Making Panel Doors Move

This is a beginners guide to making loose tenon raised panel cabinet doors in mdf.

Making panel doors move.

There are many ways to make raised panel cabinet doors and having tried m. So cut the stiles to the same length as your desired door height. For that reason the panel is typically captured in grooves plowed along the inside edges of the stiles and rails so it can float and move. Frames use 3 4 thick stock with 1 4 panels in various materials and veneers a general purpose saw blade will do the job although.

It will hold the panel but still allow it to expand and contract across its width. In a frame and panel construction a large panel is fitted into a groove in the interior edge of a more dimensionally stable frame made of narrow. Then subtract the widths of both stiles from the total door width then cut the rails to that length plus 3 4 that will make more sense later. Run down to your local hardware store or home.

That meant that all i d need for this project is a 12 piece of 1 4 actual thickness 0 2 plywood from lowe s. If the groove is too narrow and it probably will be on the first try nudge your saw s fence a tiny bit and repeat both cuts. Link to the craftsman door trim project. After putting my stack dado in the table saw i cut a groove for the door s panel to float in.

Fortunately our bedroom door was completely smooth so i didn t need to apply veneer over it our foyer door had that faux wood grain texture which i covered with veneer. Typical construction for frame and panel doors have stiles running the full height and the rails fitting in between. Wooden door panels usually are flat or have raised center fields possibly with carvings. Frame and panel doors add class to any project but they don t have to add a lot of assembly time.

Cutting the main door panel 1. Acquire a 4 ft 1 2 m x 8 ft 2 4 m sheet of 1 2 in 1 3 cm plywood. The groove is a hair wider than 3 4 and 1 2 deep. Measure the doorway where you ll be installing your door.

Updating a flat panel core door with some trim and bead board to give it a more updated look. Before you get to sawing gluing and sanding you ll need. Other panel options include glass mirror metal or even ceramic. The panel should slide into the groove without requiring any force but it shouldn t wiggle either.