Brief descriptions of the materials used in our work.
Furniture, cabinet face frames, moldings,drawers, and most doors.
I personally produce 75% of
the solid lumber used in my projects. Local logs are brought to my facility,cut into lumber and then kiln dried. This method allows me to monitor all steps of
the process and ensures only the highest quality material .
Common species used:
Cherry
Walnut
Maple
Birch
Poplar
Mahogany
Red & White Oak
Cabinet box sides,tops,bottoms and backs.
I use only veneer core plywood (no particle board) for cabinet box construction. Veneer core plywood consists of alternating ply's of solid wood with the appropriate Species face veneer . Veneer core is far superior to the particle board used by many cabinet manufactures.
Functional Hardware
Drawer slides
Drawer slides are the mechanical devices used to smoothly open and close the drawer. We use Blum soft-close drawer slides whenever possible. We also use ball bearing side mount slides for certain applications.
Door hinges
Door hinge style is determined mostly by the door and how it will fit to the cabinet. We use Blum Soft-Close cup hinges for overlay door applications. Cup hinges are fully adjustable, very durable and totally invisible when the cabinet is closed.We use Youngdale Knife hinges for inset door applications. Knife hinges are a quality choice and leaves only a small "Knuckle" visible on the front side of the door.
Blum Concealed cup hinge
Youngdale knife hinge
Decorative Hardware
Door and drawer Knobs,pulls
There are thousands of choices in decorative hardware. Here a few links to some of our favorite suppliers.
Counter-top/Worktop Choices
#1 Wood
The obvious choice if you wish to match the wood of the cabinet under the top.Wood is used for mostly for non-kitchen applications where moisture and abuse are not factors.
#2 Granite
All natural, sliced from solid formations throughout the world.
Pros:
Will not burn or scratch
Extremely hard and durable
Natural color and pattern variations
Cons:
cost
May require periodic treatment.
#3 Quartz
Formed
from small particles of natural stone mixed with binders to form a hard
flat surface and then polished. Quartz is Extremely durable, consistent
in pattern and color. It polishes beautifully and offers a good
selection of edge profiles.
Pros:
Extremely hard and durable
pattern and colors Consistent throughout worktop
Cons:
Will not burn or scratch
cost
#4 Solid surface (acrylic)
DuPont
Corian is the original solid surface brand. Solid surface is durable,
stain resistant and waterproof. It is repairable if deeply scratched or
burnt. Unlike Laminate, the solid surface color and Pattern
and run throughout the entire thickness of the top, This allows for a
better choice of edge profiles and is a better choice for under-mount
sinks. The DuPont patent expired and is now also available from
companies such as Wilsonart, etc
Pros:
Medium cost range
Generous selection of styles and patterns
Glassware is not easily broken when dropped
Repairable
Cons:
Will burn and scratch
#5 Laminate
Mostly plastic but, also available in Aluminum and steel. Laminate tops are fabricated in our shop by gluing the thin laminate to a wood sub-straight such as particleboard or Medium density fiberboard (MDF). This option offers a durable surface, is available in hundreds of patterns and styles and is the most affordable option.We prefer Formica and Wilsonart brand Laminates. Wilsonart offers hundreds of great styles,colors and patterns.
Pros:
Low cost
widest selection of styles and patterns
Glassware is not easily broken when dropped
Cons:
Not easily repaired
excessive moisture can cause laminate to peel or warp
limited edge profiles
