Plywood cutting and Machining - Carpentry.

[JamesP]

@AliG

Can anyone recommend a cutting service ideally using plywood, I can provide accurate drawings. We are planning on some built in cupboards and drawers in 2 bedrooms but  a recent quote (30K) means an alternative will be required. Any ideas appreciated.

Example enclosed.

 

 

Edited June 1 by JamesP

[AliG]

We ordered that kind of stuff from diyhomefit. There is also a company called Lark and Lark that offers a similar service and I have seen a new company called Fittingly but they don’t quote prices.

 

I’d guess the cabinetry would cost around £7000 but the angled pieces would be an issue. You’d probably have to cut them on site.

 

If you could make the design work using DIY Kithcens range of cabinets then it would be somewhat cheaper but I don’t think they would be flexible enough size wise.

 

Then you can basically fit it yourself. It’s not difficult, or pay a joiner to do it.

 

Personally I would not go down the plywood/MDF route. The finish is just not as good as a factory finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Russdl]

We used these peeps. 
 

 

Choose a finish, specify exact dimensions, where you want hinge holes etc and then wait for the delivery. We made a built in wardrobe and got all the doors and infill panels back panels etc from them for around £500. 
 

[Sparrowhawk]

10 hours ago, AliG said:

Personally I would not go down the plywood/MDF route. The finish is just not as good as a factory finish.

What route would you pick instead?

[JamesP]

Thanks @AliG@Russdl.

I think I meant cabinetry not carpentry in the title. 

[AliG]

On 02/06/2024 at 08:46, Sparrowhawk said:

What route would you pick instead?

I would buy the doors at the very least.

 

Painted MDF/ply is highly unlikely to have as good a finish as a factory applied coating. It can be done but then would probably be as or more expensive than buying the pre finished doors.

 

In terms of the carcasses they again can be bought relatively cheaply online. You maybe have more flexibility making these onsite and then finish inside is less important so making the interior from MDF etc would be OK.

[Bozza]

Jail do made to measure MDF doors.  They also do shapes.   

 

What you haven’t mentioned is your skill level and your budget.  If your carpentry skills aren’t great I’d be tempted to design something with less angles, keeping everything square.  Or are you looking at the cheapest way to get someone else to do the work.  £30k is obscene.  
 

agree with other comments the likes of DIY kitchens may be a good idea as they do carcass colours other than white so less kitcheny.  But they don’t do angles doors.   

 

you would definitely have many more more cost effective options if you’re prepared to compromise on the angles doors.

[JamesP]

@Bozza 

I do not doubt the quality and skill of the craftsmanship involved. 

We are near the end of the journey, broke ground in 2017 and moved in 3 years later. I have done most of the build except electrics, skimming and window fitting ( which was very poor ) so it is hard to justify spending over 10% of our total budget on two built in wardrobes. My build about £850/sqm.

I have the tools and space but time is the issue as getting grief from you know who.

I will start the drawings.....

 

 

[LnP]

@JamesPA bit off topic but what software did you use for the drawing? It looks good.

[JamesP]

2 hours ago, LnP said:

@JamesPA bit off topic but what software did you use for the drawing? It looks good.

I use Sketchup (Trimble) as a free version, though limited is available.

[AliG]

Looking at this from another angle, so to speak -

 

The design presented is unnecessarily fussy and expensive to make (not 30k expensive, but not easy)

 

Looking at it, I was trying to figure out the best way to dal with the angled wall. Having considered it, I think the best thing to do would be to plasterboard in the area and out doors on it. Anything else leaves you with the odd shaped spaces on display and multiple heights of cupboard that just don't look right. I doubt you actually need all the shelves and you are just trying to fill in the spaces. Boxing them in with plasterboard would look better.

 

Then you could add drawers in the space to the left and under the window. I think it would look better if they were the same height.

 

Excuse the hand drawn perspective. Basically the little triangular areas aren't a lot of storage so just box them in.

 

Alternatively take your existing design and box in the space above the cupboards in plasterboard.

 

 

 

[Kelvin]

£30k! Was that with one of the usual suspects or a local company? We have a similarly shaped space and a local cabinet maker said £10k and we thought that was a bit dear. 

[AliG]

The extra £20k is for better pictures than the ones I drew up.

[JamesP]

8 hours ago, Kelvin said:

£30k! Was that with one of the usual suspects or a local company? We have a similarly shaped space and a local cabinet maker said £10k and we thought that was a bit dear. 

Local recommended joiner / carpenter. Plenty of clients down here in South Devon who have the funds, not me.

Looking at using Ikea cabinets with custom cut doors etc. About a 1/3 rd of the original price so far.

New drawing using Ikea below.

@AliG Wow, mind blown. You have skills....love it.

Edited June 4 by JamesP

[Mr Punter]

Robin Clevett the youtube chippy likes to use Cutwrights for this sort of thing.  Maybe give them a go.  They are well regarded.

[JohnnyB]

I would use a company like cutlist.co.uk or a local equivalent. I haven't used them personally but I've been told in the past that they are good.

If you can design exactly what you want and break it down into a list of parts then you can get exactly what you want.

You can have edges lipped, edgebanding, so you get a professional edge. You wouldn't need to use plywood and paint it then, you could use Melamine faced chipboard or a veneer board and lip the edges.

 

I don't know if they are trade only or if they do angles but I assume you must be quite capable to be doing a lot of work yourself and you could cut the top edges of the doors once you have them and cut the top edges of the uprights at an angle with a sharp hand saw if no other tools, and if you have a few skills.

 

I've built a lot of fitted furniture and have a fairly well equipped home workshop but I'm intending to use these people or an equivalent company and buy in ready cut to size materials for all my fitted furniture and kitchen units.

 

If you can find a local CNC panel cutting company you can have any shape you can draw, but not so many of them can do the edgebanding that gives you the finished edge you'll be looking for.

 

Edited June 8 by JohnnyB

[JamesP]

@JohnnyB Thanks for the links and advice. Looking into this.

[JohnnyB]

It looks like Cutwrights are very similar to Cutlist.  There are plenty of others out there too and you might find a local one.

 

What sort of finish were you lookng for when you got the £30K quote?

 

If you want any input on how to put it togther feel free to ask. I've got loads going on as it's now taking off on site so might take a little while to respond but I should be able to help out if you have questions or get stuck.

.

I would say stick to your original design and find a way to make it work, it looks better balanced.

 

Probox drawers might be a useful company to look at with all those drawers, althought they are quite expensive as mostly solidwood drawers.

Daro are another drawer supplier.

You could probably get the sheet material supplier to cut the drawer boxes if it is all well planned out, that would help a lot with the cost as drawers can work out expensive to buy good ones but don't have a lot of material in them.

[Paene Finitur]

£30K or so doesn't seem too unusual (I'm not saying it's reasonable) I've seen Sharps charging more than that with  their 50% discount!!

 

We had a local joiner to do some work and he moaned on about customers wanting bespoke work at Ikea prices! 🤣 I guess there is their time and skill to consider. He told us he had a lot of kit in his workshop specifically for large cabinetry, so I guess that all has to be paid for and maintained but, still, £30K is a lot.

I have to do some cabinets but they will all sit within existing large built in cupboards so the external finish isn't quite so critical. I'm hoping to do most in MDF/Ply with a rolled or sprayed paint finish. I asked in a local Facebook group if there were any woodyards out there that accepted cut-lists and got some decent responses.

 

What I could really do with is a design app that creates cut-lists, that's easy to use and at a decent price!!