Thread: Full proof formula for calculating kitchen doors

Try drawing it to scale on a large sheet of something with a sharp pencil or cut some scrap sticks + edging and lay it out. Those sticks might even be useful as a template for the real thing.

Originally Posted by Sam

Try drawing it to scale on a large sheet of something with a sharp pencil or cut some scrap sticks + edging and lay it out. Those sticks might even be useful as a template for the real thing.

Thanks Sam

Appreciate your feedback...a bit like what we are taught to an extent at trade school. I mean every project we do, we Do have to first draw it to full scale, and although i haven't used Layout rod's much i have some understanding on the principle behind them.

I have drawn my kitchen build and design to a 1:20 scale and overall feel quiet confident in the task at hand i was just curious to see what process others with more experience do regarding this part of the job and to avoid errors.

I will definitely keep your suggestion in mind and see how that works for me.

Thank you.

Personally, I don't think it's necessary to draw things to scale unless you've got funny angles to deal with, like under a staircase.

The way I've always done it at work is:

Height = (cabinet height) - 2mm gap - 2x edge thickness
Width = ((total width of all cabinets - (number of gaps x 2mm)) / (number of doors)) - 2x edge thickness


So, if you have an island bench with 4 cabinets of 500mm wide x 700mm high with 1mm edging, your cutting list would be:

Height = 700 - 2mm gap - (2 x 1mm egding) = 696mm
Width = (2000 overall - (3 x 2mm gaps)) => 1994mm total doors, divide by 4 doors => 498.5 per door, less 2x 1mm edging = 496.5mm

Note that this is for an island, if you had a wall or panel at one or both ends you'd need to allow for an extra gap at one or both ends between the door and the filler panel that's scribed to fit the wall. For drawer banks, use the width formula for height as well and don't forget to allow for the gap between the benchtop and the top drawer (been there, done that).

For 2-pack painted doors/drawers, I allow 0.5mm edging thickness

Hope all that made sense

+1 always used a calculator unless curved then set out.
regards Rod.

Thanks for your reply and feedback ..... i never thought about it the way you explained it elanjacobs i will apply it and see how it goes for me.

Makes perfect sense

Thank you.

I came up with an excel spreadsheet that allows you to punch in the total width of a cabinet - say 600mm - then in the appropriate columns it will automatically generate the width of the top and bottom ( 600 - 32mm if using standard 16mm melamine for all panels ) and 600 - 34 for the shelf plus the back. I also have a few diagrams that I made for both floor and wall cupboards although they are from my CAD program. Doors could be likewise generated. All you would have to do is change a few parameters and it would spit out all the panel sizes of both cupboard and doors.
If you want it, sling me a PM with your email and I'll send it as an attachment ( or anyone else for that matter too ).
I'll post up a few screenshots later on.




I can't locate the excel spreadsheet, however the worksheet parts of those CAD files can be exported individually into an excel page so if you want one lemme know.
I also can't find the wall cupboard file either although it wouldn't take me long to get one of those together. There are 5 drawings in my folder. The two above and three others.

Stewie

Back in the old days, before calculators were a standard bit of kit in a chippies tool box, we used a staff. They probably don't even mention this method at trade school these days. The thing about the staff is it doesn't make mistakes. What is on the staff is absolute, full scale and accurate. What else would you need? Each item is numbered on the staff, then fabricated and checked against the staff. A vertical staff can also be done for height checks. The staff can go tradesman to tradesman or shop to shop and nothing changes. Nothing is left to calculation or interpretation. Simple. If I have a super difficult kitchen to make, I still prefer this method even after 40 something years in the trade.

Great advice rustynail . I was introduced to the concept of a vertical staff through a youtube video on hanging a door as a way of transferring the correct height at which to cut the hinge mortises in a door frame from the door. The bloke that used the staff didn't look like he'd been in the trade 40 years. The vid was from the UK so perhaps it is still in common usage there still. Certainly made my job easier and accurate. Another thing staffs are a very quick way of measuring if you have a lot of repetitive tasks .

Thanks for the replies gent's ...you can never stop learning.
Since i started this thread i have almost completed the job and along the way made some mistakes ,that had i not had the opportunity to do the job may have stressed me more than what these last couple of weeks have.

I say that only because the job has been for a friend and it's on the cheap for them.

My biggest gripe has been the door/s . Among some other thing's but at some point you just have to accept it is what it is.

I should mention that the weeks leading up to this job i had been under the pump at work to get a 3 week job out on time which i did , but i have also been under the pump with this friend of mine wanting the place ready for rent and has been patiently waiting since Christmas.

I went in on the Sat (fortunate that my boss let me use his premises) had 15 sheets to cut all on the panel saw which made a total of about 70 odd individual component's.
I started at 7am and by the end of the day 9pm i was here.17030013.jpg

Following morning got in a 6.30 and had this by 8am.17030019.jpg

By 3pm delivered at location 17030028.jpg
This pic is wrong way around but shows overhead cab with door/s

Following Sat 17030049.jpg

And Sunday17030094.jpg

Please don't be too critical....i am aware of certain thing's that could have been done differently however under the circumstances this is what i managed to deliver.

Still need to knock up and fit drawers this weekend and get some bloody rest.

Again i thank you for your replies regarding formulas for door's and i will be looking into what Rustynails mentioned re Vertical Satff.

Have a great weekend ya all.

Looks good. Good on you for having a go. Remind your friend that he got a cut price job too.

Stewie