Seeking input for Armoire Construction

[Tfeni52355]

I am building an armoire for a friend who is handicapped. He is having to rework his bathroom and will lose some of his closet space.Thus the need for the armoire. Attached is his design. He is an engineer.

I have built shop grade cabinetry, murphy beds, and painted book cases using big box plywood. I have a well equipped shop with Cabinet Saw, Router Table, Planer, Jointer, Drill Press, Band Saw and hand tools collected over the years.

My questions are:
1) Should the sides be 3/4” or is 1/2” plywood sufficient? The Armoire will be 7’ tall.

2) Planning on using glued Rabbits and Dadoes for the plywood joinery. Are Pocket holes a better way?

3) Should I use pin nails or staples for connecting the plywood once joined/glued ?

4) I haven’t purchased cherry plywood before. I live south of Charlotte. Is there a recommended supplier? I have a truck.

 

[Gotcha6]

If you do movable shelves per plan, I would go with 3/4" for the sides and 1/4" veneer for the back rabbeted into the ends and top and bottom. !/2" may not give you enough strength to go that tall and drill pin holes without the holes blowing out. 1/2" edge banded plywood should be fine for the short shelves but it would sag in the 3' span. Use the best grade PW you can find. = Don't even stop at the Big Box stores. You will need to go to a hardwood supplier for your cherry anyway so see what they have in plywood.
JMTCW

 

[1075tech]

1) I'd use 3/4
2) Dados or rabbet, a quality glue should be sufficient. Behind the afore mentioned 1/4" back, I'd use 3/4" stretchers for support. These could be pocket screwed.
3) Glue should be sufficient.
4) You can try The Hardwood Store of NC just off 85 in Salisbury

 

[chris_goris]

Will it have a faceframe? I strongly recommend it. I dont think the carcass will be rigid enough without one. Making the upper and lower Rails wide ( 3-4" probably) and integrated to the floor and ceiling panels allowing the carcass sides to be longer than just the case dimensions. Also attaching this faceframe is key. I like to use a loose tenon to attach mine, machining a groove in the edge of the plywood and one in the back side of the faceframe parts. This ensures a nice neat reveal on the faceframe to plywood joint (yours will be 7 feet and wavy!) also an extremely strong joint.
A nice square faceframe ensures also that your doors dont rack on the carcass causing unsightly gaps and misalignments. Hope this helps.

 

[Wilsoncb]

Agree with previous comments on 3/4 and rabbit joints. My concern would be the size. It can certainly be done in one piece but it will be a beast to move. Take a look at where it’s going and the path to get there. Diagonally it will be over 8 feet (if you need to tip it on a 2 wheel cart). Consider making it in two halves split just above the bottom hanger bar horizontally.

 

[Rwe2156]

I am building an armoire for a friend who is handicapped. He is having to rework his bathroom and will lose some of his closet space.Thus the need for the armoire. Attached is his design. He is an engineer.

I have built shop grade cabinetry, murphy beds, and painted book cases using big box plywood. I have a well equipped shop with Cabinet Saw, Router Table, Planer, Jointer, Drill Press, Band Saw and hand tools collected over the years.

My questions are:
1) Should the sides be 3/4” or is 1/2” plywood sufficient? The Armoire will be 7’ tall.

3/4 on a free standing unit like this.

2) Planning on using glued Rabbits and Dadoes for the plywood joinery. Are Pocket holes a better way?

If it's acceptable, I would use screws directly in from the sides and plugs. I often use trim head screws, drill 1/8 countersink and plugs - perfectly acceptable even on a natural wood piece especially one that big. You can even use a contrasting wood. That said, plywood glues very well so you should be ok. But if it gets moved - that's when you find out glue isn't enough.

3) Should I use pin nails or staples for connecting the plywood once joined/glued ?

I don't see that helping at all, staples maybe, but certainly not pin nails. You're talking about shooting at an angle across the dado, right?

4) I haven’t purchased cherry plywood before. I live south of Charlotte. Is there a recommended supplier? I have a truck.

Sorry, can't help with that, other than to say hold on to your wallet. Last time I checked with my supplier it was $165/sheet.

 

[Tfeni52355]

Thanks for all of the input. Definitely will be 3/4” I like the idea of two pieces. The current home has 9’ ceilings but future homes may not. Didn’t think about the narrow hallway and door to have to get it through. The two halves should also be easier to build and less prone to twisting/racking when moved.