Thread: Help Choosing Wood For Cabinet

We are not able to see the drawing. Just says 'image not found'.

Without being able to see your drawings yet, I'm going to hazard a shot in the dark, and suggest some form of plywood.

Depending on how you want to finish the cabinet will determine what grade of plywood you need, but when in Sydney, I tend to find the folks at Bruynzeel are pretty good with their sheet goods: Plywood Timber & Wood Panel Supplies Sydney | Bruynzeel

a shot in the dark here

if your cabinet is inspired by what you see at Ikea -- i.e. it's mostly flat boards butt jointed -- and uses 12 mm thick stuff
there may not be a "cheapest wood possible"
to achieve a flat 12 mm solid wood board probably means turning half a 25 mm thick sawn board into saw dust.

and quality 12 mm plywood is not cheap.

lastly, screw holding in 12 mm board implies about 10 mm of screw thread in the board which in turn implies a screw no longer than about 15 mm.


if you post a JPG image of your design we can comment further

Originally Posted by Arron

We are not able to see the drawing. Just says 'image not found'.

Sorry about the mis-post. Here is a direct link to the drawing: http://i68.tinypic.com/35inio1.png

I have done some research. Would MDF persevere or would I have to splurge for Plywood or something else?

Thanks.

There's a listing in the marketplace for some 6" x 10" ironbark beams at $25 a meter. That's a steal. If you have the appropriate machinery to mill down that sized material I would seriously consider it. It's in Casino

Originally Posted by krisk

Sorry about the mis-post. Here is a direct link to the drawing: http://i68.tinypic.com/35inio1.png

I have done some research. Would MDF persevere or would I have to splurge for Plywood or something else?

Thanks.

12mm mdf will sag. Badly. There are ways of stiffening it up but they are band-aids.

Ply will be much more rigid.

Still, not sure about why you want 12mm. Aesthetically it won't be great - very skinny and frail looking. Structurally it won't be good either.

Most ways you go, making something from 12mm will cost you more and be more time-consuming then making from standard sizes (plywood is an exception).

If I were making this my first choice would be 16mm melamine faced particleboard.
My next choice would be 19mm pine. 19mm is a standard size, so you won't need to get it milled down.

Sorry I can't address your emphasis on the materials being inexpensive - no-one ever said woodworking was a cheap hobby.

Incidently, making cabinets out of melamine faced particleboard is a skill everyone should have. Any time you want to knock up a quick box or utility cabinet, right through to a whole suite of kitchen carcasses, it's the quickest way to a clean, neat, professional looking result. You can even get someone to cut it all up for you at minimal extra cost, you just do the design, joining and finishing (if any).

Cheers
Arron

Originally Posted by Arron

12mm mdf will sag. Badly. There are ways of stiffening it up but they are band-aids.

Ply will be much more rigid.

Still, not sure about why you want 12mm. Aesthetically it won't be great - very skinny and frail looking. Structurally it won't be good either.

Most ways you go, making something from 12mm will cost you more and be more time-consuming then making from standard sizes (plywood is an exception).

If I were making this my first choice would be 16mm melamine faced particleboard.
My next choice would be 19mm pine. 19mm is a standard size, so you won't need to get it milled down.

Sorry I can't address your emphasis on the materials being inexpensive - no-one ever said woodworking was a cheap hobby.

Incidently, making cabinets out of melamine faced particleboard is a skill everyone should have. Any time you want to knock up a quick box or utility cabinet, right through to a whole suite of kitchen carcasses, it's the quickest way to a clean, neat, professional looking result. You can even get someone to cut it all up for you at minimal extra cost, you just do the design, joining and finishing (if any).

Cheers
Arron

Hello Aaron,

Thanks for your recommendations.

I can redo the drawing to 16mm. I'm glad to learn 12mm is too thin.

Would something like this suffice: https://www.bunnings.com.au/custompi...board_p0570012


Thanks.

Can I ask, where is it going and what is it being used for?
This may be where you need to start for others to answer the initial question.

yep, that's the stuff.

Because it's pineboard it will have a lot less sag then mdf, in fact it should stay pretty straight over your dimensions.

You can buy it at other places that will do the cutting for you. I used to use Trademaster in Fairfield area - they'd supply the sheet and cut the whole thing up to my dimensions for less then the price of a sheet at most other places.

Then you need some edging tape and a domestic iron to stick it on with. Trim the excess off with a flat blade.

Join the boards together with chipboard screws. No glue needed. YouTube should show you how.

Alternatively you can use flatpack or 'knockdown' fittings (pin and cam type joiners).

Or use both methods, screws where the heads will be hidden and knockdowns when you have no other choice.

It's not fine woodworking and you can't call it craftsmanship, but it's quick and easy and I guarantee you you'll be making things this way every now and then, when you need a utility cabinet, for the rest of your life.

Hello Arron, thanks again for all your advise! I didn't realise you were from Sydney to be honest. I'll check out that company and build a nice cabinet hopefully with your recommendations.

Hello Cal, it will be a TV cabinet and have an older type CRT TV on top (not the largest - maybe 30kg max.). I was also hoping to put wheels on the bottom also.

Ill post a pic here when it's completed, thanks everybody.

Originally Posted by krisk

it will be a TV cabinet and have an older type CRT TV on top (not the largest - maybe 30kg max.). I was also hoping to put wheels on the bottom also.

As it will be mobile and used for storage/heavy items, I would be gluing and screwing.

Originally Posted by krisk

Hello Cal, it will be a TV cabinet and have an older type CRT TV on top (not the largest - maybe 30kg max.). I was also hoping to put wheels on the bottom also.

Ill post a pic here when it's completed

now that you have said that, I don't like your dimensions.

at 8-900 to the centre of the TV and only 430 wide by 450 deep I'm starting to think that your design is too top heavy -- i.e. it won't be stable once it is on wheels.