Kitchen Materials Sources

[Ratter]

This is slightly off topic but I do read from time to time posters who say that the best way to make money with wood is to fit and or make kitchens.

I am planning to build my own kitchen and I am wondering where to get hold of the materials.

I am looking for something a bit more professional looking than white contiplas so I need a supplier of Kitchen Grade chipboard ideally with a choice of surfaces.

I also need a supplier of hardware as SWMBO wants it to have many of the more modern features like soft close doors and fancy storage racks. I am sure that when these things are costed out it won't prove as cheap as I hope but it is a large kitchen and having it done professionally looks like £15k to £20k

I'm quite happy to make the panel doors, after all that's proper woodwork and the most interesting part!

I am based in Chester but I guess that mail order is a reasonable alternative as the qualities will be quite large. The existing kitchen has the equivalent of sixteen single base units and ten single wall units all made by hand by the previous owner - sadly he didn't use very good materials and it's looking tired now.

 

[orangetlh]

hi Ratter
One of the best quality melamime chipboards is called Egger. It comes in a wide range of colours and textures. If we use that me normally buy the flat maple. Its the kind of grade that MFI use on their door faces. For that kind of budget you could look towards birch plywood but its getting a bit scarce and the prices are shooting up, plus you have to finish it somehow. Isaac Lord or East Coast Fixings are your best bet for quality hardware. they both stock the Blum tandem soft close runners and also Blum hinges. Isaac Lord also stock a range of hardware called Peka. Its regarded on the market as the best quality basketware and they stock very good magic corners and pull out larder frames. Hafele are also a good company for pretty much anything you need, in varying qualities and prices. If you need any help with choosing any of the Isaac lord hinges or hardware then drop me a mail, it can be quite daunting to get your head around all the different types if your not used to them.

 

[Scrit]

Hi Ratter

Fit, maybe, manufacture, no. The real money is made by the guys who sell kitchens!

As you are in Chester might I suggest you contact PanelCo in Stoke:

Panelco Ltd,
Grindley Lane,
Blythe Bridge,
STOKE-ON-TRENT,
STAFFORDSHIRE,
ST11 9LS

Tel. 01782-392100

For MFC (melamine faced chipboard). I don't know if they offer a cutting service, though. Good quality brands include Kronospan (made near to you at Chirk), Egger (German but made up in the North East), Caberdecor (British), Sonae, Finsa (Spanish), etc. Althoughj you won't normally find a huge range of colours ex-stock (generally several whites, several creams, alabaster, etc and some of the pastels, like yellow and green, etc. as well as a selection of timber grains). The standard sheet size is, however a rather latrge 2.6 x 2.0 metres and that makes them weigh a hefty 80 to 90kg each, so a bit big and heavy for mail order! To be honest you might be better off buying-in your carcasses from someone like B&Q and assembling them carefully using glue as well as the KD fastenings. The only modification might be to remove the rather flimsy backs home centre units have and replace them with glued or screwed-in solid backs you make yourself from MFC and then make your own doors. I doubt there's much to be saved by making your own carcasses and the cutting of melamine without chipping it as well as the tedium of edgebanding every edge of a cabinet will soon detract from any "pleasure" you may derive from the job. Making your own doors, however, is an excellent idea.

For some of the fittings you might like to get a catalogue from Woodfit at Chorley who aren't a million miles away, just off the M61, and they sell a lot of the fancy fittings SWMBO may want as well as doors, etc. They also have a showroom of their own kitchen fittings.

Scrit

 

[DomValente]

As Scrit said Kronospan and Caberdecor are good. Don't know if Timbmet Silverman have a branch up your way but they have 8' by 4' of both in various colours.

Dom
O.K. just checked and Scrit was right about the sizes and colours, just shows how long since I bought any coloured melamine.

 

[ByronBlack]

The other option is to use basic MFC for the cabinets, but use hardwood face frames and solid panels for the exposed sides (the cabinets not butted up against another cabinet). You can also make solid wood panel doors, this is the route i'll be taking with my kitchen later in the year (or early next year).

 

[jasonB]

If you are not too far from woodfit then their carcases are quite well priced and the premium range for a few pounds more comes in 24 different colours/grains with 2mm PVC lipping.

http://www.woodfit.com/index.php?cPath=257

And if you can get them trade you will save a lot eg about 45% off the retail prices shown for blum hinges & draw parts

Jason