Uh... I'm just guessing here, but it seems like a piece of furniture made of solid wood, would be worth quite a bit....why would you use it as a source of lumber?Originally Posted by mah
I will soon start assembling a pair of large(16cu.ft) cabinets using 3/4in. MDF. I have a small wardrobe that is made from solid 13/16in. hardwood(Australian Blackwood) that I could break up and use for cladding on the top and front of the cabinets.
My problem is how to apply the Blackwood panels to the MDF given that the MDF is stable and the Blackwood will have some movement across the grain.
Any advice is welcome.
Regards, Marshall.
Uh... I'm just guessing here, but it seems like a piece of furniture made of solid wood, would be worth quite a bit....why would you use it as a source of lumber?
Audio_by_Goodwill
Michigan, USA
It is a small 'Gent's 'Robe' of very plain design from 20s to 40s. Probably used in an hotel or institution. I believe that like many old pieces that do not lend themslves to modern use it's value lies in the wide planks an timber used. Just because it is 'old' does not make it a keeper.
Cheers, Marshall.
That must be an Australian thing...... I've never heard of furniture being sold for it's lumber. I've also not heard of pieces that don't lend themselves to modern use. Granted I'm not "into" furniture.
If old means it's a quality constructed piece of furniture, made out of solid wood, then YES, it does mean it's a keeper........ at least here in the land of particle board.....Just because it is 'old' does not make it a keeper.
It's yours, so you can do with it as you please, but I would advise that you look into it's value before pulling it apart, so that you aren't assuming.... if that is what your doing.
I don't know the answer to your question about the expansion of the different materials.
Audio_by_Goodwill
Michigan, USA
You may be able to find expansion rates for various woods with Google. If they're close, I wouldn't worry about it.
Audio_by_Goodwill
Michigan, USA
Ater a bit of Googling I found this info Timber boards overlayed on ply. [Archive] - Woodwork Forums.
Some ideas there but the voice of experience would be appreciated.
If you intend to clad the entire panel and are not adverse to it, using a stile and rail construction would probably net the most insurance against cracking or warpage. The fact that the material you promote to use is 60+ years old will aid you as the wood has given up most of it's original moisture and has become stable.
If I were to do this I might just glue and nail the lumber, using a glue that doesn't harden completely but affords for movement. It would be faster and a lot less work then floating a panel and using stile and rail. A lot depends on one's outlook of the worth of what you're building and how far you're willing to go, IME.
In the matter of stile and rail, if a totally flat aspect is being considered (no formed panels or moulded rails) then the rails can be merely raised beyond the dimension of the panel with the same stock milled to a smaller dimension, this thinner stock attached to the same dimensional stock as the panel stock. A dado in this rail piece to overlap the ends of the panel allows the panel to float within the cavity. This is just all basic cabinet door assembly as presented here: Frame and panel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .
A toungue and corresponding groove won't be necesary because of the MDF backing and the use of the panel. If you're really clever, you'll be able to cut another dado to wrap around the enclosure corners in order to hide the end grain of the MDF panels.
Good luck with your project. I have been known to recycle various lumber and have had quite a few compliments about the end product.
Gluing seems to be the way to go to prevent rattling or vibration. The choice of adhesive which allows for timber expansion now needs to be addressed. To aid in accomodating the expansion maybe a layer of sheet rubber could be sandwiched between the MDF and the hardwood if the rubber was not degradable.
This is new stuff for me and I would like to feel confident before attempting the idea.
You need to prevent timber expansion/contraction by thoroughly sealing the timber and host panel.
Expansion and contraction of lumber is a product of moisture migration, proper sealing will end migration of moisture for as long as the integrity of the sealer remains.
Stile and rail will certainly lock things together in a mechanical sense. But over time, unless you seal every last bit of tongue, groove, and mortise, they will still expand and contract as the moisture level changes.
My favorite sealer is orange shellac, the real stuff that comes in dry flakes that you mix with denatured alcohol. Several very thin coats are far more effective than a single heavy coat. For my first couple coats i thin it excessively, such that there's little or no visual evidence from the first coat or two once it dries.
It's important that all staining/coloring is done prior to laying down sealer coats. This sealing method is compatible with varnish, processed oil finishes, and nitrocellulose lacquer finishes.
Just my .02 y'all understand......................................
Not all vegetables make good leaders.
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