Cabinet door construction

[Kyle Kraft]

I'm building a cabinet to support a large screen tv and to house a subwoofer, receiver and dvd player. Cabinet will have face frame construction and the doors will have speaker cloth on them instead of a traditional raised or glass panel.

I'm thinking of mortise and tenon, pocket screws, and loose tenon methods. The back side of the doors will have a groove to accept the speaker cloth and a screen spline to hold the cloth in place, just like a window screen.

Domino is not an option due to cost....so don't even suggest it.:)

Anybody ever do something like this?

[Jim Becker]

Both methods you describe are valid...."mortise and tenon" and "loose tenon" are pretty much the same thing. Pocket screws work fine, but they do create a visible joining method even if filled. A third method is cope/stick which is pretty much the same principle as M&T with short, full-width tenons in the groove. Some folks combine cope/stick with tenons in the form of haunched tenons.

[Anthony Anderson]

Kyle, I used rail and stile bits to rout the cope and stick joints. Then before glue up, on the back side of the rails and stiles, I removed the strip of wood that would have retained a raised panel, had I used one. Then I made a small frame to stretch and attach the speaker fabric onto. Then place the frame,with the speaker fabric, into the raised panel opening, you can use the small plastic pieces that retain picture frame backs, to secure to the door frame. HTH, Bill

[Peter Pedisich]

Kyle,

The beadLOCK system would work well in your case, and the price is right!

Pete

[Bob Wingard]

Kyle .. .. I would use the method Anthony suggested with one exception. I only remove the retaining strip on the sides of the doors. Leave the top & bottom intact. Next, make your grille out of 1/4" Lauan or doorskin material, cover it in fabric, then bow it in the middle until it slips into the top & bottom grooves.

Not saying that it's any better of a method, but it works nicely and the insert panel with the grille cloth is easily removed.

[Anthony Anderson]

Good idea Bob, I never thought of that. I am going to try it next time. Thanks, Bill





Kyle .. .. I would use the method Anthony suggested with one exception. I only remove the retaining strip on the sides of the doors. Leave the top & bottom intact. Next, make your grille out of 1/4" Lauan or doorskin material, cover it in fabric, then bow it in the middle until it slips into the top & bottom grooves.

Not saying that it's any better of a method, but it works nicely and the insert panel with the grille cloth is easily removed.

[John Schreiber]

then bow it in the middle until it slips into the top & bottom grooves.

That's slick man. Very slick.

[Kyle Kraft]

Thanks to everyone for the replies!! Maybe I'll have time this weekend to get started.

[Eric Wong]

What about the Dom.........oh wait, never mind.