Cabinet Widths for Custom Cabinets

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Author Message bpayne (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, August 15, 2016 - 11:21 pm:    Is there any value in sticking with 3 inch widths for custom cabinets for commercial applications? I have been considering allowing more flexibility to our Revit Casework families but I'm wondering if there are any unintended consequences I'm missing. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 909 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 - 11:55 am:    Mmmm... "Custom" cabinets in 3-inch modular widths? In my vocabulary "custom" means whatever I want to specify within reason. That means if it takes a cabinet 17-1/8 inches wide to fit a particular situation, the unit needs to be 17-1/8 inches wide. I will also want a plain-sliced makore veneer on an MDF panel with nickle pulls and concealed hinges. Manufactured cabinets are typically fabricated to modular widths. Most manufacturers offer these products in a variety of widths and finishes so that customers and designers have a wide variety of choices to "customize" their installation. These products are ideal for multi-family installations where there are multiple installations of the same thing in the same width and finish. For many other products, such products may also suffice. The 3-inch module has been the rule since I can remember and provides sufficient flexibility for most installations. If I want something that is truly "custom," I am going to a cabinet maker or a manufacturer with the capability of making something to order. J. Peter Jordan, FCSI, AIA, CCS, LEED AP, SCIP Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: michael_chusid Post Number: 194 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 - 01:02 pm:    What are metric increments in modular cabinets? Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS www.chusid.com www.buildingproduct.guru 818-219-4937 Brian Payne, AIA Senior Member Username: brian_payne Post Number: 62 Registered: 01-2014 Posted on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 - 10:18 pm:    OP here... I understand what your saying Peter, but that is the reason for my question. Even though I am having my fabricator make the cabinets custom, is there any value in generally staying with the 3" modular? So for example: does a 12" or 15" drawer width make more sense than a 13" or 16" width? There may not be, but before I change my content and release our staff to use any width desired, I was hoping to get some input? Dewayne Dean Senior Member Username: ddean Post Number: 78 Registered: 02-2016 Posted on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 - 10:57 am:    Does the fabricator have a preference? Richard Gonser AIA CSI CCCA SCIP Senior Member Username: rich_gonser Post Number: 128 Registered: 11-2008 Posted on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 - 11:08 am:    Have you talked to WI or AWI technical support? You can also go to one of their larger member fabricators and ask the question. I'm sure that the people here at the WI could easily help. The last time I asked that question of a fabricator here in California, they said their CNC machines work to a 1-1/2 inch module. For a Revit family, I believe that would be the tightest to run with. Truth is that for true custom casework, any dimension is valid. But that will drive costs up. Sheldon Wolfe Senior Member Username: sheldon_wolfe Post Number: 922 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2016 - 12:19 pm:    Consistency will make fabrication easier and less expensive, even for custom work. As for the three-inch module, I'm sure it was a matter of practicality; four or six inches might be too wide, two inches too narrow, and two and a half or five inches too wasteful when working with standard panel sizes, typically 48 by 96 in the US. Almost weekly I see designs or details that ignore the available dimensions or properties of materials. There may be times when this is justified, but only after consideration of all consequences. Big-D designers often seem to forget that it's someone else's money they're spending. Part of the problem is a lack of experience, but more important is that architecture students are rewarded for doing crazy s**t, and penalized for being practical. Custom almost always costs more. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1690 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2016 - 02:13 pm:    Asking a fabricator makes sense. If a fabricator does a lot of custom fabricated casework that could also be done with manufactured work, they may have jigs, tooling and systems in place to make 3 inch modules easier to make. (Or maybe not.) Also, if there are other manufactured items to be fit into the custom fabricated casework - such as special types of drawers, sliding trash barrels, appliances, etc. - then maybe the module is needed, or makes sense at least. Also, using odd, fractional dimensions just makes much more work in shop drawings and fabrications, possibly leading to errors. Finally, if there's no particular design reason not to use 3-inch modules, then why not? Stephen Kelly Taylor Senior Member Username: steve_taylor Post Number: 6 Registered: 05-2016 Posted on Friday, August 19, 2016 - 05:58 pm:    There is no reason not to design custom cabinets to fit your space. There are some parameters to pay attention to however: Sheet goods come in 48 inch and 60 inch widths, and 96 and 120 inch lengths. Some sizes produce less waste. Shelves longer than 48 inches are likely to sag, even if the material is strong enough to carry the load. Doors more than 24 inches wide and 80 inches tall are not recommended; even minimal warping will be noticeable. The inside width of a drawer is about 3 1/2 inches narrower than the cabinet; narrow cabinets make for drawers that don't hold much. The doors on short, but wide, upper cabinets are likely to sag because the hinges are too close together to support the cantilever. This is particularly true of Euro style hinges. So, design the casework to fit clients needs, but don't push the envelope if you don't have to. David J. Wyatt, CDT Senior Member Username: david_j_wyatt_cdt Post Number: 152 Registered: 03-2011 Posted on Tuesday, August 23, 2016 - 08:17 am:    To Stephen Kelly Taylor: Thank you for these practical guidelines.