kitchen cupboards: removing

[Stephen]

Hello,

I have got a cupboard hung to the wall of my kitchen. There's a small gap between the cupboard and the door, so whomever fitted it has filled this gap with a small corner unit: its just a few shelves big enough to put a few photos or ornaments on.

I would like to remove this corner unit but I don't know how. The big cupboard has two metal "boxes" that protrude in each top corner but other than that there are no obvious fittings. There are certainly no fittings on the corner unit. There were three small screws attaching the side of the cupboard to the side of the corner unit but I have removed those and the corner unit is still firm.

I think that the corner unit is secured to the big cupboard but how? Glue? How can I remove the corner unit?

Thanks, Stephen.

[Toby]

It may be stuck, with some kind of adhesive, as you suggest - can you take some pictures, pst them so somewhere like

and post a link to them here, a picture will make it far easier to tell!

Toby...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Have you tried removing the large cupboard? It might well come off with that and any 'secret' fixings revealed. Most wall units simply lift off their brackets. Ie, lift upwards to detach.

[Preston]

Those corner shelf units are generally fixed by pushing a threaded bush in from one side, then the screws go into that bush from t'other side. If that's the case with yours, & you haven't removed the bushes, they may be holding things together. If the screws are self-tappers, there won't be bushes.

There may also be a fourth screw underneath the hanging mechanism (the metal box in the top corner). There should be a couple of screws on the end of that box - 1 adjusts the height & 1 pulls the cupboard into the wall. Slacken the latter on both boxes & you should be able to lift the cupboards off the wall. The box will be screwed to the side of the cupboard. Take it off & you'll see if there's a screw underneath for the shelf unit.

[Rod]

I would guess:

o Some more screws (or nails) that you have not yet found - either attaching it to the wall, the other cupboard, or both; o Glue applied when it was fitted (so the screws you found only kept in it place while the glue set); o Magic (ask TMH for help on this).

[Man at B&Q]

I would have hidden them under the hinge plates, if the hinges are on that side

MBQ

[Rod]

Now you say that, I realise that I would probably have used carcase connectors. Which, due to their slightly domed heads probably would not be happy under the hinge plates. But with ordinary screws it is a neat idea.

Alternatively, if the cabinets have backs, could there be screws hidden behind the back?

[andrew]

The units in my kitchen, both old and new, were and are joined by screws under the hinge plates. Take off any hinges on the join and you may see them. Also look for those plastic bits that are used to fill unused holes, there may be more joining screws underneath.

Andrew

[Peter Johnson]

Angle grinder.

[The Medway Handyman]

If the latter, try shouting "Izzy Wizzy lets get busy" whilst waving a black stick with white ends.

Persanally I'm going for the hidden screws.

[Stephen]

Sorry for the delay in replying. What's this about magic? Is it some in-joke that I have missed?

You were all right: it was screws hidden behind hinges!

It;s ironic because a day or two before I posted SWMBO suggested looking behind the hinges, so I removed one, saw nothing behind it, and put it back! It turns out that there was not a screw hidden behind the hinge; one of the hinge screws was long enough to go through to the other side. I didn't realise that at the time and whilst I removed the bottom hinge, the screw in the top hinge continued to hold the cabinet.

Once you told me to look again, I realised what was going on and was able to remove the cupboard.

If only I had removed both hinges together the first time! So it's now official, SWMBO knows more than me ;)

Thanks again.

[Owain]

TMH has an alternative career ...

Owain

PS - TMH: is Matt Dillon an imposter?

[Martin Bonner]

TMH is a magician in his spare time. (I'm not sure whether this is purely a hobby, or whether he actually makes money from it.)