Anatomy of a built-in. In general, any built-in cabinet consists of a few basic parts. There are almost infinite ways to go about making the various parts. Familiarizing yourself with some of the more common materials and techniques will help you understand what goes into making your custom built-in furniture. So if you’re interested in how these things work, read on!
Cases. The cases are the main body of the cabinet, where the clothes, documents, or dishes are actually housed. I usually make my cases out of plywood, but I can and do use other materials like MDF. Plywood faced with a hardwood veneer can be coated with a clear finish, less expensive plywood should be painted.
Face frames. In order to widen the edges of the cases for aesthetic and functional purposes, face frames are used. These are made of solid wood. Cheaper woods like poplar are perfect for paint, more expensive ones like cherry or oak are used with a clear finish.
Doors. If you’re making an open bookcase, then you are done at this point. But if it’s a wardrobe or other type of cabinet, then the doors and drawers are installed after the face frames. These elements can overlay the face frames or fit flush within the openings left for them.
Doors can be frame-and-panel or solid. Solid doors are cheaper to make but are less traditional and visually less distinguished. I usually make frame and panel doors with solid wood frames and plywood panels. I make solid doors out of any manufactured material, usually edged with hardwood for strength.
Panels can be flat, as in Shaker frame-and-panel doors, or raised, as in many other traditional furniture styles. Raised panels can be made of MDF if they are to be painted, or solid wood if a wood finish is desired. Solid wood raised panel doors are the most expensive style of door.
Drawers. Traditionally, drawer fronts never used frame-and-panel construction, but some modern kitchen cabinets do make them this way. Drawer fronts were traditionally solid, with a bead around the edges if they had any decoration at all. I tend to make my drawers out of plywood with a solid hardwood front, but I have used hardwood-edged MDF and plywood as well.
Joints. Traditional joints are mortise-and-tenon for doors and dovetails for drawers. This is the most expensive way to make doors and drawers, but these joints are the most recognizable and enduring method of joinery. I can make these joints if you want them, but I usually use a modern compromise for both doors and drawers. I like the domino joint. This type of joint connects two pieces of wood using a domino-shaped loose tenon made of hardwood that is glued into precisely-cut mortises on either side of the joint. These joints are very strong and will last as long as traditional mortise-and-tenon joints. I secure my door panels in grooves cut into the door frame, and I seat drawer bottoms in grooves cut into the drawer sides.
Handles, etc. Doors and drawers need handles, knobs, or pulls. These can be custom designed but are usually factory-made. A huge variety of styles and materials are available commercially at a wide range of prices.
Hinges. Doors require hinges. The simplest type of hinge is the old-fashioned butt hinge. These are the hinges you will see on the doors to the rooms of your house. They are the cheapest type of hinge to buy but require more precision during installation because they are not adjustable. Doors with butt hinges usually close flush with the face frames.
Euro-style hinges are like those usually seen on kitchen cabinets. Doors using them can close flush or overlay the face frames. They are more expensive than butt hinges, but they are adjustable so are quicker to install, reducing the overall job price.
Drawer slides. Traditional drawers slide on smooth, waxed wooden rails that are an integral part of the drawer itself. Mechanical drawer slides can be used where desired. Most kitchen drawers use them. Mechanical slides guarantee that you don’t pull the drawer out too far, and they can incorporate features like soft close and automatic close. Heavy duty varieties can also support a tremendous amount of weight.
Traditional and modern materials. I use both traditional and modern materials to make my built-ins. The types of materials I use for your built-in furniture are up to you and will depend on what you want the finished product to look like and how much you want to spend on it.
Fine hardwoods. The most visually stunning materials for making built-in furniture are the premium hardwoods–cherry, walnut, or oak, to name a few of the most popular timbers in America. These beautifully-figured woods benefit from traditional clear finishes that bring out the warmth and character of their grain.
I usually use these fine hardwoods for the parts of my cabinets where strength and beauty are most needed–the face frames, doors, and drawer fronts. For clear finished cabinets, I will make the cases out of plywood with a matching veneer. Using solid timber for the cases would not only be too expensive for most budgets, it is also an unnecessary use of such a valuable commodity. Virtually the same effect can be achieved with veneered plywood, while conserving a vital natural resource for its highest and best use.
Plywood. Plywood is the workhorse of the built-in furniture world. I use it to make most of my cases and panels for frame-and-panel doors. Lower grade plywood is perfect for paint, and ply with a premium hardwood veneer is perfect for a clear finish. Contrary to what many people believe, good quality plywood is an excellent building material. It is strong and stable material and uniquely suited to making large items on a budget.
Generally, where I use plywood with the intention of painting it, then I use poplar, a high quality but inexpensive American hardwood, to make the face frames, doors, and all other highly visible portions of the cabinets. Using a paint-grade hardwood like poplar in these areas adds to overall strength and allows for a better finish quality.
Medium density fiberboard (MDF). The cheapest way to make built-in cabinets is to make them out of MDF. A manufactured wood-based material, MDF is at the heart of most inexpensive factory-made furniture, whether it has a painted or a wood finish. If your goal is to get the most bang for your built-in buck, MDF is your friend.
MDF sands smooth and takes paint well. If the design is good, there is no reason why MDF cannot be employed to make a great piece of built-in furniture. However, any edges or corners made of MDF that are likely to come into contact with other objects should be covered with some solid wood for protection, because MDF is quite soft and will dent easily in these areas.
Unlike plywood, MDF can be carved and shaped, so it is great for making inexpensive raised panels for painted cabinet doors, as well as other curved or molded pieces. However, it is not suitable for use in wet areas.
Finishes. For clear finishes on premium hardwoods, I use traditional, natural finishes like linseed oil and shellac with beeswax polish. These finishes bring out the figure of the timber and add a warm, soft glow. Nothing compares to these old-fashioned finishes!
There are other finishes that can be used where maximum protection is required, but I do not recommend these for most built-in cabinets because they do not age as well as the finishes I prefer and cannot be repaired when damaged.
Built-in cabinets also look great painted. I apply primer and paint in thin coats with a brush until a deep, opaque surface has been achieved. Perfect paint work adds class and durability to any built-in.
What next? Whatever type of built-in furniture you need, I will work with you to select materials and techniques to get the job done within your budget. Give me a call today! 207-805-2088
Brackett Street Woodworks 