Cutting a Face Frame in Place - Cabinet Above Refrigerator

10 years ago

I am refreshing my kitchen and painting my cabinets white. My fridge arrived and I knew it was going to be just slightly taller than the cabinet above so I need to decide on a way to cut down the face frame a bit. The face frame on the bottom of the cabinet is just over 1/2" and my hope is to take nearly all of it off. I am painting the cabinets white so I don't have to worry if it needs sanding or light patching.

I considered taking the cabinet down and ripping it on a table saw, but there is a cabinet to the left and right, and trim on top and I'd rather not take it down hoping to spare the chance for more problems. I figure try to cut in place and if that goes bad then i'll be forced to take it down.

What would be the best tool and technique to use for the job to attempt cutting in place? I was thinking of a few scenarios:
-Put a level clamped down on the face as a straight guide and use a circular saw slow and steady
-Use a Jigsaw, but I'll risk a wavy cut, but I can sand it as needed
-Use an oscillating tool. I'm just dreading it since it takes so long and straight cuts aren't always easy
-A router with a flush cut bit, but I have minimal experience with a router.

The side parts i'll be forced to use either an oscillating tool with a flush cut blade, or a Dremel with a spinning head.

Any wisdom and ideas will be great!

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Comments (4)

klem1
10 years ago
"The face frame on the bottom of the cabinet is just over 1/2" and my hope is to take nearly all of it off. "

1/2 inch ??????????????? The case is likly that thick, you would have to knock the intire bottom out of the cabinet to gain 3/8ths clearance.. The tool to use is the one you have the most experience useing. The risk is very high cutting in odd positions even for experienced woodworkers. Normally anything that can't be handled by sanding is disassembled,cut then reassembled or outright replaced. From a practical standpoint,knowing how the case and face frame were assembled would help immensely in altering it. Doweled? Pocket hole? Toenailed? Glued? Other type fastener?
handyfrank thanked klem1
handyfrank
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks klem1, all great info and things to consider. I ended up doing the job over the last 2 days. I set a level that I held in place with clamps on the side cabinets, took my circular saw, and ripped the face frame. Job went smooth but I ran into a new dilemma that required cutting out the bottom of the cabinet. In the end I achieved what I needed to get the fridge in, and from the front you really can't tell.
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pippiep
10 years ago
We will likely be doing something similar in a couple of weeks. Is the cabinet usable, or did you have to cut into the bottom shelf?
handyfrank
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
pippiep, depending how much height you need to gain will determine if you can just cut the bottom face frame flush with the bottom of the shelf, or need to cut out the shelf itself. In my scenario unfortunately I had to do the more involved process. I first cut the faceframe down and the fridge fit, but there was this metal plate on top that housed electronics and the cord came out of, so I had to rip it down even further. I re-ripped with a circular saw and left only about 1/4" of the bottom face frame. I then jig saw cut out the majority of the bottom of the bottom shelf. Now everything slides through nicely and I have gained all the space I need. My plan now is to simply put a new piece of wood that covers the entire bottom of the shelf inside and screw it down to give the thin face frame rigidity, and make the cabinet still usable.

Some quick tips to think about:
-If you can easily take your cabinet down, do it. I couldn't so I had to do it the hard way in place, but if it was held in place only by a few screws I would have taken down and did the job outside on the table saw.
-If you can get away with only ripping the bottom of the face frame, try that first and see if you gain enough clearance without messing with the bottom shelf.
-The oscillating tool made easy work of ripping the sides and back of the face frame. I have a Dremel oscillating tool and Porter Cable oscillating tool. Porter Cable cuts much faster but for the front finish work, and near the side cabinets I used the Dremel oscillating tool (Not a spinning disc Dremel, just wanted to make that clear).
-Think about your door and how much height you have to leave it hinged where it is, or if it needs to move up a bit. I was prepared to rip the bottom of my door just slightly if needed, but I don't think I have to after all.
-The circular saw was not as bad as I thought t would be after all, I used a 4' level and attached it with 2 clamps from the top leaving clearance for the saw to slide along the bottom of the level.
-If you are doing the job inside, tape yourself a plastic tent all around so you cut down on dust. The circular saw makes such fine dust that it WILL get everywhere. I have a roll that is 12' tall by whatever length needed. Think the roll was around $20 and is 12'X250. I use that roll so much for so many things and it helps keeping dust to a minimum. Trust me on this one, tape yourself in unless the house is under construction and you don't care about the dust. Even taped in it still managed to get across the room.
-I used a 60 tooth Diablo blade on my circular saw, not a standard 24 tooth framing blade. Gave me a super smooth cut.
-Respect the circular saw and its potential dangers, and practice holding the guard open before making the cut. It is a bit awkward but once you figure out how to hold your hands you can do it.
-Wear a respirator and ear protection, and even goggles. I skipped the goggles and paid the price with all that dust flying around.
-Take your time, and pray while making the cut.

Good luck, you can do it.