I am in the process of constructing new kitchen cupboards for our home. Will use solid raw wood, jointed, planned and then biscuit joined. Doors will be stile & rail. I am concerned about expansion/contraction by not using particle board with a wood sheething. Using solid woods instead, how much trouble am I asking for?
Thanks all.
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shouldn't be any trouble provided your lumber is relatively dry,depending where you live, around 6-10% emc.
it's important to consider placement, and where heat sources are in your kitchen, eg stove, heating vents, etc.
I once built a set of base cabinets which then had kickplate heaters installed; within a month, the stiles on every door had shrunk and bowed, necessitating a redo.
Edited 12/2/2004 3:38 pm ET by JACKPLANE
I'm making some oak raised panel doors today - lol.
I like to make the panel approx. 1/8" narrower than the actual dimension. This gives me approx. 1/16" on each side for expansion/contraction. I'll also 'cheat' the length by about 1/16". Wood expands/contracts across the grain much more than with the grain.
I've done them this way for several years and never had a problem with the panels. The only problems I've had with the rail/stile joints is when they're too close to a heat or moisture source (i.e. over a coffee pot or near the stove). I would suggest that you use some brads on these joints (on the inside of the doors) to mechanically hold them.
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