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Altering a Single Oven Cabinet into Double Oven Size

Making alterations to an existing single oven cabinet in order to make a double oven fit is possible. The width of the new appliance is critical. If you can find one that will slide in without altering the sides of the cabinet face-frame, I recommend you choose that route.

This video shows a Formica kitchen cabinet being altered for the new double oven. Changing an existing cupboard in place can be a challenge and requires the proper tools.





Tools and Materials Needed to Alter the Oven Area:

Table Saw
Skill Saw
Sawzall or Reciprocating Saw
Electric Drill
Shop-Vac for Cabinet Work
Laminate Trimmer (router)
Black Formica (only if the Formica is discontinued)
Razor Knife
Chop Saw
Putty Knife
Hammer
Diagonal Cutters
Ply-wood
Paint (that matches the interior of the cabinet)
Caulking
Cabinet Contact Glue

  • Note: You may not need to get any black laminate if you can successfully salvage the old face-frame strips. If your laminate is not discontinued and you can order a new sheet you will not need the black. The color change is only necessary if you cannot find the existing color or reuse the current strips of laminate

Remove the Doors
You will need to cut the doors down when you have finished making the oven hole bigger in the cabinet. If you have a drawer underneath that might have to be cut down. Save cutting them down until after you rebuild the oven cabinet. This will ensure that they are right when you alter them.

Take Off the Face-Frame Laminate
Using the putty knife, wedge it between the plastic laminate and the face frame it is attached to. Be extremely careful to not be in a hurry so that you do not damage the plastic. Hopefully it is the correct size and you can re-glue it onto the face of the cabinet once you have made the alterations.

Cut Out the Fixed Shelves
You should have a void area from the inside edge of the face-frame to the inside of the oven cabinet of about one inch (1”). This will allow you make your cut about one half of an inch (1/2”) from the cabinet side. Cut along the left and right cabinet sides and then knock the shelves out with your hammer.

Break Off the Staples
Using the diagonal cutters, grab onto any nails or staples protruding out and wiggle them back and forth until they break off. This will cause them to break inside the wood so it will not be necessary to alter the broken off fastener.

Cutting the Ply-wood
I purchased three quarters of an inch (3/4”) thick ply-wood from Home Depot and had them rip the sheet to the desired depth of my cabinet. In this case, it was twenty four inches (24”). The lower oven cabinet support shelf should be double thick (1-1/2″).You can cut the new shelves slightly smaller in width because you are going to caulk and paint the top shelf to match the interior of the cupboard. This will make it much easier to set them into place. You may not need to change the oven cupboard shelves if you can remove the existing ones with out damaging them.

  • Important: You should always make the bottom oven support shelf one and a half inches (1-1/2″) thick. This means you will double two full-size pieces of plywood.

Installing Support Cleats and New Shelves
Cut four support cleats two and half inches wide by the depth of the cabinet sides and screw them into place for the new fixed shelves to rest on. DO NOT use too long of a screw and damage the finished side of the oven cabinet. Drop the new shelves into position and secure them with screws.

Cut and Secure and Laminate the Face-frame
Cut new face frame pieces and screw them into place. Contact glue the plastic laminate (new or old pieces) on and route them off.

Final Steps of Altering a Single Oven Cabinet so a Double Oven Will Fit
Alter your doors to fit by cutting them down with your table saw and make whatever grooves or hinge holes in them so the hinges will work properly. You can review this article on how to drill a cabinet door for European hinges if this is the style you have. Install the doors. Caulk the interior storage area of the cabinet shelves. Paint the new shelf.

Cutting a cabinet down for a new oven to fit will be a little different for every individual project. In the video, we only had to alter the position of the shelves and not the width of the face-frame. If you are altering an oven cupboard and the width needs to be bigger, you will need to rebuild the entire face frame. It’s possible to cut down the side frames, but would be very difficult for a “do it yourself” home-maker. If this is your situation, hire a professional cabinet repairman to do the job.

Making an oven cabinet hole or opening bigger should not be attempted if you do not have good general finish carpentry skills. Anytime you must alter a cabinet in place, it must be done by someone who has a good handle on operating power tools and basic carpentry skills. Changing existing kitchen cupboards in place is not something that armature carpenters should attempt. YOU MUST HAVE basic finish carpentry skills.

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