Hollow-core 3-ply faced wardrobe doors - any tips ?

[Muzungo]

I'm thinking of building a fitted wardrobe, but off-the peg doors are expensive, so I'm thinking 30mm timber frames faced with 3-ply.

I've been looking everywhere for carpentry books with plans, but can't find anything - anyone have any tips ?

Also, when building the frame to take the doors (2m60 high, with a split at 2m) should I use lap joints and screws, nails or what ?

I'm trying to keep construction time down to a minimum, so I'm after a design that is as simple as possible, with the lowest number of rebates etc.

Many thanks

 

[JohnD]

Are you thinking of painting, papering or staining them?

IMO ply wardrobes doors alway looks a bit amateurish when you can see its surface. They can blend in well if decorated to match the walls (hence my wallpaper).

 

[big-all]

when your cutting the 600mm cut it off the bottom then when your using it as an overhead cupboard door you will see the factory edge underneath
and any splintering will be at the very top and bottom away from eye line


or make your own 4mm mdf machine cut at bxq
edge with 2x1"planed timber butt joint on the top and bottom support every 2ft
then faced with another 4mm sheet

 

[Muzungo]

Many thanks for the replies - good tips... I hope that if I punch down the pins, fill in with surface filler and sand theywon't look too bad. I find that cutting ply in between two sacrificial bits is the best way to avoid splintering...
Of course the alternative is to buy bog-standard IKEA doors (which at £ 25 each are beginning to look attractive). On the other hand, that would tie me to very particular frame thicknesses (or the hinges won't match up - they're designed for their standard-thickness carcasses - which I have a feeling are 10mm)
For the frame, I'm beginning to think mortice and tenon - either with a router jig, or a morticing machine (the Clarke from Machine Mart is about £ 100 - might not be the best kit in the world, but it ain't paying my rent, and its good enough for softwood)

 

[Scrit]

Mortise and tenon will take forever and drive you potty unless the timbers are all square and cinsistently dimensioned (not likely with B&Q babanna pne IMHO). Why not just go for 18mm MDF for the carcass and doors? If you want a thicker (30mm) appearance to the doors then glue a "frame" of 12mm MDF round the edges of the 18mm MDF. For the quickest jointing I'd recommend black phosphated carcass screws with some PU (polyurethane - wear gloves with this stuff) or PVA glue along the joints for extra strength. If you don't want to be bothered by painting the carcass then use 18mm MFC (melamine-faced chipboard) and edge band it with iron-on edging.

The old fashioned way to construct a built-in was to nail together a frame of 2 x 2 in pine then clad it with 1/4 or 3/8 in plywood glues and pinned in place. No need to mortise and tenon as the glue area of the claddingh on the frame will give all the suopport you'll need. BTW, MDF would give a better painting surface - it's much smoother, the edges don't rag out like plywood and it's cheaper, too.

Scrit

 

[Muzungo]

I see your point on the MDF - but I'm not a fan of the stuff for doors - mostly due to the weight.
If I go with IKEA doors, I have to use at least 20mm on the carcases or the hinges will give me grief.

Yes the mortice and tenons would take a while, but its an excuse to a buy a nice jig:
Either the Trend (http://www.trendmachinery.co.uk/mtjig/) at around £ 170, or if I could go nuts and get a Leigh (http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/2/product-Leigh-Mortice-and-Tenon-Jig-33054.htm) at around £ 590. Or I could go for a bench mortiser (£ 250 for a Metabo, £110 for a cheapo) and cut the shoulders with a rebate bit

Or I could take the easy route and nail the frame together (maybe with the odd halving joint)..

 

[Scrit]

If I go with IKEA doors, I have to use at least 20mm on the carcases or the hinges will give me grief.

Why? Whayt sort of hibnges are you going to use? The easy option might be to overlay the doors and use something like these Blum face-frame hinges:

See here for full details

Yes the mortice and tenons would take a while, but its an excuse to a buy a nice jig - or I could go for a bench mortiser and cut the shoulders with a rebate bit

Don't forget the price of a decent mortising set (£25 or so for a Japanese set - avoid the Chaiwanese like the plague)

Or I could take the easy route and nail the frame together (maybe with the odd halving joint).

As I said before, skin a frame like that and nailing it or halving it will be more than adequate so long as you fix to the floor, walls abnd ceiling as well

Scrit

 

[Muzungo]

Why? Whayt sort of hibnges are you going to use?

I was going to be cheap and use the hinges that come with the IKEA doors
I think the idea of framing up and skinning my own doors has gone by the wayside - the other half says she doesn't want to live with the smell of paint
Compromise plan - self-built frame (combination of ply or mdf plus 20x20mm and 20x40mm timbers), 2m IKEA doors, and space above screened by a curtain 60cm drop, 3m width - perfect for suitcases and shipping cartons.

I think my problem is I'm trying to plan with too little information - I need to get up to IKEA and find out just how thick those carcasses are - that will determine the frame material, and whether or not I can use the existing hinges

 

[Scrit]

I think my problem is I'm trying to plan with too little information - I need to get up to IKEA and find out just how thick those carcasses are - that will determine the frame material, and whether or not I can use the existing hinges

IKEA tend to use 15 or 16mm carcasses (some are 18mm) with 16 or 18mm doors. Are you sure the doors come with hinges? If they do they'll probably be cup hinges - in most cases these need to have the carcass mounting plate drill holes inset 37mm from the front surface of the carcass and will need about a further 10mm behind that for support. The holes are generally drilled 32mm apart vertically (these are de-facto standards)

Scrit

 

[Muzungo]

IKEA tend to use 15 or 16mm carcasses (some are 18mm) with 16 or 18mm doors.

You are a star ! - yes the doors come with the hinges, so I want to try and re-use them. If they use 15 or 16, I'll have to go for two sheets of 18mm ply, and live with a 4 to 6mm gap between door edges