Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | May 25, 1999 04:38am | #1

   *
   Rusty,

   I just built a wonderful paint grade built in book case/desk unit and used 3/4" MDF (medium density fiberboard) for the whole thing except for the crown molding, chair rail and picture mold.

   I used my table saw's shaper blades to mimic the base board and the thing looks great.

   MDF seems pleasant enough to work with, a bit dusty in the shop though... It holds an edge really nice, and seems pretty darn strong too. I shaped a cove edge on one piece down to about 1/4" thickness. I couldn't break it. And I'm pretty strong.

   I used Kilz Total 1 Primer and the homeowner used a latex paint to cover the walls and built-in unit. I'm not sure what brand paint he used. Get the best though.

   As for the doors, I'd have to say that if you're a good carpenter and there's not a bajillion of them go ahead and make them yourself. Make raised panels out of MDF with your table saw. But it IS kind of a pain in the neck to make a whole boatload of 'em... It all depends on your setup.

   Hope that helps a bit,

   Dan

1. 
   Guest_ | May 25, 1999 05:37am | #2

   *Rusty, I'm in the middle of making similar decisions. I don't have the shop set up right now to build the cabinets, so I'll be buying. One source the check for doors is http://www.scherrs.com. They will provide the doors assembled/unsanded, upcharge for sanding but unfinished, upcharge for finished. I think the upcharge for white paint is about $20/door.Did a kitchen last year, factory painted (lacquer) white on maple. They look fabulous, but ding very easily. Also any broken paint edges (e.g. scribe fit around front of sink) are very susceptible to water which will get under and lift the paint.Some shops seem to charge more (e.g. 10%) for white as compared to other finishes. That might be offset by using paint grade materials, but some shops don't seem to build paint grade. They just paint their stock hardwoods. It's suprising, but I've actually gotten prices from some shops where white was more than clear coated cherry.What I haven't found is a source for white thermofoil over MDF doors. The good grades are apparently more durable than paint. But once they get damaged or yellow, they don't refinish as easily.

1. 
   Guest_ | May 26, 1999 06:59pm | #3

   *Rusty - if you don't already know this, you should. You have to prepare any woodwork better for a painted finish than you would for stain. Even the slightest imperfections in joints or sanding will be magnified, especially in you use gloss. This is contrary to what people might think, but I speak from lesson after lesson. - yb

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   Guest_ | May 27, 1999 06:51am | #4

   *yb is right on the money ,I charge the same for paint cabinets as I do for stain .Actually the only thing I change material wise between the two is I use mdf for exposed ends, usually an applied panel and Poplar or maple frames with mdf raised panels for the doors ,the mdf is more stable and wont shrink or swell and show a broken paint line as easily as solid wood .I think the solid wood frames on the doors will hold up better than mdf to dents and dings on the vulnerable edges. I have had some problems with machined profiles on the mdf sucking up a lot of paint compared to the factory surface ,just use a good primer sealer before finishing . good luck Chuck