Hey everyone! I'm working on building my first painted cabinet doors using 3/4" maple rails and styles with 1/4" MDF panels in grooves. The doors are about 78.5" x 19" and I plan to include a center rail. To get some practice, I'm also making a few shop cabinets first. One thing I noticed is that door makers seem to make their doors slightly oversized and then trim them down. Is that the right approach? I'm currently lacking a router table, but I've got a small Sawstop CTs table saw. I'm thinking of making a makeshift router table with a 1/4" bit for the grooves and using my bandsaw for the stub tenons. Any suggestions for an easier method that doesn't require specialized equipment?
3 Answers
Is your cabinet door going to be inset or overlay? If it's inset, then yes, oversizing is a good idea. If it's overlay, you can just stick to the exact size. And make sure to pick your stiles carefully because with a tall door like that, warping can be a real issue!
You have a few options! If you're building a makeshift router table, I would recommend investing in a set of rail and stile bits. It’ll really simplify your work. If you prefer to keep it simple, you can handle it all on the table saw—either with a dado blade or by making multiple cuts with a regular blade. It’s easier to maintain square tenon cheeks on the table saw compared to a bandsaw. A common approach is to make your verticals a bit longer, just be sure to get the rail lengths right!
I typically make my doors about 1/2" oversized, and that works for me. For the grooves, I highly recommend the router bit that Stumpy Nubs suggests. You might find it helpful!