Home Office Remodel

[Rob Z]

Matt, sometimes the "old ways" are better than the new ways.  You can't go wrong with a template.  I think it was about mid-2000's when one of my stone fabricators showed up on-site with a computer to measure for the counters.  The setup included an articulating arm and multiple data points were recorded.  When the counters came, it turned out they didn't fit and the installers had that resigned look of "here we go again".  In talking with them, they told me this was the new way of doing things and they always have to make adjustments.  [blink]  [big grin] As much as the computer gizmo cost, you would think it would work better than the old way of making templates. It wasn't !

Thanks [member=6193]Rob Z[/member] . It's a learning curve that's for sure.

Today I got going on the countertop. I took the advice of [member=4105]tjbnwi[/member] and made a template. I couldn't get the drywall shims without ordering them in so I grabbed a 4x8 sheet of masonite and ripped it into strips. Starting with the walls I scribed and fit, got my front and side reveals where I wanted and hot glued everything together. Then I took the two templates to some particleboard in the garage and set to copying them with my jigsaw. It turned out pretty darn good for a first attempt at something I've never done before.

 

[rvieceli]

If you don’t want to try to make transfer screws, they are readily available online. Here’s a selection from Amazon. For our purposes, cheaper imports seem to be good enough
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=transfer+screw+set&sprefix=transfer+screw&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_14

Ron

 

[nclemmons]

Looks fantastic, Matt!  That counter top fit is as close to perfect as you can get!

Agree on the laser.  One of the best tools for any home projects.  I just moved and hung pictures and the laser made getting them aligned easier than I’ve ever done.

 

[DynaGlide]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] [member=3192]rvieceli[/member] Thank you for the tips on transfer screws. I think my grease trick worked just as well for this situation.

[member=6193]Rob Z[/member]

I think you're right. Nothing wrong with tried and true.

[member=167]neilc[/member] I hope you're settling in okay. Moving is hard enough, doing it during a pandemic must be even harder.

I was able to get a bit more done. It's hard working in spurts in between family and work. But that's how it goes.

I set the two countertops upside down and where they needed to be to start on the fastener locations:

The Zipbolt UT 10.500 I'm using call for a 35mm hole bored 20mm deep on each countertop. So I put my 1010 to use with the LR32 hinge boring bit.

Then it was simply routing a path to the edge.

My laminate sheet came in a 5x12 sheet so I broke it down with the TS55 and a solid surface blade:

All trimmed up and ready to go

That last picture is how it sits currently in the office. I haven't put the miter bolt/countertop fasteners in. My question to the group. .when I do the fasteners, if I apply glue to the mating countertop surfaces, this countertop is not coming out of the room unless it's with a sawzall. So do I glue it or not?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[CeeJay]

I’d glue it Matt. If you ever need to remove it it’s unlikely to be repurposed in exactly the same configuration. If you cut it along the glue line the two panels would still be useable with the cabinets below.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Cheese]

The Zipbolt UT 10.500 I'm using call for a 35mm hole bored 20mm deep on each countertop. So I put my 1010 to use with the LR32 hinge boring bit.

Good call on using the 1010 for the hole pockets...that takes care of any depth issues.  [smile]

 

[Sparktrician]

Matt, if you choose to NOT glue the tops together, you can use a flexible seam sealer to fill and conceal the gap.  Being flexible, it will move with any movement between the tops (if there is any).  If you choose to disassemble the tops at some point in the future, they will come apart easily with no damage to either.  SWMBO might find that a better option...  [big grin]

 

[DynaGlide]

Too late [member=7493]Sparktrician[/member] . I knew about the Seamfil product but in the end I felt glue was the right way to go on this one. Hopefully this counter never needs to come out because if it does that means removing the bookshelves and crown that I plan on building on top. So permanent it is  [big grin]

What I will likely do is when it comes time to build the bookshelves I'll have one of the sides overlap the seam.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Looks like it turned out okay but wondering why you didn’t spread the bolts out farther? And no Dominos?

 

[DynaGlide]

[member=297]Michael Kellough[/member] - any farther apart and I wouldn't be able to access them from inside the cabinet. Dominos would not work here - These two tops are captured by walls within a room. Very snug fit.

The front half of the seam is as flush as I could possibly hope for with what I had to work with. The back half I'll just cover up with bookshelves.

 

[Sparktrician]

Too late [member=7493]Sparktrician[/member] . I knew about the Seamfil product but in the end I felt glue was the right way to go on this one. Hopefully this counter never needs to come out because if it does that means removing the bookshelves and crown that I plan on building on top. So permanent it is  [big grin]

What I will likely do is when it comes time to build the bookshelves I'll have one of the sides overlap the seam.

Looking good, Matt!  SWMBO had better be all smiles when you get this one done...  [big grin]

 

[Michael Kellough]

[member=297]Michael Kellough[/member] - any farther apart and I wouldn't be able to access them from inside the cabinet. Dominos would not work here - These two tops are captured by walls within a room. Very snug fit.

The front half of the seam is as flush as I could possibly hope for with what I had to work with. The back half I'll just cover up with bookshelves.

Got it. As in, I get it now.

 

[DynaGlide]

I set to tackling the edging on the countertop today. With all of my prep work the corners are all square which helped a great deal in getting the pieces to fit.

Once you have the angles and lengths cut it's as simple as applying glue to the MDF backing, lining up using your finger to feel for any areas it catches the edging, and strapping tape to secure it in place. To get the seamless look I'll have to go back with Seamfil to hide any dark lines. They don't tell you that in the "look how easy this is" product video but it is in the written instructions from Formica.

Unfortunately I hit a snag with the last section. When I did the dry fit I noticed a section about 15-20" long that had the backing appear to protrude past the laminated part of the edging. Upon further inspection and a call to Formica. . .they cut it wrong. I thought about using it and hoping the Seamfil would fix it but I decided it'd annoy me to no end if it didn't work out so I have a replacement claim in the works with my supplier. This is how it ought to look for a dry fit:

And this is the defective part:

It's a shame and I was hoping to wrap the counter up today. Good thing I'm working for myself. That'll probably set me back 3 weeks on the counter if the last order of this stuff is any indication on lead times. I have plenty of other stuff to work on.

Matt

 

[DynaGlide]

I keep chipping away at this office any free time I get.

A bit off topic: Our attic fan died on us who knows when. You'd think with how much I've been up there I'd have noticed but it wasn't until I was doing my final cleanup and putting insulation back in place last week that I realized it wasn't running on a 100 degree day. An hour or so educating myself on YouTube University and a trip to Home Depot and I set to fixing.

Out with the old:

And in with the new:

It may be confirmation bias but it sure does feel nicer upstairs.

Anyway back to the office.

SeamFil color matched applied on the right vs nothing on left:

It really does a nice job cleaning up the look of everything:

I was able to build my drawer faces and applied end panels in the same shaker style using maple frames:

The end panels are sort of like picture frames. Rabbeted in the back to clamp the MDF to the cabinet carcass when I drive screws into the frame of the end panel from inside the cabinets.

My walls taper in a straight line bottom to top so I used my TS55 to scribe the frames

With fitment of everything confirmed I started filling my mistakes with this product I researched when I built the shutters last year. It's pretty easy to work with and the can will outlast me.

I'm happy to be in the home stretch. Work is picking up so I'm trying my best to get it done. I'm hoping to start with primer and paint soon.

Matt

 

[Michael Kellough]

So that’s why they say electrical connections should be inside boxes, preferably steel.  [eek]

 

[DynaGlide]

So that’s why they say electrical connections should be inside boxes, preferably steel.  [eek]

Yep. It was (and is now) covered with a metal cover. Picture was taken with it removed.

 

[mrFinpgh]

[member=65062]DynaGlide[/member]  this is looking really good. 

Did you use Target last year for the finish on your shutters?  I'm curious about spraying lacquer over water putty.  I've read that certain things should not go under lacquer, but it sounds like you've done some research.  I am a fan of the water putty.

The seamfil makes a huge difference.

 

[DynaGlide]

[member=65062]DynaGlide[/member]  this is looking really good. 

Did you use Target last year for the finish on your shutters?  I'm curious about spraying lacquer over water putty.  I've read that certain things should not go under lacquer, but it sounds like you've done some research.  I am a fan of the water putty.

The seamfil makes a huge difference.

Thank you [member=59039]mrFinpgh[/member] . I used SW Wall and Wood and ProClassic last year on the shutters. I really didn't like how much I had to thin it and how the sheen turned out. I was going to use the Target coatings primer and EM6500 but I found out a SW store in the area carries Kem Aqua Plus in 1 gallon yesterday. I'm hoping to get that instead and save the Target for something else. Fingers crossed.

Matt

 

[Sparktrician]

[member=65062]DynaGlide[/member], that burned wire nut and nicked insulation scared me.  [scared]    Ironically, I had a new roof put on my house yesterday.  I disconnected the old vent fan from inside the attic so the roofers could install the new fan.  In doing so, I found similarly burned wiring inside the box.  Needless to say, I'll be up in the attic shortly to connect the new fan, and it will be done right this time.  Glad it's a rainy day since the attic is most uncomfortable at this time of year. 

 

[Cheese]

[member=65062]DynaGlide[/member]  and  [member=7493]Sparktrician[/member]

I'm not familiar with that style of fan, where does it go and what does it vent to?  What would be the cause for the high current draw and the burned twist connector? Bad bearings in the fan? Seems if it's bad bearings, then that problem could raise its ugly head again sometime. That'd make me nervous.  [scared]

Locally ridge vents, plain static vents (they look terrible) or large attic fans (24"-30" diameter) turning at a low rpm are popular.