20 - whatever next ? singing ??
Been getting drumming lessons off @gosforthhandyman 😂👍
Hi Peter,
I recently tried the tongue tite screws and had a nightmare with T10 bits just rounding off after 15 or so screws. Do you have a preferred branded bit or are you just treating them as consumables?
Never had an issue with them. You get a new bit in every box, and I don’t think I’ve ever used anything else. 🤷♂️👍
I had this problem too, ended up buying some impact rates tx bits (erbauer i think) and that made the problem a bit better. Not sure I'd use the losttite screws again though as they were quite a faff over a big floor install
@@jegford I'll have to give them a try. I did buy a pack of 5 dewalt impact bits and still had no luck with those, even with pre drilling. Cheers bud.
@@jakep121the erbauer bits (from Screwfix) are very good, last better than most of the premium brands
One problem with the plinth/legs style is that in a small kitchen you lose a lot of storage space. The full height sides style can be easily modified to include a drawer in the otherwise wasted space. When you only have space for 3-5 cupboards in your kitchen, this matters.
I guess the conclusion is that there's no universal best style, you should always consider the space you have.
Also, not exactly on topic but still: corner cupboards are EVIL.
I swear creatively and regularly at our corner cupboards. They are definitely agents of evil. But given that kitchens tend to contain corners, what is the alternative? I would genuinely love to know.
My parents' kitchen has ingenious rack mechanisms fitted inside the corner cupboards so that on opening the door the entire contents are rendered accessible, at the expense of a certain amount of storage space. Is this the way forward?
@@cooperised You can fit a "magic corner" system in a corner cupboard, it will improve access but also reduce the amount of space available (because the mechanism has to fit there) and you have to be careful to not store small items that could fall out and get stuck.
The best solution is to avoid corner cupboards altogether if possible. A galley layout is much more convenient in a small space because you have direct access to everything. For even easier access, have drawers in all base cupboards - no more forgotten items hiding in the back when you can pull out a drawer and see everything.
@@YaaLFH I agree. The problem only gets worse with age. Older people are less able to get on their knees to see what's in the back at the bottom. Drawers make a lot of sense for the bottom row or two!
@@weldabar My dream kitchen has drawers everywhere below worktop level, including under the sink. And they're proper drawers, not those tiny shallow trays that barely fit cutlery like what I have now and can't change because I rent 😭
You are gold…
MDF for a wet area though? I enjoy your videos btw
The MR in MRMDF stands for Moisture Resistant. Totally different animal to standard MDF. 👍
Whats the point in leaving the gap behind the carcass? Seems like it makes everything much more complicated
Services gap - it’s where the waste / water / gas / electrics sit.
That intro got me 😂
😆
I want to learn how to make cabinets
Hi Peter,
As always a really good video thank you.
But on one point I have to disagree.
Everybody says the top of a base cabinet is not important and that these strips are enough.
That is only the point for the stability and cost point but not really practical.
Without the full top things like knives or other items can get Stuck and you have problems opening the top drawer.
It happens in my kitchen far too often 😢.
Love your videos
Thanks, and while there are no drawers in this video I appreciate the comment and I do take your point; as I say in the video, this isn’t prescriptive - it’s just how I make them, and why. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop you are absolutely right. I wanted to add it in the comments because a lot of people love your videos and I think it is one point to consider.
I love this segment and plan to build a few cabinets based on your videos and professional insight.
Love your approach, how you present it and especially how you talk. You come straight to the point and the information needed.
Always happy about your videos.
I used to do gas connections for a kitchen fitter, he’d say to me, keep everything within 30mm off the wall. A few days later I’d get the call, he’d “made a mistake and I only have 25mm”, and I’d end up going back and redoing 🤬🤬🤬
I don’t do work for anyone anymore 😂😂😂
Peter said he prefers using a plinth instead of legs. Doesn't a plinth have the same downsides as the full-length sides - that you must scribe them to an uneven floor and they'll absorb water? I'm probably missing something.
Not all cabinet are in a kitchen, so water / damp isn’t always an issue. And levelling up a single plinth - rarely scribed, usually wedged btw - is much easier to do once on the plinth than on each carcass. 👍👍
We do cabinets very very differently here in the States. Having cabinets spaced out from the wall is lunacy! Electrical and plumbing aren’t run inside the walls over there? I quite like plinths but all cabinets here are of the first style you showed. Our backs are a little different from all of those. For most custom work, I have to match existing pieces and it’s never a box carcass on a plinth here. We also have no access to colored MDF or moisture resistant MDF (at least not on the coast of North Carolina).
Try to run cables and pipes in a brick wall and you'll understand.
Electrics are chased into the walls, plumbing very rarely. We build our houses out of brick though - makes a difference! 👍
On the back I split the difference… not 7mm, not 18mm, but 13mm stapled or screwed in
First. How about wall-mounted "floating" base cabinets - the new new thing?
Then you’d make them like a hybrid. 👍
💪pro tips!
👍
If they are going in my shop I would want legs ease of cleaning the floor if in my kitchen I want to the floor with the toe kick