Opinions please

[Leo Voisine]

I made the draw boxes and mounted them.

I just need to make the drawer faces - no big deal there.

Soo I am thinking about the next step - the cabinet doors.

One door on each side.

I "was" going to put a panel inside a rail and stile frame.
The panel "was" going to be oak ply - matching the sides.
I had planned to use my router bit set to make the rail and stile.
That is not an absolute, just a thought.


Problem is - the ply is 3/16, and the router bit set is a full 1/4.

what would you do?

Some thoghts I have are

1) Don't use the router bit set - and just make 3/16 grooves for the panel to fit into.

2) Make a raised panel - I think that will be too overpowering on this piece

3) Make a raised panel but put the raised panel part facing into the opening

4) Try to make a 1/4 thick glue up panel.

5) I don't have a fifth idea. I hope you do.


Right now I am leaning towards #1

[Joe Lyddon]

One way (idea):
1. Use table saw to cut the grooves for the 3/16" panel... using feather boards to keep things aligned as you're cutting. Two passes... being sure to have test pieces to be sure the second cut is right-on. Feather boards being very important.

2. If you want it fancier, route some molding to go around the panel edge.

... or you could just chamfer the inside edges with the router...

... Just an idea... "opinion"...


Your project is coming together very nicely...

[deepsplinter]

My opinion....1/4" solid panel.

You have that drum sander to dial 'em down to the gnats @$$.

[fredbelknap]

Use thicker plywood and dado the back to make it 1/4". The inside will be pretty even.

[Ruffnek]

3/16" stub tenon and groove. Glue the plywood panel in place and it will be super strong.

Cut the grooves first...dado blade or multiple passes on the TS. Size the tenons to fit the groove.

You can even round over the inside edge of the rails and stiles if you don't like the square edge but that is a bit more complicated.

[Stretch]

The method Cody said will make a bombproof door. Anytime I use a plywood panel in a door I glue it in. There is no reason not to. It makes a super strong door.

The other option is to make your door frame by the method of your choosing (I use biscuits) then rabbit the inside edge of the door with a router and glue the panel in from the back. It makes a super strong door and it's a really fast way to make a door vs. a floating panel.

[dcarter636]

I don't know, what do the drawer faces look like, they ought to be similar in style shouldn't they? If the drawers faces are substantially different in appearance from the door panel than I think you're going to be unhappy in the end. Does the ply panel face grain look similar to the drawer front stock?

Assuming the drawers are simple flat panels then I'd probably skip using the door set and just cut a groove to allow .010" clearance for the ply panel thickness and cut matching stub tenons on the rail ends.

[Leo Voisine]

I like what Cody said.

That is my #1 thought as stated above.

That is what I will do.

The drawer faces will be a flat Oak face. I think I will CNC rout something decorative in the top two drawers, around the drawer pulls.

[Safetyboy]

If the drawer faces will be solid oak, I'd do solid door panels to match.

1/2" thick, and rabbet the back of the panel down to 1/4" so it will fit in the groove.

[rrich]

Leo,

For the drawer fronts, I would use solid wood. Do a nice Ogee edge treatment of the drawer edges and any slight misalignment of the drawer slides will be masked. Even accent the Ogee with a bit of black paint will make drawers stand out.

You have two choices for the doors. As Cody suggested, 3/16 dado with M&T for the joints.

OR

Cut your plywood to fit the openings for the doors. Mill some rail and stiles to 3/16" less thick than the final design thickness of the doors. Treat the edges of the R&S as desired. Now use the R&S to make "Picture Frames" exactly the size of the plywood doors. Glue the R&S to the plywood.

[art3427]

What Cody said.

art

[Joe Lyddon]

www.woodworkstuff.net/FlatPnlDB1.html