Cabinet Door Question

[Jim VanBramer]

I'm in the process of planning new doors for our kitchen cabinets and have a question for you guys. They're going to be very simple in design, just using tongue & groove to join the rails and stiles (3/4" thick), and inserting a 1/4" panel of cherry plywood. Regarding cutting the dado for the panel, am I going to have to use one of those special undersized router bits, and how deep do I need to go (I plan on using those space balls if that's appropriate in this instance)? Or is there another way of accomplishing this that would work even better?? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Scott Parks]

Not an expert, but this works. I use the tablesaw to cut the dadoes in the rails and stiles. You dont need a router bit. I use a minimum depth of 3/8, so I have a decent length for the tenon. Set your fence so the blade is almost to the center of your stiles and run them through twice. Once with the face to the fence, and again with the back to the fence. This will center your dado. Now tweak the fence and bump it away from the blade slightly until your dado is the exact width you need for the ply panels. Use a featherboard for saftey! Then when you machine the tenon on your rails, you can cut it to the same thickness as your dado. If you dont have space balls, you can make a length of 1/4 beads of silicone caulking on wax paper. Then use a razor to cut to 1/4 lengths when it is dry.

[Jamie Buxton]

I use the design which Scott outlines too. It works like a champ -- quick and sturdy. However, IMO, if you're using plywood for the panel, there's no need for spaceballs. Spaceballs reduce rattling when you float a solid-lumber panel. If you use a plywood panel, glue it in. Structurally, it acts like a big gusset on all the corner joints, and makes a much stronger door than if you float it.

[Jim VanBramer]

Spaceballs reduce rattling when you float a solid-lumber panel. If you use a plywood panel, glue it in.

Is this because the solid lumber panel tends to shrink and swell over time, whereas the plywood doesn't?? If I could just glue them in that would really make my life a whole lot simpler!

[Charlie Plesums]

Are you sure you can get 1/4 inch plywood that is also decent on the back side (inside the cabinets)? I have not been able to get good stuff (outside special order at huge cost) for other uses.

I suggest you consider raised panels - they aren't that hard, either with a router or table saw, then you will be in the "mainstream"

The space balls are .26 inches in diameter, so they "stick" in a 1/4 inch groove. If you made your groove 7/32 for the plywood, I bet they would work fine. Leave 1/8 inch for the compressed ball when you build the panel. But I agree that plywood panels don't need space balls.

[Jamie Buxton]

Is this because the solid lumber panel tends to shrink and swell over time, whereas the plywood doesn't?? If I could just glue them in that would really make my life a whole lot simpler!

Exactly!

Jamie

[Jim VanBramer]

Thanks Jamie ... this project just got a whole lot simpler!!!