[Strawbale] Natural, inexpensive kitchen cabinets

[Rob Tom]

vaneckj at ewashtenaw.org

> [friend] built inexpensive frames and used corrugated metal for the  
> cabinets.

If metal cabinets are an option (and why not ? There are some high-end  
Euro kitchen cabinet lines that are)...

Ottawa, being a government/high-tech town full of officeworkers, is also  
full of office cabinets so naturally, there is always an extensive supply  
of used/discarded office cabinets.
I would imagine the same situation exists in any largish urban centre.

The nice thing about office cabinetry is that it's modular (ie  
interchangeable units) and where there's one piece to be had, there's  
probably 20 or more to be had as well.

And if it's the commercial/institutional grade variety (as opposed to  
cheaper SOHO grade) it'll be extremely robust.

It doesn't take much imagination to convert filing cabinets or drawer  
pedestals from office desks into base cabinets ... or hutches (with those  
nifty tilt-up/self-storing doors) into upper units.

Don't like the look of re-painted steel drawer and door faces ? No  
problem. Take them off and put on your own faces.

A lot of industrial design goes into mass-produced office cabinetry and  
those designers have devised  some pretty nifty systems with ingenious  
snap-together connections that make set-up and demounting a snap and make  
conventional residential kitchen cabinet systems look archaic/prehistoric  
by comparison.

Given that kitchens are usually prime candidates/victims in most  
renovation schemes, ease of making changes as facilitated by cabinetry  
designed for quick switcheroos would seem to be beneficial.

While perhaps not "natural", steel is recycleable and not likely to cause  
any allergic reactions and being re-used office cabinetry, probably comes  
out being more Green than most other options.

Another material that could probably stand to see more use in Green  
kitchens is re-used glass.

Here in Ottawa, many homes built during the Baby Boom years had horizontal  
sliding windows installed. They were simply sheets of 3/16" or 1/4" glass  
that slid in grooves milled into the head and sill of the frame. Sliding  
windows of any variety are the air-leakiest window configuration possible  
and the sashless, sliding panes of glass are the worst of that genre so  
it's no surprise that homeowners are replace them at the first  
opportunity, making hundreds of sheets of thickish glass available on an  
annual basis.

Since that window glass is seldom tempered, it can be cut to size to suit,  
It can be used for inserts in wooden frames, as frameless sliding panels  
or with the inexpensive pivot hinges that are designed to accept glass  
panels. (ie channels w/ pivot into which the glass is set and a screw on  
the backside tightens against a plate that clamps the glass in place.)

Don't like like plain old clear glass ? Sandblast it to make it  
translucent. Feeling artistic ? Etch or cut designs into it. Or insert  
stained glass accents. Or...[unlimited options]

Similarly, impervious, chemically-inert glass makes a lot of sense as  
kitchen countertops, whether it be thick glass only (ie structural, say  
3/8" or thicker) or relatively thin (ie 3/16" tempered) as a protective  
"finish" over some less impervious material.

As for the ease of making butcher block counters by gluing-up salvaged  
wood hardwood scraps...

The gluing up is relatively easy so long as you have access to lots of  
heavy-duty bar clamps and F-clamps and have at least four hands available.  
A couple of roller-type glue applicators helps as well.

Probably the most difficult part is getting the wood ready for gluing. You  
pretty much need a thickness planer so that the wood for each individual  
lamination is of the same thickness and the surfaces are flat/pristene  
enough to yield good glue lines. (Yes you can hand plane the pieces but if  
you're having to read this, then you're probably not one with hand-planing  
skills).  The good news is that portable thickness planers are dirt-cheap  
these days and are easily sold once the job is done if a shoe-string  
budget prevents permanent ownership of single-function, limited-use power  
tools.

-- 
=== * ===
Rob Tom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
< A r c h i L o g i c  at   C h a f f Y a h o o  dot  C a  >
(winnow the chaff from my edress in your reply)