# Latest job: Fitted wardrobes, quite a few fitted wardrobes



## Bremner (24 Aug 2015)

The third lot of fitted wardrobes I've made for people and quite easily the biggest and most time consuming.

All made from MDF and to be painted by the customers decorators. Its difficult to make out the detail on the doors and drawer fronts on the pictures, it looks more like a simple routed grove but its a little bit more intricate than that and gives the impression of a raised panel. 

Moving next door now to do some wood paneling and a hob extractor mantle thingy, will post more details as and when.

Any comments and criticisms welcome.


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## Paul200 (24 Aug 2015)

Like them a lot. Could you tell me about the spacing on the door hinges please? I've never been sure about this and have always just spaced them equally. Is there a right and wrong way? Are your spacings just to avoid shelves etc or is there a method going on?

Cheers

Paul


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## Bremner (24 Aug 2015)

Paul200":1wlkaet8 said:


> Like them a lot. Could you tell me about the spacing on the door hinges please? I've never been sure about this and have always just spaced them equally. Is there a right and wrong way? Are your spacings just to avoid shelves etc or is there a method going on?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Paul



Thanks for the reply, I'd love to give you a really informative and educational answer but . . . I just put them there to avoid any shelves  I will say one thing about the hinges though, all the doors and carcasses are 18mm MDF and if you don't use enough hinges the doors can easily bend thankfully I found this out on some wardrobes I made for myself not a customer.


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## MrYorke (24 Aug 2015)

Wow, I bet all that routing took some time to do.....and set up!!!

Did you make some jigs for it all? I'd say one slip and a drawer/door front would have been ruined?

Is there any glass being fitted to the middle doors?


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## Bremner (24 Aug 2015)

It was a lot of routing but as you mentioned I made some jigs as I was going along that sped things up no end. The addition my two new sexy festool routers also helped  

I think you can make it out on one of the pictures where I made the mistake of not clamping one of the jigs down securely and the router slipped. Because they are going to be painted I got away with using a tough two part filler to correct my mistake and when they are painted it won't be noticeable, needless to say there was a bit of coarse language when it happened!

There is going to be glass in the middle doors when they have been painted and there's going to be fabric behind the glass to match fabrics used in the room.


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## chippy1970 (24 Aug 2015)

Nice job 

Is that just normal MDF ? I would've used moisture resistant MDF ,it machines much better and also paints better.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk


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## mahomo59 (24 Aug 2015)

Great job, I like them a lot. echo what chippy1970 said.

Glad I'm not a decorator.


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## Bremner (25 Aug 2015)

It is just normal MDF, and I don't envy the decorator either. I've never used moisture resistant MDF but I have read that it's not as "fluffy" defiantly something to consider next time.


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## Paul200 (25 Aug 2015)

Bremner":2wodt12u said:


> It was a lot of routing but as you mentioned I made some jigs as I was going along that sped things up no end. The addition my two new sexy festool routers also helped



OF1010 and OF2200 by any chance? Love Festool routers.

Thanks for your response on the hinges - yep, I've always erred on the side of too many with tall doors.

Nice job. Unfortunately my wife likes them too  

Cheers

Paul


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## Bremner (25 Aug 2015)

Paul200":azoymhjp said:


> Bremner":azoymhjp said:
> 
> 
> > It was a lot of routing but as you mentioned I made some jigs as I was going along that sped things up no end. The addition my two new sexy festool routers also helped
> ...



Bingo, OF1010 and OF2200 are the ones (I just got the 1400 to complete the set  )

My wife looked at the pictures enviously also but we don't have the space so she has to make do, plus if she had more room she would just buy more clothes to fill it and I need all my cash to fund my Festool addiction.


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## Paul200 (25 Aug 2015)

:lol: Fair play! :lol:


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## blackrodd (25 Aug 2015)

Cracking good job! an excellent job, but They'll look the dogs dangly's when they are painted!
Regards Rodders


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## Max Power (26 Aug 2015)

Look really nice . Which router bit did you use ?


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## SteveF (26 Aug 2015)

they look great
wish i had the time and skill

if I had to be critical, and I think wont look so bad once painted is the door on left above side unit
could it be taken to top so it lines up with main doors?

please don't be offended...I could not have done half a good job as that

Steve


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## Bremner (26 Aug 2015)

Max Power":1trxccao said:


> Look really nice . Which router bit did you use ?



I used this bit with a copying ring and run it around a rectangular jig . . .






and then I used this bit with a bigger copying ring around the same jig which moves it further in to the centre of the door. . .






after that I ended up with a profile like this, which gives the illusion of a raised panel . . .








SteveF":1trxccao said:


> they look great
> wish i had the time and skill
> 
> if I had to be critical, and I think wont look so bad once painted is the door on left above side unit
> ...



I know exactly what you mean and I totally agree, the far left cupboard was an after thought by the client and wasn't on the original drawing I did but they wanted the extra storage space. Looking at it now it would be more pleasing on the eye if it was on the same level as the other doors.


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## Eric The Viking (31 Aug 2015)

They do look good. 

I think you're being a bit hard on yourself regarding the left-hand cupboard. You can't win - if you did take it to the top, Somebody would be asking why you had to put the hinge three inches out from the wall - that bloomin' TV!

I have a couple of questions though: I see the rebates for the glass panels, but how are you intending to fix them and the fabric in place? Also, are they sat on carefully-levelled and sturdy plinths, or did you use kitchen-style levelling feet, or something else?

I've got a couple to do shortly. They'll be my first and I'm dead nervous about them. Right now patching up & painting walls, covings and ceiling, as a way of delaying the inevitable. Probably going down the MRMDF+paint route now, too. I'd prefer bare wood but it will be way too expensive, I fear. 

I'm _very_ tempted to cheat: we have a good sheet material supplier locally who'll accept a cutting list, and a good firm co-sited who'll make up doors and has a spray booth. I'd rather just be a fitter this time and not mess it up...

E.

PS: The crown mouldings look like they're made up in sections. Were you able to rout all the upper and lower profiles, or did you have to use a spindle/saw table? My crown mouldings will have to be fairly substantial (both cupboards and room are tall), and I haven't yet got a profile I'm both happy with and can actually make!


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## MartinCox (31 Aug 2015)

Great job. I have a question about the drawer structure as I am about to make a load for myself. What material, what thicknesses, type of joint and what runners. In fact, everything about the drawers! Thanks


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## Bremner (31 Aug 2015)

Eric The Viking":1fpnce50 said:


> They do look good.
> 
> I have a couple of questions though: I see the rebates for the glass panels, but how are you intending to fix them and the fabric in place? Also, are they sat on carefully-levelled and sturdy plinths, or did you use kitchen-style levelling feet, or something else?



I intend to silicone the glass is along with some of THESE just in case.

The fabric will be on rails like THESE fixed to the insides of the doors.

I made a number of cross shaped plinths and fixed to the underside of the unit, the front plinth went on after the unit was installed so I could get underneath and pack some of them up were the floor was uneven, and god was it uneven its a really old house. 
I've used the levelling feet on a previous project that was a lot smaller than these and they struggled with the weight of that so I wouldn't use them for wardrobes.



> The crown mouldings look like they're made up in sections. Were you able to rout all the upper and lower profiles, or did you have to use a spindle/saw table? My crown mouldings will have to be fairly substantial (both cupboards and room are tall), and I haven't yet got a profile I'm both happy with and can actually make!



I must admit I cheated with the crown moulding, I did think about making it myself but I didn't have the time so I bought some, the company is called Dresser Mouldings from Rochdale I can't recommend them enough, decent price, really cheap postage considering they came in 3.6m lengths and really helpful when I rang them up.




MartinCox":1fpnce50 said:


> Great job. I have a question about the drawer structure as I am about to make a load for myself. What material, what thicknesses, type of joint and what runners. In fact, everything about the drawers! Thanks



They are really basic drawers just butt jointed and screwed together but I used the domino jointer to aid alignment and it adds a little extra strength. I would have used a more pleasing joint if they were made of fancier materials but as its all going to be painted I could get away with filling the screw holes.
The front, back and sides of each drawer is 18mm MDF and the drawer bottoms are 6mm MDF which sit in a 9mm deep groove all round the inside of the drawer.
The runners are THESE, very easy to fit and have a nice smooth action, a bit of a warning though the carcasses have to be 100% BANG ON SQUARE otherwise they bind badly and miss the pins on the back for the soft close mechanism. I know this because one of the uprights was a tiny fraction out of square and I had to pack out the backs of the runners to pull them square.
I really enjoy making and fitting drawers theres something really satisfying when they glide shut and the soft close grabs perfectly.

Thanks for the kind comments


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## packhorsecottage (18 Feb 2016)

Hi,

I am also looking to undertake a similar project although this is being built into an alcove between a chimney breast and the outside wall. There is significant variation in all walls of my 17th Century cottage.

I would be grateful for advice on the best way to fix shelves of 18mm MDF into 18mm MDF...

1. 32mm holes and brackets?

2. Trench joint?

3. Other?

Thanks,

Nathan


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## Bremner (18 Feb 2016)

packhorsecottage":6naihn2x said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am also looking to undertake a similar project although this is being built into an alcove between a chimney breast and the outside wall. There is significant variation in all walls of my 17th Century cottage.
> 
> ...



I used my small domino machine to place 4x20 dominos to make alignment easy then glued and screwed together and filled the screw holes as its all painted. I basically made it as a free standing wardrobe then lifted it into place and fixed to the wall and floor then put filler prices between the wardrobes and the wall.


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## tomweston (13 Apr 2016)

Hi Bremner;

Where about in Bolton. I am in Bromley Cross.

Like your work


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## Bremner (14 Apr 2016)

tomweston":3w2k0n09 said:


> Hi Bremner;
> 
> Where about in Bolton. I am in Bromley Cross.
> 
> Like your work



Cheers, I'm in Great Lever. 

Funny this thread should pop back up, I'm round at the same customers at the moment doing another job. The wardrobes are all painted now and look great, I'll take some pics and post them up if I get chance.


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## tomweston (17 Apr 2016)

Hi Bremner;

You are 15 mins away. Drop in if your ever bored or close by. Cheers


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