Thread: How do they do this?

Having just built a very similar couple of units for a local volunteer organisation I really wish the budget had extended to buying them ready made!

As previously stated, getting a clean cut without a scribing saw is impossible. I had to cut the pieces 1 mm larger than required and then run the cut edges through the router table.
I was going to use hidden fastenings but the hassle of getting the correct size holes drilled, aligned etc defeated me. I ended up using chip board screws and stuck the plastic covers over them.

Now if there had been an Ikea in Tassie ...

Doing iron on edging is easy. Getting a good finish is not so easy.
This is the only time I iron.
Heat iron. Cut edging to length with a couple of centimetres extra at both ends. Then slowly iron on and follow with a cork block. That is the easy bit. Next is the trimming. Once the edging has cooled, cut off the excess at each end with a pair of scissors. The next step will depend on your skill or tools. Either use a file (I prefer a half round) or a router with a flush trim bit, to trim the edging flush with the face of the board. Finish up with some medium glass paper.

carbatec sell a trimmer for edge banding, i use that followed by a sharp chisel then 240 grit sandpaper.

Originally Posted by scottbr

You need to make sure you get the edging right.

I like the pencil round 2mm stuff.

On a wardrobe, where the edging is visible and at often at eye height, I would use the 2mm stuff rather than the tape.

I've just finished doing a kitchen, wardrobe and bathoom fitout at home. All the carcasses are melamine with 2mm edging.

I worked out a cutting list and took it to a local guy who does kitchens. He cut and edged what I needed and I brought the bits home and screwed them together. It was much cheaper than even the flat pack route.

wot he said

save yourself a lot of grief and get someone with the right gear to cut and edge the melamine for you. Without a saw with a sliding table and scribing blade achieving chip free cuts will be near impossible.

also, in a wardrobe the edges will always be visible and subject to damage so go for the 2mm edging.

using knock-down fittings is relatively straight forward PROVIDED you can measure accurately (to +/- 0.2mm), drill at 90° and you have the right drill bits

I'd like to offer up a couple of observations if I may.

1. A triple chip, negative rake blade on your TS negates the need for a scriber blade when cutting whiteboard.
2. Having said that, it is WAY easier, cheaper, quicker and more accurate to get a kitchen maker to slice up the whiteboard for you.
3. Iron on edging can be done with a normal domestic iron. I've ironed on miles of the stuff. Wrap a bit of heavy brown paper around the sole to prevent burning. As soon as you've done one edge, press it down with a cork block making sure its attached everywhere. Then trim with the iron (blade) from an old plane. Finally, a very quick once over the edges with some 180 sandpaper to smooth the edges off.

After a while, you'll get very quick at it. AMHIK

Cheers
Jim

Oops, forgot about the joining part. Before I managed to talk my first father-in-law (and 1st mentor) into buying a nail gun, we used 50x2mm black processed nails with the laminex industries brand of white PVA glue.
I recall the yellow glue was AV-180 but not sure of the white ----AV-100???

Better put a bit of a warning in here in all fairness.
Many years ago when I first went out on my own, previously mentioned FIL told me I should put an ad in as a cabinet maker with the words "No Job Too Small"
That would ensure I got all the small jobs other cabinet makers weren't interested in.
Several of those jobs were wardrobe inserts.
I have to tell you, they were a right royal P.I.T.A from start to finish. I was thrilled when I progressed past the point where I needed that kind of work.

Ikea or Bunnies flat packs would look real good to me if I was in your position.

Cheers for all of the replies guys, much appreciated.

Spoke to the missus and expressed my concerns and she is happy to go with MDF or Plywood etc.

Would they be suitable?

Haven't made up my mind as yet about the Melamine, might get a piece first and have a practice

I have attached a couple of pics of the design that I have drawn up in Sketchup, haven't quite finished ie haven't put in all the poles etc but you get the general idea.

Any comments, positive or negative would be appreciated so I can learn from it.

Cheers

Might be worth going over to the Renovate Forum and having a look around in the kitchen subforum (use your user name and password from here to see pics). You might even be able to justify the cost of a Festool Plunge Saw with a guide to save having to handle sheets on the table saw if it hasn't got a sliding table . Doesn't matter if it takes a while to finish.

As per scottbr's post above.
Work out a cutting list with all your panels and edges marked.
Most 16mm melamine sheets will be either 2400 or 3600 x 1200mm so work out your list accordingly.
I too much prefer the 2mm "rounded edge" plastic edging over the tape especially for the shelves.
Just take into account the 2mm when you work out your sizes.
Any board cutting shop will be able to cut these up for you easily ( and comparatively cheaper too ).
The company I use charges per board for cutting and per lineal metre for edging.

Stewie

Originally Posted by Arry

Spoke to the missus and expressed my concerns and she is happy to go with MDF or Plywood etc.

Would they be suitable?

Haven't made up my mind as yet about the Melamine, might get a piece first and have a practice

I have attached a couple of pics of the design that I have drawn up in Sketchup, haven't quite finished ie haven't put in all the poles etc but you get the general idea.

Any comments, positive or negative would be appreciated so I can learn from it.

Arry

MDF will likely be a real pain to finish with a dust free surface
Likewise ply, with the added challenge of ABSOLUTELY NO rough edges to catch threads on

Malamine is looking good in those respects.

whilst an excuse to buy more tools is always good, I'll be surprised if you can buy the melamine for much less tahn what a kitchen maker will quote to deliver all the pieces cut to size and ready to assemble.

I'm not sure how you intend to install the shelves, but if you're thinking shelf pins then a suitable jig (I'm thinking Festool 1010 router, guide rail and shelf drilling kit) could be a good excuse or way too expensive.

the centre shelf in each bay should be fixed to give the walls some stiffness -- use knock down connectors
think about space for a toe kick

Do what Scott said. Do a detailed drawing. make a cutting list. Get them to cut edge and label each part. Take it home and knock it up. You don't need housings just butt the 2 bits together,pin them and screw them together. Make sure the backs are 16mm board cause that's what will make them rigid. Easy.

Originally Posted by spencer411

Do what Scott said. Do a detailed drawing. make a cutting list. Get them to cut edge and label each part. Take it home and knock it up. You don't need housings just butt the 2 bits together,pin them and screw them together. Make sure the backs are 16mm board cause that's what will make them rigid. Easy.

good thinking PROVIDED you can access all sides of the carcass as you're assembling it.

Arry, I am with everyone else here. MDF is hard to finish well, and almost impossible to get a factory-like finish such as in the photo you originally showed. Melamine will look better, but it will be dull/satin, not glossy like your photo.

Even with a TS with a slider, getting a chip free cut is hard, and getting it accurate is difficult. I did some melamine cupboards and while I thought they looked good, they were certainly not really comparable to the finish on an IKEA cupboard. And they were certainly no cheaper.

If it was me, I'd buy most of it from IKEA, but then ripping down a cupboard where needed to make sure it was a custom fit. That would minimise the number of cuts you need to make. You could even try and make a feature out of the custom cut sections - perhaps making them out of veneered board. Add a few matching timber strips or shelves elsewhere in the robe and it could look like you designed it that way.

Hope that's helpful.

Trav

If you are making it yourself, you can purchase pre drilled melamine. If you want to reduce costs, obtain one piece, then use that as a template to drill other pieces as required. A boring job ! This can also be done if you need to have adjustable shelves after the install has been done and find the holes are not where they are required.