Fit adjustable shelves inside a cabinet with shelf pins
Mark, drill and fit shelf pins evenly so your cabinet shelves sit level and adjust to any height.
AB-01Empty the cabinet and check for existing holesTake everything out of the cabinet, including any shelves already fitted. Look closely at the side panels for rows of small holes - many flat-pack and factory-made cabinets already have these drilled. If usable holes are already there, you can skip straight to fitting pins in step AB-05.
AB-02Mark out your shelf positionsDecide how many shelves you want and roughly where. On each side panel, mark a vertical line the same distance from the front edge, using a spirit level to keep it plumb. A shelf-pin jig makes this much easier and keeps spacing identical - hold or clamp it against the top or bottom edge and mark through the guide holes.
AB-03Set your drill depth so you don't go through the panelWrap a strip of masking tape around the drill bit at the depth you need to drill - usually around 10mm for standard shelf pins. Cabinet side panels are often only 15-18mm thick, so it's easy to drill straight through if you're not careful. Fit the correct diameter bit for your pins, most commonly 5mm - check the pin packaging or your jig to confirm.
AB-04Drill the pilot holesDrill each marked position slowly, keeping the drill square to the panel face, and stop as soon as the tape touches the surface. Work through every position on both side panels. Check regularly that holes on the left and right line up, by measuring from the same reference edge each time.
AB-05Push in the shelf pinsFit a shelf pin firmly into each hole where you want a shelf to rest, using matching heights on both sides. Wiggle each pin gently to make sure it's fully seated and not sitting proud of the panel.
AB-06Fit the shelf and check it's levelLower the shelf onto the pins and check it sits level side to side with a spirit level. If it rocks, one pin probably isn't pushed in far enough - lift the shelf off and reseat it. Move to different holes if the height isn't quite right.
AB-07Clean up and reload the cabinetVacuum or brush out any drilling dust from inside the cabinet before putting anything back. Wipe down the shelves and give them a firm push to check nothing is loose before loading heavier items.
Some links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.