I am wanting to redo my garage with cabinets to mach my toolbox, I am thinking about building some cabinets out of MDF, the size of each cabinet will be 4'x8'x24" the reason being is I have like 200 1/4" think wood shelf boards that are 2'x4' and They are going to be my shelfs, but what I am wondering will I need a frame for the cabinets? I am going to paint each one with a gun using the MAC Red paint I had mixed up, I am looking to building at least 6 cabinets to go next to my toolbox on one wall, any ideas or pics would be great
Ideas on MDF Garage cabinets?
- Thread starter jon1996
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contactme_11
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If you're using mdf than you will definately need to. build frames for the cabinets first
buening
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I built a 4' wide x 8' tall x 2' deep cabinet out of 3/4" oak veneer plywood and 3/4" MDF doors. The shelves are also 3/4" oak plywood and will have a hardwood or possible metal angle edging to add shelf stiffness, since I chose to span the full 4'. Its a long span for 3/4" but I don't plan on putting real heavy stuff in there like motors and such. The back is 1/2" plywood, making the overall depth 25.25". Everything was ****-jointed, glued and screwed. I chose to do european frameless style. Due to the height and depth, it isn't as stable as I'd like. I may have to fix one of the shelves midway for rigidity. The joints still need sanded down before I paint mine. Mine will be Rustoleum Gloss Machine Gray, matching my cheap gray Craftsman roller cabinets.
Keep in mind your shelves will need cut down to narrower than 4', since you have to consider your cabinet wall thickness on each side. I recessed pilaster-type adjustable shelf strips into the walls so that the shelves are flush with the cabinet walls.
I don't have any pictures yet, still need to do that.
Keep in mind your shelves will need cut down to narrower than 4', since you have to consider your cabinet wall thickness on each side. I recessed pilaster-type adjustable shelf strips into the walls so that the shelves are flush with the cabinet walls.
I don't have any pictures yet, still need to do that.
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csp
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For a cabinet that wide and tall I'd use plywood or at the very least plywood for the back. Screws don't hold well in MDF, so a frame would be a good idea.
I just built some that are 42x80x16 and used 3/4" AC grade plywood and am glad that I went with plywood.
I just built some that are 42x80x16 and used 3/4" AC grade plywood and am glad that I went with plywood.
MDF will be fine. Make sure you Glue and screw it. It will be solid. I would also make a base for it, you don't want MDF sitting on the floor. For long term garage durability, I would use treated plywood to make the base, you can scribe the base and get a flat and level area to sit your cabinets on. Veneer the treated ply with your MDF, but make it hang 1/4" off the floor.
I really would consider making the boxes as buening stated. Ply for the box, MDF for doors and shelves. Make the center shelf permanently attached. This will support for the walls and reduce tugging on the hinges. I would not screw around with plaster strips or cleats. If your shelves are 3/4" material, I would just drill the cabinets for shelf pins. A kitchen supply store will have the pins at bulk pricing, so you will pay like $20 for a 20LB box. I am talking thousands of pins. Which you can put on the sides, and back of your shelf, and anywhere else you possibly want for the rest of your life, lol.
Paint or use some nice edge banding on all the edges, then paint. Your MDF will only last as long as the protection you give it. Iron applied edge banding is my fave. But you're limited in colors with it, so get the cheaper, non-colored banding since you gonna paint anyway.
Oh buy the hinges and slides at the same kitchen supply joint as the pins. You will get raped if you try to get all this at big box stores. RAPED
I also suggest full overlay hinges so that you don't see much of the box behind the doors when closed.
Some examples.
The silver between the doors are custom handles so that they are flush with the doors. Mahogany MDF. Poly finished by yours truly.
Custom Bedroom
Cherry, lumber-core, not as smooth as MDF, but lighter.
I really would consider making the boxes as buening stated. Ply for the box, MDF for doors and shelves. Make the center shelf permanently attached. This will support for the walls and reduce tugging on the hinges. I would not screw around with plaster strips or cleats. If your shelves are 3/4" material, I would just drill the cabinets for shelf pins. A kitchen supply store will have the pins at bulk pricing, so you will pay like $20 for a 20LB box. I am talking thousands of pins. Which you can put on the sides, and back of your shelf, and anywhere else you possibly want for the rest of your life, lol.
Paint or use some nice edge banding on all the edges, then paint. Your MDF will only last as long as the protection you give it. Iron applied edge banding is my fave. But you're limited in colors with it, so get the cheaper, non-colored banding since you gonna paint anyway.
Oh buy the hinges and slides at the same kitchen supply joint as the pins. You will get raped if you try to get all this at big box stores. RAPED
I also suggest full overlay hinges so that you don't see much of the box behind the doors when closed.
Some examples.
The silver between the doors are custom handles so that they are flush with the doors. Mahogany MDF. Poly finished by yours truly.
Custom Bedroom
Cherry, lumber-core, not as smooth as MDF, but lighter.
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csp
Well-known member
An excellent source for hinges, drawer slides, etc. MUCH better pricing than any big box store.
www.wwhardware.com
www.wwhardware.com
buening
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I wouldn't use MDF for shelves, they sag way too easy unless you reinforce the front and back edges. I thought about going with shelf pins, but drilling that many holes by hand would be a big pain in the rear. They do sell jigs but that was just another tool I'll never use. The pilaster strip was easy for me, but may not be the best solution. I used pilaster strips on the back wall as well, due to the long span. I should have used 3/4" back wall so I could recess those strips as well. Use a minimum of 1/2" if you want to screw the back directly to the studs, otherwise wood reinforcement strips will be needed for the screws/back.
It seems like a ***** to drill that many holes, but how many do you really need. 3" apart for the most part would be enough to adjust, and if you ever needed something tighter, drill a couple more after you load them up. I made a little drill jig for the depth of the pins, not to puncture through the ply. Take a tape measure, mark of the pin holes at the front, then use a square to mark of the holes in the back. Use a punch to dent the drill hole so that your drill bit doesn't walk when drilling. Drill away. This way you get freedom of moving the shelves whenever you want.
Your way works too, the above is just my preference, plus I have really light weight drills so that my hands don't get taxed too much.
Your way works too, the above is just my preference, plus I have really light weight drills so that my hands don't get taxed too much.
BillGalbraith
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I was going to save this for my own thread, but I'll go ahead a prepost some pictures here for you.
I bought some shelves at HD, $76 each. They are 4 ft wide, 2 ft deep, and 6 ft tall. They hold 800 lbs per shelf. I bolted the shelves together and sunk a few screws into the wall just in case. The bottom shelves have 2x4s under them for additional support for the really heavy stuff. I left the bottom shelf out of one of them, and habe a transaxle and engine sitting on the floor.
I had some scrap 5/8" plywood that I made the vertical panels out of. Primed and painted them black. With washer on them, you can screw them on with 3/4" sheet metal screws. The horizontal pieces, not shown here but are just being put on now, are 3/4" sanded plywood, also primed and painted black. I bought one 2x4 piece for $15 and was able to make top and bottom headers for all four shelves.
End panles will be 1/2 plywood. Only need 2, so one sheet of 4x8 plywood ripped in half, at what, about $15? They will be primed and painted black as well.
The doors will be 3/4 inch hardwood plywood, stained a deep red, and mounted with hidden hinges. If you buy them in bulk at HD, they are something like $14 for 10 hinges, if I remember correctly. By the pair, they are like $6, I think.
Door pulls are something special. I'll save that for my own thread.
I bought some shelves at HD, $76 each. They are 4 ft wide, 2 ft deep, and 6 ft tall. They hold 800 lbs per shelf. I bolted the shelves together and sunk a few screws into the wall just in case. The bottom shelves have 2x4s under them for additional support for the really heavy stuff. I left the bottom shelf out of one of them, and habe a transaxle and engine sitting on the floor.
I had some scrap 5/8" plywood that I made the vertical panels out of. Primed and painted them black. With washer on them, you can screw them on with 3/4" sheet metal screws. The horizontal pieces, not shown here but are just being put on now, are 3/4" sanded plywood, also primed and painted black. I bought one 2x4 piece for $15 and was able to make top and bottom headers for all four shelves.
End panles will be 1/2 plywood. Only need 2, so one sheet of 4x8 plywood ripped in half, at what, about $15? They will be primed and painted black as well.
The doors will be 3/4 inch hardwood plywood, stained a deep red, and mounted with hidden hinges. If you buy them in bulk at HD, they are something like $14 for 10 hinges, if I remember correctly. By the pair, they are like $6, I think.
Door pulls are something special. I'll save that for my own thread.
BillGalbraith
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csp
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Please do create a thread on these. I'm debating what I could make unique door pulls out of and am interested to see what you come up with.
buening
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With a cabinet 8' tall and 2' deep, lets assume the top and bottom foot doesn't have any holes. At 3" centers, you have 25 holes per line. Two lines per wall and depending on the shelf configuration (spanning full 4'?) you'd need two lines in the back. That is 150 holes per cabinet. If you make more than 1 cabinet, it can be quite time consuming. It all depends on personal preference and either way works
buening
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With a cabinet 8' tall and 2' deep, lets assume the top and bottom foot doesn't have any holes. At 3" centers, you have 25 holes per line. Two lines per wall and depending on the shelf configuration (spanning full 4'?) you'd need two lines in the back. That is 150 holes per cabinet. If you make more than 1 cabinet, it can be quite time consuming. It all depends on personal preference and either way works
jeepmedic
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not on this scale but I built some toy storage for my son when he was younger. I used the pins for adjustable shelving and used a piece of peg board as a guide/jig to drill the holes it went pretty quick.
With a cabinet 8' tall and 2' deep, lets assume the top and bottom foot doesn't have any holes. At 3" centers, you have 25 holes per line. Two lines per wall and depending on the shelf configuration (spanning full 4'?) you'd need two lines in the back. That is 150 holes per cabinet. If you make more than 1 cabinet, it can be quite time consuming. It all depends on personal preference and either way works
Not quite. You do not put holes all the way on the bottom, nether all the way on top.
To save time drilling holes, you put a hole every 1.5', and 3" down, 3" up.
The fact is that you can add holes later on. You don't need to drill them all right away.
BillGalbraith
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Here is a better view of the vertical and horizontals. I didn't think it was worth putting a horizontal piece for every shelf.
Also attached a picture of some door pulls that I'll be moving to the other garage when I get my doors on. I have some other ones on order, but I'll be taking my time filling out the set, so that I get the right ones at the right price.
As far as drilling a bunch of holes for the adjustable pegs, that was factored into my decision to buy the steel ones that just slap together. If one peg hole is slightly off, the shelf will rock. I couldn't build wood ones for the cost of the steel ones, and the steel ones offer better support across the span.
I have some MFD cabinets in "your garage" (the wife's garage. Of course, the other gaarage is called "my garage", even if she says it) that I've stored small packs of screws, nuts, bolts, nails, etc. and the shelves will sag with time. I wanted to be able to put more weight on them. I'm using the partical board shelves that come with the steel shelves, with the plan that if I ever have any issues with them, I'll replace them.
On the subject, some other steel shelves from HD that I put up in 2001 have held up okay, but I put contact paper on them before installing them. Just keeps the oil, water, and whatever out of the wood. That was worth doing, since I haven't had any shelve problems with those either.
Also attached a picture of some door pulls that I'll be moving to the other garage when I get my doors on. I have some other ones on order, but I'll be taking my time filling out the set, so that I get the right ones at the right price.
As far as drilling a bunch of holes for the adjustable pegs, that was factored into my decision to buy the steel ones that just slap together. If one peg hole is slightly off, the shelf will rock. I couldn't build wood ones for the cost of the steel ones, and the steel ones offer better support across the span.
I have some MFD cabinets in "your garage" (the wife's garage. Of course, the other gaarage is called "my garage", even if she says it) that I've stored small packs of screws, nuts, bolts, nails, etc. and the shelves will sag with time. I wanted to be able to put more weight on them. I'm using the partical board shelves that come with the steel shelves, with the plan that if I ever have any issues with them, I'll replace them.
On the subject, some other steel shelves from HD that I put up in 2001 have held up okay, but I put contact paper on them before installing them. Just keeps the oil, water, and whatever out of the wood. That was worth doing, since I haven't had any shelve problems with those either.
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MDF, particle board and Melamine are different things. Which are we talking about?
BillGalbraith
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Sorry, it's past my nap time. It's melamine for the white kitchen-type cabinets where the shelves have sagged over time. The steel shelves come with particle board shelves. I hate PDF because if absorbs water and falls apart.
BillGalbraith
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Yeah, see the previous comment about nap time....
They say the only difference between being a kid and being a grown-up is whether you fight for or against naps.
They say the only difference between being a kid and being a grown-up is whether you fight for or against naps.
Frank The Plumber
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Edge the MDF shelves with real wood and attach them with a biscuit jointer and a good wood glue. Less flex and sag.
noisufnoc
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good info in here. does anyone have any plans or suggestions on where I could get started building my own?
e-tek
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Guess not!
3PedalMINI
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Good info here, for drilling perfect shelf pin holes with factory type precision you should look into the lr32 router system from festool! It's brilliant, if your going to the work of making these incredible cabinets spend a few dollars so your shelfs line up level
Good luck, looking at doing something like this soon too
Good luck, looking at doing something like this soon too
1/4" is NFG for this application. You need at least 1/2" for shelves, possibly thicker depending on length and whether or not a stile can be used to support the shelf in the center.
With regard to supporting shelves, if the idea of drilling a bazillion holes for shelf pins seems daunting an alternative is to recess shelf standards into the sides of the cabinet with a router. This makes them almost as unobtrusive as the pins and is much faster. There is actually an attachment for a 1/4' crown staple gun specifically designed to staple the shelf standards to the sides of the cabinet.
You CAN build frameless MDF cabinets. I have built many including garage cabinets which were painted to match a Snap On tool box similar to what you are trying to do. From 10 feet away you would swear the cabinets were metal. The were built with full overlay concealed hinges and stainless U-pull handles.
darkk
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A member here built these that look excellent...maybe not exactly what you're looking for. But maybe give you some construction ideas.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186358
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186358