Dear Screwfixers, Hoping your collective wisdom can help me out once again. As part of kitchen renovation I’ve built a larder in the corner. Next job is to size and fit some doors. Hopefully picture and plan from the following links give you an idea of where I am at (waiting on plasterer’s visit next week before final measurements for casing and doors). Links here (on the webpage if dialogue box pops up, just click the blue text "No, thanks. Continue to view"): https://www.dropbox.com/s/gqe257nd96txk9x/DSC_1057.JPG?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/820zknw0lik2435/Larder Plan.png?dl=0 CASING I was planning to simply make a box (fitted square obviously) out of four runs of 18mm MDF. The uprights either side need to be 2520mm so need an outsize sheet of MDF which I think I have sourced. DOORS Two doors of same size (roughly 2475 x 455 x 18mm) again out of MDF. I’m planning to use the reverse of each to stow some slim-line steps and an ironing board which I guess adds a bit to overall weight. HINGES I was going to go for these: http://www.screwfix.com/p/hafele-soft-close-clip-on-concealed-hinges-110-64mm-2-pack/9205j Q1 - How to have the doors ‘stop’. Should I have a casing within the main casing for these to close against? Or something top and bottom? Q2 - Any issues with this approach in terms of the door size and material in terms of weight or warping? Q3 – Would the hinges be a good option? If so how many do you think I should have per door? I was considering 5 each side for the weight. Cheers in advance all. D
The doors are tall and narrow by the sounds of your description. (Floor to ceiling) They will feel kind of "floppy and bendy" when using them made from 18mm MDF. Also too soft so they will damage easily on corners. You could put a thin strip of say doorstop or 25mm around the edges. More work in cutting and planing though plus lots of clamping. You could use blockboard for doors (light and rigid) but again you'd have to cover the edges. 18mm Plywood or even thicker maybe best. What will your doors look like? Just plain flush? Or perhaps panelled effect. Do the doors have to be so tall? Making doors is a lot of work. Perhaps off the shelf will save you a lot of time. I think Screwfix do some cupboard doors at 450mm wide but they are standard height.
I would make the cupboard box and then put a face frame in front of it. The box 18mm. the face frame 25mm. The doors, stiles and rails 25mm. the panels 6mm. Usually I line the frame edge with parting beading and hang with a butt hinge. Which gives you that shaker/victoriana look. The modernist look would need blum hinges. When making the face frame, fix strip wood to make the door stops. A decent timber yard can source the mdf and cut it to size for you and deliver.
Thanks for your thoughts Nixy. As storage is an issue in flat and kitchen I'm trying to squeeze every last sq inch out of it. I plan to use twin slot shelving to allow storage to be felxible to need, therefore the need for full length doors. Doors are going to be plain and flush except for a routed out edge top to bottom where the two doors meet to emulate the design of the units (see here): http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/images/products/voxtorp-door-white__0448731_pe598353_s4.jpg Plan to get the wood cut and routed by Fulham Timber so in that sense they'll be ready made. I'll ask for their advice also but assuming it can be routed on the edge, sounds like plywood of some thickness a good approach. Cheers, D
Thanks. A bit of a novice learning as fast as I can, so a few questions: Face frame, do you mean like an arcitrave frame to cover where the box meets the frame / plasterboard for neatness? When you talk of face frame, stiles, rails, panels what are these? Are these the components of doors with a panel effect (as Nixy mentioned)? If so doors are going to be plain and flush (i.e one piece per door). If not, could you elaborate?
The face frame is all the thing you see from the front, including the edges and the doors. the stiles are vertical sections the rails horizontal and applicable to any basic frame construction. the panels fill out the spaces between the framing. I make a door as such as they are lighter than a lumpen sheet of mdf. and i don't like concealed hinge technology and styles.
I think your best bet is to try and reduce you height to 2440 or less cuz otherwise you'd need a 3m sheet of mdf and not many people stock them(no diy sheds anyway) ...always try to work to standard sizes to make things easier. Avoid the blum style hinges as youd need a forstner bit which are expensive and its hard to get the depth right and easy to go to deep, try maybe 4x flush cabinet hinges on each side for strength. As for door stop just put another length of something top and bottom eg planed 2x1 for them to rest against. Run block plane round edges to give slight chamfer , sand , gloss and voila!
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