Cheap, (Almost) Instant bar!

Materials: Effectiv, Abstrakt, Capita

Description: In this hack, I take an EFFECTIV Add-on (high), original price $80, purchased in the As-Is department for $45, a set of CAPITA angled brackets ($14.99), ABSTRAKT kitchen door piece, regular $74, also purchased in the As-Is department for $1.99. The first thing I had to do was take some isopropyl alcohol and remove the "As-Is" and item number written on the back side of the cabinet (which will be the front part of the bar). The As-Is department apparently now requires that the words AS-IS and the item # be marked in a prominent place on the furniture, which I find ridiculous, because it potentially ruins the piece. I lucked out and alcohol did the trick, but it still smudged a bit. It's not that noticeable. But I have a plan for that spot if it is too noticeable.

The next thing needed to be done is install the shelves. Next, I mounted the brackets on the door, which will be the top of the bar.I had to use my own screws because the two inch screws were too long for the thickness of the door/bar top. I predrilled the holes using the recommended 1/16 drill bit. Naturally, I got confused and drilled the holes in the wrong place, so I had to start over, but no worries, it's on the bottom side and won’t be noticed. The measuring was really tedious and a test of my math skills. The instructions were for a much larger piece of wood to go on top, so it was challenging for me and my brain to make the adjustments.

The next step is to measure the space between the large bolts in the CAPITA brackets to ensure the correct placement. Then mark the holes and drill them. Only to find out that I do not possess a 7/16" drill bit/auger. So my project was put on hold until I could obtain the proper tool.

I took a trip to the local hardware store and obtained a 7/16" wood drill bit for $9.15 plus tax. Back home, I made sure and measured the space between the two posts three or four times. I knew it would be a one shot deal. Then I drilled the holes and started to put the bar top into place.

The only thing left to do was put the nuts and washers into place. Only now I can’t find the nuts and washers. I left them in the box, I knew that, but I couldn’t find the box. I scoured the house and couldn’t find it anywhere. Once my husband got home, I asked if he had moved the box, no he had not. He suggested the dog may have done something with it. Ordinarily this would be humorous, except that our 12 year old shepherd/boxer mix has a bad habit of taking paper products out into the yard and chewing on them. After a trip into the leaf-covered back yard, we discovered a half-eaten cardboard box with only one washer remaining. Further searching with the flashlight led to the discovery of two shiny nuts in under a leaf. I never found the second washer. For all I know the dog ate it. After a quick trip to the garage, I found a suitable replacement washer and was back in business.

I put the large plastic washers on the top side and I secured the nuts and washers on the underside of the cabinet. Unfortunately, I only had a short socket to turn the washer, so I ended up using a monkey wrench to turn it the rest of the way. (Always get the right tools!)

Total time spent about 3 hours, not counting the trip to the hardware store and searching the backyard. Total price: $70.13 plus tax.

~ Cathy Baumbusch, DC