Building a Lazy Susan Cabinet

By Matt Hagens /

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In Jason’s video titled “Build Cabinets The Easy Way || How To Build a Corner Cabinet,” he walks viewers through the process of designing and constructing a practical lazy Susan cabinet for his laundry room. This particular project showcases not only the construction techniques but also the problem-solving skills required when dealing with unique design elements.

Getting Started with the Design

Jason begins by explaining that he is completely renovating his laundry room, which includes new cabinets and countertops. He acknowledges that he plans to create a standalone video covering the entire room transformation but wants to focus on a specific component of the cabinets: the lazy Susan.

He humorously questions the origins of the term “lazy Susan,” pondering why someone would name a spinning cabinet after a person. The lazy Susan is designed to maximize space in corner cabinets, providing easy access to items that would otherwise be hard to reach.

Jason discusses the lazy Susan design

Choosing Materials and Tools

For this project, Jason decides to use 3/4-inch plywood, which is sturdy enough to support the lazy Susan mechanism. He shares that he found lazy Susan hardware on Amazon but was puzzled by the metric instructions that came with it. Nevertheless, he feels confident that he can figure it out as he goes along.

Lazy Susan hardware from Amazon

Building the Cabinet Structure

Jason starts by cutting the plywood into two large squares that will form the top and bottom of the cabinet. He needs to create an opening for the lazy Susan, so he carefully measures and marks the necessary cuts. After clamping the plywood together, he uses a track saw and a jigsaw to achieve the desired shape.

Cutting the plywood for the cabinet

Assembling the Cabinet Box

Once the top and bottom pieces are prepared, Jason moves on to cutting the sides of the cabinet. He emphasizes that while cabinet boxes don’t need to be aesthetically pleasing, it’s crucial to ensure they are structurally sound. Using 3/4-inch plywood for the sides, he screws everything together with GRK screws, ensuring a solid build.

Assembling the cabinet box

Installing the Lazy Susan Hardware

With the cabinet structure complete, Jason shifts his focus to the lazy Susan hardware. He examines the components, figuring out how they fit together without the instructions. After some trial and error, he successfully assembles the lazy Susan mechanism and prepares to install it inside the cabinet.

Installing lazy Susan hardware

Creating the Doors

After completing the cabinet box, Jason realizes he needs to build two doors that will fit the unique 90-degree angle of the cabinet. He selects poplar for the door frames since they will be painted. Jason cuts the pieces to size, mills them down, and creates grooves for the panels.

Cutting pieces for the cabinet doors

Fitting and Adjusting the Doors

After assembling the doors and allowing the glue to dry, Jason takes them to the laundry room to test the fit. He also discusses the importance of using the correct hinges for the lazy Susan setup. Initially, he installs standard hinges, but soon realizes they don’t provide enough range of motion to access the lazy Susan.

Testing the fit of the cabinet doors

Final Adjustments

After some trial and error with the hinges, Jason decides to swap them out for 170-degree hinges, which allow for a wider opening. He also adds blocks inside the cabinet to serve as stops for the doors, ensuring they don’t swing too far inwards.

Installing new hinges for better access

Conclusion

With the lazy Susan cabinet complete, Jason reflects on the process, noting that while it was a lot of work, it was rewarding to see everything come together. He encourages viewers to tackle similar projects, assuring them that even if they’re unsure of how to proceed, they can figure it out as they go.

In the end, Jason successfully creates a functional and stylish lazy Susan cabinet, proving that with a little creativity and determination, anyone can take on woodworking projects.

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