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Garage Transformation Pt. 3: Building Custom Cabinets With a $4000 budget, our intrepid homeowners opt for a garage makeover with a workshop over refinishing their basement. Their garage remodel includes a top floating wall, custom cabinets and doggie door. From "Sweat Equity" episode DSEQ-202

The new custom cabinets

Because the garage/workshop is not a real equity-building project, and considering the wear and tear garage cabinetry can face, Tyler Depew uses melamine and a pre-finished, paint-grade maple to make storage cabinets and a workbench. By doing the work himself, he saves a great deal on labor costs.

Materials:

wood
hinges and drawer tracks
cabinet hardware
table saw
miter saw
power drill
screws
dado blade
finish nailer
framing square
measuring tape
pocket screws
pocket hole jig
wood glue
clamps
sand paper
paint or stain
safety glasses

Figure A

Safety Alert: Always wear eye protection when working with power tools.

Building Custom Cabinets

Tip: Cabinets are a challenging project for anyone, so pre-measure your space carefully and consider making blueprints to help guide your design (figure A).

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Steps:

• Pick your desired wood. Plywood is a good choice for your cabinet frame, melamine (figure B) is a durable and inexpensive material for the sides and maple is a good choice for the doors.

• First build your cabinet frame to size (figure C), attaching with wood glue and a nail gun.

• Using a table saw, cut dados into your cabinet sides. This will give your sides a tight fit.

  Figure B

  Figure C

  
  

• Fit the sides together and use wood glue and a finish nailer to secure (figure D). Use a framing square to ensure that the cabinet structures are square.

• Build your face frame and cabinet doors to size from maple. Cut your wood and drill holes with a pocket hole jig and assemble the frame using wood glue and pocket screws (figure E).

  Figure D

  Figure E

  
  

• Use a hand-held router to rout out the back inside edges of the panels (figure F).

• Drop 1/2-inch melamine pieces into the panels (figure G) and use wood glue and a finish nailer to secure.

• Sand and then paint or stain to your desired color. Attach doors with hinges, drawer with drawer tracks and add desired hardware.

  Figure F

  Figure G

  
  

RESOURCES :

Resources for Sweat Equity, episode 202:

Kwal Paint
www.kwalpaint.com

Austin Hardwoods
www.austinhardwoods.com

Illumination Systems
www.illumsys.com

BMC Lumber/BMC Millwork
www.bmcwest.com

Eco Foam
www.sprayecofoam.com

Kwal Paint
www.kwalpaint.com

Darant Distributing
www.darant.com

Austin Hardwoods
www.austinhardwoods.com

Martin Garage Doors
www.martindoor.com

GUESTS :

Chris Neher
Eco Foam
www.sprayecofoam.com