Flat Panel Spacers for Interior Door

[Robert Stern]

I am planing to make a 1 1/2 inch thick interior door. The book I am using to develop the design suggests using haunched tenons and a grove to accept the panels that is about 1/3 as thick as the stiles and rails -- that would be then 1/2 inch wide. But the barrels and spacer balls I have found are no bigger than 1/4 inch. Can I use those and how much deeper than the tongue on pannel should the grove be. Or perhaps someone knows where to get larger spacers.

[Brian D Anderson]

Just a thought, but I've seen people make their own spacers or "space balls" for cabinet door using silicon caulk. Just put a bead down on wax paper, let it dry and then cut to size. Maybe you can make your own like that . . . just build it up to get the correct size.

-Brian

[Steve Jenkins]

make a trip to the "borg" and look at backer rod. It is foam that is round in cross-section and in various lengths and diameters. just cut it into short pieces. It should be in the area with caulk as it is used to fill large gaps before caulking.

[Robert Stern]

Thankyou, both good suggestions.

[Peter Quinn]

At work we use rectangular neoprene rubber sponges that measure .250 X .500, so you run them the long way for 1/4" grooves in cabinet doors, and perpendicular to the grooves for full sized doors with 1/2" grooves. I have no idea where we get these sponges but I suspect the barrels work the same way. They give the same compression in either direction.

The sponges we use specify 1/16" compression to be ideal on installation to keep the panels centered. So you measure the distance from groove bottom to the opposing groove bottom and subtract 3/8" for your panel dimension, which is (1/4"-1/16") X 2. Put another way, the 1/4" spacers once compressed for panel centering require 3/16" of space, and you put them on both sides (and top and bottom) so that gives you your 3/8" difference. Make sense?

You can call the barrel people with specific questions about there length, check their site for more info: www.rcrubbercompany.com/

We have also used 1/4" space balls held in place on the stile grooves with the slightest dab of yellow glue, applied with a toothpick, and inserted into the rail grooves with a thin stick cut for the purpose, once the first half of the door is assembled, but we do this with a two man assembly team to go fast enough, so beware of that. And those little dabs of glue are really little and allowed to dry completely before assembly. You do not want to glue your panels in if you try this, just create enough friction to keep the balls in place long enough to get the door together, after which the panel tongues will keep them in place forever!

Keep in mind that these things will keep panels centered, and will keep well made doors from developing a slight rattle, but they will not keep poorly fitted panels from rattling when the doors are shut. DAMHIK.