Welcome to the first ChickFix video that DOES NOT feature ChickFix!
Everyone meet Laura.
'sup.
She does these amazing home renovation projects, and she's kind enough
to share them on to the ChickFix Facebook group page that she administrates with me.
Typically, she does this through a series of pictures and
step-by-step instructions. But recently she did a project and she filmed it,
and is letting me turn it into a ChickFix video.
We're here today because I want to show you
how to make a drawer to fill in the space that is what's known as the
"false fronts" for some cabinets. It's the ones that normally go under sinks and
things like that in your kitchen. You'll notice under your kitchen sink or in
the cabinet in front of it that there's actual drawer faces that looks like they
should be drawers but there's obviously not, because there's a sink behind it.
In some cases you'll have cabinets throughout your house that the sink was never added.
Why not use this space for more drawers? I mean everybody could use more drawers.
Woohoo! Yeah! (laughing)
And that's how it's done.
Hang on a second...
How did she know how big to make the drawer?
I'm doing this backwards, because I forgot to explain at the very beginning.
So just bear with me.
In order to figure out even what size drawer that you want, you measure the space,
See? We're at exactly 12 inches. Read the directions on whatever slides
(these are your slides) whatever slides you're using because
most of them, you have to account for half an inch on each side, so that it fits.
So you take a half an inch off here, half an inch off there, which means that
the drawer that I'm going to build is -- or that I just built,
since I'm doing this backwards -- is 11 inches wide.
As far as height goes, you just want to make sure you don't
make it too big don't run into any problem. as you can see from this one,
in here, see? Plenty tall enough. All kinds of goodies
Now here's something awesome about Laura:
Over the years she has collected a vast supply of tools that
she uses for all of her renovation projects. But she also understands that
not everybody has that many tools around. So, although she could have done this
entire project using her table saw, she also shows us how to do the same thing
with just a circular saw, which is a lot less expensive, and a couple of different
guides to use to make nice straight cuts.
Got my combination square, and I set it at 3/8"
And so since we're making a drawer side right now, we need to make that mark so
we can cut the groove -- or the dado -- that the bottom flat piece is going to tuck
into to help support it. You line it up on your edge, and you can draw your line.
Now I know that the bottom piece that I'm putting into the drawer is 1/8 inch thick.
I know that my saw blade is 1/16 inch thick, so what that means is
I'm going to need to do two passes.
And for this, I'm using the guide that came with my Makita saw.
I believe ChickFix had bought one for hers.
It looks like this. If your saw has a slot here,
and going out the other side, that means that it will accept a guide, just like mine.
And what is does is, you shift it, wherever you need it,
so this part will line against your wood, or your work piece,
and it bumps you out that far from the blade so that
you always will have a straight line.
Here we go...
Line that up, and to check you can raise your guard.
And kinda slide it, and I can see that I'm right on my mark.
So I'm going to go ahead and do a pass.
And then, right here, I'm going to loosen up that guide,
so I can now shift it over just a little.
Tighten it back up.
And let's go ahead and do another pass.
See? There's that groove.
So what I'm gonna be showing you is the Kreg Rip Cut.
See, it fits right on the sled there,
and then these thingies go over to clamp your saw on so it's connected.
Perfect, straight cut.
Not a good idea to do this on the nice counter top like I am.
Check and make sure it's square before you put the nails in.
Squared on all sides.
Got some 3/4 inch nails.
Before you install tracks for a drawer like that, you want to make sure that
it's nice and level so that the drawer will pull in and out nicely over time.
So, use a nice long level and make sure that it's plumb, and make some marks on the
inside of the cabinet to use as a guide for when you install the tracks.
Here's the rail that we're going to use. It goes right there, and notice it does not reach the back.
Well, we have to be able to mount it on something.
I just got the left side installed. As you can see there's a block at the back to make up
for the difference, and there is that 1" by 2" running the length of the side.
That way, it's fully supported the entire way back.
Now, we need to do the right side.
So, for that I'm going to use the Kreg multi measuring tool.
I've said in the ChickFix group many times that I use this on every project, and I was not kidding.
It works almost the same as the combination square, it's just easier to maneuver and
it has a thumb screw right there, so you can really do it one-handed.
Move that to the edge, to where it meets the side.
See?
It's locked in, and I know now that I need to make a block
that is exactly that measurement.
So I just installed the left drawer slide,
so now it's time to do the right.
On the other side, I have it this distance from the bottom,
so now I know exactly where to place this one so that we're level.
I already have that one screwed in.
When you're doing the drawer slides, especially whenever you're putting them on at first,
use as few screws as you can; just one in the front, one there, and always try to
use the slots that are like, that because that way if it's not perfectly level,
you have some wiggle room to move it up and down. And then once you get it perfect,
and you know it's great, then start adding screws to like this spot.
Or another one there, and one on the end.
See, it's perfectly level.
We know it slides, everything's good.
See? But we want to make sure that we're completely level here.
So I'm going to mark where these are, in reference to
where this is, so that I know that I'm putting this on the right spot.
And then, I'll shoot nails through the front, along with gluing it on there, and it'll be finished.
Cool project, right? I'm so lucky to have Laura be a part of this journey with me on ChickFix.
She is an awesome example of badassery.
Motherf****r!
Testing
(horse whinnies loudly)
I suck at video. ChickFix, you you are so much better at this.
This is why I take pictures. Videos suck.
Hopefully, ChickFix can edit the sh*t out of this video to make it something worth watching.