Cabinet Scribing

[Vet]

Hi - My question is regarding cabinet scribing.  When installing cabinets and finding the walls not to be straight, I take the cabinet back out to the shop and make modification to the sides to get it to fit the wall.  At the age of 66, this is not something I want to be doing.  I've haven't tried this but couldn't I just take a similar size piece of 1/4" hard board or plywood( height and depth) and scribe that first and then transfer that to the cabinet?  Thus eliminating any trips back to the shop with the cabinet.   I guess if the floor has a some peaks and valleys this could come into play but let's just say that's not the case in this scenario.  Thank you

[Gene Howe]

That'll work.  

[JimM]

From my kitchen designer days...most semi custom manufacturers offer a scribe strip molding.  It looks like ranch door stop on a smaller scale, maybe 1/4 to 3/8 thick x about 1" or so, along the same idea as your suggestion using the hardboard.

Regarding floor peaks and valleys, I understood that the wall cabinets are mounted 54" above the highest spot of the floor.   And the base cabinets are shimmed to maintain the 34 1/2" height.   I apologize if I'm stating the obvious to this knowledgeable community.

 

[lew]

What Gene said!

[Vet]

Thanks for the responses.! I was thinking that should be the case.  I'll give it a try at the next opportunity.

[John Morris]

Probably unrelated, but it could help in the future.

I never liked leveling each individual cabinet, so to avoid that, firstly I'll build a base cabinet as long as I can, I'll combine the typical individual cabinet layout into one.

 

On top of that, I never build toe kicks into the cabinets. Instead I'll build a 2x4 base to set the cabinet(s) on. It's much easier to level a light weight 2x4 base to set the cabinet on top of, than to level heavy cabinets. The 2x4 base provides the toe kick needed. Just my own developed way of doing things

I never really worried about squareness of walls, that's what trim is for!

 

 

[Vet]

51 minutes ago, John Morris said:

Probably unrelated, but it could help in the future.

I never liked leveling each individual cabinet, so to avoid that, firstly I'll build a base cabinet as long as I can, I'll combine the typical individual cabinet layout into one.

 

On top of that, I never build toe kicks into the cabinets. Instead I'll build a 2x4 base to set the cabinet(s) on. It's much easier to level a light weight 2x4 base to set the cabinet on top of, than to level heavy cabinets. The 2x4 base provides the toe kick needed. Just my own developed way of doing things

I never really worried about squareness of walls, that's what trim is for!

 

 

Interesting, I've never heard of the pedestal concept before.

[HARO50]

On 2/23/2023 at 9:37 AM, Vet said:

Interesting, I've never heard of the pedestal concept before.

I've used the same system. It works well.

[BillyJack]

On 2/22/2023 at 10:43 AM, JimM said:

From my kitchen designer days...most semi custom manufacturers offer a scribe strip molding.  It looks like ranch door stop on a smaller scale, maybe 1/4 to 3/8 thick x about 1" or so, along the same idea as your suggestion using the hardboard.

Regarding floor peaks and valleys, I understood that the wall cabinets are mounted 54" above the highest spot of the floor.   And the base cabinets are shimmed to maintain the 34 1/2" height.   I apologize if I'm stating the obvious to this knowledgeable community.

 

More information please..To correct what you’ve already written. Basic cabinets are at 84” you mis typed 54” cabinets can either be 34.5 or 35.25 depending on the manufacturer.

 

Sorry… clarifying…..

[John Morris]

19 minutes ago, BillyJack said:

Basic cabinets are at 84”

That'd be a pretty high reach for most of us. He got it right, 54" from the floor to the bottom of the upper cabinet.

[BillyJack]

Your correct. 54” from the  floor to the bottom of the upper. I broke my glasses and my wife bought me 2.0 and I need 2.5 glasses. Im squinting to read everything. 
 

 

I’m putting a topic in on installation to clear a few things. The installation is from the 90’s.

Edited March 5 by BillyJack