Scribing to very uneven surface

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tim

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I have been promising to build a pair of cabinets in our sitting room for a long time (but other people's work keeps getting in the way). Apparently the deadline is before Christmas! :shock:

The boxes themslves are simple and I make and fit a lot of these things anyway but the reason that I have delayed in making these is the surface that they need to fit against. Basically they will be going either side of the original stone chimney breast (floor to ceiling ). The back walls are rendered and there is no problem with fit there but at the side where they butt the chimney breast the stone unsurprisingly is very uneven indeed.

I don't have an actual problem in scribing a panel to fit (except for the usual faff) but I think it will look too busy and broadly a bit rubbish. (I've recently fitted some plasterboard in a room in a similar situation and it just looked wrong - although the fit was spot on).

There is no option for them to be freestanding and I suppose a closing panel could be put in front of the chimney breast but then I'd still have the same problem with the back of that and it would make the whole thing look too square :?

Has anyone got any helpful suggestions otherwise my backside will meet Father Christmas's as mine gets kicked up the chimney for not getting them in!! :(

Please help!!

Thanks

Tim

PS I haven't posted a pic because it takes too long on my rubbish connection but if I am not making any sense then I will.
 
Tim is the chimney Breast made of stone? if so could you not edge over the join with a simular material.

If I'm making no sense what so ever please ignore me.

Bean
 
Bean

Yes it is stone but rubble stone rather than cropped. I don't know if I understand your point about edging over in the same material - do you mean fill in the gap with mortar :? ?

Cheers

T
 
Tim,

If you don't like the look of a scribed panel, why not simply leave the edge of the cabinet as is and accept a gap? I think if you put a heavyish looking moulding on the front edges of the cabinet, then the "solidity" that conveys would not be "overpowered" by the rough stonework.
 
Tim, even if it is possible to scribe in such an uneven surface I don't think it looks very nice. I do the same a Chris suggests but I put a small upstand along the back edge. It helps to hide the gap and stops things falling down.

Keith
 
Chris and Keith

Thanks - I think that this would work if the gap was broadly vertical with lots of minor variation but I think overall we are talking about +/- 1 or 2 inches. So I suppose I could scribe to the general shape but then that just make it look like a really poor scribing job. I'll put a piece of timber up and see what it looks like with a gap (and how big it is).

What sort of moulding do you think? The doors will be shaker panel (painted). Also Keith I'm not sure I understand exactly what you mean about the upstand (or even if I know exactly what an upstand is - I thought it was a moulding that ran along the back of a worktop). This is a vertical scribing and the cabinets go to the ceiling.

Thinking about it, it might work if I set a scribed panel back an inch or two from the front edge - so that the shadow created covers some of the more twiddly bits and then put a moulding in front to take focus away even more. What do you think?

Thanks

Tim
 
Tim,

I had in mind a few beads or flutes (say 3 or 4 depending on the general scale of your piece, or say 2 with a corner bead so the moulding would then wrap around the side panel. I guess a Shaker panel (not really sure what that looks like but presumably rather plain?) may make the choice of moulding a bit more restrictive.

I think your idea of a set back scribed panel should work OK - I'd still use a moulding though.
 
Thanks Chris - Shaker panel is just plain (like in John's F/F set up). The fluting could be a good idea - hadn't thought of that but one of the cabinets is only narrow (450mm) for CDs/ Vids etc so I don't want to take up too much usable cabinet space for the detailing. I agree with you though that even if the 'setback' option works it will still need some moulding applied.

Cheers

T
 
I agree with Chris. I quite often have to install cabinets in customers' homes,and the walls are NEVER straight. I have tried scribing in the past but now I tell them that it will look better if we put it up as is and ignore the varying gap. As long as the back edge of the cabinet is straight and vertical it does, in my opinion and the opinion of all those to whom I have offered this option so far, look fine.
John
 
John

Thanks but this is the front edge where the side butts up against the wall not the back or the back of the side panel and I imagine it will fill with dust and debris etc, plus will make the furniture look freestanding if its not filled in some way and I want it to look built in

T
 
Sorry Tim I was on horizontal surfaces :roll:

Two other options to consider then, get a relatively thick piece of wood, scribe it to the wall then cut a chamfer on the front edge so the scribing is slightly set back.

Second option, apply shuttering to the wall and cast a vertical column (only as deep as necessary) in sand/cement to give you a straight edge to work from. If that makes sense.

Keith
 
Keith

It does make sense but I'm not sure I want to introduce sand and cement into the living room if I can help it!!

T
 
tim i know this might sound daft but what about a strip of 3ply scribed and cut to the shape of the wall and fitted on the cabinet , or something on those lines .

frank
 
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