10 Simple Kitchen Cabinet Repairs

Ten repairs for kitchen cabinet doors, drawers and frames.

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Ten Simple Kitchen Cabinet Repairs
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1—Clean a Yucky Cutting Board
if you love the convenience of your pullout wooden cutting board but don’t use it because it’s stained and grungy, try this chef-approved, two-step process. Simply scour the board with a lemon and a pile of kosher salt, then apply mineral oil. The coarse kosher salt is an excellent abrasive, and the citric acid kills bacteria. When the stains are gone, rinse the board and let it dry. Mineral oil helps prevent the wood from absorbing stains.

2—Adjust Hinges on Misaligned Doors
If your cabinet doors are out of whack and you have European-style hinges, you’re in luck. Euro hinges are designed for easy adjustment. Don’t let their complex look scare you; all you have to do is turn a few screws, and any mistakes you make are easy to correct. The Euro hinge shown here adjusts in three directions. Others adjust in two directions. Either way, it’s a trial-and-error process: You make adjustments, close the door to check the fit, then adjust again until it’s right.

First . . .
If the door isn’t flush with the doors next to it, adjust the depth screw. This screw moves the door in or out. Some depth screws move the door as you turn them. But with most, you have to loosen the screw, nudge the door in or out and then tighten the screw. If your hinges don’t have depth screws, start with the side screws.

Second . . .
If the door is crooked—not standing parallel to adjacent doors or square with the cabinet—adjust the side screw. This moves the door from side to side. In some cases, you have to loosen the depth screw slightly to adjust the side screw.

Third . . .
If the door is flush and parallel with other doors but too high or low, use the mounting screws to raise or lower the mounting plates. Loosen the screws at both hinges, slide the door up or down and tighten the screws. Some mounting plates adjust by turning a single screw.

Buyer’s Guide
All the cabinet hardware and products mentioned in this article are available at home centers and hardware stores. For a larger selection of hinges, catches and drawer slides, check out Woodworker’s Hardware at www.wwhardware.com, (800) 383-0130.

From The Family Handyman - October 2004
 
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