Page 1 of 2
Building Cabinet Doors
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:10 pmby Gerdo
I need to build my cabinet doors. I want to use maple or poplar for the frames and a nice veneer plywood for the doors. (Simple and plain) My question is how thin of plywood can I get away with using and still not have them: bow, twist, be flimisy and still hold hinge/latch screws? I want to go thin for weight savings. 3/8"? 1/2"? 3/4"?
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:38 pmby rainjer
I would go with 1/2" or 3/4".
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:40 pmby madjack
Gerdo, if you are talking about regular panel type doors, you can use 1/8, since the frames will be acceptin' the hinges/latches and will control rigidity....
madjack
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:00 pmby Chaotica
madjack wrote:Gerdo, if you are talking about regular panel type doors, you can use 1/8, since the frames will be acceptin' the hinges/latches and will control rigidity....
madjack
Exactly. And don't glue the panel, let it float in the dado in the door frame.
Another cabinet door question
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:17 pmby Aaron Coffee
I'm thinking of building my own cabinet doors, out of 1/2 ply. with rounded edges and a dado to inset the doors slightly, I have chrome hinges like Teardrop fix it shop sells for $12 a pair that I got for helping tear some old cabinets out of the folks house. I did have to remove about three layers of paint off of them. Back to my question what tools would I need? I have a jig saw, could borrow dads circular saw, the belt broke on the table saw and can't find a replacement. Probably time to replace the whole table saw anyway, I think it is Montgomery Wards if that tells you how old it is. Or should I just have a cabinet maker do them?
Thanks
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:02 pmby asianflava
Chaotica wrote:madjack wrote:Gerdo, if you are talking about regular panel type doors, you can use 1/8, since the frames will be acceptin' the hinges/latches and will control rigidity....
madjack
Exactly. And don't glue the panel, let it float in the dado in the door frame.
Yup, I learnt that one from Norm Abrams. I made my doors with 1/8" ply for the center panel. Was gonna do raised panels but figured that it was a lot of extra weight.
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:38 pmby JunkMan
Chaotica wrote:Exactly. And don't glue the panel, let it float in the dado in the door frame.
I was told to put rubber spacers in the frames to keep the panels from rattling. I forget what they were called, but are availible from cabinet / woodworker supply type stores.
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:42 pmby Ken A Hood
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:54 pmby Gerdo
My doors are just going to be a panel, no frame. These may be replaced later for a shaker style door (frame/panel)
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:59 pmby halfdome, Danny
Sorry Madjack, but after making hundreds of thousands of cabinet doors over the years 1/4" would be the minium panel thickness I would ever use on a 3/4" framed door. 1/8" skins are ok for hollow core doors and you could do that very easily with a 3/4" x 1 3/4" frame and skin both sides and shape to your desired profile. You could spray contact cement to adhere the skins to the frame. It would be nice to egg crate the interior with 3/4" cardboard eggcrate material available from Cabinet Shop suppliers. Space Balls are only needed if you use solid wood panels and I have never had the need for them since I put a drop of yellow glue in the middle of each frame member and one pin nail. A real solid and sweet door for a lightweight cabinet would be a 3/4" x 2" frame rebated ( rabbit) out in the back for the 1/4" panel that is glued in and pinned in, I've made many of those too.Danny
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:45 pmby Chaotica
Gerdo wrote:My doors are just going to be a panel, no frame. These may be replaced later for a shaker style door (frame/panel)
Are they going to be sliders? If so use 1/4" ply.
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:25 pmby Gerdo
The doors that I'm thinking of are just slugs of plywood, either painted or stained. Hinged on one side with latches. I do have one large door to build (22"x 38") and dont wand a twisted door that I may get with thiner plywood. Chaotica, Is your Avitar a picture of you?
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:41 pmby bdosborn
Gerdo,
Head over to Austin Hardwoods on Mississippi and Santa Fe. They have baltic birch plywood that is much better than the stuff at Home Depot. It has 7 plys for 1/2" thickness as opposed to 5 for 3/4" from Home Depot. I used it for my drawers and it doesn't have any of the voids that the cheaper stuff has. They also have veneer plywood if you want to dress things up.
Bruce
Posted:
Mon Sep 18, 2006 10:00 pmby Chaotica
Gerdo wrote:Chaotica, Is your Avitar a picture of you?
Yes, it is.
Posted:
Tue Sep 19, 2006 9:35 amby JunkMan
Ken A Hood wrote:Just like the movie....... Space Balls
Damm, I should have remembered that, it's one of my favorite movies! I love Mel Brooks movies.