Garage Cabinet Making

[Michael Parr]

Richard thanks for the pics. Im trying to think how to replicate this in the space I have and will keep it in mind.

[Glenn Vaughn]

Don't worry about that--plywood from the BORG usually comes pre-warped. Great for building curved cabinets.

I just got some from the local BORG 23/32" "cabinet grade" for $30 a sheet. No warping, one side clear and we have not found any voids. From South America - not from China.

[Michael Parr]

Glen I guess I would have to find something that is not from China then.

[Eric DeSilva]

I just got some from the local BORG 23/32" "cabinet grade" for $30 a sheet. No warping, one side clear and we have not found any voids. From South America - not from China.

I've just given up. My last attempt was buying a few sheets that had substantially more plys than the ordinary ones, it was not made in China, but I can't recall where it came from. It was 3/4" (minus a bit) and seemed relatively flat. Until I cut it into 1' wide strips for some utility shelves, then it twisted and warped. I also seem to recall being unpleasantly surprised by a bunch of voids. Since then I've been buying my plywood from a real wood supplier.

[Mark Fox]

Get a copy of Practical Shop Cabinets, http://www.tomclarkbooks.com/tomclar..._Cabinets.html


I agree with Dave, Waiting for my book as we speak.

Mark

[Greg Portland]

1. No HD, get some pre-finished plywood (preferably with a stain resistant surface). Melamine is OK if you want the absolute cheapest solution. Just be careful with the construction... particle board is not strong.

2. Offsetting the hinges is a standard practice for that style of hinge (versus double plywood). For cheap melamine cabinets I would avoid face frames (extra work, little benefit). For something with visible wood it becomes a personal preference.

3. Glue everything. Dado's are highly recommended if you're just brad nailing things together. With Kreg screws I don't feel that dadoing is necessary. If you paint then you don't have to worry about glue issues (assuming a decent primer).

Melamine + Kreg jig + glue + edge banding is a very quick way to slap some cabinets together. Having said that, Grizzly sells decent melamine cabinets at a good price (if you're looking for cheap storage and not a project).

[Paul Wolf]

Richard, I really like your pictures too. I'm planning on building some storage in the basement. I was planning on building boxes, but before I go down that route, was wondering what some of the pros and cons are of boxes vs. built-ins. Thanks.

Paul

[Ryan Hellmer]

I really like Bob's design with the CDX frame and panel construction. I have used the same concept. Used my rail and stile bits to make the frames (even for cabinet sides- think high end kitchens with raised panel ends) with 1/4" OSB for the panels. It really actually looks pretty nice and gives you straight and stable with minimal use of material. It makes extra sense for me as I can use all the random scraps from our sawmill for the R/S material. If you wanted to paint them it would really liberate the choice of materials. I've not liked the plywood I've gotten at BORG and HATE HATE HATE MDF, and particle board except in very limited applications (cabinets is not one, unless it's only for the laminate countertop). Good luck.

Ryan

[Mike Cooper]

Thanks on the input for the plywood. Now to start searching Santa Clara country for a good lumber yard unless someone close to me has found one.

Check out EarthSource on 7th St. in San Jose. Used to be PALS (Plywood and Lumber Supply). A little expensive, but very good quality.

Mike

[Peter Quinn]

MDF SAGS. MDF SUCKS (paint, glue, the life out of the guy trying lift and to cut it), MDF is very very heavy but cannot support its own weight on spans much over 15", so support must come from the design, possibly a face frame or stiffeners. My opinion, stay away from MDF as much as possible for carcass construction. Coat it with melamine, same junk but white, no stronger though perhaps a touch more wear and 'casual' water resistant. You can get melamine on chip board that can at least hold its own weight, and possibly the weight of your stuff. No joy to work with (read VERY HEAVY WITH RAZOR SHARP EDGES) but more durable, as long as you keep it dry. Check with a supplier of cabinet grade sheet stock for REAL melamine products, because that stuff at the borg is not the bottom of the barrel, its the crap they put under the barrel to keep it off the ground. And you can almost forget the craig jig on both melamine and MDF. They really call for special screws like confirmats, pocket screws are marginal in MDF and chip board unless you want to pilot each hole...and that just takes too much time.

Most plywood is made with at least water resistant glue, which is nice in a garage. The garage always seems to me one step closer to the out doors than the rest of the house, and that can mean wet or at least humid. I am presently on a job using 4X8 sheets of Russian birch, 3/4", exterior grade glue, and this is fantastic stuff. Something like 13 plies, very thick face veneers, very stable, tough as nails, but holy cow expensive. Just north of $100 per sheet. So that is the other end of the price spectrum. I love prefinished maple too, but even C-3 is probably more than I would want to pay for garage storage. So what to do on a budget?

My thinking is check out the borg plywood. Buy one sheet (though not if from CHINA, in that case skip it) and try it out. Cut it up and see how it behaves for your application. I once ripped 35 sheets of borg "birch" faced poplar (made in chile?), $28 per sheet, into 2 1/2" strips for a customer, and it was OK. There was definitely some movement and twisting, but not as bad as some of the products I'd gotten there, and frankly good enough for the application. Would I build a custom kitchen from the stuff? No way buddy, bot for some junk catchers in the garage? Maybe just the thing. It might be easier to make FF cabs than frameless with lower quality plywood as the frames can help keep the plywood a bit straighter. Frameless really requires top quality sheet stock and very precise cuts.

I would also call a real local cabinet goods supplier and get a price on C-3 or shop grade birch or maple. Tell them what you want to make and see what they have and at what cost. Do not assume the borg is your only or best option. If your into this wood working thing it might be a good way to start a relationship with a quality supplier that can be rewarding going forward. The borg is very unlikely to ever evolve into a consistent provider of quality anything as far as wood workers are concerned.

[Jeremy Milam]

I built simple cabinets with HD 3/4 inch birch ply 2.5 years ago and they're doing fine.

I will say, it's got a melamine top to it. It's very heavy and I can't overstate how razor sharp the edges are, my father-in-law ended up with several stitches in his hand helping me get it home.

Jeremy

[Vijay Kumar]

Thanks on the input for the plywood. Now to start searching Santa Clara country for a good lumber yard unless someone close to me has found one.

I have purchased both from PALS and Macbeath both in San Jose. They carry pretty good quality sheet goods.

Vijay

[scott vroom]

[QUOTE=Michael Parr;1446143]Now to start searching Santa Clara country for a good lumber yard unless someone close to me has found one.

I can recommend Macbeths Hardwood in San Jose for quality plywood. You can get a sheet of domestic 3/4" C-2 hard maple (great for painting) for just under $50.