Working with oak veneered MDF

[Deluks]

I'm (hopefully) soon to be making a built in wardrobe against 2 walls (with a small alcove in the corner) and have suggested oak veneered 18mm mdf for the panels, doors and drawers.
Doing this in plain mdf is obviously an easier process, as you can route, shape, drill/fill/paint wherever fixings need to go. I can see this being a problem with pre-finished board.

My first concern is edging, can happily use iron-on strip and finish off with 1/4" lammy trimmer, but don't want it all looking like a 'flat' and 'lifeless' monolith.

I notice that Ikea sell oak veneered doors with a slightly rounded edging which is a few mm thick. How best to recreate this? (any suppliers about that sell this?)

...what about ally or stainless door edging that runs full length of the door?

The other concern is fixing it together. Dowels spring to mind, modesty blocks won't look too hot IMO, neither will running lengths of 2x1 all over the place.

decorative shelf supports that will also help hold it all together would be useful.

Maybe a nice looking metal bracket in stainless? something like this specifically the tiny support bracket, not the massive main one.

Overall size to be about 2200wx600dx2400h. Deeper into the alcove, for which I might recess the frame, so that 1 of the doors is set back from the others.

Ideas & thoughts?

 

[big-all]

you could edge the doors with real wood a contrasting colour 12mm x18mm[door thickness] also the exposed edges inside even if they are mdf to tie in the look then you can mould the edges as you please

assuming you are using kitchen type hinges allow a minimum 4"infill panel each side for scribing to the wall
take a 3" strip off your board sit on the inside in an "L" shape to mount the hinges on
you can use blocks 2x2" brackets what ever you fancy and you wont see them behind the 3"

 

[Deluks]

you could edge the doors with real wood a contrasting colour 12mm x18mm[door thickness] also the exposed edges inside even if they are mdf to tie in the look then you can mould the edges as you please.

I was hoping burbridge or similar do an off the shelf moulding or stripwood for this, nice idea about the contrasting colour as I imagine matching oak will be difficult and end up looking slightly 'off colour'.
Going darker sounds appealing.

"allow a minimum 4"infill panel each side for scribing to the wall"

not quite getting you?

"take a 3" strip off your board sit on the inside in an "L" shape to mount the hinges on"

Think I geddit/ use a 'false panel' inside to cover the wall fixing and a strip down the front to finish it off? set back inside the cupboard of flush with the outer face?


L shape to mount the hinges? (Blum concealed kitchen jobbies) I was going to mount these straight onto the inside of the left hand panel.


A drawer unit will sit inside on the base. As these need to open clear of the doors, I've been thinking of building a section of compartments running full height down the far left hand side, this would also add rigidity. If I were to fix this all together with KD fittings, do you reckoin that would be any stronger than just dowel and glue?

thinkingasImtypinghere: I suppose a 2x2 frame at the top, fixed to the ceiling and hidden under a top panel/front plinth @ top would tie it all together nicely?

 

[Deluks]

Anyone used these rafix cams? look fairly unintrusive.

http://www.bkservicesonline.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=6683

 

[big-all]

sorry not explained very well

assuming your between 2 walls you have a 4" strip for scribing 2/3or 4 doors then another 4" strip
the reason for a 4" strip is it covers deviations better loosing an inch on a 4" strip looks better than loosing an inch on a 2" strip
also means you have a bit off room to work into

i prefer ripping down 20mmx20mm strips for joining at corners [like the 3" for supporting the hinges as above] screw every 6 to 8 inches along its length
it allows you start 5mm in from 1 edge and at a 10 degreeish angle you enter the material and dont get so close to the edge it breaks out

incidently the 3" bits are added last with the batton already attached to allow you to work in the corner

cam dowels yep they are good but a lot off farting about making jigs lol