Currently, furniture panels are used for the manufacture of furniture in the middle price segment. They are more expensive than conventional laminated chipboards and cheaper than solid wood. In terms of their operational parameters, they fully meet the requirements of most consumers.
Making your own kitchen set is not very easy; these are quite complex designs. To do this, you need to have a full set of carpentry tools, a workshop, basic furniture making skills and a great desire.
In this article we will give step-by-step instructions for making one of the simplest options for kitchen furniture; the work requires only a minimum set of special tools, and practical skills may be limited to the experience of making a bench for a suburban area.
But before this, it is necessary to obtain initial theoretical knowledge, without it it is impossible to understand certain features of the technology. And in each production process you have to make your own decisions, for which you need to understand the characteristics of wood, the characteristics of furniture panels, and the rules of working on woodworking equipment.
DIY kitchen from furniture panels
How to choose the right furniture panel for the kitchen
Before you start developing a design or drawing up a diagram, you need to decide how to choose the optimal wood. Today, manufacturers offer a wide range of tree species used in the manufacturing process of furniture panels. In most cases, property owners prefer pine, oak, cherry, beech, poplar, and yew.
Most people mistakenly assume that furniture board is made from waste wood products or pressed wood.
IMPORTANT! Softer material is intended for creating interior elements that will not be subject to heavy loads, for example, facades, decor, top cabinet lids. Hardwoods (yew, beech, oak) are intended for the construction of frames.
Its production is based on the process of gluing wood lamellas, which subsequently undergo several stages of surface polishing.
The selection of furniture panels based on the type of wood depends on the required functions, financial capabilities and purpose of the finished product. In addition to these characteristics, it is important to pay attention to the following parameters:
- absence of knots, cracks, chips on the surface of the workpiece;
- uniform distribution of annual rings.
Furniture made from furniture panels belongs to the category of deep-processed products.
An equally important parameter is the grade of furniture panels, which is determined depending on the number of defects on their surface. Traditionally, products are divided into varieties such as Extra, A, B, C. Sometimes the sides of the shield are represented by two varieties, in which case a double meaning is used. According to the requirements for the quality of furniture, the use of class “C” products is prohibited, so we suggest considering the features of only the first three types.
The final product is not inferior in density even to solid wood.
"Extra"
These furniture panels are characterized by the absence of visible defects and damage. They are made from a single lamella. Property owners can select products based on appearance and texture, which significantly affects the overall appearance of the room.
A rich assortment will allow you to choose the material that best fits into your existing interior.
"A/B"
This designation indicates that one side of the product is represented by grade “A”, and the other “B”. A shield with such characteristics in terms of the number of damages, on the one hand, is practically not inferior to the “Extra” category. When choosing, you must remember that solid or spliced lamellas can be used. The second side of the product may be represented by small defects, knots and minimal cracks.
Furniture made from this material is considered durable and of high quality, its service life is very long.
"IN"
This type of material can be made from spliced or solid lamellas. The presence of minor errors is allowed, for example, knots, cracks and other types of defects that do not significantly affect the quality of the board. The selection of products is made exclusively by color.
Wooden furniture panels are extremely resistant to moisture, while the surface structure is completely preserved.
Kitchen drawings and diagrams with dimensions
Creating kitchen drawings from furniture panels with your own hands is an important process that can subsequently become a lifesaver for any craftsman. The plan of the kitchen space must be created taking into account the dimensions of the furniture. The document displays information about the size of the room, communication diagram, ventilation system, electrical wiring, and the presence of sockets.
To draw up a drawing, you need to take measurements of the kitchen.
It is also important to indicate in the drawing the location of the entire furniture set, indicating their sizes, for example, a table, a wardrobe with shelves for storing food, chests of drawers and bedside tables, a refrigerator, a gas or electric stove, a sink and other components.
You should always start from these initial data when developing the sizes and names of furniture.
Dresser
This type of furnishing item can be ideal for the kitchen area. For this reason, it is necessary to consider its location in the room, design features, size and number of shelves, compartments, and dimensions of the upper surface. All these parameters are indicated in the diagram in order to avoid problems and troubles later.
When choosing a specific option, consider all factors.
Closet
Many craftsmen believe that creating a wooden cabinet is difficult and time-consuming. But with sufficient experience and carpentry skills, its production will take very little time. The drawing must indicate the type of structure and its dimensions (height, width). It is very important to include in the diagram information about each element that makes up the cabinet - depth, width, height of shelves, doors, partitions and other components. This approach will allow you to clearly calculate the amount of material needed, as well as correctly carry out all planned work so that the product fits harmoniously into the room.
You immediately need to make a list of elements indicating their quantity and material of manufacture.
Table
A DIY table made from furniture panels or any other material is one of the most important elements of the kitchen. It can be made in the form of a square, rectangle, circle, corner shape, as well as folding or sliding. A prerequisite for this piece of furniture is a flat tabletop. On the kitchen diagram, it is necessary to indicate the shape and dimensions of the table; for example, in most cases, rectangular structures have dimensions of 270x60 centimeters.
Not only the list of items, but also the comfort of use also largely depends on the location of the furniture.
Imagination is stronger than experience
Before you start planing, sawing and hammering kitchen furniture (usually cabinets, shelves, tables, chairs, benches, etc.), you need to clearly understand the final result of both all individual elements and the entire project of the future kitchen. Therefore, it is advisable to carefully study various layouts and ideas for creating furniture, select options that are harmoniously combined with each other and with the overall kitchen interior, transfer to paper or print ready-made drawings.
We need the data to purchase the required amount of building materials. Don’t forget about the back wall of the kitchen unit, for which a fiberboard sheet can serve perfectly. We add the required number of handles, hinges and other fittings, decide on the external paint and varnish coating and purchase all the material according to the list.
One of the main elements of kitchen furniture is, of course, the table. It can be square, rectangular, round, corner, sliding or folding. But any table should have a beautiful, smooth tabletop. To make it, take a solid furniture panel and cut it to the required size with a milling cutter or jigsaw. A typical rectangular table has dimensions of 2700 by 600 mm. A square tabletop (due to its equilaterality) will also not create certain problems. A round table can be made as follows: a small nail or screw is driven into the intended center. A thread equal to the radius of the future table is attached to it. A pencil or marker is tied to the end of the thread. To mark an even circle, you need to draw a circle around the nail, pulling the thread to the maximum. You can use the same method to round the corners of a square or rectangular table.
Preparation of all materials and tools
An equally important step is creating a work plan. This document specifies such important parameters as:
- the type and composition of the future furniture set;
- list of fittings and accessories;
- necessary tools and materials.
You need to have a full set of carpentry tools, a workshop, basic furniture making skills and a great desire.
In most cases, the following components may be required:
- furniture panels in the required quantity to create all planned interior items;
- special impregnation, varnish, stain, paint;
- plywood sheets;
- fittings, doors, handles and other decorative details;
- sandpaper or grinder;
- electric or conventional drill;
- wood saw or electric saw;
- screwdriver;
- boards;
- screws, nails;
- measuring instruments (large ruler, centimeter);
- a pen or pencil for recording measurements;
- screwdrivers, hammer.
It is possible that other adaptations may be required. The final list depends on the preferences of the master, the planned design of the kitchen and the assembly features of the furniture set.
Bottom line
Assembling a furniture set with your own hands will help you significantly save money on the work of a professional, while the result of your efforts will be practically no different from branded analogues. It should be noted that this manual assumes some applied knowledge in working with wood and its derivatives.
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Cutting panels to required sizes
Cutting must be carried out taking into account safety precautions in order to prevent injuries and other troubles. When buying furniture panels, it is important to remember that they can be available in different thicknesses. In most cases, manufacturers offer 15, 20 and 25 millimeters.
Products that are 15 mm thick are used to decorate the back wall of a furniture set. Products with parameters of 25 millimeters are intended for creating more complex design structures; other types are used for other elements of a rack or cabinet.
Cut the furniture board to size. You can work with an electric circular saw, but it is better to do this operation on a circular saw.
The wood is cut according to the created drawing. It is important to carry out cutting very carefully and carefully, because even a slight inaccuracy can lead to deformation of the entire furniture. An electric jigsaw is used for this.
INTERESTING! There are construction stores that offer their clients an additional service - cutting the board into the necessary components. This option is ideal for beginners who have not worked with a jigsaw or have not carried out such work.
After completing this procedure, the master must have all the components for each cabinet and shelf, as well as doors, countertops, fittings, and sink.
If you do not have the opportunity to do the cutting yourself, then do it in the store.
Advantages of panel cabinets
The appearance of laminated chipboard and MDF has significantly displaced furniture panels on the country's market. Despite this, panel furniture has retained its demand segment because it has undeniable advantages:
- Furniture boards are assembled from bars held together with glue. The sheets consist of 98% natural material - wood.
- The composition used for gluing the planks is hypoallergenic and harmless to children.
- The slabs are easy to saw, drill and plan. From them you can cut out parts for furniture of any shape.
- Unlike composite sheets (chipboard), here the ends do not need to be covered with polymer tapes, since wood does not emit harmful fumes.
- Cabinets assembled from stacked slabs can withstand high levels of humidity. They are often installed on balconies and in bathhouses.
- The external surfaces of the cabinets look beautiful due to the varnish accenting the natural wood grain.
- Wardrobes assembled from laminated panels can decorate the most sophisticated interiors of apartments and mansions.
- To assemble the furniture, you do not need special fastening hardware. The parts are connected using simple self-tapping screws.
Wooden panels made from glued blocks
We assemble the kitchen and install it
Now you can assemble the kitchen furniture set. Before you begin this important event, you need to make sure that all additional components are present: handles and door hinges, guides, legs and other elements.
The cabinets can be coated with wax or varnish; painting is not recommended so as not to hide the beautiful structure.
Next, each detail of all modules is laid out step by step. Be sure to do this in the order in which the connection will occur. This approach will avoid confusion and troubles with the loss of elements. The process should be carried out from below, from the base, and then proceed to creating a frame and filling it with components.
Now that you have a little furniture making experience of your own, you can begin making more complex base cabinets with drawers, desks and tabletops.
A kitchen made from furniture board is a great opportunity to add a creative touch to the room. The creation and assembly of such a furniture set can be implemented in any living space. The quality of the material contributes to the durability of the kitchen, functionality and compliance with any interior design style.
The main thing is not to be afraid of work and carefully calculate the consequences of each step.
Manufacturing of components
MDF cutting
A kitchen set made of wood, naturally, is beyond competition, but MDF is also a good material for making furniture. It is not possible to manufacture front façade elements yourself, since without specialized tools and the necessary skills you will hardly be able to produce products of the required quality - the most rational option would be to manufacture them to order according to your drawings and wishes. This must be done first and only then, on the already finished façade, the remaining elements must be adjusted.
The cutting of all other components is also best done at the enterprise, since in this case accuracy and precision are the determining parameters. Due to the laboriousness and complexity of the sawing process, it is undesirable to carry it out with your own hands. Also, after cutting, specialists will carry out high-quality edging, without which the slabs will not acquire their final shape (read another article about making a kitchen set with your own hands).
Note! If for some reason it is not possible to carry out edging at the enterprise, this can be done at home using a hot iron. After the edge has cooled, the excess is removed with a stationery knife, and the corners are sanded with sandpaper.
