I bought a 4' vanity base from a Craigslist ad. It was perfect to replace
the "builder grade" crap in the master bedroom and at a really good price.
There was a problem, though. When I got it home I discovered it was exactly
48" wide, the exact same width of the area in which it was to reside.

The vanity to replace (since torn out) was at the end of an 8' corridor,
with a walk-in closet on the left and the door to the bath on the right.
Each of these doors had 3/4" trim, narrowing the maneuvering space to
46-1/2" inches.

Needless to say, something 48" wide would not pass through a 46-1/2"
opening!

Plan #1.

Inasmuch as the door trim was not removable without gutting the door, I
elected to disassemble the new vanity and reassemble the parts on the other
side of the constriction.

I now have a pile of miscellaneous pieces - some broken - that will not go
back together for love or money. (One has to press-fit the sides on to
various horizontal slots cut on the side pieces. There is no way to perform
the pressing, since I can't get to the sides.)

The face of the vanity still looks super, however.

Plan #2 (Pending)

I'll rebuild the freaking "box" out of a generous stack of 1/2" plywood I
have in the workshop just waiting for a project. Then I'll attach the front
and all should be well.

Maybe. There's still the distinct possibility that I'm cursed.

MORAL:
"Measure twice then, er, do something or other."

On Tue, 23 Aug 2011 06:53:30 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote:

I bought a 4' vanity base from a Craigslist ad. It was perfect to replace
the "builder grade" crap in the master bedroom and at a really good price.
There was a problem, though. When I got it home I discovered it was exactly
48" wide, the exact same width of the area in which it was to reside.

The vanity to replace (since torn out) was at the end of an 8' corridor,
with a walk-in closet on the left and the door to the bath on the right.
Each of these doors had 3/4" trim, narrowing the maneuvering space to
46-1/2" inches.

Needless to say, something 48" wide would not pass through a 46-1/2"
opening!

That's why they sell those 'vanity fronts' and 'sink fronts'.

Plan #1.

-snip-

The face of the vanity still looks super, however.

Plan #2 (Pending)

I'll rebuild the freaking "box" out of a generous stack of 1/2" plywood I
have in the workshop just waiting for a project. Then I'll attach the front
and all should be well.

Do you need a 'box' - or just clean up the walls- drop in a bit of a
raised floor- and put some 'nailers' up to fasten the front to.
[Drawers would complicate things, but are still do-able.]


Maybe. There's still the distinct possibility that I'm cursed.

I would suspect that. God gets even with you storytellers.g

MORAL:
"Measure twice then, er, do something or other."

Have a bourbon and re-adjust.

Jim

On Aug 23, 7:53*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
I bought a 4' vanity base from a Craigslist ad. It was perfect to replace
the "builder grade" crap in the master bedroom and at a really good price..
There was a problem, though. When I got it home I discovered it was exactly
48" wide, the exact same width of the area in which it was to reside.

The vanity to replace (since torn out) was at the end of an 8' corridor,
with a walk-in closet on the left and the door to the bath on the right.
Each of these doors had 3/4" trim, narrowing the maneuvering space to
46-1/2" inches.

Needless to say, something 48" wide would not pass through a 46-1/2"
opening!

Plan #1.

Inasmuch as the door trim was not removable without gutting the door, I
elected to disassemble the new vanity and reassemble the parts on the other
side of the constriction.

I now have a pile of miscellaneous pieces - some broken - that will not go
back together for love or money. (One has to press-fit the sides on to
various horizontal slots cut on the side pieces. There is no way to perform
the pressing, since I can't get to the sides.)

The face of the vanity still looks super, however.

Plan #2 (Pending)

I'll rebuild the freaking "box" out of a generous stack of 1/2" plywood I
have in the workshop just waiting for a project. Then I'll attach the front
and all should be well.

Maybe. There's still the distinct possibility that I'm cursed.

MORAL:
"Measure twice then, er, do something or other."

Well your mistake was already made...

In the future you now know that it is much easier to remove the door
and the door frame and trim from the opening than it is to try and
take apart something that was cheaply made... It doesn't sound
like you will be able to cobble the original "pieces" of the cabinet
back together and have it be square and level...

I would start over with something new, or as you yourself thought
of: build the shell of the cabinet with real plywood and buy a
face frame to finish it off...

~~ Evan

Evan wrote:
On Aug 23, 7:53 am, "HeyBub" wrote:
I bought a 4' vanity base from a Craigslist ad. It was perfect to
replace the "builder grade" crap in the master bedroom and at a
really good price. There was a problem, though. When I got it home I
discovered it was exactly 48" wide, the exact same width of the area
in which it was to reside.

The vanity to replace (since torn out) was at the end of an 8'
corridor, with a walk-in closet on the left and the door to the bath
on the right. Each of these doors had 3/4" trim, narrowing the
maneuvering space to 46-1/2" inches.

Needless to say, something 48" wide would not pass through a 46-1/2"
opening!

Plan #1.

Inasmuch as the door trim was not removable without gutting the
door, I elected to disassemble the new vanity and reassemble the
parts on the other side of the constriction.

I now have a pile of miscellaneous pieces - some broken - that will
not go back together for love or money. (One has to press-fit the
sides on to various horizontal slots cut on the side pieces. There
is no way to perform the pressing, since I can't get to the sides.)

The face of the vanity still looks super, however.

Plan #2 (Pending)

I'll rebuild the freaking "box" out of a generous stack of 1/2"
plywood I have in the workshop just waiting for a project. Then I'll
attach the front and all should be well.

Maybe. There's still the distinct possibility that I'm cursed.

MORAL:
"Measure twice then, er, do something or other."

Well your mistake was already made...

In the future you now know that it is much easier to remove the door
and the door frame and trim from the opening than it is to try and
take apart something that was cheaply made... It doesn't sound
like you will be able to cobble the original "pieces" of the cabinet
back together and have it be square and level...

I would start over with something new, or as you yourself thought
of: build the shell of the cabinet with real plywood and buy a
face frame to finish it off...


Yep. That's what I'm doing. I can use the face from the original purchase,
and, to my cost, I wasn't aware that the faces were sold individually.

Learn something new every day.

Tomorrow, I plan to learn to hum. Wish me luck.

Jim Elbrecht wrote:

Maybe. There's still the distinct possibility that I'm cursed.

I would suspect that. God gets even with you storytellers.g


I've got a swell story about a chicken, but I can't pullet.

"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

Evan wrote:
On Aug 23, 7:53 am, "HeyBub" wrote:
I bought a 4' vanity base from a Craigslist ad. It was perfect to
replace the "builder grade" crap in the master bedroom and at a
really good price. There was a problem, though. When I got it home I
discovered it was exactly 48" wide, the exact same width of the area
in which it was to reside.

The vanity to replace (since torn out) was at the end of an 8'
corridor, with a walk-in closet on the left and the door to the bath
on the right. Each of these doors had 3/4" trim, narrowing the
maneuvering space to 46-1/2" inches.

Needless to say, something 48" wide would not pass through a 46-1/2"
opening!

Plan #1.

Inasmuch as the door trim was not removable without gutting the
door, I elected to disassemble the new vanity and reassemble the
parts on the other side of the constriction.

I now have a pile of miscellaneous pieces - some broken - that will
not go back together for love or money. (One has to press-fit the
sides on to various horizontal slots cut on the side pieces. There
is no way to perform the pressing, since I can't get to the sides.)

The face of the vanity still looks super, however.

Plan #2 (Pending)

I'll rebuild the freaking "box" out of a generous stack of 1/2"
plywood I have in the workshop just waiting for a project. Then I'll
attach the front and all should be well.

Maybe. There's still the distinct possibility that I'm cursed.

MORAL:
"Measure twice then, er, do something or other."

Well your mistake was already made...

In the future you now know that it is much easier to remove the door
and the door frame and trim from the opening than it is to try and
take apart something that was cheaply made... It doesn't sound
like you will be able to cobble the original "pieces" of the cabinet
back together and have it be square and level...

I would start over with something new, or as you yourself thought
of: build the shell of the cabinet with real plywood and buy a
face frame to finish it off...


Yep. That's what I'm doing. I can use the face from the original
purchase, and, to my cost, I wasn't aware that the faces were sold
individually.

Learn something new every day.

Tomorrow, I plan to learn to hum. Wish me luck.



I've often said; Nobody is better at fixing my f-ups than me.