Bedroom wardrobe drawers

[yeti]

Looking to build a walk-in wardrobe using Contiboard (MFC) and need to find a solution for build-in drawers. This is the look I'm trying to create (far end of photo):
http://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/upload ... room-1.jpg

I like the oak front drawers with cutouts for handles. I've found ProBox and Drawer Solutions on the internet but once you add up the components they get quite expensive. MFC drawer box £30, Blum runner £20, Oak front £30, all plus VAT equals rather a lot for the 16 drawers we've designed for..

http://www.proboxdrawers.co.uk/product/eko/
https://www.drawersolutions.co.uk/index ... uct_id=279

Question, can anyone suggest some cheaper alternatives to achieve something similar please? I don't want to compromise on the solid oak fronts, but the Blum runners seem an easy place to save money. Also the MFC boxes seem rather expensive. Any cheaper alternatives? Plywood boxes? I'm new to woodworking and my workshop does not include a saw bench, so at the moment I'm limited in what I can make myself..

Any pointers much appreciated.

 

[MattRoberts]

How limited are your tools?

An nice alternative would be birch ply sheets for the drawer boxes - you'd just need a track saw or even just a circular saw to cut them up.

You can also get soft close ball bearing drawer runners way cheaper then the blum on ebay, but I've not tried them personally

 

[yeti]

I've a circular saw, mitre saw, few planes and hand saws.. Was thinking about purchasing a track saw so that might be an option.. If making plywood boxes, how best to secure the drawer bottom? Cutting a dado using a track saw appears time consuming so perhaps I'd also need to purchase a router too?

 

[ScaredyCat]

I'm new to woodworking too, but I used a makeshift router table with a Katsu trim router ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/101748-Electric-Trimmer-Laminator-Joiners/dp/B0728K6DV3 £38 ) to put rabbets (rebates) in Sapele and it seems to work fine. Not sure how the Katsu would stand up to your task, you might need something better (or not)

Basically you cut the rebates with the router, end up with 4 sides like this https://youtu.be/SyOzq7K5VMc?t=113 which you glue together, the bottom fits in the gap and helps square it all up. In that video he used a table saw to make them, you can use a router, which seems like a lot easier to me. Just note that 2 sides need the bottom rebate and their sides rebated too, the other two pieces only need the bottom rebate.

eg

You might want to edge trim the visible ends of your plywood. You can leave them as they are, trim them with real wood or edge band them.

 

[MattRoberts]

I've a circular saw, mitre saw, few planes and hand saws.. Was thinking about purchasing a track saw so that might be an option.. If making plywood boxes, how best to secure the drawer bottom? Cutting a dado using a track saw appears time consuming so perhaps I'd also need to purchase a router too?

Assuming you're not storing rocks in the drawers, you can just glue the bottoms straight on with a few screws to hold it

 

[novocaine]

assuming you are using 6mm ply for the base then its 2 passes with the track saw to gut the groove. do it at full length before you cut the sides and it becomes 2 cuts instead of 12. better yet use your circular saw.

for draws you don't need the track saw, the depth will be well inside your circular saws fence, so reference of the side of the ply.

pocket holes to join it all together might be a good idea too, quick and easy to do and you can fill the holes for an almost professional look.

 

[yeti]

Ok, thanks so far guys

Drawer boxes will be 700 & 500mm wide, 500mm deep, 140mm high. I'm thinking 12mm birch plywood. Is 18mm overkill for simple wardrobe boxes?

 

[philipjdall]

I built two large built in wardrobes last year, each with six push to open drawers. The carcasses where all birch ply and the drawer and door fronts where painted ultralite medite MDF. All of my drawers where made from Birch ply, 12mm sides and 6mm base. For the best results use a router table, create rebate joints for the edges and a 6mm dado/trench for the base, glue and clamp with a couple of band camps. You definitely won't need 18mm.

I used blum runners on mine. I built a lot of drawers last year and tried various brands and grades. The Blum movento range is excellent, not least for their adjustability. There is so much built in adjustment that even if you totally balls up the construction you can still get a great result. Cheaper runners simply don't give you this flexibility. I also used their tandem runners, good and very smooth. I tried clone blum runners from ebay (in a router table build for the workshop), they're ok. Very heavy and the mechanism is nowhere as smooth. They also sag a lot more than blum runners at full extension, and adjustment is limited.

All of the above suggestions are for concealed runners. You could use cheapo screwfix ball bearing runners but they don't give you much adjustment, eat into drawer width and are fully visible when the drawer is open. That was a deal breaker for me.

In the end I went for high end runners, and fewer, wider drawers. A big drawer is more useful than two small ones, so it's worth giving it some thought.

I've also had good luck buying sets of blum runners on ebay - generally a considerable saving and still just as good. If you're keen to try clones then search ebay for 'concealed drawer runner'. The ones I used where GTV I think.

I posted some pics on here a while ago but can't find them now, I'll keep looking and add if i can find them tomorrow.

HTH
Phil

 

[yeti]

Think I found it Phil. Lovely job and thanks for the post.
post1155659.html#p1155659

 

[Kujo]

Phil. What did you use to prime the mdf before the dulux trade satinwood paint? How did you apply it?

Kev


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