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DIY Cabinet 750h x 300d x 600w

I've done a few finishes over the years :)

First was vinyl.
From this:
cabinet%20basic.jpg


To this:
cabinet%20finished.jpg




Then I went for raw ash veneer finished with tung oil.
From this:
CIMG3788.jpg


To this:
CIMG4639.jpg


Then I sprayed brown after a change of decor in the room but have no pictures.


And now (not quite completed yet) I am going for raw zebrano veneer finished with Danish Oil:
From this:
IMG_0315.JPG


To this (not got handles yet):
IMG_0329.JPG



I also did one in gloss white Formica as I was thinking of going that route prior to changing my mind to go zebrano. Not many good pictures but this one sort of shows it:
IMG_0322.JPG



One tip I have though. I always put the pipe entries on both sides. You never know when you might move things and want them coming from the other side. I do the half moons because they are more discreet.
 
Just out of interest what did you use to do the drawings? Also you could take all the parts to a body shop and get them sprayed?
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Coreldraw, I use it at work along side autocad but for this sort of thing I find Coreldraw a bit faster and easier to amend. I can quite easily do a drawing for you if you need it.
I did think about getting the cabinet sprayed professionally but from what I can see it's a bit expensive.

Supercoley1: Those cabinets look great with the vinyl finish, I'm seriously going to think about doing the same even though I was considering a matt grey / dark grey finish.

Thanks for all the tips everyone!
 
Google keeps bringing up threads with DIY ADA cabinets, I didn't realise there were so many!!!

Anyway, MDFs been ordered £42, it should arrive on tuesday.
 
James D said:
Google keeps bringing up threads with DIY ADA cabinets, I didn't realise there were so many!!!

Anyway, MDFs been ordered £42, it should arrive on tuesday.
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Lol. Guess why they're so many in number?

Probably because they're very simple in terms of construction, and maybe a little bit to do with cost.

Home brew cabinets cost about £60-70 in your case. And in ADA it's ~£900... Yes Nine HUNDRED.

If you've got a little bit of cash, TGM do their 'own brand' for just over 200. But that's for collection only.
 
£900...ow! I'll show them to my better half if she starts complaining. :eek:

Actually I was half thinking about the TMC signature ones (£130) but they're far to deep.
 
James D said:
Supercoley1: Those cabinets look great with the vinyl finish, I'm seriously going to think about doing the same even though I was considering a matt grey / dark grey finish.
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I wouldn't ;) Vinyl is incredibly unforgiving. teeny tiny bits of dust will be noticeable using a plain vinyl whether gloss or matt. Wood effect hides these unless you're close up. So if you're after wood effect or stone effect :D then vinyl is fine. Anything that is plain solid colour you are going to hate the finish after a while. spraying is much cleaner in that aspect as long as you like 'orange peel' effect. If doing with cans at home be warned it will take loads. On an MDF cabinet for an 80cm the first 4 will just soak into the wood. lol.

Alastair said:
This is stunning Andy
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Thanks. they are actually finished and in situ but not taken pictures. Will do a thread for it rather than cluttering James' one. I would add that I bought enough gloss white formica to do 2 cabinets but only made one before changing my mind. These zebrano cabinets are lined with the remainder of the formica :) very clean finish inside.
 
OK, MDF is collected and sitting in my dining room / workshop :) . A bit of a stupid question probably but before I prime (PVA style primer) it do I need to sand it down?

I'm looking forward to putting it together this weekend then I'm going to get some spray paint.

Cheers

James
 
the main faces only need a very light sand but the edges need alot of attention give them a sand then prime, when dry sand again then prime again keep doing this until there super smooth, the edges are where you need to spend all your time, the smoother you can get them the better the end finish your aiming to get the edges to look like the face of the mdf
 
James D said:
A bit of a stupid question probably but before I prime (PVA style primer) it do I need to sand it down?
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Not a stupid question at all. You can do, I wouldn't say it's entirely necessary though. I have and I haven't in the past, and both times the results have been near enough the same.

I guess it's all down to you and how much time you want to spend on prep work and finishing etc

After priming you should give it a once over with a fine grade wet and dry just to key the surface, and again between coats of paint.

You're looking forward to building it, and I'm looking forward to seeing the end result.

Adam



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Cheers, in that case I will, I need to get it looking as professional as possible because the Mrs was mocking me this morning saying it'll look crap and end up in the shed. To be fair, she said that about my DIY tank and she was half right, it is in shed, we all need a spare tank though. :D
 
Personally I wouldn't prime the smooth surfaces. They tend not to soak too much anyway, however the edges as stated above definitely need priming as they will seem to never take the paint.
 
Nathaniel, How are you going to veneer both sides of the wood now it's fitted together? Or if planning to do just one side aren't you worried about warping?
 
SuperColey1 said:
Nathaniel, How are you going to veneer both sides of the wood now it's fitted together? Or if planning to do just one side aren't you worried about warping?
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Hello mate,

It's screwed but not glued. I will be opting to veneer the top first and trim off. Then completely veneer the sides (not using the edging strip on the top board), this should give a tidy look. I think the inside, I am going to either spray paint or Formica with a metal finish such as brushed aluminium.
To be honest don't know what's what with the finishes yet. Ones thinking modern others thinking Woody. I'm going to decide this weekend.

Got everything but the back done today in 2-3 hours. But will be putting a lot of time into making sure it's finished well with internal lighting etc.

Cheers,
N
 
Looking good Nathaniel, that'll be a beauty when it's finished!

I'm happy to say mine's looking pretty good so far as well (despite having a stinking cold all weekend!). Rather than bodge it together myself I took it up to my Uncle for a bit of advice, he's a slow worker but also a perfectionist - I've got dowelled joints on the uprights so no screws will be visible. I still need to source some hinges but they can wait for now.

I sealed it all with two coats of PVA yesterday and hopefully I'll find time to sand it all down properly tonight.... I just need to get down to the DIY shop to decide on a finish now, I'm definately leaning towards Matt dark grey at the moment.

I didn't have time for any photos this morning but I'll try and get some up tomorrow.

Cheers
 
Sorry to butt in guys but will be looking to make a DIY 80cm ADA style and i'm interested to know from those who have made already where the strength comes from in these structures as I notice most don't have a timber frame built inside them or even a centre brace?

My current Fluval stand is made from 2 inch thick stuff suffice to say it's pretty strurdy!
 
Rob P said:
Sorry to butt in guys but will be looking to make a DIY 80cm ADA style and i'm interested to know from those who have made already where the strength comes from in these structures as I notice most don't have a timber frame built inside them or even a centre brace?

My current Fluval stand is made from 2 inch thick stuff suffice to say it's pretty strurdy!
Click to expand...


Structural integrity comes from the rectangular front piece above the doors. The wider this is, the stronger the structure.
I've routed out a groove in the back of my unit to house the 18mm ply back. This will make mine very strong.

I know it sounds obvious, but make sure the top goes on the top of the uprights/side panels. I've seen it done the other way round, and all the weight is on the screws themselves. :nailbiting:
 
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