Using ecabinets for closets

[Michael Swanner]

I have a rather large closet that a client wants me to do and I'm trying to figure out the most economical way of designing this so as not to waste a bunch of material. It's my understand many of the closet design companies use verticals suspended by some type of hanging rail, so you don't have to build full boxes and waste material doubling up the sides - true? Besides seeing pictures, I've never really gotten a chance to really see how it all goes together. Does anyone have a system or special hardware they use that they could recommend or any ideas for limiting the wasted material and CNC time (I outsource, adding extra material is usually twice the cost of the material itself). I don't have any experience with RTA fasteners and not sure how much time will be saved (and strength sacrificed) if I went in that direction over just using a combination of blind/full dados and screws, still assembling in the field. The worst part of this job is it's for my #1 client, I've expressed my inexperience in this arena but they still insist they want me for the job - and as fast as possible because they move into the house in two weeks. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[George Davidson]

Hi Michael
Did you look at Closet System Frameless Library (47 items)
http://www.ecabinetsystems.com/ecabinet ... allery.htm
In e-Cabinet it would be a start for you.

[JohnLashuay]

Hi Michael!

We have been designing and installing closets for the past 20+ years and we have found the hanging rail system to work the best. We get our parts from Hafele. All the panels are shared and the fixed shelves are KD/RTA together. For the most part we work with the 32mm system, but since we purchases a thermwood we have been getting away from all the extra adjustable holes.

If you want, give me a call and I can help further.

-John
845.258.1223

[Joe Dusel]

Hey John,

Since you are now using a CNC to mill the closet parts, and you are using one vertical panel between sections; do you do flip-ops for these, or do you just drill straight through for the RTA and shelf holes?

Thanks,

Joe

[JohnLashuay]

Since you are now using a CNC to mill the closet parts, and you are using one vertical panel between sections; do you do flip-ops for these, or do you just drill straight through for the RTA and shelf holes?

Joe, we drill straight through. In the beginning we were finding that sometimes it would either blow out the other side or not quite drilling through. Once we realized that this happening when the bits get dull we haven't had an issue since.

-John

[Michael S Murray]

HI John, I would appreciate any insight you have gained cutting closets and using e-cabs for design. I have been doing it for a while, but usually build units with cleats instead of using the common partition type.
I have about a half dozen large ones to do right now and should probably design a new library to work with soon. Its just something that I have not had time to get into ,usually just knock out something to work with no real system.
Thanks for any help.

[JohnLashuay]

Michael, it depends on what kind of process you are considering doing. We design closets using 2 different methods.

Component Parts:
This way is more standard. We have always cut our parts with an itemized cut sheet for parts. Since we have the cnc now, we have created extensive component parts libraries (with the help of Jody Wilmes to get us started). We simply design a 2d cad elevation view for our customers and then create a batch list for our cut list. Now with this process, we are using the rigid 32mm system with full line bores. Each vertical/ partition has the double line bore and a notch for the hanging rail along with 2 5mm holes near the notch for the suspension bracket to secure the vertical to the rail. My libraries consist of different depths and within those libraries there are different vertical/ partition sizes, along with fixed and adjustable shelves of various widths so as to be able to quickly create the batch list.

The holes in the verticals/ partitions are each constrained together in order to be able to resize them.

Closet Cabinets:
This is a more custom way of doing things. For those customers who don't like all the holes, I build cabinets with or without a backer. I have patterns to apply to the partitions to create the notch for the rail. I have yet to create full libraries of closet cabinets because we are still feeling our way through this.

When I create a wall of closet sections, I tend to create it with one cabinet with a various number of center partitions to divide up the space. I have found this to work very well.

I am attaching a partition from the component libraries as well as a cabinet from a recent job we have done.

I'd be happy to discuss this further with you if you have any further questions or if I didn't give a clear answer.

-John

[JohnLashuay]

Here is the closet cabinet: There are 3 Double Hang sections with a stack of drawers and shelves.

The garment rods are stretchers with a modified KD/RTA hole pattern to allow for 32mm space for the flange.

Toe kicks have 1 KD/RTA on each side, with the second KD on each side having a neg inset. The idea here is that the TK is put in before the bottom shelf. Then lock in the back of the bottom shelf and pivot it down (the front KD's are then not locked in)

[Michael S Murray]

Thank you for your time John, I might very well pick your brain further on this.
I did have a extensive library built up, but it was more along the line of something like the library available through Thermwood, not really something I could throw in with a whole house package for a few hundred dollars worth of materials.
Thanks Again.

[JohnLashuay]

It sounds good Michael! Please feel free to pick my brain further. I find that it helps me to understand better if my way of doing things is best or if it needs rethinking.

-John