I chose to use MDF for my cabinet. It is easy to work with and gives a very smooth surface for either painting or adding vinyl. I also decided on using 12mm thick MDF (half inch) which was cheaper and lighter than the more traditional 18mm (three quarter inch). I was making a bartop cabinet rather than a full sized one so I was happy the 12mm would have enough strength.

I can't stress enough that you must wearing breathing protection when cutting and drilling MDF. The fibres can be very harmful. Don't risk it.

I've seen cabinets built from plywood or even OSB board. Both have uneven, grainy surfaces. These are ok to paint but, if you want to apply vinyl, it will show up even the smallest of blemishes. If you have the skills, a clear, perspex cabinet might be nice. For testing purposes (layout, etc), cardboard can be used for the controls. I actually used an old wine box to test my controls.

To join all the cabinet pieces together, I used pine batons. These were glued and screwed onto the inside of the panels and allow me to join the pieces together without having screw heads showing on the outside. The alternative is to drill and screw from the outside of the cabinet and then fill the holes with a wood filler.

So I could check everything before assembly, I made a mock up using adjustable shelving to keep everything in place. If you have clamps that are long enough, you can use those but mine were a little bit too short so I had to improvise.