Garage Cabinets with Melamine particle board

[edanielvijay]

Hi,
I m planning to build my garage cabinets using melamine particle board. Which joinery is good or best to go with melamine particle board?
1. Rafix joint (Hafele)
2. Dowels with glue. Is confirmat screws needed in addition?
3. Dominos with glue. Is confirmat screws needed in addition?

-Danny

 

[erock]

If I was too use Melamine for my cabinets I would use the Domino with glue along with the screws.  And cap the screw heads  with Fastcaps screw covers.  And use the Fastcap edge banding. 

Eric

 

[peter halle]

I am sure that you will get great advice on you cabinet project.  I will only add that it might be prudent to have a plastic barrier between your cabinets and the concrete.

Peter

 

[erock]

Danny,

For my garage cabinets I used plastic adjustable cabinet feet from IKEA.  They make for fast leveling of the cabinets.  And the price was great.

Just as Peter said,  keeping the wood off the concrete is a very good point.

Eric

 

[edanielvijay]

Erock,
I was about to post the same thing erock...I am sure you are talking about the Akurum legs from Ikea....I almost typed the reply to Peter and thought of checking the new discussion thread and saw you post this

BTW, I dont have a domino 500 yet...Just thinking if I can manage with Dowel pins/Rafix? I m a hobby wood worker and trying to justify the price of Domino 500... wht do you think.

 

[erock]

Danny,

There is nothing wrong with the dowels and rafix system.  I have never used the rafix, but I think you need a jig to drill the holes for the proper spacing.

As for justify the price of the Domino,  that's it totally your call.  I only suggested the Domino because you listed it as an option.  I thought you had it

already.

I will say that if you plan on doing more project that you could use the Domino.  Then take the plunge  [big grin].  It makes woodworking more enjoyable

because it makes things faster and easier.  It is a fantastic piece of engineering.  I look for reasons to use it.  I even made drawer boxes with the Domino.

Yes, I was referring to the Akurum  legs from IKEA, I just couldn't remember the funky name. 

If the price of the Domino isn't in the project budget then their are ways to make do.  Simple butt joints with glue and screws with get you to where you

want to be.  But I'm sure if you buy a Domino the you will build more.

Eric

 

[edanielvijay]

erock,
thanks for your advise. I am gonna bite the bullet and buy the Domino 500. May be I should go for a rehab to get out of this festool addiction...lol

 

[Captainwrinkles]

Just finished installing some garage cabinets for a customer. We used Plywood as a base for the
cabinets to sit on. Worked well and won't be an issue with any moisture that comes up through the
concrete. Our cabinets were stacked 16feet high, so I'm not sure if the levelling feet would be able to handle a fully loaded set of cabinets. thats a lot of weight.
    The cabinets were white melamine with 3mm edging. I'd recommend 2-3mm edging instead of the 0.5mm, Depending
on how much hard use the cabinets will get of course. Our customer wanted to store their kids hockey bags in the cupboard, so with all that
wear and tear i think the 0.5mm edging wouldn't be enough.
    As for the material, White melamine is cheap and easy to clean, After all, its only cabinetry for a garage. We screwed all the
cabinets together with deck screws with exception to the end cabinets, they were doweled and glued.

A few people are sceptical about just screwing cabinets together with no glue or some
way to align the joints (with lamello, domino, dowels etc), But from experience with doing just that. Its very quick to align
edges and just drive a screw (deck screw)though the end into rails. bottoms, backs etc. Once the cabinets are all screwed together onsite, they are very ridgid and stable.

Benn

 

[erock]

That's the thing to watch out for Danny,  that "new festool smell". 

Once you open the systainer for the first time and smell that new tool smell, you get hooked.

I think that Festool sprayed the systainer with a chemical to make us addicts!  LOL

Eric

 

[PaulMarcel]

That's the thing to watch out for Danny,  that "new festool smell".

Once you open the systainer for the first time and smell that new tool smell, you get hooked.

I think that Festool sprayed the systainer with a chemical to make us addicts!  LOL

Eric

Yeah, it's sneaky.  At least with a drug dealer, first hit's free.  With Festool, first hit's around $400 but you can get 10% off if you get a dust extractor, too.  [huh]

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Just a bit 'o info.  The Festool LR 32 hole drilling set for the Festool routers (OF 1010 & OF 1400) comes with the new 496938 guide rail connectors/stops to allow the 9.5mm offset spacing for RAFIX fasteners.

 

[edanielvijay]

Ken,
Yeah! I got that kit and figured that out last week! Thanks for the input! Basically, you need to keep the 9.5 mm up and flip it over for drilling the holes for the doors.

 

[erock]

That's the thing to watch out for Danny,  that "new festool smell".

Once you open the systainer for the first time and smell that new tool smell, you get hooked.

I think that Festool sprayed the systainer with a chemical to make us addicts!  LOL

Eric

Yeah, it's sneaky.  At least with a drug dealer, first hit's free.  With Festool, first hit's around $400 but you can get 10% off if you get a dust extractor, too.  [huh]

You know Paul, you're kind of a dealer yourself buddy.  With all those sweet videos you post.    [poke]

Eric

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Ken,
Yeah! I got that kit and figured that out last week! Thanks for the input! Basically, you need to keep the 9.5 mm up and flip it over for drilling the holes for the doors.

[thumbs up]

A lot of people have no idea what that setting is for.  Brian Sedgeley, Festool trainer, and I had that discussion last year.  He da man!  [big grin]

 

[Glenn in Shailer]

Just a bit 'o info.  The Festool LR 32 hole drilling set for the Festool routers (OF 1010 & OF 1400) comes with the new 496938 guide rail connectors/stops to allow the 9.5mm offset spacing for RAFIX fasteners.

...care to elaborate Ken.
I have a LR32 coming and would like to know more as I have yet to have a play.

 

[edanielvijay]

I m sure Ken is more experienced and better to explain it....

This is how I figured it out...I just took a scrap piece of wood and I started marking some circles in the LR32 holy rail with the 9.5 mm setting and flipped the same to make sure the euro cup hinge will sit right in the middle between the 32 mm so that the door align properly and it exactly did.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Instead of positioning either of the LR 32 rails the typical 16mm or 32mm spacing down from the top of the cabinet side, you're positioning it at a 9.5mm setting.  That's the starting position for the 32mm hole spacing that Hafele designed into their Rafix system for cabinet assembly.

 

[peter halle]

Instead of positioning either of the LR 32 rails the typical 16mm or 32mm spacing down from the top of the cabinet side, you're positioning it at a 9.5mm setting.  That's the starting position for the 32mm hole spacing that Hafele designed into their Rafix system for cabinet assembly.

Ken,

Another incredibly helpful post.  [thumbs up] [thumbs up]
This must have been why Mac woke me up.!  [scared]

Thanks.

Peter

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Here's a picture of it from the Hafele catalog:

Hafele cabinet hardware catalog page 63

TYPE IN THE PAGE NUMBER 63 IN THE BOX AT THE TOP, THEN ZOOM IN ON THE PAGE AND SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM, THEN VIEW THE NEXT PAGES AS WELL

 

[AlexThePalex]

Almost all cabinets here in Europe in the cheaper segment are made from melamine particle board. The panels are either connected by dowels/glue or with screws decked with an end cap. We don't see rafix-like  systems so much, except in the more expensive cabinets used in offices, where occasional disasembly for a changing interior might be needed.

So dowels or screws work just fine. When working with dowels though, alignment is an issue you must pay attention to and can be challenging without the proper experience or tools. I can see the Domino make that a lot easier.