How to Cut PERFECT Holes for Pipes In Your IKEA Kitchen Sink Cabinet
Master the Art of Precision: Learn how to cut perfect holes for pipes in your IKEA kitchen sink cabinet!
Maintaining a clean and organized look under your kitchen sink is essential for functionality and aesthetics. However, working around the existing pipes can be challenging when replacing the cabinets, and getting help from a plumber to “fix the pipe situation” can be expensive.
Do not worry; there is nothing to fear! This step-by-step guide will walk you through cutting precise holes for pipes in your IKEA kitchen sink cabinet to keep things tidy without sacrificing the cabinet’s structural integrity.
Watch the full video tutorial below, or keep reading to learn more.
Assess the plumbing situation.
The first step is to assess the plumbing situation. How many pipes do you have in the area where you want to place a cabinet? Are they coming from different directions? Do they have valves and bends that make things tricky?
In most situations, the pipes can be a bit complicated. Therefore, I prefer building the cabinets around the plumbing on-site rather than assembling the cabinet and then installing it. Doing things this way can help minimize the holes you need to create.
Plan and make your cuts
Mark on the cabinet where the pipes will go. This exact procedure will vary depending on the location of your pipes, so there is no exact right way to do this. However, regardless of your specific situation, you can apply the same principles to get a good result.
First, you will want to drill holes in the cabinet for the pipes to go through. Use a drill bit about 1/8-1/4″ larger than the diameter of the individual pipes. That will ensure the pipes fit snugly in the holes, and you do not remove any more than necessary.
Next, use an oscillating tool to cut away the piece at a 45-degree angle. I prefer to cut a large piece at an angle, intending to put the piece back in later. Hang on to the cut-out for a future step.
Also, drill and cut on an elevated surface, such as some of the cardboard from the packaging, as this will help ensure you are not cutting into your floor, workstation, or another piece of the cabinet underneath.
Build the cabinet
Now that we have cut our holes, it is time to build the cabinet around the pipes.
In this example, I start by attaching the right side of the cabinet to the bottom, where I also have fitted a pair of left to the left side. The legs will support the bottom when I hang the right side onto the suspension rail.
Before I assemble the rest of the cabinet, I put the cut-off piece in place. I normally give it a bit of glue os some silicone when it is in, to prevent moisture to penetrate the material..
Assemble the rest of the cabinet
After you’ve built around the pipes, the hard part is over!
Now, you can simply assemble the rest of the cabinet by sliding the back piece into the grooves, installing the second gable of the cabinet, putting on the reinforced rail for the sink cabinet, and securing it all together.
You’re all set!
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Swing like a winner.
The oscillating tool is one of my Top Ten favourites because it is versatile and lets me do cuts in-situ whenever needed.
Apart from making cuts when making holes for plumbing, I use it for cutting holes for electrical boxes, shortening the suspension rail, cutting holes for vent hoods, and cutting baseboards while in place, to mention a few applications.
Spoil yourself with new blades.
If you buy blades for the oscillating tool at the hardware store at $25 a piece, we tend to use them until they are way past the end of the ability to produce a decent cut without smothering us in black smoke.
These blades are so cheap that I replace them as soon as the first smoke appears, and with a cost of less than a buck a blade, it will not break the bank.
I cannot say that they will last as long as the well-known brands, but they will outperform any of those regarding cost per foot of cutting.
What...not a DeWalt?
Let’s face it. There’s not much to a measuring tape. No, there isn’t, but I picked this specific tape for one particular reason, the colour.
When 99% of my other tools are yellow, spotting a yellow measuring tape quickly is pretty hard. The red colour stands out. 1-2-3…there it is.
Meet stubby.
This short Philips screwdriver comes in handy when you need to turn the cabinet twist-nut when the cabinet is hanging on the rail, as it is when you assemble the sink cabinet as described above.
Reach in, find the nut, and turn it clockwise.