How to Build and Install Pantry Cabinets – Part 2

The pantry is coming along and it’s getting exciting!  After building the complicated wine storage cabinet, the next bank of cabinets was a breeze to build!  In fact, I blew through them so fast I forgot what I was doing half the time!  wahh-wahh…

The first one I built was a narrow 7″ deep cabinet to put on the angled wall.  I kept my head on for that one.  Drilled my shelf pin holes, assembled it, boom — Done!

Then I cut the pieces for two identical cabinets and threw them both together, lickety split and then had to drill my shelf pin holes after assembly because, in my groove, I forgot to do it first.  It’s so much easier done before assembly!

I built all three cabinets before doing any finish work so I’d only have to get those tools and supplies out once.

Some of my wood is crappy sanded ply because I’m using up scraps in my storage area so I had a few cracks and splits…but hey, I’m using up a bunch of my sCrap pile and it’s all painted in the end so who cares that it’s about 4 different types of plywood?  Not me!

I filled any imperfections I could see with my favorite wood patch.

Sanded everything smooth.

Then primed, sanded and painted.

Then again, I was on such a role…

I needed to keep the “legs” together while I squared up and attached my back so I clamped an extra shelf at the bottom…temporarily.

And then I attached the back…

Including nailing it into my temporary spacer!  Arggg…I’ll fix that later.

After I build anything, I have the choice of either carrying it up the U shaped stairs from my basememt to the main floor or pushing the suckers up my steep driveway.

Phew!  Madison helped me carry them into the house at least.

I got the two “partner” cabinets installed, including cutting out for an outlet.

Then I went back to my shop and built the two small upper cabinets.  These two truly were easy!  No mistakes or mishaps.  😀

My awesome corner clamps, nail gun and SPAX screws make this a quick process.  When possible, clamping the cabinet down so it doesn’t move while I drive in the screws without predrilling makes the “screwing” process eeeeeasy!

I think I knocked those out in a couple hours, finished with paint!  Then installed them.

Then I installed my shallow cabinet on the angled wall.  I could have built an angled cabinet that mimicked the angle of the wall but opted to block out behind the cabinet instead.  I anticipated having the shelves deeper on one side would bug my eyes.  The bottom cabinet does follow the wall angle but it will have a door so it won’t bug me.

I had to cut a long angled block so I could attach it to the stud.  There was a lot of fiddle factor getting the block exactly the correct thickness to support the back of the cabinet.  I think I adjusted it about a half a dozen times.

But I finally got it, secured it to the block, the adjacent cabinet and started attaching my faceframe.

On large builds like this, I attach my faceframe piece by piece, in place.  It’s just easier than trying to plan and build a perfectly matched giant faceframe and installing that!

I had to actually glue up some wide stock for the “ladder rail” because I didn’t want to go buy any more (using up my wood supply remember) so my awesome groove finally ended and I had to wait…for glue to dry.

Check out this weeks videos of my pantry build if you are a video watcher…if not, I’ll see you  next time, whenever that is, with my next progress update and whatever tips pop into my head as something good to share!

See you then!