Cabinet Door Construction Question

[Ken Ketcham]

I'm a hobbyist woodworker who built all the cabinets for my house sans doors. I'm about to branch into making those cabinet doors. There have been excellent posts here that have helped me choose my equipment. My Felder shaper arrived yesterday, and my Garniga tooling arrived last week.


I'm hoping those of you with experience can help me with what is probably a novice question. The question is this: The Garniga tooling for the rail and stiles grooves a 5mm channel for the panel, but the panel raiser just profiles one side of the panel. How does one make sure the panel fits into the 5mm channel with precision? My experience has been that the more precision I use in woodworking makes for a much finer result. I can see several methods: 1) assemble the panel and plane to the exact thickness so after the panel raising, the edge thickness is slightly less than 5mm; 2) use a back cutter with the panel raiser with the proper shims; 3) purchase another panel raiser and, with the proper shims, profile both sides of the panel. The Garniga tooling is the 05 108 panel raiser and the 11 109 kitchen cabinet door set profile.


Am I missing an easy way to accomplish this? Thanks in advance for all your help.

[dave toney]

I would use a back cutter.

Dave

[Wally Alexander]

When I made my first cabinet, I used a back cutter, seperate operation. The cabinets I am currently working on I decided to to start with a 5/8th thick panel and mill the front profile until it left a 1/4 in lip. You do have to offset the groove in the rails and styles if you want the main field of the front of the panel flush with the door frame. This leaves about 1/8 in between the inside face of the panel and the door frame. Wally

[Joe Chritz]

You definately are starting with some fine equipment.

You can size the panels either way with equal results. I prefer a backcutter and one operation when using a power feed but separate operations when hand feeding. That is really a matter of safety (cutter above the wood) than anything else.

A thicker panel makes a more substantial feel to the door (although nothing in actual strength) so I tend to use full thickness panels and back cut them to be flush front and back. This also makes it easier for drum sanding after assembly.

Joe

[David Kumm]

In some applications leaving the panel proud of the sides looks pretty cool. Much of the old historic stuff was that way. This won't help you but I (being a hobby guy) have preferred entry door cutters that have a little larger profile like the Freeborn series with the extra tongue and groove cutters. The rails and stiles are 7/8 to 1 1/16 depending on my mood and the panels are a full 3/4+ with no back cutter. The feel of the thicker stuff spoils you. I realize not practical when trying to make money but as a hobbyist I always avoid the standard. Dave

[Chip Lindley]

Ken, here are diagrams of Freeborn RP cutters using their two backcutter profiles that allow using 3/4" thick panel stock to fit flush inside a 3/4" frame.

189830

Note that the backcutter body is recessed to allow inclusion of a ball bearing rub collar for arched panel work. For square panels a steel spacer is used. Either can be shimmed to cut an exact thickness tongue to fit the rail/stile groove.

Depending on whether your Garniga RP cutter is intended for 3/4" or 5/8" stock, your current choices are to leave the panel field proud of the outside door surface, OR to prepare panel stock to 5/8" thickness so frame and raised panel are in the same plane. Either way, your panel stock must be of very consistent thickness to cut a tongue to fit the 5mm groove.

[J.R. Rutter]

Run the cutter above the panel (so the panel gets fed face up). Set height to get the fit that you want. Thickness of panel is not critical.

[glenn bradley]

As J.R. states; once your profile is cut you can raise/lower the cutter. The outside face profile will move "away" from it's previous position and not re-touch the door. The back cutter will raise/lower into the material making your tongue thinner.