Building a Lightweight Van Conversion Kitchen Cabinet

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From start to finish here are some highlights about how I built my kitchen cabinet. This is going in a 2022 Mercedes Sprinter 4x4. I’m sorry about all the time lapse in the starting build footage, but that is what I captured when initially working on this cabinet. The chapters below try to list the main concepts, but there are quite a few miscellaneous tips and tricks scattered throughout.
0:00 Intro
1:26 Initial Design Considerations
2:05 Initial Carcass Assembly
3:41 Pre Installation Tips
4:31 #1 Electrical and Plumbing Accommodations
5:33 #2 Drawer and Door Latch Alignment Made Easy
8:44 Continuous Grain Obsession
11:43 Touching Up and Sanding Unique Plywood
14:29 Human CNC Router Setup
16:00 Being a Human CNC
17:09 Flush Trimming Frame Outside
17:21 Small Cutout Stuff
18:23 Finished Product
If you found this entertaining, educational or even enraging, consider buying me a coffee...or a beer;). Please use the link:
www.buymeacoffee.com/projecto...
Thank you for your support!
Related products and links (Amazon links help me out, thank you!)
Southco M1-2A-13-5 Drawer Latches I use: amzn.to/3Zixlrz
Scribe for marking locations through small holes: amzn.to/3zKzYYM
Besides a table saw, most of these techniques involve the router. I recommend a small trim or palm router for most van work as you aren’t hogging off thick wood cuts usually.
Makita Router I use: amzn.to/40jlScx
The Plunge Base is very helpful for lots of projects, and the fixed base is easier to operate with one hand.
Guide Bushing Set: amzn.to/41cKiVm
Depending on your router you may not need the adapter, or might need a different one? This works with my Makita.
1/16” Router Bits:
For thin woods I’ve been using this: amzn.to/40RHXzn
For heavier full depth cuts I’ve had better luck with: amzn.to/40JzNsJ
My favorite Flush Trim Bit: amzn.to/3Km2HrR
Almost any will do though. Pay attention if you need top or bottom bearing, or both like this one.
Corner Radius Drawing Templates: amzn.to/40I9eEN

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Опубликовано:

8 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 50

@michaelschneider- Год назад

+1.. 33lbs is Tier One Klass Leading Craftsmanship.. Bravo.... Cheers, Vail, Colorado

@glenncarruthers3515 Год назад

Are you able to show us more detail on how and where you place the smaller thicker pieces of plywood to strengthen the cabinet framing when using 6mm plywood? Thanks.

@joeblow1942 Год назад

Nice job! Thank you for taking the time to film, edit and upload.🤙🏼

@hedleypepper1838 Год назад

Good job, ive been watching loads of van conversions, and it always concerns me just how heavy the whole process is especially the cabinets, this has been inspirational 👏

@ameliaxford 9 месяцев назад

I love your approach to woodworking and problemsolving. I'm a furniture maker who's just embarking on a van project, and your thought process appeals to my craftsman side!

@karengrimshaw1414 7 месяцев назад

I love this idea of 1/4inch plywood build cabinet. Nice work! I like your perfectionism, . Thanks for sharing.

@sierraecho884 3 месяца назад

Finally somebody using lightweight design for a van, I keep seeing all those heavy 12mm plywood cabinets, sometimes even thick frames beneath of 50x50mm square. You can also apply following methods. Create circular cut out with a forstner drill or similar like in aviation design. This would save further weight. Use aluminium frame and rivet shin plywood sheets to it, will decrease weight further but is more expensive.

@jacobmunkhammar3775 Год назад

Very informative and inspiring. Thank you! Now all I have to do is figure out how to adapt this process to the more rustic look I want in my '60s VW bus...

@GrantRTanner Год назад

You're a true craftsman. Very impressive work.

@albertoc5882 Год назад

Amazing work

@GrantOakes 9 месяцев назад

You have incredible skills and patience in order to get these kind of details down so fine!

@StansE250 Год назад

Genius ! Been trying to find a similar Poplar sheet …. No Luck CA, AZ, OR ‘net searches. I will scour your vids to see the construction, beyond the finger joinery. Thank you for providing such Useful content ! 👍🏼

@projectofscience Год назад

Hey Stan, thanks for the kind words. A few years back I bought some through Continental Hardwoods in Portland.

@yanobou Год назад

Craftsmanship!

@atomicsmith Год назад

This is a great process. Love all the little details. I had never thought of blue taping a jig for a guide bushing. Seems obvious, but it’s a really good idea.

@BlackmerStudios Год назад

Thank you so much for sharing your process! So much info, I know I'll be rewatching a couple of times.

@projectofscience Год назад

Thank you!

@joeblow1942 Год назад

5:54. Southco push to close cabinet latches.

@xrphqlic9763 Год назад

GREAT WORK!

@Fitchyanny Год назад

Good day mate! MINT MINT MINT!!!! I love these vids and with a beer and a gummie watched the lot in one night :D such great instruction (from a dislexic kayak coach ;) Do you sell plans ? Id love to build this way, im a chippy but cannot create stuff like this for my van from scratch. Lemme know mate please Andy :D

@davidthurman3963 24 дня назад

Yes this is how custom is done. It's not easy.

@paddelfreak Год назад

Good idea to go without rails for the drawers, but do they rattle while driving?

@Wood-Renovations 9 месяцев назад

I use my makita track saw to cut out drawers when I have done continuous grain projects.

@RollinHomies Год назад

1/2” is definitely strong enough for a cabinet built. In fact, how you built this is exactly how many vintage RV’s were built. Even drawer boxes had 1/4” sides and bottoms. 1/2” for fronts/backs and fronts were routed out for overlapping inset finish. I’ve seen another cabinet builder use 3/8” using screw locks only. His theory was he could remove it all when it came time to sell the van.

@mikecollins8241 7 месяцев назад

Higher quality plywood will have more layers for a specific thickness, this is key to using thinner materials. Standard 3/8" is often only 3 laminates thick vs 4-5...

@bobdebouwer7835 Год назад

If you put 2 parker screws in at 8:32 that stick out just 1 or 2 mm then you can just hold the jig against the drawer, give it a tap with the hammer and you don't have to draw. You have then the pilot holes ready to drill.

@projectofscience Год назад

Thats a pretty good idea. I don't think it would even take a hammer, just a firm press which I'm already doing to keep it aligned. Thank you!

@shirk15 Год назад

Great stuff. Inspiring. I have a small fridge cabinet and a camp kitchen box I want to build for VW Eurovan and willl apply as much of this as I can.

@thetinyhousepirates2118 Год назад

Hi, do you have any videos on how you insulate your vans?

@charlevoix418 Год назад

Great video, as usual! I am looking for a long time for colored CA glue: where did you find your black one?

@adambaxter9714 Год назад

great videos! First I've seen of someone really trying to build ultra light. I know it's tedious and you are kind of winging it, but could you do a more detailed video on building the cabinet boxes? Keep up the good work, it's much appreciated!

@stevel1451 5 месяцев назад

Adam use sheet aluminium it will cut the weight down by half at least

@adambaxter9714 5 месяцев назад

@@stevel1451 I've not worked with metal much. I'm more of a woodworker. But I've also thought about foam with fiberglass

@stevel1451 5 месяцев назад

I guess foam and fibreglass will kill 2 stones with one bird. Lightweight and insulation. Great idea mate I might look into it. My build has just started and I don’t want to have any dead weight, performance and fuel economy suffer.

@stevel1451 5 месяцев назад

By far the best way to build is use .9 and 1.2 aluminium sheet. . Fold the .9 to form the cabinets and fold the 1.2 to form the drawers, then cover with wrap. It will cut the weight down enormously.

@projectofscience 5 месяцев назад

Howdy. Just for your consideration: 0.9 and 1.2 mm aluminum (I'm assuming you are using millimeters) is .5 and .67 pounds per square foot respectively. 3mm and 6mm poplar plywood is 0.25 and 0.5 lbs per square foot respectively.

@stevel1451 5 месяцев назад

Hi Thank you for making me aware. I would have never thought that any timber could be lighter than aluminium. I will now consider other materials. Enjoy your build mate mine has just begun

@gregnorman3183 Год назад

nice work but as you eluded to the devil is in the details. It reminds me of seeing houses built in California; they would put structural steel beams in key location for earthquakes. Not that I'm suggesting putting steel beams in a van but structural lumber to support heavy objects or ones with loads i.e. sink, refrig., etc. This seems to be the difficult calculation how much and how big??? Have you designed and tested for these key components? It would be interesting for you to come up with some basic plans which you may even be able to sell.

@gregnorman3183 10 месяцев назад

Love your ideas on construction of low weight. What is your thoughts on low weight seating/benches? Any Ideas to minimize weight and provided necessary strength?

@stevel1451 5 месяцев назад

Use folded sheet aluminium it will drastically reduce weight. It won’t attract or hold moisture like wood does

@rickwilson478 Год назад

Thank you for the specific information about the Southco push latches. I have been a cabinet maker for 30 years or so, and I try to use similar jigs for hardware installation, but what I really appreciate is your explanation of the continuously operable spring latch, which avoids "dead slams" against the cabinet face. This type of detail is really important and hugely frustrating, after the fact, when you have to purchase online and can't get the hardware in your hands to judge how well made or practical it is. I will order those latches for my Sprinter casework. They appear to have the added benefit of being flush and visibly locked when ready to travel but easily operated when in use. Do you have any negative comments about them, or would you use them again? Do you think it would be practical to add a thin felt or foam strip to the latch catch angle piece to eliminate any rattle, or are they solid enough to not need that? I always enjoy designing construction and assembly challenges into my custom kitchens and interior trims and wainscoting jobs, which result in a clean esthetic/ finish appearance and I appreciate your description of how you enjoy those challenges in the shop, but I've gotta comment that the routed out overlay sequence you perform on your facework has got to be the most over the top difficult to pull off thing I've ever seen! I realize you allow for some "fudge factor" with the 1/16" bit and 3/32" gaps, but ... the alignment of the routing jig ... the completion of the inside corners.... the transfer of the easily broken/ multitude of super thin sections finished routed panel.... the final glueup difficulty.... ???? More power to ya... would you perform this same process again or choose a different challenge next project? You should be ... "The Human CNC" !

@tomcorbett7027 8 месяцев назад

It was a pleasure,to see your work. Where are you? Janice in Port Angeles, Washington

@ArthriticAngler Год назад

Wonder if you could use 1/2”Kerdi (schluter shower board) for panels since you are attaching supports anyway

@leblancexplores 5 месяцев назад

Sounds heavy.

@SaintTrinianz 6 месяцев назад

I have been living in a van for 5 years now. Vanlife is a hard-knocks life for EVERYTHING that goes into the van. People laugh when I say that I deal earthquake and hurricane forces daily but it's true. I know of no other phenomena comparable to the torque, twist, velocity and vibration that you live with in a van. My old tick-tock alarm clock rattled apart recently because I had it secured to part of the van that, unexpectedly, conducted road vibration to the old brass clock... And these thin sheets are going to hold up under all that? 🤨