Balboa house cabinets..

[Mark Singer]

Having finished the doors for the home, I am starting to make the cabinets. These will be Euro style...32mm. I have my own version of the style and it is very efficient. There is almost no wasted material and a minium of effort to make these. When I am finished they will look and feel more like furniture than cabinets and there are easy ways to achieve this.

The carcass material comes prefinished and is solid veneer core...just sand and finish the edge...no edgebanding...saves time.

Drawer sides are maple premade and come in 8' lengths. They are prefinished and edgebanded on the top edge...they have been frooved at 5/8" off the bottom which is perfect for the Blumotion slides I am using

I will use te Kreg jig for drawer construction and carcass...I will use Roo Melamine Glue and that will eliminate the need to remove the finish at the joints.

The cabinets will be assembled in sections nothing longer than 5' approx to keep weight down.

The cross section shows the location of the top stretchers...one catches and supports the back...the front one recieves a piece of harwood facing to serve as a finisher edge....the top of a drawer front or cabinet door lays on it.

The actual drawer and door faces are Quarter Sawn Shedua...some is figuered and sells at a higher price. This wood is very stable and although expnsive eliminates edge banding and using expensive veneered plywood
It offers a solid wood face and durable edges and probably takes about the same amountof time.. You don't have to worry about sanding through the veneer. It would have cost about $150 a sheet for an exotic ply like this to be layed up...that is about $5 per sq ft...the hardwood was $7.83 and I don't have the material and time to edge band..

The 32mm layout will locate the Blum hinges and support shelves.

The faces will have continuous grain and be cut from the same boards...

Let me say these are cabinets and not furniture. As furniture I would make the drawers and carcass from solid wood...handcu dovetails..wood slides...resawn bookmatched back....Brusso Knife hinges..similar to the Coopered cabinet I made a while ago...still these are beautiful and are abovethe level found in most high end custom homes

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=14547&highlight=coopered+bath

Here are some pics including my cut diagrams

[Mark Singer]

more pics...look carefully at the cross section...

[Roy Wall]

Mark,

Are those stretchers (top - front & Back) supported by each vertical "divider panel" between the drawers and doors...? Therefore, does each divider have "notches" in front and back to fit with the strecher - and of course capped off at the ends with a full finished side??......

Looking forward to following this thread:)

[Mark Singer]

Mark,

Are those stretchers (top - front & Back) supported by each vertical "divider panel" between the drawers and doors...? Therefore, does each divider have "notches" in front and back to fit with the strecher - and of course capped off at the ends with a full finished side??......

Looking forward to following this thread:)

The bottom of the carcass is the base...the partions sit on top....the 2 stretchers front and back go in between the partions. The rear one lines up with the rabbet for the back....the front one is flush with the carcass face. Since the front one shows a little and sometimes I reveal the top drawer/door line from the counter top(Ceaser stone) I will laminate a small pice of mahogony to the poplar stretcher...that will show just a little.

The 2 upper stretcher will support the rough top which the stone is set on. The rough top hides the French cleat. Fascia panels or walls will close off the sides ...

Every piece serves an important function and cannot be eliminated

[Jamie Buxton]

The carcass material comes prefinished and is solid veneer core...just sand and finish the edge...no edgebanding...saves time.


Is this conventional hardwood-veneer plywood, or have you found something new? It sounds like you're going to be looking at the edge of plywood after you open a door.

[Kent Parker]

Mark,

If you looking to save some time, http://www.westerndovetail.com/

this company is located at Mare Island here in the Bay area makes dovetailed drawers, any wood, any shape, coated, uncoated. Really nice precise work too.

Kent

[Mark Singer]

Is this conventional hardwood-veneer plywood, or have you found something new? It sounds like you're going to be looking at the edge of plywood after you open a door.

I will sand it and put a finish on it....since it is solid, it loooks pretty good!

[Mark Singer]

Mark,

If you looking to save some time, http://www.westerndovetail.com/

this company is located at Mare Island here in the Bay area makes dovetailed drawers, any wood, any shape, coated, uncoated. Really nice precise work too.

Kent

I use pocket screws and the drawer front covers the sub front you see nothing. Machined dovetails are a compromise to me...especially the ones that come from a drawer company...With drawer slides the beauty of the dovetails is masked also. So I use them in Furniture...not in cabinets

[Kent Parker]

I liked these drawers. I'm sure they'll outlast me.

Cheers,

Kent

[Jim Becker]

I'm looking forward to the installments on this new project for the property, Mark!

[Jamie Buxton]

I will sand it and put a finish on it....since it is solid, it loooks pretty good!

Mark, I'm not sure I understand. Generally when I hear "solid" around furniture, people are meaning solid lumber as contrasted to veneers -- y'know..."This desk is constructed of solid walnut and veneer."

You're talking about plywood, right? How does this solid plywood differ from conventional plywood? Do you mean it is void-free?

[Mark Singer]

Jamie,
Sorry it is not solid hardwood...it is plywood but wit 11 plys so if the edge is sanded and finished it looks ok and is honest in that it is the edge of the plywood. Not unlike the edge of the Eames chair...it shows the layers ...when it is next to the leather and in my case the shedua it should look fine...It is durable since there is no edge banding to come off...and the only place it shows is inside..

http://www.guardianoffers.com/mall/Timscris/customerimages/products/TIMHO94.jpg

[Jamie Buxton]

[QUOTE=Mark Singer]Jamie,
Sorry it is not solid hardwood...it is plywood but wit 11 plys so if the edge is sanded and finished it looks ok and is honest in that it is the edge of the plywood. Not unlike the edge of the Eames chair...it shows the layers ...when it is next to the leather and in my case the shedua it should look fine...It is durable since there is no edge banding to come off...and the only place it shows is inside..

QUOTE]

Ah, I get it. The plywood must kinda be like Finn ply or good Baltic Birch -- lots of laminates which are the same thickness, and no voids. I use that class of plywood for drawer sides in modern furniture. Like you say, it is honest, and not bad-looking.

I don't see if you mentioned the color of the face veneer on your plywood. Is it dark, like shedua, or light, like baltic birch? If it is light, what are you going to do about the end of a run of cabinets? Y'know, where the carcass itself is visible?

[Mark Singer]

Its like a PS Maple (plain sliced)...its inside...some guys use melamine

[Mark Singer]

I managed to get all the material cut to size and rabetted...I spent most of the day cleaning my shop...what a mess...no pizza this time but a few other weird things..

It is amazing how little waste there was from the 5 sheets of 3/4" ...drawing the sheets of ply allows you to maximize use...I just "x" them out as I go...

When you rabbet...do it on the nice side...that will be the bottom inside the cabinet.

I broke down the full sheetswith the Festool Plunge saw...once I ripped off a section I could manage it on the tablesaw and that makes a true parallel cut..The new clamp I got for te Festool rail is great...It locks on and is easy to use...

I rabbeted on the tablesaw...it is really easy..the back is only 1/4 " prefinished maple

I will next drill the pocket holes and get ready to assemble...then sand the plywood edge..

The Blumotions have a 3/16" setback at the front and need a 3/4" extension at the rear and then there is the back...1/4" So for an 18" slide I have a 20"deep cabinet and for a 12" slide I am at 13 3/4"...

I use the Blum 120 degree hinges unless I am against a wall...then 105...
For a 3/4" carcass use a 5/16" overlay that gives you 1/8" between doors.

Where to carcass join...never hinge both doors from there ...one needs to cover the 3/4" plus 5/16 " of the second...If it is a drawer you just hange over on the Fascia front over the sub front...
This stuff goes pretty fast...

[Don Baer]

Mark,
This is a great thread on building cabinates, especialy for me since I am getting ready to build on my AZ house and will have a lot a cabinates to build. I'll follow your progress closely.

[Mark Singer]

32 MM Overview

This is based on a frameless Euro system...it can be done with face frames...I have never done it that way..The vertical sides of each cabinet have holes drilled at 32mm apart. These holes are typically set back 37mm from the front face of the carcass. The Clip on the Blum and Grass and other hinges is drilled at 37 mm setback and the holes are 32 mm apart. So that row of holes will exactly hold the clips that hold the hinges in the correct position. It takes 2 holes per clip and the hinge centers are half way betwenn a pair of holes. To correctly align the cups they need to be drilled some multiple of 32 mm apart so the cup holes that go into the door allign with the spacing module of the holes in the carcass.

Besides hinges the 32 mm spacing supports most of the accessories that are part of the Euro system, including shelf pins, pull out baskets, trash bins, mixer shelves , tray dividers, corner lazy susan units, etc.

Sometimes a second row , or actually the primary row is drilled at 64 mm setback and only the hinge support holes are drilled at the 37mm setback. That way the hinges never get in the way of the shelf supports.

The most important planning for the system is done laying it all out on the carcass side or partition. Drawer slides, shelf holes , hinge clips should be all layed out to insure they are compatible. This system is like an assembly line. If you do it correctly once....you will save a lot of time and material. Ifyou make a mistake , every panel will be wrong and you wasted a lot of time and material!

All of the panel drilling, hinge mounting, slide mounting , is done before the carcass is assembled. So you are dealing with flat panels and it goes fast. If you are using pocket holes for the carcass system...they maybe in the way of the bottom drawer slides.....just mount the slide and remove it...then instll that slide after the carcass is assembled...you can do that with all of them...but, locate and drill them when they are unasembled panels. Tip: If the pocket holes are in a carcass with a bottom drawer they will be hidden by the drawer....so plan your pocket hole drilling carefully. Also all"end of cabinet" panels are hidden since they are a sub side and are covered with a finished end.

Overlay and degrees
There are so many options for clips it can get confusing. A 3/4" carcass should have a 5/16" overlay this allows 1/8" gap between doors and there is a lot of adjustment in the hinge. There are also 2 variations of this clip....one for regular screws and one for "system" screws. If you drill all your holes for self pins and want to use those for hinges you need the "system" screws which are stubby and the clips are designed for them. Other wise use the clips for regular screws.
Degrees of hinge opening...I like the 120 Blum and will use a 105 degree if I am up against a wall. There are many others...170..back to back tandem...45 degree clips for mitered corners.
Hinges per door...for normal weight doors 24" wide 36" high 2 hinges any thing larger 3 hinges.Full height pantry style...usually 4 or 5 hinges.

I will add some pics to this to explain later...a pic is worth a 1000 mis drilled holes at 32mm:confused:

[Dan Mages]

Go Mark Go!!

I can't wait to see the pics of this new project. BTW... I need some cabinets built for my basement. Would be interested in coming to Chicago in the dead of winter to build some ;)

Dan

[Mark Singer]

Go Mark Go!!

I can't wait to see the pics of this new project. BTW... I need some cabinets built for my basement. Would be interested in coming to Chicago in the dead of winter to build some ;)

Dan

Dan,
I am checking flights and packing bags....I just love shoveling snow and frost bitten fingers;)

[Mark Singer]

Here are some pics of the progress. Panels are cut to size and rabbeted for the back. I am showing a couple of clips...one for system screws the other regular...To different overlays shown by thickness. A simple 32 mm drilling jig and a simple (and cheap) jig for drilling hinge cups. Just make sure the spacing is the same.

[Mark Singer]

Here you can see the prefinished drawer sides...almost the price of prefinished ply.... also the shedua for the faces of doors and drawers. The Blumoion slides and the jig, I made to set them. It registers of the front and top and creates the required 5/32 setback using the block . Some of the interior doors and jambs waiting to be installed...they are in my office and everywhere now. The side cabinet panel is the layout template for 32 mm...check for conflicts with pocket screws, slides, shelf pins, pizza (just wanted to see if you were still reading);)

[John Stevens]

Panels are cut to size and rabbeted for the back.

Mark, I've never read of the Euro 32mm system using rabbeted panels. Why did you decide you needed the added strength of a rabbeted panel? I've built a few utility cabinets but I'm still a beginner, so I'm asking in earnest.

[Chris Mann]

I'm assuming that the prefinished drawer sides are maply ply since it's edge banded on top. Is this correct? Have you assembled any of the drawer boxes yet? what do you think of it? and does it come in different widths?

[Jim Fancher]

I was about to PM you about the Balboa house progress. I'm living vicariously through you. :) Thanks a bunch for the update!

[Mark Singer]

John,
Only the back is rabbeted....The back squares the cabinet and makes it rigid. If you glue it and nail it in a rabbet , you know the cabinet is square and strong.

Chris,
I haven't used these drawer sides before....they look great and I will let you know how I like them...price wise it was just a little more than cutting my own from prefinished apple ply.. The widths are many 3,4,5,6, 7,8 thru 12 I think...cherry , birch, maple...It mates well with the Blumotion slides the groove is up 5/8" ...perfect

Jim,
We are wrapped and lathed..all the rough in.plumbing, electrical, home theater, security, fire sprinklers, is done...insullation nest week and hangin gyp.. railing are on...Today we are spraying against mold and get a guarantee I can pass on....I am looking at June as a completion

[Mark Singer]

I had a chance yesterday to assemble one cabinet with a test drawer...to check clearances, dimensions etc. The Blumotion slides are really gret, easy to use and the operation is terrific. I also picked up the Blumotion soft door close pistons...these are only abou $3 a door and seem to work great. The premade drawer side are very good also. They are edge banded on the top. I think I will make the back of each drawer from prefinished apple ply...since it cuts down to allow the drawer bottom to slide in. You must watch your clearances. Theses slides raise the drawer about 3/8" since the slide is under the drawer...some is in the drawer cavity below the bottom...but there is still some below that... All seems to be going well....

[Mark Singer]

I have completed 3 cabinets ...no faces yet. Here are some construction details of the 32 mm consruction. Blumution slides, Blum hinges...maple backs and carcass...top stretches to accept a "rough top" then stone..

[Jim Becker]

Very sharp, Mark. Those guides look very sturdy and it's nice they are still hidden.

[Mark Singer]

Jim,
They have the slow motion action on the close....you can't slam them! Same thing on the doors

[Jim Becker]

They have the slow motion action on the close....you can't slam them! Same thing on the doors

Hmmm....I like them even better...too bad I didn't know about them "way back when". Maybe for the addition if I can ever afford to build it! :o

[Rob Blaustein]

Mark,
This is awesome--I will try to use this approach for my bathroom vanity project. The first of many questions: What supports the vertical panel that holds the drawer slides. I can see that the stretchers keep it in place on top, but I can't see anything on the bottom. Is it set in a groove on the bottom sheet (I don't see one)? Toenailed brads? Screws from below? I welcome as much detail about this project as you can muster!
Rob

[Mark Singer]

Mark,
This is awesome--I will try to use this approach for my bathroom vanity project. The first of many questions: What supports the vertical panel that holds the drawer slides. I can see that the stretchers keep it in place on top, but I can't see anything on the bottom. Is it set in a groove on the bottom sheet (I don't see one)? Toenailed brads? Screws from below? I welcome as much detail about this project as you can muster!
Rob
Rob,
I use the Kreg jig and pocket screws. The drawer cabinets are where to hide them....you will never see the holes there

[Rob Blaustein]

Thanks Mark, makes sense. In your original post you said, "I will use te Kreg jig for drawer construction and carcass...I will use Roo Melamine Glue and that will eliminate the need to remove the finish at the joints." Is it necessary to use glue when using pocket holes for carcass construction?

[Mark Singer]

Rob,
I would use the Roo glue if there is a finish or melamine on one or both surfaces...it adds strength. If you cannot hide the screws in drawer cabinets , just drill through the bottom and screw right in o the partions...use a 2" square drive course thread wood screw...and glue. Turn the cabinet on its side after you pre drill the bottom ...it is then easy to assemble. set it face down so the rabbet for the back is not a problem.
This cabinet is very strong just based on the interaction of components...glue can't hurt though.:rolleyes:

Today I assembled all the carcasses...that is about 40 lineal feet of cabinets....all the slides are installed and the hinge clips...backs are in. I have 27 hours of time in it so far...they really go fast. What is remaining is 21 drawers to make and all the fascia panels from shedua...I like that part a lot. For production cabinetry this system is hard to beat...It is getting crowdede in the shop again....lots of cabinets...not much space

[Chris Padilla]

Awesome stuff, SoCal Buddy! :)

[John Miliunas]

Awesome progress there, Speedy! I really like your use of the pocket screws on the bulk of it. Sturdy and fast!:) Hey, you shouldn't have a problem with room! Heck, just park the Turbo outside and you've got more than enough room!:rolleyes: :D :) :cool:

[Mark Singer]

Awesome progress there, Speedy! I really like your use of the pocket screws on the bulk of it. Sturdy and fast!:) Hey, you shouldn't have a problem with room! Heck, just park the Turbo outside and you've got more than enough room!:rolleyes: :D :) :cool:

John,
I wanted to check wit you to see if it were ok to park the cabinets in your Guest House (the one you stayed in)? That is one of my few alternatives ...;) Ryan helped me yesterday and after a couple of cabinets said "I don't see any way to improve on this system"...that is kinda the way they go together . One big tip is to buy everyting with the finish applyed already. The panels, drawer sides look great and are real easy to clean, plus you are saving a lot of finishing time!

[John Miliunas]

John,
I wanted to check wit you to see if it were ok to park the cabinets in your Guest House (the one you stayed in)? That is one of my few alternatives ...;) Ryan helped me yesterday and after a couple of cabinets said "I don't see any way to improve on this system"...that is kinda the way they go together . One big tip is to buy everyting with the finish applyed already. The panels, drawer sides look great and are real easy to clean, plus you are saving a lot of finishing time!

In my guest house???:eek: Oh my!!! :( Well, just as long as you leave a path to the bed and the bathroom, I guess it should be OK.:)

"Pre-finished"??? Man, I couldn't afford to do anything like that but, I can certainly appreciate the time-savings with something like that!:) How close is your construction crew at the house to putting the cabs in??? Judging by how far along it was when I was there, I'd venture to say you guys should be on the downhill side!:) :cool:

[Mark Singer]

John,
The prefinished stuff is about $10 more per sheet...thats it!

We should be installing Gyp Bd this week.... Lots of interior work though...tile and wood floors...showers...stone..

[Dan Mages]

I like the idea of prefinished ply. I might have to look into it for the basement cabinets. Who makes it??

Dan

BTW... we need more pics.

[Mark Singer]

Dan,
All kinds of veneered ply comes prefinished...Apple, maple, Cherry, Birdseye, Walnut, Birch...drawer sides, 1/4" for backs...3/4 for carcass...I buy from Weber Plywood...in Tustin...they deliver to the door

[Rob Blaustein]

Mark, you can get prefinished walnut too. Wow, that would be great. I will look into getting some. That raises another question--it seems like it would be easier to buy a 4 by 8 sheet and finish the whole thing first and then cut it to size, rather than cutting first, assembling cabinets, and then finishing the assembled piece. I realize you'd be wasting some finish, but it seems like it would be easier, especially if you sand in between. Is that dumb?

[Mark Singer]

Mark, you can get prefinished walnut too. Wow, that would be great. I will look into getting some. That raises another question--it seems like it would be easier to buy a 4 by 8 sheet and finish the whole thing first and then cut it to size, rather than cutting first, assembling cabinets, and then finishing the assembled piece. I realize you'd be wasting some finish, but it seems like it would be easier, especially if you sand in between. Is that dumb?

The mills send it out to be finished and it is sprayed with what looks lie a hard laquer...I would not try to duplicate in my shop...it would not be worth my time or do I have the equipment or ability...

Here is a source near you and yes they have walnut....look how tough the finish is!
http://www.thruwayhardwood.com/prefinished.html

[Mark Singer]

Here is my supplier of drawer sides and prefinished plywood...it is a big yard and they have hardwood and plywood.
Check out the prmade drawer sides....the prices are very good....

http://www.weberply.com/index.php

[fred woltersdorf]

mark,the prefinished drawer sides look interesting.i called weber and a case of 10:3-1/2" baltic birch would cost me $25 for shipping to ct,not too bad i guess.i'm building slide out drawers for base cabinets.i'm thinking about using pocket hole screws on the inside so they won't show when opened and the contents would likely hide the screw holes.the front and back would cover the sides. do you think this construction would hold up over time?thanks fred.

[Mark Singer]

Fred,
Use the Roo Melamine glue and your good!

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=27707&d=1134869238

[Roy Wall]

Fred,
Use the Roo Melamine glue and your good!

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=27707&d=1134869238

Mark,

Is that the prefinished drawer stock you've mentioned....or prefinished ply you've milled to size (same diff. I suppose).???

Is 1/2" about as thin as you want to go with the pocket screw method?

[John Hemenway]

Roy, the prefinished drawer stock is edge banded on one edge. That seems to be what Mark is using. The stuff I've seen is already to make drawers out of. Just buy the width you want for a given drawer height, cut to length, pocket and glue. Ta da, a drawer box!

[Mark Singer]

Roy,
John is correct..it is edge banded on the top...grooved and finished. All you do is select the depth. It is 1/2" and the groove is 5/8" up perfect fpr Blumotion slides.

[John Hemenway]

Mark, this is cool. I just noticed the drawer sides are grooved too! (You posted while I was rereading the thead)
I don't think my local lumber yard has them pregrooved. We are kinda at the end of the supply chain, up here north of the bay! :)

[Mark Singer]

It is taking me 20 minutes to make a drawer! I think that is very good!

[Mark Singer]

Here is the supplier of the premade and finished drawer sides...Look at the picture on the webpage...it shows the sides..the manufacturer is States I think

http://www.weberply.com/index.php

[Mark Singer]

The drawer side company is "states industries" here is the link: A woman is the president...probably why they are creating such innovative products;)

http://www.statesind.com/company/company.html

[John Hemenway]

Mark, do you know of any online suppliers of ROO glue?

20 minutes/drawer! Wow you are SLOW. Norm can make 8 drawers, the case and finish it in 26 min. :)

Thanks again for the thread. Lots of good ideas...

[Mark Singer]

Mark, do you know of any online suppliers of ROO glue?

20 minutes/drawer! Wow you are SLOW. Norm can make 8 drawers, the case and finish it in 26 min. :)

Thanks again for the thread. Lots of good ideas...

John,
Here is alink just put in your location...


http://www.rooglue.com/

[Kent Parker]

We are kinda at the end of the supply chain, up here north of the bay! :)[/quote]

John,

I have purchased pre cut, pre finished ply drawer sides from PAL Lumber supply in Emeryville. You might find a closer supply by searching here

local.com

Kent

[Mark Singer]

I just finished the 23 drawers yesterday and started the Shedua faces today. First step was to match all the boards and mark their relationship and on which cabinet they go. Then I straight line ripped them using an aluminum straight edge as a guide along the fence. 2 screws hold it in place. These are 12 to 14 ft boards and they came out good. One needed a little planing and with all the stuff on my bench I just clamped it to the fence on the saw and knocked down one edge a bit. Then glue up went well....I did 2 joints at the same time ...clamp soft...tap flush tighten...move down the line with the same technique. The Blumotions are very nice guides...$$$$ yes but worth it!

[Mark Singer]

Probably my favorite part is making the faces...this time it is Shedua...an African exotic...kind of lie a dark Zebra wood with the density of Wenge.It burns when sawn.. Sands well and is close to imposible to plane... I used my General drum sander...and hung the doors using a simple Rockler jig.. Drawer faces were screwed on from the back. I designed it for the grain to flow continuously...it is much more fluid and natural that way. When I layed up the boards , I tried many combinations...In the end it is what really shows...

[rick fulton]

Mark –

Maybe I missed it, but I don’t see how your cabinet doors are made. Are the cabinet doors just slabs of vertically oriented Shedua? Is there a multi-ply door, frame minus panel door, or horizontal battens on the back of the facing to prevent warping? How thick is the final Shedua face stock?

Great thread.
Thanks
rick

[Mark Singer]

Rick ,
The partitions are solid, quartersawn Shedua...about 3/4" thick. it is a very stable wood and i carefull layed up the slabs. Both sides will need to be sealed. Based on projects I have made in the past ,I don't expect problems....but, your question is a good one and a typical problem.
here are some other Sedua projects where I found the wood to be stable:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=5424&highlight=shedua

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=14547&highlight=shedua


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=5421&highlight=shedua

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=16915&highlight=shedua

[Jim Becker]

Mark, that face work looks outstanding...and it's really going to pop when you get the finish on. I love the continuous, vertically-oriented grain...a very nice unifying effect for the whole piece.

[Rob Blaustein]

I have completed 3 cabinets ...no faces yet. Here are some construction details of the 32 mm consruction. Blumution slides, Blum hinges...maple backs and carcass...top stretches to accept a "rough top" then stone..

Mark,
Is the "rough top" just a sheet of plywood that sits between the stone and the cabinet? Why are you using it instead of putting the stone right on the cabinet stretchers? I ask because I will use this same design for my bathroom vanity. Also, what thickness stone do you use for the top--1 1/4 or 3/4?
Rob

[Mark Singer]

The stone is set in a mastic on a continuous surface...if they need to shim a joint there is the plywood...usually shop grade 3/4" . That screws to the stretchers...It just goes right over them and the granite on top.

[Mark Singer]

Well after a couple of breaks to install the doors and build a BBQ for my son and daughter , I got back to the cabinets.
A couple of simple design elements really add to the esthetics and are not that difficult to do.
1. Try to keep all the cabinet doors for a given cabinet the same width...this adds a constant rythym and is effective in simplifying the look.

2. Let the same piece of wood and its grain flow continuously....this seems like a natural thing to do and it eliminats the jarring effect of the grain changing at each door...it takes planning and I cut all the joints on the tablesaw using a sled for squareness. Joints need to be layed out dead center of each carcass panel....you only get one cut and of course your layed up board needs to be the width of the cabinet and end panels.

3. Make the doors appear to be drawers by cutting through them and then carefully doweling them back together after you roundover the edges. This allows the drawer line to be un interupted and allows the detail to flow through the whole unit.
I made a simple jig for aligning the holes and then used a drill press to insure accuracy...this one is tricky..."strongbacks" on the back look bad to me.

4. Using a rabbet bit I revealed the top for a floating effect by inserting a dark srtip of wood...walnut in this case. This creates a shadow that allso flows through the piece.

5. Making contrasting hardware...the black pull is just an example made from ebony and applied with double stick tape to chck the look. The actual pull will be very simple...so by using just one pull and placing it at the center , then cutting it in half...it again simplifies the look and creats on strong rythym .

Gluing problems....One cabinet is faced with Padauk...I used a Lee Valleys 2002gf glue which is like Tightbond 3 and 24 hours later....it came apart while drum sanding...every joint failed...It seems to react with the wood...so I used epoxy and for some reason it allso took really long to cure...so I had to rework these 4 faces...they will be thiner and I usually glue them as one large piece...what a hassle! If anyone is familiar with this problem let me know.I have used Padauk for years and have not had this issue..

[Dick Parr]

Very nice Mark, lots of time and detail definitely show. These are going to look beautiful when put together.:)

Keep the pictures coming.;)

[Jim Becker]

Excellent installment in this tutorial/pictorial, Mark!

[Mike Wenzloff]

Just plain beautiful, Mark.

This has been a wonderful thread to visit.

Take care, Mike

[Rob Blaustein]

Mark,
Quick question about gluing up the cabinet panels prior to inserting the screw in the pocket holes: you are using pre-finished ply--do you put glue on the finished plywood, or do you sand down the finish on the 3/4" strips that will come into contact with the ends of the adjoining panels. A related question then: if one does not use prefinished ply but wants to finish panels before assembly, should one put tape on parts that will receive glue and not put finish on them?
--Rob

[Mark Singer]

Mark,
Quick question about gluing up the cabinet panels prior to inserting the screw in the pocket holes: you are using pre-finished ply--do you put glue on the finished plywood, or do you sand down the finish on the 3/4" strips that will come into contact with the ends of the adjoining panels. A related question then: if one does not use prefinished ply but wants to finish panels before assembly, should one put tape on parts that will receive glue and not put finish on them?
--Rob

Just glue on the finished plywood with Roo Clear....it sticks to plastic and finishes...Your second question...I have never done that..It is a lot of unnecessary work and the finish would not be as durable.

[Rob Blaustein]

Thanks Mark. At your suggestion I bought some Roo glue and used it to glue a melamine top onto a poplar torsion box that will be an outfield table for my TS as soon as I mount it. It worked great. I will try it on my vanity cabinet boxes (any day now).

[Mark Singer]

I have taken all the drawer fronts and doors through a sanding and detailing process. The finish here is Bartleys Gel Varnish Satin....only 2 coats have been applied. Shedua continues to be one of my favorite woods for several reasons...Figure and grain...stability....hardness... It needs to be carefully matched because no 2 boards look a like...but each is interesting in its own way. As with all of the Zebranos...and highly figured woods sanding is almost manditory...we saw this in the Coopered cabinet I made..The wood just says..."Exotic" in a strong way! The panels have stayed dead flat! I spent a fair amount of time pairing grains of boards and watching end grains to minimize cupping....time well spent!

[John Miliunas]

OMG, Mark! That wood is indeed just totally drop-dead gorgeous! :) Nice job, my friend. I can sincerely see why that's one of your favorites. Just for the sake of argument, what's that Shedua go for on a brd/ft. basis???:) :cool:

[Mark Singer]

OMG, Mark! That wood is indeed just totally drop-dead gorgeous! :) Nice job, my friend. I can sincerely see why that's one of your favorites. Just for the sake of argument, what's that Shedua go for on a brd/ft. basis???:) :cool:

Thanks John,
Shedua is costing me about $6.80 for unfigured which is most of what you see.
Figured Shedua is about $7.70 a BF for 4/4. At the same supplier Wenge is $17.00 ...I used to buy it for $5.00 and I just watch it go up....you really got to like splinters a lot to pay $17. :eek: I really can't think of another African or South American exotic with as much character as Shedua for what is still a reasonable price.

[Roger Barga]

That seems like a very good price. I've looked locally (Seattle) for figured Shedua since I saw the coopered cabinet you built, but it's not available. Do you know if the lumber store where you purchased the shedua ships bundles?

roger

[Mark Singer]

That seems like a very good price. I've looked locally (Seattle) for figured Shedua since I saw the coopered cabinet you built, but it's not available. Do you know if the lumber store where you purchased the shedua ships bundles?

roger
Roger , I think hey do....here is the number...that price is based on 50 BF min....
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=550 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width="61%" height=24><BASEFONT size=2>AUSTIN HARDWOODS </BASEFONT></TD><TD width="19%" height=24><BASEFONT size=2> </BASEFONT></TD></TR><TR><TD width="20%" height=24><BASEFONT size=2> </BASEFONT></TD><TD width="61%" height=24><BASEFONT size=2><DL><DT><CENTER>Austin Hardwoods</CENTER><DT><CENTER>610 N. Santiago Street</CENTER><DT><CENTER>Santa Ana, CA 92701</CENTER><DT><CENTER>Ph: (714) 953-4000</CENTER></DT></DL></BASEFONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Richard Wolf]

Nice wood selection. I can see how important using a single board across a bank of cabinets is. If that grain didn't match it could make you sea sick.

Richard

[Jim Becker]

Can you say, "Yum yum!!!" Wow, Mark...great stuff!!

[Roger Barga]

Hi Mark, thanks for the company name and phone number. I'll give them a call this week...

roger

[Mark Singer]

Cabinet design



<HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Cabinets tend to look very similar....randomly placed drawers and doors and cabinet pulls that relate to the random layout....and we really never consider other options....sometimes the simplest ideas are there in front of you and within the realm of your ability to construct....you just need to think about it. Remove all your preconcieved ideas and make a sketch and don't be afraid to follow it....

This is a simple idea....the common denominator is one small drawer over a large one....for bathrooms...in the small one...comb...toothpaste....razor...maybe one for watches...or keys ...change a wallet...
In the bigger lower one shampoo....a hair dryer...a roll of TP....sun tan lotion

The doors are usually where there is plumbing...soaps..brushes...
These are all old ideas and practicle storage solutions...

Now if you make the door look like the two drawers...the entire cabinet face is repetative...and creates a rhythm that immediately says "simple and organized" I found a pull that was extruded so the upper and lower are xtensions of each other...it creates unity...In the pictures the pull is secured with double stick tape...a good way to try ideas before the drill makes them permanent

Where did this simple idea come from....not a European Cabinet line...I haven't seen it anywhere...
It came from sketching trying to find a new solution...Design...there is that nasty word again
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[Jim Becker]

Mark, you make an excellent point about making the faces all seem unified, even though some may be drawers and some doors. I will have to keep that in mind when I design and build the cabinets for our future addition.