All:
In the midst of a bathroom remodel I am making a new vanity that will be similar to the pictured dresser (West Elm website picture) Legs instead of a traditional cabinet base and both sides of the piece will be exposed/show (i.e. no adjacent walls). I was considering a curved front style, but have decided to keep it simpler (and flat front).
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I have purchased some offcuts of Themally Modified Ash from Raleigh Reclaimed - enough for drawer faces, edging the plywood, and for side panels. Themally Modified wood is heat treated as the name suggests using a different process than kiln drying; the material is primarily used outdoors, as the thermal modification process imparts significant rot resistance. The color is a consistent warm brown color in the species i have seen (ash and poplar), and that color quite frankly is what drew me to this material. It is not an inexpensive and seems to be really only available from internet sources (Raleigh Reclaimed sold me their offcut material saved from other projects); none of the local wood suppliers carried it as far as I could tell from websites and some calls. If anyone finds a local source please share. Yes I know I can order online but doubt I'd meet minimum order size and shipping costs would add up fast.
I am planning to make a frameless plywood carcase for the cabinet, and the visible fronts are to have applied ash edging. Drawers will be inset with undermount slides. All that seems pretty straight forward to me at least (haha I haven't done it yet - but I have seen YouTube!).
The question is how would you make or cover the sides of this vanity?
- I could make the sides as solid ash like a traditional case piece like a dresser (rather than plywood sides with ash covering), but I don't have enough material to do that and the prospect of wood movement seems likely and problematic, particularly in a bathroom.
- Rather, I am expect to make a thin 3/8 - 1/2" flat panels for frame and panel sides. I am envisioning this as an 'applied side panel', and not as the structure of the vanity. If done this way I would expect to attach the frame to the sides using screws from the inside.
The material is a generous 5/4 thick, so I likely have enough to resaw and plane to thickness; resawing will be a test of my new (used) bandsaw and my skills.
What other approaches would you consider?
If you used the Frame & Panel approach, how would you attach the panel?
EDIT - I do know that veneering would be the obvious answer to my question; I am not certain I'd want to try something that new to me under the time constraints I have here (4 weeks? while not retired). Yes that constaint is not terrible if you are set up and already do veneer work, but I have no veneer tools or vac bag etc, and no experience veneering.
In the midst of a bathroom remodel I am making a new vanity that will be similar to the pictured dresser (West Elm website picture) Legs instead of a traditional cabinet base and both sides of the piece will be exposed/show (i.e. no adjacent walls). I was considering a curved front style, but have decided to keep it simpler (and flat front).
I have purchased some offcuts of Themally Modified Ash from Raleigh Reclaimed - enough for drawer faces, edging the plywood, and for side panels. Themally Modified wood is heat treated as the name suggests using a different process than kiln drying; the material is primarily used outdoors, as the thermal modification process imparts significant rot resistance. The color is a consistent warm brown color in the species i have seen (ash and poplar), and that color quite frankly is what drew me to this material. It is not an inexpensive and seems to be really only available from internet sources (Raleigh Reclaimed sold me their offcut material saved from other projects); none of the local wood suppliers carried it as far as I could tell from websites and some calls. If anyone finds a local source please share. Yes I know I can order online but doubt I'd meet minimum order size and shipping costs would add up fast.
I am planning to make a frameless plywood carcase for the cabinet, and the visible fronts are to have applied ash edging. Drawers will be inset with undermount slides. All that seems pretty straight forward to me at least (haha I haven't done it yet - but I have seen YouTube!).
The question is how would you make or cover the sides of this vanity?
- I could make the sides as solid ash like a traditional case piece like a dresser (rather than plywood sides with ash covering), but I don't have enough material to do that and the prospect of wood movement seems likely and problematic, particularly in a bathroom.
- Rather, I am expect to make a thin 3/8 - 1/2" flat panels for frame and panel sides. I am envisioning this as an 'applied side panel', and not as the structure of the vanity. If done this way I would expect to attach the frame to the sides using screws from the inside.
The material is a generous 5/4 thick, so I likely have enough to resaw and plane to thickness; resawing will be a test of my new (used) bandsaw and my skills.
What other approaches would you consider?
If you used the Frame & Panel approach, how would you attach the panel?
EDIT - I do know that veneering would be the obvious answer to my question; I am not certain I'd want to try something that new to me under the time constraints I have here (4 weeks? while not retired). Yes that constaint is not terrible if you are set up and already do veneer work, but I have no veneer tools or vac bag etc, and no experience veneering.
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