1/8" Glass in 1/4" Groove - Kitchen Cabinet Doors

[Josh Baldwin]

Hey guys so I've been building out our new kitchen (thanks to all the help from you guys it's going pretty well). All of the doors are shaker style 3/4" with 1/4" tongue/groove using the Freud adjustable router bit set. 2 of them will have large glass doors (about 10" Wide x 60" Tall). It seems like 1/8" glass is the way to go to save weight and money, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

My question is what should I line the groove with in order to make the 1/8" glass snug? I'm not sure what the best option is. I've seen some people saying to use the screen tight spline, but have never used it before myself. I've also seen other people use clips that screw into the back of the doors and press into the glass to keep it stable, but I'm not really a fan of this option. I don't want it to be visible at all.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

[Richard Coers]

I've never fit glass into a groove, always put it in a rabbet with a quarter round. Put it in a groove and it cracks or breaks and you have no way to install new glass. Speaking of breaking, I would not use traditional glass in a door that is 60" tall. Someone trips and falls into it, and you'll have a major injury. Use tempered or laminated.

[Thomas McCurnin]

+1 to Richard's opinion. Always a rabbet, never a groove or dado. I use 1/4 x 1/4" lengths of wood (same species and finish) and pin nail these as stops to hold the glass in place.

[Jared Sankovich]

You need a rebate/rabbit and a glazing bead/applies stop

455884

[Wayne Cannon]

I agree with the sentiments re groove vs rabbet (having had to replace glass in a groove); however Sommerfeld Tools sells a glass retainer strip that will do the trick (https://www.sommerfeldtools.com/Rubber-Glass-Retainer-25-roll/productinfo/GLASS/).

In my case, I removed the broken glass and trimmed the groove into a rabbet to add replacement glass.

[Jim Becker]

I've never fit glass into a groove, always put it in a rabbet with a quarter round. Put it in a groove and it cracks or breaks and you have no way to install new glass. Speaking of breaking, I would not use traditional glass in a door that is 60" tall. Someone trips and falls into it, and you'll have a major injury. Use tempered or laminated.

^^ This. Both for good fit and because it permits removal/replacement of the glass in the future as noted. The filler strips that hold the glass in should not be glued...just use pin-nails and with careful fitting, things will stay tight over time.

[Josh Baldwin]

Thanks for all the input everyone! I'll definitely go with the rabbet and wood strips with pin nails. Really appreciate the advice as always and I'll be posting all of the photos once it's all wrapped up.

[Ole Anderson]

Using a rabbet as suggested, lay the frame flat and run a very small bead of CLEAR silicone around the rabbet and set the glass in it until it cures. Done. Guaranteed not to rattle or fall out.

[Roger Feeley]

My wife didn’t like the dated raised panel doors in our laundry room. I removed the panels and used a flush trim bit to convert the dado to a rabbit. I put in the bead board that she wanted and we painted them. I fastened the bead board with cleats in case she wanted something else down the road.

my point is that, even if the doors are built, you can convert to a rabbit easily.

[Ed Gibbons]

I used plexiglass. Cost was about the same. You would not know it was plastic if I didn’t tell you.

[Ed Gibbons]

Here is a picture of a hutch where I used plexiglass.


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[Bill Dufour]

I assume plexglass is very high priced right now.
Bill D

[Ed Gibbons]

I assume plexglass is very high priced right now.
Bill D

It was more than I expected.

[Meryl Logue]

Using a rabbet as suggested, lay the frame flat and run a very small bead of CLEAR silicone around the rabbet and set the glass in it until it cures. Done. Guaranteed not to rattle or fall out.

How do you remove the glass in future? My understanding is that you cannot break that bond at all. I have this issue looming.

[Gustav Gabor]

The way I do it is to set the glass in the rabbet first, then go around the perimeter of the glass and the rabbet with a small bead of clear or translucent silicone.
This holds the glass in place exceptionally well, however it's not as aesthetically pleasing from the back side of the door as fitting wood 1/4 round strips.
With this method, the dried silicone can be cut out quite easily in case the glass ever cracks or breaks.

Perhaps Ole was thinking of this same method, and just phrased it differently.
If the glass is indeed set into the silicone, then glass removal or replacement will be rather difficult.

[Ole Anderson]

How do you remove the glass in future? My understanding is that you cannot break that bond at all. I have this issue looming.First, I have no intention of ever replacing the glass. But if I did, I would just use a razor knife to peel the joint apart in much the same manner a glass shop will remove a windshield for replacement.

[Meryl Logue]

First, I have no intention of ever replacing the glass. But if I did, I would just use a razor knife to peel the joint apart in much the same manner a glass shop will remove a windshield for replacement.

I’ll be removing it to strip the woodwork. It’s quite a mess. The glass is a very expensive (to me) set of six good-sized panes.