Furniture made from solid wood does not lose popularity, despite the abundance of different types of materials on the market, as well as more affordable ones. The fact is that natural wood not only has a pleasant appearance and creates a cozy atmosphere in an apartment or private house.
The solid wood cabinet looks very strong and durable
Its performance qualities are also unparalleled - solid wood products will last for decades, while the safety and environmental friendliness of the material makes it suitable even for people prone to allergies.
Some types of wood even have medicinal properties, disinfecting indoor air with the help of phytoncides contained in tree resins. The aesthetic appeal, durability, and beneficial properties of wood have long made this material traditional for home furnishings. The only disadvantage of such furniture is its high cost on the market - but if you decide to create furniture from solid wood with your own hands, you will save significantly on the services of a craftsman.
Design
Scheme for assembling a wooden dining table with your own hands
Creating a piece of furniture begins with careful development of the project. This is another advantage of making it yourself - an item made to specific dimensions will fit perfectly into the interior, and you will not need to rearrange it. You can make almost any furniture from solid wood - wardrobes for the bedroom, a table for the living room, a crib or a chair for the veranda. You just need to choose a suitable design or develop your own, and then make a drawing according to your dimensions.
Wooden wardrobe project
Cabinet made of furniture panels
The right choice of material is half the success in making furniture. Furniture board is an environmentally friendly wood material formed in the form of a sheet of standard size. Compliance with the price and quality of the product contributes to the widespread use of the material for creating furniture with your own hands. A cabinet made of panels will look organic in any interior, be it a kitchen, living room or bathroom.
Features and Benefits
Cabinets made from furniture panels are varied in appearance and texture. For the manufacture of sheets, various types of wood are used: coniferous (pine, spruce) and deciduous (aspen, birch, oak). Furniture panels are perfect for creating a cabinet and have the following advantages over MDF and chipboard:
- reasonable price;
- long service life;
- environmental friendliness;
- easy processing;
- simple repair of the finished product;
- variety of textures;
- aesthetic appeal.
Due to their versatility, panels are popular among those who make furniture. When working with this material, you need to consider some features:
Preparing material and tools
Before you start creating a cabinet, you need to prepare the materials needed for the work. You will need:
- Furniture panel for forming the body and facade (thickness 1.8 cm - 2 cm).
- Plywood that will be used to create shelves, partitions (thickness 1.2 cm) and drawers (6 mm). Partitions can also be made from a shield, but this will be a more expensive option.
- Hardboard or plywood (at least 4 mm) to create the back wall of the cabinet.
- Barbell and holders for clothes. If desired, you can make them yourself from blocks of wood.
- Elements of fittings.
- Varnish for wood processing.
- Spot-type lamps, LED strip, if you are planning cabinet lighting.
To properly assemble the cabinet, you will need to prepare the following tools in advance:
- Sander;
- chisel;
- electric drill and drills of different sizes;
- screwdriver;
- hacksaw for wood;
- self-tapping screws;
- pencil and tape measure.
Drawing a drawing
Any thing begins with a project, especially if it is a prefabricated project. Taking into account the characteristics of the space in which the cabinet will be located, as well as the selected type of construction, we determine:
- height, width and depth of the future product;
- number of compartments and shelves;
- shelf height;
- number of internal partitions, their width;
- the size of the drawers that will be pulled out;
- rod location;
- Number of doors;
- decorative elements;
- sizes of furniture panels that will be used in the work.
Based on the data obtained, you can create a sketch or use ready-made drawings that fit your dimensions. At this stage, you can make the necessary adjustments, draw up details and calculate materials.
Assembly technology
If you have completed the stage of selecting the material and creating a drawing, then you can safely begin creating the cabinet. This is quite easy if you follow the correct steps:
- First you need to mark all the parts (their number will depend on the type of cabinet you have), check the dimensions and cut them out using a tool.
- If your sheets are not covered with enamel, then varnish them on both sides. For a better look, you can apply 2 coats. After the first layer, the materials are sanded, then the varnish is applied again.
- Then drill holes in the sheets for fittings and fasteners.
- Now mark and drill holes for the hinge bowls.
- We install the base and secure it with self-tapping screws between the 2 walls.
- Next, you need to install the top part (“cover”) and check whether you have installed the parts correctly.
- If everything is level, without distortions, then we attach the back wall.
- We install shelves.
- We install the bar.
- We fasten the hinges and door handles, prepare the doors.
- We hang the doors and check the hinges.
Tools
The necessary set of tools for working with wood
A standard set of woodworking tools is suitable for the job:
- saw or hacksaw;
- jigsaw;
- plane;
- screwdriver;
- hammer;
- screwdriver.
Depending on the chosen project, you will need to select suitable fittings - furniture corners, couplers, door hinges, handles. All this is sold in construction stores. There you can also purchase special impregnations, wood paints, and varnishes for finishing the product.
Accessories for wooden furniture
Features of the manufacturing technique
When deciding to make furniture from solid wood with your own hands, you must first familiarize yourself with the principle of operation. If it is not possible to consult with an experienced technician, videos on the Internet will help you understand many of the features. In a professional workshop, wood is cut using a circular saw, which is quite difficult to install at home.
Circular saw for wood
You can cut out the parts yourself using a saw and a construction jigsaw - this solution will be effective when cutting rectangular workpieces.
Jigsaw for working with wood
If the project requires parts of complex shapes, it is recommended to seek help from a craftsman or a furniture factory, where they will make an even cut exactly according to the drawing.
Finished parts are connected to each other in several ways:
- spikes - the product is assembled by cutting eyelets and spikes corresponding to each other, to connect the parts tightly together, sometimes glue is used for greater strength;
Tenon connection of parts - fastening elements - parts are fastened using a screwdriver, self-tapping screws, fittings are also used - corners, ties.
Connection with the Confirmat system
Tenoning will require special tools and additional knowledge, so it is recommended to start with a simpler use of fasteners.
Minifix connecting system
How to cut wood correctly
Working with wood involves learning how to cut wood correctly. It is produced according to drawings that the craftsmen:
- if they have the proper experience and relevant knowledge, they make it themselves;
- in the absence of the necessary skills, they are downloaded from the Internet and transferred to paper, and then to a tree in real size.
To cut the wood, craftsmen use a circular saw. However, in the early stages of a production plant, it may be impossible to place the installation for this tool in the available space.
Structure and properties of wood
Therefore, many novice craftsmen prefer to use a powerful electric jigsaw, and carry out milling work using:
- manual router;
- sandpaper.
We suggest you make a table for a router, which will greatly simplify the production of various parts. There is a detailed article on how exactly the table is made on the pages of our website.
Of course, a jigsaw is unable to compare with a saw; as a result, the only way for a novice furniture maker not to spoil the material purchased en masse for work is to have a clear knowledge of all the technical characteristics:
- cut fabric;
- cutting tool.
Instead of a saw installation, even using a jigsaw is suitable for the first time.
Prices for popular models of jigsaws
Jigsaw
So, perhaps the most common problem that arises when working with an electric jigsaw is the difficulty in creating an even cut. Usually at the same time, all sorts of chips appear on the canvas.
The following tricks will help you cope with this trouble.
- To get rid of chips, it is better to mark the line along which you will cut the part on the back side of the material, and then apply tape on it, which is used by painters when painting a particular product.
- Parts should be made with a margin, retreating about a few millimeters more, and then give them the desired shape and size, using a jointer for this.
Try to start with simpler furniture, and after gaining experience, move on to making complex household items
When starting to make furniture for the first time, try to create a rectilinear type configuration, since it will, of course, be the easiest to cut. However, if, according to your plan, you will also need to cut out special shapes that will be much more complex than straight lines, it is better to invite an experienced specialist in this field to a master class.
Please note: if a specialist in the field of creating furniture is not at hand, then you should contact a factory whose main focus will be furniture, and let them make precise cuts on professional machines, since in this case the work will be done quickly and more exactly.
Provided that you take into account all the nuances we have indicated, you will be able to cut high-quality parts from pure wood and turn them into stylish and durable furniture.
Existing types of wood cutting
At the stage of cutting wood for parts of a future cabinet, table or other piece of furniture, holes are also made in which the fittings will then be placed. The following will be inserted into wooden cuttings:
- locks;
- pens;
- hooks;
- shelf holders;
- loops, etc.
In addition, since you have taken up the task of cutting the parts yourself, you also need to study the question of how exactly modern fasteners and fittings are installed, as well as parts that imitate ancient household items.
Ideally, for further work in this area, you should purchase specialized machines
The bottom line is that the gaps in which the antique parts will presumably then be placed may be too large for the thin sheet of wood. That is why, even before cutting, it is important to think about what will be located where.
Decoration and processing
The oak cut is very beautiful, so you shouldn’t paint interior items made from this material, it’s enough to process it correctly
Decorating solid wood furniture with your own hands will allow you to give it an individual style and better fit it into the overall idea of the interior.
Decorative carved facades for wooden furniture
Most often, to decorate wooden products, carved elements are used on facades and doors; sometimes furniture is decorated with a pattern using burning or special paint.
Tabletop made of solid wood after firing
Finishing of the finished product is required not only for its visual qualities, it also helps protect the wood from various external influences and ensure a longer service life. First of all, the surface is polished using special materials (sandpaper, powders).
Wood must be sanded before painting
Then, depending on the selected species, impregnation with stains or synthetic compounds on water is carried out.
Do-it-yourself wood staining
Such impregnation will improve the waterproofing properties of the wood, protect it from insects, and in some cases give it a certain color. The final stage is usually the application of varnish or wax, which gives the product an aesthetic appearance and additionally protects the surface.
Coating the furniture surface with varnish to obtain a protective layer
How much can you earn making wooden furniture?
The payback period for such a business is on average 2 years. The competition in this area is quite large and in order for your business to flourish, you must constantly take care of the quality of products, analyze the market and competitors, carry out advertising activities and attract new customers through constant improvement and expansion of the product range.
With proper business organization, the annual net profit will be up to 40 percent of costs, which is definitely a fairly good indicator.
