Over Cabinet

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Over Cabinet
Is it possible to cut a kitchen cabinet to fit over a fridge?

The cabinets are in good shape-original from 1963 but I would like to cut one to fit over the fridge. The one over the fridge needs to be over the stove because the microwave comes down too low.

Of course it's possible to cut a kitchen cabinet down, because we humans are pretty clever sorts and we've got good tools, too. Collectively, we can do anything!

But, if the question is, can YOU cut a cabinet down, skillfully, and make it still look good, well, that depends on your skill level.

Are you wanting to take the cabinet down first to cut it? That might be easiest, I would use a tablesaw. A helper would be very handy here. The problem is, a cabinet is reasonably sturdy when it's all nailed together, but it will get very flimsy once you cut the bottom off. I'd make the 4 side cuts, being very careful to make straight, smooth cuts (use a good cross-cutting blade), and make your last cut in back, where it doesn't show! After it's cut, pry off the bottom from the pieces you just cut off, and carefully nail it back in at the appropriate new height. A small air nailer will make this much easier, and you might use glue in addition to nails. Touch up all of your rough edges with an appropriate finish. If you make too much of a mess of things, add some molding as needed to cover it up.

I assume you'll have a cabinet door to cut down, too. Since it's up so high, consider cutting the top edge (up at the ceiling), where it's less likely to be seen.

This is probably as much as most pros would do. If the job demands more than this, it might be cheaper to just replace all the kitchen cabinets at once with new ones. Other less expensive options include new facings and doors.