- Messages
- 11,635
- Location
- Constantine, MI
OK - I'm being tempted. Disappointed with the offerings from both the big box store and custom suppliers, I'm seriously considering building my own. I'm looking into contracting out the drawers, but doing the boxes, face frames, and doors myself.
I've priced out pre-finished plywood for the boxes - $98 for maple, $68 for birch. As for the material for the face frames and doors, I'm considering vertical grain doug fir. It will match the woodwork in the house and will give the "arts & crafts" look I'm going for. My supplier stocks VG DF A/A plywood in both 1/4 an 3/4. (In the west many, if not most, of the turn of the century bungalows were trimmed out with DF, even the built-ins. QSWO was just not as plentiful this far west of the Mississippi.)
Question - VG DF is not the hardest of woods. Is this going to be a real drawback or just something I need to be aware of in building and maintaining them? I'd rather not go with a 'conventional' cabinet wood - what's the use of a custom built cabinet if it looks like one off the shelf?
Anyone have a preference for the pre-finished? Maple or birch? Seems to me the maple might hold up, and look, better.
I've priced out pre-finished plywood for the boxes - $98 for maple, $68 for birch. As for the material for the face frames and doors, I'm considering vertical grain doug fir. It will match the woodwork in the house and will give the "arts & crafts" look I'm going for. My supplier stocks VG DF A/A plywood in both 1/4 an 3/4. (In the west many, if not most, of the turn of the century bungalows were trimmed out with DF, even the built-ins. QSWO was just not as plentiful this far west of the Mississippi.)
Question - VG DF is not the hardest of woods. Is this going to be a real drawback or just something I need to be aware of in building and maintaining them? I'd rather not go with a 'conventional' cabinet wood - what's the use of a custom built cabinet if it looks like one off the shelf?
Anyone have a preference for the pre-finished? Maple or birch? Seems to me the maple might hold up, and look, better.