First built-in wardrobe, please advise

[gunnar]

Hello everyone, I've been lurking here for quite some time now, and thought it's time to register and say hello... Not lest because I have lots of questions which I couldn't find answers for :mrgreen:

I'm going to build my first build-in wardrobe soon. It's going to be a very simple but large (3 sections - 2 in alcoves, 1 around chimney breast) shaker cabinet, probably painted white.

My question is: What material to choose?

Birch S/BB Plywood looks like a good candidate, easy to work with, dimentionally stable etc. But expensive and requires edging

Edge Glued Pine Panels - very appealing as gives the real wood look and feel. Cheaper than plywood for some reason? Also comes in exactly the sizes I need, which means I don't need to rip it with my jigsaw

MDF - I don't know, It's cheap. I've never worked with it.

I've almost decided in favour of glued pine panels, but then decided I'd ask people who know more about woodworking than I do.

Any advice is highly appreciated

 

[Mar_mite]

Mdf. It's the perfect material for painted wardrobes. Some places will cut it all up for you for a small fee. Sometimes they will do it for nothing.

 

[MickCheese]

This is an old post from someone who no longer posts here but is still one I refer to every now and again as it really is a good reference for built in cupboards.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/four-mdf-alcove-units-wip-t30678.html

Some very useful tips.

Mick

 

[gunnar]

Mar_mite & MickCheese thank you for replies.

I'm a bit worried about MDF dust being hazardous. I don't have a dedicated workshop to work, so I'll probably work right in the bedroom (I'll use some dust sheets of course).
For the same reason, I need something I can paint already fitted and that doesn't require primer spraying and 5 coats of paint. Or is it my wrong impression what MDF needs so many coats?

By the way, which of the materials (if any) require to be pained/sealed on the back faces, i.e. those that will face the wall?

 

[DiscoStu]

One coat of primer on MDF should be fine. I would suggest that you get the room dust free before any painting though. Ideally cut outside if you don't have dust extraction. Also wear a mask and googles - MDF dust isn't nice.

 

[DiscoStu]

I wouldn't worry about sealing MDF if you can't see it. (Not for inside use anyway).

 

[gunnar]

So if I use MDF, does it make sense to use classic joints (dado for shelves, rebates etc, dovetails for drawers)? Or am I better of with screws?

(I'm keen to try classic ones )

 

[John Brown]

I'm not really a woodworker, but I don't think I'd want to try dovetails on MDF.

 

[petermillard]

Housings and rebates will be OK, not dovetails. Ideally use biscuits / dominos for alignment, carcass screws or pocket-hole screws for mechanical strength. I'd also recommend moisture resistant (MR) MDF - a much better quality board for not much more money.

I do a lot of MDF fitted furniture with a painted finish, all done with a foam roller; one coat of water-based acrylic primer/undercoat, followed by a couple of coats of (usually) water-based eggshell. Pay particular attention to the cut edges - I find that two coats of primer on these with a rub-down in between is usually enough, though some folks swear by other methods, be it watered down PVA, Zinsser BIN primer, paper tape, lipping etc...

And for the record, all wood dust is hazardous; treat it all with caution and use appropriate dust extraction/collection, and a suitable face-mask/respirator with appropriate filters.

HTH Pete

 

[gunnar]

petermillard, thanks a lot.

One more question if you don't mind. How do you usually make those shaker doors? do you recess the panel into rebate, fit them into groove or just glue the rails and stiles over the panel?

 

[MickCheese]

petermillard, thanks a lot.

One more question if you don't mind. How do you usually make those shaker doors? do you recess the panel into rebate, fit them into groove or just glue the rails and stiles over the panel?

The last doors I made were 12mm MDF with 6mm MDF planted on to resemble rails and styles

But

I am just going to start some built in wardrobes and will do them more traditionally using 18mm MDF rails and styles and a 6mm panel with mortise and tenons. Into the panel groove. I don't want the plain back to the doors on these ones. I know they won't be seen but I will know!

Mick

 

[petermillard]

petermillard, thanks a lot.

One more question if you don't mind. How do you usually make those shaker doors? do you recess the panel into rebate, fit them into groove or just glue the rails and stiles over the panel?

There's lots of ways to do this, but I use 22mm MR MDF for the rails and stiles, grooved to accept a 6mm or 9mm MR MDF panel (depending on the size of the door) with loose tenons from the same material as the panel, all glued together with PolyTen PVA. Quick and easy

HTH Pete

 

[gunnar]

petermillard, MickCheese, thank you so much

What is the best way to secure it to the wall? Battens under the side panels?

 

[petermillard]

petermillard, MickCheese, thank you so much

What is the best way to secure it to the wall? Battens under the side panels?

Again, lots of ways to do this - I've used battens and they certainly work, though if the carcasses are a snug fit, then I often use low profile adjustable brackets, like these:-

HTH, Pete

 

[gunnar]

petermillard, thank you for your patience

is 34x34 good enough for the frame/battens?

 

[DiscoStu]

I'd think you'll be fine with that. I used some 45x45 and it was a bit too big.

 

[petermillard]

There's an old thread of mine about 'workflow'that might also be of some interest, here:-

workflow-picture-heavy-t66087.html?hilit=%20Workflow

Although it's more about how a job progresses from start to finish, the job happens to be built-in wardrobes

HTH Pete

 

[MickCheese]

There's an old thread of mine about 'workflow'that might also be of some interest, here:-

workflow-picture-heavy-t66087.html?hilit=%20Workflow

Although it's more about how a job progresses from start to finish, the job happens to be built-in wardrobes

HTH Pete

Peter

That's a great post, I don't know why I didn't save it when I first saw it? I have now.

Mick

 

[gunnar]

petermillard, that's a very useful link, thank you so much. clarified a lot of stuff for me.

Is there something fundamentally wrong with joining everything using dadoes and rebates? I don't have a domino or biscuit joiner and buying one doesn't really make sense for what is probably going to be a one off project.

Also shelves are going to be around 1000x600, is MDF stiff enough for that? Or I'll need some sort of frame for them?

 

[petermillard]

petermillard, that's a very useful link, thank you so much. clarified a lot of stuff for me.

Is there something fundamentally wrong with joining everything using dadoes and rebates? I don't have a domino or biscuit joiner and buying one doesn't really make sense for what is probably going to be a one off project.

Not at all, but cutting a rebate or housing (as they're also known) is far more time-consuming than using biscuits or dominos. You'll still need some kind of fixing for mechanical strength e.g. carcass screws, so in many cases you'd just be making work for yourself, IHMO. In theory, and under extreme load, a shelf supported by dominos/biscuits and screws could split, and a housing would help prevent this as the end of the shelf is contained within the housing - in practise though, I've never experienced this in any of the many hundreds of wardrobes, cabinets, bookcases or shelf units I've built over the last 15 years.

Also shelves are going to be around 1000x600, is MDF stiff enough for that? Or I'll need some sort of frame for them?

I always put a lipping on MDF shelves, and with that span, I'd add a batten under the leading edge, assuming there's no centre support. If you're not familiar with it, then "The Sagulator" is worth bookmarking:-

http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm

Cheers, Pete