Do yourself cabinet made of MDF: coupe for the price inexpensive reserved seat

Closets MDF occupy quite an impressive niche in the market of furniture production. They are roomy, comfortable and functional, but the purchase of such goods in specialized stores, as well as the order in the furniture company - a very costly exercise.

However, a fairly simple design like cabinets allows them independently, minimizing costs. Not long ago I decided to master this technology, and in the article below will tell you what I got.

To turn this kit into a piece of furniture, will have to try

MDF or particle board?

The first thing I had to face (and what you are sure to encounter) - is the choice of material. For the manufacture of furniture today massively used either chipboard or MDF.

In laminated chipboard have one indisputable advantage: it is cheaper.

The other parameters of its superior MDF:

Top-MDF, particleboard bottom-: The density difference is obvious

• high homogeneity of the material gives it greater strength and density;
• fasteners inside MDF kept much better;
• despite the arguments given above, MDF easily sawed and drilled substantially without forming chips.
• wall even very high and wide cabinet is practically not deformed at differences of temperature and humidity;
• a low content of volatile phenols provides a high level of environmental performance.

Among the few drawbacks I would mention a large mass of MDP as compared with particleboard panels of the same thickness, but since the wardrobe we move very rarely, the lack of this is quite arbitrary.

Getting ready for work

cabinet dimensions

Dimensions wardrobe are largely determined by the size of the room in which we will install it. If for this purpose you have chosen a niche, you will have no problems in principle: it is enough to measure the width, height and depth of the recess in the wall, and to make each side of 20-30 mm clearance for installation design.

cupboard Dimensional drawing

With the near-wall closet, everything is more complicated. Its dimensions may be any, but by analyzing the advice of professional furniture manufacturers, I came to the conclusion that it is better not to go beyond the standard values. If we will do this or that element is greater than or less than the Soviets - the use of the design is not so convenient.

I usually guided by a list of sizes:

1. Height -. 2.4 to 2.6 m is possible to do and above (just to let the ceiling in the apartment), but then have to equip a separate mezzanine, and for access to use a stepladder or a stool.
2. Width - 800 mm. Less - it is a pencil case, which will be good if one set of clothes. The maximum width of the structure, which I had to collect - a little less than 3 m.
3. plinth (Indentation from the floor to the bottom) - from 70 to 100 mm. If you set the bottom right on the floor, then there will inevitably be problems with opening swing door: even with perfect smooth installation, sooner or later will be a little skewed hinges and fold will not cling if the floor is carpeted track.
4. The width of the swing door - from 600 to 700 mm. In sliding wardrobe systems can be a little more.

For designing you can use special software

1. Depth (The distance from the front to the back wall) - 600 mm. About 100 mm will occupy the sliding system, so that the shelves have to do with that in mind.
2. The width of the shelves - up to one meter. If you make more widely, it will have on the underside of each shelf to fix the rib of the timber, or they will bend, and may break under the weight of clothes.
3. The height of the shelves - from 30 to 50 cm.

Another embodiment of

In addition, the cabinet structure can be laid, and drawers. Their height is usually up to 30 cm, and width - from 40 to 80 cm. The bottom of the cabinet width up to half a meter can be made from fiberboard (the price of the product will be slightly less), and But for the larger models, I use only the MDF in order to avoid bending and jamming in a cell the cabinet.

For these dimensions, we do a drawing. If you are not "friends" with the computer, it is possible to construct a circuit in the old way, with all dimensions on graph paper. I prefer to work with special programs (WOODY, K3, furniture, etc.): Yes, some of them distributed for a fee, but even the demo version will be sufficient for a single work.

Tools master furniture maker

When the drawing is ready, you need to think about the material support of our project. Without a doubt, the main instrument here is an intelligent assistant: sliding wardrobe MDF is a fairly large structure, for another pair of hands would not exactly superfluous.

Collegiate Assistant certainly not hurt

And if at all seriously, to successfully carry out the assembly, we need:

• I saw for cutting MDF - circular or reciprocating with appropriate paintings;
• good hacksaw to fit exactly in size;
• drill and set of drill bits;
• screwdrivers;
• set of magnetic cue for the screwdriver (you need at least two-under the cross, and hexagon);
• and flat Phillips screwdriver;
• allen keys;
• clamps;
• marker or a pencil;
• roulette;
• level.

A set of tools for mounting

This is - the minimum set, which is needed for the assembly of furniture from pre-cut panels. If cutting work and edging you will perform with his own hands (strongly advise, if you are not a professional carpenter), they will need more and stationary saws with building a hairdryer.

Purchase of raw materials

The next step - the purchase of materials needed for the manufacture of the cabinet. How MDF we need, we identify, analyze drawings, and already from this number will be repelled when planning the budget.

Purchase MDF panels - the main item of expenditure

I can not mention about the independent manufacture of furniture, but note that today, when the imported parts are getting more expensive, the cost price of products is growing, and very significantly. It get still cheaper than ordering from the experts, but the upfront costs to count it is necessary to:

Fittings for sliding systems, too, is not cheap

I note that there are only indicative prices: you can find accessories and a little bit cheaper, and much more. All depends on what price category of product you expect, as well as the procurement volume, the region, etc.

cabinet assembly

primary treatment

Actual build process begins with cutting MDF sheet cutting and processing the edges. I strongly recommend to entrust both these operations specialists, all the more so where you will order the material, this service you are likely to be offered. Overpayments will be relatively small, but you get a set of blanks, ideal for further work.

Cutting to perform better on the professional equipment

If you do decide to work independently, you should proceed as follows:

1. With a tape and the level scheduled for MDF cutting line guided by the previously created drawing.
2. Using a circular saw on wood, neatly cutting material, marking every detail in order to avoid confusion.
3. MDF panels are installed vertically and placed on the end of the edge band.
4. After the paper sheet iron or iron edge laminating roller, while warming hairdryer construction.

Important!
Avoid strong heating to edge it does not melt.

1. Speaking glue are removed and the edges of the edge band is cut off with a sharp knife.

Laminated panels with different edge thicknesses pasted

Under this scheme, we need to prepare all the details.

frame assembly

Only now we come to the main assembly of the cabinet. I prefer to work step by step, first prepare all the holes for the fixture, and only then twists the screws.

furniture evrovint

To assemble the furniture is better to use special products - the so-called konfirmat or Euro screws. They are stronger than conventional screws are attached to the MDF array, furthermore, if necessary, they can be unscrewed without breaking the integrity of the material. SCREW downside is the need for pre-drilling to install them, but, having understood the technique, you can pretty quickly to prepare the mounting holes.

A set of tools for working with SCREW

I do so:

1. On the edge of the panel nanoshu mark for drilling. Step attachment is usually from 35 to 50 cm, depending on the details of the situation.
2. Using a clamp, pressing members to each other by exposing them to a strictly perpendicular.
3. 5 mm drill bit is done with a through hole so that the recess formed in an end face of at least 60 mm.
4. In the plane flared opening 8 mm (using a thicker or a special drill countersink) to the wide portion konfirmat and its cap.

Drilling under konfirmat by a countersink

1. Rented clamp and again check the appropriate holes.

Next comes the most time-consuming step - assembling.

Instruction depends on the configuration of the cabinet, but I usually act like this:

Plinth frame, bottom and side walls

1. I collect the plinth frame, on which the whole structure will be based.
2. Install the cap on the base and align it. Mountable to the cap bottom.
3. Then I put the side plates, which fix immediately fixed crossmembers (if their presence is by design).
4. I stack on top of the cabinet cover.

mounting option on plastic supports

1. Leveling frame, controlling the perpendicularity of the planes. Mountable rear wall or by means of screws or by using construction stepplera.
2. I pull cabinet to the wall, where it will be installed, or is pushed into the niche.

The general sequence of operations

1. Install support for shelves (if removable) or the shelves themselves, SCREW fixing them through the side wall.
2. The grooves for the drawer guides I fix (if lower drawers or narrow, it should be made in advance, so as not to suffer from the tightening of fasteners in a confined space).

drawer assembly

1. Collecting drawers by sticking to the frames of MDF facades and bottom panels. On the sides of the boxes and install the slide rails in the cabinet slides in their compartments.

Fittings and other details

Procedure for installation of accessories depends on what kind of product we are going, opening cupboards MDF require installation of conventional hinges, while for the wardrobe need is to install sliding system.

The upper guide rollers and

"Separation" is going well:

1. The top and bottom rails are placed. It is important to ensure that: a) they are perfectly parallel and b) are strictly in one plane. If you break at least one point, the door is bound to be overwritten.
2. The movable flap on top and bottom set of fastening systems for the rollers.
3. If you plan to install mirror - fix it to the gate with the help of fixing. Also, install gaskets, anti-dust brushes, pens, and other details.

Important!
Sometimes the door has no basis of MDF. In this case, the mirror sheet simply stifle the perimeter frame of lightweight but strong metal profile.

1. Installing the flap on the guides, setting the stage, first the top part, and then snapping the lower rollers on runners.

Installing shutters on rails

1. We adjust the sliding system, adjusting the position of all its elements and achieving free movement of leaf and clear its fixing in extreme positions.

Hinges for swing door going a different way:

Picks for loop

1. On Wall box set mates hinges, fixing their usual self-tapping screws.
2. The sash plot the layout, marking the place of installation of each loop.
3. The drill insert Forstner drill bit and recess at the base of the loop.
4. Furniture hinge inserted into the recesses and fix every two or four screws (depending on size).
5. Is hung sash locking loop in response units, and then adjust their position so that the gap between the doors was minimal.

Then set in the cabinet other hardware elements:

• pens;
• Tires for hangers;
• roof rails;
• laundry baskets;
• Stand for footwear, etc.

Photos of the cabinet with all the accessories - tires, roof rails, stand, etc.

conclusion

Figure out how to make the case - a compartment made of MDF panels, you can significantly reduce costs in spite of the high cost of materials, the savings achieved through self-assembly. Master assembly technology can be, having studied the video in this article and practice on simple models. And if necessary you can always ask a question in the comments to this article.