Raised panel question.

[Rick Potter]

I am nearing the finish line on my never ending remodel. Right now I have 18 door frames made up for kitchen cabs. Rails and stiles ready to go, and I am starting the raised panels now.

The question I have is....how wide can I make a panel out of a single board without making it out of several pieces? Using 3/4" red oak, and the panels (not the doors) in question are 11 1/2 and 12 5/8" in width. I have enough wide, flat, and seasoned boards to do those sizes in one piece. The wider ones will be pieced. Biggest one piece candidate is 16H x 12 5/8 wide. I am in SoCal.

Advice??

As an aside, I have used the drum sander to take very slight warp out of the panels by sanding both sides equally, and the lumber has been in my shop for over a year.

Thanks,


EDIT CLARIFICATION: My main concern is whether the single piece panel would be more prone to splitting or warping, not how to do it.

[Jerry Miner]

If you can do these with a single board, I would do that.

With flat-sawn oak, you will have a pretty dramatic "flame pattern" -- sometimes called "cathedral" pattern. I like to center that pattern in the door, and--if necessary-- add some rift stock to the edges to widen the panel without distracting from the central "flame."

To me, taking the time to achieve an attractive, centered pattern is a big part of what sets "custom work" apart from "production work."

[Wayne Lomman]

Go as wide as you want. Raised panel construction is designed that way to control all types of movement. As Jerry said, you will get good appearance. Cheers

[John Ciambriello]

Your getting good advice.
I'd just add:
Respect the seasonal movement of the panels and provide enough clearance in your frame, especially the stile components,
Finish the panels prior to assembly, if not as the panel shrinks you may see unfinished wood.
Use raised panel spacers to help keep the panels centered in the frame and more importantly prevent rattling as the panels shrink.

[Ron Kurzius]

One word of advice, apply finish to the panels before assembling them.

[Keith Hankins]

I'm in the camp of "it depends on the boards" If the cabinets are to be colored and finished or natural, the grain pattern means more to me. I've had wide enough boards to do panels in the past but did not because matching grain patterns gives a much better look than a single board. I've ripped the centers out of boards on angles to get the best look for doors. If its all QS and strait grain then maybe not. One piece or several allowances for movement will be the same.

I've also made panels with three pieces that when grain matched and finished look like single board panels.

I guess it depends on what you have from a material standpoint and your end goal.

Here is an example of a panel and a few more that had 2 boards and 3 boards I spoke of above. I think I spend more time on material selection than anything when doing Raised panels and use a good bit more material to get that best look but thats just me. Probably no one else even notices. :) Cheers

https://flic.kr/p/fxFdrc

[Rick Potter]

Thanks guys,

I plan to make them as stated above, my concern, which I should have clarified, is about the single panel splitting or warping.

I will clarify the original post.

[Ole Anderson]

As long as the boards are fully acclimated to your final location, and are good and flat after final milling (and sanding) you should be good to go. I have some fairly wide one piece raised panels in hickory that are still fine after three years.

[Frank Drew]

Jerry's post above summed up how I feel about it: A single, attractive panel board and straight grain frame material is usually the choice I'd make, and it's one of the reasons why buying wide stock whenever you see it makes a lot of sense.

[Jim Dwight]

I did an entire kitchen in raised panel oak doors and used wide boards whenever possible. I finished the panels and the inside edges of the frame before glueup (leaving glue off the areas where glue would be applied. I had zero issues with the doors including the panels. I did not use spacers. I found that the slight warp in the panel or frame would keep it from rattling. I went with a fairly snug fit of the panel in the frame. If you have a rattle, a little finish to stick the panel could cure it as would a 23 gauge pin from the back. I don't believe in space balls, in other words. They effectively reduce the space for panel movement since they compress but not to zero thickness. I did occasionally use a wood shim in the groove to position a panel vertically. The panel will not move much vertically so I didn't worry about space so much in the vertical direction.

[Rick Potter]

Wide it is.

Thanks folks.