A little planning up front can save you a lot of time and money
Jay Scarff-Elliott Aviation Cabinet Technician Team Lead
When you think of technology changes affecting your aircraft, your cabinets and woodwork may be the last thing on your mind. However, many modifications you are considering could benefit from upfront planning with the cabinet shop you are working with. Not only do new upgrades in laminates and veneers involve the cabinet technicians, but items such as audiovisual mods (including widescreen monitors, DVD or BluRay players, sound systems, and cabin management systems) all have direct involvement with your cabinet shop.
For example, we have many requests to either install or modify cabin monitors to accommodate high-definition, wide-screen displays. Depending on what type of aircraft you have and whether you currently have monitors installed, modifying your cabinets to accommodate wider screens may cause you to lose structure in your cabinets. If this is a potential issue, your cabinet technicians will need to determine how much structure will be left and whether it will pass inspection. If there is an issue, you could potentially still modify with some reengineering to the structure.
Another thing you may not take into account when installing monitors is seat height. Monitors placed directly over a seat will often get blocked by headrests and, if someone is sitting in that seat, they can completely block the screen. If you do not have room to place your monitor properly, you can solve the issue by installing pull-out monitors.
In addition to monitors, when you install a DVD or BluRay player, subwoofer, or cabin entertainment system, closeouts must be fabricated in your cabinets to allow access to easily serviceable components. When you install these accessories, you always have to keep in mind that you have to utilize every square inch of space while keeping everything looking nice.
In addition to the more technical components, more traditional changes to your woodwork or cabinets may have also evolved since you last made changes. Many older laminates have been discontinued. Since laminate cannot be repaired, the only option you have is to re-laminate. If your current laminate pattern is not available, you will either have mismatched laminate or will have to redo all of your cabinets. That is why for a longer-term solution, I usually recommend veneer. Veneer typically lasts about 30% longer, has a stronger finish, allows you to repair scratches, and offers you endless options as far as species. Laminate only really offers you a handful of colors.
Jay Scarff has been fabricating and installing cabinets since 1990. His vast experience includes custom fabrication for aircraft, commercial and residential construction, and disaster restoration. Jay joined Elliott Aviation in 2006.