kitchen update # 62 - cutting the tall cabinet down

the old tall kitchen cabinet shown here was one solid piece. unfortunately it was 2 inches (5cm) too tall for the basement ceiling, even after the decorative trim on top was removed.


i cut the top half off from the bottom half with the oscillating tool by cutting along the flat top of the bottom section in the microwave hole. that way i got a nice straight edge.

(and all those boxes in the background FINALLY made it into the recycling bin now that the bazillions of cabinet boxes are all gone)

this lower half of the cupboard has a normal bottom with the recessed toe-kick (ignore the dirt from sitting out in the garage for the better part of a year)



here is the top half, turned upside down, needing the microwave-hole-sides cut off. but not cut ALL the way off or it'd be too short to fit next to the other base cabinets.


dad came out with his skilsaw and we measured and marked and cut most of those microwave-space-sides off. dad could get the straight line with his saw that i couldnt get with mine.


here is the top half all cut down. we'll make some more minor cuts on the bottom so it can have a proper toe-kick like the other cabinets.

and i'll take off the doors and flip them around so the handles are on top instead of the bottom. i already measured and the hinges are perfectly equal so it'll be an easy switch.

the top side of this top-half of the tall cabinet isnt nice and smooth. the decorative trim on the top, some of the screws were glued in and would not unscrew. dad had to pound it off.


another challenge is this cabinet (top half and bottom half) has no back. all the other cabinets had backs. so we'll have to cut something up to fit. eventually.


these cabinets will be repurposed into a better kitchen for the roommate in the basement, but after all the work we did, we're taking some time off before starting that project.