12" Base Cabinet Door/Drawer Combo (Momplex White Kitchen)

Difficulty
Intermediate
| Print this plan

12" base cabinet full overlay door plans - Momplex White kitchen cabients.

I think one of the things that suprised us the most about building the Momplex kitchen cabinets was really how easy they were.  

Granted, there were two of us (the hubs and I) and we do have a tablesaw (that really helps), but still, in constrast to building other pieces of furniture, we both agreed that these cabinets were actually pretty simple and quick to build.

Once we got a process down, it was really like an assembly line of cabinetry construction.  And although it looks like there's quite a few cabinets, when it actually came down to it, there's only six base cabinets in this kitchen. I bet the same is true of your kitchen - once you add in dishwasher, stove, fridge ... what's left to build get's a lot less!

One thing we didn't do for our cabinets was draw out each and every plan.  That costed us a ton of time, because we were never on the same "page" - it's really nice to have a printed out plan to follow for each and every cabinet, even if they are just scaled versions of each other - so it's easy to work with someone and you don't have to spend time figuring or second guessing yourself.  Or worse, redoing a mistake.

So over the next bit - as long as it takes - I'll be filling in between posts with kitchen cabinet plans in specific, standard sizes.  That way you can just print and get building!

Today, I thought we'd start with the 12" base that we built in this post.

IMPORTANT: Please read through these posts before building, as I show you step by step in pictures how we built these cabinets.

Planning and Layout

Base Cabinet Construction

Shelf Edge Banding

Drawer Installation (coming soon)

Base Cabinet Installation (coming soon)

Cabinet Door Installation (coming soon)

Base Cabinet Finishing - Toekick, Trim Etc (coming soon)

Dimensions
Dimensions shown above - overall finished depth with 3/4" door/drawer face is 24"

Preparation

Shopping List

3/4" plywood ripped into strips 22 1/4" long (for sides and shelves)
3/4" plywood scrap from ripping sides and shelves (for top supports)
3/4" plywood ripped into strips 5" long (for base supports - use cheaper plywood here)
1x2s for face frames
1/4" plywood (for backs)
1-1/4" pocket hole screws
3/4" finish nails
edge banding for shelves

Cut List

CARCASS
2 - 3/4" plywood @ 22 1/4" x 34 1/2" (side panels)
1 - 3/4" plywood @ 22 1/4" x 10" (bottom shelf)
2 - 3/4" plywood @ 5" x 10" (bottom supports)
2 - 3/4" plywood @ 3 1/2" (can vary) x 10" (top supports)
1 - 1/4" plywood @ 32" x 11 1/2" (back)

FACE FRAME
2 - 1x2 @ 27"
2 - 1x2 @ 12"
1 - 1x2 @ 9"

SHELVES
3/4" plywood @ 22" x 9 3/4" (measure and adjust to fit shelf pins)

DOOR/DRAWER FACE for FULL OVERLAY (1-1/4")
5 1/2" x 11 1/2" (drawer face)
22-1/2" x 11-1/2" (door)

Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Kreg Jig
Drill
Jigsaw
Table Saw
Brad Nailer
Power Sander
General Instructions

Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!

Instructions

Step 1

First, create the side panels - remember that the two side panels are mirrors of each other.  

Step 2

Then attach the bottom shelf to the two side panels.

Step 3

Next, attach the back and front supports underneath the bottom shelf.

Step 4

Then, attach the top supports.

Step 5

Step 6

We built the face frames seperately on the table with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws. Check the outside dimensions as well - it's very important that your face frames are precisely made and square.

Step 7

We finished the face frames seperately (painted them) and then attach the prefinished face frame to the cabinet through the predirlled pocket holes.

On the bottom, we had to attach with nails and glue because it's impossible to get a drill in there.

Step 8

For the shelves, we basically duplicated the bottom fixed shelf, but trimmed off 1/4" in width and depth to allow for shelf pins and edge banding.

Step 9

For a full overlay door, we used 1-1/4" concealed Euro hinges, and these were the measurements for the door and drawer face.

I will be adding a post on the drawer installation and the door hinge installation soon.

Step 10

Finishing Instructions
Preparation Instructions
Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth.

It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.

Comments

DecorSanity

Mon, 11/18/2013 - 12:06

Hi Ana! You mentioned you finished the face frame before you attached it to the front of the cabinet. Do you finish the interiors with a sealant...and if yes do you do it before assembly? Wondering if you do finish after assembly if it is super difficult to apply sealant inside a small box like that. Thanks for these instructions, they are excellent!!

Ana White

Mon, 11/18/2013 - 17:56

Hi - so sorry I didn't mention this is this post - we used Pre-Finished plywood (it's special order from PureBond) for the cabinet carcass itself, so the insides of the cabinets (with the exception of exposed front edge of shelves which we covered in edge banding) is fully finished upon completion. So the only finishing we had to do was paint the face frames - really too easy! Hope this makes sense! Thanks, Ana

DecorSanity

Tue, 11/19/2013 - 12:05

I didn't know Pre-finished plywood even existed, that is a great idea. Now if I could special-order a RAM to assist me on the assembly line, that would be great too. Hubs isn't a project lover! :-)

awomanwithahammer

Mon, 01/18/2016 - 07:35

Your graphics indicate that the grain of the plywood runs horizontally on the sides of the cabinets, but it seems that it would be more aesthetically pleasing to run it vertically where it is visible on the inside.  In addition, it would make layouts more economical on a 4x8 sheet of plywood.  Or am I misunderstanding entirely?