Cabinet guts...

[Dave Haughs]

So some hard work, a bunch of money and a foot surgery later I'm about to start on the cabinets for our master bath remodel. I've been reading a book by Robert Lang on cabinet building and it is very helpfull. I've built a couple cabinet pieces here and there but I want to make sure i do this right as after this I have plans for my office and then the kitchen so I'd like to start off on the right foot(that would be the one that I didn't drop a large tile on).

Looks like there are three choices for the "guts" of the cabinet, MDF, particle board and plywood. I'm having a mental block on buiding cherry cabinets with anything other than cherry, so I am looking for some input on what the most common material is to build the inside of the cabinet with. Seems like some cherry veniered plywood would look the best for my cabinet but not sure if thats the best choice. One end will but up to a wall and the other end will have a raised panel. It will be face framed.

Looking for input here since this is my first "fine" cabinet and I'd like to do it right.

[Lee Schierer]

I just built this dresser from cherry. http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=138343&d=1263474999
The guts or internal frames are all poplar. No way to see that unless you take out the drawers. It is easy to work, strong, stable and will last as long as the cherry does.

I would make sure that you finish the inside frames and inside surfaces with the same finish and equal number of coats as the outside for a bathroom cabinet.

I've also built three bathroom vanities (see my web site (http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/bathroom.html)), the oldest of which is nearly 20 years old. Poplar was the inside frame material, drawers sides were poplar and drawer bottoms and the bottom panel were ply wood. None have failed. All were finished inside and out with 3 coats of polyurethane. On the oldest, I put a 1/4" thick glass plate on the inside floor of the cabinet to keep rusty toilet bowl cleaner cans from leaving marks on the plywood.

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Considering it's a bathroom environment, anything less than plywood (or solid as stated above) is discounted as its ability to manage moisture levels (direct or humidity) is not good.

<2cents>

[Dave Haughs]

Considering it's a bathroom environment, anything less than plywood (or solid as stated above) is discounted as its ability to manage moisture levels (direct or humidity) is not good.

<2cents>


That's the direction I am leaning for that exact reason. Is the main reason that plywood or mdf or particle board are used for cabinet boxes mainly cost and speed of production or are their other down sides to using hardwood for the inner shell?

Seems like if I used cherry plywood and finished it the same I'd be the only one that knew the inside wasn't all solid wood, besides the fact that no one is going to look inside them that will care.....

[frank shic]

my 20 year old bathroom cabs are made out of melamine. still look like they're holding up pretty well!

[Harry Hagan]

I have a painted bathroom vanity that needs to be reworked because a plywood side wicked up water from a tile floor that got wet.

I’d make sure the toe kick, trim or anything else on your cabinet that comes in contact with the flooring is waterproof.

[Chris Ricker]

To reply to your original question Dave, I really cannot see any reason to build cabinet guts with anything other than regular (good quality) plywood, Cherry ply seems to be such a waste considering no one will ever see it. and the end you will see is covered by a raised panel.

just my thoughts.
cheers

[Steve Walls]

Have you looked into pre-finished plywood, a bit more expensive but it'll save a on finishing time.

[Frank Martin]

I have not done any cabinet work yet. However, if I was to make a cabinet, I would certainly use prefinished plywood. So much convenience. I also think there is no need for Cherry plywood. I would use either birch or maple.



Have you looked into pre-finished plywood, a bit more expensive but it'll save a on finishing time.

[Sam Layton]

Dave, for bathroom and kitchen cabinets I would only use plywood. That is my choice. That being said, no matter what wood you choose to use for the face frame, doors, and drawers, I like pre-finished maple plywood for the boxes. The pre-finished maple ply is clean looking and goes with any type of wood.

Sam

[Bob Lang]

I can't think of any good reason to spend three or four times more for material for parts that will rarely, if ever be seen. A bathroom cabinet isn't a free-standing piece of fine furniture, and even in fine furniture the parts that don't show are made from lesser materials. If it were me, I would use the most common material; melamine covered particle board and use the money saved to buy a tool, a book or take the wife out to dinner.

Plywood manufacturers are outdoing themselves in a race to the bottom. It isn't a good material as it was 20 or 30 years ago, it's inconsistency and poor quality make it a nightmare to work with. If you must go with plywood, prefinished material is a good choice for this application, but I would still prefer melamine board even though it is nothing more than plastic coated compressed sawdust.

It makes a decent box, it's easier to work with, although it is heavier and the dust is more obnoxious. If a pipe breaks and the cabinet gets flooded, any material will have problems. You can smear silicone sealer on any exposed raw edges if you're worried about day-to-day moisture infiltration. When you're finished you will have a nice, light and easy to clean cabinet interior with the least amount of labor and cost.

Bob Lang

[Dave Haughs]

Thanks for the tips. I've heard there are some inconsistencies in plywood, but I can't bring myself to use MDF or particle board. Have never used pre-finished and didn't think about it to be honest. I'll take a look into it.

[Rick Fisher]

Dave, that is an excellent place to use Baltic Birch plywood.. You can get it pre-finished as well.. I find its not hard to finish a whole sheet if pre-finished isnt available.

[Dave Haughs]

Thanks for the input everyone! Certainly saves me some money and time!

[Steve Clardy]

I use birch ply on the insides of all cabinets.
Backs, sides, shelves. All stained to match the exposed wood.

No reason to spend $90.00 a sheet for inside work when $40.00 a sheet ply works just as well.

[Neal Clayton]

Thanks for the tips. I've heard there are some inconsistencies in plywood, but I can't bring myself to use MDF or particle board. Have never used pre-finished and didn't think about it to be honest. I'll take a look into it.

if the outside will all be framed and panel'd the only part of the ply you'll ever see is on the inside of the cabinets. since most would only use their stain, if a stain is being used on the outside, and a coat of shellac on the inside to cover the stain, i don't see why prefinished would be that much of a boon.

if you have plywood faces visible on the outside, then sure.

for me personally, and i always completely cover the outsides, i'm in agreement with steve. i just want it smooth and with similar grain patterns/sapwood color as my hardwood faces. that's about it. the color doesn't even have to entirely match, just be close. in fact being slightly darker than my faces is better, that way they only need a couple of coats to match up, rather than the 4 or 5 that the outside faces and door/drawer fronts get.

[John Sanford]

You could also use external grade Medium Density Overlay. A bit pricier than simple MDF/Melamine/particle board, but excellent for challenging moisture environments.