Biggest project yet

[john schnyderite]

Hi all
Taking on my biggest project yet, at least in terms of bd ft. I’m building cabinets for a walk in closet. Have plywood being delivered next week and working in a garage workshop, wondering the best way to store it. Not sure how long it will take to develop warp. I was thinking I could lay some 2x4s across the floor to stack them on so they don’t get damaged, at least until I cut them up into smaller pieces.

Any tips in general for working with plywood?

I plan to paint the cabinets. Wondering if a sprayer will have benefits over a roller in this instance. Worried about kicking up dust. Before painting what type of prep will I need? How many coats for a durable finish?

Any tips that you may have are appreciated!!

[Mark Bolton]

If your space is limited stacking the sheets flat is pretty difficult and a major space hog. You can easily setup some bunks against the wall at a slight angle to support the sheets on their 4' axis (laying on the long axis) and stack the sheets nice and tight against the bunks and against each other and they will stay plenty flat. If a sheet is going to warp due to its manufacture its going to warp regardless of how its stored. If your material is good quality a nice supported vertical stack is perfectly fine. P.S. you'll never regret the time saved and quality of finish with spraying though the setup is of course an issue. I cant imagine rolling/brushing cabinetry ever but Im sure many do.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I think it's easier to handle without scratching if stored as Mark describes. Stored flat encourages sliding the sheets over each other, which causes scratches. We also keep a few sheets and pieces of that pink foam board insulation around the shop for stacking parts or sheets on rather than directly on the floor. Helps keep the grit off.

[Jim Becker]

Storing vertical along a wall is fine, but best when you can provide support at the same small angle as the "lean", if the time period for storage will be long. Keep the angle as small as you can and then use a strap to insure things don't fall.

[Thomas McCurnin]

I’d spread 3 Sawhorses out and stack them on the sawhorses, covered with a tarp.

[Bernie Kopfer]

Sanding priming and resanding before assembly makes it much easier. I’ve made a a lot of painted cabinets in our house and spraying is definitely the way to go for appearance and speed

[Paul F Franklin]

If you do stack it flat, it's a good idea to start with a level base by shimming your 2x4s or sawhorses, it helps minimize the chance of distorting the sheets. And cover the stack with a piece of foam or hardboard or the like to keep the top sheet clean. I also like to brush off the top of each sheet before adding the next to get rid of anything that might cause dents or scratches.

If you're going to break the sheets down with a track saw or circular saw, you can use that sheet of foam under the top sheet so you can saw right on the stack. It's easier to do that if you have help, but I've gotten pretty good at lifting one edge of the sheet, sliding in the foam, making the cuts and so on. Doing it that way minimizes the handling of full sheets.

[Jamie Buxton]

For me, the primary benefit of spraying is that I can get a cabinet-quality finish. Putting the paint on with a roller, as you suggest, gives a rough texture like walls of your house. We’re all accustomed to that texture for walls, but not for cabinets.

[john schnyderite]

Agreed, I will try to spray. Maybe I'll try to spray outside to keep dust out of air, if I get a nice day.

I noticed a few comments above someone mentioned 2 coats of primer before assembly. Would you also paint panels before assembly or paint the whole unit after?



For me, the primary benefit of spraying is that I can get a cabinet-quality finish. Putting the paint on with a roller, as you suggest, gives a rough texture like walls of your house. We’re all accustomed to that texture for walls, but not for cabinets.

[Richard Coers]

Have you visited the closet section at your favorite big box store? You can buy coated sheet goods already ripped to size and with shelf pin holes already drilled. An incredible time savings! As far as that goes, with the recent big price jumps in plywood, I'm not sure you couldn't buy complete closet fit outs at IKEA for the price of plywood. Not counting the finishing materials and the sprayer you are thinking about, and being completely done in a weekend.

[Andrew Seemann]

I have a vertical plywood rack now, but previously I just leaned it up against a wall if I was going to use it in the next few weeks. I agree with what Mark said above, if it is going to warp, it will warp regardless of how it is stored. Even in the rack, with other pieces against them, some sheets still warp.

One thing about storing it flat on a garage floor is that the bottom sheet can absorb moisture from the concrete, even if sitting on blocking. I'd put a sacrificial piece of 1/4 luan plywood or maybe a sheet of foam insulation on the bottom of the pile if you go that route.

[Ken Krawford]

I spray in my basement and the floor is concrete. I dampen the floor with water just before spraying to keep the dust down. Also use a fan to pull overspray out of the area. If the cabinets have a back on them, don't fasten it on until after spraying the carcass. Too much bounce in the corners.

[john schnyderite]

The cabinets will not have a back. I'm planning on 3 horizontal cross sections to keep it as square as I can.

I'm thinking it'll be easiest to spray before assembling, but would still need to touch up any areas that I putty. I'll be using a face frame so there will definitely be nail holes. I really don't want to spray when I get it upstairs as I just finished painting the room it will reside in and don't want any overspray problems. do you think if I paint prior to putting it in it's final space, I can just touch up with a brush, or will it be obvious where I did so? Any other ideas to get a consistent finish?


I spray in my basement and the floor is concrete. I dampen the floor with water just before spraying to keep the dust down. Also use a fan to pull overspray out of the area. If the cabinets have a back on them, don't fasten it on until after spraying the carcass. Too much bounce in the corners.

[Jamie Buxton]

The cabinets will not have a back. I'm planning on 3 horizontal cross sections to keep it as square as I can.

I'm thinking it'll be easiest to spray before assembling, but would still need to touch up any areas that I putty. I'll be using a face frame so there will definitely be nail holes. I really don't want to spray when I get it upstairs as I just finished painting the room it will reside in and don't want any overspray problems. do you think if I paint prior to putting it in it's final space, I can just touch up with a brush, or will it be obvious where I did so? Any other ideas to get a consistent finish?

Don't spray in occupied living space -- way too messy with overspray and such. I'd apply the face frame in the shop, fill the nail holes, and spray there. Carry the modules to wherever they are going, and install. Scribe edges to the walls, or apply molding to cover gaps. If you apply molding, you may have to fill holes. You can dab a little bit of paint at each hole, and it won't be too visible.

[Jim Becker]

You can use alternative methods for fastening face frames...glue with pocket screws or even 23 gage pins shot at angles to help with the "clamping". No need for big brads or nails.

That said, yes you can touch up after installation. Build-ins are usually best put in place before room painting is completed, however, because it's inevitable that the walls will get "kissed" while fitting cabinets and cabinet tops, especially because drywall corners are not 90º because of the mud-work. One normally has to scribe face frames to get a good fit that doesn't require gallons of caulking. :)

[lowell holmes]

I store my plywood vertically against the wall.

[john schnyderite]

Spent a few hours on the weekend cutting panels for my closet.

As I progress through the build some questions come to mind:

I am thinking I will cut all panels to size, prime them, then bring them upstairs to assemble. At what point should I drill shelf pin holes? With a sprayer, I am thinking they won't fill up with too much paint to get the pins in easily, and as a bonus it might hide the holes a bit more with matching paint inside. Anyone have recommendations on what point to drill those out?

Each side will have 3 cabinets, 3-4' wide. I plan on using a face frame to hide the edges of the plywood. My though is that I would only make the frame 1/4 or so wider than the edges of plywood it is covering, however, I am new to face frames and this doesn't leave much room for error. I know it wouldn't add any real structural value to the cabinets to just tack in my face frame to plywood without pocket holes. Any tips for a smooth assembly for a first timer with face frames? I am thinking maybe I will just tack everything in to check fit, then remove and assemble with pocket screws when I have it all looking ok. Are there better methods?

[Jim Becker]

Do your shelf pin holes when the material if flat. I'd do it unfinished, but doing it after finishing is certainly an option as long as you can do so without damaging the finish surface.

Face frame attachment can be done in many ways. What I do for built-ins is to use some biscuits along the top edge of the cabinets that the frame can be "hung" on and maybe a few elsewhere to assist with alignment beyond that and then glue it up using 23 gauge pins shot at slight angles to hold the frame in place while the glue dries. Masking tape can be used to assist. While I build face frames with pocket screws, I don't usually use that method to attach the face frames simply because it's usually awkward to do so.

[john schnyderite]

Thanks again..so it’s priming day. Wondering if I need to sand paint grade birch before putting a coat down. Is it too smooth to adhere properly?

[Jim Matthews]

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of buying finished panels? Is there a discreet corner that will be hidden in the assembly for a test pass?

[john schnyderite]

Yes.. there is. I was just hoping others could share what worked for them to save some time. I haven’t painted much wood.

[Jamie Buxton]

Thanks again..so it’s priming day. Wondering if I need to sand paint grade birch before putting a coat down. Is it too smooth to adhere properly?

No, there's no need to roughen the surface. Paint will adhere to smooth wood.

[Jim Becker]

No, there's no need to roughen the surface. Paint will adhere to smooth wood.

Very true. But there's a need to make sure that surface is smooth, so at a minimum, sheet goods are going to need to be hit with 180 or whatever to get rid of fibers, etc., to prepare for the finish. 'Just saying this to clarify. "Rough" for "tooth" isn't necessary, but "smooth" for "quality" is.

[Jamie Buxton]

Very true. But there's a need to make sure that surface is smooth, so at a minimum, sheet goods are going to need to be hit with 180 or whatever to get rid of fibers, etc., to prepare for the finish. 'Just saying this to clarify. "Rough" for "tooth" isn't necessary, but "smooth" for "quality" is.

He's apparently going to prime the plywood. I'd figure he's going to sand after the primer.

[Jim Becker]

Good point, Jamie. No need to sand the primer unless it's buggered for some reason and needs to be "re-smoothed". :)