Before I could assemble, I needed to buy a pin nailer. Like all DIYers, I like buying new tools. I bought an inexpensive (cheap) pneumatic pin nailer. It got 4.3 stars online.
Yes, I read the manual. I installed the pin nails and hooked it up to my Sears Craftman® 3-gallon compressor.
I started on the first door. I cut my screen moldings to length. I still did not buy a new blade for the miter saw, so the cuts were splintered. No big deal since the moldings are on the back side of the door. I needed to recut most of the moldings because I cut them too long.
I was ready to nail my first molding. First shot, no nail. I opened the nailer. There was not a jam. I tried again, again no nail. What’s the problem? Did I get one of those jamming nailers the 1 star reviews I read about? Or was this nailer just bad? No, you big dummy, you are using the wrong nails. I bought the 23-gauge nails, not the 18-gauge nails. Back to the home improvement store.
After I returned, I had minimal problems assembling the doors. Except… I put some of the nails in the gap between the panel and frame. The moldings just fell off when I stood up the doors. Oops.
I went upstairs to test fit the doors. They surprisingly fit. While I was up there, I needed to remove the sink panel. I could not use the back side of these panels because the rabbets were on the wrong side. With my Sears Craftman® #2 Phillips screwdriver in hand, I contorted my body to get my head into the cabinet. I needed to remove the slats that held the panel in place. I tried a few times to turn the screw to remove it from one slat. It kept slipping out, but eventually I loosen it up enough to turn the slat. I got the panel out and found out the screw had a square slot, not a Phillips.
With the doors, panels and my Sears Craftman® #2 Phillips screwdriver, I went back downstairs. Now it was time to install the hinges.
Using the cut off of the old doors that had the screw holes from the hinges, I clamped it down to the inside of the door frame. I had my template to drill the screw holes for the new doors. One only problem was my hex drill bit for my portable Milwaukee Tool® drill was too short and could not drill through the cutoff to the new door. Out came my corded Black and Decker® drill. I now could use a longer standard drill bit.
As I was installing the hinges, the hinges did not fit snugly against the rabbets. It did not seem right, but I trusted the template. Once I had the hinges installed, I was getting really excited.
The assembly of the doors is finally complete. Time to install the doors. YAY!
