Materials and processes
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The choices your client makes will depend on the appearance and quality they're looking for and, of course, their budget.
Below are the main materials used in cabinet carcases, doors and drawers.
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Solid timber
Solid timber has prestige. But it's also expensive, particularly when high grade hardwoods are used. These days, solid timber is generally limited to doors, drawer fronts, bench tops and other parts that are in full view.
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The centre panel is typically in laminated timber, plywood, MDF or glass.
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CNC (computer numerical controlled) routers are often used for cutting the profile, especially when it is also being shaped to a curve.
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Particleboard
Particleboard, also called chipboard, is made of wood particles bonded together with a synthetic resin. It is very stable and has reasonable strength when used as panelling and shelving, as long as it is properly supported.
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This makes the boards economical to produce and provides a consistent density for holding screws and nails.
However, it's not water resistant, and if the board gets wet it will 'blow up' or swell.
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The board has a greenish tinge, and is most often used in kitchens and bathroom cabinets.
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Once the boards are cut to size, they can also be edge-stripped with melamine or solid timber.
White melamine is the most popular veneer for internal carcases and shelving, and is often simply called whiteboard.
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When the installation contains solid timber doors, the outside surfaces of the particleboard carcase are often faced with a matching timber veneer.
Alternatively, plastic laminates can be used throughout for the doors, carcase and bench tops.
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Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF)
Like particleboard, MDF is also made of wood particles bonded together with formaldehyde resin. It is also available in standard and moisture resistant grades, and can be faced with different veneers.
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This means that the edge and face can be machined to a profile without the surface crumbling.
The finished panel can then be coated with a flexible veneer or painted.
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Plywood
Plywood is made of thin sheets of timber veneer bonded together with formaldehyde resin. Every second veneer is laid with the grain running at right angles to the layers above and below. This is what makes plywood strong in all directions, and able to be nailed close to the edge without splitting.
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However, it is commonly used as drawer bottoms and in other applications when a thin strong panel is required.
Learning activity
Audio 14 (mp3 |6|KB)The different materials discussed above have different nail-holding and screw-holding abilities. This will affect your choice of fasteners and the methods you use to join boards
Choose two of the materials that require different joining techniques because of their differences in screw and nail holding properties. Answer the following questions for each material.
- What type of material is it?
- What type of fastener (or fasteners) do you use with this material?
- What tools are required to work with these fasteners?
- Why are these fasteners the most suitable for this material - that is, why wouldn't other fasteners do the same job?
Share your answers with your trainer and other learners in the group. You can include digital photos that you've taken with your camera or mobile phone if you wish.
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