Advice for cabinet making

[Hobei]

Hello,

I am planning to remodel my study and would like to make the cabinets. I plan on using plywood for the cabinet carcases (in the European style). Then I will make shaker style doors with hardwood strips for the sides and plywood again for the centre. I was then planning to paint them.

I have a couple of questions

1. Is plywood the best for the carcases. I can get exterior plywood from my local diy store and then can fill and stand any holes. Is this a good approach?
2. I was going to use hardwood for the rails and stiles of the doors and then router a tongue-n-grove , but I am find it hard to get finished hardwood. Would pine be a suitable alternative? Anyone have a good suggestion of where to get finished hardwood strips - as I am finding it difficult.

Thanks

 

[PAC1]

Make the lot in green moisture resistant mdf

 

[mahomo59]

Are you painting cabinets or clear finish? I use birch ply for carcass and face frame to conceal laminations, spray 20% sheen clear lacquer. You could use mdf if painting, or melamine and then no finishing required.
For door panel I'd use mdf, less work than ply and takes finish well.
Stiles and rails, try timbercut4u.co.uk prices are calculated straight away.

 

[Hobei]

Thank your for the feedback.

I was planning on paint the doors.

I was turned off mdf due to the health issue when cutting and needing the correct breath mask. Also I felt that the edge and corners could be easily dented for the door frame.

Thank you for the link.

 

[petermillard]

For a painted finish I use MR MDF: 18mm for the carcasses, 22mm for the door rails and stiles, 6mm or 9mm for the panel, depending on the size of the door. Using Ply for a painted carcass is just making work for yourself IHMO.

Edited to add: All wood dust should be treated as hazardous; there's a lot of rhetoric regarding MDF that stems from the it's very early production, that simply isn't applicable today. Out of interest, what does anyone know about the resins, adhesives and additives used in the production of plywood?

HTH Pete

p.s. And welcome!

 

[wide74]

Just tried both mrmdf and ply for the workshop cabinets. If you're painting, then as has been said before forget the ply it is hard work for a painted finish. Mrmdf gives good finish for paint and is nothing like the shed (B&Q, Wickes etc.) MDF that is brown all the way through. I prefer bb ply with a clear finish and a hardwood lip of it needs it. After all wood should look like wood

 

[Adam9453]

I agree, buy a decent dust mask (less than £30 for a 3M one with the filters), then make it outside using moisture resistant mdf. The extra time you'd need to spend getting a decent paint finish on ply far outweighs the outlay for a decent dusk mask (which you should have anyway if you're doing woodwork).
MDF is nowhere near as dangerous as it used to be (changes in it's manufacturing some years ago) so you just need to take the basic precautions you would when trying to protect yourself from any dust (wood or other).
Hope that helps and I look forward to seeing the finished cabinets

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

+1 for MDF for the cabs. Get a 3M 7500 mask and then add P3 filters which will catch particles down to a size smaller than the microns of MDF so you're safe. They're also light and can be worn for relatively long periods with little problems. If you go ply simply because you're "stuck" on the idea of getting a mask you're throwing the baby out with the bath water IMO (for a painted finish). MRMDF gives an amazingly flat and professional looking paint finish if you're careful.

 

[Bodgers]

For door panel I'd use mdf, less work than ply and takes finish well.
Stiles and rails, try timbercut4u.co.uk prices are calculated straight away.

In my experience, it is actually more faff to deal with MDF on this type of project as you have to take steps to prevent the edges splitting etc. It is much nicer to dowel or biscuit together plywood sheets together than MDF without worrying about whether it is going to end up like a lump of cardboard...

Plus, if it is single side veneer, you will be looking at MDF rather than wood when you open the doors - unless you are painting/covering the reverse sides, which again, is more faff.

For me, and this is a purely subjective thing, if feels like I am making a piece of furniture, rather than throwing something together, when using plywood rather than MDF - but that might just be me.