Making my own kitchen 😥🤞

[Richard Burns]

Hi everyone,

Looking for a little advise, I'm going to have a go at building/making my own kitchen and was after some direction to what material I should use.

Would MRMDF be the best choice?
What thickness would be best?
Should I use a specific paint?

Many thanks in advance

 

[Spectric]

You need to be more specific on what style you want, MDF boxes or something more traditional and also this will impact to an extent the tools required.

 

[Richard Burns]

Will be looking to make basic shaker style cabinets.

 

[Kayen]

Melamine faced chipboard for the cabinets (can't beat it) MRF for the doors would work well. There are plenty of firms that cut and edge at a reasonable cost and it's really the best way to do it. The best finish is something like sprayed PU or AC, but if you haven't the necessary equipment, oil based eggshell will have to do.

 

[meccarroll]

Hi Richard I am a carpenter and currently finishing a kitchen made from melamine (Cupboards) and MR MDF (for panels doors etc) I have made kitchens and bedroom furniture etc before too.

A lot depends upon your equipment and skill level and work area when contenplating a project like a kitchen.

I used 18mm melamine faced chipboard for the cabinet carcases and once cut I used an edge bander to apply pre glued edging tape to the cut edges. The units are put together using cam dowels and wooden dowels (the same as flat pack kitchens).

For the face of the cabinets I used 18mm MR MDF cut to size then sprayed with water based paint (one high build primer and two top coats).

I have a panle saw with scoring blade and CNC router so cutting the melamine was not too bad but for me. If you do not have equipment that can cleanly cut melamine it might not be the best choice of material for you to use as it can chip on the edges when being cut. Another option for you would be to buy the units without doors etc and add your own doors draws etc which might be a better option if you are short on equipment.

Mr MDF is a very common material to use in cabinet construction for draw fronts trim etc. You could easily make shaker style doors and draw fronts form it and it's not too expensive either. I normally use 18mm MR MDF for shaker style door frames and 6mm MDF for the panels but 9mm is another common thickness for door panels too.

For ironmongery fittings I use Blum which are slightly more expensive than some others but well worth the extra as the technical back up is second to none.

I do have spray equipment HVLP spray guns, Complient spry gund and conventinal spray guns, turbines and compressors etc so can manage to spray finish my items but if you don't have this equipment I'd think about hand painting using a speciality paint.

The kitchan I am currently making has 14 units and well over 100 pieces of cabinet parts so you are going to need to plan out your kitchen first. I use CAD to draw out the kitchen plan and elevations then skip over to the Blum cabinet configurator to design the actual cabinet and obtain cutting lists and fittings parts lists. I also use an online panel cutting optimiser to work out the most economical way to cut up my sheet material.

Mark

 

[Drifter2406]

MFC is the best stuff, hundreds of colours and edging to match, 99% of kitchens are made of this, sometimes the doors are too but a big majority of the units are made from this. Being in Kent you could possibly get the board from a supplier called Panelco, they deliver to the public I think, they are based in Tilbury.

 

[Ollie78]

I would personally buy the boxes from DIY kitchens and spend the time and effort on nice doors and nicer other bits.
Spend your time and effort on the bits you can see.

 

[meccarroll]

I would personally buy the boxes from DIY kitchens and spend the time and effort on nice doors and nicer other bits.
Spend your time and effort on the bits you can see.

I would very much agree with Ollie on this unless you are on a very tight budget or can't buy the sizes you need.

The main reason I have made melamine units on the kitchen I am currently working on is because it's for a family member and trying to save them some extra cash but also because most of the units are bespoke sizes. I also had a lot of melamine sheeting left over from a shop fit job so just went for it but making the units has been the most time consuming part of making the kitchen and not the most profitable way to spend your time if thats limited.

 

[Richard Burns]

Hi Richard I am a carpenter and currently finishing a kitchen made from melamine (Cupboards) and MR MDF (for panels doors etc) I have made kitchens and bedroom furniture etc before too.

A lot depends upon your equipment and skill level and work area when contenplating a project like a kitchen.

I used 18mm melamine faced chipboard for the cabinet carcases and once cut I used an edge bander to apply pre glued edging tape to the cut edges. The units are put together using cam dowels and wooden dowels (the same as flat pack kitchens).

For the face of the cabinets I used 18mm MR MDF cut to size then sprayed with water based paint (one high build primer and two top coats).

I have a panle saw with scoring blade and CNC router so cutting the melamine was not too bad but for me. If you do not have equipment that can cleanly cut melamine it might not be the best choice of material for you to use as it can chip on the edges when being cut. Another option for you would be to buy the units without doors etc and add your own doors draws etc which might be a better option if you are short on equipment.

Mr MDF is a very common material to use in cabinet construction for draw fronts trim etc. You could easily make shaker style doors and draw fronts form it and it's not too expensive either. I normally use 18mm MR MDF for shaker style door frames and 6mm MDF for the panels but 9mm is another common thickness for door panels too.

For ironmongery fittings I use Blum which are slightly more expensive than some others but well worth the extra as the technical back up is second to none.

I do have spray equipment HVLP spray guns, Complient spry gund and conventinal spray guns, turbines and compressors etc so can manage to spray finish my items but if you don't have this equipment I'd think about hand painting using a speciality paint.

The kitchan I am currently making has 14 units and well over 100 pieces of cabinet parts so you are going to need to plan out your kitchen first. I use CAD to draw out the kitchen plan and elevations then skip over to the Blum cabinet configurator to design the actual cabinet and obtain cutting lists and fittings parts lists. I also use an online panel cutting optimiser to work out the most economical way to cut up my sheet material.

Mark

Thank you for your detailed response.
I have a dewalt table saw set in a workbench, so cutting the panels shouldn't be too much of an issue.

I have also taken the liberty of getting Wren to design me a kitchen, as they conveniently give you all the cabinet sizes in their quote, so can just transfer that over to cut list optimizer

I will check out DIY kitchens for cabinets and see if the cost outweighs my time spent on it (although In my heart I do want to do the whole thing, I want to be able to say "I made that")


I may also use this project as an excuse to get an airless sprayer (even if just to sell it after) , I have a wagner hvlp but don't really get on with it, I find it too inconsistent.

The cabinet construction I was hoping to borrow a domino from a family member and use that along with glue and screws.

 

[Doug71]

You need the right kit to work with MFC and I'm afraid a Dewalt table saw isn't ideal, you really need a sliding panel saw with scoring blade or a good MFT/track saw type set up.

I'm building a kitchen for a customer and have been buying in ready made MFC carcasses to make things quicker and easier but for the final stage I'm making the carcasses myself as the quality of the bought in ones is not quite there. The cutting and edging of the panels is fine and they have 18mm backs so good in that respect but the assembly isn't great with parts not quite lining up, probably wouldn't be a problem with overlay doors but this is all in frame and I need parts in the right place to reference off.

 

[Spectric]

If you went for a more traditional look and have a router then look at panel and frame because now with the panels sitting in grooves the edges are not as important.

 

[accipiter]

@petermillard has just put a new video up on his house build and mentions why he didn't make his own kitchen units... very valid reasons given for not doing so...

 

[johnnyb]

I made my entire kitchen over a few months. I used maple faced poplar lightweight ply which because birch wasn't available then was the best available and is still a great choice although birch is now available. The fronts were all solid beech as the face frames were beaded and thin maple faced ply panels another good choice imho. The drawers were dovetailed oak not made by me though. Mfc was not something I was keen or equipped to use. And mdf was/is unpleasant to use imho.
Oh I did use oak mdf for some of the display/upper cabinets. Blum fittings as I hate fitting hinges and latches.
Just my take I use mdf for customers stuff if I have to! Ply worked for ne because it screws easily together(birch screws best tbh) )the oak faced mdf also screws easily together. Other joinery is basically unnecessary on these materials. I mortice and tenoned all the doors the n slotted for the panels. The sizes for sink units and integrated stuff I pinched from the devol website with a few changes. The design was all my own. It's not an easy job and I would buy a kitchen if it was for anyone else. I sprayed water based pu with an air assisted airless.maybe 15l grey filler primer and 10 l top. (Much more than I thought) the design is everything the making should be mostly routine(although time consuming)

 

[meccarroll]

Thank you for your detailed response.
I have a dewalt table saw set in a workbench, so cutting the panels shouldn't be too much of an issue.

I have also taken the liberty of getting Wren to design me a kitchen, as they conveniently give you all the cabinet sizes in their quote, so can just transfer that over to cut list optimizer

I will check out DIY kitchens for cabinets and see if the cost outweighs my time spent on it (although In my heart I do want to do the whole thing, I want to be able to say "I made that")


I may also use this project as an excuse to get an airless sprayer (even if just to sell it after) , I have a wagner hvlp but don't really get on with it, I find it too inconsistent.

The cabinet construction I was hoping to borrow a domino from a family member and use that along with glue and screws.

I'll go through your responce if I may:

A table saw should produce a clean cut on the top surface of melamine with the right blade but it will still most likly leave a chipped under side cut... you really need a panel saw with scoring blade for best results. Having said that I have made kitchen melamine cabinets using a table saw and a radial arm saw it's just a lot harder to get the underside finish. One thing to note is that all of the outside edges of a kitchen unit normally fit against an adjoining unit so are never seen. You could therfore use your table saw to produce a clean cut for the inside edges and keep the bottom cut edge for the outside edges. End panels are used on end units so again the outside edge is never seen.

Wren will have given you unit sizes but not the actual panel sizes that make up the unit. You will need to sit down and work out all of the panel sizes before you put them into a panel cutting optimiser and there will likly be hundreds of different sizes so be prepaired and get orginised with cutting lists. This is where the blum cabinet confugurator can help as it will produce accurate cutting lists for you.

It is very time consuming making units and sometimes not economical for a professional when on a priced kitchen but you may obtain a better job and sometimes you need a bespoke configuration so have to make them yourself. It's your project so up to you which way you move.

I have not used an airless spray set up but a lot of people on here have and could help advise on a suitable set up for you to use. I to have a Wagner, it's the CS 9100 4 stage Turbine with HVLP Spray gun and find is is a good set up but rather noisy like a vacuum. If I have any problems spraying with it, it's usually down to me not making all the checks before spraying. I have just purchased a Graco Finex HVLP gravity spray gun to use on my compressor which I did after watching a utube video. I like the gravity feed guns because you only need a small amount of paint if doing just one panel and I mostly prefere the paint pot out of the way. The Graco Finex gun produces very little overspray and seems to produce a nice finish when topcoating but it does not seem to cope with primers as well. I have only used it a couple of times so may just need to play around with the settings.

 

[Richard Burns]

I'll go through your responce if I may:

A table saw should produce a clean cut on the top surface of melamine with the right blade but it will still most likly leave a chipped under side cut... you really need a panel saw with scoring blade for best results. Having said that I have made kitchen melamine cabinets using a table saw and a radial arm saw it's just a lot harder to get the underside finish. One thing to note is that all of the outside edges of a kitchen unit normally fit against an adjoining unit so are never seen. You could therfore use your table saw to produce a clean cut for the inside edges and keep the bottom cut edge for the outside edges. End panels are used on end units so again the outside edge is never seen.

Wren will have given you unit sizes but not the actual panel sizes that make up the unit. You will need to sit down and work out all of the panel sizes before you put them into a panel cutting optimiser and there will likly be hundreds of different sizes so be prepaired and get orginised with cutting lists. This is where the blum cabinet confugurator can help as it will produce accurate cutting lists for you.

It is very time consuming making units and sometimes not economical for a professional when on a priced kitchen but you may obtain a better job and sometimes you need a bespoke configuration so have to make them yourself. It's your project so up to you which way you move.

I have not used an airless spray set up but a lot of people on here have and could help advise on a suitable set up for you to use. I to have a Wagner, it's the CS 9100 4 stage Turbine with HVLP Spray gun and find is is a good set up but rather noisy like a vacuum. If I have any problems spraying with it, it's usually down to me not making all the checks before spraying. I have just purchased a Graco Finex HVLP gravity spray gun to use on my compressor which I did after watching a utube video. I like the gravity feed guns because you only need a small amount of paint if doing just one panel and I mostly prefere the paint pot out of the way. The Graco Finex gun produces very little overspray and seems to produce a nice finish when topcoating but it does not seem to cope with primers as well. I have only used it a couple of times so may just need to play around with the settings.
View attachment 191196

Again, thanks for the response, we'll thanks to everyone really.

Do you think I could get around the chip out situation by masking up along the cut line?

I will have to investigate this Blum program /app, sound a good bit of kit.

Fortunately, time isn't of a massive concern, I'm currently off work with injury so this is as much to keep me busy as save money, with the added bonus of the pride of making something.

I am not looking forward to the hundreds of panels to be painted though, I'm looking at circa 17/19 cabinets of various sizes.

 

[Ollie78]

Again, thanks for the response, we'll thanks to everyone really.

Do you think I could get around the chip out situation by masking up along the cut line?

You need to make a true zero clearance insert to give you any chance, also a good quality brand new blade. You could also try a scoring pass first of just one or 2 mm before a second pass.
Personally I would buy a track saw for that many cuts.
Even then it will be tricky. Chipboard stuff just chips out for fun.

 

[Richard Burns]

You need to make a true zero clearance insert to give you any chance, also a good quality brand new blade. You could also try a scoring pass first of just one or 2 mm before a second pass.
Personally I would buy a track saw for that many cuts.
Even then it will be tricky. Chipboard stuff just chips out for fun.

I have a zero Clearance for the saw and a track saw too, would you recommend doing the whole build with that then?

I figured that with there going to be so many repeatable cuts, the table saw would be better.

 

[meccarroll]

Do you think I could get around the chip out situation by masking up along the cut line?

Not really, Ollie 78 has come up with possibly the best solution. You need to buy a saw blade similar to the one below to stand any chance:

Of course the size has to be right for your saw. I bunted one while cutting out the panels for 14 units so I recon you will need to have it re-sharpened at least twice for around 17 units.

Why not buy a 600mm wide sheet of melamine (B&Q sell it in 18mm thickness) and see how you get on.

You may need to play around with setting the depth of your saw blade as there always seems to be a sweet spot where the blade cuts best.

Also make sure your fence is correctly set up as if not the melamine will chip out when leaving the back edge of the saw blade.

My panel saw is set up so when cutting panels the back edge of the blade is slightly away from the material (a hairline away) which avoids the rear end of the blade catching the panel as is leaves the blade.

 

[HOJ]

Without doubt making your own is good way to go, it will at least work with the space you have, and getting creative with storage solutions, rather than having to compromise and use infills, spice rack's or dummy panels to make it work.

I've been fitting a Howdens handle less one over the last few months, piecemeal, huge list of issues that I've had to overcome, along with a stack of parts we didn't even use, client got a £1500.00 refund when he took them all back.

Personally I wouldn't use MDF for carcasses, I prefer Ply, with a couple of coats of Tikkurila's, clear matt, Kiva 30, not keen on MFC, but at a push I would use it.

But, do you have the room and the strength to be shifting and swinging 8' x 4' sheets around, getting them on to a table saw and running them through will be an absolute pain and you will need space either end, so at least + 20' to be able to work, a track saw is the best option, take the saw to the wood...

Then the other question is what do you do with them once you've built them, this is one I did a couple of years ago, storage space was a bit tight:



Another couple of points, I make mine at 800mm tall rather than the <>720mm standard, better utilisation of a sheet, and I use the Axiom adjustable legs, easier to set up and adjust with the long arm gizmo that you can get.

The Blum config system is ideal, for setting out and getting your material schedule, but it does take a bit of working out.

 

[Kayen]

Most MFC comes in 2800 x 2070 sheets and weigh in at around 70kg a pop - no matter what your imagination tells you, it will be no fun cutting them up on a Dewalt table saw!

Most board supply companies have beam saws that will cut and edge with a nicely rounded ABS edging to within 0.1mm accuracy - it's a no brainer.