DIY furniture made from chipboard. Chipboard thickness for furniture. Do-it-yourself cabinet furniture assembly: main steps

If you know how to handle a tape measure, a marker, a level and a simple household power tools, then if you wish, you can try to make simple chipboard and other available materials. This will give you a chance to save some money for your home budget. In addition, such products can look non-standard and quite original. Handmade designer furniture has always been highly valued. It is unlikely that your descendants will quickly throw such a chair, ottoman, or cabinet into a landfill, even if they are already out of fashion.

How to make furniture with your own hands?

Chipboard or laminated chipboard is very comfortable material for such a thing. It can be easily processed at home, even you don’t have a complex carpentry tools. The main thing is to make the cutting correctly, and it can be sawed in specialized workshops. If you have a manual Circular Saw or a jigsaw, then you can do such work yourself. You just need to do this carefully so that strong chips do not form on the cutting line. After cutting, the sections must be sanded, finishing the edges with a file and finishing.

An example of making furniture from chipboard with your own hands:

To work, we need tools, materials and fasteners. To make the frame, we use laminated chipboard. It's not difficult to buy it. In addition, if there is a furniture assembly workshop nearby, then you can try to buy leftovers there, which are usually sold at a lower cost than a whole sheet. Small non-standard pieces, which are often simply burned, may well be useful for assembly homemade chair, shelves or cabinet.
One of the most versatile cutting tools is a jigsaw that can successfully process even steel sheets and plastic. It’s good to also have a circular electric saw, an electric plane, an electric drill, a screwdriver for working with wood, grinding machine. They are always needed in the household and will come in handy for any repairs. In addition, we will need hand tool, namely: axe, hacksaw, hammer, plane, chisel, chisel, mallet, tape measure, clamps, screwdriver, pliers and pliers.

To fasten the parts, you will have to buy special connecting products that carpenters use - corners (metal or plastic), confirmat or euroscrews, couplers (eccentrics). Everything here depends on which connection method you prefer. We will also need various accessories - hinges, handles, guides, Euroscrews, hooks and other products. Before starting work, make a drawing and try to calculate their number as accurately as possible.
Now you can start creating furniture from chipboard with your own hands. In our case it will be small closet. We decide on the dimensions and make markings, marking the places for fastening.

For our cabinet we take small corners. The larger the product, the wider and more reliable the fastening should be.

We will fix the corners with self-tapping screws. You need to attach them to the attachment points and mark the center of the future hole with a pencil.

In order for the self-tapping screw to easily fit into the chipboard, we drill a small hole in the intended place and screw them in using a screwdriver or screwdriver.

We retreat approximately 15 cm from the lower and upper edges of the wall, and then mark where the hinge bases will be attached.

Holes for them are drilled in a special way. First, a hole is made at the end of the wall of the future cabinet. Then a second hole is made - on the plane of the chipboard.

After this, insert the base of the loop and fix it with self-tapping screws. We do the same procedure with the second wall of the cabinet.

Now it’s time to screw the bottom of our product to the side part.

At the next stage, install the cabinet lid using the same corners and screws.

We turn the frame over so that it is convenient for us to install back wall. It can be made from a piece fiberboard sheet. You can attach it to the frame using small nails.

Let's move on to the doors. On each of them we attach the parts of our hinges.

We install the doors on the frame.

Then we drill holes in them using a screwdriver and screw the handles.

Now our simple cabinet is completely ready for use.

Here we have given a very simple example of how to make a small bedside table or cabinet from chipboard. If you want to make an ottoman or sofa at home, you will have to put in more effort and skill. Here you need to already know how to make furniture upholstery with your own hands. If you really want to, you can also learn all this, and then surprise your friends and neighbors with your unique works.

A budget option for kitchen set is making your own furniture from chipboard. In this case, it is necessary to take into account several important nuances.

One of the important kitchen items is the furniture set. Anyone can create it, even a non-professional. The main thing to remember is that the thickness kitchen furniture must be at least 25 mm. To make it you will need bars and boards with a processed edge. Making kitchen furniture from chipboard is not at all difficult. This will not only save cash on the purchase of a kitchen set, but also to receive exclusive and original product. In addition, hand-made designer furniture is highly valued.

How to choose the right material?

In the assortment of any hardware store you can find a huge number various types Chipboards, which usually differ in weight and density. To create ordinary stools and small shelves with your own hands, ordinary slabs are suitable, and for dining table, wall cabinets and the cabinets will require high-quality material.

Moreover, during chipboard processing Only proven tools should be used to prevent the slabs from splitting. It is also important to consider next moment, if the manufacturer has performed poor-quality pressing, then the risk of material splitting increases in the cut areas. There are several options for the tool used:

Hand saw. This tool should only have fine teeth. It must be kept under acute angle. After all, it is thanks to this that the cutting is carried out more smoothly, without damage.
Circular saw and jigsaw. The process is carried out at high speeds, and maximum pressure should be applied to the tool.

For comfortable work You can also use a variety of special adhesive tapes, tape or electrical tape. Using a sharp knife, a cut is made so that a small hole remains in the slab.

Immediately after the cut is processed, you need to go over the surface with a file. All movements are made towards the center, since it is in this case that it is almost impossible to cause any damage. If you don't have a fine-grit file, you can use regular sandpaper to complete the finishing touches.

Chipboard must be processed, since this material is very toxic. It is best to purchase laminated chipboard, because the laminated coating is safe and protects in most cases from negative consequences, but the end still remains open. There are four ways out of this situation, such as PVC film, edging, overlay or melamine edge.

Chipboard edge processing

Before marking with your own hands and starting to assemble the kitchen unit, you should process the edges of the chipboard. They are usually covered with melamine edge. This tape has adhesive on one side, so it is ready to use right away. According to the technology, the edge is processed using an iron, while slightly heating the upper part of the strip. You should be careful during the process as the device gets very hot. In addition, it is important to regulate the temperature, because when it reaches a high temperature, the glue can boil away completely, and when it is low, the edge will not even connect to the sheet.

The thickness of chipboard for kitchen furniture can be completely different. The best option for a headset you can consider 25 mm. After the edge is processed, excess edges should be cut off. To do this, you can take an ordinary stationery knife and a sheet of paper. Then you need to take sandpaper and walk it around the corners, thereby completing the processing process. It is necessary to glue the edges so that moisture does not get into them, which can destroy the material.

Applying the correct markings

Must be given Special attention correct marking and alignment of all holes on the chipboard in the center, since this is what determines how the future set will look. Be sure to mark all points for attaching sheets and handles. To do this, you will need a wooden ruler, to one side of which a strip is attached at an angle of 90 degrees.

Before starting work, you need to drill small holes according to size. In order to connect the sheets, you need to mark the central holes on both sides, and then use a Euroscrew to fasten them together.

How to connect parts correctly?

Making furniture from chipboard yourself is not an easy process. After all, it includes a connection large quantity details different ways. The most common of them are:

end-to-end fastening of parts;
"dovetail".

The simplest connection method is butt fastening. This method chipboard edges it is fixed using special glue and all kinds of fasteners, but it cannot be called durable.

Optimal and in a simple way Fastening parts of kitchen furniture made of chipboard is considered to be a seam connection. You can make grooves in any direction, both lengthwise and crosswise.

Installation of drawers using guides

Currently, there are many different guides that are used during installation retractable structures. They facilitate the movement of boxes. If they are used frequently, smooth running and durability can only be guaranteed by a roller made of metal.

When making furniture from chipboard for the kitchen with your own hands, photos of varieties of rollers for drawers will not be superfluous. Thanks to them, it will be possible to finally decide on the future design. After selecting a rail, it must be installed correctly in the cabinet or drawer. For fastening, you can use self-tapping screws, which are usually included with the rollers.

In addition, you need to remember that the guides have longitudinal and round holes. As a rule, installation begins directly with the longitudinal ones, since this way the desired position can be achieved.

After adjusting the guide roller, fix it through the round holes. With your own hands, you can make a set that will not only fit well into the room in size, but will also be convenient in all respects. In addition, the price for such furniture is usually significantly lower than the cost of a set manufactured in production.

For a long time, chipboard (chipboard) has been used as the basis for furniture. For those who have minimal skills in working with wood and carpentry tools, homemade furniture will provide an opportunity to significantly save the family budget. Do-it-yourself furniture made from chipboard will be exclusive and will take its rightful place in your apartment. Everything you need for work can be found in specialized stores.

To repair or assemble chipboard furniture yourself, you need a small set of materials and tools. Everything you need can be found at home, or bought for a small price.

For work you will need the following tools:

Small drill or screwdriver. Of course, it is better to use a small and not heavy drill to assemble furniture;
Circular saw, router, jigsaw. If you don’t have these tools, you can rent them;
Level, square, tape measure;
Set of hex keys, countersinks, drills;
Conductor.

The materials you will need are:

Chipboards;
Wax of the desired color;
A felt-tip pen for retouching or a marker of the desired shades;
Wax melter;
Felt fabric;
Staple.

With such a small set, you can both update furniture and make new ones.

Manufacturing process

Chipboard cutting is carried out independently or by turning to professionals who have the necessary equipment. In addition to chipboard, when making furniture you will need fiberboard (fibreboard), natural wood lumber, fittings, and fasteners.

It is quite possible for anyone to carry out a simple update, a master class of which is offered by experienced specialists. The result will be a beautiful, completely new product, and the family budget will not suffer. The most important details The structures that need the most attention and time are:

Facades - the front part of the furniture and its doors - are made of a more attractive material. DIY furniture made from chipboard should look attractive. The facade is a separate part of the furniture; it is usually made to order. There are many different types furniture facades, they differ in the material used and design;
Bottom and side walls drawers - these furniture elements, like some other parts, are most easily made from fiberboard. Some craftsmen prefer to fasten fiberboard furniture stapler, But it's not right. After some time, the staples will become loose, and then the entire structure may become warped. Fiberboard is better secure with self-tapping screws or nails; it is good to install self-tapping screws with special washers;
A tabletop is a horizontal surface where you can write and read. Most tables made at home (photos below) are made from the same chipboard. The weakest area of the countertops is the cutting of the surface. They are most often protected with a melamine edge, for this reason they begin to break in the first year. To prevent this nuisance, the edges are closed aluminum profiles. The tabletops are fastened from below using small self-tapping screws so as not to damage the front surface.

Choosing the right fasteners and fittings is no less important than quality materials. Furniture fasteners are products necessary for connecting individual parts. Basically, all elements are connected at right angles.

Dowels - their installation schemes imply the use of pre-prepared holes. They are used for preliminary fastening and increasing the strength of the connection;
Furniture corners are a common, but already outdated type of fastening. They don’t look very nice, they become loose after a while;
Euroscrew – screws for connecting parts of furniture.

The holes are made directly on site, using a special drill capable of drilling a groove of the required diameter. The question of how to make furniture with your own hands requires control of the perpendicularity of the drilling direction, so as not to spoil the furniture element. When connecting elements, you need to take into account the subtleties:

Furniture screws are screwed in using a hex key. Heads designed for a Phillips screwdriver cannot be completely screwed in;
The main disadvantage of this mount is that fully screwed heads remain visible. To hide them, the holes are covered with plastic plugs of a suitable color;
Eccentric ties – convenient, modern method fastenings It allows you to make a hole on the inside of a piece of furniture.

To make holes the right size, use a Forstner drill. It is not rational to buy it only for assembling hidden elements, but they are convenient for installing doors. Even a novice craftsman should have no problems with how to repaint furniture at home, and step-by-step recommendations will help you assemble new products.

Tabletop

Bookshelf

Every person who loves books is faced with the need to store a library. Easiest to purchase ready-made wardrobe, but you can save a lot of money and make or restore furniture from chipboard yourself. Easiest to do classic version A cabinet with open shelves that can easily fit in any room. The ideal depth for this furniture is 400 mm, overall dimensions are 2000x800x400. (height width depth). Most of books will easily fit on such shelves.

You need to start work by drawing up a drawing, separately depicting all the details. Then transfer the parts to chipboard. Next come cutting and other stages:

Assembly must be done on a flat surface so as not to distort the structure;
We connect the top of the cabinet and the side walls. You need to use a special square to ensure that the corners are even;
All elements are connected using fasteners;
Having installed the top of the cabinet, fasten the bottom, checking the correct connection with a square;
Don’t rush to attach the back wall; it’s more convenient to install the shelves first. It is better to secure them with confirmation in several places. This will add reliability and increase the service life of the shelves;
At the end, the back wall is attached;
Finally, the supports are installed.

Preparing the elements

Connecting the back and sides

Installing skids

Fastening the shelves

Making additional supports

Ready product

TV table

Although TV devices that can easily be mounted on the wall are now common, there are many devices that require special stands. After all, you need to find a place not only for the TV, you may want to install a home theater, a remote control, or find a shelf for a collection of discs. Having made it yourself a comfortable cabinet under the TV, you will not only save money, but also be able to take into account all your desires - style, how to paint chipboard furniture with your own hands.

The most convenient dimensions for the product are 600x400x1850 mm (height - depth - width). The bedside table is placed directly on the floor, it can withstand serious loads. Making furniture of this size will allow you to easily place even a large TV, and next to it - the rest of the necessary equipment.

First, the frame of the TV stand is assembled;
Place marks for attaching the middle shelf, make holes and install it in place;
From elements 0.12x0.45 mm, assemble frames for drawers. Then attach the plywood bottom to them, with glue or nails;
Install hardware for moving drawers;
Attach handles to the drawers;
Prepare a place for installing the doors by milling and secure them;
At the end of assembly, secure the top panel.

Preparing the details

Screw the bars on the sides

We fix the front part

Fixing shelves for drawers

We make a box, secure the elements with self-tapping screws

Computer desk

The computer, after the refrigerator and TV, is the most popular item in the house. For this reason, the table at which we work must be suitable. A computer desk is a piece of furniture with various devices and parts that can be adjusted if necessary. In addition, a self-made version will cost much less than in a store.

When making a table, you can simplify the work and limit its design to straight lines. Additional shelves, holes for wiring, and space for the system unit can be made as you wish.

There are a huge number of designs of such tables; there are special tables used for a netbook or laptop. In small apartments, transforming tables are convenient. A narrow object will not require much space, and if necessary, it turns into a normal one computer desk, with all the necessary elements.

For independent execution it is better to choose simple model, rectangular in shape. After completing the drawing and cutting out all the parts using a circular saw or jigsaw, you can begin assembly:

Holes are prepared in the central and side walls for attaching the lower shelf. After this, secure it with confirmations;
The top shelf is also attached;
After this, the back wall is installed. It is flush with the tops of the central and side walls;
Now you need to screw the guide elements for the retractable console under the keyboard;
The table top is attached to the side walls with dowels. You cannot make through holes in the tabletop;
If you plan to make shelves on top of the tabletop, they are also attached to dowels.

Cutting out the details

Safe finishing rules

Chipboard needs to be sawed into pieces slowly, for this would be better suited saw with small tooth- this way you will get a straight cutting line. You need to drill smoothly, using only a sharp drill and turning on high speed drills. It is necessary to control the perpendicularity of the drill's entry into the material, otherwise you can chip in a noticeable place. To remove irregularities, a rasp and a plane are needed; the tool is moved from the outside of the workpiece to the inside. It is important to prevent fibers from being pulled out - this will ensure a neat cut of the part;
Laminated chipboard does not need additional processing, you just need to smooth the edge. The rest of the surface is painted, varnished or a special film is glued. Adhesive tape is used to protect the surface from splitting when sawing. If you are cutting by hand, the saw must be positioned at an angle. The edge of a part covered with teeth is an unpleasant sight, especially noticeable on fiberboard boards white. Saw the material slowly; excess haste will cause an unsightly joint between furniture elements;
Dull or slowly rotating drills, in most cases, break out the edges of the hole. Only with the help of a sharp and high-quality drill can you make straight hole. At good cut no additional processing required. When working, a circular saw leaves irregularities on the edge, which are removed with a plane. He is carefully led along the edge, to inside so that the edge becomes neat. For laminated boards, do not use a rasp;
You can finish the surface of furniture made of fiberboard in 2 ways - either paint furniture made of chipboard or veneer it decorative material or varnish;
Often the cladding is carried out with a special film, which has an adhesive coating on one side, which simplifies the finishing of furniture. It is unusually thin, for this reason the surface must be well sanded before gluing. You can stick laminated plastic, it is stronger and noticeably thicker. It is glued with a special glue; this coating makes chipboard furniture beautiful and at the same time protects the surface from external influences;
Wood products are usually varnished; particle boards are varnished very rarely, only if it is necessary to “ennoble” the unattractive appearance of an ordinary board. Before varnishing, the surface must be leveled with putty. Even after factory processing (without lamination) it needs leveling. The smallest defects will be visible under the varnish film, and this greatly worsens appearance furniture. After puttying the chipboard should look very Smooth surface, and one coat of varnish should be enough for it. If defects are noticeable after varnishing, the surface will need to be sanded again. sandpaper and varnish again;
The layer of protective varnish should be thick, it prevents harmful fumes. You need to pay attention to the joints - you need to make them as tight as possible. For chipboard finishing Wallpaper and material are not suitable, this porous materials, which are not capable of serving as protection. Also skip harmful substances maybe carpet;
The edges of the fiberboard slab can be trimmed with thin wooden strips. The wood is selected in a suitable color; the material must be in harmony with the coating of the piece of furniture. When you have glued the required number of wood planks, you need to varnish them, like the entire surface, or completely repaint the furniture. Even planks 5 mm thick will protect the edges of the slab well. If you glue a wide strip, it will prevent the tabletop from sagging.

Drawings and diagrams

Laminated chipboard literally immediately after its appearance in construction supermarkets gained enormous popularity, since it allows you to make furniture no worse than what is offered by the average market furniture showrooms. Which is not surprising, because if you order the production of furniture in a showroom without assembly, then they will simply bring you a set of cut boards made of laminated chipboard and fasteners for them. Many people are afraid to assemble furniture themselves and then try to make it, but there is nothing difficult about it.

Making furniture with your own hands: where to start?

You need to start, of course, with the design of the future product. It doesn’t matter what you plan to assemble: a table, a cabinet or an entire wardrobe - you can’t do without a project. If you have good spatial and abstract thinking, you can draw your future table simply with a pencil on paper. If you want more naturalism and a 3D look, then you can use special programs for designing cabinet furniture, for example, Pro100, K3-Furniture and others.

How to cut chipboard for cabinet furniture

After our project is ready, we go to the store for laminated chipboard and all necessary accessories. You should also worry about purchasing in advance decorative elements for future furniture (mirrors, glass, etc.). We highly recommend that you ask at the same place where you will purchase chipboard about the possibility of cutting and edging it on site - this will significantly save time and nerves. If you decide to cut the slab yourself, then before starting work you should consider a few points:

It is better to apply the pattern to the sheet in advance so as not to make a mistake in size

Chipboard must be sawed with a fine-toothed saw at an acute angle

When sawing with an electric tool, the pressure and power should be adjusted so that no breaks are formed (since the material is quite fragile)

When irregularities and chips form, they are sanded with a file - from the edge to the center

Electric saws “eat” approximately 5 millimeters of sheet on each “cut” during a cut, so it is better to leave a small margin.

In general, working with chipboard is quite simple; the simplest set of household tools will do for sawing it. The material itself is compacted quite tightly, however, it can crumble in places where there are cuts and breaks - this is worth remembering. It is recommended to edge the edges of the slab, which will be end and visible, using special tape(sold in the same stores where furniture fittings or at the market) or paint over them in order to protect them from destruction over time.

How to assemble cabinet furniture yourself

After the slab has been successfully sawn and edged, and the fittings have been purchased from required quantity, you can start assembling. You should mark in advance and make all the necessary holes and recesses in the slab (through holes for tightening with eccentrics, recesses for hinges, etc.).

It is best to start assembling with the largest parts, for example, for a cabinet it will be assembling the box itself on the floor; for a table-book - connecting all parts of the tabletop to each other, and so on. At the next stage, we connect the main elements together, hang the doors, attach the mirrors, and so on. At the very end, we install shelves in the closet, assemble drawers and the like. We recommend that you do not tighten the screws until the assembly is completely completed, so that later you will have the opportunity to trim or adjust certain elements.

The cost of laminated chipboard furniture assembled at home does not exceed 50 - 60% of the store price finished product. Is this really so and what do you need to know to get such a significant “discount”? I’ll try to understand all the intricacies and features of making furniture with my own hands using my own experience as an example.

How to avoid mistakes in furniture making

For the first time, the thought of self-production furniture, visited me in an Ikea store about 10 years ago. Considering furniture options for the living room, I stopped at one of the “walls”, which looked quite decent and had the functionality I needed. It suited me according to its size, having the right length to stand in my home. Its color scheme suited the overall style of the interior, and the design stepped far ahead of Romanian furniture from Soviet life, but not so much as to become a kind of decor that lost one of the properties of furniture of this type - to be, among other things, a place for storing things. That is, my choice was by no means a similar option:

But no matter how good that wall was, it categorically did not suit me for the price. If I'm not mistaken, then for full set they asked for about 53 thousand rubles, which for 2005 was a very significant amount. Here it is worth clarifying what “full set” means. In the Ikea store, furniture is sold in the form of a construction set, consisting of various elements and allowing you to buy any fragment separately - at least one shelf, at least one drawer.

It was precisely the peculiarity of this form of sales that prompted me to think about the possibility of significantly reducing the cost of purchasing furniture. Having carefully examined the exhibition sample internal organization walls, I came to the conclusion that I can make the “box” itself, that is, everything that is hidden behind the facades, on my own. At Ikea, I will only buy doors, glass, fittings and drawer fronts, and then the terrible 53 thousand will turn into a wonderful 25 thousand + material for making the insides.

Since I came across the laminated chipboard material and imagined how much it costs (at that time less than 1 thousand rubles per sheet at retail), my plan seemed to me just a super idea, and the prospects for filling the apartment loomed in my mind new furniture at ridiculous prices.

It’s curious that at that moment I didn’t think at all about the methods of connecting parts, calculating mounting holes and installing fittings, and all that worried me was how I would deliver the chipboard to the apartment. For me, the most pressing problem seemed to be bringing sheets of format 2800*2070*16, each of which weighs about 65 kg, onto the 4th floor. I even thought about delivering laminated chipboard to the entrance and cutting it myself right on the street... In general, now I even regret that I didn’t implement this then " brilliant idea". Purely for photos. Well, laugh, whatever...

It is quite obvious that the approach was wrong and should not be done this way. What did I do this time and in what order? Firstly, by the 2010s, the RuNet was filled with a large amount of information, including sometimes useful information. I drew all the instructions and solutions from him, since I simply don’t have any friends in Perm with whom I could consult regarding furniture.

The second and most important thing is the presence of companies specializing in the sale of components for furniture assembly. They also provide services for cutting laminated chipboards to specified sizes, edge processing and delivery. Working with these companies is the basis economic benefit For home master. In a nutshell, for example, a cabinet designed independently and ordered in the form of separate parts from a similar company, then assembled at home with your own hands, will cost half as much as buying a ready-made one.

Theoretical basis

As far as I know, from 2006 to the present day, the only person who has made an attempt (very successful) to transfer his knowledge about creating cabinet furniture into the sphere of information business was and remains Andrei Lappo. His brainchild KMSR 2 (do-it-yourself cabinet furniture) is a textbook teaching aid in this area and allows anyone who has studied to make furniture themselves. This has been tested by thousands of users and it works!

Even though the course was recorded several years ago, its relevance will not disappear for a very long time. It's like writing a tutorial on brickwork- it doesn’t matter when it happens in 1915 or 2015, new materials appear, but the principle remains unchanged. I highly recommend this manual as a very good start.

The second most important source of information can be a specialized forum. In its vastness you can find answers to almost all your questions about creating cabinet furniture. But if, for example, you have no idea how two parts are connected, then you should not try to figure it out with its help. Therefore, first, basic knowledge with the help of Andrey Lappo’s course, then clarification on the forum.

Furniture design software

Existing today computer programs for designing, calculating and visualizing furniture can satisfy the needs of the home craftsman to large industrial production. The need to study them in search of the optimal one, and even more so to acquire, on initial stage No. There is a proven, translated and well-researched program that is suitable just for our case. It's called PRO100, and even the name itself seems to hint that to use it you don't need to be a programmer or an advanced IT specialist.

In order to start using it, you just need to read the manual, and to master the techniques of quick design from standard elements, just watch a couple of lessons that are widely presented on YouTube. Of course, the program's capabilities are very diverse, but for home use Basic skills are enough. If I'm not mistaken, it took me less time to learn how to use it than to find where to download a good, working version.

There is a certain percentage of people who, due to many years of habit, find it more convenient and easier to make sketches and working drawings on paper. This does not in any way affect the quality of the future product, since the main thing is only the mathematical accuracy of the dimensions.

I am of the opinion that the time spent on mastering the program is more than compensated by the convenience and speed of creating subsequent projects. And the possibility of 3D visualization clearly speaks in favor of the program.

Tool

The most pleasant thing is that the furniture is assembled with a minimum set of tools. If you have to purchase something specifically for these works, it will be a very insignificant cost in comparison with the savings obtained by refusing to purchase finished products.

In fact, the main tool is a drill. Moreover, it is advisable to use a drill rather than a screwdriver (although it is easier to perform some operations with it) - due to the difference in technique. The electric drill must be reversible, preferably with variable speed and devoid of delusional excesses such as “blow”. Fits comfortably in the hand, with a power of 350-500 W and not too heavy.

Other power tools you may need: a jigsaw, manual frezer and a circular saw. But these devices are necessary for isolated cases and can easily be rented.

Measuring tool - tape measure (with normally readable divisions), metal ruler, square and building level (600 mm is enough). Vernier calipers are very convenient in a number of cases.

Plus, you will need high-quality drills, countersinks, an L-shaped hex key (or asterisk) and other various small things, which can be purchased at one time, having previously written out the entire necessary set for yourself. But there is one device that is very important and affects the entire assembly process; unfortunately, you can’t just go to the store and buy it. We are talking about a template (conductor) for drilling holes for connecting elements, that is, under confirmations:

The conductor's task is to ensure that holes are drilled at a given distance from the edge of the part and, no less important, to do it strictly vertically relative to the plane. It seemed to me that this would not be difficult for me - to mark and drill laminated chipboard without deviation from the vertical, I can do it without a jig... Understanding that drilling without a jig is only suitable for a small number of connections (when the costs of purchasing or manufacturing it are not justified ), I continued to suffer. Don't repeat my mistakes and immediately start looking for ways to ensure comfortable conditions for work, that is, find a convenient conductor.

There are several options:

1. Buy a “branded” conductor, factory-made. There are, perhaps, more disadvantages than advantages - a high-quality product from a renowned manufacturer costs so much that it calls into question the very idea of making furniture for 50% of the store price. And simplified Chinese versions will not provide the required accuracy and reliability in operation.

2. Purchase a device made by our craftsmen. Enthusiasts with access to metalworking machines create high-quality and well-designed products from the point of view of ease of use. You can find advertisements for sale, for example, this is what the search showed:

This is a universal jig that allows you not only to drill holes for confirmations, but also for minifix, rafix, TAV and door hinge. It is clear that such a product is aimed primarily at those who are engaged in the manufacture of furniture on an ongoing basis. Although even for assembling furniture for one apartment, it will pay off and save you from numerous mistakes. And selling such a tool when it is no longer needed is not a problem.

3. Homemade conductor. A huge variety of options have been developed, from the simplest devices made from three pieces of chipboard to universal and multifunctional ones. Look on the forum at the experiences of other users, there is plenty to choose from.

Whatever option you choose, it will be much better than working without using a conductor at all!

About saving

“All this is good, I realized that first it’s best to study the theory from Lappo’s course, then study the forum, study PRO100 and go order cutting from one of the offices in the city. And finally, start assembling furniture for yourself. But how about the money? Is it really twice as cheap? - the reader asks a question. I answer - indeed, the price in the store and the cost of the materials necessary for the manufacture of a similar product differ by two times.

True, you will have to work as a designer, designer, technologist and assembler. At times he worked as a loader, electrician and plumber. Scary? I think not, it’s even interesting. Actually, the difference of 50% from the finished product is your wages as a temporary representative of these professions. In addition, you receive furniture that is designed specifically for your apartment, calculated according to size and your individual preferences, exactly color scheme and with the accessories you wish.

To date, my modest experience is a wardrobe, desk, with bookshelves and a kitchen set, allowed us to “save” more than 100 thousand rubles in 2013-2014 prices. I will tell you what happened as a result of my efforts in the following.