Cathredral style cabinet door question...

[Terry Hatfield]

I have a very good friend that is wanting to reface his kitchen cabinets. He has asked me to help him make some new doors and drawer fronts. I have made plenty of square raised panel doors, but have never done the cathedral tops.

Do you have to have templates to do this? I normally do my raised panels with a vertical bit, but have ordered a horizontal bit for this project.

Is ther a tutorial some where on doing this that I could refer to???

TIA,

Terry

[Todd Burch]

Terry, I have not done cathedral, but this last project allowed me to do my first arched panels. I did them on the router table, and was able to figure out how to not have any snipe on the inside edges of the rails where they meet the stiles.

First, I determined my arch. I asked questions here to get the formula. I had a 1 3/8" arc over 20". I used my graphics program (Corel Draw 10) to drag my arch until I liked the look of it, then took dimensions from the drawing. You'll have to determine your pattern too. Since mine was a perfect arc, I knew I could swing a router on a long radius. However, for cathedral, you'll have to make a template first. I would suggest making 1/2 a template, then flipping it over to make a symmetrical pattern, or flipping directly on the door parts themselves. (Personally, I would make a full size pattern for shaping or a router bit with a pattern bit.)

I use a 2 router bit set to cut my rails and stiles. I cut (cope) the ends of the rails first, then run all my inside edges through on the rails and stiles, using a fence on the router table set flush with the ball bearing on the router bit. No snipe ever. However, when freehand cutting the top rail without the fence, I knew that the cutter would want to dive into the wood on the very ends where they had been coped and there was no longer any bearing surface. What I did was cut (cope) a couple extra scraps of wood when I ran all the long sides of the rails & stiles through. I cut these 2 extra pieces the approx. same width of my top rail and basically inserted them into the rail ends, just like mini-stiles, and clamped them with a bessey clamp. I then ran the whole thing through on the router table freehand, just using the bearing on the bit for support. There was zero snipe.

Your panel will be layed out with the same temple you use to cut the top rail. If you use something like 1/2" baltic birch for your template, you can simply clamp, carpet tape or brad nail (I brad nailed into the edges of the panel - holes were covered by the stiles when the doors were assembled) or even tack glue the two together. When calculating panel height, just leave enough room (~ 1/8") so that the panel will not be jammed in lengthwise.

Let's see pictures!!

Todd.

[Bill Sampson]

Terry, Marc Sommerfeld has a video on arched panels using CMT cutters, and templates. As a person who learns more from visual, this tape was very helpful to me. Bill Sampson

[Bob Reilly]

I have a very good friend that is wanting to reface his kitchen cabinets. He has asked me to help him make some new doors and drawer fronts. I have made plenty of square raised panel doors, but have never done the cathedral tops.

Do you have to have templates to do this? I normally do my raised panels with a vertical bit, but have ordered a horizontal bit for this project.

Is ther a tutorial some where on doing this that I could refer to???

TIA,

Terry

Terry,there easy to do once you have the templates,patterns are available at MLCS and cost $15.00 including shipping,thats what i used for the doors i made for our kitchen.
I think there is a tutorial at www.sommerfeldwoodwork.com

[Bob Reilly]

I have a very good friend that is wanting to reface his kitchen cabinets. He has asked me to help him make some new doors and drawer fronts. I have made plenty of square raised panel doors, but have never done the cathedral tops.

Do you have to have templates to do this? I normally do my raised panels with a vertical bit, but have ordered a horizontal bit for this project.

Is ther a tutorial some where on doing this that I could refer to???

TIA,

Terry

Sorry about the bum address in the first post,it's www.sommerfeldtools.com

[Bob Reilly]

Sorry about the bum address in the first post,it's www.sommerfeldtools.com


Here's a pic of those doors Terry,but with an arch

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

Nice Work Bob, But...........................I SEE TOYS! :D I wanna see the TOYS TOO! ;)

[Bob Reilly]

Nice Work Bob, But...........................I SEE TOYS! :D I wanna see the TOYS TOO! ;)


Well Kevin i just happen to have a couple of pic's of toys

[Terry Hatfield]

Thanks everyone,

Great information. I knew I could count on you guy's. I think I have got it now. I'll be sure to post the pics when we are done.

Terry

[Steve Clardy]

Terry, theres about five different sets of patterns for arched top doors out in the markets. They all usually run about $70-90.00 per set. But Jesada has the papers patterns, [4 different arches] that you can cut out and make your own patterns out of 1/2" ply. These paper patterns run $20.00 if I remember correctly. Thats what I did on my first set of doors, made my own. But due to the time involved in making them,[there are 20 templates each in each standard set] I have bought two of the other patterns already made up. Steve

[Terry Hatfield]

Steve,

Thanks for the tip, but I already order a template set from Somerfield. There is a time deal on this project...not enough of it!!! :D

Needed to just buy the templates to get this done ASAP. My buddy already tore his wife's kitchen all to he77. She ain't real happy.

Terry

[Steve Clardy]

But put you some handles on those templates for the upper rail. It will help prevent the piece from flying out of your hands, [not good].
Just drill a hole and countersink. I used drywall screws and a 5 1/2" piece of closet rod material. Be safe, takes a little learning routing those upper rails. Steve

[Terry Hatfield]

But put you some handles on those templates for the upper rail. It will help prevent the piece from flying out of your hands, [not good].
Just drill a hole and countersink. I used drywall screws and a 5 1/2" piece of closet rod material. Be safe, takes a little learning routing those upper rails. Steve

Steve,

Great tip!!! Thanks. I'll do the same to my templates. That sounds much safer.

Terry