Winston Todge
Member
Hi all,
Having only posted a few times and received some great input, I was hoping I could some input on my proposed design?
I've spent a few weeks planning how I'm going to replace our lovely solid pine wardrobes with something a little more space efficient and have come up with the following...
I'm going to make the cabinets our of 18mm MRMDF cut to size by Avon Plywood in Bristol...
- Does this quote seem sensible? The chap who answered seemed efficient and was super quick to quote!
I'm going to use 6mm backs attached to the rear of the cabinets with the cabs themselves being held together with size 20 biscuits, Spax 50mm MDF screws from Screwfix and a good quality PVA.
- Do people tend to use Spax MDF screws to hold the backs on? Or pin them on?
- Is it worth getting the backs slightly under-size or the same dimension as the area of the back?
I'll then make some plinths that I'll level up using wedges and then hold in place with small off-cuts of MDF and L brackets to the floor boards.
- Is the size of the MDF off-cut important here? It seems like this is the norm to level a plinth up? I was curious about the contact patch (and therefore size of this chock) if the whole load of the wardrobe goes through it?
I'll then attach the cabinets to the plinths using screws and then each cab together using screws.
The cabinets will then be attached to the wall at the top using L brackets.
- Is screwing the cabinet down to the plinth and at the top to the wall using L brackets enough to stabilise the whole structure? Is it worth adding brackets to the sides of the cabinets too? How would these fit in if it's designed to only have around 10mm clearance either side of the cabinets?
I'm then going to be making the doors with 6mm panels and 100mm by 22mm rails and stiles.
- Is it worth putting another rail a third or so up the height of the door? Or is it strong enough as it is?
I'll be using a 6.4mm slotting cutter around 10mm deep into the rails and stiles and then probably route a small tenon into each rail to sit inside the rail slot.
- Is the general consensus that a small tenon routed into the stile sufficient? Or is the 'loose tenon' method simpler/stronger/easier to assemble?
The doors will then be hung using concealed 110 degree 'Euro' hinges.
- Is a standard Forstner 35mm bit sufficient here? Or is it worth getting a proper 35mm hinge sinking bit? Like this....?
- Is there anything that I need to be aware of hanging doors that effects the finish of the whole build? Or is it all adjustable on the hinges themselves?
- I was thinking 4 hinges for the longer doors? Is 3 okay or is 4 worthwhile?
- I was going to biscuit joint the shelves in place, but have been thinking of dowelling lots of small holes into the sides of the cabinets so they are adjustable? And then I can add the shelves after the main cabinet construction.
- What's the process for adjustable dowels, holes and pegs? Just routing loads of holes up the sides? Any jigs/tools or advice if I were going to do this? Should I make the shelf widths 2 to 3mm thinner than the total width of the cab?
- If the gap between the cabinet and the wall is small enough, can you just caulk up the side or is it relatively standard to just cut a thin strip and glue it in place? Or some quadrant beading or similar?
I think that's it for now... Sorry for all the questions!
Any input would be massively appreciated.
Ta,
Chris.
Having only posted a few times and received some great input, I was hoping I could some input on my proposed design?
I've spent a few weeks planning how I'm going to replace our lovely solid pine wardrobes with something a little more space efficient and have come up with the following...
I'm going to make the cabinets our of 18mm MRMDF cut to size by Avon Plywood in Bristol...
- Does this quote seem sensible? The chap who answered seemed efficient and was super quick to quote!
I'm going to use 6mm backs attached to the rear of the cabinets with the cabs themselves being held together with size 20 biscuits, Spax 50mm MDF screws from Screwfix and a good quality PVA.
- Do people tend to use Spax MDF screws to hold the backs on? Or pin them on?
- Is it worth getting the backs slightly under-size or the same dimension as the area of the back?
I'll then make some plinths that I'll level up using wedges and then hold in place with small off-cuts of MDF and L brackets to the floor boards.
- Is the size of the MDF off-cut important here? It seems like this is the norm to level a plinth up? I was curious about the contact patch (and therefore size of this chock) if the whole load of the wardrobe goes through it?
I'll then attach the cabinets to the plinths using screws and then each cab together using screws.
The cabinets will then be attached to the wall at the top using L brackets.
- Is screwing the cabinet down to the plinth and at the top to the wall using L brackets enough to stabilise the whole structure? Is it worth adding brackets to the sides of the cabinets too? How would these fit in if it's designed to only have around 10mm clearance either side of the cabinets?
I'm then going to be making the doors with 6mm panels and 100mm by 22mm rails and stiles.
- Is it worth putting another rail a third or so up the height of the door? Or is it strong enough as it is?
I'll be using a 6.4mm slotting cutter around 10mm deep into the rails and stiles and then probably route a small tenon into each rail to sit inside the rail slot.
- Is the general consensus that a small tenon routed into the stile sufficient? Or is the 'loose tenon' method simpler/stronger/easier to assemble?
The doors will then be hung using concealed 110 degree 'Euro' hinges.
- Is a standard Forstner 35mm bit sufficient here? Or is it worth getting a proper 35mm hinge sinking bit? Like this....?
- Is there anything that I need to be aware of hanging doors that effects the finish of the whole build? Or is it all adjustable on the hinges themselves?
- I was thinking 4 hinges for the longer doors? Is 3 okay or is 4 worthwhile?
- I was going to biscuit joint the shelves in place, but have been thinking of dowelling lots of small holes into the sides of the cabinets so they are adjustable? And then I can add the shelves after the main cabinet construction.
- What's the process for adjustable dowels, holes and pegs? Just routing loads of holes up the sides? Any jigs/tools or advice if I were going to do this? Should I make the shelf widths 2 to 3mm thinner than the total width of the cab?
- If the gap between the cabinet and the wall is small enough, can you just caulk up the side or is it relatively standard to just cut a thin strip and glue it in place? Or some quadrant beading or similar?
I think that's it for now... Sorry for all the questions!
Any input would be massively appreciated.
Ta,
Chris.
