Attaching wood framing to solid brickwork

[celeste]

No, you just make the cabinets as usual but instead of fitting the adjustable legs, you make up a separate base which consists of a frame same footprint as the run of cabinets with the front edge inset by 100m from the front face of the cabinet. You make this up with MDF, chipboard or ply or whatever and it's the same height as you want your kickers to be (eg. 100mm). Then you put it in position on the floor and level it up, fix it to the wall and scribe (if necessary) and fit the kicker. Then you place your cabinets on top of it and screw them down to the base and back to the wall.

It gives you a level platform to work on and I reckon it's easier than winding those bloody feet up and down on individual cabinets until they're all level. But then like I say if you're doing it all the time it's probably easy. I suppose they use them for a reason.

The separate base is cheaper too because you can use up offcuts of the cabinet material and you don't need any special hardware.

People like the removable kickers because they can clean under them. Personally, if the kicker is scribed to the floor I can't see the need.

Hi all

I agree, the 1st couple I used the adjustable legs - yuk
Now I make up a frame of 100mm pine, put that on the floor and level it up, then put on the kick boards (so much easier to do at this stage as you can scribe them on the top using the pine as a guide) I glue them on with liquid nails a tradies best friend besides gap filler (which I run along the bottom of the kick boards). The frame/kickplates are set back at about 50mm from the front of the carcus and I just pop in few screws (with those little white plastic covers) from inside the cabinets.

This is the way my late hubby showed me how to do it - and he was a craftsman not tradie.

white painted wafer heads - where can I get these? saves fussing with those little plastic caps.

celeste

[journeyman Mick]

Celeste,
I buy them from my local cabinetmaker's supplier. Lincoln Sentry, who are national should be able to get them or perhaps even stock them. My local LS never stock anything I need and I have to fax an order 10 days prior plus phone them to tell them I've faxed. I do this because I'm not a gambling man, need less to say I only buy a few things off them which I can't buy from my other supplier.

Mick

[Kaiser Soze]

BT,
my method for fitting base cabinets, which I've arrived at after fitting them for quite a few years is a hybrid. I got myself a Stanley laser level which i set up top shoot a horizontal line on the wall the height of my kicker (usually 150mm, but it can vary +/- depending on requirements). I rip 15mm exterior ply into 150mm strips. I can get this in 3M long sheets which is handy for this. I use exterior ply because I don't ever want to get a waranty call back because someone has flooded their kitchen and the kickers are disintegrating. This ledge is fixed with appropriate fixings (screws, nails, nylon anchors, depending on wall)

I use a plastic leg assembly from Lincoln Sentry which has the leg folded into the base. I fit these in the workshop. I place the 1st base cabinet (usually an insside corner) on the ply ledge. Bend down whilst holding the cabinet against the wall and snap the feet down into position. I then use a short level to level the box front to back. Repeat for next box. I usually predrill the boxes in the workshop for screws through the sides to fix into adjacent boxes. I always fix through the inside of drawer carcasses as theses screws won't show at all. Any other screws I'll use white painted wafer heads as these look pretty neat.

I reckon this is the fastest way to fit them, and with the leg assemblies being about a dollar a pop it's cost effective.

Mick

http://www.lincolnsentry.com.au/Product.aspx?id=576

Hey Mick
Above sounds spot on, have found the feet too (address above for others).
Am I right in thinking the back ledge could be any material ie structural pine or similar. As its fixed to the wall at the back (and leveled at the Kicker height required) and therefore will be never seen?

[Carpenter]

Not specifically for installing cabinets, but these are awesome for fixing into extruded bricks.http://www.hilti.com.au/holau/module....jsp?OID=-9253

[journeyman Mick]

http://www.lincolnsentry.com.au/Product.aspx?id=576

Hey Mick
Above sounds spot on, have found the feet too (address above for others).
Am I right in thinking the back ledge could be any material ie structural pine or similar. As its fixed to the wall at the back (and leveled at the Kicker height required) and therefore will be never seen?

You could use pretty much anything, it's just that strips of ply to the right height are more convenient as they will require very little packing. If it looks like the floor might be really out of whack I'll rip it maybe 5 - 10mm less as it's quicker to pack than to plane. I use 4mm white ply for some of my cabinet backs and all the off cuts get ripped and docked into packing pieces, say 50 x 30. I also collect any outdated laminate colour sample cards as packers.

Mick