Replies

1. 
   carpntir | Mar 05, 2006 03:23pm | #1

   you don't say what kind of finish you are doing...paint or stain.
   i have really good luck with shaker style doors, poplar frames and birch or maple panels, that is if you are painting. if you use poplar, pick the straightest grain you can find. also it has to be dry.

1. 
   Dawna | Mar 13, 2006 08:10pm | #5

   I'd like to stain. It's going into a Recreation Centre and since it's likely to experience some abuse, I'm hoping that banged up wood will still look like wood.

   Do you know which wood (for door frames) will match well with the birch plywood when staining?

   Thanks....Donna

1. 
   DonC | Mar 14, 2006 09:05pm | #8

   Maple

2. 
   notDusty | Mar 20, 2006 05:09pm | #12

   Dawna ,

                 Alder stains up to a very good match with Birch plywood imo .

               As far as the configuration of the doors you can create the bi fold and then use pocket door hardware to avoid the hinging problems . They will work just as well as single pocket doors .

                    good luck         dusty

    

2. 
   mudman | Mar 05, 2006 07:02pm | #2

   If you still want the doors to look like cabinet doors I would use what ever the maximum stock thickness your door bit sets can handle. Mine max out at 7/8" but there is a way to go over if you rabbit the stock first. If you are using a good wood then that will be fine. Another idea (and this may likely look better) is to use 4 two panel doors hung in a bifold configuration. Or make two doors as you are planning but make each of them with four panels. Either of these ideas will make doors that are a lot more stable and less likely to bow or warp. The bifold arangement is (IMO) the best solution. As cabinet doors get larger than 24" they start getting awkward to operate for the user. Also bifold doors put less stress on the hinges because when they are open they fold in half and cantilever out half as much. For hinges I would use 3 or 4 of Blum's heavy duty series depending on weather you go with the large multipanel doors or the smaller bifold doors.

   Mike

1. 
   Crocusboy | Mar 11, 2006 06:57am | #3

   I have made an entertainment centre for a large TV and therefore agree with the idea of making the door rails and stiles of thick material: 1" X 3" for the stiles and 1" X 3 1/2" for the rails wouldn't be inappropriate for such a large pair of doors.  If you are willing to pay more, get quarter-sawn lumber for these components as they'll prove to be more stable.  I would recommend the joints be mortise and tenon, which is considerably stronger than whay you'll get with a cope and stick router bit set.

   The panel, raised or otherwise, should be a bit thinner than usual, say 9/16", as it's going to be quite heavy and due to its size, will exert a considerable force upon the rails and stile framework.

   Hope this helps.

   Marty

2. 
   Dawna | Mar 16, 2006 08:44pm | #9

    

   Hi Mike<!----><!----><!---->

   I'm leaning towards your 4 panel bifold idea and have a concern.<!----><!---->

   The doors will be installed on the face of the cab and I plan on using the 270 degree hinges so that they open all the way flat to the side panels.<!----><!---->

   Without a "track"...Will the doors still open easily & close flat? Will this put excess stress on the door hinges?

   I was looking at the double locking hinges to join each panel of the bifold (to keep them flat when closed or locked in the folded position when open).

   Just a reminder that the doors will span 5'x5'.<!----><!---->

   Any suggestions?<!----><!---->

   Thanks...Donna<!----><!---->

   Edited 3/17/2006 2:04 pm ET by Dawna

1. 
   mudman | Mar 19, 2006 08:43am | #10

   Not using a track is no problem. It is done all the time. There are speciality hinges out there that have locking stops in the open and closed positions. I think that Rockler carries them. The "locking" action is really more of a indent so that the doors stay together and dont swing out unwanted. You will need a door stop for when the doors are closed. standard magnet catches are great for this.

   The doors will still be heavy but not as heavy if you make them 1" thick. Use premium hinges (Blum IMO). Blum makes a heavy duty version of most all their hinges, use 4 of the heavy duty hinges on the first doors.

   mike

2. 
   citrouille | Mar 20, 2006 11:55pm | #13

   Doors 60" tall tend to warp causing all sorts of headakes, bifold doors will hep you reduce the size of the rail and are a very good idea. The stiles are your real problem, I always laminate my styles, 2 or 3 plys depending on the specie I am using.
   For 60" maple doors I would recommend quartersawn lumber and 3 plys.C.

3. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Mar 11, 2006 07:08pm | #4

   If the style of the furniture is kinda modern, torsion-box construction is the way to go.   Torsion boxes can be made light, flat, and stable -- all of which are good characteristics of a door.

1. 
   Dawna | Mar 13, 2006 08:18pm | #6

    

   I’ve been reading all of the suggestions and all sound like great advice. I’m leaning towards making the doors “bi-fold”. I am not a carpenter by any means and forgive me for not being up on the terms. What exactly are torsion boxes?

   Thanks...Donna

1. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Mar 14, 2006 06:00pm | #7

   Here's notes from a talk I gave about making them -- http://www.geocities.com/bawanewsletter/jun02/torsionbox1.pdf

4. 
   BigK | Mar 20, 2006 10:03am | #11

   I recently had to mimic the doors from a kitchen job for some custom cabinets. The style was known as Wide Stickley; used 3 1/2 stiles and rails and 7/16 thick raised panels. The raised field was installed so as to be flush with the inside plane of the door frame (flat side out). The only reason why I explained all of this is even with a thinner panel to save weight you can still end up with very attractive doors. Best of luck with your job.