How to Make a Built-In Wall Cabinet
New houses are being built smaller in an effort to make them more energy-efficient. However, this makes it more difficult to find space to hold onto things. Built-in wall cabinets allow you to take advantage of the dead space between interior walls to provide storage for prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, personal hygiene products and beauty supplies. You can build them yourself. If you need deeper shelves, just build across the end of a hallway . Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 2-inch by 4-inch stock lumber
- Preformed recessed cabinet interior
- Stud finder
- Circular saw
- Carpenter's measuring tape
- Rubber mallet
- Keyhole saw
- Carpenter's try square
- Spirit level
- 2 butt hinges
- 2-feet by 3-feet by 1/2-inch plywood for cabinet door
- Two 28-inch lengths of 4-inch wide, 1/2-inch thick, flat-face wooden molding
- Two 40-inch lengths of 4-inch wide, 1/2-inch thick, flat-face wooden molding
- Miter box and back saw
- Box of 3-inch long, 1/4-inch diameter wood screws
- Box of 3/4-inch long, 1/4-inch diameter wood screws
- Countersink bit
- Power drill, 1/8-inch diameter drill bit
- Wood chisel
- Sanding block
- Coarse, medium, fine and extra-fine sandpaper
- Clear acrylic wood treatment
Instructions
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1
Use a stud finder to locate your wall studs. Carefully cut a small inspection hole in the plasterboard between two studs using a keyhole saw. Make very shallow cuts in the wall to avoid possible electric shock or damage to water or gas lines that might be running through your wall. If you see power lines or other utilities running through the wall at that point, close up the hole and try the space between another set of studs.
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2
Once you find a set of studs with no utility lines running through them, carefully cut away the plasterboard between two studs to the height you want for your cabinet. These instructions are for a 2-feet by 3-feet cabinet, so cut a space 3-feet long and the width of the space between the studs. Most cabinets are hung just above eye level, with the midpoint of the cabinet door falling close to shoulder height, which is just under 4 feet 6 inches for most average height women, and 5 feet 6 inches for most average height men. If the cabinet will be used by someone who uses a wheelchair, however, make the midpoint fall about 3 feet 6 inches from the floor.
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3
Measure the space between the two studs. Use a circular saw to cut two 2-inch by 4-inch shelves. Make them long enough to fit snugly between the studs to frame the cabinet space. Tap them into place with a rubber mallet. Place a spirit level on top of each shelf, one at a time, to make sure each one is level. Adjust the shelves as needed.
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4
Sand all wood pieces using coarse, medium, fine and extra-fine sandpaper, in that order. Apply several coats of clear acrylic wood treatment, allowing to dry between coats.
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5
Drill two 1/8-inch diameter pilot holes, at a 45-degree angle, into each end of the shelf, three inches apart. Countersink the holes. Secure each shelf using 3-inch long, 1/4-inch diameter wood screws. Install your preformed recessed wall cabinet box according to manufacturer's directions, using supplied hardware.
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6
Use a miter box and back saw to cut the molding pieces to a 45-degree angle at each end. Position molding over the edge of the preformed cabinet insert. Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes into the molding every six inches. Countersink all holes. Secure the molding to the wall with 3/4-inch long, 1/4-inch diameter wood screws.
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7
Use a wood chisel to cut two 1/4-inch deep rabbets into the wall cabinet frame, the length and width of your chosen butt hinges when they are folded. Rabbet cuts are dados at the edge of a piece of wood. Make the cuts shallower and narrower than you need at first, to ensure that the hinge will fit snug. It is far easier to cut away more material than to find a way to put it back. Cut matching rabbets into the 2-feet by 3-feet by 1/2-inch plywood cabinet door.
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8
Carefully square the corners of each cut and place the butt hinge in the rabbet cut to check the fit. Drill through the holes in the hinges into the wood frame. Secure the hinges with the hardware supplied by the manufacturer. Attach the door to the cabinet by screwing the hinges into the rabbet cuts made in Step 6.
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