First raised Panel Doors - Kitchen Pantry

[Roger McGhee]

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking a while, trying to absorb as much as possible.

I'm getting everything together to build a kitchen pantry for the DW that will closely match the existing cabinets in the kitchen.

My raised panels doors will be made from 3/4" red oak, and the door panels will be 11-1/2" wide (allowing for expansion into the stiles).

So, I purchased the oak locally at a great lumber yard that also offers quarter sawn lumber but wasn't up to speed and got the flat sawn boards.

I'm worried about cupping on the wide door panels, and I'm pretty sure I can't go back and get 12" wide quarter sawn specimens (I'd be happy to if they were available)

I'm considering ripping the boards I have now (12" wide) into 4" strips and alternating the grain on glue up, although this seems to be a point of contention amongst the various articles and posts I've been reading.

The 12" wide boards I have now clearly have the "heart" of the trunk in the center, so I can see where cupping might be a problem.

My Sketchup drawing is located on my Google drive, HERE (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxmiwOM6llNjR2Z3XzFjQ3FFNms).

I've attached some photos of the existing cabinetry and would appreciate any thoughts you folks might have.

Roger336650336651

[Robert Engel]

11 1/2" is not that wide. You shouldn't have a problem if the panels are flat when you install them.

[lowell holmes]

I would be concerned that the stiles were straight (vertically) . If a board is bowed, you will have issues. Sometimes you may have to rip the board in the middle and glue them back together with the bows opposite each other. Properly done, it shouldn't be a distraction. I'm talking about the pantry door. The upper doors should be no problem.

[Pat Barry]

Don't end up with something like photo 2. That is horrible. I'd much rather see you rip, joint, plane and reassemble if they are now cupping. That will remove the cupping and leave the grain pattern intact.

[Roger McGhee]

11 1/2" is not that wide. You shouldn't have a problem if the panels are flat when you install them.

That was my initial thought as well. Had a few folks tell me to cut up the panels into strips (3-4") and glue back together, alternating the grains, to avoid or reduce cupping.
The boards are pretty flat now (VERY flat) and completely dry (excepting any moisture from low humidity conditions)


I would be concerned that the stiles were straight (vertically) . If a board is bowed, you will have issues. Sometimes you may have to rip the board in the middle and glue them back together with the bows opposite each other. Properly done, it shouldn't be a distraction. I'm talking about the pantry door. The upper doors should be no problem.


Good tip on the stiles, thank you. I'll watch for that. No upper doors in this pantry I am building.



Don't end up with something like photo 2. That is horrible. I'd much rather see you rip, joint, plane and reassemble if they are now cupping. That will remove the cupping and leave the grain pattern intact.

Photo #2 is ugly, agreed. I inherited these cabinets with the house and hope to do a better job with my addition.


Hoping all readers understand I have not built anything yet, the photos of the cabinets are of the existing cabs I am trying to match.

I can imagine most people (myself included) would be nervous about downloading a file from Google drive, so I've added a few screen captures below of what I am trying to build for any comments or suggestions.

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