a few beginner's questions about cabinet assembly

[severdhed]

i am about to start building my first home made cabinet project...a pedestal with a 4player panel that will connect to a wall mounted LCD tv...i am hopefully going to be picking up the wood  in the next day or so.  i planned out the dimensions on sketchup and know pretty much what i want it to look like when it is done...however i'm not exactly sure how to assemble this thing.  I plan on using 3/4" MDF, and from the many threads i have looked through, it appears as if most of you go with small wooden strip mounted on the side panels to attach everything together, instead of building a full 2/4 frame or something similar.  i have some 1x2 pine boards i plan to use for these strips, is it safe to assume that these will be sufficient? also:

1. how do you attach these strips to the sides?  glue? screws? both?

2.  if screws, do you screw from the inside or out?

3. what kind of screws to use? full threaded like drywall screws?  or wood screws that have a portion with no threads?  and why?

4. i have half a sheet of 5/8" osb flakeboard sitting around, can i use that for the bottom of the cabinet?  or is it too crappy? 

5. i have some screw in leg levelers that i plan on using on the bottom.  i was planning on mounting t-nuts in the bottom of the cabinet for these to thread into...is that ok?  is there a better way to do this?  do i need to make some kind of sturdy frame for the bottom, perhaps out of 2x4"s?

I am sure there are more questions, but this is all i can think of right now. 

[Drnick]

i am about to start building my first home made cabinet project...a pedestal with a 4player panel that will connect to a wall mounted LCD tv...i am hopefully going to be picking up the wood  in the next day or so.  i planned out the dimensions on sketchup and know pretty much what i want it to look like when it is done...however i'm not exactly sure how to assemble this thing.  I plan on using 3/4" MDF, and from the many threads i have looked through, it appears as if most of you go with small wooden strip mounted on the side panels to attach everything together, instead of building a full 2/4 frame or something similar.  i have some 1x2 pine boards i plan to use for these strips, is it safe to assume that these will be sufficient? also:

1. how do you attach these strips to the sides?  glue? screws? both?

2.  if screws, do you screw from the inside or out?

3. what kind of screws to use? full threaded like drywall screws?  or wood screws that have a portion with no threads?  and why?

4. i have half a sheet of 5/8" osb flakeboard sitting around, can i use that for the bottom of the cabinet?  or is it too crappy? 

5. i have some screw in leg levelers that i plan on using on the bottom.  i was planning on mounting t-nuts in the bottom of the cabinet for these to thread into...is that ok?  is there a better way to do this?  do i need to make some kind of sturdy frame for the bottom, perhaps out of 2x4"s?

I am sure there are more questions, but this is all i can think of right now. 

1) Both
2) You can do either but I am a fan of screwing on the inside.
3) Wood screws with portion of no thread. They are designed that way to pull the wood together tightly. 
4) The OSB should be fine for the base, I use it as the base of the stand that holds a 50Gallon water tank.
5) Tnuts should be fine, I would make the base as sturdy/heavy as possible to avoid any chance of tippage, so 2x4 would do the job nicely.
 

[Bonecollektor]

i am about to start building my first home made cabinet project...a pedestal with a 4player panel that will connect to a wall mounted LCD tv...i am hopefully going to be picking up the wood  in the next day or so.  i planned out the dimensions on sketchup and know pretty much what i want it to look like when it is done...however i'm not exactly sure how to assemble this thing.  I plan on using 3/4" MDF, and from the many threads i have looked through, it appears as if most of you go with small wooden strip mounted on the side panels to attach everything together, instead of building a full 2/4 frame or something similar.  i have some 1x2 pine boards i plan to use for these strips, is it safe to assume that these will be sufficient? also:

1. how do you attach these strips to the sides?  glue? screws? both?

2.  if screws, do you screw from the inside or out?

3. what kind of screws to use? full threaded like drywall screws?  or wood screws that have a portion with no threads?  and why?

4. i have half a sheet of 5/8" osb flakeboard sitting around, can i use that for the bottom of the cabinet?  or is it too crappy? 

5. i have some screw in leg levelers that i plan on using on the bottom.  i was planning on mounting t-nuts in the bottom of the cabinet for these to thread into...is that ok?  is there a better way to do this?  do i need to make some kind of sturdy frame for the bottom, perhaps out of 2x4"s?

I am sure there are more questions, but this is all i can think of right now.

1.i agree, both. Or even a brad nailer
2. Inside if possible. Less filling and sanding you would have to do on the finished side
3. I've used both with mdf they work about the same. Just make sure to predrill all your holes. They make a countersinking drill bit that works perfect
4. You can but, remember that different materials absorb paint differently as well as nail/screw/bond differently. Nothing wrong with osb just make sure you keep that in mind
5. I like to add additional bracing and blocks to the corners where leg levelers are used. For instance, if you're using 3/4" mdf ad the bottom plate cut some 4"x4"x3/4" mdf blocks and attach to each corner to add thickness and strength to your corners. They also make metal plates for leg levelers that are cheap enough and work just as well.

My preference is to use mdf for everything. It's easy to work with, smooth and simple to finish, and so on. But that's just my preference, to each his own. good luck!

[lcmgadgets]

Wow, you're really leaping right in--good for u! I should take some pages from your book. All I can add (not so much from personal experience but from what I've seen here) is be patient--don't rush things or cut corners; u can end up paying more for that in the long run. Count on making some errors--& consider carefully whether they can b worked around (patched/hidden) or require replacement. Good luck, & keep posting! You'll succeed, & I want to b there every step of the way (shamelessly, for my own benefit).

[severdhed]

i'm excited to get started...and a little nervous about how this will turn out.  It is not my first cabinet, just the first one i am building from scratch.  I learned alot by using google sketchup...it is a very powerful tool for visualizing your cabinet. and seeing how the pieces will fit together.  I plan picking up the wood tomorrow evening after work, and hopefully start building this weekend....weather and wife permitting. 

this brings me to my next question...painting
what kind of roller do i need to use to paint this MDF?

[Bonecollektor]

i'm excited to get started...and a little nervous about how this will turn out.  It is not my first cabinet, just the first one i am building from scratch.  I learned alot by using google sketchup...it is a very powerful tool for visualizing your cabinet. and seeing how the pieces will fit together.  I plan picking up the wood tomorrow evening after work, and hopefully start building this weekend....weather and wife permitting. 

this brings me to my next question...painting
what kind of roller do i need to use to paint this MDF?

I use one of the 4" white foam rollers. It leaves a really nice, smooth finish.

[tkropp17]

I'd like to piggy back off of this since I am seeing the same things and planning on starting my second build soon.

Can I go with 1x1 pine?
If so, what length screw is safe to go through the 1x1 and into the 3/4 MDF? I'd like most screws on the inside.
Do you guys countersink inside screws? I know that can throw the depth off and I don't want to go through the outside of my cab! lol

[severdhed]

I started building mine this afternoon, I used 1 1/4" wood screws to hold the 1x2 pine boards to the mdf. Pre drilled and Counter sunk the screw heads slightly...it worked well...I will start a project announcement thread shortly.  Thanks for all the tips guys.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4

[Bonecollektor]

Yep, 1 1/4" screws work perfect when you counter sink them.

[JDFan]

Have to remember though that the 1x2 furring strips are actually 3\4 inch thickness not 1" so if using the 1x1 pine that is actually 1" might be better off with the 1 1\2" screws as 1 1\4 will only be sunk in 1\4" into the MDF (which might still be enough if using Glue but you have the space for the extra 1\4 that the 1 1\2 inch screws provide and would get better adhesion) -- for the 1x2 furring strips that are actually 3\4" nominal thickness the 1 1\4" screws are the best to use as the 1 1\2 inch could bust through the outer edge of the MDF.

Also remember to predrill the holes so that you do not get bumps on the outer panel due to the wood bunching up and pressing outward when the screws are tightened.