glass end panel in upper cabinet?

[joe milana]

Is it possible to do an upper kitchen cabinet with a frame and glass panel end? I swear have seen uppers with a door on the end. I would think this design would be weak and prone to "racking" and possible even breaking. Sure, I suppose I could screw it up into the ceiling behind the upper rail, but I would hate to rely on this holding the cabinet together. Any Ideas, examples, thoughts?

[Rod Sheridan]

Joe, if the front top of the cabinet is supported by screwing it to the ceiling joists, the stile would be in tension and therefore far stronger than required.

In addition there wouldn't be any racking forces as the cabinet would be suported at both the front and rear.

Regards, Rod.

[Chip Lindley]

+1 what Rod Said! GO FOR IT!

If any doubt lingers, route a groove in the inside front stile of the glass frame and run a 1/4" threaded rod from top to bottom, with nuts/washers hidden in a recess in the ends. Then, screw the front of the cabinet to ceiling joist.

[Robert Boyer]

I put glass ends in my cabinets seven years ago....no problems. Standard construction...glass instead of plywood. Do it.......

[Jamie Buxton]

Is this a long string of uppers, so there's wood interior partitions? If so, those partitions provide a lot of anti-racking. And, of course, the wood frame enclosing the glass does provide some anti-racking too.

[joe milana]

OK, this is a 60" wide dish cabinet and will bear a heavy load. I like the threaded rod idea, I will think about that one.

[Joe Chritz]

Pieces have been built with frame and panel construction for eons. In a typical 5 piece frame and panel the panel has no structural effect at all. i.e. it is free floating completely. The fact that it is glass or wood makes no difference at all.

The weight load shouldn't make any difference unless it is some really strange design.

There are some "issues" with free standing pieces as opposed to wall mount cabinets but they aren't difficult to work around and are no different than what people have been doing for many many years.

Joe

[joe milana]

Joe[/QUOTE]There are some "issues" with free standing pieces as opposed to wall mount cabinets but they aren't difficult to work around and are no different than what people have been doing for many many years.



That's the point of my original question. It's the "issues" that I am concerned with. I'll build free standing pieces all day long, but when you hang one on a wall and load it with 75+ pieces of stoneware, well, that could create an "issue"....

[Joe Chritz]

Actually a piece that is attached securely to the wall will be stronger and less likely to ever have a problem. It isn't really possible to stress the joints in a direction that can cause a failure unless the piece is being moved or pivoted somehow.

All the weight of a cabinet carcass should be straight down the stiles on a typical frame and panel end piece. This is also one case where i would certainly use a 1/2" back and dado the back into the stiles. By hanging through the back almost all the force will be straight down, since the entire back is against the wall it has no room to try and pivot off.

Take that same weight in a free standing unit and have someone try to slide it across the floor by pushing a few feet up on the side and the forces are substantially different.

Joe