Melamine Faced Chipboard

[tim]

Sorry about this everyone.

I have never made anything with MFC but I need to tie in a bunch of cabinets to a room full of the damn things. Whats the best method of carcase construction for this stuff, given that gluing surface is minimal. I normally use pocket screws, biscuits and glue for birch ply cabs.

Cheers

Tim

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Confirmat screws are one popular method. They are designed for simple assembly of chipboard and MDF cabinets. Slainte.
http://www.hafele.co.uk/Hafele35a1/Images/Standard/264.43.091P1.JPEG

 

[George_N]

Danny Proulx, in his books on building kitchen cabinets with melamine faced chipboard, recommends simple butt joints fastened with chipboard screws every 6" or so. He also uses full thickness (15 or 18 mm) MFC for the cabinet backs for a very rigid construction. The only places where the screws will show is on exposed end panels, which can be laminated to suit the style of the cabinets. I haven't made many cabinets like this yet but I'm planning to re-fit my kitchen in the summer using this method of construction because it doesn't need dowels, biscuits or any other fastener except the carcass screws.

cheers

george

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Tim,

I've always used biscuits - and they have always been successful.

Paul

 

[Scrit]

The strongest way I know is dowel and glue, however, that can be a bit of a faff without the right gear When I'm making anything like that as a one off I'll use biscuits if I have the time and cramps available and the jointing technique needs to be kept secret. If the carcass is to be clad with end panels or hidden in an alcove I'd use black phosphated carcass screws for speed. These have better holding power than chipboard screws and they punch themselves flush with no marking using a cordless driver. Pocket hole screws work well but require yet another piece of kit, although they are strong enough if you run a bead of PU glue on the joint (something I also do with carcass screws). I don't like Confirmats as you need to buy a special drill. Presonally I find it easier to do either dowel and glue or cam and dowel (KD) on the point-to-point than consider Confirmats. In the past when I useto use them I found that I used to run out and have to wait 2 or 3 days to get them as they've never been all that popular with trade suppliers.

Scrit

 

[RogerS]

Tim

I use the same cam locks that the manufacturers use. http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=101697&ts=31348&id=41170

I made a jig that slides over the end of the panel for drilling the holes vertically to take the cam dowels. I fasten a batten temporarily to my hole cutting jig for routing the holes to take the cam locks. Sort of a poormans CNC but it works. Once you have the settings done it's easy enough to maintain the measurements and hole spacings for repeatability.

The one benefit is that when you fix it all together and tighten up the cams it all beds down nice and tight and very rigid.

I use the Festool to cut the sheets but you do need to use the finer tooth blade to minimise chipping. Iron-on white melamine from Screwfix covers the cut edges.

There's this thread https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7198&highlight=melamine

and this one https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7424&highlight=melamine

 

[jasonB]

I use biscuits and carcase screwsnever had any problems. If the sides show then pocket screws with a course thread are OK. Use 18mm MFC not 15mm conti board.

Jason

 

[tim]

Thanks guys

I hadn't thought about Confirmats - I used to use them a lot on MDF stuff but got fed up with the odd blowout so stopped using them but think I'll try the biscuit/ pocket screw or carcase screw options first.

Jason - it is 18mm not contibix!


Cheers

Tim