Anybody build cabinets before?

[Magnethead]

Running out of desk space- Thinking about extending to the left and right.... any ideas for wood choice or hardware or anything?

I want to continue what I already have- a 30" desk spanning from my bed (I'd move the bookshelf to other side of room, and corvette poster up) all the way to my door, with cabinets above. Computer tower would stay where-is, but have a cabinet under it, not sure about overhead shelf or not. To left, would be a standard corner desk with above cabinets and a slide-out keyboard tray.

I know my room is a mess. I have a pile by the door that's 30 pounds of E-junk, not to mention all my camera equip and such that doesn't have a place of storage. Plus all my papers and school books. Kinda running out of room, so having to build up. IF anybody cares to count outlets, I have 6 on the left of my desk, 6 underneath my monitor, a 10-outlet unit under my desk, and a pair of 6 outlet strips feeding my other desk. And I'm going to add 2 strips when I extend my desk.

If I had my way, I'd move this desk to the other room, and make a giant built-in spanning the entire distance as a uni-body desk. But I don't know if doing that would be worth the time and effort.

 

[SST55]

You have a tablesaw that delivers accurate cuts? How do you plan on constructing? 1/2 inch Baltic birch plywood is about 50 bucks for a 4 x 5 sheet here. 4 x 8 Oak about $110, Cherry and Walnut even more. You'll want 5/8 minimum too.

I finally got my dream woodworking shop about 15 years ago. Jet Super Saw, Jet 15 inch planer,8 inch joiner,17 inch drill press, 14 inch band saw, floor model OSS, scroll saw, 37 Stanley/Bailey hand planes (it's not a addiction!!) none newer than 1943, routers other sanders and lost count of how many clamps.

I WON'T BUILD CABINETS!!!!!!

Go to Staples, Office Max etc and buy a couple of 2-3 drawer file cabinets then to Home Depot/Lowes for a 4 x 8 sheet of Melonite, have it cut it to 24 wide. Put it on the top of the file cabinets. Dah Daaa

Watch craigs list for someone selling old kitchen cabinets for above desk storage.

 

[BobbyFord]

I made this a couple of years ago for my laundry room. Never made a cabinet before (I'm an engine/transmission guy). I bought the wood at Lowe's, solid Oak. I used a compound sliding mitre saw, a tape measure, square and Makita drill.

 

[SST55]

Nice

 

[BobbyFord]

Nice

Thanks. I screwed a few things up, but it was a learning process. The kitchen cabinets will turn out better (that is, if I ever get around to 'em).

 

[Magnethead]

I'm a govt employee so unfortunately, can't afford things that expensive. But that's the direction i'm looking towards, even if it's just a veneer finish or even just a brush-on stain. Like i said, ideally I would move this desk out and just do a big long built-in. But I don't see that happening.

 

[buckaroo]

Mag, check to see if you have a Habitat for Humanity store near by. You can find cabinets galor there and for much cheaper than you might think. Give it a shot. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what all you can find there.

 

[mike honcho]

Mag, check to see if you have a Habitat for Humanity store near by. You can find cabinets galor there and for much cheaper than you might think. Give it a shot. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what all you can find there.

I think there is one in Dallas.

 

[Magnethead]

Mag, check to see if you have a Habitat for Humanity store near by. You can find cabinets galor there and for much cheaper than you might think. Give it a shot. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what all you can find there.

Thanks for the idea. There's 3 of them around here, per google.

I know how I'm going to re-do my room, just a matter of doing it. Gonna remove 2.5 sq ft from one desk so I can add about 24 square feet to another (12ft x 2ft).

Right now, I have 2 desktops and a 17" laptop. This desktop has 22" and 19" monitors on a custom VESA uni-mount that I made, the other computer has a pair of 17's, though unnecessary (it's a low power server), so I'm going to put one in storage. I should have room to add 1 more desktop if not 2 to this desk once I'm done.

 

[Magnethead]

I think there is one in Dallas.

Cleburne, Dallas, and 2 in Ft Worth.

 

[Bucky Badger]

Here is my set up... For the most part it is cheaper to buy than to build. I did build the uppers tho.
Unfinished cabs artn't too expensive...I know the laundey type one like Bobbiefords cost around 80 bucks at Lowes and Home Depot

 

[Magnethead]

Wow Bucky, very nice. Is the top just a fer-mica type kitchen coating? The wall I'm building onto is curved (staircase on other side) but cardboard is my friend (templating). That's the only reason I desire to build rather than buy, because everything is built for straight walls. I'm sure I could do pre-fabs for the straight portions of wall, but If I'm to remove this desk, then I'd be having to deal with the curved wall.

I tried looking for a picture from before we moved in, apparently I didn't take any of my room.

 

[Bucky Badger]

Wow Bucky, very nice. Is the top just a fer-mica type kitchen coating? The wall I'm building onto is curved (staircase on other side) but cardboard is my friend (templating). That's the only reason I desire to build rather than buy, because everything is built for straight walls. I'm sure I could do pre-fabs for the straight portions of wall, but If I'm to remove this desk, then I'd be having to deal with the curved wall.

I tried looking for a picture from before we moved in, apparently I didn't take any of my room.

it's just a standard kitchen countertop from Menards.

Curved walls do hamper the project.

 

[Magnethead]

I'm thinking I'm going to toss the desk that the server is on (It cost me all of $5 to build, the 6 angle brackets that I can re-use, the wood was construction scrap), build one out of proper materials (Ie, not construction scrap) with a slide-out keyboard tray and a corner-piece. The bookshelf and dresser can fill that wall. I only had offset space because the desk juts out so much.

For this wall, still not sure if I want to go all-out custom, or just build wings off of this desk. I like the Restore/Prefab idea, but not sure they'd fit the hand-made theme of my rom (if you can cal it that). I'm not looking to overdo it, just match what I have now or slightly better. This desk is just particle board with fancy laminate over it. At the old house, we made an entertainment center out of MDF and it didn't look too bad once it was painted. That's probably what I'd use again, it costs more, but it (spray) paints easier than plywood since it's a uniform color. I'd like to have everything done in fancy wood, but the Govt paychecks I get don't quite allow for that.

 

[Magnethead]

I'm not an Artist, rather far from it.

Here's my horrible drawing ideas. The scanned overlay might be better. The pencil is current, red is proposed.

 

[Bucky Badger]

Well, all I can say is I'm glad it's not me!!!!! Good luck man. You'll need it

 

[Magnethead]

Well, all I can say is I'm glad it's not me!!!!! Good luck man. You'll need it

Like I said. Cardboard and I are friends...thankfully. Tamplates galore.

 

[Magnethead]

Well, all I can say is I'm glad it's not me!!!!! Good luck man. You'll need it

I've been working today on 3 hours of sleep. went to bed at 3am after taping everything up, then woke up at 6:30 to go get the cardboard.

After making up the templates, I went back and got $100 worth of stuff- a sheet of 1/2 ($22), a sheet of 5/8 ($25), like 8 packages of misc hardware at $2.50 each, 2 jigsaw blades, 2 2x4x8 premiums ($2.27 each), and whatever else I could think of.

Sitting on my floor right now, I have:

left desktop
middle desktop
left overhead shelf
3x 30x30" lower uprights
6x 2x4x11.75" (truss)
2x 2x4x32" (truss)

I'm going to get another 2 sheets of 5/8 tomorrow morning (provided I can do so much as get out of bed, my body is feeling it already), to make the center and right overhead shelves, 3 more 30" square lower uprights, and the 2 solid uprights for the top shelf. Then I'll get a sheet of 1/2" to make the right desktop and cabinet bodies with. Then I'll run to work, and should be able to start assembly when I get home- the 2 drawer cavities, then set the middle desktop on it, install the tri-monitor stand, then cut the left desktop to the correct length (It's 4" longer than needed right now) and get it up and free standing. Then get the right desktop free-standing, and it should start looking like a desk. And I think that will pretty much finish all the cutting, so that Friday (payday) I can spend strictly on assembly.

I think I'm slightly ahead of schedule? :shock:

 

[Bucky Badger]

WOW!!!

 

[Magnethead]

WOW!!!

It's not perfect by any means, but man, wouldn't be possible without cardboard. Would be nice if it was cleaner, but jigsaws can only do so much. The outer one, I can clean up with a sander once everything is together. The inside edge, doesn't line up very well at all, but oh well. Will probably get covered in papers and crap anyways

 

[Magnethead]

Taken at 9:45pm local time:

 

[Magnethead]

It's 1 am local time, about to go to bed. The lower uprights need to be shaved down to 19.5", which will require complete disassembly of the desk. But, since I don't intend to have time nor funds to do the drawers, I'm not worried about shaving them down right now.

The tower is going to sit behind the screens, with cabinet doors on the far right segment, to store whatever I want within. It will also have the power systems, ethernet hub, and all the other interconnectivity tucked inside, for easy access.

The CD drive, Fan Controller, Remote Power Switch, and 7-port USB hub will be in the top right drawer, along with all my blank CD's and related such. It should make for a pretty neat control center, hidden away by the drawer face.

 

[SlowNeasy]

very nice

 

[Magnethead]

not a whole lot left to do. Everything is screwed down tight, nothing has any ability to move.

 

[Magnethead]

 

[Magnethead]

Here's where I am now. Dad's flight lands at 9:45pm tonight, and I still have chores to do. It's 3 pm now. I don't have all that much left, I'm waiting for all 3 drill batteries to charge (we have 5 batteries, only 3 can charge at a time, and i've drained all 5). Started taking apart the old desk last night, stole all the hardware and such off it, getting it ready to be disposed of. Once I get the HAF X, this should get pretty interesting. Plus I need it's extra room, I only have the 9800GTX, tuner card, and 9400GT, and it's begging for space, it's all kinds of cramped (the 9400 almost touches the power supply).

 

[Magnethead]

 

[Magnethead]

Bonus Pictures of Bowzer wondering where his daddy is. About to go get him from the airport.