How to Build Your Own Bathroom Cabinet with Light

Build an attractive oak bath cabinet with light.

By using oak hardwood and a hobby light, you can build an attractive bathroom cabinet. It's small enough to fit almost anywhere, but big enough to hold most medicines and cosmetic containers. With a narrow hobby light on the inside, you can have that bit of extra light to read labels. Stop by the home improvement store, pick up some small pieces of oak and a light, and build a nice cabinet in one afternoon.

Things You'll Need

• Miter saw
• 4 pieces oak, 24-by-3 1/2-by-3/4 inch
• Glue
• Nylon strap clamp
• 3 pieces oak, 22 1/2-by-3 1/2-by-3/4 inch
• Pin nailer with 1 1/4-inch pin nails
• Putty knife
• Wood putty
• 4 pieces oak lumber, 24-by-2-by-3/4 inch
• 1 piece oak plywood, 24-by-24-by-1/4 inch
• 100-grit sandpaper
• Sanding block
• Cordless drill with 3/4-inch spade bit
• Hobby light

Instructions

1. Set the miter saw at 45 degrees. Stand the 3 1/2-inch pieces on their edges on the miter saw and miter the edges without taking off any length.

2. Lay the pieces out on a flat surface. Glue all the mitered ends. Bring the mitered ends together to create a cabinet frame, 24-by-24-by-3/4 inch. Place a strap clamp around the frame and tighten. Let the glue dry for one hour. Take off the strap clamp.

3. Spread some glue on the ends of the 22 1/2-inch pieces of oak. Slip them inside the frame on their edges, evenly spaced for the shelves. Using the pin nailer, nail the shelves in place. Nail the mitered corners on the cabinet frame. Putty all the holes using the wood putty and putty knife.

4. Miter all the ends of the 2-inch lumber laying flat on the miter saw for the face frame. Do not lose any length when mitering.

5. Lay out the 2-inch pieces on a flat surface. Glue the mitered edges. Place the strap clamp around the face frame and tighten. Let the glue dry for one hour. Remove the strap clamp. Fire pin nails through the mitered corners.

6. Lay the 3 1/2-inch cabinet frame across two sawhorses. Run a bead of glue along the edge. Lay the face frame on the glue. Square the face frame to the cabinet frame. Nail the face frame to the cabinet frame. Let the glue dry for one hour.

7. Sand the cabinet with 100-grit sandpaper and a sanding block. Turn the cabinet upside down. Run a bead of glue along the back edge. Lay the 24-by-24-inch plywood on the glue. Square it to the frame and nail it to the frame. Drill a hole in the back of the plywood using the cordless drill and 3/4-inch spade bit. Drill the hole on the left or right at the top, depending on which side your hobby light has the cord attached.

8. Place the hobby light inside the upper face frame of the cabinet. Center it and screw it to the cabinet frame using the cordless drill and the screws that come with the light. Thread the cord for the light through the hole in the back of the cabinet. The cabinet is ready to install by screwing through the back of the cabinet into the wall studs.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the dimensions of your hobby light before buying it. There are many different widths and lengths. Get the one that fits best inside a 3 1/2-by-22 1/2-inch opening.

• Always wear safety glasses when working with wood.

References

• Woodworking Corner: How to Make Wooden Medicine Cabinets
• Kraftmstr: Hobby HIll Lighting