Cabinet door advice

[jim mills]

Ready to start some flat panel QSWO kitchen doors, but the only plywood I could find for the panels is 1/4". It is beautiful stuff, so I reluctantly bought it. First off, being 1/4", my doors are going to have a "cheap" look and feel to them. Also, the panels actually measure about .228 thick, so thicker than 5.5mm, and thinner than 1/4" so an adjustable or custom groover is required. Not really crazy about planing solid wood panels down to 1/2", and doubling up the 1/4" ply would be a ton of work as well. I've reached paralysis by analysis......:confused:

[Cary Falk]

I prefer as thick of a panel as I can get so I use a back cutter. I would make a 1/2" panel back cut so it is flush with the back of the door and looks like a 1/4" panel from the front. I don't like the look of plywood panel doors but the quarter saw might look ok. Dealing with the plywood would be a pain

[Neil Gaskin]

For me it would depend on the quality expectation of the project. For typical kitchen cabinetry I do not see an issue with a 1/4" panel for a door, for a high end custom cabinet or piece of furniture I would make solid panels and rebate out the perimeter on one side to achieve the set back.

The .288 measurement is a bigger issue, for a short run of doors you could mill the groove on a table saw with a dado blade. I wouldn't want to do that for more than a few doors though.

Where are you located, you may be able to find another supplier of hardwood plywood.

[jim mills]

Agreed, solid wood is the way to go, but my rough stock is 1 1/8" thick, and I hate the thought of planing it down to 1/2". I've always had good luck using 1/2" A1 ply for door panels. This QSWO ply is really nice. Flat sawn with the individual veneers being over 12" and barely visible. OK, the plywood is going back....thanks!

[Mark Bolton]

I dont see the issue of backing up the 1/4" ply with another skin on the back. You could use 1/4" plain sliced on the back side and still have an oak interior. Its a bit more work but I would rather have a weightier panel if your going to the extent of QSWO. Doing so would allow you to back cut the ply panel (rabbet) so you dont see much of the edge from the interior and you can use whatever groover you have for the rails and stiles.

[Mel Fulks]

I don't see anything wrong with plywood unless it's rotary cut. Nothing cheap about good plywood. Sometimes on real fine antiques you see a small door of shop made "plywood ". He did that to make a thin non clunky stable veneered curved door. How about an 18th century tea table with cluster legs and a pierced gallery made of 18th century shop made "plywood"? Look up the price of those!! I don't think their plywood made those guys geniuses. Your plywood will not make your work inferior.

[jim mills]

I dont see the issue of backing up the 1/4" ply with another skin on the back. You could use 1/4" plain sliced on the back side and still have an oak interior. Its a bit more work but I would rather have a weightier panel if your going to the extent of QSWO. Doing so would allow you to back cut the ply panel (rabbet) so you dont see much of the edge from the interior and you can use whatever groover you have for the rails and stiles.

Mark, I like the idea, but I dont have the vacuum equipment to laminate the panels.

Mel, I completely agree, but this plywood is only ~1/4".

[Mel Fulks]

You could glue a piece of cloth on the back and paint it. It's a nice look painted or stained. Better looking the back of most plywood. Stack up the pieces and put plastic bags between them to keep them from sticking together.

[John TenEyck]

I've used oak veneered 1/2" MDF panels several times for kitchen cabinet doors. I cut a rabbet on the back so the tongue matched the grooves in the rails and stiles. I also glued it into the frames which makes the door incredibly strong. IMO, MDF is a better veneer substrate for non-structural applications than plywood, and it's flatter and very stable.

John

[Lee Schierer]

Agreed, solid wood is the way to go, but my rough stock is 1 1/8" thick, and I hate the thought of planing it down to 1/2".

If you resaw very carefully you should be able to get 3/8" thick panels which would be superior to the undersize plywood.

[scott vroom]

I mill door panels 1/8" proud of the frame in the rear...it gives the door a beefier feeling. My 3/4" shaker doors have a 5/8" panel with a 1/4" reveal on the front. I don't see why milling the panel down to 1/2" is necessary.

I never use plywood panels...just a personal preference.

[jim mills]

I've used oak veneered 1/2" MDF panels several times for kitchen cabinet doors. I cut a rabbet on the back so the tongue matched the grooves in the rails and stiles. I also glued it into the frames which makes the door incredibly strong. IMO, MDF is a better veneer substrate for non-structural applications than plywood, and it's flatter and very stable.

John

My standard technique, but I could only find the QSWO in 1/4" panels.

Mel, these panels are A1. The backs are nearly as nice as the fronts. Painted is an interesting idea though.

[Mark Bolton]

Mark, I like the idea, but I dont have the vacuum equipment to laminate the panels.

There is no need for a vacuum press for backing up two ply panels. Its not a production situation but breaking down the panel parts and clamping them in a stack with cauls is perfectly fine for cab panels. If your looking for a furniture grade panel your answer is clear, go with the solids, if your looking for a very nice quality cabinet door panel and to use the ply you currently have, glue, clamps and cauls, will work. Fast? No, fun? no, but it sounds like its either than or go with the 1/4" panels.

[marty fretheim]

I think your using the same QSWO plywood I get. Is it MDF core? Mine is about $80 for a 4x8 sheet. Expensive but faster and cheaper than resawing boards. Here is a bed I'm just finishing up. The frame is 20mm and the ply is just less than 6mm. Personally I like the deep reveal. I used to resaw to about 3/8" for my panels but QSWO can cup and bow when resawn that thin, and gets expensive when you plane down 5/4 just for panels. If I wanted thicker panels I'd double them up. For cabinets I might consider Baltic birch on the inside panel. You can't argue with the quality of the QSWO ply.

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Marty

[Jim Dwight]

Did you try the fit in a 1/4 dado? The clearance would be less than 1/32. Seems like it would not be sloppy loose. Might be decent.

You'll have to decide if the flat relatively thin panel is OK. I think it would be to me. Our KitchenMade cabinets have 3 inch wide rails and stiles (and a panel of solid wood with the raised portion turned to the inside). My wife really liked the relatively wide frame and it seems like it is a way to make your doors more substantial (despite the thinner panels). You will not be able to tell the panel material until you open the door - and then you likely will be looking inside the cabinet. If you look at the door you see the nice wood.

It's a lot easier working with plywood as you know. I used panels with mdf inside on a kitchen island and it worked fine too. I liked the veneer better on the mdf than on the plywood my supplier had. Wouldn't make a lot of difference to me the substrate. I like plywood better but mdf is probably less likely to cause a problem.

[Justin Ludwig]

Here's QSWO. The doors and drawers are fitted with 1/4 QSWO veneer core ply. They are less than .25 in thickness. You want that so you don't have a shim a groover. The panels slide in easily.

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[Mark Bolton]

Here's QSWO. The doors and drawers are fitted with 1/4 QSWO veneer core ply. They are less than .25 in thickness. You want that so you don't have a shim a groover. The panels slide in easily.



Super nice work Justin. Absolutely awesome.

[Justin Ludwig]

Super nice work Justin. Absolutely awesome.

Thanks, Mark. That was a challenging job. I had never made posts like that before. Here's a pic of a mistake post during my trial and error phase.

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It was one of those moments when you say to yourself, "You dumbass."