I’m making glass panel doors for the first time. Its the second part of a kitchen I’m doing for a friend. The doors are to replace doors on existing cabinets and are to match the doors I already made on the other cabinets.
The doors I have already made, and need to match, were made with a matched cope and stick cutter set on the router table. I’m hoping I can use this same set on the (muntins?) as well. I was thinking I would just rip the piece to width plus the profile, and profile both sides and cope the ends. I would do the same for the dividers. I’m thinking then I would need to cut the “tongues” off the back to turn the slots for the panels into rabbets for the glass. Does this sound correct? It there anything I’m missing? Any tips/tricks to make it go smoothly i.e. layout,measuring, etc…
Is their a normal proportion of the rail/stiles to the muntins?
Thanks everyone. You always come through on even the most mundane questions.
Replies
g,
You will want to run the ends first just as on the rails for the doors then the sides or with the grain .
If the six lites are each a different piece of glass then the width will be the detail twice and the 1/4" or so you leave between the pieces or lites . 1 1/4" is as small as I make them when I use the stile and rail shaper cutters .
On some I saw off the back of the groove to create the rabbet on the table saw before assembly .
This is a fairly difficult thing to describe in a few words but you may be able to use a router bit to trim open the back , but this method leave rounded corners.
So , by slicing the back out on the TS you may have to glue in a small piece at each intersecting joint .of this fret work .
I hope this helps some
dusty
Thanks dusty,
Do you find that you need to brad the intersection of the dividers for added strength or is the glue enough?
The bits I'm using leave a 3/8" profile and the stiles and rails are 2" wide. Would 3/8" center area be appropriate for symetry giving the pieces a 1 1/8" total width?
The doors are 7/8" thick so I guess thats an advantage in having a little more "meat" at the joints.
I've always just used glue , try and clamp and even use a small spring clamp at each joint , trust the glue . All these joints need to hold is their own weight .
The 1 1/8" size sounds doable and should be fine .
Run some samples the same size pieces and what you need to hold them down and push them forward will be more clear to you .
good luck dusty
Oldusty,What do you use to adhere your glass? hot glue or silicone? Do you use sticking on the back to secure and cover the edge? I'll be building some glass doors in the future and would be very interested in your thoughts on these matters. I'm attracted to the idea of using separate panes for each light to allow for thicker muntins and ease of repair.
And, since I consider you an authority, I've got another question. Is there any difference between the durability of a gel poly finish vs. sprayed on lacquer? I've got a job I think I'd rather finish myself with poly instead of sending out to a spray shop. Maybe I'll start a thread . . . Thanks as always.Brian
Hi Brian ,
In most cases the glass is silicone glued in . The glass shop I use puts a small bead of silicone down and lays the glass on top of the glue . They put just enough so it does not come out on the front side .
On most doors I do not use a molding and silicone , I have never had a piece of glass fall out . A client accidentally broke a piece and it was easily removed and the silicone sliced out with a chisel .
Sorry , I am not an expert on any type of Poly finish as I only shoot Lacquer . The newer catalyzed types of lacquers offer more durability then in the past .
Not sure if 30 some years shooting lacquer makes me an expert , but I certainly have a lot of experience in all different temperatures and times of year . The worst time to spray here out West is 55° and raining or anywhere close to that . It's not the temp as much as the moisture in the air or humidity that effects your results. I can shoot when it's 25 - 30° outside , of course the shop is heated .
Imo you can do a better finish when you use a product that flashes off quickly and has a shorter open time . Shorter drying time means less time for dust and such to settle onto your finish .
It's difficult at best to have a relatively dust free environment in a wood shop , what I have learned is I don't really need a clean room to get super results . The way you set your air flow / exhaust system will determine the amount of debris in your finish . I keep the air moving towards the exhaust fan not giving the dust a chance to settle , it just keeps moving toward the fan .
Lacquer imo is more forgiving then many finishes and can be applied many coats in one day with sanding between coats. The best finish is not necessarily a thick finish . I you try and build the finish too quickly and too thick the chance for problems increases .
dusty
OldDusty,
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I wanted to ask about the precat lacquer you are using . I have always shot nitrocellulose, and loved it, but now can seem to find only precat. I usually fine sand the finish (400-600 grit), then rub with pumice, and perhaps rottenstone if I want a bit more gloss. I read that precat is harder making it more difficult to hand rub out and difficult to repair. I am ready to shoot some on a grandfather clock, but afraid of the characteristics. Any thoughts on comparing the two? Should I just move ahead and treat them the same? The can says to shoot full strength, but I think it needs thinning a bit. Do you thin yours?
Thanks,Woody
Hi Woody ,
Really treat it the same and if you thin your nitro then thin the precat .
What type of spray equipment are you using ?
With my airless I thin about 20% .
Most all products say not to thin as this adds VOCs to the air and they play it safe , but in reality and depending on the rig you use and your ability you may be able to do a better job if you thin the material .
These newer lacquers are mostly what they call self sealing , you can spray the first coats much like sealer and sand it out before top coating with the same . The hard lacquer is harder to sand then sealer but not really that much harder .
I control the gloss with the sheen of the lacquer , flat , satin , semi gloss , gloss and so on .
I don't rub out my final coats by then the build is smooth as silk .
I use the Rudd brand called Catalast , there is even a tougher lacquer they make called Duracat a friend just started using it and swears by it as the best he has ever shot .
dusty
Dusty, thanks for the input. It sounds like I will go ahead and use the precat. I use a HVLP conversion gun, and I normally thin about 20% also. I am unfamiliar with the "catalyst" part of the pre-cat and was afraid that thinning might "Kill the cat". Your explanation makes sense. I have always preferred to work with gloss and rub it out to the sheen that I wanted, so I will likely stay with that plan. Thanks for your advice!Woody
There was an article in FWW#189 ("Build a Country Hutch"; Feb 2007) that discussed using cope-and-stick bits for cutting glass door muntins. If you have an online subscription, you can find the article here.
-Steve
Perfect. Thanks. I'll have to adjust a little because I have to use the cope and stick set I used on the other doors but a picture says a ....
That "build a country hutch" was a great article. I also think you will find it helpful.
Mike D
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