I'm at the planning stage of building a new kitchen for a farmhouse. The last kitchen I did I used birch ply for the cabinets but it was £50 a sheet then and now costs £150! Just wondering if there is any other sheet materials I should be considering? I see this as a fit and forget kitchen so will pay for quality water tolerant materials. Thanks
Any new panel products for making kitchen cupboards?
- Thread starter Beau
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I take it from the silence that birch ply is still the way to go.
Any thoughts on a tough clear finish for inside the cabinets? Last time around I used a water based acrylic varnish but this has not been as tough as I hoped. Not rubbish but plenty of marks where its got wet
Any thoughts on a tough clear finish for inside the cabinets? Last time around I used a water based acrylic varnish but this has not been as tough as I hoped. Not rubbish but plenty of marks where its got wet
AJB Temple
Finely figured
Well, when I did ours I used high quality birch ply and solid oak.
Veneered or painted MDF is fine in many areas, but probably less durable so I would not use it to make drawers personally.
Why would it get wet inside cabinets?
Shelves could use plastic laminates or stainless steel.
Veneered or painted MDF is fine in many areas, but probably less durable so I would not use it to make drawers personally.
Why would it get wet inside cabinets?
Shelves could use plastic laminates or stainless steel.
Things that didn't get dried properly being put away wet. Only ourselves to blame but it happens and will happen again haha
johnnyb
Established Member
I can get birch at £70 a sheet. Use acid cat or water based heavy duty lacquer.
Do tell! Worth a long trip for a kitchens worth of ply or a hefty delivery for that sort of saving
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johnnyb
Established Member
It's a ply dealer in Stoke so a long way away.....
Doug71
Established Member
I'm currently making an island unit for a customers kitchen using birch ply for the cabinets, we did the rest of the kitchen cabinets in MFC and think he now wishes we had used birch ply for all of them, no problems with the MFC he just thinks the birch ply makes a better job. Think I paid just over £90 a sheet inc vat.
It's not your local supplier making the markup! Baltic Ply comes from... the Baltic.
There are some difficulties around the Baltic, Ukraine and Russia...
Doug71
Established Member
I think a lot can be down to the grade of the ply, the sheets I paid about £90 for were BB/BB. I had some from the same supplier the previous month that were about £75 inc vat which were BB/CP, only one decent face but were fine for what I needed.
Ah!
1) You've found a supplier with a choice.
2) You are from Yorkshire.
Go on... Tell all... Who is this supplier?
(I only need/can store a couple of sheets so carriage tends to be hopelessly high per sheet)
Doug71
Established Member
I use Arnold Laver at Hull, I'm trade so delivery is free but I do spend a small fortune with them every month.
I'm afraid the only choice is what they have in stock at the time and being from Yorkshire I was a bit upset when the price had gone up nearly £20 a sheet from the previous month but it was a better quality product!
I'm afraid the only choice is what they have in stock at the time and being from Yorkshire I was a bit upset when the price had gone up nearly £20 a sheet from the previous month but it was a better quality product!
meccarroll
Established Member
Some people like Birch Ply for kitchens but I'm a bit on the shelf with using it because of hygine.
Ply needs a decent long lasting finish applied to it and even the toughest will harbour germs once the finish starts to scratch/chip.
I mostly use MFC but the face does wear over time so you end up with the same problems as PLY.
You can buy ply faced with laminate which might be better for hygine and durability if cost is not a problem.
It can sometimes work out cost effective to use a material that may start out more expensive to buy but does not need a finish applied. Once you add on the cost of a finish (lacquer, snading materials etc) and the time needed to apply it to unfinished ply the initial cost goes up.
Ply needs a decent long lasting finish applied to it and even the toughest will harbour germs once the finish starts to scratch/chip.
I mostly use MFC but the face does wear over time so you end up with the same problems as PLY.
You can buy ply faced with laminate which might be better for hygine and durability if cost is not a problem.
It can sometimes work out cost effective to use a material that may start out more expensive to buy but does not need a finish applied. Once you add on the cost of a finish (lacquer, snading materials etc) and the time needed to apply it to unfinished ply the initial cost goes up.
I used to use 2 or 3 coats of quick-drying water based varnish for birch ply cabinets, but then switched to OSMO Poly X clear. Only one coat needed and quite a pleasant smell. Slow to dry though so best done before finishing up for the day.
AJB Temple
Finely figured
Yes, I use Osmo Poly X as well on the cabinet interiors. We do 2 coats. It is not perfectly hardy though: for example if you put a cast iron pan away that is "tea towel dry" (as opposed to warm oven dry) then it will leave a mark sometimes.
TomGW
Established Member
Do have a good look at the better quality Mfc, particularly those in a slightly textured finish, such as a wood effect. The melamine finish seems to be heavier (thicker), probably to achieve the grained effect.
For carcasses I have used Egger in a pale, weathered timber finish and have been pleased with the results. A huge step up from plain Mfc.
For carcasses I have used Egger in a pale, weathered timber finish and have been pleased with the results. A huge step up from plain Mfc.
I think mfc is great for kitchen cabinets as long as you have an edgebander and as long as those edges that aren't edge banded never get wet.
I should add another proviso, that you need a way of cutting it that won't chip the melamine edges. It's telling that most commercial edgebanders have pre-milling, which uses cutters similar to router cutters to trim the edges before applying the banding.
I should add another proviso, that you need a way of cutting it that won't chip the melamine edges. It's telling that most commercial edgebanders have pre-milling, which uses cutters similar to router cutters to trim the edges before applying the banding.
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Which supplier do you use please?
johnnyb
Established Member
He's one chap that seems to be able to beat the large suppliers on a range of panel products. I just wish there were more like him. He's perfect for the little man as he's size blind. And best of all easy to deal with. He won't ship beyond a few miles and it's better to collect. He's about as far from a big outfit as its possible to be. He's also extremely knowledgeable about panel products(and suppliers in general)
