Adding the folding countertop extension to the 2017 Imagine 2600RB

[Guest]

Thanks Guys,

I really like GE 100% Silicone. I believe my cabinets on the earlier Imagine are wood where I'll have to take a close look at the side panel which may be luan. With three pocket screws on each end and silicone in the middle with the bracket screws pulling into the backer, this should provide the strength. Also thinking poplar for the backer. With a small load on the folding top, the backer will be in bending where its there as a stiffener to keep the side panel from splitting.

Since the Imagine is under two feet of snow, I will need to keep dreaming of of spring.

Jim

[Guest]

I began to install the folding countertop and with the advice and pics I've received here, it is going smoothly. Stain is drying on the 3/4 AB plywood I purchase for the backer. The Massca pocket hole tool worked well and I hope the Ryobi flexible bit holder will allow me to screw the backer in with minimal effort. Will post some pics after the urethane dries and after its installed. I made some assumptions in placing gaps to operate smoothly. There were no supplied instructions or screws for that matter.

I spaced the countertop 1/4" under the main countertop and 1/2" from the cabinet. Since the hinges have to be extended beyond center to lock in the upright position, I added this space to accomplish that without binding.

https://masscaproducts.com/products/...CABEgJJVfD_BwE

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-11...205193137-_-N&

Jim

[Jlawles2]

Guest That's a nice looking jig. I just have one of the Kreg ones. Works for what I do and the frequency in which it gets used.

I do recommend a 6" bit for installing the screws down in the pockets 4" might make it, but the head on the flex may get into the wood first.. Worst case you can always use a 1/4" ratchet and socket to drive the front ones. Not fast or ideal, but it will work. Don't ask me how I know b/c there are more stories than you probably want to know of stupid things I had to fix over the years.

[Guest]

Guest That's a nice looking jig. I just have one of the Kreg ones. Works for what I do and the frequency in which it gets used.

I do recommend a 6" bit for installing the screws down in the pockets 4" might make it, but the head on the flex may get into the wood first.. Worst case you can always use a 1/4" ratchet and socket to drive the front ones. Not fast or ideal, but it will work. Don't ask me how I know b/c there are more stories than you probably want to know of stupid things I had to fix over the years.

Thank you for the advice. I have a variety of bits that should clear with the head of the flexible driver. The issue I have is clearing the sink where I did not want to remove it. This is the reason behind the flexible driver. I made the backer 7 inches tall to help avoid the sink where the heavy 3/4 inch ply should provide good support with it being silicone'd and screwed in. I also would have liked to use the pocket screws in the top but the corner support was not installed straight in manufacturing. I may be able to get one in on the left side only where the right side has a large gap where a pocket screw will not work out. I think this will all work out well where the counter top will not be strong enough for the grand kids to use as a trampoline, but for normal use this should be plenty strong enough.

Jim

[Guest]

Finished this up and I would like to thank folks for the advice and in posting the pics of the factory install. This was helpful in trying to keep with the original intent in how GDRV mounted the backer. You will see the gap at the top and between the countertop and the cabinet since the folding countertop needs to be raised above level to allow the brackets to lock in. So this extra clearance is needed where I possibly could have tightened this up a bit but it still worked out well. My choice of stain was not even close, so thankfully the backer is on the inside of the cabinet. I believe the proper stain color is Brown/Black where the side panel on my pass-through matched very well so the choice of wood may have resulted in a darker color of the backer.

The folding countertop is solid and adds a great deal of space to the Imagine's kitchen. As an upgrade I'm thinking of adding blind nuts rather than retaining the brackets to the cabinet with #8 screws. This would provide additional strength and virtually eliminate the chance of the screws pulling out should someone put excessive force on the countertop. I would rather have bent brackets than pulled out screws.

The screw circled in red was relocated in order to fit the backer into the cabinet space.

Jim