Cabinet End Panels

[George Bokros]

I am making some cabinets which will have raised panel doors and want to make the exposed end panels match the doors. Couple of questions.....

Should I make the bottom of the top rail on the end at the same level as the bottom of the top rail on the door and the top of the bottom rail on the end at the same level as the top of the bottom rail of the door?

The cabinet will be the standard 24" deep should it be one large raised panel or should I split it with a stile down the middle?

Should I build the end as a unit or should I use rails and stiles and set the raised panel over the top like the doors will overlay the face frame rails and stiles?

I know there are probably as many opinions as there are members on the board but thought I would ask for input anyway.

Thanks

George

[Ron Bontz]

Hi George. I just finished my lower cabinets myself (Kinda). I chose to just leave the side finished plywood and make extra doors and drawer fronts. It was quicker for me. I adhered them to the sides using some clear silicone for adhesive, doesn't take much, and a pin nail in each corner to hold until the silicone cured. As far as the width/ panels, I think a 24" is as big as I wood go on a door my self. But if the door on that cabinet is large also it may look just fine. A double panel might look better IMO if it is say a 15" cabinet. The largest door on mine was 20.5" wide. If all else fails draw the panels on brown card board and stick it up there to help decide. What the heck. It's only card board. Best of luck.:)

[Joe Chritz]

I am making some cabinets which will have raised panel doors and want to make the exposed end panels match the doors. Couple of questions.....

(Should I make the bottom of the top rail on the end at the same level as the bottom of the top rail on the door and the top of the bottom rail on the end at the same level as the top of the bottom rail of the door?)

You can do it that way or you can line it up with the face frame material. Generally it is easiest to build it the same size as the door (gang cutting the parts, etc). I highly recommend a door size program. I use cabinet doors woodshop calculator.

(The cabinet will be the standard 24" deep should it be one large raised panel or should I split it with a stile down the middle?)

Either is fine. Make sure the material is dry when you start. 24" is generally the max that a door company (for those people who outsource doors) will guarantee.

Should I build the end as a unit or should I use rails and stiles and set the raised panel over the top like the doors will overlay the face frame rails and stiles?

Applied panels (the end is plywood and the end panel is attached somehow) is generally easiest and normally my choice. You have to do something for a toe kick on the end and I think this makes it easier as well. You need to remember to build the face frame a bit wider to cover the panel. There is nothing wrong with making the panel structural and using a wider bottom rail, maybe with an arc to make up the height difference.

I know there are probably as many opinions as there are members on the board but thought I would ask for input anyway.

That is the truth. I often browse a couple other forums that have a lot of pro cabinet makers and the methods are diverse to say the least.

Thanks

George

I will type answers in red to get over the message to short error. :D

Joe

[Thomas Bennett]

As stated above ,everybody does theirs differently. Here's my way. I use a thicker top and bottom rail. I run the side panel all the way to the floor. I use a similar variation on the wall cabinets. I miter this construction, which is just another cabinet door, with the face frame to remove the butt-joint look. I hope you can see it in the photo. I hate to reduce the size of the photos as they loose a lot of detail.

[Steve Griffin]

Cabinet ends are just as important as the fronts.

For inset style, one way I like to do them is frame and panel with a one piece corner. Can be made with a miter joint, or a solid post. (see pic).

For overlay, I usually line up the side panel edge with the cabinet faces.
I dislike seeing the edges of doors/drawers.

As far as sizes of stiles and rails, there is NO rule. Sketch out what looks pleasing to you. I've done it just about any which way at one time or another.

Good luck, Steve

[Karl Brogger]

I do panelled ends on virtually any end that is out in the open. I preffer makeing it all line up. I like the inside edge of the rails on the doors to line up with the inside edge of the corresponding panel. In cases where they don't line up, its because of drawers usually. I generally run a smaller rail on panelled drawer fronts, but I'm not going to change the size of anything to accomodate it if there is a precident set for the rest of the kitchen. I do the same whether it is inset or overlay. I cheat with the inset though and don't figure the margins for the doors. Who's going to notice a 3/32" difference?:D

[Larry Edgerton]

I make all of my cabinets using Phi as a basis for proportion, and I usually use the next larger number over the top rail size for the top, and the next larger number for the bottom rail.

I will sometimes start with this width and cut an arch that goes to the width of the front rail so that it is diferent yet the same.

I, like Steve like to have corners that look like posts, so I lock miter the front and side styles that meet on the corner, out of one board of course if it is a clear finish.

See, one more useless opinion.....:)