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Curved Kitchen Cabinets

Curved Kitchen Cabinets (post #92575)

mykes on Sat, 03/17/2007 - 16:45

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Hi I need to learn how to make Euro style kitchen cabinet cabinet carcasses that are curved or round. Any idea where I could research this?

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by DJK in reply to mykes [original] on Sat, 03/17/2007 - 18:54

A bit more detail about what you want would help. Start over at www.woodweb.com. I did my kitchen with radius cabinets and doors. I'd post a pict but need to finish the cooking and do a clean up.

DJK

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by DJK in reply to Anonymous [original] on Mon, 03/19/2007 - 14:27

Give us a bit more info about what you have in mind and I may be of help. I've done a number of frameless kitchens with radius cabinets.

DJK

Go here for some info www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Radius_Cabinet_Job__Project_Review.html

Edited 3/19/2007 10:35 am ET by DJK

Edited 3/19/2007 2:59 pm ET by DJK

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by jeanlou in reply to mykes [original] on Sun, 03/18/2007 - 01:34

mykes

Without more info I will take the plunge and suggest that you do not need the curved cabinetry, and that curves doors fitted to square cabinets will give you the look you are searching for with much less headache and heartache. Fillers can take care of what is seen. JL

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by ring in reply to mykes [original] on Sun, 03/18/2007 - 06:10

Unless you're contemplating something really unusual, Jeanlou's post is right on. Any drawer or pullout hardware requires 90° cabinet walls anyway. The curved parts are most probably only the doors. No matter how you build the carcases you've got a lot of dead pie-shaped spaces inside.

David Ring

www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

David Ring http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

(post #92575, reply #4 of 10)

by sapwood in reply to mykes [original] on Sun, 03/18/2007 - 07:02

I haven't any idea on where you can find any plans or published drawings. If you don't find anything, respond back here with some sketches of what you want to accomplish and I and others, I'm sure, will be able to help.

The doors and drawer fronts will be the most challenging depending on style. A face frame will also present some difficulties. However, the task can be mastered with patience and care. I would not advise you to think about having only curved faces. That approach seems like saying you've given up before even starting.

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by jeanlou in reply to Anonymous [original] on Mon, 03/19/2007 - 02:02

sapwood

There is a difference between giving up before starting, and understanding what it is that you are building. As David Ring mentioned, you need square relationships to install cabinet hardware, so building cabinets to suit a curve becomes an exercise that is counterproductive. It is sufficiently challenging to build the fronts (doors and drawers etc.) to the curve.

If one wants to build a curved kitchen, including the cabinetry, no problem. It all starts with a full size layout of the cabinets. Now the question is do you build 3/4 inch thick curved elements? It will require male and female forms, so that the cabinet curves can be laminated from 1/8 or 1/4 inch material. All the fronts will also require male and female forms to do the glue up of the panels. If the curved kitchen is not a circle, then each cabinet will be a different curve and will require a specific set of forms.

If the back of the cabinet is wider than the front,(inside curve) all shelves will need to be in the cabinets while they are assembled, otherwise they will not be installable.

How much work is warranted? If you are building for yourself and you approach it as a learning experience where time and materials is not part of the equation, then go for it and 8 months to a year later you may have a kitchen.

If you need to be able to sell the work to someone, then your approach will need to be different. Curving the facade is not "copping out", as you seem to be suggesting, it is giving a client the look that they want for a price they are prepared to pay in a time frame they are willing to accept. JL

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by EarlKelly in reply to mykes [original] on Sun, 03/18/2007 - 15:55

To jump into generalities, I would say, first you need to learn veneering. Then you need to advance to curved veneer work. If you don't have a vacuum bag setup it will be near impossible to make up what you need in the veneer you want.

There are options for manufactured curved side panels and doors, etc. And the veneer can be adheered with hot hide glue and a veneer hammer. But the vacuum procedure would allow the freedom to construct any curve with the veneer face of your choice.

If you've never veneered before, you have a long way to go. It's like anything else, experience and skill goes a long way toward perfection.

Furniture...the Art of a FurnitureMaker

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by jeanlou in reply to Anonymous [original] on Mon, 03/19/2007 - 02:16

Earl

Before vacuum bags, veneer was curved to any shape people wanted when they built cabinets. You can do without vacuum bags, no problem. You can glue up curved fronts and doors and drawers and whatever by thinking out of the box and using parts that you prepare ahead of time...example; a 1/4 inch flat veneered panel installed in a curved groove during assembly, is now a curved veneered panel door or drawer front...without a vacuum bag set up. Gluing up panels using 1/4 inch panels that are veneered flat allow you to use male and female forms to press any size finished panel you want.

Look at all the antique furniture around, all of it built by cabinet makers using traditional methods and advanced problem solving skills.

I am going to have to disagree with your premise that it is near impossible to build curved furniture without vacuum bag techniques. JL

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by EarlKelly in reply to Anonymous [original] on Mon, 03/19/2007 - 03:24

OK I concede the "Near Impossible" remark, it should have been "very difficult". It's a Kitchen full of European style cabinets. I did give the OP another means to accomplish what he wants. He's still going to need to learn veneering or sub it out.

Vacuum is the "Best" way to do what he wants. There's always more than one way to accomplish most anything, but given materials available and the results that can be achieved, why would you want to use anything else?

Most of the Antiques I've seen, that were veneered, were shaped solid wood with veneer applied using hot hide glue. I think for a set of cabinets that would be a very time consuming way of constructing them.