Building My Walk-In Closet Island, Part 2

On the finish of that put up, I hadn’t gotten very far on the island. It seemed like this…

It was sort of exhausting to inform that it was an island at that time. However on the finish of the day yesterday, it seemed an entire lot extra like an island. That is what it appears to be like like now…

So let me present you the steps it took to get from that very primary kind that I left off with final time to what it appears to be like like now.

First, I needed to minimize and fasten a bit of plywood to separate one of many sections right into a back and front part. Since one part can have drawers on the back and front, it doesn’t want a separator. However the different part can have drawers on one aspect and cupboard doorways on the opposite aspect, in order that cupboard aspect wants a again. To connect that separator piece of plywood, I measured and marked a vertical line in the course of the middle plywood piece…

After which I measured and marked that very same line on the surface piece of plywood. And I used these traces to line up the separator piece of plywood and nail it into place. I simply nailed proper via the surface of the plywood and into the sting of the separator piece. I used small 18-gauge nails, so these holes might be very simple to cover with wooden filler.

And right here’s what that seemed like with that piece in place.

Subsequent, I wanted to cowl the perimeters of a lot of the plywood since these would present, and the perimeters of plywood aren’t very fairly.

I coated these edges utilizing pre-glued iron-on wooden veneer…

This edge banding goes on with an iron set to a excessive warmth setting. The iron melts the glue, and when it cools, the banding is adhered to the sting of the plywood. The sting banding is at all times a bit of bit too broad, so I used a brand new, sharp blade in my utility knife to trim the surplus, after which sanded the perimeters clean utilizing 120-grit sandpaper. And that is what the completed edges seemed like…

I put the sting banding on all the edges proven in pink under, after which repeated that course of on the opposite aspect of the island.

In the event you’ll keep in mind, the underside fringe of my island truly has a layer of plywood after which a body of 1x3s. Right here’s a reminder of what that appears like from the earlier put up. That is the view of the underside of the island with it flipped over on its aspect. See that 1×3 body connected to the underside?

I’m displaying you that to say that I didn’t put edge banding on the perimeters of these 1x3s. I solely put the sting banding on the perimeters of the plywood. Not solely does stable lumber not want edge banding, however I used to be additionally going to cowl the perimeters of that lumber with trim. So once more, the sting banding solely went on the perimeters of the plywood.

Earlier than I may add trim, I wanted so as to add some depth across the backside, so I used my desk noticed and ripped some 1×3’s into strips which can be 3/4″ x 3/4″, after which I connected that each one the best way across the backside to the sting of that 1×3 body.

Right here’s a greater view of what that seemed like. You’ll be able to see the plywood with the sting banding on high, after which the three/4″ strip under connected to the sting of that 1×3 body across the backside of the island. …

With that in place, I began trimming out the tip of the island. I began by connected 1×2’s on the left and the fitting, however I prolonged these 3/4″ previous the sting of every aspect. After which I connected the underside horizontal piece of 1×2.

Earlier than I may connect the highest horizontal 1×2 to finish that body, I connected the sting trim to the countertop (which I forgot to take a photograph of) to see how far down that high body piece wanted to return. For the reason that edge trim of the countertop overhangs the sting of the island only a bit, that implies that had I put that high horizontal aspect body piece on proper on the high of the plywood, the body would have seemed off only a bit as a result of the sting trim on the countertop would have minimize off the view of that piece. So I ended up dropping that high horizontal body piece down about 1/2″ from the highest of the aspect plywood piece in order that the entire thing could be seen.

Right here’s a view of the aspect body items displaying the way it extends previous the sting of the plywood 3/4″. The aim of this, in addition to that backside horizontal piece connected on the backside, is to create an inset for the drawer fronts.

Right here’s what that appears like straight on…

Then I connected the identical trim that I had used across the fringe of the countertop to that backside strip going across the backside of the island.

And contained in the 1×2 body, I used base cap molding to complete off the tip design.

So that is what the tip of the island, the view from the doorway, appears to be like like.

And you’ll see that backside trim continues all the best way round, nailed to the entrance of that backside piece that I nailed on, with each items being flush with one another on the highest.

Right here’s a view from the opposite aspect. So hopefully, you’ll be able to think about that the drawer fronts will sit contained in the body created with these items extending on the perimeters and the underside.

And right here’s a better view of the trim that I connected across the edges of the countertop.

One drawback that I seen virtually instantly is that I miscalculated the location of the ft. Now that I’ve added all of that trim across the backside, the ft are inset too far in order that they’re virtually not even seen. So I’ll must flip the island over and transfer the ft out. It’ll look a lot better and extra balanced as soon as I try this.

However that’s the progress! I’m fairly enthusiastic about the way it’s shaping up. Hopefully I could make loads of headway on the drawers, drawer fronts, and doorways this weekend, and have an almost-finished closet island by Monday!