Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Sink Base Removal

OK I have the water supply lines coming up through the bottom of the sink base I want to remove. So how do I remove the cabinet and install the new one?

Right now I'm planning on
1. shutting off the water supply to the house.
2. cutting the copper pipes with a hack saw and capping them somehow. Can the capping be done without solder? Because I'm going to need to reattach them? When I cut the pipes the excess will have the shut off valves and coplings for the dishwasher and sink faucet hoses.
3. I'll make the holes in the new cabinet, install it and then resolder the assemblies back to the water supply pipes.

Dose this sound right?

What do I do about the water left standing in the supply lines when I go to resolder them back to gether (the water main shut off of course)? Use a straw?

Thanks.

Rather than cutting them off with a hack saw, which will leave a very jagged edge, use a copper tubing cutter (available where plumbing parts are sold). You tighten the wheel, spin it around the pipe, tighten it some more, spin it around the pipe, etc. until the pipe cuts clean off. It's very easy. Caps and compression fittings will not fit over a copper pipe that has been cut with a hacksaw.

I'd recommend that you sweat caps onto the pipes temporarily. Two caps will cost you less than $1 so it is the least expensive way to go. You will need a torch, flux, and lead-free solder. Drain all the water you can by opening other faucets in the home to allow air into the lines, and by opening up a drain at the lowest point in the home- either near the shutoff or at an outside faucet. (if homes don't have a spigot next to the shutoff, I like to install one to drain the lines and make my life easier) Before soldering, you'll want to shine up the copper parts inside and out with a steel brush or a scotchbrite pad. Apply flux to both parts, assemble them, then heat and solder.

Capping the lines will allow you to slip the new cabinet over the pipes without messing with the plumbing. Then when you are ready to work on the plumbing again you can cut the caps off and install whatever shutoffs you like (either compression or sweat).

If you are a little uncomfortable with the sweating, try attaching compression valves. You can turn off the water and unscrew the valve when you install the cabinet. The nut will pass easily through a 1" hole and you will be putting a split escutcheon around it anyway to finish the hole you cut in the vanity.

Thanks for all the info guys. I got my new kitchen installed (except for the new floor and some trim). Sweating the pipes was easy after all. Turned off the water put on the caps no problem. I even got everything back together. However now one of the shut off valves are leaking from the shaft (the axil on the dial you turn to shut off the water). Funny thing is it only leaks when it's open. Looks like I have to rip it out again and replace that now too. No worries since I'm feeling pretty confident using the torch and solder now.

Thanks again.

When soldering valves, be sure to take the valves apart and remove any rubber or plastic parts. The heat from the soldering process will damage these soft parts.