chipboard boxing

[Fred]

Hi,

SWMBO would like the boiler boxed. I was going to use four squares of faced chipboard: one down either side, one across the front, and one across the top. I did wonder about hinging the front to allow easy access to the boiler but then I thought KISS and if the boiler ever needs attention, we could just dismantle the box.

SWMBO had pointed out a design flaw, which is that with a rectangular box the corner sticks out and is likely to impale people. She would like the corner mitred to 45 degrees. So rather than have the front and side panels touching, I would need to put a thin strip between them, like this: | | | | | | / / /

-------------------

Is this what you would do, or is there an even better way that I have not thought of?

If you would do this, how would you join these three pieces? I only know how to join things at right angles! The only way I can think of a

45 degree join would be to use hinges, or is that cheating?

Thanks.

[Stuart Noble]

67.5 degs instead of 45 is the usual way i.e. 90 + 45 /2. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can have one cut at 90 and the other at 45 though :-)

I notice B&Q do cheap ply cabinet doors that I'm thinking of using for a similar job. If it has to be accessible, it might as well be a door is my thinking. Some boilers seem to need a lot of free space above them just to get the front cover off, so I'd be a bit careful where you put supports.

[TheOldFellow]

A quarter round moulding out of softwood to edge the sides - you can go oversized the get a nice big round edge - glue it on with a few long pins to hold it while the glue sets - I'd use polyudrethane glue probably.

Don't you have your boiler serviced every year or so? I'd definitely want my box to open up easily. Some kind of drop-on fixing for the front at least.

R.

[cynic]

before you go anyway down that road check your boiler instructions or with the manufacturer to find out if the boiler can be boxed in at all. There are a host of regulations involved which you are probably blissfully unaware of.

[Andy Dingley]

Biscuit jointer. A decent one has an adjustable angle flap.

If your timber is too thin, laminate a second piece on the back, leave it a day to harden and then biscuit into that.

I'd also switch to MDF instead of chipboard, or ply (which will admittedly cost more) for real strength and quality. Spruce carcassing ply is quite cheap and yet has quite an attractive surface.

[Martin Bonner]

The boiler will almost certainly need servicing once a year or once every two years. Depending on the boiler, the service will at least require access to the front, and may require access to the sides. This should be in the owners handbook, but I've always checked with the technician servicing it before covering.

(Note: I've always used independants - I'm not so sure I'd trust a British Gas monkey. Note2: Some of the people BG subcontract to and very definitely /not/ monkeys.)

Depends how big a chamfer you want. If you use 20mm, you can put a decent chamfer on the thickness of the board:

---------- |\ | \

----------| | | |

etc.

If you want a bigger chamfer, take a corner off a 2x2, and then joint the board to that.

[Roger Mills]

Are you *sure* you want a solid box? Even room sealed boilers need some space round them and - usually - some ventillation. See what your installation manual says!

As others have said, you are likely to need access to the boiler - for maintenance even if you don't ever need to adjust the boiler stat, or re-set a trip. I have boxed in my boiler using spare material which matches our kitchen cabinets, but have put louvre doors on the box - both for access

*and* ventillation - and have left enough room to remove the boiler case without having to disturb the box.

If you haven't come across pocket-hole screws, they're well worth investigating as a means of joining material together without any exposed brackets or fillets. As well as for right-angle joints, you can use them to go round a corner in two 45-degree steps, thus achieving the effect you want.

You need a jig and a special stepped drill to make pocket-hole joints.[1] Basically, you drill holes at an angle - close to the edge of one board - and then insert pan-head screws to screw it to the adjoining board. The holes would be inside your box, and so wouldn't show - but you can get special inserts to cover the holes in cases where they do show.

[1] There's a selection shown here: I've got the Dakota model, but they all work in much the same way. [Mine came with very little in the way of instructions, but I downloaded a manual for a similar Trend model from the Trend site - which told me all I needed to know, including how to go round an angle in steps.]

[John L]

Why not tour the sheds (& IKEA) (and even skips!) and look for a suitably sized kitchen cupboard unit "remnant"? That way you could "have it all".

You'd still have pretty sharp corners though I guess -- but it would look pretty nice.

You didn't tell us where it is: kitchen? Utility? Garage?

John

[NT]

You could make it liftoffable in one piece.

NT

[Fred]

Sorry for the late reply.

Don't worry, the box will not be solid: there will be no back and the hidden side will not be complete, so there will be some venting.

I did check about the boiler before posting and the manual just requires a 2 inch gap between boiler and boxing.

I hadn't heard of pocket hole screws, so I will look into those.

I think another post mentioned mdf. I would have loved melamine faced mdf as I imagine it is nicer to cut than chipboard? Sadly I couldn't find any timber merchant who could get it.

[NT]

Melamins faced chip cuts perfectly if you use a decent sawblade and go easy with it.

NT

[stuart noble]

Halfway through just such a job at the moment.

bit of a Chinese puzzle making sure there is access where it's needed and accommodating the available door sizes (the stock levels of which are unreliable). To be on the safe side, the whole thing will be demountable anyway.