Raised Panel Material?

[danny norrod]

A newbie question? For raised panel doors which will NOT be painted, what is the material of choice? I would like to use plywood, but my thinking is that cutting the profile for the raised panels will cut thru the thin veneer of the plywood. Will they have to be made from solid wood?
Thanks

[David Duke]

You should use solid wood, plywood wouldn't work well at all. The veneer layers will be exposed and probably tear out when cutting the profile. As far as species what are your rail/stiles made of?

[David Duke]

Forgot to say Welcome to the CREEK!!

[tod evans]

if you are not painting solid wood is the only option for all 5 componants of a raised panel door. oh-yeah, welcome

[danny norrod]

thanks for the welcome!! i'm planning to some sassafras lumber i have for the rails & stiles.

[Russ Filtz]

If you want an infomal/"modern"/industrial look, you could always try Baltic Birch ply!

[danny norrod]

Using plywood for the panels means that they must be flat . Correct?

[Rob Russell]

IMO, even top grade baltic birch plywood is going to look funny as an unpainted raised panel.

As has already been noted, it's the norm to use the same species of wood for the rails, stiles and panel in typical raised panel doors. Sassafras is more stable than many hardwoods like oak, so your panels won't shrink and expand as much (source - US Forestry Service wood drying reference documents).

Even if you wanted to do a painted raised panel door, plywood wouldn't be my choice for the door panels - I'd use MDF. It machines to a much smoother surface and you don't have to worry about the whole issue of making the plywood layers disappear.

[Steve Clardy]

I use solid wood.
But you could line your ply with solid wood, then cut the profile.
But it would be tough getting everything to match up color wise.

[Jim Becker]

Welcome, Danny. Most folks will use solid wood for raised panels that will not be painted. Only if they wanted some kind of special effect would they use other materials. (And plywood would kill your panel cutters really quick, too...the resins in the glue are murder on edges) Ply is great for flat panels, however.

[danny norrod]

Thanks guys for the great information. This has to be the best site I've found for learning from knowledgeable and friendly folks!!!