The woodworking gods area laughing at me...

[WoodDrummer]

I making a case out of mdf...hence the reason the gods are laughing...mdf.

Anyway, how in the heck do you one man shops dry fit a carcase without the sides falling down when you start to remove clamps? Argh!!

Also, is 1/8" difference on diagonals square "enough" for something that will be a painted closet built-in shelf?

Thirdly, how should I attach the mdf back? Just glue? Are brads useful with mdf? How about small screws?

[WoodMangler]

"Anyway, how in the heck do you one man shops dry fit a carcase without the sides falling down when you start to remove clamps?"

Our host Rockler has [link:www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10113&filter=clamp|Clamps] that'll fix ya right up.... :)

http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/29190-15-500.jpg

"Also, is 1/8" difference on diagonals square "enough" for something that will be a painted closet built-in shelf?"

Depends on how much shaving ya wanna do on the face frames and whether or not there are gonna be shelves or drawers....

"Thirdly, how should I attach the mdf back? Just glue? Are brads useful with mdf? How about small screws?"

Is the back gonna be sitting in a rabbet?

[WoodDrummer]

Interesting clamps. Just what I need really. Onto the Christmas list they go!

The back is 1/2" and sits in a 1/2 x 3/8 rabbet.

>"Anyway, how in the heck do you one man shops dry fit a
>carcase without the sides falling down when you start to
>remove clamps?"
>
>Our host Rockler has
>[link:www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10113&filter=clamp|Clamps]
>that'll fix ya right up.... :)
>
http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/29190-15-500.jpg
>
>"Also, is 1/8" difference on diagonals square "enough"
>for something that will be a painted closet built-in
>shelf?"
>
>Depends on how much shaving ya wanna do on the face frames
>and whether or not there are gonna be shelves or drawers....
>
>"Thirdly, how should I attach the mdf back? Just glue?
>Are brads useful with mdf? How about small screws?"
>
>Is the back gonna be sitting in a rabbet?

[Cherry]

Re: the back

I have found over many years that 1/4 luann or some other inexpensive plywood serves well for cabinet backs. I glue and pin.

Jerry

[TDHofstetter]

I hadda' make some shelving outta' ... melamine-coated particle board ... 'cause that was appropriate for the job. I hated myself in the morning, but they turned out nice... :)

When it's time for removing clamps, I find uses for every appendage I've got, and every joint of every appendage. I also find it handy to do the job next to as many heavy vertical things as I can - planer, bench, table saw. Lean sides against 'em all.

If 1/8" off-square is whatcha' got, and if it FITS, then it's not only close enough - it's RIGHT. Try it. If it looks right & works right, it's right. If not, either trim it or replace it. Or glue solid stock onto, o'course, if it's too small someplace, & then trim it again. This one's your decision... make it to your degree of satisfaction.

If you're setting the back into a rabbet, glue should be plenty fine. Brads will help hold it in place while the glue sets up, unless it's polyurethane glue... in which case you'd BETTER be clamping the heck out of it or the G-glue will push the thing all apart on ya as it sets. Avoid screws in MDF - especially going into "end grain".

-- Tim --


http://www.woodworking.com/dcforum/User_files/4750d01e13903596.jpg
:)

[WoodDrummer]

Thanks for the advice all. I've used 1/4 ply for backing before but I was going for the consistent look with this one.

So far I have the base made which is just a case with adjustable shelves. The top of the unit will be a larger case with shelving on the right (adjustable) and a hanging rack on the left. Need space for the baby clothes :)

I'm getting better, only one disaster in this project and I fixed it with wood filler (it will be primed and painted so I don't have to worry). I TOTALLY botched the shelf pin holes, even with a jig. The ends are rabbeted to the top and bottom of the case, the middle divider is NOT set in a dado. I didn't adjust for that. Ooooops. They would have been very nice tilted shelves.

[WoodDrummer]

Thanks Jerry. I'm going to try that. I glued the back on last night but I thought it could use some extra support because of the size (46x29 or something like that).

[Sonny Edmonds]

I probably use vastly different joinery than you are. Locked miters and dovetails (machine cut).
But sometimes stuff just drops. :o
I have a variety of corner clamping devises to choose from. And sometimes I will build a jig for difficult projects like octagon bases to aid in dry fitting and glue-ups.
I try to avoid fasteners with MDF. They seem to always cause some undesirable splitting or bramage.

1/8" isn't close enough for me at all. Try changing your cutting methods.
Whatever you set up to do cut-wise, make sure you do all parts for that part of your project. IE: shelves. When you rip to width, rip enough extra for a screw up. When you cross cut them, cut all of them with the same set up before any changes are made.
If you have to re-cut any part, you have to run each and every piece like it through the same operation.
The goal is that each and every like part be exactly the same as it's counterpart.
Both sides. Top and bottom. Shelves. Each should be as close as humanly possible to the counterpart for squareness of the final assembly.
And you could use hardboard for the back and when ever thing is painted it'll all look the same.

My dos centavos....
Casadias
(I've got to get OUT of this town!)

:D

[link:home.earthlink.net/~pie/data/index.html|Sonny Edmonds ]
Saugus, CA
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
God Bless America !
In God We Trust !
"Lurkimus turdius orifus"


Welcome to the Forum!
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_4_132.gif

[TDHofstetter]

SONNY! You ... HISPANICCUPPED! :D

-- Tim --


http://www.woodworking.com/dcforum/User_files/47519945127c4cd5.jpg
:)

[WoodDrummer]

Sonny, I think you hit the root of my problem. The top and bottom were cut at separate time, two different setups.

[Sonny Edmonds]

Chris,
You have to be very focused when making your pieces.
For an Eggzample, I will make X number of a certian part, then bundle them and mark the tape as to what they are on the cut list. (If it is prudent)
Maybe go back and take the pieces you have and trim the oversised one to be the same as its counterpart.
If its too late for that, just remember for your next time you are being a cut-up. :7

:D

[link:home.earthlink.net/~pie/data/index.html|Sonny Edmonds ]
Saugus, CA
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
God Bless America !
In God We Trust !
"Lurkimus turdius orifus"


Welcome to the Forum!
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_4_132.gif

[Sonny Edmonds]

I went in a large super market on Thursday called Gigante.
I was hard pressed to read anything in that damned store.
Most of the Nation really does not have a clue how bad this Illegal Immigrant problem really is. Seriously!
Rather weird being a second class citizen where you were born and grew up.
The ex-mayor of Greeley, CO. found out when they ousted his butt for siding with the Illegals. He was shocked the people who vote there did a 4 out of 5 to oust his sorry butt! (Probably not important to you unless you keep up with Nation Conservative news happenings.)

Look-it, Honda even has a car for them. The Honda Civic SI!

Si senor, eet is a car for ju! Ju kan peek up all de lovely senoritas in dee's!
The marketing works out here. They are trading in their cheevies, and getting the Si's.

Holy Freolies! :o

:D

[link:home.earthlink.net/~pie/data/index.html|Sonny Edmonds ]
Saugus, CA
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
God Bless America !
In God We Trust !
"Lurkimus turdius orifus"


Welcome to the Forum!
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_4_132.gif

[Bruce50010]

Those Rockler clamps work great but they're pretty pricy. I bought a set when they were on sale -- when I got them, I realized I could make more by gluing together a couple of small pieces of 3/4" plywood, cutting them into an "L" shape, and buying a couple of cheapo 6" bar clamps. Just a hint -- no bad reflection on our sponsor.

[Sawduster]

Chris,
A little trick I stumbled upon is using sheet rock screws with MDF. Pre-drill, especially in end grain. Then, just before driving the screws in, drop a couple drops of thin CA glue into the hole and drive the screws before it set up. This will mix with the powdered MDF created by the threads of the screws and then harden, in effect creating matching female threads and locking everything in place. I've used this on jigs and stuff, and have even been able to remove the screws shortly after driving, leaving the hole threaded with the screws broken loose from the bond.

You can make some decent inside corner clamps from plywood or other man made material as well. Cut the right triangles, then drill into the interior and use a jigsaw to cut out places for the clamps to hook onto. You can make them larger so that they actually have enough surface against the wood to help you square the project.

Edit to add a pic.

[Scooter B]

"The woodworking gods area laughing at me..."

No advice on the cabinet but I just wanted you to know the woodworking gods are still busting a gut from when I built my first project around 1995....

I built a fretless bass guitar with a maple and and ebony solid neck through blank from Carvin which was smart.

The body wings were cut from two pieces of 2" thick flamed hard maple with some very nice figure and overall it somehow eventually came out fairly nice.


I say eventually because the hard flamed maple arrived rough cut and I owned three power tool (a planer was NOT one of them).

1. Corded Craftsman drill.

2. A newly purchased Ryobi router and had no idea there were template guide bits...ever try cuting perfectly square freehand rectangles for the pick up cavities in hard maple? I think I would have been better off with chisels but then again big learning curve I'm sure.

and here's the kicker......

3. My one and only saw .......

A Craftman jig saw! :o

I lost count of how many jig saw blades I burned through cutting two round curvy profiles and the jagged edges left (still 2" thick) took some serious elbow grease to ##### file and hand sand out......

Fortunately I did have a friend of a friend that had a planer to get the front and back smooth and level for a starting point.

Heck looking back I'm pretty sure the woodworking gods wet themselves AND had to use oxygen so they didn't hyperventilate.

Flamed maple mmmmm tasty when finished the sawdust however not so tasty for my pallate