What material for clothes cabinet ?

[Niels J. Larsen]

Hi,

First off I'm not 100% sure it's called a clothes cabinet, but what I'm planning to build is a cabinet for clothes so.. :D

I want to make a built-in clothes cabinet with sliding doors as a replacement for what was in our house when we bought it two years ago. The sliding doors are already there, but unfortunately there are only two - and I think I want three - to optimize access to the shelves etc. behind the doors. The doors will come later though!

Originally I was planning to build the cabinet, as well as a number of drawers (with solid wood fronts), and shelves using birch plywood. After seeing a few commercial cabinets (which I know I can do better!) all made from melamine covered particle board, I'm having second thoughts.

My concerns are that the clothes will catch on the fibers in the birch plywood and thus damage both the clothes and the plywood itself.

I much prefer the look of birch plywood over melamine, as I think the melamine looks a bit "cheap".

My experience with birch plywood is rather limited so my fears could well be exaggerrated.

What should I choose ?

If it's birch plywood - should I finish it and if so with what ?

Alternatives are also VERY welcome! :D

Thanks!

Cheers,
Niels

[Vaughn McMillan]

Niels, Here in the States, a built-in cabinet for clothes (particularly hanging clothes) would be called a closet. I think birch plywood would work well for your intended purpose as long as it was sanded well and had a good finish on it. Personally, I think seeing the edges (and the individual layers of wood) exposed would be interesting, but you could also put solid wood edges on the ply if you didn't like the look of the exposed edge.

I'm sure others may have different suggestions for a finish, but I think I'd use a water-based poly for something like a closet interior. It would offer durable protection, it would have little to no odor, and it's easy to apply and clean up afterwards. I probably wouldn't use that finish for a fancy piece of furniture, but for a closet I think it would work well. (My relatively rookie opinion. ;) )

- Vaughn

[Niels J. Larsen]

Niels, Here in the States, a built-in cabinet for clothes (particularly hanging clothes) would be called a closet. I think birch plywood would work well for your intended purpose as long as it was sanded well and had a good finish on it. Personally, I think seeing the edges (and the individual layers of wood) exposed would be interesting, but you could also put solid wood edges on the ply if you didn't like the look of the exposed edge.

I'm sure others may have different suggestions for a finish, but I think I'd use a water-based poly for something like a closet interior. It would offer durable protection, it would have little to no odor, and it's easy to apply and clean up afterwards. I probably wouldn't use that finish for a fancy piece of furniture, but for a closet I think it would work well. (My relatively rookie opinion. ;) )

- Vaughn

Thanks for the heads-up - it's now officially a closet that I want to build :D

I also like the idea of seeing the layers of wood as you describe. It was part of why I initially chose birch ply.

The finish you describe as water-based poly - I assume it is what is also called water-based polyurethane lacquer ?

Why would'nt you use it for a fancy piece of furniture ?

/Niels

[Bob Childress]

Neils,

When you say the clothes cabinet is "built in" do you mean it is recessed in the wall (a closet)? Or just attached to the wall (a wardrobe)? Most European houses I've seen have what we call Wardrobes, that is, cabinets which sit in the room and are attached to the wall. Is that what you are building? It will make a considerable difference in construction technique. Can you post a picture of the old one you are replacing? That would make sure we got it straight.:)

[Niels J. Larsen]

Neils,

When you say the clothes cabinet is "built in" do you mean it is recessed in the wall (a closet)? Or just attached to the wall (a wardrobe)? Most European houses I've seen have what we call Wardrobes, that is, cabinets which sit in the room and are attached to the wall. Is that what you are building? It will make a considerable difference in construction technique. Can you post a picture of the old one you are replacing? That would make sure we got it straight.:)

Bob,

The cabinet(s) is recessed in the wall with sliding doors in front, so in effect it is a closet. I guess it will be an open construction since the sliding doors is not part of the cabinet itself.

I cannot post a picture of the old one because I already tore it out :D - sorry :o

/Niels

[Vaughn McMillan]

Thanks for the heads-up - it's now officially a closet that I want to build :D

I also like the idea of seeing the layers of wood as you describe. It was part of why I initially chose birch ply.

The finish you describe as water-based poly - I assume it is what is also called water-based polyurethane lacquer ?

Why would'nt you use it for a fancy piece of furniture ?

/Niels Yes, by "poly" I meant some type of polyurethane. The water-based poly I've used here is called "Polycrylic", and it's made by Minwax. I'm not sure if it's available in Europe, but I'm sure there's something comparable.

To some people's tastes, the look of "poly" (either oil-based or especially water-based) is somewhat "plastic" looking. Some people don't feel poly has the richness one can get from the more traditional finishes like true shellac, varnish and lacquer. For interior closet doors and drawers, I think a poly would be better, due to high durability and relative ease of application. (I like using it on my birch ply shop fixtures and jigs.) By using water-based, you'd lessen the problem of odors inside the closet.

I'm sure others will have more educated suggestions. I'm by no means a finishing expert. (In fact, it's probably my weakest woodworking skill, but I'm working on it.) :)

- Vaughn