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Hi

I have been looking at making my own kitchen doors from MDF, I like the idea of the shaker style, 12mm MDF with 6mm border and routed T&G grooves, is this difficult to do ? Are there any problems glueing 6mm border MDF onto 12mm ? I have router and bits but no table saw, I have circular saw, is it possible to cut doors with circular saw,What tool do i need for cutting hinge holes ?Any other advice would be appreciated.

Many Thanks In Advance

The best way to get your sizes right is to get the 8 x 4 sheets cut by BnQ on their panel saw. Also get strips of 6mm cut there so all you have to do is cut the strips to fit. Cutting the grooves is straght forward but it is worth making a jig up and use the router collar guide for the repetitve passs. Gluing the strips on you wil need some hand cramps. If you pin them the surface tends to bubble around the pin head when it gets wet during painting,

MDF is horrible and dangeorus to work with as the dust particles are very small and they irritate the skin. Use a good mask, goggles and gloves and if possiblle work outside.

The MDF cut edges are the pain as any cut edge will go furry and there are various methods to seal the edges one being coat in PVA and rub back.

Sinking the hinge mortice is easy but you need to take care on the position of the centre. You will need one of these http://www.tooldirect.co.uk/product/dra ... cutter.htm

MDF needs a good primer and you can use two coats of MDF primer. Painting MDF is a bleeding nuisance.

Errr....think that is it.

DWD

DWD

Many thanks for your quick response, with MDF being a pain to work with, do you recommend any other sheet material, if i use wood what would be your recommendation ? Ii would like a beech finish, how do i get a good finish with stain other than using varnish ? Or is varnish a must

Many Thanks Again

You would not be able to get a Beech finish on MDF using paint or varnish. The doors you see with a finish like that are created using a plastic foil that is made in a factory process that cannot be replicated in a DIY form.

You are wandering into the realms of making up doors from hardwood but you need a lot of kit to do it. I make up hardwood doors on occasion but the process is not cost effective. I would have a good trawl through kitchen door suppliers as you can find really good deals that are hard to beat making them up yourself.

I like to encourage folk to have a go at making their own bits and pieces but I cannot think of a solution for you that you could do with limited tools.

A painted shaker door in MDF is achievable so you may wish to reconsider the finish.

DWD

Hi
Thanks again for the reply, I did'nt explain very well, I meant to say if MDF can cause me problems is the a natural wood i could use and stain instead of MDF or would the cost be to much, If so what wood could i use and how could i finish once stained.

Thanks Again

It isn't the cost of timber that is an issue, as the cost is far outweighed by the finished look compared to mdf. It is the skill level that is needed to actually make the doors.

With timber there isn't any need to stain the doors, you just need to give a protective coating of laquer. Sprayed would be better than brushed. So again comes down to skill levels.

You have a router and bits. So this means you could make the doors with biscuit joints as opposed to mortice and tennon.

You wanted a beech finish.......get beech and do it out of that.

But there lays the problem in that you cannot find beech PAR in sizes to make door frames. Cutting grooves for the 6mm veneered panel is achievable in a hand held router but a table router would be better and safer. .

I buy rough sawn hardwood and prepare it through my bench planer and thicknesser and this takes a fair amount of time and application. Material cost for an average cabinet door is around £10 plus labour. GSX would have to buy a biscuit jointer as well as a number of cutters to do the job and I feel that it would just not be cost effective.

DWD

Hi dewalt

Thats why I mentioned skill levels lol. It all sounds easy in writing but in practice it isn't. few biscuits, or mortice and tennon and grooves, but then what about the skill to assemble squarely, or the skill to draw rods, or the knowledge to know if you should joint first or do mouldings first.

Decent yard would supply par timber to his sizes. They would also supply to his lengths if he gave them a cutting list. All, as you say at a cost which starts to outweigh the cost of buying mass produced doors.

Hi
Many thanks for your replies, as you say skill levels will come into it, i do have a router table and i wish i did have the skills, if i knew step by step i might stand a chance, so lf i return to my first idea of MDF 12mm doors with 6mm borders T&G grooves and painted.
Can you please give any advice you can on this i have 11 doors to make plus hinge holes, i only have circular saw, 1/2 router, table, framing square and a few other tools for this job, oh and lots of enthusiam, can it be done ?.
If so best way to seal sawn MDF and best paint etc.

If i am jealous of anyone its a carpenter (If Only)

Many Thanks

Yes it can be done with circular saw but it is lengthy process and pain in the bum.

It is easier to get mdf from good timber yard and they will be able to cut to size for you. All you need to do is pop in and see them and give them a cutting list.

Then all you have to do is trim the doors and fit hinges.

I think Dewalt already covered painting. MDF primer and then I would use eggshell. Seal edges with pva before priming.

I read this thread with interest cos I've got a job wanting shaker style doors in MDF, think I'll do the border in 6mm stuck onto 12mm backing as proposed.

I would just get everything precut to size at Arnold Lavers and stick it together I reckon! Precutting at the timber yard is very useful, just plan it all out well beforehand with the dimensikons you need. This is how I did a simple furniture commission recently, in maple veneered MDF, fixed together with Miller Dowels, turned out well.

I didn't get the discussion about tongue and groove - is this for where the ends of the 6mm borders meet each other? I wonder if its even necessary if it's all glued up to a backing, and the ends butt-glued to each other??

GSX, did you consider using veneered MDF? It would be feasible to do the doors as proposed, and just iron on a veneer strip at the edges, though fiddly with the 6mm MDF. This would give a genuine wood finish with, in my opinion, not a very high skill level.

You can get heat activated adhesive-backed veneer strips that go on great with a domestic iron. Put them on a few mm over size, than sand the edge flaps at a 45 degree angle until they break through and you get a great edge. Arnold Lavers do a range of veneers, I used maple, about £40 or so for an 18mm 8" x 4" sheet.

Hi TM, I think he was talking about grooves on the main panel like this http://www.basicallydoors.co.uk/newport ... omset.html

Easy enough to do with a jig but the MDF furry edge is a problem.

As stated you can save a lot of work with a good cutting list to make the best of the 8 by 4 sheets.

DWD

I love cutting lists. had to do them all the time at college and still do them now. Just part of the order of getting from A to finished.

I did a display cabinet in Holloway for a regular client. her husband is paramedic and was on nights so asleep during part of the day. Gave cutting list to timber/joinery yard, even had all the doors made at same time. picked them up and the only noise was from battery drill. Client loved it. wasn't any dearer than me doing the cutting either.

Should be back there next week so can take pics of it and the two bathrooms I did in the house plus kitchen. Gradually will get pics of work back that I lost when old laptop crashed.

Ok thanks for all the replies, one more question is there likely to be any problems when gluing the 6mm MDF border to the 12mm MDF door panel or is pva and clamp up ok.

Cheers

Yes PVA is fine. Coat the edges in PVA too as this will raise and seal the fury edge somewhat. Do not sand the face sides.

Good luck and post some pics when you have done.

DWD