I'm in the process of making a shop cabinet on top of which will be the
resting place of my planer. This is my first attempt at cabinet
construction. I'm mostly following along with "Building Your Own Kitchen
Cabinetry" by John Paquay to guide me through the process. I'm doing this
not only to get the planer off of the top of the cardboard box it came in,
but also to practice my cabinet-making skills in case I ever get the idea
that my wife will let me build kitchen cabinets. I have the carcasses
constructed (I'm guessing that was the easy part), and now I'm thinking
about doors and drawers. I'm making the cabinet as a whole out of two 18"
wide cabinets. One cabinet will just have a big door for adjustable
shelves, and the other cabinet will be all drawers. My question regards the
door. My preference would be to use a stile and rail router bit set and use
a plywood insert for the panel. However, $50-100 for a stile and rail bit
for a one-off door isn't making me happy. My little woodworking brain tells
me that a few options are

1. Use a tongue and groove construction for the door frame. Use a dado to
cut the slot for a plywood panel.
2. Make a solid door either out of solid wood or perhaps edge-banded
plywood.

How would you make a door if you were short a stile and rail set?

todd

Todd wrote: I'm in the process of making a shop cabinet on top of which will
be the
resting place of my planer. This is my first attempt at cabinet
construction. I'm mostly following along with "Building Your Own Kitchen
Cabinetry" by John Paquay to guide me through the process. I'm doing this
not only to get the planer off of the top of the cardboard box it came in,
but also to practice my cabinet-making skills in case I ever get the idea
that my wife will let me build kitchen cabinets. I have the carcasses
constructed (I'm guessing that was the easy part), and now I'm thinking
about doors and drawers. I'm making the cabinet as a whole out of two 18"
wide cabinets. One cabinet will just have a big door for adjustable
shelves, and the other cabinet will be all drawers. My question regards the
door. My preference would be to use a stile and rail router bit set and use
a plywood insert for the panel. However, $50-100 for a stile and rail bit
for a one-off door isn't making me happy. My little woodworking brain tells
me that a few options are

1. Use a tongue and groove construction for the door frame. Use a dado to
cut the slot for a plywood panel.
2. Make a solid door either out of solid wood or perhaps edge-banded
plywood.

How would you make a door if you were short a stile and rail set?

todd
Considering that it's a shop cabinet, I'd go with option one or two. If your
wife ever let's you build the kitchen cabs, then SHE'LL have to decide if the
expense of the bit set is worth it. It probably will be. Luckily (or not), my
wife decided on slab doors, so I've yet to buy a rail and stile set-up. But
with something like that, you might have to practice some. Say, on your shop
cabinets. ; ) That's like, the second "emoticon" I've ever used.Tom
Someday, it'll all be over....

"todd" wrote in message
...

1. Use a tongue and groove construction for the door frame. Use a dado
to
cut the slot for a plywood panel.

Yes, it'll work, but the door will be relatively weak. Better to use
biscuits, unless the groove is pretty deep.

Better yet to use M & T.

You can either build the door round the ply (using a groove to house the
ply), or

You can rebate the frame members, assemble them, then insert the panel last,
using mitred mouldings to hold the panel in. If you do this, you need to
use a long-and-short shouldered tenon.

Or you can make the frame with no grooves or rebates, assemble it, rout a
rebate all the way round, square off the corners with a chisel, and insert
the panel, holding it with planted mouldings

2. Make a solid door either out of solid wood or perhaps edge-banded
plywood.

No reason why not, other than aesthetics. You'll need to consider your
hinge options, though - plywood doesn't like screws in the end grain too
much, so an inset door with simple butts is not a good idea.

Another option is a ledged-and-braced door, if you're in a hurry. (Like an
outhouse door!)

How would you make a door if you were short a stile and rail set?

As above, if I were just making one or two, and wasn't too concerned about
appearance. If you're going to be doing a kitchen-full, then bite the
bullet and spend the money!

HTH

Frank



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On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 23:27:30 -0500, "todd"
wrote:

How would you make a door if you were short a stile and rail set?

Mortise and tenon corners with a slot to trap the panel.

Barry

If I had a biscuit jointer I'd use that for the frame and plywood for the
door.

If I didn't have a biscuit jointer I could use half lap, bridle, M&T, stub
M&T, or spline joints for the door frames, Then still go for the dado ply
panel.

--
Mike G.

Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"todd" wrote in message
...
I'm in the process of making a shop cabinet on top of which will be the
resting place of my planer. This is my first attempt at cabinet
construction. I'm mostly following along with "Building Your Own Kitchen
Cabinetry" by John Paquay to guide me through the process. I'm doing this
not only to get the planer off of the top of the cardboard box it came in,
but also to practice my cabinet-making skills in case I ever get the idea
that my wife will let me build kitchen cabinets. I have the carcasses
constructed (I'm guessing that was the easy part), and now I'm thinking
about doors and drawers. I'm making the cabinet as a whole out of two 18"
wide cabinets. One cabinet will just have a big door for adjustable
shelves, and the other cabinet will be all drawers. My question regards
the
door. My preference would be to use a stile and rail router bit set and
use
a plywood insert for the panel. However, $50-100 for a stile and rail bit
for a one-off door isn't making me happy. My little woodworking brain
tells
me that a few options are

1. Use a tongue and groove construction for the door frame. Use a dado
to
cut the slot for a plywood panel.
2. Make a solid door either out of solid wood or perhaps edge-banded
plywood.

How would you make a door if you were short a stile and rail set?

todd

Below is my favorite, but my dad did solid MDF doors (no pannel). It's
simple and is perfectly acceptable for a shop.

"B a r r y" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 23:27:30 -0500, "todd"
wrote:

How would you make a door if you were short a stile and rail set?

Mortise and tenon corners with a slot to trap the panel.

Barry

If I had a biscuit jointer I'd use that for the frame and plywood for the
door.

If I didn't have a biscuit jointer I could use half lap, bridle, M&T,
stub
M&T, or spline joints for the door frames, Then still go for the dado ply
panel.

Agree

--

Rumpty

Radial Arm Saw Forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/woodbutcher/start

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thanks for all the replies.

After looking up a bridle joint, that is the correct description of what I
had in mind when I said "tongue and groove". It seems like it will be
relatively easy to make and strong with the large amount of surface area for
glue.

Todd

"Mike G" wrote in message
...
If I had a biscuit jointer I'd use that for the frame and plywood for the
door.

If I didn't have a biscuit jointer I could use half lap, bridle, M&T,
stub
M&T, or spline joints for the door frames, Then still go for the dado ply
panel.

--
Mike G.

Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"todd" wrote in message
...
I'm in the process of making a shop cabinet on top of which will be the
resting place of my planer. This is my first attempt at cabinet
construction. I'm mostly following along with "Building Your Own
Kitchen
Cabinetry" by John Paquay to guide me through the process. I'm doing
this
not only to get the planer off of the top of the cardboard box it came
in,
but also to practice my cabinet-making skills in case I ever get the
idea
that my wife will let me build kitchen cabinets. I have the carcasses
constructed (I'm guessing that was the easy part), and now I'm thinking
about doors and drawers. I'm making the cabinet as a whole out of two
18"
wide cabinets. One cabinet will just have a big door for adjustable
shelves, and the other cabinet will be all drawers. My question regards
the
door. My preference would be to use a stile and rail router bit set and
use
a plywood insert for the panel. However, $50-100 for a stile and rail
bit
for a one-off door isn't making me happy. My little woodworking brain
tells
me that a few options are

1. Use a tongue and groove construction for the door frame. Use a dado
to
cut the slot for a plywood panel.
2. Make a solid door either out of solid wood or perhaps edge-banded
plywood.

How would you make a door if you were short a stile and rail set?

todd

If my understanding is correct it is also called a "slip joint" that
was described in FWW couple of years ago in an article by Frank
Klausz. I made the jig portrayed for tenon cutting.

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 10:30:12 -0500, "todd"
wrote:


After looking up a bridle joint, that is the correct description of what I
had in mind when I said "tongue and groove". It seems like it will be
relatively easy to make and strong with the large amount of surface area for
glue.

How would you make a door if you were short a stile and rail set?


For a shop cabinet-- slab doors, Melamine.

Easiest kind of frame and panel doors would seem to be pegged half-laps with
rabbets in back for a thin plywood panel (or glass or acrylic or whatever),
which is held in by little nailer strips.

I'm not going to try cope-and-stick until I get a shaper.

--Scott

I am currently "practicing" making cabinet doors in my shop, in preparation
for the kitchen cabinet project that SWMBO wants. I have a rail and stile
bit set. I built the shop cabinet in Shop Notes #75, but I did real raised
panels for the drawers and doors. I must be doing something right as SWMBO
was in the shop the other day and said something to the effect of "damn
those are nice cabinets. Too nice for your shop. Move them up to my
kitchen". (I did build the shops cabinets out of genuine mahogany......so
the wood choice made them look extra good). I take compliments any way I
can get them from the wife..

Bob

"Tom" wrote in message
...
Todd wrote: I'm in the process of making a shop cabinet on top of which
will
be the
resting place of my planer. This is my first attempt at cabinet
construction. I'm mostly following along with "Building Your Own Kitchen
Cabinetry" by John Paquay to guide me through the process. I'm doing
this
not only to get the planer off of the top of the cardboard box it came
in,
but also to practice my cabinet-making skills in case I ever get the idea
that my wife will let me build kitchen cabinets. I have the carcasses
constructed (I'm guessing that was the easy part), and now I'm thinking
about doors and drawers. I'm making the cabinet as a whole out of two
18"
wide cabinets. One cabinet will just have a big door for adjustable
shelves, and the other cabinet will be all drawers. My question regards
the
door. My preference would be to use a stile and rail router bit set and
use
a plywood insert for the panel. However, $50-100 for a stile and rail
bit
for a one-off door isn't making me happy. My little woodworking brain
tells
me that a few options are

1. Use a tongue and groove construction for the door frame. Use a dado
to
cut the slot for a plywood panel.
2. Make a solid door either out of solid wood or perhaps edge-banded
plywood.

How would you make a door if you were short a stile and rail set?

todd
Considering that it's a shop cabinet, I'd go with option one or two. If
your
wife ever let's you build the kitchen cabs, then SHE'LL have to decide if
the
expense of the bit set is worth it. It probably will be. Luckily (or not),
my
wife decided on slab doors, so I've yet to buy a rail and stile set-up.
But
with something like that, you might have to practice some. Say, on your
shop
cabinets. ; ) That's like, the second "emoticon" I've ever used.Tom
Someday, it'll all be over....