Part 3 – Building My Walk-In Closet Island (And A Pretty Big Setback)

So let me again up a bit. Once I final shared my progress, the island appeared like this…

The essential construct appeared completed at that time, however I nonetheless wanted to take away the highest and add a couple of extra items to the bottom construction. I lower items of 1×2’s to suit on the prime of every opening. I drilled pocket holes in every finish of every piece utilizing my Kreg pocket gap jig, after which used these pocket holes to screw the items into the edges of every part.

Right here’s a take a look at the place each items screw into the center divider piece of plywood.

And right here’s a better take a look at the place it’s screwed into the top piece, lined up with the plywood.

With all of these 1×2’s hooked up, it appeared like this…

Right here’s one other look from the facet of the island…

I had already created a body for the doorways and drawer entrance on the edges with the facet trim, and on the underside with the underside trim, so now I wanted to create a body on the highest in order that the doorways and drawer fronts would look inset on all sides as soon as they’re hooked up. So I lower one other strip of three/4″ sq. trim by ripping down a 1×3 utilizing my desk noticed, and I hooked up it going all the best way throughout the highest of the 1×2 stretchers I had simply hooked up.

And with that piece hooked up, now you can see that the doorways and drawer fronts will sit inside that body giving them an inset look as soon as they’re on.

With that executed, I may truly connect the highest. After measuring fastidiously to verify it was even all the best way round, I simply nailed proper via the highest and into the body of the bottom to safe the highest. You possibly can see the place I used wooden filler to fill these nail holes.

I additionally added wooden filler the place the facet trim met the plywood prime in order that when it’s sanded, it’ll be as completely easy as potential with no little cracks between these items.

Right here’s a take a look at it with the highest on. You possibly can see that that prime body piece is about 1/4″ under the countertop.

Then I used to be able to construct the drawer containers. I began by measuring the width of the opening, which was 34 7/8 inches.

These are the drawer slides I exploit. I’m not explicit in regards to the model so long as they’re ball bearing drawer slides with mushy shut. You may get them at Dwelling Depot and Lowe’s, and so they’re all just about the identical, no matter model.

The drawer slides are 1/2 inch thick.

That ought to make it straightforward, proper? You’re taking the width of the opening, subtract an inch, and that’s the width you construct the drawer field. Straightforward peasy. Or no less than, it needs to be.

So I spent hours reducing and sanding all the items for the drawer containers. For these, I made a decision to maintain it straightforward and construct absolutely the easiest type of drawer field potential. I lower one backside piece for every drawer. Then I lower two items to go on the back and front, lower to the identical width as the underside piece. After which I lower two items for the ends, lower to at least one inch greater than the underside piece in order that the facet items would cowl the underside piece plus the edges of the back and front items. Nail all of them collectively, and you’ve got essentially the most primary drawer field potential. No fancy cuts or fancy instruments wanted.

So I obtained all the things lower, obtained the primary drawer field nailed collectively, after which realized that I had forgotten to subtract that inch for the drawer slides when reducing all the backside, entrance, and again items. UGH!!!! Such a rookie mistake!!!

Y’all, I used to be so pissed off. Thank goodness I had solely put collectively one drawer field and determined to check it for match earlier than placing the remaining collectively. I might have ugly cried had I gotten all ten drawer containers put collectively earlier than realizing that I had lower all of them the flawed dimension.

It’s no massive deal. I simply must spend time at the moment recutting all of these items (all apart from the facet items) to the correct lengths (one inch shorter than they’re) and doing slightly extra sanding, after which I can get them constructed. At the very least I lower them too lengthy as an alternative of too brief! Had I lower them too brief, all of that plywood would have been wasted. So this can be a very easy repair, however it’s nonetheless a ache.

By the point I spotted my mistake, I didn’t have it in me to return out and repair these items. So as an alternative, I obtained all the wooden filler on the bottom and obtained it prepared for sanding in order that I can get it primed and painted.

I additionally tried to determine simply precisely how I’m going to make the drawer fronts and doorways. I used to be waffling between two totally different designs, however I believe I’m going to maintain it easy. I purchased these pulls from Lowe’s.

So I believe I’m simply going to chop the drawer fronts out of 1/2″ plywood after which put some fairly trim across the edges. I’m nonetheless unsure if I’m going to make use of one pull per drawer…

Or two pulls per drawer like this…

I’m leaning in direction of two because the drawers are so broad (virtually 36 inches broad). And as soon as the trim is hooked up, I’ll simply end up the sides with some wooden veneer edge banding.