Trimming down sideboard top

[jertum]

My wife recently bought a small sideboard to go in the living room alcove, however the top overhangs on each side, meaning it's about 10mm too wide for the gap (uneven walls don't help either).

Given that it's unlikely to be made of solid wood, how would I best go about trimming down the top to size? I don't think the top comes off, so it'd have to be trimmed in situ.

I've been thinking of getting an oscillating multitool for a while now - would it be usable for this? I know they're not meant for long straight cuts, but can a reasonably straight cut be achieved with a slow, cautious approach? It should fit flush to the wall when done, so hopefully any imperfections won't be visible. Perhaps I could sand it down?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[Tigercubrider]

I very much doubt it.
I would either use a circular saw, possibly hire one, or just use a (new) handsaw- cutting slowly. Maybe with masking tape on top.
Possibly a good idea to get a small bit of mdf/thin ply/card to trim to size as a trial first to ensure that it fits first time

 

[KenGMac]

Agree with "Tigercuberider"

Make a template from some thin material, this can assist where the walls are"uneven" or Off Square, use to mark the top, cut with a hand saw, far more ? "controllable" than any fast acting, vibrating "thing" [cheaper to get a hand saw --- can be used later as well??]

If you do get it a wee bit wrong consider fitting a small timber bead between the wall and the top all around the junction, best thing to do is make a feature of a mess up [if it occurs??]

Ken

 

[big-all]

it may only be 10mm too big but the chances off the body being fully in the space will be quite slim if the walls more than a small fraction out ideally you need an oblong the height and width off the unit to check for deveations
you may have a say fairly constant say 15-20mm gap at any 2 points measured up or down and back to front but iff you have say a 15mm bump at one point and an opposite 15mm at another point you then have a gap thats 10mm too small

 

[foxhole]

it may only be 10mm too big but the chances off the body being fully in the space will be quite slim if the walls more than a small fraction out ideally you need an oblong the height and width off the unit to check for deveations
you may have a say fairly constant say 15-20mm gap at any 2 points measured up or down and back to front but iff you have say a 15mm bump at one point and an opposite 15mm at another point you then have a gap thats 10mm too small

Only top is too large , overhangs .

 

[big-all]

yes i understand but iff the overhang is small say 20mm each side then the base may ground on various point each side if the walls are wavy or bumpy
obviously if the overhang each side is say 30-40mm the chance off a problem diminishes greatly

 

[jertum]

yes i understand but iff the overhang is small say 20mm each side then the base may ground on various point each side if the walls are wavy or bumpy
obviously if the overhang each side is say 30-40mm the chance off a problem diminishes greatly

Only top is too large , overhangs .

The overhang is probably about 40mm each side, with the bottom of the cabinet fitting with room to spare. For some silly reason the manufacturers didn't include the overhang in the dimensions, which is frustrating, but it suits the room so we decided to keep it and trim down.

I very much doubt it.
I would either use a circular saw, possibly hire one, or just use a (new) handsaw- cutting slowly. Maybe with masking tape on top.
Possibly a good idea to get a small bit of mdf/thin ply/card to trim to size as a trial first to ensure that it fits first time

I think a slow, steady handsaw approach might be the best option, as I can't remove the top to work on it with a circular saw. Will let you know how it goes...

Thanks for your help all.

 

[opps]

You might want to check how square the walls are. If the returns are less than 90 degrees (as opposed to more than 90 degrees), even if you scribe and cut the top perfectly, you might not be able to push the unit into the recess.

 

[jertum]

Thanks for your help with this, all. Ended up using a handsaw with a straight edge as a guide and sanded down to a smooth, straight finish. Didn't quite achieve the flush fitting I'd hoped for, but it looks smart enough.

 

[KenGMac]

Didn't quite achieve the flush fitting I'd hoped for

That,s why someone invented Quarter round moldings [other moldings are available??]

 

[opps]

Firms such as Unika sell oak/etc coloured caulks for filling gaps

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unika-ColorSealant-Acrylic-Colours-Waterproof/dp/B00P9ETO9U

Note: they are waterbased so they will shrink back slightly. Depending on how good you are with a caulking gun, you may want to use masking tape.