What kind of material would you recommend for kitchen drawer boxes?
I was planning on using 1/2 melamine, but, can't seem to locate any yet.
This is the material the author of one of my cabinet making books uses.
The local borg has the 3/4" variety, but, that seems a bit too thick.
If I do use melamine, how would/should the edges be treated? Could edge
banding
be used? Not sure how well it would holdup.
Is 1/2 MDF suitable for this? I'd probably paint it, if I went this route.
I could probably use hardwood, but I rather use something a bit less
expensive.
I need to make 9 boxes.
Should the bottoms be the same material as the sides, or could MDF or 1/4 or
1/2"
plywood be used.
ThankX,
Ron
Baltic birch ply (9 ply 12 MM)
dave
Ron wrote:
> What kind of material would you recommend for kitchen drawer boxes?
>
> I was planning on using 1/2 melamine, but, can't seem to locate any yet.
> This is the material the author of one of my cabinet making books uses.
>
> The local borg has the 3/4" variety, but, that seems a bit too thick.
>
> If I do use melamine, how would/should the edges be treated? Could edge
> banding
> be used? Not sure how well it would holdup.
>
> Is 1/2 MDF suitable for this? I'd probably paint it, if I went this route.
>
> I could probably use hardwood, but I rather use something a bit less
> expensive.
> I need to make 9 boxes.
>
> Should the bottoms be the same material as the sides, or could MDF or 1/4 or
> 1/2"
> plywood be used.
>
> ThankX,
> Ron
>
>
If you have a planer, most anything can be planed down for sides...poplar,
pine, oak. !/2" is nice for smallish drawers, which most of them are. I
have some 40" wide, which I did with 3/4".
For bottoms, anything about 1/4" is fine. Most of mine are plywood from
Scandinavian packing crates. If your bottoms are a little thick, bevel the
undersides to fit in 1/4" dados.
Wilson
"Ron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:knhVb.202395$nt4.975056@attbi_s51...
> What kind of material would you recommend for kitchen drawer boxes?
>
> I was planning on using 1/2 melamine, but, can't seem to locate any yet.
> This is the material the author of one of my cabinet making books uses.
>
> The local borg has the 3/4" variety, but, that seems a bit too thick.
>
> If I do use melamine, how would/should the edges be treated? Could edge
> banding
> be used? Not sure how well it would holdup.
>
> Is 1/2 MDF suitable for this? I'd probably paint it, if I went this
route.
>
> I could probably use hardwood, but I rather use something a bit less
> expensive.
> I need to make 9 boxes.
>
> Should the bottoms be the same material as the sides, or could MDF or 1/4
or
> 1/2"
> plywood be used.
>
> ThankX,
> Ron
>
>
"Ron" wrote in message
> What kind of material would you recommend for kitchen drawer boxes?
IMO, it's hard to beat solid wood sides for that "quality" look, even if you
don't use expensive wood.
For the 19 drawer boxes in my kitchen I used 1/2" poplar for the sides and
back, and 1/4" birch plywood for the bottoms. With dovetail joints, the real
wood for the boxe sides looks expensive, but wasn't.
With carefull selection of poplar, and by staying away from the green
heartwood except where it won't be seen, it can be used to good advantage
and stained match your cabinets.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 2/05/04
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 02:43:28 GMT, "Ron" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >What kind of material would you recommend for kitchen drawer boxes?
>
> I *like* 1/2" Maple or Birch, but I often use 1/2" (or even 3/8")
> Birch plywood. I figure if I go to the effort of building a drawer,
> the material cost savings with melamine or MDF isn't enough to justify
> using those materials.
>
> Jeff
>
The only advantage I see to using melamine is that the drawer is
easier to clean; a distinct advantage in a kitchen.
On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 02:43:28 GMT, "Ron" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>What kind of material would you recommend for kitchen drawer boxes?
1/2" baltic birch sides, 1/4" birch bottoms.
>
>I was planning on using 1/2 melamine, but, can't seem to locate any yet.
>This is the material the author of one of my cabinet making books uses.
try a cabinet shop supply yard or a hardwood lumberyard.
>
>The local borg has the 3/4" variety, but, that seems a bit too thick.
not too uncommon, though
>
>If I do use melamine, how would/should the edges be treated? Could edge
>banding be used?
yes.
> Not sure how well it would holdup.
not too badly. drawers are protected most of the time.
>
>Is 1/2 MDF suitable for this? I'd probably paint it, if I went this route.
prolly be ok. note that melamine and mdf are both prone to water
damage and lose most of their strength if they get wet. furthermore,
they are both known for marginal screw holding ability, and most
drawer glides are screwed on.
>
>I could probably use hardwood, but I rather use something a bit less
>expensive.
for a long time I used domestic fir core ply with birch faces for
drawer boxes. it's a reasonable material.
>I need to make 9 boxes.
>
>Should the bottoms be the same material as the sides, or could MDF or 1/4 or
>1/2"
>plywood be used.
I make 1/4" bottoms.
>
>ThankX,
>Ron
>
For these types of boxes, I use 1/2 Baltic Birch plywood. I use butt joints
glued and nailed with 1 1/4" 18 gauge brads. The plywood edges are left
exposed which I wouldn't do with any other type of plywood.
Melamine boxes are cleaner looking, but for me, they are more trouble to
make. For strength, the boxes need to be screwed. With that in mind, you
would need 5/8" - 3/4" thick melamine. Although, I have used regular
screws, a confirmat screw should be used. And of course, it requires a
special drill bit. Check out -
http://store.yahoo.com/squaredrive/fasteners-screws-specialty-screws-european-cabinetry-screws-confirmat-style-screws.html .
The bottom should be 1/4" - 1/2" melamine depending on drawer size, although
you could use the 5/8". Of course, the edges would have to be banded.
There is melamine with hot-melt glue that you can apply with an iron.
If you have trouble finding the melamine, contact a local cabinet shop and
ask who his supplier is. Or perhaps, he can sell you some at a decent
price.
Preston
"Ron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:knhVb.202395$nt4.975056@attbi_s51...
> What kind of material would you recommend for kitchen drawer boxes?
>
> I was planning on using 1/2 melamine, but, can't seem to locate any yet.
> This is the material the author of one of my cabinet making books uses.
>
> The local borg has the 3/4" variety, but, that seems a bit too thick.
>
> If I do use melamine, how would/should the edges be treated? Could edge
> banding
> be used? Not sure how well it would holdup.
>
> Is 1/2 MDF suitable for this? I'd probably paint it, if I went this
route.
>
> I could probably use hardwood, but I rather use something a bit less
> expensive.
> I need to make 9 boxes.
>
> Should the bottoms be the same material as the sides, or could MDF or 1/4
or
> 1/2"
> plywood be used.
>
> ThankX,
> Ron
>
>
On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 02:43:28 GMT, "Ron" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>What kind of material would you recommend for kitchen drawer boxes?
I *like* 1/2" Maple or Birch, but I often use 1/2" (or even 3/8")
Birch plywood. I figure if I go to the effort of building a drawer,
the material cost savings with melamine or MDF isn't enough to justify
using those materials.
Jeff