I’m looking at whiteside matched rail and stile bit set with a classical profile to be used for cabinet doors with a flat (not raised) panel.
I’m trying to decide whether to use 1/4 plywood or MDF. The problem is fit. The standard slot size is 1/4 inch on the cutter and they have another with a 7/32 inch slot for plywood. In theory the 1/4 standard slot should fit MDF perfectly. I just don’t want to by the bit and find that it does’nt fit. Same problem with the plywood setup. I guess with the plywood set grove I would be a little more comfortable that the panel will fit but I’m worried about slop.
I need a tight fit since these doors will be painted and was wondering if anyone had experience with this.
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I don't know that there's any sure way to know without measuring the material. I have some MDF that's 0.236" (seems that it's really 6mm, rather than 1/4"), and some Baltich birch plywood that's 0.248".
A good excuse to buy a dial or digital caliper, if nothing else.
-Steve
I've got a set of Whiteside cutters like that in 1/4" and they work well. However, I usually don't just put a flat panel in the door, but use 1/2" MDF and cut it down and radius it with a TS and 1/2" core-box cutter to make a raised panel. I like the way MDF accepts paint better than ply. If you're interested in some pics and proceedures let me know and I'll post'em.
That sounds like a great idea. I was thinking of doing that in the beginning but somehow got on a one track thought. I'd love to see the way you do it. With the small reveal around the inside back edge, do you pre-finish the panels or is the gap inconsequential.
I've built very large F&P doors with this method, and glued them up raw, then finished them. Movement is not a problem with MDF.
First run your rails & stiles leaving them 1/4" larger than finished. Run your coping and sticking. You can use 3/4" or 1/2" MDF. The 3/4" is better when you are attaching slides or drawer faces to the panels as it gives more screw room.
Cut your panels to size by measuring the depth of the tenon on the sticking. Figure out what reveal you want, I usually use 1". For 1/2" MDF set your TS fence to this dimension, and the depth for the tounge. Groove all four sides. Place a tall fence on your TS and rip edge-on the waste from all four sides. Make an extra piece so you can check the fit by creeping up on it. Should be snug. Chuck up a 1/2" core box bit in your router table and set it to just knock the corner off of the sawn edge and just brush the bottom. Run all four sides. Take a piece of 4/4 and route a 1/2" radius on one side for a sanding block. Run this block around the tounge and radiuses to smooth and get a good fit. Dry fit everything. Put glue on the bottom of the rails and stiles, NOT on the MDF as it will swell and become impossible to assemble.
Your doors are now 1/2" larger in all dimensions. Square up one end or side and cut to finished dimensions.
There's an article by Mike Pekovich in the current issue of Fine Woodworking (#193) on making cope-and-stick doors. Mike used an adjustable bit (Freud and Amana both make one), which can be adjusted to account for quarter-inch plywood being slightly less than1/4-in. thick.
David Heim
Managing Editor
FineWoodworking.com
Thanks David,
I read that article. It was very informative and pertinent to my current projects. The reason I am trying to stay away from the adjustable bits is that the article and others have said they are very fickle and difficult to set up. However in the end it may be my best choice.
I use 1/4" sets and mill 3/8" or 1/2" MDF to fit. If you have to use plywood you can still use thicker stock then mill the rabbits so that there will only be 1/16 to 1/8 of reveal between the thicker part of the panel and the inside of the frame. That is tight enough that no one will notice the ply core on the rabbit cuts, but still have enough space to account for the small amount of movement that could occur.
If you will be using this set for a lot ply panel projects the 7/32 would be easier to use over all. You will just have to mill everything else to the 7/32 instead of 1/4.
Pardon my spelling,
Mike
Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.
MDF panels have worked great for me for painted doors if you use a 1/4" cutter. Should not be any slop. I also use the undersized (7/32") cutter for plywood panels. The thing with plywood, in my experience, is that it is inconsistant in thickness. What I often do for plywood is use the 7/32 cutter then thinly rabbet the back of the panel so that it fits snugly in the slot. The trick is to rabbet just wide enough to hide the rabbet in the slot.
Amana makes a small panel raising bit that I've used to make reversed raised panels with 1/2" material. The raised portion is turned inward.
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