"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
OK, so for those of you who have been extremely helpful regarding my
kitchen door project, first off I offer my thanks for all the advice so
far. That said, the design has changed and I need some more help.
Last night I made a full-size prototype of a cabinet door so that SWMBO
and I could get a visual. Using stub tenon joints, I centered the 1/4"
MDF panel in the frame. I hung the door on an upper cabinet with Command
Strips (love those things!), stepped back and said to myself "Hmm...the
reveal around the panel seems too narrow."
I then called SWMBO into the kitchen and asked for her opinion, without
telling her what I thought. Her first comment was "Can the panel be set
back into frame a little farther?"
So it now looks that the fairly simple setup used to center the grooves
and tenons needs to be scrapped. My questions are these:
1 - How far back can I recess the 1/4" MDF panel in the 3/4" poplar
frame
and still have enough strength to use a simple stub tenon joint? Is 1/8"
enough frame stock on the inside of the door? Is there a better method
to
build the doors, keeping in mind that I don't have a mortising jig,
tenoning jig, etc. Just a fairly basic shop - table saw, router table,
band saw.
2 - If I can get enough reveal using a stub tenon joint, does the
process
involve nothing more than extra set up time? In other words, instead of
flipping the stock end to end to center the groove, I'll have to run the
stock through at 2 different fence settings - unless I get a 1/4" kerf
blade. For the tenons, once again it would be a matter of cutting one
cheek at one dado blade height and then cutting the other at a different
height. If I use the table saw, it's still just a matter of sneaking up
on the fit, correct? Of course, the other option is to use a T&G bit and
the (new) router table which would mean a one step setup for the groove
then one more for tenons.
As always, thanks for any advice you can offer and thanks for putting up
with what are probably very basic questions as I learn more about these
methods.
A few years ago, I built some cabinets on our screen porch. I have the
panel - 1/2" MDF - off center but toward the front, no more than 1/8"
reveal (I prefer minimal horizontal surfaces, less space for dust to
accumulate).
In my case, IIRC, I accomplished the offset by making a rabbet around the
panel, keeping the groove in the face frame centered. IMO, you could move
the groove toward the back, leaving 1/8" on the face frame should be OK.
As you said, that will complicate your cutting.
You could also do as I did; i.e., skinny down the MDF by making a 1/8
tongue on it but given the inherent weakness of MDF I don't think that
would work well. You could also use 1/8" plywood (door skins) rather than
MDF.
You could use thicker stock. Unless you have a way of dressing rough
stock, about the only way you could accomplish that is by making it; e.g.,
1/4 ply glued to 3/4 ply (although available, I'm guessing it would be
hard for you to get 1" ply). Of course, you could always buy 5/4 rough
stock and have a millwork shop dress it for you. The problem with using
thicker stock will be the additional protrusion from the face frame; that
could be fixed by insetting the door frame but you might then have a
problem in finding hinges (maybe not, don't know, I've never done it).
Still another possibility is to make the doors with the panels centered
then stick a frame around them to increase reveal. There goes your clean
look.
Oh yeah... you could forget the T & G for the panels and run a rabbet
around the inside of the frame...plop the panel in the rabbet and hold it
there with a thin (1/8"), narrow (1/2"?) piece of wood nailed (brads) or
glued on. Now - lacking the groove - you have a problem with joining the
stiles and rails...two solutions come to mind: half lap or bridle joints.
All in all, I'd tell the wife to learn to love it as is
--
dadiOH
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