Club 80-90 Forums

im looking into getting some sheet material for making new cabinets in my van.
Found this at Lavers , now its just round the corner from me so there would be no problem in getting it.
http://www.laveronline.co.uk/sheet-mate ... beech-p184" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Only thing is its MDF do you reckon it would be ok or is there too much danger of moisture ruining it.
Im on a tight buget so watching the pennies.
cheers

It will need sealing to reduce the chance of moisture ingress and it is very heavy.

Those were my concerns. After lots of thinking this afternoon ive decided to go for veneered ply. More expensive but I dont want to be re doing it all after 12 months.

i used furniture board from this place http://www.hpponline.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; it is just over the Pennines from you in Oldham.

Cheers mate

The lightest construction is achieved using ply set into grooves in say 1" square pine strips. Make a few of these to form box units that make cupboards etc. You can make the grooves in the wood by dragging the strips along a bench circular saw. I did that with my buddy seat and its as light as a feather. Get the weight down and your petrol consumption will go up. You can finish the panels however you like including simulated wood grain with a brush dragged through varnish or even trim with thin carpet.

Avoid chipboard or MDF - too heavy.

Couple of questions before we go on to materials.

How handy are you at woodworking.
What access do you have to tools & workshop, circular saw, router & router table etc.

If the answer is not much then I'd stick to contiboard, sod the weight and seal the cut edges with varnish to keep out the damp. All you need is a jigsaw, drill and a few screws.

If you have access to better equipment then faced plywood etc is probably the better option, much lighter and more stable. Frames can be made out of 2x1 a lip cut with the router and everything is flush. Edges can be rounded over etc, or you can buy edging strips which fit into grooves.

Whatever you do don't even try to feed a 1" strip through a saw table to create a groove, blade can easily grab it and convert it into a spear.
If I wanted such an item I would create the grooves with a router on say a 4" wide length of timber, and then cut it into 1" strips with the table saw, using the blade guard, hold downs etc.

Well im no cabinet maker but have router, circular saw, jigsaw etc so should be able to knock summet up. Thanks for the advice. The unit im making is to fit behind the drivers seat and it will house a combined smev hob and sink . Ill also need to house a small fridge. Ill be making the unit free standing out of the van then fitting as a single unit if that makes sense, im making it like that instead of in situ just in case it ever needs to come out . Ill be posting pics of progress in my rebuild thread

Your half way there mate, got all the tools.
I'd consider making a basic router table if you don't have one, so that you can feed the 2x1 etc past the cutters.
Can post a pic of one I made donkeys ago that fits in a workmate if interested, surface is about 3x2 plenty.

If you can post a pic that would be great mate , thanks. Ive built some window frames and a few other bits and pieces but never made owt like cabinets.
Whats the best way to fix the corners together? ive seen smoe plastic moulding that alows you to just slot the pieces in , this also rounds off the cornres nicely. Like i say im a bit of a noob when it comes to this

Just had. one of me dogs to the vets. She seems to be settling down so should be back in the garage this afternoon.

Will take pics of the table and try to explain how I made it. Only difficult part is where the router fits, you need to take the time to get this right or the dust extraction can be compromised.

In the meantime have a look at pocket hole jigs. Mines a Kregg but there are cheaper options from the likes of axminster and machine mart. Invisible joints is the idea.

Underneath of table, note bracing to keep it flat.
Both sides are varnished to both provide a smooth surface and keep out damp.
1/2" timber on edges is to prevent splintering of the plywood.



Close up of router, used the clear plastic dust port to design the hole.
Dust extraction is a must cos the cutter will overheat and the timber will burn. Masking tape is fine for temporarily connecting the vacuum cleaner if you don't have the correct fitting.



Top view of router & cutter.
Note the 2 screw holes on the left and the arc of screw holes on the right, these are for adjusting the "fence" if required. This is nothing more than a piece of 2x2, with a cut out for the router cutting and somewhere for the dust to go. I make the cut out by using a domed cutter in the router, screwing the fence down on the left hand side tightly, and then VERY slowly bringing the right hand edge towards the cutter.
This results in a nice smooth surface for the dust to escape.



For grooves across the end of a piece of timber, make one of these.
The hold downs clamp the timber so it can't move.
Length depends on the size of your table, you need to leave the timber protruding by just over 1/2 the width of your largest cutter. If it's too big the timber being grooved will chatter and splinter.




Last pic tries to explain what the end result should be, and how the fence works.
The only artist I can claim to be has the word p**** in front of it so no apologies!!.



When using ANY router table ALWAYS:-

Use a push stick to hold the timber down and protect your fingers.

Feed timber towards the cutting edge. If you feed from the other side the centre of the router cutter will grab the timber and chuck it like a spear. Spins at around 17,000rpm never forget that.

Feed the timber slowly. Because you are using a table the shaft of the cutter will protrude more than normal, and simple leverage produces more stress on the cutter and the router bearings.
For 6mm ply for example, I'd run all the 2x1 through taking a 2mm cut, reset the router and take another 2mm cut and so on.

If your router has an adjustable depth stop (screw adjustment) this is simple, if not then it's a bit more time consuming.

When using the sled remember to feed timber from the opposite end.

Hope this helps, any questions just ask.
This table is very basic but has created hundreds of meters of picture framing etc, and weighs next to nothing. For heavier stuff I bought a router table insert for my Triton table saw, and use a 1/2" router.
You can always buy a decent fence but they aren't cheap.
For inspiration have a look at Incra stuff, I bought a 30cm ruler years ago it can draw parallel lines 0.25mm apart.

Thats great mate , ill read through it a few times so i fully understand it, the missus is gonna be pleased ive got summet else to make .
Thanks , daz

Explain it this way, not that she will accept or understand it .

With the table you can make stuff, picture framing, shelving, dado rail, garden furniture............
Of course it could mean a "pooh" load of work if she does understand, so maybe best to keep quiet

P.S. If you need longer bolts to attach the router to the table I've probably got them, you can have em for nowt.
Will need to know the thread size though and length so I can cut em to size.

Hi

These guys do some good vinyl finish for wood/ply if you search for them on ebay vinyldepotltd, or direct url http://www.vinyldepot.co.uk/cms.php?id_cms=4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

chris