alcove cupboard

[Kat74]

Hi,
I'm planning on making a cupboard in a chimney breast alcove.
THe lower half of the alcove currently is a cupboard, with open shelves above. I want to leave 1 open shelf in the middle and put a pair of doors over the upper shelves. The current shelves are recessed enough to accommodate the doors within the alcove.
So...is it just a case of putting a frame round the alcove, with doors and hinges, are there other things I need to consider?
I want to make the doors out of mdf panels with fancy holes cut into them (can get them from diy shop). I can also buy wooden strips with a slot cut down the middle for sliding the panel into (sorry, i have no idea of the proper names for any of this stuff). So, if i mitre cut the corners, glue the panel into the slots and the secure the corners with l-shaped brackets, does this sound about right?
I think I have planned it properly, but i don't want to miss anything simple!
thanks.

 

[Scrit]

So...is it just a case of putting a frame round the alcove, with doors and hinges, are there other things I need to consider?

Probably just that. Four pieces of MDF fixed together at the corners with dowels would do the job well - screwing MDF so near to an edge would possibly causethe material to split. Alternatively a frame could be made from 2 x 1in PAR (planed al;l round) pine from the local timber merchant.

I want to make the doors out of mdf panels with fancy holes cut into them (can get them from diy shop). I can also buy wooden strips with a slot cut down the middle for sliding the panel into (sorry, i have no idea of the proper names for any of this stuff). So, if I mitre cut the corners, glue the panel into the slots and the secure the corners with l-shaped brackets, does this sound about right?

Mitre cutting and jointing an be a bit tricky. Do you have access to a router? I'd think in terms of routing a recess out of the middle of your piece of MDF with a rebate in it, then holding your decorative panel in blace with a beading.

Scrit

 

[big-all]

you could always butt join with screws and fill the holes copying a near by door for design
if you don't have a router you could also fix your panel to the back of the frame off the door but this will look rather "chunky"
you could pin some 6mm strips to the back inside edge that will form the equivilent of a rebate to to sit your panel in before your mitred moulding holds it in

[see scrit didnt mention scribe once ooo bu6 6er ]

 

[Kat74]

thanks guys.
I don't have access to a router.
I'll have a think about the suggestions before attempting it then!

 

[Scrit]

[see scrit didnt mention scribe once ooo bu6 6er ]

I will if you want, but Joe-90 is probably watching........

 

[big-all]

[see scrit didnt mention scribe once ooo bu6 6er ]

I will if you want, but Joe-90 is probably watching........

l o l ssshhhhh

 

[Scrit]

Kat

Just had a ponder about this and here's another solution:

I'm assuming that your deco screen is made from MDF here and is 3 to 4 mm thick. Cut your two pieces of screen for the doors to the exact size of the doors less 16mm width and 16mm height. So if the doors need to be 570 high x 300 wide finished size cut the screen pieces to 554 x 284mm. Cut four strips of 15mm (or 12mm) thick MDF for the sides and top/bottom of the "frame". Glue the "frame" parts onto the fronts of the screens. Cut four strips of 8mm MDF to go round the outside edges of the door and glue in place. You now have a framed door with a screen in the middle. Might look a bit cheesy at the back, but the outside looks cool. Potentially.

Scrit