Confused about glueing up panels

[Derek Larson]

I have read many different things about glueing boards to make a panel. I have heard that if you can use one wide board that is better, then I read that the standard is to use boards no bigger 5 inches. I want to make a few raised panel doors (the panel will be about 16 inches wide) what is the best method for doing this should i use a two 8 in boards? or smaller or larger boards.

[Christopher Pine]

It really depends on the wood. I made a cabinet a year or so back(actually is one of my projects still waiting to be finished) it had raised panel doors and I made the panles out of one wide piece of wood. about 9 to 10 inches wide. Was made from ampel . Well, one of the doors twisted after assembly and warped the door. The other is still strait.
I have heard that you should nto go more than 6 inches and glued up based on that. I think I am starting to believe that is a decent rul of thumb. I live in Colorado and I can get away with some things folks live in wetter climate could not. of course the furniture should ever go to a wetter climate it would effect it.
Hope this answer had not confused teh question. i would probably go with 6 inches wide max and glue up from there.

[Fred Voorhees]

It really depends on the wood. I made a cabinet a year or so back(actually is one of my projects still waiting to be finished) it had raised panel doors and I made the panles out of one wide piece of wood. about 9 to 10 inches wide. Was made from ampel . Well, one of the doors twisted after assembly and warped the door. The other is still strait.
I have heard that you should nto go more than 6 inches and glued up based on that. I think I am starting to believe that is a decent rul of thumb. I live in Colorado and I can get away with some things folks live in wetter climate could not. of course the furniture should ever go to a wetter climate it would effect it.
Hope this answer had not confused teh question. i would probably go with 6 inches wide max and glue up from there.

Boy Chris, are you going to be rained down upon by those with the ultra wide jointer and planers on that answer.:p

[George Bregar]

Generally best to use an odd number of boards for glue-ups...this eliminates a center glue line that the eye is drawn to. I would go 5" 6" 5" myself.

[Jim Becker]

If you must glue up and the grain is such that the joint will be visible, you'll want to take that into consideration so that any joints are evenly spaced across the panel. Even when you are veneering a flat panel as I have been doing more and more of lately, this same principle applies. In my mind, the ideal glue up would be a book-match with only two boards if the joint will be visible, but if you can do a careful grain and color match, you can sometimes make the whole joint disappear. (I use that technique for table tops as much as possible, too)

[John Thompson]

I use as wide as possible as long as the stock is stable going into the glue-up. But.. as Jim mentioned, you want the glue lines be it 1,2,3, etc. spaced evenly or it will stick out like a swollen tongue.

Sarge..

[Tom Hoffman]

In my experience, If the wood isn't completely stabilized, the wider the board, if any twisting movement does occur, it will be more pronounced (more out of plane), than if a narrower board(s) was used.