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For most people, having plenty of storage space in their home is crucial. It is no wonder that most of homeowners have storage cabinets in as many places and rooms. Storage cabinets are never enough...They are often needed in many places other than just the kitchen and bathroom. However, buying ready-to go cabinets from a shop can be very expensive. On top of that, it's often hard to find a cabinet that exactly suits your purposes.
This mainly because walls, ceilings and floors are never going to be perfectly straight or level. This means that, whether you decide to buy your cabinet or to build it with your own hands, you must to take these imperfections into account. For those of you who love woodworking and are looking for advice on how to build a cabinet from scratch here are a few tips...
First of all, in order to figure out how to build a cabinet that suits both the purpose and the location in your home, it is important to have the right plans and materials.
Sketching the plan on a piece of paperor on your computer (if you know how to use autocad) including all measurements will give an overall idea of how much wood you will have to buy and also of how well your new cabinet will fit in the room. Spend enough time trying out different options. However,make sure that any changes in design must be done before ordering materials, parts or components to maximize your value. This will help you go through the process of building a cabinet with less frustrations and cost overruns. Purchase the finest tools you can afford, low cost tools generally break down faster.
As soon as you are sure of how much timber you need, it is time to head to the lumber yard. When considering the materials to useemploy, keep in mind that most cabinets are built using melamine-based materials. These are an excellent choice because they are resonably priced, easier to cut, fire retardant, heat-resistant, moisture proof and scratch-resistant among their main properties.
You should use 4'X8' sheets of plywood or melamine 5/8" or 3/4" thick. There are many choices in edge banding that should match your melamine or cabinet doors. Importantly, in order for the cabinet to get a fine finish, the edges of the cut sides must be covered.
Also, if you decide to build your cabinet with wood, it's always a good idea to stain the single components before you put them together. It's just easier to get an even coat because there are no inside corners to reach. Before you assemble it's also a good idea to drill any shelf pin holes.
Important tip regarding tools...unless you want to be a pro, in most cases, you can outsource the production of a part.
Go to a shop where there is a dado saw, wall saw, table saw and a chop saw. Make sure all the blades on the equipment you are using are sharp and tightened into place before using them. Wear safety goggles when using the saws. Place fused melamine sheet onto the wall saw carefully.
Use half-inch plywood to build cabinets from scratch. Build them in sections without doors. You can add doors after you have built the framing. Install the basic framework box of the cabinets directly to the 2x4 studs you've secured to the walls.
Nail plywood over the framing to enclose the cabinetry. Install particle board or plywood shelves back inside of the storage sections. Make the doors out of plywood or buy pre-made doors.
Again, before you start building your cabinet, make sure you have a detailed plan and a checklist of all the materials and tools you need.
