TomInNC Posted June 28, 2023 Report Share Posted June 28, 2023 I have zero true cabinet-making experience, but I would like to make a cabinet that can hold (or go over) a beverage fridge similar to what is pictured below. Given my inexperience, I was really hoping to find some plans that I could just follow directly. Are any of you aware of plans for this type of build? I'm assuming that you need particular clearances around the fridge to allow for air flow, but I have no idea what those might be. Are there cabinet-making references that cover this type of stuff? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 I made a very similar 'bar' to go over a fridge like that, some time ago. The manual for the fridge is the best place to look for clearances and such. The journal might provide some helpful info. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 Yes, the fridge manual will specify the opening size needed. Start there and build out from it. This is a good opportunity to build from scratch instead of following a plan! Watch/read a bit about making kitchen cabinets, the picture above is basically 2 base cabinets with a gap between them, and you get to skip making doors for the fridge side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomInNC Posted June 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 Ok. My eyes are now bleeding after watching too many cabinet builds on YouTube. For cabinets that go over refrigerators, it seems like some people have the fridge sit on the floor, while others (like in the picture) have the fridge sit on the toe kick. Is there any reason beyond aesthetics that you would want the fridge to sit on top of the toe kick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 Probably just depends on the height of the fridge and cabinet, or maybe the look of the fridge. The above would look funny if the fridge sat on the floor and had a tall rail piece above it. Having it sit on the cabinet gives a more symmetrical look. You could shorten the whole cabinet to avoid a gap above it, but then the counter might feel too low. Similarly, if you get a taller fridge, you might have to set it on the floor to avoid an unusually high counter top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonPacific Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 On 6/29/2023 at 5:24 AM, TomInNC said: Ok. My eyes are now bleeding after watching too many cabinet builds on YouTube. For cabinets that go over refrigerators, it seems like some people have the fridge sit on the floor, while others (like in the picture) have the fridge sit on the toe kick. Is there any reason beyond aesthetics that you would want the fridge to sit on top of the toe kick? Afew of my family members (we're a pretty tall clan) used to put their fridge up on risers to make it easier to get things out without having to stoop. This was largely before bottom-drawer-freezers were affordable though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Von Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 In case YouTube wasn't bad enough, here's my own build: a simple oak plywood box that sits on our beer fridge. The two shelves are sized to hold 12oz cans (though clearly sometimes I'm too lazy to put them in there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted July 1, 2023 Report Share Posted July 1, 2023 All you really need is a base of your size and one finished end and a top and your done.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomInNC Posted July 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2023 I have two possibly very dumb questions after reading/watching more cabinet stuff. First, I have seen several examples where people installed the cabinets by first making a frame and leveling the frame on the floor (e.g., TWW video below), then installing the cabinets onto the frame. In some cases (e.g.,. around minute 26 on Bourbon moth link). In other examples, people just build a box for the base cabinet, then attach the entire box to the wall after shimming without making a frame. Are there any advantages of one of these approaches over the other? My second question is about how to properly span the gap where the fridge will go. In the example the Wtnhighlander posted, there appears to be a rail that spans where the part of the cabinet that houses the drawers and the exterior panel on the other side of the fridge. In other builds (e.g., the white cabinets below), there doesn't appear to be a rail. In white cabinet example, are the left and right base cabinets only connected via the countertop, or is there some kind of rail/stretcher connecting the base cabinets that isn't visible? https://thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/shop-cabinets/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 3, 2023 Report Share Posted July 3, 2023 The need for a rain (aside from appearance considerations) hinges on the strength of the top, the width of the span, and if there is support structure in the back. Search the web for 'sagulator', an online calculator that can tell you how much a 'shelf' of a given material, thickness,and span will sag under a given force. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted July 3, 2023 Report Share Posted July 3, 2023 I didn't do a rail on mine just an opening but honestly either will work fine just go with what suits you and the space 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted July 4, 2023 Report Share Posted July 4, 2023 Unless you and another and possibly a third person plan on celebrating on the top, I don’t think an apron/rail is necessary. As mentioned, preferred aesthetics would be your call. I would use at least 3/4” material for the top, for looks and strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlyoak Posted July 4, 2023 Report Share Posted July 4, 2023 Unless I was building for an NBA center, I would use 36" as a starting point. It seems under counter refrigerators have different dimensions but most will fit under a 36" counter hight. Some of the refrigerator needs to be on a floor and others fit on a cabinet bottom. The build accommodates the refrigerator size or find one that accommodates your idea. Bottom line the starting point of design evolves around the refrigerator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlyoak Posted July 4, 2023 Report Share Posted July 4, 2023 A floor model refrigerator.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted July 4, 2023 Report Share Posted July 4, 2023 My thinking is I wouldn't want to have to deal with lifting a refrigerator up 2 or 3 inches up in order to get it onto the platform. All the other appliances are on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomInNC Posted July 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2023 On 6/28/2023 at 8:33 PM, wtnhighlander said: I made a very similar 'bar' to go over a fridge like that, some time ago. The manual for the fridge is the best place to look for clearances and such. The journal might provide some helpful info. Wtnhighlander, did you attach the fridge cabinet from that journal to the wall, or was it a standalone piece? I couldn't tell from the picture. I am planning on using a solid wood counter as well, and the wife wants face grain showing. I know the top will expand and contract, but I'm not sure how to handle this with the cabinet installed against the wall. If I just attach the top to the counter top using table top fasteners and butt one end of the counter against the wall, is that enough to redirect all the movement away from the wall? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 10, 2023 Report Share Posted July 10, 2023 @TomInNC, mine is free-standing. If the grain of your top runs with the long dimension of the cabinet, then it will expand across the grain, front <> back. I suggest fastening it solid at the back, leaving the front loose enough to float. If you expect significant movement, some metal hardware from the home center can cobble together to form free-floating fasteners with a lot of range. I did that in another project, here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted July 11, 2023 Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 Refrigerators are like dish washers, just use the width recommended by the manufacturer.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted July 11, 2023 Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 On 7/2/2023 at 7:15 AM, TomInNC said: I have two possibly very dumb questions after reading/watching more cabinet stuff. First, I have seen several examples where people installed the cabinets by first making a frame and leveling the frame on the floor (e.g., TWW video below), then installing the cabinets onto the frame. In some cases (e.g.,. around minute 26 on Bourbon moth link). In other examples, people just build a box for the base cabinet, then attach the entire box to the wall after shimming without making a frame. Are there any advantages of one of these approaches over the other? My second question is about how to properly span the gap where the fridge will go. In the example the Wtnhighlander posted, there appears to be a rail that spans where the part of the cabinet that houses the drawers and the exterior panel on the other side of the fridge. In other builds (e.g., the white cabinets below), there doesn't appear to be a rail. In white cabinet example, are the left and right base cabinets only connected via the countertop, or is there some kind of rail/stretcher connecting the base cabinets that isn't visible? https://thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/shop-cabinets/ The picture is screwed up . The center stile between refs is incorrect. It should have a toe kick to match. I’m also clueless to why the bases extend past the wall.. Mus5 have been a budget job.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomInNC Posted July 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2023 I'm surveying the area where I want to put the cabinets, and there are some existing electrical outlets along the wall where I would like to put the cabinets. Are there any tricks that any of you use for cutting access holes for existing outlets in built-ins and cabinets? Also, is there anything I should be aware of regarding electrical code? I know I have had outlets in built-ins before that someone else had made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted July 26, 2023 Report Share Posted July 26, 2023 It’s just a lot of measuring to locate where you would cut the hole on the new cabinet. These days they are running 14guage on small refrigerators, unless you have a lot of stuff running off that line.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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