Advice on door construction

[gkeas]

Got a few projects cooking, and what good is a project if you cant use it as an excuse to get a new tool?

First on the list is to build something similar to this:

I'm a little perplexed on how best to approach the doors.  I thought of making a panel door using 1" frames and 1/4" panel, then making the insert from 1/2" as an overlay in front of the panel.  Other option is a VERY complex panel system.  Any other suggesitons?

 

[EcoFurniture]

well... You could either router out the pattern from a full sheet. Or you could just construct a frame door, put a 1/4" panel in and put some 1/8" strips on top to imitate a more complex design.

 

[Warrior]

I would go with your first idea but not make the doors so thick. 20mm with a 6mm or 1/4" panel. set the panel 8mm from the edge and plane some stock for the grid.

 

[gkeas]

I would go with your first idea but not make the doors so thick. 20mm with a 6mm or 1/4" panel. set the panel 8mm from the edge and plane some stock for the grid.

8mm from the front or face , 6mm panel, 6mm on the back side, correct?

 

[Bill Wyko]

I would use the Domino and  a miter saw to create almost all of it. The Domino would line up all those patterns easily. BTW beautiful idea for a project.

 

[Warrior]

I would go with your first idea but not make the doors so thick. 20mm with a 6mm or 1/4" panel. set the panel 8mm from the edge and plane some stock for the grid.

8mm from the front or face , 6mm panel, 6mm on the back side, correct?

Yep

 

[gkeas]

I would use the Domino and  a miter saw to create almost all of it. The Domino would line up all those patterns easily. BTW beautiful idea for a project.

Thanks for all the advice (and encouragement).  I got the 4mm domino cutter just for this ;D 

Ours will be painted white, and will not have the skirting or shaped feet.  I'll try to show some progress photos as I get going (seems like things just keep stacking up).  I'll at least show the finished result.

 

[richard.selwyn]

I've been using the 4mm cutter today (I'm sorry it's not cabinet work, just fitting out a van in ply for a client) but it is very handy - although I am using a couple of plastic shims for the depth.  Anyone had a better plan?

 

[Chris Hughes]

If it were me, I'd build the door from the center section out.  I'd start with rail and stile stock to build the perimeter of the outer square of the interior and use the channel that seats the rail to house the panel.  Then just like any parted panel run the vertical through and dot-to-dot the horizontal.  I'd rabbit 12mm stock for the panels instead of 6mm, 6mm sounds a little tinny to me.  Repeat the same process as you move outward the only difference being the "L" shaped panels.

 

[gkeas]

If it were me, I'd build the door from the center section out.  I'd start with rail and stile stock to build the perimeter of the outer square of the interior and use the channel that seats the rail to house the panel.  Then just like any parted panel run the vertical through and dot-to-dot the horizontal.  I'd rabbit 12mm stock for the panels instead of 6mm, 6mm sounds a little tinny to me.  Repeat the same process as you move outward the only difference being the "L" shaped panels.

So are you suggesting doing a 12mm glue up panel insert, and routing the detail into it? The door frame is obviously a standard thing...

 

[sw1211]

When I built a shaker style cabinet I used a 1/2" panel cut with this shaker bit so it would fit in the 1/4" groove in the face frame.  I like the extra heft the 1/2" panel provides.  Not that you're building a shaker style cabinet but just giving you another option for the panel.

 

[Chris Hughes]

No not at all.  I see this as a door inside of another door.  So I would build the inner most door first, keeping it as simple as possible.