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Original poster

DIY kitchen help please!

28 replies

goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 10:45

Can anyone tell us how to attach the door front to the pull out bin?

It looked like it would be a simple job but the plastic dowels are on the mechanism, not in the pre-drilled door holes. We can't for the life of us get them into the pre-drilled holes. We've tried banging them in and are in danger of breaking the mechanism. Do we have to take the mechanism apart to get behind and screw the dowels into place then somehow re-assemble it?

Hoping someone can advise as we are completely stuck. Thanks!

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Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 10:48

That should say DIY Kitchens, meaning the company in Yorkshire.

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ItsLikeRain · 06/10/2018 10:57

Haven't done this, but give them a call? They seem to be fairly helpful?

Also bumping for you.

Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 11:01

Thanks for replying, Rain. I would but they're out of the office until Monday and we are desperate to get this side fitted as we have no sink at the moment and can't put the sink in until the pull out bin is in.

The first door was faulty (drilled in the wrong place), this bin would fit if we could get it on! We thought it would come with doors attached. Thanks for bumping.

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Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 11:59

Here's a picture. It shows the dowels that are meant to go into the door but they don't just push on (too big) and the screws to fix them are inside the mechanism so can't be accessed.

It looks like the sliding mechanism needs to be attached to the door at the factory, then it would just slide into the runners like a standard door.

DIY kitchen help please!
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ItsLikeRain · 06/10/2018 12:31

Can you drill the holes in the door to be the right size for the dowels to fit?

Sorry if that doesn't make sense, just thought that if something else had been drilled wrong they may just be the wrong size?

SpoonBlender · 06/10/2018 12:36

Mine's a DIYkitchen with pull out bin, but it must be a different one - the door wasn't drilled at all for us, small screws from the mechanism to the door.

Have you got a link to the DIYkitchen page for your model? Might be able to work it out if we get a look.

Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 13:04

That is a good idea, Rain. It might come to that but it's our most expensive unit so we don't want to muck it up!

SpoonBlender thank you. Here's a link to the model no. on DIY but it doesn't give any technical details so not sure much can be gleaned from it.

www.diy-kitchens.com/kitchen-units/base/pull-out-waste-units/highline-waste-units/500mm-highline-internal-drawer-bin-unit,-2-x-26ltr-bins,-front-hung/wp2035877/#.W7ijjWhKhPY

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AnnieAnoniMouse · 06/10/2018 13:06

Any luck yet?

Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 13:25

No, 'fraid not Annie. We are stuck. I've messaged DIY kitchens and will ring them on Monday but we just can't see how it can be done. We think the door should be attached to the sliding mechanism so it would lift / slide into the runners just like a normal door. Because the screws are inaccessible behind the dowels inside the mechanism we can't see how they can be inserted into the door. They don't push on (didn't force them or anything and they still won't go on!)

Spoonblender Even though it's a different model did yours come with the door attached?

DIY kitchen help please!
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wowfudge · 06/10/2018 13:28

Have you tried to find info about the bin unit on the website OP. I'd also try calling the showroom as it's open till 5 today.

Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 13:30

Wowfudge can't find any technical info on the website but I didn't know the showroom was open so that's a brilliant idea. I'll call them now, thank you.

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Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 13:35

Can't seem to ring the showroom, the phone goes to answerphone, says they are closed till Monday.

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wowfudge · 06/10/2018 13:42

Try emailing sales@ or quotes@ and seeing if you can reach someone. Have you looked at the Advice Guides section of the website and the downloads there?

Have you got the mechanism the right way round? Sorry if it's obvious you haven't, just trying to think what could be the issue. Also do you definitely have the correct door?

Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 13:57

Yes, definitely the correct door - this is a replacement as the first door was clearly drilled in the wrong place so definitely wouldn't fit. This door looks like it's drilled correctly.

The mechanism is all inside the cabinet, so we can't have got the mechanism the wrong way round as we haven't messed with it in any way. So presume it's correct.

I have sent a message but I'm pretty sure they won't reply until Monday. I do appreciate everyone's help here.

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Maverick66 · 06/10/2018 14:03

Try You Tube they have instructional videos on everything.

SpoonBlender · 06/10/2018 14:14

There's not much help on the site, is there! I do see under Description that they say they supply everything with doors pre-hung, which doesn't help right now...

Ours is different enough that the door had no pre-drills at all, we had to use normal screws and get it right ourselves (which we did first time yay).

Short of pushing really hard, I can't see anything useful from the pics or the site :(

When you pull the sliding mechanism all the way out, are there a couple of latches at the back of the arms you can then get to, to allow the front part to pop out completely? Or a latch at the front of the arm near the dowels, allowing each of the dowel pair structures to pop out for fitting then clip the whole lot back in?

Even if you don't get the door on, I'd be very tempted to go ahead and fit the unit and continue. There's no way that the door fitting will require the unit carcase to be freestanding, surely? Then bother them on monday and get them to send out a (free!) fitter to put it together, if they can't talk you through the secret plans over the phone.

Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 14:41

Maverick, I went straight to You Tube all optimistic but they have videos on everything but...!!!

Spoonblender, Pushing really hard might end up the best option.

We can get the drawer mechanism out (well we did earlier, it won't budge now) and we put the door on the floor and the drawer slider mechanism on top at right angles to try and bang it in but the plastic dowels were too big it wouldn't fit. And the screws to tighten the dowels are right inside the metal of the mechanism so even if the dowels fitted the holes we wouldn't be able to tighten them.

Can't see any latches at the front - that would be ideal as maybe then we could access the dowel screws.

Because we've got to cut the back off the unit to allow room for pipes we are reluctant to tamper with it in case it has to go back as maybe they have to have the door attached, and if we're very lucky they might send another with the door attached, IYSWIM.

I would love them to send a fitter to sort it out. Do they do that? We are down south though, so a long way to come.

You are all being very patient with our bin issue! It's driving us mad OH has given up and is doing a bit of plumbing instead. Our roof is leaking so it's raining inside (bungalow) and we have no sink. Wood for new roof is lying on the ground outside getting soaked. They are coming on Monday to install it, if only the dry weather had carried on for another couple of days.

Thank you for hand-holding through our renovation woes!

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Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 14:56

I've just checked and it clearly states 'All units on new orders will be provided fully rigid, assembled using glue and dowel construction techniques and with doors and drawer fronts factory fitted.'

In which case if they can't send a fitter to sort it out I might return it and ask for a refund and fill the space with another normal sort of unit. This is driving us nuts.

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ItsLikeRain · 06/10/2018 16:01

Sorry this has been such a pain, completely know what you mean about not wanting to make it worse/expensive unit, but wanting it done!

Nothing useful to say, but seems like DIY have fairly good customer service usually so hopefully they'll offer some sort of fix on Monday Sad

Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 06/10/2018 16:07

Thank you, ItsLikeRain (very apt name today!) I will update you all on Monday.

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sdaisy26 · 06/10/2018 22:00

I’m almost certain ours came with the door on already.

Hope you can get it sorted!

Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 07/10/2018 09:27

Thanks, sdaisy26. I think I've seen pics of your lovely kitchen on another thread and ordered dove grey after seeing yours. It does look lovely but will look much better when it's fitted!

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Original poster
goldinthemtherestars · 07/10/2018 23:25

I didn't imagine I would be able to give an update before Monday but amazingly (on a Sunday!) DIY Kitchens rang and talked us through how to fix the door to the mechanism / cupboard. It worked! Here's a pic to celebrate.

I can't say it's been entirely plain sailing but they have been very helpful and any problems have been dealt with quickly, for example damaged items that needed replacing, and to ring on a Sunday because we were totally stuck seems exceptionally good customer service. Thank you DIY Kitchens, 5* from us. :)

DIY kitchen help please!
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SpoonBlender · 09/10/2018 00:18

Oh, that's great! They were very good when we did ours too, I'd recommend them to anyone.

wowfudge · 09/10/2018 07:49

So what did you have to do to fix it?

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