I have recently tried to engage the services of a joiner to make some
cupboards/cabinets for our living room.

This is in an attempt to finish off the last room of the house before
impending parentdom.

As that event is now occuring at precisely 9:30am tomorrow morning I'm
fairly safe in saying we're not going to finish the room by then!

The joiner, name/number acquired by word of mouth, measured up went
quiet then gave me a ball park figure of =A31000 for materials and
promised a quote by last Friday. Whilst doing that he suggested that
he wasn't very good value for money and that people were often better
off going to Ikea.

I took this all to mean that he was not in the slightest bit interested
in our business. Fair enough.

So onto the question.

I'm now thinking about making them myself sometime after the baby has
come along and we've settled down a bit.

I'm at the end of a 2 year modernisation and my woodwork to date
includes making (hidden) carcasses and stud walls, hanging doors and
the usual skirting/architrave duties. So basically nothing on show.
I've up until now purchased either rough sawn or planed timber from
Howarth timber, Jewsons or if I'm desperate B&Q.

If I were to make something that would be on show is there a practical
minimum of equipment I would need? I'm thinking specifically of
thicknesser/planer, router, table saw etc.

I was wondering about using a veneered mdf, maybe an oak look, or
something similar and making it look like our very simple purchased
furniture.

I've been trying to suss out what the deal is with buying timber from
previous posts and am still puzzled. Can I just buy all my timber
straight and true with lovely right angles etc. if I specify (and pay)
for it?

I'm assuming that if I can build the cabinets in it should be
straightforward to build a hidden frame using fairly functional
carpentry and then clad with a nice finish. Maybe a veneered sheet of
some kind or just paint it if not. How hard is it to make the thing
look nice and not bodged together?

Any help or comments will be appreciated. I would be interested in any
websites, old threads etc.

I'll be back to check when the sleep deprivation wears off.

cheers

--=20

Steve F