Need help on how to achieve a cabinet door detail.

[Stuart Welsh]

Hello,

I'm having trouble coming up with how I most efficiently achieve a door detail for some cabinets I'm building. The cabinets are designed to look as if they are a repurposed antique of Spanish Colonial design circa 1800's. The cabinet pictured below is my inspiration. Because this cabinet can only be seen in a picture and the fact that is is painted prevents me from determining how the detail might have been created. Was it carved just as it appears or was a shallow dado first done and then a round over trim applied? Unless someone out there is an expert in Spanish Colonial furniture from this period I'll likely never know. I plan on a stain finish and I don't want to go the route of placing a trim piece into a dado as the grain direction will be different than that of the panel and give away that it was not carved.

Note: Because the edges of the detail are 90 degrees this can not be done with a router.

If anyone can suggest how to do this I'd appreciate it. Thanks for looking.

Inspiration Diamond Door.
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SketchUp of profile
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[Jamie Buxton]

I'd cut the grooves into the panel by hand. My guess is that was how the original was made. And cutting the grooves won't be difficult. All you need is a shoulder plane and a straightedge. Lay the straightedge on the panel to establish where the groove is, angle the shoulder plane, and cut away. If you're not convinced you can hold the plane at a constant angle, you can make a little leg for the uphill side of the plane to hold it up in the air. But maybe you don't even need this; the original is supposed to be handmade, so little inconsistencies of angle are exactly what you want.

[John A langley]

I would cut the panel with the router and apply the molding to

[Cary Falk]

Two thoughts:

A sled on the table saw to get the correct angle. Use one of those craftsman molding heads for the table saw with a custom ground knife. It will probably have a lot of tearout because of the cross grain.

Make your panel oversized. cut the diamond out of the center. Cut a strip off of the remaining corners the width of the groove and create the roundover. Match the grain back up and glue the diamond, roundover, and triangels back together. Use splines or biscuits to glue the joint back together. I would start with a board slightly thicker so you can send it down flat after the glueup.

[Mike Schuch]

My first thought was also a Craftsman molding head cutter. I think a radial arm saw would be a quicker setup but a table saw would work. Feed on the slow side and make 2 passes for a cleaner cut.

[Wayne Lomman]

I agree with Jamie - do it by hand. I would hand grind a standard plane blade to the profile you want, clamp on a straight edge and get into it. Cheers

[Lee Schierer]

I would cut dadoes in the door panel. Then edge strips of wood using a Convex Edge bit (https://www.routerbitworld.com/Freud-99-019-Convex-Edge-Bull-Nose-Router-Bit-p/freud%2099-019.htm). Once you have the strips made as show in the illustration below, trim off the radius portion to fit the width of your dado.
357625
Glue the radiused strips into the bottom of the dado.

[larry senen]

i would cut dadoes in the door panel. Then edge strips of wood using a <a href="https://www.routerbitworld.com/freud-99-019-convex-edge-bull-nose-router-bit-p/freud%2099-019.htm" target="_blank">convex edge bit</a>. Once you have the strips made as show in the illustration below, trim off the radius portion to fit the width of your dado.<br>
<img class="previewthumb" id="vbattach_357625" alt="" src="http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=357625&amp;stc=1" attachmentid="357625"><br>
glue the radiused strips into the bottom of the dado.<br>
<br>

DING.DING.DING

[Mason Truelove]

I agree with Jamie, there might a little difference but almost good as the original one.


I'd cut the grooves into the panel by hand. My guess is that was how the original was made. And cutting the grooves won't be difficult. All you need is a shoulder plane and a straightedge. Lay the straightedge on the panel to establish where the groove is, angle the shoulder plane, and cut away. If you're not convinced you can hold the plane at a constant angle, you can make a little leg for the uphill side of the plane to hold it up in the air. But maybe you don't even need this; the original is supposed to be handmade, so little inconsistencies of angle are exactly what you want.