After months of preparation including drywall, pumbling, electrical, study - and living in mortal fear of this day, I am prepared to begin tackling my first kitchen cabinet. My family has been quite patient enduring my terror, my kitchen has been down to bare studs (now drywall) for about 2 months. I can't put it off any longer...
I've got 2 Danny P. books, the John P. booklet, and the Tolpin cabinet book, and yet - I still need the security blanket of you fellas. I think that I've read too much and it's all rattling around... Prepare yourself for many questions over the next... uh - few months. I generally understand case construction, face frames, door and drawer making. However, the "Big Picture" still hasn't come together yet.I request a bit of handholding for my first attempt.
The first "attempt" is the beginning run of cabinets which only consists of a 18" bank of drawers and a typical 24" base cabinet. One side of the drawer bank is exposed and faces the dining room; it will be next to the 24" cabinet. The range will slide in next to the 24" cabinet.
My first question is about (Alder?) plywood. (Yes, the decision about using plywood has been made.) The face frames, doors, drawer fronts, and end panels will be Alder. I've looked around for alder plywood - and given the popularity of alder, alder plywood doesn't seem too common. After more investigation here on the wreck, it seems that regardless of door \ faceframe hardwood type, people build the cases out of Birch or Maple plywood. That is where I get a little lost.
If that is what I am supposed to use, I assume I turn the good face in and use a stain to get an Alder color?
Some upper cabinets will have glass doors. Would I then look for alder plywood that has 2 good sides? Does this exist?
For the drawer bank (and the island) that has an exposed end panel, do I glue up a panel of 2/4 alder and attach this to the birch or maple plywood?
I guess I'm asking what type of plywood to buy, what faces show, and how you match endpanels to the Alder faceframes.
Lastly (for now), with the 18" drawer bank, and the 24" cabinet that wholly entails one "run". Should that be one face frame for both cabinets (guy at work says) or make one face frame for each cabinet and join at installation.
Forgive my ignorance in advance...
- jbd Broomfield, CO