kitchen filler panels

[john]

Just finished installing some kitchen base units in an alcove. At each end of the run of units is a gap approx 5cm wide which I need to fill with a filler panel (actually an offcut of the plinth in this case). This will fill the gap between the wall and the side of the base unit. I am not sure how to accurately cut the filler panel in order to fit the gap, is there a known technique? If the walls were straight and the gap uniform size from the floor to the worktop then it would be easy. Somehow though I have to 'profile' the filler panel to fit.. Also how do you fix it between the wall and unit? John

[John Rumm]

You need to "scribe" a line to cut. This is much simpler to do than it is to describe!

Stand the panel close to the wall in front of the gap (but a couple of inches to the side of where it would ultimately go). Now get yourself a pencil and a small offcut of wood a couple of inches long. Hold the offcut horizontally against the top front face of the panel and slide it against the uneven wall. Now hold your pencil against the other end of the offcut with its point pressed against the panel. Now slide the pencil and offcut down the panel ensuring that the offcut is kept in contact with the wall. This should result in you drawing a line on the face of your panel that matches the irregular profile of your wall. Now cut down this line with a jigsaw. All that remains is to then cut the other side square to match the last unit. If you are worried about marking the face of the panel when you cut it (chipping etc) then either scribe the line on the back of the panel and cut it from the back or use a down cutting blade on the jigsaw.

To fix it, I would be tempted to glue it in place with gripfill of something similar since you are not going to have enough space to get any tools down the gap between the unit and the wall to do up any screws etc. You could fix a small batten to the back of the square edge of your infill panel to make it simpler to glue to the side of the unit.

[G&M]

I measured the widest point of the gap, added a few mm, cut the wood to that width, then chiselled away the plaster until it fitted and made good.