how to convert a raised panel door to glass

[Carlos Mironowski]

Hi everyone I need your help again, I have a customer that wants a couple of their kitchen cabinet doors to have glass instead of the raised panels inserts, is there a clean way to cutout the raised panel without messing up the stiles and rails of the door ?
Thanks

[Jamie Buxton]

I'd use a plunge router guided with an edge guide from the outside edges of the door. The bit cuts away the back of the dado that is presently holding the wood panel. Depending on how you plan to hold the glass into the door, it can also cut a rabbet. The original dado for the panel becomes the rabbet that holds the glass, and the wider router-cut rabbet holds L-shaped glass stop molding, screwed into the rails and stiles.

[Louie Ballis]

Using a table saw I simply cut off the 1/4 inch lip at the bottom (inside demension) of the rail and the stile.

I then take the door to a local glass shop who cuts and fits the glass, securing it with silicon.

Hope this helps

Louie

[Jamie Buxton]

Here's a link to the approach I was mentioning above. There are about three zillion ways to hold glass into doors, but I like this one because it can look as good with door open as with it closed.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=1450441&postcount=3

[Carlos Mironowski]

Thanks for the quick replies and the link, I like both options I think I will try with the plunge router.

Thanks again, I love this place, I always learn something new.

[Matt Meiser]

I did it in our kitchen. I just used a jig saw to cut out the panel just inside the rails/stiles, then picked the rest out of the groove. Once it was cleaned out, I used a rabbeting bit and chisel to turn the grove into a rabbet and installed glass with silicone.