MDF expands when exposed to water. Think REALLY cheap furniture from Target. A poor choice for kitchen cabinets which will get wet.
Many kitchen cabinets have some portions which are made from particle board which is a slightly higher quality product.
Generally, we use plywood (with the quality varying depending on where it's used in the cabinet) for unexposed surfaces and hardwood where they are exposed (or top quality cabinet grade plywood).
If you are doing plastic laminate you may use particle board for the unexposed surfaces and decent plywood where exposed, or back off to particle board everywhere for a lower quality job.
Hazel's post brings up a good point for all of us to remember. Cambodia's forests are being pillaged -- something that's happening all around the world. Forests are being destroyed, by thugs, sometimes using slave labor.
OP, unless you are doing something unusual we are talking about fabricating with 4'x8' panels. Based on my supplier prices (Midwest) working with MDF is not a bad idea, but here is how it breaks down (all things being relative)(per sheet 3/4"x4x8 hardwood veneer plywood):
Cherry - $140.00
Birch - $125.00
Maple - $88.00
Oak - $67.00
MDF - $31.00
MDF with a paper thin veneer you can glue to it $100.00
You have to use this paper thin veneer anyway on the edges of any cut panels. Guess I wouldn't do #6 but it is a good idea if you want to use some kind of exotic veneer. Don't know about the idea of MDF being unstable, it's a standard for plastic laminate countertop substrates and I would point to IKEA who builds everything with fiber, seems more "green" to me minus the chemicals. Doing some little things these days and been using IKEA cabinets (have wardrobes) built with 3/4" fiber.....$350 for a 36" base cabinet including doors? You can't buy the plywood for that.
Alisa, I'd recommend finding a good cabinetmaker and asking their advice. I'm assuming you're a designer and won't actually be *building* the cabinets yourself? Get recommendations for custom cabinetmakers and then talk to them about your needs: wet room, dry, hard use, etc. Painted or not? They can recommend good standards of practice to make you happy and keep you coming back to hire them again for other projects.
As per my experience, Oak/Rift Oak wood is perfect for kitchen cabinet. Oak has a very strong, open-grain pattern and tawny patina, from a salmon red to dark cinnamon. It may include random worm holes, mineral deposits, knots and wild-grain patterns. If you want good quality wood so I would like to suggest you use Oak/Rift Oak wood
Jul 7, 15 3:53 am ·
·
If you want engineered wood based products.... consider HDF if not exposed to lots of water and possibly a glued on surface material for the plates to rest on.
I would prefer using real wood products over HDF or any of this plywood, particle board, fiber board stuff for cabinetry because when you use real wood, you really can craft it.
Dimensionally stable wood if very important. In addition, when using more than one species, you need to take into account their dimensional stability / expansion and contraction and for god f---ing sake, don't use the morons who can't be trusted to with a hammer on rough carpentry. Use someone that is a craftsman with fine carpentry skill.
Look for people like Ed Overbay or Overbay Houseworks not rough carpenter joe blow moron.
Otherwise, you are better off buying pre-manufactured cabinets and installing it yourself.
The rough carpenters might be capable of nailing it to the wall but if they are using 16 penny nail and about nail it in a visually exposed surface area of the cabinet then you need to take the hammer and nail away from the idiot. It is fine to use large nails but they should only be used in spots that will be covered and shrouded. In cabinetry, the only nails that should be used in exposed areas are small finish nails/brads.
There is a visual art and taste and I seen good and I seen shit jobs.
If you look at what high quality cabinets that are pre-made are made of, they are usually materials used by craftsmen in custom cabinetry. The main difference is a craftsman may use better quality craft and more character to the work and may use some woods that are particularly exotic and not used regularly in mass production pieces.
Some example of good wood besides oak is cherry & maple and white oak & claro walnut. Take note of the combinations. They work together not just by look in terms of purposeful contrast but they are also compatible material wise.
Take a look at these examples in the gallery section at the following link. Take note that this can work for cabinets as they do for these other applications.
Other common wood includes Mahogany and another example of a combo is walnut & pecan and cherry & rosewood. If the material is available then the use can be greatly used to great effect.
The core focus while designing a modular kitchen design goes to the kitchen cabinets. The latest designs and styles of kitchen cabinets and different accessories can enhance your kitchen design to heights. Before deciding on your cabinets and accessories, one should be clear about the materials used to create them. Keeping a clear knowledge about the materials will help you create a durable kitchen at affordable prices. Materials play a very important role when it comes to the look and feel of different modular kitchen designs. So following are the best materials which can be used for modular kitchen cabinets.
Bamboo plywood is elegant for faces and requires no edging. Other hardwood plywoods can warp. Phoenolic and Baltic Birch are also quite stable, but expensive. I use Black Phoenolic for economical countertops. MDO plywood is another good option
I bought a 40 years old house in 2010. Everything in the kitchen is real wood. Thanks God. All I needed to do is resanding and repaint the old cabinets in the kitchen.
I say away from all those shiny IKEA kitchen cabinet.
I love slick modern designs, I just don't like the sawdust beneath them.
If money and time are tight, go for MDF. It is not the end of the world.
Nov 15, 18 9:34 pm ·
·
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What type of hardwood Is good for Kitchen cabinets and wardrobe panels?
I'm less Experiened and planning to make Kitchen and wardrobe cabinets with MDF wood, any one has experience with MDF and how good they are?
"good" as in dimensional stable and unlikely to warp but not as durable as hard wood
you'll have to do either a really good paint job or use high quality laminates
MDF is not wood.
MDF is to wood as sausage is to pig.
"Less experienced" and "planning to make Kitchen [sic] ... cabinets" sounds like a recipe for disaster.
^ A finely ground sausage with a lot of filler, that isn't very tasty. Like baloney.
MDF expands when exposed to water. Think REALLY cheap furniture from Target. A poor choice for kitchen cabinets which will get wet.
Many kitchen cabinets have some portions which are made from particle board which is a slightly higher quality product.
Generally, we use plywood (with the quality varying depending on where it's used in the cabinet) for unexposed surfaces and hardwood where they are exposed (or top quality cabinet grade plywood).
If you are doing plastic laminate you may use particle board for the unexposed surfaces and decent plywood where exposed, or back off to particle board everywhere for a lower quality job.
Even Home Depot carries veneer plywood, Maple and Red Oak...
Hazel's post brings up a good point for all of us to remember. Cambodia's forests are being pillaged -- something that's happening all around the world. Forests are being destroyed, by thugs, sometimes using slave labor.
Enjoy those new cabinets, Hazel.
MDF can be used for kitchen cabinets, except the one under the sink. Better to use plywood for these.
OP, unless you are doing something unusual we are talking about fabricating with 4'x8' panels. Based on my supplier prices (Midwest) working with MDF is not a bad idea, but here is how it breaks down (all things being relative)(per sheet 3/4"x4x8 hardwood veneer plywood):
You have to use this paper thin veneer anyway on the edges of any cut panels. Guess I wouldn't do #6 but it is a good idea if you want to use some kind of exotic veneer. Don't know about the idea of MDF being unstable, it's a standard for plastic laminate countertop substrates and I would point to IKEA who builds everything with fiber, seems more "green" to me minus the chemicals. Doing some little things these days and been using IKEA cabinets (have wardrobes) built with 3/4" fiber.....$350 for a 36" base cabinet including doors? You can't buy the plywood for that.
Alisa, I'd recommend finding a good cabinetmaker and asking their advice. I'm assuming you're a designer and won't actually be *building* the cabinets yourself? Get recommendations for custom cabinetmakers and then talk to them about your needs: wet room, dry, hard use, etc. Painted or not? They can recommend good standards of practice to make you happy and keep you coming back to hire them again for other projects.
I would like to suggest you to use MDF powder coating to make your kitchen cabinet more shiny and durable. ALso the coating is resistant to heat.
So now they are spraying MDF like gunite? Gotta love that soft papery finish.
Yikes...we talking wood here?
Hi
As per my experience, Oak/Rift Oak wood is perfect for kitchen cabinet. Oak has a very strong, open-grain pattern and tawny patina, from a salmon red to dark cinnamon. It may include random worm holes, mineral deposits, knots and wild-grain patterns. If you want good quality wood so I would like to suggest you use Oak/Rift Oak wood
If you want engineered wood based products.... consider HDF if not exposed to lots of water and possibly a glued on surface material for the plates to rest on.
I would prefer using real wood products over HDF or any of this plywood, particle board, fiber board stuff for cabinetry because when you use real wood, you really can craft it.
Dimensionally stable wood if very important. In addition, when using more than one species, you need to take into account their dimensional stability / expansion and contraction and for god f---ing sake, don't use the morons who can't be trusted to with a hammer on rough carpentry. Use someone that is a craftsman with fine carpentry skill.
Look for people like Ed Overbay or Overbay Houseworks not rough carpenter joe blow moron.
Otherwise, you are better off buying pre-manufactured cabinets and installing it yourself.
The rough carpenters might be capable of nailing it to the wall but if they are using 16 penny nail and about nail it in a visually exposed surface area of the cabinet then you need to take the hammer and nail away from the idiot. It is fine to use large nails but they should only be used in spots that will be covered and shrouded. In cabinetry, the only nails that should be used in exposed areas are small finish nails/brads.
There is a visual art and taste and I seen good and I seen shit jobs.
If you look at what high quality cabinets that are pre-made are made of, they are usually materials used by craftsmen in custom cabinetry. The main difference is a craftsman may use better quality craft and more character to the work and may use some woods that are particularly exotic and not used regularly in mass production pieces.
Some example of good wood besides oak is cherry & maple and white oak & claro walnut. Take note of the combinations. They work together not just by look in terms of purposeful contrast but they are also compatible material wise.
Take a look at these examples in the gallery section at the following link. Take note that this can work for cabinets as they do for these other applications.
Other common wood includes Mahogany and another example of a combo is walnut & pecan and cherry & rosewood. If the material is available then the use can be greatly used to great effect.
http://www.overbayhouseworks.com/index.html
Overbay Houseworks
A good choice of HDF is here http://www.dmanufacturies.ru/products/2/
The core focus while designing a modular kitchen design goes to the kitchen cabinets. The latest designs and styles of kitchen cabinets and different accessories can enhance your kitchen design to heights. Before deciding on your cabinets and accessories, one should be clear about the materials used to create them. Keeping a clear knowledge about the materials will help you create a durable kitchen at affordable prices. Materials play a very important role when it comes to the look and feel of different modular kitchen designs. So following are the best materials which can be used for modular kitchen cabinets.
Bamboo plywood is elegant for faces and requires no edging. Other hardwood plywoods can warp. Phoenolic and Baltic Birch are also quite stable, but expensive. I use Black Phoenolic for economical countertops. MDO plywood is another good option
I bought a 40 years old house in 2010. Everything in the kitchen is real wood. Thanks God. All I needed to do is resanding and repaint the old cabinets in the kitchen.
I say away from all those shiny IKEA kitchen cabinet.
I love slick modern designs, I just don't like the sawdust beneath them.
If money and time are tight, go for MDF. It is not the end of the world.
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