Help with 5/8” cabinet door rails and stiles

[Martin Debono]

I have salvaged about one hundred board feet of old growth redwood when I redid my home.

The wood is absolutely beautiful, super tight redwood that was native to the area when the house was built in 1870.

I want to make some cabinets, but after milling, the stock will be 5/8”.

Has anyone built cabinets with 5/8 rails and stiles? My Infinite bits all appear to be optimized for 3/4”

I probably could do mission stile doors but prefer raised panel.

Thx

[Jamie Buxton]

Thinner doors are more floppy than thicker doors. That is, they can twist more easily. It doesn't help that you're using redwood. Even old growth, which is gorgeous stuff, is considerably less stiff than hardwoods like maple or oak.
Part of the question is how big your doors are going to be. If your cabinet is an armoire, with seven-foot-tall doors, that's different from jewelry cabinet with doors that are 18" by 10".

You could laminate three thicknesses of the 5/8" stock, and resaw that sandwich into two 7/8"-thick pieces. Yes, you'll see a seam on the edge of a stile, but I wouldn't be offended by that -- you're making terrific use of lumber which is no longer available.

[Mel Fulks]

Test whatever glue you want to use. On the high quality redwood PVA glue setting can be extremely slow because of
tannin in the wood. Obviously you have less glue surface with a thinner door. As long as the the profile and cope cut profiles are not abbreviated it should work. I would make a glued sample before making a voyage into the unknown !!

[Wayne Lomman]

Making raised panel doors will work. Do them with basic tooling. Make a plain grooved stile and rail, tenon your rails to suit the groove, and do the panel with whatever profile you like. Don't go too big on the doors as commented above. Cheers

[Martin Debono]

Thanks. The largest door will be 36”. Most will be 20”.

I think plain rails and stiles with raised Panels is the way to go.

Thanks for the tip on gluing. I have been using Titebond III and it has been working fine.

Resawing isn’t really an option. Despite my best efforts with a magnet I still end up with nails and having ruined a few boards and blades I don’t want to chance it.

[Jamie Buxton]

....
Resawing isn’t really an option. Despite my best efforts with a magnet I still end up with nails and having ruined a few boards and blades I don’t want to chance it.

Electronic metal detectors work better than a magnet, at least in my hands. For instance https://www.amazon.com/Little-Wizard.../dp/B00005NMUO At $23, it costs less than one ruined blade.

[David Utterback]

Making the bottom rail in the frame wider plus substantial stiles may help make the doors more rigid. Using straight-grain lumber would also help. Good luck!

[johnny means]

I would laminate the stock and make thicker doors. Why put all the effort in just to end up with something that feels and looks like cheap Target furniture?

[Jamie Buxton]

If one of the reasons you're considering 5/8 thick door parts is that you may not have enough old growth redwood to complete the project, you probably can find more. You don't say where you are, but I'm presuming coastal northern california. I just built a patio table and benches from old growth redwood. It took about 300 bd ft. I found all I needed on Craigslist SF Bay Area. I did have to collect it from three difference sources, but I did find enough.

[Jim Dwight]

Another option might be to use your wood for the panels - most of the bd ft - and get some 3/4 or 13/16 stock for the rails and stiles. But I don't think 5/8 doors will be too flimsy. My kitchen cabinets have 3 inch wide rails and stiles because that is what my wife wanted. That's a little stronger than the more typical 2.25 inches. That would also help compensate for thinner stock.

As to whether your rail/stile bits will work I think the best was to know is to try them. They might.