Plain Cabinet door question

[TheTrooper]

I'm building a set of base cabinets. The customer wants a plain door with a flat panel insert. I normally would use a tongue and groove bit, but I'm wondering if joining 1x3 with a Domino would be better and faster.

 

[Brent Taylor]

The only thing that I would be worried about is expanding and contract with in the wood. T and G would still be the better method, but that said I would guess it's no different than a table top. Poop house full of glue, because of the different forces involved. 

 

[mastercabman]

You are talking about a shaker style door
Either way you do it will be fine
I don't think you gain any time by doing it one way or another
If you go with domino you still need to rout/cut a groove for the flat panel however you will need to stop the grooves on the stiles so that the cuts does not shows on ends

 

[Sparktrician]

You are talking about a shaker style door
Either way you do it will be fine
I don't think you gain any time by doing it one way or another
If you go with domino you still need to rout/cut a groove for the flat panel however you will need to stop the grooves on the stiles so that the cuts does not shows on ends

You don't necessarily need to do stopped dadoes.  Cut them full length on the stiles and rails to accommodate the panel, join stiles to rails using dominoes, then when the glue has dried and the door is solid, run another set of dominoes into the joints from top and bottom.  This will conceal the open dado and add strength to the joint.  You'll have to trim off the excess dominoes and sand things smooth. 

 

[mastercabman]

You are talking about a shaker style door
Either way you do it will be fine
I don't think you gain any time by doing it one way or another
If you go with domino you still need to rout/cut a groove for the flat panel however you will need to stop the grooves on the stiles so that the cuts does not shows on ends

You don't necessarily need to do stopped dadoes.  Cut them full length on the stiles and rails to accommodate the panel, join stiles to rails using dominoes, then when the glue has dried and the door is solid, run another set of dominoes into the joints from top and bottom.  This will conceal the open dado and add strength to the joint.  You'll have to trim off the excess dominoes and sand things smooth.

Well I guess you could do that to!
But that's a lot of work for making simple shaker doors don't you think?
The OP asked if it will be faster that way
T&G bits. glue it,clamp it, and its done(pop couple 5/8nails on joints of course)

 

[Sparktrician]

You are talking about a shaker style door
Either way you do it will be fine
I don't think you gain any time by doing it one way or another
If you go with domino you still need to rout/cut a groove for the flat panel however you will need to stop the grooves on the stiles so that the cuts does not shows on ends

You don't necessarily need to do stopped dadoes.  Cut them full length on the stiles and rails to accommodate the panel, join stiles to rails using dominoes, then when the glue has dried and the door is solid, run another set of dominoes into the joints from top and bottom.  This will conceal the open dado and add strength to the joint.  You'll have to trim off the excess dominoes and sand things smooth.

Well I guess you could do that to!
But that's a lot of work for making simple shaker doors don't you think?
The OP asked if it will be faster that way
T&G bits. glue it,clamp it, and its done(pop couple 5/8nails on joints of course)

 

It's just another way to do it.  No value judgement suggested.  On a natural-finished door it can add visual interest if using a contrasting exposed domino (sipo on cherry or maple, or birch on walnut, for example).  It's a good method when you goof a stopped dado, too. 

[smile]

 

[Tayler_mann]

If it is a natural finish I would do miter joints with dominos out of the same piece of wood. It makes it look really nice with one continuous piece if you match the grains correctly. You have to have perfectly sized and degree cuts or it is a pain in the butt to get square. If it is going to be painted I would just do a rail and stile door and  make sure things fit tight so there is not a seem. You can use a filler however you might get some warping over time and have an even worse seem.