Rail and Stile Cutting Dimensions For Kitchen Cupboards. Help!

[Kevin Blunt]

Hello all,

My father and I are just in the process of beginning to build Raised panel doors to give a facelift to his aginig cupboards. My question is what would your dimensions for the length and width if the rails and stiles be if you were going to make this? The set of cupboards has doors in the following sizes. 14.5" x 32", 15.5" x 32", 15.5" x 22.25", and 19.25 x 22.25". given these sizes, what would you guys make the dimensions of the rail and stiles. I would like to keep them all the same so I am looking for something that would look good on all sizes. From the rail and stile sizes i can determine the panel sizes.

Also, we are planning on using ash for the rail and stiles and 5/8" MDF for the panels as we will be painting them . We decided on ash because we knew it would hold screws really well. Would you guys glue the MDF panel in or not? What do y'all think about that. I apologize for all these questions but i have only built two small RP doors in the past and this project is a little more upscale so I want to make sure I don't mess it up.

Thanks for all your help guys and gals,

Cheers and Beers,

Kevin

[Roger Everett]

Kevin:
2-- 2 1/4" is generally used. 2" being about the min. if using Euro hinges, go to the higher end if putting any detail on the outter edge of doors.Depending on the style you are shooting for, for say shaker style or many other designs, many make the lower rail wider. As in 2" for stiles and top rail and a 2 1/8 to 2 1/4" for bottom rail. I also try to use straighter grain stock for stiles and either straight grain or if needed the stock showing grain for the rails, paying attention to the flow of the grain to see which side of stock goes up or down.
Roger

[Jim Hager]

That question can be hottly debated among people of different tastes however I use 2 3/8 styles and rails except on arched topped doors where it goes up to around 4" for the top rail. My cope and stick cutters use a 3/8' tenon so I use 2 3/8 width to ignore the 3/8" when calculating the sizes of the parts. In your case on the 14.5" x 32" door I would cut the styles at 2 7/16 wide on the table saw then mill them down to 2 3/8" at the shaper. They of course would be cut to 32". The rails would be cut to 10.5", coped on the ends then run on the shaper to a final width of 2 3/8" The panel on that door I would use a 10 3/8" wide and 27 7/8" long. I leave an 1/8 th for expansion but I don't use space balls.

Now if your set of cutters uses like a 7/16 tenon you will need to refigure your sizes to match the tenon of the cutter.

After re-reading your post I see you are using MDF panels so you would not need to leave any room for expansion. I don't glue mine in but you certainly may do that with MDF

[Lars Thomas]

I cut them exactly like Jim. I think they look balanced and the math is easy.

[Russ Massery]

I've used 2 1/4.

[Steve Clardy]

My standard is 2.5 all around.

Arched doors, top rail is 4"

[Charlie Plesums]

I did this list for a subcontract customer a few days ago...it reflects my techniques and cutters... your results may vary.

Full overlay doors, 1/2 to 3/4 inch on each side beyond the door opening
Half overlay doors, 1/4 inch on hinge side (I fear this is not enough to allow edge treatmentson the doon)
Inset doors, leave up to 1/8 inch gap on each side.

Door rails and stiles are 2 inches wide, plus 3/8 inch for the "moulding"

I build doors 1/8 inch larger than needed on each side, and trim after glue up. Therefore rather than using 2 3/8 material, I use wood 2 1/2 inches wide. If I have tear out on the moulding, I can trim 1/16 or 1/8 off the moulding and recut it and still use the rails and stiles.

Space balls keep the floating panel from rattling, and are 0.26 inches in diameter, and are compressed 50%. Therefire the floating panel is 1/4 inch less than the opening. MDF doesn't need space balls - can be tight or glued. (I usually just allow the glue to ooze at the corners - ample to hold the panel from rattling.) Painters love to calk, which will also keep the panel from rattling.

Stiles (vertical) go all the way, rails (horizontal) are the shorter, inset pieces. Therefore the stiles can be 1/4 inch longer (1/8 on each end, for trimming), but the rails must be exactly the right length.