BASE PANELS & SPACERS

Now I mentioned earlier that I wanted to give my office unit a bit of a semi-industrial theme using black around the furniture units.  I am going to do this using end panels and spacers made out of painted pineboard.

 

Black panels to edge each of the base cabinets

These days most people use MDF to make anything and everything.  MDF is cheap, easy to cut, takes paint well and weighs little.  It’s fine to use MDF.  But there are times especially if you are going to use wood stain when perhaps timber might be a better option. 

 

Pineboard great for making wall units

Pineboard is robust, less likely to warp and stains well albeit more expensive than MDF.  I feel pineboard gives a better overall finish to furniture building projects and is more likely to stand the test of time than MDF especially for things such as shelving units or bookcases which can be prone to sag under the weight of heavy tomes.  (I’ve been a bit prone to sag especially since hitting 60!) 

To make the end panels and spacers for this base unit, I’ve used 2 long pieces of 18 mm thick pineboard (2.35 metres long by 600 mm wide).  Each length has been divided into chunks that are 72 cm long – the measurement from underside of the worktop to the floor.  You can cut 3 x 72 cm long panels out of one 2.35 metre length.

 

Pineboard panels and spacers 

Each panel has been placed into position underneath each end of the worktop and in between each cabinet.  The final panel should be visible on either side of the desk gap.

 

End panel

As we have used a wooden batten behind the cabinets, the panels do not fit snug against the back wall but this is not an issue as the gap will allow cabling or equipment plugs to be fed through behind the cabinets to connect to the electrics.  If you wanted a nice snug fit then you would have to cut out shaped sections for the batten and skirting board.

 

Gap big enough for cabling

Next trim the length of your panels so that the front edge aligns to the outer edge of your furniture.  The panels and spacers should not protrude from under the worktop edge or the cabinets.

 

Panels trimmed to align with edge of cabinets

Shape any edge panels as required to sit either on skirting boards or above heating pipes.  We’ve had to do both to neatly accommodate our end panels into the design. 

 

Panel shaped to sit on skirting

Once all panels have been cut to the correct size then prime and paint all pieces with 2 coats of matt black paint.  I’ve used left over furniture paint for mine but satinwood would probably be fine. 

 

BEFORE - uncut panels

AFTER - panels cut to fit edge of cabinets