what to build kitchen cabs out of
andyfew322
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
It seems I might actually be able to buid those kitchen cabs after all, though I do have a few projects infront of them (oval coffee table, phonetable, computertable). but my question is what should I make the insides out of? the face will be oak most likely. Should I use particle board (OSB), plywood, MDF, the other kind of particle board (I belive melmalane), or soild wood (probably pine)?
“It is like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer: it feels so good when you stop”
Replies
Prefinished plywood is the first pick. Maple plywood is light and strong. Melamine in white or other finishes is fair but heavy and is tough to cut chip free. What ever you pick go with prefinished.
i usally build red oak cabinets,nothing exotic ,but it works well,stains well and is readily avail..now for the insides i always use 3/4 red oak plywood,also build the sides in the same materials.approx.45.00 a sheet
everybody talks about this prefinish but the only way i have found it around here is to have it shipped in from kansas city,which means transportaion cost or a min 500. order.
i did one time get a buy on some mealamie and use it. looked nice but i thought it was a pain to work with.it does chip easy.
as far as finishing i have started leaving the insides natural and just staining the face frames,helps the insides of cabs be lighter ,plus saves a lot of hassle when staining.
i wouldn't use the particle board,mdf,or osb.
if you can pick up the tauton book on cabinets,lots of great ideas to get you started.larry
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Who in KC?I see that Liberty has some.And they have scheduled weekly scheduled trips to Wichta.
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
liberty is who i have used for hardwoods before and iknew they had it. i think they come 2 a week to wichita. since i'm a small user they want a minum order or a shipping charge. don't really blame them on that,i just need to get a big order together and have them bring me some of the finished ply down.
i got some pre made stile from them here a while back,it was some nice wood. larryif a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Does white oak plywood exist? I'm in the processing of making some drawers for my kitchen cabinets...having trouble determining if they're red or white oak. I called an aftermarket manufacturer and was told my cabinets were white oak.
Thank You
Yes.I was looking at a local distributers online list. They have it in 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4" in rotorary cut, rift, and quater swan..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Hi Andy,
Norm Abram is currently airing a series about kitchen cabinet building on The New Yankee Workshop. http://www.pbs.org It's a great demonstration of the best techniques, tools and materials currently available. I've been watching and learning from Norm for years and this is one of his better series of shows.
"It's a great demonstration of the best techniques, tools and materials currently available. "Don't you mean the best way to get a hernia?Useing 3/4" for the back is way, way over kill..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Useing 3/4" for the back is way, way over kill.
I have to agree that he's building an earthquake-proof version of a kitchen.
It's the assembly process that makes for good novice to expert cabinet maker viewing, IMO.
For example; Norm's using a Kreg pocket jig to make up all his face frame joinery. I'm happy to see that he went with the inexpensive, simple version of the tool so that his style becomes more inclusive of the average guy's budget.
Andy, if you can find it Baltic birch ply, AKA Russian ply is nice to work with and the scraps are treasure.
MDF, particle board, melamine are all crapp to work with and nasty heavy stuff. The dust is bad news too.
Joe H
Paint grade or stain? "D" grade, 3/4" ply for the boxes and 1/2" ply for the backs. Poplar or soft maple for the FF's, if paint grade.
If stain, use Red Oak ply as it takes stain better than maple. If possible, finish the inside pieces before assembly. Tape the rabbets and glue points before applying.
I vote for plywood.
The local HD sells "cabinet grade" 3/4" that looks ok.
I used the Birch Ply that is the mid-grade hardwood plywood in this region.
When I visit other areas, I've found Maple to be the choice on the shelf.
prefinishied Birch Ply ... I'm short on space for finishing so the pre-finished keeps the project cranking along. I personally prefer the lighter woods for cab interiors- makes it easier to find stuff.
I built my kitchen cabinets out of 3/4" birch plywood. I bought "shop grade" which may have some minor defects, but if you plan your cuts carefully, you can eliminate the defects. I got my plywood from Maine Coast Lumber, they will deliver anywhere in New England on their own truck and the price was right. I got something like 60 sheets of plywood, including some baltic birch,in 4x8 size, cherry, birch and maple, all for about a $20 delivery fee. I shopped around a LOT for the best price and they had that, too.
They are now carrying prefinished ply, and I think oak is available as a prefin.
When I built my own kitchen cab I used birch ply. Put the finish on first then cut an assemble. You must take a little care when cutting so you don't scratch the finish. I used cardboard between the table saw and the wood. Ended up with a few chips but easily repaired. Much easier than trying to finish in side the cabinet. They turned out great, in fact they sold the house in Michigans horrible market.
Go talk to Chris at Boulter Plywood in Somerville. They have prefinished maple plywood, and literally everything else that's available. You'll be in heaven. Ask them if you can go down stairs and browse the hardwoods. That place used to be my church.
Melamine is great but a pain to work with.