Maple veneered mdf project

[Mike_5]

Hi,

I am looking to build an open front cabinet unit for the kitchen (for cooking books, wine bottles and stuff). I am quite attracted to Maple and decided to go with this.

Using only hardwood gets expensive quickly, the unit will be approx. 2m x 1m x 40cm deep. So I came across maple veneered mdf - 19mm sheet A/B - around £67 a sheet. I want to do a front frame in maple hardwood.

If I ask the wood shop to cut the maple into 19mm strips for the front frame, is this a risk as it might not match the 19mm mdf? Otherwise I will oversize it to say 21mm+ and flush trim it.

I have never done a hardwood frame to mdf before, so just looking for a few points/cautions if any.

Thanks

 

[custard]

Funny you mention Maple, it's a timber I've been working with quite a lot recently.

For Valentine's Day I batched out a bunch of these jewellery boxes which I offered around to existing clients. The top is Birds Eye Maple veneer and the sides are solid plain Hard Maple.

One client wanted a similar box but larger for art materials and without the tray, and I'm working on that at the moment,

This one has a top from Quilted Maple veneer, and the sides are solid Birds Eye Maple, actually the sides are from the same boards that I cut the veneers from for the jewellery box lids. In all cases the inlay lines are made up from Rippled Maple and Ebony.

Throughout all this I've been struck at how well different types and boards of Maple all blend in together. You occasionally get a pinkish tinge with some Maples, but as long as you avoid those boards my guess is that you'll be fairly pleased with the match, especially as if an oil based finish is applied then all Maples take on a slightly yellow tinge (see the jewellery box photos at the top compared with the art box photo, the first is finished with Osmo the second has no finish).

Good luck!

 

[sunnybob]

I expect a woodyard could not guarantee accuracy of 1 mm.

Go for at least 1 mm EACH SIDE. I think i would add another for luck (3 mm over). remember you can always take more off, its a pig trying to put some back.

 

[custard]

Sorry Mike, I've just re-read your post and realise you meant "match" in terms of size not colour. #-o

MDF and ply are sold in "nominal" sizes, so your Maple veneered MDF may be a little under or over nominal thickness. Even more reason to follow Bob's advice and get an extra couple of mill on your lipping which you can then flush back with a block plane or a router.

Good luck!

 

[davin]

I love Maple. Seems to be out of fashion at the moment. My usual timber supplier doesn't even hold stock anymore.
I also love birch, but that is even rarer in the UK. Unless anyone out there knows different?

davin

 

[sunnybob]

I have access to lots of maple, but the fluffy dust and shavings drove me mad trying to keep the place clean.
I would think maple is a kitchen would need a fair amount of protective coating to keep it looking clean.

 

[Mike_5]

Thanks for responses, I have decided that I might as well go for 25mm widths to be on the safe side to frame the 19mm veneered mdf.

I am actually stuck again on what to do, probably better suited for a new thread with a better title. The problem that I have is that the unit I want to match it up to is not flat, it has overhang lips for the worktop and wall mounted cupboards (as illustrated by my quick paint design!). There is a recess that I want to fill, approx. 1m wide. Initially we wanted to extend the kitchen, but we cannot find the exact same worktop as the rest of the kitchen. I didn't want to fork out to have all the worktops replaced as our house is only 4 years old and they still in good nick. Hence why I thought a unit might be better, but slowly coming off the idea!