Inset door ?

[Jim Harsha]

Are there any accepted standards for the amount of clearance for inset doors in a cabinet. I'll be mounting them with Blum hinges if this is a factor. Thanks for your help.

[Jim Becker]

It's partly a visual thing, Jim--what looks best to you. But you also need to take into consideration the species you are working with and the time of year you are building the piece! If you are building during the warmer, more humid season, than you can leave a smaller gap since the door will shrink a bit as it gets cooler and dryer.

I shoot for 1/16" for general cabinetry and try for tighter on furniture as long as the season is right for it. I will tell you that I build my kitchen cabinets with that gap last summer and during the dry, winter months there was a noticable increase in the gap!

[Tim Sproul]

It is proportion, as with anything aesthetic, moreso than an absolute measure....a 1/16 inch gap may look horrific on a small case with a 8 inch x 10 inch door, but that same gap will look quite good for an armoire with 24 inch x 40 inch doors.

This is also where I find hand tooling excels. Since there is no specific measure, you are free to remove minute amounts of material...or more, 'til you find the gap that looks "right." Now keep in mind, as the previous response points out, you have to weight in the season you are building with the gap size.....make it as wide as you feel still looks right during the dry season and as tight as you feel during the humid season.

[Terry Hatfield]

Agree with Jim and Tim,

I use 1/16" for most full size projects. I leave the gap tight on the non hinged side when the piece is frist built. The wood always seems to shrink a bit once it gets moved into the house. Leaving the gap a bit tight will also allow the piece to look better in the winter.

I actually build the doors the same size as the opening and then remove material to get the correct gap.

Terry