Kitchen, making your own end-panels, pelmets, cornices

[Bobbins]

Hi,

I'm planning a new kitchen. I'd love to make the whole thing myself using traditional joinery and wood but I dont have the time/money/skills (or some combination of the three). So I have decided to get a standard kitchen (think chip-board units) from a big kitchen supplier. I'm planning on getting some real wooden doors (oak or ash) which will have a paint finish. Problem is, I've been looking carefully at the supplied pelmets, cornices and end panels - and they are mostly made of MDF, with either a vinyl wrap or veneer, and they seem to be a tad expensive for what they are. So I was considering making the pelmets and cornices myself out of real wood and painting them to match the doors. I would make the end panels myself too, probably out of t+g matchboard. I'll have to track down the exact same paint used on the doors but I that's possible.

Has anyone else done anything similar, or think of any pitfalls?

Cheers.

 

[blackrodd]

Half the reason for using MDF, is for stability as natural wood will move and could be a nuisance, don't forget the steam and heat that is common in the working kitchen, possibly not a good environment, hence the moulded MDF middle panels in some doors and some full doors are completely MDF.
Unless you have the tools or machinery to plane, and shape the kitchen cornice , just buy the nearest to what you like.
I did see that there are some timber cornice for sale on flebay but pretty costly.
You should be aware there's a lot of work in fitting kitchens, cleanly, swiftly and getting over a potential heap of electrical and plumbing problems plus the tiling.
Moisture resistant mdf is a very good cabinet material, many here use it as it is a reliable material too and with correctly primed edges takes many tough paint finishes, so don't be put off.
Regards Rodders

 

[Bobbins]

Thanks Rodders for your advice. I have access to the spindle moulder and I think I can manage making some cornices.

From what I've seen in the display kitchens half of the the trim items that are made of MDF are not even sealed all the way round, only on the face that is visible. I would have thought that untreated MDF would be much more susceptible to moisture from steamy kettles and cooking than regular wood. I'm not convinced that kitchen manufacturers choose MDF for cornices and pelmets for reasons of stability, personally I think it's just down to cost. End-panels maybe yes, can see stability being a more important issue across a large panel.

MDF is a fine material but I just dont like seeing it dressed up to look like real wood!

 

[RobinBHM]

It has been the selling policy in kitchens to charge crazy prices for trims and end panels. The reason is to have headline sale prices for the cabinets and make large margins on the cornice, pelmet etc etc.

So, yes if you can make it yourself, why not.

 

[Bluekingfisher]

The least expensive, simplest & effective way of making your own pelmets/mouldings etc is to build up the desired shape from several mouldings, either purchased or made yourself on the router table. The sky is literally the limit when decided on what size and dimensions you want or need. A basic set of profiled router cutters is probably all you need to create the cove, roundover, ogee, bead bit etc type arrangement usually found on kitcken trim moulding. In addition, by building the moulding up in layers you will drastically reduce the likelihood of warpping or movement from solid stock material.

You would normally use 1" or 3/4" stock, (or whatever takes your fancy, even vary the thickness from board to board) rout your chosen profile on the edge of several boards depending on the desired size, laminate them together using glue and pins in a stepped set up, so for example, you rout three boards edges with three different profiles. Stack them on top on on another so the edge of one overhangs the edge on the one below by say 1/4" and similarly any additioanl boards to create the profile required.

It really is very very simple, even if you have to buy a couple of router bits you will no doubt use them at some point in the future.

Good luck

David