I'm considering doing my own kitchen cabinets. One of the things that
has me worried (quality and time) is putting a good, durable finish on
everything. Anybody ever use this stuff?

http://www.columbiaforestproducts.co...ardply/ph.html

This it the best thing that I have found to meet my requirements for
case work. I don't mind finishing the face frame, doors, and drawers
with a HVLP, but I don't want to have to finish the case interiors.

I haven't found a distributor yet so I have no idea on the cost. It
would be really cool if this stuff came already cut to standard
widths. Can anybody discuss their experiences with this stuff?

Thanks.

Use a "door" grade melamine for the cases. Do not use a "cabinet grade"
melamine (that is what is typically is available at Home Depot and such
outlets). There is a price difference but in the long run it will ware far
better. Melamine is a better product for the cases as compared to plywood as
it dose not need any finishing and is easy to clean and comes in a variety
of colours. Also avoid Iron on edge tape as it becomes brittle and chips
very easily try to find a vinyl edge tape and use contact cement to glue it
on the edge. The vinyl will not chip as easy and is well worth the extra
steps involved in contacting it.

"Wyatt Wright" wrote in message
om...
I'm considering doing my own kitchen cabinets. One of the things that
has me worried (quality and time) is putting a good, durable finish on
everything. Anybody ever use this stuff?

http://www.columbiaforestproducts.co...ardply/ph.html

This it the best thing that I have found to meet my requirements for
case work. I don't mind finishing the face frame, doors, and drawers
with a HVLP, but I don't want to have to finish the case interiors.

I haven't found a distributor yet so I have no idea on the cost. It
would be really cool if this stuff came already cut to standard
widths. Can anybody discuss their experiences with this stuff?

Thanks.

If it is already prefinished it would be hard to putty holes and stain and
finish anywhere the saw blade splintered the edge. Also, sanding a face
frame flush with the carcase would be impossible. If you were doing
frameless cabinets and used a really good blade, being careful to cut good
side up, it might not be bad. Especially if you aren't set up for
finishing. You would still have to finish the taped edges, hoping the heat
doesn't affect the finish. Be careful of the cost difference.

Preston

"Wyatt Wright" wrote in message
om...
I'm considering doing my own kitchen cabinets. One of the things that
has me worried (quality and time) is putting a good, durable finish on
everything. Anybody ever use this stuff?

http://www.columbiaforestproducts.co...ardply/ph.html

This it the best thing that I have found to meet my requirements for
case work. I don't mind finishing the face frame, doors, and drawers
with a HVLP, but I don't want to have to finish the case interiors.

I haven't found a distributor yet so I have no idea on the cost. It
would be really cool if this stuff came already cut to standard
widths. Can anybody discuss their experiences with this stuff?

Thanks.

Wyatt,

I am using "Prefinished one side" cabinet grade birch plywood for my
extensive kitchen cabinet project. This is my first experience with
prefinished sheet goods and as you speculate, it has saved me so much work I
can't even imagine using anything else in the future.

I had my millwork supplier rip them in half and then I finished ripping them
to 23". They were delivered to me on a flat bed truck and even after cross
cutting them ( see my cross cut jig on my website) and biscuit slotting all
the case components, the finish is just as nice as when it left the plywood
factory. I am sold for sure.. and at a 20% premium, it was worth every penny
of $12 per sheet extra.

Good luck.


Dennis Slabaugh, Hobbyist Woodworker
www.woodworkinghobby.com



"Wyatt Wright" wrote in message
om...
I'm considering doing my own kitchen cabinets. One of the things that
has me worried (quality and time) is putting a good, durable finish on
everything. Anybody ever use this stuff?

http://www.columbiaforestproducts.co...ardply/ph.html

This it the best thing that I have found to meet my requirements for
case work. I don't mind finishing the face frame, doors, and drawers
with a HVLP, but I don't want to have to finish the case interiors.

I haven't found a distributor yet so I have no idea on the cost. It
would be really cool if this stuff came already cut to standard
widths. Can anybody discuss their experiences with this stuff?

Thanks.

"Chris Melanson" wrote in message news:SRxYb.26527$D_5.5164@edtnps84...
Use a "door" grade melamine for the cases. Do not use a "cabinet grade"
melamine (that is what is typically is available at Home Depot and such
outlets). There is a price difference but in the long run it will ware far
better. Melamine is a better product for the cases as compared to plywood as
it dose not need any finishing and is easy to clean and comes in a variety
of colours. Also avoid Iron on edge tape as it becomes brittle and chips
very easily try to find a vinyl edge tape and use contact cement to glue it
on the edge. The vinyl will not chip as easy and is well worth the extra
steps involved in contacting it.

"Wyatt Wright" wrote in message
om...
I'm considering doing my own kitchen cabinets. One of the things that
has me worried (quality and time) is putting a good, durable finish on
everything. Anybody ever use this stuff?

http://www.columbiaforestproducts.co...ardply/ph.html

This it the best thing that I have found to meet my requirements for
case work. I don't mind finishing the face frame, doors, and drawers
with a HVLP, but I don't want to have to finish the case interiors.

I haven't found a distributor yet so I have no idea on the cost. It
would be really cool if this stuff came already cut to standard
widths. Can anybody discuss their experiences with this stuff?

Thanks.

wyatt,

i've seen it. i've used it. not sure why chris started talking
melamine. maybe he didnt understand that the uv ply is prefinished.
also not sure why edgeband came into play when you are clearly
planning on putting in framed cabinets. but as far as the uv goes...
works just fine. used it twice for cabinet carcasses. we really
fairly careful not to beat it up as i wasnt sure what kind of abuse
the finish would take.

i pay $74 for a 3/4" 4x8 maple one side and $79 for two side. not
sure why second side is only 5 bucks, but whatever. only problem i
have here is that my sheet good supplier only sells the uv in "shop
grade". i usually use A1 for all my sheet goods. i pay $89 for 3/4"
4x8 A1 maple.

hope that helps a little.

(RemodGuy) wrote in message . com...
"Chris Melanson" wrote in message news:SRxYb.26527$D_5.5164@edtnps84...
Use a "door" grade melamine for the cases. Do not use a "cabinet grade"
melamine (that is what is typically is available at Home Depot and such
outlets). There is a price difference but in the long run it will ware far
better. Melamine is a better product for the cases as compared to plywood as
it dose not need any finishing and is easy to clean and comes in a variety
of colours. Also avoid Iron on edge tape as it becomes brittle and chips
very easily try to find a vinyl edge tape and use contact cement to glue it
on the edge. The vinyl will not chip as easy and is well worth the extra
steps involved in contacting it.

"Wyatt Wright" wrote in message
om...
I'm considering doing my own kitchen cabinets. One of the things that
has me worried (quality and time) is putting a good, durable finish on
everything. Anybody ever use this stuff?

http://www.columbiaforestproducts.co...ardply/ph.html

This it the best thing that I have found to meet my requirements for
case work. I don't mind finishing the face frame, doors, and drawers
with a HVLP, but I don't want to have to finish the case interiors.

I haven't found a distributor yet so I have no idea on the cost. It
would be really cool if this stuff came already cut to standard
widths. Can anybody discuss their experiences with this stuff?

Thanks.

wyatt,

i've seen it. i've used it. not sure why chris started talking
melamine. maybe he didnt understand that the uv ply is prefinished.
also not sure why edgeband came into play when you are clearly
planning on putting in framed cabinets. but as far as the uv goes...
works just fine. used it twice for cabinet carcasses. we really
fairly careful not to beat it up as i wasnt sure what kind of abuse
the finish would take.

i pay $74 for a 3/4" 4x8 maple one side and $79 for two side. not
sure why second side is only 5 bucks, but whatever. only problem i
have here is that my sheet good supplier only sells the uv in "shop
grade". i usually use A1 for all my sheet goods. i pay $89 for 3/4"
4x8 A1 maple.

hope that helps a little.

Thanks RG... a couple of questions.

Do you recall the manufacturer of the material you used? I have seen
it from Georgia Pacific and Columbia.

I would like to use RTA fasteners because they seem the fastest, but
I'm not sure how that would hold up in the long run. How did you
fasten yours? I wouldn't expect glue to hold very well on the
finished surface.

Does the finish require anything after construction or are you good to
go for case interiors after construction?

Thanks in advance. The more I learn about this, the more I think I
can do my own cabinets... I must day that it is a daunting task for a
hobbyist and I remain nervous. But I priced cabinets of a quality
that I am pretty sure I can surpass and that I can save 2/3 even after
I buy some new tools...

"Preston Andreas" wrote in message ...
If it is already prefinished it would be hard to putty holes and stain and
finish anywhere the saw blade splintered the edge.

Stop buying $5 saw blades if your having that kind of problem. I get
perfect edges both ripped and crosscut in all my ply.


Also, sanding a face
frame flush with the carcase would be impossible.

who sands their face frames flush?!?!

Thanks RG... a couple of questions.

Do you recall the manufacturer of the material you used? I have seen
it from Georgia Pacific and Columbia.

not positive right now, but leaning heavily toward GP

I would like to use RTA fasteners because they seem the fastest, but
I'm not sure how that would hold up in the long run. How did you
fasten yours? I wouldn't expect glue to hold very well on the
finished surface.

The way i cut my carcasses, there arent any finished edges butting up.
dado sides to accept the bottom. cut edge unfinished into cut dado,
unfinished. rabbit both sides to accept back panel. same thing.
never put a box together with RTA fasteners. seems like alot of work
though.

Does the finish require anything after construction or are you good to
go for case interiors after construction?

build the box and go. like i said, we didnt beat them around too
much. brought the sheet goods in, cut them up, threw face frames on
and got them out asap. another nice thing is that glue that gets on
surface (i glue my face frames on) wipes right off. no glue shadows
in finish from glue in raw wood.

Thanks in advance. The more I learn about this, the more I think I
can do my own cabinets... I must day that it is a daunting task for a
hobbyist and I remain nervous. But I priced cabinets of a quality
that I am pretty sure I can surpass and that I can save 2/3 even after
I buy some new tools...

not sure what tools you have, but even if you make the boxes and order
everything else, you'll be way ahead of the game. the nice thing is
that you'll have ply boxes. i'm sure you've done some homework and
know that cab manufacturers get quite a premium for APC (from $70-$150
per cabinet). if you are not equipped to do your doors and even your
face frames, i've got a catalog from walzcraft industries. i havent
used them yet, but we are so backed up in the shop right now that i am
thinking about ordering doors and face frames for a few vanities going
in a house next month. their prices are reasonable. they have any
style you could possibly want. probably 30 or so species of wood for
options. they even finish for you if you like. they do doors, face
frames, drawer boxes, and sell rough or surfaced lumber (their lumber
prices are high, but if you wanted a few pieces to mill for fillers or
trim at least you know the wood would match the other parts. never
used them though, maybe someone else on the wreck can lend some info
on them.

"Dennis Slabaugh, Hobbyist Woodworker" wrote in message ...
Wyatt,

I am using "Prefinished one side" cabinet grade birch plywood for my
extensive kitchen cabinet project. This is my first experience with
prefinished sheet goods and as you speculate, it has saved me so much work I
can't even imagine using anything else in the future.

I had my millwork supplier rip them in half and then I finished ripping them
to 23". They were delivered to me on a flat bed truck and even after cross
cutting them ( see my cross cut jig on my website) and biscuit slotting all
the case components, the finish is just as nice as when it left the plywood
factory. I am sold for sure.. and at a 20% premium, it was worth every penny
of $12 per sheet extra.

Good luck.


Dennis Slabaugh, Hobbyist Woodworker
www.woodworkinghobby.com


dennis,

what grade of ply were you able to get? my supplier here only gets
shop grade in prefinished uv.

(RemodGuy) wrote in message . com...

Thanks RG... a couple of questions.

Do you recall the manufacturer of the material you used? I have seen
it from Georgia Pacific and Columbia.

not positive right now, but leaning heavily toward GP

I would like to use RTA fasteners because they seem the fastest, but
I'm not sure how that would hold up in the long run. How did you
fasten yours? I wouldn't expect glue to hold very well on the
finished surface.

The way i cut my carcasses, there arent any finished edges butting up.
dado sides to accept the bottom. cut edge unfinished into cut dado,
unfinished. rabbit both sides to accept back panel. same thing.
never put a box together with RTA fasteners. seems like alot of work
though.

Not sure why RTA is a lot of work, predrill and screw as far as I can
tell. Maybe I'm confusing RTA with the confirmat type of screw...??

What then? Glue and screws? I'm leaning towards just making square
boxes - without the built-in toe kick. Then either using a frame on
the floor that I will then level as a base for the cabinets which will
provide the toe kick. This seems like the easiest way to get a level
base. Or attaching feet to the bottom of the cabinets to provide easy
leveling and toe kick as I have seen in Jim Toplin's book.

Does the finish require anything after construction or are you good to
go for case interiors after construction?

build the box and go. like i said, we didnt beat them around too
much. brought the sheet goods in, cut them up, threw face frames on
and got them out asap. another nice thing is that glue that gets on
surface (i glue my face frames on) wipes right off. no glue shadows
in finish from glue in raw wood.

Thanks in advance. The more I learn about this, the more I think I
can do my own cabinets... I must day that it is a daunting task for a
hobbyist and I remain nervous. But I priced cabinets of a quality
that I am pretty sure I can surpass and that I can save 2/3 even after
I buy some new tools...

not sure what tools you have, but even if you make the boxes and order
everything else, you'll be way ahead of the game. the nice thing is
that you'll have ply boxes. i'm sure you've done some homework and
know that cab manufacturers get quite a premium for APC (from $70-$150
per cabinet). if you are not equipped to do your doors and even your
face frames, i've got a catalog from walzcraft industries. i havent
used them yet, but we are so backed up in the shop right now that i am
thinking about ordering doors and face frames for a few vanities going
in a house next month. their prices are reasonable. they have any
style you could possibly want. probably 30 or so species of wood for
options. they even finish for you if you like. they do doors, face
frames, drawer boxes, and sell rough or surfaced lumber (their lumber
prices are high, but if you wanted a few pieces to mill for fillers or
trim at least you know the wood would match the other parts. never
used them though, maybe someone else on the wreck can lend some info
on them.

I have a tablesaw, router table, drill press, jointer, and planer plus
various hand tools. Not sure that I need anything else for the job.
If I decide that I want to go with dovetail drawers, I will pickup a
jig suitable for half blinds. I will probably buy an HVLP to speed up
finishing - not sure if this provides for a better finish, but it
should be alot faster...

If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do as much of it as I can.

Thanks for all of your input.

Most of the major companies offer a prefinished plywood.
Columbia and GP both have similar products...

I think a pretty melamine would work just as well and
be a LOT cheaper. This requires NO finishing inside and
the box will be much easier to clean in the long run.

Your trick is to find the dealer that carries the product.
Columbia offers a "dealer finder" on their site.

RTA fastners require "precision drilling and boring" that
most folks aren't willing to do. Do you plan on taking these
cabinets apart ???

Those cabinet supports like these ???

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/pa... 3&ccurrency=2

Wyatt Wright wrote:



Not sure why RTA is a lot of work, predrill and screw as far as I can
tell. Maybe I'm confusing RTA with the confirmat type of screw...??