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DIY Small Dish Cupboard Take 5…

07.03.12 By //
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Sari my better half saw one like this in a shop but it was not for sale. So I said I will try and make one, but it ended up bigger because she wanted to put more and more dishes in it… It is a wall mounted cupboard for your best plates or whatever you want to put in it. The plate rack I bought from my local DIY shop. The one in the shop had one made from bamboo (it looked much better)

Estimated Cost 

$50-$75

Dimensions 
880mm wide 300mm deep 646mm high

Tools 
  • Hammer
  • Router
  • Circular Saw (if you are cutting all the wood yourself)
  • Keyhole saw
  • 16mm wood drill or hole saw
Lumber 
  • 1.5 pieaces of 18mm thick wood
  • 2.4meters X 1.2meters (wood yard cut them for me)
  • 6mm ply wood for back and draw sides
Materials 
  • only used small tacks to hold the back on and the rest is dovetal joints and glue.
Cut List 

18mm thick:

  • Top (1) @ 907mm x 314mm
  • Sides (2) @ 652mm (Dt,T) x 300mm
  • Bottom (1) @ 855mm (Dt, T/B) x 290mm
  • Draw Tops (1) @ 855mm (Dt, T/B) x 290mm
  • Centre Shelf (1) @ 477mm (Dt, B/S) x 290mm
  • Shelf Suports (2) @ 477mm (Dt, T/B) x 290mm
  • Side Shelfs (2) @ 183mm (Dt, B/S) x 290mm
  • Drawers
  • Dividers (4) @ 127mm (Dt, T/B) x 290mm
  • Drawers Front/back ( 8) @ 133mm x 133mm

6mm thick ply

  • drawer sides 8 @ 266mm x 133mm
  • drawer base 4 @ 262mm x 107mm

(Dt,T)            Dovetail TOP + 6mm
(Dt, T/B)        Dovetail TOP AND BOTTOM +12mm
(Dt, B/S)        Dovetail Both Sides +12mm

 

Instructions 

Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.

Step 1 

Cut all the pieces of wood to the right side and mark them for size and make sure they are square. Sand them so they are ready for staining.

Step 2 

This is where you make up your mind whether you want to do dovetail joints or a simple slot joint.
if you doing a dovetail. Set up your router for doing a 6mm deep dovetail joint.
if you are doing a slotted joint. Set up your router for doing a 6mm deep slotted joint.
Check your setting on a scrap piece of wood.

Step 3

Step 3 

Mark out one piece at the time so you dont get lost.
I started with the all the dovetails in the centre first, (I found it easier this way).

Starting with the bottom and work your way up

  1. Mark a centre line
  2. Mark two lines 164.5mm either side of centre line for shelf supports
  3. Mark two lines 297.5mm either side of centre line for the other shelf supports
  4. Mark a line 10mm from the front edge this is you stop point for your dovetail or slot.
  5. Put 4 slot (Dovetail or plane)
Step 4 

mark the draw top the same as the bottom so

  1. Mark a centre line
  2. Mark two lines 164.5mm either side of centre line for shelf supports
  3. Mark two lines 297.5mm either side of centre line for the other shelf supports
  4. Mark a line 10mm from the front edge this is you stop point for your dovetail or slot.
  5. Put 4 slot (Dovetail or plane)

now turn draw top over

  1. Mark a centre line
  2. Mark two lines 232.5mm either side or centre for shelf supports
Step 5 

mark the top the same as the draw top as so

  1. Mark a centre line
  2. Mark two lines 232.5mm either side or centre for shelf supports

Now for the sides, as I hope you can see there is a radius on the top front edge. This is there just for cosmetics. but if you want it?

  1. mark a line 26mm from the top
  2. mark another line 117mm from first line
  3. draw a 95mm radius joining the two lines and cut the curve
  4. mark another line 39mm from the bottom this is the centre line of the the bottom piece.
  5. mark a line 172mm from the bottom this is centre of the draw top.
  6. mark a line 346mm from the bottom this is for the side shelf
  7. mark line 10mm from the front edge this is the stop point for the router
  8. now mark the other side on opposite side (left and right)

 

Step 7 

now for the shelf supports . One is opposite from the other (one left hand one right)
RIGHT HAND.

  1. mark the curve in the shelf support, if you are putting them in your cupboard
  2. then on one side mark a line 171mm from the bottom this is for the side shelf
  3. on the other side mark a line 315mm from the bottom this is for the centre shelf
  4. mark  line 10mm from the front edge this is the stop point for the router
  5. mark the other support remember that it is opposite.
Step 8 

IF YOU ARE USING DOVETAIL JOINTS?

  1. set the router to do the edges so they slide smoothly into the slots you have made
  2. do a test piece to make sure you have it right then
  3. then do the dovetail on both ends of the bottom, draw top, centre shelf and the side shelfs. cut the front 10mm off so it fits flush with you cpboard
  4. now do the top off the sides and cut the front 10mm off so it fits flush with the front of your cupboard
  5. then the top and bottom of the shelf supports and the draw deviders
Step 9 

Now for the 4 draws the front and the back are all the same

  1. using the router on both sides cut the corner 6mm in from the side and 6mm deep.
  2. mark a line 7mm from the bottom on the same side
  3. now put a 6mm wide slot 4mm deep down the centre of this line
  4. now you just glue the one side on the slide the draw bottom in place then glue the other side on and clamp the side in place till dry
  5. repeat for the other 3 draws
Finishing Instructions 

 

now carefully make sure all the pieces fit together then carefully take it apart again and sand it smooth, then apply the finish you want.
now put it all together with pva glue.
last of all slide the back in and pin it in place with some small tacks.

I hope you have managed to follow this and if you have any question I will do my best to answer them. I am sorry for the lake of picture but I made it just before I joined this site.

I have full plans that I made on google SketchUp but don't know how to get them on here.

 

God bless Roy

**Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you provide an adequate link back to the appropriate post! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it.

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