Does anyone have any advice or know of a good source of information for making this kind of cabinet door? Specifically I’m interested about the molding. Is it simply attaced to the rails and stiles, thus allowing the panel to move? What’s the profile for the molding? What’s the profile for the panel?
Then, the weathered/worn finish?
Thanks in advance
Replies
My opinion only, and not an expert by any means, It looks like the outer stiles and rails were milled seperatly, and the part in the middle with the beading was applied to the doors. Look at the seams closely, you can see vertical joints and beveled joints.
Steve Pickett
Cutter,
I can't tell if the door in the photo is really old or a new fake, but probably the latter. And does the back look identical? There are surely clues on the back of the door. But just guessing - the outer frame (without any profile) was done first, using whatever joinery you have available. Molding was set around the inside of that frame, then the panel laid in and another set of molding was attached to hold the panel in place. If the door is a modern production item, the panel might well be MDF.
Regarding the finish - it's too long a story to write here, but the basic idea is to lay down a dark base coat, then use cream-colored base-coats over that until the dark is covered. Selective sanding and some distressing will then reveal the darker layer underneath on the "wear" spots. Then a layer of patina (basically, controlled dirt). Topcoat of clear lacquer. My shop uses water-based PU products for the whole process; the undercoats are tinted however we wish, and the final coat would be a clear water-based PU with about 10-15% gloss.
DR
Thanks for the repsonses. Certianly this is an modern door, however, I've only seen this style in photos so I can't say what's on the back of the door.
To try to summerize the options, I did a little drawing attached here; let me know if I got it right.
The first shows the molding applied to the frame, the frame resting in a grove in the rails and stiles. This then requires a raised panel that has a flat spot that the molding rests on before sloping up. Is there a shaper cutter available with this profile - without going custom-made? I've done a little looking but didn't see anything.
The second shows molding on the front and back. Twice the molding, twice the miters.
The third is something I thought of when drawing the others. I may be able to get away with using the raised panel cutter I already have, I don't have to put molding on the back, but it makes joining the rails and stiles a little tricker.
I'm going to give the finish a try (on a much smaller scale to start out). Doing my own cabinets and I really like the door style.
Cheers,
Alan
Hello cutterhead
Your first or third drawing is the most likely ( third easiest to make as the panels are fitted after door frame assembled) the moulding on the photographs is not a bollection mould as the length of mould is the same as shoulder length(not rebated over door styles and rails) and appears to be flush with the face of frames. hope this helps . regards Teabags
Alan,
Actually all of your drawings are feasable. Personally I would prefer #1, because it solves the joining of the rails and stiles at the same time as creating a groove for the panel. With the other options, you would have to make mortise and tenon joints for the frame members. Of course they have the advantage of placing the panel after the frame is made. In my opinion, option #3 doesn't give any advantage over #2, but there is nothing inherently wrong with it.
If you are going to seriously distress the panel, or if you are a purist, you need to use solid wood. However, if it is only moderate, as in the photo, you could get away with MDF panels, which take painting beautifully and will not give you any movement to crack the paint in the corners over time.
Regarding shaper knives, I don't know what you have available. On my shaper I can move the fence back as I wish, and get a flat area behind the profile that raises the panels. This won't work if you are using a bearing of some kind.
The beaded molding is a nice detail, and Lee's comments are right on.
DR
Cutter,
Your third option is the one I would use: mortice and tenon the frame together and then use the router to make a rebate all round for the panel-depth to suit panel edge thickness plus part of the bolection moulding as you have drawn it. The only slight inconvenience is having to chisel the corners square by hand.
What is putting you off about joining the rails and stiles together?I assume you will use m and t?And what is the size of this door?
Philip Marcou
Edited 9/19/2005 5:15 am ET by philip
Alan,
I vote for the third method, with cutting the rabbet with a router bit after the frame is assembled, as someone else has already described. This is best done on a large router table. Cutting the corners square isn't a fussy job since the corner area will be hidden by the trim molding.
You could even cut a second step back to pull the molding back further so that you don't have a problem with the raised panel profile not being wide enough.
The molding holding the panel in place should be pre-assembled like a picture frame and then the assembled trim frame is just dropped into the rabbetted door frame to hold the panel. The molding frame can be a slightly loose fit in the door frame opening, once the trim frame is face nailed to the door frame, nobody will ever know. This is much simpler than trying to attach the trim pieces one at a time to the door frame.
Hope this helps, John W.
Cutter,
I don't know of a source.
The moulding looks to me to be a bolection moulding, which is rebated on the back and nailed to the edges of the door frame to keep the panel in place , which itself fits into a rebate on the door frame work.Sometimes there is no rebate on the door, so a bolection mould is fitted to front and back, thus capturing the moulded panel. In both cases the panel is floating.
The profile of the panel is just the usual raised panel type with a stopped tongue of suitable width for the bolection mould.
I have seen this arrangement on domestic house doors.
The finish-at a guess I would say milk paint-lots of it.
Philip Marcou
Edited 9/18/2005 6:00 am ET by philip
If you have a shaper it's two cuts, a 1/2" bead, then a 1/4" bead dropped deeper into the profile. The moulding is rabetted to the frame, rabbetted to accept the panel.
Here's my version, it looks better with bead and rod carved into the 1/2" bead.
View Image
Lee
Edited 9/18/2005 4:31 pm ET by LeeGrindinger
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