cabinet door design

rog | Posted in General Discussion on July 3, 2009 06:42am

Does anyone out there have a good source on the internet for cabinet door designs. My customer wants a very plain kitchen cabinet door. Instead of raised panels she wants just a 3/8 of an inch panel between the rails and stiles.

These doors are to be paint grade so I thought I would build the rails and stiles out of poplar and use a 3/8 of an inch piece of plywood for the fller panel. What type of plywood should I use?

I would like to find a source on the internet that would allow the customer to pick her own design.

Any help would be appreciated

thanks

Roger

Replies

zolton | Jul 03, 2009 03:34pm | #1
The Rockler website has a number of different cabinet door designs. They sell custom doors, and part of the ordering process is looking through and picking out the edge and panel design. That might get you started on what you're looking for...

Zolton

If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Dave45 | Jul 03, 2009 04:09pm | #2
Try http://www.caldoor.com

They're a door and millwork shop in Morgan Hill, CA (~60 miles south of San Francisco)
hammer1 | Jul 03, 2009 04:40pm | #3
Why 3/8" for the panel? It will add a lot of weight to the doors. If it's centered in the frame members, there won't be much wood left for decorative edges and you'll have to make your own slots and joinery rather than use a stile and rail set. I just did some large drawers and wanted 3/8" bottoms. I couldn't find much for 3/8" plywood except some Baltic birch. The face veneers were rough. I wouldn't want this stuff for anything that showed. Better see what's available for 3/8" before committing. 1/4" is the normal choice and there are a lot of choices, 3/8" not so much.

Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
oldusty | Jul 03, 2009 05:20pm | #4
Roger ,

          Several things , first off I wouldn't show the client anything you are not set up to build .

I will second Hammers thoughts on the panel thickness . 1/4" will be fine for cabinet doors.

Also will you use stile and rail cutters ? Sometimes I center the panel in the frame and other times they may be back more to allow for applied moldings and such.

Ask any professional painter which gives better results when painted plywood or MDF .

   I detest pb , mdf and Melamine products , however they do have their applications where they can't be beat ,and MDF panels for painted cabinet doors is one of them .

     If you insist I have used 3/8" mdf.

             regards dusty
ring | Jul 03, 2009 05:40pm | #5
My shop routinely uses 8mm (5/16") MDF for panels like this. Sturdy enough but not too heavy. Takes paint wonderfully well. After trying various materials on hundreds of cabinet doors of this type, we wouldn't do it any other way.

David Ring

http://www.touchwood.co.il/?lang=e&id=1