Cabinet Door Question

[Raymond Fries]

I am making a utility cabinet from edge glued spruce which will be painted white. The two doors will be hinged to open like bi-fold closet doors. Then, the two door panels will be attached to the faceless frame with full overlay cabinet hinges. Each two panel door. is 11 3/4" x 36".

Is it a mistake to not leave a gap between the two doors when they close? If a gap is necessary, is like 1/16" enough?

CabinetDoors.jpg

Thanks

[Pat Barry]

I would leave a 1/16" gap like you mentioned. That should be plenty

[Jerry Miner]

If you're using euro-hinges to mount the doors, you will have plenty of adjust-ability. Start with 1/16" and adjust as needed to keep everything moving freely without binding

[Steve Jenkins]

I don’t think that the gap between the panels will change at all because it is set by the hinges. The gap between the free edge of the door will change as both panels expand and contract. Depending on what wood you are using 1/16 may be a bit tight.

[Jim Becker]

I don’t think that the gap between the panels will change at all because it is set by the hinges. The gap between the free edge of the door will change as both panels expand and contract. Depending on what wood you are using 1/16 may be a bit tight.

Expanding on this, when (calendar wise) you build the piece will also affect this calculation. If you're building during times in your geography that things dry and shrink, then you'll need to leave a little more than you would if you build at the time of the year when maximum expansion is already achieved.

[Raymond Fries]

Thanks for the tips guys. This is my first cabinet with euro hinges so I am not familiar with the available adjustments. Will figure it out during the build.