I suppose the moral of this story is only post when you have a suggestion that answers the question, this way people won't misunderstand your intention. I try to work on the principle the people I am replying to have as much, if not more experience than myself, and they may only be asking a question to see if anyone else has come up with a new or innovative idea. This way I avoid sounding superior and offensive.
Many people in this forum have considerable knowledge of a variety of subjects. While I have no experience of building a puppet theatres or swords, I have renovated a number of houses, built a wide selection of furniture in a variety of materials, hold qualifications as an electrician, an honours degree in psychology and HNC in electronics, a Dip. in clinical work and I can cook. However, all this experience and knowledge does not mean I know everything about everything, and I am not too proud to ask my neighbour if I think he knows something that would be helpful, I like to think my neighbour feels the same if I can help him.
I accept Dewy was not trying to be offensive, perhaps he might try modifying his posts to make that clear in the future. If you are new to forums Dewy, you might like to learn from this experience.
The answer to the question was, for those interested. Edge the boards in a matching veneer and trim, ideally with a veneer edge trimmer, use flour paper if you can get it, if not 1200 grit wet and dry before the first coat of sanding sealer, then between all subsequent coats. It's best to leave any shelf holes until all the coats have been applied.
As to the structure. It is a 6 piece cabinet used in a transitional position which dictates that it should not conflict with furniture in two adjoining spaces. MDF was chosen because the house has underfloor heating which means drying out during the winter and humidity in the summer might cause too much movement in solid timber. Equally cost was a consideration, though it's worth noting veneered MDF is not that much cheaper than the equivalent hardwood.
The structure will be assembled using dry biscuits and glued edges. The nature of the assembly is such that rabbit joints were not necessary. The assembly will also include two glass display cabs with LED lighting.
The complexity of this particular assembly took several weeks to design because the position it will occupy is asymmetrical. I used Turbo Cad to do this, which allowed me to create a complete build including joints even before I picked up a tool. It also allowed me to generate cut sheets that my supplier could use which showed grain direction and minimised waste on the project.
If Dewy has any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask
