Utility Cabinets

[Bruce Overholt]

My shop/garage, is finally having it's drywall done today. I will need to make a few utility and storage cabinets.
My shop/garage will go through most of the winter unheated, although I may install a heater in the future.
My question is what do most Creeker's use as the perferred wood for face frames and door trim on their shop cabinets? I plan on using Birch veneer plywood to make the carcass and doors. Want to stay away from MDF to due cold in the winter and humidity in the spring.

Thanks,
Bruce

[Todd Burch]

I'll be bold here and make a statement...

"Most Creekers use something they can get cheap." ;)

For my shop cabinets, I used MDF for the carcasses. I live the gulf coast where we have high humidity 10 months a year. Some of the cabinets are coming up on 10 years old and they are holding up just fine.

I decided that I would make a statement with my shop cabinets. I used birdseye pine for all the face frames, drawer fronts, doors and end panel framing. It's cheap (~$1.25/bf) and I grab a board everytime I see one at the local Home Depots and Lowes.

I paint the cabinets a bold blue on the end panels. I'm completing another storage cabinet now that is painted all blue.

I do have a coulpe birch veneer ply cabinets in the shop. I bought the birch because it was highly curly and I used a varnish over it. Again, making a statement.

Good luck with whatever you do. Your shop cabinets will set the tone for your woodworking when people visit your shop. Todd

[Steve Ash]

In my shop I used cabinets that were the "old cabinets" when someone updated their kitchen. I just asked the customer what they wanted to do with the old cabinets....if they said "dispose of them" I did. Right on my shop wall. They don't match but are all Oak face frames and Oak doors. I haven't a need for the base cabinets since I have benches, so I just use the wall cabinets. And they are free!:D

[Jim Becker]

Well, I use poplar for exactly the reason that my friend Todd speaks about...I have a ton of it and it was very low cost since it was milled on the property. I also subscribe to his "make them nice" theory, too. Just because it's shop cabinetry doesn't mean you have to compromise on design and quality, both in construction and finish. Careful choices will give you really nice looking stuff without breaking the budget. And it's a great opportunity to work on techniques that you intend to use on other projects, etc.

[Steve Cox]

I want mine to be cheap, fast and reasonably good looking. I generally don't subscribe to the theory that the stuff in my shop should look as good as stuff going out because it is a shop. Stuff gets banged around some and I don't get paid for anything that I do in the shop.:) Having said that I use Melamine for the shop cabinets. I edge the stuff with 1/8" solid wood for both appearance and durability. Most of mine have VG Fir edges because that's what I had on hand when I made them. I like the melamine also because it reflects the light back into the shop and the light color makes it easier to see the stuff in the cabinets.

[Alan Mikkelsen]

I was given a bunch of T&G blue stained pine (beetle kill) from a contractor friend that he had left over from a job. It's quite popular around here for interior panelling, and he had some sitting in his shop that he wanted out of the way, so he gave it to me. I simply finished it with some Watco natural that I had laying around.

[George Matthews]

My shop/garage, is finally having it's drywall done today. I will need to make a few utility and storage cabinets.
_snip_ Bruce

You may find this thread helpful...
Fat cabinet doors (http://www.workshopbuzz.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2644)

[Bruce Overholt]

An example of what I want to build is a four compartment cabinet to store my Lunch Box tools that can be on shelves and glides. I want the top available for a work surface, or to set a tool on.
My main priorty is not a beatiful furniture look. I'm concerned with carcass strenth, and panel and framed doors that won't twist and warp. This is primarily why I am looking at veneer plywood for stability.
Since I'm new to woodworking, and this is my first shop, I didn't want to rely solely on my carpentry and remodeling experience.
My first instict is Poplar because I do have experience with it in the past. I have used it for constructing and trimming pass throughs. I am also trimming my shop/garage with it.

Thanks for the advice,
Bruce

[Mike Monroe]

If you live in or near a university town, you might check the surplus store. I've found some pretty nice stuff for cut rate prices at the local university surplus store. Universities are always junking perfectly good "stuff" just so they can spend their budget and ask for more $$. Bureaucracy at it’s best.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

[Steve Beadle]

I was given a bunch of T&G blue stained pine (beetle kill) from a contractor friend that he had left over from a job. It's quite popular around here for interior panelling, and he had some sitting in his shop that he wanted out of the way, so he gave it to me. I simply finished it with some Watco natural that I had laying around.
I really like the looks of that blue-stained pine, Alan.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Bruce,
FWIW, I'm building the firs two cabs for my shop using 2x4's and 2'6's for the frame, and joining them together with lap joints. The construction will be that of a traditional table with rails and stretchers. To that, I'll bolt a top on, and either make shelves, or some box units that can sit on top of the lower stretchers. I for one, have a LARGE amount of 2 x material left over from the garage construction project.

[Alan Mikkelsen]

The bottom picture in my post, with the planer in it, is set up to remove the planer, store it under the cabinet and put an insert in place to give me a solid surface glue up table. The top is MDF and flat. The laminate surface allows excess glue to simply be popped off.


An example of what I want to build is a four compartment cabinet to store my Lunch Box tools that can be on shelves and glides. I want the top available for a work surface, or to set a tool on.
My main priorty is not a beatiful furniture look. I'm concerned with carcass strenth, and panel and framed doors that won't twist and warp. This is primarily why I am looking at veneer plywood for stability.
Since I'm new to woodworking, and this is my first shop, I didn't want to rely solely on my carpentry and remodeling experience.
My first instict is Poplar because I do have experience with it in the past. I have used it for constructing and trimming pass throughs. I am also trimming my shop/garage with it.

Thanks for the advice,
Bruce