Sally and the sink

Hello all.  How was your week?  We've been having beautiful weather and there is an excessive amount of outdoor work to be done this year.  But I can't kneel since my fall last year and I can't bend over in the slightest because of the ongoing esophagus issues.  Good thing Mark retired!  But I really enjoyed outdoor work and am disappointed in my limitations.

 

Sally Fiske is disappointing too, but only because I want to stitch and can't seem to get involved.  Is this a slump?  Just growing tired of it all?  Another 180 caused by menoswings?  Whatever the reason, I am almost forcing myself to pick up the needle.  Not even a quick small is appealing.  Here's where I am today - not much progress.
 Before I forget again, I drew a name from the few asking for Sally Hunt and Sandra in Australia won.

 

 

The farm sink base

There are a lot of pictures, most of which are confusing, but it's a good thing we did this because the $750 we saved on a custom cabinet was needed to pay Carole's heating oil bill.  My husband overdoes.  The more support and nails, the better according to him.  He wanted the support to extend to the base of the cabinet instead of using shorter supports (like a 2x4 around the sides) to hold the heavy sink. We also wanted the inside of the cabinet to be finished and not have visible bracing pieces so we covered the entire side.  This is his way of supporting the sink, but there are other options depending on the strength of your cabinets. So here we go.

 

Let me explain it first and then again with the photos.  Our existing cabinets have stiles and rails, or a frame around the actual cabinet the doors close on.  They are 1 1/4" wide.  On the inside of the cabinet, we added 3/4" thick plywood to the sides, created a 3/4" ledge to hold the same material as a shelf for the sink to rest.  We knew the exact outside dimensions of the sink and how far back it would go.  The sides were cut 3/4" less than that measurement because the shelf added another 3/4" to the height.  Mark did the same to the back of the cabinet but it really isn't necessary.  For additional support, you can add an L brace or something similar beneath the shelf (and he did).  Our installer said it was more than what is necessary but since it's several hundred pounds, we feel better with the extra.  Once it was screwed in place, perfectly level, we cut the rails and stiles (frame) from the cabinet.  Since the sides on the cabinets still had the frame, we added 1 1/4" rail to the front of the shelf to make it even.  Using 1 1/2" poplar, we glued/nailed a new frame over the old because I wanted the base to come out further than the others by the 3/4" of the poplar.  The side pieces were cut to the floor with legs.  For the doors, which I wanted different than the other cabinets, we will just make flush plank doors and paint the piece a different color than the others.  The sink shelf only needs to go back as far as the sink, leaving that area open for faucet installation and piping.  Confused?  You should be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does this make sense?

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Creating stability and support for the stone sink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sink sits on the shelf, front exposed, so the top section must go, but the SIDE stiles stay because the counter top will rest/end on that cabinet side.  Leave the outside frame, just cut the cross pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Add the cross rail back to level with the cabinet sides, securing into the shelf with screws and nailing/gluing in the upright stile.  It MUST be level with the top of the shelf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now you cut the 3/4" x 1 1/2" poplar to lengths and attach to the front of the cabinet.  The little extra in the width prevents the old cabinet frame from showing.  You can use any width material if you want a wider frame.  They came out to measure again after this cabinet was finished to make sure the sink will fit perfectly into the opening without gaps.

 

 

 

Keep in mind that we did this to prepare for the sink, and needed to put our old double bowl stainless back into the old counter top until the new sink comes.

 Yes we did this at Christmas.  The counter top should have been installed in November but they screwed up so it's coming next week.  See how it comes out just enough?  That 3/4" won't interfere with the counter top overhang at all.  I think I finally decided on one of the 4,789 shades of red.

 

 

 

 

This is what it looked like before we put the old sink back in.  Again, not necessary to extend the shelf as Mark did.  I think the opening for the faucet installation will be too small and the entire back piece should have been shorter.

 

Although this is a pretty easy thing to do and you can pre-measure, have Lowes/Home Depot cut your plywood for you, it looks confusing.  I thought someone might be interested in getting a farm sink and the stores all tell you that you HAVE to order a new cabinet.  Nuh uh.  Next week at this time, You may be looking at our soapstone sink.  Not a finished kitchen, but at least a major part will be done.  After all this, I will probably find a salesperson that knows more than the others and tells me I could have purchased a farm sink base for cheap.  Nah.  How could it fit a custom sink?

That's all folks!!!
I'll bet you didn't know that boring can also be confusing.

 

Have a wonderful warm and sunny week.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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