Cabinet doors info

[jussi]

I'm thinking of making new cabinet doors. Any good books, sites, videos, on making raised panels. Any good deals on raised panel router bit sets?

[ragswl4]

Buy good bits. I use Whiteside bits, purchased from Holbren.com. Best price I could find and you may still not like the price but the bits are great. My first project (kitchen cabinets) is going great and I attribute much of the success to the bits. I started with a set from Harbor Freight, not very good. Gave them away. I do not have any suggestions on books, etc... but practice on cheap wood is a good idea until you get the feel of it.

I use a verticle bit for panel raising. I feel like I have more control and you can spin them faster than horizontal bits which I think equates to smoother cuts.

[LarryG]

Big +1 on Rags' advice about quality bits. The cost of a top brand like Whiteside or CMT will make you wince, but they're worth every penny.

The "Router And Router Table" section of the Woodshop Demos site has several articles on RP panels. Note that many if not most articles have multiple pages -- don't miss the "Next" button at the bottom.

In videos, the Classic Kitchen Cabinets episode from New Yankee Workshop might be worth a look. By coincidence I re-watched this one just the other day, and as I recall it was the first time Nahm used an RP router bit set to make RP doors.

[drumpriest]

I would go with a good set of bits, that have a bearing in the middle, like the whiteside, makes things easier.

Also, consider buying or making a coping jig, also makes life a lot easier. If you get a panel raiser without a back cutter (which I recommend, honestly), remember to cut a rabbet on the back of the panel the size of the bottom dado wall, then the panel will be flush with the rail and stile.

The procedure is actually pretty easy, once you have done it one, which is unfortunate. Look for setup blocks with the bits that you buy, they make life a lot easier. If you cannot get them, take some scrap (poplar works good) and keep working on it until you get a nice flush fit for the rail and stile. Then keep that scrap to help setup in the future.

Lastly, cut the panel smaller than the interior dimensions of your door by about 1/4" in each direction (leaves 1/8" on either side for expansion) and check out "space balls". The are little rubber balls that go into the dado channel and compress so that the panel sits nicely centered, and can grow and shrink with humidity changes.

And if you have questions, ask away, I've taught a few classes on doing this...

[RodKirby]

Video and PDF...

http://www.woodhaven.com/Media.aspx

[havighurst]

If you are just looking to make doors, you could check out two books: Cabinet Doors and Drawers by Danny Proulx and Frame and Panel Magic by Bill Hylton. Check your local library or bookstore to see if they are there and leaf through them.

I have viewed several DVD's. While the process is the same, each one taught me something a little different. You could check out the following DVD's: CMT - Raised Panel Doors, Woodline - Making Raised Panel Doors - Cathedral Doors and Drawers, and MLCS - Making Beautiful Raised Panel Rail and Stile Doors.

I found both books and all three DVD's to be helpful.

[JimD]

I have a Whiteside bit or two and I agree they are well made but I have successfully made MANY raised panel doors using less expensive bits. I mainly use MLCS bits but also have a Grizzly cope/stick bit - reversable - that I used to make a bunch of doors. I did a kitchen in oak for our previous home and have made several cabinets plus a kitchenette for this one. The cabinets are painted, like the builder put in, but the kitchenette is softwood stained and clear finished. I also built some flat panel doors for furniture.

I think you will have to sand a little more with cheaper bits but I did not sand a lot and my wife liked the end result. MLCS at least used to have some simple instructions. It's easier than people think.

I prefer a horizontal panel raiser so I can do arched top doors. You must slow them down, however. 3 1/2 inch diameter bits at 20,000 rpm plus would be scary. I have a vertical panel raiser but I have not tried it yet. I will probably use it in the portion of my router table where the bit will be horizontal so I can have the panel be flat on the top of the router table. It's much easier to guide the panel that way.

I like stacked cope and stick bits with a sled with a 1/2 inch baltic birch bed. That makes the height change from coping (done first on the end grain) and sticking - the cut along the grain - minimal. The two bit sets are probably nice also - I've never used one. The reversable bits are OK but a little bit of a hassle to switch.

My way of sizing the panel is to make it barely wide enough that it can bottom out on one side and still be engaged on the other. Typical depth of the cut is 3/8 so the panel would be roughly 1/2 inch bigger than the inside opening for the panel. I adjust this a little depending on whether I think the wood is real dry or not. If I think it might be a little wet, I'll make the panel bigger.

Jim