Has anyone ever built , or do you know how to build a vanity top?

Hi,

I looked at this again and noticed you have a very odd sized cabinet. Normally they are never over 48 inches so this means you will want to make at least 49 inches for a over hang if there is no wall beside it. In fact, I suggest you lay you tile on the top prior to cutting the sub-straight(plywood) to see if you can make it a size that would eliminate any trimming of the tile at the edges. That would save you some work. Same with the width. If the front to back dimension works out better for cutting at 23 instead of 22 then do it. That will not make any difference. If you do not not understand what I'm saying there, please send a message because that is important!!

Don

1

Take the fixtures out,basin,faucet,

make a template of the vanity top,you can use newspapers,marking the holes for the fixtures.

Place the template over a piece of plywood,I used 5/8 CDX,and trace the pattern on the plywood.Cut the plywood with a skill-saw and the holes with a jig-saw.If the vanity is longer than 8 feet,you can cut it in two pieces,just make sure that the seam has a support underneath.

Attach the plywood to the vanity frame with sheet-rock screws.

I covered the plywood with 4x4 ceramic tiles witch are easy to attach with tile cement and I put a row of tiles standing up against the wall for a backwash.For this row I used bull nose tiles,they have one edge roundet.

Cover the exposed edge of the plywood with a thin strip of hardwood about 7/8"high and make it even with the top of the tiles.Put grout between the tiles and you are done.

If you never worked with ceramic tiles you'll break some but once you get the hang of it is really easy.

First cut and fit a "fake" top out of heavy cardboard to make sure it will fit perfectly then use the cardboard as a cutting template for the plywood. Once cut, follow Thell666's instructions with a couple additional pointers:

1) apply the laminate to the edges of your top first (before the top) - this stops possible fluid leakage behind the laminate edge

2) use heat (a blow drier will work) if you are making curved edges on the counter top - it will assist in fitting the laminate to the curves

3) you must have a router WITH a laminate bit to achieve good results

4) DO NOT scimp on the quality of the glue

yeah ive made a few. im a cabinet maker.

you will need. some

lamanent (chose the one you like, in a sheet usually at HD or lowes)

buy some 3/4" plywood or mdf in whatever length you need it.

a can of contact cement

cut the sheet (ply or mdf) to size, width and depth

Cut your lamanent sheet to fit the top, leave about 1/16" overhang around the sides and front. cut your strips for your sides and front. (your gonna have a square front its complex to round over while doing this yourself)

throw some contact cement on both the cut sheet and the lamanent backing. READ THE DRYING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GLUE!!!!

put some wood strips ontop of the plywood sheet lay your lamenent glue side down ontop of the strips of wood, this is used so you can place your lamenent to where you want it to go. then pull out the strips once you've got it in place....

when its all dry and dandy, take a hand plane and trim the edges...then take a file and file the edges smooth

BINGO BANGO you got yourself a vanity top.

either that or make it outa solid wood!!!

Howabout a tile countertop, they are just as easy as laminate and look better in my opinion. If you have a standard 24" wide base cabinet, then you will want the top to be about 26" for a 1.5" overhang. Use 2 pieces of 3/4 plywood for the top. then I like to use that 1/4" tile backer screwed to the plywood. Then tile and grout with a nice tile.

2

In the event that you are searching for woodworking plans you can discover a huge number of woodworking plans on this website ( woodworkingplans.kyma.info ) It's the perfect result in the event that you are simply starting with woodworking and also in case that you have already experience with it. You can discover a ton of woodworking arrangements and you will have the capacity to deal with the projects with a CAD/DWG software. It permits you to alter the projects and to alter the arragements.if you are a beginner this is a great approach to start. It's the best approach to woodworking; and on the off chance that you already have experience you will discover a considerable measure of plans and inspirations to improve your capabilities with woodwork.

you have to determine your size top you want use a piece of plywood on top then tile it or what ever you decide.

Supplies & Tools

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do it yourself, woodworking, shed, sprinkler, irrigation, finish, ch, deck,

Supplies

1 4x8 MDF 21.95

1 laminate 47.28

8ft 1x2 poplar 4.40

8ft 1x4 select pine 3.65

12ft 1x3 poplar 9.48

1/4" hardboard (2x4) 3.95

2 drawer knobs 3.96

2 door handles 5.98

4 spring-loaded hinges 5.78

1 glue roller 4.98

glue cover 4.98

glue 6.91

2 faucets (w/ pop-up drain) 79.96

2 sinks 158.00

6 braided supply lines (various) 30.84

2 3/8 compression splitter 14.70

various drain pieces 15.21

2 tubes caulk 7.94

light fixture 29.98

fixture kit 29.95

8 40 watt GE Reveal light bulbs 22.72

paint ~20.00

1" and 1-5/8" screws

2 3/8 compression coupling 4.58

4 3/8 tubing 15.88

Total 553.06

Tools

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rotary saw

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jig saw

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router w/ flush bit

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planar or jointer

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table saw or radial arm saw

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basin wrench ($9.98)

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pipe wrench

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pipe cutter

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level

*

stud finder

Build

Building the vanity top is not trivial - though it is straightforward. It consists of cutting the laminate, MDF, trim, and backsplash, gluing and trimming the laminate, and cutting the holes for the sinks. Plan at least one full day for this task.

MDF & Laminate

The first task is to cut the MDF to size. The space is 62 inches wide and the vanity top will be 22 inches deep. To provide a smooth gluing surface for the laminate on the edges, I plan to attach 1x2 poplar to the left and front edges. Therefore, the MDF needs to be cut to 61.25x21.25.

After careful measurements of the MDF, I first cut the entire sheet to a length of 61.5 inches (the extra 1/4 inch to be removed after the two pieces are secured). The MDF is cut by carefully clamping a straight edge (I used the 1x4 pine lumber) 1.5 inches from the cut line. The 1.5 inches is the distance from the blade of the circular saw to the edge of the blade guard. I next cut the MDF length-wise at about 22 inches.

With the two pieces of MDF, this is a perfect time to cut the laminate. The MDF is used as a base to support the laminate. The laminate is cut in the same manner as the MDF: using a straight edge to guide the circular saw. The laminate is cut face-down and always a bit larger than needed - it will be made flush after it is attached. NOTE: When cutting laminate, be sure the saw blade strikes the decorated surface first. Otherwise, chips will be produced in the visible surface.

At this point, I applied a liberal amount of glue to both pieces of MDF (after vacuuming the surfaces clean) and pressed them together. Holding them tight with clamps, I drilled several countersinking holes in one side and then drove 1 inch dry-wall screws. Finally, I carefully measured and cut the MDF to the correct size of 61.25x21.25 inches.

Trim & Backsplash

To insure a smooth gluing surface on the 1x2 trim, I first ran the poplar through the planar. I then cut two pieces: one 61.25 inches for the front and the other 22 inches for the left side - which overlaps the front.

Furthermore, the 1x4 pine is used for the backsplash. This was also planed and cut to approximate size.

NOTE: Poplar was selected for the trim because it is an economical hard wood of better quality than pine. Select pine was adequate for the backsplash.

At this point, I attached the trim to the MDF assembly. This was done by applying glue to the trim, clamping it in place, drilling a countersunk pilot hole, and then driving 1-1/4" #8 wood screws. Use a utility knife to remove any splinters of wood around the drill holes.

To cut the laminate for the trim and backsplash I ripped it using my radial arm saw. Two pieces were cut of each of these widths: 1-5/8 inch (trim), 7/8 inch (top of backsplash), and 3-3/4 inch (front of backsplash).

Glue

The next step in building the vanity top is to glue the laminate to the various pieces of wood. First, I glued the laminate strips to the front and side trims of the vanity top. This is done by pouring some glue into a shallow container and applying the glue to both the laminate and the wood surface. The glue is ready after 10-20 minutes - when it still feels tacky to a finger pressed on it, yet the glue does not transfer. Be patient - I was anxious on one piece and had to re-apply the glue and wait again.

In the same manner, I glued the laminate to the front of the backsplash. If done properly, no clamping should be needed - just carefully place the laminate on the wood, from one end to the next, and firmly press it down. You can also buy a rubber roller to apply the pressure (good idea too - the rough edges of the laminate cut the palm of my hand).

The glue adheres immediately - so the laminate can be trimmed and/or cut as needed. Using a flush-trim bit in my router, I first trimmed the laminate glued to the front and sides of the trim.

Then, with the router in a router table, I trimmed the laminate on the front of the backsplash.

I then glued the thin strips of laminate to the tops of the backsplash pieces and trimmed them in the router table. However, I was not careful enough to keep the backsplash square with the table and bit into the surface of the laminate a bit. I tried to hide it with a blue marker - but it did not help. So, I ripped about 3/8 inch off, re-applied the laminate strip to the new top, and more carefully trimmed it with the router. (This turned out to be serendipitous as the new height of the backsplash would fit perfectly between the bathroom mirror and the vanity top.)

Holes

Finally, the holes can be cut into the vanity top. A template was provided with the sinks. I positioned the holes about 7 inches from the edge (I wanted 5 but the drain of one sink would interfere with one of the supply lines) and 3 inches from the front. I accidentally measured the 3 inches from the front of the vanity top to the edge of the template - as opposed to the edge of the hole. So, the sink actually ended up being about 4 inches from the front - no problem.

After positioning the template, I traced the hole. Then I drilled a starter hole and used the jig saw to cut the hole. Since the jig saw does the cutting on the up-stroke, the laminate was face-down again. This was a very slow job. After cutting the first hole, I test-fit the sink. It as all good.

Note: One thing that I should have done at this point is to paint the remaining exposed MDF with a sealing primer or shellac. MDF has a high affinity for water and the humidity in a bathroom can ruin the entire project and cause the laminate to come loose. I was made aware of this near the end of the project and tried my best to paint it from below.