CONSTRUCTION & FINISH PROCESSES
AN INFORMATIVE GUIDE TO MOUSER CABINETRY’S CONSTRUCTION & FINISH PROCESSES
Lock Miter Joinery Mouser Cabinetry has successfully integrated Lock Miter Joinery into all possible construction applications for the Centra and Premier Series product lines. From true flush ends to attached wainscot panels, our Lock Miter Joinery has been utilized to eliminate joinery that is not as attractive, fitted or refined. Currently, we use Lock Miter Joinery as follows: Premier and Centra Cabinetry • All finished cabinet ends where specified • 2, 3, and 4-sided columns • Wall, Base and Tall End Panels • 90-degree & 135-degree Corner Fillers • Face Frames for Inset cabinet ends • Face Frames for Overlay cabinet ends with with doors (DEC’s) doors (DEC’s) • Face Frames for Inset and Overlay with attached Wainscot Panels The advantages of this new joinery method are: • More attractive, fitted appearance for Mouser Cabinetry customers • Eliminates visible seam where cabinet end panel meets the front frame • Two components join at the corner, making a 90-degree angle rendering the seam nearly invisible • Lock Miter design creates larger glue surface area for stronger joint • Does not require material thickness to be the same • Material core differences – solid wood may be joined to MDF, furniture board or Ply-Core material
Detail of Lock Miter Joinery before assembly (Top View)
Example of 3/4” Finished End joined to 3/4” Front Frame (Top View)
The examples above show two 3/4” thick solid wood pieces machined for Lock Miter assembly as specified on an attached wainscot panel, and the assembled Lock Miter Joinery as specified on a flush finished cabinet end with 3/4” thick Ply-Core end panel material and a 3/4” solid wood face frame.
Base Cabinet Lock Miter Joinery Example with Face Frame and Door on End
Wall Cabinet Lock Miter Joinery Example
Ply-Core Advantages Compared to Traditional Plywood
During a recent product construction review and evaluation, Mouser Cabinetry transitioned from traditional plywood sheet stock materials to the latest innovation in engineered plywood core materials, which was branded Ply-Core by the company. The conversion to Ply-Core engineered plywood was a product improvement that benefitted our dealers, designers and clients. Widely accepted by quality cabinet manufacturers, Ply-Core and similar products have become industry standards due to the consistency and stability of the board. This engineered plywood core material has MDF outer core layers that sandwich traditional plywood core bands. Surface veneers are pressed onto these MDF outer core layers to create consistent veneer surfaces for stain finishes. The exposed MDF outer layer provides a smooth, sealed surface that is perfect for solid color applications. Following is a list of Ply-Core advantages versus traditional plywood: • No core transfer or telegraphing: Traditional plywood can have open or voided areas, repaired areas and dark grain patterns in the outer layers of the board’s core, which will show through the thinner outer veneers and laminates that are applied to the board. Ply-Core uses two MDF outer core layers and these are consistent in smoothness, thickness and color. • Smoother solid color finishes: Mouser applies a solid color finish to the exposed Ply-Core MDF outer core layer resulting in a smooth, high quality finish without grain visibility common to a veneer end. • More consistent thickness: Traditional plywood has a wider range of material thickness. Ply-Core has a more consistent thickness throughout a single board and from board to board. It is consistently closer to the desired thickness dimension than traditional plywood. • More resistant to moisture and humidity: Traditional plywood is more porous than Ply-Core and is more susceptible to water damage and expansion / contraction issues. • More screw holding power: Traditional plywood has good screw holding power and is rated at 285 lbs. Ply-Core has even better screw holding power and is rated at 355 lbs.
Ply-Core Ply-Core Layers (top to bottom) 1) Veneer or Laminate or; 2) MDF-Exposed for solid color finishes 3) Wood 4) Wood 5) Wood 6) MDF-Exposed for solid color finishes or; 7) Veneer or Laminate
Traditional Plywood Plywood Layers (top to bottom) 1) Veneer or Laminate 2) Wood 3) Wood 4) Wood 5) Wood 6) Wood 7) Veneer or Laminate
The Ply-Core product looks very much like traditional plywood core products and is categorized as plywood material by the wood products industry. So, when we use the term “all plywood box construction”, you should know that Mouser will utilize both traditional plywood and engineered Ply-Core plywood materials in the cabinets.
Solid Color Pre-Prime Process Options Mouser door, drawer front and wainscot material combinations for solid colors, Glaze Choice, Glacier Elect and Glacier Elect with Accent on solid colors and custom solid colors.
• Painted Maple rails, stiles and optional solid wood center panel • Perimeter of solid wood center panel is primed • Wood expansion and contraction is possible and joint fractures may occur • Painted Maple wood specie charge applies
• Painted Maple rails and stiles with optional MDF+Plus center panel • Perimeter of optional MDF+Plus center panel is primed • Wood stile and rail expansion and contraction may cause joint fractures, but MDF+Plus center panel reduces stress on wood joints • Painted Maple wood specie charge applies
• MDF+Plus rails, stiles and center panel • Perimeter of MDF+Plus center panel is primed • MDF+Plus significantly reduces joint fractures for best performance • MDF+Plus requires Painted Maple wood specie charge be applied
Characteristics of Painted Finishes on Wood Cabinetry Mouser Cabinetry painted and glazed solid color finishes are applied using the same quality standards as our stains. Characteristics of painted cabinetry joint fractures differ from other finishes, but are not considered manufacturer quality defects and are thereby not covered under product warranty. • All species of wood are subject to the temperature and humidity of its environment (hygroscopic). Depending on humidity levels in the environment, the wood will gain or lose moisture resulting in expansion or contraction. As humidity increases, so does the wood’s moisture content, resulting in expansion. As humidity decreases, so does the wood’s moisture content, resulting in contraction. Naturally occurring “shifts” are brought about during seasonal temperature/moisture level changes within the home. Residential humidification control systems reduce wood movement. • Changes in temperature and humidity levels that naturally occur may cause movement such as hairline cracks, separation or peeling in painted hardwood products. Movement such as this is accepted as normal and not a product defect within the kitchen cabinet industry. Shifts mentioned above may also occur due to the repeated impacts from normal everyday use. • Mouser utilizes hardwoods and MDF+Plus engineered material to create beautifully finished cabinets, drawer fronts and door designs receiving Solid Colors, including Glaze Choice and Glacier Elect finishes. • Most Premier and Centra door designs manufactured by Mouser Cabinetry are available with MDF+Plus engineered material to reduce naturally occurring temperature/humidity shifts.
MDF+Plus Reduces Moisture Absorption Introduced by Mouser Cabinetry as an alternative wood specie, MDF+Plus has no added urea formaldehyde and has been certified a formaldehyde free board and is produced with a water-resistant bonding agent developed to reduce water absorption and reduce board swelling commonly experienced with other MDF (medium density fiberboard) materials. Moisture absorption tests on MDF, HDF and MDF+Plus resulted in thickness expansions of 25% - 27% on the MDF which had visible layer separation while the MDF+Plus sample only exhibited 4% water absorption. MDF 3/4” to 1” (splits)
HDF 3/4” to 15/16” (splits)
MDF+Plus 3/4” to 13/16”
(no splits/separations)
Authorized Dealer:
2112 N. Dixie Avenue Elizabethtown, KY 42701 Ph: 800•345•7537 Fax: 800•472•5889
www.mouserc.com
MC-CONSTR&FINISH/03-15-20
price: two dollars