Rustic alder kitchen I built. First full scale kitchen I've done. 3/4 prefinished ply boxes, soft close 35mm cup hinges, undermount, soft close blum drawer glides. I did every aspect of the project, from design to finish. I use Sher wood precat lacquers, stain and glazes. I have done other custom projects like bookshelves and bar areas, but first time to complete an entire kitchen. I've been woodworking 3 years, would like to start my own shop someday.
Viewer Comments:
Very nice. Reminds me of a Wallace and Hinz Bar.
Beautiful, is the first thing that popped into my head. After only three years of woodworking, just imagine how good you could be in ten years! Congratulations on a great job!
thank you Joel and Dennis. appreciate the kind words. when I was in high school/college I was really into drawing and graphic design, this is taking that a step (or ten) further and creating something functional and tangible as well as beautiful. I've looked at your postings as well, and it's obvious I still have a very long way to go. I just try to be a little better than I was before with every project, and over time I can see a big difference in my work. (some of the first things I did that I thought were so great I tend to cringe a little at now!) Any constructive criticism is definitely welcome, as this is what I really have a passion for in life, and love to continue learning better ways to do things.
Would you mind sharing your construction plans for the curved bar front?
Hi Josh, I started with a half wall, used 1x12 pine for the top/bottom plates. cut out the radius, it was a 12' radius, then screwed 2x4s along side the arc. I used 3.5" and 5.5" wide stock for the rails and stiles. I use pocket screws/glue for my face frames, so I laid out where my stiles would join with the top/bottom rails, then cut kerfs into the backside of the stiles, except for where the stiles would join, this way the joints would stay flush. I designed it with plenty of Raised panels along the front so that each panel didn't have to curve much to fit. Just made a slight bevel to the glue lines and hand sanded any ridge out. I was only concerned about one face, since the backside does not get seen, like a cabinet door would. I used a two piece base molding, a cove and then a Victorian style 4.5" base board. Instead of buying a piece of flex trim or having my molding supplier run me a piece with appropriate curve, I kerfed the back of the two moldings as well. I should have had them run me a piece, because I ended up having to kerf through the profile more than I wanted. So I used some solvent based Famowood filler and filled it three times to get it nice and smooth. upon finishing, if there were any color inconsistencies with the filler, I evened it out by spraying diluted stain over it. this project also used a black glaze, so I was able to use that to hide any color inconsistencies as well.
To trever T...I love that Kitchen...congrats. I have been doing this for thirty years. It makes me happy that the trade is not dead...no one can top a custom Job. Well done. The only thing I would have done different is use grass hinges. I think they work alittle better with the soft close feature. Good luck!
Bryan C Parks- thank you for your kind comments. It means a lot coming from people that have been in the trade for that long. Gives me hope that I can do this for a living (someday!) as well. I will look into Grass hinges, I've heard of them before, so I will check them out. thanks again for your comments and tips!
Amazing work. As a cabinetmaker with specialty in fininsing, if there's one thing I can suggest is stay away from precat. It looks just as good new, but over the years precat just doesn't have the strenght/body/chemical resistance to hold up like a post-cat, no matter how much the rep tries to tell you that it's just as good. I've refaced lots of kitchens (built by others) less than 7 years old because the finish was, for lack of a better word, finished. Other wise, beautiful job.
Thanks Allesio. I've been thinking about trying out the Mohawk post cat stuff. Do you have any experience with it?
Trevor, No experience with mohawk. I use mostly two brands, Acroma Pro's Innovat (Conversion Varnish), and recently Gemini Coating's Conversion Varnish. Have had the good fortune to see some kitchens from about 8 years ago and they still look like the day I sprayed them, even the sink doors! The Gemini product is about 25% cheaper, you can use a catalyst that gives you 7 day pot-life vs 4-6hrs on the Innovat, and you can flip the parts same day, somewhat risky with the Innovat on a cold day. Also I would suggest a vinyl sealer for any kitchen and bathroom millwork.
Nice work. Learn how to make curved moldings. Curved casework always says something about the craftsman's desire to make it special.
