Mirror panel doors

[Frank Dominski]

I'm building a couple of medicine cabinets and was wondering the best way to cut the doors to install mirror panels. Do I cut them the same as raised panels then remove the rear material with a router. And will using silicone to hold the mirror in place be enough.:confused:

[Dell Littlefield]

I have been told not to use silicone on the back of a mirror. It will cause the silvering to come off.

[Frank Drew]

Frank,

I would rabbet the front frame pieces and install the mirror from the back (with a plywood backer, smoothest side out), held in with some simple moulding. Since glass breaks from time to time, you want to be able to remove and replace it without tearing the doors apart.

As for cutting the rabbets, yeah, you could first groove the rails and stiles then remove the back groove cheeks with a straight router bit; or do the rabbeting with a router bit without first cutting a groove. Whatever.

[David DeCristoforo]

Ditto what Frank said. Groove your door frame parts as usual. But before you assemble the door, remove the excess material from the rails with a table saw cut (you are making a rabbet but since there is a groove, you only need to make one saw cut to remove the "waste"). Then assemble the door and use a router and rabbeting bit to do the stiles.

[Lee Schierer]

I assembled the door frames an cut a rabbet in the back after they were assembled using a router and rabbeting bit. I squared the corners with a chisel and mounted the glass with plastic tab type clips I purchased form the glass supply house. The mirrors are 1/4" thick so they are pretty durable.
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