I'm planning some garage cabinets to replace some old shoddy-built ones that don't use space effectively. There will be 3 banks of approx. 8 ft. runs of cabs., 7ft. tall. I'll be building them with the 32mm system for maximum modularity and flexibility. That means I'll have more vertical members than I'd have with face-frame construction but I just prefer the open feel of frameless for utility storage.
Now, for joinery and material. I'd like to use either pocket-screws and glue or dominos and glue, but want to keep the cost of sheet goods down (let's just say that this is a project that benefits mostly my shop and wouldn't be high on my wife's priority list!). C-2 paint-grade maple or birch runs just under $50 a sheet. Prefin C-2 birch is about $50/sheet. Alternatively, ultralite MDF is $30/sheet, a considerable cost-savings, but would probably require some effort when it comes to sealing/prepping the edges for paint. With the prefin birch, I can just edge-band (if I want) and leave it as-is...c-2 isn't the prettiest, but fine for the inside of cabs. I'm thinking prefin is going to save me a lot of a time and effort. The MDF is cheapest.
Thoughts?
Now, for joinery and material. I'd like to use either pocket-screws and glue or dominos and glue, but want to keep the cost of sheet goods down (let's just say that this is a project that benefits mostly my shop and wouldn't be high on my wife's priority list!). C-2 paint-grade maple or birch runs just under $50 a sheet. Prefin C-2 birch is about $50/sheet. Alternatively, ultralite MDF is $30/sheet, a considerable cost-savings, but would probably require some effort when it comes to sealing/prepping the edges for paint. With the prefin birch, I can just edge-band (if I want) and leave it as-is...c-2 isn't the prettiest, but fine for the inside of cabs. I'm thinking prefin is going to save me a lot of a time and effort. The MDF is cheapest.
Thoughts?
