Alan Turner
01-10-2006, 6:13 AM
I have been asked to bid a pair of identical cabinets. They are to be 53" tall, 21" deep, and 37" wide. No feet or base. The material spec'd is maple ply. The construction spec'd is a box for the outside, with edge banded edges, and then a box inside of this box, set back from the front by 2" to permit the installation of glass doors (to be supplied and installed by the customer, and setback 1/2" in the rear, for a 1/2" thick back. The inside box is to be 3/4" on the top and bottom, and either 3/4" or 1/2" on the verticals. The price difference between the .5" and the .75" maple ply, grade A-1, is only $7 per 4x8. Finished clear. (I will sub the finishing, and spec. conversion varnish.) They are to hold clothing, but will have a TV on top of one, and other stuff on top of the other. This couple is European, and I believe that they feel this will be a touch of home for them, or so says the designer who is the middleman.
I am not really a cabinet sort of guy. Hence the inquiries.
1. I am thinking that it will be tough to get a good lamination of the two boxes since I don't expect the plywood to be that flat. Was thinking that I would edgeband with 1/4" or so hard maple, glued and 23 ga. pinned, and then trimmed to height with a router on a jig per FWW article about 6 mos. ago. Then I would bag the two sheets, forming each of the sides and tops and bottoms, using Unibond 800, and shoot the two pieces together lightly with 23 ga. pins just to hold registration between them during the glue up.
Total of 8 baggings. Any thoughts here?
2. If I go with the .75 and the .5 on the verticals, then will I get warpage, and hence should go with the .75 all over? Any counsel?
3. How to join the corners? They will be stepped if I just butt them after the lamination. Was thinking that I could shoot a scrap of the thickness on before the glue up in the bag, and then remove the scraps, and would have an accurate joint. I was thinking that I could just glue these up, without biscuits or rabbits for the corners since they are all stepped. The back is structural, and I would install it with glue and nails after finishing ( courtesy to the finisher). On the inner panels, I could just glue on edge banding, and thus be able to adjust the fit with a shoulder plane if need be.
Should I avoid this like the plague? It looks to me like aobut two days of work that is not much fun, but I hate to turn away work. Maybe I should run away from this commission. Guidance from the cabinet guys here at SMC would be much appreciated.
I am not really a cabinet sort of guy. Hence the inquiries.
1. I am thinking that it will be tough to get a good lamination of the two boxes since I don't expect the plywood to be that flat. Was thinking that I would edgeband with 1/4" or so hard maple, glued and 23 ga. pinned, and then trimmed to height with a router on a jig per FWW article about 6 mos. ago. Then I would bag the two sheets, forming each of the sides and tops and bottoms, using Unibond 800, and shoot the two pieces together lightly with 23 ga. pins just to hold registration between them during the glue up.
Total of 8 baggings. Any thoughts here?
2. If I go with the .75 and the .5 on the verticals, then will I get warpage, and hence should go with the .75 all over? Any counsel?
3. How to join the corners? They will be stepped if I just butt them after the lamination. Was thinking that I could shoot a scrap of the thickness on before the glue up in the bag, and then remove the scraps, and would have an accurate joint. I was thinking that I could just glue these up, without biscuits or rabbits for the corners since they are all stepped. The back is structural, and I would install it with glue and nails after finishing ( courtesy to the finisher). On the inner panels, I could just glue on edge banding, and thus be able to adjust the fit with a shoulder plane if need be.
Should I avoid this like the plague? It looks to me like aobut two days of work that is not much fun, but I hate to turn away work. Maybe I should run away from this commission. Guidance from the cabinet guys here at SMC would be much appreciated.