Plywood is a material that has been unfairly neglected by furniture manufacturers. It is environmentally friendly, has high wear resistance and durability. Despite the low cost, manufacturers continue to give preference to even cheaper, but short-lived chipboard.

Of course, you can order furniture from plywood, but why not make a set from it yourself? Such a new interior will be exclusive, in which you can show all your imagination. In addition, for this you do not need to become a carpenter at all: a minimum of tools and skills will suffice.

How to choose plywood?

The material, extremely easy to work with, seems to encourage creativity and experimentation. Despite its strength, plywood is easy to cut and design. The sheet can be given any desired shape: it bends and will not break.

Plywood is a number of veneer sheets glued together. As a rule, birch or coniferous trees are used, and the inside leaf can be made of coniferous wood, and the outside can be birch. More expensive and high quality plywood made from hardwood.

When choosing plywood, pay attention to the following parameters:

• The brand is responsible for the scope of application and moisture resistance. Sheets of the FK, FOF and FKM brands are suitable for furniture. The second option, laminated plywood, is the best, but costs more than the others.
• The variety characterizes appearance surfaces. Measured from IV to I, E is the highest grade. Each side has its own designation.
• Surface treatment. As in the previous case, it is determined for the parties separately. The designation Ш1 means the presence of grinding on one side, Ш2 – on both sides. ШН – surfaces were not polished.
• The formaldehyde content is designated by the letter E with an index from 1 to 3 and characterizes the degree of environmental friendliness.

You also need to pay attention to the quality of gluing of veneer sheets, the quality and type of wood, and the appearance of the sheet. Plywood has an interesting texture and pattern that does not need to be covered with an additional layer of paint. Preference should be given to manufacturers from Russia.

Tools

What tools can a novice carpenter not do without? Plywood does not require complex special equipment. Majority necessary tools everyone has them.

A ruler, compass, tape measure and square are needed to take measurements and draw a drawing.

The choice of cutting tool depends on the thickness of the sheet used. A sheet up to 1.5 mm thick is enough sharp knife, up to 6 mm you need a jigsaw, for the thickest sheets you need Circular Saw. You will need a drill to drill the holes.

A chisel, plane, chisel, file and sandpaper are useful for processing parts. The parts are connected using glue, nails and screws. Stock up on tools to work with them.

The choice of accessories depends on what exactly you are going to do. Don’t skimp: high-quality fittings will last longer and won’t let you down at the most inopportune moment.

Stages of work

Making furniture from plywood with your own hands begins with drawing a drawing. You can use ready-made drawings or draw your own. Take measurements of the room, calculate the dimensions of each part. Be extremely careful not to discover the error when it is too late.

Transfer the parts to the prepared sheets. Cut out the blanks with a suitable tool. The parts are sanded, varnished or painted, and carved. If the plywood has an interesting pattern, why not leave it? Show your imagination and don’t be afraid to experiment.

The parts are connected using nails, screws or glue. Pay special attention to the parts that bear the main load.

After the glue has completely dried, check the resulting structure for strength. If the test passes, congratulations: job done!

Ideas

Plywood is suitable for making almost any home furniture: cabinets, tables and chairs, sofas and beds.

When assembling kitchen furniture, use moisture-resistant and wear-resistant types of material. Don't forget about the ventilation system and other communications: they should be easily accessible, but when they are not in use, it is better to hide them from view. Pay special attention to mounted and corner cabinets, since they require precise calculations and care during assembly.

Plywood is ideal for creating children's furniture. Ecologically pure material is safe, and thanks to its wear resistance, it will “endure” the games of the most active and restless child.

For the cabinet, select plywood of sufficient height and length, since you need to use a single sheet. Thickness also plays a role important role: the larger it is, the stronger the structure will be. When calculating the parameters of the side walls, take into account the thickness of the doors. The bottom of the bed must be at least 18 mm thick. Timber should be used for the body frame.

Plywood makes a practical and inexpensive set for a summer house.

Despite the ease of working with the material, a beginner should not immediately take on a complex project that requires experience. Start with something simple: a table, a chair. The classic first work is considered to be a rocking chair.

It is not recommended to cut plywood across the grain. If the need arises, make several cuts parallel to the future cut - this will avoid cracking. Moisten the surface of the plywood and fix it in the desired position for 10-16 hours: this way you will give it the desired shape.

Thick sheets of plywood (more than 10 mm) should be treated like wood. When working with softwood plywood, use nails and screws in conjunction with washers to avoid damaging the sheet.

At the joints of the parts, holes must be drilled in advance. The same applies to holes for fittings. The parts must be sanded before gluing. The cut area is treated with sandpaper.

During work there will be a lot of dust, so it is better to work in a separate room. If this is not possible, protect the furniture with covers in advance.

If you have never worked with drawings, look for furniture drawings on the Internet. Even if you can’t find a suitable one, you will receive general idea about how to draw it correctly.

Get inspired by photos of plywood furniture. Perhaps some idea will suit your taste?

Photo of plywood furniture

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Plywood cabinet: do-it-yourself features

Is it difficult to make a bookcase, linen cabinet or tool cabinet out of plywood? How to choose the material for its creation? How to cut and process plywood when building a cabinet? Today I will try to answer these and some other questions.

Why plywood

But in fact, why did we choose plywood as the material for the cabinet?

Here are the motives that made me choose this material:

• With a thickness of 15 mm or more, it has mechanical strength that is superior to wood of the same thickness and leaves no chance for the more popular laminated chipboard and MDF;
• Parts made of plywood with a thickness of 15 mm or more can be joined end-to-end with self-tapping screws, without furniture corners. In this case, holes for self-tapping screws are drilled in the plane of one part and in the edge of the other. Both MDF and laminated chipboard are connected only with the help of fittings, and the strength of the connection is noticeably inferior to that of plywood;
• The material is moderately hygroscopic. The appearance and strength of plywood suffer only with prolonged contact with water, and this problem is easily solved by using waterproof finishing coatings. Coatings (waterproofing paints, waterproof varnishes) adhere exceptionally securely to the top layer of veneer and, unlike laminated chipboard and MDF films, do not peel off;
• By the way, about coatings: plywood is fully compatible with modern varnishes and paints, both organic and water-based;

• Finally, the price of the material played an important role in my choice. Square meter FC plywood 15 mm thick costs about 400 rubles. Only laminated chipboard is noticeably cheaper (from 300 rubles/m2), which is completely inferior to FC in terms of strength and moisture resistance.

A caveat: plywood, even with significant thickness, can deform under bending load. When spanning over 60 centimeters, plywood shelves require intermediate posts or stiffeners.

Material selection

The best choice for homemade plywood furniture would be grade E (“elite”) material, characterized by the complete absence of defects on the edges and front surface of the veneer. It can be used without putty or any additional processing(except for sanding for varnish or impregnation).

Alas, this type of material is not sold in my city, so I had to use construction plywood varieties 3/4. Lower quality of the surface automatically means the need to putty defects and paint or paste with a textured film as a final finish.

On sale you can find FC and FSF plywood. The first is made mainly from birch veneer and glued together with completely harmless urea resin. The second is characterized by increased moisture resistance due to the use of resinous coniferous wood and phenol-formaldehyde resin.

Captain Obviousness suggests: FSF will make an excellent cabinet for a balcony, but in a residential area it is better to be careful when using material with a fairly high formaldehyde emission.

When purchasing, you should pay attention to several external signs:

• No delamination on the edges;
• Absence of falling knots on at least one (front) surface of the sheet;

• Appearance of veneer texture. The more effectively it is drawn, the better your closet will look. Of course, provided that a transparent coating is used.

Main Dimensions

Making homemade furniture begins with drawing up a diagram or drawing. To do this, you need to decide on the basic dimensions of the cabinet. Some recommendations for their selection can be found in the text of GOST 13025.1-85.

• The depth of the cabinet compartment intended for storing hats should not be less than 24 cm;
• The depth of the wardrobe must be at least 56 cm;
• The top shelf of the closet cannot rise above the floor by more than 190 cm, and the hanging rod cannot rise by more than 140 cm;

• Branches for bed linen must have a size of at least 46x40 cm, for other types of linen - 40x30 cm;
• IN bookcase the compartment should have a height of 18-39 cm with a depth of 14-44 cm;

However: a compartment intended for horizontal storage of periodicals may have a height of less than 18 cm.

• A kitchen cabinet designed for storing dishes should have compartments 15-25 cm high and 15-28 cm deep. The choice of size is determined by the dimensions of the dishes;

• The cabinet compartments for storing shoes in an inclined position must have dimensions of at least 15x32 cm (height/depth) for boots and shoes and 40x32 cm for boots;
• Kitchen cabinet under work surface should have a height of 85-90 cm with a compartment depth of at least 46 cm. For wall-mounted kitchen cabinet minimum depth - 27 cm.

Work technology

So, how to assemble a cabinet from plywood? Let's look at the main stages of work.

Marking

It is done using traditional instruments- a sharp pencil, a long metal ruler and a tape measure.

Semicircular edges (they may be needed, for example, when making a corner cabinet) in the absence of a compass of sufficient size can be marked using a set of pencil, rope and screw:

1. We screw the screw into the expected center of the circle, the arc of which forms a curved edge;
2. We tie a pencil to the screw;
3. Holding the pencil vertically, draw an arc.

Pattern

What and how to cut cabinet parts?

It is more convenient to cut plywood along straight lines using a stationary or hand-held circular saw. The smaller the saw teeth and the slower it moves relative to the sheet, the smoother the edges will be and the less time you will have to spend sanding them.

Curvilinear parts are cut with an electric jigsaw. An unpleasant feature of this tool is that the cutting line constantly tries to move away from the markings, so when cutting, align not with the marks on the sole of the tool, but with the file itself.

Warning: You will need goggles or a clear mask to protect your eyes from sawdust.

Parts processing

After cutting, the parts need to be polished. You will have to sand both the edges (they will retain cutting marks) and the surface of the veneer. In both cases, it is most convenient to use an orbital sander.

However: if you have a router with an edge bit at your disposal, it will give several best quality surfaces of the edges and, more importantly, will make them perfectly smooth. When sanding with an orbital sander, there is always the risk of leaving indentations on the edge.

For rough sanding of edges, start with 80-grit sandpaper. The surface of the veneer is sanded with paper or mesh No. 120 in the first pass. Reducing the abrasive grain, gradually bring it to No. 400.

Wall mount

How to build a plywood cabinet into a niche or secure a stationary plywood cabinet to the floor and main wall?

To connect the load-bearing structural elements with the floor and walls, I used ordinary construction corners. To brick, stone and concrete walls they are fastened with dowel nails, and to wooden ones with phosphated or, better, galvanized screws.

Butt connection of parts

To connect two cabinet parts at right angles (for example, the top and side walls), follow the following procedure:

1. Drill 4mm holes in one of the parts at right angles to its plane. The distance from the edge is equal to half the thickness of the plywood sheet;
2. Align the parts and, holding them together, drill with a 3mm drill through the previously drilled holes the edge of the second part to a depth of at least 45-50 mm;
3. Countersink holes in the plane of the first part. I used a 10mm drill bit for this purpose. The depth of the countersink should allow the head of the screw to be recessed at least 1 mm below the surface of the plywood;
4. Fix the parts and connect them with 45x4 mm self-tapping screws.

Attention: shelves that will experience significant operational loads are attached to the side walls in the traditional way - on furniture corners. Connecting to the walls with self-tapping screws screwed into the ends of the shelves can lead to delamination of the plywood.

putty

How to repair screw heads, gaps between adjacent parts, and surface and edge defects?

It all depends on what method finishing cabinet you plan to use. You can safely use acrylic wood putty under paint or texture film.

But under a transparent coating (impregnation or varnish), it is better to prepare the puttying material yourself.

Homemade putty, exactly matching the color of the plywood, is obtained by mixing the sawdust remaining from cutting it with PVA glue. The thicker the putty, the less it shrinks when drying. A nuance: sawdust must be collected at the cutting stage into a clean container; if you sweep them off the floor, dust will inevitably get into the putty, which will affect its color.

Finishing

The paint is applied to the surface of the plywood in 3-4 layers with intermediate drying. After applying and drying the first layer, intermediate sanding with zero paper is necessary: ​​it will remove the lint that has risen from the surface when moistened.

Please note: it is better to paint not with a brush (it leaves streaks even with the most careful application of paint), but with a narrow roller.

To coat plywood furniture with varnish, you can use two fundamentally different methods:

1. Multi-layer application by brush or roller with intermediate sanding of each layer. Last layer polished with a felt disc. The method gives excellent surface quality, but requires high costs energy and time;

1. Filling a horizontal surface and then spreading the varnish with a wide spatula. Filling allows you to get a smooth glassy surface in one step. Polishing is required in those rare cases when small bubbles remain on the varnish layer.

To decorate plywood furniture and give it a certain style, two simple decorating techniques are often used before varnishing:

1. Drawing patterns through a stencil. The paint must have a base that is different from the varnish base. I used gouache with alkyd urethane varnish on organic solvent as a final coating;

1. Decoupage. This is the name for sticking pictures or napkins onto the surface of furniture and then varnishing them. Decoupage will help you revive a cabinet in a children's room or add a special charm to kitchen furniture.

Conclusion

As you can see, making cabinets from plywood is quite within the capabilities of a beginner. The video attached to the article will help you learn more about designing furniture yourself. Good luck!

At the time of purchase various items interior design, people are faced with the fact that they have a significant cost. Therefore, they prefer to do the work with their own hands. In this case they can choose different materials. Such a process as do-it-yourself plywood furniture is an excellent solution for forming various designs. If you properly process the material and provide it with good care, it can even be used to create kitchen sets.

Before directly using plywood to make furniture with your own hands, you should study all the parameters and features of this material in order to guarantee a long service life of the resulting products. Plywood is considered an easy-to-use material, so it is not required to use any unique tools during its processing and use, so it is ideal when you plan to make furniture from plywood.

To the main features of this material applies:

• low cost, which allows you to get multifunctional, comfortable and attractive furniture for the kitchen or other rooms at low cost, which is why kitchen sets, cabinets or even sofas are created;
• to create furniture from plywood with your own hands, you do not need to have specific skills, so this process can be carried out by any person who has no experience in this field;
• it is allowed to place such structures in a children’s room, since they are environmentally friendly and safe, and therefore cannot cause any damage to the children’s body;
• can be used for decoration different ways allowing you to get a truly attractive design;
• the furniture is durable, has good mechanical elasticity and resistance to moisture;
• with proper processing of the material, it will be resistant to fire.

The main condition for obtaining a high-quality design is the creation of a diagram, and furniture drawings can be made independently or using special computer programs that allow you to obtain the desired diagram without much effort.

Plywood is created from veneer produced using birch or pine needles. The most popular is coniferous plywood, which has a fairly attractive appearance and is also considered ideal solution to make furniture from plywood with your own hands.

Materials and tools

If you plan to make homemade plywood furniture, you must prepare in advance all the elements used in the work process, these include:

• plywood sheets - their thickness depends on what loads will be applied to the structures, as well as for what purposes they are used. If you need to make a high-quality and durable frame, as well as shelves, then the thickness of the material should not be less than 18 mm. If facades are being made, then a material with a thickness of up to 12 mm is considered optimal. For doors in wall cabinets, fixed using stiffening ribs, it is enough for the plywood to have a thickness of 6 mm;
• fastening elements - when making any furniture from plywood, special fasteners are certainly used to ensure an effective and reliable connection individual elements various designs. Often, production involves using only screws, since durable sheets are not subject to delamination or crumbling. To make structures attractive and to obtain reliable connections, minifixes can be used, but they are considered quite difficult to use, since markings must be correctly applied to create holes. Additionally, for the reliability of fasteners, it is recommended to purchase glue or silicone sealant, which should be used to treat the most problematic areas of the products, as well as those parts that will be exposed to moisture;
• accessories - they include different pens, hinges and various closers. These elements facilitate the process of using any design for its intended purpose;
• decorative elements - they can be represented by putty and various decorative films. Furniture is often coated with varnish, various paints or stains;
• The tools used include a screwdriver, replaced if necessary with screwdrivers, a drill with different drills, a hammer, chisels, a tape measure, a square, electric jigsaw, plane, hacksaw and some other elements found in almost any home.

After preparation necessary elements The direct process of creating kitchen furniture at home begins.

Tools

Plywood sheets

Stages of work on the manufacture of kitchen furniture

First you need to decide which one kitchen furniture will be created, what size it will have, and what its other parameters will be. It is recommended to make a special diagram according to which all stages of the work will be carried out.

Particular attention should be paid to calculations so that there are no distortions or other defects on the furniture.

How to take measurements correctly

The cutting map will help you make a kitchen with your own hands from wood

Kitchen set drawing

The assembly process begins with the creation of individual parts that serve as the main components of a complete structure. To do this, follow the following steps:

• Markings are applied to pre-purchased plywood sheets showing all the details future design. It is important here not to make a mistake with the size, since the wrong preliminary actions will lead to a skewed structure;
• cutting is performed, for which you need to use suitable tools;
• Optimal preparation must be ensured for each workpiece made. To do this, the elements are initially cleaned using sandpaper. Next, they are polished, and especially carefully it should be done from the ends of the elements.

If you plan to use different decorative films as decoration, then it is recommended to apply putty in two layers, and only then sand the base, and you can completely eliminate processing if you use laminated plywood.

Marking plywood sheets

Cutting plywood

Making a headset

Plywood is a fairly dense material, so it is possible not to use timber beams to obtain a high-quality frame. Done kitchen set in several successive stages:

• Markings are applied to the parts made, indicating the locations of holes for confirmations or screws;
• holes are made, and for this it is recommended to use a special stepped drill, as this will allow you to get holes with or without threaded parts;
• if holes for a standard screw are required, then countersinking is considered optimal for this, for which a drill of significant diameter is used;
• With front side sheets, it is recommended to use fastenings using minifixes so that decorative plugs are not required.

Before joining the parts together, they should be treated with high-quality silicone sealant, which ensures the tightness of the resulting connections.

Rigid material does not require additional frame

Plugs for self-tapping screws

After the kitchen parts are ready, the structure is assembled and the furniture is installed.

Assembly

As soon as all the parts are completely ready, the kitchen set is directly assembled. To do this, the following actions are implemented:

• doors are hung, for which suitable hinges are used to ensure the desired opening angle of the elements;
• shelves, drawers or other compartments and elements are created and attached to ensure ease of use of the headset for its intended purpose.

It is advisable to make doors using a plywood sheet, the thickness of which is 6 mm. To give them stability, it is recommended to use stiffening ribs. To create shelves, it is advisable to use sheets 18 mm thick, and the front edges should be carefully chamfered, and the resulting sections should be covered with putty. After it dries, they are sanded, after which they can be decorated with different paints, films or other finishing materials. Finishing the resulting structure can be done in different ways, and photos of the finished results are located below.

If you choose a self-adhesive film for finishing, then it is advisable to use expensive and quality material, which has an attractive appearance, and at the same time has good strength, resistance to various factors and is characterized by a long service life.

Kitchen frame

Kitchen cabinet assembly diagram

Scheme of joints of horizontal and vertical plywood blanks

Scheme of an eccentric three-element screed for kitchen plywood blanks

A good solution for a countertop is to use laminated plywood. Creating such a design is easy to do with your own hands. To do this, follow these steps:

• purchase high-quality laminated plywood of optimal size;
• markings are applied that determine the dimensions of the future tabletop;
• the structure is cut out;
• edges are processed;
• the tabletop is attached to the lower drawers of the set;
• covered protective compounds, varnish, sealant or other means;
• The joint between the walls and the table top is covered with a plinth.

Thus, obtaining a high-quality and reliable design is quite simple.

A solid worktop will become a spectacular accent and practical decor for a wooden kitchen.

Protective and connecting strips for worktops

Finishing

The resulting do-it-yourself plywood furniture must be well decorated so that it looks beautiful. For this purpose, different methods are used, involving the use of certain materials. The most popular methods are:

• application different colors, perfect for color range premises;
• installation LED backlight for cabinets and drawers, which not only improves the appearance of the set, but also ensures ease of use;
• application of varnish, and at the same time preserves natural look wood;
• the use of a variety of self-adhesive films, available in different types, and at the same time being easy to apply.

The choice of finishing method depends on the wishes of the owners of the premises.

Rules for working with plywood

When working with this material, certain requirements are taken into account:

• thin sheets are cut with a sharpened knife, medium - with a hand jigsaw, and sheets of considerable thickness are cut with an electric jigsaw;
• sheets are not connected with nails or screws until advance creation holes for fasteners;
• the material is not cut across the fibers;
• Before gluing the elements, they must be cleaned.

Thus, if you follow the instructions exactly and certain rules, ensuring the production of truly high-quality and reliable plywood furniture. She may have different sizes, shapes, colors and other parameters.

Video

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Comfort has long been an integral part of modern life. A number of different support tools serve to create the best possible conditions for the consumer. When moving to a new home, many people encounter a problem when the purchased furniture is simply not enough to store clothes. Obviously, this problem can be solved by purchasing furniture cabinet, in which you can put all your things. But, unfortunately, today’s prices hit the budget very hard, and when moving, many people do not have any extra money at all. But don’t be upset, because this problem has also found a solution - make a cabinet out of plywood with your own hands. This approach will help avoid unnecessary financial costs and will give confidence in the quality of the product.

Sliding wardrobes - preparation features

To create furniture of this type, many different materials are suitable. Lucky that modern market provides the buyer with all conditions to satisfy personal needs.

In order to make a sliding wardrobe from plywood with your own hands, you should first prepare.

Materials

I would like to start right away with the fact that it is best to choose plywood, because, unlike classic boards, this material practically does not dry out. Such material will have a smooth surface that will not have to be treated in any way for protection, which cannot be said at all about ordinary wood.

Plywood guarantees you reliability, and assembly will be very easy even in the hands of a beginner.

Important! Sheet sizes vary, ranging from 3 to 30 mm. It is very important that this is the most best material if you or your family members have allergies.

Getting ready for development

Before assembling a cabinet made of plywood with your own hands, you need to perform several steps:

1. Before starting work, select the location of the furniture. The dimensions of the structure depend only on the chosen position and your preferences. Draw an approximate drawing on which all dimensions will be plotted.
2. Then mark all the points on the parts in the places where the joints will be. To simplify the work, you can use the numbering of components using a pencil.
3. Next, find all the tools and materials used that you may need during the work:
   • It is best to choose a sheet of plywood measuring three meters by one and a half, and its thickness should be at least 18 mm. If you decide to choose more thin sheet, then you will have to fix it using special metal corners.
   • Find wood molding, some furniture bolts, hinges, door closers and regular screws.
   • Include in the list of tools building level, a simple pencil or black marker, a meter or tape measure, a hacksaw, a hammer, a jigsaw and a chisel.
4. Looking at the drawing, cut out all the parts to assemble the structure. The very best will help you cope with this matter. regular saw. It is best to start with making the frame, and only then take on the shelves. Before choosing the height of the closet, decide on the things you are going to store in it.

Determine the size of the groove based on the thickness of the selected sheet of plywood. It is best to cut it immediately to the full size of the furniture. Mark the sides so that the marks line up with the grooves.

Build process

If all the parts and tools are at hand, you can assemble a wardrobe from plywood with your own hands:

• First, attach the vertical components to the side ones. If in the future you need to disassemble furniture for transportation, then it is best to give preference to furniture bolts for connection. If the cabinet will never be disassembled and moved, then secure all parts with finishing nails.

Important! Do not forget that at the beginning holes of the appropriate diameter are made for installing bolts and screws. Without pre-made holes, installing screws into the structure is not recommended.

• Then prepare the back wall of the product, for which you will need to use chipboard. Using your drawing, transfer the dimensions and cut out the back component. Secure the latter in the same way as all previous elements.

Final stage

If the miracle furniture is already finished, then you can safely start decorating your product. At any time you can find a huge number of tools and tools for decorating furniture. For storage shelves, you can choose a beautiful profile molding that will definitely look creative. It is recommended to secure it with the same finishing nails. The cabinet itself can be coated with paint, which will give the wood structure an interesting appearance.

You can also use varnish instead of paint:

1. Before applying varnish to finished furniture, treat it with a special stain and diligently sand off any uneven surfaces.
2. Before applying paint, prime the product.
3. If you used furniture bolts in the process, then hide them using special plugs, which will also add a little beauty.

• As additional element legs can be used. It will be very convenient if these are not just supports, but wheeled legs, allowing the product to move freely around the room.
• Also, if you really want, you can equip the structure with sliding doors, for which you only need to get a metal profile on which the door will slide. The profile is fixed at the top and bottom. It is better to cut the doors from the same sheet of plywood that was used for your cabinet.

Important! Please note that the shelves made in some cases may become an obstacle to closing the doors.

The man who dared self-production furniture, will receive a high-quality and exclusive item made to suit individual tastes and needs.

Not all designers or factories are ready to provide what you need.

Plywood - universal material made of wood. Before the advent of plastics, plywood was used to make everything from airplane wings to children's toys.

Advantages of plywood:

• resistance to warping;
• low fracturing;
• Smooth surface;
• environmental friendliness;
• durability;
• ease of processing.

The first thing you need to determine when designing is what the cabinet will be made from.

Advice. It's worth going shopping and seeing if they have what we need in stock.

Kinds

Different tasks require different thicknesses. The weight of the finished product depends on it

• thin. Consists of 3 - 7 layers of veneer, with a total thickness of 3 - 8 mm. Such light plywood, it is good to make panels from it for frame construction of furniture or for facades.

  It is convenient to use such plywood as the back wall of a cabinet.

• average thickness- 10 - 16 mm. The most popular type, combining load-bearing strength and the ability to withstand end fasteners.
• thick- over 18 mm. It is used for load-bearing critical structures, floors, and weight distribution. From it you can cut support bars, openwork durable structures for walls.

Types of wood

Plywood consists of veneer sheets glued together. The wood used is spruce, pine, oak, but the most popular is birch. It peels perfectly and has an excellent appearance.

The strength of the wood and its appearance depend on the type of wood used.

There are 5 grades based on the quality of wood used. The first one is the “cleanest”, without knots or visible defects. Fifth - allows for veneer shortages, unevenness, and fallen knots. For a cabinet that will be painted with opaque paints, you can use grade 2-3, if you want to preserve the appearance of wood, you should use grade 1 - 2.

Advice. The most common combination plywood is - outer sheets made of birch, and the internal ones - from alder or pine. This will not affect the quality of the furniture, and such material costs much less than high-quality varieties.

Moisture resistance

It depends on the glue used and manufacturing technology.

• FC. Has average moisture resistance. It can delaminate if exposed to water, so it is better not to use it for bathroom furniture.
• FSF. It has excellent properties and can be used in any furniture. When purchasing, you should pay attention to the formaldehyde emission class. It should not be lower than E1; this is an acceptable parameter for use inside buildings.
• FOF. Rarely used for furniture, as it is impregnated with phenol-formaldehyde resins and has high level formaldehyde emissions. It has excellent weather resistance - it is not afraid of moisture and cold, so it is mainly used outdoors. For outdoor furniture There are practically no alternatives, fortunately about the concentration of formaldehyde at fresh air no need to worry.

Materials and tools

A well-equipped workshop provides the opportunity to realize any ideas.

Of course, you can use inexpensive ones hand tools, but in this case the quality will be lower and labor intensity will increase significantly.

To assemble the cabinet we will need:

• drill. End connections plywood should not be loaded with spacers - it may delaminate. To tighten screws or drive nails, you will have to drill filler holes. You can purchase a frame or a template for your drill yourself - all holes must be perpendicular. Can act as a drill cordless screwdriver sufficient power;
• sawing tool- machine, jigsaw, a circular saw. It is better to cut thick sheets when purchasing - many stores provide sawing services on format-cutting machines. A jigsaw produces a crooked cut; if you have to make a cabinet for a workshop, it will do. For more precise cuts, you will need a circular saw with a guide bar. It makes it possible to cut sheets with an accuracy of tenths of a millimeter;
• measuring and auxiliary tool. Details quality furniture must be precisely sawn. To measure and mark the sheet, you will need a tape measure, a 50 cm long metal ruler, and a small and large square. Angle clamps and clamping clamps will help hold the parts during drilling and assembly. It is better to have several of them - they will be useful for further work;
• if the work is carried out in a residential area, it will be useful to purchase construction vacuum cleaner— it connects to the power tool and makes the job cleaner. With the help of a simple homemade cyclone a household vacuum cleaner can be used in this role;
• fasteners. The peculiarity of plywood is that not every fastener can be used. When expanding, there is a high risk of splitting, so it is worth using adhesive and corner fasteners as much as possible;
• glue- any carpenter. The most convenient are polyurethane compounds;
• corners— galvanized furniture;
• for hidden fasteners with thick plywood can be used clamping screws;
• can be used for unloaded areas screws, confirmations or nails. For such spacer fasteners, you need to drill a guide hole with a diameter of 1 mm less. This will not reduce the strength of the product, but will avoid internal stresses.

To fasten the fronts and drawers, you will need hinges and other fittings. It can be purchased online or at your local specialty store.

Scheme and drawing

Cabinet drawing

Before purchasing materials, you should carefully draw the future product and calculate the dimensions. This can be done either manually or on a computer - graphic editors Sketcsh Up or 3Dmax will make the task easier. The contoured large parts are designed first, which are “clogged” with small partitions and compartments.

There are two main technologies for plywood cabinets:

1. With load-bearing wooden frame. The cabinet is a structure made of planed wooden blocks, and the walls are made of plywood or veneer. The design is lightweight and durable.
2. With plywood frame. The use of thick plywood will completely replace wooden frame, the design technologies are the same as in the popular chipboard.

Advice. Before designing, you should scour the furniture makers’ forums - they are posted there for free access. standard projects, which can be modified to suit you.

When drawing, do not forget about the thickness of the materials, the location of the fittings, and the location. Opening doors should not interfere with passage; access to all compartments should be easy.

In general, a cabinet is a box with two supporting side walls, a lid, a bottom, “stuffing” of shelves and drawers. A flat light sheet, giving shear strength, doors are attached to the front if desired.

The result This stage will include the following materials: general drawing wardrobe, Assembly drawing with dimensions and notes on fasteners, a list of parts indicating thickness, dimensions, and method of fastening.

How to do it?

Material cutting

The main advantage of this material is its easy workability. Smooth sheets are easy to saw, sand, and join. Eat a number of recommendations which will allow you to get a much better result:

• Before cutting with household saws, you can stick a thick tape onto the cutting line. masking tape or screw on thin plywood. The saw teeth are capable of chipping wood fibers, and the cut will be “ragged.” If the fibers are pressed, the cut will be clear, the fibers will not chip;
• Marking lines should be as thin as possible. You can use a marking cord or a finely sharpened pencil. The cut is made so that the line remains visible from the side of the finished part;
• if there finished project, it is better to cut the plywood on a sawing machine in a specialized company. When designing, you can think about how the parts will be cut - this will save usable area sheets, and will also allow you to avoid troubles when purchasing, when you have to buy a whole sheet for the sake of a small shelf;
• Tenon or miter joints can be sawed either manually or using CNC machines. Inquire about the presence of enterprises with such equipment; cutting on such a machine will improve the accuracy of the part and make any curved cuts;
• the ends after cutting can be sanded, rounding the edges, or processed with a manual milling machine if desired;
• in places of future fasteners on thick parts, you can make “plugs” from wood or anchor compounds. A place in the end is drilled out, a soft dowel lubricated with glue is hammered in, or liquid polyurethane anchor compound is poured. The hole should not exceed 1/3 of the thickness of the plywood. This technique will increase the strength of the perpendicular joint; it will be possible to put a larger load on the shelf.

Assembly

Having a detailed drawing will make this stage much easier - keep in your head you can only simple sizes and parameters.

Before assembly, you should lay out the parts on the floor and sign them with self-adhesive paper and a felt-tip pen.

As a rule, assembly begins from the main perimeter - load-bearing walls, ceiling and bottom. If there are several walls, be sure to assemble them at once. The help of a partner, clamps, and a jig for adding holes will help make assembly easier.

After assembling the perimeter, be sure to check the perpendicularity of the surfaces; if it is rectangular, you can check the diagonals. We secure it with temporary bevels on the back side.

We “clog” the structure with shelves and nests for cupboards. After this, we attach the back wall - it will give shear rigidity.

We put the cabinet in place, assemble the cabinets, shelves, hang the fronts and other planned fittings - mirrors, hooks, handles, legs, plugs.

Important. The cabinet should stand level, not swing on its legs, and the doors should open and close easily.

Finishing

For finishing closet will have take it apart again- remove drawers, fronts, hooks, mirrors and shelves.

Surfaces are sanded sandpaper manually or by grinding machines. It is better to do this in several stages, reducing the abrasive grain by 50%: No. 180 - No. 240 - No. 320. The movements of the sandpaper when sanding by hand should follow the grain of the wood - this way, scratches from accidentally trapped grains of sand and coarse abrasive are less noticeable.

Plywood with thick face veneer you can burn it or treat with metal brushes. This will add a vintage feel, making the coating “older” and more prominent. This treatment is suitable for finishing hardwood veneer - oak, ash, hornbeam, birch.

The smooth surface of plywood can be coated with various coloring compounds:

• oil-wax. Gives a natural look and withstands tinting. Not suitable for saturated colors, used in designs that preserve the appearance of wood.

  Oil permeates upper layer wood, protects from moisture, but the wood itself will absorb mechanical loads (scratches, abrasions). It is practically odorless and can be used when working “on the balcony” or in an apartment. Easy to apply and rub in with a rag. It is important to know that it is better to burn rags after oil, otherwise they can spontaneously ignite at any moment;

• tinting + varnish. Suitable for “glazing” wood while maintaining its natural appearance. It is better to use tinting based on solvents with a high dry residue - nitrobes. They give a uniform, rich color, do not raise the pile, and are easy to apply. Minus - pungent odor during application, if there is no workshop;
• opaque enamels for wood. Create protective film, completely removing the grain of the wood. There are different types of materials that differ in properties and application technology.

  Oil-based pentaphthalic paints are popular, but they are short-lived. For furniture it is better to use nitro enamels or acrylic varnishes- they are absorbed into the upper layers of the wood and do not “snap off” over time. Impregnation will help reduce paint consumption - impregnation of plywood with inexpensive compatible bases (primer, drying oil, oily solvents);

• combined options. Using masking tape, you can finish unpresentable ends with opaque paint, and treat beautiful veneer surfaces, for example, with oil or clear varnish. "Game" of fantasy when using various colors add uniqueness to the product.

Decoration

After painting, the furniture is assembled and installed in place. The use of decors - patina, overlay elements, panels, metal corners - will help to give a complete appearance.

More often the appearance is spoiled by multi-layer ends, they can be sealed using U-shaped profiles made of plastic or aluminum, self-adhesive melamine tape with a wood pattern, paint.

Photo

Perhaps the following photos will give you a couple more ideas for designing the final result

Useful video

The main stages of making a cabinet can be seen in the following video:

Conclusion

Ready-made wardrobe individual order costs a lot of money and nerves in coordination with the designer and craftsmen. You will still have to delve into the features of materials, ergonomics, and determine the color palette.

You can only take on a complex product if you have:

• material base - tools and premises. Something can be purchased, expensive things can be rented;
• desires. The process of creating furniture is labor-intensive; you will need a supply of patience and perseverance at each stage;
• experience. It’s better to start with simple things - a birdhouse, a stool, etc. — hone docking techniques;
• spatial imagination and free time.

The result of the work can both disappoint and delight, but in any case, making a cabinet from plywood with your own hands will provide valuable experience that can be repeated, and the skill can be improved.

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