raised panel questions?

[Josh Goldsmith]

When building raised panel doors out of mdf why are you supposed to leave the raised panel part loose instead of glued in. That was what i was told to do. Also i read that the raised panel should be made out of 5/8 wood instead of 3/4. Why? Any tips would be appreciated:D

[frank shic]

josh, if it's mdf, you can GLUE the panel and dispense with the usual 1/16-1/8 expansion gap you would normally leave for solid wood panels. one of the veterans mentioned in a previous post that if you used 5/8" material for the center panel with 3/4" materal for the rails and stiles that you could dispense with the usual backcutting. MDF works GREAT for painted doors. you can even use it for the rails and stiles and thereby dispense with the jointing/planing steps, but you'll spend some time getting the TENACIOUS mdf dust off your vacuum filters!

[Jim Hager]

When I make panel doors using mdf I cut the panels to actual size and assemble them inside solid wood frames. I leave no space ( maybe just a fuzz). I don't glue them in but you can without any problems. The 5/8 panel is to prevent the back cut as has already been mentioned and also it might be that it is the geometry necessary to make the face of the panel to be flush with the face of the styles and rails.

[Josh Goldsmith]

Do i need to leave room for space balls? I am building them new cabinet doors for my brother-in-law who is selling his house. I have never understood the reason for indoor cabinets needing expansion slots. I understand for garage cabinets, and maybe in the colder climates. Would someone elaborate for me. Thanks

[Anthony Anderson]

Personally I would not make the rails and stiles out of MDF, but have no problem with the raised panel out of MDF. I would use 5/8" MDF to save the backcutting operation. If you are going painted then I would use poplar for rails and stiles, b/c they take abuse, and sometimes, depending on the mood of the kids, that can be a lot. Those doors are opening and closing all the time and they need to hold the hinges to the face frame securely. If you are veneering the raised panel then match the rails and stiles to the veneer you are using. HTH, Bill

[Josh Goldsmith]

They are going to be selling the house within 3-4 months and they don't have kids. So i think i will use MDF but i never thought about the abuse side of MDF. Thanks for bringing that up. I have raised panel router bits and they have a back cutter on them. If i use 5/8 it shouldn't use the backcutter right? That would be awesome cause i have never really liked the backcutter. Thanks for the quick responses.

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Josh. Consider making the entire door out of one piece of 3/4" MDF. You can get router bits sets at RouterBits.com (http://www.routerbits.com/cgi-routerbits/sr.cgi?1141520490_14443+95)that are made specifically for raising panels from a single piece of MDF.

[Jim Becker]

josh, if it's mdf, you can GLUE the panel and dispense with the usual 1/16-1/8 expansion gap you would normally leave for solid wood panels.

I don't agree with this based on experience with my own cabinet doors...yes, the panel doesn't expand and contract, but the rails and stiles still do if they are made of solid stock! I can actually SEE my doors getting narrower and wider over the year.

[Josh Goldsmith]

I have never thought about making the door out of 1 solid piece. I am definately going to consider that. If i choose to make them standard way can i glue the raised panel in without using foam. Just Curious. The cabinets are going to installed in Las Vegas,NV if that makes a diffrence. Thanks

[Bill Fields]

Normally, Jim Becker's advice totally rules.

But, in Las Vegas (and most other SW USA locales), humidity/inside temperatures only vary a few percent.

I'm not sure folks who have not experienced the boring constancy of our climate understand that, for indoor applications, we are normally very much within a narrow band of variation.

Outdoors is totally different--the summer sun blasting down on any wooden structure is a real challenge.

BILL

[Jim Becker]

Normally, Jim Becker's advice totally rules.

I'm a hack that regurgitates well...


But, in Las Vegas (and most other SW USA locales), humidity/inside temperatures only vary a few percent.

Very true that the environment where the work will live is also of consideration. For installed cabinetry...you probably don't need to care about this if your humidity stays constant. For free-standing pieces, it's still a good idea to plan for movement...you may, err...move...at some point! Maybe to Oregon or New Jersey... LOL!