Need help exposing a backside

[Tom Jones III]

LOML was talking with a lady at the CPC and they decided I would build a storage cabinet for them that would also serve as a room divider. The dimensions would be roughly 67" wide by 48" tall. I'm thinking something roughly like this picture.

cabinet.jpg

I'm thinking that I would use nice furniture grade walnut veneer plywood for the carcase, a face frame and solid wood for raised panel doors. The plywood carcase is to keep the cost and level of effort down.

The real problem is that since this is going to also be a room divider the backside will be exposed. This would end up being a huge expanse of plain walnut plywood. Should I be worried about that or will it look acceptable? Do you have any ideas that would look better without a significant increase in cost or time?

[Todd Burch]

What is a CPC?

[Todd Burch]

Walnut veneer plywood? What thickness? 3/4" is ~$100 a sheet.

[Tom Jones III]

CPC = Crisis Pregnancy Center. 3/4" Walnut ply is indeed expensive but I don't know any substitute that will work well. Even at $100 a sheet it will still be cheaper and faster than solid wood, right? A solid wood back made of 3 raised panels would look great but it sounds expensive in material and the labor may not even be appreciated at a non-profit.

[glenn bradley]

You could still do three panels, just use the same plywood (and I find it is more costly and difficult to work with than hardwood) for the panels. The stiles would break up the "expanse of plain walnut plywood" without adding a lot of effort to the build. You could also build the panels to look like dummy doors if you wanted it to be more visually interesting.

[Sam Murdoch]

Make the back with 2 flat ply panels set within a 6 piece frame. No matter how you do it with a piece that wide you will need a seam and so hiding the seam with solid frame is nicer than just butt joints. Now you have the issue of how the end panels are made and how these all tie together with the front face frame.

Are they asking for walnut? Is this project mostly a low budget piece? If yes, I would consider making the entire piece with prefinished maple ply. I would design the piece so that the carcass is no taller than the width of the plywood sheet (perhaps set it on a base to gain more height). The plywood carcass would have the grain running horizontally - continuos from 1 end to the other - secured at the corners with taped butt joints jointed with dominos or biscuits or interior cleats. Using one sheet the back at 67" wide would allow for 14" + ends. Attach a face frame and inset 2 doors made of flat 1/2" maple ply panels set within 4 piece frames. The full overlay top could also be 3/4" maple ply with a solid wood edge all round or a solid wood top. I would opt for the ply version. All kinds of ways to fancy this up but even as I describe this would be a nice cabinet and hold up well to public use.

You could do much the same with a sheet of walnut ply. Perhaps use a solid wood corner where the back meets the sides and a solid wood face frame applied at the front. The width could be +/- in order to gain more depth of the cabinet using all one sheet of ply.

[Todd Burch]

I've done this before. It's really cheap, but works just fine.

Build the case out of 1/2" or 5/8" or 3/4" MDF, then slap some 1/4" walnut ply on top of it. $35 a sheet for the same look. Use a recessed flat panel for a "frame and panel" look, and use a panel moulding to transition between the rails and stiles and recessed flat panel. I call it the "production home builder's 3-step program for a custom look". (Or, doo-doo in other words, IMHO).

Now, as far as "effort", it's more work to apply 1/4" ply to 1/2" MDF and work out your joinery, but, you can figure that out.

[Sam Murdoch]

Need help exposing a backside

and of course there is always this option

images.jpeg Sorry Tom, I just couldn't resist.

[Mel Fulks]

I like Sam's FIRST idea. If it is going to be in a large room, big expanses of vertical walnut can just look like brown paint. The finish on that maple is pretty tough. A brighter look for less money.

[Jim Rimmer]

Need help exposing a backside

and of course there is always this option

images.jpeg Sorry Tom, I just couldn't resist.

I check this forum during my lunch break. Glad I had just swallowed my chicken salad or I would be cleaning it off my keyboard. And exactly what I expected when I saw the post title.

[Tom Jones III]

Thanks for the help guys. Sam and Todd have great suggestions. I guess my problem is that the job itself is calling for a certain quality level and I'm having trouble finding a happy medium between "production home builder" junk and fine furniture quality.

[Von Bickley]

My suggestions would be:

3/4" Walnut plywood for the case.

Use some solid 1/4" X 2" walnut boards applied to the case to create a flat panel look to the sides and back.

Make doors from 3/4" walnut boards and 1/4" walnut plywood for flat panel doors.

Add some support under the top to prevent sagging.

Just my suggestions.......

[Phil Thien]

How about a cabinet with a partition down the middle, and each side having one working door, and one false door. The false doors would server as backs, providing rigidity and keep things square.

Krenov would keep the partition off-center, to provide a little more visual interest. One side would have a slightly larger storage area in that case.

[Tom Jones III]

How about a cabinet with a partition down the middle, and each side having one working door, and one false door. The false doors would server as backs, providing rigidity and keep things square.

Krenov would keep the partition off-center, to provide a little more visual interest. One side would have a slightly larger storage area in that case.

Now that is "out of the box" thinking. The vertical divider could 1/3 instead of in the middle. The top shelf could have no back at all. This idea effectively solves the problem of how do I show a pretty backside by eliminating the backside completely!

[Brian Tymchak]

My first thought was a 2-sided cabinet (2 fronted cabinet) open at the top from both directions and also with doors from both directions. One challenge with that design would be the lack of a back panel providing rigidity for the cabinet, but maybe some bracing (with sufficient decoration to add aesthetic value) in the corners would suffice?