Wenge Bath Vanity Project........advice

Good day Creekers,

I've been working on a "Master Bedroom Suite" remodel the last few months and have gotten to the Master Bath Vanity. I need some input from the SMC braintrust!

You'll see the area where the vanity is going - a 45* wall which has wall mounted faucets. The vanity is granite top, undermount sinks, and will be mounted (to the wall of course) about 10" above the tile floor. I will use stainless steel legs or Wenge legs in the front for added support. The interior shell is Pre-finished Maple Plywood from a local hardwood dealer. I plan on using Pocket Hole Screws for the fasteners.

Now the questions:

1) From the LEFT side of the bathroom photo: This is the area where I want a WENGE VANITY END to show as you enter the bath. I could go solid Wenge - but how do I allow for movement since the carcass is the prefinished maple ply? I'd rather have the grain going up & down....but horizontal may be safer? Maybe this is a non issue with the pocket hole system/

• If I go solid wenge sides, will the pocket holes give enough expansion room? A face frame of wenge will be in front for the drawers and doors.
• Is veneering these "show sides" an option? I could make the end carcass piece out of the maple ply - sand the outside - and then glue a 1/8" wenge veneer to it......??? Does this require a second veneer on the inside....or would the prefinished "factory laquer" keep it from warping. I don't have a vacuum bag, but I would like to try and veneer it......sounds like fun. Would heavy weights work just as well for this single panel?

2) Secondly, I'd like to keep these "Face Frames" as thin as possible....(3/4") to give this a more furniture look. Any issues to be concerned about using pocket screws for this application. I would always try and drill from the underneath or less conspicuous area--- or bag this idea and use a brad nailer?

Thanks all!

Roy,
#1 piece of advice is buy gloves. I love Wenge, but it will punish you in the form of splinters as you work with it.
As for the cabinet, I am no expert there, but I would think a panel as large as you are thinking about would best be done in a vacuum bag. If this is the only time you wil ever use one, You could probably find someone to vacuum this one piece for you. From all I have read and done, I think you would probably want to add a pice of veneer to both side for "balance". I have not had a piece warp, but I have also never wanted to take the chance of "not veneering the backside". It wouldseem that you would be just as well off to use a piece of BB ply for that end of the cabinet and veneer both sides. Use maple for the inside. Others may tell you different.
By the way, that is going to amke a very, very nice master bathroom!!!!

Jim

Veneering could be fun but that is a whole other purchase of supplies.

Do you want the wenge side panel to be a solid glue-up or could you entertain a tongue 'n groove for it? Either way, it could be made to float in the direction of wood movement (across the grain) by setting it into dadoes in the plywood. I would leave the grain vertical...horizontal might be strange looking.

Pocket screws and 3/4" material are made for each other...do not even hesistate to use that method of joinery.

I would think that the end panel should be "applied". You can simply make up a solid panel wide enough for the edge to "flush off" with the door faces. Since the cabinet end would then be plywood, the finished end can be attached with a few screws from the inside. Wood movement will not be a big problem as long as you do not glue the solid wood finished end to the plywood. If you are making "frame and panel" doors, you can make the finished end panel to match.

I'd do it solid, heck the price of Wenge veneer is as about as much as using solid. I'd do as mentioned and do a end panel ontop of the frame. You could then just enlarge the screw holes to attach.

Did you buy it at Schutte? Just curious, I have been waiting for them to call me on some unplanned. I need about 80 bdft. They typically plan it when the get it in and I need to build panels for a buffet cabinet that are 20" wide. By the time you take their already planned to 3/4" or slightly under then glue and plane it's under 3/4".

I just built a venturi system and have a big bag, as I had planned to do my buffet via the veneer route. Then I figured the cost, cost was much more than solid wood. Now I'll have to figure out what project to use the new system on...ummm maybe some David Mark's dinning chairs.

Roy, you can make an applied end panel from the wenge with no problem. (out side of the aforementioned splinters... ;) ) But you need to mount it so that it can expand across the grain. That means screws from the inside of the cabinet box into the panel at the front and either screws in slots on the carcass or loose sliding dovetail rails toward the rear. You'll need to leave a slight gap at the wall or provide for the panel to slide into the wall when it expands. (This is assuming that the grain is running vertical...horizontal grain is actually easier as you fasten hard at the top and let the bottom float)

Or...you could veneer a stable substrate with wenge veneer (see if Joe Woodworker has it) and use the solid stock for your face frames, etc.

I may need to make a trip to KC to see this! WOW! I think Jim nailed it. Screws from the inside would be the easiest, since this panel is not structural. If you don't like the iedea of seeing the screws on the inside, the sliding DT's will work great.

Mark

Guys -

These are all great suggestions and tips - thank you very much. I probably will have frame and panel doors on the front of the cabinets -- why I didn't think of this on the ends is.......well...... a brain skip!

Scott - yes, I got this at Schutte..... $8.49 a bd. ft. I sifted through the ENTIRE PILE and took the cream of the crop. They are S2S, so I'm hoping to keep them just a hair under 3/4" finished out....keep your fingers crossed.

Gloves are on!

Attached is the front drawing of the vanities. Mine is the upper one (which goes on left side) - lower is LOML's........who loves Wenge.

Here is a pic of one I am buidling with Birch ply, cherry and bloodwood splines. Only reason I add this, is it has some 45deg corners. I will admit to pushing the envelope with the concept of solid stock banding, but maybe give you some ideas. This is the second one for my MBDRM because I hated the first one I built. It was a boring simple face frame box. The drawers/doors are cherry perimeters with mdf centers veneered with Sapele. Still working on finishing.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...01405-sm-1.jpg
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...SC01517-sm.jpg

Good luck and please post some pics when you are done.
Brad

Wenge is a horrible wood to use. It looks ugly, splinters awful and can cause pain when you get one. Here is my suggestion. Find another type of wood to use and let me know where you live so I can come pick it up and haul it off for you.