Construction advice for new cab please!

[pboreham]

Hiya,

I am going to be starting putting the pieces together of my new cab the weekend and just have a couple of questions!

1) How much do I router for t-molding? All around the sides, the controlpanel top?? Whats best/usual or is it just preference?

2) Where the cab is going to end up is a smallish room upstairs, so I will have to finally build it inside the room. I need to paint the cab though which I will have to do outside. Is it ok to construct the cab (downstairs) to test measurements and paint - then unscrew and remake in my room? i.e. will it be stable enough after taking the screws (2" Drywall) in and out of the cab?

Hope that makes sense! Thanks 

[ChadTower]

Well, since you really need to glue it up for real stability, I wouldn't put it together and then take it apart. 

How are you going to get it back out of that room eventually?

[shardian]

You know, alot of classic cabinets were built with nut and carriage bolt construction to allow for breakdowns. My Taito cabinet is bolted together. You might consider this in your design - could make your life ALOT easier, especially if you have to move your cab after it is built.

[pboreham]

Well, since you really need to glue it up for real stability, I wouldn't put it together and then take it apart. 

How are you going to get it back out of that room eventually?

Yea, I will be gluing the final version.

I've modified the design so it will go in and out of the room for when I move out - but I will have help then. At the moment, its just me and my GF as we live away from family and friends, so building it downstairs and then moving it is just not an option.

I've seen other blogs/posts where the cabs have been taken apart after initial construction for painting, so just wondered if this was common or not.

As for bolting... think I'd prefer screw 'n glue to be honest!

[ScottS]

I don't know about anyone else, but I find that removing screws from wood and replacing them is a bit of a hit-or-miss affair. Much of the time, it goes fine. But I also get quite a few cases where the screw just spins in the hole without adding any real stability.

If I were you, I'd cut the pieces outside, paint them (being sure to mask off any surface where glue will be applied), and do a dry-fit (ideally just using clamps but perhaps with the help of 1 or 2 screws per edge). Once you're sure everything fits up nicely, pre-drill all of your final screw holes, haul everything upstairs, and do the final assembly with glue and screws. This way, you only run the majority of the screws into the cabinet once...

If you plan to disassemble the cabinet often, there's some pretty nice knock-down hardware available that can often be hidden reasonably well. It does require a bit of precision to install, however. I think these connectors, which you can find from a number of different sources. You can also get peel-and-stick caps to cover up the bolts. Lots of options there, too.

[Chris G]

1.  If you're going with t-moulding, I would say usually on all the exposed ends.  One of the primary purposes is protection, so think about what areas could be damaged.  In the end, it is personal preference, though, so maybe check out some others' work and see what appeals to you.

[pboreham]

Thanks for the help so far guys - liking it!

Maybe I could have another option and ask - how much dust is created during the paint/sanding phase. I could work in my room with the proper ventilation, but if its absolute plumes of dust, then probably not.

Thanks!

[ScottS]

Maybe I could have another option and ask - how much dust is created during the paint/sanding phase. I could work in my room with the proper ventilation, but if its absolute plumes of dust, then probably not.

There's the potential to create a lot of dust during the sanding phase, though if you buy a high quality vacuum (Fein, Festool) and connect it to a decent random-orbit sander you can collect quite a bit of it. Unfortunately, even if you don't fill your carpet with sawdust, you may still contaminate the house with paint fumes. If I were you, I'd do the sanding and painting outside...

[pboreham]

Maybe I could have another option and ask - how much dust is created during the paint/sanding phase. I could work in my room with the proper ventilation, but if its absolute plumes of dust, then probably not.

There's the potential to create a lot of dust during the sanding phase, though if you buy a high quality vacuum (Fein, Festool) and connect it to a decent random-orbit sander you can collect quite a bit of it. Unfortunately, even if you don't fill your carpet with sawdust, you may still contaminate the house with paint fumes. If I were you, I'd do the sanding and painting outside...

Hmmm, thought so - cheers Scott!

[NightGod]

I don't know about anyone else, but I find that removing screws from wood and replacing them is a bit of a hit-or-miss affair. Much of the time, it goes fine. But I also get quite a few cases where the screw just spins in the hole without adding any real stability.

The gluing is where all the strength comes from, anyway. The screws are pretty much just there to hold everything together until the glue has time to dry.

[ChadTower]

I've found that getting a strong box fan - and pointing it out the window - then sanding right behind its intake area can help with that in a pinch.