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Base cabinet toe kicks and base frames.
Post by skatefriday on Sep 26th, 2013, 1:12pm

I've used cabinet planner to lay out a single cabinet to replace an
old builtin cabinet in a bathroom.

This is the first cabinet I will have ever built and I am using
Taunton's "Building Kitchen Cabinets" as a reference.

BKC shows the first step to building a base is to build a four sided
base frame which functions as the toe kick and provides a place
to fasten the floor panel via pocket screws to the front and back
of the base frame.

I set the toe kick of the base cabinet to zero, with an off floor
value of 3.5, and then created a base filler with a height of 3.5
inches and the width of the cabinet, and a depth a couple inches
less than the base cabinet.

When I look at the cut list for the base filler, it only includes
three parts. The right and left side and the front. No back piece
is included.

Alternatively, if I create a base cabinet with a 3.5" toe kick it's
not clear how the side panels are to be cut as they are defined
as square cuts to the height of the cabinet. It doesn't seem as
though they account for the cutout for the toe kick. Nor does there
appear to be a base frame as described in BKC.

Without having a lot of cabinet building experience I am having
trouble visualizing exactly how you would construct the cabinet from
the part lists generated.

Thanks in advance for any advice.


Re: Base cabinet toe kicks and base frames.
Post by Rob on Sep 27th, 2013, 11:43am

For the toekick cutout, the height will be the what you have entered for the toekick height. The depth is usually 2 1/2 to 3"

This photo from the Cabinet Planner website may help:
User Image
Re: Base cabinet toe kicks and base frames.
Post by skatefriday on Sep 28th, 2013, 11:44am

I see. Is it possible to generate those drawings for a specific
cabinet?

Your plans show the side panels as a single length of plywood
with a cutout for the toe kick. BKC constructs a separate base
frame that the bottom shelf is fastened to. The lower edge of
the face frame then protrudes down into the toe kick area,
the upper edge being flush with the bottom shelf.

The side panels are then full rectangles as the base frame forms
the toe kick.

Is it possible to design a base cabinet to match BKC's design?

Thanks.
Re: Base cabinet toe kicks and base frames.
Post by Rob on Sep 28th, 2013, 11:52am

Yes, you need to set the toekick height to -.001. This will make the program shorten up the sides so your face frame will hang down below the cabinet.

The program doesn't have an actual unit for a toekick (one will be added soon). You can use a base filler for now to get the drawing to look correct.
Re: Base cabinet toe kicks and base frames.
Post by skatefriday on Sep 28th, 2013, 12:22pm

That almost works except the cut list does not show the part
for the back. Neither for the base filler or the cabinet.

Is that by design? I have a screenshot of the cutlist, but can't
figure out how to upload an image to the forum.

Thanks
Re: Base cabinet toe kicks and base frames.
Post by Rob on Sep 28th, 2013, 12:50pm

The base fillers don't have a back included for them. usually these aren't wide enough to need one. That and there isn't an opening that you would need to see one.

For the base, open the editing window for it and then press the More button. Check to see if the back thickness is set to zero. If it is the program won't figure a back for the cabinet. Also, in the photo you sent me, the list you have on the screen is for the box parts. If the back thickness is the same as your box thickness the backs will be included with this list. Otherwise there is a separate calculator for the backs.
Re: Base cabinet toe kicks and base frames.
Post by skatefriday on Sep 28th, 2013, 2:20pm

That was it. The back thickness was different. Changing it
to match the side panel thickness results in the back part showing
up in the box parts list.

Thank you for the support.

I think a nice enhancement would be to be able to generate
a four sided toe kick/base frame as I'd like the bottom shelf
to attach to the front and back of the base frame. The shelf
itself is the depth of the cabinet minus the face frame and the
width is the width minus the side panel widths.

Thank you.