Hi all,
I was hoping to get some opinions on the storage unit I'm building (plans below).
It is needed to house my freezer and washing machine in the bottom part of the two tall cabinets. I plan on putting a wardrobe rail and maybe even some drawers in the spaces above. The top section will be for stuff that we never really use.
It is just under 3 metres tall (bottom sections about 1900mm tall and top section about 900mm tall) and made in three sections, 2 of the upright cabinets and a wide cabinet mounted across the top with a recess underneath which will be used to fit a worktop to make it into a little workstation.
I'm planning to use 18mm MDF for everything except the base panels for the upright cabinets. The upright cabinets will be constructed using a piece of 25mm MDF for the bottom (as I figure it needs to be stiffer) with the upright sides sitting on this.
I was planning to fit the uprights to the base and top with a butt joint using biscuits and glue along with drywall screws to hold it together while drying. The uprights will sit on top of the base and the top will sit on top of the uprights.
The top section with the three compartments will be the same, but using 18mm mdf all round and the dividers will form the uprights for the carcase.
I will also use 150mm wide planks of MDF as a spar at the back above the shelf, under the top and above the bottom to stiffen it up. These will go between the sides and be glued/screwed in place on the vertical and horizontal.
I will probably pin hardboard onto the backs of all units to finish them but this isn't in the drawing or model.
I will also have doors cut from MDF and fit them with euro kitchen unit style hinges. Hopefully I will cover these with Whiteboard vinyl to make it a bit more fun.
I suppose my main concerns are whether 18mm MDF will be strong enough for the sides. I'd use ply but it won't have as smooth a finish and will be way more expensive. Also, I'm not sure about whether 25mm MDF will be strong enough for the bases? I might use 25mm ply for the bases only if people reckon MDF would be too risky. Especially given one side will house a freezer and the other will house a washing machine.
Also, would people reccommend waterproofing the inside of where the washing machine has to go? I will use a hole saw to make some vents in the bottom, back and sides for vents and plug access.
Any suggestions on how the design could be improved without a lot of extra complexity or expense would be appreciated.
Thanks, Dougie.
I was hoping to get some opinions on the storage unit I'm building (plans below).
It is needed to house my freezer and washing machine in the bottom part of the two tall cabinets. I plan on putting a wardrobe rail and maybe even some drawers in the spaces above. The top section will be for stuff that we never really use.
It is just under 3 metres tall (bottom sections about 1900mm tall and top section about 900mm tall) and made in three sections, 2 of the upright cabinets and a wide cabinet mounted across the top with a recess underneath which will be used to fit a worktop to make it into a little workstation.
I'm planning to use 18mm MDF for everything except the base panels for the upright cabinets. The upright cabinets will be constructed using a piece of 25mm MDF for the bottom (as I figure it needs to be stiffer) with the upright sides sitting on this.
I was planning to fit the uprights to the base and top with a butt joint using biscuits and glue along with drywall screws to hold it together while drying. The uprights will sit on top of the base and the top will sit on top of the uprights.
The top section with the three compartments will be the same, but using 18mm mdf all round and the dividers will form the uprights for the carcase.
I will also use 150mm wide planks of MDF as a spar at the back above the shelf, under the top and above the bottom to stiffen it up. These will go between the sides and be glued/screwed in place on the vertical and horizontal.
I will probably pin hardboard onto the backs of all units to finish them but this isn't in the drawing or model.
I will also have doors cut from MDF and fit them with euro kitchen unit style hinges. Hopefully I will cover these with Whiteboard vinyl to make it a bit more fun.
I suppose my main concerns are whether 18mm MDF will be strong enough for the sides. I'd use ply but it won't have as smooth a finish and will be way more expensive. Also, I'm not sure about whether 25mm MDF will be strong enough for the bases? I might use 25mm ply for the bases only if people reckon MDF would be too risky. Especially given one side will house a freezer and the other will house a washing machine.
Also, would people reccommend waterproofing the inside of where the washing machine has to go? I will use a hole saw to make some vents in the bottom, back and sides for vents and plug access.
Any suggestions on how the design could be improved without a lot of extra complexity or expense would be appreciated.
Thanks, Dougie.