I am going to build all my kitchen cabinets and I have some questions
The cabinets drawer faces, doors and face frame will be built from cherry.
Something to consider is the use of 5/8 inch melamine-faced particleboard. You would use a 3mm skin on any exposed ends to match your wood type. You'd use solid hardwood for your drawer fronts. You'd also use solid wood for either edging your sides or you'd go with solid face frames. This would probably be the least expensive material, and it looks great/ easy to clean. If you go this route, make sure you invest in a dedicated laminate/melamine blade for your saw.
The problems with using solid wood for everything are 1) much higher cost, and 2) lots of edge-jointing to be done.
Steve
It depends on your criteria. Sides/back I would go for maple because it is strong and tight grained (easier to get a cleanable finish) and reasonably affordable and available. There are cheaper but softer alternatives like poplar. For the bottom... definitely *not* solid wood. Plywood or a consider a thin prefinished sheet material if you like the white formica.malamine kind of look.
3/4" for the sides and bottom, Less for the back.Both. Ply alone is going to be a bit too sag-prone unless the shelves are pretty short. Personally I went with 1/2"ply with a 3/4 deep by 1" high strip of maple on the front and back. It creates an I-Beam sort of structure. Solid Wood works too, but it adds a bit more weight.
Formica or melanine with a hardwood for strength is also an option. It does provide a durable and cleanable shelf surface.
Steve
My experience indicates that the when pieces of wood that will come into contact with each other and rub against each other there is friction. The harder the wood, maple or oak, the less friction, The softer the material, pine or poplar the more friction or drag. If you are going to use metal slides, the material really does not matter. I prefer to use 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood. Baltic Birch plywood is reasonably priced and you normally can cut what ever size you neeed with out having to buy wide boards or glue up boards if the drawers are going to be deep. I have very good results for pots and pan drawers as large as 24" x 36" using 1/4" plywood for the bottoms. I prefer a close grain wood plywood for this aplication.
I prefer plywood or lumber core that is 3/4" thick For the Backs I use 1/4" thick plywood.
No. Both plywood and solid wood shelves will bow if there is too much weight. I always use plywood with a solid wood front edge band to hide the front edge of the plywood. If there will be long spans or if I anticipare more than normal weight will be supported by the shelves I typically add a
1.5" x 3/4" solid piece of wood to the front and or back of the shelf to help prevent sagging.I highly discourage using any of the particle boards or melamine type boards for the carcasses. This job is not a quick simple one and plywood is going to hold up better 20 years from now.
Alexander,
You will find a lot of information on building kitchen cabinets if you do a search of this newsgroup for such. Also, several books on the subject that can be purchased or sought out at a library. Often recommended are books by Danny Proulx, Jere Cary, Jim Tolpin, and Udo Schmidt. Each has his own method and recommendations for materials. I'm going to build some European style, face-frameless cabinets for our kitchen IF we can ever get a contractor over here to do the remodel. I found that Proulx's book has the best section on building these types of cabinets. I'm planning on doing a Shaker style flat panel door with maple frames and maple ply panels. The drawers will have full extension slides and the boxes will be poplar sides and back, ply bottom and maple fronts. Still kicking around whether to use ply- either 5/8" or
3/4" for the carcase or going for the ease of melamine- 3/4". All exposed sides will be covered with a maple panel. Carcase parts I'm planning on using pocket screws and glue to assemble them. Good luck and have fun with your project.Dale
Alexander Galk> I am going to build all my kitchen cabinets and I have some questions >
I will second Danny's book, I just built some cabinet before xmas in 5/8 meamine with MDF doors and that's the book I used
Christian.
Are you real busy right now?
No, But I think I just sold a kitchen redo. I think I will probably start it in 2 weeks. Plus finish a quilt rack for my wife.
Catch you on the back channel ... might have some practice to keep that old Jet TS from getting rusty, if you're interested.
Hey me too! Had a flood (upstairs washing machine hose) that destroyed the Cabinets ceiling and hardwood floors. The MDF Cabinets turned to mush! So I get to start from scratch. I've decided on using a collection of European, Mission and Stainless Steel cabinet doors. I've been collecting Cabinet Data for a month now and have found that some of the major Manufacturers explain in some detail their manufacturing methods and from books! I think I'll stick with Oak, but will also play with Maple for the doors and fronts! 3/8 ply sides and back with 5/8 ply bottoms. For the Island 5/8th sides and back with a 3/4 bottom. Has to hold the Granite tops.
The Draws are designed around use. Below the Counter top all draws will be Maple with stainless steel liners. The rest will be just Maple sides and back with a maple faced ply for the bottoms. (they'll all be lined with other types of methods and materials. I'm also sticking LED's to light the interior of the draws, when opened. and the garbage draw will open and close automatically and I'll stick them all with the bearing self closing slides
( I would also recommend downloading
Good luck!
Hehe, that should make it easy to find the scoop when your sneaking some ice cream in the middle of the night :)
I have been using a free software from Ikea, not supper flexible but it works :c)
"Mark Howell" wrote in news:BQ7Wd.55709$EL5.50211@trnddc05:
There's an upside to having the freezer in the garage/shop/studio...
Patriarch
The best two material tips I can contributive to the Kitchen Cabinet from scratch project :
Good Luck!
Dennis Slabaugh Hobbyist Woodworker
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