I How to Join Units in Corners

A. MEASURING THE CORNER

1. After your entire closet design is completed and
the wall units are in place (whether wall-hung or
floor-based), measure the distance in between the
back-wall unit and side-wall unit at the top of the
two units, where the top shelf insert will rest.
Then measure the depth of the side wall unit.
2. Make sure all four contact points are square.
If they are not, adjust your wall units until they
are square.
B. MARK CUTLINES
Using a pencil, mark your measurements in a corner
of the melamine sheet. If the space was square, it
should be 12 X 14". Make sure the corner of the
melamine sheet is square to the wall as well. Note:
If the wall is angled, transfer this angle to the piece
you are about to cut. Determine the angle by using an
angle finder. Alternative: Purchase shelf stock of the
appropriate depth and simply cut to length.
C. CUT THE TOP SHELF
1. Using painter's tape, place tape along the
outside edges of your marks. This helps to
prevent chipping when cutting a slight angle.
A:
2. Using a sharp circular saw with a melamine
blade, cut out the top shelf following your
premarked lines.
3. Remove the painter's tape.
4. Finish the outside (front) edge with heat-activated
veneer tape (see page 47).
D. ATTACH THE TOP SHELF
1. If KD screws were used on the side-wall vertical ,
remove them and replace with screws and dowels.
Insert a KD screw through one side of a shelf-pin
hole in the vertical and a dowel through the other
side of the vertical. Note: This strengthens the unit
by fastening the two top shelves together through the
vertical, distributing weight between the two sections.
2. Hold the top shelf in place and mark the KD
locations on the bottom of the top shelf. They
should be on center to the pre drilled shelf-pin
holes on the vertical.
3. Drill a hole on the underside edge of the top shelf
at your marks for a KD (see page 47).
4. Press the KDs into the predrilled holes . Place
the shelf down on top of the KD screws. All sides
should be flush with the back- and side-wall units.
Lock down the KDs by tightening the KD onto
the screw with a screwdriver. Note: If the shelf is
not flush, check the screw fitting into the KD to
determine the cause. You may get by with redrilling
a KD hole and filling in the extra space from the
Measure the space in between the
back and side units, using an angle
finder for wall sides that are not square.
Transfer your measurements to
a sheet of melamine (or shelf stock
without predrilled holes).
Cut the top shelf, using a circular
saw with a melamine blade. Place
painter's tape along cut lines to prevent
chipping-this is especially helpful for
cutting angles.
52 BUILD YOUR OWN CUSTOM CLOSET