[OP]
Member
I am about to start a new challenge. I want to build eave cabinet with different size drawers. May I use MDO? It is easy for me because it is lighter than ply. Crazy idea? I bought 5/8 Baltic Birch for another project and it was very heavy. I am open for suggestions, I do not want to spend a fortune because I have plenty of cabs to build. If I use maple or birch ply, may I use 1/2 thick material instead of 3/4? Thanks
I am not familiar with what you mean by "eave cabinet" Please provide more details of what you plan to build and more importantly what you plan to put in the cabinets. Weight of the objects to be stored is an important design consideration when picking materials and types of construction. If you do a google search for "basic plywood cabinet plan" you will see many sources for cabinet plans.
Lee Schierer
USNA '71
Go Navy!
My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute
Contributor
MDO is conventional softwood plywood with one or two faces covered by resin-impregnated paper. That is, it weighs the same as softwood plywood.
Hardwood-veneer plywood (okay, "veneer-core") is usually a softwood core with thin hardwood faces. That is, it weighs the same as MDO.
Baltic Birch ply is different. It is all hardwood, so it weighs more than softwood-core plywood. It is also more expensive than softwood core hardwood faces plywood, which is what most cabinets are made from.
I build wall-hung cabinets with 3/4" walls, bottoms, and tops, and quarter-inch ply for the back. I include a nail rail along the back top for screws to go through into the studs. The 3/4 inch walls gives room for those columns of holes for adjustable shelf supports, and thickness enough for hinge screws.
[OP]
Member
What I meant with eave cabinets is cabinet built at the bottom of the slopped ceiling in an attic. The shape is not squared but the side of the cab follow the slope of the ceiling. My intention is to have drawers, the bottom very deep and the top shallow because the ceiling has less usable space as far as you go from floor to ceiling. I do not want to spend a lot of money for the cab box because nobody is going to see it. It will have nice face frames and good drawers and drawer fronts. I bought 3/4 ply for another project but it would be heavy and expensive for the attic project. I hope this clarifies and hopefully I can find a more economical solution. Thanks
Contributor
Think I would describe it as a knee wall of cabinets.
Contributor
Ah. That's clear.Originally Posted by laura vianello
IMHO, you shouldn't cut corners too much on the plywood for the casework. It is tempting to go buy the cheapest construction plywood at some big box store, but it is usually not flat. Turning it into casework turns into a wrestling match, and too often the walls aren't parallel. If the walls aren't parallel, the slides may not work well. So I'd suggest the least expensive flat sheet goods you can find in your town.
Many kitchens use 1/2" ply which is about as light as I would want to go. An alternative would be a rigid open frame to hold the drawers and a thin ply or hardboard skin to dress up the frame.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
[OP]
Member
Just a quick note MDO is more expensive than plywood (not construction plywood but paint grade plywood) where I live, it is lighter and it has core ply and MDF skins. I am not buying these product at the big store because they do not sell them. The only reason why I was looking at MDo was because it is lighter than the Ply I can get in the same store. Thanks for your input
[OP]
Member
The first picture shows the eaves/knee wall framing. The second one what I would love to build. I might be able to move the framing (16' center) to have a bigger opening. I think these two picture give a good idea. I would say 1/2 ply is probably ok, the question is do I need more 2x4 further inside or I can just build a support in the inside of the frame to support the new box?
I am open to suggestions.
Thanks
insulation paint area.JPGslanted eave drawers.JPG
Contributor
I think op means the light weight mdF. I've seen cabinets made mostly from mdf. Insist on the light weight stuff.
Member
Just a 'heads up'... Make sure the floor joists can support the weight for your intended use. Look up the maximum allowed residential span for the existing dimension lumber used in the floor.
Many old attic 'floors' used 2x4 joist material, since the only structural requirement was to carry the weight of the ceiling below. People start accumulating stuff in the attic and soon wonder why they can throw a cat through the cracks in the living room ceiling.
Also, make sure you don't compromise the air flow from the soffit vents to any roof/ridge vents. If so, Mike Holmes will be very disappointed!The mold will be thrilled.
Edit: American Wood Council has a good calculator on their website. If you assume S.Pine, stud grade, 16" O.C., and 30lb/sq-ft load, 2x4 will span 5'-4", 2x8 will span 9'-11", and 2x12 will span 14'-4". Span would be measured from the outside wall top plate to the next load bearing wall in the space below your intended re-model area.
Last edited by Malcolm McLeod; 12-14-2016 at 12:43 PM.
[OP]
Member
So, plaster job is finished. I have a question now: my wall frames (holes for the knee walls) have studs all sides and they have been covered with plaster. I was thinking to make the face frames (poplar) and attach them on another square frame made of ply 3/4" (which will cover the studs) however I am not sure. I thought it was a good idea because I was thinking not to use a carcasse of ply to hold my drawers (cabinet box) and use Blum tandem slides directly on the side studs. Nobody is going to see the studs anyway and we are on a tight budget and want to save some building time. What do you think?
Reply With Quote
